James

[color=#707875]Yes...the Brazilian Wandering Spider is the world's most venomous spider. I read it in a magazine about Bugs, which was written by a famous British anthropologist. The spider looks very funky...it's also very large. Sometimes they get caught in crates of bananas, which get shipped overseas...and they give people a nasty scare. ~_^ Sydney Funnel Webs are [i]nasty[/i] looking creatures. Not only are they relatively large....but they look like they were designed to frighten people to death. lol The female is especially nasty looking. I'd take a tarantula any day, over a funnel web. The worst thing is, funnel webs aren't timid. They're actually aggressive, so they'll stand their ground rather than scurry away. I live on a block of land with a lot of trees, so we get Huntsmans. They're like tarantulas...but they're quite flat. They can flatten themselves to squish between cracks in walls, or under doors. And they're insanely fast. As far as I know, they aren't venomous at all. But they have very large fangs...their fangs are visible from quite a distance, usually. However, they are very timid creatures. If they are disturbed by you, they'll run for it. I think you'd be very unlucky to be bitten by one, because they aren't at all aggressive. Still, they are creepy if they find their way into your bed...or behind your curtain, or something. I don't mind spiders generally, but I don't like them when they run over my body or something. lol I wouldn't life in Sydney simply due to the Sydney Funnel Web. That thing terrifies me. lol Just looking at photographs makes my spine shiver. I'll put one up here if you want to see how it looks. ~_^ So if I ever lived in Sydney, I'd live in an apartment very far from the ground...lol. Ugghh. [/color]

[color=#707875]Very pretty indeed, Syk. You're very flexible when it comes to different styles. Though, I don't like the black border around the edge. I think it'd look better without that...with just the scratchy white border. Considering we have a white background, it'd suit (in the sense that you wouldn't have to worry about it showing up badly on other skins).[/color]

[color=#707875]Erm, yep...it's all about basic HTML. You can use HTML to edit your myOtaku page. However, just a reminder. If you want to use a unique font and so on, you'll need to do a "" tag before you actually use a font face tag. This overrides our default settings and gives you "raw text". So, once again, to use a font other than verdana...you need to use the "" tag before you type anything. Good luck. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]I can only say that I'm greatly looking forward to FFTA. I enjoyed FFT and having read a little of FFTA...I already know I'm going to buy it. ~_^ I'm trying not to read too much about it though, because I don't want to spoil it. But yeah, the whole concept of a FFT game on GBA is mouthwateringly good. And I love the visuals, too. I think I will have to get a GBA SP first though. V_V[/color]

[color=#707875]I've never stolen, primarily because I know what it feels like to be stolen from. I had [i]two[/i] pairs of sports shoes stolen from me during my time at high school. On one occasion, they were taken from my bag while it was in the change room (there were no lockers in there). And another, it was taken from my bag when it was [i]under[/i] my locker outside one of the classes (the locker was too small to fit my bag, lol). And more than that...I just see stealing as a total waste of time. I always have. Either because you're hurting someone who has done nothing to you, or because you'll probably get caught at some point. [/color]

[color=#707875]I tend to seperate horror movies like I do horror-themed games. You have your Resident Evils (boo! I scared you!) and Silent Hills (a building sense of tension and darkness in the background). Silent Hill really plays on your primal fear, while Resident Evil doesn't. That doesn't mean to say that RE is worse or lower quality...it just has a different technique. Movies like Scream or Halloween are films that I generally find pretty laughable. I'll watch them with friends sometimes, for the pure dumb entertainment value. lol But I certainly don't sit there and expect these movies to say anything special or to have anything legitimately scary. Movies like The Ring are more my style...visually meaningful and supernatural. I find the supernatural to be more scary than some guy running around with an axe. I suppose it's more the fact that with something like The Ring...you are not just in danger of being murdered, you are also seeing your entire mind collapse in the lead up to your death. It's something that is more all-encompassing, rather than just being a question of you being stabbed to death or something. Having said that, I feel that The Ring could have been done a whole lot better. They did do some interesting things with the Japanese original...but there's a lot that they fail to explore, as well. I mostly like The Ring because I love its visuals. It's a gorgeous movie, artistically speaking. And the sound is incredible too, especially if you have a dolby digital setup. ~_^ There are movies that left me with a more empty/heavy feeling of depression, that I wouldn't necessarily call "horror" movies...just highly depressing movies. These tend to have a greater effect on me than some slasher film or something. I remember being quite surprised by The Cell, which turned out to be a very graphic movie in every sense. It wasn't really "horror", but some of it was quite disturbing from what I remember. It is one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen, in the way that it explores the mind of a serial rapist/murderer. Some scenes (like the scene where [spoiler]the boy's father forces him to watch while he rapes the mother[/spoiler] are incredibly confronting and, to me, horrific. Those are the sorts of things that really made me feel like I had a weight in my stomach...something very emotionally taxing. So I don't know if I find it "scary" as such, but I do find it to be quite draining. The Cell is worth watching IF you have a reasonably strong stomach. I don't recommend that kids watch it, because it [i]is[/i] quite graphic in some ways. And the sheer themes that it explores in some parts are definitely not for kids. [/color]

[color=#707875]Oh yes, your thread brings up a very good point. A lot of people are completely blinded by rose coloured glasses, in my opinion. lol You know, the whole "2D is inherently better than 3D" and "modern games will never be as good as classics" crowd. Generally, it doesn't really annoy me much. But it's disappointing, because people with that attitude are missing out on some of the truly amazing innovations in games today. And that's a shame. Some modern games are far better than their classic counterparts, even in relative terms. I mean, when I look at games like Viewtiful Joe and Rez and ICO...and a whole host of others (Vib Ribbon, anyone?), I see sectors of the industry that are more willing than ever to experiment with convention. That didn't happen as much in the 8 and 16 bit days. An increasing commercial focus on games has hurt the industry in certain ways, I think. I'm very willing to concede that point. But generally, I think that companies are far more innovative and expirimental today than they ever were before. And this is partly due to the simple fact that games cost more to produce, tend to make less money...and there tends to be far more competition. The end result is that you really [i]need[/i] to push innovation and creativity if you're going to develop the next best thing. Copying everyone else will only get you so far, generally (though some companies get away with it more than others). I could go on for ages about this...but basically, I think that we do tend to look at the past with rose coloured glasses. But also, you have to remember that some games are not as exciting to you now because you're used to better visuals, greater overall quality or a combination of both. So when you go back after that, things are a bit dampened. But I personally still enjoy some "classics" just as much as I used to. For me, it really depends on the original game. Sometimes I can go back and even play something on N64 and think "Wow, this game is really horrible...it was [i]never[/i] very good". And that perspective may have only come through greater experience.[/color]

These sign-ups are all quite good, but I do think it's worth reiterating a few points. 1) Your Reploid will not have the armor of a traditional Megaman styled Reploid. It will appear far more human, due to the timeline issue here. 2) If your Reploid was "activated" recently and is an adult...you must explain why it was activated so long after being born. Remember, Reploids in the current generation are generally born as humans are. 3) This is a point that hasn't really been needed, but I'll throw it in anyway. Reploids and Humans cannot reproduce together. So a male human and a female Reploid (or vice-versa) can't have children. Your Reploid does not have to be a "natural born" machine though -- you can be "manufactured", if you can explain that in your biography. The only other thing I want to add is that I encourage anyone with an interest in this story to join...even if you feel a bit daunted by the history. If you do something in the RPG that really doesn't gel, I'll just post a little reminder in my own posts. It's no big deal really. Once you get posting and get a feel for it, you won't have any troubles. ^_^ Anyway, here's my sign up... [color=#707875][b]Name:[/b] Zaeon P. Carter [b]Callsign:[/b] Cyan [b]Age:[/b] 28 Natural Years [b]Appearance:[/b] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/cyan-carter.jpg[/img] [b]Personality:[/b] Cyan is a born leader. Both his mother and father were highly independent people, with commanding roles in Novus Concordia's society. And Cyan is the result. Whilst he has the ability to lead others, he is not without a sensitive side. When the time calls for it, Cyan has the ability to put emotion over logic. But generally, Cyan is a clear thinker who sees things in a very three dimensional way. He values friendship and loyalty above most else, though he does tend to put the mission at hand before his own personal needs. Cyan is, by nature, a servant of a higher cause -- in this case, the NC Defence Department. He tends to feel somewhat useless if he is without a cause to defend. [b]Biography:[/b] Cyan is, as mentioned above, a result of his family history. Cyan's father is Proteus Carter II. His famous name comes from his father, P-180. As we know from Novus Concordia's history, P-180 served the Maverick Hunters for many years of his life. And after that, he became a renound neurosurgeon. Proteus became dedicated to the preservation of life, rather than the destruction of it. In a sense, he had always lived up to his basic sense of duty, despite the original intentions surrounding his creation. When Proteus left the Defence Department to become a civilian, he took on the last name "Carter", which was a name that had been held by one of his greatest human friends, who had died several years earlier. While studying at the University of Novus Concordia, Proteus fell in love with a striking young woman named Elena Novus Carter. Elena was only just beginning her career in the world of defence -- she was, quite literally, a missile scientist. Elena was researching ballistics and advanced anti-gravitational technology. Proteus and Elena fell in love almost instantly and over the coming years, they decided to have a child. This was, of course, impossible. Proteus was a Reploid and Elena was a human being. However, new advances in robotics technology allowed Proteus and Elena to "create" a specifically-engineered child, one which took on their combined traits. Their child -- a new generation Reploid male -- was simply named, Proteus Carter II. Proteus Carter II, like his parents, became a scientist. His mother died when he turned 50. She had died from a rare disease that had attacked her neurological system. This was partly what drove Proteus Carter II's father to the field of neurosurgery. Eventually, Proteus Carter died. His son, Proteus Carter II, took up work within the defence department only five years later. And while working there, he encountered his future wife, with who he had Zaeon Proteus Carter. For years, Zaeon Proteus Carter has worked in various areas of the Defence Department. He never liked the desk jobs, though, and when offered the chance to head a special new unit (Sygnosis X), he gladly accepted. Sygnosis X was established in the underground of Proteus Carter II's expansive estate in New Hokkaido, on the outskirts of the city. Proteus Carter II was killed by the Sygnosis 40 virus just after the establishment of the Sygnosis X facility. There are rumors that the creators of the virus knew of his involvement and deliberately targetted him. (Note: New Hokkaido is Japan's capital city in the current time. It is where Proteus Carter II moved after his wife's death. The estate that he owned was also owned by Proteus Carter, which is why it is now being used by Zaeon. The Reploids who are working for Sygnosis X are recruited from various places in the world and for various reasons -- some worked within the United Nations, while others worked within the UN Defence Department and were sourced in that way.) [b]Affiliation:[/b] Sygnosis X [b]Primary Weapon:[/b] Twin Pheyton Blasters. Pheyton is a powerful plasma-like substance, which can be highly explosive upon impact. In addition, Cyan's highly accurate aim and physical agility allow him to operate the weapons with a strong sense of control. [b]Secondary Weapon:[/b] Retractable Beam Sabre. [b]Defensive Capability:[/b] Teleportation. Cyan is capable of limited teleportation. His synthetic body enables his action, though it requires large reserves of physical energy. In addition, Cyan cannot teleport long distance. For the most part, he relies purely on his physical agility to avoid dangerous situations. [/color] Okay...done. Sorry for the somewhat rushed nature of the biography...I didn't want to explain every detail of his history right here. That's something I want to flesh out during the story. I just wanted to provide a short explanation as to why he's here and what his links with previous stories are. Also...I'll start this soon. More people are very welcome to sign up. I'll provide a list of who got in, within this thread. Oh and...Warlock...hurry up with your sign up! ~_^

[color=#707875]Semjaza's last post hit the nail on the head. But also, if Adult Swim have displayed anime fan sites before...I don't know why there'd be much doubt in that case. It shouldn't be a surprise. I'm actually amazed that so many people [i]don't[/i] know how large/popular/etc theOtaku.com is. lol As I said before, it's not the first time the site has been "displayed" on TV.[/color]

[color=#707875]Hehe...no access to proof eh? ~_^ Yeah, I don't really believe anything without proof. But apparently someone has recorded it on VHS or something. I don't know. I'm still looking for a screen capture to confirm it. Although it makes me wonder...is Adult Swim in the habit of putting fan site stuff up? o_O I've only seen Adult Swim once but I've never noticed it.[/color]

[color=#707875]The judge who wanted it to stay is basically a religious zealot. The monument is technically illegal, as has been stated by 9 other federal judges. I don't know what the problem is. Removal of the object doesn't somehow diminish religion in the eyes of the public. And it doesn't change the freedoms with which religious people can practice their beliefs. It's mostly just a question of a legal technicality more than anything else. So, I personally don't think it's a big deal. People who claim that it's a big deal seem to be the same people who are desperate to instate religion in government. As long as this action doesn't impede the practice of religion (and it doesn't), I don't know why anyone who advocates civil liberties can complain. [/color]

[color=#707875]The review section will eventually come back, once several other issues are sorted out first. I spoke to Adam about Version Next updates yesterday and right now, it seems that he's mostly catching up with work that needed to be done while he was away. Hopefully we'll be getting Version Next editions of our old sites online soon.[/color]

[color=#707875]I'm amazed by the fascination that many Americans seem to have with stereotypes. I know that they exist around the world, but American teens seem to love pigeonholing other kids into very specific categories. It's as if this makes socialising more palatable in some weird way. lol It's like when Piro was correcting me on the kind of weapon that a punk would use...I mean, the difference was between a knife and a baseball bat or something. I just thought that it was very amusing. ^_^ I personally don't fit into any of the stereotypes that are listed above. And I must say, I don't think very many people do. I mean, when you look at what someone wears...you might stereotype them into one group. But if you actually knew them (and all sides of their personality), you might think a bit differently. I don't really try to avoid being a stereotype or anything...and I don't try overly hard to "be different" just for the sake of it. I'm just me. I really don't think about the kind of image I'm projecting to the world, in terms of what I wear or what music I listen to. I am how I am...and that's about it.[/color]

[color=#707875]I think that having red for new posts is appropriate...because you want something eye-catching. If you have grey for new posts, you won't notice it. I understand the emotional attachments to red (I've gone through that stuff over and over again in college), but I think it's also worth reminding you that red can signify [i]passion[/i]. ~_^ And generally, I did want to get away from the cool/mellow colouring. I wanted to be just a little more bold. Cool stuff will return for v7, when there are other optional skins. EDIT: Regarding specific imagery...if something doesn't match or looks weird, you can be that I'll be replacing it this week. I just wanted to open the boards before that, otherwise they'd have been closed a lot longer. I felt that the skin was "complete enough" for people to use. I'll have all the icons and stuff wrapped up by the end of the week.[/color]

[color=#707875]Please...people, try to at least put things in the correct forum. And read the rules while you're at it. ~_^[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Die Krähe [/i] [B]Okay...I'm not going to bother reading everyone's post. Red. I don't like most blacks because of how they act. I already told you that. I don't like chinese because they seperate themselves (same with the blacks). Jews killed my Christ. Communism would work if people were perfect, but people AREN'T perfect. So, therefore, it doesn't work. You, Red, are truly the less intelligent of the 2 in this argument because while I'll give a reason as to why I dislike blacks, chinese, communists, jews, YOU will not give a good reason as to why you hate ALL racists no matter how nice they are. I'm rather nice. And I don't hate ALL blacks, chinese, communists, and jews. I already told you that. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]This post just typifies the ignorance that exists in most of your posts. And remember, you're still double posting. Don't do it. If you continue to break the rules, I will ban you. In terms of your posts...I can only say that your reasoning for being racist is definitely based on ignorance. Once again, racism is a result of ignorance. The two are invariably tied together. Jews killed your Christ, huh? So that means you hate all Jews forever? Surely you're at least intelligent enough to see the sheer stupidity in that statement. I mean, if I come across a woman in the street who is rude to me, do I then say "I hate all women?" No. Of course not. There's absolutely no logic there. And moreover, it doesn't give individuals a chance -- you pre-judge everyone based on their race, rather than on their character. Red hates racists probably because he also detests ignorance. I can see where he's coming from. In addition, you say that you don't hate [i]all[/i] members of those races. The problem is that you're thinking in two dimensional terms. There's no room for a grey area in what you're saying. If a group of black people bother you, then you might dislike that specific group. But why does that equate to a dislike for the entire race? And what makes you think that the person's race affects their behavior negatively? Race plays no role in that. It's not a question of your skin colour or nationality, it's a question of your upbringing more than anything else. I've met some horribly nasty asians and I've met some very pleasant asians. Do I then label myself as racist? No. Someone's race isn't the deciding factor in whether or not I like them -- their behavior decides that. What you've done, is make a blanket assumption about a group of people based on their colour and not their behavior. You need to consider that it's the behavior in the individuals that you dislike -- not their race.[/color]

[color=#707875]myOtaku shouldn't be viewed as some kind of competitor to OB anyway. The truth is, these two sites will be far more integrated in the future. Adam and I want to bring all of our sites together. myOtaku and theOtaku.com are already joined at the hip, so to speak. And OB will eventually be tied closely with myOtaku. So it's not a negative thing. In fact, it's a good thing if anything. People who join up with myOtaku might be interested in participating here and vice-versa. myOtaku is also a really great outlet for existing OB members. Besides, there are plenty of people here who already put themselves into specific groups. Some people on here aren't anime fans at all and they never visit those forums. The opposite is true also -- some anime fans have never visited Otaku Lounge. So, it's bound to happen. Regardless, you can bet that we'll always be focused on quality. So no need to worry. ~_^[/color]

[color=#707875]*points to new announcement* I might as well practice what I preach, hm? Get the ball rolling, so to speak. Come on guys. I want to see more effort in this forum. "When did you join OtakuBoards?", "What was your first post?", "How did you find OtakuBoards?" do not really qualify at the moment, I think.[/color]

[color=#707875]Hm...I like Vivaldi's Four Seasons a lot. It's one of my favourite pieces of music. The Vanessa Mai remix is wonderful, too. It's such a passionate piece...everything about it is uncompromising. I love it. And then there is Tocatta & Fugue in D Minor. Is that Vivaldi too? I'm not sure. But that's a beautiful piece. And there's another one...gah, I always ALWAYS forget the name of it. If you have ever seen Evangelion: Death & Rebirth...and you see the end credits, they play the piece. It is often played at funerals. And every time I hear it...it never fails to make me want to cry. lol It's the only music piece capable of doing that. It almost reaches inside my head and touches my nerves directly. I can't explain it...it's like nothing I've ever heard. I wish I could remember the name.[/color]

[color=#707875]Oh, you haven't seen Sleepy Hollow? That amazes me! I thought you'd be one of the first to see it. lol Go out and see it right away, Tony. You must. ^_^ But yeah, I'm a massive fan of Nightmare Before Christmas. I remember seeing it at the movies when it came out...and I'm very much like Tony, in the sense that I really find it very hard to fault. The visuals are gorgeous, the characters are insanely awesome (I love the Mayor lol) and the music is clever and catchy. It's a wonderful animated piece. It reminds me of Grim Fandango to some extent...that game had a very slightly similar "style", in some ways. Probably just the skeletons lol. But yeah, it's all good. As for Danny Elfman...his music is genius. I remember that my mother bought the Men in Black soundtrack and it had one of his orchestral pieces on it (the main theme to the first movie). Wow. What a wonderful piece of music. His orchestral stuff is brilliant. And...his music in Batman Returns is amazing too. Batman Returns is my favourite Batman movie. Amazing music, beautiful visuals...it had everything. Tim Burton and Danny Elfman are the perfect combination! So yeah, you must see Sleepy Hollow. You have Tim Burton, Danny Elfman [i]and[/i] Johnny Depp...who is in himself amazing. It's a must see, if only for the wonderful atmosphere.[/color]

[color=#707875]Um...well, I generally do not laugh if people are injured in real life. I mean, if they're really injured. Usually my reaction is more like..."ow, that must have hurt!" lol. You know, I think more about how it would feel, rather than how silly it looks. So yeah. I don't find injury very funny. That's why I don't like Jackass...it's just a bunch of morons hurting themselves. *shrug* I've never found raw idiocy very amusing. But I guess that if it's part of some kind of sketch comedy or something...maybe. It really just depends on how it is intended. If someone has a serious accident and it really hurts them, I don't want to laugh at them. But if it's some silly thing where it's not serious, or if they trip and giggle at themself...then I'll laugh. ~_^[/color]

[color=#707875]The BBC thing was a segment that they have where they profile websites. Someone emailed them about theOtaku and they profiled it in that segment. So that was pretty funky. But yeah, I haven't seen this Adult Swim thing myself. Some people who were specifically looking out for this "message" have said that it's true, but I don't know. I wasn't aware that fan sites were promoted by Cartoon Network or anything like that. So I originally thought that it might be people mistaking the text on the screen for "theOtaku.com". Unless they just rotate fan sites or something...who knows. But who knows. It'd be nice if someone could record it and upload that little part of their recording for us to see. Or take a screen capture. lol[/color]

[color=#707875]I think it's more a question of being recognized by the "industry" itself, more than anything else.[/color]

[color=#707875]Hm...that's interesting. theOtaku.com was also mentioned once on BBC World, on a show called ClickOnline. But yeah, I've never heard about this Adult Swim thing. I'll talk to Adam and see what he says. It's funny that we haven't actually started up an anime interview section. And this reminds me to bug Adam about it again. Did you know that we've had emails over the years from various people within the industry, about our site? The guy who does Gendo's voice, for example, sent us an email a few months back. He's a fan of theOtaku.com ~_^ I want to start interviewing these people. Now that we've weeded out the all-region Hong Kong DVD dealers from our ad network, we are in a position to do that sort of thing. lol[/color]

[color=#707875]Ahh, but we [i]want[/i] people to join OB to ask a question. ~_^ Hehe. Actually, it's a lot easier to have one location for all of our questions/suggestions. As theOtaku.com begins to add more sites, it won't be feasable to have a Q&A section within each site. But we may publish some kind of FAQ in the future, that remains to be seen.[/color]