Test Discussion Episode 31: 'Central City Deluge' Open World

And last but probably not the least yet... Figured I'd just add on to this post. I also spent more time hunting for the bounties and never saw a single one. I asked in chat and several folks sold me they'd had the same issue.. no one seems to be spawning anywhere.. And while it is a possibility that some one just defeated one and the new one had not spawned YET.. as already mentioned MOST players I have seen never leave the Channel 7 building and are all waiting around for Starro. Never see anyone in any of the spawn points I remember from last year.

I'll keep looking but seems like a glitch to me .. never had an issue finding one of them last year on live

LOL again thanks for the heads up on this one.. I managed to get the duo done but still looking for a team to do the raid.. Everyone wants to do the NEW raid and no one seems to care about finishing up that requirement.. Maybe they will will when they realize they can't do the CCPD mission again until they do a duo or an alert AND the old raid.

Can I make a suggestion? I have seen stuff like this before in game.. all designed to get players to do the solo.. okay now do the duo.. okay now do the alert.. okay now do this raid. All as you said designed to get players to DO all the content but most of those were pretty much a voluntary thing and none of them prevented a player from going back and doing anything again. perfect example would be earth 3.. do the duo and you are instructed to go talk to Superman on earth three. Talk to him and he has you do the alert and then BOTH raids in the right order.. But you can still go back and do the duo the next day, or the same day using a replay, any particular reason why this one is mandatory if a player wants to do the solo challenge again? And if you complete all the tasks one day I hope it doesn't reset and expect you to do the duo/alert and raid again the next day before you can talk to Mera again?

Its a good solo challenge and players will enjoy it.. don't force them to find teams to do an alert and a raid every single day to get to do it again. I'm afraid eventually some players will just eventually say screw it and stop doing the thing at all. plenty of other content they can fill their time up with. JUST my thoughts on the subject.. No problem doing that all once but hey if I only have a small amount of time to play on a certain day I will often just do the solo stuff since its fast and with the OUTDOOR stuff even if i need to log off before i finish .. I don't lose any of my progress when i can come back.

Please report any item/loot issues or questions in the item/loot thread so the right people can see it. Helps keeps things visible to the right people. Thanks!

The pointer mission, as it currently stands, is a 2 part pointer mission that culminates at each part in an instanced map/encounter. To unlock the repeatable stuff you are currently tasked with doing the other content (which, is updated and has updated loot, new collections, feats, etc. so people will want to be exploring said older content). Once that is done ONCE, then you can do the two instanced parts of the story mission (the CCPD map and the temple map) with an altered story beat that combines them into one mission. Meaning you queue up for the CCPD and it takes you there and right into the temple from the CCPD. It's an Operation. You will not be tasked in doing the pointer elements of the story mission again.

See above. You are currently asked to do this older content once and even if you have done it before last year, there are new feats, collections, updated loot drops, member chests, etc. in the revised, older content. After that you unlock the daily replayable content which is an Operation that consists solely of the two instanced maps of the CCPD and Atlantean Temple.

Okay last call before I log and go to bed. So i was doing a little research from last year and came across a thread about how long it was taking players to find and defeat the bounties last year as well. One guy mentioned he had no trouble finding a bounty on PvP so.... I went to PVP. In like 15 minutes I FOUND and defeated Weather Wizard and Kid Flash.

So the issue seems to be only on the PvE side. At one point Mepps stated in that OLD thread that the spawn rate for those bounties was 60 minutes? I think that was revised last year though and like I said on the PvP side I had located and knocked out two of 4 icons.

They are out there but God knows where they are hiding on the PvE side of the house.

LAST comment for the night I swear! LOL So when i logged on to check the PvP side I was on the PvE side and in zone right next to where Giant Starro spawns... In fact he appeared just as I rezzed in the zone and I didn't even bother to look I just attacked. Ummm Charon I soloed him ... Did use one soda and both my orbital strike and pets to do it but... WOW this guy was taking out 8 man teams last year and now 1 guy can cold conk him? You definitely need to make SOME adjustments.

Just wondering, but is there any way that the words in the center of the screen when Starro is speaking, can that either be shrunk down in size or moved to the bottom or top of the screen? When you're in the middle of a battle and those words show up it blocks any fight you're in and might cause you to miss something that you're not supposed to miss. Those words are not only too big, but in the wrong place on the screen.

OK I originally posted that to the Discord channel, but then I realized that it might not be seen, so I copied it to here as well. This is might first time reporting something like this and I'm not used to using the forums for something like this. However this issue that I've got right now is so far the only gripe I've got. I haven't been able to check out the rest (yet). Though I did notice that one of the gear items that I got in the solo, when I made it for DPS, instead of it being slightly higher than the gear that I had on at the time, it was about 1 or 2 points below what I had on, which didn't make sense considering that any new gear we get the max is going to be well over the max that we put on in test. However that wasn't the case. And it was for a belt piece that I had placed on. Now I didn't read through the rest of the thread comments on here, but I figured that I would bring that up as well, along with the issue that I've got with Starro speaking (Starro speaking was the main issue that I've got right now), which I figured could be nipped in the bud right off the bat.
Thanks

That is awesome! Really... that's awesome. Thanks for having the foresight...

Midscreen messaging placement actually cannot be controlled by us. We can control the color/font and what it says. I believe the wording was a bit long last year so I can probably get it shortened so it'll take up less space and have it stay up on screen for less time.

For item/loot concerns please post here:

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/episode-31-rewards.295165/

He's back ! LOL

So okay first off an update on the CC bounties... As I mentioned last night I had no issue finding them in the PvP zone so i went back there today and in no time at all (okay so in around 10-12 minutes) I had located and defeated Trickster, Black Lightning and didn't even need him but stumbled upon him before I left the zone and he yanked me into range so I HAD to defeat kid flash again. That gave me all 4 and opened up the "special secret missions"...... where you go beat up a Large Starro and its two babies. I switched back to PvP and headed back to the Central City Deluge zone .... and was just wandering around defeating Starro controlled NPC for the 329 mission and I found and defeated Black Lightning.

Decided to check and see if it was a fluke and .. NOPE... Quickly spotted the Trickster by the front door to the Museum. I did not have the mission or the desire to battle him again so i headed off and Kid Flash grabbed me and pulled me into combat again. defeated him on the roof of the Museum and then ran back to the front door.. Yep Trickster was still there so i defeated him again too. S not only are they now spawning in both the PvP and PvE zones.. I found two of them up and available to attack at the same time.

Seems like the problem has been corrected but I'll keep my eye on them for a couple days to be sure

Next up Giant Starro... Okay so last night I soloed the big guy. No chance at that with about 8 or 9 heroes and villains all standing around waiting to pounce on him as soon as he spawned.. Timed him again and the respawn is still holding at 5 minutes. Oh yeah 9 players can take out the Giant Starro in less than a minute .. never saw a singole mind controlled hero (he went down too fast) and again .. not a single player died or even LOOKED like they took much damage.

Now for some thing really new... well at least for me. Using your advice Charon I finally managed to find a team and did the Raid to get to the part where you meet up with Mera and investigate the temple... Now i KNOW this is not going to change by when you enter the room to battle Ocean Master? OMG that is one long cut scene LOL

But on to the issue I had (if it is one) Started the battle and did the mechanics where I use the (can not recall the name ) marble statue faces to seal the portals and stop the flow of reinforcements. Did that three times and battled Ocean Master in between and had him down to a sliver of health (see picture)



That is where things got in my opinion a little strange. As you can see he is not behind his protective bubble shield... and I am hovering behind him because I can not target him to finish him off and he has stopped attacking me. this went on for about 4-5 minutes and I was getting a bit concerned about having to leave and start over to finish. Then he simply vanished and I did have to start all over. his health was back to 100% and this time I had to carry 4 (FOUR) marble statue heads to 4 portals to stop those reinforcements and force him from behind his shield. Second time was the charm and i did manage to defeat him but I find it hard to believe that is working as intended???? I may have found a new glitch.

Okay heade dback to the game THAT is all I have to report so far today

Yeah, the weirdness with Ocean Master clearly isn't intended. I intended to add some backup mechanics to make sure he triggers through all his phases if stress testing showed any oddities. Looks like it has, so I'll get to that on Monday!

Interesting about the PvP vs PvE stuff for the iconics. As far as I know there is no difference between those modes that affect the spawning behavior but will look into it in general tomorrow.

And yeah, didn't think anything would change with the giant starro over night.

Seems the Test Server Didn't get Reset. Usually when a Zone/Instance gets Glitched/Bugged and there aren't any other Phases Up (Besides PVP Phase) any Creature/Bounty will not Spawn Until the Instance/Phase is Reset. As to what Cause them to Glitch that could be something with the Spawn Code, usually Something might be taking its' Place (Place Holder) and may be Preventing it from Spawning.

(Side Note: Not sure if the the Test Server not being Reset or Updated is the Reason why we also Do Not have the Higher Cr Gear Unlocked on the Test NPC in the Watch Tower, Which was Mentioned in the Test Notes. (Higher Test Gear, Not the Episode Gear). Perhaps sometime Next Week, Both May be Available).

Same I expected to die when I aggroed him by mistake without a group instead I was able to kill him with little worry at 218 with no mods/orbitals/supply drops. Last year was way harder and a group should definitely be required.

I sort of figured that thing with ocean master was not right. hey at least he reset himself and I was able to take him down on round two. I LIKE the mechanics in that battle. Nothing to involved ans when Ocean master goes behind his shield he also stops attacking so all you have to deal with is a couple minions and then grab that big rock with a face (lol I swear Tomorrow I will find out what they are called) and get it to the portal and to pull him back out and start the battle again.


As mentioned my only other issue was "Good grief when will this cut scene end so i can attack?" Its not bad but I think they could have spent a little less time showing Mera and Orm hitting each other. Yeah I know not going to get changed .. just let the film makers know.. SHORT is better

OKay dinner and the chores are done headed back into the game

After completing the starro raid Meras audio message prompt does not match the subtitles provided when instructing you to talk to her again to continue.

She's saying something about please protect her king in the audio and the text says 'no foolish girl it is you who are trapped.'

Talking to her in person next for the doorway to go to the Ninth triad outpost also did not have audio match up with subtitles. Closer yes but not an exact match did her dialog get changed between script and voice recording?

I think I know what the problem is with the bounty.

Last year, the giant Starro bounty was a Raid Boss NPC, as indicated by his Yellow name bar in a video recorded last year by CodeXtraPerformance:



But this year he has a vibrant Red name bar, which I believe is associated with Solo/Duo Boss level NPCs, as you can see from my screenshot taken earlier in the day:


By comparison, the weekly 4-player mission, a single generic Starro add that spawns in one of the groups can wipe me out in seconds, where as I can comfortably solo the Starro Conqueror bounty with ease.

I had a thought about the Bounties issue.... May be totally off base but figured I'd bring it up for discussion. So do the Bounties have special Spawn point that are ONLY available to them? If not is it a possibility that an after a bounty was defeated an NPC spawned at that point and until some one defeats THAT NPC the bounty can not respawn?

The reason I ask is because I have had this happen to me a couple times while hunting Clayface in Gotham City. Agreed to help some one that needed the bounty for the feat and we arrived and looked every where and NO Clayface. Now I have spent enough time bounty hunting that I knew where he spawned and when i checked there... An exobit was sitting there humming away and glowing. As soon as I clicked on and removed the devious little rainbow Clayface popped right out so we could defeat him.

May or may not have anything to do with the problem in the deluge zone but its a possibility? Oh yeah now for the BAD news....

So tonight I was attacking the Giant Starro to work in getting the feat for defeating him 5 times.. i stopped for the night at 47 so I'll finish THAT up tomorrow. Spawn rate is holding firm at about 5 minutes so as soon as STARRO went down I would take a tour around the zone and check all the spawn points for the bounties..... I was there around an hour and checked about 11 or 12 times and not a single one of them was out again. Right before I logged for the night.. I tried the PvP side again.. Took me about a minute to locate Black Lightning and then attack and defeat him. NOW for the really bad news... So after I defeated Black Lightning I started looking for others.. Earlier in PVE I had Kid Flash and the Trickster up and roaming around at the same time. I was ready to log so I didn't stay too long but not another bounty spawned even in the PvP zone. Thought the problem had straightened itself self out this morning but it look s like it is back

I had not even thought about that but you are right Tori He is sporting the wrong colors.. And yeah a ton of us have soloed him so far... Last year an 8 man team would have half its members rezzing and rushing back to rejoin the battle.. this year a three man team can take him out with no deaths and very little effort. EIGHT man teams? He is down and out in under a minute. Charon is planning to look into it tomorrow maybe your tip will help solve the problem ... And then I can just imagine the screams on chat LOL because there are players not doing any thing but sitting there farming him the past 2 days..

Thanks for catching all that. If you can report any other stuff like that in the new thread here that'll help with tracking.

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/episode-31-narrative-and-cinematics.295249/