Lazarillo

Lightning Rod doesn't deliver a critical, but even though it alerts enemies to your presence, it also doesn't break Hide. So you can Rod in and then follow it up with a Thunderstrike (which will guaranteed critical your target with a 50% chance for enemies to get a critical from the the splash damage) for happy happy funtime.

Regarding this part, at least, I think he's more referring to the concept of the Storm in general. Keep in mind, at the level range of Dean's arc, it's possible our characters are not yet familiar with Ouroboros, or even the notion of their goals (as the introduction to the letter also points out).

As for why the letter-writer would want Ajax's help...well, he wants our characters' help, right? As he said, he's assembling a team. It's always nice to have a good tank, right? There's probably not much more to it than that, in this case at least.

D-Mac says the letter in his arc was handed to him by a man, though. Granted, that could have been a red herring, as one supposes that someone with the clout of Lady Grey could have an underling handle such things, I suppose. But it's still something to note.

This, with hopping. I also occasionally alt+tab out of the game to check the clock and wonder why we can't be done yet.

Okay, I'll buy that. My villains like to save the Nictus-guns they own for worthy foes as well. Doesn't quite explain why there aren't Voids hanging out at that Banished Pantheon base (or for that matter, why there are) or the presence or lack of Cysts, though. I'll buy keeping a five foot long energy bazooka in your pocket when it's not useful, but I'm not sure it would be so easy to do the same with a human sized self-propelling rock made out of aliens.

Isn't it just the opposite though? If the war's so wide reaching, then enemy groups should have Quantum gunners around regardless, rather than just conveniently having them around when a Kheldian shows up. Either alternative could be sensible. Get rid of them entirely or keep them around all the time (perhaps code 'em like Sappers so you don't get more than one per spawn though?).

Diabolique bugs me.

I'd suggest that if the BAF requires raid-level amounts of Incarnate characters to pull off a successful breakout, you wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. And it certainly is doing better than the Zig. Or is there an area of Praetoria I missed that just has BAF inmates walking freely around in the streets outside the facility, doing whatever they please?

I think this is what drives me the most nuts about Voids and Quantums, really, but Voids especially. Here we are doing a mission full of zombies and guys that can't even afford a decent pair of pants and suddenly IT'S A PURPLE DUDE FROM BEYOND THE STARS!.

Now, I'm all for the Council having these guys around, maybe even a few of the other factions that might be inclined to steal or buy the tech from them (Malta, Crey, maybe Freakshow, and a few others) having Quantum gunners. But if they're going to show up for those groups, they should show up regardless of team makeup, really. If those Malta agents are precognitive enough to know that a Kheldian's coming to stop them, they should know to, I dunno, retreat from the operation a little bit quicker? And Voids are pretty much "we can't think of any logical way this group would have Quantum guns, so instead they've made an equally illogical alliance with Council bounty hunters".

And don't even get me started on the logic (or lack thereof) behind Cysts all over the place.

Some things will never be salvageable.
I'm imagining something like an AV with a mag-1,000 self-immobilize and a mobile, invincible Triage Beacon. We'll have to use lots and lots of knockback to keep them apart, or something.

...maybe this just my sub-genius level intelligence, but I'm not sure how that impressive resume on the regards of balance and design gives any assurance as to you should or would be particularly skilled at playing video games. It's a rather different set of skills, really. After all, would you say that only the best players would make good developers?

I know myself to be weak enough in terms of will to shell out for it. Reluctantly, perhaps, but it's not like the computer records how much I gripe at myself or facepalm before I click the "purchase" button. Still, ten bucks is a bit...wow. Considering that's how much all the various single origin boosters sold for, it makes me figure that we can probably expect a pretty nice price hike if we ever get something like that again, considering now they know what we're willing to pay for.

Well, now that they know folks are willing to dish out a whole buck per emote, I wouldn't be surprised if the more "complete" boosters go up in price.