If we do have to frag for the next NPC challenge, these shops have mostly cheap items (<800sp) to buy up for it: Philosopher's Store Spells Galore The Bake Stop Carnival Stand Rathskeller Inn Music Shop Half Baked The Lost Skeleton

Apparently Saggi is really struggling with food again, so they may end up running out of energy once again.

That's what I'm thinking as well. We'll probably get to the next temple with this leg, and then another 2 more to get up the mountain.

Getting through the bugs faster would be awesome. LOL But would they affect the obstacles, since we need the obstacles for our activities? Unless they want us doing them at base camp more. Even things out a bit activity wise. shrug I guess we'll just have to wait and see. lol

I do get the leveling out the teams crap and I do feel bad for Gold falling so far behind, I'm sure it's frustrating as fuck, but...why bother make it a competition if they then just automatically end up giving the next npc boost to Gold?
I mean I'm sure it crossed their minds while making the whole event that one team might have better teamwork/luck/organisation and they might get a few more npc's?

idk, I just hope this won't be the case, I really want Elwood on your team...

Yeah, I'm not really sure. Of course we can do the activities at camp, so it's not that big of a deal if there are fewer on the trail.

I'm just waiting to see what will happen today once we finish.

I don't understand what you mean. Do you mean the staff are purposefully choosing which team will get which NPC?

And besides, if we were on the other side of this, no offense, but many of us would be thinking that it wasn't fair that the other team got all these buffs.

Our forums seem to indicate a lot of flip-flopping of those two ideas. I'm not saying you're wrong or not justified for thinking and speaking that, because if that were the case (the staff purposefully choosing which team got what) then yes, it is very bullshit indeed.

I do find it odd that Saggy's team won by such a huge margin with Sephora, but maybe it was just luck.

Anyways, we have a very big lead on the other team, and I do not see any possible way they can catch up to us now, as we have completed 85.5%, and they have only completed 59.9%.

I really wish that we could get something other than the fucking scarab swarm though.

high fives Right? I'm trying to think what else besides a donation drive or quest drive they could do, but everything I can think of centers around items or maybe games. At the very least I can frag all this after the plot!

Yesssss join ussss in the pre-emptive hoarding. Every item we have in hand is one less Team Gold can buy c:

Also, I don't care if the teams are supposed to switch off on NPC gaining. I"m going to do all I can to make sure we get this next one, whoever it is, because I wouldn't feel right if I didn't try my best. Plus if it's Elwood you'd better believe I'm going to do everything I can to lure him to the dark correct side.

Unless they introduced a totally new obstacle that only the team that didn't get Elwood got - like some kind of practical joke type obstacle.

I think in regards to how things went down with Sephora and Esther is more a result of staff kind of testing things as we're going as opposed to having everything down from the start. So I think their speed was adjusted, and how many good weather boosts we get will most likely be adjusted for the next leg, while whoever gets Elwood would get the advantage for that leg with staff monitoring whether they need to adjust that buff for the next go around.

Good morning, team! What happened to poor Team Gold while I was asleep that's got them so far behind? Because our lead is somewhat ridiculous and I'm simultaneously extremely proud of us, and really sad for the other team, because watching that gap grow has got to be the most frustrating thing.

I do feel bad for team gold running out of food and being so far behind. I know it was super discouraging when we were on the trail and couldn't catch a break from bats and crazy things at all.

I don't know if there are strings being pulled one way or another, but I hope the main thing is we all enjoy and cheer each other on, both sides of the competition!

I'm not as much help myself because work is trying to kill me I think (not really. But it feels like it.) But checking in as much as I can!

You said Elwood's name on page 420 XD MLG Elwood.

Yeah, I'm going to try not to complain too much anymore either way, but it would be nice to have Elwood on our team.

All we can do is try our best. And whatever, I'm still looking forward to what ends up happening next once we do reach the mountain.

That's a good point, it does feel like there has been way more trial and error than necessary. And like they maybe didn't plan all of this out as well as they could have, or think about how certain things might affect everything else.

Although I still have a hard time believing 3 winds in a row right after we won the good weather NPC is just absurdly bad luck, but oh well. Can't really do anything about it.

It's actually a fairly common theory right now for both teams it seems. And it didn't feel terribly fair to us when Team Gold had Sephora on their side and we got a LOT of battle obstacles which take us longer to clear than other obstacles.

Basically the theory is that we're trading off on who wins what leg and which NPC because if we didn't trade off, people would lose interest in the plot. It's a joke because people are bored anyway and they just want the damn plot over with. The team that loses has hilariously awful luck that is statistically improbable based on the fairly large pool of obstacles (there's almost 20 I think the last time I checked). I don't know if the staff have consciously chosen who gets which NPC, but the pattern seems very suspicious.

I've been stalking both public forums as well as the FAQ thread and some of the feedback threads. A number of users seem to think that the plot is kind of rigged in that way. But we'll see. If we win the next NPC and then win the next leg of the trail, I'll take back my words. If the pattern holds true though, Elwood will go to Team Gold (which will break Blake's my heart), and they'll win the next leg, then we'll win the next NPC and win the final leg (assuming there are six total).

We have this leg in the bag. Esther made sure of that because we couldn't be screwed over by weather.

Time to hoard ALL THE THINGS.

AW YEAH. triumphfist It's an omen. It means he's coming with us.

(I will believe this until it becomes true, lol)

Me either. I'd hate to be in their shoes because those three winds right off the bat were awful, and it's just gotten more discouraging for them. Tough to have a speed bonus if you're stuck with no food.

I also think they're tweaking the system as they go, but yeah, it gives an overall air of "we didn't think this through".

So we should start hoarding items for frag right? I'm on my lunch so I shall hoard all the things!

I guess it depends on what exactly the next NPC will do for the team they go to, but I think there's still a decent chance we could win the next leg or at least have it be close. We're like 25% or something ahead right now, which is crazy. The other legs, the winning team only won by like 5-7%.

We'll still have Esther on our side for good weather too, which is like a speed boost of its own. I don't know for sure of course what will happen, but maybe the balance will be thrown off in the next leg. I guess we'll find out.

You can if you want. It's not been confirmed that the next challenge will be fragging, we're just trying to prepare in case it is.

No, I didn't. I tested Emma first, then Esther, because I had a gut feeling it'd be one of them, then I test Laure and a few other NPCs I felt might be up for adventure, but Elwood wasn't one of them and there were lots more I didn't test because I assumed no new ones would show up until Esther was done. I don't know who it was who found Elwood or when they found him. Yesterday, I decided to go down the NPC list on the Subetapedia and I haven't found any more, but I'm going to try again as soon as Elwood's event starts.

I do not want a speed up, I need another obstacle to get my 5/5 done complains

no - fine!

I hear you! And yes that's what I was thinking

I'll hoard- better safe than sorry. And if that event doesn't happen, then I can sell later. :)

Good weather boost

And our speed boost is at 31% so keep voting and let's just end this thing.