This is odd feedback considering THE DEVELOPER of this content provided reason enough. Maybe you're just not privy to all the things that go on behind the scene or maybe they've been working on this for a year now and wanted to share it with the community. This is speculation of course that is entirely irrelevant considering the team will do what they gonna do based on their own machinations.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you've gathered a few data points to make that conclusion about pick up groups. Would you mind telling me the makeup of some of those PUGs that found the Aeon Strike Force tough? What difficulty were they on? Maybe some builds or powersets to illuminate inquiring minds a little.
There you go again with not liking change. This isn't a normal SF, it's entirely new content created by the Homecoming volunteers and isn't based on how much money they can make or some other tired MMO marketing strategy.
I'm of a similar opinion on content, however, I thought the rewards were plentiful. On the lowest difficulty setting, I walked away with incarnate threads, two purple recipes dropped, two veteran levels, and a snazy DSO enhancement from the reward table.
Well the bonuses from the new travel IO sets are better than those Running & Sprints and Leaping & Sprints sets. Check out some of my testing for a good sense:
They probably were, but the way that the beam attack is set up, players are informed of it's impending activation. So leaving the area/breaking LOS and I think confusing? the target will prevent the attack, but it is designated autohit.
So Sprint only accepts [Running & Sprints] or [Leaping & Sprints] IO sets, Running Speed enhancement TOs, DOs, SOs, Basic IOs, etc. Thrust is a Running-only IO set, which Sprint does not accept.
That math doesn't make sense to me either! I have to assume there was a purpose behind this change that I am not privy to. I mean Incarnate threads can be pretty valuable! Lots of nice inspirations ready at Luna's store.
I thought that for a second too! Then I realized it was a signature image, meaning it is in every post published by CP. Perhaps it is meant to evoke something, "when it rains, it pours" type imagery?
I received a Damage/Recharge DSO from completing the ASF today. I checked the market and one had recently sold for 30 million. I thought that was low, so I bought 3 and made it to a Level 53 Dam/Rech DSO. Surprisingly there were no bids or for sale on the market. I am contemplating what to do with it now.