James

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by The Harlequin [/i] [B][font=gothic][color=crimson] I would love to some really big flame war get started over some petty argument to do with this....[/font][/color] [/B][/QUOTE] [color=#507AAC]I don't think you're in luck. We don't see too many of those around here these days. And when we do...just about everyone involved is usually banned. So good luck. ~_^ Anyway, yes...the Otaku Awards could be considered frivolous. But on the other hand, they are also a public recognition of behavior and achivement...by members, for members. So in that sense, it's a pretty significant set of awards for many people.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Yep, the original version of American Dream is very cool. I like the drums, they have a very crisp sound. And the video for it is pretty damn awesome as well. ^_^[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Well, yesterday I took a shot and bought the latest album by Jakatta. I'd heard a couple of remixes and really didn't know what to expect. Boy was I surprised. At first, it was kind of a negative thing. Jakatta's music is extremely mellow and relaxed. But it is also very original. And tonight I spent all night listening to the album over and over while working on artwork. It's really relaxing and with headphones, you notice so many unique little sounds and added elements. Does anyone else here like Jakatta? And I mean the original music, not the remixes. A few songs I recommend for download are: [list] [*]It Will Be [*]My Vision [*]So Lonely [*]Feeling Blue [*]American Dream [/list] And I have one other thing to say about some of these songs. When you [i]first[/i] listen you might think "what the hell?" and not like it at all. I had the same reaction. But I encourage you to [i]wait[/i] and [i]listen[/i]. One of these tracks has music that reminds me almost of Final Fantasy VII and it's a strange mix of styles. If you're after some more original electronic music, I highly recommend Jakatta. ^_^[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Kinetic, it's cool that you are enjoying it so much. You're right about the characters; they are really cool. Tsukasa reminds me a lot of Squall from FFVIII. He's that "loner" type, although unlike Squall...he kind of has a good reason to be that way. I also like Mimiru. I love the part where she slaps Tsukasa and tells him that on the Internet, just like real life, people need to use certain courtesies and good behaviors. I laughed out loud at that part -- Mimiru reminded me of myself! lol I felt like she was slapping a newbie and telling him to behave. That's why I have a special affection for Mimiru. lol[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Take him outside onto the grass. My cousin's dog ate rat poison once...and he was okay. You have to put him on grass for two reasons. First, he will vomit a lot. Dogs and cats automatically vomit to clean that stuff out. And second, he'll probably eat some of the grass. I don't know exactly why...but dogs and cats seem to eat grass a bit when they are ill. It must have some quality that helps *shrug* So yeah, just be gentle...carry him onto your lawn or something and see what he does. Also, check to see if any rat poison has actually been eaten. And...finally, you might want to ring a vet for advice anyway. Just incase.[/color]

[color=#507AAC][i]A large pair of blue eyes moved slowly from left to right, staring intently. They happened to belong to Hikaru and he happened to be staring at a little beetle. Both he and Calle had sat to have breakfast, whilst his mother was behind them, busying herself at the kitchen counter. On the patchwork tablecloth, a little beetle ambled along slowly. It paused after every few steps to inspect its surroundings with its furry antennae (which prompted muffled giggles from the two boys). Hikaru took a small bread roll from the table and tore a small portion from its side. He carefully broke the portion into even smaller pieces and scattered them on the table in front of the little beetle. The little beetle approached the portions of bread with caution at first. It waddled along slowly over each square on the elaborately decorated tablecloth. It gently touched the crumbs with its antennae, as if to check that they were okay to eat. But it didn't eat them. Instead, it carefully arranged the crumbs in a single line, one crumb after the other. The pair of blue eyes looked up at the pair of brown eyes from across the table. Neither boy had seen such odd behavior before. The little beetle carefully lined itself up at one end of the line of crumbs and began trundling forward, eating each crumb as it went. The two boys giggled again. And when the little beetle finished off the very last crumb, it stopped and looked up at Hikaru momentarily as if to say "thank you". And then, suddenly, the little beetle's firm shell clicked open, revealing its white lace wings. The shell casing itself was very odd; it was deep green but occasionally a small flash of colour snaked its way over the surface. Neither boy had ever seen a beetle like [i]this[/i] before. Finally, the little beetle slowly hovered its way off the table and toward the nearest window. But as it did so, Hikaru noticed small flecks of golden powder cascading down from the beetle's wings as they fluttered. The powder seemed to glow and cast a very soft light around the little beetle. Hikaru had never seen anything like it and being the curious boy that he was, he decided to investigate. Right after breakfast, that is.[/color][/i]

[color=#507AAC]I don't think you need to even denounce your religion. What's the purpose of doing it anyway? To demonstrate to others that you've changed religion? I don't think it matters. Most people choose a religion either because they were born into it or it suited their way of thinking/justified their life and opinions. And of course, there are those who truly study a religion and follow it through all the way. Generally I think people should do what they feel is right for them. If you aren't enjoying being a Catholic, then don't call yourself one. Don't attend church and such. I mean, it's not very difficult. You can either choose another religion, become agnostic or even athiest. I think sometimes people are too eager to label themselves. And religion shouldn't be about labeling. As Sara rightly said, it should be about the philosophies that you believe are true and good.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I can only echo what's being said. Who is making this claim? A nutty, wacko cult. Since when does mainstream society give any credence to cults? (Oh, wait...probably shouldn't answer that lol). Anyway, I don't know what to think. I guess my attitude is "wait and see". Apparently they're going to let scientists check out the baby to see if it's all true. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.[/color]

[quote]This whole 'banning' idea has a major problem in it. It depends utterly on the idea that the person banned has an IQ of 80 or bellow. I'm not sure of my own IQ, but I know for a fact that it is at least 100 (which is average). [/quote] [color=#507AAC]Funny stuff. Actually, there are a few points you must remember. Firstly, banning is never based on IQ. It is based on behavior. I love the way you tell us that we are cold hearted for not giving you a chance, but your return to the boards is obviously only a continued demonstration of poor behavior. If you'd come here and behaved nicely, nobody would have cared. Instead, you act in this way. See the problem? You can't ask to be unbanned or left alone when you are only resorting to old bad behavior. It doesn't work. Secondly, you won't be able to register here under another name. I'm going to ban your IP, which will ensure that you are unable to return. I hope you learn a lesson from this experience and learn how to behave on other boards, if nothing else.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Yeah, you didn't get very far. Maybe 1% into the game. lol It's very quiet for the first 15 minutes or so, until you really get into it. You came close to the point where it actually starts though...you virtually didn't pass the "press start" screen. lol[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Hm, this is an interesting topic. And it's been handled very well so far. Very interesting to read. What are my beliefs? It's hard to say. After years of experiencing both mainstream religion and religious extremism (my grandparents are very strict Seventh Day Adventists, for example), I've formed a few conclusions about religion and life in general. I guess first and foremost there is the question of whether or not I believe in God. That's the hardest question for me to answer. I do [i]not[/i] believe in the Christian version of God. I don't believe that God is some singular entity that gets involved in our every day lives and controls our destiny etc etc. That's just too far-fetched for me to believe, given all the other things I know and have experienced about life. However, for me it's more acceptable to say that [i]nature[/i] is God. No predetermined path, no moral base...just a force that binds all things together. So in that sense, perhaps even the word "God" is inappropriate. I guess I say that because "nature" is too varied, complex and widespread to summarize as some kind of single being that looks like man. That idea of God (the idea of man being in God's image) is, in my opinion, an [i]incredibly human[/i] tale. And so I tend to dismiss it. As for organized religion, my views somewhat reflect those of others here. I don't support organized religion myself for many reasons. The explanation of the world is [i]so[/i] factually flawed, if you're talking about the bible for example. The bible is so full of contradiction, factual inaccuracy and ancient myth that it's impossible to take it literally. Also, I find that people tend to pick and choose. This is what I particularly dislike about people such as Jerry Falwell and other hard-line religious representatives. For instance, these people often condemn homosexuality and talk about how wrong it is. Yet, they fail to recognize the [i]many[/i] erroneous biological "facts" that the bible states. If I am to take comments over homosexuality and other biological issues literally, then I must also accept that the world is flat and held up on four pillars with a glass firmament enveloping the water-based sky. Having said all of that, there is one summary I make about religion in general. I don't mind if people are religious. I don't have any problems with God or with the ten commandments or anything of that sort. But I take great exception to those who push [i]misinformation[/i] in an attempt to further an ideological perspective (particularly those who try to enforce a moral code on society). This is wrong and it is a [i]very[/i] human trait. I think if God exists, he'd frown on it. I also don't believe that I'm here to earn brownie points with God. I'm here to live my life and be a loving, caring human being. I do this both for myself and for others. However, those who enforce their own agenda via the bible and such are (in my opinion) going to be judged harshly by their very own God. And that's the great irony of religious extremism, I think. If you accept that God will judge us all, I think he will judge creationists and other extremists [i]most[/i] harshly. Anyway, that's all kind of beside the point. I have a fairly basic thought about life generally. While I completely reject the factual inaccuracy of most biblical texts, I do believe that the most basic tenants of Christianity are beneficial to society and to myself personally. Being kind and forgiving to others and being tolerant are important. The problem is that many who preach Christianity often forget these basic principles that Jesus himself apparently posessed. Like CWB, I tend to see organized religion as a process of business these days. And that, combined with some of the issues above (and the many others that exist) are what keep me from ever being interested in organized religion. So, I suppose most people would call me an athiest. I don't know if that's really so true though. I guess I would mostly call myself agnostic...in the sense that I'm not at all closed to the idea of God. But I [i]do[/i] totally dismiss most organized religion and much of what it represents.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Actually, downloading the episodes [i]is[/i] illegal. It does not matter whether or not the episodes have been licensed outside Japan, as I'm sure you're downloading Japanese episodes (since they must obviously be the only ones that exist). Downloading an episode of [i]any[/i] show without paying for it is stealing and is completely illegal. I'm not so sure that I want discussion of anime that has been illegally downloaded (if you are unsure on our policies on this matter, please view our rules page). theOtaku.com and OtakuBoards take a very strong stand against piracy of any kind.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]We did have an introduction area for a while, but we removed it because it ended up contradicting the quality on the rest of our site. It started out okay, but quickly became our very own official spam forum. Generally speaking, introduction forums serve very little purpose. And often, some of the best members simply begin posting well (after reading the rules) and are welcomed within the threads they post in, which is fine. And who were you before? Your account may have been deleted if it was inactive for a very long period of time. That can't be helped though. You need to be somewhat active if you don't want your account to be removed when the redundant users are cleaned up. [/color]

[color=#507AAC]Hey guys, watch yourselves. Keep your bickering [i]off[/i] the boards please. You can continue with this thread if it is civil.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Blade, please read the rules. We don't allow double posting here at OtakuBoards (unless there is a special circumstance, which we talk about in the rules). They don't take long to read and they're really worthwhile so that these mistakes aren't made. I'll remove your original post, since your second post is an edit and not an entirely new post.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Okay, well...to actually [i]answer the original question[/i], GTA:VC doesn't have full frontal nudity. Nothing like that at all. The worst you'll see is women in bikinis. However, the game does have quite a lot more swearing than in GTAIII. So if that offends you (or your parents don't want you to buy a game with lots of swearing), that could be an issue. But otherwise, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to enjoy the game. The nudity is not even an issue really.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I think the best game to be released so far (in my own experience) is Silent Hill 2. I think GTAIII/VC are two of the most overrated games on the system. They [i]are[/i] good games, but they are not revolutionary by any measure. The reason I choose Silent Hill 2 is simply because of the clever story/environment/sound design. Silent Hill 2 manages to achieve the goal that even Resident Evil has not come nearly as close to; providing the most horrifying experience in a video game. The sound design in particular is so well executed and the lighting is yet to be beaten in my opinion (even Splinter Cell doesn't best SH2's lighting in my opinion, even though it does come close). Other than SH2, I'd choose maybe GT3. But I'd only choose GT3 purely for its superb technical design, which has yet to be beaten by any other racing/driving game. As far as gameplay is concerned...perhaps ICO. ICO is definitely a hidden gem; not enough people bought it. It's really a wonderful little game. Other than that, I really enjoyed SSX. I've never really liked extreme sports/sports games (at least since Tony Hawk on N64), but I really enjoyed both SSX and SSX: Tricky. Very good games. Most overrated games apart from GTA? Probably Onimusha and Devil May Cry. Don't get me wrong; both were great games. But Onimusha was simply Resident Evil with slightly better combat and a much more boring and less engaging story. The visuals were gorgeous...but honestly, I played for 15 minutes and already felt as though it was a dressed up RE. I don't get what all the fuss is about. As for DMC...it's kind of a similar scenario. The game was great (boss fights were amazing and the visuals were incredible), but a lot of stuff felt gimmicky. The ability to shoot in the air for example (and the music changes), while cool, were really void of substance in terms of gameplay. So I don't know, I preferred it a LOT more than Onimusha...but I wouldn't say that it was the best game in the world either.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Yeah, on VC...once you reach the second major island, you should be able to reach that level. It's really easy, too. Just shoot the nearest cop and keep shooting the cops as they arrive. Your stars will go up in no time.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]I'm still thinking of holding it (I discussed it in detail with CWB and Rick Hunter among others recently). I think it's best to hold the awards in January and have them based on the prior 12 month period (kind of like the Oscars lol). That way we have time to plan for it and to organize a prize.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]A couple of points here. First, some people are newbies even though they have the "No Life" title. Perhaps Sara is the best member to go over the ins and outs of status being more a state of mind than text on a screen. Ahem. ^_^;; Anyway, these titles are based on time and not posts. In other words, the goal is not to post as much as possible in a short time. The goal is to post as you normally would (lesser numbers and higher quality) and let the title change when the time is right. That's really what we encourage. Do, it's best to ignore your title. It will change in due time. ^_^[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Oh well. There are a number of things that could have been improved in VC. Drive by shootings could have been improved. That weird (albeit minute) delay when you move from stationery to a full-on run should simply not happen. The variety of cars could and [i]should[/i] be greater. What happened to the twice or three times as many cars? Maybe that is truly the case and I haven't noticed. But I don't notice a greater variety in cars [i]at all[/i]. o_O Also, I think the entire control scheme needed an overhaul generally. If you play GTA and then play Zelda on N64, there is a huge difference. Even Zelda on N64 feels so much smoother than GTA. I think GTA would really benefit from a more accurate/smooth/ergonomic control system. My biggest beef with the game would probably be its controls (aiming is horrible for me, though that is somewhat the fault of the poor PS2 analog sticks). Still, I think VC improved where GTAIII had obvious improvements to be made. So it's a case of getting what you expect; it's not entirely new, it's more of an expansion pack (or spin-off, which might be a more appropriate term).[/color]

[color=#507AAC]A great cheat would be to make a chopper or airplane appear. I don't think that kind of cheat exists for VC, does it?[/color]

[color=#507AAC]This looks very cool indeed. I read that the battle system won't be real time, but that it will be more "active" than the FFX system. The loss of the Sphere Grid is disappointing, but if the battle system is significantly different...it may not really matter. Hopefully the battle system is great -- it can really make or break a game like this.[/color]

[color=#507AAC]My new years resolutions? Hm... [list] [*][i]Finally[/i] create the manga I've been working on for the last few years. [*]Propose to my partner on a private yacht in Sydney Harbour. [*]Get OBv7 out the door with EVERYTHING completed. ^_^;; [*]Round out my final months at OB with a bang (see above). [*]Get back into the gym three times a week, rather than once a week (in other words, make more time for myself). [*]Pursue Nintendo until they give up and say "Okay, okay, we'll give you a job" [/list] There we go. Heheh. ^_^;[/color]

[color=#507AAC]Deus...do you know how many times I've read that exact post explaining both your name and the underscores? That's a sign that these threads are incredibly common. lol[/color]