119058-morning-coffee-112514-rainy-day-edition

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Good morning everyone.  How about some of this:
 
 
And some of this:
 
 
 
I woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the roof.... followed by the "clunk" of a tree branch hitting the roof.  I suppose that's the kind of day it's going to be.  Hopefully the roof is fine, I'll have to go out there and look once it gets light.  Which is ok, because the dog is insta-awake too, so I'll have to go out there anyway.
 
Today is a workday but hopefully will be an easy one.  Most of the people I work with are starting to take off for Thanksgiving vacations, so the population and collective willpower at the office is dwindling fast.  Mine along with it.  I'd really like to take tomorrow off completely but I guess we'll see - someone has to keep things moving too.
 
I didn't really get to do much Wildstar yesterday, but I intend to make up for that today.  I'd like to get enough crafting vouchers for my next Adventus schematic, and of course another data fragment.  I think I'll also be working on my spellslinger a bit, he's about 2/3 of the way through Wilderrun.  We'll see though - usually when I say I want to work on one character, I end up getting sidetracked by another character.
 
There's cool stuff happening in the guild - or well, starting to happen.  We're opening up the throttle on vet mode dungeons a bit after this week, and after the December holidays are finished we'll be getting serious about putting together a GA team - well, as serious as the Daggers can get, anyway, which is to say the outtakes should be hilarious.  Everyone seems to be having fun though, and that's really the point.  I'm just hopeful that we can continue to provide a challenge to our guild members who thrive on that sort of thing, without losing the camaraderie and community that we've worked so hard to build.  Time will tell, I guess.
 
Anyway, on with the show!  What are you all planning to do today in Wildstar?	
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I am probably going to be back on the Shadowcaster.  Until I can get more guns (I only need four mortars or artillery cannons aimed up on the poop deck and a couple machine guns, definitely one aimed at the teleporter at the checkpoint.  Until then, I actually do have a lot still to do, including making the briefing room/lounge.  Inside the housing plug, for now, I'm housing the computer lab, alchemy lab, and an assembly area.  So that's on my agenda for tonight.  Otherwise, since I'm at like 960/1000 decor, the larger part of the Shadowcaster is done.  Feel free to use it, it should be pretty much done!  I'll have pics and hopefully a video of it up soon!
 
Until then, work.  Work work work....	
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Today is dailies dailies dailies. Then RP
 
Which pretty much sums up most days. Some days I don't daily in favor of RP.
 
Yesterday, Stillriver's Teahouse was open. It's bar RP but kinda not. Stillriver tends to give a lot of attention to her guests which is a little different and guests don't have to stay glued to their seats.
 
Plus she RPs out every cup...
 
Most people seemed fascinated with the large stage in the back.
 
On Rocio's side, he's still studying under the Pell. I got some pushback on his efforts to learn to use all six primal powers but there are several caveats that doesn't make it as overpowering as it sounds. Yes you can do cool stuff but achieving balance is as difficult as it is fleeting.
 
Current interest in the game is waning as the holidays approach and I'll probably get sucked into other ways to spend my time. Not quitting though.	
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Mmm coffee.
 
Heh... home ownership, what a trip.  2nd year we were in our house the main sewer line detached.  That was a fun $15,000 adventure.
 
Joined a group that I thought was doing the Lightspire 20+.  Accepted the summon and... oh, hello Stormtalon.  Same group ran Elyona.  It's all good.  Apparently I spent a good chunk of the night messing with gear and runes (to the tune of another 4-5 plat, ow).  Totally missed the teahouse (boo), hung around the Boulder for a bit then went to bed.
 
Tonight I need to do the Turkey Day shopping (shouldn't take too long).  As for Wildstar, being reset day means as many dailies as I can stand.  Since I've heard that the OC-1 Weekly gives post cap EG, I'm going to hold off on doing it until I hit the cap (for science!).
 
There's a Nor'easter barreling down on the NYC area.  Depending on the temperature we're going to get either rain or a foot of snow tomorrow.  Conditions were still too volatile last night to make an accurate call.  Think I'll plan on working from home.	
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Today I'll be building the engineering/crew quarters at the back of my Cruiser. Hoping to have this monster done by the end of the week... it's been kind of draining. I've never attempted this much planning and detail for a plot! :P
 
Other than that, I'm at a weird place with Wildstar right now. Basically the social circle I'm in is still quite active, with about 25-30 players regularly logging, but I've noticed what seems to be a steady population decline in the game in general. Peak hours were showing about 50+ players when megaservers hit, then more like 30+ by the time drop 3 came, and now I rarely see more than 20 folks in Illium at any time. The morning crew went from about 15+ people to maybe five since WOD launched. 
 
I'm still quite interested in building and in the gameplay of Wildstar, but seeing the community shrink every week is starting to impact my "will to live". It's not something I'd quit over— like I said, there are a lot of really cool people in the Dominion RP circle on Entity who play regularly. But I'm not really feeling the desire to create alts or invest deeper into the game: The main problem is that Wildstar demands too much (too much time, too much grind) and isn't showing many signs of good health (this is arguable, of course). And these two things are quite bad together, IMO. If I want to build more I have to grind alt levels, grind decor, etc. If I want to start taking dungeons seriously I have to grind gear and runes and gold for runes. If I want to raid I have to commit at least 3 days a week (still haven't seen a 2 night raid guild) as well as all the gold sinks of dungeon crawling. Ungh.
 
Now, if they were to, say, implement some stuff to make further investment in the game more enjoyable and less of a job, I think I'd jump back in with gusto. I do have one idea on that count and will probably make a post about it today.
 
It's also possible that I just need a breather. December will likely see a continued lull with the holidays coming, and that's normal, so it could be a good time to regenerate!	
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Good Morning Everyone!
 
Made 4 apple pies last night for my hubby to bring to work with him today. They are having a Thanksgiving feast today and I was voluntold to make my apple pies for them :)  I was able to save one for us here in the coffee thread.
 
 
Not much happening in Wildstar this week. I have been too busy with Thanksgiving and work stuff, so no time to log in. I have to go and get the rest of the stuff needed for Thursday today after work, but that's all that's planned for tonight. So I may be able to log on for a bit.
 
I am still working on my house, which will be ongoing. I really need to level, but .. housing .. it's so darn addictive LOL.
 
Hope you all have a great day!	
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Finally finished work experience week, though job still yet to be finished. Will have to tackle both that and college work until christmas holidays. :(
Today is finishing homework and study, then heading back to apartment in long drive. Will then pop into WS tonight.
 
Roleplay wise, been through bit of paranoia as found out about sibling being involved with dodgy gang stuff. Also met new chua roleplayer who will be coming with us to RP Event tomorrow night. There, banquet is being held on asteroid by mysterious cassian lord. Time to practice some highborn culture!	
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Today I'll be building the engineering/crew quarters at the back of my Cruiser. Hoping to have this monster done by the end of the week... it's been kind of draining. I've never attempted this much planning and detail for a plot! :P
 
Other than that, I'm at a weird place with Wildstar right now. Basically the social circle I'm in is still quite active, with about 25-30 players regularly logging, but I've noticed what seems to be a steady population decline in the game in general. Peak hours were showing about 50+ players when megaservers hit, then more like 30+ by the time drop 3 came, and now I rarely see more than 20 folks in Illium at any time. The morning crew went from about 15+ people to maybe five since WOD launched. 
 
I'm still quite interested in building and in the gameplay of Wildstar, but seeing the community shrink every week is starting to impact my "will to live". It's not something I'd quit over— like I said, there are a lot of really cool people in the Dominion RP circle on Entity who play regularly. But I'm not really feeling the desire to create alts or invest deeper into the game: The main problem is that Wildstar demands too much (too much time, too much grind) and isn't showing many signs of good health (this is arguable, of course). And these two things are quite bad together, IMO. If I want to build more I have to grind alt levels, grind decor, etc. If I want to start taking dungeons seriously I have to grind gear and runes and gold for runes. If I want to raid I have to commit at least 3 days a week (still haven't seen a 2 night raid guild) as well as all the gold sinks of dungeon crawling. Ungh.
 
Now, if they were to, say, implement some stuff to make further investment in the game more enjoyable and less of a job, I think I'd jump back in with gusto. I do have one idea on that count and will probably make a post about it today.
 
It's also possible that I just need a breather. December will likely see a continued lull with the holidays coming, and that's normal, so it could be a good time to regenerate!
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Funny enough, Neph, this
 
 
 
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for me a grind is defined as a repetitive, unfun activity that I am forced to do in order to advance.
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			I need to do dungeons but ... I would rather do it with the daggers or others. I'm likely overgeared I'm just bored. Are you guys doing anything tonight?	
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			If you're on tonight when I get home Rocio we can try to put a normal mode run together for something to get you a dungeon fix.  Even overgeared, they're still fun and a challenge.  I'll look for you or check in with Seeger when I get home.	
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I just don't think it's possible to be casually invested in the gameplay dynamics of Wildstar. The dungeons are too hard, the raids too inaccessible. For some folks wiping repeatedly to train friends can be a blast, but that's very much 'been there' for me. After ten years of MMOs, I'm not super enthusiastic about the idea of taking a month or two to complete a dungeon, it's just not my style of fun. :P
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If you're on tonight when I get home Rocio we can try to put a normal mode run together for something to get you a dungeon fix. Even overgeared, they're still fun and a challenge. I'll look for you or check in with Seeger when I get home.
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I actually tried to level my Engineer in dungeons, and it wasn't happening.  Riot in the Void was fine, ran it consecutively for awhile, but as soon as I hit 20 and unlocked the new dungeon... nothing. I logged on about six or seven times across two weeks, most often in the late afternoon/evening, and I only had one dungeon pop that went nowhere, fast. :unsure:
 
So far as guilds go, I'm pretty picky with social interaction and won't go out and just find a guild. I appreciate when folks say we all need one to get the most out of the game, but I'm not a person who will  join a collective one for that reason alone. I need the right people, the right goals, and the right atmosphere. At this point it's pretty hard to find, and it's been noticeably worse in Wildstar since the merger. I can't stand elitism or intolerant/phobic behaviour, but I also need folks who are active and skilled, so I can continue succeeding when I put time into gameplay content. I was a GM/RL for a year in WoW, and MT/MH alternately for another three years, and the strain of constant wipes is something I'm done with. :P All in all, when you throw in scheduling differences, it's damn hard to find a guild.
 
Oh, and then there's the Dominion situation. Love my faction but if the 1:3 ratio some folks have tossed around is anywhere near right (it feels right to me), Exiles have got it made right now. :P	
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I actually tried to level my Engineer in dungeons, and it wasn't happening.  Riot in the Void was fine, ran it consecutively for awhile, but as soon as I hit 20 and unlocked the new dungeon... nothing. I logged on about six or seven times across two weeks, most often in the late afternoon/evening, and I only had one dungeon pop that went nowhere, fast. :unsure:
 
So far as guilds go, I'm pretty picky with social interaction and won't go out and just find a guild. I appreciate when folks say we all need one to get the most out of the game, but I'm not a person who will  join a collective one for that reason alone. I need the right people, the right goals, and the right atmosphere. At this point it's pretty hard to find, and it's been noticeably worse in Wildstar since the merger. I can't stand elitism or intolerant/phobic behaviour, but I also need folks who are active and skilled, so I can continue succeeding when I put time into gameplay content. I was a GM/RL for a year in WoW, and MT/MH alternately for another three years, and the strain of constant wipes is something I'm done with. :P All in all, when you throw in scheduling differences, it's damn hard to find a guild.
 
Oh, and then there's the Dominion situation. Love my faction but if the 1:3 ratio some folks have tossed around is anywhere near right (it feels right to me), Exiles have got it made right now. :P
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I know a lot of RPers hate this idea, but I would LOVE cross-faction stuff in Wildstar. I'm against binary conflict in general, but also because I actually like the Exile faction/races and had a hard time deciding which to pick.
 
Cross-faction housing, intra-faction PVP, and some form of cooperative PVE design (something more guided than world L20 quests) would be nothing but good for the health of this game, IMO. :D	
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I know a lot of RPers hate this idea, but I would LOVE cross-faction stuff in Wildstar. I'm against binary conflict in general, but also because I actually like the Exile faction/races and had a hard time deciding which to pick.
 
Cross-faction housing, intra-faction PVP, and some form of cooperative PVE design (something more guided than world L20 quests) would be nothing but good for the health of this game, IMO. :D
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I know a lot of RPers hate this idea, but I would LOVE cross-faction stuff in Wildstar. I'm against binary conflict in general, but also because I actually like the Exile faction/races and had a hard time deciding which to pick.
 
Cross-faction housing, intra-faction PVP, and some form of cooperative PVE design (something more guided than world L20 quests) would be nothing but good for the health of this game, IMO. :D
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Good morning everyone, hope you're all well and good. I haven't ben posting much or playing as much as I used to because I've undertaken some new long term jobs/projects. I'll also get this out the way and say that I'm no longer leading or in The Skullkickers either primarily due to work, other life conflicts, and iI felt that the guild took on its own life(Which im happy to see) that wasn't fitting for what I was hoping for in a guild and so I left it to the hands of it's members. I know me and a friend are in the same situation as well and looking for a weekend oriented guild seems rather tough on Dominion side so we're trying to make our own with a balance of RP and PVE, previously it was a bit too much of RP. However we also wanted to create a place that is open, friendly, toward new and returning players looking to have fun and learn/teach content with occasional RP/community events on the side.
 
I am starting up on some Wildstar art again as well which has been fun since my health stabilized more and I've been working on it between my freelance and day job as warmups. People seem to enjoy it...
 
 
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I think people should be able to flag their skyplot as a "neutral" area to enable cross-faction RP.  I mean, Malgrave beach parties were an Evindra tradition.
 
I think there are actually plans for same-faction PvP, to help with queue times.  I could be wrong about that.
 
Cooperative PvE is tricky, since so much of the storyline is still tied to the factions.  For example, you couldn't cooperatively do War of the Wilds or Siege of Tempest Refuge.  It just wouldn't make sense.  Still, it's something that could potentially happen with future content, I guess.
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			Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better Typrop - also, I didn't know that about the 'kickers, but I hope the new guild is working out well for you!	
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...
Since I've heard that the OC-1 Weekly gives post cap EG, I'm going to hold off on doing it until I hit the cap (for science!).
...
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So you only get the extra gems after you're already capped? Interesting... Not a big issue for me since i do mine early on a weekend day, while most people are still throwing things at their alarm clocks or staring cross eyed into a cup of coffee.
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When going through the Omnicore-1 weekly it didn't mess with my bar of elder gem progress, so I'm fairly certain you can do that whenever to get the elder gems without having it affect your elder gems gained through elder points/experience.
 
So, good late response everyone! Would have responded sooner but I've been busy that past few mornings. Not a huge amount of stuff going on here, cleared The Defile with my exile spellslinger save for 5-person quests. Sadly there wasn't a path quest for explorers like there was for scientists, it would have been cool if it quested you towards out-of-the-way spots in search of someone/something, like a hidden stash of exanite test devices or something.
 
Dominion-side, I'm finally finished with runing up again, woohoo. At least for damage, I still need to work on my healing set, especially since I seem to keep jumping into the Siege of the Lightspire with no other healer in the party.	
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When going through the Omnicore-1 weekly it didn't mess with my bar of elder gem progress, so I'm fairly certain you can do that whenever to get the elder gems without having it affect your elder gems gained through elder points/experience.
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			Yeah, I hear the 10 platinum thing is a display bug with an addon called, uh... ah here it is, Better Quest Log. Either way it's listed separately rather than as experience.	
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			I'll make us some coffee.	
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			New thread started :) 	
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