Lord Rannos

[COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=2]I really think they did a great job upgrading it. The new class system works out well, and requires you to actually kill stuff to become a Droidecka or whatever. I like how they made each Jedi have a different style (i.e. The Emporer has lightning and choke, Vader has choke and saber throw). Galactic Conquest is MUCH improved. Now it actually has strategy and such with fleets and buying new soldiers. My favorite new level is playing Assault on Mos Eisley, where you can play as heroes or villians and always be playing as a Jedi. Big fun. All in all, an excellent game. The only problem is that it can get repetitive after a while. Still, if you pick it up a week later, you'll have fun. And apparently, the space battles never get old. Two of my friends played Space Hoth, then Space Felucia, then Space Hoth again, etc. for 3 HOURS. STRAIGHT. It was insane[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=2]Oy. With my luck, it's be as hard as three. Which shamed me into never admitting I even owned it. Still, though, I do love the series. So, when I do get my PS3 (and I will...), this'll have to be one I pick up. I kinda hope they get rid of the job system in this one. I think it limited what I could do too much. I wanted to be able to run off walls [I]and[/I] shoot the crap out of stuff. So, we may need to add a few buttons to the controller...[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=2]I must say, when complaints get down to the level of how many skins there are....there's just not much complaining going on. [B]A)[/B] I can't really think of any problems. Really, nothing. Wait! I got something! It...uh...takes a really long time to load on my PSP. And...yeah, that's all. [B]B)[/B] First and foremost, the quality. I have belonged to several forums where pointless annoying posts are common (and possibly encouraged). This is the only one that really forces people to be relatively intelligent to post on it. Here, too, people breaking the rules are actually told to stop, and banned. It may seem harsh to some people, but I think it helps weed out the n00bs. (Note, not newb as in New Member, but n00b as in rule-breaking heathen) Secondly, the Arena! Best role-playing forum I've ever seen, it feels more like telling a story from many view points, rather than having 3 dozen random posts. *Points threatening finger at Gaia*[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkGreen][SIZE=2]Tobias sat perfectly still. With his mech's camo, he was practically invisible. As long as he stood still. The jumpier new recruits could never stand the stillness, but Tobias loved it. Falcon perched on the roof of the barracks. His through his scope, Tobias surveyed the entire city. Looked quiet in the residential area. He liked to double check that the residential area was safe, it was the most important part of the city. He never wanted an attack to get anywhere near there. "Tobias, you copy?" a female voice crackled over his radio. "Here, Sheila." he said quietly, "What do you need?" "There's a disturbance downtown, a group of unauthorized Tyrants. Take them out." A dot appeared on his radar. About 35 degrees east, he figured. "Check." Tobias smiled icily and swung his rifle around. They were several miles away. A decent challenge. He looked increased his scope magnification, and watched the battle for a moment. There were already five mechs there, out of those he only recognized Vince and Kaizu. Three Tyrants began moving in to intercept the assembled group, guns blazing. Tobias almost fired, but he saw a flicker of movement on his right. Knight class, trying to move around behind the mechs. He took careful aim, adjusted for movement and fired. There was a flash of light from the barrel of his rifle. A moment later, the mech exploded into a billion dollar fireball. [I]Direct hit to the fuel tanks[/I], he thought, [I]perfect. [/I] "Kaizu? Tobias here. Watch your back, these guys know what they're doing," he was short and precise, and began lining up his next shot.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

I'm just gonna use this for any creative writing I want some feedback on. It'll be on a lot of stuff....not all of it necessarily good....but, I try. Crtiticism would be much appreciated. So, in short: Yes, I am writing stuff. Yes, you do have to put up with it. No, I won't stop. Any questions? Then let's begin. [B][SIZE=4][CENTER]Lola[/CENTER] [/SIZE] [/B] [size=2][COLOR=Navy] The air in my cell was dead and stagnant, like some animal laying dead in the road. Ah, but I am being morbid. In truth, everything just seems worse when you know the end is near. You know that ?I know see the beauty of the world? stuff that is supposed to happen when the end is nigh? It?s bullshit. In the end, you?re just sitting there, saying ?Why, oh, why did I do that??. As it must be, there is a reason for my execution. Some reason, at least. You?re probably the last person I?ll ever talk to, and the only person who would ever care. So listen close, damn it, ?cause I?m not repeating anything. I guess, it started with her. I can still remember when we met. She was sitting out by that pond, the one we used to go rafting on. She just stared across there, humming some foreign tune. My siren of the lake, as I?ve often called her when I recalled the event. I was there...I don?t remember why. You know me, I was probably on the run for someone or another. If I had to venture a guess, I?d say Tori. She was always hounding me about something or another. It?s just when the hounding involves guns that I get worried. So there I was, there she was. I always loved attractive company, and I figured she would, too. So I went to her and sat down. For a time we just sat there and stared across the lake. The moon rose high in the sky and reflected off of the pond. The night was eerily silent, there were no bugs, birds, nothin?. Just me and her. We were like that for....hell, I dunno. Might as well have been forever. Eventually, she just stood up and walked away. I watched her go, and wondered if she would be back tomorrow. She wasn?t there the next day, or the day after that. Still I kept on trying. It gave me something to do, somewhere to go. I needed it just then. Tori was getting her blood pressure up about the loans, and I didn?t have the cash. I didn?t have enough for a cardboard box in New York, and could barely afford the broken-down shack I had. So every night, I went, hoping too see her. Then one night, she was there. She approached silently, not even the leaves rustled where she walked. I just noticed her as she sat next to me, a slight smile playing about her lips. Again, we sat. The moon had fully risen when she turned to me, her smile now fully evident. She spoke to my in siren?s song, it went in my ear and straight to my heart. ?My name is Lola.? she said softly, barely above a whisper, ?I need you to do something for me.? I felt like dough in her hands. Suddenly, the only thing in the world that was important was her and what she was saying. ?Kill Timothy Wendell,? she said, her smile changing into something devilish and evil, but I paid no attention. I only wanted her approval then; like knowing she was happy with me would validate my entire existence. So when we got up and left, I began planning. I knew Tim, had dealt with him a couple times. He was a small-time coke dealer. Housewives and working men going through their mid-life crisis. I didn?t much care about him one way or another, but just then, I needed him dead. So I planned. As far as I knew, Tim wasn?t packing much in the way of guns or guards, so I figured it would be easy. I had a 12 gauge I kept around for home protection, so I grabbed that and headed out. It?s not easy for most people to track down coke dealers, but I knew where they like to hang out. Or at least, I knew someone who knew where he happened to be hanging out right then. I walked into the warehouse calmly, the 12 gauge held and loaded in my right hand. Tim was there alone, bent over a large wooden crate. ?Tim.? I said simply. He started and jumped up, spinning to meet me. ?Oh, thank god, Randy. For a minute there, I thought you were....never mind. What do you need?? ?You do anything to make anyone want to kill you recently?? I asked casually, walking towards him. ?Not more than anyone else. Sure the government?s always after me, and that?s not accounting for the UFO?s but....hey, wait, why? What?s that shotgun fo?AHHH ? He screamed rather loudly when I shot him. I swore under my breath as I ran out, then. A noise like that would almost certainly attract attention. Attention is not what I needed right then. I dashed out and away, leaving Tim there for the cops to figure out. I laid low again that day, stayin? over at Ron?s shop. He?s always nice enough to let me crash in the backroom. I went back to the pond that night, and found Lola waiting for me. ?He?s dead, yes?? she asked, resting her head against my shoulder. ?Of course...? I said. The entire scene played out as if in a dream. ?There?s just one more thing I need....? she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. ?What?? ?Money...I need ten thousand dollars..? ?What for?? She stared directly into my eyes as she spoke: ?For me.? Well, that did it. The next thing I knew, I was at home getting out my 12 gauge and a ski mask. I went down to...some bank. First national or something. The only problem was security, but I took the guards out quick enough when I walked in. The lady at the counter was cooperative enough to get me some money, but apparently not fast enough. I stepped outside the bank and there was the police. It looked like they brought the entire force. Just then I felt something hard hit me in the back of the head, and everything went black. You know what happened after that. The lawyers, the witnesses, the shotgun shells...looking back, I guess it wasn?t exactly a clean operation. The judge decided I was a horrible person, so here I am. And all because of Lola. I dunno if she?s okay...or even if she ever existed. I hope she is, though. That?s the sad thing. I hope she?s still okay. I watched them execute Randall. He went silently, with only a pained smile on his face. I watched him as he died. ?Go in peace, my son,? I said softly to his corpse, ?Go in peace.? I stayed with him as he was buried, since I was the only family he had. I might have been the only true friend he had. I needed to be with him. He was buried near the pond, where we used to go rafting. I stayed with him til dark came, and the moon was up. I left then, left him to his rest, and left him to his Lola.[/COLOR][/size]

Sure, that would be sweet. I'd probly join, anyway...

[COLOR=DarkRed][B]Name:[/B] Tobias Gryn [B]Gender:[/B] Male [B]Age:[/B] 35 [B]Mech: [/B] Venom Falcon: Bowman Class [B]Speciality:[/B] EMP Shot (Special shot that disables a mech) [B]Mech Weapons:[/B] -RT-72: High powered sniper rifle carried in hands while in battle or across Falcon's back if traveling long distances. -Disruption Cannon: Briefly disrupts enemy visual tracking, giving Tobias the time to gain distance from an enemy. Carried over left shoulder. [B]Mech Description:[/B] It is, unorthodoxly, a quadruped, to help with stability when aiming. The little armor it has is covered in layers of special paint which allows it camouflage in almost any environment, especially urban ones. It carries more ammo than normal because of the four legs, but cannot move quite as fast. It usually caries 2-3 EMP shots. [B]Description:[/B] Tobias is tall and incredibly thin. He always dresses in loose, comfortable clothing and rarely will dress "nicely". His hair is raven black and falls to his shoulders in a dark cascade. [B]Personality:[/B] Tobias is very reserved, and rarely talks to people. Even on his nicest days, he will rarely start a conversation. He is rarely trustful of those he doesn't know, but will treat his friends very kindly. The only thing he can't stand in people is incompetence. Anyone he sees as being incompetent he treats disdainfully. In battle, he is cold and calculating. He always tries to accomplish whatever he's fighting for, but will stop to help a teammate who's in trouble. However, he rarely shows mercy towards his enemies.[/COLOR] Heh heh...Caboose....

I'll get mad pretty easily, but I can usually control it, too. I do, however, get REALLY pissed off when people steal from me. My responses usually vary from "hit you" to "grab the back of your neck and apply pressure til you drop it". The latter never fails. To answer another question, I usually get violent when I'm angry. 'Cept towards little kids.

Name: Danath (See, that's what his parents called him. 'Cause it's the custom to name your children and...uh...) Age:18 Gender: Male [URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ph35_gallery/PHB35_PG105_WEB.jpg]Appearance [/URL] Side: Neutral Instrument: [URL=http://www.e-m-s.com/cat/stringinstruments/lutes/lute%20-%20roberts.JPG]Lute[/URL] Skills: He can control vegetation around him, to the extent of entangling his enemies feet. History: Danath was born from a Grebcosen mercenary father and a Mundain mother. He inherited his mother's skill in music, but lacked the chi skill inherant in his father's people. His mother was a traveling musician who wandered the Grebcosen countryside. His father traveled with her, getting jobs wherever he could. Danath was taught by both of them, his father taught him swordsmanship and his mother taught him music. Since his father was Grebcosen, he learned an altered view of the world. He was taught that Mundain was an evil country of witchcraft. His mother, however, taught him differently. She told him of the beauty she saw in the Mundain people, and of their music. Thus, Danath has a confused view. He sees both countries as being good. When Danath was 16, he traveled to Mundain to see what it was truly like. This was approximately the time Morgana was abducted. Since then, he has been traveling with a performing troupe that would put on choreographed fight scenes. When he saw that Grebcosen had taken over almost completely, he decided that it was wrong for the Mundains to be oppressed. He is, however, still reluctant to kill his former countryman.

Nice...I likes it. You got the images and font right on. Thanks very much.

Because there are no Hellsing avis here and I just can't get enough of it, I go to the masses. Please make me a Hellsing banner and avitar. I found an image that looks good, but having no knowledge in the banner-making field, I don't know how it will work out. I'm not too worried about the image, feel free to use whatever picture of Alucard you think is better. Most importantly, I want a picture of Alucard for the banner and the words: The Cromwell Approval is now in effect (Upper left corner) Hold release until target is silenced (Bottom right corner) Sample Picture: Sig: [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/Rannos/32923.jpg]Img.1[/URL] Like I said before, if you think you can do something cooler than what I suggested, go right ahead.

Personally, I think Michael Jackson's a pervert. He's been accused of this crap before, and I truly believe that he was molesting these kids and giving them pornography. The main reason he wasn't convicted was because the kid's mother had lied before, had tried to get money out of other celebrities, etc. Making her legally and morally untrustworthy. I'm sad that Jackson should be allowed to walk free. If he truly has mental problems, like some people think, then he should get counseling. Even if he didn't do anything, he needs to learn that it isn't socially acceptable in this day and age to be sleeping with other people's children. This may sound harsh, but it's true. I think he either needs jail time or counseling.

[QUOTE=lost shinobi]I think I'll do [B]Lord Rannos[/B]! [/QUOTE] Yeah, that's pretty much right on! I always try to be funny (and fail half the time). And, I am impressed by anyone who can recognize Irvine. Now if only someone would [B]read[/B] my writing....

We had a dog named Elvis for something like 8 or 9 years, we got him when I was one year old. I grew up with him, he was always a great dog. He was friendly and happy and playful. It was tragic the way he passed, and has bothered me since that day. See, we had people over at our house fixing our roof at that time. I always walked home and let Elvis out the back door. There was a fence that would keep him in the yard. Unfortunately, the gate was open for the roofers. We can't be sure, but it seems Elvis got out and got hit by a car. He was so badly injured, we decided it would have been cruel to attempt the operation. It could only possibly have left him in more pain. We had to put him to sleep. I've always felt horrible about that day, when he was hit. I think I saw the gate open but didn't close it. I don't remember. So I don't know if I should blame myself, but I always have. And now we have another problem. Our other dog, Phoebe, is a fifteen year old Pekinese Poddle. She's in a lot of pain, can't hardly see, and is generally...dying. We also have to contemplate putting her to sleep.

We've got a PF Changs here in Iowa, too, down by our new mall. That place is good, but I prefer Dragon House West for chinese. The best local place (I don't think it's a chain) is the Royal Mile. It's an English pub kinda thing with the best duck and an my favorite appetizer. Somehing like...scotch eggs? I dunno. We don't have a lot of shopping options (three malls that are close) but the best one is Jordan Creek. The people at the Tradehome Shoes almost make buying new shoes bearable. To visit....I'd say Adventure Land is the best place to go in Iowa. There aren't a lot of other places. I think the Royal Mile is unique to our area. Not a lot else that I can think of...

I've read so very many webcomics and watched so many videos and stuff that I can think of a reference for about every situation. We'll be talking about something, I'll remember some webcomic, and burst out laughing. It happens constantly.

This was something I actually did for school, but I wanted to get some other opinions on it. [B][FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][CENTER]Leaving Home[/CENTER] [/SIZE] [/FONT] [/B] [COLOR=darkred] Death. It seemed to hang in the air, sewn in like a black thread upon the green tapestry of the Nebraskan countryside. I knelt silently in front of the cross, my tears watering the grave of my mother. I had been there since dawn, without eating or resting. The pain kept me rooted to the spot, my sadness being my only sustenance. It seemed like it had been long ago that it happened, but I knew that it had only been a week. The military plane that hit the town center still stood there, a monument to tragedy. It had been transporting some sort of unstable substance. I don?t know what was on that plane, just what it did. It decimated the entire town, leaving little more that a large pile of rubble. I slammed my fist into the earth where my loved ones rested. It wasn?t fair! How could I be allowed to live while these others died? If I hadn?t been on that trip to France, I would have been there I could have seen my mother as death came. I could have comforted her, told her that it would be alright. I thought I was alone with my thoughts when I felt a hand resting on my shoulder. I looked up slowly and saw my brother there. He wore his U.S. Army uniform, glittering with medals. I looked away from him back to the grave. ?We have to go, Jack. It?s getting late,? He patted me on my shoulder as he spoke, trying to support me, but it was a failed effort. ?I can?t go, Rob. I can?t abandon them.? He grabbed my arm and gently tried to help me from where I knelt, but I shrugged off his hand. ?There?s nothing you can do, Jack. They?re gone,? he said, his voice perfectly calm. ?How can you leave them? The people we knew, the people we loved How can you be so calm? Don?t you have any emotion?? I knew the cruelness of my words, but I didn?t care. I wanted him to show that he had some feeling; some sign of loss. ?My wife was in there,Jack. My [I]wife[/I]! And you think I don?t care?? his voice was heavy with anger, and it took me back. I looked up at him, and saw in his eyes sorrow and anger. He cried also. Not visibly, not physically, but his soul cried. His very being ached with his loss. ?I?m sorry, Rob. Really. I....didn?t mean it like that.? ?I know. You were just angry," he said, quickly regaining his composure," But it?s time to go. You haven?t eaten a thing since last night.? I looked back at the cross, my mother?s name engraved into it. I grasped both of the arms and held them for a minute, praying. If only my will was strong enough, she could come back...we could be together again, we......It was no use. There was no change, and the world remained exactly as it was before. There would be no miracle here. I stood slowly and sighed, finally empty of all emotion. I didn?t care anymore. I just wanted to go. I walked side-by-side with my brother to the wreckage of the town gate. I hesitated, then stepped beyond it. Leaving behind those I loved, those I cherished, and those who would never be replaced.[/COLOR]

I live in Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa. The land of corn. We have crops growing within city borders. A horse lives near my school. It's pretty boring here, honestly. We have about two theme parks, and almost no tourist attractions. It's a quiet place, but the people are all nice to each other. Also, there is very little cultural diversity. Everywhere I go outside of Iowa, I am amazed by all the differences in people, accents, languages, skin color, everything! While in Iowa, there are a lot of white people with no accents.

I'm gonna jump right in and take a guess, Zhara. SN: Says something about being unique, not having an average name. Avatar: I think this shows you're an artist, since it's a drawn picture. Sig: Shows you have a sense of humor, and an appreciation for a good quote. In General: You like to be different and funny. You act crazy to get people to laugh, and are very outgoing. You face life with spirit and gusto and a sense of optimism. I wonder what people would say about mine...

Name: Jyn Lightbringer Class: Church Knight Age: 24 Gender: Male Appearance: He is tall, about 6' 6". He has a heavily muscled and toned body, from hours of training. Dark black hair falls down around his shoulders. He has dark brown eyes. Personality/Alignment: Good. While he believes in good in all its forms, he does not consider laws to always be necessary. He upholds all that is righteous. Weapon: Broadsword Armor: He wears no armor, believing instead that God will protect him. Bio: He was still a child when the necromancers were warring, and grew up in fear. He found reprieve from his fears in the church, and began training to destroy creatures of evil. By the time he was twenty, he had already seen battle with undead creatures. Special ability: Jyn can call upon the powers of God to protect him and his allies. The effect is like having a barrier in front of them, making them harder to hit.

I'm a dedicated RvB fan, have been for a while. My friend got me hooked near the beginning of season 3, and I've been on it ever since. It's just hilarious stuff, that's all there is to it. The forums, however, are more or less sub par. I only keep up my journal there, though. (I'm Rannos on there, too) The best part is that you can Mod people based on their posts. It just makes you feel powerful. "Ha ha, you displease me. SUCK NEGMOD!!" It's true. That's exactly what I feel like everytime I negmod someone. I would get the DVD's, but I already have all the episodes on my comp. I do need to get a shirt....

I think he was right alot, but there were some things I disagree with him on. Here's my opinion on every single thing he said (because I'm long winded). 1. If AI was smarter, they would kick us around. The idea of monsters is that they are pointless fodder for you to kill. 2. He's got a decent point here, but some of those games sound like they would be boring. Personally, I would hate to sneak around and neverbe able to fricking kill anything. 3. He's right, but cutscenes are pretty.... 4. This one I fully agree with him on. Stupid politicians 5. Again, he's got a point. The problem is that there are people who will buy the game for purely that reason. 6. I thought that save points were just to add a level of difficulty (or, in the case of Metroid Prime and FFX, salvation). It would be nice to be able to save anywhere, though. 7. Blech. Everyone hates load times. I always figured they were necessary for the game to do everyting else it does. So, I can live with a limited amount of waiting. Mercenaries, however, was ridiculous. 8. Didn't he say something about this earlier? 9. Ya know, he's pretty much right. Invisible walls are annoying. I think Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask handeled that pretty well. 10. Sounds like they already pretty much fixed this one. You shouldn't get too greedy, though. I mean, being able to shoot coke cans is pretty cool. Who cares about magazines? 11. God I hate crappy camera angles, especially when they happen to be throwing enemies at you. There are some times when it's okay to have characters running at the screen (some chase scenes). Just not very many. 12. I can identify with the Goldeneye story, and he's still right. Huge levels where you have now idea where to go, while very impressive, are annoying. There should absoloutely be no insta-kill anything in games. 13. I think it's necessary to build up to better stuff, I just think it should be done quickly. Jak 3 is an excellent example of this done well. You start off with some nifty abilities, then learn some more as you progress. 14. But, but....I like boxes! 15. Patenents? Who knew? We have a screwed up legal system. 16. Ah, for a world without patches...yeah. I'm with the PS3 filled with crap idea. 17. Well, I do like being able to do stuff like play CD's and DVD's on my PS2. It just makes it more versatile (and saves me money on a DVD player). 18. Yeah, suddenly, that sounds really annoying. I guess there's a reason most MMORPG's don't support the real-world cash thing. 19. Yeah, this is a problem, but I think some games (eg. Metroid Prime) pulled it off alright. Sometimes, it is necessary for the character jump. For immersion, to use his own term against him. 20. umm...ok...if it's vertical, though, my game might fall.... 10.

I got it the day it came out (in Iowa), and I love it. Personally, I'm glad the gameplay didn't change. This way, I came into the game ready to go. It kind of tests your patience, too, because it is REAL tempting to just kill everything with Seth (and later [spoiler]Duessel[/spoiler]). I like how you can recruit nearly everyone with a name, but I don't understand why they throw 1st level people at your higher level party. It's just not worth the effort. I like how you can go and level up by fighting monsters between battles, this helps if you want to work on low-level chars or get to level 10. In closing, choose rogue over assassin, becasue you'll need that lockpick trick. I didn't, and I regret it. And now I'm stuck on level....10 or so.

My standing and forever favorite is Final Fantasy 8. It seems like everybody hates it and a few people like it, but I really love it. It gives an amount of emotional depth that I hadn't really seen before in videogames. The graphics aren't very good by today's standards, but the cutscenes are frequent and usually pretty cool. (Although FF9 takes the cake for cool cinematics. Gotta love watching Bahamut blow crap up) I also like the junction system. It can be confusing and complex, but it lets you customize your character. In most games, characters will be forced into a particuar role. With junctioins, anyone can be your main spell caster or main fighter. Also, I loved being able to make myself completely immune to an element or status. Otherwise, I would never have beaten a single Marlboro. I have to mention Chrono Trigger, too. Simply put, it's a great game. I started playing it on SNES, way back when, and bought it for PS1 when it came out. Unfortunately, that game is effin hard. Or I suck. One of the two. I'm stuck on magus and cannot seem to kill him. Frustrating. Though I can't wait to get [spoiler]him[/spoiler] as a character.

I would probably not so much hit the seven wonders of the world so much as I would show him our cities. Take, for example, places like Las Vegas or New York, and contrast them to places like Des Moines (or Iowa in general). That sort of thing would show him what life is actually like, not what life was like in ancient times. Plus, it would be important to not cover up the slums of the cities, that's as real of a part of society as huge skyscrapers. P.S. Have you read Roger Zelazny's [U]This Immortal[/U]? Showing the Earth to an Alien is basically what it's about.