Some AE Features to Consider Adding

Greetings everyone,

I picked up City of Heroes again for the AE Mission Creator, so it goes without saying it's what I intend to spend much of my time working with in the game. We know it's a work in progress, but after working with the system for a couple of weeks I'd like to make note of some things I've like to see added.

1. The ability to create mission maps which do not require enemies on the field.

Why? -- I'd like to create some interesting investigative stories, and it bothers me that I have to make a excuse for the player to punch a few guys while they are at it.

2. I'd like the option to make Rescued Captives fall to ground and remain motionless.

Why? --- I really don't have much use for having people rescued, thanking, and then running away. If I choose Ally, I can give them the option to just "stand" there but that doesn't really help much either. Why can't they just fall down using the Unconcious animation?

3. I would like to be able to create a map where the only enemy you fight is just the boss.

Why? -- I want to create a one on one show-down situation!! Why do I have to keep throwing down minions? This goes back to Suggestion #1.

4. Multiple Choice Contact Accept/Response comments.

Why? ---I have people complaining about my arcs saying I write the player to be very Idiotic. This is because I can only offer one line of text. It's not easy trying to make a rich story mission which tries to appeal to BOTH good and evil without this. I'd love Good Responses and Evil Responses for starters, which would allow me to make my Contacts more responsive to a player's way of thinking.

So allowing me to offer a player multiple ways to accept a contact's mission. Of course it's been the same mission, but the Send-Off Text can be different depending on the Multiple Choice option the player choses to "Accept" the mission. Make sense?

5. Clue Graphics

I'm sure this will be added, but how come we don't have a library of images to pick from for our clues and Suvies?

6. Mission Music Selection

Music really sets a mood. Often I've picked a map just for the music, but there are maps I want that don't have the music which fits the mood. What if I want an epic battle? I want to put some epic music down too.. I'm sure you can give players the option to work with this, and it's really be great to even make Unlockable Music packs too.

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1. The ability to create mission maps which do not require enemies on the field.

Why? -- I'd like to create some interesting investigative stories, and it bothers me that I have to make a excuse for the player to punch a few guys while they are at it.

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You can kinda, sorta do this now. When you see the number of available spawn points on the map details screen, what you should know is that each of those spawn points is either taken by a detail you add or by a normal spawn. So if I add 15 boss spawn points, that's 15 fewer normal spawns on the map. That's true even if you trigger the detail off something else. So say I have 15 boss spawn points triggered off a collection detail - those 15 spawn points will still be missing, even though the bosses haven't shown up yet.
Several missions I've played have taken advantage of that, and at least one has spawned a fully empty map until the trigger was activated.

Now, I agree it'd be better if we could just choose "None" as the enemy group, and it's true that if you do it this way there'll have to be a way to spawn all the details, but it's something. You could, for example, have a map with no hostile spawns by filling up the map with ally patrols and ally bosses.

As far as doing an "investigation" mission, that would be much more effective if we could trigger collection details on other details. Right now, all collection details have to be present at the start.

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2. I'd like the option to make Rescued Captives fall to ground and remain motionless.

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Agreed, or at least give us as a "rescued" animation, the "fall down dead" animation, and make it so they stay that way if nothing interrupts them, such that if they're set to non-combat and rescue behavior to "none" they should never break that animation.
As it is now, they'll get up about 5 or so seconds after running the unconscious animation.

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3. I would like to be able to create a map where the only enemy you fight is just the boss.

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Again, you can kinda-sorta do this using the technique above.

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5. Clue Graphics

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That'd be neat - I don't recall clues having graphics in the rest of the game though... do they? I've never noticed for some reason.

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6. Mission Music Selection

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Right on. Also, ambient light/color selection.

True, you can do what you mentioned. Instead of Collection I think Destructable Objects work too, but it's a real juggling act and trial and error to get it to work. Indeed, it would be nicer to have a "None" option, and that is mainly was I was striving for. But for now we'll all have to use various tricks!