“Red Shirt Syndrome” - All Federation ships have an endless supply of noobs to sacrifice to protect you, the Captain. This job ability transports one (1) redshirted minion in between you and the next incoming shot, sparing you from damage. Note this reduces your crew complement accordingly… Defiant class Captain’s are warned against frequent use, lest they run out of people leaving only one engineer running the transporter.
“Ooooooo Captain!” – As a Federation Captain you are irresistible to the opposite sex. This ability allows you to target an enemy of the opposite sex; they will be incapacitated for 30 seconds as they gaze at your manliness (or womanliness…) It appears this has a permanent affect your own crew to a certain extent - female Bridge Officer are always keen to go on ground missions and prevent you getting into hand to hand with the female enemies.
“Shakespearian Ac-tor” - a lower level ability open to all Captains. A single target is transfixed by your commanding performance.
“Ham!” – A higher-level ability, gained only after “Shakespearian Ac-tor”. The enemy are befuddled by your ludicrous hamming up of the mission script. This provides a ‘stun’ effect on multiple targets.
“Q Intervention” – your Captain is randomly detained on some alternate location and forced to complete some inane mission at the bequest of the omnipotent Q. This may make sense later on in the story arc, or may not.
“Tribble Outbreak” – The immediate area is suddenly knee deep in Tribbles, reducing movement rates and agility. Klingons are completely impaired and unable to function at all, and may suffer lasting penalties.
“She cannae take anymore, cap’n” – Improved engine output, but at a risk of losing a random sub-system (weapons, engine, Auxiliary sensors) as the power conduits blow. One Engineering Bridge Officer may be permanently injured.
“Shut it, Wesley!” – An un-orthodox solution to the problem at hand is presented by your youngest Bridge Officer. However, you won’t implement the solution on the basis he is an annoying little tit. Your Bridge Officer complement is reduced by one whilst he sulks in the corner.
“Deanna’s sensing something” – Deanna Troi replaces one of your normal Bridge Officers. She can alert you to the presence of enemy nearby, but is otherwise completely useless to you.
With thanks to Jasper for some of the ideas!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Saturday, April 03, 2010
The Great Birthday Holiday Otherwise Known As Decorating The Lounge: Day Three and Four Report
Ceiling and cutting in around the top edges were finished yesterday in good time.
Today, my two assistants, otherwise known as Mum and Dad came up for the day to help out. Dad got in with the rollering, whilst Mum and I did the edges.
We were done by lunch time, so after a break for home-made pasties we went up to B&Q for essential supplies, namely the red colour I wanted to use on two of the walls. That went on in the afternoon with a little trouble, as the edges were tricky (deep red on white didn't leave much margin for error!) so I'll need to re-do some of the woodwork tomorrow.
Dad was all set to add a second coat to ensure a good solid block of colour, when I realised that the slightly mottled effect was actually pretty good, and compliments the painting (The Red Coat, by Joy Kirton Smith) nicely. Mum took a little persuading, but as it is my wall, I get the deciding vote!
So with the painting done for now, we watched the boat race while I put back up some of the bits and pieces, including the curtains, Red Coat and Carnival mask (in it's new home, pride of place over the TV)
Sinbce I have to sort out some of the skirting board again, I wasn't able to get the book cases back in place...so no photos just yet!
Today, my two assistants, otherwise known as Mum and Dad came up for the day to help out. Dad got in with the rollering, whilst Mum and I did the edges.
We were done by lunch time, so after a break for home-made pasties we went up to B&Q for essential supplies, namely the red colour I wanted to use on two of the walls. That went on in the afternoon with a little trouble, as the edges were tricky (deep red on white didn't leave much margin for error!) so I'll need to re-do some of the woodwork tomorrow.
Dad was all set to add a second coat to ensure a good solid block of colour, when I realised that the slightly mottled effect was actually pretty good, and compliments the painting (The Red Coat, by Joy Kirton Smith) nicely. Mum took a little persuading, but as it is my wall, I get the deciding vote!
So with the painting done for now, we watched the boat race while I put back up some of the bits and pieces, including the curtains, Red Coat and Carnival mask (in it's new home, pride of place over the TV)
Sinbce I have to sort out some of the skirting board again, I wasn't able to get the book cases back in place...so no photos just yet!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
The Great Birthday Holiday Otherwise Known As Decorating The Lounge: Day Two Report
Phew, managed to finish all the woodwork before meeting Jasper for "lunch" at 3:30.
Well, I say finshed the woodwork...I didn't do the door itself, just the frame, and I missed sanding the wood skirting on the stairs, so that is now part of phase II.
Well, I say finshed the woodwork...I didn't do the door itself, just the frame, and I missed sanding the wood skirting on the stairs, so that is now part of phase II.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Great Birthday Holiday Otherwise Known As Decorating The Lounge: Day One Report
Books stacked safely away...check
Furniture huddled in middle of room....check
Dust Sheets On...check
Paintings and Weapons off walls...check
Holes in walls filled...check
Wood sanded...check
Fun with Power Tool Present...check
Investigation into what Power Tool Present can do to various surfaces...check
All extremities still attached and with skin still on...check
Lunch at TGI...check
Jack Daniel's Secret Recipe Dipping Sauce ordered at TGI...check
Clean up done....kinda
Paint bought for tomorrow...check
Phoned Great Aunt who shares birthday with me...check
Done with work and playing FFXI...check
Not a bad day, all in all
Furniture huddled in middle of room....check
Dust Sheets On...check
Paintings and Weapons off walls...check
Holes in walls filled...check
Wood sanded...check
Fun with Power Tool Present...check
Investigation into what Power Tool Present can do to various surfaces...check
All extremities still attached and with skin still on...check
Lunch at TGI...check
Jack Daniel's Secret Recipe Dipping Sauce ordered at TGI...check
Clean up done....kinda
Paint bought for tomorrow...check
Phoned Great Aunt who shares birthday with me...check
Done with work and playing FFXI...check
Not a bad day, all in all
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Partying like it's 2399
Last night was the last day of the Open Beta testing on STO.
On the official site was a message...End of Beta Event. All Klingon gather together at Qu’dar System at 10pm GMT.
No information on the Federation side at all...
I log in 30 mins before this, and tune into an STO-theme internet radio show to see what they know about things. Not a lot, it seemed, although word was out that Federation ships were being mustered at a starbase near the Klingon/Federation border.
When I zone in to the area, my instance number was 26. And it had 50 Federation ships in it, the apparent maximum. Instances are added as more people arrive to an area...that was a LOT of ships gathering.
A few people scout around Klingon space to try and see what is happening.
Then word came in – Klingons had been sighted in Sirius Sector Block. That was an area of subspace in which Sol (and Earth) system is located, and is normally off-limits to Klingons during Player-vs-Player (PvP). We were in the PvP area...the entire fleet either heads off to that sector, or transwarps directly to Sol.
Over the next thirty-forty minutes, it became apparent that every system, every starbase, every planet had been opened up for PvP in space or on the ground.
Unfortunately, the number of Federation vessels in most areas meant that Klingons spawning in were destroyed almost immediately by broadsides from 30-40 ships. Trying to encourage people to back up and let them come in were largely ignored. Despite being the beta, people started to leave, despite rumours that things hadn’t actually really started yet.
How right they were...
Word started to spread that Borg ships had been sighted in Klingon space. Then in Federation territory Starbase 24 was under attack.
I headed out from Sol to see what was happening, and headed that way in subspace, right into the path of the Mother of All Borg Cubes. There was a massive fleet heading to Sol. Almost all attention on the Klingons was switched to the Borg. Massive space battles against Borg Spheres 30-40 levels above the level cap. They just kept on coming. More and more re-spawning for each one we killed. 5-6 ships were able to take down a sphere; any less than that and no chance. My shields were being stripped in 2-3 seconds of fire; less if more than one ship targeted me.
Ground battles reported the Borg were adapting to the weapon systems...
A new rumour came round – these weren’t AI Borg. One of the Cubes had a player name by it, prefixed with “GM”. This wasn’t a normal Borg invasion. This was the Dev team out for revenge on all those WoW players that had been whining about the game play over the last few weeks. And they wanted blood.
Starbase-01, in orbit around Earth, was down to hand-to-hand fighting. Ground battles reported the Borg were adapting to the weapon systems... I went back there and joined in for a bit. Taking down the ‘spawning nodes’ in the side corridors didn’t seem to stop the spawn rates, and soon it was impossible to get out of the main areas at all.
With our backs to the door of the Admiral’s office, a few of us stayed to see how long we could hold out, until the order came through – Starbase-01 was lost – evacuate immediately.
Back on the ship, and with 30 minutes left before the servers were switched off, sub-space radio suggested since we had lost control of Earth space, everyone head to the paradise planet of Risa for an End of Beta party. Great fun – all beach areas and tropical islands. Spent the last half an hour chatting to people and looking at how many dancing animations they had programmed in for the avatar.
Subspace radio played out with REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know it”....
Game is back up on Friday...but that was one hell of a way to test the server capacity!
What was great was that apart from the initial ‘Klingon muster’ post, nothing official came through at all during the entire four hours. Everything was coordinated (such as it was) by the various groups and sub-communities. In the last few minutes, a message did come through – “thanks for all the support, hope you had fun, and see you on Friday!”
Oh,and a few screen grabs are on my Facebook page.
On the official site was a message...End of Beta Event. All Klingon gather together at Qu’dar System at 10pm GMT.
No information on the Federation side at all...
I log in 30 mins before this, and tune into an STO-theme internet radio show to see what they know about things. Not a lot, it seemed, although word was out that Federation ships were being mustered at a starbase near the Klingon/Federation border.
When I zone in to the area, my instance number was 26. And it had 50 Federation ships in it, the apparent maximum. Instances are added as more people arrive to an area...that was a LOT of ships gathering.
A few people scout around Klingon space to try and see what is happening.
Then word came in – Klingons had been sighted in Sirius Sector Block. That was an area of subspace in which Sol (and Earth) system is located, and is normally off-limits to Klingons during Player-vs-Player (PvP). We were in the PvP area...the entire fleet either heads off to that sector, or transwarps directly to Sol.
Over the next thirty-forty minutes, it became apparent that every system, every starbase, every planet had been opened up for PvP in space or on the ground.
Unfortunately, the number of Federation vessels in most areas meant that Klingons spawning in were destroyed almost immediately by broadsides from 30-40 ships. Trying to encourage people to back up and let them come in were largely ignored. Despite being the beta, people started to leave, despite rumours that things hadn’t actually really started yet.
How right they were...
Word started to spread that Borg ships had been sighted in Klingon space. Then in Federation territory Starbase 24 was under attack.
I headed out from Sol to see what was happening, and headed that way in subspace, right into the path of the Mother of All Borg Cubes. There was a massive fleet heading to Sol. Almost all attention on the Klingons was switched to the Borg. Massive space battles against Borg Spheres 30-40 levels above the level cap. They just kept on coming. More and more re-spawning for each one we killed. 5-6 ships were able to take down a sphere; any less than that and no chance. My shields were being stripped in 2-3 seconds of fire; less if more than one ship targeted me.
Ground battles reported the Borg were adapting to the weapon systems...
A new rumour came round – these weren’t AI Borg. One of the Cubes had a player name by it, prefixed with “GM”. This wasn’t a normal Borg invasion. This was the Dev team out for revenge on all those WoW players that had been whining about the game play over the last few weeks. And they wanted blood.
Starbase-01, in orbit around Earth, was down to hand-to-hand fighting. Ground battles reported the Borg were adapting to the weapon systems... I went back there and joined in for a bit. Taking down the ‘spawning nodes’ in the side corridors didn’t seem to stop the spawn rates, and soon it was impossible to get out of the main areas at all.
With our backs to the door of the Admiral’s office, a few of us stayed to see how long we could hold out, until the order came through – Starbase-01 was lost – evacuate immediately.
Back on the ship, and with 30 minutes left before the servers were switched off, sub-space radio suggested since we had lost control of Earth space, everyone head to the paradise planet of Risa for an End of Beta party. Great fun – all beach areas and tropical islands. Spent the last half an hour chatting to people and looking at how many dancing animations they had programmed in for the avatar.
Subspace radio played out with REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know it”....
Game is back up on Friday...but that was one hell of a way to test the server capacity!
What was great was that apart from the initial ‘Klingon muster’ post, nothing official came through at all during the entire four hours. Everything was coordinated (such as it was) by the various groups and sub-communities. In the last few minutes, a message did come through – “thanks for all the support, hope you had fun, and see you on Friday!”
Oh,and a few screen grabs are on my Facebook page.
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