James

[color=#335062]Ah yes. My favourite song from Rammstein is definitely Engel. That's a [i]great[/i] track (weird video clip too). But I also like Links 2-3-4. That's from their newest album. I must admit, I don't like their newest album as much as Sehnsucht, but it's still pretty good.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GunMetal [/i] [B]Well thats what you [i]do[/i] in a thread discuss things. [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#335062][i]Exactly[/i]. And that's precisely why I gave you a tip to help promote a discussion, rather than simply writing a list. I don't think we needed all of the debate on the subject, really. lol It was a pretty basic and easily understood tip (maybe not though lol). ~_^ Anyway, regarding the thread itself...it seems like you've got quite an eclectic taste in music, within the genres you've provided here. Are you interested in Rammstein? They're an interesting band to listen to, if you are into hard rock. I like them primarily because they fuse electronica and rock really well. As I said earlier, I don't really understand their lyrics (unless I read them in English), but it's more the melody of the song that I'm interested in.[/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GunMetal [/i] [B] Just look at this thread up to the point in your post when you questioned it, was that not discussion? [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#335062]It was a discussion because I made it a discussion. So at the end of my post, I was just adding that it was something to consider for the future. ^_^[/color]

[color=#335062]I'm not going to argue with you or GunMetal. I'm simply telling GunMetal that rather than simply listing the music he's been listening to, he might want to prompt more of a discussion from the membership at large. There [i]is[/i] a substantial difference between this thread and similar ones where discussion is prompted. So, that's all there is to it. As I said, I don't intend to close the thread. I'm glad that someone has kicked off some discussion on the subject, at least. [/color] [quote][b]They just keep getting torn down by semantics.[/b][/quote] [color=#335062]I do [i]not[/i] welcome that comment. In the gaming forums, if someone posts something like "these are the games I've been playing lately" and they included a list of the games with a few thoughts, such threads would likely be closed. And they have been closed before. So what I am merely [i]asking[/i] GunMetal to do, is to be a bit more inclusive. To provoke a discussion by posing some questions, for instance. That is not too much to ask. Do not misinterpret my comments as an attempt to force GunMetal to do something else, or to say that the entire thread is against the rules. I'm simply providing advice for his future threads, that is all.[/color]

[color=#335062]Well, people really can't get away with that. Where it's picked up (at least as bad as the example you demonstrated), it's dealt with. Secondly, I'm telling you what is/isn't inappropriate about your thread. To give you a clearer example, I'll compare it to something else. If I wanted to talk about my favourite video games (or the games I've been playing lately), and if I simply created a thread listing them and talking about them, that in itself may possibly be closed (though that's down to the discretion of the Moderator). But if I talked about recent games that I like and said something like "what is your opinion on these titles?" or something of that nature, I'd be prompting a discussion. That's all it is really. I'm not saying that the thread should be closed or deleted, I'm just asking you to put some thought into the concept of opening it up a little bit. [/color]

[color=#335062]Hm, I don't know. I prefer walking around through military bases and sneaking through air vents. Running around in the forest might not be my cup of tea. But having said that, the entire concept of the game certainly looks interesting. o_O Hopefully more information will be released soon.[/color]

[color=#335062]It's not so much a question of how many replies you received. It's more a question of giving people something real to discuss. At least with v3, we were discussing something, rather than reading someone's "currently listening to" list. So, that's all I'm saying; that I hope a discussion can be made out of this. Perhaps you should include some questions or prompt some kind of discussion, so as to be within the rules.[/color]

[color=#335062]I'm the same. I listen to Rammstein, yet I don't understand the lyrics (though I've read them in English). Sometimes it's about lyrics, but for me personally, I prefer the "feel" of the music. That's why I listen to a lot of music without lyrics, I guess. But yeah, understanding isn't really correlated with the feeling/enjoyment of the piece, I think. Anyway, GunMetal, I still have to question this thread. Is this really much of a discussion? You're basically walking in and saying "here's what I like, here's what I'm listening to". And that's it. It's more of a single statement than a discussion. This is the reservation that I've expressed with similar threads in the past. Still, having said that, maybe this discussion can go somewhere. Maybe. o_O[/color]

[color=#335062]Hm...this is an interesting thread. I don't know if I've changed much, in terms of posting. I think my post quality has always been the same. But my attitude has changed, for sure. When I started with this job, it was easy to get overwhelemed. And in particular, it was easy to take things personally and to get emotionally involved. I don't do that anymore. And that's only come through experience. If someone ever told me "You're this or that and nobody likes you", I would more often than not get the impression that the [i]entire[/i] membership hated me or something. But that's not really true -- and I know that especially because I talk to so many people from OB each day. That's been such a great experience, especially. So I suppose that, moreso than before, I'm now used to managing things here. I don't get too emtionally involved, because I always remember that I'm doing a job. But at the same time, it's great to make friends and chat with people away from OB. That's been the best "change" that I've experienced. I'd say that in the last six months especially, I've had contact with more OB members than ever before. So, anyone who hasn't chatted to me and who'd like to should do it. I encourage it. ^_^ It's always fun to meet members for the first time.[/color]

[color=#335062]Ohh, I love it. Another masterpiece! ^_^; ...this reminds me that I want to get a George W. Bush plushie. Ahem. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. ^_^;[/color]

[color=#335062]The enormous HAPC trundled its way towards Barrier Gate 1. This particular gate was located on the western edge of Maverick Hunter Headquarters and was only a few blocks from the city outskirts. Barrier Gate 1 was the hunters' quickest route to the desert. Demos, Iota and Proteus were all sitting in the HAPC's cavernous cockpit. It was quite a unique experience, compared to their adventures on the Alpha. Where the Alpha was designed as a balance between high speed travel and significant armor capability, the Impact (which they were riding in) was a slower and more heavily armored machine. The Impact was also much larger than the Apha. Perhaps twice as large, but the hunters' estimates. The cockpit did not sit at the very front of the vehicle, unlike in the Alpha. Rather, the cockpit sat behind a large turret, which was capable of rotating a full 360 degrees. The turret contained a powerful Laser Cannon, which was capable of flattening most other forms of machinery. Therefore, for those inside the cockpit, there was no direct view of the outside world. The cockpit contained a single window on the right-hand side, which was heavily tinted and bulletproof. But the front and left sides contained nothing but large plasma screens, which were attached to the interior walls. The screens served a variety of functions; mission control, navigation, battalion coordination, long distance communication, battle system coordinators, flight controls and more. A sweeping bench protruded from the front wall of the cockpit. It contained a myriad of buttons and other small displays. Three chairs sat in front of it, each one loaded with heavy harnesses. The chair in the middle was for the HAPC's pilot. The chair on the right was for the HAPC's communicator, who was responsible for coordinating all communications from the HAPC to wherever else. And finally, the third chair -- on the left -- was for the battle coodinator, who was responsible for organizing the HAPC's weapons systems and directing primary battle tactics during an engagement. There was a space behind the three seats, with another eight seats running around the walls. These seats were reserved for other hunters, who had more specific duties (such as commanding specific squads of deployed units). Overall, it was a more intimidating setup than that in the Alpha. Still, Demos experienced no problem piloting the vehicle. Proteus was charged with battle controls and Iota for communications. But because their primary goal was simply to escape the city, both Proteus and Iota could afford a little relaxation, though neither felt particularly relaxed. Demos concentrated intently on the wrap around holographic screen, which levitated comfortably around his head. The screen gave him a 180 degree view of the area outside the Impact, thanks to dozens of microcameras, which sat embedded in the ship's hull. After roughly twenty minutes of travelling, the Impact approached Barrier Gate 1. There were several Security Officers milling around the area, thanks to the security alert. Several of the human officers stood in front of the Impact and raised their open palms, gesturing for the vehicle to stop. While at the same time, another officer approached the single window on the cockpit's right-hand side wall. Demos glanced over at Proteus, who nodded knowingly. He knew what he had to do. He had to lie, and effectively if they were going to leave without arousing suspicion. Proteus walked over to the window and touched the pressure sensor on the wall. The window swifly slid down and disappeared into the door. The Security Officer, who stood just beyond the window, looked up at Proteus. "Hey there, where abouts are ya going?" he asked sharply, as though he'd asked the question a million times already that day. "We're just going to check out a containment leak that has been reported in Sector 1,786," replied Proteus with convincing certainty. The officer glanced at his fellow officers momentarily and looked back up at Proteus. "I see. Well, we haven't heard about any containment leaks in that area," he said. Proteus nodded slowly. "Yes, this incident has been brought to our attention, as we are the only unit capable of handling it at the current time." "Given the increased security situation," the officer began, "I think it only appropriate for me to send another officer with you, to monitor your progress." Demos and Iota both looked at Proteus nervously. Proteus shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm afraid that's not possible, officer," he said. "Oh? And why is that?" the officer snapped. "Because the leak is reported to have originated from a bio-weapons factory. Apparently, the substance is L-104," said Proteus. The officer raised an eyebrow. "So?" "Officer," said Proteus in an authoritative tone, "this substance is highly dangerous to all non-mechanical life forms. The effect radius of this substance is one kilometre. We are going to be [i]handling[/i] this substance ourselves. If we handle it, nothing will happen to us. We are the only people who can safely contain the leak." The officer rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So what would happen if we went along with you?" "Well, you can go if you like..." said Proteus, "...but if you get anywhere near this substance, your skin will begin to tear and peel as a reaction. If that happens, we'll need to get you to a hospital quickly, because this process would expose your internal organs in a matter of minutes." The officer removed his hat and scratched his head. The expression on his face was now not one of resolute authority, but rather, confusion. "Err, alright then...in that case, it's probably better that we don't go with you...er...on your way," he stuttered. And with that, he raised his hand and gestured for the other officers to move aside. As they did so, the enormous Barrier Gate began to hiss on its hydraulic arms and slowly open. "Thank you," said Proteus with a satisfied grin. He saluted the officer as the dark tinted window slowly closed. "Phew, that's that," said Proteus, as he sat down in his chair. Demos and Iota chuckled to themselves quietly, as the Impact slowly lurched forward between the gates, toward the city streets. Proteus was glad that Demos and Iota hadn't forgotten how to laugh.[/color]

[color=#335062]The best way of getting this error corrected is to email Adam directly. His address is: [email][email protected][/email] If you explain your concern to him, I'm sure he'll do his best to fix the problem as soon as possible. ^_^[/color]

[color=#335062]Okay, well, here's mine. ^_^; I can't remember if I submitted one for the last quilt...oh well.[/color]

[color=#335062]Everybody has a certain sphere of control. And each person's sphere of control is different to one another. So, as an example, nobody here has the reach of control that someone like President Bush has. While you and I can maybe influence certain things around us in our immediate lives, none of us have any direct power over a national policy or a military force. See what I mean? We certainly have a great deal of control over our own lives. But once again, everyone's level of control is different. If you're very rich, you have virtually unlimited level of control over your own life. But if you're very poor, your control is highly limited; you're often at the mercy of others and the environment around you. So I guess there are a lot of things you can talk about here. You can talk about basic control (like walking around, the relationships you have, etc etc) or you can talk about a greater level of control (financial independence, owning assets, money increasing your power and influence over others).[/color]

[color=#335062]I can only support what Charles has just said. These forums were collapsed because it wasn't worth having them seperate. I think it's important to realize that all we're talking about here is a change in location. Discussing these animes in Anime Lounge does not limit the scope of your conversation for instance. I mean, there is no need to have just [i]one[/i] Cowboy Bebop thread for example. The notion that multiple threads for one anime cannot exist in Anime Lounge isn't true. However, each thread must be different. So one thread might be "Cowboy Bebop Episode Discussions" And another might be "Cowboy Bebop Music" See what I mean? There's still plenty of variety within each series. So, please don't see this as a limitation. ~_^[/color]

[color=#335062]Yep, sure did. Glad you like it. ~_^ Things are kind of in a state of limbo at the moment. What with Version Next, the end of my semester for schooling and a potential v7 coming up in a few months, there's a lot going on. So, I don't feel comfortable offering any kind of definite date for things like hacks and whatnot. But when things are a bit more sorted out, I can be a bit more receptive to certain things. It's possible that we'll have some new hacks installed soon, as I'm looking into a couple of people who can help with that.[/color]

[color=#335062]I still giggle whenever I see a "Palsonic" TV. lol! Even the font is the same as "Panasonic". It's hilarious. Ahh, the world of rip-offs...[/color]

[color=#335062]Well, I just got the DVD a few days ago. So, here are my thoughts on it. [b]Final Flight of the Osiris:[/b] Not bad. Gorgeous animation, as expected. Storywise, I think it answered a very basic point (ie: how they knew that the machines were tunnelling to Zion). But other than that, it didn't include much of note. [b]The Second Renaissance:[/b] Amazing piece. Absolutely amazing. I really loved this one. Visually beautiful, wonderful direction and some very powerful scenes. This piece was very depressing...very emotionally heavy. But so, so beautiful. [b]Kid's Story:[/b] This piece gets kudos from me for trying something different, animation wise. Very stylized and expressive, for sure. It had an interesting background on the character from The Matrix Reloaded, which was a nice plot tie-in. Pretty good, but not absolutely amazing. [b]Program:[/b] Visually gorgeous. But not much else. It did explain something interesting, with regard to the story...but I felt that this was the most "filler-like" piece in The Animatrix. Having said that, it touched on a couple of important issues [spoiler]such as the reaction that one would have when tempted with the idea of rejoining The Matrix and whether or not reality is better than what The Matrix offers[/spoiler]. [b]World Record:[/b] This was a pretty good piece. The animation was quite bizarre, in terms of how certain things were represented (ie: the agents). Having said that, it was also a very experimental piece. And I think it illustrated something [i]very[/i] interesting. [spoiler]The runner reached such heights of exhilaration when running, that he began to "wake up" from his sleep almost automatically, which is why the agents tried to hold him back and keep him in "the real world". Even at the end, when he was in the asylum...he still had some sense that he wasn't free. Very interesting and quite sad, too.[/spoiler] [b]Beyond:[/b] Wow. That's the one word I can use to describe this one. Absolutely stunning piece. Beautiful in every sense. There was a surreal sense of peace when [spoiler]the kids were manipulating The Matrix from within the courtyard[/spoiler]. Fantastic piece, which illustrated the whole [spoiler]angels, ghosts and such being a glitch in The Matrix[/spoiler]. [b]Detective Story:[/b] This was also a visually stunning piece. Very film noir. It felt like a "classic" anime, in terms of the music and direction...I don't know if that's the right way to describe it, but it's the feeling I had. It was interesting, though I don't think it was quite as relevant as some of the other stories. [b]Matriculated:[/b] This piece was also right up there. It was visually superb, but the story it told was really mind-bending stuff. [spoiler]The way that the humans tried to show the machine that mankind is a benevolent force...that machines can have safety with humans...it was very cool. The techniques used to "trick" the machine were great, too. And the ending was also pretty amazing -- the techniques used worked [i]too[/i] well. Maybe the humans can never win, because of their greedy and arrogant motives?[/spoiler] [/color]

[color=#335062]Most of the hacks that we include are non-generic. In other words, they're specifically designed for OtakuBoards. Some of these hacks aren't installed at the moment, simply because none of our Technical Staff are available to install 'em. Hopefully we'll get everything up and running properly at [i]some[/i] point. ^_^;[/color]

[color=#335062]Hm, discussions about people's backgrounds are very interesting. There's always a lot to learn. My background is pretty European-centric I guess. My parents and grandparents are all from Australia, except for one -- my grandfather on my mother's side is Welsh. A large group of people on that side are from Ireland, some further back are from Germany and my great aunt is Japanese. So basically, I can't list ten billion countries in my family history, though I probably could if I went back far enough. I don't like getting into the whole "3% this and 5% that", because I think it's a bit silly. lol [/color]

[color=#335062]Ohh, I have so many funny school stories. ~_^ I'll tell you two of 'em. The first one is kinda nasty. It happened all the way back in primary (elementary) school. I think it was grade 4. All of the grade 4 boys were in the school oval, running around on the grass. And some kind found a bull ant nest in the corner of the oval, near the school's perimeter fence. So needless to say, about half of the boys started kicking at the nest and digging it all up. It was kinda entertaining for me at that stage of my life (lol), so I just watched along with the other half of the grade. And suddenly, within about fifteen minutes, ALL the hands poured out over the ground and ran up the legs of the boys...and started biting them. Some boys had what looked like dozens and dozens of ants running along their legs, biting them over and over. Now, if you're not Australian, you might not know what bull ants are (I'm not sure if they exist anywhere else). But, an adult bull ant is probably about an inch long, give or take a few millimetres. They're big, they have big jaws...and they're highly aggressive. Shows what happens when you attack their nest. ~_^ All the boys had to get some kinda cream on their legs and stuff that day. They were all okay, but obviously they were really scared after that. lol The second story happened in my senior year of high school. There was a teacher who joined a few months into the year, called Mr. Stokes. He was kind of like Sy from One Hour Photo...a nerdy, awkward looking man. Probably in his mid-40's. And with a tremendously large combover. o_O; But anyway, he was really rude. I can't remember exactly how it started, but he became enemies with Tom, one of my friends. So, Tom used to do all sorts of stuff to him. One day, he locked Mr. Stokes in a class room and walked away casually...lol...Mr. Stokes was trying to get passers-by to unlock the door. o_O He was never in any danger or anything, but it was more of an embarassment for him. Anyway, he also used to walk past the spot where my friends and I used to hang around at lunch times. We used to hang around on these stairs near one of the office buildings. There was about 12 of us, I think. One day, he walked past and made a nasty little comment about Tom's dreadlocks. Tom heard it and, being the person he is, pointed to the guy's head and yelled out "COMBOVER! MY GOD, THAT'S SUCH A MASSIVE COMBOVER!! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!! AAHHH!!!" lol. And on another occasion, Mr. Stokes just gave Tom a nasty look..so uh...Tom walked up to him and walked beside him a bit...then he leaned over and spoke just like Ace Ventura... [spoiler]"Excuse me...your [b]balls[/b] are showing..."[/spoiler] Ahem. It was funny at the time. ~_^ [/color]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Naru [/i] [B]that was the worst movie ever. DONT go see it. ~Naru [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#335062]Care to elaborate? ^_^[/color]

[color=#335062]I also have little sleeping habits. For instance, I can't stand total and utter silence. You know, the kind where you can hear the blood vessels moving around in your brain. lol So, I have a small fan in my room that I put on every single night. Even if it's freezing cold, I put it on and sometimes turn it away from me. I need the noise. But having said that, I don't really like music or any kind of loud noise when I'm sleeping. The fan's good because it's a constant hum and it's not too loud. So, that's usually how I fall asleep. ~_^ But if I'm ever having my hair stroked (when I'm lucky enough), I fall asleep right away. If someone did that to me now, I guarantee that my head would hit the keyboard in an instant. It's weird. o_O[/color]

[color=#335062]I think that Castlevania: LoD is one of [i]the[/i] most underrated games on the planet. I really enjoyed it. The first level is a bit slow, but as you continue through the game, you'll definitely discover quite a lot of variety and challenge. Having said that, LoD was a bit ambitious. It didn't have the same level of expression that the 2D games posess. So in a sense, it was a bit disappointing. But it wasn't a failure. This game could be the game that gets it right. Controls are the most important thing, but so is atmosphere. That last shot in particular looks pretty atmospheric to me. Of course, the visuals here are a bit poor...but it's early days yet. Hopefully they'll improve. Castlevania is really worthy of Devil May Cry treatment, in terms of visuals and control. Hopefully, [i]hopefully[/i] they'll do it some justice.[/color]

[color=#335062]Well, we moved servers from v3 to v4. But that was a very short move. The boards were only down during that time because v4 was being worked on. And we moved again from v5 to v6. That was the month-long move. It would have been shorter, had our host not made so many mistakes. lol If we move again, it will be because we need to. Adam and I both dislike moving the entire site, because it can be very troublesome. But, we'll do what we have to so that OtakuBoards works. Hopefully, if we do move again, it'll be our last move for a long time. [/color]