Brasil

[center][b]The Galactic Civil War, the Rebellion and the Death Star:[/b][/center] [center][i]Multiculturalism's Struggle with Established Literary Canon[/i][/center] Throughout the years, Star Wars has achieved a fame that few series will ever see. It has become a popular culture phenomenon, influencing countless science fiction films, and inspiring many people to become filmmakers. Its appearances on popular TV shows such as The Simpsons are too many to count, and Chewbacca has even accepted an MTV Lifetime Achievement Award. One simply has to mention Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader to attract people?s attention. But even in the light of this recognition, the Star Wars saga is vastly underappreciated, in that its relevance to literary studies has not been sufficiently explored, specifically in the study of the dynamics of multiculturalism. When examined in the context of multicultural literature, Star Wars and its Galactic Civil War between the Rebellion and the Empire become a metaphor for the ongoing struggle between multiculturalism and the conventional literary canon. At its basic level, Star Wars is about conflict between differing ideologies. The Empire seeks control, order, and structure, as opposed to the Rebellion, whose focus is establishing a society in which everyone can live in peace, with equal opportunity for all. The structure and militaristic organization of the Empire is reflected in their presentation. Everything is precise and ordered, with very clearly defined guidelines. The Empire keeps their presence neat and clean, and this efficiency is reflected in the Death Star. Originating from Grand Moff Tarkin?s ?Doctrine of Fear? proposal, the Death Star serves to illustrate the power and dominance of the Empire. During the early years of the New Order, various systems refused to pledge allegiance to Emperor Palpatine?s new government, and subjugating all of them would prove detrimental to the resources of the Empire. Grand Moff Tarkin was aware this danger, and proposed that instead of dealing with each system individually, the Empire should focus its energies on creating a singular tool of destruction, to quell any treasonous activities and thus establishing the Empire as the dominant force in the galaxy. With Palpatine?s permission, Tarkin selected a group of the Empire?s top scientists, and chose the most remote and inhospitable location possible in the galaxy to begin the research and development phase of the project. With this facility, code-named Maw Installation, Tarkin?s plans were sure to proceed without interference from outside forces, as it was unheard of that any civilized peoples would inhabit such hostile environments, and because of this, the implications of any activity detected would be minimized. Once an operational test model was created, the blueprints for the Death Star were sent to a prison camp on the distant Outer Rim planet of Despayre. Slave labor was essential in the construction of the Death Star, and Despayre?s prison population proved to be most adequate. Construction spanned several years, with many slaves perishing from the harsh work conditions. Upon the Death Star?s completion, Despayre was selected as the first test of the Death Star?s superlaser. The planet was destroyed, effectively wiping out all traces of any misconduct on the part of the Empire. With this new battle station, the Empire was poised to finally establish ultimate control in the galaxy, and they would have had ultimate control had it not been for the Rebellion, a small, ragtag group of freedom fighters that yearned for a galaxy without the Empire. With the understanding that the newly-constructed Death Star will threaten the Rebellion?s chances of overthrowing the Empire, a handful of spies were chosen to steal the plans to the battle station. This is where A New Hope begins. After the introductory text crawl, there is a moment of serenity as we look out into space. The stars shimmer against the black expanse, and then a ship passes over us, followed by a larger spacecraft. The smaller ship, as we soon discover, is the Tantive IV, a Rebel Blockade Runner and Princess Leia?s consular vessel. The larger ship is Darth Vader?s Imperial Star Destroyer, in hot pursuit of the Tantive IV. Red and green bolts fly back and forth between the two vessels? turbolasers, and after countless volleys, a blast hits Tantive IV in its mid-section, knocking out its main reactor and crippling the ship. The massive size of the Star Destroyer is revealed as the Tantive IV is pulled up into the Star Destroyer?s underside dock. It is dwarfed by the imposing underbelly of the Star Destroyer, almost vanishing into the Imperial vessel?s hull. This is the first illustration of the Empire?s overwhelming presence in the galaxy, and how difficult it is to escape assimilation. C-3PO, a protocol droid aboard the Tantive IV, expresses these sentiments to his counterpart, the short, cylindrical R2D2, ?There will be no escape for the Princess this time.? As C-3PO says this, loud metallic latches clank and heavy equipment is heard moving around the outside hull of the ship. The Imperials are preparing to board the ship, violently, undoubtedly. Rebel soldiers take their defensive positions throughout the halls of the Tantive IV, some in the first line, their blasters trained on the entry hatch, and their faces contorted into hushed terror. Moments pass and the noise grows louder, then an explosion rips open the passageway, and the hallway erupts into laser fire, as teams of Stormtroopers force their way through the hole. The battle is relatively short, and there are casualties on both sides, but Stormtroopers and the Empire have numbers on their side. When the immediate entryway is secured, the Stormtroopers snap to rigid attention. The seven-foot-tall Dark Lord of the Sith steps into the hallway. He resembles Death himself, with his skeletal, black helmet: large, round, dead eye sockets; harsh, sharp cheeks; and a respirator that looks fashioned out of charred bone. This is Darth Vader, serving only the Emperor, inspiring fear and dread in everyone else. He does not tolerate failure or excuses, and will stop at nothing to retrieve the stolen plans. Vader?s presence does not bode well for the Princess? chances of escape. When Princess Leia is brought to him, the Empire?s hold on the galaxy is further reinforced. Leia, the cute and spunky supporter of the Rebellion, can only insult Vader, and Vader thinks nothing of it. She can say nothing in her defense, as Vader will not be made a fool of, and does not tolerate her blatant lies concerning her ?mission.? She says, ?Darth Vader. Only you could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit for this, when they hear you've attacked a diplomatic...? Vader does not allow her to finish her sentence, ?Don't play games with me, Your Highness. You weren't on any mercy mission this time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you.? Leia?s excuses are useless, as Lord Vader will not let her elude him again. He knows she has the plans to the Death Star and he will stop at nothing to retrieve them, including sending a distress signal to Alderaan, Leia?s home planet, with report of Leia?s ship entering an asteroid field and being destroyed. But while Leia is now in the hands of the Empire, the plans are not. An escape pod jettisons, carrying C-3PO and R2D2, the droids we saw earlier in the scene. Stored in R2D2?s databank are the stolen plans and a message from Princess Leia to Obi-Wan Kenobi, a wise Jedi Knight and staunch supporter of the Rebellion, now in hiding after the Jedi extermination at the hands of the Empire. The escape pod descends down onto the desert planet of Tatooine, where these two droids are picked-up by a group of the diminutive and grimy Jawas, and will come into the ownership of a local farmboy. That farmboy is Luke Skywalker. Never knowing his father personally, only through stories and second-hand information, Luke has lived with his Uncle Own and Aunt Beru on their moisture farm all his life. Luke has been told his father was merely a navigator on a spice freighter, but his father, Anakin Skywalker, was actually a very powerful Jedi Knight who at first fought for the Old Republic until falling to the Dark Side of the Force to become Darth Vader. This is revealed to Luke later in the Trilogy and becomes a conflict of interest and loyalty in the story, similar to the conflicting loyalties present in multicultural literature. Some authors long for success and have ?sold out,? in that they give publishers what is expected (ethnic stereotypes, clichéd characters, etc) so that their lives may be made easier. Luke will be faced with this same choice in the next Episode of the Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, when he faces Vader in a lightsaber duel. Many viewers would say that Vader ?owned? Luke in the duel, and surprisingly, this slang is a very accurate. Luke has not completed his training and is ill-equipped to face such power. This is made clear throughout the fight, as Vader easily dominates the battle, forcing Luke out onto a thin balcony, where he is able to slice off the right hand of the young Jedi-in-training. Vader does not want to kill Luke, as Luke would be ?a powerful ally if he could be turned.? He offers him a choice: join the Dark Side to rule the galaxy with Vader as father and son, or be destroyed. Joining the Dark Side, choosing the path with least resistance, is the Star Wars equivalent of ?selling out,? while Luke?s decision to let go of the guardrail and fall into the abyss is ?sticking to his morals.? However, this is not the first time Luke has had to make a difficult choice. When we first see him in A New Hope, he is a disheartened farmhand, working for his Uncle Owen. He yearns for adventure, dreaming of piloting starships, as evidenced by his play with his T-16 Skyhopper model. Luke doesn?t belong on Tatooine, and he knows it. The only reason that Luke stays on Tatooine with his aunt and uncle is because they need his help. He wants to remain loyal to his family, but his dreams of flying through the galaxy and fighting the Empire pull him away from that. Again, this conflict echoes the conflict of multicultural literature, as Luke?s desire to remain loyal to his family can be viewed as a dedication to the good of those around the individual, while leaving the farm (betraying his aunt and uncle) to fulfill his dreams will make him happy, similar to the multicultural author who ignores those around him in order to gain a better place in life. This all changes when R2D2 ventures out into the Dune Sea, to find Obi-Wan Kenobi and deliver the message from Princess Leia. Luke is obligated to go after R2D2, as the moisture farm?s survival greatly depends on C-3PO and R2D2 being fully functional. If R2D2 were to be lost in the Dune Sea, Owen?s livelihood and Luke?s chances of ever embarking on great adventures would be shattered. Because of this, Luke risks his life to retrieve R2, as he is attacked by Tusken Raiders and nearly killed. Covered in tattered rags and their heads wrapped in ragged cloth, the Tusken Raiders, or Sandpeople, as they are commonly called, are a terrifying sight to begin with. They are nomads of Tatooine and often attack any who tread into their territories. Carrying Gaderffii sticks, a particular type of bladed club exclusive to the Sand People, and non-energy rifles, the Sand People are well-equipped for combat. While their weapons may be less effective when held up against the weapons of the Empire, they are more than a match for Luke Skywalker, and the Sand People?s ferocity and aggressiveness more than make up for any lack of firepower. After incapacitating Luke, the Sandpeople begin raiding his speeder, ripping out containers, rooting through Luke?s belongings, taking what they can salvage, tossing aside what they cannot. There is no stopping the Sandpeople, it seems, and Luke surely will not survive, but off in the distance in the canyon, a massive howl echoes. The Sandpeople jump, their cloth heads locked in the direction of the shriek. A krayt dragon is approaching, and the screams are getting louder and angrier. The Sandpeople retreat, leaving Luke to perish in the jaws of the gargantuan predator that lumbers closer. The howls are now just over the next ridge. There is a dramatic pause, then a cloaked humanoid figure steps over the hill. This is Obi-Wan Kenobi, come to rescue the unfortunate farmboy. He revives Luke and Luke tells him about R2D2 and the message. Obi-Wan can?t recall ever owning a ?droid but discussing the matter there is not safe, as ?the Sandpeople are easily startled but will soon be back and in greater numbers,? and Obi-Wan suggests they move in-doors. Back at Obi-Wan?s hut, Luke is told the truth about his father, but not the entire truth. Obi-Wan does not tell Luke that his father is Darth Vader, but instead that his father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader. Telling Luke the entire truth would compromise the secrecy that Obi-Wan has worked so hard to keep. After viewing the message from Princess Leia, Obi-Wan is visibly shaken. He knows his assistance is needed, but it is impossible for him to go alone, as he is much older now than he was during the Clone Wars, when he served Leia?s adoptive father, Senator Bail Organa. He asks for Luke?s help, ?You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan.? Luke replies, ?Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is[?]I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here.? This attitude changes, however, when they find a group of slaughtered Jawas, the same Jawas who sold C-3PO and R2D2 to Luke?s uncle. At first, Luke sees Gaderffii sticks and bantha tracks and assumes it was Sandpeople who did this. Obi-Wan believes otherwise, noting how ?the tracks are side-by-side,? and how ?Sandpeople ride single file, to hide their numbers.? He points out the blast points, which are ?too accurate for Sandpeople,? he continues, ?Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.? Luke makes the connection and races home to find smoking holes that were once his home. Debris is scattered everywhere and it looks like a brutal assault has taken place. Luke calls out for his aunt and uncle but hears no response. He stumbles about through the chaos and smoke, coming across his aunt and uncle?s smoldering bodies. He returns to Obi-Wan and agrees to go with him, as there is nothing left for him here. Luke is no longer tied down to staying on this planet, and his dreams can finally be realized, but only at the price of his family. In order to realize his destiny, he must make a sacrifice, and again, the dynamics of achieving success in the field of multicultural literature are echoed, in that an author cannot reap the benefits without sacrificing something else. While Luke will prove to be a tremendous asset in the ensuing fight against the Empire, taking the shot that ultimately destroys the Death Star, his involvement alone is not enough, as they lack transportation to Alderaan. Since taking a public shuttle is too risky and runs the chance of capture, they travel to Mos Eisley, which Obi-Wan comments is ?[the most] wretched hive of scum and villainy.? It seems this scum and villainy collect in the local cantina: ?The murky, moldy den is filled with a startling array of weird and exotic alien creatures and monsters at the long metallic bar. At first the sight is horrifying. One-eyed, thousand-eyed, slimy, furry, scaly, tentacled, and clawed creatures huddle over drinks.? Luke seems lost in this underbelly of society, drifting to the bar for a drink. He looks around, mesmerized by the wide range of species, all united under a common goal: to drink and to socialize. But this unity is not universal or eternal, and Luke is shoved by an angry arm. He turns, coming face-to-tusk with an Aqualish, a humanoid creature with facial characteristics of both fish and arachnids. The Aqualish grunts and squeals at Luke, and we suspect those grunts and squeals are not to welcome the young farmboy. Our suspicions are confirmed as a rodent-bat hybrid joints in the confrontation, translating the Aqualish?s vocalizations, ?He doesn?t like you,? adding, ?I don?t like you, either.? Obi-Wan comes to Luke?s side and attempts to defuse the potentially volatile situation by offering to buy the aggressors a drink. If there is one thing the Mos Eisley cantina inhabitants should know, that is to not pick a fight with a Jedi. That is the last mistake the Aqualish and rodent-bat translator will ever make. When the racket dies down, Obi-Wan introduces the wookiee, Chewbacca, an eleven-foot-tall ape, who is First Mate on a ship that will suit them. The ship?s Captain is a smuggler named Han Solo, who knows and owes more people than most living on Tatooine. He has been delinquent in repaying one particular crimelord, Jabba the Hutt, and now finds himself the target of an assortment of bounty hunters. Because of his delicate financial situation, Han agrees to provide his services to Luke and Obi-Wan, expecting a significant payment upon arriving on Alderaan. However, after blasting their way out of Mos Eisley, deftly avoiding three Imperial Star Destroyers, and making the jump through hyperspace to Alderaan?s coordinates, they find themselves in the middle of an asteroid field, but this asteroid field is not on any of Solo?s charts. The planet of Alderaan has been destroyed, wiped from the face of the galaxy. As Solo and Chewbacca pilot their way through the debris, a lone TIE Fighter zips overhead. It?s a short-range fighter that ?couldn't get this deep into space on its own,? Obi-Wan observes. ?It must be lost,? Luke adds. Lost or not, however, it still poses a danger if it should identify the Millennium Falcon. Solo is determined to prevent that and begins closing in, ordering Chewbacca to jam the TIE?s transmissions. As the race continues, a particular star in space grows larger and larger, becoming colder and more spherical. The TIE?s destination becomes clear. It is headed for the Death Star. The Falcon?s crew realizes this too late, and finds themselves being drawn in by the Death Star?s tractor beam. Solo orders Full Reverse, and even begins tapping in to the Auxillary Power, but the tractor beam is too strong, and the Falcon begins shuddering as it strains under the pull of the Death Star. Solo is forced to shut-down, out of fear of melting the Falcon?s engines. Finally, the Falcon is pulled into one of the many docking bays: ?Now only a miniscule speck against the gray bulk of the [Death Star], the Millennium Falcon was sucked toward one of those steel pseudopods and finally swallowed by it. A lake of metal closed off the entryway, and the freighter vanished as if it had never existed.? Again, the overshadowing and assimilation inherent in the domination of the Empire is illustrated by this passage. It is a fight the Rebellion cannot win, and all seems lost when the Millennium Falcon, which has become symbolic of the Rebellion, is now swallowed by the Death Star, the symbol of the Empire?s power. The diversity of the Rebellion seems to mean nothing when juxtaposed against the rigid conformity of the Death Star and the Empire?s forces stationed there, and in order to escape from this structured order, to overthrow the Empire, the radically diverse crew of the Rebellion must learn to work together. In this sense, Star Wars becomes a microcosm for the current condition of multicultural authors? struggle to survive in a field dominated by established Literary Canon, which is comprised of authors like Herman Melville, William Shakespeare, William Faulkner, and Walt Whitman. These authors share one specific trait: they are all white males, which, interestingly enough, is the precise composition of the Empire.

[size=2]System: Xbox[/size] [size=2]Developer: Just Add Monsters[/size] [size=2]Game: Kung Fu Chaos[/size] [size=2]Review:[/size] [size=2]We?ve all done it. We?ve all sat down on lazy Saturday afternoons and watched the weekly WB17 cheesy exploitation movies. Usually those movies were campy sci-fi from the mid 90s, made for TV. Other times, though, the usual crap wasn?t there and we would be treated to a showing of the end-all of martial arts movies: 70s exploitation Hong Kong kung fu.[/size] [size=2]We loved them, of course. We loved the utter ridiculous presentation; we loved the cheesy voiceovers and dubbing. We loved those over-the-top expressions, sound effects, and the errant visible wire. We thought to ourselves, ?I want to do that!? And what was wrong with our desire to become a kung fu master? It ties into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ideals, it seems. We all wanted to be ninjas. But, unfortunately, many of us were never able to achieve that, and had to live out our fantasies of martial arts superstardom during those lazy Saturday afternoons.[/size] [size=2]But now that all changes?well, sort of.[/size] [size=2]Kung Fu Chaos is a gem of a game recently released as an Xbox exclusive from a developer called Just Add Monsters. KFC (Yes, KFC?but much more filling and doesn?t give you gas.) is a remarkable throwback to those lazy Saturday afternoons spent in front of the TV, watching some of the cheesiest but greatest and most entertaining movies ever made.[/size] [size=2]Many games today simply don?t seem to give a crap about aesthetic quality. I can only count a handful of recent offerings on any system that cares about aesthetics. Silent Hill, Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil, and Viewtiful Joe are really the only games that come to mind. Fortunately, though, KFC has wonderful aesthetic quality. When that intro cinema plays, with Kung Fu Fighting blaring, the video grain (purposely) scratchy, and those thwacks and slaps blare through your speakers, you?re brought back to the 70s.[/size] [size=2]The plot is pure camp. We select one out of about a dozen martial arts ?experts? who are fighting for the starring role in Shao Ting?s latest ?masterpiece.? Like the old exploitation kung fu movies, KFC?s plot is nothing more than an excuse to get down and dirty with some insane stunts and totally bizarre action sequences.[/size] [size=2]The single-player mode is a solid experience, taking on average under an hour to complete, but around nine hours to unlock everything. Single-player is really a practice for the lunacy of multi-player, though, as the levels are identical, right down to every dinosaur chomp, alien laser blast, and sliding piano.[/size] [size=2]It?s a nice challenge, too, as the grading system isn?t the conventional ?complete objectives,? ?kill everything,? ?have 100% health.? We?re graded on a 5-star system. A true ?turkey? performance in a stage receives one star, the official turkey rating in Hollywood. Getting three stars means Shao Ting makes enough on the film to break even, and a 5-star rating is an Academy Award nomination, or something. Either way, it?s hilarious and a truly worthy award system. It?s satisfying, which is the most important thing.[/size] [size=2]Now, with the advent of Nintendo 64, it?s essentially commercial suicide to release a system and/or game without multiplayer capabilities. Just Add Monsters made sure to adhere to this golden principle of gaming: gamers have friends. Yes, as strange as it may sound, we do have friends, and often, our friends are also gamers, meaning deathmatching is very important. KFC does deathmatching very well. It is a party game. I can?t stress that enough. It is the epitome of a party game. The levels are hyperintense, with chaos going on all around your retro kung fu avatars, and the insane, off-camera, dictatorial orders from Shao Ting will have you laughing your ***** off. Plus, who doesn?t love beating the crap out of your friends as Gigantic goes down in a major way?[/size] [size=2]Kung Fu Chaos was made for us, those gamers who aren?t athletic in the least, whose martial arts capabilities peak in donning a Mortal Kombat costume. Geeks? dreams of martial arts stardom do come true, in the form of Kung Fu Chaos.[/size] [size=2]It?s only 20 bucks now, too. You can?t go wrong.[/size] [size=2][/size] [size=2]EDIT: This review was written a few months ago, so Kung Fu Chaos is probably even cheaper now...probably only 10. Very good deal.[/size]

I might as well start honoring my award from the OtakuAwards (Xbox Gamer). I think one of the most important games to get if anyone has an Xbox is Knights of the Old Republic. BioWare has developed a gem of a game that in many ways, blows Lucas' own attempts right out of the stratosphere. Everything you've ever wanted in a Star Wars game is in KOTOR. I honestly can't think of anything they missed. The scope of KOTOR is something you [i]must[/i] experience. Words can't really describe the sheer wonder and beauty of it. Tatooine is amazing, even if it's all desert. The wind blows across the dunes, Anchorhead [i]feels[/i] like Anchorhead: a lone, tiny town in the middle of nowhere. There are Jawas walking around, a Krayt dragon cave in the Dune Sea, Sandpeople to fight, both outside and in their Fortress...it still boggles my mind everytime I see Anchorhead in the distance. Kashyyyk's tree villages are intact, and it's still awesome to go into First-Person View and look up at the towering trees from the walkways. We've got Dantooine, home to a Jedi Training Temple. And there are an insanely high number of quests to go on, and the quests are pretty much all different, because of the magic of open-ended gameplay. Want to help the woman in Anchorhead find her son? Go out and bring him back. Earn Light Side points. Don't want to but still want the credits? Threaten to kill the woman. She'll fork over the creds and you'll earn Dark Side points. There are at least two ways to complete everything in KOTOR, more if you're creative, hehe. One of my favorite experiences was on the planet of Manaan, where I rigged a droid to attack its master, lol. KOTOR is just a fantastic game, through and through. It's extremely polished, to the point that it shines so brightly it blinds you, just like if you looked up at Tatooine's double suns. Everyone with an Xbox should have KOTOR. It's a game that is on my Top 10. It just grabs you and doesn't let go. Buy it.

Two more panels. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19352&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19353&stc=1[/img]

[font=Courier New][size=2]Hey everyone, I was going through my old Word files the other day for a recent MyO update, and came across some old stories of mine. I figured, why not post them. Call this the..."PT/Petey/Anime_fangurl*247 Short Story Thread." Obviously, larger works and ones with greater significance will get their own threads, with Lady A's approval. So...here goes, lol. *posts*[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]-----------------------------[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]This is more recent, and also untitled. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I like the characters, and there's a gritty feel to it, which I like. I'm not sure how PETA got in there, but hey, I might be able to work with it for a story.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Man, it?s just those PETA people get on my nerves.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?How so??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Well, it?s their outlook on life, you know, how they act.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Example.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Okay, say you?re walking around at a circus.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Hahaha, all right. I?m at the circus.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?And you see, say, a really skinny chimp.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?How skinny??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Eh, pretty skinny. Not skin and bones, but you can kinda see the ribs, and this chimp doesn?t look too healthy.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?So, we?re talkin? Charlie?s Angels Cameron Diaz.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yeah. That?s what this chimp looks like.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?All right. I?m with you. Go on.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Now, you see this chimp and you think to yourself, ?That doesn?t look right,? but you aren?t about to go all ape-sh-t on the ringmaster.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I hear ya. No sense gettin? worked up over something like that. Cool and composed is the way to go.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?That?s what I?m saying, see, PETA, they go ballistic when sh-t like that is goin down, and you and I both know that goin ballistic will get you f-cked-up.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Sh-t yeah.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?But just cause reacting like that is wrong doesn?t mean the ringmasters are doin? nothin? wrong. I mean, what they?re doing to that chimp, or not doin?, is pretty bad. That sh-t doesn?t change.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Agreed.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?But when PETA gets in there and f-cks the ringmaster over, that sh-t ain?t right and they should f-cking know better. I mean, that sh-t is against the rules.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Goes without saying.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Man, PETA just pisses me off.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Left here??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yeah. I?m hungry.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [center][font=Courier New][size=2]-----------------------------[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][b]?Smoked Out?[/b][/size][/font][/center] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]She smoked often in high school. I don?t recall ever seeing her without a cigarette in the morning, before homeroom. Each morning, as I stepped up to the school doors, I would see her standing on the far side of the building, smoking her morning cigarette. Sometimes I would stand and watch her, and sometimes she would smoke her first cigarette fast enough to allow time for a second. Sometimes she would even have time for a third. The bell for homeroom would ring, usually after her second cigarette, and she would come running to the door.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Of course, she would have to stop and cough along the way, and catch her breath, but she still ran. It was sad to see, really. She ran track up until our junior year. She had to drop out due to health issues. Her parents and coaches believed it to be her asthma returning, but the students knew the real reason. I had all eight periods with her, and I saw the effects, too.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Her teeth were stained yellow; she had a wheezing, hollow cough, and that putrid smell of smoke followed her around, suffocating those around her. The smell was oppressive. It assaulted my nose and it was so heavy that I could taste it on the tip of my tongue. She would reek of smoke the entire day. Each class she would ask the teacher if she could go use the bathroom. I sat close to the door in most classes, so I would watch her exit, and get assaulted by that obnoxious stench, that smell that infests everything.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]A few minutes would pass and she?d enter, a heavy dose of perfume sprayed on to mask the aroma. She would stroll back to her desk, content with her nicotine hit, still craving more, and coughing all the while.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Lunch was fifth period, and I watched her go ask to go to the bathroom, where she would smoke two, maybe three cigarettes. I imagined what her lungs must look like. Grayed on the outside, black on the inside. Dead tissue everywhere. The parts of her lungs that were still functional were fighting to survive. It was a disturbing image, but very close to reality, I was sure.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]The next morning I was in homeroom early to finish up some schoolwork. The rest of my class filed in, and I heard that familiar ring. A few seconds passed, and then one of my classmates screamed.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oh, my God! Someone help her! Call an ambulance!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]We rushed to the window and saw a body. Our teachers told us to stay there, but we didn?t listen. An ambulance had just pulled up as we ran outside. They raced to the body and checked for a pulse, then covered her with a white sheet. I didn?t see the face, but I saw the cigarettes.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [center][font=Courier New][size=2]-----------------------------[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2]excerpt from:[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][b]"College Jobs"[/b][/size][/font][/center] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?So, Pete, what?s up??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I?ve got a job.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Awesome!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yeah.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Heh, now that you?re a working guy, snacks are on you, dude.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Shithead.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?OK, Mike, what are we getting??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oreos.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oreos??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oreos.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Regular??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Doublestuff.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I don?t see them, Mike.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?What the hell??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?What??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Dude, I saw them here yesterday.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Well, they?re not here now.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Dude, that pisses me off.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Pick something else, Mike.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I want to talk to the manager.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Mike, shut-up, dude.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Up yours.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Look, chocolate chip cookies.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Where??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?There.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Mmm?sweet chocolate chips??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Mike?do you want to pay for that, or are you just gonna keep feeling it up??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Heh. Here.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Anything else we want??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Pop-Tarts.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Need more description, Mike, I?m not a mind reader.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Frosted cherry. Hehe??cherry,??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Sick?you?re ****** up, you know that??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yep.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Stop grinning. You look like a schmuck.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I love you, too.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Dude! Get off me.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oh, Pete, why do you push me away?!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Mike!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Please, open up to me!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Get off!?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Haha! That?s the idea! Now give me a kiss, asshole.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Mike, you need help.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Maybe.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?You?re nuts. Screwloose. A few cans short of a sixpack.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yeah, I finished that Heineken yesterday.? ?What Heineken??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?The ones by the sink.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]??that was piss, dude?you were supposed to clean them out.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Oh well. Didn?t taste a difference.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Crazy. Totally wacko.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?I?m not the crazy one.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?What??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Nothing??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Okay?I?m going to pay for these. You wait over there.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Do I have to??[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Yes.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Darn. I wanted to play with the cashier.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?No. Go over there.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Fine. I?m going to get you back.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Sure.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?When you?re asleep.?[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]?Go stand by the cookies.?[/size][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][font=Courier New][size=2]?Mmm?cookies.?[/size][/font][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [center][font=Courier New][size=2]-----------------------------[/size][/font][/center] [center] [/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][b]"Who Goes There?"[/b][/size][/font][/center] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]It is a veritable battleground. We are involved in a conflict of epic proportions. But it is not only us versus them. We are not the only ones fighting. Us versus him versus they versus them versus it. That is the struggle.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]It is a battle of ideologies, and we cannot tell who is winning.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]When were the battlelines drawn? We do not think any of us can remember. The war started a long, long time ago in a society far, far away. It?s not the same society today.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]What once was authentic punk and The Ramones is now poseur Hot Topic. Kids walking around in black with dog collars at their necks. Are they really punk? Nope. I have heard Hot Topic customers say the store is for poseurs.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]And the battlelines are drawn. Poseur punks have their army. Watch for that spiked hair, it can slice you open.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]It is a battle of ideologies.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Preppies are out in force, denying others the right to exist. They are the majority, but their brains cannot match their numbers. We are not sure what they think; we do not hang around them long enough to find out, nor do we wish to know. They are here and it is now. That is all we need to realize.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Who are we? We are you. We are Marxist Pythonians. A small band of Rebels fighting against the Imperial Empire. We defy by questioning. We are Marxist Pythonians. We secede from the Union to form our own glorious yet tragically flawed Cinnaminsonia. We are Marxist Pythonians. We declare war on the Delranian Republic just for the hell of it.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Who goes there? We go there. We can hear your hushed whispers. We hear what you say. We are all around you, and blend into the masses. We might be that geek in that chair. We might be changing in that locker room. We are everywhere and we are nowhere. We see you and know you are scared. We are different. We think in twice as many dimensions and our objective is clear:[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]We will survive and rise-up to take control of what is rightfully ours. It is only a matter of time. Are we anarchists? No.[/size][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][font=Courier New][size=2]Who goes there? We go there. Who are we? We are Marxist Pythonians, so play nice.[/size][/font][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [center][font=Courier New][size=2]-----------------------------[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [/center] [center][font=Courier New][size=2][b]"The Jesters"[/b][/size][/font][/center] [font=Courier New][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]I'm nothing but a fool.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]I've got bells on my pointy hat[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]And a scepter with a grin,[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]I laugh and joke,[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]And clown and smile[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]And make merry with my kin.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]They laugh at me, they do.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]But they don't know[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]What's really going on.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]They think I'm only[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Having harmless fun,[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]But I'm one of the Jesters,[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]I'm one of the fools.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]And when our day comes,[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]We're going to rule.[/size][/font] [font=Courier New][size=2]Come to my side,[/size][/font] [font='Times New Roman'][font=Courier New][size=2]Come to the side of the Jesters.[/size][/font][/font]

[QUOTE=ScirosDarkblade]Uh, you poor guy. When something is absolutely required of a player in order to play the game, the game isn't "about it." Magic the Gathering isn't "about" knowing that a tournament deck has a minimum of 60 cards. Goldeneye is about UTILIZING well the knowledge of where weapons in a level are; it's not about the knowledge itself, because everyone posesses it. How can you not follow that? And yeah, you should understand that Goldeneye does not base its gameplay on the gamer knowing that B reloads. Again, it's a given that the player knows what button does what. (The controls can be customized anyway, can't they?) Is Goldeneye really "all about knowing what buttons do what"? That would be a funny way of looking at it, seeing as every game ever made has that mindset.[/quote] Sciros, when someone is utilizing knowledge, they possess that knowledge, correct? If a situation requires them to utilize that knowledge in order to be effective, then one lacking the knowledge will be at risk, as they will be unable to succeed because they lack it. Agreed? I realize I am speaking in "Truisms" and you hate that, but just have patience here, please. Now, if one will fail without possessing that knowledge, how does the situation [i]not[/i] emphasize possessing that knowledge? How is the situation [i]not[/i] about possessing particular knowledge? While there are definitely more complicated facets of Magic: The Gathering, where would a player be if they showed up to a Tournament with only 55 cards? What would happen to them? Would they still be allowed to play, even though they do not have sufficient pre-requisites? Where would you be without the Intro Comp Sci courses? Would you be able to function at all in your advanced programming courses without a basic understanding of basic programming functions? You can dress it up all you want, but there is a very real and fundamental core to life, and that is knowing the basics first. Without the basics, people can forget about ever learning advanced techniques/tactics. [QUOTE]As long as you acknowledge that moving along dark areas is stealth, you can call it whatever you want.[/QUOTE] What's the context, Sciros, what's the context? All of what you've described regarding Stealth and PD is nothing more than exploiting a player's lack of knowledge of an area and/or camping. I notice you didn't even bother touching my point about strategy to overcome a camper. [QUOTE]I don't have beef with any "sneaky bastards." In fact, if we're playing Ravine and no radar, it's possible that I'll be that bastard.[/QUOTE] So, this, [quote name='Sciros]It's pretty easy to track a player, [b]unless that player is a total bastard and hugs dark walls so you don't know where he is[/b'].[/quote] isn't having any problem [i]at all[/i] with a sneaky bastard? [QUOTE]If I call someone a "total bastard" in a video game, that doesn't mean I dont like the way he plays. It means he's a mean mofo.[/QUOTE] [b][i]What?!?[/i][/b] What are you trying to say here? [QUOTE]As for your custom setup, I still don't think it's balanced. It's not as if I've never played normal, conventional weapon setups before. I've played them more than anything else. You talk about what it takes for a Falcon-wielder to ovecome a shotgun-wielder. [b]Well, let's turn the tables. All the shotgun guy has to do is close the gap between his opponent and aim just a tad higher than default. Much simpler than maintaining a medium range and hoping the shotgun guy sucks too much to aim at your face[/b].[/QUOTE] And you have just further illustrated the dynamics of the balance of the human element of my weaponset. [QUOTE]As for grenade launcher vs. Falcon, that's really hard to sell as a balanced matchup. (Mind you [b]balanced implies the players are of equal skill levels[/b].) Same goes for remote mines and Falcon. I don't know, man, I think there's a definite weapon of choice in that setup--the grenade launcher.[/QUOTE] Remember, Sciros, that an inexperienced player will normally always go for the grenade launcher, but that doesn't mean he's going to be effective with it. ~_^ [QUOTE]There should never be such a thing as a sure kill. And you'd be very bold to engage a Farsighter at that range, because he might pull out a different weapon and kill you right there. Uhhh, yeah, let's give the guy with the Farsight the biggest window possible for a x-ray kill. Genius strategy. And because the Farsighter has apparently fallen asleep, and so couldn't move his *** away from the balcony. Really, your strategy is completely flawless. Really, PT, looking at your step-by-step breakdown of why my setup isn't balanced, all you did was come up with a way to take out a Farsight-wielder who has to be so clueless as to what's going on he might as well pull out a phoenix, hug the wall, and blow his own face off. Also, nobody says the Farsighter can't pull out a rocket launcher or remote mine himself if he has to. Use the right weapons at the right time. That's how that setup works. Your decision that the defending player has the advantage is very flawed, because it took your defending player a relatively long time to kill the Farsight-shooter. By then that Farsight shooter, looking at the other guy's screen and seeing the obvious strategy, might have turned into a crazy close-up remote mine chucker.[/QUOTE] So then, is the Balcony Farsighter in danger at all? [QUOTE]BUT, we can play "what-if"s about these scenarios all day and all night for a month. [b]Play that scenario against really good players[/b], and you'll see that for every strategy you can come up with they'll come up with a counter-strategy. The only way to know if a scenario is truly balanced is to play it A LOT. Once you do that, come back and tell me what you really think.[/QUOTE] What makes you so sure I haven't played GE/PD to death? What makes you so sure that I haven't explored every option in the game, checked out every angle, weapon-strengths, etc? My cartridges have worn out. PD barely works. GE isn't faring much better. [QUOTE]Simple doesn't mean balanced. It only means simple. And if you try to account for the human element (differing skill levels, which are then only legitimate element to at all consider) in creating a scenario, then it will work well in a lot fewer situations than if you design it for players of equal skill. [b]That's how I make my scenarios. I assume every player is equal in ability[/b].[/QUOTE] I've bolded a few statements regarding "equal skill." If you're designing your scenario with the assumption that every player will be equal in ability, and essentially designing the scenario for that and that alone, what happens when you have varying skill levels? Do your weapons still hold the same potency? Are all players equal? Are any players equal? No two players are alike, remember that, Sciros. In designing a scenario where you are assuming your combatants are equal, you have created a scenario that works only on paper, only in a vacuum. In your extensive playtime, if you can remember, that is, as it has been a long while since you've played (like you mentioned in the PM), who won the majority of the matches? Was the victor different every time? Or was there one player who consistently won? How many players did you play again? Two? Three? Four? (Two, I think it was; one-on-one. Yes, you did mention that in the PM. So, only two combatants at a time?) These are all variables you need to take into account when designing a weaponset. [QUOTE]That's BS through and through. Alien weapons are more powerful only if you forget that more powerful conventional weapons exist (superdragon, RCP120, etc.). Also, with one-hit-kills, the Callisto is virtually worthless compared the human weapons that have either faster firing rates or larger magazines. And the Phoenix is crap against rapid-fire in one-hit-kills in most levels.[/QUOTE] I notice you are crossing the weapon-type boundaries here, or dealing in vagaries. You mention how the Alien weapons are more powerful only when we forget the more powerful conventional weapons like the superdragon and RCP120. I hardly think comparing a weapon like the Mauler or Callisto NG to something like the RCP120 is wise. They are different types of weapons, in what are essentially different categories. As I recall, they do inhabit entirely different places on the weaponsheet in PD. Regarding one-hit-kills and the Callisto's (supposed) ineffectiveness, what do you think about GE's Klobb? The Phoenix's inferiority to rapid-fire weaponry...the only rapid-fire [i]pistol[/i] I can think of is the MagSec 4, which you and I both agree is substandard and the Phoenix is far superior to it. The other rapid-fire weaponry are submachine guns and assault rifles. And if you don't feel that the Alien weaponry is in there to unbalance the game, care to explain the Farsight? Perhaps...explore its application in a Deathmatch? [QUOTE]No; But a 9.6 is a better score and for everything PoP did better than NG it did 100 things worse. But let's not talk about that.[/QUOTE] But why take it to heart? A 9.4 is a damn good score and as I recall, IGN [i]did[/i] give Ninja Gaiden an Editor's Choice. [quote]So you assume I don't enjoy any games at all? Hmmm...[/QUOTE] Just a simple question, Sciros, just a simple question.

Now this is a fun topic. Also, I'd like to pre-emptively apologize for the geekiness of this reply. I really should be shot for doing this, lol. Here we go... But remember, Sciros, Aliens have neither compassion nor any sense of honor at all. They'll go right for the throat regardless of whether or not you've got a weapon. Actually, correction. The [spoiler]Queen Alien is the only intelligent Alien, because she doesn't attack Ripley right away, as Ripley is holding a flamethrower near her babies. Maternal instinct. A very nice touch on the part of Cameron, wouldn't you say?[/spoiler]. But based on what I've read regarding AvP, it's simply a warrior Alien, not a Queen. Though, that would be [i]extremely[/i] interesting, if the Alien of AvP were a Queen. But to answer your question, and to also lead into Shigeru's points... [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370263/plotsummary]AvP plot summaries[/url] [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370263/trivia]AvP trivia[/url] [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100403/trivia]Predator 2 trivia[/url] In our discussion about Aliens fighting Predators, and who would win, we've mentioned AvP and the EU comics. But I find myself questioning the validity and connection between AvP/comics and Predator 2. Predator 1 was released in 1987, and I think it's reasonable to say that it actually took place in 1987, given the jungle conflict present in the movie. The AvP comics were first published in August of 1989. Predator 2 was released in 1990, but bases itself in 1997. Now, screenwriting is a rather labor-intensive process and often, a screenplay takes about 5 or 6 months to write. There are some authors who can bang them out quickly, but on average, let's give it half-a-year. Also, [url=http://www.norcalmovies.com/Predator2/]this page[/url] may assist us in pinning down Predator 2's development. While I don't want to fully trust this site, it's the best we have to go on. If P2 really was filming on August 24th, 1990, the script had been completed far before that. Now, given the setting (a heatwave in CA), filming would have made the most sense during the summer. The majority of [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100403/locations]filming[/url] was done in Los Angeles, as well. This summer filming places the script completion somewhere around early 1990, possibly January or even December of 1989. It seems only fair to give P2 a few months for pre-production, casting and so forth. If the script had been completed in January, that means it would have been started sometime in July of 1989, which is a month before the first AvP comic was published. I'm not suggesting that this is insanely important or anything, but it's still worth mentioning, I think. Okay, now let's talk about the skulls. There are a wide variety of skulls in that shrine, and we could say the same thing about any of them. It's certainly plausible that [i]any[/i] one of those skulls belongs to a creature the Predators have been hunting for centuries. So, Shigeru, I see what you're getting at, but in all fairness, any one of those creatures could have been just as, if not more deadly, than the Aliens. Of course, they could also have been incredibly weak, but we just can't be sure and if they were weak, why would the Predators hunt them at all. Considering this, we have to ask ourselves: is there a real connection between Predator 2 and AvP comics, or is it merely coincidence? I honestly think it's more coincidence than anything else. But where does the AvP movie fit into all of this? This is best answered in terms of the Alien Saga Timeline. The AvP movie is based in the early 21st century, on Earth. Now, that would mean the AvP movie is a prequel to the Alien series. After all, Ridley Scott's Alien is dated "Sometime in the future," and Cameron's Aliens takes place 57 years after that. In the span of those 57 years, LV-426 has been colonized with rather rudimentary atmospheric stabilizers. Prior to Alien, it's very safe to say that LV-426 had never been touched by human feet, and given the premise of AvP, how is that possible? If humans--Weyland himself--discovered the Aliens long before the Nostromo ever was sent out, how is it that LV-246 had never been explored? [url=http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/PDVD_593.jpg]Retrieving a specimen[/url] in Alien makes no sense if humans had already had experience with the Aliens in AvP, and had access to specimens on Earth. They would simply go colonize LV-426, no need for the Nostromo to do anything. So...using AvP (comic/movie) as support is risky, because there are some rather significant snags with their interactions with the series themselves. Did I make any sense at all? When we're finished with this discussion, and in keeping with my Alien mood, lol... Sarah Connor versus Ellen Ripley.

Two things, firstly. One, SPOILER TAGS, lol. We're talking about something that some people may not have seen/read, so let's Spoiler this, people. Second, what everyone must keep in mind when talking about preparation in the fight against Aliens or Predators, is that [spoiler]the humans still die[/spoiler]. Let's go through this systematically, starting with the Alien series. [b]Ridley Scott's Alien:[/b] We've all seen it, and we've all loved it. We watch the [spoiler]unlikely heroine, Ripley, overcome a nightmarish deviant sexual predator[/spoiler], on an isolated ore freighter deep in space. The tagline reads: "In space, no one can hear you scream." It looks extremely grim for Ripley. That goes without saying. The Alien easily [spoiler]devours/kills/rips apart, etc[/spoiler] Ripley's crew. It is only through adaptation that Ripley [spoiler]survives[/spoiler]. Now, this can be viewed as lack of preparation, surely, but the lack of preparation is not the fault of the crew of the Nostromo. They were simply following Company policy, and were never designated for a rescue/reconaissance mission to begin with. They are miners, essentially, the "average Joe, blue collar employee." They have no reason at all to carry high-tech weaponry, except for the flamethrower, and even then, the flamethrower was nothing flashy. Given the circumstances, survival was not an option for any of the crew, and this is very strongly supported by the flow of the film. The only reason that Ripley [spoiler]lives[/spoiler] is because she knows what is around her (the airlock, the harpoon, the coolant jets, etc). Really, there are two different types of "preparation" of the series. I think the best way to categorize them is...the preparation in Alien is knowledge. [b]James Cameron's Aliens:[/b] And the preparation in Aliens is technology. The Marines are battle veterans. They are trained for combat. We expect them to survive, because this is what they do. We see the SmartGuns; we see the rifles, shotguns, grenades, magazines, etc. We see this unbending regiment of high-tech soldiers, ready to blow the **** out of anything that moves. As I recall, one of the dropships had a "BugKiller" logo on it, or something to that effect. Combat is what these Marines live for. They love it, except maybe for Hudson ("Game over, man, game over!"). Now, if they are so well-prepared why do they [spoiler]die[/spoiler], you may ask. The answer is simple. They have very little knowledge of the colony itself. Burke, one who works for the Company, knows absolutely nothing about the layout. And because of this lack of knowledge of the colony, the Marines meet an untimely end. One of the final scenes in the film, the scene in which [spoiler]Ripley and the Marines realize they forgot to seal up the access hatchways; Hicks climbs up on a ladder, pops open a grate, turns his head to see quite a few Alien warriors crawling toward them[/spoiler], proves this. The Marines still had enough ammo and weaponry to make a stand, and they would have been able to fend off the attack, had they had complete knowledge of the facility, the kind of knowledge that allowed Ripley to [spoiler]survive[/spoiler] in the original. Had they possessed the complete knowledge of the colony, the access hatchway infiltration would not have been possible. Basically, you can have the greatest weaponry known to man and still get slapped around if you don't know where everything is. [b]Alien 3 and Resurrection:[/b] I really don't even count Resurrection as an Alien film, simply because it has one of the worst excuses for a set-up I've ever heard of. I'll make this brief, because quite frankly, the last two entries in the Alien saga just aren't worth talking about at length. There is really no meat to them at all, so... I'd be inclined to say that everyone died in Alien 3 due to a combination of lack of both types of preparation. While the prisoners certainly knew the layout of the complex, they did not possess Ripley's adaptive qualities. And really, they didn't know the layout all that well, come to think of it. Only one or two of them really knew where things were. Okay, now let's move on to Predator. [b]Predator 1 and 2:[/b] Arnold in the jungle, has to fight an [spoiler]alien invader/bounty hunter[/spoiler], in a sense. Yes, the Predator is unbelievably powerful, possesses deadly weaponry and [spoiler]kills everyone but Arnold and the woman[/spoiler], but why? How? Arnold figures it out late in the film. The Predator has a very strict code of combat conduct. If its opponent has a weapon (the machine guns in Predator 1, for example), then the Predator will utilize its own high-tech, projectile weaponry. However, this also means that if the opponent is limited to hand-to-hand combat, the Predator must toss aside his blades, shoulder cannon, even mask. Gray Fox in Metal Gear Solid is the Predator of the game, both literally and figuratively. Now, I realize the Predator assessment was extremely brief, but let's hit the conclusion. When matched up against each other, Alien vs Predator, the Alien will win. Here is why. The Alien is close-combat only, and it would besmirch the Predator's honor if the Predator were to engage in long-range combat, because it so clearly has the advantage in long-range. I think it is very reasonable to say that a Predator would much prefer a fight somewhat weighted in the opponent's favor, than a guaranteed Predator victory. It is because of this strict adherence to honor that the Alien would win. We have all agreed that in close-combat, the Alien would be the victor, and considering what we have seen in the respective series, both in the films themselves and comics (although, Sciros, you [i]know[/i] the only reason Bats or Supes win is because they're the hero of their respective comics, lol, so using those comic books as support is like stacking the deck), there is no question that the Alien would win.

Charles, you know me too well. ~_^ [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19290&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19291&stc=1[/img]

Glad to see this ancient comic is getting a positive response, lol. It's really the first sprite comic I ever did. I had messed with various little things in Paint, but never anything with an actual plot. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19274&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19275&stc=1[/img]

Interesting question. While I don't RP too often, I do pop in there now and then, to see what's going on. To be honest, I find most of the RPGs in there to be dismal. There are some shining gems, however, like Zidargh's Zelda RPG. Zidargh is really focused on what he wants to do, and recently cut a few members in the middle of the RP, because they disappeared. He (right?) knows what he wants and has a very distinct vision. I find that very excellent. Kill Adam certainly has revolutionized the idea and execution of the RPG. Like Zidargh, James is incredibly focused on his characters. He may not appreciate me saying this, but he's like Tarantino, heh. Sara had a CareBears RPG a while back, and that was immensely fun to read. Quite frankly, though, 90% of the RPGs in there have been done time and time again. I keep seeing the same ideas and execution, often, RPGs with "PG-13 for coarse language and mild sexual material." While I'm not offended, lol, it does become tiresome. I quote BASEketball: "Same Old Crap." The Adventure Arena needs a good kick in the crotch, I think, and some actual life in there. My idea of an RPG isn't necessarily dependent on the RPG being original, though that does help immensely. My most important criteria for positive quality of an RPG is organization and focus, on the parts of everyone involved. My first and only RPG so far, Body Language, was incredibly unfocused and disorganized. Many will blame me for that, but we really had no structure at all to begin with, and that was a problem. I think that experience helped construct Spirited Away, actually. Spirited Away is the RPG I'll be starting up within the next few days that's based in a high school during Spirit Week. I saw the conventional Sci-fi/Action/"Mature"/Fantasy RPGs that clutter the Adventure Arena, and I feel Spirited Away is my response to that. It's a light-hearted and goofy comedy about a few high school students surviving Spirit Week. I've already spoken with some Mods about the structure of it, and that was an immense help in understanding what would and wouldn't work, or what would be overly difficult to manage. I think the most important thing to keep in mind when making an RPG is to not bite off more than you can chew. Some of the RPG creators there shouldn't be creating stories, quite honestly. Basically, I strive for focus, organization, and effectiveness out of simplicity.

Thanks for the reply, CrH. I'll post more then, as to give you a better idea of what the plot is. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19248&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19249&stc=1[/img]

Just a very old Zelda sprite comic I was working on a while back. Suddenly had the urge to get back into it, possibly finish it. I will if people want more, that is. [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19272&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19246&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19273&stc=1[/img]

[center][img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/Star_Wars_Battlefront_Title_Image.jpg[/img][/center] [quote][b]May 14, 2004[/b] - At E3 this year, we were treated to an eight PS2 LAN setup at the LucasArts booth where we got some hands-on time with the multiplayer side of the game. As you probably already know by now, [i]Battlefront[/i] is similar to [i]Battlefield 1942[/i], only set in the Star Wars universe. The game takes place in both classic and new Star Wars settings, ranging from Tatooine to Endor to Naboo. The first map we played was Endor, home of the Ewoks. We chose to play as an Imperial scout going up against the rebel scum, [b]so we hopped into an AT-ST[/b] and started blasting all of the rebels we could see. We also had to contend with the [b]Ewoks on the map, who had set up various traps for us, such as huge swinging logs to take out our AT-STs just like from the movies[/b]. While the game is mainly team-based, [b]you will get some NPC assistance (or, depending on which side you're on, resistance)[/b] on some maps. For example, the Ewoks will help the rebels on Endor, the Gungans will support against the Trade Federation on Naboo, and the [b]Tuskan Raiders on Tatooine will try and kill anything that moves[/b]. The next map we played was the frozen wasteland Hoth. We decided to take the high road and join the rebel side this time. We knew it was coming, but it was still an impressive site to witness as the [b]Imperial forces started coming toward our base in AT-ATs.[/b] Being foolhardy (or just a fool), I chose to be a pilot and told the guy playing at the station next to me to hop in the back seat of my snowspeeder. We took off to try and take out the incoming walkers. We got to the AT-ATs in one piece and I told the tow gunner to let it rip. He got a direct hit and [b]I started turning to wrap the cable around the legs, but I got a little too excited and rammed the snowspeeder into the ground. Luckily as a pilot my character can survive vehicle crashes, but my tow gunner was toast.[/b] Sorry, dude. Map three was Kamino, the water planet from Episode II where the Jango clones were being created. This time it was droids versus clones. Taking the side of the droids, I chose a heavy battle droid and, shifting to my ball form, rolled my way down to where the action was. The heavy battle droid is equipped with a powerful blaster gun which makes good for the killing, but the heavy droid is also very slow and a prime target for all those fast clone troopers. While we were only playing four on four today, [i]Battlefront[/i] will support up to 64 players online on the PC, with 16 players supported on the consoles, or 32 over a LAN. Among the multiplayer types, expect team deathmatch action, as well as a number of objective-based multiplayer maps where one side may have to protect a base while another tries to destroy it. Expect to be playing [i]Star Wars: Battlefront[/i] yourself when it's released for the PC, PS2 and [url="http://xbox.ign.com/articles/515/515938p1.html#"]Xbox[/url] on the same day as the trilogy DVD set: September 21, 2004.[/quote][center]Some images:[/center] [img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/star-wars-battlefront-200405070307777.jpg[/img] [img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/swbattlefront_041404_000.jpg[/img] [img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/starwarsbattlefront_031604_000.jpg[/img] [img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/swbattlefront_021304_010.jpg[/img] [img]http://img49.photobucket.com/albums/v151/madsatirist/Album%201/swbattlefront_021304_009.jpg[/img] I've been following this game for a while now, and it's sounding better and better. Some of these screenshots are very nice. I can't wait to play it. I love the body physics in there, especially the ones on Naboo.

Hi evry1!!! I jst got bak from ceein 13 Gong On 30 and I luved it!!1!!! Ahem. Forgive me, I couldn't resist. Now, I recently saw 13-30 yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. I had read fairly positive reviews of it, finding many comparisons to the movie, Big, starring Tom Hanks, but I wasn't expecting anything in the same league as Big. I think the best one word review of 13-30 is "cute." It's similar to the typical chick flick popcorn fare, but the 80s Nostalgia in it gives it major bonus points. There's an entire dance scene of Thriller, lol, and Pat Benetar has a very significant influence near the end of the movie. The acting was better than I expected, especially Matt, the best friend--older Matt, obviously. The kids were kids, basically. Garner looked very comfortable in the role; she was very believable. But, there were a few things I found iffy, primarily how trite one of the last scenes was. Garner is doing this presentation for a re-design of the magazine she works at, and her theme is a "reconnecting with what makes us happy." While plot-wise it makes sense for her speech, thematically it doesn't feel right because it's so blunt. That's not to say 13-30 is a bad film, because it's not. It's actually pretty enjoyable. I think the 80s stuff is worth the ticket price alone, lol.

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade]I haven't agreed and I won't agree. It's essential to know where the weapons/ammo are, but everyone does! That's why it's not [i]about[/i'] it! Just like it's not about knowing what buttons do what. Goldeneye might be about effectively utilizing the knowledge of where the weapons and pickups are, but it's not about the knowledge itself.[/quote] Sciros, forgive me if I sound insulting, but you are operating with absolutely no logic whatsoever with the above phrase, lol. If a game requires the player to have extensive knowledge of a level, weapon locations, etc, so that the player may do well, then the game certainly places an emphasis on knowing where things are, right? You should agree with that. It's common sense. And since said game strongly emphasizes this understanding of the level/weaponry, the game is certainly "about" that. Now, let's examine your "button" statement. You're saying that a game does not base itself at all on the player's understanding of the A Button being used for a normal, physical attack, and the B Button being used for special moves? Are we to then say that...an FPS like GoldenEye does not base its gameplay on the gamer knowing that B reloads? What are you trying to say here? What point are you trying to make? [QUOTE]Not hiding, but moving along dark areas. Without radar, someone glancing quickly at your screen won't know where you are if you do that. Yes, it [i]is[/i] a stealth tactic. But also, "camping" in PD can be overcome with strategy anyway, so it's not really a cheap tactic.[/QUOTE] You're arguing semantics. "Hiding" and "moving along dark areas" are the same thing, only with different phrasings. Okay, now if Camping can be overcome with strategy, and thus is not a cheap tactic, why do you have beef with the "sneaky bastards" who hide in the shadows? Surely, there are ways to overcome that, strategies one can develop? [QUOTE]Well, the setup you described is far from balanced, so really all it tells me is you dislike alien weaponry.[/QUOTE] "Far from balanced"? Not at all. When you play without the One-Hit-Kill and Instant Kill Alien Weaponry, you will find this selection of Conventional weaponry is very balanced. You see, you play with a very Extreme set-up, which doesn't allow for proper balance at all, because with One Hit Kill, a simple chop will kill you. Without One Hit Kill, one headshot from the Farsight will do you in. I'm going to go into that balance issue in more detail later in this reply. But I'm going to explain right now how my Custom Set-up is balanced. With the weapons I have selected (Falcon, Shotgun, CMP150, maybe a Proxie or Remote Mines, and a Grenade Launcher), I place much more emphasis on the player's talents. You see, the guns in my set-up are relatively simple, but in the hands of an expert, the Falcon can overcome the Shotgun. I've done it. It comes down to knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the weapons themselves. The Falcon is a rapid-fire and very accurate weapon, with a very quick reload time. The Shotgun is the opposite: slow to fire, slow to reload, but very powerful when its blast connects. The key to victory in a Falcon vs Shotgun firefight is a matter of getting the correct distance. The Pistoleer is better in long-range and mid-range, while the Shotgunner needs to get in close. But there is another balance that needs to be considered here. The Falcon sits much higher up than the Shotgun, and moving into close range means that a headshot is much more likely. But this increased headshot probability comes with a price to the Pistoleer, as the Shotgunner can decimate in close-range. Many view it as suicide to go up against a Grenade Launcher with nothing but Remote Mines. This is not a problem when those Mines are handled by an experienced player who knows the button combination for Quick Detonation. But, if that Grenade Launcher is in the hands of someone who is also very skilled, the match becomes a very taut and exciting one. While the Grenadeer may have the advantage of a high-powered projectile, the Miner (lol) can toss those Mines anywhere, stick them to ceilings, and even have a much greater level of control of his explosions than the Grenadeer. The CMP150 is there simply if they want to try something different. It's a neat little machine pistol that's oh-so-cute and I find its inclusion gives some help to a Newbie. The Lock-On Secondary Function will at least give them a taste of how the aiming will work. See? Just conventional weapons and player skill. [QUOTE] Very good analysis. But it's not complete. Explosives are indeed often effective at killing people on the level (besides the Farsight, which we placed on the balcony, making it actually useful), but G5 is not just mid-range combat. It's often extremely close-range combat. There are small rooms full of pillars all over the place. Wielding an explosive weapon and trying to take out a very mobile player is extremely risky. Even with the Phoenix's secondary. Often, in such situations, the MagSec or the Phoenix's primary is your best bet if you don't want a suicide or a kill/suicide.[/quote] You'll notice that I do make mention of the Phoenix's Dual Function: [quote name='Anime_fangurl*247]Thus, the Phoenix is the best weapon for your set-up. It has a nearly identical clip to the MagSec 4, is much faster than the rocket launcher, is much safer for the user than the remote mines, and in terms of alien weapons, is much more effective in the type of combat most closely associated with G5, that being mid-range combat. [b]Also, the Phoenix is a dual-purpose weapon, as it features conventional-type rounds as the Primary Function, and explosive rounds as Secondary[/b'].[/quote] I am fully aware of the dangers of close-quarters explosives, and you will see that "conventional-type rounds as the Primary Function" illustrates that awareness. [quote]Also, if someone is a beast with the XR-20, he can keep up with you running all over the level simply by not holding down "aim" all the time, but rather letting it go to manually aim the gun and have it catch up to you. Additionally, the XR-20 makes people frantic, and considering they can only get you if they go up to the corridor that leads to the balcony, you have plenty of time to prepare a remote mine. So you see, in my setup, each weapon has a purpose. And each can be deadly if used right. So there's balance.[/QUOTE] Sciros, nope. I went through Perfect Dark earlier today and did an extensive field test. The angles are all wrong for the Balcony Farsight. I'll explain it to you. Keep these points in mind. 1) You're playing with One Hit Kill, and featuring Explosive Weaponry. 2) We're all very much aware of the GE Engine in place. 3) Because of this Engine, we know that explosions go through walls. 4) Because of this explosion-wall dynamic, your weapon placement does not benefit the Farsighter in the Balcony. 5) You have placed a Rocket Launcher on the walkway directly in front of the Balcony. 6) While this placment does make it difficult for a player to pick-up the Rocket Launcher when the Balcony Farsighter is active, it is not a sure kill, regardless of the skill level. 7) This is because the opposing player can easily go to the other side of the stage, where you have placed Remote Mines. 8) Upon picking-up the Remote Mines, the opposing player can then run through the Balcony Farsighter's half of the stage. 9) But the opposing player does not have to confront the Farsighter in the small corridors before the Balcony. 10) This is because of the GE Engine and the explosion-wall dynamic. 11) With this understanding of the explosion-wall dynamic, the opposing player simply has to set a Remote Mine on the wall, on the opposite side of the Balcony Farsighter, and detonate. 12) The resulting explosion with kill the Balcony Farsighter, because of the explosion-wall dynamic. This is only one of a variety of battle responses. Addendum: If the opposing player is not confident in their abilities to execute this maneuver, then there is a second Farsight rifle in the stage. Conclusion: The Balcony is not a strategically sound location. It is a bottleneck, and the player utilizing it for cover is putting themselves more at risk because of the increasingly confined space. Advantage: Opposing Player. [QUOTE]If everyone has the same gun, then no-one has an advantage. The "human element" has barely any place in this discussion, because it always exists. Are you trying to say that there's no such thing as a balanced weapon setup in practicality?[/QUOTE] The human elemnt has a significant place in this discussion, because the human element is skill, and the varying levels of it. The game is just a game. When human players begin, however, then it gets interesting. Very rarely is there a balanced weapon set-up, Sciros. Your Custom Set-Up is not balanced because it does factor in the need for a controlled environment. You cannot expect to have a balanced fight with Explosives and One Hit Kills, and the Farsight. It doesn't work that way. By adding all of these extra conditions, you are not leveling the playing field. You are not simplifying the playing field. In fact, you are only further complicating it and further diluting what you are striving to achieve: balance of gameplay. You are concentrating on the game itself. Don't do that. Concentrate on the human element. Concentrate on the gamer[b]s[/b]. Simplify. Use conventional weaponry with -2 Health, and no extra features. That's a balanced game. If you disagree with that, think about why the Alien Weapons are in the game. To provide high-powered killing instruments. To give the gamers an edge over every other weapon in the game. The Alien Weapons' sole purpose of the game is to [i]unbalance[/i] the game. [quote]Concerning IGN, I still have found them to be the most reliable of any reviewing site out there. True, like all reviewers they can really mess up (Mario Kart 64..., then there's giving Prince of Persia 9.6 and Ninja Gaiden a 9.4.. don't know what they were smoking), but usually they're more right than wrong.[/quote] A 9.6 and 9.4 are bad scores? [quote]But I'm probably more critical of games than IGN is, really. There aren't that many games out there that I really, truly like. It's gonna take a lot for any game, whether its Doom 3 or Half-Life 2 or G:RA, to really impress me.[/QUOTE] Then how can you enjoy anything? I'm serious when I ask that, too. How can you expect to enjoy any game at all?

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']My point is that it's a given. Everyone knows where all the weapons and ammo are. It doesn't set you apart from anyone, which is why Goldeneye isn't about it.[/quote]But we've all agreed that GoldenEye [i]is[/i] about knowing where weapons are. We've all agreed that it's a very important point of the game. In the middle of a fire-fight, when your opponent has run out of Shotgun shells, and you're closer to the Ammo Dump than he is, are you going to let him refill? No. Through that fire-fight, if you see his Ammo Count dropping into the single digits, and you know precisely where that Ammo Dump is, you are going to force him away from it. You see, out of knowledge, comes effectiveness. [QUOTE]Ummm, ammo and the gun it's for are usually in the same spot. I don't see how this has anything to do with knowing or not knowing the location of either.[/QUOTE]When you have Infinite Ammo, you don't need to get ammunition, right? And thus just picking up the gun is enough. Without the cheat, however, you need to know where the gun is so you can get the necessary ammo. Picking up AR33 rounds when your ZMG is empty will do you no good, meaning in order to survive, you need to know where the ZMG is. And, you may ask why not just use the AR33 when you pick-up the ammo for it. What if someone else has anticipated that and the AR33 has already been picked-up? Again, this is "out of knowledge, comes effectiveness." I can't tell you how many times I've cheated my friends out of ammunition, weapons, body armor, just from anticipating their needs in the game. Sometimes, you don't even need to kill to win the match. You can very effectively shut-down their game by simply preventing them from picking up weapons, because you know where they are, and know the fastest and most effective way to get to them. It is very delicious when they run to pick-up an RCP90 and find you standing over the spot where it once was, your brand-new RCP90 pointed right at their head. [QUOTE]It's pretty easy to track a player, unless that player is a total bastard and hugs dark walls so you don't know where he is. Trust me, it's possible to incorporate stealth into Perfect Dark. Even with players being of equal skill levels.[/QUOTE]If you know of the danger of dark walls, then simply find a different path to your destination. Simple as that. And do correct me if I'm wrong, but hiding in a dark corner/area in order to pick-off passersby is considered camping, correct? [QUOTE]Success in a good game should always depend on relative skill. But skill includes many things, one of which may be being able to know where your opponent is while he doesn't know where you are.[/QUOTE]This is a rather vague statement. What do you mean by "knowing where your opponent is while he doesn't know where you are"? That can be applied to just about every playstyle in FPS. Sniping certainly incorporates that. Camping uses it. Stealth uses it. Also, if we're still talking about GE/PD here, a simple glance to the other players' screens will accomplish that. [QUOTE]Well you mentioned random setup for some reason, trying to make some sort of point, so I figured I'd address it. And it's clear that you don't know how to properly utilize the custom weapons option, seeing as your idea (for some reason interpreted by you as [i]my[/i] idea) of balanced weapons is the following:[/QUOTE]Did I ever imply it was my idea? I merely was wondering what you were trying to say, Sciros. And I'm sure I don't know how to properly utilize the custom weapons option. Futuristic weaponry will only get you so far in PD. Conventional weaponry (non-alien) is much more effective when creating a balanced weaponsheet. My custom set-ups were simply the Falcon, Shotgun, perhaps CMP150, maybe a Proxie or Remote Mines, and a Grenade Launcher. That was it. All conventional weaponry. Is that the set-up of one who doesn't understand the customization? [QUOTE]First of all, balanced weapons doesn't mean they're all the same. It means each weapon can be just as powerful as the others if used well. In PD, in the yellow building with blue walkways and a bottomless pit, one-hit-kills with XR-20, remote mines, rocket lauchers, the triple-shot pistols (I forget the name), and phoenix--that's quite balanced. And the weapons all play differently. Which one would you think is so powerful that everyone is going to go for it?[/QUOTE]G5 Building, I believe. Now, you have at least two explosives out of five. Three, if you count the Phoenix's Secondary Function. When we consider what G5 is, essentially drop death, everyone is clearly going to go for the explosive weaponry. The walkways are quite narrow, and due to splash damage, explosives will prove most effective. The Farsight is useless in this level, due to the intertwining walkways and the slow reaction speed of the weapon. The MagSec 4 is a rapid-fire pistol, but due to its limited clip and skewed rate of fire, not to mention the danger of limiting one's movement while zooming in in an effort to increase accuracy, it proves to be quite inferior to the Phoenix. Thus, the Phoenix is the best weapon for your set-up. It has a nearly identical clip to the MagSec 4, is much faster than the rocket launcher, is much safer for the user than the remote mines, and in terms of alien weapons, is much more effective in the type of combat most closely associated with G5, that being mid-range combat. Also, the Phoenix is a dual-purpose weapon, as it features conventional-type rounds as the Primary Function, and explosive rounds as Secondary. [QUOTE]Secondly, five falcons IS balanced in terms of human players. If it is not, then who would you say has an advantage?[/QUOTE]Five Falcons are balanced in the game itself. Human players introduce the [i]human element[/i], which is a major factor/variable in the gameplay. [QUOTE]Well, IGN is sometimes good and sometimes not that good when it comes to being reliable as far as their impressions of a game go. At least for me personally. I will sometimes disagree with their overall reviews and certainly with what they see as a game's strengths/weaknesses.[/QUOTE]Generally, IGN is overly critical of games. Very rarely will they give an objective review of a Nintendo title, and I've often detected a hint of "true gamer" in their reviews, which does not bode well when we're trying to get a level-headed assessment of a game's qualities. I have found that the majority of the time, an IGN review must be taken with a grain of salt, and also compared with other reviewers on other sites. IGN is pretty slanted. [quote]But still, it is a good sign that despite the game's graphical problems IGN still likes it. But all that means for me is that I'm not going to ignore the game. If IGN said the visuals made them dislike the game, I'd be much more likely to stay away from it altogether.[/QUOTE]Precisely. It's interesting. Because IGN is so hypercritical, we can often be more optimistic about a game when IGN is able to look past the superficial and examine the fundamentals of a game, even while the game is still in development. However, this is also a double-edged sword: because IGN is so hypercritical, when they dislike a game, we have to closely examine why, because IGN is so slanted sometimes.

[quote name='Charles']Pop culture. It owns you; it's everywhere. It overruns the media, gracing the covers of newspapers and magazines.[/quote] Sorry, man, but I found this part much more interesting than just talking about celebrities, lol. Pop culture is certainly a very interesting dynamic of society. We are saturated by it, no doubt about that. We are constantly exposed to an ungodly wide range of subject matter--the scope of it alone should drive us insane. It seems that we are unable to turn on MTV without The Real World/Road Rules parading designer clothes and MTV News has become less music news and more focused on what JLo recently did. By the very sense of the word, MTV is trash. This seeming lack of morality of the entertainment industry is not only limited to MTV, although MTV seems to be the ultimate saturation of this negativity inherent in pop culture. I can think of no other channel, except maybe E! Entertainment, that consistently appeals to the Decadence of society, to the lowest common denominator, if you will. But going back to what I said earlier, MTV and E! are the extreme cases of immoral pop culture, and it's unfortunate that we often label the entirety of pop culture as negative, because of MTV and E!. However, I think it should be noted that there is decency left in popular culture. I find that Sesame Street and the majority of WHYY's programming is very suitable and inoffensive. One cannot deny the "Pleasantville" quality of Sesame Street. I recall seeing a post about it the other day, actually--was your post, actually, Charles. "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" It's the precise illustration of what good there still is in entertainment. While many would disagree with me, South Park is probably one of the most useful tools we can use to examine ourselves, both as individuals and as a society that is eternally plugged-in, as it were. I think the one episode of South Park that most effectively and succinctly mirrors our current state of society is the Dawson's Creek Trapper Keeper episode. It mocks the public obsession with celebrity figures and the characters they play on TV; through the Trapper Keeper assimilating everything around it, the public dependence on technology is criticized, and in fact, as Cartman becomes Trapper Keeper, the loss of identity becomes a prominent theme of the episode. South Park is really a diamond in the rough, when we think about it. Its surface is that of foul-mouthed third-graders, but in recent seasons, the level of entertainment commentary and social satire has increased exponentially, and because of this, South Park has become something of a revolution in pop culture. We see this revolution simply with the shows Comedy Central is producing now. Reno 911, Chappelle's Show (which is social commentary, as well), Man Show (though, it's rather bleh now), Kid Notorious, Tough Crowd...the list goes on. I find that through South Park, we are able to see how ridiculous our perception of celebrities actually is. Mel Gibson, especially, lol. So, I think it is far more appropriate to be able to find humor in celebrities than to elevate them beyond what they are. Granted, some filmmakers deserve special recognition...Kubrick, Spielberg, and Scorcese come to mind, but for the most part, celebrities are just like regular people except with better jobs. It's rather simplistic when you think about it.

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']In Goldeneye there wasn't too much stealth, yes. In Perfect Dark there was, as long as you set up the scenario to where it allowed for it (Ravine, no radar, etc.) But "using the surroundings..." was me telling you Goldeneye was not "all about knowing where the weapons are." Because it's not. James and everyone else here is absolutely right when he says that it was critical to know where things were in Goldeneye. BUT, it took no time at all to learn just where everything was. Everyone knew where to go for body armor, rockets, etc. Playing with anyone except complete newbies, Goldeneye multiplayer was not at all about knowing where everything was. Yes it was critical, but it was also a given.[/quote] Question for you. What do you think "using the surroundings" includes? Weapon location. Knowing which weapon to use at a particular point in the level, and, if lacking the required (most useful) weapon, knowing where to get it. I mean, you can't expect to survive an encounter with an RCP90 when all you hold is a simple Dostoveii pistol (that encounter is possible, too. Power Weapons). Do you agree? Knowledge of weapon location is a much larger part of the game than you are giving it credit for. Do you play with Infinite Ammo, by any chance? If you do, then I see why you aren't as inclined to stress the importance of weapon location. If you don't, however, then something isn't right here. It's quite bad to exhaust your ZMG when you've got an assault rifle bearing down on you. Agreed? The Ravine level with No Radar, huh? I trust you were playing with experienced players? If you were, Ravine with No Radar is not Stealthy at all, because experienced players do not lose track of a target that easily. Ravine may be more complicated, yes, but it's still rather easy to track a player in there, by knowing the level layout. Do you agree? For example, Players 3 and 4 can dart into a lower passageway to try to get the drop on Players 1 and 2, but is it really Stealth (read: skill on the part of P3 and 4) or is it just poor battle strategy on the part of P1 and 2? That needs to be your first criterion for assessing the scenario. Is the success of Red Team dependent on Red Team's skill level, or is that success a result of Blue Team's lack of skill and/or planning? [QUOTE]If you [i]balance[/i] the weapons (i.e. not RANDOM, as you for some reason assumed), then it won't matter which one you pick up! There isn't a "most useful weapon" in that case. There wasn't just a "random" set-up in PD for weapons; there was also a "custom," in case you don't remember.[/QUOTE] Look at the last sentence in that point. [QUOTE]Customization means nothing, because the player will still go right for the heavy-hitting weapons or the most useful weapon.[/QUOTE] What do you think CUSTOMIZATION is? What do you think I was referring to when I said CUSTOMIZATION? I'll give you a hint. Random wasn't it. So, your idea of balancing is putting five of the same weapon? Five Falcons and nothing else? It may look balanced in that weapon screen, but that's not balanced at all in terms of human players. [QUOTE]Well, first of all dual-wielding and grenade throwing doesn't add anything to make sure players don't experience the same game twice. Those mechanics are cool and fun, and do add to battle strategy, but it's not as if the game would get old without them. Also, I'm not sure what game I've played where I actually cared if I experienced it the same way twice, as long as the game was decent.[/QUOTE] What makes you so sure of it not being beneficial to the game? I'm not here praising everything to no end, but I'm not writing things off. I'm getting more and more interested in what EA is looking to do with this game, and the dual-wielding and grenades are steps in the right direction, considering what Nightfire turned out to be (read: bleh). Surely, you're not hoping for the limitations of Nightfire? [QUOTE]But anyway I'm still looking forward to trying the game out. EA has been steadily improving with their Bond games, and hopefully this one will continue in that trend (as it does seem to be doing). But EA has not only Goldeneye to live up to, it has Halo 2, Timesplitters 3, and a bunch of other competitors to worry about.[/QUOTE] Exactly why we're all interested and impressed by what we've seen so far, because EA seems to be doing the FPS correctly with Rogue Agent. [quote][b]Still, in the end, it's not [i]what's[/i] there that's important; it's how it's done.[/b] The original Halo showed us that. It had 100 times less weapons than Goldeneye and PD, less freedom in multiplayer modes (no kill/time limit options), and zero customizeability with characters (colors, woohoo). But it still pulled off a great game. EA seems to be throwing in a lot of different stuff here, and that's why I'm concerned about how polished all of the gameplay elements will be in the end. After all, there's not THAT much production time going into this game compared to others.[/QUOTE] And EA looks to be getting it done right. The previews and hands-on have been pretty positive, you have to admit, and for IGN to praise something with "chunky [font=Arial]graphics and rough control," that should say something, true?[/font]

Shrek 2 is quite, quite good times. I saw it last night and I can't stop smiling today. Shrek 1 pales in comparison, I think. Where the first just gave us a bare-bones story, Shrek 2 develops it to a remarkable depth. What I found most pleasing about Shrek 2 was how it was a totally logical story progression. In the original, Shrek and Fiona get married. Farquad is dead, Prince Charming is nowhere to be found. What's next? Meet the parents. When the parents are John Cleese and Julie Andrews, you've your work cut out for you, especially when they're expecting a human son-in-law. There are double-crosses, triple-crosses, cross-dressers (Larry King). I'm still amazed at how much they packed into this movie. I don't say this often about animated films, but to catch everything, every little references, nuance, parody, etc, you need to watch this movie a few times. It's that thick.

[QUOTE=Mitch][size=1][color=red] Sara lives in Michigan. Not I. And I second what he says. I'll work through what's wrong myself. I'm glad I'm cynical, I wouldn't have it any other way. I never want to be positive like you. I will never attempt suicide like you did. He's not a person I know, really. Just another face in this world. And he's exactly right. This isn't about what we're even talking about. This is the internet, there is no reason to discuss this. The reason why I reply is because it's fun to see how much I can play with you, and see how deep you can go into the holes I dig for you to claim. My words are a hunting dog, they are heightned with immaculate scent, and a bloodthirsty desire for hunks of flesh. They draw you towards the rabbit hole as the dog edges its proboscis over. Will you claim this hole? is the questioning glance from the dog. There's fresh meat down there, somewhere, in that hole. Who knows how deep it goes. But it's safe to say it goes deep. I know what the word digress means. It means to go off on a tanget, rant, [i]non sequitur[/i]. That's all this is here. It does not follow, it does not follow. My words have no purpose because I have no purpose. Nothing is the purpose, and it serves me well. That's the problem. Just because you don't believe in what I believe anymore, you won't even listen to me, and you won't even give me dignity. Don't you see this is what I said? The irony is blooming. You cannot even give me enough respect to listen to my words. My words may be empty, but they strike a thing which has sustenence. They do have something to say. The words are a vessel to meet the end. And you cannot hear them, and my vessel is useless for you. This is the truth for me, Alex. I see life as a skeleton, deep down, as my primal feeling, as the singular, anomalous thing that's crawling on down there. I look towards the end because in the end, my world ends, and this world goes on. And I see that my affect on this world is quite small. I find it's more fun to be negative about it than see it any other way. I find hilarity in this control. As a laugh finds breadth in the chest, I find breadth in what holds me in, too. What makes me tick and what makes me beat, like a heart, I find control. This discussion is over. For time is a tick crawling in my skin, and I've got to go about festering over the day with it. Alex, I'm not trying to redefine you, so why are you trying to redefine me? Again, you're being condescending to the fact that you cannot and will not give respect to my beliefs, to my purposes, to my feelings. You will not accept me for who I am, you are trying to change who I am, you think what you think is absolute--that it is the only correct thing to believe. This is a provincial approach. But I am done, continue being who you are, I shall continue being who I am, and so will the entire world, the status quo with it. [/color][/size][/QUOTE] Let me ask you a simple question, with a Yes or No answer: Do you feel fulfilled?

[quote][color=red]Alex, realize I don't always feel nihilistic. It's when I feel negative that I write most.[/color][/quote] So, then, you do see good in the world that isn't your own person? You do think there is value to life then? Careful here, Mitch. [QUOTE][color=red]I thought Undefeated's post was quite enlightening, unlike your posts in this thread, Alex.[/color] [/QUOTE] Why did you find his post enlightening and not mine? Perhaps because it was sugarcoated? [QUOTE][color=red]Regardless of what you think being an individual entails, Alex, my views on the subject differ in their defining. Just because I think the world's out to get me doesn't take a thing from you.[/color][/QUOTE] And it doesn't give you anything good, now does it, except for pain and sorrow. Mitch, think about this. Look what your obsession with being an individual has transformed you into: a bitter, annoyed, apathetic, burnt-out shell of a human being. I don't insult you here, either. Do you honestly believe that being bitter, annoyed, apathetic, and burnt-out is doing you any good whatsoever? What I said regarding Individualism is how Individualism will [i]help[/i] you, not hurt you, because, Mitch, the way you've been utilizing Individualism is ruining your life. [QUOTE][color=red]I also have yet to see some positive feedback on this poem from you, Alex.[/color][/QUOTE] If I don't see any positives, do you honestly believe I'd make something up? Also, I thought you didn't care about what I've said here, and no matter what I say, it doesn't matter to you, so why bother mentioning my post at all? Why bother replying to me? Why, you may ask? Because you do care. Somewhere in you there is a part of you that wants to hear me out. [QUOTE][color=red]And just as Undefeated said, it's an "expression" of a feeling at a certain time. Do you think I walk around feeling like this all the time? If you do, then I guess you do. I know I don't. I've written happier things before, such as the recently posted "Meety Your A Pock A Lips," which I thought was great fun. Also, so what if I think the world's taking away who I am? Alex, you don't even know my feelings, and why I feel this way, and how it feels, because you are a different person. How do you think you can just brush all of me aside and somehow think you know exactly how I feel and that I'm exactly wrong? You can't, and that is called twisting me to be what you want me to come out as, putting words in my mouth. Before you can just write off what I feel as petty, wrong feelings, you first have to try to feel what I feel as much as you can. And you can't, because you don't even know me, other than from what your conception of me has been from what you've pieced together here on the net. You don't know me, and thus you can't label me down or say, with absolute security, what's wrong with me, how I should feel, how I should be, and what I really am. I would hope you would have the decency not to do such a thing as that is, but it is apparent you can't and won't.[/color][/QUOTE] Wait, let me get this straight. Simply because I live in New Jersey, and you live in Michigan, and we do not know each other at all in real life, I am unable to understand you at all? A while back, I told you that I know exactly where you're coming from. Do you remember it? I've got the IM saved somewhere. Later today I'll find it and Edit in the excerpt. But, Mitch, I was once a Junior in high school, too, heavily interested in writing, both comedy and teen angst; I was defiant to the point of being rude to others trying to help me; I was upset about my life, I couldn't find joy in much of what I did; I went from happy to insanely depressed between Creative Writing and Journalism (Yes, that's right. JOURNALISM). Mitch, back in my Junior year, [i]I was you[/i]. Hard to believe, right? It's the truth. That is why I'm able to sit here, in South Jersey, and tell you exactly what you're doing wrong, because I did it, and I know where it will lead, and I know that the destination will not be good [i]at all[/i]. You still think I have no idea what I'm talking about? You still think I have absolutely no idea what's going on inside your head? [quote][color=red]Obviously you didn't hear my first post to you on the subject of dignity, and other things. I've been trying to make you hear me for a while, but you just let the words hit not in the heart but in the ego. I don't even see a reason to digress any further on that point, or do it with you. Once playing possum with my words, always playing possum with my words.[/color][/quote] Quick question for you. You do know that "digress" does not mean "discuss," right? "Digress" means to go off on a tangent, to ramble, and I'm positive that's not what you were meaning when you used that. Now, dignity is something that I use often, but not here, because frankly, when people use diplomacy with you, or even subtlety, I've noticed that you don't see it at all. No offence. And it should occur to you now that the reason I've been treating your words as useless is because I've used them in my Junior Year of high school and I know they have no purpose.

Undefeated, I strongly advise you to think about your post a bit more before you decide to post it. It sounds incredibly rambly and hyper. Well, the hyper part I can understand. It's 4 am where I am, too, and I'm wide-awake. Now, you ask how I am able to reconcile Mitch's worldview with this poem, true? [QUOTE]Why was I given this life When I just want to take it away?[/QUOTE] The very last two lines of the poem. I'm not sure how long you've known Mitch, or how often you've talked to him, but Mitch thinks himself as a Nihilist, more or less. Agent Smith from The Matrix is one of his heroes, apparently, right, Mitch? Nihilism is the obsession with Nothingness, an obsession with the end. To the Nihilist, there is no point to living, because Death is all there is. If you read through Mitch's MyOtaku, you will see this Nihilistic, defeatist worldview become very, very clear. Now, examine those two lines. There is no distinction at all between what those lines mean and what Mitch's worldview entails. Regarding the Individualism point...one can be an individual and still work within the system. I know because I do it. I am my own person but I still am able to adhere to structure, and it is because of this understanding of how the system works that I am able to achieve success. I don't fight the system; I work with it. You see, Mitch has taken that Individualism and turned it into a "fight the world because it will rape me" Ideology. If you look through his MyOtaku, you will find various poems that are rather heavily focused on the rape of the self at the hands of the world. In fact, I seem to recall an "Alex Rapes" poem a while back. Undefeated, let me ask you, who [i]hasn't[/i] been wronged by society?

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']That's wrong. In Goldeneye, you learned where the weapons and ammo were in about 30 seconds of playing a level. From then on it was all about using the surroundings wisely and getting advantageous angles at your opponents, as well as just plain out-shooting them. Goldeneye was certainly not all about knowing weapon/ammo/armor locations. Sure, the body armor was pretty useful. As was knowing where the proxy mines were or something. But really, it took no time at all to know where to go for what you wanted.[/quote] Sciros, you do understand the difference between "using the surroundings wisely and getting advantageous angles at your opponents" and "stealth," right? I ask because, in a [b]Deathmatch[/b], if someone sneaks around a back way in the Facility, Bunker, Complex, etc, that's not Stealth at all, because with or without Radar, an experienced player can counter it easily. And if the experienced player is sneaking around against a Newbie, then it's simply taking advantage of the Newbie, not using Stealth. Think about when P1 has P2 pinned down in the bottling room hallway in Facility. No amount of sneaking will let P2 escape out of there. It's a gauntlet, after all, and only some quick dodging and strafing will give P2 a chance, not hiding in a corner and waiting for P1 to pass by. Like James has said, obviously, some players are going to be very sneaky when it comes to using certain weapons, like Proxies, but even then, it's not Stealth; it's just using battle strategy (and using a very effective method of getting Most Dishonorable, hehehe). Simply, "using the surroundings wisely and getting advantageous angles at your opponents" is something entirely different from Stealthing your way through a Deathmatch. Deathmatch is a fire-fight, regardless of the level. Don't confuse battle strategy with Splinter Cell, please. [QUOTE]Perfect Dark, because it allowed for heavy customizeability, allowed you to balance weapons to the point that "knowing where the weapons are" didn't matter at all sometimes.[/QUOTE] Okay, so what? Random weapons, then what? What do you think the players are going to do then? They're going to learn where the high-powered weapons are in the Random set-up. Customization means nothing, because the player will still go right for the heavy-hitting weapons or the most useful weapon. [QUOTE]Anyway, I'm really wondering about what IGN editor wrote that article on G:RE. Because really, "the combination of duel weapons wielding, grenade throwing, and multiple deathtraps creates a realm in which players can return again and again to a level and never experience it the same way twice"??? What [i]is[/i] this? "The combination of dual weapons wielding, grenade throwing, and multiple deathtraps creates a realm in which players" compare the game to Halo 2 and find that some developers are just plain better than others. If I were EA I'd be a bit careful about where they're going. I don't want a little bit of everything. I want a streamlined but polished direction for the gameplay.[/QUOTE] "The combination of duel weapons wielding, grenade throwing, and multiple deathtraps creates a realm in which players can return again and again to a level and never experience it the same way twice." How in the hell could you have a problem with this? Are you familiar with Nightfire? Trust me when I tell you that what EA is doing with Rogue Agent is very streamlined compared to what they did with Nightfire, AUF, and TWINE. [quote]Really, the game should be called "Goldeneye: Halo Counterstrike Tournament 2005."[/QUOTE] Why? What purpose would that serve?

Let me ask you, Mitch, do you honestly believe what you just replied with? Here's what I think is really going on here: You are so concerned with being an individual that it is clouding your cognition. You are letting a desire to be different rule your life. Did you ever hear the phrase, "Says so much but says so very little"? Mitch, I'm not the one limiting myself here. You are limiting yourself, by insisting on keeping yourself in the box. You see, I've achieved something you have not yet achieved. I've already been on the outside of the box, and I've seen how the box works, so now I'm able to go back into the box and work within the system, not against it. You see, you're treating the outside of the box as something to assist you in a battle. It's not. Thinking outside the box is a way to, say it with me, [i]step back[/i] from a situation. You have never been able to step back from a situation. You may think you have, but you haven't, and here's why. You still treat the world as the enemy. You still treat the world as Death. That's not how it is at all. Only teenagers with a chip on their shoulder think like that. "I am deep because I am dark." That's your entire worldview summed up in one sentence.