This comes from this thread here. Read it if you want to get the full context. But this ONE post... Holy shit... 

Quote:With all due respect to Ammon, $80 million is not merely a "high" asking price. It is, in fact, not really an asking price at all. If the rumors of this offer have any basis in fact, then the quoted price can only be understood as a message---one that harbors considerable irony.
I do not think for one second that NCsoft has any intention of entertaining reasonable offers for the intellectual property rights of CoX. This is because the closure of CoX was probably not a business decision, at least not in a purely objective microeconomic sense. Indeed, their actions, and the circumstances surrounding them, invite the conclusion that senior management at NCsoft are simply on a vendetta. Throwing a tantrum, in other words.
NCsoft reportedly spent 25 billion won (about $22 million) to develop Aion...from scratch1. Perfect World purchased former CoX developer Cryptic Studios last year for $49.8 million---a price tag that included the intellectual property, assets, employees, customers and goodwill for Star Trek Online, Champions Online and the yet-to-be-released Neverwinter2. Frankly, the only companies that are willing to pay rates in line with what NCsoft is apparently asking are behemoths like EA, which has recently shown interest mostly in portfolios with audiences so large that the entire peak playership of CoX would look like a fly in a hurricane, by comparison. And even the fantastically-spendthrift EA disaster that was SW:TOR “only” cost $200 million to produce3.
No, the rumored $80 million tag should absolutely not be interpreted as an offer-in-good-faith. You see, the US-developed game Tabula Rasa cost NCsoft a widely-estimated 100 billion won to develop. At today’s exchange rates, that would be about $90 million. Of that $90 million, almost half went to just two people: Richard and Robert Garriott, the developers behind Ultima and its many descendants, in addition to several other games. While the Garriotts may have an enviable history in the annals of gaming, sinking over $40 million into just a game designer cannot be called fiscal realism. A better label might be “sugar daddy.”
In essence, the senior management of NCsoft (primarily just Kim Taek-jin) placed a huge bet on the delightful fantasy that the Garriott brothers could walk on water: that they would deliver a WoW-grade property. It was the same fantasy EA-Bioware had about SW:TOR, and like that game, it was not to happen. Tabula Rasa was reported by the Korea Times to have returned only about 10 percent of its development cost, yielding a loss of…wait for it…$80 million. In fact, if the recent compensatory judgment awarded to Richard Garriott for actions taken by NCsoft at the time of his termination stand, the total loss on Tabula Rasa will greatly exceed the entirety of its originally-allocated budget.
Consider also that Robert Garriott, Richard's brother, served as president of NCsoft’s entire North American operation for six years, while Tabula Rasa was in development. He was ousted at the end of 2007 (or “promoted” to global business development, depending on how you look at it) and replaced by an Asian…just after the unimpressive launch of Tabula Rasa. Let it not be said that NCsoft never made an attempt to allow non-Korean management of their North American operations---they did, in a very big way. And by their reckoning, I’m sure they feel mugged, raped and humiliated as a consequence. The later law suits merely added to the indignity.
Robert Garriott’s “promotion” happened to coincide not only with the public release of Tabula Rasa, but with the space escapades of brother Richard, who was the lead game designer. Immediately prior to the launch of Tabula Rasa, at a time when the game was already giving warning signs of public dissatisfaction through its various betas, Richard Garriott began preparations for a $30 million joy-ride to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket. The profligacy and timing of his trip unquestionably incensed senior management at NCsoft---even prior to this episode, executives at NCsoft had actually resigned due, at least in part, to dissatisfaction with the Garriotts4. Before Richard’s feet hit Earth again, his future at the company had been decided: there was to be none.
I point all this out not because I care about Tabula Rasa (I never played it, since it was effectively a PvP-only game and I do not like PvP), but to provide some perspective on the closure of CoX. Given the available evidence, the only conclusion I can reach is that CoX was a bystander in what appears to have become a rather ugly, and fairly personal, war between NCsoft and the Garriotts. After NCsoft’s attempt to embrace the American market with doe-like eyes and a reverent belief in miracles, they suffered catastrophic losses at the hands of “outsiders.” Is it really any wonder they have become xenophobic? Their idol turned out to have clay feet. Or maybe lead feet.
Consider it from their point of view: if NCsoft has a history of developing profitable games in Korea for one-quarter the cost of American fiascos, why on earth would they trust another Yankee with their money again? It’s not about Paragon Studios or City of Heroes: it’s about NCsoft Austin and Tabula Rasa. City of Heroes was simply a casualty of war.
Now, a wall-of-text ago, I mentioned irony.
What I see as supremely ironic about the closure of CoX is that NCsoft is visiting our little community with precisely the same kind of treatment they themselves received in their experiences with the Garriotts. Many players of City of Heroes/Villains have made considerable temporal and financial investments in the game. Despite the fact that CoX was able to hold its own weight, it was sacrificed for the losses of another entity---an outsider. Nothing more than collateral damage from a policy reversal brought about by NCsoft’s attempts to wash the bad taste of Tabula Rasa---and its subsequent law suits, which were probably the final straw---out of its mouth.
In the aftermath, I do not feel that NCsoft treated me like an intelligent and valuable customer; to the contrary, they treated me like a lobotomized livestock animal, and I resent it with a visceral animosity unfit to reduce to text. It’s one thing to make a business decision and ask me to suffer for it: I will not call for anyone to operate at a loss on my behalf, as was arguably the case for Tabula Rasa. It is, however, quite another thing to throw a nationalistic---almost racist---tantrum and expect me to quietly pay for it. I have a very, very long memory for such slights.
The poison has come full circle: the injuries NCsoft suffered vis-à-vis Tabula Rasa (without regard to fault) appear to have given rise to their planned divestiture from American-managed game production; symmetrically, the patronizing “nullspeak” I have suffered at the hands of NCsoft---to say nothing of their intransigent “negotiating” position---have led me to divest myself of them, and everything they are associated with, utterly and completely.
Personally, I have spent time and money on Guild Wars, Aion and a tiny sliver of the Guild Wars 2 launch. I tried Lineage II once, but was ganked by a high-level player right outside the starting village and uninstalled the game. I have recommended many of the less sociopathic NCsoft games to friends, and actually purchased a few copies of GW1 to give to people I know. I had even gotten one of my friends who is not an avid gamer to pre-order GW2 before the axe fell on CoX.
What the executives at NCsoft do not seem to fully appreciate is that at least part of the river that flowed through CoX watered the rest of their garden. When those waters are dammed at the source, the losses can easily extend throughout the ecosystem in ways that are not always immediately visible or obvious. Opportunity costs are seldom binary, nor are they always quantifiable in advance.
(1) http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/bi ... 54507.html
(2) http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/09/perfe ... quisition/
(3) http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/01/ ... ic-gamble/
(4) http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/bi ... 10753.html

More Mass Effect products for the Frigga Factory of Catgirl Industries.

As the Mako, its "infinities" material.

###########

UT-47 Kodiak

{{vehicbox
|vehiclename = UT-47 Kodiak
|chassis = Interstellar Shuttle
|length = 11.6m mainbody,17m with fins
|width = 6m
|height = 3,2m mainbody, 4m with fins
|drivetype = 4th? generation Mass Effect drive,
small ion engines in the fins for maneuvering
|driverating = up to 0.09c, 500c outside the limit
0.12c with ion engines (military variant)
|weapons = twin coilgun (military variant)
|manufacturer = Frigga Factory (CI)
|date = first showen at Motorcon 2027
|crew = 1 (pilot) or 2 (pilot, copilot)
|supcrew = up to twelve other people
}}

The Kodiak became the second vehicle from the Mass Effect series that is mass produced at the Frigga Factory of Catgirl Industries. Its a roomy shuttle that can transport up to eight passengers comfortably (or twelve in tight conditions) together with personal cargo over interstellar ranges.

The front of the shuttle contains a small cockpit for one or two people where all of the systems are controlled. Separated by a wall with a door is the passenger or cargo section, which also contains two four meters wide gull-wing doors, which allow to leave and enter the shuttle quickly from both sides.

The Kodiak has all typical sensor systems for civil Fen shuttles and a high-powered radio system. The ship is protected by a reasonable armored hull and a defensive Mass Effect field, but is not armed at all. The tiny ion engines in the fins at the front and back make it very easy to maneuver the Kodiak in tight places.

UT-47m military variant

Similar to the Mako, Catgirl Industries also produce a military variant of the UT-47 Kodiak for any Great Justice approved forces. The UT-47m has an improved forcefield system, military grade armor and a more extensive sensor suit. Its built from radar absorbing materials and has a small holo-projector for the passenger section that can be used for mission-planning.

Two of the back fins have been replaced by a powerful ion engine, which can increase the speed of the UT-47m to 0.12c for four hours, after which they have to cool down for an hour. The military variant is also armed with a twin coil-gun built into the sides of the shuttle (not mounted on the sides as in the game).

UT-47c Catgirl Industries variant

Catgirl Industries also builds Kodiaks for themselves. These shuttles are built to similar standards as the military variant, but lack the additional ion engines and the coilgun upgrade. They also lack the radar absorbing additive in the armor.

As several PEPPER-treaty observers discovered, these shuttles are still prepared to mount both of these upgrades, which mean that they can be upgraded to nearly full military specs in a short time.

Quirks:

• ?
  

• The rumors about full military Kodiaks at Catgirl Industries with Normandy-style IR stealth systems are rumors... at least thats what some rumors say.
  
• Space Patrol owns a number of UT-47m for ‘fast troop deployment’.
  
• The doors of the military variant have an atmospheric shield to allow boarding and leaving the shuttle without a containment breach.
  

I swear I'd seen or created a thread on this topic, but I can't find it -lost in the fora crash? Well then I'd best start a new one.

Right, I suppose I'm a bit everywhere in my grabbing of things to read from the mainstream or not. I've not picked up a non-digital monthly issue in years and have no doubt missed the big universe shake ups in the process of getting trades of my titles of interest.

So, I was recently surprised to see on the shelf the complete run of Hitman finally available as trades - yes, welcome to late 90s-turn of the century DC & early Garth Ennis. I still find it good and convenient that it completes my collection of trades & those individual issues I've got can stay bagged in the box.

Superman/Batman, I've still not completed getting those yet along with Gotham City Sirens, Cassandra Cain Batgirl run....

Over at Marvel...it's still Deadpool and lately X23

IDW: the odd Transformers title and I should probably get my hands on their MLP:Fim book

AP: Gold Digger, I still don't think I've got the complete run as I know there's Gold Bricks I've missed.

Red 5: I'm currently up to date with Atomic Robo, same with over at Dark Horse with Oh My Goddess (and a guilty pleasure Empowered - DYW!)

Now the question is have I missed anything interesting that's a must get in what ever format?

--Rod.H

... time for the forum's clock to be set back, that is.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

So yeah. Glad this guy did the research on them. 

Quote:So, I got some boxes and keys on Live, and proceeded to repeatedly copy characters onto the Test server and move their boxes/keys into the shared stash until I had 1000 keys and boxes. I opened them all. Counting every single item would be an enormous pain in the butt, so I'm just going to give the numbers for the loot that's actually desirable.
2782 Drifter Salvage (100% chance)
You will get, on average, 2.78 Drifter Salvage for every box you open (2, 3, 5, or 10 each)
45 3-Slot Gears (granted via a stack of openable boxes rather than directly) (4.5% chance)
On average, you will need to open 22.2 boxes (spend $20-22) to receive a 3-slot gear.
19 Transforms (1.9% chance)
19 4-Slot Gears (again, as a stack of boxes)
On average, you will need open 52.6 boxes (spend $45-53) to get one of each.
Know these numbers before deciding to buy keys. Cryptic is effectively charging $50 for a $11.50 Become device, a 4-slot item that is barely on-par with the easily-available Silver Champs gear, and a bunch of garbage that you've probably got too many stacks of already. Oh, right, and a few salvage bits so that you can buy the new (and price-boosted) stuff they've put in the Drifter shop.
It seems like the drop rate for the good stuff is much lower than it should be, considering the price. Are these drop rates working as intended?

Since I'm now employed and had the positive cash flow to afford it, I wrote in for Callmepo's latest commission series, memorializing the characters I've enjoyed and am about to lose.

Here are the results.


===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

The first sample chapter of the newest Dresden Files novel is up here.  3 additional chapters will be available, one each Tuesday, until the book's release on the 27th.

A couple of comics are available now which have some material that can be mined for IST inspiration, they are:

Chimera  http://www.soloendeavour.com/ which has a bunch of UN sanctioned mutants employed in a way very similar to the IST's.

Magellan http://magellanverse.com/ which centers around the academy used to train metahumans for use at various embassies around the world.

Good stuff, both.

-Mike
Michael R. Smith (lastfreehuman@gmail.com)
GURPS IST Aleph Wordpress (http://istaleph.wordpress.com/)
GURPS IST Aleph Twitter (http://twitter.com/IstAleph/)
Trek This! Wordpress (http://dthiller.wordpress.com/)
My Blog (http://lastfreehuman.wordpress.com/)

Clinging desperately to the wrong side of the tarted-up, burnished hull of his Alvin-sphere, Van Loan, screaming, careened into the azure loveliness of a cloudless sky.
He did that classic Hollywood sweaty-bolt-upright from bed, gasping : “ ‘Wavium isn’t Cavorite!” “Even while he was in the midst of it the analytical part of his brain was expounding,
‘That only happens in the movies, moron!’
Wandblume, indecorously sprawled next to him on the tousled sheets of the hexagonal Space-Super-King bed, opened one eye cattishly ; purred, “ Tarantino better be directing and writing, or I’m walking.”
Looking only slightly manic, Van Loan grasped one of the many hexagonal pillows strewn about the bed. “How about Hitchcock, darling?” He mock-smothered her with a pillow. 
She turned in a melodramatic death worthy of a Full-Stratford Shatner.
*****Lying next to each other, sharing a candy cigarette--neither actually smoked--they had the usually unusual conversation of a Geek couple,
“ So, if it wasn’t for your pseudo-Argyria presumably caused by a combination of high-altitude hypoxia and accidental ‘Wavium exposure, you’d be Professor Challenger instead of Dr. Drakken?”
“Professor Cavor....”
“...is the whiney wuss of Speculative Fiction!” Wandblume interjected. “I prefer my scientists to be more fun, and” She rolled over on top of him, squeezing a winded huff
out of him, and parked her jade eyes inches from his hazels “...hands on!”
Van Loan grinned the grin reserved only for the very happy and slightly crazy. “Shall we field test my fun & hands-on quotients?” She looked as if she was seriously and judiciously considering it. “For Science?” He put on his best 1950s movie Square-Jawed Man of Science face.
“For Science!” She closed the final intervening distance ;  stopped his mouth with a buss (Pseudo-Shakespeare alert : Forsooth! Forsooth! Forsooth!).  The fourth wall prudishly turned opaque just as the experimentation was beginning.
****
“And to think that I was indifferent to science until I met you!”
“Can I help it if I’m a combination Carl Sagan, Bill Nye, and John Holmes?”
  “Why don’t you add a dash of  Captain Kangaroo to really scar my brain?”
*****
Wandblume admired the profusion of jade green amongst the otherwise typical gothic colour scheme of the common room. Fifty percent of the rumpus room was green ; fifty
percent was black : it was as if her adopted identity’s uniform had extended slick-like over the surface area of the entire room. It was elegant proof of just how much the people who shared the room were now Shegoth.
At the preassigned time the five doors, each one characteristic of its owner, off of the ruckus room opened to discharge a member of the team.
Dies Irae, as befitting her leadership position, was first. The fragment of room visible behind her operatically strutting form revealed some equally theatrical decor. A giant four-poster bed,  designed by the lovechild of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Anne Rice, dominated the room with a Grand Guignol grander. A poster of George Argento Fulci’s all-zombie rendition of Carmen flashed luridly from the reverse side of her iron banded inorganic-oak door before it imperiously banged closed.
Pitchy was next to emerge, gravely skipping. The pink, plastic dungeon door squeaked open on its plastic hinges to reveal an inner effusion of Barbie by way of the Marquis De Sade. Was that a life-sized polymer iron maiden against the back, rosé wall? It certainly looked like one! Surely that wasn’t an equally pink rack on which she slept, was it? There was so much pink that human perceptual capabilities were  sorely taxed.
Umbra shambled forth from behind steel shutters that rumbled and screeched into a ceiling recess. Behind her squatted Lovecraft’s Gym. Nightmarish Nautilus machines, frightening free-weights and a solid-steel, dented hulk of either a sensory deprivation tank or a pressure chamber told something of her story before the utilitarian portcullis slammed down behind her mammoth musculature.
Stygia languidly slinked through a red leather studded door behind which lurked the Sanctum sanctorum of the sophisticated Victorian vampiress. A low central pedestal bore a buffed, bronze handled coffin that Dracula would have been proud to call home. The sumptuous faux-marble octagonal mausoleum, decorated with splays of black roses and funerary fabrics, was as welcoming as the approach of the Grim Reaper.
Nocturne Raven, arguably the baseline of the bunch, Gainaxed in from what looked dangerously like a suburban Japanese teenager’s room wherein the most unusual feature was a Sparkle Vampires: Unending Dusk poster.
The entire team arrayed across the various black and green articles of seating paid close attention to the fifteen minutes of Wandblume’s seemingly carefully prepared speech--it was off the cuff but then her superpower was the ability to appear super capable!
****
Tachikoma wagged his tail vigorously as he watched his video feed of the what he thought was a motivational speech. Wandblume/Shego was a Good Girl! The footage, purely fictional, cannily inserted into the transmission by Van Loan showed a glowing sendoff speech as opposed to the actual speech that was a decided statement of control.
****
At a far removed locale, Togusa and Batou kept wary eyes on the perfectly formed slab of black body material.  Neither looked particularly happy.
****
The hand bearing starred fingernails held up a hard-copy Priority-traffic  “Mikuru, the team is ready for delivery!”
“Indeed, Yayoi! Send the acknowledgment code ; and prepare to receive our retirement package!”

...the US military is fighting a zombie apocalypse off San Diego right now.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.