Ruinous Destiny, arc 258133, @Dreamlord Kuzuji
A heroic, high-level arc. Solo save the world! In just 15-20 minutes? This I have to see. This thread describes it as a future setting. I wonder whether it'll be time travel or another dimension. But then it's also warned that coming arcs are required to explain some aspects. This is a really bad sign. I brace myself for potentially finding this arc to feel incomplete.
12:52pm I collect the arc
The arc description is more enticing than this thread!
The future of Paragon City and the world is in turmoil. A powerful entity attacked and disbanded almost all registered super heroes in Paragon City rendering it open to Arachnos invasion. Now you, the last true hero on earth, must stop this sickening slaughter and oppression."
"The last true hero on earth!" - you have me utterly motivated. Cool. But how did I come to be the last hero? Did someone pull me into the future from current day to help?
Arc Description: earth -> Earth ; "Disbanded" seems a bit tame in this context, perhaps annihilated, or depowered, or disabled, or something.
Elite Bosses, Extreme bosses and lieutenants, custom powers. Scary, but not too scary. This is level 40+.
My future contact is Resistance Commander Isaac. His look is spot-on. His description suggests Recluse is behind this future mayhem.
Now, I'll be seeking clarity on a number of things, despite your suggestion that things will be left for a sequel. I need to understand enough to keep wanting to play and find out more.
I am the last "true hero" on this planet (although Isaac appears to be alive). What is a "true" hero? Superpowered? And I'm last, because of a strange, death-bringing enemy. That's just a bit vague. Strange, how? Death, how? It is then suggested this is just a message, more to come.
The Accept text should perhaps be me wanting to 'Learn more'.
I think it might even be, "Visit the future and learn more". The send-off finally clarifies that this is a transmission. Could you begin by setting the scene - where am I (if not in the AE centre) and if I'm receiving a transmission, who/what is this Contact I am looking at, that is described as a person? I also see from the send-off that the unnamed enemy involves Arachnos. These villains are "conniving" - a strange understatement in this world of hero genocide.
There's a huge amount of battle and patrol dialog. Seems like Council Empire are invading Atlas, which was/is controlled by Arachnos.
Arachnos are scanning for unregistered humanoids. And killing anything that moves. Not sure if the contradiction is deliberate.
More and more dialog. I hear comments from an Ice Thorn Caster in there somewhere, and I see some Arachnoids. I hope I can just glance at some of the dialog and move on, there's too much to get a clear picture here.
I cannot find the Peculiar Man, but I do find Isaacs. He reminds me I've just woken up, as said in the introduction - where did I wake up?
Isaac's description suggests he can tell me more. But he doesn't tell me, and there's no Clue, although an Escort exit symbol has appeared on the Nav. Best if that is explained as an objective or in the hostage's dialog.
Isaacs can't keep up with me, and says we're wasting time, when it's HIM that fell behind!
Okay, despite his severely irritating attitude, I eventually escort Isaacs to the entrance. The mission is completed! The objective to find the peculiar man has disappeared. Is Isaacs supposed to be the peculiar man? He's never described as peculiar.
1:27pm: exit mission 1.
From the return message, my time in the AE centre is supposedly somewhere in the future setting.
Second mission is called "Discovering the Misfits". That seems to be more informative than anything my contact tells me.
I'm meeting Isaac in a sewer, used to vanquish some massive creature? I don't think it was 'used to', it may have been 'the scene of'. And that sounds to me like the big room in the Sewer Trial - but this is likely to be just regular sewer tunnels. At least I can guess I'll be facing Hydra.
M2 intro: halways -> hallways ; em' -> 'em
M2 entry pop-up: muk -> muck
Isaac dialog: says $target, meant to be $name? (hope you did run through this before asking for reviewers...)
Isaac's animation seems very impatient. Perhaps I should go rescue someone more appreciative...
The map is huuuge. Gets a bit dull, crawling through Hydra. I have to abandon my ally. At least his left-behind dialog is not abusive this time.
I finally find Archie. He's blue. If he's not a hero, what is he? I thought I was the last one left alive. His description suggests I'd be expecting someone younger. Why would I expect that?
A villain turns up, but doesn't last long. Didn't get to look at his description. And mission over.
So now I'm onto the final plan against "all of Arachnos". But first I attack Council Empire, making it look like Arachnos did it, to cause confusion in... whose ranks? Council Empire or Arachnos? And Council Empire and Arachnos have a treaty, despite the fighting earlier on? Confused still. At least the blue guy is coming along. Seems like I'm not the last hero...
1:54pm enter mission 3
Mission 3 entry pop-up sounds intriguing, although it seems a bit hard to read. Split infinitive?
I'm buried in dialog again as I run through to arm the bombs. Too much dialog. It is very repetitive. I suggest you create a separate objective of 1 group to say what you want to say, and have the others not say anything. It only needs to be said once.
Isaac specifically gave me a map to get to this warehouse. Perhaps you could say he gave me the explosives activation codes as well, since I'm using them here...
I find a mainframe that is an objective that's not ready for me yet. Strange. Any reason it's not ready yet? Why would I need to check it out AFTER setting the bombs? But even before I do that, I'm told to find Archie. Why only after I set the bombs? Actually, I'm arming the bombs, they're already in place. If you want me to set them, have them Fade In (collection settings) like the bomb in the villain tutorial.
I find a General Dennerson, but no Archie. But if I look at the General's description, it seems he's Archie. Could have suggested I 'find my ally' in the nav, rather than finding Archie. Again, Archie acts like I'm not the only hero left. I'm to lead him to the exit, taking out high ranking officers along the way. I hope the latter is optional, since I'm blowing the place up in any case!
Archie is hyper-aggressive. Doesn't seem to want to be led out much.
Then he betrays me, in favor of the Council - that he just went gleefully clobbering. He doesn't last long, it all seems a bit strange.
And I still have to defeat any high ranking officers. These objectives truly seem random. If I hadn't written all this, I'd abandon the arc at this point. But I plough on, searching again the map I've just been over twice. I find Brasovich, who talks a bit too much, didn't get to read much of it. But the dialog uses <br> which doesn't work in dialog. Council Empire are apparently Russians? Glory to the Centre?
But even beating Brasovich doesn't complete that objective, I have to defeat his group as well. You could set the objective to Boss Only. Especially when defeating the minion gives a message that Brasovich hits the ground lightly...
And finally I'm off to get info, presumably that mainframe.
Yep, and mission finally over.
2:23pm exit mission 3.
Return message: unpleasent -> unpleasant
There is a fourth mission, but I've spent 90 minutes on a "20-minute" arc. Reviewing is slow, but not this slow. I think you'll find enough food for thought in the review above to streamline the story. Missions 1 and 3 were too tedious to feel heroic, It did not seem at all like I was the last hero (even if one of the other heroes turned out to be a villain), and it took far longer than advertised. Those could be resolved to make it a solid 4-star arc. To get to 5-stars, I think the "future" concept would need to flow smoothly. How exactly is this future person contacting me? Or am I in the future? If it's explained in mission 4, that's too late, my hero did get there somewhere. If it's just a simulation in the AE center, that would explain it (cheaply) but it does need to be said.
Cheers, airhead
Arc: 379017: Outbroken See all your old friends in the Outbreak Tutorial sequel!
Arc: Coming Soon: The Incarnate Shadow Shard of Fire and Ice Mender Rednem needs you!
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Wow, thanks a bunch, man.
This is what I like to hear! I probably shoud've realized a BUNCH of those mistakes.
The maps were too big for some of the other missions to begin with, the story is a little quirky, and it could use a lot more "sensible" dialogue and acceptance choices.
Time to get crackin'!
Arc Name: Ruinous Destiny
Arc ID: 258133
Faction: Heroic, levels 40-50
Creator Global/Forum Name: @Dreamlord Kuzuji
Difficulty Level: Easy-Moderate (Custom EB, Bosses and an Ambush)
Keywords: Solo Friendly, Sci Fi, Save the World
Estimated Time to Play: Maybe 15 to 20 minutes, or possibly longer.
Basically you awake to a smoke filled world of death and destruction coupled with a surrounding presence of Council Empire and Arachnos. This takes place approximately 20-30 years in the future and has you exploring a possible future for the world of Heroes known as Paragon City.
This arc briefly takes you through the war-torn world and doesn't offer much explanation as to how exactly it happened at first, but bare with me on that part, as the coming arcs for the series explain it in detail.
And yes, it's solo friendly! Tell me if it's too hard for Defenders/Blasters/PBs/WSs/Controllers. I know I'm gonna get slapped for that one >_< Still, there are a few customs in there.
The BIG thing I need tested is if Elude is too much for the Boss in the third mission to have.
So what're you waiting for? Give it a shot if you please!
P.S.
Feel free to be harsh if necessary