[Focused Feedback: The Labyrinth of Fog]

Subjective feedback incoming!

 

I rolled a Sentinel and gave it some sub-par slotting and power selection. I wanted to test it at Level 35, the zone minimum, however, I forgot and kept leveling up to 50. I'll do it again at Level 35 when I have time this weekend. My intention was to get a feel for the zone before I tested out the enemies and zone mechanics. My thoughts are below in spoiler format:

 

Spoiler

Difficulty: Perfect - I would not change a thing about the difficulty, which I would characterize as the enemy spawn locations, variety, and player level scaling mechanics. In a solo setting, I was no match whatsoever. I think that is perfect based on my build and solo actions. I teamed with four other players briefly, we took down the minotaur and got to the nail bed area. That is a tough pill to swallow when thrown on to the nails! Even using Return to Battle with Untouchable status, the nails ignore and defeat my character instantly. I think since it was broadcast that the power was coming, this mechanic is fine.

 

Level Shift: The level shifts are pretty nuts! I'd say disorienting even. As a player, the only indication I have are the message that pop up, but I don't get relative level unless I am subtracting threat level from enemy targets. If there was additional player information in the form of, say "Player Level Shift = 1-10" on the Nav bar maybe? I don't want to busy the nav bar too much, but it would be helpful to have that information readily available.

 

Navigation: Glad there was lighting for each area, a theme that guided the player really. I think getting back in to the fight after being defeated was a bit challenging, but I think that was the design choice.

 

Story: I... don't really see much to this so far. The time-bound artificer backstory leaves a little to be desired. I just didn't really feel much when I was introduced to the contact and the "who are you" felt like it was almost there. I know that's not much for actionable feedback, so take it as you will.

 

Fun: Yes, it was very fun. I can't believe something like this wasn't already in the game! It actually reminded me of the really old days, like Issue 1 when players would form up teams to run hazard zone street sweeping. This is a great direction and I can't wait to try it on live if that day comes!

 

[Focused Feedback: The Labyrinth of Fog]

Not sure if intentional, but the zone does not appear on the map list when searching for players, however it does display as a zone for players currently in it.

 

Spoiler

 

[Focused Feedback: The Labyrinth of Fog]

Heavy dialog-related comments from the Time-Bound Artificer (below with spoilers).

 

Time-Bound Artificer dialog general comments: Did I miss somewhere what all the colors in the dialog mean? Is there a key that describes what the significance of these colors are? Also see spoiler below for grammar.

 

Spoiler

When I click "What is the Labyrinth of Fog?" this dialog box pops up. Recommend removal of extra 'return' after this part:

 

 

8 hours ago, The Curator said:

All experience and influence gains inside the labyrinth are increased by 25%.

Dialog with Time-Bound Artificer is indicating 50% increase to Experience and Influence. Also in #1, change "players is automatically" to "players are automatically." 

 

Spoiler

 

 

8 hours ago, The Curator said:

Idle players are returned to the Midnighter Club after 15 minutes.

Dialog with Time-Bound Artificer is indicating 10 minutes of idle time.

 

Spoiler

 

 

8 hours ago, The Curator said:

Not Without Assistance!

• Players are given two pop-tray powers while in the labyrinth to assist them:
  • Escape From Fog: Teleports yourself back to the entrance lobby of the labyrinth.
  • Guide Through Fog: Teleports an ally to yourself, 60s cool-down; Intended to help teammates find each other with no mini map.

Dialog with Time-Bound Artificer is indicating on #7 "a teleportation spell" instead of "teleportation spells." Might just say "You will be provided teleportation spells that allow you to recall an ally AND escape the labyrinth at any time."

 

Spoiler

 

"Why was the labyrinth created?" dialog option - recommend deleting extra return noted below and perhaps removing the "... was there anything else?" and changing to "What more can I share with you?"  I dunno I think the reader's voice might take this the wrong way, like the NPC is burdened to share another thing (or maybe I'm projecting my own bias!).

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Focused Feedback: The Labyrinth of Fog]

I REALLY appreciate adding the tester notices to the patch notes! Thank you!!

[ITF 4* Reward]

There's still two remaining Accolade powers that haven't been added to the game to throw in the mix. 

 

Ironman and Super Patriot. 

[ITF 4* Reward]

35 minutes ago, 50caltech said:

temp sword ?  what is its stats?

 

https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=temporary_powers.accolades.toy_bat

[Most merits per hour?]

7 minutes ago, Jiro Ito said:

Four Star Aeon, has many more AVs for the bonus merits than ITF or LGTF.

90 minutes on a good team

60 merits + emp merit + 20 aether + 10 aether for vanguard + 9 merits per AV (25 including optional = 225) + 15 merits for Ripplesurge* + the DSync enhancement

*I counted the number of AVs on my fingers so margin for error

  Hide contents

Cauldron Champion Frobe

Princess Zoe

Golden Roller

Arakhn

Meastro

Nosferatu

Protean

Emperor Requiem

Gale

Quill

Slate

Tundra

All-Mother

Apex

Hero 1

Incandescent

Gaussain

Borea

Levantera

Serpent Drummer

Lady Grey

Dark Watcher

Princess Zoe

Rodney

King Midas

 

Tinpex is great, at 40 merits per 15 minutes or 120 an hour if you alternate characters, plus the incarnate salvage.  WST Dr. Q at 244 is great.  Hami is 80 per 20 minutes on Torchbearer if you alternate characters, estimated, or 240 per hour, accounting for setup and clear time.

 

All of which require good teams and planning.  If you just want to blaze through some stuff solo, Ouro is the way to go.

Thanks for pointing this out, I forgot about the added merits for defeating the AVs!

[End Game Content]

1 hour ago, Ukase said:

So, my expectation is similar. Except for the part where a player has worked to maximize their character to the fullest extent. I'm all for teamwork and coordination, particularly since Discord seems fairly popular, and is a useful tool for doing just that. 

This notion of "maximizing", I think it may mean different things to different people. 

Totally agree on the interpretation of maximize. To me, due to the absence of a paid subscription, time is now the opportunity cost for players. Invest enough time in an efficient way and they will be rewarded equitably. So basically, time + risk = fun (reward). 

 

Hopefully that's not too convoluted. Of course, at the same time, some folks only have a few hours a week to put in to this game and shouldn't feel gated to higher end game content. How do you balance that? No idea! I'm not a dev lol

[Loose Ends (Possible Spoilers?)]

30 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

Frostfire is one such thread that isn't just dangling, it's painful to watch. Frostfire was an epic encounter in the Hollows arc, one of the unforgettable stories in the lore of our City but then his rehabilitation - which still seems incomplete - was an epic disappointment, making damp squibs look exciting and entertaining in comparison.

Also - Frostfire has been making his way in to the new stories that Homecoming have been producing. Dr. Stribbling's Rogue Arc is one example, but I believe he was added to another arc as well.

[Loose Ends (Possible Spoilers?)]

@Scarlet Shocker I know you are a fan of hidden spots - in the last page update the devs added a hidden easter egg in RWZ. I only mention this because it advances the story for one of the end game enemy factions. 

[End Game Content]

My expectation for end game content is to be the hardest challenge in the game. Something a player has worked to maximize their character to the fullest extent to take on and even then, it requires teamwork and coordination to be successful. Anything short of that is not end game content in my opinion. 

[Invincible S2]

It's back and there's a lot to digest!

[Le Mélange: an equinoctial weather event]

1 minute ago, Luminara said:

 

He did, but he quit.

 

Twice.

 

Temnix 3, The Resurrection of the Return of the Re-awakening!  He's back, and he's ready for more (posts that take seventeen hours to get to the fucking point)!  Coming soon to a theater near you!

I think it's a chatbot writing these threads at this point. 

[Where is the "ice" faction?]

Just now, Blastit said:

Let's introduce a rival faction within the Hellions that makes their pacts with the denizens of the fields of ice instead of the lakes of fire. They all have attacks that apply -recharge and -movement speed. Let's have them at around levels 4-8 or so.

That would be a pretty wicked enemy group, especially when players are at their weakest in terms of movement and recharge values. 

[Most merits per hour?]

5 minutes ago, Ukase said:

For me, I look at the SSA out of Skyway, Who Will Die part 1 as a fairly simple - across all characters that are over level 10, assuming your 50 is using attuned sets or heck, even if not. 
The problem with the SSA #1 is, there's a limit to the rewards, right? 

I do think Ouro is the path for consistent, speedy merits. 
Which arc will vary with your level and playstyle. 
The Unlucky Artifact, if you have stealth and can clobber Tavaris fairly quickly, before the aggro from the surrounding CoT gets to you - it's literally a 90 second mission, if that - for 2 merits. If you use your SG base with a pillar, rather than using Ouro, and assuming your base is designed with speed in mind, I think it would be faster than using an ouro portal, completing, resetting, and teleporting to the mission. With the temp sg portal, you'd come out at the same spot as the mission, I'm pretty sure. I haven't been after merits/minute since the first year HC opened up. Still, for most higher dps characters, that's 2 merits every 2 minutes, roughly. 

I learned something going for Loop Hero badge. It's a 20 merit arc. And it took me about 20-25 minutes the first time because I'd never run it before. But by the time I got to the last run to get the badge, it was only 12 minutes. Now, that's not as fast as some of my faster times with the SSA#1, but it's close. And it doesn't diminish - at least, it didn't after the last run. (need 4 or 5 runs to get the badge, depending on whether or not you knew you needed to do things differently. I hadn't read about the badge, I thought it was a run and done type deal. ) 

Still, that's not too shabby. There is a lot more need for mission transports, and the lrtp is certainly useful, because there's one mission in it that requires you to go to Striga to talk to M1dway.  But - it doesn't allow for a lower level character to take advantage of the rep scheme. 

I don't know that there's a universally accepted merits/minute winner across all levels. 
But for a level 50, solo,  I kind of like the Noble Intentions arc - 20 merits for 12 minutes - if you exclude the Hami runs in the abyss- which still take time because you have to enter the zone early to ensure you get a spot. It's still worth it, but I don't think those wait times are a part of most peoples merit/minute calculation. And Apex/Tin Mage combo - some might think these are guaranteed simple, both done in less than 30 minutes. That's not always true. Some teams just don't have the juice, believe it or not. Most will, but certainly not all are efficient at speeding them. A lot of players avoid the speedy stuff for reasons of their own. So, again, there's sometimes longer recruiting times than you might think. 
 

Loop Hero has been my go to as well. I've managed to get it down to 7 minutes a run for 20 Merit Rewards. That's a sustainable amount too, all solo, and aside from having to travel to Brickstown and Port Oakes, it's an easy story arc. 

[End Game Content]

I'd offer that Barrier staggers were a simple solution to a defined challenge that was the result of trial and error. It's the outcome of players looking to find the most efficient way to achieve their desired goal. When content is designed to counter that behavior, players will inevitably find another tactic to achieve similar results and it will become the norm. 

 

Whether the content can be "cheesed" or if it presents a modicum of difficulty for an average player all depends on the design goals of the development team. The Homecoming team has implemented both design goals across different content in game, challenging and easy. Whether the player ultimately enjoys the content is their subjective opinion.

[Where is the "ice" faction?]

Outcast Chillers and Frostfire

 

Crey Cryogencists

 

Winter Lord and Snowmen

 

Circle of Thorn Ice Demons

[Most merits per hour?]

3 minutes ago, SuperPlyx said:

So it has been awhile but I seem to remember used to do SSA Who will Die? episode 1,contact Theoden , it about 20 minutes -ish and it will give 20merits. But can only be done once a week for that much. Of course you can repeat for the normal 5 merits and other reward

Ah I remember that one too. Pretty fast, decent merit rewards and a player can run it solo. 

[Most merits per hour?]

2 minutes ago, Lunar Ronin said:

They're not Incarnate trials, just regular co-op Task Forces.  I'd say an average speed run would take about 35-40 minutes.  Half that for a very good speed run team.  I've done it with only four people several times, which averaged about a hour IIRC.  But it wasn't a PUG group and the other three were all really good players, better than I am.

Ah, thanks for the baseline. So 80 Merit Rewards for 40 minutes of effort with a team of 4 would be near the outlier with Hami then? 

[Most merits per hour?]

32 minutes ago, Lunar Ronin said:

 

Hamidon raid is an extreme outlier and honestly needs to be either made significantly more difficult to account for how much more powerful Homecoming characters are compared to live, or have its rewards nerfed.

 

Outside of Hamidon raids, the next highest would be Apemage, (or Tinpex as some call it).  That's an outlier as well, but not as egregious as a Hamidon raid.

Tinpex looks to be about 80 total Merit Rewards. Not sure how long a run would take, maybe an hour, but I'm imagining having a solid team is needed, or at the least more than one person since they are Incarnate Trials, correct?

[Most merits per hour?]

27 minutes ago, ZorkNemesis said:

I recall hearing that you could speedrun Twilight's Son's arc to get a lot of merits quickly.  I don't know how true that is though.

Ah, so looking at the wiki, it's saying Twilight Son's Task/Strike Force grants 7 Merit Rewards and takes less than an hour. 

 

That might be an easy one, but it's not what I think is top of the merit reward list if Hami is the benchmark for gains.

[Most merits per hour?]

Yeah, forgive me. I'm going to be that poster who asks a question that is likely found on the Wiki or by searching the forums. I promise I read those, but I wasn't satisfied with what I read. For those in the know:

 

What is the content that grants the most merit rewards per hour? Is it a static amount?

 

I know Hami gives a nice fat amount, what 80 then 80, 40, then continues to diminish, right? But what I'm talking about is a consistent merit reward every time, all the time. The closest I've found is via Ouroboros. 

 

And can someone please explain the wacky formula the Homecoming team uses for calculating what should be the amount of merits rewarded?

 

Are Giant Monsters separated from this formula?

 

Okay that's all my questions, thanks!

 

Edit: So far I am reading the following:

 

Hamidon Raids - Outlier

Apex/Tin Mage - Outlier

 

[Idea: robbing bases]

This sounds exactly like how Items of Power from the old Cathedral of Pain trial used to work. 

[Being Buffed Ruins Posing]

19 minutes ago, Herotu said:

When a "friend" buffs me, I get knocked out of the vitally important(!) fancypants villain pose I've adopted.

Or I'll be reading the newspaper and some tosser comes up and does some buff I didn't ask for and the next thing I know my newspaper has vapourised and I'm standing there ready for a fight with ... er ... probably the jerk who buffed me.

 

Would it be possible to stop this from happening, please? Or at least have the option to choose whether this happens or not?

 

For clarity: I want to not do a reaction animation when affected by any friendly buff.

Not a solution, persay, but when you activate an emote and someone buffs you, once the buffing animation concludes, you will return to your character's emote automatically. You don't see this on your screen when you are receiving the buff, but if you log in to another account and apply a buff to your emoting character, you will see this firsthand.

[both new story arcs should go back to beta testing...]

Fantastic story arc, really glad I did the story arc at least five times (well actually 8 times because it gives 20 reward merits per completion and takes only 7 minutes to finish!!). On par with Lockhart arc, no spoilers though if you haven't ran this yet, or if you haven't taken the time to run it at least five times with different outcomes, you're missing out!!