Issue 19: Strike Pack - Patch notes for build 1950.201101250108.0

COMBINED

Weekly Strike Target

• Every week a hero task force and a villain strike force, or one co-op task force may be designated as the “Weekly Strike Target” for that week. Look for announcement of which Weekly Strike Target is active on the Message of the Day and on the official City of Heroes boards every Tuesday.
• Characters who successfully complete a Weekly Strike Target will receive a once-a-week gift of double merits for completion based upon the typical undiminished merit reward for the content, and a grant of up to a third, half, or two-thirds of their entire level of XP (based upon the relative length of the content). Characters who have unlocked their Alpha Slot will also receive a Rare “Notice of the Well” Incarnate Component.
• This reward is only available once per week per character, even if multiple Strike Targets are completed.
• Completion of a Weekly Strike Target after the first in a week will earn progress towards three new badges for helping other teams complete the Weekly Strike Target as well.

• Rare recipes for the Alpha Slot Rare powers are added using the existing Alpha Component Pool and a new Rare Alpha Component called "Notice of the Well" – which can be acquired as part of the Weekly Strike Target reward for a character who has unlocked their Alpha Slot.
• Very Rare recipes for the Alpha Slot Rare powers have also been added using the existing Alpha Component Pool and a new Very Rare Alpha Component called "Favor of the Well" – which can only be constructed via a conversion recipe which requires a large amount of Incarnate Shards and 2 Notices of the Well.
• Breakdown recipes for converting Alpha Components back into Incarnate Shards have been added.
• Rare and Very Rare Alpha Slot powers will provide a +1 Level Shift when equipped and active.
• Level Shift: Level shifts are direct bonuses (or penalties, if negative) to a character’s effective combat level. A combat level 50 character with one level shift fights in combat as if they were a combat level 51 character. Characteristics like damage, control duration, debuff potential, chance to hit, as well as effective defense and resistance will all be increased, as all of these characteristics take into account the difference in level between you and your foe. However, a level shift does not actually raise the character’s level. Base characteristics such as Hit Points, Endurance, Movement Speed, Recharge will not be affected, nor will additional enhancement slots or power picks be unlocked. Rewards drops and badge credit are also not affected by level shifting.

Good to see patch notes.

Sounds really fun. Can't wait to see the Rare/Very Rare stuff.

Also, in before the "Devs hate us! TEAMS!" rage.

On test now, the gmotd does not tell us what the Weekly Strike Target is.

Can't wait to be 51!

According to the conversion menu, converting a Common Component into shards gives you 1 shard. Converting an Uncommon gives you 2-3. Converting a Notice gives you 4-6. Converting a Favor gives you 8-12.

I'd suggest removing the random element from that. It's only going to frustrate, when something gives you the low end of the range and you know it could have been higher.

Also, for those just wanting to know the numbers, a Rare takes an Uncommon boost, two Common components, and a Notice. A Very Rare takes any two Rare boosts in that category (any two Spiritual Revamps for a Spiritual Paragon, etc), a Common component, an Uncommon component, and a Favor. A Favor is made from two Notices and 32 shards. Making a Very Rare from scratch means 4 Notices and 128 shards, by my calculation.

And here's some screenies for source material as to what MFH is saying

http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m...Strike%20Pack/

I know they're aiming for an early February launch of 19.5, but putting this up on Test during a 2XP weekend is not going to make it that easy to get together a Test team to try out the WST system until next week