AE Storyteam

This weekend we ran a little experiment with the AE Storyteam. As many of you know, we normally play AE for the story, not the XPs, but this week I put out a call for arcs that have BOTH! "Optimized" Arcs, I called them, and many were submitted for our review:

#416951 "The Ms Manners Task Force" by @Wrong Number
4 missions

#322480 "Day Job Hell: A Villain's First Day Job" by @Clave_Dark_5
4 missions

"Evolve Or Die" by @FredrikSvanberg
?? missions

#271637 "Welcome to M.A.G.I." by @Doctor Gemini
5 missions

#12285 "Small Fears" by TeCameleon
3 missions

#363366 "Attack of the 50 Foot Villain" by @PW
1 mission

#366083 "Another Nemesis Plot?" by Necrotech_Master
5 missions

First off was Day Job Hell, a lowbie-friendly arc that puts the player into the position of a hard working villain looking to make their big break. The story was well written with rich details, sharp dialog, and funny humor with a well developed plot & motivations! But was it "Optimized?"

On a team of 6 at regular settings here's how each mission's rewards panned out:

M1- 7 minutes, 127 tix (avg) per player
M2- 9 minutes, 327 tix (avg) per player
M3- 5 minutes, 126 tix (avg) per player
M4- 11 minutes, 234 tix (avg) per player

Keep in mind, there is no established 'baseline' of what defines "good rewards" but the consensus was that this arc should be played for the story, not the XPs. REWARDING STORY!!

Next up, we tried Small Fears, a darker-themed story that is rich with custom creatures that could keep you up at night and a unique, almost poetic, storyline that is both creepy and gripping.

Unfortunately, those awesome customs were too powerful for our team and, after almost 30 minutes trying to complete the 1st mission with many team wipes, we dropped the arc in search of one that is more lowbie-friendly. We'd classify this arc as more of a "Challenge" than "Optimized."

We also skipped the Ms Manners Task Force, seeing as how it was marked a "Challenge" arc, and chose Welcome to M.A.G.I., instead. This arc had a very canon feel to it with meta-humor, a solid plot, and great action any lowbie could handle!

Unfortunately, 2 missions into the arc 1 of the members dropped team and we got hit with the dreaded Leader Bug. It was already lunch time, so, we dropped the arc and decided to give it a fresh run next week! Hopefully we'll have better luck.

Heads up, there may be a change to the theme this week. I just got a last minute RL schedule conflict for this weekend's AE Storyteam meet and will not be able to attend.

The Storyteam members that do show may want to run a diff theme. If so, I'll see about continuing the Optimized Arcs theme the follow weekend.

Sorry about that, have fun!

I had a last minute schedule change this weekend so couldn't attend our Sunday meet. In my stead, Zamuel led the Storyteam thru a couple "Lowbie Ædventures!":

#6017 "Mercytown" by @Frija
5 missions/Villainous

#379017 "Outbroken" by @Aehaed
5 missions/Heroic

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zamuel This week the AE Storyteam hit Victory. I missed last week so I figured I wouldn't be best for trying to keep up with the whole ticket thing. With the low level game getting a revamp, I felt it would be nice to run some low level arcs. First up was Mercytown #6017 by @Frija. Teaming up with comrade Dmitri Krylov we research Coralax in name of science! While we encounter some sort of mystic tome, an even greater force known as copyright filter cause mayhem in plans. However, it is no match for great strength of team. The second arc was Outbroken #379017 by @Aehaed. With our old friend Coyote getting infected with the Outbreak virus and suffering occassional OUTBURTS OF RAGE, we're tasked with helping setup training new heroes. With some of locations being mildly EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...WHO WOULD SET THIS UP FOR NEWBS?!?, we try to find out just what's going on. Manages to have some fun mechanics considering SOMEONE JUST HAD TO PRESS THE BUTTON. I may need some rest...

So, it looks like Mercytown had a good story but is currently afflicted with the Copyright/Proanity filter bug. And I can't tell if Zam had a balance/difficulty issue with Outbroken or if he's commenting on fuzzy logic in the plot. I'll have to play them myself and find out!

Next meeting: 9/4/11, we return to Triumph Server to celebrate the end of summer vacation. Theme: "BÆck to School!" Join us on Triumph at the AE building in RWZ, all levels and ATs are welcome!

To celebrate the end of Summer and kids going back to school this weekend's AE Storyteam theme was "Higher Æducation!" And, as we learned, there's plenty of fun on the curriculum at AE University! 3 arcs made the grade this time:

#513523, "Party" by @Cybernetic Hobo
4 missions/Neutral

#322309, "Steel Canyon High School Dropout" by @Markus Bitterman
3 missions/Heroic

#218878, "Warrior Scholars" by @Mechatronic Man
4 missions/Heroic

Seeing as how it was the weekend, it only seemed appropriate that we start things out with a Party. This arc was an absolute blast to play thru! Following the details of a college party flyer, your hero stumbles upon a plot to wreak havoc all over the city and one of the most original enemy group alliances you'll ever encounter.

Lots of details, humor and action make this arc a solid play, but it's the customs and settings that really put it over the top. Just make sure you can handle your liquor before you load it up! BEST CUSTOMS! BEST OVERALL!!

High School Dropout was another arc to feature custom enemies. In this case, they were hundreds of high school students who have mysteriously gained super powers and are running amok over Steel Canyon!!

While this arc didn't have near the same amount of detail as the first, it stood out as having a lot of potential and a good amount of action. BEST POTENTIAL!!

Our last arc was a bit of a throwback to the old school. Warrior Scholars focused on the standard Warriors enemy group and told a tale that easily could have been straight out of canon.

The arc was refreshing in it's simple, straight-forward plot, objectives & mechanics. A classic "beat 'em up" arc with lots of fast-paced fighting and a touch of meta humor at the end. BEST BASICS!!

This week's Storyteam theme spilled over from a conversation during last week's adventures. At one point Fred mentioned a dislike for the MacGuffin of a certain arc and some members asked, "What's a MacGuffin?"

As someone who's taken many film study classes I often forget that others aren't familiar with common tropes such as the MacGuffin. So, in order to better educate us all we chose MacGuffin arcs to run this week!

For those that are curious, here's how the web defines a MacGuffin:

MacGuffin (also Maguffin or McGuffin) - n. an object or event in a story that serves as the impetus for the plot.

(from wiki)
The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are (at least initially) willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is.

Usually the MacGuffin is the central focus of the first act, and then declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. It may come back into play at the climax of the story, but sometimes the MacGuffin is actually forgotten by the end.

#498945, "I wonder if this works..." by @Naggoth
1 mission/Heroic

#335544, "Chest Quest: Hunt for the MacGuffin" by @Garuta
5 missions/Neutral

#1567, "Curse of the Emerald Parakeet" by @Lazarus
4 missions/Rogue

I wonder if this works...was the perfect start for the day. A 1 mission humor arc that pokes fun of the MacGuffin plot device in the most overt ways possible. A scientist needs your help to recover a doomsday device (MacGuffin) before it's activated and destroys the world.

Elegant in it's simplicity and rife with biting satire. This one is not a cerebral masterpiece, but it is a lot of fun. MOST OVERT!!!

Chest Quest uses the MacGuffin to send you on a series of challenge missions that at first seem random, then all come together in the end. While it is a 5 mission arc, all missions are on tiny maps and can be completed very quickly (and very painfully if you're not prepared!)

This is one of those arcs that you may start with reservations on, but it quickly grows on you. The dialog really carries the arc, and I for one want to see more of the silver tongued contact. Who knew a talking chest could be so fun?!? BEST ORIGINAL CHARACTER!!

And finally, the Curse of the Emerald Parakeet is a blessing for story enthusiasts! Your rogue swipes a valuable figurine but can't seem to shake the curse that comes with it! In your quest to rid yourself of this cursed MacGuffin you use every underworld contact you have and get a unique perspective on a rogue's life behind the scenes.

Aside from the sharp dialog and rich details in this arc, what really makes it unique are the settings of the first few missions. They are a nice reprieve from the typical fight-your-way-to-the-boss type of missions you normally find. The last mission OTOH, is a large map filled to the gills with baddies.

The good thing about it, though, is all but the objectives are optional. So if you're in a punching mood, you can smash to your heart's content and be rewarded with bonus clues and content. Or you can ignore the mobs and head straight to the end.

Fun story, great action, and perfect use of the MacGuffin! BEST OVERALL!!

This week the AE Storyteam celebrated the introduction of the Time Manipulation powerset with Time TrÆvel arcs! Our resident time travel Æxpert, Bubbawheat, plucked 2 arcs out of the timestream for us play:

#20863 "A hero is made, not born." by @OverlordIndigo
1 mission/Heroic (TIMED!)

#4727 "Future Skulls" by @Justice Blues
4 missions/Heroic

Well, real life took me away from the game last weekend and I have yet to get the lowdown on what arcs were played by the group, but that won't stop me from posting SOMETHING!

Our theme was "Freedom for Æll!" so here's a couple that fit the theme...not necessisarily what was played, but they should be fun if you're looking for something in that vein

#519444 "The final days of a Galaxy" by @Neon Rider
2 mish/Neutral

#384776 "Made to Wave the Flag" by @LaserJesus
5 mish/Heroic

Final Days is a creative prelude to the Shivan invasion of issue 21. While it's mechanics can still use some polishing and the author takes some creative license by having the Shivans talk instead of grunt, it's still a fun, action-packed lead-in to CoH: Freedom! BEST PREQUEL!!

Made to Wave is a more traditional "freedom" arc, with themes of duty, honor and sacrifice. WARNING: You'll be facing off against Malta so bring your big-boy britches!! BEST OVERALL!!

To match up with this week's new costume set in the Market, Sunday's theme will be an Ænemy Spotlight: Circle of Thorns.

Join us on Triumph, Sunday at noon eastern!

This week we celebrated the release of the new Circle of Thorns player costume parts with our first ever "Ænemy Spotlight!" Circle of Thorns took center stage in these 2 mystical arcs:

#4829 "Chains of Blood" by @Venture
5 mish/Heroic

#355428 "Rise of the Elite Three" by @Col. Starbottle
3 mish/Neutral

When Venture caught wind of this week's theme he submitted Chains of Blood for us to play. It was one of the first arcs he ever made and he used our playing it as an excuse to spruce it up! What we found was a detail-rich story that explores a possible secret history of the Circle of Thorns that ties into the stories of what I assume are a couple of his personal characters and the Legacy Chain.

The difficulty was well balanced and played just like a normal canon arc with the exception of one AV challenge at the end. I would have liked to have seen a better motivation for the player or some way of making the story more about the player than the history of the CoT, but it was still a fun time. BEST ADDITION TO CANON

For our 2nd arc we took a risk...we played Random Roulette! With "Circle of Thorns" in the search field and filters for Mystery and Drama arcs I clicked the Random button and found "Rise of the Elite Three!"

The mission description sounded like it wasn't a farm and it had 2 or 3 plays already so we loaded it up! Immediately we're contacted by a robot from a 'grim future' that wants to send us thru time to defeat three bad guys that take over the world. So we hop into the timestream and get to work!!

First thing we notice: it's a defeat all (actually all 3 missions were >.<) Luckily, the missions are all on small/medium maps so it wasn't as dreadful as it sounded. 2nd thing we noticed: the first 2 missions are filled with Hellions...but there's no level cap so they all spawned grey to our level 44 group >.< The first missions are quick as we mow down greys!!

Mission 3 we finally fight something our level: the CoT!! No big surprises here as we wrap up the story and defeat the Elite Three...who really weren't very elite at all.

The story was thin and the mechanics were in need of a re-edit...but there was definitely and attempt to tell a story and flesh out characters. There were even custom enemies with bios! I figure the arc is a first time author's attempt. Hopefully the feedback we left will help them improve and maybe revisit AE. MOST IN NEED OF A RE-EDIT

One of the things I love about AE is its freshness. Every day new arcs are created so there's never a shortage of content for a hero, villain or a rogue! This week we took a look at some of that fresh content with our theme, New RelÆses! 3 arcs made the playlist:

#521513 "The Sleeper" by @Miyka'el
2 mish/Heroic

#522067 "Project Dragon" by @FredrikSvanberg
5 mish/Neutral

#523306 "Execution of Elaborate Evolutions" by @Zamuel
3 mish/Villainous

I discovered The Sleeper while the author was looking for feedback on the MA Arc Finder global channel. This quick, creative arc was crafted by a relative newcomer to AE and features a very unique concept: protecting another hero's secret identity!

The dialog comes at a good pace and the action is well-balanced with standard groups. The story lets the player feel heroic and is quite engaging. There are a few mechanical bits that could use fixing ie. the level range shift between missions and some nav bar text, but all-in-all it's a solid story and a lot of fun! MOST CLEVER & BEST DUMPSTER CAMEO!

Project Dragon is the latest project from fellow Storyteam member Fredrik Svanberg. Fred's arcs are often rich with canon references and fast-paced action and this arc has those in spades!

Your character has been called upon to infiltrate a kung fu tournament put on by the Tsoo. You team up with the lovely Flower Knight and uncover a lot more than roundhouse kicks and karate chops! Be warned, tho: this is a Challenge arc and is meant to test your character's limits. Bring break frees and be ready to mash buttons with the best of 'em! MOST CHALLENGING & BEST MAP CHOICES!

Finally, Elaborate Evolutions had JUST been published when we wrapped up Fred's arc. Zamuel even joined us to test his latest creation!

The villainous story hook dug deep: a serum has been developed that evolves mutants to a new level of power and we need to get it to make our own doom army (or other nefarious deeds.) We beat up Crey, some evolved wannabe heroes, and even a few Devouring Earth in our quest for villainy.

While I found the overall story a bit too elaborate, the dialog and details were top notch and the underlying concept is engaging. BEST HOOK & MOST POTENTIAL!

This week the AE Storyteam tried a brand new theme: Æuthor Spotlight! We decided to play new arcs by one of MA's most prolific and recognized creators...@TwoFlower! Since the launch of CoH:Freedom, authors now have the option to buy as many AE slots as they'd like. @TwoFlower decided to take advantage of this new service so we loaded up his latest adventures:

#517859 "Crime is Art and Art is Crime" by @TwoFlower
3 mish/Heroic

#519044 "Grunty McFisterson's Two Step Guide to Winning Respect" by @TwoFlower
3 mish/Villain

What happens when villainy and creativity combine? You get Art Crime - Criminal acts with an artistic flair that can't be handled in the traditional policing manner. When Crime is Art and Art is Crime, that's where you come in to save the day.

As a card-carrying hero of the city, you've got the experience and powers to catch these eccentric evil-doers and the Art Crime division of the PPD need YOUR help!

What you'll find are memorable characters, sharp dialog, humorous clues, and a very clever plot that can only be thwarted by YOU! Also, an original use of lead out mechanics and an unforgettable custom group with some of the best end-boss one-liners you've ever encountered.

Note: this is a higher level arc and you will be fighting Carnies, so bring some BFs but also be ready to have FUN!
BEST OVERALL, BEST CUSTOM GROUP, BEST END-BOSS DIALOG!

Heroing is good and all, but sometimes you just want to be a villain. Now, some villains are content with being an Arachnos stooge, but for those who want to make a name for THEMSELVES, there's a new contact in town...Grunty McFisterson!

Grunty can see your potential and doesn't think you want to waste it working for the man. So he clues you in to a different path to notoriety...a fool-proof, 2-step method that any villain with enough gumption and power can pull off.

If you love punching lots and lots of deserving punks in the face, this is the path for you! Low level fun, mostly standard enemies, and non-stop action (this arc actually rewarded almost 3x as many tickets as the previous arc)!

While I felt this wasn't nearly as polished or original as @TwoFlower's other arcs, it's still a fun romp and good lowbie action!
BEST McBEAT-EM-UP ARC!

The leaves are changing color, the nights are getting longer, and giant bags of candy are flying off the shelves. You know what that means? It's Halloween time! So this week the AE Storyteam explored a few HalloweÆn Arcs:

#524193 "Once a Hero" by @Lord of Storms
5 mish/Heroic

#461308 "The Abandoned Hospital" by @Therianthrope
1 mish/Neutral

#461253 "The Pumpkin that stole Halloween" by @Nathras
1 mish/Neutral

When you think Halloween, you think of ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night. And that's just what you get with our first arc, Once a Hero!

While trying to rid the streets of a powerful, new hallucinogenic drug, you stumble upon a mystery that threatens to engulf the whole city in a horde of nightmarish monsters and ghouls.

The action is fast-paced, the customs are great and the details such as bios and clues really show the heart the author put into the arc. BEST OVERALL!

What's Halloween without a Haunted House? Not to be outdone by the Devs, The Abandoned Hospital is a clever, moody mission that creatively uses standard enemies and settings to create a haunting story.

While the concept, mood, & characters are top notch, the arc does have 1 drawback: it gives almost NO rewards. A lot of the enemies used in the arc are Pets, and as such, give 0 xp or drops. Despite this, the arc is definitely worth a run thru for the setting, alone. MOST CREATIVE, BEST SETTING!

And finally, if there's one thing no Halloween can go without, it's a Pumpkin! The Pumpkin that stole Halloween is a fun, simple, action arc with exceptionally designed, holiday themed customs.

The story isn't too deep, but the costumes make up for it! I'd have liked to see more detail put in and maybe some more variety in the hostages, but if you're looking to get into the spirit of the season, it's a great arc to kick things off. BEST CUSTOMS!

Batman cleans them up. Daredevil prowls thru them. And even CoH's Nemesis is down with them, as it were, yo. I'm talking about "the streets!" And with the recent addition of Street Justice to the Paragon Market, we thought it'd be a good time to visit some arcs that dish out some good, old fashioned StreÆt JustÆce!! 2 arcs made the playlist this week:

#115935 "Cracking Skulls" by @Flame Kitten
3 mish/Heroic

#6600 "'Dyne of the Times" by @Samuraiko
5 mish/Heroic

What better way to kick off StreÆt JustÆce week than by Cracking Skulls!?! The lower rung of Paragon's criminal food chain has been peddling a new drug and it seems to have made them more powerful! The Skulls are no longer the pushovers they were before and it's up to you to not only put a stop to their new drug, but possibly save their lives, too!

This arc is well detailed, fast-paced, and balanced for new heroes up to level 14! The customs are a perfect fit into canon and the story is a solid mystery that unfolds at a perfect pace. BEST OVERALL!! BEST CUSTOMS!!

'Dyne of the Times is a very similar premise, but with a much deeper tie to CoH lore. Back Alley Brawler needs your help to get a new drug & new gang off the street and your success or failure could mean everything to Galaxy City's top dog!

As you can tell from the Arc ID #, this is a very early made arc, and as such, it's not as slick & polished as many arcs being made today. But, despite it's age, the core of the story is solid and the action is two-fisted fun for levels 1-50+! BEST LORE TIE-IN!

I bet you thought I forgot to update the AE Storyteam thread this week. Wrong!! I've just been recovering from the Zombie Æftermath action (and still working overtime at my new job.) So, in case you missed it, last weekend we found 3 zombie arcs and brought them back from the dead:

#129569 "Brains!"
2 missions/Heroic by @Radisonx

#394516 "Z-Day 2039: Part One"
5 missions/Heroic (NOTE: removed by author, no longer playable)

#165163 "City of Zombies"
2 missions/Heroic by @Valegor

Whether you like your zombies slow moving & shambling or cracked out & amped up on RAGE!!! the AE has a zombie arc for every undead slayer out there!

Brains! Is a fun action-oriented zombie slaying arc that has a nice bit of story mixed in with its gore. Rescue a hero and beat up zombies for fun and XP! BEST ACTION!!

Z-Day was a highly detailed zombie story that took place years after an undead apocalypse. While it had some mechanical problems and a couple grindy missions, the concept, characters, and overall execution was going to earn it BEST OVERALL for the week...but the author pulled the arc shortly after our run-through so, sadly, unless someone can coax them to put it back up Z-Day is just a fade memory...

Our final zombie bash was City of Zombies! Another quick, fun, action-oriented arc but this one has some humor thrown in and a super-wide variety of undead enemies to try and survive! Be sure to check out the bios on this week's BEST CUSTOMS!!!

I may be able to join one of these, I am certainly going to check out these AE missions.

I haven't done AE since I rejoined (the arc in my sig is probably totally broken). Good to know people still make/play AE missions for fun and not just farming