WittyLibrarian

Here's the Sign-up Thread for
SUNDAY OCTOBER 3rd
Dr. Quaterfield Task Force - Firebase Zulu
Start time: 11 AM Eastern (10 AM Central, 9 AM Mountain, 8 AM Pacific)
The time can change if enough players ask for a later (or earlier) start time. But make sure everyone knows about it!

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)

Suggestion: While people are waiting for the Task Force to form, why not run the General Hammond and Dr. Boyd arcs to unlock the shortcut to the Hidden Rebel Base for next week's Sara Moore Task Force?

BEST OF LUCK ON SUNDAY!

Here's the Sign-up Thread for
SATURDAY OCTOBER 2nd
Dr. Quaterfield Task Force - Firebase Zulu
Start time: 11 AM Eastern (10 AM Central, 9 AM Mountain, 8 AM Pacific)
The time can change if enough players ask for a later (or earlier) start time. But make sure everyone knows about it!

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)

Suggestion: While people are waiting for the Task Force to form, why not run the General Hammond and Dr. Boyd arcs to unlock the shortcut to the Hidden Rebel Base for next week's Sara Moore Task Force?

Again, GOOD LUCK!

The Place:
Firebase Zulu (FBZ). Accessible through the Portal Corp. on Peregrine Island. Dr. Q is located to the right when you exit the portal onto the ramp.

The Time:
Saturday October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd. Given the length of the Dr. Q Task Force (officially 22 missions, about 25 door missions in reality), the task force needs to leave early in the day so that everyone can finish. Average length of time is between 4 to 6 hours: plan on 6 hours (please, no slowpokes). I seriously suggest start times of 11 AM Eastern (New York) Standard Time: this will mean 8 AM Pacific Time. If there are enough West Coasters wanting to form teams, a later start time for PST can be set up.

The Teams:
Level requirements are 40 to 44. Autoexemping over 44 is a given. Full teams are needed to start: you need 8 players ready and in the zone to begin.
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.
While there are no major targets (AVs or Giant Monsters), the task force will confront large mobs of villains (Rularuu, Nemesis, Crey, Circle of Thorns). A balanced team of Aggro handlers, Damage dealers, and Buffer/Debuffers is your best chance of success.

The Mission:
Dr. Quaterfield wants your team to find out where all the cake has gone. Also, about all these raids and uprisings among the residents of these Shard realms.
Most of the missions will take place in Firebase Zulu, although some missions will take you to places in Paragon City (base telepads and Ouroboros portals will help speed up transit between places).

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. 2nd for sign-up and the other for Sunday Oct. 3rd.
I will be busy this weekend. Real life matter of a political nature. So I am calling on you, my fellow Champions, to volunteer and lead these dangerous missions into the Shard realms this weekend!
Many thanks to those who do sign up, and best of luck to you all this weekend!

Also, I totally forgot how to Add Image to a post. I keep trying to add a poster made of the group that came out to pose for me last week in FBZ and damn it all it's not working!

...to Champion Server for its 5th Straight Year!

At least I think this is 5 years old. I'd have to check with the remnants of the Angels of the Night SG, they were the ones who first hosted a round of Shard TFs when first the Rularuu arrived on our shores...

The Plan:
Every October, the weekends are dedicated toward the running of each of the four Shard Task Forces, one in each (mostly) Shard Realm. Firebase Zulu has Dr. Quaterfield. Cascades Archipelago has Sara Moore. The Chantry has Justin Augustine. And the Storm Palace has Faathim the Kind (his start within the Chantry at his home base, but works mostly in the Storm realm). One each weekend, in order, during the first four weekends (the fifth weekend is Halloween weekend, and would be wrong to interfere with the Real Life need of GETTING CANDY!). There are rumors of a full-bore one-day running of all FOUR Shard TFs, but that is called a Shardathon and requires A) a strong constitution and B) a computer that won't crash after 8 straight hours of play.

The Situation:
Each Task Force requires a full team of 8 members to start. While you don't need a full 8 at the end to finish, it helps to keep the whole team on until the final mission. Two of the TFs have powerful AVs at the end (Sara Moore, Faathim the Kind), so keeping a full team on those is a must-have.
The Task Forces have level requirements: Dr. Q is 40-44, Sara Moore 40-50, Justin Augustine 44-50, and Faathim 44-50. A balanced team - Aggro taker, Damage dealers, Buffers and Debuffers - is recommended for each TF run.

The Offer:
Given the difficulty of getting people on the fly to sign up for any TF (some team lineups take longer to form than the actual TFs, damn it all), I have sign-up sheets on the forums here for teams to fill out. Each week before the planned TF (usually by the Monday before) I will post a thread on the forums asking for teams, and leave space on the forum post for people to Quote, Edit and Add their Name, @Global, Level, and Build Archetype.
Due to people's schedules, a team will be offered for each day - Saturday and Sunday.
If one team fills with more people expressing an interest, a second team sign-up will be added to the thread. If people want to run a TF but have a problem with the start time, an alternate start time (usually for the evenings) can be added to the list.

The Problem:
I want to post this right now. I may be unavailable to host either of the first weekend's Shard TF (Dr. Quaterfield) because there is a Real-Life Event (The March for Jobs in Washington DC) going on that I plan on visiting. As such, I can help with getting the sign-up sheets started, but I *will* need volunteers to lead both the Saturday AND Sunday Shard TFs for me.

The Promise:
I promise there will be giant eyeballs, Fake Nemeses, Circle of Thorns, Mad Gods, Angry Gods, Kind Gods and flying. Tons of flying (the Shard realms are floating islands in other dimensional realms: They DO have Jet Pack vendors in three of the zones in case no one on your teams have Recall Friend handy).
And Fun. And Influence and XP. And Recipe and Salvage Drops. And Rularuu-based Costume Items like shields and weapons. Maybe even a Purple Recipe (hope). Also Fun.

Deal?

For the purposes of the upcoming International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I went out of my way to create a new Mission Architect arc. So if anyone likes to run them arcs, please give this a go at the AE building and let me know what you think (and check for bugs, I keep feeling like I miss stuff in publishing).

Arc ID: 449092
@Witty Librarian
Level: 40-50
Length: Very Long (5 Missions)
Villains: Custom group, Arachnos, Giant Monster (2 Missions), Custom Elite Boss/AV
Custom group: Nerva Pirates, a mix of Blaster, Scrapper, Tanker, Mastermind. Effects cover Fire, Dual Pistols, Demon Summoning, Broadsword, Dual Blade, Super-strength, Fire Armor, and Storm Summoning.
Ally group: Bloody Bay Buccaneers, heroside pirates obsessed with quality rum.

Storyline: There is a convening of Bloody Bay Bucs sea captains, as word has reached group leader Wittypirate that their rivals from the Rogue Isles the Nerva Pirates are plotting a massive raid on Paragon City. With surgical strikes both in Nerva and Grandville and defensive attacks in Skyway City, the Bloody Bay Bucs are calling on the heroes of Paragon to join in their campaign to save the rum... oh and the city.

Arc ID: 449092
@Witty Librarian
Level: 40-50
Length: Very Long (5 Missions)
Villains: Custom group, Arachnos, Giant Monster (2 Missions), Custom Elite Boss/AV
Custom group: Nerva Pirates, a mix of Blaster, Scrapper, Tanker, Mastermind. Effects cover Fire, Dual Pistols, Demon Summoning, Broadsword, Dual Blade, Super-strength, Fire Armor, and Storm Summoning.
Ally group: Bloody Bay Buccaneers, heroside pirates obsessed with quality rum.

Storyline: There is a convening of Bloody Bay Bucs sea captains, as word has reached group leader Wittypirate that their rivals from the Rogue Isles the Nerva Pirates are plotting a massive raid on Paragon City. With surgical strikes both in Nerva and Grandville and defensive attacks in Skyway City, the Bloody Bay Bucs are calling on the heroes of Paragon to join in their campaign to save the rum... oh and the city.

Please offer feedback. I always tend to miss something in arc-making.

Weird, any attempt to add a reply keeps kicking me off the forums. Letsee if this sticks...

to answer Cobalt, I try to make new posters and ads each year for Shardtobers. You know, to keep 'em fresh.

I do thank Ash for working on earlier Shardtober ads, but I know he's busy this year and I'm having a hard time wrapping my noggin around this video editing... grrrr...

I've been messing with the demorecord and the FRAPS and trying to make a video promo for the upcoming SHARDTOBER for 2010... and dammit all I don't have time to learn this stuff. >:-( So I'm going the cheap and easy way: I'm looking to hire someone for 1.50 in real money to videorecord and post a Shardtober ad.

...I promise I will pay in pennies. How's that for an enticement?

...(cricket noise)...

/facepalm

...Okay, costume contest! Seriously.

Pirate Day Costume Contest Sept. 19th Sunday at 8 pm EST. Hosted by the Bloody Bay Buccaneers SG.
Location: Atlas Park, under the Atlas statue.

Rules: Dress like a pirate. Best costumes win the top three prizes.

Third place: 10 million Influence
Second place: 25 million Influence
First place: 50 million Influence

Bonus prize of a Level 50 Invention Enhancement to any character that has an impressive Character Description biography.

And after the contest, some RUM!

Sound like a plan?

Sunday Sept. 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Who's up for a pirate-themed costume contest that Sunday?

Who's up for a pirate-themed Mission Arc I'm working on?

Who's up for finding out if Witty can handle his first RL attempt at drinking rum? ...Wait, rum costs HOW MUCH? (checks his unemployed wallet) Um... how about root beer?

Lemme know if this can be a plan for that Sunday!

...

C'mon, Champions. I knows you gots pirates with BBB...

>.>

<.<

who's making that cricket noise in the back of the room...?

Avast ye Seadogs of Doom and Rum and Badge hunting!

Just wanted to remind ye all that yes the SG is still afloat, the base is ship-shape, and that Talk Like a Pirate Day is just around the corner on September 19th (a Sunday)!

In honor of the upcoming Talk Like a Pirate Day, I arrrrrrr working on a Mission Architect arc that's themed around a Pirate War against a Custom group called the Nerva Pirates (ye might see them on the Rum Runners arc already in progress). I'm about 2 stories in and would like to start adding some helpful friendly krewe members of the Bloody Bay Bucs as NPC characters in the arc. That means I would like some volunteers among the krewe who might want to have their pirates make the missions.

This means one of two things:
1) Either let me know your character's name, AT build, and Costume parameters, or
2) Email to me the file for the character's costume. (Visit a tailor, Save the costume you want used, then goto the game directory C:\CityOfHeroes\(youraccount)\costumes\ to identify the filename, and then use your email with attachments to attach that file.

Either way, if ye want, lemme know in-game at @witty librarian and I'll forward ye my personal email (I seem to miss the Private Messages option up on top there).

It'd help to here from ye soon, I gots about 3 weeks to get this MA arc up and running.

Good luck to ye, my hearty krewe! And secure the rum!

I'll be there. Won't need the Inf. I will need the XP (gets me to 20!)

Excellent work on the video.

Next up: Johnny Cash!

Brand new Shield/Kinetic Melee Tanker running amok with the Resistance in Imperial City.

Level 10 so far.

And there's NO Task Forces in Praetoria? AT ALL?! (insert weeping noises here)

I don't think I have an Icer for Justice, but will show and tanker as needed!

I would be played by a human-scale Muppet. Like Beaker, only fatter.

those who spam for "Invite me to your team" - <i>insisting I do so</i> - like as though I'm obligated to take complete strangers. Especially after 6 years of experience taught me that such players "insisting" you invite them tend to be slackers waiting at the mission door soaking XP.