Sector 7

[PhoenixOfAges]

I wrote this not as a how to guide but more of a I don't know if it's working as intended but here's what I ran into type thing. It will be updated as more info is gathered and things change.


Getting on test:
Use the duplicator program, change the version number in the version.id file to 18.3.13.3_EP1 then let it patch up.


Level range and entrance:
This APF is in the Unicorn Outpost like the others, although not on the base floor. Instead it's on that walkway above the tent where the regular NPCs are such as the one you get LE missions from. You need to be lvl 151-200 to get in. As far as I know the ship will eventually be an instanced team zone but for now on test I could get in without a team.

General Info

• From what I was told by Genele a ways back (part two) the zone is focused around both AXP gains and loot (both old and new). So with part of the focus being some type of XP gains and it being a team zone rather than a raid zone I expect this to have a difficulty somewhere around that of team Dark Ruins which has about the same focus and is also a team instanced zone.
• You are sent in a downed alien ship with a fixed layout which is like that of city raid ships inside.
• In the S7 gathering zone there are plenty of aliens fighting Unicorns as well as fences that kill the aliens. The aliens were all lvl 200 and completely ignored me, did not give AXP (the ones in the ship give AXP) and the fences did not injure me.
• Regular mobs are lvl 175-200 inside the ship.
• Regular mob types and lvls are randomly generated each time.
• A few mobs patrol but most are stationary and generally spaced out well enough to avoid messy situations. There are rooms with four to six mobs in it but I had no trouble at all keeping the number of attacking mobs to usually just one or two at a time with some pulling.
• Regular mobs are largely just big health bars to knock down posing hardly any danger, at least to my lvl 200 MA. The nuker types are the only annoying ones but even they are pushovers.
• S7 was supposedly one of the reasons for the HH@B change but I can't say I'd have bothered to wear HH@B in here by lvl 190-200 with the way it is now.
• There are grade II mobs, but I didn't really see any noticeable difference between them and regular versions.
• Mobs never respawn.
• Regular mobs are all old style aliens.
• So far at least all the loot is only on the bosses as regular mobs never dropped any loot at all. That or not all the loot and rewards are in yet, I'm leaning towards this being the case.

Missions

These come from either stuff in the ship, NPCs in the S7 gathering area or as a daily mission from the agency. They seem rather incomplete thus far though.


Save Rufus

• You get it from the NPC standing up near the entrance of the S7 gathering zone.
• You can find Rufus in a room to the West of the large West room.
• Rufus is busy yelling for help which you hear when you enter the next room over.
• Looks like you're suppose to use the blob in the North end of the room he's in to free him from his cage.
• Bug: Both times I went there he was busy fighting the mob in the room with him while not in his cage then attacked me when I came in.

Destroy the Alien Distress Beacon

• You get it from the NPC sitting down near the entrance of the S7 gathering zone.
• Used the bomb I was given on the Alien Distress Beacon (in a room towards the Northwest end), there was no reward, the mission just ended and four lvl 200 mobs spawned.
• Bug: The mission just blipped out with no lockout and later the NPC refused to talk to me. Even a couple days later he still won't talk to me again.

Missing Power Core

• There's an Empty Power Core Slot in a room to the East of the large East room. Right click it to the get the mission, this one has a timer attached to it of two to three hours or so.
• Looks like you collect items from the bosses to build the required item, haven't finished it yet.

Parasite

• In the Kyr'Ozch Gene Pool room (near the North end in the middle) there's a device by the pool called an Alien Gene Bank. Use it and you'll be infected with a parasite and get a mission to see the medic near the Unicorns fighting outside the ship.
• While infected a lvl 200 alien parasite will spawn every minute or two. These give no XP/SK, AXP or creds from their corpse.
• This mission only lasts nine minutes and currently offers no real reward. Although on completion you get a two hour nano put in your NCU that will prevent you from being infected again.

Go to Sector 7

• You get this as a daily mission from the mission agency.
• Go to the Kyr'Ozch Gene Pool room (near the North end in the middle), enter the pool and use the empty test tube item you were given when you got the mission to fill it. Return the filled tube to the agency NPC.
• Bug: When I went to the NPC it asked for the item by name then said it didn't ask for that when I handed it over.

Bosses

There are three bosses, each are lvl 210 and at the far North end of the zone in their own rooms. While the regular mobs are old style aliens the bosses are largely LE ones and/or spawn LE mission style aliens.

Defense Drone Tower (West)

• Looks like a big nondescript tower, it was non-aggressive which doesn't seem right.
• Not too difficult but has tons of health plus seems to have a large heal delta with a slow tick rate. Felt like the fight that would never end.
• Every so often it will spawn two mobs from a selection of three (nano voider, detonation drone & one of the pincer LE mission mobs). These mobs are spawned right inside of the boss so you'll need to tab every so often to target them. Seemed a good idea to get rid of them right away, especially since the LE pincer like mob was a pest.
• The tower doesn't hit too hard or have the best AR but occasionally fires off a nano that will do some 1.5k damage and stuns, may be AoE too.
• Dropped two items, a Viral Belt NCU Slots and a Power Core Mainboard.

Kyr'Ozch Maid (center)

• Looks like a small LE mission "Master of" type boss or the admiral (or whatever) from the ship portion of city raids. There were three cocoons in the pool near it.
• After you attack it Kyr'Ozch Nurse mobs start spawning from a room to the one side. Kyr'Ozch Guardians also are spawned.
• It looked like killing a guardian caused a cocoon to open up sending a Kyr'Ozch Offspring my way.
• Of the three adds only offspring seemed to do damage, the others didn't seem to do anything to me directly. I didn't notice the boss or other mobs being healed either.
• It can't move around but will warp and root players to it.
• Was able to just keep bashing on the boss while adds piled up to the one side of the boss with most not even agging me.
• The boss hit me for about 300-900 damage with an ok AR.
• Dropped two items, a Basic Belt and a Power Core Stabilizer.

Control Leech (East)

• Looks like a big squid LE mission mob.
• Oh boy this sucker hurts! It seemed to use most to all damage types and melee was the weakest damage type hitting me for about 600-1k but the others could top out at about 1.8k (I don't think those were crits either) with a good AR as well.
• For added fun it apparently can force you to attack others in your team although if no one else is around it acts like a stun and forces you to break attack as well. If you run it will chase after you and has a long attack range.
• I went splat on the attempts I made after getting it to around half or under half. I'll need help, more twinking or to figure out some tactic to do this. It although did not cause me to lose AXP on death oddly enough.
• Might not be a bad idea to knock it down some or boost everything else as it's a far more difficult mob than anything else in there.

Loot

From the items I've seen and the DB rip here's a quick run down as to what you can get. I'm expecting some to be made while others to be produced by way of upgrade items added to older items but that's just my guess. So far drops and rewards in general largely do not seem in place yet.

• A ring giving 200 NR, +7% XP and 50 RS.
• A six slot belt that gives +5 to all base abilities, 20 NCU, 100 max health and 100 max nano while only requiring 1126 CL and the AI expansion to wear. I think the base items to make it don't have nodrop tags, but the belt does.
• Active and passive versions of most of the old RK buff items that go in deck slots (cost, range, etc...), all also give you NCU. Active versions give a better bonus but less NCU (42) while passive give more NCU (84) but a smaller bonus. None of the ones I looked at seem to give as much of a bonus as QL 200 versions of the old RK ones, which only had a bonus but no NCU. These require 1126 CL and the AI expansion to use and are not nodrop or unique.
• Two new types of NCU memory items, one adding to XP gains (+2%) and another to damage (+5 to all) as well as 64 NCU for each. Both go in either slot three or four, are not nodrop or unique and have requirements of 501 CL and the AI expansion.
• Various special upgraded weapons.
• Two special boxes that you open to get something.

Trade skills

Power Core Stabilizer + Power Core Mainboard = Power Core Base Unit

Misc Issues

• There is a save terminal in S7 near the entrance/exit of the S7 gathering area by the quest NPCs. When I saved there and died I ended up spawning at the LoX hub save spot instead.
  
  They since have added a SL like save spot in front of the terminal. That one worked properly but of course would just be a temp fix.
• Just a personal impression but there may be a bit too many aliens streaming out and fighting the Unicorns. That or the Unicorns there are too weak (only seemed to do 1k-2k damage or less) to take them down very well. I've seen some very large masses of aliens piled up on top of each other out there.
  
  Last time I went in no aliens were spawning outside or moving to attack.
• For most the ship there isn't a lot of headroom so the floating aliens can just be seen as legs dangling from the ceiling. Enforcers are feeling a bit claustrophobic as well.
• Last I heard if a team member left the ship when they go back in will always get a different instance from the rest of the team.

[Stigman]

Great write up

I look forward to the new gadgets.

[Ocene]

Very nice. I hope it's all doable by 170s. Might try that while waiting for my 200 to be ready.

[Saetos]

Would love to see at least one part of the ship - an end boss, perhaps - that is challenging for a team of 200, so that people who twink up for the place don't feel underwhelmed.

ATM, though, doesn't seem too bad.

[Dagget]

The Control Leech turns attackers on each other, much like 12-man. Does it persistently and, at this stage, appears to do it to multiple ppl in the team at the same time. We had my Enforcer and the doc (Lindelu's doc) attacking other teammates at the same time. Not too good when both the tank and doc are busy attacking their own teammates. Later, Lindelu was able to avoid being so affected by staying far from the Control Leech and not attacking it in any way, but the rest of us were still busy whacking on each other most of the time.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Very nice. I hope it's all doable by 170s. Might try that while waiting for my 200 to be ready.

Would love to see at least one part of the ship - an end boss, perhaps - that is challenging for a team of 200, so that people who twink up for the place don't feel underwhelmed.

ATM, though, doesn't seem too bad.

The regular mobs currently are total wimps. The West and middle bosses are ok and I could solo them well enough but the East boss is a beast. Right now that mob is like running into a brick wall while going at a good speed. Might not be a bad idea to knock it down some or boost everything else as it's a far more difficult mob than anything else in there.

I'll try running around and hiding behind the pillars in the adjacent room but I kinda expect that to cause it to break agg and insta heal. Although if it doesn't do that like how the Spirit Goddess in Dark Ruins never heals up then there's a tactic right there.

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The Control Leech turns attackers on each other, much like 12-man. Does it persistently and, at this stage, appears to do it to multiple ppl in the team at the same time. We had my Enforcer and the doc (Lindelu's doc) attacking other teammates at the same time. Not too good when both the tank and doc are busy attacking their own teammates. Later, Lindelu was able to avoid being so affected by staying far from the Control Leech and not attacking it in any way, but the rest of us were still busy whacking on each other most of the time.

Bleah, well I updated the info to note that.

[erozc]

So a twinked level 200 can solo 2 out of 3 bosses at this moment? That doesn't sound right, considering it is a team instance. Regular mobs being pushovers solo just mean they'll be nothing but fodder to any team, too.

I'd much rather see somewhat harder regular mobs (so that even a twink is in trouble if he pulls, say, three) that are higher level as this means more axp too.

[JustinSane4]

I think that the instance should stay accessible to a team of decently geared leveling toons in the appropriate level range, not be a twink only playground. Either that, or pretty much everything should be yes drop. If you force people to be 200/30/70 twinks to finish this thing, the loot will be quite rarely used. People will just jump right to endgame stuff rather than twink at lvl 200 to get items that will soon be obsolete.

[PhoenixOfAges]

I think that the instance should stay accessible to a team of decently geared leveling toons in the appropriate level range, not be a twink only playground. Either that, or pretty much everything should be yes drop. If you force people to be 200/30/70 twinks to finish this thing, the loot will be quite rarely used. People will just jump right to endgame stuff rather than twink at lvl 200 to get items that will soon be obsolete.

I agree, one of the important aspects of it was suppose to be lvling zone with AXP gains for a wide lvl range after all. If it was another loot zone aimed at twinks then that'd be one thing, but it's not.

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So a twinked level 200 can solo 2 out of 3 bosses at this moment? That doesn't sound right, considering it is a team instance. Regular mobs being pushovers solo just mean they'll be nothing but fodder to any team, too.

I'd much rather see somewhat harder regular mobs (so that even a twink is in trouble if he pulls, say, three) that are higher level as this means more axp too.

Can't agree to that since it's not just some loot zone aimed at high end twinks, it's a lvling zone with some loot too. Take team Dark Ruins, that's another zone aimed at leveling with daily XP/SK rewards, some loot and the same basic lvl range (team DR is 150-200, S7 is 151-200). It's manageable by either an ok team or a good twink allowing it to serve it's purpose. If it's too hard then the lvling chars, especially those in the lower range can't manage it without a piggyback from higher chars making the lower ones just leeches so the zone doesn't serve part of it's function that well.

Another thing is if it was just for lvl cap twinks it'd be a bit absurd when the items have reqs a lvl 100 could reach and just minor bonuses.

[erozc]

Can't agree to that since it's not just some loot zone aimed at high end twinks, it's a lvling zone with some loot too. Take team Dark Ruins, that's another zone aimed at leveling with daily XP/SK rewards, some loot and the same basic lvl range (team DR is 150-200, S7 is 151-200). It's manageable by either an ok team or a good twink allowing it to serve it's purpose. If it's too hard then the lvling chars, especially those in the lower range can't manage it without a piggyback from higher chars making the lower ones just leeches so the zone doesn't serve part of it's function that well.

Good point, but I do dislike the idea of getting yet another soloable team content addition. A team of 6 leveling toons - provided they are not in a med suit and XP guns - should quite easily be a match for any level 200 twink, and possibly two. Furthermore, in a team leveling zone with loot, if your team is not very good (I don't mean as contrast to a team full of twinks) you might not expect to be able to kill at least every one of the bosses. Skill compensates for gear too, even in PvM. It is possible that MA is the best twink for this area and that skews the perceptions a bit, either way the current difficulty sounds like the bosses will be a pushover too if you have a twink plus someone else in tow.

What I didn't get is why the regular mobs shouldn't be made to be more challenging and more rewarding - in a instanced team zone, if soloing around the place is possible by a leveling toon of mediocre gear (ql200 imps, Pred, etc) and mediocre skill, there is little incentive to upgrade gear and skills, and furthermore, less incentive to team up. While teams of leveling toons will just bash around like it's an inf easy mission. Neretva canyon was great in difficulty - you could die even in a little team if you don't watch what you are doing all the time.

[Esssch]

Misc Issues:

• There is a save terminal near the entrance/exit of the S7 gathering area by the quest NPCs. When I saved there and died I ended up popping up at the LoX hub save spot.

So...currently it's possible to get upgraded beast weapons? I've never actually saved in the LoX hub area, I always save in the APF staging area near the LE mish guy.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Good point, but I do dislike the idea of getting yet another soloable team content addition. ...

If it were to be soloable it wouldn't be that the zone itself can be viewed that way on a whole, just that it would be possible if you're a well twinked lvl cap char. Like for instance some nuts have managed various end game/near end game team/raid zones solo or with just dual logged chars. That still doesn't mean the zone itself is thought to be a solo zone as most wouldn't be able to pull such a thing off. For most it's still something you need a few people or more for, especially if some aren't twinks or lower in lvl.

if your team is not very good (I don't mean as contrast to a team full of twinks) you might not expect to be able to kill at least every one of the bosses.

One thing about the zone as it is now at least the items the bosses drop are not independent of each other. That is you don't kill East to get this, West for the other and Middle for something else. Instead by the looks of it you need to kill them all to get the items so you can complete one of the missions and build the belt. Then for now at least they all only drop one of each of the two items. Still seems to be a lot missing and unknown yet though.

It is possible that MA is the best twink for this area and that skews the perceptions a bit, either way the current difficulty sounds like the bosses will be a pushover too if you have a twink plus someone else in tow.

Maybe, although for a lvling zone rather than a straight loot zone it may not be a bad thing if it's manageable. Taking my experience from team Dark Ruins as a for instance I was able to solo it at lvl 175 or so, but that was not easy and there was no root on the warp back then. By lvl 200 unless I do something dumb I should be fine although at the same time I've been in there with others that had modest lvl 180 or so chars that went splat after a few quick crits from a group of mobs.

As for the bosses now East is pain, I need to work on that one. Middle wasn't too hard but there may not be something working as it should with those adds. West was just annoying due to it healing as it did, adds to knock off and it having lots of health on top of it, had to push damage there. Then this is just the first draft, as we've seen in other zones it can change a lot before it hits live then change some more after that. Although often enough the changes made it easier, not harder, Collector is the only exception I can think of off hand.

What I didn't get is why the regular mobs shouldn't be made to be more challenging and more rewarding

As they are now regular mobs were really weak to my lvl 200 MA. Although other than two drops each from the bosses none of the other rewards/drops for the zone seem to be in place yet. So there's no way for us to guess the difficulty versus reward balance now.

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So...currently it's possible to get upgraded beast weapons? I've never actually saved in the LoX hub area, I always save in the APF staging area near the LE mish guy.

Ah, not that one, the save terminal they added inside the S7 gathering area, it's a new one. It's just that when I died I got sent to the wrong spot. I adjusted the wording to make that clearer.

Didn't wander around to see if I could get in the connected LoX zones but this is bound to be correct before it hits live anyhow.

[nitr0]

it all sounds kinda good... but i am afraid the "normal mobs don't drop anything" will stay.

so u got sec10 for creds/bots, sec7 for getting a weapon and doing some axp if u like from 151-200 (alternative to le mishs)- without a reason to make twinks for it at all for most ppl - and arid rift for pure axp without any extras.

it's still kinda odd tho, that people with 10 220ish toons have to log a level 150 one to farm credits the fastest and most secure way =)

[PhoenixOfAges]

it all sounds kinda good... but i am afraid the "normal mobs don't drop anything" will stay.

so u got sec10 for creds/bots, sec7 for getting a weapon and doing some axp if u like from 151-200 (alternative to le mishs)- without a reason to make twinks for it at all for most ppl - and arid rift for pure axp without any extras.

it's still kinda odd tho, that people with 10 220ish toons have to log a level 150 one to farm credits the fastest and most secure way =)

I wouldn't be too sure about that. None of the quests I was able to complete gave anything or wouldn't complete. Then the NCUs and such are surely related to S7 as well but based on what I've seen there's no apparent way to get them now. So more new reward stuff has yet to be added.

On top of that unless they changed their minds we were told not too long ago that S7 would have both old and new loot. You have to get the old stuff somehow, why not as drops from regular mobs? So who know what all will end up in the loot table here in the end.





One other note about the difficulty of this zone is that this is to be a team instanced zone, not a raid zone. The other APFs are or seem to be aimed at being raid zones. Something intended to be done with a single team or less would of course be easier than stuff aimed at multiple teams. Although as a result you don't tend to get the same volume of loot from bosses at least in team zones as seen in raid zones.

[Esssch]

Looking through the db rip, it looks like S7 aliens will drop items like the locked boxes in Biomare, and then you just open them with a screwdriver to get possibly the items for upgrading weapons, possibly the items for NCU. What's in there is just a guess, but there are the containers in the db rip.

[RedWatr]

I'd love to know what happens when Control Leech turns an NT on the team. if it uses an LE nuke, is it going to lock me into offensive focus, if I'm in defensive focus, will it use LE nukes? if I haven't locked myself into one or the other yet, I don't think it should make a choice like that for me, and decide how I have to fight for the next 30 minutes. can it even turn an NT on the team?

[Dagget]

I'd love to know what happens when Control Leech turns an NT on the team. if it uses an LE nuke, is it going to lock me into offensive focus, if I'm in defensive focus, will it use LE nukes? if I haven't locked myself into one or the other yet, I don't think it should make a choice like that for me, and decide how I have to fight for the next 30 minutes. can it even turn an NT on the team?

Pretty sure NT's are simply forced to 'Q' meaning they start poking their teammates with their nanodeck.

[PhoenixOfAges]

Looking through the db rip, it looks like S7 aliens will drop items like the locked boxes in Biomare, and then you just open them with a screwdriver to get possibly the items for upgrading weapons, possibly the items for NCU. What's in there is just a guess, but there are the containers in the db rip.

Ah, I saw those in the DB rip too. Forgot about them once I got to writing though. That sounds likely, kinda annoying that you'd need a screwdriver all the time though. Wonder what will all drop them. Still may leave old loot open, unless this is more Collector like boxes and one of a crap ton of possible items can pop out.

[Dagget]

Can confirm that each of the three bosses drops 1/3 of a belt and 1/3 of a power supply thing. Belt assembled you keep, power supply device you assemble and use elsewhere in the ship

Rufus appears bugged - he only aggros you and you have to kill him. He also easily runs free of his 'cage' without you even having to press the button to free him. mission never updates.

If a team member dies and tries to reenter, they are placed in a new instance/GS by themselves, repeated re-entering simply increments the instance ad infinium. Thus, if you lose a team member they will not get back with the team.

[Ciex]

The question is; how often do bounties drop inside and is there any chance for VB loot?