City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Arc 60280: Dr. Dave and the Copper Legion

BackFire

By BackFire,
Posted on: 2009-04-14 12:03 in Mission Architect

 

Posted

Arc Name: Dr. Dave and the Copper Legion
Arc ID: 60280
Faction: Heroic
Creator Global/Forum Name: @theHedoren
Length: Very Long (according to MA)
Difficulty Level: Medium- final mission contains 1 AV, but with two Allies
Synopsis: When an ancient weapon is unearthed by forces unknown, do you have what it takes to save the city from certain destruction?

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

I've been meaning to play this arc since it was first posted in the Announcement thread...I'm so glad I finally got to it! You made my weekend.

Here's my review (reposted and updated from CoH Mission Review & City of Guides)

Wow. An absolutely wonderful modern fantasy, akin to movies like the Mummy and Indiana Jones! Even Harryhausen would be proud!

Although this arc is 5 missions long, they breeze by with small maps and helpful allies. It never felt like a grind, as a matter of fact, I was having so much fun on one mission I defeated all when I didn't have to...and loved it!

The characters are well developed with their own, unique personalities and detailed backgrounds. It's fun to watch them change and progress thru the arc.

The unique enemy group is one you’re going to ask yourself, “Why didn’t the Devs make these already!?!” (well, the Devs kind of did, but you’d have to be a villain Midnighter to fight ‘em. And the Dev versions are nowhere near as detailed)

The only thing holding this arc back is it’s title. "Dr. Dave & the Copper Legion?!?"…Sounds like a jazz club band.

Don’t let the title fool ya, this arc is fantastic adventure on par with classic movie serials and summer blockbusters! And a perfect fit into existing CoH lore.

Definitely Dev Choice or Hall of Fame quality.

Craft your inventions in AE!!

Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!

 

Posted

Glad you enjoyed it! So far, every reviewer has good things to say about the "Copper Legion" enemies. It's very validating, on my part.

As for the title, I kinda see your point. It was the first title I was satisfied with. Dr. Dave himself is an archaeologist/teacher/hero, and his students frequently compare him to Indiana Jones (and he doesn't exactly deny it). I figured I'd just use the typical Indy formula for titles. Rather, the average formula.

Thanks for the feedback!

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

@GlaziusF

Live feedback from a low 40s DB/Fire brute on diff 2. Mission Engineer ain't gonna earn itself!

---

Liking the contact. He's appropriately English as a Second Language, and very evocative.

The first mission is alright, if a bit silent... couple interface weirdnesses. First, I get a boss out of freaking nowhere after I finish freeing the ally, which wouldn't be so bad except there's also a patrol there.

Second, the ally flies. Which means she can occasionally get stuck in the ground when she decides to stop flying. Kind of a pain in an escort scenario.

---

Hmm. It'd be nice to get a hint about the CoT in the spiel from the previous mission. It seems kind of odd for them to be operating halfway across the globe.

And now to go where anybody in Paragon City goes to get arcane books - stealing them from the Circle of Thorns!

Hmm. Glowie hunts in Oranbega are always kinda a pain. Maybe put the librarian there from the start? It is kinda nice for him to show up after I check all the shelves acting all surprised, but I'd been all over the map by then and had to head off in search of him.

Eh, not much I'd change here really? But even small Oranbega can still be annoying Oranbega.

---

Oh boy, the Midnighter Club is under attack.

I'm sorry that I can't get up much enthusiasm for it, but it is such a very little map with such a very little number of enemies.

Oh! Well, so much for sealing them before they wake up.

The look is pretty nice, but I think given that the Immunes actually have to do damage now you can tone the empathy back a bit.

The knife-throw makes a pretty nice replacement for the spear, even if you can't have predicted that when you made these guys.

Also, Heather says she knows what they're after when I rescue her, but I don't get a clue from her.

Hmm. If the copper guys are verdigrised, the silver guys should be pretty tarnished. Not sure if I got a good look there...

---

Ah, but now I get a chance in full daylight! Okay, okay.

Yeah, the silver guys are definitely not as tarnished as the copper guys are verdigrised.

Do some of them have perception boosts or is it just the close grouping of dudes in this mission that's getting all this chain aggro?

Also the ally is a wreckin' machine. Not that I mind, with all the chain aggro?

---

Okay, now to the remote cave.

Dr. Dave looks pretty spiffy in his new gear.

Heather's just a bit dorky-looking, but then she's a sidekick.

I find one vortex in a side chamber and the last 6 in the end room. Kinda off-kilter there.

Hmm. How DO I know how to disable these things? Do I just snap off the tips?

Huh. I get only a second of warning about the upcoming boss fight when I spot a ritual taking place on the narrow side of a blind corner. Not where I was expecting him.

Oh. It's Moment. And he looks like Scirocco because....? I was expecting like a Romulus model or something, since he was faking being a commander.

Still, these guys are perfect for Malta. A silent, unquestioning army capable of stomping on metahumans? Sign them up.

---

I would have liked a little difference in the descriptions for the copper minions, but that's minor. Everything else I think I've noted down under the missions - someone who says they know something but don't give a clue, a glowie hunt in Oranbega...

Ah right. Those silver guys liked to stay at range. Pretty annoying given they sap at range and the one mission where they show up in real force there's a very real danger of chain aggro when you close.

Overall nothing that takes it under a 5, though.

Up with the overworld! Up with exploration! | Want a review of your arc?

My arcs: Dream Paper (ID: 1874) | Bricked Electronics (ID: 2180) | The Bravuran Jobs (ID: 5073) | Backwards Day (ID: 329000) | Operation Fair Trade (ID: 391172)

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Second, the ally flies. Which means she can occasionally get stuck in the ground when she decides to stop flying.

[/ QUOTE ]
This happened to me once, but I couldn't figure out why. Fly has now been removed from all "Civilian Heather" models.

[ QUOTE ]
If the copper guys are verdigrised, the silver guys should be pretty tarnished.

[/ QUOTE ]
I've added some discoloring to the Centurions; hopefully that's what tarnished silver looks like.

[ QUOTE ]
I find one vortex in a side chamber and the last 6 in the end room.

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, I'd love it if they all spread out evenly! But the MA has other plans, apparently.

[ QUOTE ]
I get only a second of warning about the upcoming boss fight when I spot a ritual taking place on the narrow side of a blind corner.... And he looks like Scirocco because....?

[/ QUOTE ]
Boss placement is too arbitrary. Half the time he spawns in a blind alley, no matter what I try. I can only hope the flashy effects give people some kind of warning.

And I picked Scirocco at random. I figured a shapeshifter could easily be changed later if I needed to, but I've since received feedback that Scirocco seemed appropriate for a mystic arc.

As always, thanks for the feedback!

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

I can't believe I didn't think of this before, but I've recently been inspired by a fellow forumite to expand the whole "soundtrack" concept for this arc.

Originally, what I wrote was little more than some theme music. But now that I'm interested, I'm attempting to write individual pieces for each mission. I can't promise it'll go well, as I'm still not terribly experienced. But at the least it'll help me kill some time.

Until I get busy or lose interest, that is.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

One question I had with using Moment- I don't... think his powers let him mimic anything other than the physical attributes of his chosen form, thus him using a Greater Devoured when we meet him in combat. I could be totally wrong on that, of course.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates

MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"

 

Posted

To my knowledge, we currently only face Moment twice in the game: once as a DE Greater Devoured, and again as a Rikti Chief Soldier. In his Rikti form, he has access to a Rikti Rifle and a Rikti Sword, so I don't know what to think.

I'm probably taking some liberties by using him in my arc, but I'm not that worried.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

Oh aye, fair enough- it's not a major worry, it was just kind of a questionmark (and I have to note that both a Rikti Rifle and a Rikti Sword fall under equipment, not powers )

Er- curiousity question- where on your queue is my arc (whichever one you pick)? It's tough to keep track of what you're doing, review-wise :/

"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates

MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"

 

Posted

Not having my queue in front of me right now, I believe I have two more arcs ahead of you. And I doubt I'll know exactly which arc I'll pick until I actually start to play; I usually lean towards newer arcs, but it's certainly not a formal rule.

*Edit: Yup, two more, then one of yours.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
So more of an iridescent bronze-y look. Gotcha. Thanks!

On a related note, I can't find any evidence on whether or not gold will decay or discolor. I don't suppose anyone else knows...?

[/ QUOTE ]

Gold doesn't react with oxygen and is non-reactive in general, so anything made of gold will still be just as shiny as the century it was forgotten about.

Up with the overworld! Up with exploration! | Want a review of your arc?

My arcs: Dream Paper (ID: 1874) | Bricked Electronics (ID: 2180) | The Bravuran Jobs (ID: 5073) | Backwards Day (ID: 329000) | Operation Fair Trade (ID: 391172)

 

Posted

Okay, a few updates based on feedback:

  • Multiple text and dialog tweaks to improve the narrative.
  • "Civilian Heather" can no longer Fly, due to an irritating bug in Cimeroran caves.
  • Dialog given to Patrols in Missions 1 and 2.
  • All Captives in Mission 4 were changed to Allies, so they should now be able to run away when you rescue them instead of just standing there.
  • All objectives in Missions 2 and 5 have been unchained, and all Collections in these two missions have been reduced to "optional" status (hopefully a noticeable improvement in the Oranbega map)
  • Slight costume update for the Centurions to simulate silver tarnishing... I hope!
  • Joining up with the combat Ally (Pyralis) in Mission 4 is now optional, but not explicitly stated as such.
And my first score installment is almost finished. It's not even two minutes long, but it's a style I've always wanted to try.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
<ul type="square">[*]All Captives in Mission 4 were changed to Allies, so they should now be able to run away when you rescue them instead of just standing there.[/list]
[/ QUOTE ]
...and they've now been switched back. Seems like it's the "Civilian" model, but neither Captives nor Allies will do anything remotely interesting. No emotes, no flee-ing, nothing. It worked in tests, but... I dunno, MA has issues.

Since they both do nothing equally, I'm using Captives again -- if only to avoid Stealth-repression.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

In an effort to consolidate feedback for my own references -- and possibly to bump my thread -- I went back through several threads to find reviews for "The Copper Legion". And since I just love to make lists...:


I kinda wish I'd been keeping track of in-game feedback, too. Some of it was very helpful, and I had a few glowing testimonials I could've used here as advertisements. Curse my lack of self-promotional foresight!

*Edit - Fixed links for the new forums.

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

My score project is progressing!

Not very quickly, mind you, but progress is progress. I only have 12-ish minutes completed, but I'm relatively happy with the results. In addition to the Overture (in my sig), I present another piece to keep my thread from stalling:

  • Praenuntius' Legacy (1:57) -- From the Mission 1 completion clue; Heather Glass shares the story of Praenuntius, a Cimeroran emperor who made a pact with the god Vulcan to obtain an invincible army made of copper.

I doubt I'll post any more until the entire project is complete, but we'll see...

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

After months of tweaking and tuning -- I'm glad I don't do this for a living -- I finally feel comfortable presenting my completed 21-minute-long* score for this arc. I should use the term "score" loosely, I guess. But still, here it is!

  • 1. Overture (5:21)
    Paragon City / The Copper Legion / The Hero / March of the Legion / Counter-strike
  • 2. Introductions (0:34)- Opening
    Meet Dr. David Diaz -- teacher, adventurer, superhero....
  • 3. The Looking Glass (2:13)- Mission 1 general theme
    Dr. Diaz's assistant, Heather Glass, has gone missing. Naturally, it's up to the Hero to find and rescue her....
  • 4. Praenuntius’ Legacy (1:57)- Mission 1 clue: “A Cimeroran Legend”
    After her rescue, Heather tells the Hero a story about a minor Cimeroran emperor who was afraid of losing his throne. In a desperate act, he made a deal with the smith god Vulcan to obtain an army of invincible copper soldiers. But the emperor died before the army was complete, and the Copper Legion was lost....
  • 5. The Circle Library (3:19)- Mission 2 general theme
    By request of Dr. Diaz, the Hero investigates a lead on the last-suspected location of the Copper Legion....
  • 6. Swords at Midnight (1:13)- Mission 3 general theme
    Responding to a distress call, the Hero finds out that the legend of the Copper Legion is quite true -- and that the Legion has been awakened....
  • 7. A City Besieged (0:38)- Mission 4 intro
    Reports are flooding in of an invasion of strange metal soldiers....
  • 8. Counter-strike (2:02)- Mission 4 general theme
    In an organized counter-attack, the Hero strikes back at the invading Legion....
  • 9. Master and Commander (0:38)- Mission 5 intro
    Dr. Diaz and the Hero make preparations to locate the current commander of the Copper Legion....
  • 10. Moment of Truth (2:13)- Mission 5 AV fight
    The Hero faces off against the true villain behind the Legion's assault....
  • 11. Sealed and Buried (1:19)- Closing
    The villain is defeated, the Legion is sealed away, and the city is safe again... for the moment.
  • 12. Hero of the City (2:13)- Heroic theme

"Moment of Truth" is my personal favorite, but that's just me.

*23:40 after adding "Hero of the City"

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

Wow. This is fantastic (pending listening to it, of course )

could i review it in my thread, perhaps?

Eco

MArcs:

The Echo, Arc ID 1688 (5mish, easy, drama)
The Audition, Arc ID 221240 (6 mish, complex mech, comedy)
Storming Citadel, Arc ID 379488 (lowbie, 1mish, 10-min timed)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow View Post
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
After months of tweaking and tuning -- I'm glad I don't do this for a living -- I finally feel comfortable presenting my completed 21-minute-long score for this arc. I should use the term "score" loosely, I guess. But still, here it is!

<ul type="square">[*]1. Overture (5:21)
Paragon City / The Copper Legion / The Hero / March of the Legion / Counter-strike[*]2. Introductions (0:34)- Opening
Meet Dr. David Diaz -- teacher, adventurer, superhero....[*]3. The Looking Glass (2:13)- Mission 1 general theme
Dr. Diaz's assistant, Heather Glass, has gone missing. Naturally, it's up to the Hero to find and rescue her....[*]4. Praenuntius’ Legacy (1:57)- Mission 1 clue: “A Cimeroran Legend”
After her rescue, Heather tells the Hero a story about a minor Cimeroran emperor who was afraid of losing his throne. In a desperate act, he made a deal with the smith god Vulcan to obtain an army of invincible copper soldiers. But the emperor died before the army was complete, and the Copper Legion was lost....[*]5. The Circle Library (3:19)- Mission 2 general theme
By request of Dr. Diaz, the Hero investigates a lead on the last-suspected location of the Copper Legion....[*]6. Swords at Midnight (1:13)- Mission 3 general theme
Responding to a distress call, the Hero finds out that the legend of the Copper Legion is quite true -- and that the Legion has been awakened.... [*]7. A City Besieged (0:38)- Mission 4 intro
Reports are flooding in of an invasion of strange metal soldiers....[*]8. Counter-strike (2:02)- Mission 4 general theme
In an organized counter-attack, the Hero strikes back at the invading Legion....[*]9. Master and Commander (0:38)- Mission 5 intro
Dr. Diaz and the Hero make preparations to locate the current commander of the Copper Legion....[*]10. Moment of Truth (2:13)- Mission 5 AV fight
The Hero faces off against the true villain behind the Legion's assault....[*]11. Sealed and Buried (1:19)- Closing
The villain is defeated, the Legion is sealed away, and the city is safe again... for the moment.[/list]
"Moment of Truth" is my personal favorite, but that's just me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very impressive theHedoren! Listening to the scores now. That's some great music you've created. Keep up the great work, perhaps someone at NCSoft will hire you to write songs for future video game titles

37 lvl 50s: 3 Brutes, 2 Stalkers, 2 Tankers, 7 Masterminds, 2 Scrappers, 3 Blasters, 3 Controllers, 3 Corruptors, Peacebringer, 2 SoA (Crab, Bane), 3 Defenders, Widow, 3 Dominators, Warshade, Fortunata

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Wow. This is fantastic (pending listening to it, of course )

could i review it in my thread, perhaps?

[/ QUOTE ]

Review away! I always welcome feedback!

[ QUOTE ]
Very impressive theHedoren! Listening to the scores now. That's some great music you've created. Keep up the great work, perhaps someone at NCSoft will hire you to write songs for future video game titles

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for that, but I wouldn't feel right getting paid for stuff like this. Maybe if I took some actual classes first, or something....

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH

 

Posted

Adding one more review to my list:


---

Since the arc is almost as polished as I can get it, I'll finally move it to the "Final" state. Still, I'm running out of ways to promote (without seeming pushy). I guess I'll just have to keep nudging people to the soundtrack....

Rise of the Copper Legion (#60280; with soundtrack)
The Fractured Dreamer (#498588; with musical theme)

"Now Leaving: Paragon City": original composition for the end of CoH