Brass Tax Badge

[Mr Shamrock]

Our friend and developer Caretaker is on this, and thank you.  As confirmation, I too finished the arc (for the 3rd time) 5 minutes ago.  All 3 hostages rescued and I killed everything at the top of the tunnel, including Dreck.  This time I finally received the option of the mission that awards the badge.  3x is a charm, it seems!

 

Edited June 22 by Mr Shamrock

[Burk]

I rescued all 3 hostages and fought the ambush version of Dreck, but no bonus mission. I used an alt account that hadn't left the mission to look around a bit more and found a bunch of freaks who look like they spawned to ambush us and hadn't bothered to actually come to us. Is the problem that unlocking the bonus mission requires defeating all ambushes while completing the mission only requires Dreck? Can the mission just be changed to require all the ambushes, too?

Edited June 22 by Burk
typo

[Voltor]

So far, so good.  All my alts have gotten the bonus mission.  Also a pal of mine helped run a quick check on the bonus mission:

 

1. They were vigilante, but the mission wouldn't set until they changed to rogue as the system states it is a side specific mission.

 

2. Brass Tax awards to teammates! 

[MaceVanHoffen]

Adding some data in case it helps:

 

I ran as a rogue, did all the extra content in the previous missions.  I then brought Abby, Eida, and M3DUS4 back to the lab one at a time.  The ambushes spawned, and I got quite a few hits in on Dreck but he went down very fast.  I did see him change con color from orange to red briefly before getting defeated.  No Brass Tax badge, and no extra mission from Dap-Dap.  I took a selfie with him, then that was it.

[Voltor]

I've had 100% success so far. 

 

Skip all optional items in the missions except the last one.   Do NOT fight the Rikti Warlord, it is quicker to end that mission by not fighting him. 

 

In the last mission, use Mark and Recall if you have it and mark the lab entrance.  Then go get the first one and have them fight alongside you and clear out the freaks as you approach the second one, then free them.  Now take them both with you and get the third and when they are ready use Mark and Recall.  After that move up the hallway to near the sewer tunnel door, spawn lores and other pets, use barrier and set the pets on kill mode.  

 

Do NOT let Dreck approach the lab defenses, YOU and your pets are the ones that must take him down.

[Rikmach]

3 hours ago, MaceVanHoffen said:

Adding some data in case it helps:

 

I ran as a rogue, did all the extra content in the previous missions.  I then brought Abby, Eida, and M3DUS4 back to the lab one at a time.  The ambushes spawned, and I got quite a few hits in on Dreck but he went down very fast.  I did see him change con color from orange to red briefly before getting defeated.  No Brass Tax badge, and no extra mission from Dap-Dap.  I took a selfie with him, then that was it.

That might be it-  I brought back the hostages one at a time, and I got the bonus mission.

[FupDup]

When I did it, I brought them one at a time but didn't get the bonus, so I think it's something else causing it. 

[lemming]

 

 

Some of the missions that I dislike the most are the ones that have you standing around waiting for multiple ambushes.  I think that's the only criticism I had of the arc overall.

 

Brought all three assets back with me via Mark & Recall, went up the hall and fought all the ambushes.   Found out going back to the lab seemed to spawn the ambushes earlier, but I'm not sure.   Turrets only defeated a Stealth Tank that had stood up and followed me back.  Dreck was beaten by at the entrance to the next room.   So, as mentioned, the PCs need to beat Dreck and not let any of the lab defenses kill him.   Probably a percentage of damage, but those turrets spam a lot of damage. 😉

 

Bonus mission, took me a bit to find the people to talk to and after I talked with Pierce, the portal wasn't obvious because the view to it was blocked.  I'd suggest moving it out a bit more instead of all the way in the back of the container.

 

[MaceVanHoffen]

I ran Dap-dap's arc through Ouro using what I'll refer to as the "Voltor method", and it worked.  Got the bonus mission, got the Brass Tax badge. I used the little room up the sewage ramp from the laboratory as a choke point and defeated all the spawned critters, including Dreck, in that little room.  That kept them out of LOS from any defenses in the lab.

 

I'd like to echo @lemming ... the ambushes take WAY too long to spawn. I used my lore pets at one point, and one of the ambushes took so long to spawn that my lore pets had recharged. Additionally, I waited around 15 minutes real-time for the sneaky freaks ambush. I finally started just moving around the map to see if I needed to trigger it. It didn't spawn until I moved back into the lab.

 

The first time I ran this arc, these odd ambush delays didn't happen. On that first run, I led each rescued NPC back to the lab one at a time, and fought all the ambushes while staying inside the lab. The ambushes came fairly quickly. So, I'm wondering if something about using mark and recall or fighting the ambushes away from the lab causes some issues with the ambush spawn logic.

Edited June 25 by MaceVanHoffen
typos

[Voltor]

12 hours ago, MaceVanHoffen said:

 using what I'll refer to as the "Voltor method", 

 

 

I have no idea where people come up with such names.......   🙂

[Rikmach]

Ok, finally got around to doing this on live... and I didn't get the bonus mission?   I dunno what I did wrong, I *mostly* played it like I did back on Beta... Maybe it was leaving the lab before the countdown completed?  Maybe it was going to fare forward and delaying the spawn?   Whatever it is, it's super not clear what the problem is.

[lemming]

2 hours ago, Rikmach said:

Ok, finally got around to doing this on live... and I didn't get the bonus mission?   I dunno what I did wrong, I *mostly* played it like I did back on Beta... Maybe it was leaving the lab before the countdown completed?  Maybe it was going to fare forward and delaying the spawn?   Whatever it is, it's super not clear what the problem is.

You must not have used the Voltor method

[Rikmach]

14 hours ago, lemming said:

You must not have used the Voltor method

 

Reading that, Dreck *did* get close to the defenses, but I was sure I landed the killing blow.   Is it a problem if he takes *any* damage at all from the defenses?  If so, not great.

[lemming]

9 hours ago, Rikmach said:

Reading that, Dreck *did* get close to the defenses, but I was sure I landed the killing blow.   Is it a problem if he takes *any* damage at all from the defenses?  If so, not great.

I agree that there's need of an adjustment.  It's probably a percentage of damage, and those defenses do a lot of damage quickly.

[lemming]

Did run thru on Open Beta just now.

The character was newly minted and ran the arc, skipped the early missions and did just the last mission.

 

The ambushes were the slowest part of the entire thing.  Eight Ambushes before Dreck.

First ambush was at 15:14, Dreck finally showed at 15:30

NPC chat with timestamps:

Spoiler

2025-07-06 15:13:54 [NPC] Tank Smasher: Oooooh, it's time!
2025-07-06 15:13:54 [NPC] Juicer Freak: Homies... we ride!
2025-07-06 15:14:25 [NPC] Tank Smasher: Dr. Bongo's down, that's our cue!
2025-07-06 15:14:25 [NPC] Juicer Freak: Who calls him that? Literally nobody calls him that.
2025-07-06 15:16:29 [NPC] Tank Smasher: Wah! We're up! Get in there, make a mess!
2025-07-06 15:16:29 [NPC] Juicer Freak: That's all I'm qualified for!
2025-07-06 15:18:33 [NPC] Tank Smasher: The lab is holding strong. Maybe head-first isn't the choice.
2025-07-06 15:18:33 [NPC] Juicer Freak: Shut up, nerd! TALLY-HOOOOOOO!
2025-07-06 15:20:37 [NPC] Tank Smasher: When in doubt, hide behind the pile of former friends!
2025-07-06 15:20:37 [NPC] Juicer Freak: What? Hide? What is this, summer camp?
2025-07-06 15:23:43 [NPC] Tank Smasher: Murder, death! Kill!
2025-07-06 15:23:43 [NPC] Juicer Freak: Bro you have gotta lay off the movies for like a week.
2025-07-06 15:24:14 [NPC] Sneaky Swiper: 1... 2... Sneakies comin' for you!
2025-07-06 15:24:14 [NPC] Sneaky Swiper: ...that gave me the weebliest of jeebies.
2025-07-06 15:29:55 [NPC] Sneaky Tank: Noisy ninjas, deploy!
2025-07-06 15:29:55 [NPC] Sneaky Swiper: CLANG CLANG CLANG GOES... YOUR BRAINPAN! DING DING DING GOES MY JOY.
2025-07-06 15:30:26 [NPC] Tank Smasher: Are you dead yet? We're getting tired!
2025-07-06 15:30:26 [NPC] Juicer Freak: Shaddap Rufus, we got meat to tenderize!
2025-07-06 15:30:26 [NPC] Dreck: Where's my hype track? Can't rage without the hype track!
2025-07-06 15:30:33 [NPC] Dreck: Gwe he he! The Freaklok are TOAST! WARM, BUTTERY TOAST! AND I'M GONNA EAT'CHA!
2025-07-06 15:30:33 [NPC] Dreck: Ow! When I'm done with you, they'll bury what's left in a SOUP CAN!
2025-07-06 15:30:33 [NPC] Dreck: You traitors... bringin' order and purpose to my anarchist utopia? It's offensive!
2025-07-06 15:30:33 [NPC] Dreck: This ain't over, no matter who wins. I got so much more anger to take out on you, it won't take just one fight to get it all out!

 

I did move around a bit to see if that helped spawn faster, but I don't know if it helped.

 

[Voltor]

A tip for you all:  Signature summoned RANGED pets.  Since you are redside it is Scirocco.  Lightning against the Freakshow........ 🙂

 

[Voltor]

The Freaklok Awakened Eidolon that you rescue......the text that appears on the channe tab indicates that she is some what familiar to you........red color on their costume, floats and flies around and rather impressive psionic powers......

 

......reanimated Sister Psyche?   attempt at cloning Sister Psyche?   someone augmented with Sister Psyche DNA and gaining her powers?