Dark_Respite

The first minute of a six-minute vid is now done...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I've been crying on and off since I got the news yesterday.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

We may not have always seen eye to eye, but I'm glad to have known you. Clear skies and safe landings (and gratz on your upcoming nuptials).

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Don't worry - I think I have an idea of how to get as many players as I can into 'my' farewell vid.

I just need to figure out how to allocate the time.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Thank you for believing, Melissa.

And don't worry - you and Apex are being snuck into my farewell video.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Thank you all for the compliments.

Right now I'm bouncing in and out of the game getting shots for what I need and experimenting with stuff.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I had JUST finished a major job interview and had called my husband and roommate to see if we had lunch plans... and John told me. I almost walked into a door and nearly dropped my phone, and was standing with such an aghast and horrified look on my face that one of my interviewers immediately rushed over to see if I was all right.

My very first thought was "You MUST be joking... this can't be real."

My second thought was, "But I still have 50 videos to make..."

When I got down to my car, I just sat there for five minutes, barely able to think straight.

And when I got home, I cried. On and off. All night long.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Our heroes and villains may be immortal... but sadly, their players are not. And in our community, many of us remember those players who have left this life.

While I know that the vast majority of you have never made demorecords, I would like to include as many of our late brethren as I can in my goodbye video. If you have either their characters' demofiles or even their costume codes (in case they showed up in an AE arc), please post their character information here.

For those who are fortunate enough to have actual photos of those players, I will most likely be asking for those soon as well. Let me know whose pictures you have, in this thread, and stay tuned...

NAMES I HAVE SO FAR:

Tracie "Angelica Mystic" (Justice)
Steven "@AThiker" Meyers (Triumph)
Shane "@Axeus" Cogan (Pinnacle)
W. J. "@BlackMiasma" Mercer III (Justice)
Kerry "@Black Veil Bride" (Union)
Konji "@Blue Sigma" Harrison (Freedom)
Bobby Bomb (Victory)
Jack "Bub J Simps" Simpson (Liberty)
Captain Starblade (Virtue)
Matthew "@Chowder" Sowder (Liberty)
Thomas "Crimson Sun" Altamore (Champion)
Jacob "@Death Conqueror" (Victory)
Diagnostics (Freedom)
Bob "Doctor Von Bey" Willis (Liberty)
Sam "Doom Star" (Union)
Steve "El Cazador" Zamiara (Protector)
Brian "@Force Majeure" (Champion/Protector)
Mike "@GenericHero" Scott (Liberty)
Goob (Liberty)
Richard "@James Crey" Butler (Victory/Virtue)
Jason "@JoeSmoe" (Virtue)
Matthew "Kiyotee" Bregg (Beta)
@Lady Evil (Zukunft)
Lex (Liberty)
Lord_of_Time (Freedom)
William "@lord Askari" Angel (Freedom)
Eric "@Lucas" Waterfield (Justice)
@Lyme (Virtue)
Staci "Malibu Sally" Lansford (Virtue)
Owen "Mighty Saguaro" (Defiant)
@Mind Twist (Liberty)
Ms. Lady (Triumph)
Tedd "Muad_Dib" Wood (Freedom)
Dan "@Novus" Collins (Protector)
Pure Empathy (Infinity)
@Rapido (Vigilance)
Derek "SailorRush" Rushing (Virtue)
@Salsakitten (Virtue)
Timothy "@Scruffy" Johnson (Freedom)
Jake "Sentai Kickblast" Radford (Triumph)
Ned "@Sgt Grunk" Smith (Virtue)
@Sigh (Champion)
Katherine "Stainless Steel Kat" Weeks (Pinnacle)
Jeff "Steel Blue" (Infinity)
Anne "@Steel Seraph" Locke (Guardian)
Heather "Storm Angyl" Hoffman (Protector)
Stripling (Virtue)
CC "Testy Chick" (Protector)
@Victim 51 (Pinnacle)
Walter "Veil One" Padilla (Triumph)
Whit Sterling (Liberty)
Zantana (Liberty)
Steven "@Zoriel" Lomax (Union)


Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

For 'my' video, I still will be featuring as many players in it as I possibly can (and try to feature both red- and blue-side to stay true to folks). I will try to get something from people on as many servers as I can possibly manage.

For 'your' video, I think I've got my idea, but I'm still working it out in my head.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

This is going to have to be two separate videos - one for you guys, and one for me.

I figured out what mine is, and I am sitting here at my desk, my shoulders shaking, tears streaming down my face, and trying so hard to not make a sound so as not to wake my husband and roommate. It hurts. Oh, it hurts...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I'm compiling a list of ideas.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Oh Gods...

Thank you, Ex Libris and Lighthouse, for being the first rednames to champion my vids.
Thank you, Positron, for not publicly laughing at me when I turned your in-game persona into a romantic leading man.
Thank you, Hero 1 and Protean, for being amazingly generous in telling me (what you could) about COH lore.
Thank you, Back Alley Brawler, FOR PUTTING THE WALK COMMAND IN-GAME!
Thank you, Aralcox, for showing me what demoediting was REALLY capable of doing.
Thank you, Scuzzbopper, for the COH Codex, a true labor of love.
Thank you, Zloth, for the demo launcher.
Thank you, Leandro, for everything. You know what I mean.
Thank you, _Synchrotron_, for my pathing editor.
Thank you, Equation aka Arbiter Fabulous, for all the laughs and hugs and friendship.
Thank you, Cende, for being you. There are no words.
Thank you, Dust Raven and Trystan Laryssa, for creating the Star Patrol, and thus beginning a greater story.

I will add to this later.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

We are Samuraiko/Dark_Respite and Bloodspeaker... or as mundanes know us, Michelle and John Travis.



This is us, almost exact ten years ago... our tenth anniversary is September 28th.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Again, don't forget - you have until Monday to make suggestions.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I'd rather it not be about me, personally. As I've already featured the game twice in my 5th and 6th anniversary vids, I'd rather this be more about the players. Though I do like the idea of ending with everyone either taking to the skies or going through Portal Corp...

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Also crying.

Thank God I found out about this AFTER my job interview today and not BEFORE. I'd have been hard pressed to explain to the interviewers why I was in tears the whole time.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Oh, it'll be emotional all right.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

So my next step is to win the lottery, buy the game, and tell NCsoft to shove it.

Of course, the playerbase may not WANT me in charge, but hey, we all have to make sacrifices.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I am not going anywhere til they turn off the servers. I have a video to finish making.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

One song that in particular keeps going through my head is the reprise of Alan Parsons' "Blue Blue Sky."

I just hope I can get through making this video without breaking down completely. I'm in tears right now as it is.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

I cannot go... I WILL not go without making one more video for this game that has been my inspiration for the past five years.

CITY OF HEROES, since I first began playing in January of 2007, has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. It has also been one of the most profound influences on my creativity in recent memory, inspiring several character biographies, 3 novels, and no less than 33 videos for the game (and 50 more that will now never be made).

But I don't know what to make. I have limited time, very limited money, and God only knows how much longer the game will be here. But I WILL do it. Somehow.

EDIT: Thank you guys for the suggestions... as a result, you're getting not one but three videos. One is my farewell to the game... one is for the community (still working on that one)... and one is a memorial to those players who have passed away since this game of ours began (there's a separate thread about that one for those who want to contribute player information for it).

If nothing else... thank you. All of you. For helping to make me better than I was when I got here.

(And rednames, you are welcome to post suggestions as well.)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

PS - For those who want to stay in contact with me, I'm on Twitter as (what else) @Samuraiko, and the same on YouTube. Subscribe to me! (I'm not on Facebook, and rarely on LJ anymore.)

PPS - Here's a trip down memory lane for you guys. These would not have happened had it not been for you.

• Invasion (Issue 10 Trailer)
• A Stitch in Time (Issue 11 Teaser)
• A Stitch in Time (Issue 11 Trailer)
• Time to Start
• Make Love and War (Valentine's Day Teaser)
• Countdown to the Future
• Born of the Night (Issue 12 Teaser)
• The Value of PWNage
• Midnight's Secrets (Issue 12 Trailer)
• Incarnate
• The Etiquette of Assassination
• Choices (Issue 13 Teaser)
• Dropship Down
• What's Past is Prologue (Issue 13 Trailer)
• All the World's a Stage (Issue 14 Teaser)
• History in the Making (5th Anniversary Commemorative Video)
• No Limits (Issue 16 Trailer)
• A Mirror Dimly (GOING ROGUE Teaser)
• Avatar: COH Style!
• Mirror, Mirror (Issue 17 Trailer)
• Retrospective (6th Anniversary Commemorative Video)
• Allegiances (Issue 18/GOING ROGUE Trailer)
• Real World Hero: A CITY OF HEROES Charity Event
• Alpha Strike (Issue 19 Trailer)
• A Heart Divided
• Convergence - Freedom of Thought (Issue 21 Teaser)
• Convergence - Who Will Die? (Issue 21 Teaser)
• Convergence - Come Together (Issue 21 Trailer)
• Tribute to Marcus 'Statesman' Cole
• Death Incarnate (Issue 22 Trailer)
• The Woman in His Arms
• CoVIDEO HELL Teaser

The one that brought an entire Rikti invasion group to a teamwiping fit of laughter...

Arbiter (the one down by the Grandville ferry): "All aliens must form an orderly line for entry processing."

To see THAT come across the NPC chatter as Rikti are teleporting in around us... we were all just howling.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Actually, it'd be great if the Cap scene could get used in the CA sequel.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite