Theatrical Release Trailer for: Trial By Frost! (levels 10-15 / 45-54)

[CraterLabs]

LIVE in ARCHITECT ENTERTAINMENT, we bring you the latest chapter in The War On Drugs in an adventure that we just had to call:

 

Trial By Frost!

Arc ID: 55099

 

A hero is going on trial for assaulting known Family thug, Josiah Verandi! The hero claims she could tell that Josiah was about to go into a superadine-fueled RAGE and he needed to be hit hard, but his evil lawyer, CATHERINE MAUSER, ESQUIRE, says that this is a ridiculous claim! Help a beloved Galaxy City contact investigate this claim in a story that will go far beyond the court room and into the very heart of the war on drugs! Play through this EPIC HOLOGRAPHIC GAME  using Architect Entertainment's BLAST PROCESSING HOLOGRAM TECHNOLOGY in a story that dares to make you face:

 

 

• 4 Insidious Levels of Drug-Busting Mayhem!
• MOOKS! Celebrated and reimagined, bash your way through classic Mooks straight from Port Oakes, and then clobber newer, sleeker, level-agnostic Mooks who've really put their illicit boxing match fixing habit and Bloody Vicious' insistence on swordplay to good use!
• Misplaced Destroyer supervillain T-Wrecks, his best bud Tex Wrecks, and their squad The Wrecking Crew!
• A suspicious candy business OPERATED BY MOOKS!!
• More collectables than you can shake a stick at, providing you can't shake a stick at more than eleven things! Locate all of the "candy additives" that keep the superadine operation flowing!
• An incredible power-up that BOOSTS YOU A MINIMUM OF FORTY LEVELS TO HELP YOU FIGHT CRIME! You're NOT DOING DRUGS TO GET THIS POWER! You're *NOT*!
• The strange cadre of villains known as The Nine Clives! Is it true that there are exactly nine of them? Do they always dress like cats, or just when they're on the job?!
• A mysterious, and EVIL, lawyer! She's a colleague of Chris Jenkins, so you KNOW she's bad! Wouldn't it be a CRAZY TWIST if she was ACTUALLY A HERO and the hero you were trying to EXONERATE was GUILTY?! *WOW* that'd be crazy! Not this time, though! She's EVIL!!!
• One off the game's least utilized endgame villain groups STRIKING FROM THE SHADOWS!
• A truly surprising amount of MOOKS!!!
• The boost we mentioned five bullet points ago is really more like when you destroy lab equipment in lab maps and get a powerup from that! Seriously, you don't do drugs! Drugs are bad! Don't do them!
• The Family getting a potential shake-up courtesy of The Verandis! Who are better known as the group who leads THE MOOKS!!!!!
• Evidence of Collusion! Evidence of Conspiracy! Evidence of... Candy?
• Valentino Candy Company Mascot, Valentino the Red Cap! VALENTINO THE RED CAP HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE STORY DUE TO CREATIVE DIFFERENCES WITH THE REST OF THE CAST AND HIS PENCHANT FOR SHOOTING US WITH ARROWS WHEN WE AREN'T LOOKING
• ...and special guest, beloved Galaxy City G.I.F.T. contact Prince Kiros Nandelu, rescued from the rubble and eager to get to the bottom of this mystery!

 

WOW, it sounds like the War On Drugs is gonna be EPIC! Think you have what it takes to smash your way through All Four Levels, all the Crazy Enemies, and the Insane Plot Twists that go ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP... of the HIGHEST TOWER IN PARAGON CITY?! Only one way to find out!!

 

TRIAL BY FROST!

 

Now playing at ALL Architect Entertainment venues!

[cranebump]

On the one hand, this tells me everything I need to know.

 

On the other hand, I have no idea what to expect.:-)

 

But, seriously, is this a typical story arc? Or should I be worried by the term Trial in the title? Oh, I'll likely play it, either way. Esp. with this full-page add in the Paragon Times.:-)

[CraterLabs]

9 hours ago, cranebump said:

But, seriously, is this a typical story arc? Or should I be worried by the term Trial in the title? Oh, I'll likely play it, either way. Esp. with this full-page add in the Paragon Times.:-)

 

It is, in fact, a typical story arc! In fact, I'd say that it's dependent on both the current state of game canon, and potentially lets you shake up the status quo of the game world in some not-insignificant ways, depending on how well you do! I wanted this story to have a big impact (even if all AE stories are non-canon.) The "trial" is mostly in reference to the fact that there's a superhero being sued by Josiah Verandi's lawyer and the fact that the story involves investigating the circumstances surrounding that trial, and all the directions it goes in. Don't worry, I've not somehow created a new Cavern Of Transcendence Trial or Sewer Trial or anything like that. Be ready for anything, though!

Edited April 19, 2023 by CraterLabs

[Ankylosaur]

First - super fun to bring back the Prince. Love how you are tying it all into the lore and playing with some lesser used gangs while also updating the post Praetoria Paragon (a path I've spent a lot of time on myself.) Great references and details all around. 

 

(In fact I thin the Destroyers may be the ONLY gang from Praetoria proper - meaning not first ward or night ward - that do not make a showing in Paragon)

 

Some things that I am just jotting down along the way. Take em or leave em

Spoiler

 

M1 

 

• Surprised by lack of mission titles
• Great details all around.
• Surprised the trolls did not stay and fight - seems a bit off troll brand. 🙂 instead of a rescue, they could be a boss talking to minions that are destroyers instead until you arrive. The bosses could even be triggered to flee making it feel dynamic. (with the trouble that you fail if you make them required and they succeed in fleeing) Just an idea - work great as they are too.

M2

• Feels like a big map compared to what we just did.
  • the glowies don't have the progress bar text.
• Oooo! unexpected twist! Did not see that coming! (I missed the escort because of where she was on the map and cleared her destination though before finding her, but I got what you were trying to do. Maybe a tighter map with fewer side corridors would help make sure you encounter her first.)
• great motivation in the return!

M3

• Clever use of the mutagen "boost" and if the mobs you face!
• Clive - LOL 🙂
• Clever enemies - love the details
• Well - didn't the Mooks clean up.
• Seems like A LOT of patrols all saying the same thing
• No mention of my boosted levels and powers by Prince after he said he'd monitor me. 

M4

• A fitting fighting finale!
•  

other

• Kind of wanted some time in the night club map just - cause well - you know 🙂 but i think its all carnie themed so guess its hard to justify 

 

Overall: super-fun arc that ties right into the lore. Some clever customs and fun details Great stuff!

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Ankylosaur

[CraterLabs]

On 4/23/2023 at 4:05 PM, Ankylosaur said:

Overall: super-fun arc that ties right into the lore. Some clever customs and fun details Great stuff!

 

Thanks! I might go in for another pass to see if I can tighten some things based on your suggestions. In particular

 

Spoiler

I always try to do too much when making these things, and try to push in some concepts that, I admit, work to the detriment of the story. I went with the "Random Map" options for two of the missions because, well... I'd never done it before. And honestly, I found that it did contribute to the story's replayability, at least while I was testing it, so I was happy to let it show up... though I did have a single playthrough where I found Vicious, I mean, Bloody Vicious before finding Catty Mauser, Esquire. I tested it to make sure the mission wouldn't implode, but then left it as is because at that point I was getting exhausted, heh. But a "definite" map would probably be better for the sake of the story, yeah.

 

On that note, though: you say you weren't expecting the twist in that mission, did you happen to notice her tail before the reveal? I couldn't decide if it was too obvious, too subtle, or "just obvious enough".

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by CraterLabs