Unlockable contacts - always miss, newly miss, etc.

Random thought as I was buzzing around killing Family for my level 20 costume slot...

COV brought in unlockable contacts. We haven't ... really seen a lot done with them since, and I think it's a shame (but, hey, add it to the list of stuff that's introduced and forgotten.)

That said, some of them are awkward. Velveeta - or whatever her name is - is way out of the way in Oakes, and requires you (should you not want to outlevel her arc) to trap ghosts... which can rapidly surround the player with Bosses and Elite Bosses if the trap 'pops.' I can't think of the last time I've run her - or even remembered about her without being out of range.

Doc Buzzsaw is a fun arc, but I always seem to get her *just* in time to unlock her... at 29. Unless I think about it early and disable XP or something.

And - the one that brought this to mind - the slot machine. I can't think of the last time I ran that - I think I've run that arc once. Maybe twice. Given I have around 300 existing characters, I should have seen it more often. (But, really, I don't end up with enough Family bosses, or Family missions in general, to unlock it.)

Then there's ... what... mu'whatsisface. Who you unlock by doing a villainside respec. Which, when it first came out - well, I still dont' find them fun, but at least I *did* them back in issue 6-7. Now? With the number of vetspecs, freespecs, second and third builds and the like, I don't know that I *have* him unlocked anywhere. If he were unlocked by server transfers, I'd have him unlocked on more.

Why am I griping about this? Because I actually *like* the concept. Especially in the otherwise ride-the-rails path of redside. They have the potential to give some variety. Blueside, I have multiple zones with a slew of contacts and arcs to go through. Redside, it's the same-old same-old - unless you know about these unlocks and *remember* them (and what to do to unlock them.) You're not forced into them (like Seer Marino.)

But the system needs to be introduced, and it isn't. I hate seeing this stuff go to waste. And I hate forgetting it - and seeing that nothing new has been added this way. Could we get *someone* tipping off players that "Hey, someone might want to talk to you - if you take care of business with X group first."

In any case, all that leads up to some idle curiosity-

Does anyone actually remember, or go out of their way to unlock, any of the unlockable contacts? And would you want more, if they were introduced better?

See my Guides and Tutorials

I specifically go out of my way to unlock various contacts redside, most notably Buzzsaw because her arc is (arcs are - though in my eyes it's just one arc split for multiple arc rewards) just so damn awesome.

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Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

I don't know if this is a bug or a new design decision for redside but once I hit level 10 the Find Contact button offered to not only introduce but teleport me to Veluta Lunata. I'm not sure if other Locked contacts will be introduced to me as I level, but I'm hoping all of them can be unlocked this way.

I've run many of the unlockables, but they're really... not worth it. And that's sad. You do so much work (a great deal of work, in some cases), frequently even having to turn off xp, and what do you get out of all that work? A chance at a bit more content than you'd have otherwise. A bit more content that redside seriously needs, but it's locked behind work work & more work. All that work would only be worth it if you got something special for all your time spent, but... you really don't. Just another story arc, as well written as it might be, is, in the end, just another story arc.

I don't even think they'd be worth it if they were introduced, though that would be a great first step. If they were advertised better, and made easier to access, or were given increased rewards (but that would probably have blueside screaming not fair!!), then I would consider them worth it.

But I really think it will remain a long forgotten and abandoned aspect of the game, and that just makes me sad, even while I'm working and working to unlock the ones I really like.

Slot Machine is worth unlocking at least once. It's got a good arc. You will have to go out of your way to do it, though. Easiest way is to get a big team together (yeah, right, on redside) and storm Port Oakes when it's all grey.

I have never unlocked Veluta Lunata on any character. Her unlock requirement is insanely difficult for her intended level range, more than I want to deal with. From what I've read her arc is not particularly noteworthy.

I have unlocked Crimson Revenant on a few characters. On a low-pop server, forget it. Not a terrible arc but worth going out of your way for, especially if AV/EBs give you trouble.

I will usually get Kristof Jaeger without trying. Again, a fairly typical arc, not worth a detour.

Archmage Taraxus is an easy unlock and has an arc that offers a Blackwand (10 charges, IIRC). You'll need to deal with an EB but it's not terribly difficult. He isn't so attractive if you've got the vet/Reward Token one, of course.

Mu'Drakahn is not unlocked by doing a respec. That's Arbiter Leery, another one in the "ain't half bad/ain't half good neither" catagory.

Ambassador Kuh'rekt requires 25 badges. If you're a vet you may get more than that by creating a character. He has a good story but you'll have to deal with two annoying AV/EBs, Positron and Valkyrie, both of which hit hard and have obnoxious T9 moves. Johnny Sonata requires 50; again if you're a vet you might have to go out of your way to not have 50 badges by that level range. His arc is worth a look (and includes a Shard trip which may get your villain some nice weapon unlocks) though again you'll have to deal with an AV/EB at the end.

Henri Dumont is not particularly hard to unlock but not worth playing either. I have never unlocked Number 204; his unlock task is annoying and according to a friend who played its arc, the arc throws the Idiot Ball repeatedly.

I like unlockable contacts because it gives me something else to aim for other than experience. I've never done some of them, like Veluta Lunata, Slot Machine (which I've always wanted to do), Arbtier Leery and Number 204.

There is one unlockable contact in particular that I love and is actually quite well known - Television.

I've recently started doing a Full Content Run (FCR) of red side... or at least I'm trying to. It's taking a loooong time. I've got as far as the first 3 contacts in Port Oakes, and I'm working on slaying ghosts to get Veluta Lunata before I out-level and go and work with the Radio...

It's a lot of work.

I managed to complete a FCR of Praetoria thanks to this handy guide though. Pity there's not one for both red and blue zones as well somewhere.

And this is why content you outlevel should auto-exemplar you. So you don't WASTE it.

It's really that simple...

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Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

I believe that i21 makes unlocking those contacts easier with the find contact option. i recall getting veluta in the options of possible contacts even without having her unlocked.

Just tried.

The contact finder looks like it works randomly. But When i went to veluta herself she gave me her mission automatically. Looks like the contacts are no longer locked.

If I can add in to the pool, I have absolutely no clue who most of these contacts are, and I've been playing since i2.

I only unlock these on my XP off villains who do ALL the available content at each level range and with the help of the wiki. My problem with them is most of these unlocks are rather obtuse, counter intuitive and far too easy to outlevel in the course of normal play.

So yeah, concept was pretty good. But the original execution overall as game feature that was more fun than frustrating gets a C- in my book.

On my villain 50, I went out of my way to get most of them. I missed Veluta Lunata, Slot Machine, Leery, 204, and Viridian (I was going to, and still intend to, get to him after I finished my other contacts, which at this point is just Television and GW). Of the ones I've done... Tarixus is one of my favorites redside, Doc Buzzsaw's pretty good, and Television is amusing.

Edit: Er... I got Tarixus and Diviner Maros confused. Tarixus is alright, although once Freedom goes live all my characters will have access to a permanent Blackwand so I won't have any reason to do his arc. Shame, because he's one of the easiest to unlock.

Just as an aside, for these unlockable contacts that you miss early in the game (especially the one in Port Oakes), you can always unlock them later and run their arcs through Ouroboros once you are level 25 (will actually only need to be 14 once Freedom hits). The fact that you now get XP along with merits for running flashbacks through ouroboros is just icing on the cake, IMHO.

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Originally Posted by Frosty_Femme I said "ur" which is not a word. It's a sound dumb people make when you ask them to spell out "you are".