RedWarlock

wow - thank you for the very comprehensive review of the Shadow Rune of the Warlocks. I will find time soon to review yours as well.

A couple of things:

First, glad you enjoyed it.

Second, about the Dead Horsemen, I can see how it might have been confusing that the Dead Horseman contact is an ally, but later you find Dead Horsemen who are your opponents. The horseman contact actually explains that the Dead Horsemen are guardians of the warlocks, and your contact is betraying the warlocks and his fellow horsemen to warn you about the warlocks because they are becoming too powerful. The contact even tells you at one point not to tell the other horsemen that he gave away their secrets. He talks about it at a couple points, but I can see how that might have been confusing.

About his style, I've had people tell me they love the Dead Horseman, and it sounds like you found him creepy and not someone you wanted as your contact. I think that's a legitimate style thing. Glad to hear your take on him just to know what people think...

About the Dead Horsemen powerset - I actually love that they have Dark Armor because I just think they look really cool. (and the armor helps you see them in the Ruladek Caves - I actually made sure that all the villains had auras or glowing powers to make sure they could be seen). For a single player I think the three horsemen are just right. I want to test them some time in a large team to see if they would be too much.

“4 Defeat the Warlocks” should probably be changed to “4 Warlocks to Defeat”. - great suggestion. I'll do that.

"There is an error in his description in that it states that Thetis created Adamastor, while in reality she banished him." Thanks - I'll correct that.

"After he goes down, I notice something peculiar – the compass text regarding the warlocks has become “Red Warlock”, though the final Warlock nearby is the Earth Warlock. Perhaps this should either be changed to “Defeat the Final Warlock”," - Thanks for pointing that out. I've had that problem before but forgot to fix it.

"The Earth Warlock’s Unaware text is bugged, as $name displays as “$name”. I don’t know if this can really be fixed, but it was worth mentioning." Yes, that's an annoying bug that can't be fixed, except that I might just use $name less so that it's less likely to happen...

"The Moth Underworld Dwellers weren’t overly nasty or frustrating, but some of their powerset choices seemed off, most notably Storm Control on the lieutenants." - I like that choice for the lieutenant again just because of the visual character I was trying to create (especially in the Ruladek Cave - it's nice to be able to see this misty horseman in the distance...). But I can see how it might have seemed misplaced...

"Adamastor is awesome." - I don't know why, but I find it so satisfying to watch the Adamastor assist you in smashing the pulp out of these ramped up elite power warlocks - there's just something really fun about it... (although it's frightening when the Earth Warlock or Shadow Warlock confuse the Adamastor and he turns on you - that can be scary). And yeah, when Red Warlock regenerates, that can be a fun surprise!

It seems like your main dislike was with the Dead Horsemen. I can see how their style wouldn't be something you would enjoy. They are my favorite characters in the entire arc, so I think it's just a difference in taste. But I appreciate hearing your take on him.

Thanks again for taking the time to do such a thorough review - I really appreciate you playing the arc and telling me your take on it!

I'll check out yours soon and review it as well,

Red Warlock

Hey Beach Lifeguard,

I would love if you checked out my short stories "The Legion of Mutants vs the Iron Agents" and "The Children of Astoria" in my signature.

I think both are a lot of fun, they are one mission short stories, and would love to hear your thoughts on them,

Red Warlock

PS: I'll check out yours and do a review soon...

Hey Jadkni,

I would love if you checked out my story the Shadow Rune of the Warlocks, (Arc ID 124319).

I think it's a lot of fun - would love to hear your thoughts on it,

Red Warlock

My arc ""The Legion of Mutants vs. The Iron Agents" (Arc ID 200364)" does this very thing if you want to check it out.

When you release the three mutants, two elite bosses spawn after their release. I set the Boss to spawn in the settings for the Bosses (set to spawn when captive is released...)

1. Basic Info: Tales of Croatoa: A Rose by Any Other Name, Arc ID 178774 by Silvers1

2. Summary: A little ghost named Rose leads you through a tale of her world that walks you through her death two years ago and walks you through battles with Fir Bolgs, witches and broader themes of Croatoa.

Why a Neighborhood Chronicle? The title of this suggests that it would be a neighborhood chronicle, and it winds up sharing a lot about the world of Croatoa, but it does it through a fairly narrow scope. It's as much a character story of Rose as it is a Tale about Croatoa. Still, the story is very much a neighborhood chronicle because you experience a different aspect of Croatoa through the eyes of a little girl who happens to be a ghost, exploring how this girl struggles with her feelings of being in her paranormal state and humanizing a fable-like world of witches, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha and ghosts like her.

Other Random Notes: The story is very interesting as a character study and the child ghost is an intriguing character. The writing is strong and you learn elements of the story as the narrative unfolds (such as who "billy is - you will find out - it's not what you expect, and surprises like that make the story interesting to follow). There's lots of fun moments with Fir Bolgs, Spirits and NPC's that make the story entertaining. It's definitely worth checking out!

So glad you guys enjoyed the Children of Astoria - Looking forward to your thoughts on the Legion of Mutants vs the Iron agents!

Glad it was a success!

"One of the first things that I thought of when I first heard of the MA was that it's a great way to enrich some of the least used zones in the game. In particular, two jewels: Dark Astoria and Cimerora."

This is exactly what I thought when I first saw MA come out. I'm hoping that this thread can become an organizing tool for that. I'm going to be posting Neighborhood Chronicles here regularly and I hope others will too so that we can have a collection of some of the best arcs that hopefully will give the Devs good ideas to work on their game with enriching their neighborhoods.

I'm glad you think this thread is a good idea Nebulhym and I'm looking forward to seeing any additions you would like to make here on this thread regarding your own favorite Neighborhood Chronicles!

By the way eco - what do you think of that idea of the "Neighborhood Chronicles" discovery missions?

Thanks eco!

Those are two arcs to start with. I have many more reviews completed and will add more later.

I would absolutely love if someone would take the time to play and review my two Neighborhood Chronicles: the Shadow Rune of the Warlocks (Arc ID 124319), and The Children of Astoria (Arc ID 217499). I think both are interesting neighborhood chronicles about my favorite locations in CoH, (Dark Astoria and Moth Cemetery) and I think both missions are lots of fun.

If you have a request for a review, send me a private message - I love checking out and reviewing interesting story arcs about neighborhoods on MA.

1. Basic info: Astoria in D Minor by Cheshire Cat (was Arc ID 41565, but appears to be missing today)

2. Summary: You encounter a radio with a voice on the other end that lures you through a terrifying journey in Dark Astoria. It involves aliens, little girls, clown-like demons, and lots of unnerving moments that keep you on the edge of your seat the entire journey.

3. Why a Neighborhood Chronicle? This arc is another great example of a neighborhood chronicle. I would love to find a random radio somewhere on Talos Island, click on it, and hear the voice of this poor terrified woman in Dark Astoria and go through this mission as a random discovery mission some place. How terrifying! What was really great for me about this mission as a neighborhood chronicle is that Cheshire Cat really creates a horror movie vibe that is perfect for Dark Astoria. He takes Dark Astoria to a different level of fear and makes the zone even more interesting than it already is. Dark Astoria is my favorite zone, but it’s underutilized and this arc makes you imagine a LOT of what could be done with that neighborhood. I actually created my own arc “the Children of Astoria” when I was inspired by this arc by Cheshire Cat.

4. A random note – today I looked online and found that Astoria in D Minor was missing! I hope Cheshire Cat is just doing some reworking and wants to resubmit or something. It’s one of the best arcs on MA.

1. Basic info: Tales of Cimerora – Volume 1 “Of Feathers and Fur”, Arc ID 12647, By Nebulhym

2. Summary: Your contact is a Cimeroran soldier and the story is kind of like a Cimeroran version of the Odyssey. You go to war with soldiers first, but then find yourself fighting satyrs, harpies, demi-gods, rescuing slaves, all the things you might find in a Homer Epic, etc.

3. Why a Neighborhood Chronicle? I LOVED this arc. I’s a perfect example to me of a good neighborhood chronicle because it begins very rooted in the world of Cimerora, but then whole sets of new characters are introduced that are very believably consistent with the world of Cimerora. The Satyrs were fun, the Satyr Lord was fun, Sister Solaris, all of the characters were imaginable as part of Cimerora, except it takes the world even further by expanding into a mythological cosmology of Cimerora. The characters are what I imagine would be coming from the Cimeroran mythology, looking very similar to Greco/Roman Mythological characters. So the arc adds a whole new dimension to Cimerora (mythological satyrs, harpies, etc.) while staying very consistent with the world as created by the CoX developers.

4. Edits Etc.: I have no suggested edits – I just would add that the game play was very fun. There was just the right amount of difficulty and lots of things to keep you engaged while playing. (I was ambushed by harpies at one point and had the most amazing air battle as I flew away and they chased me - I didn't really expect them and there's nothing more fun to me as a flying character than being attacked mid air and having a full-on air battle).

This was my favorite Arc I’ve played that expands upon the CoX world. I highly recommend it.

I have a dream for MA that I hope the developers might consider some day. I am a long-term player of CoX. I love the game, but one thing I’ve always been a bit disappointed in is the relatively few ‘secret’ things you can find when a player explores CoX zones and neighborhoods (other than history plaques, badges and a few exceptions). Here’s my idea: Imagine if the Dev’s expanded their Developer’s Choice categories to include a “Neighborhood Chronicles Choice” category for MA. If a player created a fascinating history or narrative that helps expand the CoX lore about danger zones, neighborhoods, and locations of the CoX world, your arc could be selected by a developer and placed within that zone as a ‘Discovery Mission’ for players to discover and play. The Arc would be accessible in that neighborhood by clicking on a ‘contact’ placed in the neighborhood and designated by a developer (perhaps the contact you used in MA, or a door, or a tombstone, or a statue, or a radio, or whatever the Dev thought would be fun and consistent with the neighborhood chronicle arc). Your arc would be placed on the map as part of the CoX lore.

I know it’s a big dream, but it’s fun to dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the spirit of this idea, I would like to propose short reviews of our favorite Neighborhood Chronicle Arcs. Anyone is welcome to review any MA 'Neighborhood Chronicle' using the following format:

“Neighborhood Chronicle Reviews” here shall be reviews of arcs recommended to others because they have a strong story to tell about neighborhoods, zones, and the actual world of CoX.

Reviews should include:
1. Basic Info (Name, Arc ID, Architect, length, etc.)
2. Briefly summarize the arc.
3. Key Part: What makes the arc a good Neighborhood Chronicle? How did the arc make the CoX world more interesting to you? Was it true to existing CoX lore? Did it expand on lore in a way that you liked?
4. Suggested edits? Anything random you want to comment on?
5. Review others and you may promote your own. You may promote (or request others to review) any one of your own arcs you argue is a “Neighborhood Chronicle” for every other arc you have already posted a Neighborhood Chronicle Review for in this thread. If you promote your own arc, use the same format as above.

I hope this thread becomes a useful exchange for players to share arcs and perhaps for the Devs to have some fun ideas for expanding on their neighborhoods in the future.

Cheers!

"And finally there will be a forum thread called ‘Dev’s Choice: For Your Consideration’ where players can post arcs they think should be considered for Dev’s Choice."

So, has this happened? Is there a link somewhere?

I would like to recommend two short stories of mine - The "Children of Astoria"; and "the Legion of Mutants vs the Iron Agents". Both are short, one mission stories that I think are lots of fun. (People have mentioned they enjoy them a lot).

If you enjoy those, my longer story is "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks". It's very story oriented like the other two, but is four missions. I think if you like the first two, you would definitely be into the slightly longer mission as well.

The Arc Id's are in my signature - have fun!

Thanks Gypsy - I loved yours too! The story was well written, the villains were a lot of fun, and some of the cameos (who I won't spoil here) were lots of fun to run around with. Great work!

I would love if you played my Arc "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks", Arc ID 124319. I put a ton of work into it and think it's a lot of fun.

I'll check out yours after work today!

Red Warlock

Happy Birthday!!!!

I just captured some screen shots from my MA Arc - The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks (MA Arc ID 124319) and I really like this one:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/...1f76d1b59c.jpg

I just captured some screen shots from "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks" I thought people might enjoy:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2572/...1f76d1b59c.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/...5e32e85ed9.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/...da4bb4ea95.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/...87a7b1e36d.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2553/...ac6e798680.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/...c1ff646220.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/...8ba8d33359.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/...329347a853.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2496/...4a66e72995.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/...6fc09200a4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/...13824afefd.jpg

Thanks Airhead! Glad you enjoyed it...(and I fixed those typos you mentioned last night...)

All Three Stories Have Been Revised per Comments in This Thread!

Thank you Mr.CaptainMan, Airhead, Jophiel and Hellguard for your comments in this thread. I went back and revised all three of these stories based upon feedback from your comments.

The Children of Astoria - Text has been tightened up, minor changes here and there.

The Legion of Mutants vs. Iron Agents - I wrote background stories for the Iron Agents and tightened up small changes as requested.

The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks - Airhead, I think you in particular will enjoy the changes I made. It is now a 4 mission arc that expands much of what I had tried to do in two missions. It is (I think) a more interesting epic now. I'm really happy with the final product and think it builds well as a longer story into a more interesting climax at the end.

I put a great deal of work into these changes and I think the missions are much better because of your feedback. Thank you all for taking the time to review them, and I will be reviewing your missions soon as well. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the revised arcs!

Red Warlock

[ QUOTE ]
"Keep in mind though that the color/font/style tags all use character spaces so you'll eat into your available amount of text."

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Thanks for the tip Jophiel!

@Mr.CaptainMan re. Shadow Rune of the Warlocks:

Thanks again Mr.CaptainMan for the detailed review. I'm glad you enjoyed this one as well!

This was the first mission I created and I put a LOT of time into it. I agree with most of what you say in your review and will go back and rework those parts of it. It was my first attempt and has lots of elements that I love, but also is a bit quirky in places and could use some refinement.

- Spelling, I'll go back and correct.
- Prey repetition, thanks for the heads up, I'll correct.
-Nav Verbs, thanks for the tutorial you wrote later. I'll go back and add...
- Moth Mole Bio, I'll fix.
-Adamastor Starting Animation: I couldn't seem to get him to do some of the other animations I wanted him to do. I'm not sure if he can't do any other animations than the default, but he definitely can't do some that I wanted.

And yes, when I found out you could make Adamastor into an ally, this made the mission LOTS of fun. There is nothing more satisfying than watching Adamastor stomp on minions... there's just something really hillarious about it...

"Mission 2 was ok, although a little bland. I freed Adamastor and then in short order found the four bad guys. I felt this mission needed more of a climactic feel to it... I think mission two could be awesome with some more varied objectives."

I totally agree here. I tried to make the outdoor map fun by loading it up with characters, but there isn't the kind of defined story going on in the second mission and I'm not sure what to add to give it a little more bang. In fact, this is why I often just make short, one mission arcs because I think that you can often make a more dramatic story in one mission utilizing the right tools than I find I can in longer missions. Longer missions can trail off and seem rudderless at times. If you have any suggestions on how to make the second mission more interesting, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks again for all the time you put into playing and reviewing the arcs!

Red Warlock

@Hellguard Re. THE Shadowy Figure, "As long as it's THIS Shadowy Figure, who is an actual CoV contact..."

Thanks for the clarification Hellguard. That was, in fact, The Shadowy Figure I used as the contact. But maybe he's not known well enough to some players and I should give a little background on him and why he's telling the story...

Hope you get a chance to play the arc!