issue 27 Focused Feedback: Advanced Difficulty Improvements & New Reward Currency

[The Curator]

Advanced Difficulty Improvements & New Reward Currency

Difficulty Levels Adjustments

• The labels on Advanced Difficulty levels now include a star-rating, from Default to ☆☆☆☆ 4-Star. These will be consistent between Task Forces and Strike Forces and will be the standard labeling moving forward for all content with these options added:

• This update includes new Advanced Difficulty mode icons to go with them:

         

• Advanced Difficulty mode content played at ☆☆ 2-Star or higher now includes additional reward modifiers to all experience and influence earned from enemy defeats:
  • ☆☆ 2-Star = 20% increase
  • ☆☆☆ 3-Star = 30% increase
  • ☆☆☆☆ 4-Star = 40% increase
• The to-hit buff granted by Tactics on enemies in Advanced Difficulty now has max stack caps that match the star count of the difficulty level chosen.
• EXAMPLE: If playing on 4-Star difficulty, Tactics' to-hit can be stacked up to a max of four times on enemy mobs; If on 2-Star difficulty, Tactics' to-hit can be stacked up to a max of two times on enemy mobs. The other buff components of Tactics are not capped.

Challenge Option Fixes

• Challenge Arch-villains that have double base HP have had their regeneration reduced by ~20%, to be closer to their designed intent, as the scaling calculations were slightly off.
• All Disable Modes are now infinite duration and persist through death, which eliminates some circumstances where disabled Inspirations or Temporary Powers could be used.

Prismatic Aether Particle Salvage Rewards

• Completion of content on Advanced Difficulty settings now rewards an exclusive salvage currency called Prismatic Aether Particles that are used to purchase the permanent costume powers covered in the next section.
• They are capped at 2000 on how many can be carried at once by a single character.

Ooh, Prismatic Aether... So shiny!

• Completing the Weekly Strike Target for the first time each week on a max level character that receives a Notice of the Well salvage, will also earn 1-2 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage depending on the length of the content completed.
• The standard bonus from completing a mission map at any level includes a 1 in 50 (2%) chance to drop a Prismatic Aether Particle.
• Prismatic Aether Particle salvage is not account-bound and can be freely traded to other players, sold on the auction house, or stored in supergroup base salvage storage bins.

Prismatic Aether Particle Reward Cooldowns

•  Earning any amount of Prismatic Aether Particles comes with a global cooldown of 18 (eighteen) hours after being earned from that same content on the same character regardless of difficulty mode. 
• This limitation both prevents players from feeling compelled to run the same content over and over, while also ensuring that optimized successive completions of lower difficulties cannot become more profitable than running at the higher difficulties. This sets a maximum possible daily gain of 30 Prismatic Aether Particles from Advanced Difficulty content on the same character.
• EXAMPLE: Completing the Dr. Aeon's Strike Force at ☆ difficulty will reward 2 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage. If the same character then completes the Dr. Aeon's Strike Force at ☆☆☆ difficulty within 18 hours, they would not be eligible to receive the 13 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage they would otherwise have received on completion. The same character could however go complete the Imperious Task Force at ☆☆ difficulty and receive 3 Prismatic Aether Salvage on the same day with that same character.
• These are the current Prismatic Aether Particle drop totals for Advanced Difficulty content:

Advanced Difficulty - Dr. Aeon's Strike Force:

• ☆ 1-Star = 2 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆ 2-Star = 7 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆☆ 3-Star = 13 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆☆☆ 4-Star = 20 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.

Advanced Difficulty - Imperious Task Force:

• ☆ 1-Star = 1 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆ 2-Star = 3 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆☆ 3-Star = 6 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.
• ☆☆☆☆ 4-Star = 10 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage.

 

• Incarnate Trials work on a three-tiered drop system, where there are three rewards each with their own 18-hour drop lockouts. Completing a trial rewards the tier it belongs to and any under it. This sets a maximum possibly daily gain of 3 Prismatic Aether Particles from Incarnate Trials on the same character.
• This allows some flexibility on doing Incarnate Trials without pressure to do every single one daily, but gives a higher reward cap if the more difficult/longer trials are chosen, while also not making them competitive with Advanced Difficulty which is intended to be the primary source of this currency.
• You must qualify for full rewards in order to receive any Prismatic Aether, meaning you participated in every stage of the Incarnate Trial; this eliminates any potential leeching by AFK players.
• EXAMPLE: Completing a Behavior Adjustment Facility Trial (Tier 1) will reward the one Tier 1 Aether Particle salvage. If you then complete The Underground Trial (Tier 3), you earn the Tier 2 Aether Particle salvage, and the Tier 3 Aether Particle salvage, but not the Tier 1 again, since it's within the same 18-hour period.
• These are the current reward tier assignments for Incarnate Trials:

Incarnate Trial - Tier 1:

• Behavioral Adjustment Facility Trial
• Lambda Sector Trial

Incarnate Trial - Tier 2:

• Keyes Island Reactor Trial
• Dilemma Diabolique Trial
• Minds of Mayhem Trial
• Magisterium Trial

Incarnate Trial - Tier 3:

• The Underground Trial
• TPN Campus Trial

[Ruin Mage]

The costumes coming from the Aether will always be there, and there is more coming to that system. It's not really a bad thing given there's a limit to the sources of it.

So timegating, as labeled, isn't bad.

[Super Atom]

1 hour ago, The Curator said:

•  Earning any amount of Prismatic Aether Particles comes with a global cooldown of 18 (eighteen) hours after being earned from that same content on the same character regardless of difficulty mode. 
• This limitation both prevents players from feeling compelled to run the same content over and over, while also ensuring that optimized successive completions of lower difficulties cannot become more profitable than running at the higher difficulties. This sets a maximum possible daily gain of 30 Prismatic Aether Particles from Advanced Difficulty content on the same character.
• EXAMPLE: Completing the Dr. Aeon's Strike Force at ☆ difficulty will reward 2 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage. If the same character then completes the Dr. Aeon's Strike Force at ☆☆☆ difficulty within 18 hours, they would not be eligible to receive the 13 Prismatic Aether Particle salvage they would otherwise have received on completion. The same character could however go complete the Imperious Task Force at ☆☆ difficulty and receive 3 Prismatic Aether Salvage on the same day with that same character.

 

Just get rid of all of this

 

"Oh i better not join this lower difficulty TF so i don't miss my maximized daily reward" avoid this at all costs. Just keep a daily cap you're happy with and stop caring what people do to get there.

[Crimsanotic]

11 minutes ago, Shadeknight said:

The costumes coming from the Aether will always be there, and there is more coming to that system. It's not really a bad thing given there's a limit to the sources of it.

So timegating, as labeled, isn't bad.

So there's a limited amount of resources on something that's also time gated? So it's double time gated? So it's even worse?

[Ruin Mage]

Tell me how an extra resource for a non-powercreep optional reward, which can go on the AH, is a bad thing if one must do specific things to get it?

Sure, the numbers and cap look bad on paper but if you do not want a costume: You can sell it on the AH.

 

[Crimsanotic]

2 minutes ago, Shadeknight said:

Tell me how an extra resource for a non-powercreep optional reward, which can go on the AH, is a bad thing if one must do specific things to get it?

Sure, the numbers and cap look bad on paper but if you do not want a costume: You can sell it on the AH.

 

It's literally the exact same mechanic WoW uses for Mythic+ keys and why the system is so hated and toxic. Doing a lower difficulty gates you out of a higher difficulty doesn't make any sense.

Additionally, this is a private server. Why time gate anything? They aren't trying to keep player retention with monthly subs, are they?

[Super Atom]

4 minutes ago, Shadeknight said:

Tell me how an extra resource for a non-powercreep optional reward, which can go on the AH, is a bad thing if one must do specific things to get it?

Sure, the numbers and cap look bad on paper but if you do not want a costume: You can sell it on the AH.

 

 

because there's no reason to have it be this way really. I don't even care about a daily cap, but actively encouraging people not to join a low level TF while you can get a higher reward from the same TF but on a high difficulty should probably be avoided at all costs.

[Ruin Mage]

I just inheretly disagree with the opinions stated here - its a sellable currency on the AH for a system that does not add power. Them not wanting thousands of it on the market/in transition from the start is not a bad thing.

[AustinSmith]

2 hours ago, Super Atom said:

 

because there's no reason to have it be this way really. I don't even care about a daily cap, but actively encouraging people not to join a low level TF while you can get a higher reward from the same TF but on a high difficulty should probably be avoided at all costs.

The only low level task forces that will even award Aether are the weekly strike targets. The only exclusive part is different hardmode difficulties within the same task force. You can do a 2 star ASF and then go right to 3 star ITF and get the full rewards from both.

[Ruin Mage]

Because that's not good design for long term.

Why are you so against giving people things optional to chase? This is just like badges.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Shadeknight

[Super Atom]

9 minutes ago, AustinSmith said:

The only low level task forces that will even award Aether are the weekly strike targets. The only exclusive part is different hardmode difficulties within the same task force. You can do a 2 star ASF and then go right to 3 star ITF and get the full rewards from both.

 

It doesn't matter, actively giving people a reason not to join TF's based on difficulty is a bad idea. We literally saw this happen in WoW already with mythic keys, granted the rewards are on a much more casual scale... It should still be avoided. This issue is easily avoided through other methods.

 

This sets a maximum possible daily gain of 30 Prismatic Aether Particles from Advanced Difficulty content on the same character.

 

They don't need any bells or whistles beyond this. If you do the harder difficulties you get to 30 cool nice, but why make it so you can't if you do a lower level TF? Makes no sense, completely pointless. You should encourage people to try the harder difficulties to get the max 30 if they -want- to.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Super Atom

[Cobalt Arachne]

36 minutes ago, Super Atom said:

but actively encouraging people not to join a low level TF while you can get a higher reward from the same TF but on a high difficulty should probably be avoided at all costs.

Good suggestion!

I'll adjust the Advanced Difficulty modes so that you always get the max reward for the content you do even if you join a lower difficulty TF earlier in the day, akin to how the Incarnate Trials are set up.

It'll still be capped per content, but after adjustment means if you complete 1-Star ASF you'll receive 2 Aether, and then after if you immediately complete 2-Star, you'd receive the difference, which would be 5, for the same total of 7 that is reward total for completing 2-Star outright. Expect this change next build.

 

---

As for why add goals to the game for players work towards?
That's what makes the game healthy and sees people playing regularly.

If you're asking about why we don't give everything to everyone for free, that's because we already do, that's already available for literally everyone at all times on Brainstorm. Everyone is welcome to go play on Brainstorm where they can experience everything this game has to offer without any restrictions or effort.

As has been mentioned this is purely for vanity costume powers, if you don't care about them, then you can ignore them and sell any Aether you get on the auction house, it changes nothing about your gameplay experience. They don't provide any buffs or make your character stronger.

 

---

Why have them on a cooldown?
The reward restrictions are to introduce some sanity, so people don't feel pressured to repeatedly do same content over and over and over for the rewards. The entire game has always done this, you can't get infinite Hamidon Enhancements doing the same content back to back in the same 18 hours, it's no different here really.

[dom9630]

2 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

Good suggestion!

I'll adjust the Advanced Difficulty modes so that you always get the max reward for the content you do even if you join a lower difficulty TF earlier in the day, akin to how the Incarnate Trials are set up.

It'll still be capped per content, but after adjustment means if you complete 1-Star ASF you'll receive 2 Aether, and then after if you immediately complete 2-Star, you'd receive the difference, which would be 5, for the same total of 7 that is reward total for completing 2-Star outright. Expect this change next build.

 

 

This still doesn't correct the issue mentioned above.

 

Why would I do a 1-star at all if I'm still going to get what I would have the first time by making it a 2 star?

 

[AustinSmith]

2 hours ago, dom9630 said:

 

 

This still doesn't correct the issue mentioned above.

 

Why would I do a 1-star at all if I'm still going to get what I would have the first time by making it a 2 star?

 

Has in part to do with evaluating the power level of your team. Some teams compositions are simply not capable of completing 4-star mode for instance, if they don't have all their incarnates maxed or completed builds. The lower difficulties allow characters that aren't fully built to still have access to accruing rewards even if they can't handle the higher difficulties.

[Cobalt Arachne]

7 minutes ago, dom9630 said:

 

 

This still doesn't correct the issue mentioned above.

 

Why would I do a 1-star at all if I'm still going to get what I would have the first time by making it a 2 star?

 

If you're going to do Hamidon later that day and you see somebody advertising for one earlier in LFG, you have to decide to either join the earlier raid, or use a different character on one of the raids. You can't join both on the same character and get full rewards, it's no different here.

It's about respecting time commitments; If you decide to do the same content multiple times in a single day on the same character, that's a decision you made, other content in this game has already has the exact same restrictions on their rewards.

It also provides some benefits to having built alt characters, which this game is all about.

[dom9630]

Just now, AustinSmith said:

Has in part to do with evaluating the power level of your team. Some teams compositions are simply not capable of completing 4-star mode for instance, if they don't have all their incarnates maxed or completed builds. The lower difficulties allow characters that aren't fully built to still have access to accruing rewards even if they can't handle the higher difficulties.

Good point. Even more reason to avoid timegating. People who CAN run higher difficulties are going to snub lowerlevel difficulties. 

 

There's a reason long-time players don't bother play lower-level content and why they despise having to run at exemplar'd level when they've spent time getting to level 50. 

[dom9630]

4 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

If you're going to do Hamidon later that day and you see somebody advertising for one earlier, you have to decide to either join the earlier raid, or use a different character on one of the raids. You can't join both on the same character and get full rewards, it's no different here.

It's about respecting time commitments; If you decide to do the same content multiple times in a single day on the same character, that's a decision you made, other content in this game has already has the exact same restrictions.

 

Correct. But the hamidon raid is the hamidon raid, it doesn't have different difficulties.

 

Again, I think the issue is, is that players are going to default to whatever is most cost-effective on their time.

 

Someone who wants to do a 2-star ITF is going to get shunted by everyone who is wanting to do 4-star or bust. 

[Ruin Mage]

So by the token of the stance I'm seeing; There should be no cooldown on reward merits or Hami-Os/Enhancement Options from Reward Tables at the end of TFs. Therefore, we should be allowed to farm reward merits/Enhancements from TFs as we please?

That's the mindset I'm seeing here, unless I'm misreading.

[Cobalt Arachne]

Just now, dom9630 said:

 

Correct. But the hamidon raid is the hamidon raid, it doesn't have different difficulties.

 

Again, I think the issue is, is that players are going to default to whatever is most cost-effective on their time.

 

Someone who wants to do a 2-star ITF is going to get shunted by everyone who is wanting to do 4-star or bust. 

 

18 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

I'll adjust the Advanced Difficulty modes so that you always get the max reward for the content you do even if you join a lower difficulty TF earlier in the day, akin to how the Incarnate Trials are set up.

 

👍

[dom9630]

2 minutes ago, Cobalt Arachne said:

 

 

👍

Maybe I'm not understanding, but why would I bother to do the 2-star earlier in the day when I can just do the 4-star and get all my rewards in one TF?

[Super Atom]

1 minute ago, dom9630 said:

Maybe I'm not understanding, but why would I bother to do the 2-star earlier in the day when I can just do the 4-star and get all my rewards in one TF?

 

You can absolutely do that, but you have no reason NOT to do a lower one if you feel like joining one now.

[dom9630]

4 minutes ago, Shadeknight said:

So by the token of the stance I'm seeing; There should be no cooldown on reward merits or Hami-Os/Enhancement Options from Reward Tables at the end of TFs. Therefore, we should be allowed to farm reward merits/Enhancements from TFs as we please?

That's the mindset I'm seeing here, unless I'm misreading.

 

Merits/hamis/reward tables aren't just vanity items. 

[dom9630]

1 minute ago, Super Atom said:

 

You can absolutely do that, but you have no reason NOT to do a lower one if you feel like joining one now.

Other than it is a waste of my time.

 

If I am sounding a little elitist because 'why would I do the peasant's 2-star TF instead of the 4-star I am capable of' - that's the point.

 

This is why WoW's mythic scene is a toxic pile of trash, time-gating inevitably leads to it- even if it's for a stupid transmog item you are after.

[Cobalt Arachne]

9 minutes ago, dom9630 said:

Maybe I'm not understanding, but why would I bother to do the 2-star earlier in the day when I can just do the 4-star and get all my rewards in one TF?

Time commitment. If you've never done the ASF on 4-Star vs. default, the normal difficulty ASF can be completed in about ~30 minutes, a run completed on 4-Star will take you closer to ~2.5-3 hours.

If you can complete highly difficult content requiring the entire team be maxed-out incarnates consistently, that is the more rewarding option, but we want flexibility and options.

[Super Atom]

13 minutes ago, dom9630 said:

Other than it is a waste of my time.

 

If I am sounding a little elitist because 'why would I do the peasant's 2-star TF instead of the 4-star I am capable of' - that's the point.

 

This is why WoW's mythic scene is a toxic pile of trash, time-gating inevitably leads to it- even if it's for a stupid transmog item you are after.

 

Yes but again, you have no reason not to do one. With WoW, doing one actively hurt your rewards as this did prior to Cobalt Arachne stated changes. People already don't join certain TF's for various reasons, the goal here is to prevent giving people a reason outside of personal choice to not join certain TF's. They can't force you to do low level runs of anything nor should they.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Super Atom