test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Contest Idea: Write CO's next Adventure Pack!
foxyperson
Posts: 251 Arc User
It is true that, on an average, missions could be more engaging and, while Comic Series and Adventure Packs are very fun, they're relatively few. However, I know that many among the playerbase have experience writing, and some have even worked on mission editors like the Foundry or Architect Entertainment.
How about we give Cryptic a hand?
-Choose a level range.
-Choose a level-appropriate villain faction and zone.
-Choose an NPC existing in that zone (I don't know whether the engine allows for cross-zone missions).
-Specify story arc length (in number of missions).
Mission Template:
-Specify whether outdoors or indoors mission.
-Specify map type to be used.
-Quest giver's opening dialog.
-Quest giver's sendoff dialog (the one you get after clicking "Accept").
-Quest giver's closing dialog.
-Mission objectives.
-Special objectives (objectives that enter the game after another objective or objectives are completed).
-Mission Item (glowies) dialogs (when applicable).
-Wandering mobs dialogs.
-Boss dialog (spawned).
-Boss dialog (combat started).
-Boss dialog (boss 50% health).
-Cut scenes: Specify trigger event, describe camera shots in detail (you might want to document yourself a bit on scripting/screenwriting terms), insert dialogs. No more than 2 cut-scenes per mission please.
Keep all dialogs from dialog boxes (including those from glowies and activated NPCs) no longer than 1000 characters. Wandering NPC and boss dialogs under 250 characters.
Perhaps TrailTurtle and the current lead developer could act as judges? (and correct me on the proper format for writing an AP for CO?).
So, TrailTurtle, is the staff too busy to entertain this idea?
How about we give Cryptic a hand?
-Choose a level range.
-Choose a level-appropriate villain faction and zone.
-Choose an NPC existing in that zone (I don't know whether the engine allows for cross-zone missions).
-Specify story arc length (in number of missions).
Mission Template:
-Specify whether outdoors or indoors mission.
-Specify map type to be used.
-Quest giver's opening dialog.
-Quest giver's sendoff dialog (the one you get after clicking "Accept").
-Quest giver's closing dialog.
-Mission objectives.
-Special objectives (objectives that enter the game after another objective or objectives are completed).
-Mission Item (glowies) dialogs (when applicable).
-Wandering mobs dialogs.
-Boss dialog (spawned).
-Boss dialog (combat started).
-Boss dialog (boss 50% health).
-Cut scenes: Specify trigger event, describe camera shots in detail (you might want to document yourself a bit on scripting/screenwriting terms), insert dialogs. No more than 2 cut-scenes per mission please.
Keep all dialogs from dialog boxes (including those from glowies and activated NPCs) no longer than 1000 characters. Wandering NPC and boss dialogs under 250 characters.
Perhaps TrailTurtle and the current lead developer could act as judges? (and correct me on the proper format for writing an AP for CO?).
So, TrailTurtle, is the staff too busy to entertain this idea?
Post edited by foxyperson on
0
Comments
Its the time it takes to make environments (they don't have to do that since there's enough existing ones to make more APs and comics within existing zones).
Its the new mobs they have to make (a robust character creator, and theirs is less limiting than ours many fold).
The cut scenes and interactions are many (even though demorecord proves that one person can do this on their own).
The rewards need to be custom (literally the work of one person to make these if they are costumes or action figures).
There really is no reason that more Comics and APs couldn't have been made except for the fact that Cryptic doesn't think that CO is worth the resources. Though the Comic model failed because Whiteout was horribly received. They seemed to have forgotten that Aftershock was a wild success and for obvious reasons over Whiteout. But as a short sighted company, they couldn't see that.
So no third attempt at redeeming themselves.
Its policy for Cryptic that when any feature fails at any part of its juncture, even when everything up to that point is hugely accepted and used by the players, they'll dump it even if its incomplete. When the numbers drop at ANY time, Cryptic considers it a total failure.
I would love to input vasts amount of detail, but it would be too time consuming and the like.
I would however enjoy an adventure pack that has something to do with the Gadroon. :biggrin:
Caliga's PRIMUS Database! --XXX--The Caliga Build: Threatening Haymakers! --XXX-- Caliga and Conquer fanart!
I can't see how so many people keep coming to this conclusion. What is the thought process behind this notion?
However, since most people are going to say that Cryptic doesn't have the time or manpower to make this happen- I'll concur to a degree with that.
I'll also say that if we had the foundry, we wouldn't be begging for content. They DO have the means to make that.
edit:
Sorry. I flew off the handle.
If they would just put a little time and effort into porting the Foundry into Champions Online it would take a ton of pressure off. If they don't have any more story content for us then it would be nice if they gave us the tools to create it ourselves.
Two, I think the name of the pack should be 'nonexistence'
But in all seriousness you probably wont be expecting an adventure pack until NW hype dies down slightly, and even then, that is debatable.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] <- No violence or dark humor here, move on.
I.M.P.@drimp in Champions (Careful that you don't get hit by falling bombs when dueling)
Dr Imp@drimp in Neverwinter (Apparently I use hax and exploits, also I apparently payed to win)
when they design what passes for content these days. You know, no more STINKIN' BLOODY MORONIC 6-40 ALERTS. And no New Purples for scary Earthlings in the Forum, either.
-Forced level 30.
-Choose a level-appropriate villain faction and zone.
-Something that doesn't really make sense for the mission.
-Choose an NPC existing in that zone (I don't know whether the engine allows for cross-zone missions).
-Some weird dude hanging in Ren Center.
-Specify story arc length (in number of missions).
1. Gather evidence. Beat up mobs hanging in the streets. You recognize them of fingerpainting stuff to building walls.
-Length 1 week.
2. Fight thru a warehouse to stop them stealing a box.
-Length 1 week.
3.Fight against interdimensionalalternaterealitymirrorearthancientdemonalien. (even if you stopped the villains stealing the deviceidolmachineartifact to summon the above entity)
-Length 1 week.
And playing by myself since Aug 2009
Godtier: Lifetime Subscriber
To be fair, it is pretty easy to come up with a ridiculous plot that really requires no effort on the writer's part... I'm looking at you, manga writers. Especially you, Eiichiro Oda.
It's not like there aren't tools to help them out...
http://surbrook.devermore.net/herosource/champions/crime.html
Part of the problem since December, 2012.
Well the blocks of developing say a comic is:
Writing (have whatever you want to happen)
Selecting the Maps, coding them to connect, isolating faults that allow someone to leave maps as well as conflict with the story (pages of code to modify, rewrite and adjust)
Customize mob placement, interactions, NPCs then code them to allow progress in story.
Develop unique hook that may be introduced in the story (more NEW coding).
Test, retest, adjust (Checking the whole thing over).
Develop unique rewards and fit them according to the already existing system (Model & code)
Which do you think is the easiest to do and has unbridled freedom? Story structure is an essential part to your education from elementary all the way through high school.
I'm simply baffled that you do not understand which part of the project is logically the easiest.
To put it in the simplest terms what do you think is naturally easier? Writing that ignorant post or finding that image you used, host it, and then link it into the post?
How do people come to this conclusion? Elementary.
I commented about writing. Specifically comic writing because your statement didn't say "comic series writing". Writing, to you, may be "logically the easiest" but if the story is absolute dreck then it won't grab or keep anyone's attention and the readers certainly won't want more of it. In the comic industry that gets you cancelled. Writing isn't just writing, that's why good writers are worth their weight in gold.
You can keep your so-called knowledge of the comic series making process and your condescending and flat out wrong interpretation of what you think is being taught in every English class to yourself.
Take a trip over to the STO forums, specifically Ten Forward. Check out the Literary Challenges there. You'll see some folks who can write compelling, interesting drama about complex characters. You'll also see some who can barely string two sentences together, fill their tales with multiple dei ex machina, and haven't the first clue about how grammar and punctuation work. (Sometimes the two groups overlap!)
I've made my own modest contributions to the tales there; nothing earthshaking, but at least they seem to be readable. And I can tell you that sometimes the stories just stall out and won't come. (I wanted to tell the tale of how Cmdr. Grunt came into possession of the cruiser USS Hephaestus, which his crew had to jury-rig from the remains of three other ship in order to get home, as well as the story of how Nniol tr'Keiniadh came to join the Romulan Republic, but neither story wants to be finished. It's a little annoying, to be honest.)
In comics, it can be even more limiting - because you have to make sure the player is the hero of the story. As we've seen, nobody wants to struggle through a tale, only to find at the end that the Champions (or the writer's pet character from their own stable) come swooping in to save the day. And you have to work within the limits of CO lore, which isn't quite so expansive as Champions lore. (I'd love to see an Adventure Pack where the construction of the Forum Malvanum drew the ire of Mechanon; however, it must be remembered when writing this that Mechanon can never truly be defeated, just driven back for a time, and that when he returns it will always be in a body that's been protected against everything that's ever stopped him before. So you should only ever fight him, if you even do, as an end boss, and it can't be in the context of defeating him once and for all and destroying his base of operations, because that just won't work in-universe.)
It may still seem easy to you, and if so, I congratulate you on possessing natural writing talent, and urge you to take it up professionally.
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
http://storyaday.org/juanamac/2012/05/08/instant-story-just-add-water/
Part of the problem since December, 2012.
I'll kindly point you to the subject title of the thread. It should have been obvious.
Writing is easy in the gaming industry. But the difference here is that the leg work of programming that story is monumentally larger and more difficult. And that's why writing is the easiest part.
The process of creating anything starts with writing and when that is done the real work begins. Its logic for any field. The process of making a comic series is obvious as long as you know how any project comes together.
Don't make a condescending post and expect to not get bit back. I'm sorry if you never attended English 101, because that's the only explanation as to why you refuse to understand the purpose of English and its writing classes.
From now on I know not to interact with you anymore, as I'm starting to notice that you railroad threads from their focus because the point people try to make is beyond your understanding.
Your first image initially represents your attitude towards everyone else who critically thinks differently than you.
There's an entire subforum here devoted to fan stuff. Go forth and write. Show us how easy it is.
Putting words in a row? That's easy. Making them grammatically correct and properly spelled? That just requires a modicum of education. Creating a coherent, interesting story featuring relatable characters? Not so much.
- David Brin, "Those Eyes"
Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Then I'm going to kindly point out that the thread title says "Adventure Pack", not "Comic Series". I realize there's little difference between the two but if you want to get picky about it, then you should at least use the right words yourself.
I'm going to ask that you keep your assumptions about my educational history to yourself. You're taking all of this way too personally. If you want to make it personal then spare your dignity and do it in a PM.
That part right there is complete bull****. You're off your rocker if you got THAT out of my original image post. I wasn't singling YOU out in the statement I made, you just happened to say something about writing that I hear all the time and I decided to narrow down the phrase that got me. I may have been quoting part of something you said but my post was in no way aimed at you specifically. I carefully worded what I said to avoid that very thing. If you took that as me getting hostile with you then I don't know what to say besides deal with it. I'm fairly sure I know why you're acting the fool like this and it has absolutely nothing to do with our interaction here in this thread.
Pretty much this. That said, the notion that it is easy to write a good story is pretty asinine. Aside from putting together an airtitght plot (this is the first part where people fall apart on, creating stories in which characters do things just because the writer wants them to rather than having actions be a logical or believable progression of events while taking the full personalities of the characters involved into consideration as well as their reactions to the presenting events), one has to deal with other issues such as theme, tone and so forth. Writing for the most part is pretty hard.
No I didn't. That would be quote mining. As a matter of fact I said writing was the easiest part. Coherent writing can be tough but in comparison to the rest of the work of building a comic or adventure pack for this game its easy.
Your posts are in no way directed at me? You shouldn't have asked a rhetorical question. But I'm going to answer that question again more directly anyways.
"What is the thought process behind this notion?" The thought process is of those people who find writing to be easier then the following steps I described.
My original point is that writing is a minor part of helping to make content for this game. Cryptic doesn't want help with that. They have enough writers. Its easy compared to the real work that it takes to make the comic. Writing a story isn't going to help them out. But I guess I was used as a martyr to "aid" someone in their frustrations and ended up derailing the thread. Congrats.
Next time, don't be so focused with only part of someone's post. The rest of the post that follows the initial statement should help explain why they said it. I understand now that was what your problem was.
Of all my time on the internet I have learned not to bother with antagonists in private. Helping someone to rationalize through a message box is impossible when they are dead set on not wanting to figure it out. Which is why I am posting these messages publicly instead of through PM. Its not for your sake, its for others to make their own judgement calls.
Comic Series - War Games
Issue 1: Money, Money, Money...
You get a call from police chief Surhoff. There's a bank robberry going on in Downtown and you're the first hero Surhoff thought of. You go to the bank and find it overrun by a group of suspiciously well-equipped thugs and street-punks, who seem to sport an uncanny resemblance to certain right-wing street gangs. You fight your way through them, defusing bombs and freeing hostages.
You arrive at the vault, only to be greeted by a squad of elite soldiers, who open fire on you at first sight. You manage to defeat them, but then someone locks you into the vault and arms another bomb, which threatens to bring the whole building down on you and the civilians inside. You have to escape the vault using a maintenance tunnel and battle your way through more of the fanatical street punks and the bank security drones, which someone seems to have hacked and reprogrammed.
Arriving in the lobby just in time to defuse the bomb, you are attacked by another squad of elite soldiers and then their leaders, which out themselves as high-ranking members of the 'Siegestruppe' (Victory Troop). You have to fight the three, which call themselves Kreuzfeuer (Crossfire), Jaeger (Hunter) and Falke (Falcon), with Kreuzfeuer and Jaeger stating 'that you will not stand in the way of the boss's plan to liberate us from the Zionist lies' and Falke gloating over his attempt to kill you with the rewired security drones.
Boss Battle:
Kreuzfeuer (Munitions)
Jaeger: (Archery)
Falke: (Gadgeteering)
You defeat the three terrorists, but just as you try to enjoy your victory, you hear gunfire and explosions from the outside. As you run out of the bank, you see several injured and dead policemen and a group of three armored cars driving off at a breakneck speed.
Issue 2: Greed and Speed
You pursue the fleeing cars (possibly using your vehicle?), which constantly try to outmaneuver you and spawn more fanatical gangers and elite soldiers through the City Centre. You manage to destroy the first car on the ARGENT parking lot, which forces the other cars to bring the chase to Downtown with a daredevil jump over the big edge at the ARGENT HQ. You try to pursue them, only to be held off by some ARGENT security personnel, who think you are responsible for the damage on their parking lot and want to have a go at you anyway.
Boss Battle:
ARGENT Cyborg MK III
You defeat the ARGENT goons and continue to pursue the cars. You manage to catch them in Downtown and the hunt continues even fiercer than before, with more spawning enemies and some forces of the MCPD to help you. As you manage to destroy another one, the last remaining car attempts another hair-raising maneuver, this time straight through some back alleys. You pursue them, only to interrupt a group of DEMON cultists during a ritual. The cultists are reasonably angry and attack you.
Boss Battle:
Sister Abigail
You defeat the cultists, only to discover that their ritual has worked and a dark portal opens, which is about to spawn a Qliphothic horror. Suddenly a large blast of energy hits the horror, which is forced back through the already closing portal. Looking for the source of the energy blast, you see the shapes of three heroes flying in the direction of the fleeing car. You start the hunt yourself again and track the car to Westside, where you finally destroy the last one of them. You manage to pull the daredevil driver from the wreck and attempt to interrogate him, when suddenly the group of heros from before appears and tells you to stay away from the driver. You refuse to, which sparks an argument between the three heros, who speak with a distinctive German accent. The leader of the group then has enough and tells you 'that he has to use force if you don't step away from the criminal'. You still refuse, which causes the leader to attack you.
Boss Battle:
Mysterious German superhero (Might)
After you beat the interfering hero, he still refuses to back down. Finally the female member of the group of heroes attempts to calm the situation by explaining everything to you. They have come from Germany to capture the Victory Party, a group of Neo-Nazi terrorists, which are led by an old war criminal by the name of Dr. Spregen. It is one of the German government's attempts to make up for the crimes of the Nazi regime which is the reason why the three are so eager to finish their mission. The three terrorists in the bank were part of that group, just like the driver you stopped, who goes by the name of Trittrunter (Downshift). The leader of the German heroes grudgingly apologizes to you and then you interrogate the vehicle specialist together, who just laughs at you and tells you, that you can't stop Dr. Spregen's plan anyway before passing out. On a nearby rooftop a figure which looks just like Trittrunter curses you and quietly sneaks away.
Issue 3: An Unholy Alliance
Together with your new German allies you attempt to track Dr. Spregen and the last member of the Victory Party's elite branch, the Victory Troop, who goes by the name of Todesfalle (Death Trap). You report back to Chief Surhoff, who is angry at the carnage in the city, but understands the circumstances and offers to help you and the German heroes. Suddenly a policeman storms into Surhoff's office and rambles about monsters in the streets. You and your allies lose no time and head outside. The streets of Westside are bustling with the genetic monstrosities of Teleios. Teleioraptors, Warbeasts and Teleioclones everywhere. You quickly go to work. Every German hero heads off to help somewhere which gives you the opportunity to help and get to know the individual heroes and their motivations along the way. You defeat some genetic monsters with the proud leader (1), save civilians with the soft-spoken female hero (2) and put out some fires with the quiet, smart hero (3). Just as you expect to have everything under control a roar echoes through the streets. An Teleiosaurus Hatchling! You team up with all three of your allies and attack the monster.
Boss Battle:
Teleiosaurus Hatchling
After defeating the beast, you notice one of Teleios' 'Perfection of Mind' units trying to sneak away. You quickly capture the brain and (3) manages to hack the memory core of the machine. It reveals that this attack was just a cover for another sinister plot. The Victory Party has made a deal with Teleios for unspecified assistance from the mad scientist. The bank robbery should give the Victory Party the money to pay Teleios and now that you have thwarted it, the Party needs more time to raise the funds, so the responsible Teleiologist has let the monsters loose upon the city to buy them time! You get the location where the deal should take place so you head off to interrupt it. On the way you get a call from Surhoff who informs you about another bank robbery, which succeeded this time! Now the VP has the necessary funds!
You arrive at the warehouse, only to find it heavily guarded by members of the VP and Teleioclones. You infiltrate the warehouse, battle the guards, disable the security and make your way to a underground bunker, where the deal is about to take place. You arrive just a second too late. You get a glimpse of Dr. Spregen and Todesfalle leaving with a mysterious container on a teleport pad, the latter swearing revenge to you for beating up Trittrunter, his brother. The Teleiologist is displeased at your interference and activates an energy shield, which separates you from your allies. You have to fight the Teleiologist and Dr. Spregen's personal bodyguard Carnivore, a man with the genes of the best predators on earth, now improved with Teleios' own genetic knowledge.
Boss Battle:
Teleiologist 18
Carnivore (Bestial)
After beating the two supervillains, you discover something horrifying from the Teleiologist's notes: Dr. Spregen consulted Teleios just for one reason: The doctor had been carrying DNA from Hitler himself in his body since WW2. A capable geneticist himself, he managed to lengthen his own life, until he could find a way to revive the Fuhrer. And now he has succeeded in creating a superpowered clone of Hitler, together with Teleios. You turn to the barely conscious Carnivore, who laughingly tells you that Dr. Spregen is on his way to Vibora Bay. He intends to use Juryrig's time machine to travel back to the last days of WW2 and replace the original Hitler with the superpowered clone, so an eternal 3rd Reich can be born. You rush to the Super Jet with your horrified German allies.
Issue 4: A Dark Past...
You arrive in Vibora Bay, only to find the Weston Tangle in uproar. Black Mask contacts you and states that a group of unknown attackers arrived recently and carved a bloody path through the Sovereign Sons on their way to Juryrig's garage with a surprise attack. You quickly follow them, making your way through the chaotic Weston with your German allies and Black Mask, fending of angry Sovereign Sons and members of other gangs who want to take advantage of the chaos. At Juryrig's garage, you arrive just in time to see Juryrig activating and calibrating the machine at gunpoint. Dr. Spregen, Todesfalle and some of his soldiers enter the time portal with the container holding the superpowered Hitler clone, while the rest of his soldiers stay behind to hold you off. You defeat them and prepare to follow through the portal, when a group of Sovereign Sons storms the garage, angry to exact revenge on anyone they can find.
Boss Battle:
Papa LeFey
After defeating the interfering Sovereign Sons, you enter the portal with your allies, while Juryrig and Black Mask stay behind to get Weston under control. After a flash of white you find yourself at the most unlikely of places: Berlin, 1945, in the middle of World War 2. You start to pursue Dr. Spregen and his squad. You fight your way through the war-torn streets of Berlin, fighting off increasingly fierce resistance from Nazi soldiers, until you reach the entrance to a secret underground facility with direct access to the bunker of Hitler. As you try to enter the facility, something huge bursts through the next block of buildings: It's a gigantic tank! So the Nazis really had those!
Boss Battle:
Landkreuzer P1000 'Ratte' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0h19ci6dw ; Admit it, you want to fight it...
After destroying the huge engine of war, you follow Dr. Spregen into the secret lab, fight your way through more Nazi soldiers, destroy unethical research and free some captives. Finally you manage to catch up to Dr. Spregen and his troop just as they are about to infiltrate Hitlers bunker. Your German allies confront them with their crimes, but Spregen just laughs at them, stating that 'he is the one who will bring Germany back to his glory'. Then he injects himself with a combat serum and attacks you, together with Todesfalle, who promises to avenge his brother.
Boss Battle:
Dr. Spregen (Might)
Todesfalle (Night Warrior Gadgeteering)
You barely manage to defeat them and prepare to destroy the container with the Hitler clone, when suddenly Todesfalle snaps, yelling at you again for hurting his twin brother and calling it unforgivable. He then activates a high-tech bomb implanted in his body, which threatens to blow up the whole facility. "No! The clone! The Fuhrer!", Dr. Spregen yells, but it is too late. The bomb blows up and you can barely escape due to (3) activating a failsafe device, which teleports you back to the time portal. You see the giant explosion which has taken out Todesfalle, Dr. Spregen, the whole facility and the bunker of Hitler. Your German allies still seem to be shocked by their own past, but thank you for helping and after that you head through the portal again.
Issue 5: ...And A Bleak Future
Again the flash of white, then you arrive in the future. But wait, something seems wrong! This is not Juryrig's garage. You are staring at a dystopic city, with intimidated civilians and soldiers patrolling everywhere. A sign near you reads: 'Port Zerstoiten' and robotic drones fly around, spreading the message: 'All hail to the Fuhrer, Dr. Destroyer!' You barely manage to take everything in, when suddenly you are spotted by some soldiers. Your German allies try to negotiate with them, but soon you are under attack. As you defend yourself against waves of high-tech Nazi soldiers, your allies grow more and more desperate. Just as the soldiers seem to overwhelm you, a group of resistance fighters comes to your help. Together you defeat the high-tech Nazis and escape to the hideout of the rebels. They belong to one of the last cells of a resistance movement against the worldwide Nazi regime.
On inquiry, the rebel leader explains that after a huge explosion killed off Hitler and his generals in 1945, a man named Albert Zerstoiten took over the crumbling German government and led his country to victory in World War 2 with his superior intellect and technology. After that he quickly conquered the whole world. Your horrified German allies explain the background of the situation to the sceptic rebel leader, while you rest at the rebel hideout and start planning to undo your mistakes. Suddenly the camp gets attacked by more high-tech Nazi soldiers and their various machines and monsters. You fight against the attackers together with your allies and manage to fend them off at first. You have to help the wounded resistance fighters, activate the security systems and defeat some Nazi moles. Just as the situation seems under control a giant power armored man breaks through a wall.
Boss Battle:
Black Talon MK X
You can defeat the Black Talon, but the resistance camp cant be held. The rebel leaders explains that everything is lost, unless you go back in time to correct the mistakes in the time stream. He says that during a raid on one of Dr. Destroyer's warehouses, his cell has acquired a device which will send you far enough back in time to prevent all of this, but you have to get to the location of the last time portal for the device to work. You fight your way through Port Zerstoiten until you arrive at the location where you appeared. Now you have to protect the rebel leader from the hordes of Nazi soldiers until he calibrates the device accordingly. Just as it is completed another villain appears on the scene: Der Totenkopf (The Skull), one of the oldest and most powerful supervillains of the regime. "Now I will finish this resistance of insects once and for all! The Fuhrer, Dr. Destroyer will reward me greatly for this!", he yells and attacks.
Boss Battle:
Der Totenkopf (Sorcery)
You barely manage to defeat the powerful mage in time. The rebel leader re-opens the portal, but Der Totenkopf rises again from the ground. "Do you think it would be so easy to defeat me, the greatest sorcerer of the Weltreich?", he asks. The rebel leader forces you through the portal while telling you to fix this mess, before he destroys the device and faces the Totenkopf.
Issue 6: War and Peace
You find yourself travelling through the time steam again, this time arriving in Millenium City. You notice that you arrived just in time to stop Dr. Spregen's plot before it actually starts and head off to the bank to stop the Siegestruppe's robbery first. After arriving at the bank, you have to convince the security personnel of the incoming attack, evacuate the civilians, start up the security drones and call the MCPD. Then the Siegestruppe arrives with their army of Neo-Nazi gangbangers. You fight off some waves of Nazi gangers, then the Siegestruppe decides to attack themselves, surprised by their plan falling apart.
Boss Battle:
Kreuzfeuer (Munitions)
Jaeger (Archery)
Falke (Gadgeteering)
Todesfalle (Night Warrior Gadgeteering)
Trittrunter (piloting an armored vehicle)
Together with your allies you defeat them soundly, then head off to Westside to stop Dr. Spregen. This time you plan the attack on the warehouse carefully. (2) goes off to get some help from the MCPD and the Champions, (3) prepares a red herring with your help by reprogramming some of the FoxBattlebots in the vicinity to attack the warehouse together with him and together with (1) you infiltrate the warehouse through a sewer. Making your way through the maze of sewers, you are attacked by Carnivore just as you enter the warehouse.
Boss Battle:
Carnivore
You defeat him, but he manages to get up again and prepares to sound the alarm. (1) tells you to stop Dr. Spregen at any cost and charges Carnivore again to pay you time. You make your way to the underground bunker, where the Teleiologist and Dr. Spregen are just preparing the container with the superpowered clone in it. You interrupt them with Dr. Spregen surprised by your interference. The Teleiologist thinks Dr. Spregen has set him up and tries to get away, but Spregen just shoots him in the back and faces you again. He injects himself with his combat serum and attacks you.
Boss Battle:
Dr. Spregen
You manage to defeat the mad scientist, but in a last effort he activates a control panel, which lets the container fall down into a pool of hyper-charged genetic enhancement dilution. You stare in horror as the shrouded figure inside of the container starts to mutate uncontrollably, bursts out of the container and grows to giant proportions. Now you face a giant monstrosity of twisted flesh who glares at you in insane bloodlust. Suddenly (2) arrives with the Champions and together you charge the abomination.
Boss Battle:
Genetic Abomination
With combined force, you manage to take down the superpowered beast. The Champions and the MCPD start to clean up Westside, arresting the Victory Party and the Teleioclones. The German heros take Dr. Spregen, Carnivore and the Siegestruppe into custody, thank you for your help and prepare to head back to Germany. The world has again been saved...
The Doctor on the PDB
Fahrenheit on the PDB
This idea has been classified Volterrific by the Dr Cerebellum CO game suggestion classification board.
/SIGNED
Ok so this will be very indulgent, but it is based on a key moment of Cryptic history, the Brain Napping Bug incident and without Foundry i can't make it myself.
Mission: Brain-napping (Alternate title cause they like puns: "It's Cryptic, who Stole my Brain?")
40, cause we need more stuff for 40's.
Players own Nemesis faction plus the Brains Trust plus Dr Cerebellum and her Nemesis the Star Worm, Zone is Millenium City
Socrates/Crime Computer
3
Mission 1: Amok!
Outdoors.
Millenium city in a nice looking part of down town
Quest givers dialog(Socrates):
Emergency. Reports are coming in that respectable superhero Dr Cerebellum is engaged on a crazed rampage in Millenium City leaving a trail of destruction but attempts to communicate over radio have failed. Go and find out what's going on!
Sendoff dialog(Socrates):
This is very uncharacteristic of Dr Cerebellum, there must be something dire at the heart of this.
Closing Dialog (Dr Silverback):
So Dr Cerebellum's robot body was out of control attacking with just residual energy left in the machine? Then... where is Dr Cerebellum's Brain? She won't answer on any frequency, she must have been... BRAIN-NAPPED!
Mission objectives:
Defeat rampaging Dr Cerebellum's empty armored suit (Suit will use red not pink electrical attacks as i did during the missing-brain bug incident)
Special Objectives:
Examine defeated suit
Return empty suit to Dr Silverback
Mission Item:
Dr Cerebellums empty suit
Wandering Mobs dialog: (no mobs, just npc's)
"Hey, cool, it's Dr Cerebellum... Oh NO! It's Dr Cerebellum!"
"I've heard of brainless superheroes but this is ridiculous!"
"Why is my hair going frizzy? It doesn't look like a storm is coming"
"Superhero one day, rampaging menace the next, just another day in Millennium City"
"I'm moving Dr Cerebellum down from my number 9 favourite hero to number 11 for that!"
"Help me Caliga!"
Boss dialog (spawned):
"Bzzzzzzt"
Boss dialog (combat started):
"Bzzzzzzt"
Boss dialog (boss 50% health):
"Bzzzzzzt"
Cut Scene 1: on spotting Dr Cerebellum the camera zooms past a close-up of the hero to Dr Cerebellum, viewed from behind, walking down the street. Police have the street blocked off with cars. One police speaks:
"Cease and Desist Dr Cerebellum! This destruction ends here!"
Civilians run screaming. View changes to over-the-car shot as Dr Cerebellum walks up to police car. Police shoot and Dr Cerebellum's suit uses Sparkstorm destroying the police car barricade and sending officers flying!.
Cut scene 2 (triggered by examining Dr Cerebellum's empty suit after the battle):
Player is standing over the suit, kneels down to examine it. Close-up zoom on the empty bubble-dome helmet showing no brain inside.
Mission 2: The Usual Unusual Suspects
Outdoors.
Millenium city over in the Gadroon area
Quest givers dialog(Dr Silverback):
We need to find out who stole Dr Cerebellum's brain. The Dr has had many battles with a particularly nasty alien called the Star Worm, so that is the most likely culprit. The Star Worm uses a force of alien mercenaries and they have been recently spotted in Millenium City where we know there is a Gadroon presence. the Star Worm working with the Gadroon could be a big threat.
Sendoff dialog(Dr Silverback):
Interrogate 3 Alien commanders and find out what they know of the brain-napping
Closing Dialog (Dr Silverback):
So that suspect was a dead end and the Star Worm is also missing? Curioser and curioser! Still, a good job stopping the Alien Mercenaries allying with the Gadroon! Well done.
Mission objectives:
Disrupt Gadroon Job Interview
Special Objectives:
Interrogate Alien Cammnader 1/3, 2/3, 3/3
Mission Item:
After each Alien Commnader is defeated they may be interacted with.
Wandering Mobs dialog:
Gadroon:
"We don't need help, we're the Gadroon!"
"Mercenaries have no honor, cheat at cards, and are smelly"
"Well i'd say no to the mercenaries, but i still have a bruise shaped like Caliga's boot print on my face"
Alien Nemesis Minions:
"If i don't get paid soon they are going to repossess my flying saucer"
"I have a mortgage repayment overdue on my condo in Saturns rings!"
"Just so long as they don't wear pink or use electricity attacks, that triggers my PTSD"
"So who is this Caliga guy the Gadroon are so scared of?"
"We were disguised as chairs for the ambush and along she came shouting "Unleash Pink Lightning" and now i get nightmares"
Boss dialog Alien Commnader 1,2,3, (spawned):
1, Who are you?
2, Give me a break
3, It's a Brain Sympathiser!
Boss dialog 1,2,3, (combat started):
1, I don't have time for this
2, I just need a job!
3, You filthy earthlings and your disgusting nervous systems!
Boss dialog 1,2,3, (boss 50% health):
1, Now you made me mad!
2, It's like Roswell all over again!
3, I'll use your sciatic nerve as a skipping rope!
Cut Scene 1: The job interview:
A Gadroon leader and Alien commander are conversing
Gadroon: "We don't employ Mercenaries"
Mercenary: "We don't usually work for Gadroon, but we hear you could use some help on Earth"
Gadroon: "Well there's this one guy..."
Both turn in shock and camera zooms out to show player
Gadroon: "It's a trap! You tricked us!"
Mercenary: "i don't even know this clown, hey, don't be like that..."
Dramatic camera angle close up of players character pointing.
Cut scene 2 (triggered by interacting with defeated Alien Commander 1):
Alien is on ground looking injured
"Dr Cerebellum? Haven't seen her in at least a week. We had nothing to do with that"
Cut Scene 3 (triggered by interacting with defeated Alien Commander 2):
Alien is standing using talk emote
"Star Worm's gone and blanked us, won't return any calls, my paycheck didn't arrive this week and i have a brood to feed. Hey buddy, can you spare me a 20 till i get a new job?"
Cut Scene 4 (triggered by interacting with defeated Alien Commander 3):
Alien is standing using angry talk emote
"I just want off this stupid planet and away from you hideous monsters with your hideous brains. I haven't seen Dr fancypants brain-in-a-jar in a week or the Star Worm either."
Mission 3: The Trail!
Outdoors and indoors
Millenium city all over the place
Quest givers dialog(Dr Silverback):
I've made a device that traces Dr Cerebellum's energy signiature in the Pink part of the electro-magnetic spectrum. Hopefully it will lead you to the culprit. Dr Cerebellum's brain is actually the organic core of a body of living energy, an endless energy source that i fear might even now be powering some sort of horrible doomsday weapon!
Sendoff dialog(Socrates):
Be prepared for a fight! Anyone capable of taking down Dr Cerebellum will be a force to be reckoned with!
Closing Dialog (Dr Silverback):
So that is who was behind it all, the Fiend! But thankfully you defeated them and saved Dr Cerebellum and saved Millenium City from the Doomsday Machine!
Mission objectives:
Follow the trail of Dr Cerebellums last movements till you get to the brain-nappers hiding place.
1, the Bank: Interact with Sally Sawbucks
Special Objectives:
Trail location 2, The Jail Interact with Surhoff
Trail location 3, the Cafe, Interact with Table
Trail location 4, Interact with Reggie stuck in a tree
Trail Location 5, The Mutations Shop: Defeat the Brain Trust and Star Worm
Trail Location 6, the Inventions Shop: Defeat your Nemesis and break the doomsday machine
Mission Item:
Ultra-Pink wave scanner
various interaction items
Wandering Mobs dialog Players Nemesis Minions:
"We took down a big-league hero AND their arch-nemesis"
"Oh sure we had the Brains Trusts help but we used them, so we still get all the cred"
"Brains, brains, brains, it's like a zombie movie"
"I've been around the prisoner too long, i'm starting to believe in justice and to like the colour pink!"
"At least it was a change from fighting <player's hero name> all the time"
"Monkeys and Zombies and Brains, oh my!"
"If it wasn't for the worm-head and all, don't you think the Star Worm is kinda attractive?"
"I'm pretty sure 'Voletrrific' isn't even a real word"
Boss dialog Overbrain (spawned):
"I have already out-thought you! I have won before we even start to fight!"
Boss dialog Overbrain (combat started):
"Don't think i have forgotten Canada!"
"I am so much stronger than last we met!"
"I'd joke about Brains vs Brawn but you don't even have any of either"
Boss dialog Overbrain (boss 50% health):
"This is unthinkable!"
"You are giving me a headache"
"I'm gonna have a migraine tomorrow morning!"
Boss dialog Star Worm (spawned):
"Thankyou for freeing me, i'll reward you well.. with a nice Funeral!"
Boss dialog Star Worm (combat started):
"Suffer my Saturnian Spite!"
"Tremble at the feet of the Star Worm!"
"Take That, and That, a little of This, a pinch of That. Now Simmer in a Sauce of Suffering!"
"Your not even half the opponent Dr Cerebellum is!"
"Your just a puny hero from a puny place on a puny world."
Boss dialog Star Worm (boss 50% health):
"I am the Sinister Scourge, the Secret Sedition, the Source of Suffering, the Scion of S.. um.. ah just DIE!"
"I've been tied to a chair for a week, i have SUCH a cramp in my tail!"
"You think you are special? I'll mulch your loved ones in my compost! My Space Compost!"
Cut Scene 1: Sally Sawbucks at the bank.
"Oh sure she was in last week, just the usual stuff: donations to orphanages, grants to researchers, fundraising for equal rights activists. Nothing that would help you much i'm afraid. I hope you find her brain!
Cut Scene 2: Surhoff
"Dr Cerebellum isn't here. Came to visit the Radioactive Cosmonaut as part of the rehabilitation program but then left again. Sorry."
Cut Scene 3: Cafe
Random NPC: "How does someone without a mouth drink a hot chocolate and eat a bacon and banana croissant? And if they have a robot body why would they eat or drink anyway?"
Cut scene 4: Finding Reggie the Cat in a tree
Martha Reece is beside the tree all upset.
Martha: "Not again, you silly little cat thats twice in one day now! What will you do if the heroes stop rescuing you? Stay in the tree forever?
Reggie: "Meow"
Cut scene 5: After interacting with the tree
Martha: holding Reggie "I'm so sorry, he does this to me all the time, i don't know what i'd do if i lived anywhere else without all these heroes.. Dr Cerebellum? Oh the nice woman with no face and her brains showing? Well she did help Reggie out of the tree last week, he sure had a lot of static in his fur after that one! No sorry, i didn't see which way she went. she just shouted "Ride the Lightning" and whoosh she was gone"
Cut Scene 6: The Brain Trust in the Mutations building
The group is gathered in the centre of the room. Star Worm is tied to a chair.
Lynx: Look i know this is the fourth time i've quit and come back but i really need some help with this furball problem
Overbrain: Hahahahaaaa everyone underestimated us after that embarrassment in Canada but now i brilliantly disabled Dr Cerebellum's robot-suit enabling her capture the whole world will know we are top-tier villains!
Ape-Plus: But.. how will they know we are top tier if we get away with it? Wouldn't we need to get caught?
Overbrain: I.. didn't think of that.
Lynx: We could do a press-release
Ape-Plus: With a Manifesto! Promising to reign terror on the bourgeoisie!
Overbrain: No! I said before, no more Manifesto's! Not ever again!
Lynx: Wasn't it hard for you to attack another disembodied brain? Isn't it a little like turning on your own kind?
Overbrain: Don't ever compare me with that over-grown dendrite! Why I.."
Ape-Plus: "Hey"
Overbrain and Lynx: "What"
Ape-Plus: "There's a hero-looking person over there thats been listening the whole time, waiting for a chance to fight and i think they are getting impatient with us all talking so much"
Overbrain: "Everyone's a critic... Kill Them!"
Cut Scene 7: <players Nemesis>
Camera slowly spirals around a big doomsday device (recycled from the Kevin Poe one maybe?) With a floating brain connected to it with arcs of pink lightning everywhere.
<players Nemesis>: "Where's your fearsome laugh now Dr Cerebellum? With your limitless energy fueling this weapon, and without the screens of your armored suit that keeps your energy in the non-lethal 'unconsciousness frequency' i will be able to kill everyone in the city.. using your pink lightning power for Eviul, instead of Good! Now i just have to set the timer long enough to get of the place myself and.. oh no not <players Hero>!"
Cut Scene 8: Doomsday Averted
A series of explosions blow up the machine. Dr Cerebellum's brain floats before the player, arcs of pink electricty arcing to the ground.
Dr C's Brain: "Thankyou for saving me <players name>! Now i must away to my secret moonbase, fix the security in my robot suits and stop floating here naked. To the MOON!"
Suggested rewards:
Retro scifi bubbledome helmets
Droopy antenna costume pieces
Overbrain bubbledome helmet spikes
(rare drop) Overbrain action figure
(rare drop) Legacy Brainbot action figure
While she has been rescued
what diabolical mastermind
was behind the devious brain-napping of
the Volterrific Dr Cerebellum?
BLACKOUT
Mission 1 - Guard Duty
Justiciar has called you in to follow up on the recent Roin'esh invasion. Research has gone well, but the captured specimen has grown unusually docile and complacent - seemingly becoming attached to one of the scientists responsible for the research, Dr. Dell Kensington. Kensington defends the Roin'esh's behavior as a form of stockholm syndrome, but neither Justiciar nor Sgt. Blair buy it. As a result, Steelhead has called in some extra help for surveylance; a gelatinous heroine known as Apoplexy, though a bit eccentric, has shown interest in keeping guard of the site. Of course, since there is a bit of mystery behind her background as well, they also have called you in - obviously, since you've been so helpful in stopping the previous Roin'esh attack as well!
Things go well initially; you follow Justiciar, Apoplexy, and Kensington back to the holding cell. Justiciar discusses a few guidelines on what and how the Roin'esh might act to attempt to garner sympathy, while the other two head further away to discuss their own backgrounds together. After his briefing, Justiciar bids you farewell and heads out, leaving you, the scientist, the specimen, and the fellow guardian to their devices.
After a while, Apoplexy begins to complain about how bored she is, and asks if you would like to head in further to see what other specimens they might have in store at Steelhead labs. Regardless of whether you voice approval or refusal, Kensington likes the idea, and gives Apoplexy permission to head in deeper. Now comes a bit of a branch:
Choosing to follow Apoplexy will cause her to walk past a few rooms, exclaiming how pretty all the test chambers and specimens are. Eventually, you come to a room with a familiar sight - a mighty bigfoot monster! Of course, it's dormant at the moment, but then Apoplexy gets an idea: "I heard about how you fought off the Roin'esh before..." she says as she walks to the control panel. "But just for a bit of fun, let's see what you're made of!". With that, she lets loose the Bigfoot. Before you get a chance to make a move, she states "I've got a specimen to keep under guard, so keep yourself entertained!", melts into a puddle, and leaves the room.
BOSS 1A: Bigfoot
This fight is identical to the one featured in whiteout. The mighty bigfoot pounds the ground to attempt to rock you off your feet, throws powerful sweeping punches, but is slow and can be easy to dodge, just so long as you remember to walk out of the way!
With the bigfoot threat out of the way, you go back to chase after the volatile Apoplexy, and try to stop her from causing any more trouble!
Choosing to stay behind and keep an eye on the Roin'Esh will cause Apoplexy to berate you. "You're no fun at all... Oh well, I'm sure you can handle yourself!", and she heads off deeper into the lab. This gives you a short chance for you to speak with Kensington, who gives you a better idea of what the Roin'esh is capable of. "It's unclear where these fascinating creatures came from" he explains, "But they seek retribution for injustice committed against them by the Malvans. If only the others would understand their plight, they would be able to see the bigger picture - the Roin'esh have even set up a forward-base on the moon to search for their rivals!" Before Kensington can tell you more, an alarm goes off! That foolish Apoplexy has set all hell loose! A mighty Gadroon robot comes trundling into the room!
BOSS 1B: Gadroon Demolisher
This warmachine is specialized in using ranged attacks and keepaway measures. It can slowly rotate to fire a maintained beam of heat from its eyes, melting whatever it stares at and slowing it, and can also whirl its arms around to ward off enemies who get too close. Its laser has very slow tracking, and quickly strafing behind the robot allows you to easily get some quick hits in. After reaching half health, the machine begins whirling around for extended periods of time while slowly attempting to follow you. It deflects all damage while doing this, but also becomes worn down after it is complete.
After you've deactivated the confiscated war machine, you head out to attempt to try and stop Apoplexy from wreaking any more havoc!
After defeating the boss, a cutscene plays back inside the Roin'esh holding chamber. Kensington walks up to the specimen, and the two talk:
"The coast is clear."
"You would best keep your promises, earthling, if you hope to escape this crisis alive!!"
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I'm a man of my word, after all."
"And just what do you plan to do about this?"
"A maximum-security force barrier? That's easy; I designed it myself. Will stay up for 3 hours after losing power, and runs on backup batteries. Just a matter of removing transistors and rebooting the backup systems. All that's left is to-"
While this dialogue carries out, lights in the background begin to turn off. By this time, the energy inside the holding chamber has been cut.
"...cut power."
"And I suppose I'm a man of my word, as well?"
"Impressive! Good planning, but I wouldn't classify you as a ma-"
Back in the deeper halls of Steelhead, you are now alone and in a pitch black corridor. After a few seconds, backup, red lights turn on, just to reveal Apoplexy cowering by your feet. It turns out she's frightened of darkness. After coming to her senses, she immediately becomes apologetic. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, I should have stuck by you!" She's acted fairly immaturely and coy in the past, but she's dead serious now.
"OK, I know you might be a bit... well... livid at me right now, but we're going to need to work together. It turns out that the base activates security gates that can only be deactivated with either Steelhead keys, or from inside lab rooms... Thankfully, I can ooze inside those rooms, and we'll be able to work our way back to the Roin'esh holding chamber and save Kensington!"
The base's security systems are in full riot now, and it seems other Steelhead labs specimens have gotten loose! As you make your way back to the holding chamber, there will be several survival sections, where Apoplexy will ooze beneath a door and take a while to work the door controls to let you through. During this period, you'll have to ward off an onslaught of captured demons, bigfeet, gadroon, and zombies - sometimes, but not always, working in tandem.
By the time you make it back to the holding chamber, it's quite clear that it's too late. The Roin'esh specimen is nowhere to be found, but Kensington seems to be alive, but injured. He offers his recount:
"I was too trusting; too curious... Dammit, Justiciar was right! I thought I could discover more of their secrets by agreeing to let the specimen out, but... Nevermind, there's no changing the past.
The specimen's probably reached the exterior of the base and is in the process of calling help. You'll need to back up the soldiers outside! I'll stay here and work on reactivating power. Go!"
And so you fight your way outside, once again running into brawls between Steelhead paranormal specimens and guards. Things don't look much better on the outside, either, as Justiciar and Blair have their hands full trying to sedate a belligerent bigfoot. After you lend a hand, Justiciar talks with you:
"It's good to see you, but what in blazes happened in there?!"
Telling him about the deal with Apoplexy, he responds:
"Blasted crazy... I knew Dr. Kensington shouldn't have hired her, all she's proven herself for is trouble!"
You tell him more about what Kensington told you, saying he had apparently made a deal with the Roin'esh for information:
"...what? That makes no sense! Not only is that way out of his bounds, but we already know everything about the Roin'esh's agenda! Their moon base, the search for the Malvans, everything! Either Dr. Kensington was withholding information from us, or he was looking for something else?"
Justiciar is interrupted by Blair: "Hostiles Incoming!" Two Roin'esh pods crash into the base, unfolding to form a new breed of Roin'esh soldier:
BOSS 2: Roin'esh Dreadnought x2
These towering creatures seem to have used residual energy from their confiscated artifact to warp them into these war machines. Though they cannot shapeshift, they are hulking, unrelenting monsters; a fusion of creature and machine.
Dreadnoughts fight manipulatively - they have a powerful vacuum attack that draws enemies in, which they like to follow up with a PBAoE burst that rains shards of crystal from above. Instead of traditional Roin-esh weaponry, they are lined with angular metal plates, where aperatures erupt out from - from these, they fire crystalline mortars that land over the hero and leave patches of damaging blue flame. Their final maneuver takes action after being reduced to 1/3 health; they kneel down, aiming their cannons outward, and fire six slow-travelling shots that explode when coming into contact with friendly targets and knock back.
Dreadnoughts interrupt their normal attack pattern with quick melee strikes (if a target is in range). For this battle, Apoplexy, Justiciar, and Sgt. Blair all help you out.
After the battle has completed, the heroes take a momentary rest. Justiciar offers a debriefing:
"There's not much time to rest; this is only the beginning of our problems. A Roin'esh specimen is on the loose, he's called for help, and utter bedlam has broken out around Steelhead, thanks to... Well, anyways.
It's very unlikely the Roin'esh would have kept closeby here. *Hero*, keep your ears perked for any signals we might get for Roin'esh sightings, and follow suit. Your past experience and reliability are going to be key for any upcoming scuffles we'll have. As for you, Apoplexy, I order you to team up with Blair and work on getting the base back into working order. Blair, I don't think I need to tell you twice to keep a close eye on her.
While we're at it, Blair and Apoplexy, you two should also keep an eye on Dr. Kensington. He's not the kind of person to make poor decisions such as this... Orders clear? Head out!"
The group disperses. Not a moment later, your crime computer receives a signal: Black Mask speaks:
"Star Force, report; sightings of black UFO ships in Vibora Bay! This is highly unusual, and we will need all the help we can get!"
And so you climb aboard the superjet and set off for a warmer pasture - though certainly no safer.
Mission 2 - Apocalypse Again
Arriving in Vibora Bay, the superjet runs into some pretty blatant turbulence - to be expected, when caught in the crossfire between Vibora Bay defenders and Roin'esh warships! Descending Roin'esh troops begin dropping onto the top of the jet, and being the only competent hero aboard, you must head out on the wings and ward off the enemies!
This small-scale defense mission requires you to defend the two wings of the superjet. If one of them is destroyed, the ship will make a crash landing, which will skip the next part of the mission and leave you stranded.
Making a successful landing after clearing the Superjet, you arrive on the pier of Vibora Bay, where Black Mask and Redsnake await to brief you.
"It's a good thing you showed up as soon as you did! As you've probably noticed, we've called in some backup." At this point, heroes Celestar and Sapphire make themselves known, and agree to offer defense from the air."Regardless, as the hero with the most experience with these enemies, you'll be the one to head the retaliation against these invaders!" Redsnake continues:
"We here have next to no idea why they're attacking Vibora Bay, but it seems their invasion is being headed by some kind of terraforming dome they set up in Northern Easton. If you could sneak in and find some kind of weakpoint on the structure, you could perhaps rupture it and force the Roin'esh back!
Move out! But stay low - those Roin'esh soldiers won't hesitate to blow you out of the air if they see you flying high!"
The crash landing, instead, places you in the streets of Vibora. However, quick to the call to rescue you is Sapphire, who shields you from the blast and sets you down on the ground. She then fills you in on the situation.
"Looks like the cavalry arrived, and thankfully in one piece! And a good thing, too, because you're the valuable member of the defense team that knows how to bring the fight to these aliens!
Several of us have noticed a large alien dome-structure in the north-eastern part of Vibora, which seems to be the source of most of their numbers - aside from space, of course. If you could find a way in there and disable the structure, it would give us enough leeway to push the invaders off!
I'll cover you from the air. Keep low; we don't want you getting blasted out of the air again!"
And so you make your way through the streets of vibora, fighting off Roin'esh minions you come by. Their units are very specialized now - Roin'esh Swampers are ranged villain-rank enemies who specialize in snaring you and using projectiles that disable travel powers, proventing quick advance through the map. High-flying Roin'esh Exclaves patrol the sky as well, shooting out long-ranged tendrils that can knock you far back and pin you to the ground. The Roin'esh Dreadnoughts also make a return here as normal enemies, but are usually only fought solo or with a few supporting minions. Thankfully, Sapphire and Celestar occasionally offer aerial blasts that suppress and interrupt attacking enemies.
Upon travelling further, you come across a strange sight - Dr. Kensington is surrounded by roin'esh invaders, and needs to be rescued! After warding the enemies off of him, he thanks you:
"Listen! Yes, I ran from the Steelhead base, but I have very important information - about their rival targets, and their long-term plans. This changes everything!" He turns to the sky to signal Sapphire and Celestar. The two arrive - Sapphire a bit confused, and Celestar unusually angry:
"Doctor, are you crazy?! The personnel back at Steelhead have been looking all over for you, how the heck did you end up here?"
"I snuck aboard the Superjet while they were busy. I'm sorry, but this is very important, and I need to speak directly with the Champions about this. Sapphire, we need to discuss this in a safe place. Bring me back to your headquarters and I'll tell the rest of the Champions what they need to know."
"Doctor, we have a city to defend here."
"Sapphire's right, we need every good hero we can get, and this is simply not the time for such a distraction. You need to get underground, and stay put!"
"That won't help anything!"
"And getting yourself vaporized will?"
"Doctor, I know this situation is very tense for you, but you need to listen..."
"No, you listen. We are dealing with an enemy that can assume any form and infiltrate any security. Me being in any kind of hideaway around here, in the middle of a Roin'esh infested battlefield, is no safer than just standing in the open. I have key information about what these invader's long-term plans are, and the sooner we can inform world security about this, the better prepared we can get for their invasion!"
"Invasion? You don't mean to tell me...?"
"Oh, no. This is not going to be the last of their attacks, Celestar. This is only a skirmish in a much larger war... And if I know *hero* here, they already have all the skills they need to take this one fight back. Just guard me on the way back to the drop point, and we will have that much more of a chance against these aliens."
Celestar ponders the Doctor's words, and makes his decision: "Sapphire, escort Dr. Kensington back to the landing pad, and give him clearance to head back to Millennium City ASAP."
Forming a force bubble around themselves, Sapphire and Kensington fly back south to the landing pad. Celestar returns to guarding you from above.
Continuing on your way, you arrive at the Roin'esh terraforming dome - a giant, tendrilly net of biomass over a section of the city - as it turns out, however, it is a spawning pool of Roin'esh!
BOSS 3: Roin'esh Mass
The Roin'esh mass is a writhing dome of collected, young Roin'esh. Initially, it does nothing, but attacking it will cause the individual Roin'esh to flake off and attack you. These spawned children have very low HP, but do normal damage. In addition, leaving them alive eventually causes them to rejoin to the core Mass, so it's a good idea to take care of them sooner than later.
After chipping away at the Mass for long enough, an opening in the dome appears - it has been set up around a circular, black core, nestling a metal artifact pillar. This core shoots out thin, powerful lasers that knock you back and deal particle damage over time. At this point, the mass loses the ability to heal itself using its flaked off children, but instead can detonate them, causing them to write around, then explode in damaging explosions.
After beating on the core enough, it lets out an inhuman scream, and the entire structure, children and all, melts into the ground. A good deal of the Roin'esh ground units are seen also falling to this same fate, while straggling soldiers return to the skies to flee back to the base. Vibora is secure.
For all of a few seconds. Defeating the Mass left behind a metal artifact rod embedded in the ground... Which suddenly begins to spark. A huge portal appears above it, and out hovers a huge, yellow jellyfish-like creature with one eye.
BOSS 4: Malefector Scout
A bit of a cooldown after the previous fight, the Malefector Scout slowly floats its way around the arena. By default, it cannot be hit by melee attacks from the ground (jumping helps), and has generally high defense. As it moves, it leaves behind patches of acid beneath it, which can do high damage. It also sometimes fires out slow-travelling goo orbs that act similarly (and disable the user while they are inside them) in 6 directions radially.
Dealing enough damage to the Malefector scout causes it to crash into the ground. Not only does this disable it from attacking, but it also is now hitable by melee attacks, and takes 2x damage from melee attacks as well! When it recovers, it immediately rises into the air with a twirling flourish, which knocks nearby targets away.
Finally, at the end of the battle, the Malefector dies in a spectacular fashion, violently imploding in a black-hole like wave of force, instantly sucking you in, and leaving Vibora Bay one hero short. Though the invasion has been stopped, people are unnerved by the sudden appearance of these strange new invaders, and your untimely and sudden disappearance...
---TO BE CONTINUED---