Ramification TM

Fredrick had the idea we should do what YouTube does. Thumbs up or Thumbs down system AKA Like/Dislike. It's a fair system and makes it easier for everyone involved.

How they'd put such a system in would be rough considering all the old arcs on the old system. Maybe even impossible. But I think everyone agrees the 5 star system is for the birds.

Guess my old age is catching up with me. I published this a month ago and I guess my attempts to fix the error worked for groups.

The problem was spawning multiple bosses. I'd seperated their groups out but weird things started happening. Such as entire other groups not even related not spawning.

Well good! Guess it works for groups too- but doesn't make a lot of sense in a group. Still recommend SOLO play so you are able to read all the text. Without the text you will be lost.

Well if anything I guess you could say I'm controversal. I like to write different things from the norm. Spoof writing is my main genre if I was forced to classify myself. Looking at things in a different light with a comedic twist is where I excel. Needless to say that's my favorite kind of story to write.

Which brings me to a story I wrote a while back but didn't say much about. Had planned on holding a contest for this and the whole nine yards. But listening to wiser sources I felt this story was too out there for people who insist everything be a Nemesis plot. The lore is out the door with this story. It's a spoof on CoX, Atlas Park and it's inhabitants, Ms. Liberty, and Statesman.

The amount of time I spent on this story would almost be embarassing to admit. Let's just say a LOT of time. Recreated the Hellions gang, went to the boards and got the help of a real pro to help design Megan Duncan/Ms. Liberty in street clothes, labored over many aspects of this arc.

The story is a comedy. By the title you may feel misled that it isn't something nasty. Let's just say taking Ms. Liberty on a date can be quite a chore. Not easy by any means- hence the title.

Dating Ms. Liberty Isn't Easy
ARC# 464550
Level range-40 to 54
Please have your green object text on and where you can see it! It is very important to the story. I've tried some experimental use of the text to try and overcome the lack of dialogue. Problem for groups was fixed and I forgot TY! It is meant to be solo'd though so you can catch all the dialogue.

Those were AWESOME!

I liked both the vids very much. Great voice work by your hubby!

Welcome!

Only 3 months ago I was in your position You picked a nice server when you picked Justice. People are very nice around here.

The challenge has been over for a while and leaving contest entries up confuses people into thinking the contest is still on. The MA forums 'sticky post' room is very limited. Takes up half the first page.

So since the contest is over and the winner thread is already stickied. Would it be cool if we could unsticky this thread to make room for more relevant information?

Yeah that'd be really cool but it'd also present problems for the developers.

Think about the big picture. There's only so many contacts in the game. Your arc would have to revolve around an already existing contact. They wouldn't add a new contact for one arc. I mean that'd have to be one awesome arc there.

What people want are the same rewards they get from regular missions. Then they 'might' come back to AE to do something besides farm. Then again it presents a whole host of problems dealing with people exploiting drops.

Just playing devil's advocate here. I like the idea and all of us would love to be immortalized within the real CoX. Reality says it couldn't, wouldn't, and probably shouldn't happen.

If they just fixed the Hall of Fame and recategorized the search engine where people can find new arcs. Also some sort of incentive needs to be established outside of tickets. Those few things would do wonders.

Just offering people a new costume piece for playing 20 new arcs or something could bring a little life back to AE.

Err go to the AE director. It's at every contact to make sure people check out AE at least once. Same thing will happen at 15 when you're asked to speak with the PVP contact.

It's another bug.

My original contest entry for Dr Aeon was suppose to be a real smooth last mission. Then due to try get around the bug you're speaking of had to get really creative.

What I did was string out the escort over a couple of objectives. Had to use 2 because it kept giving me an orange error. Too many ambushes associated to one object or some nonsense. In the end I added optional mobs to mark locations.

So in your case you if you add a 2nd ally you can mark your map and it'll work. Rescue ally 1 (the one who needs to stay with you) then rescue ally 2 to mark your map. Make the safe become active on ally 1's rescue. Set ally 2 to be escorted to safe.

The bug happens when you have the safe become active when the escort completes. Gotta string it out by adding what I mentioned above or another obect you destroy/interact that triggers the safe not the escort finishing.

Well hate to be a bummer but I think I'll be dropping out of this club.

Been doing lots of thinking about AE lately. Really it is a lost cause for real authors until the Devs start taking it seriously again. The only people who care anymore about quality stories are we writers. Which is 'maybe' 30 people in the entire CoX community.

We could be the next Hemmingway and nobody would really care. People just aren't interested. Polishing our arcs really is just for our own amusement.

My writing also seems to be way different than anybody else around here. That's nothing new really to me. Being different and myself isn't going to change.

While I enjoy feedback on things such as- hey it might be better if you did this or that. You got a typo here yadda yadda yadda. I'm not going to change my writing style. That's what I feel like much of the feedback I get from other authors is trying to do. Change my style.

So I guess I'm just going to do my own thing and cater to the public and not the authors. My slots run short anyway.

Good luck with everything you guys do. Like many of you I have hopes AE will get overhauled and improved. Think most of us already have realized that isn't going to happen.

Grats man!

If anybody wants to check out the pack in game before you buy. Put together a fashion show in AE displaying all the new capes and auras.

Just head to your local AE building and search for ARC#461733. Or check page 4!

Already had 42 people check it out and the results have been very positive. Hope the developers will read all the nice comments posted. More than one person said they are buying the pack because they got to see it in person.

Would love to see the devs do something similar at the tailor/facemaker. Maybe a room with many doors leading to each pack for sale. Inside the door would be models showing the new items.

Or just a way within the costume designer to see the packs on your character.

Anyway just wanted to let people know.

I've had my pack since I won the Halloween event.

That night with a burst of inspiration I had an idea. Being very heavy into AE mission creation I thought why not do something with this. Also I spent like 1 million inf at the Tailor before I had the idea.

Anyway I made an ARC in AE showing all the new capes and auras. If you want to see the pack in person it's as close as your AE building. ARC#461733 or search for @Jinkobi. Already on page 4 so not hard to find

Developers if you're out there. I encourage you to read the comments posted about the thing I made. People love it! More than one person said 'I'm buying the pack after seeing this." You have the power to read the comments and I think you'll be surprised.

Shoot I'd make one for every pack if I were given the Arc slots. Own most of them anyway.

My dream would be for the Devs to take this idea- integrate it into the tailor. Like you could select a pack and see it on your character before you buy. Or even a large room attached to Icon/Facemaker with doors leading to different packs displayed on models.

Love the pack. The hair clipping through the capes and some other costume pieces is a bit upsetting. But I still love it and would have bought it.

This whole review brings up some things I've pondered on for a while.

Mainly the lore. The lore is all fine and dandy. But being confined by it sucks. We're all doing this for fun and if people don't adhere 100% to the lore then who cares. I know I don't. To me it smothers creativity.

While going too far outside the lore will leave most people scratching their head. If you have to head to Wiki to find out if Recluse would or wouldn't yell "I'm Lord of the Spiders" or whatever then you're looking too deep. When it comes to player made arcs at least.

We only have so many maps, so many models, and a bug ridden editor. If I want to use a spaceship it's Arachnos or pretend a Tech map is a ships interior. Those are really your only choices.

Do we really need to explain away every single detail? Even explaining away all the lore problems isn't much of a solution when you only have 1000 letters to write!

And as for the Arc 'Another Nemesis Plot' I do believe it was mentioned or implied to be a 'What If' scenario like Recluse's Victory.

Anyway. No need to come down like a sack of hammers... This isn't a contest. While feedback is good and can lead to improvement. Not like it doesn't hurt when people attack your work.

Well I just got done with the first Arc. I have left feedback but there's only so much that can be written in a comment. So I'll leave the rest of my feedback in this thread. That's more like a book club anyway right- throwing out and discussing our opinions.

**SPOILERS BELOW**

Anyway overall I liked the story. Good story and use of mechanics. Seeing those working auto turrets in the map was awesome. Wasn't aware those turrets existed.

Your biggest problem right now is the last mission. I rescued Recluse then Statesman spawned right next to us. Rescued statesman then they both proceeded to attack the GM Arachnos Ship. They eventually died and I had to ditch the mission.

Mission 1 popup. I have never smelled steam before =) How about changing steam to fuel? Or maybe feel the steam?

Mission 3 has way too many bosses. Not only that but they are a couple of the hardest stock bosses around. When I get a Malta tip mission I usually ditch them, lol. Masterminds and Malta aren't good friends.

Anyway I'd cut the bosses down from 6 to 3. Not only are they tough but you end up getting aggro on several bosses. I had to run several times to regroup.

Mission 4 was good.

Mission 5 like I mentioned is bugged.

Down to some of the text-

M1 intro-
Another Nemesis Plot? Part 1 Greetings! We have dire need of assistance, in fact, the entire world does. Our magicians have seen a very terrible vision of the future, one ruled by Nemesis. The tasks you will be undergoing is to prevent that future from happening. Nemesis is plotting again, but this time is a little different. He has copied the designs of Rikti, Council and Malta robots and you must stop him. You must stop him but you will need help...

I'd make the We have to specify The Midnighters. The Midnighters have dire need etc...

Needs to be run through a grammar checker. Looking further you really need to run the whole thing through a grammar checker. Didn't see any spelling errors just lots of punctuation errors. No need for me to post every mission intro. The writing on them was fine. Just wanted to mention that M1 intro. It just kind of bugged me not being specific.

There's not a whole lot more I can say really. I liked the story. The bug just made it where I couldn't finish it and Mission 3 was very rough.

Right on. Will play it tonight or tomorrow

I just want to throw my voice in this thread too.

MA is such a wonderful tool. A tool NCsoft should be using and promoting vigorously. The things that could be offered through MA beyond story telling.

Example:

I got the Origins pack early and put together a fashion show displaying all the new capes and auras. This thing has been so well recieved. Already up to like 25 five star votes. If the servers were up I'd post some of the comments. To sum them up. Most people were like THANKS the COX devs should be doing this!

Anyway you see my point I hope. You devs are missing out on a free tool right at your disposal. Could you imagine how much heat MA would get if the devs started putting the player packs in there?

Some people who went to look at the Origins pack told me that was the first AE mission they'd ever ran. Think of all the people you could bring into the AE building devs by just putting out something like I made.

Back to the topic. I am all about good story telling. It's predictable but kind of sucks that Arcs I put my heart and soul into don't get played. While something I put together in a few hours gets 25 five star votes in a day.

Despite all the bugs and very minimalistic options offered. There's lots of people out there who WANT to make missions. I'm running out of slots fast and have only just began my AE journey.

People like Wrong Number who'd LOVE to have some damn freedom. She can't even participate in contests anymore without deleting one of her stories she's labored over for years.

The rush is over. NCsoft could make some money off those of us interested in buying more Arc slots. Take off the 8 cap already! The few of us left interested in creating good stories should be allowed to do so.

I totally understand WHY the 8 cap was there in the beginning. But now it's just pointless. NCsoft would make money and the writers could write again! Both parties win if the cap was lifted.

As much as I'd love to enter. Devoting 2 slots to one contest would be more than I want to sacrifice.

Very best of luck with your contest!

You can count me in too. But someone needs to tell me what ARCS I'm suppose to play, lol. Guess Bubba will email everyone the 2 for the month?

As for my Arcs I just finished the one I'd like to submit but I'm not ready to publish it just yet. So I'll let you know when I'm ready. It's done but I am earning influence right now to hold a contest when I publish it.

Running 2 Arcs a month np for me. As long as I can solo it

Mr. Gorbachev

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!


I'm all for uniting the servers.