James

[color=#707875]Cool stuff. This pretty much seems to be similar to what many were expecting, in the sense that they were going to edit minor things and make the overall system more visually appealing, while still keeping the fundamentals intact. I particularly like the way the screens themselves look. They don't look like Game Boy screens bolted on, with those thick black borders. They look a lot more sleek now. Very nice. [/color]

[color=#707875]Making an RPG last is one of the most difficult things you can do. If you look at the Kill Adam site that Alan developed for me, you can read my thoughts on the chapter system, which is a system designed to make RPGs last longer. Basically, there are a few reasons why RPG die early, in my opinion. One, they get too confusing -- people just don't know what's going on. Two, people don't know what to post...they get writer's block and they just can't push the story forward. And three, the RPG gets dull and boring...and people get tired of it being in the same place. I really feel that chapters eliminate most of this stuff. For one thing, chapters mean that the story is always given a direction and guidelines, by the creator. So even if you are having total writer's block, you have at least a general idea of what you can write about. Also, if every character isn't involved in every chapter/scene (the same with a novel or movie), it gives people the opportunity to have a break between posts and to collect their thoughts. There is nothing worse than posting ten times quickly and then dumping it because you're too tired to post more. And chapters ensure that things not only move ahead, but that situations change. Settings change, circumstances change, but everything is within the same overall story (or story arc). I really believe that this helps to eliminate boredom and annoyance in most cases. So, this system is relatively young. Only a few RPGs are using it (my Kill Adam ones and Shy's hero RPG). But I sincerely hope that more of you try it out. It definitely helps things. But in terms of the other stuff...there are so many elements there. An exciting concept always helps. Just look at Sage's Final Fantastic Survivor RPGs -- cool concept there. A unique spin on something that is already established. There are definitely plenty of RPG innovators here at OtakuBoards, which is great to see. So I think concept is the main thing. It has to be attractive to people. No matter how high the production values are, people may not like the concept. Or the RPG may include ideas that people just can't get excited about. Sometimes even the most well-written and produced RPGs fail to really hit the mark, because they don't feature concepts that people are interested in at the time.[/color]

[color=#707875]That is...truly scary in some ways. But as I told you, I love the "meh!" Very funny. XD Anyway, I vote for a new season. We get enough classic stuff recycled...new stuff is always cool. (And yes, the Flash works exceedingly well).[/color]

[center]Chapter 15: Osaka Invasion[/center] Summary: This chapter reveals Adam's triumphant entry into the Osaka underworld. In one single night -- or so the legend goes -- Adam and his posse conquered Osaka's dark underbelly, by removing much of the competition. Characters: Desert Taipan, Cowboy, Erotica, Switch, Santo Muerte, Death Adder. Setting: Osaka, Japan. Notes: Hm...well, this is going to be a unique chapter for a couple of reasons. Primarily, it's going to include a lot of people, as you can see. So, I figured that this could be a problem for one main reason; people contradicting each other. I mean, say I'm writing a post...and I intend to post first. And then someone else jumps in with something else. That may make my post completely redundant. So what I'd like to do, is write down a list of who posts in what order. That way you know when it's your turn, so to speak. Also...I don't want this chapter to drag on and on. Let's try to keep the posts at a reasonable size -- not too short, mind you, but not enormously long. The longer posts are cool when you're talking about a one-post-chapter, but here, we're talking about something else. Before I write down the order, I want to say that this chapter basically involves Adam ordering his entire group (the Angels and Jamie/Joshua) to go out there as a team and take down the underground leaders of Osaka. This is partly why Adam is so feared -- he managed to achieve this so quickly and with such ferocity and precision, because of his highly trained partners. Shinmaru will not be involved in this chapter, because this takes place before Shinmaru enters the picture; he entered to assist Jamie/Joshua with fighting Adam, but he wasn't involved with Adam at this stage. Prior to this chapter, Adam had only been involved in the American underworld...rather than in Japan. So he wants to make his first entrance a good one. ~_^ Anyway, here is the order: 1) Shy 2) Heaven's Cloud 3) Queen Asuka 4) James 5) Sweetreyes 6) Semjaza Azazel Okay, so, let's do this. ~_^

[color=#707875]Welcome, goggleman00. Please be aware that we have a rules page that we require all members to read, before posting (you can find it on the left navigation menu). Basically, we encourage people to introduce themselves within their posts as they enter discussions throughout the boards. We'd rather that, than having a ton of intro threads and stuff. We feel that your posts on topics are the best way to represent yourself here. Also, we have pretty high standards when it comes to the quality of posts (ie: making them thoughtful and reasonably well-written). So all of that stuff will probably become clearer when you check out the rules page anyway. It's also worth mentioning that we have numerous sticky threads in various forums, which should always be a first port of call, because they often contain very useful information about that particular forum. So, again, welcome to the boards. I hope you have fun here.[/color]

[color=#707875]Here you go, Vash-San. I hope it's what you wanted.[/color] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20362&stc=1[/img] [color=#707875]Edit: Oops, sorry about that...I thought you said "could you put my name on it". For some reason I didn't even notice the "not". o_O Yeah, er...I don't have the layered file, so I guess this one's going in the trash. Hehe[/color]

[color=#707875]Please read the How to Post in Play It thread at the top of this page. It explains that you should perform an in-forum search for the game you want to talk about, [i]before [/i]posting a thread. Not to mention the fact that there is already a Tales of Symphonia thread on the first page of this forum. Please take notice of sticky threads and the site's rules next time. [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=40751"]Click here[/url] if you want to visit the other thread.[/color]

[color=black]No worries, you don't have to apologize; you didn't know. But yeah, for the record, it's better to have myself or Charles change your name, rather than creating a new account ('cause then we just have accounts sitting there doing nothing). [/color] [color=black]Anyway, I'll close this, now that it's all been sorted out.[/color]

[color=#707875]Keiji, please do not double post. It's against the rules here at OB. If you need to add something to a previous post, you may edit that post.[/color]

[quote name='Petie][font=Verdana][color=blue]I don't really know how much different they can make it. The design they had as the prototype seemed to be the best way to incorporate two screens. They might just change the look of it a little or maybe the placement of certain things.[/color'][/font][/quote] [color=#707875]Well, realistically, they won't change anything fundamental. But I think they may play around with the aesthetics a bit (edits to colours and maybe some slight changes in exterior shape). But probably nothing too radical. I somewhat agree about the analog stick, but remember that the stylus kind of replaces the use of the stick in many cases (ie: aiming and shooting in Metroid). So if games aren't designed with the stick in mind, it shouldn't matter much.[/color]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade]Well, the thing is, when Nintendo releases a game that at once provides the innovative gameplay that they push so hard and can match FF for FMVs or Ninja Gaiden for in-game graphics, then they'll have done what I personally want of them. The thing is, Nintendo IS turning it into a compromise at this point. Just look at the DS. You want innovation, get DS. You want firepower, get PSP. In other words, while the DS might have the coolest-designed Zelda game ever (yeah, right), it won't look as good as games on a system [i]of the same generation[/i']. So even if making a compromise in this sense is not Nintendo's intent, it's really difficult to convince people otherwise. Does that make sense? [/quote] [color=#707875]I understand what you're saying, but I don't think that your opinion reflects the majority of the market. All you have to do is look at the Pokemon franchise. Here you have a series of games that has outsold many of the more "mature" and visually beautiful games out there. Why? Certainly not because it looks amazing. It sells because it's [i]fun[/i]. I can tell you right now, without a single reservation (and particularly in today's industry), that advanced graphics don't sell consoles or software. They just don't. If that were true, then you'd have Xbox as the highest selling console, with GameCube in second and PS2 in third. But as you can see by the actual sales numbers, the situation is very different. By the same token, GBA and GBA SP have outperformed the rest of the market, despite being "less graphically advanced". This is also true with Nokia's N-Gage, but in the reverse -- you have a system with supposedly-superior graphics to GBA, but which hasn't sold very well at all. So, I think that's the underlying point. Nintendo doesn't need to convince gamers that DS has better graphics than PSP or any other system. They simply have to convince gamers that DS offers something truly new and unique, which they [i]can't get anywhere else [/i]-- that being the key phrase.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] But it's the game that garners the company and industry respect. Not the console. Whether Nintendo's next console uses 30 stacked microprocessors or just some 2 GHz derivative of the G5, all that matters is how awesome the next Smash Bros. title is going to be.[/quote] [color=#707875]Yeah...but I think you're missing the point here. We are starting to go around in circles. As I just explained to you, it's [i]not [/i]about the console. I already said that. lol I explained that the console is a delivery device for the game. If the console itself is more flexible (ie: it offers two screens, or gryroscopic features), this provides a bigger table for developers to put pieces on. Bear in mind that I'm not talking about hardware specs or processor performance in the traditional sense. I'm talking about how you can design new types of games, by creating hardware that facilitates those very games. So, no, it's not about the hardware. It is about the games -- the games are what sell the hardware. However, you are going to need to engineer new types of hardware to deliver fundamentally new types of games. So in that sense the two are intrinsically linked.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] So is lack of variety the issue? Are players bored of what's out there? I don't think that's what it is. When people went crazy over a grown-up Link at Nintendo's press conference, it had nothing to do with innovation and everything to do with anticipation of, simply, an outstanding game. Halo 2 won't sell because it provides some fresh new way of gaming.[/quote] [color=#707875]Again, you've kinda missed my point here. First and foremost, I'm talking about the [b]Japanese[/b] game market. I mentioned that several times in my previous post. In the Japanese market, even the bigger franchises (the ones that traditionally do very well) are having trouble in the market. The market has become almost completely flat. So, when even the most successful franchises in the industry are having difficulty selling, what do you do as a game company? Rather than deliver the same core gameplay with a shiny new package, you try to create [i]new [/i]core gameplay. That's what Nintendo is doing. Your comments about Zelda and Halo are kind of erroneous for two reasons; firstly, you're talking about the reaction to Zelda at E3. You may not be aware of this, but the media at E3 [i]always [/i]cheer like crazy when [i]anything [/i]is unveiled. These people would attend the opening of an envelope, if it included Nintendo's logo on it. Secondly, the Halo reference is kind of moot, because I was talking about the Japanese market, not the American market. [/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] In any case, saying that the Gamecube/Xbox/PS2 are too restrictive for a new generation of quality games in terms of fundamental design is nothing more than a cop-out. [/quote] [color=#707875]I never said that, nor did I imply it...so I don't know where you got that from.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] Quality games are made by quality developers, period. Lack of quality games (or "blockbuster" games) means lack of good developers and/or marketing ability. It's not that the Gamecube is not wacky enough or something. I can see Nintendo trying this "different gaming experience" gimmick for marketing, but it says next to nothing about how enjoyable these "new" experiences are going to be. [/quote] [color=#707875]But what's your point? You're going way off track here. Firstly, I never talked about a lack of quality games. I just finished telling you that even the big, quality, blockbuster games aren't selling as well as they usually do in Japan. So, even the "good" games aren't having the same impact. Why? Because, as Nintendo suggests, people are no longer as fascinated with gorgeous graphics as they once were. Does this mean that people don't like nice graphics? No. Nintendo is not saying that, nor am I. Secondly, I never mentioned anything about the GameCube "not being wacky enough". I can't tell you how much you're misinterpreting my comments here. lol And thirdly...I have two responses. One, the "new experiences thing" is most definitely not a gimmick. Nintendo is hedging its entire future on its ability to create entirely new types of games -- as opposed to rehashing existing gameplay concepts. If you look at DS itself, for example, I think it would be difficult to call the DS a "gimmick". It'd be difficult because if you did that, you'd essentially be going against [i]everyone [/i]who tested the unit out at E3 (even the somewhat anti-Nintendo media) and you'd also be going against the tide of quality developers who have an interest in developing games for the platform. Nintendo aren't just testing out this approach because they can't make quality games or something -- I don't know where or how you managed to take any of that from any of my comments. lol Nintendo is taking the approach because they want to reinvigorate a flat Japanese market, and because they want to expand the market itself (and their market share), by introducing new elements to gaming that haven't previously existed.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] Heh. Do you know what would sell really really well? Like, really friggin well? A graphically overhauled Starcraft. Just have Team Ninja or some other developer good at pushing a console to its limits make the game look sweet as hell. Change NOTHING. Heck, they can take out the single-player campaign for all I care. Just have the game online-enabled and come out for PC/Xbox. As long as it's marketed by something other than a grizzly bear, it'll sell like crazy.[/quote] [color=#707875]If the game is truly fun to play and if it's marketed well, it will have a better chance of selling well. Whether or not it "looks sweet as hell" makes very little difference in the Japanese market -- and not much more in the US market. All you have to do is look at software sales data, really.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] Eh, that's barely the point. But I think that it's not that the market's run out of fresh ideas. I think it's run out of good games as of late. Wind Waker and Ninja Gaiden were the last games I truly enjoyed (besides some PC games). And now I'm just twiddling my thumbs waiting for Halo 2, a game that has about as much innovation as Zelda has online capability.[/quote] [color=#707875]I think the main point here, is that when I talk about "innovation", I'm not talking about innovation for innovation's sake. I mean, I'm not saying that if you attach a plastic hand to the top of the GameCube, you'll sell more units. I'm talking about [i]true [/i]innovation, as it relates to the product quality. The word "innvation" means that you're introducing something totally new; you're setting a precedent. That's what Nintendo wants to do with DS and its next generation console (and even with games like Donkey Kong's Jungle Beat, which was insanely well received at E3 this year).[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] In the end, I think it comes down to making and marketing quality titles. Which don't need to be innovative.[/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Nobody is saying that these games "need" to be innovative. But at the same time, "making and marketing quality titles" is too simplistic a statement, if you want to get serious about it. As I have mentioned numerous times, the "making and marketing" of quality titles in Japan has still failed to move the market. What do you do when the market is not very responsive, even to [i]truly high quality [/i]games? You have to find another way. Clearly, the United States is a different market. In America, innovation is less important, because many gamers are happy to buy pretty games that are still awful (just look at Enter the Matrix as an example). However, this does not mean that Nintendo should be criticized for trying to innovate and push things forward. Without that said innovation, many of today's standards would not have been established (everything from the D-Pad to dozens of other items). If we simply sit there and say "I'm happy with the status-quo, by all means, don't innovate...I don't need it", then nothing will ever happen. Without innovation you won't have new types of games, you won't have new concepts in games and you won't have anything that feels fresh. Everything will feel the same, but it might look a little prettier year on year. And basically, that strategy isn't something that can or will sustain the industry in the longterm. Innovation is critical, now more than ever. Whether or not DS is going to be a success is a different question. And whether or not Nintendo's broader approach will be a success is also another question. But that's not what I'm trying to answer. I'm simply explaining Nintendo's position as it stands currently. And as I've said, this discussion is a really significant example of how their position is misunderstood in a larger sense.[/color]

[color=#707875]Oh yeah, this reminds me of the Metroid Prime TV ad that was done at Fox Studios in Sydney. It was a live action ad, which spliced the live action and the in-game stuff. You guys got that one in America, didn't you?[/color]

[color=#707875]Oh, they are going to be changing the design to some degree at least. Nintendo mentioned that the DS shown at E3 was a "prototype". So it's not a completely finalized piece of hardware in that sense (although the internal specs are final). So we'll definitely see a new name for it, as well as a new skin/shell design. The big question is how different the final product will be, though.[/color]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Well duh, I don't know why you think I thought the piece was meant for anything other than fun speculation. It couldn't have been anything else. But to me, there was no point to the article other than the actual facts you provided (what Nintendo's investing in in terms of R&D), that's all. I don't care for speculation myself.[/quote] [color=#707875]Because you were saying that it was a "bunch of BS", which it isn't. It's a speculative piece, based on research and investigation. But you don't like speculative articles, which you could have just said at the beginning. lol So yeah, that's sorted.[/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] That's a different marketing approach, but I'm not sure it's any more sound (at least the way you put it). Good technical aspects and innovative gameplay don't have to be mutually exclusive. What will sell is something about which you can say "buy this because you've never played something like this before AND it's pretty." Nintendo has to make it clear that [i]that[/i] is what their approach is. Because Animal Crossing didn't sell THAT well, either.[/quote] [color=#707875]This is [i]exactly[/i] what I'm talking about when I say that people misunderstand Nintendo's strategy. Nintendo is not saying that they are going to ignore beautiful graphics. Instead, they are saying that they won't focus [i]entirely [/i]on beautiful graphics. There is a key distinction there, between the two sides. [/color] [quote=ScirosDarkBlade] I don't think it's really a console that would do that. I think it's a game. And I'm gonna keep believing that until it turns out that the next Zelda is in fact not as good as Ocarina and I'll have nothing to make my point with at all.[/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Yes, exactly. And that's the whole point. It's the [i]game [/i]that will help to turn around the industry. But how do you deliver games? Via a console. If you can create a console that provides a framework within which you can provide new styles of game interaction, or new types of gameplay...then you are free to create a broader variety of game software. So, the point is that right now, even the "big name" titles aren't selling very well in Japan. The games alone -- at least at this point -- aren't creating much of a response from the market. Sony hopes that the excitement of a console launch will help to shift things along (via PS3). Nintendo believes that companies cannot rely entirely on the excitement of new product launches -- they need to consistently provide fresh ideas to stimulate a pretty flacid market. So I would say that there are many subtleties in each approach. But it is Nintendo who are generally misunderstood, because they are the ones who are moving in a different direction. The problem is that many people automatically interpret this as them saying no to online gaming, or no to beautiful graphics. But that is an automatic assumption, which bears no relationship to anything Nintendo has said. This isn't to say that Nintendo is the be-all and end-all of the Japanese market. It's just that there is an interesting difference in strategy, which will play out over the next six or seven years.[/color]

[color=#707875]I think Uma would be a cool choice, but what's-her-name (I don't know the spelling either) is a bit questionable. But that's only because I've only ever seen her acting as a robot. So...I've never seen her act with emotion or anything. Not to say that it'd be so noticeable on Samus, but still, you'd probably want someone who can convey emotion nonetheless.[/color]

[QUOTE=ScirosDarkblade]Hahar! I apologize if I offended you; it's just that those articles never really have a point, like that "what we know so far about Halo 2" one they had a while back. Anyway, the gyration thing was the only idea that I found really cool, but I can't help thinking how goobery I'd look if I was swinging my arms wildly trying to get my F-Zero racer not to fly off the edge of a track. So it'd probably be something not quite like Minority Report, heh. Mostly it's cool because of how much more responsive they can make a controller with it. [/QUOTE] [color=#707875]You didn't offend me, but you did miss the point of the article. The point was to provide something fun to read; to get people's imaginations going. This is why speculative pieces are written. The difference with ours is that we had the research to support much of it. In regard to what BlueYoshi mentioned, it is clear that Nintendo don't want to follow the "more realistic is best" route. And if you want to see where that idea is sourced from, you only have to look at the state of the Japanese industry right now. Console sales are flat and even the biggest titles have struggled to hit sales targets. There's clearly an indifference in that market right now, when it comes to new games. So Nintendo does not want to simply say "here's a better looking game -- go buy it because it's pretty." They want to say "buy this game because you've never played something like this in your life and it will feel completely new to you." A [i]lot [/i]of people misunderstand that approach. They think that Satoru Iwata hates online games and that Nintendo doesn't like nice graphics. But it's not about graphics per se; it's about overall design philosophy. The next generation will be interesting, particularly in Japan. Because we'll really see if the various companies involved can break the indifference that is holding the market right now.[/color]

[QUOTE=Lynx][size=1]the continent is not a giant landmass of perversion by a long shot. [/size][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Exactly. The idea that most of the women in Europe are running around with half their clothes off is a complete myth. In many countries, people take great pride in wearing beautiful clothing -- as opposed to wearing very little at all. But also, the whole thing about perversion...one person's perversion is another person's normality. I mean, there was a really conservative Muslim speaker who came to Australia not long ago and basically said that Australians are morally corrupt because women wear bikinis at Surfer's Paradise. Sure, maybe women don't wear that on a daily basis where he is from -- but it's part of the culture here. And where you'll see that in the obvious location (a beach), you'll also see people who are dressed much more conservatively in Melbourne for example. You just can't make judgement calls like that. There are lots of elements to it, not just some idea that people in one country are morally bankrupt or something.[/color]

[color=#707875]Gee, DW...you didn't see the two massive threads about DS already? ~_^[/color]

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade']Any news on the sorts of controllers the consoles will have? IGN did a whole time-waster article on potential gyration stuff for the next Nintendo system, but apart from a couple of neat ideas they mostly spewed BS. Though it's completely plausible that Nintendo might want a controller that can feel its own motion in any direction.[/quote] [color=#707875]I just want to mention that [i]I [/i]wrote that article along with an N-Sider colleague. The article wasn't intended to reveal the gospel truth; nobody really knows what Nintendo is up to. The point of the article was to "come up with ideas" -- some of which are more likely than others. This is why each idea was classified as to how plausible it is. All of them -- even the more way out ones -- were based on research. So I feel I need to clarify that. In regard to controllers, nothing is really certain. However, we can be sure that Microsoft won't repeat their mistake with Xbox -- in other words, they'll produce a controller that is more akin to Controller S. For Sony, I think it's safe to assume that the PS3 controller will be very similar to the current one. I hope that they at least make it more comfortable, even if they keep a similar design. As for Nintendo, nobody [i]really [/i]knows, as I said above. There are some indications as to what they might be doing (gyroscopic technology being one possibility). There is also the possibility of the new controller having an LCD screen mounted on it, or using a trackball-style system. All of these ideas are plausible in that they are based on Nintendo's own investments and research. But what Nintendo eventually comes up with is really anybody's guess.[/color]

[color=#707875]Backwards compatibility was a huge factor for PS2. And if Xenon does arrive next year, then it's essentially going to be cutting Xbox's life somewhat short. Backwards compatibility would make sense -- particularly in the Japanese market. So, if Microsoft is indeed cutting that feature, it's going to hurt on some level, especially if Revolution and PS3 contain the ability. However, you can bet that Xenon will have a really cool Xbox Live capability out of the box. It'll no doubt be far more Xbox Live focused.[/color]

[color=#707875]Regarding Xenon, I think that a late 2005 (or late fiscal 2005) release is pretty likely, considering two major points. Firstly, Microsoft is apparently planning to omit a built-in hard drive for Xenon. And secondly, apparently they are planning to avoid backwards-compatibility with original Xbox games. If this is true, it would definitely allow Microsoft to launch before Nintendo or Sony. It would significantly reduce development time and it would also potentially reduce cost. However, it's interesting to note that Xenon may be the [i]least [/i]powerful of the next generation systems. There are strong suggestions that both Revolution and PS3 will be more powerful (but will also arrive later). I am wondering if Revolution will feature backwards-compatibility with GameCube though. I'm also curious as to what kind of media format the system will use. I've read that Nintendo might be developing a higher-density version of their GameCube optical disc (which would make sense), but that hasn't been confirmed. If PS3 makes it in fiscal 2005, I'm going to be somewhat surprised. Nobody has development kits yet and the hardware hasn't been finalized. Final release dates and software development dates strongly rely on that information.[/color]

Before I start, I just want to reiterate the rules about chapters. Remember that you can [b]only[/b] post in a chapter if your character is in it. It's just like Volume 1 in that sense. Also, to anyone reading and not participating, please be aware that this RPG carries an R-rating for a reason. It contains high levels of violence and some sexual content, so please be aware of this before reading. Thank you. [center]Chapter 13: Goodnight, Mr. Hanzo[/center] Summary: This chapter reveals the very first meeting of Hattori Hanzo and Adam. Characters: Adam, Hattori Hanzo Setting: Hanzo's Bar Notes: Underlined text signifies that the person is speaking in Japanese. Please keep to this trend whenever you wish to include Japanese dialogue. In addition, italicised text indicates narration. In this chapter, Jamie Kidd is narrating. If you include narration in future, you may want to use the left column to mention who is narrating -- but how you mention it is up to you. Track 07: Can't Hardly Stand It(To be played quietly in the background)[center]1994[/center] The western-style bar was alive that night, or at least, it was as alive as a dimly-lit underground establishment could be. Its occupants were bathed in a blanket of dim red lighting, which gave them all a vague and undefined appearance. The haze of ciagrette smoke was only broken by scantily-clad waitresses, who were ferrying back and forth between the tables and the bar. In the corner of the bar, just beyond a cluster of dirty pool tables, a group of men were huddled around a single table, joking and laughing amongst themselves. [i]Wondering who the men sitting around the table are? The man sitting in the corner is none other than Hattori Hanzo, assassin trainer and underworld businessman extraordinaire. The tall, thin guy on his right (who looks like he couldn't crack a smile if he tried), is Boss Asuda, Hanzo's accountant and closest confidant. And the other guy? The one who won't stop laughing and who's attention seems focused on the waitresses around him? That's Boss Kineda, expert swordsman and one of Hanzo's most trusted business partners. Tonight, in this little western bar, somewhere in Osaka, Hanzo-san and his men are enjoying their usual rowdy Saturday night. On this particular night, Hattori Hanzo had reason to celebrate. He had just sold several highly valuable swords (courtesy of Kineda-san) to a man in Benten, who needed a little Japanese steel to rub out some of the opposition.[/i] The laughter fell silent as another man sat down on the only empty chair. He wore a large, gold ring on his right-hand ring finger. And right now, that hand was holding a fresh Cuban cigar. "Do you have a light?" asked the man, who's voice consisted of an odd combination of accents. He was definitely not Japanese though, as evidenced by his decidedly western attire. Hattori Hanzo glanced at his comrades, his eyes finally resting squarely upon Boss Asuda. He raised an eyebrow. Boss Asuda nodded and reached inside his jacket. His hand was fumbling around the breast pocket and as every second passed that [i]didn't[/i] involve retrieval of a lighter, he felt a new bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. Finally (and with a noticeable expression of relief on his face), he produced the lighter and held it out across the table. The stranger leant over and held the cigar firmly between his teeth, as Boss Asuda struggled to control his shaking hand. Finally, the end lit and a plume of smoke rose above the gathering. Hanzo smiled ever so slightly. There were very few westerners who could invoke such obvious fear from a man like Boss Asuda. In fact, Boss Asuda had a distinct distaste for any kind of [i]gaijin[/i]. Hanzo knew of only one man who could cause a Japanese crime boss to tremble in fear: Adam. "[u]They told me that I could expect a visit from you sometime soon,[/u]" said Hanzo quietly. He looked up at a waitress as she passed and gestured toward a white cup that was sitting in front of him. "[u]More sake.[/u]" The waitress leant between the two men and collected the cup. Adam looked at the men surrounding Hanzo and took a sharp drag on his cigar. "Looks like your little gang has grown, since I last saw you," he said, as he casually waved his cigar at the gangsters. Hattori Hanzo's expression remained solid. His face was cold and expressionless and there were no traces of sweat on his skin. Meanwhile, Boss Kineda's lips had curled into a tight frown. "[u]Who do you think you are? How dare you sit down and speak to Master Hanzo in such a manner[/u]," said Kineda, in an irritable tone. Adam looked down at the cigar in his hand and slowly rolled it between his fingers. "You know, Hanzo-san, I think I know why you keep these goons around 24/7. You're a little older now...and a little more paranoid." Boss Kineda momentarily stared across the table to Boss Asuda, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. "[u]Did you hear what I said, [i]gaijin?[/i][/u]" "Mind you, I understand the whole paranoia thing," continued Adam, who paused to take a slow puff on his cigar. He closed his eyes for a moment, savouring it, as clouds of smoke streamed out of his nostrils. "If I were you, I'd probably be worried too. I mean, here you are, selling weapons to all sorts of people; people you don't even know. And then there's the training. And you've got some customers who don't like other customers. And then one customer kills another, but he blames you, because you provided the weapon and the training." Hattori Hanzo shifted in his seat, as he spotted the sake-laden waitress, who was holding several cups. She leaned over and cheerfully placed a cup in front of each man. But when she got around to Adam, he put his hand on hers. "[u]No, thank you, I'm not drinking tonight.[/u]" The waitress smiled and bowed politely, taking the remaining cup with her as she headed back to the bar. Hanzo brought the cup of warm sake to his lips and sipped quietly. "So, what would you say about my theory, Hanzo-san?" asked Adam, as he tapped his cigar against the edge of a nearby ashtray. "[u]I would say,[/u]" said Hanzo, "[u]that you are either insane, or you are hiding something.[/u]" "C'mon, Hanzo-san," said Adam, with a sense of disappointment in his voice, "I asked you about my theory. First Kineda-san interrupts me and now you are ignoring my questions. I thought that the Japanese were supposed to be polite and hospitable?" Hanzo smiled over his cup of sake, as a blanket of steam slivered in front of his face. "[u]Well, if it pleases you, I'll answer your question. You are correct in saying that there are people who blame me when their quarrels become fatal, but nobody has ever complained to me directly.[/u]" Adam pointed his cigar at Hanzo and nodded vigorously. "Yes, bingo! They never come to you directly. And why? Because you've got so many fucking bodyguards that they'd be torn up pretty badly if they were within a mile of you." Hanzo said nothing, but sipped from his cup once more. Finally, after a moment of silence, he spoke. "[u]Why are you here?[/u]" "Good question," replied Adam, who leant forward with one elbow sitting on the table. "You're a pretty perceptive guy, Hanzo-san. And I [i]know[/i] that you're not stupid; you wouldn't have come this far if that were the case. But despite all your power and influence, you know one thing to be true. You know that one day, somehow, somewhere, one of your clients, or one of their enemies, is going to come after you. Yours is the riskiest business in town, it's no secret. And that's why I'm here." Adam butted his cigar out in the ashtray and looked directly at Hanzo. "It just so happens that I have an offer for you." [i]Turns out that Adam offered to allow Hanzo to keep his business, on the condition that he only train those who work for him. Adam also offered to protect Hattori Hanzo from those who would hold him responsible for the deaths of their employees. In the end, the deal worked out for both men. At first, Hanzo-san was a little reluctant to put his life in Adam's hands. But with a click of his fingers, Adam somehow managed to summon a group of strangers from nowhere. The men and women, dressed all in black and wielding an assortment of guns and knives, wasted no time in killing almost all of Hanzo's henchment and associates in the bar. The once-great Hattori Hanzo -- a man who had been feared by many of the most powerful crime lords in Japan -- had now been dealt a serious blow. And by an upstart gaijin, no less.[/i] [center]Chapter 14: My Persona[/center] Summary: This chapter details Persona's relationship with the only woman in his life; a former associate, whom he ended up murdering. Characters: Persona Setting: Chicago, USA Notes: Okay, this chapter exists in order to shed a little more light on Persona. Even if he doesn't remember the details in his own mind, this would be a way for us to get a better perspective on him. Tony, you may want to read over your sign-up for him again, just to get a bit of bearing for this (considering that the sign-up was written a while ago and stuff). This chapter only requires one post, as with the first one. I promise that the next chapter will include more people though. ^_^;;

[color=#707875]I think that there are several explanations as to why games have not traditionally had storylines as their focus. One of the reasons that comes to mind is the origin of the console itself. If you go back to the NES days in particular, you'll find that many console games were conversions of arcade-based titles at the time. In many ways, the modern console industry was brought about as a result of the developments in arcades. And, of course, arcade games are never designed with a particularly strong story in mind; it's always about the raw mechanics, because you're only playing for a few minutes at a time. I think console games kind of inherited this...and possibly for good reason. One thing that disappoints me is a game with a good story, but awful gameplay. Games are called "games" and not "movies", because they are designed to be interactive and fun. I would really hate to see any game that places story above "fun". If I only wanted a good story, I'd read a novel or watch a movie. So, obviously, it's fine to have a game like Final Fantasy or Zelda where the story plays a much stronger role. But even in those games, you can see that great attention has still been given to the actual mechanics and "fun factor". In the case of Final Fantasy X, I enjoyed that game for one reason; the battle system. I really found the story to be awful and I disliked 90% of the voice acting. But it was a [i]fun game[/i], which made it worthwhile for me. In Zelda, it's similar for me. Generally speaking I prefer the Zelda stories to what I saw in FFX, but there's certainly nothing particularly oustanding about Zelda's storyline. It's nice, but it's there to facilitate the gameplay. In my view, that's probably what game stories should be about. But this doesn't mean that game stories shouldn't be more complex, or shouldn't feature more movie-like elements. I just feel that, once you've fine-tuned the gameplay to a certain point, you can then focus on beefing up the story.[/color]

[color=#707875]Can't you guys see the "cruel site of the day" link at the top? It looks to me like this thing is just a complete joke (which it would be regardless). The cool thing about the Internet is that if you don't like something, you [i]don't have to click on it[/i]. I tend to drop that little pearl of wisdom now and then, just in case people forget. ~_^[/color]

[color=#707875][spoiler]Oh, I [i]really [/i]liked the inclusion of the aliens. lol[/spoiler] I thought it made a lot of sense, for two reasons. [spoiler]One, David was under that ocean for thousands of years...a very, very long time. And related to that, the aliens are there to demonstrate that mankind has become extinct. They need [i]some [/i]intelligent species to replace mankind, if you think about it -- otherwise, David isn't going to have that experience with his mother or anything. The movie would have just ended at that point. I also loved the fact that the aliens were compassionate beings. They weren't your typical "blow up the earth" type of aliens. They came across as being enlightened and generous, which I think really fit in well with what was going on.[/spoiler][/color]