Suggested Changes to LE Missions

[PhoenixOfAges]

Suggestion - part 1a - VP - general
Rather than as drops or a big bonus at the end players should gain VP from missions automatically on each kill in the same way XP is gained. How much VP would then depend on the alien level and type. Old types wouldn't give too much while for the newer ones you'd get more with the heavy hitting tentacle one giving the most of the regular aliens. Bosses would then of course give the most. The cocoon boss on its own would give the least VP of the bosses by far but fresh recruits could give very little each depending on level (0-2 VP or so) so you could get about as much VP, it would just take a lot longer.

Suggestion - part 1b - VP - total mission gains
How much VP you get on BS wins depends on your level, not just which BS you're in. Now what if they applied a similar function to missions? If VP was gained like XP is they could use some percentage of the BS win VP value of the puller to decide how much VP the mission would give in total should it be cleared by the puller solo. There could still be some small variation on gains but no where near the level seen now with VP as random drops.

Suggestion - part 2 - Types, level locks and mission difficulty
Level lock mission access based on the roller's level by using their team level range. With this done upgrade clump drop rates could then be increased back up some. Another option or in addition to that completing hard missions to 100% could give some reward item you can turn in for an upgrade clump of your choice or VP. Medium missions could also be scaled up some and hard scaled down some so there is a more even increase and doing a hard at most levels more of a possibility. The mission level cap should also go up from 250 to about 300.

Suggestion - part 3 - AXP
The AXP given by an alien should be based on more than just their level in relation to yours but on the type of alien as well.

Suggestion - part 4 - Layout
Main thing here being to widen the hallways so they are more accommodating to teams.



Some Numbers
VP

• Lvl 15 missions give about 30-80 VP with an average around 50 VP.
• Lvl 90 missions give about 50-140 VP with an average around 90 VP.
• Lvl 125 missions give about 60-150 VP with an average around 110 VP.
• Lvl 138 missions give about 60-290 VP with an average around 180 VP.
• Lvl 150 missions give about 75-300 VP with an average around 185 VP.

Note:
Mission difficulty options do not influence the VP or type drop rates, just the level of the mission. A level X mission pulled as an easy, medium or hard will all be the same. Easy gives a mission the same level as the roller, medium 10% higher, hard 50% higher and the LE mission level cap is 250. The aliens inside will be about 10% lower than the mission level to 5% higher with a boss about 2% higher than the mission lvl.




Reasoning
The problem and general:
The main problem with missions as they are and always have been is that they are easily abused. Also with VP as drops the more people in the team the smaller your VP share will be meaning teaming in team missions is counterproductive if you want VP. With no level locks on missions 220s can get their types doing missions rolled by level 45 chars. Then low level chars can scoop up the VP clumps in much higher missions cleared by 220s.

Whether it was intentional or not when FC added the three difficulty options to mission acquisition the VP and type clump drop rates did go down. So now unless you abuse missions you can't get much out of them for VP and types. What these suggestions are aimed at is reducing the potential of abuse, making gains for those doing them properly better and teaming desirable when part of your goal is VP.



Part 1a - VP - general
If VP gains in missions were gained simply by killing the mobs and how much depended on mob level and type rather than your luck with drops VP gains in missions could more reasonably be tied to the difficulty and OFAB costs. Also as it would work like XP you would be penalized or rewarded based on how the aliens level relates to your char level. 220s doing missions filled with level 170 aliens would get less VP than than a 170 could and less still than a 130 could in such a mission. Considering as how the kill rate would be better in a team and you don't have to fight with team mates over VP clump drops it would also encourage teaming for harder missions when part of your goal is VP. At the same time cases like a lvl 160 teamed with with one or more lvl 220s would result in penalties to the 160 so they can't easily leech large amounts of VP.

Regarding the idea of a VP end bonus:
As these are team missions getting your VP as you go would be better than in a large part or in whole right at the end. If it was done as an at the end bonus then what about the poor sods that made it all the way through the mission then died just before the boss goes down? Also what about those cases while everything else can be cleared but the boss just proves too much? In both cases with such a strong emphasis put on the end bonus the mission would go to waste for them in regards to VP. Giving it a bit as you go with the boss giving a decent amount would work better. Then as we're talking about far less VP per mission than XP/SK in RK/SL missions while such an end bonus in addition to the XP/SK earned through the mission works there it doesn't work as well with VP in these missions.

Also with it as a big end reward it opens the possibility for easy leeching. All a char needs to do is be in the same zone. As a result you could for instance have five lvl 160 chars just inside the front door while a single 220 in the team bashes away at the mobs. As the 220 goes further away they are no longer gaining XP or AXP but the completion percentage still goes up for them. Then once the boss goes down they get the end reward (a mission token). The same could be done with other team missions if all you wanted was the end reward as well so focusing the VP on the end reward is a very bad idea.

Regarding very low level mission VP:
I think VP gains from missions at very early levels should go down, by about half even. That or increase the cost of QL 25 OFAB armour. A full set of QL 25 OFAB armour is about 450 VP, with an average of about 50 VP doing lvl 15 missions that means you can get a full set in just nine small missions. On the other hand at about lvl 150 getting a full set of QL 200-250 would take about 300-430 much larger missions. A set of QL 25 could be done in a couple of hours or so through missions but a set of QL 200-250 could take a couple months.

Added notes and compromises:
Another thing this method would help with is when mobs fall into places you can't get at them to loot and help keeps everyone moving rather than pausing to loot. In addition for improved VP gains I'd be more than willing to give up the token gains and have corpses of regular mobs rot right after being killed (boss corpses would remain to be looted of course). Creds can be earned in many ways, even while off-line with player AI city shops. We can buy tokens with VP and can get them in other means as well so just making the missions mainly about AXP, types and decent VP seems fine by me.




Part 1b - VP - total mission gains
What would happen is to have the mission give X amount of VP it then figures out how many aliens, what sort of mix of aliens and how big the mission area needs to be to provide that value. Since there could be many combinations to achieve this there will still be a good degree of randomness to the design of each mission. Aside from having the VP gains properly scale with the mission level the missions on a whole would scale better as well. Currently while the aliens level increases with the mission level the number of aliens tends to jump at certain ranges when new mission area levels are added. For instance I've found lvl 125 missions have about 40-50 aliens while lvl 138 ones have about 60-70. With missions deciding the size and number of aliens based on how much VP is to be gained those sharp jumps in alien counts should be removed and their numbers would scale up more evenly.


Allows Funcom better VP gain control:
With VP gained like XP and mission design working off of how much VP is to be gained in said mission should they decide to later tinker with VP gains from missions it could be done far more effectively. With VP as random drops luck plays far too large a role in how much you can expect to get so there is no proper way to make adjustments. With the suggested function in play should they wish to increase or decrease the mission VP gains at various lvl ranges they would have a proper way to do that.




Part 2 - Types, level locks and mission difficulty
Level locking would keep 220s from blasting through lvl 45-60 missions in about five minutes for their upgrade clumps. Unable to do very low level missions for their upgrade clumps it would take more effort and time to get them. As a result upgrade clump drop rates could go back up some.

Another option would be to have hard missions give some nodrop item as an end reward of the same QL as the mission level for killing everything in the mission before killing the boss. You could then turn that in for your choice of an OFAB upgrade type of the same QL as that item or if you don't need types some VP. Then just as in SL missions when doing missions at the easy or medium option you'd get a lower chance of getting that reward item. This way people have more of a reason to do harder missions and type farming could be less of a mindless grind.

Then a medium could be scaled up to say 20% higher than the mission roller's level (10% higher now) and a hard scaled down to about 40% higher (currently 50%). The mission level cap is currently 250 so level 220s would certainly have a much easier time of things doing a hard now than a group of 167s (167 x 1.5 = 250). With a 300 rather than 250 mission level cap but lower mission level for a hard even 220s would have a harder time of things (220 x 1.4 = 308).




Part 3 - AXP
They did finally adjust AXP some by giving aliens a general AXP boost, making it harder to leech and that they can't be quite as grey as they used to be and still give AXP. Although how much you get still just relates to the level of the alien and your level. In missions if you killed two aliens of the same level where one was an older type and the other a type introduced in LE missions the newer one can give several times more XP but exactly as much AXP. As the newer one can take and give much more of a beating the AXP it gives should be higher just as its XP value is.




Part 4 - Layout
For one to a few chars with no pets it's not bad but add more players and/or pets and those narrow hallways can get very crowded. This is made worse with how the decorative fringe along the walls eats up a decent amount of space. So the width of the halls should be increases about twice over. If that couldn't be done then at least strip the fringe from the halls and replace it with textures.







Common arguments against changes to LE missions and my general responses.

BSs are suppose to give better VP than missions
I'm not asking for missions to give better or even the same VP as BSs, just better VP than they do now. Apparently back around release a 220 could get about 300 or less VP on a BS win, now it's around 1100 VP but yet VP from missions has gone down since release. I just want getting VP from missions to be more reasonably done than it is now across the level range considering as how BS gains have gone up by such a large amount and most don't run.


It will kill BSs
The people doing BSs should be those that like and want to do them. They blasted VP gains up at BSs as they thought that would get them all running but it didn't do much of anything as most are still inactive. Then looking at the few BSs that do run they are at the more active PvP levels and the ones that get those BSs to run or not are primarily the PvPers. If the VP farmers were so important in getting the BSs to run they would all run, not just a few as they want VP all levels, not just the level ranges with an active BS. Those there for the VP just add to the number at a running BSs.

Other things could be done to help BSs far more than adding more VP to them. Often enough one side can have maybe twenty or more signed up but the other not even six so the BS doesn't run. If generated teams rather than side vs side were used it would be easier to get a round going. The two or three generated teams could be more balanced, there would be much less to no waiting to get inside when the BS is running and as the teams could change each time it could differ each time. Add to that more layouts, alternate win goals, BS team chat channels and other things and it should all do far more than increased VP ever did to help BSs and would attract those that would want to go.





Edits:

• Dec. 30/2007: Added Part 1b.
• Feb. 19/2008: Added the at the end bonus references to Part 1a and it's reasoning.
• Feb. 19/2008: Added that gray aliens should give 0 AXP.
• Feb. 23/2008: Added a point about low lvl chars having a VP penalty when teamed with much higher lvls to limit leeching in reasoning 1a.
• Feb. 28/2008: Added to the part 3 reasoning some.
• March 03/2008: Tinkered with the part 3 reasoning again.
• March 25/2008: Small addition to the end of reasoning part 1a.
• Feb. 23/2009: Updated pretty near everything.
• Feb. 28/2009: Added Part 4 since I forgot to in the last edit.
• May 30/2009: Adjusted Part 2 to add that you could turn the reward item in for VP as well as an upgrade clump.
• Nov. 22/2009: Added note about easy leeching of the end reward in the "Regarding the idea of a VP end bonus" section.

[deniska]

Some people should learn how to suggest ideas from this guy. A solid argumentation, not just a random "let's slap some random stats on a random item", most changes (especially access based on lvl ranges) are really needed and I'd say long overdue.

[mrpokeydelta]

a logical, and well stated argument. I support this.

[Syphae]

Some people should learn how to suggest ideas from this guy. A solid argumentation, not just a random "let's slap some random stats on a random item", most changes (especially access based on lvl ranges) are really needed and I'd say long overdue.

Damn your pride must have taken a good blow for you to flame someone inadvertently in someone else's thread. The topic you are whining about "slapping random stats" is funny because it was very detailed like it was a DB rip. And as she said through out the thread with people's opinions and thoughts NOT FLAMES, she'd adjust it to everyone else's liking. And I believe she did edit it a few times.


As to the topic, YES I agree with these changes. The people that aren't PVP oriented but being forced to AREN'T going to want to get up there on BS with people that have much better equipment than them. If there was a way to get a 'jump start' on a couple pieces or a weapon for when they got up there that would very much rock. As far as BS dying, absolutely not. There's people up there (at least 3 I can think of off hand) that have WAY more vp than they'll ever need which proves people do bs because they have to AND because they like to pvp.
Also because of LE missions you aren't just getting VP, you are getting axp too. Figuring out a way to make them work better together I agree with. Small doses of VP off city raids (I'm going out on a limb here with a thought) would bring orgmates back to cities for something other than just farming bots. I like city ai raids but hardly anyone does them for anything anymore.

What I said here I felt I explained how I felt very well. I think winds of change are blowing with the new pvp ideas coming out, tbh I can't wait to see what they'll be.

[deniska]

Damn your pride must have taken a good blow for you to flame someone inadvertently in someone else's thread. The topic you are whining about "slapping random stats" is funny because it was very detailed like it was a DB rip. And as she said through out the thread with people's opinions and thoughts NOT FLAMES, she'd adjust it to everyone else's liking. And I believe she did edit it a few times.

Looks like I've got a personal fan club of stalkers. Come back when you've maxed your reading comprehension skill.

Bump again

[Syphae]

Looks like I've got a personal fan club of stalkers. Come back when you've maxed your reading comprehension skill.

Bump again

Any argument you have on anything, any insult you have to anyone or anything you /fail at automatically. It's weak. VERY weak. Cheers for trying though lol


no wait.. I take the lol back and replace with a lmao. Much more fitting with the laugh I got out of it

[deniska]

Any argument you have on anything, any insult you have to anyone or anything you /fail at automatically. It's weak. VERY weak. Cheers for trying though lol


no wait.. I take the lol back and replace with a lmao. Much more fitting with the laugh I got out of it

Jhenis clone, begone

[mrpokeydelta]

while i can support the bumps these comments are giving to a deserving idea could you two please go to your rooms?

take the hate to PMs but leave the bumps. hell bump this thread every time you spam the other with hate for all I care.

Edit: Pheonix you may have made a mistake by countering arguements before thy have been stated. If you had saved those for later you could have given people reason to bump your thread in oposition and they would have given you a face to answer with those well thought out responces.

[Quilluck]

Excellent and very nicely put suggestion.

A definite bump from me!

[Noirhybrid]

Definately a bump.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Edit: Pheonix you may have made a mistake by countering arguements before thy have been stated. If you had saved those for later you could have given people reason to bump your thread in oposition and they would have given you a face to answer with those well thought out responces.

Been down that road in other threads before including a related one. In the WTB alternative to battlestation no one once said they wanted to get rid of BSs or make the returns from missions better than BSs or even the same. Although people would still insist that's what we're asking for and it will kill BSs, etc... There are also other things some have said like OFAB is meant to be a reward for PvP, not PvM and I'm sure others will have bones to pick with it along the way too, someone always does.

Besides, look at the "Newbie Island clearance" thread, it's at about 35 pages of mostly "bump" responses.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Rather than just bumps perhaps people could give some idea as to what they would think would be fair for the different parts. That is how about much VP would you like to get from missions at various levels, how much AI XP do you think a level X alien should give and what sort of drop rates do you think upgrade clumps should drop at?

In regards to the upgrade clumps the most I've ever had drop from one boss so far has been three, but that's rare. I think when it did it was one armour and two weapon clumps but could be wrong. So perhaps each boss has two chances to drop a weapon type and one or two chances for an armour type with a current chance seemingly around 10% on each check or so by my guess.

[lizor]

Phoenix

I don't think most of us are going to try to suggest anything like that, simply because your well thought out idea would have to be put in line with the Devs and their purpose for scaling back the VP like they did. I definitely wholeheartedly agree with the origin post in that AXP/VP from LE mishes simply do not scale to the effort. It irks me to no end that the very purpose (to me, and me alone) of doing an LE mish at my own level is useless.

Thanks for putting your heart and mind into this idea.

[Kiwidude]

Well thought out and presented arguments are sooooooo hard to argue against, so even if I wanted to (which I don't) I won't.

But please, can I once again remind people that no-one is forced to PvP for VP.
Yes it's faster, but no one is holding a gun to your head to say 'j00 mus peeveepee!!!111!'
...however, pvp'ers MUST do LE mishes for ofab upgrades.
So if anyone is actually being forced into doing something...it's not the PvM'ers.

/bump for solo alien mishes and these well thought out alternatives to the dodgy axp system.

[Quilluck]

But please, can I once again remind people that no-one is forced to PvP for VP.
Yes it's faster, but no one is holding a gun to your head to say 'j00 mus peeveepee!!!111!'
...however, pvp'ers MUST do LE mishes for ofab upgrades.
So if anyone is actually being forced into doing something...it's not the PvM'ers.

To effectively get VPs (aka not use the better part of a year doing LE missions) you have to PvP. As such to effectively get VPs, we are forced to PvP.
By that logic PvPers aren't forced to upgrade their Ofab weapons. No one is holding a gun to your head to say "j00 mus peeveeemm!!!111!' as you put it
At low levels, till about you need the ql100 stash I'd say, VPs from LE missions are a fairly alright way to get VPs. After this point it just gets worse and worse for each ql-jump.

Mind you Battlestations should still be the main source of VPs, but making it a bit easier for those that have no interest in PvP and having to camp in a turret/mech non-stop isn't really too much to ask for in my humble, but perhaps demented, opinion.

[PhoenixOfAges]

I don't think most of us are going to try to suggest anything like that

Like what? The kind of VP they'd think is fair for missions or are you referring to something else? If that was what you meant then look at threads where people suggest new items or nanos. They can go on for pages with people discussing or complaining about various aspects and some of the stats can be way over the top wet dream sort of things.

Also in regard to the scale back of VP that was the first change they put in place back when VP gains from BSs were low and you could get better VP from missions as they wanted BSs to be more active. When that didn't do the trick they turned to increasing VP rewards from BSs to get them more active than they were. Now VP from BSs are some four times higher than they were at the start but mission gains haven't changed since they were nerfed not too long after LE went live.

Another problem they may have with mission VP is how lowbies join much higher level chars to collect VP drops. Level locking and making VP gained like XP is on kills rather than drops gets rid of the problem though.

But please, can I once again remind people that no-one is forced to PvP for VP.
Yes it's faster, but no one is holding a gun to your head to say 'j00 mus peeveepee!!!111!'
...however, pvp'ers MUST do LE mishes for ofab upgrades.
So if anyone is actually being forced into doing something...it's not the PvM'ers.

One big thing to note on that though is that many PvPers of most profs apparently use little to no OFAB gear at all. So they gain lots of VP in BSs but have little real use for it as AI combined armours are still the better choice for them. The ones that really do want to get the most OFAB tend to be the PvMers. Although their PvM means of getting VP is so dismall they end up having to PvP if there is a BS active for them or else find themselves doing missions for weeks to months.

They said from the start that AI combined would still be better than OFAB, it was just suppose to be easier to get. But the people that do want and you could say need the very best so they can be most effective are the PvPers so they will be using AI combined, not OFAB, yet PvP BSs are where the best VP is from. Meanwhile those that would get the most use out of OFAB are the PvMers, but their gains are absurdly small. It all seems rather backwards.


Also in regards to the upgrade clumps since AI XP and clumps go together when it comes to missions and everyone wants AI levels you'll get your clumps anyhow. PvPers are forced to level with PvM whether they like it or not, they just try to find the fastest way to their desired PvP char level.

[Kiwidude]

One big thing to note on that though is that many PvPers of most profs apparently use little to no OFAB gear at all.

I must be imagining all those people running around on the BS with ofab weaps then ...

So they gain lots of VP in BSs but have little real use for it as AI combined armours are still the better choice for them. The ones that really do want to get the most OFAB tend to be the PvMers.

Not quite.
AI Combined is better for everyone. But not everyone has a few Bil to splash out on a set.
As a "most of the time" PvM player, I can assure you I would much rather have a full set of CC over ofab, on any of my (admittedly gimpy) toons.

They said from the start that AI combined would still be better than OFAB, it was just suppose to be easier to get. But the people that do want and you could say need the very best so they can be most effective are the PvP'ers so they will be using AI combined, not OFAB, yet PvP BS's are where the best VP is from. Meanwhile those that would get the most use out of OFAB are the PvMers, but their gains are absurdly small. It all seems rather backwards.

see above.
It's about creds. OFAB = VP. CC = creds. If OFAB became buyable, the PvP'ers on the BS would lose their cannon fodder.
IMHO...FC's response to 'fix PvP' was to line up the mob-jockeys for the PvP'ers to farm.
...but thats a topic for another thread

But, I agree...the VP isn't the motivation for most PvP'ers.
I'd like to see an option at the end of the BS.
"Congratulations, your faction has taken control of the Battlestation. As a reward, would you like 4 tokens or X victory points?"

Also in regards to the upgrade clumps since AI XP and clumps go together when it comes to missions and everyone wants AI levels you'll get your clumps anyhow.

Well, I friggin hope so!
Still waiting on winning roles for my last 2 clumps to upgrade my OFAB Shark to Mk6

LE Missions kinda gave what players were asking for, but the mechanics are still unbalanced.
i.e. axp for greys, poor scaling of mobs to user levels, etc...
The reward/effort aspect is borked, and needs addressing.

[PhoenixOfAges]

I must be imagining all those people running around on the BS with ofab weaps then ...

Not saying some don't run around with OFAB in BSs, but they aren't necessarily PvPers either, they may be PvMers wearing the OFAB they've earned so far. When people plan out their PvP set-ups it tends to be combined with maybe the odd OFAB items. Back and ring PvPers may go for with many profs, a pad too maybe I suppose and in some cases the odd other item but usually that's about it for their end set-up.

I know one guy that's more of a PvP & PvM mix player, he got a set of OFAB for his 174 agent but currently is using the org city to do a lot of farm raids as he wants more combined. OFAB may be used as a I'll use it for now thing but generally the serious PvPers are aiming for mostly combined while the PvMers make do with other things.

Also look at some of the new stuff that has come along since LE. If it wasn't for the new pads, weapons and such from various high level instances or raid content more PvPers may be using the OFAB weapons or pads for instance. Although as they are there and even better they may use OFAB only until they can get their hands on those other items.

Not quite.
AI Combined is better for everyone. But not everyone has a few Bil to splash out on a set.
As a "most of the time" PvM player, I can assure you I would much rather have a full set of CC over ofab, on any of my (admittedly gimpy) toons.

Sure combined is better all around, as they said OFAB wasn't suppose to be better than combined. Although for PvM stuff you generally don't have to push the limits as much as you would for PvP to be successful. In PvM you typically can just bring others along and many would to help make things easier. Although then there are those that do, often for the purpose of PvP, push the limits with the absolute best gear and can eventually solo what less equiped people can't.

see above.
It's about creds. OFAB = VP. CC = creds. If OFAB became buyable, the PvP'ers on the BS would lose their cannon fodder.
IMHO...FC's response to 'fix PvP' was to line up the mob-jockeys for the PvP'ers to farm.
...but thats a topic for another thread .

Actually, I think that fits here rather well. If little of what was buyable with VP was usable in PvM and the bulk was PvP only such as some of the nanos or items that only work on other players, the rocket launcher or OS targetting item we have now PvM people really wouldn't bother with BSs. The whole idea of very little VP from missions and a lot from BSs would make perfect sense then.

Instead most of what you can get with VP are things that PvMers want and PvPers could use but largely tend to see as I'll use this for now items. If missions gave at least reasonable returns we wouldn't feel forced to be become targets in a shooting gallery when we're looking to get VP as PvMers.

But, I agree...the VP isn't the motivation for most PvP'ers.
I'd like to see an option at the end of the BS.
"Congratulations, your faction has taken control of the Battlestation. As a reward, would you like 4 tokens or X victory points?"

Well, you can buy tokens with VP.

Well, I friggin hope so!
Still waiting on winning roles for my last 2 clumps to upgrade my OFAB Shark to Mk6

Random luck is random luck and sometimes it can just suck but eventually you'll get them all. Especially since you can still do much lower level missions for your clumps in no time. Just be glad you don't need ten clumps like dual wielders may want to get though.

I'm getting a set of QL 250 OFAB for my 150 MA. I started doing missions at about AI 13, I'm AI 16 now with a bit over half of what I need for AI 17 and have collected the 12 clumps I need plus have one extra that will go towards my QL300 set. In regards to VP though I'm still about 28K short. If it wasn't for doing BSs lately and in the past though I'd be about 43K short instead.

In the last four-five weeks or so I spent about three doing nothing but missions, less than one doing BSs and less than one doing other things. Of the about 20K VP I've made in that time only about 7K came from missions. A nice bit of that was even made in lowbie missions where all I got was VP and clumps. With the clumps out of the way now I'll get a few other items, and sit in BS queues a lot then go back to missions and S10 with missions just for the AI XP really as trying to get my VP from mission clearly wouldn't work well.

[Kiwidude]

I understand what your saying, but I think you're selling the 'hardcore' PvM'ers a little short.

Yes, there are a lot of twits running around with mediocre (at best) set ups.
Then there's people (like me) that are dmg junkies and aspire to be raid masters
To me, that means Alien Armor, farming phats, and generally not being a lazy slob.
OFAB is all well and good, though I wouldn't have the patience to farm vp for anything less than ql 300 gear.
My soldier is decked out in the standard Pen OFAB...but only because I cant afford a full set of supple/css/cc...which I would swap out of my OFAB for in a heartbeat.

Some of it is especially nice. Soldier stuff is quite lubbly!
Thats one of the reasons you see so many soldiers in it...that and they get to spend the VP we earned fapping off over ourr dmg on the BS

By my reckoning, LE missions = easily accessible (as in no city required) AXP and OFAB clumps for weap/armor upgrades.
I think for the majority...it's the AXP thats the drawcard over the clumps.
And considering you get it from greys...well......
This is the only thing I'm really conscious about in terms of asking for a fix to this system.
The possibility that FC 'half-fix' it. That is, no AXP from greys, but the dmg scaling of the aliumz is still borked.

The mechanics of the LE mish need a tidy up, or a good spanking and sending to bed without dinner.
Your suggestions would make a fine basis for some much needed changes.

[PhoenixOfAges]

I understand what your saying, but I think you're selling the 'hardcore' PvM'ers a little short.

I'm really not a PvPer but I do want at some point if possible get my MA for instance in mostly mercs except for maybe a dchest (which I already have) and pen OFAB pants. I'm just saying getting the best of the best out there is more of a priority when trying to deal with other players than with mobs. Most would say if you really want to be good at PvP you'll need a lot of creds, that or a lot of time to do farm raids for bots.