Also, what is a “bridge”? Often I’ll see someone calling out that they’re willing to be a bridge, or they’re looking for a bridge…
That’s a roundabout way for a level 50 to powerlevel someone much lower. Someone level 41 or so sidekicks (i.e.: bridges) the lowbie to get around the 9-level maximum.
As Lute said. What happens is that the level lowest level SKs to another member roughly 8 levels below the highest level. This works in the late game, as many builds can complete 3-person missions as easily as one person missions. Using a level 50 as a base, there will be a level 42, who will be receiving XP for foes +8 or greater. The level 42 will SK someone < 39. That person will receive XP for foes +9 or greater. That’s lots of XP for low level characters, and can power then through levels very fast. By using a bridge, both the bridge and his SK can stand well away from the fight (even AFK unless the range limitations have already been implimented) while the high level goes and does what he does best.
Some people get very much in a snit about others being PLed. I’ve been the recipient a couple of times, and I’ve helped a couple of times. Never anything drastic, though. I’ve gotten maybe 1.5 free levels, mostly from Humanist in the mid-20s. I would only do that after I was though for the day; when I’m in the game, I’m there to play, not to let someone else level me. To each his/her own.
Ah, cool. Buncha newfangled terms nowadays…
I think the range restrictions are already in place, D_Odds. I remember being able to join a mission and then sit AFK while someone ran through the whole thing, but now it appears that unless I’m near the action, I won’t get xp for the combats far away.
The range restrictions are in – you need to be within a short distance (300’, I think) to get xp when you are outdoors. You also need to be alive (to prevent you from dying and then having a pal TP Friend you around safely to earn experience). If you deal damage to a mob, you get xp from your team defeating it regardless of range.
I believe the range restrictions are not in effect for door missions, although I have not tested that out.
On bridging, apparently the best level for the “bridge” is 43, as it makes the low-level -8 to the foes (assuming they are level 50), which gives better xp than -9.
Sidebar:
Thermocline is 43, and gets multiple “Would you like to bridge” invitations when I have him on. I accepted one, but the organizers had the IQ of toast and had 8 people on the team, only two of whom were level 50. The two 50s were a scrapper and blaster, neither of whom had the first clue how to play, apparently. I watched a level 50 Fire/Ice blaster (same as Thermo) utterly fail to deal with big packs of level 51 minions.
For reference, +1 minions (or +2 or +3) are the bread and butter of the Fire/ blaster. They fall like wheat before the scythe, for crying out loud. Yet this bozo was apparently unable to deal with them. It made me feel shame.
I don’t think I understand this bridging thing. A level 50 sidebars a lower character, and the sidekick can sidekick someone else? Is that possible?
No, the bridge doesn’t need to be sidekicked. They are within the level range to still get XP from the level 50. They SK the lower level, bringing them within the range of the 50, and getting a lot more XP than if they were SK’d to the level 50.
So it would be lvl 50, level 42, level 9 sk’d to level 41. The level 41 would now get a lot of XP. Although Toaster mentioned that the best range is 50->44->sk’d 43.
No, the level 50 finds a teammate toward the bottom of the “can still get XP” range. That person SKs someone even lower (often very very low). A team of six can have two 50s, 2 mid 40s, and two folks in their teens.
Works at levels lower than 50 as well. i.e. we have taken Eyre at 35, Super-collider out at 33 and SK’d my BIL. We used to do this with Eliza a lot - she would SK to TC - who was several levels above her, and would join teams where the missions being run were a level or two above him.
They’re definitely not in effect for instanced missions. One can be on a different floor than the rest of the team and still get XP, one can also be face down and get XP. I haven’t tried being face down on a different floor yet. 
I think this was done to allow teams to spread out to find that last mob and/or glowie.
Hot damn. With Stamina six-slotted with endurance recoveries, I can now keep Maneuvers, Assault, Tactics, and Choking Cloud running non-stop while fighting, with an Enervating Field tossed willy-nilly. If I throw up a Accelerate Metabolism too, I only go below 50% endurance if I spend it all on Atomic Blast.
How the hell did I suffer through forty levels without that?
Forty? Ouch. My main char right now (level 18, my highest yet…which is sad, since I’ve been playing for almost a year straight) should get stamina at 26…I think. I need ice patch at 20, then after that…no real “must haves” from my primary OR secondary, so I can get hurdle, health, and stamina.
Go me! I finally became a member of CECIL yesterday (or rather, my dark/dark scrapper, Nightmantle, did). If there’s room for one more I’d like to add another alt, Astroblast (any guesses as to what archetype he is?).
Now I’ll just have to work out a system that will allow me to keep up with my responsibilities to my supergroup in Champion.
sigh…there’s just not enough hours in the day. 
bouv, I consider Stamina no later than level 22 a must have. My tank got by on 2 attacks, one the default, until after Stamina. My rad/rad defender got by only on the default attack until after Stamina. My controller…well that’s a different story. My fire/kin controller couldn’t solo a -5 mission. Strictly team play for that character, but Stamina at 20 there also.
lno, I’m very surprised. With RI, EF and CC running, I can’t kill a decent sized group before running out of endurance. And that is with stamina fully slotted and Accel Metab slotted twice for endurance recovery (going to switch that to 3 next time I upgrade; perma AM is overrated).
I currently have three toons above 20, among them only the Inv/Axe tank really needed Stamina. Axe attacks take a lot of endurance!
It’s not all that bad for me. I do use EMP judiciously - with six holds in it, I can train a big group, toss back a yellow inspiration or two, and trigger that and then pick everyone off at my leisure. Plus sometime in the past year they changed it to cause damage to machines (and Freakshow!) so it’s a great AOE attack for me now.
Just for the record, burn with ice patch is the best combo ever! Those damn foes can’t run away if they wanted to! Now, all I gotta do is wait until level 23, when burn with be six slotted, pump it full of SO’s, and sit back and enjoy the fun!
(As it stands right now, a white mob will lose anywhere from 50%-95% of their HP’s from the burn alone.)
Was adventuring last night with Eye of Maya, a illusion/kinetics controller. Speed Boost + Accelerated Metabolism means absolutely no endurance worries, plus frequent use of irradiate and cosmic burst. We were tearing through missions, including that real long Family mission with the 3 bombs and 7 hostages. The only bad part was that the lovely Ms. D_Odds kept targetting the anchor (and she plays a dark defender…thought she would know better). I always announce the anchor via a bind to make it easier on my teammates. She took it to mean target that person :smack: .
I think I’ll be playing Eye of Maya a lot more now. That team was fun! I love my pets! Lina may kill your toggles, but we were in so little danger, it hardly mattered.
By the way, about half my characters don’t have Stamina. And only Volt Valkyrie has Hasten. Stamina (and Hasten) lets you do more, faster, but isn’t really necessary. Just take your time; the game’s not race.
(My characters’ builds tend to be idiosyncratic, so be careful with my advice. )
Just like to remind everyone that I have the War Wall Defender mission available, and would like to run it soon. Additionally, Shadow Stranger would love some assistance hunting Nemesis in Crey’s Folly for a mission.
ERG-1 loves bubbles. Less squishy that way, especially after a big boom.
Tell me, is SS still a rodent?