Friday, August 26, 2005
SugarShack 06 Mission Reviews Anti-M Beryl's Friend
Sugar Shack 06: Mish Reviews 06: Anti-M
Last time, we visited the alluring Beryl, and discovered that much of her time and attention seemed to be focused on her close friend, Anti-M. This week, we venture to a secluded walled square in the Mannsdale Housing Projects (x:164/y:5/z:-663) to make the acquaintance of this slender, stylishly-dressed woman. All five of her missions were run on hard, and all were eminently doable. None required more than 400 meters of travel, for which I am thankful. Like Beryl, Anti-M has issues with Argon, and she enlists you to alleviate them….
Mish 01: Protection Racket
Simple enough: Anti-M wants you to put some pressure on Argon by finding and snuffing four of his crew. This is best done by tackling them piecemeal. Along the way, you run into an NPC who offers to help. I was all hackered up, and he matched my skillset and did a great job. Naturally, I was expecting a doublecross, but he was faithful all the way. Unfortunately, at the end of the mish, he stays in the mission area. Good help, after all, is so hard to find! At the end Anti-M confesses that she likes the way you do business.
Mish 02: Special Delivery
In this mish you play Post Office and deliver a letter from Anti-M to Beryl. This is simple enough, though as soon as you drop off the letter (to a cut-out dressed like an out-take from Club Hell) some thugs show up in need of tough love. One of them won my price for the Worst Loot Ever Received: one (1) Code-Bit 2!! I huffed and puffed my weary way to 50 for this?? At the end Anti-M affirms, “You know how to do a job right, Sugaree”; too bad the same cannot be said for whoever did the loot tables for this mish!
Mish 03: Clear The Way
This is one of the easiest mishes assigned by anyone, anywhere, in any game. Anti-M wishes to steal something being held by Argon for the Chotte Brothers. All you need to do is kill four of Argon’s gunmen so others of Anti-M’s staff can grab the item. They attack aggressively, but they attack individually, so it is easy to take them down, even on Hard setting. And that’s it! I had expected to be further tasked with procuring the item, since the team was in trouble, etc., but nothing happened to complicate the awesome simplicity of this mish. I was surprised. And disappointed. Is this all Anti-M thought I was capable of? My crisis of confidence continued into the next mish.
Mish 04: Apothecary
Anti-M has some perfume to be given to Beryl; all you need to do is get it and drop it off. This time, Argon’s thirsting for payback, and throws opponents your way; you need to visit three locations for this mish. Getting the perfume (stored, oddly, inside a statue bust) is simple; dropping it off is much harder. But the soft words of praise at the end make it worthwhile: “You handle delicate matters with much grace”.
Mish 05: The Photographer
Only after you have established your cred with Anti-M does she give you this most sensitive of mishes. An exile known as the Photographer has secured compromising images of Anti-M and Beryl, and is seeking to blackmail them with Argon. Your job is to save their honor. This is rather easier than you might think, since the Photographer has no defense and no guards! High-end hacker spells brought him down in short order; your mileage will not vary.
The single complication, almost a bug, here is that at first I could not search his body. I could search everywhere else, but searching his body yielded no response. Only after I had left the room and come back in could I search him, get the pictures, and complete the mish. This was non-intuitive.
And with that we leave Beryl and Anti-M, and their cheating hearts! Visit them yourself and see what they offer you to further the cause of infidelity! As for me, after hearing so much about how harsh and mean Argon is, it is inevitable that I soon turn to him.
SugarShack 05 Mission Reviews Beryl My Kind of Exile
Sugar Shack 05: Mission Reviews 05: Beryl My Kind of Exile
After working with a few exiles who live on street corners, Beryl’s place a wonderful change of pace. She is to be found on the ninth floor of a building, in Midian Park at X: 1409, y: 33, z: -1087; prepare to be impressed. Well-stocked bookcases, towering bamboo, luxurious furniture and smooth carpets…she has it all! She stands in the middle of the room, perfectly poised to savor in perpetuity her fabulous pad. Besides her, a new anonymous flunkies hang around, waiting to light her cigarettes and fetch her drinks.
I’ve always thought that her place, and Thallia’s, would make wonderful clan hangouts. They have the tony appearance, the profusion of furniture, and even a kitchen. Plus, a clan could have its own pet contact! Speaking of pets, when I was there she had a pet cat nearby! It registered as a “glitch”, but it looks like a delightful feature to me!
Her mishes are straightforward, united in her desire for some pleasure and relief from her oppressive boyfriend Argon, who seems to be on the possessive side.
Mish 01: Special Delivery
Like so many exile contact mishes, this one begins with a courier delivery. You must take a package to an associate of Anti-M, a close “friend” of Beyl’s. Inevitably, something goes awry here. You are met by a couple of thugs, and one who chases you to the next destination. But then you are done, and Beryl apologizes for the inconvenience! If only Agent Gray talked to me this way!
Mish 02: A Girl in Need
The flip side of Mish 01! Get a package from Argon for her. Really easy, and could be done with no fighting whatsoever, unless you choose to engage those who throw themselves in your path. Notable is that her contact is giving you something for her which could be dangerous; it sounds like a drug of some sort. The backstory mystery deepens!
Mish 03: Cut the Tail
After seeing the cat next to Beryl, when I saw the title for this, I started to fret. But not to worry! Beryl needs you to get rid of someone who’s been tailing her so she can have some private time with a friend. This is not too difficult, and at the end, Beryl appreciatively purrs, “You’re so sweet to do that for me; I’ll remember you for sure”. Sure she will! I can see why Argon is so concerned!
Mish 04: Fashion Statement
My hopes were high for this mish! Pick up a special dress for Beryl, made by the Seamstress, no less! But alas, it was not to be. I discovered from the contact, Charis, that two more weeks were needed for its completion. As a result, the dress in its current state is taken to someone so Argon does not see it, Beryl wants to surprise him. This mish was a disappointment to me personally, I had been hoping for some new clothes to try on (I figured Beryl wouldn’t mind). As I slunk out, disappointed, my operator chimed in, “You get some /weird/ assignments, Sugaree”. Thanks, Captain Obvious!
Mish 05: NoiseMaker
The story for this one is entertaining as well, and will appeal to the partygoer in all of us. Beryl wants some quality time with Anti-M at a party, and needs us to distract the jealous Argon by attacking some of his men. This one turned out to be much harder than I thought, more along the lines of stirring up a hornets’ nest. In fact, I did this with the redoubtable gunner/martial artist Illyria1, and we were both killed quickly! A little bit of tactics, and a lot of humility, though, helped us to prevail the second time. Lots and lots of fighting though.
So, through this brief suite of missions, we have dropped off a gift for a two-timing tart, procured her drugs, and aided her in cheating on her boyfriend, right after helping her dress to please him! I adore her simple life.
And with that, we bid Beryl a fond farewell! She has a lovely pad, dresses well, is clearly a hedonist, and gives warm responses. My kind of contact! Not only that, her mishes are straightforward, and require little travel. My kind of mishes! Why can’t all Exiles be like this?
Soon we shall visit the alluring Anti-M, and try to find just what Beryl finds so compelling about her…
SugarShack 04 Mission Reviews The Chessman A Pawn in the Game
Sugar Shack 04 Mission Review The Chessman A Pawn in the Game
It seems like ages ago, before I even had a beta account, that I used to read Tyndal’s comments about places and personages in MegaCity. I felt ravenous, reading and sifting them for insight about the game. One of the most mysterious and evocative was The Chessman. She spoke of his chess pieces reflecting the play of forces in the Matrix itself, and I wondered what wisdom or insight he would share. Or how I might be able to study his pieces on the board and try to predict future events therefrom.
Well, so far, it has not worked out this way. Just another Exile Contact with five good mishes. But when you visit him in Tabor Park, he talks a good line and his mishes are straightforward. And all were within a short distance of his perpetually deadlocked board, so they’re worth your time. None took me more than about 400 meters from him. No mind-tricks or double-crosses here, and even on Hard setting, most were in a single location.
Mish 01: First Move:
What could be easier? Break into a warehouse or office building, and steal three little objects (a file, a disk, and some papers). It’s a single location, and you do not have to even take the good any place. Just get them, leave. And you’re done! Very straightforward. The target of this, the Chotte Brothers, doers not appear in any other Chessman mishes.
Mish 02: The Pawn
Things become much more serious in this second mish. The Chessman tasks you with assassinating an operative who has outlives his usefulness. This mish is also straightforward: A single location, with two guards, and the target. The Chessman purrs his appreciation when you are done, and whispers, “someday you may be a master”; I love it when eh talks that way!
Mish 03: En Passant
The Chessman ratchets up his expectations this time, and directs you to wipe out a redpill team at his safehouse. This leads to a single very tough fight with five or six bunched up enemies, including a physician who keeps buffing the one you’re attacking. Absent a hacker, this will be a tough fight; be sure to bring some friends, or some tactics boosters, or all three. That’s all there is to it! And at the end, your client compliments you: “You are a superb player. Unpredictable, but dependable.”
Mish 04: The Countermove
This mish breaks the chain of increasing difficulty, and includes two assassination targets and a few computers to search for information in a single location. Nothing unusual here, except for the fact that this has two locations, and is a move not against the Chotte brothers, but against The Collector, who we have encountered in previous missions. The Chessman’s satisfied parting words are: “Nice move, Sugaree. This is a game I will enjoy continuing with you”
Mish 05: Return the King
In this last Chessman mission, an old friend, The Sculptress, has made a new chess set which has been stolen; you need to find the waylaid courier, retrieve the package, and kill the guys who took it. Finally you deliver the pieces to a contact. In all, you travel to three locales; there is no indication that some other exile, such as The Collector, might be behind this. After your success with this quite simple mission, the Chessman’s final words to you are: “You’re a real player, Sugaree, thanks”. Good enough!
This last one could have been better with some explanation of the special properties of the chess set and exactly what use the Chessman planned to make of them. And at the end, the Chessman could have made some Oracular pronouncements about your future in the game to show you his power and the power of the pieces. This would have added to the appeal of this Exile and his missions.
So, The Chessman’s five missions are very straightforward and very bug-free. Even low-level players should be able to succeed with these, and should be sure to try them soon.
It seems like ages ago, before I even had a beta account, that I used to read Tyndal’s comments about places and personages in MegaCity. I felt ravenous, reading and sifting them for insight about the game. One of the most mysterious and evocative was The Chessman. She spoke of his chess pieces reflecting the play of forces in the Matrix itself, and I wondered what wisdom or insight he would share. Or how I might be able to study his pieces on the board and try to predict future events therefrom.
Well, so far, it has not worked out this way. Just another Exile Contact with five good mishes. But when you visit him in Tabor Park, he talks a good line and his mishes are straightforward. And all were within a short distance of his perpetually deadlocked board, so they’re worth your time. None took me more than about 400 meters from him. No mind-tricks or double-crosses here, and even on Hard setting, most were in a single location.
Mish 01: First Move:
What could be easier? Break into a warehouse or office building, and steal three little objects (a file, a disk, and some papers). It’s a single location, and you do not have to even take the good any place. Just get them, leave. And you’re done! Very straightforward. The target of this, the Chotte Brothers, doers not appear in any other Chessman mishes.
Mish 02: The Pawn
Things become much more serious in this second mish. The Chessman tasks you with assassinating an operative who has outlives his usefulness. This mish is also straightforward: A single location, with two guards, and the target. The Chessman purrs his appreciation when you are done, and whispers, “someday you may be a master”; I love it when eh talks that way!
Mish 03: En Passant
The Chessman ratchets up his expectations this time, and directs you to wipe out a redpill team at his safehouse. This leads to a single very tough fight with five or six bunched up enemies, including a physician who keeps buffing the one you’re attacking. Absent a hacker, this will be a tough fight; be sure to bring some friends, or some tactics boosters, or all three. That’s all there is to it! And at the end, your client compliments you: “You are a superb player. Unpredictable, but dependable.”
Mish 04: The Countermove
This mish breaks the chain of increasing difficulty, and includes two assassination targets and a few computers to search for information in a single location. Nothing unusual here, except for the fact that this has two locations, and is a move not against the Chotte brothers, but against The Collector, who we have encountered in previous missions. The Chessman’s satisfied parting words are: “Nice move, Sugaree. This is a game I will enjoy continuing with you”
Mish 05: Return the King
In this last Chessman mission, an old friend, The Sculptress, has made a new chess set which has been stolen; you need to find the waylaid courier, retrieve the package, and kill the guys who took it. Finally you deliver the pieces to a contact. In all, you travel to three locales; there is no indication that some other exile, such as The Collector, might be behind this. After your success with this quite simple mission, the Chessman’s final words to you are: “You’re a real player, Sugaree, thanks”. Good enough!
This last one could have been better with some explanation of the special properties of the chess set and exactly what use the Chessman planned to make of them. And at the end, the Chessman could have made some Oracular pronouncements about your future in the game to show you his power and the power of the pieces. This would have added to the appeal of this Exile and his missions.
So, The Chessman’s five missions are very straightforward and very bug-free. Even low-level players should be able to succeed with these, and should be sure to try them soon.
SugarShack 03 Mission Reviews The Sculptress Grace from Stone
SugarShack 03 Mission Reviews The Sculptress: Grace from Stone
The Sculptress, Center Park.
Last month in Sister Margaret’s missions, we found constant mention of another Exile named The Sculptress. This week, we get to know her better. Stylishly dressed, with red cap and shades (all she needs is the lazy cigarette), the Sculptress stands on a street corner in Center Park waiting for you (curious, since all our earlier missions for her via Sister Margaret were done in the Mara Center area). Now, you will find that her missions are fairly standard in nature, with very witty moments at the end of each; some of the Operator comments are fun too. You will also find that the missions were much tougher than those for Mr. Black. Going alone or going without a hacker build are a recipe for frustration.
Mish 01: Tools of the Trade
The Collector sent someone to steal her tools, which are very personal. She wants you to get them back. (Ironically, the street gang encountered during this and the other mishes is the Chisels, a very cute touch.) German-speaking Exiles have them under guard. I was trashed totally on my first attempts. Wonderful example of artspeak from a bluepill in the entourage of Heron (another artist), who receives the recovered tools from you. The best line is at the end, an affronted blue pill sniffs and informs you, “of course it looks like any other room, that’s what makes it art!” LOL!
Mish 02: Errant Goods
A package has been misappropriated by a courier. As The Sculptress delicately puts it, we are to get it back and kill him and his allies. This turns out to be an exceptionally difficult mission, and much more action is needed than I expected at first. For instance, one single room contained 4-5 level 51 blood drunks and nobles in a roving pack (meaning they could not be defeated piecemeal). I used Sneak from a coat to get in, get the package and flee immediately. If you are alone and without tricks, I have no idea how you would easily handle this. As before, we deliver the recovered package to an artist. However, in this case, the artist at the end is wearing a cook’s hat! He must be a performance artist or a Dadaist! The accompanying bluepill gives me an utterly useless key, along with more deep artspeak.
Mish 03: The Price of Fame
Hypatia, whose warehouses you might recall raiding last week, is now to be mollified with, of all things, a charming bust of Melvil Dewey (originator of the Dewey Decimal System)! The ideal gift for the Exile who has everything! Who can explain the inscrutable ways of artists? Besides the absurd nature of the task, the other unusual thing here is the distance to Hypatia: 1100 meters, and you arrive just in time to get jumped by five or six bounty-hunters. No witty artspeak in this one, just bruises and sore feet!
Note to devs: why not give us a district, so we can just hardline there? Or are you marathon runners on weekends, looking for company?
Mish 04: The Lease
Like the paperwork mish for Mr. Black, here you need to help The Sculptress get a lease. It’s a break-in, shoot-up-the-hired-help kind of mission. Nothing wrong with that! At the completion, when you hand off the papers, one of the accompanying exiles looks at you and asks how you feel about your previous life. I love unexpected personal stuff like this. Totally out of the blue!
Mish 05: The Model
One of the most entertaining mishes yet!! Remember the hawt Scarlett from the tutorial? She’s back! And you have to rescue her before her honor is compromised!
Standard rescue, but the texture is delightful! As you escort her back, Scarlett talks incessantly about her beauty and how she must share it (males RSIs out there should not get their hopes up). Then the Artist fusses over her like a mother hen at the end, absently dismissing her rescuers (i.e., you). Delightful interplay! And as we left the building, a wonderful gift appeared out of nowhere in a pretty box on the ground at my feet! And it was not a bust of Melvile Dewey! Bingo!
Overall, these missions included extremely tough enemies, and some very witty dialog. Plus there’s the usual XP and info payoffs, and a gift at the end. Who could ask for more? Fun and worth doing.
The Sculptress, Center Park.
Last month in Sister Margaret’s missions, we found constant mention of another Exile named The Sculptress. This week, we get to know her better. Stylishly dressed, with red cap and shades (all she needs is the lazy cigarette), the Sculptress stands on a street corner in Center Park waiting for you (curious, since all our earlier missions for her via Sister Margaret were done in the Mara Center area). Now, you will find that her missions are fairly standard in nature, with very witty moments at the end of each; some of the Operator comments are fun too. You will also find that the missions were much tougher than those for Mr. Black. Going alone or going without a hacker build are a recipe for frustration.
Mish 01: Tools of the Trade
The Collector sent someone to steal her tools, which are very personal. She wants you to get them back. (Ironically, the street gang encountered during this and the other mishes is the Chisels, a very cute touch.) German-speaking Exiles have them under guard. I was trashed totally on my first attempts. Wonderful example of artspeak from a bluepill in the entourage of Heron (another artist), who receives the recovered tools from you. The best line is at the end, an affronted blue pill sniffs and informs you, “of course it looks like any other room, that’s what makes it art!” LOL!
Mish 02: Errant Goods
A package has been misappropriated by a courier. As The Sculptress delicately puts it, we are to get it back and kill him and his allies. This turns out to be an exceptionally difficult mission, and much more action is needed than I expected at first. For instance, one single room contained 4-5 level 51 blood drunks and nobles in a roving pack (meaning they could not be defeated piecemeal). I used Sneak from a coat to get in, get the package and flee immediately. If you are alone and without tricks, I have no idea how you would easily handle this. As before, we deliver the recovered package to an artist. However, in this case, the artist at the end is wearing a cook’s hat! He must be a performance artist or a Dadaist! The accompanying bluepill gives me an utterly useless key, along with more deep artspeak.
Mish 03: The Price of Fame
Hypatia, whose warehouses you might recall raiding last week, is now to be mollified with, of all things, a charming bust of Melvil Dewey (originator of the Dewey Decimal System)! The ideal gift for the Exile who has everything! Who can explain the inscrutable ways of artists? Besides the absurd nature of the task, the other unusual thing here is the distance to Hypatia: 1100 meters, and you arrive just in time to get jumped by five or six bounty-hunters. No witty artspeak in this one, just bruises and sore feet!
Note to devs: why not give us a district, so we can just hardline there? Or are you marathon runners on weekends, looking for company?
Mish 04: The Lease
Like the paperwork mish for Mr. Black, here you need to help The Sculptress get a lease. It’s a break-in, shoot-up-the-hired-help kind of mission. Nothing wrong with that! At the completion, when you hand off the papers, one of the accompanying exiles looks at you and asks how you feel about your previous life. I love unexpected personal stuff like this. Totally out of the blue!
Mish 05: The Model
One of the most entertaining mishes yet!! Remember the hawt Scarlett from the tutorial? She’s back! And you have to rescue her before her honor is compromised!
Standard rescue, but the texture is delightful! As you escort her back, Scarlett talks incessantly about her beauty and how she must share it (males RSIs out there should not get their hopes up). Then the Artist fusses over her like a mother hen at the end, absently dismissing her rescuers (i.e., you). Delightful interplay! And as we left the building, a wonderful gift appeared out of nowhere in a pretty box on the ground at my feet! And it was not a bust of Melvile Dewey! Bingo!
Overall, these missions included extremely tough enemies, and some very witty dialog. Plus there’s the usual XP and info payoffs, and a gift at the end. Who could ask for more? Fun and worth doing.
SugarShack 02 Mission Reviews Sister Margaret - Patron of the Arts
Sugar-Shack 02: Mission Reviews: Sister Margaret of Mara Center: Patron of the Arts
Last week, we ventured to one of MegaCity’s toughest locales in search of missions. This week, in contrast, we go a hop, skip, and a jump across the square at Mara Center to visit Sister Margaret and run through one of the classic suites of Exile missions. These bring back great memories, and are among the biggest milkruns there are. No problems reaching her! And no bugs!
With her hair bunned on top of her head and no black robes, Sister Margaret is not at first sight what one expects from a woman of the cloth. But the missions she offers show a deep sense of compassion all too rare in this rough world of ours. Some Exiles give missions that make me fidget; hers gave me a warm glow. Let’s look at them.
Mish 01: The Stingy Librarian: Infiltrate Hypatia’s computer network
The talented sculptress who did the beautiful sculpture outside (which I must examine some time) needs materials, and callous Hypatia is withholding them. For the sake of art and God, we will break into her network to steal what she will not share. This was doable without even a fight! I ran in and ran out, like a pizza delivery girl. And I was done! At the end Sister Margaret says, “Truly you are a bright, light in this dark place”; when was the last time anyone talked to you this way? I loved it! All this and XPs too!
Mish 02: Seeking Marble: Get Hypatia’s data for the Sculptress
The next step is to break into a facility and get data to help find the materials. Take a disk and upload its contents. Snap city! It was enjoyable, by the way, to notice the classic tactic of entrapment: ask someone to do something small, and then gradually up the ante, asking for larger and larger tasks. At the end of this one-step mission, she purrs, ”My goodness! You are so talented, Sugaree!” She knows vanity when she sees it.
Mish 03: Flawless Theft
For the glory of God, we will infiltrate a facility and place a virus. The Collector has a warehouse with the marble Sister Margaret’s Sculptress friend wants; we will plant a virus to redirect a shipment. Thus the work of this mission is to place a tiny disk in a tiny notebook. “I ran into an agent, and being a machinist I stopped to chat. However, all he did, though, was bark out “You!!”, so I thought it best to eb about my business. And what is reward for all this? A few xps. A few info. And a heartfelt “You continue to amaze me, Sugaree” *sigh*
Mish 04: Blue Destiny
This was one of the more complicated missions. First rescue one lover, then take him to his girlfriend, and then take them both to a Zion extraction point. Regrettably, the dialog for this mission was not written by Shakespeare, and seems stilted. The best the lost and lonely girlfriend can say to her long-lost lover is “It’s good to see you again, Jackson Pemberton”. I was hoping for more. However it was cute that they stood close to each other in the elevator and elsewhere. This mish ups the ante of complexity and import considerably. As I left them at the extraction point, I felt aglow with anticipation about the future, until I stepped out into the stained cement wasteland that is life for the rest of us, in the big, dirty city.
Mish 05: Saving Grace
We learn that the church sits atop a place of importance in the Matrix, hence the Sculptress’s interest in it. And the interest of others, one of whom, Albireo, has kidnapped three parishioners. We must free them. This is fairly straightforward. Even on Hard,. All you do is kill Albireo and free the three. This mish was notoriously bugged in beta, and now it works perfectly. Bravo!
And with that, our spiritual servitude comes to an end. What will become of the opus of the Sculptress, who we never meet? What is so special about the location of the Church that others are motivated to attack her work? How will Sister Margaret cope with unfriendly neighbors? Only future missions and live events will shed might on this.
Last week, we ventured to one of MegaCity’s toughest locales in search of missions. This week, in contrast, we go a hop, skip, and a jump across the square at Mara Center to visit Sister Margaret and run through one of the classic suites of Exile missions. These bring back great memories, and are among the biggest milkruns there are. No problems reaching her! And no bugs!
With her hair bunned on top of her head and no black robes, Sister Margaret is not at first sight what one expects from a woman of the cloth. But the missions she offers show a deep sense of compassion all too rare in this rough world of ours. Some Exiles give missions that make me fidget; hers gave me a warm glow. Let’s look at them.
Mish 01: The Stingy Librarian: Infiltrate Hypatia’s computer network
The talented sculptress who did the beautiful sculpture outside (which I must examine some time) needs materials, and callous Hypatia is withholding them. For the sake of art and God, we will break into her network to steal what she will not share. This was doable without even a fight! I ran in and ran out, like a pizza delivery girl. And I was done! At the end Sister Margaret says, “Truly you are a bright, light in this dark place”; when was the last time anyone talked to you this way? I loved it! All this and XPs too!
Mish 02: Seeking Marble: Get Hypatia’s data for the Sculptress
The next step is to break into a facility and get data to help find the materials. Take a disk and upload its contents. Snap city! It was enjoyable, by the way, to notice the classic tactic of entrapment: ask someone to do something small, and then gradually up the ante, asking for larger and larger tasks. At the end of this one-step mission, she purrs, ”My goodness! You are so talented, Sugaree!” She knows vanity when she sees it.
Mish 03: Flawless Theft
For the glory of God, we will infiltrate a facility and place a virus. The Collector has a warehouse with the marble Sister Margaret’s Sculptress friend wants; we will plant a virus to redirect a shipment. Thus the work of this mission is to place a tiny disk in a tiny notebook. “I ran into an agent, and being a machinist I stopped to chat. However, all he did, though, was bark out “You!!”, so I thought it best to eb about my business. And what is reward for all this? A few xps. A few info. And a heartfelt “You continue to amaze me, Sugaree” *sigh*
Mish 04: Blue Destiny
This was one of the more complicated missions. First rescue one lover, then take him to his girlfriend, and then take them both to a Zion extraction point. Regrettably, the dialog for this mission was not written by Shakespeare, and seems stilted. The best the lost and lonely girlfriend can say to her long-lost lover is “It’s good to see you again, Jackson Pemberton”. I was hoping for more. However it was cute that they stood close to each other in the elevator and elsewhere. This mish ups the ante of complexity and import considerably. As I left them at the extraction point, I felt aglow with anticipation about the future, until I stepped out into the stained cement wasteland that is life for the rest of us, in the big, dirty city.
Mish 05: Saving Grace
We learn that the church sits atop a place of importance in the Matrix, hence the Sculptress’s interest in it. And the interest of others, one of whom, Albireo, has kidnapped three parishioners. We must free them. This is fairly straightforward. Even on Hard,. All you do is kill Albireo and free the three. This mish was notoriously bugged in beta, and now it works perfectly. Bravo!
And with that, our spiritual servitude comes to an end. What will become of the opus of the Sculptress, who we never meet? What is so special about the location of the Church that others are motivated to attack her work? How will Sister Margaret cope with unfriendly neighbors? Only future missions and live events will shed might on this.
SugarShack 01 Mission Reviews Mr. Black
Sugar-Shack 01: Mission Reviews: Mr. Black, Sultan of Stratford Campus
The average missions center on getting, moving, and killing, and for the average player, fixated on grinding to 50, this doesn’t make much difference. But when you can do more with these simple materials, as with the Critical Missions, there is a much deeper sense of accomplishment. The Contact Missions are fine examples of this creativity. They are worth your time because each Contact has a personality and style, and the missions themselves are often very inventive. They give some insight into Exile relationships (which I always love to know more about) and charm us with their plot twists and surprises, along with the creative dialogue with your operator or NPCs. As you can see, I think they are really fun.
So, when you reach 50, or when you get tired of running the same mission ad infinitem to grind, check these out. In this series, I’ll run the suite of mishes for each contact, reporting on highlights and bugs. They are worth your while, believe me. As always, your xp and info payout depend on your level.
We will start our series with one of the more challenging Contact Mish suites, those of Mr. Black, the potentate of Stratford Campus.
Mr. Black, one of the senior Exiles, hangs out smack dab in the middle of Stratford Campus, and is pretty easy to find; corporate security drones hover around him like flies at a picnic, and he’s a stone’s throw from the single Stratford Campus hardline. Apparently, like many Exiles, he is homeless. He’s a massive, elegantly-dressed black guy just waiting for you to come and offer your services. And there is not long to wait. He has a suite of five missions all of which I ran on Hard.
General Observations. All missions were bug-free for this 50th-level lass. Operator and NPC dialogue were unusually inventive, and worth reading. In particular, listen to the hired help chatting back and forth; I include some examples below. Perhaps best of all, there is little traipsing around! For most you just run back and forth across the square! As someone who once had to run 2100 meters in heels for a mission (and bugged at that!), this was hugely appreciated.
Mission 01: Go Underground
This seems straightforward: three little floppy disks must be protected. Then you learn they have already been stolen, and must now be retrieved. This involves infiltrating a skyscraper controlled by The Trainman (present only in name). At the end you discover there is more to this than meets the eye, and Mr. Black’s representative concludes there will be “some use for your talents, if not your brains”. The narrative logic does not make total sense here. But the three-stage trip is pleasant, with some witty observations from the chatty operator and the participants. Fun! And no bugs! And convenient locations. Some more sense of depth than the average grab-the-loot mish.
Mission 02: Paper Chase
One of the most unusual premises: Mr. Black needs a building permit, but the lethargic city bureaucracy has been dragging its heels. To encourage efficiency, the mission is to kills the offending bureaucrat’s bodyguards and thus free him from the distraction of safety. If you’ve ever waited in line for a permit or a driver’s license, this story will resonate with you deeply, believe me. Straightforward, with lots and lots of fighting to get the papers. Oddly, we do not travel to City Hall to get these.
Mission 03: Off White
Who would have thought! Dame White is his wife! And like many wives, she likes to keep a close eye on what her husband is up to. Mr. Black tasks you with getting rid of her spies and retrieving any intel they have accumulated. There are fine, entertaining moments as one White thug gets nervous and stammers that he d-d-d-oesn’t know wh-why the d-d-door is locked. Mr. Black approves of your handiwork, and concludes this happy mish by telling you, “If you weren’t a human I might even make you a part of my organization.” *Sigh* Oh, I love it when he talks to me like that!
Mission 04: Thorny Rose
Mr. Black’s mischievous daughter is in trouble and needs assistance. This is a rescue, but fortunately you do not need to lead Rose anywhere. Just kill all the kidnappers and get a package from her. This was fun, with the hired help chatting about Rose (the “hot mama”, “ixnay on the ohay”), then stopping when you walk in. And wait till you see what was in the package you had to risk life and limb to retrieve! It just goes to show that even Exiles have a sentimental side.
By the way, this would have been better if you had needed to team up with some of Dame White’s people, or reach some understanding with Dame White to win her cooperation to rescue her daughter. This would have dovetailed soooo well with the immediately previous mission.
Mission 05: Bringing Home
One of Black’s staff has been kidnapped and must be rescued and then taken to Indigo, (one of Black’s kids) for debriefing. Lots of targets to kill on hard setting. The best entertainment is the cut-piece dialogs between Indigo, Xavier, and Indigo’s men, which are well-written and not always expected. Mr. Black takes care of his own, but is nonetheless a stern taskmaster.
Conclusion. That’s it for Mr. Black and his mishes! His have many compelling qualities, such as wit, convenience, and smoothness. You should definitely check them out, once you can safely handle the rigors of Stratford Campus and its corporate swarms.
The average missions center on getting, moving, and killing, and for the average player, fixated on grinding to 50, this doesn’t make much difference. But when you can do more with these simple materials, as with the Critical Missions, there is a much deeper sense of accomplishment. The Contact Missions are fine examples of this creativity. They are worth your time because each Contact has a personality and style, and the missions themselves are often very inventive. They give some insight into Exile relationships (which I always love to know more about) and charm us with their plot twists and surprises, along with the creative dialogue with your operator or NPCs. As you can see, I think they are really fun.
So, when you reach 50, or when you get tired of running the same mission ad infinitem to grind, check these out. In this series, I’ll run the suite of mishes for each contact, reporting on highlights and bugs. They are worth your while, believe me. As always, your xp and info payout depend on your level.
We will start our series with one of the more challenging Contact Mish suites, those of Mr. Black, the potentate of Stratford Campus.
Mr. Black, one of the senior Exiles, hangs out smack dab in the middle of Stratford Campus, and is pretty easy to find; corporate security drones hover around him like flies at a picnic, and he’s a stone’s throw from the single Stratford Campus hardline. Apparently, like many Exiles, he is homeless. He’s a massive, elegantly-dressed black guy just waiting for you to come and offer your services. And there is not long to wait. He has a suite of five missions all of which I ran on Hard.
General Observations. All missions were bug-free for this 50th-level lass. Operator and NPC dialogue were unusually inventive, and worth reading. In particular, listen to the hired help chatting back and forth; I include some examples below. Perhaps best of all, there is little traipsing around! For most you just run back and forth across the square! As someone who once had to run 2100 meters in heels for a mission (and bugged at that!), this was hugely appreciated.
Mission 01: Go Underground
This seems straightforward: three little floppy disks must be protected. Then you learn they have already been stolen, and must now be retrieved. This involves infiltrating a skyscraper controlled by The Trainman (present only in name). At the end you discover there is more to this than meets the eye, and Mr. Black’s representative concludes there will be “some use for your talents, if not your brains”. The narrative logic does not make total sense here. But the three-stage trip is pleasant, with some witty observations from the chatty operator and the participants. Fun! And no bugs! And convenient locations. Some more sense of depth than the average grab-the-loot mish.
Mission 02: Paper Chase
One of the most unusual premises: Mr. Black needs a building permit, but the lethargic city bureaucracy has been dragging its heels. To encourage efficiency, the mission is to kills the offending bureaucrat’s bodyguards and thus free him from the distraction of safety. If you’ve ever waited in line for a permit or a driver’s license, this story will resonate with you deeply, believe me. Straightforward, with lots and lots of fighting to get the papers. Oddly, we do not travel to City Hall to get these.
Mission 03: Off White
Who would have thought! Dame White is his wife! And like many wives, she likes to keep a close eye on what her husband is up to. Mr. Black tasks you with getting rid of her spies and retrieving any intel they have accumulated. There are fine, entertaining moments as one White thug gets nervous and stammers that he d-d-d-oesn’t know wh-why the d-d-door is locked. Mr. Black approves of your handiwork, and concludes this happy mish by telling you, “If you weren’t a human I might even make you a part of my organization.” *Sigh* Oh, I love it when he talks to me like that!
Mission 04: Thorny Rose
Mr. Black’s mischievous daughter is in trouble and needs assistance. This is a rescue, but fortunately you do not need to lead Rose anywhere. Just kill all the kidnappers and get a package from her. This was fun, with the hired help chatting about Rose (the “hot mama”, “ixnay on the ohay”), then stopping when you walk in. And wait till you see what was in the package you had to risk life and limb to retrieve! It just goes to show that even Exiles have a sentimental side.
By the way, this would have been better if you had needed to team up with some of Dame White’s people, or reach some understanding with Dame White to win her cooperation to rescue her daughter. This would have dovetailed soooo well with the immediately previous mission.
Mission 05: Bringing Home
One of Black’s staff has been kidnapped and must be rescued and then taken to Indigo, (one of Black’s kids) for debriefing. Lots of targets to kill on hard setting. The best entertainment is the cut-piece dialogs between Indigo, Xavier, and Indigo’s men, which are well-written and not always expected. Mr. Black takes care of his own, but is nonetheless a stern taskmaster.
Conclusion. That’s it for Mr. Black and his mishes! His have many compelling qualities, such as wit, convenience, and smoothness. You should definitely check them out, once you can safely handle the rigors of Stratford Campus and its corporate swarms.
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