Giant_Evil_Bunny
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Posts
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Joined
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Damn good post, ChurchMouse
The only point I might make in defense of his antagonistic behavior, simply for argument's sake, is this:
Simply by signing into a game, and then zoning into a faction PvP zone, are you not, essentially, agreeing to becoming a target and/or being attacked? Are you not, simply by entering an area where an attack is possible, also *knowingly* placing yourself in a position where you might be antagonized?
Again, I only mention it for argument's sake, and the sheer fact that his treatment lacks quantifiable results makes any argument regarding the ethics of his methodology moot.
But coming from other, open-world PvP and zoned PvP games, I myself am well aware of the risk of being antagonized, and even "griefed," I am taking. I find it difficult to -- in a game where competition is a mechanic -- clearly state that being an antagonist is out of place in terms of the study.
Regardless, perhaps a more airtight method of study would be to observe as a third party the actions of someone behaving in this way, and their chatlogs... but that would have to be done with permission, and would of course alter the results (the individual being observed (the antagonist) would merely by being aware they are being observed alter their behavior).
EDIT: Something I have to wonder, however, is this- If someone is deliberately for purposes of data collection antagonizing another and causing them mental distress by their actions, are they not then open to Mental Anguish lawsuits? Or at least, the institution which sanctioned his study? -
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I have to wonder just how many emailed death threats he's gotten now that the article is out.
More importantly, I wonder how many surprised Nerd Ragers have found themselves unexpectedly brought up on charges for crossing the line.
Now THAT would be a study worth reading. -
Going to try reassigning the hotkey first, but I'll post up HijackThis tonight.
I've a sneaking suspicion it's going to be the Dell OEM card / drivers vrs a "real" X-Fi. -
BSOD Only occurring with CoH and Vent. Generally while I am transmitting, it will BSOD to a 0xE7 stop error.
No other game causes this.
If I use vent on the laptop instead, I can play CoH for hours.
If I'm not in CoH, I can sit in Vent for hours.
All graphics and sound drivers are up to date, and were rechecked before this post.
The sound card is a Dell OEM X-Fi ExtremeMusic, and the appropriate Dell OEM driver is applied (the Dell OEM cards will NOT work with manufacturer drivers).
The Ventrilo transmit key is the Apps key, if that helps.
Has this happened to anyone else? Everything I've read is that this is a VERY rare stop error. -
My Psy/EM has been fun sofar. No real idea what I'm doing as I lvl him (see my thread requesting build/slotting advice), but he's gotten me to 22 or so at this point fast enough, and has been a fun return to a game I spent 10-11 months away from.
I will admit, there is a survivability issue, but if you're teamed up, you can do some fairly good work occupying the less Psi-resistant foes going after squishies, etc.
The Psi snipe is decent enough, and slotted for dmg right now, it's done a great job for me when the tank switches to a freash target.
I will agree, there is some concern with the cast times on some of the Psi/ stuff. EM's damage boost and endurance reduction have treated me quite well though.
I'm looking forward to PvPing with him later. -
New to Blaster, long from the game, and I'd only played a Brute to 30 or so before I left last year.
I've a Psy/Energy blaster with a Magical/cybernetics theme I've been happily leveling with the express purpose of swapping him to Redside when the expansion hits.
At the moment, I'm simply taking skills as they come up, whatever seems to fill a gap I've run into while running missions, and slotting has been a bit of a mystery (things like caps I've not investigated yet), so slots wind up applied only to the things I use most frequently, either to lower their costs, increase refresh, or balance out ranges (if I find I need to up the range of something a little so all are available from my perch).
Specced for flight and picked up Health at this point as well.
Looking for 3 things here:
Suggestions for build/slotting for leveling, for PvE endgame, and PvP.
I'd also love a suggestion for what Mastery to pick up later.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
This is what I've played about with so far. Created in Dynamic mode, so dont pay attention to the order, and obviously I haven't slotted anything yet:
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/
[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]
Level 48 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Electrical Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Psionic Dart -- (A)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- (A)
Level 2: Mental Blast -- (A)
Level 4: Build Up -- (A)
Level 6: Telekinetic Blast -- (A)
Level 8: Stealth -- (A)
Level 10: Will Domination -- (A)
Level 12: Hover -- (A)
Level 14: Fly -- (A)
Level 16: Conserve Power -- (A)
Level 18: Psionic Lance -- (A)
Level 20: Psionic Tornado -- (A)
Level 22: Hasten -- (A)
Level 24: Assault -- (A)
Level 26: Scramble Thoughts -- (A)
Level 28: Super Speed -- (A)
Level 30: Invisibility -- (A)
Level 32: Power Boost -- (A)
Level 35: Psychic Wail -- (A)
Level 38: Boost Range -- (A)
Level 41: Tactics -- (A)
Level 44: Static Discharge -- (A)
Level 47: Shocking Bolt -- (A)
Level 49: EM Pulse -- (A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- (A)
Level 1: Sprint -- (A)
Level 2: Rest -- (A)
Level 1: Defiance
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You have always been a friend to Cassius, and to this family.
I am well aware that the friendship between yourself and my son has been strained since his return. I do not know what transpired on your visit to the estate, nor would I think to ask the reason for your hasty retreat that night. It is not my business to pry into my son's personal dealings, however there is now a reason for me to write you, something I know Cassius would not forgive me for, but I can think of nothing else.
You and my son were closest of friends, your bond so strong before he left for South America or wherever it truly was his studies took him from us for so long. I must plead to your history with Cassius that you set aside whatever it is that happened that night and come to the estate at once. There has been another accident. Cassius has refused proper medical treatment, and has insisted on using his damn technological designs, and other things I barely understand, but know enough to question. I plead you to stop this madness, talk to Cassius, make him see he needs help.
Since your visit, Cassius has become more and more withdrawn. He has taken to excursions into the city at all hours of the day and night, at times returning exhausted and obviously worse for wear. Each time, he would seclude himself in his study or lab, and emerge sometimes days later babbling on about some new discovery that would help him cleanse the world's problems, I believe that's how he would put it. But it never seemed to be enough for him, and the cycle never ending. This changed last week. He returned early on a Sunday morning, roused the house with his hollers, and seemed jubilant. He was not making much sense, not even truly saying what it was that had maybe made him so ecstatic. I had hoped at first it was a young woman, that perhaps he had found someone who could get him to settle down, behave in a more distinguished manner. But no, he would only say he had made some new discovery, some new revelation, and rushed off to his study to do whatever it is he does in there for so long.
The sounds that have come from that room! I know at times it is his voice I hear, his speaking, but the guttural noises and horrible sounds that seep forth from between those locked doors are so unlike any human language I have ever heard, so horrible the sounds and croaking groans it has frightened away some of our best help. This past Sunday, however, was like no other time any in this house have heard. In the end it was our gardner, Mr. Halstrum who with some of the stronger men in our charge brought the door down at the sight of smoke from beneath it filling the hallway. How he was not in critical condition, how he has been able to continue on without a hospital, I have no idea. He has spent most of his time working now with researchers from the factory remotely from his lab, and they are preparing him for some kind of procedure next week.
His father would have known how to end this, but I'm afraid I simply cannot reach him alone. I was beside myself with grief at the loss of my boy's beautiful face, but he was still my son. After his father passed, I would not have believed another event like this would come so closely on its heels. My beautiful Cassius, his arms, his legs, his skin... I implore you, please set aside your differences this one time and come to the estate, see Cassius, and talk some sense into him.
-Amanda Diabolis -
My dearest friend,
Deepest apologies for my prolonged absence, old friend. So much has happened since school, I am sure you have many questions, and I swear to answer each one when the time comes. First, I must ask you some of my own, questions that have arisen since my return, borne of the faces and words of my family. Presumably, what I have come to be is not what is socially accepted in their world. Perhaps in any world. I have been places, done things, seen things... both beautiful and terrible, so awesome in both power and fright I dare not convey it in text... I digress.
Do you fear the darkness? The unknown void? An instinctive adrenal rush of flight response from staring into the blackest corners of your world, to run from the unseen shapes nature has eons of foundation lain in your very being to be afraid of? Do you reject change? A steadfast denial of progress? Do you hold firm in your beliefs of the boundaries of this life, an impenetrable dike protecting the preserved past within your little life?
Are these not the same? Darkness and change! Can you not see, progress and the unknown, these are the same!
You do well to fear them, my friend. I have seen mere glimpses of the things nature has kept you running from across the eons. Ancient things, formless things, long cast out from this world to shadows far darker and deeper than any this sun can cast. Maddening things. Powerful things.
Are you religious? Whom do you worship? A higher being? A government? Science? Yes, science. What else could it be? It has its dogmas, its rejection of the unexplainable, of the impossible. Stare long enough and hard enough into the darkest of the dark and you will find impossible things remain unhindered by your steadfast disbelief in them, unharmed by your 300 page proofs they cannot exist. Yet they do. I have fallen far from the flock of my teacher's holy tomes, the books and libraries are to me no more truth than the writings of some new-age cult leader bent on blinding his followers to the greater world.
This world, my friend, is not [u]only[u] one of patriotism, god, and science. Here too are magics both wondrous and terrible to tease and taunt the staunch practitioners of the approved worships of deity, country, and logic.
It may surprise you, I reject this too. The worlds of the Arcane and Occult, they too are rife with dogmatic lines of what can and cannot be. They too are wrong, ultimately. No boundaries exist, no limits are upon us but those which we allow ourselves to become tangled in.
Have you seen the wonders of the scientific world? The amazing feats we have accomplished in the realms from simple metallurgy to the most complex robotics and cybernetics? Of course you have my friend, those many years you came faithfully to see my latest creations and the works of my family's factories. Have you seen the power of the alchemist? The simple beauty of a dying art, imbuing the simplest and rarest of ingredients with the blessings of the ages? No, I suppose I have been gone far too long, chasing these other powers and unearthing the unspeakable texts long lost to find the truths I seek. But what if these things, these things so dedicated to the denouncing of each other, were both truths? The magics of the Occult, the altering strengths and weird concoctions of the alchemist, the marvels and wonders of cybernetics and sciences! What if they were ALL right? Science, augmented by the arcane, bound by the alchemical, and powered by the occult? A limb lost and returned through the might of cybernetics, not so much as controlled by the mind of the patient, but outright becoming [u]PART[u] of them! their very spirit and being merging with the device, a part of them as any other limb? The materials lighter, faster, stronger... beyond any possible achievement of mere science alone, but augmented to the point of The Übermensch, super human levels? Not merely through science, or through magiks, but both?
My friend, I have such wonders to tell you, such marvels and terrors... Oh my dear friend, I have such things to show you, maddening things...
But, I forget myself. These are not the reasons I write to you today.
While I was... away... there was an accident. Perhaps a lesson to be learned, as I barely escaped with my life, my mind, intact. Suffice to say, like any scientific endeavor, precautions must win over the excitement of discovery, lest disaster strike. Even something simple as observing the sun for too long can result in irreparable damage. I suppose I never once stopped to imagine staring too long into the darkness would have similar result...
Thankfully, I can report with full confidence that my designs for facial augmentation and replacement through cybernetics are a complete success. I can as well declare my theories on the true merging of science and flesh to replace and even augment, are also quite correct.
I know you will understand more clearly when we meet again. I will have the car sent for you at your earliest convenience. I look forward to being in your company again, old friend, and once again looking upon you with my own... well... it has been a long, long time.
-Doctor Cassius Diabolis -
Just starting to mess with Corruptor after a long break from the game, preceded by a SS brute.
I tend to create a look first, then pick abilities based on that solely and try to make them work for me.
The result is one higher level SS brute and full slots of abandoned toons, lol.
I've been reading the Energy/Dark guide a bit, and it sounds like something I could enjoy, but before I dumped the current build (a mere 8 levels in) and reroll, I figured I'd ask 2 questions here:
1) Is there any hope for a /pain build? seems to be little love for it here. Particularly Energy/Pain?
2) If I decide to re-roll this toon, one thing I'm considering is something with viability in PvP as well as PvE (I'll respec full PvP some other point). Any particular build I should consider?