Bonefire! Freedom Style series

A while back after having a conversation on these boards, I got the idea to update the very, very old story arcs that weren't attached to sets of arcs or anyhing like that. So, I hiked up my sleeves and started this endeavour. I call it the "Freedom Style" series.

I really thought this was an important project, because there's a LOT of great lore in those missions new folks are missing, even though the telling is... less than stellar. What can I say, the mission tech and storytelling in this game has improved much over the years. Plus, I needed to do this for myself. I'm my own worst critic, and have created dozens of stories with the AE, and never published a one.

Going over the Paragon Wiki, there's 33 such storylines I'll attempt to write, and update them to include a chance to run with the members of city's signature heroes, and where possible, fight against it's most depraved villains.

From the 'good' Doctor Vahzilok to putting a stop to the Envoy of Shadows, I shall endeavour to update these arcs using as much of the original material (and even dialogue) as possible, only building on the story to include actually getting to know the city's signature characters, and flesh out the personalities of the contacts themselves.

So, without further ado, I present to you

I consider it is a real shame that so many new players are blowing past the older content in favor of fast and easy progression (DFB, DIB, etc.). So I am going to have to check this out. Looking forward to it, Lycantropus!

Ouroboros is a godsend. Not that the environment wasn't cool with every 50 being well-known as an elite community in 2004, but MY time in 2004 was spent in warehouse-and-office-building hell. I didn't run every Hellion & Vahzilok arc by choice, I had to because the alternative was struggling through Perez Park without add-on maps and Hydra farms. It's ok to miss that low and mid level stuff because the badges and scaling rewards are incentive enough to backpedal and get them if you're inclined, and they inspire some people like Lycantropus.

Ooh. I'll give this a go.

Will check this out in a bit, I think it's a fantastic idea.

Don't get wrong here, I'm not trying to start trouble, just looking for clarification: are we allowed to advertize our AE arcs in this forum? I was under the impression we can't.

Personally, I'd like to be able to and this thread shows why: over on the MA forums, this (cross-posted) thread has gotten only 35 views, while here it's gotten 134. That board has become something of a ghost town just for the hard-core MA community. If we can advertize here, that'd help a lot with getting exposure for our new works.

Okay, after going over the feedback I've recieved, and I've realized what attention to detail folks expect, and I'm both pleased and challenged at the levels I'm expected to achieve in these 33 arcs. I do NOT plan to stop, and expect myself to build upon each critique while keeping to the standards I expect of myself (which is to say I'm more about a "'clean' and 'fun' story" based off the original arc, while acknowledging my own pratfalls as a writer). If the plot points suck, I can't take responsibility for that. I try to stay as true to the orignial writing as I can, while portraying the original information it gleans. This is the most important aspect to me. Being a 'fun' read, while giving the same, or more detailed, information about the game's lore than the origial arc provided.

Which, for me, is the ultimate purpose of the Freedom Style series. It's easy to say "Yeah, I knew about the Midnighter's before they were actually introduced" but how many could tell you which arc to take to learn about them? (that's not a test ) In my experience on help and other channels, not as many as one would hope, and that's my quest. This game is AWESOME, and there's a LOT of lore in it, but the missions that give it are hidden behind so many new contacts and PvP zone contacts that most folks don't even know its there.

I know this will probably increase this lore's interest by fractions of a percent, but I come forth now when DA's history is starting to make sense, when folks are actually asking questions that a basic understanding of the Paragonwiki (THANK YOU TONYV) will give... Having the opportunity to KNOW the background behind this game AND its Signature Characters (and with the way I'm writing it, knowledge of the Freedom Phalanx to care enough about them for the SSA's that I've seen so many complain about) I really want to 'give back' to this game so much that it has given to me because I've looked, read, and forgave, the limitations of past development to know what they've been trying to tell us. This game is AWESOME if we only dare look under the surface.

I can only HOPE to scratch the surface of that with these story arcs. It's worth $100 for me to try (what it will cost to unlock the AE slots I'll need to publish them all at the end of the day).

I can only hope I do enough service to the lore to warrant the expenditure of the slots.