Stalemate

I'm really digging the suggestions to encourage event promotion, and rest these will make the To Do list for next time (*winks knowingly at Sooner).

And Witchfrost: let's call a truce.

We don't like each other. Our personalities don't mesh. We have vastly different views on what the Protector community should / can do in regards to encouraging participation. Let's agree to disagree.

Heck, let me put my money where my mouth us and take a cue from the generous team of people I had the privilege of serving as coordinator these past months in respecting others despite their differences.

Here's what I propose: I'll take you up on that offer to contribute and work with you on an event of your choice. Let's see what we can come up with.

I often got to bed rather late, even on weekdays. Furthermore my vacation time is coming up, I can accommodate your schedule. Let's see what we can do to put this past us stubborn, opinionated SOBs who always think we have the best perspective on things.

There are multiple ways to contact me already, but you can use the forum messaging system and we can go from there.



NOTE - to the Misfits TF participants: I have received a list from Lorax for the inf you are slated to receive, according to your level of overall participation throughout the day. There are just a few loose ends to tie up and it will be mailed out to you in game. Thanks for your patience.

I am trying out a new format for the calendar.

Well, more of an interface for it since it is basically a website based off a simple template. The intent is to keep it simplistic. The supergroup links are a possible addition to the left side panel.

https://sites.google.com/site/cohprotector/

This will go live soon, replacing the current one. URLs will remain the same.

Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Thanks for this writeup, and thanks for sharing it.

There you go, Phillygirl, pointing out the obvious again.

I'd second that suggestion, DS.

It could be a nice asset for the Mentor Project's Guildportal site as well, if you allow me to repost it in a more permanent section.

Protector Day of Vigilance Official Storyline


Epilogue: Switching Sides


The circle was complete.

As I oversaw the progress on the next iteration of the Stalemate armor, it underwent the last phases of semi-automated testing. Hardware and software meshed together in responding to the challenges put to it before it was officially deemed operational.

My mind wandered, as it is wont to do, meandering among the events of the past few hours. The faint glow of OLED screens reflected off my face.

Golden Ace's declarations, his intentions so true in his mind that he still considered himself a "hero". We were not so different, he and I. The notion of the ends justifying the means was one I could understand. After all, just a few days ago I was still persona non grata in Paragon City, bent on avenging my personal loss at the cost of betraying its trust.

I acknowledged the end of the AI and software burn-in testing, and absentmindedly keyed in the sequence to launch the last exoshell resistance tests. Various types of energies assaulted the updated carbon nanofiber-laced plasteel armor. Self-replicating bioceramics regenerated whatever damage that could not be avoided, redirected, or absorbed. Numbers appeared, all within the expected specs. This version could easily withstand the onslaught of electrical, blunt-force, piercing, and other exotic energies thrown at it. It was indeed more resilient than a tank. I dialed up the intensity past what the virtual models had predicted was the safe threshold and returned to my introspection.

There were various interpretations of what exactly was the outcome of the Day of Vigilance, as the thwarting of Golden Ace's plans was named. Hidden Demise and her crew were not even phased by all this. The Fight Nights had already resumed. Neither good nor evil could truly be said to have overcome.

The altercations in Recluse's Victory had been fierce. Each side had been thoroughly convinced that they were fighting for what was best.

Whatever this proliferation was that theoretically linked all super-powered beings together, it apparently operated on a system of balance. Yin-yang. Night and day. But what I saw that day was mostly a gamut of greys.

Was there even a rationale to all this fighting when no clear winner emerged? The questions I had when I set off onto the dark road of villainy still existed. They still drew at my subconscious. I still needed answers as to why things were the way they were where metahumans were concerned.

Another behavior to analyze further was EtherFalcon's. He had used some dubious methods to get me involved into this, and I still wasn't sure if I trusted him completely. Noble motives, sure. But did the methods used to accomplish the desired goals truly differ from Golden Ace's own? Even as an ally, there remained a distance between him and his peers. That was the cost of taking the stance he did, and I was not only convinced he was aware of it. I knew such people were necessary. Nevertheless, I felt satisfaction that at least this particular lab I was working in had escaped his orbital scans.

From my vantage point there was one thing I could assuredly agree with: I was no longer confused about who *I* was, what I was capable of, what ripples my actions had provoked, and what I now needed to do.

The first steps along the slow road to regain the trust of the city lay ahead of me. I wasn't deluding myself into thinking that Paragon City was thrilled about switching the chessboard around. I would have to prove my intentions and accept the fact that not everyone's trust was going to be regained.

Perhaps others could deal with the grey areas in dealing with the complexities of life. As for me, that option was no longer valid. Grey was simply too dark now.

It was time to start seeing life within the absolutes it needed for it to have any lasting meaning.

It was time to sacrifice the black rook, and introduce the white knight.

The robotic arms placed the new armor onto the displacement platform, where it replaced its predecessor. I picked up the cortex interface module from the workbench and initiated the armor phasing process as soon as it came online, powered by my own body's electrical field.

I needed to make up for lost time. Months of wrong deeds to atone for.

The white construct shifted from view on the platform. At the speed of thought it materialized around me. Black highlights contrasted the primarily white - a visual reminder. The helmet's neural net hooked into the cortex interface and the armor came online.

I jumped out of the lab immediately after the launch diagnostics completed. The ceiling here was a one-way force field, rendered to any who would look at it from outside to appear just like any other rooftop.

A few hops later I reached the first mission on the list obtained from the PPD scanner. The warehouse conveniently happened to host a mixed congregation of Crey and Arachnos operatives. The targeting system chirped. It was time for some payback - no, not payback anymore - justice.

The fight continues.

"Target acquired - PROCEEDING."

+1*

Overall, the results were positive, IMO.

Here are my thoughts on the events I was involved in, and the overall day's activities.

• Participation was decent, even if some activities needed a little bit more encouragement to fill.
• Coverage by KJSR.net was icing on the cake.
• Character Design Panel extended past the allotted time because it started late, and the questions received were finally more than anticipated originally. Troy Hickman and JWBullfrog handled this very professionally. My personal favorite event because it was so different from the others, yet attracted players.
• The finale went on in my (regrettable) absence, demonstrating that the organizing had worked: staff knew what to do and where to be. Letting event creators have control of their ideas worked well.
• Now, That's Clever costume contest drew in about 45 people. Sorry Layla Rei. Your custom dolls are just *that* popular.
• Involvement of P.E.R.C. and Tanker Tuesday was a nice reminder that Protector - despite allusions to the contrary - is not only alive and well, it has a thriving community that attracts "outside" attention. This, even if the event in question is not of their own making.
• I don't think this should go unmentioned: Seeing the staff comprised of people who, despite personal differences or differing agendas, chose to work together towards a common goal - everyone interested in contributing to Protector's enjoyability for one day.

-1

• Still unsure if the stories had the intended effect: to draw players into the day on a RP level. I know we had much fun working on the collaborative and dynamically changing storyline. But I feel the feedback on those was rather minimal.
• Mentor Project activities were a failure. I think we just didn't reach the intended audience ahead of time. I was sorry to see all the volunteers for this activity, and the funds invested, be put aside that day. This is a "to be continued" in my book.
• Missing the Warburg Bounty Hunt and Recluse's Victory finale. I was just too tired and zonked out on the couch.
• Missing out on Sooner's and kidengineer's events. This could have been handled better, and these are rainchecks in my book.

Possible Improvements

• Better means of communication with the staff from the start. A forum, or the Google Groups I tried (too little, too late) to use should have been there from the start. I blame my lack of foresight into just how many people would be involved (18 in the end, 22 with Mentor Project volunteers).
• There was need for volunteers in one cancelled event that, if I'd paid closer attention, could have been resolved in time to include it.

*Since I've started using Google+ this week, allow me to use +1 for this section.

DoV Staff and players who participated: Feel free to place your comments in this thread.

The purpose of this exercise is to gauge the overall reception of the Day of Vigilance concept.

Please don't hesitate to point out what you liked, what you disliked, and any improvements you think could have been brought to the whole activity.

All inf prizes have been mailed out for this event.

This was a great event to have the privilege of moderating, and I thought the questions were a nice selection of the generalized and the more personal.

Thanks again to Troy and JWB for allowing Protector to probe their minds for a few minutes.

I will scour my chat logs from yesterday to edit it into a readable transcript, then post it here.

Thanks for that "small overview" for the new players and Mentor Project, DS

What's the final decision on the TF that will be run?

I'm looking at the Strike Force version and thinking that the challenge is similar (ie.: not easy to solo), even if different, so it might be possible.

If there are enough villains interested, I could try to add a run for them, and find a prize package as well.

The schedule above has been updated, as has been the calendar.

Those already following on Twitter will receive updates 2 hours prior to the event's occurrence.

Don't forget: to keep track of the day's activity your options are, in order of most efficiency:

• The Protector Vigilance global channel
• The Protector Ventrilo server (even if only to listen in)

  • Server URL: gold.typefrag.com, port 30899
  • Server password: 65mustang
  • Default channel: Protector Vigilance

• Listen to KJSR.net throughout the day
• Protector Calendar / Twitter feed (@COHProtector)

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, and handing out gobs of prizes!

Solo Ouroboros Mender Silos TF Race

PRIZES: 500M inf and bragging rights

• Best time: 300M
• 2nd best: 150M
• 3rd best: 50M

Event title is the only rule: You must run this task force alone, with no outside help from another player. Everything else is allowed - even encouraged.

You must know how to take a screenshot and upload it online, or send it via email, to participate.

Sorry for not posting this sooner. It's been a hectic, busy week.


Sign up below, or send me a tell at 10:30 am, July 9, at the latest to participate.

The first 3 years were the best.

Then the 3 years after that, they were the best too.

Many happy returns Hyper.

That's so cute.

Maple Madness!

When is this?

Great pic.

Happy Canada Day!