I’ve always felt that Melk’s challenges are detrimental in many ways to playing the game.
If you play a single character then you’re soon through the challenges that week and could maybe have earned more. But if you play multiple characters, then it actually becomes extremely time consuming to chug through many of the mission tasks.
Moreover, it negatively encourages players to play at a lower level just to finish off the tasks. I don’t see how that benefits lower players learning the game, or higher players “down-grading” rather than playing at a level appropriate to skill and equipment.
I’m suggesting two proposals;
1 - is a change to the mission “selection” stage.
2 - is a rebalancing of the rewards
1 Mission select and bonus qualification
Melk’s as it is now. You roll missions repeatedly which can change the mission type (kill scabs vs collect plasteel) but also the volume threshold
My suggestion: you just roll mission type. You automatically get the maximum volume threshold. Melk’s 1000 credit bonus though is triggered when you hit a general threshold level of attainment.
e.g. Before and After (this is meant to be indicative…)
In this way, you’re getting coins regularly as you progress through the 10 stages (or however many) - as per the last example where I’ve earned 370/600 max. NB Numbers are not to scale, I just copy pasted some!
Advantages:
You don’t have to set yourself up with an onorous challenge at the beginning of the week, then give up on it because you don’t end up having the play time.
Opportunity for all players to earn more credits as every mission type is a max roll. You never sell yourself short.
2 Rebalancing of rewards
Getting paid to collect plasteel? Okay. But as it really is the easiest mission task you’d be nuts not to take this. Can be maxed in an hour.
vs
Complete 8 missions? Complete 6 with no PUG player dying? That’s literally a nebulous 4-24 hour time requirement right there. I always roll those away. Kill 1000 scab in melee, when I’m playing as a Psyker? Pssht. No thanks.
I think my (1) above would offer some optional reprieve from volume grinding. But also, FS should by now know exactly how many games were required for each objective to be completed. Let’s have some re-scaling please.
Objectively everyone’s play time differs, but as probably a player who puts in more time than average, I still think 4 chars * 5 hours = 20 hours on missions a week is a lot. As such, some of those missions that rely on survival (e.g. complete X missions, or complete x with no one dying, or collect 16 scriptures) should be trimmed back in volume and worth the same as now. And I think that would then inhibit the level ducking.
^^ Might not be the perfect solution. Open to suggestions.