PKDauntless

Habby Pirthday... er, Happy Birthday.

Happy Cakeday, Cobalt.

I've heard that:
<ul type="square">[*]MA is just a tool of the Newb World Order used to distract certain "power users" from the real rewards system. [*]There are actually two BMT channels -- the public one and one called BMT Speakeasy controlled by a cabal of veteran players who call themselves l'Underground. [*]Almost all the non-PvP drama is faked to conceal the war between the Newb World Order and l'Underground. [*]A third side in this struggle exists but are too gentile to name themselves. Since they preach moderation, they are reviled by the militant Undergrounders and martyr-prone Newbs-Worlders.[/list]
And on the Paragon Studio side, I heard that a few of the staff got a little tipsy during an office party and jokingly dubbed the chief of facility maintanence (aka, Head Janitor) "Lord Nemesis". If only they'd known...

Happy Birthday, Stray.

Quote pyramid removed.

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I've never seen the plans to a nuclear sub, but I know perfectly well how every power generating turbine in this universe must operate.

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But City of Heroes doesn't transpire in this universe.

I'm not going to argue the science with you since I don't have the background or the knowledge. I pointed out the nuclear sub example only as a reminder that steam power does not always have to mean huge engines belching steam and coal smoke.

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So for the specific steam engines we're discussing, Nemesis automatons, if they don't somehow vent their steam, then they need another heat sink of some sort.

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I don't believe it has ever been established that the automatons run on steam. Most historic automata were driven by clockworks and powered by whatever means was convenient for the specific machine.

Making the assumption, for the moment, that Nemesis developed a parallel technology of steam power, it is possible that he developed something that compensates for the laws of thermodynamics specific to the City of Heroes universe. Personally, I think the Nemesis Automaton is powered by a super-efficient spring system, not much different than a wind-up toy.

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The quote at the apex of this little pyramid implies to me some sort of closed system in which the steam is re-condensed somehow without a heat sink. This is where my thermodynamics quote came from.

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This quote?[ QUOTE ]
A really efficient steam machine wouldn't need to expel the steam, but would instead allow it to cool and condense internally and re-use the same water again.

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I don't see anything here that implies a closed system. I'm not saying either of us is wrong, just that I didn't interpret it the way you did.

And now, I'm gonna attempt to stop with this threadjack. Seriously. Gonna make that effort. No more threadjack. Got it.

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A really efficient steam machine wouldn't need to expel the steam, but would instead allow it to cool and condense internally and re-use the same water again.

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Which would violate 2 of the 3 main laws of thermodynamics.

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Don't tell the people on nuclear submarines.

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I'm sure they already understand thermodynamics.

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They also understand how their steam machine -- the reactor and the steam turbine it pushes -- doesn't vent steam but uses cooling tubes to recondense the water for reuse in the system.

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A couple more questions.

Are the Nemesis Automatons that pose as real people powered by steam? Or do they use some other power source? Since they don't belch steam, and they fool so many people, I'm thinking that they don't use steam at all.

Second question, how exactly does Rikti telepathy function?

[/ QUOTE ]A really efficient steam machine wouldn't need to expel the steam, but would instead allow it to cool and condense internally and re-use the same water again.

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Which would violate 2 of the 3 main laws of thermodynamics.

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Don't tell the people on nuclear submarines.

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There may also be a badge called "Contender" but I haven't found what would earn it. The Accolade is awarded by earning the five Victor badges shown in the first link.

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Contender got removed, instead all we get is Bum.

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I see what you did there.

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How is Nemeses able to utilize Steam Power so effectively. I know he's a genius inventor, but it doesn't seem like steam power could be that effective.

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Just wanted to take a moment to point out that the United State's most advanced war fighting ships, the nuclear subs and aircraft carriers, are in effect powered by steam. (Reactor heats water. Water becomes steam. Steam drives turbines.)

But your question is still valid since Nemesis forces are obviously not nuclear-powered but don't seem to be powered by coal either. (Coal being the more traditional fuel of the Steam Age.) So what sort of fuel did Nemesis discover, how long has he been using it, and is it cleaner/more effiecient than all our standard fuels?

A few testimonial statements regarding... Positron's Task Force: the remix

<ul type="square">[*]Thanks to this arc, I now appreciate my bald spot all the more.[*]Thanks to this arc, I'm now cursed with one of the worst and funniest images ever: Positron with an afro. And not one of those little, respectable afros; but one of those giant, fluffy, cotton-ball afros. [*]Thanks to this arc, I've added 6.15 points to my loathing score for the Circle of Thorns. A DM/WP scrapper at level 14 versus Spectral Demons. I think I'd rather have a colonoscopy administered by a blind doctor. (My chance to hit never got above 30% in one fight.)[*]Thanks to this arc, I now understand the Hellions' fascination with Harry Potter. Seriously? Buncha tough, demon-loving gang members who steal some poor woman's long, hard, empowered, vibrating wands? It must be a twisted Harry Potter thing because the other option is just gross... and funny... and still gross.[*]Thanks to this arc, I have a new answer to the age-old question, "How could this possibly get worse?" That answer, watching helmetless Posi doing the slo-mo gorilla. [*]Thanks to this arc, I've already lost five pounds and will probably lose much more. Aside from being put-off baklava for years, I've learned I just need to say I have a hyper-accelerated metabolism and the problem is solved. I'm sure that same excuse could have saved me three ex-girlfriends too. ("It happens to every guy" is apparantly played out. Who knew?)[/list]
Cute arc. The humor is silly fun and the only nasty spot was a +1 spawn of CoT Spectrals (Lt and Minions).

Critiques: The objective for mission three spawned right next to the 'door'. You misspelled 'accelerated' once. You have several openings to bring more humor to the arc. (For example, the wand descriptions could have been taken way over the top.)

Looks like I'll have time to hit at least one of your arcs tomorrow. Also looking forward, with only a little dread, for your take on my arc.

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well elf @ first i was going to make fun of u and ur wack SG but then i felt bad for u from reading all of theses replys 2 ur post and now im going to tell u something u probably wouldnt ever hear from me say 2 u " gj ".

and gratz on #1 some how u out leasted the other VGs . GJ

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Dude! Someone broke into your house and stole a bunch of your keyboard's keys!

Thanks for running my arc. Hope everyone enjoyed it. And thank you very much for the endorsement, NetMinder.

Good luck and great fun to those running MA Monday tonight.

Since you're looking for arcs, here's one for the queue:

Arc Name: There's Something in the Water
Arc ID: 60327
Faction: Villianous
Creator Global/Forum Name: @PK Dauntless
Difficulty Level: Medium (Soloable, one optional AV/EB)
Synopsis: Dr. Aeon's finally had it with stories of Paragon City citizens and their greater-than-normal abilities. Help him get to the bottom of these claims. (Solo-friendly. HUmorous. For levels 40-50)

ETA: And by 'queue' I mean that I fully understand you will get to it when you get to it.

Arc Name: There's Something in the Water
Arc ID: 60327
Faction: Villianous
Creator Global/Forum Name: @PK Dauntless
Difficulty Level: Medium (Soloable, one optional AV/EB)
Synopsis: Dr. Aeon's finally had it with stories of Paragon City citizens and their greater-than-normal abilities. Help him get to the bottom of these claims. (Not completely serious)
Estimated Time to Play: 20-30 minutes

I love that fireplace, Psi. The entire room screams "Ski Chalet" to me. Then again, I'm weird.

Congratulations, Hrist.

Gratz to everyone so far.

I've been playing for a little over three years now, but I started on Victory to play with the RL friends who got me into the game. They left shortly after ED -- which I never experienced. Then my computer blew a gasket after four months of playing and languished for about five until I got it replaced. When I came back, I made a joke toon on Champion, picking the server at random, and played her for a while. In the process I made friends and found myself playing here full time and my joke toon became my first 50. But my original main sat at level 20 back on Victory.

I moved her over to Champion after server transfers and last night I finally finished the journey with her. We started with a Faathim TF which got me from 46 to 49. I then got a team together to run A Hero's Hero arc. Mistress Gnostica dinged 50 while fighting Neuron's minions. This is my fourth 50, but it seems a little more special considering her journey took her from being Nightsdottir on Victory to being Mistress Gnostica on Champion; created to team with one group of friends but played with many new friends.

(Other 50s: Kat/Reg Scrapper, Rad/Rad Corruptor, Human-Only PB)

I didn't make something as impressive as a treehouse, but I did make two little items I think are cool:

My Magical Whirlygig
One-Way Painting.

Your base can do a Death Blossom now.

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Here's a cool toy I built for the SG infirmary:
We have a machine that goes *BING*

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You gotta have a machine that goes *BING*. I mean, what if the big wigs come around to inspect? They will want to see the machine that goes *BING*.

Great stuff, Ulysses. Your machine has me wanting to go back and reconstruct my Max Headroom inspired, 80s Wall of Video.

Great stuff everyone. MementoMori, I dig the ramp. I did something similar in my teleporter room too. I like the little details, like the twin staircases with the columns on either side CaptSammy did.

Along the lines of little details, I had two arcane defense items and no where to put them where they fit the theme of the base. (They did once, sadly.) So I decided to make a statue for my common area/lounge: Statue-01 // Statue-02 // Statue-03.

Base Repricing
1) How will the repricing of bases affect you personally?
It opens up some options that my shrinking SG had to write off when we lost players to RL issues.

2) Will you dismantle your base to gain the additional prestige from the repricing?
I will try to maintain several existing rooms for continuity and because I don't want to redue them. But over all I'll be rebuilding.

3) How long would this process take you if you were to engage in this practice?
Tearing down will go slow since I'll be trying to maintain teleporters and other crafted items. Hopefully the lack of raid pathing will mean I can move some of my rooms now without doing the 8 TP shuffle.

4) What are the positive and negative concerns regarding repricing?
By holding onto some of the decorative rooms I crafted -- hundred or so hours of time invested -- I'll not be getting back the full value of my SGs prestige. The upshot of repricing is that what prestige we do have will go a lot farther.

5) How will this feature affect you long term and short term?
In the short term it gives me something new to occupy my time. In the long run it means not having to worry about deleting soly decorative rooms to pay base rent if the SG activity slacks off.

Base Salvage Exchange to Invention Salvage
1) What is the negative effect on your base for this feature implementation?
Brainstorms: One conversion per click. Thousands of base salvage items to convert. Random salvage out the other side. Limited personal and base storage. I couldn't cook up a better nightmare scenario if I were a horror writer.

Using invention salvage now for base crafting and empowerment buffs: Before you only had to keep track of six component salvage types per origin. That most people can keep in their head long enough to go from salvage rack to crafting station. This makes that process much more difficult even if you don't have to make a side trip to the market.

2) What is the positive effect on your base for this feature implementation?
The only gain over the current system is that maybe the empowerment stations will get better usage. Maybe.

3) How long will it take you to adjust to learning this new system?
Learning? Hardly any time. Remembering what goes where? Let's just say I won't be throwing away my cheatsheets.

4) What side effects to this system do you currently see from transitioning the old to new system?
Asking -- or requiring if your SG does that kinda thing -- a tithe of scrap invention salvage from SG members. An initial hit to the salvage market that will flatten out after the initial rush is over. Toons having a lot less 'junk' cluttering their salvage inventory window.

5) What security concerns do you have regarding this change?
Don't publicly store anything you'll miss. I don't see this being any different than the current security issues with enhancement bins.


Additional Notes:
Using invention salvage to craft base items isn't as horrible as it seems at first, but the relative value of invention salvage vs. base salvage means someone will have to take the hit. You could play around more freely with base salvage: i.e., Hey, I wonder how Arcane Teleporters will look in here. However, now you don't have to worry about your SG mates stealing all the Tech Powers because they wanted Grant Invisible for a trip into RV.

And a totally unrelated request: Two teleporter beacons in the smallest Teleporter room, please.

You lived up to your monikor as you were often the only beacon of light through the darkness around here. Good journey to you on whatever path falls before your feet. You will be missed.

I was excited about i12. I was looking forward to some new content and some new character options. NCSoft even included some stuff that would make my life a little easier. Then they announced this... and it is better than I ever anticipated. Having recently survived a heart attack, I now must say I'm disappointed in NCSoft because all this stuff is too good and might induce another cardiac episode as I'm jumping for joy. Thirty-six slots... I'm feeling the angina now. The only way it could be... more... is if they announce the new vet reward as "You get to actually touch Hayden Panettiere/Masi Oka once per account."