I'm afraid I have to dedicate this one to Aaron :)
Penny Arcade! - Just When I Get Out: Yeah... just try and take some time off of CoH :)
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January 31, 2006
January 30, 2006
To the Hostess Heroes...
... send me headshots or screenshots, please. :)
And remember: tonight is Monday Munchies!
((For those of you who don't know what-in-hell I'm on about -- you will, soon. :) ))
January 27, 2006
"...the bowsprite is no place for me."
For a bit of synchronity, today is one-year-exactly since Hang Time joined the Phalanx in the first place. End of an annum, if not an era.
XQ: IRC?
Okay, so a conversation with Kate that really shouldn't have reminded me of this, reminded me of this: Some folks put no small effort into working up characters for Heroquest, to do Xian Quan.
Do we (and by we I mean 'those of you that did that work') want to try to do it anyway? Remotely, via one of the free chat-like-clients that handle chatting and dice-rolls and stuff? Maybe once a week or something?
Post: yea or nay -- my feelings won't be hurt either way.
Planning Stages
Trying to put together a team for the Manticore TF for tonight -- *nudge nudge*. (Yeah, I know -- I'm trying to organize it on the forums instead of via email... I'm a rebel.)
If nothing else, need a few more people to help start it for the folks who actually want to run it -- I'm sure the four we've already got can actually do it.
That said... maybe there are alternatives?
Synapse, 15ish-21ish (BYO-toon)
Sister Spooky, 20ish-25ish (*might* be able to get Gilly up to 20 fast enough this late-afternoon to do that -- Tessa could come! Pre-adolescent-palooza!)
Or...
The second SF thing on Champion's Darkside? Which... actually, I'm pretty sure I can't do that yet, thanks in part to a couple KK-induced faceplants in the last few days with Markov.
January 26, 2006
Granted, the book's so big you'll hardly notice...
Huh. I forgot to post this.
If you're in a game or hobby shop and happen to see the Deryni Adventures RPG (based on the books by Katherine Kurtz), check out the byline page: I'm one of the contributing authors.
The game's written for the FUDGE system, and I wrote the "Fatigue" rules that the game uses (originally written, I think, for ... Amber, but never really used much, then converted to Fudge and Swift.)
Anyway, it was cool to see my name in print.
In which someone pats me on the back without realizing it.
Another fun Firefly moment:
I'm on a mailing list for the Risus RPG (which most of y'all had the opportunity to mess with a few weekends ago). Well, as silly as Kringle in Time is, some people actually use Risus to run fairly serious stuff, and one of the more popular topics of discussion right now is the year-long Play By e-Mail "Firefly Risus" game that someone's running -- there's been a LOT of discussion about how to represent not only the canon characters and stuff, but on how to run a game set in the Firefly universe in general.
The best part for me was a couple days ago, when some guy I don't know (and who doesn't know me, or even know I'm on the list) piped up and said:
"One suggestion I have: no Firefly game of any kind, using either canon or non-canon characters, in any system, should go anywhere at all until the people creating it have had a chance to check out FireflyWiki.org -- it's just invaluable."
So... cue a big grin from me.
Because that... comments like that, from fans or near-fans, or writers or gamers... that's just. exactly. why. I. built. the. site.
January 25, 2006
DP Link
Kick-ass Guide to Dull Pain and Dull Pain-like powers. HIGHly recommended. Thanks ***Dave.
January 20, 2006
Week in Review
Roster changes, mostly, with some stuff going on.
Hang Time
(Level: 50)
Need to do the thing with the thing. :)
Hyperthermian
(Level: 50 (new))
Child-husks, bereft of souls.
Nephilim?
Half-angel, half-human. Are they heroes, blessed with the gifts (soul and grace of god) from both parents, or abominations bereft of either?
Or both?
Well, that's the big question.
--
In other news, Hype's putting his life back together. One comment I liked: "I like that it's not happening quickly -- that it's taking him real time to get things worked out -- that he's not just 'okay'."
Yeah... me too.
--
And oh yeah, he's in the Big Brother/Sister program at the Skyway Community Rec Center. :) Apparently. :)
--
Gameplay:
What's to say? He dinged 50 yesterday and has piles of game content still waiting. I'm looking forward to lots of good stuff with him in the future.
And I haven't done the Eden Trial in a while :)
Strategist
(Level: 33)
Pretty much a coin-flip stage about whether or not to keep this toon around. Like the costume, like the powers... there's just always someone better to play, isn't there?
Epitaph
(level: 32)
... for example, this guy.
Need to get John going again. I haven't heard "oooooh" over an eight-man team comm in FAR TOO LONG. :)
Gilly
(level: 19)
NEED to hook Gilly up with Lil Tessa... and then team up with Psi-Clone :) WHeeeee...
Kethos
(Level: 22)
Ran a few missions, did a little RP, both in-team and with a random-tell-person... Virtue is awesome for that.
Upgraded to SO's. REALLY want to run some missions now.
Pummelcite
(Level: 18)
No play or RP.
Shade Dancer
Deleted.
Barret
Deleted.
Countersign
Deleted On the chopping block. I need another solo-play toon like I need stainless steel stilleto heels.*
Thadeus Shiver (Ice/Ice Dominator)
(Level 6)
No play or RP. I actually found him a bit easier to play as an Ice/Storm Controller. Need to compare and contrast. We'll see.
Markov Chain
(Level 18)
Had some fun playing and RPing Markov on Wednesday -- smoked an all-orange/red Longbow mission with Shadowslip (ignoring one bad fight), and ... I just love getting into the head of career killers. So very broken. They don't know what they need, but they always know what they want.
Lucian Strange
(Level 18: ((New)))
(Speaking of a bad-ass soloing toon.)
Amazing to me how a substandard secondary (Super Reflexes) can really suck with on Primary (Martial Arts) and shine with another (Broadsword).
Really looking forward to a good "magic" story with him.
Huh. Storm Knights. Maybe...
Huh. :)
Upcoming:
Some kind of Mind/* controller for FOUND house. I find myself with some open slots, all of a sudden.
January 19, 2006
Hyperthermian
50
For the CoV version of Noelle...
Hmmm... Stainless steel stillettoes: not airport security screening friendly: high heels made from stainless steel, with optional locking ankle straps.
Daddy like.
January 18, 2006
Largely ignored update from the most recent patch
Resorted order of availability for Tanker melee powers. Swapped 3rd and 4th power so Tankers can get a 3rd melee power by level 4.
Huh. Wierd.
January 16, 2006
You know what?
I've been out of the house all day. In the mountains, with no frelling cellular reception.
No one told me this crap was going to happen today.
In fact, I specifically ASKED for NOTHING to happen until the middle of this week when P1 and I would be back to a fairly normal schedule (he doesn't even have EMAIL access until tomorrow), so that we could open up the leadership discussion and figure out how to do this RIGHT.
I wasn't consulted on any of this.
People want to blame me for this mess?
Fine. Fuck em. Fuck you, if you're one of em. I wasn't even in town.
I had a plan -- it involved working out a plan with all the affected groups. It involved a clear and open explanation to the playerbase. I had it all laid out and it was agreed that it was the best way to go.
And while I was logged out of the game, trying to be a host and tour guide, people went and did everything fucking wrong.
And I get blamed for it. Fucking fine. I'm done.
January 13, 2006
Channeling myself
"No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see why."
-- Mignon McLaughlin
Seven people at the Casa last night, all connected to the internet and logged into CoH. Cool. Yay, wireless connectivity.
Of the seven, five or so had Coalition Chat on and were commenting on whatever was going on there.
So...
Thanks to my friends for, seperately and as a whole, reminding me why I never have that channel on.
January 12, 2006
Okay, I can finally do an Ice/* tank...
City of Heroes: Defense Scaling
Ice Tankers and SR Scrappers have long lamented that Defense doesn't scale with level. Because mobs higher level than a player possess an inherent to hit bonus, Defense isn't as effective over levels as Resistance.A while ago, peoople have requested something be done. Well, we've done a bunch of work and done this. Defense powers will now work equally well against critters, regardless of their rank or level. For instance, your defense powers will work equally well against a Boss or any critter up to 5 levels higher than you, as it does for an equal level minion. This change has no effect on a player who does not have any Defense.
This change is coming in I7
Holy CRAP! I mean... HOLY CRAP! That's...
That's...
HOLY CRAP!
The first question out of everyone's mouth was 'what about bubbles?"
Seems like...
Well, this may be wishful thinking, but he said, "This change has no effect on a player who does not have any Defense." The converse of that would be that it DOES have effect on a player that has ANY form of Defense. Be it Power Pool, buff placed on him by a teammate, SR Secondary, Force Field Primary or whatever.
Seems like. Programmers are a shifty, inherenty lazy lot (*looks shifty and inherently lazy as a sign of solidarity*), and doing anything other than making all the defense on a player work the same way would be *harder*.
I mean... wow. This is huge. Pummelcite's going to be happy. P-siren's gonna be happy. PUCK's gonna be happy. Strat's going to be happy...
Lots of happy.
*rolls up and Ice Armor Tank, since they won't be so friggin' broken anymore! Woo!
January 11, 2006
Nobilis Meets Amber...
There are twelve avatars, and the thirteenth which is Death.It is normal for the royal family to produce fewer than twelve children in any generation. It is rare that there should be a thirteenth.
Thus there is no difficulty when an older child takes it upon themselves to walk down to the pit of the avatars and jump.
For example, one cannot consider Cedric selfish in any manner for taking the first of the twelve avatars.
When he made his choice he was fifteen and he had three siblings only. His condition was one of abundance. He walked down to the avatar pit. He stared down: the pit was deep and black and full of edged in sharp rocks. It resembled an ecstatic's vision of the entryway to Hell. Cedric steeled himself against fear. Then he jumped.
As he fell he connected to an avatar. This proved his blood and confirmed him as a child of the throne. Great black wings surrounded him. Stars burned around his head. In this fashion he became one with Night.
Very cool. Check it.
Statesman says stuff
First...I confirm that we're working on right now (as in pohsyb in the next room) to add CoV costume parts into CoH if you own both games....Then we repeal the hated stealth nerf. The reason why: many well reasoned posts. It's that simple. You guys pointed out the problems.
AND now...we're changing the way Archvillains spawn. A ton of forum goers disliked adding so many AV's into missions a while back...so we've come up with a solution. If the team size and mission difficulty are ABOVE a certain level, an Archvillain spawns. Below that, players will face only an Elite Boss. If the mission is set on the first two levels of difficulty, it takes 4 heroes or more to spawn an Arch Villain. On the third level, 3 heroes or more. On the fourth level, 2 heroes. On the highest (Invincible), a solo hero will spawn an AV. Note this works in BOTH City of Heroes and Villains.
In order to incentivize lager teams, Positron is going to add a bonus to AV rewards!
So... in theory, if you're on heroic, and you start, say... the Sarah Moore TF... and five players drop the TF... the final would be an Elite Boss. Weird.
Still... pretty cool for folks who prefer to solo or duo and currently *have* to get a team together to finish missions with AV's in them (such as most of the Portal Corp stuff).
January 10, 2006
Poof, you're sneaky again.
Statesman
We're going to be taking out this "stealth nerf" or "nerf to stealth" or whatever...The original intent was to prevent riskless XP gain...but I agree that the implementation caused problems as noted here on the forums.
I REALLY like the Suppression idea brought up, but that'll take some time to implement. So we're just going to take it out until we can do it right.
I didn't read back into the thread to find out what the 'suppression' suggestion was -- anyone want to dig through that thread and post it here?
Couple more days of CoH in review
Just to get up to date before The Visit throws my play schedule all out of whack.
Not that it isn't already -- lately, if I get online by 7pm, it's a good night, and with needing to be in at work by 6am this week... yeah.
Anyway...
Hyperthermian
(Level: 49)
Hype's 'colors' have attracted the attention of a pre-cognitive empath. The Old Testament meets the Tao te Ching. So. Much. Fun. Laughter is good.
Still, for all that, it's a real spiritual thing: Ashe is really digging into himself -- finding out what really matters to him, now that his grandfather's dead. He hasn't found the answers yet, but he's looking.
In short, he's growing up.
Gameplay
Ran the Sara Moore task force with Hype, Shock, Kin, Psi-Clone, Amorpha, Zephyr, Li, and Puck. Had a couple people hit the ground here and there due to either ambushes or being too close to the 'damage cloud' that hovers around any tank who's fighting Nemesis, but otherwise it went really well. The last group that ran this thing (Shock and Kin were on it, so I heard about it) needed something like 2 or 3 days to finish it, and had one or two TPK's fighting the AV. We ran it in a night and the AV dropped kinda scary fast once Kin cleared the minions out.
I hear tell there's more AVs in the next couple Shard TF's... like... five? Six? Cool.
Picked up Hype's last power: Rise of Phoenix. Strictly an RP-type power: Hype doesn't know it yet, but for all intents and purposes, he can't die -- his will's too strong. (See one of my quotes from the last update.)
Sidenote to Empathy people: Absorb pain is an awesome 'save the tank' heal, and Adrenal Boost...
My. God.
I know it used to suck, but holy cow it is SO DAMN GOOD now. It's like RA, plus Speed Boost, plus Regen Aura, and then doubled. Daddy like.
Epitaph
(level: 32)
Need to write the Coconut Trophy thing... and the next post for Working Girl. Damn. So far behind I think I'm going to lap myself.
Lucian Strange
(level: 17 (new))
Gameplay:
Parry is six-slotted: Lucian can use the Medicine pool heal in mid-combat without getting interrupted :)
Lucian hasn't had a lot of rp yet (aside from being hit on by everything with two legs), but that's mostly my desire to get him up to SO's as soon as possible -- that's really where I'd like to be before getting heavily into RP. He lost his jingle-jet yesterday, so I'm hoofing it around the city, Strategist-style, for now... Lucian's build doesn't include a travel power: just like Strat.
UNLIKE Strat, I'm having a lot fewer problems with endurance: my current build plan doesn't have Stamina coming in until level 30, and if it doesn't seem like I need it even then, I won't get it. Right now, he's running Invincible and his endurance is fine.
January 9, 2006
On Test...
The Dreck Mission is now timed. No more farming.
Edit: corrected silly tpyo. :)
Funny, but not...
City of Heroes Official Forums
The scene: Four players and a DM are gathered around a kitchen table.Statesman (in an ominous tone from behind his DM's cardboard wall): You enter a dark, abandoned warehouse. In the distance you hear the scurrying sound of a rat.
Player 1: Okay, we leave the first room.
Statesman: You enter a long hallway, filled with cobwebs and heavy with the scent of dust. A short distance ahead of you, three Hellions are having a discussion about something, unaware of your presence.
Player 2: I cast Group Invisibility on the team and we all walk past the Hellions.
Statesman: No!
Player 2: No?
Statesman: You have to fight them.
Player 2: But I used Group Invisibility. They can't see us. We're walking past.
Statesman: Um...it doesn't work.
Player 3: What?
Statesman: Yeah, the invisibility doesn't work because your hats are made from a space-age fabric that is resistant to molecular modification, which is what invisibility does. Because of this, the Hellions have spotted you.
Player 3: That's absurd.
The whole thing is quite funny... and sad.
January 6, 2006
Coming Next: Who knows...
The new CoX patch includes the following undocumented or "stealth" (in more ways than one) nerf: it is no longer possible to click glowies while phased or stealthed. This includes Superspeed.
I can see it for phase-shift... but... you can't be hidden while you're stealing something? While your clipping wires on a bomb?
Whatever.
January 5, 2006
Face to face gaming? People do that?
Potentially running two face to face games this coming week while Aaron and Kate are at the Casa:
Ancient China. Wire-fu. Old, jealous gods. Young, jealous nobles: Xian Quan
And this other bit of wackiness:
The holiday season means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it's the pristine beauty of a snow-crusted country evening, warmed by a comfortable helping of mulled wine. For others, it's the rat-race of an adrenaline-charged City Christmas, with eager shoppers in search of unique playthings to give to each other. To many, it means placing familiar objects lovingly on a tree, and gathering with family to forget the worries of an ailing world for a few days.Christmas is not -- traditionally -- a time of high adventure and danger.
But there was a Christmas (not too long ago) when something extraordinary happened. When a handful of people came face to face with what they knew was the true magic of Christmas.
So they killed it.
This is their tale.
Just the thing for a post-holiday slump, no?
The nice thing is: all the participants are geeks, so if the game stories don't wrap up nice and neat, we can play in a group chat or something until it wraps up.
Or something... random thought, that. Anyway.
*goes off to write Bangs.
Couple days of CoH in review
Been finishing up a book this last week and dealing with family stuff, so there hasn't been a lot of in-game time (Epitaph hasn't been logged in in 23 days, I'm told by a reliable source), but there has been some, and more to the point there's been story stuff going on.
Hang Time
(Level: 50)
I noticed when I posted Jason's annulment announcement last week that it was my fiftieth post to his thread. Nice round number.
Over 2300 hits, second only (in the Phalanx section) to the actual Phalanx TIMELINE, and walking away with the number-of-hits-per-post 'W1N' if not for the amazing number of hits on Velvet Jones (Khaaaaaan!!!! I mean... Daaaaave.)
That's just... hmm. Lots of folks reading HT, for all that I haven't touched him in months.
So I went back and read it. Not bad.
I still like Strat's arrival into the Phalanx and Working Girl a LOT better, plotwise, and there's a pile of stuff in there where I was too lazy and just posted up logs instead of doing proper writing, but it's not bad.
Gave me an idea, in fact, for a story.
I mean... seems a shame to get to fifty posts and stop... or level 50 and stop roleplaying.
A real story. A proper, saleable thing, maybeven :).
God, in the Details, maybe. We'll see.
Hyperthermian
(Level: 48)
I'll letcha figure this one out:
What does the Lord require of you? To seek kindness, do justice, and walk humbly with your God. -- Micah 6:8
and...
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.-- Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching
Gameplay:
Teamed up some. Hype's my boy -- my god he kicks ass, but... wow. Empathy rocks my tiny, self-centered little world. Throw in controllery goodness and...
Well, let me illustrate with yet another quote:
Aright, nobody move. I've got a dragon and I'm not afraid to use it. -- Donkey, Shrek
... which only one person will get right now, but damn it's funny, trust me. :)
Goodness me, but there was some ass-kicking going on.
Strategist
(Level: 33)
*attaches some shackles and torture devices to a wall in preparation for Strat's next story -- too bad Strat doesn't know about it...
Epitaph
(level: 32)
Two words: Coconut. Trophy.
I'll provide a link to THAT story, later.
January 3, 2006
Random Link
January 2, 2006
Week in Review
It's amazing: even on a week when I go to South Dakota and don't actually play CoH, stuff happens to my characters:
Hang Time
(Level: 50)
Jason filed for an annulment, checking 'failure of consent' on the form.
Hyperthermian
(Level: 48)
Asher's zadeh (Grandfather, but also his parent/mentor) died a few weeks back, which is why Hype's been off the front lines for a few weeks. His telepathic link with Syn has been severed, possibly as a result of the emotional shut-down he's going through.
Strategist
(Level: 33)
*Doyce grins. Just... grins.*
Let's say I have something planned for ol' Stratocaster.
Epitaph
(level: 32)
John and Ren went ... umm... well, here:
Thank you for booking your vacation package. You will enjoy eight nights at the Coco Kreole, a delightfully charming intimate boutique hotel set in the heart of the action and fun of Rodney Bay Village, and just steps away from St Lucia's best beach and watersports activities. Your flight details are included below. We issue E-tickets and they are non-refundable. Thank you for booking with us; we hope you enjoy your visit to St. Lucia.Departing Flight Saturday, Dec 24, 2005
Providence, RI (PVD) to St Lucia, St Lucia (UVF)
connects in Charlotte, NC
US Airways
Flight 1141 7hr 26mn Departs: 6:30am
Arrives: 2:56pm 1 StopReturning Flight Sunday, Jan 1, 2006
St Lucia, St Lucia (UVF) to Providence, RI (PVD)
connects in Charlotte, NC
US Airways
Flight 242 8hr 31mn Departs: 3:50pm
Arrives: 11:21pm 1 Stop
In short, they had a very cool Christmas Vacation.
Markov Chain
(Level 18: ((New)))
There's a great parallel thing going on with Markov -- he's working with two different (Ninja Blade/Ninjutsu) stalkers, both very attractive to him, both...
well, you get the point.
But very different people. VERY different. One seems to be trying to find the gem in the rough, and the other... heh...
well, the other isn't. :)
He's been a lot of fun to play, and I'm really looking forward to more time with him.
Upcoming:
Some kind of Mind/* controller for FOUND house -- a reformed member of the Lost, modeled off the look of the guys who wear the football helmets and the STOP signs on their chest. Still no idea what secondary to pick, though. I actually might go with trick-arrow -- I like the sort of neo-luddite, "I don't trust any tech, after what the Rikti did to us", feel.
Dunno. Need to delete a champion character before I can make this guy up anyway.