Shadow Shard Task Force Thanksgiving Weekend Extravaganza!

Now with correct spelling! And pie! Anyhow, on November 26th, 27th, 28th, & 29th, (American) Thanksgiving weekend , I am going to be leading all four Shadow Shard Task Forces (plus a few other special things) on the Freedom server. I'll be playing as Terra Mater, an earth controller (I finally got a female character up this high... ). Dates and times are up first (and PLEASE, read the stuff in red; I won't invite you if you can't follow simple instructions):

• Thursday, November 26th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Dr. Quaterfield Task Force. I won't lie; Explorers and Exploiters is one [insert female dog reference here] of a task force. It auto-exemps to 44, almost none of it can be stealthed, there's plenty of killall missions, later on there's those annoying simultaneous glowie-clicks, and the second half of the task force takes place all over the game map. The good news is there's no AVs, but rest assured, it's a looonnnggg task force. Those of you who tough it out will be awarded the Portal Smasher badge. This is one of two TFs I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 122.
• Thursday, November 26th, 2009, 10:00 pm EST: Major Richard Flagg Trial. The only trial we'll be doing, Terror Volta should be familiar to most of you. You'll fight Rikti forces to discover a sinister plot: they're amassing an army to attack the Terra Volta nuclear reactor. After saving the reactor, you'll be "Awarded the Freedom Cross", given a respec, and given the Transmogrified badge. We'll be meeting at the helipad in the eastern corner of Portal Corp in Peregrine Island for this one (and take note that I won't wait very long past the scheduled start time; I'm more than willing to start with fewer than 8 people). Merits awarded: 20.
• Friday, November 27th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Sara Moore Task Force. Weighing in at 15 missions, The Legend of Ruladak takes place mostly in Cascade Archipelago, with a couple trips to Paragon. At the end is a rather large AV named Ruladak the Strong. Upon completion, the Destroyer of Strength badge will be awarded. This is the other TF I'm running that will allow level 40-43 characters. Merits awarded: 64.
• Friday, November 27th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: Twilight's Son/Mender Lazarus/Mender Silos Task Forces. Straight out of the CoH comic book, we'll be fighting through the Cirlce's Smoke and Mirrors, doing our part in The Fifth Column Overthrow, & Trading Places in Siren's Call. Overall, there's 12 AVs, a Hero, and a not-so-itsy-bitsy spider to conted with, all in the name of preserving the timeline. There are no badges specifically tied to these TFs, but you'll gain progress towards any applicable Circle, Fifth/Council, & Arachnos badges, merits, some good stories, and bragging rights. Can't forget bragging rights. We'll be meeting in the Pool of Time in Ouroboros before we start, and the respective levels of these three TFs are 25-34, 30-39, & 45-50. Special rules for this special portion of the Extravaganza: my standard recruiting rules apply. Since each TF is fairly short, after each one, we'll take a 10 minute break to re-recruit, fill in the spots of anybody who left, and grab snacks. I won't wait much longer after the scheduled start time, as I'm more than willing to start with fewer than 8 players. Total merits awarded: 31.
• Saturday, November 28th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Justin Augustine Task Force. People say The Saga of Faathim is a very long TF, but what they usually don't know is that the majority of it is defeat X and visit location missions (it has the largest mission count of any TF in the game, yet is one of the shortest time wise). All but the penultimate mission are in the Shadow Shard, and there are no AVs that you have to fight. This one is my favorite for socializing, and you'll get the Protector of Kindness badge for finishing. Merits awarded: 24 (note: Paragon Wiki says this TF should give 42 merits, and as of October 6th, it's fixed on the test server; no clue if that made it live).
• Saturday, November 28th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: The Lady Grey Task Force. The Rikti War Zone arcs end with A Book of Revelations. It's all Rikti, all the time (okay, plus a cameo by the Clockwork). By the end of this Task Force, you'll have fought The Seer (a fully powered Clockwork King), The Horsemen: Four (The Riders: War, Famine, Pestilence, & Death), The Dragon (Dra'Gon), The Beast of the Sea (a weakened Hamidon), and The Apocalypse (Hro'Dtohz and some guy named The Honoree, spoilery anagrams FTW). The badge for finishing is called Apocalyptic. We'll be meeting in the Research & Development department of the Vanguard Compound in the Rikti War Zone before we start. You'll also need to be level 45 or higher to participate (and the reds are certainly welcome). Merits awarded: 37.
• Sunday, November 29th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force. The last of the Shadow Shard TFs (and the original endgame TF before Statesman came in and took its thunder...), The Saga of Lanaru is pleasantly challenging without being too hard. This one is a bit on the longish side, but that's due to a lot of kill all missions and 5 AVs. The first 2/3 of the TF is in the Shadow Shard, then there's three missions and two deliveries back in Paragon, then the visit locations in the Storm Palace, and then the finale. You'll also come face to face with Malaise, Mother Mayhem, Nemesis?, Baphomet, and Lanaru the Mad. Upon completion, you'll be awarded the Slayer of Madness badge, and they'll even toss in the Demon Slayer badge (complete with Behemoth Overlord gladiator) for defeating Baphomet. Merits awarded: 73.
• Sunday, November 29th, 2009, 8:00 pm EST: Dr. Kahn Task Force. Twenty years after the Freedom Phalanx defeated an extra-dimensional invader and put him in suspended animation, some idiot villains have flown into Boomtown and arranged the Return of the Reichsman. As another alternate Statesman, the Reichsman is a tough foe, and even tougher when he's supercharged. You'll go portal-hopping and fight 6 AVs in order to get to the bottom of this, stop him, and prevent the 5th Column from rallying. The Column Breaker badge is given to you when we finish. We'll be meeting in the Founders Falls Vanguard DPO to organize. You'll also have to be level 45+ to participate. Merits awarded: 20

Those are the basics. But here's a brief FAQ with more specifics:

• What do I have to do to join your Shard TFs?
  If you are interested in joining, either post here with your global name plus the TF(s) you intend to join, or send me a global tell (@Electric Eddie) with said information. Those people who do so will be put on a list. A half hour before each TF's start time, I'll be in Firebase Zulu by the portals to the other shard zones (except for the non-Shard TFs, as previously noted). If you're on the list, just send me a tell at that time, and I'll simply send the invite. About five minutes later, for about fifteen minutes, I'll send tells/invites to the people on the list in order of signup (in case of overbooking, it's first come, first served). After those fifteen minutes, I'll put up an announcement on the regular Freedom global channels. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST SIX HOURS SET ASIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR (or in the case of Dr. Quaterfield, make sure you have at least ten hours set aside)! That's my standard disclaimer; they never actually take that long, but it never hurts to have the time set aside. If you sign up for a TF and don't show up or at least send me a tell/unsign, I'm putting you at the bottom of my list for the rest of the weekend (nothing personal, but I've had a couple issues before which I'd like to avoid). My only other rule is that every two hours, we'll take a 10-minute break. The breaks help alleviate stress and I feel makes for a more refreshing experience. (apologies for having to spell things out like this, but unfortunately, I've had to deal with idiots before; on the upside, if you've read this far, you're probably not an idiot )
• What is this "Shadow Shard" that you speak of?
  Go to Peregrine Island and open up your map. You'll find the entrance to the Shard at the north end of the island. The Shadow Shard is a pocket dimension created by the Midnight Squad to contain a really powerful entity. It's now a broken world, with the land now bunches of floating islands. Not much is known beyond that, but there are some excellent threads with theories, some good information at Paragon Wiki, and the clues in the Sara, Justin, and Faathim TFs are good reads. Plus, there's some further clues in the Issue 12 content. Hopefully, the Devs will give the Shard the same treatment as the old RCS, while still maintaining its current missions, TFs (except possibly a shortened Dr. Quaterfield), and unique geography.
• So why are you doing this?
  If you guys haven't figured it out yet, I'm crazy! Actually, it's because I love the Shadow Shard, and the Shard TFs are the toughest to do simply because it's difficult to get 8 people together for them (also, I have a secret agenda of getting more people interested in the Shard and therefore getting the Shard some Dev attention ).
• But don't you already have all the Shard TF badges?
  Yes, I do. In fact, I've led all four of the Shard TFs numerous times, so I actually know what I'm doing for once. But there are things other than the TF badges to work on.
• Like what?
  The most obvious one is XP if you're under 50. The second most obvious are the Merit Rewards. Also, there are lots of Fake Nemeses and Overseerers for the Unveiler and Visionary badges, respectively (plus the Circle, Crey, and Rikti are all a predominant faction in one TF each; plenty of mages, protectors, and monkeys). Two of the Dimensional Warder AVs make an appearance (though I swear Mother Mayhem isn't required, but that's another debate), as well as Baphomet (who does give out both the Demon Slayer badge and the accompanying Behemoth Overlord gladiator). Plenty of Vanguard Merits can be earned (assuming you've done Levantera's first mission and received the associated badge) during the Flagg Trial, Lady Grey TF and the Faathim TF. You can also work on Influence and Debt badges (yay, Trendsetter; next up: I'm going to be Popular!). You'll be able to nab some rare salvage and recipes. Influence and Prestige rates are pretty darn good during the TFs. A new feature is the unlockable Rularuu weapons. Finally, they're just plain fun to do.
• But I've heard that these TFs are looonnnggg... Is it true they can take upwards of 12 hours?
  I suppose, if you have a completely incompetent pickup group, then yeah, it can take that long. But the point of this thread is to avoid the PuG crowd. In the Shard TFs I've led, none of them have taken longer than 4 1/2 hours (excluding the evil Quaterfield TF, and even then, it's only taken about 6 hours for me in my past Extravaganzas). And making sure people have set aside plenty of time beforehand all but ensures that it'll be done in good time and that we'll have fun in the process.
• What level do I have to be?
  Anybody level 44 and above can join, and in the case of the Dr. Quaterfield TF and the Sara Moore TF, anybody level 40 and above can join. The Lady Grey and Khan TFs are limited to 45+. For the Dr. Quaterfield TF, anybody above level 44 will be auto-exemplared to level 44, but for the others, there is no auto-exemplar, so level 50s will stay level 50.
• What's with the respec trial?
  Since I can no longer use 'trial drop' as an excuse, I'm just going to say 'tradition' and Vanguard Merits. (I should also point out that it's quick and easy enough to fit in that 10pm slot after Dr. Q)
• And The Lady Grey?
  If you've done the RWZ arcs, you'll see that there's a loose connection to the Shard via Nemesis. Good enough for me. Also, Vanguard Merits! Yay, Vanguard Merits!
• And Dr. Khan?
  Portal hopping and the ability to beat up Nazis are always fun.
• And Dr. Quaterfield?
  I think I've finally lost what little bit of sanity I may have had left... Dr. Q is like that red-headed step-cousin every family has; nobody likes him, but you put up with him because he's family. Besides, the Soldiers of Rularuu do drop magic salvage, so it's not all bad.
• What about Imperious/Statesman?
  Soon™.

Do you realize how long I've been doing these and misspelling 'Quaterfield'? If you have any questions or comments, please reply. If I forgot anything or made any errors, I'll edit this post. I look forward to running these with you.

Keep flying,
-Eddie

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MA Arc #315097: Reflections of Your Desire (custom characters, canon related, drama, story-driven arc): The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.

Hi Eddie, I had a blast on your Easter run and would like to join you for this. I can make the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night TFs. I will be using Mute Merc: DB/WP Scrapper.

Global is @my name is joe

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@1st. Son

Help Agent Martin in: A Favor for Liberty
AE arc #381565
My 1st. Video: Agent Martin in the new tutorial zone.

Hi eddie, i would like to sign up for:

Saturday, November 28th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Justin Augustine Task Force

Sunday, November 29th, 2009, Noon (12:00 pm) EST: Faathim the Kind Task Force.

as well. Im not sure which toon or toons i will be bringing. My globals are @BIGGgreenogre and @BIGgreenogre

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I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either.

WB to Freedom Eddie! lol

I am unsure of my status that whole weekend, so i can't make any certain comitments (yet), but you know I'm always interested... and you know where to find me when the time comes and you need a body. You always do. haha

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I can do Sara, Justin, Faathim, and the Lady Grey. Global is @Ven Infinity. I'll be bringing my dark/dark scrapper, Ven Infinity, to the Shard and my widow, Cryptid, to RWZ.

Edit: I need to be a "maybe" for Sara. I have tentative plans for Friday afternoon, but I don't know what time yet. I'll update when I know if I will be able to make it.

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Hi Eddie!

I'd like to sign for some of the TF runs. I'm interested in the Dr. Quaterfield Task Force,Major Richard Flagg Trial,The Lady Grey Task Force,Faathim the Kind Task Force and Dr. Kahn Task Force.

Not sure what I'll bring yet though I'll see which hero needs credit for most of them.

@'Generic Global Name

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[Beta Testers]Zombie Man: Harlot is Swan's nickname too. And Dominatrix. And Sister Psyche. And Mynx. And Bobcat. And Synapse.

I would not mind joining the Faathim the Kind Task Force.

I will be there as Sevenpenny...Katana/WIllpower Scrapper.

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You only fail if you give up. - Dana Scully

Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum - Nick Cave

We're not just destroyers, at the same time we can be saviors. - Allen Walker

Global: @TBoxer

I'd like to sign up for:

Thursday, November 26th, 2009, 10:00 pm EST: Major Richard Flagg Trial.

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Winteriel Ice/Fire/Soul Tanker | @TBoxer Global | City of Heroes R.I.P. (2004-2012)

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MA Arc #315097: Reflections of Your Desire (custom characters, canon related, drama, story-driven arc): The Reflections are starting to do things... odd things. This takes place entirely in the Shadow Shard, ending in the bizarre Garden of Memories.

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I definately will not be able to make the Sara Moore TF tomorrow. I'll be around for the others I signed up for though.

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Guess I got my time zones mixed up , sry.

Will have to unsign for,
Sunday, Faathim the Kind Task Force.
Will be out of town that day.

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@1st. Son

Help Agent Martin in: A Favor for Liberty
AE arc #381565
My 1st. Video: Agent Martin in the new tutorial zone.