Returning Casual Player: non-clipping and non-optimal builds viable?

TDLR: Is casual play, including non-Elite Raids, still feasible withOUT using clipping? And using non-META powersets?

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Sorry if this is a stupid question, but when I tried asking in a team the other day they called me a "newb" and got a bit salty.

Anyway, I used to play quite heavily when the game released, and have only come back on short bursts over the years. I've been back more long-term lately and got my CR up nicely on my main (CR383) and my artifacts up a decent amount just hitting the zones and doing Alerts. I'm trying to catch up on the reading.

I'm not a "snob" by any means, but I'm enough of a purist that I'd rather avoid

• A) clipping
  • I don't consider it cheap or cheating, but I'd like to just go through the game as a more-intended way.
• B) using the Super Speed + Iconic powers that SOOOO many builds I see use
  • So many guides I see include a combination of Super Speed / Robot Sidekick / etc. taking up one of the very few load out slots
• C) sticking to the BEST dps powersets.
  • I'd like to use Quantum and Atomic, even though the recent guides / vids I've seen rank them towards the bottom.
  • I enjoy my the visuals and my rotation of Quantum, and Atomic looks cool and I like the idea of using combo's like I'd done with Green Lantern powers.

But since it looks like Clipping is just now the accepted gameplay method, and I've seen LFG's asking for only top-tier dps for a simple raid... I'm just wondering if it's even worth playing it the way I'd like to play it while still doing Raids (NOT the Elite raids).

I know Electricity is considered a preferred DPS, but I can't stand the visuals and don't just want to be TOO cookie-cutter. I enjoy the idea of Quantumn (I use the destabilizing powers) from a visual / role-playing / power-loop I've settled on. Likewise Atomic looks cool as heck and it seems to take advantage of the combo's that I used to love for GL stuff (I just didn't want to be a GL).

And I'm not whining that clipping is "wrong" or whatever -- clearly the devs have agreed it's part of the game. I'd just rather avoid it.

Yes almost anything is viable in regular content.

You can't really do well as Atomic without at least some clipping of abilities. Quantum has some simple rotations that do well.

Clipping, by the way, was always intended as far as I can tell. At least it's been in the game since I started playing.

You absolutely can pick powers purely on their visuals or how welll they mesh with your role play.
The question You need to ask yourself before doing so is which is more important to you, completing , or competing.
You can complete building rotations as you describe.
You can not compete doing that though.
So as long as you’re only interested in the W and not being top of the scoreboard, you will be just fine.

One suggestion if I may though. Being a weaker dps can be tough when trying to pug. You can expect a lot of “you’re doing it wrong” type comments.
This can be 100% alleviated by joining a good casual league. Something to think about.

Clipping and jump-canceling were always "intended", it's just that nobody in 2011 predicted how far the players would run with the idea. I believe you were supposed to be able to at least clip with shields and some heals, and jump-cancel long channeling abilities, so that you could survive sudden attacks instead of helplessly watching your toon stuck in an animation, getting flattened.

Almost anything is potentially viable in regular content as long as the run is going smoothly. But if it isn't - DPS with the lowest scores are most likely to get criticized and kicked. Because in DPS Universe Online damage is the easiest role to fill. One of the ways to avoid that is to play a different role. You'll probably get away in normal raids without clipping as a troll, or a turtle tank, but if your team is in trouble and you insist on only using one heal at a time, especially with weapon attacks in between, or if you refuse to pop a shield at the right time as a tank, because you want to see the entire animation of your previous ability - they probably won't like that.

And with many powers - like combo powers - clipping is almost unavoidable, because there's nothing stopping you from launching an ability while the previous combo is still finishing - unless you alternate the combos with weapon attacks, and then you'll likely clip those at least a little bit with the next ability. And combo powersets, like Celestial, or Rage came out long after the devs knew about clipping.

So, yes - clipping is definitely here to stay and I don't see anything particularly "pure" about purposefully not taking advantage of it. If someone can't press buttons fast enough - fine, but they might be best off running with a league, or friends who accept that, because kids in PUGs are in a hurry these days...

Clipping and jump-cancelling part, I understand. It's not everyone's cup of tea. Although it will definitely take your DPS game to next level.

Now to the question of using Meta powers (RS, NVB, Superspeed), you can do pretty decent damage even without them, there is no doubt, when you use the meta powers, they give you that extra push needed to be Top dps, but if you are not looking to be that then any powerset will do fine.

I have been trying to put videos out without using any meta powers, but some powers will not perform well compared to other powersets if you don't use meta. For example, Atomic is pretty much burst damage, combo system makes is super slow. Quantum without Heat vision is slightly weeker. Nature's DoT and supercharges have been nerfed to the ground. So, since the powersets are unbalanced, IF you wanna do great damage, "chase the scorecard" and be top dps, Meta powers are the only way to do it (along with clipping, jump canceling and art-swapping).

My suggestion: What you require, no clipping, no jump-cancelling, no meta powers. I think Munitions is the powerset for you. You don't need any meta powers to be a top dps with munitions, it's all channeling powers so you can't really clip.

Agreed that muni is the definition of low input high output. Definitely my first suggestion to any one that isn’t trying to be super excel but still wants to do good numbers

Casual play is very much feasible. I have 8 characters (six of which I play in rotation every week), and none of them were created using "optimal" builds posted by hardcore gamers. In every case, the build developed based on my headcanon for the character. Every one of those characters has finished the "classic story" and runs through Tier 6 content.

My main is a speedster (because I find it to be fun), is electric (because I found it to be fun, and is the best of all my toons for soloing), and has no robot (because I needed the hotkey slot for a healing power). And if any group has had issues with me not having the "right" build or the "right" artifacts or the "right" number of skill points, they have kept it to themselves.

I know plenty of players will tell you you "have to" invest in this particular skill or that particular power, or have the other specific artifact. There are plenty of people who say (loudly and often) that they refuse to play with anyone with fewer than X number of skill points. Good for them. They can play the way they think they're supposed to. My advice is just play what you have fun playing, and don't worry about how the hardcore purists say you "should be" playing.

get source shard and mercy leveled and just go pet DPS that way it takes 3 of your powers for godswave, mercy and robot/crystal/fury

your then set up for any power set and will do fine
just pick 3 powers you like thats quick and bursty
you will do plenty of damage
you wont compete on score board with someone who is doing all the clipping and are good at what they do, but you will easily hang with the majority of pugs you will come across

for third artifact you can play with but quislet or grim are preferable to keep you at 3 pets up but you can really use whatever you want

I am Fire DPS/Tank with flight, dual weapons, CR 393, no pets, no clipping, no cards, using Tetrahedron of Urgrund (not maxed yet) 360 sp and a full AOE powerset...and.. I am a top damage DPS? No, of course not, but I can run all normal content doing a pretty decent damage and the most important...HAVING FUN

As tank, I can run some elite content as well, but I still so newbie on this instances