Canon Fodder

When Mission Architect was released, the excitement of all the possibilities regarding custom content was felt. Imagine all of the new mobs and Arch Villains/Heroes to discover. With all of the wonderful stories and new adventures yet to be told, the custom additions seemed endless. To us veteran players who've been around for over four years, it seemed as if a new game would be uncovered.

We've played numerous MA canon-themed story arcs, and quite frankly, have been unimpressed. We have yet to encounter one that is canon-based, yet provides something totally new, or at least on par, with existing content. The most impressive feature of MA is the fact that we can add custom content. If you want to fight Crey Industries, you can already go to Founders Falls or do a story arc involving them. The last thing we should want to fight is Crey in an MA arc.

We came upon a quote that bothered us:

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Venture (4/13/2009)
Extensive use of custom mobs says, to me, that the author is covering up for a weak or nonexistent theme with eye candy, that the mission is "just a bunch of stuff that happened". I'd much rather see a good story told within the canon than a mediocre action movie told with custom mobs.

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In our opinion, it takes far more creativity to come up with an MA story with a lot of custom content, than to try to put together a story with "been there, done that" opponents. People like Venture lack the creativity for customization, and choose to hide behind stock mobs, long winded missions, and uninspired rehashing of in-game content.

Are there any others out there with the creative moxie to offer all custom MA stories? We're not talking about novels, but good action adventures that have new, i.e.: custom content.

Here's a shout out to all of you MA fanatics that have made custom MA arcs, and a challenge to those who have yet to do so. List them here so that others might find and enjoy them. We will play and rate any arcs posted here in an effort to help promote them (and in some cases, to help you make them better).

We are a panel of reviewers, not a single person. Each of us will individually review the arc and rate it. All three votes will be totaled for an overall rating. Ratings range from three to five stars. There will be no one or two stars given out, as they will be considered incomplete. Along with the numerical rating, we will each provide a comment on one of the following three criteria:

Fun Factor: challenge level, good use of MA tools, proper custom power building, measuring up to the keywords, replay value.

Visual Pop: costume design, creative map usage, text color selections (moderation), NPC dialogue, power effects (not overusing auras).

Story Flow: proper formatting, spelling and punctuation, story cohesiveness, interesting mob/boss info, proper use of clues and popups, and good solid story motivation to want to continue.

Custom Story Parameters
The story must contain at least 70% of the following:

Custom Mobs
Custom Bosses, EBs and AVs
Custom Allies
Custom Contact
A story unrelated to a canon person, place or thing. (Mobs using canon content but rearranged and given a new name do not qualify as custom.)

Please feel free to play our custom arcs listed below and let us know what you think about our use of custom content in CoH.

Looking forward to experiencing all of your custom stories and to hear what you think about ours!

Post deleted by dmcfarland907

Project: Perilous - Into the Chthonian Pit
Arc ID: 3586
By: @Paula
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Fun Factor: This arc was long enough to feel tedious. The final map really hammers this point home. The mission objectives in the navigation bar were often unclear as to what they actually entailed (grab glowie, defeat boss, etc.). Being a MM, the ally turned out to be more of a hindrance than a help. This arc could afford to be a lot tougher because frankly, it was too easy. 3.5 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Story Flow: I really liked the depth of the story as it contained various elements of myth and legend, but at times it seemed a bit wordy. The spelling and formatting was well done. There was a sparse amount of information to uncover about the bosses and minions. That was a disappointment. What would be nice is if there was a bit more "crunch" or "fluff". By crunch, I mean mechanical information such as powers known and fluff referring to creative story or background information. Fighting the same villains in back to back missions more than once was uninspiring. 3.75 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Visual Pop: The custom mobs need a lot of work. An example is the missed opportunity in customizing the Hellfire Club to be more than a hodgepodge of canon mobsters. I'd like to see the rest of the arc's mobs fleshed out. There was a distracting bit of overuse in the colored text. The last mission sendoff being formatted in all blue was unbearable. 3.25 Stars

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The Golden Scepter
Arc ID: 9852
By: @Mystic Fortune
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Visual Pop: Excellent costumes!!! (two thumbs up), especially the EBs. The story architect has a knack for designing characters that look both distinct and interesting. The contact is also well made, but his resemblance (note: this is probably intentional) to a certain comic book character took away from him. A good selection of different maps rounded out the visual pop. 5 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Fun Factor: I liked the overall challenge level, but I would recommend that if you're going to make a team-based arc, substitute EBs for AVs. They will still remain EBs should someone try to solo the arc. EBs rarely pose a challenge to a good team. There was a good use of MA tools, such as the spectral ally of the contact. 4.25 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Story Flow: I loved the overall story! I really was compelled to finish the arc, and had fun doing so. The text was spot on, and was very fun to read. It suffers, however, from being a bit too "standard RPG module" like. It felt like I had done this before. 4.5 Stars

Venture is being misquoted, actually. He has no problem with customs, he uses quite a lot of them himself. His issue is with arcs that have tons of customs and a really weak or non-existent plot that are little more than custom character showcases. I've seen a lot of those myself, it especially disappoints me when the critters don't even have descriptions either.

It's very easy to make lots of custom characters, it's not easy to make them interesting and in my opinion it's even harder to take stock critters from the game and still make an interesting story with those because of the "been there, done that" effect.

What Venture is saying is: lots of custom characters doesn't automatically make an arc good.

And by saying that he likes stories being set in canon he is not saying that he doesn't like customs at all, you can make an arc almost entirely out of customs and still have the story set in the CoH canon.

Post deleted by LaserJesus

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1. Custom Content: I will only give a maximum of two stars for any cannon related MA Arc

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Do everyone a favor and don't play missions that list having a standard enemy group in it, then, if you hate them so much.

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Good luck with that.

Just out of curiosity, I sumit my arc #137561: Ctrl + Alt + Reset! aka Time Loop.

The story is completely custom, although I stick with standard enemies in all but the last mission. Though I do pick some lesser used enemies, especially heroside. Level range is 15-30 by the way. I would submit my other arc, Matchstick Women, but it's currently bugged (should have it fixed tomorrow though).

edit: Matchstick Women #3369 is fixed, and is really a better submission, as it has a full custom enemy group, and several custom hostage/allies.

[ QUOTE ]

1. Custom Content: I will only give a maximum of two stars for any cannon related MA Arc

[/ QUOTE ]

I want cannons in MA. All we get are the turrets, and they're part of the maps.

And the problem with arcs that contain custom groups, is that 1) you have to work really hard to make them interesting, due to the ridiculous amount of space custom critters take up, and 2) it seems like 90% of them (the ones that aren't farms anyway) "may contain" Extreme Elite Bosses or Extreme Archvillains. Now that we can hand-pick custom critters' powers, using the "extreme" setting on anything other than an ally's defense set is just the author being lazy and/or equating "player killer" or "annoying" with "challenge."

Oh and 3) now that we can set the levels of the missions, if your custom critter arc is set for levels 1-54 it is a big glaring sign that your custom group will be poorly balanced. No custom group is appropriate for levels 1-54.

Trademark Infringement - 100% Custom

Death to Disco! - Mish 1 is Crey with custom boss, mish 2 is 100% custom

Have a Blap, Blap, Blappy Day Kids! - 4 missions, that ramp up to all custom by the last mission.

About "being a challenge". This as a requirement to me is awfully random. Unless you design a mission for a very narrow level and AT it will be hard for some and easy for others. As an example in 450 plays of Trademark Infringement I have had one complaint of the boss being the "hardest boss I have ever fought". The boss is a fire tank and it turned out the player used a fire/fire blaster.

Anyways, pick one of the above that most interests your group. Thanks!


WN

The arc in my sig should work for most of your criteria. The first group is meant to be a bit of a pushover but I've had comments about certain elements in both groups being a bit rough for some folks.

I personally have liked arcs with both cannon and custom stuff, though the ones with purely custom are very hard to find. When I first heard of AE I'd hoped it would be used to tell more original stories that didn't fit the pattern of CoH style play, but those are definitely the exception. So, this is an interesting idea for a reviews thread and I'm keen to check some of these out.

If you are taking submissions, my arc ("The Fracturing of Time" 171031) qualifies on the custom side of things but its not "challenging" as the story works best in solo play and many ATs can't handle the same stuff. It is all customs and not explicitly set in the CoH universe and it has a rather unconventional story. If that fits your criteria feel free to take a look!

Post deleted by dmcfarland907

I enjoy custom factions, but I'd rather see a well-used recolor than a poorly-created Custom. This arc should meet the requirements you've given, there are a number of non-custom mobs but in all likelihood the custom faction will mow them down before you get to them anyway.

Due to a number of complaints about the power picks of the faction in question, and the arc generally being too difficult for most soloists, I have divided it into an "easy" version and a "hard" version. The hard version is the older version of the arc that I've run repeatedly before, and is likely going to be of much higher quality. That said, the easy version could certainly use the feedback, though prepare to be underwhelmed. It really needs some help. The difficult version of the arc ends with an extremely hard EB who, to the best of my knowledge, has never been fought as an AV and might be ludicrously tough as one. Fair warning given. The level range of both arcs is 47-50.

Easy: 271728
Difficult: 271731

<qr>

I find this an odd title for a thread about non-canon arcs. "Canon fodder" is usually used to refer to jumping-off points in canon for fan speculation and/or prediction.

Rider's Ribs Restaurant Rescue *points at sig* has finally undergone some major changes I had planned to give it. I'd like to see some opinions of it in it's current form.

Post deleted by LaserJesus

Well, while I don't necessarily agree that Canon = guaranteed suckage, my arc "Small Fears" fits the bill for the most part (there's a handful of standard mobs, but they're rarely-seen ones, and have a perfectly legitimate reason for being there). The number is in my sig- if you enjoy it, lemme know. If you don't, I don't want to hear about it... okay, okay, kidding- let me know what you think! It's 'done' for the most part, but if I think I can improve it, I will.

Well with that settled.

All of my arcs feature at least one custom. Here are the ones with the most.

"The Amulet of J'gara" (#1709) is for levels 25-33 and contains 9 customs. They are only present for the 2nd half of the story.
"Of Futures Past" (#254599) is for levels 45-50 and contains 12 customs throughout, including the contact.
"The Portal Bandits" (#3326) is for levels 45-50 and contains 17 customs, 12 of which will be seen in all four missions.

I would love it if you would play my arc :
In Pursuit of Liberty - ID 221702.

First, I must warn you that this arc is tied to cannon, but it has my personal and I hope light hearted spin. It is an origin story and is first and foremost just that. However, it has humor, or my attempt at humor sprinkled throughout.

Why am I then posting this arc here? Well, I have been criticized because "Ms. Liberty" would not talk that way ( I am quite sure that reviewer knows her well) and that "those villains would NEVER group together" (perhaps they told him)?
I was specifically told Ms. Liberty is cold. Check out this link: http://twitpic.com/bi5nc
Does she look cold to you?

So I would like a fresh perspective from someone who does not expect that I have cloned their personal views on what existing COH characters would or wouldn't do.

I would love to get your feedback.

Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy.

As an aside, I don't disrespect arcs that stick to existing COH lore. In fact, I was very careful factwise to stay in that framework. I was attempting to create something a bit different and a bit light hearted, but apparently for many that doesn't work.

In our opinion, it takes far more creativity to come up with an MA story with a lot of custom content, than to try to put together a story with "been there, done that" opponents. People like Venture lack the creativity for customization, and choose to hide behind stock mobs, long winded missions, and uninspired rehashing of in-game content.

I have to ask: why did you do this? Did you even play any of my arcs? My guess is "no" since if you had you'd have seen that they all have at least some custom mobs in them. ("Chains of Blood" has the fewest but it is the one most heavily tied to the canon, as there were particular loose ends I wanted to address.) If you had just said that you wanted to review non-canon arcs I wouldn't have given this thread a second look. Instead you opened with a personal attack. I certainly hope that isn't why.

I could point out the myriad reasons why you're wrong, but instead I'll just do this:

Arc #283197, "Psychophage"

Contains custom mobs, Bosses, EBs, AVs and Contact. Set entirely outside the canon. Doesn't have any Allies, I didn't see the need for one.

This arc took far less time to create than any of my other five...about half, I'd say.

Samurai’s Destiny
Arc ID: 47492
By: @Uzzi
Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Story Flow: This story arc was a tough one for me to evaluate. Even though I enjoyed it, the lack of information on mobs and bosses, and the fact that the contact seemed to be less and less inspiring and informative, was a bummer. Some additional depth and some reworking of the contact information (especially the sendoffs) would make this arc solid. 4.25 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Visual Pop: While the costumes of the mobs were appropriate, more variety would have gone a long way. I would like to see the selection of the maps available be put to better, more creative use. While it makes sense for ninjas and samurai to be silent and disciplined, the lack of NPC dialogue bothered me. How about they grunt, or “Hiyah!” 4 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Fun Factor: With the cool design and frequency of ambushes, the arc was very intense to play. I felt like I was constantly in a fight, which is a good thing. Being a team-oriented arc, the lack of more EBs and/or AVs takes away a bit. Good job on the custom power builds, as everything was appropriate. I would definitely replay this arc, solo or with a team. 4.25 Stars

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Tyranus Rex
Arc ID: 157491
By: @EtherFalcon
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Fun Factor: Although this arc does contain some well constructed custom mobs, it suffers from a propensity of underwhelming bosses. Signature characters are only going to leave an impression if they can survive for more than a few seconds. With all the customizable options available, it’s fairly easy to make the leaders EBs (or AVs). You can then tweak their powers so that they are stout, yet not “player-killers”. 3.25 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Story Flow: This arc started out shaky with regard to the written presentation, but cleaned up nicely over its course. I enjoyed the story line about the power suit, mostly because I’ve seen it done again and again. The mobs have no information. I’m someone who reads this stuff, so take advantage of it! The same goes for popups. Use them cleverly! Inspire me! 3.75 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Visual Pop: With two custom groups in one arc, the author was probably crunched for space, as he was not able to include the ideal “six-pack” custom mob setup of two minions, two lieutenants, and two bosses of various builds. Lacking any bosses aside from the signature ones made the mobs look uninspiring. The annoying auras given to Rex Ruthless’ troops in the second mission added to the problem. I could barely appreciate the design of the custom characters due to the muddling effect. 3.25 Stars

Matchstick Women
Arc ID: 3369
By: @Bubbawheat
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Visual Pop: I really liked the custom design of the Matchstick Women. The distinct looks of the minions, lieutenants and bosses made the discovery of each of them worth taking the time to stop and admire them. The map selection was good, such as the burning building, which helped reinforce the tone of the story. The power auras were used appropriately, and didn’t detract for the various characters’ appearances. Ditch the Carnie Senschels from the arc, as they aren’t needed. 4.25 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Fun Factor: The mobs had an interesting and well balanced mix of powers. There were some good mob animations prior to combat. Enabling the sprinkler system valves was clever. I liked the use of the Curious Woman as first as an opponent, then later as an ally. The arc started off a bit easy, but progressively rose in challenge to my satisfaction. 4.5 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Story Flow: Well done! You struck the dark drama chord nicely! As the story unfolded, the creepy feeling increased. I really wanted to put an end to the Matchstick Women, and their evil schemes. The text of the contact was intriguing, and drew me into the story. Great story cohesiveness, spelling and formatting. All the mob/boss info was very informative, and put together the background of the enemy. Not overusing clues was appreciated. 5 Stars

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Death to Disco!
Arc ID: 84420
By: @Wrong Number
Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars

@Cain Lightning says:
Story Flow: This arc needs a bit of fine tuning regarding the text. Having said that, the story was still funny and easy to follow. As an advent fan of rock and roll, it made completing this story even more enjoyable. I really loved the mob and boss info. It cracked me up! Dr Disco Fever had a deep and enjoyable background. 4.5 Stars

@LAMIKE says:
Visual Pop: I thought the costumes were appropriate for the setting, and aside from the Crey, clever. The cool retro throwback outfits of the various musical factions (rocker, rapper, pop star, etc.) were visual pleasures. The NPC dialogue was very funny. I found myself laughing out loud from beginning to end. The last map annoyed me, but I got over when I started reading the custom text. 4 Stars

@Pankrator says:
Fun Factor: Heh. Funny story arc. I really enjoyed all of the comedic elements, such as smashing the disco cassettes and taking down Dr Disco Fever. Rock on! Nice custom power selection. All of the powers fit the names well, with the Diva being my favorite. Ditch the Crey, and place your custom mob into the first mission. I’d rather rescue the “peanut farmer” from them, than the Crey. I think the contact added a lot to my enjoyment. He reminded me of an old rocker friend from back in the day. 4 Stars

We would like to thank everyone who has participated in submitting custom arcs for review. We still need a lot more! Our goal is to create a 1-50 leveling outline with all custom MA arcs for those players who would like to experience an alternate route to fifty.

Any arc that we have reviewed and rated a 4+ star in each of the criteria (Fun Factor, Story Flow, Visual Pop) will be included on the list. We will be posting this list as soon as we have at least 25% of it complete.

So please post any existing custom stories, or get to work on some new ones! Just think how fun it would be to run an entire all-custom content run to fifty! It’s what we all already want: NEW GAME CONTENT!

We look forward to more of your exciting stories.

Thanks again.

@Cain Lightning
@LAMIKE
@Pankrator

My arc, The History of Statesman (219484) consist of almost all custom mobs, and despite the name, disregards canon almost completely. Feel free to give that a try.

I would also recommend @guvnor's Challenge of the Splendid Pals, chock full of customs with great writing.