Zamuel

Yes and no. I think there is an often overlooked problem with the concept of making all sets able to do all content in that it's easier for people to point out that a set has better numbers and flocking to it. The problem isn't that they added content that specialty powers excels in. Rather, the problem is that it took them 7 years to do so and players have gotten used to dismissing them wholesale. I think that most of FF's problems are similar to what Stalkers have to deal with. While underpowered they have a few niches they can fill, however so much of the rest of the game runs counter to their design. As said, I can think of a number of things that could be done in the current engine but I doubt will happen.

Well I think this is where a lot of the problem comes in. There's a lot of things you can do with knockback but it's not necessarily better. Equal in some cases but often an easier option works just as well. I personally like the feel of using a set like FF but I know that the game rewards building well vastly more than it rewards actually playing well.

How much of that is the fault of the devs and how much of that is the fault of the players? While I'll admit that a lot more could be done, even with the current engine, don't most players openly shun anything where positioning the enemy would be advantageous outside of simple herding?

That's...dumb.

Not really.

You make a valid point but I hold this topic a bit more personally than most.

While not a fan of the farms clogging the system, I think ZERO rewards may have gone too far since it may punish those who use the self rez enemies for tactical variance. Also, is this all rez powers since some like Rise of the Phoenix have extra effects.

The Strife of the Grave
#3409 by @Reisma
Story and structure

Acknowledging that the arc is a little old but there's good and bad. So...we've got zombies kidnapping zombies so they can raise the undead. That's awesome! Possibly could be viewed as over the top as some but a cool kind of over the top. I think that the biggest flaw is that the more you know about canon, the more some things break down.

For instance, you do mention in the final mission that the Banished Pantheon is trying to awaken ancient gods but it feels somewhat like the scheme to do that during the arc (kidnapping other entities so they have a strong enough forced to do so unopposed) doesn't seem to acknowledge that enough. I believe that the Ancestor Spirit's generally are actual ancestors so the Tsoo would be pretty enraged at their capture. The Vahzilok zombies are more related to a Frankenstein style mashup of parts so I'm not sure they should be on the Banished Pantheon's radar since it's tech instead of science. Also, a rogue faction of Midnighter's wound up as pretty surprising since the Banished Pantheon are on a level of possible catastrophe where even the Circle of Thorns wants to see them stopped at all costs.

Still plenty salvageable though. You could connect the Tsoo and Vahzilok by having the Ancestor Spirits bound to the Vahzilok zombies. Perhaps the first mission you could rescue a few spirits and the second mission reveal why they were being captured. Perhaps you could foreshadow the Midnighters in the first mission, reveal in the second, and have them return in the third.

The contact is a little dry, plus he's lacking a bio. Rewording things could add a bit of emphasis on things overall. Well, actually the final mission's outro is good but I don't know if any changes you make to the arc overall will cause it to be revised. Also, all of your renamed standard enemies are using their default bios. Also seemed odd that the level range was 24-28 rather than capping at 29 or 30.

The Possessed Vahzilok didn't really look like Vahzilok. Possibly a nitpick but something that stood out in the enemy design. In fact, Khaled Boneshatter looked a bit more like he fit in with Vahz. Mister Dead doesn't seem "right" as a Tsoo name. The bosses tend to have a bit more elaborate sounding names. However, one valid way to cheat is to translate Mister Dead into Lao.

Overall, the final mission felt somewhat underwhelming. Not sure of the best suggestions for adding more to it. Maybe you could add a destructable or glowie acting as a summoning point. Perhaps make Khaled Boneshatter required instead of optional. While the graveyard map makes perfect sense, maybe the Mausoleum to Caves maps would work better since they aren't as commonly seen, plus being indoors and linear allows you to somewhat script the encounter.

Spelling and grammar

Mission 2 conclusion

They were controlling the Vahzilok zombies? I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this. Your encounter with a party from the Midnight Club is also alarming. I will have to consult with other mystics, but it appears that the Banished Pantheon are attempting to control the bodies and spirits of all the dead they can find and corrupt or possess.

Might be fine but the wording seems a little weird.

While not specifically mentioned, this also affects the Terrorize effect on Assassin's Strike. Thus, enemies will cower in fear if you kill at target as opposed to only being scared if the target survives.

But Holsten Armitage is from THE FUTURE. Why doesn't anyone believe him?

But yeah, with the exception of maybe Cimerora, all time travel content counts. Some such as Dr Echo and Holsten Armitage are you interacting with someone else who is a time traveler. Others such as interacting with objects that manipulate space and time also count.