Sandy

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]The plot however is somewhat unimpressive, dare I say, even a little unoriginal and the idea of having only a trio of characters for an RPG seems a little limited, even if I've never liked every character in my party in FF so far.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] Haha, if you think that those three characters in the trailer are the only playable ones, I think you're way lost. Of course they won't reveal the entire cast this early in the process! I remember waiting for Final Fantasy XII, when they revealed new characters in small portions during the long years. I for one am hoping for more than six characters into the party, even if they wouldn't all be accessible at the same time.

[quote name='Korey'][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Ah maybe I should have clarifyed. I meant simultaneously in one release day for all systems, which is what I'm assuming is gonna happen with FFXIII?[/FONT][/QUOTE] Ah, [I]of course[/I] you meant that... *rolls eyes* But yes, the game will be available on both systems on the day of it's launch. And sorry for doubting you, I just thought you had forgotten. ;D

[quote name='Korey'][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]See, the thing is when has Square [I]ever[/I] done a multiplatform release on any of its titles? I can't recall anything.[/FONT][/QUOTE] You're obviously forgetting Final Fantasy XI, which was released for PC, PS2 and Xbox 360. And if we go to ports and remakes, then you'll realize that the first two Final Fantasies along with Final Fantasy IV have been available for half a dozen of systems. Various other Final Fantasies have been released for two different systems as well, like VII and VIII for both PlayStation and PC. As for other titles, the upcoming The Last Remnant will be available for both PS3 and Xbox 360. So this is hardly the first time, really. ;P This lecture was brought to you by Sandy and the letter Zzzzz....

Time to bring back this old horse from it's stable, eh? As most of you who read this thread probably know already, yesterday in this year's E3 convention, Final Fantasy XIII was revealed to be multiplatform in US and Europe, namely to be released to both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Also, the FF XIII trailer shown at last year's Square-Enix Party finally leaked to internet from E3. You can see it [url=http://www.gamekyo.com/video12266_final-fantasy-xiii-trailer-hq.html][U] here[/U][/url], for example. I'm glad to see that the game brings back many classic elements of the series (summons, airships, rebellion) while still keeping the setting fresh; I find the tension between the floating technological world of Cocoon and the underlying wild world of Pulse quite intriguing. It's not the standard "good kingdom versus evil empire" anymore, the conflict goes deeper than that. The spicety heroine of the game, Lightning, is accompanied by two other characters in this trailer: a big, blonde man and a red-haired young girl. Although their status in the story is still a big question mark, I don't think it would be very far-fetched to say they're playable sidekicks to Lightning. And yes, the summons are back in a new, digital form (can you say [I]Digimon[/I]?). Shiva becomes a motorcycle, Ifrit acts like a torchblower, Carbuncle bounces out of a disc, and Siren rises from the water with her harp. There's also a huge airship reminiscent of Alexander, but that's just my guess, really. So, who else is still looking forward for this game?

[quote name='Treble']Final Fantasy XIII being confirmed for the 360 is very good news for all the gamers who don?t have a PS3 and are a fan of the Final Fantasy series. [/QUOTE] I totally agree! I'm going to get Xbox 360 soon to play Soulcalibur IV and to catch up with already released JRPGs like Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata, but FF XIII would've been pretty much the only reason for me to get PS3 - which is still heavily overpriced for me, considering that there's pretty much no games that I'd like to play for it yet. So I'm really grateful to be able to save that money. And finally seeing the FF XIII trailer was a treat as well! It really looks like the game will be true to it's series. I'm happy that my first post in this thread proved to be incorrect! ;D

According to the list Square-Enix published, we won't be seeing Final Fantasy XIII or it's spin-offs at the convention this year. :/ So there are no games presented that would greatly interest me, unfortunately.

Hey, [B]White werewolf[/B], and welcome to the Theater of OtakuBoards! When signing into RPGs, you should look at the date when it was posted. This thread was posted in February, so there's no chance it's still active. The game has either been played already or maybe it never even got that far. For your own sake, please sign into threads that are recently posted, and that you known are open for sure. Frankly put, you just wrote all that text for nothing, and that's a pity. If you have more questions about how to act here, check the Guidelines threads on top of each forum, or send a private message to me! [I]- Sandy[/I]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]Sandy - Spain?!? Why does EVERYONE I know get to go to that country and I don't! *is so jealous* ;__; You're also completely adorable and so typical "Euro" in the way you dress. Oh Europeans. ^_^ [/color][/QUOTE] Whee, finally someone noticed my photos! XD Thanks for the compliments, Roxie! But what on earth do you mean by typically "Euro" clothes? I've always considered myself an average dresser... Not fancy but not sloppy either. ;D What comes to [B]DW[/B] and [B]Raiha[/B]: you really must stage a Battle of the Mages to finally sort out just which one is better, black or white magic!

There's no separate thread for this kind of suggestions, because we have this whole section dedicated to them. Now, this is not an official stance of OtakuBoards, but in my opinion closed threads should remain where they were at least for a while, because they're always closed for a reason, and if nobody sees that reason, then they won't be able to avoid making the same mistake twice. So to me, in most cases closed threads double as examples as well.

Hey, I'm all for messing with Gavin's private property. I've always fancied Irish people for some reason, anyway. ;D The Epicness Hath Returned'th!

Yay, a picture-update from the most gorgeous Finnish guy on the whole OtakuBoards! So, I just spent 18 days in the sunny Spain and it's minuscule neighbor Andorra with my dear boyfriend, and here's some shots of me from that trip. The pictures are quite huge, so they're behind the links. [SIZE="1"] [URL="http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1090335ba0.jpg"][U]The raging Mediterranean Sea in Fuengirola, and a brave sailor in swimming trunks who tries to defy it with his indomitable airbed.[/U][/URL] [URL="http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1080797wi4.jpg"][U]Me sitting under a great big kittycat in Barcelona. It's a part of a huge statue of Cristopher Columbus.[/U][/URL] [URL="http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1080837qv3.jpg"][U]Who knew there's an Arch of Triumph in Barcelona as well? They've got it in red, though.[/U][/URL] [URL="http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1080765mm1.jpg"][U]Sandy sure loves his candy! And they're from a funny little candy shop called the "Happy Pills", too! Isn't that just fitting?[/U][/URL] [URL="http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1090120gw3.jpg"][U]And here's the Central (and pretty much only) Park of Andorra La Vella, the capital (and only) city of Andorra. I'm not kidding you guys, the country's really that tiny.[/U][/URL] [URL="http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1090006wr6.jpg"][U]What a view! Andorra's all about the mountains. The Pyrenees, to be exact.[/U][/URL] [url=http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1090065mt1.jpg][U]Here's him and me sitting on a slope of a mountain, with the city of Andorra La Vella looming below us.[/U][/url][/SIZE] There's tons of other pictures from the trip, too, but since they're mostly about the scenery and not much about [I]me[/I], I won't bother you with them. ;D Cheers!

[B]VayneKun[/B], I already sent you a private message, so I hope you read it. But I have to point you to the [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=58239][U]Theater Guidelines[/U][/url], because you're apparently confused about how things work here. You cannot just post into any game you desire, you have to be accepted as a player by the creator of the game first. That's usually done by signing into a recruitment thread in the Auditions forum. This game hasn't even been active in over a month, so it's really pointless for you to try and participate in it. You will have to contact the game creator, [B]8bit[/B], first if you want to do so. Please, read the Guidelines and then send me a private message me back if you still have any questions about roleplaying here. Thank you.

[quote name='Mykul'][B]Addendum:[/B] If this thread gets closed because it's already been done, I'll lose my mind. I spent ten minutes searching the site for a thread with this same premise and couldn't find one.[/QUOTE] Relax. If everybody thought like that, nobody would dare to post anything. And even if there was a similar thread here, this one would most likely not be closed. There's an unwritten rule here that you should check the first few pages or so for similar threads; if you can't find any, you're free to post your own. Or that's at least the way I think of it. As for the topic itself, I find it absolutely fascinating. I can't come up with a decent short short story myself, but I have to say that the original one from Hemingway just blew my mind. In just six words, he painted an entire story about a child lost before birth and the grieving parents. It shows that he's a professional author, doesn't it? ;D

I was seventeen when I joined, and unfortunately my true teens began then. I was one of those smart, silent kids who were bullied at school and never had many friends, but after I went to high school, I started to rebel against that self-image. I sure made friends, but my grades fell along with my motivation to study. I think it showed here in OB as well. I was quite argumentative and made stupid threads I knew were against the rules. Reading back, my English was quite bad then, even though I've always been good at it in school. Most of my English skills comes from the six years spent here, though. Well, nowadays I can be hotheaded and stubborn as well, but I certainly think more before I blurt out anything. Many times I've caught myself writing something provoking or insulting, and then I've deleted the post (many times before even posting it). So yeah, adulthood is definitely catching up to me. ;D I still consider my OB-personality to be a long jump from how I behave with people face-to-face. But I think that goes for each and every one of us.

[quote name='Panache']I was playing Phantom hourglass till my damn stylus went missing. I think I left it at an airport. Do they sell those things separately?[/QUOTE] Yes they do, in a variety of colors. Then again, my DS came with an extra stylus. I'm iffy about the Phoenix Wright games. They seem fun enough, but they also seem very short and limited. I've read that each game has about six cases to solve. In hours that must be something like twelve, am I correct? I'll rather spend my money on something that'll keep me entertained for weeks rather than a few days.

[quote name='Phenom'][COLOR="DarkRed"][SIZE="1"]Where do I learn Big Guard from? I've played this twice so far (and working on a third), and still haven't ran into any monster(s) that does Big Guard.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] There's a whole slewd of FAQs and walkthroughs at GameFAQs.com for situations like that, but because I think I remember the answer, I'll tell it to you: [strike]monsters called [B]Adamantaimai[/B] (big turtles) that appear on the beaches at least in Wutai cast it on you when confused.[/strike] Confusion is the way to go to get most healing and defensive enemy skills throughout the series. ;D For some odd reason, I remember [B]Behemoths[/B] having that skill as well, but that could've been in a different game. [strike]Adamantaimai are the best bet, though.[/strike] [B]Edit:[/B] I just checked, and it seems my memory has failed me. Adamantaimai give you Death Force enemy skill when manipulated. The correct answer for Big Guard are the [B]Beach Plugs[/B] on the beaches near Gongaga. They must be manipulated as well.

I just got a DS of my own. The only game I have for it so far is [B]Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings[/B]. It's really very good, it adds to the story and characters of FF XII, and it's gameplay - a mixture of action RPG and real-time strategy battles - works quite well. So I'd definitely recommend it to any fan of Final Fantasy. I'm currently looking for [B]Final Fantasy III[/B] (the only main series installment I've yet to play), but it's such an old game that I will probably have to order it online. I've read that the game's pretty oldschool, so I don't know if it's actually good or not. Other than those two games, I don't really know what to recommend. [B]Brain Age[/B] looked fun when Nicole Kidman played it in the commercial, but you never know... XD

Oh pishposh, Petie and other naysayers, [spoiler]the interdimensional aliens fit in just as well as the destructive Ark of Covenant, the glowing stones of Shiva and the healing powers of the Holy Grail from the earlier movies. If you're looking for realism, you've obviously watched the wrong movie. The whole alien-theme was supposed to be a nod to the B-class sci-fi movies of the old days, anyway.[/spoiler] Me and my boyfriend watched the three previous movies before we went to see the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yesterday. I have to say that the light-hearted, adventurous spirit was pretty much the same, only the visual side was upgraded. In comparison to the dungeons and temples and other locations of the first three movies, the ones in the new movie were both convincing and breathtaking ([spoiler]especially the cemetery gave me the creeps[/spoiler]). As for the cast, Ford as Indy hasn't aged that well, but he still packed a punch. Shia LaBoeuf was hot and spicety. It was fun to see some tie-in characters to the previous movies ([spoiler]Marion and the pictures of Brody and Henry Jones Sr.[/spoiler]). Cate Blanchett as a villain was both interesting and gorgeous. So yeah, I liked the movie a lot, and I think it did great justice to the previous movies. (Which reminds me: [B]8bit[/B], if you haven't seen the other movies, you can't really make comparisons like that. ;P )

Here's another known Final Fanatic! Having played all the main-series games except the third one (which will soon be corrected now that I have a DS), plus several spin-offs and sequels, I can honestly say that the FF VII universe has the most expansive world, history and cast of characters - much thanks to the sequels recently released. I love the personal characters of the game. In comparison, FF VIII's characters are nice to look at, but that's about it. As for FF IV (another game brought up here), all of it's cast were one-dimensional stereotypes (errand knight, fragile healer, best-friend-turned-traitor, spoony bard etc.). I also love the world. The same goes for FF XII, but I don't think they utilized it as well in that game (since most of the background story was hidden in the Bestiary). The towns and locations were amazingly vibrant and varied in FF VII, and I still can't get over the greatness of Midgar and Gold Saucer. Now, the gameplay... I understand that some people are bothered by the possibilities of the customization, or by the fact that there's a best combination of materia with which you can beat whatever you encounter (then again, what game [I]doesn't[/I] have something like that?). But I prefer this choice to the restriction of the playable characters into certain jobs. Honestly, the gameplay of FF VI was as simple as it could get: Cecil always attacks, Rosa casts Curaja, Kain jumps, Rydia casts Bahamut and Edge throws shurikens. No Limit Breaks, no variation, no support skills. Where's the superiority in that, I ask? (They added a lot of that stuff to the DS-version, though.) So yeah, I am one of those people who wish to see a remake of FF VII released someday, but for now I'd rather see more of FF XIII. I would still take new installments over remakes any day.

Funny that the ship left Earth's atmosphere already, but nobody seems to take any notice of it. XD I was thinking that Hilda and her girls could hold safety instruction sessions as the ship departs, something akin to the ones on airplanes. So anybody not allowed to participate to the party can come there, for example.

[CENTER][IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/Blayze54/brunhildemetzger.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Courier New"]As the charming reporter and his photographer headed out, Hilda saw the two younger hostesses they had taken photos of whispering and giggling. [B]"Enough of that, girls!"[/B] she quickly remarked. [B]"Boys will be boys, don't let your work slide because of their shenanigans."[/B] The pair fell silent immediately, but gave each other meaningful looks. Hilda gave out a little sigh. She had gotten used to being the spoil-sport in her previous job as a purser, a leading flight stewardess, as well, but she firmly believed that a job well done would give it's doers the greatest joy. Hilda let her eyes wander on the architecture of the entry gate. The Von Braun was certainly a big leap from the stuffy, narrow airplanes she had worked in just three months ago - and she had worked in some of the largest of them. It had been a consequence of many things that had led Purser Brunhilde Metzger to become the Senior Hostess of Von Braun, but she was happy for it. Then another batch of boarding passengers snapped Hilda out of her thoughts. Ensuring that her signature smile was on, she approached the guests. [B]"Welcome aboard Von Braun, Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Hilda, and I'm your Senior Hostess on this voyage. How can I help you?"[/B] she asked them.[/FONT]

Love to be your sidekick, Laura. The story is excellently random, you never know where it's going to take our dashing hunters. It just left me wondering why we're after some Wii rather than out hunting vampires? XP

I have a question about the holograms: are they A.I. or actual people communicating through a holographic image? Because if they're artificial, they'd pretty much make my character and her staff needless. But if there's an actual person talking through the image (like in Star Wars, heh), then they fit well. I wasn't sure how many hostesses and guides the Von Braun needed, so I put in 24 (that can easily be changed, though). How many passengers are there on board, actually? I tried to search the background texts, but I couldn't find a mention about it anywhere. Maybe I'm just blind that way, heh... Oh, and if anybody wants interaction upon entering the ship, my character (or any one of her underlings) can be used to guide yours where needed.

[CENTER][IMG]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c323/SamSandy/vonbraun2.png[/IMG][/CENTER] [FONT="Courier New"][b]"Gather around, girls!"[/b] Hilda Metzger shouted and clapped her hands twice. She referred to her underlings as girls, even though there were several male stewards present as well. All in all, she was in charge of the twenty-four tour guides, stewardesses and hostesses working in the public area of Von Braun. Their job was to keep the passengers satisfied and guide them wherever they wanted to go - within the allowed parameters, of course. For three months they had been trained in all the accomodies and attractions of the spaceship hotel, and it was at least assumed that every one of them knew the floorplan by heart. But it went without saying that none of them knew it as well as Hilda Metzger, the Senior Hostess. Hilda had made the hostesses arrive to the ship very early in the morning, so that they would be ready and prepared when the passengers started to flood in. That's why some of them were still yawning, and a few hadn't even done their hair yet. [B]"Now, I've said this a thousand times before, but I will repeat it: whatever the passengers asks you, whatever they say to you, whatever dirt they throw at you, always keep [I]smiling[/I]."[/B] The Senior Hostess gave her staff the most pleasant, understanding smile she could conjure on her face. [B]"If I hear even one complaint about bad service, I will make sure that the one responsible will be put on an emergency pod and sent back to Earth immediately. Have I been understood?"[/B] She looked through the line of young women and men in neat uniforms. [B]"Where are those smiles, girls? Good. Now get moving. The first guests will be here any minute now."[/B] Hilda Metzger watched as the hostesses and stewards scurried off. She knew she was being hard on them, but she reminded herself that she wouldn't ask them do anything she wasn't prepared to do herself.[/FONT]

I don't drink Energy Drinks myself. At first it was because I couldn't stand the taste of them, but then I learned a few nasty things about their effects as well. The first one was pointed out by Raiha and Allamorph already: when you consume Energy Drinks continuously, your body ceases to create it's own energy (since it's not necessary to do so anymore), and you become dependent on the drinks to keep you going. What a marketing plot, I gotta say! The other effect I've heard about (and which I'm less certain of) is that they erode your teeth's crowns. Sugar might cause cavities, but that stuff simply liquifies the surface of the teeth. Good luck with chewing after that... So yeah, Energy Drinks have joined my "What Not To Drink" list along with alcohol and coffee. I still love my cokes and lemonades, though... XP