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Maris

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Posts posted by Maris

    Arsenal Mastery

    in Blaster

    Posted

    I would personally say yes, if you're primarily blasting at range. Surveillance is a good ST debuff, LRM now functions on fast snipe rules -- out of combat it does more damage and has a longer cooldown, shorter one but less damage in combat. I could see LRM being useful to a DP just to have a stronger ranged AoE attack. 

    • Like 1

    Enemy design

    in Mission Architect

    Posted

    To give an example -- in an arc I made, I had it end with a 3-phase AV fight, with each phase having different custom powers. I designed it, intentionally, to be challenging for the player, because I reason that I had built this boss up, throughout the entire arc, as a major, serious threat, and while I didn't want it to be annoying to fight, I also wanted the player to feel it and feel like they'd emerged from a serious, grueling battle. 

    Enemy design

    in Mission Architect

    Posted · Edited by Maris

     

    12 hours ago, cranebump said:

    Agree with @Ultimo that durability for bosses is a biggy, if you want them to hang in there a while. Also, your boss tier setting makes a difference as to how they appear in mish, depending on player settings. For example, an AV will appear as an EB for players who don't have AV settings on (I believe--someone can fact check me on that). Remember, too, that something like an AV should have AV resistances in there somewhere (again, someone fact check me--I'm going on anecdotal evidence along here). 

     

    On the whole, though, your average player running an AE story mish is probably not running them to level up. I always assume an exemplared toon, and a vet (since they've run everything else). So I expect them and their character to be pretty adept. I don't worry too much about them getting debuffed or being in, you know, actual danger. Mind, I don't go out of my way to make things tougher. But, as I stated, above, smart foes will prep for superpowered incursions. This should include the occasional nasty surprise.*

     

    Long story short: I wouldn't be afraid to challenge the players. They get plenty of rolling stompfests in the default game. They shouldn't be surprised (or pissed off) if they have to make use of an insp somewhere along the line.

     

    *In some cases a surprise to me, like a group I had with a limited number of lieutenants in it, running vs. a full team. There were singularities everywhere. I ended up going back in to diversify the offering, because it really was simply annoying, rather than challenging.

    Honestly, I 100% agree with this.

    The 'Share your awesome bios' Thread!

    in Art & Multimedia

    Posted · Edited by Maris

    the finest bio i have ever written was for MEAT LORD 

    i have never played him but

    here it is in its entirety

    IN THE FUTURE OF 42069666 AD THE MEAT WARS RAGE ON MEAT AGAINST BONE MEAT AGAINST PLANT MEAT AGAINST METAL MEAT AGAINST YOUR STUPID FACE THE MEAT WARS WERE FOUGHT OVER DWINDLING MEAT SUPPLIES AND A BROKEN '68 BUICK LORD OF MEAT FLESHCRANKER SKULLCRASH BLOODCHEW SQUEEZEVEIN DECREED THAT IN ORDER TO ACQUIRE MEAT TO GAIN THE MEAT AND OLD LED ZEPPELIN RECORDS AMASSED BY AN ANCIENT SOCIETY OF STONER DADS, THEY WOULD SEND THE ELITE MEAT LORD BACK IN TIME AND FOUND A BELOVED CLASSIC ROCK COVER BAND THEN OPEN A BBQ JOINT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN HALF THE BAND DIED TO OVERDOSING ON DISHWASHER DETERGENT AND DUSTED OWL PELLETS. WHO WILL WIN THE MEAT WARS PROBABLY YOUR MOM

    (I will screenshot the character and PROPERLY post it later)

    • Haha 1
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    Enemy design

    in Mission Architect

    Posted · Edited by Maris

    I will also say, I think for mission bosses you plan on tying dialogue and ambushes to, in order to slow down the pace of delivery of dialogue and/or arrival rate of ambushes, it's often a good idea to make them EBs and/or slap a resistance set on them. Give the player time to read the lines rather than having everything get spat out at once with a couple heavy hits.

    • Like 1
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    Enemy design

    in Mission Architect

    Posted · Edited by Maris

    32 minutes ago, Clave Dark 5 said:

    I like pretty much everything here, but also note that I usually tend to aim for easy-as-possible designs.  I want everything to go smoothly as can be and not chase anyone out of the story, which is my main focus.  I'm told I've failed that before though ha ha (see mission currently in sig).

    Ah, fair enough! Some people have accused my tendencies in mob design of being moderately, uh, sadistic.

    Focused Feedback: High-Level Council Revamp

    in [Open Beta] Focused Feedback

    Posted · Edited by Maris

    Suit yourself, I guess? I think it makes them funner and more interesting to fight, they were really underpowered compared to basically every other group in that level range, at most I think you can argue the change brings them in line with that, it's not like you're having 50+ Banished Pantheon forced on you, there's no significant -res/-def/-acc, just some enemies that have to be locked down/dealt with accordingly when they transform or selfrez.

    I don't think having X enemy group be about as powerful as every other enemy group in Y level range is making the game overly "hardcore", unless you're going to argue that all the existing content since 2012 with the exception of the Council and certain Portal Corp groups within that level range already was too "hardcore."

    You're right, though, I -do- think players should absolutely be forced to play at a level where they know how to handle the majority of enemy groups that have existed within their level range for literally more than a decade (ie Crey, Nemesis, Malta, Longbow, Arachnos, the Carnival of Shadows, etc.) Groups which existed in game all well before IOs were even a thing, let alone incarnate abilities.

    If this is a significant concern to you, provide proof to the devs that the Council tweaks make them more difficult/out of line with the challenge other level 40-50 enemy groups give groups.

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    Focused Feedback: High-Level Council Revamp

    in [Open Beta] Focused Feedback

    Posted

    1 hour ago, ivanhedgehog said:

    why would you do this at lower levels? there are plenty of harder enemy groups, go fight them if you want that. Leave something for players using so's. Dont change the whole game just to suit the moar harder folks.

    it's not about arbitrary challenge it's about giving enemies personality/distinguishing features and making them more interesting.

     

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    Enemy design

    in Mission Architect

    Posted

    Mmm, I admit I tend to prefer to design mobs on the harder side (especially since I mostly do them for arcs that folks'll run through in teams)

    But some personal philosophies/preferences I use, which some might disagree with? 

    -- Use duplicate, weaker minions so any with specialized abilities/debuffs appear in small numbers in spawns
    -- Know who you're making your enemy group for, and test them accordingly. Personally, I think that it's fine to go a bit heavy on buffs/debuffs if you're making enemies for the 40-50/incarnate crowd. I'd argue that having a few standout enemies designed to give players trouble in specialized ways (ie debuffs, self-rez, control) as long as you have them appear in relatively small numbers is a good move, priority targets make an enemy group interesting and memorable and discourage pure facerolling.

     

    • Like 1

    Focused Feedback: High-Level Council Revamp

    in [Open Beta] Focused Feedback

    Posted

    On a vaguely similar note, perhaps for a future update - Since Cor Leonis appear less until Level 30 anyways, with the change of the level range for Vortex troops, maybe include some passive resistance/HP buffs for them, and/or have them tend to spawn with the heavier weapons in the 20-29 range? I've always thought that Ubermenschen/Cor Leonis could use some ability/stat changes to reflect their super soldier status. 

    Also, perhaps similar adjustments insofar as level range of Raserei and extra level 40-50 abiities for 5th Column?

    Dr. Meinst Ally Powers -- How did he do that?

    in Mission Architect

    Posted

    Honestly I think people way underutilize the text file power stuff. I'm glad to see someone using it, even if it's for a farm buff NPC. 

    It's a really good way to add extra flavor to custom factions and AVs, too (yeah, they don't give XP that way, but, whatever, i figure if you're playing an SFMA arc for the XP what are you even doing)

    Crane's Short Reviews

    in Mission Architect

    Posted · Edited by Maris

     

    5 hours ago, cranebump said:

     

     

    Der Nachtzehrer Kommt (ID: 55600) by @Maris (board and author sig)
    A cleverly constructed arc that has you investigating the Council/5th Column's latest forays into upping the vampyr ante. Extra points for creative use of maps which “connect” with other maps, (ex: you fight outside a drydock ship, then proceed “inside” the boat next mish {nice touch!]). Great use of clues. Lets you ponder the pieces before any reveal (so you can see how wrong you are in your assumption that Adolf Hitler was frozen or something).:-) Some tough bosses for my not-so-big-on-damage tank. Ambushes galore! (hold on to your butt if you’re a squishy). Cleanly written, with clear plotting and objectives, all well-placed. Nice customs, judiciously used. Canon-connected, with very good writing, esp. the contact who behaves and comments logically, considering their station. Worth a run! (esp. with a team). PLAY THIS IF: Just play it. It’s an arc that touches all the bases. A blood-spattered Seal of Approval (don’t worry–you can clean that nasty vamp-sh*t off after the last bloodsucker falls). 


     

    Aaa, thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it a lot!!

    • Thanks 1

    Crane's Short Reviews

    in Mission Architect

    Posted

    I'll submit one of my arcs for review

    Der Nachzehrer Kommt (Arc ID #55600)
    By @Maris

    Missions 1-3 capped at 39

    4-5 capped at 44
     

    Contains six AVs (One in the third mission, two in the fourth, three in the fifth, with the last three spawning one after another in a very cramped room, all except the AV in the third mission have custom powers via Critter file editing)

     

    Page 7 AE Questions

    in Open Beta Testing

    Posted

    I'm really glad to see more powersets ported over into AE. That being said, I do have two questions pertaining to changes made in Page 7.

    Are the developers planning on replacing Time Bomb in custom creature traps and devices with Temporal Bomb and Remote Bomb respectively?

    Are there plans to add in a version Arsenal Control/Assault as a custom enemy powerset?

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