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I'm enjoying Lvl4 more now...
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Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#1 - 2012-12-10 16:36:14 UTC
Since the new changes to mission NPCs, I've been having more fun with Lvl4s than I have in a long time. I've been dual boxing with an Arty-Sleip supported by a Siege-link, shield-transfer, tracking-boost Eos (go ahead, laugh). Yes, I have been getting full room aggro, however the NPCs don't know how to focus fire and finish what they started, nor do they know when to use Ewar and where. I have whole groups of enemy ships take me to 25% shields, then suddenly switch targets and go after the support ship which has done them 0 damage. Sansha have been often spotted dropping a TD on the Eos, even though it has no turrets and fired nothing at the enemy. I've actually had little aggro on my drones (both from the sleip and the eos) and when I do, they never hold aggro long enough to be killed. The nice thing is that I can go back to aggressive stance with the drones as I no longer have to worry about tripping a non-aggro NPC cluster. I think I need to try my old SNI/Sentry-Domi combo again with the aggression turned on and see how that works.

Missions run since the change:
1. Attack of the Drones
2. The Score (Sansha)
3. Angel Ganza
4. Gone Berserk
5. Unauthorized Military... (Blood Raiders)
Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#2 - 2012-12-10 23:39:23 UTC
I'd like to make another comment regarding lvl 4 missions post retribution. I see allot of posts saying "I can't run them solo any more". To that, I say don't. Become social. I, for one, am willing to help new pilots run lvl4s. Look me up, or look up some of the other pilots in your mission hub of choice. It is an mmo after all.
Sammybear
Pyke Syndicate
Solyaris Chtonium
#3 - 2012-12-11 00:36:44 UTC
Can you update us after you do any/all of the following?

Vengeance
World's collide
The Assault

I'm just curious on your take on them in particular, as they seem to be the ones giving the most problems.
Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#4 - 2012-12-11 00:46:46 UTC
Will do...as soon as I get them.
Ahn Tee Mahtur
#5 - 2012-12-11 00:52:12 UTC
Lynkon Lawg wrote:
I'd like to make another comment regarding lvl 4 missions post retribution. I see allot of posts saying "I can't run them solo any more". To that, I say don't. Become social. I, for one, am willing to help new pilots run lvl4s. Look me up, or look up some of the other pilots in your mission hub of choice. It is an mmo after all.

Inb4 not everyone has people they can play with yet alone people with weird as hell play schedules. Plus i want the iskies for myself
Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#6 - 2012-12-11 07:38:48 UTC
Ahn Tee Mahtur wrote:
"...Plus i want the iskies for myself"


That about sums it up, doesn't it, Mr. Gekko?
BrutalButFair
Fleet of the Damned
#7 - 2012-12-11 08:50:03 UTC
Sammybear wrote:
Can you update us after you do any/all of the following?

Vengeance
World's collide
The Assault

I'm just curious on your take on them in particular, as they seem to be the ones giving the most problems.


There quiet hard after the patch. You get full room agro always which can be a lot of dps. esp wc where there are scramming and webbing frigs. I personally don't do them anymore.
Folka Albarn
Okanata Mining and Industrial Concern
#8 - 2012-12-11 08:55:52 UTC
used micro jump drive in nightmare and vengeance and the assault are easy
Mr Pragmatic
#9 - 2012-12-11 10:05:12 UTC
I fit dual reppers, havn't really had a problem since I adjusted my tank. But my DPS suffered big time.

Super cali hella yolo swaga dopeness.  -Yoloswaggins, in the fellowship of the bling.
Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#10 - 2012-12-11 15:01:39 UTC
I ran "Pirate Invasion" (Blood Raiders) and "Dread Pirate Scarlett" last night. Still haven't picked up Vengeance or World's Collide since the changes, and I don't think The Assault appears where I live, but I did have some interesting new developments. I had not been taking enough damage in the Arty-Sleip to warrant a support ship, so I switched back to my old standby of a dual-rep armor Sentry-Domi. I wanted to see if the new AI keyed on the sentries so fast that it made them inefficient to use. They didn't...as a matter of fact, they never went after the sentries. I fly a 3 med/2 small mix out of the Sleip and occasionally they would target them, but they never went after the sentries. What I did find was that the NPCs really liked to go after the BS and the damage output against the Domi was MASSIVE. Both reppers running full bore only kept my armor at around 30%. I decided to seriously monitor the incoming damage on the Sleip, and I see more now, more than ever before, that the speed and sig radius of the BC sized ship definitely mitigated the incoming shots. I've never seen so many misses before. Has the NPC targeting/tracking/range MAGIC been nerfed? Also, in the hundred or so times I have run DP Scarlet in a BC-sized AB ship with point, I have never missed Scarlett in the third room. I was still 5km from point range this time. Does she jump out faster now?

(* In the interest of full disclosure, my computer seized during DP Scarlett and I lost the Domi, so I guess you could consider this my first post-retribution loss* (The saddest thing is that the low-armor and hull warning alarms still sounded even though I could do nothing about it.))
Caellach Marellus
Stormcrows
#11 - 2012-12-11 15:05:57 UTC  |  Edited by: Caellach Marellus
I really haven't had the problems others have had with World's Collide yet, if anything it's significantly easier post patch. Referring to the Serpentis/Gurista version here.

Warping into the Serpentis side gate, the NPCs now deploy over time as opposed to everything being in the room as you arrive.

I don't run the Gurista side for the same reasons I didn't pre-patch, ECM spamwhores + Marauder weak sensor strength = sod that.



Vengeance has yet to come up annoyingly, but I wrote a guide to the first room in the Assault (an alternative to which can simply be described as "Fit an MJD") in a couple of different threads.

When your gut instincts tell you something is wrong, trust them. When your heart tells you something is right, ignore it, check with your brain first. Accept nothing, challenge everything.
Morrigan LeSante
Perkone
Caldari State
#12 - 2012-12-11 15:24:32 UTC  |  Edited by: Morrigan LeSante
Vengeance I had against....guristas I think. Unremarkable.

My assault was vs serpentis and the real killer was the damps.

I do, however, have pretty decent skills for popping NPCs so even at full aggro, stuff dies fast. With the damps, I had no viable counter save warping in and out. A single SeBo wouldn't have been enough (all I could realistically fit) and the incoming damage was significant and I'm already too tight fit to squeeze an AB in there to try to close range.
Anneliese Pollard
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#13 - 2012-12-11 15:27:57 UTC
I have a rattlesnake, so I haven't really skipped any missions, except against the other races.

Mordus Headhunters was a big challenge. The tank was worked over pretty good in the 2nd room. Had to warp once.

I took off the XL ASB. Next time I'll leave it on.
Lynkon Lawg
Second Six Corporation
#14 - 2012-12-12 15:08:29 UTC
Well, I saw the patch notes this morning but haven't tried a mission yet...however I have to say I think I'm disappointed. I was enjoying having my drones ride roughshod over any and every NPC. Now back to keeping the leash on the little idiots.