Lambda, how to do it


Agent White

 

Posted

I had an exchange with MP after a "quick" lambda trial that indicated that either I don't understand what's going on or she doesn't. Am I wrong in this assessment.

There are basically 4 ways to do a lambda.

1. Kill outside - turrets - courtyard - get acids and grenades - Victory style, wait till 18:30 and then use acids and wipe everything.

2. Similar to 1 without doing turrets

3. No outside/turrets, courtyard to open the facility then get acids and grenades but don't use the acids and wipe everything outside

4. As 3 but never enter the acids part of the facility, whole raid rampages throught the grenades side killing stuff in there as the timer won't allow you to proceed for 5 mins anyway, then get the last grenade as clock approaches 5 mins. This (I've never done one) is my understanding of "Freedom standard" for a fast run. By doing this the timer never extends so guaranteed 5 mins.

1. is best if you're desperate for iXP.
2. is probably more efficient than 1 for rewards/time
3. seems worst of all worlds, you give up on 2/3 of the iXP and chance for catalysts and threads, and it's not even that fast unless you can clear both sides inside 5 mins.
4. You recover some of the iXP/threads/catalysts by actually killing stuff inside, you lose 1 astral, but may recover the 4 threads anyway.

The only reason for doing a 3 would be if you had a league full of +3s and were confident of clearing the whole inside within 5 mins (we took 7-8 in the one I did as there were several +0s).


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba

 

Posted

The "Freedom Standard" sLAMs I've been on are like 4 except you get the grenades as fast as possible so there's a bit of time before the cutscene starts (and everyone can buff up) and then take out Marauder as fast as possible before the adds become unbeatable.


 

Posted

5. League kills 60 mobs, Nugget heads inside facility to solo Security Team while other guys keep killing stuff outside.
;-)

(This is similar to #1, but the team doesn't get to help Nugget.)

Otherwise, yeah I agree with what you wrote


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
I had an exchange with MP after a "quick" lambda trial that indicated that either I don't understand what's going on or she doesn't. Am I wrong in this assessment.

There are basically 4 ways to do a lambda.

1. Kill outside - turrets - courtyard - get acids and grenades - Victory style, wait till 18:30 and then use acids and wipe everything.

2. Similar to 1 without doing turrets

3. No outside/turrets, courtyard to open the facility then get acids and grenades but don't use the acids and wipe everything outside

4. As 3 but never enter the acids part of the facility, whole raid rampages throught the grenades side killing stuff in there as the timer won't allow you to proceed for 5 mins anyway, then get the last grenade as clock approaches 5 mins. This (I've never done one) is my understanding of "Freedom standard" for a fast run. By doing this the timer never extends so guaranteed 5 mins.

1. is best if you're desperate for iXP.
2. is probably more efficient than 1 for rewards/time
3. seems worst of all worlds, you give up on 2/3 of the iXP and chance for catalysts and threads, and it's not even that fast unless you can clear both sides inside 5 mins.
4. You recover some of the iXP/threads/catalysts by actually killing stuff inside, you lose 1 astral, but may recover the 4 threads anyway.

The only reason for doing a 3 would be if you had a league full of +3s and were confident of clearing the whole inside within 5 mins (we took 7-8 in the one I did as there were several +0s).

#4, is as Klaw stated, how sLams are run on Freedom. Its pretty fast and effective, the one thing that seems to help a lot is if there is enough -jump on the team you can keep Maurader from jumping around and he just stands at his spawn point the whole time (note: I have yet been able to prove its -jump, but that is what everyone keeps telling me keeps him locked in place).

#3, I have seen players run speed lamadas this way as well. I guess the thought is, if you can clear both the warehouse and the lab in under 2 minutes it would be *faster* than just blitzing the grenades. When I have been on one of these type of runs, typically you just do just what you describe, leave all the doors open and just try to beat down Maurader as fast as possible, hoping that you kill 30 IDF to get that extra astral as well.


I think the real differences between the two would be:
1)with #3- you have the opportunity if everything goes to <pancake> to close the doors since you have the temps.

2)4 would be a bit faster IMO, by maybe 45-90 seconds.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
I had an exchange with MP after a "quick" lambda trial that indicated that either I don't understand what's going on or she doesn't. Am I wrong in this assessment.

There are basically 4 ways to do a lambda.

1. Kill outside - turrets - courtyard - get acids and grenades - Victory style, wait till 18:30 and then use acids and wipe everything.

2. Similar to 1 without doing turrets

3. No outside/turrets, courtyard to open the facility then get acids and grenades but don't use the acids and wipe everything outside

4. As 3 but never enter the acids part of the facility, whole raid rampages throught the grenades side killing stuff in there as the timer won't allow you to proceed for 5 mins anyway, then get the last grenade as clock approaches 5 mins. This (I've never done one) is my understanding of "Freedom standard" for a fast run. By doing this the timer never extends so guaranteed 5 mins.
There's also 2.5: Same as 1 but no outside or turrets. If no one on the team is needing IXPs then there's little reason to kill the outside mobs. Thread (and other) drops aren't really that great for em.

I should note that I haven't actually run a Lambda in a while. I'll have to start back up when I finally get another character to 50 soonish.


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Posted

Perhaps you were "exchanging" with someone else, but it was not with me! I RAN the Lambda, but I did not talk with you about it afterward (unless you mean like 2 lines in a chat channel... but that does not seem like what you mean).

I am always very clear about how I am going to run a trial before I start and I always maintain, if you (general you for all of this) do not like the way I am going to run it, I fully support you quitting and forming your own trial the way you like it. I believe the person putting the effort into forming the trial and recruiting people deserves to run it how they want to.

I run a quick Lam as I call it, not a sLAM which is the Freedom standard because that is how I enjoy running the trial. I am not interested in button mashing and killing things for the sake of killing them (normally). I want the end reward and a chance at some drops. I do both acids and grenades just in case things go south and also because we get 2 astrals instead of 1.

On the time you are describing.. I personally ran a 2.5 as Mr. Morbid describes. I don't care if people use acids, but I kind of think it is a waste of time. So I say, use them if you want to. Unless I really want that extra astral from the mobs (then I would say no acids at all and wait like 60-90 seconds for a build up- if I did this though, I probably cleared the outside too, re #2).

For me, the end reward is what matters- the emp, the table, and the astrals along the way. The iXP and the few threads are inconsequential. This is just my opinion anyone is welcome to disagree . Now... the faster you run a trial, the faster you get to the end reward. So if you just run the trial twice you'd get 2 tables and 1 emp which is equal to at minimum 2 basics and 20 threads. You need 20 threads for a basic, and there is no way in clearing the turrets and the outside mobs that you will get 20 threads, so already you are ahead. Plus in the speed of things, you have probably gotten more iXP for just a slightly longer period (2 quick trials versus 1 slow one) (clearing outside/turrets lam get's about 34% Interface, just doing courtyard Lam get's about 28%. 28+28=56. 56 > 34). If you switch and make your 2nd trial a BAF or a Keyes, you will be even more ahead of the game (Keyes being better because that 2nd emp could give you 20 threads which is 66% ixp for interface or judgment).

Regardless of what is efficient or inefficient, the correct way to do anything is the way it is more fun for you. If you like to play "hardcore style" or "casual style" or whatever style, that will obviously change what is most fun for you. It's a game and the point of a game is to have fun.

And I would like to note... this is why I never want to join Lam because people complain if we don't run the turrets or if we do, or if we don't get the astral or if we spend time to. Prior to the Lam in question, I did not do one in over two-three weeks. I think I will go back to abstaining from them. Just not worth the headaches.


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Posted

Yeah, I prefer 2.5. The turrets are time consuming for little reward. And why street sweep the outside unless you really want iXP? And even then you're better off just doing another trial because the astrals, salvage, and empyreans are really where it's at for rewards, so the quicker you can get them the better (which is why TPN is so awesome).

So, skip the outside and turrets, clear the courtyard, then head inside. Split up and get all acids and grenades. After Babs spawns, wait 30 seconds or so to let the mobs accumulate so you get your astral for killing 30 of them, then take them out and Babs. Use acids as needed depending on the strength of the league.


 

Posted

There's no trial where you'll try to maximize thread drops. Thread drops are incidental to the trials, except TPN and UGT where you get the mid-point 60. If you need thread, burn astrals. They give you 4 threads each and they drop like candy. Unless you -really- want to buy those costume options and recipes. Plus you can just do a quick SSA and Dark Astoria repeatable for 10 each. Waaay faster than drops. Even on long trials I get maybe... 6-7 threads? if they drop -a lot-?

And in fact, if you're running trials, burn threads for iXP. I mean, do trials to earn it too, but keep in mind, 30 threads for judgment/interface, and 50 for lore/destiny. Sounds like a lot but it really isn't.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by MedievalPower View Post
Yeah, I prefer 2.5. The turrets are time consuming for little reward. And why street sweep the outside unless you really want iXP? And even then you're better off just doing another trial because the astrals, salvage, and empyreans are really where it's at for rewards, so the quicker you can get them the better (which is why TPN is so awesome).

So, skip the outside and turrets, clear the courtyard, then head inside. Split up and get all acids and grenades. After Babs spawns, wait 30 seconds or so to let the mobs accumulate so you get your astral for killing 30 of them, then take them out and Babs. Use acids as needed depending on the strength of the league.
My preference is to skip the turrets (particularly if I'm on my granite), but do the outside as I often seem to get decent numbers of catalysts, threads and converters off the outside mobs which I need, and it really doesn't take much time with the whole league. The rush to the reward table seems pointless as the last 30 or so Lams/BAFs I've done have been common/uncommon, so little point. I need to do higher trials if I want a decent reward.


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba

 

Posted

masque, its been a long time since i ran a lambda but if i see one going on ill try to get on it with my bane spider to surveillance marauder and see what his jumping abilities are

the only thing i ever looked at on his stats before were his resistances for MoLAM purposes


 

Posted

1-2 people can solo/duo all the turrets while everyone else clears mobs. It is much faster than doing mobs /then/ turrets.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
My preference is to skip the turrets (particularly if I'm on my granite), but do the outside as I often seem to get decent numbers of catalysts, threads and converters off the outside mobs which I need, and it really doesn't take much time with the whole league. The rush to the reward table seems pointless as the last 30 or so Lams/BAFs I've done have been common/uncommon, so little point. I need to do higher trials if I want a decent reward.
To each their own. You're certainly not alone in that sentiment. I'm just not the type that likes to clear extra mobs just for the sake of clearing and hoping to get a purple or catalyst or whatever.

And this is why I don't usually do Lambda's anymore. All the other trials are relatively straightforward in what you need to fight and people don't tend to go clear unnecessary mobs. When I do join a Lambda that's not being run by Madame Pistacio I know full well that there's a strong chance the outside and/or turrets will be cleared and I make sure that is something I won't mind doing at the time.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by MedievalPower View Post
To each their own. You're certainly not alone in that sentiment. I'm just not the type that likes to clear extra mobs just for the sake of clearing and hoping to get a purple or catalyst or whatever.

And this is why I don't usually do Lambda's anymore. All the other trials are relatively straightforward in what you need to fight and people don't tend to go clear unnecessary mobs. When I do join a Lambda that's not being run by Madame Pistacio I know full well that there's a strong chance the outside and/or turrets will be cleared and I make sure that is something I won't mind doing at the time.
I should also add that I only do Lambdas with toons that need iXP, I do a more sensible trial if I have the 2nd tier physical unlocked, as I will have saved components and filled it to T3 as soon as I've unlocked it so be +2.


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba

 

Posted

I don't really think that there's a "perfect" or "ideal" way to run Lambda. Everyone has a way they'd prefer it to be run and, frankly, the only way to guarantee that anything is run the way you think is best is to run it yourself. Then you're in control.

If you get in on someone trial, it's theirs and they will run it the way they want to. I've been on trials that I thought were great and on ones where I thought really weird choices were made. On the great ones, I'll thank the leader and tell them I thought it was great if my computer's still cooperating with me. On the "weird choices" ones, I'll thank the leader and then keep my mouth shut about anything else. Most players I've teamed with are clear from the beginning how things will be run and it's your choice to stay or leave.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady_Marian View Post
I don't really think that there's a "perfect" or "ideal" way to run Lambda. Everyone has a way they'd prefer it to be run and, frankly, the only way to guarantee that anything is run the way you think is best is to run it yourself. Then you're in control.

If you get in on someone trial, it's theirs and they will run it the way they want to. I've been on trials that I thought were great and on ones where I thought really weird choices were made. On the great ones, I'll thank the leader and tell them I thought it was great if my computer's still cooperating with me. On the "weird choices" ones, I'll thank the leader and then keep my mouth shut about anything else. Most players I've teamed with are clear from the beginning how things will be run and it's your choice to stay or leave.
Yeah, fast I presumed was either Freedom style or just skip the guns (as those were the only 2 accelerated versions I'd heard about, and certainly none of the 60+ I'd done were done that way), it was only once we got in I realised what was being done. Had I known what was going to happen I wouldn't have joined as it just seems to me like the worst of all worlds, neither fast nor rewarding.

I only said anything when the leader said "Nice and fast", no it wasn't.

I'm not the sort of peorson who bails on a TF/trial once it's started without really extreme provocation.


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba

 

Posted

I think the title of this thread should be changed to Lambda, ur doing it wrong.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
Yeah, fast I presumed was either Freedom style or just skip the guns (as those were the only 2 accelerated versions I'd heard about, and certainly none of the 60+ I'd done were done that way), it was only once we got in I realised what was being done. Had I known what was going to happen I wouldn't have joined as it just seems to me like the worst of all worlds, neither fast nor rewarding.

I only said anything when the leader said "Nice and fast", no it wasn't.

I'm not the sort of peorson who bails on a TF/trial once it's started without really extreme provocation.
Then, again, as Medieval Power said "To each his own". I've never had any trouble getting fully tier 4'd and I'd, personally, rather not join a Lambda where every single thing on the outside is killed beforehand. I find it boring. It doesn't mean that the way you want it to be run is wrong, but it also doesn't mean that it would be appropriate/nice for me to tell you it wasn't a good run because I disagree with the way you ran it.


 

Posted

Of course fun is good. But as they add new stuff and more power these trials are going to become more boring and people will only run them to get the stuff they need to move on to the new shiny fun stuff. It's already happening, I solo'd the Maria Jenkins arc last night for the badge and it was a doddle.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady_Marian View Post
I don't really think that there's a "perfect" or "ideal" way to run Lambda. Everyone has a way they'd prefer it to be run and, frankly, the only way to guarantee that anything is run the way you think is best is to run it yourself. Then you're in control.
This is, imo, the heart of the matter. My general preferance is to do a 2.5 version, but it's the person who goes to the trouble of organizing the trial who makes the overall strategy choice.


_________
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Posted

Well and I find if you -need- iXP and you want to street sweep, asking the leader to do so usually gets you a 'sure why not'. The usual trial formers are pretty flexible and accommodating when it isn't a complete inconvenience or something frustrating (example: MoLambda, MoKeyes).


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
I had an exchange with MP after a "quick" lambda trial that indicated that either I don't understand what's going on or she doesn't. Am I wrong in this assessment.

There are basically 4 ways to do a lambda.

1. Kill outside - turrets - courtyard - get acids and grenades - Victory style, wait till 18:30 and then use acids and wipe everything.

2. Similar to 1 without doing turrets

3. No outside/turrets, courtyard to open the facility then get acids and grenades but don't use the acids and wipe everything outside

4. As 3 but never enter the acids part of the facility, whole raid rampages throught the grenades side killing stuff in there as the timer won't allow you to proceed for 5 mins anyway, then get the last grenade as clock approaches 5 mins. This (I've never done one) is my understanding of "Freedom standard" for a fast run. By doing this the timer never extends so guaranteed 5 mins.

1. is best if you're desperate for iXP.
2. is probably more efficient than 1 for rewards/time
3. seems worst of all worlds, you give up on 2/3 of the iXP and chance for catalysts and threads, and it's not even that fast unless you can clear both sides inside 5 mins.
4. You recover some of the iXP/threads/catalysts by actually killing stuff inside, you lose 1 astral, but may recover the 4 threads anyway.

The only reason for doing a 3 would be if you had a league full of +3s and were confident of clearing the whole inside within 5 mins (we took 7-8 in the one I did as there were several +0s).
What was your point with this thread? Cause it just looks like you are calling out someone (On the forums, instead of a tell).

Someone who has lead alot of trials on this server, someone who can make me join something as terrible as the MoM iTrial.

While trying to put something like that together, you always have a chance of rubbing someone the wrong way.

Apperantly you didnt like her leading style on Lambda, thats perfectly fine. Host your own ones, join other players when they are trying to form them.


"Damn me and my big mouth"

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bug_Me View Post
What was your point with this thread? Cause it just looks like you are calling out someone (On the forums, instead of a tell).

Someone who has lead alot of trials on this server, someone who can make me join something as terrible as the MoM iTrial.

While trying to put something like that together, you always have a chance of rubbing someone the wrong way.

Apperantly you didnt like her leading style on Lambda, thats perfectly fine. Host your own ones, join other players when they are trying to form them.
My point was mainly that I'm IRL a maths/stats/computing guy who has at times done a fair amount of optimisation work, and this just seemed to me the most inefficient possible way of doing a lambda in terms of time/reward. I was trying to find out why it was done that way, I couldn't see any set of goals for that team for which this was the optimal solution.


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Minotaur View Post
My point was mainly that I'm IRL a maths/stats/computing guy who has at times done a fair amount of optimisation work, and this just seemed to me the most inefficient possible way of doing a lambda in terms of time/reward. I was trying to find out why it was done that way, I couldn't see any set of goals for that team for which this was the optimal solution.
If you want to run Lambda in the way you've determined is the 'optimal' way, they by all means lead one. Otherwise do it the way the organizer says. And if it's being run in a way that absolutely won't work (which is NOT the case you described) then offer your advice to the leader through tells, never in open league chat.


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@Inquisitor

 

Posted

Having one team street sweep while another gets the turrets works pretty well for me. I know some people like to speed it more, but I generally like the IXP and drops (and it's the main way I get those), so that's how I usually do it. Though this reminds me I still need to get one of the annoying Lam badges on GP. Not sure if it's well-stocked or the other one where you don't use some type of nades.

I actually like Lambda more than BAF still. Feels like there is more to it, even if there is some street sweeping to it. I actually like the grenade collection phase and the idea of breaching a well defended armory.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Morbid View Post
If you want to run Lambda in the way you've determined is the 'optimal' way, they by all means lead one. Otherwise do it the way the organizer says. And if it's being run in a way that absolutely won't work (which is NOT the case you described) then offer your advice to the leader through tells, never in open league chat.
I did it as the leader wanted and said nothing till afterwards. I felt I tried to start a discussion and got my head bitten off so couldn't get the answers I wanted at the time hence this thread. It also got my goat when the "nice and fast" messages started coming from the leader when all we'd done was spent 2/3-3/4 of the time for a more normal lambda (and 2-3 mins more than a sLAM would take) for 1/3 of the IXP/catalysts and an astral less than normal (although that wasn't so much the leader's fault, people (not me, I had grenades) used acids when she didn't intend that).


It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba