What makes a GREAT Episode?

All popular episodes had something in commong challenging raids.

What makes a great DLC, one where there's content, this was achieved with Origin Crisis.

2 solos, 2 alerts, 2 raids.

Then it was followed up by Sons of Trigon which added in

3 duos, an alert and open world.

So There's a massive answer for you, every DLC should have.

1 solo, 1 duo, 2 alerts, 2 raids and an open world with a bounty circuit.

If you included all of this and made the grind appropriate then it would better assist the 2 DLC a year release window.

DLC's would last around 6 months then, which is exactly what happened with Origin Crisis and then extended by Sons of Trigon.

You could even do 1 DLC release a year if you did it like this then extended it with 1 or 2 supplementary ones that include a few new duos, or an alert and at most a new raid

This is it as well, you can create DLC longevity through additional horizontal quests rather than just a vertical grind.

The 4 different sets of gear in Battle for Earth are a great example of this. you could make our gear sets cheaper but have 4 different set styles meaning that even when we've finished our gear we still have a sense of having something to do, by collecting more styles.

The big things would be the theme if it's something in the DC Universe I resonate with, and how fun the instances are. This episode has done it well since features an ensemble of fan favorite characters, and the instances are all fun, even if there is recycled content as it isn't really noticeable. I didn't care too much about the previous episode since I wasn't into Static aside from watching a few episodes of the series, and the raid was bland to say the least.

If the normal version can be completed quickly in PUG groups without much issue while the elite version can be done smoothly as long as the group is competent, that's a huge factor as well. For example if I'm solo queuing and the raid pops up in omnibus in the future, would I consider accepting it or not?

Other episodes that hit these on the mark include Titans (perhaps my most favorite) and Flashpoint. Wonderverse and the original JLD are up there as well, although they have some parts in the instances that aren't PUG friendly.

If the vendor styles are great, that's a plus as well. This episode, Wonderverse, and Dark Knights hit it on the mark as these have styles I ended up using.

Maybe we could have a vote on the forums to let the players help create something for the episode I have a few ideas.

1. The team could let us vote on a place for a piece of content would take place like solo,alert or raid. I know everyone has a favorite piece of content they wouldn't mind seeing again in a new episode.

2. Let us pick an Open world or raid boss.

3. Maybe we could have a vote on a new character showing up in the game . It doesn't have to be a character we fight it could just be a vendor but it would be something new.

4. We could have a vote on a new set of gear it was fun when we did the vote that got us the Blue Beetle set so it could be something to try again.

5. This is probably one of the easier one but let us help pick base items. It could be comic book covers or iconic base items. I think everyone would like a big JLA table for our bases and league halls .

HEY DEVS SINCE YALL APPARENTLY READ SOME CHATS THE ROBOTIC STYLE FROM THE CLASSIC GAME THAT USE TO DROP ON OOLONG ISLAND HAS BEEN BROKE SINCE OMNIBUS CLAMP. PLEASE FIX, BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS ADDRESSED, THIS MASSIVE OUTLIER BUG FOR 2 AND A HALF YEARS NOW. THIS IS THE LINK TO ONE OF MANY POSTS ABOUT IT. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dc...-oolong-island-no-longer-exists.327872/page-7

I like it when there's a difference in the hero and villain story. One of my favorite episodes is Teen Titans Judas Contract. As a villain Terra's dialogue is different and she treats us as a rival. In the duo, villains get to sabotage the training sim. Even though tasks in the open world involved saving people, the reactions civilians gave were varied and showed the villains weren't really "saving" people but just keeping up appearances. The episode did a great job of adapting the comic story into this universe.

Another episode I enjoyed was Deluge. As a villain working with Ocean Master felt like we were actually doing our job. We were mercenaries carrying out tasks that eventually lead into the main plot. I was also thrilled to play the open world missions of the Amazon Fury tribology. They had variety. Not to mention, turning into a cockatrice and carrying out an aerial assault was very fun. The side mission where you locate the missing patrol group was superb because it felt like we were solving a mystery step by step.

One of the things I liked about the base game was the villain exclusive missions like turning into several different demons and terrorizing people in Robinson Park. Calculator being horrified at the end was the cherry on top. It almost made you think twice about what you did. Or the Mr. Freeze mission where Calculator is completely in the dark about Joker's plan. The mission starts with the heist and then turns topsy turvy when Joker and Mr. Freeze gets involved. This layered and chaotic story had many moving parts that eventually came together in the end.

Overall, when there is a good, engaging story where the hero and villain narrative differs, the episode becomes memorable.

The first few updates that included Batcave , LoA hideout, Fortress of Solitude.
Origin Crisis
Battle for Earth
War of the light all parts
Amazon Fury all parts
Halls of Power all parts

These are DLCs I think fondly of.

They engaged my problem solving in a way the game doesn't anymore.

Fos2 actually required a kind of teamwork that doesn't happen anymore. The fact I got kicked out of FoS2 for being a fire tank (literally not even a minute passed saw I was fire and kicked me out) because inescapable storm was easier to use on the bridgeade me try and figure out how to perform the bridge part with Backdraft. That just doesn't happen anymore.

The Batcaves, FoS2 , Themycira raids had interesting hallways. Today it's basically 3 boss room with little mechanics in the hallways. Aside from gathering adds CC is useless.

This issue at hand isn’t the episode itself, I mean it doesn’t help especially the raids re skin and lack of enticing content but it’s a build up of things.
Unbalanced powersets, no tank’s especially on Xbox.
No update on powerset moves or anything.
Arts are expensive and Allies.
Re skinned maps, when you literally have 2 huge open world maps in Gotham and Metropolis.
Can’t blame an episode when that is never going to save the staleness of probably the most important thing in the game, powersets and weapon trees/character customisation.
We also seen the EG7 thing where it’s clear DCUO isn’t a priority and everyone who was clinging onto some kind of hope towards change of the big issues.
They have all left after that, the episode didn’t make people leave and stop playing.
So expensive artefacts/allies and time capsules are all the priority while this game is on life support to make some money while they can.
Half my league left because all the money they spent on this game to help further it is going into other properties? Like damn I don’t blame them. It’s not the episode.
DCUO was also the biggest revenue out of all the games with daybreak so people clearly love the game and want to support it but it’s gotten to the point now that they devs and daybreak obviously don’t care about the players and fans so that’s it they done and moving on.
I respect you Mepps for reaching out on what makes an episode great but damn dude that isn’t the problem.
Also culling Nth metal to account bound etc, no positive moves are made they are all negative.
Add the stab event back, okay somewhat positive for those who like time capsules but again time capsules are horrible and not what’s going to further the game.

1. Farmable RAIDS with farmable TRADABLE EPIC gear rewards(outside of WEEKLY LOCKS).. HIGH REWARD PAYOUTS.. LIke sunstone Matrix, PARADOX, NEXUS, Prime Battleground, USR..

2. BOUNTIES.. Bounties are extremely FUN, but you guys havent improved upon the BOUNTIES strategies.. Meaning.. Its always the same setup for bounties. BE MORE CREATIVE.. Instead of having stationery bounties where boss are at a specific zone, how about bosses that ROAM a large part of the map, making it a game of exploration of the beautiful maps youve designed.. Central city Bounties mixed with DOOMSDAY METROPOLIS BOUNTY.. Just as an example of being creative. You can even have MULTIPLE BOSSES that are UNBEATABLE roaming the map and if they see you its a one shot.. MAKE IT FUN.. Or you can have bounties that are setup to be beaten the FUTURE.. LIke a 800cr BOSS bounty roaming the map that we cant beat yet bcuz we are currently at 430cr.. So that means we have to go BACK to the prior DLCs to beat him. Keeping each MAP area FRESH.. If ppl can actually beat the boss then THE REWARD SHOULD BE HANDSOME choices of EPIC rewards similar to TCs but with NTH epic gear rewards, 25-50x Source marks Ally exp, catalysts, etc. Always leave EXTREMELY HARD missions that we can go back to in the future, to complete when we get much stronger. similar to like DARK SOULS or elden ring.
3. The best content is the one that always have PLOT TWIST or keeps you on your toes. THE FLASH DUO is a good one.. Like content that are PATH based, based on our choices within the content, which will determine the end result of the journey.. Similar to HOH.. You can have an A B C D, outcome path based.. Maybe allow a couple different paths to be cross intertwined.
4. CONTENT that has TONS OF EASTER EGG FEATS, secret rooms, secret missions within a ON DUTY MISSION. Maybe like the Jacob DUO, with the secret mission at the end of the duo that pops up randomly. But not just for DUOS, for all future content. Throne of the dead with the STATUES feat.. Interactive environment that have feats. Side quest within content that have puzzles that also have feats attached.
4. Content that switch BOSS fight variations.. Like Paradox Raid in the tunnel there would be Different iconic bosses to beat.. Boss variations within content.. Also SUB boss Variations within content. Mini boss variations within content. Boss variations also call for the need for maybe MULTIPLE TANKS or support roles..
5. Creative ADS.. that ads and trash mobs have never really been improved on or have been giving creative aspects to being trash mobs.. Improve on the creative mechanics for TRASH mobs.. You use the ads for like mirror matches vs our group.. MINI game boss fights with his ARMY(ads).. Examples: Their can be a tank Ad, Healer ads, DPS ads, TROLL or debuffer ad. All those ads may have their own SECRET AGENDA of who to target and pick on within our group. Allowing the group to figure out real time strategies to react to.
6. Bring back Multiple support role mechanics which are needed within that content.. 5-1-1-1 setup is TOOO PREDICTABLE.. PLEASE switch it.. You can even allow 6-1-1(no Tank) or even 2-2-3-1 (2 tank, 2 heals, 3dps 1 troll).. Please be creative!
7. Content with environment AOEs.. Would be nice if certain powers get buff/resistance within certain environments(Ex: Fire powers are immune from burning eff and get 10% increase when standing in fire and no AOE dmg is taken.. YOu can make it apart of every powers innate abilities

Great thread btw.

As you say it is very subjective, but for me personally it boils down to the following factors:

1. Raids:

• Have a minimum of two raids per episode.
• Try not to have too many repetitive mechanics. For example the last three raids released all have the first boss being two bosses with buff mechanics, have to be KO'd at similar time, and at least one of them having a reflect mechanic. That sense of deja vu isn't going to entice players to come back if the first boss in every raid is the same with one or two mechanics changed. Compare this to second boss SWE or Nexus of Reality/Paradox Wave or the first two bosses in Darkseid's War Factory where you had various possible combinations/mechanics that keep content interesting and no 2 runs of the raid being the same.
• Raids should have event, normal, elite and elite plus versions, with elite plus releasing two weeks after the main episode, not several months later. Elite plus should also be announced ahead of time (as in the release date), not randomly dropped with no prior warning on an overnight Hotfix as what happened with The Terrorium Elite Plus. This is still a content release so should have some advertisement prior to release or it comes across like the devs don't care. Elite plus should also be difficult, perhaps not as difficult/scaled as SWE+ second boss was, but more difficult than any other E+ raid released in the last year or so.
• Try to have different maps, and where possible more interesting room mechanics. We saw a little bit of this this episode with Ethereal Hecate and her speed zone/bubble phase in Cursed Themyscira, but that is one small baby step compared to the leap that is needed. Again FFXIV have a large variety of interesting mechanics that DCUO can take inspiration from, ranging from trick mechanics to a greater variety of stack mechanics, to mechanics regarding time and having delayed impacts to some mechanics.
• Each raid should be designed originally with elite plus in mind, having all the mechanics at the highest difficulty to start with, then lower/scale back the mechanics in elite, normal, event etc. It feels as though the devs release the raids as they are in the main episode, then add mechanics later for elite plus, which if anything gives them more work to do after the episode is already out, rather than have that being done during the development of the episode.
• Have raids that challenge the healers (this has not happened in a long time btw). FGSE and to a lesser degree SGE had this, but more mechanics regarding healers would make things a little more interesting. Right now it seems the only way to make content difficult is to scale it up and require more tanks, which seems the wrong way imo. There should be a variety of mechanics to challenge all roles in elite and especially elite plus.

Note that I am a player who looks forward to the raid/s the most in an episode content wise, so of course my views will be specific to that.
Otherwise:
Other content:

• Solo/duo: As someone else said above, Temples of Source Power solo from Wonderverse was a great example of a recent solo. No 2 runs the same, with Grail showing different mechanics depending on which temple you queued. And farming for the nectars for the consumables was worthwhile as well.
• Alert: Needs to be an engaging alert. Meta-Therapy Clinic has to be one of the worst alerts ever released because it wasn't engaging. Having a bunch of hallway adds followed by a boss that has barely any mechanics isn't fun. Cursed House of Mystery is somewhat better but compared to alerts such as Fatal Exams, Darkness Rising or Silent School there is still work to be done. Personally I'm not a big alert fan, but I do want an alert that is engaging. And again like with raids we need elite/e+ alerts that need a healer involved, as the last few alerts have been done with a 3 dps/1 tank setup, perhaps battle controller depending on the boss (looking at you Devastator in Return to Earth 3).
• Open world: No open world bosses please! Also preferably a new open world, they all tend to be Metropolis, Gotham, or a 'new' city with rehashed elements of one of both of these. (Exceptions such as Thanagar or Atlantis can appear, but these are more rare)
• Base items: Base items should be really interesting and drop more often in that episode's content. There have been some nice base items in more recent content so keep it up!

In short:
- More variety of mechanics in content (we have had this in previous episodes but not for a while)
- Two raids minimum (One raid episodes do not keep players interested for the most part with some exceptions (Source Wall, Fractured God Sphere). Have two raids that are both not short, or have one hallway raid and one arena)
- Design elite plus along with the rest of the episode rather than after the episode is released
- Content needs to be more than just mindless adds followed by a boss with one mechanic that doesn't threaten the group. (No more Meta Therapy Clinic style alerts please!)
- Keep it up with the decent styles/base items
- No open world bosses
- Mechanics that challenge healers and upset the current group meta (5 dps, 1 controller, 1 healer, 1 tank)

GREAT question... I enjoyed reading this stuff. Here's mine:

Variation & Material
I like DCUO's history of switching up the format every so often, and prior to announcements, I find myself wondering how the next episode will shake out. Storyline requests/selections/approvals are pretty much a wash for me; aside from the Death of Supes event, I didn't know any episode source inspiration or plot before it was announced. I trust the creative minds with picking cool stories. I would love a Day 1 throwback element* to be mixed in at some point, though. More later...

Fluidity & Visuals
This one is big for me- Please feed my hyperactive brain, devs, and thank you. Dredging up the past based on product results from a tough development year is slimy, so apologies in advance. While many of today's most entered raids largely take place in a single area, I really hope that would only happen in the future if there are multiple raids Moving on, I really like the further integration of styles and animations between our toons and the npcs, and I'm a sucker for transition screens that combine iconics and player toons. Map re-skins are no problem if they pop off in a different or more targeted way, especially when the story warrants a particular place rather than "cool beams and joists, let's use those again."

Format Intro
I love a good multi-parter, and I think the more connected they are, the better. A variety of team-up sizes, difficulties and appropriate rewards is the best way to keep everyone engaged. I'd very much like to get back to basic smart team play and keep the urge to mindlessly dogpile chaotic bounties to a minimum.

Format Pitch (One-off)

• Episode Day 1- A big open world (Scaling, w/ 2 dailies, a small bounty bundle ala AoJ but spread out and 1 non-combat weekly), a duo & an alert (3 levels each), a raid (Event, Normal) and a mysterious extra staging area with special (non-OP) item vendors and 2 not yet-accessible teleporters in the open world. The main map, the duos and the raids maintain all typical access, gear and vendor eligibility as is the norm, and the staging area vendors contain different sets of pricey non-progression items.**
• Episode Week 3- A truly elite raid added and in a comm link pop-up, the appropriate original storyline mentor* requests the character to report to the portals for special, role-based challenge solos. Headlines from the normal or elite duo and alert + the normal raid, and a slightly increased CR are required to enter the damage or support challenge instance portals. Completing a challenge earns a daily mark and the first successful run earns a headline and unlocks access to new, unique titles from a vendor outside purchasable with a few marks. The elite raid has the same CR requirement + completion of the solo challenge in each given role to select that role in the raid queue. (An accommodating group could allow an "unqualified" role to do whatever they want once inside.) The raid would take all the latest and greatest allies/arts into consideration for mechanics and npc health, award 1 extra mark per boss/add wave with loot, work from the same feat list as the normal raid while increasing its rare drop chance by 5%, and unlock access to a 2nd set of titles from the vendor.
• Episode Week 6- New rewards** and 2x bonus marks... and a dogpile chaos bounty if absolutely necessary
• Episode Week 9- Bonus Catalysts Week + a sequel episode with circuit bounties announcement, introducing a final month mark escrow (1,000+) exchange system that will enable conversion to the new ep's secondary currency ala Source to Quarks upon its release.
• Episode Week 12- Episode Week 1 of the next chapter... that maintains enough synergy with the last one to keep it in the rotation, and if the Adaptive Augs are content-effective, there'll be a reason to hold onto a few of them longer than the typical xp dump would take on Day 1.

This framework would help make a GREAT episode for me.

* Nostalgia: 1) The cool factor of 6 of the most important iconics keeping in touch. 2) A DCUO legacy flex. 3) A story mode reminder to train and a practical way for support roles to do it without other players' lives on the line.
** Examples: 1) Fresh new mainframe/dispenser sidekick skins or palette-dynamic variants. 2) Overpriced character-locked versions of any rare raid drop for those of us living in RNG hades.

Lightning in a bottle.

I'm here because I'm a comic book fan, a DC comic book fan especially. I need to feel that. The game is always a mix of hits and misses. I'm liking this dlc unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the consensus. I think it's downfall is that its all just so fast. I was able to complete everything from the open world stuff to all three instances in about an hour and fifteen. I already have an op back leveled on my main with two pieces of elite gear and I've used maybe 400 replays in total. Its a nice mix of mechanics and tank and spank. The maps are amazing. It's a good example of "working with what you got". We can nit pick all day at the end of it all is we need more content and we ll already know the answer to that. It's like when you want a bad dog to behave. You have to wear them out with lots of play.

I think we need to liven up the open world somehow. The ongoing bounties may not be popular on the forums but i always have fun with them in game. The additional vendor and rewards that come with them keep us chasing. I'd like to see something a little more involved. I remember being super pissed when Home Turf was announced that we weren't getting any new instances, just open world stuff (and its solo)and I ended up loving that dlc and I still love running that hastily put together duo.

I am always up for more engaging solo content. Would be nice to somehow get that early pre 30 feel to those types of missions again. The mentor issions are some of the least used/seen instances in the game. Somehow opening them up for us and maybe bringing them up to end game levels might be some good busy work for a spell.

I would suggest going over the game with a fine toothed comb and finding those bosses, maps and ideas used least in the game and making using that stuff a priority...if it makes coming up with new content easier. There are tons of maps and areas of maps that look like they can lead somewhere...use them.

At this point there aren't many major characters we haven't seen in game but you have to keep them coming. Some of my favorite things over the past few years have been bringing in characters like Plastic man, metamorpho and deadman.

(this would be where I request Doom Patrol content).

A good episode features characters and styles that have not yet made an appearance in the game. A bad episode in the future will almost certainly feature batman and yet again another tired batman-inspired style.

The bounty, 3 open world missions, and solo/duo/alert/raid routine has grown tired, dull, and predictable.

Surprise us. Incorporate an element of chance. Give us a mystery to solve, or something to do that isn't 'kill 30 whatevers.'
ANYTHING that deviates from the old formula would be welcome.

I'd like to see more things do do in bases and League Halls. Other than decorating, there really isn't much to do there. I know there are a couple of instances that take advantage of them, but nothing more recent (AFAIK) than The Legion of Doom episode. And not much before that, either.

Boss battles should not be beatable by just gearing up and thoughtlessly mashing the attack button. I'm not saying every battle should have really complex mechanics, but maybe change things up once in awhile. Have a boss battle that requires players to do something other than just "maximum burn." Like maybe, to beat the boss, you have to target something other than the boss, by which I mean, targeting the boss does absolutely nothing. You have to run around the room, hitting targets, activating switches, standing on pressure plates. Anything other than just standing there trying to out-DPS each other.

If smaller episodes are the way things are going to be done from now on, maybe add some procedurally-generated missions. Something similar to Metal Part II or Jimmy Olsen in Dark Knights, except these would be given by random NPCs, and be in addition to the standard daily missions, maybe on a weekly basis. Maybe it could include things like fighting enemies that only appear for that particular mission, or collecting items that can only be interacted with for that mission.

On a similar note, maybe add procedurally-generated missions to the base game open worlds. Like, say, an open-world bounty that only appears when you accept the mission. Or a scavenger hunt, where you have to collect clues to find where Titanic Trenton (or Captain Kruel, for the villains) has been taken, and when you find the location, go in and rescue him. To tie that back to my first point, the rescue mission could take place in a random base or League Hall for the opposing faction. For that matter, why not have procedurally-generated missions to capture Captain Kruel (or Titanic Trenton)?

To echo what someone else suggested, sidekicks should be customizable. Nothing too crazy, but we should be able to select their styles (from styles already unlocked for that toon) and color palette, and their power set.

I enjoy open world bounties. We don't need kill 100 feats or anything like that but just having them to do weekly is fun.

Number 5, one thing me and a few members miss is the video sequences. That helped the storyline and helped us understand them. If I understand correctly they were removed due to addressing other complaints, but that helped make the storyline more cohesive and understandable. Especially for the people I play with that have never read a comic book in their life.

For me and I understand its not everyone but id say most of the endgame long time servants its about the raids, primarily the mechanics, we dont want super high hp boss's that hit stupidly hard, we want challenging and engaging mechanics that promote team work, provoke tactical positioning and interaction/movement. Again go back to Paradox/Nexus type mechanics and delve even deeper, dont just stack AoE and pile us with dodge roll mechs, make us think.

I would personally prefer an overhaul/new approach to open world dailies, they are just too generic and repetitive after 10 years. Focus more on group and player interactions rather than just generic solo kill 30 adds.

I would definitely pull back from all of the monotonous augment grind, op piece grind, ally favour grind, arti exp grind, stabilizer grind...... you get the point its all just too grindy and essentially the same but for a different avenue, especially when the grind-able amounts are not realistically achievable without spending alot of real money.

To me this was the last really great DLC where everything looked great, played great, and felt great. Nerd of prey should be proud that dlc was her exit. Some money has been thrown it soba and some money has been thrown at the base items for this current JLD cursed episode, , but without any number of directors being present to lead the ship, there is no direction. Since Wonderverse it has been cut and paste. Long live the legion was probably the perfect example of a DLC just basically being reskinned as far as all of the open world stuff.

Sobas instances looked really great, but nobody did anything with the open world since the original Khandaq was released, other than a few tint changes and some additions to the look of it.

Yeah...I could forgive the re-use of Khandaq for SOBA because it wasn't over-used already like Gotham or Central City. I wasn't a huge fan of SOBA for the subject matter, but the runs were satisfactory, ROE was too easy, but it was a 2nd raid, which we don't see often, so forgivable. And just because I wasn't a fan of the story, I did appreciate it made sense at least. Well, as much as Black Adam basically being a 'nice' guy could be.

But yeah, WV was really good overall (again....poop on those OW bosses and related 2nd currency).

And although I very much disliked LLL (the OW bounties/currency, annoying 'test' mechanic in the alert, no solo/duo, characters I had 0 interest in), what reskins? The OW map was new, bosses were new, alert and raid were new maps. Unless you just mean the same daily 3 and similar weekly missions in the OW....which honestly, there are only so many ways to have daily missions....kill X of this...collect X of that... all our dailies have been variants of that since what? WOL1?