That's why some people raid exclusively...Its the rush of a big kill, that's taken your guild collectively a few weeks, or months to finally kill. The rewards aren't too bad either :smileywink:
Grats on the kill! Don't forget most of your buffs can be cast on the run. I usually hit my AA wis line runspeed, and then start moving. Speed buff is next, and then everything else. If there is a fury in your group they can hit pact of the cheeta and stacked with your runspeed you can go end to end in Labs in amazing time. I usually rebuff my Hate buff, and AA skills after I'm waiting for everyone else to get there.
Yes, but you're assuming a level of multitasking eptitude quite beyond me. I can run, cast, run and cast, run and steer, cast and steer, but not run, cast, and steer all at once, I always end up either stuck in a corner somewhere or taking a wrong turn and meeting some blasted {X4} on its way back from a coffee break. OK, Sorschae, what quests should I have had before going in? ~sigh~ Whysp
The Deathtoll access quest is the first that comes to my mind. Good AA and a decent item. :smileyvery-happy: Grats on Vyemm!! Too bad you didn't see any shiny new outfits or accessories.
Wurmslayer heritage quest is another. And for the masochistically inclined - the claymore series eventually gets to labs
Entry the Twelfth: Signs That The End Is Near; An Eschatological Blog-Entry If you’re reading this, you almost certainly read other stuff on these boards, so you know that the other day we had an actual developer post that bard stuff was getting worked on. My immediate thought was that the world was probably coming to an end, and so I watched nervously for the predicted rains of frogs until it was pointed out that at least in Greater Faydark this might be an ordinary phenomenon. So, last night I logged on, late as usual, and the usual guild raid was in full swing, the Brethren were fully staffed with the usual motley collection of classes and just having a wondrous time storming through Labs, sweeping all before them. I went into Sanctum of the Scaleborn with a group from Freeport; then an opening came in the raid, and with the kind agreement of the group I was abandoning, I left them and tootled out to Labs. It really was good of those folks to let me go, though I'm not sure how much they minded; 'thank God she's leaving' is such an ambiguous phrase. It reminded, me, though, of something I’ve wondered about for a long time. I’ve wandered the desolate areas of Norrath for lo these many months now, into the trackless jungles, desert wastes, and temples of ancient, wicked gods, with necromancers and shadowknights and defilers and inquisitors and everything. And have I ever been tied to an altar and sacrificed in an orgiastic rite to some nameless demon? Nope, not even once. I admit that for my weird little soul you wouldn’t get one of the top-notch demons with hundreds of glistening tentacles and glowing red fangs, you’d probably have to settle for a demon named Kevin with just a few tentacles who needs some good dental work, but it’d probably do to pet-pull some epic named, and given what I’ve said about the uber-raiders, I just can’t believe this hasn’t happened yet. I don’t think evil is even trying. It was our usual raid -- when I joined we had not one, not two, but three, count 'em, three dirges, which is a pretty rich mix in anyone's book, plus a troub. I wanted to organize a barbershop quartet but my status with the ol' guild is marginal enough already. Anyway, to make a long story short, at the end of the evening my head was just spinning, because I walked out with not one but two brand-spankin’ new items, the Adamantine Dragonfang and the Nightchord gloves. The world is definitely coming to an end. I mean, a developer posted on the dirge boards AND I got raid gear without buying someone’s leavings off the broker -- how else could these things happen? It's coming, you just don't know when or how -- but I do, having been granted the gift of prophecy in lieu of getting any dates. So that you can follow along, here’s the series of terrible events that will occur in these Final Days before the End of All Things: ~Whysprr’s Words of Woe~:smileysurprised: 1. And lo, in those days the message boards will be wiped clean and there will be wailing and grief amongst the people, who all will have to start from scratch. A line will mysteriously appear somewhere in the FAQ saying ‘beware of falling frogs.’ 2. Hear the words of the prophet! A Troubadour will come in those days to the Dirge boards, and yea, the Troubadour will be polite, and interesting, and well-spoken. Then, you will know that the end is nigh. 3. There will be nerfs, and rumors of nerfs, and the trolls will prowl in the forum. One will say to his sister, ‘yea verily, they are going to buff our runspeed,’ and she will reply ‘gawd, noob, yr so lame, we nd dps.’ And there will be flames. 4. Then the people will lament, for all the armor drops will lack STR. Or will lack INT. Or will have the wrong buffs. Or will be hideously ugly. Something. It’ll be wrong, anyway, trust me on that. 5. Then will some depart the lands, and as they go they will bid farewell with words both rude and misspelled. And the trolls will feast, verily, on their carcasses, even though the meat is gone. Because they left, already. Sheesh. 6. But the tribulations of those who remain will be great, yes indeedy, for the uber-raiders cometh, and their answers will be Always Right, regardless, and their certainty shall be impervious to data or logic or anything short of nuclear weapons, which only the wizards posesseth, and so the rest of the people will be SOL, and shall deserve it, being mere nooobs. And the PvPers shall come also, but they mostly can’t read, so it will be All Right. 7. So, the remaining faithful, even to the third and the fourth generation and their alts and their alts’ alts will all debate the right AA setup. Forever, and ever. Amen. Selah. Yours prophetically, Whysp
I think that was directed at me... but you've got me all wrong, all wrong i say! I'm not polite, I'm most certainly not interesting, and the next person who tells me i'm well spoken is going to come with a bad case of DEAD! /rant off Anyhow... bye or something... <the Troubador runs off into the distance, barely managing to outpace the rotting carpet the Wizard is riding with his Nukes>
Ieeeeks you scare me Whysprr :smileysurprised: Will the falling frogs be one of these kind? http://eq2.mafoo.org/ftw/images/ftw-27.jpg Scared Sincerly Nadjira
I sure hope you have theese saved for when the new forums get up.. Its GREAT reading, and would be a shame if it was lost in the middle.. Ah and Grats on 70 :smileywink:
Loving the blog Whysp, great reading. :smileyhappy: Us jumpers aren't all that bad you know, I jump and run around in circles and shoot off fireworks and I've got a friend or two. :smileywink:
Didnt you even get a callback to be a sacreficial elf for the fear gate in Feerot Whysp? You need a better agent.
That's GOT to be it. My agent takes 40% of the gross and doesn't return my calls. And that's good. But her Freeport connections must be lacking. Whysp
[p][size="large"]Entry the Thirteenth -- Duel of Wits with a Poorly-armed Swashbuckler[/size][/p][p]So, while the boards were all squished together into a temporary blob, ol' Whysp was still Defending The Honor of The Dirges (THOTD for short). [/p][p]We know we're not that honorable, so any threat to THOTD is a problem, and must be dealt with forcefully. [/p][p]It all began with this post from a Swashbuckler: [/p][p]This is the thread for all of us Swashbucklers to demonstrate precisely why we are the cream of the EQ2 crop. We look the best, we have the best moves, we have the best clothes, we get all the babes, & everyone is jealous of us -- even if they won't admit it. We are the very definition of "sexy". We are what the rest of you dream of being. The old line, "If you got it, flaunt it!" just doesn't apply to us, because OF COURSE we have it, & flaunting it is just what we DO. & please, don't go accusing us of arrogance, or braggadocio, or having delusions of grandeur, or some other such spurious nonsense. Revelling in the truth isn't bragging, & accusing us of being braggarts is a vain attempt to deflect attention from your own feelings of inadequacy. Rather, you should simply acknowledge that we ARE the heights of which you can only dream, but never attain. IN YOUR FACE, Norrath! === Flaye, Human Swashbuckler (70/64) Yertle, Dwarf Warlock (24/14) Order of the White Bear, Mistmoore The Most Honourable Andrew the Ineffable of Old Throcking in the Hole [/p][p]This was immediately replied to by a bunch of near-inarticulate brigands dueling it out in leetspeek, for the most part neatly proving the OP's point. I couldn't tolerate that, knowing the truth. [/p][p]Well, I guess you've said all there is to say. Of course, as far as style goes, dirges have the advantage of cool music and fewer bloodstains on the clothes. And we do spend more time on lyrics and poetry than on mustache-maintenance, so we probably win in wit as well. And, delusions of grandeur are still, well, delusions, dear. But I'll have to grant you the 'sexy' part, since I can't get a date for love, money, or mastercrafted jewelery. [/p][p]But it's true, I do, occasionally, dream of being a swashbuckler. Of course I immediately wake up screaming, and have to put a cold washcloth on my forehead to mitigate the throbbing headache. It's sort of like the one about the giant pulsating purple claw that flings me into a lake of boiling droag-droppings. [/p][p]Still, I guess you have to take your dreams when you can get 'em. [/p][p]Jealous, no. [/p][p]Whysprr Wyrdwynd[/p][p]The swashie replied, lamely:[/p][p]>Whysprr wrote: But it's true, I do, occasionally, dream of being a swashbuckler. Of course you do, luv, & that's why -- of all the other Scouts -- we Swashys love to have you Bards around. After all, SOMEONE has to be there to compose & sing songs praising our prowess! === Flaye, Human Swashbuckler (70/64) Yertle, Dwarf Warlock (24/14) Order of the White Bear, Mistmoore The Most Honourable Andrew the Ineffable of Old Throcking [/p][p]To which I responded: [/p][p]Oh, all riiight. If it's my job. [/p][p]One fine and lovely spring day A swashbuckler whose name was Flaye His mustache a'twirling, was swampward sent whirling By a droag that was passing that way; A droag that was passing that way. [/p][p]The swashbuckler crawling to land Took his mirror into his right hand Said I still am the dandy, and I'm feeling randy So bring on the ladies so grand; For I'm hearing the calls of my gland. [/p][p]He sauntered along the farm lane And a pig spied his countenance vain His heady aroma, near sent her to coma She knew he was her chosen swain, So she ran, his favors to claim. [/p][p]A dirge walking home by the dell Thought ‘what a remarkable smell!" As the swashie came fleeing, that amorous being Who thought he was awfully swell; And who'd already booked the motel[/p][p]So if you go seeking romance Give a red-headed dirgess a chance Or a frog, or a troubie, or any such booby But don't ask a swashie to dance, Or even give one a sly glance Cause they're fonder of preening Than any self-cleaning They'll steal all your makeup But you'll never wake up ‘Cause there's not really anything there But a face and fairly good hair. [/p][p]Not my best effort -- it needs a punchier ending -- but except for a bit of desultory leetspeak from the brigands, who, let's face it, don't exactly attract the literary sort, the thread ground to a halt. Just goes to show that the true elite of Norrath are, of course, the dirges. [/p][p]Best ,[/p][p]Whysp[/p]
So if you go seeking out romance Give a red-headed dirgess a chance Or a frog, or a troubie, or any such booby But don't ask a swashie to dance. A swashbuckler may appear as a dandy, but they are just a dull brigand in drag If you pick a dull brig take a swig of your drink and run away with the dirge and claim lag. Much punchier!
Entry the Fourteenth -- Charity Begins at Home I'm going to take a brief break from giving the troubadours grief here to address a serious issue. As serious as a computer game bulletin board gets, anyway. The Internet is a weird, weird place. Nothing ever really dies, it's like old vampires. I wrote an article for a newsgroup on a medical topic in 1990 (pre-Web, it was for a national BBS service; yes, I'm a fossil) that was made completely outdated by some research two years later. I searched on my name early in the Web era (pre-Google - yes, there were saber-toothed tigers in the backyard then, we fought them off with stone axes), and to my astonishment the article was posted all over the place. I made a good hard try in the nineties to stomp it out, but it was like stepping on roaches in a college apartment. I just Googled the article - not an article, just a posting, really, and found a half-dozen references without even trying hard, including the outdated stuff. Seventeen years ago I wrote that cursed thing, but it liiiives (insert ominous pipe-organ theme here). Constant Readers of these message boards may have noticed by now that I really, really loathe flame wars. Except when I'm participating in them, of course - we're all of us human. I grew up in the Midwest at a time and place where Being Nice was a more important religious belief than, well, religion, so I tend to obsess about the effect of what I write on people. But, is there anyone with the least moral sense who's spent any time in this type of environment who can't remember at least one of their own postings that make them cringe? It baffles me, though, why anyone would make a habit of insulting and belittling others on these boards (the term troll comes to mind, though it's not limited to ‘trolling' in the strict sense). The anonymity of the Web is part of the problem, of course, it's far easier to call someone a pimply-faced-adolescent geek if you're not looking at them, especially if they're actually a 35-year old bodybuilder-model with a karate black belt. I can think of three possible reasons to fling three thousand years of cultural progress to the winds and make venom and malice one's tools of choice here. You might 1) think it's effective for some purpose or 2) might be role-playing. The third possibility, of course, is that the perpetrators are venomous, malicious people. There probably are some of those lurking out there, but it's a waste of time talking to you so why read further? You folks go hold up a liquor store, or set fire to an abandoned building, or forward some e-mail with pictures of cute puppies or something. Taking possibility one, exactly how likely are gratuitous insults and personal attacks to deter bad behavior on a message board? They certainly breed more gratuitous insults and personal attacks, God knows. And even for things that don't fall into that category, like misinformed or irresponsible posts, venom seems a ridiculously ineffective tool. I can guarantee from extensive personal experience that responsible professionals don't use it. There's a medical specialty listserve that I read daily. Like every single group of 500+ people in human history, we've got a couple of lunatics. And never even once has anyone said '(I cannot control my vocabulary) you, Dr. Strangelove, treating Ebola with chamomile tea is the noobest bit of idiocy ever!' We say stuff like ‘Dr. S., I don't think you can document that practice, Frankenstein, Moreau, and Piffle showed in the Mauretanian Journal of Midwifery in 1992 that chamomile tea actually decreases survival in Ebola cases because people who drink it decide life's not worth living anyway'. For the medical listserve, actual lives are on the line. For the Dirge boards, not so much. Exactly what's so important that insults are necessary - and honestly, do you think they work? If so, document, with examples. It's possible that some of the malignancy is people trying to role-play evil characters. Fine. Go for it. I'd point out, though, that for that to work you need to stay in character and make sure you include signals that you're in character, and not just being a jerk. I'd also point out that really effective evil characters are usually pretty charming. I, myself, am secretly plotting to overthrow SOE and take over EQ2 to use it as a mind-control tool to turn the world's population of computer-game geeks into my army of devastation, though what exactly I could accomplish with an army of computer-game geeks I haven't quite figured out. But I'm being charming and funny, you see, to keep people ignorant of my dastardly plans. You don't believe me, do you? Darn. There are better approaches, you know. One of the basic rules of good writing, good teaching, or great lovemaking is show, don't tell. So, instead of saying: "Gawd, noob, yr so ignorant, everybody knows combat arts damage is increased by strength, not intelligence,' ...and sparking a three-day flame war that ends with two people quitting the game and the moderators locking the thread, try: "Look, check for yourself. Check the damage range on Infected Blade, turn off Hyran's and take off a piece of strength-only gear, and recheck it. Do the same with some intelligence gear. Come back tomorrow and acknowledge my awesome game knowledge." Another way to disagree without insulting is to separate the posting and the poster, and address the former rather than the latter. It's a fine line, of course; you can't say ‘that was a malignant slice of utter ignorance' without calling the poster malignant and ignorant. But you can point out that what was said was nasty and why it was wrong without coming right out and calling the poster a whiny jerk - even if they are. If you must insult someone, and I grant that there's a certain joy in putting the rhetorical rapier precisely into the right ventricle of someone who desperately needs it, at least make an effort to do it in an interesting way. Ain't nobody here ‘cause they're paid, not even the moderators, poor souls, so at least strive to be entertainingly vicious. Be Cyrano de Bergerac, not a bleacher bum. There's something even more elegantly deadly than the right insult, which at least shows the recipient that you consider her worthy of crossing swords. Garrison Keillor did a monologue once where he talked about trying to hang out with bigger kids once when he was little, and they told him to ‘get out of here'. But when you're adults, he said, and someone comes along who nobody wants to be with - the grown-ups all leave. I'm just living for the day when some loathsome idiot posts some provocative gibberings on the Dirge boards - and nobody responds. Nobody. I can just imagine the troll in his parent's basement, aghast at not being noticed, and posting some goofy challenge to all our courage - and nobody answers. Enraged now, he eats fifteen packages of Hostess' Twinkies and posts a long, rambling, incoherent condemnation of dirges, SOE, and the Corrugated Box Manufacturer's Association - a bad idea because he might need them for housing someday - and nobody responds. Except for the risk that he'd buy a Bofors 40mm cannon at a gun show and open up on the Box Manufacturer's annual convention, and I'd rather not be associated with that, it seems like the perfect solution to the troll problem. Finally, if you're still clinging to your right to post anything no matter how vicious, recognize that blunt insults and nastiness cost you credibility. I don't think I'm unique in checking off the boxes marked ‘poor self-control' ‘immaturity' and ‘bad judgment' when I see someone spawning malignant comments without provocation. ‘Twit,' I say to myself - NOT on the board, twits are notorious for not listening. There's a word whose meaning has been lost over the last century. ‘Charity' didn't used to mean ‘giving money to good causes,' it meant something altogether deeper and richer. It meant giving the benefit of the doubt; assuming the best about people; giving the jerks a saving throw before smacking them around. It meant what we might term ‘brotherly love' before the word ‘love' was stomped flat and all the juice squeezed out of it by the cheap winepress of popular culture. That older meaning of ‘charity' is one I dearly love, though, and would like to revive. So the next time you're tempted to pull out the old and well-used flame-thrower, try being charitable. At least once. Then, if they keep trolling, use nukes. Think it over. Best, Whysp Edited over and over because these boards are buggy as a long-dead hedgehog. P.S. Send your next tradable fabled item to Whysprr on the Kithicor server. Send your next Everquest 2 check directly to Whysppr's Human, 555 Woodwood Drive, Somewhere, New Purgatory 00000. Await further instructions. Do not discuss this with anyone.
[p] [/p][p]I remember a thread about something along the lines of Hyran's losing its STR mod...I forget how it ended. Should we go back to the STR Debate? [/p]
