cranebump

January 10

KR Devil (aka Juan Jiminez? [never been confirmed!]).:-)

It's not optimal, but AR/TA. Got a lot better with the changes to Full Auto, but it's really about flexibility from the Arrow set. And I just like spraying lead.:-)

January 10

3 minutes ago, Zhym said:

I have one character with both SS and SJ. That character's concept is...well, I think it's really super, man.

Heh, heh. I see what you did there, Private.:-)

January 10

Superspeed coupled with super jump is pretty awesome. For me, though, it’s about what fits conceptually. The toon I play most is a ground bound scrapper. I haven’t picked up any movement pools at all. Did get the free jump pack and purchased flight pack once he had some cash. Also ended up earning an extra flight pack in the KR Bank mish. He’s part of an SG with a base, too, so I use the TPs there, and Ouro (which I got by zoning into the PvP zone via Atlas, behind Rick Davies in City Hall).

That said, nothing feels quite so super as flight.

January 10

Any publicity is good publicity. Bourne out here, as the initial review spurred additional plays, and different perspectives.

January 9

Red side is excellent, overall. It does hew toward I'm going to be the power on the throne here, eventually, though. That whole "Destined Ones" thing. Driving up numbers there as far as teaming goes requires someone really dedicated to running the content, to include drumming up Strike Force teams. I'd include bank mishes in there, because you can just trash everything on the map, which is its own special, special thing.:-)

January 9

I’m just going to provide the immediate steps. Number one: play hero side first. Number two: play the hero side tutorial called outbreak before entering the game through Atlas Park. Once you get to Atlas Park, play through the story arcs presented to you beginning with Matt Habashy. When you open up the contact named Twinshot, Play through her ARC as well. This will get you familiar with the basic stuff as you are learning the game. I would honestly avoid running on a large team until you've played the game solo for a while at the lower levels. However, running as a duo or trio, with a couple of friendly veterans might not be bad since they would answer questions for you on the fly.

Try to take it in bite sized chunks. Most of all, though, have fun! If you end up on Torchbearer, feel free to look me up. My global is the same as my forum name. In the meantime, have a great run and welcome!

January 9

You know...Torch is still searching for an identity.

Unofficial bad guys & (misunderstood) douche bag server, anyone?:-)

January 9

I'll chime in as an advocate for actually playing the content (starting with Blue), if you've never played CoH before. Actually go straight up old school, to include slow travel, so you can see the city and learn how to get around. Start with an AT/concept you like and go from there. When you run into issues, ask questions. Don't put any pressure on yourself to get straight to 50. You might not bother getting character #1 more than 10-20 levels (I think I rerolled a half dozen times before settling on one that I stubbornly ran to 50). And, by all means, explore some of our player-made content.:-) (I'd do this after running the regular content, though -- the city comes first!).

One day, after you've learned the ropes and then some, return the favor by helping out someone just entering the city. Because that's what being a hero is all about.

January 9

6 hours ago, UltraAlt said:

.

I'm looking for fun and intent.

I’m with you on fun and intent. And I think a clean, slick piece allows me a greater opportunity for that, since I’m not having to too often stop and mentally autocorrect spelling.

I understand that we want to shepherd new authors by being supportive and nice (which is the tone I try to adopt when I review). At the same time, I don’t think it’s a personal attack to say someone’s got spelling errors in their story. We’re critiquing the piece, not the person.*

*Until [and unless] they give reasons why they won’t bother to fix anything. Then we know where the issue lies.

January 9

It’s quite a story, LR. Clever framing device to allow you to use a wide variety of bad guys and customs. I still remember the Drac boss fight from #1. That was epic!

January 9

I haven’t played this arc, but I did review a different arc by the same author. There are some similar issues with spelling and such in the one I ran, as well as the missing glowie text, both in the search bar and sometimes missing clues altogether—not once, but on multiple occasions. I think the author was trying to place objects as window dressing. There’s a way to set them where they remain inert, but they obviously don’t know how to do that just yet. That said, the aspects were noticeable enough to be distracting in both arcs, representing an error trend in the author’s work (an easily fixed one at that).

When someone posts an advert here about their AE arc, I assume they want actionable feedback (if there is anything to address). Perhaps this wasn’t the case here. That said, a bit of work on cleaning up small things can only help both arcs. My issue is the making excuses not to, because editing and revising is a basic composition skill that simply takes time and effort. If someone’s spending time to run something I write, I should respect them enough to put in the effort to make it clean, at the very least.

January 8

I have to stick with my original "gold" statement because, despite people receiving reviews, they don't receive multiples from different people,. Getting several reviews/perspectives is usually better than just 1. Of course, we might be getting “reviews" from players via the rating system, but they only drop a few words (and not always useful).

As far as how people review, I would say that, while I appreciate the compliment, we should remember that "better" is subjective. What I do is different from Kyksie. I'm mainly looking to provide usable feedback. Kyksie's looking to entertain. Or rather, he was, back when he was more invested in reviewing. The snarky tone is part of the schtick. If you can find any of his older, lengthier reviews, you'll see it. You might not like it, but it'll provide context for his shorter, off-the-cuff review we're talking about here.

Lastly, "feel honored," again, is just a saying, meaning, in this case, "welcome to the club." I've had some of my flubs aired for everyone to see. That's part and parcel of putting your work on public display. It means someone might peruse it. And maybe they'll talk about it with others. That's the deal. I can either be thin-skinned about it, or parse my way through the uncomfortable part, and try to find a useful nugget. It's been said that any publicity is better than no publicity. Don't know if that's 100% true, but one could say that any mention is better than silence. Whether one agrees with the tone or not. In any case, it's not my job to tell someone how to review my piece, or what to look for in it. If anything, a review shows me what others look for. If I pay attention, I'll know more about how to address a wider audience. It behooves me not to turn it into an argument, since, as already mentioned, a review is subjective. I don't have to agree with it. Doesn't mean it's not worth me listening to it.

January 8

So, um, just to be clear, @huang3721, "feel honored" relates to those of us who have been reviewed (and occasionally skewered by Kyks). It was more of a"welcome to the club" thing. That said, anytime you get anyone taking the time to actually give you feedback, that's typically gold, because it happens so infrequently.

January 8

At one point today, all shards had 2 yellow dots on the login. After I got on, I was doing my usual slow play solo on Torch and there were teams forming consistently (I’m not on much on Sundays, though, so I’m not sure this is unusual?). That said I played for stretches over the entire weekend, and Torch did seem busier. If the idea was to shift population, it seems to have worked.

January 7

If you run without optimizing -- say, sticking to, at best IO's -- increase your settings, and avoid the incarnate system altogether, it ought to be naturally challenging enough. Or more challenging, at least. Perhaps consider avoiding all the XP buffs. Use only DOs, SOs or IOs (for a bigger challenge, only craft IOs based on what drops). Don't grab your usual secondary pools (Fighting, for ex). Of course, you may not find that fun, but it’s technically not handicapping.

January 7

Suggest opening your map, then detaching it, and moving to one side, so you can see contacts, stores, and trainers (like Ms Lib):-)

January 6

Echoing playthrough of Twinshot after you Run Habashy. You could also do the Outbreak tutorial prior to entering Atlas.

January 5

I can't manage it. Which is why I recently did a mass deletion/consolidation. This includes a couple who'd reached 40+. I just knew I wouldn't "finish" them.

January 5

Hard to answer because, if I loved it, I'd likely use it. But I'm guessing it's due to the types of characters I play. I think all the magical stuff, including the witch's peak, and things like jester hats and such are cool, but I'm always running tech/natural origin, and most of the time semi-serious. The mime-turned-vigilante just won't work for me (although...if I ran as a villain, all bets are off).:-)

I'll go with wings as something I'm impressed with, but don't use much. I think I have exactly one toon with them, and he's a sort of armored paladin-type, and one of my very few magic origin characters. I'm always wishing I could fold them away, though, when not in use.

January 5

Okay, let's see how it goes:

Spoiler

Intro screen: a minor thing, but I would call Numina intractable rather than irretractable. Mainly because it's more common, and the definition of the latter reads, in part: "an intractable disposition." This, of course, is a VERY minor quibble. (VERY...):-)
Nice atmospheric text, esp. desc's of what the NPCs are up to.
"Off to see the wizard." Heh...okay.
Skewing toward narrative. Interesting choice. Writing is excellent.
I don't know if the King is set to follow, but he is. Good. Let him do what I want, for once (Hey, King. Why don't YOU run back and forth between Sky and Steel awhile, you $^#&@^wad.):-)
Well, I'll be damned. John Knox. This guy is a key figure in one of my own Long Forms (Mobius, which you should someday play):-)
'k they're all following, so obviously this is my team. Wonder what I need them for (not worried...noooooooo....)
Angus! FYI: I'd look into his character text in his arch. He always has this send off thing: I have been authorized by my superiors to request your assistance to...Probably don't have the room for that under his desc text, but it's a noteworthy habit of his. Of course, this is just window dressing.
I'm assuming the NPC verbiage aren't dropped in clues due to character constraints. If I don't really need to refer back to my clues screen, this is cool. If you think there's something I need to recall, though, perhaps it should drop there. FYI: I don't know if everyone else does, but I keep a clues screen open at all times in AE. Wish I could convince everyone else to do that on these stories. It's helpful, though it does take up some space. Meh...c'est la vie.
Decided that chat verbiage works better, since the main clues we need are dropped in. I may have to try that someday.
Just realized I have this thing on default settings. Could easily cruise, esp. since I'm running a pretty good FA/Dark tank. AND I have all this help.
Done. By the numbers. (the number being 5...4 is right out):-)

On to 2: And the prof goes Doc Strange: Endgame on us. One shot you say, Eminem?
I'd put carriage returns in the big accept clue to break up the text. Assuming the spaces fit.
Great map for this. Those patrols can overlap in the central room near the beginning, which could make for some awesome scrums.
The head librarian took a while to whittle down, surprisingly. Is he a custom?
Wondering if my doubts about the professor's plan mean I'm going to end up fighting his ass.:-)

On to 3: What do I know of Norse mythology? Well...oh...you really don't care do you, prof? (sniff, kicks dirt). 'k...:-) (FYI: My two thoughts were "World Tree," and "Serpent-who-destroys-everything-whose-name-I-can't-recall-but-it's-long-and-full-of-syllables. (heh)
I assume deucedly is a typo? Or you've taught me a new way to say "shitty" in a nice way.:-)
Ah...one of THESE cave maps. These are nice. I wish they had more objectives locations, though. I'd find a way to use them more (meaning me, in my own stories).
Shoulda ran at x8. Maps feel empty on default. Derrrrrrr...I'm SMARRRRT.
Really liked having DE allies.:-)
Minor error on end screen. Need a space before the quote, "I promise Penelope will never know." I'd screenshot these, but I keep getting "exceeds limit" messages. Something on my end, surely.

On to 4: Ha! The PCM. Figures...
Off to beat up Schlongbow.
Nice change of maps, regards to maps. A plain ol', well-lit lab. Good call.
I wish we could populate these prison cells. On the cameos!:-)
Also wish they had rails on all the bannisters, so I could indiscriminately race up them without falling (they obviously expect someone with grace, those f***ers).:-)
Funny: I was about tu type "Hmmm...no ambushes yet." And lo and behold, Buster set some on me.:-)
Headed back from rear room to grab the box I passed. And voila! Done.

On to 5: Bottle of Serafina! Darmian will like the lore usage.:-)
Save the World. Sounds easy enough.:-)
Sonata's hellscape map. Niiiice.
Merlin, QoH, and our final baddie. Nice fights in a small space. Well done!
And we leave on a cliffhanger. (I was thinking we couldn't trust this asshole, and naturally, we couldn't...bastard...)

Overall: 5/5

Well conceived and executed, both narratively and mechanically. Callbacks to PCM and Serafina. Good mix of enemies. Nothing major needs to be fixed (which is always nice).

Consider:

The opening map is rather large. That said, I'm not sure what smaller map would allow for the 5 destroys AND the NPC pickups, so this isn't a huge deal. It just spreads out your patrols somewhat, where they'd be more perilous in a smaller space. There's too much work put into really change that, though, I would think, and it's a MINOR deal, overall.

Angus's verbiage is more refined and less stilted than in his arc. Maybe we can assume he shook off some of the effects of his transformation. Again, MINOR detail. He has a LOT to say in M4, so I can't see fiddling with it, unless you're just a stickler for things like that. I'm not normally, but I just ran his arc recently, and that stuck out about him to me.

January 3

One thing I’ve learned from experience when it comes to hearing criticism of my writing: if I’m having to “explain” my logic to the reader, they’re not the problem. I am. Failure to fulfill basic expectations of clarity and entertainment is my job, not theirs. I can even fail on the second part, which is sometimes inevitable, since what entertains is often subjective. But I have no excuse for not being clear, and adhering to a very basic level of professionalism, if I’m sharing my work in the public sphere. Since you are sharing it, you can expect criticism. How you react to it will dictate whether you learn anything from the experience.

Lesson one is to try not to be defensive about what people say. If your immediate urge is to make excuses (I.e. “explain” your mistakes, rather than admitting you may have made them), you’ll learn absolutely nothing, because you’ve justified what you’ve done [to yourself], and therefore see no flaws or avenues for growth. I know this, because I’ve done it before, and gotten nowhere. When you get feedback, consider it. Whether you initially agree with it or not. This is a skill that goes far outside of just trying to write a silly superhero story. Sometimes, people are just trying to help us. It’s our job to know when this is happening, and to know how to use it.

On that:

(1) Interact text: You should put verbiage in every search bar because it’s an expectation derived from the actual game missions, which you are trying to emulate. Players expect it, so they notice it when it’s missing. They shouldn’t be thinking about why it’s not there. You’ll have to show me, by the way, the “some people” who don’t care for interact text. I’m betting it’s not many, and that none of them script.

(2j Basic grammar, spelling, punctuation: You want this to be tight as possible, so that you aren’t perceived as lazy (or worse, illiterate/stupid). Chalking off a failure to edit because you don’t get paid to write is a cop out that only harms your efforts. If a player is noticing the errors in my writing more than the story details, it’s a hindrance, plain and simple. Is it time consuming to, you know, edit the thing? Hell yes, it is. Its a pain in the ass, and the worst part of writing. It’s also the difference between doing a half-assed versus a stellar job. You can have the best idea in the world. Execute it with lazy writing, riddled with noticeable errors? You’ll hear about it, maybe even as the first thing. This isn’t just in AE scripting. It applies to all written communication, outside informal texting (well…for some of us…I personally maintain a modicum of proper execution. Habit, I guess).

(3) Annoying your players: if you get a comment concerning something a player didn’t like, you might chalk it off as a single instance, depending on who it is, and the nature of the complaint. If you hear the same thing from multiple sources, however, take it to heart. I’ve had critiques from single sources that I initially didn’t agree with, but later realized they were right (using timers, for example). As for latter, multiple instances, here’s one case in point: both Kyks and myself pointed out your blank interact bars, in two different arcs. It’s pervasive. We noticed. Your explanation for leaving them blank feels like an excuse to not go back and fix them. It’s lazy. I’d also suggest taking Kyksie’s advice about the running bosses being almost impossible to defeat, and change that, as well. Regardless of your intent, you’re actively diminishing a player’s enjoyment. Multiple times. He may have a point about that (especially when I think about how many “boss running away” missions there are in the actual game, and how I can’t recall really liking any of them). You just don’t want arbitrary player frustration, if you can help it. They’re your audience. You owe them a good time.

Be honored, by the way, that Kyksie reviewed your stuff. It’s been a good while, and you were chosen to break the silence. You even got a compliment. Kyks won’t give you that unless you actually earn it.

Other than that, I strongly suggest doing some clean up of easily fixable errors. Yeah, you’re not getting paid for your work (and frankly, intimating that we should only care about quality when one gets paid for it doesn’t reflect well—it sounds like an excuse I’d hear from one of the many HS students I’ve taught over the decades). But that’s immaterial. Because you do get “paid” by eliciting a basic level of respect from your audience by giving them a good effort. As with any paycheck, if you don’t put the time in, you won’t get jack.

January 3

I shoehorned Tendaji into Dark Chamber. Lore wise, it takes place between his first appearance and his death. Mollymauk commented that he was dead while running both parts, indicating he’d seen others use him even though he was gone. I knew he was, too, which drove how I used him in the story. That said, Tendaji’s career could exist outside the RWZ arcs. Just indicate the time by adjusting his contact verbiage (“Sefu Tendaji is an up and comer in the Longbow ranks…” Then make him something lower than a ballista to indicate his previous status).

or, if you’re Darm, use a clone.:-)

January 3

I’ve been on somewhat infrequently, but will work in your finale asap.

December 28, 2023

If my stable is any indication, somewhere in the 20s. No rhyme or reason outside that. Stuff I've dumped early on: Kheldians (didn't even reach 10), various trollers and defenders I tried to solo with subpar powersets for soloing (because I am smarrrrrrrt).:-) i recently deleted a slew of abandoned characters. Stripped and sold everything, pooled about 500 mill then gave it to a single “sugar daddy” character to dole out as small parcels of seed money for my trad solo play toons. That’s what I’ve been running lately. Solo, story-arc, slow play.

December 24, 2023

Big enough to tea bag the entire Magnificent Seven (and the cast of all subsequent remakes). And he’ll throw in fake cowboy Kevin Costner.

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Posts posted by cranebump