Should I flag all custom critter focused arcs as level 50+?

Are there really any disadvantages in doing so? The only disadvantages I can think of are:

- Loss of the "beginner's luck" accuracy bonus enjoyed by 1-19 characters.

There would appear to be several advantages:

- Hassles with sidekicks, exemplars, and teams are completely removed, even before i16.
- Most custom critter focused MA arcs assume SO+ enhancements and slotting.
- The widest variety of standard and custom characters are available.
- Most lowbie oriented missions use game standard mobs with only a few customs.
- Everyone who runs it who's under 50 will be assured to get XP appropriate for their level.

It seems to me that there are very few reasons not to make custom critter stories start at 50; and given the fact that it's hard to create custom critters that don't overwhelm the under 22 set, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison

I doubt you have to set them at 50+. I would say that most characters above 30 can handle most customs, unless you are going for all Hard/Extreme settings on the powersets.

I wouldn't set an arc with only customs for 1-54, because of the difficulties of balancing them for the entire range, but it is entirely possible to create custom mobs for low levels if you take into account the limitations of PCs at that level range. No EBs/AVs, standard settings only, avoiding mez/control powers on minions, etc.

Basically, it comes down to create what you want with the level ranges you want to use. If people like it, they will play it, if not, they won't.

Level 50 custom critters are scaled for a 50, not for an auto-skd 30. If you're mixing in Standard groups, there will be additional balance problems, as those groups have different critters at different levels. If you need to use standard critters that only appear at higher levels, then yes, set the arc's level to match theirs, but that should limit you to 45+ at the most.

With i16 coming up, sidekick hassles are pretty much a non-issue, and if you set the maximum level of the arc to 54, everyone will be guaranteed to get xp. Like Justice Blues said, setting the arc to 1-54 is a no-no (I despise those, because they always show up when I search "my level" even if I'm a lowbie and they are totally inappropriate for my level) but 25+, or 30+ depending on the difficulty of the customs is better than 50+. Besides, if you set it to auto-sk to 50, it won't show up when people below 50 search for "my level," even if they're high enough that your customs are an appropriate challenge.