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Morcalivan7
04-15-2009, 12:15 AM
I was looking over the Mission Architect page wondering if I should bother trying to create my CO character origin into a series of Dark Shroud missions to set up the character for CotE. For the most part it looks good. But then I get to the pages where they say you're limited to three stories?

What's that mean exactly? Does that mean a maxium of 3 arcs with 5 missions each? Or 3 missions with 5 objectives each? I'm not sure if I can fit getting in all my villains to get beaten up before the 15 mission limit without making it look silly or enlarging the size of the missions to annoying proportions.

I'm also curious as to the limits of custom characters. From what it sounds like, I can create minions, Lts and Bosses with their own powers and difficulties and mix and match them, while also adding my AV as 'elite bosses'? There was a comment about watching my file size which is also one of the reasons I've yet to log back in as well.

I probably should though this through and written up and out of game mission using the MA overview examples to get an accurate answer. But basically for my first arc I would have let's say the contact Marcus Hood hire superhumans, hero and villain alike to track down a new gang of chemmed mutants called Abominations (temporary hulk and she-hulk knockoffs) who are using the Venom serum from Alivan Pharmaceuticals. In order to confirm a tip about a stockpile of Venom being real they need to locate the gang and take samples from their stash to confirm the connection and therefore trusting the source of the information from the mole in the Dark Shroud organization. Possible side missions of freeing civilian runaway girls within the mission.

They would then follow that information back to it's source, in the process framing the gang as the informant, protecting the mole and cutting off the gang's future supplies. Meanwhile they find the Widowers (camouflaged rail gunners) at the supply warehouse and must confiscate the stash which triggers an ambush from the Arachnids (spines cyborgs assassins). So far, no Elite Bosses. And enemies are still on 'Standard' which from what I've read is the closest to easy mode for custom characters?

During the comotion the mole is able to acquire new information, and the "Superhumans for Hire" are then sent to the no so secret anymore labs where the Venom is produced. They must destroy the lab and fight off Socket (elite boss) for the first time. Socket is a katana/regen scrapper. After defeating him, he will recover and escape due to his regeneration. You will be scoled by Marcus Hood and be given a chance to make up for it by doing another mission that will focus on trying to track down Socket after having recovered his pool stick katana (clue or souvenire?). This will lead you to a pool hall where you shake down the thugs for information.

This will lead you to your final mission where you will encounter the Widowers base of operations. Once you mow through the widowers and ambushed by arachnid patrols, you will be met with both Socket and Pheramone, the one who has chemically and psychicly brainwashed the widowers into her super soldiers. When Socket's health is low he will try and escape, which will be hard to stop due to his regeneration and having to deal with Pheramone. If solo, you merely follow Socket attacking. If on a team you can possibly split up.

When you defeat the two you come back to the contact having redeemed yourselves after Socket's initial escape by capturing two for one to be taken into interrogation that will hopefully lead to further information about the larger Dark Shroud organization and their activities.

And that's where the other 'stories?' come in. So I have a question. Is that a single story? Does that mean I have 10 more missions total to flesh out the Dark Shroud and have the hired heroes/villains defeat Lord Morcalivan and put an end to the Dark Shroud?

And, can I have Statesman as a hostage? I wonna place that heart warming pic of Daehart (the radiation cannon arm guy) Darren Heart stepping on a defeated Statesman in-game if I can. That'd make my day. Hell, that'd make my month, possibly worth resubscribing just for that. :chuckle:

I was hoping, why bother writing up a large bio of DS for CO when I can litterally play it out in CoX? Or am I being too hopeful of MA's abilities? Are there any limits to the custom villains, combinations of these customs together, Lts, Bosses, File Sizes, etc... that I should know about?

Edit: One more thing, would the Custacian be able to fit into the game in any way? Heard Maltas and those steam guys were allowed in. Could I modify their designs to fit the Crustacian walkers? (the crab looking thing)

WingedAvenger
04-15-2009, 01:17 AM
You could totally fit all that into one storyarc, at least I think so. Custom storyarcs are basically just like regular storyarcs in the way they play out. Talk to contact, run mission, return to contact, run next mission, etc. You can have up to five missions per storyarc, and you can have up to three storyarcs (unless you're lucky enough to have one of them get selected for Dev Choice or the Hall of Fame).

And, can I have Statesman as a hostage?

Yes. However, you'd have to "unlock" access to use him in any custom missions by purchasing him with tickets first. You earn tickets by running other player's arcs, as well as having other players give your own arcs good ratings. I don't recall how much the package containing Statesman is, but none of them are all that much, and tickets are generally pretty quick to attain.

Once you do, though, you can have Statesman be your rescuee, and select his starting emote as the ground take punch, or whatever it's called. Then have your captor's starting animation be the ground give punch. Then when you enter the mission, you'll see the captor kneeling over a prone Statesman pounding him over and over until you interrupt.

Morcalivan7
04-15-2009, 01:43 AM
Ah, well Statesman would be in the last mission of the third arc if that's how it works. So that'd give me two story arcs to gain the tickets needed I guess?

Also do I need to buy Mission Architect edition?

Joe Schmoe
04-15-2009, 02:07 AM
Nope, you don't need to buy anything. Free issue as usual.

The Mission Architect edition is just an attempt to draw new players into the game. Just reactivate your old account, and you're set.

WingedAvenger
04-15-2009, 04:56 AM
Ah, well Statesman would be in the last mission of the third arc if that's how it works. So that'd give me two story arcs to gain the tickets needed I guess?

Technically yes, assuming people play your arcs and give them good ratings. You'll need to unlock States before you make the storyarc that features him, so to make it quicker you'll probably just want to play in someone else's storyarc once or twice, that will probably be enough.

This page has costs for each of the unlockable packs:
http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Ticket

Morcalivan7
04-15-2009, 11:07 AM
Ugh, they just had to limit maps available didn't they. Grinding for loot was the reason I left the game. Thanks for the link. Still got lvls 40-50 on my villain to play, so I guess I can gain some tickets from there. Got pretty sick of being Arachnos' lackey back when I played so I don't think I'll be missing much if I level through player maps from then on.

I do have a new comp though so it'll be nice not to freeze up in Cape Diablo or whatever it's called.

Astartus
04-15-2009, 11:19 AM
The prices for the unlockable maps are a joke. Running one or 2 medium architect arcs for starters would get you nearly enough architect tickets to already get all the maps.

best play some arcs (maybe created by Gurus) and see what can be done with the new system, and gather some tickets. Then you can buy the map and/or enemy packs you want to, and then you can get started building your own arcs.

Galactoman
04-15-2009, 09:08 PM
Yar, the unlockable stuff isn't a grind at all; it's more a method of encouraging people to play eachother's arcs instead of just playing their own. Architect Tickets drop like candy out of a piņata when you play solo on heroic.

Morcalivan7
04-15-2009, 11:36 PM
Sounds like if I look around other arcs to learn ahead of time I'll get the tickets needed to get what I need? I'm not really sure I'll even be needing'em since I'm not into villaingroup stuff since I like to go original, but we'll see. Good to know.

Now I gotta go do that thing we're not suppose to talk about in that place with Yin and his buddies where no one will be able to see or hear us do the thing that we do that we're suppose to keep a secret. :naughty:

I am not a perv...

I am not a perv...

I am not a perv...

I am so lying to myself. O_o

Xanatos
04-27-2009, 11:17 AM
You!

Morcalivan!

I thought I killed you!

Well if you're coming back...

Morcalivan7
04-27-2009, 09:15 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Morcalivan7/LM11.gif You should have known better than to purchase Stark Warheads! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Morcalivan7/morcsprite2.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Morcalivan7/NUKE.jpg

If you want to finish me, you'll have to go through my minions first!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Morcalivan7/signature.jpg