BE Prologue: Gangs United, Arc ID 250480, by @Ozzie Arcane Medium length (4 small maps). Heroic, lvl range 10-20. An underground organization is attempting to unite several gangs into one.
An important sentence in my first run of this arc was this:
So, hm, this arc was a bit underwhelming, TBH. With the slow pace of low-level Controller combat, especially Ill
Right off, Im not putting enough effort in, am I? A slow-paced toon isnt fun? So how about I take a faster-hitting character in? And just to take some of my own fun in, Ill use a toon whose concept cracks me up and whose first outing pleasantly surprised me. The Psystem
Theyre a lvl 13 Psi/Psi Blaster.
Im not going to comment on typos etc, I pointed them out in my first run
The rerun will be fairly short, I think. It's not going to be in much detail, either.
HEY YOU / WHO US / HUMAN NEEDS HELP / HUMAN CRAZY / SHUT UP, YOU / SCOTHEW LARBERS / GESUNDHEIT / NO / SCOTHEW LARBERS NAME OF HUMAN SEEKING ASSISTANCE / SECRET ORGANISATION PLOTTING / PLOTTING / PLOTTING COURSE FOR ALDEBARAAN / 548876.00988K{DD<(IIOU00.7)}Cos[hic] / IMPOSSIBLE / DIRECTIONS INVALID / TO THE NORTH POLE!!! / SHUT UP., YOU / ACCEPT MISSION / OOOH WHERE AM I GOING I DONT KNOW
Mission : Stop the Hellion Meeting
SCREAMS / SCREAMS IN THE NIGHT / NO / WE CAN HEAR SCREAMING / CARRY ON SCREAMING / OOH YOU ARE AWFUL / SHUT UP YOU / ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS SYUGGESTS TRANSFORMATION WAIL OF LARGE MONSTER / PROBABLY CROSS BETWEEN SQUIRREL, ANT AND ELEPHANT / PROBABLY? / PROBABILITY ESTIMATED AT 0.0076% / WE ARE DAMAGED / YES
[This run goes much smoother. The Psystem can handle the customs and the Hellions, Im enjoying myself. The custom hellions look very nice with their horns and fiery eyes]
AARGH / UGLY MONSTER / MONSTER RAVING / RAVING LOONY / DOING THE LAMBETH WALK / OI / SHUT UP, YOU / ATTACK / WADING THROUGH BODIES / AND STILL HE DIDNT THINK IT TOO MANY / WHATS THAT / FIERY MONSTER / BIG HAT / HORNS ON HAT / OW / OW / OW / WE ARE ON FIRE / OW / INITIATE EMERGENCY THERMORESISTANCE PLAN ALPHA BRAVO FOXTROT TANGO WALTZING MATILDA / NO TIME / PLAN B / PLAN B? / YES / FIND BUCKET OF WATER / SIT IN BUCKET / EMIT COMEDY STEAM FROM BOTTOM / BOTTOM OBJECTS / NO TIME / ATTACK / OW / OW / BRAIN SUGGESTS LESS HYPERBOLE / SENTIENT HYPERSOLID EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL METAL FIREPROOF / OH
[end of mission. Much more fun all round.]
Mission 2: Stop the Troll Meeting
SMELLY CAVE / SHUT UP, NOSE / DONT LIKE SMELLY CAVE / SLIMY CAVE / LIKE HIPPOPOTAMUS BOTTOM / STOP IMMEDIATELY / SEARCH FOR MISCREANTS / LOOK, OVER THERE / ICE ICE BABY / ATTACK / BRRR / ONE / TWO / THREE / ACHTUNG / UWAGA / LOOK, ANOTHER HAT-WEARERE / YES / OW / NO PROBLEM / ATTACK / AND
OUR WORK HERE IS DONE
[still not a huge fan of this arqachnoid cave, but with my jump pack, I was able to quickly find the three custom Ice armored Trolls, and then Lord Kuma. Again, the AT made it much better. I notice that the bosses are only needed this time, which is nice as sometimes their guards spawn a bit far away.]
Mission 3: Stop Raid on Family Base
THIS IS IT BOYS / THIS IS WAR / WHAT / NINETY NINE RED BALLOONS / NO / NO BALLOONS IN HERE / OH / TEAR DUCTS ACTIVATE / WE HAVE NO TEAR DUCTS / WHAT IS WET SUBSTANCE ON FACE? / NASAL MUCUS / INVESTIGATE / YES / AGGRESSIVE ATTACKS INCOMING / FIGHT / >>>><<<>><><&g t;< / MAFIOSO / YOU GOT NOTHING! / WALKING CORPSES / YUCK / FREE HUMAN / HUMAN OFFERS ASSISTANCE / ACCEPT / USE HUMAN AS HUMAN SHIELD / NEGATIVE / VOTE? / NEGATIVE / CONTINUE / ATTACK / LARGE ROOM AHEAD / INITIATE MEGASELFDESTRUCT PROTOCOL ECSEMA SIGMA SEVEN / NEGATIVE / AW, PLEASE / YOU PROMISED / NO /
[Nice. obviously, lowbie controllers are not the toons to solo reviews on. My bad. This run was much more fun. I notice youve renamed the Contact too, and I think you've done a fair bit of dialogue rewrites, too?]
Mission 4: Shut Down Big Evil Base
INTO THE BASE / INSIDE / INITITIATE STEALTH MODE / CLOMP / CLOMP / CLOMP / HA/ FEET, DONT FAIL ME NOW / WOAH / DID YOU FEEL THAT / SUDDEN AWESOME SENSATION OF EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN SYSTEM PARAMETERS / LIKE WICKED RUSH, MAN / BRAIN SUGGESTS POWER-UP OCCURRING / TOOO MUCH X-BOX / INITIATE ULTRA-VIOLENT FRENZY / BRAIN CONCURS / FEET CONCUR / HANDS CONCUR / EARS CONCUR / GROIN CONCURS / NIPPLES CONCUR / TRUNK CONCURS / TRUNK? ATTACK! / ATTACK / ATTACK / VICTOIRE IS OURS!
[I level with the first patrol, and then cut a swathe through the base, destroying the various destructibles and mopping up the mobs.]
BIG BAD DETECTED / HOW YOU DOIN / NOT TIME FOR ROMANCE / TIME FOR VIOLENCE / OW / OW / STOP HER DOING THAT / ATACK /<<>><>> / <<><>< / SHES DOWN / LAST CACHE TO DESTROY / MAGICAL WEAPONS / LEFT SHIN SUGGESTS APPROPRIATING MAGICAL WEAPONS AND BECOMING DARK OVERLORD OF CROATOA / NEGATIVE / CROATOA TOO FOGGY / THERE IT IS / OVER THERE / YES WE SEE IT / KABOOM / JOB DONE / EXIT TO LARGE CROWD WAVING AND CRYING WITH JOY / POSSIBLY GRATEFUL BABES / NO / SINGLE FAT BEARDIE MALE / HELL DO / NEGATIVE
[End]
And thats it. I noticed that After she was defeat is still a typo in the Human Succubus clue, but I didnt focus too closely on the text this time, more on the blastyness. Ive got no more suggestions, and its still a 3-starrer for me, but I hope you at least appreciate that I had a lot more fun this time round.
Eco
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
The Wolfpack Chronicles (Part 1), Arc ID 242869, by @Citizen Razor, Long (4 small, 1 unique maps), Villainous, lvl 10-14.
Looking back, part of the problem I had was that Topsy is a Brute, and so the stop-start nature of my write as I go style here interrupts Rage buildup, making the combat more difficult. Coupled with the fact that Topsys quite low, too, this meant that I wasnt allowing myself to experience the fun of a Brutes SMAAAAASHWAAAAARGH! playstyle. To rectify that, Im playing it again, straight through, with Atomicide, my lvl19 Dark/Dark Brute. Atromicide should be able to steam-roller this, and though I wont get any XP of course, hopefully itll be a nice fun Smash-fest.
Ill give a brief comment on the experience at the end of every mission. I notice that Omega is still cited as being a member of the Horsemen in his bio, BTW.
Mission 1: Get the Bowler Hat from the Mooks.
This was much better. I cleared everything. The mooks were no trouble this time. I found the bowler hat in the last crate, I dont know if thats just random or you changed it sonce my first run. Alpha conned orange, he had 3 mobs with him, they killed me once (my fault, I was impatient) but no complaints about the Smash factor here this time.
Mission 2: Steal the skin of Midas.
This was awesome fun. The Rocketmen dont have the annoying KD of the Mooks, so I just Got Mad and powered through them all. After the fight with Alpha (nice little anim on him waiting btw), I Supersped through the map to Midas whilst my Rage was at full, and wasted him easily.
Mission 3: Retrieve the Lock of Pyriss hair
This was the snake poo cave mission 
Im still not overly enamoured with the sifting the=rough the snake poo, but with my Rage up this was another fun storm through the snakes. I missed a few patches of snake dirt on my way, so after Id cleared all, I had to backtrack a ways, and then of course Alpha spawns in that back room. Id advise lowering the number of snake dirt patches to 4-6 or so.
Mission 4: Gather the Final Artifacts for the Portal
This is my least favorite mission of all. The map is a bit fiddly for the amount of crates to search, and the fact that the items you find in the fourteen crates are almost all pointless in terms of your mission makes them aggravating. One of them also spawns on top of a cargo canister thats a little difficult to get to without Fly. The fighting, however, was fun with full Rage.
Mission 5: Send the Artifacts to Praetoria.
The portal components were all in the same room at the start as last time. I Supersped through the map to the Mainframe, and the spawn of guards with it was enough to get my Rage up nicely for Alphas teleport in when the mainframe was done. I still dont like the possibility of a heroic victory in this villainous arc, but its part 1, so I guess that maybe the bad guys win in further parts.
So in terms of fun factor, I had a much better time of it this time. Im still not too crazy about the story, but the maps, mechanics and mobs were much better suited to Atomicide than to Topsy. As was the pace at which I went through it. Keeping Rage up is important for a Brute, obviously, and so Im going to be careful in using Brutes for my reviews in future. There are two ways of reviewing, with a Brute. Play it through as youd play normally, then write notes afterwards, in which case you may forget things or see clue drops etc not in the manner in which the author wants them delivered, or stop and write notes as you go, and interrupt Rage, which can lead to a more difficult time of it and a more critical review in general. Theres always the option to do both of course, and then combine the two into one review, or use a mic to record your thoughts as you play and then transcribe them
lol.
Id personally be wary of reviews written using a Brute TBH. I dont think they easily lend themselves to a measured review. Thats just my opinion.
I hope that this offered some constructive criticism, Razor.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
Thanks for giving my arc another try. I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the Arachnoid cave to a different smaller one. Honestly I picked it because I wanted something heroes haven't seen a thousand times, do you personally think I'd be better off with a different cave map?
On another note, I'm curious if you actually encountered the Vahzilok ambush in the Troll mission this time. I know from reading your previous review, they must have got lost on their way to you. (They spawned off the "Troll Guard")
Dont change your map again, this time i didnt have any troubles finding the frost giants.
i didnt notice a vahz ambush i'm sorry, but that might have been because i was in a bit of a blast frenzy.
Eco
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
[ QUOTE ]
I hope that this offered some constructive criticism, Razor
[/ QUOTE ]
I completely missed the first review. Thanks for catching the errors. Can't believe I put down Omega as a Horsemen. That's definitely a "D'OH!" moment.
Oddly enough, mission #4 is my favorite mission. The 14 crates all have souvenirs from various lowbie canon CoV story arcs. I think the patrols, battles, and ambushes on that small map makes for a frantic, chaotic mission. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect to see in Azuria's vault. But it could do with some tweaks.
Again, thanks for both reviews.
Play my MA arcs!
Tracking Down Jack Ketch - ArcID #2701
Cat War! - ArcID #2788
This is a very noble venture, MCM (no play on words intended). If I had the time, I'd probably try the same thing. As I told you in PMs, though, your reviews to date have been quite fair, helpful and personable. You've already been setting an example that contradicts others set in this forum, so I'm not sure I understand why you're starting another thread.
The fact is, not all arcs *are* 4 or 5 star arcs, no matter how often you play them or how many characters you use. It's not the star rating that makes a review bad, it's the approach and demeanor. You have both an entertaining approach and a friendly demeanor. Forcing yourself to give only 4s and 5s may be doing a writer more injustice than justice, particularly if said writer is looking for an honest critique of his work.
That said, I commend you for your leadership in this forum. Taking a stand isn't always the easy or popular thing to do, but it is frequently the *right* and mature thing to do. Bravo!
The SOLUS Foundation - a Liberty and Pinnacle SG
"The Consequences of War" - Arcs # 227331 and 241496
ThNk you for the kind words. My ratings wont be 'less than 3' though, not 4 or 5. In my other thread, i hadnt to date given less than 3 anyway, so this is just being open about my liberalness of rating.
CoW run should be up by the end of the weekend. Its taking me a while.
eco
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
[ QUOTE ]
The sheer horribleness of what went on in the Blight Thread made me critically review my own thread and take a long hard look at my reviewing in general.
I wondered if, when I'm not enjoyong an arc, it's maybe myfault. not the Author's. Maybe I'm not playing the arc slowly enough, or maybe my choice of toon is wrong.
When people play my arcs, I'd like them to play them at a measured pace, at a reasonable challenge level, and give them some kind of opportunity to show themselves off to their best. I should do no less with someone elses arc. I should be active in working with an arc to let whatever quality it has shine.
I'd like this review thread to be an antidote to the type of toxic criticism that occurred in the Blight thread. My reviews will therefore never have ratings of less than 3 stars, and any negative criticism i deliver will be delivered in as mild a form as i can manage. If you want brutality, go to one of the bully boys down the hall, you know who they are. I'll offer typo and grammar siugestions, and suggest plot or mechanics alternatives if I think they'd be useful, but I'm no expert (none of the reviewers are), and at the end of the day it's only one man's opinion. I'm happy to discuss the arcs in question and my review with the authors and anyone can submit an arc. I'm not asking for QPQ plays of my arcs, but if anyone wants to play The Audition, I'd appreciate it.
I realise that some of my toons have had a better time of it during the reviews; if I find myself not having enough fun during a run, I''ll change toon in an effort to give it another chance. The meat of the reviews will be in-character, as has become my favourite way to do it. I think that the main toons i'll be using will be the Accelerated Man, Robin Copperfield, Blush Bubble, Scoop Malloy, the Psystem, Tarquin Wilde, Atomicide, and Jacque Le Black.
My only stipulations for arc submissions are:
No Malta
No KoA
Nothing higher than lvl 45.
Limited slows and -Fly if possible
My starting queue is:
The Consequences of War 227331 and 241496
The Fracturing of Time 171031
The Doctor Returns 1152
I've also replayed a few of the arcs i gave negative reviews to in my earlier arc, with different toons. I'll put those dowwn before i get onto the queue.
Writing arcs is difficult, and takes a lot of effort. I believe that effort should be appreciated, even if the results aren't my cup of tea.
Eco.
[/ QUOTE ]
Wow, I so agree with what you said! You are extremely funny and while I can't say that I loved your review of my arc, I got a lot of valuable input from it.
The fact that I smiled, while reading a review of my arc that I didn't much care for, proves your talent for making people laugh.
I have an issue with the harshness of many reviews posted on this board and I am not talking about reviews of my arc.
Having created an arc, I know how much work goes into them, and well the arc bashing I have seen on this board is often mean and uncalled for.
Kudos to you for starting this thread
@Gypsy Rose
In Pursuit of Liberty - 344916
The Vigilante - 395861
Suppression - 374481 - Winner of The American Legion's February 2011 AE Author Contest
Very cool, MCM. Like I said in another thread (and got reprimanded for, oops), if you'd like to try another of mine, I made a prequel arc to the Tubbius Trilogy. It's arc 267125, "City of Ho Ho Help: A Prequel," telling the first two chapters of my first arc from Pistola's perspective.
Like Ho Ho Ho, it has the same level restrictions: 5-20. I've played it solo and on teams up to four players; the more players, the more police and security officers trying to take you down--and harder ones, too! :O It's. . . mmm. . . pretty easy, solo, at least on my toons.
Check it out, if you like! I understand you have your queue, but just toss this one in the line as you like.
I'm out of signature space! Arcs by Tubbius of Justice are HERE: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=218177
My queue is now:
The Consequences of War 227331 and 241496
The Fracturing of Time 171031
The Doctor Returns 1152
City of Ho Ho Help: A Prequel 267125
5 more slots available for submissions, if anyone wants it.
I'm half way through the CoW two-parter at present. My decision to have more fun has meant me taking longer over my runs. So it's not like there's any rush.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
I just played Blight, Arc ID 140423, and though I haven't written a review of it, I'd like to say that I enjoyed it immensely, and I thoroughly recommend it. It's a little unusual in comparison to 'straight' arcs, but the customs are great, the story is interesting and the ending is 'hmmm...', in a good way, IMO.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
[ QUOTE ]
5 more slots available for submissions, if anyone wants it.
[/ QUOTE ]
I know you just did one of my arcs but if you'd be interested in a higher level villain arc.
Arc Name: Web of Deception
Arc ID: 75310
Faction: Villainous
Author: @Ozzie Arcane
Level: 40+
Length: 5 Missions
Enemy Groups: CoT, PPD, Crey, Nemesis, Longbow, Custom
Synopsis: Aid President Evil in carrying out his latest scheme. To open a gateway to an alternate dimension.
You'll recognize the contact as a villain from the arc you just did. Also inspite of the warning. There is no extreme AV. There is an extreme EB and a weaker version of one of the signature AVs.
I'll give it a shot, Ozzie.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
Im currently running through The Consequences of War, and its a bit exhausting (in a good way, Im liking it very much) at times, so I thought Id have a short break before breakfast this morning and run something light and short on another toon. The CoW run should be up this evening.
Heres a mini-review for Wrong Number, whos asked me to avoid spoilers if possible. No problem. This arc apparently relies on a lot of innuendo humor, so Ill not mention the names or quote specifics.
In Poor Taste, Arc ID 259920, by @Wrong Number
Long (3 unique maps - it's not very long at all, in actuality), lvl 30-40, comedy arc. The description references the radio missions and the sometimes questionable names that the Bosses can have.
I took Tommy Atkins in for this, my lvl 31 MA/SR Scrapper.
Mission 1: Get Information from Freak Boss
Alright? Sometimes, this ero lark gets me some funny jobs. This last one, I got contacted by this tall bird, legs up ter ere, know what I mean? Calls erself Ms Manners. Says she wants me ter track down some villains and yer know why? Cos some people as a problem with their names! You gorra laugh in this business, eh? Still, I know what she means
Ive met some right dodgy-monickered goons in my time
Lord Manantler, The Minky Grinder
Gush
so I agrees
[lol Im hoping for innuendo-saturation from this arc]
The Freak boss Im ere to grill puts up a handy fist of it, but I beat him off no problem - hes no match fer Tommy. He spills his guts about the locations of the other villains
[Nice short little mission, Blackbeards casino map, a straight fight against a Freak Boss. His bio and dialogue are indeed full of innuendo, and, well, that form of humor isnt exactly Mark Twain wit, but it doesnt claim to be, and Im British, we are the titans of Double-Entendre, so Im well into it]
Mission 2: Destroy Protection Ring and Arrest Boss
Gordon Bennet! What a whiff! The Faultline Dam works ave always had a bit of a pong about em, but this is taking the McVities, this is! Me ears are bleedin, the smells so bad! Id better find the boffer an put a plug in im! I olds me nose an pegs it into the chamber. Gawd strewth, theres crates of cheese lyin about
in this humidity? I can taste metal, its so strong! I smash em up sharpish
Blimey, spreadin cheese all about the place
Im not sure thats elpin, to be honest
[typo on one crate title smellest should be smelliest]
I find the geezer behind the godawful nose-squirts, an e gives me no trouble apart from the need fer a nasal irrigation. Es got a message on is cellphone tellin of a meet comin up soon I reckon I should be there ter take the minutes, eh?
[Another short fun mission. Using Martial Arts to somehow stop the horrendous smell of the cheese strikes me as bizarre, but referencing it in the mission as Tommy just did, although funny, wouldnt work if the Player had, say, fire attacks. I liked the different cheeses mentioned Im not sure how many spawn points this map has, you could put more destructibles with various foodstuffs in them I was expecting to find foods that produce wind (truffles, 14-Bean humus, molasses and peanut curry, etc), stuff for the Bosses diet. V enjoyable even so]
Mission 3: Arrest All Questionable Bosses
[Briefing: Welcome back Tommy Atkins. needs comma after back]
So the rest of the gang are oled up in an old Council lair. Ms Manners is goin ter join me on this one, so we can go twos up on anyone we find
[typo in Eagle Blue Ink Man patrol: stinken should be stinking or maybe stinkin]
I basically clear the decks of all these bad sorts
its a nice little workout fer Tommy, all in. I fink Ms Manners is suitably impressed. I ope shes appy with my services, I spect Ill find out when she debriefs me, eh?
[The villains dialogue is sometimes individually groan-worthy, but the cumulative effect has me guffawing by the end. Weasel And Bone Shakers final lines especially have me hooting. End]
Great fun. Just right for a lunchtime arc or to fill a gap whilst waiting for SG mates or whatever. Adding more objects in mission 2 might up the humor content, but then itd be longer, so I dont know. I cant see any reason not to like this one as it stands. My view on humor is: If it's funny when you're 9, it's funny when you're 39!
4-stars.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
The Consequences of War, Arc IDs 212069 and 212073, by @dalghryn
Its in two parts:
Part 1 is Very Long (2 small, 2 unique, 1 medium map)
Part 2 is also Very Long (5 unique maps)
Lvl range for both parts is 40-54
The warnings for both contain AVs and EBs, with Part 1 also having Extreme settings (not on the AVs, I must point out)
The descriptions explain that this is a story of some of the hundreds of heroes who fought and died in the Rikti War.
Im taking my lvl 37 Kin/Rad Defender The Accelerated Man into this, even though hes a bit low possibly. He just sort of spoke to me Take me in for this one.
The Consequences of War Part 1
good evening Gavin, its me, Alain
yes, Im sorry its late. I just wanted to ask you to pick up some alka-seltzer, orange juice, bananas, Greek yogurt and some plums on your way over to the lab tomorrow morning
because Ill have a terrible hangover, Gavin
because Im getting drunk. Actually, I think Im already drunk. Ive had one shot of Zoladkowa
its a Polish flavored vodka, Gavin, its really very nice, and easy to drink in shots if you chase it with a sliver of orange
just one
yes, I can get drunk on one shot
how many times have I told you, Gavin, everythings physics. Walking is physics, laughing is physics, and getting drunk is also physics. You know how much wastage there is in the alcohol metabolizing process of a normal human? Its quite shockingly inefficient. Im working with the normal amount of alcohol molecules as you would be, Gavin, Im just getting them to work harder.
Why? Just something that happened today
I was out on patrol
you know, I dress all this heroing business up in saying its just test runs for new modifications to my systems and discoveries, but I think I like the fighting part of it too much
and thats terrible, Gavin, for me
Im a man of science
any way, I was in Perez Park and I bumped into this girl, a teenager, barely. She was being pushed around by some Hellions
they were little more than children, themselves
I transferred some of their energy to her, let her do the pushing, for a bit
afterwards, she thanked me, and she was looking at me strangely. I asked what was the matter, and she said My dad was a superhero too
he died in the War
poor thing
she must have been very young then
I asked her what his name was, and she said Dennis Stockwell
I meant his hero name, Gavin
how often we simply see the mask, and not the man, eh?
I asked her what his hero name was, and she looked like she was going to cry. She said I cant remember, I was only little
I called him Dad
so I told her that her dad was a hero, and because of him Paragon City was safer for everyone. She said that her Dad was in a supergoup in the war, her mother told her
I asked her what the name of the group was, and she said
The Alpha Team
Alpha Team
four out of five died, Gavin
8 out of 10
why does 8 out of 10 sound like so much more than 4 out of 5
what? No, Ive never told you what I did during the war, Gavin
are you sure?
you think?
maybe I do
yes
well
its not a happy story, Gavin
.what about your lady friend? Its late
OK
thank you Gavin, it would be good to talk, I think
my first
combat experience
I found myself in contact with a group called the SOLUS Collective. A
ha
a person called Lazon acted as my
I guess you could call it my superior
we were at war, after all
Lazon was an energy being from the Sun
it would have been fascinating to examine him
but of course
Anyway, he asked me to go into the sewers in Atlas Park to investigate. Two of his associates, Captain Superior and Billy Bad Boy, had already been in, but theyd lost contact. Lazon would try to figure out how the Rikti were jamming our radio whilst I was down there
and he told me to make sure I didnt leave any high-rank Rikti alive. Being asked to murder sentient beings
but it was a war. We did what we had to.
Mission 1: Help Battle the Rikti
[Im level 37, and Ive seen the Warning!: Archvillains! message on the description. If I cant take them, its entirely my fault, Ill say that now. Im sure something will come up if they are a handful
Im taking a good few Break Frees into this, in anticipation of the Mentalists.]
Inside the sewers proper, I could hear the sounds of battle in the distance
what?
to be honest, Gavin, I was terrified. Frightened of the aliens, frightened of killing
I still thought of myself as a scientist, not a soldier.
I came across me first Rikti after about 30 seconds. He
it
was guarding an ugly device
you know, up until that moment Id been worrying about what Id do when I actually had to kill one of the Rikti, whether or not Id freeze, or falter. Now, then, presented with one, I just did it. I didnt think, I didnt falter, I just sapped him, slowed him, enfeebled him and killed him. I didnt even think about him afterwards, I had to investigate this machine. It was a bomb, obviously, and quite advanced. Some kind of high-yield plasma loadout, easily enough to take out a cityblock. Luckily, Im a genius. I disarmed it carefully, while that dead Rikti just lay there, quietly judging me, it seemed
. I wonder what its name was
[The entry popup is good, and the mission start clue gives wonderful background info on the War, with a pointer to the official page on the war too. The first bomb is just around the corner, guarded by a single guardian. The bio and clue for the bomb are well-written. Liking it a lot so far]
There were probably going to be more of these, I surmised
I moved deeper into the sewers
the second Rikti was easier to kill than the first, and after that I just stopped seeing them as living things
it was easier that way. I discovered another 2 bombs, and then encountered Captain Superior. He was engaged with the enemy
oh, listen to me
I helped him defeat the Rikti he was fighting, and then he told me to carry on while he reported to Lazon
[Captain Superior, after his rescue, ran off to the other side of the room he was in and then stayed there, hovering at the bottom of a slope back up to the surface.]
Before he left, he told me that a Rikti by the name of TroNaht was down here overseeing the bomb plantings
Gavin, I hated to see him go
I didnt know if I was strong enough for a Rikti Commander and his entourage
But I carried on into the sewers anyway
I wasnt being brave, Gavin
I thought that I could find Billy Bad Boy, he could help maybe
I found him down another level
and met my first Rikti drone. I hate those things, although knowing they werent alive made them easier to kill. Billys colloquialisms were a bit abrasive at first, but he was a decent sort
[lol BBBs dialogue is great, and I love the last line he gives in his briefing clue]
A little further on, we found the last bomb, in a large chamber with too many Rikti. You know, Gavin, Id half thought we could sneak into TroNahts base camp chamber, or something, scout out a bit, maybe take out his outriders or whatever they call them in the movies
ah
war is nothing like that, Gavin. Its horrible and messy. We spotted the bomb, headed for it, and then it was like Chaos was with us, blind and laughing. There were Rikti everywhere. I sped up Billys metabolism, and then it was mayhem. I had a hard time keeping up with him, to be honest, he was like a man possessed. I guess I could have left him to his own devices and dealt with my own Rikti, there were certainly were certainly enough of them there
Gavin, afterwards he thanked me for keeping his back
but the real reason I stayed with him was because I was terrified of dying, and staying with him gave me a better chance
[Billy, once SBed, was AWESOME. He was zipping all over that last room. Keeping up with him was indeed quite hard, cos he was using all the staircases and gantries etc. Here we have an Ally whos looking to Aggro the World, and it was actually FUN because even though he was abandoning targets in favor of new ones every other attack, he was staying in one room while he did it. It was very good madness of war stuff ]
I was by his side, siphoning energy from some drones, when I felt a tremendous blow, and realized that I was standing toe-to-toe with the Rikti Commander! I dont know if I froze or not, but then everything went crazy. There were hundreds of Rikti, Gavin, teleporting in, running up the stairs, intent on killing us, us two, back to back at the center of this mad whirlwind of alien rage. Then, just before TroNaht fell, he spoke
in English! I didnt have time to realize what that meant, because more waves of them kept coming
it was incredible
But we fought, and eventually the tide turned, and at the end, we won
we survived
I survived
[That was edge-of-defeat stuff, the waves of Rikti storming in, and because we were up on a gantry at the time, I could see them running into the room below, so I had a marvelous tense warning of more to come as we were fighting the ones we were already engaged with]
Lazon contacted us on a short-range communicator about then, very faint through the Rikti jamming. The bombs were all placed under important tactical points throughout the City, especially ones connected to the citys heroes. The Rikti were upping their activity. I confess I didnt pay too much attention to him, Gavin
I was far too concerned with the fact that I was alive, after that
orgy of death. I was standing on a pile of dead aliens, stinking, ozzing alien blood
God, the smell
We examined the wreckage of TroNahts battle suit, and I thought again about that speech. Billy heard it too, so it wasnt just me. I decided that he must have had a translator in his suit, so I collected some likely looking components for later study.
Heh, Gavin, dyou know, part of me thought that that was it. Id done my bit for the war, now, surely I could go home and have lunch and get back to my laboratory
except another part knew my lab was gone, destroyed
and that there was much more to do
Lazon had another task for me shortly after. Hed isolated a possible lead on the Rikti jamming problem. He wanted me to take a decryption key into an office he suspected might lead to a Rikti underground bunker, and use it to hack into any Rikti computer systems I might find. I could find two more of the SOLUS Collective at the coordinates, Energy Blastion and Empathy
Mission 2: Hack the Rikti Computer System
[Im not a great fan of the Office/Rikti bunker maps generally. They tend to strike me as too big. Lets see what AM thinks]
The building was infested with Rikti, Gavin. I could hear the sounds of combat in the distance, probably Energy Blastion and Empathy
[The entry popup contains You hear the coordinated sounds of energy blasts and healing auras in the distance. nice way of letting me know Ive got some damage and healing support to look forward to ]
I had no time to think about what was happening, I had to get to the two heroes already inside. I fought my way through the corridors
it was tough
I found a Rikti portable computer hoverpod in one of the rooms, guarded by one of those awful psychic Rikti and a squad of force field users. That was awful
I came close to dying, there, I think, Gavin
but luck was with me, maybe
I rested for a long while in that room, letting my powers rebuild my wounded limbs
or maybe I was just too frightened to go on. I eventually started looking at the computer. The key was easy enough to apply, but the Rikti systems repelled it. Lazon had said it was Heuristic, so maybe it would have better success with a fresh system. I pushed on
I found some patrols, dealt with them, then tried the key on a few more computers. It lasted longer each time, but still got shut down. Hopefully it was learning
After some time, I found a hole in the buildings floor, leading to a Rikti warren under the City. I thought the building was bad
I hated going down into that place, Gavin
I didnt want to die in an alien dungeon away from the sky and the light and the world I was fighting for
[Just inside the hole, I meet an orange-conning mentalist, a drone, a guardian and a conscript. Its a tricky fight. I wish I had acrobatics lol]
I pushed deeper, and hear the sounds of combat around a corner. Empathy was there, engaged. I assisted her, and she joined me
I felt much better with her by my side, Gavin
she had some sort of dark energy exudations, and an energy field which healed my wounds
plus she was human, Gavin
[Empathys clue debriefing suggests shes going to stay behind, at least thats how I initially read it (it is I guess open-ended), but Im glad she followed me.]
We fought on into the caverns, and after more fighting, a new computer system yielded to the decryption key
barely. I retrieved a data file of some sort, and then the key shut down. A little further ahead we heard energy blasts, and then found Energy Blastion in combat. The three of us made short work of the Rikti, Im happy to say. After that, it was a relief to retreat back to our own lines
[Hm...In terms of objective spawning, I think I found three computers up in the building, then two or three down in the tunnels. Empathy spawned not far into the tunnels, then I found the correct (or last) computer, and then, another corner and Energy Blastion was there. Freeing him ended the mission. Im not complaining, but finding the allies before the last computer would maybe have been more dramatic]
We returned to the SOLUS Collectives HQ
but war doesnt stop for lunch, mores the pity
the jamming problem was being investigated by Captain Superior and Blastion. Lazon wanted me to take the components Id found on TroNaht to the scientist Rebecca Brinell in Galaxy; but the Vanguard with her had sent word that they were under attack from a Rikti assault. I had to go help immediately. Lazon also wanted all they had on the Rikti
Mission 3: Rescue Rebecca Brinell and Exchange Information
I arrived at the bunker that Rebecca and the Vanguard were entrenched in. The Rikti were in force. Id have to fight my way to Rebecca
the first floor wasnt too difficult, I was learning how to fight them now
speed was the key, I had to keep them off-guard, sapped, slow them, especially the ones with the short-range portal devices if I could drain their power packs before they had a chance to use them I significantly improved my odds
[Glory be, am I using tactics? Unheard of! ]
Down a floor, however
God, Gavin, it was hellish
I met up with some Vanguard who were under heavy attack. I helped them fight off their attackers, but they wouldnt come with me when I had to go on
I dont blame them, I didnt want to either. Deeper into the bunker, I found a computer access terminal, retrieved the files Lazon needed, and then all hell broke loose. It was like a bloody swarm of the damn things arrived. It was too much for me
I fell.
[wow, that was tough. I died. Looking at where the spawns returned to, I think it was the ambush from the computer combined with an unlucky patrol containing a comms officer. Luckily, I didnt die in a spawn idle position
]
I lay face down, tasting my own blood, listening to the hopeless whine of my prosthetics as they failed to cope with the trauma, and I closed my eyes and waited for the final blow of a Rikti sword
and they just walked away
I have no idea why
maybe they thought I was dead
maybe they didnt care
theyre aliens, who knows what the damn things were thinking? War is a lot of things, Gavin, its horror and pain and loss
and sometimes, war is luck. I just lay there and let my systems rebuild themselves. Then I moved ever so slightly, to see what was around. God, there were dozens of them, so close. I waited for my chance, and then activated very boost I had and ran. I ran back to where the Vanguard were, and the Rikti chased me. When I reached the vanguard, there was only one left
God help me, Gavin, I left him there
I kept running. I heard him die
Im sorry Gavin, I think Im going to be sick
excuse me for a moment
[click]
its me
Im back
yes, yes, Im alright
after Id shook them off, I calmed myself down and made some adjustments, did some yoga exercises, and carefully went back in. Theyd left some of their forces out front; they were easier to pick off, one and two at a time
Using a hit-and-run approach, I whittled them down
[lol. Its taking me ages, but its great fun. The knockdown is really annoying me, though. Must get Acro next time I level]
I battled my way to a large chamber, where I saw Dr Brinell, surrounded by Rikti. There was no way to lure them individually. I was, I confess, getting a bit tired of these alien thugs by now, I felt anger building up. I went a little mad, I think, Gavin
I strolled into the center of the chamber, looked around at the Rikti encircling me, and let my powers run wild.
I know weve talked about my powers before, Gavin, and I find it difficult to explain in laymens terms the exact nature of the kinetic transference flux strings that I can unconsciously manipulate. My powers wax and wane, Gavin
on this occasion, I felt the alien energy, the power, the potential encased in all those alien bodies
I let their officer use his stupid portal to draw more of them into the room...they were simply batteries, to me, then, Gavin. I drained them dry and killed them with their own power
[Fulcrum Shift FTW! ]
After the remnants had been mopped up, I gave the components to Dr Brinell. Before I could help her to the exit, however, I received a message from Lazon. The SOLUS base was under attack
[Hm, I received this message from Lazon in the mission complete clue to this mission. I wonder how youll deal with Lazon being the contact once Im out
]
[Ah, you dont. Im not sure it matters, tbh. Im not having any kind of Forehead-Wrinkling Moment, anyway]
I made my way to the SOLUS Base as fast as I could
on the way, Lazon got through to me. The Base was under attack. I had to find two more SOLUS members, Commissioner G and Penthouse. There was also a Rikti Sub-Commander leading the assault Lazon wanted me to assassinate him
[Lazon says Accelerated Man, get with Penthouse and Commissioner G.. that get with sounds slightly off to me, in terms of Lazons Voice so far.]
Mission 4: Help Stop the Rikti Attack
The City was on fire, Gavin
the intensity of the Rikti attacks had increased horrifically. it was incredible
The SOLUS Base was under attack. Soon after entering, I met up with Lazon. He was fighting a group of Rikti. After I arrived and engaged them too, he told me to deal with it myself, and disappeared into the depths of the base looking for the rookie heroes who were inside
[Lazon was spawned in sight of the entrance door. His clue says there's no sign of Flash whoever, or any heroes but the ones you've already met, but hes the first person Ive met so far in this mission, so it seems odd.]
I wasnt entirely happy to be left on my own to deal with the Rikti there, but needs must, Gavin
After that, I followed his route
[Lazon flew off into the base, not out of it. As I turn the corner, I find him hovering near the elevators. I actually thought it was quite cool youd managed to find a way to make a rescued ally fly deeper into a map, not to the exit; Im thinking its a bug maybe now, though I remember a similar thing happened in the first mission with Captain Superior.]
I next found a darkly glowing woman fighting off a few Rikti over the body of a dead hero. I assisted her, and she introduced herself as Penthouse, supermodel turned centerfold turned hero. The dead hero was Flash Macintosh, she said
Id never heard of him
I still dont know anything else, Gavin
I never asked, afterwards
we should remember the dead, shouldnt we
?
We moved into the base, looking for survivors, finding only death. We killed Rikti and their bodies fell to lie next to the corpses of the heroes theyd slaughtered
[I find a second body, but it has no clue. The system message says You've found this hero's I.D. card but I dont know who it is, which seems incongruous. Im not suggesting you need a clue drop for each body, but adding the name to the ID card reference in the system message would be nice]
[Same for the next one
]
So many dead
we saved some, though. One had a broken leg; I left Penthouse at a staging point whilst I helped him to the exit
[lol cant SB escorts
very slightly annoying having to backtrack at this point, but its a short distance and Im immersed, so its not a big deal. The FWM, however, comes when we reach the door, and Prince Nigel IV (lol what a name!) then says his thanks dialogue and turns around and runs back into the base!]
Back in the depths of the SOLUS base, we cleared room after room, methodically culling the infestation. We found more bodies, heroes once, meat now. I pocketed their ID cards for later archiving without looking at them
what use were their names to me now?
The final floor
the final room
we worked our way around the edge, to a hero called Commissioner G. He appeared to be a little confused by the mayhem all around, and rushed odd, shouting about getting help. We could have used his help then, to be honest
maybe he was afraid
[Commissioner Gs clue says hes going to help Penthouse whilst Lazon and I hold the fort, but Lazons not with me, Penthouse is]
At the far end of the chamber, the Rikti Commander and his group waited. Penthouse and I were the only ones healthy enough to attempt to take him down. He
it, was wearing a Heavy Assault Suit. Id never fought one of these things before
you know the things Im talking about, Gavin?
monstrous hard to kill, and the weapons
I knew Id probably be burning soon, Gavin
and let me tell you, burning plasma is not at all nice
[gulp. here we go, can AM and Penthouse take on a lvl 40 EB? Theres only one way to find out!
I decided to send Penthouse back to see if Commissioner G or someone was available to help
[lol Im going to pull DroVidts attendants away one by one first, and I dont want Penthouse getting in the way or aggroing and dying. Ill come back for her after the Commanders on his own]
Whilst she was gone, I tried to extract the Commanders attendants from his vicinity
it was a tricky business
too tricky
[Then I realize Im probably going to need Fulcrum Shift lol
ah, the fun of a kin]
Penthouse returned alone, so we moved to a position where we could hopefully surprise the Commander
[Cross your fingers.]
We attacked from behind
that gave us maybe a second before we were into it
it started off OK, but then Penthouse flew up to get a better position, and we lost any synergy. My powers only affect those who are close to me, Gavin
Poor Penthouse either didnt know that or, I dont know
the heat of battle. Dro Vidt turned all his attacks onto her, and before I could do anything so help or save her, she fell
[
AMs more forgiving than me I was shouting You stupid tart, get your skanky [censored] down here in range of my heals! lol]
When I saw her hit the floor and crumple, my first thought, Im ashamed to say, was about my own safety. Now there was only me, Gavin
just me
and that
thing
it was
oh my god, it was terrible
But I fought on, gritting whats left of my teeth against the burning pain, overloading my systems with transferal of energy and dodging, running, blasting
Using my radiation attacks makes me feel horribly ill, you know that, dont you? Its nausea
hah, its laughable to say that its from the radiation, I really think its psychosomatic
but that day, God, I was throwing up whilst I was fighting, Gavin. It was a mess.
I died, you know
I got hit by a fusion explosion of some sort, and thrown against the wall. I felt my heart stop. Believe me, Gavin, thats not an experiment I wish to repeat. I made it start again
didnt know I could do that until then
but anyway, I had to get out, it was hopeless
I initiated an Emergency Temporal Shift which shunted me to temporary safety. I caught my breath, knowing that the thing was no doubt re-ordering its systems, healing itself, recharging its depleted energy cells
I had no time!
[aw, my first death that requires a trip to the hospital. I stock up on inspires and rush back in]
I went back for it, attacked it again. There was no-one else, it had to be me
I hated it, I loathed it, I wanted it dead
do you know why? Not because it was attacking my world, not because it had killed dozens of heroes, I hated it simply because it was responsible for putting me in this position, this kill-or-be-killed situation
thats ridiculous, isnt it, Gavin
I attacked it again, and I think I was prevailing, it was definitely flagging, I could see the damage
when the blasted thing called out for reinforcements. In English! I was suddenly swamped. I had to use the ETS again
The next time was harder. I had more bodies to sap, but God, it was slow going. I was concentrating on the Commander, but he must have been drawing energy reserves from somewhere, because it took an absolute age to drain his suits systems to the point where my radiation blasts would damage the thing inside
But I won
.I won, Gavin. It exploded, and I exulted, screamed out, and felt my strength flood back with the victory, and I slaughtered the rest of them like [censored] animals
pardon my language, Gavin
As I caught my breath, I saw through a hole in the wall masses of Rikti dropping down from attack ships
heroes moving up to fight them on the upper floors
it wasnt over yet
[The mission complete clue seemed slightly strange to me until I read the exit popup]
I received a brief communiqué from Lazon, telling me to get up to the higher floors of the base; things were not going well, it seemed
the worst thing about what I had to look forward to up on those floors was that HroDath was there
a Rikti General
suicide, Gavin
no chance
but what could I do? Fight till the last erg
Mission 5: Protect the SOLUS Collective Base
[lol the briefing contains this in red: Hro'Dath is a powerful Arch-villain, and he'll have help. Plan accordingly. Oh dear
after my experience with Dro Vidt, Im not looking forward to this at all
I dont mean in terms of fun, I mean I may not be able to finish it
If there are some allies, I can hopefully be careful with them
and maybe AM can think of something clever He is a genius, after all
]
On the burning upper floors of the SOLUS Base, I find more dead. I rescue a young hero called the Translucent Girl from a squad of Rikti, and lead her to safety
[TG spawns really close to the entrance. The mobs appear to be conning blue to me for some reason. Im not complaining lol]
The smoke filled the air, the stench of the fires and the dead and the aliens filling my lungs. I hated it all
[Loving this arc]
The dead were everywhere
I silently picked their ID cards out of bloodied pockets
[This time, the system message remarks that I dont look at them]
I fought on. Wearily, almost dead myself
through fire and swords
I found Lazon
but he was no help
he was an energy being, and his efforts had sapped his ability to remain corporeal
with my help he was able to escape into the air, and a moment later a distant explosion signaled his end
there was no-one left, it seemed
but me
In a small chamber on the top floor I heard Rikti voices
half hidden in the smoke, I peered round a corner and saw the General
He must have been 11 feet tall, Gavin, bristling in his amour. What the hell could I do against such a monster?
[Rikti Commander Hro Drath is a lvl 40 EB..so not an AV, thankfully
hmm
hes got some guardians and infantry with him, but I cant see too far inside the room, so I dont know if hes got Comms officers too
What to do? Got anything up your sleeve, AM?]
I moved back and considered my options
just me against him and his entourage would be suicide. But I had no allies
what to do
no allies
I decided Id have to make some
Gavin, my lab had been destroyed, of course, but I had a storage cache in an underground garage in Skyway City. You know how lazy I am, Gavin? Ah yes, of course you do
Moving stuff to my lab and back to storage by car or what have you always seemed inefficient to me, so I had developed a short-range teleport system for my equipment storage cases. The communicator that Lazon had given me was useless now, but if I could modify it slightly, by reversing the polarity of the neutron flow, for example, and remember the precise teleport node signature of a certain canister stored in that cache, and then rejig my own personal teleport retrieval wormhole emitter to accept the new signature
[man, I should so move to Virtue lol]
think of it, Gavin
there I was, in the middle of an alien invasion, literally feet away from an extremely powerful malignant entity bent on destroying me and all like me, and I actually invented something! In the field! Under fire! Its stuff like that which got me on the cover of Man Of Science Quarterly three quarters running in 2001, you know
Anyway, my new device worked perfectly
theoretically, I mean. I wouldnt know if it worked in practice until I could test it in the field
which would be soon
.what would it do? Well, inside the canister I needed were two objects. One was a Clockwork drone, modified to act as a portable shield generator. It was really little more than a toy, itd probably be blown up in seconds, but it did have a nanotech re-engineering capability, so it could repair itself periodically. That would just add a small distraction to the enemy, really. The other object in the canister was kept within a containment field, which would collapse upon teleport. What was it?
A lot of people know about the Shiva meteor shards strike in Bloody Bay now, Gavin, but back in the war it hadnt happened yet. Some strange fragments of something weird from space did hit the Earth in some places before then, though. I, in fact, had five of them in my possession. The shard in this canister was what I was going to attempt to teleport. I didnt know exactly what its properties were, but the experiments Id done suggested that it had wormhole characteristics of its own. Some archaeological investigations done by my good friend Digger Malone implied that similar shards had been used in ancient times to summon forth powerful entities
yes, Gavin, I knew it was a long shot, but I wasnt exactly able to hold auditions for my secret super army, was I?
I had just two chances this chance, or no chance. I slid round the corner, inched as close as I dared, then leapt into the group, activated my device and shouted Science dont fail me now!
The results were a huge surprise to me, but more so to the unfortunate Rikti, I think. The beast that morphed itself out of the ether was, well, it was a Shivan Decimator, youve seen them in my lab
Back then I didnt know what on Earth Id done, if Id brought forth a savior or a threat even worse than the Rikti.
It went berserk! The radioactive plasma coming off it was incredible in that small space. I immediately vomited and collapsed, Im afraid. I was useless. I sank to my knees as it raged, and I clapped my hands to my ears and waited for the screaming and explosions and high-pitched whine of its eye-blasts to stop. It was worse than the fight with the Rikti Commander earlier. Ive never felt less heroic in my life, Gavin.
After a while, I stopped retching somewhat, and wiped my eyes, and found that the creature and I were the only things left alive. Its frenzy had subsided, and it just stood there, swaying, looking at me. It was disgusting, but I owed it my life. I approached it, but before I could speak, it shook, and then slowly crumpled to the ground and turned to a revolting viscous sludge before that too evaporated
[wow. I didnt expect that lol. The Shivan absolutely trounced him! Wicked. Full marks for using your noggin, AM
honestly, I didnt do anything. I think I got one or two hits in with my debuffs and buffs, but before I knew it the Mission Complete message was up, total surprise. Excellent.]
When I met up with Captain Superior, he treated me like some sort of hero
a hero
I was kneeling in my own puke during the last fight, Gavin, whilst 2 aliens fought for no explainable reason
madness
[The SOLUS base is in ruins, but a small personal victory has been won. I loved that arc.]
The base was destroyed, but we managed to get some heroes out
a lot died., Gavin
too many
The Consequences of War Part 2
War doesnt stop for lunch, Gavin, and it doesnt stop for supper, either
we had barely 2 hours respite to regroup, and then we had another job to do. Captain Superior, the de facto new leader of SOLUS, told me that they suspected a Vanguard traitor was feeding the Rikti information they were using to coordinate their attacks. We knew they could understand our language now. I was to infiltrate the place the traitor was working from, an old pawn shop in Overbrook, capture the traitor, and feed false info to the Rikti using the computers there. 72 hours, Gavin, and I[d become veteran enough to be sent on stealth missions
me, can you imagine? Still, when the call comes
Mission 1: Capture the Rikti Collaborator
The pawn shop interior was cool and quiet, at least the entrance lobby. It was good after the chaos of the war-torn city. I rested a moment
no, no, I didnt. I was there to apprehend a vanguard traitor, Gavin. I would quite possibly be fighting other human beings shortly, and I was reluctant to go on because I couldnt stop thinking about the fact that I might have to kill them
the Rikti were one thing
but men?
I moved slowly into the main room; there was just a drone and a single Rikti. I scrambled the drone, and then took out the Rikti. Killing aliens was becoming second nature
I found a working computer, and uploaded the files using it
then I moved into the shop storage area
looking for the traitorous Vanguard
I found them, two of them, in a back room. I made the mistake of trying to talk to them, and they immediately attacked with a ferocity to rival the Rikti
Gavin, Id fought a Rikti Heavy Assault Suit to a standstill, but this one man
I was no match for him. He was a force field user, and he drove me back into the main room, throwing me around as if I was a doll. Finally he hit me a good one and I went flying back almost to the stairs. I was knocked out, I think, and again luck kissed me, because he must have though I was dead. He went back to his partner
[Ouch. ForceField EB. He was MUCH harder than the Rikti SubCommander. How
s AM gonna deal with this?]
I ached, Gavin. I was so tired of all the fighting
and angry at him for turning. I couldnt reason with him, I couldnt fight him
I decided that since he liked dealing with aliens so much, Id introduce him to another one. My gizmo was still with me; it was but a moment to adjust it to lock on to the signature of another canister in my storage cache. I readied it whilst my systems recuperated, and then made my careful, silent way back to the room where the traitor schemed.
I activated my device and aimed the focal antenna into the room. The creature erupted from the ground in a rage. They were astounded. The traitors guard died screaming, his face melting in radioactive fire. The main traitor fought for his life, but the monster was a destructive force far greater than his fields could contain. it was like a shambling nuclear explosion, Gavin
the noise of its fury was horrific. It terrified me, and I knew that for some reason I was safe from it
I hung back, tentatively using my powers to boost its assault now and then, fearful that the traitor would turn on me
but he didnt, he was too busy fighting for his life
he tried to run at the end; it was no good. I saw his desperation, and my eyes blew a hole in his back as he reached the door. He span, and the pleading look on his dying face was not aimed at the behemoth bearing down on him, but at me. I dont think he saw any pity in my eyes as he coughed his lifes blood up
[The Shivan even took a little longer to down the EB that time. It was really cool watching the fight, though, and buffing Gizmo, as I call him ]
At the last, before he could die, I stayed the monster, and healed the traitor slightly, keeping him on the threshold of death
I smiled at him, but it wasnt a nice smile
he told me the coordinates of the location of the jamming equipment that was causing the heroes so much trouble
I dropped him then, Gavin
and I did a terrible thing. I motioned to the monster to take him, to finish him. He shrieked as it advanced
and then, as it raised its arms to pulverize the man, it shuddered and groaned, and collapsed as before. I was angry, I wanted him dead, Gavin, but as I marched towards him, ready to stop his black heart, the doors opened and SOLUS forces swept in to secure the site and relieve me of my prisoner.
Ive never told anyone that before, Gavin
Im not proud of it
Captain Superior called me objective at the debriefing for that mission, Gavin
what would he know? Man of science, me, eh? No cold-blooded killer
Well, the coordinates were accurate, anyway. Superior said that we were going to assault a staging area on the edge of town., near an old circus. The jammers in the area had to be shut down. I was to head out to rendezvous with Billy Bad Boy and Penthouse, and hed join us as well shortly
Mission 2: Destroy the Rikti Jamming Devices
At the area of the Rikti buildup, I found an outlying patrol, and used them to power up. I decided that a guerrilla approach was possibly sensible, accelerated my metabolism to incredible levels and punched through their lines looking for the other SOLUS members. I found Captain Superior in a firefight, and helped him thin the numbers a little. We were set to continue as a team, but he got a message from Empathy; she needed him at the hospital. He was going to leave this to me
I couldnt believe it, Gavin
these people thought I was some kind of
of
hero
[lol I hope some of these allies hag around to help!]
I spotted one of the Rikti Jamming devices, stunned its guards and destroyed it. That must have activated some kind of distress signal, because a Rikti assault team showed up almost immediately. I panicked, Gavin
I reduced my own inertia by a factor of 200, bent at the knees and flexed, leaping thirty, forty stories. I jumped three blocks to escape them
but they must have hit me with a homing bug or something, because when I landed, they were onto me within minutes. I had to fight them off
[Jeez, the ambush code blows. It makes no sense that they home in on you no matter where in an outdoor map you are; If I was quick at blowing up the jammers, I could be in real trouble at the end fight Im assuming theres an ambush for every jammer? This isnt your fault, its the games]
I discovered Penthouse in a spot of bother. There were too many Rikti around. I had to land right in the center of them, and fight like a madman to make some space for her. Once there were less of them, she could do her stuff. But she didnt, Gavin
she just left me there
said that the hospital needed her
what about me? Right there, she could surely see she was leaving me in trouble? I didnt understand, thought she was abandoning me
I faltered in the fight, lost my focus
had to use my Emergency Temporal Shift to escape
[Bah. There were two spawns too close to her guard spawn, AND one of the jammers right next to her too. I concentrated on her guards, figuring shed help once she was able, but the silly bint just spouted her lines and stood there. I died. I guess youve been listening to the MY character is the hero of the story, dont have allies stealing MY limelight crowd, but this was a downer, really. If Billy leaves me and runs off to the hospital, then IMO theres no point to them being here.]
There were Rikti swarming like locusts Gavin, it was mayhem out on the streets. I searched, ran, dodged patrols, trying to find my objectives, cursing Superior and Penthouse for leaving my on my own
I spotted Billy Bad Boy, and joined him with relief, remembering our last duo combat experience in the sewers; but he just left with a casual bon mot. I felt a hatred for him sweep over me. Didnt they understand
THIS WAS IMPORTANT TOO! They needed all three of them at the hospital? What about this?
[Why do you have all three of them abandon the Player here, out of interest? Maybe Ill find out in the next mission, but at the moment it seems wrong for the story. This is an important strategic objective; its vital, in fact. Yet Superior takes three out of SOLUS four main heroes away to another task?]
I kept away from Rikti as much as I could, and found more jamming devices I destroyed them from a distance if possible, increasing the range on my radiation blasts
two, three more
And then I saw the Rikti Chief and his troops surveying their territory
ha
I just lost it, Gavin. I ran at him head on; so fast I was on him before he could react. I unleashed everything I had at him, Gavin
and he was an easy kill
I was getting better at murder
[OK, so theres the reason why I dont need any help the Boss was a lieut. It still feels slightly wrong in terms of story, I think because it happens three times. Perhaps my feeling that I was going to have a hard fight at the end contributed - After the first mission, I was expecting an EB here isnt this an important strategic point for the Rikti?]
I think I went a bit mad then, Gavin
I remember sort of stopping, finding myself kneeling in
what was left of it
I looked around
The Rikti were staying away from me
they were afraid of me, Gavin
then I got a call from Captain Superior
He was at the hospital. The Rikti were on their way, in massive numbers. Blastion, Commissioner G and Empathy were on the scene too. Now that Id finished here, I was needed too. I made my way as quickly as I could to the hospital
Mission 3: Evacuate the Lower Floors of the Hospital
[Im definitely noticing the hands-off approach of Captain Superior and the other SOLUS gang in Part 2 more than in Part 1. CSs sendoff starts with I am leaving the evacuation of the hospital in your hands, and Im sort of starting to feel a bit like everything is in my hands. I know Lazon didnt ally with me at all in Part 1, but, well, I hope I get some help in this mission.]
The hospital was a run-down MASH unit, basically. Cluttered medical equipment was everywhere, gurneys in corridors, the smell of blood and fear filled the air
I met Rikti in the first corridor
I was becoming an old hand at this, now
After a few squads, I rescued a young nurse
I led her to the exit and she told me that Dr Lexis, the hospital director, was on a higher floor and needed help
Id discovered a way to prevent their officers from teleporting any more reinforcements in
it was a simple matter to drain the energy from their suits and portal generators
actually provided a handy source of power for me, to tell the truth
I even began to look forward to meeting the bastards
I liked seeing their panic when the frantically tapped at their wrist comms units
then theyd look up to see me, glowing with power, my eyes blazing with atomic fury, sort of thing
Im afraid I felt quite vindictive
[The mother mayhem (I think) map doubles up very nicely for a warzone field hospital, doesnt it?]
I cleared the alien threat as I went, came to the elevators, and went up a floor, where I soon met up with Blastion. He was just finishing off a couple of Rikti when I arrived. I helped him put them down, and then he said he wanted to go help Empathy on a higher floor. Just then a surprise Rikti ambush teleported in, right there next to us, and he ran
left me there to fight them on my own! I took my anger at him out on them, Im afraid
I remember chasing down the last one as it ran from me
it didnt escape
[lol Freeing Blastion presumably triggers an ambush, but unfortunately it spawned in the exact same spot as Blastion, so as soon as hes freed he says his lines and flies off at the same time as the ambush arrives. No wonder AMs annoyed; hes turning into quite the bitter war veteran!]
I moved on
I think you could describe my mood as grim, by now, Gavin
the violence, the setting, the actions of my allies
I wasnt the happy-go-lucky Man of Science you know today, Gavin
I helped a Vanguard soldier who was in difficulty
had to lead him all the way back to the entrance, the poor man was done it
[Now heres a thing
The Vanguard soldiers an Escort, and Im on the third floor by now. So Ive got to escort him back three floors to the start, and then of course continue. I guess I could just let him tag along, and thatll save me time, but that doesnt make sense in the story, does it? AM, a man alone, in a warzone, with an invulnerable soldier (and a nurse, too, if I hadnt been bothered to take her out earlier lol) sidekick? Nah, Ive got to take him out now
and I was just thinking, weve all heard it, Escorts suck, No escorts, etc. Ive been guilty of it myself; I hated the escort mission from hell, as I dubbed it, in the Revenge of Hro'Dtohz by DeviousMe (that one was on a massive map, though, and I didnt clear as I went. I have actually been thinking during this arc of trying that one again with AM; AMs war memoirs could be an interesting sub-review strain). My point is, Ive just trawled back through the map to the start and then again back to where I found the Escort. A previous me might have complained at this, but what did it take me, 5 minutes tops? And it was right for the story. No complaints, essentially. If anyone tells you off for putting this escort in, tell them to go jump.]
Finally, I arrived at the main ward. Commissioner G was there, surrounded. I waded through Rikti to get to him, and together we finished them off
Wed secured the lower floors
[Hm, lol, from Gs clue, Im thinking hes not long for this world
I enjoyed that mission a lot, apart from the Blastion event. Ironically, Commissioner G offered to stay with me to help, but freeing him was the last objective so it was a bit late. I did in fact stay there after that for the ambush that spawned, and then to finish of the room]
[Gah
can you put a warning that a timed mission is starting? If I have to take a break for lunch or whatever, I sometimes like to read whats coming next before I log 
]
Mission 4: Evacuate the Upper Floors
I had no time, I still needed to get to Dr. Lexis and Empathy on the upper floors
Captain Superior contacted me briefly, but it was madness, I couldnt make out much
I left G to meet up with him and moved up
Just inside from the stairwell, I spotted a Vanguard soldier, injured, being
prodded by some Rikti
lie a cat paws a wounded mouse before killing it. I attacked them mercilessly
they attempted to fight back, but there were too many of them
I absorbed their energy and fed it back right into their stinking alien faces.
When they were all dead, I helped the Soldier to his feet, and he thanked me and assured me he could make it out to his unit on his own
as he disappeared down the stairs, I turned, and suddenly felt a tremendous blow. Evberything went white and then very, very black
[Excuse my mood, now, but WTF? Just after the Vanguard soldiers thank you line, I got dumped out of the mission with a mission failed message. I didnt die, I didnt see any Rikti apart from the ones I just killed, I rescued the soldier, and then bang mission failed. What a downer. You need to fix that. Another unfortunate thing is that now, Im not sure exactly where AM is. The failure exit popup says I was forced back back to where? The lower floors? Outside? Forced back to [somewhere] maybe would be clearer.]
Mission 5: Find the SOLUS Heroes and Defeat the Rikti
When I came to, Gavin, I was lying in a pile of something wet, uncomfortable, and steaming
there was something on my chest, and something underneath me
when I realized what the things around me were, I woke up fast. It was a pile of corpses
heroes, civilians, soldiers. The Rikti must have piled them up out of the way
I was obviously taken for dead, and not for the first time
Sometimes, having metal skin is a blessing, eh?
no little twitches, no tics to give yourself away
I staggered through the upper floors, cleared now, to the roof
it was clear, but the Coty was shrouded in smoke, fires, and the hum of Rikti assault ships
the Rikti were advancing on City Hall
and in the way
there was me.
[The briefing could be clearer as to locations here. Ive cleared the roof; it mentions the other side. The other side of the roof? Am I looking out over the City (as AM seems to think) at the smoke and fires? The briefing mentions finding the SOLUS and stiopping the advance, but it doesnt say where exactly this is going to happen. Im also confused about what the SOLUS suicide mission is. Presentation: *Hro'Dath is an Arch-villain with lots of help. Plan accordingly. is in white the similar message in Part 1 was in red, I seem to remember]
The City was in ruins, Gavin
I jogged through the smoke, across the rubble, through the insanity
fighting Rikti
sometimes just leaving them and coming back out of the fog
or finding them wounded, and finishing them off
hearing half screams, explosions, the stink of charred flesh
I cant explain what it was like
horrible
senseless
it was the apotheosis of chaos.
[Good map for this, the ruined Atlas one of course. I run about a bit, fighting groups of Rikti. There are a few Vanguard patrols wandering about, but they look like theyre on a casual stroll rather than in a warzone. Also, one walks right past me whilst Im in a firefight with some Rikti, and doesnt help, which seems strange]
I kept looking for the SOLUS members as I fought the invaders, thinning the aliens wherever I could
and I found them
Penthouse first
dead, almost in the arms of the Rikti shed taken out with her. Superiors brooch was what alerted me to his body
I took it, it was connected to a battlefield vid-unit, if I survived I could take it for posterity
Billy was dead too
and Erik
Energy Blastion
all I found was his wedding ring. He was married to Empathy, you know
she was there too, dead. They all died, Gavin. Commissioner G, too. There was only me left
The fog of war cleared momentarily, and I saw the hard spiky armor of a Rikti War Chief standing, arrogant, amidst the battlefield
it was Hro Drath.
[lvl 40 Orange EB. You know whats coming, Im sure ]
I was going to die, or he was. I felt totally calm, objective. I started to walk towards him steadily. He was alone except for a single Rikti conscript. Not enough potential energy in the two of them for a full drain. I pulled my device from my inside pocket and without taking my eyes off Hro Drath punched in a new signature from memory. As I neared within 10 meters of him a Rikti monkey darted out of some rubble; I sapped every joule from it in an instant and left it lifeless. At 5 meters Hro Drath saw me. I smiled a rictus grin as his suit powered up. I activated the device and cast it towards him, to land between his feet. As the Monster broiled up from the cursed earth beneath him, I leapt at him, snarling Get off my planet, you sonofabitch!
I should have hung back, like the last time
I should have let the monster do all the work, been careful
but I was mad, Gavin, mad with rage, I wanted to kill it, make it suffer, I wanted to eat its still-beating heart in front of its eyes. I actually made it direct its attacks at me for a while, instead of the creature
It didnt try to run, but it did call for help
ah, we treated its reinforcements like fodder. In the end, its translator was crushed, so I dont know what its last word to me were. I didnt care. Cry moar, noob! I said, and I stamped on its throat
I dont know why I said that, I think I must have heard it on the television or something
[Excellent fight! The Shivan is a little too hard, if anything, but with me attacking too, Hro put some agro on me so it was tense enough to be exciting.]
I helped some wounded to a safer place, and we waited for an evac team
the war wasnt over, but wed put a little dent in the Rikti forces
and, well, we won the war, didnt we?
Thank you for listening to all that, Gavin
goodness, its light outside
no, no, thats it
well
maybe some other time
well its good of you to say so, Gavin
.no, I dont need the alka-seltzer, but the rest of it you can still get for me
its all healthy, isnt it? Haha, yes, thats true. Yes, about five will be perfect. Thank you again
goodbye, Gavin
[End]
Wow. OK, that worked out a little bit longer than I envisaged. Overall, awesome. One of the best arcs (I mean the whole thing) Ive played. With just a little tidying (mainly on the Failed Mission), Id be plenty happy to see this in canon. Its much better than a lot of canon arcs IMO
Some individual points:
I started Part 1 with 2 Shivans. I thought that maybe that would be enough. When I needed more, however, I went to BB (I think that was after my first defeat by the Traitor) to get some more. Getting those Shivans took me an hour, and the eventual kind help of ZZMann from the RF2009 channel, and Spydah, who was in the area. Thanks very much to those two. I decided to go get them instead of reporting a cant complete, didnt rate sorry because of my new approach to arcs, which is Try Moar not Cry Moar and my perseverance paid off in spades here.
Allies. Id like to see a little more help from the allies, personally. I think the lieut in the carnie map mission could be beefed up a little, and one of the SOLUS could be an optional ally.
Rewards: I got 3 bars of lvl 37, and 1165 tickets for doing both arcs at heroic difficulty, clearing about 70-80% of the mobs, Id say. Lovely jubbly.
Maps. Your map choice was sterling. I especially liked the two hospital maps in Part 2 (although I didnt get to see the second one for more than a few minutes) and the final Atlas map, but they were all very well chosen for their respective missions. Thank you for not choosing any huge Rikti underground cave system ones. Im not a great fan of those.
The Timed Mission. This is what dropped Part 2 a star. Im guessing that theres a running Boss in it maybe, and perhaps he spawned really close to the start or something? Take it as good news that the main reason I was miffed at failing it was because I didnt get to play the mission and experience more of the story.
Rating: I rated Part 1 at 5-stars and Part 2 at 4-stars. Well done and thank you.
I hope that AMs take on what happened was entertaining
Eco
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
My queue:
The Fracturing of Time 171031
The Doctor Returns 1152
City of Ho Ho Help: A Prequel 267125
Web of Deception 75310
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
You know, I've always wished for a reviewer to start his review with the words, "Wow... just... WOW!" but...
Wow... just... WOW!
MCM, I feel kind of like Sally Fields did the first time she won an Oscar. "He gets it. He really GETS it." And the *way* you get it, with this narrative, has brought tears to my eyes. (Well, some of the tears are also because I lost a star on the second arc because of two AM bugs that were out of my control, but I'll get to that.)
First, stand by for a PM. I need your permission for something.
Second, I'm in the process of printing this out so I can start dilligently highlighting suggestions.
Third, did I mention the tears?
Anyway, about those bugs. I have dumped the timed mission... twice, actually.. but apparently both times I forgot about the MA bug that requires you to reset the interface before making more changes to the same arc. Result - Timer's still set, and I'm borked.
I've never been the victim of the second bug before now (that I'm aware of) but I've run into it playing. Apparently, you can free a rescue or escort and, once he/she has turned a corner, he/she can be killed - thus causing a mission fail. I almost blew a gasket the other day playing an arc under the exact circumstances. Fortunately, the architect was on and we figured out what was going on. I need to find out if he fixed it, or just rewrote the escort. Now that I'm on the receiving end, it's danged frustrating.
Edit - I just learned it's a bug that auto-fails any rescue that's in *timed missions* as soon as they hit the door. So, two bugs teamed up against me. Both are fixed now.
I've already gone back and tweaked some of the NPCs to hang around a little more. You're right, I have listened to the people that complained that the NPCs spoiled their heroics, and it's simply come to me making one of my trademarked Editorial Conflict Decisions (ECD). Decision made.
As you know, I'm in the process of making some changes to the last two missions of the first arc. Changes that'll tighten some loose issues, eliminate one of the weaker NPCs so I can strengthen the second, and provide more separation between those two mission goals. Once I'm done, most of the problems you pointed out in those two missions will be eliminated.
Anyway, I'm letting my wife read your review right now, and I'm about to start highlighting. Thank you, VERY much. And watch for that PM.
The SOLUS Foundation - a Liberty and Pinnacle SG
"The Consequences of War" - Arcs # 227331 and 241496
[ QUOTE ]
I have dumped the timed mission... twice, actually.. but apparently both times I forgot about the MA bug that requires you to reset the interface before making more changes to the same arc. Result - Timer's still set, and I'm borked.
[/ QUOTE ]
What bug is this? Do you mean if you make some changes, then republish, then edit again without exiting the MA interface, then republish, the second lot of changes won't stick?
[ QUOTE ]
I've never been the victim of the second bug before now (that I'm aware of) but I've run into it playing. Apparently, you can free a rescue or escort and, once he/she has turned a corner, he/she can be killed - thus causing a mission fail. I almost blew a gasket the other day playing an arc under the exact circumstances. Fortunately, the architect was on and we figured out what was going on. I need to find out if he fixed it, or just rewrote the escort. Now that I'm on the receiving end, it's danged frustrating.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yikes! That must be teeth-grindingly annoying lol.
[ QUOTE ]
I've already gone back and tweaked some of the NPCs to hang around a little more. You're right, I have listened to the people that complained that the NPCs spoiled their heroics, and it's simply come to me making one of my trademarked Editorial Conflict Decisions (ECD). Decision made.
[/ QUOTE ]
I agree that nobody wants to just sit there whilst the NPCs do all the work (although Speeding Through Time, I think it's called, has a wonderfully executed mission that does exactly this, proving that there are almost ALWAYS exceptions to a rule), but I think that sometimes, the best advice an Author can have is: Tell Your Story.
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
Cap,
Thanks much for the great review of In Poor Taste! I corrected the one typo and added the missed comma. It is interesting that you liked two of the last mission bosses as it seems many have favorites, but Manhandle sticks out as the clear leader. 
WN
Check out one of my most recent arcs:
457506 - A Very Special Episode - An abandoned TV, a missing kid's TV show host and more
416951 - The Ms. Manners Task Force - More wacky villains, Wannabes. things in poor taste
or one of my other arcs including two 2010 Player's Choice Winners and an2009 Official AE Awards Nominee for Best Original Story
If you've got time - try out either of my two arcs (I'd prefer the Long one, but you can do either):
The Ballad of Murky Thecat - #77311 (5 Missions, long)
Halloween Night #227436 (single Mission - trick or treating)
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
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have dumped the timed mission... twice, actually.. but apparently both times I forgot about the MA bug that requires you to reset the interface before making more changes to the same arc. Result - Timer's still set, and I'm borked.
[/ QUOTE ]
What bug is this? Do you mean if you make some changes, then republish, then edit again without exiting the MA interface, then republish, the second lot of changes won't stick?
[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, it is the first edit that won't stick. You need to wait for the message that the arc has been republished, then do a search to refresh what the MA has for your arc, or if you open it up, you will be editing the version that was there before you started editing. The safest thing to do is to shut down the UI completely after seeing the republish message. That way you know it has to reload the new version of your arc before you try editing anymore.
Justice Blues, Tech/Tank, Inv/SS
----------------------
Fighting The Future Trilogy
----------------------
OK, I've got a nice little queue now. No more submissions, please, until I've got through some of these
The Fracturing of Time 171031
The Doctor Returns 1152
City of Ho Ho Help: A Prequel 267125
Web of Deception 75310
The Ballad of Murky Thecat 77311
Halloween Night 227436
Sorry about the slow pace, btw - But I'm having more fun with a steady run. I like to savor an arc rather than wolf it down
Eco.
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
The Fracturing of Time, Arc ID 171031, by @Tahlana. Very long (2 uniwue, 1 medium, 1 long map), Heroic, lvl range 25-54 (with the last 2 missions being 41-54. Ill be taking Scoop Malloy, my lvl 25 Inv/Superstrength Tanker. He might be a little low for the last two missions, but well see.
Another beer, please, Joe
and one for my friend here
wassat? Oh, right
Joe, scratch that second beer
no, belay that scratch give it to me, Ill have it
and a whiskey for my friend. One for me too, what the hell
So where was I, friend
oh yeah, this crazy dream Id been having, like for weeks! About this black shadowy figure, burning with a white fire
[comedy shudder]
I tell ya, it was awful
but last night, last night
I tell ya, it was like awful! I couldnt wake up! And this time, it spoke to me! Said it was from an alien planet or somewhere called Kyrdos, all green and gorgeous, cept it was bein invaded by these creepy alien guys called the Raigaus. The Kyrdosi had invented a doohickey that could save em, but they needed me to go activate it! Some such boohickey about different universes and all that labtalk, I dont know about that. Magics more my cup o java, ya know what I mean?
so what could I do? I pinched myself...in my sleep, I mean. You ever been pinched by someone with superstrength?
what? Oh, yeah, heh, I did say that, didnt I?
yeah, I wasnt lyin, I only got my powers when Im wearing my magic belt
no, I dont sleep with it on every night
well, if ya must know, I kinda had compny.
Im invulnerable with the belt on, see? An Molly, shes kind of a scratcher, if you catch my drift
hey, I got sensitive skin!
anyway, it didnt work. I couldnt wake up
so I hadda just go along with it, ya know? I kind of swooned out, an found myself on this other planet. Green and gorgeous? I dont know what kind of cockamamie travel agent this Fractured One was, but this place was a disaster zone! There was this big crystal building I hadda go in, all metal pillars and dark corridors
[The custom contact looks suitably mysterious, and I like the framing of the mission briefing a lot. Italics are used for describing actions leading up to me entering the building. This arc obviously just uses the AE building as a simple storytelling device, and isnt meant to be literally where Scoop is standing or what have you. Someone in another thread mentioned viewing the AE building, the array, etc, in a similar way as we can view training at Ms Liberty, for example in RP terms, my scientists new powers can come from experimenting in his lab, they arent handed to him by Ms Liberty (or Blue Steel, or whoever lol) right there on her podium. Expanding my idea of how stories can be told from my initially much more narrow simulation or say the arrays a magic door or teleport hub etc scope has hugely benefited my own enjoyment of arcs]
Mission 1: Save the Kyrdos from the Raigaus
so I went inside this half-ruined building, right, an activated my magic belt
yeah, thats the one
here, feel
see that? Thats a proto-emerald. Whats a proto-emerald? Its like
the original archetype emerald, the template that all other emeralds were made from by the Crystaline Conjuroranelne Arathapathathath in the ages before man
howd I get it? Joe, another whiskey! Have another whiskey and shaddup, stop askin questions
this aint the time for that story
so anyway, I went all super and stuff, and marched into this citadel place
and there were all these demon winged red dragon things
with knives! Nasty little bastards, I tell ya. I went at it with a few, they were tough, too!
[The Raigaus customs are nicely designed, looking like demons, with lizard heads and wings. They have high defense, I think, Scoops missing more than hitting. Next mission Ill have to stock up on acc inspirations]
I found a Kyrdosi scientist bein roughed up by some of the lizards. After shed been freed, she told me how to operate their transcendence gadget. it was goin to transform the whole race of them into energy beings, she said, then they could just
whoosh! off to another world! Useful trick to have when the bar bill comes, eh friend?
[The Kyrdosi customs I liked a lot. Blue-skinned space elves, is how I could call them.]
a little further on, I joined forces with a Kyrdosi fighter, a little dude with a big shield, and he tagged along with me while I looked for the device
[Hes useful, but a little slow, lol. We found a battle going on, and after we help the other Kyrdosi beat off the Raigaus, I move away and he stays for a little bit longer than usual, maybe to chat lol! ]
In a large chamber deep inside the building, we found another Kyrdosi champion engaged with the enemy, and joined up with him. The three of us battled our way through the damn demons to a strange machine at the far end; it was the Transcendence Device I was lookin for. I activated it whilst my two new buddies held off the Raigaus
Wowzer, what a noise! When that machine switched on, it was like
you ever had your ears syringed? Like theres this sudden loud clarity, and all the base is really, ya know, bassy? it weas like that, only more apocalyptic
I was all ready to wake up then, ya know, I was wonderin what was for breakfast, ya cvatch my drift?
but the Kyrdosi werent having any of that. Their buddies outside the base had all been turned to energy beins, sure, but theyd be stayin here to die, apparently, an they still had a score to settle with the big cheese runnin the Raigaus. Yours truly hadda go settle his bill
[Hmm
I remember now that I have played this before, and Im enjoying it a lot more this time round (taking my time, is key I think), but one small negative is I think the maps a little bit too big. What is it, 4 floors? Minor nitpick]
We fought on, deeper into the base, and it got darker and more
hell, red? Emergency lighting, maybe, I dunno
anyway, we found the head honcho, big flyin lizard by the name of Worldslayer Krezyrax! Pfff, Worldslayer, Schmurldslayer. He was a pansy! Me an my buddies took him to bruiseville on the black-eye express!
[The boss was fairly easy. No complaints, though. One odd thing happened. After defeating the boss, the Nav objective didnt go away, because his attendant had spawned on the gantry above. I moved away to get him, and some more mobs aggroed me, and the two allies just stood like lemons over Krezyrax body until I took the mobs back to them. They were definitely slow to follow me. Weird]
So with that done, I could wake up, right? Slip outta bed, pop down to Chachis an get some fresh bagels and coffee for Molly, ya know, help her get her strength back, eh?
nope, that creepy black fiery dude still hadnt finished with me
sheesh, shy couldnt I dream of succubi or somethin?
Anyway, this strange dark guy told me that the Kyrdosi had got zapped out of their physical plane all right, but they were trapped somewhere called the Void Shadow
sounds like a swell place, huh? Hey Molly, you fancy a romantic weekend away? Maui? Hula Bula? Paris? No, I know, how about the VOID SHADOW?
Well, this
person wanted me to go to the edge of the Void Shadow to see if I could find out what was up with the Kyrdosi. Since I was dreamin, I figured sure, what the heck, itd pass the time till mornin!
Mission 2: Discover What Became of the Kyrdosi
Then somethin really weird happened
for an instant, I thought I recognized this guy
which was impossible, since he was just a shadow, apart from the white fire of course. No features I could make out
anyway, before I knew it I was in some odd creepy caves, all sorts of misty stuff wafting about and strange glop dripping off the ceiling
I explored a bit, and met some
apparitions or somethin, they looked like bloody, ghostly versions of the Kyrdosi. They werent happy to see me, I tell ya, friend
attacked me with dark misty smoke and these psychic screams
after Id helped em, too! One of them said that Id unmade them, that what theyd become was my fault! I was just doin what that loopy shadow guy was tellin me to!
sheesh, honestly, its a thankless job, this heroin, I tell ya, friend
what?
well thats mighty fine of ya ta say
why yes, I think I will
Hey, Joe, two more of each over here, when youre done?
[The Blood Echoes and Soul Echoes look the business, suitably dark versions of the Kyrdosi. Their bios are nicely atmospheric. Im not sure if its because Scoops build is a little weak (hes always struck me as a tad light-hitting), but they take a fair bit of pounding to drop, especially the Soul Echo Lieuts. Are they on hard or higher? No complaints, however, Im not in any trouble]
I kept exploring this loopy place, an everywhere I found these
echoes, they attacked me. I met one guy, screamed that Id ruined them all, that hed destroy my universe!
Now, you ever been in a dream, an youre not sure if youre dreamin or not? I started feelin a bit like this, round about then
I mean, havin cheese dreams is one thing, but I been around Paragon enough ta know that theres things around, an when they say stuff like Im gonna destroy the UNIVERSE!, well, sometimes theyre just crazy, but sometimes theyre crazy but they can do it, ya know? So I admit, I got a little worried
after explorin a bit more, I was attacked by another one, screamin that she was fractured, that it was my fault
it looked to me like maybe not all of the Kyrdosi had been transcended into energy, ya get me? I dont mean not all the people, I mean like only half their essence or whatever got carried over
[Right. During this mission, I realized I was really enjoying this arc. The trio of bosses have great bios and dialogue, the mission is a lovely shortish
portrayal of their plight. The animations for each of them are nice, too. Top banana.]
I felt myself fading out of that nutty cavern place, and that fiery dark dude was there again, speaking ta me. He said that the Kyrdosi were lost now, angry echoes of themselves bent on destroyin
well, Time, is what he said. Great! I began ta hope I was dreamin after all. Why cant I just have a nice weekend, huh? I takes a broad ta the theater, has a little fun, goes to sleep an now Im responsible for destroyin an entire civilization an creatin undead magic furies who want to burrow into Time itself and destroy the Universe? I dont remember explodin a mirror factory recently!
The dude told me I hadda stop them, an he didnt even know if Id survive goin back into the Void Shadow again
yeah, friend, it just gets better an better, huh?
Mission 3: Stop the Echoes from Fracturing Time
[Ive noticed that your Subtitles for each mission have inconsistent capitalization, btw.]
Back into the Void Shadow, my teeth were set on edge by this really nasty crystal grinding, humming noise
sheesh, it was like
yuck
I had to hurry, find out what was happenin
hey Joe, fill er up, will ya?
[Hmm
Rikti cavern map
not what I expected
]
I couldnt stand that sound, so I put some train on, rushin through the place lookin for anythin wrong. I soon found it, some of those echoes doin somethin weird ta some kind of
fracture in reality
I guess that was what Time looked like!
[lol I just discovered why Scoops missing a lot he doesnt have any accuracy enhancements! LMAO what a noob!]
I hadda stop then damage they were doin to it. I started on the echoes fiddlin with it, and that seemed ta do the trick
[Have you thought maybe of using Defendable objects for the fractures rather than the destructibles? The Nictus crystals you use look great, but smashing the Fracture up to seal it seems odd. Im not sure if there are issues with defendables at present though, or if the choice of objects isnt big enough? Perhaps you could alter the text slightly, to explain that the objects were wrapped around the Fracture inn Time, eroding it (they rotate, dont they?) then, destroying them would make more sense as youd be destroying the thing that was fracturing time rather than the fracture itself
er, thats just a suggestion lol. I liked the ambush that spawned with this objective, BTW. If I was on a more reliably hard-hitting toon, Id be clearing more of these Echoes, theyre fun to fight.]
I found some more of the things, an dealt with them too, an then, my ears still filled with the horrible sound, I bumped into an Echo who was rantin that hed make me pay an that they could make bigger Fractures, an it wasnt over
ya know, the usual kind of stuff the villains all shout
[Hm
Ive sealed all the fractures and defeated the boss, but the Nav reads Find a way to stop the Echoes
Ive been everywhere on the map
]
I explore a bit more, lookin for an answer
[ah! I think maybe the Boss was the way to stop the echoes
his bio said something about that
maybe I didnt defeat all his attendants
hmm, where was he? lol
In or near a big room I think
Ill check all the big rooms]
After bein assaulted by another Echo, I decided Id found all I could, an let myself drift off ta
I dunno
half-sleepyland?
[Yes, that was it. Since the Nav doesnt specifically mention defeating the boss, maybe you could make him a only boss needed for encounter complete objective, so anyone stealthing or not reading bios and not clearing all wont get confused. Dont change the Nav, though it fits the vague atmosphere.
Im not crazy about that map, however. The Rikti corridors seem a bit too ordered and straight for the Void Shadow. I guess you didnt want too many caves? How about a Cimeroran one? If you like the Rikti map, its pluses are that its a nice manageable size and it hasnt got any annoying sidebranches]
So once I was back in that limbo dreamstate or whatever, with Suspiciously Familiar Black Fiery Dude, he told me that I still had ta stop up some realm big time fractures, but that I[d have ta become a Void creature ta do it! An that would probably kill me! Joe, two more beers and two more whiskeys.
So I hadda become unstuck in time and space, the dude said
yeah, I bet ya are, thats a lotta whiskey youre puttin away, heh
but anyhow, this unstuck
ifying
the fractured shadow guy wasnt happy about that at all, he said Id have ta
hic
have ta destroy the strongest aspects of myself
whatever that meant
heck, I was in for a dollar, in for a
thing, ya know?
Missiomn 4: Become Unstuck in Time
[love that title]
I tried ta touch him, but my hand passed straight through, an then I was
somewhere
somewhere not nice.
it looked like Atlas Park had been ripped up from the earth and dropped into Hell. There was fire, and smoke, and sounds, and a red burning sky, and it was
me
all of it, I cant explain, but it was me
my memories, my hopes
me. An I had to destroy it.
[Oh for a shadow shard map, eh? The ruined Atlas map is fine for this, though. The elemental mobs used as the Fragments of Memory are lovely]
How do ya destroy yourself, unmake yourself? What am I? That was what I asked myself, buddy
what makes a man, a man?
here, Joe, another two
leave the bottle
What makes me me? My mind, maybe
ya know that I won the Pulitzer? Im a journalist
yeah, I like my mind
we been through a lot together
but it hadda go
what else?
what else keeps me
focused, ya know, keeps me grounded
well, theres this gal see
what? Nah, Mollys a nice enough broad, but she aint the one
the gal Im talkin about, she dont know
but shes special
real special
redhead, ya know? Irish
real firecracker
so love, thats it too. And love, heh
love brings hope. Whichll kill ya, buddy, before youre dead
right now, see, I was in this crazy mixed-up place, this squirming freaky rendition of my own psyche or whatever, an I was hopin, an I mean really hopin that it was all a dream
cos I was about ta go lookin for my own personality, an erase it
drink up, friend
I found an echo of my
mind
first
a freakish thing
it spoke to me as I beat it into nothingness
heh, how apt
my fists
brute animal mindlessness, pulverizing my intellect
after it was smoke, then gone, I felt dulled, like mentally anaesthetized
I felt
stupid
it was horrible
it made me angry. I cast about like a frenzied brute, lookin for somethin to blame for my mental
truncation, somethin to smash
I was lookin for somethin, an what coalesced up outta the ground was an echo of my love
my love
an I fell upon it like a murderer
it spoke too, reminding me of all the things I was losing as I raged and killed it with blunt irrational hate
I killed my love
[awesome mission. fairly simple mechanically, probably take about 5 mins tops if I was Flying and intent on speed, but it should be sipped, really, this one]]
after that, my rage subsided, I still felt
dumb
an now I was
bereft, too. I thought of her, an I felt nothing
it was terrible, buddy
what is a man, without his mind, and without love? Hes a man without hope. As soon as I conceived this, it appeared, an echo of all my hopes
laughing, taunting me
because I already had none. I ran at it and attacked without thought or pity.
After that, I wandered, aimless, a dull, loveless, hopeless
thing
I was ravin, ya know, trying to erase all memory of what Id been
[Great mission. The text is sublime, really. MMO poetry.]
I drifted, then, buddy
until the being spoke to me again
he said that he was
me
a fractured echo of me, drifting in the Void
I could fully enter the void now I had unmade myself
broken my connection to Time
yeah
yeah I do need another shot
I had to move deeper into the Void, to close the gaping rents that the Echoes of the Kyrdosi were making
what did I have to lose
?
Mission 5: Save Time
I walked into the heart of the Void Shadow. I didnt look back
[Cimerora map ah, lol, I see why you didnt use one earlier ]
I moved calmly through the shadowy Void, an found a
trapped
manifestation of
all the things of my past
all the things that I had loved
that makes sense, right buddy? We cant love the present, because pssh! Its gone
and we dont know the future
maybe all that we love is behind us
at least, thats what I felt then
it told me it could restore my Love, if I could heal Time, but I thought it was mocking me
if only I still had Hope
I freed it, moved on, deeper, and the Echo of What Was followed me, hovering by my shoulder
like an angel
I found more Echoes of the Kyrdosi, and I fought them, and it didnt help, it just silently floated, my past, with me and yet unreachable
I cried as I fought, friend
I cried for what I once had
I found another fragment
an Echo of my future
what would be
it was struggling
struggling to be
after I freed it, it promised to return my Hope, an followed on, too, at my side, reminding me of the great Loss to come
I was gonna die, remember?
After more twists and turns, I found one more echo
the Echo of What Is. It was
me, my present state, there an then
everything I was an could do. It spoke to me too, after I freed it, promising to return my Mind to me. Then it assumed its silent place amongst its brothers, following my heavy tread deeper inta the Void
[I love the animations of the trapped Echoes, and the way they follow me about is eerie and very effective. They look fantastic.]
After an unimaginable time, I found a rift in space, on of the Fractures in Time that I had to seal
It was The Fracture of the Past
It was a
gap made solid, is all I can describe
I crushed it to me, cryin, and as it exploded, I felt my heart swell
fresh tears poured from my eyes
but they were tears of love, friend, I aint ashamed ta say it
Joe, here
I had my love back, buddy, and it felt good
And then, in a deep corenr of the Void, I found two more Fractures in Time
the Present, spinning and cracking, splintering, and the Future, broiling away into the ether
I had to seal them
there were Echoes of the Kyrdosi screaming all over the place, they wanted me ta stop, but I had Love in my heart, an I was Invulnerable. I cast them aside, and sealed those rifts up, buddy, cryin as I did so
the Fracture of the Present, when it sealed, the energy released flooded back inta me, an I felt my thoughts bein unscrambled, I could think again!
An the Fracture of the Future
ah, buddy, when that baby blew, I felt a wave of Hope like you never experienced! I felt the Echoes of the Kyrdosi dissipate, too
an then everythin sorta shimmered
an I was standin in Steel! An the Fractured Echo of me, the dude that started it all off, he was there
he thanked me
started ta fade, I grabbed him
an then I woke up. Heh, Molly was like hey, Scoop, ya promised me bagels! Go get me some coffee!
[This last mission was way cool, but I was a little disappointed with some aspects. The Fractures themselves are described earlier as being larger than the ones Ive already seen, but theyre nictus crystals again. Is there maybe a larger object you could use? The system messages for the three Fractures Only the Fracture of the Present mentions its aspect, Mind. The other two dont mention Love or Hope. Also, the guards of the Fractures dont say anything. Id have liked to see some of your wonderful dialogue here to make the fights more climactic. And- the final ending on the streets of Steel well, you saw what Scoop thought of that. Comics are not averse to having characters that travel in various dreamlands etc. The And then he woke up and it was all a dream ending may well be abhorred by some on these boards, but here, I absolutely think that it could work. My point is that your story here isnt just a dream it happens to the character, even if it doesnt happen in the real world so to speak. One thing I intitially had a small issue with was that I wasnt sure where exactly Scoop was supposed to be during the briefings etc; once I decided that he was asleep and in a strange otherworldly state, those issues went away. I think that you could possibly imply this is happening more, in fact.
OK, Im waffling now, so enough with the suggestions. I loved this arc. The first time I ran it, I was stealthing, and totally failed to play it as it should be. This time round I took it slowly and savored the stark poetic dialogue and the atmosphere. I wish more arcs were like this. The writing in the bios, dialogue, clues, it was excellent. Well done. 5 Stars.
Ah, buddy
was it real?
Did I save the Universe last night?
In my sleep?
Whassat?
hahaha
yeah, we are still here, aint we?
sure, Ill drink ta that!
Eco
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)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
[The Incarnate System is] Jack Emmert all over again, only this time it's not "1 hero = 3 white minions" it's "1 hero = 3 white rocks."
|
That was a wonderful review, great to read! The in-character walkthru was really fun, it made me feel like someone experiencing the story. And great in-character description of everything, made it very real.
[ QUOTE ]
[Are they on hard or higher?]
[/ QUOTE ]
Nothing is set fully to hard, most are a custom setting between easy and hard based on the power set I needed. However, for the most part they all have an attack and a defence, mostly regen since it doesn't have a special effect.
Thanks for the note on the mission title and the crystals, I'll see about rewording their bios to include a more explicit description of destroying what is causing the fracture. And those Rikti maps seem to like splitting up the spawns, so I'll make the objective just need the boss.
[ QUOTE ]
[Oh for a shadow shard map, eh?]
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd kill for a shadow shard map!!! YOU HEAR THAT DEVS???
[ QUOTE ]
[The Fractures themselves are described earlier as being larger than the ones Ive already seen, but theyre nictus crystals again. Is there maybe a larger object you could use?]
[/ QUOTE ]
It's a pity but there are precious few choices of objects that aren't "solid". Most are mundane CoH items and I wish there were more weird things. I've had to settle for using the same item but describing and naming them in a larger way. I do like the idea of adding text to the guards, I'll have to try and squeeze a line or two in (I'm sitting at 99.2%!) if I can.
[ QUOTE ]
[One thing I intitially had a small issue with was that I wasnt sure where exactly Scoop was supposed to be during the briefings etc; once I decided that he was asleep and in a strange otherworldly state, those issues went away.]
[/ QUOTE ]
The difficulty of this arc is to balance the surreality of it with the reality of CoH. I hesitate to describe too much of what is not seen in-game as I've gotten feedback that says the arc "requires too much imagination" as it is. The only time I describe where you are is in the "About Contact". Really tho it could be different for different characters. For me it is the Void Shadow, but for another, just a dream. As this is, in a way, a 'personal journey' I wanted to leave a bit of the setting nebulous so that people could interpret it however most apropos for their character. I think that for Scoop it may have just been a dream, for another it might have been real. What do you think? Does that approach work or do you think it too vague for most?
Thanks so much for the review and feedback. It was really useful and helpful and I really appreciate that! I'm so glad you liked it too! Really made my evening
As Scoop says, "
sure, Ill drink ta that!"
Cheers!
The sheer horribleness of what went on in the Blight Thread made me critically review my own thread and take a long hard look at my reviewing in general.
I wondered if, when I'm not enjoyong an arc, it's maybe myfault. not the Author's. Maybe I'm not playing the arc slowly enough, or maybe my choice of toon is wrong.
When people play my arcs, I'd like them to play them at a measured pace, at a reasonable challenge level, and give them some kind of opportunity to show themselves off to their best. I should do no less with someone elses arc. I should be active in working with an arc to let whatever quality it has shine.
I'd like this review thread to be an antidote to the type of toxic criticism that occurred in the Blight thread. My reviews will therefore never have ratings of less than 3 stars, and any negative criticism i deliver will be delivered in as mild a form as i can manage. If you want brutality, go to one of the bully boys down the hall, you know who they are. I'll offer typo and grammar siugestions, and suggest plot or mechanics alternatives if I think they'd be useful, but I'm no expert (none of the reviewers are), and at the end of the day it's only one man's opinion. I'm happy to discuss the arcs in question and my review with the authors and anyone can submit an arc. I'm not asking for QPQ plays of my arcs, but if anyone wants to play The Audition, I'd appreciate it.
I realise that some of my toons have had a better time of it during the reviews; if I find myself not having enough fun during a run, I''ll change toon in an effort to give it another chance. The meat of the reviews will be in-character, as has become my favourite way to do it. I think that the main toons i'll be using will be the Accelerated Man, Robin Copperfield, Blush Bubble, Scoop Malloy, the Psystem, Tarquin Wilde, Atomicide, and Jacque Le Black.
I promise that I will read all bios, NPC Dialogue, system messages, exit and entry popups, and all clues as they drop. If something about an arc isnt clear to me, its not going to be because I skipped parts of it or ran the arc too fast to work out what was going on. It can take weeks to create an arc; zipping through it in an hour is not giving it enough atention IMO for a proper review.
My only stipulations for arc submissions are:
No Malta
No KoA
Nothing higher than lvl 45.
Limited slows and -Fly if possible
My starting queue is:
The Consequences of War 227331 and 241496
The Fracturing of Time 171031
The Doctor Returns 1152
I've also replayed a few of the arcs i gave negative reviews to in my earlier arc, with different toons. I'll put those dowwn before i get onto the queue.
Writing arcs is difficult, and takes a lot of effort. I believe that effort should be appreciated, even if the results aren't my cup of tea.
Eco.
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)