Cosplay the GE way

Even before I got hooked into GE, I've always been a huge fan of cosplays, and have been cosplaying since 2000. As die-hard hobbyists, most of my friends and I would drool over the gorgeous costume designs in Granado Espada. Sans the awestruck expressions on our faces, you can almost hear the collective whirring in our minds as we contemplated on how to build the costume. I, for one, would look at the characters from all perspectives, taking note of the details and the possible materials on how to bring to life such a magnificent design.

While I was going around my usual surfing (was looking for a Grace Bernelli avatar hehe), I stumbled upon MMO site's gallery of Granado Espada cosplayers.


Hmm..lemme see.There's a male wizard in Clara Mago robes wielding a (huge) Staff of Simurgh, male elementalist in Robe of Fire, Emilia Guliano with a Unicorn staff, male musketeer in a Striform suit (I forgot what pistols are those XD), female wizard in Clara Mago wielding Staff of Gnosis, male fighter in Camisa de Soldado, Catherine the Summoner, female elementalist in Robe of Fire, and Cath's doll, Helena. The last guy at the far right side looks like a scout in Renoir costume (not so sure though).

I have to say that these people must be avid players of the game to have put such dedication to the details, down to the expression of the characters. It's absolutely astounding. Although I may have to comment a bit on some of the details and accessories, but these guys totally bowled me over. The setting, the facial expressions and stances all spoke of their familiarity of the game. Amazing.

View the gallery here.

Now if I can only haul my friends for a GE group cosplay x pictorial...

My first Colony Wars in Caracci

Last Sunday's CW session was my first attendance in Caracci under Outcasts. So far, my main team's still at lvl 94 (must plvl soon, I know) and needless to say, this has been the laggiest CW that I've ever attended.

Everybody else in the entire server felt no need to start declaring war at precisely 8PM. For a while, several broadcast chats spammed the server, asking if there was no war precisely because of the eerie silence that ensued. Sometime at 9PM, everyone in the faction was mobilized for a planned assault on Scorching Plateau and the Bonavista River. We all converged at one spot in Coimbra, and at this time we already felt the lag that was to come in battle.

Outcasts meet at the Sea Elephant Cafe

At the appointed time, everyone warped to the first target in Scorching Plateau and was concurrently seized after a skirmish with HuntorHunted Faction. Next, we set our sites on Bonavista, although our first colony was already under attack.

It was at this point in time when I witnessed the Royalist alliance in action. The powerhouse faction of Destiny made an appearance and decimated us Republicans with much ease. As for me, I could barely move an inch as I received the brunt of countless AoE skills spammed by the opponents.

The battle at Bonavista

We may have lost the colony we got, but it was nevertheless an exciting match (sans the lag XD). I'm looking forward to more action come the monthly map reset.

I srsly WTF-ed... Happy Anne is happy. ^_^

You have limited access to the game. Please contact Customer Service.

That was the message that greeted me when I logged in last night. And I just stared blankly at my screen before trying again and again to log in until finally giving up.

I've been banned in GE. And I srsly do not know the farking reason why.

There were no warnings, no heads up that were made. As far as my knowledge serves me, I have never done anything fraudulent, nor have I violated the game's terms of use. I would rather cut off my hand than bot or use any third party programs for that matter.

Oh well, life sucks.

UPDATE!!!

As of 11:35 this morning, I've been informed that my account has been unsuspended. Yayness!!! I checked my email as well for IAH's Customer Service reply, and true enough, the DeSanggria Family has been reinstated back into the New World!

THANK YOU IAH!!!

My personal gratitude likewise goes to NineMoons and RCM Hrin for all the help they've extended.

On Bot Reporting...

Since yesterday's eventful experience of being reported as a bot (albeit stupid and nonsensical really), I am seriously considering not going AFK training after one of my mates in Outcasts was sent once again to prison just for AFKing.

Considering that non-PK servers don't have the privilege of killing another player for baron points, bot reporting others in order to take certain spots has been quite the trend. Forget about summoning spinelles and ambers...why bother? Just send the person to prison and let them spend their time killing rats and berating the turd who sent them there.

I just have to say that this is a tad bit unfair. I think it's better to AFK than to resort to actual botting, and reporting players for lvling in peace is but a stupid way just to get even. People have been abusing this feature to get back at their enemies instead of remaining vigilant against those who cheat in-game. It's becoming another form of harassment, especially in non-PK servers, and this isn't helping at all. It's becoming a vicious cycle and it has got to stop.

I hope there is a way to address this issue so as not to be repeatedly abused by those who are just on a weird vengeance trip.

OH EM GEEE!!!

I've been hanging out for 3 days in Caracci and guess what...

My noob wizard in lvl 32 armor is flying!!!

My musketeer-scout-wizard team just hit lvl 76 this morning and I am utterly, utterly flabbergasted. Heck, I can probably reach Veteran status before the week ends! OMGWTFBBQSAUCE!

Outcasts, you guys are insane. And I meant that in a positive way.

Faction activities galore

This week has been a flurry of faction events for the DeSanggria family, starting off with †Legion†. Last Saturday we visited Chrysalis and Dr. Fran once again in the Corridor of Assize. Along with some of our Veteran mates (with the special participation of Warhogs hehe), we easily pawned Chrysalis, but took a beating out of Dr. Fran. We were nearly wiped out too, if not for a few who were quick to resu the others.

Everybody gathers for a pictorial in Gehenna

PWNAGE!

But the disaster started when my brother stupidly unplugged the router, and thus I was disconnected from the server right in the thick of the battle. =_="

Nevertheless, the guys were able to beat the crap out of Dr. Fran and got the loot. Some were still on a high after the raid, so we took on the Golden Bat in the Capybara Plantation to farm for some keys.

I think I died quite a few times while we were doing the raid because the Ugly Slug (aka the Golden Bat itself) kept on chasing me. It seemed that it was inevitable that I had to be the sacrificial lamb while our tankers Spardo, TheLastLegion and Leks began their handiwork while our ranged characters whacked it from afar.

Pwned by teh Ugly Slug

I must say that we farmed about 5 or so of the Ugly Slug while passing the time. It was quite fun actually, and I'm looking forward for a Hellbreaker raid sometime soon.

===

Meanwhile, me and pCM Veya attended the faction EB of Outcasts from Caracci. Incidentally, it was Haagendazz's birthday as well and we had an avalanche of pies to pig out on. I met the fun and lively players of Outcasts and some of the people behind the Caracci Republican Alliance (with Fiksdotter and Takhisis Faction) and I have to say that these guys are closely knit that they know each other's life stories.

Fun with Outcasts Faction

And with the prodding of the guys, I made a visit to Caracci and had my noob family leeched by Southernsky and DMB. I even tried joining the chat in Ventrilo. These guys are freaking hilarious. Srsly.

Leech mode c/o Southernsky's Hill Giant summon

Here's to hoping more fun gatherings with Outcasts! See you guys in Caracci. ^_~

===

Oh and just today, I got reported as a botter in Caracci. Super! *drips with sarcasm*


I guess the non-PK server's way of getting back at you is to actually send you to the dungeons as a bot. Wow. Talk about getting the ultimate piss off. It's a good thing I wasn't AFK that time.

[Picspam Aftermath] POGS 2008 + Thoughts on CW

As most of you all well know, the Philippine Online Gaming Summit (POGS) 2008 was held at the TriNoma Mall. As part of the GE PH team, I spent my Sunday covering the event, along with my GE blogger friends.

Right at the mall opening, there was already a long queue of people buying their copy of GAME! Magazine, which serves as their ticket to the event. I felt quite proud to see the latest issue being sold like hotcakes, with the GE cover story written by none other than NineMoons.

Anyway, I spent most of the day hanging out with NineMoons, the Reclusion brothers, Fixdotter, Mena, Sigrid, BlackSword, and a few other new found friends from Caracci. Speaking of which, I've observed that the Caracci players are rather active in attending events, though it would be nice to see a good representation of PH players in all servers in GE-related events.

Anyhoo, there was much activity in POGS, starting of with the 2vs2 PvP Tournament in which some of the GE bloggers took part of, along with the AdeptasFraternas boys (who emerged victorious in the tourney as expected :P). I was also able to bully ask the technical peepz to play on the big screen two of the winning entries to the Fantazztic Film Awards: Not Another Love Story? and Lonely Hearts Club II.

The event was also an opportune time for us to have an unofficial bloggers' meeting when we had dinner that night. We've talked about a lot of things, mostly about the game and the community, and a few other stuff. But before I ramble further, I'll kill your browsers with some of the pictures in the event. Hehe.

GE PH Bloggers DeSanggria, Darrick Reclusion, NineMoons, Mena, pCM Veya, Fiksdotter, Nate Reclusion

Charles (Outcasts Faction), Darrick, Fiksdotter, Sigrid, me, NineMoons, Mena & Sigrid's friend (forgot your name wah! T_T)

Nate showing off his babies wearing Le Blanc and The Bracelet of the 3 Kings ( * 3 * )

An endless sea of people...

Another vanity shot from the boys.

Mena & Fiksdotter prepare for the tournament (with photo is GE PH Product Manager Ivee Feria)

Fiksdotter-Mena Team of Takhisis v. Pinkzy-Hudiciaro of AF

The Reclusion brothers all prepped up for PvP.

Lonely Hearts Club II on the big screen!

pCM Veya gets interviewed by the POGS host.

Me & Veya with the AF boys.

Nabbed from Fiksdotter: GE Bloggers Tea Par-tay! XD

===


Since I wasn't around to take peek at yesterday's war, I was naturally surprised to see Reconquista down to 5 colonies from last week's 13. O.O Shocking indeed.

Meanwhile, EdeN and Eclipse are getting back on track with 5 colonies each. Not bad, people. ^_^

We have familiar faces on the map again this week, but this time, it's more of a proverbial shift in power. Congratulations to all colony holders! ^_~ Here's to seeing more diversity in Colony Wars in the weeks to come!

What I've been up to recently

At long last!

As of this entry, Riza, Ehlana and Armeo are now Veterans! Yayness! My main team finally reached Vet status on the first week of the month, and I've been such a proud mommy ever since (ah, my babies...they grow up so fast XD). With that said, I'd like to thank the people who've been instrumental in reaching my long goal in GE (you know who you guys are :p). Special mention to my mates in †Legion† for the numerous squad and power leveling sessions that made it easy for me to level faster.

I thought I was going to have an easy life after that, but I was sorely mistaken. I had to farm for mega ores and rare books to actually buy the Vet skill books, and being the typical impatient person that I am, I ended up buying the stuff and burning my vis along with it. Then stupidity struck me during these times when I learned I had to max out ETS' ESP skill, plus the fact that I bought too many rare books of magic than the usual. T_T

I never realized going Veteran will burn holes in your inventory.

Anyway, here's a brief account on what I've been up to for the past few days:

Party Elections

Meeting in Villa de Libertad prior to elections

Last Saturday, 5 January, was a monumental event in GE as the much anticipated beta elections were held. I was particularly clueless on the details on how to nominate our faction leader, and I presumed the others were quite the confused bunch as well. But after a few hits and misses, here's what I gleaned from the event:

1. Faction leaders can be nominated for the position of Duke/President. Nominations can be made at the Cite de Reboldoeux Reception Hall (Royalists) and Villa de Libertad (Republicans). Talk to the soldier near the party leaders (in this case, I approached the Auch Infantry Officer near Simon Ayende as my faction belonged to the Republican alliance).

Talk to this dude to nominate your leaders

2. Nominations can be done by purchasing the Candidate Registration Certificate worth 5 million vis by talking to the Reboldoeux/Auch Infantry Officer). Anyone in the faction can nominate their leader.

Make your votes count 'coz this baby costs a lot!

3. Click on the Elections Representative (the one near the ballot boxes) to cast your vote.

Cast your votes to get your nice prize

4. Click on the Elections Representative once again to get your Vote Prize Portion: 3pcs Election Compensation Potion (grants lvl 15 Intensify, Acceleration and Meditation)

Nifty little prize

*Please correct me if I overlooked anything in the process.

For the Republicans, only two leaders were nominated, Sapheron of SupperClub™ and Spardo of †Legion†. I still have to check on the Royalists side (anyone care to share who the nominees are?).

The Republican nominees

After the stipulated time of elections, it came as a surprise that there was nary an announcement of who won. I wonder when will they proclaim the winners?

Faction activities

Also last weekend, my mates in †Legion† together with some friends from SupperClub™ and other factions joined us in the Corridor of Assize to take down Chrysalis and the decomposing Dr. Fran (hehe). Since I never had any experience in taking part in a faction quest, this comes as close to having such activity.

A little bit of vanity before the hackin' & slashin'

Chrysalis was around lvl 85 and was quite easy to take down. We had a roll whacking Dr. Fran though, thank goodness for the efficient tankers in the team. After several casualties, we finally beat the old man and celebrated in Gehenna Bridge with a display of fireworks.

Everybody wanted a piece of Dr. Fran (who is in there somewhere XD)

Hopefully this won't be the last activity we'll have as the number of Veterans in our faction are slowly increasing in number. Thanks to our friends from other factions for helping us out! ^_^

I finally have her

After hearing the news about the possibility of sGE not releasing the cash RNPCs, I was quite disappointed to know that I might never see an Idge the Battlesmith added to my barracks. But lo and behold, this month's My Bellem's Box was the answer to all my worries!

Welcome Pleaides to the DeSanggria family barracks!

Yes, I named my favorite RNPC after my mate Iris' in-game name (much to Spardo's chagrin :P). I think it's a fitting name for a spunky, strong woman who will suan everyone in the server in the future (LOL just kidding! XD).

I'm currently plvling her to achieve Vet status at the soonest possible time. I can't wait to have a Veteran Idge with all those cool stances and extra AGI! :3

Congratulatory messages

I'd like to personally congratulate my good friends Fiksdotter, the Reclusion brothers and NineMoons for winning in the Fantazztic Film Awards and Intel Machinimasia movie-making events!

Kudos to you guys! Balato naman sa premyo! Wahehehe. ^_~


That's the wrap for now. I'll be posting something about an upcoming GE PH event this weekend. ^_^

More ZOMG news: My Bellem's Box items for January

Jumping Oiled Body Andre Janzur...

To celebrate the new year of 2008, My Bellem’s Box ‘Item Of The Month’ For January will not only be 2 Platemail Costumes, but will also include 1 Blue Female Samurai Costume AND Idge the Battlesmith RNPC Card! My Bellem's Box users, start claiming your items now!

IDGE THE BATTLESMITH RNPC CARD!!! MY FAVORITE RNPC IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! OMGWTFBBQSAUCEZIIIZIZZEEEHGREATESTNEWZZZEVAAA!!!!!

*proceeds to skip to Happily Ever After*

Errr...how do I buy My Bellem's Box in PH? *shoots self*

Elections! ZOMG!!!

I was up to my usual slacker self, browsing the forums and catching up on work during maintenance when RCM Hrin announced a pivotal news in the website.

Elections in Granado Espada! ZOMG!!!

Beta elections will be held on 5 January 2008, Saturday, 2000 hrs - 2200 hrs. Do take note that you can only nominate faction leaders for the position of Duke (Royalists) and President (Republicans). Hmm...so the neutralist factions will probably have to make a stand on which political side they will pledge their allegiance.

I'd like to take this opportunity to call on all faction leaders of Caravaggio server...I wanna interview you all for a feature right here in my blog!