James

[quote name='Sandy']Well, screw you all for not letting me screw. XD James, you have got to stop giving me mixed signals. First you say Gadget shouldn't have left, and now you're saying he shouldn't have come back. You also said Vincent would do irrational things just for Gadget's sake, but now you're saying he's a responsible adult and always keeps his head cool. I will remove the sex part, but to my[I] personal [/I]storyline it's important that Gadget gets this injection. Don't you guys think I have a plan to what my character will I do? Anyway, Vincent can return to his work after this incident, just leave Gadget to Rosengard or his appartment. *shrugs* It's not harder than that, Jamesy. ;D[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I'm not giving you mixed signals, Sandy. I never said Gadget shouldn't have left. I simply said that Vincent was very unlikely to simply shoo him away. I don't know if I ever said Vincent would do irrational things for Gadget's sake...I think I had just pointed out that Vincent wouldn't carelessly dismiss him. None of that translates to Vincent jumping him in his ex-wife's laboratory. lol You're extrapolating a lot of meaning from what I've said. I don't think I've ever been anything but clear about Vincent's personality, especially in my actual RP posts. No, Vincent would not just dismiss Gadget. But yes, he is an adult - he's a man of 40 - and he's always been very reserved. I think those elements have always been pretty clear. In terms of your plan, none of us have a way of knowing. Gadget keeps fainting and getting injections over and over again. It may be time to start moving his story forward, otherwise the rest of us may risk being confused. Anyway, as long as all of that is clear at this stage, we should be fine from here on. Tonight is the Chimaera Cup (some characters have already arrived) and Gustave is about to make his little entrance. Should be an interesting race. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote]Besides, I had always assumed that Vincent wasn't the type to do that sort of thing.[/quote] [font=franklin gothic medium]Right. That post did kind of take me by surprise, lol. I think from my point of view, it was useful to establish the relationship over a day or two (which has been done in good taste so far). But that latest post kind of moves things in the wrong direction for me personally. I should point out that Sandy didn't know my plans, which is not his fault. I was actually thinking that while Gadget was running around town, Vincent would spend some time working on the case. I didn't really expect Vincent to be dragged back to the lab for little reason - I mean, there was no real plot advancement there, just sex. lol So yeah. While I don't want to jump on the startled reaction bandwagon, I do think that as a matter of plot continuity...that post did kind of mess up what I was hoping to do. I'll see what I can work in as far as going ahead with my original idea as much as possible. I'd probably ask you to remove the sex reference actually, Sandy. It's just not in keeping with Vincent's character at all. I mean, yes, they've had sex once. But it was a different situation and the emphasis was on their dialogue and so on. Vincent is an adult, not a teenager. I don't think he'd have random sex in his ex-wife's laboratory. lol Just to be clear, I don't think that the relationship between Vincent/Gadget has been any more soap operatic than several others in this RPG. It's probably had about the same emphasis so far. [i]But[/i]...this latest post moves things in a direction that I personally am uncomfortable with. I don't want Vincent to be portrayed in a way that isn't true to how I've tried to write him so far.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I guess at the end of the day it's not a question of a slippery slope for me. No, I don't believe that an extra 10 pixels of height will lead to a dark future where all banners will be 1,000 pixels tall and 7 million pixels wide. I personally don't really care either way, but if anything I'd be inclined to keep things as they are for now. I think our upper limits for banners are large enough, frankly. If anything I'm more likely to add width to banners rather than height (given the nature of a forum layout, where height is probably more detrimental to people's ability to view posts clearly). I guess ultimately if I add ten pixels for one type of random image script...that's cool. But then someone will say "But [i]my[/i] random image script needs another 20! You did it for that guy, why not me?!" I mean we're never going to please everyone. My suggestion is to either a) find a random image siggy that works with OB or b) use a different signature here than on your other forum. Easy solved, really. We've had plenty of people who have used these types of scripts before (i.e. with music libraries and stuff) without any issue. So I'm sure there are plenty out there that will be of the appropriate size. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Er, yeah, my "night had just fallen" was probably wrong wording. But it did all indeed happen in the one night, haha. In terms of Gadget/Vincent...I think the point I was making was that Vincent is obviously pretty smitten with Gadget; to the stage where at one moment he actually felt he was neglecting "the real world" because of his interest in him. Still, it's all good. Things may be able to change radically anyway.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Cool. I think Shy wanted Bavaria to go anyway so that will all work very well. Thanks![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Since the festivities go for days, that's totally cool. I just wanted to put my plan out there now, in case there are any timeline issues in future. It will at least set the agenda for this day in the RPG.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Just to make sure we're all on the same bus... I am thinking of having everyone attend the Achard Marquee at the Cup [i]tonight[/i] (given that it's now the following morning, subsequent to the bomb situation). Would that be ok with everyone? I've discussed it with Shy and this is our idea: The Achard Marquee will be where the Almagests are invited. The marquee next to theirs will be for the Dynasts, who will be inviting the Deacons. Again, anyone is free to go or avoid the event - entirely up to you guys. There will be some drama at this cup, I believe. Shy has some great stuff planned and it'll be an opportunity for me to start revealing a bit more about my characters too. My next post will take place during the day...and then my post after that will be in the evening, at the Cup. Is this okay with everyone? Still gives you plenty of time to do what you need to do during the day. People will know about this event because an invitation was sent to Rosengard, with the Achard family seal upon it.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]If it's just an image you want to use, then yeah, I'd just recommend cropping it. I still haven't seen the feature you're referring to so I can't comment on that. But yeah, images themselves can easily be edited to suit our requirements. If worst comes to worst you can use Art by Request to ask a Member to help you with that.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]My feeling is that we have things just about right. Other anime forums can do what works for them, but we prefer to have fairly organized/tidy signatures. This is also helpful for people who have slower connections (or who simply don't want to wade through millions of giant signature images when reading threads). In terms of features, I'm sure there's plenty we can do. I haven't checked out A-P but I'll have a look so that I understand what you guys are referring to. If we can add an interesting sig feature then we'll look at it. But yeah, at this point in time, I'm pretty happy with banner sizes on OB. I don't really think they need to grow any further right now. But I tend to review that over time anyway - if there is ever an increase, it's likely to be minimal (i.e. 10 pixels or so). We'll still always try to keep things tidy and organized.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I know I'm late to the party, but here's my own understanding of the timeline: Leonhart's wake (goes for most of the afternoon I'd imagine) Gadget goes back to Vincent's place (early evening) Gadget/Vincent fall asleep and wake up to news of the bomb situation at Rosengard (late evening) Gadget/Vincent return to Rosengard and bomb goes off (later evening) Gadget/Vincent go to pick up Gustave (late late evening) Macey comes out of hospital (following morning) It could be that my post was [i]after[/i] others, but I was posting about the previous night. So I didn't skip a day; I was still on the previous evening, just [i]very late[/i] that evening. I hope that makes sense. I've probably misunderstood something. Also, just a quick note to Sandy: I know that you wanted an excuse for Gadget to explore the town, but I doubt that Vincent would dismiss Gadget as he did in that post. It's not a major issue and you don't need to change it, but it's a fairly fundamental mis-reading of Vincent as a character.[/font]

[quote name='Sandy']I'm not entirely sure what Vincent and Gadget were supposed to be doing after the meeting with Gustave, but they won't be going to the races today. I think Vincent should be at work, since the Police Guards are most likely investigating the incident now. And the landmark note is an important clue to the case. Vincent can drop Gadget off at the medical center before going to work, so he can reunite with Macey.[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]I doubt Vincent would be at work so late at night (he and Gadget are picking up Gustave very late in the evening). I figured they'd probably be ready for sleep. Although I never really indicated how late it was, so that's cool. Your subsequent post helps a lot. So yeah. In terms of investigation, all I can realistically say is what we already know from Landmarks (which would be redundant). Anything beyond that is probably a no-go for me, because I don't want to mess with the overall plans. If you want Vincent to be involved with investigations, you'd have to PM me with further info about what's going on and where it's headed. I guess all I could really do at this point is just join in the speculation on what the message means. But that somehow seems unprofessional for someone with Vincent's position - I mean, you'd think the RPG would know at least a bit more. :catgirl: Unfortunately my internet has totally died at home - I'm borrowing an expensive wireless card that I can't stay on for very long to post this. I think there's an actual line problem. So I won't be able to post again until about Tuesday (given that it's a long weekend here). Sorry about that guys. Please just go on with the general festivities as you like. I will just have to post about Gustave's little party when I get back on.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Gustave has entered the building, haha. Hopefully this provides at least an initial glimpse into what he is like. He's louder and more flamboyant than Vincent, but at heart he's a nice guy. :catgirl: [/font]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/vincentavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gustave-avatar.gif[/img][/center] From the air, High Czenoble's Aerodrome looked like a giant glittering diamond, set among thousands of smaller jewels. Night had fallen over the city and the glaring floodlights of the Aerodrome were visible from many miles around. Tonight, the air was electric and the Aerodrome was buzzing. Surrounded by large, imposing walls, the High Czenoble Aerodrome contained many internal stations for airships of all sizes to dock. It also contained hundreds of enormous hangars, where visitors and residents alike could store their airships for a sizable fee. Vincent and Gadget stepped out of Vincent's steamcar, which was parked in the VIP area, just near the side entrance to the Aerodrome. The side entrance was more secure and was typically used by dignitaries and notable figures within High Czenoble. Vincent did not want to take any changes tonight, especially after the recent attack on him only days earlier. He was more worried for Gadget than himself, though, and the fact that several Almagests were now in hospital did not act to ease his concerns. As the pair entered the enormous arched side entrance of the Aerodrome, they walked down a long hall which was full of Royal Police Guard officers and travelers alike. 'I have never been anywhere this big!' exclaimed Gadget excitedly. His eyes scanned the high decorative ceilings, which seemed to stretch far into the air above their heads. As they walked they came upon multiple check-in counters, which consisted of arches in the walls, where attendants were separated from travelers by elaborate gold mesh. Eventually, as they came to the end of the entrance hall, they saw an enormous opening. It was like being in the middle of the Chimaera Circuit, except that the Aerodrome was many times larger; one could barely see walls on the opposite side. The center of the Aerodome was completely open, with a lush grassy surface. Gadget's jaw dropped as his eyes struggled to comprehend the sheer amount of activity before them; the entire center of the Aerodrome was blanketed with thousands of people and many hundred large airships. 'So what do you think?' Vincent smirked. Gadget said nothing and simply nodded, his wide grin enough of a response. Vincent looked around. He looked as though he were lost all of a sudden. 'What's the matter?' asked Gadget. 'Oh, nothing,' said Vincent, 'I'm just trying to work out where Gustave is docked. Maybe he hasn't arrived yet-- Oh!' 'What is it?' 'There!' Vincent pointed at the sky, towards the western side of the Aerodrome. Gadget looked up excitedly and sure enough, he saw it; something was descending from the grey and black clouds above. He could not really make out exactly what it was, but it was clearly enormous, even from a distance. Already, there was a small commotion brewing on the ground. The center of the Aerodrome had filled up with Royal Police Guard officers, who were forming a line and shooing excited Czenovians away. 'What's going on?' asked Gadget with surprise. Vincent rolled his eyes. 'They know he's coming. It must have been in the paper.' Vincent pointed to their right. A large group of young women were flocking towards the center of the Aerodrome, where there was a glaringly empty space of some size between all of the other airships. The area looked to have been reserved for something much larger than the surrounding vessels. Already, some nearby airships were powering up and hovering away from the center. [i]Looks like they don't want to be anywhere near those screaming women,[/i] thought Gadget as he squinted in their direction. 'Is this because of Gustave?' asked Gadget. Vincent nodded. 'Oh yes. He's the most famous Chimaera owner in Anova. And he's here to watch his entrants in the race tomorrow. It's the biggest race of the season - the match between Czenovia and Anova Republic. People get very passionate about it.' 'Oh,' mumbled Gadget. 'Why are they cheering for Gustave though? I thought they'd be booing him!' 'Oh, no. He's young and handsome...and the young women here seem to love his accent. He's been on the cover of several magazines, too. He's a royal pain.' Gadget laughed. 'You're not jealous are you?' Vincent shook his head vigorously. 'No, of course not! I just think he's too much of a show pony sometimes. He has no sense of etiquette.' Gadget grinned and pointed upwards again. 'Looks like he knows how to throw a party, though.' Vincent looked up. The enormous Anovan airship was now much closer and fully visible. The hull of the ship was coated in brilliantly shiny silver, which almost glowed in the Aerodrome's heavy floodlighting. The inflated chamber at the top was a vivid blue. Two long, sharply curved wings extended from either side of the hull; they looked like the blades of a large knife. Two large steam engines were attached to the sides of the blue chamber; they glowed a vivid orange in the night. In true Gustave form, this was not any ordinary landing. All of the windows in the hull were open. Vincent could see figures in uniform - no doubt the ship's crew - standing at the windows. Suddenly - and with a high-pitched [i]bang[/i] - giant plumes of red and blue streamers exploded from the windows in all directions. They glittered in the night air and gently settled on the throngs of screaming young women who were surrounding the docking site. Vincent simply shook his head. 'He can never do anything [i]quietly[/i].' Several women were unfolding a large banner over their heads, which read "WELCOME TO CZENOVIA! WE

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm planning for Gustave to arrive in the evening and then for all the Almagests (or whoever wants to go) to attend his little function at the races the following day. So I will probably have to organize something for Vincent and Gadget tonight (since I presume Gadget will go with Vincent to welcome Gustave). I still have to work out a few things, so for now it might be a good idea to leave Vincent/Gadget out of posts. And yes, it can be very difficult to manage lots of characters at once. That's why my posts rarely contain more than a couple. It just gets too cumbersome.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Exactly. There's always a creative work-around. I generally don't want anyone to have to delete posts for continuity's sake. Even editing is often a last resort, I think. Instead we've just made a change to the Cup itself, which is totally fine. Everything should gel together. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'd like to put my name in again. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Er, yes, to be clear...I did say it would happen in "two days". And that was one day ago, game time. Haha Anyway, it doesn't matter. I have internet access so I should be able to post shortly. The Cup can definitely last for several days - it can be a festival, really. But Gustave's specific invitation was for two days' time. What I'm thinking is that we can probably make it tonight in the game, where everyone gets together (with him landing in the afternoon possibly). I just have to check the main thread and see where everything is at. Edit: Okay, so this is what I'm thinking. Since half the family is in hospital, it might be a good idea to have the event tomorrow in the game. But Gustave can arrive tonight, in preparation. Today Gustave's letter to Rosengard will have arrived, so anyone who lives there (or visits and is a relative) is therefore invited to attend the Achard Marquee the following day. It'll be a short event - although the festival goes for days, Gustave's Chimaera are only running in a couple of races). So those who want to go can go and those who don't want to don't have to. :catgirl:[/font]

[quote name='PWNED']In Australias constitution, Freedom of speech is not listed anywhere in it as being a protected right but people just assume that we have it.[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]We [i]do[/i] have it, lol. The constitution is not the only public document, you know. There's also something called legislation. Our laws expressly provide for freedom of speech, assembly, religion and so on. This group can say what they like in Australia, however, they may be told to move on if they are deemed to be harassing someone. In any case, they aren't picketing here; they are attending two memorial services in the US (and according to one of their leaders, the Oscars might see a visit from them as well).[/font]

[quote name='PWNED']Well, unless those crazy baptists plan on heading to Australia than they aren't picketing. Not to mention the fact that Australia doesn't have freedom of speech, therefore they are screwed if they try picketing.[/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]Australia doesn't have freedom of speech? Are you joking? I can't tell. I have no idea what's happening with his funeral, but as has been mentioned, I assume he will be buried in Perth where he came from. I can't imagine all the Baptists getting on a flight to Perth, really. And they would have very few sympathizers in Australia (as in, maybe [i]one[/i] person or something). These people really just need to be ignored. They are really in the same league as the Ku Klux Klan (possibly even more venomous). I don't really give them a second thought - they are just too much of a nutty fringe group to even worry about.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Just a quick note, guys: my modem at home is dead, so I may not be able to get on over the weekend (hopefully that'll change). If not though, please feel free to just bypass the Cup for now, if you're wanting it to be tonight in the game. If I miss out we can make it the following night or whatever. Anyway, we'll see how it goes. *crosses fingers* :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]You'd be surprised. I've had plenty of RPG failures, believe me, haha. Besides, even if you have 100 auditions...people might drop out after two days. I've certainly experienced that before too. So I don't put too much stock into my own RPGs. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm also not sure how one would define success with an RPG. As far as I'm concerned, if the players involved are enjoying it...then it's successful. It doesn't matter [i]who[/i] is participating or how great the visual presentation is. I do think that all you can do is test an idea out and see how it goes. I'm planning a new RPG, but I have no idea if it'll do well - for all I know, it might bomb. But that's okay. At least I tried. Everyone takes that risk. Many of the "successful" RPG creators have had plenty of failures over the years. So, it happens. And, yeah, guys...it's probably not necessary to react too seriously to this type of thing. If you overreact you won't present your case well. We can definitely state our opinions without jumping on each other. I believe that Satori simply needs to focus on creating his own RPG if he feels that what's out there now isn't serving his interest. I'd tell anyone the same thing.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, okay. Well yeah, I agree with you. Depp is a wonderful character actor and he'd probably do well as The Joker. I guess my only misgiving is that he's done so many roles like that lately...it might be a bit overkill. I thought Heath Ledger was a very odd choice originally - I just couldn't imagine it. But after seeing the trailer, it now seems to make a whole lot more sense.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Well they really don't know. Pneumonia can kill people more readily than most think - even young, healthy people. This is especially true if you aren't properly treated (perhaps he was trying to self-medicate). Alternatively, it could have been a drug overdose. The pills found near him were prescription, so who knows really. The Dark Knight is finished now, so nobody would need to take Heath's role as The Joker. But certainly, I think that role may quite possibly be remembered as his best role. From the previews I've seen, he really does seem to be creating a unique character.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]All paths don't lead to suicide here, actually. Right now the main suspicion is that the death was accidental. We'll find out soon anyway, no doubt. I was never a huge fan of Heath, but he was a good local actor. I was commenting to a family member the other night about how Heath looked great as Joker (and how he was almost pulling a Johnny Depp with the excellent characterisation). I just hope I'm not disappointed by it in the end, lol. But yeah, if it is as good as the preview seems, I think it will be a fitting legacy. Although it will be awkward to watch a totally new movie, knowing that one of the stars is already dead.[/font]