Positron On the Proposed Incarnate Trial Changes

If you were one of those worried about the proposed rewards nerf to the BAF and LAMBDA iTrials, fear not Positron has heard your concerns:

I understand that many of you are upset by this and I agree that we were probably too heavy handed in trying to encourage players to try out the new content and storylines that we created. To that end: this change will not be going live with Issue 21 Special Update: Media Blitz. Have no fear, your Empyreans for completing those trials will not be touched.

The post goes on to express concern about just why only BAF and LAMBDA are being run while newer iTrials are neglected.

My own opinion is that the iTrial system is deeply flawed. One assumption made in iTrial design is that players want a challenge. MMOs are not really based on challenge. They are based on rewarding time invested. Challenge becomes an unwelcome interference in the sought after time = rewards progression.

Another assumption made in iTrial design is that City of Heroes Freedom is a game that can and should have a raiding culture. The FUNdamental Design Problems thread shows just what the player base thinks raiding. Note how few posts defend the system as it currently stands. It goes into great detail about just what is wrong with the iTrail system.

Can the iTrails system be saved from itself? I don't know. I'm not confident that it can. Add as many new iTrails as you like, players will take the path of least resistance, and currently and for the foreseeable future that path is BAF and LAMBDA. That's one of the most critical flaws of the system. Expend resources on making new iTrials, and the player base will simply examine all available iTrials and run the ones with the most efficient path to the rewards continuously.

No one, not even Positron, wants to see a new currency. Could the answer lie in a Weekly Strike Trial, as is done with Task Forces to encourage running a variety of content? Given the nature of iTrials, I doubt it would work as well for them as for Task Forces but it may be worth trying.

All this also makes me wonder, if a viable solo/small team Incarnate path is ever given, would we see the abandonment of the iTrials altogether? We just might, and this might keep a solo/small team path from ever emerging.

Time will tell, but the Incarnate System as it stands isn't really working.

Positron's post at the official forums.
Discuss Positron's post at the official forums.