Charles

Running a lot leads to a good high. But, that's do to intense pain, so I don't know if I'd recommend that to anyone here. It's something that must be built up to. Heh. Otherwise, Starbucks coffee offers a nice little kick. Go caffeine!

Eh, let's try to keep this thread on track. O.o;; As for the topic at hand, it sounds to me like your friends really like you. They're just making an effort to expose you to activities that they enjoy. It might not hurt to try to spend time with them and checking out their interests. But, at the same time, if you really don't want to go out dancing, for instance, they should respect that. It's always important for friends to feel comfortable with one another and accept one another for who they are. It's not right for them to try to change you into something you're not. I'm pretty normal. I don't think there's anything about me that freaks people out. It would be a little cool if there was. If I feel awkward around people, it's because I know I don't really stand out in a crowd. In classes where creativity is involved my "unique" projects usually turn some heads though. They even give false impressions. When it comes to the internet, perhaps my online escapades frighten or freak people out--but anyone that knows me, knows that I'm not [i]that bad[/i]. I think. lol

Suikoden for the PSX is the perfect game for a beginner. The storyline surpasses much of what is out there today and it's a relatively short game. So, it's a nice way to get your feet wet. Plus, the first Suikoden isn't very nice looking. By today's standards it would probably be downright ugly--especially the characters' robotic walking animation. There aren't exactly a lot of frames there. Getting over bad visuals is one of the most useful things you can do as an RPG gamer. There is far less truth to that today since RPGs now look incredibly cinematic. But if you want to dive into the vintage classics, you're going to have to learn to suck it up, heh. I would also recommend the Arc the Lad collection. I'm sure that the first Arc the Lad is short and sweet. And...it comes with two more games to help you become accustomed to the genre.

I'm so sorry Ginny. I can't even comprehend how awful that must feel. Despite what your mom must have been feeling, she's lucky to have you to see her through though. You can be the angel on her shoulder. And Lalaith, man, what an ordeal. I'm glad you're okay dude and it's tremendously awesome that no one else was hurt. If the driver of the van was under the influence, I hope he gets what's coming to him. I've almost been in a couple accidents myself. I was in the passenger side of my friend's car when a huge tractor trailer ran a red light and almost smashed into me, for instance. Gosh, my brother almost got hit the other day too because a car lost control on the snowy roads. Phew, public transit definitely has more points in the "safe column."

I agree with Semjaza Azazel. Sukooru, there are proper ways to critique others' work without being overly harsh or hurtful. I encourage you to post reasonable opinions and judge work fairly. It would be more beneficial to GriffXL if you offered reasons that validate your response. At least the artist could address some of the things you don't like and improve if they feel your ideas are worthwhile. Sheesh.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by S@bretooth [/i] [B]I went to see that thread Mitth, and now I can see your viewpoint. What medra said is [i] very [/i] similar to what harry said happned, [/B][/QUOTE] Exactly. I don't want to sound cold or ruthless, but I'm having an incredibly difficult time believing this story. First of all, as S@bretooth mentioned, Neil directed a comment towards Harry involving a speeding car. It wasn't a tasteful comment and it's certainly not a nice fate to wish on someone, but making light of death in a parody thread is not either. I'm not basing my decision on the disagreements I've had with Harry. In conjunction with the striking similarity to Neil's comments, Harry has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with depressing threads. [i]And[/i] he has been posting normally both today and yesterday. I would assume that he would not have posted normally and suddenly lost the will to live in such a short period of time. One could argue that he didn't know at the time, but we're talking about a twin sister, here. If I am incorrect in my judgment I offer my sincerest apologies. Call me a monster, but, I'm afraid that your story is too far fetched to be believed and quite frankly, I haven't seen much sympathy expressed in this thread. It would be best to close this before it becomes too heated. I hope that I do not find out for a fact that this thread was created for the purposes I think it was--I would be gravely disappointed....

Hello erinzyger. Welcome to OtakuBoards. It's always great to have new members interested in role-playing. I have just a few issues I want to clear up though. Generally, a recruitment thread is created for the purpose of gaining a set number of players and collecting specific information from members. For instance, you should ask for their name, biography, age, appearance, etc. A recruitment thread should also provide basic plot and rules. If you're going to create an RPG where members simply carry on your story it's not necessary to create a recuitment thread, unless you're limiting spots in the game. So, I will close this for you and make the appropriate adjustments to your RPG in the Adventure Arena forum. If you have any questions be sure to ask Flashy (preferably), Warlock, or myself.

Man, I must be insane because I'm one of the only people who can't seem to get into Golden Sun. It really bothers me too, because I loved the game at first. The combat system with the Djinn summons was nice, and the dungeons were laid out well (the puzzle elements reminded me of a more complex Wild Arms with the tool system substituting for magic). Over time I just stopped playing though. It's a shame because they herald it as one of the best RPGs on [i]any[/i] system. Perhaps I'll try to get into it again when the Gameboy Advance SP releases. If I can, I'll definitely pick up the sequel. The feedback on it has been great. I've even heard a bit about the transferring of data, as you mentioned. Overall, I think the it's going to be much like Golden Sun, but expanded in every area. Like, it won't reinvent the formula or anything, which is nice. If what I've heard is true, the game will be longer with more sub quests and an increased number of Djinn.

You know, the film is receiving fairly good reviews, which surprises me. I figured that the original would have exhausted the possibilities and gags, but [i]Shanghai Knights[/i] is still pretty fresh. The characters are as charming as ever and the choreography in the fight scenes are up to the usually high standards of a Jackie Chan film. Very elaborate. Also, I love how they tie the characters into American History. [spoiler]Like, how they introduce Sherlock Holmes and Charlie Chaplain, for example.[/spoiler] But, I feel that [i]Shanghai Knights[/i] fell well short of [i]Shanghai Noon[/i] in a few aspects. I mean, the movie seemed...dumber. The jokes were more hokey, just not as funny. Plus, the "odd couple" pairing gimmick has been done to death in recent years. There just aren't enough opportunities to shock the audience. The good outweighs the bad by far though. This isn't the best movie ever, or a must see, but it's a good time. I can't wait to see the final movie in the series, [i]Shanghai Dawn[/i]. It should be awesome.

The dumbest fight I've ever been involved in started over a [i]pencil.[/i] It was a long time ago, but the stories stuck with me throughout Middle and High school. The worst part of this entire ordeal, was that I fought a friend. He and I were horsing around at the lunch table, as was everyone else was. Well,...to be honest I'm still not sure what happened, exactly. He took my pencil and held it under the table. When I tried to get it back, he snapped it in half. Let's face it, number two pencils aren't hard to come by. They aren't expensive either. I didn't care, lol. Apparently, he thought that I was enraged or something because the next thing I knew, his fist was in my face. I had never been in a school fight before, and I certainly didn't expect my friend to sock me one, so, suffice to say, I was dazed. Everything felt like a dream. I just got up and punched him. It sent him flying through a table. Gosh, everyone was standing on the lunch tables cheering and hollering. When the fight was over, I was still in disbelief. That was the one and only time I was ever suspended from school. The principal was pretty man because my old elementary school was visiting and I set a bad example. I felt bad about it, because I don't like to fight. But the worst part to this day is that I'm still not sure why it happened...

I would like to meet Hulk Hogan or Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Both men are legends in the wrestling industry--the best there is, was and ever will be. They were two of my role models growing up. Bret Hart, in particular, was a great techinical wrestler. I would also like to meet Miyamoto so that I could lecture him about putting voices in Zelda. Oh what a day that would be. Perhaps he would even allow me to become his successor.

I don't see worthy discussion coming from this thread, I'm afraid--and advertising is strictly prohibited. You didn't place the link in your post and encouraged posts for requests, which is good, but try to avoid making posts that deal with advertising your site at all. Plus, watch the Caps--it's unnecessary and considered yelling. If anyone wants to request codes from this fine fellow, be sure to private message him.

Oh man, I love anime style approaches in RPGs. The facial expressions and emotions are priceless (if done right) and the characters are easier to identify with their boring, realistically, modeled counterparts. For instance, I've seen a screen shot of this game where a small child is sulking with a large pot on his head, and Nell is trying to comfort him. Awesome. This game is supposed to be loaded with voiced dialogue and music, too. I doubt that people like Semjaza ([b]Grampapa[/b] Azazel), who aren't big fans of voice overs will be pleased, but I'll be loving it. Games like Suikoden III or Zelda would really benefit from voiced cutscenes. I'm happy that combat isn't always random too. The fighting sounds a lot like [b]Kingdom Hearts[/b]. That's right, the popular-for-some-reason that I can't explain, [b]Kingdom Hearts[/b]. The guts meter should be a cool twist though. Plus, item creation is always more interesting than simply purchasing weapons...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Transtic Nerve [/i] [B]It rokz0rz my b0x0rz, Charlie-kins! ^-^!!.... [color=purple]Flash I'm going to beat you with a metal pipe...[/color] I will never type such... language! [size=1]or so you think.. -Flash[/size] [/B][/QUOTE] I'm still counting that! :toothy: But, yeah, Mario is an unhappy camper right now. Looking into the eyes of the imposter, he can't help but to wonder whether he's attracted to Saddam as a person, or if it's only a physical attraction. Deslinko-I used the word "palace" because Saddam has palaces, not castles. :smirk:

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B]I don't see how you can state that you know what I'm doing, then react in a manner like this. If I was trolling like you said I was, you should have enough sense to realize that I would leave out things and make gross generalizations, but you don't seem to.[/b][/quote] Oh, but you [i]do[/i] make gross generalizations. You claim that urban children struggle "because the kids are lazy, stupid, and mischievous. If you look at black urban culture, it's all about speaking poorly and causing trouble." How do you know this? Where is your proof? Where are your statistics that prove the mentality of urban children are naturally inferior to that of upper and middle class children? [quote][b]To be honest do you think Black people have moved up in status?[/b][/quote] In many ways no. They are underrepresented in government, maintain a higher poverty rate than whites, die earlier, and receive worse education. Do I think it's because they're biologically inferior? Hell no. But, elitists like you seem to. Your solutions to these problems are not realistic. They largely rely on singling out a specific group and forcing harsh consequences on them. According to your post, urban children aren't worth our time. It's that simple. [b][quote]Yes I have actually. You assume that because I'm white and I don't talk like black people do (admit they say words that white people don't) that i'm magically upper middle class, well I went all the way up to 8th grade to these filthy and despairing places where nobody wants to learn, and the teachers don't want to teach for that matter. [/b][/quote] I never said that you were white. My comments have nothing to do with your skin color. My comments are directed at your lack of understanding. You said it yourself. The places are filthy and despairing. What do the children have to look forward to? What can they really accomplish on dated programs with insufficient materials? And...if the teachers don't want to teach, that's the stake through the heart. Refer to my other post. We need to give these children dignity--the feeling of self worth and not only reasons to succeed, but the means as well. [b][quote]Death zones? That's just simple exagerating there. The only time a kid would be in trouble is if they join a gang, which is their choice.[/b][/quote] Is it? Tell that to little girls that to the family of small girls that are raped and murdered behind stores. If one doesn't join the gangs, do you not think that the gangs will target that person? You can't possibly dismiss the danger of these streets. And the definition of death zone isn't limited to crime. Lead levels found in the soil or certain urban areas are chilling. By the time the poisoning becomes apparent in a child's sleep disorders, stomach pains and hyperactive behavior, it's too late to undo the permanent brain damage. The poison chips away at the learning potential of kids whose potential has already been chipped away by their environment. [b][quote]You do realize that is almost impossible to live off of right? That is way below minimum wage with a 42 hour work week. [/quote][/b] Exactly. [b][quote] Have you? Could you give me some examples where you can find a place like this?[/b][/quote] Try Camden New Jersey or East St. Lewis. For that matter, try any area that has felt the wrath of ghettoization--where trash isn't picked up. [b][quote]The Army. If you didn't know, the Army is a great place to get an education in a certain field. They'll train you for 2 years of service and give you 50,000 dollars for college. But I guess we wouldn't want that, you would just want them to waste their time in high school.[/b][/quote] I'm not disregarding the quality of military education, but I do not feel that we should round up a particular group of people and shuffle them off to military school because they don't deserve the proper funding to succeed in the public schooling system. That selection is unfair and racist. [i]Everyone[/i] deserves the same opportunity. So, if we're going to ship urban children off to military school, all middle to upper class whites should fall into the same program. [b][quote]I don't see why you're so shook up over this. Instead of them wasting their time at these horrible schools you describe, I say ship them off to military school where they'll get a good education. But no you come here and moan about these schools and how my idea is a bad one. Atleast I give suggestions to fix this, but you just say it's a bad idea and give no ideas of your own.[/b][/quote] I put forward ideas. Urban areas are in great need of revitalization and restoration. Politicians need to care and provide proper funding. [b][quote]Once again you go rambling on about how i'm a horrible person for giving these kids a good education. You really do confuse me. First you say that you know that I'm a troll (shocking to say the least), but then you start getting offended even though you know what the sole purpose of a troll is. Then you complain to me about being stereotypical, but then you assume I've gone to good schools/private schools. You yell at me about their horrible conditions, even though I am giving them a good start to enter the work force. Maybe you completely misinterpretted my post, maybe you didn't read it and was replying to Jenni, all I can say is make up your mind please. [/B][/QUOTE] Who's rambling now? lol. I never attacked your person. I am attacking your stance and your personal agenda. You put forth ideas that seem benevolent on the surface, that are, in reality, laced with racism and stereotypes. I never even assumed you've attended private schools. Many students in the public education system are oblivious to the harsh reality I'm painting out for you. How many middle class people visit these areas? It's your opinions that are elitist. Your solutions are always forced upon a specific group of people. They never remedy the real problems. And I also find it funny that you were disappointed with me saying that you were acting like a jackass, but you failed to mention how disappointed you were with Jenni bypassing the swear censor.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Harry [/i] [B]And that's coming from a mod too... how disappointing. I'll reply to your whopper of a post in another post. [/B][/QUOTE] Yes. It's disappointing that a twenty-one year old guy can lose his composure for the first time on a message board by pointing out how horrendous your post was. If your posts were somewhat reasonable I wouldn't mind, but you seem to be purposely attacking blacks in an attempt to spark controversy. I find [i]that[/i] more disappointing than my candid assessment of your opinions. So, yes, please refute my points intelligently--something that I have not seen yet in this thread. I'm interested in knowing why children don't deserve more windows in their brick prisons. I want to know why it is acceptable for two first grade classes to share a single room without a window, divided only by a blackboard. I want to know why a second grade bilingual class of 37 children has its own room, but there is no window. Why shouldn't children have a decent playground to play in after lunch? It can't be because they are not deserving. That's unfair. And I know, Jenni, that you were talking about High School, but education begins somewhere. I say that more funding should be provided to cities. I say that we should give these children a reason to want to succeed. Let's give them jobs to pursue. Let's clean up their streets and give them decent schools, and a chance to be equal. That is, instead of trying to be controversial for our own personal agendas on a message board. It seems to me like you create these topics with the intention of being attacked so that people will feel sorry for you.

This topic makes my brain hurt. It's pointless and we've discussed the Metal Gear Solid 2 characters to death. Be sure to check out the multitude of threads we've had dedicated to this game.

I shall use my magic powers to move this to the Square Enix forum, where it belongs. [color=indigo]And now I shall use [i]my[/i] magic powers to merge this with the other FFX help thread. :p - Desbreko[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Jenni [/i] [B]See, if your offended by something, then don't look. The truth often sickens me too. Where the hell do you live? You have to realize we live in two different worlds, two different sets of eyes.. we see thigns differently and we'll never agree. That's why you'll never agree with harry. That's why you have somehting against him everytime he posts somehting. It's disgusting, you should all appreciate each others opinions. [/B][/QUOTE] The truth? Read my damn post. That is the truth. I've studied this stuff. Have you? We live in two different worlds? Is that a good thing? We only live in one world, and that's Earth. I'll never agree with Harry because he's being a jackass. I don't have anything against him. I abhore his elitist attitude--and yours. It's disgusting that you didn't read a damn thing I said. I want you to read his first post and then mine, and you tell me if those kids don't deserve a damn chance. And it's because this thread disgusts me that I'll respond and make things right. You haven't provided any facts to support Harry's claims--that you so apparently support.

All right dude, I know that you purposely take controversial stances, but this post demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of urban America and its educational system. Jenni's comments also sickened me--thoroughly. How can you automatically put down so many people and dismiss so many issues? Your comments reflect the notion that social policy in the United States, concerning poor and black children has been turned back [i]several[/i] decades. There are so many urban schools that are unhappy places. They are a victim of a remarkable degree of segregation and resemble outposts in third world countries. How are children supposed to feel, being educated in bleak projects, lined with barbed wire fences and buildings with steel bars on the windows? Have you ever seen the filth and despair in these places firsthand? Have you talked with the young children forced to go to these death zones? Young children aren't lazy and stupid. Give me a break. They [i]want[/i] to learn. Kids make so many observations and judgments--those are the most influential years. Dismissing them as a lost cause is disgusting. They're people too. They deserve a fair chance. You aren't better than them because you're more privileged. Get out of here with that nonsense. Maybe if you grew up in a city with no obstetric services, no regular trash collection, and few jobs, you wouldn't exactly be motivated either. When I studied urban areas, I found that a lot of urban families earn about $7500 dollars a year (I'm sure my memory serves me right there). The streets are lined with boarded homes, and garbage piled up in huge craters. Oh, and we can't forget the fumes that pour from vents and smoke stacks that cloud the streets. But, you've probably never seen that. Smoke and chemicals probably didn't choke you as a kid. Or have you had rats as big as puppies run across your feet? So, what hope do these kids have? Why should they graduate high school? It's utter hopelessness. All they have to look forward to is a sh*t job, even if they do graduate. A diploma from a decrepit hulk of a building isn't worth anything. They don't have the proper education to get into college. Their teachers don't teach. Some tell them to put their heads down, or play poker with them. Of course, the proper materials aren't provided. Everyone doesn't have the luxury of owning a book--they have to take turns. If teachers care enough to give assignments and homework, one child will do it Monday, while another child will have to complete the assignment Tuesday. Some schools are so crowded and impoverished that they can't afford classrooms for fourth graders, so they're crammed into the same room with choir class. But, that's okay. It's their faults because they're not innocent children born into that hell. They're lazy and worthless. Right? That's probably why they've had strings of substitutes instead of a full-time teacher since the kindergarten. Oh, and why do they look up to rap stars? They see that they look like them, and they see that as their only chance. Even if a teacher was passionate enough to tell them that they are somebody, it wouldn't matter, when, in the eyes of society, they are not much at all. This is the message they get every day when no celebrities are there and when their parents business partners (if they're especially fortunate) have departed for their homes in the expensive suburbs. Yeah, so why don't you give your BS to kids who have to choose between a glass of milk when they're three, or a glass of milk when they're seven? Harry or Jenni wouldn't have thought that children in America would ever have to choose between a teacher or a playground or sufficient toilet paper, though. I mean, why would that cross their minds? They've probably never stumbled upon a huge hole in the ceiling of their stairwell where the plaster is gone, exposing rusted metal bars embedded in the outside wall. They've probably never had water cascading down their stairs, either. There are no community centers to play in and the streets are sometimes flooded with sewage in these areas. There's nothing else to do but have sex and do drugs. It's decimation, people. Many births are to single mothers. Where do the men go? Some--early death. Others--sleep in the street, or in isolated camps behind burnt-out buildings. That's a future [i]forced[/i] on them. No one wants to live like that. So don't bring that up in here. Especially when you target black kids in particular. It isn't their culture to speak poorly and fail. They haven't a damn choice. I'm sorry, but this thread is just too much for me and I'm really offended by it.

It seems like this missed the boat when the new Square/Enix forum was created. Bless be to Yevon, no more Kingdom Hearts threads in Sony!

Hey, thanks everyone. Who loves ya baby? lol :Pulls out list. Crosses off getting James to say "LOL" and "OMG": Now if Transtic replies to this with "r0kz0rz" my goals will be complete. Hehe

My latest creation will only be understood by those of you who have played the original Super Mario Brothers cart for the NES. It could be argued that this is an exercise in spriting, but I really didn't create the sprites. Granted, I edited one, but I'm not posting this for the purpose of showing it off. I spent more work manipulating the background than I did the sprite. I'm mainly posting for opinion on the overall design.

Well, parents have the right to be concerned with what their children do to some extent. Concern shows that they care. And the internet is basically a window leading into a world where one can come into contact with all kinds of nut cases. That's why, of course, services like AOL have parental controls that can be put into place. I don't know what kind of parental controls your service has, if any, though. But, parents really should place a little trust into their children to a certain extent. They should have faith that their kids will make the right decisions. I'm not a parent, so I can't speak with the confidence and certainty of experience, but I assume that it's important to demonstrate to children they can be trusted and that they'll remember the values and lessons that have been placed upon them. From what I can tell, your father is overdoing it. There's a difference between parenting and prying. When parents show such a clear lack of trust and respect, it can only lead to elusive behavior on the child's part. I mean, that's what I would think. The more nosey the parent, the better the child will become at hiding things and rebelling. The best advice that I can give has already been given. Try to log out of sites or delete messages and mail when you are done reading and replying. I'm not sure how much you can accomplish by talking with him about it. But, it may be worth a try. I dunno. :shrugs:

There is already an existing Devil May Cry 2 thread [URL=http://otakuboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=19698]HERE[/URL]. A few members, including myself, have posted our opinions on the game. I'm sure that our different perspectives should satisfy your curiosity. The game is two discs long and you are able to play as two characters. Dante's quest encompasses one disc, Lucia's the other. However, many of Lucia's levels are exactly like Dante's, but shortened. I'm sure that the characters you mentioned to not make a return.