Fixing Sky Command

pantagruel01 · August 2016

Sky Command is one of the unpopular Rampages, largely because it's a long boring slog (the only rampage in which you can spent significant time idling without being a leech, because there's literally nothing important to do). Proposal for a relatively simple update:

Delete the first (timed) part of the mission completely. The rampage starts where the current "Brace yourself; here they come again!" dialog is played.
The mission starts with a wave attack on all fronts (both sets of engines, the cooling vent). To make it so killing stuff is actually meaningful, increase the respawn delay on the critters.
These attacks continue after the mega-destroid arrives, possibly at a reduced rate; one or two people on each side, and one person handling black talon, should be good enough.
The mega-destroid should be a level 40 Legendary (it's currently something like level 30 Cosmic); it doesn't need more health, but its attacks are on the weak side
Adjust the mega-destroid AI and attacks so it won't chase people outside of a small area; it should favor remaining where it can hit the cooling vent with its destroyer wave.
The rampage ends when the mega-destroid is destroyed.

That would actually be fairly hard (might well requires PQs) but should be less of a slog.

jaazaniah1 · August 2016

I would add:
Make it impossible for the Mega-Destroid to be lured off the ship and fall. Being able to dump him over the edge trivializes it.
Ditto for Black Talon. NttG and any other travel canceling power should not work on him.

aesica · August 2016

pantagruel01 said:
That would actually be fairly hard (might well requires PQs) but should be less of a slog.

This is the thing to be careful of. You want all content from a given set (Rampages in this case) to be of roughly equal difficulty. I'm all for toning down slogs and boring downtime (in WoW, any dungeon with long, scripted event downtime becomes immediately unpopular) but the difficulty should be roughly the same across the board. Otherwise, Sky Command would remain the least popular Rampage, only for different reasons.

soulforger · August 2016

aesica said:
This is the thing to be careful of. You want all content from a given set (Rampages in this case) to be of roughly equal difficulty. I'm all for toning down slogs and boring downtime (in WoW, any dungeon with long, scripted event downtime becomes immediately unpopular) but the difficulty should be roughly the same across the board. Otherwise, Sky Command would remain the least popular Rampage, only for different reasons.

Balance is a tricky issue regarding anything in a game. If they made SC harder and longer, it would have the reverse effect that the OP is trying to accomplish.

jaazaniah1 · August 2016

Of course, the biggest change is to tell us what we are escorting

reaperwithnoname · August 2016

jaazaniah1 said:
I would add:
Make it impossible for the Mega-Destroid to be lured off the ship and fall. Being able to dump him over the edge trivializes it.
Ditto for Black Talon. NttG and any other travel canceling power should not work on him.

Your alternative would be even worse. This is one of the few places where NttG is useful in PvE.

If you want NttG to not be instant victory, then the Mega Destroid should return after hitting the "ground", but with severely reduced health and nttg-immunity. That way, NttG wouldn't win the fight on its own, but would still be an incredible asset.

xcaligax · August 2016

Sky Command was balanced and designed around vehicles. So any suggestions, imo, should reflect also around vehicles.

soulforger · August 2016

xcaligax said:
Sky Command was balanced and designed around vehicles. So any suggestions, imo, should reflect also around vehicles.

Agreed.

Fixing Sky Command

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