Soul Train

The forum thread has now cracked 1100 pages.

Most of the posts are negative.

Also, while the original reason given was to 'take away the pro-troll environment', this has been exposed as a smokescreen.

The real reason? Apparently Vivendi has inked a deal with Facebook to "cross-pollinate" Battle.net with FB, supposedly to attract new subscribers by exposing player accomplishments and armory drops.

So this is essentially a money grab. Players have been reduced to marketing data, to be sold to whoever wants to pay.

I can't live with that, so I cancelled my WoW account this morning. Cata may as well be vaporware for me unless they rethink this decision.

Hey everyone... did you miss me?

Loverly loverly!


And... if you're looking for good colorists and Nei Ruffino is Just Not Available... check with pixeltease or gypsyleo. Both are quite good.

Now, that is an awesome tip.

For those that use Paint.NET or GIMP, you can do the exact same tricks.

And I'm already thinking of how I can get around rendering energy effects in Poser (which REALLY crank up the CPU and render time needed.) Plus it opens things up to other types of effects than what I have 'defined' as textures and models.

If you're not that great at drawing, most digital illustration programs allow you to define lines, curves, and geometric shapes, that you can then assign glows or other effects to (they're commonly called "Paths".)

Another resource that you can use to generate "brushes" for your digital needs is FractINT. It is a fractal generator program par excellence, and as such does wonderful things with "procedural" objects and effects that you would otherwise have to take time drawing by hand.

you simply pick the fractal model you wish to use, set the colors to what you need, zoom in to where the 'object' is positioned where you want it, then cut/paste the resulting image to your screen layer in PS/Paint.NET/GIMP/Fireworks/etc.

Rotate and scale the screen image as you wish, perhaps mirror it or flip it or whatnot... go nuts. If it's not what you wanted, delete from the screen layer, go back into FractINT and try something else.

I'm a big fan of OpenDNS, personally.



You don't have to run a program on your computer to filter out stuff. Instead you can filter by category (they have many) and then tweak as needed. You can also block malware/phishing sites and "camped domains" as well.

If they block something you want, you can update your config to whitelist that page, that site, or that domain, but only to your own network.

You just sign up, and then set your DNS resolver IP's to the ones they send you.

... Bad troll is trolling badly.

Black Sabbath/Ozzy OsBOURNE have one sorta-suitable song, which is because the title fits the movie. The lyrics of that song do not fit the movie. That's probably why it ended up in the credits of the first IM, instead of incidental music during the film.

Personally I thought the scoring of IM and IM2 was quite good. "Robot Rock" during Rhodey and Tony's party brawl was particularly apropos... and of course I'm all for more Daft Punk.

AC/DC is alright. But doing an entire soundtrack release? Not so much.

... hrmmm.


This group is... intriguing.

My thoughts?

All "Win" EXCEPT I have serious misgivings about the in-game email 'attachments' ability.


The RMT'ers are going to have a FIELD DAY with this.


So... I would implement a few things:

1) a significant delay in delivery cross-accounts (stuff sent to other people)

2) LOTS of datamining, for accounts that seem to be either A) receiving a lot of stuff from others or B) are constantly sending stuff to others, without much in the way of "equal trade value" coming the other direction (banker characters and grind mules, both used by RMT'ers).

3) An addendum to the AUP/TOC that says "if we determine that you're running an RMT service via the in-game email, you will be banned, publicly and without mercy, by means of a Dev using a Kronos Titan to stomp you flat as your global account is blacklisted off of ALL NCSoft games and services."


(go ahead and use that verbiage, I'm sure the lawyers will love it.)

I would agree that unlocking Epics at level 20 is a BIT too soon.

Frankly I don't see why the level 50 requirement is being reduced at all, but if it's to open the epics up to more casual players 'sooner' (or to get the PL'er crowd in and out that much faster) then I would say level 32 would be best. After all, this is the level where you get your full primary powerset, it's... significant... sort of.

Also, level 20 is so ridiculously easy to reach, AND it's the "earn your cape and second costume" level, it already has a reward associated with it.

I know there's the argument that Epics are all about the powerset, not the accomplishment, but if we're divorcing the Epic unlock from the accomplishment... then why have a level requirement at all? Make 'em available at the start.

Animated? I want tail attacks as alternatives to Sands of Mu or Blackwand.

And... I must tap into Graver's blood and DNA and distill it into an art serum.

*jumps, giggles, and then sashays around serving coffee and cold pizza, the rubber making stretchy squeaky noises as she walks*

I am thinking we need more information.

Where are you reinstalling, to the default location, or to a folder of your choosing?

What operating system is this?

Are you reinstalling from a DVD or from the downloaded game launcher client?

If the latter, does the download complete?

Do you have issues downloading/installing other files?

How much room is on your disk/partition?

*Takes one of Detra's latex maid outfits (the white one) and sttttrreeeeeeetttttcches herself into it.*


Wow, sugah. Never thought latex would get translucent, like that. I kinda like it. *winks*

I would say that you would have to get in line behind all the other WoD groups on Virtue.

The line starts around the block. No, keep going, into the alley.

Also, at very first whisper of White Wolf/WOTC getting on NCSoft's case for allowing their IP in another game? ... it would be bad. It's one thing to run something "like" WoD, but when you use their IP as part of your lore/sg site/virtueverse pages, you're stepping on someone's trademark. The petitions would roll in, the CS reps in India with no clue other than a quick Google search would start generic'ing people... not fun.

Actually, Rodoan, that would be an interesting Arena Team idea, much like IROC racing; everyone races identical cars.

In order to be admitted to the tourney, you would have to build within specs outlined by a referee. Now, it'd be hard to do without losing a lot on deleted enhancements, but, if your second build wasn't being used, you could start there. Or, roll a new character straight into the League, and follow the specified build choices as you leveled up (and fighting in lower-level tiers at the same time).

*sashays in wearing something vaguely catty*

MeeeYOW, sweet thangs!

"I just love to watch her strut."


You know. Bob Seger. A very eloquent man.

That's my rationale for avoiding PvP as well.

*grumbles*

Babelfish is NOT a grammar checker.

The problem with the PvP isn't the PvP mechanic... it's the majority (in my encounters) of the PvP players.

So, no, I doubt I will ever try PvP again, in this game, or any other.

... it's more to me than "staring at an attractive arrangement of pixels".

I find roleplaying guys rather, I dunno, boring. I like playing the 'what if' game. And, as near as I can tell, my gaming persona is for the most part female anyway. So what if the meatspace me is male? Not like I'm going to be DATING any of y'all anyhow, I'm happily married.

I say, that... is a fair bit of crumpet, wot?