More backstory or more current history?
By
Phoebe_Ponderas,
Posted on: 2009-04-14 16:03 in Mission Architect
Stick to what's relevant to the story you're trying to tell -- that is, to the activity transpiring during the missions themselves.
If you have an eighty page story bible detailing the manyfold mysteries and regime changes and transitions of your evil gang of jewelry thieves, but all the player sees is "Stop the jewelry thieves", there's no way you're gonna be able to fit it in without it being forced.
This is why the origin arcs in normal COH missions have activity that relates to the origins. For Malta, it's Melvin uncovering their roots and you getting clues along the way. For the Banished Pantheon, it's the Wheel of Fire relating to how the Pantheon was banished in the first place. Clockwork King has a few missions that relate his backstory while tying it into the actual slugfest your hero's fighting through. Etc.
Global @Twoflower / MA Creator & Pro Indie Game Developer.
Mission Architect Works: DIY Laser Moonbase (Dev Choice!), An Internship in the Fine Art of Revenge (2009 MA Award Winner!) and many more! Plus Brand New Arcs for Issue 21!
Twoflower put it well. If you want to add more information, ensure it's relevant to either A) understanding why the bad guys are doing what they're doing, or B) making you hate them more. Relentless fluff is okay, but leave that for people to actively pursue outside of actually playing the game. Writing an extremely elaborate history and background for the mysterious Cajun Elves is fine, but if it's in a gameplay setting, you should really just be giving a few lines about them and their stats.
[ QUOTE ]
the mysterious Cajun Elves
[/ QUOTE ]
I would play that arc.
Global @Twoflower / MA Creator & Pro Indie Game Developer.
Mission Architect Works: DIY Laser Moonbase (Dev Choice!), An Internship in the Fine Art of Revenge (2009 MA Award Winner!) and many more! Plus Brand New Arcs for Issue 21!
Not sure if this applies, but if it is a custom enemy, don't forget you can always put some of that history in their bio's. History that pertains to that enemy anyway. You could put how this type of minion has served the Leader since this event. Or how this LT. was key in this "arc." And for mission specific bosses, you can always change their bio in the "Boss" section of the encounter (and not alter the original bio) and make a unique boss who excels at "This" and "That" couldn't be done without them, if you catch my meaning.
You can also use clues to give "Mission Briefings" much like NPC contacts for the Hazard Zones do.
CoH Codex : Demo Models/FX/MOVs : Demo Info
Arc 111022: "Doctor Geist and the Scientific Method"
I seem to have run into a problem with my Arc that I'm not quite sure how to fix. I want to give players more information on the group they are fighting, but the space I have remaining is VERY limited.
Do you think giving some of their backstory is better? Or maybe more of their current history? I'm not sure which would be better...