James

[color=#707875]I think that the original GoldenEye was definitely all about knowing the locations of things -- as well as knowing how to take advantage of the level design itself. I specifically remember the Facility level in particular, and how critical it was to know how to get to the nearest weapon pickup. This was important largely because of the relatively small size of the level itself. Of course, it was very easy to learn where everything was...but it was still critical to know your way around. I think that this game definitely has a lot to give up to, both in terms of deathmatch as well as regular single player. The original GoldenEye's multiplayer was really a combination of stealth and a "going psycho with guns" mentality. Afterall, they didn't have rocket launchers and grenades for nothing. The cool thing about GE is that many of the levels allowed for a combination of these two play strategies. The levels were very open to the concept of having a direct firefight, but most of them also had hiding places and some strategic points of interest (particularly when laying Proximity Mines and stuff). I'm not sure how this new GE will compare, but obviously everyone [i]will [/i]make the comparison, if only because of name alone. EDIT: And let's not forget...the original GoldenEye had [i]quite [/i]a strong focus on having a weapon in each hand at the same time. All it really did was increase your firepower though. If this new GE does it in a more intelligent way...so be it. It will probably add to the strategic nature of multiplayer.[/color]

[color=#707875]I'm surprised that Desbreko hasn't suggsted a nad-kicking game. Picture it: Nadthlete 2004. I would imagine it working a little bit like Devil May Cry, in the sense that hordes of enemies (essentially all clones of Shinmaru) come at you and you get points for how you fight them. So for example, one attack might be "Earthquake", where you make the ground around you ripple outwards -- if one of the ripples makes any nad-contact, you get a certain amount of points. And maybe you get points if you hit two sets of nads at once. You could also upgrade your boots (steel-toed boots might be the most damaging kind -- they'd be useful on bosses in particular). The biggest problem with this game is that EVERY enemy would be Shinmaru (or some variation therein). So, to keep it fresh, the developer would need to actually create multiple versions of Shinmaru. This would also add challenges to the game. For example, one version of Shinmaru might wear a cup. You can't kick his nads if he has a cup, right? So this means you'll have to use some strategy (ie: you'll need to destroy the cup first, or distract his attention while you somehow remove it). And then you might have another version of Shinmaru who wears a dress -- very easy nad-access. However, to compensate for his nad-exposure, this particular version of Shinmaru might feature stronger offensive weaponry (maybe he has a metal basketball or a bowling ball, instead of a regular basketball -- yes, that's his weapon, he fires basketballs at you). In terms of game environments...well, I suppose that there would be lots of expansive forests and dungeons (we [i]are [/i]talking about Desbreko afterall). I imagine the game being like a combination of Zelda (in style) and Devil May Cry or Viewtiful Joe (in execution). So there you go. That's my submission.[/color]

[color=#707875]Please read the clearly marked [b]rules[/b] and [b]FAQ[/b] pages. You can find links to them on the left navigation menu. If you have further requests for help, please use the Suggestions & Feedback forum, so that we don't see a lot of threads and posts cluttering up the forums here.[/color]

[color=#707875]I was asked by a member to close this thread, and I'm going to. It's not that this isn't worthy of discussion, it's just that [i]already [/i]terms like "anti-semitic" are being thrown around. Unfortunately both sides can get pretty fiery...and both sides can be equally wrong. I don't think there's any doubt (to an objective observer) that both sides in this conflict have conducted atrocities. Both sides are pretty much equally guilty of creating violence and desperation. The back-and-forth thing just doesn't work and it doesn't get anyone anywhere.[/color]

[color=#707875]I like the fact that the text box is actually like a hole/void in the floor, in that dungeon. I think that's a clever approach, when you could easily have just thrown a text box anywhere (as most people would). The intelligent use of the text box will no doubt be appreciated by Zelda fans. When I came across the fanlisting I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it's just the sheer nostalgia factor; but it has a lot of coolness in my book. I'll be signing up as soon as I can. ~_^ As far as a link colour goes, I'd also suggest using something that contrasts the blue more sharply. Perhaps even black, or dark grey. In any case, it looks great.[/color]

[color=#707875]I think that Tony is really expressing the point that I've been trying to make, in a very clear way. I think that you will have that feeling of newness with DS, simply because there's nothing else like it out there. The sheer act of interacting with existing games differently will be a unique experience. Again, I think that Tony's examples are good to remember. It's also a good idea to read impressions from those who have played the demos at E3.[/color]

[quote name='BlueYoshi][color=teal]Pretty much so. They both characterise different and high-tech specs that the SP currently wouldn't be able to live up to, and [i]if[/i'] the SP is Nintendo's battle plan for the PSP then they seriously have another thing coming, as the only barrier between the two systems are the prices. Don?t get me wrong, I?m not saying that it is, that?s just the way I see it.[/quote][/color] [color=teal][/color] [color=teal][color=dimgray]I think that we are always used to the idea that two companies are competing on the same level. But it's just not the case, especially with these "next generation" portable systems.[/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969][/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969]You'll find that to some degree, the PSP will be competing with the GBA SP. But this shouldn't be alarming to anyone -- we've seen a history where the Game Boy has repeatedly put down opposition with superior hardware. I'm not saying that PSP will not survive, because I think it is Sony's best chance to enter the handheld market. What I [i]am [/i]saying, is that PSP is introducing itself to a market that already has a dominant leader.[/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969][/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969]Moreover, you could argue that GBA SP and PSP are aimed at slightly different audiences, even though their demographics admittedly overlap to some extent.[/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969][/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969]In regard to the DS, I think it's clear that DS isn't a direct competitor to the PSP. There are so many reasons for this. First and foremost, the DS hardware is fundamentally different to anything out there.[/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969][/color][/color] [color=teal][color=#696969]You might say that Metroid Prime: Hunters is the same old thing, but I don't think that's the case. Apart from the fact that the control inputs are different, we're also presumably talking about a multiplayer-focused, Wi-Fi-based game. The dynamic present in Hunters is probably more akin to Unreal Tournament than the original Metroid Prime, if only because it's entirely focused on multiplayer. So already, even though we're talking about an existing franchise, we're still talking about quite a unique game.[/color][/color] [color=#696969][/color] [color=#696969][quote=BlueYoshi][/color][color=teal] I don't believe that the DS is just an addition to the company to merely boost morale; they have many other products that can accomplish that, in and out of development. The NES style SP, for example. The DS may have been developed for the benefit of Nintendo's own purposes, which may contribute to sales, but when it comes to the crunch, they'll have to bite the bullet and step down to the PSP, because Sony is home to one of the most highly acclaimed consoles of this generation.[/quote] [color=dimgray]The problem is that I think this is a really simplistic analysis of the competition as it stands right now. The primary reason is because the console market is fundamentally different from the handheld market. A clear example of this would be the fact that a large percentage of GBA SP buyers are women -- yet this is not a demographic that Sony actively seeks with PlayStation 2. If you want to get serious about the industry, it becomes very difficult to make such broad comparisons.[/color] [color=#696969][/color] [color=#696969]More importantly still, there's still the underlying assumption that PSP and DS are in the same "class" of product. But the two are, for all intents and purposes, completely different machines. The DS's unique hardware is only going to provide support to particular types of games -- games that make deliberate use of that hardware. The case is completely different for PSP. If anything, the two systems probably complement each other, more than directly competing. I think this will become evident when the two machines actually launch.[/color] [quote=BlueYoshi] Overall, Nintendo will definitely need a higher degree of competitiveness, even if it's not a "response" to the PSP.[/quote][/color] [color=dimgray]What makes you say that they are in need of a higher degree of competitiveness? 20+ million GBAs isn't competitive enough?[/color] [color=#696969]Nintendo is plenty competitive, regardless of the PSP's introduction to the marketplace. I can tell you right now, without any hesitation, that even if the DS were not launching, Nintendo could quite comfortably rely on the GBA as its bread and butter -- irrespective of whether or not the PSP is a success.[/color] [color=#696969]I think that this E3 demonstrated that Nintendo is being proactive in their approach. They aren't responding to Sony -- they're going out there and marching to the beat of their own drum. You could say that they've entirely bypassed the PSP, by attempting something that is possibly even more risky: the development of an entirely new market segment.[/color] [quote=BlueYoshi] [color=teal]What's seen in the E3 demos is an idea of what Nintendo has planned in terms of software for the DS. True, we can't tell what will be fully developed and what won't, but teasers are enough to demonstrate what's in store for us.[/quote] [color=dimgray]Absolutely. The demos were deliberately short, to show both the media and the developers what kind of variety we could see in the DS hardware, when applied to different kinds of software.[/color] [color=#696969][/color] [color=#696969]Obviously, Nintendo would be crazy not to launch the DS with plenty of franchise support. The same can be said for Sony and the PSP. But this is unrelated to the idea that games will be stale, or repetitive. In fact, the opposite is true, because Nintendo is deliberately creating games that are "DS-centric", rather than games that one might consider to be a port. Nintendo is exercising this same degree of control -- for lack of a better term -- over third party developers. And from what we've seen of their responses, we can expect anything [i]but [/i]rehashed, repetitive ideas.[/color] [quote=BlueYoshi] I can see your point under this aspect, the DS certainly does provide a new load that hasn?t been seen on a handheld before, however, it won?t necessarily justify the fact that few of these games have already been done, or if they?re going to be poor for that matter. In any case, I do agree with your statement that shows the relative difference between both systems, the PSP seemingly is a replica.[/quote] [color=dimgray]Even if a few of those games have been done before, how would that be different to any other system out there, including PSP? As long as the vast majority of games are DS-centric in terms of their gameplay, we don't have to worry about a small few that may or may not be rehashes of existing concepts. But even that scenario seems unlikely to me, because Nintendo has set up what I'd call a "DS-centric model". This includes a particular model of developer support, where developers who don't wish to contribute DS-centric software will be encouraged to develop for GBA instead.[/color] [color=#696969][/color] [color=#696969]I think it's safe to assume that not every game on DS will blow people away. Every system comes with its collection of relatively poor games. And not every developer will be able to make the system work in the right way. But that shouldn't give us an impression that DS is unimpressive, or not able to fulfill its original goals.[/color] [quote=BlueYoshi] MP: Hunters is a typical alien shoot ?em up. It?s been done before and a second instalment is soon to be released. Primarily though, I know it?s a good game and I wouldn?t hesitate to buy it, because it motivates long life span, game play, and decent graphics. Heck, I?d even say it?s up there with Halo. The fact that I know it sustains enhanced controls and game play makes me want it even more. [/quote] [color=dimgray]If you read about MP2's multiplayer mode, you may realize that Hunters isn't at all a typical shoot 'em up. That's the first point -- and I'm not just talking about controls or something, I'm talking about the way the game is played on a fundamental level.[/color] [quote=BlueYoshi] In the light of that argument though, consistently producing games as such would get repetitive and wouldn?t prosper in my books. I don?t want to blow off any of the games even before their release, but I?d just like some form of piece of mind.[/color][/QUOTE] [color=dimgray]I don't think that we'll see a billion Metroid Prime: Hunters games out there. Especially based on what we've seen from third party submissions so far (especially Namco).[/color] [color=#696969][/color] [color=#696969]MP: Hunters is just one possibility. And there are probably thousands of others, as indicated by Nintendo's on-hand software demos. The key thing is to be realistic about all of this -- I'm certainly not giving the DS an outright pass or anything, but I do feel that it's important to clarify certain points about it.[/color]

[color=#707875]I don't think that the DS and PSP are really comparable, as I've mentioned before. Moreover, I wouldn't say that the DS is actually a response to the PSP. The DS is more a response to the stagnation of the industry than anything else (not to mention that there are some great flow-on effects from having strong developer support on the DS). There really hasn't been anything as original as the DS on the video game scene for quite a long time (save for the Virtual Boy, which was a complete disaster). In regard to software originality, there are two key points to bear in mind. Firstly, finalized games weren't being shown at E3. As Miyamoto himself said, the demos were all deliberately kept very short. More importantly still, you've mentioned MP: Hunters (and there [i]are [/i]plenty of franchise titles on the machine), but the vast majority of game demos at E3 were totally original pieces (like the Submarine demo). I don't know how many of these will be turned into games, but the same can probably be said for the franchise demos also. The second key thing to remember is that while MP: Hunters might be a "franchise title", the core gameplay is still fundamentally changed as a result of the hardware that it is running on, whereas MGS Acid is a slightly different situation. The PSP essentially just replicates the PS2's control system, whereas the DS attempts to provide something pretty new and unseen. This is why all of the demos at the show actually relied on both screens, as well as touch-screen compatibility. I think that this will become much clearer when you have the unit in your hands and when you actually play it and interact with it. It's quite a different piece of hardware -- and it's very different to the PSP, on just about all fronts. It's also important to note that we've seen no evidence of ports moving to the DS. Nintendo said, very directly, that if developers simply want to make ports, they can put that type of game on the GBA SP. Games that are produced for DS are supposed to actually make use of the DS's proprietary features, whether we're talking about the twin screens, touch sensitivity or Wi-Fi. So, those are a few critical distinctions. But again, I think they will become a lot clearer when the final unit is released.[/color]

[color=#707875]I'd suggest The Animatrix. From my own experience of showing it to my parents, it was really the first anime that they'd seen. My mother in particular liked and appreciated it. I think it was appropriate because it tied into the live-action movies (so there was some kind of bearing going on) and there were a variety of animation styles in there. So I think all of these things helped; since all of the episodes are so visually different, people will usually come away liking [i]something [/i]from it. I also found, again through my own experience, that Vampire Hunter D was a good way of easing people into anime. My brother watched it an loved it, despite the fact that he'd never really understood anime or been a fan. And then there's Spirited Away. My sister and mother watched that and both loved it. I think it's largely the fact that it has such endearing characters and it's pretty easy to relate to Chihiro's situation -- so even though it's bizarre, it doesn't create overly-confusing situations that are too difficult to immediately connect to.[/color]

[color=#707875]For the sake of this site's sanity, I'm not even going to entertain the idea of allowing this topic to continue. This isn't because you guys haven't put any thought into your posts -- because you have, and it is appreciated -- it's because we've had this topic [i]so many [/i]times before that it's quickly becoming redundant. Right now I can almost list off every OB member and tell you, in detail, their views on gay marriage. However, I do not want to entirely eliminate discussion on this subject. I strongly recommend searching for similar threads to browse over (so that you get an idea of where your follow OBers stand). I also recommend using Private Messaging and myOtaku to discuss the issue. I am sure that this thread will come up again in the future...and I don't mind. But let's give it a bit more time before we rake it over the coals again. [/color]

[color=#707875]I have deleted this person's myOtaku account and I'll be asking Adam for an immediate IP ban.[/color]

[color=#707875]Welcome to the boards, Alexandria. Always nice to see new member submitting art here. [b]1st Picture:[/b] Although I'm not a huge fan of blood (~_^), I think this is a pretty cool piece. You seem to be very good with a brush, based on this piece alone. I also love the way that the character somewhat blends into the background -- that's a very cool effect. It almost gives the image a minimalist/stencil-like effect. Cool stuff. [b]2nd Picture:[/b] This is a really engaging/enchanting piece. The colours are beautiful; I think that the purple mixes well with the more vivid red and yellow/tan. The subtle use of gradients works very well on the skin and as people have mentioned on your deviantART page, the sheen/gloss that you've applied to the lips has a very realistic touch. The sheen on the hair almost gives it a plastic-esque impression, but I wouldn't fault the picture on that basis -- it doesn't take away from anything there. Very nice background too. [b]3rd Picture:[/b] The colours are something I particularly like about this piece, more than anything. They just stand out and work really well together. The proportions seem a little off, but I am not certain whether that is deliberate or not; it [i]could [/i]simply be the style of the picture. That is, it doesn't particularly look like a fault or accident, and that's a good thing. Awesome shading on the skin and lips especially; you've given the image a very soft, organic quality there. All-in-all, amazing stuff. I would give you a numerical rating, but I don't really like to use them...they're a bit too arbitrary. I'd rather tell you what I like and what I don't like. As it stands, there's not much I don't like here. ~_^ I hope that you'll stick around and show us more of your art in future, Alexandria.[/color]

[QUOTE=Adora]Chalabi. [/QUOTE] [color=#707875]You'd want Chalabi instead of Bremmer? Chalabi is possibly one of the most untrustworthy people in the entire Governing Council, I'd say. If you are anti-war at all, it would be hard to support him; he was one of the major driving forces behind the war itself. I also get the impression that he's quite interested in the Presidency of Iraq. In any case, I do want to remind everyone to maintain a civil tone in this forum. Most of you have been doing a relatively good job in that department, but I do want to reinforce the idea that OtakuBoards encourages mutual respect. If you're going to engage in debate, please focus your attention on the issues, rather than throwing around personal comments. Some of you are combining personal jabs with legitimate arguments in your posts and it's not something that I want to see here. So, I just want to remind everyone about that. People who decide to get involved in personal attacks will be banned immediately and without question.[/color]

[center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]Chapter 12: Meet Me at the Astro Lanes[/size][/center] [b]Summary:[/b] In this chapter, Joshua and Arianna are having one final encounter, when Adam unexpectedly shows up. [b]Characters:[/b] Arianna, Joshua, Adam. [b]Setting:[/b] Lenmark Astro Lanes, Georgia. Welcome to Volume 1's final chapter (and one of the last chapters in the entire story, chronologically speaking). I've kept the summary deliberately brief, to give Josh the most flexibility here. Let's just see what happens, eh? ~_^

[color=#707875]The point I'm making is that in general daily life, English tends to be the more useful tool. No matter what career path you choose -- whether it relies heavily on math knowledge or not -- strong communication skills will be of great benefit to you. Obviously if you're wanting to do Physics or Computer Science, it's a given that you'll need strong math skill. But just as obviously, there are many people who won't be doing that as their career; particularly if they aren't good at math in the first place. So, I tend to find that math is something useful if you're deliberately entering a career that relies on it. But in general, in the world of business, strong communication is far more critical I think. In regard to being born with the ability...of course it's possible to pick up skills in a particular area, even if it's not something that you are naturally good with. I wasn't being so literal in what I was saying, really. I mean that if you don't have the natural abillity with numbers, it will be a lot harder for you. And if you find that it's [i]too [/i]difficult, you shouldn't worry too much, because math, while important, is generally not as critical as English in my experience.[/color]

[QUOTE=Gentle][color=deeppink][size=1]Why do people dislike maths so much? That and reading are the most important part of your education. Without the simpliest knowledge of either one, you'd be stuck in this world as a bum. Unless of course by some known miracle you're honored and become celebrity one fine day which is a rare occasion, trust me. [/size][/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]I think people dislike math because many people don't have a natural ability for it. Usually you're either great at English or Math, but not both. I always had a natural ability with English; I hardly ever had to study, because English was very natural to me. But math was always an uphill battle; my brain simply isn't wired for math. lol That said, I can safely assure you that being good at math isn't the be-all and end-all. English is more important in daily life. Being able to communicate, especially in business, is critical. Good math skills are a fantastic tool, sure. But if worst comes to worst, use a calculator. Unfortunately if you're really bad with English...there isn't much in the way of a quick fix. And being awful at English can be a pretty big detriment to your career.[/color]

[color=#707875]I think Baron has given you a pretty good rundown of things on here, related to writing. It's always great to see new members, but please do ensure that you check out our rules/FAQ pages for any vital information that you may have missed. These pages are also great to get people started, because they carry some important tips and instructions. ^_^ Hope you enjoy OB. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]I have a feeling that we don't really need to discuss torture techniques in great detail. That's all I'll say about that. My reasons for closing this thread should be obvious at this point.[/color]

[QUOTE=BlueYoshi][color=teal]I have to admit, I'm impressed that Nintendo are still going ahead with the Star Fox plan after the miserable failure of Star Fox Adventures. It just comes to show that they're listening to what we want, rather than listening to themselves now. [/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]The only thing I'd say about this is that Rare were the ones who developed SFA. The fact that the game turned out so awfully really had nothing to do with Nintendo. Nintendo's only involvement related to actually applying the Star Fox license to the title (perhaps they felt that Dinosaur Planet didn't have enough pulling power on its own, who knows). In any case, the flight portions of this game [i]should [/i]be awesome. If you've played Ace Combat at all, you'll know how great those games were. In regard to third person mode...all you have to do is read impressions. So far most people are quite happy with it, though it does require some tweaking. But that's natural for an unfinished game.[/color]

[color=#707875]Pheonix_Omega, this is not a legitimate thread. Not only is there absolutely no discussion value, but you're also asking people to tell you about MP3 sites (and if you read our rules, you'll note that we are very sensitive about people downloading copyrighted materials via OB). In addition, your post quality leaves a [i]lot [/i]to be desired. I strongly recommend that you check our rules and FAQ pages, should you wish to continue posting here.[/color]

[color=#707875]I'm not quite sure what you're saying here...you're sort of praising us and knocking us at the same time. ~_^ Anyway, I think you are aware that this type of message is probably better left in Suggestions & Feedback -- afterall, that [i]is [/i]the area for feedback threads. Please take note of the rules in future.[/color]

[color=#707875]Remember though, Alex, that in terms of specs...the Phantom actually makes for a pretty beefy console. With a PC, you're always using a certain amount of the machine's power to operate Windows and various other background software. With Phantom, you're talking about the hardware being game-dedicated. I think that makes a noticeable difference. Considering that Sony was talking about a similar type of system for PS3, I think it's fair to say that this is the angle that many game developers have been talking about in recent times, as a way of cutting down on various costs associated with publishing. So, hopefully we will hear more about the Phantom during E3. I have no idea if they plan to have a playable version or what...but it would certainly be great to hear impressions about it.[/color]

[color=#707875]It does depend whether you're talking about a friendship or a romantic relationship, for sure. My longest friendship has (so far) lasted 17 years. And my longest romantic relationship lasted just over four years. It began in August of 1999 and ended at the very beginning of this year, unfortunately. I'm definitely a relationship guy, so to speak. I'd much rather be in a longterm relationship, than moving from partner to partner all the time. The latter is just not comfortable for me at all. But everyone's different, obviously. Each person has a different view of what they find acceptable.[/color]

[color=#707875]I know exactly what you mean, Sciros. Super Mario 64 is probably one of my most memorable games. Seeing Mario in 3D for the first time was pretty incredible, afterall. ~_^ It looks like Mario 64 x 4 is actually a four player version of the original. The screens so far look amazing; it seems as though the visuals have actually been updated from the original version of the game, too, which is pretty cool. I remember talking to Alex just yesterday about how much I'd love to see an updated Super Mario 64...[/color]

[color=#707875]The fact that this is being done by the Ace Combat team should excite any Star Fox fan. Ace Combat is probably one of the premiere arcade shooters out there. So, I would expect Star Fox to feature some amazing flight mechanics and dogfight sequences. In general though, the game's definitely looking a lot better than it did last year, which is a great sign. It should be yet another strong GameCube title coming out of E3. [/color]