[VIDEO] Does anyone even remember those queues exist?

tunebreaker

Since more popular elite queues such as HSE or CPE have gotten a bit stale already, we The Science Channel folks decided to try the queues very few even dare to touch, namely Storming the Spire and The Herald Sphere. Not sure if they are too boring, too challenging or just don't give out enough rewards for average player, those queues (especially elite versions) rarely pop at all. However, we decided to face the challenge and found them to be really entertaining.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdpoIf8L4jg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5LT5p7cr74
(there appears to be something fishy with Command Ships not spawning during Stage 3, see 6:34)

e30ernest

That happened to us with a team of high end friends nannying my fresh alt to grab Iconian marks. Apparently that happens when you clear stuff too fast or so I'm told.

Awesome vids!

snoggymack22

It's the time gating. That's it mostly. Because they take a long time, they aren't popular.

Which is why I always get a kick out of the threads on here that complain about ISA or CCA being too short, since the player behavior in PUGs demonstrates very clearly to the developers that the players LOVE the short queues.

But, back on topic, kudos for organizing more attention and more efforts on these specific maps. The game's fun. And a lot of work went into developing these maps and I'm all for more folks flying them together and enjoying them!

bobbydazlers

I think its mostly to do with rewards or lackof, just look at when they do a mirror, breach or crystalline event, the queues for these pop almost instantly and it is like this for the entire length of the event not just for the first 14 days while people are after the shiny.
add to that the fact that these are only replayed daily for the most part and not just after mission cooldown and you can see the amount of players far outshine the other queued missions.
if cryptic increased the rewards significantly I believe you would find life return to the dead queues, even if the increase for each mission was only obtainable once daily.

legendarylycan

the only way they'd ever vastly increase the rewards of any queue is if they also made it so subsequent runs reward less and less each time, like how non-standard currency rewards work in champions​​

tunebreaker

e30ernest wrote: »

That happened to us with a team of high end friends nannying my fresh alt to grab Iconian marks. Apparently that happens when you clear stuff too fast or so I'm told.

Awesome vids!

Yep, we thought so as well. Game is punishing us for clearing enemies too quickly

snoggymack22 wrote: »

It's the time gating. That's it mostly. Because they take a long time, they aren't popular.

Which is why I always get a kick out of the threads on here that complain about ISA or CCA being too short, since the player behavior in PUGs demonstrates very clearly to the developers that the players LOVE the short queues.

But, back on topic, kudos for organizing more attention and more efforts on these specific maps. The game's fun. And a lot of work went into developing these maps and I'm all for more folks flying them together and enjoying them!

Also, you can carry weak pugs (or get carried) on maps like ISA or CCA. To some extent, you can even in Korfez (if you don't get benthans) or CPE. However, you definitely can't on those maps.
Still, I've always been surprised if I write out "LF4M THSE/StSE" and get 1-2 positive responses at best from all the PvE-oriented channels I'm in. Most times people just ask what do those acronyms mean and say "nvm" or "you're nuts" afterwards.

bobbydazlers wrote: »

I think its mostly to do with rewards or lackof, just look at when they do a mirror, breach or crystalline event, the queues pop almost instantly and it is like this for the entire length of the event not just for the first 14 days while people are after the shiny.
add to that the fact that these are only replayed daily for the most part and not just after mission cooldown and you can see the amount of players far outshine the other queued missions.
if cryptic increased the rewards significantly I believe you would find life return to the dead queues.

This might be issue for some, but I know for myself (and I bet for my teammates as well) "pew-pew" and socializing aspect is the most important. In fact, I personally don't care about rewards at all. Of course that Salvaged Tech is very nice to have, but that's not what drives me into queues.

bobbydazlers

tunebreaker wrote: »

bobbydazlers wrote: »

I think its mostly to do with rewards or lackof, just look at when they do a mirror, breach or crystalline event, the queues pop almost instantly and it is like this for the entire length of the event not just for the first 14 days while people are after the shiny.
add to that the fact that these are only replayed daily for the most part and not just after mission cooldown and you can see the amount of players far outshine the other queued missions.
if cryptic increased the rewards significantly I believe you would find life return to the dead queues.

This might be issue for some, but I know for myself (and I bet for my teammates as well) "pew-pew" and socializing aspect is the most important. In fact, I personally don't care about rewards at all. Of course that Salvaged Tech is very nice to have, but that's not what drives me into queues.

that's all very well for players who can form a team mostly comprising of friends but try just queuing for a mission of random players and see how long you have to wait.
it never used to be like this and I believe with the right motivation it could be like it once was again.

stofsk

Storming the Spire is a neat little PvE queue I want to play with a bunch of people who actually know what the hell they're doing. StS with PUGs is literally hell on earth

tunebreaker

bobbydazlers wrote: »

tunebreaker wrote: »

bobbydazlers wrote: »

I think its mostly to do with rewards or lackof, just look at when they do a mirror, breach or crystalline event, the queues pop almost instantly and it is like this for the entire length of the event not just for the first 14 days while people are after the shiny.
add to that the fact that these are only replayed daily for the most part and not just after mission cooldown and you can see the amount of players far outshine the other queued missions.
if cryptic increased the rewards significantly I believe you would find life return to the dead queues.

This might be issue for some, but I know for myself (and I bet for my teammates as well) "pew-pew" and socializing aspect is the most important. In fact, I personally don't care about rewards at all. Of course that Salvaged Tech is very nice to have, but that's not what drives me into queues.

that's all very well for players who can form a team mostly comprising of friends but try just queuing for a mission of random players and see how long you have to wait.
it never used to be like this and I believe with the right motivation it could be like it once was again.

I think pug queues for PvEs like Spire/Sphere are dead because you need every memeber of team functioning at peak efficiency. In pugs, it's a rare sight where at least one (usually more) players aren't either slacking or just aren't ready for elite. That's why we have moved to private queues.

stofsk wrote: »

Storming the Spire is a neat little PvE queue I want to play with a bunch of people who actually know what the hell they're doing. StS with PUGs is literally hell on earth

You are welcome to join us in The Science Channel.

bobbydazlers

tunebreaker wrote: »

bobbydazlers wrote: »

tunebreaker wrote: »

bobbydazlers wrote: »

I think its mostly to do with rewards or lackof, just look at when they do a mirror, breach or crystalline event, the queues pop almost instantly and it is like this for the entire length of the event not just for the first 14 days while people are after the shiny.
add to that the fact that these are only replayed daily for the most part and not just after mission cooldown and you can see the amount of players far outshine the other queued missions.
if cryptic increased the rewards significantly I believe you would find life return to the dead queues.

This might be issue for some, but I know for myself (and I bet for my teammates as well) "pew-pew" and socializing aspect is the most important. In fact, I personally don't care about rewards at all. Of course that Salvaged Tech is very nice to have, but that's not what drives me into queues.

that's all very well for players who can form a team mostly comprising of friends but try just queuing for a mission of random players and see how long you have to wait.
it never used to be like this and I believe with the right motivation it could be like it once was again.

I think pug queues for PvEs like Spire/Sphere are dead because you need every memeber of team functioning at peak efficiency. In pugs, it's a rare sight where at least one (usually more) players aren't either slacking or just aren't ready for elite. That's why we have moved to private queues.

that may well be true of elite queues but the problem is all of the queues are dead not just the elite ones and for this reason many inexperienced players will just join the one that looks like its likely to pop first and quite often this might be the elite queue and they find they are out of their depth and this frightens them away from doing any queues at all, add to this the fact that even inexperienced players still want Salvaged Tech and its a total disaster all round.
a good increase on the regular rewards all round plus Salvaged Tech at 1 for normal, 2 for advanced or 3 for elite as a once daily bonus plus 1 for normal, 2 for advanced or 3 for elite for achieving certain objectives optional or otherwise and you might see all the queues heaving with players again.