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Please fix Elite Ground Mission Difficulty

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
To whom it may concern,

I love playing STO's space combat on Elite because it provides a great challenge and IMHO a better sense of Star Trek (no lone Cruiser taking on a fleet of Klingons like in Normal difficulty).

However, the ground missions are impossible on Elite due to certain MOBs like the Klingon Swordmaster and Klingon Munitions Officer. It is actually impossible to complete some ground missions because their abilities to deal one shot kills on my BO's and two shot kills on myself.

At present, I am having to play on Advanced in order to complete ground missions that happen. Because I do not know when entering a system if the mission will be space, ground, or space and ground based I cannot choose Elite as my difficulty. DSE's are the only 'missions' that I can safely use Elite with.

Is there a timeframe that this will be fixed or is this even an issue that you guys are looking into?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I've find this to happen on advanced to, given the right kind of enemies. I know dual pistols were part of the problem, however it seems those might be fixed but knife damage seems to be an instant killer, and again this is playing on advanced.

    If I could do better reading the combat logs I'd try to post a sample from the "one-hit" enemies versus the normal ones. Klingons and a couple of the random races are a problem, Terran and Jem Ha'dar seem to be fine though, no problems at all from what I've seen. Borg used to be fine too, but I haven't been to B'Tran to do ground elite to see. A friend said the rapid fire weapon was doing it now and the Borg also suffer from this glitch.

    I did switch to Elite and didn't see any difference, some enemies hit for an expected amount of damage and others wipe me and the BOs out with one or two hits.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Any DEVS on this one?

    Guys?

    ...cricket...cricket...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I did run into a hilarious exploration mission on elite difficulty. Hilarious in that my crew and i died almost instantly from some aoe burst weapons fire. Yeah, decided not to do that one.

    Munitions officers i've never had a problem with but, yeah. Dahar Masters are murderous. Whenever i met one felt like benny hill should be playing while i ran around.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Yeah, I purposefully turn down the difficulty if I can find out in advance just how ground heavy a mission could be.

    I'm with everyone here with balancing the difficulty of ground missions so we can play on the same difficulty consistently
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Ground combat is why I don't use the Difficulty Slider - and I really do agree with the points of views above. This really needs fixing.

    Here's my opinion: Advanced difficulty is really what Elite should've been for the ground. If Cryptic could take the current Advanced, rename it Elite, and then create a new Adanced setting that'd be the go between between both extremes, that be ideal - especially if they focus on smarter opponents over more numerous opponents.

    Alternatively, they could make space and ground difficulty mutually exclusive so that people could run space on Advanced/Elite and ground on Normal if that's thier cup of tea.

    But, to again reiterate... I refuse to use the difficulty slider for episode missions because those include ground combat. The only times I might be able to afford raising the difficulty is when I go in Star Cluster missions and set to Adanced/Elite while being lucky enough to land a space combat mission... if not, I warp out (the alternative being undesirable).

    Cryptic, take notice and fix it already. You can't take credit for having made a feature which doesn't work right.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Mavrocket wrote:
    Any DEVS on this one?

    Guys?

    ...cricket...cricket...

    I been asking the Devs to fix this problem since it was discovered during Tribble Testing and they claimed they were working on it. But that was 3 months ago.

    I honestly don't know why. Many of us has narrowed down the types of mobs and even some maps. We know that:

    Any Melee Mob
    Dual Pistol Mobs
    Rapid-Fire Mobs
    Tactical Borg 1-shotting

    And of course Psychic Mobs (Remans and Undine).



    So until they do, best have a large supply of regenerators and large hypos.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Yup on advanced most mobs are nuts, federation groups with 2 medics and an engineer or two are unkillable, Borg are insane! they are able to resist just about anything and proto drones are nuts they spam thier beam and your boffs are dead, Starian's and another race are complete ****s also, they run upto you with dual pistols and spam you in the face and your dead in 2 shots.

    As a Klingon, i use the Bat'leth in this situation but it does'nt always work. I use Graviton Flux on my medics that sometimes works but if the mobs are ranged they can gun you down in seconds like Hirogen with rifles they are also mad.

    I love this game but its ground combat is TRIBBLE, no strategy involved just uber HP, Shields and dmg on npc's and us taking massive dmg and being unnable to outheal even with 2 medics.

    Slap upside the head for the devs on this one, hows about the mobs use abilities like our boffs' or a lesser version if the ability is too uber???
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    wrote:
    Ground combat is why I don't use the Difficulty Slider - and I really do agree with the points of views above. This really needs fixing.

    Here's my opinion: Advanced difficulty is really what Elite should've been for the ground. If Cryptic could take the current Advanced, rename it Elite, and then create a new Adanced setting that'd be the go between between both extremes, that be ideal - especially if they focus on smarter opponents over more numerous opponents.

    Alternatively, they could make space and ground difficulty mutually exclusive so that people could run space on Advanced/Elite and ground on Normal if that's thier cup of tea.

    But, to again reiterate... I refuse to use the difficulty slider for episode missions because those include ground combat. The only times I might be able to afford raising the difficulty is when I go in Star Cluster missions and set to Adanced/Elite while being lucky enough to land a space combat mission... if not, I warp out (the alternative being undesirable).

    Cryptic, take notice and fix it already. You can't take credit for having made a feature which doesn't work right.
    This is exactly what I would be looking for!

    Advanced Ground changed to Elite Ground and then something in between Normal and the 'new' elite.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Borg wise i'm fine. I can happily take them on elite and on normal now they just die in droves.

    Trick turned out to be plasma grenades for the most part. I've got two Tac boffs both running with photon 1, target optics 1 and then plasma grenades 1 & 2. Throw in a science for healing and a little more AoE then an engineer for shields and it tends to work out.

    Little note, i'm an engineer captain myself and forcefield dome makes it all so much easier.

    Undine though... still trying to figure them out. I'm begining to suspect that minefields might be the way to go. Minefields and Photon grenades given none of them have any shields.

    Still can't do much about the extreme damage outliers though. Some of them are simply nuts and while it's doable to deal with single target versions. Any of them doing aoe and i tend to just shrug my shoulders and exit. Little need to deal with that level of frustration.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    try carrying around 1 of each kit and changing if you're having trouble. i tend to swap between Enemy Neutralization and Bunker Fabrication.

    also, minmax your boffs, use rares and epics for your ground combat team.

    try to carry around universally applicable buffs, tricorder scan is a good example.

    ps, DO NOT CROUCH AGAINST MELEE ENEMIES.

    @blink - yeah, enemy neutralization works well on undine. you can do epic burst damage with chroniton barrier 3 on a spam of recruits. and weapons malfunction/fuse armor helps a lot with their non psi bosses which are mean ****s.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I thought that might be the case, haven't had to fight them on the ground that much so i was still prodding idea's on how to deal with them. Borg tending to be rather slow and ploding while Undine are not.

    What about Boffs? I was considering engineer spam with as many mines as i could get away with.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    actually there is nothing wrong with elite difficulty , yes some of the missions on ground like borg and undine and breen are extremely hard , but its good challange for people who team at rear admiral that have all purple gear on them and their bo's.

    me & my friend just teamed up and did the latest missions on elite ground combat, while it was extremely challenging we had to use tactics to win. It just made it all the more sastifying to win and it felt like we where fighting the borg. They 1 shot you on elite in mele and elite tac drones are deadly at range.

    sure we died a couple of times but it was fun. but we still completed the missions on elite.

    just use tactis like flanking and fall back your bo's to rally points when they get too close.
    another good one for tac officer is spam security officer and tac recharge can have alot of guys fighting in long firefights.The best bridge officers to use are sciences officers with medic skills and tricorder scan. followed by engineers with shield recharge / weapon malfunction and phaser turrent / drone.

    dont bother with tac bo's because they suck.

    fact if its too hard for you then go back to normal. leave elite for the pro's

    nothing wrong with elite only problem is reward should be greater for successful completion of missions on elite / some unique gear maybe.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Vipermist wrote:
    actually there is nothing wrong with elite difficulty , yes some of the missions on ground like borg and undine and breen are extremely hard , but its good challange for people who team at rear admiral that have all purple gear on them and their bo's.

    me & my friend just teamed up and did the latest missions on elite ground combat, while it was extremely challenging we had to use tactics to win. It just made it all the more sastifying to win and it felt like we where fighting the borg. They 1 shot you on elite in mele and elite tac drones are deadly at range.

    sure we died a couple of times but it was fun. but we still completed the missions on elite.

    just use tactis like flanking and fall back your bo's to rally points when they get too close.
    another good one for tac officer is spam security officer and tac recharge can have alot of guys fighting in long firefights.The best bridge officers to use are sciences officers with medic skills and tricorder scan. followed by engineers with shield recharge / weapon malfunction and phaser turrent / drone.

    dont bother with tac bo's because they suck.

    fact if its too hard for you then go back to normal. leave elite for the pro's

    nothing wrong with elite only problem is reward should be greater for successful completion of missions on elite / some unique gear maybe.


    :o Of course,thats it,theres nothing wrong with elite,its just us average players that are at fault...
    :p Thank you so much for clearing that up so neatly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    If your characters have all the best gear available anywhere, then there's really no point in playing on Elite difficulty for the rewards, and from the sounds of it, it's impossible to steadily play on Elite difficulty unless you have your characters all decked out in the best gear. That's one hell of a vicious cycle of frustrating one-shot kills.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    /bump

    /agree to thread
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    I still haven't made it past Captain with any of my characters....

    I'm referencing playing the game from Ensign-1 to VA-51. It would be nice to be able to play on Elite from 1 to 51 without having to downgrade to Advanced after trying and epic failing on some ground missions.

    Unless you are higher level and have the best gear, a MOB group with two munition officers and a swordmaster can one-shot kill nearly your entire crew in the first couple seconds of a fight, even using Weapon Malfunction...

    It would be great to have a DEV comment on this or another post about this problem.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited July 2010
    Mavrocket wrote:
    It would be great to have a DEV comment on this or another post about this problem.

    The closest thing you'll get from any recent dev postings is that dstahl said in both an interview and in a post that he wants to start focusing on fixing bugs and polishing the content that is out there. So this topic would fall under that set of statements. That's the good news.

    The bad news is ... this was listed as an acknowledged bug and under investigation back when the difficulty slider was on test server being tested. And it's stayed that way ever since, launching bugged and staying bugged.

    :(

    And just for posterity's sake ... I agree with your assessment and feedback. I'd love to see this fixed. I'd love to see it fixed as soon as possible.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    If your characters have all the best gear available anywhere, then there's really no point in playing on Elite difficulty for the rewards, and from the sounds of it, it's impossible to steadily play on Elite difficulty unless you have your characters all decked out in the best gear. That's one hell of a vicious cycle of frustrating one-shot kills
    nonsense, i didnt even have mk X gear on my boffs until long after season 2 was released.

    exposes and boff powers make a far bigger difference than gear, for the mots part.

    blue/purple boffs are handed out for free :p
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    Trueheart wrote:
    I've find this to happen on advanced to, given the right kind of enemies. I know dual pistols were part of the problem, however it seems those might be fixed but knife damage seems to be an instant killer, and again this is playing on advanced.

    The aliens wielding dual pistols get me every time. One or two shots and I'm at Respawn.

    P.S. I stay on Advanced difficulty.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited August 2010
    The trick with surviving a melee encounter seems to be your ability to keep the enemy away from you. Everyone should have a close-range attack, whether it's palm strike or hitting them with the butt of your rifle. Also, knockback should do wonders. Of course, this isn't going to help you against dual pistols, but it's a start.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2011
    Right, but because enemies are given resistance to whatever you use to keep them away, this doesn't work. Of course, if you spec'd to have every different type of crowd control ability of different resistance, I suppose you could get away with it. But then you'd be unable to spec anything else.

    The point is that it is inherently broken. If a swordmaster can one-shot me on elite, I'd like to at least do significantly more damage to him in return. I understand it's the highest difficulty, but that shouldn't mean I'M GIMPED, only that they are buffed. I can hit a swordmaster with my bat'leth for less than 10% of his health if I'm lucky, but he one and two shots me. That isn't harder difficulty, that is broken.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2011
    Vipermist wrote:
    actually there is nothing wrong with elite difficulty , yes some of the missions on ground like borg and undine and breen are extremely hard , but its good challange for people who team at rear admiral that have all purple gear on them and their bo's.

    me & my friend just teamed up and did the latest missions on elite ground combat, while it was extremely challenging we had to use tactics to win. It just made it all the more sastifying to win and it felt like we where fighting the borg. They 1 shot you on elite in mele and elite tac drones are deadly at range.

    sure we died a couple of times but it was fun. but we still completed the missions on elite.

    just use tactis like flanking and fall back your bo's to rally points when they get too close.
    another good one for tac officer is spam security officer and tac recharge can have alot of guys fighting in long firefights.The best bridge officers to use are sciences officers with medic skills and tricorder scan. followed by engineers with shield recharge / weapon malfunction and phaser turrent / drone.

    dont bother with tac bo's because they suck.

    fact if its too hard for you then go back to normal. leave elite for the pro's

    nothing wrong with elite only problem is reward should be greater for successful completion of missions on elite / some unique gear maybe.

    This is a ridiculous statement. If the mission required a teammate and you still died a few times, then elite is broken. Because it is an RPG and there are random rolls generated, the best tactics will fail when the rolls aren't made. When that randomness happens, I should not be a sitting duck for a one shot kill when I don't have the same ability to reciprocate, even to very small degree.

    I"m not whining, I'm stating a fact. Because of the numerous complaints of how ground missions were too easy, they made advanced and elite ground missions absurdly unbalanced, while elite in Space is absolutely perfect, imho. It would be one thing if every ground mission on elite was equally deadly, but they aren't. There are some mobs that are just broken while most are not. Fix those mobs and you fix the problem.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Cryptic needs to fix the one shotting mobs in Elite Btran's...

    I've got a good away team going that can kick any "normal" Elite mob... but as soon as i do an exploration mission...I run into those wonderful 1 shotting Vito'D or the Crimto. Simply update and fix the mobs Cryptic.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    I wish there were two separate difficulty sliders, one for ground and one for space. Personally I find ground combat boring and just want to blow through it as fast as possible, so I'd set that on normal. I can't get enough space combat and I love all the tactics, so I'd set that to elite. That's how I'd like to play.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    im switching always the difficulty, in every mission, and after a while it really...

    it would be just perfect if there is a option to set space combat as elite and ground to normal.
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