cranebump

I imagine this has been said by someone already, but one very obvious aspect of why more people don't attempt to create (or get discouraged from creating) story arcs is the wonkiness of Architect feature itself. Unless you're doing something very, very basic, it takes a WHOLE LOT of time to produce a decent, workable mission, much less an entire arc. You can spend forever just editing/testing/editing/testing and still not have it work 100% the way you want it. Then, if you do decide you've got something decent, and you publicize it, you could STILL have the very first person go through it, and that spawn you set up that always appeared on the first floor is suddenly appearing somewhere else, making you look like you don't know what you're doing. It's tough enough you're exposing yourself to various opinions about quality content. Add in the prospect that the production system itself can also work against you, we shouldn't be surprised when we don't see many people truly diving into the shallow pool.

As a player. I’ll play just about anything. As an author, I tend toward noir.

Nature of the beast these days. They’re a small group of busy volunteers, so I don’t begrudge them having a life outside the game. And I do think a Devs Choice equivalent produced by players is too problematic to implement. I mean, we can’t even discuss ways to grant recognition to more authors without arousing suspicions of elitism during a discussion of hypotheticals. @Dacy’s right. You can have good intentions and things can still go shitty. The question is whether (and how long) anyone wants to put up with it.

Didn’t really want to wade into this, considering my week in the forums, but: I think if anyone understands how easy it is to miss typos, it’s the people who’ve worked with the AE the most. It’s a somewhat unavoidable and forgivable “offense.” Beyond that, no one’s saying there’s a single “standard of excellence.” This started with a benign question asking what people would look for if they were Dev’s Choice judges. More than one person mentioned proper composition skills as a component (not a litmus test for the entire effort, but a part, at least). How we leaped from that to “there’s an elitist cadre driving people away from scripting!” boggles the mind, but, here we are. My advice to anyone who wants to promote SFMA AE stories is to publicize them. Create your own forum to raise the profile according to whatever guidelines or standards you want to follow. That will have a much greater impact than vague insinuations against what is obviously either an imaginary, or very poorly organized, cabal of so-called gatekeepers.

To be fair the response was to a longer, harsher review. I edited and refined the longer one. But still…yeah.

I learn ever so slowly, sensei.:-)

I hope to make the Torch run!

I did offer up a rather harsh, poorly-composed review. I've edited it to present something more balanced (and indicative of what I normally present). That said, another review is a good idea. I keep saying I'm only one opinion. Not sure that's being heard.

Well...I'll avoid any sort of argument about how to write, since I know quite a bit about that. I'll grant that saying the story was illogical was an inaccurate assessment. Whether I do reviews all the time or not doesn't make me mistake-proof. Given that, then, It would be more accurate for me to say that I found the story rather thin, and nearly devoid of characterization. These are deficiencies in my view, since I like a strong story with my AE. I have my own ideas on that, and, as a consumer, I'm entitled to them (as you've already said, above) Please bear in mind, though, that plenty of other people don't give a shit about story and character detail. I'm just one opinion. I do think that, by focusing so much on "challenge" you lose an opportunity to enjoy what details you actually do have there. Especially in the finale, which I was forced to rush through due to the timer being so short. In any case, I presented a more balanced version of the review, above, one that I hope recognizes differences in taste. My last word on the whole story thing is that, the story might've been "logical," but, the bare bones way it was presented felt like it was something obligatory that was getting in the way of your level design. Something set in the background to get to the next mission, or mob, or objective. But, again, I'm just one person. Others prefer just that in their missions. I do have some nagging questions, btw: (1) Why AM I helping Daniels? I assume this is tied in with the original Shivan invasion, right? Blue Spectrum showing up and such? Okay, then. I didn't see it blatantly stated there (or, really, what my specific task was in the whole affair -- gathering some sort of info, iirc). Regardless, it struck me that I was told NOT to go underground, and then was placed directly underground. Why did I do that? Do I know something Daniels doesn't? I found that hard to get past. (2) Why did I get ambushed by Trolls after I rescued some Trolls? I couldn't sort that out. Maybe it's in there, but, since I was on a short timer, I didn't have time to peruse the details (assuming they were there). Oh, and by the by: personal attacks? C'mon... While I admit douche baggery was a prime motivation for my initial, scattered review, a personal attack goes like this: "Cranebump is a douche bag." Whereas: "Cranebump's arcs are heavy-handed on useless details and filled with time-wasting glowies. He also makes his bosses too hard" is not. I might not've liked your story, but I don't know shit about - nor did I say shit about - you personally. We may differ on what constitutes strong writing, or story, but I feel like we can both agree that, when putting work into the public arena, it's a good idea to separate the work from the person. I don't know about anyone else, but, when it comes to crafting stories and such, I know I don't shit gold. (Anky does that--effortlessly):-)

Ha! I guess. I wouldn't consider any of it major. The one thing I wish everyone would embrace is the subjectivity of the whole thing. One person's masterpiece is another person's "wha-?" From the writing side of it, you say thanks for the kudos and take what's usable from the criticism. Speaking of, I need to go back and actually provide some useful criticism. My last review post wasn't too beneficial.

There isn’t, but it sure seems like someone wants to start one. As far as what the original Devs looked for, it’s beyond me. There’s an eclectic range of arcs that were recognized (including more than a few that aren’t “literary gems”). It really comes down to who’s doing the judging, I think. Whatever the case, anyone who creates more than a few mishes isn’t doing it for an award. They’re doing it because they like doing it. They’ll continue to do it whether they receive a pat on the ass or not. So I’m not sure that formal awards will encourage anyone to dive into the design pool. That said, if we are considering basic, uniform expectations, @Police Woman’s criteria are pretty solid. If you expect people to take their valuable time to play your arc, it’s a reasonable expectation that you spent some time and effort to make it worth their while. If you’re doing things that unduly frustrate a large proportion of your audience (like having a shit-ton of distracting typos), you’re doing something wrong. Most of what’s on PWs list covers the common frustrations.

NOTE: This is a resubmitted view of the longer one I put here before. (Never post when you're pissed off). Anyway, this one's more even-handed and in the spirit of what these reviews are intended to promote. Sorry for the initial display of douche baggery. Galaxy Schmalaxy:Constellation Row (Arc ID: 65609) by @Forager This new, lowbie (L10-20) arc sends us back to Galaxy City, offering some ancillary support to whatever the heck is going on there. Officer Daniels warns us not to go underground. So, of course, we do that first. We’re told we’ll get some help from Forager, who promptly runs outside when we free him from some nasty Shivans (thanks, Forager). Too bad. We coulda used him against the mother of all ambushes that followed. Same thing happens when we rescue Blue Spectrum, who’s digging for something while telling us we should not be there (ambush follows). NOTE: Blue Spectrum has default descriptive text. Forager’s text is…well, it’s unique, let’s say. At least BS is helpful as an ally. We follow up with Mish 2, where we’re supposed to meet up with Daniels at the PPD. This is actually a clever little interlude, but ultimately could’ve been handled with text, as all you’re doing is clicking a couple glowies. The last mish has multiple objectives, ambuishes and a 15-minute timer. The arc is presented as a “challenge” arc, the challenges being baked in mainly as ambushes (early on espeically), and a very short timer (the finale). The author has presented advice on these boards about how you can avoid such some of the major challenges in M1 by beelining to the objective and skipping fights. The same is true of the finale, as well (though I don’t recall that being advertised or advised elsewhere). After dealing with a rather HUGE ambish in M1, then getting mapserved, I beelined to the end, skipping most of the other content on the 2nd run. Unfortunately, I did not beeline the finale mish, and was unable to complete the objective that spawned off the rescue due to the timer running out (so I don’t know what comes after that). Pretty sure I’d have been fine if I had gone to the objective first. But that would’ve involved skipping 3 other floors of content, to include some optional allies. I chose not to skip, and was penalized for it. I also feel the mish is penalized for it, as well, since any player running through it is going to be way too under the gun time-wise to enjoy any details the other floors present. Unless they go straight to the end, complete everything to shut off the timer, then decide to go back through anything they skipped. Doable, I suppose. But I don’t believe most players like to play that way. Extending the timer to even 30 mins would enhance this mish by allowing the player more latitude to explore. Or, you know – go to the bathroom, if need be. This mish would also work well as the first mission in the arc, since it presents a stronger framework for the entire "rescue people" premise, imho. OVERALL: Design chops are plenty good. I’d say 5/5, since everything works the way it’s supposed to (especially ambushes, including some friendlies). It’s cleanly written. Now, narratively? Hm. I had problems there. I felt confused as to why my hero was there in the first place (subsequent reviews indicate I must've missed something, but I'm not typically that oblivious, so... Even if I did miss something I also wondered why, after receiving a warning not to do certain things (“don’t go underground”), I did them anyway, without any sort of narrative reason that I could see [ex: “Screw orders! I’m saving my friends!”]). Maybe all this was implied, but, this being my 3rd edit of this review, I no longer remember. Anyhoo, we get into M2, which, while an interesting change of pace, felt like a wasted mish slot for such a short arc (I think this mish would’ve benefitted by having me talk to NPCs to get those clues, putting a face on the situation -- that said the PPD map has very few usable objectives). And then you have the very short timer in M3, which means I didn't finish the misssion as intended. And since I’m much more of a “story over design” AE player, and since I ended up failing due to said design element, it colored my overall experience. I felt rushed through, in some cases pounded on, and then didn't even succeed (even though I didn't lose any actual battles in M3). I know some stories have you fail and your hero learns a character lesson and such. But I failed after I saved Daniels, so it was pretty disappointing. All this said, the arc itself is plenty playable, and has some design elements that others who don't swell on the things I do might enjoy (noted below). PLAY IF: (1) You want to take on some tough (albeit optional) encounters in the L20 range; (2) if you want to beat a short timer on a fairly long map; and (3) you’re more about getting right to the action, rather than delving deeply into story and/or character details. It’s a pretty straightforward hack-n-slash. If that’s up your alley, this is a rather quick diversion into it.

Well, guess I can post that review now.

That was likely me. I had some issues with the "challenge" aspect" being unfair in M3 due to the timer, and the fact that, even if you beeline to Daniels, you just get another rescue objective. The timer is so short, you can't really enjoy the full 4 levels of design. Some context: I initially ran this with an eye toward putting it in my short reviews. By the time I was done, I ended up with a really long review that I decided not to post because, despite some design strengths in the arc, there's one major issue I just can't get around (and is the main reason for the low rating). It's subjective, of course, but here's the tl;dr version of that review, for what it's worth. Outside that I wouldn't bother with responding to poor reviews. We've all gotten them. Taste is subjective. Keep writing, Crane

It's entirely subjective, but I'd go mainly with: an interesting story and characters, well-edited, designed and constructed with care. That said, I find myself admiring all sorts of arcs for different reasons.

Trying to find time and inspiration will be my biggest goal.:-)

The Bounce House (ID: 65600) L21-26 The enigmatic Agent Crimson calls upon on a "temporary asset" (you) to look into a glitzing surveillance system, pulling you into a desperate gamble involving a hand full of wild cards held close to the vest. Notes: Nothing fancy. Just a bit of espionage. Allusions/references are pretty obvious. Ran with a L29 AR/TA that's not kitted out. There are 2 potentially touch encounters, depending on how you approach them. I made one of them WAAAAAAY worse by going full auto and dragging a certain summoning boss into the fray, going from attacking the standard mob of 3, to, oh, 9 I think it was. Other than that, I'd say this is pretty easy, esp. if you're a non-squish. And maybe I found all the typos...maybe...:-) Happy New Year, Crane

Vahzilok. Organized serial killers.

Consideration of Knowledge [Arc ID: 65341] by @ZamuelNow This brilliantly-executed idea is a training arc for AE creators, in which you gain helpful hints and tips while you play through the arc. Zammie provides info through various means, including helpful read-throughs in the clickable enemy text. The main thing is, you experience the effects of said tips & tricks as you go. Again, brilliant. As for the deets,you can find the author's own presentation right here: Since Zam has explained this one already, there's no need for me to get into the particulars. Rather, I'll just grant a special, glimmering, holographic Seal of Approval for yet another idea I wish I'd thought of. Just a really cool way to learn about the oftentimes wonky engine of which so many have (like the author of this piece) have made such creative use (sheesh...is that even a sentence? I tried.).:-) PLAY IF: I'd play it just for the experience (even if you're a vet AE author). BUT: if you're thinking of stepping into the clay pit of mission authoring, this gem is a must. Very well done!

Considering you ran the first things I ever wrote, I'm happy they were playable at all.:-) As far as criticism goes, a thick skin and the ability to use anything actionable is worthwhile. I appreciate the "squishy" perspective, as I tend to run exemplared chars on my own and others' mishes. Nice to see how things would actually work in game.

Include yourself, as well, my friend.:-)

Allegedly Your Death (ID: 65297) by @First of Equals (boardsig: @sponazgul) This recent (Dec 5th of this year),* well-regarded arc casts you in the role of Batm-, errrrrr, a vigilante type hero who takes on threats like Puffin, and the Confounder. Thankfully, you have your faithful butler, Alfred Pen-, um…Browith Wingstringham to help you out as you unravel a nefarious, transdimensonal plot leading to...YOUR DEATH (I'm serious here [you'll see]). Since I am, indeed, running a toon named Devil Bat, whose bio reads, in part, Orphaned when his parents were slain in a senseless robbery, I feel, em, uniquely suited to the task.:-) No (more) spoilers here. Just know that it’s a humdinger of an arc that plays on the Chiroptera’s detective side while being firmly connected to our own City of Heroes (and to vigilante playboys everywhere). VERY enjoyable. A shining Seal of Approval floating in the passing clouds of the night sky, hovering like a crusading spectre over the gloom below. PLAY IF: You enjoy a fast-paced, well-written, tongue-in-cheek homage to dark knights and their faithful butlers (also play for a really great [and playful] poke at AE itself). Oh, and you should also play just to hear Manticore being called a chode (g**damn is THAT on point).:-) Worth your time, people! Suit up! *which just happens to be mine and Walt Disney’s birthday (and we know who, among the two of us, has made greater contributions to mankind, don't we? [frantically points to self, while vigorously shaking head in an imploring manner]).:-)

Whoever runs Saturday Night Synapse on Torch (the fact I can never remember the names surely must mean something).:-) @LordRassilon streams various CoH runs on his Twitch channel.

Writing what the character thinks or says. EX: Instead of "Accept the mission," the choice is "I'll be glad to do your bidding, my master." (okay, that's an extreme example, but, you get the idea).:-)

Many people say I taught them how to survive. They also say other people are incredibly dumb about slotting, and I'm very, very smart about it. They even say I invented it. I dunno, maybe it's true. I think it's true because, well... (thunder; lightning; a transformative flash) I AM THAT I AM! THOU SHALT BRING NO OTHER SLOTS BEFORE ME! ALSO (insert other stuff you're doing wrong)! THANK YOU! NOW GO FORTH IN ORTHODOXY!