Low Level AE Missions or Arc Suggestions
By
Aisynia,
Posted on: 2010-05-14 16:27 in Mission Architect
Don't know if you are still running this, but since I just finished designing a low-level villain arc I figure this might be a place to put it. :-)
Arc Title: Scheduling Conflict
Arc ID: #411118
Factions: Freakshow, Luddites, Goldbrickers, Arachnos, custom patrols in one mission
Morality: Rogue
Length: Rather short if you want to skip some content. Longer if you fight all the way through.
Level Range: Lowbie arc, auto-exempts you to lv 20.
Synopsis: Things have been a little slow for your villain lately. You decided to go check on Senior Arachnos Secretary Joan to see if she has any work for you around the Rogue Isles.
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Back for another weekend running a few MA missions on my all MA guy.
As I thought about my experience starting this out during the past week I was feeling both happy and sad at the same time. I am happy because I am running these fun (and fresh feeling) arcs instead of the same old stuff but I am sad because I when I think about the fact that MA got off to such a problematic start due to the PLer vs. Traditionalist battle and the fact that basically a large part of the community is unable to appreciate some of the fun that is available here because there is so much stuff (read: inane missions) to wade through to find these fun arcs that it makes it a scary pool to jump in to especially for those that do not frequent the boards to get some good advice as you all have given me.
It occurs to me that maybe I could do something to spread the word on some of these good missions. Maybe I could gather my little book of fun mission ID's and then put a team together and run some of those on the list. I could go from one mission to the next with no search delay and that would be good because people do not like to sit around waiting...but then I thought about those folks that may not be as interested in the story aspect of the whole deal and just want to level.
I am finding that to truly enjoy these MA Arcs you have to be a little patient and read the clues and digest their meaning and such. In other words it's more like reading a novel to yourself than playing ping-pong with a partner (or 7) so maybe these are best suited to be run solo where you can run them at your own pace and enjoy the story as it unfolds. I would be curious to know what the team sizes are for most of these. Is it solo most often? Anyway no matter I'm having fun.
Ran The Lazarus Project – Arc ID 124906
Total missions: 5
Total time: Approximately 80 minutes (including taking the time to read all of the clues)
The arc took me from level 9.4 - 10.2
This is a well thought out and well clued arc (The clues I am starting to realize are a very important aspect to a solid arc). The concept feels very plausible and the maps are perfect for the missions. I wonder if that is an integral part of the mission production process. The map selection feels like it plays a big part to me. I did suffer a death on this arc and was close on a few occasions othewise but really isn't that the best when you are hoping your next attack does the bad guy in first because if he gets you with one more shot you are toast. That also tells me that the difficulty is well balanced. You are not steamrolling and neither are they. Thanks for recommending this one. It was great.
Ran Bricked Electronics – Arc ID 2180
Total missions: 5
Total time: Approximately 60 minutes
The arc took me from level 10.2 - 10.8
This was an interesting and slightly confusing arc. I have to say it was late at night when I ran it so that could play a part but I kept looking around to see if somebody had an LRAD device pointed at my head from outside my window. It was fun but I have to say that I felt like I was suffering from ADD when I was done. I think my problem is that I am not that savvy when it comes to high tech stuff. This felt like a smart persons arc and I was just along for the ride. I kept hoping some hologram would appear next to me in my home and say something like "OK so what he was saying there is this and that means this". I did have fun and enjoyed so thanks for the recommendation
Quote:
Even if they were interested in story, you'd be the only one getting it, really. Team members don't see all the story you would as team leader. So you wind up with a lot of holes that you have to fill in largely by imagination. Plus, teams tend to run at a pace that makes reading the nav window text problematic (it slows the entire team down) and without that, the story the team members are getting is confined to flavor text inside the mission. I know personally, I'm not likely to join an AE team specifically because if it's about story, I'm not going to get my fix as a team member. It's like trying to get high off someone blowing their marijuana smoke in your face. Yes, it's possible but contact highs are inherently weak and suboptimal. Might as well just hit the blunt directly. |
Originally Posted by Rubber_Dog
It occurs to me that maybe I could do something to spread the word on some of these good missions. Maybe I could gather my little book of fun mission ID's and then put a team together and run some of those on the list. I could go from one mission to the next with no search delay and that would be good because people do not like to sit around waiting...but then I thought about those folks that may not be as interested in the story aspect of the whole deal and just want to level.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Rubber_Dog
I am finding that to truly enjoy these MA Arcs you have to be a little patient and read the clues and digest their meaning and such. In other words it's more like reading a novel to yourself than playing ping-pong with a partner (or 7) so maybe these are best suited to be run solo where you can run them at your own pace and enjoy the story as it unfolds. I would be curious to know what the team sizes are for most of these. Is it solo most often? Anyway no matter I'm having fun.
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@Remianen / @Remianen Too
Sig by RPVisions
Quote:
Thanks for running another one of my arcs! I'm very happy you enjoyed it; I especially found the feedback on 'balance' very useful. Making sure the difficulty is 'just right' on my public arcs is important to me, and even reports of 'felt fine for me' are useful!|
Originally Posted by Rubber_Dog
Ran The Lazarus Project Arc ID 124906
(Kind comments cut for brevity) |
Thanks again!
M.A. Arcs
Intended for high level play: The Primus Trilogy (Arc #s 10931, 283821, 283825), "Freakshow U" (Arc #189073), Purification (Arc #352381, Dev's Choice!
)Intended for low level play: "Learning the Ropes" (Arc #100304), "Cracking Skulls" (Arc #115935), "The Lazarus Project" (Arc #124906)
Ran The Invasion of the Bikini-Clad Samurai Vampiresses From Outer Space Arc ID 61013
Total missions: 3
Total time: Approximately 50 minutes
The arc took me from level 10.8 - 11.4
First off...funny stuff...but the best part is that while it starts as this funny feel good thing it ends up with a different feel. How shall I describe it...it is sort of like buying a ticket to see When Harry Met Sally but somewhere in the middle of the movie the film guy accidentally puts on a reel from Sid and Nancy. I really liked how the "feel" of the arc changed.
Great mob descriptions...and running commentary by NPC's was very funny especially the stuff in the last room of Mission 2 (without giving anything away)
Ran City of Ho Ho Ho, or A Claus in Paragon – Arc ID 18775
Total missions: 3
Total time: Approximately 35 minutes
The arc took me from level 11.4 - 11.9
Good missions with some interesting takes on good ol Santa. Mobs were tough enough and took me down near zero a couple of times. Powerset choices for some of the lead Mobs and Santa took me by surprise. When "Santa" displayed his primary powerset I was stunned for a moment trying to see that connection. I actually looked around for another mob that might have spawned that supporting pet. I liked the concept of taking the player back to the memory of the events from "Santa's" perspective and thought that was pretty neat. I thought the motivation for the bad guys was perfect. It was just the powers that threw me off.
See you next weekend.
Quote:
Thanks for the play and the feedback! Glad you liked it.|
Originally Posted by Rubber_Dog
Ran The Invasion of the Bikini-Clad Samurai Vampiresses From Outer Space Arc ID 61013
Total missions: 3 Total time: Approximately 50 minutes The arc took me from level 10.8 - 11.4 First off...funny stuff...but the best part is that while it starts as this funny feel good thing it ends up with a different feel. How shall I describe it...it is sort of like buying a ticket to see When Harry Met Sally but somewhere in the middle of the movie the film guy accidentally puts on a reel from Sid and Nancy. I really liked how the "feel" of the arc changed. Great mob descriptions...and running commentary by NPC's was very funny especially the stuff in the last room of Mission 2 (without giving anything away) |
How was the difficulty, by the way? I have been messing with the settings and custom mobs, and it's become a wee bit too easy in the upper range, but OK in the lowest one - I think! Trying to gather a bit more info on it
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The Invasion of the Bikini-clad Samurai Vampiresses from Outer Space? - Arc ID 61013
Quote:
Just to give you some background so you know what type of toon is running the mission. I have been using a Dual Pistols/MM blaster running solo.|
Originally Posted by Aliana Blue
Thanks for the play and the feedback! Glad you liked it.
How was the difficulty, by the way? I have been messing with the settings and custom mobs, and it's become a wee bit too easy in the upper range, but OK in the lowest one - I think! Trying to gather a bit more info on it |
I did die one time in the last room of mission two primarily because I was surprised by the powerset available to the boss. Had I not assumed what his powerset would be I would have been ok but he opened a can of wupas$ on me because I assumed and we all know where that leads. Anyway I think I would have played him differently had I know but I was very pleasantly surprised by the fact that I got that assumption wrong...don't change that it was a good surprise.
Otherwise and more generally speaking I had to kite the mobs to stay alive becuase they were doing enough dmg to definitely threaten me (and truth be told ninja run and dual pistols were born to be used together anyway so kiting on that toon is great graphically) so I guess what I'm saying is that I thought the mobs were tough enough and were definitely a threat to my well being so difficulty was good.
Attempted to Run Cadaver Crackdown Arc ID 367963
Total missions: 5
However I bailed after about 10 minutes and 3 deaths. This mission may be a good one for higher level toons or teams but running it solo at my current level of 11 proved to be a nightmare. You know when you die 2 times in the very first room and 1 in the second room (hallway) of the very first mission in a 5 mission arc you are in for a long night.
It should be noted that have I absolutely no problem with repeated deaths and debt and all that has no bearing whatsoever on my game play. I love a good challenge far more than the old tank to the corner and drop napalm on the convention hall that can become so boring but it was clear to me that this is one that I will wait on to give another shot when I'm better suited to handle it. So I have placed this one on the shelf temporarily to be revisited down the road a bit.
The contact was one of the best looking toons I have ever seen and the story looked like it could be interesting but the overpowered mobs were going to make this one a bit too unwieldy for me to continue. Also I'm not smart enough to keep up with all that Noir writing...I kept having to reach for my dictionary.
My newest is in the 15-20 range. It's 5 missions long, and there's only one custom mob, an elite boss found in mission 4. Called "The Rogue Vahzilok" and ARC ID#405340. Check it out. I've been looking for feedback on it anyway.
One of my arcs, The Missing Geneticist (2542), is in this low level range, levels 12-19.
Most of it is standard villains, with some custom villains towards the end. It had a recent refresh of the custom ones for new costumes, power adjustment post I17 and and some name changes.
[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])