Darkbridger

I don't PvP, so can't answer that.

But yes, a LOT of people are AEing. You can still find teams, but it might be more difficult than you remember from your last visit.

Lastly... we are not, never have been, and never will be... average. So sayeth Mediocrity Man.

I found another odd forum bug. The "Add Reply", "New Post" and similar buttons are the wrong color in the themes. In the villain theme, the buttons are blue and in the hero theme they are red. Maybe they're trying to make them stand out... I dunno... seems wrong though.

We wiped once, but after clearing the ambushes on the return, things went quite smooth. To be honest, this is the second time I've been on a 5th run that had to clear the ambushes, and it almost seems easier to do it that way. That, or a team wipe is breaking what is supposed to be non-stop ambushes. I'm not sure. It's possible we left some breathing in other areas of the map, but after clearing to the machine room and facing Reischman a second time, there was never another ambush. <shrug> There was also an old ambush spawn on the other side of the room that never moved after we started attacking Reischman again.

Now for an aside...

The Matinée never expects or requires a balanced team for anything. When there are enough people for multiple teams or when there are people willing to switch characters, balance is easier to attain. I don't feel it is required for a vast majority of the TFs/SFs in the game. Unbalanced teams can take longer, lead to more frustration, and, at worst, end in failing to complete. This is a rare thing however, and so far for me, has only occurred outside the Matinée (from what I can remember). I prefer people play what they want and have fun, rather than feel obligated to make sure the team is balanced... provided of course they are open to failing to complete as a final result.

The Matinée typically gets a good mix of ATs for whatever is scheduled. There were VEAT heavy teams when they were first introduced, and they handled everything they tackled. I expect there will be certain mixes occurring when Going Rogue arrives, and even powerset proliferation can lead to teams having lots of popular sets that are new to some ATs. I try to keep the Matinée as informal and open as possible for a variety of reasons, so I hope no one ever feels pressured into selecting certain characters or not signing up.

My only complaint is that Log In doesn't actually work for me on the main page. It says "thanks for logging on", redirects me, and... I'm no longer logged on. It refuses to log me on correctly until I make a post, which makes looking for new threads pretty much impossible.

This week is a Barracuda SF (L45-50) at the usual 1pm eastern start time, with gathering in Grandville at 12:45.

1. Darkbridger - Cacophonous Rex (L45 Sonic/Sonic Corr)
2. Steeple - Operative Webster (L50 Spider)
3. MikeHoncho - Dolores Mulva (L50 Fort)
4. Killerhurtz - ?
5. SpyderNoir - Durante Ragno (L50 Fort)
6. Cinderspawn - NecroSpider (L48 Crab)
7.
8.

ALT

Bah, 1-50 on the normal content isn't all that tough. You want tough, see all the content with one character. I did that before we had the option to turn off xp gain. Of course, it was my villain, so it was easier... my hero had to wait for Oro to finally see everything.

It's back to the villain side this week for a combo of short villain runs. First up is a Tarikoss SF (L15-20) which will start at 1pm eastern with gathering in Cap Au Diable at 12:45. Following that will be a first villain respec trial (L24-33). I'll have two sign up lists so you can provide different characters for each if desired. If you only wish to sign up for one of the two, please specify which.

TARIKOSS

1. Darkbridger - Megabyte Man (L50 Bots/FF MM)
2. Allyriah - Blood Diamond (L15 Dark/Pain Corr)
3. CinderSpawn - Inhuman Rampage (15 DM/WP Brute)
4. Steeple - Operative Webster (L50 Spider)
5. ManInBlack - Professor Mindtaker (17 Mind/Psi Dom)
6.
7.
8.

1. Abraxxus - Corporate Evil (L50 ?/? MM)
2. Katfood - ?
3. SuperGoober - ?
4. MikeHoncho - Dolores Mulva (L50 Fort)
5. Thornster - ?
6.
7.
8.

ALT


RESPEC

1. Darkbridger - Pain Threshold (L30 Elec/Pain Corr)
2. Allyriah - Ampyriah (L30 Elec/Elec Brute)
3. CinderSpawn - Psychic Thorn (L24 Psi/Thorn Dom)
4. Steeple - Operative Webster (L50 Spider)
5. ManInBlack - Haxidental (L29 Axe/Shield Brute)
6.
7.
8.

1. Abraxxus - Corporate Evil (L50 ?/? MM)
2. Katfood - ?
3. SuperGoober - ?
4. MikeHoncho - Dolores Mulva (L50 Fort)
5. Thornster - ?
6. Docbuzzard - ?
7.
8.


ALT

It's back to the villain side this week for a combo of short villain runs. First up is a Tarikoss SF (L15-20) which will start at 1pm eastern with gathering in Cap Au Diable at 12:45. Following that will be a first villain respec trial (L24-33). I'll have two sign up lists so you can provide different characters for each if desired. If you only wish to sign up for one of the two, please specify which.

TARIKOSS

1. Darkbridger - Megabyte Man (L50 Bots/FF MM)
2. Allyriah - ?
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

ALT


RESPEC

1. Darkbridger - Pain Threshold (L30 Elec/Pain Corr)
2. Allyriah - Ampyriah (L30 Elec/Elec Brute)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

ALT

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Get off mah lawn!!!!


*waves cane*

[/ QUOTE ]

*swipes cane*

[/ QUOTE ]

*grabs shotgun*

[/ QUOTE ]

*ninja swipes shotgun*

[/ QUOTE ]
*pirate swipes shotgun and does a barrel roll to avoid retribution*

[/ QUOTE ]

*cuts the rope to the chandelier which falls on vyze knocking the shotgun across the floor*

Much thanks to Goob for putting together that third team. He even finished before the rest of us. We got 2 ship raids in, with the second one only being 2 teams, but we got a few bombs planted. Thanks to everyone that showed up for those as well.

Since we having Rikti invasions this weekend, I figure a Rikti-fied Matinée is in order. We'll start with a Lady Grey TF and IF there is enough interest afterward, we'll start a ship raid... a double header of sorts, if you will. The usual 1pm eastern start time and 12:45 gathering time in RWZ are in effect for the TF. If a raid starts, there will probably be a 10-15min break after the TF before it begins. You are encouraged to sign up for either or both of these things when signing up, but I can't guarantee any sort of start time for a raid.


NOTE: If you did not specify, I put you on the LGTF and as an ALT for the raid. If you want upgraded from ALT on the raid, let me know. It looks like there will definitely be 2 LGTF teams... please arrive in RWZ as close as possible to 12:45


LADY GREY

TEAM ONE
1. Darkbridger - Cold Reduction (L45 Ice/EM Blaster)
2. Necris - Sorrowed One (L50 DM/DA Scrapper)
3. MissInformed - Brazen Hussy (L50 Dark/Dark Defender)
4. Toxa - Ms. Tyranny (L? SS/SD Brewt)
5. Steeple - Operative Webster (L45 Spider)
6. CinderSpawn - Phantom Force (L50 Ill/Rad Controller)
7. Thornster - Big Stee1 (L50 Inv/Energy Tank)
8.

TEAM TWO
1. MikeHoncho - Mike Honcho (L50 Kat/Regen Scrapper)
2. Radmind - Clintar (L50 Arch/MM Blaster)
3. Katfood - Cyber Kat (L48 Fire/Fire Corr)
4. ManInBlack - Plunder (L46 DB/WP Brute)
5. BattleRoyale - Dark Passion Demise - (L45 Widow)
6. Bobitron - ?? Tank/Controller/Dom/Defender/Corr/MM ??
7. Luciferion - ?? Tank/Controller/Dom/Defender/Corr/MM ??
8. SynapseOverload - ?? Tank/Controller/Dom/Defender/Corr/MM ??

ALT
DesiNova
Steeple
Scimifish
Killerhurtz

SHIP RAID

1. Darkbridger - Megabyte Man (L50 Bots/FF MM)
2. Radmind - ? (L50 EM/SR Brute)
3. CinderSpawn - Phantom Force (L50 Ill/Rad Controller)
4. Thornster - Big Stee1 (L50 Inv/Energy Tank)
5. Scimifish - ?
6. Steeple - Operative Webster (L45 Spider)
7. Bobitron - ?
8. BattleRoyale - Dark Passion Demise - (L45 Widow)

ALT
DesiNova
MikeHoncho
Katfood
Steeple
Luciferion
Killerhurtz
Necris
ManInBlack
SynapseOverload

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What the hell is it with old people?!

Do they think that because they're old they have a [censored] license to be rude or something?!

At work we have a 1-800 number that's literally one digit off from the old-age pension division of Human Resources Canada. So, at the middle/end of every month we get these old, [censored] codgers calling up (usually women, I'm not sure why) wanting to talk about their pension.

I always answer the phone the same way... "Flight Operations, [last name]" and what happens... ? "Yah, I recieved a letter in the mail, I haven't gotten my pension cheque... bla-bla"

WHAT PART OF "FLIGHT OPERATIONS" INDICATES TO YOU THAT I HAVE ANYTING TO DO WITH YOUR [censored] PENSION?! [u]LISTEN WITH YOUR [/i]EARS!!!![/i][u]

Then, as if that's not enough, once I make it clear to them, usually by having to say it five times that this is TRANSPORT CANADA, and not HUMAN RESOURCES CANADA (it's not even the same number of syllables for [censored] sake!!!), they then proceed to argue with me about what phone number they dialed!

If I'm lucky, they'll just hang up. No goodbye... nope, no "oops, sorry about that", nope. Just "Oh- *click*" as if it's my fault, as if somehow I've inconvenienced them.

That's if I'm lucky...

If I'm not lucky I then have to have a 15-minute conversation with some 70-year old French-Canadian woman who sounds very much like she was rode hard and put away wet about how it's MY fault that she misdialed and answer a survey about what number SHE dialed, what number she was supposed to dial, what MY phone number is and who the hell I am.

I had one old [censored] actually ask for my supervisor because he thought I was giving him the run-around. So convinced was he in his own infallibility that it never occured to him that he dialed the WRONG [censored] NUMBER!

I swear to dog, I'm going to surround myself with honest people and if I ever get to that point where I'm a rude, self-entitled old jerk that they'll just put a bullet in my head and bury me in a shallow grave somewhere, as befitting people who are [censored].

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait, you're Canadian?

[/ QUOTE ]


Wait, you're BackAlleyBrawler?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey, where's my chat log you were going to send me where I griefed people in the RWZ or something?

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that when you dressed up as a Rikti-fied Tic Toc called Rikti-Tici-Toci?

Since we having Rikti invasions this weekend, I figure a Rikti-fied Matinée is in order. We'll start with a Lady Grey TF and IF there is enough interest afterward, we'll start a ship raid... a double header of sorts, if you will. The usual 1pm eastern start time and 12:45 gathering time in RWZ are in effect for the TF. If a raid starts, there will probably be a 10-15min break after the TF before it begins. You are encouraged to sign up for either or both of these things when signing up, but I can't guarantee any sort of start time for a raid.


NOTE: If you did not specify, I put you on the LGTF and as an ALT for the raid. If you want upgraded from ALT on the raid, let me know. It looks like there will definitely be 2 LGTF teams... please arrive in RWZ as close as possible to 12:45


LADY GREY

1. Darkbridger - Cold Reduction (L45 Ice/EM Blaster)
2. Radmind - Clintar (L50 Arch/MM Blaster)
3. CinderSpawn - Phantom Force (L50 Ill/Rad Controller)
4. Thornster - Big Stee1 (L50 Inv/Energy Tank)
5. Bobitron - ?
6. MikeHoncho - Mike Honcho (L50 Kat/Regen Scrapper)
7. Katfood - Cyber Kat (L48 Fire/Fire Corr)
8. MissInformed - Brazen Hussy (L50 Dark/Dark Defender)
9. Luciferion - ?
10. Necris - Sorrowed One (L50 DM/DA Scrapper)
11. ManInBlack - Plunder (L46 DB/WP Brute)
12. SynapseOverload - ?
13. Steeple - Operative Webster (L45 Spider)
14. BattleRoyale - Dark Passion Demise - (L45 Widow)
15. Toxa - Ms. Tyranny (L? SS/SD Brewt)

ALT
DesiNova
Steeple
Scimifish
Killerhurtz

SHIP RAID

1. Darkbridger - Megabyte Man (L50 Bots/FF MM)
2. Radmind - ? (L50 EM/SR Brute)
3. CinderSpawn - Phantom Force (L50 Ill/Rad Controller)
4. Thornster - Big Stee1 (L50 Inv/Energy Tank)
5. Scimifish - ?
6. Steeple - Operative Webster (L45 Spider)
7. Bobitron - ?
8. BattleRoyale - Dark Passion Demise - (L45 Widow)

ALT
DesiNova
MikeHoncho
Katfood
Steeple
Luciferion
Killerhurtz
Necris
ManInBlack
SynapseOverload

[ QUOTE ]
No, I AM BACKALLEYBRAWLER!

[/ QUOTE ]

Punching people in the face with Information since 2004?

[ QUOTE ]
What's a Meow Farm?

[/ QUOTE ]

You haven't heard about the mission where Kat kills you over and over to level one of her alts?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What the hell is it with old people?!

Do they think that because they're old they have a [censored] license to be rude or something?!

At work we have a 1-800 number that's literally one digit off from the old-age pension division of Human Resources Canada. So, at the middle/end of every month we get these old, [censored] codgers calling up (usually women, I'm not sure why) wanting to talk about their pension.

I always answer the phone the same way... "Flight Operations, [last name]" and what happens... ? "Yah, I recieved a letter in the mail, I haven't gotten my pension cheque... bla-bla"

WHAT PART OF "FLIGHT OPERATIONS" INDICATES TO YOU THAT I HAVE ANYTING TO DO WITH YOUR [censored] PENSION?! [u]LISTEN WITH YOUR [/i]EARS!!!![/i][u]

Then, as if that's not enough, once I make it clear to them, usually by having to say it five times that this is TRANSPORT CANADA, and not HUMAN RESOURCES CANADA (it's not even the same number of syllables for [censored] sake!!!), they then proceed to argue with me about what phone number they dialed!

If I'm lucky, they'll just hang up. No goodbye... nope, no "oops, sorry about that", nope. Just "Oh- *click*" as if it's my fault, as if somehow I've inconvenienced them.

That's if I'm lucky...

If I'm not lucky I then have to have a 15-minute conversation with some 70-year old French-Canadian woman who sounds very much like she was rode hard and put away wet about how it's MY fault that she misdialed and answer a survey about what number SHE dialed, what number she was supposed to dial, what MY phone number is and who the hell I am.

I had one old [censored] actually ask for my supervisor because he thought I was giving him the run-around. So convinced was he in his own infallibility that it never occured to him that he dialed the WRONG [censored] NUMBER!

I swear to dog, I'm going to surround myself with honest people and if I ever get to that point where I'm a rude, self-entitled old jerk that they'll just put a bullet in my head and bury me in a shallow grave somewhere, as befitting people who are [censored].

[/ QUOTE ]

Wait, you're Canadian?

[/ QUOTE ]

Everyone has their personal demons.

[ QUOTE ]
He's been out of the box on his honeymoon.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, so someone forgot to remove his rose colored glasses when he got back. :P

[ QUOTE ]
This'll be another of those cases where they release something highly exploitable, then when it's exploited there'll be wailing and gnashing over at Paragon Studios, bemoaning what evil people their subscribers are. Shortly thereafter there'll be another Sermon from the Mount about how we're to play the game, thereon the heels of which will be bannings and suspensions of players who did nothing more than play the game within the confines of the implementation.

Players will enter missions, kill bad guys to get experience and influence, and they'll be disciplined for doing so.

I'm jaded and cynical, but at the same time it's nothing I haven't actually witnessed.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is actually kind of what I expect to happen. The fact that it's occuring so quickly on the heels of the MA incident is bewildering. And since it was apparently pohsyb that suggested this feature, I'm wondering if he's been confined to his box too much over the last few months.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Positron doesn't like farming, but we're now getting the ability to appear as an 8-person team while solo?!? Color me (with customization) confuzzled.

[/ QUOTE ]
It will effectively eliminate 90% of the broadcasts and tells for fillers. That alone makes it worth it, in many players' eyes. While I was usually very careful about who and where I sent tells asking for fillers (and almost never used broadcast), I won't have to do that anymore.

We also don't know whether 1) these new difficulty settings will work in MA missions, or 2) if the drop rates will scale to the number of virtual teammates. However, if the drop rates act like they do in a padded mission currently (1 person getting all the drops their teammates would be getting) this change might serve to alleviate the rising prices of purples.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, I hadn't thought about the potential effects on the market. That could end up being a double edged sword though. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see what, if any, fallout occurs from this. I really hope it does end up being a "good for both sides" change... but I'm too cynical I guess to really believe that will happen.

[ QUOTE ]
what pum said, they don't like the unexpected.

[/ QUOTE ]

And they apparently don't like to minimize the chances of it. This change seems ripe with possibilities for the unexpected.

I should clarify, I'm neither for or against this change, I'm just confused. They ban people for abusiveness in MA and then turn around and do this... it's very strange, even if this change doesn't technically allow exploits. It definitely allows players of some of the higher order powersets to maximize their reward or accelerate the xp gains of their /sk'd friends. I certainly hope we don't see another round of... oversight... after this change goes in.

Positron doesn't like farming, but we're now getting the ability to appear as an 8-person team while solo?!? Color me (with customization) confuzzled.