"Word up, my homie, as it were."

You've heard the hype, you've seen it on the Test Server, but now, for the first time, it's on Live!

Arc ID 311775: Two Great Tastes (Author's Note: I hope players get the reference, a more expository title would ruin the surprise, not that this thread doesn't spoil it a bit)

Length: Four Missions (Two medium, one short, one medium-long)

Level Range: 40-54

Suggested Level Range for Players: 26/32-54 (give or take, depending on AT/power set and when the best powers show up)

Maxwell Christopher needs your help, Nemesis seems to be colluding with the Freakshow. Are you a bad enough dude to save the city? Watch out, because waiting for you is a match made in Hell: The Nemeshow! These bizarre fusions of 19th century steampunk technology and leet-speaking cyborg processes are ready to knock you into next week! Luckily, you may get some help from an old friend...

Meet your enemies (an informed hero is a safe hero):

Minions: These lowest level of "Steam Freaks" (as Nemeshow call themselves) feature nasty cybernetic enhancements as well as their Nemesis Rifles (normally capable of only single-shot and semi-automatic fire).

-Ruffian: This guy's got muscular stimulators that give him the strength of ten men with handlebar moustaches. He can throw punches and boulders, and when he claps his hands, you won't want to applaud.

-Striker: This fellow has agility boosters that let him perform high-flying kicks, be careful they don't leave you dizzy. He's so cocky, he'll sometimes just throw a sharpened piece of scrap metal at you!

-Surgeon: This guy's got a liberal interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath. His rifle is equipped with a beanbag launcher to perform on-the-fly anesthesia, and his internal medkit can not only heal wounds, but it can also extricate others from all manner of disabling predicaments.

-Zapper: Be careful with this one, he's got advanced implants that allow him to fire bolts of electricity. He can even charge up and launch a ball of lightning at you! Don't get too close, though, his implants let him drain your power, too (WARNING: That last attack is especially effective on robots).

-Tactical: This Steam Freak is as bad as they come. His rifle is equipped to fire shotgun shells as well as normal ammo, and he has an enlarged hand to store a few nasty gadgets, like Web Grenades, Caltrops, a Taser, and even a remote-controlled Targeting Drone.

Lieutenants: These two don't get along very well, but they're nothing to sneeze at. Their electrical implants allow them to use lighting to attack or defend, and their rifles can fire shotgun shells and M30 Grenades in addition to the normal ammo types. You can find them before they see you by listening for the tell-tale crackle of the field of electricity that's always at their feet.

-Tesla: This dude modified his rifle to fire in fully automatic mode, and he's got some wicked fisticuffs (boosted with his electical powers). He can even send out lightning to stick your legs together with static cling. Avoid melee engagements with him, his standing ovation is worse than a Ruffian's.

-Edison: This Steam Freak is a point defender. He's got beanbag ammunition to take you out of the fight, and he uses his electric powers to block your attacks. Stay frosty, because if you let your guard down, he can activate his Power Sink and drain your energy.

Steam Freak Tank: This guy's the boss, and his equipment's no laughing matter. He's got all the different ammo and firing types used by the other Steam Freaks, plus he has a flamethrower attachment (luckily, the fuel he uses doesn't Ignite things)! Worse yet, he has the same electrical powers as a Zapper, and he can also trap you in an electric cage, unable to even defend yourself. His Excelsior Distribution Unit is equipped with a unique system that lets him release an extra-large dosage to boost his accuracy and damage for a few seconds, so duck behind something when you see him use it.

Lord Chesterfield: Nobody knows what name he goes by now, but this guy was the first person to volunteer for the Nemeshow program, and his strength shows it. His hands are too big for a Nemesis Rifle now, so he just uses his mastery of electricity to compensate. He doesn't have very much for crowd control, but he has a large number of very powerful electrical attacks, both up close and far away (though reports state that he prefers to get close). He doesn't have any enhancement systems like the Tank does, but he doesn't really need them, anyway. When he's backed into a corner, though, he can unleash all his power in a single Thunderous Blast. Fortunately, he's no faster than an average giant cyborg, and he can't fly or teleport or anything, so if you can slow him down or speed yourself up, you can escape fairly easily when things get too hot.


Direct all feedback to this thread, rather than the in-game comment system. I'm always trying to improve my work, so feel free to let me know what you think. In particular, I'd like to know how my custom group does against large teams (I'm afraid it may be a little too powerful in large numbers, but I need some confirmation). If you'd like more detailed power set descriptions for my custom NPCs, let me know, I'll be happy to post less dolled-up descriptions of the enemies (NOTE: Their in-game descriptions are different and, usually, less informative, consider this post a sort of manual to the arc, like the old NES days).

Now availible on Test Server: Two Great Tastes (I16 Open Beta version)!

Changes:

-Steam Freak Ruffian has decided that throwing boulders is dumb when you have a gun. He's refocused his energies into learning how to throw a great big Haymaker punch.

-Steam Freak Striker has smartened up and quit using those Shuriken-like bits of metal as projectiles. However, not only has he developed a naster Cobra Strike technique, but he's also learned how to overclock his implants to output more force (he calls it "Focusing his Chi").

-Steam Freak Tank's gun was finally noticed by the laws of physics, and he lost the ability to shoot fire out of his blunderbuss. He has not figured out any way to compensate for his loss, but he figures he's already pretty tough without that non-thematic eyesore.


Tell me what you think so I can polish the changes for Live. Also being considered, but not yet implemented:

-Should your ally for the last mission betray you after beating the boss?

Played your Arc. Will be sending you a PM with my thoughts.

Latest update:

-Removed Short Circuit from Zappers. I figured between the Edisons and the bosses, there was enough end drain.

-Altered the text (mainly in the souveneir) a little to add some ambiguity on a certain point.