1. The light on top changes from red, to yellow, to blue as they get more and more damaged. If the health bar gets all the way full, they blow.
2. Yes. It takes a lot of people. There's no reward.
3. They spawn wherever there's someone around (and not under cover.)
4. Three badges, one for bombs, one for rikti, one for the assault suits. Get all three, get an accolade - see the wiki (don't recall the numbers.)
Paragonwiki article on Rikti invasions
Rikti spawning rules from Paragonwiki
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
1st: When the bombs get to full health, they explode with massive AOE damage and a lot of KB though you most likely wont care about the KB cause you will be dead. I have also seen where a hero fighting a bomb gets hit by a Rikti ship flying overhead which also happens to hit the bomb, causing it to be destroyed.
2nd: Lots of flying heroes/ villains, but no reward at this time for killing a ship.
3rd: The Rikti will spawn anywhere a peep is standing outside without some cover overhead. That's why the warnings say take cover for those not wanting to be included. The more peeps in any given area, the more Rikti will spawn. We gather for mutual support, ie buffs and heals, and for the AOE potential of all attacks to be maximized. Let's face it: at higher lvls, its not about xp or inf as anyone and their team who damage a Rikti get credit for the kill and share the rewards- inf, xp, and vanguard merits. Salvage and recipe drops still go to a random person though. If a Rikti award Van Merits, everyone gets one I believe. You can begin to earn Vanguard merits once you reach lvl 35, go to RWZ and do the first contact there.
4th: There are 4 badges for the Rikti invasion- 3 defeats and 1 accolade. The accolade awards a special power which grants resist to psi damage while active, roughly 5%. Its either a flat 5% or varies by AT. Get all 3 defeats (Rikti invaders, Bombs, and the EBs- sorry I dont remember the exact #s) and you will get the accolade.
Re: number 2 - it takes lots of heroes, on the order of multiple full teams to take one down. Champion did a dropship killing run that weekend and had over 100 people in zone, most of whom were killing the dropships. We downed 18 of em. And although there is no badge for killing dropships, you do get minion level rewards - XP, infl, and inspirations at the very least. Not exactly a reward corresponding to the effort, but there IS a reward nowadays.
Link to video of Champion's ship killing
Champion 50s (blueside): Marc Bridge, Nicole Bridge, Fred Blaze, Colleen Storms, Sun's Chariot, Moon's Huntress, Point of Pride
Guardian 50s (redside): Connie Mand
AE arc: Spirit Plane Invasion, #29282, @Honbrid
Since last weekends Rikti Raids, I had some questions regarding these.
First, when their ships drop those bombs that land on the ground and are "auto repairing" themselves, I assume you can destroy them before they blow, and if so, how do you know when they will blow as I noticed no type of timers on them? I was involved in a few mishaps when they went off and I was about 15 stories up over the bomb and got whacked hard and died!
Second, can one take their ships down and what would it take to do so? I know if you get too close to them, you get zapped big time. Does this involve getting a large group together, such as when you go up against a Giant Monster?
Third, when large groups of Rikti spawn on the ground along with those mega large drones and open a continuous porthole barrage assault, how is this determined? Is it based on where large groups of hero/villians are congregating or are there central points on the map where they will always spawn,.i.e. by areas of constant traffic flow such as Atlas Park below the main big globe? I ask this question as I was standing alone and Rikti Portholes started to open up around me so not sure if the coding is set up like the random Zombie attacks where they come out of the ground or does it know if someone is standing there and it activates such an attack?
And finally, fourth what kind, if any, of badge do you get for killing Rikti during these raids? I know in the Zombie raids you get badges but not sure about the Rikti raids?