((Editor’s Note: This is late to post because I’m running behind schedule but stay tuned for another Weekly Pulp from Apo later this week!- S.K.))
Though it’s hard to tell in the Wastelands, subtle changes do seem to mark the seasons. The night’s chill lasts a little longer and cuts a little deeper, and there’s a crispness to the still-searing winds. Perhaps these changes resonate with people on some fundamental level, whether they’re aware of it or not. Whatever the reason, the Wastelands are buzzing with activity.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Does school suck? Does your job suck? Does unemployment suck? Whatever is giving you “a case of the Mondays,” head to Burnt Oak at 6pm SLT for another evening of entertainment. Doktor Giuseppe Spicoli will DJ his characteristically unpredictable assortment of music at the Boat House from approximately 6-7:00, followed by an as-yet-to-be-announced film at the Drive-In.
Scavenging, raiding, and pillaging – these are some of the things Wastelanders do best. Yet, for some time now, the puny flatlanders lovely and talented inhabitants in the rest of SL, have drummed up business for their shops with special Scavenger Hunt events. This Saturday at 10:30 am SLT, meet up at the bunker in the Wastelands proper and gear up for a multi-sim invasion as we join the Hunt of the Living Dead — and show everyone else how scavenging is really done. It’s a zombie-themed Hunt where the item to find is a small, delicious-looking sculpted brain, and the free swag ranges from avatars to clothes and more. Whether you want the items or not, the search can be entertaining, the other sims can be amusing – and there’s nothing quite like a host of filthy Wasters descending upon the unsuspecting populace. And remember – no HUDs, no douchebaggery, and no spoilers.
Come to the Arena in Hambone Slash at 3pm for yet another Fight Night! The new Arena Map Maker systems will be out and available for everyone to try – create an arena map using its easy interface, and Neo will apply it for the next round. Be creative, be cruel, or be just plain crazy with it – just remember that it might be you who’s next on the roster!
It’s not set in stone, but if the last couple of weeks are any indication, there may be yet another helping of Movie Night at approximately 5pm! Grab some snacks, have a seat on the roof, and enjoy the movie – and show up early for the vintage pre-show ads and trailers!
Whenever all the other events wrap up, Aposiopesis Fullstop will DJ her (un)usual assortment of music from a location in North Yard.
On Sunday, head back to the Arena and check out the Pathfinder pen-and-paper RPG from 10am to 2pm SLT. The brave but ragtag characters have suffered the loss of a group member, who was sadly turned into a mindless squeaking rat. However, an alarmingly chipper half-orc bard has joined forces, accompanying them as they dive into the sunken ship that bore a terrible and unnatural plague to Korvosan shores. Hundreds have died, more are sickened, and few can afford treatment – can the adventurers find the responsible party and bring them to justice before the Red Veil plague brings society to its knees? Spectators are welcome!
If hands-on combat is more your thing, meet under the museum at 10:30 am SLT for Fist Wrap Fight Night. The three-minute bouts are – surprise – Fist Wraps only, and the winner takes home a stash of WL food ante’d up by the participants. With the new Refined Food in the game, it might be quite a bounty indeed!
EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS: Last Monday’s Movie Night featured the 1979 Shaw Brothers kung-fu comedy “Lan tou He,” also known as “Dirty Ho.” No, it’s not a porno – though it does follow a playboy named Wang. Royal prince Wang Chin-Chin shirks his responsibilities by taking on an opulent secret life. However, one of his many brothers has sent out assassins to help ensure that Wang never takes the throne. To keep his identity concealed from the assassins, he must keep his masterful fighting skills a secret – and to determine which brother wants him dead, he must manipulate the bumbling jewel thief known as Dirty Ho. If you didn’t think over-the-top restraint was possible, you haven’t seen the wine-tasting and antiquing scenes!
On Saturday, a squad of Wastelanders gathered together to participate in the Hunt of the Living Dead, a multi-sim scavenger hunt which effectively became a good-natured Raid. After ransacking the first 13 sims of the zombie-themed Hunt, NeoBokrug Elytis carrying the Wastelands Flag and leaving gifts of WL: Jack-O-Lanterns behind at all possible places, the intrepid invaders came away with everything from lanterns to jewelry to clothing, skins, and eyes.
Afterwards, it was another 10-participant Fight Night, full of intense close-call battles, desperate Hooper Gambits, and a few new features and changes! This week, the five fallen fighters of the first set got to engage in a battle royale redemption round, where the winner earned a place in the second round of combat. After all was said and done, the brown-clad Tokiko Tigerpaw took first place once again, followed by the feline Dassina Andel in second and the feline-skin-wearing Cigi Sahara in third.
It seems the secretive Ghoul Makaio Stygian has recently come out of hiding to tend to his murder machine. Some of the oily black grime has been scrubbed away, making the tiles and walls a slightly lighter grey – though still thick with splatters of blood. He also carefully filled in the grooves of each Land Mine with a bright red coat of paint. Probably paint. North of the Arena stood mysterious grey and green prototypes for potential new traps. A few hours after the fight, Neo revealed his prototype Arena Map Maker – like a small model of the Arena itself, the user can click on each tile to select their trap of choice, with buttons at the top to rotate the tile, reset to an all-clear default, or import/export the map to and from the Arena. Once finalized, it will be far easier to generate maps – though, in the meantime, you’re still welcome to do it the hard way as explained in this Forum thread.
Not long after Fight Night wrapped up, Doktor Giuseppe Spicoli treated the Wastelands to a Nic Cage double feature at the Drive-In. The first film was the 2010 action/comedy “Kick-Ass,” wherein a geeky but unremarkable teenager named Dave (Aaron Johnson) becomes a costumed superhero named Kick-Ass, and finds that fighting crime isn’t as easy as he thought. Fortunately, he meets the well-trained father-and-daughter duo of Big Daddy (Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz). Together, they seek to take down a powerful gangster – who’s enlisted his school-bully son to become a superhero in his own right.
The night’s second feature was 2009’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans.” Nick Cage plays Terence McDonagh, a police sergeant who injures his back while rescuing a drowning criminal, and is prescribed Vicodin to ease the permanent pain. Six months later, McDonagh is a lieutenant. He is also hooked on coke, drowning in illegal gambling debts, abusing his power, and hallucinating reptiles. Yet he must solve the murder of five Senegalese immigrants.
Afterward, DJ Aposiopesis Fullstop played a short set of tunes at the nearby Boat House, the first half of them very loosely related to the movies.
ESTATE NEWS:
Combat / Salvage Game:
Dozens of feet pound the broken streets, shifting sands, and rusted rails as Wastelanders scour the land for a new seasonal item – Pumpkins! With a Barter Value of 10, a Pumpkin is a tasty snack in its own right. But if you figure out the proper recipe, you can make a spooky decoration as well.
NeoBokrug Elytis revealed his intent to revamp the weapons system for a later HUD update – and he wants to hear your suggestions! Whether you’ve got ideas for brand-new weapons, old weapons you’d like to come back, or new ways for weapons to work, post your ideas in this Forum thread!
Land:
Don’t forget about The Wastelands Referral Program! Convince, persuade, or inspire someone to buy a plot of land owned by NeoBokrug Elytis, and you get a cut of its price! Make sure they IM Neo before buying the land to let him know you’re the referrer, and you’ll get 25% of the selling price in Lindens, straight to you, if you’re an ex-resident or a regular. You’ll get 50% if you’re a current landowner, yourself! And remember – no spamming, griefing, or threatening to feed their family pets to rabid hyenas.
Don’t forget to look out for the new Land Token! October’s has not yet been claimed, and if found, you can redeem it for “around L$6625” worth of tier, according to Neo.
RP NAME-DROPS: The Black Market has opened up an actual market, open to the public, in The Junkyard. Any and all comers are welcome to buy and sell there, with the caveats that they cannot bear weapons or run the Junkyard for salvage. There are two main entrances, one below an old bunker, and the other through an exposed pipe. Mind the rake.
Jubal Quintus has posted a job board outside his old red train car in the Wastelands. Currently, he’s offering a reward for information on the whereabouts of his old compatriot Facemelt Loon. He also wishes to know more about Gill, the mysterious old man who was responsible for no end of trouble some moons back. Jubal will give a bounty of scrap for any leads on his location – or for proof of his death.