Stop the Alert Mooching: Here's how.

[Archived Post]

I get it there are lvl 6s running these, and I don't mind it. I DO mind it when 2-3 ppl zone into the alert and just sit there and do nothing the entire time. So I propose this:

Give each alert a "target number" to reach, similar to the Red Winter alert.

You get points based on:

1. damage done
2. damage taken
3. healing done

If your toon reaches the target number for the alert, you get full xp/loot for it.

If your toon does not, you get NOTHING.

This way it doesn't have to be a "ranking" system or anything, just, if you hit the target number, you get everything the alert has to offer.

This also means that people just can't fly around using energy builders the entire time either...well, you still can, but you won't get anything for it, and I'm fine with that.

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This is fine, so long as the numbers require a minimal effort; I've had Alerts where I couldn't BUY the villain's attention, and others where I'm so busy blocking and self-healing because everyone'd rather fight the rank 1 minion then spend a few more seconds wailing on a boss.

I don't mind minimum numbers, so long as they also require minimum effort and no competition based on archetype.

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Well like he said, damage taken would also be on the list, so if you spend all your time blocking and healing, you'll be taking damage and will have garnered alot of a Aggro.

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Having done some alerts teamed with my brothers newest character his low level guy was doing fine and we succeeded several smashes nicely.

Then some kind of lag or error hit him and he was stuck fuming in one alert while the rest of us were trying to take the villain down. His every attempt to move forward had him rubber-banded back into place. Being one person down of course we didn't succeed within the time limit.

So maybe there aren't moochers, or maybe there aren't as many of them as people think.

Instead there could be some kind of technical problem causing most of this.

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I had lag issues with the alerts. I solved by switching off the patch "on demand".

After a kind of huge download, no more lags when loading alerts! :D

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I would support this, except for how gimpy and wrong the scoring is at this time. I tanked Red Winter the other day, grabbed and held aggro well over 90% of the time, and did rather dismal damage (this was prior to a build revision that drastically improved my DPS, but even so; my job as tank was to sponge up damage, not push it out). In spite of my very clearly key role in our PUG victory in that Alert, my score for it was dead last. Dead. Last.

So unless Cryptic does something to make the scoring meaningful (looks like someone forgot to add "threat" to the list of things for which we can get points), I would have to say no, no, no, wrong to this idea. Sorry.

[Archived Post]

You missed the main purpose why they come.

Daily Questionite.

[Archived Post]

I would support this, except for how gimpy and wrong the scoring is at this time. I tanked Red Winter the other day, grabbed and held aggro well over 90% of the time, and did rather dismal damage (this was prior to a build revision that drastically improved my DPS, but even so; my job as tank was to sponge up damage, not push it out). In spite of my very clearly key role in our PUG victory in that Alert, my score for it was dead last. Dead. Last.

So unless Cryptic does something to make the scoring meaningful (looks like someone forgot to add "threat" to the list of things for which we can get points), I would have to say no, no, no, wrong to this idea. Sorry.

Far as I can tell.... that list of scores at the end of an alert, is in alphabetical order.

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Far as I can tell.... that list of scores at the end of an alert, is in alphabetical order.

Red Winter has a proper score table, like that of an open mission.

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I can confirm this. I had just noticed that the main Alerts were alpha order (they may have stealth changed it is what i tell myself so I don't feel stupid) but Red Winter is definitely in some sort of Open Mission score order.

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Bad idea and here's the reason why.

There will be people always killing enemies before you can go and do anything. Ranged toons will always get more points than melee toons. Certain builds would work better than other ones in getting in damage earlier than others especially with all the knocking around (melee chasing knocked enemies all over the place).

I've seen this problem in WoW in how people judge player performance on damage meters. It's not like certain classes and players could help out their damage is just more sustained than burst and it's not like they can throw in interrupts and debuffs that benefit in damage etc.

On another note healers won't be able to benefit in some cases as well when the players don't take any damage at all and mitigate it all out with defensive buffs or just really high defensive stats. Tanks won't be able to benefit when hybrids are taking all the aggro and putting out all the damage.

It's just going to be a big race of people trying to do more damage than others rather than trying to work as a team. And it's not going to get any better for low geared people because the people that were ahead will keep on getting ahead after buying out all the best gear.

The best thing imo is giving lowbies some sort of buff. Maybe about level 26 and below all get a buff.

[Archived Post]

Bad idea and here's the reason why.

There will be people always killing enemies before you can go and do anything. Ranged toons will always get more points than melee toons. Certain builds would work better than other ones in getting in damage earlier than others especially with all the knocking around (melee chasing knocked enemies all over the place).

I've seen this problem in WoW in how people judge player performance on damage meters. It's not like certain classes and players could help out their damage is just more sustained than burst and it's not like they can throw in interrupts and debuffs that benefit in damage etc.

On another note healers won't be able to benefit in some cases as well when the players don't take any damage at all and mitigate it all out with defensive buffs or just really high defensive stats. Tanks won't be able to benefit when hybrids are taking all the aggro and putting out all the damage.

It's just going to be a big race of people trying to do more damage than others rather than trying to work as a team. And it's not going to get any better for low geared people because the people that were ahead will keep on getting ahead after buying out all the best gear.

The best thing imo is giving lowbies some sort of buff. Maybe about level 26 and below all get a buff.

I don't think any of this has anything to do with what I suggested...

I didn't say anywhere to "rank" people and distribute xp based on score...I said to put in a "target" score that is accessible to any toon that is trying to finish the alert. Each toon that hits the target number will receive full xp/loot/rewards that they do now. I want people "playing" their toons, not just zoning in and letting the other 4 members rack up questionite for them.

Healers, Tanks, and Hybrids all have the ability to deal damage...even if you aren't healing or taking damage, there is still that 3rd option to reach said target for the alert. If you can't create a character to deal enough damage, then you probably have more problems than your questionite storage.

I would love to be on the team that can put away a boss before I can get to it...that would be the most impressive dps I have ever seen since it takes around 5 seconds to get to the boss, if that.

If you still can't hit the target number, then honestly, you need to re-evaluate your playstyle because you have become more of a burden to your team than a beneficial member.

Seriously though, if something isn't done and if the 10-mans have a similar queue system, then expect more and more moochers...

[Archived Post]

What then people are going to reach that score they need to get to then sit there and AFK saying they just finished and won't do anything else.

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What then people are going to reach that score they need to get to then sit there and AFK saying they just finished and won't do anything else.

They don't even have to do that. Any system can be gamed. And never under estimate peoples ability to break the rules.

Wanna undermine this entire idea. Take a quick heal and Dark Transfusion. Then just run a macro where you damage and heal yourself. Presto...idea defeated.

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No one knows their numbers until the end...just like Red Winter...So I guess, if they think they hit the number and just sit there for the rest, so be it. That target number would be the number designated to represent a beneficial team member for the alert. So if you think you hit the number, fine, you did your part. You still need to complete the alert to get anything, so might as well see the last few seconds through.

Dark Transfusion does so little damage and you can't be healed out of combat while it's up...I doubt very seriously just setting a macro for it would be sufficient to even come close to the target number. By the time it wears off, you are already at full health again, so you probably won't net any healing from it. Even so, I am sure there is a coding that can be written to disregard damage to yourself as damage done and damage taken for the alert.

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The threshold for full rewards needn't be very high - just enough to say "you contributed".