James

[QUOTE=Siren] One could say that Alderaan posed just as much of a threat to The Empire as the Death Star did to the Rebellion, and I think the comparison is strengthened when we see that their respective destructions are "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." They also occur at relatively the same point at the beginning points and endpoints of A New Hope. I think, after looking at A New Hope a bit, it's quite clear that Alderaan and the Death Star are counters to each other, and both proving equally detrimental to the opposing side, albeit in slightly different ways. [/QUOTE] [color=#707875]I think you could argue that the two are opposites in one sense; Alderaan is pure, filled with lush forests and a peaceful civilization. It is the opposite to the Death Star in that it poses no threat to anyone; it's a completely peaceful entity. But the Death Star is black, cold, harsh and entirely synthetic. Unlike Alderaan, which just sits there doing no harm, the Death Star actively goes after other planets. It's the hunter, Alderaan is the hunted. That's my opinion, anyway. Again, I don't think that any analysis could suggest that the Empire is "good" or benevolent, at least in the context of the film (and that is, afterall, the topic of discussion). The Alderaan/Death Star comparison only serves to increase the impact of that point.[/color] [quote name='Kane']I agree with James here, even if we were to see Star Wars from The Empire's point of view I highly doubt that our opinions would change, yes it is a film and yes it is set at a slant but not slanted enough to justify The Empire's acts of genocide.[/quote] [color=#707875]I just wanted to point out that of course there is no justification for the Empire's acts of genocide. That's the whole point. That's why they're evil. lol[/color]

[QUOTE=Shinmaru] Right now, no other bit of storyline comes to mind that annoyed me as much as that particular aspect of FFVII's story. I haven't played many RPGs with truly terrible storylines.[/QUOTE] [color=#707875]But that doesn't make the actual story bad. It's a problematic functional issue, I think. The actual story itself was pretty cool (I liked it more than pretty much all of the post-VI Final Fantasy games). For me, two RPGs come to mind. Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X. IX's story started out nice enough, but almost immediately, it became highly predictable. [spoiler]Garland was a silly character, who had no real point. We don't even learn much about him, before he's thrown out of the picture and Kuja is slotted in. Oh, a bad guy behind the bad guy behind the bad guy...wow! How original.[/spoiler] Final Fantasy X also annoyed me. I just had a great deal of trouble getting any enjoyment out of the story. I disliked many of the characters -- and the sub-par acting didn't help matters -- but moreover, the overall story itself was just so...pointless. I can't quite put my finger on it. It seemed like a recycled mess of cliches, which are in and of themselves, highly bland. I think "bland" is really what expresses it for me -- the entire story was bland, as were most of the characters. [spoiler]Tidus and Yuna falling in love annoyed me too. Why is it that the male and female leads must [i]always[/i] fall in love? Even if they are totally different people and [i]especially[/i] if they start out by not really liking each other? It just makes no sense. It's as though there's some law that characters have to fall in love. If anything, I think Rikku and Yuna have better chemistry. Now, if [i]they[/i] had fallen in love, Final Fantasy X would have gained far more legitimacy in my eyes. lol[/spoiler] Ahem...yeah. ^_^;[/color]

[color=#707875]Yeah, you often hear of people saying that we should "go back to the good old days" of the 40s/50s. But really, were they that good? lol. I mean, yeah, we hardly ever heard about rape or teen pregnancy and so on. But that's not because they didn't happen. In fact, that stuff happened in very high numbers -- but it just wasn't spoken about. There's an illusion that this type of thing is happening more these days...but that's totally false. It's just that we [i]hear[/i] more about it these days. And rightfully so; that stuff shouldn't be swept under the carpet. I can only say that I agree with what's been said here. The world is improving all the time. Yes, some times are worse than others, but overall, things are only getting better. It's a natural progression. In regard to the Bush administration warning about terror...what would you have them do? If they provided no warnings, people would say that they're being secretive and not informing the public. But as soon as they actually give warnings, people say that they're trying to scare the public. Unfortunately, they are screwed either way. Most people are going to put their own stupid spin on it.[/color]

[QUOTE=Semjaza Azazel] If it's what he wants to do and it's not outright blinding, I figure that's plenty. If I listened to every little thing people told me to do to my sites, I'd quite honestly hate every single one of them. It's happened before.[/QUOTE] [color=#707875]That's very true. It also depends what kind of site you're making. If you are making a site that is personal, then really, you should do whatever you want. But if you're making something designed to provide a service to people, it's probably a good idea to be more sensitive to general design principles. But having said that, it's very true that you can't please everyone. When OB7 launched, quite a few people said that they outright hated it (though most of those ended up getting used to it, as I figured they would). But some were simply content to rudely say "I hate it and I'm never coming back". So yeah, as you do more and more design on the web, you do come to realize that you can only ever hope to please the majority -- but not everybody. I think my main concern with these sites is just to ensure that visitors can locate things and find their way around. But Sciros's site has definitely satisfied that aspect, I would say.[/color]

[color=#707875]Siren, please don't ignore Moderator requests. Anyway, in regard to the design...I don't mind it. The colours are very Oprah though. But nevertheless, I think the actual design achieves its goal pretty well. I like the fact that the site is using Flash but that it isn't [i]too[/i] Flash-heavy. The only thing I'd suggest is to increase the celpadding a bit. Your text is too close to the edges of the text areas that it sits within. But yeah, it looks like it's coming along quite well.[/color]

[color=#707875]If you want to post your personal photograph, we have provided a space for you within your OtakuBoards Profile (there's a space for both your avatar and your personal photo). This was done as an official alternative to the Your Picture forum. Tony pretty much summed up the reason for its initial deletion, though. If you want to know more about V7 changes, you can visit any recent announcement and scroll back to find the V7 details.[/color]

[quote name='ChapterBlack888']Does it really matter what I post, it's called freedom speech dumbasses![/quote] [color=#707875]It sure does matter what you post. It's not so much the fact that you posted something negative though; it's the fact that you put absolutely no effort into what you typed. Basically you just said "your band sucks why would you listen to it?" That's spam on this site. There's no quality there. If you want to raise the bar and get into an intelligent discussion (as we encourage on OB), then that's fine. But you aren't demonstrating that so far. Calling everyone dumbasses doesn't help your cause either. This latest post just got you a one way ticket to banville.[/color]

[color=#707875]Generally I don't put music on when playing games, but it does largely depend on the game itself. For example, I often have my own music on when I play PC games -- particularly with strategy titles. I used to play C&C Generals quite a lot, with my own music going. The fact that you can turn the in-game music off and have your CD running at the same time works very nicely, especially with headphones. However, with that game...these days I find that I tend to play it with no music whatsoever. It's a little odd; it is probably the only game I play in this way. I think I play it like that because it becomes more like a real battlefield. Everything becomes very clear; you can hear every movement and explosion, you can hear the environmental effects (which are all great in Zero Hour) and you can react to things very quickly. Somehow, it just works. And with headphones, you get the stereo sound going, which works beautifully in that game. In terms of console games, I will occasionally play some games with my own music going -- particularly if I'm playing multiplayer, or if I'm playing a racing game of some kind. Usually I will put music on if the game requires very little thought (ie: something like SSX for PS2). It's the kind of game where I don't have to think at all. Other times, I feel I really need the sound of the game (like in Gran Turismo or Zelda). In those cases the sound isn't just there for aesthetic reasons, but it provides me with a greater sense of bearing and awareness in the game.[/color]

[QUOTE=poo62.2][COLOR=RoyalBlue]unacceptably low in their quality, huh? sorry about that. I shall now try to make my posts have quality and make them more lengthily. i realy want to become an established member of the community.but i probably never will be due to my rubbish name, poo62.2. why on earth did i choose poo62 for myotaku name!!?[/COLOR][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Well, I think the main thing is just to take note of things like spelling, punctuation and things like that. The substance of what you're saying is okay, generally. It just should be made a little neater and clearer to read. I think if you can do that, you'll have absolutely no problem. In regard to your name...well, myself or Charles can always change it. And you can always get a new myOtaku with a new name if that's what you want. So yeah, it's all up to you and how far you want to go, really.[/color]

[quote name='ChapterBlack888']Korn is one of the most horrible bands of all-time.Most of their songs sound almost exactly alike, how can you listen to a band like Korn.[/quote] [color=#707875]I think that's what's called "personal taste". Seriously, if you're [i]only[/i] going to post something like that, then why post at all? At the very least, you could go into more depth about why you don't like Korn and you could open that up for some discussion. Music is a personal taste thing; if you don't like it, you don't like it. But let's at least put some depth and thought into our posts here. [/color]

[color=#707875]I think I can agree with that. ~_^ Besides, I don't view newbies as "annoying spammers" or anything. I view them as a breath of fresh air. Newbies are what makes the place run. Some newbies became Moderators pretty quickly after they registered -- so the whole newbie syndrome thing is pretty silly. It's not about being a newbie, it's about being lazy or not. lol poo62.2...you will be a Member at 50 posts. But your posts are generally treading a line (as with some other recent members here). In other words, they're bordering on being unacceptably low in their quality. So that's something to watch out for, if you have an interest in becoming a more established member of the community. And yes, I still feel like a newbie at times. I can remember being new very well (and we're all new at some point). So the whole newbie versus oldie thing is very silly in my opinion.[/color]

[QUOTE=Serraph-Angel][size=1] Personally, I dont think its ridiculous at all. It has the same outcomes as cigarettes and drugs, especially if your driving under the influence of drugs. But smoking and getting in a car crash have the same possible outcomes. Just think about it. If you get in a car srash, at my age at least (15-16), your parents will be pissed and ground you and make you pay off the damage, or possible death. If you smoke at my age, and you get caught, parents ground you and make you stay in the house and do stuff around the house all day or possible death. So its really not ridiculous in my views.[/size][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]It's 100% ridiculous. The person who created this thread said that we see someone drowning in a lake with their friend standing by. Then we see someone who has wrecked their bike and is lying in the middle of the road, with their friend standing by. Now, if I'm driving a car and a truck hits me, you could say that it has the same eventual outcome as too much smoking (ie: death). But can you draw a proper analogy between the two? No. Why? Because smoking is a choice. Nobody is taking the cigarette and forcing the smoker to inhale. A car accident, or falling into a lake is completely different. In both of those cases, we can presume that the individual didn't [i]deliberately[/i] wreck their bike or jump into a lake and drown themselves. So there is a clear qualitative difference between the two. They aren't comparable; particularly in the way that the ad is portraying them. Secondly, based on what I've seen here, the ad is putting the focus on the smoker's friend; would [i]you[/i] help your friend if they were dying? That's the message. There are two problems with this message. One is what I've mentioned already -- the failed attempt to draw a comparison between an accident and a deliberate act. So, the focus is not being put on the smoker. It's being put on the people surrounding the smoker. If a member of my family somkes, it is [i]not[/i] my responsibility to stop them. Yes, I can help them if they ask and yes, I can encourage them to seek assistance. But stopping someone from smoking isn't the same as pulling someone out of a lake. There are clear differences. As I said above, a smoker has to seek help. A smoker is an addict. And a smoker has made a choice to smoke. Only the smoker is able to get themselves out of that situation. By all means, if they ask for help, they can get it from those around them -- obviously in that situation you'd be neglectful not to help. But nevertheless, the comparisons that are being drawn by the ad are totally pointless.[/color]

[quote name='DetectiveMikeRS']Smoking is a choice. Drowing in a lake is not, that makes this analogy, very pointless. If someone wants to smoke they do that because they enjoy it. South Park tought a good lesson on this topic, I just feel that if you smoke, its' your choice, and a commercial isn't going to change that, since most people tune out of them anyways.[/quote] [color=#707875]I agree. Drawing a comparison between someone smoking and being hit by a car is pretty ridiculous. If that's all the commercial is doing (and I haven't seen it, I've only read the initial post in this thread), then such analogies don't even work to begin with. So in that context it seems like a total waste of money. In addition, it seems like they're pulling a guilt trip on those around the smokers, rather than the smokers themselves. That strategy is completely backward. lol If you know anything about smoking (and other addictions, like gambling or alcohol), you also know that no amount of pressure from your friends is going to make you stop. It'll only serve to annoy you. lol A smoker has to be convinced to stop and they have to have the willpower to do it themselves. So, both the analogy [i]and[/i] the core message are pretty pointless, I'd say. [/color]

[color=#707875]Ah...yeah, I guess that's reasonable enough. I can already identify several substantive problems with this whole debate, lol. But the main reason I'm restricting other participants is because we've had countless debates on this subject before. Most people aren't experts on the matter, so the whole point of debating it in the first place kind of becomes questionable. Having said that, I'm allowing Sciros and Drix to debate as long as it remains civil. And as long as it's a "private debate", so to speak. I'd really like to see people making attempts to create new and interesting threads in this forum. It'd be a nice change. (So, to more directly answer your question, your post is fine, but let's not have any further posts from non-participants).[/color]

[color=#707875]Yeah, I'll just jump in to reiterate what you said; it's a Sciros/Drix discussion. We've had two-person RPGs, so I don't mind a two-person discussion. That will also ensure that the thread doesn't get closed.[/color]

[color=#707875]Well, here are my attempts. These photos are from my new site (so the raw version is very sharp and many times larger). The banner looks very simple, but I actually had to composite several photographs together to make it look right. But it came out relatively well I think. [/color] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20805&stc=1[/img] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20806&stc=1[/img]

[color=#707875]Please check the sticky thread in this forum (and the site rules), to ensure that you understand how to post in this forum. You must [b]first[/b] do a search for the topic you're interested in talking about. If that topic exists, you may post in it. If it doesn't, you may create a new thread. Please also watch your post quality; it's very, very poor. (Click the following link to visit the Advent Children thread. Many of your questions may be answered here: [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=31540[/url]).[/color]

[color=#707875]Guys, please take a look at our rules page. Introduction threads are not allowed here (you can introduce yourselves within the contents of your posts). Also, I strongly urge all three of you to consider improving your post quality. High post quality is an absolute must here at OB.[/color]

[color=#707875]You're right, Alex...but remember that we [i]are[/i] talking about a film. We're talking about a very specific kind of cinematic technique and story. The Rebellion [i]are[/i] good and the Empire [i]is[/i] evil, even based on more objective standards. I mean, all you have to do is look at the internal structure of the Empire (and the way that Darth Vader treats his underlings), as compared to how the Rebellion operates. So yeah. My only argument is that the movie very deliberately sets up who is good and evil. Therefore, on that basis, I don't buy any of the arguments that try to suggest that the Empire is actually [i]good[/i]. Again, maybe if Star Wars were real, that point would be up for debate. In regard to Final Fantasy VII...to some degree I think you're right. But also, saying that Avalanche are "just a bunch of anarchists" dramatically simplifies what they're all about. As we go through the story, we discover the way in which Shinra is not only destroying the planet, but also destroying their very lives; just look at the Mayor of Midgar, who is essentially just a Shinra puppet. And the way that security in Midgar is so tightly controlled, in an effort to keep a grip on things. I think that when Cloud first enters Avalanche, he doesn't care about their plight at all; he's just a mercenary for hire. But he soon discovers that these people have real and legitimate concerns about their future. And those concerns are fundamentally what drives them to do what they do. In the same way, you could say that the Rebellion is "just a bunch of anarchists". But their motivation and reasoning is something that can't be ignored.[/color]

[color=#707875]I have a feeling that an RPG like this could end up being really crazy (and I mean that in a good way). My personal view is that it'd need [i]some[/i] structure. Even something very basic to guide it along, while still letting the players fill in the blanks themselves. The interesting thing about it is that you could really do anything you want. You could have a sudden alien invasion, or you could have an underwater adventure, or you could create something else that is totally bizarre. Or, alternatively, you could just try to write something realistic that is full of drama and comedy. It's up to you. But yeah, I do feel that some structure is needed, no matter which direction you go with this. In general though, I think it's an interesting idea; it's worth playing around with a bit more.[/color]

[color=#707875]There's a massive problem with what you just described, Alex. And I think it's why people are tending to over-analyze the whole "good/bad" aspect of this franchise. You've just finished pointing out the numerous points of similarity between the Nazis and the Empire. But to then suggest that the Old Republic is more like the Empire simply because of the Jedis' secretive behavior...that just doesn't work. lol I mean, sure, you've found something that is similar between the two. One thing. But it should be obvious to anyone that the Empire/Nazi comparison is far more sound (and deliberate). In my view, the problem with the "what's good and bad" debate is twofold. One, it ignores George Lucas' own intention. He obviously intended for the Empire to represent evil and for the Rebellion to represent good. How do we know that? Apart from the sheer obviousness present in the characters' dialogue, we also know because of the filming techniques used throughout the film. At nearly every second, the movie clearly portrays the Empire as evil and the Rebellion as good. For argument's sake, you could say that if Star Wars were real, this line would be significantly blurred (if you were living in the Empire you might view the Rebels as terrorists, but if you were a Rebel you might view the Empire as an oppressive regime that needs to be removed). But Star Wars isn't real. It's a story. And fundamentally, it's a "good versus evil" story. That is the dynamic that underlies the entire franchise. And it's the very intentional dynamic that George Lucas has set up. So, while I think it's reasonable to make these comments about Star Wars if it were real...it's entirely different to suggest that these lines are so blurred in the films, when they really aren't. The films go to great lengths to underline who is good and who is bad (with some twists, where we think someone is good and then find out that they're bad). It reminds me of Kill Bill. You and I were discussing the good/bad aspect of it, and how The Bride isn't really "good" -- she is, afterall, a murderer. But that misses the point completely. It's a story. Both in terms of premise and as a matter of filming technique, the audience is clearly put on her side. We follow her story and we are guided to a point where we sympathize with her and where we want her to succeed. The entire movie revolves around the idea that The Bride has a justification for what she's doing. I think this is something to think about. Film maker's intent is really important -- particularly when you're actually talking about what film techniques are used and the messages they convey. If Star Wars were sending an ambiguous message regarding "good and bad", the film wouldn't use so many unambiguous visual and aural techniques.[/color]

[color=#707875]Video game testing can be a really intense job. Intense, in the sense that you have a lot of work to do and the actual job isn't very fun. Of course, that also depends on which company you apply to. But generally speaking, game testers have a pretty frustrating job; going through things very slowly and carefully, taking note of any bugs. Playing through an entire game for hours and hours (even if it's a great game) can be incredibly frustrating, both because it's an unfinished game and because you can't just sit back and enjoy the experience; you actually have to continually monitor what you're doing. I remember, when I did work experience a few years ago, they were testing an unfinished N64 game. At the time, only one guy was testing it -- but he'd been playing for 13 hours straight. He had a deadline to reach, which put even more pressure on him. In addition, he was playing the Japanese version (and obviously he couldn't speak Japanese). So that was a further issue. But having said that, it's a good way to get your foot in the door (that is, if you aren't a programmer or an artist). Otherwise, programming and art design are the two major areas to pursue in the industry, I'd say.[/color]

Boo was sitting on a small wooden chair by the fireplace, holding a warm cup of tea between his two triangular arms (he preferred to call them "wings", though). Sitting across from him was a similar (yet totally non-ghostly) creature. Whilst Boo was white and semi-transparent, the other creature was bright pink and completely spherical. However, the two shared one common trait; triangular arms. "[color=teal]So[/color]," said Boo as he sipped his tea, "[color=teal]do you ever find that people tease you about your arm--wings?[/color]" Kirby opened his mouth to take a sip of tea, but the cup disappeared inside his mouth. "[color=teal]Kirby! Are you okay?![/color]" cried Boo, as his eyes widened. But just as he said this, Kirby hiccupped and the top of his head promptly turned into what looked like the rim of a teacup. "[color=deeppink]Ahem, I'm quite alright...sorry about that, ol' fellow. Sometimes I have this problem when I try to eat or drink[/color]," said Kirby, blushing. Boo nodded. Although he had never swallowed something, only to find it assimilate into his own body, he'd still had problems of his own. Now that he had retired from the video game business, he hoped that these problems wouldn't prevent him from getting another job. "[color=deeppink]Anyway[/color]," continued Kirby, after retrieving his third cup of tea for the morning, "[color=deeppink]I can't say that I've ever experienced wing-related prejudice. The truth is, my biggest obstacle has always been my skin colour. Do you know how many people mistake me for a girl? It's so embarassing! And it makes finding dates [i]very[/i] difficult.[/color]" Kirby sipped quietly. Boo smiled. "[color=teal]Oh yeah, my colour has never been a problem, but whenever a girl looks at me, I can't help covering my eyes. I get so embarassed. You can imagine how many dates that's killed for me. There was one time where I was lucky enough to go on a date with Wendy Koopa. She's a nice girl, though a bit too wild for my tastes. But anyway...we went on a date and I invited her back to my place. All was going well. She was sitting in the den and I was making coffee in the kitchen. As I turned around to take the coffee to her, I found her standing right in front of me; she'd crept into the kitchen for a bit of a slap and tickle.[/color]" Kirby blinked. "[color=deeppink]Oh my...what happened?[/color]" "[color=teal]Well[/color]," said Boo, "[color=teal]of course, I immediately blushed and covered my eyes. And I spilled the hot coffee all over her pretty new dress![/color]" Kirby grimaced. "[color=deeppink]Ouch![/color]" "[color=teal]Yeah[/color]," Boo nodded slowly, "[color=teal]it's always been an issue. But I guess we've always risen above it.[/color]" Boo took another sip of tea and heard a voice calling for him from the nearby hallway. It was Jack. And apparently it was now Boo's turn to go in front of the 'stache. Boo sat the tea down on a nearby table and floated toward the corridor. But he didn't see what he'd expected, instead, he saw Mario standing in the corridor, flailing his arms rapidly. Standing across from him (and receiving the brunt of his excited tone) was a small Goomba, who was wearing a bright blue cap. "[color=red]How did this happen?![/color]" cried Mario, pointing down the hallway toward an old wooden door at the end, which had a star carved into the handle. "[color=red]Today's interview day! What if it scares away potential employees?[/color]" "[color=brown]Erm, sorry boss...[/color]" said the Goomba quietly. "[color=brown]We've tried poking it, throwing things at it and even coaxing it out with food, but it won't budge![/color]" Boo floated toward Mario and the Goomba. "[color=teal]Excuse me...I couldn't help overhearing your discussion. What seems to be the problem?[/color]" Mario beamed and stroked his moustache nervously. "[color=red]Oh, hello! Ahh...we're-a having a bit of a problem with a stray Pirahna plant...it seems to have lodged itself into the chimney in the sitting room and we can't move it, no matter what we do.[/color]" The Goomba nodded in agreement. "[color=teal]Hm, I see,[/color]" said Boo thoughtfully, "[color=teal]I'll tell you what. If I can move that plant, will you give me a job?[/color]" Mario and the Goomba looked at each other momentarily. But Mario didn't need to think. "[color=red]Of course! If you can-a get that plant out of here, your job is guaranteed![/color]" Boo smiled. "[color=teal]Okay, take me to it.[/color]" The sitting room was a small and quiet place, located at the rear of Mario's house. Inside, it contained several cosy-looking chairs and row upon row of books lining the walls. In one corner, Boo could see a little globe of the Earth, with the Mushroom Kingdom sitting prominently in the center. By the window, he saw an old desk, which was littered with pens and papers of various kinds. But the silence was broken by the clank of ladders and the splash of hoses. As Boo looked out the window, he could see a group of Goombas (all wearing bright blue caps). Two of them were holding a ladder up, as a third climbed up with a hose wrapped around his waist (Goombas don't have arms/hands, Boo remembered). But the ladder wasn't propped against the house. Instead, the two Goombas at the bottom were attempting to balance it on their head. A third Goomba was sitting by the tap, turning it on and off with his foot. Each time the water spurted from the nozzle, the two ladder-weilding Goombas has to try and avoid collapsing. The Goomba at the top of the ladder squealed to himself as he held out one foot, in an attempt to keep himself balanced. Unfortunately, they were getting closer and closer to Mario's in-ground pool, which was situated just behind them. "[color=brown]If we don't do something, the plant will [b]glomp[/b] all of them at once![/color]" cried the Goomba, who had his little face pressed up against the glass. "[color=red]Can you do something?[/color]" asked Mario, turning to Boo. Boo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "[color=teal]Has anyone tried to climb up the chimney and push the plant out that way?[/color]" Mario shook his head. "[color=red]We're all-a much too large for that![/color]" "[color=teal]No you're not[/color]," said Boo, pointing at the Goomba, who was still stuck to the window. "[color=teal]He can do it.[/color]" With a loud [i]slurp[/i], the Goomba peeled himself from the window and stared at Boo with wide, terrified eyes. "[color=brown]There's no way you're getting me in there! I might be small, but I can't possibly climb up to the plant from here![/color]" Boo held up a wing at Goomba. "[color=teal]I know how to solve this problem[/color]," he said. "[color=teal]Mario, do you keep any of your old 80's stuff around here?[/color]" Mario nodded vigorously. "[color=red]Yes, I do. In the basement.[/color]" Boo floated out of the room (and right through the door). After several moments, the door creaked open and Boo returned, carrying a curious-looking item under one wing: [center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20793&stc=1[/img][/center] Mario and the Goomba both looked puzzled. "[color=brown]What are you going to do with [i]that[/i][/color]?" asked the Goomba, in a slightly nervous tone. Boo floated over to the fireplace and set the object down inside it. "[color=teal]I want you to jump on that board[/color]," he said, pointing a wing at the fireplace. "[color=brown]You've [i]got[/i] to be joking me[/color]," said the Goomba, "[color=brown]there's no way I'm getting my 8-bit butt in that fireplace![/color]" Mario stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the Goomba. "[color=brown]Now, Mario, you listen here--[/color]", but before the Goomba could say another word, he paused. He could feel something cold behind him and he suddenly noticed that Boo had apparently disappeared. The Goomba turned around slowly... ...all he could see as a large grin and sharp teeth... "[color=teal][b]BOO![/b][/color]" "[color=brown][i]Waahh!![/i][/color]" cried the Goomba, as he immediately bolted in the opposite direction, as fast as his little stumpy feet could carry him. As he ran, little sweatdrops bounced off his forehead. He was so flustered and frightened, that he didn't realize what was in front of him; the fireplace. But it was too late. [size=4][i][b]*BOING!*[/size][/i][/b] Mario and Boo both heard the loud echo, as the Goomba was thrown up into the fireplace. Sure enough (and with a loud "pop!"), both Goomba [i]and[/i] Pirahna plant were thrown from the chimney, across the yard and into Mario's pool. The whole ordeal ended with a thunderous splash (which was enough to send the ladder-mounted Goomba tumbling down toward the ground). Mario approached the window and peered outside. Several Goombas had fallen into the pool along with the Pirahna plant and were now trying to scramble back to dry land, as the plant thrashed about in the water. "[color=red]Phew[/color]," said Mario, wiping his brow with a handkerchief, "[color=red]looks like you got-a the job. Congratulations![/color]"

[color=#707875]I agree in the sense that we do see a lot of hastily-thrown together anime-based RPGs. But...I think it makes sense, if you remember that many of those creators are younger and many of them are here as a result of their interest in anime. So it goes with the territory. I am actually surprised that we don't have more anime-based RPGs, given that we're an anime-based message board (although these days I think OB has kind of become a mix of many things). In regard to that, it just comes down to personal taste. Just wait 'till you see the Pokemon RPG that Shy and I want to produce (it's a very different and bizarre spin on that franchise, let me tell you ~_^). Regarding your earlier edit...I can only tell you that we do have a system in place to deal with RPGs. That's why you see some being closed and some that require editing. As I mentioned earlier, I don't want to impose totally abtirary restrictions on people -- instead, I want to simply require that people fulfill some basic requirements (like readability and adequate coverage). And those two things are already enshrined in both the site rules and the sticky threads within the area. So on that basis, Moderators have the power to act if they feel that RPGs are violating any of those areas.[/color]

[color=#707875]I can say -- without any hesitation -- that the last six months of Adventure Square have been better than the last few years of the forum. Better, in the sense that we've seen more variety, imagination and writing skill. It has to be understood that you can't just take a selection of current RPGs and say "this is representative of Adventure Square". RPGs start and finish all the time. I would suggest that you look at the area on a longer timespan; sometimes we'll have an influx of brilliant RPGs in one week, and then sometimes we'll have a group of highly-rushed RPGs. What matters isn't what you find on any given day. Instead, what matters is the overall trend; are RPGs improving generally and are we seeing a higher standard being reached across the board? As someone who has actually been running OtakuBoards for years now -- and who has been visiting that forum for the same amount of time -- my answer would definitely be yes. It wasn't long ago that I was listing new, high-quality RPGs on myOtaku, as examples of how this part of OB has dramatically improved. There were so many, over about a month, that I simply couldn't list them all. That fact alone signifies the change, when in the past, I could probably list all of the stellar RPGs on one hand. There are two other points I'd make here. One, in terms of standards...it would be ridiculous to set some kind of "imagination" standard. That's no way to run a site. You can't create totally arbitrary limits for people; some people's idea of a cool RPG concept is very different from what others may think. People have different tastes and different writing styles, too. The standards that we use are not based on the imagination of the member, but on the effort they include when writing the thread. In other words, we look at things like clarity and appropriate coverage (appropriate coverage meaning that you provide at least a minimum set of details for potential RPers to work with). Those things are purely functional and not based on the imagination of the creator. In terms of clarity, we only ask that posts be [i]in English[/i] and reasonably coherent. If someone spells things incorrectly here and there, or if they're a bit too young to have a perfect grasp of English, that's totally fine. Nobody's expecting a 15 year old to compete with a 20 year old. But we [i]do[/i] expect that the writing will be readable. Secondly, there's only one way to improve the overall quality of a forum like Adventure Square (and the rest of The Arena): leading by example. Part of the reason that I made the two Kill Adam RPGs was to show people what they can do -- in the past, nobody ever used HTML, for example, even though it was allowed in these forums for a long time. Oftentimes, it's no good to simply say "your quality is too bad". Of course, you have to pull people up when they're simply not putting in any effort. But on the reverse side of that, the most positive way to increase quality is to lead by example; to show people what [i]can[/i] be done, when effort and creativity are present. And on that basis, I can definitely say that leading by example has worked. Every new RPG that demonstrates interesting new ideas and new levels of quality is going to help spawn dozens of other RPGs that try to reach that new level.[/color]