Mission Computer: Make it Useful

The mission computer is a base item that functions as a Strike Force contact. Heroes can get it, but it does nothing for them. Yes, there's a lot of base items that do nothing until Raiding is back (if it's ever back) but this item allows a single Strike Force when it could do so much more. Here a few suggestions of what can be done with it... I'm not expecting everybody to like all these suggestions, or for all of them to get implemented. Each one of them is a good method to make the Mission Computer useful, and I'm curious to see which ideas people like best or what other ideas people have.

-Improved Radio/Newspaper functions: Allow someone to use the mission computer to access Newspaper/Radio missions of any level below themselves and, if their appropriate level bar is filled up, Safeguard and Mayhem missions. Super Sidekicking already allows us to do this on other players' time, but it's often difficult at certain points. It's very difficult to get some mid-level Mayhem and Safeguard missions if you missed them. I'm just suggesting a way to plug in the level you want, and then get your 3 random mission suggestions or, even better, plug in the level and enemy group you want and get a random mission featuring them.

-Preemptive Flashback: When in the first mission of an arc/contact, allow you to "set" your team so that, as long as everyone is still on the team when the arc ends, they all get the merit rewards for it. This wouldn't work too much differently from Flashback except that you'd have the potential to level up during and you'd be able to do it your first time through the mission. Also, it wouldn't grant Flashback badges and wouldn't have challenge settings. It'd just lock your team in Flashback style and then, at the end of the arc, you'd all get the merits.

-Repeat Task Force/Strike Force: As long as the team leader has the appropriate badge for a TF or SF, allow him to use the Mission Computer instead of the actual contact for the TF/SF. Obviously this wouldn't work for ITF or LGTF, but for some, the option for the contact to be effectively in your base would be very useful.

-AE access: Easy out. Gives players something you know they want without new art, and makes the mission computer useful.

-Supergroup AE Choices: The Devs get Developer choices. I'd like to mark some things as SG Leader Choices. Let me go to my computer, mark off a few AE missions that I think are awesome and have them right there for the SG to play. Doesn't even need full access: Make me set the missions at a real AE, and then have just a handful displayed at the Super Group. It's not much, but I'm sure it'll be a hit on Virtue, at the very least.

-Just add a bunch of new missions: You know, that thing you originally said you were going to do. Make a few mission arcs that are only accessible from the computer, and have them all locked Flashback style so that everyone gets the merits.

-Replay arcless missions: Flashback allows for mission arcs and badge missions, but there are a LOT of missions out there that are just one-shots. Use the mission computer to allow us to have missions like "Recover the scroll of Spirit Dragon from the Tsoo!" that aren't important enough for Flashback but are still useful for the guy saying 'I really want my Tracer badge' or 'You know who I hate? Tsoo. Let's hurt them.'

Yeah, there's no reason whatsoever to put a mission computer in blueside, and no reason to *keep* it in redside unless you really like one SF.

I wouldn't mind putting in AE missions - but it'd probably have to go through some sort of approval so the farms don't just migrate there. A "SG approved" list taken from the main list wouldn't be bad.

I'd personally rather have any missions added stay SG-focused ("Do this as a SG, get rewards for the SG.") You can, of course, call in outside help (non SG members,) but the rewards should encourage SG play (to me.)

See my Guides and Tutorials

it would be nice to see more done with this

one of the things i think should be added is the option to use AE from here

more tfs arent bad either

they used to have an "sg specific" thing which was cathedral of pain trial, but that has been disabled for quite a long time now

i could see adding the tf/sf's to it. maybe after the superleader does them they can appear in the computer.

You know, there's an idea, make it more SG oriented...

-Any event done via mission computer should give bonus prestige based on what the mission would normally give. This would not DIMINISH other rewards, just add to them.

If you want a reward that encourages SG play, how about this:

Each player who is a member of the SG that owns gets the end of mission Prestige bonus once for each member of the SG on the team. So if I, three members of my SG, and one other person were on a team, the "other" would get the regular prestige bonus, but the four members of the SG would each get 4x the normal prestige bonus (assuming that they're in SG mode, of course).

I actually meant "only the SG that owns the mission computer gets the prestige bonus" but that works, too.

I had an idea...
what if story arc souvineers became placeable base items (only one of a souvineer can be placed in an SG base), and at times there could be TF's/SF's that involves someone stealing these souvineers for unknown purposes (or SF side, using them for nefarious ends).

"something stolen from the base" is a pretty common convention of the genre, and I think that at least some intrest could come of it, if only for the way it becomes a linear canon.