James

[font=franklin gothic medium]I look forward to it, Sandy. I think there are a lot of options - it can be romantic more than x-rated, haha. Anyway, once you've posted I will be free to post again. There's lots for me to go on with! Gustave is still waiting in the wings, haha. :catgirl: [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I am really eager to consider alternatives to the current format for covering anime, so I really welcome all members to submit their ideas on this. I think that we need to make our anime coverage far more relevant, especially with Version Vibrant launching soon.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I think it will be truly weird when OtakuBoards turns 10. It will come surprisingly quickly, too. Just imagine saying you were a member at OB for a [i]decade[/i]. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing... :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Good to see you back. I hope everything is going well now. And welcome to the other new membes who have signed up recently. As always if you have a question or concern, you can always send a PM my way. I'm more than happy to help. Otherwise you can use the Information Kiosk to ask a question or read up on other requests/questions we've had. :catgirl: And you can, of course, use that forum to make your own suggestions if you see any areas where you think we can improve![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I hope that my post was in keeping with everything. Basically I figure that they'd be going back to Rosengard for the wake. Obviously Dame Grimalkin and by extension several other family members wouldn't be welcome. So I figured that some may avoid the "official" wake and only return to the estate later in the evening (but of course, every character can do whatever they like). Vincent and Gadget are going to Vincent's apartment for a few hours (Sandy, there are any number of ways you can play out that visit, haha...) Also as I mentioned, maybe they will want to hold an informal wake without Bavaria. This is really just Vincent's suggestion, so it doesn't have to go anywhere. It may, however, tie into another idea I had. Just depends what Sandy and Shy are planning.[/font]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/vincentavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/ladybavariaavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img][/center] Gadget took Vincent's hand and led him out to the street, where a number of blue and gold carriages were waiting. The enormous entourage had been used to cart mourners to the funeral grounds and back to Rosengard for the wake. It now seemed that the wake would be rather small, given Lady Bavaria's outburst. Just as Vincent and Gadget climbed into the nearest carriage, Vincent heard Lady Bavaria talking loudly to her servants as she exited the grounds. 'My lady,' said one of the servants timidly, 'are we still to hold the wake?' Lady Bavaria spun around and raised an eyebrow. '[i]Of course![/i]' she exclaimed, 'why would I interrupt the wake? All I've done is make sure that Rosengard's resident home wrecker will not be in attendance! I can think of no greater honour for my dear Leonhart.' Before she stepped into her carriage, Lady Bavaria faced the crowd, which was now milling around the sidewalk. 'And I might say,' she said loudly, 'that [i]anyone[/i] who wishes to dishonour the great Leonhart Almagest is definitely [i]not[/i] welcome!' And with that, Lady Bavaria disappeared inside her carriage, followed by a sizeable entourage of servants. The door closed and two beautiful white stallions whisked the ornate carriage away down the busy street. Gadget and Vincent sat in their carriage. Vincent closed the door and Gadget instinctively sat on the seat opposite Vincent. Vincent patted the spot next to him. 'Someone has to show some love today, after what we've just witnessed,' he said with a smile. Gadget eagerly obliged. He sat close to Vincent and Vincent rested a gloved hand on Gadget's knee. As their carriage took off slowly, the pair looked out of the elaborate gold-framed window, which sat on the carriage wall opposite the door. The carriage was enclosed and the window was the only way to see out. Vincent considered that the Almagests may have chosen enclosed carriages for security purposes, as open top carriages might have attracted the wrong attention. For a while, both Gadget and Vincent peered out of the window and watched the bustling streets of High Czenoble pass. Gadget noticed that the trip was taking slightly longer than usual. He looked up at Vincent, who was still staring out the window. Gadget noticed Vincent's long brown eyelashes. He studied Vincent's face for a moment before he spoke. 'Vincent, aren't we going to Rosengard?' Vincent looked down at Gadget and smiled. 'No. Not right now. The wake is being held there and by the sounds of it, a large amount of Almagests will not be welcome. That is a disgrace to Leonhart. Besides, I can't imagine many family members [i]wanting[/i] to spend the afternoon with Bavaria.' 'So, where are we going?' Gadget seemed somewhat excited by the prospect of a surprise journey. 'Well,' Vincent rubbed his chin with a gloved hand, 'I thought we might go back to my apartment for a few hours. Once the so-called "wake" is over, I will take you back to Rosengard. How does that sound?' Gadget put his hand on Vincent's. 'That sounds excellent,' he said excitedly. 'I'd like to see your home.' Vincent nodded. 'Besides, we can have dinner there and we can talk. Perhaps it might be a good idea to organise an informal wake away from Rosengard, so that Lady Bavaria isn't involved.' 'Maybe,' said Gadget. 'At least that would give Dame Grimalkin and others a chance to be together for a proper wake and not be harassed.' The carriage rounded the corner and stopped at the end of a large city block. 'Here we are,' said Vincent. 'I live in the penthouse. I hope you will like it!' Gadget grinned and looked out the window. The building in front of them was enormous; by far the largest Gadget had seen. 'You live at the top?' he exclaimed. 'Yes, I do,' said Vincent. 'I have extra bedrooms, a shower...whatever you need if you want to change out of your funeral clothes and into something more comfortable.' Gadget blushed slightly and opened the carriage door.

[font=franklin gothic medium]I just got 120 stars in this game a couple of days ago. [spoiler]Playing as Luigi is a lot of fun. His control is significantly different to Mario. For one thing, when you stop, Luigi slides along the ground a little. He generally has a kind of "slippery" movement to him. He also runs faster and jumps higher than Mario. These abilties can be very useful, but the general slipperyness of his movement tempers any major advantages. The beauty, I guess, is that Luigi makes some challenges marginally easier and others significantly tougher. I wonder if anything happens when you beat the game with Luigi. Probably nothing, but still, it'd be interesting to try.[/spoiler][/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Yeah, that's an idea. The only way we can really do that is if we plan it in advance...it can only be for the really major events. Since Nifty Fifty is underway already, it may be worth thinking about what we can do in the future. I'll talk to Kam and see if he has any ideas about it.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Oh, I was kind of looking forward to Gadget being able to potentially move to Vincent's. But perhaps he's better at Rosengard. Even if Leonhart is not really dead, he's had a funeral...so his will would have to be enacted. But if he's left everything to his children, there should be no problem - it means at least legally that Bavaria can't take over.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Vincent would not normally say much, but he might reprimand Bavaria for disgracing Lady Grimalkin so publicly. Given that he is not a blood member of the family he probably feels less able to say anything forceful to Bavaria. However, I can imagine other relatives being very harsh...she's probably putting herself in a very precarious position. What I wonder, though, is how Leonhart's will is written. Would Lady Bavaria become owner of Rosengard and Leonhart's bank accounts? If so, there are potentially many people who could no longer find themselves welcome in the near future... [b]Edit:[/b] And if Gadget is no longer welcome, Vincent [i]does[/i] have an available apartment in the city. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I definitely think that one problem overly-nice people face is that they risk becoming a doormat. I mean that in a general sense. You can be polite and diplomatic, of course, but sometimes you do have to say "no" or simply defend what your position. You see this sort of thing all the time even here on OB. If I (or any staff member really) were always bending over backwards to please every single person, the place would be a total mess. Sometimes you just have to make a decision and if some people don't like it...that's just bad luck. You have to be able to exercise judgement without worrying too much about a small minority disagreeing. I think sometimes if you're unable to do that, you will be at a major disadvantage. What if you've been working somewhere for years and you never ask for a pay rise? You may deserve one and be entitled to one, but if you don't have the ability to just put yourself forward once in a while, you will likely never get it. I do see people who are like this and sometimes I wonder how they manage certain things in life. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]More than anything, I think it's just important to listen to the players and take their suggestions on board. Doing so will ensure a happier time for all and (hopefully) a longer and more rewarding RPG. Still, I think it's safe to say that this has been a pretty enjoyable project so far. If things go well, I'm sure it could end up becoming one of OB's more significant projects. It's certainly dripping with quality on every level; it's nice to see that the more elaborate quality RPGs haven't died off.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I don't think the answer is necessarily to do an arbitrary timeshift. The solution probably lies in the Landmarks - we probably either need more of them, or we need Landmarks that sufficiently push the plot forward. I guess we'll see how it goes. So far I'm personally reasonably happy, but it can be difficult for players to advance the story in meaningful ways if we are trying not to do anything that would interfere with the "main plot", so to speak. I am definitely looking forward to the time when we start getting into the meat of the story, definitely. Right now I feel like we're still very much in the early stages of the plot. At least there has been a great deal of character development, which has been good. That, at least, makes things easier when incorporating other players' characters. Also, thanks Sandy for putting my Chronicles up. I'm actually pretty happy to have them as one larger Chronicle - I think they make sense that way. Hopefully this will give players a bit of extra information about the general world. I am looking forward to introducing Gustave. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Perhaps there needs to be a new Landmark that moves time forward or something? The day-by-day thing is fine initially but I pretty much agree with Indifference. Although I believe we have crafted a great story with wonderful characters, everything still feels extremely early and preliminary (like we're sort of still on a first chapter). I guess it would just be good to get a bit deeper into the story by having more of the core elements revealed. I was thinking that I will be able to introduce Gustave in a week (RPG time, haha), which could equate to a much longer period in real life. What do you think? We don't want the RPG to stagnate at this stage of its life.[/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][/center] Project Alchimaera; so that's what it was all about. At first, Vincent was angry at Macey. What he had said earlier was surely right; how many more people [i]could[/i] she drag into her obsession with science? On the other hand, it was obvious that she cared about Gadget. Moreover, she was trying to repair her mistake. Vincent knew that he could not judge Macey too harshly; he, after all, was working for an organization with which he had increasingly serious disagreements. Intellectual honesty was often a scarce thing in Czenovian aristocracy. Now that he'd had time to cool down, Vincent decided to return to the laboratory. As he pushed open the door quietly, he noticed that both Macey and Eva had left. Gadget was sitting up on an old, dusty couch near a workbench. He was rubbing his forehead; he looked to be in pain. Gadget must have heard Vincent, as he flinched slightly when the door creaked. But when he saw Vincent, he beamed. It was a slightly forced smile. The pain was subsiding but it was still present on some level. Vincent sat down next to Gadget and looked at the many instruments before them. 'I'm sorry,' he said finally. 'Nobody should have to go through something like this.' Gadget spoke quietly and somewhat weakly: 'You have nothing to apologize for, Vincent. It's not your fault.' Vincent looked at Gadget. A tear was running down his cheek. 'I just don't know my place in the world,' said Gadget as he stared at his feet. 'And...I'm sorry for last night. I didn't want to put you in an awkward position, it's just that...' Vincent looked over Gadget and felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow. 'What is it?' 'I,' Gadget sniffed and looked up at Vincent. '...I know this sounds foolish, but...I want you to stay with me. At least for a while.' Vincent smiled. He removed a glove and ran his finger along Gadget's cheek, collecting the tear that had trickled down it. 'Of course I will stay with you. I want to sort this out as much as you do.' Gadget's relief was tangible. He must never have experienced these emotions before, because he still had an awkwardness about him. But, in an act of personal courage, he leaned against Vincent and lay his head against Vincent's chest. Vincent put his arm around Gadget and held him. He was not sure what the future would hold, but for now, he felt more at home than he had since his arrival in Czenovia.

[font=franklin gothic medium]It's also good to create your own story arcs (like personal arcs for your character), to give you something to do. That in turn also gives your character a history and personality, which will be of help to other players.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'd like to go after Ozy. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Loved the new Chronicle, guys. This answers a few nagging questions I've had, which is good. The RPG is taking some wonderful twists and turns...I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming days in the story. :catgirl: [/font]

[center][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/vincentavatar.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/maceyellen-chronicle.jpg[/img][img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee132/Runaway511/almagest/gadgetgerrault2avatar.jpg[/img][/center] Macey rushed towards the large marble staircase that led to the basement. She was half carrying, half supporting a moving pile of clothes – Gadget’s clothes. Vincent pursued closely behind, his heart beating rapidly. ‘Macey! What has happened to Gadget?! Tell me!’ ‘It’s a long story,’ said Macey dismissively. ‘I will fill you in later. Right now I need to sort this out.’ Vincent immediately knew that this whole incident had something to do with Macey’s use of alchemy; it was, after all, her life’s passion. During their marriage, her obsession with alchemy had been a constant issue. The only relief, thought Vincent, was that Macey usually knew what she was doing – if she’d caused this problem, she could no doubt repair it too. ‘How many more people do you need to drag into your obsession?!’ shouted Vincent so loudly that his voice echoed. Macey stopped and turned to face him. ‘Look, I don’t have much time; certainly not enough time to get into a debate. I have to give Gadget an injection and I have to do it right now! I know how you feel but we’ll have to deal with that later. Trust me, Vincent, I will look after him. When everything is sorted out I will send for you.’ Vincent opened his mouth to retaliate, but it was no use – Macey was right. Better to leave her do her work, he thought. Vincent returned to his quarters, where he closed and locked the door. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. Even for a soldier – even for someone who had seen death and war – what he had done just moments beforehand had been more terrifying than anything. Finally, his dreams started to make some sense. He now had some understanding of his curiosity about Gadget. As they had sat by the fountain in the gardens, he had actually [i]told[/i] Gadget that he was beautiful. Saying the words out loud came suddenly and even Vincent did not expect them – but they came and, no matter how difficult it was to admit, he knew that he meant them. Vincent had initially thought that his overwhelming desire to protect Gadget came from what he knew of Gadget’s background. And, of course, a soldier’s duty is to protect those who require it. Yet this was at least partly a delusion; Vincent didn’t just want to protect Gadget from harm – he [i]wanted[/i] Gadget. It was difficult to acknowledge at first, but Vincent was increasingly realizing that he wanted Gadget romantically. At first, Vincent worried about Macey’s reaction. Ironically, though, she somehow seemed to know – or at least, she had seemed to predict it. Maybe he was reading into things far too much, he thought. He knew, however, that many of the elite in both Czenovia and Anova would not care either way. This was partly because the common rules of society hardly applied to them, but it was also because many of them had their own personal dealings (business or otherwise) that they were more than happy to either keep secret, or to not acknowledge publicly. All Vincent knew was that he couldn’t wait to hear from Macey about the results of the injection. He wanted to see Gadget as soon as possible – preferably fully visible and healthy.

[quote name='Lia']Obama made it quite clear that that is not going to happen, regardless of the outcome. He stated very sternly that he is running for president, and not vice president. I don't think he'd settle for that position to be honest with you. My best friend moved to Chicago and works for him at his base, and she pretty much confirmed this. [/QUOTE] [font=franklin gothic medium]They all say that though, lol. They all say "when I'm president...[blank]". It is considered a sign of weakness to be open to a vice presidential post when the candidates are still only in the primary season. I'm not saying he would take a vice presidential position, but one person is going to win the nomination and [i]someone[/i] will have to be the running mate. I guarantee you, while nobody is leaving that option open right now, several of the runners up will be scrambling for it when the time comes. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]It's okay, I think I'm just so used to seeing so many generalizations about politics that eventually people start to take them for granted (i.e. all Republicans are like this or all Democrats are like that). In general I find that a lot of people who speak really venomously about political issues are the people who understand them the least - the truth, as they say, usually sits somewhere in the middle. I mean Bush gets vilified frequently and he's become a total joke. It's easy to see why, but on the other hand, so many people actually know very little about his presidency. Educated criticism is hard to find. It was the same with Clinton too. But I suppose it is the nature of political discourse among the majority of people, especially when many people do not follow political issues in any detail. Then again, I suppose it's easy to be a critic. It's like being an average person who declares that a particular music band sucks...quite often there is no objective analysis, just a personal impression. It's easy to say negative things, but it's much harder to deconstruct the detail.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Sorry, I missed that. In my last post I referenced dinner, but that was a while ago now. Chronologically, I think her absence from dinner was mentioned after I actually wrote that part...so we'll just assume that Vincent doesn't know she won't be there. So don't worry, false alarm. If there's no dinner with her then that will leave Vincent's night open.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I was going to have Lady Bavaria interact with Vincent at dinner, but I'm waiting for Sandy to post first. :catgirl: Heheh. If the story moves on in the meantime though, it doesn't matter. There will be other Lady Bavaria sightings I'm sure![/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]Oh yeah, I haven't really followed the detail of this campaign, so I really have no idea who would be well suited as running mates. I just remember that Edwards attacked Kerry quite a bit in the last election and then turned around and became his buddy later on. It's just part of political life. Hillary has modified her position slightly in order to run, which is fine - it's probably something she needed to do. But because I haven't closely followed the campaign I really don't have a preferred candidate this time. [/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]When it comes to choosing a running mate, you'd be surprised how people's alliances can quickly change. lol I'm not saying it will happen, but I would not rule it out either.[/font]