Electric Eddie

Sadly, Spider-Man bumped us out of the parade, so we're gonna make one of our own! Anyhow, on November 24th, 25th, 26th, & 27th, Thanksgiving weekend, I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces on the Freedom server. I'll be playing a mix of characters this time around. Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Thursday, November 24th, 2011, 8:00pm EST: Twilight's Son/Calvin Scott/Mender Lazarus/Mender Silos Task Forces. Straight out of the CoH comic book/game history, we'll be fighting through the Cirlce's Smoke and Mirrors, rescuing A Mind in Danger, doing our part in The Fifth Column Overthrow, & Trading Places in Siren's Call. Overall, there's 13 AVs, a Hero, and a not-so-itsy-bitsy spider to conted with, all in the name of preserving the timeline. There are no badges specifically tied to these TFs, but you'll gain progress towards any applicable Circle, Fifth/Council, & Arachnos badges, merits, some good stories, and bragging rights. Can't forget bragging rights. We'll be meeting in the Pool of Time in Ouroboros before we start, and the respective levels of these four TFs are 25-34, 30-34, 30-39, & 46-50. Special rules for this special portion of the Extravaganza: my standard recruiting rules apply. Since each TF is fairly short, after each one, we'll take a 10 minute break to re-recruit, fill in the spots of anybody who left, and grab snacks. I won't wait much longer after the scheduled start time, as I'm more than willing to start with fewer than 8 players. Also, only heroes & vigilantes may participate (as redsiders can't access the correct Ouroboros). Total merits awarded: 39.
• Friday, November 25th, 2011, 12:00pm (noon) EST: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two Shard TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Friday, November 25th, 2011, 10:00 pm EST: Imperious Task Force. Shooting back to provincial Rome, Time's Arrow lands in Cimerora, where the Path of the Dark is fighting a war across time. The Incarnates originated from this time, as well as the precursors to the modern psychics. You'll be helping them in retaking Imperious's throne from the "inexplicably evil" Romulus Augustus and his "patron". By the end, you'll have both the Temporal Strife and Centurion badges, plus a neat looking set of Roman Armor (with the appropriate weapons, if you're a weapon-toting super). We'll be meeting around the really big table inside the Midnight Club before we start (and I am more than willing to start with fewer than 8 players). Anybody levels 35-50 may participate, however, you also need the Midnight Squad badge. Merits awarded (in lieu of incarnate component): 26.
• Satruday, November 26th, 2011, 12:00 pm (noon) EST: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other Shard TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Satruday, November 26th, 2011, 8:00pm EDT: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 42.
• Sunday, November 27th, 2011, 12:00 pm (noon) EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Sunday, November 27th, 2011, 8:00 pm EST: The Lady Grey Task Force. The Rikti War Zone arcs end with A Book of Revelations. It's all Rikti, all the time (okay, plus a cameo by the Clockwork). By the end of this Task Force, you'll have fought The Seer (a fully powered Clockwork King), The Horsemen: Four (The Riders: War, Famine, Pestilence, & Death), The Dragon (Dra'Gon), The Beast of the Sea (a weakened Hamidon), and The Apocalypse (Hro'Dtohz and some guy named The Honoree, spoilery anagrams FTW). The badge for finishing is called Apocalyptic. We'll be meeting in the Research & Development department of the Vanguard Compound in the Rikti War Zone before we start. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate. Merits awarded (in lieu of incarnate component): 37.

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell/email (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list. A half hour before each TF's start time, for the 4 Shard TFs, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (for the others, I'll be in the gathering places mentioned in each TF's description up top). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but my legal department requires me to put that in (read: I like assurances that all 8 players are going to be there for the duration). If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Also, play my AE arc (#315097) for my own little contribution. </cheap plug>
• What rewards are available?
  XP (if you're under level 50, of course), inf(luence/amy), and prestige are the obvious ones, followed by the badges and reward merits for finishing each TF. You'll run into a lot of Overseers for the Visionary badge, plus Crey, Nemesis, & the Circle are all a predominant faction in one TF each (plenty of fakes, protectors, & mages for those badges). In my opinion though, the coolest reward is for the characters with weapons and/or shields (minus any gun-toters); you automatically unlock your corresponding Rularuu weapon upon completion of any of the 4 Shard TFs. It's worth it just for the moving eyes.
• I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But those large numbers tend to come from a combination of uneducated hearsay and longer travel times that existed in the game a very long time ago. The only TF I consider "long" is Dr. Quaterfield, and even then, it's unlikely to be longer than 6 hours (though my disclaimer above still applies ).
• What level do I have to be?
  Unless otherwise noted, anybody level 44 and above can join. In the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44 (which means no incarnate powers), but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• Sounds cool. How quick am I going to get my merits?
  These aren't speed runs. We're here to have fun. This means we generally fight to our objectives, and our pacing is a bit more casual than usual (though I may employ a couple speed-up tactics on the second half of Quaterfield). That being said, we don't lallygag around, and most of your time spent with me will be actually playing the game.
• Why aren't you running [insert favorite TF here]?
  These Extravaganzas are for the level 40-50 TFs. I'll probably never run any of the Incarnate TFs/Trials here due to their special requirements. And of the remaining upper-end TFs, I want something relatively casual for the holiday itself, and Lady Grey/Imperious are two of my regular staples.

The cake may be a lie, but there will be pie! If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

-Eddie

Because fighting aliens on Independence Day has been tradition since 1996! Anyhow, on July 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, Independence Day weekend, I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces on the Freedom server. I'll be playing a mix of characters this time around. Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Saturday, July 2nd, 2011, 12:00pm (noon) EDT: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two Shard TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Saturday, July 2nd, 2011, 10:00pm EDT: The Lady Grey Task Force. The Rikti War Zone arcs end with A Book of Revelations. It's all Rikti, all the time (okay, plus a cameo by the Clockwork). By the end of this Task Force, you'll have fought The Seer (a fully powered Clockwork King), The Horsemen: Four (The Riders: War, Famine, Pestilence, & Death), The Dragon (Dra'Gon), The Beast of the Sea (a weakened Hamidon), and The Apocalypse (Hro'Dtohz and some guy named The Honoree, spoilery anagrams FTW). The badge for finishing is called Apocalyptic. We'll be meeting in the Research & Development department of the Vanguard Compound in the Rikti War Zone before we start. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate. Merits awarded: 37.
• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011, 12:00pm (noon) EDT: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other Shard TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011, 8:00pm EDT: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 42.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011, 12:00pm (noon) EDT: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011, 8:00pm EDT: Statesman Task Force. Our grand finale has us running through A Gauntlet of Evil. This is supposed to be the ultimate, end-game task force, and it acts like it. There are 16 AVs total, plus the Arachnos Flier. It won't be easy, but once it's over, you'll all get the Diplomat, Heat Seeker, Peerless, and Saved the World badges. You'll also get a shiny Synthetic Hamidon Enhancement if you so choose. We'll be meeting on top of the monorail station in Independence Port for this. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate. Merits awarded in lieu of the Hamidon Enhancement: 37.

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell/email (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list (special note for the Statesman TF: I'll only put on the list those that have signed up/participated in one of the Shard TFs). A half hour before each TF's start time, for the 4 Shard TFs, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (for the others, I'll be in the gathering places mentioned in each TF's description up top). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but my legal department requires me to put that in (read: I like assurances that all 8 players are going to be there for the duration). If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Also, play my AE arc (#315097) for my own little contribution. </cheap plug>
• What rewards are available?
  XP (if you're under level 50, of course), inf(luence/amy), and prestige are the obvious ones, followed by the badges and reward merits for finishing each TF. You'll run into a lot of Overseers for the Visionary badge, plus Crey, Nemesis, & the Circle are all a predominant faction in one TF each (plenty of fakes, protectors, & mages for those badges). In my opinion though, the coolest reward is for the characters with weapons and/or shields (minus any gun-toters); you automatically unlock your corresponding Rularuu weapon upon completion of any of the 4 Shard TFs. It's worth it just for the moving eyes.
• I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But those large numbers tend to come from a combination of uneducated hearsay and longer travel times that existed in the game a very long time ago. The only TF I consider "long" is Dr. Quaterfield, and even then, it's unlikely to be longer than 6 hours (though my disclaimer above still applies ).
• What level do I have to be?
  Unless otherwise noted, anybody level 44 and above can join. In the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44 (which means no incarnate powers), but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• Sounds cool. How quick am I going to get my merits?
  These aren't speed runs. We're here to have fun. This means we generally fight to our objectives, and our pacing is a bit more casual than usual (though I may employ a couple speed-up tactics on the second half of Quaterfield). That being said, we don't lallygag around, and most of your time spent with me will be actually playing the game.
• Why aren't you running [insert favorite TF here]?
  These Extravaganzas are for the level 40-50 TFs. I'll probably never run any of the Incarnate TFs/Trials here due to their special requirements. And of the remaining upper-end TFs, I figured Statesman and The Lady Grey fit this weekend's theme best (one has you working for a guy who wears the American flag, and the other has you beating up a guy wearing the Union Jack ).

Now, assuming one of our good friends from across the pond doesn't try to gank me for that last remark, there will be plenty of fireworks to go around this weekend. If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

We may have missed Hanukkah and the Winter Solstice, but darnit, this is going to be the best Christmas/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day/New Year's Day/Bowl Week celebration ever! Because between December 25th and January 2nd, I'll be leading 12 Task Forces, including all 6(ish) of the "Task Force Commander" TFs and all 4 Shadow Shard TFs. It's going to be legen (wait for it)...

Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Saturday, December 25th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Positron Task Force. In my opinion, The Rule of Three is the single worst designed TF in the game... which is why they split it and also allowed us to become Dam Heroes in the process! This new, split TF is nowhere near as arduous as the old one, and while there are more than the average number of EBs, none of them are really difficult (and no AVs is also a bonus). You'll also get to defeat evil clones of yourself. If both parts are completed, you'll have received the Rule of Three and Dam Heroes badges, which together combine to award the Positron's Ally badge. We'll be meeting on top of the Cooke's Electronics store in Steel Canyon before we start. The level cap is 15, above which, you'll be auto-exemplared to said level. Total merits awarded: 26.
• Sunday, December 26th, 2010, 1:00 pm EST: Synapse Task Force. It's all Clockwork, all the time in The Fall of the Clockwork King. Really. There's not much else to it. Obviously the clockwork King plays a big role here, as well as one of his larger creations. The Synapse's Cohort badge is awarded upon completion, and Clockstopper will be given if we can manage to take out the aforementioned larger creation (and really, if you don't get Gearsmasher, you'll have already been kicked for not actually playing ). We'll be meeting outside the LaGrange Medical Center in Skyway City before we start, and anybody levels 15-20 may participate. Merits awarded: 58.
• Sunday, December 26th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Sister Psyche Task Force. Or the Aurora Borealis Task Force, if you remember that body giving out this TF... Body switches aside, Clamor and Destruction is the order of the day, when you race against time to stop Clamor and her wave of, um, destruction. Long story short, it involves Freaks and former Nazis. Anybody else miss Malaise? Anyway, you'll become Sister Psyche's Comrade at the end of it all. We'll be meeting near the Independence Port base portal before starting, and anybody levels 20-25 may participate. Merits awarded: 50.
• Monday, December 27th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Citadel Task Force. In protecting the Bastion of Freedom that is Paragon, you'll have to go toe-to-toe with Citadel's Children. It's 11 missions of robots, Indiana Jones maps, Cobra wannabes, and Vandal (and no mention of Striga Isle whatsoever). Citadel's Assistant is the badge for this one. We'll be meeting on the big blank hill just north of the Talos Island train station, and anybody levels 25-30 may participate. Merits awarded: 40.
• Tuesday, December 28th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Manticore Task Force. Following Countess Crey is exactly what it says on the tin; we'll be fighting loads and loads of Crey Corporation's personnel to find out exactly what the Countess is doing behind the scenes. At the end is her personal bodyguard, Hopkins, as well as possible insight into what the Countess really is. Associating with Manticore will grant you the Manticore's Associate badge (sadly, no Paragon Protectors). We'll be gathering on top of the Mashu Bridge in Brickstown. This TF is open to anybody levels 30-35. Merits awarded: 32.
  Wednesday, December 29th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Calvin Scott Task Force. Way back in Issue #3, when Sister Psyche was Aurora Borealis and Malaise was sane, an ordinary man worried that his wife was A Mind in Danger. For 16 issues, this TF was MIA, but now, thanks to the wonder of time travel, we get to figure out who or what is interfering with the connection between Psyche and Aurora and how to separate them, or lose two of Paragon's greatest. We'll be meeting in the Pool of Time in Ouroboros before we start, and anybody levels 30-36 may participate (however, no rogues are allowed). Merits awarded: 8.
• Thursday, December 30th, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Numina Task Force. For a change of pace, saving the Soul of the Woodsman involves fighting some very pissed off plants. Actually, as the last of the 6 numbered Phalanx TFs, it has you fighting a bit of everybody. But the Devouring Earth is the big bad when all is said and done. Speaking of big bads, Jurassik is at the end waiting to ground us into a fine powder. If we avoid becoming NutriPaste, we'll have the Numina's Compatriot badge (though Jurassik himself does not give the The Solution badge; you'll have to kill him in Crey's Folly for that). Recruiting will occur inside the Paragon University campus at Founders Falls, and anybody levels 35-40 may participate. Merits awarded: 36.
• Friday, December 31st, 2010, 9:00 pm EST: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two Shard TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Saturday, January 1st, 2011, 1:00 pm EST: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other Shard TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Saturday, January 1st, 2011, 8:00 pm EST: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 42.
• Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, 1:00 pm EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Sunday, January 2nd, 2011, 8:00 pm EST: Statesman Task Force. Our grand finale has us running through A Gauntlet of Evil. This is supposed to be the ultimate, end-game task force, and it acts like it. There are 16 AVs total, plus the Arachnos Flier. It won't be easy, but once it's over, you'll all get the Diplomat, Heat Seeker, Peerless, and Saved the World badges. You'll also get a shiny Synthetic Hamidon Enhancement if you so choose. We'll be meeting on top of the monorail station in Independence Port for this. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate. Merits awarded in lieu of the Hamidon Enhancement: 37

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell/email (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list (special note for the Statesman TF: I'll only put on the list those that have signed up/participated in one of the Shard TFs). A half hour before each TF's start time, I'll be in the gathering places mentioned in each TF's description up top (for the 4 Shard TFs, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but it never hurts to have the time set aside. If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• I don't recognize TFs 8-11. What are they?
  Those are part of the Shadow Shard. Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads.
• What's with the level restrictions?
  Let me clarify: any levels listed are the "operational levels" of said TFs. Anything lower, and you can't be on the TF. Anything higher will automagically exemplar you to the cap (and give you any powers you took in the next 5 levels). Higher levels are more than welcome (though bear in mind that you'll lose your incarnate powers on all but Sara, Justin, Faathim, & Statesman).
• Sounds cool. How quick am I going to get my merits?
  These aren't speed runs. We're here to have fun. This means we generally fight to our objectives, and our pacing is a bit more casual than usual (though I may employ a couple speed-up tactics on the second half of Quaterfield). That being said, we don't lallygag around, and most of your time spent with me will be actually playing the game.
• What about [insert favorite TF here]?
  I only have room for 12 TFs (and I'm already fudging the numbers a bit with both Posis). The 6 Phalanx TFs and the 4 Shard TFs are easiest to group together into coherent blocks. Calvin Scott has been MIA for over 5 years, so he's there for nostalgia (plus there's a Phalanx theme there). Statesman is the only TF I could use to end something this epic (and again, Phalanx).

...DARY!!! If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

The first post has been updated to reflect additions to the roster. I can neither confirm nor deny that it's also a flimsy excuse for a bump.

Spend the first bright, sunny holiday weekend of the year in the cold, damp caves of the Shadow Shard! Anyhow, the Malachite Complex SG is running the Dr. Quaterfield Task Force on the 29th of May at 12pm (noon) eastern, but apparently, only 3 of us are available (or nuts; we haven't figured that out yet). That's where you come in; those 5 spots are going to the field. So without further ado:

Crazy Eddie's Discount Task Forces, Trials, & Electronics presents

A Malachite Complex Production

Mission: Explorers and Exploiters
Contact: Dr. Quaterfield
Location: Firebase Zulu

Date & Time: Saturday, May 29th, 12:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (that's 9:00am Pacific, 16:00UTC)

Level Range: 40-44

Villains: Soldiers of Rularuu, Crey, Nemesis, and a cameo by the Circle of Thorns

EBs & AVs: None

Current Team Roster

1: Malachite Hacker (Broad Sword/Shield Scrapper)
2: Malachite Inferno (Fire/Fire Tank) or Malachite Frost (Ice/Kinetics Controler) [This is the leader of the SG and will be the team gopher]
3: Malachite Morna (Dark/Dark Defender)
4: Malachite Mercy (Empathy/??? Defender)
5: Buttercup Pixie (Fire/Fire Tank) or Artorios Rex (Broad Sword/Regeneration Scrapper)
6:
7:
8:
-=Reserves=-
9:
10:
11:
12:

Task Force Stats, Info, & Miscellaneous Notes:

• This task force requires 8 to start.
• We will be meeting in Firebase Zulu at 11:30am EDT. If you're not there (or have at least sent me a tell saying you're en route) by 12pm EDT, we'll dip into the reserves (in order of signup). On the off chance that we get enough signups for two teams, we'll divide up according to team needs.
• Make sure you have at least ten (10) hours set aside on that date before signing up. 10 hours is my standard disclaimer for Dr Q; it never actually takes that long, but my legal department requires me to put in that disclaimer (read: I like assurances that all 8 players are going to be there for the duration).
• 24 missions total (5 hunts). I'll also point out here that there's nothing terribly difficult about this TF, it's just long.
• Badges: Portal Smasher, plus progress towards Visionary, Unveiler, and a very generous portion (if not getting them outright) of the Infiltrator/7th Generation Paragon Protector & Crey Power Tank badges.
• Merits awarded: 122
• Special award for any weapon/shield users (except Assault Rifle & Dual Pistols): both Portal Smasher and Visionary award your corresponding Rularuu weapon. They're really cool.
• Every 2 hours, we will be taking a 10 minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and makes for a more refreshing experience. Trust me, you'll be thanking me for this one.
• THIS IS NOT A SPEED RUN!!! If you think we're going to blaze through this in a couple unfun hours so you can get your merits and be on your merry way, we don't want you. That being said, while the Malachite Complex does enjoy a casual and laid-back approach, we won't be dilly-dallying either.
• One final note that I believe should be mentioned: we've done Dr. Q numerous times. Heck, over New Years last year, we did the 4 Shard TFs back to back to back to back. So while we're a bit on the crazy side, we also know what we're doing.

So if you've got nothing better to do on Saturday, or perhaps you are a tad crazy, come on out to the Shadow Shard! General Hammond is having a barbecue afterward. If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. We look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

Because nothing says 'three-day weekend' like good ol' Doctor Q! Anyhow, on April 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, Easter weekend, I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces on the Freedom server. I'll be playing a mix of characters this time around. Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Friday, April 2nd, 2010, Noon (12:00 pm) EDT: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Saturday, April 3rd, 2010, Noon (12:00 pm) EDT: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Saturday, April 3rd, 2010, 8:00 pm EDT: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 42.
• Sunday, April 4th, 2010, Noon (12:00 pm) EDT: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join your Shard TFs?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list. A half hour before each TF's start time, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (except for the non-Shard TFs, as previously noted). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but it never hurts to have the time set aside. If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Plus, there's some further clues in the Issue 12 content. Hopefully, the Devs will give the Shard the same treatment as the old RCS, while still maintaining its current missions, TFs (except possibly a shortened Dr. Quaterfield), and unique geography.
• So why are you doing this?
  If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm crazy! Actually, it's because I love the Shadow Shard, and the Shard TFs are the toughest to do simply because it's difficult to get 8 people together for them (also, I have a secret agenda of getting more people interested in the Shard and therefore getting the Shard some Dev attention ).
• But don't you already have all the Shard TF badges?
  Yes, I do. In fact, I've led all four of the Shard TFs numerous times, so I actually know what I'm doing for once. But there are things other than the TF badges to work on.
• Like what?
  The most obvious one is XP if you're under 50. The second most obvious are the Merit Rewards. Also, there are lots of Fake Nemeses and Overseerers for the Unveiler and Visionary badges, respectively (plus the Circle and Crey are all a predominant faction in one TF each; plenty of mages and protectors). One of the Dimensional Warder AVs, Malaise, makes an appearance (Mother Mayhem isn't required), as well as Baphomet (who does give out both the Demon Slayer badge and the accompanying Behemoth Overlord gladiator). Plenty of Vanguard Merits can be earned (assuming you've done Levantera's first mission and received the associated badge) during the Faathim TF. You can also work on Influence and Debt badges (yay, Trendsetter; next up: I'm going to be Popular!). You'll be able to nab some rare salvage and recipes. Influence and Prestige rates are pretty darn good during the TFs. A newer feature is the unlockable Rularuu weapons. Finally, they're just plain fun to do.
• But I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But the point of this thread is to avoid the PuG crowd. In the Shard TFs I've led, none of them have taken longer than 4 1/2 hours (excluding the evil Quaterfield TF, and even then, it's only taken about 6 hours for me in my past Extravaganzas). And making sure people have set aside plenty of time beforehand all but ensures that it'll be done in good time and that we'll have fun in the process.
• What level do I have to be?
  Anybody level 44 and above can join, and in the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44, but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• What's with Dr. Quaterfield?
  You know, ever since the changes to exemplaring (you have all powers 5 levels above the exemplar level; this means you'll have all your powers) and TF experience (levels 45-49 will now earn XP during the TF), Dr Q is not quite as bad as he used to be. It's still long and still has those problems with the second half of the TF, but at least he gives you a metric buttload of reward merits at the end. And the Soldiers of Rularuu do drop magic salvage.
• What about Imperious/Flagg/Kahn/Silos/The Lady Grey/Statesman?
  It's a short weekend, and I only have room for the four Shard TFs this time. The others will be back in future runs, though.

It's a bit shorter than usual, but [insert lame Easter Bunny joke here]. If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

Call it a brainfart on my end, but I needed to push back Faathim to 2pm EST on Sunday, which means I also had to push Statesman back an hour (which means there's a shorter cooldown time between the TFs). You'll notice the changed times in red in the original post, and PMs/tells are being sent to those already signed up notifying them of the change.

Due to the push back, it's possible that Statesman may not happen, but come out anyway, because if it doesn't, I'll replace it with a Kahn run.

Taking place over the course of two years! Anyhow, on December 31st + January 1st, 2nd, & 3rd, New Year's Day weekend , I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces (plus a few other special things) on the Freedom server. I'll most likely be playing as Terra Mater, an earth controller (onward to 50... ). Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Thursday, December 31st 2009, 9:00 pm EST: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Friday, January 1st, 2010, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Friday, January 1st, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: Imperious Task Force. Shooting back to provincial Rome, Time's Arrow lands in Cimerora, where the Path of the Dark is fighting a war over time. The Incarnates originated from this time, as well as the precursors to the modern psychics. You'll be helping them in retaking Imperious's throne from the "inexplicably evil" Romulus Augustus and his "patron". By the end, you'll have both the Temporal Strife and Centurion badges, plus a neat looking set of Roman Armor (with the appropriate weapons, if you're a weapon-toting super). We'll be meeting around the really big table inside the Midnight Club before we start (and I am more than willing to start with fewer than 8 players). Anybody levels 35-50 may participate, however, you also need the Midnight Squad badge. Merits awarded: 26.
• Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 42.
• Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, 8:00 pm EST: The Lady Grey Task Force. The Rikti War Zone arcs end with A Book of Revelations. It's all Rikti, all the time (okay, plus a cameo by the Clockwork). By the end of this Task Force, you'll have fought The Seer (a fully powered Clockwork King), The Horsemen: Four (The Riders: War, Famine, Pestilence, & Death), The Dragon (Dra'Gon), The Beast of the Sea (a weakened Hamidon), and The Apocalypse (Hro'Dtohz and some guy named The Honoree, spoilery anagrams FTW). The badge for finishing is called Apocalyptic. We'll be meeting in the Research & Development department of the Vanguard Compound in the Rikti War Zone before we start. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate (and the reds are certainly welcome). Merits awarded: 37.
• Sunday, January 3rd, 2010, 2:00 pm EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Sunday, January 3rd, 2010, 9:00 pm EST: Statesman Task Force. Our grand finale has us running through A Gauntlet of Evil. This is supposed to be the ultimate, end-game task force, and it acts like it. There are 16 AVs total, plus the Arachnos Flier. It won't be easy, but once it's over, you'll all get the Diplomat, Heat Seeker, Peerless, and Saved the World badges. You'll also get a shiny Synthetic Hamidon Enhancement if you so choose. We'll be meeting at the green line station in Skyway City for this. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate. Merits awarded in lieu of the Hamidon Enhancement: 37

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join your Shard TFs?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list (special note for the Statesman TF: I'll only put on the list those that have signed up/participated in the weekend's Shard TFs). A half hour before each TF's start time, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (except for the non-Shard TFs, as previously noted). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but it never hurts to have the time set aside. If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Plus, there's some further clues in the Issue 12 content. Hopefully, the Devs will give the Shard the same treatment as the old RCS, while still maintaining its current missions, TFs (except possibly a shortened Dr. Quaterfield), and unique geography.
• So why are you doing this?
  If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm crazy! Actually, it's because I love the Shadow Shard, and the Shard TFs are the toughest to do simply because it's difficult to get 8 people together for them (also, I have a secret agenda of getting more people interested in the Shard and therefore getting the Shard some Dev attention ).
• But don't you already have all the Shard TF badges?
  Yes, I do. In fact, I've led all four of the Shard TFs numerous times, so I actually know what I'm doing for once. But there are things other than the TF badges to work on.
• Like what?
  The most obvious one is XP if you're under 50. The second most obvious are the Merit Rewards. Also, there are lots of Fake Nemeses and Overseerers for the Unveiler and Visionary badges, respectively (plus the Circle, Crey, and Rikti are all a predominant faction in one TF each; plenty of mages, protectors, and monkeys). Two of the Dimensional Warder AVs make an appearance (though I swear Mother Mayhem isn't required, but that's another debate), as well as Baphomet (who does give out both the Demon Slayer badge and the accompanying Behemoth Overlord gladiator). Plenty of Vanguard Merits can be earned (assuming you've done Levantera's first mission and received the associated badge) during the Flagg Trial, Lady Grey TF and the Faathim TF. You can also work on Influence and Debt badges (yay, Trendsetter; next up: I'm going to be Popular!). You'll be able to nab some rare salvage and recipes. Influence and Prestige rates are pretty darn good during the TFs. A new feature is the unlockable Rularuu weapons. Finally, they're just plain fun to do.
• But I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But the point of this thread is to avoid the PuG crowd. In the Shard TFs I've led, none of them have taken longer than 4 1/2 hours (excluding the evil Quaterfield TF, and even then, it's only taken about 6 hours for me in my past Extravaganzas). And making sure people have set aside plenty of time beforehand all but ensures that it'll be done in good time and that we'll have fun in the process.
• What level do I have to be?
  Anybody level 44 and above can join, and in the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. The Lady Grey and Statesman TFs are limited to 45+. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44, but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• What's with Imperious?
  Magic salvage, good story, and it's fun.
• And The Lady Grey?
  If you've done the RWZ arcs, you'll see that there's a loose connection to the Shard via Nemesis. Good enough for me. Also, Vanguard Merits! Yay, Vanguard Merits!
• And Statesman?
  Uh... magic salvage? And who can say no to an enhancement that shiny?
• And Dr. Quaterfield?
  I need something long so we can hit multiple time zones' new years.
• What about Flagg/Kahn/Silos?
  Flagg's out as I don't need something quick and easy for after Quarterfield this time. Silos is still a "something special" thing. And there's just no room for Kahn.

Okay, so it's not as insane as last year's back-to-back-to-back-to-back Shardathon, but close enough. If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

I'm also looking for feedback outside of the regular people I play with, so if anyone else wants to give it a go, please do.

Reflections of Your Desire
Arc #315097
Morality: Neutral
Faction: Reflections (duh), Soldiers of Rularuu, Circle of Thorns, a couple spoilerish cameos, a batch of custom EBs
Your global/forum name: @Electric Eddie
Difficulty Level: It's soloable on +0@1 standard hero/villain (the EBs get downgraded), but you may need a higher level character
Recommended Team Size: For the story, go solo. If you want to see what the EBs are capable of, a small group of threeish on +1@2-3 standard heroes/villains works. Large groups kinda ruin the feel (and hilariously enough, actually make it a bit harder).
Typical duration: 30 minutes to an hour (4 missions)
Arc Synopsis: The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.
Link to a more info/comments thread: Looking for feedback (#315097: Reflections of Your Desire)
Miscellaneous Notes: This is a story-driven arc. The final boss in the first mission says 'Hero', but it's closer to a boss. If you have trouble hitting the obelisks at the beginning of mission 3, give it a few seconds; they'll always become hittable.

"Go. Fight."

Now with correct spelling! And pie! Anyhow, on November 26th, 27th, 28th, & 29th, (American) Thanksgiving weekend , I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces (plus a few other special things) on the Freedom server. I'll be playing as Terra Mater, an earth controller (I finally got a female character up this high... ). Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Thursday, November 26th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Thursday, November 26th, 2009, 10:00 pm EST: Major Richard Flagg Trial. The only trial we'll be doing, Terror Volta should be familiar to most of you. You'll fight Rikti forces to discover a sinister plot: they're amassing an army to attack the Terra Volta nuclear reactor. After saving the reactor, you'll be "Awarded the Freedom Cross", given a respec, and given the Transmogrified badge. We'll be meeting at the helipad in the eastern corner of Portal Corp in Peregrine Island for this one (and take note that I won't wait very long past the scheduled start time; I'm more than willing to start with fewer than 8 people). Merits awarded: 20.
• Friday, November 27th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Friday, November 27th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: Twilight's Son/Mender Lazarus/Mender Silos Task Forces. Straight out of the CoH comic book, we'll be fighting through the Cirlce's Smoke and Mirrors, doing our part in The Fifth Column Overthrow, & Trading Places in Siren's Call. Overall, there's 12 AVs, a Hero, and a not-so-itsy-bitsy spider to conted with, all in the name of preserving the timeline. There are no badges specifically tied to these TFs, but you'll gain progress towards any applicable Circle, Fifth/Council, & Arachnos badges, merits, some good stories, and bragging rights. Can't forget bragging rights. We'll be meeting in the Pool of Time in Ouroboros before we start, and the respective levels of these three TFs are 25-34, 30-39, & 45-50. Special rules for this special portion of the Extravaganza: my standard recruiting rules apply. Since each TF is fairly short, after each one, we'll take a 10 minute break to re-recruit, fill in the spots of anybody who left, and grab snacks. I won't wait much longer after the scheduled start time, as I'm more than willing to start with fewer than 8 players. Total merits awarded: 31.
• Saturday, November 28th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 24 (note: Paragon Wiki says this TF should give 42 merits, and as of October 6th, it's fixed on the test server; no clue if that made it live).
• Saturday, November 28th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: The Lady Grey Task Force. The Rikti War Zone arcs end with A Book of Revelations. It's all Rikti, all the time (okay, plus a cameo by the Clockwork). By the end of this Task Force, you'll have fought The Seer (a fully powered Clockwork King), The Horsemen: Four (The Riders: War, Famine, Pestilence, & Death), The Dragon (Dra'Gon), The Beast of the Sea (a weakened Hamidon), and The Apocalypse (Hro'Dtohz and some guy named The Honoree, spoilery anagrams FTW). The badge for finishing is called Apocalyptic. We'll be meeting in the Research & Development department of the Vanguard Compound in the Rikti War Zone before we start. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate (and the reds are certainly welcome). Merits awarded: 37.
• Sunday, November 29th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Sunday, November 29th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: Dr. Kahn Task Force. Twenty years after the Freedom Phalanx defeated an extra-dimensional invader and put him in suspended animation, some idiot villains have flown into Boomtown and arranged the Return of the Reichsman. As another alternate Statesman, the Reichsman is a tough foe, and even tougher when he's supercharged. You'll go portal-hopping and fight 6 AVs in order to get to the bottom of this, stop him, and prevent the 5th Column from rallying. The Column Breaker badge is given to you when we finish. We'll be meeting in the Founders Falls Vanguard DPO to organize. You'll also have to be level 45+ to participate. Merits awarded: 20

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join your Shard TFs?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list. A half hour before each TF's start time, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (except for the non-Shard TFs, as previously noted). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but it never hurts to have the time set aside. If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Plus, there's some further clues in the Issue 12 content. Hopefully, the Devs will give the Shard the same treatment as the old RCS, while still maintaining its current missions, TFs (except possibly a shortened Dr. Quaterfield), and unique geography.
• So why are you doing this?
  If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm crazy! Actually, it's because I love the Shadow Shard, and the Shard TFs are the toughest to do simply because it's difficult to get 8 people together for them (also, I have a secret agenda of getting more people interested in the Shard and therefore getting the Shard some Dev attention ).
• But don't you already have all the Shard TF badges?
  Yes, I do. In fact, I've led all four of the Shard TFs numerous times, so I actually know what I'm doing for once. But there are things other than the TF badges to work on.
• Like what?
  The most obvious one is XP if you're under 50. The second most obvious are the Merit Rewards. Also, there are lots of Fake Nemeses and Overseerers for the Unveiler and Visionary badges, respectively (plus the Circle, Crey, and Rikti are all a predominant faction in one TF each; plenty of mages, protectors, and monkeys). Two of the Dimensional Warder AVs make an appearance (though I swear Mother Mayhem isn't required, but that's another debate), as well as Baphomet (who does give out both the Demon Slayer badge and the accompanying Behemoth Overlord gladiator). Plenty of Vanguard Merits can be earned (assuming you've done Levantera's first mission and received the associated badge) during the Flagg Trial, Lady Grey TF and the Faathim TF. You can also work on Influence and Debt badges (yay, Trendsetter; next up: I'm going to be Popular!). You'll be able to nab some rare salvage and recipes. Influence and Prestige rates are pretty darn good during the TFs. A new feature is the unlockable Rularuu weapons. Finally, they're just plain fun to do.
• But I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But the point of this thread is to avoid the PuG crowd. In the Shard TFs I've led, none of them have taken longer than 4 1/2 hours (excluding the evil Quaterfield TF, and even then, it's only taken about 6 hours for me in my past Extravaganzas). And making sure people have set aside plenty of time beforehand all but ensures that it'll be done in good time and that we'll have fun in the process.
• What level do I have to be?
  Anybody level 44 and above can join, and in the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. The Lady Grey and Khan TFs are limited to 45+. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44, but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• What's with the respec trial?
  Since I can no longer use 'trial drop' as an excuse, I'm just going to say 'tradition' and Vanguard Merits. (I should also point out that it's quick and easy enough to fit in that 10pm slot after Dr. Q)
• And The Lady Grey?
  If you've done the RWZ arcs, you'll see that there's a loose connection to the Shard via Nemesis. Good enough for me. Also, Vanguard Merits! Yay, Vanguard Merits!
• And Dr. Khan?
  Portal hopping and the ability to beat up Nazis are always fun.
• And Dr. Quaterfield?
  I think I've finally lost what little bit of sanity I may have had left... Dr. Q is like that red-headed step-cousin every family has; nobody likes him, but you put up with him because he's family. Besides, the Soldiers of Rularuu do drop magic salvage, so it's not all bad.
• What about Imperious/Statesman?
  Soon™.

Do you realize how long I've been doing these and misspelling 'Quaterfield'? If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

I'm also looking for feedback outside of the regular people I play with, so if anyone else wants to give it a go, please do.

Reflections of Your Desire
Arc #315097
Morality: Neutral
Faction: Reflections (duh), Soldiers of Rularuu, Circle of Thorns, a couple spoilerish cameos, a batch of custom EBs
Your global/forum name: @Electric Eddie
Difficulty Level: It's soloable on heroic/villainous (the EBs get downgraded), but you may need a higher level character
Recommended Team Size: For the story, go solo. If you want to see what the EBs are capable of, a small group of threeish on Tenacious/Malicious or Rugged/Vicious works. Large groups kinda ruin the feel (and hilariously enough, actually make it a bit harder).
Typical duration: 30 minutes to an hour (4 missions)
Arc Synopsis: The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.
Link to a more info/comments thread: Looking for feedback (#315097: Reflections of Your Desire)
Miscellaneous Notes: This is a story-driven arc. The final boss in the first mission says 'Hero', but it's closer to a boss. If you have trouble hitting the obelisks at the beginning of mission 3, give it a few seconds; they'll always become hittable.

"Go. Fight."

Reflections of Your Desire
Arc #315097
Morality: Neutral
Faction: Reflections (duh), Soldiers of Rularuu, Circle of Thorns, a couple spoilerish cameos, a batch of custom EBs
Your global/forum name: @Electric Eddie
Difficulty Level: It's soloable on heroic/villainous (the EBs get downgraded), but you may need a higher level character
Recommended Team Size: For the story, go solo. If you want to see what the EBs are capable of, a small group of threeish on Tenacious/Malicious or Rugged/Vicious works. Large groups kinda ruin the feel (and hilariously enough, actually make it a bit harder).
Typical duration: 30 minutes to an hour (4 missions)
Arc Synopsis: The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.
Link to a more info/comments thread: Looking for feedback (#315097: Reflections of Your Desire)
Miscellaneous Notes: This is a story-driven arc. The final boss in the first mission says 'Hero', but it's closer to a boss. If you have trouble hitting the obelisks at the beginning of mission 3, give it a few seconds; they'll always become hittable.

"Go. Fight."

It's in its final state, but I'd still like some feedback. Is it good? Bad? Too wordy? Tell me what you think.

Reflections of Your Desire
Arc ID: 315097
Length: 4 missions (30 minutes to an hour at the most)
Level: 45-50
Difficulty: It should be soloable on heroic/villainous (I tested it on various ATs, none of them IO'd), but you may need a higher level character; groups should have no problem, but the story gets a bit diluted
Morality: Neutral (I personally think the story could cover both heroes and villains; tell me if you think otherwise)
Enemy Groups: Reflections (duh), Soldiers of Rularuu, Circle of Thorns, a couple spoilerish cameos, a batch of custom bosses
Description: The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.
Miscellaneous Notes: The final boss in the first mission says 'Hero', but it's closer to a boss. Let me know if the final boss in the third mission is too tough (bear in mind, its supposed to be the most challenging thing in this arc). Everything that you think should give a clue does, but lately, I've been getting that bug where the 'Clue Found' popup isn't appearing. Also, in case you missed something, I provided a thorough souvenir.

I'm mostly looking for feedback on the story, but I'm also hoping the arc itself is fun to play. Let me know where improvements can be made. And thanks in advance for some of your playing time.

Well I for one learned a few things. First: apparently killalls are easy, splitting &amp; searching for objectives not so much. Second: wow, it's easy to assemble half a task force team on BMT. Third: Quaterfield has 1 R. I'd like to thank the entire team for a relatively smooth run.

1: Malachite Ranger
2: Malachite Frost
3: Malachite Mensa
4: Eric Stoner
5: Naus
6: Prixy
7: Ascended Knight
8: Ahzazel

This is the closest I have to a victory shot. On the far left is Stoner, followed by Knight, Naus, a crafting table, my Ranger dead under the crafting table, a Jack Frost with Frost, and that's Mensa on the far right. Now I need to have my Rularuu bow fitted...

Until next time.

Let's see, I've been running this TF publicly on Freedom for 3 years... HOW COME NOBODY TOLD ME I'VE BEEN SPELLING IT WRONG!?!? Anyhow, since the edit window is closed, here's a (correctly spelled) update:

Crazy Eddie's Discount Task Forces, Trials, &amp; Electronics presents

A Malachite Complex Production

Mission: Explorers and Exploiters
Contact: Dr. Quaterfield
Location: Firebase Zulu

Date &amp; Time: Saturday, July 4th, 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (that's 11:00am Pacific, 18:00UTC)

Level Range: 40-44

Villains: Soldiers of Rularuu, Crey, Nemesis, and a cameo by the Circle of Thorns

EBs &amp; AVs: None

[u]Current Team Roster[u]

1: Malachite Ranger (Archery/Energy Blaster)
2: Malachite Inferno (Fire/Fire Tank)
3: Malachite Mensa (Psychic/Mental blaster)
4: Eric Stoner (Stone/Mace Tank)
5: Dave Mebs (Katana?/Willpower? Scrapper)
6:
7:
8:
-=Reserves=-
9:
10:
11:
12:

Task Force Stats, Info, &amp; Miscellaneous Notes:

<ul type="square">[*]This task force requires 8 to start.[*]We will be meeting in Firebase Zulu at 1:30pm EDT. If you're not there (or have at least sent me a tell saying you're en route) by 2pm EDT, we'll dip into the reserves (in order of signup). On the off chance that we get enough signups for two teams, we'll divide up according to team needs.[*]Make sure you have at least ten (10) hours set aside on that date before signing up. 10 hours is my standard disclaimer for Dr Q; it never actually takes that long (we usually take around 6), but I like assurances that all 8 players are going to be there for the duration.[*]24 missions total (5 hunts). I'll also point out here that there's nothing terribly difficult about this TF, it's just long.[*]Badges: Portal Smasher, plus progress towards Visionary, Unveiler, and a very generous portion (if not getting them outright) of the Infiltrator/7th Generation Paragon Protector &amp; Crey Power Tank badges.[*]Merits awarded: 111[*]Special award for any weapon/shield users (except Assault Rifle): both Portal Smasher and Visionary award your corresponding Rularuu weapon. They're really cool.[*]Every 2 hours, we will be taking a 10 minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and makes for a more refreshing experience. Trust me, you'll be thanking me for this one.[*][u]THIS IS NOT A SPEED RUN!!![u] If you think we're going to blaze through this in a couple unfun hours so you can get your merits and be on your merry way, we don't want you. That being said, while the Malachite Complex does enjoy a casual and laid-back approach, we won't be dilly-dallying either.[*]One final note that I believe should be mentioned: we've done Dr. Q numerous times. Heck, over New Years, we did the 4 Shard TFs back to back to back to back. So while we're a bit on the crazy side, we also know what we're doing.[/list]

Celebrate your country's independence by spending a long time in another dimension (our friends to the north/across the pond can just ignore the celebration part )! Anyhow, the Malachite Complex SG is running the Dr. Quarterfield Task Force on the 4th of July at 2pm eastern, but unfortunately, only 3 of us are available (or nuts; we haven't figured that out yet). That's where you come in; those 5 spots are going to the field. So without further ado:

Crazy Eddie's Discount Task Forces, Trials, &amp; Electronics presents

A Malachite Complex Production

Mission: Explorers and Exploiters
Contact: Dr. Quarterfield
Location: Firebase Zulu

Date &amp; Time: Saturday, July 4th, 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time (that's 11:00am Pacific, 18:00UTC)

Level Range: 40-44

Villains: Soldiers of Rularuu, Crey, Nemesis, and a cameo by the Circle of Thorns

EBs &amp; AVs: None

[u]Current Team Roster[u]

1: Malachite Ranger (Archery/Energy Blaster)
2: Malachite Inferno (Fire/Fire Tank)
3: Malachite Mensa (Psychic/Mental blaster)
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
-=Reserves=-
9:
10:
11:
12:

Task Force Stats, Info, &amp; Miscellaneous Notes:

<ul type="square">[*]This task force requires 8 to start.[*]We will be meeting in Firebase Zulu at 1:30pm EDT. If you're not there (or have at least sent me a tell saying you're en route) by 2pm EDT, we'll dip into the reserves (in order of signup). On the off chance that we get enough signups for two teams, we'll divide up according to team needs.[*]Make sure you have at least ten (10) hours set aside on that date before signing up. 10 hours is my standard disclaimer for Dr Q; it never actually takes that long (we usually take around 6), but I like assurances that all 8 players are going to be there for the duration.[*]24 missions total (5 hunts). I'll also point out here that there's nothing terribly difficult about this TF, it's just long.[*]Badges: Portal Smasher, plus progress towards Visionary, Unveiler, and a very generous portion (if not getting them outright) of the Infiltrator/7th Generation Paragon Protector &amp; Crey Power Tank badges.[*]Merits awarded: 111[*]Special award for any weapon/shield users (except Assault Rifle): both Portal Smasher and Visionary award your corresponding Rularuu weapon. They're really cool.[*]Every 2 hours, we will be taking a 10 minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and makes for a more refreshing experience. Trust me, you'll be thanking me for this one.[*][u]THIS IS NOT A SPEED RUN!!![u] If you think we're going to blaze through this in a couple unfun hours so you can get your merits and be on your merry way, we don't want you. That being said, while the Malachite Complex does enjoy a casual and laid-back approach, we won't be dilly-dallying either.[*]One final note that I believe should be mentioned: we've done Dr. Q numerous times. Heck, over New Years, we did the 4 Shard TFs back to back to back to back. So while we're a bit on the crazy side, we also know what we're doing.[/list]
So if you've got nothing better to do on Saturday, or perhaps you are a tad crazy, come on out to the Shadow Shard! General Hammond is having a picnic afterwards. If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. We look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

I'm mostly a lurker around here, but I figured I'd show off my hero &amp; villain bases before the I13 changes.

Up first is the small villain group on Liberty I lead called [u]Females Enforcing Terror, Intimidation, Sadism, &amp; Havoc[u] (yeah... y'all can work out the acronym for yourselves; my disclaimer is that I didn't come up with it, it's a VG that I inherited). They're a ragtag group of villainesses of all backgrounds in the Rogue Isles. They range from their leader, a supergenius who's gradually turning herself into a robot and attempting to do the same to the rest of the world, to an honest to goodness princess with her elite guard, to a scientist succumbed to an exotic organism, to a long-dead pirate dragging some old friends along with her, to a mysterious person clad in magical armor, and everything in between. As such, the base has a techno-mageish look to it. While some technology confuses the old-fashioned among them, and a good lot of them wouldn't know a sigil from a rune, the base is designed to accommodate villainy of all kind.

As a group of evil women, we're naturally located on our own small island. Upon entering, this will be what you see. On second thought, you may want to turn a bit to the left. That's better. Walking down the stairs, you'll come across some of our trophies from various battles. To the right is the power room which contains the main power source for the whole island. Taking a left, you'll arrive at a mage's dream-come-true. You'll notice a spellcasting table, an oracle-in-a-cauldron, our Library of Time, and, of course, an Orbits of Control.

There's no further doorways, so we have to head back to the entrance room. While we're here, check out the small study and the small entertainment center. Taking the left route from the entrance, we come to the other half of the base. The first part of this is the storage vault. Everything of value is secured in this room [OOC: you'll notice the reinforced storage big box thingy. It's designed to look like it goes deeper than the wall. It's also the thing I delete to make room for whatever crafting table I need at the moment, which will also turn on either the Robotic Fabricator or the Flames of Hephaestus. Um... it's cooler than it sounds. .]. We also have the ability to build weapons with some of the stuff we salvage from the battlefield, as well as create and store some powerful magic spells (note the tech lock over the storage chest, just in case...). [OOC: This is the only room that looks even remotely what it looked like under the VG's previous leader 3 years ago.]

The other direction takes us to the medbay. Our reclaimator has repair devices to help stabilize any larger wounds to anyone incoming before they hit the table plus teleport lockouts to prevent unauthorized access to the infirmary. The auto-doc generally stays in its docking station until it's called upon to hit the afforementioned tables. We're also working on some medicines and formulas to help us out in battle. If you're leaving the base, this is the way you'll be heading. There's nothing to see on the left, please move along. [OOC: This room is actually a 1x2 teleport bay, with one of the squares turned into a full wall to give the effect of a continuous hallway (I put it in when I redesigned the base after the prestige grant just in case the Devs were ever going to add another villain zone). It never got used for it's intended purpose, so a few weeks ago when I was redoing the large teleport room, I lowered the full wall and put all the magic desks I used behind the new "faux wall", as well as a distillery (as an in-joke).

This is the entrance to the embarkation room. On the right of that central platform are the main teleporters (again with teleport lockouts to prevent unauthorized access). There's also a ley-line interface for the less technologically inclined among us. Straight ahead from the central platform is our small hangar bay. We only have room for one Chaser, and we generally only use it for support and quick attacks, but if we can't use the teleporters, that Chaser will get two villainesses to wherever they need really quickly. The final part of the base is the bar/mess. Our members and allies use this area for R&amp;R and impromptu meetings. Just in case you can't tell by the sign, this is the bar. We don't anticipate running out of booze any time soon. Now all we need are some cabana boys... [OOC: This is what the complete room looks like from the overhead.]

We hoped you enjoyed your visit to our little section of the Etoiles. Please leave via the designated exit.

I'll be putting up some pics of my hero base on Freedom sometime in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for reading through this.