More Pictures

A painting decorating the wall of the Longbow Officers' Club. I like the painting, and I'm betting it's a real one. I'd like to know the artist, if anyone recognizes it.

The first of many new toys Will acquired recently that bothered Fyre. This is a Malta Sapper gun. Unfortunately, as a temp power, there were a limited number of shots in it... and they're all gone. WANT MORE! :-D

This is the second. Yes, my friends, Will was packing a quantum rifle. This one had a special modification on it. Once the target Kheldian (in this case, a warshade named "Romulus") was down, you could switch the rifle into a special mode and permanently seperate Kheldian and host. Will... refused to do this.

As he explained to Fyre and Havoc, he doesn't mind killing. He actively seeks out new and better weapons for more efficient killing. But with this quantum gun, he was being asked to hurt someone. Not kill. Not eliminate. Not scare off. Actively cause lasting pain. Torture. Will refused to do so, and after firing the gun a couple times in low-power mode (so as to technically fulfill his mission), he switched back to his automatic. And when Romulus was defeated, Will let the hospital teleporter get him.

Then he destroyed the special modification and tossed the quantum gun aside.

Update

Yeah, it's been a while since my last blog post. Things have been going on in real life to keep me distracted, not the least of which is losing my job and then starting a new one. I've been enjoying just playing the game. Which is not to say I've just been power-gaming. On the contrary, a lot of new RP has been opened up since my last entry.

Ryu Tatsu
We got T3 to level 27, but... well, it's looking like the team isn't going to go anywhere. The characters are too different, too disconnected, and the disinterest, I think, is growing. I don't know what will become of the rest of the team, but for me... well, ever since revealing Ryu's reasons for being in the Isles, it feels like... well, it feels like he's done. There's not really anything else there.

Cpt. William Piett
New things are popping up all the time for Will. Fyre is proving to be both a good and bad influence on him at the same time. I expected one or the other, but both? It's weird. Fun, interesting, and leading to all sorts of story... but weird all the same. I've already created an alternate Will which prompted a nice piece of RP. Hard to say exactly where it'll go.

There's also some complications with Ges, one of the Nazi characters Masonry has. Will was willing to ignore the kind of person Ges was because all he wanted him for was another fighter. And he's definitely good at that. Unfortunately, and both Will and I were dreading this, conversation came up and discussions of Ges' background came up. Made for some fairly uncomfortable moments. Yet somehow, less uncomfortable than "Master Masonry". :)

The Grey Wizard
After a conversation between Fyre and Vagz, I re-created "VillainVagz". He's a fire/cold corruptor, and so far, he's only level 8. Re-kindling a connection to Angel Noir first established during the Winter Event, it was definitely an interesting duo. Although for some reason, Mal'ing down Angel had a rather nasty effect on the XP I was earning. But yes, Vagz is visiting the Rogue Isles once more.

Corvus Venator
I deleted him to make room for new alts, but missed him almost immediately. I liked the look I'd made for him. When I found myself stumped for a look for a "fun" alt over on Triumph... well, naturally I re-created him. He went from a claws/SR scrapper to a TA/Archery defender. Other than that, I intend for him to be the same character.

Also deleted and missed is Derick Darklight, my warshade. I liked the story I'd crafted for him. He had a great look, and I would've liked to RP him more... but I wasn't playing him, and I was starting to not look forward to more warshade stuff. Oh, well. Maybe eventually he'll come back.

Proto-Rikti

The moment I'd been waiting for with Will finally came. Well, one of them, anyway.

Even though Fyre tried to tell him very early on about the connection between the Lost and the Rikti, he was in complete denial over it. He used poorly-founded arguments, stupid little details, and ultimately just blind denial to keep from having to acknowledge that she was right. No, not because it was Fyre. Statesman or Recluse could've come to him and told him every detail in person, and he would've mustered the exact same amount of resistance to the idea. Possibly more with Recluse.

To recap, back when Cpt. William Piett was Cpt. Bill Peterson of the PCPD SWAT, he lived in Baumton ("Boomtown"). He had a wife, two kids, a dog, and a whole lot of friends and relatives, all living in the same area. In early 2002, he was working a lot, away from his family and friends, trying to help clean up the street crime that plagued Paragon City. Except for a few of his co-workers that he was chummy with, everyone he loved and cared about died in the Rikti invasion. He hates the Rikti as the aliens that took his life away. To a far lesser (and strictly subconscious) extent, he hates the heroes of Paragon for not saving his family as well as blaming them for why he wasn't there to protect his family. He and some of his co-workers, each with their own reasons, left Paragon City. They are the mercenaries.

So why the denial about the Lost? Will could deal with an alien invasion force trying to wipe out humanity. He deals with it badly, but it's... acceptable, I think is the best word for it. Finding out that the invasion force is a group of mutated humans? That most of this second invasion is made up of humans from our own world? It's not so easy to deal with the idea that one of the gangs that lives on the unmarked graves of his friends and family is basically trying to hook up with the people that razed Baumton in the first place.

In any case, at level 30, "Lost" missions become "Rikti" missions. So as you do "Lost" missions at level 28-30, increasing numbers of the mobs will be true Rikti instead of the mutated Lost. We had our first one of those last night. Will's been building up to this because, as Fyre pointed out, the Pariahs are pretty much short Rikti with hoods. He's been trying, consciously and unconsciously to ignore what they meant. Then we rounded a corner and found Rikti Infantry and Drones. It was a shock, and part of his brain shut down. He started babbling.

In the next room, there was a Rifleman, more Infantry, and a Communications Officer. Will lost it. He started shouting and running from room to room, gunning down or pummeling every Lost and Rikti he could find, acting recklessly (and thanks to Fyre and the pets, not getting in any danger) and finally the mercs had to tackle him and pin him to the ground to make him stop. Lt. Sinatra (the commando) talked to Fyre. She didn't say very much, but it seemed clear she understood to an extent what Will was going through. Even later, while Will was still partly off in his own little mental world, she still seemed concerned.

What comes next for Will vs. the Rikti? No idea. Just gonna play it by ear. :)

The Leviathan

If you have never done the CoV story-arc revolving around the "Cult of the Shaper", I highly recommend it. The storyline is interesting, but the real pay-off is getting to visit these caverns.

Some think this is a mouth or... other orifice. Personally, I think it looks more like an eye socket...

And then there are the teeth...

The Best Laid Plans of Dragons...

Well, Ryu finally laid his hand down on the table. For those who weren't there or weren't paying attention, here it is in a nutshell.

The dragons in Japan are dying out. They are being crowded out by humanity, especially modern humanity. And since tatsu (Japanese dragons) are born as carp, they've also been fished out or captured. Ryu's mate was killed in the bombing of Hiroshima.

So the Dragon King (Ryuujin) sent Ka-Riu out with the last clutch of dragon eggs to find them a new home. Tatsu need humanity, space, low-predator waters, and a food supply. Ka-Riu picked the Rogue Isles because the current leader has no interest in the isles themselves. His plan is to topple the current government, set up a new leader, and then help improve the isles, both to make them a good place to raise dragons as well as to make it a better place for humanity.

Yeah, it was a bit of a reach even as I was writing it, but I still like it as a backstory, plot-holes and all.

Prognosis: Not Good

Dr. Nguyen slammed down his clipboard and buried his face in his hands. He sighed loudly and moved to massage his temples. He looked down at the clipboard. He looked up at the machines. He looked over at the computer. They all said the same thing they did the day before. They all gave the same information.

But what the hell does it mean? he thought, and not for the first time.

Dr. Pace was still alive. But for the second day in a row, his brain activity dropped to almost undetectable levels. If it was like the day before, when everyone panicked, it'd last for an hour or two... and then shoot right back up.

But what the hell does it mean?

Oh, Captain, my Captain.

I know I've started a lot of posts this way lately, but...

It's hard, sometimes, to play a character who is an outsider to your own story. It's difficult to separate Piett from what I know from playing E for so long. And lately, I've had some moments where I've had a hard time remembering what Piett has heard or been told versus what I know because I was E. Heck, I'm pretty sure I've screwed up that separation a few times, usually erring on the side of "he doesn't know", leaving others to remind him (IC or OOC) that he really should know by now.

In any case, the Rikti are definitely not freaking Will out as much as I thought they were going to. They are freaking him out, especially when he's hip-deep in them for too long, but he gets back to "normal" pretty quickly. Does that mean he's all right? Hell, no. It means he's in even more layers of denial than I thought when I created him. And it actually gets easier to bury himself in denial when there's more people around. More to think about, more to keep track of, and more reason for him to put on his game-face and focus on the work.

No, I'm not suggesting less teaming. Don't be paranoid. I love the teaming.

When it comes to Master Masonry, Will doesn't trust him in the slightest. Mas keeps asking some very (to Will) personal questions. The probing just makes him that much more determined to keep his own council. There's something seriously wrong with this "hero" who leads a pack of thugs around, breaking their necks when he's unhappy. The only thing Will knows for sure right now is that he's got to be ready to try and take Mas out if it becomes necessary. How? Well, he's got some ideas...

Then there's Keen Havoc. Fyre and Mas treat him like "instant friend" because of his relationship to the other Keens (Stronghold and Frost). Will thinks they're nuts to do so. He's very obviously his own person with his own (hidden) agenda and plans. He seems like a decent (if rude) fellow, but the more decent someone on the Isles seems, the less likely they are to actually be decent.

As far as Ges and Schlachtfeld go, Will thinks of them as decent soldiers and somewhat useful. If they actually are Nazis... well, there's worse on the Isles. So long as all they're doing is work, it's fine. Just... don't want to get into a political or philosophical discussion.

Then there's Fyre-Hex. Will feels very protective of her, but he's confused as to whether he's having bodyguard feelings, fatherly feelings, or if he's developing a crush. She is quite capable of handling almost anything the Isles can dish out at her, and yet... why is someone like her on the Isles in the first place? He's taken rich idiots into dangerous places before, usually to see them lose their lunch and beg to be taken home. He's worked with heroes and villains before, but Fyre... it's like she's both at the same time. The player obviously knows a few things the character doesn't, so the character is still pretty confused about the whole situation.

Oh, and after last night's conversation, I think I pretty much have to put some more levels on my newest Virtue alt Lost Phantom. The RP idea that made me create him in the first place seems like even more of an interesting idea now. I just have to find a way to get some more levels on him so I can pull it off.

*chuckles evilly*

The Hive

Taken during the Lady Grey TF. I still don't have a villain of high enough level to visit the new zone. The views were amazing, though, and make a great desktop image. :)