Tip Missions: Feedback / Suggestion

[SupaFreak]

Okay, so I've been seeking to get the 3 new Badges in Issue 28 primarily because I'm seeking the "Between Realities" Accolade Power with many characters.

 

At first, I just turned down the settings to +0 / x1 for speed and joined or ran some Tip teams.  Unfortunately, I still found this to be massively time consuming and brainstormed on how I could reduce it from a 3+ hour endeavor per character.

 

Then it hit me...  Supergroup Base has Mission Computer and Oracle where we can purchase Tips for 1 Reward Merit.  So, what if I found the quickest ones for each Morality and just did those over and over?  Granted, it would cost me 27 Reward Merits (+2 for Morality) to get the badges, but I would make 80 back.  So, I did the legwork on each Morality to find the fastest solution to my problem.

 

RESULTS (level 50 Tips)

It appears each Tip has 4-5 valid doors.  Heroes/Vigilantes get more freedom because they can "Investigate" their Tips with a majority of them being in the zone they "Investigate" them from.  It appears Villains/Rogues are forced to Port Oakes and Grandville.  Not a good case to play Red-side there, developers that did that.

 

HEROES & VIGILANTES

So, playing it smart... Hero/Vigilante Tips were "Investigated" in an easy zone to navigate: Atlas Park.  Both Hero & Vigilante door locations are same randomization with only 1 being a great distance away.  Abandon Mission and "Investigate" until you get a door closer when that door appears if desired (could end up being more time consuming than just traveling there and doing it).

 

HERO (2 Tips - @1.5 mins each) - both share some similar doors.

"A Biting Wind" is always on a small cave map with both objectives in the same room.  Defeat Boss Group + Destroy Object

"Miss Thystle's Plea" is always on a small cave map but objectives may be spread out.  Defeat Boss Group + Free Hostage (Frostfire)

 

Morality Mission Choice - "The Usual Suspect" - Atlas Park - @2 mins

Rescue Hostage (Front) - Defeat Boss (Ambush) - Defeat Boss (Ambush) 

 

27 missions in around 45 minutes with proper SG TP power access, faster if duo+ with Collaborative Missions off.  Most doors not too far from SG portal in Atlas Park.

 

VIGILANTE (1 Tip - @1.5 mins)

"A Biting Wind" is always on small cave map with both objectives in the same room.  Defeat Boss Group + Destroy Object

 

Morality Mission Choice - "The End Justifies the Means" - Atlas Park - @2 mins

Rescue Hostage (Front) - Defeat Boss (Back) - Glowie (Back)

 

27 missions in around 45 minutes with proper SG TP power access, faster if duo+ with Collaborative Missions off.  Most doors not too far from SG portal in Atlas Park.

 

VILLAINS & ROGUES

No choice in which zone you want to "Investigate" here, BUT... there fortunately is a blessing for Red-side here.  All Tip and Moralities suggested below are in Grandville and in very close proximity to each other.  No doors super close to SG portal, so utilize 4 SG TP powers or as mentioned, duo+ if you can.

 

VILLAIN (1 Tip - @2 mins) - Alignment Doors appear to always be within 100 yds of the last.

"Two Too Many Flamebeauxs" is always the same small Freakshow map with nothing spawning in back.  - Defeat Boss x2 + Destroy Object x3

 

Morality Mission Choice - "My Other Selves" - Grandville - @3 mins

Capture Hostage x2 (?) - Defeat Boss x3 - Talk To x3

 

27 missions in around 55 minutes with proper SG TP power access, faster if duo+ with Collaborative Missions off.

 

ROGUE (2 Tip - @1.5 mins each) - Alignment Doors appear to always be within 100 yds of the last.  Shared doors.

"Two Too Many Flamebeauxs" is always the same small Freakshow map with nothing spawning in back. - Rescue x2

"Extremely Annoying Ring Tone" Med-Lg Map filled with Allies until Glowie clicked - Talk to (Front *sometimes tricky*) - Glowie - Defeat Boss (Ambush)

 

Morality Mission Choice - "One Rogue's Work, Another Rogue's Pay" - Grandville - @3 mins

Always same map - Glowie (Front) - Free Hostage x3 - Defeat Boss x2

 

27 missions in around 45 minutes with proper SG TP power access, faster if duo+ with Collaborative Missions off.

 

 

CONCLUSION

At this point, you're probably saying why isn't this posted with Guides or something?  Why here in Suggestions/Feedback?

 

Short Answer: this is the feedback.  The HC team decided 25 Tip Missions is what they wanted to tie to getting the Badges / Accolade Power.  Playing through 25 normally is extremely time consuming and not really a lot of fun (for me) if that's the focus.  I found it quite tedious as well since you're not guaranteed a Tip drop upon completing a Tip Mission.  Which means another team member or you've got to go out and farm some level 20+ mobs until you do get another Tip Mission.

 

Alternatives that would make this more enjoyable to acquire through normal gameplay (for me):

1) Similar to Exploration Badges, award a Tip Mission upon completing a Tip Mission.

• Or at least @75% chance for Tip Mission to be awarded.  Remember, our time is valuable too!

 

2) Reduce from 25 Alignment Tips to 20 Alignment Tips or increase to 30 if below Suggestions considered.

• Doing 25 often puts you midway through to next Morality.  20 would make more sense as far as feeling you've fully accomplished a task and not be left midway through doing another. 
• Accolade Powers generally do require some time commitment; be it Task Forces, Strike Forces or Story Arcs and this Badge requirement is that for "Between Realities".   Therefore, I have no issue with an hour+ of work/gameplay to acquire.

 

3) Award more credit to longer Alignment Tips.

• You know how you have those Defeat Badges that award more points for Lieutenants and Bosses?  Yea, same thing here.  If you're going to force me on a Large Map or make me Escort back to entrance with fights along the way, then reward me accordingly for not taking the easy Tip.
• This means award up to 3 counts for those Alignment missions on maps and scenarios mentioned above, 2 for ones not too small and not too large, and 1 for missions similar to the ones mentioned in my "feedback / guide" section.
• Yes, I'm aware this would make acquiring those 40 Reward Merits become much faster but not at a rate of greater than 80/hour.  If you think that's too high, see my Feedback post here regarding Reward Merit Distribution through Story Arcs for pathways to acquiring more than that.

 

4) Possibly change wording from Tips to Points and allow Story Arc Alignment Points to award credit for Badge.

• HC team has put out some arcs that award Alignment Points.  Maybe let those give credit towards this Badge line as well.

 

In closing, I seriously want to thank the Homecoming Team for their efforts in keeping this community together and keeping us entertained with their massive improvements to the game that oh, so many of us love.  That being said, I have to speak out about what I see as massive imbalances in the reward systems in the game.  Leaving them be just bottlenecks us min/maxxers into playing certain content instead of being more flexible in our Reward-seeking endeavors.  Reward Imbalances are basically just like children.... won't somebody please think of the children?  🤐

 

 

Edited August 2 by SupaFreak
Mispellings / Wording

[mistagoat]

Thank you for this valuable info! I've been wanting to start working on that accolade but the 25 tip missions was certainly daunting. Not that it would be all that difficult but rather it would be a less than exciting and quite drawn out endeavor. I absolutely forgot about the base comp, great idea! I'm gonna try to get that accolade on somebody this weekend.

[lemming]

Great post.   Not sure I agree with needing to reduce the amount of effort players have to, but I'm good with most of my characters just getting the badge over time.   I like running thru tips anyway though.

 

Of course, there's the side benefit of running Odorous Smoke multiple times if you are after the mini-pet.

[Rudra]

5 minutes ago, lemming said:

Great post.   Not sure I agree with needing to reduce the amount of effort players have to, but I'm good with most of my characters just getting the badge over time.   I like running thru tips anyway though.

 

Of course, there's the side benefit of running Odorous Smoke multiple times if you are after the mini-pet.

Agreed. It's only 25 tip missions. (To author:) You do you though.

[SupaFreak]

Just wanted to show screenshots of my weakest DPS Mastermind acquiring the 5 Tip & 25 Tip Badge count today for any doubters.

 

That's 45 minutes for 21 Alignment + 2 Morality.  Probably another 6 minutes to get the 4 leading up to Uncommitted.