[OOC] Pieces of 8: Bones of the North

[andastra]

I'm waiting for others to reply before I do. Seems that hero's and grainy are the only ones posting unless I'm missing something :/

[tirgesfu]

I just got back from a weekend trip and I will have something up tomorrow night by the latest. Sorry to take so long.

[DotCom]

Ugh second round apologies here. I *love* my job, but the downside of working with toddlers is that they are sick ALL THE TIME, which means you are sick ALL THE TIME.

...but they are cute, though.

---> Random fact, one of the parents entered some of my shots (of teh babiez) in a local photo contest. I don't think much will come of it, but it was a pleasant surprise. =D

[Clumsywordsmith]

Did... Did I really just work a sixteen hour day on the weekend? I will be catching up tomorrow! So expect a post then; provided nothing disastrously unexpected.

[Igraine]

*sheeeeeesh* Wordsmith! Well, all I can say is... Uh... Yeah overtime? >< Glad to see you again, and enjoy your rest hon, you deserve it, and looking forward to having you doing the "catching up!"

Wonderful posts, Dot and Derren - then again, there's very little either one of you writes (read: none) that isn't, so it wasn't terribly surprising to find such quality ;)

Andastra, unless you are waiting for someone in particular, there is no reason for you to feel the need to hold off on writing a post. We don't necessarily stand on some firm "posting order" here

eta: And even if you think it's a long shot, Dot? Still wishing you much luck in the photo contest! Toddlers really are adorable, and it must have been fun XD

[AmongHeroes]

Good morning, and happy Monday! How are you all doing today? I myself had a weekend that was 80° F, and this morning I'm waking up to below freezing and the threat of snow. Thanks Mother Nature.

Great posts to read over the weekend, as Igraine so eloquently mentioned. Who else is planning on posting soon, hmmmm?

[Lillian Thorne]

I've been pounding my head against a wall repeatedly this weekend (i.e. cramming the last chapter of math in so I can end a few weeks early) so provided I have enough brains left afterwards I will be posting soon.

[andastra]

Yay, the site is back <3

[Igraine]

Yup it is! *happy dances* Thank heaven, all is well again - and we can get back to the writings and the playings! XD

[Clumsywordsmith]

It lives again! Unfortunately, the site was down on Monday when I meant to catch up, so having no context on which to write I still haven't made my post. Wednesday evening is generally busy, so tomorrow if not today.

[Hellis]

I will write sometihng up by tommorow hopefully! Life has been CRAAAAAZY

[AmongHeroes]

It's great to be back up and running again, and also great to see the newest posts flying! Keep in up, my friends.

How are we doing this week, eh? Anyone doing anything exciting?

[Derren Krenshaw]

Well our three-day stint of lovely weather ended in snow this morning so... that was exciting in a perverse kind of way.

Aside from GW2 pushing out a new patch to say "No no, don't stare at doe-eyed ESO over there, come back to me! I'm the only MMO for you!" This week's been fairly uneventful for me so far, hopefully others have had some more interesting times.

[Igraine]

*gently pats Derren* We got cold, but no snow - that's just evil ><

Nothing so exciting this week, only because there's a big test on Tuesday of next week for me, so after I get home from school all day tomorrow, it's just study study study :( SO PLEASE, SOMEONE have genuinely exciting and wonderful plans for this week, please!?

[Lillian Thorne]

I had snow too. What the hell mother nature, what the hell?

And while I have no exciting plans I did just finish my math course which most people stretch out over 2-3 semesters which I just finished in less than one! I am so psyched, that 2 nights I no longer have to go to class! Well until my summer courses start.... But for a few weeks... Freeeeeeedom! (or something like it.)

[Clumsywordsmith]

After taking a few experimental stabs at forging a couple weekends ago, I intend to spend this one taking things a bit slower and crafting a knife via stock removal, i.e., grinding metal stock down. A pity I kept melting everything in half the last time around. And I had one just a reheat or two away from the grinder! Charcoal gets to inferno temperature pretty quick with just a metal pipe and blow drier.

We'll see how it goes. I work with wood for a living; metal is a whole new adventure. But the basic idea is the same.

[AmongHeroes]

Hello today, everyone. I'll go ahead and post again tonight and try to give a little caffeine to our RP. I know we have some busy peeps, so no worries. Hopefully we'll get back to a more normal schedule soon.

On another note, does anyone play EVE online? I've been thinking of diving into it, but some first hand reviews would be nice.

[Lillian Thorne]

I was planning to post today but it just isn't going to happen. Tomorrow is my plan and since I have no work or school that is a definite.

[Clumsywordsmith]

Oooooh... EVE. Dive is indeed the right word. My feelings on it are mixed but mostly positive. At the risk of sounding philosophical, I'll step right out and say that EVE is like life: You'll get from it what you give, and take from it what you've got the ambition to seize. You can grind for hours on end and make a few billion, or you can master the market system and grind for a few hours a week and make a trillion. You could have been playing since 2003 and never been heard of, or playing for just a mere three or four years and be a legend. I'll bust out a few paragraphs, but to be honest it would be difficult to capture the entire scope of the game in anything less than a few dozen pages.

One very important thing for prospective players: This 'game' takes a time investment like no other. Not personal time actually playing, but simply by virtue of the fact that all skills increase steadily over time whether logged in or not, it both levels the playing field and creates a huge gap between old timers and fresh blood. You literally will -not- be able to engage in many activities, fly certain ships or even use the vast majority of items until training for them. Training takes time. On the order of a few minutes for basic skills, to entire months for higher-end skills. This aspect has both pros and cons -- I personally like it, but some people might be turned off by the long wait from being able to fly those shiny hightech ships and snazzy weaponry.

The other major difference... there is really -nothing- fed to you. Nothing at all. Unlike any other MMO I've played (and I have played many) EVE does not offer definitive endgame content, definite goals, levels or leaderboards. There is no PvP and PvE distinction: both activities are well supported, but just like in the real world anyone can kill you anywhere for any reason at any time... it's just a question of consequences. You could be happily mining away at asteroids in a high security system only to have your vessel instapoopped by some badass who doesn't give a shit that Concord (the game's version of police) will descend on his ass within seconds and obliterate him. He still gets to kill you before they kill him. And for some people that's totally worth.

Not that it happens frequently. My own foray into the game has been an on-and-off affair over the last couple of years (honestly, I haven't played in over a year at this point -- lots has changed, but the core game is still the same). I've done everything from mining, to mission running, to gate-running through nullsec (player run systems) and farming NPCs in the more lawless areas, to roaming around the galaxy and finding random people to pick fights with (getting repeatedly wrecked in the process)... which to be honest covers only a miniscule percentage of a monstrosity of a game. Hell, I never even got to the point of delving into corporations and alliances -- the real meat and bones (as I see it) of a game like EVE. I was still caught up -- even after hundreds of hours of play! -- in just exploring the single-player aspect.

Rambled more or less long enough, I think. And now you've got me fiending to play the game again. Which says something -- from a guy who plays most games for a heavy stint and then never touches them again, EVE is a rarity in that I keep coming back just because the lure of the unknown has that particular lustre to it.

But if you're interested in plot and story, be warned that EVE has none -- beyond what players, corporations and alliances make amongst themselves.

Damnit. Thanks to you, I'll probably be firing my toon back up in the next couple of weeks... probably making a shift from the lawful side of the game to more piraty endeavours. I only barely scratched the surface of PvP in my time I did play. And yeah, if you're serious about playing, I'd totally cruise the galaxy with you (and anyone else interested); space is lonely, and it's been so long since I played I'm practically a novice myself.

[Derren Krenshaw]

Ahhh, EvE online..

I played a bit in College, running in a Corp (EvE's guilds) my roommate ran. It's an... interesting game? In the end I found it less enjoyable than many of your typical MMOs, but it certainly had it's own kind of appeal, and I've kept some time on my account just in case I wanted to start it back up again.

I definitely recommend either finding some people you know who play and joining their Corp, or finding a Corp right away. Eve's difficulty curve is more of a difficulty cliff, and is unforgiving to the point of congratulating those who prey on the new blood. Find some people to play with, get some tips and get your ships blown up a few times, and you'll likely find some good fun to be had.