/em Smack

By
Dirtwolf

This Week's B&W version

VeronicaVenom is hosting "V-Games" on Victory Server, every Sunday night at 8PM
EST. Events include; PvP tourneys, TF races and gladiator FFA. PST to
VeronicaVenom.

DJ Dazzler of http://Justiceradio.net
is hosting a "Dedication Show" Sept 1st @ 3 PM EST (Noon PST) for a fellow
founder of The Shadow Wraiths. Music, trivia, and prizes on Liberty Server.
This show is in support of Mr. Fallwood's up coming heart surgery.

Wanted: Creative players with excellent video skills to help form a CoX webTV
station. We need teams of game photographers, editors, writers, and web
designers to help with this project. If you are interested, and have the skills
necessary, or just have questions, send a PM to
TheFrog

The Rogue Isles Marine Corps is looking for new Recruits.

We have been established on the Guardian Server since City of
Villains went live. We have a fully functioning base, that is raid ready
if/when the Cathedral of Pain goes live, IO Factory, Teleporters to each zone.
We also have our own website with forums on Guildportal.

We seek to expand our ranks. Promotions are awarded according to
prestige earned and reward you with access to base storage including a large
reserve of IOs.

We also have scheduled Taskforces each weekend when possible,
which are announced on the Guildportal website

Send a /tell to @Botley, @Alpha-One or @MrsAlphaOne to be
recruited.

What's small friendly and gets the job done? Classifieds in The
City Scoop. Sell, find or buy anything. Send a PM to
LadyK today.

Heroscopes

Controller
(Gemini) – Uranus trine Jupiter presents you with new
opportunities to broaden yourself and may indicate good fortune.



Answer the questions you are asked. You’ll be surprised at how much you know,
and so will everyone else.




Defender
(Cancer) – With Moon transiting the Tenth House, you display an
urge to be recognized by co-workers for hard work.



Others respect your opinion, and with good reason. You’re often right. That’s
because you do the homework and consistently keep your word.




Scrapper
(Leo) – Saturn transiting the First House tends to slow you down,
making you realistic about your abilities and expectations for success.




The farther out you get, the more you realize you don’t know. No need to tell
others. Learn fast as you go along.




Blaster
(Scorpio) – With Mars opposite Pluto, you should take the time to
consider others feelings before making rash decisions about how to improve
their lot.




If you hold your tongue, you will avoid hurting someone through an ugly
confrontation. Head down, nose to the wheel, shoulder to the grindstone. Others
will be impressed by your work.




Tanker
(Aquarius) - Jupiter opposite Saturn may create many conflicts
both at home and at work.


You don’t have to do this all by yourself. You can consult an expert or a good
friend.




Peacebringer
(Libra) – Mercury conjunct Mars confers great intellectual energy
and ability to concentrate. You will feel intellectually competitive and may
become irritated by trivialities.




Let your friends take care of you a little while longer.




Warshade
(Pisces) - Uranus transiting the Second House marks a time of
outrageous fortune. The money should be starting to come in now. Plan a
shopping trip.

~Handwritten page found laying atop the Horoscope submission~

Good day, sweetness. I’ve spent a second or so skimming the hero’s
idea of a horoscope and this calls for a complete re-write. There’s nothing in
all that blather that’s of any use to you. Shall we?

Villain Horrorscopes

Brute
– You smash things. That’s it, dear. However, if you want your friends to keep
up with you, you might want to consider bringing along something more
stimulating than your conversation skills.



Mastermind
– You may desire a shorter leash for your pets, or a longer whip. Enough of
that “blah blah, go do something” type of orders. Command them, command their
very nature, and bend it to your will. Else, the stars say they’ll look for a
new master.


Corrupter
– Your powers of observation are astounding. Now please use them.

Dominator
– Tell me, are the rumors of your demise greatly exaggerated? No? Perhaps you
should do…something

Stalker
– That buzzing sound you hear is a fly blowing your cover. Bathe.

Heroes…

Controller
– I love your costume, dear. However, water reflects. Perhaps something a tad
more modest is in order unless you intend to control your enemies with your
underpants.



Defender
– Fort, please. No, no conversation. It ruins the mood. Now back to buffing.



Scrapper
– You remind me of a Brute I know. He had a slight problem getting his bar all
the way up. There are enhancements for that.



Blaster
– Kindly do me the honor of dying in a better position when next we meet. I
abhor mud on my boots, but I do love standing upon the backs of others.



Tanker
– My dear, apparently you missed the memo. Herding is dead. Stop. Now. It’s
embarrassing to team with you.



Peacebringer
– I would be most pleased if you would consider wearing your mask more often.
Like, all the time.



Warshade
– No dear, it isn’t a “bad hair day.” Not when it’s every day. Buy a hat.

~Love and Kisses

~Scorn

Blitzwing

Pinnacle Server

Where do you live?

Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Do you have any pets?

One Cockatiel named “Munchkin.” Little pain in the [censored]
sometimes, but I love him nonetheless!

What is the most interesting place you have visited?

Calgary, Alberta, Canada...went there about ten years ago for ten
days. In retrospect, probably not a wise choice to go there in the middle of
January...COLD!

What are your top three songs of all time?

“The Touch” by Stan Bush, “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the Frog,
and “SKILL” by Jam Project(Japanese).

What five TV shows could you not live without?

The Muppet Show(any incarnation), Transformers(any incarnation),
Futurama, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the newest addition to the list,
(King of the Braves) GaoGaiGar. *Yells* 'Broken Magnuuummmmmmm!'

What was the best book you last read?

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows;” the only true way that
series could have ended...

[Blitzwing continued]

Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?

Ever since my days of EverQuest(2002-2004), I've always preferred
support-type characters or anything capable of multi-role work...makes you
think Controllers would be right up my alley, but I can never QUITE get into a
groove with them.

How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?

If I have time to analyze the situation, I do so, adapting as the
combat calls for it. If I -don't- have the time, I'm usually the first to
panic, hehe!

Which zone is your favorite?

I think Steel Canyon is the closest I have to a “favorite” zone;
it's towering buildings (the tops of which most players may never see), its
general design, and the fact that I met my first real group of friends out
there.

What is your favorite storyline in the game?

The T.V. missions, Villain-side! I've heard of getting into show
business, but this is ridiculous, and- *gets pummeled by many large blunt
objects thrown at him*

It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?

I9-10 really changed the whole landscape of the game, I believe;
Inventions, new salvage, new zones, the Rikti War Zone and its co-op missions
(FINALLY), but I get the feeling that this is just the beginning. A few years
down the road, I won't be surprised if players look back and say that this is
where it all truly took off.

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

Don't rush it. That'll get you killed...er....”defeated”..in a
hurry. Play the AT that fits you best, and as a friend of mine said to me just
yesterday, “It's just a game. Enjoy it while you can!”

Any closing comments?

As a matter of fact, yeah; I'd like to thank the friends I've made
over 3 years for staying with this nutjob Blaster through my often
chaotically-shifting moods; I'd like to thank Cryptic/NCSoft for making this
game in the first place, thus giving ME a chance to vent stress when I really
needed it...and I'd like to- BOOT TO THE HEAD! -thwap-

[Rx1 continued]

What other hobbies do you have?

I like to read and listen to music. I play paintball, even though
I haven't been out in a year or so. I like toying around with Photoshop CS, but
I'm no master at it by any means.

Who is your real life hero?

I would have to say a certain person who is very near and dear to
my heart. Before I met her, I thought I was tough. I've got nothing on her. If
you've never heard it, listen to the last song on my top four list above. I
guarantee it will bring a tear to your eye if you know someone like that, I
don't care how big of a man you are.

How were you drawn to this game?

Come on, how can you NOT be drawn to a game where you get to play
a freaking superhero. I will admit that my love for the game kinda wore out
when WoW came out, and I actually stopped playing and canceled my account. But
I soon got over the pretty backdrops of Azeroth and was drawn back to protect
Paragon City.

What is your favorite aspect of the game?

The costume creation process. I'm always being teased by SG mates
that I change costumes more than most of them change their socks.

Who is your namesake character, and what are they?

Rx1 (But, please, if you see me in game, call me Rx. When I came
back to the game someone had snatched up Rx, so I had to add the 1 at the end.
Guess that's what I get for canceling my account in the first place). She is an
Emp/Psy Defender and my one and only 50.

Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?

My favorite is the Defender. In every MMO I've played I've played
some kind of support toon. In DAoC, I was a Dwarf Healer. In WoW, I played a
Hunter or some sort of Healer. I pride myself in keeping a team up and running
as best as I can. And for some strange reason, I always...almost always...feel
bad if I let a teammate "die." That is unless they ran off and aggro'd a whole
mob just for the heck of it, or they felt like they were too good to stay with
the group.




When I'm playing my Defenders, I follow the star. If you have a strange problem
with that, don't come crying to me when the mobs beat you up and put you in the
hospital because I didn't leave the rest of the group high and dry to come pull
your butt out of the fire you got into.

Steel
Magnolia

So Many Servers So Little Time

Where
do you live?

Steele Magnolia lives at the Whitmoore Apartments, Apt 1230, in
Steel Canyon. I, however, live in Baltimore MD.

Do you have any pets?

Yes, a 13-year old cat who helps me play, and a frog named Moe who
thankfully does not. Dust bunnies.

Most interesting place you have visited.

That’s a tossup between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Your top three songs of all time

”Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley


“Goodnight Saigon” by Billy Joel


“Breaking the Habit” Linkin Park

What 5 TV shows could not live without?

I don’t watch much television, so… Burn Notice is the only modern
one. MASH. The original Star Trek. News, the good, the bad, and the ugly, it
takes more than one viewpoint to form your own, otherwise you’re just
indoctrinated.

Best book you last read?

THE ONE PERCENT DOCTRINE by Ron Suskind

What is your favorite pop culture quote?

“And now… the rest of the story….”

What other hobbies do you have?

Reading, Cooking, Bible Study, Gardening, Crafts

Who is your real life hero?

US Army General (retired) and Former Secretary of State Colin Powell

[Steel Magnolia continued]

It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 really added anything to the game and why?

I9 served a part of the game population, so does PvP, I can’t
argue with it in that respect. I use Inventions and WW myself, and enjoy it,
but I don’t obsess about it. I wonder about the game economy, and I see it as
far too complex for the new or the casual player when I, who have been playing
for over 3 years and 5000+ hours, was still making stupid mistakes weeks after
its launch. I10 served another part of the population, but it is openly
accessible to all, some would say too accessible in the form of invasions… but
what do you want… it’s an INVASION! I love it! We’re heroes, we’re villains,
we’re united against a menace against our world! This has something that has
been coming for three years now, and I would hate to see it diminished or
cheapened.

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

Do the tutorial, take your time, make friends with people who will
help you, join an SG that wants more than your prestige. This is a game about
more than pixels and xp, it’s about relationships too, if you want it to be.

Any closing comments?

Three years and hoping for three more… thank you.

Psy-Beetle by Graver13

[Dark Fuel continued]

How were you drawn to this game?

One of my friends was really into it and told me about it, but she
hasn't played in quite a while, and I haven't talked to her in a while either.

What is your favorite aspect of the game?

My favorite aspect is the customization of the characters with all
the different costume options and colors. Plus all the different power combos
are cool as well.

Who is your namesake character, and what are they?

My namesake character is Dark Fuel, and he is a level 43 science
origin claws/regen Stalker.

Which type of character would you say is your favorite to play and
why?

I like Stalkers the best with Corruptors being a close second. I'm
not sure why I'm drawn to Stalkers but there's just something about them.

How do you normally handle new challenges in the game?

Like I always do, claws out ready to do some heavy damage and
trying not to die, lol. Although if you look through my badges, you'll see that
I die quite often.

It has been a busy year for the game so far. Do you feel that I9
and I10 have really added anything to the game and why?

I really like the inventions, although some of the recipes and
salvage are way too overpriced, but that's really here nor there. I10 I like as
well because it's a chance to beat the snot out of some aliens trying to take
over my world...yes, I said my world.

What advice do you have for any new players to the game?

Don't send out random team invites to players, use a tell to ask
them if they want to team. Also be patient because it can take a while to get
some of the better powers in your set, and overall, have fun, it is just a
game.

Any closing comments?

I just want to give a shout out to my supergroup mates in the
Forsaken Blades, and if you're looking for me, I'll be on Triumph slicing and
dicing away at everyone that gets in my way

Artist Interview:

BattleWraith

By
Dirtwolf

Hey BattleWraith. You are a good friend of mine, and I appreciate
you whipping up that Positron line art for me for my introduction to CS. How
long did that line art take you?

It took a few hours. I'm not sure how long exactly because I was
doing other things at the time as well.

How long does the average picture take for you to finish?

At this point, I don't really think there is an average time.
There are pictures on my Deviant page that took maybe an hour, and then there
are others that took days. I'm still trying to find my ideal working process.

What is your favorite piece of all time (including, but not limited
to your commissions)?

Probably the Feral Kitty Pinup I have in my gallery. I think it
worked out the best in terms of composition, level of detail, etc. I have a 3D
model of my Blaster that I'm pleased with, but there's so much detail in the
mesh that it started choking my system and became very difficult to work with.

What has been the most influential moment to you as an artist?

Probably getting involved with digital art: 3D modeling,
rendering, and animation. Learning to use Photoshop. Reading comic books as a
kid and being exposed to a lot of art in different places I've lived
(especially Japan and New York). No one moment in particular really.

>Did you go to college for art?

No. But while at university, I took classes in printmaking,
sculpture, and computer modeling and animation.

Does anyone else in your family do art?

My younger sister is a graphic designer. My father is retired and
now is a sculptor.

The Rogue Isle Repast

Brickstown Edition

Hello again, fellow villains and vigilantes. You, too, heroes and
other, assorted pains in my neck. Did ya miss me? For those of you wondering
where I have been, with my wit and culinary wisdom, I got pinched. Sent up
river, out to the hoosegow, to the big house. Yes, ol' Jenna Seidel was back in
the Ziggurat. I'm really pissed about it, too. I was heading out of the
Vanguard offices, and a Longbow agent pinched me, after I just saved his
cookies from the Rikti. That's gratitude for you. But it did answer a big
question I've been mulling over for a while now. Just how many times will the
Big Spider actually break a person out of the Zig? The answer? At least twice.

While I was there, I caught up with Millie Sutherland, the Echo
200 cell block Matron and the head of the food services. Millie's a great gal,
with a bunch of German heritage, a mean left hook, and a way around the
kitchen. Sometimes I do miss Millie's cooking. She has a way of cooking
institutional food that makes it taste homemade. She says it has to do with
subtle seasonings and growing up in a big family. From her Chicken and
Dumplings and SOS to American Goulash and Tuna Noodle Casserole, the last
serving is as good as the first. And it's not just the lunch and dinner fair,
but all three squares a day. You have never had delicious powdered eggs until
you try Millie's Western omelets.

Before I headed out the large hole blown into the side of the Zig,
I did manage to get Millie to give me a few recipes for the road. Her SOS (Same
Old Stuff or Creamed Hamburger on toast) and her peach crisp, scaled down, of
course.

The Department of Inter-Dimensional Defense from GuildHelper

This week, we visit the Triumph server and talk with
Shard_Warrior of the Birds of Prey hero supergroup.

SuperGroup Name: Birds of Prey, on the Triumph
server.

When Established: 2003 (can't remember the exact
date).

Members: Currently there are fifty-nine
characters in the group. That includes alts. We have about ten to twelve
individual players.

Rough Base Cost Estimate: Around two million so
far, and I spend about two hours a week or so in the base editor— more if we
have more prestige rolling in.

Favorite Decorative/Functional Base Item: For
decorative items, I'm partial to the SG Wall banners, Holograms, tables and
floor plates. They add a nice touch of SG Pride to our home. For functional
items, it would have to be the Teleporters. They cut down on the travel time
immensely, and our members really appreciate having them. The storage units and
vault are great, too.

Least Favorite: I don't really have a least
favorite decorative item. They're all wonderful. My least favorite functional
item is the Supercomputer. The cost is prohibitive on it.

What would you like to have changed about the base system, what do
you most like: I'd like to see a few things changed for the base system:

Definitely add more texture options. I'd love to see things like
windows and skylights (not every base should be a subterranean lair).

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