Do you have a "Process" for leveling your characters?

[Ukase]

So, on the help channel yesterday, someone had an issue with Null the Gull not telling them their progress on Dimensional Warder - one of the requirements for the Portal Jockey Accolade. 

I completely understand that many play a number of alts, and the idea of keeping notes on things just makes things seem like work. 
I also understand that many just make a character to fit a concept or theme and will do certain things, and avoid others. 

I also know that there's a fair number of players that pursue the "4 passive accolades" - Atlas Medallion, Freedom Phalanx, Taskforce Commander, and Portal Jockey. The other accolades ...not so much. I used to go after Geas of the Kind Ones, until I saw the defense hit. Now, only for characters that will tank hami regularly. (hami doesn't care about defense)

I thought to myself - Portal Jockey is easy...Tina Mac's arc from 40-45, then Maria Jenkin's arc, plus Tina's Hydra Dimension mission, along with Maria Jenkin's Nightstar mission that gives you Shrouded, as well as the Siege mission she gives. Then, off to bricks for a couple of plaques, LFG to Khan contact (or ouro to FF) and get the third plaque - done! 

I do those arcs and plaques with ALL of my characters. It's a given. But..we're all different. Some of you avoid soloing like the plague, and will only team. And you hate forming teams, so you never talk to a contact for a mission. I can't do anything about that. 

But for those of you who are okay playing solo, or are okay forming teams, I thought I would share my "process" and my thoughts for getting to level 50. 

1. I don't generally do DFB straightaway out of the character creation tool. I hunt a bit. I would do the beginning arc for the merits, but I'm sick of them already. So, I hunt until level 4. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.  I like to start some "project" characters with no help from my other characters. They start with zero inf and proceed to level without XP buffs and play with the goal of 1 billion influence by level 50. Others will see the p2w straight away and obtain all the TP tools, the buffs (secondary mutation, Mystic Fortune, Inner Inspiration) Reveal, Workbench for some, Ninja Run, Jet Pack, Envenomed Dagger, Summon Pets, Recovery Serum. If it's a build I know in advance, I'll get some buffs, too. If not, I need to know how well I'm building the character - buffs will hide weaknesses, and I need to know if my attack chain is possible without them. If not - what am I lacking? Endurance, defense, accuracy, etc. This is why everyone should go solo for at least one mission every couple of levels. AT LEAST ONE! Know your characters - what they can do, and what they can't! Push yourself. Try +1 at level 10, see how it goes. Try +2 or +3 at 22, when you probably have SOs or IOs. 

I never use TOs. I never use DOs. I use Set IOs, IO procs, Winter O's, ATOs or SOs. Once I'm at level 25, the IOs edge out SOs and I never use them anymore.  Not all of you can afford to do this in a similar fashion. That doesn't make you a bad player. It probably means you don't have the time that I do. I work remotely. As long as I get my work done, I can play this as often as I wish. If ANYONE asks me how to make influence in the game, if you (and I) have the time, I will chat your ear off and share what I know. 

 

If any of you on Excelsior, Torch or Indomitable want me to start a character and lead you through my process, I will take up to 7 of you with me on this journey to 50+3 t-4. We can even make all of you a billion influence along the way - with some understanding that the RNG will have a lot to do with how fast/slow that happens, along with how much time you're willing to put into explorations, story arcs/tfs for reward merits and crafting and converting. It won't be an every day thing, but a once a week thing. There's a couple of reasons for that. One - I don't team often because I work remotely and sometimes have to go afk for a call. It just wouldn't be fair to teammates for them to do the work while I get paid to work. The other reason is patrol xp. Every 24 hours, you gain a bar. I would prefer to wait 10 days, but people tend to have more structure and a 7 day cycle is more predictable and easier to manage. I suppose a 2 week cycle would be better, but then you get rusty, or maybe fall in love with another alt. 

At level 4, I usually get Super Speed. Between levels 1-4, I will explore for badges in Atlas, making sure to get that plaque for 1/5 credit towards pupil badge. (The other 4 are in Kings, Echo:galaxy, Perez Park) Once I get Super Speed, I head to my base and take the portal to Echo:Atlas and get those badges, and then Echo: Galaxy for those badges, and that one plaque, (another 1/5 credit towards Pupil badge) and then off to Ouro for the portal which I won't be able to use until level 14, but I'll have it.

 

Then - I park my character. For a week. Before I do - I will ensure I have the two full sets of ATOs for my AT. Sometimes, I have these either in the sg storage, or in my email from all those winter and hero packs. If I don't, I'll get them. Usually by buying the cheaper ones, and converting if necessary. Occasionally, just buying them with inf outright. I also make sure I have the glad 3% defense IO, the Steadfast 3% defense IO, a kismet 6% toHit IO (it's called Accuracy, but it's for toHit) a shield wall 5% Resist IO, and the Panacea hit points/recovery IO, a Celerity Stealth IO and, if needed, a KB protection IO. The PvP IOs can be slotted at level 7, if you have a power that will take them. The rest will make me wait until level 10 or 12. 
The lower levels come fast. I think if you have the IOs all ready to slot, it speeds it up even faster. The idea is to spend the time on the front end getting these things ready, so when you get an invite to that high xp team, you're not missing out because you have to shop & slot. 

After a week, I'll bring the character back on and head back to Atlas to do a DFB. I don't object to the idea of doing multiple runs, it's just that they're mindless. They bore me. I'd much prefer to get to the Hollows, or Kings Row. If someone is doing Frostfire, you can bet I'll try to get in on that and save myself the trouble of doing David Wincott's tiny arc. If not, I'll do the newer missions in Kings Row. They're quick and simple. Not too much traveling around. If I'm dealing with a power set I know well, like ice or fire, I'll form a team. If I don't, I'll go solo. You can't learn much about what you can do and what you can't by teaming, as the team buffs/debuffs hide your abilities. You may get a heal, allowing you to keep mashing buttons and killing faster. But you won't really know what you can do solo. If you don't know what you can do solo (even if it's not much), then you don't know what you should slot next in some cases. Not soloing well? Why not? Is it your reflexes, or are you not paying attention to certain combat attributes? You need to know this stuff to get the most out of your characters. And if that's not your cup of tea - that's perfectly okay. It's just my style of play. Most other players will have no idea that you're not paying full attention. 

 

Some like to do DFB for times for all those buffs. They last until level 22 - which is when IOs and SOs come into play. But, for me - you miss out on those painful levels before the SO/IOs. I think there's things to learn in those levels. But, if you're familiar with the powersets, then no real harm. 

Once I hit level 14, I will do the spelunker mission through Ouro, and get the other plaque for Pupil history badge. At this time, I've likely already gotten the explores and plaques in Kings row. Now, all I need is the vamps and puppies for Atlas Medallion. I will try to get those at level 23. 
 

Level 17 - I can afford it, so I hit up the merit vendor and get SOs. If you're not filthy rich with merits, this is a horrible idea! I have over 10k in reward merits. I can afford it. I want SOs at level 6 if they're available! Dual Origin and Training Origin are horrible - very low percentages. The levels go so fast, most people don't slot anything! I want my SOs, particularly because the percentages are much higher than anything else when you're sub level 20. In the early 20's, SOs are still better than IOs, but the set bonuses can make up for some of that. Generic IOs can serve a purpose for powers like Hasten or Assault - but if they will take an IO set, it's just foolish in my mind not to consider what sets would serve you best. I don't use Generic IOs if a set is possible, unless I'm franken-slotting and a generic IO will do better. 

 

At level 20, this is when I will either do Stephanie Peebles in Striga for that 2 hours of Fire shield, or if a project character, I'll do hero tips first, then Peebles. Once I hit 23, I'll see the p2w for buffs, set the team size slider as high as I think my character can handle it, and solo moonfire's first two missions. If I'm feeling sociable, I'll form a team to farm the first two. If I'm feeling comfortable with the character, I'll log on my fire brute alt and set it to /8 and get it done that way. 

 

I don't sweat the TFC task forces anymore. I do want to do Yin for the Freak Tank bosses, though. 

I like Croatoa, but I don't like the hunt missions. The lines of the territories for the defeats are annoying. Too often, I have to pull them into the area to make the defeats count. But, when I hit 25, I'll often go to Croatoa. 

MSRs can be a hoot. But often, when too many lowbies are on the league, you don't fare so well, and it's not much fun. I tend to wait until level 35 before doing msrs. 
I also tend to avoid the midnighter arc, and will go to night ward mansion for access to Cim. 

 

At level 30, Provost Marchand has a couple of arcs that are great. The first mission of his first arc - available at level 30 - I tend to farm that when I need just another bubble to the next level. In the 30's, we get three slots - and that's when the set bonuses can really begin to set your character apart. I set that difficulty slider to +4/8 and let the allies do everything. I just lead them through it. 

 

At level 35, after I make sure I have access to Cim and belong to Vanguard (always kill 10 monkeys - fast and easy.), I see Null the Gull and become a villain. I copied the below from a guide I saw on Discord from @Tax_E
 

Invader - +Max Health Hero equivalent: TFC Badge - Earn all exploration badges in mayhem missions (9 in total, Atlas Park, Kings Row, Skyway City, Steel Canyon, Independence Port, Talos Island, Brickstown, Founder's Falls and Peregrine Island). TIP: Lord Schweinzer, contact in PO that will give you on-demand mayhems. He's unlocked by getting the Hero Slayer/Bloody Hands badge which can be earned by completing the RSF ~2 times. Another way is to do the Brickstown SSA from Dakota Berg with the third mission on -1x8.

 

If I plan to get one of the patron pools, I'll do Black Scorpions arc, otherwise, back to Null and go back to hero alignment. 

 

At level 40, I do Tina Mac's arc. Sometimes, when I see people asking for Anti-matter, I'll form a team for the last mission. Rarely will I lead teams for the ones prior. It just takes too long, and honestly, I can solo them faster. I may not get all the xp, but I'll get the merits, and the story arc completion xp bonus is huge. If I get more arcs faster, and not waste time forming teams, it's almost a wash. 

Then I look for the Hydra Dimension from Tina. Accept whatever mission she has, abandon it, repeat until I get it. 

At 45, I do Maria Jenkin's arc. It always starts with Infernal, which is a waste of a mission, as Infernal is in the arc. Sometimes I auto-complete it, sometimes, I just get it over with. It's only a couple of minutes to zip through and destroy the altar and clobber Infernal. 

Sometimes, if I'm just level 45, Maria likes to give non-arc missions. I'll sift through these the same way - accept, abandon until I either get the arc, or Siege, or the Shrouded map with Nightstar. 

At 50, I do Trapdoor's arc immediately. Unlocking Alpha with this arc is quick and super simple. Trapdoor as an EB is a pushover no matter your AT/powersets. If you lack dps, lead him to the lava. 
Hero One and Holtz aren't so easy, but with inspirations, they're manageable. Auto-complete if you feel like it. 

Then it's off to DA or Ouro for whatever you feel like - Heather Townsend is fast and easy. About 10 minutes for the entire arc. Forming a baf league takes almost as long! 
The one advantage iTrials have is when you get badges, you get extra random incarnate salvage. Badges will get you a free random uncommon, a random rare for MoItrial, and the reward table. Some get you bonus threads. TPN gives you 60 threads for pushing Maelstrom away. UGT gives you 60 threads when you beat the pair of AVs. 

If you're on Excelsior, look for @Forger and his Mastery-iTrial runs. He's knowledgeable, and most importantly, he reminds us that our worth as humans isn't defined by our success in iTrial badge efforts. There are other competent leaders, but he's the main one for badges in iTrials. 

That was a lot more writing than I intended! Sorry it's so long! 

 

[DougGraves]

I sometimes do missions for 1-4 but generally do dfb.

 

At 4+ I try to team on missions or tfs.

 

If I make it to 22 I slot iOS

 

By 32 I delete and start over because the game is too easy.  The most fun is levels 8-16.

[wolfshadow31]

I generally do story arcs, solo,  to 50.  Its a decent chunk of reward merits along the way.  Usually by the time I hit 50, I've got about 70 million in inf, all IO's and over 300 reward merits.  I do the double xp boost from the P2W vendor, so all that money is from crafting and selling the drops either at a store, or WW along the way.  

 

I slot IOs at 10, and upgrade them as enhancement slots open up, and usually at set intervals I will replace them with a higher version.  Like at 30 I might replace all my 10-20 IOs with 30s.  

 

I usually don't complete the PI arcs until I'm actually 50.  I unlock my alpha slot, and then do the PI arcs, and move on to Dark Astoria.  

[Snarky]

Am i missing something important about parking a character for a week?

 

okay i have a process. I veer from it madly like a kitten chasing a laser pointer and sometimes it just gets blown out of the water completely. This weekend i got a random tell at level 1 invited to a farm. 2 hours later 32. Then i ran posi through manti plus itf. Same person sent another tell. Boom 50. Not my normal process

 

Given a standard (again never happens, but this would be my dream run, i would do this by choice almost always) and what i trend back to when all the laser pointers are put away

 

pop into mercy or atlas. Head to P2W vendor and get a ton of goodies. (I have cash in my email) if it is a villain i head to pocket D to go Rogue.  Wish i did not have to, but DFB is 99% a Blue thing
 

street sweep to level 4. Level and Hot key my powers.  Run 4 DFB. At this point i want to run 4 DiB but if i am lucky i will get one of these and a badge out of it in the next hours of game play

 

run Posi 1, 2, Synapse, Yin, etc in order. I try to do every Task Force in order but am pretty strict about the first 4. 
 

i have a SG base for all my alts stocked with enhancers. I rarely go needy in anything from globals procs ATOs or even low level SOs. 
 

keep grinding TFs and a weather eye out for high level teams if no good TF are running. Good being one i have not run in the last 20 hours and better if i need it.  I will run ITF multiple times. The experience is great and the chance for purple drops is sweet. Same concept behind high level teams. 
 

hit 50. Over 50% time i go through a painful respec then. Off to ouro for incarnate intro mission. Run more of any content to earn incarnate goodness

 

oh last part, very important,  alt again

Edited January 29, 2020 by Snarky

[SwitchFade]

Yes.

 

Chew bubble-gum and kick-ass.

 

And I'm fresh outta bubble-gum.

 

Always gets me to 50.

[Razia]

Why is the respec painful?

[Snarky]

17 minutes ago, Razia said:

Why is the respec painful?

Because i am nervous moving a few billion enhancers around and the last time i did one the game crashed. Then you have to /cleartray and i inevitably re-hotkey a bunch of stufff. It is just a pain

[Meph]

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/3184-blueside-critical-path/

 

[roleki]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

Am i missing something important about parking a character for a week?

I'd be hard-pressed to tell you the name of the mechanic as implemented in CoH, but it's to accumulate maximum "offline XP."  If you have 2XP *and* a full wheel of offline XP, that next level zips by in a blink.  

 

It's more useful 45-50 than it is on the journey from 0-45.

[Ukase]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

Am i missing something important about parking a character for a week?

 

 

Yes. When you have the Chronologist Day Job from Ouroboros, you get a random rare recipe drop after completing each mission. It's just anecdotal, but I swear my characters get PvPios, about one a day, when I do this with my characters. When I don't - I'm lucky to get a Perplex. (an uncommon recipe that's worth less crafted than as a recipe sometimes. ) So, not only do you get 7 bars of patrol xp, you also get a lot of progress towards that day job badge. By the time i'm level 10, I typically have it. 

[Snarky]

Oh yeah. On my solo redside project i shut off experience every five levels and do all story arcs. Then i finish that block of 5 turn on experience grab the double exp booster and rocket up.  The patrol experience is nice

 

but i am just not patient enough or desire to be organized enough to meticulously do this with each new alt

[Ukase]

Heh, well, that's why having several alts can work in your favor. Play one each day. 10 alts, then have a full 10 bars of patrol xp for each one. 

 

[Snarky]

36 minutes ago, Ukase said:

Heh, well, that's why having several alts can work in your favor. Play one each day. 10 alts, then have a full 10 bars of patrol xp for each one. 

 

Lol. More and more i describe my “style” as a kitten chasing a laser pointer. And more and more i see the truth in it. And it is with pure joy. Alt idea about powerset RUN IT. Costume concept RUN IT. Grind story arcs DO IT. All at maximum importance right now. Until the next laser pointer crosses the floor.  Twitch. GET IT

[Luminara]

I go.

 

I hunt.

 

I kill Skulz.

[Coyotedancer]

That's pretty much me, too, Lumi. XD

 

I just... play the game. On whichever character I feel like playing, doing whatever I feel like doing that day. Often solo, sometimes on a large team, sometimes duo or trio or on a small one. It varies a lot. There's no one "process" with my gang.

 

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by Coyotedancer

[Haijinx]

If I'm trying to level fast ish .. i do this ..

This assumes no seed money ..

 

Skip tutorial

Choose Blueside

Grab 2x xp 8 hours

Join DFBs - there are always DFBs 

Just keep joining DFBs until I'm 22

Sell off salvage, Enhancements, etc. 

Buy SOs for my attacks 

Join Posi, Posi 2, Synapse, Yin TFs whatever is available

Exchange merits for Enh. converters and sell them.

Use money to buy SOs or generic IOs

Join whatever team is available preference TFs because of the money thing. 

Will be 50 in a couple of days playing.  

 

 

If I use seed money it goes faster.

 

Sometimes Ill run the Bads in Space mission if I can't find a team right away.  Its short enough you can do it between teams.

 

With seed money its easier ..

 

email myself 100 mil or so ... 

Join whatever team comes up/or do bads in space 

Stop periodically to put in IO sets and globals as I reach the min level for them. 

 

Thats not how ive done the last few though.  After getting 5 50s I slowed down to do a lot of solo story arcs 

 

My latest 50 has about 80% of all the arcs on Ouro red and blue completed. 

 

 

 

[Haijinx]

21 minutes ago, Luminara said:

I go.

 

I hunt.

 

I kill Skulz.

Those later run low level Skulz arcs are pretty cool.

[roleki]

Do I have a process?  Let me tell you...

 

So I dual-client and PL myself, despite warnings that if I do that I'll go blind.  I do it that way because IRL I have maybe 2 hours on any given night to poosh butan, but that 2 hours is spread over 5 hours of making dinner, serving dinner, cleaning up after dinner, working on homework, washing asses, planting sleepy-heads, and all that crap.  CoH arrives to me in chunks of 20 to 30 minutes, I'm not going to spend that time team-wiping to a bunch of Vazhilok.  

 

So yeah, I dual-client with two farmers on each account; rad/fire brutes and TW/bio scrappers.  Since I know I only have about 30 minutes, I'll run Briggs' Outdoor Fire Farm at 2/8 with an alt at the door.  I like 2/8 because it's still kinda fast XP for the alt, but it's slow enough that I can still rack up scads of threads/shards on my farmers for Future Use.  I like Briggs Comic Con because the variety of dudes I am melting.

 

Anyway, when I get a wild hair about an alt, I will roll it on one account or the other, email myself 3M inf, then visit P2W and provision myself with the requisite buffs and travel powers.  Before heading to PocketD AE, I'll knock out the AP parts of the Atlas Medallion because I'm likely not coming back this way for a while.

 

Once at Pocket D, I'll team up with my farmer, hit Comic Con outdoor and plow that; that usually puts my alt at 24.5 after one run.  Hop out of the mission, go level-up, expunge drops accordingly, and if I have time, rinse and repeat.  Second run is to 31.5, third to 35.9ish.  At this point, I've invested between 45 to 75 minutes in that alt, depending on how active I am in Help/LFG and/or how active my cat is at distracting me.

 

Level 35/36 is a good time to park the little guy for a spell, and IF I have time, I'll pick a 50 I haven't been on for a couple days and go beat stuff up with it until a Catalyst drops.  If an interesting-looking LFM shows up in chat, I'll do that until either it peters out or I do.

 

Next time I log in, I might repeat this whole cycle, work on a parked alt, or just chase Catalysts the whole time.  Since I usually have numerous alts-in-progress and an ever-expanding closet full of 50s to monkey with, I could go two months between creating an alt and bringing it to 50, but in-game mission time, maybe 3 hours, 0-50... offline XP kind of skews the calculation.  

 

Earlier I mentioned having two farmers on each ID; that's so when drops start drying up, I can take one farmer out to do radios or farm Striga for Atlas requirements or whatever, and bring the other back in from The World to do AE stuff again.  If I notice an inordinate amount of time has passed since a purple flopped out of the RNG, I'll swap out.  Maybe it's all for naught, but in my mind it seems I get more purps that way.

 

Anyway, I'm @antigyro that's how I level.

[KC4800]

I try to take a different path for each new alt. Don't settle in to the same pattern to level up. That sounds horrendously boring. Sometimes I just do tip missions and newspapers and never talk to a contact. Other times I pick a contact and just do the first mission until he/she wants to introduce me to others. Those early single missions are usually epic and end up giving you a badge at the end of the mission. When I feel things start to drag ill pug to get over the hump. I always seed money my alts. Then let them use WW to earn. it's easy. I never ask for PL in AE farms. I do solo AE farm with my main tank to make cash for big purchases. As I near 50 I tend to favor Malta or Carnie missions. Some of my alts never set foot in RWZ or Cim. Others do every MSR available. I have only done one ITF since Homecoming. 

[EmmySky]

Sometimes I hunt AP, hollows, PP and steel til about 14.  Sometimes I run DFB til 17.  Sometimes I do AP arcs then sweep to 10.  Sometimes I do hollows arcs til CoT.  One time I ran 9 alts in a row through Mercedes lvl 20 midnighters arc.  Bad idea.  I love the mirror me arc from the guy in talos.  Hunting is not as profitable after 30 but I enjoy it.  Throw in some random TFs, too.  All my girls get their SG outfit that indicates they are below 50+1.

 

This, that or the other way, the girls get to 50.  At 50, they get full set common IOs (except where procs or set IOs are already slotted).  I am lazy so many still have empty slots at 50.  Then they go get vanguard badge, get ouro portal (if they havent yet), do all three icon missions for costume slots.  When they get their alpha t4 they 'earn' their SG costume and when all incarnates are t4 they 'earn' their SG outfit to have their signature color.

 

Everyone has such different ways to play, I think its fascinating and may try other methods!

[Razia]

13 hours ago, Snarky said:

Because i am nervous moving a few billion enhancers around and the last time i did one the game crashed. Then you have to /cleartray and i inevitably re-hotkey a bunch of stufff. It is just a pain

Well crashing is indeed a pain. Otherwise I am pretty much the only one that actually likes to respec and try out the new build.

[DSorrow]

My leveling up generally goes like this:

 

1. Meticulously plan a final build for a powerset combination that seems interesting
2. Spend an embarrasing amount of time coming up with a name and costume I like
3. Skip tutorial, get 2x XP immediately, run a DFB
4. Generally I get to ~40 by running TF Commander, Moonfire and any other level appropriate TFs in addition
5. 40-50 is usually Macintyre + Jenkins with a team
6. Get relevant badges for the passive accolades when convenient

I don't use enhancements before 22 at which point I start getting set IOs that are "safe" to get. By this I mean stuff like LotG +Rech, uniques such as Panacea/Miracle, ATO sets, etc. that are 99% likely to either remain in the final build even if I change it or useful for pretty much any alt I'll roll later. Sometimes I'll spice things up and do nostalgic stuff like Frostfire, Faultline or Croatoa arcs, but I have to admit I much prefer playing in the 40+ range when my character starts feeling complete so I often level up quite efficiently.

[Razia]

Mine goes something like this:

 

Find a combination I did not play to death on live. Come up with a Name/costume. PL myself to the mid 30s, come up with a IO build and level the rest of the way without exp boosters and doing the 4 stat accolades on the way.

[Ukase]

14 hours ago, Meph said:

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/3184-blueside-critical-path/

 

The only 2 things I would change about that guide is to not disable common recipes, despite the workbench. That's free money. 
Task forces are great, but do them at least 5 levels over the cap for that task force. You might as well have all the slots and powers you can get to make the ordeal less painful. Well.. painful is too strong, but I'd rather be level 25 and capped at 20 for Synapse, then be level 15, for example. 

I would further suggest you only do task forces if they're fun, or the weekly for double merits. Or, you just want the merits. Doing the task forces for task force commander is just wasting time. You can get the Invader, red side equivalent in about 25 minutes, maybe less if you hustle. 

[Razia]

3 minutes ago, Ukase said:

The only 2 things I would change about that guide is to not disable common recipes, despite the workbench. That's free money. 
Task forces are great, but do them at least 5 levels over the cap for that task force. You might as well have all the slots and powers you can get to make the ordeal less painful. Well.. painful is too strong, but I'd rather be level 25 and capped at 20 for Synapse, then be level 15, for example. 

I would further suggest you only do task forces if they're fun, or the weekly for double merits. Or, you just want the merits. Doing the task forces for task force commander is just wasting time. You can get the Invader, red side equivalent in about 25 minutes, maybe less if you hustle. 

Totally agree, invader is much quicker and for me even more fun.