Citizen Razor's Attempt at a Review Thread
By
Armsman,
Posted on: 2009-07-11 15:38 in Mission Architect
I suppose I'll act as the guinea pig for this one. It's always nice to see new reviewers, after all! 
I have a 45-50 hero arc starring Malta called Blitzkrieg and a 30-35 villain arc starring the Sky Raiders and a custom group I created called Soldiers of Fortune. Their arc IDs are listed in my sig. Pick whichever one you like (Or both!) but if I had to have you choose one, Soldiers of Fortune is slightly less popular than Blitzkrieg and so it could use some help.
I may play one of your arcs later when I get time.
My arcs:
Title: Blitzkrieg
Arc ID: 3416
Title: Soldiers of Fortune
Arc ID: 4431
Title: The Rikti Accession
Arc ID: 278757
In Poor Taste #259920
by @Wrong Number
Description: Ever done a radio mission and pondered what the devs were thinking when they named the boss? Should these guys be out on the streets? Ms. Manners doesn't think so and she needs your help to round up the worst of the worst starting with a boss named Manhandle. It only goes downhill from there.
Rating: 4 stars
I just saw this arc posted on the forums, and I thought I'd check it out. I fire up Horsemen Brute, my Lv13 Stone / Super Strength Tanker.
Why, hello there Ms. Manners. Yes, I do remember you from "Trademark Infringement." Nice to see you again. She informs me that several of the villains found in police missions have "questionable" names and parents have been calling newspapers all upset because children are reading stories about those villains and making crude humor. So it's up to me to put a stop to me.
I'm not sure how the fact that I'll be arresting them again ... and putting their names in the newspapers again ... will stop this, but what the heck. Ms. Manners tell me that the first villain is in the Tikki Lounge. I thought it was called the Tiki Lounge, but I could be wrong.
I note the acceptance text mentions something "spitting up." I'm sensing some double entendre here. But what the heck. I go ahead and accept.
The mission auto-SK me up to 20. Not surprisingly, the sendoff has a whole bunch of double entrendres. I enter the mission and I find a large Freakshow boss holding a jackhammer. 0.o Unfortunately, even though all of the mobs are Lv20, the boss is Lv40. I quickly beat a hasty exit and drop the mission. That's a pretty nasty bug there. Hopefully that'll be fixed soon.
I then switch to somebody who might be better able to deal with a Lv40 Freakshow boss -- My Lv50 Invincible / War Mace tanker -- Citizen Razor. He's doing this on Challenge Level 2, so the bosses are bosses and Elite Bosses are Elite Bosses.
I take down the Freakshow boss without too much trouble. "Aroused" is typoed in his dialogue. Honestly, I was a bit shocked when he didn't rise up again. See, I can make my own double entrendes too! Oh, apparently he dropped a little black book that contains the name of my future victims. Wait, those are ACTUAL names put in the game by the devs?
In any case, Mission #1 done. I go and talk to Ms. Manners. After I accept the second mission, she's making all sort of puns about how bad something smells. I sense a villain with a stinky name. Call it a hunch.
The "subtitle" of Mission #2 is missing a capital letter. It should be "Any Way the Wind Blows."
I enter the mission, and my hunch is proven correct. It's a Tsoo boss, not surprisingly. There are also some optional crates of contraband cheese to destroy. I'm not sure why I'm destroying them instead of confiscating them, but what the heck, I'll play along. Destroying them nets me nothing, not even a clue. I note the critters guarding the crates say the same thing when I approach them. Might want to remove one of those lines of dialogue so that only one guard says it instead of two.
After I take down the Tsoo boss, I get a clue telling me that I found a message on his cell. The criminals are on to me and they're meeting at a place to discuss how to attack me. How convenient. OK, it's back to Ms. Manners.
Mission #3 also has a missing capital letter. It should be "Only Themselves to Blame." Judging from the mission acceptance text, I'm assuming there's some B&D involved in this particular mission.
Well I'm wrong. It's just garden-variety "questionable" names. I think it'd help strength the story a little bit of those names appeared in the clue given at the end of the first mission. In any case, there's four bosses to defeat and one optional hostage to free.
Oh, Ms. Manners is also there, although she's not mentioned in the objective. Might be a good idea to add that there as an optional objective. In any case, I freed her, then I left her behind. I'm a solo act all the way, baby!
I easily take down the four "Questionable" bosses, and the mission is over. I return to talk to Ms. Manners, who thanks me then runs off. Apparently a bunch of 7th graders got super powers and she has to stop them from making bad names.
Final Summary: Amusing missions. A lot of double-entendres flying around. Some of them got a chuckle out of me, particularly the one with the Freakshow boss using a jackhammer. But ultimately, none of them were really LOL-worthy. A few typos here and there, and the story could be strengthened by tying the bosses in mission #3 with the clue in mission #1. I'd also suggest scaling down the first mission to Lv40 so that it fits with the other two missions.
Edited: Wrong Number unpublished her arc accidentally. It's up again with a new ArcID. I edited this review to reflect the new info.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
Hey I am so glad you actually posted your rating criteria! I was going to start a thread asking people for theirs. Ratings seem so arbitrary. What you wrote makes a lot of sense.
I would love if you would review my arc and give me some feedback.
I will play one of yours.
Mine is Is Pursuit of Liberty - ID 221702
Thanks
@Gypsy Rose
In Pursuit of Liberty - 344916
The Vigilante - 395861
Suppression - 374481 - Winner of The American Legion's February 2011 AE Author Contest
I will toss my arc into the pool as well
17006 - End Game - Final Moves. (40-50, Difficult, EB Encounter)
Following suit:
The History of Statesman (219484)
4 missions - Comedy - Heroic - Levels 40-50
I'll add my own to the queue - MirrorsirroM, 251306 (description in .sig). It's 41+, heroic. May contain Malta, nuts, Elite Bosses, lactose, Nemesis, wheat flour, or MacGuffins.
Soldiers of Fortune #4431
by @Mekkanos
Description: Fight two ruthless mercenary groups for an ancient item of power with the help of some unusual allies.
My Rating: 5 stars
My very first request! Sweet. I fire up the MA Interface and check out "Soldiers of Fortune." It's a villainous arc. With Extreme Archvillains and Extreme Minions. Yikes! It's level ranged 30-35. Unfortunately, I have no villain in that level range, so I fire up my Lv50 Ninja Blades / Super Reflexes Stalker -- Jack Ketch.
And my contact is ... Darren Wade! The (rumored) aspect of Rularuu himself! Interesting. Let's see where this goes.
Darren Wade tells me of some artifact that was used in the Mu / Oranbegan war called the "Eye of Chronos." Apparently its power was nullified by the CoT, but the power is still there waiting to be awakened by the right person. Wade isn't interested in it, but maybe I am? Well, sure, why not? Boy, that Wade guy sure is swell!
I accept, and Wade says that although he's not personally interested in the artifact itself, he *is* interested in art, and I'll find out why soon enough. Ooookay. Fortunately, the artifacts are not at the museum yet, so they're sitting around in a warehouse all weakly-guarded and stuff. Boy, I sure am lucky today!
Or not. When I enter the warehouse, I find a lot of limp bodies. Somebody beat me to the punch! I bet it's that Darrin Wade! He's a shifty guy, that one! Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I run into a custom group called the Paradigm Company. Apparently they're a bunch of mercenaries who think that because they have powers they're better than everybody else. Well, my serial killer is going to prove them wrong. I do like the costumes. They're simple, the chest logo works, and the color scheme works. Bravo on the design. It doesn't stop Jack Ketch from making mincemeat out of them, though.
Anyway, the objective of the first mission is to steal 4 pieces of art and to take out the Raid Leader. Since I'm a Stalker, I stealth to the objectives. Clicking on the objective gives me a clue, which tells me that I found a painting of a broken landscape with blood-red skies and eyeballs that appears to have teeth for eyelashes.
Hmm, a picture of the Shadow Shard. And Wade's very likely one of the aspects of Rularuu. I wonder if there's a connection there.
I find a guy who goes by the name of Hellraiser Skyes. The bio says that Hellraisers have supersonic blasts that are so destructive that it is as if hell itself has risen. The Hellraisers are the deadliest, toughest agents that Paradigm has to offer. I laugh as I slaughter him in only one hit. Being a Stalker rocks. All of a sudden there's Sky Raiders everywhere. No worries, I wipe the floor with them. I assume they're after the Eye of Chronos as well.
Unfortunately for me, Skyes says that they have already taken the Eye of Chronos. Bummer. Looks like I gotta track them down. Ah well. I've found the last art treasure, so it's off to find the Raid Leader.
Oh, apparently Hellraiser Skyes *was* the Raid Leader. Unfortunately, when I defeated him and his gang, the mission didn't complete.
Oh, I see. The objective changed from "Defeat Raider Leader" to "Defeat Sky Raider Leader." That explains it. Might want to reword that objective so that it's a bit clearer what's happening. Anyway, I find the Sky Raider leader and show him exactly who's the boss in this scenario. He mentions that the "Eye of Chronos" is not worth it. Looks like not only do I have competition from the Paradigm Company, the Sky Raiders just tossed their hat into the ring.
I inform Darrin Wade of this. He promises to help me get the Eye of Chronos. He then tells me that the news are all abuzz about a fight between the Sky Raiders and the Paradigm Company. This is the perfect opportunity to nab the Eye of Chronos from under them! Wade warns me that it'll be dangerous to enter a heated battle. I show him my matching pair of Lord Recluse's Helmet and Statesman's Helmet souvenirs, then tell him that I'll enter the battle.
Wade pats me on the head and tells me that one of the leaders of either faction probably has it. He also warns me that the PPD is there as well and probably will want to take me in as well, considering how many times I've kicked them around. I go into the mission.
Ah, it's the Family Farm map. The objectives are simple. Defeat Paradigm leader and defeat Sky Raider leader. Seem simple enough.
I find the Sky Raider leader easy enough and I do my thing. In an amusing coincidence, apparently a wandering PPD patrol or Sky Raider patrol must've found the Paradigm boss, as he was somehow defeated and the mission was quickly completed.
Eh, works for me. I read the clues. " The client prefers to stay anonymous, but is wealthy enough to secure our involvement without asking questions." But should probably be changed to "and" since "but" indicates a contradiction between the two clauses, and I don't see any contradiction between them. Of course, that begs the question ... why did the Paradigm leader bring the letter with him to the battle? In any case, it seems as if the Sky Raiders have the Eye of Chronos now, and that Paradigm is working for a wealthy benefactor.
I inform Wade of this. So who's wealthy, aware of something like the Eye of Chronos, but doesn't have his or her own batch of goons to grab it, so has to hire the Paradigm out? Wade has some ideas.
I go to the next mission. Apparently the Sky Raiders are using an abandoned Portal Corps lab, and they managed to get a portal working. So the mysterious benefactor is probably from another dimension. I wonder if this has anything to do with those mysterious Shadow Shard paintings? Let's see. For now, it's off to the Sky Raiders base to intercept the transfer of the Eye of Chronos.
I'm a little bit confused here. I thought the mysterious benefactor hired Paradigm to get the Eye of Chronos, not Sky Raiders. Or do we have TWO mysterious benefactors, one for Paradigm and one for Sky Raiders? Well, let's see if this mission clears any of that up.
I accept the next mission. Wade tells me that he will be sending some allies my way.
The mission pop-up says that the abandoned lab is clean, and mentions that the Sky Raiders never seemed to be neat freaks. I'd beg to disagree. They're technology freaks, and their warehouses in Sharkshead Isle and Striga Isle always seemed to be pretty spotless to me. I'm not surprised that they'd keep the place neat. It's not like they're the Banished Pantheon or anything. But I digress.
In any case ... I meet my first ally, and surprise, surprise, it's one of those giant eyeballs. I resist the urge to stab it to death. I leave it behind, as it's cramping my stalker style by bringing aggro on me. The objectives are to find 4 safes to search and to defeat the client.
Ah, I find the Sky Raiders' benefactor. It's ... a Nemesis Warhulk! Gaaah! I got caught in a Nemesis Plot! Oh, they came from the Shadow Shard. Of course. I go ahead and find the last few safes, even though I know there's nothing there. Mission over. Back to Wade. Not surprisingly, the Eye is gone again. Of course, we're only on Mission #3! There's still two more missions to go before we find the eye! Haven't you watched any dramatic TV shows? In any case, the Paradigm probably has the Eye now. Boy, that Eye sure gets around.
Wade's just as fed up as I am, and uses a location spell. Well, why didn't he just use that the first time around?!? That sure would've saved me a lot of time. Anyway ... Wade uses his spell to trace where the owner of the notice from Mission #2 was, and it's the Paradigm Company stronghold!
Wade says that he has a device that will hack into the Paradigm computer and tell the group that has the Eye that they're being followed. Apparently this is so that they'll run around trying to lose their imaginary pursuers. But wouldn't that just make them rush to their target faster so that they wouldn't lose it and make sure their benefactor has the Eye?
Well, Wade disagrees, apparently. He tells me that while the Paradigm goons are running around, I can take my time to find out exactly where they're going and beat them to the punch. That's my next mission.
Wade says that he can send me some more eyeballs, but they won't be any stronger. Pfft. I don't need no steenkin' eyeballs! I go into the mission.
Ok, now I'm in the Paradigm base, which is not quite as clean as the Sky Raiders base was. The objective is to hack into the system and to defeat the base guardian. I find two of the Rularuu creatures and I leave them behind. I then hack into their computer and send the "OMG Yer being FOLLOWED!!!!!!!!" message.
Ya know ... now that I've hacked into the computer ... why do I need to defeat the base guardian again? I did my job. Why can't I just leave? Ah well. I go off to find the base leader.
It's a Hellraiser Shepherd. He says that he just finished talking to the client and that the location is secured. I'll take a wild guess. The client is also Nemesis.
After I make Shepherd into my personal whipping toy, he whines that I could've simply asked to buy it. Nah, that's for wusses. I kill people *and* take the money. Oh, apparently some Sky Raiders also followed me to the base. I guess they're not complete idiots after all. It doesn't matter, since I had already hacked into the computer, so I just bid them a fond adieu and make my way back to Wade.
Wade informs me that the Sky Raiders are now keeping the Paradigm folks busy in their base, since they think that the Eye is still in the base. He also explains to me that the painting I saw in Mission #1 was painted by one of the Shadow Shard folks, and it acts as a gateway between the Shadow Shard and our world. He's been using it to send the Rularuu monsters to my help. Well, I kinda already figured that out, but I do appreciate the piece of exposition. It'll be helpful for those who have never been to the Shadow Shard.
Anyway, I check the clues, and I find out who the client is. It's ... Arachnos!!!! But wait, that doesn't make any sense. Arachnos is an organization that has a TON of goons. Why would they not simply send over some of their disposable goons to get the Eye? Why bother with contracting an outside organization for this operation? Hopefully the next mission explains that.
OK, on to Mission #5. Wade reveals that he has an ulterior motive for helping me find the Eye. Well, DUH! Apparently the Eye is not from the Mu / Oranbega war of our world ... it's from the Mu / Oranbega war of Shadow Shard!
In any case, I am to go and get the Eye, fight an AV/EB, and kick Paradigm's behinds all over the world. Very well.
It's time for the final mission. Yep, Arachnos is there. I hope there's a good explanation. The objective is to defeat the client and retrieve the Eye of Chronos. I run into an Arachnos patrol, and they're just as confused as I am. Eh, it's not like I need an excuse to beat up on Arachnos goons anyway. I find three Rularuu allies and I leave them behind as Arachnos food.
I run directly to the back room. Hey looky, there's another Hellraiser to add to my list! I quickly dispatch him and the ambush that follows.
I see an Arachnos Base Commander. I kill him ... and suddenly ... NEMESIS! Ha, I called it! Now the objective is to investigate interlopers in the tunnel. So I backtrack to the beginning of the tunnel and there's an Elite Boss. Unfortunately it's not Nemesis, but a General White. Alas, I'm at a level where I don't have Elude, but no worries. I pop some purples, and it's on.
Just to make things a little bit interesting, an Arachnos patrol decides to join in on the fun. Then there's a Sky Raider ambush afterwards. I take care of all of them. But alas ... I still haven't found the Eye of Chronos. The Sky Raiders apparently think I have them, but I don't. I guess it's back to the end room again. Ah, apparently there was a Paradigm critter that I skipped over. Killing him nets me the Eye of Chronos and ends the mission.
Back to Wade one last time. He says that he unlocked some of its power and that I should be a bit stronger now ... except I'm not. Ah well. Wade promises even greater rewards when Rularuu is freed from his prison.
Final Summary: It's a Nemesis Plot! At least I called it halfway through the arc. Throwing in Arachnos was a good red herring. The missions were all fun to play through. The custom group of Paradigm was well-done, well-designed, and not too frustrating to fight. I was a bit let down that the final AV/EB was not Nemesis himself (or one of the Fake Nemeses), but I suppose it makes sense that Nemesis would send over one of his minions to take care of a middling detail. I was able to easily solo this arc. I didn't see any obvious or not-so-obvious plot hole, nor did I see any typos. Although it is a well-constructed story arc, it felt as if it was missing that little "wow factor" that would make this arc awesome. As it is, it's a very good arc. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd probably rate this a 8.5, just barely pushing it into the 5 stars area. Really, It's the design of the customs that pushes it over the edge. Without that, it'd be a 4-stars arc.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
I see I have a queue already. FYI, I'm looking for lowbie arcs for my batch of lowbie heroes and villains. So if you have any, that would be cool.
Current Queue:
221702 - Pursuit of Liberty by @Gypsy Rose. Lv45-54 Heroic.
17006 - End Game - Final Moves by @Calash. Lv40-54 Heroic.
219484 - The History of Statesman by @jjac Lv40-50 Heroic.
251306 - MirrorsirroM by @Dot Communist Lv41-54 Heroic.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
I would love feedback on my newest creation (see my sig)
It's a villain arc meant for level 22-32, no not a lowbie arc but mid-range fun
I did solo it on my 18 mastermind on level 1 difficulty without much trouble.
I'm not sure if you've played either of my arcs, but I'm pretty sure you haven't commented on them, you can take your pick.
137561: Ctrl + Alt + Reset
level range: 15-30
Description: Foreshadow didn't see this coming when he sent you to retrieve a dangerous temporal artifact from the Wyvern, and now you're stuck in a time loop and have to find your way out.
Notes: This is the stronger and more well recieved of my two fully fleshed out arcs. It's pretty close to its final stage, but fresh feedback is always welcome.
3369: Matchstick Women
level range: 25+
Description: A mysterious flame sends you on the trail of the leader of a strange and hostile cult of women arsonists.
Notes: This is the earlier of my arcs and has also gone through a lot of revisions, but could still use some direction for tweaking, as well as more advertising to help it out.
Thank you very much for reviewing my arc. I'm glad you liked it! Anyway, let me address a couple of points (And observations) you brought up...
[ QUOTE ]
The objective changed from "Defeat Raider Leader" to "Defeat Sky Raider Leader." That explains it. Might want to reword that objective so that it's a bit clearer what's happening.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I put in the system tab that you might want to defeat him to finalize your escape but maybe I should reword it not only so it doesn't seem so similar to the previous objective but also to give a better reason to fight him.
[ QUOTE ]
" The client prefers to stay anonymous, but is wealthy enough to secure our involvement without asking questions." But should probably be changed to "and" since "but" indicates a contradiction between the two clauses, and I don't see any contradiction between them. Of course, that begs the question ... why did the Paradigm leader bring the letter with him to the battle?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, the implication of the letter is that the client is wealthy enough to keep Paradigm Company from asking questions about their identity. That's why the "but" is there. Also, I assume that the leader brought the letter into battle because he forgot he had it in the first place. He probably stuffed it into his pocket or something. 
Really, I just had to make sure there was something for Darrin (I believe his name is spelled with an i, not an e like most Darrens) to use his locating magic on later while giving the player some insight into Paradigm's side of this issue.
[ QUOTE ]
The mission pop-up says that the abandoned lab is clean, and mentions that the Sky Raiders never seemed to be neat freaks. I'd beg to disagree. They're technology freaks, and their warehouses in Sharkshead Isle and Striga Isle always seemed to be pretty spotless to me. I'm not surprised that they'd keep the place neat. It's not like they're the Banished Pantheon or anything. But I digress.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, you do have a good point. I suppose I should change it to be something more like "This base seems a little too neat and tidy, even for Sky Raiders."
[ QUOTE ]
I'm a little bit confused here. I thought the mysterious benefactor hired Paradigm to get the Eye of Chronos, not Sky Raiders. Or do we have TWO mysterious benefactors, one for Paradigm and one for Sky Raiders?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, the implication is supposed to be that there is one for each group. Darrin mentions early on that each mercenary group probably has their own client. (SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT PLAYED THE ARC) Obviously, we know that there was only one in the end but we're supposed to believe there's two throughout the arc (Nemesis and, later, Arachnos).
[ QUOTE ]
Wade's just as fed up as I am, and uses a location spell. Well, why didn't he just use that the first time around?!? That sure would've saved me a lot of time.
[/ QUOTE ]
This is the second time a reviewer has brought it up, so it sounds like I need to rework the text here. The idea is that Darrin's location spells (As seen in his own arc) only work to trace where people have been, not where they're going. It would be rather pointless to try to use the spell to get the Eye since the people with the Eye would be long gone by the time you arrive at the place the spell found. The only reason he used it in this case was because you needed to find a way to communicate with the Paradigm group that had the Eye at the moment.
[ QUOTE ]
But wouldn't that just make them rush to their target faster so that they wouldn't lose it and make sure their benefactor has the Eye?
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, if they rushed to the target, they'd bring their pursuers with them and the battle in the Sky Raider base would take place all over again, endangering their client. I figure they were just being smart.
[ QUOTE ]
Ya know ... now that I've hacked into the computer ... why do I need to defeat the base guardian again? I did my job. Why can't I just leave? Ah well. I go off to find the base leader.
[/ QUOTE ]
Darrin said that it was just to be safe but I admit that it's a rather weak excuse. I need to think of a better reason to take him out with what little space I have left...
[ QUOTE ]
I was a bit let down that the final AV/EB was not Nemesis himself (or one of the Fake Nemeses), but I suppose it makes sense that Nemesis would send over one of his minions to take care of a middling detail.
[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, the reason it wasn't Nemesis himself was because his level range was strictly 40-50 when I first made the arc. However, I recently discovered that with the new level range toys, you can now actually make Nemesis appear at lower levels than he's supposed to. I even made him (Along with some of his goons) spawn at level 1 in a test mission! I'm not sure if I want to remove General White, but I will say I'm quite tempted to do that in order to get some file space back and add some more cool stuff to the arc. I guess I'll have to think about if it would help or hinder the story...
Anyway, thanks again for reviewing my arc! It was quite helpful!
My arcs:
Title: Blitzkrieg
Arc ID: 3416
Title: Soldiers of Fortune
Arc ID: 4431
Title: The Rikti Accession
Arc ID: 278757
I could always use another play of "178774 - Tales of Croatoa". Should be good once you get your toon to the mid 30s.
131430 Starfare: First Contact
178774 Tales of Croatoa: A Rose By Any Other Name ( 2009 MA Best In-Canon Arc ) ( 2009 Player Awards - Best Serious Arc )
My lowbie villain arc "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friends" (#114284) needs more plays and exposure. It's for level 15-20 so it should be in the neighbourhood of your characters, hopefully.
Winner of Players' Choice Best Villainous Arc 2010: Fear and Loathing on Striga; ID #350522
MirrorsirroM #251306
By @Dot Communist
Description: A simple job for an associate of Agent Indigo's leads to the uncovering of a plot, the return of an old threat with a new face, and the discovery that sometimes when you gaze into the mirror, the abyss gazes back into you.
My rating: 2 stars
I noticed that this arc had no ratings, so I bumped it up the queue. Its 5 missions long, level range 41-54. It contains Elite Boss and enemies with custom power selections. Not too bad for a Lv41+ arc. Im bringing my Lv50 Inv/Mace tanker, Citizen Razor, since hes the only 40+ hero I have. This will be on Challenge Level 2.
Without futher ado
the contact is Agent Orange. She can talk to plants. Shes an associate of Indigo. Get it? Indigo. Crimson. Orange. When do I get to meet their partners, Agent Teal and Agent Pink? But I digress.
The mission seems simple enough. There are bad experiments going on. My job is to go, hide, and plant some devices then get away before it go all ka-bloomey. I accept it, and Orange is glad that Im cooperative. Well, what if I didnt accept? What would she do? Toss a hissy fit? Sulk away?
Anyway, I go in the mission. Apparently its a Nemesis base. Wow, another Nemesis plot, and so soon after the last one? That guy gets around. The map is the Portal Corps map. The objective is to plant the first device.
I find Enigmatic Device 1. Its a defendable object. I defend it, and a new objective appears. Plant second device. Uh oh, I hope I dont have to run all over the map to find the 2nd spawn location.
While looking for the second device, I run into a patrol who caution each other to stay sharp as the sensors show something unusual. Well, youre a bit too late with that news, bub.
I find the second device. After defending it, its just as I feared. The next objective is plant final device. And I have to backtrack all over the place to find the final device. Theres no storyline reason that I can see that you have to do those three in sequence. Im familiar with this map, since I used it in one of my arcs before I eventually replaced it with another map. It looks like the architect put all three objectives in the Middle part of the map. The problem is, the Middle part includes three separate floors.
Suggestion: Make *one* objective with all three devices. Make them collect an object objective. Set them so that they fade into existence (so youre planting them). Thatd make this part of the mission so much easier. As it stands, all it is right now is an unnecessary timesink. If you *must* have them spawn in order, put them in the back room where its all in the same area and thus a bit easier to find.
After running all over the place, I *finally* find the final device and plant it. So far Ive already been on this arc for 45 minutes. And its only the end of Mission #1. Oy, this doesnt look good. Back to Agent Orange. She just tells me good work and thats it. No explanation as to why I was planting those devices.
Mission #2 now. Agent Orange tells me that the Nemesis Army is upset. Well, duh. We did just set up mysterious devices in their lab. I doubt theyd be too happy about that. Orange says that Nemesis left devices that could be sourced back to them. But the clue from Mission #1 says that all traces of its origin and manufacture had been erased completely. Those dont jibe with each other.
Anyway, Nemesis is pissed, and theyre getting their revenge. Orange says that one of her informant is caught in the crossfire. Uh oh! I have to escort the informant out! I am also to gather some reports. Why, I dont know. Also, judging from the red text, its going to be a timed mission. Oh joy. Yep, I have an hour to do this. I hope this isnt one of those bugged missions.
Hey look! Its Malta! Why? I have no idea, but there they are!
I find my informant
and its a plant! Literally. I mean, like a plant with leaves and stems and roots and all that jazz. Now Agent Oranges bio makes some sense. I find the reports in three safes. Mission over, and I go back to Agent Orange, hoping shell have some explanation for why the heck there were Malta in the mission. Nope, she doesnt. Shes more concerned about the plant.
I have problems with the map. While I get the reason why the architect chose that map its burning, and fire is dangerous to plants, which is your informant its a map with magical symbols and platforms all over the place. Not a place that Malta or Nemesis would be using. I realize there isnt a wide variety of burning maps to choose from, but if you must use that map, try to make the enemies fit that map, or provide a reason why Malta and Nemesis are in that particular map.
On to Mission #3. Now Im going to decrypt those files and Ill be borrowing a facility in Striga to do so. Why cant I just go to one of the Longbow or Freedom Corps lab instead? Wouldnt that be, like, a lot easier? I mean, its not like theyd particularly care much how I got those files, since they participate in shady dealings themselves. But I guess I have to go to Striga to do this. Oh, and theres a note that its assumed Im in a SG and if Im not in a SG, to ignore the clue. That doesnt bode well.
Well, its off to Striga. The objective is first computer, second computer, third computer. Need verbs there. You know you can group multiple objectives together by making their plural text the same, right? In any case, Im in a Council map. Why the heck Im using a Council base to decrypt files that I got from the Malta about some Nemesis experiments is beyond me. Honestly, Im not understanding the story here at all.
I find the first computer quickly enough. It spits out the decrypted file. Hellions are mentioned. Okay. Next computer. Ah, its one of the small maps used in the Hess TF. I find a safe. How that equals a computer, I dont know, but it does. Clicking on it spawns a battle between Malta and Council. It also gives me a clue that mentions my SG. I wonder if I was not in a SG, what would it say? $supergroup? Anyway, the clue is an intercepted Crey communication and mentions Vanguard, Midnight Club, and my SG. Apparently theres a Crey infiltrator thats been in all those groups. A Dr. Renault is mentioned.
On to the third computer. Apparently a Malta guy is in Vanguard and he has a psi-bomb. Theres a dead drop in Brickstown. *shrug* Time to go back to Agent Orange. At least this mission was short and sweet.
Mission #4. Orange is concerned about this infiltrator, so she bends the rules slightly. I am to see a computer specialist named The Doctor. Shes interested, but she needs somebody to get inside the facility and unlock the computers.
What facility? If this Doctor is such a computer specialist, why doesnt she, ya know, have her own super-computer like Birds of Preys Oracle? Why does she need to break into some random facility to use a computer? Does. Not. Compute.
Anyway, I guess Im going to escort this Doctor to the computer. Oh, and I need to find the password too. Because this Doctor, apparently, is not skilled enough to quickly crack the encryption on the computer by herself. And Im entrusting her with valuable information about some random Crey infiltrator? This is going to go well, I can tell.
The objective of this mission is to locate Dr. Renault. This map is full of Crey. Unfortunately, Im Lv50, so that means that the Crey Im dealing with is all those annoying tanks. I dislike those tanks. Crey is fun at Lv30-45, when there are a decent variety of critters to fight. But at 45+, its nothing but tanks, tanks, and more tanks. Ugh. I simply run past them and try to find Dr. Renault.
Defeating Dr. Renault nets me the password. And now theres another objective. Its simply Project: Infiltrator Central Computer. Oh joy, another mission where I have to backtrack all over the place to find an objective. Oh, thank god, the objective is right there in the back room too. Like the first mission, its a defendable object. I defend it. Once I do, a new objective pops up Defeat Project: Xi. Checking his bio tells me that He looks familiar. Weird, Ive never seen him before. He also utters one line: Citizen Razor! Ill teach you to pretend youre him. Umm oookay. Hes an Elite Boss with Energy blasts. I wear him down and defeat him, getting a clue. The clue insists that he is familiar, dammit! Very well, if you say so.
Theres another clue that mentions that Crey is taking Project: Revenant to the next level. It also mentions Romero Heights. Looks like were going to Dark Astoria next! I head back to Agent Orange. She tells me that the Doctor has sent along some material and the news is dire, indeed. Surprise, surprise, Crey has created infiltrators and placed them in all sorts of places, even my own SG!!!! ZOMG! Considering the title of this arc is MirrorsrorriM, Im guessing this Project: Xi guy is probably a clone of me or something like that. But what if I had been playing a female toon? Also, how the heck Nemesis, Malta, and the Council got involved in this mess, I still dont know.
Well, its on to the last mission. At this point I just want to get this arc over with. Astoria and a hospital are mentioned. I immediately groan. I just KNOW its going to be that blasted psych ward map again. I dislike that psych ward map. Anyway, people are being taken there for assembly and I have to stop it. Whatever, I just dont care at this point. I have to destroy the central mainframe and the assembly unit. And any infiltrators I might find.
I enter the mission
And yep. It IS that blasted psych ward map! *sigh* The objective is to locate the main storage computer. The enemies are Crey. I find it and destroy it. It seems to recognize me. Im sure thats probably bad news. Next objective is to defeat Project Tau, another Elite Boss. I think he has claws, but Im not sure. His bio says that theres something familiar about the way he moves. Very well, if you say so, bub. He thinks Im pretending to be me. I beat him. Time for the next objective, which is to destroy the processing facility. I destroy it. Now on to objective #4 Defeat Project Rho. Ya know, theres no real reason why those have to be sequential. Why not put all objectives on the map at the same time? Ah well. I go to find this Rho fellow. Im sure that hell be somehow familiar, even though Ive never seen him before in my entire life, and that hell think Im not me. Oh its a she. Eh, same thing. Time for another EB battle. At least shes quiet. I beat her, and thats it, this arc is finally, mercifully over.
Its back to Agent Orange one final time. Heres hoping that the wrap-up will somehow tie everything together and provide some explanations. Nope, no explanations at all. No clues as to who the projects were supposed to be. Just a yay, the facility has been destroyed. Well try to find the infiltrators. Good job! send-off.
Final Summary: I hate to use this phrase, but I think I have to. This REALLY was Just a bunch of stuff that happened. The story does not hang together well. Questions were raised
then dropped with no answers. The first mission was poorly laid out. Objectives were chained together for no apparent reason. Im not saying this arc was entirely bad. The architect did put some effort into this. The critters names and dialogue mostly fit their factions. But overall, the story was very weak. There were a few single-word objectives.
I can see the story in this story. It could be a good story if all of the unnecessary stuff, especially the part with Nemesis, Malta, and Council, was ripped out. Just focus on the Crey and the infiltrator part. Id suggest having the Crey impersonate the player, but the tech for that isnt possible right now so it wouldnt come off well. Instead, have the Crey impersonate those Paragon City Heroes that we see in the villain mayhem missions, and indicate that in the bios. Drop the references to the supergroups. Thats unnecessary. The story *could* be good, and if all the excess was removed and the relevant parts were polished, I could see this being a 4-star arc. However, as it is right now, its just a mess.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure if you've played either of my arcs, but I'm pretty sure you haven't commented on them, you can take your pick.
137561: Ctrl + Alt + Reset
level range: 15-30
Description: Foreshadow didn't see this coming when he sent you to retrieve a dangerous temporal artifact from the Wyvern, and now you're stuck in a time loop and have to find your way out.
Notes: This is the stronger and more well recieved of my two fully fleshed out arcs. It's pretty close to its final stage, but fresh feedback is always welcome.
3369: Matchstick Women
level range: 25+
Description: A mysterious flame sends you on the trail of the leader of a strange and hostile cult of women arsonists.
Notes: This is the earlier of my arcs and has also gone through a lot of revisions, but could still use some direction for tweaking, as well as more advertising to help it out.
[/ QUOTE ]
I've played Ctrl + Alt + Reset, and I think I sent you some feedback in a PM. Oddly enough, it doesn't show up as "played" in my list. Weird.
I'll add "Matchstick Women" to the queue.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
Just a note: I'm a teacher, and even though it's summer I have to teach summer school. I'll try to get to at least one arc a day, but I'm not making any promises. Hopefully I'll get to your arc in a timely matter. I also reserve the right to move arcs up in the queue if it fits one of my toons' level range.
Having said that:
Current Queue
221702 - Pursuit of Liberty (Arrow Rose)
17006 - End Game-Final Moves (Calash)
219484 - The History of Statesman (jjac)
246605 - Quatrexin's Quandary (Displaced)
3369 - Matchstick Women (Bubbawheat)
178774 - Tales of Croatoa (Hercules)
114284 - Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend (FredrickSvanberg)
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
I have three as of now. I tried to make them a true trilogy, each part telling its own story. No EB/AVs in any of the missions.
You can play any or all of them, but the second and third are the ones that really need some feedback, so if you only do one, I would appreciate it if you did one of them.
Title: Future Skulls
ID: 4727
Levels: 1-15
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Canon Related, Save The World
Description: The Skulls are just a street gang now. But they have big plans for the future. Mirror Spirit asks for your help to stop one of them. [SFMA/LBMA]
Title: Simple Times
ID: 70801
Levels: 5-14
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Canon Related, Save The World
Description: Talshak the Mystic has asked for your help with a minor clean up mission in a warehouse. Happens all the time, no big deal, just giving someone a quick helping hand. At least that was how it started. Sequel to Future Skulls, 4727. [SFMA/LBMA]
Title: Future's End
ID: 255895
Levels: 5-14
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Canon Related, Save The World
Description: Mirror Spirit has contacted you again. It is time to finish off the Future Skulls, and she thinks she know how. Can you stop the Future's End? Follow up to Future Skulls, 4727. and Simple Times, 70801. [SFMA/LBMA]
Justice Blues, Tech/Tank, Inv/SS
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Fighting The Future Trilogy
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Thanks for the feedback! Obviously I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it more, but that's life in the big city. I'll definitely be doing some mechanical reworking, and taking another pass at some of the text - it's tricky trying to work with implication.
[ QUOTE ]
I accept it, and Orange is glad that I’m cooperative. Well, what if I didn’t accept? What would she do? Toss a hissy fit? Sulk away?
[/ QUOTE ]
Something unnatural involving Creeper vines and a speed-grown pumpkin. Further details would be NSFW.
[ QUOTE ]
I find Enigmatic Device 1. It’s a defendable object.
[/ QUOTE ]
It is (was. In testing it seemed that tweaking placements had finally gotten them to spawn reasonably, but apparently not, for which I apologize) a defendable object mostly for MA-mechanical reasons - the Vanguard warhead container object isn't available as a collection, only a defendable. So story logic will have to bow to mechanics here to avoid tedium, and I'll try to find a reasonable replacement object that's collectable.
[ QUOTE ]
Mission #2 now.
[/ QUOTE ]
Have you played Indigo's arc? I ask because the people who tested this before it was published all picked up the 'friends' reference in the intro to mission 2 and worked out that mission 1 had been a setup, framing Malta for the attack on the Nemesis base.
Either way, I'll have another look at the intro text, see if I can't make this clearer, especially for people who aren't familiar with Indigo's arc.
[ QUOTE ]
Orange says that Nemesis left devices that could be sourced back to them. But the clue from Mission #1 says that all traces of its origin and manufacture had been erased completely. Those don’t jibe with each other.
[/ QUOTE ]
Actually that was deliberate (although I obviously didn't make it clear enough the devices were supposed to be of Malta origin). If you're a paranoid loon, and somebody blows up one of your Secret Research Bases with a totally untraceable high-tech doodad, your first assumption is probably 'Malta', they being the specialists in totally untraceable high-tech black ops.
[ QUOTE ]
Also, judging from the red text, it’s going to be a timed mission. Oh joy. Yep, I have an hour to do this.
[/ QUOTE ]
The timer on this one is deliberately long, and mostly an aesthetic thing to give it a sense of urgency (plus I always find it somewhat absurd in canon missions when the contact says 'Hurry, time is of the essence! There's no time to waste!' and I can park the mission on the back burner for three weeks).
[ QUOTE ]
She’s more concerned about the plant.
[/ QUOTE ]
Like most of Longbow's black ops people, Orange doesn't so much have 'issues' as 'a lifetime subscription'.
[ QUOTE ]
I have problems with the map. While I get the reason why the architect chose that map – it’s burning, and fire is dangerous to plants, which is your informant – it’s a map with magical symbols and platforms all over the place.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, thus the bit in the intro popup about the wreckage and blood spatters on the walls. My hope was people would read that and go 'Ah-ha, okay, that's a blood spatter, not a mystic sigil poorly copied out of a paperback grimoire by a Hellion'. If we ever get an office map that's on fire but doesn't have mystic symbols scrawled on it, I'll be changing this in a hot second, of course.
[ QUOTE ]
Why can’t I just go to one of the Longbow or Freedom Corps lab instead? Wouldn’t that be, like, a lot easier?
[/ QUOTE ]
Because, as the intro text says, there's a risk the decryption operation could be traced back to source? As it in fact is, triggering a battle in the computer centre.
Why Council? Frankly because I couldn't find another map that fit the parameters I wanted as well as that one. Unfortunately it just screams 'Council map' the second you walk in, making it awkward to use another group (ideally it should be a Nemesis facility, story-wise). I may just grit my teeth, change the enemy group, and try to pass it off as a former Council base now under new management, though.
[ QUOTE ]
I am to see a computer specialist named “The Doctor.”
[/ QUOTE ]
Again, I have to ask if you've played the arc where she's introduced (30-35 range). This is the devil of trying to play with canon characters, I guess - not everybody will be familiar with them, so you have to balance bludgeoning people with information they already have or leaving them in the dark as to what's going on.
[ QUOTE ]
Considering the title of this arc is “MirrorsrorriM, I’m guessing this Project: Xi guy is probably a clone of me or something like that. But what if I had been playing a female toon?
[/ QUOTE ]
This would be why you face three EBs, one huge, one male, one female; one ranged zappy type, one melee scranky type, one controllery type. This is also why they all have full-face masks. (Strictly they might also be clones of friends/SGmates/etc.) Also see the dialogue when you blow up the central computer in the last mission and the text in the souvenir.
And the final map, is, again, down to mechanical issues. When I first started working on this it used the Crey Hero lab map, but that one's gone to the Great Cartography Center In The Sky, requiring some rejigging. The hospital seemed a reasonable replacement, in story terms.
Anyway, thanks again for the feedback - it's been very helpful, and I'll be making some changes based on it, both mechanical and trying to nudge the 'cryptic/blatant' 'inference/explanation' sliders to the right a bit.
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the feedback! Obviously I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it more, but that's life in the big city. I'll definitely be doing some mechanical reworking, and taking another pass at some of the text - it's tricky trying to work with implication.
[/ QUOTE ]
It's a new story. That's what the revision and editing process is for. When "Horsemen Chronicles" was new, somebody tore it to shreds and pointed out many similar plot holes and leaps in logic in my story. I've since then tried my best to shore things up. Ultimately, some stories work for some people and and doesn't work for other people.
[ QUOTE ]
It is (was. In testing it seemed that tweaking placements had finally gotten them to spawn reasonably, but apparently not, for which I apologize) a defendable object mostly for MA-mechanical reasons - the Vanguard warhead container object isn't available as a collection, only a defendable. So story logic will have to bow to mechanics here to avoid tedium, and I'll try to find a reasonable replacement object that's collectable.
[/ QUOTE ]
Does it *have* to be a Vanguard warhead container? Yeah, MA has some limitations that can be frustrating to work around.
[ QUOTE ]
Have you played Indigo's arc? I ask because the people who tested this before it was published all picked up the 'friends' reference in the intro to mission 2 and worked out that mission 1 had been a setup, framing Malta for the attack on the Nemesis base.
[/ QUOTE ]
I haven't played the Indigo arc in a *long* time. OK, so we're framing Malta for the attack on the Nemesis base ... but why are we attacking Nemesis in the first place? The Infiltrator project is Crey's, so what does Nemesis have to do with it in the first place? That part either needs to be scrapped or explained better.
[ QUOTE ]
The timer on this one is deliberately long, and mostly an aesthetic thing to give it a sense of urgency (plus I always find it somewhat absurd in canon missions when the contact says 'Hurry, time is of the essence! There's no time to waste!' and I can park the mission on the back burner for three weeks).
[/ QUOTE ]
One hour is more than sufficient to complete the mission. I get what you're trying to do. I just dislike timed missions (or kill-all missions) in general. You'll probably run into a few people who think the same as I do.
[ QUOTE ]
Like most of Longbow's black ops people, Orange doesn't so much have 'issues' as 'a lifetime subscription'.
[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, I got that. That was one of the few things I did like about the arc. The problem is that, while it's a cute bit, it didn't really have any significance to the overall plot.
[ QUOTE ]
Well, thus the bit in the intro popup about the wreckage and blood spatters on the walls. My hope was people would read that and go 'Ah-ha, okay, that's a blood spatter, not a mystic sigil poorly copied out of a paperback grimoire by a Hellion'. If we ever get an office map that's on fire but doesn't have mystic symbols scrawled on it, I'll be changing this in a hot second, of course.
[/ QUOTE ]
The blood splatters on the wall didn't bother me as much as all the altars popping out of nowhere did. The blood splatter I can handwave away ("Oh, it just *happened* to splatter in that pattern"). The altars are a bit difficult to handwave away, though.
There's a smaller burning map that I use in "Cat War" that, while also Hellion-related, does not have any altars sitting around. It's in Unique Maps --> Warehouse --> Hellions, I believe. It *is* small, though, but it might work better for your story.
[ QUOTE ]
Again, I have to ask if you've played the arc where she's introduced (30-35 range). This is the devil of trying to play with canon characters, I guess - not everybody will be familiar with them, so you have to balance bludgeoning people with information they already have or leaving them in the dark as to what's going on.
[/ QUOTE ]
I've played through all of the CoH arcs and most of the CoV arcs. I don't really remember that one, though. Some additional information is always good, even if the player is already aware of the previous story. That's why they put the recap pages in the comic books and the "Previously on..." part at the beginning of shows. If you already knew the story, it's a good refresher. If you didn't, it helps bring you up to speed.
[ QUOTE ]
This would be why you face three EBs, one huge, one male, one female; one ranged zappy type, one melee scranky type, one controllery type. This is also why they all have full-face masks. (Strictly they might also be clones of friends/SGmates/etc.) Also see the dialogue when you blow up the central computer in the last mission and the text in the souvenir.
[/ QUOTE ]
What you tried to do ... create a "clone" of the player ... is an interesting idea. But until the MA allows you to "copy" the player directly (something I'd love to see, as the perfect ending to my saga would be for you to fight your own Praetorian clone), it just comes off as awkward. None of the three EBs "matched" me. That's why I suggest you create customs of the "generic heroes" found in the mayhem missions and make them the infiltrators instead. At least then there would be legitimate reason for them being familiar -- you've very likely ran into them before.
I do get what you're trying to do. But the current MA limitations just doesn't make it work.
[ QUOTE ]
And the final map, is, again, down to mechanical issues. When I first started working on this it used the Crey Hero lab map, but that one's gone to the Great Cartography Center In The Sky, requiring some rejigging. The hospital seemed a reasonable replacement, in story terms.
[/ QUOTE ]
The hospital wasn't that bad this time around. I just have had too many bad experiences on that map. Objectives getting lost, paths getting stuck, looking all over the map for that one last mob or glowie. Thankfully everything happened in the final room, so it was not too frustrating to get through the final mission.
Good luck with the arc!
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
OK, I'll add mine to your ever-growing list and add yours to mine.
The Consequences of War - Part 1 (Arc #227331)
If you enjoy it enough to consider running Part 2 (Arc #241496) like a few others have, I'll add another one of yours to my list, but I figure you'll be pretty swamped for a while.
Thanks a bunch for joining the reviewers' elite. There are never too many good reviewers, and I can attest to the fact that constructive reviews make a huge difference to the quality of an arc.
P.S. Do you have any particular preference as to which of your arcs needs feedback the most? If so, I'm on it. If not, I'll just pick one.
The SOLUS Foundation - a Liberty and Pinnacle SG
"The Consequences of War" - Arcs # 227331 and 241496
"The Consequences of War" is one of those arcs I've been having my eye on for a while. Consider it added to the queue.
As for my arcs, either "Horsemen Chronicles (Part 1)" or "Wolfpack Chronicles (Part 1)" would be good. The Wolfpack arc seems to be well-liked with a high rating average, but I have gotten virtually zero feedback on it thus far.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
Really? I'm flattered. I hope I stay that way after you review it. 
Anyway, consider Horsemen or Wolfpack done, then.
The SOLUS Foundation - a Liberty and Pinnacle SG
"The Consequences of War" - Arcs # 227331 and 241496
I've got a couple for ya:
Halloween Night - Arc ID #227436, Level Range is 1-30ish - Single Mission Arc
The Ballad of Murky The Cat - Arc Id #77311 - level Range is really 30+. Long 5 Mission Arc.
Take Care,
BinkDeBook
Virtue: CaptainMayhem-50 Inv/SS Tank; NaomiArmitage-50 DM/Inv Scrap; Captn Randomizer-50 MC/Kin Cntrller; Murky Thecat-50 Claws/SR Scrap; Professor Junk-50 Bots/Traps MM; +Others Arc Id #77311, #227436
If you're still accepting arcs to review, you can try Marked Man (3463) and/or The Perfect Drug (244209).
I thought I'd go ahead and join the party and make my own review thread. I can't promise I'll be as awesome a reviewer as many of the other folks providing reviews here.
This is not a quid pro quo situation, although I'd certainly appreciate it if you played my arcs and provided some feedback or comments.
As for my ranking system:
1 star: This arc is beyond horrible. There's virtually nothing redeeming here. Very likely only a farm or a poorly-disguised farm. There's no story here, or the story makes absolutely no sense at all. Typos and poor grammar abound.
2 star: The architect put in the minimal amount of effort required to publish an arc. Objectives are single words. The story is barely there. There are many typos and grammar errors. Arcs that are extremely frustrating with tedious objectives that require me to run all over the map and wasting my time will very likely get two stars.
3 stars: The story is decent. There's nothing really special about the story, it's just there. I can tell the architect did work on the arc, but the story just didn't grab my interest. Maybe I spotted a few errors here and there, but the grammar is overall competent. There's probably one or two "WTF, this doesn't make any sense" moments here.
4 stars: This arc is good. There's no obvious flaw with the story. The grammar is impeccable. There are no obvious plot holes that I saw, and the gameplay is fun and entertaining. The arc is mostly bug-free. It, however, is missing that certain *something* that would make it a 5-star arc.
5 stars: I absolutely loved this arc. The story engaged me. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue. The missions were fun to play though, and I'd gladly play through it again. It has that "wow, that rocked!" factor. There was almost no flaws. (Note, to me, 5 stars does not mean "perfect!" -- It means the arc earned an "A" from me.)
I imagine that I'll be giving out mostly 3s and 4s.
My first review to come soon.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788