dugfromthearth
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Posts
2012 -
Joined
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the details in Marshall are good - there should just be more of them
I did like it more than that review indicated, so I tidied it up a bit. -
Quote:Does anyone think that Big Brother in 1984 refers to the government being older than you, or is bigger and more powerful? Age has nothing to do with it.Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Actually, not to take sides on this very important issue, but while the older brother is, obviously, older, the "big brother" equally connotes older and in some other way higher ranked brother. The term "big brother" even in American english often is used to indicate a mentorship relationship, and in other cultures (Japanese in particular and many asian cultures in general) the term which translates into "big brother" also indicates mentorship, seniority, or veteran status. -
those leg things would be awesome for dual pistols to pretend are holsters
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Quote:for yourself right, not everyone elseOriginally Posted by Dechs Kaison
This can be turned off, you know.
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the other big problem with dark armor is that the cloak makes you into a big black fuzzball, hiding your costume.
But that can look good.
dark armor + fire melee and you can be a giant flaming sword in a black cloud -
nice to see the devs still looking
I think I've played that one a long time ago but I'll have to try it out -
DA has only one problem and that is END cost
I am going to try and spend 50 million to get a +END IO that might fix that for me.
But the game is supposed to be balanced around SO's, and DA is terrible at lower levels with its massive END cost.
That could be fixed without reducing the actual END cost by making some powers less needed. For instance Cloak of Darkness has your immobilize resistance. Putting that into Obsidian Shield would help a lot -
From teaming it seems a lot of people are playing brutes. It seems to be the most popular AT at the moment. Tough and massive damage, while they don't have a lot of tricks they do the two best ones - stay alive and take out the foe.
I should be playing a brute. I am using a tanker to solo AE missions. Surely a brute would be better. But i just can't stand to play a character who is not really useful to a team, and since I don't play at high levels, a tanker is just so much more valuable to a low level team than a brute.
I know brutes will say they can tank just as well, and with enough support they can. I teamed with a brute and tanker the other night in a team, the brute was much more "enthusiastic". Put Temporal Selection on him and kept him healed and he did fine. But a tanker is not reliant on support the way a brute is.
So for me it is simple prejudice. A brute would probably be better, but I just am attached to tankers. -
Quote:threads, incarnate drops...Originally Posted by Zwillinger
Is that all it takes?
Done!
Wait...no...I'm working on a Tier 4 Lore right now...
I don't have any 50's so I could be wrong but I thought threads were an incarnate thing -
Quote:nerfing incarnate drops?Originally Posted by Zwillinger
I'm pretty sure I can think of a way to keep you from starting threads for a week...
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disclaimer: this is written as if it were the word of god because it is simpler and clearer to write that way, ymmv
The contact is the first part of your arc that a players sees and interacts with (after the title, and description but why quibble). They set the mood for the arc. They also appear before and after every mission. They had better be good.
1. Describe the contact location
The contact appears in AE but players are willing to ignore that. Where normal contacts actually appear in a location like a police station, you have to set the stage for the AE contact. Do they meet on a rooftop, in an alley, call on the phone? Include at least one sound or smell in the description.
Also note that the contact need not be in the same location every time. Maybe you first get called to the police station to meet a detective. After the mission he meets you outside the warehouse. Then he calls you to meet him in an alley with a nearby sewer for you to explore. Make meeting the contact part of the story, not just a technical requirement to start the next mission.
2. Describe the contact
The character can see them, but it does not tell the whole story. Are they a reporter, a news vendor, a shoe shine boy? Are they tired, excited, sad? A description of the contact helps set the tone for what they say and makes them more real.
3. Describe the relationship with the contact
Does the hero know the contact? Did the contact look them up in the phone book, get the number from a friend, shine a beacon into the sky to contact them? Are they reliable? Do you like them? This can be very short, but adds a bit of realism to the encounter and can add to motivation. "I'm a friend of your aunt's and she told me you would help"
4. Have the contact talk in quotes in character
The whole text should not be what the contact says (should be obvious from above). So what the contact says should be in quotes and should come across as their character. Do not have a boring contact. If your character is dry "just the facts, ma'am" play that up. Choose at least 3 words that are unusual but fit the character's personality. Tech jargon, street lingo, corporate speak, legalese, cop talk, medical jargon - something.
5. Have a Clue from the initial contact
Going back through clues helps reinforce and explain the story. And getting a clue from the contact adds to the feeling that they are tied to the story. Do not repeat the initial text. Make it information that the character can use. "The Address of a Council Hideout", "A Description of Arbiter Caulkins", "A Map of Sewer Section 417".
6. Make the mission not done text added interest
If the character talks to the contact before the mission is over they get special text. Make the most of this and include location and in character quotes. Reinforce the importance of the mission.
7. The contact is not the boss
Especially a problem for villains, but annoying to heroes. The contact should not figure everything out, tell the character what to do, and have the character just agree. Make the character the star. Contacts should be informers or the Baker Street Irregulars who work for the character, not the character's boss. Instead of "I found a bank to rob, if you rob it I'll let you have half of the money" have it be "You were right, I checked out the 3rd National Bank as you asked and security is light. With your power you should have no problem robbing it if you act fast." You can do this also by having the initial mission text be short, then the character speaks, then the contact gives more details. That way the contact is responding to the character and not vice versa. -
Quote:So Thor is a brute?Originally Posted by Johnny_Butane
I liked the part where it was revealed that Thor hits like a little girl so he acts only as the team's distraction/rodeo clown while Iron Man and Hawkeye stay safely out of the fight picking off enemies from a distance, otherwise they get disoriented and go down like a sack of yams if they get tagged a couple times.
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Quote:I assumed so.Originally Posted by Thirty-Seven
Seems pretty clear to me: Play these or I will keep posting!
Also, keep in mind that I was messing around... "just joshin'" as they say.
I was trying to get the "you keep using that word" vibe without actually quoting it.
and to keep Texas Justice happy it's actually a "play these or what" kind of threat. -
Quote:I think one of us doesn't know what "threatening" meansOriginally Posted by Thirty-Seven
Are you threatening us? LMAO
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I have to side with Leo on this one.
"Big Brother" would mean more powerful version
"Older Brother" means older -
if you meet my demands - play through and post a comment on this thread indicating you have played through (not just saying "did it") these AE missions.
50 play throughs (that could be 10 people playing each of the 5, or 50 playing 1) and I won't start a new thread for a week.
100 play throughs and I won't post at all for a week.
None of these are my missions. Mine are not that good. And I am not doing this just to get people to play AE, but to get people (including devs) to see how good mission arcs can be. I seriously do not know why Twoflower and others have not been hired to make arcs for the real game.
Level: 1-5, ID#: 468738, Name: The Blue Devils
Good storyline. The first mission is just okay, but the remaining missions are great. Some mix of villains and some nice power variety. Ties in nicely with lore. Good map selection - a few you don't normally see heroside.
Level: 5-10, ID#: 378944, Name: Too Clever by Half
Villainous. Easy missions but fun. Humorous and semi-silly. The contact is great. Missions are fairly short. Lots of NPC dialog.
Level: 5-15, ID#:124906, Name: The Lazarus Project
Great story. Great details. A lot of clues many just flavor. Two problems: you fight the same mobs a lot and it is tough (mostly Vahz). But it is really a great arc.
Level: 25-50, ID#:497506, Name: A Mosaic of Shattered Dreams
Perfect intro text easy to read, fairly short, dramatic and personal. Great story. Marred by a chain of glowie clicking on 4th mission that took forever search the end room and ignore the others.
Level: 20-29, ID#:534314, Name: Forsaken People: A Tale of Old Astoria
Great plot. Little fighting. Amazing work of playing out the story in missions.
For more good AE arcs
lvl 1-10 http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=287853
lvl 11-20 http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=288465
lvl 21-30 http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=289132 -
I strongly support making KR 1-10 and making it a gritty starting area of gangs and slums
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If you want to play in AE, here are some arcs (not mine) to play for levels 21-30. I recommend all arcs listed below. The star rating is my own for dividing them here, I would rate all of them 4 or 5 stars in game.
Missions do not include EB's or AV's unless noted. I rate missions based on their story and the quality of the missions themselves. The story should be interesting and the missions themselves should be fun.
Feel free to post additional arcs for level 21-30 and I will try to play them and put them in the top post if I like them. I still have more to play through but I figured I would at least start the thread in case people are looking for arcs to play.
5 Star Arcs ---------
Level: 25-50, ID#:497506, Name: A Mosaic of Shattered Dreams
Perfect intro text – easy to read, fairly short, dramatic and personal. Great story. Marred by a chain of glowie clicking on 4th mission that took forever – search the end room and ignore the others.
Level: 20-29, ID#:534314, Name: Forsaken People: A Tale of Old Astoria
Great plot. Little fighting. Amazing work of playing out the story in missions.
Level: 1-54, ID#: 543322, Name: Meet the Author
Hilarious, verging on silly. The contact is perfect. The plot is great. Mission details are good. Ending is surprisingly excellent. Some missions are a little long for the detail.
Level: 22-40, ID#: 1388, Name:*Celebrity Kidnapping
Villainous. Humorous. Great in every way. Contact, story, mission detail.
Level: 25-33, ID#: 245534, Name: Condemning Croatoa
Villainous. Contains AV's and a GM. Croatoa storyline for villains, truly focused on story telling not combat. Tells the background of Croatoa more clearly and goes through the storyline much better than the regular arc. You can play this for the challenge of AV's and a GM, but you are provided with allies as part of the storyline so that they can be soloed without difficulty.
4 Star Arcs ------------
Level: 1-54, ID#: 534435, Name: Hero Space Corps: The abandoned freighter
A good implementation of Alien in a single mission. The mission works well with a series of tasks that rarely require back tracking. Aliens look reasonably good. Four stars because while there is not a lot to the story, it is short and fun while it lasts.
Level: 1-54, ID#: 534498, Name: The Blonde Brawler Gets Her Cape Back
Single mission arc. Lots of details in the mission. Explanation of the story is good and motivating. Dropped to 4 stars because not a satisfying conclusion.
Level: 1-54, ID#: 94504, Name: Daytime Divas
Humorous and pretty silly. Fun and funny plot and characters. Custom villains but not hard. Some missions are a lot of fun, others are basic.
Level: 1-54, ID#: 169260, Name: Eagor to Please
Villainous. Humorous single mission arc. Story has you as the master villain. Fun characters. Custom villains but not hard, plus longbow.
Level: 5-30, ID#: 255146, Name: An Internship in the fine art of revenge – best villain arc '09
Great plot. Fun contact and story. Missions had some detail but could have used more
Level: 1-54, ID#: 177370, Name: Relativity Be Damned
Good story. Contact is decent - personality but wall of text. Nice objectives in missions add to the story. Main problem is that it is all Arachnos you fight so it gets repetitive.
Level: 20+ (1-54), ID#: 516337, Name: Modern Art Redemption
Amusing contact and story. All custom characters. Might be more different than good, but it is fun. Officially 1-54 but has minions that mezz.
Level: 1-34, ID#: 510265, Name: Special Delivery
Villainous. The contact is named Samuel and your first mission is getting snakes off of a ship. If that sounds good, you will like this arc. Good variety in maps. Missions are either short and to the point, or larger maps but you can just do your objectives. Story is fun, mostly because of the contact.
Level: 25-34, ID#: 540585, Name:*Robolution *
Villainous, but only because you work with Arachnos. The plot is pretty heroic. Contact is okay, story is good, the details in the missions are great. Regular enemy groups mostly with customs added for the plot that I could hardly tell from the regulars. And a very nice custom enemy group. Great maps. Their are EB's and AV's to fight with some allies added so you can solo them but it may not be easy.
3 Star Arcs --------------
Level: 20+ (1-54), ID#: 134741, Name: They HATE those boxes
Silly. One short mission. An amusing trifle for something different. Officially 1-54 but hard enemies, including minions that mezz and lt's that mezz and are mezz resistant.
Level: 20+ (1-54), ID#: 233720, Name: A Close Encounter
Better than a normal 3 star but while it had a decent story and some nice detail it just did not add up satisfactorily. Officially 1-54 but hard enemies, including minions that mezz and heal.
Level: 20-54, ID#: 1573, Name: Jabberwocky
One mission, with enough variety to make it amusing/interesting. Not much of a story. Custom characters are creative. (What did you expect a Snark to look like?) Four stars if you are a big fan of Jabberwocky.
Level: 4-54, ID#: 21391, Name: Enter the Father Hat Gang
An amusing, short one mission arc with funny characters and dialog. Not much of a plot and it just kind of ends. Apparently a parody of Azumanga Daioh (an anime show).
Level: 1-54, ID#: 440149, Name: The Trouble With Transformations
Villainous. Interesting story. Good variety of enemies and maps. The missions have some details but not a lot. Very few clues given.
Level: 1-54, ID#: 42083, Name: Arab Spring Democracy
One mission. Not much of a story but enough. Little in mission details. But it is short and the custom enemies are interesting. -
Quote:Savage Worlds is nice and simple and fun.Originally Posted by Rodion
Savage Worlds is a lot simpler to run. It has fewer options, but that's the tradeoff for ease of play. If you just like to play and don't mind spitballing things, Savage Worlds will suit you.
For a simple supers game though I recommend BASH. -
this is Golden Girl's fault btw
although to be fair she did want steam horses
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=179324 -
Quote:right. I have played great arcs that violate all of these.Originally Posted by Venture
Not in dispute; the problem is people keep trying to go from "bad" to "great" without doing the steps in-between. You have to actually climb Wittgenstein's Ladder before you're allowed to throw it away.
That's why I call it a "solid plot" rather than a great plot.
rules cannot make it great, but they can eliminate a lot of the basic mistakes people make. And when I see people making these mistakes it is not that they are doing it for a clever reason, it is that they just don't care.
They have an arc they want to make. It has no reason for the player to want to do it, so they just ignore that and have them do it anyway. This is true for the devs as well - villains save the universe with the heroes because, why not.
Also, most people do not play AE for art. Some people love Picasso, Warhol, or whomever makes crazy art. But most people do not like them. If you are targetting a particular niche then you need to follow the rules of that niche (I just played an arc that is a parody of an anime series, I didn't get it - but I wasn't the target).
My philosophy is that people playing CoX want arcs that are like CoX. -
the solution to slower and better aim is just give everyone a fast recharging power that gives you aim.
2 second activation, +25% to hit for 1 second.
Lets you get the accuracy bonus if you are willing to spend the time with each attack -
Quote:This would be nice. The problem tp has is tight positioning. You can't adjust how far you teleport easily, having a Blink power would really helpOriginally Posted by blueruckus
I almost wish the new power added to Teleport pool was a Combat Teleport with lower range, instant cast, no crippling side effects.
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hologram auras
an aura that is a glowing cylinder around the character, the shape of the star trek transporter glowing aura but looking a bit like the hologram projector in AE.
I want 3 versions
a general glowy sort of look
streams of binary numbers
streams of kanji or other characters
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Quote:I was on a team of 5 or so amidst a group of maybe 20 fighting. The leader of our team also commented they did not get the badge.Originally Posted by Ironblade
Did other people get the badge? It's possible that he despawned, rather than actually being defeated.
Also, the overwhelming majority of defeat badges require that your team do at least 10% of the damage to kill the target. I've seen reports that the invasion Nemesis does not use that system.... but who knows...
Nemesis was very low on health last I saw, so I think we got him. But we may not have
And another character got the badge literally standing in AE between exiting one mission and going into another. I was nowhere near nemesis and not on a team.