Charles

You can't be serious. [I]Just Google It?[/i] That's not going to fly. In fact, this is a good example of how [b]not[/b] to make a thread. I suggest reading through other threads and learning how to properly create a new topic. If you still have any questions you may private message Bombu or myself with questions and we'll be glad to help you along. Or, you may use Google to find another forum.

Here's what you do: Eat a good breakfast, before you go to the gym. Eat something with a lot of protein, like sausage, or turkey links. Drink a protein shake (Designer Whey is pretty good and cheap). Go to the gym, warm up on an exercise bike for about ten minutes then proceed to lift. Make sure you work out a schedule. For example, work out your biceps on one day, your chest and back during your next routine. and your legs and triceps on the next one. Mix in some ab exercises throughout the week. When you're finished, do about twenty minutes of cardio. Afterwards, have another protein shake and eat a good lunch. Depending on how much you're trying ot bulk up, you may want to have a third shake after dinner. Stick with the routine, observe what others are doing around you (best way to learn proper form and new techniques) and you'll see progress.

I'm going to edit the other thread so that it encompasses the Harvest Moon series in general. Since the games don't have a huge following here, there's no point in having multiple Harvest Moon threads littering the forum.

Yep, he's just using you to look good in front of others. This is self-defeating really, because no one really looks up to someone like that. It's really pathetic when someone feels so insignificant about themselves that they can't impress others with their own positive qualities, but instead have to tear down others. Your best bet is to stand up to him; I seriously doubt he wants to get into a real physical altercation with you. He's probably not even thinking about that--he sees you as an easy target that won't give him any trouble. If you stand up to him, he'll probably make a snide comment and back down; he probably doesn't want to go through the trouble of fighting. Mentally hurting someone is more subtle than physically throttling someone. He probably doesn't even realize how badly he's hurting you right now; just because he lifts weights doesn't mean he's the kind of person who will take it to the next level and attack you. Plus, I doubt that beating you up will make him endearing to his girlfriend, if she's any kind of person. I'd try approaching him while he's alone, since that's when he'll be most reasonable. There won't be an audience for him to play to. Be stern but polite. Look him in the eyes and make it clear through conversation that it's time for him to cut the crap. Even still, you run the risk of getting your face smashed in, but it's better that you take that risk and be a man about it, rather than spinelessly endure his bullying. Have some integrity. Have some self-respect. Don't be anyone's door mat. If he beats you up (which I doubt he will) and you still stand up to him after that, then he'll either respect you or think you're crazy and move on. Taking a stand will do wonders for your self esteem.

Believe it or not, yours is not the first reported case of this kind, liveinmybubble. Other brave souls too, in a plethora of smilies and broken English, have stepped forward about this mysterious brand of harassment. There are several solutions for your problem, but rather than go through them all I'll just save time and give you the most helpful one: [CENTER][IMG]http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/1238/crappyposts9fu.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='mega-matt']Yeah I got the game and I love it. I have always loved Super Mario games so I had to get it...it was like a thing I need to live out the rest of my days lol. So yeah I love it...I haven't beat it yet but I know I will...[/quote] So champ, can you be a little more specific? How far along are you? How do you think it lives up to other Mario side scrollers? What do you think of the new power-ups? Any criticisms? Are the boss battles too easy? [CENTER][IMG]http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/8941/drevil4av.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='Dare][size=1'] Charles/Bombu, I tried to find a thread like this one, but I couldn't find any. Sorry if I've repeated.[/size][/quote] Hey, no worries; this is a good topic and we haven't done anything like this in a while. This is exactly what we want to see. Good stuff! As for the question, I've always been somewhat of a graphics whore. I won't lie, visuals, whether technically pleasing or artistically stimulating, have always been a driving force behind my purchases. That's not to say I won't give modest-looking games a chance (I simply adore the Katamari series and Pac Man remains one of my favorites of all-time). Now, my tastes are changing a bit and I find it more and more difficult to be impressed with visuals. That's why I'm so open to the innovation philosophy Nintendo is going with. They're really right on the money with their philosophy. I mean, a cooking game is actually being made for the Wii; that's a genre I've wanted to see for a while. I even made a thread expressing my ideas for a cooking game a while back. Awesome! Other interesting concepts, such as being a lawyer in Phoenix Wright and performing surgery in Trauma Center are equally appealing. So, yeah, I'm just looking for games that are quick and easy to get into and that also bring something new to the table. Things like art and story still occupy a big part of my interests, but a lot of the games I've seen this generation are exactly like what I've been playing for years--only better-looking. There are some major exceptions, and traditional games are still cool if executed well, but I'm definitely ready for new outside-the-box approaches.

[quote name='Retribution][size=1'] I'm just getting a bit weary of this entire members against moderators and administrators business. It was ridiculous to start with.[/size][/quote] [CENTER][IMG]http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6444/banthemall4mj.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[QUOTE=The Boss][color=navy][size=1] [b]Charles[/b], I kind of feel this was directed towards me. Take note that my computer is in the living room right beside the TV. So it is kind of natural that my dad, whilst watching TV catches a glance of the computer screen just a few feet to the right and sees your avatar, I wouldn't blame him for jumping to conclusions. Also take note that I was simply commenting on what was said by [b]AC!D!C[/b] in his post. I handled my words in a polite way when I said as such, so I don't see why that would warrant this sort of response from you.[/color][/size][/QUOTE] I'm not trying to sound rude and I'm not blaming him for jumping to conclusions. What I'm saying is, that when it happened, it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to, you know, let me know about it instead of bringing it up in the middle of a witch hunt. lol I don't want to get anyone into trouble for something they're not doing.

[QUOTE=Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f]I would like to address the issue of Charles' (and any other members') suggestive avatars. Sorry, Charles, I don't mean to single you out again, I would not have mentioned you if others have not already. I would simply send a PM. But while we're on the topic, I think avatars like that should not be allowed. There's no reason why such crude and tasteless images should be allowed on a high quality site like O.B. And it would be really dumb for members to leave if a small rule like that was implemented. Sorry, Charles, but your recent avatars show disrespect for females, and even though the new one looks less crude that the previous one, it gives the message that women are objects.[/COLOR][/QUOTE] See, I don't mind if it's brought up respectfully like this but here's the thing: not once has anyone approached me with a complaint until today in this very thread. And these are people I barely interact with. Case in point, I could probably count on one hand the number of threads I post in with you, Chabichou. It seems only since I re-joined the staff have people singled me out and taken exception to my profile. In fact, over the months I've been using my previous avatar, I've received private messages stating the contrary; people have actually [I]complimented[/I] my avatar and asked where I found it. Heck, even people within this very thread expressed approval over my new avatar. Also, I really don't think my taste is very crude. Maybe in the context of an anime message board some might find it offensive--but I hardly find it appalling. There is no actual nudity on display and I doubt that if a female or homosexual male had an avatar of a shirtless guy posing that many people would complain that she's sending a message that men are objects. Most importantly, my posts (which are almost exclusive to the gaming forum anyway) don't reflect that kind of chauvinistic ideology either. Someone earlier mentioned moderators as role models for other members, and I think that my quality of thought measures up to that. I generally don't like to compromise who I am but like I said, if some people are genuinely unhappy with an avatar belonging to a guy who basically posts in one forum, then handle it correctly. Contact me in a respectful way and I'll change it. Don't sit on some complaint about your dad walking in on you and decide to spring it on me out of nowhere in a public thread. That's just stupid. If I know it's bothersome to you on that level, of course I'm going to accommodate you. And yes, as Shy hinted, [i]I[/i] killed Newbie Lounge. ME! And, suffice to say, "Throw Mama From The Train" is one of my favorite movies, so if MAMA messes with me, I'll kill MAMA too! Mwhahahahaha.

Well, I do have a variety of criticisms I can make here since we're all voicing our opinions. Perhaps some members of this illustrious organization will address them. It's cool having members discuss their criticisms and vent frustrations between one another. I've done that here; it's pretty natural. But, I feel there comes a point where a healthy interest can manifest itself into an unhealthy obsession. That's what we have here. First of all, AC!D!C's original post demonstrates poor etiquette. I personally don't mind being singled out; this isn't my first barbeque. I've dealt with a public complaint or two about an avatar before. But, his entire post was, to be blunt, pretty crappy. To begin with, his tone was very "holier than thou" in just about every sense of the word. He generalized new members, and suggested banning those whose post quality isn't immediately fantastic. He also seems to insinuate that there has been a degeneration of policy in which the rules aren't enforced as heavily as they once were. Look, I served on the staff for [i]years[/i] and I can say that, when it comes to basic post quality, staff members have [i]always[/i] made it a prerogative to give new members a lenient window of improvement opportunity. Members often receive private messages asking them to improve, and these members have the opportunity to ask staff members for advice. That's only fair. If the problem is behavioral, then that may be a different story. Next, I thought it was lame the way he singled out a lot of staff members. There are ways to issue a public concern without pointing fingers. When a lot of these people take their time to volunteer to moderate the boards, it's downright rude and unnecessary to incriminate them in this way. Worse yet, it's became obvious with all this MAMA nonsense that his ranting was part of his selfish, immature, incredibly stupid agenda as a member of this group. Which, leads me to my next point. If I had a nickel for the amount of silly OB doom-saying I've heard over the years, about the forum quality slipping, etc, I would be able to purchase Microsoft. People just don't get it. Go back to the first page in Otaku Lounge. Look at the post quality. Can you even draw a comparison? It was terrible! My opinion, and I'm laying the cards on the table, is that this group is the most nerdy, pathetic thing I've ever seen--and I'm a big dork myself! A secret group of nerds gather around to complain about not having staff positions? If this is a primary concern of yours, I think your best interests are to get some fresh air and to lead a more fulfilling life. People should post here in their leisure because they enjoy the discussion--not to stomp their feet for shallow recognition, not because they feel they [i]deserve[/i] anything. When something like OtakuBoards becomes something more, when it becomes a pressing point in your lives or an obsession, you need to sit back and evaluate yourselves. And, if you think the only way you can contribute to the boards is by becoming a staff member, then you're probably not a very good member regardless of when you joined.

[quote name='Athena][size=1']MAMA stands for "Members Against Mods and Admins". It's a group that's been "secretive" about their angst/anger/whatever the crap you want to call it of how they perceive the OB now from back-in-the-day. They're upset about all the new mods, the poor quality in posts these days, how "n00bs" are running the scene, and about how they feel that "oldies" are being treated poorly (mainly because they're sour that they aren't mods themselves instead of the new members), etc, etc.[/size][/quote] [CENTER][IMG]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/6578/laughitup9ak2vn.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]

Hey, thread starter, aren't you the guy who misinterpreted one of my comments about a month ago, then proceeded to flame me via a private message entitled "Do Not Reply," at which time I did indeed reply seeking a rational discussion--to which you never replied? I have to say, I'm a bit hurt. I view myself as a very sensible guy. To demonstrate this, I've changed my avatar as a good-will gesture. Celebrate! [CENTER][IMG]http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1752/breakin8yf9um.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]

[quote name='Papa Smurf'] I've only played up to 2-3, and already I think it's safe to say this game is reason enough to pick-up a DS Lite if you haven't done so already. It looks good enough on a regular DS, but as I've seen on Charles', the game looks exponentially more incredible on the Lite.[/quote] This is true. I honestly thought the game looked fine on the crusty old DS but the Lite gave it a new lease on life. I'll post some helpful comparison shots for those of you who are skeptical. DS: [CENTER][IMG]http://img.engadget.com/common/images/0399620185228374.JPG?0.23050847691656084[/IMG][/CENTER] DS Lite: [CENTER][IMG]http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/705/705046/new-super-mario-bros-20060504024952292.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] As you can see, the Lite provides a lot more visual fidelity. Vibrant details that were once invisible, now pop out. But seriously, the picture quality is increased dramatically. It motivated me to go back and collect the dozen or so gold coins that had escaped me previously.

Sorry man, but this is a dead-end thread. If it were part of a larger discussion on Hitman: Blood Money, I'd be cool with that. And, hey, I dig the opening song too. But, you could find the answer to your question through a search engine or looking around the Internet. We're looking for actual discussion here and I think you've pretty much found the answer to your question. If not, feel free to continue this discussion through private messages. Now, it's time for me to execute a hit on this thread.

[quote name='girworship']hey i just got logged on to the bordes i allso purched a psp reacently if any other otaku members have one post here also i accendently posted the same thread 2 times so if you know how to delet a thread please tell me[/quote] [CENTER][IMG]http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8060/crying7be.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] You accidentally joined the wrong forums. It's okay though, mistakes happen! Here, let me re-direct you to the link you were looking for: [url]www.gamefaqs.com[/url]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to let you know that I've come into a stock of 18,000 DS Lites. So, if anyone's interested in a good deal, feel free to private message me. Just as a side note, I also appreciate the re-location of the microphone. It's so much easier to yell "Objection" now when playing Phoenix Wright (not that you should do that sort of thing in public).

[quote name='Avenged666fold']Im gonna get one. Sooner or later. If only beacuse it looks better. I imagine it will be similar to waht the sp did to the gba. So I have high hopes for it.[/quote] Please don't post like this again or I'll simply delete it, as I'm prone to do. I know you can do better. Moving on, of course I got mine right when it first came out. I traded in my old DS for seventy dollars and I'm really pleased with the upgrade. The slightly smaller size and reduced weight are nice and all, but I'm most happy with the dramatic improvement in screen quality. The lighting and the colors breathe a tremendous amount of life into the games. Everything is so much more vibrant and sharper than before. New Super Mario Bros, for example, is absolutely stunning. Fireballs just leap off the screen. I also like the way the buttons feel, with the exception of the super small "start" and "select" buttons. Overall, everything about the system is very sexy; it's a dramatic improvement that makes it impossible for me to go back to the original DS.

If the camera is anything like Super Mario Sunshine's then I'm not going anywhere near this game. When I have to spend more time battling the camera then I do platforming and adventuring then I may as well be playing a Sonic Adventure game. I just want a 3D Mario game where I can run and jump around effortlessly without having to worry about stupid gimmicks like backpacks or antiquated cameras. The Wii controller should be able to provide that ease of play so I'm optimistic.

[QUOTE=Amelia][FONT=Arial] If you're going to type out the whole year, why not just make it June 6, 2006? [/FONT][/QUOTE] That's not important. What I'm trying to say is that we're not in the year 6 AD as 06 would indicate. People are just reaching with this stuff.

First of all, the date isn't even 6-6-06. It's [B][SIZE=6]6-6-[U]20[/U]06[/SIZE].[/B] Secondly, after the apocalypse ends today, the Easter Bunny and I are going to be having dinner at the North Pole with Santa, if anyone's interested in joining us. We're having frozen foods. Edited so the idiots who reply after me can see that it's NOT 6-6-06.

[QUOTE=White][FONT=Tahoma][color=#555555]I'm pretty sure they'll have SMG as a launch title simply because if they don't, there will be no Mario games at launch. And like you said, that's a problem. With Super Smash Bros. Brawl releasing in 2007, the closest thing we'll have to Mario will be [i]Wario Ware[/i] which, don't get me wrong, is a good series, but it's nothing near what the Mario games are.[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE] Well, remember, there's also Super Paper Mario releasing in October. It looks like it's going to be a very traditional Mario game, only with RPG elements. I'm probably just as excited about that as I am Super Mario Galaxy. Yoshi's Island 2 is in the works too. It's definitely a good year for Mario fans. At any rate, my guess is that Super Mario Galaxy will be a launch window title that'll be available within two months of the Wii launch. I don't think there's ever been a Zelda at launch before, and I don't know if Nintendo would want to obscure the importance of that game at all. But, if it does release with the system, then of course, that will be great too.

[quote name='Ikillion][COLOR=DarkSlateGray][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]I have no idea why but it seems like with every nintendo console release I always get a mario game along with it. I bet this time will be no different. The gameplay seems more like the origionaly Super Mario 64, No FLUDD though, to bad to I liked using the FlUDD. Yet the whole WII controler action with the other little star thing seems intresting. It may just be a little odd to get used to but isnt almost every new console controler.[/FONT][/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote] The problem is when there [i]isn't[/i] a Mario game at launch. Right now I predict that Super Mario Galaxy won't be available directly at launch (because Zelda is launching with the system as I also predicted here a while back). It probably won't be too long of a wait though, but they are going to want to get this one just right. Right now I'm primarily interested in seeing how Nintendo incorporates various systems of gravity into the game depending on the size of the planet Mario is on. There's a lot of awesome gameplay possibilities there. This is also one of the only games shown at E3 that truly seems to tap into the Wii's graphical capabilities. And for the record, FLUDD sucked and I don't want anything like that coming anywhere near this game. It ruined what a Mario game should be about. Think about it. Mario Sunshine was the first Mario game that wasn't so intuitive that anyone could just pick it up and play it. The best portions of that game were noticably the ones where FLUDD was absent. FLUDD wasn't a bad idea necessarily and I had fun with it, but it definitely clashed with the design I love in these games. Also, to the thread creator, good job. This is in line with what I expect when people create threads here.

[QUOTE=Leon Fury]you guys do know that E3 [Electronic Entertainment Expo] is now over right? My mind imploded when I saw the price.[/QUOTE] [CENTER][IMG]http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/7898/oldladyhr1yq.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] First of all, you should read through a thread before you reply. But first: [B]par·a·graph ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pr-grf) n. A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words. [/B] [i]Now[/i], browse through the thread. I'm sure that most of your questions have been answered. But, if you read through it and anything's still unclear then come back. Have a nice day and remember, if you're not confronting poor posting, you're reinforcing it!

All right, first of all, never edit out a message I put in your post. It's there for a reason; I want others to see it and learn from it as well. Secondly, here are some new pics: [url]http://www.gfdata.de/archiv05-2006-gamefront/01737.html[/url] There's finally a good shot of hair (something that seems artistically challenging for this engine to handle consider how sparse hair shots are). You also get a refreshing glimpse of the player taking cover in a building bathed in daylight. This image really contrasts with the dark, dreary motif that seems to encompass most of the game. The blood effects also seem to be coming along nicely. Generally nice-looking stuff.