WINTER EVENT: OOC NOTE AKA E'S TOTALLY UNSOLICITED OPINION  

Third time around for me on winter events, and I have only one thing to say:  They got it right this time.

One thing you can say for NCSoft and co., they've learned from past special events and they've put the lessons into action.  In almost any other special event, there's been a downside aspect to it, either during the event or post-event.  This time, I can't think of a single thing except I wish snowball was a power available to everyone (as it was in previous years) instead of a temp power granted through a gift from a friend or through the Trickster packages.  On the grand scale of things, that's just minuscule.

There's much more I like to love:  Cooperative missions where you *can* team with villains but you don't *have* to (unlike the Valentine event, where villain availability ended up limiting whether or not you could get the missions and badges), fun and useful temporary powers in the missions PLUS bonus gift powers if you get lucky on a friend gift or in hunting packages.  Also, there's a chance to get some of the older badges (Cold Warrior and especially Frozen Fury) without the problems (during and post event) which dogged the first Winter Event in particular.  They also made one good change from last year regarding the Trickster packages – last year, if you didn't off the little frostlings from the naughty packages, they rampaged around for ages.  This year, they don't seem to wander from the immediate package area, and after a few moments, they melt.  Same for the unkilled Winter Lords, for which I am profoundly grateful.

They really do seem to be trying to make the events mean something for everyone – badges for the hunters, costume pieces for the clotheshorses among us (OK, I'm guilty), great temp powers for the missioners and a pretty good chunk of experience for those who just want to run missions for experience.  Plus, the chance to team with characters on the villain side *but* the discretion of being able to do it or not and still have the mission.

I've certainly had my grumble moments with the devs (ED and fifty squintillion respecs, anyone?), but they definitely seem to be listening regarding events.  Kudos there to them.

About the event itself:

What not to miss:  the ski slopes and the ski chalet.  Just playing with the geysers and the slalom are fun – and the level of detail in the area is incredible.

Cap Buster and Bane go for the Croatoa Geas of the Kind Ones accolade, which comes with a special power.  However, heroes can acquire both in Croatoa, so you may just want to wait and get it when you hit that area, or get assistance from a higher level hero to help you acquire them.

However, it's a considerably easier way to acquire the Toothbuster badge than to do the original Valentine's Day Snaptooth mission (which had hordes and hordes of Red Caps and was very difficult to complete at like level), so if you want the Toothbuster badge – hit it now!

If you go for nothing else during the event, get the self-resurrection power.  It works similar to Rise of the Phoenix or the self-resurrection power from the Dark Armor set in that it raises you with half health and endurance and stuns all the baddies around you – plus surrounds you with a temporary ice patch.  Not to mention the incredible graphics (angel wings, anyone?) as you come back to life. 

Last but not least, don't forget to check out the truck outside of Pocket D to pick up the Trucker exploration badge.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in the grinding for experience, levels, badges, influence, prestige...whatever...that we (or at least I) forget that not all fun has to be goal oriented.  This event's been a really good reminder.

Booya, devs, and thanks.

~Elizabeth