Charles

Well, I've learned that there's a little bit of truth in every stereotype. But, it's the harsh generalizations that arise out of stereotypes that lead to discrimination and racism. When people associate superficial biological differences with variations in psychological, intellectual, and behavioral makeup, they may feel justified in treating members of a distinctive group in discriminatory ways. When they begin to assume all people of a particular gender, ethnicity, shape or size act or live in a particular way, they're exhibiting ignorance. Presently, many people stereotype Muslims as terrorists. It's okay to believe such nonsense. But, when individuals act upon these stereotypes and discriminate upon Muslims and infringe upon their rights to obtain jobs or enjoy privileges in society, [I]then[/I] stereotyping is wrong. So, yeah, my belief is that [b]everyone[/b] believes certain stereotypes, no matter how small. I suppose it's human nature. As long as these stereotypes don't affect the treatment of a certain people and result in discriminatory actions, then stereotyping isn't necessarily a big deal.

Well, since playing this game I've discovered that it's not too hard to unlock levels. Unlike Aggressive Inline, the objectives are basically laid out in a linear fashion. I remember reading an interview where the developers specifically stated that they wanted players to easily unlock new areas if they wished to do so. To a degree, they were quite successful. I've had the game for about two days, and have only put in about two hours, and I've unlocked almost every area. If you want cheats, they only cost about one thousand dollars in the game shop.

Ha, double posting? What's that? Every time someone does it in the Sony forum, I combine their posts and provide a nice little warning. I simply delete other members' chastising posts. I mean, when the problem is handled quickly enough, and no exceptions are made, it isn't able to manifest into much of a problem after all. Although, a technological solution would be terrific.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DuoGod of Death [/i] [B]Yeah thats the great thing about writing, its never over. But in all honesty I really hope I can write as well as you can when I am your age. I have a question, my English teacher thourougly enjoys this type of writing, would you mind if I printed this off and showed it to him I can give you credit, or I can keep it annonymouse, again its up to you. If the answer is NO I understand. [/B][/QUOTE] It's okay if you want to show it to your teacher, lol. After all, I don't know him. I was just a bit hesitant to put it up here, because I actually interact with you guys regularly. :) Oh, and Roxie, I basically trimmed out a large section, removed some confusing syntax, added a metaphor or two, and made some of the language more conversational.

Well, my old otaku name was too long. It just wouldn't fit when Version 3 started. So, the question begs to be asked: Does anyone really need me to explain my current name? :drunk:

Hey, effort is only effort when it begins to hurt, I guess. I don't know exactly why you're terrified this particular time. Maybe this play demands more than your past performances. Something about it has to be distracting you, because fear is a distraction of the mind. Does this play hold any value over the other ones that you were in? Whether or not it does, doesn't entirely matter. Even if the answer isn't apparent and you don't discover the reasoning behind the feeling, just keep in mind that fear can actually be a good thing; it can motivate you to a better performance because it shows that you care about what you're doing. I mean, challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks. It's all in your perspective.

Well, I'm [I]still[/I] skeptical about growing old. But, I realize that it's something to be thankful for, a privelage. Sure, living for free and relying on parents is a sweet deal for a spell, but you'll go through a period of rebellion soon and yearn for independence. I know that right now you're afraid of meeting new people. It can be scary, I know. Yet, the people we meet along the way, on the road of life, are what truly make it interesting. As you grow older, you'll have the opportunity to escape your parameters and open yourself up to so many new things. Plus, you can always express yourself. The people you care for won't go away when you grow up, immediately. In fact, the number will probably grow. Down the line you'll probably have your own family and new interests. At that time, I doubt that you'll trade any of it for anything. So, cheer up. Your best days are ahead of you, I'm sure (That would be a good fortune cookie line). ;) Oh, and don't worry about being strange because of your feelings. Haven't you ever heard the Toys R' Us song? ^_^

Heh, well, actually, the good comments mean a lot to me. Especially when you compliment the humor aspect. You're a good judge, so it's cool. ^^ That was really hard to post;I was afraid that I would get made fun of or something. But, I owed AnimeLover a personal narrative, lol. So, yeah, thanks everyone. Edit: Thanks for the 9.99999etc, Duo. I agree that something can always be improved as well. I'll see what that thing is, in particular, when my professor gives back the final copy.

At the request of AnimeLover, I've decided to post a personal narrative I wrote. It's really embarrassing for me, especially since I reveal little about my personal life on the boards, but, here goes: I was freezing. My skin quivered, as if in an attempt to escape my bones and flee from Old Man Winter. Bitter December winds scolded my ears, turning them a sickly shade of red. They throbbed incessantly, telling me how cold it was, as if I already didn?t know. My brother, Greg, had disappeared beneath layers of clothing. ?We?re almost home,? I said in an effort to reassure myself that he, in fact, was still there. Exhaling, I watched as a blast of steamy oxygen rose and expanded into a veil of mist. I thought that the molecules would crystallize and shatter upon the hard earth. Peering out from beneath the brim of my hood, which seemingly did nothing, save embrace the arctic chill, my eyes met the plastic bag that stubbornly remained entangled in-between my numb fingers. My legs were tired. They felt like spaghetti, but I kept moving. All this for a can opener. Suddenly, red light bathed out the darkness, and provided a ray of hope. A police officer, noticing us through the darkness, had pulled over, come to our rescue--or so I thought. Our hopes for relief quickly vanished when he sharply ordered Greg to remove his hands from his pockets. A shiver ran up my spine, but no longer because of the bitter weather. I rolled by eyes in disbelief. This couldn?t be happening--not to us. This isn?t fair. We didn?t do anything wrong. ?Take your hands out of your pockets,? he repeated. His eyes flashed as they moved over us. An Image of a snake studying two mice slithered its way into my thoughts. This wasn?t a joke. It was really happening--to us. Greg obeyed his order. When the officer spoke again, I half-expected a forked tongue to peak out of his mouth. ?I?ve received reports that two people have been committing suspicious acts in the woods underneath the bridge,? he said, his eyes now fixed on us in a glare icier than a side street on Christmas morning. I never wanted to be looked at like that, looked upon with judging eyes that constantly probed for a sign of weakness Don?t break eye contact. Don?t look away. We may have been faced with a halfway reasonable accusation if he had defined ?suspicious acts? or had there been woods anywhere in sight, or a tree for that matter. What would we be doing in these imaginary woods during freezing temperatures: building a camp fire to keep ourselves warm? Once again, he reiterated his order, this time with clear apprehension apparent in his voice. Remove your hands from your pockets. The realization that he might arrest us for being cold set in, so Greg finally removed his hands from their hibernation. A small layer of flakes had built up on the hood of his car; his dark uniform was speckled with wintry dust. After scribbling our names, address, phone number, favorite color, and whatever other erroneous information that turned him on in a small book, he sent us on our merry way. I felt a slight tinge of regret as he sped off. Unfortunately, I was never able to thank him for taking up our time and not having the courtesy to give us a lift. Bastard. Why didn?t I speak up for myself? The same question reverberated, like an echo, off the walls of my skull over and over again. So, why are you really stopping us? Trying to meet that Christmas quota? Pull in a nice bonus? At that point, I had forgotten the cold. The entire ordeal almost reminded me of an episode of ?Gilligan?s Island?, where the hapless castaways meet a random stranger. Thinking that they?ve found their route to escape at long last, they place all their hope and trust into that stranger, only to be left stranded. At least something good did come out of that night; I found out that I should never give a woman a can opener for Christmas--even if she is my grandmother. Somehow, I wasn?t surprised by the whole ordeal regarding the police officer. Only a year earlier, Greg had arrived home from the corner store, which was but two blocks removed from our home, when a policeman barged through the front door with reckless abandon. His invasion was one that seemed fit for a drug bust. The door had given way under great force, like a tornado had ripped the it open. Greg was torn from the floor and thrust outside, in one fell swoop. A proverbial natural disaster has just stricken our universe and altered it once again. His skin visibly pale, his eyes inflamed with terror, my brother buckled under the realization that some lunatic with a badge had just violated justice without explanation. Curiously, the officer trembled as he explained that Greg had exposed himself to civilians and the officer himself. That?s right, he yanked the zipper on his shorts up and down and masturbated in public. Too bad there was no zipper on his shorts. It was impossible to explain to this man that my brother?s hobbies didn?t include masturbating on daily errands to the store, but the long arm of the law would have none of it. He sped off and Greg faced questioning without an adult present, literally forced to confess before he could be released. You?re a liar aren?t you? What really happened? I didn?t do it. Yes you did. You?re not leaving until you tell us that you did it. Justice my ***. It was painfully obvious who the real jerk-offs were. Perhaps my brother?s misfortune would allow someone to get a nice Christmas bonus later in the year, though. It was a placid September evening when I next encountered the police. The sun touched the horizon in such a way, that it became hard to determine whether it was rising or setting. It clung to the skyline, stubbornly attempting to forever keep the perfect day in its grasp. My friend Rob and I had just left his house, bringing with us, bags from the mall. Before we could walk a block?s length, a cop car rolled up on the opposite side of the street and stopped. It looked like a mountain cat, eyes glowing, purring--ready to pounce. With a half grin, I playfully said, ?It looks like we?re in trouble again.? In actuality, I thought that there had been a disturbance at the house parallel from us. Bzzzt! Wrong! ?Get your hands out of your pockets,? they barked. Déjà vu. ?Put the bags down and get your hands out of your pockets!? Malice and frustration immediately swept over my body. What now? Were we speeding officer? I held my tongue. My friend wasn?t so patient. Rage and frustration got the better of him. ?This is harassment,? he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air, trying to walk away. I fought to hold in my cynical laughter as both cops swarmed around him, screaming ?Shut up!? Neighbors poured forth from their homes, filling in the sidewalks as our hands were placed above our heads and we were searched. ?So, you guys like bothering little children,? one of the officers asked, his voice thick with patronizing hatred. That?s where it died for me. My sense of justice lie sputtering blood on the pavement beside me. That murder was never reported. One of the policemen asked me if I had seen any small children and when I told him that I didn?t, his mouth remained closed, but his expression called me a liar. Frustration overcame me. Nice guys obviously finish last. Just ask the pack of teens and young adults that swarm around local businesses and the neighborhood drug house. A normal life is boring. Returning from my thoughts, I found that the police were searching for a thirty year old man, and a forty year old man who had been driving around the neighborhood, attempting to lure young girls. I am twenty-one years old, Rob is nineteen. Neither of us have driver?s license. I?m afraid of driving; I even showed them my monthly bus pass. But, like the pedophiles, we were wearing red and blue shirts respectively. Once cop told me that it was hard to believe that it was only a coincidence. I suppose that red and blue are exotic colors, removed from normality. Go figure. As the police and I parted ways, one of them told me not to worry about my world falling apart if I was truly innocent. That day, I thought that I had lost something and I knew that his consolation would not return it. Before the better part of the neighborhood, I had been degraded, charged with the most embarrassing of crimes. Having time to reflect on the matter, I came to realize that I didn?t need an apology from the police; they never stole my pride or dignity. After all, those things aren?t theirs to take. I just better get over my fear of driving before their Christmas quota approaches.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]My main question is this: I've heard the game allows you to import saves from Suikoden I and II. This this true? And does the manual give any clues on what it might do? Thanks :) [/B][/QUOTE] Well, I believe that you're only able to import saves from Suikoden II. At the start of the game, a menu prompts you to do so, if you wish. Unfortuntately, the manual doesn't seem to mention much regarding the results of uploading data. It simply reads: [b]Saved Data from Suikoden II[/B] [i]After entering a name, Playstation Suikoden II saved data can be read. But the data must first be copied to a memory card (8MB)(for Playstation 2) and inserted in Memory Card slot 1 or 2.[/I] Oh, and yes, that female character sounds very similar. Chris is also young and prone to mistakes. Plus, I heard somewhere that the Virginia character lost her father or something. There's a similar situation lingering in Suikoden III. Overall, I was fairly impressed with the upward recognition and importance females were getting in rpgs--until I saw Yuna's new look, lol. The loss of the world map doesn't really seem to hurt the game too much in my opinion. Unlike other titles (Final Fantasy X, for instance) you're given the freedom to explore different locations on the map at any given time. But, you can't skip over a location to reach another one.

I would completely understand if Halloween was canceled. Even if it is not, I doubt that many parents would allow their children to participate. Certain school districts are hesitant to open and children are increasingly being kept indoors. Parks aren't even viewed as safe. When a serial killer threatens the police by saying "None of your children are safe--anywhere," they have a right to be cautious about the situation. I mean, most people are cautious going to a gas station nowadays in that area. It's really sad to see people kneeling by their cars to avoid being targeted, as if avoiding death has become a normal, everyday, precaution. Now, this deranged lunatic is demanding upwards of ten million dollars. We're living in a day when security has a price.

Well, it sounds nicer than being crowded up in an urban dwelling. I pass by blocks upon blocks of packed-in row homes every morning on the way to class. I can't imagine living like that. If one home catches fire, everyone is in serious danger. Phew, and I don't even recall those people having yards. I sure hope they don't have dogs... Even the suburbs are becoming crowded. It seems like a new house is being built every week. I suppose that's what happens when you live in the most densely populated state. >_

Well, also we must remember, that he only had a limited reservoir of energy available. Once depleted, he would have to return to the after life. Also, at that time, he had very little experience with the Super Saiya-Jin 3 transformation. Once he comes back to life and battles Majin Buu, he handles the transformation very well. But, the SSJ3 is very taxing even in GT. In fact, Gokou attempts to train when he becomes a child, because maintaining SSJ3 for an extended period of time is difficult in that state.

Well, Mortal Kombat Annihilation wasn't directed by Paul Anderson, as the previous film had been. I rented it on VHS and it was [I]horrible[/I]. I suppose that watching the movie reminded me of how ridiculous the entire Mortal Kombat storyline had grown. I agree with you regarding Mortal Kombat 3's mediocrity; that's when the series really started showing its age. At that point, infinitely better fighters, such as Virtua Fighter 2, Street Fighter Alpha, and Tekken had been released. I'm fairly sure that Virtua Fighter 3 was released at that point as well. Graphic violence was nothing new at that point, and with the aforementioned fighters featuring infinitely better game play, Mortal Kombat 3 was evidence that the franchise was dwindling. I mean, no one cared about ridiculous globs of red flying about anymore. Mortal Kombat was a flavor of the month and had lived its fifteen minutes of fame. Sure, the addition of the run button was nice, but a plethora of palette swap characters and cheap artificial intelligence bogged the game down too much. Because Deadly Alliance seems to be geared towards solid game play, I'm able to maintain an optimistic outlook. Some of the fatalities still look ridiculous though....

Well, I just purchased Suikoden III today. I expected to trade in two games and pick it up for ten dollars as per a promotional deal at Electronics Boutique. Unfortunately, they screwed me over by saying that the games I had brought in were too old (they were under a year old), lol. Luckily for me, the game has been worth the price so far anyway. I was immediately impressed by the opening cinematic. It's a beautiful anime intro that plays to an impressively orchestrated song (with vocals). I usually don't rant over intros, but, goodness, that was gorgeous--and quite long as well. It even features a hint of 3-D effects. Thankfully, they are subtle and don't appear superfluously. When the actual game begins, the player may choose between three characters: Chris, Geddoe and Hugo. After a brief (approximately three minutes) introduction with each character, actual chapters are available. Thus far, I've only played through Chris's. For those of you who don't know, Chris is a female. I'm really impressed with this character and the supporting cast. Konami is portraying this heroine tremendously. Chris is the leader of the Zexen Knights and acclaimed as almost mythical in her battle abilities. I mean, it's quite cool to see a strong, prominent female character who isn't exploited for sex appeal. If anything, Chris is constructed to be very masculine--she's clad in armor and is treated very much like a male. The actual game seems polished so far. The visuals aren't meticulously detailed, but they are [I]very[/I] clean. In fact, they appear to be more impressive than Kingdom Hearts' visuals in my humble opinion. Facial models aren't dripping with polygons, but they do move their mouths and convey emotions through facial expressions. Hmm, come to think of it, Suikoden III's visuals are reminiscent of those found in Skies of Arcadia (but much better). The animation is a bit stiff though. Especially walking animations. Camera angles in towns aren't flexible, but they show you what they need to. The audio is [I]okay[/I]. There is no voice acting, which can either be a positive or negative aspect depending on who you are. The background effects are adequate, featuring clamoring crowds, birds chirping, plates clanking, etc. Sometimes the game comes across as a bit silent, but it's not a major flaw. The music composition is standard Suikoden (upbeat). The gameplay doesn't seem to be a huge deviation from past games, except for the large-scale battles. Because the graphics are now polygonal, these ordeals have become more strategy oriented. Cards represent your squadrons and similarly to a strategy rpg, you recieve turns, in which to attack, heal, set up defenses, etc. Also, you are given battle objectives such as "Survive X number of turns." Also like a strategy rpg, there is no real-time world map. The map is very similar to the map featured in Final Fantasy Tactics. It's a hand drawn image, in which markers represent different areas. So, from what I've played, I'm very content. Importantly, the game [I]feels[/I] like Suikoden. The translation seems excellent. The storyline, even in this early stage, is very deep, featuring betrayal, a heavy war theme and tragedy. [B]Minor Spoiler[/B] One scene in particular comes to mind in which Chris inadvertently strikes and kills a young boy (depicted in slow motion). Later, she reflects on the situation in an [B]incredible[/B] church scene. Everything is penned extremely well. [B]End of Minor Spoiler [/B] Best yet, those of you who have Suikoden II data on your memory cards may load it up at the start of this game. Very cool.

I believe that mod chipping has been covered substantially in the past and Rico covers it pretty well in this thread. Additionally, Semjaza mentioned an alternative with the Pro Action Replay. [B][Quote]One more question. Does anyone know if Chrono Trigger or other RPG classics will appear on the Nintendo Gamecube or Game Boy Advance? And will they ever be released in the UK?[/B][/Quote] In case you haven't noticed, this is the [B]Sony[/B] forum. I don't quite understand what relevance this has to anything Sony-related. lol. If you're interested in the GameBoy Advance and the Final Fantasy series, be sure to visit both the Final Fantasy forum and the Nintedo forum. Unfortunately, I cannot allow this thread to remain open any longer.

Actually, I agree with Mnemolth. It's really quite fair to say that those who respect [I]everyone[/I], respect [I]no one[/I]. When judging others and measuring them up to our standards, we develop certain guidelines and expectations for people to live up to. Now, if [I]everyone[/I] meets one's inherent expectations, then how can one know what respect is? [B][quote]However, I wouldn't say that everyone who says they respect everyone, actually respects no-one. It's kind of like saying "All people who claim to better at something than someone are just arrogant", and that's not true either.. A huge amount of people who say that kind of thing are arrogant, but a few aren't..[/b][/quote] That comparison is erroneous. You're comparing two entirely different circumstances. You're comparing an individual who respects [B]everyone[/B], to someone who believes that they're superior to [B]someone[/b] in an undefined aspect. Now, if someone believes that they're superior to everyone in a certain aspect, then it is more than fair to say that they're arrogant. Respecting everyone is overlooking everything; it shows no clear expectations and an apparent lack of the ability to judge. I don't believe that anyone respects everyone, even if they say they do, because it would be a very shallow generalization, overlooking who "everyone" is completely.

Hey, welcome to otakuboards. It's nice to see that you've found the Sony forum; it has a great moderator. Now, pull up a seat, and allow Papa CWB explain something to you. Ready? Okay, good. When it comes to favorite topics, we're very picky. A favorite topic must be fairly clever and ignite intelligent conversation to survive. Yours could spawn one word posts. Now, if you post something delving into why an rpg is your favorite, how it's unique, etc, it might cut the mustard. Yours, I'm afraid, does not. On top of this minor transgression, you've done something deadly. I will put this in bold, not to hollar at you, but to make it clear. [B]Do not attempt to host your images on otakuboards. It's strictly prohibited.[/B] You may upload artwork or whatever to display in the appropriate forum, but what you've done is a major no-no.

I do relatively well. I'm on the Dean's List, checking it twice. I don't really remember doing poor in school since sixth grade because of personal issues that were bothering me. Anyway, I excel in most subjects. Anything math or science related is relatively shaky ground for me. I mean, it's ground that I can manage to stand on, but unless the teacher can get the material across in an interesting way, I find myself doodling and day dreaming, for the duration of the class. Heh, no more dreaming for me though. They'll kick my behind out of school if I don't keep my grades up. A couple semesters ago, I was called in for a meeting with the dean, just for failing one math test, lol.

I have no idea what the heck you just said Greg, but I agree with gokents. Gokou was [I]not[/I] fighting to his fullest abilities; he was merely distracting Majin Buu. His strength is evident later on when he confronts Super Buu post absorbing Gotenks and Piccolo. Whereas Gohan is utterly helpless against Super Buu, Gokou holds his own a bit.

Well, when I heard that the developer of the original game, MediaVision was handling the game, I was immediately pleased. For some reason, I loved the first Wild Arms and it remains one of my favorite role-playing games for the PSX. I know that many will disagree on that front, but it reminds me so very much, of a quality Super Nintendo role-playing game. In fact, the dungeon crawling was eerily reminiscent of a Zelda game. But, the addition of party members added some neat puzzle possibilities, where cooperation was necessary. The third game in the trilogy seems to follow a lot of the same guidelines that made the first so cool. As you mentioned, each character has an epilogue, they are able to utilize tools when exploring dungeons and I've learned that the credits appear very early on. The nostalgia value within the approach is really nice. From what I've read, the introductions only pose one serious problem and that's that they're too long (about an hour each). Because of this, there have been complaints about the game being very mundane early on, featuring repetition of the same monsters and puzzles. With four character introductions to play through, did you notice any of this? I would have picked this game up already, but with GTA: Vice City and Tony Hawk 4 releasing simultaneously, I'm strapped, lol.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Endymion [/i] [B](and the only time) the genki dama/spirit bomb saves the day outside of a movie[/B][/QUOTE] That is, unless we venture into the realm of DragonBallGT...;)

You better believe that when a new two dimensional Castlevania releases, Crazy White Boy is going to pick it up. I feel that the background graphics are actually [I]slightly[/I] superior to the PSX game, SotN. Some areas feature nice effects, such as rolling clouds and such. It's hard to compare on the small screen, but everything just seemed more vibrant. Oh yeah, and two words: [I]Huge bosses.[/I] The character sprites and animation, however, are definitely not on par with the PSX game. But, for a handheld game, the total package is fantastic. Like Semjaza said, the background music isn't very good. I feel that it sounds terrible for a Castlevania game. It's not very ambient; even Circle of the Moon featured a better soundtrack. Then again, I think I read that the sound was compressed in order to improve the graphics. Anyone who's anyone knows that Castlevania games are made or broken with their gameplay though. I've got to say, that in that aspect, it's one of the better Castlevanias. Other than Metriod Fusion or Circle of the Moon, there aren't many original side scrolling GBA titles that will rival this one for quite some time.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Impact Player [/i] [B]Goku get's the energy from trees, water, bugs, birds, another living organism out there on Earth. Yes there weren't a lot of people due to Buu killing them all with a single attack, but Goku was able to enery from Mr. Satan, Dende, Fat Buu, Goten, Trunks, Piccolo, Gohan, Mr. Popo, Tien, Chaoizu(sp?), and possibly Kid Buu himself. [/B][/QUOTE] Actually, that's quite incorrect. ;) I'm sure that at that point, everyone with a good heart was wished back. There is no way that Gokou could have destroyed Kid Buu with the energy of those you have mentioned. Especially since he didn't use Kid Buu's own energy. I mean, why would Kid Buu even willingly give him his energy? lol. It's a nice theory, but if Gohan, Goten, Trunks, etc. were alive, most other earthlings would be too. After all, Buu kills them when he blows up the planet.... Why just wish them back?

[B]Name[/B]: Crazy White Boy [B]Character[/B]: Wheeler [B]Reason why this character was chosen[/B]: Wheeler is impulsive and is always ready to shake things up with a witty remark--similarly to me. [B]What you know about the character[/B]: This character is a street-smart kid from Brooklyn. He wasn't chosen as a Planeteer because of his knowledge regarding ecology; he was chosen because his heart is in the right place. It's been a while since I saw the show, but he seems to have an odd fascination with Linka and his ring gives him the power of fire.