Ukase

The primary reason to farm for these emp merits via vet levels is for me, to aid my new alts in getting their t-4, and for when I was farming, to get converters for free, so I could sell the IOs for less than the competition due to having virtually no cost other than crafting. So, you damn sure can expect IO costs to increase, because the cost of converting will go up, and because some afk farmers won't farm anymore, the supply will drop. Some folks ask me why I would suffer a farm for emp merits when I could do content? I do both. Thanks to the multi-box policy, I can have a couple of farmers doing their thing while I play the game with the primary account. At night, the primary account can be PL'd by a farm account in an afk farm for emp merits to assist whichever character could use the help. The ability to send incarnate materials like Forbidden Techniques and such would allow me to forgo this nonsense for the most part, But I'm gonna keep doing it because I'm tired of suffering foul language, incompetence due to inattention to league chat instructions and waiting for the leagues to fill.

I can't say I disagree, but I don't agree 100%. I remember Jimmy the GM saying something about farming a couple of years ago. [Farming is good for the community. AFK-farming is not so good.] - paraphrased. The removal of emp merits and such from AE will really only strongly impact one subset of farmers - those who farm for emp merits from the vet levels. The "active" farmers can simply go to Harvey Meylor, or Unai Kemen or Maria Jenkins, or just PI council radio missions. But the afk farmer cannot do this. Set yourself with burn on auto in the middle of any of those maps, and nothing will happen. There may be an exploit to use with a teammate who can get a free PL while you go afk, but that calls for relying on someone else, and is less than optimal. The big difference, as far as I can tell, are 1) the hope that these players will begin to join the itrials and Dark Astoria story arc teams so those players don't have to wait so long before they fill and 2) less of a burden on the server. For whatever reason, AE puts a burden on the servers. I have no idea why, but they say it does. I don't know how it's any different from all those farmers just farming in the wild on the Dreck map, but they say it does. Eventually, they may share their reasoning for this change. Maybe it will make sense and we can get behind it. I hope so.

Now, if only one could buy merits from the AH directly. We cannot. I think maybe you mean the merit vendor, but I don't know anyone who would be so foolish. 1 million for a reward merit? And, if only I could buy emp merits from the AH or a merit vendor. Then I wouldn't fill like I need to farm at all. But, if I could, I'm not sure that would be anything other than an inf sink. And, clearly, we don't want any inf sinks, or we'd have more of those. /end sarcasm Seriously, not sure what you meant by this comment. Did you mean merit vendor? Or were you thinking indirectly through super/winter packs?

So, I have by no means exhausted my search for the answer to this question. You mention two contacts. Harvey, undoubtedly you're referring to the demon farm. For Unai, he offers several, the timed puppies, or more likely the Dreck map. If you plan to craft and convert drops, I suggest you alternate between the two for the two different kinds of salvage - arcane and tech. That was the one great thing about AE - you got both kinds of salvage. Now you'll want to have both an arcane and a tech farm. My vote is for the fire/cold tank. You can easily cap out S/L/F, and with a little more care, cap out En/NE as well, (or close enough). With Fold space, not quite so good on the En/NE, at least it was beyond me. In any event, between Burn and Frost, even though Frost is a cone, on a tank the area of the cone is quite good. Depending on your build you could almost go between just those two, but some resist numbers might suffer with that kind of recharge. Fire armor is an interesting choice, because while the lack of KB can be addressed easily enough, the status protection from Plasma Shield is not as good as other Armors. (at least, anecdotally, it doesn't seem to me to be as good) But, it would take an awful lot of stunners to overwhelm a fire tank. But, when I take mine into Moonfire, those vamps will overcome plasma shield every so often. For some reason, I haven't tried an ice/fire brute. I probably should. SS/Fire brute, I have tried, and when you proc burn and Foot Stomp, it's quite good. The recharge isn't so great, because that's two powers you haven't gotten any global recharge from, but during the rage crash, you have a couple of really good AoE damage attacks to utilize during the rage crash. And, for me, I've never even noticed the defense crash, because I use foot stomp to bounce the npcs, so I don't take any damage. And by the time I use burn, all but the lt and boss are dead, usually. I would never use a scrapper as a farmer, and certainly not a controller. The advantage of the tank is, while I still can't go afk for a lengthy period of time, I can move the tank into a mob with burn on auto, and come back after a minute, move him and repeat. I don't have to actually pay attention. And, while this could be considered an exploit, I'm not above offering someone a free PL if they have fly. They can fly overhead, and I can put my farmer on follow and have the one getting PL'd earn their xp by leading my character to each mob. For Meyler's demon farm, it would work fine. For the Dreck map, it might be a little more annoying with all the debris being obstacles to overcome. And that should take them about 45 minutes to an hour, time enough for me to do something else on another character, or eat lunch or take a call for work.

So...my only question is how do we test this on Brainstorm? Names can be quite important to folks for a number of reasons. And, well, it would truly suck to find out you got renamed because of some glitch, rather than it working as intended. Some of us have characters on multiple servers. I think it would be nice if there were some message via email or some other method in case we found ourselves in the habit of just playing on one or two servers primarily for a stretch. As an example, I moved from Torchbearer to Excelsior, but sometimes play on Indom or Everlasting. Poor Torch often goes ignored. Still, I have some characters there that aren't quite 50 and I'd hate to lose those names. But, you know, out of sight is often out of mind. If I neglect to check into the server, I'd miss the warning completely, wouldn't I?

I always kept a lookout for you and FCM; could always rely on both of you to be helpful. 🙂

I have been afk-farming on all accounts to stock up on Emp merits while I can.

My ice blaster uses longbow. But that has nothing to do with my character being an ice blaster. I chose it, because at the time, it was thought to be the de-facto choice to tackle Tyrant in the Magisterium trial. I think ANY lore pet can go with any character, regardless of theme, if your imagination can come up with a good enough reason to use them.

I am dreading it. The only positive I see in it is the distance to target. Other than that, they could drop the whole thing and I'd be fine. I am neutral on the new powersets. They don't sound interesting to me. Sure, I'll make them to see if there's anything to them, but I'm not a fan of either playstyle for those ATs. But, I'll see soon enough. The mechanics on the Hard Mode ITF are interesting, but this new currency will be worthless after the badges are acquired on my badge characters. After that, then there will be no reason to run them. I don't see the reasoning for a new currency. Not to mention the pain of participating in these with a pug. Well, it could give a transcendent merit and I would never do a hard mode itf with a team of folks I never heard of. That's just asking for trouble, I think. TFJ or CC, yeah, I can do that. Other groups..I'd have to know at least someone on the team. I am indifferent to costumes. The AE change makes me feel like cattle, being herded from my comfortable green pasture that was suddenly poisoned, into a new pen with other cattle I don't know and don't really want to know. There's not as much grass and I can't get enough to eat. I am trying to keep my mind open, but I just don't like change. I can adapt, but I don't think I should be corralled to do things the way others would have me do them. My way works. Their way left me with insufficient loot to build my characters. My way worked for me. I tried it their way first. Doesn't work unless you have a lot of free time to game. (Well, it can work, but it takes too damn long. I don't want to take 5 months to kit out a 50.) It sucks, because I know it's a free game. I know that a tremendous amount of work and creativity went into this, and I feel like an ungrateful brat. And I don't want to feel this way. But right now, I don't know how I'll adjust to being forced to do DA story arcs through Ouro and iTrials for 12 vet levels. They're just not that much fun anymore. And some of the players make it even worse by rude comments in chat or even vulgar names that I'd rather not see.

I think my favorite tf is Apex. I like dodging the blue and jousting Battle Maiden. But, the one I do for every character is Moonfire for the vamps and pups. It's simple, fairly fast. Other than that, the only reason I do other TFs is for the notice.

So, about the AE changes...here's how they would impact me, if they go in as is: I'll gripe, bitch and moan. And I'll get over it, or I'll just stop playing. Not sure which yet. A lot will depend on what they tell us as to the reason why they think this needs to be done.

Apologies - but reasoning behind changes like this are relevant to determining that feedback. For instance, let's say as a dev, you had access to all sorts of information from data mining efforts that we don't - which could be a reason for such a change. In the vacuum of information that we have, it's not clear if this is good or bad. For me, it's bad. Horrible even. But if I know why, then I can perhaps stomach it and better adjust my current attitude. I'm uncertain if you guys want to know my likely response if such a thing hits the servers. First, I'm going to buy as many converters as I can, and continue to do so, until they hit a point where it doesn't pay me to do so. I will do this because you'll have taken away my current method for getting these converters - if I continue to play. Having to do the same iTrials over and over to get to tier 4 just isn't that much fun, particularly with some of these players who fuss at me for putting a buff on them that covers a costume that I can't even see without the buff. Not to mention the waiting and waiting for enough folks to do these trials. It's just going to push many folks away from playing, and I don't think that's what you're after. Now I could be wrong, and have been before. Will be again. But my gut tells me that it's poor planning. That's why the reasoning behind the change is important for me to know. It has to make sense, even if I disagree with the logic.

Now that I've slept on this topic of no vet levels in AE, the more I believe it's a bad idea. I think our HC Devs have lost their way with this move. And I don't say it lightly. If there's something about the idea of folks getting vet levels, emps, (shards?), threads in AE that the HC Devs find objectionable, they should simply say so. We get to play for free. I venture to guess we all abide by the 3 accounts per shard, and that's pretty much self-policed. If they don't want us to do this, then what is it they do want us to do? Folks, it's an old game. How many times do they want us to do the same thing over and over, after waiting for who knows how long to get a league together? On the other hand, a farmer can do the same thing over and over - without waiting who knows how long to get a league together. It's just a bad idea from where I sit. Maybe there's something I don't know, but if that's the case, simply state WHY. There needs to be a reason, and I would have this oh-so transparent team of HC Devs share what that reason is.

Patently false. I would be affected, and I do far more than farm.

That really can't be why. These items are going to be available on the AH, and that means as soon as they're listed, I can buy them all for whatever they sell for (within reason). I have 5 badge characters now, so I'm pretty sure I can buy as many as I want for each. We may all start equal, but we don't remain that way if they're on the AH. That's why a reward merit is probably just as good an idea as this new currency. But hey, no worries here. I'm just wondering if there was a specific reason. Another thing for me to market.

Characters at Level 50 can no longer earn experience towards the Veteran Level rewards (Veteran Badges, Incarnate Threads, and Empyrean Merits) from Architect Entertainment content; this does not apply to Incarnate Slot Experience which can still be earned in AE. So...why? Why would you do this? I think you have it backwards. Eliminate XP for those under level 50. Why would you nerf our vet levels in AE? Doesn't make any sense to me. Are you trying to push the farmers out of AE? Why? To what end? What is it that you're after here? I think I know, but I'd like to hear the reasoning behind this.

The new currency...well, my only question is why? Seems rather...well, not really a good idea to introduce yet another currency in the game. Why not use a currency we already have? It's interesting that you're going to make this currency available on the AH...which is unlike any other currency in game. (unless you count converters or catalysts as a currency) Will these be seeded, or player dependent like Hamis and D-syncs? I read what this new polysyllabic currency will be for, but I would think any reward merits/emp/astrals could work for that.

We ran this at the 2 star mode earlier today. Just really one request: The hostless nictus dudes, whatever you call them..it's an interesting mechanic, I thought it was clever. But, I did find it a bit frustrating for them to seemingly show up within seconds of each other. I would suggest you limit their arrival to no more than 2-3 per minute. I don't know what their spawn rate is, and it may vary with star mode, but there were times when they seemed to be like cockroaches in a Louisiana when you turn the light on; scurrying about everywhere.

Well...the ATOs are for producing revenue, in that context. I'm not really about that much anymore. I've made more inf than I'll ever spend most likely. What I'm about is making things easier on myself, and avoiding content I'm a bit bored with. iTrials being a large portion of content I really just don't enjoy like I used to. It could be Discord, where I have to watch what I say because well, some folks don't want to know what I think about certain topics. And I don't blame them, I don't always want to know what other folks think, either. It could be just the sheer repetition. Farming vet levels for emps for my alts that will need emps and for my farmers to convert - those are damned useful. I think I'll still be able to do things as before, but my efficiency per run will be much, much lower, and that saddens me. Seems to me they should have targeted the lowbies, rather than the fifties. I heard they took AE out of Atlas and Mercy, and I found that super interesting! Either way, I'll adjust.

So, first, I want to say I am likely in the minority. Let me share this experience and express my thought. I recently got a character to 50, and having heard a rumor about a change coming on the next patch, I thought, "Self, you won't be able to just sit in a farm for vet levels when that patch hits. So, you'll have to determine a best path for getting your incarnate goodies." So, I teamed up with some folks from the SG. At first, we were able to collaboratively complete and get 3-4 reward tables for the finale of the first few arcs, which was good, although the rng determined I should get nothing higher than an uncommon. Eventually, as we were meeting once a week, some folks had conflicts and real life happens. So, the collaborative completion gimmick didn't pan out as efficiently as I wish it would have. We ran through all the incarnate story arcs. At the end, I still needed two rares and 4 very rares, 136 emp merits worth. I didn't and don't want to burn them, because emp merits are going to be even harder to come by without using the vet levels in AE. I've only earned with vet levels, and those single emp merit drops from the story arc completion 108 emps so far. (maybe 109, can't recall) So, I use the AE for vet levels because I have run all the itrials until I'm pretty much sick of them. I've gotten Really Hard Way and Master of Magi on pretty much every 50 I have. I would have Master of Minds of Mayhem, but that nightmare badge is a bit of a grind for characters I don't badge with. And, on my farmer accounts, I would use vet levels for converters. Seemed like a bargain to me. I can see where some folks would scratch their heads and wonder why that was possible. I liked not having to buy converters. Now, I am grateful that we get vet levels in the first place, believe me, I am. And I do understand, in a sense, the desire to push folks like me out of AE and into the other content, as I'm simply gaming the system by afk farming for my vet levels (and the emp merits I want). I get it. But I think if you do that - then when someone takes the time to do all the incarnate story arcs, then they really should have gotten enough from the reward tables and emp merits to complete to t-4. Maybe some might think that unreasonable. And trust me, if it were all new to me, I would probably have no issue re-running them again and again. But, it's not new to me. If we're on this pattern of having harder content reward more loot, then I really hope we do that with the random reward tables, too. At least an increased chance of rare/very rare if run at +4 or some other hard mode.

I actually just came here to warn folks about that! I'm not worried. I have my half trillion. They can do their worst. I just will be more of a consumer. But, I'm going to push that they have it backwards. They should take away the xp for under 50 and let the 50s do what they like; they've already earned the privilege. But that's probably biased in my favor. But at least I can unlock the slots as usual.

I never stated that there was a "right" way, only that my way gets me more xp faster. It won't work for everyone because not everyone can afford to kit out their character in the early levels like I can. I was only explaining the various reasons why. And to answer your question about playing the sub-50 content, it's as a sub-50. The last 20 characters I've gotten to 50+3/t-4 were all leveled up from 1 to done without PL, unless you count a couple of MSRs in the 35-50 range as a PL. Some of them without the 2xp buff because they were challenge characters earning their way through without the use of p2w or the AH. A couple of years ago, a lot of the questions folks would ask about efficiency in farming. Would they get more inf/more xp by tackling +4 or +2, or something else? The answer is the trite but true "it depends". Some builds can clobber the +4 faster, so it may be worth their time to tackle them at that level for optimal XP/Inf per unit of time. It's the same with non-farm content. But when you take into account the story arc completion bonus, and set the diff to +4 after the arc is done, but before you close out the contact, you still get the xp bonus as if you did the entire arc at +4. I find it strange that people think the +4 game gives more XP. And it does. But does it give more XP per unit of time? That answer isn't always no. Nor is it always yes. It depends on team composition. Or if you're solo, your build and what type of resistance/defense the npc has. Since I solo more often than not, I build my characters more for order than for chaos. (that means defense/resistance focused, rather than dps focused) As such, it takes me longer to clobber a +4 boss vs a +0 boss, naturally. And it takes a measure of time longer that it's just not worth the extra xp/inf that the +4 provides. But - that's me. You and others may have different perceptions and experiences, and that's fine. I just consider it bad form to lump every level 50 character in a negative light just because they do things differently.

Newsflash! Leading your own runs DOES consistently allow you to run the difficulty you want. You claim other folks entering a mission before you alters the levels of the npcs. This was supposedly addressed, and anecdotally, I've not had this problem. I would assume these to be few and far between anyway if you're communicating to your team ahead of time that you should be the first to enter and share why. If they take issue, look for a replacement.

For brevity's sake (and because I don't know how to hide most of a given comment), I've just selected these few lines. If anyone takes the time to read your post, they may come away with something different. But, what I got out of this was a lot of generalization. When I stated "When you PUG, you have very little idea as to how capable or not your team is." I say that when I'm at level 20 or 50. You just never know what you're gonna get. It's not a level 50 talking down on some sub-50. It's me as a player recognizing that I don't know everyone on a given pug. I've no idea if they can handle +2, or +3 or +4. And that's really all you should read into it. And for the record, I play far more content sub-50 than I do at level 50. So, I certainly understand the disdain towards players who don't seem to get that folks who aren't 50 want XP. Heck, a lot of 50's want incarnate xp. I alway want XP, at least until I hit vet level 99. But even so - my point is that you can get more xp doing things fast than you can doing them slow. Complete more missions, more xp, more badges, in less time. That's just my way, although if I'm teamed with someone who wanted a kill-most, or kill-through, I'm game or I wouldn't be on the team.

Just to point out - unless you have some kind of blue alignment requirement, the TFC accolade is the exact same boost as Invader. And Invader is super easy once a character on your alt account has Schweinzer unlocked. I have Schweinzer unlocked on 4 different accounts and grab that accolade on each character sometime soon after I get a travel power. Unless I'm in pursuit of all badges, I'm not gonna get TFC via 6 TFs ever again. I'll get Invader every time.