Semjaza

Advent Children should have little to no bearing on the release of this game. Why the performance of a film should be compared to that of a game, I don't really know. I don't see the direct correlation, especially considering they're both based on a game in the first place. I don't know what to expect from this. Square's other ventures outside of RPGs have been a mixed bag... from sports to racing to fighters. Some turn out, most do not. I can't say I have very high hopes for this. As for the rest: [quote]The latest issue of Japan's Jump Magazine contains first information on an action game starring FFVII vampire character Vincent Valentine. The game, Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. In Dirge of Cerberus, players take control of Vincent, a former member of the Turks. The game takes place a year following Advent Children, which means it follows the events of the PlayStation Final Fantasy VII. The story begins as a mysterious group called "DG" suddenly begins attack of a peaceful town, leaving only one choice for Vincent -- to fight back! Aside from these few bits, Square Enix has revealed nothing on Dirge of Cerberus. The few screens shown of the game all appear to be from cinema sequences, with one screen showing a line of dialogue where Vincent states "The meeting place with Reeve is..." Looking strictly at the game's artwork, one may think Square Enix has taken some influence from Capcom's Devil May Cry; Dirge of Cerberus should appropriately be a vampire game, making this a reasonable choice. A Japanese release for Dirge of Cerberus is set for 2005. It's possible that this game will make it into Square Enix's Tokyo Game Show press conference, scheduled for 9/24. We'll be back with more at that time.[/quote] [url]http://ps2.ign.com/articles/548/548211p1.html?fromint=1[/url] Don't quite see the point of this, to be honest. It's cool that Square is trying to branch this franchise out, but does the PS2 really [I]need [/I]another "cool" and "angsty" action game?

This was just announced today. It's a game involving Vincent from FFVII. However, from all I can gather it doesn't seem to be an RPG, but more of an action title. Not really what people wanted I suppose, but maybe it'll turn out. Who knows, since I don't think Square has been very good in that genre.

I wasn't really prepared to post this soon, but I'll get it done as soon as possible. I have the bad habit of not reading any of the other posts in the chapter until right before I start my post, so I have a bit of work to do lol

I know some people were asking about this in the past, so I figured this was the best place to put it: [url]http://halo.bungie.org/oldnews.html?item=10511[/url] No bots in multiplayer. Bungie has kind of hinted all along that they'd not be included, but it's still a disappointment... especially in a game with AI as praised as Halo's was (and 2 would logically improve on that). I also read something about Bungie stating Halo 2 should be played on Heroic at least, to fully enjoy the strength of their AI programming. Might as well try it lol.

[url]http://www.quartertothree.com/inhouse/columns/77/[/url] This is a rather long article about the new SMT game and the rest of the series. It's quite interesting if anyone would be willing to take the time to read it. There's also links to more articles and reviews at [url]http://smt.5u.com[/url] The Gamespy ones are probably the ones worth reading the most. IGN and Gamespot's information on these games is very limited and mostly regurgitated from elsewhere. IGN's piss-poor coverage of the game at E3 and in general has me somewhat annoyed. Like I mentioned before, there are MP3s on the main site... but here are some streaming songs from the game thanks to 1Up: [url]mms://zdmedia.wmod.llnwd.net/a111/o1/Shin_Megami_Tensei_Nocturne/TokyoConception.mp3[/url] [url]mms://zdmedia.wmod.llnwd.net/a111/o1/Shin_Megami_Tensei_Nocturne/MainTheme.mp3[/url] [url]mms://zdmedia.wmod.llnwd.net/a111/o1/Shin_Megami_Tensei_Nocturne/ThemeoftheLeadersofReason.mp3[/url] Like other music in the series, it's quite contemporary and is rather different from most game music I'm used to hearing. [url]http://files.worthplaying.com/files/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=993[/url] The above link goes to a page that has downloads for a ZIP file containing 13 videos of the game.

The problem with FF8 is mostly that I see people ***** about it more than I see them praise it. Honestly, when was the last time you saw an entire group of people proclaim the greatness of FF8? It never happens. I don't think the title itself is overrated, it's just caught up in an overrated series. FF8 has problems, yeah. I don't feel the Junction System was complex in and of itself, but it is made complex because the game never really explains to you how damn important it is to making any progress. Add to this the absolutel horrible Draw system and the fact that most of the good Summons are only attainable at specific points in the game and it becomes a problem. While I don't think FF8 is the greatest, I don't think it was terrible. It had one of the more interesting stories of the PSX FF games, despite following the same basic plot core that literally every FF since VI has followed. As for FFVII, I do think that is massively overrated for many reasons. However, I think it's a bit more understandable because for many people it was their first RPG. Many of those people have honestly not even attempted to go beyond FF-related games because they feel "safe" with them. I think a lot of people tend to overrate any title that might have gotten them into a new genre and for many people, FFVII was their first RPG exposure. I could list a couple dozen RPGs I consider better for me personally, but it wouldn't prove anything for those people. They like what they like, I guess lol.

The battle system is actually deeper in many senses from what I've read. Plus, from what I've seen, it's much faster paced. Certainly moreso than I expected. Something interesting that I noticed in the shots I posted was that [spoiler]the female characters in the first two shots is actually the same person. I hadn't paid much attention to the names for some reason.[/spoiler] My guide is supposed to be shipped on the 14th; two weeks before the game itself. I won't be here when the game is delivered anyway (going to Florida), but I'll make sure to keep updating this with anything worth talking about. I'm sure the guide will have some great information to pass along in here. I hope some people here actually give this game a chance.

I realized that I posted in here, yet never said what games I particularly found "overrated". There's quite a few. I think the biggest in recent memory is Kingdom Hearts. Even here at OB, where we had a massive thread on the game, I seem to find the same general opinion: "It had Disney in it, so I thought it would suck, but it's great! FF characters!! Awesome story!!" The first thing that annoys me is the general anime fan's dislike for Disney classics, but that's another argument for another thread. The fact that someone can cite that as a problem is beyond me because it's really the only thing that gives the game any sense of flow or interest. The problem here is that Square [i]completely[/i] dropped the ball with usage of the license. What they had was a gold mine. What resulted was a flawed piece of garbage. My favorite Disney film is Alice in Wonderland. What stage comes first in KH? Likely Wonderland. I was quite excited about this, until I actually got there. The Queen's court is basically just a room that happens to be textured as if you were outdoors. Hell, you can even see the seams where the "walls" would be. This is connected by a handful of other rooms, all of which seem to have been designed by an amateur (and that would be generous). It's nothing compared to the tripe that is the Tarzan planet, though. Absolutely nothing that could have resulted from the license was utilized. A couple of characters here, a weird thing there and a "shrinking" puzzle (I hesitate to even call it that, it's so unimpressive). This just sets the tone for the rest of the game, which wasn't even that exciting to begin with since the game throws you into a mindless, annoying fetch quest at the start of the game. One that gives Rare titles a run for their money. This just continues. Planet after planet of just absolutely horrible level design (honestly [b]the worst[/b] I've seen in a major game in [i]years[/i]) and as little homage to the Disney universe as possible. I love Disney, but I can't delude myself into thinking that this game even remotely represented it well. I can think of so many examples, but the most bizarre is probably [spoiler]Clayton from Tarzan unexplainably riding a giant Chameleon that can turn invisible at will.[/spoiler] What the ****? Do I even have to [i]mention[/i] the Gummi Ship? And the sad thing is that redesigning the ship was probably the most "enjoyment" I got out of the entire title. Well, that and the opening scenes with the stainglass windows and the opening boss fight... that was kind of fun. Then you have the issue of extremely generic main characters. None of them are interesting in personality or design. The translation, while not bad, is just goofy. And I'm not faulting the English localization team, as it obviously has to do with the moronic qualities of the original Japanese text. Characters attempt to sound heartfelt or deep and just wind up sounding ridiculous. The battle system is just crap. I don't know how else to put it. You run up and mash the buttons forming basic combos. The lock on system fails constantly. The friendly AI is terrible and results in countless needless usage of items. It just goes on and on like this. The Heartless themselves would have been a bit more interesting if there was more to them. They're really just the same handful of designs over and over with a couple unique ones thrown in for good measure. Eh. I have NO idea what people like about this game. I can only attribute it to two things: 1.) It's from Square and people are so dimwitted that they convince themselves that everything out of this company is gold and 2.) It has FF characters in it, which apparently is a major selling point despite them being inconsquential to most of the game's plot or development. The only other possible choice is that you're a huge Disney fan and you're willing to put up with this mess, but they're definitely the most miniscule minority.

Okay, this game is coming at the end of this month for the US. I already have it pre-ordered, along with the guide. Anyone that pre-orders gets a Limited Edition version with a 30 track in-game soundtrack packed in. Atlus has finally updated their SMT site with new information: [url]http://www.atlus.com/smt/[/url] Here you can find more information on the series, information on the game and characters, English screens, wallpapers, MP3 downloads, a PDF preview of the 400 page strategy guide, etc. Definitely worth checking out. If people trust my opinion on RPGs whatsoever, they definitely should check this out. For me, it's likely to be the game of the year on all platforms. [quote] During the infancy of the new millenium, the apocalypse known as the Conception decimates and conquers the world. Patches of the modern civilization begin to emerge from the chaos and attempt to find a way in surviving the aftermath. Enter Tokyo, Japan, where a high school student goes to a hospital in Shinjuku with his classmates to visit his teacher. All of a sudden, the earth shakes and bright light engulfs everything. As the boy wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by strange creatures ? demons ? and realizes that he himself has turned into one. With a newfound identity, the boy sets forth on a journey where he must battle against demonic forces for the purpose of bringing order to the chaos. Now, the world awaits on this boy knowing that its fate rests entirely on his shoulders... [/quote] [IMG]http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_04.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_02.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_05.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_07.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_09.jpg[/IMG] [quote] Fresh from the Press: * "...its combination of diverging storylines, deep battle system, and gorgeous cel-shaded graphics, it's an excellent game with the potential to be appreciated by anyone." - 1up.com * "If it's an involved storyline you desire, and you happen to have an affinity for myth and the occult, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne may just be the radical RPG for you." 5/5 - Animerica * "...an amazing RPG, and an experience that shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre." - CosmosGaming.com * "We hope that enough RPG players muster up the courage to try it: they won't be sorry." - EGM * "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is not your typical Japanese RPG -- you won't find any bubbly-cute teenagers saving the world from Armageddon here -- but what you'll find is dark and full of rich story content." - G4TechTV.com * "Call it the RPG for the GTA generation. No console RPG to date offers this many choices, this much customization, or so much dark and gritty style. And if anyone pays attention to its content, it might create a little controversy, as well. Previous games in the series have been deemed inappropriate for the US because of some of their religious references. While we've yet to see the translation, all in all Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is shaping up to be an extremely solid product and should appeal to any RPG player that gives it a chance." - G4TechTV.com * "The time for Shin Megami Tensei is now, and Nocturne stands as one of the most fascinatingly diverse RPGs to yet make the journey West. " - GameSpy * "A deep and twisted post-apocalyptic RPG with stunning visuals and a mature story -- something quite unlike what we've seen before." - GameSpy * "...one of the more surprising overall games of 2004." - IGN * "Shin Megami Tensei has a long history of controversy, but it seems like the Western market is finally ready." - RPGFan.com[/quote]

[QUOTE=Delirium][color=orange][size=1][font=veranda]>> < Tony, it says Relaunch the site.[/color][/font][/size][/QUOTE] You likely have a pop-up blocker then. Disable it for that page. If you click "relaunch the site", it will reload the pop-up window.

Oh, if you've not visited it yet, please go here: [url]http://www.wrappedinplastic.net/rpgs/torment[/url] That site explains how I expect this game to actually flow. Read it and post any concerns, please.

I feel I owe everyone an apology for what has become of Torment. Even though I have time to pop on here and write a post now and then, they really don't require much time compared to what I've had to do with Torment. Thus, it had been put on the backburner... between life and home problems and college, Torment just was not a priority. Perhaps this was selfish because of all the other people involved after the sign-ups, so I take full responsibilty for that. At the same time, I've been led to believe that people really didn't mind because they still had other things to do as well. Anyway, I plan [b]seriously[/b] on starting Torment soon. If you are involved and have an issue with participating please say so in here. I'd like to get this up within a couple weeks at the most. Original thread: [url]http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=40680&highlight=torment[/url]

It might be more useful to link to the actual game page... the development page has nothing but a few art pieces... [url]http://www.webfootgames.com/catalog/log3.htm[/url]

[quote name='digitalshadow']Dragon Quarter surprised me too, but not the same way as Semjaza. To be honest, just thinking about that game really annoys me. Battle system was great, the graphics were different but nice, and how dungeons worked (traps and so forth) were cool. What turned me off? Save tokens for one. I absolutely despise having to pay something in order to save. And I'm one that has to save a lot. [/quote] Well, I guess I can understand that. There's really no reason to save constantly though. I use Save Tokens when I felt I made it far enough that it was worth backing up. Otherwise, quitting and using the temporary save completely sufficed. Besides, the game expects you to die in order to get new cutscenes and items anyway. Not for everyone, I suppose. I loved it.

What does one's age have to do with the enjoyment of Disney characters? I'm twenty-two and I love Disney films. Hell, it was the only reason I bought the game in the first place. I don't know what can be surprising about it though, because in my opinion, it was a big steaming pile. Stupid story, lame outside characters, poor usage of the Disney license, flawed battle system. Most of all, some of the worst level designs I've seen in the past decade. Awful game. I guess the biggest surprise was Dragon Quarter. I think the Breath of Fire series is decent, but it had never been something I loved. The original was too slow paced, the sequel was a localization nightmare, three was decent and I never bothered much with the fourth. However, Dragon Quarter is just amazing. It's totally different than the other games in the series. It actually penalizes you for using the dragon form. The battle system is excellent, the characters are interesting (they're not insanely complex, but they somehow manage to feel more real than most game characters). Great game.

[quote name='Shinmaru']The game has definitely been a worthy pickup thus far.[/quote] "Worthy of a pickup" is an understatement. It's one of the best games I've played on the GameCube. I really liked Pikmin (hell, it was my favorite game at those Cube Clubs), but it was obviously flawed in many ways. The sequel absolutely obliterates the original in every way inmaginable. It does definitely look better. The Pikmin seem to be slightly higher in polygon count. The textures are better overall in the stages themselves, not to mention all the items you find. I thought using real-world items was an awesome touch. It doesn't reek of product placement. Instead it just gives you the feeling of this actually occuring in the real world below our feet. Walking past that first Duracell battery was pretty amusing. There's a lot of neat effects as well. Even the title screen is far more interesting. I really like the adjustments made to basic gameplay as well. A lot of it is small things, but they add up. In the first game, once the Pikmin killed an enemy they basically just sat there. In this one, unless you call them right away, they automatically pick up the carcass and drag it to their Onion. Not a HUGE deal, like I said, but it does help the game be a bit more user-friendly I think. There's a lot of little adjustments like that. The removal of the time limit has been a godsend. Days still end, but you're not forced to do anything within a certain amount of days. I was worried this would make the game too easy, but it really hasn't affected the difficulty at all. It's nice being able to take your time and not have a limit in the back of your head. I'm a bit over 50% in my debt collection. Getting treasures has been fun. I like searching them out, especially because of Piklopedia. For those that don't know, it's basically a list of items and enemies kept by Olimar. The cool thing is that you can interact with each item and enemy within the list. You can throw Pikpik Carrots at the enemies and see how they react. You can press Z to freeze them (after you get a certain item, anyway). You can also use the C-Stick, d-pad and control stick to change the viewpoints. The viewscreen is actually quite nice as the game applies an Ico-like blur to the graphics. I really like the adding of Louie to the game. In the single player, it adds a nice tag-team element. Splitting up into two groups is usually not necessary, but it can save you a lot of time. I really like the "dungeons" in the game as well. None of them have been too long and a few have ended in some interesting boss battles. Trying to make it through them with your Pikmin intact has been a good waste of time. I finally unlocked the Challenge Mode a bit ago as well. It's far beyond the original game's mode. In this one, you're given a certain amount of Pikmin and placed in a dungeon. Your goal is to get as much treasure as possible and make it outside. You get points based on how much you collect, how far you are from the time limit and how many Pikmin survive. It's a lot of fun, I think. When you fully complete one challenge, another is unlocked. There's quite a few. I've not played two players yet... but it almost sounds like Four Swords in some ways. Can't wait to try it. So yeah, [IMG]http://www.otakuboards.com/images/icons/icon14.gif[/IMG]

You can dodge attacks by pressing back plus jump at the same time. I think that's plenty. I don't find it all that useful in the thick of battle anyway... so I guess it just depends. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the better real time battle engines in a RPG. It absolutely decimates Star Ocean 2's (which is flawed beyond belief) and from all I've read SO3 as well (which apparently has even more glitches and awful AI). This game works pretty well, I think. If you're smart you can block a good portion of attacks and dodge most others. Some things are obviously unavoidable, but that's how it should be. I've honestly not had any issues with the spells/attacks going through characters to the point that it affected the outcome of a battle.

Chrono Cross is a FAR better game as far as I'm concerned. You'd do well to give it another chance. The whole extra ending thing is rather lame as it is. Many of them aren't true "endings" and most of them aren't even remotely interesting. There's really only a couple that are worth even attempting to get. That whole ending thing is insanely overrated. Other games have managed to have many seperate endings and keep them interesting... I think this game failed in that regard.

Thanks for the intelligent and well thought out response, jackass. I'm not liking your thinly veiled insults in both of your posts. I give you the answer you ask for and this is the repsonse? You got your one point of the Patriot Act that messes with our rights and your response is '"LMAO". Are you even old enough to vote? Sure doesn't seem like it. Good luck with your current mindset of believing everything anyone in charge tells you. Never question authority. Take it up the *** if need be. I'm sure you'll get rather far. Then when I'm getting [I]your [/I]charitable donations (christ, talk about being full of yourself) in the poorhouse, I can point and laugh at you laying face down in the gutter. People here think DeathBug is bad? At least he has the decency to intelligently refute things he disagrees with. I respect him for it. The fact that you couldn't even manage that is really insulting and immature.

Eh, even if it turns out to suck he could always say "This movie isn't for critics!" in some lame attempt to save his ego. I am interested in it though. That 3 Disc Clerks set comes out soon too, I think.

To think the Vice President had nothing to do with this war is completely asinine. Get over what? The fact that Halliburton got a contract on this thanks to Cheney's position? The fact that Halliburton has been shown to have done a terrible job thus far? The fact that Cheney will have around $20 million to support himself when all is said and done? The fact that people are willing to accept that as coincidental and call it "good business" is extremely naive and short sighted. This isn't some "conspiricy theory". He benefits directly from this war, as do many other people who seem so keen on pushing it. If anyone thinks anyone in charge of such big matters is only thinking of the little guys out there, I think they're deluding themselves. Presidents run with VPs. Cheney is Bush's VP. Get rid of Bush and you get rid of Cheney. Believe it or not, VPs aren't as "useless" as so many people want to think they are. As for the whole Christian Judge thing, I think you don't know enough about the whole situation to say much of value that would affect my decision. It's pretty obvious from your comments and what exactly is implied from these nominations that you don't understand the serverity of this or its potential ramifications in the future. You also don't seem to understand that despite the religions of those that founded this country, it was not a country based on religious decisions and Biblical ideals. They might as well stayed in Puriticanical colonies if that was the case. It's amazing there hasn't been Supreme Court retirement over it. The Defense of Marriage act is absolutely frightening as far as I'm concerned. If you want to buy the line that it somehow solidifies things, be my guest. Disagreements with you doesn't make me a "bigot" and I don't owe anyone jack because of their religious beliefs 200 years ago. I don't have some inate problem with Christians or any other religious group. You'd be a bigot under your definition. You can buy into the whole Patriot Act along with it (HINT: It directly removes many of your rights if they so desire it to). I suggest [I]you [/I]read it and not just list the points that people want you to know about. You want a list? One thing? How about several? * no accountability for the FBI * sneak & peek searches of people's homes and offices * easy FBI access to sensitive business records * the designation of political protesters as "terrorists" * gives the attorney general and the secretary of state the power to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations and deport any noncitizen who belongs to them * surveillance of computer "trespassers" without a court order * secret investigations with no public information about how they are being conducted * monitoring of email and web surfing with limited judicial involvement * expansive "roving" wiretap authority * the FBI's ability to do an end-run around standard criminal procedures If you want to think all that's involved is a "war on terror" and other such nonsense, go ahead. I'm not willing to be that disassociated with it. Let's all ignore all the politicians and such who believe it strips us of rights and does little to actually fight terrorism. In addition the name of it is just insulting to begin with. The idea of an act labelled "Patriot" is misleading because anyone that disagrees with is pretty much automatically labeled as "un-patriotic". Not to mention the fact that it was pretty much pushed through without allowing anyone who would have voted for it to completely read it. It's a bunch of crap. It completely kills the Fouth Ammendment. I'm not willing to give that up for this. The terrorists already won if that's the case, as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps the intentions are good, but it's full of consitutional infringements. The definition of terrorism within it is so broad that it can be applied to almost any crime and is far beyond what most would accept as "terrorism". It also more or less creates a political secret police. If you think the founding fathers of this country (and their apparently all important Christian background that should affect all decisions thereafter) would agree to this, I don't think you know much about history. [quote]Under the USA PATRIOT Act in this country, Section 802 defines domestic terrorism as engaging in "activity that involves acts dangerous to human life that violate the laws of the United States or any state and appear to be intended: (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping."[/quote] It basically amounts to "anyone we disagree with or don't like". Anyway, I'm done with this thread before someone picks out one small sentence they can run with, pick apart and consequently misinterpret as always happens in these types of threads.

At this point, for me, it's not really who is better... but who do I like a slight bit more. I don't love Kerry. I don't love Bush. I might as well just make a check list and see who has the least amount of things I disagree with. At this point, it'd be Kerry. For me, there's a lot of things going on right now that I just don't agree with. Firstly, stem cell research. A good portion of people close to me are diabetic and this is something I think should continue. I don't want to get into it, because I don't really care what others think of the issue. Secondly is gay rights and women's rights. Obviously neither are very strong right now and aren't likely to improve. Thirdly, Halliburton. The whole situation with Cheny and everyone involved in that is absolutely ridiculous. Someone benefitting financially from this war and happens to be the Vice President? Wow, what a coincidence. Fourthly, Clear Channel and the RIAA. They are a monopoly verging on (and possibly surpassing) Microsoft. They won't be touched as they backed Bush. My love of music and the importance of radio obviously make this an issue for me. Fiftly, the nomination of Christian judges to federal courts. Religion is a personal thing. I am concerned this will be used to apply Christian/Biblical ideas to our rights and freedoms, which is a massive problem. I have an issue with this whole Christian slant the government has taken lately... The Defense of Marriage Act, for one. All of it goes against what this country was made for. Sixthly, the Patriot Act. If you know what this makes possible, I don't know how anyone could support it. The name is obviously just there to make people think it's "good" and keep it from being easily attacked. Seventhly, the draft: [quote] $28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. SSS must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation. Please see website: [url]http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html[/url] to view the SSS Annual Performance Plan - Fiscal Year 2004. The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of Congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft. [url]http://www.informationclearinghouse...article5146.htm[/url] Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and H.R. 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the Committee on Armed Services. Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era remember. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley, and US Homeland Security Director, Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their cur-rent semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.[/quote] No freaking thanks. Then you have a war I don't personally agree with... the whole 9/11 debacle and supressing of the families involved... information on the attacks that has been suspiciously kept under wraps... the poorly planned 9/11 commission... how much money has actually gone into the war... social security issues... Bush's backtracking on whether or not this war on "terror" can even be won... the whole lame "axis of evil" ideal... etc etc etc. Now will these things actually be better under Kerry? I'd like to be optimistic, but who really knows. All I know is that I don't like the way things are currently heading and if the same guy sticks around, obviously none of that will change. In any case, whomever you like... just make sure you vote.

[QUOTE=Shinmaru]Resident Evil 4... ...Metroid Prime: Echoes... Paper Mario 2....[/QUOTE] These are all games I want quite badly... Plus Donkey Konga and Baten Kaitos. GameCube has an awesome upcoming line-up as far as I'm concerned. They're all after one game in particular, however... Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. I absolutely love the MegaTen universe. Persona, Demi-kids, everything involved. SMT:N is the first full-blooded SMT game to ever actually make it to US shores officially (although you can get ROM translations for the earlier games). It's an RPG that delves pretty deeply into good versus evil, particularly from a religious angle. The US is getting the "Director's Cut" version that was later released in Japan... features new additions, particularly the appearance of Dante from Capcom's Devil May Cry. There's a thread on it here, as well as one on GS... Worth reading. It comes out the end of this month, and if you pre-order, you get a free soundtrack CD along with it. Do yourself a favor and buy it. Other than that, I also want Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga... set for November, but I personally think it'll be delayed.

That's practically what this whole forum is for... why do they need your thread...? lol

[url]http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3133797[/url] First screening of the movie will be at some Venice Film festival, early in September. [url]http://adventchildren.net/[/url] -- new shots and such are here.