The Final Stretch

I have been playing City of Heroes since very shortly after release. Matter of fact, I recently received my 33 month Veteran award within the game.

During that time, I have played a character called Red Thorn in a few initial iterations, but then successfully and consistently with the final version (a Scrapper using the Spines primary and Invulnerable secondary power sets).

While playing, I have had an unspoken agreement with myself not to do anything that I have heretofore considered "cheating;" midding, re-running profitable missions numerous times to maximize XP gain, trading Influence between characters, etc.

The game increased the maximum levels from 40 to 50 total some time ago. However, I never got a character above the high 20s to low 30s until Red Thorn (and only a few since him, too). I worked for my XP, experienced as much game content as I could, ran Task Force missions sometimes, joined PUGs (pick up groups) infrequently but often enough to gain the benefits of teaming. I slogged along. For awhile there, about a year, I had some friends join me in playing and all of our characters benefited and raised levels nicely. However, life intruded and first one, then another, and finally the third stopped playing regularly and I was back to the slow grind through the levels.

Levels 1 through 15 were easy and quick. Levels 15-25 were slower, but still easily accomplished. Levels 26-31 were okay. But then I hit the 32-39 stretch with Red which is the worst grind in the game. At these levels, the XP needed for the next level is significantly higher and the benefits to leveling are fewer and farther between. At level 32 is the last time you gain a Power on the every other level routine; at that point it become every third level with only Slots available on the other two levels.

I plugged along, but found myself starting many new Alternate characters as the boredom grew. In the 30s, too, missions started getting much harder to complete for a primarily solitary character. Many of the missions had an Elite Boss, Giant Monster, or full Boss which was nearly impossible to defeat on my own. In addition, the powers of the villains turned to using the two items against which virtually no archetype has any form of resistance. So, on top of it being a slow grind through levels, I was experiencing even more frequent setbacks due to inability to complete a mission or virtual deaths to my character.

Holding out hope, I continued the grind. Those with whom I grouped said that this relaxed and the fun returned in the 40s. And, when I finally turned 41, I experienced it; XP was once again faster to accumulate and the powers I got were more exciting and worthwhile. However, the villain groups continued to be stacked against a solitary player and I had to seek out assistance for ways in which to tackle those mobs against which I had no defense and little hope of success.

I made it to level 45 with Red Thorn before the huge XP requirements finally got to me. Over the last 4 months or so, I have rarely played that character (or, even CoH in general) as my frustration mounted again.

Recently, I picked it up again and managed to get Red to 46 primarily on my own. But it took me as long to get him from 45 to 46 as it normally does to raise a character from 1-20. And then I did it-- I got a request to "mid" from a person and I accepted it.

CoH has certain level caps to dissuade people from "cheating." If you are on a team and you are within 5 levels of the highest person on the team (whether through natural level or an ability to artificially raise your level via Side Kicking), you get XP. If you are on the far side of that level (i.e., as close to the 5 level limit as possible) you also get the maximum XP for the villains you face, as the assumed threat to you is much greater.

At level 46 I could Side Kick (SK) another character so that they reached level 45 and were at the tail end of the 5 level limit. Being as my character was 4 levels below the highest people, I also got good XP. In two approximately 2-hour sessions, I was able to go from 46 to 47+. Another two 'midding' sessions and I was just shy of 48! I was able to reach 48 by finishing some of my impossible missions that I couldn't complete on my own from level 45 on.

So, now I am level 48, with only about 5 million XP to go until 49 and then, I'm guessing, another 7.5 million or so until 50. At level 50 I will unlock some new abilities and archetypes with which I can play the game. Plus, I will have a modicum of prestige at being "a Level 50" on the server.

I still cannot fight certain villains and bosses (just ran up to a low-level Babbage and, in one hit, he took my level 48 from fully healthy to dead!). I still run across certain missions I cannot succeed at on my own. But I am much more confident that I can reach 50 in a short(er) time frame. At this level, I may have fewer opportunities to mid, as well, but I think I can do it.

Hopefully, soon, I can go back to Galaxy City, where Red Thorn started the game, and level up that final time and hand out Influence to newbie characters just starting out.

Only about 12 million XP to go!