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Troacctid

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  2. Troacctid

    Ask a n00b

    By Troacctid,

    Dear n00b,
     
    I have about 3k blue charms in my bank and I'm not sure what to do with them. My Summoning level is 80. What do you think would be the best way to spend all these charms? Or would it be better to save them?
     
    --Charmed in Varrock
     
     
    Hi Charmed:
     
    My friend told me titans r good. But I did some math and ur going to need alot of spirit shards. Im not sure its worth the money. U would need 15m gp to buy them all, i dont think most people can afford it, its alot. Go to the party room and wait for someone to drop a party hat, if u get it then i think u will have the money and u can make some pouches, if u need talismans for them a good place is to kill wizards south of fally. :)
     
    Yw,
    n00b
     
     
     
    Dear n00b,
     
    I want to get 99 fishing. What would be the best way to train? (I'm P2P.)
     
    --Angling in Ardougne
     
     
    Hi Angling:
     
    Well a good way is with lobs, u can catch those on karjama, I did some math and that would be about 15m so u could use those blue charms, o that was the other guy, sry. Also u could do rocktail which would be 50m so u would be pretty rich. Sharks r the best tho, there slow but there like 100m if u get 99 on them, so its worth it. Theres some in Catherby. U will be really rich if u can do it, lol, good luck. :)
     
    Yw,
    n00b
     
     
     
    Dear n00b,
     
    What is the best weapon to use against waterfiends? I heard chaotic maul was good, but I don't have any chaotics.
     
    --Bemused in Burthorpe
     
     
    Hi Bemused:
     
    Waterfiends r weak to crush, so u just use the weapon with the most crush. So the best is statius warhammer which has 123, or vestas spear which has 120 (i have a list of all weapons that i found on tip.it, i can sort by crush att). After that is dhraok axe, then barrelchest anchor, then gravite 2h, then torag hammers, then warhammer class 1, then veracs flail, then granite maul, then godsword. I dont know what some of these weps r but there u go, thats a list, use the best 1 u can. :)
     
    Yw,
    n00b
  3. Troacctid
    One year ago, I wrote this overview of the things that bug me about Dungeoneering. Well, it's been a year, so let's look back at the issues that annoyed me at my first impression and see how I feel about them a year later. Here we go!
     
    [hide=Click to begin.]
    The prices have been lowered like I wanted, which is great. There are still some that I think are way overpriced, though. The bonecrusher and herbicide are too expensive for their marginal effects; I'd like to see them reduced in price so that they can be more useful to the low/mid-level demographic to whom they're most useful. I feel similarly about Rapid Renewal--the people who would get the best use out of it can't afford the token cost. It would be nice to see a price reduction for some of the black sheep as well: Mercenary's gloves, spirit cape, law staff, nature staff, and possibly the anti-poison totem are weak enough that they could easily be reduced in price so that the few players who appreciate their niche appeal can have easier access to them.
     
    As for the token system as a whole, the addition of resource dungeons as fixed-level rewards has placated me on that issue. More on that later (or I guess you could go back and read my original blog post about them).
     
    After some consideration, I'd actually take the reverse stance on this issue. Keep the stuff untradable, but drop the redundant dungeoneering requirement. Seriously, why do we even need it? If you got the tokens for it, you've clearly done enough dungeoneering to earn it, so the level requirement is pointless. And there's hardly any items where it comes up at all--like, the arcane stream necklace, I guess? Is that it? I guess the Demonhorn necklace and the sneakerpeeper as well. But the vast majority of rewards are impossible to afford until you've already trained past their level requirements, so I honestly can't see the need to single out these three rewards. If people want to pay good tokens for this stuff, just let them. Yeesh.
     
    Check.
     
    The resource dungeons are an excellent solution to this issue. They feel like natural extensions of the skill and, for the most part, they're balanced fairly well. Some of them are a little underpowered (the Varrock sewer one is pretty crappy, for example), but on the whole, I'm satisfied. Again, my original blog post about them goes into more detail on the specific ones.
     
    I stand by this complaint. I really want to see a (t#) tag appended onto the item names. Yes, it's in the examine, but examining everything is really annoying and stupid.
     
    I know a lot of people, including myself to some extent, have successfully gotten used to the new items, but that doesn't mean the problem is fixed. This is going to hang over the head of every new player who decides to try out dungeoneering. It's still an unnecessary barrier to entry that could be easily fixed.
     
    I still would like to see this. It's not a big issue for fishing spots and runecrafting altars and stuff like that, but some of the spots are still annoying to pick out of the scenery. Woodcutting spots especially. It's not a dealbreaker, but it would make me a lot happier with the skilling situation.
     
    After a year, I think I've adjusted my position here. Giving players a flat extra bind every twenty levels is too much. I don't think we need to add extra binds through the level-up system.
     
    But I do still think that the "Primal boots are worthless" thing is a real issue. Giving players an extra bind that's restricted to a specific inventory slot such as feet, hands, or head would be an excellent quest reward or token-based reward something, and I'd definitely like to see it.
     
    The first has been handily repaired with resource dungeons, which provide tangible bonuses, and strong ones, at as low as level 10, 15, and 20. The second has been fixed as well. Well-done! I can fully retract both of these grievances. :thumbup:
     
    I'll retract this one as well--the decreased token costs, increased xp rates, and additional rewards since the skill's original release are good enough incentives for me.
     
    They even added a dungeoneering pet. :thumbup:
     
    This probably wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was for larger dungeons, but regardless, the Ring of Kinship updates included a skiller ability to increase resource yield, and just last month apparently skilling spots were made more common, so this is definitely not a concern. :thumbup:
     
    ZOMG FROST DRAGONS. Also, more reasonably-priced chaotic weapons, Ring of Kinship class bonuses inside the dungeons, and the other resource dungeons. There's still plenty of room for new and better rewards and incentives that I hope to see trickle in over time, but the power level issue is no longer a major concern for me.
     
    [hide=Conclusion]So, what's my final grade?
     
    We've seen significant improvements to the skill, and I've warmed up to it a lot after a year to get used to it. There's still room for more improvement, but overall, I guess I approve.
     
    The verdict: :thumbup: [/hide]
    [/hide]
     
    Wow, my formatting looks pretty crappy, huh? Sorry about that.
  4. Troacctid
    The Inferno Adze is an excellent tool for training woodcutting and firemaking
    By Ignatius Vulcan, Firemaking Master
     
     
    I'm here to introduce you to the Inferno Adze, a powerful tool that allows you to train both woodcutting and firemaking simultaneously.
     

     
    The inferno adze can chop down trees like any normal axe, but because of its magical properties, roughly 30% of the logs you cut will instantly be incinerated, granting you firemaking experience and freeing a space in your inventory to reduce the hassle of banking! Because the inferno adze cuts at the same speed as a dragon hatchet, it's very easy to get fast experience in woodcutting while training your firemaking as well.
     
    Additionally, the inferno adze can double as a pickaxe if, for example, you happen across a shooting star, or feel a sudden random urge to go mining. While it isn't as powerful for mining as a dragon pickaxe, it's a handy feature that's thrown in for free.
     
    Of course, you'll need a high firemaking level in order to earn the right to wield this powerful tool, but I believe it's well worth the effort of training to level 92 and completing the "All Fired Up" minigame. You'll get faster experience, train your firemaking, and save some money on a dragon hatchet.
     
     
     
    Only you can prevent forest fires
    By Smokey the Bear
     

  5. Troacctid
    The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
     
    Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
     
    But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
     
    This was the Captain Samuel Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
     
    --Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms
     
     
     
     
     
    ...
     
    I was actually going to write a nice long article about efficiency using this Discworld quote as a handy metaphor, but then I decided not to because I didn't feel like it.
     
    Seemed a shame to waste a great metaphor, though, so I thought maybe you guys could use your imagination and just pretend I wrote it.
     
    I'll wait.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    ....
     
    Yup, see, I wrote it after all! Pretty good, huh? I enabled the new blogging feature that lets me hide text from all the people who have nasty keylogger viruses infecting their computers, so if all you saw was a big blank space, you should probably avoid logging into PayPal for a while.
     
    Bye!
  6. Troacctid
    I am the mighty demon Korg'zt! I have crushed cities and defiled temples! I will grind your bones and use them as a pizza topping! You shall rue the day you chose to approach me with your pathetic bow!
     
    Um, excuse me, would you please move to the other side of this skeleton here?
     
    You will perish in fire, I swear it! I merely ask that you step out from behind that small pile of bones first.
     
    Why? Do not question the mighty Korg'zt! I shall flay the skin from your bones with a rusty chain! I shall carve out your eyeballs with a blunt spoon! I shall...hey! Stop that! Your pathetic arrows could never topple the mighty Korg'zt...ow! Cut that out!
     
    I vow, puny human, that as soon as I overcome this ankle-height obstacle, I will...ow! Would you quit that? I'm trying to--hey!
     
    Look, all I want is for you to come over here so that I can painfully dismember you without having to risk stubbing my toe on this skeleton. Can't you just--ow! Aaargh!
     
    With my dying breath I curse you, ankle-height pile of bones! If only I could somehow have walked across or around you! Curse you, bones! Curse you! Cuuuurse you...
     

  8. Troacctid
    Hello, welcome to the Bank of Runescape. How may I help you?
     
    All of the money? Why certainly. Please enter your PIN.
     
    Yes, you have to.
     
    I'm sorry, I don't follow you. What is a "stick-up"? I'm afraid we don't have a record of any trading sticks in your account. You'll still have to enter your PIN.
     
    Thank you. Now, first click the FIRST digit.
     
    Now click the SECOND digit.
     
    Time for the THIRD digit. Don't you look at me like that.
     
    Finally, the FOURTH digit. Now, was that so hard?
     
    Now, did you say "All the money" or "All but one of the money"?
     
    No, we don't give people money in bags here. You'll have to take it as a stack of coins.
     
    Alright then, here you go, here is all the money in your account. Is there anything else you would like?
     
    Okay, so you're a robber. I'm still not following. We serve lots of thieves here. That fellow over there even has a thieving cape, see?
     
    Yes, I can see you have a crossbow. Many of our customers bring weapons with them into the bank. You can see that nice gentleman over there with the abyssal whip. And that girl with the spear is a frequent customer, and a very nice young lady.
     
    Alright, well, goodbye then! Have a nice day!
     
    What a strange young man. I wonder why he seemed so frustrated.
  9. Troacctid

    Ask a Zombie

    By Troacctid,

    Happy Halloween, everyone! To celebrate this spooky holiday, I pulled a zombie out of the Wilderness to respond to some of your questions about Runescape. I hope you find his answers helpful!
     

     
    Dear Zombie,
     
    I'm getting back into Runescape after about a year of inactivity. What have I missed out on while I was gone?
     
    --Too Lazy To Read News Archives in Taverley
     
     
    Dear Brains,
     
    Braaains! Brains brains braains. Braaaains, braains! Brains brains brains brains, braaaaains.
     
    Brains,
    Zombie
     
     
    Dear Zombie,
     
    I have about 200m gp that I don't know what to do with. I've narrowed it down to herblore or prayer. Which is more useful, Turmoil or Overloads?
     
    --Wealthy in Witchaven
     
     
    Dear Brains,
     
    Braains. Brains brains braains, brains braaains.
     
    Braaains,
    Zombie
     
     
    Dear Zombie,
     
    Which chaotic weapon should I buy? I'm only planning to get one.
     
    --Dumbfounded in Daemonheim
     
     
    Dear Brains,
     
    Brains braaaains. Brains. Braains brains braaaaains braains. Brains.
     
    Braaaains,
    Zombie
  10. Troacctid

    FunOrbers Wanted

    By Troacctid,

    So I'm like the only editor for the FunOrb page on TV Tropes and I know I missed some tropes because I don't even play all the games. Because I am an evil person, I'm calling on my FunOrb-savvy readers to expand the trope list and, if possible, list FunOrb on the page for the trope too.
     
    If you've never been there before, Welcome To TV Tropes, but I should probably warn you, TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life.
     
    Anyway, enjoy your day. :twisted:
  11. Troacctid

    On anti-junk

    By Troacctid,

    What's wrong with this picture?
     
    For a while now, because of its scarcity, the Amulet of Accuracy's price has been artificially inflated by price manipulators as a tool to get around Grand Exchange price limits. Unfortunately for them, Jagex has caught on, and the amulet is getting booted back down to worthless newbie trash again, as it should be.
     

     
    This isn't the first time Jagex has taken action to pop anti-junk bubbles. Previously targeted items include mint cakes:
     
     
     
     
    ...and blood talismans:
     
     
     
     
    Now, I've heard it expressed that Jagex is playing whack-a-mole on this issue, bursting bubbles without fixing the underlying problems with the Grand Exchange that are inflating them in the first place. I agree. Knocking down items like these one at a time can only be a temporary measure at best--until something is done about the trade limits, we can always expect a replacement to sprout up to fill that space in the economy.
     
    Looking past that, though, isn't it interesting how price manipulation created a catalyst for a positive change like this one? It was a little strange how the reward from Imp Catcher could never be reobtained while something like Excalibur had an unlimited supply. What? :-s
     
    The Amulet of Accuracy can now reclaim its proper place as the poor man's Power Amulet. So, once again, the day is saved, thanks to...price manipulators!
     

  12. Troacctid
    Author's note: I wrote this speech in February 2009, but I didn't have a blog then, so I'm posting it here now. It's my case for legalizing marijuana. Enjoy.
     
     
    If I were to walk through a local grocery store, chances are Id see all sorts of foods. Naturally there would be bread. There would be dairy. There would be colorful breakfast cereals, brimming with sugar. Not to mention fruits and vegetables, chips, pasta, pickles, and entire aisles devoted solely [pause] to wine. This last one wouldnt be much of a surprise: our home state is famous for its wine. But 80 years ago, Californias multi-billion dollar wine industry could not have been as successful as it is today. Thats because in 1919, the United States passed the Eighteenth Amendment to our constitution, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of all alcoholic beverages.
     
    However, as our thriving modern wine industry can surely testify, Prohibition was an immense flop. Making alcohol illegal didnt stop people from drinking. Instead, it deprived the government of the revenue from taxes on alcohol, and it heralded a massive increase in crime and gang violence. The Twenty-first Amendment eventually repealed the ban in 1933, which means our modern-day vineyards are free to produce some of the finest wines in the world. (Good for them! [thumbs up])
     
    Yeah, yeah, groceries, wine, prohibition...where am I going with this? Let me explain. This Monday, Tom Ammiano, a representative from San Francisco in our State Legislature, introduced a bill to legalize marijuana in California.
     
    Under Ammianos bill, marijuana would have pretty much the same legal status enjoyed by alcohol: it would be legal to all adults age 21 and over, and driving under the influence of weed would carry similar penalties to driving while drunk. (Lawmaker)
     
    It is my strong opinion that this bill should be passed, and I have three main reasons for this stance.
     
    First, we really need the money. Our state has just been through a budget crisis and a $42 billion dollar deficit. At the proposed tax rate of $50 per ounce, its estimated new tax revenues would bring in as much as a billion dollars annually. When you consider our ongoing fiscal crisis, we could really do a lot with a billion dollars a year.
     
    But thats not all. In addition to potential revenue, legalization of marijuana could save millions, even billions, on law enforcement. Furthermore, it would help reduce the number of prisoners being sent into our overcrowded jails, saving even more money. Just from a financial standpoint, legalization looks pretty good.
     
    Second, look at whats already legal! According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 79,000 deaths occurred as a result of alcohol abuse between 2001 and 2005, and thats not including car crashes involving drunk drivers. (Alcohol) Also according to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 400,000 Americans die every year from cigarette smoking. (Smoking) Thats an average of roughly 45 deaths per hour. Both these substances are highly addictive. Both these substances have tremendous negative effects on the users health.
     
    And yet, both these substances are legal. In contrast, marijuana is far less addictive, and its negative effects on the smokers health are far less extreme. Despite this, marijuana is the substance thats banned. This is illogical. We might as well legalize the lesser drug, seeing as we allow more dangerous substances already. When we already associate with serial killers, who are we to shun a mere purse snatcher?
     
    For my third reason, lets recall for a moment why Prohibition was such a failure: the alcohol business continued anyway, without the blessing of the government. The same thing is happening with marijuana today. Weed may be Californias biggest cash crop, surpassing even grapes, with an annual profit estimated at fourteen billion dollars. (Walters) Most of this unregulated marijuana gets circulated whether the folks in charge like it or not. Oftentimes the profits (just like with bootleg alcohol in the 20s) are funding gangs.
     
    Instead of spending millions and millions on law enforcement, why cant we just allow marijuana to be grown and traded legally? Why cant we just regulate its sale and distribution?
     
    To recap, marijuana ought to be legalized because we need the tax revenue. Marijuana ought to be legalized because its less dangerous than other drugs, such as tobacco and alcohol, which are legal already. Marijuana ought to be legalized because it would allow the state to regulate the massive industry that produces it.
     
    Anyway, while pot will probably never get its own aisle in the grocery store, and while it will probably never become a symbol of pride for our state, its still worth legalizingeven if it is only about the money.
  13. Troacctid

    Steel Dragons

    By Troacctid,

    This weekend was the Scars of Mirrodin prerelease.
     
    It's unfortunate that I didn't have a steel dragon slayer task, because I got wrecked by them on four separate games and I sure could have used 15% bonus damage.
     

     
    I didn't even get any good drops from them. All I got were blowout games where I died with no permanents. :cry:
  14. Troacctid

    Ask Evil Dave

    By Troacctid,

    Dear Evil Dave,
     
    I need to train my herblore level to 65 so I can complete the "While Guthix Sleeps" quest. What should I do to level up? I am currently level 49 and I have 5m gp in my bank.
     
    --Sleepless in Sophanem
     
     
    Sleepless:
     
    You're in luck! I'm just beginning some new experiments with a DEMONIC TRANSFORMATION POTION OF DOOM! And, as it happens, I'm looking for some EVIL volunteers to help me test it! My last few tries didn't work out quite as well as I'd hoped (they turned the drinkers into HELL-GERBILS!), but the test subjects did mention to me that they'd had enough experience with DEMONIC EXPERIMENTAL HERBLORE that they never wanted to touch it again, so I assume they must have gotten lots of levels!
     
    --Evil Dave
     
     
    Dear Evil Dave,
     
    Okay, I'm ready to take on Jad, I think. My stats:
    80 ranged
    82 HP
    79 defense
    70 prayer
    Is this enough? And what setup should I use? Any other tips?
     
    --Fired Up in Falador
     
     
    Fired Up:
     
    I don't know much about combat, but I think your levels are high enough to BRING UPON THE FIGHT CAVES A RAIN OF HELLFIRE! I recommend that you wear full black d'hide--black is very EVIL in today's fashion. Make sure you bring plenty of DEATH and BLOOD runes so that your enemies will experience DYING AND BLEEDING or at least recognize their EVIL SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION. You should also carry lots of Unholy Symbols as an EVIL LUCK CHARM. And remember to attack Jad with the most NEFARIOUS weapon of all: THE UNDEAD CHICKEN. Nothing will terrify him more, as everyone knows TzTok-Jad is deathly allergic to chickens!
     
    Bad luck on your mission, Fired Up! I hope to see you in Edgeville soon with a DEADLY fire cape on your back!
     
    --Evil Dave
  15. Troacctid
    Lol, what a noob.
    By a high-level player


     
    Wow, you're only 60 combat? Lol, what a noob.
     
    Full rune? Lol, I bet you had to work for days just to get that. Did you make that money spinning flax or killing cows? Or did you stand around in Varrock square begging for gp because you're too lazy to get it yourself? Get some decent gear. Then maybe you won't be such a pathetic noob.
     
    Lol, you aren't even ranked in half your stats? That's just sad. You clearly suck at this game. You should just quit now. Why don't you go back to Wii Sports? Noob.
     
    Noob.
     
     

    Lol, what a nerd.
    By a low-level player


     
    Wow, you're 138 combat? Lol, what a nerd.
     
    Full Bandos? Lol, I bet you think you're sooo amazing with your pixel money. Did you no-life for weeks to earn that? Or did you use a macro to kill green dragons for you because you're too lazy to play the game yourself? Get a life. Then maybe you won't be such a pathetic nerd.
     
    Lol, you have how many skillcapes? That's just sad. You clearly play this game way too much. You should go outside sometime. Why don't you move out of your parents' basement? Nerd.
     
    Nerd.
  16. Troacctid

    Bonus xp weekend report

    By Troacctid,

    Behold my xp gains!
     

     
    As you can see, I did a lot of herblore, and I did, as planned, Go To Extremes.
     
    Before the weekend started, I had about 3.5k super energies that I'd bought at a pretty good price. I think it was around here:
     

     
    I tried to fruitfall for the papayas once the announcement came that there would be another bonus xp weekend, and I started bringing the fruit bat on farming runs and so on. But it was taking too long, so once papayas started to crash I just bought a bunch of them around 2.2k each.
     
    After that, I thought I'd better get some supplies for extremes, since I knew I'd definitely be getting at least 88. Unfortunately, I had difficulty buying the base potions, so I decided to just use up my stock of irits, lantadymes, and kwuarms. I made them into unfinished potions, double-checked how many seconds I'd need, and topped up on limpwurt roots, blue dragon scales, phoenix feathers, dwarf weed, and avantoe to have enough. I also made sure to decant my super sets into 3-dose versions.
     
    The night before the bonus xp, I did a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation in Google Docs to double-check the order I should make my potions and predict how much xp I was likely to get.
     

     
    I logged in at Soul Wars bank (to keep random events from disrupting my well-laid plans) on Friday and started mixing up the spec restores. Once I could make extreme attacks with Greenman's Ale, I upgraded my stock of super attacks. Same with extreme strengths. After that, I went back to spec restores. When I ran out of those, I made my super antifires, then the rest of my extreme strengths, then the rest of my extreme attacks. As you can see above, I ended up overshooting my prediction. I'll blame that partly on a slight underestimation of my potion-making speed and partly on the extreme magic potions I mixed up with the ground mud runes from my last Living Rocks task once I hit 91. Sometimes it's good to be wrong. :thumbsup:
     
    So now I have 91 herblore. Please feel free to contact me for all your starved or nourished herblore effigy needs! :shades:
     
    After finishing my herblore, I went and did the circus. At some point I read on the General Discussion thread that I could get bonus xp for turning in curved/long bones, so I dumped my stock of them and gained a construction level. Then I wasn't really sure what to do.
     
    I did a bit of hunter, catching a few butterflies, then getting bored and switching to penguins, then getting bored again and switching to implings (where, in one of my trips, I caught an unprecedented 10 zombie implings in a row).
     
    I also did some agility, which is the same thing I did on the last bonus xp weekend when I wasn't sure what to do. Running laps is sort of my default fallback training method, I guess; it's easy to jump in and out of.
     
    I thought I'd train magic a little, so I cast some superheats. I didn't have a lot of iron banked, so I ran out pretty quickly and had to mine more, which was okay because mining xp is good too, and I could superheat while I mined it without slowing down much anyway. But then I caved and bought some more. Pretty soon I got tired of moving my mouse down to hit the last few iron that are below the position of the superheat spell in my spellbook, so I filled those slots with coal instead and just made 3 steel and 18 iron bars per inventory. And you can see I gained a magic level and (almost) a smithing level. :-)
     
    I trained my thieving towards the end with a little bit of blackjacking and pickpocketing, but not much.
     
    I did eventually hit the ten-hour mark and went off to use up my charms. I used up all my blues and crimsons (including one embarrassing inventory where I accidentally made obsidian golems instead of lava titans, whoops :oops: ), but I ran out of bananas halfway through my greens and I neglected to buy swamp toads for my golds. It was pretty late at this point and it didn't look like I'd make it to 87 anyway, so I called it a night and went to brush my teeth.
     
    All in all, I think I'd call it a successful BXPW.
     

     
    In other news, check out my new outfit!
     

     
    That's my approximation of the Red Wizard from Final Fantasy, which I recently started playing. Well, the GBA remake, anyway. I'm almost at the end; my party looks like this right now:
     

     
    I also tried out a Black Mage outfit. I think I like the Red Wizard better, though.
     

  17. Troacctid
    That's right, as Billy Joel puts it, I'll be going to extremes this weekend when I raise my herblore level so that I can make Extreme Attack and Strength potions! :thumbsup:
     
    I may or may not lie awake night after night, but I'm certainly ready to fight with some improved attack and strength boosts, and although I'm not entirely sure how much more I've got after breaking the piggy bank to pay for those ingredients, I'm pretty sure I will indeed have set myself up for a few kills. :shades:
     
    But yeah, that's pretty much the extent of my plans for BXPW. First thing tomorrow I'll be making potions until I run out of potions to make. Then I'll do the circus. After that, I don't know. I might just do some slayer. I'm closing in on my 100th task. Obviously I'll be using up my stock of charms towards the end as well.
     
     
     
     
     
    Also, I should splice some herblore training footage into that video sometime.
  18. Troacctid
    I was thinking something fast, but also profitable
    By a player thinking of going for a skillcape


    Hey, so, I was thinking of getting a skillcape. I always feel like such a noob when I put together my outfits and all I have is a dinky Wilderness team cape or something lame like that. I need a cape that's actually cool. Besides, it'll be nice to get a skill to 99. The sort of thing I can show off to my friends, y'know?
     
    What skill should I go for?
     
    I think a fast skill would be pretty good. Maybe cooking or fletching or firemaking. Possibly thieving. I figure since it's my first skillcape, I should start with something easy, right? So something fast seems like a good bet.
     
    But then again, none of those are very useful. I'd like to have something to show for all those hours of work. What's the point of training for over a hundred hours and not getting richer out of the deal, right?
     
    I'm leaning towards hunter. It's pretty fast, it makes great profit, and that cape has some pretty snazzy earth tones going for it. Chinchompas are a pretty good training method, right?
     
     

    Oh god, please don't train hunter
    By a chinchompa


     
    Oh please, don't train hunter.
     
    Have you considered how it feels when you're the one deceived into investigating what looks like a perfectly harmless and interesting box (which as far as we know might contain a nice spicy piece of meat this time) and then suddenly being trapped in an enclosed space, struggling just to breathe, battering against the walls in confusion? How would you feel if some giant stuffed you into his smelly, poorly-ventilated little bag along with hundreds of other innocent people, all of them petrified with terror and panic?
     
    Please, don't do it. It's bad enough that you're kidnapping us, but bringing us to a slave market where we'll be sold off to be forced into the short life of a suicide bomber? We have families, you know. I have two kids of my own. Would you take me away and orphan them? Would you capture and enslave my children instead? Have mercy, sir!
     
    At the very least, I beg of you, have the compassion not to stuff thousands of us into a cramped little backpack. It's not just cruel and unsanitary--it's unsafe. We explode! You have no idea how many innocent chinchompa lives have been lost when some bungling adventurer decided it might be a good idea to bring a bag full of them onto an agility course for some somersaults.
     
    Why don't you train your woodcutting? Lumberjacking, now that's good honest work. Clear some of that ivy that's been creeping up your walls. Or how about crafting? Everybody loves dragonhide armor, right? And you get to spend your time with all those shiny gemstones. Just please, not hunter.
     
    We chinchompas are a peaceful race. We never wanted to hurt anyone. It's not in our nature to be aggressive, and we have nothing against mummies, nechryaels, or monkeys of any kind. After all, it's hard to win a fight when a mere scratch is enough to cause your body to explode. What have we ever done to you? We don't deserve this kind of cruel treatment! In the name of all the is good in this world, don't train your hunter skill to 99! Your conscience will...oh hey, what's in that box over there? It's a little mechanism. I wonder what happens if I--
  19. Troacctid
    Right. I have another beef with fishing. Uh...I guess it may be a bit more superficial than the last one, but, well...anyway...
     
    You know how if you have high enough agility, you have a chance of harpooning double fish?
     
    How the hell does that work?
     
    Look, here's what you're doing:
     

     
    Stabbing at the water, right? So...like...um...huh?
     
    "Hey, looks like I stabbed through two sharks instead of one! Sweet!" :-o
     
    I find that implausible and yet...really cool.
     
    But it gets worse. See, what if what you're doing is this:
     

     
    Now how does it work?
     
    "Whew, I finally wrestled that shark out of the water! What a workout! Hey, wait a minute, what's that? Holy [cabbage]! There was another shark, inside my shark! Wow! No wonder it put up such a fight!"
     
    Or is it more like,
     
    "Hey guys, check out this piece of awesome: I'm so badass, I can wrestle...GRAAAH! Two sharks out of the water, one with each arm! Booyah! I am the noodling champion!" :-w
     
    Actually, now that I think about it, my character is hella badass. :ohnoes:
  20. Troacctid
    Wtf my lightbulb is broken what do I do
     
    Hey can you tell me where I can get a new lightbulb?
     
    Need lightbulb
     
    Need lightbulb
     
    Need lightbulb
     
    Need lightbulb
     
    Ty
     
    Where do I change lightbulb?
     
    Where's that?
     
    I don't know where that is.
     
    What map?
     
    How do I use the map
     
    Oh ok ty
     
    Omg I need a quest?
     
    Where do I start quest to change lightbulb?
     
    Hello?
     
    How do I change the lightbulb?
     
    Someone help me change lightbulb plz?
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Come on somebody
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Need help changing lightbulb
     
    Omg this is stupid I give up
  21. Troacctid
    Common response to bonus xp weekend:

     
     
    My response:

     
     
    Not just because I'm an avid herb farmer. A lot of people don't think about how important it is that prices rise in a period of increased demand. If you think it's hard to buy herbs now, imagine how hard it would be if the price couldn't go up along with the rising quantity demanded.
     
    Law of supply, people. :thumbsup:
     
     
    Also, if you didn't figure it out already, it would be a good idea to farm your butt off for a few weeks, because herbs are not likely to get any less profitable anytime soon.
  22. Troacctid
    We must respect religious freedom
    By a citizen of Varrock


     
    Like many of my fellow citizens, I am a dedicated follower of Saradomin, the god of justice and wisdom. I know that many of my fellow Saradominists are in an uproar over the chaos monks' plans to erect a shrine to Zamorak in north Varrock, near the site of the devastating zombie invasion that claimed so many lives, but I simply cannot understand their outrage.
     
    Our city has a proud tradition of religious tolerance. The outcry is based on the disgusting stereotype that all Zamorakians are evil. Friends, I understand that we all have strong feelings about the attack, but not all followers of chaos are necromancer lords bent on destroying and enslaving us all. This is a group of peaceful monks who happen to follow an evil god, not some deranged necromancy cult. To abandon our principles merely out of fear is a victory for those same necromancer lords!
     
    Besides, the offending altar is hardly a full temple--it's merely a modest shrine with a small chaos altar. And are we forgetting that there is already a Zamorakian church only a few blocks away?
     
    These people are citizens of Varrock just like you and me, and they have all the rights that entails. We need to respect those rights.
     
     
    Yes, we are definitely not evil
    By Monk of Zamorak


     
    Yes, please, do not alarm yourselves. We are merely a peaceful group of religious pilgrims wishing to enact a shrine to the glorious Lord of Chaos who shall one day rise up and feast in your slaughter. There are no unholy diagrams concealed under the floors, and certainly no plans to use them to perform any ancient rituals to summon K'resh, Devourer of Life to unleash upon your unsuspecting city a torment so horrible that you will beg for death even before it begins.
     
    Were we truly bent on taking over your disgusting town, we would find it deliciously ironic that it would be your own pathetic moral code that would have heralded your destruction, but I assure you that we have no such intentions because we are honest citizens who merely wish to honor Zamorak, who we certainly do not believe is better than your god, or that he would kick your god's butt in a fight if your god weren't such a safer n00b.
     
    I laugh at your puny opposition. That's what I would say if I were evil, but since I am not evil, I am not saying it.
  23. Troacctid
    I was doing the latest quest (I'll probably post a review of it at some point), and I noticed my character was having some trouble maneuvering around objects properly:
     

     
    It was particularly pronounced during the barrel puzzle, but I've seen it elsewhere too. Anyone have any idea what's going on?
  24. Troacctid
    Very meaty blog entry today. I hope you like my opinions, because I'm reviewing July.

    Love Story



     
    The first update of the month was Love Story, a tale of the Wise Old Man and his estranged lover Zenevivia. (Spoilers.) Zenevivia, a PKer who despises adventurers and questing, challenges you and the Wise Old Man (her ex-boyfriend) to a battle. Then, basically, you go to her house, battle through her dungeon, and fight her. It's not an especially complex plot, but it works pretty well and it's a lot of fun. The characters are great--Mabel, Zenevivia, and the Wise Old Man all have great dialogue and plenty of personality. The opening bit is a tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of typical quests that put a smile on my face. The final fight is very well-designed and uniquely challenging, definitely on par with any of the boss fights in Daemonheim and much better than some of the classic quest battles that are so easy to beat with brute force. (Took me three tries before I figured out how to beat her!) Additionally, it's generous of the quest to supply you with so many house tabs and free teleports, although it is unfortunate that you still need to run back to Rimmington to use the chipped tablet. And the cutscenes are great.
     
    There's some room for improvement. I don't think the quest made as good a use of the Wise Old Man's character as it could have. While it's great to have him around, he didn't actually help much until the final fight. In the teletab maze puzzle thingy, there's no real explanation for why he doesn't chip the tab himself--he's obviously more skilled at it, so why doesn't he just take the chisel and do it for you? And while I was controlling the mannequin, I felt like he might as well have been lying there taking a nap. A better set of challenges would have made use of the ability to work with two characters, or at least given some decent justification as to why the WOM can't help. And as Neo Avatars pointed out, the camera in the mannequin segment is jerky and awkward.
     
    Still, it's an excellent quest. The rewards are pretty awesome too. The new wallpaper is easily my favorite style, and I've been using chipped house tablets to Brimhaven and Rimmington constantly during my fruit and bush runs, as well as for shooting stars and other miscellaneous activities. The huge chunks of xp (I gained two levels from them) and the butler discount are just gravy. Very tasty gravy at that. And a new room for the dungeon? That's like a cherry on top of the gravy! I don't even know what I'm eating here, but it's delicious!
     

     
    Rating: Approve :thumbup:
     
     

    Dungeoneering Update 



     
    Jagex followed up Love Story with the long-awaited Dungeoneering update! Let's take a look at what it offered:
    Solo dungeon improvements
     

     
    A highly-anticipated patch to solo dungeoneering, it is now possible to select medium dungeons in a solo party! Great! Additionally, solo dungeoneers can log back into their dungeon within 10 minutes of logging out or losing connection! Also great! All upside here. :thumbup:
    Class Rings
     

     
    The upgrades are, for the most part, costed and balanced correctly, as far as I can tell. It's a shame the melee classes only work with their specific stances, but aside from that I'm happy with this portion of the update. If I were a more enthusiastic dungeoneer, I would probably be able to offer more specific feedback on this feature, but I haven't quite gotten the swing of it yet. Hopefully some other blogger will step up with a more detailed review; I'm sure it would be an interesting read.
    Groupstone Portal
     

     
    The groupstone portal is amazing. It makes getting around so much easier. I don't know why anyone would even bother to build something else in its place. It's great. I love it. It's good to have the option of the photo booth, farming patch, and prayer altar as well; I'm not sure the range is very useful, though. Still, thumbs-up! :thumbup:
     
    Other changes
     

    Gatestones now require only cosmic runes. Significant improvement to convenience. This makes it much easier to get around dungeons/fight certain bosses. :thumbup:
    Bones can be used on an altar for 4x experience. Meh, I don't pick up the bones, but if you do, sure, it's fine.
    The autogrouping system has been improved. This is fine, but I don't think people actually use the autogrouping system. Still, can't complain!
    There are 18 new titles on the dungeon completion screen. They're amusing. Again, can't complain--it adds a bit of fun.
     
    Resource Dungeons
     
    Here's where I have something to talk about. I and many others asked for dungeoneering rewards outside Daemonheim; well, here they are. There are 14 of them, and I think they're worth going over individually.
     
    Level 10: Edgeville Dungeon
     
    The lv10 resource dungeon has chaos druids. That's fine, they're pretty crowded and can use the extra spawns. More notably, though, there are ranarr and irit spawns. These are pretty significant, and even though they take 30 seconds to respawn, that adds up to a lot of ranarrs and irits entering the game, and so we get a price drop. Ranarrs are cheaper and will probably stay cheaper. Prayer potions have dropped to meet them. And this is the best spot for killing chaos druids--very profitable. It's great for low-level players, but I lose money from this dungeon because I already stocked up on prayer potions and I get lots of ranarr drops on my slayer tasks. :(
     
    Level 15: Dwarven Mine (F2P)
     
    With a bank deposit box in a convenient location, this is a boon to F2P miners. It's a great place for mining coal and/or mithril (although neither is really worth mining), and a great place for banking iron--there are iron rocks just outside the entrance. That just about says it all, I think...best place for mining iron in F2P, which is the best ore to mine in F2P. Not sure if it's the best place to mine iron in P2P; probably not.
     
    Level 20: Edgeville Dungeon (F2P)
     
    Lots of hill giants! Excellent! The hill giants in Edgeville Dungeon are far too crowded in F2P worlds, and the 11 new spawns are a huge help for training and moneymaking in F2P. There are also 4 spawns of limpwurt roots, which, while being excellent profit for those free players, also makes me lose a lot of money on the limpwurt roots I've been farming. #-o But aside from that, I heartily approve of this dungeon, and any free player with the dungeoneering level would do well to make use of it. A fine F2P moneymaker and training spot.
     
    Level 25: Karamja Volcano (F2P)
     
    Lots of lesser demons! And some imps! Lesser demons aren't actually worth killing, even in F2P, so it's not a very exciting dungeon at first glance. However, it happens to be a superb location for hunting for champion scrolls of both the imp and lesser demon variety. It's a good place for hunting with impling boxes too, provided you can tank the damage from the lessers until they're tolerant. And in a pinch, F2Pers can train there if they really want. (There's even some safe spots.) Seems okay to me.
     
    Level 30: Daemonheim Peninsula (F2P)
     
    Notable as the only place for free players to chop maple logs! This is exciting for about 30 seconds until you realize that maple logs are terrible xp with no profit and not worth chopping, ever, at all. Ever. Horrible xp. Don't chop maples, guys. Seriously.
     
    The willows are okay, though. Great place to chop and burn willows. Nice scenery an' all.
     
    Level 35: Baxtorian Waterfalls
     
    Okay. Fire giants. Fire giants are fine. I know there are people who like to cannon them, and this is a good place for that. There are also people who aren't comfortable killing them in a multicombat zone, and this is a good place for them too. Me, I always killed them in the Chaos Tunnels and never had any problems with crowding, plus I can use a combat familiar there. But if you're not like me, there are 11 spawns here, which I'm sure will help you with the crowds in the waterfall dungeon--this is the second-best place to kill fire giants.
     
    Level 45: Mining Guild (F2P)
     
    Best F2P addy mining spot, best F2P mithril mining spot, best rune mining spot if the rocks are available. Moving on.
     
    Level 55: Taverley Dungeon
     
    There are 12 hellhounds here. It's multicombat, so cannon away, slayers. If you're slaying for speed, this just makes hellhounds another boring, fast task that wastes a ton of money and has no drops. Yawn. Power slayers like this, and that's fine. I blocked hellhounds ages ago, so I don't care.
     
    Level 60: Taverley Dungeon
     
    Here be blue dragons. This is, obviously, a good spot for killing blue dragons. That's good, because there's not enough dragon spawns to adequately meet the demand for dragon bones. More blue dragons will only help in this regard. They're a fine moneymaker if you camp them, providing you have the agility of course; obviously Kuradal's dungeon is better if you're on-task. The blue dragon scales here respawn quickly, making this a good place for gathering them, but if you have 60 dungeoneering, then you've probably figured out a less embarrassing moneymaker by now. Anyway, I approve of this one. Like I said, we need more dragon spawns.
     
    Level 65: Varrock Sewers
     
    I can't say I see a use for this dungeon. It has some moss giants, some limpwurt roots, and some magic trees, but it's not available to F2P, and P2P'ers don't care about moss giants. We have more moss giants than we know what to do with, what with Cairn Isle, the Chaos Tunnels, Pirate's Cove, and those ones in Kandarin. I'm sure the limpwurt roots are a nice bonus, but any member with 65 dungeoneering is clearly past the point where moss giants are a relevant training method, or at least I hope so. As for the magic trees, they're completely useless. There's 6 of them, but more than 4 is already overkill, and they're way too far from a bank to be worthwhile. This is the first resource dungeon that gets a thumbs-down from me. :thumbdown:
     
    Level 70: Chaos Tunnels
     
    This is the one with black demons. Not much to say-it's pretty much just an extension of the black demon room you just came from, only there's more spawns and it's kinda harder to safespot them. It's not exciting, but it's fine.
     
    Level 75: Al Kharid Mine
     
    There are gold, silver, and gem rocks here, but they're kinda far from a bank, so I'd say it's only worth mining if you're using a gem bag. What's really important are the impling spawns, because there's a lot of them! I'm told the spawn rate was nerfed, and they now spawn slower and fewer of them are high-level. Big whoop. They're still a great source of hunter + mining xp with profit. Even most lower-level implings are worth around 2k in a jar. I like this dungeon. :thumbup:
     
    An interesting possibility: you could mine gold, mine gems, superheat the gold, use Forge Regent scrolls to craft bracelets, and alch it all in one place. Not useful, but it's a cute thought, isn't it?
     
    Level 80: Brimhaven Dungeon
     
    In another age, these 8 iron/8 steel dragon spawns with a hammer and anvil in the same room would have been awesome--a great spot to kill iron and steel dragons with no crowds, and you can smith the bars as you go? Sign me up! Sadly, Kuradal's Dungeon makes it kinda obsolete. The +40 damage every hit is just better. If you want to camp here, well, uh, be my guest, but it's really not worth camping iron or steel dragons. And they're still really far from a bank, which is just a pain. And the whole axe/gp thing to get in too. This one falls a little flat for me.
     
    Level 85: Asgarnian Ice Dungeon
     
    ZOMG FROST DRAGONS. These guys are AMAZING profit. Their 100% drop is worth what, 19k? Something like that? And you can kill them pretty damn fast. And you can even cannon them. Apparently they're the best moneymaker in the game, or so I'm told. Definitely an adequate incentive to get 85 dungeoneering. :thumbsup:
     

     
    Plus, you get xp for exploring the resource dungeons! Sweet!
     
    I'm still not 100% sold on Dungeoneering. But I'm getting there. Everything about this update was positive, except for the moss giant dungeon, which was disappointing but easily ignored, and some of the other things, which are arguably awesome! A great update.
     
    Rating: Approve wholeheartedly! :thumbsup:
     
     

    Magic 2011 



     
    But wait, there's more! That's right, this blog entry is a triple feature! Actually, that was a pretty long thing with the resource dungeons, so let's call it a quadruple feature! As a bonus, I thought I'd comment on the latest Magic: the Gathering expansion. So here, in no particular order, are my top 5 favorite new cards from the Magic 2011 Core Set.
     

     
    Jace's Erasure is a well-designed, flavorful, fun, repeatable mill effect that plays well. You can build a cute deck around if you want, and I'm a big fan of the way it enables mill decks in draft.
     
     

     
    Amazing utility. Crystal Ball isn't flashy, but it plays really well, the flavor is spot-on, and it's going in all of my EDH decks. I like it much better than Sensei's Divining Top.
     
     

     
    It's no secret that I hate regeneration as a mechanic--it just doesn't resonate flavorfully or mechanically. Reassembling Skeleton is soooo much better than his predecessors, the Drudge Skeletons, in every way I can think of. Flavor, power level, combo potential, fun, elegance, everything. Definitely a hit for me.
     
     

     
    Another all-around excellent card, Liliana's Specter is strong in multiplayer, one of the best black cards for Limited, and a solid creature in constructed (although I'm not confident that it's good enough for serious tournament play). And again, the flavor is strong and, well, like I said, it's an all-around excellent card and I find it aesthetically pleasing. I like it.
     
     

     
    What can I say? I like Ophidians. Scroll Thief is a better Ophidian. Not just in power level, but in art, flavor, creature type, and all-around cuteness. I didn't think you could get much better than the ninja version, but somehow... <3:
     
     
    Honorable mention:
     

     
    ¡Qué loco! La regresa al juego en vez de tu mano, jaja. Bueno, es mejor que el Familiar chacal de M10, que no puede atacar ni bloquear, nunca jamás. :roll:
     
     
     
    And that's my July review. See you in August!
  25. Troacctid
    I was just reading Scientific American while munching on some Wheat Thins and potato salad, and there was this article about lab safety in science classrooms. This one kid died in a lab accident because her clothes caught fire and nobody got her to the safety shower in time. Her death was totally preventable, and she died anyway. It got me thinking about how much we seem to latch onto the sorts of death which are near-impossible to prevent, like random acts of violence, when we ought to spend a lot more time and energy and money than we do on more preventable causes of death or illness, like iodine deficiency in developing countries or something. Which got me thinking, how much do we value life, anyway? And should the U.S. value the lives of its own citizens over the lives of random starving Africans? Then I thought, of course it should--the government's job is to look after its own people. That's why we have our own government and other countries have their own governments. The whole reason we have separate levels of government (local, county, state, federal...) is so that people can govern themselves more efficiently. If the U.S. is going to help other countries, it does so through international organizations like the U.N. And then I thought, hey, I wonder how the U.N. is doing on its goals of eliminating poverty and hunger and stuff? And that got me wondering what those foreign aid charities who are always sending me pamphlets actually do with all that money. I suppose they use it to buy food or something? And then I figured, well in that case, donating to those charities eases suffering, but it doesn't solve the problem of world hunger at all...you don't lift people out of poverty by giving them food and aid--you need stuff like jobs and infrastructure and whatnot, that sort of thing. I don't know, is a donation model really feasible for that sort of thing? Because it seems like a good commercial presence with free trade and that sort of thing has probably historically been more effective than relying on social and emotional incentives and stuff like that, right? Something like that...
     
    Around this point it dawned on me that if someone offered me a penny for my thoughts, I would be able to honestly say I was thinking about the economics of solving world hunger. That sort of realization tends to derail my trains of thought. :mellow:
     
    Anyway...um...I'm sure there must have been something I was getting at with that story...
     
    Actually, that reminds me of a joke. So there's these two beautiful young women who set up a kissing booth at the local fair, and after a little while a long queue has formed in front of it. Right next to their table is a man who set up a "Punch in the face" booth, and obviously nobody at all is queuing up in front of his booth.
     
    Hehe. Get it?
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