New Giant Monster Mechanics

[Llava]

This has been live for a while, but I'll describe it for those who don't know.

Giant Monsters in City of Heroes are big, epic mobs.  Previously they worked like anything else, so a level 15 giant monster was no threat at all to a level 30-ish hero.  Now, they con purple to everyone.  If affects you and you affect it as if you were its level.  This is a good thing for many reasons, one of which I just experienced.

I was just finishing out a mission with the Malta Group.  When I got the Mission Complete message, I alt-tabbed to read some of the post regarding the Wish Cancellation.  As I'm browsing that thread, I hear a plasma cannon charge up and fire.  "Oh," I think.  "I'm being ambushed.  I better check on that."

HOLY SHIT!

THERE'S A LEVEL 47 MONSTER ATTACKING ME.  THIS ROBOT IS THE SIZE OF A BUILDING.

Thankfully, perma-Elude is overpowered against single enemies.  I didn't die.  Instead I'm standing toe-to-toe with this mammoth.  I can't dish out nearly enough damage to dent it.  It's repairing far faster than I can hurt it.  So, I broadcast.  I assembled a ragtag group ranging from levels 29-40.  None of them would normally be able to scratch a level 47, but because of the mechanics with giant monsters we were able to take him out.  It took a long time, and a bunch of other folks jumped in to help too (also far too low level to really affect any other level 47).  We won, though.  No one died.  It felt like a community event.  It was hilarious, and great fun.

So props to Cryptic for this one.  Level-independent gameplay in a level-based system, who'da thunk it?

[Mesozoic]

If you and it affect each other as if it were your level, then does that mean that it acts as a white-con?  Or a white-con with a purple-con's HPs?  I'm a little confused as to why you couldn't solo it.

[eldaec]

It's even level, Giant monster rank.

Which means it cons purple and is only slightly easier than an Archvillian.

[Mesozoic]

ahh, gotcha.

[Llava]

Tougher, actually.  Given unlimited time and the lack of any special tricks like personal force field, I /can/ solo archvillains.  With a little luck.  This guy, though, I had no chance.  Couldn't put out nearly enough damage to beat his natural regeneration rate.

[Glazius]

It affects you and you affect it as if you were its level.

Okay, now I'm a little confused. Does that just mean that all the level-difference-based multipliers go out the window?

I thought it was a little more complicated - if you were a level 15 fighting a level 30 giant monster, it would hit and damage you as though it were level 15 with level 15 attack power, and you would hit and damage it as though you were level 30 with level 30 attack power.

--GF

Edited because numbers are hard.

[eldaec]

Okay, now I'm a little confused. Does that just mean that all the level-difference-based multipliers go out the window?

It effectively sets your combat level (as opposed to security levels) to be equal. In exactly the same way a side kick combat level is adjusted.

If you are lvl 30 and it is lvl 15, you will hit it as if you are lvl 15, it will hit you as if it is lvl 30.

[Llava]

Exactly, sort of an instant universal sidekicking system.  The level multipliers do, essentially, go right out the window.  This is what MMOGs need- combat that's challenging not because your to-hit rate and damage are artificially lowered beyond reason, but because the enemy is actually tough.  Unfortunately, Monsters are only tough because they do lots of damage and have lots of hit points which is basically just a different kind of beast.  I'd really like some more advanced AI and nastier, unique powers.