Ankylosaur

So I just played through the Praetorian content trying to stay gold and of course you tap out of content at a certain point. It's not possible to run a gold character to 50 with the current content (Pocket D AE only), and with double XP (which I suspect many use) you breeze through the lower levels. So I thought a simple fix might be to adjust the zone levels. Not sure if that is as easy as it "sounds" but I would think adjusting mob levels and spawning mobs in new level ranges and adjusting contact mission levels is the brunt of it. I know Wyvern had a level adjustment and I don't think it included an actual power adjustment so that part is possible. The Praetorian mobs already span into the next higher level range to some degree so balance-wise should be challenge enough - maybe its not optimized but should still be a solid challenge. As to whether the rest can be an easy switch or run through a script - only Dev's know. 🙂 So it would be Nova Praetoria: 1-10 Imperial City: 10-20 Neutropolis: 20-30 First Ward: 30-40 Night Ward: 40-50 Ideally you also work in an intro to Doorman so characters have a real intro to First Ward. Nightward's other-worldly-ness really feels like top level stuff already. Characters who go blue/red with Sheridan at level 30 would run into the New Praetorians and maybe Mr. G right away. Characters who go blue/red at level 50 can go right into DA and Number 6 and it feels all very related.

Really - First Ward needs a whole Loyalist approach to the same story focused on fighting back these magic using renegades but I guess there's no point since Praetoria is all Hamidon'ed up at this point time-line wise, so playing through any of Praetoria is already time travel / ouroborus-like / taking place in the past. One of the neat things about the zone is that the contacts can change - imagine if they had implemented different contacts / stories based on your alignment. Since I don't expect the devs to make a new zone, The current devs could just expand the First Ward level range to 34 and make Night Ward 35 - 50 - i think most of the mobs span those ranges already. But the bell has already tolled on Praetoria... 🙂

I'm leveling a Praetorian and this post helped me find Doorman as he was not "given" to me. I had access to my SG so could get to First Ward but of course there was no way to kick off any stories through Jester without first talking to Doorman. As a general comment, it does seem weird that all those decisions and people that were so important leveling to level 20 play no bearing in FW, but its just one of the many pieces of cognitive dissonance between Praetoria and, well, everything. 🙂

Deciding to play a Praetorian to 50, one thing that is clearly needed is a story transition to First Ward - an alternate from the Steve Sheridan arc which I just did not play. Something that introduces Doorman and how and why he is in the Tunnels? I mean the players are actually asking for it. 🙂 Seems like a great opportunity for you @Darmian

Leveling up a a Praetorian currently and thought I might try one or two of these. It's a big ask but level ranges would be a handy add to the lists.

Mood Stone (War Mace/Stone Brute) hit level 25! I have been meaning to play the Praetorian arcs and try to get a Praetorian to 50 and this was a good excuse. 🙂 He took the Crusader route and is reunited with DeVore in First Ward. (Have the hunter selected to show a level 21 cons gray.) --- Orphaned as a child by the tragedy that is First Ward, Mood Stone always knew he had magic within him. Though he was told First Ward fell in part because of the unnatural magic use there, he knew deep inside that magic did not have to be evil. He discovered that he could manipulate the rocks around him, to have them protect him, even heal him. Fate exposed his powers. While being jumped by a gang, an officer spotted him using this earthen armor and tried to arrest him. Much to his own surprise, a rage swelled in him and Mood Stone beat him back, evading the PPD that gave chase, escaping into the tunnels beneath Nova Praetoria. There he was found by the Resistance, and taken in. He was told that magic is a natural part of the world but that its users had been purged by Cole. He learned of Vanessa DeVore, a Resistance leader who led a troupe of magicians that survived that purge and he troupe avoided Cole by living in First Ward. However it was a dangerous place - too dangerous for him to go to yet. Maybe if he could prove himself she would help him develop his skills and he could join this Carnival of Light in First Ward. Among the Resistance he was taught to fight. As he discovered more and more of the atrocities that Emperor Cole and his regime committed, he became more and more enraged. Vanessa DeVore taught him to to harness this rage and focus it in combat with a magical mace of light. While helping the resistance in the city helped him see what was possible, he knew he could only grow his skills by leaving Cole's city. Finally Vanessa felt he was ready. She directed him to speak to Doorman, who opened a path to First Ward to him. He expected to be home, to be done, to be able to join his peers and develop his skills and take the fight to Cole. But there was still so much work to do just to survive in First Ward...

Thanks for the feedback as always! Glad you liked it's move to Nerva. Made all the edits. Yeah - the Gaians are a little shoehorned in now, but as you found I came up with a reasonable justification. Could always put in DE instead but thought it would be a little boring. Overheard while wandering Nerva by the "Crey Zoo" Friendly Daemon escort destination now set correctly (must have renamed her and the waypoint was lost). It's just a bonus emergency helper as that map can be hard to navigate. Tried to fix the tube birthing sequence like this... As you break the tube: tube Object destroyed "spoken" text: >>The sound of rushing water suggests the revenant inside was sucked out of the incubation tube.<< tube Object destroyed text: From across the lab you hear an alarm and a door open, soon followed by a rush of water and a thud! Crey captors Unaware text: Another one of these ghastly revenants is born. Quick! Activate the containment field. Also the doctor was not set to attack with you - what? how did that slip through... fixed. Good to have the feedback on Dr. Wainwright who was the renamed "generic villain" Juan Hernandez (EB). I recently discovered him and substituted him for a Power Tank I had used for Dr. Wainwright originally. As to Hopkins (AV), I had used him as the final boss as I wanted someone authentically Crey in charge - but really he is never without the Countess so was not a great fit. So as an update, I have replaced Hopkins with "Crey VP Juan Hernandez" and restored Dr. Wainwright to a Power Tank.

Not sure I'll play, but maybe my rolls will inspire me to do something unusual... 56, 23, 21 - Scrapper: Dual Blade/Energy Aura 49, 56, 64 - Dom: Grav/Psi 28, 43, 59 - Corr: elec/Rad 13, 98, 81 - Brute: War Mace/Stone Hmmm... Mood Stone...

Moved 3.1 from Eden to Nerva. For the reasons, you can check the 3.1 hidden comments below, but really - its just because it is a better, more integrated experience. 😉 I also made a small but incredibly significant change in 4.3 which is too much of a spoiler but wildly obvious in retrospect and makes the entire thing more cohesive. Not that anyone is likely to play the whole series. I suspect everyone who will play it already has. 🙂(both of them 🙂 )

After realizing that the Praetorian Vanessa DeVore of the Carnival of Light is not actually walking around (because of the Underground trial) but instead trapped in her mask which is worn by Desdemona (as also seen in the primal Mr. G arcs) a major premise of this arc was undone! So I made some tweaks here to insert Desdemona into this as someone you face while she is wearing the Praetorian Vanessa DeVore mask, and then having a way that Vanessa is restored to being ambulatory before you meet her. It's a little shoehorned in but works well enough.

Made some changes to this to fit it into All That Glitters as described here...

I did circle back and add in more foreshadowing in 1.3 - a collection dialog between Cohen and Carmella 2.2 - an arachnos unit mentioning Aeon wanting to watch langston 2.3 - a collection dialog with Carmela seeking to source praetorian war works for a bigger plan 3.2 - more arachnos comments about watching mooks and langston for Aeon 4.2 - a goldbricker talking about how much easier it was to build up forces on the mainland than the isles 4.2 - a ConDev cap’n talking about how they were weighing anchor soon a few other little tweaks to existing characters and their dialog and mission dialog. With anything this large you have an idea of where you are going but don’t know all the details until you write it - so a little backfilling is to be expected. 🙂 hopefully I applied it not so liberally as to spoil the end and not so sparsely as to keep you in the total dark. There are a few other opportunities to weave in the historical antagonism between the gold brickers and Aeon too and reinforce that throughout. Update: I went in an peppered in a touch more references to the tension between Langston and Aeon throughout and modified the end to adjust the final fight to make it much more about ousting Aeon in the finale.

Has anyone had success with a more offensive build? Maybe using Stone epic pool or Cross-punch? I have a 50 elec/kin and would love to make him a little Scarptrollery, but am not convinced it would work.

I hear you and do understand - it's why I went back to add in 3.2 and give a bit more connection between the Mooks and Langstons, but even that is not so direct. However, it was never about just one big end goal. All of those stories of the Langstons were true end goals along the way too - each Langston family member had their own goals with organizations that also have their own goals, but once they had all this power by moving the needle on some of those more myopic goals - they aimed a little higher. But I feel what you are saying too and may look back through to see if I can make the end goal enemies make an antagonistic appearance here and there along the way. There are a few spots where they could fit in.

Stalagmites seems the bread and butter of the controls, so feels like earth doms have to stay ground-bound. Any experience with an earth/savage dom that did hover and went more defense oriented with scorpion shield instead of the water spout soft control? Just curious if you think it would be viable and fun - i'm not thinking it would work without stalagmites. (I have a 50 who concept-wise, flies for travel and thought it might help going defense to avoid the occasional mez when not in dom.)

Cleaned up those clues! Thank you as always for your feedback! Some weird oversights and superfluous additions there on my part - thanks for pointing that out. And yes - cleaned up the Duke and the wailers he was trying to recruit since he lost his demon pals earlier. 🙂

No worries - the longer you take the more complete it will be and having that perspective from someone experiencing it in sequence as opposed to the order I wrote it in will give a good end to end vantage point. 🙂 Now that I am near the end (1 arc to go!), for the trivial historical interest, and it may only be interesting to me, below is the order I wrote it in. They of course are using the numbers as they ended up in sequence - and were renumbered along the way. Essentially as I wrote things, I realized I wanted to provide more context earlier in the sequence and would go back and backfill. It caused little tweaks to ones I had already written, and while I am hoping I have all the continuity right in there, your experience going through it will be a very useful check of that. Nov 2020 2.1 - Boom Time in Boomtown, Arc ID: 34715, 15 - 20 -Final 2.3 - Terawatts in Terra Volta, Arc ID: 34947, 25 - 35 - Final 3.1 - (Corporate) Espionage in Eden, Arc ID: 35058, 30 - 40 - Final 1.2 - Piracy in Port Oakes - Arc ID: 35355 - 8-12 Final 1.1 - Missing in Mercy - Arc ID: 35842 - 1-10 Final 1.3 - Capitalism in Cap Au Diable Arc ID 36056 - 12-20 - Final 3.3 - Calamity in Kallisti Wharf, Arc ID: 36693, 35 - 44 - Final 2.2 - Fortunes in Faultline, Arc ID: 37097, 20 - 29 - Final 4.1 - Risky War GameZ in the Rikti War Zone, Arc ID: 37513 , 35 - 43 -Final 4.2 - Pirates in Praetoria, 40 - 50, Arc ID: 37754 - Final 3.2 - Suspicious Maneuvering in St. Martial, Arc ID: 37948, 35 - 40 - Final 4.3 - Grand Designs in Grandville 50 - 54, - Final 3.1 - Nervy Acquisitions in the Nerva Archipelago 30-40 - Final April 2021 EDIT: In 2022, 3.1 moved back to Eden. The whole series got an update to incorporate the new Gold Brickers from the Aeon Strike force, replacing ConDev (see comments much later in the thread), and the released maps from that Strike Force. The 4.x part was an add-on that was never part of my original idea - but as you start working on things new ideas reveal themselves. It's why 2.2 and 3.2 come so late - I wanted to sprinkle in more foreshadowing/connection for 4.x. Also, it was easier to insert a .2 between the first and last arc of each X.1 and X.3 to bridge the two arcs - rather than changing the beginning and end - expanding the middle. Eventually, now that the isles were more prominent in the overall story, I changed the location of 3.1 - moving it from Eden to Nerva which works better on many levels including being able to use an outdoor map to anchor it in a sense of place. The other big thing that happened in the middle of all of this was that Wyvern was given a broader level range after the i27 release which allowed me to change the range of some of the 2.x and 3.x stuff. It's why the 3.x (which was 30 and above) did not use a Wyvern contact or have them in missions much originally - Wyvern used to cap out at level 30. I have a story conceit in 2.3 / 3.1 which explains why they are less directly involved, and I have managed to fit them in a tiny bit since the level range increase. Ultimately it made for a pretty interesting and evolving contact in the 3.x series though Lastly, one of the source ideas behind much of this, my Ghost in the Machine arc, never really ended up fitting even though it was intended to be the original finale. As Take One noted, It's too disconnected, and more of a clever AE trick than an integrated story. I may end up trying to rework it as a bit of an epilogue but more likely it remains a one-off.

I like several ideas in here, but in the end, unless I am missing something, I am not sure the solution solves enough. I the think idea, as I understand it, is to put AE in a new room and instead of a glowie column, use the same 5 doors in the game world. Am I missing something? I DO like the idea of Repurposing AE arcs to be more of an in game experience. Repurposing the empty spaces you identified. Using in-game doors. Giving us a way to take the AE experience into the game world is the crux of the proposal and I am all for that. If you do that, then putting a green glowie contact in those repurposed spaces makes sense. I suggest we make those rooms the source of these special "in game" AE arcs too, putting an AE computer and contact in there, and give us the ability in the AE Editor to: Use Existing in Game Contacts - If the author chooses a default in-game contact as the arc contact - then after a player starts the mission with the AE computer, the in-game contact is who you talk to, not the glowie guy. This makes it feel like the story really is more integrated into the game. (I could see lore purity concerns here, but just make it clear it's a player arc which amounts to fan fiction). Assign a Mission a Zone and give it Door type - authors make the selection in the editor and the game randomly selects a door that meets the criteria. (I am presuming similar code is there for radio/police scanner missions already). If the game can't identify a door that matches in that zone (e.g. no abandoned warehouse in imperial city or something) it chooses whatever door it does have and we live with it. In addition to choosing a zone and door, we have a transit door option (i.e. tram, helicopter, ferry, sub - again adding to that menu I presume is leveraging existing tech). Hunt missions - a new mission type that allows us to assign a mission zone and mob type and number of kills (e.g. Crey's Folly, defeat 30 Crey) <--I'd call this a nice to have not a need to have, but it would bring more life to the zones. Includes a menu of valid choices for the zone. It's built on existing mechanics and would be pretty limited use, but that means an easy UI to create too. Delivery missions - another new mission type - pick an in game contact to deliver to and get some bubble text and a clue. Again, nice to have, not need to have as it's very limited use, but it gets people interacting with the world. (You can kind of accomplish this in the editor already with a location map and ally, but the options are limited). I am less excited about Putting an AE computer in an SG base. IMHO That will just make the world seem emptier as people will hide in their rooms. Seeing heroes or villains or your Praetorians running around the city brings life to the place. But, if it gets people using it more because its special and something they can run from their own base - I am all for it. It also creates a barrier for people to try this - they need to set up a computer in their base. it's not hard and it's free, and most probably have it, but for those that don't bother with bases there should be a way to do this.

What about using Kallisti? Put the AE mission panel and contacts in the lobby of the big building in the middle. Have the mission doors randomly generate in locations in the zone based on the map. (office, abandoned office, sewer, warehouse, abandoned warehouse, etc) Unique map missions would use the transit or sub in zone (like some game missions do). If you want a warehouse in specific place, e.g. kings row, it does not work, but otherwise?

It's a known thing - though I think it has always been that way so while quirky I just count it as one of the many things in AE you learn to work with. 🙂 As my workaround I tend to mention that the person is in the mission waiting for them either in the send off text, the mission entry pop-up or both.

The only other thing you can do with them is use them as a boss - choosing them from the Pets group. They are not available to add to a custom group.

interestingly that's actually a feature of the map - but i daresay they do 🙂 is a mispaste from destructible devices 🙂 you are spot on - I also don't feel like I haven't really captured the essence of Gaussian. He is supposed to be straight forward but I think he's a little boring as I have written him. I picked him as he runs offense with the sword, but had considered Levantera too. Borea may be the best choice as she is the least developed But she seemed a little Borea-ing too 🙂 Also felt a bit awkward using him since you just did in your great Libertalia arc. 🙂 On the other hand with burkholder and the riktiman - i must have being channeling the same voice 😉 Fie on you! <---says i to me. That's a good idea. @Darmian does a nice job of this with ( I think) mission begin clues in his Dark Deeds series. Mission souvenirs might work but only if people go back to read them. I'll probably wait until I finish the last two arcs and circle back and do M1 mission clues "The Story So Far" for all them.

Thanks for the great feedback! Tremendous gift to capture all of that. The text was rougher than I realized. I think I had been looking at it all too long, but that is why a fresh perspective is so valuable. I will apply all of those changes. As to ConDev, I have been struggling with how to bring them in in detail. I agree their costumes are a little over the top and retconned that in as a call out from the doc in 3.1, but decided they embraced their identify as pirates - there is a reason behind it but it's about as detailed as why are the Goldbrickers Retro-scifi. As to mob design - the ones with gold accents are primarily using Praetorian tech, the ones with green, primarily Rikti tech. The group names are using specific attacks/costume parts: Buccaneers (PPD with rikti blaster), Picaroons (Resistance armor/dual pistols), Swashbucklers (Rikti Sword), Privateers (Dual blade/olympian guard), Reavers (IDF)) or are vanilla IDF (Paixhans, Blunderbuss, Culverin, Man O' War, etc) or Rikti tech (Clipper, Frigate, Galleon). Of course, the other source of the theme is just that there are a lot piratey names and costume parts I can leverage to support a custom tech mob that is scavenging alien tech. 🙂 As to M4 - I agree - that is a pretty exciting climactic kind of end scene, but flow-wise did not feel like the final mission - maybe I'll see I'll if I can rework that somehow. Have an opinion on the two thoughts below? Maybe ConDev should attack instead of the council in M4 which may bring them more to life and be a better lead-in to M5? Or maybe M5 becomes M4 and the retaliation is ConDev because of that? (Cause that was not their only hideout) As to what is M5 today - was worried about that map being too big and the objectives being too many but compensated with lots of allies that should help it flow. Also - how was the final boss? Again - thank you for being willing to take an early run and for all this great feedback.

OK then in M4 or M5 text somewhere I think I saw "Arachnos have something-or-other" Corps and orgs are singular so would be "Arachnos has something-or-other"

Did a run through of Cassini - here's some thoughts along the way. M1 Intro "nstructions" Objective text "First Floor" >> was wondering if this would be an american or british first floor 🙂 The wall safe is not an arachnos base safe? You get to use those so rarely 🙂 M2 Sendoff "Bailisk" Who put that up there! 🙂 Said the robot about robots... 🙂 5 Bombs to arm. <--- objective text - remove period and do init caps? Bombs should fade in? hard to find this bomb in the foreground behind the boxes - but a good challenge... Return pop up - "as the facility is destroyed" is passive "as the bombs you placed rip the facility apart" or something. M3 Intro: Considering we are dealing with a clone, my <---needs that comma nav: 1 Mainframe Data huh - what's wyvern doing here... Chatty arachnobots! 🙂 [NPC] Arachnobot: Wyvern everywhere! [NPC] Wing Talon Agent: No unneccessary prisoners! [NPC] Arachnobot: Wyvern everywhere! [NPC] Wing Talon Agent: No unneccessary prisoners! 1 Specimen Refrigerator, Recall <-- objectives after defeating Gorgon unclear where recall will be or chimera just have to run through the whole base oh! he was behind me in the back room - maybe some unaware text to let me notice him in all this smoke 🙂 oh and that was Recall with those agents! did not even see him for the smoke [NPC] Recall: Thanks for the assist. We have more trouble though. Guy called...Chimera! Yeah! Didn't you just see me beat him up? M4 Sinclair is high falutin' who talks like this 🙂 "It seems our efficacy as a tactical unit will soon be curtailed." 1 Shut down CCTV <--nav cctv computer had no countdown bar text when almost every action results in an ambush they become less special i saw a body bag - suspect i need to click it later - maybe set it to fade in? guessing you are using the "1" on purpose - there is a space at the end of feed line: 4 Bodies to Place, 1 Clockwork Recording Feed Line , Eliminate all Witnesses no text on feed line computer countdown bar oh the bodies do fade in... M5 While the crystal is neat - I think having Sinclair as the contact would be better. Cause "Praetor Sinclair's familiar presence awaits you." is not true - not familiar at all 🙂 Recall not fighting what was the deal with that arbiter? Computer in a sewer? sewers to arachnos tunnel? what the heck map is this? Color me surprised! 🙂 oops! - died from Tammi cause she caught me by surprise - and she rezzes! NPC] Tami Baker: Come on! Arachnos are on the way so we need to get this place sealed up. [NPC] Tami Baker: Another of Chimera's pets? Or Protean's? [NPC] Tami Baker: This assault on my person will not go unpunished. You will die for that. [NPC] Tami Baker: Your DNA will be harvested. Mr. G will have use of your shape and form. [NPC] Recall: Stuck in a sewer on a different Earth. Well that's just great. So that - as is typical of you - was rich, deep, thoughtful, detailed, intriguing fun and occasionally a little chained objective heavy for my tatstes. 🙂 I think you are missing a big opportunity to recast these as stories from 40-54 though. I don't think I saw a mob here that is not at those levels, and it fills a hole for the gold side. I have not played gold so i don't know how often they "invade" Primal Earth but that angle gives you so many maps and places you could use, and great stories you could tell! You could even integrate the "Wards" stories back towards the main threads and do some cools stuff there - maybe the midnight squad from earth and praetoria unite to fight cole or something Great stuff!