Across 4 alts I'm completing 90% of Advanced PUGs successfully. Admittedly they're well equipped, all running Mk XIV rep gear, full Intel and most full Commando as well. But it's possible and generally the PUGs have now understood the mission - people focus on the devices and not the Heralds.
I particularly disagree with the comment that BOTS is bad because it focusses on objectives and not killing - IMO this is a good thing. There is a real role for tanks / healers in this mission to either stay alive or keep others alive while deactivating Iconian devices.
Anything which encourages players to think about tactics and teamwork rather than MOAR DPS!!!! has got to be good.
I use mk XI items for my kit and the kit are designed to buff my weapons and squad. I'm sure other kits designed to buff the buffing abilities can get a lot more. The highest I've ever gotten is 4.6k on a crit. It was sweet.
Across 4 alts I'm completing 90% of Advanced PUGs successfully. Admittedly they're well equipped, all running Mk XIV rep gear, full Intel and most full Commando as well. But it's possible and generally the PUGs have now understood the mission - people focus on the devices and not the Heralds.
I particularly disagree with the comment that BOTS is bad because it focusses on objectives and not killing - IMO this is a good thing. There is a real role for tanks / healers in this mission to either stay alive or keep others alive while deactivating Iconian devices.
Anything which encourages players to think about tactics and teamwork rather than MOAR DPS!!!! has got to be good.
I find it an excellent mission because I have several different roles I could play. I can play "covering fire", "Tank" or "stealth mode". I generally provide covering fire and spread as much chaos as possible while my team goes after the objectives.
It's a beautiful cornucopia of totally absurd design decisions.
1. Abrupt change from usual mission criteria (kill everything as fast as possible while ignoring objectives)
2. Filled with enemies that kill you in one hit (on NORMAL)
3. Filled with enemies that constantly drop your targeting, teleport behind you, and generally kill you
4. When there's bad stuff on the ground (red circle/cone, etc.), you can step out of it and be several feet away from the edge and it will still hit you
5. Death is meaningless due to popping back up in the same spot 3 seconds later
6. A tac officer with stealth module can cruise past most of the mission, because they can activate devices without breaking stealth (sometimes this is needed to get past teams who don't know what to do, but bad design doesn't excuse more bad design)
This level is like Mario Party (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2015/04/08/). Success is random, skill is irrelevant, and nothing I do matters. Activate devices properly? Doesn't mean a thing if you don't have help. Good defensive items and skills? Doesn't mean a thing, because you will die. If everyone knows what to do and where to go? Great! We're done in five minutes. But when the experience is drawn out to ten or fifteen minutes, I would literally rather be working. When you've designed part of a game that feels worse than work, you have not created a level in a game. You have created a failure.
As soon as I have enough marks for T5 rep, I'm done with this mission.
Gear up, move around, Use your skill buffs and most importantly LEARN HOW TO PLAY! I run through this with the Romulan Naval Officer MK XII set. I like it becasue Sword IS A CHALLENGE! I also love how the pew pew stand in one spot kill everything players are whining guess they are to lazy to learn the fight or new tactics. Love this it is the best Ground mission EVER! I used to hate ground as it was boring and just mindless pew pew. Now we have an enemy that is tough and smart an enemy that is a challenge. This was long overdue!
Gear up, move around, Use your skill buffs and most importantly LEARN HOW TO PLAY! I run through this with the Romulan Naval Officer MK XII set. I like it becasue Sword IS A CHALLENGE! I also love how the pew pew stand in one spot kill everything players are whining guess they are to lazy to learn the fight or new tactics. Love this it is the best Ground mission EVER! I used to hate ground as it was boring and just mindless pew pew. Now we have an enemy that is tough and smart an enemy that is a challenge. This was long overdue!
We have had fun, challenging ground missions a long time. Borg STFs require more than just shooting, and before they killed it, PvP.
I find it an excellent mission because I have several different roles I could play. I can play "covering fire", "Tank" or "stealth mode". I generally provide covering fire and spread as much chaos as possible while my team goes after the objectives.
Gear up, move around, Use your skill buffs and most importantly LEARN HOW TO PLAY! I run through this with the Romulan Naval Officer MK XII set. I like it becasue Sword IS A CHALLENGE! I also love how the pew pew stand in one spot kill everything players are whining guess they are to lazy to learn the fight or new tactics. Love this it is the best Ground mission EVER! I used to hate ground as it was boring and just mindless pew pew. Now we have an enemy that is tough and smart an enemy that is a challenge. This was long overdue!
I use the Imp-Rom set, and I stride around in aim mode mixing it with the constructs, so my 'stand around with their thumbs up their butts' team-mates can click the clickies with less harrassment. I don't get constantly one-shotted, I do have fun, and the 'pug' teams generally manage to complete with few problems. Yes I do die from time to time but it's no big deal, take one (or 4) for the team.
<center><font size="+5"><b>Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day... Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...</b></size></center>
It's a beautiful cornucopia of totally absurd design decisions.
1. Abrupt change from usual mission criteria (kill everything as fast as possible while ignoring objectives)
2. Filled with enemies that kill you in one hit (on NORMAL)
3. Filled with enemies that constantly drop your targeting, teleport behind you, and generally kill you
4. When there's bad stuff on the ground (red circle/cone, etc.), you can step out of it and be several feet away from the edge and it will still hit you
5. Death is meaningless due to popping back up in the same spot 3 seconds later
6. A tac officer with stealth module can cruise past most of the mission, because they can activate devices without breaking stealth (sometimes this is needed to get past teams who don't know what to do, but bad design doesn't excuse more bad design)
This level is like Mario Party (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2015/04/08/). Success is random, skill is irrelevant, and nothing I do matters. Activate devices properly? Doesn't mean a thing if you don't have help. Good defensive items and skills? Doesn't mean a thing, because you will die. If everyone knows what to do and where to go? Great! We're done in five minutes. But when the experience is drawn out to ten or fifteen minutes, I would literally rather be working. When you've designed part of a game that feels worse than work, you have not created a level in a game. You have created a failure.
As soon as I have enough marks for T5 rep, I'm done with this mission.
Seriously stop pugging it then, get a group of friends, and have fun with it.
Comments
My character Tsin'xing
Try 4-6k
Across 4 alts I'm completing 90% of Advanced PUGs successfully. Admittedly they're well equipped, all running Mk XIV rep gear, full Intel and most full Commando as well. But it's possible and generally the PUGs have now understood the mission - people focus on the devices and not the Heralds.
I particularly disagree with the comment that BOTS is bad because it focusses on objectives and not killing - IMO this is a good thing. There is a real role for tanks / healers in this mission to either stay alive or keep others alive while deactivating Iconian devices.
Anything which encourages players to think about tactics and teamwork rather than MOAR DPS!!!! has got to be good.
I use mk XI items for my kit and the kit are designed to buff my weapons and squad. I'm sure other kits designed to buff the buffing abilities can get a lot more. The highest I've ever gotten is 4.6k on a crit. It was sweet.
I find it an excellent mission because I have several different roles I could play. I can play "covering fire", "Tank" or "stealth mode". I generally provide covering fire and spread as much chaos as possible while my team goes after the objectives.
Gear up, move around, Use your skill buffs and most importantly LEARN HOW TO PLAY! I run through this with the Romulan Naval Officer MK XII set. I like it becasue Sword IS A CHALLENGE! I also love how the pew pew stand in one spot kill everything players are whining guess they are to lazy to learn the fight or new tactics. Love this it is the best Ground mission EVER! I used to hate ground as it was boring and just mindless pew pew. Now we have an enemy that is tough and smart an enemy that is a challenge. This was long overdue!
We have had fun, challenging ground missions a long time. Borg STFs require more than just shooting, and before they killed it, PvP.
I use the Imp-Rom set, and I stride around in aim mode mixing it with the constructs, so my 'stand around with their thumbs up their butts' team-mates can click the clickies with less harrassment. I don't get constantly one-shotted, I do have fun, and the 'pug' teams generally manage to complete with few problems. Yes I do die from time to time but it's no big deal, take one (or 4) for the team.
Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life...</b></size></center>
Seriously stop pugging it then, get a group of friends, and have fun with it.