Since the last post I’ve managed to make it to level 9. I’ve learned a few things since then. First up hover (which is damn slow) , it is really quite awesome. I took combat jumping on my hero and thought that was cool. It’s just totally a different kind of cool to be able to fly up to the tallest building and look at the city under you. Secondly I still kick all kinds of ass on my Mastermind. Jesus I tell you it’s so different from my hero tanker.

My Mastermind can beat some ass. Mobs in City of Heroes and City of Villains are color coded based on their level. It’s follows DAoC’s line of thinking more or less. Grey, Green, Blue, White, Yellow, Orange, Red, and lastly Purple. White is equal to your current level. And anything above or below that is of course above or below your current level. I can destroy any number of mobs, with the sole exception being those damn purples. My guys (Ron and Dick) can just take them all down.

Now the problem is that there is this new feature to CoH and CoV that I had not know about. And it’s been causing me a lot of pain and suffering. Well not to much suffering since xp debt doesn’t kick in until level 10. You see there is this NPC that will offer to raise your reputation with the city. So I figured that this was some kind of reputation deal. Raise my rep with the city faction was my line of thinking. I couldn’t get any missions from this broker guy I was sent to. So naturally I thought raising my rep would help. It didn’t. What it does is adjust the difficulty of the door missions you go on. Which explains why I had been having so much trouble.

Which brings me to the other new feature that’s not really explained in the manual. Newspaper missions. I had heard mention of this in the general chat channel. I had no idea what the exact nature of this newspaper deal entailed. So I had been looking around for newspaper machines. I was way off of course.

Apparently in my contacts list the newspaper thing was there the whole time. I either didn’t see or I guess I just don’t look at my contact list. It could go either way. After getting the mission difficulty settled I was able to do the newspaper mission I was stuck on. And I finally got introduced to my real contact. It looks like these newspaper missions one shot deals you can get over and over so one doesn’t have to grind it out on the streets. Knowing how these two things work makes the game even funner. Now I’m on a personal mission to make it to level 14 and get my advanced travel power. I can’t wait to be able to really fly. To be able to zip along as I go from place to place. And I need a cape on my bad guy. Won’t get that till level 20. It will be fun getting there.

Comedy gold tonight folks. Here is a note from the Sheriff:

Turk,

*** may have a
family emergency tomorrow
night. Would/could you
work tomorrow if she
picks up one of your
shifts?

Please let me
know,

The Sheriff

Honestly do I really need to answer this? Right after reading it the first thing that came to mind is to reply Dr. Seuss style:

Would I,
could I,
work for her?

I would not,
could not,
work for her.

And that’s all I could muster. It’s hard writing like Seuss. The thing is the employee with the possible family emergency already knows what my answer is. I’m sure the Sheriff has been told what my answer will be. The answer is no. With the way things are currently the Sheriff is lucky I work the days he schedules me.

Except I’m not going to let him know, unless you consider this post my letting him know. He can call me and ask if he wants. I’ll still tell him no. He’s working 3pm-11pm tomorrow night. I’m afraid that does not sway me into feeling sorry for him. He can work 3pm to 7am. That’s his job. It’s not my job.

I’ve come up with some new ideas on how to get a raise out of these asshole at the hotel. It was really thanks to this last bit of “management” from the Sheriff. I’m getting the idea that the guy doesn’t want to work the third shift. Either he doesn’t know how to do the audit or he’s not mad about the third shift. Now of course being the front desk manager he certainly knows how to do the audit right?

So if the other lady can’t/won’t work and the supposed front desk manager won’t/can’t work the natural solution is to have me work? Shit I can’t even get a vacation, does this guy really think I’m going to cooperate and fill in for shifts that are not mine? Let make it really simple for you. I work Sunday to Thursday. That is it. I only ask for one day off every year. I don’t ask for raises. I just expect that I get my one day off with no problems. I also expect that I’m allowed to use this vacation time I’m supposedly given.

So here it is. The idea. I’m willing to work extra days for a raise. I’ll come in when I’m not scheduled for more money. In fact if they really expect me to give them two weeks notice for when I quit (maybe one day) they need to give me a raise. And I want back pay all the way to the last time I got a raise. Those are the terms of my proposal. Not that it really matters. But so were clear I won’t work anything other than Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I don’t work on Friday or Saturday. The Sheriff can be a dick and schedule me on those day. But I will not come in.

Monday the 28th if I’m scheduled after I’ve asked for this day off I’ll be disappointed. Even though I have stated previously that I would be off that day whether I was scheduled or not I will come into work if he does not give me my day off. I just want it made clear that there will be no favors. I will not help out in any way when asked. Vague threats that mean nothing to no one but me I’m sure. But when the day comes and the Sheriff needs an extra hand he can forget it.

This is just a prelude to things to come. I’m not going to talk more about it here. I’ve set myself up for disappointment before and I won’t do it again. I’m pretty much committed to getting fired or getting a new job. The hotel can keep me. But they will have to pay through the nose to get me to be a team player. What are the odds I can get fired again on the 28th? Honestly the time has come. My time and place with this hotel has come and gone. Those fools can continue to destroy the hotel, they will just have to do it without me.

City of Villains has captured my attention in a way City of Heroes has failed to do. My villain is just so much more fun to play than my do-gooder. I have found that my favorite missions have been those that take me into Paragon City. Now while I never actually step foot in to the real hero city, it’s more of an instance. It just is tremendous amounts of fun to kick all kinds of ass in these areas that look familiar from my play time with my hero.

The thing is that this part of the game also reminds me of the failings of this super hero/villain game once more. Beating the crap out of those heroic Freedom Corps Longbow agents is one thing. I want to be able to mug the civilians of the city while I’m there doing my evil acts. Yet while in these specific instances I never see any civilians I can attack. For that matter when I go on a bank heist why can’t I hurt/kill the innocents in the bank while I try to get my loot? I’m sure these civilians have money on them. Even a very meager amount would make me feel really villainous.

Yet I just don’t get to be a real comic book villain. It’s the same line of thinking that fuels my criticisms of the Hero part of the game. To really be a comic book villain I have to be able to hurt, maim, and kill the civilians of these areas I’m running around in. Otherwise it’s just so obvious that this is just a very half assed attempt to do a superhero mmorpg correctly.

That being said my Mastermind allows me to forget about these issues as I play. I still am able to beat enemies of higher level. Using game terms Oranges and Reds fall to me and my squad of dead president zombies. I can do away with a good number of opponents at once. Since the last post I also able to pick up my advanced travel power at level 14. Flying around the zones just is so fun. Plus being able to make a beeline right to the place I need to go makes it so much more convenient. At level 15 I was able to pick a title. So to others my name say “the Infamous Deaths Grasp” or something along those lines (I can’t remember now what I picked). I now look forward to hitting level 20 so I can get my cape. It would make my villain look much better while flying.

Some days I just wish I had my digital camera on me at all times. Here at the shithole it’s been storming. Winds are blowing pretty hard and the rain has been pouring down fast. The great sign out front of the place just had the shit kicked out of it.

The bottom portion where the letters go to make up the messages on the sign just got blown off. I can’t say “just” of course. I have no idea when it actually happened. No windows to look out where I sit. Not that I give a shit either. That sign is so old it was just held together with spit and duct tape. The cheap fucks that own the place never would fix anything the correct way. And now it’s been blown over sort of speak.

I’ll go get my camera in the morning and snap a pic for my collection. I can take my time of course. Because the sign won’t be fixed to fast. They will have to spend money and stuff. In fact I predict it will be all fucked up for a few days at the least. More than enough time for me to get my camera and take my time doing so.

Another year has come and gone. Today I celebrate the day that I was fired. I got fired back in 1998 on this day. Since then I take this day to look back and give thanks for making it another year. I also do not work on this day and I don’t think I will work on this day ever again. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 have all been the previous years I’ve done this little write up celebrating this day.

This could be the last time I have this day off while working at the hotel. Opportunities may become available if I play my cards right. It would be odd to not be working at the hotel and have this day off. Which makes me wonder if this is something I should celebrate? What point does it serve to do so? Nothing is really gained from this day when I take it off except for lost wages. But sometimes I guess it’s worth it. Just maybe seeing how I’ve outlasted everyone that was involved in firing me. It doesn’t count for much, but it’s enough for me.

The usual suspects I owe my thanks to as I’ve mentioned in the years past. Nothing to drastic has changed since the first right I did back in 1999. That post is as true today as it was back in 99. As are the individuals I’ve mentioned in the years after that first one. I owe whatever meager success I mange to accomplish to those of you that support me both monetarily and mentally. Thank you and good night.

Some people are lazier than me when it comes to their job. Perfect example being those lazy assholes who deliver the USA Todays. These guys drive right through the overhang and toss the papers out the window. They don't stop. They don't check to see if the paper bundle broke and the papers have started to scatter. Shit theses guys barely slow down when they come through the overhang. This was the result of yesterdays delivery:

And they probably don't give a shit. Which is cool. I don't give a shit either about the USA Todays. In fact it's unfortunate my one redneck asshole wasn't in this time. I would have enjoyed the idea of making him pick them up. The last time was much worse than this. Last week this happened except the wind was blowing really good. Those USA Todays were all over the parking lot. What a mess.