Techwright

Thursday at 03:36 AM

On 8/22/2025 at 3:28 PM, Skyhawke said:

Just finished it and loved it. Between this and Superman, maybe the film industry will start to realize that we want comic accurate suits, good vibes and a fun movie with some action and character building. Not just either super grim dark or a quipathon.

Just got to see the F4, and I, too, loved it. I can't get enough of the retro-future look. I could wish for an F4 video game where a player could explore retro-future New York similar to how one could explore Manhattan in the currently popular Spider-Man video games.

I thought I'd be annoyed with Johnny Storm, instead, I was pleasantly surprised. His putting on the thinking cap to figure out a key plot point was great. Sue was good, not mishandled but confident, Ben Grimm is easily my favorite (not sure I like the beard, but it made things interesting). Loved that the showed him as an extremely competent pilot. Reed was the only character I didn't completely like, and that is because they had him so nervous and doubting. I can't think of any other work that I've seen with him in it where he doesn't show complete confidence. But I didn't hate the character, I just wish they'd put a bit more stiff spine into the flexible character. Galactus was very well done. The visual scale alone was worth seeing it. I wish I could have viewed that on Imax. Silver Surfer was done well, and I really liked the aggression at times, while the sorrowful compassion at others. The robot was both cute and practical, something that don't always go hand-in-hand (*glances at a little red can of a robot in Andor*)

Above all, I loved the tight-knit team/family dynamic. It should prove a great contrast to the barely-assembled Avengers in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Thursday at 03:22 AM

I actually enjoyed the third movie, though the middle one was abysmal. A true waste of everyone's talents and creating huge plot holes from which they could not recover (teleportation across sectors with pinpoint accuracy?) Much of the first one I liked, but again, it suffered from some pretty juvenile writing when dealing with space physics.

I was actually hoping for a 4th one to improve on the best elements of the 3rd one, and if done today, the timing would have been right for their version of Phase II, which was to have been a TV show in the late 1970s showing the maturing of the characters. Instead, Paramount turned it into The Motion Picture (but redeemed itself by giving us the trilogy that followed).

I do feel the stuff that's come out in the last few years to be inferior, though certain episodes that I've seen break free from the rot. It's ironic: the same thing that Paramount used in The Motion Picture (glossy effects and higher tech appearance over writing quality) has often, to my perception, been the problem of the new stuff.

Also, I'd really, really...and by that I mean really...like it if they'd break free of the Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic, especially the Spock family saga. I did accept that Spock had to be a part of the Captain Pike stories, as it was canon from the original series. But otherwise, look upwards, writers. It is literally a massive galaxy. There's so much more to write about than one family endlessly reinvented. I'd really like new series and movies that cover new ground, or at least flesh out material that's only been sketched out before.

October 31

Finally...finally!...had the chance to see season 2. The quality didn't miss a beat from season 1, thought the vibe felt very different at times. I was impressed how they constantly undermined my beliefs that every focus character that was not in Rogue One would be dead before the series ended. Some characters' story arc endings were quite surprising with at least three ending far before I thought they would. The ISB team was smartly written, even if the characters themselves were significantly knowledgeable while being unwise in their dealings.

I'm not sure a spoiler box is necessary this far along, but I'll put one up anyway.

Spoiler

I was shocked at first to see Benjamin Bratt in the role of Bael Organa, and feared Jimmy Smitts was in poor health. Turns out Smitts was tied to another filming project and could not break free. That matter cleared up, I was delighted with Bratt's performance. It is a slightly different performance than Smitts gave. Bratt has a more regal bearing and a harder edge than Smitts presented, but it was no lessening of the character, and I appreciated the difference in interpretation the same way I'd appreciate Hamlet by as varied a group of actors as Olivier, Branagh, Tennant, and Gibson.

Genevieve O'Reilly shone as Mon Mothma, and really created a powerful 3D version of the character which previously was more 2D, good for cameos and short performances. I'm not sure I entirely understood the sub-plot of her daughter constantly undermining her, even through an arranged marriage, but it did add to the tipping of the scales to show just how alone Mothma was becoming.

Stellan Skarsgård continues to be a show-stopping powerhouse in whatever he does. I very recently re-watch The Hunt For Red October, which I'd not seen in years, and was surprised to realize that the Russian sub captain Tupelov was played by a young Skarsgård. Not sure how I didn't realize it before, but it goes to show how he can so inhabit a character that only the voice can be the giveaway. I was mystified for a short time as to why his character Luthen, so full of confidence in the first season, seemed to struggle in the second season, until they gave us his outburst about having to juggle too many lies and too much detail. Indeed all of season 2 was about deconstructing the powerful characters created in season 1.

The only character I still remain mystified by is Syril Karn. Karn was a character whose presence I never did understand in Season 1, and although he made much better sense to me in Season 2, his sudden death felt like Hitchcock's The Birds: a sudden ending that left me bewildered. I could tell that the character had suddenly grown, his point of view changing, but not really being given a chance to act on that heroically left me feeling a bit let down by the writing.

Supervisor Meero's fall from her lofty status, and her ultimate breakdown in prison was interesting, and surprisingly satisfying. While I'd anticipated her death, her survival, no matter how spartan, leaves an opening for her return in future Star Wars, though how is a big question. I'd expect a need to tap her intelligence would be the key to unlock her jail cell, similar to how Admiral Rampart became the focus of a jailbreak in Star War's The Bad Batch.

Major Partagaz's fall from grace, bewilderment, and ultimate suicide was also a satisfying end. The almost ritual "falling on the sword" suicide, which his second in command recognized and condoned, seems to harken back to George Lucas' love of elements of samurai culture added to Star Wars. Anton Lesser is to be commended in the role, portraying "whip smart" equally well with voice and face.

I guess there was another character didn't fully understand. B2EMO, while ultimately happy again, has long puzzled me. There no arms or tools to show any worth to B2, and I was mortified in season 1 at the idea of creating a synthetic with negative emotions so that it would suffer. The only thing I can think of is that B2 was created to be a synthetic "lap dog" of sorts, and that is why he just rolls around and emotes or talks. It's a cute character, but possibly the least useful droid in Star Wars. Even that ball, BB8 had tools, like a welding torch.

There's a lot more I could say, but I won't due to length. I did appreciate an expanded view of Yavin IV and really like the upgrades they gave to the Senate Building on Coruscant. And of course, we got a lot more of Director Krennick, and I felt he was a lot more unsettling than in Rogue One, so that was a treat.

October 29

Finally got to see the last 3 episodes, and I generally liked what I saw. I was just a teeny bit put out by the ending, but I suspect that was due to the producers hoping they'd be greenlighted for a season 2, which is, unfortunately, not looking that bright at the moment.

I kept hoping Jod would be a John Silver type, a mean pirate who discovers a heart, but alas. That said, I certainly don't think Wim is a Jim Hawkins type. I'd hoped for some significant growth from the character, but instead, he has minor growth.

I was really hoping for a season 2, especially since:

Spoiler

You now have a vast, lightly guarded treasure planet, which has lost it's best defense: the dangerous storm cloak. The concept of the New Republic having to repeatedly fend off a significant number of pirates as word leaks out would make for an interesting dynamic. For that matter, this is in the era of the Imperial Warlords, so "pirates" might actually be Imperial warlords plundering the planet for much needed wealth. Few of the remaining lead pirates are shown as dead, just implied, which suggests potential surprise comebacks, and Jod himself is looking very much like he's a plan to escape. The city was badly damaged in the attack, and the rebuilding, though clearly covered financially, might add to the interest. The challenges of reintegrating a society that's been missing for centuries ads to the interest. Of course, we've got kid actors and they're going to be older and taller if a sequel ever comes out.

October 29

11 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

Thought:

Hide contents

team tryouts... including a Ben Stiller cameo, and finally getting Milana Vayntraub on-camera as Marvel's Mightiest Heroine.)

Hmm...as Mr. Furious? and Squirrel Girl...yeah, I've been waiting for that one to show up.

Kevin Durand as Blob might be another fun cameo, taken from the Wolverine movie, especially if Blob still has his emotional issues.

Several lesser-known Marvel characters might also make interesting cameos.

October 29

As one who has actively avoided certain MCU movies and D+ series in whatever Phase they're currently going through, I finally (finally!) got to see Thunderbolts* and I have to say I largely enjoyed it. Certainly there's more humor than I anticipated, even having seen several such moments in the trailers. There are some shortcomings:

1. That death:

Spoiler

I felt like the Taskmaster death came too quickly. First of all, Taskmaster is supposed to be remarkably adaptable, and they've never, ever portrayed their version to the extent that I see in the animated versions. Her death should have happened much deeper into the storyline. As it stands, they gave no effort to developing any empathy towards the character.

2. That team:

Spoiler

...is greatly under-powered for calling it an Avengers team. Sure, Sentry is a cut above Thor and Hulk, but there really should be a second heavy hitter, even if they're more of a range striker like Wanda, rather than a slugger. There's no other flyer, and there's no off-tank like Iron Man and Vision. Instead we get 3 super soldiers, what I'd call the top end of the ground troops, and two assassins, one of which has phase powers like Vision, but again, no flight or range strike. I was more comfortable with them as Thunderbolts, as it suggested their fights would be different than Avengers scale. Of course, if they eventually merge the remnants of the original Avengers with the New Avengers, things might be much different.

3. That shield:

Spoiler

6 months later, clearly expensive new tech and decor to their new base, and the New Avengers still cannot repair/replace Walker's shield? That was taking the joke too far, in my opinion.

4. No mention of...

Spoiler

Bill Foster, aka "Goliath". Last we saw him (I think) he was telling his ward that he wasn't running and they were going to tackle things together going forward. For that matter, no mention of the Pym family, who was supposed to have provided ongoing support for Ghost. I'm not sure they'd be thrilled that she's an assassin after all their kindnesses to her.

I wasn't sure I'd like Bob, but I found I actually did. Kind of an overpowered Martin Li/Mr. Negative, another character I like. I'm interested to see how he'll be referenced in any future New Avengers story.

October 22

New expedition with a dark nature to it just dropped. NMS calls it their "Halloween" event. Focused on expanding those elements created in the Corvette release: custom-designed multi-player ships (corvettes), space walking, sky diving, etc.

From the Steam notes:

In Breach, players will traverse a desolate and abandoned universe and on their travels encounter the abandoned remains of ill-fated corvette ships, all ripe for scavenging ship modules to add to your corvette-building arsenal.

The jewel in the crown of these wreckages is the Fireship Arcadia, the fate of which you will learn as you venture through Breach. But you will have to face your fears and make a leap of faith into the black as you space-walk through these eerie systems to glean its unique remnants.

The spooky Breach Expedition embraces the darker side of the universe and will also lure the bravest Travellers towards the ominous and exotic purple-star solar systems which players first glimpsed in Worlds Part II back in January. The planets in these systems are particularly foreboding with their deep, abyssal oceans, unearthly entities and the notoriously imposing and volatile gas giants.

October 21

8 hours ago, El D said:

It's been long enough from the release of Iron Man 3 that the negative reception has faded,

I was very vocal in my distaste for Iron Man 3 when it premiered, due entirely to the Trevor Slattery reveal. That changed, though, when they released the Marvel One-Shot All Hail the King, which revealed that there really was a Mandarin in the MCU universe. That the real one didn't ultimately match up to my full expectations didn't matter. I just wanted there to be an actual one and not a pair of fake ones (Slattery and Killian). I still get an eye twitch whenever I rewatch IM3 and see Sir Ben so commandingly performing sheer menace (so much wasted fantastic potential), but I've made my peace with it thanks to the One-Shot's revelation, and I'm actually enjoying IM3 these days, and found Trevor to be quite fun in Shang Chi.

October 20

On 10/16/2025 at 6:51 PM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

It's tricky to piece together exactly how this is going to play out, but having read a few different pieces...

.

..seems that Simon goes looking for Trevor - as one of the very few (sorta-) approachable people who's been involved with superheroics, but is also an actor. And while Trevor's a cantankerous, manipulative, needy old bugger, he does come to realise exactly how much Simon wants this and is going pretty much Method to get it. So he swings in behind him.

Though whether Trevor's help will prove useful, backfire horrifically/hilariously, or both, remains to be seen...

Keep in mind that Trevor stayed behind to train with Shang-Chi's aunt and company. Not sure what, if anything he learned, but he may surprise us.

October 14

I thought I'd point out a demo game on Steam that I'm quite enjoying at the moment. The early access begins November 6.

The Last Caretaker is a 1st person survival story told from the perspective of a caretaker android, a shepherd to the last vestiges of humanity due to some great cataclysm not clarified in the earliest parts of the game, at least as the demo stands. I do know that the reason you're the last is that there are a variety of antagonists that absolutely wrecked the other caretakers. You'll find signs of the battle all over the opening structure in the demo. The three kinds of opponents I've seen so far I'd classify as "techno-vores". One mechanical, two organic in nature. Light plays a significant role in dealing with them.

The demo tasks you with finding your way through the structure in which you wake to a docked boat, which you then must repair and stock to make an escape. Cabling, energy storage, and related connections are vital to your survival, and part of the puzzle is learning how to use these effectively, which not becoming techno-chow for opponents. As with most survival games these days, the deconstruction of items to gain raw materials is also vital. You learn on the fly. The game gives you few clues to start with, though there is a missions list that can help enlighten you, and eventually there is an A.I. voice that offers a few other clues. Other than that, exploration and experimentation are the name of the game. I've not encountered any humans yet, and from what I gather, it may be a while until I see them. I am finding "comfy" items like teddy bears, love letters, and terrariums that I suspect give bonuses if enough are collected. Your caretaker is in learning mode, and is award skill points to be used for customized choices in abilities.

Those that have followed me in the forums probably picked up on the fact this is a 1st person game, and that I'm one of the poor souls whose body cannot handle such. 9 times out of 10 I get very nauseous. I'm happy to report this is the 10th time, and so far, I've had no nausea with the game.

October 13

Here's the teaser:

October 12

On 10/9/2025 at 12:18 PM, Oubliette_Red said:

I still hop on it occasionally. Send out expeditions from my frigate. Just found the console on the where I can build the Corvette (not much of a PUG-er so I'll likely be gathering/buying parts piecemeal rather than doing the Expedition 19.

I did the Expedition, and enjoyed it. It was one of the easier expeditions that I've undertaken, and surprisingly did not involve diving into some remote deep part of the sea to battle horrors, nor repeatedly visiting planets of biological horrors (though, if I recall, there was a single planet, but what I had to work with was well away from any true dangers).

The corvette is a welcome addition to the game, though building a sleek one is taking a bit of a challenge to figure out all the connections. Or rather, I should say, figure out what to do when an seemingly obvious spot for a connection doesn't actually have one.

I do have one big beef with the game now that corvettes are involved: portaling with a corvette. NMS has done nothing to provide parking pylons/landing pads for the corvettes, and has created a problem by having the corvette emerge from the portal with your character, while hovering too low and too close to the portal. This has created an nearly game-breaking effect of the ship trapping your character in the ship framework when exiting the portal, necessitating returning to the last manual save (auto-save triggers when entering the portal, so using it becomes useless, repeating the problem). One also cannot put a portal just anywhere in a base for this reason. The ship drops a teleporter pad which appears a few feet in front of the portal. If it encounters any structure, it is inclined to trigger the trapping effect. I've had to redesign multiple bases for this reason, to something less than ideal, to make the portal usable again. I've almost given up on corvettes as a result, which would be a shame as they can bring a lot of interest to the game, functioning as a half-step between one-man ship and freighter.

October 12

18 minutes ago, Ghost said:

The main thing that make me leery, is that I ALWAYS hated the character in the comics.

I have not been as exposed to the nature of Simon Williams as I have other Avengers. What I have encountered gave me something of a Johnny Cage-like vibe: cocky action star. Is there some facet(s) of the character that specifically trigger your hate?

October 12

3 hours ago, Darmian said:

Have you seen the recent Superman?

I have not. There's (unfortunately) a lot of things I've not seen this year due to some family needs that had to be addressed first.

October 12

The MCU is finally pointing the spotlight on Wonder Man, and... Sir Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery is back, baby!

As IMDB points out, this interpretation is extremely meta. ( I thought the metas were all over in DC Comics. Okay, so that was a poor pun on terminology. Carrying on...) The character is Simon Williams, same name from the comics. This outing the character is black American, though he remains an actor, who is trying out for the big-movie remake of... Wonder Man.

Huh?

As Kovak, the in-story director states "When everyone is tired of superheroes, there is an opportunity to re-imagine a whole genre."

It's as if Disney/Marvel had been reading online comments for a few years.

Yep, the meta of this film crashes in early and often. Posters and clips from the in-story original Wonder Man film show a Caucasian Wonder Man whose appearance and costume match up (at least with 1970s sci-fi styling) with the comics character. Personally, I see it as a fun way to say, "Yep, this MCU Simon Williams is going to be somewhat different. Deal with it." The trailer can fill in the rest. What I find interesting is that the trailer deliberately doesn't speak to MCU's Simon William's powers, which gives the whole obsessed actor thing, and the comedy elements, including Trevor Slattery, a chance to breathe. While not stated, I suspect MCU Simon Williams does not yet have his powers.

Wonder Man will be an 8-part series on Disney+. IMDB suggests Sir Ben will be in every episode.

One other note: I keep thinking I've seen the actor for in-show director before, but if I've picked the right name from the IMDB list, I don't recognize him or his body of work. It looks like the character might be a lot of fun as well.

October 6

Late to the party, but I'll share a handful of things:

1. Do a little badge hunting/earning...specifically Accolades. Some of the awarded accolades for badges come with bonuses that will boost your character or unlock a special ability.

Hero accolade powers

Villain accolade powers

2. Ask in advance of tackling a new-to-you opponent group. Several opponent groups have one or two character types that need to be dropped quickly, otherwise your fight will be much harder. Seasoned players know these, and tend to set targets to them before wading into the mob. For example, the high-level group, Malta, has a category called "Sappers" that can make fighting the group really miserable if they're not dispatched in a first strike. Malta's "Gunslingers" are usually my second target for reasons that will become obvious. I'll add that a few groups have NPCs that can resurrect once if dropped, so knowing that can save you from having them hit you in the back once you've stepped over their body to deal with others.

If you're doing solo work, you can ask in Help channel or in zone broadcast before tackling a new group.

3. Squishy types can target through the tank, tanking Kheldian, or brute. This works when both are actively involved, and its probably best if the squishy lets the tank know they'll be using the tank's targeting.

Squishies: Setting your target on your tank and just firing everything will have your character hitting whatever the tank is pointing at. This allows the aggro you create to rest on the tank's sturdier frame, rather than the squishy, increasing survival chances. It's not an absolute. I've seen NPCs leave the pack and deliberately target my squishies, but it reduces the heat you may bring upon yourself, at the exchange of not getting to pick a target.

Tanking types: This also means that the tanky types should remember to target something even if they are just throwing out taunts. You're creating opportunity for your range strikers by doing this. I've had several times I've targeted through a tank and the tank is...just standing there absorbing blows, no NPCs being targeted. As a result, my squishy has to break with the tank and take the heat himself.

4. If you've not already done so, check out Fort Trident, the secret base right out in the open. The entrance to Fort Trident was moved a few updates back, but for some reason, it is still hiding in plain sight to most players. To find it, just stand on the front porch of City Hall in Atlas Park. The building to your left, across the street, houses Fort Trident. (It has a big FC banner on it, and states "Freedom Corp" above the door.) FT was designed to act as a sort of base to those players who don't have a base. It doesn't offer everything (no base storage), but it does offer much. Be certain to check every room as there are some very useful things stuffed in some of the back rooms. Fort Trident has another interesting feature, in that you can use it to teleport to the starting point of Freedom Phalanx Task Forces. For example: don't know how to find Manticore to do your first Manticore Task Force? Go to Fort Trident and find Manticore there. The glowing circle behind him is a portal to his location in Brickstown. I can't tell you how many times I've seen teams try to coach a new player into finding the path to a task force start, when really all they have to do is get the player, already acquainted with Atlas Park, to go into Fort Trident and teleport to target.

One other thing to note: A first timer in Fort Trident might think the fort only extends to the wall behind Back Alley Brawler (the trainer in the fort) and the submarine (yes, it is a sub fort). However, that is an optical illusion. Most of the fort is behind B.A.B.

5. Day Jobs - when logging out, consider parking your character in a Day Job location. Examples include hospitals, police stations, train stations, and City Hall, but there's many more. While you are away from the game, the character begins earning time towards a Day Job badge for that building or plot of ground. It takes several days to complete one, but once earned, the Day Job starts to accrue charges that can be used for a variety of benefits. Continue parking in the Day Job spot to recharge anything that's been used up. Pairing the right two day jobs together will create an accolade which has further benefits.

Here's a list of Day Jobs, Day Job accolades and what benefits they give.

September 26

19 hours ago, mechahamham said:

I respect the Layer Cake Room for what it is: a trap to split teams. It's very effective at its task. Telling your team 'work down and then up to the top' is really all you need to keep it manageable.

Down-then-up is only effective until the knockback enthusiast on your team starts yeeting the opponents into the center space. Then you're headed back down again. For this reason, I'd personally prefer to start top and work down.

September 26

Bribes can, allegedly, shorten the time. You can make all bribes payable to @Snarky.

September 26

On 9/24/2025 at 8:33 AM, Skyhawke said:

I think this thread sheds some light on why they're checking for humans.

I am now imagining Rikti struggling to identify all the boxes with normal, everyday human-related stuff in them.

September 23

Resolved by very specific two elevators utilized, or resolved by any two elevators used? I can see the first as annoyance, the second adds a dash of player-choice variety, though admittedly it would be better if there was a random number of elevators used each time.

September 23

Normally, I notice this when I click the link to go to the unofficial wiki, but I noticed it today when signing into the forums after clearing cache.

The "verifying you are human" message came up, ran a bit of animated graphics, seemed satisfied, and let me in. My camera and mike are disconnected, and I offered no input. So...what is it really doing to "verify"?

(Yes, I know my handle is "Techwright". I don't know all of IT. I have a very particular set of skills.)

I'd recently learned that a lot of those verification hoops we had to jump through on other websites, you know the ones where you're supposed to pick out all the pictures with a traffic light, bus, bicycle, nuclear weapon, etc., were actually about training A.I. using humans as unwitting teachers, rather than about true security. I'm not saying this is the same, but with no interaction, I find it curious.

September 23

11 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

First teaser is up, and…

…well, it’s fun, but not a whole amount to guess the plot from. We know
Rotta’s in it from the cast list, and seems a bit fitter than his dad was. Someone’s got hold of a secondhand Razor Crest too… that may or may not be Mando’s as the N1 is still in it. Western bar fights. Arena fight of some kind. Imps fall down, go BOOM.

Oh, and Sigourney doesn’t share.

Going to do a bit of break-down here:

0:47 - Everyone's favorite "hairless Wookie" Rebel in glorious combat action! He's even using his species' traditional multi-function weapon, the bo-rifle, though the live-action version looks thinner than the animated version.

Rotta seems to have taken a different path than every other Hutt. It actually kind of makes sense. I'd been wondering for years how George thought that giant, fat slugs would ever rise to dominate species that could so quickly attack and kill them. Seeing what appears to be a physically powerful Hutt, seems to close that plot hole a bit. If he's shown to move with serpent-like speed as well, then the plot hole closes, and Hutts rose to power on their physical prowess, but grew soft, fat, and indulgent when they gained enough power for others to do their fighting for them. Also, is Rotta a slave gladiator, or a ruler gladiator? Is he Maximus or Commodus?

I'm very curious as to what merits the Anzellans having such a prominent place in the teaser. As robot techs, they really had a very narrow role in the series.

Second Razorcrest. I've been expecting this for some time. The Naboo Starfighter has no room for hauling bounties. It's great for anything not requiring hauling. I'd imagine Mando is parking whatever craft is not in action, probably at either Mandalore or Boba's Palace.

0:54 - Grogu is eating Mantel Mix, the treat some of the Bad Batch enjoyed after each successful mission. As the name implies, it was sold on the planet Ord Mantel, where Cid was based, so, is the arena and Rotta on Ord Mantel, or did some clever entrepreneur bring it to another world? And...if they're on Ord Mantel, is Cid going to be tied into this movie? I've been waiting for that shady Trandoshan to get her just comeuppance, warm or cold.

I don't recognize the two giant droids nor the symbol on the door they guard. I feel like I should, though. Perhaps they're a reference to some of the Star Wars I've not seen this past year and a half. Guess I may need to go see Eric Voss' explanation on New Rockstars channel.

Nor do I recognize the giant reptilian gladiator, though it's design, especially the elongated neck, reminds me of one of the many reworkings Star Trek did on the Gorn species to make them truly terrifying. EDIT: Ah, the gladiator is a Mantellian Savrip which answers questions. First off, the species is represented by one of the pieces in Dejarik, that is, Star Wars holo-chess. We first saw a game of that on the Millenium Falcon in that funny "let the Wookie win" moment. Secondly, its species is from Ord Mantel, which, with the Mantel Mix, seems to cement that the gladiatorial fights are on Ord Mantel.

I also didn't recognize the cobra-hooded nasty with the metallic grin. I've since learned that it is likely an Amani, and species that I should have remembered from an episode of the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars. They were the aggressors in one of the many Star Wars reinterpretations of the Seven Samurai / Magnificent Seven movies.

AT-ATs in the mountain pass - first thought was "Dude! Why you be putting the heavies in the narrow, snap-rock pass? It should be the chicken walkers (AT-STs)." That obvious mistake aside, I'd note that, although we're several years into the 30 year gap between Original Trilogy and Sequel Trilogy, the Imps are still using the AT-ATs, and not the "gorilla" version, the AT-M6 that shows up in the Sequel Trilogy. This suggests in the over-arching story of Star Wars, that the Imp warlords are using up whatever scraps and surplus they can find at this time. They've yet to create a serious, new engineering and manufacturing center that will fuel their return to form as the First and Last Orders.

The creature attacking Grogu and the Anzellan at the teaser's end appears to be a womp rat, the rodent species native to Tatooine that Luke used to "bullseye" as a younger teen. If it is a womp rat, we may have just seen evidence of yet another visit to Tatooine.

September 22

13 hours ago, Archaeological_Hawk said:

Woah, that’s cool as heck. I’m going to look into those missions. Thank you!

13 hours ago, gameboy1234 said:

Just a bit more info, Jim Temblor introduces you to Penelope Yin, who introduces you to Doc Delilah. You have to start Yin before level 19 or you out-level her and won't get the introduction to Doc. So best to start with Jim right at level 15 imo.

Right, so to expand on what I stated earlier, when a player out-levels a contact and their missions, it's not the end. The player can go to the out-of-time zone of Ouroboros, to "travel back in time" to do those missions at a lower level.

If you've not yet encountered Ouroboros, go to the area around the Atlas Park trainer, Ms Liberty, and ask in the Broadcast channel if someone would be willing to drop an "O-portal". Invariably, someone will do so, and you'll see a gold effect appear on the ground and the air above it for a limited time. Click on this, and you'll be transported to Ouroboros, and your powers trays will gain a shortcut control so you can generate an "O-portal" yourself on a timed basis.

Ouroboros has several interesting features, but for this, run up and into the building, and you'll see one large and several small Pillars of Ice and Flame. Clicking on any of these will present a menu of possible story arcs of the past (lower levels) that you can experience. What you'll be seeking is the (blue/hero side) 3 Faultline arcs (parts 1, 2, 3) titled "The Rumblings of the Past". If you accept a story arc, the game will reset your level and abilities to the appropriate level and you'll remain that way while you work with the arc. It's worth noting that should you join a supergroup with a fleshed-out base, the base creator might have installed a Pillar of Ice and Flame in the base.

There are two other ways I can recall in order to handle this:

1. team with someone who is the appropriate level and is doing the arcs. The trick here is that you'll need to stay on top of the reading of the clues and such, since the setup is geared more towards informing the main player of the arc.

2. Visit a S.T.A.R.T. vendor, and ask them to turn off your ability to earn XP. This can be reversed later. Using this, you could remain at a level that all the contacts in the Faultline arc can work with. Just remember to turn XP back on afterwards. The easiest START vendor for a blue/hero side player to find stands next to the fountain to the right of the giant statue of Atlas in Atlas Park. Another can be found in Pocket D, the pocket dimension nightclub, ski slope, and entertainment complex zone.

Lastly, if you're visiting Faultline zone, it's entrance is found at the southern end of the Skyway City zone, not far from the Skyway City (south) train station. There's also a supergroup portal in Faultline by which you can reach it, if you have access to a supergroup base with zone portals.

September 22

On 9/20/2025 at 7:55 PM, Archaeological_Hawk said:

Hello, everyone. I am new to COH, and this community. I felt an introduction would be a good start.

My name is Archaeological_Hawk. I enjoy archaeology and old Hawkman comic books — both Silver Age and Golden Age. Other interests of mine include hockey, snowboarding, amateur radio, Cold War espionage, Syphon Filter, and history in general.

Anyhow, I look forward to making new friends here on the forums!

Welcome!

I've watched the entire 20 years of the original Time Team at least 4 times over now, and I follow the revival show on YouTube. Does that count for archaeology? 😁 I'm a bit of a history nerd, too.

Since you're new and an archaeology buff, don't miss running the Faultline zone missions (levels 15 to 19, or visit the Pillars of Ice & Flame in the Oroboros zone if you've moved past those levels), beginning with Jim Tremblor (zone coordinates (-330, 0.5, -1211.5)). He'll eventually introduce you to the contact Doc Delilah, the game's resident archaeologist/historian. It's comic bookish at best, but she's fun.

Posted September 21 · September 21

I would suppose you're not including the Well in this. As the sentient source of power for many of the magic wielders, it would seem to be the most powerful.

With that in mind, while it would be hard to top the Dream Doctor, I suspect, I'm not certain there is one being who is the Most Powerful. It's more like each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Ghost Widow's strength, for example, is durability. She literally cannot be destroyed until all of Arachnos is wiped out. In Dream Doctor's case, if you read up on it, he's been increasing in power ever since first tackling the CoT in the 1930s child abductions case. Eventually, there's the breakthrough realization that he's the counterpart of one of the most powerful being in existence.

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