Ankylosaur

As @cranebump says, the first two issues may be map related. I know, for example, on Croatoa maps where there are no doors, they have nowhere to escape too and that can cause issues. As to the second one. Here's tactics I have used/seen Escorts are a way to have someone say something during part of a mission when they reach their objective. Make them non-required, but still give them rescue Nav text and then you skirt the issue of the mission failing if they die. Like @cranebump suggested clues are another. One I have never tried, but saw in "The news of my death is not exaggerated" (or similarly named dev's choice), is to have the rescue not flee, but instead stand there with some sort of clue to you to read their description to converse with them. Clever way to get 1000 characters or whatever the limit is there.

It caused me to shorten Glitters to good effect... 🙂

I can call this done! Let's talk outcomes of the revamp rather than specifics. MUCH tighter story - By consolidating things from the 15 eliminated missions that were a little empty after the ConDev pirates were removed, into 3.2 and earlier arcs - it is much better pacing to reach the conclusion of the story. More depth - as several one time bosses/encounters are now secondary and tertiary characters with through-lines across arcs. Richer Gold Bricker motivation - Since it is clearer earlier that Midas is missing, this adds additional motivations to the Gold Brickers, and one updated "scene" in particular gives you a better personal encounter with that. Also clearer the frenemy situation with Arachnos and increasing the tension with Aeon. (The fact that Aeon never retaliated after everything that happened in Cap was a real miss on my part before.) Richer Mook story - Their role in spreading Praetorian tech is more present earlier and throughout. Vigilante role reinforced - You are at odds with the City and others, and connected to Wyvern, more consistently. Premise-reinforcing scene locations - the idea that Langston is expanding in hazard zones is reinforced by every arc having one outdoor map there. Removing the St Martial and RWZ arcs concentrates on the expansion. (While The Rikti War Zone technically is a hazard zone, Langston was not expanding there.) In general, I also came up with some more interesting mechanics for a few of the most significant scenes - nothing incredible, but things that make maps a bit more exciting and evolving. Won't spoil them, but pleased with how some of the other little "gameplay" updates impacted the overall experience too. If you have not taken All That Glitters for a spin, now would be a good time! 🙂

Another amazing Engineria episode! So great to see all of this unfold through her eyes. And faced with her perseverance and resilience, the COT turning to more wine does seem like maybe the best way to deal with that; Maybe with a little spooky bacon snack on the side. 🙂 This arc definitely starts to tie together how and what has been happening. But more exciting reveals about the why and who ahead in the final trilogy! p.s. My comment about Pendy's phone may be in the next one. Think I got my wires crossed. 🙂

Pendragon always seemed a little ridiculous to me with his bulky armor and ginormous sword and earnestness, so I sort of wrote him that way. Author's bias slipped in there... Made him much more fun to write though and hopefully tag along with! 🙂 Thought it was funny thinking of him trying to use a phone in his gauntlets too, as well as getting used to our tech. Maybe I was channelling my father's challenges with his phone. But the phone plays a key role, and he surprises you in the end with it, as you know...

🙂 I think I may remember some of those 🙂

Very late to this but sad news. Heraclea was always active in AE back in the day and I enjoyed her (his) arcs... http://web.archive.org/web/20120905041527/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=233077

The updates have been slowly progressing. Honestly, got a little discouraged as someone recently played the finale, and its score dropped to 4 stars. I totally get someone not liking it, and understand it could be for a variety of reasons Typos - maybe I've missed some or an update made something incongruent? Story - maybe they don't like that my story proposes changing up the leadership / power struggle of the isles - for some that might be too much for an AE arc. Or maybe they don't like the morally ambiguous options and feel forced to pick between two bad ones. Mechanics - maybe if they choose the path that gives you mission failed notice (even though its not a failure - just option B) or maybe they did not like having so many allies in Grandville to gather, even though it serves as sort of a reunion for the series. Something else - could be something I have not thought of at all! Maybe its too easy or tough? But here's the thing - if someone hated it and wants to give it a 1 to drop the score that's ok, I can't help how they feel, and as long as it's honest I even appreciate it. But by giving me zero feedback, I also can't learn from your experience or try to improve it for others. That's the frustrating part - no written feedback. I know there is no way to please everyone and, especially if its story based, I probably couldn't improve it, but I can say, based on early feedback I even changed who the main enemy was here, so I am always open to refining and improving. 🙂 Said another way - written feedback is always welcomed and appreciated. Oh well - what can you do? 🙂 Here's the more distinctive edits so far but it is not poilished and there are still a few open ideas, namely around Midas and William Langston. Will still progress slowly as I have a lot of RL things going on at the moment.

Unquestionably. We all learn from one another. I do you use your [Front] [Mid] [Back] sometimes for mission objectives. Who even recalls what other things I might have seen somewhere else first and thought do something similar with too.

Yep - here's a short list off the top of my head - may be more I am not thinking of Wyvern goes to 44 Luddites go to 50 Awakened goes to 50 Maybe Hellions go higher than listed too, like 20?

@raven9864 - I'd maybe try the others and wait for the consolidation. 🙂 Saves you some time and should be a better experience for it.

Been doing a lot of work tightening Glitters. @TerroirNoir recently ran through it, and mentioned it was long, and I have been thinking about how to improve that. The thing is, I agree. It meanders a bit after 3.1, especially since the Aeon Strike Force came out. After that I removed two entire mob groups and their plots and that made some of the high level stuff a little thin. In thinking through the Glitters stuff, I am considering doing something kind of drastic - consolidating. The thing is - the payoff of the story is worth it - its just a VERY long road to get there. How this Started This started with me trying to make 2.3 a little better. I notice a drop off at 2.3 and 3.1, leading me to think 2.3 needs something more compelling and that they see such a long road to conclusion they lose interest. So introduced the Praetorian cargo transport portals earlier, in 2.3 (from 4.2) along with the Praetorian tech shoppers (from 4.1 and 4.2) and the Rikti Portal Stabilizers from 4.1). They make 2.3 better. But, learning the Gold Brickers are supplying everyone, and that the Mooks continue to help with that are some of the few main points of 3.2 (the Mook involvement), 4.1 (selling to the Council and getting Rikti tech) - making those. a tad redundant. Paring Redundancy I think I can elminate 15 missions combine 3.3 and 4.2 completely remove 3.2: Suspicious Maneuvers in St Martial and completely remove 4.1: Risky War Games in the Rikti War Zone. place important clues from the eliminated missions throughout the series Though I love a few of the scenes in Glitters 3.2 (using all the little casinos for St Martial and the Network dup) it diverges from the Gold Bricker expansion in Paragon by taking you back to the isles. And though there are some great fights in 4.1 (Rikti Freaks, Councilvania and the Goliath assault on Vanguard), they don't do a ton to move the story forward in ways that are not covered (or could be covered) elsewhere (Since All That Glows and All That Glints cover the Council in the post Striga world). Especially now that the ConDev pirates are gone, andthat the Revenant Scavengers are gone, I also think I could maybe combine bits of 3.3 and 4.2 into a single arc - taking the best/most critical of each. Ultimately it would take it from what amounts to 12 arcs to 9 which is much more approachable. Also it makes for a tighter experience since again, a few arcs don't really advance the plot much, just give you a few new lenses into it. Refining Threads Other things I would need to account for Rikti tech would probably go into the lab with the Lost (2.2) to show it being acquired earlier (rather than 4.1). This justifies the Langston Labs Xenologists earlier thought which is good. Vanguard is less involved, so Number One will need to still be included as Vanguard needs to supply portal trips to Praetoria. (Losing 4.1 loses him as a contact.) New Praetorians may not be involved at all. They are met in 4.1 and were the main contacts/allies in 4.2 but the switching away from Wyvern at high levels as your main contacts is part of what makes it feel like it is meandering a bit. The reason you meet them is because of the Council involvement, which is also a big part of 4.1, and now handled in All That Glows and All That Glints. Sgt Schrorr and all his St Martial contacts (e.g. Network and Colleague) are not introduced since 3.2 will be removed. I may need to work that in in text only as Colleague is a conduit into the Arachnos stuff. Sadly 3.2 loses another Duke Mordrogar failed demon summoning attempt with the Wailers - the poor Duke... Clarifying The Conflict Also this gives me a chance to tighten the main "enemy." If you have played "The Ghost in The Machine" you know my original premise here was that King Midas was digitized by Aeon. This is why no one had seen him for years. There's lore to kind of support the idea, with an intern "going missing" in Egon's (Aeon's) lab and because Aeon designed the AE. When the Aeon Strike Force introduced a new King Midas, I swapped who was digitized to William Langston, (King Midas' dad in my story) and Midas plays a small role. I think I may fix that too. The Doctor's story and Infini-Life - which relate to restoring a digitized person, gets less air time and I love those bits, but I think it is ok. No one really plays them anymore though - so not sure it's worth it - but been noodling on this for a few weeks which means I will probably get around to it one day. So "Suspicious Maneuvers in St. Martial" and "Risky War g4meZ in the Rikti War Zone" may not not be around for too much longer.

Oh - and - let's say you put all the Shivans in a custom enemy group, because you have a Shivan in that group that spans the higher levels, I think, if you make the mission that level, the one Shivan will spawn at higher levels. They'll all be EBs I think, but there it is. I did this and it was torturous for the few that tried it.

I agree - a lot of potential in Boomtown. I did a long AE series where a part of the premise was that Langston Corp was getting grants to revitalize hazard zones, as the only ones willing to do it, and bringing along the Gold Brickers as "security" for the hazard zones. "Boom Time in Boomtown" was the first arc I wrote in the series - but its been filled in with several before and after now. Even in that - the potential of so many gangs controlling the vast area, and the potential of so many secrets in those ruined buildings, was compelling to write to. It's across the river so separated from so much of Paragon City - it "feels" further removed than Croatoa which has a University active.

You can't scale them. Occasionally, entire mobs are labelled incorrectly in AE. An example are the Luddites, who were updated with the Aeon Strike Force and now scale to level 50. I could put together list of these mobs I think. Much rarer, a single enemy in a mob is labeled incorrectly because they appear as "pets" or "summonable" examples include the Coralax Warder or, yes, your Shivan...

And I have updated the numbering on Glimmers to make it simpler too. My original idea was to create a series that went from 1 - 54 with arcs and a story that progresses in levels. That was Glitters. So when I then did Glimmers, which starts in the 20's, I followed the Glitters numbering scheme. In the end that did not really help anyone at all. 🙂 My hesitation to renumber was for @TerroirNoir, as he is mid-series in his cable channel, and @Zhym, who's TV guide documents that. But, in the end, I decided to proceed. So now, it's 1.x - The Doomsday Contest 1.1 Death in Light Astoria (20-29) - Final 1.2 Drowning In the Vigilant Isles (25-30) - Final 1.3 Destruction in the Shadow Shard (25-33) - Final 2.x - The Spirit Realm Invasion 2.1 Shunting in Croatoa (30-39 ) Final 2.2 Banished in The Spirit Realm (34-39) Final 2.3 Incursion in Oranbega (35-41) Final 3.x - Mu Upheaval (or Mupheaval 🙂 ) 3.1 Summonings in Nerva Archipelago (40-44) Final 3.2 Ninjas in The Wind - (45-52) Final 3.3 Gods in The Planes - (45-52) Final Much simpler...

Same story here in Glints as with Glows - renumbered it to be easier for the player to consume. Let Go My Ego Beware The Ids That March Super Ego Maniac Get your dose of Penelope Mayhem, Mr. G, and more Praetorian stuff in something much shorter than Glitters...

Decided my whole naming convention in my "All That" stuff, which was based on level ranges, was more confusing than helpful. Renamed the series to parts 1, 2, & 3. Nictus Amongst Us Nictus Exodus Nictus Evictus Very few people have played "1" and "2," but a whole lot of people have played "3" as it was a Dev's Choice, (Request in to restore it. 🙂 )

At almost 2 years since that comment, in the end I can say I did. 🙂My big ole' world building AE series in my sig explores much of the fallout of Praetoria in Primal which also had me push Praetoria ahead a notch too. The series in a nutshell Glitters: Gold Brickers and Mooks rising to power by being the main source for Praetorian tech and challenging Aeon. Glimmers: First Warders reclaiming post Mot Astoria and getting in the middle of a major Mu power struggle while Scirocco loses his grip on it. Glints: The Awakened and Penny Mayhem being brought into the Council who are trying to harness their power to their benefit. (Nazis and ESP are a thing after all.) Glows: The Arakhn/Requiem or Council/5th Column power struggle with a focus on the Nictus and their loyalties. As to Praetoria itself Anti-matter's explosion and Cole's nukes succeeded in repelling the DE as nothing organic could survive the radiation for long However the Clockwork (and Metronome) trundled along repairing it. Neo Tokyo (under Ma Soong, their Order of the Winds leader) came in and took over the city, using the one thing that Cole did not try, magic. They used it to disperse most of the radiation an keep out the DE. They put up magical wards against the TUNNEL network - which is why most portals traveling there go to the past - but you can find ways to break through. It's so big and explores so many threads, it's pretty daunting to want dig in, but gets good reviews from those few who run through even part of it. If you don't want to put in that kind of time and want to skip to the end to see where Praetoria is (along with the resolution of the other threads), check out the finale/epilogue arc: All That Gleams. I've also had some help from the encyclopedic @Darmian to make sure my Praetorian lore was accurate, and both he and @Take One have given some really helpful story/gameplay feedback too - along with a few others along the way. @TerroirNoir has been running through all of it and posting the journey in his "Cable Channel" over in Mission Architect forum. Been really fun to build out and if it piques your interest, give it a gander! I'm very open to feedback, appreciative of typo catches and of course high star rating if you feel its worth it.

After the refinements above, I started working on the 2.x group, including souvenirs. I made some significant changes to 2.3, which was the second arc ever written in this massive series. It should be a more dramatic now. The key changes.

Party Time! Excellent! Love the world building!

Yay!

Absolutely, but it also seems plausible enough that it's a cover. I mean - no one else needs an environmental suit... "Oh hey Resistance friends, I came up with this awesome and totally unique environmental suit with energy powers, but it's just for me. There is no way I can replicate these weapons for anyone else to wear and help our cause to overthrow Cole. Sorry about that." or "I'm covered head to toe in this environmental suit that obscures my appearance so I can use these awesome energy powers. There is no way that I am actually a Nictus possessing someone that you might recognize if I did not have this helmet and mask on at all times." But Helix is not the only mob that uses the Kheldian light powers in game. The Drudges and the Polar Lights do too. So yeah, it could be because of an intern, or economy/budgets for new power art, but for me anyway, the more interesting angle is she could be a Nictus infiltrating Praetoria before the fall...

Spent some time polishing the 1.x series - namely Missing in Mercy, continuing on the theme of better integrating the ex-Praetorians who were broken out of Refugee island by Recluse for some new "Destined Ones." Also refined who you are fighting here and there to better foreshadow future events. I'm also slowly taking the time to write souvenirs for the arcs to meet a request from @Take One a hundred years ago, 🙂 The key refinements

Yeah I came to the same conclusion, that none were native; part of why there is just one. Given the Nictus’ penchant for conquering, and the game’s for time travel, and interdimensional travel, my little story line justifes it… And obviously my story is not canon, but it’s just to illustrate that in this universe there’s loads of little hooks that you can use and justify to explore new paths, well within the confines of the lore.