American_Angel

Rebooting helped solve the issue.

I did have my computer on all night downloading stuff...and had worked on som PhotoShp stuff before that, so maybe it was an available membry issue.

I wish I knew what's causing this, but the dropdowns in the AE editor seem to stop working from time to time...very frustrating.

By not working, I mean the simply stop opening as they are intended. I THINK it happens when the server gets busier, but 'm not certain.

I just tried a system reboot to see if it helps. This isn't the first time I've encountered the problem though.

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Before, when you changed your graphics settings in options, you had to apply then hit cancel to close the window...because they didn't include a "Close Window" or "Okay" button.

Now, you apply settings, hit cancel, and it resets to the original settings.

The ONLY way to bye-pass this is clicking the red dot to close the window...which sucks because that red dot is super small on my screen.

DEVS: We need a "Close Window" button added please.

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I agree that there should be a 'close window' button (although, technically, that's what the red dot button is for and used uniformly throughout the GUI).

However, what did you think a 'cancel changes' button was going to do other than cancel the changes you made? For some settings, like resolution, 'cancel changes' had always canceled the change.

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Before, the "Cancel Changes" did not reset the "Applied" settings...it just closed the window and cancelled any changes made without applying.

Some settings cause changes without hitting the apply button. The button just makes them stick after the options window closes.

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M3 busy dialog: breath -> breathe
M3 entry popup: the street of -> the streets of
Bit of a loss as to why Statesman is involved here. He makes for a pretty powerful sidekick, leaves me doing little.
Statesman (don't know if you wrote this): Colewas -> Cole ; were -> was ; well -> Well of Furies ; mention of Stefan without connecting him to the well
So it's a defeat-all on a big outdoor map. Perhaps not the worst outdoor map, but people will often quit an arc at this point. Especially if they don't have powers suitable for bouncing quickly around a map to find that last hidden critter. I finished it, it took a long time.
M3 return: "Catalyst stands..." sentence should be in orange ; saught -> sought ; essense -> essence
M4 intro: The entire description is not Catalyst speaking - you've previously colored that orange. Not sure what you want to do here. You've reversed your scheme (somewhat) and now his speaking is yellow. Also has quotation marks. All good, but should be consistent with first two missions. Also, why "near worship"? Sounds like there's ambivalence among the troops.
M4 intro: presense -> presence
This next mission is like the first and the third, big open map with the same creatures to beat, one new boss. Like the first mission, I have specific groups to defeat, this time there are 24 of them. I resign from the arc, I just don't have time to do this.

The arc is monotonous in its gameplay. But otherwise, it has an interesting Contact concept that might work, and a grand story that should ultimately be quite heroic (for contact and plot I rate this a "potential 4-stars"). But I am tired of fighting the same group in outdoor clumps over and over, I'm afraid I cannot finish this. I suggest you plan to playtest this right through with at least 3 different archetype heroes for play balance - that should also test your patience for this.

I have a heroic arc with a bad-guy contact, #1144 (in my sig). The plot is much smaller in scale than yours, the contact is petty, not grand, but you're welcome to give it a try if you like.

Regards, airhead

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1) breathe fixed

2) I didn't write that test on Statesman, but I decided to rewrite it now:
"Marcus Cole drank from the well and was granted incredible powers to become Statesman. He is here to give a speech, but apparently Catalyst needed his DNA for one of his Hounds."

BRB...gotta reboot because my drop downs in the editor are suddenly not working agin...grrr.

Okay, back.

3) I've removed the defeat all and made it a defeat 10 defenders. My main reason to have the defeat all was to prevent a stealthable scenario...but the 10 defenders should help in that area.

4) fixed the spelling errors in the return message, and made the suggested text orange.

Mission 4

5) removed "near"

6) fixed the text colors. I have to admit...I got lazy lol.

7) On the 24 bosses to defeat, the name of the boss is Legion...meaning a great multitude....so my thinking was to have a lot of them.

After reading your comments though, I reduced the requirement from 24 to 8...hopefully that will help. The idea is to show that there are multiple clones of this hound, and that number shoud be sufficient.

A note on the Catalyst History objective...I actually have a longer history but we're only allowed 300 characters...that was frustrating because the history I came up with is needed and I have nowhere else to put it.

Maybe I can break it into more than one collection?

Mission 5
All of the Hounds and Catalyst are faced.

NOTE: I didn't know we can now customise the power choices of our mobs...interesting.

I removed the Pet and cage powers from the Lightning Man Clone.

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Description:
Hidden deep within the anals of time is a legend of an ultra powerful being. His name was Catalyst, and where he walked, Chaos reigned. His goal was complete domination of the world. This ancient eveil has awakened from a long slumber, and threatens our world!


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It's annals of time. I just glanced at this thread and caught that, and thought "I don't think this guy wants people to find his arc by searching for 'anal'"

Now that I've said something, I'll give your arc a try later and let you know what I think.

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you also misspelled evil as eveil. If your description is indicitive of the rest of your arc, typo hunters have their work cut out for them. Good luck with it though.

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Thanks, btw. I fixed it in the arc

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248963, AmericanAngel-Pete

4 unique maps, 1 large map, bosses and allies. One unique map is defeat all (hopefully a casino!).

As noted already, anals -> annals in the Description. Also eveil -> evil.
You've suggested levels 1-50 - not too specific

Custom group throughout. Oooh. I'm trying this with my level 50 controller, gonna be a long arc...

The contact is impressive-looking. With I15 you can add a description to the contact in the Story Settings, which is accessed through Ask about this contact.

M1 intro: you're are not -> you are not
I'd change "He turns" to "Catalyst turns", a bit less confusing. Alternately, if you're suggesting I'm one of his commanders, you might simply address me as such. Perhaps commanders and allies, to appease heroes who don't like to be ruled by nobody
M1 send-off: activateMisery -> activate Misery
My pop-up box suggests my actions will prevent Catalyst - so I am not on the same side as Catalyst? That's strange. Neutral morality, I'm very confused right now. Catalyst does sound like someone with too much power, so I think my objectives are probably appropriate, but still confused. Was I snooping on Catalyst's initial monologue?
I'm on level 1 difficulty. The map is full of lieutenants?
My goals include 15 Catalyst's Defender - I just destroyed one, and its whole team, didn't reduce the count. Can Defenders clone in ways other than the 15?
Okay, I found another group with 2 Catalyst's Defenders. I took that group out, the count went down. Looks like you have C.D. in your spawn group - with I15 you can now select that member of your Custom Group (from the listing of all in the group) and right-mouse-button, choose Not Regular Spawn. Then you can use them only for "Boss" objective, won't appear otherwise (and count will make sense).
I found Abomination. It's group is Winter Horde, you could add it to a custom group if you wanted a different name.
I saved abomination, but it looks like I really have to save all 15 of the Catalyst's Defenders. Grim.
Another problem with the Catalyst's Defender goal - looks like I need to defeat the whole group for it to count. Perhaps say "Catalyst's Defender Teams" in the Plural Navigation text slot. Or change the objective to count with Boss Only to complete.
Some of these types seem to be set on Extreme - causing tar pit and that lightning pet. So definitely not a farm, perhaps a challenge arc? I'm mostly in it for the story, luckily I'm a controller and don't need to put up with their holds and endurance drains.
Amazon Clone description: ou -> you ; it's -> its
You can also set Singular Nav description to "Defeat the last Catalyst's Defender Team" for better description of objective when only one left.
Well, that was a lot of tickets...
And when I return, it seems that despite all my efforts, Abomination has somehow disappeared? So, why did I bother with all that? Return message confirms the pop-up on this.
Okay, second mission, it's clearer that I am listening in on Catalyst who is somewhere else. Thi is unusual use of MA (which I like!) but it'll take some effort to get it clear what's happening.
M2 intro: downing -> dawning ; hte -> the ; acheiving -> achieving ; The themselves -> They themselves
The Accept string is very long, runs past the end of the window, cannot read.
Accept string: everyones -> everyone's
M2 send-off: disuaded -> dissuaded
Objectives just 2 this time (phew). One objective says "Director Prime" - rescue, or defeat? And I haven't heard of him yet.
Agent B dialog: you with my DNA -> you have my DNA
Agent B enemy dialog: .Stay -> Stay
I beat Director Prime. Why is he defended by 5th Column? Perhaps an error.
Then rescued Agent B. Again, it seems I might be too late. Pop-up suggested I might be closer (to stopping Catalyst?) but the return message indicates Catalyst is happy. Too many fails doesn't encourage me to keep going...
The "One of Catalyst's commanding officers..." text should be in orange?
Incidentally, I suspect this should be a Heroic arc, not Neutral?
Mission 2 return: manafest -> manifest
Mission 3 intro: bring my the -> bring me the ; perheps -> perhaps

I have to go to bed, I'll continue with mission 3 in the morning. I like the contact perspective, I hope you can make it work (just needs to be smoother). And if it is a Heroic arc, perhaps I can feel successful in saving lives, even if I didn't prevent harvesting of the DNA?

Cheers, airhead

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Note: changing the levels to 32-50

1) Anals & Eveil fixed.

2) Contact Description added...although 300 characters is extremely limited. The contact is in hte last mission, where is description is more detailed. I did notice AE added some weird symbols though.

3) You're are not is fixed (oops)

4) "He turns" changed to "Catalyst turns"

5) To clarify that you are his enemy, I changed the "Elsewhere, happening someplace you are not..." to:
"Elsewhere, happening someplace you are not...a new enemy schemes..."

6) ActivateMisery has hte space added

7) The popup has text added now that states that Catalyst is a worldwide threat, and as such everyone, heroes and villains should stop him.

8) Yes, you were snooping

9) Set defenders to not autospawn
I didn't know that was even possible, and it solves some issues I've run into in the past...thanks!

10) you do have to take out all 15 defenders, but I've made the above adjustment so it should be easier now.

11) Apparently my navigational text is gone that I had entered. No biggy since going through it again.
I added "Catalyst Defender Teams Left" for plural and "Catalyst Defender Team Left" for single, as you suggested.

12) On the mobs that are set to extreme...with tar pits and lightning...do you think I should reduce that setting? I wanted the tar pits, but the lightning guy drove me crazy while testing the map...I was on a stoner and was constantly having endo drained lol.

Which I guess was partly the goal. It is meant to be challenging like a TF would be though.

13) Amazon Clone: fixed "ou" to "You" and "it's" to "its"

14) On Abomination, my real goal was to have the player fail at saving him, but I have no idea how to pake that happen. It's needed throughout the arc that Catalyst get his DNA samples. I'm open to ideas on how to best make it work.

15) Fixed downing and hte (hte is a common typo of mine )
Achieving also fixed; and They

16) The accept string is shortened to "Catalyst has been pulling eveyone's strings, but what choice do you really have?"
Although I have to ask the devs why allow 100 characters if they don't actually fit?

17) Director Prime:
Changed his description to
"Director Prime isn't happy that you've invaded his base without proper clearance. In fact, he thinks you're one of the bad guys! Too bad you don't have the time or desire to explain things to him."

and also changed the navigation text to say "Fight Director Prime"

I actually had entered some of this stuff over the last few weeks...something made it disappear

18) fixed agent b dialog

19) When I ran through a test run yesterday, I was surprised by the 5th column also. I just checked and for some reason the enemy group with him was set at 5th column. It's now changed to longbow.

20) At your suggestion, I set it to heroic, and while I was there, I also selected the following keywords:
Challenging, Custom Characters, Save the world

Whew...day one done! hehe. That was a lot of changes, but all of the suggestions were great ones.

Gonna get on to the nest set of corrections you suggested, but I just want to thank you for taking the time to do such an indepth review.

airhead, this is exactly what I needed!

Your review is so detailed I have to go through it step by step today...but in addition to the review you've pointed out possible solutions too. Thank you so much! I'm actually learning from this experience!

I've just finished a very long project and I would like opinions so I can make adjustments. So here's what I'll do...if you will play my arc all the way through, I'll do the same for you.

Just post the details of your here so I can play it...then play mine and let me know here what your thoughts are and ideas on how to improve it.

MY ARC DETAILS:
My arc is a tough one...at least that is my hope. I worked hard on it for weeks, and my goal was to make it actually feel like an epic Task Force.

As such, it is very story-driven...with a comic bookish feel to it (I hope).

I recommend a team for the arc, not a solo run, because there are EBs. I would suggest a tank, a healer and a kin be on the team at the very least.

As to the presense of bosses, it is not a boss farm or anything like that. It is a Task Force...and is as hard as you would expect a real Task Force to be.

CATALYST TASK FORCE
by @AmericanAngel-Pete
ARC ID: 248963
Length: Very Long
Morality: Neutral
Levels: 32-50 ( map has enemies up to 52)

Description:
Hidden deep within the annals of time is a legend of an ultra powerful being. His name was Catalyst, and where he walked, Chaos reigned. His goal was complete domination of the world. This ancient evil has awakened from a long slumber, and threatens our world!

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU:
1) Point out Spelling errors. I tried to watch for them but I always miss some.

2) Votes

3) Mob tweaking suggestions.

4) Opinions on NPC text, descriptions and story

I was editing a standard enemy (setting as a contact). Changed his outfit colors, and whent to finish and the game crashed (Finish meaning clicking continue).

Before, when you changed your graphics settings in options, you had to apply then hit cancel to close the window...because they didn't include a "Close Window" or "Okay" button.

Now, you apply settings, hit cancel, and it resets to the original settings.

The ONLY way to bye-pass this is clicking the red dot to close the window...which sucks because that red dot is super small on my screen.

DEVS: We need a "Close Window" button added please.

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Didn't we just have this discussion in another thread? While it'd be nice to have her doing so, they would only be animations and not actually striking anything in the game, because of the limitations on the engine.

We don't have interactive items, but if she could be made to have a "propel-like" power, she could 'summon' a boat, and perform the animation of picking it up, hurling it - that would probably be about as close as the current engine would do, and I think it'd be awesome that way too.

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Since when is it wrong to improve animations in an animated game?

I realize this isn't a new idea, but can we please get an Export Roster to text file button added to the sg window?

I would settle for just names, but would love to see rank and all that too.

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As I've said before. I made paper cut outs with graph paper and used Excel for Base Pricings and stuff.

No need to build a program to do it offline when this works just fine.

(Although, if someone out there wants to tackle the job of setting up all of the graphics and stuff so that it functions just like when you're in the editor, I'd have no objections.)

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Paper cutouts don't calculate costs though. Nothing wrong with someone developing a program for it. You always have the option to not use it.

btw...game is crashing like crazy on freedom server today...whole sg has gotten booted several times over.

And I have a very active sg.

Defeat all villains in lab

Maria Jenkins: American Angel, something terrible has happened! The Praetorians have invaded a Portal Corporation lab! It's that thug Marauder and his sick lieutenant, Dominatrix. There's a lot of important technology in that lab, but, even more importantly, there are half a dozen technicians. You've got to repel the Praetorians from that lab! Those Praetorians may well be the greatest threat Paragon City has ever faced.

All of us were in PI 1. All on team.

Took over 30 minutes to get us all in the same map. We crashed multiple times (all of us). Freedom Server.

2 different spawns of the map...same junk that happens with AE. No excuse for this Devs.

And, Texas, I don't care to hear "What do you want us to do about it?!" from your rude self.

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And what do you expect us, the players, to do to fix this?

That's all this section of the forums is. Players helping players.

Put in a support ticket with PlayNC.

On a related note, I've been online and playing for several hours now and haven't had any lag or mapserve issues. Considering my ISP is a wireless ISP that's a good session.

Perhaps the problems aren't ALL related to the game itself.

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You're a real jerk, man.

The lag issues have been here since hte big "server upgrade". That's actually when they started.

Forbin...your sarcasm seems out of line.

I would like to know how one roster spot, out of 150 of them, prevents an sg from remaining active? So long as permissions are granted to level 5 leaders, giving the super leader 6 months is not a big deal at all.

What this really comes down to is this...a founder starts the sg/vg...a founder builds that sg/vg based on his vision. And in most cases, a Founder does MOST of the work to build that sg/vg.

What you are proposing is that people be allowed to come in after all the work is done and yank it from under him/her?

If those people want an active sg/vg to run...start their own.

COMMENT: By the Founder doing most of the work, I'm not strictly talking about Prestige gain. I'm talking about runing the group.

I started my Supergroup because I was in a mostly inactive one. In no time at all it was up and running and had the essentials.

Later I switched servers and started another one...and shut the old on down (I still have it on Champion though; I'm the only member).

The newer one on Freedom is now number 19, and although I have had help along the way, I have always been the driving force in the group. The other leaders come and go. Old leaders leave, new ones replace them.

I have worked extremely hard to build something to be proud of, and if something were to happen to prevent me from logging on for 2 months (for example), I'll be frakked if I want someone taking that group away from me.

You want a group...do the work on your own.

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I'm not a base person much

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Apparently not. How can you sit there and presume judgement when you don't even walk in our shoes?

I think the excel sheet is good for calulation costs. I wouldn't mind getting it and updating it. Maybe use it as part of a tutorial.

Edit: btw...I use my base. Seems like that's why its there...

I should add...after a lengthy discussin on these boards a month or two ago, I really don't care about ranking.

All the really matters to me is having the resources to build a complete base...with no limitations due to lack of Prestige.

We may be #19 now, wich is nice, or we may even be #16 by now...I don't care.

As far as I'm concerned, they should make the conversion rate 50:1...but that would not help the economy.

You see, that's where there's a crack in Fulmens reasoning. Let's say everyone exchanged influence for Prestige.

Then eventually, people would cease to care about the Prestige...once they have everything they want in their bases or the rank they desire.

And at that point, inflation would kick in again. So if this is being done to fix the ingame economy, it's a bandaid, not a cure.

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I get a number of things out of this:

1) Knowledge. Do people who hate 500:1 feel that 250:1 is a fair ratio? So far I don't think they do- people who take 250:1 seem to be people who are also OK with 500:1 . If 250:1 got me a ton of offers I'd potentially be able to make a case for changing the infrestige ratio. As it is... nope.

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Back in Issue 9 a level 50 earned prestige at 100 Inf : 1 prestige. Since the (a) XP/INF smoothing, and (b) the 50% cap on Inf lost while in group mode means that level 50s can earn at a bit more than 50 Inf : 1 prestige rate.

Yes, the conversion rate sucks that much. So instead of converting at ten times the regular earned rate, you are offering at five times the earned rate.

Sorry, but the Registrars are committing grand larceny. People that have done the research will tend to avoid doing that conversion.

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I disagree. And the bigger, higher ranked SGs probably would too.

When I started my SG, being a "Master of the Market" so to speak, I made influence at WW and converted it. That was about...well...gotta be getting close to 2 years ago now.

We had a fully functional base in record time because ot the conversion, which of course made recruiting easier.

We ran at full roster most of the time, with everyone in SG Mode. But we still would not have made the top 100 back then in under 3 months if not for conversion.

Now, last I checked (about a month ago), we are at 19 on Freedom server.

I have stopped requiring SG Mode, but as it turns out most people play in it anyway. Those that don't do not get promoted, but they get the benefit of being in our SG, which has a couple events per week (working on getting more going).

Recruits have access to one enhancement bin in the base. First promotion unlocks more.

But regardless, I'm getting off topic. The conversion may seem like a waste of money...but it's not. Members playing in SG Mode is fast. Members playing in SG Mode plus conversion is faster.

I would suggest it for any new sg/vg...at least until they can get all the basics installed in hte base...and maybe the first generator upgrade.

My main has over 4.5 million Prestige. He was not farmed. It took me more than 2 years to get him to 50, and he was my first 50.

I have been playing since the original open beta, and he was my first toon.

Also...around level 35, I moved him from Champion to Freedom, which had him start over on Prestige when I formed my new sg over a year ago. So his Prestige was generated in the past...maybe 1.5 years...and NONE of it was any form of farming.

I do farm, but not on him (he's a regen scrapper).

This week, I started a new toon that I am turning experience off until he completes each of his contacts at each level...just so I can have a toon with all arcs done and all contacts done, and with all TFs unlocked.

Now...I did turn off experience on my fire/Kin, but I had no idea until this post that that would increase Prestige earning...or does it?

EDIT: I should say...my SG Prestige is at over 63 million freed up after getting the largest secure plot possible. My SG is almost always full and it always close to full.

We stay active and SG Mode WAS reguired for a long time, but now is not unless you want to earn promotions. I'm finding that most people play in sg mode anyway.

And when it comes to removing inactive members to make room to stay active as a group, I hit the ones with no Prestige first.

If it uses both...post in both

I usually read the entire thread before commenting, but today I don't have time.

I will say though that I'm of the opinion that this "Hoarding" is a lame excuse.

If "hoarding" were truly an issue, then why allow storage at all?

And as far as "If you're going to share them, you may as well make them."

Another lame excuse. Regardless of dedication to ones SG, recipe storage would be much better than IO storage. Why should Player A spend the influence to make said IO for Play B? Or whoever?

The much better system is to store the recipes and let the SG Members make them as needed.

Do I think there's a use for IO/Enhancement storage? Yes. We use it to transfer items from too nto toon on the same account.

So both are needed. It wouldn't even touch the economy, which is out of control already anyway.

On Fredom blueside, there are IOs selling for over 300,000,000 influence now. Things are spiralling out of control.

Just like the housing market did in RL, and the bottom fell out.

The Devs need to increase drops anyway.

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I really don't get this thread...

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It's an act of kindness. He's offering to help people with bases and expects nothing in return.

It's a shame you don't get it.

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I wasn't being sarcastic ...I really don't understand what he's offering to do.

Is he offering to join an sg and convert 50 mill of his own influence?

You really shouldn't judge others falsely.

I really don't get this thread...