Mastery Tests just are not enjoyable

[True_Naeblis]

Let me just add a concise list so that the changes I'm speaking to are clear:

• The horrid low contrast, high brightness of the zones is poorly executed and needs to be reworked
• Tests that are one and done on failure
• A 24 hour lockout penalty is over the top whether failure is due to mistakes or glitches, but especially in the case of glitches
• The overly tight time constraints combined with time ticking down while being reloaded in after a fall, exacerbated when the fall is due to a glitch or poor design
• Having to exit and load back in over and over during practice, especially for practices that are like their counterparts, done on a single failure. Trying to practice shouldn't itself be tedious

 

Every little thing adds up to make them about zero fun. The super low contrast, high brightness environments makes traversing platforms at speed tedious and picking out enemies less than smooth. The tightness of the time requirements on some tests adds to the punishment, and adding to that a single failure is all she wrote for 24 hours in some cases. I'm literally only doing this to unlock weapons for use--something that I actually do find fun--and it's walled behind this overly precise nonsense. I have no doubt the white knights will ride in praising the system, but they do nothing to add to the enjoyment for many players, and they become just another source of "Why?" with the 24 hour lockout.

If they were better executed, if there wasn't worry of failure because your friction is juuuust to low to hold that platform after landing, if the environment were a little more friendly on the eyes to those of us who don't see in Matrix code en blue, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I've only failed once, mind you, because I utilize the practice that's available--which of course the game doesn't exactly do a bang up job of telling players about--but I hate it. I don't feel like I've proven anything at the end except that I can properly out cheese the cheese, and if it weren't a wall for progression I'd never touch it.

It really, really is a part of the game that once DE finishes doing the myriad other things that need to be done I hope gets looked at, because right now it sucks. I don't know anyone who looks forward to the tests other than to get past that wall for other content, and I sure haven't run into anyone talking about how they go back to do them again just for kicks.

On a final note, why, why, why do we have to keep exiting the practice zone and loading back in? I do not understand why it wasn't coded with the ability to simply retry it, cause I sure know that it's doable. Yet another thing that just speaks to the poor design of mastery all around.

On a true final note, systems like this are just utterly unfair to players who have issues with reaction time/dexterity due to disorders and the like. I very much like the suggestion of alternative methods for unlocking, or at least only tying things like extra trades and such to this. Barring that, I can't think of another title that punishes you with lockouts because of hardware issues, or connectivity problems, or game glitches. I can't think of another that finds worth in not letting you immediately retry difficult content until you get it right.

Maybe there should be a 24 hour lockout on all missions on failure since clearly if you don't get it right the first time you're just not good enough to advance? Being able to walk into more difficult content with less that ideal weapons/frames and making them work, enjoying doing so, and completing the objective while benefiting the team speaks to skill. Not getting through a Mastery Test on the first try does not speak to a lack thereof, and being locked out for 24 hours is just tedium in what in too many ways is already a tedious game.

Edited June 24, 2017 by True_Naeblis

[Chipputer]

The 24-hour lockout might be a bit much, but the entire point is that you're demonstrating your mastery of the game mechanics via a test.

Not all of them are perfect but a good portion of them make it very clear that you need to know how to do certain things and by the time you reach them you probably already did know how to do them well enough (cue all the people whining about the archwing test).

I'm also going to be, "that guy," that says that if you have physical issues preventing you from playing this game to its fullest that the developers really shouldn't be bending over backward to change their game to make it accessible to you. The cases where this is a thing are really few and far between and, often, are fixed by simply using small macros here or there to make up for actions that you can't perform easily. This is usually a thing that's more brought up to concern-troll rather than make a valid point.

[Xardis]

You can practice mastery rank tests up to your mastery+1 in Simaris room. Those will not give you 24h lock and will show you what you need to do in the real one.

[Katinka]

55 minutes ago, True_Naeblis said:

I have no doubt the white knights will ride in praising the system,

This is the point where I began to suspect you aren't looking for an open discussion and instead are just ranting.

58 minutes ago, True_Naeblis said:

I don't know anyone who looks forward to the tests other than to get past that wall for other content, and I sure haven't run into anyone talking about how they go back to do them again just for kicks.

I look forward to them.  I was quite excited to hear that the Rank 24 test had been added and have already practiced it in preparation for when I get there (hopefully sometime next week).  I fairly regularly go back and try old tests to see if they've changed and if I can still do them, especially if I see a thread saying one is too hard.  I just don't post about it all the time in the same way that I haven't made a thread in appreciation of Void Sabotage alerts and how they give me an excuse to go see Sprag and Ven'kra Tel, two of my favourite characters.  I really wish they had bigger roles...

1 hour ago, True_Naeblis said:

Barring that, I can't think of another title that punishes you with lockouts because of hardware issues, or connectivity problems, or game glitches.

If your connectivity is so bad that you can't complete a mastery test, possibly the shortest 'mission' in the game, then you'll have trouble playing the game at all.

[True_Naeblis]

@Katinka No, I'm not ranting, I'm fine with open discussion and enjoy them. I've simply looked through other threads on this topic and discussion is not what happens. Almost anyone who agrees that there's a flaw with the MR tests gets shouted down.

I'm not saying that my connectivity is bad. I have no issue hosting. We all, however, have things come up. Power surges, unexpected outages, relay issues because we don't live a block from the servers, or problems on DE's end. What I'm saying is that in most instances other games don't lock you out for 24 hours because of some technical issue. No, I don't have trouble playing the game at all. I've been progressing relatively smoothly, but the MR setup could be a much better system and as it stands it doesn't enhance what the game is. To literally be able to foray into all other game content and even clear it but be stuck at a Mastery wall is silly and it doesn't fit with the feel of the game at all. Beyond that it doesn't fit with who and what the Tenno are, but setting aside lore and this silly militaristic aspect, the system needs polish.

I said quite clearly that I had only failed once, but I'm not surprised that the first response is one from someone defending the system entire and ignoring that passing the tests in general isn't my issue, as that's the norm in most of the other threads. Norr am I surprised that you refuse to admit that you could see how it might be an issue for someone with certain disabilities or simply lower acuity/dexterity and presents an unequal wall in terms of progress. It's silly that the margin is so tight that the loss in responsiveness that I'm dealing with until my replacement mouse arrives is enough to worsen the already apparent errors.

The current design does not enhance game play and it doesn't generally make players better from where I sit. Technically that will have to remain conjecture because we don't have studies from DE as to how adept players are who have ignored Mastery vs those who attempt the tests regularly, but either way, it needs tweaking.

Lastly, it's clear that with some people there's just no winning. If you post with simple, concise points some say that you need to provide more details. If you give the details that are the basis for your thoughts, the same people say that you're just ranting. No doubt, the system is poorly designed enough that it makes me feel stress rather than enjoyment dealing with it, but my issues are based around the fact that this is a game and is meant to be fun in the challenges that it presents. Players can plat their way to almost any gear they want, but to clear the star chart takes actual skill in most cases. To say that the MR ranks are an accurate reflection of whether or not players actually have the skill to provide team support is a joke just as simply seeing what frame or mods they have is.

I definitely do not wish they had bigger roles until they are cleaned up and made to fall in line with the rest of the content in the game. They are clearly unpolished to say the least.

Edited June 24, 2017 by True_Naeblis

[Katinka]

13 minutes ago, True_Naeblis said:

Lastly, it's clear that with some people there's just no winning. If you post with simple, concise points some say that you need to provide more details. If you give the details that are the basis for your thoughts, the same people say that you're just ranting.

I don't have issue with you providing details.  I have issue with the borderline dev-bashing.  Phrasing such as:

1 hour ago, True_Naeblis said:

once DE finishes doing the myriad other things that need to be done

1 hour ago, True_Naeblis said:

Yet another thing that just speaks to the poor design of mastery all around.

1 hour ago, True_Naeblis said:

just tedium in what in too many ways is already a tedious game.

are not the kind of talk that are going to get you in good stead with the people who have the power to make the changes you want.  I understand you are frustrated but if you want people to listen you need to be careful how you word things so as not to provoke a defensive emotional reaction.

 

That aside, you're right that Mastery Tests, and thus Mastery Rank, do not show how capable someone is as part of a team.  So far no test has required teamwork what with them all being solo experiences.  I suppose they do test your ability to work alone in a pinch, to avoid detection and/or move quickly.  Whether someone chooses to use those skills co-operatively (such as to reach a team-mate and revive) or not is up to them.  I don't see that as a problem with the system though as I don't think that's it's purpose.

 

27 minutes ago, True_Naeblis said:

Beyond that it doesn't fit with who and what the Tenno are,

How so?  We don't know that much about Tenno culture other than it involves fighting, training and forging weapons.  How does testing your capability with those weapons (and on some level, puzzle solving skills) in simulated test environments not fit with who and what Tenno are?