Ardrea

I attended an in-character concert in their 'neighborhood' last year, and it was excellent. Their base is very well designed, -does- feel like a neighborhood, and would serve as a top-rate backdrop for roleplay of many kinds.

"Talitha Laurent" will be present to offer a few words of support from the UNSCSHA, and then I'll be there afterwards on some other character. It should be a lot of fun for all the attendees.

Not only will this be the opening recruiting event for the Axiom Guard, but other super groups and even some villain groups should be present -- a fantastic opportunity for those looking for RPSG/VGs to make some connections and see what some of the alternatives and various themes and styles currently are. Further, this is a chance for some of the newer RP SG/VGs to look for potential coalition partners. We will also be inviting attendees to join the Revival Project's global chat channel -- which any roleplayer is welcome to do at any time using "/chan_join Virtue RP Revival".

Hope to see you there!

Word from Xeden was more or less as expected. The power stirring under Astoria couldn't be stopped; only held at bay with great effort. The Midnighters' efforts, and the quick action of the Paragon Police to seal the hazard door did keep the servants of the new power and the many radical opportunists largely confined to the scene of the catastrophe. Many heroes and destined ones now gathered near the Midnighters' wards to investigate and fight, but yet, Xeden's request held his own very serious unwritten concerns; the disorganization of those fighting would cost them dearly.

An audience with Fateweaver Orion was needed. Word came, and Talitha found herself meeting the Fateweaver and her guards deep in one of the secret vaults deep under Grandville. "This path leads to both destinations, for a time. This choice you face is not consequential to the preferred patterns of the weave. Yet, the fabric as a whole is less likely to tear, should you choose to place this new thread onto the loom."

With jet escorts circling, the flyer returned her to Turtle Bay. Stepping off the landing pad, her Longbow case worker was there to greet her. "What're you up to, Spider? If you think, even for a moment, that we're going to let you sneak in Arachnos troops under some bogus UN authorization, well, I've -already- spoken to the Undersecretary." Talitha drops her bag on the baggage inspection platform. "Honestly, Paxton, is that the best Longbow Intel can do? Did you even read the reports Vanguard passed on? Regular troops from either side would be less than useless." And though Talitha had floated that very idea to Undersecretary Murphy, it'd been quickly turned down. And her report back to Arbiter Miller about his idea had been short -- don't put her in the position of seeming a fool again. Arbiters might be untouchable, but their families weren't. "If you must know, I'm trying to get a full UNSCSHA charter, and it'll follow your precious CCFA. Those people need organization." Paxton stopped, stymied for the moment, and then the storm clouds on his face parted, just so slightly, and he picked up her bag. "We'll have to verify that, if this is another cover scheme, you're wasting your time." Her heavy bag in one hand, and door handle in the other, he stepped aside to let her enter first. What a boy scout; half ready to provoke a firefight, and still opening doors for her like a gentleman.

Undersecretary Murphy was receptive to the idea. "You will have to stay out of the formal membership, yourself, as will any others with current ties to the Isles; the CCFA is clear on that. But, the plan has a lot of merit. Are you sure Mister James is up to it?" Talitha set out several pages from her briefcase. "After actions reports from Vanguard. New reports from the local press. Accolades from the PPD. There's more. I have reviewed Grandville's files. The choice will not please them, but they'll not lodge a protest to the Security Council. Xeden's pragmatic when he needs to be." Undersecretary Murphy leaned back in his chair. "Alright then. I'll speak to the FBSA personally."


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**** INCOMING MESSAGE ****
DTG21MAR2012190414Z
STATUS BRAVO EPSILON CHECK
TO VANGUARD OPERATIVE -XEDEN- AY-J7K-QW
SUBJECT AUTHORIZATION STATUS PROJECT AXIOM
PRECEDENCE IMMEDIATE ALPHA DELTA
CLASSIFICATION/S/CODEWORD-ASTROLABE/LEVEL8
****MSGBEGIN****
/PLAINTEXT/
Mister Christian James, greetings. You will be contacted by Special Agent Jackson of the Federal Bureau of Superpowered Affairs to register a federally recognized Supergroup under P.L. 83-23997, 62 Stat. 1187, of the Citizen Crime Fighting Act of 1937, as amended, 1952, United States Code. Furthermore, you and such group as you register with the FBSA within 10 (ten) days are hereby granted Warrant and Authorization to promote, recruit, raise funds, gather intelligence, conduct missions within UN Member states, operate high altitude aircraft and/or near-Earth spacecraft under Security Council Resolution 4918, 7 UNTS XXVII, Authorization for A Special Council on Super Human Activities, and 1 UNTS XVI, the Charter of the United Nations. No direct funding line is to be implied from or associated with this Warrant.
Congratulations,
~SIGNED~
Allan J. Murphy
Undersecretary for Super Human Activities
/PLAINTEXT/
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I've been on a few failed ITFs recently, so it's not all rose gardens and flying ponies.

Mainly from people who don't understand how Twilight Grasp from the healing nictus works. If the team's full of low damage support-types and they don't figure this out or listen to the explanations, it hurts. Frustrating too, when someone says they don't see the twilight grasp vfx and insists on staying close anyway.

I remember my first few runs back when it was released, and wow, what a difference.

I've found the DA content more challenging generally. I was on a team of six running story arcs and half the team was getting killed in each encounter -- we had to stop and work out a slightly more deliberate approach to get through.

Why the difference from others' experiences? I think there's three parts. First, it was a pug, and wasn't full of tricked out, min/max-optimized characters. Second, it wasn't full of plus-3's; this was mostly a group of non-incarnate fifties, some of whom hadn't run trials because they dislike that style of play. Finally, some of the new boss-level enemies in the DA arcs are very dangerous to 'normal' characters -- we had an invulnerability brute, IO'd but +0, who kept getting a new hole ripped into him over and over; he said he felt like a squishie.

I think if there's a perception that DA is too easy, try it from the perspective of a non-incarnate, less heavily optimized build. Here in the forums, active posters generally aren't average players.

It's Professor Catboi! :O

Someone spilled cola on the server cluster. "Pepsi Syndrome? I've never heard of it."

I had just joined one a MoUG trial league on Virtue and we get this. But hey! On the bright side, we hadn't launched yet -- would hate to be 3/4 the way through and lose the server.

What does RWZ have, service-wise, that Dark Astoria doesn't?

• Vanguard Crafting Station
• Invention Crafting Station
• Tailor/Super-tailor
• AE Building
• Direct access to multiple blue and red zones
• ... Others?

I can't think of any others off hand. And I don't see these I listed as a huge value -- Vanguard temp-powers can't be used in trials, and invention crafting can be done through the Portable Workbench for a lot of players. All the drawbacks, to me, would seem to be outweighed by the lessor interference with RWZ teams, LGTF, and MS Raids, much less being able to wait around in a large open-air area instead of cramping in around Lady Grey, and having the ability to run off and street sweep for regular and incarnate xp & drops while queued. Heck, we can play "Flying-Discee" while waiting for trials to form a lot easier in DA.

The flying disc power is the first item I bought in i22. I like it a lot.

I think it would be a terrible shame if development of these small social activity and roleplay powers wasn't done.

I had oddness too. My character fell down the hole, hit a big branch, took a lot of falling damage, and then ... I got up and stood there, with nothing happening. I could walk around on mid-air, but then got stuck on the side of the wall. /stuck would not fix it. I relogged, which popped me outside the mission door in PI, with the mission completed and a next mission in the new DA set as active, which I had to figure out how to get to. After asking around, I learned there was a portal in PI by the Arena, and I got in that way. I don't think the rabbit hole is working very well.

Bravo!

Very well done -- it gave me a smile that may last all morning!

This thread is very funny.

The OP is entirely wrong. Even if this was the real-world, buyer beware would apply. The upcoming changes are publicly available information, those who don't know about them only have themselves to blame.

Talitha reviewed the projections from the Vanguard Geosciences Group -- the seismic disturbances in Dark Astoria had been growing worse. She'd thought Geosciences seemed an odd study area for Vanguard; but after seeing their Sonoseismic Array's half-finished map of the extensive tunnels the Rikti had dug, and continued to dig, under the Mothership and stretching out through the crash site and even into the city, she had dismissed her doubts.

The science team had estimated the upheaval threshold for Dark Astoria, and the steadily rising shock-energy of the tremors hitting the area were approaching it -- the dashed lines on the display would cross on or about March 6th.

The kidnappings and ghostly abductions in the area had reached a peak; and private sources back on the Isles had confirmed their suspicions -- the Pantheon had recovered the Soulfire Crucible from their deep pit on Sharkhead and had stolen the last obsidian shard of Ta'ka-Re. The blood of their sacrificial victims was pooling in the Crucible, fueling the Soulfire, and the power released through the pantheon spirits would harness the so-called Might of the Dead, and would waken the dark god Mot from its slumber.

There are those who would welcome such a powerful being newly arisen; and Talitha had to admit to herself, there would be possibilities for personal gain involved, but yet again, Fateweaver Orion's words came back to mind: "Worlds can die."

There would be time to press advantages, but not just now. This catastrophe might yet be avoided, but the timing would be critical. Fingers quickly began to type on the secure terminal.

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**** BREAK****
**** INCOMING MESSAGE ****
MARK INTERCEPT DELTA
STATUS BRAVO EPSILON CHECK
TO VANGUARD PERSONNEL LISTING OSCAR-ROMEO-TWO-NINE
SUBJECT FLASH ALERT (TS)
PRECEDENCE 29-L-D1
DTG04MAR20121845Z
CLASSIFICATION/TS/CODEWORD-AXIOM/LEVEL3
****MSGBEGIN****
APTITUDE INTEL ANALYSIS POINTS TO SIGNIFICANT EVENT DARK ASTORIA ON/ABOUT 06 MARCH 2012 STOP. ALL AVAILABLE CHALICE STRIKE TEAMS GATHER DARK ASTORIA 1900 EST 05 MARCH STOP. OBJECTIVE ONE HALT HUMAN/GHOST SACRIFICES IN PROGRESS. OBJECTIVE TWO CLEAR SPIRIT MASKS FROM ABOVEGROUND STOP. OBJECTIVE THREE EXTINGUISH SOULFIRES AS POSSIBLE.
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(( This will be a Roleplay gathering in Dark Astoria, Monday March 5, 7pm EST, to mark the eve of the Dark Astoria zone makeover coming in i22 the next day. All roleplayers will be welcome to join -- we'll catch some badges, free lots of ghosts being sacrificed, take out some spirit bosses and have fun roleplaying a desperate last-ditch attempt to hold off Mot's wakening. See you there! ))