Dammit. >< Why must you make Xaakin feel so uncomfortable, yet you are actually so very awesome?! T_T

Name edited by linguistic request.

That image not quite what I was going for, but I actually like it better...

Wait wait, does that picture mean Elostian has just invoked Godwin's Law? D: Or is that just about specifically?

RE: Obscure skill choice from combatants

You see this because those skillsets, while generally sub-par, have something to reccommend them for groups. In a world where mostly group combat happens (not counting re-enacting benny hill chases with solo "raiders") the serious combatants can say "I want to fill this niche, and the people I fight with will fill the void I leave behind".

It's essentially specialization of labor.

Regarding the knight spec stuff, PB is a great choice now largely due to the above. While the skillset certainly has other nice features, in groups, even a piece of crap sword from trader bob can be used to decapitate. So if someone only really cares about group fighting, it's a good, relatively low investment way to meaningfully contribute (especially relative to having to plaster heavy credit investment runes all over a sword).
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My twit/tweet/whatever. I'm going to get really speculative here, which I fully acknowledge, but I need to vent.

The discrepency in gains between large, organized group bashing activities (high end people astral bashing, or aetherbashing in general) is so remarkably massive its very disheartening for someone who's org just doesn't have the resources in people to mount the same effort.

Most of my essense comes from solo work on astral, something which Akui is pretty well equipped to do. But despite the risk, costs and effort involved, anything I gain is a drop in the bucket compared to what the aforementioned activities will produce in the smallest fraction of the time I spent.

When I log in after work, which is when I can actually really play, I'm usually beset by requests for advancement tests, other guild or city related requests or issues, and forging/tempering orders that together can often take a few hours to fully conclude. I do not begrudge this, however, because I know the work is helping Gaudiguch to be a more appealing place to be, in each small little marginal way. I really love the RP and feel of Gaudiguch, and I do strive to make it fun for others, and to get people to see its potential beyond that initial wave of drug/party jokes. So the work is always worthwhile, even when it frustrates me.

But, what I do begrudge is feeling like my reward for this effort is to face a far, far steeper essence gain curve than I would if I just bailed out and joined a highly established, organized, and populated (in terms of those attriubutes) organization. This is especially true in anticipation of the coming demigod changes. Though I have not an inkling of what is in store, the cynic in me anticipates losing stat bonuses/regen, perhaps even the flavourful zaps and shouts I like, and being unable to quickly recoup these things, if at all.

I have roughly 17.5 million essence, most of which I've bled for every drop of. Yet this is a very small amount compared to the more dedicated aether/astral bashers. I don't want to penalize people who have gotten very high essence, or stop people from gaining what they are- but if we're going forward with these demigod changes, then I would like to be able to have comparative gains to what they do, given time, effort, and cost invested. At the moment, this is not the case at all.

Because, really, I'm willing to work to regain my abilities, but I'd like at least a level playing field with people who have joined established and organized organizations and will recoup such things relatively quickly. It feels, as much as I objectively know it is not the case, like we're being punished for working to get fledgling organizations off the ground. If I were a wholly pragmagtic person, my incentives would lean strongly to go where my best gain for my opportunity cost lies. It is emotional investment and preference for the RP, flavour, nature, and my general interest and enjoyment of Gaudiguch that keeps me there, when by nearly any measure of speculation regarding upcoming changes, general trends of org power, and the perpetual "envoy war" (and yes, it is only partially founded speculation on my part, but such is my nature) I could achieve more selfish, personal goals far more easily elsewhere.

In my more mecurial moods, I'm hard pressed not to say "screw it" and hop. That said, since I started in 2007, I have left exactly one guild, and one org, both at the same time, and both to come to Gaudi and work on Templars. So its not like I have a lot of follow through on this sort of thing. But it certainly feels like the game is being balanced around a scale of gains (both xp and otherwise) that has such wide differences in it that different organizational participants are almost playing entirely seperate games. I mean, it simply isn't a practical option for Gaudi to do regular aether/astral hunts, in terms of resources yes, but even more so in terms of people. Ultimately, there's a tipping point somewhere for every person. I love this game too much to quit should I ever reach mine (heck, its hard for me to even alt), but if I were to, I'd certainly probably just do the most rational thing I could and hop. And then loathe myself for it. But I can live with that.

/rant. Thanks for reading.

How much in the way of raiding are Hallifax and Gaudiguch each receiving regularly?

Clearly every spec needs a timed insta-kill.

Also, that should probably be the first post in a new thread!

What, mine or Akui's?

Akui's.

With yours and mine following it.

Mine was totally unrelated. I'm considering an alt to get away from monks still being awful and Glomdoring raids still being awful when the new classes come out and I really don't want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak.

Good timing then, it does seem rather related to the long rant.

I'm beginning to see the attraction of a city over a commune, simply because of the higher planes.

More things to be raided.

Trust me.

When I moved Xavius to Glomdoring, he lost ten levels. Literally. The raids literally lasted fourteen hours a day for a while, because the Serens pretty much came in shifts. They outnumbered us massively. You logged on, joined the fight, and logged off. When there was a lull in the fighting, you got reminded that no one agreed on what the commune stood for. An obnoxious number of people got kicked out over it.

But you know what? It was awesome!

People are hard-wired to be loss averse, so I can't tell you to worry less about the numbers and expect it to magically stop mattering. I can tell you that you have something better than numbers, though. You have a nearly blank slate. You have an idea that someone is going to let you run with. You have a community that'll rally behind you if you find a way to use them. It's a lot of extra work, you'll have to really dig deep and fight your loss averse instincts, you might find yourself more emotionally invested than is healthy, but it's a lot of fun.



Veyrzhul is turning into a regular little Urazial to pester Gaudiguch. It's unfortunate, because he came on the scene right as Nienla and Urazial were rediscovering the joys of Serenwilde. It's hard to quantify raids that don't end in much damage but obnoxiously suck up a lot of time. (Hello, unwoven gates!) Major raids do happen every so often, though.

Can't really say for Hallifax.

Raids that obnoxiously suck up a lot of time are exactly the ones I'd rather avoid so that helps, thanks! Sounds like I'll be trying out researchers.

Illuminati, ! (Besides, Hallifax skills are terrible, and when your number comes up, you won't like it.)

Gaudi really isn't getting it that bad. Any attackers come in 1-3. The only problem Gaudi has at the moment is that there just aren't a lot of defenders, either. I'm generally impressed with Lusternia as a whole for the restraint they've shown. Though me looking at it from a pessimistic point of view, I'd rather say Fire doesn't get raided more because they know that after a certain number of people there, no one will go defend. They'll just be left to sit there.

Hallifax has seen its share of raids from what I hear, but yeah, I've no idea with what frequency. At the moment there's certainly more of a possibility of Gaudi getting beat on hard based off of alliances and where combatants are (Celest + Glom has many more seasoned combatants active or semi-active than Magnagora + Serenwilde, with Gaudi and Hallifax only possessing a few each), but hey, alliances in this game change with a stiff wind and good competition is always fun. And honestly, I can see Vortex being a deterrent in and of itself. Those valves would be annoying to move around in during a raid.

I doubt that either city has the amount of raids that actually suck up a lot of time, though. I certainly don't spend that much of my day defending, even with Vey running about now. I spent loads more time defending Celestia/Water/Earth/Nil.

The longest part of raids on Gaudiguch is putting back rifts because SOMEONE thinks it cool to unravel them first thing in the morning. Much like said person did to pathways that Seren used.

Researchers. This weekend. Maybe?

Necro from a few pages back: I am grumpy at Shiri for not remembering that I did a Talnara family tree.

/grump