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

[Darmian]

2 minutes ago, Zhym said:

Chris Jenkins law firm associates.

You load that mission up on +8 and tab target, you can get rather confused!

[cranebump]

2 hours ago, TerroirNoir said:

Jeez Louise.  I'm at 97.44 mb out of 97.66 mb!  I need to take some drastic action.  Apologies to @cranebump, @Darmian and @Ankylosaur but the Box set threads will have to go! Short of me making a TerroirNoir2 account and upping them there.

All good. Do what you gotta, Batman.:-)

[Zhym]

12 minutes ago, Darmian said:

You load that mission up on +8 and tab target, you can get rather confused!

The first thing to do is kill all the lawyers…

 

(Also?  That office is way too large and fancy for Chris Jenkins.  Those are the offices of a big corporate defense firm.  The Chris Jenkins law office should be on a strip mall or a shared office space in an industrial park.)

[Darmian]

1 minute ago, Zhym said:

The first thing to do is kill all the lawyers…

 

(Also?  That office is way too large and fancy for Chris Jenkins.  Those are the offices of a big corporate defense firm.  The Chris Jenkins law office should be on a strip mall or a shared office space in an industrial park.)

Oh, he's got those sorts of offices too!

 

Nyx-Astrea (she has some cool AEs too, as well as snagging a Dev's Choice) went through it with a Warshade.  Seems the lawyers are great to feed on while fighting the actual combatants!

[Zhym]

13 minutes ago, Darmian said:

Oh, he's got those sorts of offices too!

 

Nyx-Astrea (she has some cool AEs too, as well as snagging a Dev's Choice) went through it with a Warshade.  Seems the lawyers are great to feed on while fighting the actual combatants!

Too bad there's not a way to have branching logic in AE missions (is there?).  Just imagine someone coming out of that mission after killing a bunch of the lawyers, and the next screen is something like:

 

Quote

 

You get no more than a block away before you are accosted by a greasy man in an ill-fitting cheap suit.  He shoves something in a blue binder into your hand.  "[Charactername], you've been served."

 

Over the next few days, the problems of Arachnos factions, Blue Spectrum, the Meteors, and time travel all start to pale in comparison to the 73 separate multi-million dollar wrongful death suits that the Jenkins firm has filed against you.  Thankfully, the police hate Jenkins as much as heroes do, so you've managed to avoid criminal charges for now.  But your life now consists of depositions, garnishments, and endless meetings with lawyers—both yours and theirs.  

 

Whatever happens with the Meteors, they'll have to do it without you.

 

The end. 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Zhym

[Darmian]

6 minutes ago, Zhym said:

Too bad there's not a way to have branching logic in AE missions (is there?).  Just imagine someone coming out of that mission after killing a bunch of the lawyers, and the next screen is something like:

 

 

That would have made a very short arc!  Then again, I remember the people just moving stats about in Fantasy Football, so SOMEONE might play it.

[Zhym]

2 minutes ago, Darmian said:

That would have made a very short arc!  Then again, I remember the people just moving stats about in Fantasy Football, so SOMEONE might play it.

Well, it would only end abruptly if you kill any of the lawyers.  As long as you can make it through an office full of lawyers without killing any of them, the story would continue!

[TerroirNoir2]

Hello all!  Temporary measure but this should help!

 

With some resizing of images and careful selection of extraneous ones to remove I got the attachments down (!) to 95 percent!

Edited November 4, 2022 by TerroirNoir2

[TerroirNoir2]

I'll be moving the next review to here:

 

 

 

[Ankylosaur]

Why hello @TerroirNoir2 - pleased to meet you.

[Ankylosaur]

@TerroirNoir, I published an arc: All That Glitters: The Forgotten, which is a single map - the flooded city map - filled with ConDev and my old Custom Gold Brickers. It's there  just in case you want to see what they were like before I replaced them with the expanded Gold Bricker mob - maybe after you finish the whole thing.

 

It is not a story - just a way to display the mobs.

[Zhym]

I've been running @cranebump's stories (yeah, #%#@% timers and all—y'know ,sometimes people have to go to the bathroom, and at my age....anyway), and got to this one yesterday:

On 10/23/2022 at 12:02 AM, TerroirNoir said:

The last thing Comrade says to me before he dies is this:

 

 

And then I'm staggering out of that hellhole and making my way back across Mercy to make a phone call.  And get some Advil.  And bandages. And maybe a new career in dog walking.

 

Freitag is livid.  Well, more so that usual, what with the NewsAnon thing contributing to his high blood pressure and all.  He'll be in touch and he and Pep Becktrees will search for mentions of this Schturmivol whatevers.

 

I'd been running the missions at x3—nothing too insane, but enough extra mobs to keep things interesting.  Hollow Point went down pretty quickly, and Comrade died about half a second after he got up.  Maybe if I'd had a buffer/healer instead of a blaster, he'd have lived a few more seconds.  Anyway, after I got the "Mission Failed!" message, I turned the difficulty down and ran it again to see if I could get Comrade out the door safely.  And I did!  Even though he was at about 10% health at one point, I got him to the door.  Good thing there were no more ambushes.  

 

But I got the same reaction from Freitag, pissed that Comerade got killed.  Huh?  What the—is there a bug and my previous result is still holding?  Oh, wait.  There's a clue describing how Comrade got killed anyway.  Because of course he did—it's AE and you can't do branching logic, so he's dead one way or another.  Oh well.  I'm not sure whether or not "saving" Comrade only to have him killed off-screen feels cheaper than just finding his corpse on the floor.  There's definitely an aspect of "You win!  Hah ha, no, just kidding, he's dead anyway, you lose," to the way it is now.

 

One other question for @cranebump: At least one of the missions had "Janitors" and "Janiters."  Was that intentional, or a typo?

Edited November 5, 2022 by Zhym

[cranebump]

Janitor thing is a typo, for sure. I have to go back and fix so much stuff (to include some of the timers):-)

 

Comrade death: the main reason he has to go is, if he lives, he gives more than a partial clue, which would negate any reason for Pep to investigate what he said, thus forcing me to redesign two missions. It’s not so much a “win, lose” thing as it is a narrative device. If you got him out of there at all, that’s an accomplishment. In testing, I was about 50-50, using strong toons. I kind of like how intense that battle gets. The way the game is now, getting mobbed is a rarity. I guess I don’t mind failing every now and then. In this case, it’s a “fail forward.” Comrade’s death moves the story forward (and makes me want to really kick my enemy’s ass).:-)

 

Timers: it’s a choice. On the one hand, yeah, I can’t just take it at my speed. On the other hand, it makes “get out of the facility” etc. an actual thing. I didn’t think about bathroom breaks during the design process, but, being almost 60, I understand the demand.:-) 

 

Timer use gets rare as you go along in my stuff. Thanks for putting up with the early ones.

Edited November 5, 2022 by cranebump

[Darmian]

1 hour ago, cranebump said:

Timer use gets rare as you go along in my stuff.

Cue Muttley style grumbling.  

 

Then again I challenge people to play the first mission in @Peacock's "The Reports of my Death Are Entirely Accurate" for an example of an extreme timer!  Great arc though!

[Darmian]

This is posted elsewhere but I decided to cross post it here now that @TerroirNoir/@TerroirNoir2 has finished all 45 missions.

 

So I wrote a mid to high level canon-esque AE. Taking a sort of Supers procedural TV show as inspiration I ended up with three "seasons" comprising 15 episodes each. The story starts with Madame Maven, leader of The Meteors super group (Bullet Streak, Halox Von Horn, Super Charger and The Invincible Axios) calling in the player(s) for some help when Arachnos troops are seen on some covert mission in the ruins of Galaxy City.

---

Dark Deeds in Galaxy City: Part One. (Arc id 26756) Madame Maven of the Meteors asks for your help when two of her team go missing in the ruins of Galaxy City while investigating reported Arachnos sightings there. 

 

Dark Deeds in Galaxy City: Part Two. (Arc id 26952) Following the events of Part One, Ghost Widow recruits you to retrieve an item personal to her, while investigating what she says are rogue Arachnos.

 

Dark Deeds in Galaxy City: Part Three. (Arc id 27233) Returning to Paragon from the Rogue Isles, you and the Meteors attempt to thwart the Arachnos faction operating there, but all is not what it seems. 

---

Darker Deeds: Part One (Arc id 28374) A surviving prisoner from the Arachnos faction will only speak to you. The Meteors once again ask for your aid, but things go terribly awry and the past comes back to haunt Paragon City. 

 

Darker Deeds: Part Two. (Arc id 28536) Following the events of Part One, a new contact approaches you for help, one that is not immediately trustworthy but needs must when friends' lives depend upon it.

 

Darker Deeds: Part Three. (Arc id 29252) Pursuing a slim lead brings you again to the Rogue Isles, and into the depths of modern day Arachnos' machinations.  And a terrible plan that even they fear. 

---

Darkest Before Dawn: Part One (Arc id 29891) You and the Meteors track the remnants of the Arachnos faction as they become more desperate and more dangerous, and discover you are not alone in this secret war. 

 

Darkest Before Dawn: Part Two (Arc id 30210) The faction's plan is put in motion and all of Paragon is in danger. With time running out what can you do except fight until your last? 

 

Darkest Before Dawn: Part Three (Arc id 30560) The birds are coming home to roost and old truths and secrets will out, while new secrets threaten the future in ways you had not imagined.

---

So if you fancy a longer story that could pass for mid level canon in a dim light, enjoy!

I had a lot of fun writing it. I also had a lot of frustration with the AE tool limits but that's also part of the fun.

[Darmian]

And coming next!

 

The Meteors: (Arc id 42079)  Ever since you registered as a super with City Hall they've had your contact details if they needed you, though you've been doing fine by yourself so far. Today however, you have a message from an unknown sender on that secure line. Do you want to open it? 

 

Prequel to Dark Deeds in Galaxy City: Part One (Arc id 26756)

[TerroirNoir]

As @Ankylosaur pointed out I could have just posted here with my other account and kept going.  That didn't occur to me!  But at least this way there isn't an enormous thread to wade through.

[Zhym]

 

On 10/26/2022 at 10:31 PM, TerroirNoir said:

Arc 7 from our second writer on "TerroirNoir's Cable Channel of AE" Reviews is, @cranebump's Leviathan 4: Origin. 

Okay.  That was cool.  Surreal, weird, mind-bending...all in a good way.  I don't think I've run anything quite like it.  Bravo, @cranebump.  One of the best stories I've run, in or out of AE.  

 

One note: the AE souvenir seems to be cut off:

[TerroirNoir2]

1 hour ago, Zhym said:

 

Okay.  That was cool.  Surreal, weird, mind-bending...all in a good way.  I don't think I've run anything quite like it.  Bravo, @cranebump.  One of the best stories I've run, in or out of AE.  

 

One note: the AE souvenir seems to be cut off:

 

It was.  It was tricky to review it without giving everything away.  So, the peculiar way I tried to do it.  It mostly works I think.

[Darmian]

2 hours ago, Zhym said:

 

Okay.  That was cool.  Surreal, weird, mind-bending...all in a good way.  I don't think I've run anything quite like it.  Bravo, @cranebump.  One of the best stories I've run, in or out of AE.  

 

One note: the AE souvenir seems to be cut off:

Yeah.  I look at the guys and think "Now how did they do that?"  I admire @cranebump's ability to do the surreal stuff.  Can't do it myself.  

[cranebump]

8 hours ago, Zhym said:

 

Okay.  That was cool.  Surreal, weird, mind-bending...all in a good way.  I don't think I've run anything quite like it.  Bravo, @cranebump.  One of the best stories I've run, in or out of AE.  

 

One note: the AE souvenir seems to be cut off:

Well,shoot. I’ll take a look at that. 
 

Thanks for the kind words. Glad it was a cool experience for you.

 

Btw, I second @Darmian's rec of Peacock's arc. It's entirely unique.

Edited November 6, 2022 by cranebump

[Zhym]

On 10/30/2022 at 12:14 AM, TerroirNoir said:

What took so long?  Well, we normally don't keep searching AFTER we've found a body.  It's a little quirk of the system I know, but it's normally ironclad.  Might have to have another look at that rule actually, considering the current situation.

Okay, it's bits like this that make these play-throughs worth reading. :)

[Zhym]

On 11/2/2022 at 12:49 AM, TerroirNoir said:

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)

So, about that 10-minute timer, @cranebump...  

 

I'm guessing you're going for something sort of like the start of "The Reports of My Death Are Entirely Accurate" (which, you're right, is an excellent arc).  But in that one,

Spoiler

It's pretty clear that you're meant to fail.  There are three mission objectives you can get, and then one that outright says there isn't enough time.  And there's also that part where you're told that this is the story of your death, so it's not like the player should expect to win that mission!

The first mission of Mobius 1, though—well, it sure seems like a no-win story opener.  But the timer is just tight enough (or long enough) that maybe the player could win?  I honestly couldn't tell—and that was kind of frustrating, to be honest.

Spoiler

So first, I had to find Positron.  And I didn't know if that mean that he was standing around somewhere to be "rescued" or if I needed to be searching body bags.  So I searched body bags—many, many, many body bags—and didn't find him.  Then I finally came across Positron, and that spawned someone else I needed to search the map for.  Zoria.  Sigh.  More hopping around what's a fairly big map, then.  I find Zoria, fight more mobs...and then get five more targets I need to clear.  Really?  Really?   At this point, I have about four minutes to find and defeat five targets.  I make a game go of it, but...yeah, not happening.  Mission failed.

Now, maybe the mission is supposed to fail.  And even if I'd "won," I'd have lost (shades of the "Rescue Comrade" mission, there).  But if so, isn't the timer kind of unnecessary?  That map has so much going on, and so much atmosphere, that putting a time limit on it is kind of a shame, IMO.  And it's not like you're fighting time at the end of the world—the world's going to be ended for a long time.  I get that it's all a dream, and dreams sort of have time limits, but time also works weirdly in dreams. So I don't think it needs to be there the way the timer in "The Reports of My Death" does.  And if it seems like it's possible to win a mission, certain players are going to fixate on winning the mission even if that would have no effect on the story.  Not that I know any players like that.  Nope.

 

So, maybe consider removing the timer from that mission? 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Zhym

[TerroirNoir2]

@Zhym, you found people?  I was lucky enough to find Positron early and then no one else.  Baron someone I think. Maybe taking the timer off is a plan, I did get the whole futility feel going on from it though.  It was my take that that is what was intended.  My assumption though to be honest.

[Zhym]

4 minutes ago, TerroirNoir2 said:

@Zhym, you found people?  I was lucky enough to find Positron early and then no one else.  Baron someone I think. Maybe taking the timer off is a plan, I did get the whole futility feel going on from it though.  It was my take that that is what was intended.  My assumption though to be honest.

I did!  I found Positron after about three minutes or so, and only because I had your post to confirm that he was actually somewhere alive and not in one of the body bags.  Baron Zoria was also alive, "friendly" and guarded by mobs, but clearly not my friend.  When I defeated him, the next goal was to defeat five Dagons (whatever those were; I didn't have time to check their Info pages).  Maybe there were even more objectives after that, and the idea was to have more objectives than the player will have time for?  I don't know, but IMO it didn't quite work.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Zhym