Dakki

Not getting involved, but... Really digging yourself a hole here, Aldotsk. Just to maintain my neutrality, I give you the infamously homophobic state of Russia's military doing perhaps the gayest thing I have ever seen. *Mandatory "For teh lulz"* P08B_lBUL0E

My thanks for the input, guys. It really is appreciated and I'm taking notes.

Calling all techies! So, as the title suggests, I would like some honest opinions on Windows 8.1. It's up sides, down sides, changes from 8.0 and ultimately... Is it worth it? Through general observation, I have noted that a fair number of posters on this forum have a background in building computers as well as having a fair bit of knowledge about operating systems. (I am not so eloquently skilled with either of these fields. I enjoy computers, but am pretty hopeless with anything that involves them before they're put together.) Now, I would like this to be another opinions/discussion thread but I will also be extracting some information for my own use. Please, by all means do not tailor your replies around this, I want your raw opinions, after all. Just for background, I have recently ran in to issues with Windows 7 (for reasons I won't go in to detail about. The gist of it is compatibility issues due to version and an inability to update/re-install). Having been running 7 since it's release, I figure the ol' girl is dying and am looking for a replacement. Naturally, the most recent "cutting edge" (according to Windows) operating system springs to mind: 8.1. Though, admittedly, I am somewhat abrasive due to never having touched 8.0, so it has me thinking I should rake some experienced brains for details about it before "taking the plunge". I have read the homepage for Windows 8.1 and am... Underwhelmed. However, the situation I find myself in is rather urgent and I admit there are some features I like the look of. I have been to the generic forums seeking advice and, as expected, the majority are full of self-proclaimed experts whom are, in fact, Apple fanboys or similar. (You know the like. Where if, god forbid, they should start to lose an argument they resort to correcting the grammar of their adversary.) Sooooo! What do people think of 8.1? Any opinions are valued, but I would love to hear someone go in depth.

Don't give them any ideas!! This just in from Square Enix HQ: Coming in Patch 2.2: PRIMALS: FOR REALZ THIS TIME AVOID TITAN AS HE ATTEMPTS TO SIT ON YOUR PARTY, ONE-SHOT KO'ING YOU! HIDE BEHIND THE ROCKS AGAINST GARUDA ONLY TO FIND OUT MISTRAL SONG NOW CURLS AROUND THE PILLARS! BE SLOW ROASTED BY IFRIT OVER AN OPEN FIRE! THEN BE CARVED UP AND SERVED TO HIS AMALJ'AA HOMIES! PRIMALS: FOR REALZ THIS TIME. THERE IS NO ESCAPE. ... Dammit, Ulalan!

I mostly agree with your choices, however there are some I would raise issue with. 1. Green Mage sounds like a solid idea, but may I ask how a wand can be used for melee attacks? Those things are effectively twigs with inherent magical properties and would be liable to snap rather easily. Of course, they could always introduce maces, then this would work (NOTE: I prefer Geomancer to Green Mage, but it's a cool idea.) 2. The Musketeer. This might be me being totally derpy, but was I misinformed when I was told Musketeer would be a standalone starter class? (Plus, if it was a job requiring a soul crystal, I would rather they introduce Thief as a base class and pair Thief with Archer for Musketeer. Due to the whole "scout-like" Musketeer concept.) 3. This isn't so much an issue as wondering why you chose the combination to make the class. When you mentioned the Beastmaster, I was rather baffled as to why you chose Arcanist to accompany Lancer. Now whilst Arcanist have pets, granted, Carbuncle and the Egis (cool band name, huh?) are nothing like the pets that a Beastmaster would have at their disposal. Then there's the whole thing of Beastmasters historically either having an axe or a bow. For this reason, I would rather Beastmaster is Marauder/Archer to unlock. (Whilst on the topic, I would love Ranger to make an appearance, as someone mentioned before. The antithesis of the Bard, using de-buffs, etc. Archer and Lancer would work nicely for Ranger.) Pointless flaw picking aside! (I meant nothing by it, just constructive criticism.) The one class I would love love love love LOVE to see would be the Puppetmaster. It's a rather underrated class as a whole, not many people listing it as their favourite, but it was by far mine. If they added the Thief class as a base class (please!), then you could mix Thief and Thaumaturge or even Thief and Arcanist to make this class work. Imagine the storyline! You must battle for control over your automaton before it controls you! ;D Well... Maybe not that. But y'know. GIEF PUP.

So, the roster is!: (Oh yeah, colon after an exclamation mark. Dem grammarrrrrz.) Asgarn - Vanguard Trooper - Tank (Might off-spec as DPS for PvP purposes) Yvelont/Candle - Jedi Knight/Consular - DPS Lost River - ??? - ??? Black Hat - ??? - ??? Shall update this post as we get more replies. <3 Personally, I vote for Ebon Hawk just for the reason of when I was on Begeren, it was relatively dead... I don't know if that has changed. (Also, the Ebon Hawk is FREAKIN' AWESOME.) NOTE: If we ever go Imperial, bagsie Imperial Agent healer. <3

If we could form a group of four to return to SWTOR and dungeon together, I would be very interested. I, for one, am interested in running a Trooper Vanguard, so I could tank for us.

As people are now posting lists (awesome idea!), I figured I should do the same. Games you can find me in! FFXIV (Active) - Server: Balmung; Asgarn Wastbyrtsyn - Seawolf Roegadyn, Charmer - WHM/MNK (SMN/PLD in progress) Belmont Corwell - Midlander Ishgardian Hyur - DRG (RP) Paine Marshall - Highlander Hyur, Ala Mhigan Refugee turn Mercenary and general feisty lady - WAR (RP) FFXI (Inactive) - Server: Cerberus; Mamaru Sasaru - Tarutaru - WHM/BLM/BLU ??? (I forget) - Elvaan - PLD/Beastmaster/RDM/COR Quaking Peak - Galka - DRK/PUP/SAM/SMN (Main) Rift (Inactive) - Server: I forget...; Galdrum - Dwarf - Cleric Purifier Hasad - Eth - Warrior Void Knight The Secret World (Active) - Server: Arcadia (RP); Vincent "DirtyNeedles" LaCerta - Illuminati - Fist Weapons & Assault Rifle Healer World of Warcraft (Inactive) - Server: Argent Dawn (RP); Gorthek - Horde - Orc Destruction Warlock, Total Badass Galdrum - Alliance - Dwarf Protection Warrior Malachi - Alliance - Draenei Holy Priest Zohla - Horde - Troll Marksmanship Hunter Guild Wars 2 (Inactive) - Server: Piken Square; Vanedyr - Sylvari Mesmer Krewe Chief Jink - Asura Elementalist Vaeger Dirgeclaw - Charr Warrior Star Wars: The Old Republic (Inactive, tentative to return) - Server: Begeren Colony; Altuin - Republic - Miraluka Jedi Sentinel Draven (the short version of his true, racial name for Imperial convenience) - Empire - Chiss Imperial Operative (Healer spec) Skorn - Empire - Cyborg Powertech (Tank spec) Darth Eradis - Empire - Mirialan Sith Sorcerer (Healer spec) Aaaaaand a bunch of F2Ps that have fell in to disrepair. :moogle:

Hello there, R'ikve! By no accounts are you an MMO noob, it seems you've just had a hard time finding a game you can settle in. Here's hoping FFXIV sticks, eh? In fact, a lot of my own MMO history is in said games you mentioned. So, if you need someone to nostalgia-fest with, I'm your Roe. Judging by your character concept, I'm thinking you would have made the perfect Bounty Hunter in Star Wars: The Old Republic. She sounds like a very interesting concept and I can't wait to see how R'ikve plays out! If you ever think of returning to SWTOR, or The Secret World, feel free to hit me up and I can put you in contact with a few fellow players. (I'm currently running FFXIV and TSW with countless betas occupying my weekends. This is... Normal for me. ) However, I hope you enjoy your time in FFXIV, these forums as well, and I look forward to seeing you around! :moogle:

Xarek... That name strikes a bell. Do you remember Darth Eradis, the Mirialan Sorcerer? Because he was totally mine. That name just sounds so familiar!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! *Foams at mouth in the cuteness* Oh my god, YAY! I absolutely love it, thank you!! SO CUTE! I shall find you in-game at some point and-... SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I miiiight. I mean, it wasn't the community that drove me away rather than the lack of community. Don't know how it is on Ebon Hawk, mind. I was always really split with the Imperial Agent as I've always been a healer, but I wanted to use a sniper... Luckily, the Operative gets some hot looking rifles. We'll see!

Hrrmgh. You have me tempted to return to SWTOR, but I never split myself between more than two games, as a general rule. I'm kind of infringing said rule with all the betas I'm in recently, but still. Merrh! I miss my Imperial Operative (even if I'd have to make him again on Ebon Hawk)!

She is a thief. She stole... My heart. :love: Cue Shakespearean curtain close. But aye, I'm now in Unity and very happy. :3 Still! Feel free to use this thread for advertisement, if that's alright by the moderators.

Hello, stranger! It's good to have you back and I hope this hectic period all worked out in your favour. Commission is still on! :moogle: Welcome back!

"Sooooome daaaaaaay over the raiiinbooooow!" We'll get you that caster body some time soon. :moogle:

Arcadia, yes. Add "DirtyNeedles". My only regret is that in chat you don't come under your 'RP name' DirtyNeedles is my PvP name. (PvP healer, oh yeaaaah... Though, I might make him AR/Claws DPS for PvP. They're pretty devastating.)

Somebody said... Massages with happy endings? *Is intrigued* But in all seriousness, I for one am quite glad to hear of this event. Of course, the whole ERP-implications and gender verification things raise some eyebrows (my own included), but it's progress. And I suppose it opens up these sort of events to non-RPers, also. (Take that as you will. Could be good, could be not.) It's not my sort of roleplaying, unless I'm feeling extremely camp, I turn FABULOUS on Saturdays. So yeah, I guess I'm glad it's not on Balmung. But at the end of the day, as it's not on Balmung or Gilgamesh, it's not really any of my business and I wish them luck with the whole thing. :moogle:

Just an update: I am positively loving this game! If anyone has an interest in it, I would recommend it. Especially if you have an interest in darker MMOs (with the exception of quite frequent comical relief and references, or at least that's what I find playing Illuminati). The PvP system is annoying me as it's rather like the other games. Gear up and jump around in circles around your target. But still learning that aspect! The rest is absolutely great. (Playing an Assault Rifle/Claws healer. It's not a widely used combination until later levels, but I am making it work with custom skill builds. )

Hey there, ExKage! Being an iLevel 82 White Mage, I've seen my fair share of both these turns in the Binding Coil of Bahamut. I also happen to find them rather awkward to explain, especially because from a healer's perspective, many things vary! However, I will place the video guides that I used/use for re-caps to get in to the fights and some useful links. Although healers tend to play very different roles to damage dealers in both these coils (well, duh...) here are a few rather "universal tips": 1. Applies to: Turn 1 When you enter Turn 1, the first enemy you will face will be the Allagan Defence System (ADS for short). In terms of positioning, as a Black Mage, you want to be stood with the healers. There are two ways in which people position themselves in this fight, but I find the best is to have the tanks down in the "depths of the chamber" (near the wall on the far side) with the melee DPS and to have the ranged DPS far back with the healers. As long as everyone avoids AoEs, all is good! 2. Applies to: Turn 1 Again, with the ADS, there are two tactics for the fight itself. Take out adds, or BURN ADS BURN BURN BURN! *Maniacal cackling* ... Ahem. Generally, if you have a pair of competent healers, it is best to burn ADS down. Purely due to the fact of, well, this guy is boring and you want to waste as little time as possible on him. But, depending on your group composure and experience, you might choose to take down the adds as quickly as possible. 3. Applies to: Turn 1 Caduceus. The big boss snake which you either love or hate. With this guy, it's all about tank co-ordination, feeding him slimes (if you have a Bard in your group, that is ideally their duty) and staying the heck out of his path when her splits. So, really, for a Black Mage it's about standing in the right areas and unleashing Hell and high water. This is simple to do as you will see Caduceus starts in the middle of the lowest platform (presuming all hexagonal structures at the same height are a platform). Simply stay off this and near to whichever version of Caduceus your group decide to burn after he splits in two. This will help you stay out of Caduceus way when he splits (unless you have a tanking issue) and his AoE tail swipe (or, as I like to call it, "Monks Bane"). TIP: At approx. 5% of the first snake, your group will transition to the other one, kill it and then return to the 5% snake. This fight is really just a heals/tank check. As long as you don't fall asleep, DPS will be fine! :thumbsup: 4. Applies to: Turn 2 Now, the swings and roundabouts bosses on the way to the ADS are far too much for me to explain individually, so I will skip straight to the ADS. He's back! And he's meaner than ever, not that he ever was all that mean. There are two methods to fight this guy, though only one have I ever attempted and win every time. The "Enrage Method". For this method, you will need the following group composition: - Tank - Healer - Healer - Healer - DPS - DPS - DPS - DPS Or, alternatively, keep both tanks and switch out a DPS, but this is not advised. For obvious reasons, it is ideal if a tank has two classes (one of which being a healer) to switch to. The enrage method is, as it suggests, allowing the ADS to enrage. If you have attempted Turn 2 before, you will see a countdown begins after first engaging the first enemy. Your goal is to let this countdown reach "1 Tick Remaining" before entering the final boss encounter. When the ADS enrages, I won't lie, his arena turns in to one huge disco rave of AoEs. He has these AoE pulses which, if left unchecked for more than two AoEs in a row WILL wipe the party. So, healers are constantly casting Medica, Medica II, Galvanize and Succor for this reason. A Bard, yet again, is a godsend for this reason. Again, provided the healers keep you up, just burn your cooldowns and kill the over-sized beach ball. Now! Those links! Bold text! (I tend to go to MrHappy1227 for my guides as he seems to be the most understandable and generally... Good at what he does. Please note his guides may vary slightly from what I've said, call it putting my own twist on things. I strongly advise, however, if there are differences follow what he says! So here goes: ) 0AahAJGPri4 t22svRuy6kI I hope this information was helpful, you didn't drown in my seas of text and that you have luck in defeating both coils! :moogle: TL;DR: Watch the videos.

That is a very cool game mechanic to have added. :geek: I'm liking this game more and more. Having played last night and now being on Solomon Island (gradually getting to grips with it. Maxed out Illuminati lore pieces and levelling on sidequests before I do too many story quests), it's a really enjoyable occult "APOCALYPSE NOW!" type game.

Servers are irrelevant, you say? Also, my character info in case anyone wants to track me down: Character Name: Vincent "DirtyNeedles" LaCerta (the nickname is purely OOC. But it relates to his background quite well, I'd say. I might have his codename as Needles.<3) Server: Arcadia Society: Illuminati Preferred Weapon: Claws

Just a little update, I have bought the game! I shall be playing on Arcadia as a member of the Illuminati, as has been seen in previous posts. Just waiting on the download now. I am rather excited!

Yay, this thread has interest! Yaaaaaay! :moogle: So far with my character concept... Name: ??? LaCerta (His first name is on a strictly need to know basis) Age: ??? (Thought to be in his late twenties to early thirties) Society: Illuminati Stuff so far: *Puts on Assassin's Creed profile voice* "LaCerta is somewhat of an anomaly to the other societies and the global data banks as a whole. Possessed of a dry humour, amazing intellect and a killer instinct, it is believed (though not confirmed) that he was behind the assassination of the Templar US senator *Insert random surname here, preferably one of an assassinated US senator*. Much like his other society members, LaCerta is known to enjoy and throw elegant soirées in any of his five lavish abodes dotted across America. Though, checking through recent surveillance we have on his homes, the man himself always seems to slip out relatively early on in the night. Not one for the public eye, 'ey? Speaking of surveillance, here's a juicy little number on his combat styling. Trained from the moment the Illuminati picked him up in advanced medicinal techniques, LaCerta usually travels escorted. Whilst the battle rages, he seems to prefer lingering back, numbing his allies pain receptors with all manner of medicinal cocktails. The few times he does join the fray, it seems only to administer a lethal injection he so lovingly named 'Medusa's Tears' or 'Toxin #2177'. Oh! Ew... The less we go in to the effect those have on their victims, the better... Moving on! Truly a dangerous, brilliant man. Keep an eye out for this one. Taking him out would remove a great asset of the Illuminati." So yes, LaCerta is more pre-occupied with the power struggle between the three secret societies, rather than the whole rising darkness thing... Not to say he won't play a role in subduing the evil threat, but he won't be seen on the frontlines if he can help it. (Concealing himself in the shadows of the battlefield and healing his allies.)

Further from this thread: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=6245 It has become quite clear that, as well as FFXIV, this forum also seems to have quite the interest in another MMO, one I had recently not heard of. The Secret World. As such, I thought it to be a novel idea to create a thread to summarise this interest! So, put plain and simply, if you have interest in playing The Secret World (http://www.thesecretworld.com/buy/) and would perhaps not like to go in alone, feel free to post it here! And if anyone is already playing, feel free to post which server you're on and you "alliance" (secret society). Still, just an idea.