Monday, June 21, 2004

   Another day, another sequel
So, I finally beat Final Fantasy X2. My thoughts on the final battle?

Disappointing. I didn't get a "Game Over" _once_. Yes, I wanted to lose. I expect a _lot_ from an end boss. I expect to have my tail handed to me. I went in _expecting_ to be beaten by the big, bad mega-machine. I did not feel at all ready, and yet I won.

Perhaps that sounds like bragging.
Perhaps my stats were that good, or my strategy was sound. To which I respond; What strategy? All I had to do was whack the boss and it died. No magic or strategy necessary. Only one character even _died_. It was not hard, just long. I don't feel like I earned anything.

Ding dong, Vagnagon is dead. I'm going to go get beaten by a real end villain now. Where's FFVII?

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

The "Perfect" ending is cute, but I liked him dead.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004

   Commence ranting
(CT yanks out a soap box) Whether you're copying a screenshot from your favorite anime, a pose from an art book, or a poster shot, tracing is not art. If you're just practicing, that's fine. Replicating existing images is a great way to get a sense of the characters, movement, style, etc.

However, to post such copies publicly and claim credit for the work shows an incredible lack of creativity. These images are called _tracers_, and the people who post them are displaying no imagination whatsoever.

We've already seen the show, and tracers are no better than re-runs. If we wanted repeats, we would fire up the DVD player. The point of fanart is to pay tribute to something, to add your own unique view of another person's world.

I don't care how well an artist can copy - I care what they _think_, what their point of view and how they work with it. Fanart should be an exploration, both of already existing worlds and the artist's own abilities.

To all copiers - try creating instead. It will result in a much richer, diverse body of work.

Thank you. (Soap box starts to creak menacingly, and she jumps off.)
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Sunday, April 4, 2004

We're talkin' baseball...
It snowed this morning. It's windy and freezing cold. Technically it's April, but it feels like February. However, there is one irrefutable sign of spring. I don't mean the daffodils (now frost-bitten) or drunken college students partying in Cancun. I'm talking about screaming fans, the crack of wood against a ball, and the taste of hotdogs.

Yes, it's baseball season again, a time where hope springs eternal. Now it is time to pause and savor the moment as for a brief instant, all teams are equal. All are undefeated. For a second, it's possible to think that _this_ is the year. _This _ is _our_ year, when all the hecklers and nay-sayers will be proven wrong. We will be vindicated. We will be justified at last in our unwavering faith. True, we thought the same thing last year, and the year before, but this is _different_. This year, maybe, just _maybe_...we won't stink.

Ah well. Take me out to the baaaalll gaaaaaame...

Go Indians!
(And anyone who can beat the Yankees!)
Play ball!
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