It's time to finish what we've started.

## Incoming message...
## Location: UNKNOWN
## RELAY Initialized

We've been working to finally free the human race from the prison known as the Matrix. Our efforts brought us outside of the Matrix world for a while, but now the end is near, and it is time to finish what we started where we initially began - INSIDE the Matrix. Approaching broadcast depth...

## End Transmission...

I was only able to log on 3 or 4 days, so I didn't get as many as I wanted, but I think I made a pretty good dent. Submitting 18 for your viewing pleasure:

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill04.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill05.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill06.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill07.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill08.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill09.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill10.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill11.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill12.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill13.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill14.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill15.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill16.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill17.jpg

http://followtheangel.org/tbone/kill18.jpg

## Scanning ports...
## Ports BLOCKED
## Running hack: freedom.exe
## Hack SUCCESSFUL...ports open
## Data stream initialized

It's going to take more than that to keep us down. You can't suppress the truth.

## End data transmission

Thanks everyone who turned out! About mid-way through we jumped down to the large rooftop underneath to try and help you guys out best we could. I guess by that point most of you had given up? I gotta thank 0celet for sticking it through and continuing to attack. And we thought the level 100 Agents would help even the score for you guys as well...oh well, live and learn.

Next month will be different...don't worry...

Still one of my favorite moments in MxO is in Beta when I first unknowingly crossed the bridge from Richland into Westview. I had pedestrians turned on and I remember passing one of the generic looking bluepills when I suddenly heard a familiar noise from the movies - the sound of an Agent taking over a bluepill. I didn't see it - it was truly a "girl in red dress moment". I turned around to look at the bluepill I had just passed only to see, instead, an Agent with a gun pointed at me. I only knew one thing to do - the thing that everyone did in the movies - RUN!

During early Beta they had it right - if you walked into an area where you had not tapped the access node, an Agent INSTANTLY spawned on you. Not only that, but ctrl+space HJ didn't exist. The only way to avoid them was to jump rooftop to rooftop, avoiding the Agent on the ground until you could find and tap the access node. I don't think any of you have any idea how fun it was to be the first to run around restricted areas avoiding Agents and looking for access nodes. I loved it, but I guess some people thought it was too hard or they decided to change it, and I think they really screwed up a big part of the "Matrix" feel by removing the "being hunted" aspect of the world, replacing it with a meter that barely moves and gives you ample warning before dropping Agents on you.

Now, on to my point. I was very excited when the New Zion story plot appeared. I've been bummed that I've been so busy in real life that I haven't been able to fully experience. However, I think the lvl 100 Agents was absolutely the right thing to do. It's kinda lame that they disappear when you ctrl+space HJ, but I guess that's the only way to get rid of them so that's cool. It's a nice nod to the story line and makes me feel more "New Zion"ish, but is easy to avoid just be hyperjumping. I think they should stay until the story says otherwise. Yes, sometimes they are inconvenient (like when a level 35 interlocks you coming out of a hardline, almost suicidal, but then gets the aid of a level 100 agent while you are stuck in interlock), but at least I'm not as bored!

I think some of you may have a valid point with it discouraging some of the Zionites, especially the lower level ones concentrating on the grind. I guess an idea to try to offset the disadvantage in getting things done would maybe provide a temporary Zionite ability that coincides with the Agents. Nothing big. Something like "New Zion Speed Enhancer" that gives a 20-25% movement increase when activated. That would help offset the delay of missioning due to the Agents and give people an incentive to stick with Zion if they are considering switching due to "these Agents".

Anyway, content is content and at least they are still putting stuff in that is new. If they were going to remove some pesky addition, I'd say remove the freakin helicopters before removing the Agents. Hehe.

They last 2 minutes. That is long enough. Perpetuals are rewards only.

Riac killed the assassin as a level 24.

/shrug

 

Actually about 12 FA killed the assassin. Riac came along at the end and started shooting and happened to get a shot in that took the last 5 hp of his health away. It was only after that event that it was decided that rewards should be given based on most damage done. Too bad no rare items have been handed out since then.

We don't need rare items. They just cause problems. We just need nice items that are hard to obtain but are worth it. I'd rather see them fix the items they currently have in game. Like the sword... who wants a sword on their back for 30 seconds? Just make it perpetual...it's not as flashy as the other timed archive items and is more of an accessory. Patchers hat is nice. Overdrive bandana is nice. The coding luggables are crap. Good stats, but can be recycled?

Sorry...I'm probably getting off topic. The assassin masks that were around are gone now because the people quit the game and would rather see the item die with them than keep it in circulation. It really didn't have much to do with fights or CSRs that I know of. But when rare items are handed out, controversy usually follows.

I'm still here, and I've been here longer than the game has!

For those who haven't seen me in a while, my busy tour schedule has left me with little access. Don't count me completely out, though!

## Broadcast depth
## Incoming transmission...
## Drisena // HvCFT Logos II
## Encryption activated

Operatives,

The following message is encrypted, I will be contacting operatives for the decoding keys, please note, at most 2 operatives from any single faction will be provided the key. This is a new security procedure, in light of previous hacking attempts.

/run: encryption
/key: *********

............................

q:  J=))N-O

oJYNaJXN=(ZMG+Q4Z'N{c-]R;'6R-JMN['R4@!PMLJP]Z'6};:P4;[6   6V;!]4
YO]V'NNYJSJX.P{-Jm4('Z(GZLL(JTWGGTX.JSJ! 6QV}6 ++(K) 6([aS4=(T}NJ
    N{+ NLJm4,b[ GY[TGYYMG!]{Z![4=(L GaSR-JONX+OR.]6VZaSXYJT}G.PY=J
}Z{({ZP6v  6VZaSXYJ]XG}PL+f{ GYYMGaSNGcL{[+(}G.P,-J,R);6KZJWR,)]NYJ
 ;J-4: ZY) 6O++X4V';4-)YP) 6OV{]R;'C

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YY]NGdP4Ze{NXa6J.JL =YNTG+Y4=(T}G-L{=)N[)Y 4=  V['LUM

kGdTU)JMNG!PYZ@L ['R4=)XN-O6MVaP}GYYMG;ZLVaTX.!B4-+6  Y]4-(Z[)}6X. 6
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1[+Y4z)LR-+Y42[QRX 

............................

 

Drisena
Zion Liaison Officer

## Carrier Lost...

Yeah, these luggables seem to be backwards.

The new luggables that are actually good and require a hard-to-get frag to make can be "released" or destroyed. If I have any sense am I going to code out another Overdrive Bandana/Quicksilver Glove or waste it on a coding luggable that I will never see again after I log? There are just too many people who would be more than happy to hunt down all the quicksilver/overdrive luggables in the world and "release" them to *CENSORED* off the people who wasted their frags on them.

However, the portable signal boosters, that are not only abundant through crappy mob spawn data miner loot but also through coding once you get the Code Optimizer, can't be destroyed at all. Instead they have become the new litter of the Matrix - each time you search for a luggable, your most likely to just find a dozen of these dishes that don't require anything special to make.

Best solution? Reverse these luggables. Make the signal boosters "release"-able and prevent the actual good, rare luggables from being destroyed by pests. That a way if I am going to burn a rare frag on a decent coding luggable, at least I'll know I'm contributing to mine and others' odds of finding a nice luggable down the road than knowing it's basically going to be a one-time use luggable.

The icing on this whole luggable thing is that I can't even carry luggables. If I carry one for more than a few minutes, the game DELETES it from my inventory (this is actually the only way I've found to get rid of the signal boosters). I get an error message that says something like "A luggable has been deleted from your inventory because you have not sent an update to the luggable manager for 3 minutes." I really can't waste my time finding/coding a luggable when it's going to disappear into nothingness like that, and it happens nearly EVERY TIME.

Great new content, but these are some necessary tweaks.

I briefly mentioned who I was on facebook and now I have stalkers. No really... I got a hit on my website from someone who did a search for "*my name* address", then the next day I'm PvPing against a bunch of guys yelling out my real name and making references to my site.

My suggestion is not to link your game name to your facebook name. There's just a few too many socially challenged people still lurking around. Though I am curious as to what this person intended to do if they could ever find me...hah!

Tbone]

In the new data miner spawns, is the time before the spawn disappears meant to be a part of the challenge of killing them or is it just a safeguard to keep people from leaving high level NPCs everywhere? The reason I ask is that a group of, say, 10, while large enough to take down the Tengu spawn at a pretty rapid pace, is still not enough to take down each level 60 before they disappear leaving you with nothing.

In the new data miner spawns, is the time before the spawn disappears meant to be a part of the challenge of killing them or is it just a safeguard to keep people from leaving high level NPCs everywhere? The reason I ask is that a group of, say, 10, while large enough to take down the Tengu spawn at a pretty rapid pace, is still not enough to take down each level 60 before they disappear leaving you with nothing.

The lvl 100 Agent is a wildcard loot, it seems. I got Info, Red Frags, and Quicksilver from my lvl 100 agent.

My glove has one dot of purity with it, and it is yours until it breaks. Now the compilation module? Don't bother coding it. It's a recyclable luggable that burns one of your precious frags. A really lame idea, if you ask me. Either they should have not made it recyclabe (so that there would be a few lying around soon enough) or made it to where it would stay in your invo after you log out (kinda like an item/lug combo). The way it is now you can only use it until you crash or logout, and then some moron is gonna find it and recycle it for fun. The coding buffs are nice, though...

I picked up the Quicksilver.

I don't know if the same spawns give it to you everytime, but I got it from some N30 Agents!

Ok, thanks for all the feedback. Very good points.

I don't have a problem with out of interlock knives, so perhaps accuracy isn't really the issue to be looked at. I'm guessing withdraw abilities such as Sideroll Escape were a part of that "miss miss" scenario as well. Spies jump through hoops to get in a sneak attack. Either you have to break evade, root, disguise, attack or sneak, disable evade, attack or just wait for someone else to distract your opponent. Either way the time and skill it takes to execute a successful sneak attack should be one of the main factors in balancing how often it hits.

When I try to punt someone five times and it doesn't land all five times AFTER I've gone through the trouble to break evade, root, disguise, attack, it's rather discouraging and makes sneak attacks a rather pointless ability to try to use. If they were easier to execute, I could understand the low success rate. I'm not saying they should land every time, but you might want to take a look at the balance and consider the hoops a normal spy must go through to even use a sneak attack.

I also believe MKTs do take an accuracy hit in interlock. I've always assumed they did, but I'll have to experiment with it. MKTs are not built for interlock in the exact same way hackers are not. I only have two knives in my loadout that work in interlock, and they miss a majority of the time. I'm not saying MKTs SHOULD be powerful in interlock - hell, that also makes sneak attacks risky because you are in interlock after you attempt the move. I guess the main abilities I'm looking at are the initial sneak attacks and the evasive abilities to leave interlock. That's pretty much a spy's bread and butter, and with both abilities seemingly having a very low success rate, attempting it has now become a suicide run allowing your opponent to trap you in interlock after a failed punt.

Oh and someone mentioned how MKTs should easily be able to take out hackers. That's simply not the case. Hackers' attributes give Thrown Def and Thrown Res, making hackers statistically more effective against MKTs both in and out of interlock. If it were a rock paper scissors game, hacker would beat MKT.

I assume that the increase in viral accuracy with hackers is due to the new "miss miss" fix that was added in the last patch. If so, that patch also affected MKTs, who also can use nothing but specials. I've noticed a significant decrease in interlock combat. Even moves that are geared towards giving a greater chance to leave combat, such as Sideroll Escape, fail time and time again in interlock while wearing clothes that bump my thrown acc bonus up to 90% as well as using grab and speed tactics.

I'm not sure if sneak attacks have also been affected, but I have also noticed sneak attacks such as Punt seem to be missing nearly all the time. In a recent duel with Broin, I managed to break his evade, get in disguise, and attempt to punt him five times in a row only to miss all five times. Now Broin was prepared defensively, but even in sneak attacks in PvP I've found that it misses more than lands. This didn't use to be the case. Even if my targets are taking evasive measures, I've got about as much accuracy as is allowed in the game.

I appreciate you looking at the hacker balance and adjusting it due to the nerf or maybe even a balance issue that has been around for a while. From my experiences lately, MKTs may need the same analysis.

0.o

What time does the server usually go back up?! lol

## Broadcast depth
## Incoming Transmission...
## Tbone // HvCFT Libertas
## RELAY Initialized

I'm sending the image file now...

## Receiving image...

Goal was accomplished at an exceedingly fast pace. It always helps to have a team.

## End Transmission...

Yeah, I think either of these fights could be split up to keep a faction from eliminating themselves in merely the second round:

Tonyjaa Vs Basketballhead - 3.00pm MCT
Madbent Vs (Wildcard) - 3.10pm MCT

The faction replacements that were allowed in Round 1 make it seem like faction pride is a part of the tournament. But if I have to embarass Broin, I guess I can...hehe (he'd probably slaughter me, actually...blasted hackers!)

Pictures!

Broin, Tbone, Adad...