"For the People" Arc ID 530574

Arc Name: "For the People"
Arc ID: 530574
Alignment: Heroic
Creator Global/Forum Name: Todogut
Length: Very Long (5 missions)
Keywords: Canon Related, Save the World, Kid Friendly
Link to More Details or Feedback: http://cohmissionreview.com/2011/12/for-the-people/

Synopsis: No villain has ultimately defeated the Freedom Phalanx--alone. Now their arch-foes gang up to destroy the heroes and take over Paragon City--then the world! Join the signature heroes to face... the Challenge of the Freedom Phalanx!

The contact for my Mission Architect story arc, "For the People" (ID 530574), is Statesman. With the announcement that Statesman will be killed off during the current Signature Story Arc (SSA), does that mean that he should be removed from my arc?

No, I don't think so. My story can be set sometime before the SSA.

Let my arc stand as a tribute to Statesman and the Freedom Phalanx as we knew them.

Why is this is in general discussion?

It sounds intriguing (and I dig the poster you made for it), but yeah, RPGGuy has a point. And it's going to be difficult to generate much interest in an AE arc in General Discussion anyway. A lot of people that use General Discussion have expressed disdain for Mission Architect since it became less exploitable.

But never fear! There is a sub-forum where mission architects and their fans DO like to give feedback and talk shop.

This is the thread for announcing new arcs:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=128134

A bigger or more complicated arc that is expected to receive updates/a build-up of interest/sequels can get away with having its own thread in the main MA forum (not to be abused!).
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/forumdisplay.php?f=583

Make your arc searchable by genre! Please take the time to do this, it really does help!
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=127939

And last but certainly not least, get and receive constructive criticism!
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=127659

It would be nice if premium folks with access to the MA could post in the mission architect board.

Two issues here I think - the OP can't post in the MA forums (nice poster by the way) and is concerned that the real storyline will affect his arc.

I think the first point is reasonably valid - I guess the reason for access restriction to the MA forum would be to prevent "Hey check out my pharm...." threads.

As for the second, I don't think he need worry. Mission Architect isn't canon, and therefore so long as the arc doesn't break any rules has no reason to be removed.

PS really cool image! I am tempted to try the arc myself

"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

Gosh, now I'm all confused. I like putting these in people's threads to give them a bump, but is this kind of commentary really appropriate for a general forum? Ah well, your call Todo, shoot me a line if you object and I'll take this down.

Review done as part of the CoHMR Aggregator project.

@GlaziusF

Running this on a high-40s ice/axe tank, +0/x2 with bosses on.

---

It's really not necessary to put in the fiction about using AE to get heroes together for a punchup. That's space you could use to talk about other things that actually matter to the plot.

Still, standard Saturday morning spiel here - whole bunch of archvillains coming together to bring Paragon City to its knees. My part in this begins foiling a prison break in the Zig. ...in the bunker? That's kind of dinky.

But yeah. Rescue Citadel, throw down with Black Scorpion in this teeny-tiny space.

(I still can't believe you can't call that particular spade a spade.)

---

And now someone's unleashed Arachnoids on Peregrine Island.

Looks like someone fobbed mind-control duty for them off on the Carnies. Hoo boy. Fortuntately with Manticore and Miss Sis Psyche, there's not a lot of danger in a single Master Illusionist boss.

(And just so you know, the list of random civilians includes some distinctly un-civilian entities, like the Tsoo tattoo artists.)

Apparently there's some bad mojo brewing on Striga.

---

Synapse and Babs? Hoo boy. The Knockback Brothers. And Synapse's AI makes him rapidly switch targets to show off his speed. If I was worried about getting dogpiled I'd be extra-worried now.

In attendance at the Center's control room are Nosferatu and.... some random scrub elite protector. It seems that the Circle are going to summon Baphomet and then Crey and the Council are going to pump him up with mad science.

The alteration chamber is... up on the catwalks in the Center's danger room? I didn't even know there WERE catwalks in the Center's danger room. Learn something new every day.

And then Baphomet is out. With a little help from my allies I take him out before the ambush waves even show up, which is kind of sad.

---

Now, it's onto the location in Faultline that these transmissions have been coming from.

It quickly turns into an all-out brawl. Lord Recluse's remaining lieutenants and a token Nemesis presence are here, and along with Positron and Numina, Infernal and Valkyrie have come out to play.

But apparently some superweapon "End Game" is being built here. Let's see...

Ah. It's been whisked away. To the core of the Rogue Isles. And we need to follow it.

---

Hey. An MA map that starts in Lord Recluse's war room and actually uses the rest of the map. This should be fun.

Well, if Synapse weren't pulling the entire Fist of Fear down on our heads. He gets Psyche and almost himself creamed by Gyrfalcon the Unheralded.

Looks like there are actually a whole bunch of dudes kicking around. Dreck, Requiem...

"End Game" is apparently code for "the part where all the heroes get it". Recluse just wanted one last throw down - all of us versus all of them.

Shame we take on all of them one at a time.

Generally.

SYNAPSE.

Recluse thinks he has us trapped here, but the way we got in still works to come out.

And in the debriefing, we iris out as everyone laughs.

---

Storyline - ***. This arc is built to lead up to the final battle, with little teaser installments of the all of us vs. all of them. As such it doesn't really need a story so much as an excuse that isn't patently ridiculous, and manages that pretty well.

I will say a couple things. First, the "our way out still works, guys!" strikes me as a little cheap. I mean, maybe Dr. Aeon was miffed at being left out or something and we'd get a little note from him saying so as a clue in the final mission. Second, don't play up the Architect. It really doesn't have anything to do with how the plot progresses -- it's generally assumed that the contact hologram and the architect pillar are just stand-ins for the contact and the mission door in the "real world". Mentioning the Architect leads to the expectation that it'll be important somewhere down the line, and that just doesn't happen.

Design - ****. No customs to speak of here, it's all stock. The special maps are all used pretty well to set the stage, with one exception: the villain tutorial mission in the Zig bunker. That map has just enough space for a hostage and a boss fight and absolutely nothing else. As a start to an arc about saving the world with the Freedom Phalanx, it seems just a little bit insignificant.

Gameplay - ****. I'll spell it out again: Synapse's AI is different from pretty much every other ally or enemy. Because a speedster who just stands there is kind of silly, Synapse's AI is programmed to race around finding new things to beat on and showing off his ridiculous speed.

In a fight that's already a giant scrum, Synapse goes out and gets even more fighters. On one hand it wasn't really all that bad; on the other it might work better if Synapse was either captured in the back room because he always gets at least that far, or was just a rescue who dashed off to give a report or secure an escape or whatever.

Detail - *****. This whole affair was a very Marvel Adventures sort of take on the game, and it's not easy to pull that off without getting too facile or too cynical, so points for that.

Legally Distinct From Black Scorpion does rankle a little bit, but there's not much you can do about that.

Overall - ****. A good punchup with a workable story.

I am going to add my two cents....

I really enjoyed playing this arc, so much so I have played it several times!

I just love the writing and the speech of the characters e.g. when Citadel's health was 75% he said "Structural integrity at 75%" etc I really felt like I was playing with the team.

Thank you for your hard work and effort.

Mind Lad!

GlaziusF and Mind_Lad,

Thanks for playing my arc and posting a review/comments. Glad you enjoyed it.

With CoH canon dealing with crazed deities and even crazier drinking water it's nice to have something superhero themed in a superhero MMO. Perhaps with that in mind, this arc was created

Positive comments from players of the arc:

@Ronin Indigo: This mission was a thing of beauty. I loved all the little dialogue touches amd humor and the classic super-crossover-teamup awesomeness. It was nicely personalized and felt very heroic indeed. Well done!

@American Valor: really enjoyed that thank you

@JKCarrier: Fun arc

@Zenn: Great! I enjoyed it!

@Himari: the closing text is funny. I liked it a lot. as far as story goes, its worded well, and the NPCs are in character.

@Jagaren: it was fun.

@Ishtaria: good AE mission

@Khonshu: it was fun to play with the Phalanx. Thanks for making the arc.

@Acroyear2: Good dialog

@November: Excellent job - keep up the good work

@Emmadrine: Very good. I liked all the signature heroes!

@Jr. Birdman: was good

@Dogger: Very interesting AE concept. Get every hero, fight every villain. Was a fun surprise.

@LIBERTY X: A wonderful piece of storytelling! Great use of the genre and stable of characters. Good build-up to the final battle, and brilliant dialog throughout. I particularly appreciated that each character spoke as themselves, and not as a single "author-voice". Quite a bit of good humor, and fun sub-references. I think this arc would work especially well for teams.

@Sister Flame: This was fun

@BluePulse: I liked it a lot... Classic superhero team-up story.

@Electro Shock: Fab!

@Maid Mercury: More like a Task force, but great maps and pitfalls,

@Avonlea: Wow, that was epic! Great dialogue and fun. Color-coding the dialogue was a good idea, too!

@Aehaed: Epic! Played at x8/+1 the place swarms. Great mission! Glad I took an incarnate Soldier of Arachos. Especially when Statesman says it's exactly what he needs

@Backfire: Good challenge and nice dialog/action. Good job! and a fun Phalanx team up!

@Evangel: Really nice story with a good mystery and great use of color for dialog separation. Allies made the boss fights very soloable which is a plus and really helped draw me into the story. Nice arc!

@FredrikSvanberg: Great action!

@FemFury: Some very clever dialogue in there. Overall, it had a feel like a more "four-color" comic book story, or like COH done in style of old Superfriends cartoons, with a moral about teamwork.

@Asymptot: Great arc! That was awesome, and a classic superhero feel. i gave it 5 stars

@Fantastic Foe: Hey. just ran your For the People arc, and I thought it was great. Well constructed, and nice presentation. I felt like I was reading a Justic League comic (guest starring me!) The final discussion with the Phalanx on who was which finger was excellent.