Samius Times

So it has been a while since I gave an update on the goings on for my current projects. This past weekend was a good weekend so lets get started.

Butterz: I have pulled the mad lutes! This item might be the best item for my bard ever. I will try to post a pick.
She is capped now. And is sitting at a haggle of 60. If I can ever get the damn augment slots to work I can get a 61 to 64 using different Crystals of Haggling, tiny – large. So a haggle in the 70+ is possible. But I don't know if it is worth the hassle. It would involve some exceptional bonuses, another bard, a better then +2 tome and SOME pots.

Cremarr and I did a reaver while Dustin chilled in the dead box. And after simi smooth run Butterz received a Head of Good Fortune. And Dustin pulled a pair of mad stone boots. And gave them to me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So last night Cremarr asked “What are we going to grind for now?” You know I don't have an answer, right now. But I will find something. :)

Samiusbot got a lesser heart put in him and with that I decided I wanted to push for cap. Along the way I got a Deaths Touch. And after a hard day of grinding for pie I upgraded it. Now with out much added to Samiusbot in lick form I have DC 37-38 on finger and wail. I have an odd Int, so +3 exceptional bonuses and a pot and 40-41 is do able. Also I went ahead and did the wrath form. And I have to say I love it. I don't know how useful it will be in combat but it is fun for playing around with.

Alright I have taken enough time to type this so I am going back to work.

Storm Bolt, Guild Level 25 - 200 AD direct (or 120 AD upgrade from Wind Sparrow) Amenities (2Large, 6small) Crew (4)

After doing some reading and some thinking I feel that we would be very happy with the Storm Bolt, and having the goal of reaching and maintaining a guild level of at least 40. There are two Amenities that I want at level 40 if we use TP to buy them. Useing Plat to buy them adds 6-10 guild levels to the requrments. But here is my list.

Larges
(32) Large Guild Chest Contract
(40) Altar of Invasion Contract


Small
(32) Coin Lords Auctioneer Contract
(28) Special Access Small Guild Chest 1
(28) Kundarak Banker Contract
(20) Free Agents Tavern Contract
(20) Orien Mailbox Contract
one extra slot

Crew
(40) Navigator Contract: Artleblart
(20) House Phiarlan Entertainer Contract
(20) House Kundarak Battlemaster Contract
(20) Scholar of the Twelve Contract
(20) House Jorasco Healer Contract

One over


A lot of these are low level that we might want to use TP on to get at right away. Then when we have to replace them we might just use plat if we are high enough. That said the I would like an understanding that we will not over write a few things. I want the Auctioneer, Mailbox, Banker all in a Tavern Also I would love haveing a Altar of Invasion on demand. I can run out to the Battle feild for Subjugation and I don't know if we need to worry about Devastation at level 56 all that often. But that first tear is a big deal.

Any way more thoughts later.

but this is my Internet blog. Where else am I to go to whine?

So last night after we realize again that Running with the Devils is the hardest of the shroud pre quests. We did Ritual Sacrifice on hard and Coalescence Chamber on normal with no deaths. I leveled my bard to 16 and we went to do a normal Running with the Devils the quest wasn't bad at all. Got to that glow ball before the end fight and we just rolled over. He was so close so many times we were crying. But his tons of Hp and massive spaming of heals it just made me want to be on someone else.

Looking at the LFMs I see Tobril in a DQ raid group and a guy that says flagging for DQ at end fight going to raid after. Alright! I start to head out to the 6man. Fell at the jump, because I am not wearing my featherfall all the time. But as I am running back I a still looking at the lfms for like an Abbot or something and I see Hard Shroud. Highlights: Gemstone, Popo, Henry, Onecler, and many more. So I was going to do that! I start to say something to the 6man, but I am told to get in so X can finish. Okay. Step in and ding complete. I should have lied. I should have said I forgot to talk twice. Anything but the truth would have been less conflict.

I said sorry, I am being called away. I tried to say something earlier but I really I am sorry. The leader began to bitch. I said again, I am sorry. I joined with the intention to run the raid I even had a guildie in X raid that I thought you were flagging to group with. And he begin to bitch, more. I let him know I didn't care about his feelings about raid leader X but I really was needed else were and dropped with him still cursing.

Turns out that we ended up running on Elite. Was very smooth. There were a few deaths in part 2 and one or two in prt 4 and 5, people taking off with out their healing ready to go mostly. But it was more or less 5-6 mins in part 2. Only one person was not able to do their puzzle. It was a 4x4 and once I opened the door, Onecler went in and showed (not did) the puzzle. Give a fish, Teach to Fish.

Post looting I said, “I will fire and Gh” and the bard said he would FoM and that was the buffs. So great.

In part 4 I asked about clouds/web and what the leader liked. And he said dealers choice. So a mind fog, Ball and a web later we ran everything in to the ball and in a min or two I was making cloud kill on Harry. Round 1 was about 40% down when he ported. Round 2 about 90%. Round 3 I was able to kill the knolls before Harry died, but not by much. I think I got 2 rounds of magic missile off as he died. Oh large boned in part 4, I will take it. :)

Part 5, Gemstone went to kite. I again said fire and Gh bard went Fom and that was the buffs. There was not a lot of waiting for people to get SP back Mobs were killed and damage was to be avoided. And down came Harry. I will admit 2 things. 1, I died when I went in. 2, I forgot to waves him. /shame But I had at least 4-5, 600+ point spells many in the 400s but a lot of 350s. When I went in I was watching my life bar and knew I was going to die. I warned the healers I was heading in, But I sat at 110 hps for 4 or 5 seconds.

Final pull was a shrapnel I think. So a fair run. But it also was my 20th. All +2 tomes, a +3 wisdom, my cleansing, and a 50 point deeds. Wow that was a nice selection. I took my cleaning stone, but I took a pic so you all can see.

I pulled 2 1000 point renown, 2 or 3 500 point, and a 50 or two. And there was lots of mobs dropping renown. In fact there was a lot of talk elite shroud for renown farming. I will say that is the way farming should be.

Well that is it, just wanted to get that one guy out of my head. What do you think should I have dropped his group sooner? Let me know below.

By Samius on Wed 30 of June, 2010 14:44 MDT

The question has been asked how do you make shields viable again. I posted something every close to the following:

If you ever have seen a real sword fight when some one is trying to fight with a shield, you will see the shield user using the shield as part of the fighting style. Sometimes they will bash others they throw the shield into the path of the attack and turn the attack away from the defender.

What I would like to see is another feat or group of feats for each size of shield. “Shield Combat”, when using a shield you are proficient with you gain a miss chance that starts out with a small percentage chance with a buckler and become greater with a tower shield. The effect should be applied along with other miss chances. This miss chance does not replace or become replaced by other other miss chances, but work together simultaneously.

Example:
Bucklers 10%
Small shields 20%
Large shields 30%
Tower shield 45%

You have displacement spell on 50% and then a Large Shield 30% Roll for each. If one fails then the attack is blocked.

Give everyone the feat (or feats that correspond to shields they are proficient with) and boom. Maybe even have the feat give a small bonus to damage for the next attack following the shield blocking the attack. This would be taking advantage of the opening gained by turning an attack.

So I guess what do you think?

So after a super smooth Reaver with Java while talking about the shroud to Dun, the guild started a shroud.

I just want to go over what I was seeing and thinking. Torrance and I (on Samius) were on portal clearing duty. And beating down was not top end but felt fair. There was a “get that keeper” called out over voice. But I never saw portals with spawns. I always felt like I was at the portal when the bad guys spawned, or at least the onces I watch. There is 2 I don't worry about. The first one and the 8th or 9th one. That one by the jump up with the spikes on it right near the start. Oh and I guess the one right after that, now that I think about it. But I never saw the message for a portal keeper or a keeper for that mater. But there was an orthon, Which I find strange as I also never saw a “dog”. And I believe you will always get the “dog” before the orthon.


Part 2, Again from my view point the dps was okay, not stellar but fine. Was going to get us there. I was told guys were ready and I started walling the Rock. I like to normally keep 3 walls burning at a time to just know it is dead when we are ready and next thing I know I am out of mana. Use the bauble and ask what is up? Kill has all the agro? Why? Grrrr. So we have the bright idea to let him die as to release the agro, and then we get an intimidate guy spamming? Come on. So guys start to drop I get one wall, two wall and the first guy rounds the corner. Sheild drops, I use the last of my mana on a disintegrate. And I freeze for a hair and guy rezes damage ticks on the rock as 0. /cry

Reset with me looking over Tonya's shoulder this time. Trying direct via voice guys to targets. I even sent some tells get on X, get on Y. But mostly they fell on death ears I think. With a handful of quality guys we finish. Makes me realize that I am starting to feel good about the possibilities of a guild shroud with as few as 6 people in the raid. One for each mini boss, one healer, and a rock camper that helps with the starting damage. If we are going to 6 man the raid any way.....

3 fine.

But 4, ..... well I guess we will say lag. I know I maybe should not have jumped in with that lag. But it kinda all hit at that same time for me anyway. But a meteor swarm to my face with lag is not good.


Reset, run another real fast and also ruff in places but we won so fine, Stiner got to graft and there were a lot of scales dropping.

Was going to log but saw a near level Tor and thought WTF? One of the smoothest runs in a long time. Think all but one death was fighting the black dragon the clr was always in the air, and my mass is not that uber. In the end it was me a mostly dead rog, the dragon and a firewall or 6. Post U5 I think that would have been a wipe. Or a least a run away moment.

Got a white and a black, get a tell asking to trade my black for his blue. Sure why not? So ended up White and Blue for the run not bad. I also milked the gold piles. And I watched my totals. I was over 3k plat richer per dragon working the gold. That might be a good tip for a guy on another server. Like those piles in 3BC fill up with arrows and go to town.

Well that was the night, well after watching the last ½ of a really good movie with the wife, Couples Retreat. If you get the chance check it out.

Latez

That is all!

All Points Bulletin aka APB is a new mmo, and has a crazy payment system. It is not a free game but it kinda is. You buy points that you use to buy game time, things from a in game store, etc...

But I guess to make this happen from the money side of things the makers are selling in game ad space. Namely over voice chat. The Ddo equivalent would be while loading from zone to zone there is a chance to get an ad played for you. And if you haven't heard an ad in more then 3 hours you get to enjoy an ad while loading for sure.

Does it sound all that bad? Not really. But here is the kicker. There is an option in their in game store to not play ads for 30, 60, 90 days (corrected by Steiner). Hmmmm. Sounds like money to me.

But what makes more since to me. Integrate the ads in to the game environment. It it gets me a few more Tps or shaves a few dollars off my sub, put some ads on the walls. Wall paintings, for people that want to buy ad space in game. Why not?

I would buy an ad for ddococktailhour if the rates were okay. Hire a minstrel to sing a jingle when you run by. Or click on him to get a full ad and a chance for some in game prize. Like 1000 gold or 25 tp. It is not a big deal for ads to be in a game but make them part of the game.

A minotaur painted like a clown holding a staff with golden arches would kill me and make me think of McDonalds every time I see it. Maybe with just text over his head saying “I'm loven it!” Or what ever their line is. And if it gets me some loven then I am game.

But I don't like having my load screen being an ad for in the store items. I am a VIP damn it. I want to see something cool.

Okay that is my 2 cents on ads in games. Oh here is that link to Massively if you want to read their piece that will set the nets ablaze.
http://bit.ly/cVbYH6

Or last night. Whatever is easer for you. Knocked down another solo reaver counter, while Cremarr played around in the sands prepping for xp pot usage. I finished up about the same time he moved on to Giant Hold explorer zone and I switched to Butterzcotch and we did some killen. Got some puggers. Told some real bad jokes and mostly just had a good time with out any real pressure to do anything like a raid or a “real at level” quest.

Sooner or later a guy joins and asks if we can do quest x and y he needs 6 favor for the 10 hp. Sure and we over run the quests on hard with little problem.

Not that we didn't have any deaths. Some traps were hitting for 110 on a saved throw and one killed me out right with a mostly full red bar for something like 140 three times. The trap that killed poor butterz was that one in “cry for help” that shoots you in to the middle and has the spikes on the celling and two sets of blades. The pain.

But got a rez, opened the door. Invis and a few songs later the rest of the pug was free to mop up.

But not long after that run, I was ready for something else. And I had the urge to play Samius. So I was thinking Epic Von1. But as I was about to hit an lfm, Tobril freed up and we decided to just run it together. We cleared to the shrine.

Then the question was posed, “Are we going for it?”

Well at least to the air room chest, it was decided. There was a lot of OMG! And F#$%ing disintegrate. There was Oh God I am at one, heal heal heal heal. And a Okay I am good now. There was even a I am at -1, Oh that god my belt fired off for +2 hp and I was able to get going again.

I did get 2 of Tobril's Lay on Hands. I don't know how many he has but I do know I got the last one. Because he told me, like always.

We got nothing of worth, other then some of the most fun I have had on Samius in a while. It was a good night, if I have little to show for it. I had lots of fun.

Thanks all.

By Samius on Thu 24 of June, 2010 07:47 MDT

Wow, you know I try real hard not to let my political tendencies out onto the interwebs. But I just read/heard some information that makes me shiver. As well as a if/when about the oil spill that I never thought about.

Let me just say the if/when. Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. Water from hurricanes reach north not in hundreds of miles but in states. And this year some of that water will have some oil in it. So that is the if/when. If/When we enter hurricane season some states will be getting oily rain showers.

Now for a bit here that made me shiver. It has been reported now that Obama turned down more then one offer to help with early clean up efforts to help unions. And maybe dragging his feet with what little he can do with this cleanup to help push threw his Cap and Trade bill.

To quote on of my favorite movies Operation Petticoat.

All he said was "in confusion there is profit."

Is it cool that he might have dragged his feet to create this problem, No. But he is working his angles. I just hope he manges not to do more harm.

I will end with another quote from Operation Petticoat.

I'm a religious man, Captain, and I believe we'll get through if the Good Lord puts His mind to it. Of course, He'll have to give us His undivided attention

So there was a request made by Dunbari to try and Shroud mostly as a guild this Thursday night. That would be the 24th.

I believe that it will be his first shroud. And I think we need to give him some loven here and show him the ropes. So leave a comment if you think you can make this happen. If I have to I will start a shroud myself and maybe Pm a few guys that can really help out so we can do a real teaching shroud.