WittyLibrarian

Attempting to download CoH/CoV on my computer now... I wasn't able to get the old HD installed on the computer (I was told to not do that until the system was stabilized first) so I couldn't copy/paste the existing CoH into the new drive.

It's going a little faster than expected... 4 GB of RAM on a quad core Phenom AMD chip and board... Maybe 7 hours instead of 16 like last time. ;-)

I will post the specifics of the new machine once I get it set.

Right now, the worst thing is: my old laserjet 1000 won't install a printer driver to Win 7. Good thing my laptop can, otherwise my ability to print more resumes for job hunting would be hurting for awhile...

I made four right out of the box.

The first period was WittyLibrarian. It was my Internet handle at the time so I went there first. Powersets at the time didn't apply well to librarianship, outside of Controller perhaps, but like most new players I went with the damager first: Blaster. Energy Blaster was the only thing that could fit...

The next three: Blue Arc Anom (short for Anomalous), Greystone Anom (also wik) and Vectura were based on a comics-based novel I was writing at the time (never finished, and the story itself useless to me now). Since I came onboard in mid-May (two-three months behind everyone), obviously the names Blue Arc and Greystone were taken... sigh. Thankfully the renaming ability was granted a few years later and I was able to rename Blue to Blue Volt and Greystone with Aegis.

Blue Volt was easy as he was electrokinetic so Electric Blaster was his. Greystone in my novel was clearly a tank, but he was in-story an Invulnerable type while the game offered the option of Stone Armor. I went with that to avoid arguments over the name not matching the powerset. Vectura was originally a full telekinetic... but few powers fully matched it (Psychic Blaster wasn't invented yet), the closest was Mind Controller but I didn't feel right with it. So I went Force Field Defender with her... and regretted it so much I re-rolled her as Gravity Controller once Issues 5 and 6 nerfed defense sets.

So I needs to get a new computer, and since I got an A+ cert I figure I ought to put it to use by building my own box.

Problem is, I'd like to make it as CoH friendly as possible. I know to make it high-end performance as possible - max out the RAM, best available graphix card - but the specifics elude me.

I figure AMD cpu and motherboard make the most sense (AMD is better for gaming), but what's the minimum model and the optimal model to compare for purchasing?

I keep forgetting which graphics card is best: there's about ten-fifteen different ones out there, even by the same maker, so I am confused there.

One last question: does CoH/CoV/Going Rogue play on Linux (esp. the freeware versions)? I'm being cheap here, I'd like to avoid Windows as much as possible...

Also, the original CoH CD disks I have are from the pre-Issue 1 days and the last time I had to reinstall CoH it took days to do it with all the Issues to add. Anyone got an updated Going Rogue disk I can borrow for faster install?

The main box I use to play CoH went bad this morning. A visit to the repair shop confirmed a surge of some sorts hit the computer, warping the AC (which works but fluctuates) and hitting the motherboard in such a way that a new AC can't power it up.

Considering the cost of a new motherboard (plus the fact that the new boards use RAM of higher caliber), I figure I might as well build a new box from scratch. That is, if I can raise enough money to do so off my unemployment benefits.



please email me suggestions (witty AT wittylibrarian dot com) for how my CoH-based gaming PC should be built. I figure AMD motherboard, natch, with high-end AC and maxed-out RAM, but I need specifics on best graphics board, sound board, et al. Also, does CoH play on Linux (Ubuntu is freeware, ya)?

I wanna thank ye all who tried the Pirate War arc last night...

...and I wanna apologize for Mission 3 of that arc. I thought I had fixed the problems from the test run months ago. I dropped some of the mission objectives and I changed it so that the only mission requirement was defeating the Pirate Kronos. That ought to speed up that part of the arc. Hopefully the edits are saved and the arc fixed now.

My bad.

So... can we get anyone for an MA Monday to play it? >:-)

Bubbawheat is hosting a Players Choice for the Mission Architect arcs, and the player Irresponsible nominated my Pirate War arc for it!

http://tinyurl.com/2010PlayersChoice

/gushes



Edit: It's for Best Arc - Comedy.
Pirate War: Rum Soaked Shores Arc ID # 449092 by Witty Librarian

Wait wait wait...














Cobalt has a sense of humor?

Well, as the Shardtober followers may have heard, the Sunday run for Faathim the Kind did not end well.

As a result, I griped a bit too harshly on this forums about losing PHLRE and PHIR3 (aspects of PHIRE) to a massive disconnect.

Well, as of today, this Tanker Tuesday evening with Warboss hosting in Victory server... I may not be able to make it tonight.

The Verizon Internet service for the area has crashed. Hard. They're saying it may be a 24-hour crash.

I am typing this from a Panera Bread using my laptop with an AT&T wireless connect.

This is PHIRE'S revenge against my griping. I can tell. I CAN FEEL IT.

Kudos to you PHIRE, your power has reached these shores. I am in awe of your kung-fu.

So, to the guys running the Tanker Tuesday tonight... well... good luck if I can't log in by 9 pm EST tonight.

With the improvements in the speed of getting the phones, and with the use of Ouroboros and other portals, the length of time on the Shard TFs have shrunk to a manageable level. I do admit, however, there is no damn way I can sit that long for all four TFs.

I wish you godspeed, Beetle King, to you and your faithful crew. May the Powers of the Light within the Shard Realms have mercy on your hips and lower backs.

The need to gripe. I has it.

One of the reasons I go through the hassle of posting sign-ups for the Shardtober TFs is that without those sign-ups it takes FOREVER to get people online to agree to waste a few hours task-forcing. Even for short and sweet TFs like Hess or Sister Psyche, it's like pulling teeth, taking hours just to even get started. For time-consuming TFs like the Shards, getting a pre-ordered sign-up going made the most sense.

Hence, I've got it my head that once the sign-ups been done and did there's this... well, 'professional' need to ensure that everything goes according to plan. That we get everyone who signed up the chance to show up, for starters. That we get a team balanced to ensure best possible survival (in the case of TFs with AVs like Sara Moore and Faathim's, that we have at least one aggro taker and at least one debuffer).

In that mindset, when something doesn't go according to plan, I gripe. I snarl. I have been known to kvetch. Wailing and gnashing of teeth soon follow if the collapse of the plan ends up with a failed mission.

I have teamed with you on many an occasion, PHIRE. And for the most part you've done your gameplay duties (yes, I am thinking of it as a duty, shame on me) effectively well. It's just... you've had these disconnect problems before... and it's just... well... for me it's a little annoying. Especially when everything that got planned out during sign-up had left both PHIRE characters as our only Defender-based debuffers. Both of them gone = slight problems with the regular AVs we fought like Malaise and Mother Mayhem but also = massive problem with a high-end Lanaru that team-wiped us twice with barely a quarter of damage inflicted on him.

Hence the griping.

PHIRE, I have to note this isn't the first time your Internet or computer led to a crash and ended up with you gone for hours... It's like this pic from I Can Has Cheezburger: Concern Cat has Concerns...

Uh, The Cajun, I need confirmation on your Global? Is it @TheCajun or @The Cajun or @Ralph Mouth or

Here's the Sign-up Thread for
SUNDAY OCTOBER 24rd
Faathim the Kind Task Force - The Chantry/Storm Palace
Start time: 4 PM Eastern (3 PM Central, 2 PM Mountain, 1 PM Pacific)
This is the one I plan on joining.
You can start at other times later or earlier than 4 PM if needed. The time can change if enough players ask for a later (or earlier) start time. But make sure everyone knows about it!
This is roughly a 3-hour task force run. Plan accordingly please.

All Eight Spots need to be filled to ensure the Task Force can start!
Name Level Archetype Powers @Global

1) Schrodinger Lion 50 Tanker Electric @Witty Librarian
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

If there gets to be more than 8 players, see about starting a second team (or third as needed) to co-run the Task Force at the same time (or as time is agreed to by other players)

Here's the Sign-up Thread for
SATURDAY OCTOBER 23rd
Faathim the Kind Task Force - The Chantry/Storm Palace
Start time: 2 PM Eastern (1 PM Central, NOON Mountain, 11 AM Pacific)
You can start at other times later than 2 PM if needed. The time can change if enough players ask for a later (or earlier) start time. But make sure everyone knows about it!
This is roughly a 3-hour task force run. Plan accordingly please.

All Eight Spots need to be filled to ensure the Task Force can start!
Name Level Archetype Powers @Global

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

If there gets to be more than 8 players, see about starting a second team (or third as needed) to co-run the Task Force at the same time (or as time is agreed to by other players)

The Place:
It begins in The Chantry. Accessible through Firebase Zulu (FBZ), which is accessible through the Portal Corp. on Peregrine Island. The contact Justin Augustine will be right next to the large wormhole and the smaller direct warp portal that enters the zone.
However, the missions will end in the Storm Palace. Be prepared for some long travel.

The Time:
Saturday October 23rd and Sunday October 24th. Faathim TF is roughly a 3 hr Task Force (well, it is when I run it), so a late afternoon start time is viable. I suggest start times between 2 pm EST to 4 pm EST. (NOTE: I will be looking to host the Sunday TF run at 4 pm EST)

The Teams:
Level requirements are 44 to 50. Full teams are needed to start: you need 8 players ready and in the zone to begin. It'd help for a Level 50 to be leader to ensure adequate SK'ing.
The Shard realms are unique in that they consist of "floating islands" or bastions. They require Flight or Teleport for easy access. There are systems of jump geysers connecting the bastions, but you need a map figured out. To aid players, the Paragon military provide Jet Pack vendors in most of the shard realms: they're slow but they help. A jet pack vendor should be near a Rularuu Wisp vendor a few yards away from Justin in the Chantry.
Villain sets include Rularuu, Rikti, Malta, Nemesis, Circle of Thorns, Praetorian AVs, and Zombies sprouting from the ground (good possibility the Halloween Event is underway by this weekend).
Balanced teams - Aggro handlers, Damage dealers, and Buffer/Debuffers - are always your best chance of success. Given the AVs, practically a requirement.

The Mission:
Faathim the Kind has reason to believe the God of Madness, Lanaru, is stirring from his citadel the Storm Palace. The good news is, you've been invited by the nice friendly god to go save the Shard realms. The bad news is, there's a ton of villain groups looking to stop you.

The Difference:
This year, things have changed. Many a Villain has Gone Rogue. Many a Villain has sought redemption upon the streets of Paragon City. As such, there may be a sizable contingent of reformer Villains who seek to run these Shardtober tasks. Let them join. Let them face the threat of the Shadows...

The Sign-ups:
Two thread pages will be added below: One thread for Saturday Oct. 23rd for sign-up and the other for Sunday Oct. 24th. The teams can discuss when it will be the best possible times to begin: for me, on Sunday I hope to begin around 4 pm EST.
Many thanks to those who do sign up, and best of luck to you all this weekend! Watch out for BRRRAAAAAIIIIINNNNNNSSSSssss...

I think an emergency Dr. Q Task Force can be formed Thursday October 21st, early evening 5-6 pm EST maybe, but 8 pm EST at the latest.

I have a Level 41 Dual Pistol Blaster available for the team.

I think the person in-game asking for the emergency Q was @Carnal. Not sure, gimme a confirmation.

Lemme know how the Saturday shardtobers went!