Shy

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I'm sure there must be a podcast somewhere that is good, but for the most part I find them kind of boring since I'd rather read the material instead of listening to someone attempt to tell it in a funny manner. :animesigh [/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE][size=1]I listen to a lot of public/talk radio, so I guess I'm used to getting my information that way. Of course, most of the informative podcasts I subscribe to are extremely brief. More than anything else they're for entertainment. As for theOtaku's podcast, yeah... I was shocked by all of the swearing when I listened to it for the first time. I'm not sure if every episode is like that, but it definitely turned me off. Kei: What kind of podcast are you trying to create? -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]A couple things about the Mario Forum article are a bit off. It was added during the upgrade to version 6, not version 5. Version 5 started in April of 2002, and the forum also only shows up in the archive pages of early version 6. Also, I don't think the failure of the Mario forum had much to do with ShineGet.com being scrapped. Or at least I never heard that it did, and I was one of the people working on the site. As I remember it, James just didn't have enough time to devote to the project.[/color][/QUOTE] [size=1]From what I've been told, the failure of the Mario Forum hurt the momentum of the project. None of my team was involved in ShineGet.com, or the Mario Forum, so we obviously don't know from personal experience. The version thing was a simple typo, but both of those errors can be easily corrected. If there is anything else that needs to be corrected, please let me know. Researching this article was a tremendous pain for us. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Okay, the article is up later than expected but it is finally up. Since I'm obviously part of The Sunflowers article I won't be able to work on the review, so I trust you guys to do your best... and hurry! -Shy[/size]

[quote name='James'][color=#606060]The reason we never had a dedicated Moderator was simply because we never needed one. The forum was so tiny and so inactive that it was really something the Category Moderator could handle (or any CM for that matter - not necessarily the one for the anime category). I can't remember who was in that position at the time but I'm pretty sure I'd discussed it with them and we'd agreed that it was better to just let a CM handle the odd problems here and there, rather than hire someone to look after a forum where nothing was happening.[/color][/QUOTE] [size=1]I was in that position at the time, and I don't ever recall being overwhelmed by that forum in particular. It definitely could have used a designated moderator, because it was hardly the least active anime forum at the time. My memory on the whole thing is really fuzzy, to be honest. I'm sure that I agreed that a designated mod was unneccessary. Shrug. I'd really love for someone to update the Digimon forum article into something more comprehensive. I imagine the DragonBall forum one would be next to impossible, though, since most of the major members at the time aren't around anymore. -Shy[/size] [CENTER]---------------------------------------------------------------------------[/CENTER] [size=1]Sorry to double post, but I have an entry to put in. This was done along with members of OB's Survivor's "The Aces" (8bit, BKStyles, Ezekiel, Keyblade Wielder and myself.) [indent][b]The Mario Forum [Revised][/b] The Mario Forum was created in September 2002, along with the Grand Theft Auto Forum, as part of OtakuBoards' Version 6 upgrade. A dedicated home for Super Mario Brothers discussion seemed like a natural addition to the then-popular Zelda and Pokemon forums, but sadly reaction to the new forum was lukewarm at best. Even the forum’s designated moderator, Semjaza Azazel, was largely inactive and indifferent to the place. One of the largest motivations for creating a Mario Forum was ShineGet.com, a proposed Super Mario Brothers website to be created by James and other prominent OtakuBoards gamers. OB would have served as the site’s official message boards and, hopefully, would have generated interest in the project. Sadly the project fell apart before getting off of the ground, with the Mario Forum itself following suit shortly afterwards. The few threads that were created for the Mario Forum were extremely generic (Favorite Character, Favorite Game, etc.) and dominated by James and Desbreko. One notable exception was Zero Sama‘s [url=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=9331][u]The History of the Great Mario[/u][/url] which stood as a testament to the untapped potential that the Mario Forum had. It was no surprise to anyone that James was given the ‘Mushroom Kingdom Award’ by an overwhelming 12-vote margin in the 2003 Otaku Awards. Ironically, most of the members who had voted to award James this prize never actually posted in the forum itself. For months the forum sat inactive, and it was ultimately decided that both it and the GTA forum should be put out of their misery. The loss of these two forums was the first of several major reductions to the gaming sections of the boards, ultimately leading to the single gaming forum OB has today. With barely two dozen threads and a few hundred posts, the Mario Forum proved to be the least active and successful gaming forum in OtakuBoards’ history. It was quietly deleted in February 2003.[/indent] [/size]-Shy [COLOR="goldenrod"][INDENT][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]*pokes Shy* That's why one can simply edit their original post and copy the information [I]before [/I]deleting it and simply re-post with the additional information. *pokes Shy again for good measure* That avoids double posting and makes the post current. :p ~SunfallE[/FONT][/INDENT][/COLOR] [size=1]Thanks! -Shy[/size]

[quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]You're quite correct, some of you are going to be giving tiny assignments that relate to what has required the Argo Navis to drop out of hyperspace and ironically, even though you don't know what it is, your post actually keyed into the mystery behind why we've stopped.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE][size=1]That's a relief, because I was afraid that I went too far with my post. Note that I didn't specify what this strange space object is, so this will be like the third post about the object itself that doesn't describe it in any detail. While on the ship I'd prefer to have a lot of instructions for what to post, but it doesn't really matter to me. I have fun annoying Kendra regardless of what is going on within the story. -Shy[/size]

“[b]WTF?![/b]” the young staff member shouted in frustration, “[b]Just a minute ago Petey was driving the car and Sour Candy was dead. When did this change?[/b]” “[b]My story of survival isn’t of importance right now, $#@%,[/b]” Sour Candy said as he pressed his Lock even further into Retribution’s forehead, “[b]We need to get out of here, Grape.[/b]” A strange glow began emanating from Retribution’s pocket, lighting up the patrol car. “[b]No, you can’t. You don’t understand… You need to explain everything to me, or I’m going to explode![/b]” Grape Ape’s jaw dropped. “[b]You’re going to do what?[/b]” “[b]It’s a new failsafe device in my Mod Rod, [I]everyone‘s[/I] Mod Rod…[/b]” Retribution replied sheepishly, “[b]If a moderator lets things get too spammy or chaotic the weapon will self-destruct.[/b]” “[b]Well $&@# that ^%# out of me![/b]” Sour Candy exclaimed, “[b]That’s absurd![/b]” Retribution slowly withdrew the glowing object concealed in his pocket. “[b]That’s why the staff seems so uptight at times. It’s not because we’re jerks. We have to maintain order on the boards or we’ll be blown to smithereens.[/b]” A bead of drip fell softly from Grape Ape’s forehead as he assessed the situation. While he felt no sympathy for the man, he could understand the frustration he was feeling. Only a moment ago Grape Ape was under moderator custody for the murders of Japan and Premonition, crimes he did not commit. Now, thanks to yet another strange twist of fate, the tables had turned and Retribution was the prisoner. The rate at which things were happening was almost too much to comprehend. Fortunately Grape Ape was an oldie. He is used to things not making any sense on the boards. “[b]…Times certainly have changed. Haven’t they, Sour Candy?[/b]” He lowered his pistol and turned towards Grape Ape with a terrified look on his face. “[b]Does this mean that if we don’t maintain some superficial level of quality…[/b]” “[b]--My Mod Rod will destroy this thread and everyone in it![/b]” “[b]I guess I’d better start from the top then… "I’m sure you’re familiar with Charles and his love of cats. As an innocent prank he allowed a friend to create an account for a real-life cat, Naps. Within an hour of joining Naps the Cat was banned by staff, and a war of words erupted between countless members over whether or not that was a fair decision. "Sadly this whole situation turned Charles against the boards in the worst possible way. Baptizing himself in kitty litter Charlie Bin Laden and the Terrorist Cell was born. They vowed to destroy OB once and for all. While I thought Naps the Cat was harmless as a member, I could not agree with Charlie Bin Laden’s militant plans to overthrow the site. Using my connections I assembled the OtakuBoards Counter Terrorism Unit to challenge him. Things would never be the same between us… "Many weeks passed and it appeared that the two sides were evenly matched in a game of chess that spread across the boards. Little did we realize that under both mine and Charlie’s command lay two even larger threats to our site: Gavin and The Beast, formerly known as Papa Smurf. "The two had formed a dark alliance to reclaim the glory days of their illustrious pasts, and in a moment of weakness they managed to destroy both team’s headquarters with a set of powerful bombs. It was during these explosions that Sour Candy and Ploppy the Spaceship had gone missing, and were presumed dead.[/b]” Retribution raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “[b]Then why aren’t they dead?[/b]” “[b]Before the explosion Ploppy and his child, Nomura, thrust themselves into a frightening future version of the site. It was there they learned of Gavin and The Beast’s ultimate plans to destroy these boards. From there they traveled back to the present to make contact with us and try to change OtakuBoards’ fate. As for Sour Candy, um… Maybe he was found by the Mole People, who took them to the safety of their underground kingdoms? Does that make enough sense?[/b]” The Mod Rod began to hum louder and louder, forcing Grape Ape to shout. “[b]That’s not good enough! The Mod Rod doesn’t respond to lies. It needs the truth![/b]” “[b]Then leave it to me…”[/b] Sour Candy shouted as he grabbed the Mod Rod from Retribution’s hand, “[b]There’s no reason you have to endanger yourselves to lie for my sake… “When I received Grape Ape’s mission briefing my first instinct was to follow his orders, but the more I thought about it the less this war made sense. It’s true that back in the day I was a great champion against spam, but the truth is that I’m not cut out for OtakuBoards anymore, at least not yet. If I had your job, Retribution, I’d probably hang myself.[/b]” A tear slowly fell from Retribution’s face. “[b]And I think about doing that everyday, too.[/b]” “[b]I’m really honored that Grape Ape thought enough of my moderation to try and recruit me for their cause. But even though the Spriting forum seems really cool in hindsight, at the time it was a wasteland. For all the crap you guys give it, this place is much better now than we ever could have dreamed.[/b]” “[b]But how did you survive the explosion?[/b]” “[b]I survived the explosion because I ran away from the base as soon as I got there. It’s not that I wanted to let anyone down, but this wasn’t my fight. Not anymore.[/b]” “[b]I… I’m shocked. The legendary Final Flash ran away?[/b]” “[b]As soon as I returned to Otaku City I heard about the explosions. That’s when I tried to track you down, Grape Ape. I figured that if I could help you get away from these tools…[/b]” “[b]--Hey![/b]” Sour Candy slapped Retribution across the face. “[b]Shut up. I figured if I could help you get away from these tools I could slip back into limbo with my reputation intact.[/b]” “[b]But if what you say is true, why isn‘t James helping you save OtakuBoards?[/b]” “[b]You said so yourself, James has no patience for oldies such as myself. I have tried several times to warn him, but those warnings were met with disbelief. He honestly doesn’t think this site could be destroyed by the likes of Gavin.[/b]” “[b]Crystia is a moderator, and so is Fluff. Why are they fighting for your cause against James’ wishes?[/b]” “[b]If this war is as trivial to James as I think it is, he probably could care less if his staff has some involvement. Why the deaths of Peacock and Gurt were ignored is beyond me...[/b]” “[b]If this threat is as big as you say it is, how do you expect to stop Gavin and The Beast?[/b]” “[b]That is a little more tricky. Gavin has an army of OtakuBots at his disposal. Using Gadget‘s remains, who is an OtakuBot himself, we should be able to find their headquarters. Perhaps if we hurry we can surprise our enemies and stop them before they have a chance to act.[/b]” The Mod Rod’s humming finally stopped, and the bright light softly dimmed into a feint glow. After the three of them had shared a sigh of relief, Retribution withdrew a key from his pocket and released Grape Ape’s handcuffs. “[b]Then go on, you two,[/b]” he said, trying to hide a smug grin, “[b]If you’re going to save OtakuBoards you need to do it now.[/b]” Grape Ape placed his hand on Retribution’s shoulder. The two locked eyes and exchanged a nod. “[b]Right. I knew you’d come around eventually, Retribution. Thank you for everything.[/b]” Sour Candy carefully placed his Lock back into his jacket pocket. “[b]You did good today, Retri… I’m sorry for calling you a tool earlier.[/b]“ “[b]It’s fine. I get that a lot.[/b]“ And with that Grape Ape and Sour Candy began walking down the dark alleys of Otaku City to eventually reunite with their comrades. Retribution watched the two disappear into the shadows, and waited a moment before moving himself into the driver seat of the patrol car. He quickly reached for the patrol car’s radio. “[b]Did you get all of that?[/b]” Retribution whispered into the microphone. “[b]You have served your site well, moderator,[/b]” a deep voice replied from the speakers, “[b]Please return to the staff forum so that we can discuss the next phase of our… Evolution….[/b]”

[indent][size=1]Kendra sat on the bridge in one of the navigation chairs, barking orders to Alex when Nakeisha had arrived. Thanks to the miracle of auto-pilot the bridge could basically sit abandoned after lift-off, giving most of the crew a chance to rest and relax during this extremely long journey. Only the pilot, Alexander, had to watch over the quiet trip through hyperspace. The fact that Kendra was on the bridge as well did not escape Nakeisha’s notice. The fact that the Agro Navis had left hyperspace moments earlier, however, did. “[b]When are due to reach the gate?[/b]” Nakeisha asked while tapping Alex on the shoulder, “[b]I have some interesting theories about the gates that I’d like to test out.[/b]” Kendra rolled her eyes. “[b]You’ll have to wait on that, Dr. Rhodes,[/b]” Kendra said, “[b]If you hadn’t noticed our ship had reached a gravitational anomaly and was forced to exit hyperspace. We won’t be at the gate for several more hours now.[/b]” “[b]How unusual,[/b]” Kendra replied as she looked out towards the video monitors, “[b]I was under the impression that gravitational anomalies just don‘t pop up suddenly. Who was the fool who charted this course, anyway?[/b]” Alex began to chuckle under his breath. “[b]Oh no…[/b]” Kendra glared at Dr. Rhodes. “[b]I’m that ‘fool.’[/b]” “[b]Ugh. [i]Of course you are[/i]. I’m just going to sit down somewhere before I put my foot in my mouth once again.[/b]” “[b]That girl…[/b]” Kendra whispered to Alex as she clenched her fist. The two continued to inspect the strange object the Agro Navis was approaching. Though it didn’t look like a transport of any kind, standard procedure required them to hail it under a variety of frequencies. While this slow process was going on Nakeisha decided to give one of navigation consoles a test drive. [I]I’ll show Saunders,[/I] she thought as she looked for a more suitable for the Agro Navis to reach its destination, [I]It doesn’t take a genius to chart a course without hitting a gravity well. I suppose we’re lucky she didn’t slam us into a star or something...[/I] It was then that she noticed something strange occurring on every hyperspace route heading into the system. Small gravity anomalies, similar to the one that had pulled the Agro Navis out of hyperspace, were appearing throughout the system. “[b]Wow,[/b]” she said, “[b]You guys need to see this.[/b]” “[b]What is it now, Dr. Rhodes?![/b]” Kendra shouted as she stood up and headed towards Nakeisha’s console, “[b]Don’t tell me that you’ve gone and done something-- Wow![/b]” “[b]That’s what I said, Kendra. These anomalies are happening all over the system. Something is [I]creating[/I] gravity wells.[/b]” Alex raised an eyebrow. “[b]Aren’t gravity wells the result of stars and planets? This system is just empty space…[/b]” “[b]That’s more or less, accurate, Alex. Troia once had a theory that gravity wasn’t generated, but merely [I]regulated[/I].[/b]” “[b]That doesn’t make any sense.[/b]” Nakeisha nodded. “[b]Well, my degree is in ‘hypothetical physics’ for a reason. Most of it wouldn‘t make any sense to you, since you obviously don‘t have a background in the field. Let me try to put this in layman’s…[/b]” “[b]Just get to the point![/b]” “[b]Right. If given a near-infinite amount of energy it could be possible to… rearrange gravity in such a way as to generate several of these wells. Our ship kind of works on a similar principle to keep us from floating around, just on a much, much smaller scale. Whoever, or [i]whatever[/i], is doing this is doing it for a reason.[/b]” BEEP BEEP BEEP! INCOMING FREQUENCY! Nakeisha turned to Alex with a look of confusion on her face. "[b]Now what's going on?[/b]" "[b]Well Miss Rhodes...[/b]" "[b][i]Dr. Rhodes.[/i][/b]" "[b]Right, well, it's that strange-looking object in front of us,[/b]" Alex replied, "[b]I think it wants to talk.[/b]"[/size][/indent]

[size=1]I was under the impression that we were going to be given 'assignments' for our posts soon, so I was wating for that to post again. Right now we're at an awkward point in the RPG, so it's difficult to move forward without knowing what the plan is. I don't want to step on anyone's toes, really. [strike]I'm working on a post now, though.[/strike] Posted! -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Great work guys. I'm glad to see some interest in this project so far, since I have a lot of fun ideas for where to take the stories. So um... yeah. Keep 'em coming. I'm finding these really entertaining. -Shy[/size]

[quote name='James'][color=#606060]I haven't looked up "LadyBoy", but I'm really referring to either transvestites or transsexuals...not hermaphrodites. Not that there's any rule against the latter, but you know, there would have to be some merit to it...I wouldn't want people deliberately signing up as obscure characters just for the sake of doing so.[/color][/QUOTE][size=1]A "[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyboy]LadyBoy[/url]," or "Kathoey" is actually another name for a male-to-female transgender, usually from Thailand. It's a very broad term, though, and has been used to describe anything from cross-dressers to hermaphrodites. I don't think I'd do a LadyBoy character just for the sake of doing a LadyBoy character... hm... I'll definitely work on coming up with something unique. -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Sandy']Hmm, if you sign up as one, Josh, this RPG would [I]really[/I] break the roof. ;D[/QUOTE] [size=1]If I get into the RPG, you can count on it! -Shy[/size]

[quote name='James'][color=#606060]So within that context there's room for some fairly surreal characters. As I said earlier, "ladies" don't always have to be women. I would be quite interested to see if someone put forward a transvestite character or something along those lines (whether as a good guy or a bad guy - I'd want to see experimentation for sure).[/color][/QUOTE][size=1]Does this mean you're okay with "LadyBoys of London?" And yes, this is something I'm genuinely interested in knowing. PS: If any doesn't know what a "LadyBoy" is, please don't Google it. The results are gross. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]Simple question. Simple thread. I'm basically addicted to the things, so I was wondering what podcasts you listen to. Also I was curious if anyone here has ever tried starting (or currently is running) their own podcast. Discuss! [indent][b][url=http://grammar.qdnow.com/]Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing[/url][/b]: Also short and sweet. The tone is very conversational, so I don't feel like I'm being talked down to or anything. Writing is obviously a passion of mine, and grammar is one area in particular I feel like I can improve on. [b][url=http://www.ifanboy.com]iFanboy.com Comic Book Podcast[/url][/b]: A weekly round-up and conversation about comic books. The guys who produce it have a genuine passion for the stuff, and they always manage to inject a lot of humor into it as well. [b][url=http://biggaynews.com/]Big Gay News[/url][/b]: A daily 10-15 minute podcast covering gay-centric news of the day. I follow a lot of news blogs as well regarding this topic, but this is something I can listen to on the way to work. [b][url=http://www.npr.org]Talk of the Nation[/b][/url]: I subscribe to a lot of National Public Radio programs through podcasting, but TotN is the one I listen to the most. They cover a very wide range of topics in their daily broadcast, discussing everything from pop-culture to politics in an entertaining and informative way. Science Fridays and the Political Junkie are my favorite regular features. [b][url=http://podcasts.thestranger.com/savagelove]The Savage Lovecast[/url][/b] Dan Savage is a nationally syndicated sex advice columnist, and this is his weekly podcast. The questions he gets from listeners/readers can be downright hillarious sometimes, and I love the straightforward way he answers them. Needless to say this podcast can be very adult at times, but it's not nearly as bad as his weekly column. [b][url=http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Podcast.aspx]This American Life[/url][/b]: This American Life is a fixture on public radio, and recently it has been adapted into a television series on Showtime. Each episode focuses on a different topic, and then three completely different personal stories are told based on that topic. Sometimes the stories are funny, others poignant, others downright stupid, but it's always great to listen to.[/indent] -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I'd much rather you get the whole story before posting a thread about something. I'm sure it's much less terrifying than you make it out to be. Oh well...[/size][quote name='Athena'][size=1][color=darkslateblue]Homosexuality is going to be taught in schools..to 10-year-olds?? Apparently, from what I overheard, schools (certain/specific/all, I'm not sure) are going to start teaching young students all about homosexuality. Everything from what the word means to how homosexuals have intercourse.[/size][/color][/quote][size=1]I learned all about heterosexual intercourse when I was ten, even though it didn't apply to me. I remember students asking my teacher questions about homosexuality and the teacher refusing to answer them. As a result, I didn't even know what being gay was until years later. Growing up thinking I was some sort of aberration because I wasn't attracted to females certainly wasn't healthy for my upbringing. Homosexuality isn't something to be 'learned through experience.' Discrimination is everywhere, and most children don't have the kind of close family relationships they need to discuss this sensitive topic. In fact, most of my gay friends have been disowned by their families after 'coming out.' If children can't be educated about homosexuality and discuss it in a classroom setting, where else can they? -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Petie'][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]Because DBZ was brought up and makes an easy example, here's what I mean:[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue][B]Dragonball Z: [/B](Link to a general thread if it exists)[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]- The Cell Games (Link to saga specific thread)[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]- The Namek Saga (Link to saga specific thread)[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]- The Frieza Saga (Link to saga specific thread)[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]- Etc. (Whatever else fits in this category)[/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]While other, more general threads, can still have single listings in the same directory. It requires a little work setting things up but once it's up and running, this could work pretty well. Your thoughts?[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] [size=1]That's pretty much exactly what we had in the .hack//SIGN forum back in the day. It was the first forum on the site to have a thread directory, and it turned out to be pretty effective and popular. I don't think the directories in and of themselves are a bad idea. They can be applied to a lot more than the standard 'one thread per series' we've been using so far. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]It's amazing how much information we've been able to compile so far. My interview should be ready tomorrow, so you guys can look forward to that being in your PM box. If any of you can start working on a draft of what we have so far that would be great. I'm very optimistic about this challenge, and I can't wait to review the other team's article. -Shy[/size]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']I'm not in favor of switching to forums that are specific to one series or franchise, but then the team I'm a part of for the Survivor rp is currently doing an article on the old Yu Yu Hakusho forum so I've been running into a lot of material indicating just how much of a mess that system was.[/quote][size=1]I don't think the Yu Yu Hakusho forum suffered because the franchise-forum system was bad, it was just that we didn't have enough member demand for that type of forum. If members really care about the subject matter there is no shortage of threads and discussions they can create. As others have mentioned we've had great franchise-specific forums like Digimon and Dragonball in the past. Those two series in particular had a lot of member interest in their heyday, so I think creating new franchise-specific forums is a good thing as long as the interest is there. I really like my 'flavor of the month' forum idea, but maybe that's just because it's mine. We're obviously never going to come up with a perfect solution, but I think lifting the 'one thread per subject rule' is a good start. -Shy[/size]

Grape Ape was assured that the handcuffs were just a safety precaution, but he knew that Retribution was enjoying his former colleague’s imprisonment. After brief questioning, the once-great Event Master was now charged with the deaths of Japan and Premonition. He wondered whether or not Retribution was working alongside Gavin and The Beast; or maybe it was a direct order from James. At this point Grape Ape had more enemies than he could count, and it appeared that his allies were dropping one by one. The two sat in the back seat of a moderator patrol car as it headed downtown. Grape Ape had made this trip far too many times himself, but never was the one being detained. He knew that in a few minutes the ceremonial questioning would begin, followed by a swift ban from the site. Justice in Otaku City was swift, if not a little misguided. The fact was that Grape Ape was at the murder scene was all too convenient, and given James’ lukewarm response to his warnings, it was unlikely Dagger and Desbreko would hear him out. “[b]You know I’m innocent, Retribution,[/b]” Grape Ape said as he stared out through the barred windows of the patrol car, “[b]I may be a lot of things, but a murderer isn’t one of them.[/b]” “[b]That’s not the point. Tonight is far too important to get disrupted by… [I]your kind.[/I][/b]” Grape Ape’s eyes widened. “[b]Tonight? What’s so important about tonight?[/b]” Retribution sighed. “[b]I suppose there’s no reason you can’t know…[/b]” he replied dryly, “[b]Tonight is the launch of OtakuBoards: Evolution. It‘s going to be the quickest, and largest upgrade the site has ever seen…[/b]” The driver nodded in agreement as he made a sharp left turn. Retribution stopped for a moment, but eventually continued speaking. “[b]You see, this is going to be a version of the site unlike any that has preceded it. James has promised us something totally revolutionary. If only you hadn’t gone so far, Shy, you could have been a part of it as well.[/b]” “[b]A fresh coat of paint and a jukebox aren’t going to matter if The Beast and Gavin destroy the site,[/b]” Grape Ape sighed, noticing that the squad car was pulling into a dark alley, “[b]You need to stop this nonsense and join me in my fight. Your post counts, your signatures… none of it is going to matter if we don’t hurry.[/b]” The vehicle stopped, and the driver slowly pulled the keys from the ignition. “[b]Peanut?![/b]” Retribution asked as he tapped the driver on the shoulder, “[b]Where did you take us?[/b]” “[b]Oh I’m not Peanut…[/b]” The man turned around, revealing himself to be Sour Candy, “[b]I’m the @#^% Final Flash!!![/b]” Before Retribution could react he found a “Lock” mod rod pistol pointing at him in the face. The young moderator inched his head back further and further as the barrel of the weapon set its sights on his forehead. “[b]Sout Candy? You lived?![/b]” Grape Ape exclaimed, “[b]How did you survive the destruction of the terrorist base?[/b]” Sour Candy grinned madly. “[b]Please, Shy. I used to RP with Warlock and Chaos. You think I can’t handle a little godmodding?[/b]”

[indent][center][img]http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4152/ww9fh3.jpg[/img][/center] [size=1]For those of you unaware, [u][url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weekly_World_News]Weekly World News[/url][/u], “Earth’s most important news source” will be ceasing publication at the end of this month. To honor the memory of this once-proud beacon of journalism I have decided to launch a new RPG on OtakuBoards! In preparation for Weekly World News I have created several banners. Each one contains a headline to a story you would probably find in the publication.[/indent][center][img]http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1162/ww1pk5.jpg[/img] [img]http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8886/ww5nh8.jpg[/img] [img]http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/2546/ww6wv7.jpg[/img][/center][indent] [b]The Story[/b] As you can see this tabloid is home a variety of strange and bizarre stories, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. [b]In this RPG you will be playing as reporters and photographers for Weekly World News.[/b] You will be investigating Bigfoot sightings, government conspiracies, alien abductions, and any number of strange things that might be of interest to your readership. Unlike our world, the publication in the RPG is immensely popular. One more thing: [I]Everything printed in Weekly World News is absolute fact[/I]. This is the story of people who report on the strange and bizarre, how it effects their lives, and vice versa. [b]Sign-Ups[/b] Rather than a traditional sign-up I’d like to ask for something different from the community: [b]Come up with three original headlines for faux news stories.[/b] These can be about anything, and the only limit is your imagination. No experience with journalism is required (in fact, it’s probably preferable) so just come up with the wackiest headline that you can. [b]Those who come up with something interesting and unique will be accepted in the RPG and then asked to create a character[/b]. Those who do not... well, at least you only had to come up with a single sentence, right? Even if you’ve never even heard of WWN I think this project is something that can appeal to all kinds of players. Please post your questions, headlines and/or comments here. [b]Sign-ups will end in about two weeks.[/b] -Shy[/size][/indent]

[quote name='Desbreko'][color=#4B0082]Like Petie said, it would be a pain to have flavor of the month forums while keeping the regular forums organized because a bunch of threads all on one subject would constantly be getting dumped in them. There's also the issue of people then not being able to find things, both because the threads would be in a different forum and because the thread titles would make little sense outside the context of the subject-specific forum. That would be a big pain for anyone wanting to post about the subject after its forum had been merged. And how do we decide when a forum has run its course and should be removed, since even the old anime forums rarely died out completely? The idea itself sounds good but the logistics of it sound like a nightmare to me.[/color][/QUOTE] [size=1]I don't think it's a huge logistical challenge. Yes merging newer threads into an existing forum might be tiresome for moderators, but even if a Transformers forum is wildly successful (for example) it's only going to have a few dozen topics at most. In cases where several discussions are still going on when the forum is closed just merge those active discussions into one super-thread and move it to an appropriate general forum. As for the inactive discussions, you can always close those threads, archive them, or outright delete them. As for deciding when a forum has run its course, we leave that up to member voting. We have bi-monthly votes covering a variety of topics that members have suggested, and the ones that receive the most votes win. If one of the current forums doesn't get enough votes, then it's switched out with something more popular. Chances are that if members aren't voting for it then it's not going to be terribly active, anyway. The prospect of having a Harry Potter or Politics forum for a few months really excites me. I don't think adding two or three series-specific forums would make things cluttered. Chances are they'd be more active than what we have currently. If anyone has any ideas on how to make this more workable feel free to contribute them. -Shy[/size]

[quote name='2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Way I figure, we done cured that lil' problem in the past 3 days... ...That's why I created the already spastically popular 'what are you watching/reading now' thread (and Revy happened to get the other two in my planning stages of the anime one). It allows for discussion of the minor details of your current anme obsession whereas the individual major details of a series can go in a seris thread.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [size=1]Did you just use this thread as an opportunity to pat yourself on the back? Really? [i]Really?[/i] Anyway, I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with series-specific forums, nor do I think that they're more prone to spam than the generalized forums we currently have. Members are unlikely to walk into a discussion that has been going on for 100 posts, so on some level confining all of the Death Note discussion to a single thread hurts overall activity. To be honest, I find the current system a little limiting. Gaming and anime discussions are much broader than before, and I think that in turn has made those forums less interesting to post in. At one point I needed help with an FFXII boss but my post was ignored because other discussions were taking place within the same thread. If we had a Final Fantasy forum I could have made my own thread and my questions might not have gotten so lost in the shuffle. Maybe OB isn't the right place to look for help with video games, but our goal should always be to cater to the needs and interests of our community. I almost think that we should have a number of "flavor of the month" forums that are constantly rotating in and out. These could tie into big movies, video games, anime series, etc. that are popular at the time. Then when member interest has faded they can be merged back into one of our existing forums and create newer, more topical ones. Adding a Halo forum or a U.S. Presidential Election forum might spark some interest, and if they didn't, we'd create new ones to replace them. The forum structure obviously isn't set in stone, you know? Members could even vote to decide which "flavor of the month" forums are added next. If that's not a cool idea for an event, I don't know what is. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]I just sent out a PM suggesting ways we can research this topic. Check your PM boxes, guys. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]We [i]haven't[/i] lost interest, I think it's just that we expected BK to make a final decision by himself. Sheesh. Let's just do the Yu Yu Hakusho forum or something. -Shy[/size]

[size=1]There's nothing fair about sex. Ugly people date attractive ones all of the time. Sometimes being cute isn't everything, and having a real personality will help you more in the long run. Go get a date and stop wasting your time arguing about sexual dynamics on OB. The end. -Shy[/size]

Never before had Grape Ape felt so helpless, so weak. Before his eyes two of his most loyal allies, Premonition and Japan had been murdered in cold blood. Thanks to The Beast?s toxin Grape Ape could barely keep his head up, let alone take on this new Axis of Evil by himself. Rai?s betrayal did not surprise him in the least, but he never expected that he could be ambushed like this on the streets of Otaku City. The Beast grinned fiendishly as he stood over Grape Ape, licking his chops as if preparing for another meal. ?[b]Yyyourrr friendsss haaave faaallen,[/b] the words fell from The Beast?s mouth effortlessly, ?[b]Withh noone to ssstopp uusss The Darrknesss willl conssssume thissss ssssite.[/b]? ?[b]I?ve stopped you before. And if I don?t, Charles will.[/b]? ?[b]Charrless!?[/b]? The Beast seemed repulsed by the mere mention of the name, ?[b]Clutccch to your foooolisssh hopesss iff youu mussst. It will make yourrr defeat that much sssweeeter.[/b]? The Beast ran his finger along his tongue as he stared at Grape Ape. ?[b]Yesss?. Perrrhapsss your blood will sssatissfyy The Darknesssss more than the othersss?.[/b]? ?[b]If I had my mod rod right now, so help me, I?d?![/b]? Grape Ape watched helplessly as The Beast conjured enough shadows to engulf the bridge entirely. No longer able to see his foe, Grape Ape could only hear the voice of his archrival. ?[b]Your posssition isss not your power?[/b]? he replied, ?[b]Yoooou were once a mighty fffoe? but now? your causssee isss losssttt?[/b]? In an instant the shadows disappeared, and so with them did The Beast. Grape Ape struggled to stand up on his, but finally managed to do so. Everything was happening so fast, the young CTU leader rubbed his forehead as the poison slowly worked its way out of his system. He looked down below to see a crowd forming around Japan and Premonition?s bodies: keeping the photographers and passerby away were a small crew of moderators, quietly carrying the two corpses into a black ambulance. One of the staff members, Retribution, instantly locked eyes with Grape Ape as he peeked his over the bridge. "[b]You wait right there, Shy![/b]" the young moderator shouted over the whispers of the crowd, "[b]I've got a few questions for you![/b]" Tears rolled down his face as Grape smashed his fist against the bridge in frustration. For the next several hours he would be far too busy explaining himself to mourn the passing of two more of his friends.