Can we get a new Expedition?
PavelH
✭✭✭
in The Bridge
So we've been doing the same other 3 types of events for several years in a row with no change. The last Expedition was in January 2020 so was hoping we get a weekend where we do another one. There are some people who don't like them (albeit I don't get how they're worse gameplay-wise than Galaxies but w/e) but even then, they're so rare that one weekend won't break the game.
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Those who like the event type would be happy and it wouldn't take the developers as much time as creating a new one (I think I've read somewhere that one of the reasons they stopped with the expedition events was also that they take a lot more time on their end).
I do not understand this recurring argument. There is no chron cost involved in an Expedition.
You can run those missions also during an Expedition. You may even keep ALL of the loot, and you do not need credits to build the items for the Galaxy.
That way you even get MORE stuff if you wish to do so. It is just not required for the event.
But if you are inclined to set aside x chrons for the weekend you could run whatever missions you liked and spend all of the rewards according to your own needs - even if it was just to save up for the next Galaxy.
Unfortunately, too many players seem to prefer the slot machine events and like skirmish events where the way to win is to see how many times you can mindlessly push the same buttons. As a result expedition events have the lowest engagement and DB/WRG has not shown an interest in improving expedition events and instead has kept them on the sideline.
Then it's 4 days of doing the same thing over and over, while having to deal with the frustration of scrolling through a seemingly ever-expanding crew list. Or did they add the ability to favorite crew? I can't even remember anymore, it's been so long.
I still like expeditions and would like to see them in the rotation more often, either straight-up or as part of a hybrid.
I think there are 2 main reasons we don't see them more often:
- they don't artificially drain our various in-game resources like other events do
- they aren't conducive to draining our real-world resources like other events are
This is why I hate Expeditions. I love them - the first time through. After that they are the worst of all events. Grinding is terrible, but it is bearable when it is easy.
I don't think Expeditions work very well when the rewards are based on rank. Make one that is purely objective - if you complete it, you get the prize and that's it - and I think it's a winner. Unfortunately, every event's rewards are tied to rank, which means grinding. For Expeditions, that is terrible.
Ov (Overall) | Vo (Voyage) | Fa (Faction) | Ga (Gauntlet)
Sb (Ship Battle) | Bt (Boss Battle Traits) | Co (Collection) | (Cd (Cadet)
I think another improvement would be to make them tougher. The most recent non-rerun expedition (Auld Lang Syne, a hybrid Skirmish/Expedition in Dec 2018) required a stat of 534 on the last mission on Epic (there were 4 missions). Even without collection/starbase bonuses, newer 3* crew like Darmok Picard can reach that with just their base stats. I'm not saying that it needs to be 1000 (because that would be difficult when considering secondary and tertiary skills), but a bit tougher.
A third improvement would require a UI change, something they would not be able to do so easily. I always hated how I had to calculate if a crew would be able to crit a node at reduced stamina without being able to see their proficiency. The crew select tab only show base stats, even though proficiency is rolled then added to the base. I would like to see base+min and base+max.
I wouldn't mind a rerun of a hybrid expedition, but those are all parts of megas, meaning they don't get reruns. So we might just get "The Game's Afoot 4" with a strange reward structure again.
I don't disagree, but how is grinding and/or spending dil (in this case for extra expedition tickets) any different from the other events?
Galaxy events and skirmishes are even more mindless grinding. Faction events require spending shuttle tokens, boosts, dilithium and cash if you want to rank anywhere near the top. Yes, skirmish and faction events give you stuff in return, but galaxy events provide nothing (hence the community rewards to balance).
Perhaps with some minor tweaks, possibly to the crew selection interface and the addition of community rewards, I think expeditions could be brought back at least a little more often than once a year.
The thing is - when grinding, it is better if it is more mindless. When I am grinding, to me it is better if it is something I can absentmindedly do while paying attention to something else. The more actual focus it requires on my part, the worse it is.
Skirmishes are easy. A few mindless button presses I can do while watching something on TV. Shuttles? A few taps to setup every couple of hours. Expeditions require constant, deliberate choices. You have to pay attention to it.
That's good - as I said before - the first time through. For a grind though, it is unbearable.
Which is honestly why I wish they'd just get rid of the grind portion of it altogether, and not make the rewards based on rank. Achievement!
Ov (Overall) | Vo (Voyage) | Fa (Faction) | Ga (Gauntlet)
Sb (Ship Battle) | Bt (Boss Battle Traits) | Co (Collection) | (Cd (Cadet)
Oh well, more mindless button mashing it is then.
One thing - they did make having the event crew essential in their update of expeditions. Fortunately most of the expeditions were reruns!
I guess they never figured out how to monetize it like the others.
On Skirmish and Galaxy Events you invest Chronitons, on Faction Events you invest Transmissions, it's obvious that you will get something more than points with your investment.
A personal reward, or community reward of a full quantum recharge could possibly encourage people to get through more tickets so they aren't clicking on the lower point missions over and over once the fatigue sets in (which is why I also think picking a set of 20 or so crew is a good idea, for DB and players - so you don't have to scroll through lists)
I really liked them though and would give a +1 for a re-run or more ideally a new one.
Galaxy events are repetitive, but I can watch TV while I plink away. Same with Skirmish. Expedition are fun to setup, but require a lot more attention on subsequent run throughs.
They're a lot more forgiving now that I have a solid roster, but that also means the initial resource management puzzle is largely gone.
Here's a comparison between my plan for the last Expedition, and my first:
Starport
Well said. They get very old very quickly. It is worse because the crew order keeps changing. Could tweaks be made to improve them? Yes. But they are still a big grind that you must pay constant attention.
The reason we don't have them is most likely the money. I think there is no doubt.
But they are also phenomenally unfair to new players. They have to make the missions hard enough for competition, but most new players of up to 6 months can't possibly compete unless they have spent plenty. If I have a crew of 500 with half being 5*, and a good portion of those being 4/5 or immortalized, what possible chance does someone with 150 crew, half of which are unequipped, have? My first expedition was 3 months in, and I couldn't do half. The last one, I could do with no issues except too much scrolling. But at least the first time through would be a challenge. My crew is vastly superior now. I can't imagine any difficulties in the least. I probably could do it without event crew. That is even more boring than any other type.
Could this not be said for any event type?
What about a faction event for someone with one shuttle? Or a galaxy for someone with a limited chroniton cap? Or a skirmish for someone with barely any ships, and none finished?
Not really. I managed 4 shuttles after 3 months without spending. And while shuttle events have always been hard for new people and require a healthy crew, galaxy events do not. Careful planning, even by new players and especially now if people buy campaigns, can do well in galaxy events. I was top 1500 quite a few times early on, though at that time, it was top 1000 needed. I managed top 1500 in galaxy events way before faction. You just need time and a few crew. Chroniton caps are irrelevant. Hoard chronitons for a little is all. A player with only a few months playing (and no excess spending) has no hope at all in expedition events, but a little hope of well enough on faction. And can plan to do well in galaxy at least once a month, especially with many people avoiding galaxy events. So galaxy events are fine for relatively new players. Skirmish events are the same. If a new player is willing to put in more time, they can do quite well. You don't need flashy 6-second crew. You only need a careful selection and willingness to take longer.
I'd be up for this, I've never played an expedition event so its unpopularity is lost on me.
My vote would be for Merry Men so I can finish my 1/4* GI Chakotay
I'd be fine with a hybrid, it'd be better than nothing. Expedition/skirmish maybe, that way the haters still get lots of rewards and people can still hit threshold easily even if they skip the expedition phase.
The favorite version by far of expeditions was when they had a 3 phase version.
That one got most people saying it was the best version of expeditions.
I also believe that was the favorite among the different events at the time.
But, before that version it was not the favorite event type.
I also believe that was the last time an expedition was created? I think all the rest since then have been reruns.
Time limits? I thought time limits were implemented in the last. I do think there have been charges to expeditions, but no new ones were created. The changes had been done on reruns.
I had trouble finding them I only saw quadrilateral 2 on wiki. Since the phase version which was Merry Men. I guess they may have created a new one as a hybrid event the last time we had one.