Oh sorry that is the answer to a question. What question? How long do you have to grind to get the last piece of the litany sigil? And that is my answer, until my eyes bleed.

So last night after staying late at work, I got home and made ready for some down time. Watered the plants, removed my pants, mostly payed attention to the wife telling me all about her excursion to the furnisher stores. I got my PC fired up and ready to go, when I am told I am going to the store to look at the items she has narrowed the selection down to. Growl…

So I ask when and I am told now. Double growl. So we go to the first place, yes the first place, and I am told how she doesn’t like this one. Upon asking why I am here then I am told it is 100$ cheaper then the one she wants. And we wouldn’t have to order it, we could take this one.

I get in the car to head home and end up at another store….Growl. After a few tryouts she finds the couch she likes. A few no goes I found and ottoman I liked, but that was no matter. So we take a look at the couch and it is a couch. Long story short I am not sure why I was needed as we ordered the couch. Plus we end up getting that ottoman I liked. 🙂

So after shopping we pick up dinner and finely head home. I had some paperwork I was going to do before ddo but it was late and I was tired so I went straight to killing mobs.

I ran to Ghosts again and began the loop of doing the quest, getting the end reward and doing the quest again. Lets just say I did get my last part. But in the final chest I got the left frame, another bracer and the first ransack message. It was 9ish and I went to bed, with sore eyes and a total lack of will to go on.

Tonight however, I hope will be a different story. I am flagged for litany. I almost have to level up to 16, so lots of quests are at my finger tips.

I need to take a detailed look at the new xp thing. There might be a need for some hard and elite runs of these orchard quests while there is big xp to be had. And I need to do more then a few loot runs in the new content. It looks like good times, and unless there is an end fight that is way out of balance for the rest of the quests they seem fairly easy. But I have heard things about the raids that make me thing there is the real challenge. But what do I know?

❤

Screw this to be or not to be crap. I am, so stuff it. 🙂 But I am spending a lot of time lately trying to decide if I want to use normal soil razed bed gardening or if I want to step it up a notch and use aquaponic gardening… Oh yes this could be related to DDO. I might have to do some stretching but I can make it fit. I am not going to, but I want you to know I could.

For you that don’t know the idea behind aquaponic is you grow plants in water fertilized by fish waste where you use the plants to clean the fish waste out of the water keeping the fishes alive.

There are a new nice perks to aquaponic growing vs normal gardening. Growth rate is normally much greater so you can get more from you plants more often. Plants don’t have to be as far spread out since the roots don’t have to fight for nutrients, so you can plant more plants per foot. Depending on your needs available space you can make/get a system to fit almost any area. Oh and it grows what you want it to grow, weeding is super rare. Also you get more out of the system then just fruit and veggies but depending on the fish you use you can eat them. :p

There are some cons however, mostly in the from of energy. It takes a bit more of it to keep up a aquaponic garden. You have to feed the fish, you have to build or buy a system, systems need a pump. Or at least all the ones I have seen pump water up to grow beds. Stands need made to hold the grow beds so we can use as much gravity’s energy as possible when returning the water. You have to add lots of air to the water, both the plants and fist pull air out of the water. So you have to add in more then you think. Most people I have seen use both the return flow and an air stone/air pump.

Other then that it is a mostly closed system, so once it is up and running there is not a lot to do on a daily basis. The maintenance easily can become automated. With a timer for the pump and Bell Siphons in the grow beds.

Normal or dirt gardens have to be water at least once a day. But can be set up to auto water. They have to or mostly have to be out side. You could pot up and have plants in windows around the house. But for the most point take up some area. You could plan some vertical gardening but with that much work you could go aquaponic and do more with less.

So here is the deal. For me to plant my seedlings that are about a week or so away from going in the ground/water I have to get things ready. Be that do some tilling. Or build some tanks and turn my back porch in to a make shift green house.

So what do you think? Fishies or worms?

❤

She and I went out to the orchard, to farm up my bits to get into Litany. And there was fair loot to be had, you know with the Lady herself by one’s side how could you not?

But you know Lady Luck is a fickle Bi#^&, right? Thank you Jimmy the Hand, he was one of my favorite characters from the Rift War Saga. Jimmy had another saying about Lady Luck, normally right after asking for a favor. You didn’t have to say yes, but did you have to say no so hard?

That is kinda how I felt in the orchard over the weekend. I picked up the pieces 1-3 5-7 fairly early in the weekend. But ran and ran and never saw 4 or 8. I also hit the optional chest in inferno. It takes the least amount of work to get to and doesn’t require you open a locked door. And nothing of note in the chest, until…

Sunday, first run in Ghosts I get the bracers. Ghost touch (yeah) and +1 ac (sure why not…) I have been using a pair on Java to kill nasty ghosties. But another pair is never bad. When I got my pair back in the day they cost me a scale. I bet they are a red, maybe two scales now. Damn inflation.

Pick up my end reward and what do I see lvl 14 +4 force of PG wraps. Not bad at all. Most of the runs had some little perk, lady luck was teasing me.

Legionary Victories, Items with Med guild slots, Majors, even got the other named loot from ghosts the Something armor..Starts with an A, and has 30 fire res, too old to remember every things name.

But never one of the last 2 pieces. Oh well. Just have to keep at it. After all sometimes Lady Luck kicks you when your down. Sometimes you trip her and take her stuff.

❤

What do you do when your waiting for your group to get it act together? Check out the Ah, fill up on components, tab out and check your email?

I do all those things and sometimes more but then what do you do when there is still more waiting???

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

So last night I get in and Oncler talked me into a epic DQ preraid. Swap and get ready(ship buffed and whatnots). A few mins later I get more ready. Hit the Ah. Dance nude on Oncler’s boat. Claimed his boat in the name of my greatness. Re ship buffed, including killing the training dummy, I am on Samius who is currently a Sorc so killing the dummy not only takes a long time but is also mostly pointless.

And then what?

Well in my case I pulled out my PHONE! And read my book for a while. Thought I was going to say wang there didn’t you? You all make me sick, not really I ❤ you guys. 🙂

A few pages later, Oncler says I need to go afk, stepping inside. So I run out to the six man to not only a afk Oncler. But 2 other people also waiting…

I swear we need a mini game that we can pull up at any time and kill a little time. Like a for plat slot machine were we can win plat, Tp, items, xp… The possibilities are endless.

Not long after we finish up. A epic DQ raid forms up from Oncler, and I foolishly tag along. There was much more waiting. At least 15 mins. But is was a good run. Tobril got Firestorm Grieves, I got some Golden Grieves and there were 3-4 shards and at least one other named item.

And that was my night more or less. I took Java to 15, and did two Hard Gh walk ups. But other then that nothing. It was a slow night of waiting.

❤

I am doing what I can to keep Samius on timer for the Shroud. And we all know how nice and wonderful pug groups can be and how much I hate to tell you any story about how unpleasant a shroud can be. So I wont.

I joined a pug last night, and after about 15 secs later I regretted it. People were arguing and being jackasses. So I turned down the audio and resumed the podcast I was enjoying while soloing about. And had a simi nice run.

The last spot filled and after a moment dropped. I learned later that they were able to chase that person off with nasty language and telling the raid leader that they wanted more dps not another “healer”

I didn’t myddo any one but I watched everyone and I have to say we had 2 or 3 good people carrying the group. I want to say I was a good player but as I was not really playing with the team I can’t say I was being a good player.

I activated the portal to get to part 2, and was second to get in and get moving. I heard a lot of complaining over my podcast about better not die. And F^&*n zergers. Myself and another guy had mostly cleared the maze when people caught up with us. And the other guy ran off and pulled the bosses. I sent the leader a tell that I wouldn’t be getting the crystal. He replied he had it and that was that. I Dotted and chained lighting all the bosses. And when I wanted them to break I danced off the long way to the portal. And they trailed off and died. Very smoothly.

Part 2 was different. I only solved 2 puzzles and ran 3 water. So I guess there were a few other people helping out. And we jumped into part 4. Also super smooth. But I think a lot of the slower players were still in part 3…

I stood to fight in part 5. A lot of people moved to run. But there were enough that didn’t want to that most of the group stayed. I doted and bolted the bosses as I worked the pool. One by one they ran over to me and died. Except the devil. He ported all over and died later. I took the fire and doted it up. Again while working the pool and it died. *shrug

Again I saw just tons of green lights and faint yelling but it went fine. About 25 min run.

As we waited for people to leave I saw lots of comments like “most fun in a long time” and “your an ass”. And heard lots of calling people names. I don’t think any of that was directed at me, but it could have been??? For all I care I don’t need to play with 8-9 out of the 11 people ever again. There was a ton of BS going down. Never saw the leader’s light once once I zoned out and not at all before. Never had any commutation from him other then a “k” when I said I wasn’t getting the crystal.

I got my 17th completion this life, so win right?

❤

I got a phone call yesterday from Tobril. And he opened with “Hey, I got a question for you. I need a prise check on a +1 greater heart?”

And it got me thinking, how do you assign a value to a given item?

I think you have to start with what currency are you talking about. In this game there are a ton of different currencies. Plat, larges, epic scrolls, scales, other items.

Me I do most of my thinking in larges. Namely scales and stones. Although I am working in red scales mostly do to others valuing them higher then I do. Think strength of the scale(dollar) vs other(global) markets.

Before I move on I value 2-3 stones to a scale, a scale + stone to a red and 350K- 500k per scale. I have seen a bit over the last few days to say that a red might be worth 2 scales. But I am not there yet.

So now that we have our currency we need to think about setting a price. How do you do that? Well since there is no manufacturing or material costs we have to go with what would we pay for said item. Me I wouldn’t normally trade for a heart. Why? Because a few dollars on TP costs me less then the time I spent in game “earning” the item/s I am trading away. But I try to put myself into the mindset of a person that refuses to pay for a in game item.

Then I look on the forums and the AH (-30% at least on AH prices) and see if I am high or low.

Then I have to say what is the lowest I would take? Any thing below that point is a no go.. Somewhere in that number range I set a mental price. And of course have to add in a little for am I going to use this? Does a guildie/friend have a need? Because they get the “buddy” rate. Sometimes that rate is lower, others higher. It depends on how I felt trades with that person has gone in the past.

Tobril often thinks I make trades that are way in my favor. So he wont trade with me most of the time, he things I would gouge him. Other then one trade were I unknowingly way undercut current market value, I would say all of our trades have been fairly even.

So how did I answer his question at the start? A red and a scale, may be a red and 2 stones. And I would hope for 2 reds.

❤

I hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. Mine was good. Bought and planted a few things. Picked up a BB gun for the son/wife so they can learn some basics of shooting giving us something we can play around with that doesn’t required a range, vs a 90 min drive to my dad’s place. And it gives a me cheep way to do some (very) small game, birds and squirrels in a ShtF world. Saving real bullets for real game and looters. 🙂

But most of the weekend was filled with Xp grinding. I leveled to 14 early in the weekend, Friday night early. Now until 14 the xp is fast and levels come at a fair pace. 12 used to be a real hump, being mostly sands quests. But the Lordmarch quests helped that out a lot. And gives you something other then undead to fight.

Now at 14 the real work is just starting. 14 is my banking level. Here is were I start to hold the levels back until I have to take them. Before then xp is easy to come by, to much longer after that and you will run yourself in to shallow water. And find yourself taking massive xp hits or working explorer zones for max kills. Did that with Java’s last life, wont do it again.

The other nice thing about 14 is that is the level for Abbot loot comes on line. And I think until 18 and ToD rings it is the last big loot level. Some of you might say 16 for DT armor, but really I could do with out DT on many of my Alts.

Something I got for Java last life that I never used before is the staff from the Abbot raid.

Staff of the Petitioner – +5 Quarterstaff: Power Store (-10% sp cost), Greater Enchantment Focus, Greater Necromancy Focus, Concentration +5, Spell Penetration VIII

Power Store is amazing at this level. It allows me to almost run thru a quest casting BB when ever then swap to my sword and turn and mop up when ever I want to. Even with my poor DC. I was able to get Feast or Famine to 4 mins. That is faster then the 5 min runs I got on Samius’ sorc life. And Java is mostly melee.

I am also using the Fleshshaper’s Docent: +5, Negative Energy Absorption 20%, Fleshmaker, Disintegration Guard, Trace of Madness (Obsession), Power Drain. I am really liking it. I don’t know if the Disintegration Guard procs 3% or not but if feels very low. But I notice that Obsession procs a ton. And it rolls on my attack rolls. So a lot of my attacks are 100%+ hate gen. I like it enough that I am debating about making another suit Mania or Hysteria for the dance or curse guard for times I don’t need all that hate, but don’t want to be in the DoD in case it procs.

After running GH most of the weekend, some times with the wife, but mostly solo I am about ready to be forced to level. That will be good as I am tired GH quests. I want to bloody and then pillage Tor at 15 and try to get a few for xp reavers in for XP before u11.

❤

Once again I popped over to twitter for a topic. It was that or another last night on ddo I blah blah blah. And while those are fun it was time for something else. To days topic comes from HeavyCeee, he askes
It seems soo many people waste time in the forums rather than actually play the game. Why?

Now I don’t have any solid numbers of players vs active forum accounts. But remember hearing once that it was something like less then 10%. It is just that 10% is a fairly active group. No I might not post very often, but I do hit the new posts once or twice a day. And I check out my server’s trade forum. Just last night I swapped some GS blanks for some epic scrolls and what not via the forums to help a guy out. I think we both were very pleased with the deal.

But I think the group that is active on the forums are the people that are super active in the game. And can’t get enough of the game when they are able to play. Like myself I check the forums while at work. Don’t tell my boss but I write these posts at work too. I also hit the forums to see other people’s builds and see if there is something that I might like or want advice on.

You also have the people like Lessah, who are lerkers. They might not check it out every day but once and a while and mostly to feed their drama lama, maybe comment here and there. But most just see what everyone else is doing.

And you get a lot of people that want to be helpful and/or mean well if they don’t always come across that way.

Well I hope you all find yourself cheking out the forums from time to time. If nothing else search for samiusbot and feed me the greenies 🙂 (you don’t have to do that really, but do 🙂 )

❤

So last night I was full of fail. Okay, that was a little much. But I screwed up as bad as I could and not hurt anyone else. What did I do? Walked off the bridge in Evon6, on my FvS… Go a head and laugh until you sore, I will wait……

Luckily the other FvS was able to handle the healing with out me. But I still get a little hot under the collar when I think about it.

How did it happen? I let Real Life interfere at a critical moment but left my hand on the keys. And that was all it took. The best part was after I died falling out of von 6 and released I jumped off the airship tower to get to the air ship and forgot Feather Fall again and died…. So much fail.

So in my rage/ for my punishment I lead a group through edeep. It went well. Many of the group just came from that evon so tobril was able to take some good jabs at me and 2 or 3 of them got it… Before long I felt a little better.

It was a good chest, lots of fair to good shards, and very smooth run. Most of the group sticks around and we do a last stand. I guess the game was feeling sorry for me because I got a scroll. That is the first scroll I have gotten not solo farming alone or off the AH or in trade….

We also knock out a claw. By this time the group was getting a little nuts. To the point that someone tried to loot the giant’s grave. Let me tell you that guy is not that hard. But he was able to comet fall and BB while I was down on top of me. Grrrrr.

Other highlights from the night. Got my warding shield seal from evon2. Managed to not screw up a eDQ and took a lot of jokes on the chin it mostly good spirits. Mostly.

Oh and got to do 4-5 quests with the wife on Java. She is about to out level me however.. So much xp needed on double Trs vs first lifers.

❤

Got logged in simi late last night, I am going to blame not feeling well. I got asked to do a eDQ by oncler almost right away after getting in. Turns out that Fopo also going and thought why not? The raid formed and I was fairly pleased as I knew most of the group, and they were all solid players i have been playing with a lot lately. I guess that is how it is when you form up with private channels. The Raid went fairly smooth. No deaths and mostly no loot. At least none for me.

And the raid decides to go again. I swap to my clr Healz and fly through the pre raid again. It has been a while since I have healed anything let alone eDA. But it was fine. I way over healed to the point of downing 4 SP pots but I didn’t want to let the group down because I was a rusty healer…. There was some good items in the chest this time. But again none for me…My end reward list had a silver great sword so I will call that a win.

Move on to Abbot, the wife joins up for this one. I got to spot (/sleep in roids). And I turned to talk to the wife who had just gotten across ice and boom I died… someone let at least 2 roids through. I wonder now if maybe one hit me and I stood up, blocking someone from stopping the roid that killed me… Man I hope not. But the thought that I might have caused a problem in roids is twisting my gut all up… the raid was skunked for loot this time.

We formed up for a Evon6, some how I ended up doing way more of the von 5 then I would like. Not alone but I did open all the doors. Get the ring and the voice talk to all the faces and get the key. I ended up yelling at people to get the str/wiz/lever doors open but it was not bad all in all.

The raid went smoothly, and I saw the shard of the shield. But it wasn’t in my name. 😦 but I know it is out there. 🙂 and It is just a matter of time until some one kicks it over to me or I pull my own.

There was a few items rolled on, the wife won the warding bracers I am slowly building momentum for something good to be in the chest for me there have been too many good chest opened last night to not have something good soon.

We blow through a Tod. The most exciting bit was when the wife realized she had forgotten to restock on remove curse pots, mine were guild pots… DDO store to the rescue. Want to say Fopo had the only ring drop, a Dragonic I think and after much debate he took it.

I want to say however that many of the guys passed me their trophies. I said in channel that I only had 3 and that any unloved ones could come my way. Some one said something over voice and I want to say 6-7 people kicked over their trophy to me. Thank you everyone that did that it means that Java can slot the warchanter ring he already has at 18 to help with what I hope is his final life. While grinding out the defender ring for the hate gen…

Well that was my night short as it was 3 hours of play 3 epic raids, and 2 normal raids. Not a bad night.

❤