Mission Architect for Tickets and XP: I16 Compliance
By
Aurian28,
Posted on: 2009-09-25 08:49 in Player Guides
I just discovered this post, and I was curious as to where you were finding the ability to change their powers. I can't seem to find anything that will let me modify anything other than their outfits.
Quote:
You can't change the powers of standard enemies. You can, however, see the powers standard enemies get, and pick and choose the ones that only have powers that don't annoy you. |
Originally Posted by Aurian28
I just discovered this post, and I was curious as to where you were finding the ability to change their powers. I can't seem to find anything that will let me modify anything other than their outfits.
|
There are many, many standard groups that have multiple instances of the same mob with different powers. Look at the "Air Thorn Casters" and "Possessed Scientists" in the Circle of Thorns, for example. You get whole spawns of Air Thorn Casters in standard content because there are more versions of that mob than there are of other minions, and they have slightly different power selections.
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"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Quote:
I see now.|
Originally Posted by Heraclea
You can't change the powers of standard enemies. You can, however, see the powers standard enemies get, and pick and choose the ones that only have powers that don't annoy you.
There are many, many standard groups that have multiple instances of the same mob with different powers. Look at the "Air Thorn Casters" and "Possessed Scientists" in the Circle of Thorns, for example. You get whole spawns of Air Thorn Casters in standard content because there are more versions of that mob than there are of other minions, and they have slightly different power selections. |
Brilliant =)
UPDATE
It may be the case that the custom critter nerf has either been reversed or has spread. This thread contains evidence.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
Nice guide
answered my questions perfectly
Thank you, this answers my questions as well.
Great guide. Thank you for all the valuble info.
Just a brief update. I hope this will not be final. By the April 7th, 2010 patch notes:
Quote:
This patch would appear to be not working as intended, and has been acknowledged as not working properly by Dr. Aeon, although no tested modification has been announced, and the time for its repair has not been announced either. | Rewards in Mission Architect missions that contain more than one allied critters will give progressively lower rewards for each additional allied critter in the mission. |
Currently, any non-combat NPC that appears in a mission will reduce XP and other rewards, apparently by a straight 10% for every such critter that appears. This includes any friendly or non-combat NPC, including hostages to rescue. If a battle is used, and either faction is friendly, those critters that are friendly impose the penalty. "Defend an object" objects are also counted as non-combat NPCs.
My experimentation suggests that:
- The penalty is applied per critter, rather than per event. It is a simple head count. A Friendly patrol that spawns related to team size will apply the penalty for each critter that appears in it.
- This also means that the actual penalty applied will vary according to chance. If the random number generator decides on a friendly lieutenant and minion spawn, that's two; three minions is three.
- The penalty is independent of the combat and con level of the critter spawned. An AV class ally fighting at your side and a captive to rescue represent the same penalty.
- The penalty continues to apply while the friendly critter is on the map. If the critter leaves by the door, or is defeated, the percentage penalty that critter represented goes away shortly afterwards. No penalty will be applied if the critter has not yet spawned.
The short version is this: while this patch is live, if you wish full XP and reward from an AE mission, you cannot add anything to your mission that does not immediately attack the players on sight. Bosses, destructable objects, and hostile ambushes and patrols are still viable. Battles will work if both factions are either enemy or rogue. All other events will incur the penalty.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
The new and more detailed mission difficulty sliders for i16 mean that Mission Architect is still a viable way to outfit your characters using the goodies purchased with tickets. I have come to rely on, and continue to rely on, architect tickets as the chief source of salvage needed for my characters' crafting. They can also be converted to inf if needed, by various strategies not really germane to this guide.
The new reward structure
On the other hand, the reward structure of custom groups and custom mobs has changed; it was apparently thought that "boss farms" were an exploit. It is less certain why all custom critters had their XP and rewards reduced, but there it is: any custom critter with only a Standard powerset is only worth 75% of the XP that a standard modifier standard critter gives.
To give full XP, a custom critter has to have both powersets set to Hard or higher. Such custom critters are likely going to be quite annoying, and should be used sparingly if at all.
A custom critter that has a single power from the Standard powerset taken away can now be made, but that critter will be worth no XP at all, no matter how many powers were added.
From the patch notes:
1. Enemies created using the Standard setting will reward 75% of normal experience.
2. Enemies created using the Hard and Extreme setting will reward 100% of normal experience.
3. The total amount of experience an enemy is worth is split evenly between their two power set choices. Their primary set adds an amount to the experience, and then the secondary set adds an amount.
4. The specifics numbers for individual sets are as followed:
1. Standard: 37.5%
2. Hard/Extreme: 50%
3. If a mob is created that has a standard primary and a hard secondary, it will be worth 87.5% of the normal experience (37.5% + 50%)
4. A mob created with a hard primary and a hard secondary will be worth 100% experience (50% + 50%)
1. If one rank is missing, there will be a 50% experience penalty applied to all enemies in the group.
2. If two ranks are missing, there will be a 75% experience penalty applied to all enemies in the group.
3. Players will still receive full experience for an enemy in their own unique groups if they are spawned in the "Fight a Boss" objective. This only applies to the specific enemy spawned in this manner and not the group spawned along with them.
So, what does this mean?
Custom groups are still allowed. Only custom critters are penalized.
You can continue to create custom groups of characters to fight. You may pick and choose from any of the supplied critters; you do not have to take entire factions as-is. You may continue to rename or re-color standard critters; doing so will not reduce their rewards.
The changes strike hardest at those creators who devised entire factions of their own critters. If you are content using standard or modified standard critters, your rewards are not diminished provided that you follow the 3-tier rule.
There is, unfortunately, no provision in the current search engine to distinguish custom groups made up of standard critters versus custom groups using custom critters. Both show up as "Custom Group". If you are using standard critters in custom groups, it may be helpful to point that out in your description explicitly.
The 3-tier rule
The only needed qualification is that you must include at least one minion, one lieutenant, and one boss in your resulting custom group. They need not be from the same factions, either.
If you set to not spawn bosses solo, bosses will spawn as lieutenants. with lieutenant hitpoints and rewards (but boss powers). Even though the 3 tier rule requires that your custom group to have bosses, there is no penalty for choosing player settings that do not spawn them as bosses.
Note also that some named characters listed as "bosses" are actually elite bosses, and will continue to spawn as elite bosses if included. Other named character bosses spawn as "Hero" or "Villain" and are significantly harder than bosses. They too spawn with full hitpoints and powersets.
As in standard content, bosses are relatively infrequent. A custom critter with no powers can occupy the boss slot. This will satisfy the 3-tier rule, even though the boss yields no rewards. Such a boss can be ignored unless the completion condition of the mission requires its defeat.
Tailor your custom group to your character's wants
When I tested the changes to MA in i16, I created custom groups of Council and Fifth Column. I purged the factions of various annoyances: damage resistant, flying robots; war wolves; vampyres; Galaxy critters with slows and immobilizes. The resulting faction obeyed the 3-tier rule nevertheless. These characters had ranged knockdown and stun attacks, but the characters I played against them shrug those attacks off.
I have also created groups of Circle of Thorns from which Spectres have been banished, and the spawns were reweighted against the appearance of so many Thorn Casters.
Study of Culex's guide to enemy XP mods is worthwhile. You may prefer not to use critters that have an XP penalty. No standard critter gives rewards higher than 100% in the Architect.
Different characters may get better results from different mobs. I despise the Circle of Thorns spectres on melees; control based characters may not mind them, and they are favored for XP. I don't mind mobs with melee stun attacks on tankers and scrappers; my blasters would not want to face hordes of them. My archery blaster doesn't mind Carnies at all; they don't die next to her. She has a map full of Carnie lieutenants and minions, with a Banished Pantheon mask to fill the obligatory boss spot.
You know what you like to fight, and what you hate to fight. Obey the three tier rule, but fill your mission with stuff you like to fight.
Add missions
Remember that the later missions in a story arc have a ticket reward. You get 20% more tickets from a fifth mission than you do from a first mission in a story arc. By adding initial missions that are easily completed, you can create arcs that yield tickets more efficiently on the mission you intend to milk.
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"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison