cranebump

This description fits a particular player I've played with (till I learned better) and seen recruiting fairly regularly. They run missions only. They ask for a specific level range (or a level minimum). They gather everyone outside the mish door (because WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOING IN BEFORE ME?). Before heading in (behind our fearless leader), you get a rundown on how the mish will be approached. They always play a tank (er, I mean, THE tank). They always herd to a corner (they take pains to point out the spot--because we're all pretty stupid). If there is ANY perceived deviation from this plan, they'll stop everything to type out their hissy fit. In short, this person is a colossal douche bag (a descriptive nugget that never appears in the recruiting pitch).:-) That said, their expectations are pretty clear once you're on the team -- I'm going to play like it's 2009, and no one's going to stop me. I'm also going to bang on how people play these days while I do it. Because I'm a sour, sour, sour sack of birdsh*t.

Ah. We've run into Ilyana. Interested to see if she proves to be any challenge at all to the illustrious Enigneria.

Sky King’s Ransom [ID: 530] by @von Boomslang. A 2-mission, Sky Raider focused arc composed in 2019, this short stack delves into the doings of a scarred Rikti war vet who’s turned “hero-hunting criminal vulnerable.” One Major Ransom has turned from protecting the populace to endangering them as a member of the Raiders. Your contact is Justin Greene, but is represented by a MekMan avatar for reasons never explained. Right off the bat, I just flat out fail the first mish. I find and free my escort, but we’re set on by an ambush, which totally pummels my shortlived alliance with the warrior prisoner I’m there to rescue (perils of setting on x5 and aggroing captor group, plus a group nearby, plus the arriving ambush). The beat-up bad guy reveals the location of Ransom, where I’m sent with an admonition not to let him get away (which means I probably have a second failible mish to undertake). There’s a tangential rescue early on (from a perp who’s standing in the midst of a Raider throng, sipping coffee). Tight quarters turns this into a bit of a farming experience, which works well with my tank. Good thing, too, since, as expected, there is a chase scene with the end boss. I thankfully do not fail this time. What’s here is well-constructed. Story-wise, it introduces a Sky Raider plot involving other scarred vets (and a vow of revenge by the bad guy, whom you actually find twice in the finale [it makes sense when you run it]). On the whole, though, it felt like a story that had just started when it ended. So, for me, it felt unfinished. Plus there’s that Justin Greene in a Mek Suit thing that’s just never explained. Well-constructed, and obviously well-edited. But just a half Seal of Approval, seeking its concluding mate. PLAY IF: You want something ultra quick in the 20-24 range. Set it on x8 for tight quarters massacre-age. (and Booms, I hope you return to this story someday). NOTE: I was on my way to producing a second arc in this review, a full 5-mish one. Unfortunately, ran into a mish I couldn't complete. Literally couldn't. Problem with an objective spawn in M3. Whatever I was supposed to find just wasn't there. After trundling around a large cave map for what seemed like 6 and a half years, I finally bailed out. Will attempt it again soon.

That really is the smartest way to do it, but I've never been on a team that clears steps before 4th hostage. Been on plenty that clear steps before triggering on the top step, Speaking of Pos1: We had a player take a hard right to the back area when we got inside city hall. Is Rollister hanging out there with Azuria prior to triggering the Dops? I always assumed we had to clear those initial interior mobs (specifically the one with Tarses [and the 2nd one to avoid double aggro]).

Looks like it. Last one I popped gave me "Sturdy." Somewhere along the line I picked up a temp Manticore ally/pet, though I don't know how.

I've been cleaning them up as I go, but it's slowwwwww going with my lowbies. I did notice, though, that those things lurk on the rooftops in KR. Got to scrap with some OS Rikti, bit of Family, Sky Raiders, OS CoT, and some Skulls on an AP capsule.

This was NOT us. We had good support, but not a great deal of DPS. Nor did we have a bulletproof tank. Had a decent Brute, but that Brute often needed our heals and Trolls. It was slow, and fairly smooth, but not the usual cakewalk. Leaders were on point to ask that glowies be left alone.

Was on two YIn teams last night. On BOTH teams, the leader instructed the team NOT to click the glowies in the reactor room until the room was cleared from Clamor's first appearance. The leader had to do this to stop someone (never found out who) who'd already started the process. BOTH times. Now, after receiving said instruction, someone clicked the last glowie anyway. On BOTH teams. (sigh) I rarely get upset by this kind of thing. But, by the second run, I was a bit tired of my poor little Arse/Arse Dom getting ganked by the next wave. Didn't quit, though. And, thanks to some big insps, I'm pretty sure I was one of 2 people actually targeting a "I'm hidden in waves of Freaksh*t" Clamor during her return (that beeyotch hits hard, man). (Probably good for me, though. I'd been cruising on that character all the way through her current level before being reminded just how squishy I still am).

Finally built an Arse/Arse Dom. Went with "The Dysh." Her pet tri-cannon is named "Spoon." They run away together... For my first ever demon MM, I did a serious name (Kamadme, another name for Lamashtu), but all her pets are words from different languages, each essentially meaning "idiot.":-) Forgot lore pets of older toons: KR Devil's drone thingees are "Matt " and "Foggy"

As in real life, I would like my characters to feel they're being effective (even when they're totally not). Some level of delusion is just a necessity.:-)

Dream killer:-)

That’s “Boss” to you, mister.:-)

I’m not always facetious, but when I am… (yeah I’m not sure how to finish that one)

Am I the only sap who just clicks buttons with a cheap ass mouse? (Please let it be TRUE!):-)

Got some great feedback on Solace 1 and Gravity. Fixed typos on the former. Couldn’t really do anything on Gravity, since it’s locked due to badge. Next: Planning on doing a 1-10, per the weekly challenge issued a few weeks ago, but nothings crystallized just yet. Mainly a title and a nebulous thematic concept. Anticipate getting this done in May, if I ever get some extended free time.

I have not made use of this at all. Gonna have to, at some point, just for the flip of it.

Soylent Green is Rikti (that teleports right into your piehole).:-)

Snatch the pebble from my ha- TOO LATE!

I coulda swore the plaque I found near Blue Steel in KR (next to the police drone) was new as well. But then I figured I had just missed it during the 10, 977 times I've run past that very spot.

Not deliberately set on smaller team, but have run with plenty 3-5 teams. Like them a lot. Some time back, I posited the idea of advertising for "Star" teams, as in the 5 points of the star. But with star TF runs that idea is definitely out the window. Optimal team size? I'd say 4-5.

There are not.

Hmmmm...I'm thinking of a knockoff cowboy zombie MM....Merle Barrow (Yep...them's mah zombies...).

Old Standbys: KR Devil, AR/TA/Fire! Blaster Souler, Dark/Fire Tank One of many solo toons on Torch, taking the old school route to 50. New stuff: *Been running a lot on Everlast. Interesting feel there. Teaming feels different. Pace seems a bit less frenetic. *Been playing "The Dysh," my obligatory Arsenal Dom. Her gun pet is "The Spoon." (I guess Lore pets will be Fork and Knife. IF I get that far):-) Arsenal control is a ridiculous set, by the way. *I've run various versions of Whipsmart on all shards, most often as a blaster of some kind. However, never did anything involving an actual Whip. So I'm trying to actually "whip up" a petless Demon/Traps MM with the 3 whip attacks, augmented by whatever makes sense for an athletic, tech kinda guy (which means folding in Toxic Dart, among other things). That's gonna be HARD to make work, without higher damage tier stuff. I'll have to throw down the debuffs and find some procs and sets that help. Not subjecting anyone else on Everlast to my insanity, though. He's straight solo. * Rebuilding Everlasting's version of Major Viktory, after stripping everything. It's more chore than "fun," but there's other "Majors" out there, including a "Maj. VIctory," so I feel like I'm part of some unofficial SG inspired by CATCH-22.:-)

I oftentimes believe that negative responses exist because people feel they must cosmically balance anyone else's moment of joy with their own hastily provided big ol' basket of shit (because it's evidently grossly unfair for anyone to have the former without also smelling the latter [which your typical internet jackass will provide, free of charge]).

Perhaps “Too Legit to Quit”:-)