Officially Unofficial Weekly Discussion #2: Newspapers/Radios/Etc Repeatable Missions and Chaos?

[SeraphimKensai]

Well the Cease and Desist Letter didn't work and we're back for week 2 of these unofficial sessions. Now that you're totted out and and ready to get back to work being the villain of your very own story, or pretending to be a hero just for the influence what do you do when you've stopped the Council for the 1,000th time at some derelict office?

 

This one is by request so it's not entirely my fault. How would you improve radios/newspapers? What other NPC groups? Other maps? Other objectives? Or do you avoid newspapers/radios and just do other content in general?

[twozerofoxtrot]

I dunno if this is broke. The repeatable missions are like one of the best pieces of design this game has.

 

Not that I particularly run them often, but they are just fantastic for when I want to.

 

And besides these there's Tips. The way HC has adjust Tip missions, they're basically like less random, more story driven radios. Which is perfect for a bit of pick-up RP when you just want to goof with a friend but don't have an arc in your back pocket to play.

 

🤔 💭 

 

Rularuu Radios in Shadow Shard?

 

[KaizenSoze]

Dark Astoria needs to have more missions for it's repeatables. Either contact has only I think eight hard coded missions. Actually, I would prefer DA to get the PI treatment and have dynamic repeatables like PI radios. So, that you could get all enemy groups. For instance, I don't think there is any mission where CoT is the enemy.

 

PI radios definitely fall into the, it's not broke, don't fix it, category.

 

Shadow Shard radios would be a waste. It's like IP radios, too much running around.

 

[KaizenSoze]

As for repeatables, what I would really like to see mayhem/safeguard missions be more team friendly.

• All break ability objects provide full team credit
• All side missions give full team credit
• Allow the selection of the temp powers as opposed to being map locked

Right now, mayhem missions are pretty much only done by badgers like me. It is a shame, because if you want a real fight, try 4x8 level 50 PPD constant ambushes.

[SeraphimKensai]

27 minutes ago, KaizenSoze said:

PI radios definitely fall into the, it's not broke, don't fix it, category.

I'd argue that PI radios are broke. When's the last time you saw a DE, Nemesis, or Rikti scanner mission? Those three NPC groups are on PI, but I don't recall seeing them in a PI scanner mission.

 

I'd even suggest since Portal Corps is in PI, the occasional Rularuu Invasion or Storm Elemental leaking through a dimensional tear would make sense for players, and better interconnect the Shadow Shard with Peregrine Island.

[SeraphimKensai]

Also Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, Warburg also offer repeatable missions as well. They kind of get overlooked in general as depending on the server those zones are generally empty. I primarily play on Everlasting, and more often than not the only people that enter those zones is to get a Shivan or a Nuke. I've only encountered 2 other players once since Homecoming started in Siren's Call, despite that being a great PvP zone in design.

 

I think the PvP repeatable missions could have more variety and flair to them. They are story wise constrained somewhat in the types of NPCs they face, but I feel if they had more engaging missions it could help to draw some people into those zones. From a story perspective I think it relevant to try to draw more connection from the PvE zones to the PvP zones and revamping the repeatable pve missions in PvP zones might be a good way to do so.

[BurtHutt]

I feel these repeatable missions are ideal. Many of us want a small play session every now and then without the commitment of a long TF. Many have a lot of things going on and now that we're out of lockdown, I am one of those. It's busy on many nights and days.

 

Yes, I am tired of doing the same old repeatables but I still do them. I feel the OP is underestimating the number of times we've gone in on these - a mere 1000 you say! So, yes, I am here AGAIN to beg you all and the Devs to implement the player made repeatable missions using AE. These would be similar to style to the radio/paper/tip missions and be made by players using AE. It would be a new set of AE contacts that are canon and the missions added to these would also be canon - everything added would be Dev controlled and reviewed by HC staff first.

 

I know it will take some adjusting AE to have these special contacts but it would be front end loaded work which should then allow us to 'drag and drop' missions into these new contacts. I feel this is the only way players will get a good influx of content. I'd rather the Devs focus on this than another arc or something like that for now. After this is implemented then they can return to their normally scheduled programming 🙂 

[Greycat]

29 minutes ago, SeraphimKensai said:

Also Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, Warburg also offer repeatable missions as well. They kind of get overlooked in general as depending on the server those zones are generally empty. I primarily play on Everlasting, and more often than not the only people that enter those zones is to get a Shivan or a Nuke. I've only encountered 2 other players once since Homecoming started in Siren's Call, despite that being a great PvP zone in design.

 

I think the PvP repeatable missions could have more variety and flair to them. They are story wise constrained somewhat in the types of NPCs they face, but I feel if they had more engaging missions it could help to draw some people into those zones. From a story perspective I think it relevant to try to draw more connection from the PvE zones to the PvP zones and revamping the repeatable pve missions in PvP zones might be a good way to do so.

 

Are you aware those missions have an effect on the zones? The selection text ("Raid base to affect resistance") isn't just there for flavor. While the zones were active, they were used for that little bit of "extra" (damage, resist, debuffs) ... not infrequently. (You can see if someone's been doing any that affect you by looking at your buffs.)

[Perfidy]

5 hours ago, SeraphimKensai said:

How would you improve radios/newspapers? What other NPC groups? Other maps? Other objectives? Or do you avoid newspapers/radios and just do other content in general?

I can't clearly recall the last time I did a radio. I tend to pursue story arcs and the xp bonus and reward merits at the end. 

If I could wave a magic wand and change/improve something, it would be focused entirely on new content and adapted older content. 

For example: 
Gold side has no task forces, no methods of acquiring the 4 passive accolades. Or any other click power accolades. 

Positron 1 & 2 are short and pleasant enough tfs. But, when you're 50, exemplaring isn't that exciting. It would be nice if we could face the level 50 version or the incarnate version of Clockwork, Vahzilok and CoT. That goes for any sub 50 task force. I have no idea what an incarnate clockwork or CoT might look like, and if that's too big of a rewrite, just being able to run it at 50 would be nice. Or even if they took the form of the event npcs where they're unleveled, but appropriate to your level, whatever that might be, and coincide with the team leader's notoriety settings. 



 

[TheZag]

A team member gave a pretty good reason why AE missions probably wouldnt become official content,  the author would have to give up their rights to what they made and accept any changes and not be able to take it down if desired,  among a few other reasons.  But for everyone that has made a few missions in AE would notice,  radio missions are one of the more basic things you can make.  The mission variety could really be increased by cranking out a bunch of them,  especially for unrepresented enemy groups.

 

The team could source it to the players even if its unlikely as i mentioned above.  But if they did ask for radio mission submissions that followed the format of current ones and said all submissions belong to homecoming and may be altered or not used,  then authors wouldnt be blindsided with their previous material getting jacked and altered without permission.  Still a longshot but its possible.

 

But in the end im not sure how big a priority more radio missions are.  Alot of people just take them against council and reselect if council isnt on the list.  Then they abandon the bank mission and select council again.  Why make more radio missions if the players are just going to skip them.  I know not everyone does that,  but it probably helps in convincing a dev to make more content if people arent going to skip it. 

 

[SeraphimKensai]

1 hour ago, Greycat said:

 

Are you aware those missions have an effect on the zones? The selection text ("Raid base to affect resistance") isn't just there for flavor. While the zones were active, they were used for that little bit of "extra" (damage, resist, debuffs) ... not infrequently. (You can see if someone's been doing any that affect you by looking at your buffs.)

 

Yes I'm aware, I'm a retired pvper. That said if both sides had access to the same types of missions it's still equitable.

[Grouchybeast]

2 minutes ago, TheZag said:

A team member gave a pretty good reason why AE missions probably wouldnt become official content,  the author would have to give up their rights to what they made and accept any changes and not be able to take it down if desired,  among a few other reasons.  But for everyone that has made a few missions in AE would notice,  radio missions are one of the more basic things you can make.  The mission variety could really be increased by cranking out a bunch of them,  especially for unrepresented enemy groups.

 

Also, they said that there is no simple drag-and-drop way to make AE missions into regular missions, and in fact that adapting them from AE format into main-game format takes almost as much effort as writing an arc from scratch.  It's one of those seductive idea that sounds like it should be easy, but is apparently technically not at all, no matter how often people ask for it.

[Timeshadow]

More enemy variety would be a nice, quick improvement to radios/newspapers at certain level ranges. For example, PI radios are almost entirely Council, Arachnos, or Carnival. Nothing wrong with any of those groups but you could definitely spice it up a little. Lorewise, toss in some Praetorian mobs or enemies from the revamped max level TFs. Since they're newer, they tend to be a little more mechanically interesting and they fit with where the story is right now. 

 

Also, change up the rewards. Right now, running 54x8 radios is basically just farming with extra steps. Increase the drop rates for rare salvage or something, I don't know. I'd just like to have a reason to turn on the radio or open the newspaper beyond grasping for that last bit of XP to break through to the next level. 

 

IMO, there's currently very little incentive to choose radios over tips. That's a shame because they're a great source of easy access casual content that can be done solo or with a full team. The question is, why would you bother?

[MistressOhm]

My only quibble with the Radio/newspaper Missions in general is that they're still very limited in objectives.  You have the following: 

• take out a named boss
• recover/steal an object
• kidnap/rescue an NPC

Between these three formulas, you have this Madlibs set of enemy groups and such.  There's a few set pieces in there aside from the Safeguards/Mayhems, but for the most part, this is what we have.  I don't know how hard it would be to come up with more objectives (either from Hero or Villain perspective) but that would possibly help.  

 

And yes, opening up the roster within each zone would be good.  

[BurtHutt]

52 minutes ago, Grouchybeast said:

 

Also, they said that there is no simple drag-and-drop way to make AE missions into regular missions, and in fact that adapting them from AE format into main-game format takes almost as much effort as writing an arc from scratch.  It's one of those seductive idea that sounds like it should be easy, but is apparently technically not at all, no matter how often people ask for it.

From what I am told, it would take some front end work to change AE to allow this addition. Then it would become easier to add - maybe not quite drag and drop but yeah. I think it'd be worth the front end work to make this happen. This was from a Dev. Another Dev mentioned this idea was looked at but things came up. So, not impossible. The comment was: "That basically amounts to creating a separate instance of the AE server that uses a different database, and modifying all the AE code to be able to talk to multiple AE backends depending on whether you're talking to the 'public' or 'contest' one."

 

Also, most do realize that your creations go to CoX HC - this would be part of the disclaimer that would be front and centre of the application thread. This seems fairly basic to me.

Edited November 1, 2022 by BurtHutt

[SeraphimKensai]

8 hours ago, Perfidy said:

Gold side has no task forces, no methods of acquiring the 4 passive accolades. Or any other click power accolades.

A discussion about Gold side seems relevant in a future thread, as a lot can be said about it.

 

7 hours ago, Timeshadow said:

I'd just like to have a reason to turn on the radio or open the newspaper beyond grasping for that last bit of XP to break through to the next level. 

 

IMO, there's currently very little incentive to choose radios over tips. That's a shame because they're a great source of easy access casual content that can be done solo or with a full team. The question is, why would you bother?

I personally haven't ran a radio/newspaper mission in probably a year or more as I find them boring myself. The limited map types, repetitive npc groups (and limited NPC nams, like we should expand the list used to randomize the NPC names for radios/newspapers).

 

I was trying to think of a means to make them more engaging and I came up with an idea...the Nemesis (not the NPC group or AV), but what if as you start doing scanners/radios you get an NPC spawning into the occasional mission that's just out to counter you, like they were going to rob so and so instead, or they heard the distress call and knowing your MO they decided to make your day hell.

 

A scaling AV/Hero that pops up every few missions or so (but not a fixed amount of missions to keep it variable). Maybe sometimes they stay and duke it out, maybe sometimes they troll you and run away, or leave something behind like a sabotaged glowy or such, or they bring their own team of NPCs into the mission and gang up on you, or throw down with your whole team.

 

It adds a little spice and chaos to the scanners/radios.

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by SeraphimKensai

[nihilii]

Echoing several posters, I find repeatable missions fine because there's so many of them at this point.

They become repetitive if you do just one kind, and inertia + teams make it understandable this is a reality quite often. But it's also possible to do, say:

- 1 DA repeatable against Tsoo, then another against BP

- 1 RWZ repeatable against Riktis

- 2 newspaper in PI against Council then Carnies

- 1 repeatable in FBZ against Rularuu
- insert tips in between when mission transporter / team teleporter are on cooldown

I do this sometimes, and if I'm being honest I have never ever gone through the whole list, because that's much more variety than I need already.

[Yaliw]

NEW MAPS FOR PAPER MISSIONS AND MAKE RESCUE PEOPLE SEE THROUGH STEALTH THAT IS ALL.

 

Ok thanks.

[zuel]

• Add an option to upgrade some/all bosses to EBs
• Add a mission type that involves 'arresting' an existing AV
• More enemy group variety
• Remove small cave maps from the rotation
• Utilise more of the doors in the zone rather than rotating through a very small subset of them - low priority
• Add some of the unique variants of maps to the rotation

Generally, I enjoy radio/paper missions. I'd love more variety and challenge options though.

 

One issue I do have with these missions is PI radios at lvl 50+ typically include players with incarnate powers, which trivialises the difficulty, even on +4/x8. So either more difficulty options to make them a challenge or (probably not implementable through this system) and option to disable incarnate powers. I stress the word 'option'.

[Spaghetti Betty]

29 minutes ago, zuel said:

One issue I do have with these missions is PI radios at lvl 50+ typically include players with incarnate powers, which trivialises the difficulty, even on +4/x8. So either more difficulty options to make them a challenge or (probably not implementable through this system) and option to disable incarnate powers. I stress the word 'option'.

Sorry, I just have to comment on how funny the idea of "Hard Mode PI Radios" is. Maybe at 4* the mobs have stacking Tactics and Maneuvers?

 

Honestly, repeatables are fine, for many of the points echoed here. They are filler missions for those that may be strapped for time. The only thing I could possibly add the conversation is that zones that don't have some form of repeatable missions get some, like Perez Park and Terra Volta.

[Zepp]

I've used morality missions as well as other forms of repeatable missions to level different toons (I try to level each toon a different way). That being said, the availability of most missions via Ouro provides tons of stories to delve into. A wiki search will tell you roughly how long each story lasts and, if you are soloing, you can do just one mission and complete the rest later.

[Grouchybeast]

7 hours ago, Spaghetti Betty said:

Sorry, I just have to comment on how funny the idea of "Hard Mode PI Radios" is. Maybe at 4* the mobs have stacking Tactics and Maneuvers?

 

I think Hard Mode PI radios would be great!  Stand-alone single missions could be released over time, making less work per page for the devs than creating/upgrading a whole TF, and it would introduce some more content that's actually designed for Incarnate powers.  The current non-trial Incarnate content is in the bizarre position of being easier than non-incarnate 50 content for fully-specced Incarnates.

[Snarky]

On 11/1/2022 at 3:31 AM, SeraphimKensai said:

Well the Cease and Desist Letter didn't work and we're back for week 2 of these unofficial sessions. Now that you're totted out and and ready to get back to work being the villain of your very own story, or pretending to be a hero just for the influence what do you do when you've stopped the Council for the 1,000th time at some derelict office?

 

This one is by request so it's not entirely my fault. How would you improve radios/newspapers? What other NPC groups? Other maps? Other objectives? Or do you avoid newspapers/radios and just do other content in general?

I do avoid radios and newspapers.  The only time I do them now is when soloing projects low level to open up a new contact.  3-5 radio/paper, then bank, then intro.  Since Banks are available without radios/papers if you are connected to a good SG or are a badger that is another strike against them being run regular 
 

These things are incredibly repetitive.  I would give it the challenge mode treatment with an extra reward.   Challenge being defeat all with enemies being upgraded (bosses upgraded to EBs etc) on standard settings and a reward of ??? Aether?  Orange recipe?   
 

A revised content would be great but the staff is busy doing great work elsewhere.   

Edited November 2, 2022 by Snarky

[laudwic]

I think radios are a little bit abused by groups by doing repeated Council missions as a way to power level.  That abuse is so minor it is not worth dealing with.  Otherwise, Radio missions are great for when you want to do something quick.  I little more variety would be nice at the higher levels would be nice as there are a lot of enemy groups in PI that are not represented in missions where Council and Archanos seem to be overrepresented.  Also, with Portal Corps there, you can have almost anything. 

 

Dark Astoria could use some additional repeatable missions.

 

Tip Missions are also a great addition to the game.  My only request would be to add some additional missions in the 40+ range.  I really like tip missions but they start to get repetitive.      

[Tiger Shadow]

The Newspaper/Radio only offers three missions to choose from (at a time), how about upping that to five or ten?

Edited November 2, 2022 by Tiger Shadow
typo