ZamuelNow

Mission Architect Sunday Special 2025 Postmortem With the prelim/test being in December, we've had a year of MASS. Despite some bumpiness with word of mouth being slow, it feels like this year has been a success. We've run 23 arcs and visited all shards. I thank all who've participated so far and I'd also like to extend special thanks to @UltraAlt and @Dacy for providing the spark that inspired me to work on this and other projects for AE. Most other things I'd say were already said at the year's halfway point. One issue I see is that not every run is going to have two arcs for a number of factors ranging from start time, team strength, and complexity of the arcs chosen. The other issue is needing a second team lead so the shards can cycle faster. Currently, 2026's first half looks like this: With two leads, it could be something more like: Regardless of which gets picked, I'm confident that: NEXT TIME... MASS returns to Indomitable on January 4th, 2026.

Unfortunately, we don't have the option to favorite anything. However, since it sounds like a good idea so I'd post it in the stickied suggestion thread.

With the bug fixed, the submission deadline has been pushed back to January 10th.

Tested and it seems like it's fixed.

Due to the current bug that cause you to crash to desktop if try to edit a custom group, the deadline for contest entries will be pushed back. How far will be determined by how long it takes for the bug to be fixed.

Bug reports filed. The dev team is away of this but no ETA on the fix.

Been trying to figure this out to add to bug reports. Other ways of editing arcs seems to work fine.

Looks like the patch broke this for a lot of people. Earlier I made other edits fine but crashed to desktop when I attempted to edit a custom group.

The biggest and most obvious thing is the difficulty cap raise, particularly in how it'll effect Dev's Choice. I can't test this myself but to my understanding the process for updating a Dev's Choice is to start an in game petition requesting the change (level cap raise, typo fix, fixing bugged contacts, etc), wait for the response, if approved you make the changes, let them know you're done, and they'll reinstate the Dev's Choice award. If anyone is going to do this, please update us with the correct process. On to other things... Containment Tech Lab and Inactive Tech Lab have spawns near the front so be careful. Containment Tech Lab does not have working jail code. Port Oakes - Fort Hades actual displays the Mission Exit on your map. Also, Any-Back seems to be roughly at [-3364.3 321.1 -1088.7] which is a good singular spot since it's a single spot and it's the highest elevation spot that's walkable. Port Oakes - Docks & Ship seems to have proper Front/Middle/Back despite being partially outdoors. The transition indoors is marked on the map. While we'll certainly discuss things among ourselves, if you like the things in the patch, certainly let the devs know.

Not listed in the Patch Notes is the fix to allow Tailors in your base talk to you if you're a Praetorian. Thus, you don't have to run to a trainer to change your costume because friends don't let friends talk to Praetor Duncan.

Not putting an exploration badge there is odd considering the layout of lower Mercy. If you start at Fort Darwin, the roads actually lead to the clocktower. There's a bit of a reveal if you're on foot as you come around the corner. Mercy has a lot of neat little bits of infrastructure like peaceful little gazebos where you can rest in between crime.

Sorry to bug you @Zhym, but Dhahabu Kingdom and the Indelible Curse of Hate is missing it's arc ID, 60044.

With a Discord, the issue is having to mod it. Plus, all the other inefficiencies and headaches of Discord. As far as an in game channel, technically Architect Chat already exists. I just never see anyone on it. Granted, I'm almost never on it either. But a chat channel or a Discord both run into the problem of people knowing they exist to be on them. Advertising should most likely be done in game but I myself have a tendency to not to be on during prime time. Word of mouth feels so much harder than the retail days. The next thing on my end is wanting someone to assist in running MASS. It's hard to build up regularity if most shards only get visited twice a year. Two team leads means the six shards can be split into two groups of three. Other thing about having a secondary leader is means that there's breathing room if I have to miss a day.

That sounds fine. I'd suggest authors give it a month after the contest ends before they make changes so people can see what the entry was like as an entry but they aren't held to that.