anachrodragon

[ QUOTE ]
Feel free to try 13986 - Save the Spiderlings.

It's only one mission and designed for low levels. Lowest level that I know of that did it was lvl 2. It's best with one person, but a duo can certainly do it. Just a bit more chaotic.

Edit - I15 added a bug that makes your "friends' act a bit wonky. Don't worry about that too much.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's really hard to judge story on a one mission arc, but I think this one is pretty thin. There really is a lot of room to provide more motivation in the intro text. For example, I'd like to know why I'm saving the spiderlings. Were Arachnos going to do some kind of heinous thing to them? Am I saving them from a terrible (possibly humorous) fate? Whatever the motivation is, it could be built up via clues in the mission to add more momentum, basically interest to keep going. As things were, I found myself loosing interest after the first few spiderlings.

I also thought some of the spiderling dialog was kind of flat. It could have been more silly, or slapstick, or ironic, or even cynical. I think you've got a lot of potential, because spiderlings are rather unusual, so you've really got room to ramp up their personalities a bit and surprise people.

I also want to say that I liked the souvenir.

Rating: 3 Stars

[ QUOTE ]
"Two Households Alike" (#126582) is a level 20-29 arc that should meet your qualifications. My other four current arcs are all targeted for higher levels.

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We just played this on my level 12 Shield/Fire Tank and his 10 Eng/Eng Blaster, AutoSKed to 20 by the arc. Probably not the ideal level or team makeup but it actually went very well. Even the EB at the end posed no issue with the right strategy (repeated knockback into the wall).

I really enjoyed this arc. The story was tight and very engaging. It had me actually wondering what was going to happen to the characters at the end. I also liked the fact that the missions were fairly short and some of the objectives were optional. The custom mobs were well done, with good descriptions, and they posed no real problem for us even as underleveled as we were.

I will say there were several spots where we noticed the writing seemed awkward. It's probably not something you'd notice reading through to yourself, but when we're duoing I usually read the text out loud, and there were several spots where felt I was stumbling and had to reread it. I'd give examples but I don't want to spoiler your arc. I believe the clue on the last mission was one of them though.

Overall, excellent arc and I would recommend it to friends.

Rating: 5 stars

We're actually working on Venture's arc right now, and will probably get another in tonight. Go ahead and continue to add your arcs. I just don't want to guarantee that we'll get to everything right away. We're planning a trip to San Diego for Comic Con soon, and I don't want to overpromise before we leave.

Also, here are our own lowbie arcs. I'm not claiming they're perfect by any means, but we'd love feedback from folks who's arcs we're reviewing.

If you play one of our arcs and give some feedback, we'll give you priority in terms of reviewing yours.

The Next War on Drugs
Arc ID: 245042
Levels: AutoSK to 18-20 but completely playable by lower
Length: 5 missions (most are short). 45 min
Description: Street crime and drug trafficking are on the rise in Paragon City, and Back Alley Brawler wants your help to fight back. Learn about the history of the War on Drugs and investigate new threats. (More story than XP. Short quick missions, for lowbie/teen heroes. AutoSK)

Notes: For those who don't mind a lot of story in their story arcs. It's admittedly text heavy, but I hope I've somewhat made up for it by making the missions quick.

Tailor Made
Arc ID: 258291
Levels: 20-29
Length: 2 missions, 10-30+ minutes (depending on optional objectives)
Description: The Facemaker has serious problems due to the terrible economy, threats from The Family, and alarming new competition. (quick arc for lowbies or 20s villains who like to smash things)

Note: Was trying to replicate a mayhem mission-esque feel, with a bit of humor. Works well solo or teamed.

The Liquefactionist Manifesto
Arc ID: 191029
Levels: 1-20
Length: 5 missions, 45 minutes
Description: The Liquefactionist political party wants your help with a variety of loathsome deeds, in order to further their bizarre agenda. (For low level villains, custom mobs are easy, most maps are small, grotesque, weird, horror themed)

Note: Created in part due to a dare from a friend, to make something "disgusting". Has inspired such comments as "Ew ew ew... I need to take a shower" and "Do I have some kind of [censored] space herpes now?"

Poi, Demonology, and Everything I Learned From Hellions
Arc ID: 164235
Levels: 1-14
Length: 2 missions, 20 minutes
Description: A mysterious party invitation, strange markings, and a burning suspicion are all that is needed to conclude that the Hellions are up to no good once again. It's up to you to investigate and save Paragon from these Satanic Pyromaniacs. Simplistic and quick.

Note: Simple arc intended for brand new heroes. Play tested on a level 2 fresh out of the tutorial. Also, I15 introduced a bug that caused problems for mission 2. The mission is un-timed for now.

[ QUOTE ]
"Two Households Alike" (#126582) is a level 20-29 arc that should meet your qualifications. My other four current arcs are all targeted for higher levels.

[/ QUOTE ]

We'd love to. We should have time to run it tonight even. Thanks for the quick response!

UPDATE: Londer and I are taking a break from duoing MA arcs, in favor normal teaming (thank you devs for SSK), and playing other games this Fall/Winter. We'll get back to this thread after that.

--- Original first post below ---

My husband and I are really enjoying the MA for its entertainment and story potential. We really feel like it's added a new dimension to the game (no I'm not talking about power leveling, silly) and it's renewed our interest in a lot of ways.

We also love making alts. Especially since the advent of level pacting, we have tons and tons of alts. I think we've got eight duos below level 20.

I'd considered doing a review thread for a while, because I find that do really enjoy trying out other folks' arcs. So I figured the best way to do this would be to focus on stuff that's tailored for lowbies, and maybe level some of my alts along the way.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• Arcs designed for characters in single digit levels, teens, or 20s. Nothing designed specifically for characters 30+
• Arcs that are soloable or duoable by a variety of characters
• Arcs take no more than an hour to complete. Sorry, my playtime is limited. I want to have time to see a lot of arcs.

All arcs will be soloed or duoed by me and/or my husband (@londerwost). We don't play every day, but we do our best to keep up with the thread, and set expectations, etc...

Here is my own subjective rating criteria (I can't speak for my husband, though we do tend to discuss things as we go and often come to similar conclusions):

• One Star - Minimal story. Really obvious problems. A lot of details missing. Doesn't look like it's been play tested. Gameplay is cumbersome and frustrating. Author is being a ****.
• Two Stars - Maybe minimal story again, or story is abrasive towards the player, or it's self-insertion to the point that the player might as well not be there. Missions are playable, but there may still be some frustrations.
• Three Stars - Effort was put into the story, though there may still be inconsistencies or plot issues, or story is strung together thinly (just stuff that happens). Missions are playable, objectives are clear, and has decent overall momentum.
• Four Stars - Story has overall consistency, flows well (note, doesn't have to be perfect). Missions are playable and fun, objectives are clear, and some care has been taken with details.
• Five Stars - Story is solid and makes "sense" in its own context. Story is interesting and engaging. Humor is humorous. Missions are fun, map choices fit the context, show a lot of attention to detail. Something I would recommend to a friend. I'm not looking for perfection, I'm mostly looking for something very engaging and entertaining that looks like the author has taken a lot of care with it.

There is one thing I'd like to point out here, and that is that I know the star ratings are the most visible form of feedback, but honestly I feel like they're the least useful. When I do reviews, I do them with the intention of giving useful feedback first, and the star rating is really a secondary concern. Most likely, all of our arcs will probably maintain a four star average regardless of what I, or any other reviewer, rate them. So let's focus on constructive feedback first.

Edit: Realistically we only play a few arcs a week, but feel free to keep adding to our queue. We'll get to them all eventually. If you play our arcs and give feedback (listed in a post below), we'll bump you up in the queue as well. At this point I have a ton of alts in the early and mid-20s, so arcs at the higher end of "lowbie" are most welcome.

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Reviewed Arcs:

"Mercytown" (#6017) by Tangler
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars

"The Boneyard" (#253542) by Captain_Zero
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars

"Trollbane" (#12669) by TeChameleon
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"Gang War" (#311187) by Psychoti
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: 3 stars

"In Pursuit of Liberty" (#221702) by ArrowRose
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars

"ZAGMUK Act One: The Herald" (#266123) by Sumericon
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars
londerwost rated: 5 stars

"Matchstick Women" (#3369) by Bubbawheat
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"Strike" (#18401) by Geekboy
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars Highly Recommended!
londerwost rated: 5 stars Highly Recommended!

"Defying Fate" (#110866) by A_Fallen_Angel
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"The Superadine Revolution" (#262739) by SpaceNut
anachrodragon rated: 4stars
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"Teen Phalanx Forever!" (#67335) by PoliceWoman
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars

"Big Trouble King's Row Style" (#259924) by RiverOcean
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars

"Captain Dynamic, the Great, Faces The Great Face" (#190069) by airhead
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars
londerwost rated: 5 stars Updated!

"City of Ho Ho Ho, or A Claus in Paragon" (#18775) by Tubbius
londerwost rated: 3 stars

"A Series of Unfortunate Kidnappings" (#61866) by TheDeepBlue
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars

"Future Skulls" (#4727) by Justice Blues
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars

"BE Prologue: Gangs United" (#250480) by OzzieArcane
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars UPDATED 5 stars
londerwost rated: 3 stars UPDATED 5 stars

"In The Shadow of the Towers" (#1402) by TheDeepBlue
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"A Proper Heist" (#82059) by Dr_Mechano
anachrodragon rated: 4 stars

"All Consuming" (#261148) by Lazarus
londerwost rated: 4 stars

"Mecha Mutiny: Quatrexin's Quandary" (#246604) by Feizel
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: Not Rated. Needs improvement.

"Amulet of J'gara" (#1709) by Lazarus
londerwost rated: 5 stars

"Wings of Deception" (#101926) by Ashcraft
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: 3 stars Part 2

"Halloween Night" (#227436) by BinkDeBook
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: 3 stars

"Ctrl + Alt + Reset!" (#137561) by Bubbawheat
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars
londerwost rated: 5 stars

"Save the Spiderlings." (#13986) by Jetpack
anachrodragon rated: 3 stars
londerwost rated: 2 stars Needs improvement.

"Two Households Alike" (#126582) by Venture
anachrodragon rated: 5 stars
londerwost rated: 5 stars

"Dream Paper" (#1874)
"Bricked Electronics" (#2180)
"The Bravuran Jobs" (#5073) by GlaziusF
Both Rated: 5 stars, Highly Recommended!

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The Queue (Updated 09/27/09)

Here is the current queue. Note that we are taking a break from the MA for the next few months, but we'll take a look at these when we get back.

• A Twist of Destiny, ARC ID: 300379 - by Garielle
• Tales of the PPD: One Hell of a Deal, Arc ID 55669 - by Xyzyx
• Grim and the Green, Arc ID 61156 - by Quinch_NA
• Uninvited, Arc ID 307732 - by Lazarillo
• The Golden Roller Gets His Groove Back, #1626 - by DB_Cooper
• Whack-a-mole, #2711 - by Bubbawheat
• INVASION OF THE MONSTER MEN, Arc id 224291 - by TheJazMan
• 1 Small Step for Paragon, 1 Giant Leap for Hero Kind - Arc id 262393 - by The_Phoenix_EU
• Rider's Ribs Restaurant Rescue - Arc id 163967 - by Zamuel
• Day Job Hell: A Villain's First Day Job - Arc: 322480 - Clave_Dark_5

Arc Name: Tailor Made
Arc ID: 258291
Faction: Villainous
Creator Global/Forum Name: @anachrodragon
Difficulty Level: Easy (Levels 20-29)
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Cannon Related, Comedy
Synopsis: The Facemaker has serious problems due to the terrible economy, threats from The Family, and alarming new competition. (quick arc for lowbies or 20s villains who like to smash things)
Estimated Time to Play: From 10+ minutes, depending on how many optional objectives you do. There are lots of things to smash.

Feedback thread here.

Arc Name: Tailor Made
Arc ID: 258291
Faction: Villainous
Creator Global/Forum Name: @anachrodragon
Difficulty Level: Easy (Levels 20-29)
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Cannon Related, Comedy
Synopsis: The Facemaker has serious problems due to the terrible economy, threats from The Family, and alarming new competition. (quick arc for lowbies or 20s villains who like to smash things)
Estimated Time to Play: From 10+ minutes, depending on how many optional objectives you do. There are lots of things to smash.

This is a quick and (hopefully) humorous arc. Only two missions, and I tried my best to make the second mission mayhem-esque, with a lot of optional stuff to destroy.

If you try it and post feedback here (or send me feedback in-game) I will be happy to try your arc and give you feedback as well--either in your own thread or via PM.

I had a really strange experience with Threefold Rule. I meant to try it earlier this week, and in fact did start it up. The objectives in the first mission were ambiguous, but I figured what the hey, I'll search around and see if anything stands out. Well nothing stood out, and I started to get very confused about "what are these objectives anyway?" So I quit out and took a look at the mission description: a defendable object and a boss. I figured "ok, I'll try it again this weekend and look for those"

So this evening I jumped back on and even got my husband to duo it with me. For the life of us, we couldn't find a boss or a defendable object on the map. I even made a target custom next "pillar" macro, and didn't find anything. We started killing mobs because we figured we'd find it eventually... but we didn't. We killed a lot of the mobs (stopped short of a defeat all), but never found the objectives.

So I wanted to say that we didn't rate it, because we feel the map may be bugged. We both really liked the writing and the custom mobs, so I hope this can be fixed up (and/or made much less ambiguous) and then we'll be happy to run it again.

I avoided kill all missions as official dev content, and I avoid them in the MA. They've always been bad ideas.

I'd absolutely love a review of my arc. I just wasn't sure about the "keep five posts between critiques" rule. I wanted to give more people time to review the recent arcs before I asked for a review of my own.

But hey, since you've played it already, by all means review away!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Spring is in the Error by @Witch Engine (#26811)
Spring is in the air and the birds are chirping. It's a time for romance and courtship. Obviously, there's only one thing to do in this situation: help the Kraken find true love in this crazy rough-and-tumble world of ours. (This arc is designed for characters level 5-14.)(Villain)



[/ QUOTE ]

Geek Boy already mentioned this. But I just wanted to as well. The name has apparently changed to Love is in the Error but the # is the same. This is not only the funniest MA arc I've come across so far, it the funniest thing of any sort I've seen in weeks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I have to say that Love is in the Error and Blight, both by @Witch Engine are two of my very favorite arcs so far. They're vastly different styles. Love is in the Error is hilarious, one of funniest arcs I've played. And Blight, well it's actually a bit disturbing. It may be the only arc I can honestly say that about thus far.

Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It sounds like your hero is exactly the type of character I was thinking about when I wrote it--the hero who gravitates toward fighting old fashioned street crime, more so than interdimensional threats, aliens, time traveling bad guys, etc...

On the security guards, I had a dilemma in that I didn't want to use Family until the very end. I needed something generic, and I didn't want to create custom mobs, so the security guards are what I wound up with. I agree they're not perfect. Maybe I can give them some dialog or something to help it fit together more cohesively.

On mission three, I'm really glad you liked it. I went into this with the expectation that some people would hate it, but I hoped that enough would like it that it would balance out. Also, as my husband reminds me (he works as a chemical analyst, not forensics though), nothing that you find there would be in any way usable in court. There's simply too much sloppiness, tampering, and unauthorized access; it would all be thrown out. That's fine though, because noticing the sloppiness is part of the point, which I hope comes across. And really, I doubt a hero would want to handle things in court anyway.

On Freezing Mantis, I knew he would be no match for your superior fighting style. If you ever happen to run it again, see if you can find his secret DVD collection.

I will definitely play your arc tonight, and give you feedback. Do you have a feedback thread? Also, I should say that I played your Dead and the Damned a while back and enjoyed it.

Doh! I ran your arc and sent you a PM without realizing you had a thread. Here's what I said in the PM:

--------------

Here's my basically stream of consciousness feedback while I was playing it. Soloed on a 50 EM/Elec brute (who likes pretending to be a hero, don't ask)

There could be a bit more of an introduction, basically who is this contact? And who are the Special Investigations Unit? I think with having a non-cannon contact, it takes more work to hook people on the story. Not saying it's bad, just that it's an additional hurdle.

Mission 1
I was a little confused by the Eagle Talon guys at first, since I didn't know they were mercenaries. I think I saw a Trooper and assumed that they were like evil boy scouts. Other than that they looked good, and were quite easy for my brute.

The alien Squeeg doesn't seem to say anything. It's too bad you can't actually make the alien disapper in a blink like the clue said.

Search the site for evidence - I'm not sure what kind of evidence I'm looking for, could maybe clarify in the clues.

Mission end text - "wannabes" sounds a bit immature for a military/paramilitary person.

Overall good quick mission.

Mission 2
On the mission still busy text "Have you had a chance" sounds maybe a bit too tentative for a military type as well. Sorry nitpicky.

Objectives were good, and I'm glad it was a small map. You still might reconsider the necessity of a defeat all. By the time I'd finished with the glowies I'd just about defeated everyone anyway. And since some people hate defeat alls and will avoid arcs with them, and because it doesn't seem like a necessary objective, I'd say you don't need it.

Note that the Eagles Talons were very easy for my brute. I pretty much just rushed it and picked up several groups of them with ease. This is not a complaint, as they may very well be difficult for a squishie, but I thought I'd let you know.


Mission 3

I think I missed the coffee reference... or was that just an aside on her part?

At first I was confused as to why I was beating up the aliens. They seemed rather non-threatening before. After I found the lab tech it made more sense. Maybe figure out a way to trigger their spawn after you have the information?

Again, small mission which was cool. Also, these custom mobs seemed a tad more challenging. I even fought a few bosses.


Mission 4

Intro text - Some of it seems a bit awkward. "the information you brought back from that last mission answered a lot of questions our analysts still had" could be "the information you brought back from that last mission answered a lot of our analysts' questions." Also the sentence starting with "But a second lab has been revealed..." sounds maybe a bit passive, like what they are doing gets a bit lost behind where they are doing it. Didn't know where you want the emphasis to be.

Mission and objectives are good, very playable. Again, thanks for sticking with a small map. One thing I'm wondering though is Spaal Emt supposed to be a single individual? Because now I'm realizing that the bosses I fought in mission 3 may not have been intentional.

Overall
The arc has a good mission flow and is very playable. The objectives are good and the map sizes are good. The story is good, though I admit confusion in a few places. The only other thing I will say is that I kind of regret that I never got to beat up any Earth for Humans guys in Mission 3. I almost envision them being there, but being mind controlled by the aliens, and saying silly things.

Well put together arc. I gave it 4 stars.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed it overall. I will go through and clean up some of the dialog as you suggested. I'm not going to change its text-heavy nature, but I might add an additional warning in the description if I can fit it in.

I just played your arc and enjoyed it. I'll send you a PM as I don't want to clutter this thread with reviews.

I enjoyed this arc. It was humorous and not too long. I'm glad it was one mission, because I think the joke would have worn thin over several missions. I do think there may be too many assorted optional glowies. You really only need one of each to make the point.

The custom mobs were really nice. I liked that they were colorful, as you see so many darkity dark dark custom mobs out there.

A couple of the lines made me laugh out loud, and I have a rule that anything that makes me laugh gets five stars.

[ QUOTE ]

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!


[/ QUOTE ]

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.

Arc Name: The Next War on Drugs
Arc ID: 245042
Faction: Heroic
Creator Global/Forum Name: @anachrodragon
Difficulty Level: Easy/Low Level (AutoSK to 18-20ish, but intended for lowbie/teen heroes)
Synopsis: Street crime and drug trafficking are on the rise in Paragon City, and Back Alley Brawler wants your help to fight back. Learn about the history of the War on Drugs and investigate new threats.
Estimated Time to Play: 40 minutes (5 missions but most are small maps and very quick. Some optional objectives that may add additional time)

I wanted to make something that was steeped in canon, and yet try for a tad grittier than the normal fare. It involves Back Alley Brawler, with a lot of history on the original War on Drugs, and some new issues with organized crime.

(Note: One mission in the middle of the arc is entirely story-driven with no mobs. I promise it's quick, but I thought I should warn people that this is definitely a story focused arc, rather than an XP-heavy arc)

I played Celebrity Kidnapping yesterday and left you feedback in game. Overall very fun arc, and it even made me laugh a few times.

Here's mine, if you'd be inclined to give it a try:

Arc Name: The Next War on Drugs
Arc ID: 245042
Faction: Heroic
Creator Global/Forum Name: @anachrodragon
Difficulty Level: Easy/Low Level (AutoSK to 18-20ish, but intended for lowbie/teen heroes)

Synopsis: Street crime and drug trafficking are on the rise in Paragon City, and Back Alley Brawler wants your help to fight back. Learn about the history of the War on Drugs and investigate new threats.
Estimated Time to Play: 40 minutes (5 missions but most are small maps and very quick. Some optional objectives that may add additional time)

Arc Name: The Next War on Drugs
Arc ID: 245042
Faction: Heroic
Creator Global/Forum Name: @anachrodragon
Difficulty Level: Easy/Low Level (AutoSK to 18-20ish, but intended for lowbie/teen heroes)

Synopsis: Street crime and drug trafficking are on the rise in Paragon City, and Back Alley Brawler wants your help to fight back. Learn about the history of the War on Drugs and investigate new threats.
Estimated Time to Play: 40 minutes (5 missions but most are small maps and very quick. Some optional objectives that may add additional time)

I wanted to make something that was steeped in canon, and yet try for a tad grittier than the normal fare. It involves Back Alley Brawler, with a lot of history on the original War on Drugs, and some new issues with organized crime. I like how it turned out, but I'm looking for feedback from you guys to tell me if it works or not.

(Note: One mission in the middle of the arc is entirely story-driven with no mobs. I promise it's quick, but I thought I should warn people that this is definitely a story focused arc, rather than an XP-heavy arc)

Anyway, even though this is a serious arc, I couldn't resist throwing in some easter eggs. So I'm going to turn this into a contest. Find all the stupid easter eggs and send me a PM, and I'll enter your name in a drawing for an as yet undecided prize (something small or silly I'm sure) at the end of July.

Here are the questions that must be answered correctly. All answers are found somewhere in the arc (some obvious, some not so much).

Why you never see female trolls?
What color is Councilman Bryant's suit?
What is Sergeant Graham's wife's name?
What is Freezing Mantis's favorite DVD?
What is Sergeant Graham's badge number?

Also, because I'm still trying to bribe you folks to play my arc, if you play mine, I'll play one of yours. Just play my arc, and then post on this thread and let me know about one of yours that you'd like me to play. I'll give you feedback either in your thread for your arc (if you link to it), or via PM, or via in-game MA feedback. I don't play every single day, but I'll do my best to play your arcs if you play mine.

[ QUOTE ]
Arc Name: Enter the Taskmaker
Arc ID: 243882
Levels: 40-50
Author global: @Tiger Knight
Difficulty: Medium/ Hard There is an EB and 2 Bosses. Arc is mostly for 40+ toons so SKing up might prove too difficult for lowbes.
Overview: You been out of the Zig for awhile and have made a name for yourself in the Rogue Isles. So much so that Arachnos has really begun to take na interest in you. They send someone out to train you in how to be the best villain you can be. Think you can make the grade? (Minor comedy related)

[/ QUOTE ]

Soloed on a level 50 EM/Elec brute.

Right from the start there was something that didn't sit right with me about the story, and the fact that this is a level 40-50 arc. The contact seems to presume that the character is fairly new at this villain thing, and needs to be taught some things. This would be fine on a lowbie mission, for say a level 5 character, but when I'm playing my IOed up bad[censored] level 50 I find myself incredulous. I mean it's kind of hard to suspend my disbelief and accept that my brute wants to be taught to be streetwise, when privately I already feel like "streetwise" is his middle name. Sorry if this sounds overly harsh. I don't think the story is bad, I just think it's unsuitable for a high level, well developed, character.


Mission 1: Nice map choice and good flow playing through it. I liked this mission.
Mission 2: I'll be honest. I almost quit playing the arc right here. My major pet peeve is that I hate "kill all" missions. I rarely ever see any story necessity for them, and if you absolutely must do it, then please do it on a tiny map. By tiny I mean really small, like one or two rooms.
Mission 3: My brute wanted to tell the contact to shove it, but decided to humor him even though theres no earthly reason he should do so (basically the player has no motivation to continue dealing with this guy who's obviously trying to piss them off). My brute wasn't pleased about having to lead the kidnap victim out though. He doesn't much like backtracking, especially through longish maps.
Mission 4: The custom mobs are cool, and so is their dialog. 13 bombs seems excessive though, you could probably cut it down to half that. When you get down to a single objective, it just says "Explosives". Also noted that the nav bar just said "Manticore" rather than "Defeat Manticore" or something. Manticore himself was not a problem.
Mission 5: The EBs were fine, but why did it have to be a blue cave?...

Overall: The writing was good, and the story flowed well. I'm glad it ended the way it did. However, there is a severe problem with motivation. Why would a high level caracter give a damn about this guy, let alone play along with his abuse? Also there are a lot of attributions about the player character's state of mind and even background. That is bound to rub some people's character concepts the wrong way. I also noted a lack of clues. That being said, a lot of the other detail was pretty good (dialog, interract text, etc...)

Personally, if it were me, I'd rework it for lowbie villains and try to provide some tempting motivation.

Rating: ***

[ QUOTE ]
The Splendid Pals trilogy is the closest thing I can think of.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreeing here. The Splendid Pals trilogy is awesome, and very spandex-clad.

[ QUOTE ]
... and I couldn't imagine what anyone had to complain about.


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Never underestimate peoples' ability to complain. Sometime if you want to make yourself feel better, look up some classic literature on Amazon.com and read the one star reviews.

I felt the need for a new brute myself recently, and I settled on DM/FA. It was sort of a process of elimination, as I already have my 50 EM/ELA and a 25 DB/DA alt. I've never played DM or FA before, so I figured what the hell. I know it's a tight build, what with trying to fit in the Fighting Pool, however the combo looks like it could be pretty good on paper at least.

I'd really like to be able to place glowies at specific spawn points. I can understand to some extent them not letting us place mobs specifically, but glowies seem like they'd be less fraught with abuse possibilities.