I see that Spacebattles has a "threadmarks" feature, where particular posts in a thread can be marked and a toggle can be set to display either all posts or only marked posts in the thread. They use it for marking IC posts in story threads - one has the option of reading only the story, or the story plus comments.

Does MyBB have anything similar? Preferably set up so that only the thread creator can add threadmarks.

This would be very handy in Other People's Fanfiction and its subforums.

I don't know if I'll ever end up writing anything for this, but a tweet put this idea into my head and now it's stuck. Over on twitter someone commented that Comstar was basically the, "Future Of The 80s!" Bell monopoly writ large. Which had me thinking, the breakup of Bell had its seeds all the way back in the 70s and took place in the 80s, so why not a more Bell-like Comstar breakup. Not a clean and simple two way civil war between Word of Blakists and "But we just want to be phone company monopolists." This post isn't yet a plan but rather me thinking in written form.

With no Star League (unless the breakup is pushed late, but not too late into the setting) they're obviously not getting broken up by the Federal Government Of The Future Of The 80s. I'd also like to see something more like the real life Bell + Seven Baby Bells. That said, if Comstar breaks cleanly on the political boundaries of the successor states what's stopping them from just swallowing up the Baby Comstars? I'll have to dig into what history we have for them and look for some late 2800s early 2900s crisis points where a nice firm push could screw things up.

My biggest thoughts so far:

• I want more than two factions
  
• I am terribly amused by the idea of the Federated Suns network and Taurian Concordat network being run largely by the same splinter faction just for the ulcers that will give the Taurians, said faction, and those in the Suns who wonder if things are about to go boom.
  
• A chunk of the courier service and explorer corp go independent doing a combination of continuing exploration, serving as a go-between shipping stuff between other factions, and trying to cozy up with the Sol belters after having broken away from Earth control.
  
• Earth based Comstar has largely turtled up having realized it has little chance of re-controlling the rest any time soon. Ground and orbital defenses are being rebuilt to ward off outside attack -- while the long sidelined non-Comstar powers of Earth are starting to get ideas.
  
• Whatever Comstar faction controls the most 'west' end of the map gets to play the role of US West of the Future Of The 80s.*
  

The folks on homecoming released a fairly sizeable patch doing some tweaks and more importantly adding in a New Support Powerset

New Support Powerset: Electrical Affinity
You are able to control and manipulate electricity to aid your allies and weaken your enemies. Some Electrical Affinity powers build Static, which increases the number of targets your Circuit powers can chain to.

• The set has been built around chaining powers and a stacking / combo system that's similar to those found in many of the more modern melee and ranged damage sets, with a focus on wide variety of buffs for the whole team as well as damage and endurance debuffs for your enemies.
  
• Electrical Affinity also introduces and makes use of a brand new mechanic which allows powers to dynamically change the number of targets they can hit - in this case, the four Circuit powers hit more targets for every stack of Static that you currently have.
  
• Electrical Affinity is available for Defenders, Corruptors, Controllers and Masterminds.
  
• Electrical Affinity has both a Hero (blue) and Villain (red) default theme available for all ATs, along with the light and dark customisation themes.
  

• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_Shock.png.47ac6e7922aa47a49b8a4f9b0a01c904.png[/img] T1: Shock (Ranged, Foe -DMG, -End, -Recovery, -Regen)
  • Strike a single foe with a highly-charged electrical shock, draining some endurance and moderately reducing their recovery, regeneration and damage output. Recharge: Slow
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_RejuvenatingCircuit.png.9d37e1718186c520d2153b9a61fdfe38.png[/img] T2: Rejuvenating Circuit (Ranged (Chain), Ally Heal, Self +Static)
  • Create a circuit of healing energy between several nearby allies, healing them for a small amount. Every stack of Static you have will cause this power to chain to additional allies. The first few targets in the chain receive a more potent effect. Rejuvenating Circuit grants 1 stack of Static. Recharge: Moderate
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_GalvanicSentinel.png.b58b41d878755ee68754ec83933028a7.png[/img] T3 (Defenders, Controllers and Corruptors): Galvanic Sentinel (Summon Galvanic Sentinel: Ranged Debuff Special)
  • Summons a Galvanic Sentinel to your aid. The Galvanic Sentinel shocks and weakens your foes, draining some endurance and reducing their regeneration, recovery, and damage output. The Galvanic Sentinel can be buffed and healed, and may be targeted with your Circuit powers. Recharge: Slow
    
•  T3 (Masterminds): Discharge (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe -Dmg, -End, -Recovery, -Regen)
  • Unleash a blast of electrical energy around your target, draining them and all nearby enemies of some endurance. This will also reduce their regeneration, recovery, and damage dealt for a short period of time. Recharge: Slow
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_EnergizingCircuit.png.8a9a5dc9b610aae36727dab25de5034b.png[/img] T4: Energizing Circuit (Ranged (Chain), Ally +End, +Recharge, Self +Static)
  • Create a circuit of pure energy between several nearby allies, restoring a small amount of their endurance and significantly increasing their attack rate for a short time. Every stack of Static you have will cause this power to chain to additional allies. The first few targets in the chain receive a more potent effect. Energizing Circuit grants 1 stack of Static. Recharge: Slow
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/23345712_index(1).png.1b4c0554c35eefaf23422283a20502cc.png[/img] T5: Faraday Cage (Location (PBAoE), Team +Res(All DMG but Toxic, Status, Knockback, -Rech, -Rec, -End))
  • Create a large energy barrier at your location which provides all allies within resistance to all damage except Toxic. They are also protected from status effects, knockbacks, endurance drain, recovery debuffs and recharge debuffs. Casting this power again will move the energy barrier to your location. Standing inside your own Faraday Cage will grant you a stack of Static every 5 seconds. Recharge: Moderate
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_EmpoweringCircuit.png.1fea10aa19ad95294de2f3546ddb6384.png[/img] T6: Empowering Circuit: (Ranged (Chain), Ally +DMG, +Tohit, Self +Static)
  • Create a circuit of empowering energy between several nearby allies, increasing their damage output and chance to hit for a short time. Every stack of Static you have will cause this power to chain to additional allies. The first few targets in the chain receive a more potent effect. Empowering Circuit grants 1 stack of Static. Recharge: Slow
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_Defibrillate.png.4240c0c29aaf0058ef648d0c6d0a5ed4.png[/img] T7: Defibrillate (Melee (Targeted AoE), Ally Rez, Foe Sleep, -End, -Recovery)
  • Strike a target with a highly-charged jolt of electricity, reviving all nearby allies and draining all nearby foes. Any enemies affected will be drained of some endurance, have their recovery reduced and be put to sleep for a short time. Defibrillate consumes all stacks of Static, and the strength of the offensive component of this power scales with the number of stacks consumed. Allies will always be revived with full health and endurance regardless of the number of Static stacks consumed. Recharge: Long
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/index.png.f5fb8575eb7ab70f373c9a5d7f5f6319.png[/img] T8: Insulating Circuit (Ranged (Chain), Ally +Absorb, Self +Static)
  • Create a circuit of protective energy between several nearby allies, granting them a small protective shield. Every stack of Static you have will cause this power to chain to additional allies. The first few targets in the chain receive a more potent effect. Insulating Circuit grants 1 stack of Static. Recharge: Slow
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_AmpUp.png.9996c312ee1471de094ef91f460cef0e.png[/img] T9: Amp Up (Ranged, Ally +Special, +Recharge)
  • Empower an ally with raw energy, causing all of their abilities to unleash chained bolts of electricity at nearby foes. These bolts drain a small amount of endurance and have a chance to knock up the target. Amp Up also moderately increases their attack rate and greatly boosts the secondary effects of their powers. Their power effects like heals, defense debuffs, endurance drains, disorients, holds, immobilizes and more, are all improved. Recharge: Very Long
    
• [img=32x0]https://forums.homecomingservers.com/uploads/monthly_2020_02/ShockTherapy_Static.png.4484ef63719e7fa13ec9ffffb355816d.png[/img] Static (Circuit Boost)
  • Every stack of Static you have increases the number of targets your Circuit powers can chain to by 3.
    

• As a reminder: Only one Origin Pool (Sorcery, Force of Will, Experimentation) can be active in a build at any one time.
  

•  T1: Experimental Injection (Melee Ranged, Ally +Regeneration, +Recovery, +Res(Status))
  • You inject an ally with a compound that greatly boosts their regeneration, recovery and resistance to status effects for a short time. Recharge: Long
    
•  T2: Toxic Dart (Ranged, Minor DMG(Lethal), High DMG(Toxic))
  • You fire a toxic dart at your target causing an very minor amount of immediate lethal damage followed by a High amount of toxic damage over time. Recharge: Moderate
    
•  T3: Speed of Sound (Toggle: Self +Speed, (Special))
  • Your experiments have yielded incredible results. By activating this power, you're able to run at incredible speeds. In fact, while this power is active, you gain access to the Jaunt power. Jaunt allows you to teleport to a distant location once every short while.
    
  •  Jaunt (Click, Self Teleport)
    • Clicking on this power and then selecting a location will cause the caster to vanish and reappear at their target location. Recharge: Moderate
      
•  T4: Corrosive Vial (Ranged (Targeted AoE), High DoT(Toxic), -Defense)
  • You hurl a vial of toxic fluid that explodes upon impact leaving a corrosive puddle at your target's feet. Any foe that stands within the puddle will take toxic damage and have their defense reduced for a short while. Corrosive Vial requires you to have 2 powers from the Experimentation power pool. Damage: High (DoT), Recharge: Slow
    
•  T5: Adrenal Booster (Self, +To Hit, +Recharge, +Damage, +Special)
  • You inject yourself with a concentrated experimental serum that boosts your damage, recharge, chance to hit and secondary effects for a short time. Adrenal Booster requires you to have 2 powers from the Experimentation power pool. Recharge: Very Long
    

Because we really, really need something to laugh about right now.

Unfortunately, too many of the usual folks are in "serious" mode, so I only have one link to share: Erma goes "dark and serious"


Post them if you've got them...

Everyone's favorite half of Austria-Hungary has passed a sweeping new law allowing President Viktor Orbán to rule the nation by decree, as a response to the new coronavirus crisis.  Bill highlights include:

• Indefinite duration of rule by decree
  
• Returning to normal rules requires 2/3 vote, plus assent of the President
  
• Elections may not take place until normal rules reestablished
  
• Also includes jail terms of up to 5 years for journalists "spreading misinformation"
  
• Political demonstrations also criminalized
  
• President may suspend enforcement of any law
  

...Hilary Farr, cohost of the HGTV show Love It or List It, appeared in The Rocky Horror Picture Show as Betty Munroe (Mrs. Ralph Hapschatt!), under the name Hilary Labow.

A page on Honda's website with a running countdown and touting some kind of "CIVIC x Evangelion"... something. Apparently the countdown is supposed to run out on the 31st? And there's some kind of tie-in with the movie coming out in June?

The three videos on the page are odd 6-second things pairing a CIVIC with one of the pilots, and one of the links goes to www.evangelion.co.jp/.

Your guess is as good as mine.

This is a thread for folks who aren't regular contributors to the boards to simply post "I'm still fine" messages so we know not to worry more than usual about you. 

It's probably best to post once every week or so if you're going to post at all.  If you do start posting, please don't stop adding regular updates until the pandemic breaks and ebbs, or we're going to get seriously worried about you, and you may find someone who knows someone who frequents the boards knocking on your door to make sure you're okay.  (Yes, I know I don't know who most of you are in the real world.  It's still surprisingly possible if one is motivated.)

So.  As board admin/owner, I'll start the thread with an example.  Peggy and I are okay, and you can take my continued activity elsewhere on the board as my future updates.

I originally was going to put this in General/Video Madness, but then realized it does properly belong inside the Politics quarantine zone, and rather than a thread just for it I figured I might as well start one that other videos can be added to when they appear. I'll link to a few of the news satire shows' Youtube pages as well, since they're pretty much all about that in one way or another. Why political satire is important.

Rajvik (or any other Trump supporter) is specifically invited to add funny or informative material from your side of the campfire as well; being free to express dissenting opinions and point out the other side's bullshit is a critical component of a functioning democracy. (Whether we actually have one of those in the USA is not an uncommon subject for satirists, but so far that much is still kicking...)



P.S.: Please do take an extra few seconds to add a non-embedded link as well, for those of us who leave scripting off by default. All it takes is [url=(paste your link)(closing bracket)clickable text goes here[/url]

Links:
The Late show with Stephen Colbert
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

- - -

Jordan Klepper vs Trump supporters: "You don't even see the irony"

This is a clip compilation from the notably sensible funny anti-Trump Daily Show, trying (and failing) to use logic, facts, and their own reasoning to get through to Trump chumps. (Note the "and" in there ) It's sad, yet hilarious.


non-embedded

Grab it while you can!