Valar Guild

January 20, 2019 Sunday Meeting

5:00 P.M. Eastern time (-5 GMT)

Discord: Valar Guild/meeting_place

Back to News
Transcript work by Varda.

Attending (and spoke): (6)
    Discord: Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Falco, Pallando, Varda (presiding)
    LotRO: Dis, Varda

Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news
Web
Gaming:
    General report by various members
Tolkien:
    Topic: how Tolkien handled the idea of women in battle
After-meeting:
    Do you watch TV while gaming?
    Our role-play story on our forum.
    Pallando needs trustworthy haulers in Eve Online.
    Flashgaming Reviews by Ar-Pharazon.
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Before-meeting
(times are in Central from Varda's Discord, so add one hour for Eastern. Example: 4pm Central in the transcript is 5pm Eastern)

VardaToday at 4:03 PM
Aiya
Just rolled into town and set up the computer.
Anyone else here?
Been on the road the last 4 and a half hours.
Heh, maybe I didn't need to rush..
FalcoToday at 4:09 PM
Aiya
VardaToday at 4:09 PM
Falco, aiya : )
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:10 PM
Aiysa
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:10 PM
Aiya!
VardaToday at 4:10 PM
Aiya Pallando : )
Aiya Phar
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:10 PM
Sorry, shower took a bit longer than expected apparently.
VardaToday at 4:11 PM
Good to have a clean Phar here.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:11 PM
Certainly :wink:
VardaToday at 4:11 PM
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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
Membership:
Just back from visiting family the last two days. Just back from a 4 and a half hour drive, barely got the computer set up in time for the meeting. Good to see you three here. : )
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:12 PM
I'm not on bnet right now, maybe I should to see if I can find Sunny.
VardaToday at 4:13 PM
That would be a good idea. She seems to be behind clouds at the moment.
[Note: Arien sent an email that she would be away for vacation. All is well.]
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Web:
The only web news I have currently is the new stuff on the Games Site.
Remember you can mention news for your own games in Discord in Harbor, doesn't just have to be LotRO.
Also feel free to pass along news to Eonwe by email for the Games Site. Help advertise your favorite games.
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Gaming:

World of WarCraft:
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:15 PM
And Urwendi is.... offline for 22 hours.
VardaToday at 4:15 PM
This week's Bonus Event: World Quests.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:15 PM
Doesn't look good.
VardaToday at 4:15 PM
O wow. Hope all is well for her. Maybe she's traveling too.
Tides of Vengeance Part 2 is going live January 22nd. With it comes some Azerite Armor updates and changes and Battle for Azeroth PvP Season 2.
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22864559/tides-of-vengeance-part-2-goes-live-january-22
    World of Warcraft
    Tides of Vengeance Part 2 Goes Live January 22 - WoW
    The Tides of Vengeance Part 2 content update goes live January 22. Find out what to expect when the new season begins.
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22864558/tides-of-vengeance-part-2-azerite-armor-updates-changes
    World of Warcraft
    Tides of Vengeance Part 2: Azerite Armor Updates & Changes - WoW
    With the arrival of the second part of the Tides of Vengeance content update and start of Season 2 on January 22, some new Azerite armor changes will go live.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:16 PM
And the new raid!
VardaToday at 4:16 PM
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22864557/battle-for-azeroth-pvp-season-2-begins-january-22
    World of Warcraft
    Battle for Azeroth PvP Season 2 Begins January 22 - WoW
    Learn more about the PvP changes in the latest Tides of Vengeance content update and prepare to leap into Battle for Azeroth PvP Season 2.
Did you get to see the new raid, or other news on it?
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:17 PM
Well, there's been datamining ,and test realm, and bossguides, and in-game journal... we're all set to give it a go on the coming thursday :wink:
VardaToday at 4:18 PM
Exciting. : )

Diablo 3:
Patch 2.6.4 is out. Check out the patch notes.
https://us.diablo3.com/en/blog/22863534/patch-264-now-live-1-15-2019
    Diablo III
    Patch 2.6.4 Now Live
    Patch 2.6.4 is now live in North America! Check out the full blog post for the comprehensive patch notes.

Eve Online:
Pallando has some news for us. Fire when ready!
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:20 PM
Larger Eve just has a bugfix patch this month, though some much needed ones.
They're talking of rolling back the chat system update from last year since it's been broken for 10 months, so that's nice.
Supposedly either it's fixed within about a week from now or they roll it back.
VardaToday at 4:20 PM
O good
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:21 PM
https://www.eveonline.com/article/pl2ufa/update-on-chat-system-issues
    EVE Online
    Update On Chat System Issues | EVE Online
    Take a look at this dev blog for more information on the current status of the chat system in EVE Online, and efforts to resolve issues.
also, the dates for the Eve Online World Tour have been posted. Instead of having two "official" events, Fanfest and Vegas, they'll be doing 8 events, including one in somebody's home in Finland (he won a video contest). https://www.eveonline.com/article/pjzslc/eve-online-world-tour-2019
    EVE Online
    EVE Online World Tour 2019 | EVE Online
    Wherever you are...we will find you...
Eonwe ValarToday at 4:22 PM
Heya.
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:22 PM
Personally, I'll be at Toronto, Berlin, Vegas, and the "unofficial" Eve Northeast.

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:22 PM
Oh, if you like, have a link to all the special stuff coming in the raid :smiley: https://www.wowhead.com/news=289827
    Wowhead
    Battle of Dazar'alor Raid Rewards Overview - Transmog, Titles, Mounts
    Battle of Dazar'alor is nearly upon us as both factions clash in the capital of the Zandalari Trolls. This post goes over all the rewards from Battle of Dazar'alor including Transmog, Titles and more!

VardaToday at 4:22 PM
Aiya Eonwe : )

Pallando-ValarToday at 4:23 PM
I considered doing Amsterdam or London instead, but the history nerd in me wanted to see Berlin.
VardaToday at 4:23 PM
Unofficial more fun?
ahh, cool
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:23 PM
That's a lot of traveling.
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:23 PM
It's different fun. ENE is a camping trip. https://www.evenortheast.com/gallery2016/
    EVE: NorthEast
    admin
    Gallery 2016
    some pics from previous years (though they really need to update, we changed venues again last year)
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:24 PM
Aiya Eonwe!
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:24 PM
Anyways, that's it for larger Eve news. Personally, we just wrapped up a month long RP-based conflict in Thebeka, which should be getting a news article soon.
VardaToday at 4:25 PM
Newness is what helps with repeat business.
Intriguing
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:25 PM
The conflict was chaos in a bottle, as exemplified by The Diagram (proper noun) that tracked all of the wardecs that were happening: https://i.imgur.com/gTN19Vh.png
https://br.inyour.space/?s=2226&b=8432340&e=90&t=Crcae was the big fight last saturday
(good guys are in red, there)
VardaToday at 4:27 PM
Good to know who to root for.
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:28 PM
The whole thing ended up being a wash overall due to third party interference, but we fairly aptly demonstrated that we could have destroyed our primary enemies if others hadn't come to spoil the fun.
We've been at war continuously since October, so hopefully this marks the end of it and we can take a few weeks off to do logistics before going back into the frey.
I have a shortlist of targets all ready to go..
That's it for me.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:30 PM
A hitlist?
VardaToday at 4:30 PM
Thank you Pallando. That was a nice, meaty report.
heh
Does sound like a hit list.
Pallando-ValarToday at 4:30 PM
Oh yes.
One of them will have a music video themed to a Dead Kennedys song. I won't link it here because it violates the rating of this channel, but those familiar with their discography might be able to guess.
VardaToday at 4:32 PM
Sounds as if it works with a war.

StarCraft 2:
Fangorn and Eowyn gamed together, along with Eowyn's now 5 year old son.
He's not quite ready for LotRO as that takes a lot of reading.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:33 PM
...Does he play zerg?
VardaToday at 4:33 PM
He plays it all, most fond of the Arcade games though.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:33 PM
All the fun little bugs? :wink:
ah!
VardaToday at 4:34 PM
Phar played this past week, I assume?
Faramir played SC2 also
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:34 PM
Yep! Workin' on that war chest. First tier of phase 2 complete already.
VardaToday at 4:34 PM
Grats : )
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:34 PM
thanks
VardaToday at 4:35 PM

Lord of the Rings Online:
Wednesday we had Update 23.2.1. Release notes:
https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?670635-Update-23-2-1-Release-Notes
    Update 23.2.1 Release Notes
    Here are the Release Notes for Update 23.2.1, released on Wednesday, January 16th.
    News and Notes:
    Items
Live broadcasting from the Winterstock concert event taking place Friday 18th through January 21st on Landroval! Watch it at: Twitch.tv/LOTROstream
It's at the frozen pond east of Thorin's Gate.
Most of our Anor server playing has shifted to Ithil server, but not quite all.
Landroval server still has its dedicated people.
I'm the main one that switches between the servers, right now anyway.
The Legendary servers still go to level 50, so folks like Falco are running their characters up to that level before the expansion. Getting crafters set up.
We are almost old enough to get our kin house on both legendaries.
Landrovalites this past week:

Landroval:
Bregalad
Eonwe
Mirabella
Nar
Thranduil
Varda

I hope to give the Anor and Ithil reports shortly, and maybe shift them to here on the transcript.
Any other gaming news?
Other games you've played this past week?
Did you happen to see other Valarites? Maybe Fladrif or Helm?
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:40 PM
Fladrif's online right now in Hearthstone! And I'm pretty sure I saw him playing Heroes of the Storm earlier in the week.
Should I pass along the meeting's greetings?
VardaToday at 4:41 PM
Yes, please. : )
Aiya Fladrif!
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:41 PM
Greetings returned!

VardaToday at 4:41 PM

Anor:
Fangorn
Varda

Thanks. : )
Sauron-(Valar) says hi. : )
Eonwe ValarToday at 4:44 PM
Heya to Sauron :}
VardaToday at 4:44 PM
: )

Ithil:
Dis
Falco
Varda
Walda

Fangorn hopes to get to make a character there this week.
Does anyone need an invite anywhere while we have several officers on for various games and servers?
Any other news, suggestions, requests?
This is your chance at your very own meeting. : )
Onward to
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Tolkien!
Does anyone have a topic or comment they would like to bring up?
Whomever is here, please type Irmo
Irmo
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:52 PM
Irmo
VardaToday at 4:54 PM
While visiting relatives, I was chatting with one who hasn't read the books or seen the movie.
She seemed most interested in how Tolkien handled the idea of women in battle. How would you answer her?
(Oh, LotRO news: The new raid, Anvil of Winterstith, is now up and running. The imbuement tier increased.)
Tolkien was in battle himself, such as WW I. What would he have seen of women in battle?
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 4:57 PM
Well, the cast is mostly male, but the one woman who does get into battle, doesn't do all that terribly
VardaToday at 4:57 PM
heh
Women tended not to be allowed in battles, if they could be kept out.
Yet we have Eowyn, shieldmaiden, and Galadriel, spell-slinger even if she might not call it that.
[Kinship] Disvandl: as ladies in the countryside or women in the hospitald
French helping the guerrillas as messengers, spies too?
Ioreth would be an example of a medic helping with wounded soldiers.
The men didn't want Eowyn in their battle. She had to sneak in. But Aragorn recognized her desire to do so.
Galadriel, being a ruler of her people, was hard to stop. So she went to Dol Guldur and was instrumental in its fall.
[Kinship] Disvandl: few women saw battle
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:03 PM
It doesn't sound like Galadriel was standing at the front of a battalion though leading the charge.
VardaToday at 5:03 PM
So JRRT wrote as a man of his time as far as the roles he might see, but recognized that women might want to fight as much as a man, such as Eowyn.
Aye, Eonwe
She used magic, even if she didn't call it that.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:03 PM
I could see Galadriel charging ahead in shining armor.
VardaToday at 5:04 PM
Would other spell-slingers have still been in Dol Guldur at that time?
We know the Ringwraiths and Sauron were busy elsewhere, as they built up Barad-dur and went after a hobbit with a ring.
Hedge-wizards are mentioned, so surely at least some of that caliber or better?
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:06 PM
Some sorcerer in an elf's body...
VardaToday at 5:06 PM
hehe
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:06 PM
Where are hedge-wizards mentioned?
VardaToday at 5:07 PM
Digging, believe Gandalf in the Hobbit
Do not mistake me for some hedge-wizard, I think he said. Now have to find it.
He said he was trying to help Bilbo
so that would be early Fellowship
When I look there, I don't see it.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:09 PM
Well if that's the case, we would have to define "hedge wizard" as it would be used in Middle-Earth. Doesn't sound like Gandalf thought much of their "ability".
VardaToday at 5:09 PM
Agreed : )
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:10 PM
Well, maybe they're like some I recall from Discworld, where they're basically specialized at garden-sculpting?
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:10 PM
So it's possible we're talking about a guy on the level of say, the Wizard of Oz. What a wonderful wiz he was!
VardaToday at 5:11 PM
A magician, rather than wizard, maybe.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:11 PM
Guess it's time for a dive into the etymology of "Hedge" :}
VardaToday at 5:12 PM
Maybe the Hobbits thought Gandalf was one, just making fireworks and that was all
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:13 PM
Here we go....
Quick look at Wictionary, this looks like the definition we're looking for:
"(Britain, Ireland, noun adjunct) Used attributively, with figurative indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; third-rate. "
So, we surmised as much from your quote of Gandalf's usage, and we learn we knew already what we needed to know :}
Or rather, that we learned nothing new about these wizards Gandalf is insulting :}
But it does sound like Gandalf is indicating a snake-oil salesman level of.. competence,.. for these "Hedge Wizards".
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:16 PM
Funny, since in some ways, that would make Gandalf, the wanderer, the side-of-the-road businessman, a hedge-wizard himself.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:17 PM
Well, it would be how some view Gandalf, or disparagingly refer to him, but he's shown himself to not be of that calibur.
VardaToday at 5:17 PM
I can't find the reference. I have to withdraw it.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:18 PM
Ok, sparked an amusing tangent anyway.
VardaToday at 5:18 PM
I agree that it was a disparaging comment. : )
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:18 PM
All I remember is that he talked about a conjurer of cheap tricks in the movie :wink:
VardaToday at 5:18 PM
Aye
That would be a hedge wizard. : )
Well, I wish I knew how I got that mixed into Tolkien. Can't seem to find it.
Ok, it's past the hour. : )
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:20 PM
Perhaps another Hedge Wizard..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6MZ8nPm5s4
    YouTube
    soulflame456
    Passamashloddy
VardaToday at 5:21 PM
a hammer comes from the shelf, not walking a straight line, as it is still flipping book pages
It starts to hit its gavel head on the table
the hammerpad scoots quickly below
thonnnkkk!
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:21 PM
Did Radagast have a habit of crashing into hedges with his bunny sled? :wink:
VardaToday at 5:22 PM
the startled hammer scoots back to the shelf
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After-meeting:
Free chat.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:22 PM
Hehe.
VardaToday at 5:23 PM
Radagast in the movie with his sled pulled by hares... oy. He could at least have ran it somewhere that would lure the bad guys away. But maybe he was trying to force them to Elrond.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:23 PM
Must (re)watch those movies again... after I work through this laundry list of other ones I've got recorded :wink:
VardaToday at 5:24 PM
Do you run movies while gaming? I don't, but I hear a number of people do.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:24 PM
No, I don't. I'm not that good of a multitasker, and when I watch a movie, I actually watch a movie. Don't want to miss stuff by distracting myself with a game.
VardaToday at 5:25 PM
I like to enjoy immersion in a movie, agreed.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:25 PM
I know people watch shows and movies while fishing in WoW or something, but it'd just annoy me and I'd keep rewinding stuff.
Maybe if I'd already seen it, it'd be a different matter.
In any case, tv is quite a way behind me, can't do both at once :wink:
VardaToday at 5:26 PM
TV is downstairs, computer upstairs here.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:26 PM
Even worse :smile:
VardaToday at 5:26 PM
Run up and downstairs?
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:26 PM
Depends on the movie/ game for me. Some things I'm just listening to for fun, so I'm not concerend so much as seeing it on the screen.
VardaToday at 5:27 PM
Using it for a radio. : )
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:27 PM
*concerned.
Essentially. I listen to that while gaming too.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:27 PM
Oh, true. When my parents watch a tv show or a quiz I'll pop out one ear of my headphone and listen, even answer some questions from behind the pc, while gaming.
Eonwe ValarToday at 5:27 PM
I've got to multitask or I wouldn't have time for it all, heh.
VardaToday at 5:27 PM
There's that. : )
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:28 PM
And that's why I've got such a backlog of movies and games and forums :smile:
VardaToday at 5:28 PM
Never bored. Always something to look forward to.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:28 PM
Very true
VardaToday at 5:28 PM
And of course stuff to make for the Tolkien Site.... /duck

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:28 PM
I was actually thinking about the rp today.
Considering a post about the progress of the wolfpack, after realizing our party had spent quite a while in Rivendell and they must've done something in the meantime.
But it'd be better if we continued in Rivendell right now :smiley:
That's stuff for the Tolkien Site!
VardaToday at 5:30 PM
Agreed. We are in the middle of a convo there.

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:30 PM
I'm with Varda on movies.
I could absolutely watch something while gaming, but I really can't.
VardaToday at 5:31 PM
So you know, since you could, but find that you don't.
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:31 PM
I will sometimes while I'm camping in Eve or whatever, but rarely. There's always somethign that needs doing.
VardaToday at 5:31 PM
Sauron does, but re-runs mostly of TV.
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:32 PM
I have too many new things to watch to watch reruns.
VardaToday at 5:32 PM
Agreed. I'm behind. : )
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:32 PM
Like I need to watch Unbreakable and Split so I can go see Glass.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:32 PM
Yeah, re-runs. Like I said, if I've already watched something, I can listen to it in the background.
VardaToday at 5:32 PM
I saw Unbreakable and been looking for Split.
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:32 PM
I'm at least one if not two seasons behind on Peaky Blinders, I'm a season behind on Bojack..
I'm waiting for Expanse S3 to be free on Prime.
Plus my GF hasn't seen like... any classic movies. So I'm showing her those. I'm thinking we're going to do a Bond marathon when she comes back.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:33 PM
I've got about 15 movies recorded, am currently starting Season 2 of The Gifted which is about halfway recorded as well, I still haven't seen season 7 of Game of Thrones even though 8 starts in april, and I've never been an entire season of MLP behind like I am now...
Oh, and I think when that's all done, there's like 6 seasons of South Park waiting :wink:
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:34 PM
Oh man, I can't wait for GoT s8
HBO left us, so they're doing their own streaming now.
VardaToday at 5:34 PM
I just picked up the Game of Thrones series. Started reading it with Fangorn while we drive on those hours and hours of traveling.
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:34 PM
I'm eagerly anticipating the premier ep..
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:34 PM
I'll probably find places online the day after. But I have calculated that if I want to watch an episode a week and still be on time to catch season 8, I need to start 7 at the end of February.
VardaToday at 5:34 PM
Haven't seen the show
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:35 PM
If I still had my testing account, I'd let you borrow it. :p
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 5:35 PM
I'm a huge fan of stories and narratives, but if there is, right now, a single show I'm most curious about how it ends, that has to be GoT.
So catching up on that is a high priority on my viewing schedule.
As for a Bond marathon... I do have all the movies here. Want to watch them some day. As does my dad. We'll see when all the other stuff is done? :wink:
Anyway, afk a bit for now.
VardaToday at 5:39 PM
Don't think we missed any Bond movies but the later ones where he becomes more or less just a thug.
Off to make supper!
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:43 PM
Food is good, yes.
VardaToday at 5:44 PM
Ask any hobbit.

Pallando-ValarToday at 5:44 PM
I have so much logistics to do in Eve.
wtb trustworthy hauling services
VardaToday at 5:46 PM
Valarites?
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:47 PM
I mean, sure, but I'd need someone who actually enjoys this sort of thing, and I don't know of any Valarites who do.
VardaToday at 5:48 PM
Celebrian? Elrond? Sauron?
Just haulage, after all.
Pallando-ValarToday at 5:48 PM
Nope, don't think so.
Sure, but lots of it.
I'm looking at days of work.
Eonwe ValarToday at 6:07 PM
Time for me to be off. Take care all, good night, sleep well, and have fun :}
VardaToday at 6:07 PM
Namarie!
You can but ask. What's the worst? They say no? : )
I'm off too, back later.
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Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 6:27 PM
Right, back. Time for perrrrrsonal gaming report.

Flashgaming:
http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/quacks_dungeon is the first game! You're a duck in a jail cell, and you need to escape. Arrows to move, space to jump. The solution turns out to be quite funny :wink:
    Quack's Dungeon - OneMoreLevel.com

For the second game, weeeell... the badges of the week on Kongregate had special focus on a series of 3 puzzly games, with 25 quick levels to solve in each. While the first two have some annoying skill-levels in the form of a Breakout-game and a Snake game, the third one is all puzzly. So I'll give that one as my favorite :wink:
https://www.kongregate.com/games/bontegames/me-and-the-key-3 it is! Solve puzzles to find the key in all 25 levels. And if you like it enough, try out the other 2 in the series as well!
    Kongregate
    Me and the key 3
    Time for a brand new bontegame! Time for me, the key and a whole lot of penguins. Can you get the key in each of the 25 levels?

And the third one, that takes me back... https://www.kongregate.com/games/whiteboardwar/creeper-world-training-sim is an introduction to the Creeper World games, one of my absolute favorite series when it comes to strategy/defense games. Played the three full games a few years back with great enjoyment, but the smaller kongregate versions are still great :smiley:
    Kongregate
    Creeper World Training Sim
    Defend your base from the Creeper and fight your way to safety! Creeper World Introduces a whole new kind of enemy that flows across the terrain. Fight back...
This particular one is a tutorial into the first game, with some smaller and easier missions. If you enjoy them, check out the other Creeper World games by the same developer on the kong site, and you may even consider going for the full games.
The idea is that you've got a main base in an area about to be flooded by Creeper, a substance that will spread across the map and destroy your base. Spread out to collect energy, put down defenses in strategic places, and drive the Creeper back in order to connect your base to a set of totems, which will then teleport you to the next world.
So if this is your type of game, enjoy!
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Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:30 PM
Blizzard gaming!
Starcraft II:
Phase 2 of the War Chest started. First tier complete, 4 to go :wink: More building skins!

Diablo 3:
Season started, and hopped right in with my first Necromancer, Calazul! Focus will be on completing storymode for some achievements, then work towards chapter 4 of the season journey while working on some other achievements along the way, and then I'll finish up with a few situational ones to hopefully get the necromancer wings this season. It'd certainly fit the set.
But even if I don't make that, the achievements will accumulate through further seasons, and reaching season 4 in this one will give me other wings anyway :wink:
Calazul's level 15 now, and about two thirds through act 1. Goal is to get to one boss or sub-boss for an act every day (when I have time to play, which should be most days).
Hearthstone: Doing well enough! Had the classes that were behind catch up quite well, and the first few are starting to skirt the next level. Wouldn't be surprised to see one or two level up next week.
Brawl this week is.. randomness! Choose a class, get random cards that do random things. Huzzah for random!

Pallando-ValarToday at 7:38 PM
On the SC2 note, I'm almost done with every achievement for the coop commanders except the stupid Zeratul one.
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:38 PM
Hah, grats! That's a lot of coop commanders :smiley:
I've dabbled in that a few times, but not much.
Pallando-ValarToday at 7:39 PM
IT's the only thing I do. :p
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:39 PM
For the war chest, I just do a versus for 100k xp for first win of the day :wink:
Other than that... it all looks really nice, sure, but eh. Other stuff to do!
But if I do get around to that one day, at least I'll have a plethora of skins to choose from!

Heroes of the Storm:
Still level 327. A few are close to leveling, but otherwise things are just slow. Getting closer to getting a second round of the boardgame event, anyway, and still got 2 weeks for that. Should be enough.
Brawl this week, garden arena, one of the small custom arenas where you have to fight to constantly collect stuff. Quite nice, though I didn't get much choice of heroes I was familiar with.
Got a 10x Tychus and a 10x Butcher matchup, though, which were quite fun.
WoW:

(oh, for Hearthstone,
got a new legendary, the shaman champion, Zentimo from the new expansion)

WoW:
More raidin'! Had our last Uldir raids this week. Went quite smooth, with all bosses down in about 3 hours total over 2 raids. Fastest heroic G'huun kill we ever had, by over 30 seconds. Very nice way to close things off, and leaves next tuesday free :wink:
To celebrate, and prepare for the new season, I changed my catform and bearform to new appearances, which I picked out for the troll/factionwar/bwonsamdi themes of the new raid. Now I'm going in with a bearform with a bone-theme, very appropriate, and a catform for which I had to unlock honor level 50 first.
Which I got done on monday, and the appearance does not disappoint! Now I'm only lacking a single one of the old appearance-unlocks from Legion, and that's honor level 80, I think. Whether I'll get that in BFA I don't know, but for every battleground or arena or brawl I do for the quest/weekly events, I'll get a little bit closer to completing the collection. And since honor is account-bound, that's appearance-unlocks I won't have to collect again for any alts I level in the future, as well!

Pallando-ValarToday at 7:51 PM
presses jump
waits
presses jump
EnGaGInG gAMePlAY

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:52 PM
Special event completed this week: The Hivemind mount! I'd gotten the individual steps for the monocles done weeks ago, but the last half with a dedicated 5-man party was still waiting.

Ah, you're doing quack's game :smile:
Pallando-ValarToday at 7:52 PM
Nope, Eve. :p
Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 7:52 PM
Oh, same gameplay then :smiley:

Anyway, we had been a group of 3 interested friends already, and this week I brought up the topic and swiftly got 2 others from our raidgroup too, including my fellow colleague raid-tank who I've been tanking alongside with for the past 10 years or so.
So we made plans for saturday, yesterday, and then all 5 of us got together in Suramar for all the silly 5-man puzzles, including timing stuff and figuring out how to get all 5 of us over a chasm using a specific order, akin to the old fox/chicken/grain riddle or whatever version people know it as.
So now we've all got our Hivemind mounts, which are attuned to each other as well; we can hop in each other's Hiveminds for speedboosts.
This only works for the party of 5 you completed it with (most recently).
Earlier in the reset I did more expeditions, but got no new rewards from them... but it was the first time I did them on mythic with 2 friends rather than pugs, which was nice. The two friends were also in that hivemind party, so if we do more expeditions together, we'll be able to zoom across the island faster in a giant hovering tentacled brain :smiley:
And the rest of the week was... world quests, mainly. Got exalted with the Champions of Azeroth faction along the way, at which point I bought 2 new pets from Magni the diamond dwarf, the pets being an azerite puddle and an azerite elemental. Not much special, but still nice to be followed around by them :smiley:
I also did more pet battle world quests for the family achievements. Completed the achievements for the elemental and flying families, so 4 to go there. On some fights I got all the way to mechanical and finally undead, so there's at least one tamer I'm done with. Except for when she gives pet charms, which are always something to go after.
With tamers popping up I no longer need, things can only slow down from here... but as long as we still make a bit of progress along the way, that's fine. And any quests I can skip, just give me more time to do other stuff!
So yeah, that's my report for the week! All set for the new raid, with hopefully some free time here and there for the war campaign. But considering I'm now doing 5 blizzard games at once... things will be tight. We'll see what happens!

Ar-Pharazon-VToday at 8:17 PM
Namarie, until next week!
VardaToday at 9:00 PM
Namarie, Phar
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