Set Phasers to Fun!

At the following Stardate -310946.3158077817, Ensign Jovan Barim Maxis appeared on the radar at Starfleet Command as an excellent officer. Full blood Betazoid, he was one of few survivors on the U.S.S. Entourage after an attack. As ranking officer, he assumed control of the Entourage and began his Starfleet career, quickly ascending through the rank of Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander and receiving another ship of his very own.  This is where we meet Jovan now...

If the intro above didn't give it away, I've been playing Star Trek Online lately. It went full Free-to-Play on January 17th of this year and I've just been eating it up. I currently have 2 Andorians, a Borg, a Vulcan, a Klingon, and a Trill serving on my bridge as my primary bridge officers and my away crew.

All I can say is that it's an awesome game and I've been having a great time. I'm about to dive back in there to get pictures to edit this post with.

Don't worry, the Headaches from the Holidays are still very much happening. With classes under way again, though, it's harder to coordinate time. We're working on it and can't wait to take ranked PvP by storm soon!

My bridge and crew of the USS Crunchberry. I'm in the Captain's Chair, my officers from left to right are Neeba (Female Trill Science Officer),  Kurnin (Male Klingon Tactical Officer), Giz'pym (Male Andorian Engineering Officer), Thryss (Andorian Female to the far back of the picture, also my 2nd in command), Seven of Seven (Female Borg Engineering Officer) and Hadik (Male Vulcan Science Officer). Pictures of everyone close-up coming soon, hopefully. Probably in a 2nd post. 

Your Friend Always,
Commander Maxis...err...John Lifeglen

Updates with John

Hey everyone! Just a brief update on the life and times of John Lifeglen (me, for those readers that have just stumbled into my tiny corner of the interwebz). Classes have resumed. They're not horrible...except that they're early in the morning. Tip for future college students: Unless you're a morning person, avoid 8 (and probably 9) AM classes like plague.

Yeah yeah yeah, new hoard pack came out. I am displeased. I'm sick of wasting my breath talking about it over and over and over again though. And so soon after commending them for NOT having a hoard with Christmas...

In other (not-exactly-John-related-but-still-sort-of-maybe-relevant) news The Friendly Necromancer and Bailey Skystaff are doing a podcast. I don't need to tell you all how awesome it is; I mean it's TEAM FRIENDLY. And linkey. Go. Listen. NAO.

If you do you'll know exactly what these pictures mean!

New stuffs will be made shortly (meaning whenever I don't have class, am motivated to do it, and have a creative spark all at the same time...).

Your Friend Always,
John Lifeglen

Stunned and Pleased

We made it through the entire Christmas season without seeing a single new "pack". I must say that I'm incredibly shocked (and thrilled). After the Nightmare Pack I was anticipating new lottery items to begin rolling in with each holiday. Maybe KingsIsle has been taking our feedback and realizes that we don't really want more packs to gamble on.

If there had been a new pack released, I might have been OK with it. Before you start yelling, "But John! You hate the packs with a passion and said you wouldn't buy a single one again," let me elaborate. I wouldn't have purchased the pack. If it had been a pack containing all of the gold items from this Christmas along with the Snowball, Arctic Ninja Pig, and a couple of Candy Canes, I would have been A-OK with it. Everything I just listed was already available outside of a pack. That's all I ask in the future: that items from packs be made available to those of us who don't wish to gamble. If you want to take your chances and possibly spend fewer crowns (good luck on that), fine. Just give me an alternative.

A lack of the pack is nice too. I thoroughly enjoyed having the same opportunity as everyone else to purchase specific items.

Kudos to KingsIsle for not creating another holiday pack.

Your [Pleased-as-holiday-punch] Friend Always,
John Lifeglen

One Year Ago: Memoria

Exactly one year ago on January 4th, we lost an amazing member of the community. Heather Emeraldflame.  Since that time, Wintertusk has expanded Grizzleheim, a magical competition has become the center of a feud and a framing on Wysteria, and the Lion King has come to life in front of us with Zafaria.

We've lost a friend. We lose insight into the game and how to utilize different parts of strategy. We lose someone to talk to. In one year we've added 3 new worlds, 22 new spells, countless new pets and abilities, +50,000 to the gold cap, and +10 to the level cap. The Tower of the Helephant has gone live.  Life goes on. The pain of loss might stick around, but together we can overcome it. The Spiral is forever in motion. Heather, you have not been forgotten. Many of us have dedicated small portions of our homes in your honor or planted a garden. Seeing the coming of Sirens and Insane Bolt I try to imagine what you would say about them.

Until we meet again in whatever world lies beyond Bartleby, just out of his reach with the Spiral Door.

If tears could build a stairway, 
and memories a lane.
I would walk right through the Spiral Gate
and bring you home again.

No farewell words were spoken,
No time to say "Goodbye".
You were gone before I knew it,
and only God knows why.

My heart still aches with sadness,
and secret tears still flow.
What it meant to know you -
No one can ever know.

But now I know you want me
to mourn for you no more;
To remember all the happy times
life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten,
I pledge to you today~
A hollowed place within my heart
is where you'll always stay.

Yours [Nostalgic] Friend Always,
John Lifeglen