ITF 4 STAR -- OVER 100 Deaths, the dark side of 4 Star ITF.

[Voltak]

I don't only want to publish the excellent results.
More often than not, in the City of Heroes game, the results are way sub-optimal for average teams, average skills, and average builds.
This is one such video of when things that can go wrong, will go wrong.

It is important to also note that this is the average result especially in Pick UP Groups.
This team had many PUG members.
So, it's our first time playing together.
My advice -- keep a positive attitude.
This is just a game.
Have fun.

 

 

[Xiddo]

This makes me want to build my Fortuna so much. Incred.

[Snarky]

My SG reported a similar experience on a organized but ‘casual’ attempt.  They had Discord and knew each other for months and years.  They brought good toons but not the “perfect team”.  They communicate well, they are good players.  It was a shit show.  
 

My two takeaways 1) this challenge is for perfectly built teams designed specifically for this event. 2) I really do not care to play this shit

 

 Now I proudly embrace “dirty casual”.  But me and two people from this same SG 3-personed a LGTF on +4/x8.  The only hard part was hero 1.  His regen is stupid hard to burn with 3 peeps.  One of the team was half drunk (not me, i never drink….wine) It was fun. This thing looks less like a challenge and more like an exercise in chewing paint off walls.  Like the Dev that created Synapse was like “wait until you see the real task force…)

[Gerswin]

I have done a few 4* ITFs, but mostly I stick to 2* with PUGs.  The 4* difficulty is based on the effective use of incarnate powers.  It doesn't matter (that much) what specific powersets are present as long as the team coordinates the use of incarnate powers.  This means using incan to reposition corpses, barrier radial to rez, and lore pets on hard targets. When solo, many squishies like clarion, but on a team it is mostly overkill.  A mix of interface procs (their stacking is limited) is also noticable.  Judgement nukes are useful, but they need to be coordinated and the secondary effects can be used to good effect. Many (my small sample size suggests most) PUG players are incarnated for max speed solo play, and that is not optimum for hardmode. Now that people have so many 'useless' emp merits stashed, it is probably time to explore more T4 options.  I think having all of the T4 destiny options is a must in order to adjust for teammates that only have 1.  I  did a 2* the other day where 5/8 players were doing hardmode for the first time, including the leader.  It was a bit messy at first, but we made some adjustments on the 2nd mish (mostly the tank switching destiny to incan and convincing the dark def not to lead with ion judgement on new spawns).  It was not a speedrun, but we finished in 45 minutes or so with the only deaths coming from Rommy's nuke and players that didn't break LOS promptly. I recommend doing 1* or 2* with random PUGs, and then raising the diff with the same group once the adjustments are made.  Once players know what the challenges are and prepare for them, it is really not that much more difficult than the existing incarnate trials, you just need to stay focused longer.  I think the hardmode content is the best thing that the homecoming team has produced, and I generally like just about everything new they have introduced.

[Nemu]

I see the same things that cause people to die in regular content:

 

1 - Not moving/poor positioning/getting stuck in animation (learn to joust people!)

2 - Lack of awareness

3 - Stubborness (scrapperlock or whatever you want to call it, especially stupid when one dies and resurrects and for whatever reason believes the power of Thor has been bestowed upon him and decides to single-handedly take revenge against the 6 EBs that swatted them)

4 - Poor priorities. A lot of people still tab - closest target and call it a day. And support that doesn't buff Rezzed teammates.

5 - Getting separated from the team. Like the blaster that thinks backing away from the lone EB chasing it and distancing himself farther and farther away from the team, while continuing to shoot the said EB is a good idea.

 

Player build is a factor, but at the same time you don't need a 45%/75% build to run 4 stars either. Learning the fundamentals of gameplay will do more in the long run than any "maxxed out" build will.

[Meknomancer]

Can't tell you how much i loved this post. Reminded me of my first relentless aeon and the 20+ deaths on my (what i thought was near unkillable) widow/fort hybrid. Which makes me wonder. Why no aeon vids? It all seems to be itf runs. I loved the fight vs the rwz mob in the tiny enclosed vanguard armoury it was a murderfest and the itf doesn't have anything to compare to it. Only thing that can come close is the last mish on lrsf vs the phalanx.

[Voltak]

4 hours ago, Snarky said:

My SG reported a similar experience on a organized but ‘casual’ attempt.  They had Discord and knew each other for months and years.  They brought good toons but not the “perfect team”.  They communicate well, they are good players.  It was a shit show.  
 

My two takeaways 1) this challenge is for perfectly built teams designed specifically for this event. 2) I really do not care to play this shit

 

 Now I proudly embrace “dirty casual”.  But me and two people from this same SG 3-personed a LGTF on +4/x8.  The only hard part was hero 1.  His regen is stupid hard to burn with 3 peeps.  One of the team was half drunk (not me, i never drink….wine) It was fun. This thing looks less like a challenge and more like an exercise in chewing paint off walls.  Like the Dev that created Synapse was like “wait until you see the real task force…)

Snarky, I totally feel this. 
On the one hand I love a good challenge, and I tend to steer away from easy content. 
On the other hand, some things in this TF make me think -- "Ok, this was not needed, that was not needed, that other one, not needed to make a good challenge. "

The 801 series and my own AE challenges are very challenging but you can do those with a myriad of team combinations and the average team to complete those are FAR FAR less than this TF. 

I really think I can relate with what you said. 

[Voltak]

3 hours ago, Meknomancer said:

Can't tell you how much i loved this post. Reminded me of my first relentless aeon and the 20+ deaths on my (what i thought was near unkillable) widow/fort hybrid. Which makes me wonder. Why no aeon vids? It all seems to be itf runs. I loved the fight vs the rwz mob in the tiny enclosed vanguard armoury it was a murderfest and the itf doesn't have anything to compare to it. Only thing that can come close is the last mish on lrsf vs the phalanx.

If you invite me to AEON I will join with my Fort.  

I have not made an AEON video yet. 

I want to. 

[KaizenSoze]

4 hours ago, Nemu said:

5 - Getting separated from the team. Like the blaster that thinks backing away from the lone EB chasing it and distancing himself farther and farther away from the team, while continuing to shoot the said EB is a good idea.

Yes, this often happens on mission 3 of the ITF. The tanks get aggro capped, strays start chasing the squishies.

 

A simple trick is to run/jump to the other side of the tanks, which forces the mobs to run right by the tanks. This often gets the mobs off me.

[BurtHutt]

What types of toons do the best on these? I want to try one but time and CoH fatigue haven't gotten me there yet. However, I am curious and would like to give it a go. 

 

Also, can anyone comment on what is new with the ITF? The giant mech? What else? Are these new pieces in all versions of the ITF? the 4 star only?

 

Thanks!

[EmperorSteele]

So, baddies have increased stats and new powers (surgeons, for instance, now teleport). This is because now they're ALL infused with nictus energy.

 

Bosses and EBs have a chance to spawn a "Hostless Nictus" when they die. This entity will grab ahold of a nearby player and try to possess them, so you have to kill the nictus before this happens.

 

Nictus crystal explosions are now a LOT stronger.

 

The rommy fight has a few changes too, but I'll leave that for you to experience yourself 😃

[Snarky]

22 minutes ago, BurtHutt said:

What types of toons do the best on these? I want to try one but time and CoH fatigue haven't gotten me there yet. However, I am curious and would like to give it a go. 

 

Also, can anyone comment on what is new with the ITF? The giant mech? What else? Are these new pieces in all versions of the ITF? the 4 star only?

 

Thanks!

I have not run hard mode yet but evidently the surgeons teleport now.  Game lore is they are nictus powered now evidently.   But having fold space or some such would be handy.  I was quite surprised at how hard they are to kill now and i was on a Beam Rifle blaster!  If you do not kill one in one shot, or with second kill shot queued they are gone.  In a normal ITF surgeons slow your team, I hunt them like they owe me money.  In a hard mode challenge they might be a breaking point for the team.  If you cannot keep your DPS counting you might as well be reading your email instead of hitting something.   

[BurtHutt]

Very interesting stuff! I kinda want to get into it soon. Thanks for the info!

[KaizenSoze]

45 minutes ago, BurtHutt said:

What types of toons do the best on these? I want to try one but time and CoH fatigue haven't gotten me there yet. However, I am curious and would like to give it a go. 

 

Also, can anyone comment on what is new with the ITF? The giant mech? What else? Are these new pieces in all versions of the ITF? the 4 star only?

 

Thanks!

As Nemu mentioned above any well played toon is useful. For hardmore, just bring a toon you are good at playing.

 

These days I don't make specific toons for specific TFs. It might make a different build on the same toon. But I like the challenge of adapting a toon to a specific environment.

[DrunkFlux]

I'll have to watch later but, can instantly tell one problem; You need more leadership power stacks.  You need SIX maneuvers stacks and 3 leadership TACTICS stacks.  I only saw significant leadership stacking from you in that buff bar of yours.

 

I honestly.....don't really have interest in the max difficulty for that reason tbh.  It's just maxing the numbers for sake of inflating them.

[Xiddo]

On 9/13/2022 at 7:28 PM, Voltak said:

I don't only want to publish the excellent results.
More often than not, in the City of Heroes game, the results are way sub-optimal for average teams, average skills, and average builds.
This is one such video of when things that can go wrong, will go wrong.

It is important to also note that this is the average result especially in Pick UP Groups.
This team had many PUG members.
So, it's our first time playing together.
My advice -- keep a positive attitude.
This is just a game.
Have fun.

 

 

Youve mentioned in the AT forums that you’ve posted your build somewhere but I cannot find it for love nor money 😭

[Voltak]

On 9/17/2022 at 12:49 PM, Xiddo said:

Youve mentioned in the AT forums that you’ve posted your build somewhere but I cannot find it for love nor money 😭

Please check the Arachnos, VEATS section. 

[Darkaiser]

I tried this last night with a PUG with an experienced leader. Despite quite a few deaths, we soldiered on until we got to Rom and fell short. It was fun despite not being able to finish.

 

I won't try this again at +4 Hard Mode. I play to relax and have fun, not to have my Tanker who has survived +4/x8 mobs while I was called AFK get 2-shotted by the bad guys. I'll do it at +1/+2 Hard Mode to see the difference and the ITF is still by far my fave TF of all time but I don't want badges and accolades badly enough to suffer through an hour or more of digital abuse lol.