I have a bit of a problem I've run into plenty recently. I recently switched to Omni side, and being a 174, I can wear up to 1k token boards. So naturally, I want to earn my 1k tokens and be happy for now. And before anyone asks, yes, I used the search function. I've looked at several guides, and so if the information I want is out there, pardon my missing it.
During the break periods from the PvP missions, I go to farm token guns. They aren't hard to farm, they drop often enough, and you get little bravery tokens with them. Everyone knows the spot, and they know that there can be competition. People want to farm them to sell them, people want them for tokens, and rarely, some malicious folk just like to screw around.
To those who farm for these to make money, you know it takes a good bit of time, and sometimes you have to get a little creative in what you do in order to throw the competition off. Sometimes you get adds, if you're level is lower, that kill you. This is part of the process of earning your cash.
To those who farm for tokens, you know what a relief it is to fill your last bag in your inventory and time to go back to the bank to deposit, go to the containers terminal and grab some bags, or it's time to get your tokens. You also know that there is really little in the ways of earning your tokens quickly.
To those who buy the guns, you know it takes come cash to buy a single bag (I've heard from 3m to 5m per bag), and you can't even get 2 tokens from a single bag, but you pony it up anyway because it's easier and less time consuming than blitzing RK mishes. It's better than offing your VP for tokens. You also know that there is really little in the ways of earning your tokens quickly (provided you are higher level, I would hope you aren't lower level and doing this).
However, when I'm done farming my guns, it's time to turn them in. I go to Camelot and I scoot south for a minute to the Main OTAF Base. The NPCs to pull the token gun mission are missing. I know now that they can be pulled out of the base and killed, but I must ask, why should this be allowed? Do they drop something rare/valuable/useful? I don't want to sit around for x number of minutes/hours (GMs tell me they can not say the spawn time, it's classified as "spoiler information" even though I am not learning anything about the quest, and I wouldn't expect an ARK to be able to tell me either) to turn in my guns. Even if I came back 3 hours from then, how would I know how long it's been since the NPC died?
Let's ask another question: What if I've already pulled the missions and someone came to the OTAF base and pulled the NPCs out? I would have a receipt in my hand, maybe 2 receipts, but now I've got a 4 hour timer and no idea of when I can drop off the receipts. If the timer expires, your mission is invalidated, and your receipt is no good. You've lost your guns, you've lost the DCSD, and you'd have to pull it again (and hope your circumstances aren't repeated).
I was told by a GM that they can advance your mission (and because it is fair, I assume they delete your reciept if they don't spawn the NPC). The problem is, I have plenty of bags to get through, and I'm not sure GMs/ARKs want to be bothered for every time I need a mission advanced. I know I wouldn't like that kind of petitioning coming my way. And to add to this, the timer of the NPC spawns are insofar unknown, and the time you can wait for a petition to be answered varies, if the GM/ARK doesn't delete it outright (I doubt it in this case).
I ask then, what is the answer to this problem? Do we petition each time we have 12 token guns in our posession? Do we petition per x number of bags? Do we petition only if we have the receipt, and just wait out the NPCs for the rest of our guns?
I could give some solutions to this problem. These solutions rest on certain assumptions however.
1. Decrease NPC spawn time to maybe like 3 minutes. With the frequency I have encountered this lately, it is quite annoying.
2. Change the gas levels in the domed OTAF bases to 100%. Of course, this would negate any farming of clouds from the NPCs and guards here, so maybe move the clouds to a new mob, or put more guards outside? Even easier would be to put the mission NPCs inside of a building. This way nobody draws them off or kills them unintentionally.
3. Make the mission NPCs unattackable. I don't attack these guys, so I don't know what they drop. If they do drop something, maybe move those items over to a mob?
4. Make the missions instanced, like maybe in a standalone terminal somewhere near the bases if not inside the bases.
I do not know if people kill these NPCs intentionally, to keep people from getting their tokens, but most of those suggestions would negate that. If it must be allowed, I must ask, why?
EDIT: I tried again, this time, GMs can't help you when you're simply f***ed.
[Etherion]: I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to do that. You are going to have to make it to the NPC before somebody makes it to the NPC. Thank you though for the support request and have a good day.
I asked Etherion up there to delete my receipt and give me the mission token. I didn't ask him/her to delete the mission (I didn't even think of it), but it would have been nullified anyway. Keep in mind that you can't talk to an NPC (much less trade them your quest items) if they are fighting something, I found that out not too long ago as well.
A load of strongarming bull**** is what that is. I can't even advance my quest anymore.