James

[font=franklin gothic medium]Okay, that's fair enough. I just felt it was possibly a little ambiguous for newcomers, that's all. I guess the OT stuff isn't too much of a problem here, considering that this thread itself isn't being used to post sign-ups. Good luck with everything, Darren. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah that looks fine. I imagine that there would be many materials suppliers involved with the project, although they would probably only handle their specific designs (i.e. they wouldn't know a great deal about the overall design). Also I forgot to mention earlier, with regard to press... press passes will not grant access to all ares of the ship by any means. The lowest deck is off-limits to all passengers and crew (including, quite possibly, the Captain himself). If you guys want to come up with venues as well, I'm going to add a file to the Dossier about them. I'm already thinking of naming several bars, clubs and so on which we'll be able to refer to in the RPG.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Please feel free to direct all network related questions here - including stuff related to theOtaku. There's actually quite a bit of crossover between the two sites, as far as staff go. There aren't many places on theOtaku where you can submit questions like this (unless it's a specific bug), so you're more likely to get an answer to your question here.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]That's fine, I just can't see where that is mentioned in the OP. So anyone who is new to this series may not know what to do - I was trying to make it clearer for those who may not know what they are doing. Sorry to take things off-topic with your thread, Darren. As far as I can see, the OP only specifies that you have to PM the avatar...not the whole sign-up. So you may want to clarify that for any new players who aren't familiar with this series.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]The sign ups look good so far. And yes, you can add details for NPCs if you like.. although your sign ups will really be judged based on your own character specifically. Great work guys! :catgirl: I can already see some potentially awesome Dossier files coming out of the info posted so far.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think everyone has at least one nerdy thing about them. It doesn't bother me at all. I think it's more nerdy to actually care that you're a nerd more than anything else. The act of thinking about one's own nerdiness is supremely nerdy, in my opinion. :catgirl: I figure that if someone calls me a nerd (and if they're attempting to insult me), that automatically makes them more nerdy than me. After all, calling someone else a nerd is probably one of the most nerdy insults you can make. [b]Edit:[/b] See how many times I can fit nerd into one post? [i]That's[/i] nerdy! :drunk:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I decided not to do a final post for Audrey. Malkav's final post says it all really - I don't think I need to add to it. Instead I've focused on Gustave's final moments in Czenovia. He's returning home and selling his summer house. As you can see, though, he is making sure to check in on Victoria-Ann one last time. :catgirl:[/font]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img] [/center] [b]Two Weeks Later?[/b] The summer house looked different now. The gardens had been trimmed back from their former wildness. It looked ready for a new owner. It had not taken long for Gustave to decide to sell the home. While there were still many fond memories here, he knew it was time to leave them behind. Despite everything, this house still reminded him of his deceased cousin ? this is where he?d heard the tragic news and things had gone from bad to worse within a very short space of time. Gustave had always been strong, but Vincent?s death tempted him to stay in Czneovia longer, if only to cling to the Almagest family for a few more precious weeks. The Almagests had very much become Vincent?s adoptive family, but he had never had the chance to say goodbye to them. And then, of course, there was Victoria-Ann. Gustave smiled to himself as he pictured her little face. She was almost like a daughter to him; in fact, she was almost like the daughter he wished he?d had. Before he left, he knew he would have to see her and say goodbye. Perhaps someone would bring her to visit him in Le Monde. A deep rumbling interrupted Gustave?s thoughts momentarily. It was one of his steamcars with a large wooden trailer attached. Lazarus was inside. The window rolled down and a head popped out. It was Jacques. He was Gustave?s right-hand-man when it came to Chimaera; he had supported in their training for races and he was responsible for their general care. His young, round face was framed with short blonde curls. He was only nineteen and it was his great dream to become a Chimaera Jockey one day. ?Sir?are you ready to head to the Aerodrome?? he piped up. Gustave turned to him. ?Not quite,? he replied. ?We must first stop off at Rosengard to bid farewell to the Almagests. And I want to check in on Lucy and see how she is going ? I haven?t yet seen the new stables.? Jacques nodded. ?Sounds good, Sir. I have been notified that the other Chimaera were loaded onto the airship fifteen minutes ago and they?ve been given fresh feed, so they can wait.? Gustave nodded and smiled. He took one look at the summer house again. As he did so, he slipped on his leather gloves and propped his top hat on his head. ?Now I?m ready,? he said to himself.

[font=franklin gothic medium]Okay guys, the audition thread is live. I've put it up this weekend to give everyone plenty of time to put characters together. I will not be actually launching this thing for at least another week, so you will have enough time to give your characters some thought and to ask questions here. I've tried to keep the auditions thread as simple/clear as possible. Indi and I will be signing up shortly. :catgirl: Now I just have to finish my Almagest post... [/font]

[center][img]http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/522/vonbraunlogobl9.jpg[/img][/center] The Journey of a Lifetime[font=arial][size=2][color=#202020][b]01 APR 2050[/b] The city of [b]Washington Prime[/b] is tonight bracing itself for the first wave of space tourists, all bound for the [b]Marr Space Center[/b]. These lucky visitors will be the very first passengers on the [b]Von Braun[/b] and will be taking part in the ship's maiden voyage. The ship's passenger list makes for interesting reading, with its smattering of celebrities and politicians. However, [b]NARA[/b], which is handling all admissions and bookings, insists that the Von Braun will be available to passengers of all kinds. Those who can not afford tickets have had the opportunity to board the ship through other means (for example, by working as crew members or by winning competitions for first and second class rooms). During its maiden voyage, the Von Braun is scheduled to travel to the most distant parts of the galaxy and back. Passengers will be treated to stunning views of the [b][url="http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9587/tranquilitycr9.jpg"]Tranquility Comets[/url][/b] and will even stop off at the [b][url="http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/4149/buerglehobbystaedtedieivs8.jpg"]NAR Deep Space Outpost[/url][/b] which, until now, has been largely off-limits to the media (and the public at large). The public's return to space promises to be interesting and, thanks to the Von Braun, it will be a memory that over one-thousands passengers will carry with them for the rest of their lives. [i]Washington Prime News Network (WPNN)[/i] [/font][/size][/color] The Von Braun Odyssey: A James & Indi RPG[font=arial][size=2][color=#202020]Welcome to [b]The Von Braun Odyssey[/b], a collaboration between Indi and myself. We have worked hard on many of the background elements for this, so we hope that you guys enjoy it. Before you sign up, I should point you in the direction of [b][url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=58951"]the Backstage thread[/b][/url] for this RPG. This thread already contains some background story info as well as some basic information about the ship itself. As time goes on, Indi and I will be updating the [b]Dossier[/b] with further files. Players will also be welcome to submit Dossier files of their own. Below, you will find a [b]sign up form[/b], which Indi has already filled out with one of the NPCs we will be using in the story. This should give you a good example of how to fill it out. In terms of your character, there are really no limits. You can be a passenger (either someone who has bought a ticket, won a ticket - or even a stowaway) or you can be a member of the ship's crew (anything from a cook, to a security guard at the casino, to a holodeck skiing instructor). Please feel free to experiment with your character and have fun! We are going to use avatars/icons for characters and I have taken the liberty of putting together some examples already. If you want to use one of these pre-prepared avatars, please just include them in your post. If you see an avatar you want to use, you had better get in quick, because once someone has chosen an avatar it won't be available for another player to use. If you want to make your own, you are more than welcome. Please just make sure to keep the sizes at 110x110 pixels and ideally, the image should be black and white (in keeping with our retro theme). If you have any questions about your character or you want help with your avatar, please feel free to post in the Backstage thread. Also, I do want to mention one other thing. Although this RPG will not at all be considered "adult" in nature, it will be necessary for players to handle mature subject matter appropriately. If you are very easily offended or have difficulty dealing with subject matter of a mature nature, please consider your sign up carefully. While this RPG will not contain explicit material, we will certainly touch upon subjects that will need to be handled responsibly. [/font][/size][/color] Sign Up & Choose Avatar[font=arial][size=2][color=#233145]Here are the required sign-up fields. [b]Passenger/Crew Member Name:[/b] Your character's full name, as it would appear on the passenger list (or crew register). [b]Age:[/b] How old is your character? Please feel free to experiment with this; we would like to see as many different backgrounds as possible. [b]Identification:[/b] Place your character I.D./avatar in this field. If you want to make your own avatar, please ensure that it is 110x110 pixels in size (and if you need help with this, please ask us in the Backstage thread). Here are a group of pre-set avatars that you may use if you like (but again, feel free to make your own if you wish): [center][IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar2_crew.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar9_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar8_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar7_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar6_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar20_crew.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar19_crew.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar18_crew.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar17_crew.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar16_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar14_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar13_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar12_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar11_guest.gif[/IMG] [IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/Desbreko_Fanclub/VBO/avatar10_guest.gif[/IMG] [/center] [b]Occupation & Background:[/b] Why are you on the ship? There are literally a million possibilities for this, but here are a few suggestions: [b]Officer:[/b] These staff members are senior members of the crew, who oversee all operations on the ship. The Officers all report directly to the Captain, who will be played by an NPC. [b]Hospitality:[/b] The crew responsible for seeing to the guests comforts. Possible positions could be in food, housekeeping and entertainment. [b]Maintenance:[/b] The crew responsible for maintaining the ship. They deal with any technical issues. They also oversee the ships engines and make any necessary adjustments to keep things running smoothly. [b]Security:[/b] The group responsible for the safety of the passengers and crew. You could choose to be a Security Officer (general ship security) and you could station yourself in a specific area. You can even sign up as Chief of Security, although the CoS would answer to the NPC we have included below (which will be controlled by Indi). [b]Passenger:[/b] There are several kinds of passengers, from the wealthy to the middle class, to those who won a ticket to the first voyage back into space. There is even the possibility that someone is on board as a stowaway. Please feel free to be creative with any of these areas - I'm sure there are roles that we haven't thought of, so we are more than happy for you to invent something of your own. Also, if you wish, you may put a little more about your character's personality and background in this field. Here is an example sign up, using one of the key NPCs in the story: [b]Passenger/Crew Member Name:[/b] Samantha A. Wells [b]Age:[/b] 25 [b]Identification:[/b] [img]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8936/avatar21crewxq4.gif[/img] [b]Occupation & Background:[/b] Samantha is a member of NARSIA (North Atlantic Republic Security & Intelligence Agency) and the official representative for the organization on the Von Braun. As the daughter of NARSIA’s Director of Security, Patricia Wells, Samantha is well acquainted with policy, procedure and politics surrounding the agency. Though she is rather firm and often strict (as she takes her responsibility very seriously), Samantha is also very open and friendly. Though the Von Braun has a Chief of Security for the trip to oversee all of the vessel's security needs, Samantha ultimately outranks the CoS and can step in at any time.[/font][/size][/color]

[font=franklin gothic medium]That's an awesome idea, DeLarge. I hadn't considered that angle at all, but I like it a lot. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]If you guys want to join this RPG, you would need to fill out the sign up fields that Darren mentioned above. So you'd have to fill this stuff out: [b]Name:[/b] Anything you want. [b]Age:[/b] This can be just about anything depending on the race of your character. (Obviously if they’re human, it should at least be between nine and ninety. However, if you have a ninety year-old woman, don’t be surprised if she dies first) [b]Gender:[/b] There’s only two genders… Just because you invent a race of people doesn’t mean you can invent a new gender as a loophole to the rules) [b]Race/Origin:[/b] Human, Centaur, Sphinx, or some personal creature directly from your mind. Just about anything works. Origin includes both their home planet and the exact year they are coming from. (Past, present, or future, it doesn’t matter) [b]Occupation:[/b] Anything you want.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]We are actually thinking of changing the format of events on OB somewhat. It has been difficult to maintain ongoing events - even though I think the members are interested, it's just been hard to run them and establish them from the staff side. So we have considered ways to change the nature of events on OB. For instance, if you look at the Graphic Worm... I'd almost say that's an ongoing event. It's something the whole community can enjoy, but it really makes sense for it to be in Art Studio rather than here. I have considered the idea of allowing members to make their own events across the site, or to nominate events that we can approve (so each forum could have different events running at different times). We might simply keep an active list of them here or elsewhere. Anyway, perhaps we can use this thread to discuss the future of OB Community Events. What are your ideas in terms of the overall format? I'd like to see what the members think about this.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm sorry that I haven't been able to put my last post up yet - it is sitting here half written. I may have to make some changes based on what others have written though, which is totally cool. Malkav, please feel free to put your post up first. I will just work with what you've written. I will try to have the post up this week, hopefully Friday. Apologies again, I'm very keen to have everything wrapped up![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Font Wars has definitely got to happen. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I do think it's worth playing. In my opinion, the A.I. is not as cheap as many reviews suggest - it's about as cheap as any previous Mario Kart title. As I said earlier, you can still perform well by being a good driver and knowing the tracks well. Still, I think the truth is that this does feel like more of the same. It certainly doesn't do for MK what Super Mario Galaxy does for the Mario franchise, you know? So there are some clear negatives for Mario Kart fans, but nevertheless, it's still a solid game when taken on its own merits - and if you're an MK fan it's worth owning. It's just that you shouldn't expect a "next generation" Mario Kart by any stretch of the imagination.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]There's plenty of room for some of that to happen anyway. I mean, yes, there will be a main plot line... but really the RPG will only work and become interesting when people start putting their own ideas into it. That's what I'm really looking for. And Muse, you are absolutely right - you've got the right idea for the whole retro future thing. :catgirl: So yeah, thanks for the feedback guys. We are not far away from auditions now, I think.[/font]

[quote name='Malkav']So I just read the Dossier and I was thinking a holodeck, where people can like go skiing, or sky diving or something. Just a fun thought.[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]That sounds awesome. I've put the basics in there to give everyone a bit more info about the ship, but I really want the writers to put together the details as they go. And the holodeck idea sounds great. :catgirl: [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Thanks much. I look forward to seeing what you come up with for your sign up. :catgirl: I shall endeavour to have more information up here this weekend. Last weekend our internet virtually died and it was impossible to get things updated properly. Tonight I will hopefully be able to sit down and put more together for this. I also have to do my final Almagest post - yikes! I shall be quite busy. :catgirl: Seriously though, thanks to everyone who has expressed interest at this early stage. I'm sure it'll be easier to come up with your characters and such as the details progress. [b]Edit:[/b] Okay, the first Dossier is online. I've kept some parts of it fairly general so that the players can fill in the details as they go. I have just tried to provide a bit of background and context for the players. Although we will be putting up more Dossier items soon, this is really the main one I wanted to write prior to the auditions going live.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I guess my only question is whether or not you have a general plot in your mind at this point - I mean, the set up/background is quite good... but I'm wondering if you have any ideas of how the story might progress? [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I've been playing this for a few days now. In fact, I spent about five hours playing it all yesterday afternoon (and I haven't spent that long with a game in a while in one sitting). The thing about this game is that it's really hard to explain it without giving lots of examples. There are a ton of things in the game that really surprise you (in terms of A.I. intelligence or simply attention to detail). So it's hard to know where to start. I guess the first thing you really notice in the game is the new physics system. It really affects everything from your character's general movement (which is now [i]far[/i] more realistic) to vehicle control. Vehicles are still a bit iffy for me at this stage. Yes, they are now more realistic. On the other hand, some of them are [i]so[/i] heavy that they are a pain when turning corners and they take far too long to come to a complete stop. The "looseness" of vehicle control can sometimes be an issue. Having said that, most cars are fine and it's just something you get used to over time. The physics kind of dictate so many of the game's improvements, though. I actually think that the physics make the entire game feel quite different, because they add a layer of depth that the previous games never had. If I had to explain it in another way, I'd say that in the older games you had these huge worlds that had a lot of things going on. But, compared to GTAIV, they were lifeless; their activity was only superficial in nature and most of it didn't mean anything. In GTAIV, you can dig right down into the relationships in society. Using the Internet and TV for example, you start to uncover a world that really is active even when you're not around. There are so many things going on that aren't even tied to the actual story, but that exist because the world strives to be as real as possible. I think one of the best examples of the improvements in depth relate to dating. In this game, dating and building relationships are a much bigger component than ever before. But, they actually aren't boring. And that's because a) you can see very clear evidence of relationships advancing and b) the process of dating or taking a mate out for a beer are actually [i]fun[/i]. I'll give you an example: [spoiler]I started dating Michelle early in the game - I think she's sort of the main person you date, but you can date other people as well. Anyway, on each date you can literally see the relationship improving through the characters' conversations. On the first date she's asking Niko about where he's from and what work he does...and as time goes by, the discussions get far deeper. So much so that the characters begin to uncover revelations about each other and it changes the nature of their relationship. Also, Michelle is actually [i]aware[/i] of what Niko is doing. And it feels very natural. For instance, if he wears the same clothes twice in a row, she might make a comment. One day I just bought new shoes and she noticed it about halfway through the date - "Oh, new shoes Niko? They look great." She will even comment on the [i]style[/i] of your clothing. She'll also talk about many other things. For instance, she will ask about your common friends and your cousin. These discussions are not simply static things that feel canned or forced, though - they come across as very natural and dynamic.[/spoiler] There's so much more to say even just with dating that I could go on forever. And then you can go into stuff like the new policing system (which is far better than the old one, in my opinion) or the variety when it comes to jacking cars. The game is filled with many subtle details, too. For instance, I jacked a car to pick up a guy who I had to drop off somewhere. When I jacked the car, Niko smashed the driver's side window and hot-wired the car before taking off. When I picked up the guy, he was smoking. You could see him actually smoking inside the car. His smoke had nowhere else to escape but the open window - so as I'm driving, you can see his smoke billowing out from the driver's window. Even when you turn your car, or if you hit something... you can see the occupants moving around realistically inside. And then there is the cell phone (an incredibly useful inclusion) and the various things you can do with it. At first I didn't really understand why anyone would bother with a taxi ride for instance, but it soon makes sense - sometimes using a taxi is a far better alternative than driving (especially when drunk). All in all I could go on forever, but I won't. Basically, GTAIV is by far the best GTA I've ever played. I think it addresses some of the main criticisms with previous games, while also going a lot further in new areas. When you first play, it doesn't seem all that different (other than the really obvious stuff). But as you progress you start to realize just how life-like the game is...and just how different it is from previous games in the series. So this is definitely a no-brainer if you're a GTA fan. And if you're not, this may very well be the game that gets you into GTA - as a stand alone product, it's really remarkable. I do think that this game sets a lot of new benchmarks for gaming in general.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]This is truly weird, but kind of cool. I think it's the first time someone has ever put together a theme song for the site. ~_^[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Wow, this is really amazing. It's good to see you around, Torisuki. Congratulations on your little girl! She looks like she's right at home with the whole web surfing thing (see 8bit's question :catgirl:). Heheh.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I get the impression that DeLarge simply means it'd be bigger than Wayne Enterprises in general... in more countries/locations and bigger in terms of their overall business.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I like this idea, DeLarge. I think it's a great start that you can build from. And with this concept you can really do anything. I mean, it can be set in early 20th century New York...or today...or in the future. It could even be set in the 60's or something. So in terms of style and themes, I think you could create something unique. Also the idea that all the characters would work for the one corporation is great, because it gives them a reason to know each other... and yet, they can have totally varied job descriptions. So you effectively kill two birds with one stone there - it's quite clever and workable. So good luck. And no, don't let your limited time on OB be a deterrent - you seem to have a good idea of how RPGs work, so I encourage you to go for it whenever you feel ready. It does sound like it would be a great addition to the Theater.[/font] :catgirl: