Tie Epic unlocks to Task Force Completion?

Credit to Konshu for this suggestion: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showp...4&postcount=73

I like the idea of tying the unlocks of the Hero Epic Peacebringer to Moonfire. Since the Task Force grants the Honorary Peacebringer badge... it seems kind of appropriate.

The Problem I see with tying unlocks to Task Forces is that there's no task force that awards Honorary Warshade, and there's no existing Arachnos Specific Task Force.

So, I'd like to make the following proposal. Create Specific Task forces with the 23 to 28 level range to unlock Warshades, Widows, and Soldiers.

For Warshades, I can see the arc being against an early Requiem in Striga Island. As I understand the Warshade class, they embody Nictus that have turned from the Dark Path, joined a willing host, reforming themselves. So, how would this work? Well, n Moonfire's story, we learn about the forced joining up the Nictus and captive council, and put an end to Arakahn's plans.

In the proposed Requiem arc, in the first mission we are are introduced to a Nictus that serves as a lieutenant to Requiem, but who expresses some regrets about his path. In the second mish we are introduced to a Captive NPC, a minor hero selected for experimentation. However, the team is unable to rescue the Captive NPC. In the third mission, the Captive NPC is wounded, and is left to die by the council. Clues left by the council indicate that joining with a Nictus could save the NPC's life. In the Fourth mission you track down the Nictus with Regrets and convince him to save the life of the NPC. In the 5th mish, the gameplay changes up with a tower defense mechanism, such as the Terra Volta Trial. You're team has to hold off the Council while the Nictus and the NPC merge. At the end of the mission, you get a surprise... The last wave is made up of 5th Column, but as they charge in, the merge completes and the new WarShade helps you wipe up the 5th Column Charge. In the Final Mission, you take on Requim with the aid of the new WarShade. Story wise, the new WarShade is welcomed by Shadowstar, and you, the player, are introduced to more Nictus that would be happy to join with new hosts.

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Since I don't play Villain side as much as Hero Side, I only have a vague idea on how a similar introduction task force set would go.

In my mind I see the Arachnos recruiters for the Widows and Soldiers having a bit of a crisis. New recruits are under attack by a hostile force, presumably LongBow against the Widows, and Wyrven against the Soldiers. In each task force, players are sent to Arachnos Training Camps, and must defend the camps against attack.

In the Widow Strike Force, players learn that Swan is using her position in the Vindicators to influence the Longbow to attack specific targets. During the course of the Strike Force, players learn that Swan is working with the direction of Manticore, who is controlling another dedicate force attacking the Arachnos. The Strike Force ends with a showdown against Swan, who decides that no more Longbow forces need to be lost against the well defended Arachnos properties.

In the Soldiers Strike Force, players learn that Manticore is feeding Swan information on Arachnos Activities in order for Swan to direct a large force attacking other Arachnos properties. Manticore himself is directing the Wyrven Force that is attacking the Soldier Camps. The Strike Force ends with a showdown against Manticore, who decides to withdraw the Wyrven forces and retreat himself, lest the Arachnos Agents expose him as the leader of Wyrven... which would likely not sit well with the Freedom Phalanx.

In both Strike Forces, once complete, the Recruiters comment that you, the player, have shown great aptitude towards the disciplines of the Widow or Soldier. As you are in the Destined One's program, they can't touch you... but if you just happened to know anybody who might be interested in joining Arachnos, the recruiters might give them a chance on your say-so.

Okay, I know this scenario is kind of forced to match up with the starting story for Widows and Soldiers... but I think this works.

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From my perspective, making the Epic Unlocks Task Force unlockable helps give an answer to players who want to see some kind of accomplishment for unlocking an Epic.

Since the base task Force I kind of made up the "new" task forces on, Moonfire, is between levels 23 and 28, and isn't that long, players can still get Epic Characters relatively early. For those who feel that the unlock should come later than 20... well. There you go.

There's also the additional problem that implementing a Task Force Unlock on Moonfire is pretty easy... it already exists. Even re-using content that's already in the game, actually setting up and implementing "new" Task Forces is probably outside the resource budgets of the development staff.

Ergo: I propose this solution. If a specific task force unlock is acceptable to the development staff, for Issue 17, move Epic Unlocks to Level 28. If / When the specific task forces for each Epic other than Peacebringer are implemented, players can then use the task forces to earn the classes before level 28.

Would existing EATs/VEATs be grandfathered in?
Otherwise, you would have to delete my current SoAs and completely lock me out of remaking them.

Ah, I see that last part. Move the unlock up to L28 OR until the character does a TF/SF to unlock earlier.
No problem.

I can see a "multiple methods to unlock an item" model. After all, there's more than one way to unlock Ouroboros access. The first one I thought of for Redside was the Villain badge for defeating 1000 Longbow.

What is the perceived problem with the announced "unlock at 20"?

It's a very elegant solution to perhaps how they could have been introduced in the first place (if the game had Striga Isle at the time), but they weren't.

In general, I favor using themed content to unlock rewards in the game.

In my opinion, when that design policy is followed it adds to the game, and when it isn't it can detract from the game.

Unlocking the hero epic ATs could be linked to the Moonfire TF (level 23-28), but there isn't an appropriate analog on the villain side. I would be okay with linking VEATs to the Renault SF, however, as a reasonable compromise.

Yes, the Renault SF relates to the "coral magic" arc in Sharkhead and not the villain epic ATs, but it is at the right level range (25-30) and it is the first open strike force you can do on behalf of Arachnos. (Virgil Tarikoss of the Cap SF is not really with Arachnos, and you need a base with a supercomputer to unlock the Silver Mantis SF.)

I don't imagine the devs really want to do new content or revamps for this, but if it was allowed, I'd slightly re-write the Renault arc to favor the Widow and Soldier ATs, and slightly alter the Diviner Maros arc to either: a) feature the Leviathan battle from the end of the Renault SF, or b) have the Leviathan battle as a new villain Trial unlocked by the Maros arc.

I'm going to say no. For an player such as myself who plays TFs a LOT Task Force Commander is trivial and only marginally more difficult than the level 20 requirement. But the purpose of moving the requirement to level 20 is to unlock the EATs for more people and I'm pretty sure that tying it to TF Commander will result in fewer people having access to them. A level requirement is something that anyone can obtain, the only question is how long it takes them, but TF based badges are unavailable to a lot of people who either hate teaming or can't team due to the limits on their available playtime.

Oh I have unlocked both EATs the grindy way and I dont care at all if others have it easier.

I'm fine with this suggestion. Just so long as they keep in the automatic unlock at level 20, as well. More options and all that.

I imagine what the devs are doing is they've decided to make epic ATs the reward for new players who successfully complete the Praetorian content. So they'll ding 20, be ready to travel to Paragon or Rogue Isles, and unlock the epic ATs in one fell swoop.

With a touch of schadenfreude I imagine the disappointment on a new player's face as they leave the shiny confines of Praetoria and grind their new epic toon through the wasteland of early blueside content.

Linking unlocks to themed content is a good idea, but, as has been mentioned, linking EATs to a Task Force would actually make them harder for some players to obtain, rather than easier. A better solution would be to have a universally available level-gated arc, similar to those that unlock capes, auras and the Midnighter Club, which gave access to the EATs when completed. This provides the desired thematic link, while avoiding potential discrimination against soloists.

Unfortunately, it's probably too late to add something like this in i17 unless it's already on the plan. I'm ok with it being a simple unlock at level 20, but this would be nicer.

I rather enjoy the fact that they've lowered the level requirement for the EATs, it sounds like it's going to be so much more casual-friendly to play the extended content that was introduced with the Kheldians and Arachnos Soldiers.

But one of the problems with tying an EAT unlock with a Taskforce is the initial 'Where is the Moonfire TF?' Sure a bit of a searching on Paragon Wiki or asking for help might solve that issue, but then you also have the player number and level requirements. And as some people have already said, some people don't like or don't want to team with other people and shouldn't be barred from content because of their own choice.

But as for being Casual friendly, some players don't have the time the level quickly or be able to stay on for entire Taskforces. This Lv20 unlock works well with the casual crowd.