cranebump

Thanks, Sparky. Appreciated.

I ended up trudging slowly forward, avoided KBing targets "north," but instead to sides ("east/west"). Got close enough to grab both barrels, avoiding a big fight with what would've been a pretty big group of blues. Blues, yes, but all that toxic would've been a bear! (NOTE: Vahz minions don't always react to what's happening right next to them).

This is something that formerly wouldn't give me pause. But now: That's one crowded-arse hallway... And on a semi-related note: Slower pace allows time to consider character development. Having run all these Sky arcs (and still having Engles in my queue), and all that work against the Vahz, and beating up Lost gangs, I've decided ol' Crane here lives in Sky. I had written a basic ID description for him, but I'm going to revisit that, working in these early experiences. I had the typical "bored, rich kid." Now I'm thinking, "Maybe not." I'll have to figure out where he got some of his gear, but, as far as his origin/powers are MA/SR, he doesn't have to have a barrel of chemicals on him or anything. Now, as for super jump...hmmm, where did he get dem boots?

Milestone! Hard to see, but that's lvl 20 right dere, y'all

That's what you get for being all smart and stuff!:-)

Soooooooo true. No training wheels. I fought small groups of yellow Tsoo in some solo mishes, and got my health ganked a few times. Inspirations count. No rez? Hospital, buddy, 'cause you can't combine 3 into anything. On the other side of the zone, and don't wanna run back? Take the "hospital" teleport (I'm looking at you Boomtown).:-) Simply not using Ouro, or Mission TP, or any of the travel shortcuts, opens up an entirely different world. Even back on live, I NEVER ran this much content out of Skyway. I don't think I'm going back to full on bells & whistles, but I might go with "Classic Lite," so I can run Athletic/Ninja run, etc., on toons that thematically, should have it. For example. ol' Cranebump up there is MA/SR. I really didn't want to take SJ as his travel, since I see him as "low to the ground." But that doesn't fit the challenge, so, c'est la vie. It's still a great tradeoff.

Congrats to the deserving winners! The original event verbiage mentioned "Honorable Mentions." Were there any of these? Or was one of these the HM?

Great! I was bummed about that.

Got that "ol' gang" running in KR: And some pics from our run (NOTE: I totally neglected to get a second shot with Therra before I popped offline for a bit--I was HUNGRY! (apologies). Therra gives 'em whut fer while BLASTRO does some slammin'. I have an excellent view of both.:-) Both barrels from the Maj, while the other blasters do their thang. Now, this LOOKS like a bit of a miss, but, see, BLASTRO is engaging the fire suppression system. When the Tsoo scatter, we'll pretend to be fire marshalls!:-) For the record, we were running Thao Ku's arc (28 merits!) (mainly). BLASTRO and I also did the Pastor capstone mish before the Maj and Therra joined. What I learned from classic mode today: I learned that when you say of a mob, "They're mostly blues. We should be okay." then dive in, it's not okay, and you faceplant, because this IS your father's Oldsmobile.:-) The challenge on default is sufficient, if you stay away from the bells & whistles. Lovin' it! Cheers, Crane

Whom do we contact for SG invite?

I am on right now. Everlast. Running Sky contact mishes in Steel (yeah, they sent me to Steel):-) Other than that, for me usually THU evenings EST, beginning around 6. DEC 21-23 I'll be on on and off at various times during the day. My classic global is @cranebump2.

One more before Xmas, folks: Why I picked it: I am a 007 nut (with Connery being the definitive version for me). What I ran it with: Acrobattle ! Powersets and such: Staff/Ninj; Incarnate [vet levels, not shifted] P.S. Also went with Acro because because I happened to be logged in with him, and was checking a different arc I’d promised to run and comment on:-) NOTE: This author is looking for feedback, and this is “part 1” of a metastory. So, I’ll be pointing out typos when/if I see ‘em. Let us begin: Intriguing Description. I notice it is part 1? Interesting. Also LF feedback, so...let’s feed! Mish the first: Contact is Felix Leiter. You’re already up 10,000 pts. (though Felix is an American). Opening is sufficient, however (see below): ...parentheticals are fine for drama. For AE, there’s really no set standard practice, but many authors will color-code action, if dialogue is already established as plain white text. Ahhhh, see, now Felix is CIA, not MI6. FIX! FIIIIIIX! (and why am I not talking to M)?:-) Okay, right off the bat: We’ve got a reskinned Fam, or a custom, and no description. Dat’s a no-no, bro. Give your customs the custom treatment. Because I can tell you, people read these things. They actually do. I mean...I just did…:-) ONWARD! Romping around the joint with my (non) school chums. Beat up ever’buddy in da club, including the boss. Le Chiffre’s last words: I weel, if u just shut ze mouth! Note: I like the wide-brimmed hats on some of the baddies. Not sure it’s “1968ish,” But I like. I had to let myself get shot at for this pic, y’know.:-) Summary: short and sweet. Nice sequencing of objectives. Clues are brief, and to the point. And I’ve got to think ‘Mr. Big” is either Kananga from Live and Let Die, or a pseudonym for Blofeld. Mish 2: So, we’re sequencing through some Bond vills who all should be dead. This is interesting. I AM wondering why I need to grab those gold coins, though. How does this tie in to James? (and may I please keep the booty?):-) Note: I’m asked to “grab Mr. Big, too.” I think questioning the dead guy should be Felix’s objective #1, since it’s info I’m after. But, okay mr. CIA. ON IT! Also: typo--you have “your” where you meant “you’re” (minor fix). Inside: Nice entry clue. Atmospheric. I like the writer’s style when it comes to these touches. No wasted motion. At this point, I got mapserved.:-( loading.... ..... ..... .... .... Annnd back! More customs. No custom write-ups. But wait til you see MY voodoo, cherie… NOTE: I’d avoid calling one of your minions a “Voodoo Savage,” only because the term is outdated (and carries with it some baggage). Voodoo is fine. Savage, not so much. The look is great, though! Guess this is why I’m recovering the treasure: They’re no the only ones. I’ll be “resting” on a brand new yacht!:-) Bit of cave running, then: IRONY! Solitaire is not alone (and you’re pining for the wrong guy, missy). Solitair’s defeat clue is interesting. Evidently, Kananga is reborn as this guy: Nice cane… Man if all the chests spawned like this: How cool would THAT be? (2 of them DID, which was neat) Off to find "Mr.Big." When I do I notice that...he's big...Like actually big: My man...you were smaller in the photo Inice drums, though). The powers of Darkness compel me! The Powers of Darkness compel me! (or not) Mr. Big signs off with a horrid Jamaican accent (which is a feature of the arc--aping the old Bond film villains). One thing on exit: Either this is a typo, or a really interesting take on “you won’t get away with (etc).”:-) Another one here: This happens to me all the time, btw, especially the deeper I go into scripting. In the urgency to move on, my fingers forget where letters are on the keyboard. NOTE: At this point, I’d almost like to see some sort of device concerning the time travel that relates to Roswell, since 1968 isn’t too far off that, and the raging Cold War might lead to experimentation with alien technology. I’d probably assume Bond was looking into the Rooskies experiments, then all this time stuff happened. (just musing, though…) Mish 3: Off to find Goldfinger (and drag that digit outta his nose!) Again, nice entry clue. Short and sweet. Okay not only do I have Goldie in this, but a couple other blasts from the past. Here’s the first one: And your first name is…? (neverminddon’tsayitkidspresent!) NOTE: Galore’s dialogue doesn’t sound as sophisticated as she appeared to be in the movie version. Not sure about novels or anything. Of course, when you’re named...well, you know... I LOVE that her minions are named: (how did you get the names not to repeat, since they are minion labels?). NOTE: Ran into another pair later, names repeated. So, the miracle was not a miracle (sniff). All in all, the minions in this mish are pretty cool. Especially these guys: Don’t make me staff-fu your Man-chu, brutha. Minion combos are very nice (read: "effective") this mish. Good synergy between the face-kicking Foreman and the gunner backing him up. His MA can stun you, while the bullets shred you. The guard (left) is sometimes invisible, so you can miss them and get stabbed right in the “SAI-d” if you’re not careful.:-) Nice work here. Remember I mentioned cameos? Here’s the next one:: Why not Odd Duck? It fits, right? RIGHT? Oh, never mind. Grunt away, SIlent Bob. Did the job on Odd Job. Just nearby I find: He’s the man, the man who went on a crash diet…and pumped them WEEEEEEIGHTS! Boss actually tried to run (early). Screamed for help from Odd Job. Oopsie! He’s dead, Jim (I mean, Aurie). Would've been cool if Odd Job responded, but can't do a named Boss ambush. The two were close together, but OJ was nearer to entrance. When GF ran, he actually ran toward where OJ would have been, had I not staffed the odd duck into submission. I stealth the last 3 crates, grab clues and out we go! Most enjoyable mish of the arc so far, save for having to grab 7 crates (seemed a lot, but it did make me search the whole map). Then this at end: Bwah? Okay, so exit clue and in mish clue say, that I “think” beat Goldie. Other than this guy looking more like Don Johnson in the Vice days, I’m not sure why I’m thinking this. (ooohhh...he’s supposed to be dead...okay…):-) So, the end mish reveal: What? You’re kidding, I…(okay I figured maybe…) Ah...here we go. A take on something I mentioned above: DING! Genius is contagious!:-) Mish 4: Okay the entry clue says SMERSH wasn’t active in the US in 1968. Now...pretty sure someone in the KGB was, though it may not have been counterespionage. Still, I’m wondering about the accuracy of this nugget, so I look it up...Well, I’ll be durned. SMERSH dissolved in 1946. Huh. “The more you know…”:-) Off to rescue another Bond NPC, Darko Kerim. Once in, I run into: Rifle...MAN? Ooookay… I get it’s Bond, but our “Rifleman” seems a bit...underdressed. And the Soviets, well, they’re such a pragmatic people. You know, the whole “NASA spent thousands on developing a pen that would write in space. What did Russia do? [They used a pencil])?” That sort of thing (maybe her uni is entirely skin tone color...for camouflage...to blend in on the...beach…:-) Running around and smashing: Someone’s been raiding the closet at my secret base… Okay, out of all the assorted minions and LT’s I’ve seen so far, this guy... ...scares me most… Down with Red. Interesting: Patrol spawn notes, “Did you hear Red yelling for help?” Other guy: “No, never! Not him!” (or some such). Nice touch.:-) Whilre we're at it, another custom minion: "I’m the Juggernaut, B****!" Fraid not, pard. See how I dodged that knife? And didn’t even move? Or rather, moved so fast, you couldn’t see it? Like The Waco Kid? ...They didn’t show Blazing Saddles in Kiev? Bummer… Aside: LOVING the new SMERSH T-Shirts! Get yours now!:-) On to last boss: Remember, “Khleb” means “bread.” Which I’m about to...do something to you that...I describe with a...bread metaphor...yeah…Have a slice o’ that! (there! done) Off to find Kerim Bey, annnnd: Okay that better not be… But, of course, it is…or rather isn’t...I mean, I found him, but he’s “not in,” so to speak. Aftermath: With Bey dead, and no clear trail (to lead us to Blofeld--right? RIGHT?),I return to Felix. First, minor typo: So. ONWARD (redux)! We do find out that someone got ahold of the remains of all the original villains, and must be using them to create...well, the clones…Klebb is just not cooperating, so Felix begins to rant about it. Okay spoiler here, but this is funny: Heh...wasn’t expecting that. 50,000 points (but they’re “Whose Line is it Anyway?” points) Finale: My kinda Nav tab: On it! Okay this is the first not so good entry popup: I hear stuff! That means stuff is happening! ...er, soon…STOP THE STUFF!:-) (Bit of a clunker there. Easy fix.) Upon entry: I am also trained in the use of experimental rifles (BZZZZZAP!) See? Then this guy: I really know nothing about nukes. I AM nuke, you see. I should mention here that I’m out to rescue "Quarrell, Junior," ostensibly before he opens a weirdly named hamburger joint.:-) (P.S. He;s from “Live and Let Die,” if you’re wondering) NOTE: Enjoying the scientists. I love it when seemingly innocuous staff whip out fancy weapons and powers. Like this chick who is about to shoot me: I have just invented...THE RAP POSE! Now, here’s something that’s just SMART:: This is one of those Crey maps with double vators and the loop de loop hallways. Hate having to search these. But these guys all in red? You can spot them a MILE away. Nice substitute for something that wouldn’t otherwise fit (like “Captured, Floating” or the torch emote). KUDOS! This is player friendly and clever. Nice! Okay, so, there’s this problem with a nuke coming. So, I shut down the telemetry thingee, then I get this: No comma needed, kemosabe (minor fix) So, "Find No!" (If I were young and single again, I would've accomplished that in about 4 seconds):-). I press on. Find him and his crew, smash him up, and, inevitably: Are you trying to CHEAPEN MY VICTORY? (cheapen away--I hear this every day, man). Also, typo: “deliciously” is what you’re looking for (unless I hit No so hard his lack of teeth is causing a temporary speech impediment). We’re done! The world is saved! Or is it? (dun-dun-dunnnnnnn) So, summary: Positives: Firmly grounded in Lore. Bond lore, that is. Uses NPCs, minions, settings, tropes from the series. I’m not sure whether novels or movies or inspirations for all this, so I tried not to comment too much on that, because I do not know the novels. In any case, fits the scenario. Custom baddies are interesting, if not constantly underdressed (because, hey--it’s Bond). Special mention of Voodoo minions and Plant workers. Great minion synergy in the Goldfinger mish Terse, evocative entry popups (with one exception) A variety of maps (casino, Cimerora cave, Crey lab, warehouse, office). No useless running around, for the most part (exception: Crey Map, because it’s the damned Crey map) Novel approach to locating rescue target, using minion unis that pop (I may steal that). Tweaks: Custom critters sorely need description. A lot of time was spent on them. Spend a little more. Leiter’s dialogue seemed strange to me. Like it was coming from a youngster, rather than a seasoned agent. Some deviation from the through line that this is an investigation. So, I shouldn’t be recovering treasure. Now, I can SEARCH it, but the objective should probably be “Search for clues.” Like, in every mission. On those chests: I can see locating all this money, then finding other clues indicating what it was for, as part of the big scheme. Suggest exchange of parentheticals for color-coded text in mission begin/end dialogue. Some minor typos. OVERALL: 3.5/5 (a 4, when typos are fixed , and critter descriptions are added) The basic craftsmanship is there. Since it’s in “LF Feedback” mode, I assume it’s in a final draft stage. So, it’s pretty strong. It’s unique. It’s light-hearted.It’s a nice homage. It has excellent variety of custom minion looks, and include plenty of Bond characters. Double points for making me actually look up some real life info. On the whole, I found it enjoyable. The only thing missing (besides descriptions of the customs!) is Blofeld, and Bond himself (in part 2, maybe?). Play this if: (1) You’re a fan of classic 007. (2) You want something light-hearted and/or unique. Don’t play if: You want a traditional superhero story. This ain’t that. That’s our last review ‘til 2021, folks. Hope your Holidays are shaken, not stirred.* Reviewingly yours, Bump. Crane Bump. *Remember: this just gives you a weak martini, but you can feel snooty about ordering it.

Okay, finally ran it. Verdict: not much effort put in here. The Boss put up a decent fight. But: No story at all. Everything Kyksie already mentioned. Lots of work to turn that into something worthwhile (if that is your aim).

Tried entering the join channel command, but I got nuthin'. Is there a way to join the chan using the "add tab?" Does the channel appear on the add list?

Yes it was Champions. I ran a character or 2 with swinging. It was a nifty power to have. As for immersion breaking, well, how is an anthropomorphic cow running around with a beam rifle, or someone who can fly but uses tram to rush off to save the world, or 4 people leaping down into a sewer hole at the same time (instead of using the ladder, in turn), or those offices designed by Escher, or a supposed “superhero” named “Tittiesnhealz” (actually saw someone using this name) more immersive than an illogical strand of cable?

Classic Cranebump (formerly, classic Acrobattle) Start: King’s, Lvl 9 So, first off--a name change a shift from Torch to Everlast, and a change of togs (I'm cheating, but if you knew my character, you'd brush that off). As I noted last time, I have no toon that carries my sig, and well, goshdurnitt, why not? So, the result… This is my friend and tailor, Blue Steel. He’s a big ‘un ain’t he? Synopsis: Left off last time in KR at lvl 9. Here’s what’s in my mish window: I know you’re out there, evil-doers… Knock out the 10 Lost, which takes Rachel Torres off my radar (I presume til I gain a level). Then a bit of running around. Oh, no! Someone’s stolen the Cranemobile! No problem. We’ll just get a new one, ‘cuz we gots money (or so my backstory sez. Vanity plates in the mail!): Off to kill Vazhies! And find G. Sanders contact. On the way: I free you from these guys, and THIS is how you repay me? (Just so you know, she hit me with a sledgehammer--while I was taking out the Vahz.) Annnd DING! Level 10 After hitting Sanders, she gives me Haley Pastor. I now have 2 contacts in Sky, which is where I’m likely to go when I hit the teens. For now, I have jewelry heist thingee to take care of, and my first encounter with these guys… Seeing as how I passed on Practiced Brawler for Focused Senses, I am not in for a good time if I meet a Mage. Wouldn’t say this is an ideal spot for a picnic… Did I say “if?” I meant “when.” Okay found the boss finally… Amaruuuuuu-uuuu-n! He’s not a vegetarian! (Ama-rune, Ama-rune)* *yes, to the tune of “New Age Girl” Beat ‘em up! Beat ‘em up! RAHRAHRAH! (then a quick break, because laundry, damnit) Hmmmm...why is this newspaper wet? HMMM..: Didn’t know there were so many CoT in Royal Refinery. At least there are while I have Sanders’ hunting mission. Speaking of… I have to use THESE things? Okey doke, so WDSA, WDSA, etcetc, and I’m on the roofs. Beat 'em up s'more... Then to Perez to run consecutive clears. No problem if they chase, ‘cause: The Drones are your FRIENDS. Know something? When you don’t have AoE’s, and you have to do this: ...you discover that the MA set is the tortoise in the melee race… See, I KNEW the Family was somehow behind all the gang activity in the Row. PROOF! NOTES: Mishes and such: Completed several arcs. Jill Pastor (35 merits! That I can't use yet!). Genevieve Sanders. Samuel Pierce. Rachel Torres. Haley Philips. Picked up the Spelunker badge. Knock out FROSTFIRE! Ended up at LEVEL 15. Travel power! I Like Tunnels: One thing I’m doing a lot more of is using tunnel connections. When I hit my Sky contacts to grab mishes (that returned me to KR), one of them was right next to AP tunnel. Rather than heading to the ‘rail, I just trundled on through there. Getting a nice tour of each zone! I even ran around Perez to the Sky tunnel, just to uncover some of the Fog of War coverage and locate zone markers. Assorted odds & ends: Got some good AE ideas while running a mish involving 2 Docs. You get an escort from Doc 1 and lead them to Doc 2, who, as it turns out, has been turned into a Vahz. You “free” (fight) him and mish ends. Just glad my escort was immune to embalmed explosions (wish I was).:-) Oh, and Pastor capstone. Vahz have barrels that do DoT to me while healing them. Had to pull after finding that out the hard way on barrel #1. Summary: My character is developing an interesting history. All the Vahz mishes makes them something of a “favored enemy” (which he is really unsuited to take on, given no resistance to all that toxic). CoT madness mages constantly mez him. But he pushed through and came out on top! The slow pace really does bring back that sense of wonder. Levels are achievements. Rewards are truly earned. Being able to slot enhancements--godsend. And, of course, travel power opens up a whole new realm. It was a long slog to get here, but I feel like I really have rediscovered aspects of the game I’ve taken for granted, I intend on following similar paths with future characters, if only because I get reintroduced to the city that I love. Well, that’s it for now. Merhappy Hannakwanzas to all! Crane

Ported over to Everlast, and actually getting to run FF on the Hollows on a small team. It's the little things... (that's probably cheating, I know...I CAN'T HELP MYSELF! THINGS JUST AIN'T SIMPLE! (yeah! simple!):-)

Sorta like they handled it in CoL.

It’s a game with cyborgs, sorcerers, and people standing around draped in flames. And you’re worried about verisimilitude? (I think that went out the window the first time I used Super Leap and “steered” my way between multiple buildings).

Dinictus, I’m hiring you to market all my arcs. NAME YOUR PRICE!:-)

Swinging! (As in Spidey style). i’m also totally on board with the whips and chains… So to speak 🙂

HA! That's funny. I think that ought to be the SG motto though. That said, I'm not sure I have a good name to replace it: The Aught-4's, maybe? Either way, you set it up, I'll join. Just announce the details and I'll be there!

Sheesh...I've been selling off low level DO's. From here on out, I'll just hang on to them. Wasn't planning on any crafting at all so not doing jack with the Recipes either way. Maybe sell them, then email what I get to my account for other uses. Doing this reminds me of when I signed on. I was lucky enough to have Pocket D transporter and Jump Pack from the get go (as part of a promotion). Didn't realize how much I depended on that early on till now. Also thinking about renaming Acrobattle to Cranebump, since I have zero toons named after my global (I deleted the one I made which, ironically, was MA/SR). Costume update! (but I'll need to earn a slot...):-( Feel like we need a home shard and an SG for teaming in Classic mode.

First, DON'T STOP SCRIPTING! This is just the beginning!:-) Okay, now that that's done... Well, Kyksie don't lie, y'all, so, if the question is, Should I develop this? the answer is, absolutely. Because what you've got here is neither fish nor fowl. It's not an SFMA arc, nor does it have the germ of an idea for one, because we have no sense of who we're dealing with, or their agenda (or any hint of either). So, if it's a story mish you want, it'd be best to know what the story is before diving in. Even a basic plot outline that develops as you design would be beneficial. Now, if this is supposed to be a farm, it's got issues, as well. No mobs. I'm assuming this is not the goal, however, since you said, "Story I should develop." So, let's start with this: *Who is the contact? *Why are they contacting the hero? (or rather, why do they say they're contacting the hero?) *Who is the target? (beyond just a name) *Why does the contact want the target eliminated? Or rather, what do they say is their reason? (on that: this is tagged as a villain/rogue arc I assume?) *What's the character's motivation for going along with the plan? (outside the fact we're just playing missions in a video game; here's where Hero arcs have an advantage, because Heroes do Hero things, and need less incentive; you're asking for a murder--better give a good reason). *What does the character NOT know about the contact/target/mission, etc.? (This answer is for you, because you're likely going to reveal some sort of nefarious twist or something later, right?) That's just the very basic stuff you should know before you even start SFMA scripting. Know your scenario, at the very least. Judging by Kyksie's report, there's no current way to figure out if you've done the grunt work, because your single mish has a sparse framework that is missing very basic elements (like NPC descriptions and no clues). This doesn't honor your attempt, nor does it honor the player's time (which means the arc is on a quick route to true oblivion). BUT... This is a first stab at it, right? So, figure it out--what's the story? The questions, above, are simply a starting point for Mish #1. Now, Mish #2's guiding question is: *Now that the character has killed the target, what happens? All subsequent missions use a similar stem--"Now that the character has ______________, what happens next (within the confines of the scenario you've created)?" It's really basic GMing, the kind you'd do at the table (if you play TTRPGs), but with limited options due to the video game script format. Is basic storytelling. PLOT IS ESSENTIAL. It should have some internal (or at least explainable) consistency. Anyway, I'll check out the arc so I can get a look at the map. Sometimes the map will tell me things about the story. In any case, I want to see what's actually there, so I can provide better feedback, if needed. Again, DON'T STOP SCRIPTING! This is just the beginning!:-) Thanks, Crane

I should have some extended play time Friday, so I can give some feedback. Now is it expert feedback? I'll never tell.:-)