June 13, 2010 Transcript of the Sunday Meeting of the Valar Guild

You have just entered room "valarguildmeetingplace."
Eonwe Valar: Heya.

ArPharazonV: Aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya :-)

ArPharazonV: Sorry, got caught up in browsing, gonna go to a wow meet later this week and trying to order a ticket ;-)
VardaValar1: Do you mean a competition for WoW players that needs a ticket?
Eonwe Valar: Well, I have Web News when we get there, hehe :}

ArPharazonV: no, a plane ticket
VardaValar1: Yes you do, Eonwe. :-)
VardaValar1: We'll see you when you have a few minutes, Phar. : )
VardaValar1: Listening to some LotR mood music : )
VardaValar1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OvmsZ5-gYw
Eonwe Valar: :}

ArPharazonV: :-)
Eonwe Valar: Now so am I :}

ArPharazonV: *nod*
VardaValar1: Contagious!

ArPharazonV: It's impossible to click such links away before they're finished.
VardaValar1: aww, for me too. : )
VardaValar1: Luckily they can play in the background!
Eonwe Valar: Hmm, Doesn't sound like to version I remember from my Soundtrack, but it's been a while since I listened to it in full.
Eonwe Valar: Nice version.

Sarujil has entered the room.
VardaValar1: Here's a lively one:
VardaValar1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOolYYe60k&feature=related
Eonwe Valar: Heya Ancalagon.
VardaValar1: Aiya Black Dragon!

karakedi25 has entered the room.
Sarujil: heya
VardaValar1: Let's start and let others catch up as they enter.
karakedi25: aiya
VardaValar1: Aiya Indis!
Eonwe Valar: Heya Indis.
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VardaValar1: Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
VardaValar1: Membership:
VardaValar1: You are here, letting us have this weekly meeting. Thank you all. : )
VardaValar1: Any membership news that any of you would like to share?
karakedi25: I'm back from my week in Egypt. Big jet lag.
VardaValar1: Welcome home!
karakedi25: thanks
VardaValar1: We'll expect you to fall asleep part way through. ;-)

ArPharazonV: I'm back from Spain!
karakedi25: it was a good trip, except for a lot of computer problems
VardaValar1: All you world travelers, very cool.

ArPharazonV: Here for one meeting, then will probably not be here for the next because I'm going to a WoW-player's party in England.

ArPharazonV: leaving on thursday, back on.. wednesday I think
VardaValar1: Sounds like a blast, with blasts.

ArPharazonV: actually, there appears to be a gap in the planned activities, so if I have access to a pc, who knows ;-)

ArPharazonV: from England it'd be... 22:00?

ArPharazonV: ho, second link.... the lotr requiem version, I love that one
VardaValar1: :-)
karakedi25: ?

ArPharazonV: you came in after the links, Indis!

ArPharazonV: VardaValar1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEOolYYe60k&feature=related
VardaValar1: We were playing some LotR music. A lot of the YouTube stuff may not be actually from the movie soundtracks, but re-done. Fun listening and mood music.

ArPharazonV: Requiem for a Tower, I think the official name of this version is
VardaValar1: Dreamlord-(T), previously Irmo-(Valar) the first, recently had a birthday.

ArPharazonV: Congratulations!
Eonwe Valar: Happy Birthday to our dear old friend :}
VardaValar1: We're still in contact on Facebook mainly.
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VardaValar1: Web:
VardaValar1: On the Tolkien Site, we now have Rolozo Tolkien Site art up again!
VardaValar1: That was the main source of illustrations for our Encyclopedia.
VardaValar1: Ryan Lovett, who does that site, kindly responded to my letter and shortly afterwards had the code repaired.
VardaValar1: Eonwe has some great Web news for us too, a good week for Valar. Go ahead, Eonwe!
Eonwe Valar: Thanks :}

AriehnV has entered the room.

fladrifv has entered the room.

alwin0 has entered the room.

fladrifv has left the room.

alwin0 has left the room.
alwin0: Aiya
Eonwe Valar: Well, for starters, the Valar Guild Games Site is now updated :} I did some digging in the process, and by my estimates this is version 5.0 :}

alwin0 has left the room.
VardaValar1: Aloha Flad :-)

fladrifv has left the room.
VardaValar1: That's a lot!
AriehnV: aiya there :-)
VardaValar1: Aiya Steerer of the Sun. : )
Eonwe Valar: You'll also notice I said "Games Site" and not "Games Page." With as much stuff as is on there and has been there for a while now, I thought it fitting to start calling it a "Site" :}
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/eonwe/index.php
VardaValar1: That would be more correct, aye.
Eonwe Valar: Here's a list of what the new Games Site has, without giving an overlong list:
Eonwe Valar: More uniform layout for all pages within the Games Site. All pages have a header, and a subheader where applicable.
Eonwe Valar: Easier adaptibility and expandibility on my end. As we need more pages, it shouldn't be hard to throw more in.
VardaValar1: The open menu works for me.
Eonwe Valar: No more frames. This means we have a background once again, and I have chosen the Valar Guild Shield, designed by our very own Elatan, to do the job.
VardaValar1: Good choice.
Eonwe Valar: As Varda mentioned, the menu now starts open instead of closed. If anyone preferred it closed, let me know. Otherwise, I intend to leave it open, and you can toggle the areas closed that you want closed.
VardaValar1: Tickles me that you kept some stuff for historical value. I like that kind of thing, hope others do too.
Eonwe Valar: *Almost* every page has been adapted into the Games Site layout.
Eonwe Valar: This includes the D1 and D2 ME mod uniques (and sets for the latter).
VardaValar1: That open menu is just headliners, still has big side menus, works fine.
Eonwe Valar: I found some stray Diablo tips running around Varda's pages. These are now located on the Diablo Tips page :}
Eonwe Valar: Murezor-ex's Starcraft Broodwar Strategies have been merged/converted to a Starcraft Tips page.
Eonwe Valar: All member names listed on player tables link to their info on the Members Page now.

ArPharazonV: ok, I'm back
Eonwe Valar: All character names on guild branch tables link to the profile on the appropriate website.
Eonwe Valar: For example, on the Lothar Guild Branch table, character names will link to the official WoW Armory.
Eonwe Valar: For Landroval, they link to the character profile on myLotRO.

ArPharazonV: I assume you'll be allowed to add Starcraft II to my playlist starting the end of July, by the way ;-)

ArPharazonV: hmm, does that wow thing work for AD too?
Eonwe Valar: A new section on the menu titled "Other Gaming" has been added, for pages for games that don't have an official guild branch.

Iryenth has entered the room.
Eonwe Valar: No, we don't have an Argent Dawn listing.
VardaValar1: Aiya Gilraen. : )
Eonwe Valar: Last I heard, that branch had been disbanded anyway.

ArPharazonV: Branch, yes, technically, though us Europeans will still have our main characters there for contact.
Iryenth: Aiya :-) Just got back from grocery shopping and putting it all away, glad I caught part of the meeting.
Eonwe Valar: Those characters can go on the main games listing then :}
Eonwe Valar: I can't guarantee such a nicety as a link to the Armory on that listing for characters, but it would suffice.
Eonwe Valar: I've also decided to retire the links page: Diablo and His Kin, Azeroth and Surrounding Realms, Files of the Xel'Naga, Sites Through the Palantir.
Eonwe Valar: Doing so allows me more options in the future for how these links may be organized.
Eonwe Valar: All pages in "Other Gaming" have pages for displaying their appropriate links. In addition, a master list of links can be found under "Misc" in that section.
Eonwe Valar: Some pages have internal navigation. Others may warrant it in the future.

ArPharazonV: Hmm, it appears you're leaving a lot of space for future expansion without having to revamp the whole thing. It's quite ambitious and admirable.
Eonwe Valar: Also note: Not everything available for a section appears in it's pop-up menu on the main menu. There are certain items that are *only* available from the index of that page, viewable by clicking the main listing and not the items in the pop-up menu.
Eonwe Valar: Visit Starcraft's index for an example :}
Eonwe Valar: Reviews Page: Feel free to thank or blame Arathorn (as is your wont), as because of him, reviews now have image support :}
Eonwe Valar: I had to provide it to adapt his review to the Games Site layout :}

ArPharazonV: Now we can supplement our reviews with pictures?
VardaValar1: Arathorn put in a lot of work during his time. It's nice that it can continue.
AriehnV: its not full functionale yet i take it ? because not all the links work yet
Eonwe Valar: More easily on my end, yes.
Eonwe Valar: Whisper me anything you're finding that isn't working...
Eonwe Valar: I'll mention one more thing for the sake of appearing brief, then make closing remarks :}
Eonwe Valar: For those interested in such things, I've dug into the Gaming News files as well as the Guild News files in an attempt to provide a rough chronology of the Games Page/Site under my care to date.
VardaValar1: Especially interesting to anyone working on developing web pages or just curious.

ArPharazonV: You've been busy.
VardaValar1: He really has. : )
Eonwe Valar: It's mostly for those with an interest in history, but anyone who'se particularly curious can check it out in the Archives section under Misc.
Eonwe Valar: Under Archives, there are also a few pages that I've preserved in their original form for historical purposes.
Eonwe Valar: I may dig up more, and if I do, that's where they'll go.

ArPharazonV: An interest in history is dangerous. There keeps being more history, so you'll never be finished.
Eonwe Valar: Among the most important in there is the original Tourney Page.
Eonwe Valar: Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it :}
VardaValar1: I like how the other parts of our site show up on a separate window from the Games links.

ArPharazonV: Very true, Eonwe.
Eonwe Valar: And aye, all non-gaming pages open their own window.
Eonwe Valar: So if one of those aren't working it's someone elses' fault, hehe :} Barring a bad link on my part, of course :}
Eonwe Valar: Ok, to wrap up:
Eonwe Valar: 1.) Top Right corner now holds links to the front page (Home) and the Community (direct link to Guild News) and Tolkien Site (direct link to its front page). Gaming is not a link, and is highlighted to show where you are :}
VardaValar1: Took me a few seconds to locate those, but aye, thanks for those.
Eonwe Valar: 2.) Due to the work I've done, this page is best viewable in IE8 or equivalent/better browsers with CSS3 and javascript enabled.
Eonwe Valar: 3.) Old Gaming News pages had the new games page layout imposed upon them. Except for permanently converting thee txt files from version 3 to the html they would be displayed as, I have made no alterations to the content of these files. I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to news files :}
Eonwe Valar: As a general rule, the older the news page you're trying to view, the more likely you're going to have to highlight something to read it :}
Eonwe Valar: I made my best effort to get them mostly readable.
Eonwe Valar: 4.) Any page can also be directly linked to. Read the Games Page for how :}
Eonwe Valar: Unless there are questions or comments, I'm done. An attempt at a comprehensive list of changes would rival the patch notes for a content patch :}
VardaValar1: Thank you. : )
VardaValar1: It's the same concept, aye. : )
VardaValar1: pardon, mt. : )
VardaValar1: Thank you, Eonwe! That is a massive amount of work, much of which we can barely appreciate.
VardaValar1: Your computer degree and hard work is a big asset to the guild.
VardaValar1: (Better hope he doesn't ask for the wages he'd get for that in a corporation!)
Eonwe Valar: :}
Eonwe Valar: It's my pleasure :}
Eonwe Valar: If anyone would like to write some reviews or tips, though... :}
VardaValar1: And if anyone can find a copy of the other StarCraft tourney map we used to have, we would like that.
VardaValar1: You, the guild members, keep the sites we put up fresh and evolving. Thank you!
AriehnV: its absolutely great , even tho i find it a bit confusing that some information has a pop up window and other is actuallly underneath ^^ but yeah , it seems to work fine have been playing around with it

ArPharazonV: hmm, speaking of StarCraft, I wonder what our plans will be for SCII, if we have any, but that would fall under gaming
VardaValar1: Which we are about to head to. : )
Eonwe Valar: Arien, look at it like this: anything that appears in a pop-up menu is a section of that page.
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VardaValar1: Gaming:
VardaValar1: Games other than WoW and LotRO for openers.
VardaValar1: How many think they might play StarCraft 2?
Eonwe Valar: I intend to. Frequency is the question.

ArPharazonV: as do I

ArPharazonV: but I assume WoW will remain my nr 1

ArPharazonV: especially in the evenings
VardaValar1: My family is unsure yet, as we already play both WoW and LotRO, along with a few other non-MMO's. Time becomes an issue.

ArPharazonV: though in the run to Cataclysm-release, with hardly new content being released and my achievement goals coming to completion, I'll have quite a bit of time on my hands in the afternoons
Iryenth: Gwaihir will be playing SC2, I will not.
VardaValar1: Any other games that folks would like to mention?

ArPharazonV: Played some Guild Wars yesterday, just showing my face. I met someone on my Spain fieldwork who used to play it too, but I probably got the spelling of his character wrong because I can't find him ;-) I'll ask him when I see him on tuesday, probably.

ArPharazonV: Though he doesn't play often.
VardaValar1: Neither do you, hehe. We have other members who like Guild Wars, if we can get them to mention it.

ArPharazonV: Indeed I don't ;-) but after life settles down a bit, I'll be spending more time in it. If SCII doesn't swallow everything up.
AriehnV: i ve had a look finally at StarTrek online after down loading a five and a bit gig patch lol
VardaValar1: ...come to LotRO...
AriehnV: It seems to be nice graphics s which i like . and there are quests both in space and on board other ships or planets
AriehnV: you can control weapons and shields , else you get a support npc .. a completing one , so if you play a science officer you get a supporting engineering officer npc assigned after the intro
AriehnV: its all new for me and have to fiddle out the controls of weapons and shield but i dont think i ll swap it fofr wow
AriehnV: still got Lotro as well :-) but i ll enjoy the ten days trial
AriehnV: thats me :-)
VardaValar1: Thanks

VardaValar1: Eonwe, would you like to give a WoW report?
Eonwe Valar: I'm afraid I didn't make it into WoW on Friday, but tonight I'll be cleaning the Guild Bank.
VardaValar1: On Friday, my family showed up. Also Elwing. I lose track of what days Bofur and Nob showed up.
Eonwe Valar: I should say "Cleaning and re-organizing" that is :}
VardaValar1: Saturday Sauron, Bilbo, and Varda finally cleared the three Riders quests in Ice Crown, and are now getting other characters set up to do it.
VardaValar1: Eowyn and Schlep are working their way up in levels as a duo, always tough to do.
VardaValar1: Uldaman server got a tiny bit of attention.
VardaValar1: Done here.
VardaValar1: Anyone on Argent Dawn want to comment?
VardaValar1: On to LotRO then. : )

ArPharazonV: Hmm, well
VardaValar1: Indis, would you like to tell a bit about LotRO before bed?

ArPharazonV: I got Arien's crafting mats but haven't gotten around to making the item yet, I'll just get the mats together tomorrow and finish it :-)

ArPharazonV: that's AD, I mean
VardaValar1: Thanks, Phar.

VardaValar1: Indis?
karakedi25: Not much to tell, as my computer was out of commission for a lot of my trip. I had to have the hard drive wiped and download lotro on a slow connection...
karakedi25: so I only just got lotro on my laptop today
karakedi25: but lots of people were playing today---good turnout this morning and noon
VardaValar1: I hope you were sleeping during that download!
karakedi25: I'll leave it to Varda to report everytihng I missed
karakedi25: I was.
VardaValar1: We've had at least two people bring a character to the 65 cap this week: Indis' Tengwarien and Gorlim's Jonh.
karakedi25: anyway, it was good to be back in Middle Earth :-)
VardaValar1: Glad to have you back! You were missed.
karakedi25: thanks
VardaValar1: Nimrodel and Gildor brought their hunters to 65, but I'm not sure if it was this week.
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VardaValar1: Tolkien!
VardaValar1: At the start of the meeting, we were enjoying digging up LotR movie music from YouTube as background sound. It can also be fun during LotRO gaming. :-)
VardaValar1: For a quick Tolkien topic:
VardaValar1: Does it seem to you folks that J.R.R. Tolkien used blond hair as something special in Middle-earth or perhaps as a plot device? Did any villain have blond hair?
AriehnV: hmm Nope

ArPharazonV: hmm, all the Noldor had black hair, right?
AriehnV: the only blondes i can think of are heroes of some sort
VardaValar1: Noldor except one line had the dark hair, that line had blond.

ArPharazonV: Finarfin's line

ArPharazonV: Let's see... Hador's line had blond hair?

ArPharazonV: Hurin had blond hair, but Turin had black...
VardaValar1: Turin was not exactly a good guy, perhaps?

ArPharazonV: Nienor and Lalaith, as well as their father Hurin had blond hair, while Turin had black hair which he got from his mother...

ArPharazonV: aye, between his sisters and father he did have the most outspoken dark side

ArPharazonV: but wasn't Luthien, greatest beauty of all the Elves, dark-haired?
VardaValar1: Aye, she was, and so was Arwen.

ArPharazonV: so while none of those blond may be evil, not all who are dark-haired are evil...
VardaValar1: Aye
VardaValar1: Only some dark-haired are evil.

ArPharazonV: or well, to be more accurate, not all those who are truly good, are blond
VardaValar1: All the Vanyar were blond. They were first to arrive in Valinor and remained unless called out by the Valar to do battle.

ArPharazonV: in fact, when it comes to beauty, blond and dark are quite well divided, if not leaning more to dark simply because blond was pretty rare in the lore
VardaValar1: The main hair color of the Sindar and Silvans is not mentioned.
VardaValar1: The only Sindar I can find with mentioned hair color are blond or silver. And the first silver-hair was due to contact with Melian.
VardaValar1: Thranduil and Amroth were blond.

ArPharazonV: *nod* I'm trying to find if Saeros had his hair-color mentioned.
VardaValar1: A few red-haired elves are mentioned, even rarer than blond.
AriehnV: hmm who for example?
Eonwe Valar: Some of the sons of Fëanor.
Eonwe Valar: Through their mother.
karakedi25: the twins, I believe
Eonwe Valar: And Maedhros if memory serves.
karakedi25: Maedhros is shown in fan art as red-headed
Eonwe Valar: 3-4 out of 7
VardaValar1: Quick question: has anyone heard of the Middle Earth Fanfiction Awards?
karakedi25: not I
VardaValar1: Eonwe was nominated as an author there, so I wondered.
VardaValar1: http://www.mefawards.net/
karakedi25: nice!
VardaValar1: He is a fine author. I recommend checking out his work. : )
VardaValar1: Don't forget the RP. : )
Eonwe Valar: I haven't decided if I'm going to allow the nominated work to compete yet. One of my concerns is that all of my work remain on the Valar Guild site.
VardaValar1: It could help people find the site?
Eonwe Valar: There is that.
VardaValar1: The person nominated "Unrest:What Evil Fears"
VardaValar1: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/fiction/authors/Eonwe/stories/Unrest_WhatEvilFears.htm

ArPharazonV: *nod* just looked it up on the site and browsed through it, looks good
Eonwe Valar: I was kind of hoping someone might know more about them than I do, hehe.

ArPharazonV: I'd never heard of this award-thing either. Not much of a fanfiction...fan, I suppose.
AriehnV: (http://www.wozupdoc.net/lhg.html) this is hilarious
AriehnV: sorry for that ^^ but thought i let u know
VardaValar1: Do we have any further business?
VardaValar1: Thanks, Arien. : )
VardaValar1: I've heard of the Teitho contest, which has been around a long time.
VardaValar1: If there is no further business?
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VardaValar1: After-meeting
VardaValar1: We need to let Indis get some rest. : )
AriehnV: and i deserved none *chuckles*
VardaValar1: The usual suspects should also get some rest. : )
AriehnV: will do *yawns* see u next week :-) Namarie
Eonwe Valar: Sleep well Arien :}
VardaValar1: Namarie!

AriehnV has left the room.
VardaValar1: Fangorn says hi!
Eonwe Valar: Heya Fangorn :}
Iryenth: hihi

ArPharazonV: Aiya Fangorn :-)
karakedi25: goodnight all. Sorry I couldn't be more active tonight

ArPharazonV: g'night Indis!
VardaValar1: Sleep well. There will be other meetings. :-)
Eonwe Valar: Sleep well Indis.

ArPharazonV: Namarie :-)

karakedi25 has left the room.

ArPharazonV: going back through the youtube links you gave, and browsing through related, there's some nice pieces that go together with other songs I like...

ArPharazonV: I'll just give http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SJ3e19isKA&feature=related as an example, lotr movie with Coldplay - Fix You
VardaValar1: Same. I kept going through more. : )
VardaValar1: I am sometimes sad that we don't attract more fan fiction authors.

ArPharazonV: Hah! A Viva la Vida based on Sauron... it fits, it really does

ArPharazonV: "I used to rule the world..."
VardaValar1: Is that a YouTube too? url?

ArPharazonV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afufUpOSc7U&feature=related
VardaValar1: That first one seems to be better than usual on matching video and words for relevance.
VardaValar1: Thanks

ArPharazonV: yeah, it was a good one

ArPharazonV: it helped that it used one of my favorite songs ;-)
VardaValar1: lol - I know St. Peter will call my name. And it shows PJ.
Eonwe Valar: hehe

Sarujil has left the room.

ArPharazonV: I like the bit about his castle standing on pillars of sand, and Baraddur collapsing...
VardaValar1: :-)

ArPharazonV: and of course "the sound of drums"..

ArPharazonV: that whole Minas Tirith sequence was quite well done, from "blew down the doors" to "people couldn't believe what I'd become"
VardaValar1: hehehe
VardaValar1: Fladrif's Second Life house and grounds are beautiful!
Eonwe Valar: Cool :}
VardaValar1: May 10th, 2009 in the News Archives for Reference

ArPharazonV: saving and sending

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Valar Guild

June 13, 2010 Sunday Meeting