The Freedom Phalanx TF Rewrite Thread

Hello Internetz!

After the rather awesome rewrite of Posi in issue 17, I've been considering the other Freedom Phalanx TFs. I'm fairly sure I'm not the only one.

I know, from comments on the beta boards, that some people were concerned that achievements going forward were starting to feel as if heaps of rewards were being piled on players and were balancing the game even further in the favour of casual players.

I don't see this as a bad thing. In fact, my reasons for starting this thread are to propose that each Freedom Phalanx TF gets a rewrite akin to the Posi one because, well, TFs should be fun. The new Psoi TFs, in my opinion, are fun. Certainly compared to the previous incarnation!

So, without further ado, I shall start with Manticore!

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Manticore

Part One:Echoes

Awards the Shock Tactician badge

Manticore asks you to form a Task Force comprised of at least 7 Heroes/Vigilantes. The level range is 30-35.

Manticore sets the scene: Crey are not the humanitarian company they claim to be. They've also got a strong legal team who make things exceedingly difficult for Heroes and Vigilantes to bring evidence to light against the corporation. He believes that he may have found a particular project that will expose them for what they are: Crey are allegedly salvaging Rikti technology for use in their own weapons applications!

Mission One: Get Drake to Safety* - BrickstownKey Tasks:

1. Rescue Drake (Lead To Exit, Ambushes)

Objective complete clue: Drake's story

When you rescued Manticore's informant, he told you:

'Thanks for pulling me out of there. You would not believe the lengths Crey is willing to go to, in order to stay at the head of the research world. Their public relations department is brilliant, but their ethics are non-existent. If Manticore can promise me protection, I'll give you all the information on the Rikti programme that I can. I found some data on another project: Something called Revenant Hero. It was a really old set of files. That might come in useful, in case the Rikti thing doesn't stick.'


Debriefing: Manticore thanks the team for rescuing Drake and says that he will put the guy in his own special form of witness protection. The data on the Rikti technology will take some time to decipher.

He explains why using Rikti technology is forbidden. There is a player dialogue about Manticore's use of the mediport system - hacking into a system developed from Rikti technology. Manticore explains that sometimes it's necessary to bend the rules a little to achieve the desired end. He points out that villains and rogues do it too.
He mentions the Revenant Hero project, and that Mynx and Synapse would be interested in the notes.


Mission Two: Investigate the Cloning Lab - Brickstown


Map Used: a modified Cloning Lab (basically a smaller version, but with the final room with the giant test tubes in it)


Manticore wants the team to investigate an old Crey facility located in Brickstown, mentioned in the notes on the Revenant Hero Project. Something is bugging him about these notes and he also thinks it's a good idea to have a back-up plan, in case the Rikti tech evidence falls through.


Key Tasks:

1. Find Clues (3 in total; 3 separate computers/desks that refer to 3 people - Stephen Berry (Synapse), Katherine Stephens (Mynx), and Diego Alvarez**).

Clues: This is a brief summary - it appears that somebody is trying to draw attention to the original Revenant Hero Project. Two of the three individuals mentioned are now active Heroes but the third is an unknown entity.

Debriefing: Manticore is worried that Mynx, and to a lesser extent Synapse, may ruin any attempts of playing a cloak and dagger game with Crey. But his newfound teamwork skills, plus his marriage to a very powerful psion, lead him to suggest to the team that they talk with Synapse, who may provide some insight into his experiences with Crey.

Mission Three: Speak to Synapse (and Mynx) - Skyway City

Manticore sends the team to Skyway to talk with Synapse. The hero is surprised to hear the name Diego Alvarez, believing that he had perished many years ago. He mentions that Sister Psyche has detected an abnormal brainwave pattern in the City recently and he refers the team to Mynx, across the way, for some more 'flavour' and her take on Crey.
Mynx has been tracking Crey activity and has found another facility in Skyway. There has been a large movement of equipment and personnel. She sends the team off to investigate.

Mission Four: Check out the Crey Facility - Skyway City

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 30 Crey
2. Defeat the Paragon Protector (Shadowqueen*** - a Psi/Dark boss)

There is an ambush at the door, with flavour text of 'Trespasser's will be shot!' and 'Stay out of this! This is private property!'. The first objective, defeat 30 Crey, should give a team some pew-pew time and suggest that despite Crey being a respectable company, they obviously don't want Heroes and Vigilantes poking their noses around this particular facility. Something big must be inside!

The second objective (spawned by the defeat objective) is a PP Boss. She claims to be the replacement clone for a former villain called Shadowqueen. She was created by Crey and killed a woman called Caroline Rossdale at the corporation's request.

Debriefing: Manticore is puzzled by this turn of events: According to him, Caroline Rossdale is in a state of catatonia in the Zig and she never had any powers of her own. It feels, to him, like this is leading somewhere other than Crey. He mentions that Synapse should be kept out of the loop from now on, especially if there's a chance that Diego is still alive.

Mission Five: Rescue Synapse! - Brickstown

Sister Psyche has contacted Manticore and informed him that, indeed, Caroline Rossdale (aka Shadowqueen) is still alive and in a coma in the Zig. The PP must have been a trap!
Mynx then contacts Manticore to inform him that Synapse has run off in search of Diego Alvarez.
Smelling a trap, Manticore instructs you to save Synapse from whatever lies in wait for him.

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Synapse (non-combat, Lead To Boss)
2. Defeat Revenant (a new model AV: Super Strength/Invulnerability)
3. Find the Exit

Synapse is rescued but has been infected with a neuron-suppressant virus. His powers are nullified BUT he's certain that his old friend, Diego Alvarez, is somewhere in this old Crey facility. He insists on accompanying you (he's non-combat so will not be targetted by enemies).

Upon reaching the final boss (AV), there is a dialogue between Synapse and Revenant: Revenant is still mad that he was turned into a monster, whereas Synapse survived the process and retained his humanity. Before anyone can stop Revenant, he smacks down Synapse who is thankfully teleported away, leaving the team to do battle with the man formerly known as Diego Alvarez.****

When Revenant falls, the team must exit the facility before it explodes! I would like to suggest that the timer be about 2 minutes, AND that along the way bombs may be clicked to give a time bonus to the team. Teleport suppression would be in effect. Mission completes before the timer runs out anyway (so no fail for not making it out in time), but obviously would make a difference between exiting unscathed and exiting to the hospital!

Debriefing: Manticore thanks you for saving Synapse - Revenant was the abnormal brain pattern detected by Sister Psyche, not the Paragon Protector (who was, basically, bait for Synapse).
With Revenant gone, there's not enough evidence for a prosecution against Crey - not that he could have testified anyway. But Manticore hopes that the notes on the original Revenant Hero Project, combined with the next set of tasks to expose Crey's use of Rikti technology, will be enough to finally bring the Countess down. Of course, that all hinges on the next part of the TF!

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Anything that brings in characters from the utterly awesome Freedom Phalanx novel gets a huge thumbs up with me, as does anything that revamps the TF's. Can't wait to see the next part (and I'd certainly play it.)

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Broad strokes here, not gonna needle out the details:

Synapse becomes an Arachnos TF to give them a bigger presence in Paragon. A slightly reworked version of his TF is given to Blue Steel who gets replaced by somebody else.

Citadel's TF is rebuilt around the Council/Column battle. Have his "children" be the first part that gets you investigating the situation but soon you end up having to put a stop to a BIG war between the two groups in a destroyed version of Independence Port (to secure a landing site for their offshore allies) where you take out the Centers guards forcing him to flee and beat the snot out of Requiem


Numina... just needs more of a rebuild with more of a plot than "find this guy! FIND THAT GUY!" If we hunt down woodsman, make us beat it out of people (his location) and then have it end with us... guarding Numina as she brings Woodsman back to the real world.

I donno what to do with Psyche except possibly make it more about Malaise rather than freakshow.

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By the catapillars hooka you WILL smile!

You know, one thing I cannot stand about the early signature TFs and what I really loved was different about Strike Forces is that the signature TFs (with the exceptions of the old Posi and Numi TFs that have their own problems), you only ever fight one enemy group, in the case of the Citadel you fight only one enemy group on one map-type!

Take for example the Silver Mantis SF. It's story isn't exactly the most engaging and you fight the Sky Raiders in every mission, but it makes use of lots of unique maps that were already in the game, and there's enemy groups aside from the Sky Raiders in every mission but the last one. As a result, you always know you're doing a Strike Force, as compared to the Citadel where you might just start thinking the leader's just selecting radio missions involing the Council.

Having a variety of enemy groups to beat up, at least, is important to me on a TF. Maybe in one mission you also run into the Freakshow, considering that it's often implied that Crey supplies them with Excelsior. Maybe that Shadowqueen person decided to make a deal with the Banished Pantheon so they show up in her mission. And as Calaxprimal has said, Arachnos is rather underrepresented blue-side, so maybe have them show up in another mission to trade research data with Crey (with hints towards The Web maybe?).

None of these things would really change the mission objectives per sé, but it gives us more enemy groups to see and fight rather than wail on Crey for five missions.

On another note, what I really liked about SFs and what I really miss about signature TFs is ending on spectacular high notes. In the Virgil Tarikoss SF you travel to a prison hell underneath Cap Au Diable, in the Silver Mantis SF you destroy a Sky Raider fortress and watch it catch on fire, ín the Renault SF you poke a giant beast in the eye in a Coralax temple and in the Ice Minstral SF you jump into a hole in Oranbega to end up in a psi-crytal-filled cavern.

All those missions are something you don't see in a normal story arc. They all give the impression that ****'s about to get real. Compare to the signature TFs. You fight an AV in a generic sewers map. You fight an AV in a generic Council base map. You fight an AV in a generic lab map. You fight a monster in a generic cave map.

These TFs end on formulaic low notes. "Well, it's the end of the TF I guess so let's just throw an AV at the players and call it a day!" It's probably not the devs' thought process back then, but it's the impression I got as a player. I can see you want a revamped Manticore TF on a high note as well by having the players escape an explosion, and while that is a good idea, I'm afraid that was already done twice in the game, first in the Ernesto Hess TF and later in the second villain clone arc. Plus so far I only see the final mission take place in a generic abandoned lab map, which isn't exactly a high point from a map point of view.

Well, this is purely my thoughts on the subject of revamping the signature TFs. I'd also love to see them get the same treatment as the Posi TF.

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Just a quick note, as Calaxprimal has done, please feel free to add your own suggestions. Oh and I haz plans for Psyche! You all know the game Simon says, right?

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Manticore

Part Two: Trapping The Countess

Awards the Manticore's Associate badge

Manticore asks you to form a Task Force comprised of at least 7 Heroes/Vigilantes. The level range is 30-35.

In order for the second part to 'unlock', the first part MUST be played through and the Shock Tactician badge awarded.

Manticore sets the scene: Are you ready for this? It's time to take down Countess Crey, but first we need to create an atmosphere of tension - we need to keep the company on the backfoot and never let them second guess us. With your recent efforts against Crey, my informants tell me that they're riled: They could well be expecting you, so the important thing is to take them by surprise. At every turn. Let's do this!

Mission One: Raid the Crey Listening Post - Rikti War Zone

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat All (including Boss: Doctor Allum)
2. Recover Data

Notable enemies:

1. Rikti Test Subjects

Debriefing: Good job arresting the Crey 'employees'. So my informant Drake was right - they were testing on actual Rikti and hoping to pry information about their technology from them. He claims he has another informant on the inside, some guy called Doctor Friedkin. At this stage I don't care if the man is an embezzler - his tips to Drake paid off!

Mission Two: Disrupt Countess Crey's Visit* - Founders Falls

Manticore explains that Drake has received another tip from his mysterious contact: Doctor Friedkin. Apparently Countess Crey herself is visiting a new facility in Founders Falls. Manticore suggests that getting there before her and disrupting the visit should draw her out into the open.

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Boss (x3 - Agent Wilson, Agent Andrews, Agent Fleming)

Debriefing: Manticore congratulates you on disrupting the Countess's visit. Apparently she is furious and has publicly announced that she will be filing for damages. Manticore urges the team to continue, stating that the end result - Countess Crey's arrest - will be worth the trouble in the interim.

Mission Three: Diversionary Tactics - Brickstown

Key Tasks:

1. Plant 'doctored' evidence (includes ambushes)
2. Defeat Security Forces (2 Council Bosses)
3. Defeat Crey Negotiator (Crey Protector Boss - chained objective after defeating the frst Council boss - they announce that Crey are on their way to make a pact with The Council over the interference of the Task Force)

Manticore advises the team that a little underhand play is in order to seal Countess Crey's fate. He and Drake, with the assistance of Doctor Friedkin, have concocted fake dossiers of Crey activity against The Council. He states that there's just enough 'actual facts' in the documents to urge The Council to declare hostility against Crey.
Naturally the mission involves Council, with only one Crey mob to defeat.

Debriefing: Manticore is impressed that Crey, despite the team's efforts, were still trying to protect themselves and appeared to have intercepted Drake's communications. Manticore mentions that he has now severed his links with Drake, who will be going on to the witness protection program proper.
But overall the plan seems to have worked and The Council have stepped up their activities against Crey. In the confusion, Manticore suggests that in order to really get the Countess mad, her right-hand man should be arrested: Hopkins!

Mission Four: The Right-Hand Man - Brickstown

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Hopkins (EB - NOT an AV!)
2. Gather remainder of intelligence on Rikti Technology

Hopkins is the Countess's right-hand man. If anyone is going to be guarding secrets, it's him. His arrest will deal a big blow to the Countess and then we go in for the prize!

Debriefing: Excellent work! Crey's lawyers have issued a formal complaint and are filing a class action lawsuit against me. This please me - it means we've gotten to her and she'll be that much easier to take down.
I'm worried about this prototype battlesuit mentioned in the files you found. The most we can hope for is that they rushed it through production to take you down. If it exists, of course.

Mission Five: Arrest Countess Crey - Crey's Folly

Map Used: New map! The Countess's Private 'Facility'. It's a Crey lab that turns into a cave, then a sewer, then finally a panic-room style chamber with marble floors, giant helixes, and black leather couches.

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Security Chief (Crey Protector Boss -> chains to)
2. Defeat Prototype Battlesuit (EB - new model - I envisage some kind of energy blasting large model with armour-plating. Stun Grenades, ,maybe a slow field too)
3. Defeat Countess Crey

Debriefing: (WARNING! Possible immersion-breaking stuff... possibly!)

Congratulations! Not only did you arrest the Countess but Crey's legal action has crumbled. I'm circulating the relevant files to the authorities under the banner of The Freedom Phalanx. The Countess is going to need to do some serious back-pedalling on a wide range of projects which are coming under very close scrutiny.
Who knows, perhaps somebody with morals will take over the company in her absence? Although I'm too cynical to believe that for a second, I'm becoming more attuned to the notion of tangible justice. Perhaps that's what married life does to you?
I'm proud to call you my associates Task Force [name]! Together we can take on anything.

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Time for the next one! This time it's:

Sister Psyche

Part One: A Dangerous Mind

Awards the Dangerous Mind badge

Sister Psyche asks you to form a Task Force comprised of at least 5 Heroes and/or Vigilantes. The level range is 20-25.
Sister Psyche is troubled: She is encountering blips in her psychic abilities, as if something or someone were purposefully disrupting her. It has made her uneasy when using her powers and, worse still, she is unable to detect the source of the disturbance.
Her only recourse is to search the psychic plane in the hope that she will uncover who is behind the disturbance. In the meantime, she suggests that the team question the local denizens of Independence Port

Mission One : Footwork – Independence Port

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 10 Tsoo ->
2. Defeat 10 Family ->
3. Defeat 10 Council

Chained clues:

• The Tsoo are clueless as to what might be causing a psychic disturbance
• The Family are just ‘going about their business’
• The Council mention a recent defection from their ranks: something about a sonic device. They also have an address of a warehouse in Independence Port where the device’s components are being gathered.

Debriefing: Sister Psyche is quick to assume that this sonic device is causing her waning power. She sends the team to the warehouse to investigate.

Mission Two : Investigate the Warehouse – Independence Port (the Council mobs are ‘regular’ – no robots (apart from Valkyries)/Galaxy/Vampires/Werewolves)

Key Tasks:

1. Find Clues (1 desk with shipping order, pointing to an address in the Nerva Archipelago, 1 crate of electronic components)
2. Destroy the sonic device (similar to the end mission of the original SP TF, but there’s only one of them – features an ambush of Freakshow with Blahpunk Tanks)
3. Question the Foreman (Defeat Council Boss – the biog and mission pop-up suggests that there’s something not quite right about the Council in this warehouse: it’s as if they’re half asleep or under the influence of something)

Debriefing: Sister Psyche congratulates the team on their investigation. The shipping order points to Nerva Archipelago and SP is worried: Aurora Borealis and Malaise are due to make a visit to Agincourt on behalf of The Vindicators. Sister Psyche wants the team to accompany her charge and former charge.

Mission Three : Escort Malaise and Aurora Borealis – Independence Port (ship)

Map Used: Longbow Ship Interior

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Aurora from Longbow (As with the previous mission, the Longbow guarding Aurora appear to be under a strange influence – NOTE: Longbow defeated in this mission DO NOT count towards the Villain badge. Aurora decides to return to Paragon instead of venturing into further trouble)
2. Disable the Ship’s Defence Systems (either a defeat all turrets objective or a glowie computer terminal)
3. Find Malaise (Malaise is not actually present in this mission. Rather a Defeat Blahpunk Tank (Freakshow) is required to find out where he went.)
4. Exit the mission

Upon exit, the team find themselves in the outdoor Nerva ‘statue island’ map. They have arrived, after surviving a bizarre encounter with Longbow. This is effectively:

Mission Four : Investigate The Area – Nerva Archipelago outdoor map

Key Tasks:

1. Question the locals (3 rescues – all Wyvern who have been taken by surprise by Freakshow)
2. Chained objective: Dismantle the Psionic Bomb! (the last Wyvern rescue tells you of a psionic bomb planted somewhere in the area)
3. Chained objective: Defeat Malaise! (EB - A troubled Malaise appears, claiming that his ‘master’ wants the team exterminated! Upon defeat, his head clears and he tells you to go after Psimon Omega. He hands the team a key and promises to hand himself over to the authorities back in Paragon)
4. Enter Psimon Omega’s Stronghold

As with the last mission, the team enters a door on the Nerva Archipelago map. The next mission begins when everyone has loaded:

Mission Five : Defeat Psimon Omega!

Map Used: New map! Think of a mixture between office and Mother Mayhem’s hospital. Without the dinginess.

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Psimon Omega (AV – A mixture of psi powers and energy blasts – new AV but using the Psimon Omega character model from City of Villains)

Debriefing: The team return to Paragon and Sister Psyche is relieved to have Malaise and Aurora back. She thanks the team for their bravery and courage. Psimon Omega is, in her words, a total nutjob with ideas far above his station. He was obviously after Aurora and used Malaise to get at her. Malaise is given another chance – he was clearly under Psimon’s terrible influence – although Sister Psyche vows to use tighter controls with him from now on.

BUT, her powers are still on the fritz. And after speaking with Malaise (who managed to touch the minds of several of his Freakshow ‘compatriots’) and remembering what the Council said about a defector, she now has a direction for the team to go in.

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Part Two: Amidst the Clamor

Awards the Sister Psyche’s Comrade badge

Sister Psyche is still worried about her blocked psi powers. Recalling the Council defector and mention of a sonic device, she wonders if the new type of Freakshow – the Blahpunk Tanks – have anything to do with it. During the previous escapade, she consulted with the technology expert, Andrew Fiore, in Talos Island and he confirmed that the device had been modified from Council technology: technology that had been developed by Requiem’s forces.

She sends the team to a warehouse in Independence Port (located near the Brickstown entrance) as the PPD have reported increased Freakshow activity there.

Mission One : Investigate the suspected Freakshow base – Independence Port (near Brickstown)

Map Used: New Map! Warehouse -> Sewers

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Freak Leader (Shriek: Blahpunk Boss)
2. Exit the Mission through the sewers (into Brickstown)

Debriefing: Sister Psyche contacts you and tells you to go speak to her husband, Manticore. The Freak boss mentioned something about The Zig: Paragon’s prison may well be in danger!

Mission Two : Speak to Manticore

Manticore informs the team that there have been reports of strange noises coming from beneath the streets of Brickstown! He urges the team to return, through the sewers, to Independence Port. Whatever is causing the disturbance is still underground and must be investigated. And stopped!

Mission Three : Investigate the Sewer Network – Entrance in Brickstown, near Indy Port

Map Used: Sewers -> Office

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 20 Freaks (inside map)
2. Confiscate Supplies (5 crates: the crates are filled with explosives, shovels, components for more sonic devices)
3. Defeat Freakshow Tunnelling Leaders (Punkadelic, Devastation – both Blahpunk)
4. Exit the mission through the office door (into Independence Port)

Debriefing: Sister Psyche confirms that, for now, the noises beneath Brickstown and Independence Port have subsided. But the team must not rest on their laurels: the culprit behind this rare organisation of Freakshow must be stopped. And Andrew Fiore has been kidnapped!

Mission Four : Rescue Andrew Fiore – Talos Island

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Andrew Fiore (the Blahpunk boss guarding him is having difficulty with the sonic devices, hence the man’s kidnap) – Lead To Exit, with ambushes

Debriefing: Sister Psyche is again grateful for the team saving Andrew Fiore from the Freakshow. Andrew found out that the leader of the operation is a woman called Clamor. She is intending to use the sonic devices to blast the ground underneath The Zig, causing widespread devastation and potentially turning Brickstown into a seismic disaster area!

Mission Five : Stop Clamor, Save The Zig! – Independence Port (uses the Longbow ‘chopper mission entrance, currently used in the Statesman TF)

Map Used: Modified Zig ‘Breakout’ map, with Longbow ‘Chopper instead of Arachnos Flier as mission entrance.

Notable Mobs:

• Modified Prisoners (in that they are the level range of the TF: 20-25)
• Rogue Isles Villains (3 in total)

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Prison Guards (3 in total, all located in the ‘grounds’ of the Zig, and all guarded by Prisoners)
2. Disable Sonic Devices (2 in total – same as the original final mission of SP TF)
3. Defeat Freak Bosses (Pierce, Shatter – both Blahpunk – located in the sewer part of the map)
4. Defeat Clamor (AV)
5. (Optional) Prevent Rogue Isles Villains from escaping (3 in total, their doors are blasted open as Clamor is defeated)

Debriefing: Sister Psyche congratulates the team on preventing the destruction of The Zig and Brickstown. With all the sonic devices disabled, Sister Psyche's powers are returning to normal.

Clamor will spend the rest of her years in the very place she was trying to ‘liberate’. She may even have to share a cell with some of her former Council ‘colleagues’ which will prove interesting.

With the crisis averted, Sister Psyche is proud to proclaim the members of the task force as comrades!

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Right, now on to a much-requested change (if only to break up the boredom...) - Citadel

Awards the Ritualistic badge

Citadel asks the team to form a Task Force comprised of at least 6 Heroes/Vigilantes. The level range is 25-29.

Citadel is not normally known for his subtlety but he is growing worried about his friend, Luminary.

Ever since the Vindicators, including Luminary, stopped a bank raid instigated by Arachnos on Talos Island, she has been acting strangely.

He asks the team to talk to her, to see if they can find clues as to what happened.

Mission One : Talk to Luminary – Talos Island

Luminary can’t get music out of her head! She tells the team that the Vindicators were battling Arachnos when suddenly the sky went dark and a strange drumming noise filled her head. Throughout the conversation, she interjects her account with words like PARTY! and is clearly agitated.

Going off subject briefly she refers the team to DJ Zero, a close friend of hers. He’s ‘got the beat’ and perhaps he knows what’s going on.

The mission continues with: Talk to DJ Zero – Pocket D

DJ Zero is surprised to see the team but when he hears that his friend, Luminary, is in trouble he is quick to suggest that they investigate an Arachnos base.

The base has been subject to a lot of dimensional weirdness and reports of ‘seductive’ music are rife.

Mission Two : Investigate the Arachnos Base – accessed through a portal in Pocket D

Key Tasks:

1. Question the base leader (the mobs in this mission are acting strangely and dancing, as is the boss)
2. Find clues (2 glowies: magical wards are found on an Arachnos safe and an Arachnos computer)

Debriefing: Citadel is uneasy: magic is not his forte. Music is also not on his list of priorities. Luminary is still showing signs of strange behaviour and he fears for his colleague. But he knows someone who may have an insight into this: Laura Brunetti.

Mission Three : Speak to Laura Brunetti – Independence Port

Laura is an historian and somewhat of an expert on magical artefacts. After listening to the team’s account of the strange wards found in the Arachnos base, she tells them that the most likely culprits are the Banished Pantheon.

But they normally stick to human victims – the fact that Luminary has been affected, perhaps even targeted, suggests something far more sinister.

She suggests that the Arachnos were used as an experiment and perhaps were even designed to carry the magic curse with them to Talos.

She has an artisan friend who deals with magical artefacts in Independence Port and sends the team to speak to him.

The mission follows on to: Speak with Carl Allegro – Independence Port

Map Used: Modified warehouse map – similar to the Tsoo tattoo parlour, or the Lou’s garage map, but with half-finished sculptures, tiki ornaments, and vats of hot metal (possibly an environmental hazard).

Mob: Banished Pantheon

Key Tasks:

1. Find Carl Allegro

Debriefing: Carl Allegro has told the team, after being saved by the Banished Pantheon, that he was forced to sculpt and construct small metal shells in a humanoid shape. He was told to carve runes into them so that the magics would work.

Citadel is thankful for the team saving the artisan but is now worried that no one knows where the Banished Pantheon are operating from.

It appears that they are planning to construct some kind of magical army: Robots infused with ancient magic – effectively metal golems!

He surmises that Luminary must have been a test subject and, during the skirmish with Arachnos, the Banished Pantheon must have enacted some kind of ritual to transfer the curse to her.

There’s only one place that the Banished Pantheon are known to congregate en masse – Dark Astoria!

Mission Four : Locate the Ritual – Dark Astoria

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 10 Banished Pantheon (St Elegius) ->
2. Defeat 10 Banished Pantheon (Romero Heights) ->
3. Defeat 10 Banished Pantheon (Barca Plaza) ->
4. Defeat 10 Banished Pantheon (Toffet Terrace) ->
5. Defeat 10 Banished Pantheon (Dido’s View)

Debriefing: Citadel apologises for the goose chase around Dark Astoria.

As the final group falls, a powerful emanation bursts out from Moth Cemetary.

According to Citadel, Luminary is trying to answer the ‘call’ and it is taking considerable effort on his part to restrain her.

He urges the team to head to Moth Cemetary and stop the Banished Pantheon’s ritual.

Mission Five : Stop the Ritual! – Dark Astoria

Map Used: Large Mausoleum -> Caves

Notable Mobs: Animated Shells (think copies of Luminary, but at Minion, Lt, and Boss level – and with tiki mask faces!)

Key Tasks:

1. Stop Incantations (3 in total, the usual group of BP clustered round casting magic)
2. Defeat Tiki Guardian (Totem Boss)
3. Defeat Metal Golem (AV – a large version of Luminary, with a tiki mask face, and with dark powers as well as energy blasts)

Debriefing: Citadel cannot thank the team enough. As the Metal Golem fell, Luminary’s possession subsided. He is persuading her to repair her body and remove any traces of magical wards from it.

The Banished Pantheon’s attempt to create a devastating, metal guardian to wreak havoc on Paragon City has been thwarted!

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Is there any reason the last mission only has an EB? That seems rather unusual for a mid-level TF.

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Yes, because it's the first part of the mid-level TF. Not the last part, which is the one that will award Citadel's Assistant.

I suppose it could be an AV.

EDIT: I've updated it to AV now, you're right - kinda weird it being an EB.

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Part Two: Citadel's Children

Level Range 25-30.

Awards the Citadel’s Assistant badge

After the events of Luminary’s possession, Citadel has been looking to upgrade himself against magical attacks.

He knows of a scientist who has been researching the very same field but his work has caught the attention of The Council and the Sky Raiders. Citadel wants you to head to the scientist’s lab and make sure that he is safe.

Mission One : Speak to Professor Verne – Talos Island

Map Used: Laboratory with various robots in various states of disrepair

Mobs: Council, Sky Raiders

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Professor Verne (first name Julian, naturally) from the Sky Raiders, Lead To Exit, ambushes
2. Defeat Archon Grimaldi (Council Archon Boss – NOT a robot, werewolf, or vampire)

Debriefing: Citadel is glad that Verne is safe and can now begin work on upgrading the Hero. However, Grimaldi mentions that Burkholder and Vandal want Citadel’s schematics. This gets Citadel suitably worried, and he muses on what would happen if The Council were able to replicate him.

Mission Two : Rescue Verne’s Family – Ship in Talos Island (leading to Striga Bridge map)

Map Used: Striga Bridge (outdoor map)

The Council are desperate for the scientist, especially now he has been working directly on Citadel. So they have kidnapped Verne’s family and are holding them hostage on Striga Isle. The team must go there and save Verne’s family.

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Verne’s Family (Wife, Daughter, Son), Lead To Exit
2. Defeat Archon Belagi (again, a regular Archon Boss)
3. Exit the Mission

Debriefing: Verne is overjoyed that he is back with his family. They seem relatively unharmed. Citadel is also pleased – a blow has been dealt to The Council and all seems well.

But then Citadel receives information that a bank raid is taking place on Talos Island – and The Council have brought a new weapon with them!

Mission Three : Protect Talos Island Bank – Talos Island

Map Used: Bank (duh!)

Notable Mobs: Zenith Mech Men (as part of The Council)

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Security Guards (2 in total, no need to lead them anywhere)
2. Rescue stranded PPD (Just the one, possibly have it as an ally)
3. Defeat all Council in Bank
4. Defeat Raid Leader (Zenith Mech Man Boss – seems to think it is Citadel, albeit a criminal version)

Debriefing: Citadel has spoken with Verne and it turns out that The Council bugged his family when they kidnapped them! They were able to gain access to all sorts of information on the android Hero and the Zenith Mech Men were in the prototype stage.

Citadel warns the team to expect improvements to the Mech Men in future encounters. He puts Verne’s work on hold and hands him over to the authorities for better protection.

Mission Four : Take the fight to The Council – Talos Island

Citadel hates sitting around waiting for leads so he taps into the Freedom Phalanx database to try and locate a likely base of operations for these new Zenith Mech Men.
He locates two possible bases – one in the Argo Highway and one somewhere beneath Circe Island.

He urges the team to check out the base underneath Circe and states that he and Luminary will head over to the Argos Highway. Although he is putting himself at further risk, he argues that time is of the essence in uncovering a potential army of the things and that he and Luminary are sensible enough to call for back up should they run into too much trouble.

Key Tasks:

1. Disable Security Network (2 glowies near the front of the map that require simultaneous clicking) - although optional, if this task is not complete before tackling the Archon then a wave of ambushes will assail the team as they fight him. Also, turrets will be present if the security system is not disabled.
2. Defeat Archon Moretti

An initial ambush at the door will greet the team, just for fun of course.

The mission uses the ‘voiceover’ technology, where Citadel communicates with the team telling them about the security system and advising them to disable it (as he is doing at his end).

At the end of the mission, a cutscene plays and we see Citadel and Luminary surrounded by Council. The shadow of a large figure is cast and it talks to the two Heroes, mocking them. Looks like they’re in trouble!

Debriefing: Citadel and Luminary have been overwhelmed at the base on Argo Highway. The team must race there to defeat the forces inside and put an end to the Zenith Mech Men once and for all!

During the race to the mission, a zone event occurs: groups of Zenith Mech Men march the streets of Talos Island.

I was going to suggest some kind of zone event badge for defeating a number of them, or perhaps even a larger Monster version of the Zenith Mech Man. I didn’t know if this would step on the toes of Hess too much (or Synapse).

If the ‘marching’ followed a line from Argo to Circe then it might work better, as opposed to being just random spawns. I propose that the invaders have the Rikti Invasion/Zombie Apocalypse/Halloween code applied to them, spawning at a maximum hidden level of 30.

Mission Five: Defeat Vandal – Talos Island

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 30 Council
2. Defeat Vandal
3. Destroy Zenith Mech Man production (5 destroy targets – I was originally considering that they have the same sort of code as the Paladin construction event in Kings Row but that might be too complicated, especially if swarms of Council start rushing to ‘repair’ the objects – also I’m not sure what would happen if the team ‘failed’ to prevent the Mech Men from being built)
4. Rescue Citadel
5. Rescue Luminary

Debriefing: Vandal, who was leading the project, has been defeated. Citadel’s ‘children’ are no more than a memory. The android Hero is surprisingly morose about this: he ponders what it would have been like to have a family, of sorts.

Not wishing to risk the safety of any more civilians, Citadel cans the plan to upgrade himself against magical attacks.

Instead he has learnt that he can rely solidly on the Heroes of Paragon City to save the day. For the team’s efforts in helping him come to terms with this, he calls them his special ‘assistants’ and bids them luck in their future endeavours.

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Loving the look of these so far. Much better laid out than the outdated rust-nuts that are the current TFs. Keep it up AP!

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I like em!

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Now for the slogfest[sic] that is: Synapse

Part One: The Criminal Underworld

Awards the Vice Squad badge.

Synapse asks you to form a team comprising of at least 4 Heroes/Vigilantes.

The level range is 15-20.

Synapse has noticed an increase in Troll activity in Skyway City. The Troll raves have been more frequent and the PPD and the medical centres are having to deal with more and more fallout from these 'events'. Synapse believes that Skyway's very survival rests on finding out why the raves and the ensuing trouble are occurring.

Mission One: Investigate the Troll Rave - Skyway City

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue PPD Detective (Irons)
2. Defeat 5 Supa Trolls
3. Break up Fights (5 fights between Trolls and Outcasts)
4. Question shady character about Superadine trafficking - Family Boss

Debriefing: You did well to survive the experience. Even the PPD tend to give a wide berth to those parties. Detective Irons is a really dedicated member of the force and he was clearly investigating along the same lines. Of course the difference is that you saved him, and questioned that Mook about dealing Superadine to boot!

As you know, tensions between the Outcasts and Trolls are always high. They're usually slogging it out in the relative safety of Eastgate - I mean the place has already collapsed so there's not much else they can do, right? This whole drug trafficking business is just going to add oil to the fire so we need to nip it in the bud.

Synapse sends the team to speak to Meg Mason in the Hollows, which leads to:

Mission Two: Teach the Trolls and Outcasts that crime doesn't pay - The Hollows

Map Used: Abandoned Office (a mixture of ice patches, fires, oil, broken columns with sparking power lines, and rocky debris)

Key Tasks:

1. Break up Fights (again, 5 fights to break up)
2. Defeat Grogan (Troll)
3. Defeat Blazer (Outcast)
4. Question gentleman about illegal magical artefacts trade - Tsoo Boss

Debriefing: Synapse is impressed with the team's success. He says that the PPD would be proud to have you on the force - but that being a Hero is way cooler.
He explains that the Tsoo, whilst being connected with Superadine, also run an illegal artefact trading ring in Paragon City.
The team's efforts against the criminal underworld have not gone unnoticed - the Tsoo have declared a temporary truce with the Family in order to deal with the team: And their first move has been to take a police station hostage!

Mission Three: Save the Police Station! - Mission accessed through van in Skyway (Kings Row PPD Station map)

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue PPD officers (3 in total)
2. Diffuse Bombs (5 in total)
3. Defeat Tremendous Fire (Tsoo Boss)
4. Defeat Big Franco (Family Boss)

Debriefing: Synapse asks you to speak to Blue Steel - he has another lead for the team regarding the recent Tsoo-Family pact.

Mission Four: Speak to Blue Steel - Kings Row

Blue Steel commends the team on their fight against the criminal underworld of Paragon City. He tells them not to falter under pressure from crooks. He's got a lead on a warehouse in Kings Row, near the exit to Independence Port. The Family and the Trolls are allegedly preparing to ship goods out of Independence Port from the warehouse.

Leading to -> Raid the Warehouse - Kings Row (near Indy Port)

Key Tasks:

1. Confiscate Shipments (5 in total)
2. Defeat Family Boss
3. Defeat Troll Boss

Debriefing: Synapse is intrigued by the crate full of power routing devices. The Family (and the Trolls) normally stick to Superadine and fenced jewellery. A simple power router is too low margin for them.
But there is little time to consider this as Blue Steel has another lead - and it's a big one!

Mission Five: Prevent Skyway from being destroyed by gang warfare! - Mission accessed via van in Kings Row (Skyway City safeguard map)

The Tsoo are making waves in Skyway, with the assistance of the Outcasts. But the Trolls are growing restless that their territory is being encroached upon. The Family, always keen to score one against the Tsoo, are backing the Trolls and there's a big storm brewing!

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Tsoo Boss
2. Defeat Family Boss
3. Defeat Troll Boss
4. Defeat Outcast Boss
5. Rescue Civilians (5 in total)
6. Diffuse Bombs (5 in total)
7. Defend Statues (2 in total)
8. Defeat Emil Marcone (EB)
9. Defeat High Moon (EB - Tsoo)

The map features hotspots, the same as in Safeguards.
For every hotspot dealt with, a new objective is revealed.

When the final objective is completed (defend last statue), the door to a building on the map is unlocked and the team are told to head through to face the Family and Tsoo's gang leaders.

Debriefing: Now the team has had a taste of the worse that the City has to offer, Synapse congratulates them. The PPD are very interested in the Heroes as potential members of the force. Skyway has been saved from destruction, the pacts between gangs have been withdrawn, and for now the City has returned to normal. Well as normal as can be expected.

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Part Two: The Electrical Anomaly

Awards the Synapse's Cohort badge

Level range 15-20

Synapse explains why he and Mynx were unable to assist in suppressing the gang warfare between Trolls, Outcasts, Family, and Tsoo: His electrical senses went wild, putting him out of action. Someone has tapped into the City's power supply and he believes that the power routers the team found during the last adventure have something to do with it.

He sends the team to investigate a power substation in Kings Row, where he believes the power surge originated from.

Mission One: Investigate the Substation - Kings Row

Map Used: a NEW map that actually looks like an electrical substation! Capacitors, generators, control switchboards, and piles of scrap metal everywhere.

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat all Clockwork (Including - Defeat Clockwork Prince - Foreman)
2. Search for Clues (3 crates of components - mainly comprised of power routers but also a lot of scrap metal)

Debriefing: Synapse congratulates the team on preventing the Clockwork from causing more damage. There have been reports of power outages in Kings Row and now Steel Canyon. Synapse sends the team to talk to Positron, who should be able to tell them, albeit at length, about the sort of things a power router would be used for.

Mission Two: Speak to Positron - Steel Canyon

Positron explains, at length, what a power router does: It siphons off large amounts of energy from big power sources in order to power things remotely. The Hero surmises that the Clockwork must be attempting to branch out their operations: The Clockwork King powers his creations by telekinetic energy, not electricity. But where his psychic powers cannot reach then perhaps electricity could do the same thing.

Positron announces that he will work on an electro-psionic scrambler to try and neutralise the Clockwork. In the meantime, he suggests the team check out a power station in Steel Canyon.

Leading to -> Investigate the Power Station - Steel Canyon

Map Used: another NEW map that looks like a big power station: multi-levelled rooms with walkways, and the paraphernalia associated with this type of location.

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Power Station Workers (3 in total: 1 foreman and 2 engineers)
2. Defeat Clockwork Prince
3. Defeat Clockwork Duke
4. Defend Capacitors (2 in total)

Debriefing: Synapse is thankful for the saving of another power station in Paragon City. He tells you to stop by Positron to pick up the Hero's scrambling device.

Mission Three: Pick Up the Scrambler from Positron - Steel Canyon

Positron hands over the scrambler. Each team member gets a 10 charge, ST power that does minor energy damage over time versus normal foes, and special damage versus Clockwork: [Electro-Psionic Scrambler]

Positron then asks the team to accompany his sidekick, Valkyrie, to Bloody Bay. It seems as though the Clockwork King is trying out his power routing devices further afield!

Leads to -> Investigate Clockwork Activity in Bloody Bay - Mission accessed via 'chopper on top of PPD Headquarters

Map Used: Instanced Bloody Bay Outdoor Map - the hospital is located within the map

Notable Mobs: Shivans

Key tasks:

1. Defeat 50 Clockwork
2. Defeat Clockwork Duke
3. Recover salvaged scrap (3 in total)
4. Destroy power siphoning device (a scaffold that is siphoning power from one of the meteorites!)
5. Exit the Mission (the team are deposited at the 'chopper in Skyway City)

Debriefing: Synapse passes on Positron's thanks for assisting Valkyrie with the investigation. In the meantime, Skyway City has been suffering massive power outs. And what with the Clockwork's attempts to use a meteorite as a power source, Synapse believes that they're trying to power up something really big!

Mission Four: Clear the power station of Clockwork - Skyway City

Key tasks:
Defeat All Clockwork
Rescue Foreman
Uncover Clockwork's Plans (glowie)
Defeat Clockwork Prince
Defeat Clockwork Duke

Debriefing: The team has uncovered a plan to unleash a gigantic Clockwork menace on Skyway: The Babbage! The team are ambushed by Babbage (as per the original Synapse TF). They've also uncovered the location of the Clockwork King's lair!

Synapse suggests that the team visit Positron and Blue Steel before venturing to defeat the Clockwork King:

Positron has developed a very powerful psychic scrambler. It only has one shot and is only given to the team leader. It should cause the Archvillain a lot of trouble.

Blue Steel offers some words of advice for fighting the Clockwork King: Basically that although he and his minions may look like toys, they are capable of murder. He also gives each member of the team a Police Baton power (no idea on 'number of uses' or time limit). To the leader of the team he bestows a bag of 5 sleep grenades (Targetted AoE, Sleep, No damage), just in case things get 'out of hand'.

Mission Five: Take Down the Clockwork King!

Effectively this mission is the same as the original end of the Synapse TF. However, I'd hope that without the monotony of all the previous defeat all and rescue missions of the original, that the mission feels fresher.

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat Clockwork Duke
2. Defeat Clockwork Baron
3. Defeat Clockwork King (AV)

Debriefing: The Clockwork King is subdued, for now. Synapse informs the team that Positron, Blue Steel, and Sister Psyche are working on a way of limiting his powers. The City's power grid is back to normal and Synapse's electrical senses are much calmed.

After the two adventures, Synapse feels that he and the team have struck up a great friendship. They've managed to fight crime, without resorting to wearing the 'dorky' uniforms of the PPD, and have put a major Archvillain behind bars.

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Only one more to go... Numina is proving a tricky one. I currently feel it's a bit of a lame 'ending' to the Task Force Commander accolade attained by completing the 6 Freedom Phalanx TFs.

Expect more monsters!

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Aha! See I was worried about that element of the TF as it stands! And with regards to changing it.

Now, obviously, with just one poster airing their dislike of the hunt section of Numina that's not a sign for me that it needs removing altogether, but I think I may have a solution to it that keeps the essence of the act without adding at least half an hour to the TF.

It just needs work!

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AP...
Large 'Hunt X' zone missions are the work of Satans backside. Understood?
So far, so good though. *packages the ideas and bombards Paragon Studios with them*

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I'm with Techbot here.

To me, personally, hunts tend to be one of the least fun parts of the game. In the case of the Numina TF, it feels like it's 60% hunt missions. Not fun for me.

And while that is just taste, hunts, especially zone specific hunts, always have the danger of being interrupted by zombies or Rikti. It happened to my first Numina, and we weren't even playing on a Rikti Weekend or Halloween.

Most of all, though, the Numina hunt is just... boring. Hunting down enemies in the 1-35 range is hardly exciting when you're already 40. It gives you absolutely nothing.

Now, as far as I can tell, the purpose of the Hunt of Doom is a sort of review of what your hero did. Hey, look at all the places your hero has been! Look at how far you've come! Don't you see how much you progressed to get here?

So yes, I am all for cutting the Hunt of Doom, but if you want to preserve its spirit, for the lack of a better term, you should find another way of underlining this review of your hero's progress. Maybe it's a mission where all those villains banded together to take their revenge on you, so you have huge mobs of level 5 Hellions at first, but as you progress, you meet higher level baddies in smaller mobs until at the end you fight standard-size level 40 mobs.

That way you can still see how much stronger you got since the days of Hellion-busting, but now they come for you instead of having a level 40 player hunt down level 1 mobs for some contrived reason.

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I went a bit crazy with Numina - perhaps too crazy? I'll let folks be the judge.

Numina

Part One: Heart of the Matter

Awards the Unbounded badge.

Numina asks you to form a team comprised of 8 Heroes/Vigilantes.

The level range is 35-40.

Numina and Infernal have sensed an imbalance in magical power that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of reality. The Carnival are in town. Either they are the cause of it, or they have a good idea of who is behind the magical hijinks.

Mission One: Question the Carnival – Founders Falls

Map Used: Carnival warehouse map

Key tasks:

1. Defeat Madame Hortense
2. Rescue Civilians (2 in total)

Debriefing: Madame Hortense was most put out that an artefact of power was stolen from the Carnival – it is a dagger that intensifies the magical powers of an individual, but at a price: The dagger must be plunged into the heart of the caster! Its very magical properties keep the caster alive, but they must suffer as they continue to experience and use the magical powers.

Madame Hortense names a Circle of Thorns mage, Abraxus Majoricum, as the culprit. She wishes him all the pain in the World.

Mission Two: Retrieve the Dagger of Janus from the Circle of Thorns – Founders Falls

Key Tasks:

1. Find the Dagger (Hidden Optional – 3 glowies in the mission but, of course, the final boss has it... or does he?)
2. Defeat Abraxus Majoricum

Debriefing: So the Devouring Earth attacked the Circle of Thorns. Those unnatural creatures must have burrowed so deep that they came upon the part of Oranbega where Abraxus Majoricum was hiding out. It sounds as though the Devouring Earth grabbed the dagger before the mage could use it, or else he would have surely perished when it was taken out.
We must recover the dagger! Infernal and I can track its progress now that we have identified what the source of the disturbance is.

Mission Three: Defeat all foes in caves – Founders Falls (near Eden exit)

Mobs: Devouring Earth, Nemesis

Key tasks:

1. Defeat all foes (including Nemesis Boss and Devouring Earth Boss)

Debriefing: So the dagger has passed from two groups highly associated with the practice of magic, to two groups who have historically avoided it. My intuition tells me that, if the Nemesis army are involved, then they are likely promising something to the Devouring Earth. And Nemesis rarely carry out their promises.

Mission Four: Research the Dagger of Janus - Midnighter Club (Founders Falls)

Infernal is keeping an eye on the Dagger of Janus: it is currently at rest in Eden. Although its location so close to the Hive makes me nervous, I would like you to do some research on potential targets of the dagger’s power.

Head over to the Midnighter Club. Mercedes Sheldon and Montague Castanella are aware of your visit and have allowed you special access for this task.

Map Used: Midnighter Club – the map is littered with fallen Midnight Squad mobs

Key Tasks:

1. Rescue Mercedes Sheldon
2. Rescue Montague Castanella
3. Defeat Nemesis Boss
4. Find book on Dagger of Janus

Debriefing: It appears that the Nemesis army were lying in wait for you. So they are serious about ‘helping’ the Devouring Earth achieve their goal of boosting their power exponentially. And according to the book you found, they would need a tremendous target of focus to do so. By the gods and goddesses, I do believe they are aiming to plunge the dagger into the heart of the Hamidon!

Task Force [name], this job may be too big even for you! I am sending another team to retrieve the dagger. In tandem with your efforts, we are sure to prevent the Hamidon from becoming even more powerful and consuming first Paragon City, then the World!

Mission Five: Prevent the Dagger from Reaching the Hamidon – Eden

Map Used: Same as the final map in the original Numina TF (yes, I know this is the final mission in the first part but I am going somewhere with this!)

Key Tasks:

1. Defeat 30 Devouring Earth
2. Rescue Heroes (8 in total! Fatespinner*, Blast Furnace, Sky Dragon, Cacophany, Holo Man, Overdrive, Ms. Shock, Stalwart – all ‘Paragon Heroes’ from Mayhem Missions)
3. Defeat Jurassik (Monster)

Debriefing: Numina tells the team that the heroes they rescued are all recuperating in hospital. They suffered badly at the hands of the deranged Devouring Earth, but if they had not been there then they would not have bought the team enough time to take down the courier – Jurassik!

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