Aquila Announced!

Before I get to the meat of this, I want to give an update.  Max Pirate and Nautical levels on my Witchdoctor, Eccentric Austin Ornsley.  Level 89 and climbing in Wizard101. Good, now that's out of the way.

DISCLAIMER: The following post contains highly controversial topics related to Wizard101 and represents my opinions on these topics.  These are my opinions alone and I am not asking you to agree with them.

The Aquila patch notes seem very exciting, with something for everyone!  In addition to being able to lock items and rename our decks, we're getting 30+, 70+, and 90+ dungeons.  There is a new fight in the DragonSpyre library that reportedly yields many of the spells from Packs/Crafting (YAY!) along with a shiny new toy for Balance.

Many people have already called the Loremaster overpowered, because she does decent damage and applies double debuffs in 4 pips.

I really wish everyone would stop trying to argue that spells NEED to be tailored specifically to PvP.  Learn some new strategies, try a new deck composition. Balance is currently under fire for having the likes of Mana Burn and Supernova when other schools [cough, Ice] are getting immunity to certain schools, insane health, and still aren't sacrificing damage or accuracy to get these stats. Myth has Shatter and Earthquake, Storm has had Leviathan for a while now along with Enfeeble.  Life's got a Guardian Spirit on their side.  Everyone but Balance has a DoT now to deal with stacked shields, and while there isn't a Balance shield, dealing with towers without a DoT for the school with the fewest buffs is an incredibly tedious task.

Everyone needs to cool off and stop crying that Balance controls everyone's resources for now and wait to see how Loremaster impacts the LIVE game.  The Test Realm cannot provide solid feedback on balance due to the isolated sample it provides.

Continuing on the new updates, each class will receive a new minion that cannot be used in PvP. Personally, I'm super stoked for these, even though they require completion of part of Wintetusk as a prerequisite.

Everything's not perfectly peachy in update land, though.  Not by a longshot. Those nifty new dungeons I mentioned?  They reportedly cost almost 4000 Crowns a piece. That's a price befitting an entirely new world with 10+ zones (looking at Azteca and Avalon for comparison), not 3 measley dungeons. Really?  It makes me wonder if KingsIsle is attempting to make this content only worthwhile for members, leaving Crown players out in the cold and being expected to pay increasingly high prices to continue with optional content.

In addition to the above, the Lore of the Spiral is being torn to shreds.  There is a Lava Giant spell (recolored Frost Giant with Smokescreen instead of Stun). If I'm remembering correctly, the Frost Giants, Fire Dragons, and Tritons didn't get along...at all.  I'm 100% OK with the mutations on most of the spells, but these "big three" that are responsible for the Spiral being scattered, disconnected hunks of floating land really shouldn't be turned around like they are currently.

So, that's the updates in a nutshell. Have a good one.

New Kids on the Block

Hey-o Spiralites. This blog's been a bit lonely lately. For that, I apologize. I've been busy with stuff. Game updates? Sure. We're in a bit of a patch of not much news in our fair Spiral, but that doesn't impact me much. I haven't finished up Azteca yet (but I'm working on it. I swear. Slowly but surely. Level 81's doing pretty good, right?).

I'm actually writing this (darn it Tom, beat me to the punch by less than 24 hours ;P ) to introduce my DC Universe Online (DCUO) characters.

It's probably no secret that when I play a game, I play all-out. I create an intricate backstory in my mind for my characters if I'm familiar with the universe they exist in.  If I know nothing about their universe, I slip into my character's shoes for a while until I learn the lay of the land, then try to come up with something.  If I'm STILL struggling then, I'll do some research.  A great feature of Star Trek Online (STO) was that you could write out your character's biography and display it in their information, which was viewable to anyone bothering to inspect you. As a Trekkie, that was awesome.

DCUO exists in the DC Universe. Duh.

But John, why are you telling us all of this? We're here for Wizard101 and Pirate101 news and information! Get on with it.

Easy there guys! Nobody's making you read this.  If you don't want to read a bit about some characters that I'd love to see appear in the pages of a comic, that's on you.  I think they're developed enough and fit within the confines of their Universe that they could easily be background characters in many DC adventures.  Keep on clicking and head to another corner of the internet if this isn't your cup of tea.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.  And get comfortable, there's a lot to cover.
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It was an inexplicably ordinary afternoon when the ships came. Massive, terrifying claw-structures from the sky.  Luckily, we had been warned and knew they were coming.  Those of us who could and were meant to fight on the front lines in the coming war were ducking into phone booths and restrooms, police stations and night clubs.  This story will introduce a cast of 9 heroes and their delicate role in the operation to take down Brainiac.

I suppose I should introduce myself.  The name's Doctor Apocrypha, but the team just calls me Doc.

"Mainframe? Access records, Multiverse Defense League. Display all active members.  Exclude Deep Cover operatives for the time being. The time has come."

"Yes sir. Accessing....."

"File: Doctor Apocrypha. Status: Active. Role: Team leader; liaison to Deep Cover operatives. Justice League Contact: Batman. Relationship: Good. Powers: Sorcery, use of magic to maintain health levels of allies. Pre-crisis Occupation: Professor of Ancient Runology at Gotham University."

"File: Meteorite Matriarch. Status: Active. Role: Second-in-command. Justice League Contact: Wonder Woman. Relationship: Good. Powers: Earth, use of control over stone to protect allies. Pre-crisis Occupation: Archaeologist."

"File: Green Lantern Jovan. Status: Active. Role: Off-world ambassador. Justice League Contact: Superman. Relationship: Good. Powers: Willpower, summons hard light constructs to dispatch enemies. Pre-crisis Occupation: Office mail-man for S.T.A.R. Labs."

"File: The Techmaturge. Status: Active. Role: Personal Assistant to Doctor Apocrypha. Justice League Contact: Doctor Apocrypha. Powers:Gadgetry, use of technology to deal with foes. Pre-crisis Occupation: Millionaire."

"File: Shockstress. Status: Active. Role: Sidekick to Meteorite Matriarch. Justice League Contact: Meteorite Matriarch. Powers: Electricity, use of lightning to disable and stun opponents. Pre-crisis Occupation: Emergency Medical Technician."

"File: Glacial Gladius. Status: Active. Role: Earth contact for Green Lantern Jovan. Justice League Contact: Green Lantern Jovan. Powers: Ice, use of unbearable cold to disable opponents. Pre-crisis Occupation: Bodyguard."

"Thank you, Mainframe. Which operatives are currently in Gotham City?"

"Searching......searching.....Doctor Apocrypha and The Techmaturge are the only operatives currently in Gotham City."

"And how about Metropolis?"

"Searching......searching.....Meteorite Matriarch, Shockstress, and Glacial Gladius are currently in Metropolis."

"Green Lantern Jovan is currently on Oa, correct?"

"Yes."

"Contact him immediately. Inform him of the growing, ah, situation.  Load records of our deep cover units, the Multiverse Destruction Corps. What a silly cover name, you'd think their Injustice Society of America contacts would have figured them out."

"File: Chlorophillain. Status: Active. Role: Deep-Cover Team Leader. Injustice Society of America Contact: Circe. Powers: Nature, command of plants and shapeshifting. Pre-crisis Occupation: Assistant gardener at Arkham Asylum."

"File: Mentalist Mistress. Status: Active. Role: Deep-Cover Second-in-command. Injustice Society of America Contact: The Joker. Powers: Mental, mind control and telekinesis. Pre-crisis Occupation: Therapist/Counselor at Stryker's Island and Arkham Asylum."

"File: Embersworn. Status: Active. Role: Liaison to MDL. Injustice Society of America Contact: Lex Luthor. Powers: Fire, use of flame to annihilate the opposition. Pre-crisis Occupation: Firefighter."

"Thank you, Mainframe. List current locations. of Deep Cover ops."

"Searching.....Mentalist Mistress is in Gotham City. Embersworn and Chlorophillain are in Metropolis."

You all are probably wondering what's happening and why such networks of heroes are being established in addition to the traditional Justice League. It seems that Brainiac has returned and is aiming to take over and destroy the Earth. In a battle in an alternate reality, he succeeded while the Earth's super-powered protectors were fighting. Lex Luthor escaped and came to warn us in this timeline. He released Brainiac's "Exobytes" into the atmosphere, small mechanical structures that could hold the powers of an individual.  As people were exposed to these Exobytes, Brainiac appeared.

Brainiac began kidnapping anyone who was displaying signs of power before they could seek shelter with someone who could explain what was going on.  And then we escaped.  From captivity, we learned how to control our abilities and fought our way out.  Many of us continued working with the Justice League, and some of us have become full members within the League, still reporting to the founders; Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.

It seemed that Brainiac's surveillance force remained but the actual attack was over for a time being. The carriers have re-appeared now though, so it looks like the time to fight is upon us.

"Mainframe, send out the alert. We are to meet on the fronts."

Sky Commander!

Yep, you all read that right! I, Eccentric Austin Ornsley, have achieved the level of 50 (Sky Commander) in Pirate101 and cleared out my quest book. I need to go make final sweeps of some areas to see if quests have opened up, because I'm still missing Chapters 8, 9, 11 and 12 Sidequest Completion badges (and 3, but that one has been confirmed to be bugged).  I'm also Nautical level 48 and am flying The Wakeful Spectre, my Royal Navy Galleon. Now my goal is to train my first page of companions all to level 50. That's going to take some time. Who wants a few pictures? Yes? Ok. I promise, I won't show any high-leveled story-relevant companions (in this post) to avoid spoiling too much. I make no promises about side quest companions or showing off promoted forms of story-relevant companions, though!

My current First Mate.  She's a level 52 Seashbuckler Ninja Cat named Shiriku Neko. 

Kan Po, the Witchdoctor Starter Companion in my colors at Tier 2. Promoted at level 46 to this form. He's AMAZING. I recommend giving him Flanking!!

Dead Mike, my Presidio Companion. He's a Buccaneer.  Poor guy keeps falling apart more the higher I promote him. 

Mormo, my Kraken Skulls Bar Brawl Companion. His mask keeps getting more elaborate as he promotes higher. I see players using his staff and have heard it's from Chumba Wumba. I may have to farm some if/when stitching comes around.

The lovable Bonnie Anne, reading to kick troggy tail and take names. She's a Fox Sniper after the second promotion and is often referred to as a Machine Gun Companion. 

Old Scratch. Do I really need to say any more? Oh, yeah, I do. Make sure to grab Improved Mojo Blast 2 to turn his damage from an X to a 3x3 square. (That goes for Mormo, too). 

Ratbeard! He's also Tier 2 (second promotion). I liked his Tier 1 hat better...

Time to plug some bundles! Handsome Dan is the adorable little Bulldog Privateer from the Admiral's Bundle. He's incredible (and is pictured at Tier 2).

Laughin' Mack Sharkley is a taste of what you get from the Cutthroat Bundle (though I think his name is randomly generated at redemption). This is his Tier 2 look. 

Kung Yao, Privateer Oni Destroyer. He's from a side quest in MooShu. Name is random, I think. 

Smart Bart Lester, Swashbuckler Cat Pirate from the Boochbeard Bundle at Tier 1. 

So Po, my Swashbuckler Pig from the Mailer promotion. Watch this space -- I'll have a brief contest for ONE Ninja Pig soon, hopefully. *UPDATE* One Amber Firesword has won the pig! Congratulations, Amber!

My ship, the Wakeful Spectre, moored at my Castaway Cove. 

Feel free to ask me any and all questions about the Witchdoctor class and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Also look out for the Witchdoctor Edition of "From the Crow's Nest" over at Pieces of Eight Radio next Wednesday, 11/14/2012, at 8:45 CST. I'm being interviewed.

Yours in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley

Pirate101 Updates

Hey-o Spirates. Eccentric Austin Ornsley here with some riveting news. I've finally made it out of Cool Ranch (for now...) and am adventuring in Port Regal. I've earned every sidequest completion badge along the way (except Chapter 3...which seems to be bugged or there's a quest hiding VERY well).  I just bought a new ship, the Dauntless Spectre (a level 26 Ship for pirates level 24+ of Royal Navy origin).

In other news, my crew just won't stop growing and I love it. Companions are awesome, and while many people would love to trim their crew down to around 5-6 companions to play with I find myself wanting more and more variety. It adds more depth to the gameplay. This was taken a while ago, but it pictures Moresco de Valvida and I outside of the Phule fight. I had just won Phule's mask and Moresco was my newest crew member (and is still my Firstmate). Isn't he precious?

If you all aren't playing Pirate101 you really should be. Hopefully I'll see ya in the Spiral!

Your in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley

Which Witch is Which?

Soo.....Hey-o guys! This is long overdue. I'll go ahead and tell you all that I caved and opted to make my first toon a Witchdoctor by the name of Eccentric Austin Ornsley. I maintain that I never got my acceptance letter to Ravenwood, so I left Krokotopia to become a pirate.  If you see me running around, don't hesitate to say hello. Be warned that I'm not adding tons of random people because I've got so many people already on my list.

I have not bought a bundle yet. I'm still debating on getting a Boochbeard Bundle, and even if I do, it won't be until after my next payday (Wednesday the 24th). Currently, I'm crowning my way through the game and have just made it to the Isle of Doom. Ratbeard and Bonnie Anne have both been promoted. I'm rocking purple and green, and my crew has never looked better.

Oh, and the Pioneer's Eyepatch. It's awesome. I keep seeing it at a slight angle (that doesn't show the strap) and thinking it's this thing called an Eye Drive from the best British Import to the US EVER (Doctor Who).

Well, that's about it. Oh, and I'm a Tubthumper. See you all on the flipside.

Your Comrade in Piracy,
Eccentric Austin Ornsley