cranebump

Feels like you’d have to make the boss an ally who betrays when the escort is complete. But that wouldn’t get the feel of teaming up to take on a boss. I feel like the problem though is the failed escort aspect. If you want the boss fight, you might just have to drop the escort and make the NPC a straight up ally. The only other option I can think of is the escort spawns an ambush that includes the boss. So, the boss comes after you instead of the other way around. As you said, though, ambushes are not reuired objectives, so... My advice is to take the path of least resistance. Go with works. Use a different map, if need be.

Maybe an unlocked new contact?

It’s there, I believe. There’s a collapsible section underneath the text strands, if I remember right.

Hey, there! Ran your arc. Last week, actually. I sent you a PM with details. I don't get to play as often, due to new work hours, so the run was actually last week,. Sorry for the delay. By the way, LOVE those retro Arachnos unis!

Conga rats! Well done!

Thank you. I must have missed the discussion.

Considering this is a superhero game, I’d say it has to be underoos.

Only 88% of the time. The other 12% enacts Jumanji.

Thanks. I’ll try the same approach.

Additional Mission slots within AE arcs. It’d be nice to make longer arcs that can earn players badges.

It’s a consideration, alright. I personally prefer designing for 15-30, with the sweet spot in the mid-20s. At this point, a typical character can be challenged by various threats. The info above about #/powers is spot on. Even with a few powers, choosing one of the upper tiers among the set can make a boss deadly at low levels. I paired Dual Pistols with a few forcefield set powers (including one of the better ones, I don’t recall which), and ended up with a boss character that just killed me, even with insp buffs. Also had a boss who locked you down with fire cages, then sent in shadow pets to wale on you, while you stood there, burning up. In the end, I went with easier combos, simply because there’s a fine line a fair/unfair challenge.

How do you have so many arc slots? I had to create a 2nd account just to get 3 more.

Amen.

I dunno. KB is part of the game. I think players understand this. I also think that, if we’re going to make it possible to globally change the way a set plays with a single enhancement, we might as just get rid of KB. Of course, complaints about KB are all about convenience. We don’t want to chase a flying target, or knock targets out of an area effect, or make the scrappers mad, etc, etc, etc. So, what we’re talking about here is making the game easier (even more so than it is). That said, you make KB to KD a null the gull option, almost everyone will take it. Then what do you do with the KB to KD enhancements? P.S. I’m one of those people who uses turn off speed boost, mainly because I don’t like flying into mobs in cave maps (or slamming into walls). If I have to play tap...tap...with movement keys, the SB actually serves to inhibit movement and control in those situations.

I owe you an arc run, so I'll jump in next time I play.

Chorizo, baby. Chorizo.

Works for me!:-) This arc is a riff off an offline discussion with an in-game friend on this topic. The verbiage concerning the Mobius Strip and the Autumn Wards is my own creation. The character of The Archaeologist is his idea, but the details, including the name, Richard Cory, are mine. I'd like to create some mishes that come after this, where the character is basically a member of the Wards, or at least helps them. Thanks for the commentary. And, most of all, thanks for playing the arc. Happy trails!

You can create custom minions for your boss with strong synergies that make them much tougher. My latest arc had a boss troller, paired with “mark 2” bots that can throw down singularities and grav holds. The first few test runs were pretty rough, till I figured out that all of them had no KB protection. I tossed plasmatic tasers and grenades at them to keep them down, then kicked them all in the face. In some cases, a well-timed mez can make a fight turn in a dime. If you don’t believe that, fight a pile of energy melees slapping you with multiple stuns. Characters with good resistances are fine, but, depending on lvl, stun can lead to a steamroll as others pile on the wavering character. Even minor stuns can be a pain. Had a mod 20s arc where the most common enemy group of 3 had a DB scrapper, a BR blaster, and another blaster with AR grenades. The Beam occasionally threw a stun on, which would allow the DB to throw down slicey DoT. Every now and then, you might catch a little KB from a grenade, as well. I started targeting the Beamer to avoid the stun (depending on the character I used). The BR was a squishy, but was just a pain. So my advice on bosses is to build a good boss team. Think about player team combos that work, and use them. Also: don’t get too upset if the boss goes down easy. The player is supposed to win, after all. Something else to consider: does the boss have flight? Flying bosses tend to move fast, and will sometimes zoom away. If the terrain allows for some verticality, this could add an interesting dimension to the battle. Also: setting map to empty and populating with patrols can make boss battles dicey if there’s a chance patrol wanders in. and then are, of course, ambushes. Maybe boss has some scary backup.

I’ve often gone with Tech Origin just because the Tech shop in Talos is close to the tram/ouro/WW and I plan to slot SOs there at lvl25:-)

i was going to mention this as well.

True, but the ability to use the weapon, if honed through training, makes the character’s abilities natural. The average person isn’t going to pick up any of those things and use them well. That said, I’m fine with using technology as an origin, as well. It’s really up to the player to provide the interpretation. For example, from my own stable: Acrobattle is a highly trained covert operative, with a military background. He has a collapsible staff made from a special alloy, and wears a “nanosuit” that provides speed, armor, and regenerative qualities. His origin is tech, due to this augmentation. It could be natural, though, since his suit and staff are tools. Gym Beam found a crashed alien ship on his ranch. In the wreckage was an intact, alien rifle. When he touched it, it emitted energies that melded with his own body chemistry, enhancing his physical abilities, and halting his aging. I went with mutation, but this could have been science, or tech. The King’s Row Angel is a vigilante who uses her fists to bring justice to The Row, and other underserved locations. Her origin is natural. True, this one is pretty straightforward, but I could’ve easily decided that she was “infused with the spirit of the Jade Dragon” and deemed her powers magical.

You can also “Teleport to contact” for some of these arcs (Eagle Eye, for example). I think Laura Lockhart may be one of these?

Same. Multiple edits and what do I find? Typos! Just today I found "give" spelled "gvie." ARRRRRG! It's a rough beast, especially if you've formatted everything and don't have character space to easily correct.

Speaking of AE, I just completed the first working draft of this: My latest entry (which still needs some tweaks): The Omnibus Project (ID: 31128) After the fall of Section-41,* Manticore calls in his markers, putting you on the case involving "Omnibus," a mysterious new player on the Paragon scene. Alignment: Heroic Lvl: 25-30 Custom enemies. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This arc ultimately reveals the reason for the missing 7-year "gap" between the live shutdown and the restoration on Homecoming. *as detailed in "Friends & Lovers," and "Data Games."

My latest entry (which still needs some tweaks): The Omnibus Project (ID: 31128) After the fall of Section-41,* Manticore calls in his markers, putting you on the case involving "Omnibus," a mysterious new player on the Paragon scene. Alignment: Heroic Lvl: 25-30 Custom enemies. AUTHOR'S NOTE: This arc ultimately reveals the reason for the missing 7-year "gap" between the live shutdown and the restoration on Homecoming. *as detailed in "Friends & Lovers," and "Data Games."