The City Scoop! ~ Front Page ~ April 10, 2009
By
Niviene,
Posted on: 2009-04-10 13:56 in Announcements
| |
Hello fellow Architects! Let me introduce myself, my name is Bubbawheat and I've contributed a few random things in the past for the City Scoop. Now I've finally signed on to be part of the City Scoop Staff working on articles for the Mission Architect. For now, I will be writing a series of articles telling about my experiences making missions through the Mission Creator. Each article will start with a mission challenge, and I will write about how I use the Mission Creator to make that challenge happen, or fail miserably. And if you're curious about how the mission ultimately turns out, then go out and play it for yourself! However, it will only be available until my next article comes out when it will be edited into my next mission challenge. As this is the first challenge, I decided to go for something fairly fun and simple: Whack-a-Mole! You might remember going to your local arcade or game room at the bowling alley and seeing a game with little spring loaded moles that pop up and you get to hit them with a mallet. Senseless violence against cute little rodents, sounds like a fun evening to me! The first thing to do is to break the general concept down into more concrete in-game mechanics. The game is basically moles popping up in random places and you have to hit them before they go back down again. The moles should be bosses to defeat, so you can hit them, preferably with a mace/ or /mace character but your methods may vary. The bosses should pop up in different places, and it should be a small map so you don't have to spend all your time searching for them. Now that we have the concept broken down into rough game mechanics, it's time to open the Mission Architect interface. The first screen is the Story Details. Since I'm trying to approximate a Whack-a-Mole game, I'm looking for a Contact that looks closest to a mole. I go with the Winter Horde for the frosty mole feel. The next window is Mission Settings. I have to choose an Enemy Group. I would like to have the mission only spawn the mole bosses that are needed to whack, but you can't currently do that, so I choose Winter Horde, the quickest way to a snowy mole. Map comes next, so I go through and try to find a Small Map. I pick a Tiny Warehouse, it allows 5 spawns of any type. The next section in the Mission Settings is Mission Text. I want to try and approximate the feel of a whack-a-mole game, so I write the Mission Text like a carnival barker, promising the allure of Tickets. This works great because it matches both games, a real whack-a-mole game usually gives prize tickets, and my whack-a-mole mission will earn characters Architect Tickets. Once I'm done with Page 1 I move on to Page 2: Mission Goals. In my opinion, my moles should be Boss Goals. I could choose one Boss Goal and set it to spawn 5, but that's not how I want to do it. So I create 5 Boss Goals and leave them all required for completion. I start with the first one, name it "Mole", again pick the Winter Horde Boss, I place it in the back, and only the boss is needed to complete, so you can ignore the extra minions if you want to and focus on whacking just the moles. | On to the Boss Text! In the Description, I explain that even though it looks like a snowman, it's really a mole to cover my bases. For Navigation Text (Plural) I put "moles to whack", my understanding is that if I put this in all the bosses descriptions, it will count down the moles in the Navigation Text, from "5 moles to whack" on down. For Boss Defeated Text, "Score: 1" to add to my arcade game motif. For the second through fifth bosses, I do the same thing with two exceptions: For placement, I pick "Any" so they hopefully spawn in random places, for a different game every time, and under Boss Settings, I set "This mission goal is created when..." to the first "Boss: Mole is defeated". The third creates when the second mole is defeated, etc. With these settings, my hope is that it will start with only the first boss in the back of the map, then when you "whack" that mole, the second mole pops up, and so on. Now it's time to Test. I load up the mission, and hit my first problem. Even though there are no Error Messages in the corner, when I try to Test, it gives me errors about my bosses being all the same name. So I go through and slightly change all the names, using the capital "I" trick for one, and finding that I can put an extra space at the end of the name brings me up to 4, and the last I add a period to the end. Trying to load again, and this time it works, the contact pops up, I go into the mission and look for the first mole at the back of the map. Although it's not as empty as I had hoped, there are only a few random enemies in the map on the way to the first mole. I finish off the first mole and look for the second, and everything works the way I had hoped. Perfect, right? Well, I'm not one to rest on my laurels, so I decide to go through and take a second pass at it. This time I create a Custom Group with a custom mole character. I make it the only one in the group in the hopes that it won't spawn bosses when you play solo. I also add a 5 minute timer to the mission, since real whack-a-mole games have a time limit to them. I also didn't like the Tiny Warehouse map, it felt too big with too many hallways, so I search through the maps a little more and try one of the smallest Bank Maps, one that also has 5 allowed spawns. Time for testing round three. So far so good, no other spawns on the map. I get to the vault and find: a group of 3 moles, all bosses. Back to the drawing board. This time I make a Custom Group with only one minion in it. Testing round four: So far so good, no enemies until the vault in the back where it's just the mole and one minion, I can live with that. But now I notice another problem: instead of saying "5 moles to whack" in the Navigation Text, it says "Whack the last one", my Singular Navigation Text for the first boss, and unfortunately, as of this writing, it still has that Bug in it. I had to work around it where it just says "Whack a mole!" instead. So, there's how it went with my first mission. Ran into a few problems along the way, but in the end, I'm pretty happy with the results. It's a fast and fun mission with a little classic arcade flavor to it. And if you want to see the results for yourself, check out arc # 2711 Exploring the Architect #1: Whack a Mole!
|
| |
Writer's BlockHey again, folks! Well, another edition of Writer's Block has come and I'm here to give more insight and help to those writers out there. If you have any questions about writing or want a topic covered or some questions answered, please drop me a PM anytime and I will do what I can for you! I thought of something the other day that may help those of you faced with clogging in your creative pipes. Take any kind of music, there doesn't have to be words to it at all, just music in general, and start listening to it. As soon as the music starts, begin writing. Let the music inspire you to write whatever you feel it is trying to say. A good addition to this exercise would be to listen to a multitude of different types of music. Classical, then techno, then rock, and etcetera and etcetera. Once you think you've finished with this, look back at what you've written and see what it looks like. Maybe you made the beginning of a compelling story you didn't even know you had in you, or just a quick little story in the span of the song. Whatever the case may be, learn from it and keep with it if you feel you want to. Something else you can do is making up a character from that music. What type of person do you associate with this song? Does this music set a sort of mood for you, if so, what kind of person would feel the same way? Does the song describe one of your existing characters? There are a myriad of possibilities to be seen just by listening to a song or two. Don't be afraid to experiment or to not like what you come up with. If you don't think that particular song fits one of your characters at all, or you don't like that song in general, pick a new one and go at it with an open mind. The best thing to do is to write on! | Fan Fiction SpotlightThe Justice KnightsSin_Stalker's holiday quest to discover who is pulling Manticore's strings continues, and the stakes get higher. How is somebody able to pose as Manticore without anybody else in the city realizing it? If he is the real Manticore, why is he reacting so violently to Sin Stalker saying he's not? What does the company "CyCorp" have to do with any of this? The Justice-Knights is a series I've been presented numerous times by its creator, Sin_Stalker, during my time here with the Scoop. I have repeatedly presented it to you readers for one simple reason: It's good. The only way this could be any better would be if they got a hold of dedicated artists to really maneuver the characters in any way shape or form that they want or need. As it stands, using screenshots and Comic Creator (*muah* wonderful program), Sin and his crew do a wonderful job of taking in-game elements and shifting them around properly to tell an impressive story. . . |
| |
Hello to you, my darling fan boys and girls. It has been a busy few months for me and I know you have all been dying to hear more from me, so here is my review of the wonder that is Issue 14: Architect. I won't be talking about story or content, I'll leave that stuff for people who care about more than the superficial. As a vain and capricious creature, I am mainly interested in creating Custom Groups and Custom Characters, and let me tell you, the scope for this is immense! So how do I design a good Custom Group for Architect? I'll run through a few ideas of what I think makes for a good Custom Group.  Step 1! ConceptThis has to be your starting point. Come up with a unified idea for your Custom Group, a name and a theme. Are they sadistic clowns who torture people, or a heroic group of Ninjas saving the world from the shadows? A sound concept will drive every other stage of the Custom Group, and should be a cohesive thought that holds the group together. At this point you should be settling on a name, and a cohesive color palate for your Custom Group. Simple themes are strong themes; I went with Black, Green and Pink for my Custom Group. Step 2! Power ThemeBased on your concept what powers would your group have? For example, the Ninja Group will most likely have a mix of Katana, Martial Arts, Archery, Super Reflexes and Ninjitsu. Groups can and should have a variety of powers, but there should still be a coherent theme to them. For example: Crime of Fashion is creating an army of Minions to serve him in his evil endeavors. Crime of Fashion is a Radiation/Radiation Corrupter and wants his minions to reflect this. Therefore, the recurring theme of his Villain Group will be Radiation Blast and Radiation Control. Step 3! Individual DesignMinions Start with the Minions, the foot soldiers of your Custom Group. I suggest that you have a few different types of Minion so that your missions don't get too repetitive. Mixing Ranged and Melee type Minions are a good idea as well. Conceptually, these are the grunts, the basic mooks drawn to your group's ideals. It's a perfect place for faceless minions, robots, and the undead. For my faceless army I created a legion of high kicking, Radiation Blasting fashion models.  |  Lieutenants Lieutenants should have more character than your Minions; these are the squad leaders and champions of your group. Also, Lieutenant is a perfect rank for specialist buffer/debuffer type characters that support the Minions (Like Tsoo Sorcerers for example). It may be an idea to have multiple Lieutenant types, each charged with a different responsibility. One for Melee, one for Ranged and one for Support is a good starting point. Bosses Bosses should have a lot of character and should represent a paragon within your organization. Bosses should work well when supported by their Minions and Lieutenants, so take that into account when designing them. Your Bosses could be super versions of your regular foot soldiers, or something quite different. Go to town designing Bosses, give them extra gear and make them look important. After all, this is no ordinary minion. Elite Bosses and Archvillians  These should be individuals, hopefully with personality and back-story. Take the guidelines from Bosses above and dial them up a notch. Make sure your AV's are something unique and memorable, something that says a lot about your custom group. It may be best not to include and EB's or an AV in your stories unless they are really needed, as wall to wall AV's do not suit a lot of players idea of a good time. . Step 4! TestTest your Custom Group... A lot... with friends if you can. Ask yourself the following questions.
Step 5! Make an Arc and publish itGet to it, listen to your feedback and be prepared to make adjustments based on constructive criticism. All in all, Issue 14 looks like a load of fun. Get into it and enjoy! I love you all (unless you're in plaid!) Crime of Fashion, City Scoop Fashion Reporter and secret love child of Tim Gunn. |
| |
Vol. 2, Issue 41
April 10th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
The City Scoop
Because I Have To Look At You...
By: Arbiter Reginald Fabulous
My nearest and dearest and of course the rest of you,
I am so very, very sorry that I have been a very naughty Fabulous of late and not been able to dispense upon you my baubles of glory for you to dance around and enjoy. Please accept my humblest apologies, for I have been very busy with work in my studios in St. Martial. I feel utterly awful about this..,
Oh, who am I kidding? Punctuality is a virtue for the mediocre and we all know it.
AAAaaanyway, as such, I am writing my entire month of articles in advance to ensure that you all have plenty of me to enjoy! I know, it's gracious of me, but I must try to be humble.
Still, in my last article I mentioned a ninja friend who had written me seeking advice, at least, I assume he was a ninja. Here is his letter and a lovely picture, well not so lovely, but you'll enjoy what I've done with him!
Vol. 2, Issue 41
April 10, 2009
This Issue:
Architect
Whack a Mole!
Community
Writer's Block
Fan Fiction Spotlight
Fashion
A Fashion Guru's Perspective
Arts
Comic
Masthead
One last bit of notice, from now on, if I can find it feasible, I will also be posting the specs for these outfits, so you too can make them if you so desire to tweak them, as well as those who have written for them.. having a picture reference is one thing, but the actual tailored suit, SO MUCH BETTER!
And here we go, LETTERS!
Dear Arbiter Fabulous,
I am a stalker who can't find anything to wear! Icon has worked with me, they think I'm a hero (I'm really a villain) and they told me they don't know what to do. I am of magical origin and I also stalk my enemies and hide before killing them.
This is all I could find to wear. I am in desperate need for something to surprise my enemies with when they are looking up at me during their last dying breath.
-An Illusion
After
http://textbin.com/22d78
As you can see from his picture, Filthy, Filthy Serge has gone with an old busted stereotype, leaving this poor man out in the cold looking like the kind of man who's about to get his rear handed to him after a 80's action flick training montage.
Deplorable, I know, absolutely deplorable. Serge, if you are reading this, if you CAN read this I mean. You need to stop hurting your clientele, Trina the Seamstress is busy enough fixing your mistakes on the downlow and I can't be bothered to help EVERYONE, you know.
Still I find myself aching to help this young man, and so I have asked a few of my filthy assistants to rummage about for me and we've come up with a VERY nice look for you. What do you think?
As you can tell I have decided to go with subdued grey, which actually help maintain a cloak of shadow than bare black does, seriously, ask any military official. Black stands out more blatantly, and so by subduing it, you have a better chance of going unnoticed. Since you seemed to want to be an image of death, yet anonymous, I went with a full skull mask for you, and added a jaw accessory to act as a voice modulator and neck stabilizer. Little bit of body armor here and there, and you are good to go without it being too bulky!
Hi. Okay, so now that you're open for business here, I'd like to know what you think.
You see, I'm an arrow-flinging, sonic blasting heroine. I've been running around and busting villainous plots for nearly five years now, and this little yellow dress has served me without fail! It used to be a Cosplay uniform for my own fanfiction character! Heh.
I was seriously going for 'new age, new generation' hero when I made this.
Help?
Luv. - Belle Barium
http://textbin.com/6x658
You got it poodle, but remember, retro is always good, if done right. And frankly, I'm seeing a lot of 1950's in that look, but still a nice tough female forward image to work with. By your name alone, I assume you work with radiation, if not, I highly recommend working closely with Positron, try to startle him a bunch actually. It'll help you fit your new costume if you don't work like Chernobyl.
As you can see, I wanted to have nice clean lines, with a bit more coverage. I noticed you used only a hint of black to offset the yellow, but honey, those two pair SO well, I had to just go all out with it. I thought you could also use a hint of leather for your costume, as the tights can snag and don't offer as much protection. Frankly, I think of this as a much better look for you, and if you were to fully update it, I think we would all support it.
NEXT!
As promised I hereby give my representation of what the now famous Captain Dynamic should look like.
http://textbin.com/6x658
I mean look at him, the shame on his face, as well as that of the poor sap who must be seen near him wearing that awful thing that looks like a candy cane made from PVC. Seriously, Serge, where DO you get your inspiration from? I need to know which source materials to burn to save the rest of humanity from possibly encountering it and turning into another you!
Without Further Ado, here is the aftermath of my redesign...
I have darkened the red a bit to a nice vivid crimson, and incorporated the lightning bolts INTO the design, noth without it being too blatant on his chest. I tweaked a few things here and there and made the final decision on if those goggles are supposed to be over the eyes or just an accessory FOR him. Since he never stated the origins of his powers, I assumed he got them from what you are all calling an "awesome button". So to help him in his tasks, I have implemented that button on his chest, for him to use whenever he feels like it.
Well, that was EXHAUSTING, but still I am so glad to be back, once more. Remember you can always send me letters to EQUATION on the forums with the headline of "Dear Arbiter Fabulous."
About the author: Arbiter Reginald Fabulous lives in St. Martial where he plots the demise of his rival, Serge every day a thousand times over, he enjoys croquet, painting and crushing the dreams of those who cross him, mostly Serge. He is in negotiations with a certain seamstress to get the beloved tails for his Fortunata costumes, while still holding Kheldian sashes ransom from ICON. He holds true to the story that he's merely doing that because, as he says "Filthy Serge was going to turn a beautiful belt accessory into, and I quote 'Legwarmers for heads.'"