My 2 inf:
Allies as a rule cant be trusted for a punch up. IMO a lot of peoplemake this critical error. There a bunch of problems e.g what if they die on route? what if they die in said punch up and then team dies?
The problem is that whilst you can make it *probable* that an ally will help you cant make sure of it. And ifthey aret there, then the team is stuck against a brick wall. You cant bring that ally back from the dead.
I use allies cautiouslly, and normally at boss level tops. But I always balance the "end encounter" as if they arent there.
I wouldnt advise option 5. There are a lota "challenge missions" out there, and they just arent popular, and you are at very high risk of the 1 star rage quit. I would guess you are going to make a classy story, so no need to make a challenge mission, and I hate seeing good stories die because they are just too tough.
I like the 25% option. This introduces an element of choice / options about how to play - which can really elevate an arc (I try to incorperate this in my arcs - plug plug). In this case it would be fairly easy to complete the mission, but there is an OPTIONAL challenge of actually taking down the beast. If you go this route, force feed the players this option in intro so they dont end up treating it as a challenge (perma imobing him might be a problem). irrespective, I think this option needs a fair b it of play testing to balance.
Recreating him would be a fine option, although it does use up memory. However, you could throw in a suprise or two by changing his power sets ("WHOA he dosent do that, does he?") which is a good "moment" for ann arc, although you would need a plausible explanation.
Good luck with arc, sounds interesting!
PS: May pet peeve at the moment is how much effort people make inn good stories / arcs but dont balance it properly. Its not as hard by half, but it needs doing and does take some time / skill
Nosferatu is overated in difficulty.
You just need to make sure anyone tanking him in melee range is a +def type or uses lots of purples.
Both his nasty powers (-to hit, self heals) require him to hit his target.
I really should do something about this signature.
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3) Nosferatu runs at 75% HP - this won't fail the mission if he escapes.. Taking down 25% of his HP is much easier. He can't afford to be caught doing what he's doing, and an escort spawn with the main mission objective appears in the path he'll run down, which will hopefully distract the player and let him escape. There will still be a final fight, as that other EB guarding the exit will still be there. Defeat Nosferatu is not a vital objective in the story and if it were possible I'd make him optional, but a required objective (the escort) needs to trigger off him.
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This would be my prefered option, as long as the mission briefing is clear that Nosferatu can be allowed to escape.
"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."
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3) Nosferatu runs at 75% HP - this won't fail the mission if he escapes.. Taking down 25% of his HP is much easier. He can't afford to be caught doing what he's doing, and an escort spawn with the main mission objective appears in the path he'll run down, which will hopefully distract the player and let him escape. There will still be a final fight, as that other EB guarding the exit will still be there. Defeat Nosferatu is not a vital objective in the story and if it were possible I'd make him optional, but a required objective (the escort) needs to trigger off him.
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Perhaps let him run at 75% and trigger an ambush at the same time for distraction and make the escort a required objective?
[url="http://adingworld.wordpress.com/mission-architect-story-arcs/"][b]My Story arcs[/b][/url]: [i]The Siren Supremes[/i] ([b]1143[/b]), [i]The Missing Geneticist[/i] ([b]2542[/b]), [i]Elemental Jones[/i] ([b]263512[/b]), [i]The Soul Hunter[/i] ([b]294431[/b]), [i]Heart of Steel[/i] ([b]407104[/b]), [i]Project Serpens[/i] ([b]434082[/b])
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I did some research into arcs that already star Nosferatu, and realised I was remembering some things wrongly - mainly that while he might not agree with what Requiem and Arakhn do sometimes, he is completely loyal to the Center and would not be seen dead with any remaining 5th Column loyalists.
I'll replace him with an original EB.
"The Hamidon is a what what of what?" - Brian the mission guy.
One thing occurs to me - it's suprising that letting a required Boss escape does not fail the mission, I mean it would in the normal game. You need to remember that this might be bugged behaviour that could be 'fixed' at some point.
/edit
No, wait, you're not doing it that way now are you? Nevermind.
"If there's anything worse than being sacrificed, it's being sacrificed incompetantly."
One of the arcs I'm working on ATM requires that I have Nosferatu as a boss. There's not really anyone else in the Council who'd be doing what he's doing.
The thing is, Nosferatu is tough, even as an EB - in testing he was the only part of the arc that was a stiff challenge to my MA/SR, and he has a reputation for being very difficult. So I need to do things to make him soloable... BUT for story reasons I can't add in an Ally to fight alongside the player.
So I thought up a few possibilities. What do you guys think would be best?
1) Allied ambushes. Some squads of Peacebringers, probably, coming in to help you. Appropriate for the mission, but after Nosferatu is defeated they wouldn't follow the player when logically they should (especially since another EB spawns guarding the exit)
2) Rewrite the story and bring in an ally spawn. I'd rather not, but it could be done.
3) Nosferatu runs at 75% HP - this won't fail the mission if he escapes.. Taking down 25% of his HP is much easier. He can't afford to be caught doing what he's doing, and an escort spawn with the main mission objective appears in the path he'll run down, which will hopefully distract the player and let him escape. There will still be a final fight, as that other EB guarding the exit will still be there. Defeat Nosferatu is not a vital objective in the story and if it were possible I'd make him optional, but a required objective (the escort) needs to trigger off him.
4) Recreate Nosferatu as a custom character. I have my doubts about how close to the original I'd be able to get him though.
5) Leave it as it is and say "you may want to bring a team!"
What do you think?
"The Hamidon is a what what of what?" - Brian the mission guy.