Allamorph

[font="Calibri"]The champion of the Pokémon League has vanished. In his absence, prominent League leaders have seized the opportunity to increase and strengthen the Leagueâ??s control over the continent. As their grip slowly tightens, a small group of leaders has decided the League must be opposed and has banded together to protect the integrity of their disappearing way of life. The new League is unsympathetic to their views, however, and will brook no disagreement. War is coming. [center]- - - - - - - - -[/center] [b]The Great Rebellion[/b] is a joint venture by myself and Kei, and will be taking a much more realistic approach to the world of Pokémon. It also marksâ??technically, I supposeâ??my inaugural attempt at controlling an RP, so I expect to have a good time. However, that doesnâ??t mean weâ??ll be playing dictators. Both of us are highly story-oriented and welcome any creativity and coordination on the part of the players, so if in the course of the game you get an idea you want to try, run it by one (or both) of us and weâ??ll see if we can make it work. The [b]Summit[/b] will be host to any information we feel might be wanted and probably a little extra besides, as well as, per norm, any and all general discussion between players. If the information seems to get a bit thick, donâ??t worry, you donâ??t need to know every little detail to enjoy the game. Just remember, itâ??s here if you want it. And if it isnâ??t, we can add it real quick-like. Few notes beforehand: First, this will be, as weâ??ve said, a story-driven game. Because of that, and because we expect our players (like us) have lives, the pace wonâ??t be demanding. Iâ??d much rather go a month to hit three pages than to break a thousand posts inside of a week. It leaves more room for creativity, I find. So if youâ??re worried you wonâ??t have time to keep up, you should be fine. Second, I highly encourage inter-player interaction, whether it be through posts here, PMs, or IM conversations. Not only does that keep everyone on the same page, but it tends to lead to the spawn of more and cleverer (hee) ideas, and often someone will go â??you know, I hadnâ??t thought of thatâ? and weâ??ll get a whole brand new subplot out of it. Which is fun. And lastly, this is a realistic approach, which means that certain previously established concepts will be different, or nonexistent. Sizes, for instance, will be somewhat exaggerated; a hundred-seventy pound man would kill a Fearow who attempted to carry him unless it was quite a bit larger, and a Tyranitar should really not be only an inch taller than myself, especially if it can cause earthquakes. Also, I work under the assumption that Pokémon are intelligent and capable creatures, and so the concept of them only being able to learn four â??movesâ?? just doesnâ??t jive with me. Even the â??movesâ?? themselves are a bit sketch; I figure if you have to tell your critter to â??use tackleâ?? then thereâ??s something very wrong. Also people will die. Have fun.[/font]

[FONT=Arial]Globus: Epicon – "[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG-vKBb1KC0"][COLOR="Blue"]Diem Ex Dei[/COLOR][/URL]". Just in the mood for gut-wrenching rock. [B]Edit:[/B] Also, [COLOR=DarkRed]Gavin[/COLOR], the teaser image for that TTGL video is a bit, erm, awkward?[/FONT]

Excellent.

[quote name='chibi-master']I see no problem, then. Although, it does seem a little like you mislead your boss...just a bit, though![/quote] [FONT=Arial]Out of the mouths of babes.... My only thoughts center around this remark here: [QUOTE][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][I]- I was planning on being deceitful by not sending them the article.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] A) If you plan on using your ethic to garner support and contacts and build a network who respects you, don't ever do this again. B) If you are comfortable suspending that ethic on occasion to aid your goals, welcome to the world of professional backstabbing, you'll fit right in.[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"][INDENT][I]A Michigan church is enlisting Satan in a bid to [B][U]drum up attendance[/U][/B] at services. [/I][/INDENT] And that there tells me instantly that they have the complete wrong focus.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]That's because you have other outfits to choose from. Maybe she doesn't want to wear something special that day. [COLOR=#EDEDED]You make a terrible Devil's Advocate. XD[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Mine old phone only had one problem. It died. (And no, not battery, just died.) So. No real waste of money here, thanks.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I has phone. [CENTER][IMG]http://phonearea.net/files/2009/05/alias2_h4web.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/CynicalSadist/zoidberg.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I've never cared about how many friends I had. I only cared if they were good. So when I do make friends, it doesn't actually bother me all that much about how many I don't have. Because, really, I don't know how many I don't have. I don't have fifteen, but then again I don't have fifty.....[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]"Revenge" is also more commonly known as "the one-up disease". So sure, if you want to essentially tell him you can be just as much a jerk as he can, go right ahead. The hurtful thing to do would be to stop caring. [B]Edit:[/B] Also, you're fourteen. How the frick do you even [I]have[/I] an "ex"?[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]My roommate went to sleep at nine. o_O[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I'd say talk to [COLOR="DarkRed"]Lonley Fighter[/COLOR] if you can reach him, since he went through the exact same posting sequence as you this past year. :D[/FONT]

[FONT="Arial"]To start off the week: [URL="http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/index2.php"][COLOR="Blue"]Win[/COLOR][/URL].[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]That was without a doubt the puniest shower I have ever had. More like a trickle or a drizzle. Yeesh. Also this thread is our version of Twitter, I have noticed.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]See, yeah, you couldn't have got that off the internet unless you slogged through half a dozen message boards. Thanks.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]Doggone it, [COLOR="DarkRed"]Magus[/COLOR], you had to go and reply. Now the thread is no longer funny. :p Well, since we're here, Maul, of what import is this guy? I'd google or wiki but that takes all the subjectivity that I want to hear out of the equation.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I have a request to the general public. If you like to write reviews of your electronic merchandise online, please check two things for the rest of us. First, can you form coherent thoughts, or will we have to interpolate what you mean from txtspk or a general abysmal understanding of the only language you even speak? If any part of the latter is true, please do not write reviews. Those of us who are discerning consumers will ignore you, believing you to be an ineffable moron. As much as we dislike to stereotype, such displays of incompetency are usually indicative of other areas of incompetency. Second, do you know anything about the item you purchased aside from its state of being, or did you just buy a cool looking device and not bother to learn how to use it or maintain it properly? If you say "Iv had it for a yr n teh batery gos dead after 1 hr", most likely you've left it on the charger overnight, ruined the battery's ability to maintain a charge, and probably need a new battery. Also, just because a device claims to be "durable" does not mean you should test it by throwing it into walls constantly. Anything will break if you run over it with a car. In short, either learn the language (your own damned language, incidentally), or learn how to use what you purchase. Or throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]This isn't so much a recipe as it is a simple preparation for better tasting food. When making baked potatoes, also set out olive oil (extra virgin if your boat floats that way), kosher salt, and garlic salt. After washing the potatoes, rub each liberally with all three items, olive oil first then the salts in any order. That done, wrap each potato in tin foil and place on the oven rack or on the grill. The garlic flavor will work its way into the potato, and the overall treatment makes the skins that much tastier to eat. (Which is to say that I don't eat potato skins normally, and I eat these.) That's about it. Very simple, just a little flavor addition.[/FONT]

[quote name='sbsp13668][FONT="Comic Sans MS"']Although putting the guestbook in Worlds doesn’t stop those kind of signings, it might decrease them (and that’s worth a try, right?). [/FONT][/quote] [FONT="Arial"]If the Guestbook were located "in Worlds", then the member would first have to create a world to have a Guestbook period. For members who don't wish to use the World system, that totally eliminates them from the social picture you're trying to establish. From my standpoint (having spent two years browsing TheOtaku before the VV shift and [U]still[/U] considering MyO as part of TheO), the Guestbook design was a clunky and extremely redundant page. The first time I opened one I actually expected what is now in use as the Guestbook, and I was surprised and rather irritated to find what I saw to be a slovenly cluttering of random, rather pointless messages with little to no purpose set on a background that all too often was a tiled repeat of an image less than 300 pixels in size both ways. I "signed" (read "commented on") one person's Guestbook then because I went to school with her and she was responsible for introducing me to the site, and after that stayed away. I still find Guestbooks a bit unnecessary (and I also find it peculiar how new signatures show up initially as new comments, making you think you got some feedback on a recent posting), but the advantage I see with them now is that what was before slovenly is now neat and contained, and I no longer have to vie with the background image to make out half the fonts. In that light, complete and total customisation ability led to very shoddy workmanship. And it was never totally able to work right because no one could build a background image that didn't contest in some way with someone's font color. Also you seem to be attempting to view the Worlds as a separate part of the site. Worlds are actually rather integrated, as any fanfiction submitted are submitted [I]though[/I] them straight to the approval section, and then that post is used as the base for the actual Fan Word itself. Additionally, Worlds are not limited to one per person, as the blogging system of MyO was. If a member wanted to have a separate place for their fiction as opposed to their normal musings, they were forced to create an entirely new account; now members are offered upwards of three (depending on status; I am not sure what the specific caps are for regular/premium) to format as they will, and I have seen numerous Worlds dedicated solely to basic Japanese instruction, art/writing collaboration projects, group planning/event scheduling, general news, and total random posts. MyOtaku simply could not function in this manner without hordes of accounts for each member and a load of unnecessary password sharing. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]I’ve never said that it was the only reason for the decrease in activity, but it certainly is one factor. Also, it’s one of the factors that can be changed, so it’s one worth discussing.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] Then surely you are able to listen to the other side's standpoint on the issue, since it is after all a discussion, and discussion of only one angle of an issue is hardly fair to the issue itself. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]You can still see older posts on MyOtaku; they’d just be in the archives section, and it’s the same with TheOtaku, but instead of going to the archives you go to the next page.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] This here is another section where you and I are at complete odds. I intensely disliked the Archives section, as I found it redundant to have to load a completely new page just to be able to see the option to cycle backwards in posts, which is what the "Archives >>" button amounted to. Also, the Worlds show a standard five posts per page, whereas MyOtaku was extremely variable, sometimes showing three posts per page and sometimes only showing one. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]Also, I prefer to comment on the newest post, since commenting on the older posts might not be as useful to the member who wrote them.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] Feedback is feedback, and odds are if the feedback is no longer useful to the member then that member will probably ignore it. However, I am not willing to say "then I won't waste my time if I might be ignored" given the chance that something I say might click with the member and they suddenly find a new viewpoint on a situation. Then again, this is how I work with fiction commentary. General daily-life journal posts are often bypassed unless I feel something singularly noteworthy. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]If I have to look for an older post on a user’s site, I find it just as difficult sifting through pages of posts on Worlds as it is on sites[/I].[/FONT][/QUOTE] Then this statement doesn't matter. =D [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]However, I do enjoy the tag-making abilities on Worlds, but since most users don’t use them, it’s still tedious searching the pages.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] "Most users don't use them" is a statement declared as fact. I am not familiar with this fact, so I need proof. At least a general and well-sampled survey would do. But one cannot make statements like this simply by saying "I've talked to people" as one's proof, especially with upwards of ten thousand users on the site just judging off of World count alone. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]As for visiting portfolios to find out if I’ve missed an update, that’s way too much work for me. XD I’m subscribed to a lot of people for their art and their blogs, so having to check each portfolio and comment on the updates would take forever. @.@ [/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] This statement is not an argument about MyOtaku at all. It is merely a concession of lack of will. Just because you do not wish to check updates does not mean others do not. I know members who go out of their way to check what they've missed, and who apologise if the list is too long, especially if it runs a couple of months for an absence. I also know members who don't bother if the update list goes on past the cutoff. It runs both ways. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]Even though the username only stays highlighted for 24 hours, the time of their last update is recorded next to their username. [/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] This is actually a viable point, and one I agree on as well. I may spend some head time on it here soon, to see how to incorporate a general "Member last updated _____" page to the Backroom in addition (or in replacement of) the current short list. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]Another thing that I don’t like is that sort of “what they don’t know can’t hurt ‘em” way of treating new members when it comes to MyOtaku (as in public acknowledgement of MyOtaku has been lacking since VersionVibrant was set up, so new members don’t know much about the other blogging system). I think it would be fair to provide them with the option of making a site maybe with the Premium membership. [/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] With the constant reminders of how MyOtaku at its core was ill-equipped to grow beyond it's state [I]before[/I] the VV shift, I fail to see what benefit this would give members. Using MyOtaku as a premium membership concept is also unreasonably unfair, as it eliminates a good majority of the userbase from joining in with friends. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]I agree that HTML coding is harder to use, but I don’t like the restrictions of the current coding on TheOtaku.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] This comes down to personal preference. Some people enjoyed [I]and were good at[/I] HTML customisation of MyOtaku pages. Member [COLOR="DarkRed"]somegirl[/COLOR] comes to mind; she actually asked me for reactions visually on her MyO setup earlier this Spring. But the majority of the members do not understand the procedures and syntax, and were under the constant risk of unwittingly breaking their site, which (as has been repeatedly stated) [U]required[/U] [U]administrator[/U] [U]access[/U] to undo the damage. Don't think about this in terms of members per day, because that leads to the false impression that it is a quick and easy thing to take care of. Think about it [I]in total[/I], and keep in mind that the very concept of hacking the code box to get around the character limit most likely didn't aid the process of data recovery. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]However, the reason that some people still prefer to use MyOtaku is for its benefits over Worlds.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] First, the reason people still prefer to use MyOtaku is a) nostalgia and b) it's familiar territory. And b) is very closely tied to a). Second. The benefits. Name them. And by that I mean list for us the services and uses MyOtaku can perform which Worlds cannot. I do not mean list why one might prefer the former to the latter, which is largely what you have done so far. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]If Worlds were improved so that they would be more like MyOtaku, then some of those people would probably switch to Worlds.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] This act requires significant retrogression on the part of the Worlds currently. In order to "improve them" to be more like MyOtaku, we must deteriorate them and strip away several of their uses, including group collaboration and Fan Word potential. If Worlds were improved so that they would be more like MyOtaku, then some of those people would probably switch to Worlds. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]Making a new update system must be difficult, but not working on the problems with the system isn’t making a difference. [/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] That is a ballsy statement to assume true, my friend. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]The new update system is a major inconvenience for busier members, as I’ve said before.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] As in, the ones with jobs? As in, [COLOR="DarkRed"]SunfallE[/COLOR] and [COLOR="DarkRed"]Indi[/COLOR] and [COLOR="DarkRed"]Axel Alloy[/COLOR]? [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]In TheOtaku’s old news section, the managers would post about the upgrades that TheOtaku was receiving, as well. However, the news section no longer seems to post about upgrades, and if it does, I’ve never seen one of these posts on TheOtaku’s homepage.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] [URL="http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z158/Allamorph/Misc/shots/frontpage.jpg"][COLOR="Blue"]Scroll Down[/COLOR][/URL]. [QUOTE][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][I]As for the overly flashy, annoying sites, most of them seem to be gone now.[/I][/FONT][/QUOTE] That is because most of the members who created them are either now using Worlds which are not set up to be broken, or simply using the site to post fan art and jump in the Chatroom. It doesn't mean that they're gone. Odds are good that if MyO was reintroduced and the Worlds were scrapped, the same problem would crop back up. [QUOTE][I][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Also, the FAQ link is a tiny one at the bottom of the homepage; more helpful websites tend to put the FAQ at the top of the homepage with more noticeable/normal font.[/FONT][/I][/QUOTE] Like the ones where you apply for jobs. No, wait, those are also on the bottom. Seems to be a pretty standard place to have to look. [QUOTE][I][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]If I am misunderstanding something that you’ve said, it is because I have never been involved in running a website. I am just a normal person, like most other members on TheOtaku/MyOtaku. If it is [B]utterly impossible[/B] to upgrade MyOtaku in any way, then just say so. However, I’ve been under the impression that at least minor changes can be made to MyOtaku, since the PM link and comment box were fixed. [I]You[/I] could try being a little more understanding.[/FONT][/I][/QUOTE] Watch your tone. It has been rather obvious to the rest of us that you have limited experience in running a website. We understand all too well. (Especially those, like myself, who also have no experience running a website. But that doesn't excuse me from doing my homework.) Also, [COLOR="DarkRed"]James[/COLOR] specifically said it was impossible to move MyOtaku to the point where it needed to be. It was capped out. All the patches that could have been made were made. Time for the sequel, the new system, the next level. And heck, I still love the N64, despite having played whatever GNC and Wii games I could get my hands on. No one is saying MyOtaku sucks compared to Worlds. We're saying MyOtaku [I]maxed out[/I]. [QUOTE][I][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Well, a lot of the members on MyOtaku are busy (we’re getting older, so our lives are getting more hectic), and that’s one of the reasons that they prefer to blog on MyOtaku.[/FONT][/I][/QUOTE] The rest of us are aging just the same, my friend. I was a freshman in college when I joined TheO, and now I'm entering my fourth year, including one change of major. [COLOR="DarkRed"]Rachmaninoff[/COLOR] teaches cello lessons at the University of Utah while striving for his doctorate. [COLOR="DarkRed"]Dagger[/COLOR], [COLOR="DarkRed"]Nightbeck[/COLOR] and others have made extended trips to Japan. They still come regularly. And they prefer Worlds. Again, it runs both ways. You can't use a limited group of people as total proof. [QUOTE][I][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Also, MyOtaku is becoming more inactive. [/FONT][/I][/QUOTE] This is because a) a great number of members has shifted to the Worlds system, b) a good part of those remaining behind left because of internal drama for which they themselves were responsible, and c) apparently people are busy with jobs. Hmm. [QUOTE][I][FONT="Comic Sans MS"](and it takes more time to write out a PM or e-mail)[/FONT][/I][/QUOTE] No, it does not. It [I]does[/I], however, take clearer thoughts. I hesitated to get seriously involved in this discussion so far because I assumed that my commentary wasn't needed; that the comments of my associates would be actually heard and taken in instead of brushed off as irrelevant, as you seem to be doing. I also assumed for a while that you were going to attempt to actually provide a legitimate discussion of the issue, instead of what I have seen thus far. And from what I have seen, I believe your core argument to be not so much that MyOtaku is [I]better[/I] in any way, but that it was the old system and the old system is the best system regardless of any improvements made to the new system and with no concessions made for a infant system being nurtured and developed. What I have seen is that those who dislike Version Vibrant do so on principle, and I am reminded constantly of the clique of ancient, blue-haired Southern Baptist pew-denters who raise a fit any time a deviation is made from "the way things are done". And I don't mean to sound angry or callous by that. What I am is direct, and at present I have seen you offer very little 'proof' that Version Vibrant is inferior and MyOtaku is superior. (Personally I don't believe either is superior. I believe the Worlds system is more versatile. Difference.) I have seen you offer personal preference after personal preference and—"time last updated" suggestion aside—even less in the way of actual viable solutions. You did show me the message you sent to Adam, but aside from a very cursory mention of concepts there was nothing solid there, aside from a (rather bold, I must say) admonition to make the Update system more like deviantArt, which I imagine must have done wonders for getting Adam to want to listen to you, especially since you failed to really provide a vision or much specifics. I have no doubt that your intentions are good. What I doubt is your level of commitment. Are you content to merely be a part of this 'resistance group' which so far has proven about as effective as the crew of the Sea Shepherd in [I]Whale Wars[/I], or are you willing to take the initiative and try to find a [I]solid solution[/I] that can be actually implemented, and so become a champion of your friends? Lastly, your font size and format are murder on the eyes. If you drop it down to size 2 it'd be a lot better for all involved. [quote name='Korey][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="navy"]I've been really patient and read your posts, but the fact of the matter is that MyOtaku [B][I][U]WILL NOT (

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082']Actually, I only coded the comment box design because I was bored.[/color][/quote] [FONT=Arial]Your point? :p All I said was you saw the need, which is a pretty broad coverall. Point is, you didn't have to do it. You decided to do it because no one else was doing it, and so it got done. You didn't join in the wailing at [COLOR="DarkRed"]Adam[/COLOR], you took the initiative, bored as you may have been.[/FONT]

[quote name='sbsp13668][FONT="Comic Sans MS"']The last time I contacted Adam about the lack of attention that MyOtaku was receiving and the loss of those few features, he only restored the comment box and the PM link to what it is now. However, he was busier last year with the final touch-ups of VersionVibrant, and he may have forgotten later. So I shall e-mail him the link to this thread. ^.^;[/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]But have you tried working [I]with[/I] him? The reason the comment box on MyOtaku got fixed after the VV switch was because [COLOR="DarkRed"]Desbreko[/COLOR] saw the need for a better comment box (let's face it, it got hit pretty bad) and wrote the code for it himself, [I]then[/I] presented it to Adam. Adam is actually rather busy with stuff (mostly involved with running the site), so people who step up and give specific ideas, and even moreso specific solutions to the ideas, will more than likely get listened to. For instance, in the first few weeks of the VV switch I noticed that background images for Worlds were either left-aligned or right-aligned, which made for clunky image breaks in certain resolutions depending on the size of the image, and it occurred to me that being able to center the image would help minimise that clunkiness. I suggested it to him, and the option was added in less than a day. It's all well and good to say that there needs to be a return (of at least attention if nothing else) to MyOtaku, but what initiative have [I]you[/I] taken on fixing the issues, aside from talking about it?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]I, on the other hand, don't have any difficulties getting along with little children because I [I]don't[/I] talk down to them and I never fake enthusiasm any more than I would for my own friends. It also helps if you don't mind being silly.[/FONT]

[quote name='Affliction][FONT="Tahoma"']The two hottest brunettes on the acting scene are coming out with movies in September, Megan Fox in Jennifer's Body and Mila Kunis in Extract...*ahem* squee.[/FONT][/quote] [FONT=Arial]You disappoint me.[/FONT]

[quote name='Knuckles' Girl][COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]I usually don't have to lie to cover up my injuries, I'm clumsy so it happens alot. Like just the other night I slipped in the shower, I hit my head on the wall, fell out and hurt my ribs and then flipped out and twisted my wrist. So yeah...things like that happen to me ALL the time. Heh...lucky me.:animeswea[/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote] [FONT=Arial][I]You're[/I] Bella Swan? HOLY CRAP :o[/FONT]

[quote name='spy46']i agree with you there, just because some *** on the news....[/quote] [FONT=Arial]Slightly off topic, but throwing around various expletives goes a long way towards ruining any credibility you have in making an intelligent argument. I'd feel a whole lot more inclined to listen to what you have to say if the boards weren't autocensoring half your posts.[/FONT]