Add Xp/Inf back to Nemesis Mole Machines

[Glacier Peak]

I just spent the past thirty minutes wailing on a Level 54 Nemesis Mole Machine only to find out when I defeated it, that it is worth nothing. Aside from the past reason of preventing farming (which I find moot), I don't see a reason why this is the case. These things have the same health as a Level 54 Archvillain, and 75% resistance to all damage, and there are four of them that you have to defeat in order to complete the mission.

 

Oh and there is an explicit point by Ghost Widow within the mission dialog that says:

 

Ghost Widow: (She will be found torturing a captured Nemesis soldier)
"It hurts, doesen't it? Now, tell me your mission."
"This wretch has told me of their scheme. You must destroy their drills. You will not be unrewarded for your efforts."

 

So what's the rub? Anybody against this? I'm not asking to make a mountain out of a mole hill here (*snickers* 🤣), I just want these things to give something, like any xp or influence whatsoever.

 

Edit: Three courses of action have been identified thus far;

 

1. Add experience or influence for defeating a Nemesis Mole Machine.

2. Don't add experience, (but add influence relative to scale), and drop their health down by a quarter (to approximately 22k at Lvl. 54 -or- 19k at Lvl 50)

3. Don't add experience or influence, but drop their health down to that of other comparative mission objects which do not grant xp or inf for defeating and delete the NPC Ghost Widow mission dialog that tells players that they will "not be unrewarded" for their efforts.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Glacier Peak

[SwitchFade]

Yes vote.

[Razor Cure]

At the very LEAST leave them no xp, and drop the hp by like a quarter, with 50% less resists.

5 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

These things have more health than Reichmann

Do they scale up to AV hp? I dont think I have ever seen them with that much health.

[Glacier Peak]

11 minutes ago, Razor Cure said:

At the very LEAST leave them no xp, and drop the hp by like a quarter, with 50% less resists.

Do they scale up to AV hp? I dont think I have ever seen them with that much health.

Then they'd need to change the mission dialog too. I'd say that is fine though, I want to at LEAST get something out of it. If it is just influence, whatever - or if it is just xp, again that is fine. I just want something out of it. Or like you said, change the health bar on these suckers! They have more than 30,000 hp and 75% resistance to all damage.

 

 

 

Edit: And according to the HC Wiki, Level 54 Archvillains have the exact same health (30,677 hp).

 

https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Archvillain

 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Glacier Peak

[Hyperstrike]

IIRC, the mole machines don't actually attack you.
They're just Big Dumb Objects to destroy.

[Glacier Peak]

55 minutes ago, Hyperstrike said:

IIRC, the mole machines don't actually attack you.
They're just Big Dumb Objects to destroy.

This is true. They did not do any damage to me during my wailing.

 

Since this is the case, let's recommend the health be scaled down to other objects which grant no xp or influence. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by Glacier Peak

[SwitchFade]

1 hour ago, Glacier Peak said:

This is true. They did not do any damage to me during my wailing.

 

Since this is the case, let's recommend the health be scaled down to other objects which grant no xp or influence. 

Also, a yes vote.

 

Current status is obscene time waste for zero return.

[Greycat]

Yeah. These things are a waste of time right now.

 

Drop the HP and resists. And/or give me some temp power bombs (either at the start of the mission or found on enemies around them) to blow them up.

[Hedgefund]

I'm +1ing doing SOMETHING for this.  What a waste of everyone's time.  This is one mission I drop to -1, clear out any nearby potential adds and just put an attack on auto and eventually it gets destroyed.  I'll also bring in a MM from another account for its AFK damage.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Hedgefund

[merrypessimist]

12 hours ago, Greycat said:

Yeah. These things are a waste of time right now.

 

Drop the HP and resists. And/or give me some temp power bombs (either at the start of the mission or found on enemies around them) to blow them up.

 

God yes. A temp power that does nothing but "instantly kill a mole machine" added to you inventory during any mission that features the stupid things would be awesome.  I'd even be for leaving them at the huge HP pool but removing the resists.

[Razor Cure]

Apparently the Mole's DID give insane xp, way back in the aerly days of CoV. I didnt see it myself, but a few people told me this when I started playing. I always found it ironic the old devs would nerf every redside farm, and yet blue side had SO many farms just left alone.

[Glacier Peak]

21 hours ago, Razor Cure said:

Apparently the Mole's DID give insane xp, way back in the aerly days of CoV. I didnt see it myself, but a few people told me this when I started playing. I always found it ironic the old devs would nerf every redside farm, and yet blue side had SO many farms just left alone.

Ah yes, I alluded to that in my original post, but I wasn't sure what exact farming method was the cause. Thanks!

[Glacier Peak]

On 7/3/2021 at 12:05 PM, merrypessimist said:

God yes. A temp power that does nothing but "instantly kill a mole machine" added to you inventory during any mission that features the stupid things would be awesome.  I'd even be for leaving them at the huge HP pool but removing the resists.

Yeah, I am open to this alternative as well. 

[TimesSeven]

And you have to destroy FOUR of them during Black Scorpion's mission! Freaking four! I'm running solo and I'm spending a ridiculous amount of time with these stinking things. 

 

This is just like every other mission that has a ton of heroes/villains who all sit back and do nothing.  At LEAST have them help destroy the machines instead of standing on a hill watch me work. 

 

Bad move, devs. Poor sportsmanship.

Edited December 11, 2023 by TimesSeven

[Rudra]

Well, since the thread is back....

 

On 7/4/2021 at 3:00 PM, Glacier Peak said:

On 7/3/2021 at 5:47 PM, Razor Cure said:

Apparently the Mole's DID give insane xp, way back in the aerly days of CoV. I didnt see it myself, but a few people told me this when I started playing. I always found it ironic the old devs would nerf every redside farm, and yet blue side had SO many farms just left alone.

Ah yes, I alluded to that in my original post, but I wasn't sure what exact farming method was the cause. Thanks!

Yeah, back when these things first made their appearance, they were worth A LOT of XP. To the point where players like me made it a point of finding every Mole Machine on the map and destroying them because the time was well worth it. The thing I don't understand is, CoT Portals still give a lot of XP and inf' and they don't fight back either. And once upon a time, at least in one mission, the Mole Machines spawned Nemesis troops that would fight you. (Edit: I think it was the Arachnos patron arc where you fought the Mole Machines and Nemesis forces on the beach. You were subject to routine spawns of Nemesis forces trying to stop you from destroying the Mole Machines. They no longer do so.) So I have two takes on this resurrected thread:

 

1) Allow the Mole Machines to spawn (0 XP/inf') Nemesis troops to defend them like they did in that one mission that no longer does so, and restore the Mole Machines XP and inf'.

2) Make them not such a chore to destroy. Especially on the mission where you have to stop Nemesis from destroying WSPDR's generator trucks. (Edit again: My Ninja/Dark MM using Tar Patch, all Leadership toggles, fully slotted pets/powers, a Dark Servant, and Lore Cimeroran pets while firing my MM's 3 attacks, the Blackwand, and the Nemesis Staff as fast as they recharged as well, would spend I think in the vicinity of 10 minutes pounding on 1 Mole Machine before it finally went away. Possibly longer. It definitely felt like forever. It doesn't take me anywhere near as long to defeat any AV at full AV status while using no Lore pets, no Blackwand, and no Nemesis Staff during the fight.) (Since I think they still spawn new troops to attack the trucks if they detect you but you neglected to destroy them.)

Edited December 11, 2023 by Rudra

[Uun]

8 hours ago, Rudra said:

Especially on the mission where you have to stop Nemesis from destroying WSPDR's generator trucks.

If you're referring to Dark Watcher's mission, you can ignore the Mole Machines. You don't actually have to protect the generators either. You just have to defeat Silver Mantis and rescue Amanda Vines BEFORE all 4 generators are destroyed. Once you do those two things, the mission completes. 

[Glacier Peak]

Ah yes, my gripe about those darn gigantic healthpools with no engagement or fighting mechanic that rewards no experience or infamy. Terrible decision on behalf of whoever decided to make it thus.