DarkUnicorn

*sigh*

I seem to be having massive issues with installing City on a win7 64 bit...
and I have already removed the 32-bit install, because, really, what could POSSIBLY go wrong with that?

So IF I am not there tomorrow, it's not because I have abandoned the game or anything foolish like that. It's because the software does not like the PHENOMINAL COSMIC POWER of my new computer, and is cringing in fear.

That, or support is unable to help me at a convenient time for me.

Update: I've sent in a ticket to technical support, and they are looking into it. However, I am unsure if I will get the answers I need (and can update the game fast enough) to be there tomorrow night. I will try!!

I so wanted to be there today, but darnit, I JUST got my system fully upgraded to 8GB win64...

Oh well, I'll still be there Friday!

Welcome again to FNV!

Alas, this weekend I was virtually laid out with a wicked cold (still feeling the effects today), so while Once and Future Kings DID run, I have very foggy memories of who and what was done. What I DO know is that the group is now at level 18-19 and will be within Signature Arc range VERY, VERY soon. Do you really want to miss out on that?

As for Sunday, I was delayed coming home from Yokohama, so I apologize - I did not get home until more than an hour and a half after my suggested start time. Mea culpa.

Villainy!!

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!!!

Sorry this week we had a server downtime during our usual time, but that does NOT mean we don't have FNV this week!

Sunday night at 8:30 AEST - makeup session. I may be late - start without me if I am late!
Friday, September 30 - normal session (barring another downtime)

VILLANY!!

Quick question:

When you do RP, can you give a bit of the background etc, like is the group all time travelers? Are we talking an arcane organization, a Dr who-like tech based group, a group without a defined arcane/tech background like Oroboros, etc? You got a stated mission, or primary foe, or story? who are y'all and what're you doing messing with time?

Long Answer:

The Once and Future Kings come from many worlds - some call technology 'magic', some call magic 'technology', others various wonders. All have one thing in common:

They ruled their world. And somehow, somewhere, someone took that from them.

They have all managed to come to this world. This time. This place. And each instinctively knows the only hope to return to their rightful place is to either dominate this world entirely as a group, or work as a true team to get each other home.

We all know which choice they're taking.

Those who have not mastered time - yet - has managed to bring with them one trusted lieutenant. The others tend to look down on those without the mastery of time, but realize their own lieutenants would be threatened as well should those thoughts become words.

What concerns them the most is that, despite their mastery of time, and despite their awesome powers, they do not know who is directly responsible for their current situation - or how they got HERE. All attempts to find information in any form have resulted in static.

Someone wants them here. And out of the way.

Hello everybody! The Plant is HERE!!

This last Friday, we set out on a new mission - build a new VG on Exalted, with all shiny new toons, and trying out a lot of the new systems and new contacts.
We had a large turnout, and several members stayed on long enough to hit level 10 and help form the new villain group, Once and Future Kings!

I'd like to thank
Jane Tempus (me, the team and vg leader)
Focus Fire
Murphy's Law
Temporal Distortion
Mr Masters
Cold Storage
Timmy Too Far

for their participation!

As for the group, anyone is welcome to join. We are an RP-optional group - I won't wig out if you don't want to rp - and we do have a few rules

1) Please enter and stay in SG mode at all times. We need to grow our base, and even low level toons supply a LOT of prestige.
2) You are allowed a maximum of ONE alt for the VG.
3) One of your two toons MUST have Time Manipulation (any valid AT): the other toon can be any AT and have any powers.
4) OOC stuff should be in some sort of double bracket i.e. ((blah)) or [[blah]]. I'll accept ** as the lead-in as well.
5) Pl34s3 n0 l337sp34k. I will send you back to the dawn of time and you will find out PERSONALLY what happened to the dinosaurs if you use l33tsp34k. We are Time Manipulators - we have made this happen already!

Feel free to join!

OK. The Plant is BACK!!

With I21 coming out this week, it's time for a shift in direction.

SO, with the release of the new stuff, it's TIME for new stuff!!

Roll a new toon on Exalted, no higher than level 3, and we'll go through the new stuff together. Time to see what we can do under the new system! Make whatever you want, however you want!

See you there!

VILLANY!!

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!!

OK, for the first time in a LONG time, we did a PUG on Friday. That's right, no weekly, no TF, no accolade runs, just a regular PUG (going for rogue tips).

So, I'd like to thank

Kallisto, Kallisto, Kallisto, Kallisto, Doc Smiley, Arach'nor, K2., Arbiter Hawke

for their contributions (I was one of them).

For the next 2 Fridays, I will be heading home to Canada and visiting the family. So I will not have access to my computer. FNV may be run by others, and would hope that they post their results here, too.

Villainy!!

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!

And with another ITF week comes another long string of ITF participants. So, I'd like to thank

Team 1: Little Side Kick, Digital Meltdown, Ysabella, Prism Ranger Red, Meow Master, Knockout Rose, Shieldmaiden

Team 2: Freya O'Shi, Miss Represent, Critical Attack, Masquerade, Techzoid

Team 3: Miss Interpreted, Forceful Effect, Trigger Sly, Incendier, Varis, Techzoid, Assimilator X1057

for coming out and showing Romi how we do tings in our time!

Villainy!

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!!

First of all, MAD MAD props to Everest for putting up the pix - something I have yet to do, foolishly...

Secondly, last week was the 3rd respec trial for the WST. And since someone has put up pix, I think it's only fair I try as well. **Note: failed, need to convert to jpg for best chance for posting

I'd like to thank:

Team 1 - Khaleesi, Frost Nereid, Speed of Hate, Spider's Herald, Miss Arrange
Team 2 - Mistress Spinner, Hard Knight, Miss Interpreted, Ride the Lightning, Vosik, Pure Bane
Team 3 - Lil Leigh, Crazed Drifter, Vosik, Mistress Spark Hell, Miss Pronounced, Hardt of Stone
Team 4 - Araneae Sicarius, Vosik, Lil Leigh, Miss Carriage

This week is the ITF, so expect to see the old ITF thread to be used.

VILLAINY!

Hello, everybody! The Plant is HERE!!!

This week, Mortimer Kal - aka MortiKal - decided that to get his daughter back, he should help us get more power. Ah, the joys of villainy - as witnessed by

Crazed Drifter
Kinectrical
Lil Leigh
Rinza
Mrs. Everest

Mind Phase
Jinza
Political Commisar
Heaven-Leigh
Speed of Hate
K2.

Subtle Leigh
Kaidan'
Wisp Z
Robo GNG
Venna
Black Widowed
Jentessa

showed that his daughter had a very high price.

This week, it's the 3rd respec trials! And with the powers of incarnate to aid us, the Circle won't know WHAT hit them!

VILLAINY!

*points to shiny Master of Statesman badge on DyNaMique*

'Nuff said.

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!!

This week, Ice Mistral gave us a tap on the shoulder (brrrr) and told us to smash some crystals to gain the favor of the higher-ups in Arachnos.

Who were we to say no?

I'd like to thank

Super Heroine?
Miss Pronounced
Planet Crasher
Keravnos
Venna
Khaleesi
Khaleesi (and NO, that is NOT a typo!)

Miss Interpreted
Vosik
Heartspike
Psychotic Leigh
Blazesin
Inflyct
Sicarius Syn

for shattering so many crystals. Heh, it's fun!

VILLAINY!!

100 posts! Woot!

Hello, everyone! The Plant is HERE!!

Okay, this week we tackled that most difficult of badges for villains, the elusive Master of Lord Recluse TF badge. And although I came FAIRLY close to death due to my own stupidity, I would love to thank

Chrome Widow
Crazed Drifter
Ash Leigh Burn
Mis Information
Varis
hard 2 start
Psynaptical

for turning Statesman and friends into carefully-melted puddles of goo!

Deciding that that was not enough, and to gain levels and shards, we decided upon an ITF to prove our worth. I'd like to thank

Mistress Spinner
Vosik
Blazesin
Herald of the Light
Incendiary Chick
Infernal Damsel
Solarian Blaze

for proving to Romulus that sometimes, even villainy has its standards.

This upcoming week will be the Ice Mistral SF - usually a good source of vitamin Accolade!

VILLAINY!!

Hi, everyone! The Plant is HERE!

And last week, we decided that doing a standard Barracuda SF wasn't good enough for us. Oh no. We took off the kid gloves and went full-on Master of Barracuda with a team laden with Alpha-and-beyond slotted toons.

It was so sad watching Reichsmann melt....

I want to thank

Hawt Tahdee
Crazed Drifter
Chrome Widow
Araneae Sicarius
Ezria
hard 2 start
Mis Information

for proving that, once again, evil will always triumph!

To aid another toon get a respec to flesh tem out better, a respec trial (2nd) was run thereafter, so I would like to thank

Winters Gift
Vosik
Tainted Leigh
Pyrelin
Oni the Lonely

for turning the tree into so much mulch.

This week is Lord Recluse SF. Hmmm....

VILLAINY!!!

Hi, everyone! The Plant IS HERE!!!

Okay, this week's Apex runs were, amazingly, full of deaths (it's an Apex, it'll happen) and blazing speed, with the average completion time for 3 pickup groups in the 45 minute range. We also discovered that they've altered it so that not having an alpha power slotted bars entry, rather than debuffs you. This is probably a good thing - being at -8 is a PAIN on this TF.

So, I'd like to thank all of the following for their co-operation:

Adam Ash
Forsake Goddess
Araneae Sicarius
Miss Represent
Psynaptical
Varis
Elamisa Mulanda

Lil Leigh
Sa'Kage
Ezria
Elamisa Mulanda
Mis Chief
Viktoria Powers
Sintrix

Vengeful Leigh
Mithral Warrior
Mis Information
Dr. Tank Blaze
Reclusa
Sensual
Hard Work

This week is the fanTABUlous Dr. Kahn and Barracuda TFs. I'll be very VERY happy to see a Barracuda completed.

VILLAINY!!

Hi, everyone! The Plant IS HERE!!!

Last week's Sutter/MortiKal WST was run several times, so I have a lot of people to thank, namely:

Sword of Honor
Hard at it
Mistress Spinner
Kold Revolver
TAVY90
Little Black n Red
Asymptope Man

Digital Metldown
Miss Represent
Elamisa Mulanda
Forsaken Goddess
Kaidan'
Oliue

Mis Deed
Miss Carriage
Vengeful Leigh
Jinza
Lord Hubris
SicK AiKidO

Chill Leigh Papillon
Keiyra
Dr. Tank Blaze
Psynaptical
Ursus Urgere
Azure Radiance
Sick Satire

This week is APEX, so I may even allow (and bring) hereos!

Hello, everyone! You're talking to the plant!

Last week was the second respec trial WST, and this meant a LOT of opportunities for people on villain side (and rogues and vigilantes, too - just no nasty heroes to muck things up!). Alas, I goofed once (forgot to check personal diff settings - a +2 respec, unannounced an un-planned for, is just NO fun). SO I can only thank the following people for their participation:

Ezria
Aussie Angel
Lil Leigh
Miss Pronounced
Spider's Herald
Psynaptical

Show Me The Money
Duke-Nukem
Heaven-Leigh
Ezria
Lady Parthenogenesis
Frost Nereid
bar be que

Miss Represent
Critical Attack
Pyrelin
Ezria (jeeze, noticing a theme, here)
Shocking Leigh
Trahald
Hit em Hard

Then I capitulated to the will of the masses and did ONE hero-side. Can win em all, I guess. Still, I'd like to thank

Vosik
Cirque du So'Leigh
Incendiary Chick
Ms. Parthenogenesis
Miss Elect

for THEIR participation.

This week, with the Sutter and Mortimer Kal (aka the MortiKal) WST up, I will be running MortiKal at least 3 times - all at +0 (I will TRIPLE-check before running). See you there!

Hey, everyone! You're talking to the plant!

First off, the Shizuoka hobby show was AWESOME. Need to post some pix soon to show you just how awesome some of these things are.

Secondly, in my abscence, there was an accolade run by @Metacore, and a SF run by @Hawt Tahdee. So, in the spirit of keeping track of who was there on the event I would have run, I'd like to thank

Subtle Leigh
Ezria
Hard Knight
Precision 38-92A
Miss Elect
Magenta Black
Glycerine Queen
Miss Interpreted

for their participation. If the other team would be so kind as to send me team roster, I'd be happy to add them, too!

Good/bad news: I will not be able to run AGAIN this week. Turns out there's a farewell/greet party for the staff at my main school, so I will be unavailable this week. Since this is an LGTF for the WST, though, I get the funny feeling I know what might be happening.

VILLAINY!!!

Hello, everyone! You're talking to the plant!

As there was no set plan for last week, we started with my namesake running villain tips to aid those who seek xp, purples and some good old fashioned fun! I'd like to thank

Pure Bane
Icee Dead People
Bantrix
Subtle Leigh
Indic
Onyx Mirror

for their participation.

Afterwards, since we had time, we ran an Operative Renault Weekly Strike Target for those who wanted it. A full team led to some good kill counts (especially Family - you get the good bosses with a full team!) and some riDICulous xp for those involved, who included

Varis
Subtle Leigh
Lascivious Thrust
Nyugen
Magic Mushroom
Tinker Kat
Miss Elect

in our stomping run of the otherwise well-prepared Coralax.

This weekend, I will be attending the 50th annual Hobby Show in Shizuoka, Japan. This is the first time I will be going in the 4+ years I've lived here, so I think (since I've missed, like, 3 weeks in 2 YEARS of running FNV) that I deserve a short break. FNV will return at its regularly scheduled time next week as hosted by me.

In the meanwhile ...

VILLAINY!!

Hello, MrF! You're talking to the plant.

The pyronic is an excellent choice - high damage at low levels, and your choice of wide area with tons of targets and DoT Fire or wide area plus tons of targets plus chance to stun. It makes a great compliment to the AOE immobs/holds/vines you're throwing. Also burns 3rd treespec vines in a snap.
Diamagnetic is an excellent choice, since many of your attacks will benefit from the procs. Either route is great.
Lore - I went with seers myself for the psychic damage, so I can't say which of the two choices you have would be better. Sorry.
Destiny - Ageless helps fill a healing role. Interesting choice here - it will be great on trials, hami raids and ship raids, and good on teams for soloing. Especially useful if you are working towards a healing badge. I definitely see the logic behind the choice.

Overall, sounds like a great gameplan. You'll need to ask someone else about the lore pets, but sounds like you could stomp a mudhole in a lot of people with that layout.

Hello, everyone! You're talking to the plant!

As promised, I was out bright and early for FNV to make sure several runs were available for people. While I did not do it all day (RL and a LGTF for shards ensured that), 6 runs for FNV is quite a haul.

So I'd like to thank

TinkerKat
Lampona
Mis Chief
Mistress Spinner
Onibi

Onibi
Hawt Tahdee
Sister Sade

Hawt Tahdee
Ysabella
Hard Night
Proprietor
Strange Alice

Hawt Tahdee
Miss Represent
Hardt of Stone
Cytoplasmette

Show Me The Money
Zosime
Hit Em Hard
Hawt Tahdee

Hard Night
Hawt Tahdee
Miss Elect
PatchKat
Mis Information

for their services and for making 5 of those runs nice and short (3 were under half an hour, a fourth was 30:15, and we even completed a PUG at +2 due to leader not switching their 50's diff down).

This week...

VILLAINY!!

Hello, everyone! You're talking to the plant!

This week had a late start due to a prior Sutter TF call. Once that was over, since Sutter/MortiKal was the WST, I ran 2 MortiKals to make sure people had their Notice of the Wells. So, I'd like to thank

Deathtron
Ash Vera
willo's dps
Ash Leigh Burn
Mystofire
Redshadows
Soung

Sussurans Mortis
Sgt. Brackman
One Eyed Jo
Sorgan
Superfreak
Mentally Challenged

for their participation in proving their villainy.

This week, the first respec trials are the WST. That means minimum 24 to join, level 33, powers to 38. I'll run with my namesake, and we should be able to do SEVERAL runs. A treespec is, simply put, a LOT faster than the hero one. Don't forget, you get a half-level worth of xp for doing these with a non-50, so if you're looking to get over a certain hump, or to get closer to 50 with a toon you like, bring them out too!

VILLAINY!!

Hello, Everyone! You're talking to the plant!

This week we attempted the Mortimer Kal SF - with amazing results! I'd like to thank

Miss Elect
Hard Wired
Asymptope Man
Mis Deed
Plasma Warrior
velara
TinkerKat

for their aid in running a smooth MK.

Afterwards, there was enough interest that a Lambda was run! I managed to get enough screenshots to get everyone, so I would like to thank

velara
Miss Elect
Meifang
TinkerKat
Plasma Warrior
Elamisa Mulanda
Hard Wired (Team 1)

Mithral Warrior
General Peterson
B L E V E
Buzblocker
Mercury Menace
Mis Information
Sir Frederick (Team 2)

for a successful Lambda.

This week, we shall see what the WST is before making a decision. If it's something lowish villainside, I will be glad to run it for shards. If it is not, or there is not enough interest in it, I think a BAF is in order.

VILLAINY!!!!

The completion of the TFs in a shorter time for villains is not the issue, nor is the availability of TFs. It's the balance of merits.

Silver Mantis, the mainstay of merits for villains, generates 42 reward merits for roughly 2+ hours work. This is not the hardest of TFs in the game by a longshot, but it is the only TF villains can count on (other than LGTF and ITF - co-ops) for more than 26 reward merits below level 50.

Now, when this is a WTF, that number gets doubled to 84, and yes, that is fun.

Let's take a look over yon at the blue side, shall we?

Synapse (58+2 for Babbage), Sister Psyche (50), Moonfire (31), Citadel (40), Manticore (32), Numina (36), Dr. Q (122!), Sara Moore (63), Justine Augustine (42), Faathim the Kind (73), and Statesman (38) all produce more reward merits than EVERY OTHER villain TF. And lo, should they decide to allow some of your beloved marathons to go WST, a single Dr. Q, while a long and arduous task, lets you walk away with 244 reward merits - enough to convert for 4 hero merits with only a niggling amount of cash! Synapse, Sister Psyche, Sara Moore and Faathim the Kind let you walk away with 100+ reward merits in a WST - hey, look ma, 2 hero merits! Gonna go get me that Miracle+ I need!!

No. No, no, no, no. The sad part is, 1 of those already is a WST. And you want more?

As for trials, yes, heroes get the Abandoned Sewer Trial, the Cavern of Transcendence Trial, and the Eden Trial. I won't mention the 3 respec trials because villains get them as well. But what do villains get for their equivalent trials?

Nothing. Zip. Zilch. We get no trials.

The repeats aren't because heroes are being punished. It's because the game would quickly become too skewed in favour of heroes should they go against their current set-up. Balance must be maintained.

To answer the original questions posted:

1) The devs are avoiding the Shadow Shard because the TFs would result in a massive imbalance in merits very, very quickly - and because there is no corresponding SFs for villains. Seriously, villains need some love.
2) The devs are avoiding Striga Isle because it requires the team leader to do all the Striga Isle arcs to unlock it. You can't just walk up to Hess. ANYONE can walk up to Moonfire. Admittedly, this is one I WOULD like to see, because I found Hess to be a lot of fun.
3) Yep, Katie Hannon not only falls under "Too simple to finish", but it falls under #2 as well. The merits/hour gets ridiculous if you speedKatie.
4) Irony of ironies, I actually like your logic here. Citadel for SURE should be one, if only to get people to run more Citadels. And while Posi creates its own problems (do you have to run one or both to get the doubling? If one, which one?), merit-wise it is appropriate for use, even if you have to do both parts. The elephant in the room is Synapse, since at 58+2 reward merits it would become the highest value TF to receive WST certification if it did - but it is part of a decent accolade, and if the other 2 become viable, then I will be happy to ask that Synapse become viable as well.