Valar Guild

July 17, 2016 Sunday Meeting

5pm EST (UTC/GMT - 5)
AIM: Valar Guild Meetingplace

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Transcript work by
Ar-Pharazon and Varda.

Attending: (4)
    Arien-(Valar)/Arien V, Ar-Pharazon-(V)/arpharazonv,  ElladanV, VardaValar1 (presiding)
Some cutting for timestamps, politics.

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership:
Web:
    New art from DeepGroover-(T)
    New art from Elatan-(V) (put up during the After-meeting).
    New Dwarvish-English dictionary wordlist started for our Tolkien Site
Gaming
Tolkien:
    Dwarves page
    Forum rp story (new post made)
    Discussion: In Middle-earth, do they have a moment or two where they have to stop and think about mortality?
After-meeting:
    Ar-Pharazon: more gaming news including flashgaming reviews.
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Before-meeting

Varda Valar :    Yay, you're here ok!
ArPharazon-V :    Aiya!
ArPharazon-V :    I'm in AIM!
Varda Valar :    Was putting some surprise last minute goodies online
Varda Valar :    AIM? o cool
Varda Valar :    Give me a sec, brb
ArPharazon-V :    My pc crashed at some point (that Speedfan is a risky business sometimes) and I found my AIM settings reset for some reason, and now here I am.
Varda Valar :    back
Varda Valar :    Strange. Patch maybe?
ArPharazon-V :    Don't think so.
Varda Valar :    Not likely,  sounds like a reset from that crash.
ArPharazon-V :    Just some setting that got dislodged or something is my best guess? Wouldn't know what though.
ArPharazon-V :    Yep.
Varda Valar :    One thing breaks, one thing repairs. Crazy pc's. :-)
Varda Valar :    Inviting now
ArPharazon-V :    Want me to poke sunny?
Varda Valar :    Please!
Varda Valar :    Fangorn says no one else is in LotRO at the sec
ArPharazon-V :    She appears to be afk, but I'm sure she'll notice soon.
Varda Valar :    Or come in on her own. :-)
Varda Valar :    Eonwe was hoping to make it, but said it didn't look all that hopeful
ArPharazon-V :    Too bad.
Varda Valar :    Invites sent out, giving them a short bit.
ArPharazon-V :    Hmm, I can disable "bubbles" so chat is more condensed, I do wonder what the transcript will look like.
Varda Valar :    Bubbles! Where is that setting? Maybe it will fix mine
ArPharazon-V :    Options, View, IM "Bubbles"
ArPharazon-V :    Within the chatroom.
Varda Valar :    I see Options/View/  but no IM or Bubbles
Varda Valar :    Might be the version
ArPharazon-V :    Odd. I've got IM Bubbles, Buddy Icons, Timestamps, then a section with Tabs on top or left, and then something about grouping all chats in one window or keeping it on top.
Varda Valar :    Sounds useful
ArPharazon-V :    That's all behind "View".
ArPharazon-V :    Arien appears to be having trouble with her AIM password?
Varda Valar :    uh oh
Varda Valar :    Options/Settings/General IM. Already had timestamps unchecked but it seems to ignore that.
ArPharazon-V :    I am referring to the options menu you get *within* the chatroom.
Varda Valar :    Something about grouped IM"s that looks possible
Varda Valar :    Within!
ArPharazon-V :    Yes. In the window that contains the chat.
ArPharazon-V :    Should be below the tab name (if you have tabs on top) and next to a "search the web" thing
Varda Valar :    I don't see it on the Options in the chat either for IM Bubbles
ArPharazon-V :    Do you have "view"?
ArPharazon-V :    Below "show IM Log"?
Varda Valar :    Lenwe popped online for AIM then off immediately. Might be something going on, like maintenance?
Elladan V :    Aiya
ArPharazon-V :    Aiya!
Varda Valar :    Woot!
Varda Valar :    Aiya Arien and Elladan :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Aiya Arien!
ArPharazon-V :    Finally success, eh?
Arien V :    yeah finally :()
Arien V :    took a long time .. wasnt the wrong password but the wrong username
Varda Valar :    oops :-)  Glad you worked it out
ArPharazon-V :    Yup, that's nasty if you can't figure it out.
Arien V :    hehe yeah i use so many variations of it for the various games
Varda Valar :    I may have to edit that out of the transcript. :-)
Varda Valar :    Ok, think we're all about set up for the meeting? Others can show up when they can show up.
Arien V :    yeah right
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Varda Valar :    Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
Varda Valar :    Membership:
Varda Valar :    We're very lively at my house, remodeling, friends here back and forth, cooking experiments.
Varda Valar :    How goes it for you all?
Arien V :    good happy so far apart from trying to get my microphone to work which drives me nuts ... seems this headset is not compatible with Windows 10
Varda Valar :    oy
ArPharazon-V :    Yeeks, W10.
Varda Valar :    I lucked out. This laptop picks up just fine without a headset, on its own mic
ArPharazon-V :    I've not had a mic for a long long time.
Elladan V :    My laptop's power cord crapped out
Elladan V :    luckily I got a beastly PC
Elladan V :    trying to acquire a 3rd monitor :P
Varda Valar :    Had to get a new cord for Fangorn's too, made his comp quit crashing so much. :-)
Elladan V :    had to do actually destruction on my case to fit my vid card in there
Elladan V :    triple fan overclocked 5GB vid :)
Varda Valar :    Nice headset on my desktop, but that room is in use by others for a few months. yay laptop!
Elladan V :    lol yeah
Elladan V :    I have the Razor Megalodon, but don't use it anymore
Varda Valar :    The old reason for the word "hacker" was they used hacksaws to make parts fit in the computer case. :-)
Elladan V :    for a headset
Arien V :    yeah well the sound is working actually just have to live without the microphone until my new one arrices ^ but it drives me crazy alas
Elladan V :    ah, didn't know! Thanks Varda!
Varda Valar :    Good thing you're a fine typist
Elladan V :    why's that?
Varda Valar :    Arien is a fine typist, gets around her lack of mic.
Elladan V :    I have to be in the work I'm in!
Elladan V :    ahhhh
Elladan V :    I have 4 headsets, just don't use the Megalodon. Shorts out on me
Varda Valar :    Good thing you are too. Most of the guild seems pretty typing literate, luckily.
Elladan V :    We're the upper eschelon  :D
ArPharazon-V :    Had a typing course in early high school (middle school? strange system of terms), and doing a lot of gaming helps.
Elladan V :    sure does
Elladan V :    and coding!
Elladan V :    on a good day (and enough coffee) I can push 100 wpm
ArPharazon-V :    I don't do that. Tried once. Didn't go well.
Elladan V :    normally hang around 80-90
Elladan V :    Don't feel bad! I have been sticking with it for about 9 years and just NOW getting the hang of it
Elladan V :    object oriented design can be a pain
Elladan V :    BUT, once you get it
Elladan V :    any language is within striking distance. Just minor syntax differences
Elladan V :    Speaking of which
Varda Valar :    All I did was Visual Basic for object stuff. Lot of guildies are way ahead of me there.
Elladan V :    Making a custom blog site from scratch, with login capability, add/remove/edit posts, etc
Elladan V :    LOL VB6 was SO fun
Varda Valar :    We have some new stuff up for you all to enjoy.
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Varda Valar :    Web:
Elladan V :    right now I work with node.js, angular, jQuery, HTML, CSS, express, mongodb, RESTful web services... and going to be taking on Ruby soon
Varda Valar :    That sounds like a ton, Elladan
Elladan V :    well I have been studying all this for 8 years. So, I guess I coulda been a MD by now LOL
Varda Valar :    Why not? :-)
Varda Valar :    PhD anyway :-)
Varda Valar :    Ok, here's a sneak preview
Elladan V :    don't get me started. Have 2 degrees I don't use !

Varda Valar :    of art from DeepGroover-(T)
Elladan V :    okay back to Tolkien
Varda Valar :    Hey, pile those degrees higher and deeper. Never know when they'll come in handy. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Get all the degrees?
Varda Valar :    Here's two views of his latest model, and we can use it. Tell me where you think it fits into Tolkien:
Varda Valar :    http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/gallery/DeepGroover/LaHire/lahire1.jpg
Varda Valar :    http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/gallery/DeepGroover/LaHire/lahire2.jpg
ArPharazon-V :    Looks like a soldier of Gondor after being cleaved in half by an Orc?
Varda Valar :    heh, a bust of him, not supposed to be thought of as cut in half. oops :-)
Varda Valar :    I'd go with a Gondorian too. They had full plate.
Varda Valar :    I think
Varda Valar :    Movie and books get crossed up in the mind sometimes
ArPharazon-V :    I know, but being cleaved in half just fits. Remember the head-catapulting?
Varda Valar :    True
Varda Valar :    Was picking up heads in Minas Tirith the other day, from those catapults. Good ol' LotRO.
Varda Valar :    Ok, good point. :-)
Varda Valar :    I liked the cheerful look of him. Could be a follower of Tulkas!
Varda Valar :    the laughing warrior Vala.
Varda Valar :    Bit of extra info from DeepGroover about this particular model:
Varda Valar :    Latest project finished. This is "La Hire" by Young Miniatures. I had fun creating the worn metal look. This may be a last minute inclusion for the Nationals.
ArPharazon-V :    La Hire. Might be a mercenary.
Varda Valar :    Right.

Varda Valar :    In other Tolkien Site news,
Varda Valar :    remember a previous comment made in a meeting that maybe we needed a Dwarvish dictionary, wordlist?
Varda Valar :    We have a start:
Varda Valar :    http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/lang/dwarvish/DwarvishtoEnglish.htm
ArPharazon-V :    Yay!
ArPharazon-V :    Difficult to make conversation, but still.
Varda Valar :    If you have additions from the books, please email me with them and with the book/chapter
Varda Valar :    Heh, I was finding very little, but it's a start.
Varda Valar :    They mostly use Common/Westron when talking with "aliens'. Found that alien comment when digging around the books, amusing to me at least.
Varda Valar :    Any non-Dwarf was an alien.
Varda Valar :    Talk about secretive. They didn't even use their Dwarven names on their tombstones!
ArPharazon-V :    Phone home...
Varda Valar :    Anyway, if you guys have stuff to add to it, please email me. You do get credit as helping with it on the page. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    That's the influence of modern culture for you. "Alien" these days means "extra-terrestrial" more often than "stranger" now.
Varda Valar :    But it does need to be original sources, to those reading the transcript. Keeps us from passing around errors. All new errors here!
Varda Valar :    Right, Arien! That was my first thought too. :-)
Varda Valar :    On to
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Varda Valar :    Gaming!
Varda Valar :    From Eonwe's Games Site that he keeps up for us (please send him your game reviews!)

Varda Valar :    LotRO:
Varda Valar :    Update 18.2.1 was released this week. Check out the patch notes.
Varda Valar :    Servers will be brought down July 18th 8:00am to 12:00pm US Eastern for a hotfix.
Varda Valar :    Oh, and here's the list of folks seen in LotRO this week from most recent. Repeats not added for kindness.
Varda Valar :   
Fangorn
Varda
Lenwe
Gorlim
Nar
Morwe
Bregalad/Quickbeam
Dis
Eonwe
Marigold
Arien
ArPharazon-V :    Kindness to you who's making the list?
Varda Valar :    Hmm. Could be that too!
Varda Valar :    But does anyone really want to see the repeats?

Varda Valar :    WoW:
Varda Valar :    Guess what's coming Tuesday, July 19th? That's right, the Pre-Expansion patch! With it comes many changes, among them the new wardrobe. A few weeks later will be the pre-expansion event: demon invasions. So, as has been said before and Blizzard reminds us again, if you were trying to get some of the time-sensitive goals completed in this expansion, Time is Running Out.
ArPharazon-V :    Yay wardrobe! Got so many plans for it.
Varda Valar :    A new silence penalty is coming. I doubt it's anything any of us will need to worry about, but it's good to know about it anyway :}
Varda Valar :    and for Phar...
Varda Valar :    The third comic has been released: World of Warcraft: Legion #3—"Highmountain: A Mountain Divided".
Varda Valar :    I trust you''ll be keeping your Valar forum updated too. ;-)
Varda Valar :    Check out the World Quest and Demon Invasion Developer Q & A.
ArPharazon-V :    Oh, will do! I have been keeping the master list up to date, I'll see about copying stuff over to the forum.
Varda Valar :    Thank you

Varda Valar :    Diablo 3:
Varda Valar :    New PTR patch notes are up.

Varda Valar :    StarCraft 2:
Varda Valar :   A new patch came out: Patch 3.4.0.

Varda Valar :    Heroes of the Storm:
Varda Valar :    A new patch is out this week.
Varda Valar :    (Must be patch week!)

Varda Valar :    Hearthstone:
ArPharazon-V :    Okay, forum thread is up to date :-)
Varda Valar :    There's a new update out that includes, among other things, recruit-a-friend.
Varda Valar :    yay! Speedy Ar-Pharazon!
Varda Valar :    The Phar update. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Hmm, yes! Does anyone here want to be recruited by me? :-)
Varda Valar :    Send calls to Phar!
ArPharazon-V :    All you gotta do his hit level 20 total on 9 classes and I'll have a new shaman hero, a murloc!
ArPharazon-V :    *is
Varda Valar :    Fun. But you need Europeans?
ArPharazon-V :    Yes, that's true.
ArPharazon-V :    I wanted to spread the word during tonight's raid, but... forgot.
Varda Valar :    There you go, Arien. :-)
Varda Valar :    Oopsie

Varda Valar :    Overwatch:
Varda Valar :    A new hero has been announced: Ana. See her intro announcement and her origin story. Then check out her new digital comic: "Legacy".
Varda Valar :    The PTR is available for testing. If you play Overwatch on PC and are interested in trying out what's coming, check out how to get on.
Varda Valar :    /end Games Site news
ArPharazon-V :    I know, I'll put a message on the Hearthstone thread on our raidguild's forum.
Varda Valar :    Good plan.

Varda Valar :    Here's something from Eonwe via email:
Varda Valar :    WoW, Valar branch on Lothar (Alliance):
Varda Valar :    Meant to mention this last week, but as predicted, I did cap my gold later that night after the meeting (guess that put it at 2 weeks ago), and then spent the next several nights purchasing/making expensive mounts, hehe. the Alliance bike, the Grand Expedition Yak, and after some scrounging up the mats, made the jeweled panthers from Jewelcrafting.
Varda Valar :    /endquote
Varda Valar :    Sounds like fun :-)
Varda Valar :    Any other general gaming news?

Varda Valar :    StarCraft/BroodWar: much mayhem and fun there with the team of Fangorn, Sauron, and Varda.
Varda Valar :    Any other games played this past week?

Arien V :    yeah for a Rohirrim plate on the horses would be too heavy
Varda Valar :    Good point
Varda Valar :    Run Clydesdales and charge maybe.

ArPharazon-V :    Hmm, the alliance bike will still be available in Legion, I assume?
Varda Valar :    oops
Varda Valar :    At least this time she'll remember the user/pass from practice. :-)
Varda Valar :    Looked as if she started to type and crashed.

ArPharazon-V :    As for other gaming news, I have been dabbling into a browser-based card collection (and playing) game, and joined a guild there called Valar, but it turned out to be more Game of Thrones based than Tolkien. Still, name rang a bell, and the guild system is rather simple there anyway, so it doesn't matter what guild you're in :-)
Varda Valar :    Valar Morghulis? Seen them in WoW and LotRO.
ArPharazon-V :    Yep.
Varda Valar :    Easy confusion for folks. Might find others of our people there for the same reason, heh.
Varda Valar :    Interesting that he used the word Valar in his language. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    I don't think there even is guildchat, though there are general chatrooms for the game on Kongregate. All that matters is that the guild activity decides how much bonus gold you get for battles.
ArPharazon-V :    Well there are only so many 5-letter, 2-syllable word combinations ;-)
Varda Valar :    Sounds helpful for bonuses
Varda Valar :    True.
Varda Valar :    Have to get a computer on it, find all the permutations!
Varda Valar :    ugh, session already exists with Arien
Varda Valar :    May be blocking her entrance.
ArPharazon-V :    Yeah, she does show in the channel.
Varda Valar :    You have the transcript ok?
ArPharazon-V :    I could save this section if you want to reboot the channel?
Varda Valar :    Please. I'm asking her if she's having trouble on the re-entry.
Varda Valar :    No reply yet
ArPharazon-V :    Alright, I think I've got it.
Varda Valar :    Yay!
Elladan V :    *poke* still here
Elladan V :    just busy af
Varda Valar :    Hiya
Varda Valar :    work work
Varda Valar :    zug zug
Elladan V :    and there's a ghost in my kitchen
Elladan V :    hey at least you're horde!
Varda Valar :    Cat type?
Elladan V :    I don't like cats
Elladan V :    so no
ArPharazon-V :    *sings* there's a ghost in my kitchen, what am I gonna do...
Varda Valar :    I had a lot of Hordies. :-)
Varda Valar :    Who are you going to call?
Elladan V :    something is going "tick" loudly
Elladan V :    every 10 to 30 secs
Elladan V :    when I go out there
Varda Valar :    Ghostbusters!
Elladan V :    it won't make a peep
ArPharazon-V :    Usually a clock, in my exper- right, not that slow.
Elladan V :    LOL no
Elladan V :    it's like an electric stove burner
Elladan V :    or an electric lighter
Elladan V :    but it WONT DO IT WHEN I GO OUT THERE
Elladan V :    brb gonna try again
Varda Valar :    It's watching...
ArPharazon-V :    Hide in a corner.
Varda Valar :    Don't cross the streams.
Arien V :    am  i still here?#
Varda Valar :    Yay, there you are!
Arien V :    :D#
ArPharazon-V (5:30:01 PM):    Yay!
Elladan V :    NOTHING
Varda Valar :    The sun came out again.
Elladan V :    as SOON as I came here
Elladan V :    TICK
Elladan V :    JUST NOW
ArPharazon-V :    No wonder she was still showing in the session, she'd entered again some time ago.
Varda Valar :    Crazy stuff
Elladan V :    I just lit some dragon's blood incense.... a friend told me ghosts don't like incense.... we'll soon find out
Elladan V :    bwahaha
Varda Valar :    Good luck :-)
Elladan V :    anyway I owe a neighbor $20. be back soon
Elladan V :    <3
Varda Valar :    LaterQ
Varda Valar :    Later!
Varda Valar :    *re-takes typing class*
ArPharazon-V :    I still make typos too, but am quick to backspace.
Varda Valar :    Trigger happy on the Enter key
ArPharazon-V :    It happens sometimes too.
Varda Valar :    Fun when one hand is off to the side by one key.
Varda Valar :    Tjem ot cp,es pit sp,,etjomg ;ole tjos
Varda Valar :    Then it comes out something like this.
ArPharazon-V :    Luckily that's easily caught.
Varda Valar :    Screamingly obvious after hitting Enter!
Varda Valar :    Assumes one is checking instead of just typing. A good thing to do!
Varda Valar :    ok, on to
Varda Valar :    asking
Varda Valar :    Are there any further comments, suggestions, stream crossings?
Varda Valar :    *crosses the Ford of Bruinen*
Varda Valar :    to
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Varda Valar :    Tolkien!
ArPharazon-V :    *washes away*
Varda Valar :    Ooops. *tosses a rope to you*
Varda Valar :    *ties it off to a tree*
Arien V :    Hellps pulling!
ArPharazon-V :    Silly white horse things.
Varda Valar :    Have to watch for those.
Varda Valar :    *tree walks back upslope, pulling you out of the water*
ArPharazon-V :    Thank you :-)
Varda Valar :    Wonder if that happened to be Fladrif?
Varda Valar :    Fladrif to the rescue!
Varda Valar :    He went treeish again. *unties rope*
Varda Valar :    A friend in need.
ArPharazon-V :    Ent's not been around for 21 days. Must be taking a nap.
Varda Valar :    Wow. Hope he's doing ok.
Varda Valar :    Read the transcript, Flad. We're talkiing about you.
Varda Valar :    Fangorn/Treebeard and Bregalad/Quickbeam have been gaming in LotRO quite a bit, Need one more Ent there.
Arien V :    Bregalad is a very helpful guy btw ::) he helped me several times
Varda Valar :    Yes he is. :-)  Fun to chat with too.
Varda Valar :    Anyway, dwarves have been on my mind. But now ents are. Good thing minds have plenty of room.
ArPharazon-V :    Dwarves can fit. Ents, maybe not so much.

Varda Valar :    Here's our Dwarves page for a list of named dwarve and article about them. At the bottom is the list of Special Topics, general articles such as Khuzdul, or Dwarf-women.
Varda Valar :    *dwarves
Varda Valar :    and *articles
Varda Valar :    Probably could add more images at the bottom, although most of the images tend to be sorted to the individual dwarf.
Varda Valar :    http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/dwarves.html
Varda Valar :    Names with no links are a way of letting folks know the dwarf exists and could use an article.
Varda Valar :    Some folks asked me how to know what articles to write. That's one way.
ArPharazon-V :    Article: "Is a dwarf."
Varda Valar :    You look suspiciously Numenorean to me.
ArPharazon-V :    I meant that would be an article for any of the dwarf names :-)
Varda Valar :    Ok :-)
Varda Valar :    Thror is a dwarf. This is a squib. Please add more. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    There you go!
Varda Valar :    Hey, it has a link, must not need an article.
Varda Valar :    I fell into that trap before.
ArPharazon-V :    True, that's the other thing.
ArPharazon-V :    I bet wikipedia has that all the time.
Varda Valar :    But I'll take a short one anyway.
Varda Valar :    Aye, they mention it. Where I got it.
Varda Valar :    What do you think of adding in a link under a character to his/her/its listing on Poetry or Stories?
ArPharazon-V :    Fan-based material? Do you not already do that for images?
Arien V :    Franli is a dwarf yep .. albeit fan based of course ^^ and only because Frali was already taken as character name ^^
Varda Valar :    You have a point about the images, but they are good to illustrate an article. Not so sure about the fan fic and poetry.
Varda Valar :    Reason trying to hear other thoughts than my own rattling around.

Varda Valar :    Reminds me about the forum story.
Varda Valar :    Do we want to continue that? Seemed as if we got confused about what we wanted to do going after the big bad.
ArPharazon-V :    I don't recall where we are now. Still in Elrond's planning room?
Varda Valar :    We had just met up with Elrond, about to make a push to leave.
Varda Valar :    I should make a post, really, to establish that Meren will be staying.
ArPharazon-V :    Fainan: "If I may be so bold, Lord Elrond, perhaps one of those tasks might be sending our group out to hunt that sorcerer menacing Mirkwood and all the area? Little more research can we do, and the scouting seems done. What say you?"
ArPharazon-V :    Looks like Elrond's taking a long time to respond.
Varda Valar :    He thinks too much. ;-)
Varda Valar :    Anyway, it's pretty stunning to have one of our story writers die on us, but she can be happy there doing her research, where her character really wanted to stay.
ArPharazon-V :    It makes a nice tribute.
Varda Valar :    We can have the rest of us move on. Be another reason to send Auros.
Varda Valar :    Agreed.
ArPharazon-V :    It maybe also tell us we should up the pace a bit...?
ArPharazon-V :    *tells us
Varda Valar :    Eonwe has been hoping to show up for meetings, but it hasn't happened yet. That would help with our going ahead and posting after I get that one online.
ArPharazon-V :    It's a tragic remembrance that life changes and goes on as we write our little story.
Varda Valar :    It's a tribute that we can make.
Varda Valar :    If I get hit by a truck or something, you folks need to keep this stuff going. I think you can do it just great.
Varda Valar :    Stuff like that makes one pause and think.

Varda Valar :    What about in Middle-earth?
Varda Valar :    Do we have a moment or two where they have to stop and think about mortality? We have a lot of potentially immortal beings.
ArPharazon-V :    There was the bit in the movie where Gandalf discusses the afterlife with Pippin, but I'm not sure it's in the books.
Varda Valar :    It is. They did a lovely quote
Varda Valar :    More of it is at the end of the movie, "like silver glass".
ArPharazon-V :    Ah, the song?
Varda Valar :    They didn't do it exactly, but yes, the mortality talk was from Tolkien.
Varda Valar :    Another in the books picked up by, I think Sam in the movie, was
Varda Valar :    looking at one of the dead that Faramir's Rangers killed, and Faramir commenting that he was probably just like them but on the other side, but much more wordily and beautifully.
Varda Valar :    Of course, there's Boromir.
Varda Valar :    His death affected them all in what they did next.
Varda Valar :    Major story point.
ArPharazon-V :    Yes.
Varda Valar :    Or Turin, seeing his sister/wife's death.
Varda Valar :    Lot of deaths and how the people were affected.
Varda Valar :    Beleg's death affecting Turin. Lot of people died around that guy.
Varda Valar :    Finrod's death, saving Beren.
ArPharazon-V :    Life was tough in the first age.
ArPharazon-V :    And, probably, short.
Varda Valar :    Lot of giant battles. Cut short immortal lives.
Varda Valar :    That's why the Teleri later would only ferry the Valar's army and not join in. Wasn't lack of courage but bitterness towards the Noldor.
ArPharazon-V :    They took our boats.
Varda Valar :    and burned them.
Varda Valar :    Ones they could never rebuild, their "silmarils".
Varda Valar :    And killed many of the Teleri, unready for war, lightly armed and unarmored, but fighting to defend anyway.
Varda Valar :    Ok, so what happened to those that died in that battle?
ArPharazon-V :    Short way to travel.
Varda Valar :    Did they have to spend a lot of time in the Halls of Mandos, processing rage?
Varda Valar :    heh, there's that.
Varda Valar :    Did they pop back quickly?
ArPharazon-V :    If they were aware of Elven afterlife I guess they might be more upset about the loss of their ships than their people?
Varda Valar :    Would have been interesting to hear more about that.
ArPharazon-V :    Pop back up, rush over, rejoin the fight?
Varda Valar :    They can wind up separated by Mandos for a very long time, processing their rage.
Varda Valar :    heh, that would be startling.
ArPharazon-V :    If it happens to both sides that could go on a long while.

Arien V :    ... ((sorry fokls i have to give up .. three days festivalling and music tasters absolutwly amazing in a beaurtiful setting .. but its feelable in my bones .. must be getting old .. ))
ArPharazon-V :    Namarie Arien!
Varda Valar :    Namarie
Arien V :    Namarie fellow valarites and friends .. i ll see you next week and hopefully be able to tell some of what we saw:)
Varda Valar :    That would be great!
Varda Valar :    Namarie, Arien
Arien V :    Namarie :-)
Varda Valar :    Arien had me looking at pics of dwarves in the side window. Amazing art people can do.
ArPharazon-V :    Nice beards?
Varda Valar :    That too. Something one doesn't get to do much with other types of characters.
Varda Valar :    *picks up gavel*
Varda Valar :    *it just keeps picking up. Very long*
Varda Valar :    *and finally pulls over on a fulcrum point*
Varda Valar :    *thwommmmmmp!*
Varda Valar :    *sides of trees vibrate, table wobbles*
Varda Valar :    *the hammer pad comes traipsing back, looks at the hammer, and sits on a chair instead of getting on the table*
Varda Valar :    *we get together and slide the continually lengthening hammer back on the conveyor belt*
Varda Valar :    *Namarie hammer*
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Varda Valar :    After-meeting!
ArPharazon-V :    Hammertime.
Varda Valar :    And that answers the question about whether the hammer pad will return.
Varda Valar :    Sort of.
Varda Valar :    *hammer pad is wearing a Hawaiian shirt*
ArPharazon-V :    Needs its day off.

Elladan V :    What's this wizardry
Elladan V :    got booted?
ArPharazon-V :    Aiyata
Elladan V :    Must have been the ghost
ArPharazon-V :    Which wizard are you blaming?
Elladan V :    I've experienced weird stuff before
Elladan V :    lost in translation
Elladan V :    haha
Varda Valar :    You crossed the streams.
Elladan V :    no, Varda I didn't
Varda Valar :    Well, ok then. :-)
Elladan V :    I went in the kitchen... the last time, I got goosebumps on my neck and upper back, and it was SO cold
Varda Valar :    The ghost could at least fix dinner.
Elladan V :    RIGHT?
ArPharazon-V :    Sounds like a heating problem.
Elladan V :    I don''t need heating, it's about 105 in here
Elladan V :    well outside

ArPharazon-V :    Right, gaming report.
ArPharazon-V :    I guess I should mention here the cardgame I mentioned earlier, Spellstone, at http://www.kongregate.com/games/synapticon/spellstone
ArPharazon-V :    Some parts seem to be based on Hearthstone, but with a campaign mode, a pvp mode against random decks by random people played by the AI (though depending on your rank in that mode), and a rather interesting upgrade system, which involves upgrading each card individually and ultimately fusing them together to make even better versions.
ArPharazon-V :    Been playing it for a few weeks now - more, even if you count the short times a while ago when the Kongregate site put up challenges to be completed in the early game. But only been a few weeks since I started taking it more seriously, and playing it every day for a few minutes.
ArPharazon-V :    You do get a heavy advantage if you pay real money, get better card packs, energy refills, and such... but I think you can pretty much get everything eventually if you play freely, though be careful that the real-money-currency you do get as freebies for a few quests should be used really carefully. Best advice I could give there is to spend it on inventory space so you can own more cards, if you're a collector.
ArPharazon-V :    So if you're a free player, things can take a while, but still be fun in the meantime, and you'll still be able to have fun at a lower pvp rank.
ArPharazon-V :    Oh, and the gameplay itself is different too, rather simple in fact. You have a hand of 3 cards each turn, choose to play one, and refill the next turn until your deck is empty; the cards line up, buff each other randomly (or debuff the opposing cards randomly) and then attack the enemy cards directly on the other side, closing ranks if a card is destroyed.
ArPharazon-V :    So all you really have to do is choose what card you want to play each turn, and the game takes care of the rest, but there is still some strategy involved in what you choose to play and how your deck synergizes.
ArPharazon-V :    So as cardgames go, it's rather simple in many aspects, but still interesting for someone who likes to collect and upgrade cards like me :-)
ArPharazon-V :    For the other 2 flashgames I'll give shorter games!
ArPharazon-V :    http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/one_shot_exterminator is an action platformer where you only have one shot, have to collect objectives and then aim at just the right moment to take out the enemy.
ArPharazon-V :    Can be frustrating to clear an entire level and then just miss the jump, though.
ArPharazon-V :    Take note, saving is a bit wonky.

Elladan V :    Logging out y'all
Varda Valar :    uh oh. Thanks for the warning.
ArPharazon-V :    Namarie!
Elladan V :    having issues here
Elladan V :    Namarie
Varda Valar :    Namarie and good luck, Elladan.
ArPharazon-V :    Good luck with the ghost.
Elladan V :    thanks, you two <3 much love
Elladan V :    f the ghost
Elladan V :    A bullet, knife, and car didn't kill me
Elladan V :    this thing has another thing coming
ArPharazon-V :    You ain't afraid of no ghost?
Elladan V :    not a chance
Varda Valar :    :-)

ArPharazon-V :    http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/oodlegobs is the third game, where I'm happy to report the saving does seem to be functional.
Varda Valar :    Maybe it can learn to mop the floor.
ArPharazon-V :    You control a group of blobby creatures which can move together and stack on top of each other, and multiply by eating targets. Goal is to make it to the end of each level, and the blobs you lose will be brought back at every spawn point.

ArPharazon-V :    Right, Blizzard games!
ArPharazon-V :    Diablo 3: Last week for the current season. I got a boost from a friend and his brother, who helped me finish the last half of Chapter 4 in a few hours, so I've got the unique banner and stuff, which is really the last real reward unless you manage to clear chapter 8 for stash space, for which I had.. not a chance, really.
ArPharazon-V :    So I consider myself done with this season and I'll try to get a bit more time into the next season which starts in August, although that season will probably be dominated more by me playing the WoW patch and expansion.

Varda Valar :    (Forum story post made.)

ArPharazon-V :    Heroes of the Storm: New patch changed several of the heroes I play. Most extensively changed is Zagara, the Starcraft specialist hero, who I had been quite decent at in the past, but the changes have been a bit getting used to. But I think I've got a new working spec.
ArPharazon-V ):    Also changed was a single basic talent for the monk Karazhim... which seems small, but changed him from my worst hero to something quite better if he gets his "quest" done early in the match, and from what I can tell that quest goes really fast.
ArPharazon-V :    Quest completion, combined with some other talents, makes his Deadly Reach ability's duration and cooldown so buffed that you can keep it up almost indefinitely, while constantly healing yourself and other heroes around you. Almost overpowered, really.
ArPharazon-V :    So yes, I'm happy with that buff :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Hearthstone: Pushing on with all classes! Still a good way to go to next level for all of them, but a few are almost halfway already.
ArPharazon-V :    Tavern brawl this week was/is quite fun, but really random. You get pre-set decks for whatever class you choose, but every minion you play casts a completely random spell on a random target. Very silly, and I've found that often enough said minion immediately kills itself with its own spell ;-)
ArPharazon-V :    And there's the recruit a friend too, so if anyone's interested in being recruited, let me know!
ArPharazon-V :    WoW:
Varda Valar :    Kills itself with its own spell? oops.
ArPharazon-V :    Gotten the troll to 33 today, next thing will be the pet project I mentioned last week, Big Adventure. To that end I've beaten another set of trainers in the Celestial Tournament the previous reset, and will finish that up this reset, probably tomorrow. Then it's time for all the other trainers, who are luckily available all the time.
ArPharazon-V :    I found a pug-raid for Mythic Blackhand last week, and finished that achievement, getting a new garrison monument for my troubles.
ArPharazon-V :    Unfortunately I missed out on the tier-token, but I'll get that eventually for my wing-shoulders.
ArPharazon-V :    Normal raiding has gone on as usual, clearing the upper half of heroic Hellfire Citadel. Got a new headpiece for some transmogrification, but other than that it's been pretty uneventful.
ArPharazon-V :    With patch announced for 3 days from now, I made a few last checks for things that disappear, but I think I'm all set with the things I wanted to get done. Still have some projects to do but those will still be here before the expansion releases, and after, if needed.
ArPharazon-V :    I've read up on the invasion event coming a few weeks into the patch, and have made plans for that, and I've even been making plans for the expansion itself, when it comes to goals to reach, items to collect for the new Wardrobe, and the unlocking of all the artifact appearances I want. I'm now just waiting for the patch in a few days, to see what new achievements I'll want to add to the list.
ArPharazon-V :    So now I've got some pretty big priority lists which hopefully will see me safely through the Legion expansion, open for modification of course :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Bring on the patch/expansion, I'd say!
ArPharazon-V :    And that's my news for this week. Next week, patch-news!
Varda Valar :    Thank you, Phar :-)

Varda Valar :    Welcome back

Varda Valar :    In other news on the Tolkien Site:
Varda Valar :    Added in a new section for Elatan's woodcutting bas relief, and worked on making the navigation easier, I hope.
Varda Valar :    This is a work in progress, something artists tend to feel nervous about sharing:
Varda Valar :    http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/art/gallery/Elatan/woodcutting/woodcutting.htm

ArPharazon-V :    Alright, saving and sending transcript.
Varda Valar :    Thank you, Phar.
ArPharazon-V :    saved
ArPharazon-V :    Now to see if I can edit this thing.
Varda Valar :    O my. Usually my job. Good luck!
ArPharazon-V :    If I don't edit this thing, you might get every transcript at once adding to it every week.
Varda Valar :    ack
Varda Valar :    Thank you muchly
ArPharazon-V :    But I'm not sure if I can...
Varda Valar :    Odd. I get a log that I can copy paste just the big section desired
Varda Valar :    but can't get rid of the timestamps and bubbles in it.
ArPharazon-V :    What do you open it in?
ArPharazon-V :    Because I get it as html.
Varda Valar :    Options in the chat room
Varda Valar :    Show IM log
Varda Valar :    It comes up in the browser
ArPharazon-V :    Yes. And then?
Varda Valar :    Then I copy paste the desired day
ArPharazon-V :    Into a new file?
Varda Valar :    Yes.
ArPharazon-V :    What kind of file?
Varda Valar :    My html template for the transcript. [Note: this time into Notepad first, then the transcript template "paste without formatting". No bubbles. Had to edit out timestamps.]
Varda Valar :    Not too helpful, huh?
ArPharazon-V :    Not really. I guess I can throw it into another text file.
Varda Valar :    I'll try Notepad.
ArPharazon-V :    And yes, it comes with timestamps.
ArPharazon-V :    My own timezone, even, so you'll have to alter or remove that.
Varda Valar :    That's why I wondered how you got rid of them.
Varda Valar :    I never could.
ArPharazon-V :    I only can get rid of them in the normal meeting.
ArPharazon-V :    But I get no bubbles or anything.
Varda Valar :    Those tend to pop up when I put it in the transcript template. Can't see them before.
ArPharazon-V :    Alright, altered the dates a bit (they were in Dutch) and put the whole thing in a .txt file. Will send it over to you, and you can say if it's good enough.
Varda Valar :    Alrighty
ArPharazon-V :    Feel free to remove dates and timestamps if you don't want them in European timezone.
Varda Valar :    Mine is also in the wrong time zone, not Eastern.
Varda Valar :    In Central.
Varda Valar :    Looking at mine, it would be nightmarish to remove the timestamps. Will see what I can do.
ArPharazon-V :    sent, give it a go.
Varda Valar :    Thanks
ArPharazon-V :    If it's good enough, I'll go to bed :-)
Varda Valar :    Go to bed, good buddy. :-)
ArPharazon-V :    Namarie!
Varda Valar :    and thank you again!
Varda Valar :    Namarie!
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