[Heroic] [40-54] Adventures in Oz - Arc ID: 55080

[Ankylosaur]

Digging back into the public domain, I'm pleased to share Adventures in Oz!

 

A fairly straightforward romp, it is all about the customs and the plot. In terms of CoH, it is integrated into the place most like Oz, Croatoa. In terms of Oz stories, it picks up after book six in the Oz books, which is to say it uses many characters and plot points beyond those in the first book, but you don't need to know them. Was interesting to dive into the Oz world (which I have never really done before) and the recent Marvel comics were a great help here to make it easy to read, and fan wikis easy to research.

 

Hope you enjoy! I am very open to feedback and plan to further refine it as I get some.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[Ankylosaur]

Design decisions

 

Was fairly pleased with my pretty simple story that builds off of Oz lore and things that were left open. Of course there are already a million adaptations, but mostly I was just worried I might not come up with something original all - so yeah - pleased I did. 

 

I picked and chose which characters I could work in based on powers and story fit. No Toto of course. Sadly, I could not work in Billina, (she's awesome) and I purposely avoided Santa Claus (cause - ridiculous).  The biggest limitation was file size - at about 42% I can't open any arc without timing out of the mapserver. I have many characters I made but could not fit in sitting a "Ozites-holding-group." There I have more munchkins, gillikins, quadlings, and winkies along with a few other variants of the enemy mobs that I just could not fit in and still open the file. So if you see a group and wonder why all the minions look the same, well there are a few mobs I had to go simple on (meaning only one minion) to save space. I even went so far as to shorten some character descriptions to free up some space - every word counts!

There are several more signature characters I may work in some day, but they were not critical to the story.

 

One place I could save some space is using the OOB Cabal, but then I would have had to make this cap at level 34. Still pondering that though.

 

One mechanic decision I made, was to make the allies EBs for survivability, since it seems like groups might play these. But always concerned that might make it all a bit easy. To combat that, it meant I also made lots of signature folk into AVs. That's in contrast to what I did In Adventures in Wonderland, for example, where I made most people Bosses, with fewer EBs and AVs. I may do that here eventually depending on feedback.

 

Very eager for feedback - let me know what you love and or hate and any feelings in between. 

And typos - if you see some (and I am sure there are some) let me know and I will polish those right up.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[Ankylosaur]

Made some tweaks after a Twitch run I watched: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1796009524

1. The custom Cabal characters no longer have paralyzing bolt (with its -100% end regen )
2.  I renamed the Emerald City Guard from things like Emerald Private to City Guard Private.
3. Fixed a few typos I noticed.
4. My Nome LTs were fire control/thermal and earth control/thermal. Decided to make them more offensive and changed them to fire blast/thermal seismic blast/thermal.
5. Made the Nomes a little taller mainly because I want to make the the costumes easier to see. 🙂

 

Some general answers to questions from the twitch ply through 

• Spoiler

  • The books take place after the first 6 novels, which are also (award winning) Marvel Comics. Because of that though you may encounter many groups you would not know if you just knew the movie. The Nome King was featured in Return to OZ though, and many other characters have been in the many and varied adaptations.  It was a lot of research to pull together, but the comics sure helped make it more fun to do so. Frankly - book 5 - Ozma's birthday party where Santa Claus shows up was pretty hard to get through. Book 6's "lets drive Aunt Em and Uncle Henry around was too, but, the Nome Kingdom's invasion was a core component to my backstory here. 
  • Jack of Irons is in the Grim Valley map of Croatoa, because, that is where he and Eochai often fight. He's just there for flavor. As some of Oz was invading, you encounter some of those that would be where the invasion is happening. Because of Jack of Irons and Croatoa in general, I considered making this more Croatoa level appropriate. If I did I could add in the Eochai on map one and use Out of the box Cabal. But as the Cabal are not the main focus, I left it as high level since people like reasons to use their 50s. And yes, the Tuatha and Red Caps go to level 50.  (I had also thought of using a GM in Emerald City to represent the iron giant that guards the entrance to the Nome Kingdom but eventually decided against it.)
  • Winged Monkey LTs are beast summoning, because, when Dorothy encounters the wicked witch of the west, she is attacked by bees, crows, and wolves (odd how nicely that lines up)
  • Emerald City Guard General does use the Elemental costume. There were no Nemesis bosses that were in Nemesis costumes to play the boss part of the guard. Plus I needed a costume for Omby Amby. Similarly, there are no Boss Nemesis Automatons to use for the civilians, so added in some of mother mayhem's mob to count as the bosses and fill the gap - which is why the civilian bosses look a little special.

   

Edited April 18, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[SeraphimKensai]

How can you deal with the nomes without Belinda and her eggs, or the water of obliteration?

 

I haven't checked your arc yet but will take a look at it when I get the chance.

 

Hopefully this week Ozma will see me in her magic picture and use the magic belt to wish me to your arc. Lately I've been so busy I might as well be the Gump affixed over the fireplace, as I haven't been able to do much.

[CraterLabs]

I'm a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz books, so I'll be sure to check this one out. 🙂

[Ankylosaur]

@SeraphimKensai and @CraterLabs

 

Looking forward to the feedback! Definitely had to make some concessions, but eager to see if it generally works even if sadly there is no Gump either... (Sadly there is a general lack of flying couch options in the costume creator. 😉 )

 

Certainly it would have been a bit easier if you could have just brought some of Billina's eggs. 🙂 

 

 

Spoiler

I had wanted to include the magic picture and maybe golden cap (I forget if the cap was destroyed or given to the monkeys when they were set free) as things you recover in the final mission from the main enemy, but, was out of space in the file. 

 

The easiest way for me to get more space is to lower it to level 25-34 to use the standard Cabal instead of customs, but then I think I need to lower the difficulty on a few things too, and am worried that might put off players who, at this point, I presume are mostly 50s looking for something new to do.)

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[SeraphimKensai]

10 minutes ago, Ankylosaur said:

@SeraphimKensai and @CraterLabs

 

Looking forward to the feedback! Definitely had to make some concessions, but eager to see if it generally works even if sadly there is no Gump either...

 

Certainly it would have been a bit easier if you could have just brought some of Billina's eggs. 🙂

I should have some time this weekend to check it out.

[SeraphimKensai]

mish 1 seems good. 

mish 2 phantasms are spelt phanfasms in your mission, first and foremost was difficult to spot. wasn't expecting Jack in Irons. Also the portal to oz is difficult to see.

mish 3 i wasn't expecting that. hungry tiger needs to talk about wanting to eat a fat baby. so glad tik-tok made it in, and damn you got allegro's costume spot on.

 

I'd double check your mission text for grammar and the occasional spelling, but overall so far pretty good. I'll have to finish the rest later.

 

[Ankylosaur]

@seraphim, thanks for the feedback!

• Believe it or not - they are spelled Phanfasms in the Oz world. 
• I could make the first and foremost's costume brighter, or maybe give him an animation that calls more attention to him.
• Jack is a surprise, but that's the Grim Valley where he often shows up.
  • If I make it lower level, 25-34, I would put in the Eochai and some Fir Bolg in M1 for flavor too.
• I really wish we could get the "newer" portal that swirls, they stand out, but alas those are not in AE.
  • the portal I'm using is a sort of "hack" - its actually a rescue - but that yellow transparent door in Croatoa where everything has a yellow fog to it makes it trick to see... I wonder if I could put an animation on it as a rescue though. hmmm...
• He should be - I'll double check that. Watching the twitch play through I was not noticing much of the characters speaking - not sure if that is a bug because of so many customs or something, but will check that.

in addition to the main characters, M3 is your optional "explore and see how many named folk you can find" mission, where the Hungry Tiger, Allegro and others can be found.

 

Since you have started, I went in and gave the Whimsies some small costume mods to make each individual and each tier of them a little more distinctive, but I don't think you will see those since the arc is in motion - not sure though.

 

If you notice any typos - always appreciate those as its so hard to see them in your own stuff.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[SeraphimKensai]

12 minutes ago, Ankylosaur said:

Believe it or not - they are spelled Phanfasms in the Oz world. 

Ah makes sense. I've only ever read the first book, but my daughter and I have done books 1-8 as audiobooks together.

 

Shaggy Man sure seemed to kick some ass, I figured with his love charm he'd be confusing mobs instead.

Edited April 22, 2023 by SeraphimKensai

[Ankylosaur]

What the tiger was supposed to say.... Not sure why he didn't

 

 

 

The Shaggy Man uses his love magnet to charm though, and at the point in the story where we are, he has given that to Ozma and she has placed it over the city gates so everyone comes in feeling friendly. I instead decided to tap into his whole "zen" approach and gave him the kinetic melee which is sort of martial artsy. It's a stretch, but what can you do.

 

[TerroirNoir2]

Some day...in the far future(!)...I WILL get to this, @Ankylosaur!  I absolutely definitely will.

[Ankylosaur]

Well @TerroirNoir2, I'm working on something else on the same theme. You'll likely have another to look forward to by then. 🙂

[Ankylosaur]

So, there was not a way to add animations to the portal door "hack" but, it did occur to me that the Ward from Animus Archanus group would make for a nice magical portal in a similar way. it is more animated, appropriately magical, and hopefully stands out a bit more as a result.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[Ankylosaur]

Added in a couple of storm blast characters, e.g. Polychrome.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[Ankylosaur]

Alright again 100% spoiler - but I am loving the summarization of a story arc using ChatGPT.

Here was the first pass:

Spoiler

 

 

 

The story arc titled "Adventures in Oz" unfolds after L. Frank Baum's sixth Oz book, "The Emerald City of Oz." It begins with the protagonist encountering a frantic man named Oscar Diggs, also known as the Wizard of Oz, who seeks help in Croatoa. The Wizard, alongside his friends Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Jack Pumpkinhead, have fled from the magical land of Oz to escape a violent magic that turns inhabitants aggressive. They seek refuge and assistance in combating the witches, pumpkin-headed men, and deer-headed beasts that assail them.

Mission summaries:

1. Mission 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

   • The protagonist helps the Wizard and his friends fight off the Cabal and the Tuatha in Croatoa. They secure a temporary refuge in New Connaught, agreeing to combat the invading creatures as a condition for their stay.

2. Mission 2: The Road To Oz

   • The protagonist battles the Nome King's army, including Phanfasms, Growleywogs, and Whimseys, to repel them from Oz. This effort aims to close the portal to Oz and prevent further invasions.

3. Mission 3: The Emerald City of Oz

   • The journey leads to an attempt to retake the Emerald City of Oz, which has fallen under the control of the Nome King's forces. The protagonist must navigate the city, now filled with violent Ozian civilians, and confront the Nome King's generals.

4. Mission 4: The Marvelous Land of Oz

   • The protagonist delves into the origins of the Wizard's guilt over his past actions in Oz, particularly his deceit and the kidnapping of Princess Ozma. The mission involves a venture into the Nome Kingdom to address these wrongs and confront the Nome King and his army.

5. Mission 5: Ozma of Oz

   • The final mission focuses on rescuing Princess Ozma from Mombi, the Wicked Witch of the North, who has instigated the violent upheaval in Oz. The protagonist, alongside the Wizard, battles Mombi and her winged monkeys to restore peace to Oz and return Ozma to her throne.

Throughout the story, themes of redemption, courage, and friendship are explored, as the Wizard seeks to atone for his past misdeeds and protect the land of Oz from further turmoil. The protagonist plays a crucial role in aiding the Ozians, battling formidable foes, and ultimately helping to restore harmony to the magical realm of Oz.

 

Then it occurred to me I could ask it to do it in second person past tense and got something much more like a regular souvenir.

 

Spoiler

 

In the story arc titled "Adventures in Oz," you found yourself thrust into a magical conflict beyond your wildest imagination. Stepping into the land of Croatoa, you were met by a frantic Wizard, Oscar Diggs, who pleaded for your aid against an onslaught of pumpkin-headed men, witches, and deer-headed beasts. As the tales unfurled, you learned of Oscar's past misdeeds in Oz, his transformation into a humble servant under Princess Ozma's reign, and the dire situation that forced the inhabitants of Oz to flee into your world.

 

 

Your journey began with a desperate mission to save Oscar's friends—the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Jack Pumpkinhead—from their captors. Through bravery and combat, you rescued them from the clutches of witches and restored peace to the refugee Ozians in Croatoa.

As the story progressed, you were drawn deeper into the magical conflicts of Oz. You encountered the Nome King's army, composed of Phanfasms, Growleywogs, and Whimseys, and uncovered their plot to invade Oz. Your valiant efforts repelled the invaders, ensuring the safety of Oz's magical inhabitants and revealing the deeper machinations behind the invasion.

 

The heart of the conflict lay in the Emerald City, where you faced General Guph and his Nome army. Your victory exposed Mombi's treachery—stealing Ozma's magic belt to unleash violence upon Oz. The revelation of her manipulation and the Nome King's unwitting involvement painted a complex picture of power and betrayal.

 

Your final challenge led you to confront Mombi in her lair, where you battled her winged minions and ultimately defeated the witch herself. In a dramatic finale, you rescued Ozma, restoring her to her rightful place and bringing an end to the violence that plagued Oz. Through courage and determination, you played a pivotal role in saving a magical kingdom and righting the wrongs of the past.

 

Reflecting on your journey, you realized the profound impact of your actions on the land of Oz and its inhabitants. Your adventure, filled with battles, alliances, and the unraveling of dark plots, was a testament to the power of heroism and redemption. As you returned to Croatoa, the memories of Oz lingered, a vivid reminder of the extraordinary adventure you had lived through.

 

 

 

 

 Unfortunately my OZ arc is too big to open because of all the customs. I time out trying to open it so this will not make it in there - so if you ever play it - consider the above your souvenir.

 

🙂

Edited February 17 by Ankylosaur