Can someone explain this feeling?

So I'm relatively new to this game. I bought it at launch years and years ago thinking it would be a suitable City of Heroes replacement. I played it until my character was level 30 and then promptly put it away because it wasn't City of Heroes.

Fast forward 10 years or so and I've been playing City of Heroes: Homecoming for a year and loving it. But I did everything there was to do. Got all the badges, did all of the missions, etc. I was ready for something new. I noticed a DC Universe Online advertisement and it reminded me about the game. I'm already a huge comic book and DC comics fan so I redownloaded it and after getting used to everything that was so different found myself having a blast. I even got my wife playing along with me. This was back in June of last year.

My character is now at 329 CR, 428 SP, 2 artifacts at 200 (Strat and Trans) and 2 at 161 and 167 respectively. I joined a league and I was finally find my niche and how to work my character. I love logging in and I love seeing what new feats or new challenges the League can do and building up Nth metal for the double xp artifact week, etc.

Today is the first time that I don't look forward to logging in. Reading about these new upcoming (possible?) changes has me feeling demoralized and defeated. All of this time, effort and careful planning will be upended by a single update?

What is the point of continuing? What is the point if you are just going to have to start over at square 1 arbitrarily at any given time?

I get that some of you folks may be used to this feeling as reading the archives, sweeping changes have been made before even forcing some folks to choose entirely different powers!

What is the point of creating a character you love with the powers you love and crafting them just right and then having to reassess EVERYTHING you have done after a single update?

The game was fine to me. Things were fine to me. Hell as Electric I could barely ever touch a Gadgets or Munitions character and now that seems even more out of reach to me. I planned on having my last two artifacts at 200 and being able to finally bust out some damage and pull ahead. Now the meta is changing yet again and I don't even know what to do.

So once again I'm looking at artifacts and agonizing over what to do when Double XP artifact week comes and it is more stressful and annoying than fun. I should be playing the game right now but every time I go to log in I think to myself...What is the point?

I feel stuck. I don't know where to go from here or if I even want to continue with what I've been doing, because it may all come crumbling down in a month or so.

Am I being hyperbolic? Is this a feeling that anyone else has? How do you deal with it? Do you pack it up or keep chugging along?

*Sigh*

This game is supposed to be a fun escape into a different world. It feels like a slightly fun descent into financial ruin.

, I'm sorry to tell you but there will always be a new meta, things have to change in order for dcuo to make money of new artifacts or new items it's how it is , be glad for now that it's just a little super charge update ,I can't even imagen how you would feel when they touch on powers.

What's the new meta? I'm assuming we're just talking about dps role here since that's all that's in the supercharge plans. So meta has always been trans strat solar amp/ maybe grim/ sometimes eog. Been that way for a long time. Anything else that's come out since has been comparable but not better than. Not being argumentative btw, asking a real question. Aside from amulet, I don't think anything has even been close to as good as those listed. And that's only good for some powers or great for that troll power that's clearly getting all the love.

OP, as far as what to do now: I know you're electric. So wait and see. I'm gonna say your trans and strat stay and you'll be ditching supercharge related artis. Grim won't help you. So solar amp is next best bet. Cuz trans strat solar amp always wins. You could try amulet, no clue how that is on electric. Maybe everyone is wrong about supers and you'll be all set. Either way, enjoy it for what it is and don't overthink or overspend. Barely spend and that tells management more than leaving the game. Let the community figure stuff out, we always do. And by we, I mean everyone else. I'm sticking to what I've got because whatever, good enough.

This is one change in likely more to come that are attempting to bring balance to the game. Right now some things are over performing, some are under performing, and some things are broken (either to the point of it basically being an exploit, or to making something completely useless). The ultimate goal is for every power set to be equally viable with artifacts making some play styles viable that otherwise weren't, or introducing new play styles that didn't previously exist.

Supercharges are just one part of the game, and this balance pass is j just looking at those. In an ideal situation, all balancing would be done at one time. Though that takes a significant amount of time and many issues would not be resolved in the mean time. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like we have some power sets that have great sustained damage with crappy supercharges and some with phenomenal supercharges but only decent sustained damage. Currently they are able to do about the same damage during a raids. Unfortunately, the devs needed to pick either supercharges or other friends of damage to balance at a time, and either way one of those two groups suffer until both balance pass are done. In this case, power sets with great consistent damage and currently weak supercharges will be a favorite by the FotM club until the next balance pass that addresses other areas of the damage role.

My suggestion is to get on test (you don't need a pc subscription) and provide feedback. The changes might not be as bad as you think. This is on test because they want feedback, and if there's too much that needs to change after reviewing that feedback it's possible the supercharge balance pass gets delayed (I believe they've done similar with some major changes in the past).

Also, as long as you like your character and how your setup plays, keep with it. Unless your definition of fun is being able to plow through the toughest content on day one without gearing up, whatever your power set, load out, and artifacts are right now should still be viable after this balance pass.

Be glad you were not around during the weapon mastery into AMs phase. They were doing 1 power at a time for 2+ years where there would would be a flavor of the month power that destroyed every other power and the previous power would usually be nerfed usually too much, 1 day your power would be good the next it would be nerfed into the ground and some groups would kick you for being a nerfed power. It finally drove me out in 2016 and i didn't come back until the start of 2020.

Honestly, for a while I've been unsure of what I wanted to do for my DPS. I loved Quantum's Oblivion so I have been using artifacts like scrap and trying to incorporate my supercharge generator into my loadout, and was thinking about working on Quislet. I've been feeling generally weak though, well not feeling but I am, and have been mostly ignoring my DPS side and continuing to just main Troll.

With these supposed changes and seeing Quantum's supercharges getting nerfed, this will finally be the push I needed to stop trying to do what I want to do and just join the meta. (not switching power though)

This isn't a good thing, it seems we are straying further from any possibly variety.

Making all supercharges in-line with each other isn't a bad idea, but it doesn't really work when all the powersets themselves work differently from each other and have different loadouts/numbers/combinations/mechanics and many other variables.

guys, there are balancing the game!

they are essentially destroying all super charges and making everyone use Neo Venom. thus creating balance !

/sarcasm

I was speaking in a broader way, looking toward the future,

This makes me feel a little better. I'm usually the kind of person who does whatever they want in a game no matter what is popular but with my joining a League recently I want to be useful to my fellow League Mates and be able to competently use both of my roles. Our League is overflowing on Healers but hurting for DPS so I've been trying to balance both. Although I didn't start healing until late last year and I don't fully have healing artifacts yet (Trans, Strat, and EOG) I seem to do fine there. Especially once I reallocated some of my points into power. But with DPS it can be a struggle to keep up with some of the more explosive powers even though I always seem to hold my own. I just worry that such a large reduction (31%) is going to make me even less viable as a reliable burner. I don't care about the score boards except for a measure on how I need to improve.

You do make an argument for sticking it out and usually I'm that kind of person. I stayed at Blockbuster Video for 10 years while it burned down around me. I don't usually cut and run but with age comes wisdom and I now understand that sometimes waiting for things to get better isn't the best way to go. I'm less than a year in so I feel like I can walk away a littler easier on some level. I'm just going to miss the friends I made along the way.

Yeah the big difference there was a change to the new meta meant a $10 change token ($5 if you stocked up on a sale), whereas a change in how artis/augs affect things or completely going from a might based power to prec based means a lot more money spent in XP, seals, cats, replays...whatever it takes to 'keep up' with the changes.

That's why the smartest move (many of us did it during the FOTM changes) is don't pay the 'keep up' game. It's a losing battle that only encourages more of the same later.

Playing your own game and not worry about comparing to others is the best bet. If you can get the job done with the 'non meta', then keep doing it. If YOU want to try something else because it will correct a problem you are having (such as switching an arti or powerset) then by all means do so....don't do it because 'everyone else' says it's the way it must be done. Being part of a good league or friends list is a great asset....most decent leagemates or friends won't complain you aren't the meta as long as you are doing good work and willing to make small tweeks (like your re statting power, or trying different power combos).

Don't get me wrong, there is a risk with waiting too, especially if there's a long gap between the different balance passes. There have been some powers that were bad for years before they became viable with a balance pass. But I don't think these changes (whatever the final version is) would take the best non broken setup and make it the worst.

My league has a really good dps that's been helping out other people (also elec). I think I've maybe seen someone do more damage than him maybe one in the last few years. I know I couldn't do what he does to get that damage out, so my goal is just to keep him from doubling me when we both dps. That sounds bad on the outset, but when we get a random person to fill a slot, I'm usually about doubling them. So I know if I can keep within 50% of his damage, I'm at least an above average dps. Just being above average isn't going to help as much with later rounds of sm or the most recent elite raids, but I usually end up tanking those.

I don't play the keep up game since i came back i just pick my power and stick with it for example my main is gadgets because its a batman character ,my 2nd main is electric because hes a speedster and i do quite well just playing around with my loadouts, i also don't bother with elite because its too much headache. I am actually enjoying the game more now than i ever did.

Respect.

Just do what you do. Log in and do what's fun for you.

I missed the part about Solar Amp. Eye of Gemini and Solar Amp are the artifacts that I have at 167 and 161 respectively. I use the Eye of Gemini right now for my AOE and Healer builds (in lieu of an actual healer artifact) and the Solar Amplifier for my Everyday and Single Target Boss builds. I fully expected to get them both to 200 at the next Double XP Artifact Week and then really be able to compete on both fronts. I'm not sure what I would fold the Eye of Gemini into instead at this point. The purple healing ray was my next Artifact target so maybe I could fold it into that but my AOE is going to suffer big time from all of this. I was also thinking about messing around with the La Mort Card since I'm a big fan of finishers but I don't know enough about it as far as synergy goes.

Electric, I say this often lol, is the lucky powerset to me. You can use trans strat eog on both roles and do very well/ be very competent. I don't think that's really going to change with this pass. At least on the healer side. Now, I do not think eog is a healer arti at all but it's what groups shout for so you'd be popular at least. Page is a game changer and I say the 1 arti every healer should have. Swap it out with eog when you're in a non grouped up mission. But electric already has a similar power tho I've heard they work great together.

On your dps, I'd stay away from la mort. I use it on my rage but that's a 2 hit finisher. Solar amp outperforms on most any powerset. So still say trans strat solar is your happy place. Lots of ticks in electric. Play your strong hand, aoe damage is still very needed

Dude how are you losing the will to live with just your sc being nerfed? Not sure why a sc balance pass would drastically alter your playstyle.

I have an Earth main so Entomb getting nerfed sucks but honestly makes sense. It was hitting harder than most 10000 scs, was clippable, and did great for both aoe and st. I just hope the buffs they have intended make other scs worthwhile. I'd love to use Earthquake but the damage doesn't justify the huge risk and slow cast time relative to Entomb.

Lol, I'm not losing the will to live I'm losing the will to keep playing the game. As in instead of spending money and time on the game I would go do something else with my time and money. I don't know how you got that I lost the will to LIVE out of my post.

And yeah it sucks more because Electric is built in a way that you have to rely on Short Circuit to put up comparable numbers to other powers that inexplicably got a buff. Which theoretically means that my burn and overall viability as a DPS will suffer greatly. It really won't affect me much when I'm doing dailies or mindlessly running around but in a Elite raid? It's huge. I don't like sucking so I will do everything that I can to not suck. Hence me putting forth all of the effort that I have so far in getting my SP up and my Artifacts right. If I suck because I have a crappy loadout that's on me. If I suck because the Developers of a game decide to Nerf a key component of my build into the ground I'm going to just stop playing. At that point nothing that I can do short of blowing more of my cash and spending more of my time adjusting and fixing my characters is going to work. And even then my character has a concept that isn't subject to alteration or change. So compromise my artistic integrity and waste my cash just so I can look forward to it happening again? Nah, that's a chumps game.

As I said before, I know this isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last. But it is my first time experiencing it and I'm not a glutton for punishment. Burn me once and I'm out. I'm not waiting around for improvements or for them to fix the last fix I'm just going to bounce. Plenty of books and media for me to catch up on that are completely free and I'm sure City of Heroes: Homecoming has added more since I left. And that is completely free.

What really sucks is that I purchased a year membership.

Lol, welcome to DCUO. Where things get nerf'd at least once a year. If you do a little research, and stick with a power. You won't need as many arts. See, theybstarted this years back with SC, and STILL haven't figured them out.

You won't be using a 100% SC. This is now DCU-neo-venom-boost-O.