Mission Architect knowledge base.

I am also bummed about the lack of triggers. It seems to me that most of the things that distinguish the fun missions from the dull ones will not be available to us. Someone said a while ago that the MA sounded like a glorified radio mission generator, and Positron seemed offended by the comparison.

I was thinking about this last night, and I think this is one of those situations where the devs have a different perspective than the players, and use words in different ways, which hinders communication.

A radio mission works something like this: some random number generator picks a map from list A, a villain group from list B, an objective from list C, and flavor text from list D. With the mission architect, it will be players who pick a map from list A, a villain group from list B, an objective from list C, and type in whatever flavor text they want. You see, in one case everything is random, but in the other everything is carefully hand crafted by individual players. They are totally different. And exactly the same.

Imagine rolling 50 six sided dice. You'd get some ones, and some twos, and threes, fours, fives, and sixes, in roughly equal numbers. Now imagine having 50 people carefully place a six sided die on a table. You'd get a lot of ones and sixes, I bet, plus some twos, threes, fours, and fives. The method is completely different. The result is almost identical. The devs care about the method. The players care about the results.

When I think of my favorite missions in the game, it isn't the flavor text that grabs me. It's the mechanics: the mission in Striga where the robots start out as statues and then come to life, the exploding volcano in the Hess TF (though I dearly wish we could actually see it go boom), the Nemesis invasion in that RWZ mission. Missions where things happen, where things change, where it feels like something is going on, instead of just a building full of static spawns waiting their turn to die.

I'm looking forward to the MA, I really am. I look forward to pushing the boundaries of what it can do. Once I hit those boundaries, though, and I expect to hit them hard and early, then I'm going to start fervently hoping that the MA doesn't have to wait as long to get some follow-up polish as a lot of other things have.

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Avatar: "Cheeky Jack O Lantern" by dimarie

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4. Custom factions?


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4, no custom factions I'm afraid. Seems that some powers and their animations are unique to a particular faction. The Fir Bolg were cited as an example. Seems their power animations had to be done specifically to look good with their elongated skeletons. Thus trying to paste their powers onto a bunch of 5 year olds would look unacceptably odd.


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So I can only rename enemies, I cannot give Tsoo Nemesis guns?
(Apologize for the redundancy, but I'm just in a slight state of shock. But on the other hand, perhaps I might be able to circumvent these issues...)

[/ QUOTE ]As I understand it that is correct. However I don't see why we couldn't use weapon customization in the critter creator for factions that normally use weapons like the council.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

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Will there be a tutorial to help us when we do our first one?

[/ QUOTE ]OH yes. The devs have been very consistent in offering tutorials for new features. However it is not "known" what form the tutorial will take as yet. It may be a text based option at a trainer, have a different "trainer" like day jobs and merit systems do, or even be mission based like the university on IOs.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

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4. Custom factions?


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4, no custom factions I'm afraid. Seems that some powers and their animations are unique to a particular faction. The Fir Bolg were cited as an example. Seems their power animations had to be done specifically to look good with their elongated skeletons. Thus trying to paste their powers onto a bunch of 5 year olds would look unacceptably odd.


[/ QUOTE ]
So I can only rename enemies, I cannot give Tsoo Nemesis guns?
(Apologize for the redundancy, but I'm just in a slight state of shock. But on the other hand, perhaps I might be able to circumvent these issues...)

[/ QUOTE ]As I understand it that is correct. However I don't see why we couldn't use weapon customization in the critter creator for factions that normally use weapons like the council.

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Yeah, that's what I have been considering. So there will be weapon customization for enemies and the weapons they use? If so, will we have to have actually gotten the badge required to unlock them?

Also, is it possible to make a mission where failure is the only option?
The occasional true BAD END, with your character actually being defeated and everything (instead of just being told "oh you kicked their butts but they still won").

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Click here to find all the All Things Art Threads!

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I am also bummed about the lack of triggers. It seems to me that most of the things that distinguish the fun missions from the dull ones will not be available to us. Someone said a while ago that the MA sounded like a glorified radio mission generator, and Positron seemed offended by the comparison.


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I just reactivated my account after a long time away on hearing about the mission creator, missed the bit about it not being in yet though .

I had a couple of story arc ideas already, and mission concepts that I'm looking forward to doing.

Then I read what you can or cannot do, and anything I was going to do seems to have gone out the window, it is just a radio mission creator by the sounds of it. I doubt i'll be reactivating my account again come I14 if it hasn't added some useful features.

Must haves from my personal persective:

Ambushes
In mission triggers
Custom spawn placement.
Custom spawn setup (e.g which mob types of a faction)
Branching story arc (next mission based on result of previous one)
Timed missions.
Multi part missions.


I'd also like to be able to edit/create factions or mob powers. Though that would be a very nice to have rather than a must have.

Preset maps may be useful, if there are enough types that I can find the sort I want.

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4. Custom factions?


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4, no custom factions I'm afraid. Seems that some powers and their animations are unique to a particular faction. The Fir Bolg were cited as an example. Seems their power animations had to be done specifically to look good with their elongated skeletons. Thus trying to paste their powers onto a bunch of 5 year olds would look unacceptably odd.


[/ QUOTE ]
So I can only rename enemies, I cannot give Tsoo Nemesis guns?
(Apologize for the redundancy, but I'm just in a slight state of shock. But on the other hand, perhaps I might be able to circumvent these issues...)

[/ QUOTE ]As I understand it that is correct. However I don't see why we couldn't use weapon customization in the critter creator for factions that normally use weapons like the council.

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Yeah, that's what I have been considering. So there will be weapon customization for enemies and the weapons they use? If so, will we have to have actually gotten the badge required to unlock them?

[/ QUOTE ]I need to apologize for being unclear here. I was speculating and did not label it as such. It isn't actually "known" that weapon customization will be in the critter creator. Also unknown if there would be any badge-related unlocks if there is.

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Also, is it possible to make a mission where failure is the only option?
The occasional true BAD END, with your character actually being defeated and everything (instead of just being told "oh you kicked their butts but they still won").

[/ QUOTE ]This is an interesting, but subjective, question. The subjective part is in what you consider a "bad end". Some examples of ways to attempt this might be the Giant Monster Hamidon in the 5 layer room would pretty much guarantee a permanent teamwipe for 99.99% of the player population. On the other hand finding a clue where the main enemy you were after has left you a note saying "Ha! I is in ur base eatin ur cookiez." would be a bad end in another view. (My spellchecker just died a little after typing that.)

Not certain if I was able to answer your question there.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

Okay, but I mean BAD END as in, the only way to continue or finish the arc is for your team to run out of time/be defeated by the enemy who'd be WAY too strong to fight. (See your Hamidon example)

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Click here to find all the All Things Art Threads!

Ok, I'm going to step in here.

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Then I read what you can or cannot do, and anything I was going to do seems to have gone out the window, it is just a radio mission creator by the sounds of it. I doubt i'll be reactivating my account again come I14 if it hasn't added some useful features.

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This isn't helpful, and calling the Architect a radio mission creator is a misrepresentation of the known facts on several fronts.

Things you can do in the Architect that do not occur in radio/newspaper missions include:

Earn badges related to a specific mission/arc.
Scale player's levels to match the content.
Make mixed hero/villain teams.
Rate content.
Earn skeeball tickets.
Unpublish an arc.
Place an Elite Boss, Arch Villain/Hero, or Giant monster. Alone or in multiples.
Tell a story.

Not an exhaustive list, but enough to convey the idea.

Now if you still want to FEEL that the Architect has a radio dial, well I can't stop you. But I can say I believe such sentiments belong in a different thread.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

So I get that there are no Cutscenes, but I am wondering if when we walk into an area if we could trigger the NPCs to speak. I have two mission strings in my mind... well three now, stupid guild... anyway.

I am wondering if I can make the NPCs talk, just so I can have them do a bit of a storyline in their missions. I actually plan on making GOOD missions, not just ones that will be boring and droll.

1) The Kheldion Act (Ouroboros introduction to the Peacebringers)
2) Rularuu Conquest (Outworld adventures against the Rularuu bosses... all of them)
3) MECH Empire Initiation (Guild related)

the first one I wanted to have a lot of dialog so that players can see my take on the PBs coming to earth, they never explained it so I figure I would use my version and publish it, who knows!


Anywho, I am TOTALLY looking forward to this update, it's very exciting for me.

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One thing I've thought of though is that I do feel that the MA should have an ambush feature. I want to make a Terra Volta type mission (but outside) with a bunch of Rikti teleporting in to the mission. Perhaps I could just have it so when you approach a bunch of those Rikti Portals open. Ooh! That could be a large portion of the mission right there, all of the portals opening up and having the Rikti come pouring out,

REWRITE!

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Ok, I'm going to step in here.

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Then I read what you can or cannot do, and anything I was going to do seems to have gone out the window, it is just a radio mission creator by the sounds of it. I doubt i'll be reactivating my account again come I14 if it hasn't added some useful features.

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This isn't helpful, and calling the Architect a radio mission creator is a misrepresentation of the known facts on several fronts.

Things you can do in the Architect that do not occur in radio/newspaper missions include:


Earn badges related to a specific mission/arc.


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Which doesn't really affect what i can do or not do with missions.

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Make mixed hero/villain teams.


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Again, who can enter doesn't really affect what I can do in making it.

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Rate content.


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Which has what to do with what I can do in terms of missions I can create?

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Earn skeeball tickets.


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Which gives me what in terms of mission design?

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Unpublish an arc.


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Which gives me what in terms of mission design?

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Tell a story.


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Ditto, nice text, shame about the fact the missions were no different to any other radio mission.


About the only 2 things which have any bearing in how a mission will play are:
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Place an Elite Boss, Arch Villain/Hero, or Giant monster. Alone or in multiples.
Scale player's levels to match the content.


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But even they aren't that great in terms of what I can do.

Sorry, but at the moment it is a glorified radio mission creator. Yeah a bit of candy around the outside, but nothing really to do with what I can actually do in terms of actual mission design.

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When I think of my favorite missions in the game, it isn't the flavor text that grabs me. It's the mechanics: the mission in Striga where the robots start out as statues and then come to life, the exploding volcano in the Hess TF (though I dearly wish we could actually see it go boom), the Nemesis invasion in that RWZ mission. Missions where things happen, where things change, where it feels like something is going on, instead of just a building full of static spawns waiting their turn to die.

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I'd like to be able to have someone you rescue (blue target) fight with you for a bit...then turn on you, and be someone you actually have to fight (maybe sub out the mob similar to what is done with the Lost Cure). Not possible w/o a trigger, but it could be an interesting twist.

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Suggestions:
Super Packs Done Right
Influence Sink: IO Level Mod/Recrafting
Random Merit Rolls: Scale cost by Toon Level

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So I get that there are no Cutscenes, but I am wondering if when we walk into an area if we could trigger the NPCs to speak. I have two mission strings in my mind... well three now, stupid guild... anyway.

I am wondering if I can make the NPCs talk, just so I can have them do a bit of a storyline in their missions. I actually plan on making GOOD missions, not just ones that will be boring and droll.

1) The Kheldion Act (Ouroboros introduction to the Peacebringers)
2) Rularuu Conquest (Outworld adventures against the Rularuu bosses... all of them)
3) MECH Empire Initiation (Guild related)

the first one I wanted to have a lot of dialog so that players can see my take on the PBs coming to earth, they never explained it so I figure I would use my version and publish it, who knows!


Anywho, I am TOTALLY looking forward to this update, it's very exciting for me.

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Okay so my question is can you make it so say only people in your sg can do certain mishes( read initiations) or is it whatever you publish is usable by everybody. Because i dont want to have to walk every new member through the initiation.

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From what I am understanding (I could be VERY wrong, but I like it if I'm not) you can have unPub missions that are on your characters and you can have several of them, basically I'm only publishing the first two and having the third for myself. Then when I go to do the test run (another feature that is needed if not in) then I will have my group with me, since I am obviously a main character in my SGs story, this makes sense.

If this is Not true though, I can always just make my SG mission public and just spend some time to make it good.

I do agree with what you said at the end though, where it would be nice to have a SG mission arc, perhaps that could be another idea we can throw at them.

3 Publishes per account
1 Publish per SG/VG (at a cost of perhaps 5-10m prestige?)

I would drop half of my SGs funds to get this going, we don't do raids anyway

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I think the Mission Architect has a lot of potential to be much more than a less random radio mission generator, but I do worry that it may take quite some time before that potential is realized. How much, or how little, beyond a radio mission generator it is at launch will depend on how many features the extra development time has allowed them to add in.

Triggers are a great example of content that will be needed as soon as possible, if its not there at lauch.

I will make a comment on a couple of items from above

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Scale player's levels to match the content.

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Radio mission scale their level to match the player. Some might argue that the feature quoted above is a limitation of the Mission Architect, rather than a feature.

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Make mixed hero/villain teams.

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Technically, missions from Borea in the RWZ are radio 'style' missions that allow co-op play.

Which reminds me... I would love to be able to create missions which would allow two teams to play on the mission at the same time with conflicting objectives...

Anyway... I do think the architect is going to be more limited in the beginning than what we want it to be, although I do hold out hope that it will have quite a bit more flexibility than the more cynical among us are expecting.

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Something tells me that it's going to start out somewhat scaled back in capability while the devs see how it's being used, what works, what doesn't, and what the players still want in terms of mechanics (ie, timed missions, ambushes, etc). The MA has a LOT of potential, but I doubt the devs are going to give it to us all at once... but oh, this is so something I could see evolving and expanding as later issues are released.

And I, for one, would LOVE to be able to have multiple teams on the same mission, but each one has different goals (ie, defend the reactor/destroy the reactor). It'd have to be something you could set as options (ie, "allow opposing team"), but damn the possibilities would be awesome.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

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Which reminds me... I would love to be able to create missions which would allow two teams to play on the mission at the same time with conflicting objectives...


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/signed

Now THAT would be a fun idea, sort of like an Arena Mission, I would be into that. Perhaps one team has to protect an item while the other team has to destroy it. Love it!

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When I think of my favorite missions in the game, it isn't the flavor text that grabs me. It's the mechanics: the mission in Striga where the robots start out as statues and then come to life, the exploding volcano in the Hess TF (though I dearly wish we could actually see it go boom), the Nemesis invasion in that RWZ mission. Missions where things happen, where things change, where it feels like something is going on, instead of just a building full of static spawns waiting their turn to die.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd like to be able to have someone you rescue (blue target) fight with you for a bit...then turn on you, and be someone you actually have to fight (maybe sub out the mob similar to what is done with the Lost Cure). Not possible w/o a trigger, but it could be an interesting twist.

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Ok I know this is going to confuse the issue, but what a "trigger" is is unclear. Yes the Devs DID say no ambushes. But they also said the above example can happen in the Architect, where a "hostage" (my term) can fight with you for a bit and then fight against you in the course of the exact same mission.

Yeah I know, this is as clear as mud right now. We just have to wait and see what develops here.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

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So I get that there are no Cutscenes, but I am wondering if when we walk into an area if we could trigger the NPCs to speak. I have two mission strings in my mind... well three now, stupid guild... anyway.

I am wondering if I can make the NPCs talk, just so I can have them do a bit of a storyline in their missions. I actually plan on making GOOD missions, not just ones that will be boring and droll.

1) The Kheldion Act (Ouroboros introduction to the Peacebringers)
2) Rularuu Conquest (Outworld adventures against the Rularuu bosses... all of them)
3) MECH Empire Initiation (Guild related)

the first one I wanted to have a lot of dialog so that players can see my take on the PBs coming to earth, they never explained it so I figure I would use my version and publish it, who knows!


Anywho, I am TOTALLY looking forward to this update, it's very exciting for me.

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Nothing to indicate that NPCs won't spout script. In my opinion, it's needed for storytelling options.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

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From what I am understanding (I could be VERY wrong, but I like it if I'm not) you can have unPub missions that are on your characters and you can have several of them, basically I'm only publishing the first two and having the third for myself. Then when I go to do the test run (another feature that is needed if not in) then I will have my group with me, since I am obviously a main character in my SGs story, this makes sense.

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Yes testing is in! To clarify, you can test a mission either by yourself or with a team regardless of how many arcs you have published. Since they are saved as text files, you might even post the file on a SG's site for easy sharing.

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If this is Not true though, I can always just make my SG mission public and just spend some time to make it good.

I do agree with what you said at the end though, where it would be nice to have a SG mission arc, perhaps that could be another idea we can throw at them.

3 Publishes per account
1 Publish per SG/VG (at a cost of perhaps 5-10m prestige?)

I would drop half of my SGs funds to get this going, we don't do raids anyway

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Well I can certainly appreciate your enthusiasm, and certainly EVERYONE would like to see more slots available, but I can also appreciate NCNC's need for data on how much use the system actually gets. If *I* were in their shoes, I would 1st make certain that the system can handle EVERY subscriber publishing 3 very full arcs. That's just solid buisiness. THEN if launch comes and goes and there is significant unused capacity, at that point consider how to up the publish limit.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

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Ok, I'm going to step in here.

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Then I read what you can or cannot do, and anything I was going to do seems to have gone out the window, it is just a radio mission creator by the sounds of it. I doubt i'll be reactivating my account again come I14 if it hasn't added some useful features.

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't helpful, and calling the Architect a radio mission creator is a misrepresentation of the known facts on several fronts.

Things you can do in the Architect that do not occur in radio/newspaper missions include:


Earn badges related to a specific mission/arc.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which doesn't really affect what i can do or not do with missions.

[ QUOTE ]

Make mixed hero/villain teams.


[/ QUOTE ]

Again, who can enter doesn't really affect what I can do in making it.

[ QUOTE ]

Rate content.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which has what to do with what I can do in terms of missions I can create?

[ QUOTE ]

Earn skeeball tickets.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which gives me what in terms of mission design?

[ QUOTE ]

Unpublish an arc.


[/ QUOTE ]

Which gives me what in terms of mission design?

[ QUOTE ]

Tell a story.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto, nice text, shame about the fact the missions were no different to any other radio mission.


About the only 2 things which have any bearing in how a mission will play are:
[ QUOTE ]

Place an Elite Boss, Arch Villain/Hero, or Giant monster. Alone or in multiples.
Scale player's levels to match the content.


[/ QUOTE ]

But even they aren't that great in terms of what I can do.

Sorry, but at the moment it is a glorified radio mission creator. Yeah a bit of candy around the outside, but nothing really to do with what I can actually do in terms of actual mission design.

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Seeing as how you haven't SEEN exactly what can be done, its too me a little bit early to call it a radio missions creator.

Just saying.

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Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!

Just posting this around, I created a global channel called "Architect". If anyone wants to talk ingame about the MA, that's where I will be

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Custom bosses only ? No custom minions and lieuts ?

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Custom bosses only ? No custom minions and lieuts ?

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That is correct. But please take a moment to consider this from a game balance perspective. Designing an entire enemy faction that is fun vs frustrating isn't an easy task. Plus just the bosses being customizable pushed the Architect back an issue.

While I agree customizing all enemies could be fun and cool, in my opinion, this is a point where we should pick our battles.

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It's not how many times you get knocked down that count. It's how many times you get up.

There's a bunch of questions I have, and here's hoping someone has heard something:

Will we be able to use ANY enemy faction? Not just standbys like the Council or the Circle of Thorns, but little used enemies like the Spetznaz or Axis America?

Will we be able to use the heroes and villains that show up during Safeguard/Mayhem missions? (Paragon Heroes and Rogue Isles Villains are there factions)

Is it one custom character per ARC or per MISSION? I've been hearing conflicting reports.

Will we be able to rename the factions of enemies, or rename enemies in general?

Will we be able to give custom names to lieutenants, bosses, and other characters that ARE NOT custom characters?

Hopefully someone here can shed some light on those questions.

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