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Your PvPEC Reps!Liberty Server Organizer: DJ_Dazzler
Let me speak for myself here on this topic. I hated PvP - always had. I got into PvP back in the days when I played a few other MMO's that I will not mention and my experience with them was the worst anyone could have ever had. Those MMO's PvP systems were way different than what CoX has. In some of those MMO's, if you PvP'd you actually took a chance of completely losing your character if they were defeated and/or you lost items of great value and strength like those lovely little recipes we all want to get our hands on. Then there were the attitudes that people love to hand out - because as they say - it's the PvP world and anything is supposed to go. Being defeated was one thing, but being treated like I never could accomplish anything else but defeat was the worse possible let down anyone could have. However... I came to City of Heroes, and the Arena eventually arrived. That was a task within itself I might add. I was playing Darklite Burst back then - she was, and always will be, my favorite character that I've created. My SuperGroup mates and I headed off to the Arena a few times for our New Year's Eve Bashes, which mostly landed me dead and defeated - but it was fun and it was amongst friends. Saulot using his gosh-awful Illusion Tricks on my poor Dark Servant, turning Fluffy against me, and holding me to death while his Phantoms whooped me into submission. Or Eagles Claw coming up and slicing me up with that Katana of his, asking Zander to turn off all his Regeneration Shields just so I could kill him at least once and say I did it! Even though it was purely my cheating. Light Bill becoming just like a Sapper and stealing all my end. Those were the days. There was a time I used to head over to Justice and PvP too with their Saturday Night Fights when none other than DJ Needelz was hosting it. I remember a time when I had Spicey Dazzler still on the Justice Server and was messing around in Recluse's Victory and purely as a fluke this Stone Brute decides he's going to mess with my Fire/Storm Controller. I somehow defeated him and said WOW! I actually did that? The Stone Brute attacked me but forgot to put on his shields and once I got hold of him he couldn't get out to get those shields up. Eventually I joined PvPEC, not because I liked PvP and not because I was good at it, but because I wanted to hopefully help create an interest for others just like me who really sucked at PvP and yet keep their experiences with it fun. Hopefully I've accomplished this somewhat, and will continue to do so in the years to come. I do need Liberty's help though, I'd like to know what I can do for you so you'll come defeat me lots! P.S. I forgot to mention! I've created a Global Channel that we'd like you to join if you're interested in knowing when we are holding events on the Liberty Server. We will of course always post on the Forums but an added touch of love in game is nice once in awhile so please join the Global Chat Channel PvP Events Liberty. | Writer's BlockHey everybody! Last time we talked about exercises to help your writing skills. A couple weeks ago I was talking with a buddy of mine - you may know him - Ascendent. Ascendent helped me get the idea for this weeks article. I want to put out another technique that I think will help to get the creative juices flowing: looking at other forms of art. Im not talking about reading other peoples work. Dont get me wrong though, what we all do as writers is art, no two ways about it. By other forms of art I mean looking at paintings and photography, listening to music, and even watching dance. Seeing other forms of artistic expression evokes emotions in you that you may not fully understand at first. The way a certain piece of music moves you to think of a funeral, or the way a paintings vibrant colors makes you think of a fireworks display - that's what Im talking about. These feelings may help you get in the mood to write certain pieces that also convey the type of emotion you want the reader to feel. For example, when I want to write a sad piece or an introspective piece about a character, I tend to listen to the band 'Renaissance.' If you havent heard them you should check them out, specifically the song Cold is Being Lonely. Fight scenes? Well, thats easy - Learn the Hard Way by 'Nickleback.' One of my heroes has a distinctive Western feel to him. When I write about him I listen to Walk Believer Walk by the 'Black Crowes.' Listening to music tends to help get the imagination flowing through the use of other mediums. Immersing yourself in that mindset and mood will enhance your focus and ability to relate to the piece as a whole. Paintings can help by seeing how things actually look in real life, or how the emotion appears visually. Perhaps a better idea would be to look at illustrations of heroes fighting or standing heroically in a city backdrop will help as well for our particular brand of Fan-Fiction. In that case, go to deviantArt.com and do a search for City of Heroes. Literally thousands of artists draw CoX Fan-Art and it certainly helps me to see visual representations of heroes and villains to learn how to describe the fighting, or the way a cape flows in the wind. What I can say is that you cannot say these techniques wont work until you try them. Not every exercise I know works for everyone, since we all have different minds and work differently altogether. But by trying everything, you may find what works for you and what doesnt so that you can perfect your writing so that it is your very best. Write on! |
Behind the Walls8. Smack Talkin' | |
We know that City of Heroes players sometimes curse. That doesn't make it OK. There's a chat filter in City of Heroes that prevents players from reading a lot of cursing in the chat channels. That still doesn't make cursing OK. Players cursing each other represent a not-so-insignificant number of Petitions submitted by players. This requires GM's to spend a not-so-insignificant amount of time reading chat logs of players saying lots of not-so-nice things to each other, about each other, their characters, their behaviors, and their mothers. For those who read my last column, "We Wish You Wouldn't" this is a really big We Wish You Wouldn't. Some players are used to being able to curse like drunken sailors and are used to the anonymous shared-harassment zone that is pretty much most of the Internet, where if anyone claims to take offense, it's usually worth a big happy pile-on by everyone else. This is one of those cases where the City of Heroes players can have really glaring differences in attitude. Compare the above with players who genuinely take offense at being called a naughty word and given what is said in the Petition language, expect the offending player to be removed from the game immediately, with characters and account deleted, agents in sunglasses and trenchcoats knocking at the offender's door, and thunderbolts from the heavens sent to smite them... That doesn't happen. Well it might, but we're not the ones who send the guys in sunglasses and trenchcoats. There are many different people playing and enjoying City of Heroes. Both genders, many ages, many backgrounds, many nationalities, and many values. At Game Services we need to be concerned about the wellbeing of all City of Heroes players. The ideal situation is one where City of Heroes players always respect one another, even during times of frustration and disagreement. But we're not so naive as to think that this ideal situation will ever be fully realized. Players do get bored, and players do intentionally, or unintentionally, annoy each other. It happens. L'enfer, c'est les autres. We know this can be frustrating, even though the stories might be funny to read after the fact. There are some controls in place that any player can use when other players frustrate them. The command /Ignore is the most powerful of controls available to the player - but of course it's not possible to Ignore everyone, and there are annoying things players can do that doesn't involve chat text. I'm running a risk even mentioning it, because I think there are already a lot of players who are to quick to use Ignore, and that improperly use Ignore. I read a lot of chat logs, and I come across this kind of behavior a lot: Character A is annoyed by Character B. Character A tells Character B directly or in open chat - "You're ignored" or something similar to that effect. Character A then /Ignores Character B. I know why players do this. It's a gut reaction, the last chance for communication when communication is going nowhere. Most players don't really want to ignore anyone - they just want to make their frustration known before cutting off the offending player (and actually wouldn't mind it if that player got into trouble because of it).  | Such action rarely works. About the only time it does work is when two players are annoying each other, often unintentionally. Both players realize the conversation isn't worth continuing, and /Ignore each other, after one last tell-off. Players will sometimes send Harassment Petitions against each other too. These Harassment Petitions generally get labeled as cases of "mutual harassment" and are closed. So, to all players who occasionally feel like they're being harassed by another player, please consider the following:
Now, for the PvPers in the house:
And for the run-of-the-mill jerky boys, take the PvPers list, and add:
More from Behind the Walls:
[*]Disciplinary Measures[*]Keeping In Touch[*]Advice and Feedback [*]We Wish You Wouldn't [/list] |
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Ingredients: Your favorite Brats - frozen or fresh. Italian Sausages work as well. 1 Large Vidalia Onion (or Sweet Onion). 2 Green Bell Peppers. 2 Red Bell Peppers. 2 Cans Beer (or Non-Alcoholic Beer... >.>). Preparation: Chop Onion and Bell Peppers into long strips - similar to stir fry (about 1/4" to 7/16" wide). Test Beer to make sure it works... as in flavor... Non-Alcoholic Beer is purely for flavor, and even if it does contain alcohol, this will evaporate within minutes. So no worries on drunken Peppers. Place chopped Onions and Bell Peppers into a Baking Pan or Meatloaf Dish (Just be sure that the Pan or Dish is metal). Pour Beer in. Now this is primarily a grilling operation, but if no Grill is available, then an Oven works just as well. I'll go over both sides of it just to be sure. Grilling Directions: Preheat Grill to a medium/medium high heat. Place Pepper Pan onto Grill. Arrange your Brats/Sausages for perfect cookin'. Be sure to turn the Brats/Sausages frequently (WITH TONGS!) so they don't burn. | As the Brats/Sausages finish cooking up, place them into the Pepper Pan, submerging the Brats/Sausages in your awesome sauce of grillin' luv. After the first of the Brats/Sausages goes in, place a sheet of tinfoil over the Pan. This will help to keep the Brats/Sausages from drying out if they decide to float. Mind you, if cooking on a Grill, the links won't cook at the same rate, so it will be a one by one, or one by two dunk in the pepper pan. After all Brats/Sausages are grilled to goodness, they should have a decent 10 to 15 minutes in the bath of brew to help draw some flavor in. Once the time has elapsed, grab one of the Brats/Sausages, slap on a bun, dress with a few Peppers and Onions, and mebbe some tasty Mustard.. yummm! Oven Directions: Preheat Broiler, and place Pepper Pan on the bottom rack... way down low plz (especially for electric ovens), this is just to warm the Pepper Pan up. Place Brats/Sausages on Broiler Pan, and slide 'em under the heat. Every couple of minutes, drag them back out to turn. Repeat this until the Brats/Sausages are nicely done all around, and then place them in the Pepper Pan. Once in the Pan, shut the Broiler, and crank your oven to about 300 Degrees Fahrenheit, and cover with tinfoil. Give them about 10 to 15 minutes of marinadin' and stewin'. Follow serving directions for grillin' operations. If just a Brat or two isn't enough to satisfy your appetite, add a side or two, maybe some nummy coleslaw, tater salad, or whatever you choose. Happy Scarfin'! |
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In the Scoop with Powerforge'Tiz Monday and I am feeling pretty good about having completed my first article for The City Scoop. I walk into my dark office and flip on the dim lights. "Hmmm no mail in the drop." I think to myself as I walk over to my desk and set my newspaper down, and then place my coat and briefcase by the window that overlooks the Lord Recluse Plaza. I turn on my coffeepot and settle into my under stuffed chair. "One of these days, I need to replace this uncomfortable chair before I need to use a donut cushion for my tushie to sit on." I grumble to myself.
I sit in my chair with one leg tucked under my thigh and start to read through The City threads. As I glance through post after post, I see one that grabs my attention. I go into the thread and find Powerforge sharing some of his art pieces with the artists and admirers that prowl these threads. "WOW! What interesting artwork! I really need to feature this artist in my column!" I continue to sift through the posts and I check out all the links. I find myself totally fascinated with his work. Powerforge seems to do most of his work in tiers, with the background, foreground and front images all shot in separate areas, then combined into one piece with some extra gfx to make it look totally awesome! "I must get the scoop on this artist!" I say with excitement! I begin my letter... " 'ello Powerforge. My name is VexXxa and I am the Art Correspondent for The City Scoop. I was snooping through the boards and sifting through the threads when I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I saw one of your awesome pieces of work! I would very much like to feature you in one of my articles. Please let me know as soon as possible. Id like to get you featured in the next issue. Thank you. ~*~VexXxa~*~" I neatly fold my letter, stuff it into an envelope, lick the flap "Yuck! I did it again!" I seal and address the envelope. Into the mail drop it goes. Time to start doing some research on this Powerforge. So far, I really like his work! Back to the boards and into the threads I go! Tuesday has arrived and I am back in my office sitting in my rough chair. The mail drops into my mail drop "Mail! Ive got mail!" I leap up with excitement. "I so hope I have a reply back from Powerforge! I say under my breath. "Ohhhh yes! Here it is! I mutter as I rip into the envelope. Powerforge has sent me numerous pictures. A few are from his early days as an artist and the rest are current day. "Awesomeness!" I whisper to myself. This interview is going to be fantastic and I am once again chomping on the bit just raring to meet with Powerforge to conduct my interview. Once again, I will attempt to meet with the star of my article at Pocket D amongst all the partygoers, dancers, and great club music! So, with my camera on my shoulder, and pen and pad in tow, I am off to meet with Powerforge. I arrived a tad early, which isnt surprising since I am very excited to be meeting with Powerforge in person. I slink through the crowd of people that are gathered on the dance floor. Finally, I made it to the meeting spot in one piece. As I was about to look across the dance floor, I feel a tap on my left shoulder. I quickly turn around expecting to see Powerforge, but it wasnt him. It was a waitress asking me if I wanted a drink. "Yes, I would love a Duck Fart, please." The waitress giggles and says, "Are you serious?" I laugh, "Totally serious. Ask your bartender, Im sure there wont be a problem mixing one up for me." Just then, I felt a tap on my right shoulder. I turn, and - lo and behold! - it is the star of my article, Powerforge! We shake hands, as I introduce myself "I am so excited to be meeting you in person, Powerforge! I am VexXxa." Powerforge smiles brightly, "So very nice to meet you, VexXxa! I am quite surprised and honored that you would be interested in my work. After all, it is nothing compared to what other people have created." Oh, a humble artist, he is. Refreshingly, a rare trait for an artist to have.  | Powerforge and I work our way through the crowd of dancing toons to a table in the upstairs bar away from all the fun. My waitress appears and places my Duck Fart drink on the table. Powerforge orders a Statesmans special from the waitress who promptly brings him one. I say to Powerforge "You know, art comes any many forms and canvases. I was drawn to yours because I had not seen a form done quite like yours. The way you explain how you created your final piece is really fantastic!" Powerforge smiles shyly and seems not to be quite sure how to handle the compliment. Modesty is a great quality for an artist to have, although most do not have that quality. "So, tell me. When did your creative talents come to light?" I ask Powerforge. He smiles as he thinks back to his childhood "When I was about five or so I guess. I started tracing Superhero figures and redesigning the costumes. I've been playing CoH for over 30 years I guess." We both laugh as I say "30 years? I do believe that would make you older than Statesman!" One of Powerforge's early pieces was NORIKO 2003. "This one features a character from Unreal Tournament 2003. I am also the author of the skin in the picture. The entire toon's look was created and drawn in Photoshop by myself. A bit like creating a costume in CoH except it's all hand drawn in PS and the game is sort of hacked to apply it to a standard model. I put these skins up for download along with several others. It was the biggest compliment to log onto a public death match and see a skin I created being played by a stranger. This was really where I learned to use Photoshop. Creating skins for UT2003." As Powerforge talks about his Noriko piece, he becomes quite animated and expressive. His eyes become distant as though he has drifted off into another zone. Powerforge continues with a big smile: STONESHIVER! "This was my paladin in WoW. WoW was the very first MMO I ever tried. While I did play it for 14 months, eventually I grew tired of it and tried CoH, which I am still playing 3 years later. I love Super heroes! If I had to pick one that is my favorite it would still be Superman. When I was a kid I loved him for what he could do, but as an adult now I love him for what he doesn't do. It's trés cool to hate on the goody-goody heroes and love the Wolverines and Rorshachs but in the end, I want my heroes good. In fact, I want them better than myself. If I had superpowers, I am sure I would not be as noble as Superman. The first rapist, murderer, or pedophile I encountered would most likely fall down dead with heat vision burn holes through his brain. That's why I like Supes. He's not just physically powerful. He's morally powerful as well. He's a hero!"
As I watch Powerforge's expressions as he talks about his creations, I can see that he is quite passionate about his work and the super heroes he loves! "So out of all of the many pieces you have created, which piece is your most favorite of them all?" With a big smile, Powerforge replies, "Well, the piece I am most proud of is MR. AWESOME. It's not really representative of what I normally do though. I drew the image of Mr. Awesome in several stages and posted the progress on the forums over a year ago in stages. Letting people figure out who it was as the image developed. It's not the type of work I normally do though as it's so time consuming. One nice thing about using screenshots is that it takes a lot less time to finish. I have a wife, three kids, 3 cats, a wolf hybrid, a hamster, and a full time job... spare time is a rarity at my house." A few of Powerforge's favorite pieces are MR. GRAVES ("I like this one for the 3 ghostly images of the character in the background."), and KATANATECH ("This one just worked out well all around I think."). One of his earliest pieces for "The City of" was ARCHLIGHT. Bringing the interview to a close, I ask, "Powerforge, you have been living and working in Paragon City for 36 months now, and the artists and boardsters have really enjoyed your pieces that you have shared in the forums. Do you do any commissions for people who may want one of their toons to be one of your subjects?" Sadly, Powerforge replies "Sorry, no. Too busy, plus I really need to feel the desire to do the piece and that usually means a personal attachment to the subject matter." However, if anyone would like to view Powerforge's work, he has a thread in the forums in which he posts his pieces HERE. "Well, Powerforge, I do believe this covers everything for our interview. I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me about your artistic talent and your use of technology to bring to life a different aspect of art to the boards and the readers of The City Scoop." I say as we both stand up and shake hands. "Thank you for including me in your article. I enjoyed sharing with you and your readers my story." And with that, I watch as Powerforge fades into the crowd of clubbers. "Bring me your visions" - VexXxa | ||
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Q) What is the name of your group and what made you choose it? A) Coven of the Moon. I didnât choose it. The former leader was fond of mystical titles and it struck his fancy. Q) What is your base designer(s) name? A) Photon Ranger. I'm the main base designer. Q) What server is your base on? A) Freedom Server. Q) When was your super/villain group established? A) About 20 months ago. Q) What is the approximate value of your base? A) Over 40 million, and climbing every day. Q) How much time have you/your designer(s) invested in your base since you started building? A) Around 100 hours, and also growing every day. Q) What is your/your designer(s) favorite base item? Least favorite? A) My favorite base item would have to be the Floor Safe. It makes a great floor for midlevel floating and has a nice texture to it. My least favorite base item would have to be any item that doesnât have a bottom. It irks me to look up and see through to the next level in a base. Major pet peeve. Q) What is your/your designer(s) favorite thing about base editing? Least favorite? A) My Favorite thing about base editing would be the ability to merge items and over lap. The removal of raid-pathing has opened the doors for some super creativity. My Least favorite thing about base editing would be the frequent crashes. I swear I havenât been able to go more than 45 minutes - ever - without a crash. Q) Did you get your inspiration from anyone specific or was it right from your imagination? A) In the deep dark hole that is my mind there are worlds that have been born, died, and been reborn. There arenât enough objects or patterns to cover where my mind wants to go! Q) If you/your designer(s) could give just one piece of advice to a new base editor, what would it be and why? A) Donât be limited to what others have done. Let your mind run free and go for it. Sometimes the strangest stuff turns out to be the coolest. |
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This promises to be a hilarious time to be had by all who attend! Check out all the event details here!
Missing any Mayhem Exploration Badges? Want that shiney Invader Accolade? Well, here is your chance! Saturday, March 28th: Beginning in Port Oakes, 4PM EST Hosted by Madame Pistacio On the Victory Server Details: Join P.E.R.C. for a safe cracking, Longbow smashing good time by bringing your favorite villain(s) to rob all of Paragon's Banks. We'll start with Atlas Park Bank and work our way up to Peregrine Island! Join in by meeting at the site of the Mayhem or sending a tell to the lead bank robber (as listed below). I anticipate each robbery will last about 10 minutes. Here is the list of hits and your sneaky accomplices:
Don't worry... you'll get your cut! *suspicious darting eyes* On this Event you will:
Let the MADNESS begin! Fine print: There are no level restrictions for this event. You may switch characters if you need the badges on multiple villains. You are not required to come to each mayhem mission, only the ones you need. People will be asked to leave the team once they receive the exploration badge to accomodate as many players as possible. | |
The Hecktic Life | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Vol. 2, Issue 38
March 20th, 2009
The City Scoop a publication for Supers by Supers!
Read the latest publication and then join in on the community discussion!
If you have concerns regarding the content of the Scoop please direct your comments via PM to Ex Libris.
If you would like to do a feature article, or join "The City Scoop" team please PM Snow_Globe.
If you would like to place a classified ad or have an event covered, contact Cende, EnnVee, or Lemur Lad.
If you need some "Advice" contact Lady_Athyna, would like to "Ask The X" contact LiquidX, or need help with fashion, "Ask Arbiter Fabulous."
If you have a base you would like featured, please contact EnnVee.
Finally if you have a Recipe you would like included please contact Barron_.
The City Scoop
Issue 14 Open Beta Begins!
An NCsoft announcement
By Avatea
(Original announcement here.)
You have been waiting patiently and now the time has come! City of Heroes® content Update Issue 14: Architect has now officially begun its Open Beta phase. Now is your chance to play and give feedback on one of the most in-depth player created mission systems in an MMO to date! Your story/mission masterpieces will be available in-game for all your fellow gamers to play and rate - and the higher their rating, the more YOU benefit!
So what are you waiting for? Instructions on how to get to the Training Room / Open Beta server can be found here!
As you create your unique stories/missions in Open Beta, all your content will be saved locally on your computer within your beta directory. When Issue 14 goes live, you'll need to copy that information over to your default installation of City of Heroes.
Check out this link to find out exactly how to do this for the PC and Mac versions of the game.
Need more reasons to create kickin' missions during Open Beta? Well, here they are:
Dev's Choice
Developer's Choice stories are hand picked and represent the team's personal favorites within the Architect system.
Dev's Choice picks will appear on their own special "Dev's Choice" list and will be recognizable by the following icon:
But wait--there's more! Any player whose mission achieves Dev Choice status, will also receive the associated Dev's Choice badge:
Will your mission be one of the first to get awarded Dev's Choice? Stories flagged as Dev Choice during Open Beta will have the potential of getting migrated over to the live servers once issue 14 goes public. The exact number of stories and which stories they will be...will be decided in the weeks to come. Once Issue 14 goes live, the Dev's will periodically add more Dev's Choice picks to the list!
Vol. 2, Issue 38
March 20th, 2009
This Issue:
Community
PvPEC Reps
Writer's Block
Behind the Walls
Fiction
The Redeemers
Food
Die Kuche von Barron
Arts
In the Scoop with
Base Showcase
PERC and PvPEC Events
Midnight PvP
Killer Clowns
Mayhem Madness
Comic
Masthead
April 2009
1600x1200
1280x960
1024x768
800x600
Hall Of Fame
The Dev's get to pick their favorite stories/missions, but so do you! Based on the number of people who play your mission and how high others rate it, your piece of playable content could reach Hall of Fame status! Who doesn't want to be considered the best-of-the-best among their peers?
Hall of Fame designated missions will be identifiable by this icon:
The creators of Hall of Fame missions will also receive the Hall of Fame badge:
But it doesn't stop there. As other players rate your missions with high marks, you will earn tickets. So your climb to Hall of Fame status could be a very prosperous one!
Each City of Heroes game account can publish a maximum of 3 stories (each of which can contain up to 5 missions). However, if your stories reach Hall of Fame or Dev Choice status, you will be rewarded with an additional story slot! And you can continue to earn additional story slots with every Dev Choice or Hall of Fame honor you receive there is no limit! Also, if your mission gets awarded Devs Choice, you can STILL achieve Hall of Fame status (and vice versa) so you can earn both!
And don't worry...if your mission gets awarded Dev's Choice, you can STILL also achieve Hall of Fame status (and vice versa).
Even though you can start rating missions in Open Beta, those ratings will not carry over to when Issue 14 goes live...so unlike Dev's Choice, there will not be any Hall of Fame designated missions when Issue 14 becomes public. But, as soon as the Issue has in fact released, the race to Hall of Fame is on!
So jump on to the Test Server and start creating, playing and rating those missions now! You never know...your uber mission-creating skills just might make you a community super-star! Or, if mission building isn't your thing, just sit back and enjoy playing all the cool content being generated by your fellow players. You can actually level from 1 to 50 by playing through mission architect content! And don't forget - by playing and rating you can help raise the best stories/missions to the-top-of-the-heap and get the players creating them their well deserved props!
Welcome to Issue 14 Open Beta! We hope you have fun!
Go here to read the Release Notes.
Please provide all Open Beta feedback in the Issue 14: Feedback & Discussion (Open) and Issue 14: Bugs (Open) forums!
For the full scoop on Issue 14: Architect including content specifics, fun video episodes from Rooster Teeth, and the latest press coverage, go here.