anyone still making MA arcs?

As has been said, I made one (well two, but it's one story split up for file size considerations). It was a lot of work, hasn't gotten much play at all, I have no idea how I want to execute my next story concept, and it's just easier to play normally.

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Storm Summoning is great because it makes you better than everyone else in the game. - Camma

Knockback is mitigation. It won't be removed just because meleers ***** and moan. - Chaos Creator

I made two on test, one to test a custom group. And only one on live, which is really kinda lame, but I've left it up.

Thing is, I want to be sure that I put everything that I find interesting in there that I can. So, I play a handful of arcs every night or two, to see what the system can do, take note of interesting tidbits, adjust the plans in my head etc. I'm constantly fiddling in my head about what I want to get across with my arc/arcs, that I'm not absolutely sure how to present them.

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[ QUOTE ]
I only have one in Test mode, never published, that my badger runs from time to time for test mode badges.


[/ QUOTE ]

So you're a masochist?

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(Sometimes, I wish there could be a Dev thumbs up button for quality posts, because you pretty much nailed it.) -- Ghost Falcon

I'll be pulling one arc, revising another, and making a new arc come I15.

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Every time I get a new idea for something I think fun. Unfortunately, I get hung up by technical limitations half the time, so few ever make it to my 'rotating slot'.

The ones in my sig are permanent though (or at least for now they are), and I'm currently hovering around between live and test to feel out what I can do with I15.

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"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi

Characters

Still making? No.

I spent the better part of my free time for two weeks crafting my first arc, although some of that was absorbed by the editor's learning curve. Approaching 2 months now since the arc was first published, and the only people to experience it so far are the ones I asked to help me playtest it.

I crammed as much detail in there as I could, the filesize is at 995+/1000. It's a pirate story playable from 1-50, (probably most balanced overall at around level 30) packed with 13 unique custom designed mobs. I literally had to go back and condense some of the text to make it all fit.

It's a fun arc IMHO, I've run through it at least 20 times, on a wide variety of characters.

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I'm not sure what the point is in putting in another couple of hours writing, testing, polishing and publishing a story that won't ever get played unless I coerce my friends into playing it, or [censor] it out all over the forums.

[/ QUOTE ] - mousedroid

Bingo. That being said, if you're into MA, check out the arc in my signature. I also have a one-off AE mission chock full of custom mobs, you can find it under my handle in the MA search.

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I made three, then pulled two.

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Was working on one, but have put it on hold untill I15 (it has a fix I'm really interested in).

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I spend about a week or two writing each mission in my arcs. I'm currently a little into the last mission of the first half of my two-part arc. The second half is done, so I'll be publishing in a week or two. Then my slots will be full and I'll start lobbying for the option to buy extra slots

Eco

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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)

I made one, and spent a ridiculous amount of time on it, which means I probably aren't going to be getting around to the other two which are still sitting in my folder, begging to be finished...

Guess I'll just wait for i15, and all the extra stuff the Architect gets then.

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Dungeoncleaners! (ID#125715): Slay the Adventurers! Rescue the Monsters! Return the Treasure!
Peppermint Cat-- Lv50 Mewtant Ice/Eng Bls

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I made one... and then decided it was far too much work.

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Just about this. Making story arcs per se isn't much to write home about, but making GOOD ones is a LOT of work, a lot of testing a lot of refining, and it can make you frikkin' sick of the game for a good long while afterwards. I can sympathise with the developers on that one, though I'd probably take it better if I were being paid for it

That said, I'm making an arc right now, slowly but surely.

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I made three, had to unpublish one when it became clear the /Ninjitsu fix wasn't going to come in a hurry, then made another one. So I have had three published since... Well, couple of weeks after i14, and one unpublished (that should, finally, be working fine now).

Seems like I've been done creating arcs for a while

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Players' Choice Awards: Best Dual-Origin Level Range Arc!

It's a new era, the era of the Mission Architect. Can you save the Universe from...

The Invasion of the Bikini-clad Samurai Vampiresses from Outer Space? - Arc ID 61013

I definitely want to make a new arc with the I15 changes, but it could take awhile for me to work a story around my ideas.

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For all of those people who are making them but not seeing anyone play them: How are you getting the word out about your arc other than just posting them in your sig?

My take on it is that if I don't use any of the existing methods (threads for rating arc, creating a movie or a poster, etc) about my arc, I don't expect anyone to play it. Unless I do something to draw attention to my arc over the other arcs present, I expect excatly 0 plays on my arc.

Are there methods for getting your arc id to the masses out there that aren't working?

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Arc #345863 - When The Bough Breaks
"Curse you Perry the Plata...wait, is that Love Handel?" - Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb

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threads for rating arcs, creating a movie or a poster, etc

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I've posted about it in several threads, spent a couple hours playing and reviewing other people's arcs to get some QPQ action going. I've even done a handful of Broadcast/Request channel "adverts". I haven't taken the time to draft a movie poster or anything so elaborate as a trailer. I am curious what "etc" is, I could use another option, although the poster wouldn't be too hard, and sounds like a good idea.

So far the result has been, unless I message and personally invite a group to play the arc (and I usually can only round up one or two people willing to try something new like that), no one plays it.

It's not that I feel this is unfair or even unexpected, but it does dissaude me from putting energy into a new story on MA at this time. I hear too much talk about MA being recoded extensively in the next issue to make something new, I'm more concerned with how my existing work will translate to the new "standards".

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PsychoPez wrote:

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For all of those people who are making them but not seeing anyone play them: How are you getting the word out about your arc other than just posting them in your sig?

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately, advertising arcs is the COH equivalent of putting flyers under windshield wipers.

A small percentage of the overall COH population is into the MA enough to look for new arcs, play, and review them.

Basing my opinion on years of usability testing, I think the vast majority of people quickly reach overload level. They use the search engine to whittle down the flood, and then just pick one of arcs that show up in the first screen. Or they farm Freakshow.

Pity. There's a lot of love being poured into the MA, and most of it remains hidden away. It reminds me of the last scene in the first Indiana Jones movie, when the old dude wheels the crate with the Ark into that huge warehouse.

--NT

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They all laughed at me when I said I wanted to be a comedian.
But I showed them, and nobody's laughing at me now!

If I became a red name, I would be all "and what would you mere mortals like to entertain me with today, mu hu ha ha ha!" ~Arcanaville

<qr>

Yes, still making them. Up to 5, working on the sixth which is the second part of one of them (VEAT replacement arcs for Banes.)

Tempted to snag a game card to reopen a trial account for a month to publish three more. >.>

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[ QUOTE ]
PsychoPez wrote:

[ QUOTE ]
For all of those people who are making them but not seeing anyone play them: How are you getting the word out about your arc other than just posting them in your sig?

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately, advertising arcs is the COH equivalent of putting flyers under windshield wipers.

A small percentage of the overall COH population is into the MA enough to look for new arcs, play, and review them.

Basing my opinion on years of usability testing, I think the vast majority of people quickly reach overload level. They use the search engine to whittle down the flood, and then just pick one of arcs that show up in the first screen. Or they farm Freakshow.

Pity. There's a lot of love being poured into the MA, and most of it remains hidden away. It reminds me of the last scene in the first Indiana Jones movie, when the old dude wheels the crate with the Ark into that huge warehouse.

--NT

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I personally cherry pick stuff based off tags at the moment, and will likely adjust it for the updated search options when they come out. Lately, I've been looking for stuff that's fine to play in the 15-20 range, but am finding it sort of a pain to do so. Once I hit the 25+ range, I'll probably be less picky and just start picking arcs that sound good at the time, though even with that method I'm usually searching through all the way to page 8 or 10 finding something that's both A) interesting and B) I haven't already done.

I've found a lot of decent arcs that way, and only a handful that have made my facedesk.

...As far as how I'm personally advertising, I bring it up and post the IDs whenever they come up in relevant conversation. It's a bit of attention-[censored], I'm sure, but I'm perfectly fine with it. I've had 24 people play my arcs, total, and honestly... That seems to be alright with me.

Wish more people would play the main arc then the group-test arc, but eh. That's how the ball rolls on occasion. I'm not out to get a bajillion plays, after all - I'm in it for the joy of creating content that other people may or may not find enjoyable. If people disagree with how I make things, I'm very good at taking criticism (I find some stuff outright hilarious, infact!) and giving it serious consideration, even if I don't agree with it. End of the day, though, it's about setting up a story.

So far, most people have found my work good, and that makes me happy. A few have even given me some ideas on what I need to look into for fixes, and that just makes it easier every time I revise things, and hopefully makes things more fun for the next people.

Then again, I have pessimistic expectations. I'm outright overjoyed I got over 10 plays, let alone 14 on my main arc. Couldnae be a happier girl.

EDIT: *Scribbles Bill's name on 'List of People's Arcs to Blow Up'.* >.> Which you can help facilitate by PMing me globals, so I don't have to guess.

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[ QUOTE ]
For all of those people who are making them but not seeing anyone play them: How are you getting the word out about your arc other than just posting them in your sig?

[/ QUOTE ]

I mentioned it, a few times, in every global channel I'm in, I brought it up with folks I regularly team with, in my SG channel (but not too often, of course), and even had it as the motd for one channel, til something else interesting came up to replace it.

Also posted in multiple threads, made my own thread (since deleted -_-), and of course, the sig (with broken link... -_-). Got 86 plays so far... nice, but... well, that was a lot of work, so it'd be nice if I got more folks to play (or maybe they are, but not rating... no way to know, is there?).

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Dungeoncleaners! (ID#125715): Slay the Adventurers! Rescue the Monsters! Return the Treasure!
Peppermint Cat-- Lv50 Mewtant Ice/Eng Bls

[ QUOTE ]
For all of those people who are making them but not seeing anyone play them: How are you getting the word out about your arc other than just posting them in your sig?

[/ QUOTE ]
Play people's arcs. Critique. Request that they play mine and trade critiques. I don't expect 5-star trades, just an opinion from one MA craftsman to another.

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[ QUOTE ]
anyone still making MA arcs?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, I'm done even thinking about it until I can do what I want without making it crazy difficult. I thought i15 would do that for me, but they changed their minds.

Also, I still can't make my hot pink and purple snowmen.

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I stopped making arcs and focused on playing them with PUGs of 6-8 people. I have been using the time to chart out which bosses are the most dangerous so I can pick missions based on how good or incompetent people in my group are. I avoid custom groups because there is no way to tell how difficult player made custom NPCs are. If you have a high play count instead of a high post count you know that this is important because of the team wipe / phony excuse quit with PUGs.

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I have 3 legit arcs up.
I'm working on about 10 or so more. I'll rotate missions in-and-out as I get new ones done.
I can adapt.
I'm looking forward to the updates to the MA.

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I have two arcs in progress right now, that I'm trying to work on as much as possible before i15, a third arc that really needs the "custom" power pick option to even get off the ground, since it's going to be a "challenge/story" arc, and at least two more in the "solidifying idea" stage.

I have one arc slot available (currently filled with a cheap meta-joke that I'm not at all attached to).

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Eva Destruction AR/Fire/Munitions Blaster
Darkfire Avenger DM/SD/Body Scrapper

Arc ID#161629 Freaks, Geeks, and Men in Black
Arc ID#431270 Until the End of the World

I'm working on ideas for more all the time, since one of my three has already been broken by a patch and a second is likely to be broken (by file size bloat) by the i15 patch.

I wish patches didn't keep breaking things that way, but at least it gives me an excuse to make more arcs!

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"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"