test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
STF difficulty levels
druhin
Member Posts: 7 Arc User
This is a question directed primarily to the game Content Designers:
With a new expansion on the horizon, what is the possibility of adding the missing 3rd Difficulty level to STFs? (Both current STFs and new level 60 STFs)
I think most can agree, that the current STFs are ridiculously easy, even at "Elite". I propose the reduction from Elite to Advanced, with a new and more difficult STF intended at Elite. Thoughts?
With a new expansion on the horizon, what is the possibility of adding the missing 3rd Difficulty level to STFs? (Both current STFs and new level 60 STFs)
I think most can agree, that the current STFs are ridiculously easy, even at "Elite". I propose the reduction from Elite to Advanced, with a new and more difficult STF intended at Elite. Thoughts?
Post edited by druhin on
0
Comments
Devs: "Okay, here's some challenging content and a shiny reward at the end to encourage you to complete it."
Skilled Players: "Awesome!"
Scrubs: "I can't handle this challenging content because I'm bad player. Please give me the same shiny reward because I'm entitled to it just like the players who are better than me."
Devs: "Okay, the challenge is watered down but now you have to complete the watered down challenge several times and complete a reputation time-gate instead."
Then, it repeats.
Yes, please, a third level! Nightmare mode or something.
It's not right being able to solo cubes. If they would adapt, it would be much more interesting.
Otherwise we have to level our ships down (remove some Tac consoles or weapons) to make for a challenge and be more enjoyable. But then when you are in a PUG everyone is expected to vape cubes in seconds.
SCE ADVISORY NOTICE: Improper Impulse Engine maintenance can result in REAR THRUSTER LEAKAGE. ALWAYS have your work inspected by another qualified officer.
Normal: Never previously run an STF. Scaled for players in full [Uncommon] gear.
Advanced: Current STF difficulty. Scaled for players in full [Very Rare] gear. Increased health and damage compared to Normal.
Elite: Increased difficulty from current level. Scaled for players in full [Ultra Rare] gear. Difficulty increase should include additional Health on mobs/bosses, as well as Damage. Borg "One shot" torpedoes should be a standard feature, but must be FULLY visibile and bugfixed. (i.e No more invisible torpedoes)
And by "Full gear", this includes all consoles. Elite should only be meant for players in "Fleet" level gear.
About the only path I see would be additional abilities based on difficulty settings, as well as viable AI to use those abilities. From what we've seen so far, this game doesn't do that.
Or you could, ya know, play a different mission.
So do I
How about some lateral thinking objectives, ones that challenge us to use our brain as well as our space bar's
That way they don't antagonize the majority of the population who actually think the Elite STFs are hard enough already?
Because Cryptic's answer to harder = more hps and stronger attacks, not smarter enemies.
It would also give people an incentive to improve to play the new difficulties, though leaching at those levels in pugs could be a problem.
As for how to make these missions more challenging without re-designing them? As others have mentioned simply giving the enemies more powers and enhanced teamwork AI would help no end.
A few more hitpoints etc could help but we all know that's just boring on its own.
More buffs and debuffs to counter and adapt to would be much more challenging and has been stated many times before would force teams to form proper strategies without simply slaughtering everything in seconds
"If this will be our end, then I will have them make SUCH an end as to be worthy of rememberance! Out of torpedos you say?! Find me the ferengi!".
A non tank pull aggro, you die
If someone dies, they stay dead until the group dies or the boss dies.
It's the trinity, it's tried, and true and the game can support this.
I know their original mission statement included that they wanted to avoid the trinity...but the game could encompass it so easily and everyone DPSing all the time leads to less players in non dpsey ships
My PvE/PvP hybrid skill tree
And the trinity works great in NW too. Well, they have a control-style class too so maybe not so much of a trinity.
You're wrong about one thing (at least, as it pertains to me and why I started this thread).
I don't care about the "shinies". I don't need better shinies. I just want the content to not be an immediate pushover, that can be completed in 60 sec or less. I also know I'm not the "top DPS" in STFs, and that's perfectly fine too. Don't assume that everyone who wants higher difficulty, wants better shinies.
A well geared player can suck just as badly as a poorly geared player. Player skill trumps gear almost every time.
The game may support the trinity system, but the IP does not. And I personally will choose immersion and adherence to the IP, over a makeshift "trinity" system. There are no tanks or healer ships in Star Trek. There just aren't. Ships are fixed up out of combat. Extensive damage is fixed at a shipyard. There are ofcourse ships that can take a greater beating. However that's tied to the equipment of said ship, not the ship itself. If a Defiant could support the shield system of a Galaxy Class (both strength and power requirements), there would be zero difference. The Defiant is just too small, and too focused on weapons strength to sustain a high powered shield system of a Galaxy Class.
Maybe an earnable Title for completing it wouldn't go a miss
Want to get Borg or MACO gear? You have to run elite missions.
Want to craft gear that you can use? You have to run elite missions (or pay cash for the rare materials).
With the system herding people to the elite missions, shouldn't their difficulty be such that the average player can do them?
I'm not saying that this is desirable, just that this is the way that things are set up now. I got my Mark XI Adapted Maco gear using mark X borg gear, and I got that running missions on regular difficulty. You can't do that now.
Has anyone who complains about how easy STF's are ever even tried playing "The Hive"??? Especially "The Hive" ground ?!? It borders on impossible in a PUG and excruciatingly difficult even with a fleet team. If you have a foolproof strategy that makes ground "Hive" too easy, I would be very interested in knowing what it is.
If you want more challenge, stop playing your T5 "insta-kill" DPS-Godzilla USS Hydrogen-Bomb and use a T4 or lighter ship and stop playing only the same easy STF's (unless for dil mining) and move to the more difficult STF's.
People complain that Cryptic only adds more hitpoints and greater numbers of enemy ships to STF's to make them difficult but it is these same people who think nothing of adding "god-like" dps vaporization capabilities to their ships/weapons so that these extra hitpoints can be instantly vaped. Don't get me wrong, making great builds is a very fun and important part of the game but high dps-ers shouldn't complain that things like cubes are too easy to destroy. It is their expertise in creating good builds (and tactics) that make the enemy NPC's easier to destroy, not Cryptic. There is nothing wrong with such builds (I have a couple ships configured that way myself) but don't complain that making your ship more destructive makes the enemy NPC's easier to destroy. It's supposed to be that way!
I thought that one of the purposes of the Foundry was to allow players to create new and hopefully more difficult missions? Also, if you want to play against the most advanced, adaptable and difficult AI on the planet, play pvp (don't quit because you get blown up all the time). I take breaks from pvp too when I get frustrated but it motivates me to experiment with different builds, ships and tactics in an effort to make the "pvp STF's" too easy. Try a one-on-one challenge match once in awhile. Any player who will accept the challenge is usually very good and playing against the "Human brain AI" is never easy, at least not for me. I run about 50/50 win/lose record in such matches and if they will take the time, a challenge match player will often explain how they were able to defeat you, tell you what was working and what wasn't working and there is no greater resource. Of course there are also the little bragging twits too but the risk of enduring such pinheads is worth the reward for any advice you might pick up from a real player.
If you think ALL the STF's are too easy, stop playing the easy albeit elite ones. PUG ( or even fleet team) the "Hive" (ground especially) and let me know if you can beat it 3 times in a row and get the "optional" each time too. There should be an accolade for such a feat.
Also, in anticipation of several inevitable replies to this point, allow me to provide the first few sentences: "You can't beat "The Hive", space or ground, you must suck as a player. You must really stink and have bad equipment. I beat it all the time. It's so simple" That having been said, please reveal to me your greatness "Oh DPS god" because if you find that it and many of the "under-played because they are more difficult" STF's, if you find these too easy as well, I will concede that I stink as a captain.
Secondly, the IP clearly has science, tanking, and DPS. We have seen the Ent-E go in and draw fire away from lesser ships to save them as well as seeing the Excelsior draw fire from the Ent-A. That is essentially the classic definition of "tanking." And even the IP acknowledges that the Defiant is a "warship," meaning it is there to pew-pew things to death. And we certainly know that the Oberth and Pasteur were both science-orientated ships.
The trinity is alive and well in the IP.