Why is the Malta Group out in the open?

So, does this mean we can finally toss out the ridiculous excuse for why the Council do NOTHING during the Kahn Task Force and Barracuda Strike Force?

I suppose I wouldn't be so bothered if the writing did SOMETHING to still seem "in character."

The Malta Group are supposed to be secretive, hidden and unknown. Crimson, Indigo, Viridian and Arbiter Daos are really supposed to be the only people who have any kind of detailed information on the groups (maybe Shadow Spider, too, considering she's a former Knife of Artemis and Viridian's partner/associate, though her focus is primarily against Indigo and Viridan, and what the KoA know about the Malta Group is never really all that clear; in-story, the Knives are just a mercenary group that the Malta Group hires on a regular basis, which doesn't leave much room for the two groups to get personal). Everybody else who refers to the Malta Group should be talking about them in the same way most other people talk about conspiracy theories, without even knowing what the group is called.

It bothers me when people who never were "in the know" are suddenly showing up and telling you that "Malta" (another irritating part is that they don't even call them "The Malta Group") is involved. "Malta" is what the PLAYERS call the group.

It boils down to this... There's player/author knowledge and there's character knowledge. Just because we as players know who the Malta Group is doesn't mean our characters do. Saying that "Malta" has been seen in the area helps the players perfectly fine. The character, however, it's a bit jarring unless you've had some experience dealing with the Malta Group. Considering the fact that it comes up in a mid-20s arc, chances are your character hasn't had much experience with them.

And for you veterans out there going "Well, what if my character's a former Malta Gunslinger?" I have this to ask you: What if you're a first-time player, and have no idea who the Malta Group are? If you're just told "Malta" is in the area, what does that tell a first-time player?

Well, first off, it gives a lot of bad impressions as to the writing right off the bat if we're dealing with anybody who would run a quick Google search for "Malta." What do they get? Well, they get websites pointing them in the direction of the island nation, prompting the new player to wonder why they would be sending a technologically advanced military force to Paragon City.

And now the poor player is off the rails.

A better method of portraying the Malta Group in that arc would be to act like NOBODY knows who the Hell they are. Leave the player with a "What was that? Where the Hell did that come from?" vibe. Leave the contact wondering, too, instead of going "...I'd hate to see what Malta would have done with that technology..." have him shocked and surprised (though still relieved at your success) by saying what the new player is thinking "What was that thing?"

Now, I know it's been a long time since the Malta Group was introduced to the game. Lots of players have dealt with them. With the way the story is set up, though, you're still only looking at a core group with a maximum of eight people really knowing what's going on (unless, of course, you want to tell me that the Malta Group tries Operation: World Wide Red against EVERY SINGLE HERO who shows up at Crimson's doorstep). Convincing everybody else of what they know... Well... Then they wind up sounding like spandex-clad conspiracy theory nutjobs, don't they?

My original point is that the Malta Group suddenly being known by everybody is, well, lazy writing. They haven't really had a "Big Reveal." It's not like Countess Crey getting arrested and put on trial (which is a situation that's treated with the public still dubious about her guilt). It's not like the Rikti being revealed to be mutated humans. Seriously... Look at the Lost. LOOK WHAT THEY USE FOR WEAPONS! And the Pariahs? Look closely under those hoods... And Nemesis... Yeesh... Where doesn't the guy show up?

There is a build-up to these things, and the Malta Group becoming a publicly understood menace overnight was not properly done. They hardly ever showed up outside their own operations (except for some really nifty moments in some Crey arcs where they're hired, as mercenaries, to hunt You and Your Companions down in between missions). Their story is relegated to background fluff (making Slinger, Director 11 and Gyrfalcon appear out of NOWHERE; I wouldn't mind the characters if they showed up and did more to make a presence for themselves, but I know Moment and Jack Firenze better than them, making their sudden appearances in anything into head scratcher moments), with no explanation as to who or what is going on in their lives EXCEPT when they show up, and then the information is just DUMPED on the player, and that's if we get any explanation at all. Without the explanation, their presence is left as just as much a head scratcher. Why would Reichsman capture Gyrfalcon? Seriously. Who is that guy? Why would Director 11 show up, in person, to try to fight the heroes after they just got done stopping the Praetorian invasion in Warburg? The guy doesn't even make the pretense of acting like he's fighting Praetorians. Why doesn't an egomaniac like Slinger show up more often!? He's funny! If he started featuring in more arcs, I would start to understand why the public was getting an understanding of the Malta Group: low profile doesn't usually factor in a mad scientist's vocabulary once they've got their robotic monstrosities constructed.

So, I just found another bit that probably fits into this thread. A line by Montague Costanella.

"Percy Winkley is missing... again."

Now this is something that folks may already know, but when I first saw it, I thought it was another of those fourth wall referential moments, about how every new Hero would be running the arc (at least if they want in Cimerorra).

Well, I just started a contact that I hadn't run it apparently years, Harvey Maylor. One of the first elements of his arc? Rescuing Percy Winkly from Carnies.

heh, One of the things that bothers me about Venture's attitude here, is that he knows the game could be (re-)written to follow a level = story progression editorial mandate because he is one of the people with enough understanding of canon to do it.

Actually, the game COULD be rewritten for plot revelation to be relevant to character level range. In fact, even way back when "The Second Rikti War" happened, the revelation that Rikti = Human was still occurring in a range where you learn it anyway (Doctor Sheridan's arc). It seems that immediately after that, things took a really unusual downward turn in regards to treating the overall plot with that respect.

Perhaps that's why players were so aggravated by Montague Castenella's arc. It's a glaring highlight of the issue, and it seems the situation has only gotten worse since.

Anyway, it would be perfectly plausible for content to be revealed as the character goes higher in level. Content featuring the same groups as elsewhere in the level range should be used to extrapolate on the intricacies and complexities of the group. Two Sky Raiders arcs in the 25-30 range? Make them focused on different things, maybe feature plots showing the different aspects of the group.

However, it's pretty hard to show intricacy by having the Sky Raiders drop in to carpet bomb the Skulls or Clockwork.