Let's rate the trials

As I-22 approaches, SLOWLY, and a lot of us have done trial after trial after trial I wondered how players would rate each. So for some fun let's list them from favorite to "god I hate that thing!" along with a short explanation why.


1. MoM ... Yeah I know some don't like dodging the pink stuff but the battle with Mother Penelope is awesome and the battles with the nightmare add to the fun. Heck people are running farms just to get those so they can acquire the badge

2. The Underground ... Okay I think you can see I prefer a challenge to mind numbing ease LOL This forces players to actually PAY attention and listen to instructions if you want to succeed . About the only thing I am not crazy about is the long run through the tunnels where I am constantly taking damage from spores. I don't mind damage but when there is nothing I can do to fight back and my only means of survival is to Run fast and use greens it takes a bit away from the enjoyment.

3. BAF ... probably the easiet trial of all these days. If you can't succeed on a BAF you may want to hang up the spadex tights and look for another line of work. LOL The dual battle with Siege and Northstar add just enough excitement to keep it from putting you to sleep these days. Now if we can just PLEASE stop that cut scene.. I have seen it like 1000 times now.. which may be why I picked MoM as #1 .. i can get back at her for that ~totally~ ~horrible~ ~acting~~!

4. The TPN .. Its fast paced, its not that difficult once you get the strategy down but I am still not crazy about a trial where an average citizen can send my character to the hospital with a BRICK!

5. Lamda .. This one has never been a favorite because even with level shifts it is still a nightmare for a squishy character when you hit the acid/grenade collection phase. And let's face it the battle with Maurader can get annoying too.. If the man is soooo powerful why does he feel the need to run around like a Slag Golum in Sharkshead? I spend more time chasing him around the compound than actually fighting him

6. Keyes Island .. And last but definately least, imo, Keyes. First off the cut scene leave you wondering if you should be battling Anti Matter or getting him the number of a really good shrink.. The man has serious issues he needs to resolve. The reactor phases are fairly easy now that we have a sound strategy that in most cases eliminates the need to even bother leading AM around. It's the final battle I hate with a passion.. After one run when I was playing my Rad/Rad Defender I made the comment .. "Okay so Anti Matter and I are both rad/rad. When do I get my ability to freeze time, regenerate, and blast people from space with MY obliteration beam?" I like to actively participate in battling the Av at the end of any TF or Trial.. not spend half my time running from some auto killing beam from outer space when I am not flailing around helplessly in mid air cause time has frozen and the damage I did help do is being erased. Of course we always wind up winning but its just annoying and I can't wait to finish it and move on to one's that are more fun.

Now for the clarification .. absolutely none of these trials are so horrible that I won't do them and with a good team I enjoy what ever I am doing. I will also admit the the placement of the UG Trial MAY be partially based on the fact that I always get either a rare or Very rare.. I did 5 trials early today. A speed LAM>BAF>Keyes>TPN and then a second BAF. I didnt get a single thing higher than an uncommon and I only got one of those. Of course last night I did a Keyes>TPN>Mom>UG>BAF and got 4 rares and an uncommon so it does even out!

Okay now.. if interested.. your turn. and PLEASE no flame wars and YES we all know how the mechanics suck and yada yada yada... I just want to know what you like, dont like and a quick reason or two why. We don't need detailed schematics outlining the flaws in the basic design that forces us to do silly things over and over. have fun!

I stopped reading once I saw you put the two endurance tests at the top. :/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shubbie Im very good at taking a problem and making it worse.

In order of my favorite to least favorite...

1.) MoM= 9/10. I can't get enough of this trial, assuming a competent/experienced league. It's reaction based without being a chaotic rush-around which I think some other trials suffer from. I think this trial rewards being conscious of your environment, juggling awareness with getting the most out of your given character, and I like that a lot.

2.) Keyes= 8/10. I enjoy this trial a lot. It has a bit of a "mad dash" aspect but the open map makes that fair play imo. This trial also rewards environmental awareness with an emphasis on completing goals, and there's lots of opportunities for shredding mobs which I can't get enough of.

3.) BAF= 6/10. I rate this low because it's become such a no-brainer. It's definitely a fun trial, it's smooth and accessible and that's the bottom line.

4.) TPN= 6/10. I don't have as much fun on this trial as the others because it's basically the worst phase of Lambda over and over. I think it's neat in a sense and very easy to do once you figure out, it's probably currently my third favorite to play after MoM and Keyes just because it's still newer. I think it rewards memorization in the same sense that BAF does and doesn't need any reaction playing like Keyes or MoM which is why I don't enjoy it as much... It just feels like a mindless mad dash to me but that's not always a bad thing.

5.) Underground=6/10. I like Underground sometimes, but it's just too long, and the map makes me feel claustrophobic. I really prefer the open environment maps for Incarnate Trials, the closed off sections make them feel cluttered to me especially on big leagues. My favorite part of the UG is the AV fights and that's what I look forward to when I play it, but overall I don't find the trial particularly enjoyable.

6.) Lambda=4/10. I've never liked Lambda. Sabatoge just drives me nuts, in the same way that stealthing TF's drives me nuts. I just don't like the idea of the "mad dash" to the glowies most of the time. I do get in the mood for it every now and then, and when I'm in that mood I enjoy Lambda... But when I'm not, I can't stand it. Marauder hopping around and being immune to taunt/immobilize isn't particularly entertaining for me either, but then he drops so fast these days (most of the time) that it's hardly as annoying as it used to be for me.


Disclaimer- These are 100% subjective personal opinions. I'm not suggesting or implying that everyone or even anyone else feels the same way as me.

1. Keyes - Probably the best rewards-to-difficulty ratio of them all. And it doesn't take that long or require lots of +2s and +3s just to keep the purple patch at bay.
2. BAF - Easy and fast. Almost mindless in that I can do about three other things at the same time (watch Castle, do my taxes, feed the cat, etc.)
3. TPN - Easy and not too time-consuming for great rewards, assuming you have the level shifts needed to keep up the pressure and not lose due to public opinion.
4. UG - Long but probably the most interesting, and great rewards. Big time committment though (compared to the others), and it is easy to fail if people aren't on their toes against the WarWalkers or the Avatar.
5. MoM - Least reward for the time and effort in my book. Its only virtues are the untimed breather you get between each stage and the 2/1 Empyrean merit schedule. The purple patch and the three minute timer in the final fight mock any league without lots of +2s and +3s (necessary to compensate for the weakened state everyone is forced into).
6. Lambda - My least favorite, especially when run as a "speed Lam" (or SLam). The sabotage phase is especially unpleasant. I will go farm Rikti in the RWZ for bloody vanguard merits before I'll run Lambdas.