TerroirNoir's "Cable Channel of AE!" Reviews. Part 1.

Darmian · October 31, 2022

10 hours ago, Zhym said:

BTW, what are you using to get the glowy eyes?

The eyes are Death Goggles with the Fireflies aura for the eyes. (Demise is the face covering)

Weirdly, the newer costume doesn't seem to have loaded for @TerroirNoir's foray into the RWZ. I'll need to look at that.

TerroirNoir · October 31, 2022

Arc 9 from our first author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @Ankylosaur's All that Glitters 3.3: Calamity in Kallisti Wharf.

First things first. The Doctor has a shiny new suit, courtesy of Network. And she is thrilled to be able to surf the information web with ease again. Using screens and fingers was causing her grief at how slow it was I'm assuming.

Mission 1: Infinite Lives. The Doctor, thanks to her suit usage, has confirmed that Langston will be selling a version of immortality to the public via Infini-Life. Obviously only to the very rich. And this isn't a thing where trickle down economics works. If Playboy Justin Sinclair were to buy immortality, Engineria won't get an extra 4 years added!

Interestingly, while they're going to be selling this stuff in the high end district of Kallisti Wharf, the company remains a Rogue Isles company. The Doctor has wrangled some invites to a VIP shindig and Engineria is now on the list to have a visit.

Mr. Serenity? I think I had an "altercation" with a prototype of one of those. Let's hope THIS one actually lives up to its name!

And there's plenty of security along the way. This is the third one of these I've passed on the way to see Mr. Serenity.

Ah, Mr. Serenity I presume! And what do you have to say for yourself? No sign of the Doctor so far either. She'll be fine, I'm sure of it.

Maybe that was a bit over confident!

I'm going to regret this, aren't I? I reckon I am. But right now I have no option but to carry one. Otherwise...yeah.

Non-invasive you say? What's the Robopal definition of "non-invasive" when it comes to humans? Just slight spikes in the brain? Or what?

So anyways, I try it out. Tickles but no trepanning! It looks a helluva lot like the Doctor's Memory Downloader thingummy though. Now I have to meet Ms. Zen, another Robopal whose prototype was...no, that wasn't an "altercation"! If I recall correctly, I had to use the mediporter ...no, that was Ms. Doula actually. Never mind.

More non-invasive. Well, the last one wasn't so bad. Lead on, Ms. Zen!

So same as before, try it out and then all will be well? Well, ok then. I have to say all these Robopals being super nice to me is kinda creepy. Any minute now one of them is going to flip a switch and just try to wrench my head off or something.

So, my DNA is scanned and sent to a molder? Where a shell constructed of my DNA and whatever else creates a body for me. Is it just my DNA to build the outer skin or how does that work? And you know, if I die, is that actually me? I've got the same issues about this sort of a copy of me that I have with the Doctor ACTUALLY being Carole Friedkin. Bit of an existential dilemma for a poor little Corruptor in this mad City.

And NOW I speak to Ms. Doula. Bit on edge here with her/it. Stands to reason, her other self did nearly kill me! But we need to activate the template shell, so that's what we do. So far so good. She isn't trying to decapitate me.

And we do the shell thing! If I had 3 I could play the shell game, and see which one to put my consciousness into. I'll shut up now. This place is too nice. It's making me nervy.

So that's it? Now I have a shell that's essentially a copy of me? Where is it? Also, that was REALLY fast. I mean really fast.

There it is. So, I lead my shell to the full consciousness uploader/downloader thing and what? I suddenly have a twin? That'd be interesting. Hang on! I suddenly have a twin that knows all I know, including the Wyvern stuff and about the Doctor! Oh that's not good at all.

Well, let's see how this thing plays out then. And I still haven't seen the Doctor. She said she would be around in here. Then again, I have been stuck on this facility tour the entire time. Am I the diversion? Typical.

Ah. See this is not what I expected. They didn't upload MY personality into the shell. Hello Mr. Mainframe, or is it William Langston still? What do you call yourself these days?

Yeah, I need to get out of here fast. The Doctor is a capable woman, she can make her own way out!

And of course I'm flattened and winded. Not on fire though!

Yeah, thing is I know how to use my powers pretty well, but you're brand new at this. So, let's not prolong this fight. And with another Proton Blast Ms. Mainframe-Shell-Not-Engineria-at-all goes down. Now, I need to get out of here!

Ah man! I'm still slowed from fighting Mainframe. And this guy just slams me back. Ok, I don't have time for this. Oh, he's reading me my rights. Sure sure, bye now! Exit where are you? These corridors are confusing and there's a lot of PPD and security!

I get out and meet up with the Doctor.

She doesn't know if it was Langston taking advantage of the situation or a carefully planned set up. Either way they have a copy of me, and there's an APB out for the pair of us. I am not asking what the hell the Doctor was up to!

Oddly, Langston's own Robopals also fought with the PPD, so that office is shut down for now. For now the Doctor is back online and will have a location for me to investigate ASAP.

[Mission 1 = Good intro. Creepy feel! As always @Ankylosaur is a master of AE mechanics to set things up, one escort seamlessly leading to another. Great start]

Mission 2: ConDev Compound. Seems like the Doctor is an information buff! Well, that makes sense I suppose. Right now she's tunneling through all the info she can find on Langston/ConDev and is filling Engineria in on their deal in Kallist Wharf. Sure, the Big Brother branch got the option to construct a lot of the Wharf (still working on the Arena) but the city was effectively broke. So, it either sold or granted rights to areas between the War Walls to Big Brother, to do whatever. One of these districts is Kingston Heights. In there Langston has free rein, nearly, to do what they want, so they've effectively hidden themselves in plain sight. Clever.

Time for Engineria to take a tour. Let's hope it goes better than the LAST one!

Ok, Kingston Heights has a sort of Kings Row/Brickstown feel to it, though actually a bit cleaner and quieter. Then again, I'm not sure how many people want to live outside the defences of the War Walls.

On second viewing maybe that's why it's quieter! Can't see any Skulls or Hellions wanting to get in a fight with one of these things! Hell, I'm going to avoid it at all costs. There's a time and a place and this ain't it!

And of course I get spotted by Goldbrickers! I must be on one of their "lists". Hey, one of those guys just teleported around me! No fair! Oh, you're getting such a blasting! Right. that's them dealt with. Now to explore a bit more.

Now I'm not sure WHY a Big Brother bot is scrabbling around in a dumpster, but it seems a bit suspicious, so I'm going to investigate. And of course it tries to laser me. Well, it's in the perfect spot. Blast it and leave it in the trash. However, in the trash I find a letter with the address of the Revenant Lab here. Seems that a Dr. Whoriskey is thanking Princess Zoe for appointing him head of the project. Guys, seriously, shred your letters. I would say stick to email but people like the Doctor would find it.

Further investigation of a nearby truck being loaded with lab supplies by more of the Big Brother bots reveal odd spinal implants to be delivered to the Revenant Lab. No address though, so I suppose the drivers know the route on the docket anyway. Doesn't matter, I already found an address.

I get backshot by some Mr. Security bots after searching the truck and deal with them in short order before heading down beside an outdoor paring garage, and spying several Langston scientists chatting. They don't take kindly to my presence, and that doesn't go well for them at all!

Turquoise Roller, huh?

You're doing WHAT now? Oh, I knew that visit to Infini-Life would come back to haunt me! Right, take that! My DNA is MY DNA! I'm pretty certain that claiming to own it is claiming to own me, and there was a war about slavery and the slave owners lost. Then again, when companies can legally claim to be "persons" I'm not sure what the hell is going on half the time to be honest.

What's in your pockets, oh unconscious and moaning scientist? A key card to the lab? Yoink! Mine now.

There's an amount of Mook presence here too. Nothing overtly criminal but I'm going to lean on one of these guys to see what's going on. Unlike the others around here, the scientists and few citizens I can see, the Mooks are used to it.

The Burninator, huh? I think I fought that guy. Cracked his goggles for sure. Oh, now YOU want to fight me? Well, happy to oblige, Mr. Mook. Send my regards to the rest of the Verandis, won'tcha?

Well, that felt cathartic. This Smelting Cauldron he spoke about is somewhere in KingstonsHeights it appears. Or one of its branches. I dunno, is it a franchise like WWE? I'd assume that there's one on the Rogue Isles too, you know, like the old Rikti Monkey Fight Club near the Pocket D int Sharkhead.

Time to report back to the Doctor, see what she's been up to while I've been looking for a model home here in KH.

She's assembling all the data and agrees with me that the entire place is probably Langston, including the citizens who definitely saw me as a threat. And the odd pirate-like names of the WarWorks. Then again, I DID meet a Cap'n Walsh a while back so the Goldbrickers may be going all nautical.

[Mission 2 = Dedicated investigation and data collection mission. One of the quieter missions but builds on the plot and moves it forward. Nice.]

Mission 3: Warped Mirrors. The Doctor has isolated the lab found at the address Engineria got from the Whoriskey letter. She's worried (and so am I!) about them working with my DNA. At least they're not using Engineria's consciousness. Yet! She hasn't been able to access their systems remotely so we're going to have to break in and do it the old way. And it's possible that Whoriskey is originally Praetorian. Just to keep things interesting!

Ok then. Let's do this!

She's eager. Maybe a bit too eager. Sounds like she's in trouble!

Well, I'd better find her and then we can do our thing.

Ah, there you are, Doctor! Hang on, I'm a comin'!

Any minute now. As soon as I get back up. Totally winded there. No, I'll be fine. Soon as I crack this guy over the noggin with the old Nemesis staff. What? He probably has pretty good insurance. And if need be, he can Infini-Life himself!

There we go, Doc. I gotcha. Based on me? Well, you were worried about that so let's go see what these Frankensteins are doing. Frankensteins? Does that make me the monster? Hmmm, I don't think so but...anyway.

OHO! There's one of the other mes! The Doctor activates her powers and rushes in. I follow her quickly and we tackle the issue.

Right. That's one. Now, how many more of these things are there in damned place?

Ok, there's another one. It's a bit odd killing yourself over and over. Ok, let's move on, Doctor. We need to find out where the DNA is stored.

Now what's in here? Ghoul serum. Ghouls were some sort of Praetorian experiment. You can see some of the Forlorn, apparently ex Ghouls, around some areas of Brickstown. This stuff is further evidence that Whoriskey is probably Praetorian. Not to mention all the Praetorian tech I've already found in my adventures.

OHO! Can you not tell from the different hued outfit? HERE'S ENGINERIA! Oh, you guys are going to get what's coming to you, cloning me like that with your Revenant machines!

Now where the hell has the Doctor got to? OH! She's been dealing with Whoriskey while I was taking care of this scientist. Wait up, Doc! And he confirms it, he's Praetorian! Well, as I say I suspected it already. And he has a keycard.

There's a few other things in this lab too. A crate with Revenant spinal devices. like I found in that truck in Kingston Heights. When the Doctor has a good look at them she thinks they deliver some sort of serum (maybe the Ghoul serum?) into the body to boost it when fighting. She takes a couple for herself!

Then we find a canister of Revenant amplification fluid. Ok, THIS is the stuff the spinal implants pump into the body. I still think this is probably a variant of the Ghoul serum, but I'm no doctor.

Checking a terminal we find Whoriskey's AE notes. It seems that Langston hacked the AE! Several prominent Goldbrickers used the AE and Langston took their profiles from there and have uploaded them to new bodies! That sounds like trouble. These new ones are so like their originals that they left for the Smelting Cauldron, one of "their" hangouts!

We're done here. The Doctor rigs the base to self destruct and we vamoose as fast as our legs can carry us. While carrying various notes and spinal devices along the way!

The Doctor is worried about the AE hack, but still has no further idea what exactly Langston intend to do with the Revenants they are making. She's confident that MY DNA and copied consciousness was only stored at that last lab and we shouldn't bother further about that. I'm not entirely reassured by her but there's not much I can do until we maybe run into another copy of me. In the meantime we're going to pay a visit to the Cauldron, and see what, if anything, these "ne" Goldbrickers know.

[Mission 3 = Much thicker plot here. Some decent combat and frankly the Doctor is a good ally in a fight. Those thorns are really lethal! Nice.]

Mission 4: Live Infinite Infini-Lives? After Princess Zoe developed Smelter tech for the Goldbrickers it seems that the bravest and "best" of them regularly test it out in a sort of fiery fight club, called The Smelting Cauldron. The Doctor's plan is, frankly, mad. Then again I've followed mad plans before so off we go. She's all fitted with her new spinal implant, boosted to fight, so she's going to go in and challenge them. I get to either cheer her on or rescue her. I'm betting on rescue.

And off she goes. Engineria trudges after her. I'm a comin', Doc. I'm a comin'.

(@Ankylosaur, this doesn't scan right. Leftover from a redo?)

The Doctor has made her way in and I can't see any sign of her yet. Looking for her I have to deal with a few irritants along the way, you know how it is. Anyway, it's not as if these guys actually LIKE me.

And HOOBOY. Fort Knoxxer. But also NOT Fort Knoxxer. The AE hacked version. He's not the friendliest I have to admit. In frank he's downright unfriendly. Still no sign of the Doc so I need to get by this hulk of a guy.

Ok, he's tough! And his sidekick is annoying me, sniping me from the side and injuring me while I'm trying to concentrate on Fort Knoxxer. Time for a combo of Irradiate and Repel!

YEAH. That dealt with his buddy, now back to Knoxxer!

Whew! Ok, I need to rest. And check the Utility Belt/email for inspirations. Ah, good. I HAD restocked! I'll need those. Fort Knoxxer was only one of 3 fight contestants in here tonight. Along with all the spectators obviously. As if they weren't enough trouble on their own!

OOOKAY.

Cauldron Champion, is it? I think I'm gonna dig out the old PPD radio and call my armored buddy in as back up. I think I need it for this one! And still no sign of the Doctor! Where has she got herself to? I didn't check the far end for the fight pit. Might be there.

Oh already he's taken half my health down, and that's WITH armored buddy taking some hits for me! TOUGH!

A quick search in the utility belt/tray finds me some envenomed daggers and that takes the shine off him. A little. A little.

The fight drags on, Engineria popping greens and desperately pulling health from the Champion with Kinetics, and slowing him down enough for Buddy to land some telling blows on him. Buddy goes down, his armor smoking and I lace the Champion with radiation. Proton blasts dropping him. There's a moment of desperation as I stand there choking, unable to move as he gets back to his feet but it wears off in time for me to drop him finally.

So, you WEREN'T on Infini-Life yet? Ok then.

Picking up his fallen phone and searching through his emails reveals that the Chairman is very definitely alive, in some sense. He has been successfully moved to a dedicated shell. There's a meeting tomorrow night in a lab under the new Kallisti Wharf Arena.

Ok, now where the hell is the Doctor?

Ah, THERE she is. Ok, and she's got some company.

It's Gold Brickster. Mark 2! I hope I can survive this fight as I haven't much left after taking down the Champion, and the old PPD radio is on recharge. Still have some of those nasty daggers though.

But between one thing and another I manage to free the Doctor part way through my battle with Brickster 2 and she joins the fight, all pumped up with her new spinal implants and so on. She's a menace!

Look at her go! The Doctor is shredding that guy. All I need to do is keep a safe distance and not die (health in the red!) and keep blasting him until he drops. Fortunately he doesn't sap my endurance so at least I CAN keep blasting him.

And he's down. But apparently he'll be back. Because Infini-Life. Hmm, not if me and the Doc have anything to say about it you won't. Somewhere you are stored on disk and your DNA is on file. Terrible shame if anything were to happen to that.

Engineria and the Doctor exit the Smelting Cauldron and make their way home. Both slightly singed. I think the Doctor needs a new wig.

So William Langston, King Midas' father, is back from the dead. In a new shell body. Unlimited clones of these people is a nightmare for the city, for heroes, for the PPD. Time to take that place out.

[Mission 4 =GREAT fights in this mission. But very very tough. Engineria is a Rad Blast/Kinetics Corruptor and had a bit of difficulty with them. I think it's a matter of thinking tactically. You can't just roll over these guys. Nice work!]

Mission 5: The Chairman & The Princess. The Doctor muses over the fact that Langston have built a new lab under the Arena. Not surprised but annoyed we didn't see it happening under our noses. It's not like the Big Brother machinery isn't readily visible there. This seems to be the last lab. Or at least no more are mentioned in Dr. Whoriskey's notes. So, we're going to see what's going on. And Ollerus and Hornet will be there to help. So it's time to find the Chairman!

There's Hornet. I'm a comin' Hornet! Just a few blasts and I'll have you out of that. Really guys, stick together next time.

C'mon, Hornet. Let's get the others and close this hellhole down once and for all. I can see the Doctor ahead of us. AND Ollerus. Yep, let's stick it to them. I want the last traces of any of my DNA and so on cleaned out of this place.

HOO! That's Engineria AND Hornet down! These teleporting AU bastids are tricky to fight!

Get up Hornet! We're not done yet! I'll join you as soon as I get this body off me. These guys are damn heavy. Must be all the equipment they're toting around on their backs.

How many copies Doc? No idea. Let's just burn that bridge when we come to it, yeah? In the meantime we grab Ollerus and we move on. Don't hesitate to do your super powered thorn thing by the way, that was really useful against Gold Brickster. I hope there's none of those guys back here!

The 3 of us grab Ollerus and as he shakes himself up we move though the complex. Rounding a corner we run into Princess Zoe herself. I call up my PPD Buddy and now we are 5! Let's take the crown off this girl's head, gang! And yeah, there's the Doctor all thorned up and ready to rock!

Not particularly, no. And if I had time I'd settle down with a cup of hot chocolate and explain my existential issues with you about "living forever". BUT...not right now. Now we kick your teeth in. Yeah, there's no legal terminology for that but hey, see you in court!

And Princess Zoe teleports away! Damnit. Right. Time to find the Chairman then. We need to stop him teleporting away if at all possible and then we'll see where we stand.

We check a few terminals on the way and see notes on the "Reborn". It seems the process is unstable. A majority of the subjects seem to go psychotic within a week of decanting from their pods. That's (a) not good and (b) we may be facing a force of crazies. Ok, (b) is also not good, but sane villains are preferable.

And there's a Dr. Dalton Crowley. Some of those notes and emails were addressed to him. My inference from them is that he didn't seem to care!

Oh you think so? Well actually that is something I do NOT want to see! But you, you'll do for now, Dr. Crowley. Can't call you "Doc", the Doctor is Doc.

Thorn? Well maybe the Doc did that to you. All the rest of that is a rain of arrows from Ollerus. I just blasted you lots. Seemed to work! And see you again? I wonder...is there a live feed? I mean does back-up you come from an earlier recording, so that they come online and don't remember this because it didn't happen to them. Everyone! Kill the CCTV feeds!

We find his terminal and purge it of all DNA and consciousness records. I make a point of staring over her shoulder while she does mine. Ok, better. Then she sets the same hack to cause this place to self destruct that she used before. Doc, just wait for us to get out, ok?

Ok team, there's the Chairman. Granddaddy Langston hisself. Let's go talk to him.

Oh, he's a wily old devil, even in a new body. But the 4 of us are beating him. He's talking about permutations, how he can return again and again to fight us until he gets the right one and beats us. I don't have time for this crap! OH! And look at Hornet's net arrow flying through the air to pin Langston down! NICE!

Retrieve my consciousness from the AE? Well, the simple answer to that is to inform Crey and Dr. Aeon that you're hacking them. See how THAT goes for you!

And then he's down and we're done. But his last threat is that we will meet again. The trouble with these Infini-Life creeps is we could arrest him, lock him in the Zig and have him stay there and there could STILL be a version of him outside!

We exit the lab and the Doctor detonates it. I don't see any subsidence so that's good!

We've shut down the lab and we think all copies of the tech and materials in it were unique. No coming back from that. Apart from I assume "special" people like the Chairman himself. Princess Zoe probably has a Grandfather Pod stashed somewhere.

Langston is still profiting greatly from Praetorian tech sales and so on and that has to be stopped. Or at least pushed back to the Rogue Isles I suppose. Let the Mooks and the Family sort it out.

[Mission 5 = Good tough finale! Definite feel of getting somewhere and lopping off one of the heads of the Hydra. Trouble with Hydras is another head growing back elsewhere. That's next. Nice!!]

Verdict. Great flow though on the intel and space on exploring your surroundings to get a feel for the world. Good feeling to finally strike at Mainframe, even if he escapes to fight another day. Next up on the channel is All that Glitters 4.1: Risky War g4m3Z in the Rikti War Zone.

Next up on TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is @cranebump's Mobius 1: Full Circle

Edited November 5, 2022 by TerroirNoir

Ankylosaur · November 1, 2022

On 10/28/2022 at 8:19 PM, TerroirNoir said:

Verdict: Slow building world building is paying off. Lovely callbacks to tie your character in to previous events. Anyway, don't forget to tune in for our next episode which will be All that Glitters 3.3: Calamity in Kallisti Wharf.

Realized I never shared any of the thoughts or story behind the story

Spoiler

I was pretty far into the story when I learned of Sgt. Schorr (thanks to @Darmian!) , a Wyvern Agent in St. Martial, who only triggers for Rogues. His Hammers of Justice called out to be leveraged, as did so many custom maps that fit into the area so easily.

It also let me keep the Mooks involved, which I realized was important pretty late in writing it - which is why this and 2.2 - late entries in the series - include them.
Let me establish that they were the ones supplying Arachnos with ACU and BCU units.
Let me use the Family/Mook mobs with Beam rifles - one more set of Praetorian tech in the wild that this series accounts for.
Like 2.2 previewed the Robopals of 2.3, this let me preview Infini-Life tech so its less of a surprise.
Let me use the many custom maps available to St. Martial - including Marchand's office - a minor personal victory since that map is hard to justify. 🙂
Originally it was your first good look at the ConDev mob too, which is replaced by the AU Gold Brickers.
It was a good chance to evolve the Doctor with the Network stuff.
Personal goal is to use as many of the standard mobs where they make sense, and, well, this is the home of the Wailers... and where there's demons, there's Mordrogar! (Trying ever so earnestly to win their favor.)

Edited November 1, 2022 by Ankylosaur

Ankylosaur · November 1, 2022

As to 3.3 - some notes/thoughts from your playthrough...

will update as you complete it.

Spoiler

M1 -

The Doctor is supposed to be in the Front - I should make that more clear somehow. She was likely in one of the little conference rooms in the front area, which is easy to miss. But as she is not captured, (set to empty) she's considered rescued so has no Nav text. You clearly made along just fine without her. 🙂
PPD Officer Buddy Bolton makes a showing here too, as he does in all PPD encounters so far (2.1 & 2.2). You learn more about him in All That Glows.

M2 -

You know how I do like to set the scene with some exploration... Well, high-level hazard zone maps are scarce, but, this massive outdoor map let me make my own. Really shows how well-established Langston has become outside the war walls.
Going to rename this from ConDev Compound to Langston Company Town. (Company Towns are a relic of a previous era, but so very Langston feeling.)

M3 -

I updated this with the smaller map you went through - a good choice I think.

M4 -

Yes - that pop-up is a holdover. I remember replacing that, but it may be one of those that failed to update (which happens occasionally if you aren't careful.) This mission is new - you are the first through it! Originally you fought them in another Kallisti Wharf office which was a little repetitive. Wanted to use the new Gold Bricker map, and the repetitive mission was a good place to work it in.
This map is wonky.
- There is no Front Middle - only back.
- I had glowies but they often appear in walls or other objects - been fiddling with it.
- I will update it so you find the Doctor before any of the EBs or AV triggers - the Doctor is supposed to be a big help here.

Edited November 1, 2022 by Ankylosaur

TerroirNoir · November 2, 2022

Arc 9 from our second author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @cranebump's Mobius 1: Full Circle.

Mission 1: Night and Day (and Knight) Atlas Park burned. It's still burning. Engineria is standing in the heart of it. Cracked foundations. Monsters. Bodies. It's over.

Apart from one little thing that is.

This isn't Engineria's world.

What the hell is going on?

Talos has fallen. Getting out of there took too long. Positron sent a comms message. We're making a last stand in Atlas.

"We"? Who is "we"?

How the hell did I get here anyway?

There's Positron!

Yeah, I know Positron when I see him! He's...not looking so good.

Where are the others?

What others? Who the hell am I talking to?

Oh no. He's gone. I'm the last one left. The Full Circle kept coming.

The what now? Last one left? What have I said about being a mid level super in a....you know all this, don'tcha? But speaking of people NOT knowing things, I'm going to need to know what this Full Circle is, ok?

We need to find Baron Zoria!

What, THE Baron Zoria? CoT and all that?

Scanning. Nothing. Keep looking.

Are you even listening to me? Well, seeing as I'm here. We're here...are you me? Is this me? Oh hell! Look out!

Ok, got it.

I can't see Zoria anywhere. He could be dead I suppose. Like those guys.

A dead hero. Mutilated. No idea who she was.

Hello? Are you gone? Other me? HELLOO?

Well, City Hall has looked a lot better, I can tell you. Hang on. That looks like City Hall used to look like, way back in the 60s! It doesn't look like that now. Well, obviously it doesn't look like THIS now, but...

And then Engineria wakes up.

Engineria awakes to the smell of brimstone. A memory smell.

There's a man in green. He has some sort of a scanner, not to mention a pair of swords. The floor seems cracked around his feet, as though his presence puts so much weight on one spot. He tells Engineria to relax. He's here about the time spike.

About the what now?

Grumpy Freitag calling at 3.00 am about fascists I'm just about getting used to, time spikes?

He says his name is Angevin and he's a sort of a cop. Or a knight. Or a Knight Cop. Night Cop? And he wants to know about the dream.

Cue twiddly music and a gauzy sort of fade in.

[Mission 1 = Cold dunked straight into the arc! 10 minute timer and rushing to catch up. Really sets the tone to match the text. Liking it!]

Mission 2: By The Book. Angevin tells Engineria that it felt natural, all that power. His base (which he is damn secretive about) noticed my dream. Think about that. NOTICED MY DREAM! It seems it was caused by my exposure to a time spike. Again, no idea. I'm just listening and wishing my jammies were warmer. So, we're going all mystical now? Seems I slipped into an alternative timeline or somesuch. Someone out there is pushing that possible reality towards actuality.

Back up, Greenie. Who's "we"? And I realize I'm asking that a lot tonight.

Oh god, it IS the Circle of Thorns. And they're doing something. And I'm involved/will be involved/would have been involved if I hadn't gone to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to throw raisins at the screen. A straight answer please!

So, it's show not tell? Suit up and follow you. Right right. Gimme a sec. I have boots somewhere.

Right. Angevin is around here somewhere. I heard him threatening someone!

There you are!

Ah, spectral thingies! Draining my life force! Get lost! And of course I left the special Ghost Slaying Axe at home. Next time. I hope there's a next time!

You're worried? Let me let you in on a secret. I'm worried too. However, I don't know WHY I'm worried. For me right now it's more of a nameless dread? Yeah? But carry on showing and not telling.

Also, shouldn't there be some Midnighters in this place?

AH! There's one. Celi Graves. With CoT friends. Just a minute, why am I covered in ice? Did you do that, Angevin?

Ok, I hope your wizardy friend is shrapnel proof, Angevin! GRENADE!

Well, we got her free and with some help from Mr. Choppity-Chop there, the CoT were dealt with in short order. Graves didn't know why they were here because this is only a records depository. Nothing of importance as far as she knows.

So we check the records. On the way there we run into some CoT stragglers. (Is there a Demon of Straggling? One of the lesser-known vices maybe?)

We check and check, shelf after shelf. Nothing. Until we find a noticeable gap in a section detailing the first Rikti War in 2002. A 12 volume set called "Interviews & Testimonials", is missing.

We finish off any more we find. Stragglers that is. Some got away using magic. figures. Then Angevin scans me again. Same signal as before. Angevin states the obvious, that set of volumes must be important to their plan. Graves fills him in that it contains first person accounts from Alpha Team, Statesman's team that led the diversion tactic against the Rikti. All of the information is commonly available at ANY municipal library...unless there's something in the originals that wasn't transcribed.

[Mission 2 = No idea what's going on. Love it so far for its instant dip into media res action. Nice]

(@cranebump, the title card right now is still reading as Mobius 0, but you changed it to 1, yeah?)

Mission 3: Seeing Red (or some such) So, as per usual there's good news and bad news. Good news, there is a copy of the set of missing books. Bad news, Graves will need some time to access and so on.

But Engineria's link to the time spike is fading, for whatever reason. So the CoT can't be tracked that way now. Time for a different approach.

Well, yes, but I still haven't had breakfast!

So we're going to go an ask them.

Let me get my head round that. Just go in and ask them.

Oh, seems that there's a schism in the CoT and Angevin has some contacts inside the organization. So, we let THOSE know there's a common foe, and maybe then Angevin will tell me what's going on. Not holding my breath though. Time to go.

Well, there's my boy Angevin. Let's go link up with him. I'd say rescue but he just seems to be toying with them, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Ok a minor annoyance, yeah? Oh, you have a plan? Enlighten me, oh sworded one.

So we swipe a few of their trinkets to get their attention and when we have that..we talk. Ok.

Well, we do that and then Tarses shows up. He seems surprised but happy enough to talk once he realizes what we're up to. He knows OF the Heretics as he calls them, but not what they're up to. Rollister should know and has arrived. Rollister it is then.

Well, Angevin has spotted something! Better follow him I suppose! Or at least the trail of bodies.

And there's Rollister. Spandex? Spandex? SPANDEX? Not a chance, friend! This is armor. If you know the nonsense I've had to go through to get this outfit...anyway. Ah, Angevin clouts him over the head.

He says it's not them, well not HIS them. The Heretics are meddling with time, and not even to take out Montague Castanella! Just someone called Red Fist, whoever that is.

We get out and head back. Celi Graves might be able to tell us who Red Fist is.

Back at MAGI we find out that Red Fist is actually Crimson Fist AKA John Knox. He was a Midnighter and ALSO one of the Alpha team led by Statesman. He died. And for some reason the time meddling Heretics are targetting him. Why target a dead man though?

Graves points out a single passing statement by Castenella that Knox saved him, and "continues to save us all". So whatever he did it had ripples forward. Maybe taking him out weakens the Midnighters. Even so, Tarses and Rollister aren't mad enough to try something that would cause a time problem.

[Mission 3 = Rapid and brutal investigation! It feels like we're getting somewhere now, but still not sure where to!]

Mission 4: So Angevin has set up a meeting with Montague Castanella. And off I go to see the famous leader of the Midnighters. First thing in the door I see that they're under attack.

What the hell are those things? Shadows? And an Unknown Agent. Well, she seems the lesser of the two whatevers, so let's give her a helping hand.

Be with you in a moment, Madam!

Right, who are you and what's going on here? Speak up! Ah. One of Angevin's buddies. You must be one of the "We" that I'm not supposed to know about. Well, ya'll are going to have to tell me eventually, you do know that, yes?

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE! I have absolutely seen one of these things before! In the Rikti base when I fought the Vigilant Patriots! So that's what gave me the link to this time shenanigans hooey.

Well, it's getting blasted!

Ok, despatching a few more Shadow creatures along the way I get to an elevator and head for the third floor. Apparently the Master is up there and I'm assuming the Master is Castanella.

And there he is. Of course he has "friends" with him. Time to slink over and intrude upon their conversation. I have the perfect ice breaker too!

After downing his unfriendly companions, I rescue Castanella. He seems a bit groggy though. Not too good on the gams.

I need to get Castanella out of here before whoever is doing whatever to him manages to succeed in their plan. Could I be any vaguer? Probably, but I'd have to KNOW more in order to obscure it!

Mouser? Well, that's a great name. I'll remember that.

I take out Mouser and his companions and then the Glowing Spike. After that we make it down to the exit and get Montague out, getting joined by Angevin's chatty friend along the way.

We make our way to the Midnighter Club where Celi Graves tells us that she was literally just speaking to Angevin but his call cut out. A few minutes later Angevin calls via video. There's a battle visible behind him, a large one. The spikes are appearing faster than they can deal with. He's sending data to us. We've to take to Fort Trident where one of Angevin's reps will meet us.

[Mission 4 = It's an interesting thing that @cranebump has managed to do here, and succeeded at, keep the story fast, tense and interesting and still not revealing what's fully going on. Nice]

Mission 5: Finale: Give and Let Live. Shortly afterwards in Fort Trident. Engineria is met by an older woman who wordlessly takes the data that Angevin sent. She examines it and isn't happy. It seems that Engineria and Castanella meeting actually accelerated the timeline that they're trying to prevent. There's still a chance to stop it but we need to act now.

We get under way and Angevin calls again. Apparently the Circle have sent their operatives in already to the focal point in time. Our only advantage is we can get to Knox faster than them. Just need to ensure he saves Castanella .

Which means Engineria has to watch Knox die. Because that's a thing that has to happen. Well, damn.

And it begins.

A captive ahead. Ah, I wish I'd paid more attention to history in school. I should know SOME of this. Nevermind, I'll take a class in community when I get back from all this.

Ah no, he's..nope. You don't need to know that. Yes, of course Statesman sent me. Now you get out of here and get to safety, friend.

Now she's not a Rikti! Well, Lyoria, let's find out what you're up to, crack you over the head and keep going. It's a compound plan but I like it. Now to see if I can pull it off.

Pitiful? What the hell does that mean? Also, stay still while I'm trying to hit you. All this moving around is annoying.

Already dead? Oh gawd damnit. I hope to hell she's lying. I really do.

I drop her and run!

Through the building, flinging Rikti aside as I go. I'll kill them later. Need to find Knox. There's a tunnel down out of the building into a Rikti structure. I recognize the architecture from my earlier (later?) battle against the fascists.

I find him and he's flickering, nearly dead.

So...this is the plan.

I don't like it. I don't have a choice.

After fighting her way through hordes of Rikti, Engineria rests. Up ahead is the bomb. Time to go.

Ok, Time to take a bomb down and pray. I'm pretty sure "Engineria" wasn't on the list of the fallen for the Alpha team. Oh well.

Here goes nothing!

It's working! And it's down.

And I'm seriously injured and there's no way out...except for that suddenly appearing stone thingy! YES! Go Midnighters!

Engineria wakes up in a hospital bed to find Angevin looming over her. The excess energy has been drained from her body, leaving her...drained. The timeline has been preserved. Definitely a stitch in time saves nine. So it wasn't Knox, or it least it was but NOW it wasn't. I don't have the grammar for time travel. Either way, success.

Angevin finishes looming and says he has stuff to do, but we will probably work together again some time.

[Mission 5 = And it all comes together! Lovely little arc and looking forward to seeing more of Sword dude. Nice]

Verdict: Yeah, that was damn cool. Like a figure of 8 loop that I went around and made sure it didn't tear. Next up on the channel is Mobius 2: Much Madness.

Next up on TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is @Darmian's Darkest Before Dawn: Part Three.

BONUS MATERIAL:

@TerroirNoir here. So strong is Angevin's personality that even after I finished the arc, some echo of him remained!

Edited November 9, 2022 by TerroirNoir

cranebump · November 2, 2022

Well, shit. I forgot to change the title cards on the actual missions in the arc. Yeah I will definitely fix that.

”Demon of straggling…” hehehehehe

Edited November 2, 2022 by cranebump

TerroirNoir · November 2, 2022

Arc 9 from our third author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @Darmian's Darkest Before Dawn: Part Three.

Mission 1: By Hook or by Crook... It's a few weeks after Lord Richter's escape by submarine and Bullet Streak, standing in for Madame Maven, calls a meeting in the Meteors' base. It's mostly repaired after the bombing. He does a little recap of what's happened so far. Useful. (I'll pop it here, it's handy)

Then he continues on. Madame Maven said we're going back to the Rogue Isles and hitting the streets. The Tessitore gang are embedded in "normal" Arachnos, so they'll be there. So we make contact with the underworld and see if anyone has seen a submarine arriving in the last while or even sight of Richter.

We have to meet a guy called Drea the Hook in Port Oakes.

So it's off to Port Oakes then.

Not the nicest place for a meet but what can you do? Anyway. I have to find a dead letter drop and follow the instructions there. Only THEN will Drea make his appearance. This guy is seriously careful. Or paranoid. Both maybe.

Now, that looks like an ideal spot for a dead letter drop. Let's go down and check it out. Sure enough, it's the spot. There's a radio beacon in the oil drum with "Switch me on" written across it in Sharpie pen. Ok then. Switching on.

Well, I don't meet Drea the Hook, but I do meet someone who identifies himself as Drea's Rep. It seems Drea himself is being watched and couldn't risk coming here, so this guy is helping out. Won't give his own name though.

Webmaster Sharne, huh? Well, I suppose so. If he's the local Arachnos boss he should know something.

Oh, well Drea's Rep has brought his own gang with him. They'll be useful at least! And there's Sharne over there. Ok, now the fun bit, kicking several shades out of Arachnos. That never gets old.

No matter which faction they belong to.

Sharne has been having issues with the Family and the Mooks it appears! (Wonder has it anything to do with ConDev?) And is surprised to see me and these guys show up to give him grief.

And Sharne has given his true allegiance away! Oh yes! Of course if the submarine came through here the local Arachnos boss had to be in on it, which means this Sharne is one of the Tessitore gang! Success!

Wait, what? Ok, I get the too late bit for me. They took Richter in and he's going to meet the Weaver. The Weaver won't stand for interference so we probably won't see Richter again. Richter was too late? What does that mean? And HOW have you already beaten Recluse? This needs more unwinding.

Sharne tells Engineria that they took Richter through the sewers to the old Reltau Towers building. No idea. But it's a lead.

I head back to the pick up point and Bullet Streak picks her up in a truck before driving to the Meteors' temporary HQ in the Rogue Isles.

Bullet Streak is baffled by what I've found out. It obviously can't be THE Weaver, because he's been dead for years. Super Charger's idea is that it must be a title passed on the next leader of the faction. That's more plausible but I've had a bellyful of clones and time travel so who knows.

Reltau Towers is apparently a fun place to visit.

[Mission 1 = Short and sweet. Just collect the intel and get out. Good little intro.]

Mission 2: Engineria Must Die! The Meteors and Engineria are on their own here in Port Oakes. Vanguard and Longbow are compromised. No help from them. And the only lead is getting into the Reltau building through the sewers. And the Reltau building used to be owned by the Vahizolok Corporation, so who knows what the hell is still in there.

It's all we have to go on though. So off I go.

Stepping into the sewer I see bootprints. And not just any sort of bootprints. The unique mark of regulation issue Longbow boots. Things just got interesting. Well, more interesting.

Arachnos I was expecting. And the bootprints tell me Longbow too, but I wasn't expecting to see Crey down here. Whatever they're at. No matter. If they come at me they get blasted.

There's a break in the sewer wall that leads into a cave area, also swarming with Crey in here. There's a couple of agents near a body. Time to investigate that as soon as I've given these two headaches they won't forget in a hurry.

It seems that Crey are raiding this place for old Vahzilok tech. Just their idea of a good time I suppose. The body however has a security ID on it linked to an active terminal in the building above. Let's find that then.

Engineria heads up through the tunnels and into Reltau Towers. Stealthing through the building she comes to a stairs and, what the hell is going on down there?

Ok, looks like I've wandered into a full on 3 way battle between Crey, Arachnos and Longbow! And Crey is led by some odd sort of Protector called Vandren. I say "odd" because he sounds like he stepped off the set of "Hellraiser". In fact he sounds more like one of the Vahzilok. Was he one before? No idea, don't care, not here for that!

But the Crey actually beat the combined Arachnos and Longbow and turn on ME! So I have to care, at least for a while!

Such exquisite agonies? Definitely Cenobite material! Get the hell away from me! I'm not taking any of this crap from you ghouls. Drop an Atomic blast and fling some grenades, followed up by Proton beams.

Yeah, death might be conquered in general, but yours in particular is gonna hurt if I have any say in it. Of course you might like that. Ugh. No.

And he is down.

Time for Engineria to take a breath and take stock.

Ok. Ok. I've found the terminal. Let's have a little look at it.

CCTV footage of Weaver (I'm assuming Weaver/Tessitore Arachnos here) bringing Richter through the building. And their destination is logged as "Base 18(def)", no idea what that means actually.

And I have more trouble. I've been spotted by none other than Clone Unit 70. Well, that doesn't sound good. Clone Unit 55 and Clone Unit 56 were tough as coffin nails, and I had Thunderclap with me for those two. Time to spark up the old PPD radio and get my buddy alongside me.

Ok, so you don't know where Richter is. Which means you're HIS fake Longbow. Or real Longbow. Either way you're intent on beating an answer out of me and I aim to disappoint you on that front.

With buddy beside me this fight is going better than I'd hoped. Much better. She seems very agitated though.

We drop her and prepare to get back to Bullet Streak and the others but have a final bit of company. Vahzilok! They're weak and shambling though so not much of a threat. And I'm out!

Bullet Streak is instantly on guard when I tell him about Base 18(def). He maintains it's a trap. (def) means it's a defunct base but Arachnos never code their stuff like that on a destination log. But we have no other options open to us right now. Looks like we're walking into the trap eyes wide open.

[Mission 2 = Loved the title! (I assume it renames for every player through it) Further intel achieved and some good fights. And the creepy Vandren! Nice]

Mission 3: The Weaver... Well, I head to Base 18(def) and in. Bullet Streak had chatted to his contact Drea, and the place had been abandoned due to subsidence or something. Seems hurricanes hit the Rogue Isles frequently. And now I'm here, it's an old tech style base with just homeless Blighted hiding from the weather. There's a pinboard over there though. Time to investigate.

Right then. Let's have a look. Ok, this is just weird. It probably IS a trap, but if it is then it's a very polite one. The note pinned here says "Meet me in the back. Your servant, W2".

How is this leading us to Richter?

So proceeding through this wreck of a place I crawl over some rubble, get ignored by more Blighted, and ...I see someone called Weaver Two.

Not sure what to make of that. I mean he must be the W2 in the note so...let's get closer.

I call up my buddy on the PPD radio and move forward to meet W2. Am I ready to begin? What is this, 20 questions?

OMG this guy is tough. (I have this on -1/1, and yeah, I know I'm not a strong AT but even so!)

Where the hell is my buddy? Oh, he's stuck on the stairs but has freed himself now.

W2 is summoning Phantasms! I'm gonna get creamed!

So you grabbed Richter to find out who he is? Clue's in the name, maybe? But what do I know?

Oh, I am getting hammered! I pull back and scrabble about in the old utility belt/tray for that recent amulet I picked up. No, not spirit Statesman, this one is a copy of Positron! Between both of us this guy is going to get a LOT of RADIATION DAMAGE!

Allies? Sure sure! Just stop trying to perforate me! I'd appreciate that as a start. THEN we can talk. Nope? Ok then. Keep hitting him, boys!

The invitation is extended? This guy just does not lose his composure, I mean at all!

He makes a dash for it and across the lower level of the old base but PPD buddy and me follow him, while spirit Positron blasts him in the back. And he goes DOWN!

YES!

Hang on. Teleported?

[Mission 3 = Ok, that was crazy hard. Loved it but lord don't go in there expecting a faceroll. Good stuff indeed]

Mission 4: ... and the Web. Engineria can't contact the rest of the Meteors and isn't sure where she is. Nothing to do but carry on. This place looks like an abandoned office building.

Wait, what? Lessons? Weaver are really screwing with my head here.

And so polite about it. Ok, time to find a mainframe then I suppose. And there it is. Call me paranoid but I'm calling PPD buddy and spirit Positron BEFORE I activate this thing. Seems only sensible to me. Let's do it!

And I am SOOOO glad I called in back up! Weaver Three(!) appears from around the corner and starts "educating" me almost instantly! Jeez Louise! These guys are hard core!

Back and forth across the room! He just keeps hammering at us! But between the three of us we force him back down the hallway and start beating him down. It's taking a while though!

Have these guys infiltrated literally everyone? Then again (doing a quick read back of the story so far) this side have been working from within since the death of the original Weaver, like waaay back.

Can't trust anyone I suppose!

And his last words to me are "Your next lesson begins". So there's a Weaver Four! Oh, this is going to be a tough tough mission!

We move through the building rapidly. It's empty of everything, no patrols. This is just a place for me (and by extension the Meteors I suppose) to get some hard truths beat into us by Weaver.

And there's Weaver Four!

Yeah, well he's dead now. And I still don't know who killed him. Unless it WAS those lost siblings of yours. Probably was actually now that I think about it.

The lessons continue and still we fight on. This one is down faster than Weaver Three but I'm not getting complacent here! I've got a limited amount of time before my two helpers disappear so I have to just run to the next one!

Weaver Five!

Ok, you're going way beyond my literary knowledge, Weaver Five. I don't know if you're really trying to tell me something or monologuing for someone else I can't see. Or you're as mad as a door. Way to go, PPD buddy! We take him down!

Then he tells me something I was NOT expecting.

Spoiler

A curious thing that our "Lord Richter" does not know. He is indeed a clone, but of Marcus Cole.

I mean whooo! Ok then. Do I understand? I'm getting there. And we drop him. But there's a Weaver Six waiting to continue our "education". Onwards, buddies!

Circling through the building hunting for Weaver Six. My two buddies are still with me amazingly, but I AM moving at speed (and unlike an escort it's impossible to lose these guys, even if they're slower). And there's Weaver Six!

Oh, you salute me, do you? Well I'm sure that's appreciated by me and the Meteors. Didn't stop Tessitore from blowing up the base though, and kidnapping and all the rest. So, I'm still going to kick your helmet in, capice?

You know, this one seems, if that's possible(!), even calmer than the others! I think I preferred Richter just ranting at me. That might be just me though. Oh, I think we're passing this ordeal of yours pretty well actually. Now stay down!

And there's a nearby terminal we need to check. So we do. And that's interesting!

AH! Not another law office. I think I'd prefer to fight another Weaver than go to a law office again.

Oh not another one! Oh it isn't. It's a hologram. Some sort of final message.

Ok, that needs deciphering later. The Weavers are gone so Engineria finds her way to the exit and makes her way back to the Meteors. Gotta fill them in and regroup.

[Mission 4 = That was BRUTAL. Loved it but OMG it was insanely tough. Again, I had it on -1/1, lord knows what a higher difficulty/team size would be like.)

Mission 5: Justice and Liberty. Engineria has filled in the others on what she discovered and they're stunned, but they get it. Madame Maven is flying in to take command though, and then we'll have Richter in custody finally.

The plan is simple. Enter the Jenkins office (stupid law offices!), once we're in we meet up and then stay together and collect the prisoner. Then leave and hand him over to Vanguard. Yes, they were infiltrated but Number Six and his lot weren't and they'll handle him. If they can handle Tyrant then they can handle this guy.

There's Bullet Streak. And Halox Von Horn is downstairs. C'mon Bullet.

You know, HVH, I don't think it matters WHO he is. That seems to me to be one of the things he was trying to beat into my head. It's more important WHAT he is. The Weaver could be anyone. Which makes finding Weaver 7, and I assume there is one (or will they revert the numbers?) pretty difficult.

Hey Axios. I see you didn't wear a suit to this particular office! LOL. Normal lives? Right now I have no idea what that might mean. I think I will retire after all the adventures, assuming I live through them! Ok, just Super Charger and Madame Maven to find now. In fact there's Super Charger coming to us now.

I thought you were supposed to be the funny one, Von Horn? Ok, let's find Maven and collect our prisoner.

And you never said a truer word, Madame Maven. A nice long vacation. with a spa. And I could do with a mani-pedi and some hot stone massage maybe.

Right, now we're all here let's access the prisoner release device and get the hell outta Dodge once and for all!

And there's our target, team. Let's grab him and signal Vanguard that we're ready to deliver him up to them for justice.

Ok, we head to the terminal and activate the Vanguard signal. Except it doesn't work!

Ms. Liberty! And SHE wants to take Richter into custody! What the hell is going on here?

Spoiler

Ok, this got amped up to 11! Not that the last few missions weren't hitting 10.9 anyway!

Trust you? Well, you know, a phone call in advance or maybe just calling around to the base or Hotel Geneva and sitting down for coffee? This is not conducive to trust, Ms. L. Not one bit.

Traitors?! TRAITORS?!

Well, she's got a little snobbery going on, hasn't she? Where the hell were you when we were stopping this guy from literally BLOWING UP THE CITY? Standing in Atlas Park?

But with the six of us we manage to knock her out and we deliver Richter over to Vanguard. She can complain about us afterwards. Right now, job done!

And now we regroup and Maven gives us a pep talk. The Meteors will have an uphill struggle convincing the hero community, apart from Vanguard, that they haven't gone vigilante. Ms. Liberty's word carries a lot of weight.

Finally.

[Mission 5 = Starts off as a nice regroup and then it all goes down in a single classic fight. Great stuff]

Verdict. Great finale! In fact the entire arc seems to operate as an epilogue to the previous arc, which is unusual but really worked. And the revelations! I hope there is a sequel to this entire 45 mission story on the way. Excellent. Anyway, next up on the channel is the prequel, The Meteors.

Next up on TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE Reviews is @Ankylosaur's All that Glitters 4.1: Risky War g4m3Z in the Rikti War Zone.

Bonus Material.

I just wanted a group shot of Engineria and the entire Meteors team 😄

Edited November 5, 2022 by TerroirNoir

Darmian · November 2, 2022

2 minutes ago, TerroirNoir said:

Well, I don't meet Drea the Hook, but I do meet someone who identifies himself as Drea's Rep. It seems Drea himself is being watched and couldn't risk coming here, so this guy is helping out. Won't give his own name though.

@TerroirNoir, if you go to the exact spot this drydock is found at in Port Oakes and look south, you will find a submarine 🙂

TerroirNoir · November 2, 2022

I'll check it out!

TerroirNoir · November 2, 2022

@Darmian hey! I DID check it out. Little details like this are cool worldbuilding.

TerroirNoir · November 3, 2022

Ok, @Zhym, I've finished what @cranebump called the Dark Deeds saga. What were you going to say to me?

Darmian · November 3, 2022

6 hours ago, TerroirNoir said:

Sharne has been having issues with the Family and the Mooks it appears! (Wonder has it anything to do with ConDev?) And is surprised to see me and these guys show up to give him grief.

Ha ha, @Ankylosaur! Engineria is staggering between arcs and missions!

Edited November 3, 2022 by Darmian

TerroirNoir · November 3, 2022

Arc 10 from our first author on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is @Ankylosaur's All that Glitters 4.1: Risky War g4m3Z in the Rikti War Zone.

Mission 1: Hunting Rikti Hunters. Number Six calls on Engineria. We have a brief catch up on how we helped the Doctor break out of her digital prison and he tells her that he's up to speed with what she's been doing with Wyvern. In fact that's why he's asking for her help. Things are obviously tense in the RWZ, but Freakshow have been spotted hunting Rikti to loot weapons from their bodies. And Wyvern and Engineria had something similar with the Lost being attacked by the Goldbrickers. Now, Number Six wants Engineria to "talk" to these Rikti Freaks and find out what's happening out there.

(@Ankylosaur)

Spoiler

I think that that should read "It was so great" instead of "I was so great". If I'm reading it right.

Ok, once more unto the RWZ!

OMG. These guys aren't just hunting Rikti, they're openly attacking the Vanguard position at Point du Hoc. And a Vanguard soldier goes down in front of me. Time to take the fight to them! I have to find a guy called X3n0M1n4L or something. I'm not sure, Freakshow have those leet speak names that I have difficulty spelling. However these Vanguard soldiers need a helping hand right now and I'm going to give them one.

Leaping over the wall Engineria isolates the Freak and lays him out.

Now, when I came through the door of the base from the tunnels I heard someone calling my name! Time to find that person and see what is going down in this hellhole of a place. Ah, gotcha! A captive! Don't move a muscle, pal, I'll have you out of that in a few moments. Just need to drive your friends off. Or shoot them with radiation beams. Whichever works. I reckon the latter, don't you? Yep. Figured you'd agree with me on that.

Yeah! I am actually looking for that very guy. He and his Rikti hunters are a menace to a solid defence here. So, lead on, Mr. Vanguard Soldier.

Thanks, soldier. Get yourself back to the medic station, wherever that might be. Or into the tunnels and back to the main base where I came from.

I'm just going to swing up and around and not get shot in the back. I have my Vanguard back plate on but better safe than sorry. No one likes being blindsided. And there you are! Hello Mr. X3n0M1n4L. Care to dance?

Orders to fill? And who exactly are you filling those orders for? I mean I sorta kinda get that you might want to just modify yourselves with Rikti tech, because that's your whole shtick, but if you're selling them on, then who to?

Rikti steel? do Rikti even USE steel, or some sort of, I dunno, I'm not a physicist or geologist or metallurgist, space metal? Whatever you're fighting me with it's not helping against Kinetics Repel because I'm managing to keep you away from me long enough to blast you repeatedly with radiation.

And X3n0M1n4L goes down! I'll say this for Freaks, they seem to respect force like the Trolls do. He's so confident he even points out where their base is! Or insane. Either way I now have a lead for Number Six.

Time to head back to the main Vanguard base in the RWZ.

Engineria tells Number Six where the base is, an old ruined office building not far from Point du Hoc. He's pleased with that. He's also hoping we can find out how on earth they are using the Rikti weapons since they aren't Rikti, not to mention some Freakshow have been seen using Rikti Guardian healing powers.

[Mission 1 = Straight into the action and no nonsense. Great start to a new arc, with some feedback from previous events. Nice]

Mission 2: Freakin' Rikti Freaks. Number Six has researched the history of the building the Freakshow are using as a base in the RWZ. It was nothing special, apparently an old dental office or something. He also mentioned the job to Faultline and Fusionette and they've decided to help out. They remember Engineria from the Robopals thing in Faultline. And we have a THIRD member coming to help! Serpent Drummer! They've headed over there already so I better join them.

(@Ankylosaur, the title care says "All the Glitters")

Off we go to the DENTIST!

OHO! So THAT'S who you're filling orders for. The Council! Although who the hell are the space pirates? Giant robots? Warworks maybe. I'll find that out later after I crack you in the shins!

Ok, that's you two dealt with. One of you TWICE, Gawd damn rezzing Freakshow bastids! On we go. Faultline, Fusionette and Serpent Drummer have been captured in some sort of energy beams. I'll bet Number Six will be glad I tagged along on the mission now. There may be medals! Not that I EVER get any medals.

T3h R1kT1m4N, huh? Well, he's on my to do list then. Along with any of these devices that are laying around in this old building.

And it's off to sleepyland with you!

And look who's around the corner! I'll be over to free you in a minute, Mr. Temblor. Don't go anywhere. Not that you have a choice anyway.

Look, Faultline, if I told you the sheer amount of things that I had happen to me, that I didn't expect, over the last couple of weeks, then you'd consider marrying Fusionette and the two of you moving to Kallisti Wharf, into some nice new apartment and never leaving.

Along the way as Engineria and Faultline search for the others, we run into some trouble every now and then. But with a combination of our powers we deal with them pretty rapidly. Thankfully. The rezzing can get dangerous after a while if you're soloing through a mission.

These Freakshow have raided a LOT of Rikti. There are sooo many crates of Rikti stuff stored in this building. I mean a LOT. But the two of us keep moving. Have to find the others and this R1kT1m4N guy. And there's some device that need smashing.

OH! Where the hell did these guys come from? Sleeping and shocked! No Break Frees! Save me Faultline! I'm just getting blasted with electricity here. Not good at all! Fortunately he does! And just in time too, my endurance was almost out. So a quick rest is needed before we move on. Maybe a nap. Ok, Faultline is staring at me now. Maybe NOT a nap.

Faultline, down here! Looks like the damage to the building goes underground. There must be entire tunnels and so on throughout the Rikti War Zone actually. I'm surprised that some of the tanks that Vanguard use don't just fall through holes randomly.

So the GOLDBRICKERS are the space pirates? I'm assuming. It kinda makes sense considering all the Praetorian tech I busted up on them over the past while, but I was imagining something more, I dunno, spacier? Then again who asks for proper definitions of things from the Freakshow? Let's get them, Faultline!

Ok, that's them down. Portal stabilizer, huh? I suppose that works for trips to Praetoria. I hardly think they're going to try the Rikti planet! (Is that even possible?)

And we move on through the tunnels and see Serpent Drummer ahead of us. Were you not important enough to bring down here, Faultline? What? No, I didn't say anything. Just clearing my throat and pointing out Serpent Drummer. Yeah, that's it.

Ok man, on your feet. We have Fusionette to find still, and yes, I know,T3h R1kT1m4N. No, I don't know who he is but one of the other Freaks didn't want to end up like him, so think about THAT for a bit while we search. Got your breath back? Ok, let's go.

Well lookee there! It's Fusionette! Come on, guys! Let's get her free and deal with these Freaks along the way. Check the boxes as we go, you never know. SOOO many boxes!

One set of groaning and moaning and derezzed Freakshow later we free Fusionette. Hey, yeah! We DID meet at the Robopals thing. That was a day, wasn't it? Though you were a bit more glamored up then. Yeah, I know that was Faultline's fault. Domestic spats later, folks. Still have a job to do.

Oh my, there's an small Rikti base down here! No wonder the Freakshow started raiding them. They must have found this place filled with tech and decided to sell it on to the highest bidder.

And there's T3h R1kT1m4N! He does not look healthy (says the girl who channels radiation through her!)

No match for you? Well, that may very well be the case, R1kT1m4N. However, I did not come alone! HA!

As you can see! Join the fight, team!

Rikti DNA is the ultimate mod? You are seriously tripping on that then, because you look partially eaten away!

Oh you are definitely mad. It's time we took you down a rung or two, I believe. Let's see how much you can actually resist! Look, I know my Carl Sagan, yeah? We're ALL made of the stuff of the universe! We can't NOT be. But anyway, you do you.

(@Ankylosaur, I love his final line, LOL)

Ok, that's R1kT1m4N taken care of. But there's a Council buyer arriving to take a delivery of tech and so on. Let's go visit him, shall we? And there's a final device that I haven't found in this little base. It must be in a side room of the building upstairs.

Back upstairs Faultline and Serpent Drummer make short work of the Council buyer and his cronies! I didn't even see them! Just stepping in afterwards to see the unconscious Council on the floor!

Finally, we find the last device. It WAS tucked into a side room, with one of the Freakshow welding something to it. Or taking something off it? I dunno. An alteration pod. So that's how T3h R1kT1m4N ended up the way he did.

The Alteration pod and its mechanic don't stand a chance. I mean look at that! Awesome!

We leave the old dentist's office and head back to the RWZ Vanguard base to talk to Number Six. Like I say, he should be glad I tagged along on that mission.

And he is (nice touch there @Ankylosaur). He recaps what we know and then preps me for what I need to do next.

[Mission 2 = Lots of fun in this one. The Faultline/Fusionette combo is always good to have around. Good balance of combat vs information gathered. Nice work]

Mission 3: Councilvania. Number Six's assessment on the space pirates thing agrees with mine. He thinks these space pirates are in fact the Goldbrickers. Cue a little background information from him. Recently a big attack on the country by the Council, from Striga, was thwarted. The Council had Warworks and so on and no one knew exactly where they were getting them from. However someone defeated a Warwalker in Boomtown a little while ago and a known logo was found on some of the parts. THAT WAS ME! It was a ConDev rook emblem! HA! Anyway, the Council also have a presence in the RWZ and their base extends under the War Walls and outside them, into what Vanguard call "Councilvania". Right now the Council and their UPA allies are in the RWZ and the New Praetorians are trying to deal with them. Time to lend a hand.

Back to the RWZ then I suppose!

Time for a fly around and get the lay of the land so to speak. And fly around the corner of a building straight into the path of a War Walker! Because that's clever. Doh.

BLAST IT! BLAST IT! BLAST IT! In all senses of the phrase.

Ok, that hurt a bit but wasn't so bad overall. And stay down!

And there's some Goldbrickers! Oh, Mr. Rodney! I remember him from one of the lab fights. Well, let's cramp his style. Not engage? Well, you're just profiteers then, it seems. I'm not surprised at that considering Langston's entire MO. Money money money.

And I drop the Goldbrickers and leave their truck smoking in a heap. Well, lots of heaps. Small heaps. But mainly smoking.

And I overheard them saying that Pinkie does not want to engage. Who the hell is Pinkie? Curious name. Can't be a Goldbricker, surely.

Oh my! That thing is waaaay bigger than what I just fought! Ok, this is gonna hurt. I may have to fall back and look for the New Praetorians to help me with it. In the meantime let's try this.

Oh JEEZ LOUISE! This thing is tough for me. I have to keep moving. Moving and firing and moving again!

It's working! Just move and fire. Easy! Sure, I say that now but I don't have time to stop and think about how mad this is. Just keep moving, Engineria!

WTH?!! How can a thing that big jump like that? At least it doesn't fly! It doesn't fly, does it?

That would not be good!

Envenomed daggers from the utility belt/tray are helping. I only hope I have enough of them. The trouble with them is I have to get a lot closer to use them than my normal Proton Blast distance.

And with another blast or two...yep.. down it goes.

Whew! Ok, and there's Grant Creston further down the street. I'll team up with him and finish this mission.

Ok, there's Riptide and Alec Parson. Time to collect them and then Aurora Pena. I can see her over in the corner.

Greetings Ms. Pena. (She DOES look just like Mother Mayhem! Let's hope she can't read my mind)

Ok gang, it looks like...never mind. I can see our next target! Nosferatu! Time to end his threat. Maybe not once and for all but at least for now.

Go and get him gang!

Requiem's 5th Column. Put a pin in that for later. in the meantime keep hitting him while myself and Parson try to get free of these tentacle things. And we drop him but like all vampires he says he'll be back. (They're not real vampires though, I mean it IS daylight here, so...never mind.)

And Maestro! Oh, it's a full team of vills here in Councilvania today! I reckon Maestro could join Nosferatu in lying prone on the blacktop. Shall we?

Oh this guy is nearly more dangerous than Nosferatu!

And I'm flat on my back. Time for the rest of the refrain, "At least I'm not on fire!"

With Maestro down we finish off the second Goliath and move to eliminate the last Goldbricker truck. And with that done I can return to Number Six. The New Praetorians head back to their own base I assume.

It's all a bit hectic!

[Mission 3 = Fun search and destroy mission. Again, plenty of information seeding and the plot advances! Great.]

Mission 4: War Games. The New Praetorians are chasing down a lead we found concerning Mr. Rodney. We took out the Goliaths and all seems well. And I know a "spoke too soon" moment by now! Pork Chop Hill has been overrun! Multiple Goliaths and Archon Burkholder! Number Six sends Engineria out to battle toot sweet!

Off I go!

Well, straight out of the door I'm walking into danger!

10 Goliaths to take down, and Burkholder!

Ok, I'm going to need some help with these things! I heard Lady Grey earlier. I'll try to find her. And THEN...well, then we will see.

Ok, not seen Lady Grey but I HAVE seen Faultline! Oh, am I glad to see you! Come here friend! I've been a life saver? That's you, Faultline!

It's a day for speaking too soon, I think. Seriously, Faultline! I mean seriously. Those Defected Mobile Artillery guys are lethal. Time to mediport myself out and get patched up. Back soon, Faultline!

On the way back to Faultline I pick up a nice metal friend. Faultline, meet HVAS. HVAS, this is Faultline. Let's go hunting!

And there's Burkholder! Hey, gang. We're lucky! Someone else has been shooting at him. Vanguard probably. GO VANGUARD.

You know, I'm not sure exactly WHY Burkholder and his giant metal pals (Robopals?) are attacking here.

As you can see, we've picked up a second HVAS! So there's me and Faultline and two big robots to help. And Burkholder goes down in a hail of fire! Yes, yes, you'll return. I don't know why anyone joins the Council if there's no chance for advancement. I mean these guys keep coming back and taking all the top jobs. The Council is no mertiocracy!

Ok, with Burkholder dealt with (even if most of that was Vanguard) Faultline and Engineria are on the hunt for those Goliath Warworks. Not that they're hiding or anything, but we can't just run in, we'll get creamed. Ok, that's one! On to the next one. Only 9 to go!

We take out a few more on our tour of Pork Chop Hill, still no sign of Lady Grey but we do find Serpent Drummer! Hello again, SD! Care to join us? Take the fight to them? Absolutely!

The numbers on the Goliaths goes down faster than we're destroying them, which means Vanguard, or the mysterious Lady Grey, is doing some serious damage elsewhere. Not that I'm complaining!

There's three in a bunch down in a central part of the compound so we drop down and...get caught in the crossfire. One of our HVAS guys gets destroyed! Which puts pressure on but Faultline does his "encasing in rock" thing and we stagger clear. All three machines dealt with along with their vampire companions.

The last one is on the roof, so Engineria and Faultline make for it! Serpent Drummer attacks and gets thrown back to the ground. Then the last machine keels over and we mop up the accompanying Council and UPA troops. Job done!

Time to report back to Number Six.

He's very thankful and says Lady Grey herself was impressed with our performance. With the attack thwarted Number Six informs me that the New Praetorians have called in with an emergency message. They need my help.

[Mission 4 = GREAT MISSION. @Ankylosaur gives @Darmian a great run for his money in the full open RWZ warfare stakes! Great stuff!]

Mission 5: AUgmented Tech. Thanks to the limits of image posting, this mission appears here.

Edited November 5, 2022 by TerroirNoir

Zhym · November 3, 2022

13 hours ago, TerroirNoir said:

Ok, @Zhym, I've finished what @cranebump called the Dark Deeds saga. What were you going to say to me?

Excellent question. When did I say that? Oh, right:

On 10/20/2022 at 9:12 PM, Zhym said:

Anyway, I'll save further comment until you're done with "Darkest Before the Dawn" pt. 3, except to say that there are still some threads that @Darmian left open for a sequel. So when's that gonna happen? ;)

That was two weeks ago! You expect me to remember anything from way back then? ;)

But it might have had something to do with how it looked like everything was resolving itself (more or less), the last mission was just going to be a coda, and then Ms. Liberty shows up to fight us and tease Season 2. It's not quite a cliffhanger, but it's not quite not, either.

Incidentally, I recall spending a lot of time running around the map in the last mission trying to figure out where the objectives were (NPCs or glowies). I'm not sure if it was that map in particular or what. Oh, and it would be nice if the Meteors' perception could be boosted; trying to herd all of them at the same time got to be a challenge. I think one of them even got stuck inside a planter or a floor or something.

It's a great arc, though. It's written very well, which is not something that can be said of all AE stories. @Darmian has an engaging, readable writing style. And the plot is engrossing—I basically "binge played" through the whole thing because I wanted to find out what the deal was with Lord Richter (a name/title that really grabbed me early on with a "WTF?" reaction) and, well, what would happen next after each episode.

I also really like how the story ties into existing lore & characters. I got a kick out of seeing characters like Chris Jenkins and Thunderclap. And I loved how @Darmian took a bunch of NPCs who are standing around Atlas post-Galaxy City, gave them each personalities, and turned them into a supergroup. Stories involving the Vindicators or Freedom Phalanx can seem like Mary Sue fanfic, IMO; centering the story around a hitherto unheard-of supergroup made up of characters we've seen (if not necessarily noticed) was brilliant.

If I have a criticism, it's that the story might lean into clones and doppelgangers just a bit too hard. There's a risk that once a story has made it clear that clones are easy, cheap, and plentiful, anyone could be a clone. Did you really defeat Lord Richter, or just a clone (of the clone)? How many Weavers are there? Are those really the Meteors you're fighting with, or are they clones too? The clones-within-clones-within-clones thing can kind of eat itself, IMO. In early episodes, for example, the fact that someone was actually a clone could still be surprising (even though it was totally set up for the player). Used too much, and the player starts to wonder if any victory actually means anything. (I did like how one of the fake Lord Richters was just a guy in a costume. Nice job of playing with expectations and tropes there.)

And I could really use a recap/synopsis and the end of what the heck just happened. There was a lot going on in that story arc. You've got Lord Richter's identity, the Weavers, Tessitore, three different "Arachnos" factions, the Spectras, and so very very many clones. I honestly can't remember now which of those threads were resolved and which were left open for a future arc.

Random thoughts:

I like how the story eventually acknowledges that getting a DNA sample to clone someone who goes by the name of "Lord Recluse" would not be easy.
Drea the Hook seems awfully reclusive for someone who can usually be found just standing around Port Oakes.
Are we supposed to have any idea what the hell the Weavers are talking about in the penultimate mission? Or is that mostly flavor and setup for the next story arc?

Finally, kudos to @TerroirNoir for these great posts. @Darmian's arcs are fun, but so is reading about the adventures of Engineria as she goes through the stories and reacts to them. I especially appreciate that Engineria is a weaker AT who often gets knocked back onto her ass, frequently needs to call for backup or rely on friends, and is on a first-name basis with the Emergency Room doctors at all the local hospitals. It makes these posts a lot more entertaining than if the character had no trouble defeating anything that came along (although the latter is who I'd usually play).

I'm looking forward to the coverage of the Praetorian arcs. I have some thoughts about those, too, but who knows if I'll remember them.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Zhym

cranebump · November 3, 2022

Recap=easier said than done for a project that big, but I can think of two places: mish end clue as capstone or (my preference) souvenir text. I am of the same thought that a recap would be a good idea, because the story is dense, lore-wise, and I can’t remember what I did 5 minutes ago, much less 5 missions ago.:-)

Which means I might take my own advice and expand upon the Souvenir clues in my own long forms.

Ankylosaur · November 3, 2022

About those Risky War g4m3Z...

Just some more thoughts as I see your playthrough. Probably should wait to read until you are done, and may update you as you go through it.

Spoiler
- Number 6
  - was the contact here for years, (originally Gaussian, but he is dull), but I only recently integrated him into 3.1 where you met him. He does have a connection with the Doctor and Gaussian I referenced and it makes the transition to Vanguard a little more reasonable. I do like my callbacks to make it feel like people live here.
- RWZ
  - The next stop on the hazard zone tour! It's a little bit of a left turn but has ties into the bigger picture of Langston leveraging/supplying stolen alien tech.
  - It has great maps - and it was actually playing through Darmian's Dark Deeds where he used it that got me thinking it would be fun to do something here.
  - The Riki Freaks are one of those little hidden things in the AE mobs. Was pleased to find a way to use them, and some of the Riki maps for non-Rilkti.
  - I like callbacks for world building and the Lost stuff from 2.2 has a small tie in here.
- The Council
  - Obviously one of the big beneficiaries of Langston's Praetorian tech. I like connecting lower level things to upper level. The Council are in Boomtown and tieing back to that keeps that thread connected.
  - The "Councilvania" map always looked like the RWZ to me. Since the Council was there - wanted to leverage that and continue the "things are happening outside the war walls" thing going.
  - Lore folk will know Maestro and Nosferatu are in the Zig at this point - I deal with that in All That Glows.
  - Councilvania also integrates an EB and Praetorian tie in from All that Glints.
  - It also serves to remind everyone the UPA is working with them, at least in my world even after Calvin Scott is defeated.
  - And because all of that gives a chance to introduce the New Praetorians - it ties the post-Pretoria Marchand events more explicitly to this story.
  - And - fun little call back to Faultline and Fusionette
  - The RWZ base with big guns needs big enemies, and Council Warworks make for pretty substantial ones!
- Historical Notes:
  - The ConDev mob used the Riki tech directly - their piratey selves had Guardian powers and several of them used Riki blades and blasters, but that was lost when I swapped in the new AU Gold Brickers as their replacement. Because of that, I added the Xenologists in Langston Labs who fill in there with Riki blasters and Guardian powers.
  - That is why all the Au Gold Bricker EBs are called Cap'n something or other - they were ConDev pirates.
  - That is why their War Works all use Pirate Ship names.
  - M5 was originally an abandoned ConDev lab that then fades into a Riki base - forget the map name off the top of my head. Used some of the Riki Heavy EB bots there, but have removed them. I instead send you back to Kingston Heights and a reclaimed Portal Corp lab to show their portal work and to tie in the AU Gold Bricker foundations. Cements the idea they are using Rikti Portal Stabilizers to augment the limited Portal Tech ()D-Rifter) they have.
  - Pinkie is replaced by Mr Rodney. originally the last of five Langston kids, he took a derogatory nickname and owned it. (Can’t make a fist without the Pinkie.) he was the head of the ConDev mob

Edited November 4, 2022 by Ankylosaur

Darmian · November 3, 2022

Hi all. I'm going to address a few of @Zhym's questions/critiques here if that's ok. I know both @cranebump and @Ankylosaur have played through the entire thing too, so it might enlighten them as well.

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

But it might have had something to do with how it looked like everything was resolving itself (more or less), the last mission was just going to be a coda, and then Ms. Liberty shows up to fight us and tease Season 2. It's not quite a cliffhanger, but it's not quite not, either.

I do have a bunch of notes for a Season 2, as you call it. Though I tend to see it as Season 4! And I let it slip because of two things really, (1) I got engrossed in the Praetorian arcs (And I'm someone who has a level 50 Gold as one of my mains so I LOVE Praetoria), and (2) chatting to the Devs way back there were some updates to the AE that were being worked on that I was going to use for another pass through Dark Deeds to really tighten up the story. Those haven't appeared yet I think due to the fact that the AE code is jankily delicate and the additions broke something ELSE, so they had to restart all that. On screen captions was one of the things I was told about.

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

Oh, and it would be nice if the Meteors' perception could be boosted; trying to herd all of them at the same time got to be a challenge.

You know, that's a complete oversight! I don't even know if you CAN increase their perception without adding a drone or something. I'll look at that.

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

If I have a criticism, it's that the story might lean into clones and doppelgangers just a bit too hard. There's a risk that once a story has made it clear that clones are easy, cheap, and plentiful, anyone could be a clone. Did you really defeat Lord Richter, or just a clone (of the clone)? How many Weavers are there? Are those really the Meteors you're fighting with, or are they clones too? The clones-within-clones-within-clones thing can kind of eat itself, IMO. In early episodes, for example, the fact that someone was actually a clone could still be surprising (even though it was totally set up for the player). Used too much, and the player starts to wonder if any victory actually means anything. (I did like how one of the fake Lord Richters was just a guy in a costume. Nice job of playing with expectations and tropes there.)

My new pass was going to address stuff like that. Though there aren't as many clones/doubles as you think! A little list:

Blue Spectrum was cloned AND doubled. So, we have the HERO Blue Spectrum, who mentored the Meteors SG. check. We have the Blue Spectrum double who appeared in the past thanks to the Galaxy City meteor attack and was converted to Arachnos through brain washing. THIS Blue Spectrum gets cloned to make the Spectra. I really wanted a way to exploit the Galaxy City tutorial while preserving the duality of it, ie he is saved AND killed.

The Weaver is dead. Dead dead dead. And never came back from the dead. Any Weavers you meet are different guys wearing the suit.

Richter is who he is. There's a finite number of him and the guy in a suit thing is there to reflect that.

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

And I could really use a recap/synopsis and the end of what the heck just happened. There was a lot going on in that story arc. You've got Lord Richter's identity, the Weavers, Tessitore, three different "Arachnos" factions, the Spectras, and so very very many clones. I honestly can't remember now which of those threads were resolved and which were left open for a future arc.

Yeah, @cranebump has poked me about this before! And I think after @TerroirNoir's playthrough I'll definitely add in proper souvenir text. Condensing it is tricky though!

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

Random thoughts:

I like how the story eventually acknowledges that getting a DNA sample to clone someone who goes by the name of "Lord Recluse" would not be easy.

Drea the Hook seems awfully reclusive for someone who can usually be found just standing around Port Oakes.

Are we supposed to have any idea what the hell the Weavers are talking about in the penultimate mission? Or is that mostly flavor and setup for the next story arc?

Yep. Getting a sample from THAT guy would be nigh impossible! Drea the Hook? Oh, such a stupid problem, LOL. I literally could not build him in the AE character creator! There's a few attempts still stored in my files but at most they look a bit like him. And it's not like Thunderclap, where you can build him like Marvel or DC, and acknowledge that the page to screen thing has to be accounted for. The parts to make that NPC properly aren't there. So Drea got a stand in.

What the Weavers are talking about? Yeah. Plenty of flavor but mostly set up for later. Plus a further mechanical reason for the several fights. Right now it is impossible in the AE to fight a boss, defeat them and THEN have a chat with them, as can be done with an in game mission. I'd already attempted a version of this with Blue Spectrum's "Running away fight" back in one of the law offices. I didn't want to repeat that, and the faceless replaceable nature of the Weavers let me do it.

And also, I too am enjoying Engineria stumbling her way through the arcs (though I confess I'm also avidly reading her journey through @Ankylosaur and @cranebump's stuff, since having played most of those I'm on her level there). Thanks again @TerroirNoir.

So, to sum up. At some point there WILL be a Director's Cut of the entire thing, whenever the AE stuff gets properly added. In the meantime I'll go back to trying to compose souvenirs for at least the end of each arc so that they stack into a full recap.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Darmian

Darmian · November 3, 2022

And here's MY pic of the Meteors, just by themselves of course. I have this posted in a screenshots thread somewhere else on the forum too but this is a better home.

Ankylosaur · November 3, 2022

And mine...

Edited November 3, 2022 by Ankylosaur

TerroirNoir · November 3, 2022

2 minutes ago, Ankylosaur said:

And mine...

That's a great pic, @Ankylosaur. Your guy looks more like the leader there than Madame Maven! Where had Halox Von Horn got to though? I like to imagine HE was taking the shot!

Ankylosaur · November 3, 2022

I think he was on an upper balcony pouting that I missed him altogether... 🙂

cranebump · November 3, 2022

Did I or did I not say HVH was a pud? 🙂

TerroirNoir · November 3, 2022

2 minutes ago, cranebump said:

Did I or did I not say HVH was a pud? 🙂

What's a pud? Also, I kinda like him! He seems to be written as the guy who KNOWS he's he weakest in the team, and still tries to keep up.

cranebump · November 3, 2022

I meant to put a smiley face next to my comment. Just part of the running joke I have with @Darmian. I would guess that the closest definition of a pud would be a dumb ass.:-)

TerroirNoir · November 3, 2022

2 hours ago, Darmian said:

On screen captions was one of the things I was told about.

That thing you showed me looked cool Pity that it can't be implemented yet for whatever reason.

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