Dr Quatermaine TF - What My SG Mates Had to Say...
By
Arctic_Princess,
Posted on: 2010-07-05 19:44 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Quote:
This, so much. Dr. Q has several missions which are identical with no real reason. The duplicate missions could simply be deleted without any real change to the story at all, and that would probably cut the time down to 3/4 of what it is now.
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
The Quaterfield TF isn't so much bad, it's boring. The souvenir you get is pretty much all the evidence you need to tell how boring it is. "Then you raided the first lab. Then you raided the second lab. And THEN... You raided the third lab."
|
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SerialBeggar
I ran a Dr Q a couple of weeks ago and someone on the team also claimed they knew someone who was able to complete it in ~2 hours. I laughed at him. But still, who are these people that can make such a claim? What are they doing that they can speed-run a Dr Q?
|
You got me. I haven't been brave enough to call there bluff. I, will NOT abandon an team on a TF unless i HAVE too. (It has to be a real emergincy or, VERY late at night, to the point i may oversleep and be late to work the next day. Work, comes first... i have to pay the bills for the net and game after all...) And since i won't quit on them, i'm to afraid of being stuck on a tf for hours and hours if they were wrong. *shrug* I'll just take there word for it and go about my business.
@KingSnake - Triumph Server
@PrinceSnake
My common sense is tingling... ~ Deadpool
If you can't learn to do something well... learn to enjoy doing it poorly...
Rubberlad... You may be completely correct about what you are saying...
BUT... your image is a remarkable piece of evidence that utterly destroys your side of the argument...
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Rubberlad
 |
...Cute blondes get what they want.
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
Quote:
| Quarterfield |
Quote:
| Quaterfield |
Quote:
| Quatermaine. |
Quote:
| Quaterman |
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
This tf is the only task in the game on my "never again" list. After all the grind, the last mission is enormously disappointing.
I'm a comics fan (which is why I play the game at all) and what gets me most geeked up is the cosmic stuff, Silver Surfer, Galactus, Green Lantern Corps, that kind of thing. So I expect the Shard tfs to somewhat be at a cosmic level. Instead, the last mission has you fighting "those guys" on "that map".
I actually like that the Rularuu are tough and aren't easy "tank and spank" fodder.
So, I have nothing more to say really, than "ditto". Revamp the shard. Make it cosmic
Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
Quote:
Well, the fights against Lanaruu and such are pretty neat, to me. When you turn the corner to that giant cavern to see a stories-tall figure standing in the middle... that's pretty awesome, even after a couple of times. Of course, the fights themselves are just normal AV fights on a literally larger scale, but still.
|
Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
This tf is the only task in the game on my "never again" list. After all the grind, the last mission is enormously disappointing.
I'm a comics fan (which is why I play the game at all) and what gets me most geeked up is the cosmic stuff, Silver Surfer, Galactus, Green Lantern Corps, that kind of thing. So I expect the Shard tfs to somewhat be at a cosmic level. Instead, the last mission has you fighting "those guys" on "that map". I actually like that the Rularuu are tough and aren't easy "tank and spank" fodder. So, I have nothing more to say really, than "ditto". Revamp the shard. Make it cosmic |
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
redoing the shard TFs with more Reichsman-esque AV's would certainly make things funner.
By the catapillars hooka you WILL smile!
Quote:
I hate Ruladak's cave, though. Can't see **** in there.
|
Originally Posted by Kelenar
Well, the fights against Lanaruu and such are pretty neat, to me. When you turn the corner to that giant cavern to see a stories-tall figure standing in the middle... that's pretty awesome, even after a couple of times. Of course, the fights themselves are just normal AV fights on a literally larger scale, but still.
|
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/36641/My-Little-Exalt
Quote:
This is probably the most epic of epic rants I've read in a while.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
The Shard is probably the most epic of epic places and storylines in the entire game. It feels like that's why it was made to begin with. But it was handled SO badly I just want to grab whoever originally greenlit the design and slap him upside the head......
|
I agree completely. And that's all I have to say about that.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Calaxprimal
redoing the shard TFs with more Reichsman-esque AV's would certainly make things funner.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Fleeting Whisper
I hate Ruladak's cave, though. Can't see **** in there.
|
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
I'm also one of those people who have done it once, back before any and all shortcuts between zones. I was one of 2 emps on the team (why two of us? no idea). However, we were one and two on the top healers that day (back when the info terminals worked).
Psy-Kid, Vanguard, Paragon City Search and Rescue
www.pcsar.net
I have never completed this TF, but I've done the other Shard TF's which I thought were mostly boring and repetive besides a few unique missions. So if this is suppose to be the worst out of them all, I think I'll skip it. I'm fully in favor of revamping the Shadow Shard and all of its TF's, I always thought the zones were cool and the TF's had good ideas, but were poorly implemented.
[U][URL="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=251594"][/URL][/U]
Quote:
You never fight anything tougher than a boss, while there are many defeat-alls. A Kinetics and three Fulcrum-shifted blasters should be able to shred their way through the TF in a hurry.
|
Originally Posted by SerialBeggar
I ran a Dr Q a couple of weeks ago and someone on the team also claimed they knew someone who was able to complete it in ~2 hours. I laughed at him. But still, who are these people that can make such a claim? What are they doing that they can speed-run a Dr Q?
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Katie V
You never fight anything tougher than a boss, while there are many defeat-alls. A Kinetics and three Fulcrum-shifted blasters should be able to shred their way through the TF in a hurry.
|
If you actually try this you probably want to bring a Force Field character or something similar to protect the group. Rularuu make Malta look like bunny rabbits. I'm not sure what all their stats are but "Confusion protection" and "Invisibility detection" are definitely in the mix. There are also heavy mezzes and if I'm not going senile lots of -Defense. Maybe I have an inflated sense of how difficult they are because I mostly play Controllers, but it seems like I've seen more wipes from this enemy group than any other.
I have done Doc Q a grand total of ONE time. It took us over 5 hours to complete and that was with stealth and recall friend. It was also after the game allowed us Ouro Portals and most of us on the team had Base Teleporters and even Mission teleporters. It's long, it's definately boring with all the repeating missions and defeat X number of THIS enemy missions and I have never had the desire to do it again.
I'm not sure what the average time is these days and I have heard the channel chat of teams completing in a few hours but SPEED RUN teams to me = we don't care about deaths, drops or anything else aside from merits. Well lets look at that
Doc Q 5 hours (for argument sake) 122 Merits
Synapse 2 hours 58 Merits
Sister Psyche 1.5 hours 50 Merits
Moonfire 1.5 hours (or less) 32 Merits
----------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 5 hours (probably less) 140 Merits
With around the same investment of time I can earn more merits doing those 3 TFs. I can take sanity breaks between TFs as opposed to 5 straight hours of grind (or splitting the thing over 2 days). I face three different major villain groups on a variety of maps and all three can be accomplished by anyone using ant type of travel power without serious difficulty.
The shard is a beautiful looking zone that has wound up being ignored simply because of the content design. Not a single contact has a story arc? The initial TF is so long and so tedious it sours people from ever returning? I can't speak for anyone else but frankly I know this is true for me. After that one Doc Q I have never had a desire to go back and even try any of the other TFs.
I know the Devs say it's easier to create a whole new zone that to alter an existing one but if any zone needed and deserved a revamp this is it. Get some actual story arcs in there for people to run. Come up with a better sysytem of travel than the gysers. Cut the length, and yes if necessary the merits, on Doc Q. And in my opinon turn it into a CoOp zone like the RWZ. The place is beautiful and its such a shame that it isn't seen by more people.
�We�re always the good guys. In D&D, we�re lawful good. In City of Heroes we�re the heroes. In Grand Theft Auto we pay the prostitutes promptly and never hit them with a bat.� � Leonard
�Those women are prostitutes? You said they were raising money for stem cell research!� � Sheldon
Citadel first please. It is required for an accolade and has the same problem. Invade the council base and defeat all time after time after time after time after time.
Don't count your weasels before they pop dink!
Quote:
Unsurprisingly, blame the giant eyeballs.|
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
. . . and "Invisibility detection" are definitely in the mix.
|
Quote:
| There are also heavy mezzes and if I'm not going senile lots of -Defense. |
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wicked_Wendy
Doc Q 5 hours (for argument sake) 122 Merits
Synapse 2 hours 58 Merits Sister Psyche 1.5 hours 50 Merits Moonfire 1.5 hours (or less) 32 Merits ---------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 5 hours (probably less) 140 Merits With around the same investment of time I can earn more merits doing those 3 TFs. I can take sanity breaks between TFs as opposed to 5 straight hours of grind (or splitting the thing over 2 days). |
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
Quote:
You're misreading my intent. I was talking about the Shard as a whole rather than just the Dr. Q TF. The Dr. Q TF is a travesty or boring proportions. The only times I do it (and I've done it more than most) are when I'm feeling sufficiently pumped up that I think it'll be fun to go through the crucible again.|
Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
If only we could call the Dr. Q TF "the most original and interesting content in the entire game"! Unfortunately we cannot.
|
Honestly, a Dr. Q TF could likely be turned into something of a two-part story/TF fusion: you first start working for Dr. Q doing solo missions throughout FBZ and occasionally bouncing back to PI and/or FF. Once you complete that arc (finding out about Crey, Nemesis, and others breaking into the Shard without alerting Portal Corp and destroying the first lab), you then get to run the remainder of the content as a TF (destroying those labs and dealing with the Rularuu outbreak).
Quote:
Synaspe is worse than citadel imo. so many defeat clockworks.
|
Originally Posted by Mandu
Citadel first please. It is required for an accolade and has the same problem. Invade the council base and defeat all time after time after time after time after time.
|
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mandu
Citadel first please. It is required for an accolade and has the same problem. Invade the council base and defeat all time after time after time after time after time.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by tanstaafl
Synaspe is worse than citadel imo. so many defeat clockworks.
|
As for the Dr Q TF, just nuke it into oblivion. Let's pretend it never existed. It's an abberation that is a sad shadow (almost a pun here....) on the City Of experience.
[COLOR=darkorchid]Nebulhym's AE Arcs: Try them now![/COLOR]
# 12647: Of feathers and fur...[COLOR=yellow]Winner of [B]The American Legion[/B]'s January 2011 AE Author Contest![/COLOR]
# 292389: From Tartarus with love...
# 459592: Interdimensional Headache
Quote:
Blame the eyeballs again. Just for fun, I tried to take some on with my /SR Scrapper, to see if they were really that bad. Yes. Yes they are.
|
Originally Posted by Ironblade
Unsurprisingly, blame the giant eyeballs.
Even worse, the guys with the -defense have crazy +to hit, so they can punch right through your defense to start the debuffing. |
Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper
Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Eva Destruction
Blame the eyeballs again. Just for fun, I tried to take some on with my /SR Scrapper, to see if they were really that bad. Yes. Yes they are.
|
In a way I think that's great too. I wish more of the TFs were populated by enemies you really needed a team to deal with. Rularuu are one of the few groups that can really bake you. Too bad the TF that features them is so painful.
I've thought about writing a "Dr Q Redux" AE mission that re-does the arc in a more palatable fashion.
Quote:
Not really. You very much do not need a team to deal with the Soldiers of Rularuu. I took a Blaster through them that did just fine, and I've been having occasional stints in the Shard with a Kat/SR Scrapper throughout the Issues. They're hard, they're cheap, they're annoying, but they are NOT impossible to deal with.
|
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
In a way I think that's great too. I wish more of the TFs were populated by enemies you really needed a team to deal with. Rularuu are one of the few groups that can really bake you. Too bad the TF that features them is so painful.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
|
Quote:
Bases, and everything connected to them, trump The Shard and everything else. So said States around I6 / I7.|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
The Shard, as it stands right now, is a monument to terrible, misunderstood design. It is THE largest, most expensive, most creative wastes of resources and investment in the entire game ...
|
Second, depending on your viewpoint, is probably PvP -- but that's also tied into bases.
In third place, we've got the hazard zones.
Quote:
Well... Rularuu toast a lot of my characters, but my /Elec Brute laughs at them. I expect Dark Armor would, too. So it's not so much that they're the all-killer as it is that they negate a lot of popular builds.
|
Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
In a way I think that's great too. I wish more of the TFs were populated by enemies you really needed a team to deal with. Rularuu are one of the few groups that can really bake you. Too bad the TF that features them is so painful.
|
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
Doc Q isn't that bad, but the getting around can be a pain. The rularuu are really tough, and that contributes to making all shard TFs unpopular.
If you look at the popularity of TFs now, the LGtf vis-a-vis the ITF shows that the ITF is probably at least 4-5 times more popular, even though both can be run within the same time frame, even when the level requirements were the same.
The biggest reason why I think the ITF is insanely popular is that there is very little mez floating around, so it's a straight smash and dash. The LGtf has drones and lots of mez floating around.
Of course the rularuu piles on the mez and percep so that tanks can get caged and it's not uncommon to see a tank running expecting a standard tank and spank but get utterly creamed by the rularuu heavy psi and mez (and phased). This probably makes the Doc Q more of a chore as well.
When I did my first doc Q I think we ran it in about 6 hours...old school classic non quitting...a falling off the edge, frustrating 6 hours.
Before ED we managed to do one in under 4 hours, and now it's easily under 3, with great teammates making the fastest time just under 2 1/2 hours. Still, I doubt I do the doc Q more than 3-4 times a year.