[Suggestion] Add Junctions to the Proximas

[LeakingAmps]

I have found lately, that there's a lot of people in Veil Proxima who have no clue how to play railjack. People lacking basic understandings of how enemies work, hazards work, etc. After some thinking, I've decided the I think the most elegant solution is to add solar rails (Junctions) to the Proximas. The test could be directed by Cy (or no one at all, but Cy directing it adds character and lore), as it would be very in-character for him to watch out for his crew by making sure they're prepared to fight the enemies up ahead.

Some general points of knowledge that I'd like to see people have by the time they get to the highest level place in Railjack:

• Abilities
  • How they work
  • How to equip them
  • What they do
• Plexus Mods
  • Where you get them (generally)
  • How to equip them
  • How they work (personal vs. squad-wide, etc)
  • Auras
• Intrinsics
  • Specialization
  • Earning Points
• Combat Basics
  • Lead Indicator
  • Weapon Heat
  • Missiles
    • Lock-on time
  • Crafting
• Advanced Combat
  • Boarding Pods
  • Minelayers
  • Crewships
    • Shields
    • Shield Walls (on Corpus Crewships)
    • Blowing up the reactor
    • Using the Forward Artillery
  • Healing Zones
  • POI effects on the battlefield
  • AI Crew

 

This is quite a long list, and it can be difficult to figure it all out on your own. I expect some of this to be common sense and require simply directing people's attention (falloff), but some of it (healing zones) might need some explanation, and some should be tested.

This is just a basic concept, but here's how I'd lay them out: All 5 Proxima Regions' Junctions would have 2 components: A stat requirement (i.e. Have intrinsics above 7 in one category and at least 4 T2 Components installed), and a Test consisting of a few consecutive modules (i.e. Kill a shielded corpus crewship). Lore-wise, these could be conducted in something akin to the (or inside the actual) simulacrum. Solo tests without AI crew (they would undermine the attempt to teach new skills), just your ship, plexus, and yourself.

Potentially, there could be a way to ask Cy for direction on a specific requirement (How do I install a component? How do I spend Intrinsics?), as well as contextual in-test assistance:

• Shooting a crew ship with your guns for several seconds after it hits 0 hp? Maybe Cy should advise you to try the artillery or board it, depending on mission objective (and once you board it, be clear that the reactor is your target).
• Trying to down a minelayer with your guns alone? Might want to try missiles!
• Run out of dome charges? Time to craft more!
• Trying to shoot an enemy outside your falloff range? Cy should tell you to get closer!
• etc

 

Tentative requirements:

Earth Proxima -> Venus Proxima:

• Rank 1 in at least in 1 Intrinsic
• At least 1 non-default part in your Railjack
• At least 1 plexus mod
• Test:
  • Kill 15 fighters (dealing with overheat)
  • Kill a Minelayer (learning missiles)
  • Kill a Grineer Crewship via boarding

Venus Proxima -> Saturn Proxima:

• Rank 3 in at least 1 Intrinsic
• At least 4 T1 parts in your railjack
• Equip an Aura in your Plexus
• Test:
  • Use an Ability (energy is provided by Cy, or commentary if using a non-standard frame such as Hildryn or Lavos)
  • Repair a ship hazard
  • Kill a Grineer Crewship via Forward Artillery (comments about the engines being weak points maybe?)

Saturn Proxima -> Neptune Proxima:

• Rank 3 in at least 1 Intrinsic
• Rank 1 in all intrinsics
• At least 1 T2 part in your railjack
• Test:
  • Use the forge to make more shells
  • Kill a Corpus Crew Ship with FA
  • Take out an inbound Boarding-pod

Neptune Proxima -> Pluto Proxima:

• Rank 5 in at least 1 intrinsic
• At least 1 Passive mod, 1 Tactical Avionic, and 1 Battle Avionic equipped
• At least 4 T2 parts in your Railjack
• Test:
  • Kill a shielded Corpus Crew Ship via boarding
  • Do the inside part of a simple POI (with comments on the effect it has on the battlefield)
  • Disable and enter a Corpus Galleon

Pluto Proxima -> Veil Proxima:

• Rank 7 in at least 1 intrinsic
• At least 4 passive mods in your Plexus
• At least 1 T3 part in your Railjack
• Test:
  • Kill 15 fighters in a healing field
  • Kill a shielded Grineer Crewship
  • Do the outside part of a simple POI (with comments on the effect it has on the battlefield)
     

I think these might at least help with the number of T0 ships in Neptune+ proximas, as well as the number of players there who don't understand how to perform basic railjack functions. They're not intended to be hard; they're intended to teach players mechanics in an isolated environment, and ensure they get how to deal with things. In among the chaos of combat in Saturn or Veil proxima, it's hard to even notice a healing field for the first time, much less figure out what it does, and how to get rid of it. Even learning that you need to use the FA to kill a crewship is hard if someone else shoots a crewship with FA while you're using your gun on it.

 

Given that it's supposed to be a mechanics test and not a skill or gear test, it might be worth neutering the enemies (fighters + crew ships can't fight back, boarding pods don't spawn enemies, no non-necessary enemies in POIs, etc), with the excuse from Cy being that it's unhelpful to distract you from your learning.

 

If you've read this whole thing, thanks! I know it's very long. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

[(XBOX)Rez090]

Didn't really bother reading past first paragraph. Would hope you realize that you keep encountering trolls if you think players don't know how to Railjack by the time they hit the Veil. They would have to play a good amount of RJ to even get one of their intrinsics to level 7.

[LeakingAmps]

33 minutes ago, (XBOX)Rez090 said:

Didn't really bother reading past first paragraph. Would hope you realize that you keep encountering trolls if you think players don't know how to Railjack by the time they hit the Veil. They would have to play a good amount of RJ to even get one of their intrinsics to level 7.

Not really. On PC it's very easy to get to intrinsics 7 without really playing, since at least one person per squad usually knows enough to get each item done. Heck, I've seen squads where one person does everything in every region including veil, while the other 3 just derp around not really contributing. While it's true that some are probably trolls, I have a hard time believing 2/3 of the players in Veil are trolls and not just uninformed, especially since once provided information, they will (usually) readily use it.

[DarkSkysz]

28 minutes ago, LeakingAmps said:

3 just derp around not really contributing

Ops... the wifi just got turned off... sorry for your bugged host migration, dear leecher.

 

My control V in railjack missions... :V