Merry Christmas!

Leaving tonight for San José, California. Visiting with my brother, sister-in-law, 2 nieces, and my parents (who have already been up there a week). I'll be back Sunday night late so no Altitis/TF Sunday for me this week.

On the other hand, I have no plans for New Year's weekend, so odds are I'll be playing!

Free Server Transfers!

When I first heard about this Christmas present from the devs, I was excited. Then a little bummed 'cause I paid to transfer Ken (Sleetsquall, ice control/kinetics controller). Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that nearly all my alts on other servers are single-digits levels or barely over 10 at most. Easily just re-created rather than transferred. We'll see, but for now, I'm thinking of 2 transfers:

Ryu Tatsu (ninja/trick arrow mastermind)
Guardian --> Virtue

Butcher of the Pit (dual blades/fiery aura brute)
Triumph --> Virtue

Of course, that means I'll need to either axe a couple characters... or go ahead, break down, and buy another pack of slots for Virtue. Since I already have plans for 3 new characters when Going Rogue is live, I think I'll just buy another 5 slots for Virtue.

...oh, you want to know what the 3 new characters are? Sure: Praetorian EVAC, a Vagz to visit Praetoria with, and Praetorian Will. I'm not deciding on powersets yet 'cause I'm thinking we'll see more proliferation, but E and Will will probably be corruptors (Will might be dual pistols). For Vagz, I'll have to decide between corruptor and dominator, but there will likely be fire and/or electricity in the powersets.

Guest Authors in the Architect - a review

Fyre, Keen, and I took a crack at the guest author AE arcs yesterday. We teamed up Eve Noir (spines/dark scrapper), Keen Stronghold (FF/energy defender), and Vagabond Mage (fire/elec blaster). As an overall comment, this was an awesome trio. We mowed through mobs with very little difficulty. We were laying out a lot of damage and taking relatively little.

OMG its the LOLBAT (4/5)
First of all, I spent most the time wondering if there was an inside joke I wasn't getting. It was obviously a rip on Batman and his rogue's gallery as well as LOLspeak and similar internet memes. That part was funny enough. But I just kept having the nagging feeling there was something I wasn't getting. Still, it was kind of fun, had some silly moments, and the custom mobs and villains were pretty creative. And [SPOILER ALERT] it was very satisfying to beat the daylights out of LOLBAT.[/SPOILER] Total time: just over an hour.

Quest for Magic (3.5/5)
Of the four, this was the only "serious" story arc. Interesting villains and characters. A mix of "enh" and really nice custom villains (the first group was not impressive, but I liked the second one a lot). My biggest complaint about the arc was the feeling of being railroaded. There was stuff going on that I felt Vagz would've caught onto and stuff he would not have done. I don't like when canon arcs do that, and I like it even less when a custom-written arc is like that. Also, the author inserted Statesman into the story which always (to me) just screams "Ooh! Lookit me! My villain is so tough he defeated Statesman!" Those complaints aside, though: very good use of custom maps, characters with some depth, and a fairly enjoyable series of missions. Total time: 1:15.

Mission: Awesome (2.5/5)
Am I the only one who found those Captain Awesome commercials offensive and insulting? Yeah. We get it. He wants the glory and the billboards and the breakfast cereal without having to do all that tedious hero work. Ha-freakin-ha. That said, the missions had a couple of chuckle-worthy moments and the character and contact were given the perfect characterizations for what they were supposed to be. The contact especially was done beautifully (i.e. I really did want to punch his face in). I'd really like to know how the author managed to make Captain Awesome's AI exactly as lazy as he was supposed to be. He powered up his toggles very slowly and attacked one enemy in about every third group. Still, I couldn't get the taste of "awesome" out of my mouth. Ick.

I Am Not Sly - part 2

So did you guess, Keen? :)

I Am Not Sly

Okay, so... Dragonsmoke has a secret. I thought both he and I were keeping it pretty well, especially since no one tried to talk to him really.

But Fyre guessed it already. Geez.

Double XP - Aftermath

The Melodist (energy/sonic corruptor) 4 --> 17
Jack Royale (gravity/storm controller) 40 --> 41
'Ware Wolf (martial arts/energy aura stalker) 37 --> 38
Dragonsmoke (claws/super reflexes scrapper) 1 --> 20

All told, about 34 levels in a weekend. Not too shabby. And it was nice to get a level on Jack and the Wolf, neither of which have seen a trainer for a while. Jack's going to get his epic. Based on the RP of how his power works, I'm going with earth mastery. Should be fun. :)

And a new mid-level scrapper to play with. :)

Double XP Weekend

Ah, yes. It's that time again. Friday through Sunday. Love it!

I've got a baby corruptor (energy/sonic) I'd like to get some levels on. I may delete and make a new one instead, though, since he's only level 4. I really want to get a corruptor of some sort up to a decent level. 20 and Stamina would be nice.

Jack Royale (grav/storm controller) and Sleetsquall (ice/kinetics controller) haven't leveled in a while. In fact, I literally can't remember the last time Jack gained a level. He's been 40 as long as I can remember.

Other less-played characters would be candidates for getting a little love this weekend. Sounds of Silence (Night Widow), Derick Darklight (Warshade), Lt. Santarelli (willpower/super strength tank), and Sable Sorcerer (aka BC2: dark/dark defender) all fall into this category.

Not so much a "to do" list as which characters I'd like to put some more levels on. :) Naturally, I don't expect to be able to visit all of these. It's only one weekend, after all.

I'm baaaaack...

Isn't I15 live yet? Sheesh.

Out of Town

The Dauntless Reverie is having their third annual DauntCon this coming weekend. I will be out of town (and away from CoX) for almost a week. I fly up to Calgary, AB, Canada on Thursday, June 11th, and I'll be back Monday, June 15th, although I may not be in game Monday night. We'll see how I feel.

Have fun!

Euonymus alata

Burning Bush

(aka Winged Euonymus or Spindle Tree)

Euonymus alata "Compactus"

(original article)

Mature Height: 6-10 ft. for 'Compactus' (other varieties can get much larger)

Growth Rate: Moderate

Soil: Average, well-drained

Light Requirements: Sun/partial shade

Foliage: Medium green 1" to 3" in. long leaves, turning to vibrant red in the fall

Flower/Fruit: Small orange-red seeds in the fall

Pruning: No pruning is necessary! The most attractive shrubs are those that have not been pruned or sheared. except for cutting out older branches immediately following blooms. It can be cut to the ground following bloom time if you feel that it needs renewal.

Hardy to Zone 4

This shrub is one of the great beauties of the autumn season. It is distinguished by vibrant scarlet foliage and small red-orange fruit in the fall as well as unusual corky "wings" which flare out along its branches. It is effective used in mass plantings, in a shrub border, as an accent plant or as a neat attractive hedge. You should be aware that the species can grow to be 15+ feet.

However, "Compactus" (shown here) grows to only 6-10 feet and an even smaller variety, "Rudy Haag" grows to only 5 feet high and wide. This is a shrub that is best left unpruned although it can be pruned if you have space issues. It is not fussy about soil requirements (except for excessive wet areas) and there are no significant pest problems. It also transplants very easily. It is truly a maintenance free shrub.

Mission Architect - Story #2

I have finally published my second arc. Originally, I just wanted to use it for Blood Crucible's plot. I'd planned to run him and Jez Cavell through it (and Keen if possible) purely for RP and to advance the character's story.

As I was working on it, though, I realized two things: 1. this was going to include my first custom villain group and 2. I get 3 publication slots and am only using 1 so far. So I decided to try and make it so that anyone could jump in and give it a shot. That involved a lot more exposition as well as taking out some of the stuff that assumed BC and Jez would be there. Some of that stuff I just generalized. Some of it I just had BC himself fill in.

I'm very happy with it except that I accidentally made the final AV a lot tougher than I'd intended. Thank you, Fyre and Keen, for shuffling characters around to make that defeat possible. I'll cut him down a bit and we can replay it if you two want.

I'm happy with the way the arc turned out overall, and feel satisfied with the story (most important!). Now I need to figure out if #3 will be something self-indulgent (Styrm) or something more accessible (like the "rescue people from a burning building" idea I had).

P.S. Fyre and/or Keen: did either of you catch the explanation of BC's superhero name in all that plot exposition? :)

Mission Architect - I'm Published!

I have published ArcID #48262, "The Unmaking". It is an Ouroboros-style story arc suitable for levels 40+. Three missions, and the final "boss" is a fairly hard-hitting AV unless you're playing on "Heroic". Comments, suggestions, etc. welcome and greatly appreciated.

The story is based on RP events that took place on Virtue in 2005. The vagabond himself (as Vagabond Wizard [cold/elec defender]) related the tale to Lunatrix, and I posted the transcript here.

Tried to Book on Expedia

Unfortunately, there's a 214-day waiting list. :(

Yes, I LOL'ed

From the CoH Forums:

Megumi_Yamato wrote:

You/I: Love. Familiarity: Lacking. False.

Possession: Yours. Knowledge: Rules. Self: Co-Possessor.

Saturated: Commitment. Internal Monologue: Self

Other: Male Rikti. Extension: This Accord: Unlikely.

Desire: Expression of: Feelings.

Desire: Explanation of: My Cryptic Lyrics

Occurrence Chance: 0%. Following Actions: Give You Up: Let You Down: Run Around: Desert You

Furthermore: Make You Cry: Say Goodbye: Tell Lie: Hurt You


Attention: Justice Server

Target: Your Hindquarters. Subject of: Rikti Roll

R'ck Ast'Ley: Expresses Delight

Ha: Ha: Ha!


(Special Thanks to Mekkanos for all of his help with ideas, lyrics, and appreciation, and to Plasma Warrior for his kind words and encouragement)

Mission Architect

Plans. I has dem.

* Blood Crucible's father as an AV. This is exactly what I've been waiting for to advance BC's story again. It's a bit of a wait, but it'll be worth it.
* Jefallen as an AV. I've wanted to bring back Vagz' arch-enemy for a long time, but have never really managed to make it happen. Now I can. And with whatever random brain-washed minions I want, too.
* Nemesis in Cimerora. Current story element for Will.
* Rikti in Cimerora. ...nah, that'd just be mean. :)
* Styrm as an AV. This'd mostly be just for me since E's story is pretty much at a stand-still. Anyone who wants to pummel the guy would be invited, of course.

The Vagabond Returns

((This story takes place before the creation of The Vagabond Knight [Shield/Fire tank].))

It was a perfect spring day. A cool breeze barely ruffled the tall grass and rustled the leaves of the nearby trees. If one listened carefully, it almost sounded like whispered conversation. In the middle of a field, not far from a patch of wildflowers and a lone cherry tree, a man reclined on the grass, his head and shoulders against the tawny side of an enormous lion. A piece of sweet grass between his teeth, the man wore a simple shirt that used to be white and a pair of simple brown pants. Dangling from one of the branches of the nearby tree was a heavy gray traveling cloak, dusty and care-worn, but hung neatly. The lion looked out toward the horizon, placid and calm. The man's gray eyes regarded the clouds hovering slowly by.

"Vagabond," the lion said suddenly, his voice deep and soothing, "you have lingered here for more than five years now. It is time for you to move on."

The man frowned, chewing the blade of grass. "I'm not ready to go," he replied. "It still hurts. Five years is not so very long."

"Wanderer," the lion began patiently, "you had nearly sixty good years with Miranda. You will treasure them always. And so will she in whatever afterlife she has gone to. But she has been gone at least twenty years now."

"And time heals all wounds, hm?" the man asked, almost sarcastically.

"In some ways, it is harder for immortals to deal with loss," the lion explained, showing no sign of recognizing the sarcasm. "You have a big heart and have continued to choose not to ignore it. You have loved a woman very deeply. And you will again."

Silence fell between the two again for several minutes.

"How do you manage it?" the man asked quietly, his eyes still on the clouds. "How do you let them go?"

"I love each and every one that passes through Narnia," the great lion purred. "And I miss each one that leaves, never to return. It is part of the circle of life. They will not learn and grow as people otherwise. I take comfort that I have done everything I can for them. And they for me."

Silence fell again as the man swiped the back of his hand across his eyes.

"But in the end," the man started again, his voice thick with emotion, "I could not save her."

Splitting the air like a peal of thunder, the great lion roared, startling the man into sitting up. "You did save her," he growled, his voice slowly calming once more. "She lived a long and happy life, and you lived it with her. She was happy, safe, and loved. It was her time to go. She was ready to go."

The man blinked at the lion, rubbing his eyes again. "And what about me? I don't suppose you can tell me..."

"It is not your time, vagabond. There are still a great many things left for you to do."

"So what do I do? Where do I go?"

"Back, wanderer. Paragon still has need of you. Your unique abilities, your knowledge, and your capacity to care."

"But it's been nigh on to a century," the man protested. "How can I go back? I'll have to start over again."

"Then start over," the lion said simply. He set a heavy paw against the man's chest. "Take up the shield. Be the knight that she saw in you. Protect your friends and the helpless."

The man looked down to see a silver pendant shaped like a shield, a red lion rampant, dangling from a silver chain around his neck. He looked back up again, a slight smile on his face. "Thank you, Aslan. You're right. 'Tis time for me to return. I will go."

The man pushed himself to his feet, walked over to the tree, and took down his cloak, swinging it back around his shoulders. He turned back to the lion... then strode over and hugged the great beast. The lion put a paw around him, returning the hug. Then they parted company, walking off in opposite directions.

**************

The air at the foot of the steps up to the enormous statue of Atlas distorted like heat waves, shimmering as a man stepped out of thin air. Although dressed much the same, mystic runes now rested on his clothing, almost hovering above the material if one were to look closely. The vagabond looked around, frowning to himself, obviously not seeing what he'd expected.

"Excuse me, sir," he said to the nearest pedestrian. "What year is this?"

"What year?" the man started, turning slowly around. "Are you trying... to be... funny..." The man trailed off as he took in the wanderer's traveling cloak and the runes marking his clothing. "Oh. It's, uh... 2008."

The planeswalker's jaw dropped. "Two thousand eight? But that's... I've been gone... How can...?" He sighed. "Thank you, sir."

Walking up the steps toward City Hall, he muttered darkly under his breath. "Sometimes I really hate that lion."

Double XP - Aftermath

Vagabond Magus (Fire/FF Controller): 40 --> 41
Vagabond Knight (Shield/Fire Tank): 36 --> 40
Captain Peterson (AR/Energy Blaster): 37 --> 39
Retrieval (Radiation/Pain Corruptor): 14 --> 18
Capt. Peterson (Shield/Energy Tank): 2 --> 21

That's right, folks. I got 30 levels out of Double XP Weekend this time around. Granted, most of them were low levels, but still: I'm pretty impressed and very happy. Especially since that puts every version of Vagz at 40+, 3 in the low 40s and 2 at 50. I'm also very happy to have basically skipped the low levels with TankWill. Low level tanks are very frustrating. Having Stamina makes things much easier.

A huge thank you to Fyre, especially for helping with TankWill. It was a fun weekend all around, though, and Fyre was an important part of what made it fun. :)

Optimouse Prime

Full Article

January 18th

I won't be around for Altitis Sunday this weekend. It's my birthday, and Disney has this promotion this year where you can go to any of their parks for free on your birthday. I'll be going to Disneyland. :)