What we (think) we know about MS events

[GM Crumpet]

15 hours ago, Frozen Burn said:

 

 

 

I don't think there is really anything the Devs can do about the lag for the MS event.  The spawns do not produce any extra particles or graphics that would add to it.  It's jut there are SO many people participating in it at one time and you are inherently going to get lag.  

 

 

I have spoken to the people involved about reducing the player cap for MS zones in the future. I suggested 50 as that allows a full league, then a new zone spawns. Once you get to 100 players in a zone the lag is painful.

Edited Sunday at 07:29 AM by GM Crumpet

[Hedgefund]

Quote

Double XP boost is actually a +100% so gives x11 XP and no inf not x20. I generally turn the XP boost off at around level 40 as the inf gain is decent at that point. 

 

 

This merits some clarity.  The mob xp is "scale 10".  Whether that's 10x or not (look at my first post in thread to see data indicating it's not) I'm going to refer to it as 10x xp just for easy math.

 

The START vendor offers a 100% bonus, so, for normal mobs, whose XP amount I'll refer to as X, that means X (base) + X (bonus) for 2X xp.

 

Let's call the mapserver xp Y = 10X.  It's still Y (base) + Y (bonus) for 2Y or 20X.  So it's 20x, not 11.

 

Why be theoretical though and use Xs and Ys when you can, RIGHT NOW, go into a zone and see the results.

 

Just to set the scenario

Level 44

solo

no patrol xp

no debt

FAR from any league

 

With the bonus START xp enabled, I got the following result:

An Unstable Script (minion) awarded 8870 XP, 0 inf

 

I deleted the START xp and got the following results

An Unstable Script (minion) awarded 4435 XP, 3103 inf

 

Your homework is to determine the ratio of 8870 to 4435.

Spoiler

It's 2, not  1.1

 

I did this last year when Indom had extra bonus xp and, just for yucks here are those same results for the same character (same level, 44) and same mob, Unstable Script:

With START bonus: 13,305 xp, 0 inf

WihtOUT START bonus: 8,870 xp, 3103 inf

Edited Sunday at 11:41 AM by Hedgefund

[tidge]

5 hours ago, GM Crumpet said:

As per usual open zone events rules notoriety doesn't affect spawns.

 

Multiple leagues in zones will slow everything down. Lag is real.

 

I remain surprised that *many* folks will repeat, with authority, that for open-world invasions "team leaders have to turn up notoriety." I always feel like this is a case of "Tell me you don't play that much (variety), without telling me you don't play that much."  Why even repeat advice if you don't know what that advice will actually do?

 

The multi-league zone lag is very real, and will affect everyone in the zone even players completely out of perception range. I witnesses this while solo fighting Paladins (and their spawns) in Kings Row. It wasn't bad with a single league, but one a second league was formed in the zone things went into near-slideshow mode.

[Snarky]

2 hours ago, tidge said:

 

I remain surprised that *many* folks will repeat, with authority, that for open-world invasions "team leaders have to turn up notoriety." I always feel like this is a case of "Tell me you don't play that much (variety), without telling me you don't play that much."  Why even repeat advice if you don't know what that advice will actually do?

 

The multi-league zone lag is very real, and will affect everyone in the zone even players completely out of perception range. I witnesses this while solo fighting Paladins (and their spawns) in Kings Row. It wasn't bad with a single league, but one a second league was formed in the zone things went into near-slideshow mode.

It is only the league leader in the mapserver event that must be set to +4/x8.  That is why you are confused 

the enemies look "level less" but they have a hidden level.  

 

Edited Sunday at 02:40 PM by Snarky

[tidge]

Mapserver invasions are by level-less enemies.

[lemming]

"IF"  the code is similar to the invasion code that is in the SCORE, difficulty has nothing to do with it.  iirc, team size can modify level based enemies like for the halloween event.  There are definitely some differences though.

 

I do get the feeling that for the MS event, it's just number of characters that determine the spawn rate, but there may be a minimum level.  I had a level 18 char in a MS zone and nothing appeared near them. (there could have been a timing issue)

[Octogoat]

Just now, lemming said:

"IF"  the code is similar to the invasion code that is in the SCORE, difficulty has nothing to do with it.  iirc, team size can modify level based enemies like for the halloween event.  There are definitely some differences though.

 

I do get the feeling that for the MS event, it's just number of characters that determine the spawn rate, but there may be a minimum level.  I had a level 18 char in a MS zone and nothing appeared near them. (there could have been a timing issue)

Maybe it's like zombie invasion in that you have to be level 20 for them to spawn?

[Snarky]

5 minutes ago, Octogoat said:

Maybe it's like zombie invasion in that you have to be level 20 for them to spawn?

it is level 45+, the league leader should be set to +4/x8 to trigger the most value from the "hidden" "level less' spawns.

 

it also helps if everyone is wearing some green.

[Troo]

4 hours ago, Hedgefund said:

With the bonus START xp enabled, I got the following result:

An Unstable Script (minion) awarded 8870 XP, 0 inf

 

Strange because:

[08:17] You have defeated Unstable Script
[08:17] You gain 17,940 experience.

 

[08:19] You have defeated Code Gremlin
[08:19] You gain 17,940 experience.
[08:19] You received Enrage.
[08:19] You have defeated Random Bug
[08:19] You gain 17,940 experience.

 

never mind..

4 hours ago, Hedgefund said:

(same level, 44)

Edited Sunday at 03:41 PM by Troo

[Octogoat]

55 minutes ago, Snarky said:

it is level 45+, the league leader should be set to +4/x8 to trigger the most value from the "hidden" "level less' spawns.

 

it also helps if everyone is wearing some green.

Snarky last night on my way home I saw a hearse driving down the street decked out in neon lights and with twenty inch spinning rims was that you?

[Lheeli]

14 hours ago, GM Crumpet said:

Small leagues get better results. A 2 or 4 team league will do better than a full 6 as the rewards aren't split as much, but it does kind of balance out from the increase of enemies. Double XP boost is actually a +100% so gives x11 XP and no inf not x20. I generally turn the XP boost off at around level 40 as the inf gain is decent at that point. 

 

As per usual open zone events rules notoriety doesn't affect spawns.

 

Multiple leagues in zones will slow everything down. Lag is real.

 

Balanced teams will do better than ones with lots of support. League leaders should ideally sprinkle the range characters evenly as melee and defence suffer from the fact they can't fight to their best advantage. I try to spread Masterminds out if I can. They are often hitting multiple targets so help all team mates. Also try to keep teams even sized.

 

Can't think of anything else 🙂 

Thank you for the clarifications! Much appreciated.

 

[Lheeli]

6 hours ago, lemming said:

"IF"  the code is similar to the invasion code that is in the SCORE, difficulty has nothing to do with it.  iirc, team size can modify level based enemies like for the halloween event.  There are definitely some differences though.

 

I do get the feeling that for the MS event, it's just number of characters that determine the spawn rate, but there may be a minimum level.  I had a level 18 char in a MS zone and nothing appeared near them. (there could have been a timing issue)

From what I can tell team size impacts spawn size, not spawn rate. Spawn rate seems to be determined by damage (ie the faster you clear a spawn the faster the next ones comes) and mob rank also seems to be based on damage and not number of players per se.

 

I am less sure if the team size to spawn size ration is linear or subject to diminishing returns.

[Scarlet Shocker]

What are the things that suddenly grab you by the head and lift you high? They are not insuperable to deal with but somewhat annoying. I did get one that killed a low level toon because I didn't have a jet pack or other travel power and I was already damaged so the fall killed me. Is there a way to avoid them?

[Snarky]

30 minutes ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

What are the things that suddenly grab you by the head and lift you high? They are not insuperable to deal with but somewhat annoying. I did get one that killed a low level toon because I didn't have a jet pack or other travel power and I was already damaged so the fall killed me. Is there a way to avoid them?

the fall did not kill you.  it was the impact with the ground.

[Ukase]

On a more useless topic, which has been covered, the dead horse literally been beaten after it was dead, many times over - why is it that people think steamy mist and arctic fog impact spawn rates for the ms event? 

A player literally told me that earlier yesterday, a player had arctic fog on and no mobs would spawn. And yet - me, on my fire/cold dom, I zone into a zone with the ms event, and the mobs zone right on top of me, easy as you please, and I'm not even fighting. Yet they see me. I explain this to the league of noobs, and aside from a couple of other players suggesting I turn it off to appease them, they act like my evidence is worthless. Why are people so obtuse? I know why I'm obtuse. I was toilet trained at gun point. But what is everyone else's excuse? 

If I am just unlucky to have mobs spawn on top of my by coincidence, and stealth does impact spawn rate - why is that the case, and can that be changed? Although seriously, I think some folks are just convinced by other players who firmly believed it, and just won't change their minds no matter who tells 'em. 

But it would be nice if this could be specifically addressed to put an end to the myth. 

I know stealth goes away once you attack anyway. And I think that could be the real issue why these fools  people who think differently want it off. They're not attacking, probably just have some heal on auto-fire. 

[Snarky]

1 hour ago, Ukase said:

On a more useless topic, which has been covered, the dead horse literally been beaten after it was dead, many times over - 

This must be done, in accordance with prophecy!

[Lheeli]

5 hours ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

What are the things that suddenly grab you by the head and lift you high? They are not insuperable to deal with but somewhat annoying. I did get one that killed a low level toon because I didn't have a jet pack or other travel power and I was already damaged so the fall killed me. Is there a way to avoid them?

You can teleport out of the birblift -- mystic flight shines here, but any src of tp will work including incandescence.

[golstat2003]

On 4/13/2025 at 2:20 AM, GM Crumpet said:

I have spoken to the people involved about reducing the player cap for MS zones in the future. I suggested 50 as that allows a full league, then a new zone spawns. Once you get to 100 players in a zone the lag is painful.

Thank you!!!!!!!!! 🙏 

[Scarlet Shocker]

1 hour ago, Lheeli said:

You can teleport out of the birblift -- mystic flight shines here, but any src of tp will work including incandescence.

 

I successfully used that on a different character but didn't have it available on that

 

[golstat2003]

On 4/13/2025 at 10:57 AM, Snarky said:

it is level 45+, the league leader should be set to +4/x8 to trigger the most value from the "hidden" "level less' spawns.

 

it also helps if everyone is wearing some green.

 

On 4/13/2025 at 11:54 AM, Octogoat said:

Snarky last night on my way home I saw a hearse driving down the street decked out in neon lights and with twenty inch spinning rims was that you?

was the theme song to this playing? 😂

 

[lemming]

3 hours ago, Ukase said:

But it would be nice if this could be specifically addressed to put an end to the myth. 

Yea, if stealth was a factor, a stalker zoning in wouldn't attract any.   And I was the only one in the zone, still generated mobs.

[Troo]

11 hours ago, Ukase said:

A player literally told me that earlier yesterday, a player had arctic fog on and no mobs would spawn. And yet - me, on my fire/cold dom, I zone into a zone with the ms event, and the mobs zone right on top of me, easy as you please, and I'm not even fighting. Yet they see me. I explain this to the league of noobs, and aside from a couple of other players suggesting I turn it off to appease them, they act like my evidence is worthless. Why are people so obtuse? I know why I'm obtuse. I was toilet trained at gun point. But what is everyone else's excuse? 

 

Sorry but it's all anecdotal. Sure you can say you observed a behavior BUT if folks don't know, they don't know.

 

Calling players noobs and obtuse because their observations differ from your own is just name calling. I have yet to see anyone who knows say one way or the other.

[Snarky]

31 minutes ago, Troo said:

 

Sorry but it's all anecdotal. Sure you can say you observed a behavior BUT if folks don't know, they don't know.

 

Calling players noobs and obtuse because their observations differ from your own is just name calling. I have yet to see anyone who knows say one way or the other.

[Troo]

a graph.. P E R F E C T !!