I really enjoy the SoE epic arc missions and am currently on my second run through of them. I like that they can be repeated every three (four?) months but can see that they may get boring after a few run throughs.
There are other epic arcs we can do once we get to a certain level and according to what I read, you need battlecruisers etc. to be able to do them. So you’d need to train all the skills etc. etc. which means it’s a while for a lot of players to be able to do them. And it’s only one per faction plus two pirate ones which might be limiting for some players.
So I wondered why there’s only one real epic arc that everyone can do from quite early on in the game? I mean it’s FUN to have a nice long chain of missions that you can follow a story on. Personally I think having more of this kind of content would be of a huge benefit to the game since I think many players would enjoy it and might keep them playing.
And then there’s the normal missions. They are great to start with but after a while they are the same ones repeated. Admittedly I’m only able to do level 2s just now but I get the feeling it may be the same story with the higher levels.
I suppose what I’m asking is if anyone else thinks the mission side of the game could use a little reworking? I’d be interested to see what others think of this.
One of the most engaging arcs were the COSMOS missions. They were much more “epic” than the current epic arcs. The story line was extensive and the rewards were outstanding.
But as has happened so many times before, CCP simply ignored them and moved on to other things. Things that made the rewards not worth the risk and ended up breaking a good portion of the missions. I’m not even sure if COSMOS running still exists. Though I still see the blueprints being traded.
Then again, I still see stuff that hasn’t dropped in game in a decade or more being traded. Things like Anaconda and Python BPOs. Or Angel Ship Logs.
In any case, I’d like to see Cosmos updated to make the modules competitive again. It would be nice to spend a week or two completing the arc. For the nostalgia, if nothing else.
The pirate epic arcs are substantially shorter and easier than the four empire arcs, and they require lower standings to unlock (can be unlocked via standings with empire corps/factions instead of the nullsec corp/factions), lower skill levels, and cheap fits (approx 50m). The only catch is that since the missions take place in nullsec where interdiction spheres (ie. “bubbles”) may be used, it is strongly advised that a fleet interceptor is used (preferably the Crow) since they are immune to bubbles, and these ships are only available to Omegas. While theoretically available to Alphas, these arcs just aren’t practical for Alphas to run because of the high risk of encountering bubbles.
If you have questions about the epic arcs or would like some advice about how to run them, the United Standings Improvement Agency [USIA] offers free guidance on running missions and arcs. And if you would like the arcs permanently unlocked for you to run every 90 days, USIA can do that for you, too. For more information, join the USIA Discord server .
.