Officially Unofficial Hopefully Weekly Discussion #1: Overall Task Force/Strike Force Design

[SeraphimKensai]

57 minutes ago, lemming said:

 Citadel's back and forth between Talos & IP.

 

Numina's doesn't bug me in that it's a pathed journey and the team can split up to deal with it.

I'm also not the biggest fan of the back and forth just for the sake of back and forth in Citadel, so...

 

If I had my way I'd try and revamp Citadel do have it focus in IP first, like Citadel received a distress call to help...you go there to investigate and do all the IP stuff there and then you turn up a clue that lets you know that was all a decoy and the real threat is in Talos as Vandal has been extorting Talos elite...do Talos missions to uncover the location of Vandal's base, stop Vandal from dropping affluent Talos citizens into lava pool in a unique council map. Timed final mission, defeat Vandal to get the kill code, and have click a computer to release the citizens.

 

Probably would thin out a few redundant missions.

 

[Troo]

Did the back and forth have a reason at the time?

[Bionic_Flea]

31 minutes ago, Troo said:

Did the back and forth have a reason at the time?

 

The OG devs wanted you to travel through their snazzy zones to see all the Easter eggs they left for you to find.

[BurtHutt]

2 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

 

The OG devs wanted you to travel through their snazzy zones to see all the Easter eggs they left for you to find.

I'm quite sure the OG Devs wanted you to stay logged on and have to grind as much as possible - it was a subscription based consumer model. If you finish everything quickly, then the chances a person continues to subscribe lessens. 

 

Kids, it always boils down to the $. And then HC comes along and blows that theory out of the water (kinda!)! Way to go, HC! 

Edited October 28, 2022 by BurtHutt

[lemming]

4 hours ago, BurtHutt said:

I'm quite sure the OG Devs wanted you to stay logged on and have to grind as much as possible - it was a subscription based consumer model. If you finish everything quickly, then the chances a person continues to subscribe lessens. 

 

Kids, it always boils down to the $. And then HC comes along and blows that theory out of the water (kinda!)! Way to go, HC! 

Remember when it was faster to get to Talos from Atlas by going thru the south Paragon Dance Party in Steel?

[Redletter]

On 10/28/2022 at 9:18 AM, Shadeknight said:

I love all the Task Forces / Strike Forces barring Justin Augustine. Augustine is just plain boring. I'd love to see that one get way less boring/more...unique? I guess.

I think the most egregious zone-hopping ones are Q and Numina. Both of those could use some overhaul in that regard.

My guilty pleasure is the Faathim Task Force.

 

Is Faathim the one from the glow guy with the big head?

[Ruin Mage]

Yes.

[Redletter]

22 hours ago, lemming said:

Remember when it was faster to get to Talos from Atlas by going thru the south Paragon Dance Party in Steel?

2 hours ago, Shadeknight said:

Yes.

I like that one too. The Shadow Shard is fun.

[twozerofoxtrot]

I know it's folly to hold out hope but I'd love to see a Redside SF that had a similar level range to Posi.  The first we get is Virgil Tarikoss at 15, which pairs it level-wise with Synapse (though mercifully shorter). Would be nice to have one that started at 8 from Port Oakes.

 

Maybe a Wretch Strike Force? Save Ghost Widow from Sirocco's creeper stalking?

 

[Redletter]

3 hours ago, twozerofoxtrot said:

I know it's folly to hold out hope but I'd love to see a Redside SF that had a similar level range to Posi.  The first we get is Virgil Tarikoss at 15, which pairs it level-wise with Synapse (though mercifully shorter). Would be nice to have one that started at 8 from Port Oakes.

 

Maybe a Wretch Strike Force? Save Ghost Widow from Sirocco's creeper stalking?

 

 

Ya know, I never noticed that, but you're right. I guess like... they have a DFB? And there's the Graves stuff to hold you over too, I feel like the idea was like "yeah ok, they dont need a baby SF, theyre supposed to be establishing a name for themselves in the isles during this level bracket anyway, nobodyll notice".

 

I'd be down for a follow up with the snake stuff. Like, that's the first thing Kalinda reall has you focus on, it's a thing Burke as you look into, it feels like it's a major plot that slowly just disappears once you're properly beyond Mercy Island.

[twozerofoxtrot]

Yeah, snakes makes sense.

 

Back when CoV came out there wasn't any Graves stuff or DFB.  You even started in a different place (Ghost Widow's tower in Mercy, hence my suggestion about Wretch). I don't know if Virgil Tarikoss was in since i6 (I played i6-i9), but even then Posi started at lvl 10.

 

I dunno... it just added to the imbalance of Red vs. Blue. 

[Zepp]

I was thinking about the Lord Recluse SF. It seems that the hardest part is creating separation between the Heroes. Spacing heroes out a little more so they could more easily be isolated would be helpful...

[BurtHutt]

I think any significant TFs (SF etc) that involve a lot of work should be put into co-op zones. That way Devs don't have to worry about doing one for each side. Maybe the Hollows should be a co-op zone just in case some lower level stuff gets added.

 

This isn't ideal but the lack of Devs and their time may make this the best option.

[twozerofoxtrot]

Oh. Oh.

 

One thing that never made sense to me: Who the #@$% is Operative Renault? Why does this random stormtrooper get a Strike Force?

 

And, following the story told in Sharkhead Isle missions, why the heck isn't this Barracuda's SF?

 

What does Barracuda have to do with the 5th Column? Give that SF to some other B-List schlub give 'Cuda the SF that belongs to her story.

 

*hops off the soapbox and goes to rob a bank*

[UltraAlt]

On 10/28/2022 at 11:07 AM, SeraphimKensai said:

So there's a time and place for everything.

 

Most things, but not AFK farming or farming in general for me.

[Xiddo]

14 hours ago, twozerofoxtrot said:

I know it's folly to hold out hope but I'd love to see a Redside SF that had a similar level range to Posi.  The first we get is Virgil Tarikoss at 15, which pairs it level-wise with Synapse (though mercifully shorter). Would be nice to have one that started at 8 from Port Oakes.

 

Maybe a Wretch Strike Force? Save Ghost Widow from Sirocco's creeper stalking?

 

What made CoV special for me was the Mayhem Missions. Something completely new when it launched. The first time we charged through Atlas and Kings, smashing cars and post boxes, it felt amazing. I’d love an 8-15 SF that used that feature. Story-wise you’re taking advantage of ‘The Heroes’ being distracted by the events of the Posi TFs, to do a heist from Posi’s lab to steal gear.

 

I’d also love a 30-34 SF in Nerva, based around the Longbow/Wyvern outpost, that acts at a P2 for Moonfire. The Council

hire you to steal a Shadow Cyst so they can continue working in the Rogue Isles, turns out LB have been experimenting and it’s gone amok and there’s a Nictus/LB scientist group to beat. Re-costume the new mobs in the Valeria arc. Sunstorm or Moonfire is the boss at the end. 

[Burnt Umber]

9 hours ago, twozerofoxtrot said:

One thing that never made sense to me: Who the #@$% is Operative Renault? Why does this random stormtrooper get a Strike Force?

 

And, following the story told in Sharkhead Isle missions, why the heck isn't this Barracuda's SF?

 

What does Barracuda have to do with the 5th Column? Give that SF to some other B-List schlub give 'Cuda the SF that belongs to her story.

 

Me too. I always get a minor twitch when I do that SF for that exact same reason.  However, I think there was a (bad) reason for that.

 

Spoiler

I figure her presence and the *twist* of having 'Cuda betray you made the original dev(s) hesitant to use her as the contact.

 

But, really, I think that's more poor writing/editing than anything else.  Why can't she just be like the other contacts redside who continue to work with you after trying to throw you under the bus?  She could definitely have a hand-waving dialogue after the fact.

 

Also, why does that SF keep on sending everyone to Nerva instead of keeping everything in Sharkhead where it's relevant?  It's not exactly Citadel bad, but it still annoys me a little.

 

[DougGraves]

What I like about TFs is that they are repeatable and people do them even at low levels.  So since I play almost exclusively low level content I play the Posi TFs and the Yin TF a lot.

 

30-60 minutes is a good length of time.

 

Only one or two zones is good.

 

Multiple enemy groups instead of endless council or endless clockwork missions is great.

 

Special fights make the TFs special.  The shadow enemies in Posi 1 a great example.

 

Special maps make the TFs special.  The dam map in the finale of Posi 2 is a great example.