Galaxy City

[Ultimo]

Back in the day, I usually started my characters in Galaxy City instead of Atlas Park.  So, I decided to visit Galaxy Echo via Ouroboros today, and indulge in a bit of nostalgia.

 

Sadly, I found the place entirely empty of people, and no quests were to be found.  There was nothing to DO there.  More, I couldn't even go to the AE or log out in the Arena for the Day Job.  Disappointing, overall.  It seems a terrible waste.  I assume the other Echo maps are the same.

 

So, my suggestion is twofold.  First, restore all the original missions and such to the Echo zones, so they're exactly as they were when the game launched.

Second, create a NEW zone, Ruined Galaxy.  Instead of blocking off the zone entirely, make it a hazard zone, perhaps where Rikti and Shivans run riot, with ruined buildings and so forth, somewhat like Boomtown.

[Techwright]

32 minutes ago, Ultimo said:

I decided to visit Galaxy Echo...

 

Sadly, I found the place entirely empty of people, and no quests were to be found.  There was nothing to DO there. 

 

 

Actually, there is one thing you can do there:  Badges.  You can still collect exploration badges and history marker badges, and the latter are essential for completing some of the badges for the active world.   I realize that's not the full kit, but it is something.

 

I'm a little surprised they don't still have Back Alley Brawler there as trainer, like they do Ms Liberty in Echo Atlas Park.

 

Question: would they even have access to the original missions and such?  If I recall correctly, Homecoming was seeded from original code from after the fall of Galaxy, meaning the missions were already pulled out, or was it turned off/unchecked?  Not sure. (EDIT: and at least one of those missions sent you to The Hollows, so I'm not certain how that would work.)  I would be happy to be able to street sweep there again, though, and for those who PvP, maybe open up the arena.

 

 

Edited March 10 by Techwright
added content

[Rudra]

This has been discussed over and over. First, not all the echoes are empty. Adamastor is still available in Echo: Dark Astoria for example, but that is because he is no longer available in current Dark Astoria. And Echo: Atlas Park still has (at least some of) the basement contacts in city hall, though I don't know if they have missions. And second, we don't know what the devs have going on with Galaxy City, but if the Second Chances arc is any indication, something is in the pipeline.

[megaericzero]

Galaxy City always felt like more of a home to me than Atlas Park. It would be nice to have it restored as a starting zone, though that's probably more involved than we know, depending on how much of its information was removed from the game files when the zone was cleared-out.

Edited March 10 by megaericzero

[lemming]

All the Echos can be street swept, but yep, no actual missions.   (And if you aren't doing Synapse, Echo Faultline is great for the Clockwork Gear badge)

And most exist so that we can still get the explore badges and history plagues that are unique.

[Ultimo]

3 hours ago, Techwright said:

 

Question: would they even have access to the original missions and such?  If I recall correctly, Homecoming was seeded from original code from after the fall of Galaxy, meaning the missions were already pulled out, or was it turned off/unchecked?  Not sure. (EDIT: and at least one of those missions sent you to The Hollows, so I'm not certain how that would work.)  I would be happy to be able to street sweep there again, though, and for those who PvP, maybe open up the arena.

 

 

Regarding this, I assume this means Ouroboros wouldn't have any of the original missions either...?

[Rudra]

31 minutes ago, Ultimo said:

Regarding this, I assume this means Ouroboros wouldn't have any of the original missions either...?

I don't remember the GC missions, I typically started in AP. However, I'm inclined to think they were the same as the AP missions, just from different contacts against different groups.  If that is the case, then no, they would never have been in Ouroboros. (And I'm also pretty sure nothing in/from any Echo zone is in Ouroboros.)

[megaericzero]

2 hours ago, Rudra said:

If that is the case, then no, they would never have been in Ouroboros.

Well that and they weren't story arcs or badge missions.

[Rudra]

14 minutes ago, megaericzero said:

Well that and they weren't story arcs or badge missions.

That was my point. Sorry, I should have been clearer.

[UltraAlt]

7 hours ago, Ultimo said:

Sadly, I found the place entirely empty of people, and no quests were to be found.  There was nothing to DO there. 

 

Sometimes, hunt the lake in Altas and then go over to Echo: Galaxy City and hunt the lake over there.

There are enemies running around. They are in the same level ranges as Atlas.

 

If you get all the explore badges in Echo: Galaxy City, you get https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Galactic_Explorer_Badge

For some characters, I find it fun to have "Galactic Explorer" as their chosen badge.

[Skyhawke]

Echo Galaxy's biggest draw is one of the plaques is needed for the Atlas Medallion. That's it. That's the only reason I go there: a quick zoom around getting the badges and plaques and never visit again. Which, as has been pointed out numerous times, is a shame. Back on Live, Atlas was where I'd start a solo character, but ones that were for teaming would start in Galaxy, usually for a SG night. I do think that adding everything back to Echo Galaxy would (unless it's literally something like changing a 0 into a 1 in a line of code) wouldn't be worth the effort. That effort could (and seems to be heading that way) would be better invested in setting up the aftermath of the Galaxy tutorial as a new zone akin to Striga for both sides to go to and have missions, TFs, etc. 

[Marine X]

16 hours ago, Ultimo said:

I assume the other Echo maps are the same.

Not exactly, Echo: Faultline and Echo: Dark Astoria still have the Historic Mobs from their original state. Echo: Faultline is the quickest way to get Gearsmasher as there are Clockwork Princes in Abundance along the eastern side and Badge Hunting ( at the zones level ) is extremely challenging with a lot of the Badges at the bottom of Crevasses with lots of Circle of Thorns loitering around. Same in the case of Echo: Dark Astoria, getting the Badges there can be a bit of work if you are around the zones level range. Those 2 can still be entertaining.

[srmalloy]

22 minutes ago, Marine X said:

Echo: Faultline is the quickest way to get Gearsmasher as there are Clockwork Princes in Abundance along the eastern side and Badge Hunting ( at the zones level ) is extremely challenging with a lot of the Badges at the bottom of Crevasses with lots of Circle of Thorns loitering around.

There are times when I've thought that the original version of Faultline was created by the Cryptic devs to demonstrate how screwed you could be with just Super Speed as a travel power; either Fly or Super Jump made that zone enormously easier to get around.

 

Edit: Or at least less painful.

Edited March 11 by srmalloy

[BasiliskXVIII]

5 hours ago, srmalloy said:

There are times when I've thought that the original version of Faultline was created by the Cryptic devs to demonstrate how screwed you could be with just Super Speed as a travel power; either Fly or Super Jump made that zone enormously easier to get around.

 

Edit: Or at least less painful.

Honestly, all of the Hazard Zones from launch are like this. Even Boomtown, which is probably the easiest to get around, has these absurdly impossible megalithic retaining walls dozens of stories tall. Meaning that if you want to get to a mission in the Powderkeg or Cannonade districts without flying or teleporting, you need to memorize a labyrinth of ramps to reach the summit.

 

This was Super Speed's supposed balancing factor - it was faster than any of the other travel powers except possibly Teleport (which was a massive End drain), but its lack of vertical movement made it substantially slower in a lot of places.

[Doc_Scorpion]

1 hour ago, BasiliskXVIII said:

Honestly, all of the Hazard Zones from launch are like this.

And of course, The Hollows was infamously difficult to traverse because at the typical levels you played it -  you didn't have any travel powers and were frequently outleveled by hostile mobs.
 

 

1 hour ago, BasiliskXVIII said:

This was Super Speed's supposed balancing factor - it was faster than any of the other travel powers except possibly Teleport (which was a massive End drain), but its lack of vertical movement made it substantially slower in a lot of places.

I've never made a speeder, but plenty of jumpers - and traveling around some zones is practically a mini-game in it's own right.

[Stormwalker]

19 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

If you get all the explore badges in Echo: Galaxy City, you get https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Galactic_Explorer_Badge

For some characters, I find it fun to have "Galactic Explorer" as their chosen badge.

 

Yeah, I have two characters who use this as their badge title.  For Impulse Drive, it was practically mandatory (for obvious reasons).  I also use it on Stardriver (who was born in space).

[mistagoat]

Back on Live I avoided GC like the plague, I don't really know why, I just liked Atlas better. Now on HC every new toon begins the career in GC. I grab the plaque for Atlas Medallion and streep sweep as I grab the exploration badges and then its off to the Hollows at level 5 or 6 with some nice patrol xp and early merits. My only real complaint is that there is no trainer in the zone but bringing back all the old contacts would be pretty nice too! I'd love to see it come back as a proper starting zone but I don't think that's on the table.

 

A "Ruined Galaxy" could be fun. What level range would that be? It might be cool to make it a 45-50 zone to give folks who started in GC a reason to return there and bookend their journey. So you start your career in this idyllic little city thwarting petty purse snatchers, then you outgrow that little town and test your metal on bigger threats in the great wide world but while you're away you're little town is besieged by Rikti and you have to go home and utilize all the power you've accumulated in your adventures to give the invaders what for!

[Techwright]

On 3/11/2025 at 9:04 AM, srmalloy said:

There are times when I've thought that the original version of Faultline was created by the Cryptic devs to demonstrate how screwed you could be with just Super Speed as a travel power; either Fly or Super Jump made that zone enormously easier to get around.

 

Edit: Or at least less painful.

This is one of the few things that I think DC Universe Online did better.  Superspeed there incorporated the Flash-based idea that the electrical charge created by speedsters allowed them to stick to vertical surfaces, so racing up the side of a cliff or building was a standard tactic.  I've often wished for CoH to follow suit.

 

On 3/12/2025 at 8:37 AM, mistagoat said:

 

 

A "Ruined Galaxy" could be fun. What level range would that be? It might be cool to make it a 45-50 zone to give folks who started in GC a reason to return there and bookend their journey.

 

45 to 50 sounds right, with perhaps some parts of it designated for Incarnate levels.  The former would give an alternative to Peregrine Island.  The latter would give something new for the 50+ crowd, and it makes sense in lore anyway, as the whole reason we're doing Incarnate growth is to take on the Coming Storm.  Might as well cut our Incarnate teeth on the Battalion's scouts and advanced guard.

[Rudra]

2 minutes ago, Techwright said:

This is one of the few things that I think DC Universe Online did better.  Superspeed there incorporated the Flash-based idea that the electrical charge created by speedsters allowed them to stick to vertical surfaces, so racing up the side of a cliff or building was a standard tactic.  I've often wished for CoH to follow suit.

I think that is a code issue. There was a rumor back on Live that the devs were working on a clinging/wall crawling power set (for travel as a power pool). And then the rumor just (not very quietly) went away. Even CO which is a newer game than CoX couldn't do clinging/wall crawling. The chain swing power? Doesn't connect to anything. The burrowing power? Doesn't let you go under anything or up anything. Just the limits of an ancient game engine is my guess.