Focused Feedback: High-Level Council Revamp

[The Curator]

High-Level Council Revamp

 The Council is stepping up their game!  

Galaxy Division

• Overhauled Galaxy critter power suites; now at levels 40-54, they are modeled as Warshade versions of PPD Awakened.

 

Nebula, Penumbra, Vortex Divisions

• Martial Arts' animations modernized with up-to-date animations and secondary effects, and given chance for critical hit.
• Added Rocket/Grenade variant minions back to levels 25-54.
• Shifted Vortex faction level to encourage more group diversity while leveling; Vortex now spawn 20-24, Vortex Elite 25-29, and Vortex Cor Leonis 30+, spawndefs adjusted accordingly.

 

Vampyr Division

• Updated Dark Equinox Archon powersuite after revamped Galaxy Archon Umbral Blast powers and added to level 35-54 range with spawnlimit 1.

 

Nightwolf Division

• Added Nightwolf transformation lycanthropy to more bosses/lieutenants at levels 25-54 with spawnlimit 1.
• Nightwolf transformation now has 10% chance to instead spawn a Nyctwolf with Black Dwarf power suite.

 

Archvillains

• Maestro's powersuite updated to use Symphony Control powers alongside Sonic Blast.

 

Various

• Added two new spawndefs to level 40-54 range Council, extended a spawndef with Nightwolves/Vampyr up to 54.
• Adjusted zone/mission spawndefs to account for new critters.
• Fixed various Council bosses spawning in TFs at -1 level.

[Blackbird71]

On 11/22/2023 at 8:48 AM, The Curator said:

 

Galaxy Division

• Overhauled Galaxy critter power suites; now at levels 40-54, they are modeled as Warshade versions of PPD Awakened.

 

Just looking for clarification here.  Does this mean "modeled" after PPD Awakened in terms of powers/mechanics, or in terms of theme/costuming?  I ask because my first thought on reading this was that this meant Warshades in PPD uniforms running around with the Council groups, and that doesn't seem right.

[KaizenSoze]

7 minutes ago, Blackbird71 said:

 

Just looking for clarification here.  Does this mean "modeled" after PPD Awakened in terms of powers/mechanics, or in terms of theme/costuming?  I ask because my first thought on reading this was that this meant Warshades in PPD uniforms running around with the Council groups, and that doesn't seem right.

Pretty sure they mean powers, not actually Warshades. I have not seen any Warshades like mobs in my testing.

Now, entire spawns of the new galaxies. Yes!

[ScarySai]

I really don't like Galaxy Archons. They won't slow teams at all, but are ultra tedious to deal with solo, still.

 

Focus them? They full heal via rez.

 

Ignore them? They slap you around and use their friend's bodies to heal to full, and then you deal with a rez.

 

Needs to be better counterplay besides getting lucky with a knock before they get a chance to heal, between the massive resists, heal and self rez, actual bother to deal with on +4, but for all the wrong reasons.

 

As for the rest? I actually really like them, the galaxys are just annoying, but the bosses are a bit OTT.

Edited January 20 by ScarySai

[skoryy]

So, I gave it a quick shot before lunch here, and a couple just as quick observations:

• If you don't have negative protection of some sort, you're in for a bad time.  Even S/L capped isn't going to do it for you, my poor blasters never stood a chance.
• My Rad/SJ tank broke just a little more of a sweat, they got through her particle shielding a couple times.  What I more noticed was that tougher warwolves and galaxy rezzes made it considerably longer for her to chew through spawns.

 

If the goal was to make them more champs than chumps, then mission successful.  I'm not sure how I'd rate them yet as endgame difficulty but they're picking themselves off of the floor now.

Edited January 20 by skoryy

[KaizenSoze]

Organized some PI radio teams, even though we never had a full 8 players. We did rip through the Council as before. Players said they did have to pay attention now. The interesting part comes when you have several sub 50s and the AOEs start flying.

 

They are noticeable harder to solo at 4x8, but still very much cannon folder to most teams.

Now, CoT are noticeably nastier, but still stompeable with a team. Solo though they are much much harder. Harder than Arachnos and Carnies.


 

[noogens2]

I noticed that I've been missing a lot more as the mobs are running maneuvers.  I also didn't know why I was faceplanting so fast until I looked at the combat logs.  What is this Stygian Return power and why is it so strong for being autohit.  Is this intended?  It's extremely lame if it is.    
 

 

 

[Lazarillo]

3 minutes ago, noogens2 said:

What is this Stygian Return power and why is it so strong for being autohit.  Is this intended?  It's extremely lame if it is. 

Stygian Return is the Warshade version of Soul Transfer.  So presumably the enemy is dying and then using all nearby unfriendlies (that being you, your teammates, your pets, etc) to fuel a self-rez.  It being auto-hit for sizable damage would fall in-line with Freakshow Super Stunners who can do the same.  Just gotta joust 'em and/or let the ranged teammates isolate and take 'em out, I guess, is the idea.

[golstat2003]

8 minutes ago, Lazarillo said:

Stygian Return is the Warshade version of Soul Transfer.  So presumably the enemy is dying and then using all nearby unfriendlies (that being you, your teammates, your pets, etc) to fuel a self-rez.  It being auto-hit for sizable damage would fall in-line with Freakshow Super Stunners who can do the same.  Just gotta joust 'em and/or let the ranged teammates isolate and take 'em out, I guess, is the idea.

 

Almost similar to how you deal with some Freakshow mobs.

[Psyonico]

I just want to say that I was playing my Arsenal controller and confused a Galaxy boss… it proceeded to cast the Warshade version of Fold Space, aggroing a bunch of other mobs.  Hilarity ensued.

[brass_eagle]

Not looking forward to fighting them if they have a self rez akin to Super Stunners. The pack I was fighting didn't seem to self rez on me. Hopefully they are rare. A lot of the time the team waits around for the Super Stunner to finish his animation... just to be the only target of the team. Slows it down in an annoying way. 

 

I could see self rezzing minions with a toned down version. But the bosses are usually the last to go soo.. the team waits. Maybe just have it as a death nuke-ish power. Rather than have them rez on top of that. Like the Ghouls.

[Coyotedancer]

Oh boy. 

 

After putting a Kestrel-shaped hole through the new high-level Circle, I decided to take my DB/WP Scrap and her Adept partner Council-bashing, just to see what a solo melee run at them would look like. I went +1 (So, even level for an Incarnate character-) and x8 (Just to have a better chance of spawning some of the new goonies-).

 

Kes herself handled them pretty well.

 

Poor Cardinal got pancaked INSTANTLY.

*With* a fresh T4 Barrier and T4 Support Hybrid running. 

 

I was fully expecting the poor guy to get beaten up with spawns that size and AoEs flying all over the place, but not like that. Not that quickly.

 

I feel sorry for any not-very-well-built/equipped squishies who wander in there. O_O

[Frosticus]

This will slow down Trap door runs to say the least.

That's all I tested it on and I liked it.

[KaizenSoze]

7 hours ago, Frosticus said:

This will slow down Trap door runs to say the least.

That's all I tested it on and I liked it.

Trapdoor is no longer viable as testing missions. Since, you cannot control the spawns, one run you could get multiple galaxy spawns, next wolves. Too much variance now.

 

@Galaxy Brain Created some AE missions we started using for testing.

 

Has anyone noticed yet that the wolves don't run like they use to? 😉

[Luminara]

28 minutes ago, KaizenSoze said:

Has anyone noticed yet that the wolves don't run like they use to? 😉

 

[Coyotedancer]

5 hours ago, KaizenSoze said:

Has anyone noticed yet that the wolves don't run like they use to? 😉

 

Mine were still bouncing around all over the place, but..... yeah. /Willpower scrap. 

She's used to getting more of a "Pffft. Whatever, man-" reaction from the goons than a proper "We hate you! MUST STAY AND SMASH!"

 

'Shaggy nutballs gonna nutball. 

[KaizenSoze]

Minor issue: I am often seeing mobs turning the wrong way to cast powers.

 

The Galaxy AOEs are the most common example. They will sometimes turn 90 or 180 to execute their AOEs.

 

The Galaxy are another example I have seen quite a bit.

 

Unless it's a easy fix, not worth bothering about.

[Lazarillo]

Did a little futzing around with solo Council missions, level 50, +2/x6.  Kinda my "excellent solo" standard, at least, 'cause I figure there are probably enough people checking +4/x8 on radio teams.  They honestly didn't come off a whole lot different than live most of the time, a little more of a bump, but fighting them plays the same way.  That's good.  Sometimes there's a confusion between being annoying and being challenging in content, and these guys definitely did not cross the line to "annoying".  It was a little variant, of course, depending on how thick a mob was with Galaxy spawns (as a Kheldian lore lover, I kinda approve).  The LTs and Bosses are both more notable and have a decent mix of abilities.  The minions...did they get buffed?  It seemed to me like they just stood back and spammed Shadow Bolt, same as they do on live.  Might be an AI thing with such a quickly-recharging power, or might be I just missed it.

 

Two cosmetic notes, but can we maybe get the minions and LTs to have looks modeled after the new boss look for Galaxy soldiers?  It's sooooooo much better than the weird mucha lucha outfit they currently have.  Also, the patch notes mention "Martial Arts' animations modernized with up-to-date animations" for the soldier types, but what I'm seeing is a lot of minions in those categories now throwing Energy Punch into the mix.  Fair enough, I use that as sort of a "chi"-type MA theme on a character of my own, but I think the traditional Martial Arts attacks suit the Council better, IMO, or at the very least, maybe change the color of their punches if possible, the Heroic Blue clashes a bit and looks out of place.

[ViridianDev]

2 hours ago, Lazarillo said:

The minions...did they get buffed?  It seemed to me like they just stood back and spammed Shadow Bolt, same as they do on live.  Might be an AI thing with such a quickly-recharging power, or might be I just missed it.

 

Galaxy suites' were mostly left untouched in the 20-40 level range to keep the difficulty at endgame, but the Galaxy minions did get Shadow Blast added to their suite at the lower ranges; you probably won't see it cast as often because they're minions and Bolt is a lot more spammy, but it's there

 

2 hours ago, Lazarillo said:

Two cosmetic notes, but can we maybe get the minions and LTs to have looks modeled after the new boss look for Galaxy soldiers?  It's sooooooo much better than the weird mucha lucha outfit they currently have.  Also, the patch notes mention "Martial Arts' animations modernized with up-to-date animations" for the soldier types, but what I'm seeing is a lot of minions in those categories now throwing Energy Punch into the mix.  Fair enough, I use that as sort of a "chi"-type MA theme on a character of my own, but I think the traditional Martial Arts attacks suit the Council better, IMO, or at the very least, maybe change the color of their punches if possible, the Heroic Blue clashes a bit and looks out of place.

 

The Galaxy costumes will not be changed further; the purpose was to delineate the minion/lt/boss rankings more easily in the high level range since they get much nastier, preserving legacy looks was prioritized here.
 

As to the Martial Arts/Energy Punch confusion; the Power Punch is fx directly lifted from the Praetorian Resistance, as a lore nod to the Council continuing to subsume Resistance following events in President Marchand's and John Houston's arcs. The Martial Arts adjustments were for the lieutenants/bosses.

[Lazarillo]

15 minutes ago, ViridianDev said:

The Galaxy costumes will not be changed further; the purpose was to delineate the minion/lt/boss rankings more easily in the high level range since they get much nastier, preserving legacy looks was prioritized here.
 

As to the Martial Arts/Energy Punch confusion; the Power Punch is fx directly lifted from the Praetorian Resistance, as a lore nod to the Council continuing to subsume Resistance following events in President Marchand's and John Houston's arcs. The Martial Arts adjustments were for the lieutenants/bosses.

Not changing the minions makes sense, I guess.  Less cool that way, but oh well...although now that I think about it, doesn't the fact that the higher ranks have big dark bubbles around them differentiates more clearly than the costumes anyway...?.  Still, anyway. It ain't my call and I don't care enough to gonna press the issue.

 

As for the Energy Punch, it's funny you mention the Praetorian resistance because I was fighting some of them earlier on "live" and thinking "oh, yeah, this is the same animation I saw on the Beta server, but man, it works so much better here since it goes along with the Energy weapons the resistance use, and their overall-blue color scheme".  And while you making the connection as a lore nod does seem sensible enough when you say it here, it never occurred to me in-game to make that connection.  If that's the goal, maybe just have a contingent of minions who also use the resistance rifles (similar to what the Family does), and/or give them some Resistance-oriented costume tweaks, so it doesn't clash as aesthetically?

Edited January 22 by Lazarillo

[KaizenSoze]

2 hours ago, Lazarillo said:

Did a little futzing around with solo Council missions, level 50, +2/x6.  Kinda my "excellent solo" standard, at least, 'cause I figure there are probably enough people checking +4/x8 on radio teams.  They honestly didn't come off a whole lot different than live most of the time, a little more of a bump, but fighting them plays the same way.  That's good.  Sometimes there's a confusion between being annoying and being challenging in content, and these guys definitely did not cross the line to "annoying".  It was a little variant, of course, depending on how thick a mob was with Galaxy spawns (as a Kheldian lore lover, I kinda approve).  The LTs and Bosses are both more notable and have a decent mix of abilities.  The minions...did they get buffed?  It seemed to me like they just stood back and spammed Shadow Bolt, same as they do on live.  Might be an AI thing with such a quickly-recharging power, or might be I just missed it.

Most of the tough part now is from the bosses. They can rez or transform into wolf versions that are nastier than Eclipses.

 

[Andreah]

4 hours ago, Lazarillo said:

Sometimes there's a confusion between being annoying and being challenging in content, and these guys definitely did not cross the line to "annoying

They annoyance factor is, imo, the main reason most people avoid the other enemy faction in, say Pi radios teams. A bump in Council difficulty will be welcomed, but not change the fundamental nature of the experience.

 

The main annoyances of the other groups are, imo, insubstantiality, blindness, and ... *cave maps*.

[Lazarillo]

10 minutes ago, Andreah said:

They annoyance factor is, imo, the main reason most people avoid the other enemy faction in, say Pi radios teams. A bump in Council difficulty will be welcomed, but not change the fundamental nature of the experience.

I mostly agree, but I'm glad the solution is to make the base experience a little rougher, rather than giving it parity with the annoying ones.

[golstat2003]

On 1/21/2024 at 12:09 AM, Psyonico said:

I just want to say that I was playing my Arsenal controller and confused a Galaxy boss… it proceeded to cast the Warshade version of Fold Space, aggroing a bunch of other mobs.  Hilarity ensued.

 

*hears this strange upbeat saxophone music playing suddenly*

 

 

[Coyotedancer]

*nods* Yakety Sax would be the way of it, yeah. 😝

 

And I finally got a Nyctwolf! He was sort of adorable. In a creepy fuzzy-dark-thing sort of way. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23 by Coyotedancer