Tambrielle

You're not Goth, are ya? Or a Punk, Emo, Vamp or Grunge? When you wake up and dress for work are you thinking "I am expressing myself freely"? Na.. the thought never occurs. You just dress and go. Someone dressing a specific fashion to make a point of free expression missed the point and is not one of the counter cultures. Free expression has been taken for granted (because so far it is just granted). Hard definition is only weird to someone outside of the counter cultures. .. And that term.. counter.. well.. I suppose I won't much get into trying to explain a Goth isn't trying to counter anything. I just look at society and shake my head. Do you feel countered?

The next theme is Gothic. Remembering the great looking costumes of last year and also remembering the judging was off I am driven to speak up well beforehand this year. Know the differences between Emo, Goth, Grunge, Punk and Vamp. Remember your South Park? Goth kids did not like being thought of as the same as Vamp. Here's a hint to get a little research going in the proper direction: Anyone with a vampire face is Vamp (cracked zombie flesh, wings, claws.. that's all Vamp, too). Emo is someone doing a nasty job trying to look cute. Grunge goes with the $80 pants tinted to look like they haven't been washed in a month (ever see the style of pants with a sickly green-brown tint? The darn things come off the rack like that and look EXACTLY like clothes that have not been washed). Spiked hair.. that's a Punk statement. Variety of clothing includes bright and dark colors. Punks are not (though can be) depressing. Goth is dark. Depressed and depressing. There is no dressing up for a night out at the mosh pit where those dang Punks haven't a clue there is nothing to celebrate. Trying to be a fancy Goth will make ya Emo in the eyes of a Goth. I suspect winners will appear ordinary, plain and of course dark. Actually I suspect to see Vamp and Punk winners. Judging this one could be tougher than usual. A Goth recognizes the difference between himself and the others. .. As do the Emos, Grunges Punks and Vamps. Anyone else wanting to know the differences on sight may need a little research first.

Additional information: This was my first attempt at an outdoor base. I had a hard time for a while; I didn't know grid size could be changed. I've later noticed the simplicity of placing ground surface last (grass, dirt, whatever) to hide clipping (shimmering) under large objects placed first. Still.. It's different than any other I've seen of the absolute divine bases others have made. I haven't yet seen another with the multiple levels I use. Others Have visited Heavy Metals and missed areas (teaching me to mind making my dreams easy to find in the new base I'm building now). I though I should reference the areas: Entry (open area with castle in town) Mansion in Entry area entered from teleporter at door. All in-base teleporters in other areas deliver passengers to the gazebo outside the Mansion. Space ship above entry (teleport on ground to one level inside space ship. Note view screen is at actual angle to appear to be displaying statue outside) Volcano (open access from entry and path from the Pyramid) Pyramid (Intended to appear to be the power center for the base. The energy flows all line up). Tunnels lead to Volcano and Mario Cave). Mario Cave has a fisherman facing away from the fish. Rock platforms let a non-sprint jump between entrances to Pyramid and Dungeon. Dungeon is a maze in places with paths to Mario Cave below and Entry above. Flying outside the base area limit shows it all walled up. After finishing the job I thought of sealing only one level.. the entry; those brick walls are invisible on one side making them perfect for sealing an area and still viewing the sky beyond. The rest of the brick plates can be used for other, more relevant space. There is a scene to view for those that use the time to fly outside. I so enjoy multiple level building with interesting detail (thank you Homecomming guys for the attention you've put into option and function of base building). Any memory that could be spared to add to base size I would not decline 🙂 though it is art to create a background that says much with 1023 or less characters and art to create a base with everything you want using 20k or less objects. ..And kinda nice when you don't fit in everything you want. Start the next base with that!

My apologies; I was not clear. I don't suggest Merit awards from AE to compare to Merit gain from Flashback. I don't NEED AE for Merits. Gaining 0 Merits over hours of play is what keeps me from exploring the imaginations of others.

Even Twinshot gives up 5 Reward Merits after listening to her "Holier than thou" dribble. ' Wouldn't mind gaining 3 Reward Merits after completing a chain of 5 A.E. Devs' Choice missions. Obtaining Reward Merits is the only thing keeping me out of A.E. If someone did manage to figure a way to abuse the idea (must be Devs' Choice and must be a set of 5 missions) how bad could the abuse be? I farm 120 Reward Merits an hour on a single character through flashback from the Pillar in a Super Group Base (using a second build of lv 17 enhancements on a fire farmer through "The Heart of the Hollows; start flashback, teleport to contact from pillar, bull thru the missions, teleport to base, start it all again immediately). I don't think any abuse of Reward Merits attached to A.E. arcs would compare to what can already be gained.

Tesla Cage from Electrical Blast now dictates other powers build Static which in turn makes Tesla Cage damage AOE. The former single target attack now may draw unwanted attention. I'm good at pulling.. really good. However not so good with Tesla Cage in the chain of attacks I use. No worries, though, when a reversion to the power is not considered 🙂 I can refrain from using the power when pulling a single target. I'll guess at answering the wisecracks to come observing a held target is not a pulled target; occasionally a second of a mob starts charging after a first strike. That is the one that gets held.. but no more with the chance to aggro a third or more with AOE damage. Homecomming fellas.. you're doin' great things with the game. My not caring for the one new effect of one power is of course only a very minor inconvenience.