Help! I Want to Play the Best Mid & High Level Stories

[Herotu]

Before I begin, I know there will be legions of pedants lining up to tell me there's no objective "Best". Okay I've covered my arse, you can go home now.

Now they've gone, I know that you know there are lots of "better" story arcs around! Come on, let me in on the secret, which are they? 

 

Here's some info in case you want to suggest something to suit my particular taste: I don't usually play far beyond level 30. I'm generally in decision hell at that point, with epic pools to choose from in addition to pool powers  and the end of obvious archetype power choices.

 

Additionally, the missions seem a little dull and don't grab me in the same way I'm used to. So that you might get a grasp of what kind of arc I enjoy, here are some of my go-to contacts;

Matthew Habashi

Sondra Costel

Aaron Thiery

Field Agent Kieth Nance

Jenny Adair

Roy Cooling

All the Faultline Arc(s)

 

I'm also interested in what happened with Statesman and the surviving eight, so if I've missed low level stories about them, I'd be interested in playing those.

 

Thanks for helping me! 😄

[ZorkNemesis]

For Blueside, I recommend Laura Lockheart (play this arc twice, there's a bonus ending in Ouroboros) and Grahm Easton.  Both were added after issue 19 so they're on the newer end.  They are available from 15 to 25 in Steel Canyon.

 

If you want to sample some new stuff written by the Homecoming team, check out Shauna Brawn (Vigilante 25-29) and Agent Walkins (20-29).  They're different and take advantage of some more modern mechanics but they're very well done for what they offer.  Walkins' arc can be very challenging however, especially a late mission where you have to fight your way through a contaminated warehouse.

 

For Statesman specifically, Who Will Die touches upon that, a 7-chapter series of stories that has you working alongside the Freedom Phalanx while various threats make themselves known.  You csn auto-teleport to the contacts for these arcs via the LFG tab as they're considered TFs (but soloable).  However these arcs span all levels, if you stop at level 30 you'll only play the first two arcs out of seven.

[FFFF]

I do all the Stirga arcs in the 20s. The arcs offer great merit rewards and I think the stories of the Council/Fifth Column taking over an island that's closer to Crotoa is kind of neat.

[Grouchybeast]

I'm guessing from the title that you're looking expand beyond you usual level 30 cap?  If not, please ignore these suggestions!

 

I always enjoy playing through the RWZ arcs.  They make you feel like a superhero, and the finale is real 'save the world' epic stuff.  There's a contact chain that leads you through them once you've done the Welcome to Vanguard introductory arc:

   Levantera (35-50) - The Strange Case of Benjamin A Decker

   Serpent Drummer (40-50) - Dreams of Peace and Acts of War

   Gaussian (45-50) - The Red and the Black

   The Dark Watcher (45-50) - The Horror of War

 

Number Six (RWZ, 40-50) and Provost Marchand (contact list, 30-50) are a little odd because although they're sub-50 contacts they take place after the conclusion of the Incarnate Praetoria storyline. So if you're not familiar with that, some of the characters will be new to you.  But they're both great 'modern' CoH stories, with better writing, some interesting maps and a lack of running around between zones.

 

If you make it up to Incarnate level, then the solo incarnate arc chain in Dark Astoria is another of my favourites.  Very atmospheric, very creepy.  You'll be offered the starting contact (Captain Nolan) automatically once you unlock your Alpha Incarnate slot.

[cranebump]

Echo the RWZ choices, above. I liked 'em enough to do a tie-in story in AE that's wedged between them.

You could also do Pandora's Box, beginning with L30.

Gordon Stacy's Revenant Hero Project isn't too bad

Maxwell Christopher's, The Eternal Nemesis takes forever, but gives you 29 merits and you get to beat up Nemesis (or did you?):-)

Indigo/Crimson arcs are worth doing at least once. I like taking my vigilante Natural/Tech guys with devices/conventional weapons in on that. Like I'm some sort of super secret agent.:-) Run 'em both, you get 65 merits.

 

And, of course, if you just want something you haven't seen before, there are plenty of long form SFMA's over at AE. 

Edited June 12 by cranebump

[tidge]

16 hours ago, Herotu said:

I'm also interested in what happened with Statesman and the surviving eight, so if I've missed low level stories about them, I'd be interested in playing those.

 

Thanks for helping me! 😄

 

Starting at level 30, red-side, a player can start to get missions where they face of against members of the Vindicators and Freedom Phalanx. Some encounters require unlockable contacts and it can be tricky to get them all without using Ouroboros. I'd consult the wiki pages.

 

[ZemX]

17 hours ago, Herotu said:

Field Agent Kieth Nance

Jenny Adair

 

Just before doing these, I highly recommend visiting the Gull and heading to Sharkhead for Dean MacArthur and Leonard's arcs.  They are fun, involve cloning yourself, and end up linking to the arcs listed above in Talos.  If you have done Leonard's arc all the way to the end, you even get a fun little extra dialogue choice when meeting Jenny Adair.

[Ukase]

For my inf, one of the better series of story arcs is for the vig/hero - Provost Marchand. 

Here's what you get - and how you do these is open to your own creative feel. 

First arc, open to hero/vig level 30-50: A New Dimension, A New Team
First mission is the same map as the rogue/vig intro to Mr. G - only instead of Arachnos spread out helping you dispatch of the praetorian forces, you have Marchand's group of seriously tough allies. There was a time when I'd use this map to give myself more than a few bars of XP in the late 30's, early 40's when the XP seems to go quite slowly, compared to other levels. 

I'd set this to +4/8 and let the allies do the work mostly just for this first mission. Or, you can skip all of it, and go directly for efficiency and complete it by going to the waypoint on the map (if you have stealth) 
The next couple of missions - which is great for solo'ers, you have 3 allies. They will take a knee if you set the difficulty too high and can't heal them. There's no way to target them aside from just using your mouse and clicking on them. Team inspirations do work if they are close enough (20 feet). If your difficulty is 0/1 - you won't even need them really. Just depends on your build and your skills. 

Eventually, the arc ends with clobbering Silver Mantis. Not gonna lie - she can be tough, depending on your build and your AT. Bring some inspirations if you have any doubts. 
During this arc, you learn that you've been made famous; there are action figures being produced in your image! It has nothing to do with the story, but it's a nice touch by the author of the arc. 

The next arc is interesting in that it gives you options, and it has some "Easter Eggs", in that if you know about the badge, you can do various things that most folks don't ever do. It also lets YOU decide how you want to delegate allies. Some choices may give you a badge. Others will not. 

The third arc allows you to battle various villains/rogues that will give you badge credit towards the defeat badge that allows you access to the Detective in Steel Canyon that has all the Safeguard missions. 

All three arcs are as short or as long as you want to make them, almost. What I mean is, if you take a team of 8, some of the missions are going to take some time to clear. If you go solo, maybe not as long - just depends on your difficulty level. 

It's my opinion that these 3 arcs are the right size for an arc. Not 20 missions long. Not 2 missions long. Just the right length. And the objectives are not all the same kind of snooze fest where you beat the big boss at the end of the map. 
It's "Do this before THAT GUY does XYZ" kind of thing, as an example of one mission. 
 

[Aeroprism]

17 hours ago, Ukase said:

For my inf, one of the better series of story arcs is for the vig/hero - Provost Marchand. 

Here's what you get - and how you do these is open to your own creative feel. 

First arc, open to hero/vig level 30-50: A New Dimension, A New Team
First mission is the same map as the rogue/vig intro to Mr. G - only instead of Arachnos spread out helping you dispatch of the praetorian forces, you have Marchand's group of seriously tough allies. There was a time when I'd use this map to give myself more than a few bars of XP in the late 30's, early 40's when the XP seems to go quite slowly, compared to other levels. 

I'd set this to +4/8 and let the allies do the work mostly just for this first mission. Or, you can skip all of it, and go directly for efficiency and complete it by going to the waypoint on the map (if you have stealth) 
The next couple of missions - which is great for solo'ers, you have 3 allies. They will take a knee if you set the difficulty too high and can't heal them. There's no way to target them aside from just using your mouse and clicking on them. Team inspirations do work if they are close enough (20 feet). If your difficulty is 0/1 - you won't even need them really. Just depends on your build and your skills. 

Eventually, the arc ends with clobbering Silver Mantis. Not gonna lie - she can be tough, depending on your build and your AT. Bring some inspirations if you have any doubts. 
During this arc, you learn that you've been made famous; there are action figures being produced in your image! It has nothing to do with the story, but it's a nice touch by the author of the arc. 

The next arc is interesting in that it gives you options, and it has some "Easter Eggs", in that if you know about the badge, you can do various things that most folks don't ever do. It also lets YOU decide how you want to delegate allies. Some choices may give you a badge. Others will not. 

The third arc allows you to battle various villains/rogues that will give you badge credit towards the defeat badge that allows you access to the Detective in Steel Canyon that has all the Safeguard missions. 

All three arcs are as short or as long as you want to make them, almost. What I mean is, if you take a team of 8, some of the missions are going to take some time to clear. If you go solo, maybe not as long - just depends on your difficulty level. 

It's my opinion that these 3 arcs are the right size for an arc. Not 20 missions long. Not 2 missions long. Just the right length. And the objectives are not all the same kind of snooze fest where you beat the big boss at the end of the map. 
It's "Do this before THAT GUY does XYZ" kind of thing, as an example of one mission. 
 

 

You need to try the Villain equivalent of this.  Currently milking it with my Tanker, solo, no exp bonus, it's a f***** treat.  The story is SO good.