Best of the Best 2016

Comments

• Saz

  December 2016

  • Gnomes - An addiction, in the chubbiest form.
    
    
  • The plague event and all the other events, but that one in particular is special because it was within my first days in Lusternia. I couldn't follow most of it, yet it was a great indicator of the admin involvement on a grand scale. Little interactions (f.e with Ridien last week) are also brilliant.
    
    
  • Cyan says in emotes. 'nuff said. 
    
    
  • The removal of the last stage of Domoths.
    
    

  • The access to the pending envoy reports. I've very recently started reading the reports and checking the reports have become a fun habit over time.

  
  Something for the future, the little mechanical updates are just great especially regarding the combat. But since I am yet to learn my skillsets and such in full detail, in 2017 I'll probably appreciate those efforts more. 
  
  Merry solstice to you, too!
  
  
  
  
  
  

   "Oh the year was 453CE, how I wish I was in Serenwilde now... aletter of marque come from the regent to the scummiest aethership I ever seen, gods damn them all...I was told we'd cruise the void for auronidion and dust, we'd fire no turrets, shed no tears.. now I'm a broken man on a Hallifax tier, the last of Saz's privateers."
  
  -Kilian

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• Talan

  December 2016

  The players who've started playing this year, or who I've just gotten to know this year. Please forgive me for not singling out everyone, as there are a bunch of you.
  
  @Veyils and @Danquik are cool people, and their interest in combat is inspiring to both new and old players. Their "Hey, let's try it" attitudes (also, their competence) are great for erasing the jaded, by the numbers assessments that make oldbies choose not to engage. @Breandryn is a gift. She does not think she has that much of an impact, but she is wrong. Not only her personal contributions, but the way she draws people together and gets people excited about things is rare, wonderful, and so much appreciated. @Steingrim is not new, but I feel like I have gotten to know him much better. He is fair, and caring, and even-tempered and an overall pleasure to deal with in any capacity.
  
  It's also cool how many old friends are still around, or at the very least, still pop in to visit now and again. A lot of negative things get said about aging playerbase, and looking at the past through rose-colored glasses, but I have had a lot of fun playing here over the years and it's nice to connect and reconnect with others who feel the same way.
  
  In terms of player initiated RP/events: the Minstrels' failed flashmob, finally getting the Poultry Play Act 1 produced, Brea's bar trivia, and hardlining Ysav'rai family values stand out.
  
  Admin initiated events: That scavenger hunt for which I am blaming crediting @Darvellan. Please do another! Also, this year I had my turn to finally win The Coat. Yes! [Finally] Joining @Mysrai's order, with all of it's wonderful weirdness and the consequent insights into Iklara stuff has been exciting and challenging. (Also maddening, but in a mostly good way.) I still don't understand tons of things, but I am becoming okay with that, and it is nice. The other day, @Senpai @Nocht noticed me, and this always makes me delighted, even though I am still terrified of him. Also, worrying about whether or not Maendwen is trying to Annie-Wilkes (Misery) Sako has been a lot of fun.
  
  @Iosai is a champ for working through the envoy backlog. Rock on, woman!
  

  #NoWireHangersEver
  
  Vive l'apostrophe!
  

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• Riluna

  December 2016 edited December 2016

  emote smiles in relief. "It has been a long struggle", she adds with a wry grin.  "But this is now blue! Perhaps it's a silly thing, but it's meaningful."

  
  

  Mayor Steingrim, the Grand Schema says to you, "Well, as I recall you kinda leave a mark whereever you go."

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• Shaddus , the Leper Messiah Outside your window.

  December 2016

  Echoing the cyan tells, as well as the very interesting storyline for this cycle. Also the retirement system, in which we burn our bridges and use their smoldering corpses to build new bridges.

  Everiine said: The reason population is low isn't because there are too many orgs. It's because so many facets of the game are outright broken and protected by those who benefit from it being that way. An overabundance of gimmicks (including game-breaking ones), artifacts that destroy any concept of balance, blatant pay-to-win features, and an obsession with convenience that makes few things actually worthwhile all contribute to the game's sad decline.

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• Breandryn

  December 2016

  I had so much fun getting into this game, finding wonderful roleplay and meeting all the awesome people who play. Such a beautiful world with incredible, fun, caring players.

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• Portius Likes big books, cannot lie

  December 2016

  This was a pretty good year for quests. Reasonable lengths, mostly free of non sequitur steps, anti-quest blocking mechanics, decent variety.
  

  Any sufficiently advanced pun is indistinguishable from comedy.
  

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• Thax

  December 2016

  Portius said:

  This was a pretty good year for quests. Reasonable lengths, mostly free of non sequitur steps, anti-quest blocking mechanics, decent variety.
  

  Any quests you want to name in particular?
  

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• Shuyin The pug life chose me.

  December 2016

  Iosai coming back and coding in years' worth of report backlog is pretty cool

  

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• Portius Likes big books, cannot lie

  December 2016

  Highwater is almost perfect. I had more trouble than normal with the hidden noun finding, because either I'm blind or some of the nouns don't show up in the room descriptions, but I have no other complaints. The diary pages are a good way to do narrative in a quest, the mechanics are mostly clear, but there's still some amount of figuring things out.
  
  Pheeif-Zluush is good as bashy quests go. I prefer a quest with more puzzle/plot and less bashing, but this one didn't involve grinding through huge mob clogs. Hunting the handful of lonomids (is that the right name? Something like that) in a huge area was the biggest downside. It is the best bashing-focused quest I've done. I liked the dialogue in it, too.
  
  The blasted kids are good intro quests. They also get bonus points for having admin who laboriously worked through all the bugs as I tried to do them, which was pretty great. Simple enough that I'd feel pretty good about telling newish people to try the orphanage side as a starter quest. Maybe not the Feyranti side, since it involves getting enemied. Mostly, I like it because it has an "evil" side that makes sense. It isn't cruelty for its own sake or the amoral research trope. There is a coherent and reasonable motive that doesn't rely on nebulous corruption or madness. That is a good thing.
  

  Any sufficiently advanced pun is indistinguishable from comedy.
  

  2
• Jharen

  December 2016

  Well, I've only been playing a few weeks, but my favorite part is that I've started playing.
  
  I also really like the new newbie intro. Getting right into things was great, despite the 'lack of lore' that I've read some people complain about it. From someone who's played every other IRE game too, the new newbie intro is awesome.
  
  Everyone in Lusternia should also be proud to have an amazing playerbase that is great at supporting new people. I could have retired to any of the other games, and ended up doing it on Lusternia because people actually talk to you and help you out.

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• Enadonella

  December 2016

  Gaudiguch rising up from the ashes like the beautiful phoenix it is and my being able to watch from the inside.
  
  Being able to RP with Ena again has been a real treat and I really can't thank you all enough for being the amazing collective of compassionate, intriguing, and somewhat protective/reasonable people that you are. @Gaudiguch +the 2%

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• Stratas

  December 2016

  My favorite moment was when @Manteekan did a mini order event and saved a wendigo because Stratas wanted one real bad. In fact, Manty has generally been awesome with order interaction this year, and done a lot of mini events that may or may not tie into something greater but were really cool anyways. Godmin interaction is always fun (even if I personally am terribly on my RP end) and even something as simple as a godmob showing up at the nexus for storytime adds a great deal to the game.
  

  The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure pure reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!

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• Versalean

  December 2016

  Whoever implemented 'say' colours in emotes is my bff

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• Everiine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA

  December 2016

  On one side, 2016 saw Ev's relationship with the centaurs grow. I had so many great conversations with admins playing Cataka, Sakima, Tokota, Adushoc, and Domo. Getting to meet Caedir was a treat, too. I also really enjoyed getting Awdwyn to the rank of Jaguar Hunter, and the work that went into that. You are all great!
  
  Player side, I've had so many great interactions. @Breandryn , @Eleniel , @Elarin , @Mnemosyne (and @Caelan, OMG @Caelan!). You've all helped me through a difficult summer and autumn, and kept me coming back when I wondered if there was anything left for me in Lusternia. Thank you thank you thank you!
  

  Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
  
  Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
  
  Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  

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• Deichtine

  December 2016

  I moved to Lusternia near the summer and there have been a number of people in game and out game that have been very welcoming and a pleasure to chat to about a variety of subjects.

  4
• Dylara

  December 2016 edited December 2016

  I came back early in the year of 2016, since then I've gotten to play with some wonderful people, both new friends and old within Glomdoring and a couple people in Gaudiguch and Magnagora. Being able to participate in events has been pretty wonderful too, which is something my old work schedule the last time I played never allowed.  Hoping the next year is wonderful for Lusternia and a big thanks to the administration that make it possible.

  

  
  

  Avurekhos says, "Dylara's a PvP menace in my eyes, totes rekting face."
  
  The eye of Dylara materialises in your hands and flings itself around your neck, tightening incomprehensibly until it is irremovable.
  Perfectly clean, this eyeball has been wrenched from the socket of Dylara. It has been animated by some unusual force, constantly looking around itself as if in shock or fear. It is bathed in a light covering of white flames that roll endlessly over its surface. A single chain of empyreal metal pierces either side of the eye, allowing it to be worn around the neck.
  
  
  

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• Drocilla

  December 2016

  Seconding (tripling, x-ing?) the shoutout for coloured says in emotes. How could I have forgotten! Forget Envoys, cyan says is where it's at! 

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• Enyalida Nasty Woman, Sockpuppeteer to the Gods

  December 2016

  Now if only all the speech listening doodads like hunting bonds and ribbachi could hear says embedded in emotes... or just see emotes in general!

  3
• Shuyin The pug life chose me.

  December 2016

  Yeah I want to fulfill my voyeur fantasies through my slimy blind frog

  

  4
• Aeldra , using cake powered flight

  December 2016

  Apart of most what has been said here already, I'd say I enjoyed the few events I've able to catch a lot. Also, the last one, even though I thought Maylea was coming back ( she's being missed ), it still was a fun event thingie and Serenwilde shows me in days like that why I moved there
  

  Avatar / Picture done by the lovely Gurashi.
  

  4
• Arix

  January 2017

  @Falmiis , full  stop

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• Saran

  January 2017 edited January 2017

  The Strongleaf return has to be one of them, the event, the unexpected gift of the darkseed poem. Getting Wisdom involved, meeting Calarin even briefly, it was all great.
  
  Oh, and the bell at the moonfalls. Sadly I missed the event, it's so good to have the shortcut.
  
  
  ooh and the Visions from the xmas bells. Especially seeing Toledil in them and seeing Lossel as a name I don't recognise, yay more ancestor stuff ^_^
  
  
  Basically just a lot of love for @Lisaera @Hoaracle and @Maylea

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• Lavinya Queen of Snark Australia

  January 2017

  Some favourites in no particular order:
  
  -Coloured says in emotes!
  -XTerm colours!
  -3rd stage of domoths disappearing
  -The massive rollout of envoy reports and bug fixes and lag fixes ( @Iosai you are amazing)
  - As contentious as it is, the removal of manse comm mines and the change to goop
  
  

  
  
  
  

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• Hoaracle

  January 2017

  This is a bit late, but here are my favourite things in 2016...
  
  1.) All the things that Drocilla has mentioned (especially the colours).
  2.) The slow-burn Tokota/Adushoc storyline. I hope that I can finish it up early in the new year!
  3.) Before the @Gabriella retired, there was this really lovely moment where I was listening in and doing colourful rmotes about the rain while she stood near the statue of Ellindel. 
  4.) Certain elements of the yearly story arc, particularly some of the Dawnburst druid/Goldenclaw wiccan oacts (made to replicate not only player skills, but an imagined idea of Jojoban skills). The little things, you know?
  
  There are probably more that I can think about, but those are the ones that really stuck out.

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• Stratas

  January 2017

  Hoaracle said:

  
  4.) Certain elements of the yearly story arc, particularly some of the Dawnburst druid/Goldenclaw wiccan oacts (made to replicate not only player skills, but an imagined idea of Jojoban skills). The little things, you know?

  The Jojobo story in general will go down as one of my favorite yearly storylines, even if I'm sad I'll probably never get to be a real Jojobro I missed the wrap-up/seal-breaking events this time. But the thing that sticks out the most for me is when one of the Dawnburst started showing off their skills. I genuinely squeed in delight when they melded a room like a 'proper' druid and there was even a new druid terrain message in the room look, and I liked that their attack wasn't something wild but a regular cudgel attack using mosquitoes. There's nothing wrong with the more inventive characters and attacks that have come up over the years (Mornhai comes to mind as a standout), but the 'little things' that made Jojobo seem like just another org out there really upped my enjoyment of the event, and the game in general.
  

  The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure pure reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!

  6
• Everiine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA

  January 2017

  Hoaracle said:

  
  

  2.) The slow-burn Tokota/Adushoc storyline. I hope that I can finish it up early in the new year!
  
  

  So help me if I'm not there for it's conclusion! I those two hardcore.
  

  Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
  
  Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
  
  Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  

  1
• Enadonella

  January 2017

  I wish I could be.

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• Everiine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA

  January 2017

  True, the whole thing is all your fault . You wanted to see what would happen if we  had them meet and compare how they study the stars.
  

  Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
  
  Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
  
  Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  

  1
• Enadonella

  January 2017

  I was dedicated to bringing Adushoc to life and learning about her, I am really grateful that you continued with it. It is something I am very proud of!

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• Everiine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA

  January 2017

  She's a great character! Ev still can't tell if she likes him or not. He's not very good at reading lucidian color changes.
  

  Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"
  
  Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.
  
  Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  

  1