Consolidated list of TF/SF betterment suggestions
By
Agent White,
Posted on: 2007-08-28 09:27 in Suggestions and Ideas
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Eden trial: SG base crystal shard from the Titan in a trophy case
[/ QUOTE ]
Even better, a mini crysal titan, safe behind the glass, but doing a two fisted "Banging on the glass" manuever.
Also great Idea Hex
[/ QUOTE ]
haha sure why not - I'm not specifically saying we should get the things I mentioned, but some sort of base decoration to say "hey we did that" would really spice up our bases, plus give us a new and different avenue to gain some badly needed base decorations.
the storylines for most of the early TFs, heroside, are really weak. I mean, why on earth isnt Synapse fighting against the Crey? It just doesnt make sense. And the Positron TF just needs to me fixed, such an annoying list of tasks for what should be one of the most fun tf's in the game.
obvious notes on this list should also include fixing all of the shadow shard TFs because-- what the hell-- its the original end game content and no one uses it-- because its all so annoying.
I use it. *shrug* I know lots of other people who run the Shard TF's as well.
�Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play!� - Thomas Gray
Make more SF's.
I know this suggestion might not be as important but what i wanted to see for tf/sf is that they remove the option to pick range as an SO enhancement but add others such as heals or holds. I dont know how many times I have ever done a tf/sf as a support toon and gotten a damage enhancement. To me this is a slap in the face because I will never use it period especially if the toon is a pure healer build.
Allow for rare recipe to actually randomly select 3 possible recipes and let you see what they are before you pick one, this way we dont always get garbage at the end of the TF. Allow us to actually select the level of the recipe we get that way we dont have to fight with the leader about them changing their rep lower or higher. Make it so you can have the recipe as high as +3 to you up to lvl 50 and as low as the minimum level of the recipe will drop if you wanted. If we had this option I would do way more TFs/SFs with higher level toons.
Bump and Grind Bane/SoA
Kenja No Ishi Earth/Empathy Controller
Legendary Sannin Ninja/Pain Mastermind
Entoxicated Ninja/PSN Mastermind
Ninja Ryukenden Kat/WP Scrapper
Hellish Thoughts Fire/PSI Dominator
Thank You Devs for Merits!!!!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2. Make the TF mob levels spawn according to team average and reputation setting.
3. Make the TF work on the Rikti Invasion code.
4. Auto adjust the TF participants levels using PvP code.
[/ QUOTE ]
Aren't these points mutually exclusive (not nessesarily a problem for suggestions)? I'm also of the impression that TF's do use reputation of the leader, or is this suggestion to use the average reputation?
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm hoping they consider # 3.
# 2 would be bad for some people since if there were more lower level players than higher level, the mobs could con too low allowing the higher level player to just blow everything away.
# 4 would be my least favorite because it would eliminate any experience from the equation. If everyone auto-exemps to the highest level of the TF then the lower level players would get no experience.
# 3 would be my choice because everyone could get experience from every TF and still have it be a challenge. The mobs would con even (or higher based on reputation) at the individual level. Every can be rewarded with experience since a level 25 would be fighting level "25" mobs and a level 45 would be fighting level "45" mobs all in the same TF.
[ QUOTE ]
(Snip)# 4 would be my least favorite because it would eliminate any experience from the equation. If everyone auto-exemps to the highest level of the TF then the lower level players would get no experience. (Snip)
[/ QUOTE ]
While I also prefer#3. #4 will not prevent lowbies from getting xp. Anymore than they can not get it in a PvP zone currently. It would auto SK/Xmp to the correct level. Doing whichever was appropriate, same as Bloody Bay makes everyone level 25.
A nod towards adding souvenirs to TFs and SFs. I'm not sure someone else said it, but I'm sure they did.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
4. Auto adjust the TF participants levels using PvP code.
[/ QUOTE ]
# 4 would be my least favorite because it would eliminate any experience from the equation. If everyone auto-exemps to the highest level of the TF then the lower level players would get no experience.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm guessing that you haven't paid any attention to what happens when you get level raised in a PVP zone. Or what happens when you sidekick/lackey up either. You will still get drops/experience/inf/prestige while SK'd. This would be no different.
If you are level 15 and enter Bloody Bay you get auto SK'd to level 25. In other words it treats you as if someone level 26 is mentoring you while you are in the zone.
While you are SK'd/Lackey'd in the zone you get experience until you reach level 26, at which point you get no experience.
So with this suggestion you would get experience, just not as much as if you were a level 10 on a team of level 15s in the Positron TF currently.
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
4. Auto adjust the TF participants levels using PvP code.
[/ QUOTE ]
# 4 would be my least favorite because it would eliminate any experience from the equation. If everyone auto-exemps to the highest level of the TF then the lower level players would get no experience.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm guessing that you haven't paid any attention to what happens when you get level raised in a PVP zone. Or what happens when you sidekick/lackey up either. You will still get drops/experience/inf/prestige while SK'd. This would be no different.
If you are level 15 and enter Bloody Bay you get auto SK'd to level 25. In other words it treats you as if someone level 26 is mentoring you while you are in the zone.
While you are SK'd/Lackey'd in the zone you get experience until you reach level 26, at which point you get no experience.
So with this suggestion you would get experience, just not as much as if you were a level 10 on a team of level 15s in the Positron TF currently.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hah! Beat you to it by 3 hours! 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
(Snip)# 4 would be my least favorite because it would eliminate any experience from the equation. If everyone auto-exemps to the highest level of the TF then the lower level players would get no experience. (Snip)
[/ QUOTE ]
While I also prefer#3. #4 will not prevent lowbies from getting xp. Anymore than they can not get it in a PvP zone currently. It would auto SK/Xmp to the correct level. Doing whichever was appropriate, same as Bloody Bay makes everyone level 25.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, didn't know that. I'm not a big PvP fan and my excursions into those zones have always been with my level 50's exemping down.
[ QUOTE ]
Hah! Beat you to it by 3 hours!
[/ QUOTE ]
I blame homework.
Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters
A few comments:
1) This got stickied! Means the Devs are looking at it...
2) I LOVE the idea of the Invasion code being used on SFs/TFs because it can often happen that the lowest member of the team is SK'd to the highest member. If the Mentor dies the Sidekick is in serious trouble. This would also enable a team to have a more variable range of characters...no more worrying about having enough Mentors.
3) The big red flashing Time warning is a good idea IMHO. I would put all minimums at an hour with estimates at 2 hours or better.
4) The number of missions of some (Posi's and others...24 missions? UGH!) or at least the content/mission type. Getting several kill-alls in a row is just plain boring. Mix the missions up a bit.
5) Alter the team minimums so that either you can solo the TF without a 'straw team' or you need more than one to finish it. This is going to draw flack but I don't think that it's fair that a player with 50 TFs under his belt with all of the missions memorized can make a specially-tuned character to solo a TF if the mission parameters state that you need 3-4 to start. Such a player can just solo all of then TFs for good loot to twink his other characters.
Either you should be able to start a TF/SF solo without a workaround to get past the minimums or you should require at least 2 live characters at the end.
6) I like the souvenirs but I'd rather they be something personal and not Base related. If my character runs every TF and then my SG folds I lose everything that way. I'd rather have costume pieces or something. If you could have BOTH then that would be cool though...
7) LOVE the idea of the choice of recipes at the end! I don't get to run as many TFs as most so when I do I don't want to get Speed of the Turtle on my non-Ice Blaster. One damage, one Movement and one Defense/Resistance to choose from would be great!
8) I like any idea that lets the star pass to the next-highest level character if the team leader folds. IMHO this should also happen automatically if the leader is AFK for more than 5 minutes because sometimes there are RL emergencies. Of course this would be nice all the time...
9) Expand the number of SFs/TFs that give Respecs at the end. Many players are clamoring for more chances to do respecs anyway. They don't want free ones...just more chances to respec a character for whatever reason. Heck many players re-run the Respec trial for the reward at the end after they've used the Respec so why not do it the other way around? I've run Synapse once and gotten the reward at the end so the next time I run it one of the reward choices is a Respec.
10) How about a better team search function to make it easier to find people who WANT to do a TF? I mean the Devs WANT us to team or else they wouldn't make Trials non-soloable at the start right? Well if they want us to team then they should give us tools to find a willing team more easily!
Luck to us all!
"Comics, you're not a Mastermind...you're an Overlord!"
TFs/SFs are mostly fine with the exception of one thing - We need a way to choose what level of reward we want.
We shouldn't have to make level 30 and level 40 characters devoted to just farming those rare recpies we need. We should be able to have fun doing the TFs on our level 50's while still getting the level of rewards we need.
People should never be punished for leveling too much.
Only suggestions would be to shorten some of them heroside.
Quarterfield could stand to lose about 7-8 missions, Positron could lose 3-4 missions and Faathim could stand to lose 4-5 missions as well.
The Devs have progressed a lot in their task force design:
Lord Recluse: 5 missions
Statesman: 5 missions
Lady Grey: 5 missions
And those are pretty fun!
Take into account people's available powers when you add/modify task forces. Positron, for example, puts you at a point where you (probably) have a travel power but not all of the "Big 3" of Stamina, Swift/Hurdle and Health.
Not a lot of defeat all missions, a few timed missions are good too to impress that you need to get this done against the clock.
Manticore is one of the better old task forces. You have a few defeat alls, a delivery, two of the missions are ghostable and you have a few street sweeps culminating with a moderately tough AV. Can be done in under two hours.
Hess is also great, as is Silver Mantis.
Speaking of Silver Mantis...redside can use some love! One or two task forces would do us a lot of good. 
Questions about the game, either side? /t @Neuronia or @Neuronium, with your queries!
168760: A Death in the Gish. 3 missions, 1-14. Easy to solo.
Infinity Villains
Champion, Pinnacle, Virtue Heroes
Hmm...
I don't know about using invasion code. See, i LIKE exemping down to make extra influence/prestige. Granted, if you're level 50, this isn't a problem, but before that? Sometimes i need some extra cash on a toon and a quick TF is the best way to get it.
-STEELE =)
Allied to all sides so that no matter what, I'll come out on top!
Oh, and Crimson demands you play this arc-> Twisted Knives (MA Arc #397769)
[ QUOTE ]
Bring back souveneirs. I'd really like to know what the heck the tf was even about and meant at the end...
[/ QUOTE ]
And not just for the T/SF leaders, but for everyone on the team. Not everyone's able to organize and lead a team, and not many of those who can likes to give the details of behind the scenes info.
I would like to see more variety in the missions as well. Take the first Respec TF, you have to protect a reactor from destruction - something like protection of equipment like that would be nice.
Also, why not add trap-ambushes at random to the mish. Nothing that would be impossible hard, but when you click on a glowlie you set off a silent alarm and get a random ambush.
And of course, missions where you might have to destroy objects would be nice too, like a villian's base needs to be destroyed, etc. (Or hero's base if you are a villain).
Playing since beta, the only thing thats still a challenge is putting together a Task Force. Ive run every Task Force multiple times, and while some could be shortened, several need A.V.s or G.M.s and unique mission maps, I had an entirely different suggestion. I just want more TFs, but in a way that will solve two different problems.
Once you got into the 20s and 30s, youll be lucky to level once in a Task Force. This is understandable and Im not asking for huge XP bonuses or longer TFs, but if I can run several TFs within certain level ranges, that would get me through.
Then there is my other long-standing gripe about the majority of villain groups having little or no backgrounds. I was reminded of this with the recent Warriors background, which I was very interested in, and Id like to see something like that for every group. But rather than just a text report, wouldnt it be better to play through the origin of the villain group youve been fighting for the last 5 levels?
Each level range has a zone, and each zone has (most likely) two rival villain groups fighting for dominance. Each group has enemies and allies to enrich their position in the area, and while you fight them for many levels, you hardly ever find out where they came from, why they formed, whos in charge and you never fight that leader. So, I recommend we solve the lack of background and TFs with a general policy of each villain group having their own Task Force at the maximum range in which that villain group exists.
So, the Warriors TF or Tsoo TF would exist at 25-30, probably in Talos. Now, I would be fine if both groups had a Task Force, and you could fight their enemies and allies throughout the chain of missions to prevent it from getting boring, but it would be understandable if you had to merge them into one large TF. Even the Banished Pantheon, another great villain group I think is neglected, falls into this 25-30 range I think. So maybe all three. Vahzilok 15-20, and so on.
Anyway, you would start by investigating some kind of conflict revolving around these rivalries, and you would end up discovering the origins of the villain groups, who is in charge of each, and get a nice unique map with several E.B.s and an A.V. at the end. Like with the Warriors, the background mentions Heracles, Alexander, Aeneas, and Patrochus as the big bosses.
So, how about you reach the big fancy door to the inner lair of Odysseus, and guarding that door are the 4 E.Bs Heracles, Alexander, Aeneas, and Patrochus. Defeating them, you enter the lair and there is A.V. Odysseus, all alone, when suddenly a dozen pop-up gun turrets pop out of the walls and start firing. Not nearly as many evil traps in the game as you find in comics.
A similar scenario for Tub Ci at the end of the Tsoo side, with several E.B.s protecting him, and maybe, just maybe, you could take out the whole Pantheon in a chain of G.M. battles against Lughebu and the others? Maybe you run missions to weaken them first, or get special temp powers to weaken them.
Lastly, I saw mention of tangible souvenirs, and it got me thinking, how about little things like permanent temp powers or unique costume parts as Task Force souvenirs? Just to really show off your accomplishment? Each costume part would have to be on a different part of the body though, so you could make some ridiculous Task Force costume, like the full Vanguard armor. Maybe the Freedom Phalanx TFs would each give a costume part, whereas all the non-Phalanx TFs would give a permanent temp power instead.
Sorry for rambling on as I do, but I really, really love Task Forces and this is how I would like them to be. As climactic and glorious as possible.
Lots of good suggestions, just adding to the request for red side love.
Personally, my favorite TF/SF is Katie Hannon, even during the "speed Katie" craze I ran full TFs just because it was so much fun wailing on Mary.
There's no low level SF red, at least not that I'm aware of. A 10-15 red side one would be great. Maybe someone at Aeon's biotech division needs you to handle that Infected problem on Mercy... and the Snakes keep interfering for some reason. Or maybe a four way gang war between Hellions/Skulz/Mooks/Marcones would be fun. Something in PO though to add to it. Frankly, even only having 8 villains, I'm tired of Radio and a TF would be a nice addition at that level. How about something with the Pirates? Get the Shivered badge for defeating the AV because your team "Shivered his timbers"
A Servant of Arachnos Accolade - a series of 7 SFs that you run where in addition to rewards you can pick up Arachnos costume pieces. Maybe have the accolade do something different - a 10% across the board movement increase for example. Maybe running them all gets you temp powers that will help out with the LRSF ( and maybe something similar blue side for the Stateman TF )
TF/SFs related to the GMs - defeating the GM opens up a zone contact for the SF/TF
Patron based SFs red that dig deeper into their back stories
@Oroborous and @Oroborous2
Avatar by HeroPortraitStudios
From the Groundhog Day Attempt at Citadel: GM, "There's no badge for breaking a TF."
Firstly, I love the Rikti coding idea for this. So gets my vote!
I've done a large number of them with Mia thanks to my SG, and adore TF's, and even the SF's that we've done Red-side, and I agree that a number of things need to be tweaked, but I think the Rikti coding fixes my biggest complaint. (Yay for no more running into the SF with 4 people and discovering everything is +5 levels to everyone. *Stalker does quick about-face* I'm SO leaving!)
Also, anything that would add more TF/SF goodness I'm 100% in favor of! Thats it. Any intelligent suggestion I could make at this hour has already been made.
Okay, I tried running the Abandoned Sewer Trial last night. Twice. It's impossible, or so nearly impossible that it's no fun at all for the vast majority of people. And really, with all the massive problems I have with it, one thing alone would at least make it doable: remove the time limit. At least increase it to two hours or more.
My first team was all level 38 and 39 heroes, and I, the mission owner, was set to Heroic. We entered, and the Rikti were 42s with 43 Monsters. The lack of sense to these levels was horrifying. The Eden Spire Trial is operated as a Task Force, with autoexemping and such, yet still designed the same (huge hunt followed by one huge mission), so can this TF style not be applied to the Sewers Trial?
The second time, I made a team of 42s and we were a few minutes away from completing it when the timer ran out.
The map is a mess, as you need a full team of 8 heroes to do it, yet the scrawny ramps leading down are too narrow for anything more than walking single-file, and heroes fall over the sides constantly, scattering and killing everyone because there's no map. Then just to be cruel, the ramps are broken in places, forcing you to jump, greatly increasing your odds of splitting up and dying.
Redesigning the map would be best, but if that is too extensive, the time limit being pushed to two hours or more, or being removed completely would be a huge improvement. Lastly, the force field generators respawning is just cruel. At least, respawning after 30 seconds is cruel. If they could at least respawn much less frequently it would not be nearly as frustrating.
Putting that much time and effort into anything, only to result in failure (as only timed missions can) is the most frustrating experience I have found.
Can't say I've ever had a problem with the abandoned sewer trial. Sorry to hear it caused you so much trouble.
�Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play!� - Thomas Gray
I would just like to see filler missions taken out of TFs that make them longer than SFs.
SFs are fine. TFs are annoyingly long and redundant. Its just ten scanner missions more or less with an AV at the end. add some variety to them.
maybe delete dr Q from the game entirely while they're at it.
[ QUOTE ]
However, as things stand now, you can dial the difficulty up or down as the team requires. I have been on some TFs where we have started on Heroic and wound up dialing up to Unyielding or Invincible when we discovered that the team really clicked. Conversely, I have been on some where the difficulty was forgotten until we hit the first mission and it was quickly discovered we needed something less threatening, so the team leader went to dial it down. As things stand now, you have good flexibility with your difficulty level so long as everyone is aware of how it works.
[/ QUOTE ]
It could be an addition, instead of a replacement. If you were working with a team of people you often team with and you all know what you can handle, you could set it so that the entire tf is 'rugged' that way if one person DC's, you don't have to go back and reset the difficulty when the star goes to the next person.
�Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play!� - Thomas Gray