Heroic/Incarnate Setting for Level 50 TFs

Most MMORPGs I've played have a normal vs heroic setting for dungeons, with the heroic setting making the gameplay experience much more difficult, but the rewards scaling to make it worthwhile.

It would be nice to provide the same thing in CoH, while also giving an alternative to the same 3 trials over and over.

So, how about providing an incarnate setting for regular TFs?

1. The end-boss would have their regular powers, as well as random Tier4 powers from each of the Lore, Destiny, Alpha, etc. categories.
2. The end boss would be given a new devastating power (unique to that AV).

Examples:
Recluse (STF): A PBAE that would tick poison damage for 15 seconds as well as an unresistable knockdown. Alternative: The pylons can defend theirselves with PBAE attacks.

Reichsman (Khan): A footstomp with high damage with unresistable knockback - that would knock you clear across the room. Alternative: The ability to summon an AV level 5th column robot.

Romulus(ITF): The ability to summon a nictus crystal every 15 seconds along with all the associated mobs. Alternative: Every minute you are engaged with ROM, he summons yet another Nictus ( i.e., if you dont kill him fast enough, you have to kill him more than 4 times )

3. All regular mobs would be adjusted to level 54.

4. The end boss and other featured AVs adjusted to level 55.

5. The other AVs that you encounter along the way would get two random T4 incarnate powers.

In short, you'll have to bring your A-game, or you'll get your teeth kicked in.

At the end you could select one of the normal rewards AND get a random incarnate component, just like on a trial.

Edit:
- I'd also have incarnate threads drop off mobs in this mode.
- I'd provide astral merits at the successful completion of each mission, as well as completion of some mission objectives. (i.e., I'd provide an astral merit each for Penny Yin, Glacia, and Infernia if they don't die. Also for objectives like freeing the seers in ITF, defeating AVs in STF, etc. )
- Perhaps some extra badges for the badge hunters out there.

Personally I'd prefer the AVs each get unique little gimmicks of their own, like the ones in trials have. Rather than just slapping on random incarnate powers with no thought to if they actually make sense. Of course that's more work to do, but hey. If we're going to do it at all we may as well take a month or two more to do it right.

I would be fine with 1, 3, 4, and 5, but honestly, the "gimmicks" of the trials are the only parts of the trials themselves that I actually find annoying. Marauder's auto-hit artillery strike, Anti-Matter's auto-hit Pulse are ridiculous and not a proper "obstacle." So anything along those lines would be very annoying in my opinion.

Also, this sounds fine for an actual "Incarnate" mode, meaning that the mode is meant to be played by characters who already have run the trials and acquired their Incarnate abilities. In other words, too difficult for a character just starting their Incarnate journey. But given the amount of people wanting to play through regular content as a means by which to obtain Incarnate abilities/components/merits, I would say it would be a far better idea to cater to that party first.

I would take a simpler approach; just give every mob in the TF like 3 level shifts.

In incarnate trials, you fight 54s, but it's fine because eventually you can get 3 shifts in them so they end up being only +1.

Outside of trials, we can only get one shift. With enemies being 54, they would be really hard. Having them be only 53 would make it still hard, but not quite so much.

If this got implemented, I'd want to see the Apex and Tin mage TFs be considered perma-Incarnate moded, in regards to the level 54 enemies in it, by the way.

So very signed! However, I think the Trials might fade to relative obscurity (a la Cathedral of Pain) due to the difficulty of finding enough players to fill them.