Freaky Friday Forest Post

Being Nice is Harder Than Being Mean

Who here has said something nasty online? We are all guilty.

On Reddit this week, people were able to ask why their account was banned when their character names were not in violation of the naming policies. They put some of these people in their place by actually showing what they wrote in /map chat. For dropping N-bombs and BOTH F-bombs (sometimes both in one sentence) they had been temporarily banned; not so much for cursing but for verbal abuse.

As a liberal and someone who always stands up for free speech, I surprisingly found myself delighted when I read this. I have noticed how brazen people become when they can hide behind a computer screen.  They also do not think of the consequences of their actions because the Internet is not a face-to-face reality but an electronic cold world. You do not see the look of hurt on the person's face who you have insulted. You can not be empathetic to someone you do not know. Just ask yourself these questions the next time you are about to say something nasty to someone online: Would I behave this way at work? At school? In public? No, you would not. Because saying nasty things to people in public is not socially acceptable and unless you are a sociopath, you would feel a sense of shame for being so uncouth.

Into the Mists

LFG The Villany of Galrath

I have spent some time in PvP the past few days and find it exhilarating. I did a lot of WvW during the BWEs but have only spent about half an hour since launch. Until the servers are not balanced I will not throw myself to the wolves to be torn apart and have to pay for armor repair. Currently, Tarnished Coast has control of about 5%, another server has 4% and Northern Shiverpeaks owns the rest.  In two weeks when the servers are balanced I'll join in but I refuse to be a victim of Zergfest 2012.

Now sPVP Map Conquest is where I have been sneaking in every once in a while. Looked up armor possibilities and tried to figure out which build would be the best for my style of play.  I noticed that too many people were running away from me during battles, so I set up a lot of immobolization and it has been highly successful. Where you going? Stay right there! WHACK! I've been finishing off a whole slew of peeps. The Triple B is currently using Sword/Shield and Scepter/Torch with Signet of Judgement and Signet of Wrath as my  movement impeders. Also, one of my runes chills the area when I swap to sword so I can hack and slash whoever is around me. Hint to other Guardians: If you can keep 'em still, you can put a whole world of hurt on them. Stupid thieves! ;p

In terms of team strategy, people need to start realizing that zerging on these small maps is a sure loss.  The best strategy is to split up in teams of 2 or 3 but this is easier said than done.  Most people are stubborn in PvP and do what they want to do without thinking about the team. I also noticed that in PvP (GW1 as well as GW2) there is this lack of communication or people thinking their way is the only way. Maybe it is just that there is lack of experience but let me put an example of how I came to these conclusions.

Forest of Nifhel

The Triple B, daughter of Snow Leopard

The battle has begun and I have spawned blue so I immesdiately hit "Save Yourselves" and sprint to the Henge. I see that my whole party is headed to the Henge and quickly think to myself that we need to split up so I take the initiative and head directly to the Keep. At this point, everyone who was headed to the Henge obviously gets confused and follows me to the Keep. WHAT? Do you see what zerg mentality and the stubborn insistance of letting someone else do it does? The Henge went uncaptured and nobody followed up by heading Northeast and killing Chieftain Utahein. We successfully got the Keep but we missed out on 35 points because we did not do the essential task of taking our area. Was I to blame for trying to break free from the wolf pack or rushing to the Keep? Or were the other players at fault for blindly following someone like me and not thinking for themselves? Maybe tonight makes a week and people still haven't thought about the best strategy methods for maximizing points.

Later, being on a team that did split up wisely and efficiently, we faced an enemy team where EVERYONE was roaming around in a group. The other team member I was paired up with ended up slaughtered and we respawned at different times. I ended up alone and headed to the mines to neutralize the point. We had the other 2 capture points so I figured the enemy team would be busy trying to reclaim those. Within seconds, the whole enemy team was headed for me. Why were they headed to a point they had under control? I'm figuring that they saw me during a retreat from the Keep, all alone and helpless.

I found myself alone a few times against 4 or 5 enemies and could tell how they were so excited to finish me. They all striked F and I saw 4 finishing animations going, all trying to take advatnage of the wonderful Ms. Bumpback. I laughed at this. You all really followed little ol' me? What you do not understand is, I am willing to take one for the team (every now and then) and have pulled you away from your true purpose on this map. To win! So go ahead, get your moment of satisfaction of hitting a girl when she is down. Trololo!

Swagg All Day

Congratulations to Arenanet for officially releasing Guild Wars 2! Friday night's prelaunch was a very exciting moment but due to the work week, I only lasted 30 minutes.

Meet the Coolest Asura Ever, Swagg

Chilling with my homey, Rocko.

They told us that we could log in up to 3 hours early on Friday night and I was ready. I was spamming log in like everybody else 4  hours early. You can never be too sure. Why did I find the need to log in right when the client went up you might ask? One word name reservation! Because of Asura naming conventions, one word names were going to be hot and I figured someone would want the name Swagg.  I logged in, picked Tarnished Coast for my server and clicked Asura, male, ranger and skip to the end. (I could NOT spare a second in character creation) I entered Swagg and as soon as it went through started cheering like I did when Spain won the Eurocup this Summer. Okay, I admit, I was louder. I had been losing sleep about not getting this name. Once in the game, I went back and deleted Swagg since the name is reserved for 24 hours. Risky but it worked, took my time remaking him and I was set. Betty was next.

Why bother? We Can Play Forever!

Changing armor color daily until perfect. Stay tuned for pictures.

I made Betty with her fabulous cornrows to emulate my GW1 monk, Homeboy Cornrow and was off to start her legend. I completed the tutorial and slayed Issomir but was immediately kicked off and had to start again. There was major lag but what do you expect the first hour of launch? I was exhausted, I had been up since 6:30am EST and it was 12:30am EST. I knew to leave well enough alone and decided I would be playing laggy for a while and would enjoy the game more with some sleep. This was no stress test or beta! GW2 would be there when I wake up!

I didn't bother posting anything the past few days figuring anyone who would be interested in reading this blog would be too busy playing. Shoot! I was too busy playing.

Crafting Addiction

I mentioned in a previous blog entry that I was excited to try out crafting and spend some time on it. But I NEVER anticipated how much I would love it! I went with Jeweler and Chef thinking I would benefit from the money to be made from jewelry and the boosts from cooking. The variety of recipes are to be appreciated and I enjoy sending my friends full course meals and treats. Sharing is caring! The elegant yet simple system of jewelry crafting is fascinating and I find will be highly useful when you want to boost a stat.

Most people I know are trying to finish areas but I do not have the patience to stick to one zone. I don't feel this is what Arenanet intended for us to do. I finished Hoelbrak and the Grove and decided I will do little by little of the other areas. My true motivator and purpose in Tyria is to go from area to area in search of crafting materials while stopping to do whatever event or quest heart feels right at the time. I always have top of the line sickles and pickaxes ready to put a hurt on any node that looks at me funny. I stopped with the wood chopping after I realized how expensive steel and darksteel tools were getting.

Starting gold today. Made sure I saved up for extra xp.

Black Lion Trading Company

I bought 4,000 gems on Sunday and was a little nervous when they didn't show up immediately. I realized that I put my faith in Arenanet when I did this and would have to be patient. I knew they had to have a system in place in case this happened.  The purchase appeared immediately on my statement so I had proof that it was processing or being worked on. The next morning they were waiting for me in the gem store. :D

I bought the 3 character slots I wanted to be able to make all the professions. (Haven't done them all, too busy crafting.) 1 extra bag slot for Betty. The best purchase I used my gems for were 2 bank slots that OH MY! am I ever thankful for those with all the excess jewelry I have for sale when....well...

The Black Lion Trading Company has been down since prelaunch. It was up for a bit but would freeze up and if you were lucky could get in after 20 minutes of waiting. I have so much jewelry to sell it is crazy. One of my alternates was made just to hold a whole bank slot of jewelry. The poor Necro who I want to mistreat is currently holding some expensive jewelry for Betty and will get paid very little. Oh the struggles of the proletariat! At least I found a way for her to make money so she can afford a copper axe involving her character development.

Oh happy day when the Black Lion trade Company comes back into commission. I understand that people are having a horrible amount of lag, log in issues, errors and account bans. However, the only issue I truly have is with the BLTC which prevents me from doing what I need to and enjoying the game to the fullest. I have to admit that the sleeping quaggan (maintenance down picture) is adorable and because of this, I will be patient for a while longer.

Roadkill sleeping at BLTC in LA.

The Countdown and Character Immersion

Get Ready...Get Set...GO!!!1!

Stay hood!

Just one more night! W00T! Tomorrow when I wake up will be like Christmas morning. I promise Dwayna that I will treat everyone with respect and kindness. I have to wake up at 6:30am (3:30am Arenanet time-see how easy time conversion is? Sheesh people!) so I don't think I'll be able to make it to midnight (this is considering that launch is 3 hours early). So as soon as I get home from work at 4pm, I will be napping as long as I can. I HAVE to log in the moment launch happens because of a 1 word name that I KNOW will be snatched up immediately if I don't act fast. WHEN I get it, I will post it on here. Until then, it is a small secret only a few know.

Played an hour stress test today and tested Necro. Meh! I prefer the Mesmer from the other day. I didn't take pics or anything because...PFFFT! I barely had time! The highlight of my stress test was running into a friend from the forums the last 10 minutes. It was one of those, "OMG, it was meant to be" moments.

Character Immersion and My Two Humans

Dark Willow Rising
She was created to farm piles of dust in the Black Curtain almost 4 years ago today.

No big secret that I will be doing some serious RPing in the Tarnished Coast server and that I will be covering all 8 professions with some gems I plan to buy. Not going crazy with the gems now but I have my character lists with descriptions, races and professions. I am totally ready and as you can tell very enthusiastic. In preparing for the RPing, I have had to make certain decision and know what I want to do with my toons and the limits I will set for them. Not because I care what other people think, but I want to make sure as I play them that I can follow some consistency in their story that I am trying to create.

I will be rolling humans for my Necro and Engineer. For now, these are the only humans I plan to have. The only race I am undecided on is for my thief. Here are summaries of their character descriptions.

My Necro is an indigent Human who takes the hard knocks of life everyday. This is why she chose the dark arts of Necromancy as her profession. She learned her art from an old beggar women who once plagued the world with her magicks.

My Engineer is a bourgeois Human that is given everything by mummy and daddy. His inexhaustible supply of ammo and guns only supplement his prodigal lifestyle. He lacks in experience due to his indolent ways but makes up for it by fawning those around him.

I figured 80-90% of the gold and loot that my Necro makes will be put into the bank and transferred over to my Engineer in order to make the difference in their social status far more evident to me when I plan on where to take them. She will have to work harder and he will have life easier. I believe that this will help me keep my story going and exemplify the moods and personality of these characters. I have asked the community their opinion and they have suggested transmutation stones for "poorer" looking armor and muted colors for my Necro and more vibrant colors for my Engineer.

I also wondered what were some other way to make this character immersion I have planned for them richer. Crafting specialties are another aspect to pay attention to in the beginning. How can an extremely poor Necro specialize in Cooking if she can barely eat or better yet, Jewelry crafting? I figured she will buy food with the little money she finds and a logging axe for firewood to help her work her way up slowly. As for my Engineer, the sky is the limit. He's rich, B*tch! 

And no I am not being sexist! I'm a radical feminist! Can't you tell by how strong and powerful I made Betty? The Necro is female because she will be the descendant of my GW1 Necro and the Engineer because I think Human Engineers are hotties and look like pretty boys. I made one for BWE2 and called him Pew Pew OMG Lazer but this name will not do for an RP community. Can you imagine? ROFL! "What do I call you?" I need to be taken a bit more seriously. If they don't like Dark Willow Rising...well as Smosh says, "SHUT UP!" she is lower class and just goes by Willow. You know season 6 of Buffy WAS the best right?

How am I going to get through the day tomorrow?

RIP Cutie Pututti

R.I.P. b. 8/21/2012  - d. 8/21/2012

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

Today was most likely the last stress test for Guild Wars 2. I decided to use the stress test wisely and utilize it for testing the Mesmer profession. I've always found the Mesmer to have interesting skills that are just up my alley but I could never find the time. Messing with people, casting illusions and trickery have always intrigued me and I knew I would be playing one but I had to see first hand. Let us just say that I am even more confused about what I will play at launch but I'm going to stick with Betty. :D

So this blog entry is dedicated to the end of the Beta Weekend Events and stress tests. Here is to my Mesmer, Cutie Pututti, who will never see Tyria again. That being said, I have decided that he passed away in Calderon Forest, the Sylvari starting area. (Hey! Not every character should live.) Here is to the end of an era of tests and impatient facebook posts (not on my part ;p ) and the start of a new age...the Age of Guild Wars 2.

A Photo Album of Memories

In honor of launch, I will be posting these pictures in no particular order.

Roadkill kitty with the famous Jora statue in Hoelbrak.

The Triple B in front of her famous hangout, the Snow Leopard Lodge. 

Hammers are a lady's weapon of choice.

In honor of Dr. John Dorian...EAGLE!!!1! Had fun following people in L.A.

Arenanet gave us some pretty cool GW2 hats for free today.

Here is a little throwback to GW1 and Hecate Antaia. I haven't finished her story...yet.

3 days to go! Now i have to wait. QQ

Mabon Market in Calderon Forest...or Tomorrowland in Belgium?

                         
                                             

Mini Castles FTW!

A popular thread started by Pyrah Maribeau in the roleplayer forums started a lot of controversy. He argued that RP should not be limited to taverns. I totally agree!

Why is Nobody Listening?

I mentioned in my first post on the forums how I look forward to RP in the many castles/forts we come across in our adventures. After that, nobody ever posted in the thread again and I was fine with that.

"In Artergon Woods (Metrica Province) the small castle with a vista on top seems a nice area for rp with some friends. One of my toons will definitely be living there."

In response to Pyrah's amazing "A Call to Arms for RPs" thread I responded.

I totally agree with you and hope to see more RP out in the open. Some of the ideal places I can't wait to RP in are the forts and mini castles scattered around Tyria. There is a quaint little fort (with a vista) in Artergon Woods - Metrica Province and another in Kessex Hills between Triskellion Vale and Earthworks Buff.

I know there are several but found these personally charming. I think being able to move around these little castles will allow more room for RP and characters can do more than simply go to the bar for a drink. In fact, you can RP about the attacking centaurs around the corner and go back to playing out your character. Some of these castles have little rooms that can be used as part of the story if needed. I know there will be some jerk that says they are King/Queen of a castle but at least there are many to choose from and an ignore option. 

Now not to be a snob or believe I am the most important person in the world, I thought someone would say..."Hey! That is a great idea!" But alas, nobody said anything about the castles! Grrrr! *Betty shakes her fist at the screen* I understand most people go about their lives and do not really pay much attention to what is going on outside of their immediate worlds, granted, but come on! Didn't this idea excite anyone else?

The Start of a Revolution

Who is going to help me chop wood for the castle fireplace?

I am sure people will naturally be drawn to these areas, I mean come on, Tarnished Coast is the unofficial RP server. However, I am making it a point to get as many people to RP these castles and forts as I can. If you want a tavern so badly, I'm sure a "traditionalist" will start playing a barkeep...inside these castles! Many of them have rooms and they can be utilized for several purposes. But how cool will it be for people to be wandering around Tyria and finding a castle with not just NPCs but real people acting out RP situations in these "rest stops". There are so many different niches for people within a keep that could ultimately help develop their character and make them have a richer narrative.

Imagine a castle life RP that incorporates Anet's event system to the surrounding areas. You could be in the middle of a conversation and be alerted to the Veteran Destroyer wreaking havoc on the farmers across the plains. Returning to the castle after victory would give substance to story and character development. "Say ol' chap! Do you recall the time we tore that Veteran Destroyer to pieces after nearly falling to ours deaths from the castle wall?" seems a lot more interesting than "Remember when we drank those pints of ale at the tavern?" Just picking up something to do like chopping wood or running to the well to get some water could open a whole world of possibilities. And if after two or three nights of RPing at the same fort, the group tires, the group could always elect five scouts to go and find a new land/fort for the "starving" people of Artergon Woods or wherever. You could always come back after a week or two if there are fond memories. New people stopping by would also keep the selected castle interesting and fresh.

King of the Hill

The con with any RP is the jerk who thinks they are the "Joffery" of everyone. Playing out a castle RP, there is bound to be hierarchical power struggles which could be a bad thing. As I mentioned in the post above, the solution would be ignore the person or turn the other cheek and head to another less populated castle. It all really depends on how many people are playing in the area and the recognition of authority. As in any political situation, legitimacy must be ascribed to a ruler or they have no power. Someone might claim, "I am the King of this keep and all the surrounding lands." But people will most likely be turned off by this proclamation or some would actually accept that. The later will probably happen with larger guilds and their megalomanic leader, with lackeys trying to move up to officer status. 

A Special Thanks

This blog entry is dedicated to my new friend, the mute Asura elementalist, Maranari. I know that I can count on her to help change the world of Tyria, one castle at a time. Her new blog can be reached by clicking the following link: http://gw2-speechless.blogspot.ca/

A Night of Roleplaying

Last night I spent over 2 hours role playing Betty in a chat room and had a great time. Made a few friends and everything. 

My name is Betty Bumpback...but people call me Bump Back Betty!

It Is Hard Making Friends

I walked into the Queasy Quaggan making an entrance like only a Norn could do. Described myself as a "towering Norn Guardian" and made a bee-line to the bar and ordered a drink. I'm sure people noticed but nobody acknowledged me, so I waited a few minutes.  Being a good Norn, I ordered another pint of ale and was pretty verbal about it. Still no interaction from the others in the room.  At this point, my outogoing personality in real life shines through and I figure that RPing is just like RL, most people are shy and I just need to be the first one to break the ice.

A Tengu merchant was constantly catching fire due to some artifact he had bought and I asked, "Excuse me for my ignorance sir, but I do not know many Tengu. Are feathers flammable?" Corny, I know, but I figured if I am letting him talk about himself, it would get his attention. People love to talk about themselves, so giving them the green light can always start a conversation. This question got his attention and although I didn't really talk to him much after that, I was a part of the room now. I asked him if he had a Tome of Courage for sale since he was a merchant and he had no idea what that was.  I was using a bit of my character's profile since her objective at the moment is to find one. There was another Guardian in the room, an Asura, and I broached the topic of the Tome. It was a nice transition and the Tengu lost interest and left the bar.

Another Round of Drinks for the Table!

Speaking to the Asura was interesting and he seemed very friendly.  Not super arrogant like most Asura. He would take time with his responses but was very literate for rp standards.  I like to think that I am somewhere between literate and semi-literate for rping. I just want to spit out what I am saying (like in RL) and do not have time to edit and revise. I like to keep the ball rolling. 

We notice another Asura in the room who is not saying anything but she is voicing her actions. I liked her style. She ended up being a mute due to some chaotic Dynamics College experiment I take it but I learned a lot from her method of role playing.  She had it down pat. The three of us quickly became friends and I ordered us a round of drinks. Betty made a little chunk change during her time in the Mists. ;D I found it interesting that the male Asura spoke about an incident between two Charr that happened in the bar the previous day. While we were interacting, a young couple of lovers were showing their affections for each other publicly and we incorporated their story into our conversation/awareness. 

I'll Send You a Pigeon

After the lovers left and the three of us conversed a little longer, a male Norn warrior woke up from passing out at another table. Trying to make Betty a little more interesting, I made her act muddled when he spoke to the room. I remembered how I felt when nobody reacted to my entering the room so I tried to incorporate him into the room by reacting to his presence.  Although I did not directly speak to him, I let him know that I was recognizing him being there by doing "Stupid girly things?" He invited himself over to the table and I snapped out of the flirtatious mode because I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable or be a total creeper. We went into his back story a bit and spoke a while longer. After a bit more gab, I realized it was three in the morning OOC and had to get ready for bed.  I wanted to show these people that I would be interested in continuing another time or play with them in game and had to come up with a way, quick! I wrote down "my sigil" on a few strips of paper that the mute Asura lent me and let them know they can always contact me through pigeon carriers, the method of communication in GW2. I thought it was genius and was proud of myself.  I also made sure that they were friended on the forum so they could easily message me. With that, we said our good byes and I was out into the night of Lion's Arch to look for somewhere to sleep.

After all that ale, this looks like a good spot.

Whatcha' doing? CRAFTING! Leave me alone!

Continuing after yesterday's entry about what I would look forward to when our progress is permanent, I have focused on the top four in order of least to greatest importance. 

Mystic Forge

Poor Zommoros! I used this a few times when I had spare junk and was pleasantly surprised...once. I tried using it a few times and got frustrated because I could only use 2 or 3 slots. I got all 4 slots filled 3 times and was please with some armor that came out once.  I couldn't use it but was happy enough that something cool came out. I gave it to Kunoichi since it was light armor for her Elementalist.

What I love about the Mystic Forge is the surprise factor. Sure it may be a bit of a gamble at times, but where is the fun in predictability? With the many options available, I'm sure it won't be too bad for Zommoros. He'll always have someone to talk to.

Hey girl! You hungry?    F...U...N!

Crafting

I crafted during BWE 3 and found it a little tedious for having limited time.  This will probably be one of my downtime activities. When I need a break from the action of slaying/dodging enemies, hanging out in Lion's Arch while doing some crafting sounds just about right. 

I did have an a logging axe and mining pick with me the whole time. I would just sell the wood and ore in the Black Lion Trade window when I would run out of room and make a bit of gold. The xp and gold really add up which I am sure will be extremely helpful when I take crafting to the next level.

PVP Rank

Got to level 2 rank with a few rounds and got a Rabbit Banner that I thought was pretty neat. But the fact that it wasn't leveling my characters threw me off since I would rather be out discovering higher level areas in PVE. I'm figuring the in game elitist are going to use this rating in determining if someone is "worthy" or not. Just last night I saw someone in GW1 tell another, "If you can't show me a tiger, you are worthless." This is why I always stayed away from Heroes Ascent. I also hated showing people my builds. They always want you to roll what THEY want. I got to rank 2 and stopped playing. That was 5 years ago. 

I think that PVP rank will not be as important because anyone can neutralize a base and get their points up by helping out. GW2 has a more teamwork concept that is amazing. As long as you are helping out, you have worth. Just look at how willing people are to revive you in the middle of battles during WvW. Although the PVP rank will not be as important, I will enjoy seeing the perks of getting a high rank. Loving the Bunny!

I'll take a pint of this, please.

Roleplaying!

I did a few minutes here and there the first two BWEs and met a few people who appreciated it. It was mostly in WvW yelling battle cries of, "For the Grove!" and staying IC in map chat. I tried, "For the Fort!" or "For Aspenwood!" a few times the 3rd Beta weekend and it just didn't have the same ring. Besides, I already told you how people were on THAT server. Any IC talk and people were turned off immediately. Good roleplaying takes time and you have to be in the right situations for it to be successful. I am sure I am not the only one who wants to run around and see as much as I can. I bet Tarnished Coast will even have little rping going on the first few days as people will try to get into the action. I hope I am wrong. Taking a break every few hours and interacting with creative, imaginative people will be refreshing. Logging off won't be so bad either. ;p

What I am NOT Looking Forward to

Having to buy books to retrain traits. Small errors like clicking the wrong trait will be met with the consequence of having to retrain. I like that re-rolling your build will cost money and therefore it would be hard to ask someone to change their build. (Remember what I said about my build peeve above?) However, this game is brand new and will be nerfed time and time again. What might be a viable or preferred build will not be the same in 6 months time. This is my only complaint but I know why Arenanet has done it.

Finally, Some Amazing News!

Just yesterday I found out that there is no true region lock as we once thought there would be. I wondered about this since I was playing in the EU for BWE2 with a NA version of the game. Anet says that NA bought copies have to be registered in NA but then become global accounts once activated. This was just so that EU peeps would pay in Euros. At any rate, I am super happy that i'll be playing from Barcelona next year. I think I'll look out of place playing with my Naga in cafes. But who cares? I won't fall behind!

No Stone Left Unturned

What should I do with this valuable time?

Imagine it! Bad a** lvl 13 Charr Warrior. I'm headed to Kessex Hills, thinking that Fort Salma is okay for my current level. I mean, the entry from Queensdale is right there! It does say 15-25. But oh SnAP! High level centaurs. I start running East hoping to see lower level enemies. This is right after Arenanet has asked us to jump over to Queensdale, so I was doing my part. ;p

Roadkill Kitty. You do not want to mess with this guy!

With 20 minutes to go I find a Thieves hideout and get to work chopping them down with my Greatsword. A decent sword, nothing to sneer at. Does that Cutthroat think they can run away from me? This is Guild Wars 2, I can throw my Greatsword with skill #4: Bladetrail! Roadkill Kitty scrambles over to pick up some loot, lo and behold my first green weapon! That my toon can use. -_- It does about 50% more damage than my previous sword and I begin cheering! No...really...I emoted.

At this point I have 10 minutes left for the stress test to be over but I feel unstoppable. A Mighty Greatsword of Water! It helps heal with all this extra damage. Whoa-Ho! Watch out! I head South and confidently mow down any roadblock or NPC that is programmed or foolish enough to attack me. With just three minutes left in the stress test, I manage to finish a Dynamic Event with some other hero I ran into in the area. Scavenging through the stack of centaur corpses I find...WHAT? A green helmet! What is going on? Why are the Six so cruel? This is why Charr have no gods! By the time I put it on and look at Roadkill from every angle and realize it has some bad mamma-jamma stats, the stress test is over and I am logged off by our friends at Arenanet. 

After having time to reflect on how exciting these last 30 minutes of the stress test were, I realized what I look forward to the most about Guild Wars 2 launching, the permanency of progress. A friend from the roleplayer forum told me that he was going to go exploring Divinity's Reach during the stress test. This seemed too restricting for me. I was everywhere in 4 hours and got pictures as proof. :D After Headstart I see myself slowing down and concentrating on certain areas but feel I have to run around at the moment because I only have an allotted time. Tomorrow, I'll write about the things I want to concentrate on that require a little more patience.  

QQ  Even grown Charr cry when stress tests end.

Racist Comments and a Fab Photoshoot

Yesterday, I posted my Character Profile for Betty on the Blog which was mainly made for Guild Wars 2 Roleplayers. I got someone to comment on it that Balthazar did not create the Mists, they have always been. He was right, I meant to say that Balthazar opened a gate to the Mists in LA. Still trying to get the GW2 lore.

I started a Forum Topic that has Hot Status right now - Future Races : Forgotten or Krait? Title was a tiny bit misleading but you have to get people to read it...right? 

I was referencing this article Future Races? and wondered what some of the other possibilities are that Arenanet might have up their sleeves. Everything does point to the Tengu but I was arguing that there should be some race that isn't THAT humanoid. Krait and Forgotten have snake tails, centaur have 4 legs, etc. Now I am not asking for some amorphous blob (Ooze) but something to pique people's interest. That being said, here is a link to the forum thread if you are interested in reading more about that topic. GWRP Forum Topic

On another note, there is another stress test in under 10 minutes and I plan to take some pictures of Betty. They are long overdue. I admit, I've been lazy but with every free moment in beta or stress test trying to discover something new, I always put these things off for later. Other than a few pics of Ms. Bumpback, I'll be overplaying my Charr Warrior so that when release comes, I'll be back to Betty full time. (or at least the first week or two) Stay tuned for pics tomorrow!

Character Profile

Who am I? Why am I here?

Character Name: Bump Back Betty; Betty Bumpback is her formal name
Aliases: Betty; The Triple B; Hey you!; The Lady with No Armor
Race: Norn all they way. My face is up here...WAY up here.
Gender: Female...tough Norn but still a lady.
Profession: Guardian...love me some Hammers and Bane Signet. Were you going somewhere?

Apparent age: b. 1295 AE. 30 but looking better than most Norn women of my age. Nornbies age a woman! Thank Snow Leopard I don't have any.
Hair/mane/leaves: Blond but not dumb. Like to have some cornrows occasionally to represent my hood...I mean Lodge!
Skin/fur/bark: As pale as the snow at Hoelbrak
Appearance details: Got a little chunk due to all the cheese, sweets and drinking at the Snow Leopard Lodge.

Personality: Plucky, candid, mettlesome and audacious, Betty is an ebullient Norn who lives and let lives. She has no problems with the other races and sees no reason to discriminate. In fact, the more friends the better. Although, she does prefer to be in the company of those who tend to tell truth. And being a typical Norn, if you can drink kegs of ale and not fall over, you've gained some of her respect. Some Norn habits are hereditary. (See below for family history) 

Religious beliefs/philosophy:  Ms. Bumpback also lives for battling in the Mists and has become a follower of the human gods because of this.  If the human god Balthazar created the Mists for even more battle, they must be worthy of her attention. She holds Dwayna and Balthazar close to her heart and feels they aide her in her profession of Guardian yet never forgets the joy that Snow Leopard has brought to her life. Both her parents were followers of Bear and urged her to imbue with Bear's teachings but she didn't find spirituality to be her forte. Once as a child, while foraging some berries for some of mother's pie, she saw a snow leopard with her cubs in the Borealis Forest. She saw the grace and patience that the mother had with her cubs and she could swear she heard Snow Leopard's voice tell her how the Spirit chooses you, you do not choose your Spirit. This filled her with a sense of purpose and considers it an "Awakening" like that of the Sylvari.  

Childhood: She was once a quiet child before her vision of snow Leopard. She loved helping her mother around the house since father was mostly away with his duties as a Bear Shaman. He wasn't too happy about her dedication to Snow Leopard but in the end was proud that she was independent enough to "choose" outside of the family norm. She is the first generation of Norn to not remember a world without Sylvari. She finds them interesting and wonders why her parents and elders find them to be strange. Aren't they just another race? 

Recent history:

GW1 Spoiler for those still playing Prophecies

 Betty has been in the Mists for the past year, learning as much as she can from battle. She spent a good month studying Guardian spells at Stonemist Castle and has perfected her Sanctuary  under the guidance of Cornelius Homeboy, descendant of the great Cornrow Homeboy who was one of the Monks that helped save Tyria from the Evil Lich Lord, Vizier Khilbron. She wears cornrows in her hair as a sign of respect for what she has been taught. She saw Destiny's Edge fight once while on a date a few years back. She was more interested in the battle, while her date was up for putting a battle. A female Charr Blood Legion Warrior in the spectator crowd saw her dilemma and lent her a hammer. It took her date 3 weeks to wake up after her mighty blow. This was the first time she used a hammer and has been a hammer enthusiast ever since.


Notable relationships: Her father Bear Shaman Urgig is third cousin to famous hermit, Bear Shaman Marga of Kresdor Kenning. Her best friend is a human elementalist, Amaterasu Tsukino who she met while fighting in the Mists. She has promised to meet up with her very soon and explore her homeland of Queensdale. They exchange carrier pigeons at least once a week but have to wait for the Asura gates to be up and running. The Asura say it will be another 10 days? Betty's great-great-grandfather, Gustaf Lungfist, husband of Beatrice Lungfist, was infamous for his drinking abilities and became even more famous when it was rumored that he was buried alive. **Look it up people!**

Strengths, talents, and points of pride: Drinking, hammer smashing and can bake a mean berry pie. The Triple B knows no stranger and will talk to just about anyone. She considers herself proficient in her profession though she admits she is no Logan Thackery. While she can knock a few villains out with her Norn strength, she gives equal time making sure that her fellow battlemates are guarded and not struggling. When she discovered how important a Sancutary is, she decided her next goal is to find a legendary Tome of Courage.  

Weaknesses, detriments, and points of improvement: Betty is not a big fan of small children.  It took her a while to get used to fighting along side Asura and was creeped out when she saw an Asura child for the first time. She is extremely and definitely musophobic and has twice almost lost a fight because a rat has scurried across the battlefield. 

The Extra Fun Stuff

Favored alcoholic beverage: Anything that will get her talking will do...except a Minotaur tonic...THAT night was a total and complete mess!
Favored food: Doylak cheese and cotton candy
Favored weather or season: Early Spring in Hoelbrak. Love the snow but not to be chilled to the bone.
Favored color: Maroon and purple hues.

How does your character react when... 

You find a powerful weapon:Yells, "Great Success!" or "I wonder how many drinks I can trade this in for?"
You find a coin purse: Declares, "Oh yeaaaah...Momma is going drinking tonight!"
You find food: Wonders why this food was just lying around and sniffs it.  
You find a trap: She doesn't find traps; traps find her...AND FAIL! You call that a bear clamp?
You find a corpse: IMMEDIATELY tries to revive them...if unsuccessful, hey, all a noble soul can do is wish you well in the Mists.
You find a suspicious scroll: I'll hand this over to a Dynamic college Asura. They are used to having things blow up in their faces.

Any roleplay preferences or limitations for this character?Just follow the Golden Rule. :geek: 

What is good for the goose...

The one hour stress test yesterday did not leave me with a sense of "withdrawal" as the other stress tests did.  It flew by but when it was done, I was able to "move on with my life" lol.

Having to study for the GRE to get into graduate school is going well but I have to focus on more vocabulary words.  How am I to do this with GW2 on the brain? EASY! I figured I could use a technique I used with my students one year. 

I gave them a list of 100 words and they had to pick 10 to create a superhero or villain.  It was actually inspired by GW1. I gave them words such as: ineptitude, malaise, barrage, eviscerate and empathy. They responded to it and got very creative. I guess what is good for the goose is good for the gander. And vice versa.

Wrote out 8 different sheets with the 8 different professions and the names/races I want each to be. Some characters have more vocabulary words since I only had an hour today...but I'll share Betty's list.

candid - honest in expression

effervescent - bubbly, lively

mettlesome- full of courage and fortitude (hehe); spirited

pellucid - transparent, translucent; easily understood

plucky - courageous; spunky

ebullient - the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

I figured that my human engineer is going to be upper class, so I gave him words that mean lavish or wealthy. My human necro will be lower class, so I gave her words that mean poor and dispassionate. The only toon I have no name or race for is my thief so "they" got all the nasty words usually attributed to thieves.

Not only will this be great for my studying but will help in preparing for RP.  I realize my last two posts have been "blending" IC & OOC but without a setting to play out my character...What do you expect? :D

**changing font from now on for easier reading ;p

After all the BWEs, today is an hour stress test! Was so thrilled with the Eternal Grove server but it was closed for BW3.  Changed it up for Ft. Aspenwood but truly lived up to the name Ft. Ass with some pompous and boring people.

Figure I can't go wrong with the Tarnished Coast and the creative RP people.  Who the hell cares how we do in WvW if the people are not fun and kind?  Kunoichi always goes with Tarnished Coast and transfers over to be with me during betas.  Taking it as a sign to make the leap. Um...Engineer Jump Shot!

Going to have serious withdrawals after the hour stress test.

The taste of honey is worse than no honey at all!!!1!