To be or not to be (warning: long post)

[Gwenhwyfer]

Hi all,
I have played several characters (advies, traders, keepers, doctors), but I always return to my crat because I feel she is the most interesting profession to play in teams and solo pvm. Unfortunately, 90% of crats that I've met in my career have been below average. Lazy at calming, own pet breaks calms, favours the use of afk+follow, has not updated her nanos etc. I feel an urge to play my crat just right and prove that crats can be a fine addition in teams (and I don't mean XP perks and baton).

I wanted my crat to be good at pvm (won't even think about pvp) and to focus on team play (later to try some soloing in inferno). Unfortunately XP came faster than I expected and now I feel she is beyond repair.

She is lvl 176 at the moment with ONLY 5 alien levels. I just finished her 1k token board and it was already a real pain (the missions were huge). My plan was to get her the 1750 board, but at this rate, I dont think I can endure the huge missions again.

Now to my problems:
1) For several weeks, I had been on lft for AXP, but never got any invites (compared to my keeper, who never had any trouble with this). One solution would be to host my own raids, but I don't want it to be just that. So I got tired of waiting and kept leveling. Now she's already 176 and by the end of TL5 and beginning of TL6, alien raids get EXTREMELY difficult and long, so her chances of getting axp are next to nothing now.

2) Token board at this level is much slower than, say TL4. Her damage output is poor so token guns will be just as painful.

And to my final question:
Do you veterans think I should trash her completely and start all over? Mostly I am ashamed of her lack of AXP. I once met a crat, who was always on lft for AXP. Today, she is TL7 with around 25k+ alien kills. How is that even possible?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts about this.

-Gwen

[Makr]

If you want aliens, go get aliens...

Start blitzing CRU missions, hold your own raid. (I assume you are in a guild, if not, GET IN ONE!)

Just because you're not getting picked up for an alien raid doesn't mean you can't hold your own raid.

That's what I do on Reclaimr, I hold my own. Only one person out there normally invites me to aliens if he's online, he likes the aura

[Shevaya]

Now to my problems:
1) For several weeks, I had been on lft for AXP, but never got any invites (compared to my keeper, who never had any trouble with this). One solution would be to host my own raids, but I don't want it to be just that. So I got tired of waiting and kept leveling. Now she's already 176 and by the end of TL5 and beginning of TL6, alien raids get EXTREMELY difficult and long, so her chances of getting axp are next to nothing now.

2) Token board at this level is much slower than, say TL4. Her damage output is poor so token guns will be just as painful.

And to my final question:
Do you veterans think I should trash her completely and start all over? Mostly I am ashamed of her lack of AXP. I once met a crat, who was always on lft for AXP. Today, she is TL7 with around 25k+ alien kills. How is that even possible?

Thank you in advance for any thoughts about this.

-Gwen

Not sure if i qualify as a veteran...i'm not that old

as to aliens: crats seem underpowered for aliens but our toolset works very well there and a single crat can turn the table around in a bad situation. Unfortunately not many people know this. But you are close to coming in range to be able to join for the Alien outzones (APF areas). Then your aliens levels will increase a bit. Secondly get CRU's and make your own alien raids. if you really want axp this is the way to get it fast. (remember to get a CI/CM to calm better)

1750 board is not really that much of a difference to the 1k board. Either aim for the 2.5K board or if you become pande enabled get sigil from beast or comfort from sagitarrius. If you dont want to grind to 2.5K tokens or are not pande enabled stick with the 1k board.

As to your personal damage output. At level 176 for crats it's not easy to start shining out in DD ... yet. Never forget your charms are your main source of damage. But depending on your playstyle (melee or ranged) your own damage will increase once you reach the shadowlevels as you will be able to get into higher QL alien weaponry. Also near the later shadowlevels you can start looking at more DD perks/healing perks.

Try not to focus on some other people out there who have this or that... try to focus on how you feel your character is at it's best and if you enjoy the character. This is a game so enjoy it

[Cheapthrill]

I would hate to see you delete the char with all that time invested.
If you aren't out of iprs I see no reason to reroll. AXP will come at any level, so rerolling in hopes of having more AI levels by the time you are this level again seems pointless.

Whats your org situation like? Personally I never went outside of org for AXP and while im not AI30 I have done fine.

Also Org raids always net more axp as you get more ground aliens + the ship, while random lft raids more often than not turn out to be self serving farm raids, which are of little value to you imo.

[Portulis]

Well I'm gonna say this.

Crats are awesome for AI. Calms, especially aoe calms are blessings for lowby docs.

3 alien rooms with one or 2 calmed means the chance of a stray nuke death are way lower.

As to org, its tough sometimes if you aren't a doc to get all the axp you can handle.

I can log my doc on and get an ai raid whenever I want, but even in an active org like I'm in, it just isn't always possible, if the docs on are sking or raiding, then you just can't do a raid, unless you can convince an outside doc to come to your guild raid.

On my non doc toons I do pickup aliens a fair amount, and have to say its way easier to get teams with a tank toon, simply because most players don't know how good crats are at AI. Crats don't light up the DD (cause most don't bother adding pets, I never do anyway), and aren't agg magnets. Contributions a crat does just aren't as visible.

[Gwenhwyfer]

Im in a medium-size org and since my main is a general, hosting a raid is "theoretically" possible. The only problem is the lack of suitable level players (and docs ofc) in my org. I do realize that do-it-yourself is the way to go, but it shouldn't always be. I see no other reason to this than a misconception that crats are poor in AI raids. With my keeper main, I never have any trouble getting into AXP teams, even easier with a doc.

I guess I'll skip the 1.7/2.5k token boards and go straight for pande boards. As for AXP, I will not lose hope, just yet.

About APF raids, I don't see much use for a crat there (other than heroic measures and commanding presence for AR buffs). Calms arent needed anyway and most people would choose a DD profession over a crat. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I appreciate the quick replies

[Icancalm]

I think a part of the answer is in your first post.

Like you said, alot of crats are nothing but xp sticks and they make it harder for the few real crats there are to get invited to non XP/SK grinding teams.

[Malaxia]

On AI raids or team, people usually love the Heroic Measures and Commanding Presence 10, because +360 AR/+410 Def is always nice to have and can save evading profs as well as yourself.
Malaise + Red Tape lands more often than UBT, and can help when having several adds. Area calms lands randomly, but you can spam them to keep zix and adds calmed.

With a doc and enf in team you can expect 3.5k hp from buffs, which is always good for squishy nano like me.

To get more invites for AI raid, have a guild with a city which is raiding sometime, or if you have friends with good guilds, this helps too. Remember that massive org raids are a good source of AXP, and they always need people for this that can calm the ton of adds.

[Portulis]

Gwen it might not be real apparent at your level but reputation in AO is HUGE.......and it applies to crats as well as anybody else. Play a crat WELL and you will be loved for your xp poleness as well as your DD/calm skills, etc.

Don't stress the alien levels too much at your level-title level 5 crats aren't gonna get a bunch of invites unless the people know you and I'm guessing even the most amazing title level 5 crat isn't gonna have enough mojo to get invites over an enforcer or keeper.

At 210+ though that will be another story.

[grimmy]

What Port said. I get invites now to AI raids as a DD, on my crat. That's only because I've worked my a$$ off enough so people know what my crat can do. Keep going with your crat, get into APF (don't expect people begging you to join team at low levels there, though), and level some more. 150-200 raids I find are not great anyway, the aliens hit like you're at a 200+ raid, but no one can take the hits.

[Shevaya]

Agree with portulis: reputation does matter especially in the high end of AO.
Agree with grimmy: work your ass off and your reputation will come by itself and you'll get invites.

As to your contribution to APF once you can get there. just keep going and do your best.

[Portulis]

Honestly APF isn't anything for people under 205 to wanna worry about, although when we do guild raids anybody high enough can come heh. The greys and greens seem to die off fast so not sure it is really worth it until you have enough hp and ncu and evades to handle nukes from 250 aliens.

When you get higher in level, say 210+ if you are an awesome crat you will get teams with your friends, if not they aren't your friends.

I've never had anybody in my guild object when we've invited a crat to come on a raid with us, since we only invite "real" crats and real crats are as valuable as anybody else at such raids.

For bot raids an anonymous crat might have some trouble but once you get a good rep you won't have a problem with knowledgeable players.

[RedWobe]

Unfortunately, 90% of crats that I've met in my career have been below average.

Technically, this is impossible.

Anyways, now that I'm done being a smartass...

My opinion is that you only need as many alien levels as it takes to cap two Alien perklines - Weapon and Champ of Nano probably (I dont really see alot of use in the other lines). At 176 you're probably not that far behind. Additionally, once you get to about 210 you'll probably get alot more invites as people are looking for teams to help them farm bots

My suggestion would be to host your own raids and then sell the bots and buy token gun bags. If you buy for 2.5m per bag (going rate afaik), then lets say you get 100m average for your bots (strong+supple way more, enduring+spiritual way less) then you're getting 40 bags per bot. A bag holds 21 guns, which gives you 1 3/4 tokens per bag, each of which will increase your tokens by 7 I think. That makes about 12 tokens per bag. Think of each bot as 480 tokens and by the time you get 2500 tokens you'll have a couple more AL under your belt. Anything over 20 is overkill anyhow.

Just for example, I'll tell you what I did with my crat because I love him. I stopped levelling him. I removed ALL my XP perks and perked up CiB. I left him at lvl 200 so that I could roll things I needed with him. He's just for calming now. I raised up Assault Rifle and Full Auto so that I could equip my Hellspinner for style and then stopped worrying about DD. I play my crat now more than my doc because people always need this or that - root grafts, booster rifles, QL200 FA/Treatment stuff etc. I always have all the QL200 imps I need. I take people to T2 dungeons when they need phulaks or int/psy rings and calm them through to the boss. I have fun going for pure style with my Suzrian hat, Meisters and Hellspinner. I had so much extra IP that I maxed evades, nr and several tradeskills (psych, np, qft, mm and ee). I make money FAR FAR faster on Fillthisout blitzing assorted junk for people (root grafts and QL250 imps mostly) than I could ever make running CRU or doing Inf Dynas with Red. Sure, he's not ideal for endgame raiding, but unless you're in Tranq, EF or one of the other few orgs that does Pande outside the bots, who gives a poop? Zerging is FTL. I hate that crap and I hate SKing - so I dont do it.

I'm not saying you should do what I did, but you should think about what you want to get out of your crat and think about what the fastest why to be able to do that is. For me, levelling to 200 and just maxing my CoNC was enough to enjoy my crat and to make him a very usefull addition to my account. Ask any of the dozen people who have gotten a delivery from Fill this week.

P.S. Crats can be good at PvP, Portulis is wicked. He gave my doc a serious run for her money in 2h0 this afternoon and hes running around with a goat helm and Merlin robe. Decent equip sure but not like full AI+Notucomm style equip. I counted at least 7 times where I was under 1k HP when his stun ran out and I CHed and ran like hell from Carlos. I can totally see how a crat could be an amazing addition to a gank squad - Tiamin and Stromm used the hell out of their Freak Str perks but crats have a nice nano that they can spam instead.