The decades of character experience each have their own qualities to them — to the extent, at least, that I’m able to identify them.
1-9: Crude and Unformed
At the beginning levels, it’s all about a few fresh powers and testing character concepts. There’s not a lot to differentiate characters or missions, just the freshness of it all. There’s a lot of initial turnover here, but these levels tend to go so (relatively) fast that it’s pretty easy to survive.
10-19: Make or Break
By this time the difficulty is begining to ratchet up and the time-to-level is increasing. Steel Canyon and Skyway provide new places to live, and die. TFs show up, giving a way to seriously immerse in the character and team with others. Most of the leveling here is taken up with getting a travel power, bumping up Hasten, and struggling for Stamina. DOs and paying for them become an issue.
I find this is the level where (my) characters tend to stall, as their limitations in play and personality become clear. I’ve dropped many more characters in this range (esp. right around 15) than in the first decade.
20-29: Establishing a Rep
Characters come into their own. Basic power sets are in place, the basic supporting powers (travel, stamina) are taken, and now differentiation can occur. Missions move to IP/Talos, and become a lot more interesting. SOs show up. Major story arcs become more visible, and there are a large number of TFs. Respecs and costume changes become available.
More importantly, I’ve found that the heroes who make it to this level start getting a lot more involved in SG events and social chit-chat. They become known, and get to know others. Enough activities take place jumping off of IP/Talos that their survivability there (not to mention being able to travel and having a breadth of powers) lets folks be easily SKed. In short, the social network for heroes solidifies here (though it requires maintenance), and adds a new level of enjoyability to the game.
These levels are long, but rich. In my (limited) experience, my alts who make it into this range are solid.
30-39: Living Large
Glory days. Founders Falls and Crey’s Folly. Rikti and Crey and the return of the Circle of Thorns, not to mention Devouring Earth. Money stops being so much of a problem. Get this far and you are a competent, powerful, hero, as well balanced as the constantly changing landscape of new issues can allow.
Characters at this level seem unlikely to be dropped (after all that investment) but might stall.
40-49: Thousand Yard Stare
This one I can’t speak to from direct experience (just yet). My impression, reading from other people, is that heroes that get here tend to be (a) key SG members who get much involved in group activities, and (b) obsessed with getting to 50 (especially when there are dire warnings about future nerfs). Long levels and long TFs/Trials can make this something of a slog.
50: Top o’ the World, Ma!
Hero of the City. Now what? Either act as elder statesman (so to speak), fostering others activities and playing socially — or else roll up a Kheldian and begin the cycle again.
Any other thoughts?
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***Dave Does the Game
Really interesting post. I come at it from such a different perspective though — I’ve ONLY ever played Noelle, so all that you speak about as a possibility with alts… well, it’s all just me. What I remember from the long, long slog to where I am now (48, with 16 bubbles to go til 50!), was that teaming was an absolute necessity at lower levels, up until I got Jack, and could solo more effectively. Before Jack (and this is all pre-I5, of course), a street hunt could go on forever and ever, and missions were slow going alone.
Controllers below level 32 practically require a team — or even just one damage-dealer.
Post level 40, you’re required to team up again, but this time, it’s because you’re taking out the big guns, the AVs. As for level 50 — I can’t wait! I’m looking forward to doing the rest of the TFs I’ve missed, and will enjoy exemping to hit some of the content I didn’t hit — most of Croatoa, or instance, and Striga.
In the old days before the difficulty-slider, the 40-to-50 grind really isn’t too bad anymore, even for solo folks — it *is* possible to simply avoid the Arch-villian missions and do ‘normal’ stuff, if that’s your cuppa — the mission difficulty slider makes setting yourself a good challenge fairly simple.
Also, if you are in the grouping mind-set, getting a nice hard mission with a bunch of other folks will keep things interesting and keep the levels moving along — Syn and Hype, doing a mix of groups and duo-work, have rolled from 36 to 45 in about a month and a half, averaging 3600 xp/minute when duo about about 4500 xp/minute when on a team ((thank you updated and now-cooler Hero Stats))… those are numbers that mean that our “Time to level” almost never reads “1 day+” or higher.
And so far they’ve hit every TF in the game, *while* they were at the ‘real’ level it was designed to be run (except for the Cavern of Pain, which we didn’t have a good group for at that time, and the Hydra Trial, which I think is sorta stupidly hard for the payoff). It’s been a good (and quite quick) run.
Otherwise? Pretty much agree with your summation, though. 25-32’s been a bit of a slog for Strat, and I’ve definitely got my share of 15-24 characters that have stalled.
Good observation (once I’d sort of considered but hadn’t really expressed) on the alts-vs-main stuff, ktb.
And, yeah, the “decade” designation is a very broad generalization. 🙂
I’m a lot like Noelle’s player. While I have created 4 alts, thy’ve seen *very* little play time.
Avo’s 45 now, having soloed most of the first 25 levels. He’s definitely not obsessed wit hitting 50, spending more time exemped or RPing than earning experience. And the 40s are going by *very* quickly anyway! When he is teamed, the xp just comes pouring in!
Other than that, you’re fairly well on the mark.