Valar Guild

August 26, 2018 Sunday Meeting

5pm EDT (UTC/GMT - 5)
Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place

Back to News
Transcript work by
Varda.

Attending (and spoke): (6)
    Discord: Arien, Ar-Pharazon, Elrond, Gorlim, Marigold, Varda (presiding)

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
    Varda
    Marigold
    Ar-Pharazon
    Pallando
    Gorlim
    Arien's in After-meeting
Web:  
Gaming:
    General gaming report
Tolkien:
    Topic: One of the things that keeps showing up in Tolkien's work is the concept of service. I'm not sure if this was intentional or just natural to him. Can you think of someplace where he shows what he thinks of the idea of service?
After-meeting:
    Arien's membership news.
    Flashgaming Reviews by Ar-Pharazon
top

Before-meeting
(times are in Central from Varda's Discord, so add one hour for Eastern)

VardaLast Sunday at 3:57 PM
Aiya! Still a few minutes left.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 3:57 PM
Aiya!
VardaLast Sunday at 3:57 PM
Hey Phar : )
VardaLast Sunday at 4:03 PM
It's that time. Poking people.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:03 PM
Arien poked.
VardaLast Sunday at 4:04 PM
Thanks.
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:05 PM
Aiya :smiley:
VardaLast Sunday at 4:05 PM
Aiya Arien : )
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:05 PM
how are you Varda?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:05 PM
Aiya!
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:06 PM
Aiya Phari :smiley:
MarigoldLast Sunday at 4:07 PM
Aiya, all!!
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:07 PM
Aiya!
ElrondLast Sunday at 4:07 PM
aAiya
VardaLast Sunday at 4:07 PM
Aiya Marigold and Elrond : )
Thank you all for coming! Here's hoping our meeting can be of use or at least of fun and seeing old friends!
top

Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo
Membership
Just made it back from a town north of here, visiting Bilbo who seems to be doing well.
I'm borrowing a spare mouse from Fangorn since mine got soaked and fried out, hah.
How goes it for the rest of you?
MarigoldLast Sunday at 4:11 PM
Gardening, painting, and training my new horse. A good routine for a summer weekend!
VardaLast Sunday at 4:11 PM
Nice!
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:11 PM
Had an interesting weekend. Parents got home on thursday from vacation, we've been cleaning out the caravan trailer and storing stuff in the house because they'll be trading it for a smaller one; I also visited my best friend and (former) dance partner for the first time since she had the baby, and held a baby in my arms for (I think) the first time in my life...
and otherwise have been pretty busy catching up on online stuff and pushing myself in WoW. Still trying to get 120 before raid opens up.
VardaLast Sunday at 4:11 PM
Pallando is on vacation.
Ohh, fantastic on the baby. : )
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:12 PM
Hmhm. Felt uncomfortable and I'm generally not a fan of babies, but it was rather special.
VardaLast Sunday at 4:13 PM
That's babies for you. Special. So much potential and so great at the feels.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:13 PM
Heh, yes.
Especially when it was produced by someone close to you :smiley:
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:15 PM
great to hear :smile:
everything normal here
holidays coming up
vacation as you d say :smiley:
from next Sunday two weeks
GorlimLast Sunday at 4:17 PM
yep. next weekend my daughter is flying in from Boston for a week..
VardaLast Sunday at 4:18 PM
Wonderful! And aiya Gorlim : )
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:18 PM
Aiya!
VardaLast Sunday at 4:20 PM
top

Web:
Nothing new on the Tolkien Site this week. Feel free to send in some art, a poem, article, story, or whatever you're inspired to try!
top

Gaming:

LotRO:
From Eonwe:
There was an update this past week. Check out the Update 22.5 patch notes
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?666322-Update-22-5-Release-Notes
    Update 22.5 Release Notes
    Here are the Release Notes for Update 22.5, released on Wednesday, August 22nd.
    News and Notes:
    Items
Lots of warden stuff there.
https://www.lotro.com/en/game/articles/lotro-beacon-issue-74
    The Lord of the Rings Online
    The LOTRO Beacon: Issue 74
The Farmer's Faire is back, through September 10th.
And this is extra experience weekend.
Guild mates in the kin for LotRO this past week:
Beleg
Bregalad
Dis
Fangorn
Gorlim
Nar
Varda
Any other LotRO comments?
Gorlim is in LotRO right now fighting his way through Eryn Lasgalen.

World of WarCraft:
Tuesday news:
This week's bonus event: World Quests. --- or it would've been had Blizzard not cancelled the weekly bonus events for now.
PvP Brawl: Gravity Lapse runs today through Tuesday August 28th.
Sunday news:
Up now for those who like spoilers: SPOILERS INSIDE!!! Battle for Azeroth: The Story So Far � Week 2
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22265422/spoilers-inside-battle-for-azeroth-the-story-so-far-week-2
    World of Warcraft
    SPOILERS INSIDE!!! Battle for Azeroth: The Story So Far � Week 2 - WoW
There was a VoD Q&A this week.
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22308737/watch-the-live-q-a-vod-with-ion-hazzikostas-here
    World of Warcraft
    Watch the Live Q&A VoD with Ion Hazzikostas Here! - WoW
Also out: Warbringers: Azshara.
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22358468/warbringers-azshara
    World of Warcraft
    Warbringers: Azshara - WoW
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:29 PM
"Drowning elf talks to fish"
VardaLast Sunday at 4:29 PM
heh
Check out the hotfixes for this week.
Captions by Pharazon.
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/21973195/hotfixes-august-24-2018
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: August 24, 2018 - WoW
Any other WoW news?
Celebrian and Elrond are there right now. : )

StarCraft 2:
Tychus Findlay is the upcoming Co-Op Commander. Check out the preview.
https://starcraft2.com/en-us/news/22316743
    StarCraft II
    Wage war across the galaxy with three unique and powerful races. StarCraft II is a real-time strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment for the PC and Mac.

That's all the news from here. Any other general news from the gang here?
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:33 PM
not that i know of ^^
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:35 PM
hmm

did you mention Hearthstone?
VardaLast Sunday at 4:35 PM
Nope. Do you have something?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:35 PM
Puzzle labs have opened up this week.
About 100 Hearthstone puzzles of 4 types divided over several labs, 1-turn scenarios where you have to use your cards in complex optimized ways to kill, survive, board clear or mirror the other side :smiley:
It's actually a lot of fun! Like those chess puzzles I mentioned a while ago.
Can be found in the solo adventures, for those interested.

GorlimLast Sunday at 4:38 PM
Is anyone playing Star Wars Galaxy of Heros? My son and I play SWGOH and are fairly deep into it.
Its mobile and more or less free
VardaLast Sunday at 4:39 PM
Sounds like a likely game for a lot of folks.
Now that people have heard of it from you, maybe we'll have more players.

Here's a fun link, since we're international, having nothing to do with games or Tolkien cough:
https://www.businessinsider.com/things-normal-in-the-us-but-considered-weird-2018-8#drinking-huge-coffees-while-we-walk-around-14
    Business Insider
    24 things that are considered 'normal' in the US but the rest of t...
    The US has its fair share of seemingly normal and common customs and habits. But they're not always as common as we think. From baby showers to extra ice, here are some things that are "normal" in the United States but are considered weird or abnormal in most other places.

Any other business, suggestions, comments?
This is your chance to ask for invites, etc
On to
top

Tolkien!

One of the things that keeps showing up in Tolkien's work is the concept of service. I'm not sure if this was intentional or just natural to him. Can you think of someplace where he shows what he thinks of the idea of service?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:46 PM
The way Sam is a servant of Frodo but possibly ends up the biggest hero of the bunch through his servitude?
VardaLast Sunday at 4:47 PM
True. When he serves Frodo, is it because he seems to be forced to do it?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:47 PM
Well, he made a promise, and he keeps to it :smiley:
VardaLast Sunday at 4:47 PM
A great trait. : )
Gimli commented on that too. He detested "faithlessness".
Sauron was considered less evil than Morgoth because for a time he served another rather than just his own interests.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:49 PM
Even though for the most part, the one he served was Morgoth?
VardaLast Sunday at 4:50 PM
He also served Aule. But yes, because he was not being utterly "self-serving".
I'm sure all of you can think of other acts of serving others in Tolkien's works? Did it usually seem to be a good thing? Was it ever not?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 4:55 PM
Orcs served Morgoth and Sauron?
ArienVLast Sunday at 4:55 PM
well Sam seems to serve out of friendship  and fleeling of loyalty rather than hopes for big profits in terms of gold or power
which was the case with Sauron
VardaLast Sunday at 4:56 PM
True. And orcs served out of fear and lack of choice of others to go to.
Sauron was pulled to serve Sauron with the idea of gaining power, true.
Morgoth and Sauron both put some of their abilities/magic/power into others or things such as the One Ring or Arda itself. So followers hoped to pick up some of that as well as serve a perceived winner.
In most cases, does service seem to be viewed by the author as a good thing? Something bad for independence? Does he have a favorable or unfavorable view of service to others?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:00 PM
It probably depends on who they serve?
VardaLast Sunday at 5:00 PM
Well said.
They can choose who they serve. It is their own responsibility.
This is the end of the hour. Does anyone else have anything else they would like to add to the subject?
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:01 PM
Good point about choosing who you serve. Those who serve the "good" side generally do so out of friendship or loyalty, certainly by choice.
Those who serve the evil side generally do so out of fear and bloodlust, and would rather just not serve at all.
VardaLast Sunday at 5:02 PM
Even the evil ones often had a choice.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:03 PM
Sure, there's always a choice, but if it gets you killed by your own comrades or leaders, some might not consider it such.
VardaLast Sunday at 5:03 PM
True. And others would consider it better to die.
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:04 PM
True, but that is more often seen on the "good" side, unless they think they can win the struggle.
VardaLast Sunday at 5:04 PM
Aye
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:05 PM
it actually leads them to being stronger  , more independent .. it seems to help them in their personality
VardaLast Sunday at 5:06 PM
What one does with one's choices of what to do with the time one has is a very big thing.
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:06 PM
if you think of Sam at the beginning of the book and Sam atfter he thought Frodo dead  in Cirith Ungol
without the experiences in Frodos "service* during the march  he wouldnt have been able to make them
VardaLast Sunday at 5:07 PM
So you feel Sam grew through the book too.
He had a choice then to turn back as no longer serving Frodo, take the Ring for himself, or continue the quest to serve the greatest good.
Serving Frodo had let him serve the greatest good, and we don't know for sure when he saw that or if it was always in his nature.
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:10 PM
Aye agreed
VardaLast Sunday at 5:11 PM
We do know that Sam had become a very strong person internally, shown to us by his choice of how to serve and to serve instead of taking the Ring for himself.
For those of you who really should be going to sleep at this late hour, let's call it here. If any wish, we can continue chatting in the After-meeting.
the hammer walks up to the hammerpad
they bow to each other
thummmp!
top

After-meeting
Free chat.

Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:15 PM
Gonna push to finish this level (up to 113) and then I'll go do my personal gaming report stuff :smiley:
VardaLast Sunday at 5:16 PM
Go go go!

ArienVLast Sunday at 5:20 PM
thanks a lot :smiley:
i am not sure whether i ll be here at the meetings the next two weeks
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:21 PM
Vacation?
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:21 PM
maybe next week via discord
yeah .. we are going three and a half days to Denmark to Elsinore to see my best wow friend :smiley:
VardaLast Sunday at 5:22 PM
Sounds fun
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:22 PM
and the plane to copenhagen leaves early so we have to stay overnight in Edinburgh
the hotel has wifi but you know the time issue :smiley:
and the following week we are at my parents from friday to friday
so we are back friday 14th early night/ late evening
sunday 16th i am here again :smiley:
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:25 PM
Have fun then!
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:25 PM
thank you :smiley:
VardaLast Sunday at 5:26 PM
Have a great trip. : )
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:47 PM
right .. time for bed i think yawns
VardaLast Sunday at 5:47 PM
Sleep well : )
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 5:47 PM
Namarie!
ArienVLast Sunday at 5:47 PM
Namarie all and sleep well when you get to it :smiley:
top

Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 6:11 PM
Personal gaming report!

Starting with 3 flashgames.
http://www.freewebarcade.com/game/super-responsible-parent/ is the first! You're a parent trying to save children from levels inside a giant bouncy castle which keeps inflating until it crushes the kids (and you), so you have to move fast to save them all, avoid spiky obstacles and delay the inflation when possible. Good luck!
It gets quite hectic :smiley:

http://www.freewebarcade.com/game/one-trick-mage/ is the second game! A platformer where you play a mage who can only own one spell at a time, based on what potion you picked up last in that level. Use it to defeat enemies, get past obstacles, and free everyone from the chests.

http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/cosmic_bee is the third game! You're a bee in space, jumping from hex to hex, avoiding asteroids and collecting stars. Get all the stars, and try not to die, complete all levels!
Cosmic Bee - OneMoreLevel.com
top

Blizzard gaming:
Starcraft II:
Continuing the war chest, now completed the fourth tier of chapter 1, so only 3 matches to go. Then it's waiting about 10 days for chapter 2 to open up.
Hearthstone:
All classes are 55 now! Onward to 56 we go. So a new golden neutral basic card for each of them. Nice to see some more often used basic cards going gold in each deck I use them in :smiley:
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 7:00 PM
Brawl this week was a Scientific Recipe, with each class getting a custom deck based on the new cards in this expansion. Got it done with a priest's deathrattle deck, using some clever new magnetic cards.
*quest deck, that is, with the 1-mana quest active for priest.
Started the puzzle labs. I know of people who've completed them all already, but I've been doing one puzzle a day myself, though it'd take months to complete that way. It kinda takes the momentum out of it, though, since doing it this way doesn't really allow me to use patterns and thoughts I pick up in one puzzle and easily use them in the next when there's a day between them.
So I might settle for doing one lab every day in the future. Not decided yet.
Heroes of the Storm:
Level 296 now, one level got. Probably sergeant hammer or dehaka, not sure. I do know I've found a spec for Dehaka that seems useable.
Brawl this week is Pull Party, 5 stitches vs 5 stitches trying to pull each other over the pool to gang up on opponents. Fun and quick :smiley:
WoW:
No new stuff from old raids, though it's interesting how the few levels we've gotten in BfA make a bit of a change in them once again. For example, we need to make sure not to kill Ultraxion too fast.
Still doing some Legion content, like several emissaries for paragon rewards. Also checking pvp world quests still for marks of honor, but I suspect they can no longer be gotten from Legion WQs.
My daily heroic lower karazhan has paid off, however! Got the pocket watch to drop from Moroes, leading into a short questline that resulted in getting him as my last class hall champion.
You can't sign up for heroic Kara anymore when you hit 111, I think, so I was glad to get that done, as well as the one upper heroic karazhan needed for one of the quest items, before I hit my first BfA level.
Other than that Legion stuff, I also continued into Kul Tiras. As I had planned, I started my questing in Drustvar, where I've now gotten the first couple of main story chapters done, as well as all the little side questlines in the northeast and some east portions of the zone.  I like all the different side quests and breadcrumbs to quest-hubs, makes it feel like old school WoW again :smiley: And that short questline based on the Wicker Man movie, which I'd watched not long ago, was quite amusing :wink:
I've also continued the war campaign, setting up the mission table, getting a couple of champions and troops, and setting up my first foothold, in Zuldazar. As much as I like the setting in Drustvar, it's nice to see some bits of jungle and beach in Zuldazar. If that's what Expedition islands look like, I don't think I'll tire of going there any time soon.
And finally, profession progress as well, as I've now maxed out BfA skinning, and completed several quests that were conveniently taking place in Drustvar. For the 3-star recipes, though, I'll need more difficult quests, including one in a Zandalar dungeon that I can't do until max level. But there's no rush.
And I think that's my report for the week!

VardaLast Sunday at 7:28 PM
Thanks, Phar. : )
Ar-Pharazon-VLast Sunday at 8:49 PM
Namarie!
VardaLast Sunday at 9:52 PM
Namarie
top