cranebump

Testing notes: ran with a L35 Sent, BR/Regen. Has several IOs slotted and a Sent AT set. Had to be selective about targeting, and really did need ally toons where they showed up, but survived everything, and somewhat handily, since he was evidently harder to Mez.

For sure. End up doing this ALL the time. So and so sprints ahead. Or Bob has arrived before you or Your team enters through varying points of ingress. And then you have situations where the boss has "TP's out," not not really. You end up having to put in text like "Emergency Teleport! Get me out of here" (boss dies, clue [or complete text] pops: "Unfortunately, Raging Cobra Butt teleports back to his Butt Copter. You'll have to kick his...agenda another time...") It's REALLY annoying, but you get used to it. And I second @huang3721's reminder about changing default animation. Always sucks to go into test mode and think, "Here we GO, and,....aahhhhhhhh sh*t. They're kneeling with their hands on their head, while saying You'll NEVER beat me!...(sigh)."

Make a critter with power sets, but don’t give them any powers (or give them powers that don’t have auras). Save the to a group you make (I use “Allies”) and then when you use them in game, set them to non combat.

Set the map enemy to “empty.” Guarding group set to “single” (though it will probably be empty anyway). Place them at front. Ally text will pop on entry and obj will be completed. However rescue text shouldn’t render til you approach them. Since mish is empty, you’ll need to populate with patrols, bosses, destroy object groups, etc.

Design Notes: Story is inspired by a wiki chain I somehow dove into, involving chemistry (and I'll leave it at that) Construction: Building this one was "backward," for me. I usually script out Intro/Send Off/End text, as well as clue/objective text ahead of time, then copy-paste them in. This time, I worked with maps/objectives I had in mind, and filled in the narrative around them. It seemed just as efficient and narratively consistent, but I did have to tweak some things in the final draft phase. If you find yourself calling bullshit on anything (i.e., you spot an inconsistency or glaring error), give me a heads up (so I can just ignore it [kidding]). Titles and such: Use of Rose in the title is not a mistake (neither is Mettle), but a play on in-mish stuff (check out the final clue). Individual mission titles are a play on the symbolism of various colors of roses (New beginnings, secrecy, bravery, etc.). Thought about inserting the meanings into the titles, but I doubt anyone cares much about titles (besides me).:-) Level range: was determined by Sky Raider limitations. Thought about allowing other mishes to be higher, but (a) I like a consistent level across arcs, if only because you don't have to switch tactics when you go up/down, and (b) Bosses might be too easy for highers. Initial tests: were with an AR/Tac Arrow blaster who has lots of enhancement sets (though he's by no means maximized). I am now moving on to formal test runs with other ATs, including those with more standard builds (none or few sets; SOs/IOs, etc.). As always, you never know how different ATs will handle everything. The Contact: Use of Agent Six as a contact had to do with premise/intro mish. Was also thinking I might run this as 30-40 (initially). Part 2: At this time, I'm not sure how to get to the ending I've imagined, so I don't expect Part 2 until April, at the earliest. It'll need to simmer a bit. Callbacks: If you ran Ordinary People all the way through, you'll find a callback to a character whose background sorta fits here. That said, I fleshed out his bio, and probably now need to go back and change his bio in OP. Because I just love giving myself extra work.:-) Happiness quotient: No timers. No mish fails. If you have issues with any bosses, stock up on the Insps and head back in. I do not feel sorry for you. (Just joshin' here. I don't think the bosses are especially tough, but that's what formal tests are for. I always assume anyone running SFMA is running exemplared toons who have some oomf to them. As such, my ultimate goal is mainly to ensure it's not a steamroll. On that: I statted out the main group all the way up through EB's, with a minium of 5-6 characters/level. So, it might scale nicely for anyone who loves punishment. Maybe...you tell me.):-) Cheers all (and thanks in advance), Crane P.S. Oh, yeah - thanks to @Kyksie's note on pronouns, I made use of the $himher, etc. in this one. Wish I'd known about that before. Anyway, MUCH appreciated, Kyks. Minor Spoiler:

Okay, it did not keep my changes, so I may need to pull it down and then republish it from there. Working on it. Fixed. I hope.

Tweak notes

Just watched the twitch stream by MollyMauk & partners. Unfortunately, the party failed the finale, because something ran off. No, do I remember setting it up that way? Nope. But evidently I did, and that sucks. Obviously the arc needs a fix on that (and other things as well), because failing the finale shouldn't happen. This one is ALL on me. The bad news: the danged thing is a Dev's Choice (to be frank a surprising one, as it's just an opening to a longer story). So I can't make any changes to that one without pulling it down (I don't think). That said, I'm so disappointed in that outcome I may do it anyone. An unsatisfying finale just ain't fair. I have removed the failure condition (Boss flees). Lost the DC seal, but that's okay. I'll probably do a few other things with it before I am done. My apologies to those who slogged through that (esp that back and forth in M4), only to get a "fail" message. However, thanks to you, no one else will have to suffer such a bullshit ending. I hope this doesn't put you off the rest of the arc, and my other, more polished stories. (I did get better later on, I think. But you can tell me.). Thanks guys, Crane

Can't get an email to @Valeyard, so I'm posting my run of HoW2 here. The short version.: it's excellent.

Wish I could help, but no idea here.

For me, it's a good set of long range binoculars and a snice deck chair (Tequila optional).:-) (actually, I'm interested in the suggestions, as I am certain none of my toons are good [or even mediocre] GM hunters).

Year Pi, Day Hoobstank Into the Woods! (not literally, ‘cause that would send me to prison…you’ll see…) After a brief hiatus to get corn chips, fresh off the line: We’s soooo lucky, ain’t we Bobby? DB swings back into action! I am the DUSK! (and you are a water tower!) Having gotten all the ogling I can get of Amanda Loomis, I use her for a reference (because if I try to use her for anything else, she will quite frankly crush my sorry arse). This leads me to a new friend-to-be, Kirsten Woods, who is: …wayyyyyy up there in cornerville…yay… So off we go: And go… And f’in GO… Ahhhh…my adoring public… Til finally: What? I’m HERE, ain’t I? So, Ms. closed-body-posture-no-way-you’re-going-to-impress-me gets right down to beeswax: Not as tough as…some other people I know. Like Positron! Yeah. He’s tough, and all that. Since I rate a 2.65 on the Toughometer (is it tuff-AH-meter, or TUFF-o-meter? I can never tell), I sproing into action! But not in IP... Not anywhere, y’know NEAR to the contact, but rather: Can’t you guys coordinate just a wee bit better, BS? Huh? HEY! I'm shrugging at you, bro! Shut up, and run to the end of the zone, Bathead. Oooooookey doke… Boing… Boing… Boi-yoi-yoing (attacktheground!attacktheground!) 174 boiyoiyoings later… Hi. Someone call for an ass whoopin’? Put ya hands in the air like you just don’t…I mean, TAKE THAT! It occurs to me here, that, if I can do this: Why don’t I just get a normal job? (answer: I’m stupid) I seem to have developed a new ability, y’all: The Long Range, Psychopomp Drop Kick. Eat your heart out, Reed Richards! But I still dig the old standbys: Fist sandwich. Which extra mustard and relish (and other stuff…like bacon and soy sauce…yeah….) I head on, looking for Crowe (and Tom Servo, and Mike, and that other robot), all the while trying not to ponder the logic of “Sky Raiders” operating in an office (Sky? What sky? Oh…a mural of the sunset…Yes, I see the tactical advantage now). No problem. Cuz they can’t run, run, run… Run from my gun! (what the hell did I shoot at? Did I hit it? Do I care? No…I am kewl and edgy) So, Crowe turns out to be about as tough as the Mystery Science Theater Crow. I slap him down, then play Red Rover with his Porter friend for a bit. In the end, I get some valuable clues: Ahhhh…plans so precise, I can’t even relate them to you in detail. I can only moon eye over their precision and splendor (looks like a bunch of lines and squiggles, honestly. I place a doodle of Moana in the margins, just for good measure). Back to the Woods. What does she give me? Another chance to prove myself! Not to HER, of course, but to this guy: “Ask me not my name. Only know that I control your destiny…SKYWALKER!” (okay I sorta dropped that last thing in myself). Off to the metaphorical equivalent of culling deer infestations in the suburbs: Here, Bambi, Bambi, Bambi... Keeping it in the Fam finally gets me in good with Woods. Sort of. She still sends me yon. Way yon. I’m getting the sense that there’s no real problem in IP, and she’s just sending me places to avoid my disconcerting, musky, gaze. (or maybe she just doesn’t like me, who knows?). In any case, I take on the case. Cos what ELSE am I gunna do? Steel Canyon...6 pm (or a.m....there's a 6 there)...I arrive at le doore. My mission here is twofold: The latter’s easy. I just keep one hand cupped around my…equipment. The former? I have to look for things! (damn…and me being blind and all…[she hates me]). (sigh) Off I go: Damn right there is! Why do you think my hand is here, protecting my…equipment… Wanna see some sneaky sh*t? Check out the flyer on the left: Hang on the corner and potshot me, will you? (well…I guess you will, I mean… you just DID…either that or I’m doing my famous Crouching Handstand, Hidden Jackass move). I finally locate one of the beleaguered profs. We have a quick dance off: Then off he goes. Engineer quits the game. He thought we were playing twister, so I beat the sh*t out of him. (I'm an arse). More Raiderness to follow. Our good walk gets spoiled by backpacky bystanders looking for a handout: And here ya go, sucker! It's not the most pleasant of walks, I must admit. 'Cause these labs, with all the vators and maze rooms: Go here, go there. Come back here. Never mind. Go that way. Frankly, it’s enough to drive someone…(yeah, you can finish that one). 34 hours later, when I FINALLY find the 2nd of 3 (not Jim) Tremblers, I see a possible dicey situation: Hmmmm…do I? Was it even a question? It gets a bit tough at the "corner of patrolling bad guys," because, of course, I miss one of the Engineers, so I have to spend some extra time spanking Raiders ‘cause of this stupid thing: I hate you… Clearing out the 4-pocket-lab-with-the-highly-valuable-equipment-that-you-can-use-as-a-punching-bag, I run into something interesting. It's happened before, but we've never really talked about it. Honestly, it makes me sorta sad, see, because: Either I’m REALLY stealthy, and flyboy just doesn't see, hear, or smell me, OR... He knows I'm there, and is just completely unimpressed. (FIGHT ME BRO! “um…no…”) Eventually, I free everyone. AND I stumble upon the actual equipment I’m supposed to protect (besides mine), where I fight tactically and precisely, like those squiggly line planes the Raiders use. Or do I? (want to guess? never mind, I'll show you just how tactical I am) TO THE FRAY! (oops...here they come...all of them...) By the way - know what’s worse than 1 Force Field Generator? Two forcefield generators (god, I am so stupid…) It’s a LOOOONG damned fight. I pull a couple groups, then have to fight off like 10,000 waves of dudes trying to shoot the indestructible prostate examiner (or whatever it is). Thanks to my La Paloma Blanca Con Carne power, I keep my stamina up. SOMEHOW, I don’t die, AND my equipment escapes intact! (for once). All in all, it’s enough to make Kirsten VERY appreciative: Hey, girl…I won’t tell…(don't hit me!) With my tactical genius (or its reverse) explicitly proven, I decide to take a break and reward myself with a cold one: An’ THAT’S how Ah beat them Skah Rayders, peanut… TUNE IN NEXT TIME, FOR MORE ADVENTURES IN MAKING FIGHTS A LOT LONGER THAN THEY SHOULD EVER BE!

I'm almost certain they're there, because I have a custom character who wears one in an arc I wrote.

Wish I could help, but I don’t do any messing around with critter files. My suggestion is to change your story to fit what you have. That said, I’m pretty sure you can create them using the backpack option in the editor. They just won’t be functional

Have you created any custom missions in the AE? See my sig. If so do you prefer to build standalone singular missions or create essentially your own story driven taskforce? Both (again, see sig). I interpret taskforces as stories written explicitly for teams. I did a couple of those for an SG I had joined, but the SG didn't go anywhere. I needed the mission slots, so I pulled the arcs. But to actually answer the question, I like both standalone and multi-arc narratives. Standalones have a slight edge, I guess, because I like finishing. Do you create custom NPCs or enemies for your content? All the time. I assume players want not just new content, but new foes (and allies), as well. Does that add to your narrative or just a creative outlet for you? Both. My arcs exist in the "lore cracks" - meaning they tend to be tied to something in the game, but take the game world in different directions (to include introducing new factions and sub-factions). It's a creative outlet for me, since I can explore the various elements of storytelling within the Architect. I liken it to guerilla filmmaking, where you don't have all the tools and bells and whistles, but you're still trying to make something with quality as good as (or better) than those who do. This means your story has to be interesting, which means you need interesting characters, which means either creating new ones (ex: The Autumn Wards in my Mobius Arc)., or putting a new spin on old ones (Hollow Point in the Leviathan series). There is certainly something to be said for revisiting established characters (especially underdeveloped ones, as @Darmian does with Praetorian content). But one must do one's thing (and this one tends towards "partial cloth" creation, because, frankly, it's more work [for me] to hew to what's there than it is to create new fiction). What other elements of the Mission Architect do you use when designing your missions? I don't use anything but what the Architect gives me. One must not quibble with God.:-) Are there RP elements to your story driven AE missions? If you mean NPCs reacting in character to the PC, then yes. However, since there's no real way to spontaneously interact with anyone, it's also a no. The best you can do is script with consistency and enough depth to get the players to feel for the characters. And then KILL THEM! (j/k) How difficult is your AE missions? Welllll....I can do them easily enough.:-) I would say some of the bosses are tough, albeit not unreasonable (thanks to changes after input from testers). My earlier ones, that use timers, can be pretty tough, due to the time constraints. I would say they're about average (which would mean at least 1 tough boss/arc). What drives you to design your own missions or stories in the AE? I like telling my own stories, and I **guess** I like writing (as with Oscar Wilde, it's the paperwork I can't stand).:-) After the first couple stories (which were about, "Hmmm...let's see what we can do here"), it became trying to actually do something with some actual quality, both in form and narrative. That is still - and always - my goal.

When solo (and I assume you're meaning content here), I don't fiddle with the setting switches at all, save for tanks or brutes I feel can handle it (and even then, it's a max of +2/3-4). I don't like slogging too much when I'm running solo content, especially since I don't run a lot of optimized or crowd control toons.

I dug around and found this in the wiki. $supergroup: that character's supergroup; if they have none, then "No Supergroup" will appear instead $class: their archetype ($archetype also works) $level: their level $origin: their origin $name: their name ($target also works) $heshe or $Heshe: substitutes "he" or "she" depending on gender (capitalized will cap the substitution) $himher or $Himher: same as above, using "him" or "her" $hisher or $Hisher: same as above, using "his" or "her" $sirmam or $Sirmam: same as above, using "sir" or "ma'am"

Good question. I've avoided the situation entirely by having NPCs say "There they are!" and such, if only because (a) It's easiest; (b) the PC sometimes has allies in mish; and (c) there's a possibility a team might run it. I'm sure there's some sort of flag somewhere, though. (see below)

Ditto on dark power options being big blobs of blackness. Other than that, I have no complaints.

When you defeat a boss is an AE arc, they can TP away, instead of dying.

It used to be "To the Fray!" Had a baseball bat brute (Gibson Ruth), who shouted "Batter Up!"

You can’t follow up perfection.

Captain Planet says no.

The death corner. I sometimes want to announce it when it comes up, but why spoil the surprise?:-) The big rooms in new warehouse maps can sometimes cause issues, as well, esp with large spawns all waiting to be target-tabbed by the overzealous (have I ever done that? Nooooooooo):-)

Excellent...:-)