Winterminal

The only real way you could do it for now is to hand them some cash or a check with a note attached to it that says "For Paragon Points. Happy Holidays!"

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone in real life who plays this game (most of my gamer friends are console gamers, always looking towards the next release) so I have not use for this feature. However, I can see where it would be terrific for those who game with their real life friends.

This is what's known as pulling a "Harold Camping."

I have no problem with posing hypothetical theories, but when someone does so with absolute conviction, to the point where they are basically saying, "You'll be sorry when I'm right," and they end up wrong? I can't help but think, "You set yourself up for that."

I'm going to go out and a limb and say that the maintenance was postponed again...

Honestly, it makes little difference to me, I do not seem to be experiencing disruptive problems with the forums at the moment. But c'mon, 3 weeks in a row we've been notified about maintenance that hasn't happened? And I realize it is probably not folks at Paragon Studios to blame. So whoever IS to blame, make sure they get a swift kick in the hind parts for making you guys look bad.

Grats Steelclaw! 'Bout damn time. Today is a day of days.

The Clockwork King's creation is born...



(the character on which I ran this is not related to the king in any way, shape, or form, but I had the idea of the image in the moment and went for it)

Nice job last night, Pinnacle! Great turn-out, as always. I apologize for the early formation of the league, I know some people missed out because they figured they had more time than they did (according to the schedule). We will be more adherent to the posted times in the future.

The original post has been updated for the coming week.

Also, it should be noted, it is unlikely there will be a raid on the evening of the 25th, as many people will most likely be spending the time elsewhere. It is TBD whether this will also hold true for New Years Day.

I have absolutely no problems losing data, as long as I have the options with which to recreate that data after changes have been implemented. In other words, if I have to lose my entire base in order for the system to be streamlined, made more functional, and improved overall, so be it. But I would expect to have the same amount of gross prestige available (perhaps even a bonus since rebuilding would take time), as well as all of the existing item options and perhaps more.

Similarly, as you (Oz) said about the costume creator: I would be annoyed by having all my costumes reset on me. But if it meant improving the system for moving forward (layers, asymmetry, more anchors, fingers, etc.), and all of the current costume parts were going to be available at (or within a couple weeks) of launch, I could stomach it.

I fully agree that it the responsibility of the leader to teach those new to trials what to do. I am not saying hold someone's hand through the whole thing, but at least explain why something is being done. If you, as a leader, want to have the same select group of people handle all of the terminals, that's understandable. Just explain to the rest of the new people why it is more efficient that way

If it is a quicker trial, such as Keyes or TPN, I give a full rundown prior to the trial. I tell anyone who has run it before and doesn't need the instruction to use that time for a bio. On a trial such as the Underground, I try to give highlights of the particularly challenging parts (such as the Regenerating War Walker and his reincarnation), and then just ask for minimal chatter during the trial, so that instructions are clearly visible.

Lengthy post, but I read it all. Though I have a feeling most will come here and just say "TL;DR." Also, just a quick note: I suggest proof-reading a post like this. There are some worthwhile ideas there, but it gets muddied by some spelling and grammatical errors. Just constructive criticism...

Re: League Mechanics: It think this will become moot by the time i22 is released. I believe the made mention of allowing the Teleporter to work from within an instance, which I think well do wonders for the league mechanic. If someone can queue up for a "First Available" trial upon logging in, and then run their 5 tip mission for the day (knowing that they could be TP'd away from one in the middle), a lot of people would be a lot less frustrated by the "recruitment period."

Re: Leadership: I agree 100% that this is a problem. And who can blame them? Leading trials isn't the same as stepping up to lead a mission team, or even a task force (which is really just a string of missions). Trials are too fast paced for a player to just "step up and give it a shot." You need someone who actually has run it and/or read up on it, who knows what they are doing. The instructions of a trial either come as walls of texts (stuck behind the big objective window) or blaring red and orange prompts in the middle of your screen, neither of which you have much time to read because you are busy fighting for your life against a lvl 54 boss. This, in my opinion, encompasses that "lack of accessibility" to which you were referencing.

The trials have a lot of high stakes (someone constantly in danger, a time limit, etc.). And, by conceptual design, that is as it should be. But it really is out of place when compared to the rest of the game. It is inaccessible because they are different from anything offered at lvl 1-50. (Even the DFB trial is just a straight-through, kill-all trial, with some different orders if you want the badges.) The i22 revamp of Dark Astoria will be accessible, by the very nature of it being a continuation of the playstyle offered throughout the rest of the game. If the Devs hope for the trials to continue being run at least as often as the DA stuff, if not more so, some major shifts will have to be implemented.

They are Sunday nights, Mike, not Fridays. The date on the main post is set for December 11th.

I understand the justification. Maelstrom loses one pistol at a time, so if you are lucky enough to get the drop, you get one pistol. I also understand the rarity since it is a signature character's piece.

That all being said, I would still rather the recipe drop have a chance to drop at the end of the trial, and have the recipe work for both the left and right pistol.

...Okay, the pic is uncalled for, and does not represent my feelings towards your post. In all honesty, I saw this a couple weeks ago and have been waiting for a chance to pull it out

I completely agree. I am willing to bet Beam Rifle, Street Justice, and Titan Weapons have pulled in a nice amount of revenue for the studio because, as you said, they are all highly desirable power sets. We know Staff Melee (probably available to all 4 melee archetypes) is in the pipeline, while Dark Control will be available free to VIPs with Issue 22. I expect the majority of power sets that they release as "purchasable for everyone" will be ranged, buff/debuff, or melee, since those are used by the most number of archetypes.

Frankly, I am fine with this business model as it is a win/win from my perspective. The studio pulls in more revenue, which means they can release more stuff more often, which gives me a greater choice about what to buy. I did not buy Titan Weapons nor Street Justice because I don't play melee characters much, but I still love the rate at which they have been able to release these sets.

Well played, Gob.

Definitely seen your global here and there, sorry to see that you're leaving! But hey, everyone has their time I suppose. Hope you'll come back and visit as a Premium member! Take care.

Thrice-Proven TPN Strategy

After three successful runs of the TPN Campus Trial (2 Wednesday night, 1 Thursday night), I feel I should share the effective strategy (mentioned in the above post), especially since I have read that some people are already getting frustrated enough to ignore it and return to BAF/Lambda grind. So here it is!

Phase 1: Pretty simple. You have to clear out the IDF surrounding the buildings, without damaging the cameras disbursed by H.D. Simply make sure your team is not using AoE Damage attacks, and this phase should be cake.

Phase 2.1: Main Building. Enter through the black doors. The entire league blitzes through the hallways to the center room. Once there, any taunt-capable characters (mainly Tankers, Brutes, and some Scrappers) need to herd the IDF mobs away from the Technicians at the terminals. Once all IDF are about 30 ft. from the Technician, the Technician becomes vulnerable. Have a few characters (preferably high single-target damage dealers like Blasters and Stalkers) skim around the perimeter defeating the technicians and clicking the computers.

Phase 2.2: Once all 4 terminals have been clicked, Maelstrom will spawn, followed shortly by a re-spawn of the IDF and Technicians. Again, while the majority of the league keeps Maelstrom busy, have the Taunters pull the IDF away from the terminals towards Maelstrom, as there is probably enough AoE flying around to deal with both sets of enemies. The same small group of people should continue around the perimeter defeating technicians and accessing terminals until all 4 are complete. Then, converge on Maelstrom. You should be able to defeat him before, or within seconds of, the next spawn of Technicians, thus completing the phase.

Phase 3.1: In this phase, you will follow a similar pattern as Phase 2.1, except you have the added minor obstacle of having to protect H.D. You are going to ignore the telepathists and civilians outside. Make it crystal clear that AoE Damage attacks and uncontrollable pets are to be disengaged when transitioning from building to building. The first building you have to enter is usually TPN Today (the eastern building). Once inside, blitz to the center, and let the Taunters do their thing, pulling IDF to the center of the room. (This should also take care of the group currently attacking H.D., thus eliminating that threat.) Once again, the majority of the league deals with IDF in the center while a small group goes around the perimeter and takes care of the Technicians and terminals. Once all 4 terminals have been taken care of, the league will be teleported out of the building, and should move on to the next building. H.D. spawns in a repeating sequential building pattern from East to West. So the order will go: TPN Today (east)-->Main Building (center)-->VisualCorp (west), then back to TPN Today.

The telepaths' debuffs are negligible. As long as you move quickly and follow your specific role, you should be gaining more Public Opinion than you are losing (due to converted civilians outside).

Phase 3.2: Once you reach 500/500 of Public Opinion and keep it there for a certain amount of time (seems to be 10-15 seconds, contrary to the official site's guide), Maelstrom will respawn outside and the civilians will disperse. AoE attacks are fine here, simply dog-pile Maelstrom to defeat him. Beware of his Marked For Death attack: if a crosshairs icon appears above your character's head, get away from him until he executes his kill shot.

Phase 4.1:Once again, you will be following the same building pattern as in Phase 3.1, ignoring the outside threats. (Again, provided you follow the pattern, you should be gaining more Public Opinion than you are losing.) The one difference is that Maelstrom will be present and he likes to one-shot league members as they are exiting buildings with his version of Vorpal Judgement. Ignore him, and if you are unlucky and he hits you, simply hit the hospital and join the rest of the league in the current building as soon as possible. Follow the pattern and you should be at 500/500 Public Opinion after a couple building rotations.

Phase 4.2: Your final confrontation with Maelstrom. His Whirlwind Hands (for which you'll get a prompt much like you would Nova Fist in Lambda) is not overly deadly from what I've seen, but can do quite a bit of knockback. If you see he's about to do it, jumping away from him might save you a few seconds and a chunk of health. Just keep slugging away at him until he is defeated, thus achieving you victory once and for all over the trial.


All three times we have run this, there have been new people in the league. With a brief explanation prior to queuing up, as well as quick reminders throughout the trial, we achieved success using this exact strategy. The one downfall it currently has is that it makes the "Fair and Balanced" badge (and thus the Master Of... badge) impossible to get. However, this strategy should enable enough players to complete the trial successfully, and once enough people get the general hang of the trial's pattern, a strategy can be formed for getting badgers their badges.

Good luck! I wish you all success.