Every great movie deserves a sequel and it's the same with great AE Storyteam themes! This week we continued our run through this year's Players' Choice Award finalists. Remember, if you haven't put in your vote yet, you have until December 5th to play and vote for your favorites! This week, we chose 2 arcs from the most highly competitive category: Best Heroic or Vigilante arc.
#497506 "A Mosaic of Shattered Dreams"
5 missions/Heroic by @Avonlea
#522236 "The Ouroboros Chronicles: the Tales of Nemesis"
4 missions/Neutral by @Neon Rider
These 2 arcs could not be more different in terms of theme and concept, but they are both incredible examples of detailed storytelling and game mechanics. Definite standout entries in this year's competition. Good luck to them and all the finalists!
If you like mysteries and plots with dark & twisty turns then A Mosaic of Shattered Dreams just may get your vote!If you noticed, I did not choose a BEST OVERALL this week cause I'm going to leave that designation to YOU! Check out all the finalists and get your votes in by December 5th!
An apparently simple rescue mission kicks off this very dark arc of family tragedy and redemption. The characters are well fleshed out, the action flows smooth, and everything is balanced with standard enemy groups (tho many are renamed into customs groups.)
But what really makes this arc shine are the mechanics. In mission 4 the author managed to pull off something I've never seen before in a player-created arc! Then, the final mission takes advantage of creative mechanics, again, to do something very unique and very player driven.
The only drawback I see to this story is the "hijacking" of the player's thoughts and emotions in the mission text. On one hand, it helps create the overall mood and motivation. But on the other, as a player, I would rather be the one deciding what my character is thinking and feeling.
Still, Mosaic is a very strong contender and a well-crafted arc BEST MECHANICS & BEST MYSTERY!!
If you like arcs rich in CoH lore, then maybe The Ouroboros Chronicles can sway your vote!
This arc features a creative take on the history and future of one of CoH's biggest villainous personalities...Nemesis. And while you travel through time to undo Nemesis' biggest exploits, it's also an extension of the Ouroboros arc of Mender Silos.
The fun-factor of this arc is playing out Nemesis' most historic plots: Brass Monday and Emperor Nemesis. The player is transported to these 2 previously only read about events to be a key in saving the world as we know it! Filled with a mix of standard and custom automatons, these adventures bring to life the lore of Nemesis!
As if that weren't enough, you're then transported forward in time to stop yet another Nemesis plot. All the while, learning more and more about the mysterious Mender Silos of Ouroboros. Is he fighting to save the future or just pulling your strings? You'll have to play to find out.
The only drawback I found with this arc was length of it. It's only 4 missions long, but many of those missions have chained objectives and large maps which leads to a lot of back-tracking. And because of that, patrol dialog becomes repetitive and the story slows down.
Still, the rich details, ties to CoH lore, and custom additions to both the enemy group and Nemesis' plots more than make up for the extra grind BEST CUSTOMS & BEST LORE!
Next week: 11/27/11 we may be a little late for the holiday but what's better than Thanksgiving LÆftovers! Join us on Triumph server as we serve up the best turkey sandwiches and pie we can find in AE! All levels and ATs are welcome
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
Didn't have enough turkey last thursday? Still have room for another slice of pie or a heaping of Mom's fruit salad? Did you sleep through the Thanksgiving Day parade or the football game? Well, you can always find some Thanksgiving LÆftovers at your local AE! This week we loaded up a couple quick holiday-related arcs that are sure to please your palate:
#349017 "Cranberry Express"
1 mission/Neutral by @Crystal Vanquisher
#1614 "Don't Rain on My Parade"
1 mission/Heroic by @President Black
I was pressed for time this weekend, in order to get on the freeway home with the rest of America, so we just ran some quickies. Both of them were fun arcs and were made even better with the company of 2 new AE players joining in the team! (Thanks for joining us, Teeto & Pixie!)
First up was a PUN-tastic romp called Cranberry Express! This little side dish of fun was fresher than a can of Smuckers! Custom groups, witty dialog, and clever humor make this arc BEST CONCEPT & BEST COMEDY!There are a cornucopia of arcs still left on the try-out list, but just not enough room to sample them all. If you're looking for a 2nd helping of Thanksgiving fun, do a search yourself and see if you can find something to fill up your plate!
Our 2nd serving of AE adventure was a Work In Progress titled Don't Rain on My Parade. The annual Freedom Phalanx Parade is in jeopardy of being sabotaged and it's up to your hero to save the day! Once again, a fun, quick arc with good dialog and a simple, fast-paced story that makes you feel like a hero! Unfortunately, a couple hostages' character models have been invalidated and turned into MekMen, and the arc is supposed to continue in a 2nd mission that doesn't exist yet, but it's still worthy of BEST WORK IN PROGRESS!
Next week: 12/4/11, I've noticed that the pet population in Paragon City has recently blown out of control. So, we'll take a visit to the virtual animal shelter that is AE and see if there's any Pet Ædoptions available! Join us on Pinnacle in RWZ at the normal time. All levels and ATs are welcome
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
Superman has Krypto. Batman has Ace. And now Paragon's heroes & villains have their own furry companions, too! With the recent introduction of 4 pawed friends, it felt like a good time to explore what AE has offer in the way of Pet Ædoptions! 3 arcs made this week's playlist:
#244158 "A Pound of Cure"
1 mission/Neutral by @ChaosCoyote
#163220 "DeadKitty and the Vahzilok Rejects"
1 mission/Heroic by @Euryale
#489005 "Well of the Furries"
3 missions/Neutral by @Rodion
This week's mix of arcs were cute, fun loving, and just need a good player to run them, love them, and keep them warm.
Our first arc up for Ædoption was a fun trip to the Pound! A Pound of Cure sends your hero on a mission to save cute critters from mutating into dangerous pets that need to be put down. Lots of PUN action, varied customs, and even talking birds!! Check this one out for MOST VARIETY!For a city who's major pet population consists of flaming monkies and demons from Heck, AE provides a nice alternative to finding a companion you can make a real connection with. It may not be able to roll over or beg, but AE could be a Hero's best friend
Our next potential RÆscue features a clever twist on a familiar enemy group as you fight DeadKitty and the Vahzilok Rejects. Explore a humorous, clever, and well-detailed take on the Vahzilok and learn why, one day, cats will rule us all. MOST ORIGINAL! I LOVED IT. IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN CATS...
We find our final pet-Æ-the-week at the bottom of the Well of the Furries. Sure, you could go the easy route and become an Incarnate at level 50...but do you dare seek Incarnal knowledge?!? A fun, nearly mission-by-mission parody of the Incarnate arc, the Well of the Furries is more than just a punchline...it's an homage to CoH lore and a fun arc filled with detailed customs and witty dialog. BEST CUSTOMS! BEST OVERALL!
Next week: 12/11/11, we search out the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly in AE. That's right, Gunslingers have invaded our fair town and it's gonna BE a shootout at AE Saloon with Western Ædventures! Join us on Liberty in RWZ at High Noon (Eastern, 9am Pacific.) All levels and ATs are welcome, partner
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
To celebrate the release of the Gunslinger costume pack, the AE Storyteam decided to strap on their chaps & spurs and seek out some six-gun action with Western Ædventures! This time around, 4 arcs caught our fancy:
#93431 "The Big Roundup"
1 mission/Heroic by @suedenim
#226126 "Cowboys and Indians..."
2 mission/Heroic by @Arkangelo
#121376 "BlackeyedBart's Loot"
2 missions/Neutral by @a phoenix
#333593 "Roundup in Paragon"
1 mission/Neutral by @Leroy1
With a genre as classic and wide open as Westerns it was surprising that there were very few arcs with more than 1 or 2 missions. While the arcs we found were still fun, they were more on the quickie concept/customs side than deep story/character arcs. Heads up AE authors: The "epic," CoH cowboy arc is still ripe for the picking!
I'm kind of strapped for time this week so I'll just get right to the accolades!Next week: 12/18/11, I'll be taking a short hiatus from running the AE Storyteam and will be passing the baton over to Lord of Storms. For the next few weeks we'll be meeting on Lord's home server of Liberty in RWZ at Noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.) All levels and ATs are welcome. Come out and make Lord of Storms feel welcome
BEST OVERALL - The Big Roundup
MOST IN NEED OF FEEDBACK - Cowboys and Indians
BEST COMEDY/ONE-LINERS - BlackeyedBart's Loot
BEST CUSTOMS - Roundup in Paragon
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
This weekend @Lord of Storms picked up the mantle and chose a Christmas theme. We played 2 X-Mas arcs:
#18775 "City of Ho Ho Ho"
3 mission/Heroic by @Tubbius
#353610 "The Christmas Zombie Attack"
3 mission/Neutral by @dedcat 2
BEST ACTION City of Ho Ho HoNext week: 12/25/11, it's Christmas! Take a day offline and spend it with your family and/or loved ones.
BEST CUSTOMS & BEST OVERALL The Christmas Zombie Attack
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
I missed this week's AE Storyteam meet, but SupaFreak was kind enough to fill in with this recap of Sunday's fun:
Next week: 11/20/11, join us for Players' Choice Æwards pt II on Guardian server! We'll put out the red carpet for our finalists' arcs so join us! All levels and ATs are welcomeSnipped from SupaFreak's post in the AE Forums:
Oh snap! Backfire couldn't make it this week and needs someone to pretend to be as good as him at posting the shenanigans of the AE Storyteam. Do you accept the challenge before you $name?
(Mission Accept) Put on "poser" britches!
Alright... Players' Choice Æwards! was the theme for the week and here's a summary of what transpired:
#470181 "Tutorial Arc 3: Dark Harvest"
5 missions/Heroic by @Khonshu
#474611 "Cole in your Stocking"
5 missions/Vigilante by @Venture
We decided to try out the lowbie arcs since a majority of us were on with lowbies. Hey, 2+2 really does equal 4... just like Barney teaches us!
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!