Bubbawheat

I also rewrote the first post of this thread to hopefully make things clearer and added the membership levels. If anyone has any ideas for better requirements or advantages to these levels, discuss them here.

Thank you all for your help this week with Necrotech's arc. It sounds like he is taking the feedback to heart and hopefully the arc has been made better, and has gotten at least a few plays and rates out of it.

Sorry to see you go, Jinkobi. It's always nice to see new faces here in this section of the forum. Like you said, it feels like there's only about 30 of us or less so getting someone new is always good. I agree with your sentiment, but I am one of those that hopes we will get something new down the line besides more contests and more maps/enemies, but I'm just doing my part on the player's side at least.

And onto this week's arc. Chosen from the Bronze level members using random.org, this week's arc is:

Arc ID: 347029
Arc Title: Breaking The Barrier (And Putting It Back Together)
Factions:Soldiers of Rularuu, Arachnos, Nagans
Morality: Heroic
Length: 5 Missions
Level Range: 40-54
Description: A group of aliens may have bit off more than they can chew when an experiment with stolen portal technology threatens the stability of the Universe itself, allowing the soldiers of Rularuu free access to our dimension. (Follows arc #3326, "The Portal Bandits")

Decided to take a cue from you and post this in your own thread instead of mine. Especially since it wasn't officially submitted for the contest, though I think it possibly should have.

The Player Goes Rogue: In this arc, Crimson convinces you to go undercover to infiltrate Malta who are working on an upgraded version of their titans and can't be allowed to continue or else they could take over the world. And of course, in order to get undercover you have to do some bad things, like steal billions of dollars, raid the MAGI vault, and defeat Sunstorm and Crimson himself, with a little help of course. Near the end, you begin questioning your motivations, but everything turns out all right in the end, allowing you to join an elite squad of vigilante minded superindividuals.

The Arc as an Arc: I think this is an excellent challenge-style arc. There are a lot of tough opponents, and I had to hosp and re-hosp in several cases. Looking back at a review from PW I realize that I attempted this arc at one point, but quit after the first mission because I wasn't up to the challenge at that point. Aside from that aspect, the story is heavily detailed and very interesting. My only real problem with it is some of the missions are so filled that I started getting mission fatigue - I was ready for the mission to be over about 2-3 objectives before it was actually over. And at the end of the arc, it felt like the end of your character's journey, which in most cases it won't be.

As-I-go tweet notes below.

#CoHMA Playing Operation Fair Trade # 391172 by @ GlaziusF similar in theme, but not submitted to Aeon's 3rd challenge.
#CoHMA Contact is a discarded laptop, useful for finding information and not leaving a trail.
#CoHMA M1 "Should You Choose To Accept It": Crimson sends me a video message asking me to get my hands dirty for a good cause and rob MAGI.
#CoHMA M1: There's lots of different colored text all over the place, it's hard to tell what's supposed to signify what.
#CoHMA M1: He says it won't be easy, we'll see about that. And the artifact in question is Henri's Rosario, though not sure what that is.
#CoHMA M1: Warehouse is filled with Arcane Longbow, I guess at higher levels they hire mages to help.
#CoHMA M1: Ahh yes, I've seen this map before, great choice with all the odds and ends in the back room.
#CoHMA M1: What the crap! A giant demon appears right on top of me!
#CoHMA M1: Took down the demon and found the Rosario - I think more commonly known as rosary beads.
#CoHMA M1: Sounds like Malta's trying to upgrade their Kronos Titans, and need a super. Looks like I've been set up for undercover work.

#CoHMA been a few days, finally continuing Operation Fair Trade # 391172 by @ GlaziusF
#CoHMA M2 "Conventional Law Enforcement": I'm supposed to hit a bank that has some master codes in it. That'll show Malta I'm all in.
#CoHMA M2: I'm also to steal some money from some offshore accounts, as well as put Sunstorm down for a couple weeks using the Rosario.
#CoHMA M2: Sunstorm is massacring me, I finally finish him off, and he rezzes.
#CoHMA M2: Ahh, it feels so nice to steal billions... wait, I'm not a villain, I'm undercover. Still...

#CoHMA M3 "Knowledge of Your Actions": I defect tomorrow. I "bought" some villain's old base and will be meeting up with Matla there.
#CoHMA M3: Interesting, the computer is all dirty and desheveled. Is that a computer option, or is that because of the map?
#CoHMA M3: I found the cameras and see Crimson come in through the entrance. As I fight him, waves of Malta show up and see the melee.

#CoHMA M4: With the Malta in Warburg under no security. Still able to get messages from Crimson.
#CoHMA M4 "Dispose in The Usual Fashion": Apparently there's an Arachnos who's trying to get on Malta's good side also. Time to take him out
#CoHMA M4: busy texts are fairly useful - a quick recap of what the mission is.
#CoHMA M4: Nice series of chained objectives all showing up right next to each other. And Arachnos psychic controlled my Malta ally.
#CoHMA M4: Geez, there's betrayals out the whazoo in this arc.
#CoHMA M4: I'm beginning to have doubts about where this is all headed, if I'm really working for Crimson, if I'm doing the right thing.

#CoHMA M5 "Good Luck, Burnt Matchstick": Look, my name's in the title. How nice.
#CoHMA M5: So I'm working with KoA to fight Black Scorpion who is working on a new alloy that could make Kronos Titans nigh unstoppable.
#CoHMA M5: I kind of feel like this arc is raising an awful lot of questions, but is ending up just making things more confusing.
#CoHMA M5: I've got 3 KoA sisters to rescue, wondering if I should try to lose them. They will help with Black Scorpion, but might betray.
#CoHMA M5: Found a second arachnos computer I can't click on yet. This is a huge caves/Rikti caves map.
#CoHMA M5: Well, two of the sisters have already betrayed. I think I should find Black Scorpion while I still have a little help.
#CoHMA M5: I keep wandering around the map, and new stuff keeps popping up that wasn't there before. Making things more confusing.
#CoHMA M5: Black Scorpion wasn't as hard as I expected. And mission is finally over. Interesting, but mission fatigue was kicking in.
#CoHMA M5: Story continues in the souvenir as I join an elite squad of heroes. Too bad it doesn't really happen this way.

Mission 4:
Intro: Sources also indicate that one of the supervillain's allies got captured as well they both would be willing to assist you, if you choose to release them. -> Sources indicate that one of the supervillain's allies was also captured, but may be working towards the same goal. (Suggestion)
(I notice that you tend to overuse repetition words. Only use one of these words in a sentence: also, too, as well)

I agree with some of the other members of the club that it feels way too easy to persuade Lord Recluse to help you, but unfortunately I don't really have any suggestions at the moment on how to help that.

return text: Our sourced indicate-> sources
You should prepare as well and be ready as Nemesis himself may show up. -> You should be ready since Nemesis himself may show up.

Mission 5:
Plural Objective: 3 Destroy the Nemesis Meks -> 3 Nemesis Meks to Destroy

I think I see why this map has been buggy. You have too many objectives. It's generally a good thing, and it comes across well, but I would delete 2-3 of the battles, patrols, or robot objectives and it should cut down on the bugginess a little bit. Nemesis didn't spawn for me.

I didn't think it was a bad arc by any means. But I would read through the other's reviews and see which suggestions stand out as something that you could work into the arc.

Strangely enough, I've never really looked into HeroStats at all, but I downloaded this one and am giving it a shot.

Mission 2:

Intro: In all the information you recovered they did not even mention the power sources of the higher tech robots. -> Nothing you recovered had any details on the power sources of the upgraded robots. We need that information. (Suggestion for greater readability)
pop-up: labratory -> laboratory
Power Supply clue: its -> it's
Prototype bosses need custom bios
Prototype clues can be moved into the objective complete message
return text: So the Nemesis troops did manage to nearly perfectly replicate the robots? -> So the Nemesis troops managed to replicate the robots near-perfectly? (suggestion for greater readability)
You say you also found some of technology he is using to power his robots as well? -> And you also found some of the the technology he is using to power his robots? (suggestion)

Mission 3:
Intro: Our sources found a secret location that Nemesis has been building robots at, an abandoned Council factory. -> Our sources found an abandoned Council factory where Nemesis has been building robots. (Suggestion)
Rumors have it that Nemesis is also working on a giant robot there too, but that robot is incomplete and will not function properly yet. -> Rumor is that Nemesis is also working on a giant robot there, but it isn't fully functional yet.

more to come later.

Putting some feedback here, as requested. I'll be sticking with mostly text and grammar suggestions, you don't have to use any of my entire line rewrites, they are just suggestions.

contact bio: indercover -> undercover
M1 sendoff: arachnos -> Arachnos
Go there and aid him... -> If you aid him now, he will likely be able to assist us with our Nemesis problem. (sentence was a run-on, this is a suggested replacement)
Pop-up: smell the steam -> smell the oil-infused steam(steam has no smell on its own)
objective: Aid Stateman -> Aid Statesman
First computer clue: You have found some important information regarding the plans which nemesis has of the Zeus Class Titans of the Malta Group. The plans have details of design and offensive capabilities, but nothing about the power source. -> You found plans detailing the design and offensive capabilities of Zeus Class Titans. (sentence was awkward, this is a suggested replacement)
First computer plural objective: Computers to search (suggestion to combine the computers to one objective title)
Second computer plural objective: Computers to search(suggestion to combine the computers to one objective title)
Second computer clue title: Third Computer -> Second
Second computer clue: You have found some important information regarding the plans which nemesis has of the Council's Mek Men. The plans detail the Artificial Intelligence mechanism of the Mek Men. -> You have found plans detailing the AI mechanisms of the Council's Mek Men, including improvements. (sentence was awkward, this is a suggested replacement)

will post more later when I have time to play more.

Added a new rule about allowing an arc to be in only one category which has been applied to "Hack" and Pirate War, we are still discussion the best category for Captain Skylark. If the arc you nominated gets placed in a different category, you may nominate a replacement arc in its stead.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait a bit before I can afford to buy it. And I might decide to buy more MA slots instead of a costume pack.

Probably better than when Stan Lee actually wrote comics for DC based on several of DC's top names. Anyone remember that?

Like others have said, Natural is how you interpret it. It's often interpreted as having no superordinary powers, just honing your natural abilities to a near superhuman level. But it also includes aliens, as they are natural to their own planet, and it can include mythological creatures from nature like pixies and dryads and ents, as they are natural, they come from Nature and the Earth.

36 months, and lately it's the MA and related community that keeps me around.

Let's bring the focus back to the arc, and anyone else that gets a chance to play it. Discussion is good, but I don't want this to devolve into a shouting match, so please drop it you two.

I'm not a big comics buyer, but I've been enjoying Buffy Season 8 which is almost over.

Ok, let's do some calculations:

First, an arc that is pretty much 5 star quality, but has had a few griefers, and some people that don't give 5 stars to anything.
4 x 1 star
0 x 2 star
7 x 3 star
15 x 4 star
50 x 5 star

in game star rating: 3 stars
like/dislike star rating: 5 stars (94% like)

Another arc that has early 5 star potential, but gets hit by a couple 1-star griefers.
2 x 1 star
5 x 4 star
18 x 5 star

in game star rating: 4 stars
like/dislike star rating: 5 stars (92% like)

And a mildly popular, middle of the road 4 star arc that some people just genuinely don't like.
10 x 1 star
5 x 2 star
14 x 3 star
37 x 4 star
19 x 5 star

in game star rating: 4 stars (3.58)
like/dislike star rating: 4 stars (82%)

I don't mind doing another requested one, Liquid, but I'm not worried about playing through every single one this time.

I came in here expecting to find a story about an away team member in a red shirt that *didn't* die.

I came in here thinking AE arcs, but I see you're actually talking about real comics. Carry on.

Congratulations, well deserved.

Dr. Aeon's Third Challenge: Closing thoughts and Predictions

This challenge brought out a greater variety of arcs than the last two, both old and new arcs. Many involved and/or forced the player to make the moral choice, or made the moral choice for them. And along with the mix of old and new arcs, I also had a greater mix of arcs I liked and didn't like as much. The lead up to the deadline felt like there was a waning interest, but there was a rush of last minute submissions and in the end there was only 1 fewer known arc for this challenge than there was for the second.

In all, there were 21 arcs known to have been submitted to this challenge. I played 16 of them. 11 of them were existing arcs that either already fit the challenge, or were reworked (and in some cases republished) to better fit the challenge. Almost all of the arcs were at least 4 missions long, and most were a full 5 missions. It was a pretty even split of those I played between choosing the fall from grace or redemption.

As far as predictions go, I don't think I'm going to go so far as to choose a single arc that I liked the best overall, but these are the arcs that I think exemplified the idea behind the challenge, had a well written storyline, and was also an arc that was fun and interesting to play.

Splintered Shields #253991 by Venture
A Very Special Episode #457506 by Wrong Number
The Vigilante #395861 by ArrowRose
Who Dares Wins #454805 by Zaphir

And these arcs are the others that I enjoyed, but I felt fell just short on one of those three qualities.

Arena #456200 by FredrikSvanberg
Kill or Cure #459581 by Samuraiko
Papers and Paychecks #298290 by PoliceWoman
Unfair Trade #373846 by Lazarus

Good luck to everyone, I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I enjoyed writing them. I still have one more left to write, so stay tuned. Until then, go nominate some of these for the Player's Choice Awards, or join the new Mission Architect Arc Club.