McNum

Hmm, a rescuable boss Mastermind combined with triggering Battles off the objectives in the map could be interesting to try.

Most villains are big and bad enough to handle themselves, but causing a distraction is never a bad choice. Considering that it'll be my only Defeat All in the arc, I don't mind giving the player a little too much firepower. It'll just be over faster, then.

I really wish allied ambushes worked better, though. They'd have been perfect.

Just to clarify, the toys are a custom faction, creatively called "Terrible Toys" with seven critters. Three minions, two lieutenants and 2 bosses.

There will be robotics involved. One of the toys is a Robots/Electric Assualt boss in the form of a toy based on a cartoon supervillain. Since the heroes got to fight alongside the superheroine from the same cartoon, it's only fair to let the villains take the supervillain out for a test drive. So he's gonna be an ally, at least.

I tried testing out some battles, but they trigger too soon and are over before I can get to them. The ambushes might be worth checking out, in beta they didn't work that well. Maybe I should try those again.

I have written myself into a corner for a new arc.

I'm making a sequel to my already published arc (Shameless plug: 49280: The Toypcalypse!) and this time it's for the villains. The basic plot is that toys are being animated through technology and in the original arc, a hero stops the central control unit and discovers who made it.

Now if you were a villain and you learned that there was a backup of the control program and knew a guy who could build you a toy controller, chances are good you'd want to control an army of toys. Which you're supposed to be allowed to in mission 2.

Here's the problem: How do I make an army of allied toys? I could just stick a lot of unguarded allies in the mission and have them activate when the player gets near, but like Mastermind pets, too many will become annoying fast. Ideally, I'd want to use allied ambushes, but they don't work too well. Battles are usually over before you get close to them, and don't feel like leading them anyway.

So my question is: How do I make the player control several toys warriors without making it cumbersome or leech all the rewards?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You suckers are lining up for Talen to insult you, while I get it for free.

Suckers.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd rather someone tell me the truth bluntly than lie to me sweetly.

[/ QUOTE ]

This. The blunt truth you can work with, sweet lies or "Eh, it's okay." is useless.

Well the toys were mothballed for a while after a beta patch revision invalidated half of them and broke two of the missions. Since I14 went live I've been repairing it, and fixing typos. So if you had trouble finding it, it may be because it wasn't Live until 12-13 hours ago.

My balancing point is this: The FF/Energy Defender in my signature. If she can make it through solo on Heroic, it's fine. She's not a great soloer, which makes her a great balancing standard. I'm sure a Scrapper will find my arcs easy. Well, yeah. It's a Scrapper. I know my Stalker can take out the Toypocalypse in 10 minutes flat.

AE System
--------
Welcome to Architect Entertainment -- Neutral
Death for Dollars! -- Neutral
Bare Knuckles of Rage (9304)
*

Character/Supergroup Origins
--------
Birth of a Fossil -- Heroic
Secret Origins(Tech) The Snake Women of Epsilon V (42221) - Heroic
Noah Reborn -- Heroic (2370)
*

Classic Super-Hero/Super-Villain
--------
THE BOMBER --- Heroic --- 16607
*

Comedy
--------
The Extadine Lab -- Heroic
MacGuffin Delivery Service (1567) -- Villainous
ParaCon -- Heroic
The new and improved Lord Recluse Strike Force -- Villainous (though I wouldn't recommend against a hero )
The Fire Bunnies - Neutral, They are only bunnies after all...
You Say It's Your Birthday! (3630) - Neutral
Trademark Infringement -- Heroic (2220)
Hail to the King Neutral (34640)
*

Comedy/Drama
--------
A Super Team is Born -- Heroic
Cause of How Some Silly Stealed My Wings #1481 -- Neutral
How to Survive a Robot Uprising -- Heroic (12669)
Dr. Duplicate's Dastardly Dare -- Neutral
It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding (9059) -- Neutral
TURG FICTION: Ghost in the Machine, Act I - Heroic (althoughs romantic villains could try this too )
Rum Runners of Bloody Bay (3691) - Heroic
Have a Blap, Blap, Blappy Day Kids! (2019)
The Toypocalypse! (49280) - Heroic
*

Crime/Gangs
--------
The Bravuran Jobs -- Villainous (16809)
The Monstrous Regiment of Lesbian Hellions -- Heroic (27178)
Win the 2009 Freak-Lympics (2150) - Villainous
Ninja Crimewave! (2142) - Heroic
Whitehawks (Arc 49364) -- Heroic
The Internet is for Crime (53385) - Villains
*

Drama
--------
The Fan Club -- Heroic
*

Global Domination
--------
Axis and Allies -- Villainous (10597)
*

Heist
--------
Celebrity Kidnapping -- Villainous (20161)
Easy Money -- Villainous (31490)
*

Historical (Realistic)
--------
*

Historical (CoH Lore)
--------
The War on Superadine - The Regulators in their 1980's drug war (Heroic) (Arc 7959)
*

Holiday
--------
*

Horror
--------
Dark Dreams (3615)
The Amulet of J'gara (1709) -- Heroic
Project: Perilous - Into the Chthonian Pit (#3586) - Neutral (Unless you happen to be a mad cultist, in which case, go nuts!)
Small Fears -- Heroic
*

Large-Scale Crisis
--------
A Hero's Halo -- Heroic
This Is War, Part I - the Revenge of Hro'Dtohz -- Neutral
Win the Past, Own the Future - Heroic
The Clockwork War -- Heroic (18672)
*

Magic
--------
The Magical Miss Fitz (5079) -- Heroic
Chains of Blood (5492) -- Heroic
*

Military
--------
Redoubt Operations #1: Fires over Kalago -- Heroic
Red Storm Rising (Arc 4912) -- Heroic
Whitehawks (Arc 49364) -- Heroic


*
Misc. Adventure
--------
The Portal Bandits (3326) -- Heroic
*

Mystery
--------
Blowback (18575) -- Heroic
Dream Paper -- Heroic (13030)
Dream Paper 2: Restless Sleep -- Heroic (16797)
Dream Paper 3: Broken Dreams -- Heroic (13064)
*

Mythology
--------
Atlantis Attacks! -- Neutral (30898) -- Click for Promotional Poster
Anactoria's Descent Into the Underworld -- Villainous
The Seelie War -- Heroic
The Unseelie War -- Villainous
Tales of Cimerora, volume 1 : Of feathers and fur -- Heroic
The Aegis Affair - Heroic
Witches and Warriors (53006)- Heroic
The War of Fate(12220,46722)- Heroic
*

Nemesis Plots
--------
Brass Reaver: Part 1 -- Neutral
*

Player-Chosen Outcome
--------
Hunting the Dark Dragon -- Heroic
Playing Gods -- Heroic (51106)
*

Sci-Fi
--------
Adventures of the Space Marines -- Neutral
Adventures of the Space Marines 2 -- Neutral
Netrunner -- Heroic (14434)
Above Mars - Part 1: The Wellington -- Neutral (13215)
The Final Nemesis
*

Un-themed Survival/AV/Time Challenges
--------
The Meatgrinder -- Neutral

Wow, you're brutally honest. I like it.

I'm going to do something rash and ask you to tear one of mine (well, the only one so far) apart. It's heroic, though, but if you can handle being called a "good guy" to your face, your villains can play, too.

The arc is 49280: The Toypocalypse!
Suggested levels: 30-ish, but higher levels can play, too.

Yes, as the name suggests it is about rogue toys attacking people. Yes there is a conspiracy, and a blatant sequel hook, but I try to keep the tone semi-serious. It's no comedy. I try to make the enemies balanced so they're a threat, but not a brick wall. No self insertions or Defeat Alls here, honest! One character may be a little too close to a Mary Sue, but it's kind of on purpose. The sequel is going to be villainous, I already have plans.

Besides, even if you DO trash the arc, it's a great way to find out where it needs to be tightened up.

I had a few surprise giant maps yesterday.

I think my favorite was a "Very Short" single mission arc. Looked promising, then I zoned in. It was the Atta map. Sorry, but no. I'm not doing that. There are several TFs shorter than the Atta map.

Personally, I've used a 5 floor map for a Defeat Boss and Rescue Captive, but it's five small floors. I just liked the idea of the map being set in a highrise. Seemed like a good place for a corporate HQ. I also set the Boss to "middle", causing her to spawn on the 4th floor. I wish it was the 3rd.

I know I'm not getting my flag in the game. The Danish flag is a simple design. White cross on a red background. I made a costume to that pattern (Angelic top, Stripe bottom) and that costume could use the flag design for a cape. But I'm not getting it because the game shies away from real world religions and having the cross pattern for a cape would probably offend someone. So it's not happening. I still want it, though.

[ QUOTE ]
Just out of curiosity, what kind of object could be the basis of a +recov power like that? A giant battery? A lightning bolt? A Pikachu?

[/ QUOTE ]

Moment of Glory animation, Lightning Bolt strikes the user like Lightning Rod, +End radiates out in like Transfusion, only centered on the user, not the enemy. Make it a refill, not a +recovery.

Actually in PvE End Drain is done in percentages. So if you drain 50 End from a non resistant Minion, you drain 100 End from a non-resistant Boss. EBs and higher just have decent End Drain resists to counter it.

Trust me on this, an Elec/Elec "Blaptroller" build Blaster needs to know.

I do like the set, though. I'm a big fan of End Drain, it'd be nice to have a set that truly specialized in making a monopoly on Blue.

One immediate advantage I can see is you can take Teleport and Hover together for the same amount of powers as Hover/Fly used to take. Handy. I'll hit 60 months in June. June 14th, it seems. Better save respecs, a lot, for this.

Hmm, I do have a character who could use Combat Jumping/Fly...

EDIT:

[ QUOTE ]
I get the feeling Mids' head is gonna asplode because of this.

[/ QUOTE ]
The quick and dirty way out of this one is to create four "new" Power Pools and lable them "Veteran's Flight", "Veteran's Leaping" and so on.

City Traveler badge looks NICE!

Travel power without the need for a prerequisite? Yes, please! The rest looks good, too, although 5 Merits isn't that much. But hey, it's free Merits and that's never bad.

Half-off at the tailor is so-so. It's nice, but I have on most character 20 free costume changes to burn. Still, it's going to be worth a lot in the long run, I think.

[ QUOTE ]
I completely and totally love it! Can we get some special costume drops from here?

giggles

Stormy

[/ QUOTE ]

Witch Hat for Villains?

[ QUOTE ]
If the bug was never killed, then its still ALIVE! GAH

[/ QUOTE ]

Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Oh, right... We cant! That's pretty much the entire issue here.

Subjective Feedback:

Day Jobs give me a reason to log out in certain areas, but I feel that the bonuses aren't really worth it. I had a character logged out for three days in Ouroborus and that charged the Day Job power just enough to last through a single mission. That's not really that impressive. Furthermore it's annoying that I have no idea when my Day Job bonus expires. It just disappears at some point.

To be honest, I'd prefer to build up "charges" on powers where it would make sense. So instead of getting random recipes for the next 30 minutes or how long it was for Ouroborus, I'd get a recipe for my next mission, be it 10 minutes or 3 hours from log in. Same with other powers.

But as designed, it seems to be working pretty well, and I do like the Patrol XP. Just, when is that color change for us colorblinds mentioned during Open Beta coming? It's still difficult to see the difference between the blue and the pink.

Yup, my PMs are gone now. That's 13 less to worry about.

Mission Teleporter? Do want!

Yeah, it's a really lazy power. I like it.

I don't have a Mac, so I can't be a Mac tester, but when the Mission Teleporter/Valkyrie pack (Super Booster II?) is released, I may just have to buy it.

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry if this is a repeat, I didn't see it on a quick read through.

I'd like to see Mender for logging off in Ouroboros

[/ QUOTE ]

For +10% inf when exemplared?

It'd sort of fit considering the "temporal scaling" that place can do. Being a mender should reward... well... mending.

I've been trying to make a Trick Archer work for me for quite a few times. I think my current is my 6th. I always gave up on them around level 15-20. Then I hit level 26 with this one. Woo! Oil Slick Arrow! My first thought after oil-frying some Warriors: "Defenders can DO that?!" followed by "This is unslotted. UNSLOTTED!" I was smiling all the way through that mission, melting Warriors left and right.

I have a new favorite power in the game. I just wish it was a little more consistent in when it lights. It seems like good ol' Murphy is at work. A few scared minions left? *BURN* A great battle with an overwhelming amount of Rikti? *fizzle*

So I'm happy with the guide, it's shown me a fun set to play so far. And to any other TA hopefuls who's doubting the set in the late teens, early twenties, then yes. Level 26 DOES change the game that much.

I can't wait to see EMP Arrow in action now. Or how Rain of Arrows comboes with Oil Slick.

So if you run across Scarlet Feather on Freedom, you've met the newest disciple of the sharp pointy stick. (And the stick's tricky cousins.)

"Designing systems to help support missions"?

Does that mean we get more variation in mission objectives? If so, can you give us an example?

[ QUOTE ]
I have a kin def that I like to break out every now an dthen just for sillies. Repel has so many uses.

Perhaps my favorite thing was to stand at the edge of a building, TP a mob to the edge of the roof, slide up close and launch them. Repeat til they have only a sliver of health left, TP, brawl... find next victim.

Also, trying to launch mobs over the police drones and into the central part of Atlas is fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have TP Foe I have something fun for you to try.

Go to Skyway near the Yellow Line. Teleport one of the Trolls below up into the air just behind a Police Drone. He'll drop out of range of the drone before it can fire. Then the Drone leaps after him and proceeds to kill anything that gets near it. When done it will casually hop up to its starting position.

Police Drones are mobile. So are the Arbiter Drones. I saw one of those hunt down the Ghost of Scrapyard once.

Funny.

I'd like it to be real, too. As an option. It's something silly, but it would be fun to have, and to use when playing the game silenced or at low volume.

This is a great thread. It shows that BaB has really thought this through and know exactly what needs to be done to do it. And while I'm not a programmer, I can see that while it's possible to do Power Customization, it's a big task. Well, I'm one of those who'd like to see PC, but I can wait. If it suddenly becomes the next best thing to do for the game, I'll cheer for it. If not? Eh... It's not anything that get my blood boiling. We've gone this far without it.

For implementation, I say costume creator. It's where we go to color everything else about our characters, so it should be where we should go to color our powers.

Yay! Rikti invasions are still some of the most fun parts of the game. Waves upon waves of invaders against heroes or villains defending their turf. Or just kicking alien butt on principle.