City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Questions: Rularuu lore, alien maps, and contacts

Eva Destruction

By Eva Destruction,
Posted on: 2009-06-01 20:47 in Mission Architect

 

Posted

Relatively new to the 'creating' side of the MA here, and I have some (I hope) simple questions:

First, a tangentially related lore question. Rularuu and his aspects - does anyone know if he's always existed as both one being and seven aspects, or does that have something to do with his imprisonment in the shadow shard?

Now, on to the actual MA questions. For the idea I have in mind, I would like some really alien looking maps - no office buildings or whatnot here. Something along this lines of the shadow shard, or something similarly strange looking. However, I don't see anything particularly good, and in particular, no shadow shard maps. Are there any shadow shard maps, and if so, where can I find them? And otherwise, does anyone have any suggestions for good looking 'alien' feeling maps - indoor and out, but nothing too techy.

Also, another map I want to use is that strange 'circle map in the sky' floating island style map from the last mission of Mage Killer Zuhkara's 'The circle plot' story arc. Does anyone know if that exists in the MA? I can't find it.

Finally, I originally wanted the contact to look like the phantasm pet from illusion control. I thought you ought to be able to do that, because I once saw a fire imp as a contact. However, the 'pets' contact category doesn't have the controller pets, and I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. Anyone know where these are hiding? My packup plan was to use a cabal sprite - the little things you see floating around kelly nemmers in croatoa. However, these are inexplicably missing from the cabal list. Anyone know why they aren't there?

If anyone can help a new MA user out, that'd be awesome.

@MuonNeutrino
Student, Gamer, Altaholic, and future Astronomer.

This is what it means to be a tank!

 

Posted

I'll help where I can, though I've got nothing to offer regarding the lore question. I know next to nothing about the Shadow Shard.

[ QUOTE ]
Now, on to the actual MA questions. For the idea I have in mind, I would like some really alien looking maps - no office buildings or whatnot here. Something along this lines of the shadow shard, or something similarly strange looking. However, I don't see anything particularly good, and in particular, no shadow shard maps. Are there any shadow shard maps, and if so, where can I find them? And otherwise, does anyone have any suggestions for good looking 'alien' feeling maps - indoor and out, but nothing too techy.

[/ QUOTE ]

You might look at Arachnoid caves or webbed caves. Also, the Eden outdoor map is pretty wild looking. There's also the Thorn Tree map from Nerva Archipelago. There's also the Ruladak cave, notable primarily for the intense fog. From the unique caves collection, you've got the cave of the shaper (with its freaky giant orifices), the arachnoid cocoon map, and the Nerva Isle respec cave. Any of these might meet your needs for something alien and bizarre.

Whichever one you go with, I'd playtest it thoroughly first before publishing.


[ QUOTE ]
Also, another map I want to use is that strange 'circle map in the sky' floating island style map from the last mission of Mage Killer Zuhkara's 'The circle plot' story arc. Does anyone know if that exists in the MA? I can't find it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know which one you mean, it's an awesome map, I wish I could find it, but it doesn't appear available.

[ QUOTE ]
Finally, I originally wanted the contact to look like the phantasm pet from illusion control. I thought you ought to be able to do that, because I once saw a fire imp as a contact. However, the 'pets' contact category doesn't have the controller pets, and I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. Anyone know where these are hiding? My packup plan was to use a cabal sprite - the little things you see floating around kelly nemmers in croatoa. However, these are inexplicably missing from the cabal list. Anyone know why they aren't there

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know why sprites aren't available as contacts. Might I recommend using a storm elemental instead? Believe me when I say that they make for very striking contacts.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
You might look at Arachnoid caves or webbed caves. Also, the Eden outdoor map is pretty wild looking. There's also the Thorn Tree map from Nerva Archipelago. There's also the Ruladak cave, notable primarily for the intense fog. From the unique caves collection, you've got the cave of the shaper (with its freaky giant orifices), the arachnoid cocoon map, and the Nerva Isle respec cave. Any of these might meet your needs for something alien and bizarre.

[/ QUOTE ]

So there aren't any shadow shard maps? That's annoying. Well, I'll check out the ones you suggested, thanks. (Though I already tried the thorn tree map - it'd be awesome except you enter on a tugboat! Talk about immersion breaking.)

[ QUOTE ]
Whichever one you go with, I'd playtest it thoroughly first before publishing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, of course. This is more at the very rough sketching out stage at this point anyway.

[ QUOTE ]
I know which one you mean, it's an awesome map, I wish I could find it, but it doesn't appear available.

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Boo. It's a pretty map, and would be just *perfect* for what I have in mind. Hopefully they add it at some point...

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know why sprites aren't available as contacts. Might I recommend using a storm elemental instead? Believe me when I say that they make for very striking contacts.

[/ QUOTE ]

They are awesome looking, I agree - the only problem is that I'm already using storm elementals as enemies. The custom group that's the main enemy has as its theme weird energy/shadow beings and magically mutated beasts, and I'm trying to use canon mobs to flesh it out where appropriate (planning to use, of course, the i15 renaming feature) so that I can get a good size group while still saving space for the various bosses. So, I've already grabbed black swan's minor shadows and the storm elementals as part of that. For the moment I've just got a major shadow as a placeholder - looks a bit like a dark servant and could be some kind of spirit, but shadows are all wrong.... he should be light-themed! Can't really get the effect I'm looking for with the character creator, either.... why can't they just have sprites or phantasms! Aggh!

I think I have a bigger appreciation for all those poor architects whose missions I've played, now that I've seen a bit of what they have to put up with!

@MuonNeutrino
Student, Gamer, Altaholic, and future Astronomer.

This is what it means to be a tank!

 

Posted

For your contact, you might try looking for Will-o-Wisps under Red Caps, which look like red Sprites. If you don't mind the contact being pretty large, you might be able to use a Hamidon Mito; I know there's at least one arc that does this.

"Bombarding the CoH/V fora with verbosity since January, 2006"

Djinniman, level 50 inv/fire tanker, on Victory
-and 40 others on various servers

A CoH Comic: Kid Eros in "One Light"

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
Relatively new to the 'creating' side of the MA here, and I have some (I hope) simple questions:

First, a tangentially related lore question. Rularuu and his aspects - does anyone know if he's always existed as both one being and seven aspects, or does that have something to do with his imprisonment in the shadow shard?

Now, on to the actual MA questions. For the idea I have in mind, I would like some really alien looking maps - no office buildings or whatnot here. Something along this lines of the shadow shard, or something similarly strange looking. However, I don't see anything particularly good, and in particular, no shadow shard maps. Are there any shadow shard maps, and if so, where can I find them? And otherwise, does anyone have any suggestions for good looking 'alien' feeling maps - indoor and out, but nothing too techy.

Also, another map I want to use is that strange 'circle map in the sky' floating island style map from the last mission of Mage Killer Zuhkara's 'The circle plot' story arc. Does anyone know if that exists in the MA? I can't find it.

Finally, I originally wanted the contact to look like the phantasm pet from illusion control. I thought you ought to be able to do that, because I once saw a fire imp as a contact. However, the 'pets' contact category doesn't have the controller pets, and I haven't been able to find them anywhere else. Anyone know where these are hiding? My packup plan was to use a cabal sprite - the little things you see floating around kelly nemmers in croatoa. However, these are inexplicably missing from the cabal list. Anyone know why they aren't there?

If anyone can help a new MA user out, that'd be awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

To answer your first question, it happened before he was imprisoned in the shadow shard. The native inhabitants fo the shadow shard (I.E. his slaves) tell myths about the seven aspects that date back as far as their collective history goes (which, granted, doesnt seem to be far). It is lightly implied by certain facts, but by no means certain, that they may pre-date any living slaves inhabiting the shard.

On more practiclamatters, to my knwoldge tehre is only one shadow shard specific map available - the Ruladak's Cave map, which is under unique maps. the chantry and storm palace are unavailable, as are any of the exterior maps of the zone. For other freaky and alien-seeming maps, try the Cave of the Shaper; the Arachnoid cave maps; or, for a more constructed look, the Vaults of Mu special oranbegan map with its freaky blue haze, or the Thorn Tree cavern, with its giant evil plant cave.

I am fairly sure the floating temple island is also unavailable.

An imperfect solution at best, but such is life.

I do not know how to unlock the phantasm as a contact, but if you cant, you mgiht be able ot create a reasonable fascimile, or at least give a similar impression by creating a custom contact.

 

Posted

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Thanks to those who suggested the will-o-wisps - I completely forgot those existed, but they're perfect. And now I don't need to use up file space on a custom contact model!

Now if only I could get the custom critters to cooperate...

@MuonNeutrino
Student, Gamer, Altaholic, and future Astronomer.

This is what it means to be a tank!