Disappointing Mission and Inspiration

I just did a mission that disappointed me in it's failure to rise above the typical "rescue X" missions. The contact tells me something to the effect of "hey, how about something easy? You've been invited to appear at a sci-fi convention." When you arrive, sadly, the building is abandoned and the entry message actually tells you it's an ambush. Sad. Boy, this had the potential to be something really interesting, combining combat and non-combat goals into an actual [gasp!] plot! Here's how I'd do it. I don't think there's anything here that can't be done with existing coding.

The hero arrives at the mission location and enters. Inside, the hero is immediately charged by a number of men in robes and a wizard... apparently a Circle of Thorns ambush! The assailants target normally, but when powers are activated against them an "invalid target" message results. When the "attackers" reach the hero, they deliver a message explaining they're dressed up for the sci-fi convention and welcome the hero. They tell him there are a number of people who want to meet him and that an audience is waiting for him to speak.

Moving into the actual "convention hall" (the large, multi-tiered room of the standard business office map), the hero finds the room filled with people, some dressed like heroes and villains. Vendor booths (graphics taken from the various store layouts) line the room. The hero moves around the room collecting glowies. Each of these glowies is something at a booth or fan related. Clicking them causes the hero to wave or pose for the people present (who applaud when he does) and XP is awarded. In a few places is the very familiar scene of CoT thugs threatening a civilian. The thugs are, of course, targetable... but when the heroes attack the "thugs" say, "dont hurt us! We were just fooling around!" ....More "invalid target" fans.

Once all the glowies have been collected, the hero is given a target location to go to. At this location is a stage and podium (glowie) and an audience of civilians. When the hero clicks the podium, he goes into the "lecture" emote. Moments later an attack of real CoT spawns. CoT Guards, Guides, and Archers shoot wildly around the room, and spectral Daemons chase panicking civillians (via the "follow" command programming).

Throughout the mission, all costumed civilians are targetable, but not attackable. I think this adds to the surprise nature of the actual villains. Initially, this might seem annoying when actual combat finally breaks out, but I think it adds a "don't shoot the civilians!" feel when villains enter and the crowd panics.... The hero has to choose his target carefully.

Beyond this room are a number of real cornered hostages in need of rescue. The last one will tell the hero that the villains grabbed one of the merchants and jumped into the elevator. The elevator leads to a parking garage (the garage from the standard city zone map). Near the garage elevator is a truck unloading weapons and explosives. Villains here to defeat and stuff to be destroyed. Further down the garage, thugs are planting bombs, and other bombs await disarming. At the bottom of the garage is the big villain with the kidnapped merchant. Defeat villain, rescue hostage. The merchant explains that the villain wanted something from his booth. Apparently one of his "replica props" was an authentic artifact. If the hero waits a moment before exiting the mission, a mob of civillian sci-fi fans will gather and cheer.

There. Now wasn't that more interesting?