cranebump
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Posts posted by cranebump
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Just tested with aL29 SS/Invul tank, who uses primarily DO's. Cruised, save for my usual END issues. Boss fights required some INSPS, but it was fairly easy. Now to try with a squish.
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Newest arc is done. At least until people run it and show me everywhere I screwed up.:-)
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Bounty on a Mutiny [L25-29, Villainous]
After stealing Protean's funds*, you set up a new base with a special device that puts you in the employ of Operative Feliz, who's looking to root out Arachnos traitors -- a prime opportunity that comes with...complications.
*See Leonard's arc Good Villains Never Die
You may view this arc on Twitch, right here.
Design Notes:
- In a nod to our favorite supporter of SFMA work, @LordRassilon (aka Twitch's superheroic film-buff and all-around-nice-Canadian [yeah...that sounds redundant, doesn't it?]) Mollymauk, we present a play on classic film, with mish titles from one of our fav musicians (and also a Canuck) Bruce Cockburn (though we just couldn't find a place to use If I Had a Rocket Launcher**).
- Began as a prospective "branching arc," wherein you played through, then chose which arc to proceed to. Realizing it costs arc slots to actually do that, settled instead on a turn of events, putting YOU in the driver's seat (well, sorta...this IS AE, y'know).
- Main test mode run: used an Inc Tank, running at 0/x8. I actually got my ass handed to me. Quite a few times. I suspect if I had a bit of backup (or could, you know, get INSP drops in test mode), this wouldn't have been the case. Nevertheless, if you run at higher solo settings, you have been warned. At this level range, it might be a bear (you can never tell, with different AT types and such).
- Definitely LF feedback, and will resume additional runs with different ATs, checking on how it plays out at default settings.
- It looks like it may be typo free, but no prmoises.:-)
**not to worry - some of the bad guys have them.:-)
Spoiler stuff, for afterward, if anyone's interested:
Spoiler- INSPIRATION: Obviously Mutiny on the Bounty. I liked the inverted title and went from there.
- IN-GAME LINKS TO MotB: Wilhelm Zorgloss/Guillermo Feliz is a play on William Bligh. The two NPC operatives that were his (backstoried) partners are a play on Fletcher Christian (Pfielmacher=arrow maker; Xhristin=...I think you can figure that one out). Other than the name drops, any link to the actual story/movie(s) end(s).
- THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND SUNDRY DESIGN THOUGHTS: Originally, the idea was you get double-crossed by Feliz (who has also double-crossed Arachnos (via the lab situation), his former partners, and his employer (the 5th Column). After meeting Kreischer, you would then decide whether to work for him or Ruben. This just got too complicated the more I thought about it. In the end, I opted for the PC standing on the mountaintop by screwing everyone over (except Asa Ronan, whom I just like [and had been waiting to re-introduce for some time]). It's basically a series of double-crosses (maybe a quadruple-cross by the end? I lost count). Anyway, once I settled on that premise, it was just a matter of figuring out how it could be done. Some liberties there, basically assuming the PC has superior skills in hacking/programming and, let's call it "costuming/disguise." Shit happens, no witnesses, Weber sort of gets fingered, and PC goes free (more or less...there's groundwork for a follow up that I'm not sure I'll get to [probably not--feels like a one-shot])
- POWERSETS AND SUCH: I had the first 4 mishes done, and the basic intro/send off/complete test done for the finale mish. Page 7 dropped, so I reset my ideas for Zorgloss's guards and incorporated some of the powersets we just got access to in the designer. Didn't mess around much with new costume pieces, except for using the plague mask. Now, I have no idea who these folks are that Zorgloss hired. I don't think anyone's going to care, however.
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LORE: I'm taking all sorts of liberties with Nictus/Shadow Crystals, etc. My explanation for how they're used is a complete narrative workaround. Apologies if you're a purist. I thought it was an interesting add, though. There's no real reason for Zorg and others to be inhabited by a Nic, other than to perhaps justify his power tripping. And to add an element of surprise in there. For awhile, I was going to surround him with possessed bad guys (i.e., Nictus-inhabited minions).
Settled on the appearance of 1 additional nameless co-conspirator, just to keep the vibe at the forefront (though this NPC is a nameless boss who can be bypassed, so "forefront" is relative here).Eliminated. It served absolutely no purpose. - THE BIG BAD: Zorgloss is on a power trip. I figure what he does is some combo of his own ambition, pushed by the Niccy inside him. Thinks he'll be able to take on Requiem or some shit (eventually). Of course, he doesn't get a chance, after this.
- KILL 'EM ALL: Not that I don't have stories where the PC actually kills people, but this one DOES eliminate key NPCs. Hence, the villainous ethos. It's a bit double-cross. You do what you gotta do in the Isles.
- THE SPY RING: By the end of this thing, the 5C spy ring can be assumed to be intact. This leaves open the possibility of continuing the story from the Arachnos side, esp. if there's some additional use of/threat from whatever Weber was working on. I doubt I'll pursue it, but it is something to think about.
- THE ACER: Used to allow for multiple mish contacts. Also, I have an old ACER laptop I use for scripting this stuff, so it's sort of a backhanded homage to the machine).
Thanks for allowing me to indulge here. I usually do these additional notes mainly as a memo to self. Hope the arc was good, if you ran it. Or at least competent. (I don't aim too high on these things -- makes for more fun and fewer disappointments.:-)
Visualize Whirled Peas,
Crane
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Well, since nobody dropped this one:
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I ran it in Beta. I thought it was really well done.
And yet...I didn't give a sh*t about what was happening, because it wasn't me (i.e., my character). I could perhaps also say that of other personal story mishes (Brawler's, The Center, etc.). But those mishes are MUCH less involved than this one They're short and sweet, so it didn't bother me to step into someone else's shoes for a brief cut scene. This wasn't that. At all. I found it...a bit much.
Again, from a straight design/story perspective, it's excellently done (though I'd like to give @Ankylosaur or @Darmian [or any number of other great authors]) the same tools and see what they could do with them). Frankly, due to the length alone, it felt a bit self-indulgent to have me run as someone else's toon for that long. If not for the lore ties/foreshadowing (which I'm currently clueless on, as well), I'd call this a vanity arc (albeit a really well-done one). Perhaps if I school myself on the story more -- as well as run the final version -- I'll be more appreciative of the arc in its entirety.
All that said, I encourage others to play it, simply to enjoy the design elements. They're pretty impressive, and the story is well-executed. It all bodes well for future arcs (and the new, present ones, of course).
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The only character I've taken that on is Major Viktory. Somehow, it just seemed appropriate.:-)
(Maj is at L40 now. I'm not finding it adds much, to be sure, but I do activate it, after I've downed an LT or better. My END's okay, atm, but every little bit helps.)
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That AP map has SUCH potential. I was using it at the beginning of an arc in the Mobius storyline. I finally abandoned it after getting some feedback from @TerroirNoir and @Zhym (among others), running it myself (again) afterward, and seeing how right they were. At this point, I figure it's a good map for boss fights/rescues, provided the bosses have some good animation as a "tell" (aura that stands out; floating captured animation, etc.--same things you mentioned, above). Even so, the visibility thing really is an issue, even in those circumstances. If you can make it work, more power to you. But, in keeping with the whole "path of water" thing, I've found myself sometimes working in reverse to fix an issue (that is, modifying the narrative to fit the design mechanism, rather than the other way 'round). Again, whatever works. When I run it, I'll mainly be focused on solid, clear narrative, and competent design. For me, if the former is good, I'm fine with a few elements that are, for lack of a better term, "annoying."
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Planning on a run of @Lockely's arc, along with a dive into the pack pages for SFMA that have been overlooked. Just FYI: if you're a designer that's had some notoriety (or awards), I won't be jumping into your older stuff. But I will pass along some recs to @LordRassilon, for his Monday twitch stream.
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Destroyed AP map IS a toughie. I haven't run this yet, but was planning to for next set of reviews.
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19 hours ago, ivioin said:
The batman thing is a great example of what i'm talking about. We would be able to do so much more with Weapon mastery pool powers. Imagine giving an actual MA toon Shurikens.
For sure. Wish I could run those on something other than a Dom. Feel the same way about Arsenal (unless I’ve got that wrong?)
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Small moves, bruthas & sistahs of the SFMA. Small moves.:-)
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Store attached to a warehouse maybe? Sucks, though. The store and police station maps just don't have much utility. You plan Yin, and they're just packed with bad guys. You go to design a mish, and can't do anything with it. Being able to use any of the maps with prison cells -- actually putting prisoners in them -- would be SO nice.
Alas...
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The only one I don't like is the one where you pass into the room full of demon-summoning circles. I always forget the way back out.
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Servers back up.
And so...it begins...
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2 minutes ago, Skyhawke said:
And now I can only look at the word "farma" and put it into Snow's song "Informer".
Infarma, you no say Hashby me AE me I'll go doorsit
A licky Boom Boom Town.Ain't no Farma like the one I got.
Oh, no they don't come BEH-tah...!
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12 minutes ago, ZacKing said:
Gentle Reminder - please don't turn this into another farming is PURE EVIL! vs farming is fun debate.
Now, now - two things can be true at once.:-)
Or the former can be the reason for the latter! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
(No dog in the fight here, actually - I really just wanted to share the story about my pothead roomies)
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13 hours ago, Clave Dark 5 said:
Also: not sure if serious...
Same. It's...weird.
Also find it weird that anyone could consider farming less tedious that actually playing the content, but I had college roommates who got uber-stoned and watched multiple MASH episodes in a row with the sound turned off, so...you can never tell about these things.:-)
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Definitely in favor here. I've always wanted an ancillary power pool that included the P2W temps: revolver, St. Louis Slammer, plasmatic taser, etc. (maybe include some of the powers you get through playing certain missions. for ex: one of my toons has a "Confiscated Beanbag" rifle). That said, with INF being so much easier to acquire these days, I can easily purchase those. One thing about those, of course: you can't modify them via slotting.
Throwing several temps is an End drainer. This makes them sorta self-balancing. I've never fully committed to a toon that makes heavy use of them, so I do not know if the end problem can be mitigated. They certainly work well for emulating a "Utility Belt." Run a melee toon, augmented by the occasional gadget, and you've got a poor man's Batman.
(speaking of, just recalled I have one new toon that has Taser (from device pool), Plasmatic Taser (from temps), and Taser Dart (from Origin) If anyone knows of any other tasers, lemme know. My guy's gotta be ready for his next bouncer gig).
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I’m going to Disneyland.:-)
Probably make use of new AE toys.
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When I do team, it’s with PuGs. When it gets dicey, due to new people (or old people brain farting) I don’t mind the chaos at all. Makes for some fun, via the expected. As far as the many well-oiled machines I’ve run on, I’m neither giddy or despondent. I simply have no emotional connection to them. They’re just not memorable. Like an OK cup of Joe. Gets the job done (and that’s about it).
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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.
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Well...here's a few of 'em. I tend towards short and sweet.
Acrobattle (who's now "retired").
SpoilerIt started at the Row. They came to my neighborhood. I used the special training I got from Spec Ops to save those I knew and loved. After that, it became a mission. I got my old equipment. Nanotech suit. The Staff. All the gadgets. Cleaned up the Row (for now), then moved on. For a time, anyway. 'Cause we all know it never ends, right?
What's it all about? People. It's about being Lucius Jackson. Working my bakery on the row. Time with the wife and son. Because life is the struggle. And it's glorious, man.
UPDATE: Having fought the good fight, Lucius has put away his staff (save for "special events"), turning his time and effort to training his protege (and son), "Acrobattery." It's the family business, after all.
Most of mine have little more than a snapshot:
KR Devil: Like his compatriot, the King's Row Angel, the King's Row Devil guards the back alleys of the overlooked sectors of Paragon City. The Devil has close ties with KR's own Juan Jiminez. Some say he might even be Juan himself, but that's never been proven.
Gym Beam: Well, sir, I's just makin' mah rounds on the ranch, checkin' on that meteorite, and durned if I didn't find a dead alien and a big ol' gun. Thang seemed to attune wi' me, fer some reason. Made me all fast and ath-a-letic, an' a crack shot, too! So, I come to the city to do some good with it. I mean, what else could I do?
Whipsmart: The "personal bodyguard" to Fletcher Finley of Steel Canyon's FinnCo, Whip spends half his time touting his exploits via social media. The other half is spent getting into trouble and getting bailed out by other superheroes. If you can consider him a "superhero," that is. Maybe someday, when (if) he grows up.
Finally, this one from Torch:
Souler: Ilario "Lari" Ramirez was chosen. He's not entirely sure why. Maybe it was his nature - always there to help, to lend a hand. When the Rikti Invasion hit, he was out there, in the thick of it - all 135 pounds of him. Took a blast from a Rikti weapon, and that should have been that. But then...the voice...something from beyond the veil. A familiar one. A spirit of strength, of peace. The Aurum Avi - the Golden Spirit. "You REALLY want to make a difference, Lari. Then make a difference!" Now imbued with the all-encompassing righteous spirit-fire, Ramirez accepted the mantle, taking up the defense of his City as SOULER!
[Costume is based on Golden Age hero, "Superhombre" {not kidding...Super...hombre...}]
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For customs, I go by the % showing when I select powers, shooting for 100% for every critter in the range. Powers are apropos for the group. Which means I have no problem throwing debuffs, if something like Rad or poison make sense. If enemies are smart, or well funded/supplied, you’d expect them to have effective countermeasures against supers, as well. I mean look at Malta.
Of course, one way to stay “balanced” is to make heavy use of in-game enemies.
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Gravity
in General Discussion
Posted · Edited by cranebump
Well what you call random we call by name. Or so Rickie sez:-)