Signature story arc = Incarnate story arc: a proposal

Paragon has announced 3-5 mission Signature arcs that are already in the development pipeline. There's probably two or three of them already drawn up and they're already scheduled to be released monthly. Why not offer VIP's the ability to run those arcs for Incarnate XP and Incarnate rewards once every 20 hours?

Have the Signature arc contact offer an Incarnate option for arcs if the character is VIP, level 50, and if it's currently not running an Incarnate level Signature arc (note "an" not "that", you couldn't run at Incarnate level more than once every 20 hours no matter how many Signature arcs there are available). The Incarnate option runs at minimum +4/x4 and scales with the number of team members (up to 8 as normal). It awards iXP (different arcs could award different types of iXP) instead of regular XP and works with all Incarnate level shifts. At the end of the last mission of the Incarnate arc you are awarded salvage off of the same random tables that the trials use. No Empyreal merits would be awarded from these arcs, only Astrals. Astrals would be rewarded at the end of each mission including the last, with some bonus Astrals perhaps tied to achievements during the arc. Threads drop at the same rate as in a trial.

Once the Incarnate mission option framework was established it could be applied to future Signature arcs and/or other content. Development of such a thing now could be a good investment of time that would pay off down the line.

There would also be a non-Incarnate option for these arcs for VIP's and Premiums (who buy them at the store).

Because these missions are already in the works this plan would possibly allow for solo/team option to arrive sooner.

The tech exists to limit activity to once every 20 hours, the tech exists to award iXP. The tech exists to place the reward tables at the end of a mission. The tech exists to lock in a minimum difficulty level.

The release of these arcs, one per month, would be analogous to the release of the trials. Knowing that more arcs were in the plan (and the faster monthly release schedule) would assuage the concerns of people that would be concerned about limited choices for solo/team options when this option is first offered.

Trials would still be, by far, the faster and more effective way to get Incarnate powers.

Different arcs could be better for Incarnating different AT's. Remember that Signature arcs use signature allies. Perhaps the Force Field defender that wants to Incarnate using this path chooses to solo the arc with Statesman, BAB, or Manticore. The Scrapper chooses Swan's arc, or Sister Psyche. Or of course they get together and work through the arc.



Options

An Empyreal Merit could be awarded along with the reward table at the end of the arc. Because only one Signature Incarnate arc could be done in a 20 hour span Empyreal Merits would already be at one third the speed of trials and that fraction would favor trials even more as time goes on.

The timer could be based on when you started the arc or when you completed the arc.

The minimum level could be whatever, though I think +4 would be essential.

Tying the bigger rewards to the last mission of the arc might seem problematic as people could jump in on the last mission and get the rewards. But as long as the rewards can't be achieved more than once every 20 hours that shouldn't matter. Plus late-comers would get fewer Threads and Astrals. Alternatively the arc could be treated as an AE or TF, where you are unable to change team composition until it's completed.


Please post any feedback you have on this idea.

Thank you!

I fully support this. I think the incarnate level shifts should NOT work here, though. We don't get those shifts in an Apex or Tin Mage, I see no reason to get them in soloable arcs.

What if none of the signature arcs are level 50 content?