Somewhat a sigh of relief, yes. But like many have said, if the damn thing is so rare that it's basically unfindable, it's worthless.

And if it drops mostly garbage with only an occasional chance of dropping a Terraforming device, it's also basically worthless.

If it occurred as often as Dark Arms Carriers, Blade Harvesters, and TO Carriers do COMBINED it would be decent.

But as has been said a million zillion times, the balance of these NPC's is ALREADY fine, so the easiest and best fix is still to just bump up their numbers.

A combined drop NPC is problematic because at high levels, the drops are essentially

Terraforming Device - Yay!
Quasi - Super-Rare but Yay!
Planet Flux - Very rare but Yay!
Bio Vaporizer - Rare but meh
Krionite - Common, Garbage
Toxic Purifier - Common, Garbage

Terraforming Devices are the only drops of the bunch that are both useful and appear regularly enough to be worth killing NPC's for. Reducing the drop rate could very quickly take them to a level where they're so rare that it's not worth bothering to try and get them. This game already has an alarmingly high amount of such content - I don't know why on Earth we'd want more.

Thank you for responding Dan

maybe just the top 4 as the other 2 are worthless for a rarer NPC, even more so for a rank 2200+ npc

Terraforming Device - Yay! 80%
Quasi - Super-Rare but Yay! 5%
Planet Flux - Very rare but Yay! 5%
Bio Vaporizer - Rare but meh 10%

I am unsure if Dan is still reading this thread, but if you are Dan, the above is a very good point.

For a rank 2200, Krionite Torpedo's aren't useful tbh, as we don't have enough badgeable targets anyway, and no one at our rank should need toxic purifiers... i have over 1500 in my cargo and still have 62k mining, so they really aren't needed.

Just my 2 cents, but the above suggestion from markyt2011, is a sound NPC design.

Noted. I'm sure this can be handled just fine through drop rate adjustments.

Keep in mind that at higher ranks, a huge number of other NPCs are no longer in the pool, so these types of enemies are actually much more common.

Quite true Dan, there is always a subtle balance that needs to be kept.

I believe this can be made a little better with a rank bump for the Stryll NPC that drops the 10% scan boost artifact, as well as perhaps a rank bump for the Xiloy, Drannik Encephalon Boss too, as it's the only NPC which drops planetary traps, which i'm sure people above the rank 1k line, started missing quite a while ago.

Either or Dan, i am very much looking forward to the NPC's coming out, as well as the summer bonanza you have planned for us. Keep on keeping on

Mostly just need to wait and see. He say a npc but as its new content it could be several, could more rare but what if its a +2 each instead of +1.... Best plan now is too wait for it too come out.

As for Nam... Yes might be a bit bittersweet, but you haven't deleted yet you can change your mind. You've given a lot away unfortunately but the option is there.

--myst

I wouldn't mind a few new common/uncommon NPCs to dilute the pool. A drannik, a lazuli, something to drop stryll seekers, a fewer shot flamehawk but stronger, a stronger flame tyrant. Hell a decent zolzain would be okay too. I would absolutely love to see an extremely rare sha'din ambusher that drops prisoners a really low rate, like QSE drop rate low. All matched so this doesn't become a problem later.

Correct. We can set the spawn rate accordingly and adjust it as other NPCs are added to the higher rank pool to account for this.

lol all this talk of new NPC's and future badge items... stop making me salivate dagnabit

easiest fix would be making T.O. Troop Carriers stay forever, just like the Crimson Flamehawks (both ranked NPCs).

No need for new NPCs... and the rest of drops are not as critical as terraformers (planet fluxes can be bought, krio torpedos and bio-vaporizers... well they are good but not so important - and you should have saved enough toxic purifiers to last you a lifetime by rank 2200).

Thank you for the updates and forum contact

I think the main thing that gets us crabby when we lose NPC's is losing functionality - Losing something like the Stalar Command Center is no big deal - the mods are obsolete and there's other sources of experience and ctp. But losing something like TO Carriers or Stryll Devastators takes away a utility that we've come to count on, and it's a weird feeling to advance in a game and *lose* utility. And even if things are adjusted/updated/tweaked/changed/revised, that's a whole lot different than something just being *gone.* We're a lot more agreeable when things don't abruptly disappear.

i like the way this conversation is going...feel 100 pound lighter now

You don't look it...

You're lucky my fat prevents me from seeing who said that :p

To be honest here I rather liked the toxic purifiers and I don't have many saved up. I wouldn't mind to keep getting them. I say this because I keep lossing my maxed toxic's and planet cost's is to much to really afford an invade back. So the only option would be to keep making them. Just my two cents on this if enough others don't want them then I say go with the flow but just voicing my own opinion. lol

I just purged one of your toxics a few days ago, but if you are really desperate you can have a legion mate abandon one for you. They seem to like to fluxjack them from us.

I'm glad to see higher ranks becoming happy again

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Don't want to spoil the fun but,

do you think this will make more 2200+ players show up in the near future? - with autoranking, unfortunately

IF this is implemented, do you think Dan will implement that 'reduced energy refills' per levelup ?

I guess this 2200+ NPCs should be regarded as 'a fix' to the players already reached 2200+, and not as 'OMG! I want to see the new NPCs!' and autorank to 2200+

I hope not. Autoranking will take care of itself. At a certain point the amount of time clicking to gain a level will be what slows the ranking down.