Sandy

Except that in FFVIII Cid is actually [spoiler]the headmaster of Balamb Garden, which at one point converts into a sort-of low-flying airship[/spoiler]. But Cid is not associated to airships in every FF, though he is that in most of them: In the very first FF (I don't know about the original, but at least in the GBA-version) Cid was mentioned to be an ancient Lufenian who created the airship technology. In the second FF Cid is an airship pilot, like he is in the third as well. In FF IV he is a playable character, an engineer. In FF V he is some sort of scientist, but I'm not entirely sure if he had anything to do with airships, since I've not played the game. [B]But[/B] in FF VI, Cid is [spoiler]an imperial scientist who invented Magitech[/spoiler], and he has has nothing to do with any airship [spoiler]- that job is left for Setzer the Gambler[/spoiler]. Bleh, did I make a point or what? :p ...not.

Wow, I'm impressed! You've managed to make the same poem sound great in three different languages! I actually understand all three, so I can tell. ;) Not only the poem work in all languages, it also has different atmosphere in all three. This reminds me of the one movie with Penelope Cruz and Gael García Bernal, but I don't know what it's called in English countries... In the movie down on earth people spoke Spanish, in heaven people spoke French and in hell they spoke English. But enough babbling, the poem is impressive and well done! :)

But if you think it is only to help people, why is it made mandatory? Have you even had complains from people that have "accidentally" signed in to a RPG that turned out to be morally questionable? Where are you basing this whole rating-system on? I know this is a bit too late to ask this, but I've tried to understand the reason it was implemented to this board, but I've failed to see a reason why it is necessary at all! I suggest that if an idea that seems however fantastic in thought doesn't work in practice, [I]ditch it[/I]! Not every bright idea is succesfull, not even every tenth. ;)

I've actually always been silently against the rating system of the Arena. Why? Because it is utterly pointless! So a thread has M-rating to warn about mature content included? What's it to a kid who seeks mature content anyway? The "M"-tag won't stop him/her to check out the thread anyway, it'll actually help him/her in her search. And if the ratings are for "sensitive" people who don't want mature content in the games they sign in, I think the system is pointless in that case as well. The very desciption of the content of the game in the first post is enough to tell if the game will include violence/sex etc. - just take the Pokémon-example! I'm sure that a member that creates a Pokémon-RPG has no intentions to make a Pikachu shag a Jigglypuff without clearly stating that! I've kept all this in me because I know people are far less tolerant on these things elsewhere than us Nordic people, but after seeing myself how the rating system has worked the whole time it has been active leaves me no other option but to try to open people's eyes to the fact that it [I]doesn't work[/I]. I never felt the need for a rating system in the first place, and I wonder who really did? IMO the whole system was invented to give grown-up people here a clear consciense to create mature games without being blamed to corrupt children. But that's just my opinion...

I'm going to spend this whole summer (which I reckon will be a long and hot one) with my newly-found boyfriend, making shweet love with him.

[QUOTE=Dagger] Personally I don't understand Sephiroth's appeal[/QUOTE] It's all about the long silver hair, really. ;) I've never properly understood why people of both genders are screaming after him either, but I guess people have the tendency to make things that look good interesting by force. *shrugs*

We Finnish people have a major issue with drinking: it's all or nothing here. People just don't know how to control their drinking, in many cases they don't even feel the need to that. Whenever some event comes (and weekends are counted as events as well), people just have to get drunk - and I'm not speaking about getting little dipsy, I mean drink till they drop! It's our culture, you take alcohol and you take it alot, or you are no proper Finnish. Thus I, who have witnessed what alcohol can do at it's worst, refuse to be a proper Finnish and do not drink at all. I've never even been drunk, and I'm damn proud of it! But there's nothing I or anybody else can do to change the insane drinking habit of the people of this country, I just have to watch as more and more people die because of drunken drivers or drunken violence. The government does nothing to change this either, in fact they decreased the alcohol tax last year. Was that a smart move or what... :therock:

Well, that's something for you to think about over and over again when you lie awake in your bed in the night. :p If you want the truth, ask Minako; she's seen me in nature. But I shall bomb your thread with my out-of-topic posts no longer. I hope your RPG prospers despite the fact that it's awfully rushed and filled with clichés. ;)

The only problem in your logic is that there's no way you can be 100% sure about anybody's gender here (unless you know them offline). ;) Some people might just say they're a girl, and even post a girl's photo saying "look how cute I am!", and still be a guy. You never know... I think what you see as overdoing a gender is in fact overdoing a character. If some boy can't play as a girl without going "check out these boobies!!", I find it hard to believe he can play a male character believably, meaning he is a poor player. ;) There's a thought for you...

Hey, DW. I read the recruitment thread of this game at the Adventure Inn. There were several thing that bothered me so I won't be signing in, but one thing bothered me the most, so could you please explain yourself. Why did you say that the characters should be the same gender as the player? I mean, what's the point? I ask this as a person who loves to play both genders, and I'm utterly amazed that somebody puts in such a demand. It's not like a guy can't pretend to be a girl in a believable way, and otherway around. And if you are worried that your character would fall for a female character that is actually played by a guy, I say you got some serious identity problems. ;) It's the characters that fall for each other, not the players. Sorry, I realize I sound rude, but I just needed to know why you made such a demand. And I didn't just PM you because I wanted other people to know this too. ;)

I can contribute the [B]first[/B] game I ever got through (since I've beaten too many games to remember them all). It was none other than [B]Chip'n'Dale's Rescue Rangers[/B] for Nintendo 8-bit! I felt such a feeling of achievement when I kicked that Fat Cat's fat arse! And the levels were no piece of cake to that 10-year old boy I was back then... Of course, to the kids of today the game would be just a nice little snack, but back then playing any game was a big experience for me, I knew no such things as "good games" or "bad games" - there were just games! Rescue Rangers was pretty fun game, especially in two-player mode, where you could grab the other chipmunk and throw him against the enemies or other hazards. >;D No wonder the people who played with me never made it to the end... Ah, the memories! :D

My absolute favorite is of course Squall & Seifer, [I]all the way[/I]! You can just sense the electricity, the tension, the forbidden lust between them... And don't come telling me they aren't a pair! Sure, they don't get each other at the end of the game, but I'm sure that the moment the cameras were shut, Squally dumped that sorry biatché Rinoa and sought out his [I]twue wuv[/I], Seiffy!

[quote name='ThatOneOddDude'] "Pong was the first game ever!" [/quote] But... Pong [I]was[/I] the first game ever! I went to this international Videogame Exposition visiting Finland, and there were samples from games throughout the history of videogaming, and it became very clear that Pong (the simple game with a ball moving back and forth between two paddles) was the first videogame ever created. To my recollection it was developed by some scientists working with computers to entertain their sad and miserable lives... okay, maybe it wasn't [I]exactly [/I] like that, but something along those lines.

I'm sorry, Lix, but there has been no information released on Golden Sun's second sequel. I haven't seen any mentions in it in any rpgaming website, and I visit quite many of them. ;) But I have strong beliefs that such a game will be released sooner or later, simply because the second Golden Sun was left in such a cliffhanger point. I have a hunch that the game will be played from the p.o.v. of [spoiler]Alex, the water adept that opposed Felix and Isaac.[/spoiler] The game series has great potential, so I wait for the third installment eagerly as well.

No, don't get me wrong, I love Pokémon game(s) as well, but do you really think that few little additions to each new game is worthwhile the whole price of a Gameboy game? Can't you really see how little changes the game designers have done during these dozen or so published games? I have one Pokémon game (Sapphire), and I think it's like I have them all (and yes, I've played some of the earlier games as well). Okay, now this is getting out of topic, I just needed to answer this...

[quote name='Mario']the game im looking forwerd to is coming out this sunday may 1st pokemon emerald. the only reason im looking forwerd to emeraled is because i own all the other pokemon games. so i hope this one will be better.[/quote] Well you can hope as much as you want, but ultimately all the Pokémon games are the same with slightly different names on the critters and the towns. Young kids are such an easy target for money milking; you can sell them the same stuff over and over again...

The prettiest Japanese female name I've encountered is [B]Saika[/B]. There was a half-Japanese girl in the kindergarten I worked at last summer, and she was adorable and very intelligent for a five year old. She explained the meaning of the name, but all I can remember is that it had something to do with "autumn"... Beautiful name, though. I even renamed FFVII:s Yuffie as Saika when I replayed it last fall.

Shower truly is a miraculous thing, I spend half an hour with it [I]every single day[/I]. Few times I've even used it [I]twice[/I] in one day! There is only one thing that excels a shower in superiority: a bathtub. Ever since I moved away from my granny's place, I've felt that I have to settle for the next best thing. There's nothing so relaxing as a hot, steaming bath... Of course, having one every day lifted the water-bill into the clouds, making my granny quite uncontent. ;D PS. This is totally freaky, but just as I wrote this, a woman in the radio began speaking about baths and showers! Mystifying...

There's a [I]video[/I] on this?! Oh well, of course there's a video; there's hundreds of videos about people getting swept away by the December tsunami, so why not this as well... I hope you, Retribution, now see the point I was trying to make, now that it is explained by people who actually speak English as their native language. You seem to think that some posters and "surroundings" are more important than a little girl's psyche. Talking about materialism... After reading the detailed description on how the situation went (thanks, Lore), I think the mother has every right to sue the school. The teacher seems to be a very unprofessional and unsuited person for her job, so I hope this event makes her think about what she really wants to do in life. And it's quite possible that there really was racism involved if the girl was black. Some people just can't get over skincolor. This adds [I]yet[/I] another level of wrong to this case... Alright, I think I've drained out everything I had to say about this issue, so I better stop before I get too spammifying... It's been a very interesting "discussion", though, concerning my future profession. PS. I realize I've sounded overly judgmental and patronising several times in this thread, so I apologize, but understand that it's all because my life is currently revolving so much around paedagogics and children's psyche, thanks to my school.

I have a whole [I]three[/I] games I look forward to, but sadly all of them will be published in this corner of the world no earlier than next year. *sob* The first, and the most anticipated to me, is of course[B] Final Fantasy XII[/B]. We don't know great many things about it yet, but I've absorbed every teeny bit of information possible, almost to the point of spoiling myself. The characters, the world, the gameplay, they all just seem so awestriking! Having played the majority of the other titles of the FF-series, I have great expectations towards this twelfth instalment. It seems like it will be the best of them all, but only time will tell... The second one is [B]Dreamfall[/B], a sequel to what could be the best adventure game ever, Longest Journey. I stumbled upon LJ accidentally when I grabbed it from the budget game shelf, and it turned out to be one of the most unique, thrilling, imaginative and addictive gaming experiences I've ever had. Everything from the main character April O'Ryan to the plot spanning through two worlds to the well-thought gameplay system got me hooked up. I've already played it through twice, which I haven't done in any game outside the FF-series. The sequel Dreamfall seems to be quite a different game, though, as it combines action and adventure, and it has three playable main characters in three different worlds. But to see the locations and characters of the Longest Journey in full 3D and much more advanced graphics is exciting itself. I hope Dreamfall can be up to par with it's precessor. The third game I'm expecting is[B] Shadow Hearts: From the New World[/B], which is also the newest game announced out of these three. After playing Shadow Hearts: Covenant and getting acquainted to its prequels Koudelka and Shadow Hearts, I see the originality of this series, which makes me want to get to know it better. SH:C was such a great gaming experience for me that I just need more! And since the earlier games in the series weren't published here in Finland, I must wait for the sequel. The third SH has been revealed to have some of the same characters as SH:C, while still telling a whole new story from the point of view of new main characters - a formula of a perfect sequel! The only problem is that I haven't got anything new to play for almost an year... Well, maybe some unexpected game will cross my path during the while, who knows? But oh boy will 2006 be a great gaming year for me!!!

[QUOTE=Dagger] Individual children differ. Some are like how I was as a child--others aren't affected by being treated coldly or rebuked. There are instances (and I don't know enough to decide whether the event cited in this thread is one of them, just to make that clear) in which instilling a child with fear is important or even vital. Sometimes it's the only way to reach a kid who is used to making adults his doormat, or a kid who is prone to lashing out at & hurting other children. More significantly, fear taught by adults is much more effective at preventing an inquisitive child from running out into the street alone or touching a hot stove than simply saying, "Don't do that." Just my two cents. :) EDIT: Also, I don't mean to suggest that fear (that is, making a child afraid about the consequences of his actions) should ever be used on its own. When used sparingly and combined with appropriate amounts of kindness & loving care, it's a powerful tool. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Hmm, we're getting an itsy bit philosophical here, but paedagogics are a really complicated subject, not least because everybody have their own views on how to raise children to become good members of the society (because that's what paedagogics are officially for). I agree with you that there are cases that require frigthening the child a little to get the message through, but in my opinion a raiser should always start with gentle methods. Giving a child love and care throughout his or her growing up should be enough, but unfortunately usually children want to test adults in many irritating ways, in which case the adult should be patient and set limitations to child's behaviour that will keep. If the adult constantly gives up on the child, the game is lost. But while setting the limits it's also important to keep them rational, and - if the child is old enough to understand - explain the purpose of the limits with as much details as possible. Example: the child musn't cross the road by itself. The parent should explain why it is so dangerous to cross the road (the traffic, danger of getting lost), what are the consequences (the child could get seriously hurt), and perhaps why it is better to stay in this side of the road (it would make the parents happy, all the playing equipment are there etc.) In the example there was some amount of frightening involved, but it's totally different than "if you go across that street I'll whoop your ***!" (which reminds the upbringing I had - no wonder I'm studying social care!) Same thing can be included in this particular case this thread is about. Instead of frightening the living hell out of the girl by calling in the cops (which I'm sure was the principal's idea), proper calming down would've been in place, grabbing her wrist, hushing her... I mean, she's so young! What serious threat could a five years old girl possibly pose? I'm guessing it must be that teachers aren't allowed to touch their students in any way in America, so they had to call the officials to do that, which is insane both logically and economically. Yet another thing that makes me thank my destiny that I wasn't born in America... Ehm, sorry, that was innecessary (true, but innecessary). I think I've had just about enough from this issue for today. It's almost 2 AM in this side of the globe, so if something I said offended or confused any of you, blame the time! Good night...

Actually, that's not quite what I meant, Dagger... Must be the lingual differences again. [I]Of course [/I] five year old children have [I]some[/I] concept of morals (it would be very concerning if they didn't). I meant that children are in the middle of developing said skill to tell right from wrong, so claiming that "she had no right to do it" sounds like she would have a total understanding of what she had done, thus she would have done it on purpose, which surely isn't the case. I'm not sure if you follow my flow of thoughts, a child has sort of "right" to do whatever he or she does, because the child is only learning about the world and it rules. It is up to the adults to put the limits and restrict the child's behaviour because the child can't do it by itself, and [I]that's[/I] the whole point. The only thing that girl must've been thinking was "I'm upset", so she showed it the only way she could - by throwing a temper tantrum. I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm simplifying children, but that's just how it goes. They are [I]children[/I], not small adults. They have so much to learn about the world, and the worst thing adults can teach them is fear and unsafety. PS. I'm sorry if I've offended anybody's person, I'm just going against opinions here. As a future professional of social care and somebody who has had quite alot of experience in working with children, I feel entitled to say I know more about upbringing and the psyche of a child than average teenagers (I know I sound very arrogant here, but I'm just saying what I feel is the truth).

[QUOTE=Retribution][SIZE=1] Then the arguement of "mentally damaging her" springs up, almost from nowhere. I mean, yes, she definitely was under alot of stress, but that does not give her the right to trash a classroom. The reality of it all is that both parties were at fault. She shouldnt've trashed the room, and the teacher shouldnt've called the cops. Yes, calling the cops was over the top, but it's not like the girl is harmed from it.[/SIZE][/QUOTE] That is where you are sadly very, [I]very[/I] wrong. Just think about yourself when you were five. Surely you threw some wild tantrums over the smallest things, throwing stuff and screaming your lungs out. In this case the girl was in a class room with lots of potential targets to aim frustration at, it's not like she did it out of the evilness of her soul. Think about your own reaction if suddenly, in the middle of your childish fissyfit, a couple of bulky strange adults had come and put cold steel chains around your wrists and ankles. How can you possibly say that it wouldn't harm the kid in any way? That is like the most traumatizing thing for a five year old aside sexual abuse and violence! Next time before you start saying what's harmful and what's not, Retribution, do a little soul-searching, okay? And again, the girl was five years old, she has yet to develop a sense of right and wrong, so it's like telling a wolf that it had no right to eat the sheep! It takes some effort to understand the world from a child's point of view, but we are all so young that we should still have a pretty good memory of it. Just put yourself in the girl's position, and you'll understand my point.

[QUOTE=Retribution] Now, with the NEW information, I can create a different opinion. Locking her up -- I'm not sure about. But I do believe in putting her in a controlled area where she can't hurt anyone or break anything for a while. Perhaps that place would be the back of the cop car, while the cops/teacher tried to calm her down from the other side of the steel fency thing. [/QUOTE] Listen to yourself! She's[I] five years old[/I], the teacher could've held her in his/her arms, speaking to her with a calming voice. How hard can it be to calm down a five year old kid with a temper tantrum?! I've done it multiple times when I worked at the kindergarten, and no, not once I felt the need to call [I]the police[/I]. And I really worked with children with special needs who had little to no self-control. I really don't know how teachers and nurses handle things in America in general, but if this is the way it is going, I can only wonder how any child who has grown up there has managed to stay mentally balanced. Child is always a child, they might seem a bit "scary" sometimes when they get angry, but an adult should have no trouble taking the situation under control if s/he has the authority and courage. Some people think that one shouldn't yell at children or grab them to one's arms, but children will grow up to be much more miserable if they are free to do whatever they want. In any case there should be no need for law forces to intervene with the child's behaviour, that's just way over the board. There's a reason teachers and nurses go through an education: to become qualified to their work! If professional people don't know how to cope with these kind of situation, what about all the parents in the world who have no education?! Gah, I think I have to stop writing in this thread, it's just too sick...

Excuse me, but [I]what kind of a sick thread is this?![/I] Somebody tells a story of a little girl getting arrested because of a nervous breakdown, and bunch of other people write that she should be beaten more often or locked up in a closet? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! If the story is from real life, it is apparent that the girl (we don't even know how old she is!) has serious mental problems, maybe she is a child with special needs (like authism or ADHD). If that is the case, she should be in a special class with professional directors (not people who call the cops!). What the teacher and the principal did shows a great ignorance and lack of professionality. I sincerely hope the girl has gotten help by now. What makes it even worse are [I]you guys[/I]! Xy GGU had a good point, he should've just outspoken it more clearly. Beating and locking up aren't acceptable ways to raise children of any age, and until you realize that I hope you will never have children of your own! Now some of you maybe thinking "what is he to say those things?". Well, I'm actually studying to become a child and youth worker, plus I went through hell in my own childhood, so I know what those things do to a developing psyche. People, honestly, THINK before you go shouting your immature opinions! Okay, now [I]I'm[/I] shouting, but only because there are so many levels of [I]wrong[/I] in this thread. Makes me wonder what kind of twisted method of child-raising you support there in Florida... [I]Cops[/I], for life's sake!