Exploration Tips and the return of "slow play"

[cranebump]

I created a new toon on the erroneous supposition that I could plant them on top of the Void disc and spray havoc below. Ended up with Sonic/SR Sentinel, which is a combo I've never played (and wouldn't have considered, save I wanted to float above everything and just dodge the hell out of it).:-)

 

Anyhoo, once I got over the fact that I was stupid (again [sigh]), I decided to solo this redside guy to 20, then get to blue the old fashioned way via tips. I'm likely one of the few people who just hates The Radio contact, so I just continued with papers in PO. Since you can also pick up tip mishes to get Exploration badges via the new Tips system, I would grab the paper mish, then slowly plow my way to the door, street sweeping along the way, hoping to collect the badge mishes. In a short time, I was able to get 3 of them for the zone, which I collected along with the papers, which led to the bank mishes, where I did the objectives and the sides.

 

While I'm sure the intention of the Explore tip was to encourage street sweeping/badge finding, I gotta say I like the synergy when you're soloing. You can grab the explore badges as you play, dropping them organically right into the LR TP (assuming you have it). Good stuff! 

[SuperPlyx]

Agreed the new exploration tips is such a great system. It synergizes so well with various styles of play.

It really is one of those things where you got to ask yourself ,why wasn't this always a thing?!

[KC4800]

I got 4 zone accolades today with my lvl 50 MM in the lower level zones just street sweeping w/o the pets out.  I never used afterburner more than today.

[Rathulfr]

I'm having hella fun just straight up murdering arresting thugs in lowbie zones for the exploration badges.  Thanks for the "tip", @cranebump! 😁

 

[ZorkNemesis]

I just like all the new flavor text.  Who would've expected the Paragon City laundromats to the one of the biggest rackets in the city?

[RogerWilco]

I have always attacked the thugs stealing people's handbags.

This now just gives me more reason to keep doing that.

 

I've probably been a "slow play" player for my entire time in CoH.

I mostly use the trains and boats to get around, unless I'm in a real hurry.

I loved Ninja Run on live, still do.

[DougGraves]

I don't do badges.  But I was in PP for a mission and did not have a badge so I did not have the zone teleport.  The minions were grey to me, so I used some aoe and started wiping out spawns.  A few spawns and I had a tip.  It was easy to follow the tip and get the badge.  So easy, I did more sweeping and got 3 more badges.

 

It really is a great mechanic for engaging with a zone.  It made getting the badges easy - although I have a tip for a badge in the trees and that one I did not get.

[Rathulfr]

15 hours ago, DougGraves said:

It really is a great mechanic for engaging with a zone.  It made getting the badges easy

 

I learned a lot about the Hollows (helluva lot of badges there) and Boomtown was quite challenging (tunnels and fallen skyscrapers).  It was fun, and now I have zone completion badges I never came even close to getting before.

 

[Coyotedancer]

The new exploration tips are good fun... CoyoteNephew has quickly become a real fan of them. He loves badges. 👍

[Grouchybeast]

I'm actually quite sad that my main already has all the exploration badges and so I won't be able to do the tips on her.

[Ironblade]

7 hours ago, Rathulfr said:

I learned a lot about the Hollows (helluva lot of badges there)

Pretty sure it's 8.  They were normalized to all have 8 exploration badges except a few exceptions like Pocket D, Kallisti Wharf, Ouroboros.

[Clave Dark 5]

I haven't done a badge tip yet, but wanted to shout out for running a solo toon for what I guess you might term "intentional slow playing."  MY first real high level character was a redside stalker, and I abused the Hide to really get around and just look at stuff, so recently I made a new redside stalker that I've mostly just soloed with on redside.  Now at 40 or so, I'm going to have to go back and street sweep all the lower zones for the fun of badging with him too -- sure I have the Vidiots map, but where's the fun in that?  It's about my stalker's journey, not his destination.

[Shred Monkey]

I agree... explore tips are now part of my normal gameplay.  I never really liked using videot maps or online resources to find explore badges.  It seems like a form of "cheating," but finding badges without help is just dumb luck and not really practical.  This new system is a nice balance of effort versus reward for normal gameplay. 

[Grindingsucks]

It's how I get my LRT badges now.  I used to just search the wiki, figure out where the location is on the map, then go there and get the badge.  Now I run around town and beat up bad guys until I get the tip.

 

Way more fun.  😁

[DoctorDitko]

Agreed!

Plus it's a spoonful of sugar for folks still upset about the limits placed on /enterbasefrompasscode!

Yay devs!

 

[CursedSorcerer]

On 4/24/2021 at 3:36 PM, ZorkNemesis said:

I just like all the new flavor text.  Who would've expected the Paragon City laundromats to the one of the biggest rackets in the city?

Have you never considered how much of a "killing" they'd make especially after a Contact sends you after the Vahzilok?