Ankylosaur

Like Zaphir, I am eager for the plays--so--toot!

Not sure it is quite worthy for best, but would love anyone's consideration of The Serpent Beyond the Horizon in my sig below...

Thanks Zamuel! I bought them and tried them out.

The fish costume pieces worked--the Virtea in Save the Diver, Save the World will be getting an update soon. As may some of the hybrids in the Serpent beyond the Horizon.

Counting myself quite lucky that these costume pieces fit so well with my arcs!

Presumed as much, but was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I could really use both the fish head and the medusa head in two different arcs I already have published -- but of course have to decide to buy now, while in limited release, in the hopes they work later...

Hmmm--minor conundrum...

Has anyone tried creating mobs with the new Halloween costumes? Do they work or is the costume error issue thing affecting them?

Well, as it turns out, I am either further along than I thought or just ready to move on.

Still eagerly looking for feedback, but no more tweaking for now. Though there is inevitably some detail somewhere I overlooked or that will change, anything now will just be minor details based on others feedback.

I hope the few that will play it find it fun! Enjoy!

I have just wrapped up my first (solid) draft of a new arc, The Serpent Beyond the Horizon, and would love feedback if anyone wants to take it for a spin.

As with my other arcs, it's canon inspired and tries to focus on some things that I that grab me as overlooked hooks in the canon. This one focuses on the Snakes, starts in the Cimeroran time, but little takes place in Cimerora proper. I have run through it several times, and will several more, but I always overlook stuff, so outside eyes are most welcome, as is feedback of all types.

Title: The Serpent Beyond the Horizon
Arc ID: 515140
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Canon Related, Magic
Length: Very Long
Morality: Vigilante (maybe heroic would work better really)
Enemies: Egyptians, Snakes, Arachnos, Cimeroran Traitors, Mu
Allies: Midnight Squad, Cimerorans
Description: Humphrey Basingwaithe of the Midnight Squad believes he knows where the Mercy Island Snakes come from. Travel back to Cimerora to help him test his theory! (SFMA - This story has been designed to be soloed with the provided allies.)

In addition to general story feedback, customs feedback, and inevitable typos, I'd love thoughts about the main ally. Trying to balance an ally that helps you take on Archvillains is always tricky. I think I have it handled here--he seems sturdy--but would appreciate any feedback about that balance as well.

Enjoy!

I am sure I will be tweaking this regularly over the next few weeks--and look forward to any help or insights I can get! Thanks in advance!

Incidentally, I did recently play Ashley Knights (or whatever the red Midnighter contact is) arc. The final mission uses a Catacombs map that has a pool you can swim in underwater (though not with any real purpose).

Now to see if I can find that in the architect maps.

EDIT: Yes, I can. Medium-sized Cimeroan Cave map 7 is an example. Small little bridge you can swim under in the back room.

I would like to resubmit #183832 Save the Diver, Save the World - a Coralax story for heroes levels 25-30

I have made some significant changes
- adding a new race (referenced in the canon)
- changing a few mission bosses and allies
- replacing the bomb objectives with something else (based on feedback)
- adding a touch more detail in mob descriptions
- eliminating (I hope) the few remaining typos
- removing many, many (sometimes duplicate) clues
- and ever-so-reluctantly switching it from heroic

(I understand why I received the feedback to make it vigilante--and it should be a "little" unsettling for heroes--but after all, you do save the world without hurting anyone that doesn't deserve it and help a villain on the road to redemption--so I may just change that back. )

Anyway -- hope you have fun playing it! (I sure have making it.)

Though, like Save the Diver, this is designed to solo, I would like to enter my arc Condemning Croatoa to the list: 245534. I don't expect to win, but think its fairly solid, and do expect to learn a lot. Hope you have fun!

(Though numerous opportunities are available to include EBs and AVs, I avoid them in deference to soloability.)

Wow! I realize now that most of the feedback is coming from the AE Storyteam. Thanks for the rating of best overall! That's an incredible honor and inspires me to continue refining my arc.

I made some very significant changes last night to improve the experience; updating the bosses in missions 2 and 3. They never sat quite right with me as they were, and I think the story is stronger for the change.

I also added a tiny bit of depth to the custom descriptions and introduced the Virtea race into arc. (Virtea--that's some really obscure canon content for ya! Though I am not wholly satisfied with them yet, I think they are a nice addition.)

I have not handled the bomb issue yet--I think I may just remove the bombs altogether though since it was such a common complaint as being uncharacteristic of heroes--and I do fundamentally prefer this being heroic--as saving the world can outweigh a lot.

Congrats! And thanks to the legion for running this to encourage use of AE and submission of AE content.

Thanks for the kind words and the really good feedback. Its great to get. It does seem that the bombs were the most non heroic thing there.

The bombs are really more of the "employers" modus operandi than anything. It is not really critical to the story as much as it is there to show off her ruthlessness and cause you to remain unsure of your moral support. But maybe, considering that she knows she's working with a hero, she would not push for that.

I love the idea of the moral dilemma, and allowing failure, but really am not sure how to pull that off mechanically and let people continue. (If only I could have different responses from the contact based on what you did in mission.)

I worked from the premise that blowing up the freakshop after arresting everyone would be ok as "innocents" are safe once you cleared it out.

Will have to noodle on this a bit, because I can see, from multiple feedback, how unsettling it was to heroes... As was working for this employer, but that hopefully is mitigated by the fact she does notmlike who she is...

Anyway--skirting spoilers makes it hard to be detailed.

Great feedback though, thanks!

I also have a few changes to make to the bosses at the end of mission 2 and 3 which will warrant a change to the allies and bit more play testing.

I would prefer it was heroic though, so I will be thinking hard about the right balance here--thanks again!

Do any of the cimeroan cave set maps in AE use the feature mentioned here?

http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05...re-underwater/

Has anyone seen this in game? I have not encountered it ...

I just logged on after being away for a week, and was thrilled to find several tells giving me feedback about my "Save the Diver" arc. Thanks all who played it! I was thrilled to get the feedback!

I appreciate you taking the time to give me your thoughts and will try to improve the arc based on your input.

i'll also try to get to those typos--but copy-editing yourself is rough--wish there was a spell checker in this thing...

Edit: (Oh and I have changed it to vigilante because so many felt it a bit grayer than heroic--when I first conceived of it, that category not exist.)

That was terse trenchant and pithy!

I was hoping that maybe one of the map packs had more

Too bad...

Is the only shard map that's available the nemesis base?

I played 477906 - One Night Bridge V30-54 and have to say it was excellent. It had a real moral dillemna--I chose the side that made me fail the arc, but was very happy with my choice.

(Makes me wish there was a way to side with one or other side to flip-flop allies--but I suspect the mechanics and the story mechanics would be tricky to allow for either branching or just to make sense with two paths).

It had a creative use of maps, dialog, and even powersets to make up for the fact that we can't use Kheldians in the arcs. There was one map in the middle that was sort of long, that I wish was the crey portal map instead, but, I am not even sure that's available--that's me overthinking it.

Great stuff!

I am going to plug another of mine too--very few plays--but they resulted in an honest 4 stars. 183832 - Save the diver, Save the world.

Really enjoyed it!

I won't be specific here about the story so as to leave no spoilers in my wake.

The main thing is that it was well written and fun to play. I really liked the use of the Orange text to bring additional life to my contact. I also thought the use of her astral projection to allow her to be in two places at once was really creative.

Incidentally, you used the pop-ups well. I tend to avoid them, but thought you used them to good effect.

I noticed a small omission in one of them, I think in the end of mission 3? Something like Jander is man instead of Jander is the man--sorry I didn't take better notes. I also thought the titles could use something to separate them--color maybe or at least regular Init Caps. But that is all trivial stuff.

Overall it was great fun! 5 stars

Thanks all--spent the night applying colors to my to arcs--now hopefully, they'll be all shiny and attractive enough that someone will play them...

Well, my arc has barely been played, and is designed for soloers, but I think its a good story. I don't expect to win, but I hope you enjoy it!

#183832

I am realizing that my arcs show their age without color coding the mission text. Is there a style guide to color conventions as well as the tagging codes to use them?

Thanks in adavance!

I played Vigilante, 395861, a fun, solid arc with a good variety of mobs. It has some very creative elements to it, especially in the last mission.

I may not post often enough to qualify to submit, but I'll throw one of mine into the hat -- Condemning Croatoa, arc 245534, which is at 4 stars currently and is designed for villains to solo. The only thing I think it needs is some color dialog text, (need to figure out the conventions on that) and the time manipulation powerset for one of the custom bosses.

All of my allies are integral to the story--so no worries there.

As to customizing the mobs, I'm a bit unsure if it's really necessary for my arc. The Coralax hybrid stance and gait is non-standard, so my custom mobs just don't look or feel authentic enough.

I have several mobs (the idea being these are "pure" coralax--non-hybrids). They still need some tweaking, but the arc is currently published with them. I am just not sure the little bit of variety they bring is important...

So the current balancing act is getting the balance right between the importance of unique mobs vs. ones that feel authentic.