Cut the filler from the Synapse TF (spoilers)

[Psi-bolt]

2 hours ago, Scarlet Shocker said:

The problem with some of the "longer" TFs (remember, their original concept was to be run over a few evenings) is that they lack variety. Synapse and Citadel are both very guilty of this. It's the same enemy group, largely the same maps and it becomes uninteresting. There's nothing there to capture the imagination once you're three missions in. Sure you get occasional "interludes" such as Long Tom and Babbage but the rest is relentless clockwork.

 

Changing it up a bit would be a very welcome relief and make it seem more engaging.

 

Agreed wholeheartedly.  I think this is why both the reconstituted Positron TFs and Yin are so much better.  Positron has always been about the three villain groups designs on the dam and that changes it up in both parts.   With Yin, the break with the Council getting involved for...reasons is a nice interlude.  

[golstat2003]

Positron was made into parts one and two years ago no? Not saying they should do that here, but there is precedent for them making TFs not as long.

[kelika2]

ask for global accolades for all your alts once you get it and leave one of the last good exp task forces alone

 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 3:28 PM, Skyhawke said:

I've always thought that Blue Steel should give the Clockwork King TF, Manticore take the Council one, Synapse goes after Crey and have Citadel as a trainer in Galaxy (now the west side of Atlas) instead of the Back Alley Brawler and have BAB as the trainer in KIngs Row. At least from a lore standpoint. 

we need to stop looking at blue steel as a good guy, motherfucker assaulted a child almost to death out of pure raw anger.  blue steel put the clock king in that erector set because he couldnt control his powers

[lemming]

1 hour ago, golstat2003 said:

Positron was made into parts one and two years ago no? Not saying they should do that here, but there is precedent for them making TFs not as long.

It was done in live.   So, try around 15 years ago.

[Psi-bolt]

1 hour ago, kelika2 said:

ask for global accolades for all your alts once you get it and leave one of the last good exp task forces alone

 

That's not what I'm asking for.  I'm asking specifically for the TF to be shortened.   I feel this way for the Shadow Shard TFs as well.  As I have stated multiple times in the thread, I think TFs get the most engagement when they are 4-6 missions.  A global accolade would greatly reduce the number of runs of Synapse.  I want people to do Synapse.   I just want Synapse to not have random filler.   

 

As for your comment about "good exp task forces,"  I guess I don't understand this.   By what metric are we saying that Synapse is "good exp."  The best exp TF for that level range is probably Positron 2.  Two zones with most occurring in Faultline.  Still have clockwork, but you have Lost, Vahz, and CoT as well.  Shorter so you can crank up the difficulty without it taking two hours.   Once you cross into level 20, Yin beats Synapse on exp per time spent by a lot given it occurs all in IP.

 

[kelika2]

20 minutes ago, Psi-bolt said:

That's not what I'm asking for.  I'm asking specifically for the TF to be shortened.   I feel this way for the Shadow Shard TFs as well.  As I have stated multiple times in the thread, I think TFs get the most engagement when they are 4-6 missions.  A global accolade would greatly reduce the number of runs of Synapse.  I want people to do Synapse.   I just want Synapse to not have random filler.   

 

As for your comment about "good exp task forces,"  I guess I don't understand this.   By what metric are we saying that Synapse is "good exp."  The best exp TF for that level range is probably Positron 2.  Two zones with most occurring in Faultline.  Still have clockwork, but you have Lost, Vahz, and CoT as well.  Shorter so you can crank up the difficulty without it taking two hours.   Once you cross into level 20, Yin beats Synapse on exp per time spent by a lot given it occurs all in IP.

 

honestly you should be more angry about citadel being on the same level and worse maps or numina for being like 80% no exp

 

yeah synapes is long but its not the task forces fault.  so many people go in with shit builds.  how many level 50s do you see at that level with one or two attacks?  how many newbies with low-aoe potential characters also just hop in?  or how about some sets with their aoes later in the characters life?

 

but the natural flow of your thoughts is you want the carrot but you hate the stick, there is no way in hell that you JUST want this to be shortened because when your next mental roadblock is citadel with mission maps all over the place so badly that some groups encourage having TT you will make a thread for that too.  and why require both posi tfs?  just one should do

 

anyways the thought after that is do it once and use the START vendor for future alts accolades, but even then why make the trip to the vendor?

 

speed is killing the game

[Scarlet Shocker]

3 hours ago, Psi-bolt said:

 

Agreed wholeheartedly.  I think this is why both the reconstituted Positron TFs and Yin are so much better.  Positron has always been about the three villain groups designs on the dam and that changes it up in both parts.   With Yin, the break with the Council getting involved for...reasons is a nice interlude.  

 

I loathe Penny Yin's TF as a replacement for Sister Psyche's... but that's more due to the horrible writing that got us to that point. As a stand-alone TF Penny's is ok. I think the original Sister P TF was ok other than it suffered from the same thing as some of the other TFs; overly long, lacking in variety and poor storytelling.

 

Of course all the original TFs were written when one of the biggest issues in the game was limited content and so taking time out of the game (remember, we had to run everywhere until level 14 and these days you can get to 50 quicker than you can get to 14 then.) Hunt missions were far more common. That's an indirect critique of the original Devs, the game was still good they just couldn't have the content we have now.

 

Synapse needs a lot of work to bring it up to par, including a whole retelling/work of his whiny-arsed story. Perhaps then we'd get a TF worthy of the name.