I really like this mission as well, and it's a pity I never see enough people queuing for it when I'm online.
However, I do understand why it's been more or less abandoned. It takes a long time to run, longer than missions like Azure Nebula Rescue, with not much more reward. It is also quite sensitive to players who don't know the mission well. (Edit: Wait, did you say 200 romulan marks?? Woah. They have apparently updated the rewards since last time I was able to play it)
I've been thinking that a possible, but by no means easy solution could be to remodel it into an open adventure zone. Make it so that it's possible to drop into the various parts of it independently, with each part giving rewards independently, but with a bigger reward if you see it through to the end (and perhaps only then receiving the daily rep mark bonus?)
This may not be feasible, by adventure zone standards the map is pretty small, but I don't really see any other way of bringing players back to it in any significant numbers.
Speaking of adventure zones (and slightly off topic), I think we need a "Rebuild New Talax" zone, similar to New Romulus. Just sayin'.
In all honesty...it might have been 290 or 295 Marks, but then it was Advanced and we got every bonus. Oh and the title. It really doesn't take that long...
You're in four districts...a team of five in each.
Get the people to go home and lock their doors...some are Salt Monster imposters that you have to fight. (They can turn you into Salt Monsters yourselves at times).
Fortify the buildings with materials from nearby bins.
Fight off the Vampires and stop them from destroying the buildings.
Herd the people through an ambush of Monsters.
Fight the Vampires while the shuttles get them off the planet
...and I know that might not sound exciting to anyone who's played it, but it really is the most fun I've had in STO in a LONG while! The only thing that takes time is the queues, but the game itself was beautifully designed and I want people to know what they're missing and since the schedules events were unfathomably stopped, for everyone to be able to play something more than just a Crystalline grind-fest!
My best idea for Mine Trap is to borrow the tech the devs used for Tides of Ice. In that mission, the number and location of spawns varies based on how many people are present. A similar system could probably work for Mine Trap.
Maybe that system is already implemented in Mine trap advanced.
It may be that this was the first time i played the advanced version (never got a queue running after the introduction of the advanced version), but the shear amount of salt zombies was impressive.
This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
I really like this mission as well, and it's a pity I never see enough people queuing for it when I'm online.
However, I do understand why it's been more or less abandoned. It takes a long time to run, longer than missions like Azure Nebula Rescue, with not much more reward. It is also quite sensitive to players who don't know the mission well. (Edit: Wait, did you say 200 romulan marks?? Woah. They have apparently updated the rewards since last time I was able to play it)
I've been thinking that a possible, but by no means easy solution could be to remodel it into an open adventure zone. Make it so that it's possible to drop into the various parts of it independently, with each part giving rewards independently, but with a bigger reward if you see it through to the end (and perhaps only then receiving the daily rep mark bonus?)
This may not be feasible, by adventure zone standards the map is pretty small, but I don't really see any other way of bringing players back to it in any significant numbers.
Speaking of adventure zones (and slightly off topic), I think we need a "Rebuild New Talax" zone, similar to New Romulus. Just sayin'.
In all honesty...it might have been 290 or 295 Marks, but then it was Advanced and we got every bonus. Oh and the title. It really doesn't take that long...
You're in four districts...a team of five in each.
Get the people to go home and lock their doors...some are Salt Monster imposters that you have to fight. (They can turn you into Salt Monsters yourselves at times).
Fortify the buildings with materials from nearby bins.
Fight off the Vampires and stop them from destroying the buildings.
Herd the people through an ambush of Monsters.
Fight the Vampires while the shuttles get them off the planet
...and I know that might not sound exciting to anyone who's played it, but it really is the most fun I've had in STO in a LONG while! The only thing that takes time is the queues, but the game itself was beautifully designed and I want people to know what they're missing and since the schedules events were unfathomably stopped, for everyone to be able to play something more than just a Crystalline grind-fest!
My best idea for Mine Trap is to borrow the tech the devs used for Tides of Ice. In that mission, the number and location of spawns varies based on how many people are present. A similar system could probably work for Mine Trap.
Maybe that system is already implemented in Mine trap advanced.
It may be that this was the first time i played the advanced version (never got a queue running after the introduction of the advanced version), but the shear amount of salt zombies was impressive.
It depends on which of the four areas you were defending. One of the areas shares overlapping spawn points with the two others on either side, so the spawns for one or both neighbors might wander over. It's usually only an issue when a neighboring area drops the ball and gets overwhelmed or just plain abandons the shared border, but sometimes they all head towards the one area and it can get overwhelmed very quickly even when everyone is doing their jobs. I'd assume Channel teams would be better, but a pug often had one or more AFKers per team... which didn't help.
When you get a full team working together, though, that's a great mission to run.
With each passing day I wonder if I stepped into an alternate reality. The Cubs win the world series. Donald Trump is President. Britain leaves the EU. STO gets a dedicated PvP season. Engineers are "out of control" in STO.
The keys I've found. Stay close to your other team of five and in the district you've beamed into. Once you've got your people to the shuttles, join another team if they're struggling.
It really is such a great game though and anyone who joins STO from now on, will never get to play it without organization.
Yesterday, someone on ESD said they'd join the queue and asked for more players...I badgered everyone and whored it, until I got 20 people...join the queue whenever you can and also sing its praises :-)
If you organize your own match it can help to assign groups to color areas (upper right team takes the orange area, etc.). And repeat it often as you recruit so that everyone knows where they are supposed to stay.
If it helps anyone out, those vampires really hate the winter event cryo-grenade. And also the crystalline spike kit module is good on the escort part as it keeps the mobs away from your civilians.
If it helps anyone out, those vampires really hate the winter event cryo-grenade. And also the crystalline spike kit module is good on the escort part as it keeps the mobs away from your civilians.
How about the CRM-2000?
This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
Not sure as I don't have that on the toon i tested on. But the Nukara full auto cryo-rifle thingy didn't seem too impressive. I still need to acquire the other Nukara weapons, the compressed cryo-launcher so that may or may not be effective.
20player runs normal and advanced minetrap... relatively frequently (3-4 times a day/week), just to get people accustomed to the map again. Plus we can get private/public Big Dig/Breaking the Planets going. Ah pugs....pugs happen, but its all about the fun, and learning. If you don't talk to them, they'll never learn:) Plus the various assortment of our band, of 200+ members and growing, can, and sometimes do, coordinate/bs in map zone chat, if we can get people to get chatty:) We may lurk, but we usually head the call/spamvertise zone chats:)
ok, spamvertising aside... Love the mine trap... I was on of those that played them almost daily, way back when... it really does need a slight revamp. But I'm just happy to have played it more in the last 6 weeks, than I had since before Delta Rising. And get some use outta all these command/intel modules I have lying around.
See you in the queue! I'll be the annoying one in zone chat:)
Comments
Maybe that system is already implemented in Mine trap advanced.
It may be that this was the first time i played the advanced version (never got a queue running after the introduction of the advanced version), but the shear amount of salt zombies was impressive.
Just did, and I had some fun in the SB fleet defence. Laggy, but still fun
It depends on which of the four areas you were defending. One of the areas shares overlapping spawn points with the two others on either side, so the spawns for one or both neighbors might wander over. It's usually only an issue when a neighboring area drops the ball and gets overwhelmed or just plain abandons the shared border, but sometimes they all head towards the one area and it can get overwhelmed very quickly even when everyone is doing their jobs. I'd assume Channel teams would be better, but a pug often had one or more AFKers per team... which didn't help.
When you get a full team working together, though, that's a great mission to run.
There is. People can also organize private matches and post on various channels including PublicEliteSTF, EliteSTF, and others.
If you organize your own match it can help to assign groups to color areas (upper right team takes the orange area, etc.). And repeat it often as you recruit so that everyone knows where they are supposed to stay.
How about the CRM-2000?
Not sure as I don't have that on the toon i tested on. But the Nukara full auto cryo-rifle thingy didn't seem too impressive. I still need to acquire the other Nukara weapons, the compressed cryo-launcher so that may or may not be effective.
ok, spamvertising aside... Love the mine trap... I was on of those that played them almost daily, way back when... it really does need a slight revamp. But I'm just happy to have played it more in the last 6 weeks, than I had since before Delta Rising. And get some use outta all these command/intel modules I have lying around.
See you in the queue! I'll be the annoying one in zone chat:)