James

[color=#B0251E]This trailer is absolutely stunning. And today's news in general has been most interesting. ~_^ Somehow this trailer really reminds me of Majora's Mask, in terms of its darkness and some of the more twisted artwork. Even that big Gohma-type guy looks pretty darn frightening. Some parts of this trailer almost seemed to be reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, which is interesting. lol[/color]

[color=#B0251E]When I think "fantasy", I don't really think of the traditional medieval setting. If that's what you mean by fantasy, then I would say I rarely join that type of RPG. They tend to be very cliche. I'm more interested in "fantasy" as in, something completely wild and otherworldly -- whether it's a crazy Beatles time travel adventure or Wonka gone wrong. (I wish I was interested in The Beatles; that Beatlemania RPG looks so interesting). Most of all, I'm interested in concepts that feel fresh and interesting. I tend to like RPGs that are set in the future or in sci-fi settings, [i]but[/i] with some exceptions, I don't tend to be interested in the regular sci-fi stuff. So yeah. If you can do something original and unique, you've got my attention (regardless of genre). I'd still like to see a completely untraditional romance RPG (Kill Adam has pretty strong romance, at least, moreso than any other RPG I ever made -- and it's pretty untraditional, lol). So romance and stuff isn't [i]bad[/i], it's just that I never like the way people apply it.[/color]

[QUOTE=Juuthena][size=1]What unnatural [temporary/semiperm/permanent] hair colours have you had, what's your natural hair colour, and what colour is it now? And finally, pictures would be fun as well. =D [/size][/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]I'm pretty boring compared to many of you, hehe. My natural hair colour is black. I've only ever really had it dyed once; electric blue. I had very vivid electric blue running through most of my hair. It was more like blue hair with black streaks, I guess. Other than that, there isn't much I've tried. A friend of mine bleached his hair until it was white, once...and that really appealed to me. So I'd like to try that one day. *rubs chin* But I'm not sure what other colours I'd get. I'd like to get electric red streaks next though, maybe. It seems like some of you have posted some good recommendations in this thread anyway.[/color]

[QUOTE=Generic NPC #3] Rare was pretty much taken up willingly, from all accounts.[/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]Yep. There's an implication here that Rare was somehow taken over in a hostile manner. That isn't true. Most of Rare's talented people left long ago. What was left was a bloated, lethargic, unproductive developer. Nintendo wisely offloaded Rare on to Microsoft, who were apparently the only company willing to buy them.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]I have to state the obvious: if people are going to be worried about the number of their posts -- rather than the contents of the post -- OB simply isn't for them. That's really what it comes down to. I joined another forum recently (for the first time in ages) where I've become a regular. I have less than 100 posts and yet everyone treats me as one of them. Why? Because I deliberately try to at least make my posts readable -- people can see that I'm not being lazy or indifferent. At OtakuBoards, I want everybody to be treated the same regardless of post count -- this is why post counts, for the most part, no longer exist here. And this is why New Members have occasionally become staff while still being New Members. The problem is, people then complain that "New Member" is too derogatory or whatever, and that everyone should just be "Member". And then when that happens, people complain that there aren't enough titles. lol So really, OB itself is never going to win in that situation. All I can do is try to find a happy medium -- two titles, one being totally custom, is that happy medium as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I'm open to changes in the future, but OB7.5 will be feel new enough to keep people occupied so that they don't worry about such things (or so I can hope!)[/color]

[color=#B0251E]You need about 20 posts to become a Member. So persistent activity at OB is what'll do it. ^_^[/color]

[quote name='boxybrown305][COLOR=DarkRed']I totaly agree, you should allways be yourself. The only problem is what i said before, it doesn't matter what yourself is, people will still judge you on that. It isn't you that determines your stereotype it's others. That's why it can be so bad if used or meant the wrong way...[/COLOR][/quote] [color=#B0251E]Well, I know this will sound cliche...but if people are judging you on some highly outmoded stereotype, you have to ask yourself how much their opinion matters. I had a quote on myOtaku lately, by Dr. Seuss. It said "Those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." It's so simple but [i]so[/i] true. If someone doesn't like me for some reason (ie: if they've put me into some stereotype and aren't looking any further), then they aren't worth my time anyway. As far as I'm concerned, the people who do get to know me will be rewarded for making that effort (and vice versa). The people who don't bother are people I shouldn't bother with myself, really.[/color]

[QUOTE=elfpirate][b]The "art of ambiguity" , as I call it, doesn't really strike me as a front in and of itself unless you are actually trying to seem ambiguous when you've really taken a clear stance on an issue.[/b] [b]If you're truly an enigma, then it wouldn't be a front at all to be ambiguous.[/b] [b]*heh*-- BTW-- I totally relate to the contradictory aspect...[/b][/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]Yeah, I have pretty well-defined and thorough positions on a variety of issues. But in general, at least on the surface, I'm a person of many contradictions. Sometimes it's easier to just be general or even vague about that at times, unless a specific issue is being discussed. As I said earlier, I don't want to give someone my entire philosophical outlook when it's not relevant or they don't want to hear it. So in that case, rather than putting up something fake...it's a question of knowing what to offer and what to hold back. Or at least, knowing the appropriate times to talk about various things.[/color]

[QUOTE=elfpirate] [b][b]Do you portray yourself as being different somehow than you actually are? (Even smiling happily when your world is crashing down around you counts as "fronting" on this thread...)[/b] [b]And if so, why do you do it and what do you get out of it, if anything?[/b] [/b][/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]It's an interesting subject; it depends what you mean by fronting. I say that because like you said in your post, I think we all do it to some degree. Say I'm on the train and someone is doing something slightly annoying. It would be very rare for me to actually tell them to stop or to be very blunt. It's just not that important -- why disrupt my (and everyone else's) trip just because something annoys me? So I think we are often thinking things that we don't actually [i]say[/i]. It's not because we aren't being ourselves, it's just because we don't want to unnecessarily create problems between people. A certain amount of that really has to happen in any situation, so that you avoid making a small problem a large one. For me, I'm always who I am. As in...I wouldn't fundamentally change myself just to please others. But at the same time, I don't want to be some totally uncompromising person who isn't at all approachable. I tend to be a pretty easygoing person and even if people disagree with me about things, I think [i]usually[/i] it's possible not to let that become something that totally stops conversation with them. I suppose there are things that I am deliberately vague about online (and to some extent in real life, though much less so). There are a few examples of that - from my sexuality to my views on organized religion. The latter I'm probably less vague about, [i]but[/i], I think that most people often see two sides to my views, which seem contradictory at times. They aren't, it's just that I don't tend to go into a huge speech about my beliefs on things every time I meet someone or discuss something. So one reason for this is sheer convenience. None of these things generally matter to anyone else, so I'm not going to force them on people. Secondly, I actually enjoy ambiguity to some degree. This is because I am a person who loathes stereotyping of pretty much any kind -- I know that there are many parts of myself that are contradictory but are somehow co-existing. It's impossible to explain that to someone in one sentence. And because of that, there is sort of a natural ambiguity about me in certain ways. For instance, it confuses the hell out of people that on the one hand, I talk passionately about civil rights and tolerance (where I am generally totally opposed to president Bush), while on the other hand I will talk about issues of war and peace (where I am generally very much in-step with president Bush). At a glance, these two positions may seem totally contradictory, when, in fact, they aren't. Funnily enough, these varying positions all come from the same place -- the source being fundamentally compassionate. So, that's my ramble. While I don't actively hide any part of myself in general, I [i]am[/i] selective about how I phrase things and how I present myself. Since I'm unable to go into in-depth explanations on everything...it's just easier to either avoid something (unless the issue is raised), or to simply be fairly general about it if it really doesn't matter. I hope that made sense, anyway. lol[/color]

[QUOTE=Sepiroth]yea if i had to, i would. My girlfriend could be the most evil thing in the world and i still be turned on, if i had a girlfriend. I would probaly want a girlfriend kind of like Ivy from soul calibe.r[/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]I'm the complete opposite. When I'm going out with someone, their personality directly impacts my attraction to them. Of course, I can meet someone and think that they look gorgeous. But if I don't like their personality, I will start to find them less physically attractive. Alternatively, I can meet someone who I feel indifferent about physically (ie: I don't think they're gorgeous or unattractive, just somewhere in the middle), but if I [i]like[/i] them as a person, I will be much more likely to start finding them physically attractive. I've definitely been out with people who I've felt indifferent about at first, but who's physical features started to grow on me when I started to get to know them and become familiar with their personality. So, although physical looks are obviously there and they have some influence, I have to say that in my case, personality directly impacts physical attraction. I know that's not the same for everyone -- but if I find someone annoying or I simply don't like them, it doesn't matter how physically attractive they are. Chances are, I won't find them too attractive at all.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]We introduced the custom title so that this would not be an issue: you can make your own title and it can be whatever you want. The core member titles won't change, because a great deal of consideration went into the current system we have now. Unfortunately when we did have multiple "levels", a lot of newer members (and even some older ones - you know who you are) were spamming and competing to get to higher levels. Rather than take that approach, I felt it would be best to let people choose their own custom title. This is also why we don't display post counts on posts themselves; we've removed a competitive element. If anything, I think I'd rather that people compete for [i]better quality[/i] posts, as opposed to a greater number of posts. This relates to both raw post count and member titles (as member titles are dependent on post count).[/color]

[color=#B0251E]I don't really think I have a purpose to exist, other than to eat, sleep, have sex and die. If I happen to have an impact on someone else's life along the way, though, that'd be nice. I say that because I know how much I appreciate it when others impact me in a positive way. The [i]quality[/i] of life is what it's all about, I think. So while I'm here, I might as well try to make my own life a quality one...and hopefully have some sort of positive impact on others. I think that's the most I can hope for really.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]Sexuality can be confusing when you're young, so like everyone else has said, just give it time. It takes time to work out what interests you and so on. Hell, I'm still working that out to this day! lol But this conversation does remind me of something from Donnie Darko. I'll spoiler it though, so as not to offend anyone. [spoiler]"I mean, what's the point of living if you don't have a dick?"[/spoiler] Amen, brother. ~_^[/color]

[color=#B0251E]One of the cool things about anime (unlike video games; though that's changing rapidly) is that it's about 50/50. Actually, in terms of community, there are probably more females. I think myOtaku.com has something like 60% female members. On OB it's probably about 50% or so, though we can't measure it as accurately on OB as we can on myO. So I definitely wouldn't be surprised to hear that the number is very even, or that there are more female anime fans out there, in western countries particularly.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]Apologies, Dagger, but I'd like to keep this thread open. Generally I'd be okay with it being closed, but in this case, it's been pointed out to me that people's home setups probably haven't changed a lot since this was first posted. As a result, it's unlikely that a fresh setup thread will arise in the near future. So it might be a good idea to let people add to this one. Yin, as Dagger suggested, please watch your post quality. You've ressurrected several long-since-dead threads in Otaku Lounge as well and generally that's a no-no, unless the rules specifically state otherwise. Obviously posting rules are different here and in Anime Lounge, so please be aware of the sticky threads.[/color]

[quote name='Morpheus']I think it would help to at least say who james is, I've seriously had someone pm me asking if i ran the site.[/quote] [color=#B0251E]Don't worry, when the team pages go up, everything will be very clear and organized. It will be very clear who is who and stuff. ^_^[/color]

[color=#B0251E]I'm hoping that this is something we can do for our next update. Apparently we have more capability for certain things now; hopefully this is one of them. In any case, it's one of the top items on the agenda. So if it's at all possible, you can bet we'll be doing it.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]I am sort of lucky that my family really has nothing against anime, as in, while they may not all totally understand it, none of them are really dismissive of it. My mum watched all of Animatrix with me and she also watched Spirited Away with myself and my siblings. My dad really has no interest in anime at all, but then again, he doesn't even like most subtitled films (though he did enjoy Ring and Hero). I think we just tend to view him as the uncultured one. ~_^ I tend to have more misunderstanding about music than anime. My brother quite openly bashes some of my music choices (despite the fact that I've introduced him to a good 90% of what he listens to). But that's okay, he's only young. I suspect he'll grow out of it. lol But in general I do think it's fair to say that anime is misunderstood. I can understand why, but I think most people would probably have some respect for it if they saw one of the bigger name titles. Anime doesn't appeal to everyone (I am very selective about what anime I enjoy), however, there's usually at least one thing out there that people will enjoy.[/color]

[QUOTE=elfpirate][b]Me, too- minus the level-headed part... I often question how level-headed I really am... lol.[/b] [b]It's a strange thing to be able to recognise that you're an intelligent, talented, likeable person... yet still harbor such an intense self-loathing and self-doubt... [/b] [b]It seems that you shouldn't be able to feel that way when, intellectually, you know you probably have no reason to feel so horribly about yourself...[/b] [b]but that's just not the way it works...:( [/b][/QUOTE] [color=#B0251E]Yeah, it's one of those things that really defies logic. When I actually try to analyze the source of it, I think I pretty much know what it's all about. So in that sense I can [i]usually[/i] just talk myself out of being too ridiculous. lol I mean, I wouldn't say that I suffer from a clinical problem or anything like that. Well, I hope not anyway. But there are definitely certain times where I can have a very strong sense of self-loathing. The main good thing is that it never lasts long. And luckily, I [i]do[/i] know what I'm good at and generally I am a reasonably confident person. It's funny how people who often appear very confident are actually trying very hard to overcome their own negative feelings. In a way I suppose it only makes you stronger. If you can overcome strong self-doubt, then there are probably a lot of things you can overcome.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]Geeze, Yin. This last post on this is rather old. Let's try to keep the more current threads going, where possible.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]But the novel was a whole lot better than the film. By a mile. So I don't really view the novel negatively. The thing that annoyed me about the film was that it avoided many of the scientific discussions that they have in the novel. Those discussions were incredibly interesting. At least the original film included various discussions, which helped to flesh things out and provide you with a sense that these characters knew what they were talking about and had a genuine interest in their relative fields.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]Mr. Ressetti is one of the coolest characters I've ever come across, lol. I [i]love[/i] to see him open a can of whoop-***. It never ceases to be funny. I agree about Slippy. I was so tempted to deliberately shoot down his arwing in Star Fox 64. Ugh. In regard to Tingle, I'm mixed. On the one hand I find him annoying, but I also think he's pretty intruiging and funny. I like the fact that he's sexually ambiguous and goofy. Somehow it has that odd Japanese charm that is [i]uniquely[/i] Japanese, lol.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]That simultaneously intrigues and disgusts me. Excellent work! ^_^[/color]

[color=#B0251E]I'd like the power to make people randomly orgasm. "'I'm going to have to write you a ticket for...[i]Ohhhmygod![/i]" *falls to the ground squirming* And... "You didn't hand in your homework! So I'm going to set a detention date for [i]sweetmotherof...[/i]" *falls under desk squirming* I think it'd be pretty useful and useless at the same time.[/color]

[color=#B0251E]This is a really relevant issue for me (and I'm sure for a lot of people here). My self-esteem is like yours I think; it jumps around wildly. One moment I am very confident in myself and my abilities, the next moment I'm incredibly unsure of myself and I feel like a very small person. I'm not entirely sure why this is (although I certainly have some ideas). Realistically I know I'm a reasonably intelligent and level-headed person; I have no real reason to lack confidence. But I often do. In fact, sometimes this lack of confidence is so strong that I will deliberately avoid chasing someone I'm interested in (romantically speaking) because I [i]immediately[/i] think "they're too good for me". Of course, that's really kind of silly -- for one thing, I should let them make the choice and for another, I know I'm going to be a much better deal than a lot of people out there, lol. Especially when you consider what some people tolerate in relationships. So, who knows. All I can say is, I [i]totally[/i] identify with people who suffer from very low self-esteem. It's not an easy thing to get over at times.[/color]