Sandy

[quote name='CaNz' date='07 August 2010 - 11:50 AM' timestamp='1281171052' post='699012']as for the architects power i think he/she changes the surroundings, but i am not sure if they ever broke physics. [/quote] Uh, Ariadne made the city physically [i]bend[/i], which resulted in people walking and cars driving on "walls". Also, there was the [spoiler]zero-gravity scene during the big mission (that oddly only affected the second dream world and not the third). Oh yeah, not to mention that one guy pulling a bazooka out of his butt.[/spoiler] How are those examples "not breaking physics"? ;P

[quote name='Citric' date='04 August 2010 - 05:16 PM' timestamp='1280931399' post='698774']In other news, Game Freak director Junichi Masuda has updated his blog with an unexpected announcement. Pokémon Black and White Versions will only feature Generation V Pokémon up until the player acquires the National Pokédex. [/quote] This is a very interesting bit of info, and it really looks like they'll be doing a minor reboot of the series. It's great to see a main Pokémon game take on a new graphical appearance, even though most of the other innovations for B&W seem to be quite trivial. Story-wise, I'm still hoping they would do away with the "visit 8 gyms and then beat a tournament" trope, because they certainly could go much deeper than that if they wished to.

Oh the anticipation! :D I have to say that there's some great power cards in play. I especially like the "Play Time" card by Inuyasha Fandom - I can already imagine the scenarios that having such a power could produce. Great to see so many players participate in this, I'm sure we'll have so much fun we could just [i]die[/i]. ;P

[quote name='Gavin' date='06 August 2010 - 06:26 PM' timestamp='1281108381' post='698969'] [font="Tahoma"][size="2"][spoiler]Your mind makes it real Leo.[/spoiler][/size][/font] [/quote] By that logic they could've just "wished it away". :/

I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say it was the best movie I've seen in a long, long while. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it's so rare for Hollywood to produce something this complex, intelligent and thought-provoking that I couldn't help but to feel mesmerized by it. Joseph Gordon-Lewitt's and Ellen Paige's characters were the most interesting for me, even though I would've wanted to learn more about them (well, maybe in the sequel, Inception: Reloaded ;P ), and their acting performance was top-notch too. As negative points, most of the fighting scenes in the movie felt like filler (how can someone even get wounded in a dream, anyway?), and in my opinion they could've used the "dream powers" more prominently during the big mission (it just couldn't compare to the impact that the scene where [spoiler]Ariadne changed the city for the first time[/spoiler] gave me). But yeah, I definitely loved the movie, and the very ending was really the best way out of it, never mind how frustrating it felt. If it had gone either way, I think I would've been much more disappointed.

Now that I gave in and returned from my two-year hiatus to this forum, I've been going through the old RPGs I've created - namely, the Survivor and the Death Card series - and reminiscing on those times. Looking back, I can see how arrogant and even cold I many times appeared, even though in real life I'm really not that kind of a person. I can also see loads of ambition and pride in my younger self, but mostly I can see how much fun I had with the RPGs. I, too, grew up from a teenager into an adult with OB, and this place was a very important part of my life for six years. Having stayed away for two years has been good for me, allowed me to see different types of online communities and greatly expand my social circles in real life. Now I feel like I don't really need OB the way I needed it anymore, but it's still a bittersweet feeling to come back here and see how so many things have changed, yet the core essence has stayed the same. I don't think I'm the same drama-inducing online personality I was years ago, but I certainly won't ever forget that I was once like that. XD

Thanks for bringing me back for another game of Death Card! ;D [color="#008000"][b]Ghostâ??s Name:[/b][/color] The Green Lady [color="#008000"][b]Manifestation:[/b][/color] She appears as a tall, lanky, elderly woman with a flowing white hair and hollow, teary eyes. She wears a pale green gown and a long-fringed shawl around her shoulders. Wherever she passes, she leaves a faint trail of a fragrance of rotting roses. [color="#008000"][b]Personal Description:[/b][/color] She was once the matriarch of the family that inhabited Rosengard, and the rose garden that gave the mansion its name was her pride and treasure. She had a way of playing favorites with her numerous offspring, pampering others while neglecting the rest. She was also extremely capricious, and one could fall from her favor from the slightest misconduct. To the guests of the mansion she was always polite and generous, but that was merely a facade she maintained to protect the privacy of her family. [color="#008000"][b]Power Card:[/b][/color] [i]ROSE BRIARS[/i] - holding this power card allows the mortal to grow a thick hedge of roses anywhere to block entrances or corridors, or to cover them up to shield them from physical harm.

Well, I guess I'm kinda sorta back after taking a breather from OB for a couple of years (you can blame Shy for luring me back). This place sure has changed, but I'm glad to see so many familiar names despite of that. During my absence, I've really missed the fantastic quality RPGs I participated in here. It looks like the Theater has died down quite a bit from its "golden days", but I'm sure the situation can be mended with a few more active players and game creator. That's the main reason why I'm back, I guess. So, anyone up for some gaming? ;D

If someone didn't know it already, I'm from Finland, one of the Scandinavian countries located in northern Europe. The summer this year has been a cold and wet one, and the saddest part is that it only gets colder and more wet as we move towards fall. So is it a wonder Finnish people are considered gloomy and grumpy? ;P

Darren, don't be so intimidated! You'll meet loads of people in the classes, at the cafeteria (or whatever you call it there), and even in the hallways. Remember that there are dozens and dozens of people in the exact same situation as you in the school - alone and without friends, but only for a while. My advice is to just be open to possibilities, and just be yourself.

[quote name='L11']why cant people just join on in? Just start playing out a role?:confused:[/QUOTE] Because they don't know who to play as. You have to remember that people aren't mind readers - they can't know what you want from them with a small text introduction you provided. I suggest you try to explain what the story of the game is about, what kind of characters you want to be included in the game, and all that. It'll really help you get players attracted to your game. Then, once you have gathered a few buddies to play with, you can start the game topic in the Theater. This is the way things work best around here, as proven by past experiences. Just take a look at some of the other topics around this area to see how they operate. Good luck, again!

Hey, L11, and welcome to the Theater! I see you've got a beginning of a roleplaying game there. Now what you need is other players to join your Jester School! The place to recruit players is the Auditions, where I've moved your topic. Read the [B]Theater Guidelines[/B] from the top of the topic page to see how exactly to get people to join your game, and then use the [B]edit[/B]-button to modify your first post accordingly. Good luck with your game! Don't hesitate to send me a private message if you still have questions.

[quote name='Lrb'][FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"] If by show you mean TV Show then chances are each show is going to be so different from another that characters from one show just wouldn't fit in others unless it was some sort of spin-off.[/QUOTE] That's what I meant, at least. And I don't think it'll be a problem to put the same characters into different contexts or shows. Just think about Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comics - those guys have been through it all: time travel, space, medieval times, pirates, superheroes and all that. Of course the characters wouldn't have the same background story in all shows, just the same appearance and personality. I for one think it would be cool. I also like the logo a lot! ;D

This sounds quite excellent to me. It feels light but also involving, and the concept is fresh. I just have to ask: are the characters same from episode to episode? Are the shows limited only to cartoons and "kids' shows", or will there be more adult-oriented shows as well, like soap-opera and reality-tv? This is definitely something that could get me back in the mood for roleplaying! I feel a bit ashamed to be a moderator in this area because I haven't participated in any games in months. X/

[quote name='Lunox'][font=trebuchet ms]I've heard the Harvey Dent transformation defense from most of my friends, but I stand by what I said. Even if it's believable, it still had that "tacked on" feeling. He [spoiler]dies within what, a day? [/spoiler][/font][/QUOTE] Who says [spoiler]he died? The drop certainly wasn't lethal. The memorial service in the end could've very well been just a facade, as well.[/spoiler] As for the tacked-on feeling, in my opinion if the transformation [I]hadn't[/I] happened, the whole character of Harvey Dent would've been useless and tacked-on in the movie. Honestly, if you remember all the scenes from the beginning of the movie until the end, and follow the "red line" of the plot, you'll notice that there's very few scenes that are just tacked-on. The complexity of the story and how well it played out was certainly one of the main reasons I loved this movie. I think you, Lunox, need to see the movie again, with a little less "I'm so going to be disappointed"-attitude, and enjoy the movie as what it is, without comparisons or rankings. Don't let the hype get you. ;D

[COLOR="Green"]Hey, [B]gravelover89[/B], and welcome to the Theater! I just want to tell you to pay attention to the date when the thread was last posted in when searching for interesting games to participate in. This game was active last spring, so there is really no chance you'll get in it anymore. You should try your luck with newer games, okay? If in doubt, don't hesitate to contact us moderators! Cheers! - Sandy[/COLOR]

[quote name='Matt']I take it you haven't read enough comic books then, or at least, The Killer Joke. The Joker can be quite the talker when he wants to be.[/QUOTE] I think you misread my sentence. I'm very aware that supervillains always fall into lenghty monologues at the most crucial moment, allowing the hero to escape while their jabbering on. I just kind of expected that this movie would be above that, but no avail. XD

[quote name='desertphoenix'][COLOR="DarkRed"][FONT="Verdana"]Kind of heartbreaking really. [spoiler] the Joker didn't die in the end, and we also got to see a little cameo of Scarecrow in the beginning. I would of love to see a similar cameo, if not a bigger role with the Joker. Or at least some insight to where the scares really came from.[/spoiler]:animesmil[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] I'd guess they could have enough unused material from this movie for him to make a short cameo in the sequel. Who knows? I really, really, [I]really[/I] liked the movie, despite it's lenght. Although, the only problem I had with the lenght was that I almost forgot what happened in the beginning, what triggered the events. There sure were many scenes that could've been deleted, but that would've probably made the story less deep than what it was now. I'll boldy name the Dark Knight as the best comic-based movie I've ever seen (and I've seen quite a many). It really has almost everything I look forward in a movie: great characters with visible development, many twists to the plot, deep philosophy, dazzling visuals, exciting action scenes and thrilling moments. What I would've liked to see was more stronger female roles. Sure, Rachel was prominent, but she was pretty much the only girl in a sausagefest (I wouldn't complain if the men were more to my liking in appearance, but alas, they weren't). I also couldn't help to roll my eyes on the lenghty villain monologues in the climatic scenes, but I guess they're a given on every superhero movie.

[quote name='Darren']Under normal conditions, everyone would be like "WTF?" But then once they find out the details, they're like, "Okay, it's a woman, who wanted to be a man, but decided to be a woman again for 9 months..." MAKE UP YOUR MIND[/quote] [quote name='weedeater']Homosexuality is one thing. That's all fine and dandy. But transgenderism, while not anything I'd look down on an individual for, is something I simply do not agree with. Gender confusion is a mental state that should be dealt with as such.[/QUOTE] I sympathize transgendered people in this day and age, it most likely isn't easy to not know whether you're Eve or Steve. I think those people are going through enough hard time in struggling between their inner, biological and social self without the rest of us going all judgmental on them. It's not like transgenderism can cause physical harm to anyone, it's not a disease. The emotional aspect is a more complex matter, though. [B]Weedeater[/B], I just want to ask you, how would you propose people "deal" with gender confusion? With medical treatment? Compulsory therapy? Locking transgendered people into mental care institutions? They might be confused, but that doesn't make them [I]crazy[/I]. As for the baby issue, every (biological) woman has a right to do whatever they want with their womb and ovaries, even though in some cases (like drug addicts and alcoholists) the result can be unfortunate.

Forget maths, you won't need most of it unless you become an accountant or something. There are many more important things school can teach you, in my opinion. ;P Anyway, I think good self-esteem plays a big part both in school and life in general; to me it means not being afraid to face challenges, speak up your mind or meet new people - all important to the social status you create in your community. I was bullied in school and smacked around at home, and I used to think very low about myself. Then I took interest in amateur theater, and performing really boosted my self-esteem and self-image. Not because I was good at it or anything, but because I challenged myself to speak in front of hundreds of people, goof off publicly and do silly things with the theater group without any mocking or putting down. It has helped me cope at higher levels of education as well. In my current school (University of Applied Sciences), I often initiate discussions and am very active during lessons. Of course my line of study doesn't require very much precise knowledge such as mathematics or grammar, but it's still great to realize how much I've learned through discussing and questioning only. So to kids and grown-ups suffering from low self-esteem, I'd definitely recommend participating in amateur theater or taking acting/performing classes with a closed group. With that, you can gradually boost your own self-image without a fear of becoming a spoiled primadonna, because the security comes more from your inner self and not other people. Honestly, I believe many "popular" people who have flocks of followers fawning around them don't really have as high self-esteem as they look, since they need other people's support and approval to feel good about themselves. So that facade is fake, in my opinion.

It's a nice idea, it's been a while since the last "superhero" RPG here. However... [quote name='Malkav']There are two main components to this game. The first, is the backstage thread which will serve as Legion meeting headquarters where players will post in character to discuss the goings on and plan our next action. The second will be the actual theatre thread where we will post our plans coming into fruition. This way it will be as if the guild is planning and executing these plans[/QUOTE] I think both of these threads should be in the Theater, mainly because they're both in-character, just to avoid confusing the players. All the backstage threads so far have been out-of-character stuff, so breaking that norm might be difficult for you. Oh, and no RPG is eternal (except Kill Adam, apparently), so even though you can keep the sign-ups open as long as you want, the game will slip into oblivion eventually like everything else. ;P

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]You don't necessarily have to marry her, and I'm thinking doing so might not be in either of your best interests. Most teen couples who get pregnant and subsequently get married actually get divorced after a couple years. If you want to marry her because you love her and she's the center of your world, that's one thing. If you're marrying her for the sake of the child, that's another, and inadvisable.[/color][/quote] I don't know how marriage works there at the United States, but in my country it gives both social and monetary security, in the form of inheritance rights and many services. And I don't believe that marriage causes splitting up itself,I think most of the divorced couples would've split up even if they hadn't gotten married in the first place. So even though I believe couples can live happily together for a lifetime without being married to each other, for the child's sake you should at least look into the pros and cons of marriage. [quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]I know someone who did this, and I'd also consider looking into not signing the birth certificate, and only having the mother's name. I only advise this on the un-researched assumption that it would qualify the child for more federal aid, things like free school lunches, or even a larger scholarship for college, or whatever. Obviously you'd have to look into that, do your research, talk to some people, and discuss it with your girlfriend, but you've got nine months to do it.[/color][/QUOTE] You mean he would give up his rights as a parent and a father to give the kid some monetary benefits? How can you even compare those two things? The child would obviously not inherit him without a specified will, and he would lose all rights to make decisions in the child's life. Look, I know they're quite young for parenthood, but it's not automatically a negative thing that will drain their money and ruin their future. With some support from their families and friends, I believe Lonley Fighter and his girlfriend will do just fine. And Lonley Fighter, despite you growing up in a foster home and all that, please [I]don't[/I] refuse help when it's offered to you. There will become times when you or your girlfriend can't be with your child 24/7, but I guarantee that the kid won't hate you for that. Daycare or baby-sitting is [I]not[/I] equal to foster care. It's only temporary.

I for one have been expecting this with great anticipation. I've even contributed to the Wikipedia article made from this game, and gone into a few edit wars for it (well, you know how stubborn I can be, so is it any wonder? XP ). I own both SC II and III, and have had many fun moments playing them with my friends. Even though I'm in no way good at playing the games, there are many things I still enjoy about them, such as the variety of the characters, the relatively deep storyline, and the possibility of creating your own fighters (introduced in SC III, but it will return in this fourth Soulcalibur game better than ever). So for me, SC IV is really a must-buy, and I don't think I will be disappointed.

[quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]To be fair, I've only played the demo for FFXII, and I didn't like what I played. Is the gameplay from the demo and the actual game the same? (If not, I'd probably try it out once more.) There were summonings?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] This isn't FF 12 thread, but I'll answer anyway: I never played the demo, but they didn't have all the juices in it (like the gambits and license grids and different weapon types). It all comes down to whether or not you mind not being in control all the time, meaning if you want to continuously push X or not. Because in FF XII, you don't have to. Just choose the right combination of gambits, and watch the characters do the fighting for you. It sounds way too easy, but there's quite a bit of strategy involved, really. And yes, there were summonings (Espers, like in FF 6), although their usefullness is at least questionable. They replaced two out of the three party members in the field, but only did mediocre damage, and some of their superduper attacks were quite tricky to perform. What we've seen from the FF 13's battle system, it seems to have a sort of combo system going on, where you enter commands (the trailer shows both physical and magical attacks that each take off different amounts of the character's ATB-bar) and watch them combine in the graphics. There also seems to be a lot more enemies present at one time than in previous games, too. A few images for reference: [url]http://www.videogamesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/final-fantasy-xiii-big.jpg[/url] [url]http://www.bdgamers.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/tgs-final-fantasy-xiii-3.jpg[/url] [quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"] [size=1]I'd be satisfied with a game where all the characters are like Cloud, Sephiroth and Sqaull. [/size] [/COLOR][/QUOTE] Lucky you, there's a game like that coming for the PSP! It's [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissidia"][U]Final Fantasy Dissidia[/U][/URL], featuring all the heroes and villains from (at least) the first ten FF-games. ;D

[quote name='Matt']Would you rather have 6 mediocre, two sided characters, or 3 well developed, realistic ones?[/QUOTE] I know my Final Fantasy, and I've come to see that one shouldn't bother to expect deep character-development, let alone realism, from the games. I just want many different, conflicting personalities and a decent history behind each character, and I'm satisfied. Seriously, JRPGs may tell interesting stories with many twists and turns, but the characters more often than not follow specific stereotypes and clichés. I really don't expect to find anything else from FF XIII, either.