Of course, all this can probably be sidestepped by a skilled MA designer putting in enough time.
Create custom NPCs to fill the level-gaps (or extend the range) and use them, especially if we can grab most NPC powersets. Since the defeats don't count to defeat badges it doesn't matter if that storm-shaman-alike at level 34 isn't a true BP as no-ones counting.
OTOH I'd guess that the devs may fill the gaps - it shouldn't affect the dev-written game (as the arcs/missions don't exist in the missing level ranges) but it would help smooth a couple of potential bumps in MA content.
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
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Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
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Create custom NPCs to fill the level-gaps (or extend the range) and use them, especially if we can grab most NPC powersets. Since the defeats don't count to defeat badges it doesn't matter if that storm-shaman-alike at level 34 isn't a true BP as no-ones counting.
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But this is where not being able to flag the zombies he summons as undead becomes a problem...
Although, in this case the Necromancy MM set could be useful.
Unfortunatly those zombies don't have the glowing rune on thier chest.
I really should do something about this signature.
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Create custom NPCs to fill the level-gaps (or extend the range) and use them, especially if we can grab most NPC powersets. Since the defeats don't count to defeat badges it doesn't matter if that storm-shaman-alike at level 34 isn't a true BP as no-ones counting.
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But this is where not being able to flag the zombies he summons as undead becomes a problem...
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Let them have some minor irritances for v2.0!! 
But, if we can plug the gap with a custom designed NPC that uses the shaman powerset from the dev-created NPC I'd expect the summoned zombies to already be flagged as they are for the existing death shamans. I'd have thought (my assumption, not based upon anything read or rednamed) that the summoned zombies were effectively part of the power.
Now I can see the issue if creating custom NPC lvl34 dry husks and other BP dead-zombie-thingies.
BTW - you planning something using mid-30s BP or are we doing the usual analysis and speculation for the hell of it? 
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
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I'm planning on using the BP (and sky raiders) in my arc "The Secret of the Curse of Pirate Jefferie's Treasure Island". I was going to specify the arc as 25-30, but it looks like I may not be able to do that.
I'm a bit concerned that players might not find out what level a mission is until they are in it.
I really should do something about this signature.
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I'm a bit concerned that players might not find out what level a mission is until they are in it.
[/ QUOTE ]It could always be added to the mission notes. Just take the highest minimum level for the mobs in you mission and the lowest maximum and you have your level range. For example, in pohsyb's example the level range would be 40-45.
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I'm a bit concerned that players might not find out what level a mission is until they are in it.
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It may not be too bad for the odd individual mission if they use level changes creatively (e.g. my previous example of power-theft) but it does sound bad if players don't know what range arcs/missions are at all.
If that's the case then it is (at the least) a bit off-putting. And I'd have thought that the devs would get less than favourable feedback on it.
I'd hope that the search facility summarised the arcs level range in the results. Heck - arcs can only be up to 5 missions, so you could display the level range for each mission if neccesary (but that would remove some surprise from creative uses of level-shifting).
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
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Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
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It could always be added to the mission notes.
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Mission notes? Is it confirmed that we can add notes outside of the mission briefing from the contact?
I really should do something about this signature.
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I'm a bit concerned that players might not find out what level a mission is until they are in it.
[/ QUOTE ]It could always be added to the mission notes. Just take the highest minimum level for the mobs in you mission and the lowest maximum and you have your level range. For example, in pohsyb's example the level range would be 40-45.
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And that's what I refer to as summarising the level range... it's easy for an individual mission but I wonder what people would see as a suitable description for an arc (as the missions may have different level ranges)?
What if the example skull-power-theft arc had missions something like:
mission 1 - 20 to 50
mission 2 - 30 to 50
mission 3 - 1 to 15
mission 1 - 40 to 50
mission 1 - 30 to 40
Would an automatic summary describe it as 1-50? Or maybe usually 40-50 (as 3 missions cover that range)? Or usually 30-40 (3 again)? Or maybe 40 (as 4 missions allow level 40)?
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
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Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
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It could always be added to the mission notes.
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Mission notes? Is it confirmed that we can add notes outside of the mission briefing from the contact?
[/ QUOTE ]I don't know. I expect we will get some kind of description info before choosing a mission. If need be then a, "Ideally I need a security level X to Y Hero team" line could be added to the contact text.
I have no idea how you could summarise such divergent level ranges in a story arc description. I was only offering a solution to indicating level ranges for individual missions.
I would guess that its organised into level ranges as ouroboros arcs are.
1 - 15
10 - 30
15 - 25
1 - 50
1 - 30
20 - 45
etc etc. Though a warning before starting the mission/arc stating that your powers are going to being exmp'd/sk'd up would be nice.
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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I would guess that its organised into level ranges as ouroboros arcs are.
1 - 15
10 - 30
15 - 25
1 - 50
1 - 30
20 - 45
etc etc. Though a warning before starting the mission/arc stating that your powers are going to being exmp'd/sk'd up would be nice.
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The quoted post implies that this is not the case, since individual missions in an arc could have widly different level ranges, and because a mission featuring a villain group which spans 1-50 (council) would be a 1-50 mission, not restricted to a 5 level band, as happens in Ouroborros..
I really should do something about this signature.
Yet another interview: http://www.allakhazam.com/story.html?story=17048
Some interesting bits... Never thought those pesky random civilians are "mission objectives" Also some info on what's planned for MA, what's possible and what isn't.
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Yet another interview: http://www.allakhazam.com/story.html?story=17048
Some interesting bits... Never thought those pesky random civilians are "mission objectives" Also some info on what's planned for MA, what's possible and what isn't.
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What I found most interesting about this is the level of control they are willing to potentially pass over. The fact that, if they pimp out the MA so that they start using it exclusively in-house for mission creation, we would be allowed that tool too, is very encouraging.
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quick question on arcs...
hero arcs (defeat bad guys) can be run from MA in Paragon.
Villain arcs (steal x and destroy y) can be run from RI
co-op arcs ? can these be run from anywhere ? do they have to be initiated in a co-op zone ?
I knwo this is conjecture based on conjecture but I cant see redside oriented arcs being available to blueside players.... or do we flag them as hero/villain/co-op ?
No, anyone can run any arc, at least it was in the very first officcial article and we weren't told differently since. So, yes, you can "go rogue" in a sense. No one, (except closed beta testers) knows how co-op is supposed to work, although most think it would be something to do with Pocket D.
I think you just flag them as co-op.
What interests me more is destructible objects!
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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I think you just flag them as co-op.
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I don't think they have hero/villain/co-op flags. I think any character can play any mission in the MA.
The only condition for playing co-op is you would have to start from a co-op zone to create a mixed team.
I really should do something about this signature.
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No, anyone can run any arc, at least it was in the very first officcial article and we weren't told differently since.
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More than that - pretty sure it's been confirmed very recently* that the missions are cross-faction, cross-server, cross-region and cross-eyed. Though as you say, we've never been told contrary to this.
I've not seen anything stating that missions need to be marked as co-op, and given that they are already available to both heroes and villains I'd guess that any mission can be run as co-op if you can get the team in a co-op/neutral zone to begin it.
So I'd guess that PD is a definite AE site for I14 and there may even be an AE-type suite in the RWZ vanguard base (using the rationale that it's for vanguard training in simulation excercises). It wouldn't surprise me if at least one more zone open to both factions gets an AE in I15 - whether that's something like a moon/space zone or a revamp of an existing zone (shards?).
* For some reason some posters in the US seemed to keep getting confused over whether US and EU shared the same MA missions... pretty sure that the post (last week?) reconfirming the position restated that heroes and villains can run any MA mission.
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
a yr to make ma jeeez
That's a very reasonable amount of time for something of that complexity.
In the video you can see the mission selection screen, and it does seem to give you are fair bit of summary info. Ill try to type what I can read:
Kidnap
by <authorname>
##############
Length: Long
First published: <date and time>
Morality: Heroic
Mission 1: <title> <level range> <objective types>
Mission 2: <title> <level range> <objective types>
etc...
Enemy Groups: <blah> <blah>
Something illegable: Possibly a plot summery
I really should do something about this signature.
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QR
Now with moving pictures !
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I think his T-shirt says "Freem"
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Thanks, I missed that one.
Interesting that it is on a par mission basis rather than a per arc basis, and it appears that you don't select the mission level: it it determined by the mobs you choose.
He doesn't say what happens if mob A is 1-20 and mob B is 40-50.
And I think the BP is 20-30 and 40-45.
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Aren't the 40-45 BP just in a Portal mish like the Family? IE they're more "rescaled 20-30s" rather than true 40-45s? They've no new powers or anything.
I think the high level snakes on the other hand get new powers in the high levels.