Charles

I love the Grand Turismo series so I'm definitely looking forward to the latest installment. Whereas Grand Turismo 3 was, in many ways, just a souped-up version of the PSX titles, this one will hopefully correct flaws such as cars bouncing off one another. I read that they'll either eliminate that problem or penalize players for doing it, so it's nice to see the game make strides in that area. Plus, I want to see how a fully realized pit crew will factor into the game. I can't say that I'm surprised at the improved front-end. A huge increase in cars and tracks were expected given the development time Polyphony was working with. Unfortunately, it's doubtful that we'll see fifty standalone tracks. That number is bound to be inflated by variations of a set number of course designs. But, yeah, the coming of a new Grand Turismo game usually sets the standard for which all simulation racers are judged and what I've seen is amazing.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]What I love about Otaku Lounge is all the threads that really make you think. [/B][/QUOTE] Yes, but when the thoughts are homocidal--ahem. This discussion isn't appropriate. Can we [i]please[/i] use discretion before creating topics? lol We all know the obvious answers to the question here--and you have to ask yourself: [i]Self[/i], is this really something that belongs on an anime message board where young, impressionable minds can see it? So, let's try to encourage some constructive conversation. Like, how do you know when to not make a bad thread that hurts Charles' head? ^^

Hoo boy, the original Clocktower was underrated. It had to sell well enough because there's three of them, but I don't think it's held in the highest regard at all. To this day, it remains one of my favorite survival horror experiences. It's such a shame that the sequels haven't been able to live up to the original. If you look at it on paper, Clocktower was a recipe for disaster. Basically, a cluster of elements that make a bad game. It was a point-and-click, the graphics were thoroughly unimpressive, the acting was cheesy, and your nemesis was a midget limping around with a giant pair of scissors. But, as eccentric as the game was, I enjoyed it very much. It's traditional, in the sense that you are a helpless character simply trying to get the hell out of a bad situation. There are no fancy acrobatics in your arsenal and you aren't equipped with weapons. Instead, you're stuck in a building with a madman who could show up at any time. Your options are limited: run, hide, slow him down by grabbing anything in your reach, or try to shove him out of the way and run some more. lol It can be super tense when you hide underneath a couch and see Scissorman's feet shuffling beside you. You don't know whether you're safe or if he's going to plunge the scissors through the sofa and impale you. The B-movie feeling is prominent and it's very fun. Best of all, the point-and-click interface isn't really a hindrance at all. The game is so responsive and intuitive that you forget about it after a while. It's not the clumsy mess it could have been. The game becomes kind of like an extension of yourself--and that's when you know what you're playing is good. Before I was done with the game, I uncovered every ending. Usually I'm not motivated to uncover multiple endings, but the various scenarios were entertaining and sometimes humorous. There Super Famicom original is quite good too. It's probably better than Clock Tower 2 for the PSX. Perhaps I'll try the third one someday down the road.

Yeah, this thread is pretty pointless. So, I have a better idea. Let's find out what life will be like without this topic! ^_^ Remember that television discussions belong in the appropriate forum. And if you would take a look at our rules and browse the forums to see what we expect, that'd be just so goo0o0o0o0od too. :)

And now, you're not a problem anymore. ~_^ Your posts were completely unacceptable. To say that your language was crude and incoherent is in understatement. I've seen other examples of your behavior and I took them into account when I made my decision. So, I've taken the liberty of cleaning the thread up. And, as I post this, I know that you've registered again under an inappropriate name. That account will also be banned--and with complete apathy, might I add.

It's neat that someone posted this thread, because I plan on being extra committed to my exercise program this month. I like exercising. I've seen some pretty good results so far. My workout typically lasts a little over two hours. Which, will probably change once the semester begins. Usually, I warm up by playing basketball for about twenty minutes. It's a great way to get the blood going and loosen up. Next, I try to do an hour's worth of EFX, which helps me burn one-thousand calories and tone both my gluteal and leg muscles. So, it saves me from concentrating too much on squats and such. From there, I either work on my abdominal area or lift weights. On the average, I'm able to work on the former more because you're not supposed to concentrate on the same area every day. So, getting the most out of lifting definitely requires a lot of patience and planning. My diet isn't [i]too strict[/i]. I just don't drink soda, eat snacks, or fast foods. Plus, I've never been a drinker--and drinking contributes to gaining a lot of carbohydrates. Beer, for example, is one of the ultimate carb sources. Hence, the dreaded "beer belly." Most of my old classmates seem to have grown considerably large bellies thanks to alcohol.

After a slight delay it is time for the semifinals of the Otaku Idol competition to begin. Yes, you read it correctly, the semifinals! This round will be the toughest for our six remaining competitors. Last round, we bid farewell to Juu, and in this round we will be saying good-bye to [i]several[/i] other Idols. Thus, making the stakes higher than ever before. The judges and you, the Otaku public, will vote off four of the six idols. [b]Contestants must submit a short sci-fi story by August 8th[/b]. Obviously, originality and creativity are a must for this round. Although our mystery judge from last round is still a mystery (due to Internet problems), the guest judge for this round is well known for his venomous wit. Good luck.

I would hope that those of you who post, will actually list [i]why[/i] a particular game(s) is your favorite. I will leave this thread open with that principle in mind. But, if I the posts following mine are just lists and not real discussions, I'll have no choice but to bring on the lockdown.

I wouldn't miss anyone because I hate all of you very much. But, if the boards shut down, I would probably sob uncontrollably and lie in a thicket of grass and stare at the stars for answers. After two weeks of endless weeping, I would find a new habit: collecting beanie babies. Once my collection is built up to, oh, say one hundred of 'em, I'll begin to call them names like Goku189480338 and tell them not to spam. On the real, I would probably sleep more and spend even more time at the gym. Because, by nature, I am not a Internet person and don't visit other message boards, I wouldn't seek out other recreational sites to post at. I won't try to sound "cool" and say that I wouldn't care if the site was shut down while comparing OtakuBoards to a time waster. On the contrary, this place has taught me many things. Even if I don't feel like writing a story, I can still post here and write on a daily basis. Plus, I've learned things about people very different from myself--whether it be through lifestyle, world views, or what have you. I appreciate my experiences here. ^^

Some reality television shows are tolerable. I enjoyed the first season of [i]Survivor[/i] and an occasional episode of last season's [i]American Idol.[/i] From my limited observations, I can say that, basically, what we get with "good" reality television--is a glorified version of a game show. [i]Fear Factor[/i] is a perfect example. Unfortunately, the genre of reality television really has been beaten to death and taken to places where I don't think any reasonable human being would have liked to have seen it taken. [i]Mr. Personality[/i] had to be the biggest blemish on the face Reality TV. Not only is the premise of a woman dating men donned in masks reminiscent of the one found in Phantom of the Opera, silly, but the contest was hosted by a certifiable lowlife, Monica Lewinsky. So, I just didn't watch it. And that's all I can recommend to those of you who are annoyed by the genre. If something silly comes along that annoys you--just find something better to watch or don't watch at all.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i] [B][size=1] I'm sure I've seen more disgusting pictures in movies... Well, I agree with James. A lot of people are cynics, so I think we'd have to show them pictures, no?[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] That's exactly what I was thinking as far as films are concerned. The images of his sons didn't depict blood oozing out of wounds or anything too illicit. You could go see the latest Terminator film or Bad Boys II and see infinitely more gruesome imagery. That's why I become so annoyed when I hear people complaining. [i]Especially[/i] when they say "Oh, but the United States shouldn't be allowed to do that!" Sometimes you just have to do what the situation calls for. I heard an interesting comparison on the radio yesterday. The police have a written manual that tells them what to do in any given situation. It's right there in black and white. But, when they're actually on the job, and someone is shooting at them, they'll see that the manual doesn't have [i]all[/i] the answers. They'll have to use their own judgment to survive the situation. I don't care what documents we have; none are completely fail-proof. They can't account for every situation or be applied to every problem. I'm sure the Geneva Convention didn't consider millions of paranoid Iraqis going on in a panicked state. People [i]have[/i] to see that these two are dead with their own eyes. It'll calm down the Iraqis and make things a lot easier for the troops over there. If anything, this sends a very powerful message. There are no doubts. They're not buried under rubble from a bombing raid. You can see their bodies. They were hiding in their cousin's house so that they could regain power someday. Now there is proof that that won't be happening.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Demonic Angel [/i] [B][size=1]How will you know if a person likes/has a crush on/loves you? o.O Is it by people flirting with you? Being nice to you? Or something than that?[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] If someone is in love with you--and you've not been in a real relationship with them yet--then I don't think you [i]want[/i] to know. :drunk: Something like love is a feeling that matures and develops over time. You won't need anyone on a message board to tell you when you're in love. But, there's definitely a high level of commitment and intimacy required for true love. People sure do love to throw that word around a lot though. I know people who think they're in love with everyone they date. lol A crush isn't always so hard to detect. I wouldn't say it's so much as someone just being nice to you. There's the flirting you mentioned, of course. It's always best (though not easy depending on who you are) to just ask the person so that there's no misunderstanding. Or you could ask around a bit. People tend to gossip about these things. If that doesn't work, try offering yourself to someone whom you suspect has a crush on you. That sort of gesture won't creep anyone out. :blush:

Man, this game is unhealthy. They should place a warning label on it or something. It's very addictive. I'm almost as far into it as you, PsycoGoth. I don't know if it's the storytelling or the variety, but KOTOR is very engrossing. There are just so many characters to interact with and sub-quests to become involved in. I've already helped to solve a murder mystery, participated in an illegal death match on Taris, been on trial, attended a drinking party, [i]and[/i] eliminated targets for a secret bounty hunter organization. The best part is that I'm not even scraping the surface with that list. Take into account the fact that you're often presented with multiple ways to achieve your goals--and there's a lot of replay factor to consider. I also like how it's up to you to get to know your party members. If you want to know about them, ask. If not, don't. The characters can be very complex given the opportunity. Most are haunted by an interesting conflict from their past that continues to influence who they are in the present. It's all very well done. The character building and classes are very well-rounded too, I might add. There are many statistics you can play around with. The best part being--they're all useful. I've not stumbled across one aspect of the character building process that seems superfluous or gimmicky yet. You can sacrifice strength and instead be a smooth talker, a demolition expert, a master of picking locks, or an efficient computer hacker. All of these aspects present themselves quite often throughout the game, so it's quite a challenge to balance yourself out between abilities. ^_^ Oh, and, struggling to keep yourself aligned to either side of the force is good fun. I actually came to the part EGM mentioned in a preview where a large shark blocks your path. You can get around it by simply poisoning the water or blowing up the machinery that is making the shark angry. By poisoning the water, you effectively kill the fish, but damage the planet's kolto supply, which happens to be the planet's key economy. Little choices like that abound alongside more obvious choices, like paying the bounty on someone's head or breaking into someone's apartment, murdering them, and collecting a reward. Obviously, the dark side is easier path to travel because you're filling your own pockets instead of paying another individual's debt. Another example is when an organization hires you to assassinate the chief of the Sand People. You can either earn his trust and help his people or you can carry out your mission and kill him. When trying to join the Sith, do you help a group of students who no longer wish to join the group, escape, or do you destroy 'em? As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of this game. It has definitely captured my interest. I've been able to get around minor issues like constantly repeating character models and a choppy frame rate because it's so easy to appreciate what KOTOR brings to the table.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Fiasco [/i] [B]Oh come now, it's not flaming, not to the least, and a few cursing doesn't hurt anyone, would you of rather seen it like ********** and not with the . inbetween it, I just thought I'd let him now. I just deleted my post, no sense in having it. Jeesh, so tense and there's no warning. ;) Calm down CWB, take some Kava Kava, it helps suppress stress. :) [/B][/QUOTE] Oh come now. I think you know better than what you're letting on. lol :) I would have rather not seen it at all. And bypassing the censor system to make swearing more clear is definitely [i]not[/i] something that I want to see. We take that very seriously. The swear filtering is in place for a reason, after all. ^^ So yeah, I'm not stressed out or worked up; I'm just keeping the situation in order. As far as Halo goes--it was one of the reasons I became interested in the Xbox to begin with. It's well executed, but I generally don't see what all the fuss is about. The gun fighting is entertaining to an extent and the friendly artificial intelligence is commendable, but killing scores of the same creatures over and over again loses its charm after a while. Plus, the environments tend to get a bit repetitive; I almost got lost on more than one occasion. Overall, it's definitely a nice first person, and the PC version should benefit from the revamped multiplayer aspects. But, I'd hardly call it a revolution in gaming as others are so quick to do.

Welcome to OtakuBoards, DarkAssasinX. Introduction threads aren't allowed here, because we feel that it's more effective welcoming members into the community as they share their insight within discussions. We had an introduction forum previously, but it was very ineffective. So, be sure to read our rules (maximum image size in signatures is 500 X 100 pixels) and have fun. I'm sure that many of us will enjoy getting to know you better over time. ^_^

Whoa, whoa, [i]whoa![/i] My goodness, this thread is out of hand. I don't want to see any more name calling. 9Eagle7Dragon, your post was almost completely incoherent. Try to present valid points that are actually relevant to the discussion without insulting others. And Fiasco, you've been here long enough to know that swearing and flaming are unacceptable here. Edit your post and remove the vulgarities. Oyeah, you're not helping matters any either by acting as a cheerleader section. If I don't see an improvement in behavior and discussion here, this thread will be closed and I'll take appropriate action against those involved.

All right, I think it's time to close this thread. lol When you look at it, what we have here is a discussion with more loops than an amusement park ride. I think that, with (at the time of this writing) 81 replies, everyone has had ample opportunity to have their say in the matter. I see no point in allowing a pointless discussion to continue. At this stage, people are just expressing their disapproval (questionably in some cases) over Harry's actions and he's attempting to justify them with the same logic over and over again in an endless repeating cycle. Which, doesn't surprise me in a discussion fueled more so by passion than logic. I don't see him being budging on how he feels about his behavior. This is just flame bait.

I only purchased a used copy of the game a short time ago. Late June, I think. Consequently, I also picked up a Pro Action Replay. Truth be told, my main motivation to pick up the game at all, was the plethora of unlockable Nintendo classics. Most notably, Punch Out. I would literally dedicate eighty percent of my Animal Crossing sessions to Little Mac; it's definitely one of my all-time favorite games. I don't know if it's the nostalgia factor or what--but it still stands among my favorite games in general, even. The fact that the memory card saves the passwords so that I'm not required to copy them, is the icing on the cake. ^_^ The actual Animal Crossing game, itself, is surprisingly quite addictive. I love expanding and redecorating my house. Catching fish and insects to add to the museum and my debt to Tom Nook are the most enjoyable tasks I partake in. I'm not a big fan of visiting the other animals because they annoy me with their repetitive requests and simple-minded dialogue. The little events, such as attending aerobics classes, seeing fireworks, and joining bass fishing competitions add a nice dose of variety to the mix though. Plus, it's cool teaching the other animals slang when I do decide speak with them. Rasher calls me "dawg" now instead of saying "swine." So, all in all, I'd say that Animal Crossing is pretty addictive. I played it almost every other day until I got KOTOR.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by KnightOfTheRose [/i] [B]You obvouly don't give a damn what anyone on here thinks, so I hope it doesn't phase you when I say you are no worse than them. [/B][/QUOTE] Don't you mean to say that he is no "better" than them? O_o

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Magdalena [/i] [B]Do tell Harry! [/B][/QUOTE] Welcome back, Jenni. :whoops: Anyway, I've had troubles like this before. I've always forced the children to take me to their parents, and leave them to sort out the mess. It's never failed. But, then again, that's only been my way of handling a problem. Oh--you've probably mentioned this and I've forgotten: What time was it? If it wasn't [i]too[/i] late, I'm sure that you could have introduced them to the woman; it may have stirred [i]some[/i] kind of compassion and reason within them. While they might not have been affected by the simple knowledge that an elderly woman lives there--physically meeting her may have done the trick. Such a gesture could potentially be more powerful than any punch in the face.

I wanted to see this on Friday but all three shows were sold out. The lines were incredible. I couldn't believe it. The reviews I've read or heard so far aren't very positive. The words "overlong" and "overblown" are two that come to mind. Which, is probably typical for a movie of this sort. I'm mainly interested in seeing it because one of the writers is Ron Shelton. He did an excellent job directing [i]Hollywood Homocide[/i]. It's probably one of the more entertaining cop films I've ever seen. So, I'll really have to get around to seeing [i]Bad Boys II[/i] this week. I thought that the first was decent, so I'll probably at least be able to tolerate the sequel.

Ack. If someone knows the answer to your question then they may private message you. Threads of this sort are often closed because there's no possibility for discussion [i]and[/i] they open the floor for members to (potentially) give advice that details illegal downloading methods. For future reference, your signature is the best home for requests like this.

This will develop into another case of "He said/she said." Wait--what am I talking about? It's already at that point. And who would expect otherwise? No one was in the room, save for Bryant and the alleged victim. It's a fact that there was sexual penetration. But, the question remains: Can this 19-year old girl [i]prove[/i] that Bryant raped or assaulted her? This is a case very unlike the Mike Tyson rape situation. With Bryant, you have to ask yourself: "Does this really surprise me?" And, of course, based on the Bryant's pedigree (he's young, married, has a clean record, and is fortunate enough to have enjoyed a wealthy upbringing)--this probably surprises many sports fans. With Tyson--when he was charged with rape at the height of his career, were you really surprised? Most likely not. The point of drawing comparisons between two fundamentally different situations is that this was also a case of "he said/she said." Tyson's attorney's played up on that--and it didn't work. He went to jail for three years. Will Bryant face a similar fate? It's doubtful, to say the least. For one thing, Tyson's attorneys had to take the case on with an attitude similar to the effect of "How could anyone shut themselves into a room alone with this man?" Bryant's attorneys won't have to balance their case on such a rickety defensive scheme. The suspicion on his character just isn't there. So, regardless of whether he actually did it or not might not even matter. I don't see him being convicted.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]This thread really turned into a bunch of crap heh. [/B][/QUOTE] Boy, you aren't kidding. :flaming: I've had to delete at least a dozen posts from this topic; it's probably the spammiest thing I've seen in a very long time. I actually must take a step back and wonder why it wasn't closed a long time ago. I almost believe that it wasn't locked because people were intimidated by the popularity of the thread. And, at this point, I believe that this thread has served its general purpose, because everyone has had their fun. Looking back, this discussion reminds me more of a crazy AIM chat than an actual thread. Many of your posts (especially the ones I've deleted) are almost completely incoherent or have no relevance to the topic whatsoever. I've seen almost a page of discussion related to cookies and more inside jokes than you can shake a stick at. O_o I hate to be the rain on everyone's fun. You're still free to continue this elsewhere (i.e., our private messaging system or the aforementioned chat medium). Yes, we [i]do[/i] have private messaging, and it's there for a reason. :Points at those of you who posted off-topic, personal things: lol Of course, I understand that many of you are fond of this topic and this will be an unpopular decision. To be sure, I want you to know that I'm not trying to get in the way of your fun or be a tyrannical prude. In fact, I encourage you all to create fun, unique threads. However, there's a fine line between discussion and what is essentially a spamfest that violates many of our rules. This topic has had quite a long lifecycle, I'd say. So, we've been very lenient here.

Yes, obviously the Kane angle has been relatively successful from a business standpoint. The segment drew an impressive 4.7 quarter, which means lots of fans expressed interest in the angle. Paul Bearer, who was originally opposed to the angle, has even put over the direction the WWE has taken with it. I'd hardly say that they pulled the material for this storyline out of their rear-ends. They've teased the unmasking of Kane for quite a while. It's a step the creative has wanted to make for the character. In fact, Kane's scars were planned to be psychological from the outset. I read about it weeks ago. That was always a direction they were going to take. Prior to this Monday, they had simply relied on camera angles and facial expressions to put Kane over as "scary" and "ugly." And, they're still going that way. If you had seen Raw, you would have noticed that JR was hesitant to look Kane squarely in the face--and he was still stressing that the fans don't care how Kane looks. In my opinion, this is probably one of the most impressive and interesting angles I've seen on WWE television in quite some time--since the Kurt Angle, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon love triangle, as a matter of fact. Kane was in desperate need of a fresh direction; his character had grown stale following his botched return. So, it's nice to see him developed in a way that's not melodramatic or revolting. WWE has successfully managed to keep him a monster without the mask. So, their plans are a success from that standpoint. It's probably the greatest hurdle they had to leap.