Praetoria level 40+ missions (feedback requested)

[Shocktacular]

Hello AE people!

I like Praetoria a lot. The stories there are really really good. However, I'm a bit frustrated that they only go up to level 39 (in Night Ward). I know that you can do Trilogy's repeatable missions at higher levels, but they get pretty boring after a while, so I decided to make my own "zone" for Praetoria for level 40+ and some new story arcs for it. I've already run through these with my friends, so I think I'm ready to advertise them to a wider audience. I've put the basic "zone" info in a spoiler box below in case you want to go in completely blind (though I recommend looking at the info; I'm trying to make this work like an actual zone as much as possible and all of the info in the spoiler box would be included in a zone intro mini-arc, like the one that you get in First Ward to get to Night Ward). I've put the map mockups I've made and more detailed info in a spoiler box within the spoiler box in case you only want the intro stuff.

 

Spoiler

Overrun: Praetoria level 40+ zone

Deep in Hamidon territory around an old lab/science complex near a nuclear bomb crater from the Hamidon Wars is an area that Hamidon seems to have left mostly untouched. With Hamidon's aggression increasing due to the interference of Primals, Praetorians are desperate to discover what has kept Hamidon from conquering this region, hoping they can use whatever it is to protect Praetoria itself from Hamidon's grasp.

 

Spoiler

Overrun map:

 

The IDF have set up a base of operations, called "Outpost", at the central lab complex, outlined in green on the map. This is the standard player "safe zone" with a trainer, enhancement seller, hospital, base portal, etc.

The area around Outpost consists of run-down and decrepit buildings and streets, similar to First Ward. This area is called "The Ruins" and is outlined in yellow (indicating enemies levels 40 to 43). Hamidon has not yet infiltrated this area, although some of his creatures still roam around, along with other new enemy groups. Occasionally, there will be small groups of IDF fighting these creatures. At the edges of Outpost, the IDF will be friendly, but further away they will have a yellow reticle box so that they can be attacked if you wish but won't attack you unprovoked.

 

There are two "lobes" bordered in yellow extending outward from The Ruins towards the bomb crater. The upper lobe is the remains of the Mendel Research Station, while the lower lobe is the remains of the Pasteur Research Station. Both have some above-ground buildings, but they're more broken down than those in The Ruins and have more vegetation growing in them, like the lower level areas of Eden.

 

Most of the zone, outlined in orange (enemies level 43 to 47), is "The Wild" which has been partly taken over by Hamidon. Many of his creatures roam the area, along with other enemies. The area includes some forest paths (similar to Perez Park's interior) with frequent clearings. Hamidon creatures are more likely to be found in the forest while other enemy groups are more likely to be in the clearings.

 

The elliptical area outlined in red (enemies level 47 to 50) is "Fallout", where the land is mostly sterilized as a result of the bomb, even so many years later. The areas bordering this region have burning trees, like that one mission map. Hamidon's creatures don't go much past this edge. Further in, there are scrapmetal structures, like the Freakshow build in Crey's Folly and Sharkhead, so someone is probably living there in spite of all the radiation.

 

The circular area outlined in dark red (enemies level 50+) is "The Crater" where the bomb dropped. It also has some ramshackle structures built in it, though not as many.

 

The purple dots on the map indicate entrances to underground tunnels, the extent of which are shown here:

The purple squares denote old underground lab rooms, now mostly in ruins like the ones in Faultline inhabited by Arachnos. However, there also seems to be some new construction going on as well.

 

The boundary of the zone is an impenetrable forest with the standard "blue barrier wall" extending upward indefinitely to keep people with Fly from going out-of-bounds.

 

 

I have three arcs so far, with the title and ID numbers given below:

First Arc: "New Earth Rising" ID# 58322

Second Arc: "Digging Deeper" ID# 59736

Third Arc: "Operation Illuminate" ID# 61135

 

 A number of the maps have stuff that's exclusive to Primal Earth (Arachnos flyer, Council banners, etc.) which is only still there because I can't erase it. Please ignore it. These arcs are supposed to be set in Praetoria.

 

I'm nervous about posting these, since they're the first serious arcs I've submitted to this forum for review. Please let me know what you think of them, and I hope you have fun!

Edited April 6 by Shocktacular

[Darmian]

Oh excellent.  I look forward to trying these out. I've just posted the link to our Praetorian SG. And yes, the lack of maps thing is annoying but can't be helped.

 

My own attempts at Praetorian "canon" are set between Neutropolis and First Ward and locked to around levels 19 to 25.  See my signature for details.

Edited April 7 by Darmian

[Ankylosaur]

Great to see!

 

I am in the middle of doing something similar with my Neo Praetoria series that is still a WIP. Mine picks up right after The Magician's arc, but is tied to my Neo Tokyo stuff so I suspect we are not treading the same ground.

 

Will be fun to see your take!

[Darmian]

@LordRassilon has done a Twitch run.  [HC:Everlasting] MondAE Discoveries! Player Made Content Night / WST for Double Merits! - Twitch

 

 

[Zhym]

That sounds really cool, and I like that you have a "zone" concept.  Shame there's no way to implement the zone, but AE is what AE is.

 

However...I have to admit that I started "New Earth Rising" and then quit before finishing the first mission, because:

Spoiler

It turned out to be an escort mission on a rather large map. 

 

My advice on escort missions in AE:

1. Don't.
2. If you really, really have to, warn the player clearly in advance that it's going to be an escort mission.  "Rescue <Wossname>" isn't enough of a clue.   "Find <Wossname> and bring her back safely out of the caves" is better.  "Warning: This is an escort mission" in bright, bold letters at the bottom of the dialog window is even better, IMO, but that might be a bit over the top. 🙂
3. Keep escort mission maps as small as you can. 
4. But really: don't.

I'd suggest asking yourself if having to escort an NPC out of the map really adds anything to the story that a rescue (without escort) does not.

 

At least it wasn't timed. 😉 (Hi, @cranebump!)

 

Edited June 3 by Zhym

[Oubliette_Red]

On 6/3/2024 at 3:52 PM, Zhym said:

That sounds really cool, and I like that you have a "zone" concept.  Shame there's no way to implement the zone, but AE is what AE is.

 

However...I have to admit that I started "New Earth Rising" and then quit before finishing the first mission, because:

  Hide contents

It turned out to be an escort mission on a rather large map. 

 

My advice on escort missions in AE:

1. Don't.
2. If you really, really have to, warn the player clearly in advance that it's going to be an escort mission.  "Rescue <Wossname>" isn't enough of a clue.   "Find <Wossname> and bring her back safely out of the caves" is better.  "Warning: This is an escort mission" in bright, bold letters at the bottom of the dialog window is even better, IMO, but that might be a bit over the top. 🙂
3. Keep escort mission maps as small as you can. 
4. But really: don't.

I'd suggest asking yourself if having to escort an NPC out of the map really adds anything to the story that a rescue (without escort) does not.

 

At least it wasn't timed. 😉 (Hi, @cranebump!)

 

 

Back on Legacy, I had made a Praetorian arc (mostly it was for my expat and our RP group) rescuing citizens from New Tokyo. If I recall correctly, I had used the Siren's Call map or another one that is very similar to it, but made sure to make it non-escort. I'd pull it out of moth balls and submit it, but it's on my desktop with is still in a box from moving.

 

Now that my expat is 41 I'll have to check this out.

 

Edited June 7 by Oubliette_Red