Thursday, September 14, 2006

>:P This is only a temporary solution, but I finally had time to put this thing back up for a moment. A new site is forthcoming. When I have time to breathe, I will write a real post.

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Friday, April 28, 2006

Wii have landed. So, yesterday I got my first real taste of Xbox 360. It was an early birthday present and it's probably the most expensive present I've ever had. It came with five games, an additional controller, a play-and-charge kit, a hard drive, etcetera. Unfortunately I am missing two key elements: an HDTV as well as a broadband internet connection. Oh well. Both will soon be fixed, I imagine. So what can I say about it? Well, I guess not really much more than what you have probably already read. I had read quite a bit about the interface and so on, so it was nice to finally use it and see how it all works in person. I think the interface seperates Xbox 360 from other game systems in a more fundamental way than its graphics do. I mean, the graphics do look quite nice - even on a regular television with component cables - but essentially we're talking about current-gen games with slightly beefed up visuals. In other words, Xbox 360's "freshness" won't be found with the games, which is kind of ironic. It's really the interface that's the star of the show, I think. It transforms Xbox 360 from a regular game system to...well, a game system with a little extra on the side. Everything just works beautifully. Turn your system on and off remotely, create different gamer profile accounts, bind your wireless controllers to the system (and the system remembers which controller is which) and so on. It's all effortless and seamless. I think one of my favourite features so far is probably the ability to use my iPod while playing games. It's better than simply using a seperate stereo, because it literally replaces the in-game music. You can create playlists on the fly and you can determine song volume independently of game volume if you wish. I also love the Xbox Dashboard button on the controller. Even if a game is in the middle of loading, you can bring up the Dashboard and fiddle around with your settings and your music. The game continues loading in the background and when it's done, it simply pauses itself and waits for you to finish. So, what impressed me most about the system thusfar certainly wasn't the games - it was the overall system design itself. Yes, the power brick is enormous and yes, the system design itself isn't particularly amazing (I think Wii and even PS3 have the edge when it comes to casing design), but in the end everything does what it's meant to do. And as far as controllers go...the Xbox 360 controller is definitely the best "traditional" game controller I've ever used. The previous winner was the GameCube pad - despite its crappy Z button and small d-pad, it was the most comfortable and functional controller I'd used up until now. But Xbox 360 beats it hands down for both comfort and functionality. That it's wireless with force feedback is only the icing on the proverbial cake. In terms of games, I haven't played all of them yet. I got five games with it: Kameo, Call of Duty 2, Quake 4, Tony Hawk, GUN and PGR3. I've played something like two minutes of Kameo and it's already bored me to tears. The introduction sequence is just incredibly, incredibly tired...I've seen it all before and Kameo follows the platformer convention right down to the last detail. In other words, even at the beginning, there is simply nothing new about Kameo. I'll try it out some more soon, but Kameo has absolutely nothing over any other platformer at the moment. Very unimpressive. Call of Duty 2 is probably the real star, both due to its gorgeous visuals as well as its superb gameplay. I haven't played the original game, but the sequel is brilliant. I've only had time to do the start area of the game, but already I'm very impressed. This game probably showcases Xbox 360 better than the others I've seen so far. I was expecting to be disappointed by Quake 4, but I must admit, it's good. Visually it's almost identical to Doom 3 (shiny skin and all), but in terms of gameplay it's far better. Not only do you have a light on the end of your gun (well, some guns anyway), but the overall design is superior. The levels are far more varied and the action is a lot more frantic. Ultimately Quake 4 is still a pretty mindless shooter, but it's controls are wonderful and there's just enough variety to keep it interesting. Although it's nothing new, this game does demonstrate the basic benefits of a solid control scheme and strong action sequences. PGR3 is the only other game I've played and I've spent the most time with it. It's far more arcade-like than Gran Turismo, but they seem to get the balance pretty right. The visuals are nice and the controls are wonderfully accurate and tight. I'm really enjoying the various challenges so far and I find myself using my own music in this game pretty much all the time (even though the in-game music seems to be reasonably good so far). So there you have it...a half-complete Xbox 360 analysis. I guess it's more just a set of random thoughts about the system than anything else. In any case, I'm enjoying the system and I'm now looking forward to Xbox Live and other games in the future. While Xbox 360 doesn't entirely feel "next-generation", it's certainly the most refined game system to date, in terms of attention-to-detail and interface design (that is, if you can forget the power brick and the fact that it will scratch your discs if you move it while they're spinning...). In unrelated news, Nintendo announced that Revolution is to be named Wii. I've commented on OtakuBoards about it already, so I'll let you read that rather than me repeat it here. I do recommend going to the official site to see a funky little animation of the logo. It seems to ease the pain just a little, for those who are having a hard time swallowing this little revelation. CosmicSailor: Ahh, I don't think I mentioned long-winded though. You were, in fact, relatively concise...it's just that the first paragraph got a little caught up on itself. Not to worry. And I responded in-kind with an email too. Chabichou: Ouch, an annoying teacher moving in nearby? That sucks. I'll be living in an apartment sometime soon (whenever we can find one that we like). That should be interesting, as I've only ever lived in a house. snow fox: I am looking forward to seeing their new house quite a lot. I've heard great things about it. And thanks...as you can see above, the Xbox was a good investment. ~_^ Tony: I think the main thing is, in some games it's trying to throw so much at the screen and on 480p, it just looks messy. It's messy to the point where you just don't want to play it. So there is a bigger motivation for us to get an HDTV now. But when I go to Melbourne next week I'm going to take it with me and try it out on the two HD screens at home. I am really wanting to see the difference. No doubt it'll make me annoyed that I have to come back up here and be sans-HD. ShadowFaint Zero: Thank you! I'm going to be 23 on Sunday...yikes! If you would like help with your OB acount, you can either post in the Suggestions & Feedback forum or email Desbreko or Dagger. They'll take care of the issue for you. ^_^

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Thursday, April 27, 2006

... I couldn't think of a title for this post, probably because things have been pretty monotonous lately. I am really looking forward to going home for a week and I find myself counting down the days 'till it happens. My birthday is on Sunday (the 30th) and unfortunately I won't be home for it. But I'm sure my day up here (or in NSW, as the case may be) will nevertheless be very special. My sister's birthday is on the second of May, so I'm hoping to be down at home by next weekend. Apparently she's having a few friends over and I really want to be there for that. To add to the excitement, my parents have just moved into a new house that they are eager for me to see. It's larger than our previous house and it sounds pretty interesting from what I've heard. It's something that sounds very typical of my mother; it has a lot of funny little passageways, a wine cellar and a very unusual layout. She loves living in an unusual home. Our last home was very strange too - it was a "2.5 storey" house and from the side, it had a bizarre wedge shape to it. Also, I am getting that Xbox 360 package today. Apparently something else was added to it (I don't know what that is yet though) and they've added an optional faceplate in there. Apparently it's some faceplate with orange swirls or something. Regardless, I haven't seen it so I'm hoping it looks good. Once I've played around with the games I might write my views on each one and let you know what I think. But at the moment I only have dial-up Internet and no HDTV...so I really won't be experiencing the system to its fullest. We're looking at getting an LCD screen soon though. And apparently you can hook the Xbox 360 up to your computer screen - I don't quite know if I could connect it to my laptop, but that'd sure be nice. Kei: I am continually saddened by the way The Simpsons has gone downhill. Yes, some of the new episodes are good and show promise...but something is missing on a fundamental level. I assume the writers are different or something. Either way, it's very disappointing. I'm very eager to start Hybrid Vigor, but I will be home for a week as of next Friday. Perhaps I should launch the sign-up beforehand, to give people a week or so to think up characters. Piro: Nice to see you comment on here, despite the circumstances. ~_^ jellybeans rock: Erm, thanks? ^_^;; CosmicSailor: Without attempting to shrug off your lengthy comment, I should probably say that I largely agree with Tony's response. The RPG system on OtakuBoards is not very rigid at all. Yes, we require ratings, but that's about it. The actual format of RPGs can be whatever the player desires. The big problem, I think, is that so few people truly experiment and try new things. But chapters and other things are certainly not rules...they are pretty much just conventions, rather than rules. I like it when people break convention, though. I am much like you in that generally, I enjoy RPGs with some depth to them. That depth can come in many forms, but even an RPG like Kill Adam (which was, on the surface, all about mindless violence) actually had more character depth than I've seen in many RPGs on the site. In a way, the concept was so simple that it kind of forced us to think carefully about our characters and their motivations. In that way, it was very much like a Tarantino-like story. It wasn't so much about the violence, it was about what motivates that violence and what the effects are. It was more about violent people than violence. It's that kind of depth that I find interesting. I am hoping that I see a similar kind of character complexity in Hybrid Vigor, anyway. I liked your sample, by the way. The first paragraph was a little bogged down (though the descriptions were very good), but generally I really enjoyed it. I think your writing would be more than welcome in Adventure Arena or OB Anthology, should you ever choose to particicpate there. Mimmi-chan: Thank you for the good wishes, Miss Mimmi! I am happy to see a comment from you here...and I hope you are doing well. Looks like I may be in the car for that long again this weekend. And on my birthday, too. >_>; Tony: Bingo. I could not have said it any better myself. Your posts were some of the best I've ever seen in that forum and yet, as you mentioned, the ideas came to you as you wrote them. Despite that, the posts were highly cohesive and very enjoyable to read. And no worries about the site. I have been enjoying it quite a bit and I'm eager to see what else goes up there. I would really love to see some Xbox 360 reviews from you as well...even though you've commented on some of the games on your blog. Your reviews are always good to read and I always like to hear the advice of other gamers when it comes to this stuff. Sammy: I think you may like the new system, hopefully it's the best of both worlds. As far as players being killed off...I have no specific plans for that. If a participant wants their character to die, however, they are more than free to work that into the story. The mutations will not be obvious, at least not as obvious as other RPGs might make them. But I am thinking of allowing varying degrees of mutation - that is, you may have some freedom in terms of appearance, when it comes to how much "animal" you put in your character. But it won't be a 50/50 split or anything like that. Tony: Yeah, I think this was probably one of the biggest misconceptions about the chapter system. But as you've said, the only level of control I really had was writing the chapter summaries at the beginning of each chapter. The idea was to direct the plot in a very general way, but to allow players to fill in all of the specifics - and to influence the broader plot itself. Some of my chapter decisions actually revolved around what people had written in their own posts...so it certainly wasn't a case of me trying to box everyone in with an extremely rigid plotline. SunfallE: The chapter system was present in Kill Adam and Kill Adam: Volume 2, so those threads will actually show you how they were used. In any case, it'll be cool to have your involvement, even if you choose to only read it. I think that gives some added motivation to participants as well, if they feel that others are enjoying the story. Aaryanna: In terms of RPGs, all you really have to do is read some others to work out how they operate. But it's pretty simple. I think it's quite easy to get involved once you have chosen a character and nailed down some of the details. ^_^ Alan: Gremlins or midges...I think those midges have power well beyond what we can comprehend. >_>; indifference: I had fun before I got sick, yup. It was kind of a vacation, but not a real one. We spent a great deal of time doing chores for other people, which wasn't fun. We have yet to go on a vacation by ourselves - although we'll be in Melbourne on our own, which is good. And yeah, it's heading into winter here...although Queensland really doesn't have a "real" winter like other states. It's sub-tropical here, so it's really just "dry season" and "wet season". That's about it really. But the temperature has been wonderful lately...not too hot and not too cold! Hiking sounds good, by the way. I hope you enjoy it and take lots of great photos. ^_^

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Angels & Men I'm now back from my trip to New South Wales. It was a fun time, I got to spend Easter Sunday with my partner's family and it was great to get to know all of them a little better. So overall, it was a good time. Unfortunately I had food poisoning or something, I've been pretty sick for the last few days. We had a ten hour drive home on Monday and I was stuck in the car the entire time, feeling terrible. It's not nice to be in a car for that long while you're incredibly sick. Yuck. Since getting back I've continued with the work I was doing and I've given further thought to my upcoming RPG. I am happy that some older members are interested in it, although admittedly I now feel a lot of pressure to make it work. Despite what people may say about my own RPGs, I always feel that there are other writers on OB who are far better than me - and far more inventive, too. None of my RPGs would have been successful without such people. So if I can have only a fraction of the talent in Hybrid Vigor that I had in Kill Adam, I will be very fortunate indeed. But moreover, that'll make the RPG incredibly good fun (as Kill Adam has been). I am going to try two new systems with this RPG too. One is a system I'm calling "freestyle chapters", which involves non-restrictive chapters that people can basically opt-in with or ignore. It's kind of tough to explain without giving everything away, but I think it might work well in practice. The other system is called "revelations and artifacts", which I've mentioned in the Underground thread. While I may be controlling the overall plot of the RPG, my control will be very general. I am going to try to allow players themselves to invent major revelations that will shape the course of the entire story, to a point where it may very well evolve well beyond my original concept. I hope that this is the case, anyway. In Kill Adam, the story became so much deeper and more interesting simply because other players developed their characters to a very fine degree. Josh in particular created many tangents and side-plots, which gave the story an incredibly rich texture and depth. As a result, what began as an incredibly simplistic idea soon became a vividly detailed body of work. It's that kind of natural evolution that I hope I will see in this new story. I've also been re-thinking the soundtrack. I suspect that I'll maintain some classical tracks, but those will be mixed with stuff from Sigur Ros. Somehow their music really fits the mood of the RPG. Oh, before I forget, I encourage everyone to visit Orange Lazarus, Tony's new site. With the help of Shy (Josh), he's built quite an impressive place. I've already read several articles there, including various retro reviews as well as Tony and Josh's roundtable on The Simpsons (which I found myself agreeing with pretty much every step of the way). So, yes, I encourage you to take a good look at it when you have the time. mysterious rei: Thanks for visiting, I appreciate it. ^_^ Alexus: Your idea there is really interesting. My approach with Hybrid Vigor is something a little different to the norm, if only in the sense that there is a rebellion but it's quite different to what players will initially expect. I suppose the idea is that "rebellion" can come from many places and it can involve many things - not necessarily just a people rebelling against their government. There are ideological and personal rebellions too and I suppose I am going to try to express those in the RPG. And thanks for sending your best. I'm very happy at the moment and I'm feeling very settled in my current relationship. I definitely realized how much I missed this feeling. ^_^ CosmicSailor: I do not think you are at any risk of talking way above my head - so I encourage you to feel free in choosing any topic you like. I am pretty flexible when it comes to subjects for discussion. ^_^ As far as RPing goes, I can say that what we do at OtakuBoards is probably totally different to the kind of RPGs you will see elsewhere on the Internet. Some forums have built-in RPG "systems" and others have a more traditional collaborative writing type of RPG. At OtakuBoards, our RPGs have really evolved to a very specific art. Even the implementation of sign-ups, ratings, chapters and other things have really given us something very unique. There are still many styles of RPGs written on OB, but generally speaking I'm very proud of the fact that RPGs and creative writing in general have become such important cornerstones of the site. I agree with your preference for depth over mindless violence, though. I personally prefer RPGs with intricate character relationships and histories. I also like RPGs that explore politics, technology and differing perspectives. Aaryanna: I would love it if you sign-up, but that's entirely up to you. At the very least, I'd be honored if you choose to read it (and if you actually enjoy it). You take care too! Nice to see you. SunfallE: I still remember the old black and white monitors (with graphics) as being incredibly impressive at the time. Seeing animated pictures, rather than just text, was quite a revealation! As I said to Aaryanna, I would be honored even if you just read the RPG. I'm happy to hear that you like the concept, anyway. ^_^

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Monday, April 10, 2006

Stuff There isn't a whole lot to say in this update. I saw two movies last week - Basic Instinct 2 and V for Vendetta. I couldn't even remember the original Basic Instinct, so I didn't expect that I would like the sequel at all. It was okay. Despite the frequent sex, it was a relatively cerebral movie, at least in terms of all of the twists and turns. I also really liked Sharon Stone's conversations with her psychiatrist, if only because it was interesting to see how she manipulated him. I tend to enjoy wordplay like that and it was that aspect of the film that I found interesting. V for Vendetta was about as good as I expected, although some aspects of it were a little blatant (some of the references to the present-day were, in a word, extreme). But having said that, the story in isolation was a good one. And I felt that it was handled well, especially given that movies can never truly represent their source material to the fullest. I have also spent a little time working on my new RPG. The sign-up thread is almost finished and I'm hoping that people will like the way it's been put together. In does actually share a few small elements of 1984, although it's not nearly as oppressive as that. I'm also hoping that those who remember the original RPG will be happy with my spin on it...although I have to say, apart from sharing a name and a couple of very general concepts, the two are pretty much entirely different. So look out for that in the next week or so, I think. Tony: I remember that you defended the system when everyone else was bashing it and I think at the time you were one of the few people who was viewing the whole thing objectively. There are some general ideas about Xbox 360 that I didn't (and still don't) like, but it still seems to be an impressive package. So I have no concerns about giving it a try. I really wasn't sure if I'd like a game like Oblivion - I don't tend to enjoy those types of western RPGs. However, I might give it a look-in, particularly given that there aren't a whole heap of games at the moment that I'm really interested in. Chabichou: That's understandable. Perhaps Revolution will be good for you, because it won't rely on the traditional control methods for 3D games that have been a problem for you. No worries about the nosey thing - I was only joking. I don't care, I just thought John's comment was funny, because I know he's curious about that type of thing. Haha. Harlequin: Oh man, I really want to try that game! I'm going to have to just go and buy it. I haven't found it anywhere for rent. Annie-chan: I understand. With most games I can only really play for a fairly short time - maybe less than an hour at most. It's only the very rare games where I spend more than an hour at a time playing. Aaryanna: At least you love classes though! Haha. I know what you mean, although I find it hard to compare old and new games, if only because they came out at different times and expectations were different. I mean, it seems to be popular to bash Final Fantasy VII these days, but I think most of the praise leveled at it is reasonable. It's just easy to forget the reason for that praise when you play it today and compare it to newer games. I mean, clearly, a game like Super Mario 64 isn't going to have the same impact now that it had originally. I think the same principle applies. John: I haven't yet tried Halo 2 multiplayer, but I have had long sessions of multiplayer on the first Halo. I have to say, Halo's multiplayer did nothing for me really. It was just as boring and redundant as the single player experience. But I think Goldeneye has spoiled me, frankly. And John, it's okay, I know you're just curious. It's perfectly natural. Shinmaru: I had the same reaction to Resident Evil 4 as well. It was one of those few games to really get me completely engrossed for days on end, simply because it felt relatively fresh and was incredibly well-produced. Basically I agree with you about Revolution, simply because I feel like I really want something new. Xbox 360 and PS3 do excite me for certain games, but not like Revolution - I think that will really be the quantum shift that I'm looking for. snow fox: Trace Memory, eh? Cool. I haven't played that. I have to say, PC games have taken up more of my time over the years recently. The Sims 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, Command & Conquer: Generals, Half-Life 2 and Guild Wars are the games that got me hooked more recently. If only I had more time for those ones! SunfallE: Wow, your father actually taught such people? That's pretty incredible. I remember being in early primary school and playing on the old Apple systems (before Windows). These computers did not have any graphics - they were either black and white or they were green and black, with only text. And yet they were incredibly fun at times. I remember playing some of those "choose your own adventure" type games, like the ones where you read a description of a room and you type in a command (such as "pick up key" or "look behind stairs"). Although they were only text-based, they were incredibly fun at the time, because it was like being inside an interactive novel. If only I'd known how advanced games would become in such a short period of time! Alexus: Yes, I agree. That whole sequence was rather cool. I thought single-player was okay and there were some moments with great potential, but generally the game is just so highly derivative. You know those enemies that fly around and shoot yellow beams at you? They come out of ports in the walls and hover around. Those things are nearly carbon-copies of a type of enemy in Half-Life 2. Even the little buzz-saw flying things from H-L2 are replicated in Halo 2 (though without the actual buzz-saw noises). The whole time I just kept thinking "This is IT? This is what people are going crazy about? Have any of these people played Metroid Prime?" Liam: Co-op would be fun. I haven't had the chance to try that. I do hope to see you in the RPG, both because I admire your other RPGs and also because I would like the opportunity to RP with you at some stage anyway. I do remember Shipwrecked, or at least the name. But there's no need to be embarassed, because I started with the script format too and I certainly made all the same mistakes that everyone else did, haha. Alexus Again: No, you're not reading too far into the word. I have a boyfriend (who I've now been with for about four months) and we're both staying with a few other people at the moment. But that's due to change pretty soon, I think. This house is far too small for the amount of people in it - and we are contributing more financially than anyone else. So it's more than a little draining on us. And yeah, I've always know that John was "curious". The amount of questions he asks about these things is just crazy! ~_^ CosmicSailor: No worries! I even have trouble remembering where we were at with it, haha. I'm pretty bad at asking questions, so maybe you could suggest something (or simply comment on something in my post above). Up to you. Hope you are doing well by the way. ^_^

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Thursday, April 6, 2006

Return to Earth. Since I have been in Queensland, I have not spent a great deal of time playing video games. Even in Melbourne, my time playing games had dropped significantly over recent years. I think this is simply because I've been playing games since I was a young child and with various exceptions, I'm generally playing better looking versions of something that I've experienced before. In other words, I've been getting progressively more and more bored with games. At first I thought that I was simply "out-growing" video games, but I don't think that's really true. Certain games really got me addicted; Half-Life 2, Resident Evil 4 and Metal Gear Solid 3 are examples of games that I played religiously when I bought them. It hasn't really been since Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time that I have experienced that kind of immediate connection with a game. Obviously, moving to Queensland has meant that I've had far less money to play around with (although this is partly due to the amount of travel I've done lately). So clearly, games took a backseat to everything else. But I've been playing a few games lately that have surprised me. One game I bought recently was Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. I have to admit, when I first began playing it, it really did feel like "more of the same". That is to say, it felt just like its predecessor, but with more features. So I was really wondering whether or not it was a wise purchase. But now that I'm near the end of the game, I have to say, I've been enjoying it quite a lot. Yes, there are a billion moves - almost too many. But on the other hand, the game has managed to continuously keep things fresh and surprising, despite the fact that it still feels very similar to its predecessor. So that game's taking up quite a bit of time. Also, this house has an Xbox (though it isn't mine), so I thought I'd take the opportunity to play more of Halo. My earlier thoughts have only really been confirmed, I must say. Halo is incredibly overrated. It is one of the most bland, derivative games I've ever played. I didn't even find the story to be remotely interesting - it is, more or less, standard sci-fi fare. However, I decided to rent Halo 2 and see if I enjoyed it any more. While the initial portion of the game is, again, quite derivative and boring, it really does pick up quite a lot once you reach Earth (which is thankfully fairly early on). Of course, I still feel that Halo 2 is ultimately resting on the achievements of other games - I would have to wonder how good Halo 2 would have been if it hadn't been able to borrow from Half-Life or Half-Life 2. And yet, despite the fact that there is nothing highly remarkable about Halo 2, it's still a solid game - certainly more enjoyable and varied than its predecessor. There are quite a few games that I'm still wanting to try, but it's so hard to find the time these days. Hopefully the Xbox 360 is going to offer me something interesting later this month. Rar: It's interesting because my version is quite different, but you are certainly going to see a few little influences from the original. Mostly though, I'm hoping that some older members join...it would be great to relive that atmosphere, with familiar members. ^_^ Liam: Haha, it's so funny how much things have changed. When I compare your posts today to what had been written then...it's quite a big change. lol But then again, I remember the way that everyone used to write RPGs in a kind of script form. I began avoiding that format in all of my posts and it seems that it caught on, after a few people began doing it. I think that probably worked to the benefit of RPGs in general! I hope that you (and any previous members of that RPG) will enjoy my own take on the general idea. It's quite different. SugarCone: I definitely think you should consider working in that field, as there is generally a huge demand for translators. Even in the video game industry, translators are highly sought-after (particularly as every PAL game release is translated into about five European languages). So there's massive demand - I hope you find something you enjoy! Harlequin: The last time I saw Rico was probably a couple of years ago now. So I don't think he's around, but it would be amazing to have his help on the new RPG. I suppose that mostly, this RPG is a bit of a tribute to OB "oldies"...and it's a bit of an attempt to relive my first RPG experience, hehe. Aaryanna: Mario Kart on DS is incredibly good. I would personally say that it's easily the best Mario Kart game ever made - even better than Super Mario Kart. And that's quite a statement, considering that no other Mario Kart game seemed to be more enjoyable than the original. indifference: It'll be my last move before I head back to Melbourne. So, it will be my last move for anywhere between one and two years. But of course, it's so important to find something I am happy with, so the search is long and tough! I think you would be great with RPGs, as your writing is generally of fantastic quality. I'd love to see you in Adventure Square. ^_^ Generally I think politicians are just a weird bunch, with some exceptions. Meeting them in person can be a mixed experience, no matter what side of the political spectrum they represent. I can understand how it'd be tough where you live though, because I've always heard that Utah was one of the more conservative states in the US. But hopefully you still enjoy yourself there, despite that. ^_^ Chabichou: Oh, well, when I first came up here I was living with a friend of mine and nobody else. And then I moved in with my current partner, who is staying with his mother/step-father and nephew. It's a slightly odd situation, because everyone has very suddenly changed jobs and had to move up here temporarily - it's more than a little crowded for my partner and I, so we are in quite a hurry to move out on our own. John: You're a nosey one, aren't you! But I think I've satisifed your curiosity with my response to Chabichou, lol.

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Monday, April 3, 2006

Bringing back the classics. There isn't a lot to report lately, other than the usual. The only major thing is that we've found an apartment in the city that we're going to be looking at this weekend. We'd thought that there wasn't much left (the apartment we wanted was sold after we were convinced to live at our current location), so it really felt like a mistake. And now we are really trying to get out of here and find a place of our own. So, I'm happy about that. It'll be good to finally have a bit more freedom (and live with a lot less people!) The only other news is that I'm finally working on a new RPG. It's something a little special, if only because oldies might remember it. It's very loosely based on the first RPG I ever participated in at OtakuBoards; RicoTranzrig's Meteo City. My version is going to be quite different, but it will contain some similar elements, as well as a familiar name. I'm hoping that some of the older members will want to join - I remember that everyone from Flash and Warlock to myself and Liam were involved in that old series on OB. The new RPG will take the series' original name (Hybrid Vigor) and will be set in a future version of Paris. So hopefully it'll inject something a little fresh into Adventure Square when it arrives. Arcadia: I guess I try to know what I'm doing, at the very least, haha. I allow a lot of room for change, but I have a very general idea of where I want to be in the future. My plans now are actually a lot less rigid than they once were and it feels great. And I agree! It's the first Gorillaz album I have bought and I'm enjoying it quite a lot. ^_^ SugarCone: Absolutely, in fact, translators are often in high demand. Unfortunately I've never really dealt with them, so I don't know about the opportunities in detail. But I would go as far as sending cover letters and resumes to various publishers that you're interested in anyway - you never know. It's certainly a field where there is usually a shortage of qualified staff. So there are often great opportunities there. John: Oh I want to get settled in! But I really have no option but to move. The people I'm living with now are unbearable (not to mention incredibly money-grubbing). So it's difficult to save anything here and it's a constant headache. Moving to an apartment will be good because it'll allow me to focus on saving money for a long period of time, which I'm definitely needing to do. CosmicSailor: I'm glad you like the way I word things; I am often worried about being misinterpreted. So I try to be as clear as possible. At the end of the day you know what's best for you. Whatever you end up doing, I wish you the best of luck. I really hope that something comes along that you are really interested in, because doing work you enjoy is probably one of the best things that can happen in life. I wish I had it more often. Aaryanna: A Minister is basically like one of your cabinet secretaries. The "Governor" of Queensland is actually called the "Premier" over here. So the Minister for Health would be like your state's Health Secretary, or something. I haven't played Animal Crossing on GameCube in ages. I just found it far too repetitive and uninteresting. It's a nice game, but I prefer The Sims, personally. The online aspect of Animal Crossing on DS does interest me, though. SunfallE: I hope you're now feeling better! Being sick is awful. I just find politicians weird. Some are very nice, but some are so full of themselves that they appear to live on another planet. I really am not impressed by such people, so I tend to spend a lot of time ignoring them and only talking to them if they address me, lol. Generally I just don't want to hear what they have to say, unless I'm actually getting into an interesting conversation. I forget how it works, I think you have to reach a minimal number of posts before becoming a Member. I can't even remember if it's twenty or fifty posts. But either way, it's a pretty low amount. At the end of the day there are some people who are still waiting to be a Moderator at OB. In a way I can understand why, but most of those people are the same people who are unlikely to get the job. I tend to go after people who are simply happy to be good participants, rather than those who have a deliberate ambition to join the staff. There are exceptions and it's not quite a hard rule...but it's generally something I take into account. As I've always said, I'm most concerned about people's attitude and who I feel can do the best job. Quite often that isn't going to be an "oldie" and yet sometimes older members are perfect for the job. Basically the amount of time someone has been there has little to do with my staffing choices. I hope you take care, too. ^_^ indifference: Usually I don't care very much about the actual political stance, because I suppose I take it for granted that I'm never going to agree with other people's politics entirely. However, it's more the personal attitudes of such people that annoys me. Some politicians are very personable and very nice to talk to, but others are ridiculously false. And I don't respond well to fake people. I hope you have a good week too, thanks for the kind thoughts!

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Friday, March 24, 2006

Knocked out by a palm tree. What a busy week! I attended a funny meeting today. It turned out that about half the people who were due to be there weren't, so it was quite awkard for the hosts. I think they had been expecting the Queensland Minister for Health and possibly even the Premier, but neither came. No wonder the host was drinking a lot of wine; he was facing a sea of fairly unimpressed faces. Although I have to admit, it relaxed me a little, because I ended up not having to make conversation with people who can be very difficult at times (Government ministers being what they are). So it was a good afternoon, although I'm feeling very drained right now. Anyway, things have been changing so much lately that it can be hard to keep track. I am now going out there once again and contacting people who I haven't spoken to in a while; specifically, those involved in publishing. Now seems like a good time to go back and pursue work in that field, considering that now I'm in a much better position - I can knock back what I don't want to do and accept what I'm interested in. Ideally it'd be good to secure full-time work in Sydney for one of the publishers I've worked for previously, but it's not something I'm counting on. Mostly, I'm just interested in seeing where everyone is and what they're all up to. I'm also now looking at getting back into freelance web work. I figure that it will help me to further beef up my portfolio too (and possibly help to pay for a little travel here and there). So all-in-all, things are as crazy as ever, although I'm feeling relatively satisfied with life at the moment. Certain things could be better, but really, I'm fairly happy with everything. In amongst all of this, I'm going to attempt to dedicate some time to OtakuBoards. I think some serious work on the new site is needed if I'm wanting to get it done anytime within the next thousand years. Combine that with the two other personal sites that I'm working on and I think I'm going to be very busy over the coming months. Annie-chan: Aw, that's disappointing. But I don't blame you. I wish I had more time to devote to Guild Wars, but I just don't right now. Hopefully that will change. Arcadia: Oh, thank you...respnsibility hero? It's funny to hear that, because I'm always a victim of my own ambition; I take on far too many projects at once and invariably spread myself thin. But I suppose it keeps things exciting...or stressful. lol Glad to hear from you though and I hope things are going well for you. ^_^ Charlie: Hopefully that bad smell will linger for many years to come. Harlequin: Wow, really? Maybe Toowoomba is Melbourne's sister city, then! Haha. I've heard some interesting things about Toowoomba, though I have never been there. I've heard it's a very charming place, though. John: Thank you, sir. It's cool that you like the name, I was expecting nobody to like it really. lol Aaryanna: Animal Crossing, eh? On DS? I haven't played the DS version yet. What are your thoughts on it? It's very odd to live in a state with such limited variety in weather, yep. It's basically just "hot/cool" and "wet/dry" and that's about it. I love Melbourne because every season we get is real. Everything from frosty winters to boiling hot summers to autumns where all the trees go red and yellow. ^_^ And yes, that's what I'm referring to. Luna Park is an Australian icon, particularly in Melbourne. And speaking of theme parks, it's a shame that Sydney closed down Wonderland...that was a big one over there. I've heard it was very good, too. >_>; I hope you're enjoying your time as an OB staffer, by the way! indifference: Yeah, as I said to Aaryanna, it's so odd not to have the same seasonal shifts as in Victoria. I'm hoping that the site turns out alright, but as per usual I am putting too much pressure on myself, because of the kind of site that it is. But I'm sure it will all work out - I may just have to settle for something that isn't quite what I want, if only to get it out before we all grow old. lol I am happy to hear that you are so far enjoying your experience at OtakuBoards. I'm looking forward to working with all the new staff when we transition to the new site (which will hopefully happen this year). hEvN: I think "intimate" is the way to go, yep. It'll be nice to find ways to pay back those who have helped me so much over the years. ^_^ SunfallE: Song titles and weird incidents, as today's title suggests! ^_^;; Annie told me that the site's name made her think of Nine Inch Nails, which is interesting. The name is actually fairly random, but somehow it's a name that I've been thinking about a lot lately. There's actually a town in Australia with this name (I saw the sign on the way down to Sydney). I thought it was uniquely Australian in terms of its genuine weirdness and humor...combining that with a kind of carnival atmosphere is what I'm generally shooting for. But who knows what'll happen there. From what I've seen, you've been doing a wonderful job at OtakuBoards. So I'm very happy that you accepted the position. ^_^ Funnily enough, someone was telling me that a lot of people are a bit miffed, because they think I'm deliberately only choosing new members as Moderators these days. I found that pretty funny (and I'm guessing that those same people didn't notice Bombu's appointment...or they don't remember his previous names). Generally though, it was a good dose of forum politics that I haven't had to deal with in a good long time. It reminded me how glad I am not to be immersed in that every day. lol CosmicSailor: I understand what you meant, but believe me, there's nothing blind about the expectation that you will be heard the harder you pound. I understand that this is not always the case for any given period of time. Believe me, I have done plenty of pounding on the doors of many companies over the years and I've had plenty of knock-backs. So of course, it's not a black and white link. But my overall point stands; the harder you push, the more likely you are to achieve something. This does not mean that you will, because plenty don't. The point isn't that it will magically happen, the point is that it's worth the effort because it increases your chances. Hopefully that clarifies my earlier point. ^_^ I do not mean to imply that you don't push your hardest every day. Not at all. I am sorry if I've given you that impression. My comments were very general - they were directed at the general struggle to get employment. As I said, I understand how tough it is and I've been there myself. It's not nice and "trying hard" certainly isn't always enough. But it does help. As far as why it's not working, I obviously am in no position to comment on that, as I don't really know all that you are. I suppose all you can do is self-analyze and speak to others. Some employers - not all, but some - will actually explain what was wrong if they pass you over for a job. Admittedly, many don't do that, but sometimes it's good to ask anyway (and I'm sure you probably do, but again, my point is very general here). Chabi: Thanks much! Asuki: Thank you so much for the compliment! I hope you are doing well, m'dear. ^_^

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Monday, March 13, 2006

Every planet we reach is dead. There isn't really a lot to add in this update, but I did want to mention a couple of things. First of all, I am seriously thinking of handing over my Guild Wars guild to someone. Originally, it was intended to be a guild for OtakuBoards members in general. But as time has gone on, many of our Guild Wars players have become highly inactive and since OB isn't a dedicated GW location, that hasn't really changed. And of course, because of my major change in living situation, I haven't been around to monitor the guild and set up events or anything like that. So nothing's happened. A few senior members left the guild and are now doing their own thing, so without them (and effectively without me), there isn't a whole lot of point to keeping the guild alive. There are still a couple of relatively active members though, so I thought I'd give them the chance to take the guild off my hands if they are interested. Afterall, starting your own guild and saving for a Guild Hall and cape can be quite an uphill battle unless you either have a lot of members or a few members who are very rich. So I figure it might be a good head-start for someone who is interested in running their own guild. So if anyone's interested, please contact me via PM or email. I think for a while I will just go it alone, without a guild. But I guess there is always the possibility of joining another guild soon, especially as everyone gears up for Factions. I also want to thank Aaryanna, SunfallE and Mariskah for their cool email with the photo. It reminds me how much I may actually miss seeing an autumn day, as Queensland really has no autumn to speak of. It's just a dry season and a rainy season pretty much, whereas Melbourne experiences each season in a real way. Also, I have been making slow progress on what I'm currently calling Hungry Head. My portfolio site - or at least, the somewhat vague ideas about it - have kind of transformed into this new project. Although it will be my own space online, I have been thinking about how I can also use it to benefit others who have helped me over the years. I suppose that in a way, you might say that what I'm thinking about constructing is a little bit like deviantART. But that would kind of be incorrect, in the sense that I don't want to make some site where people sign up and where it's all numbers and stuff. Instead, I'm thinking about something much more intimate - a particular kind of collaboration between artists and programmers. It's still a somewhat vague notion, but I've always been interested in collaboration and I'd really like to see what can be done in this area. In terms of design, I am still using the head silhouette theme...with some fairly radical changes. The design is probably a combination of the silhouette and the mouth from Luna Park (Melbournians and Sydneysiders will know what I mean there). I was thinking about having a kind of carnival poster theme for the site's layout and art design, but even that is proving tough...it's quite different from what I normally do. And then there's always the need to make something interesting without necessarily making something frightening. I've been veering dangerously close to the latter in my experiments with it, so I should try to keep that under control, lol. Other than that, there's not a whole lot more to say, so I'll comment on the comments now. indifference: Well, not having to worry about theOtaku/myOtaku/OB right now is certainly a positive thing, although I am actually looking forward to focusing on myOtaku once more. It's just good to have the break to work on other stuff. SunfallE: The whole trading services thing is something I'm wanting to experiment with on the new site, but probably to a slightly broader degree than what I've done before. So hopefully that'll work out well. I hope that I'm never too old to appreciate dressing up and having fun like that - I always try to remember to enjoy lighthearted things and not to be too serious. ~_^ Aaryanna: Luckily I don't have to worry about programming in a very direct way, but then again, it's something I always have to think about. In some ways it's easier not to have to deal with it specifically...but at the same time, I can't do effective web graphics without having some basic understanding of how it all works. But working to those limitations is often good fun. Anyway, I am happy that things worked out and that you are now on staff. I'm also extremely pleased that indifference and SunfallE accepted. For a while now it's been my goal to have all three of you working at OtakuBoards, because you each have the right kind of personality for it I think. I didn't ever expect to be lucky enough to snare all three of you, so I'm very happy about that. ^_^ CosmicSailor: Perserverance is definitely not an idealistic dream. Perserverance usually means the difference between work and unemployment. I can tell you right now, if I didn't push very hard, I wouldn't have my foot in the door with my new employer. I actually had to do some work for them for free - as a kind of test of my skills - to convince them to hire me. And it worked. It took that added effort and that added push to actually get the ball rolling. So it does make a huge difference. I understand the difficulty of being knocked back though, believe me. In my life so far, I have had plenty of knock backs; probably more than I want to even think about. But for every few knock backs, there's one breakthrough. It takes a lot of hard work and effort, but that's usually what gets you there in the end. When I get knocked back I often feel kind of hopeless and upset at first. But I try to turn that disappointment almost into anger or something - I try to use it to say to myself "No, I'm not going to allow anyone to knock me back, I'm going to push twice as hard as last time." Getting that steam behind you can really help. Baronness: Oh Baron, you know me all too well! ~_^ And thank you. I always like your art, so I'm always honored when you like my work.

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Wednesday, March 8, 2006

In love with your strict machine. Having some distance from the Internet lately has really given me a fresh perspective on things. The fact that things have gone quiet with theOtaku until we find new programming staff has also helped. This interim period is definitely the time to try new things. Due to a serious lack of time over recent months, it's obviously been difficult to get things done. But I think one of the biggest problems in the past is that I've simply spread myself way too thin. Working on half a dozen sites simultaneously - particularly when most of them are very large projects - is just something I don't want to do anymore. I would rather work on one or two projects, where I can really focus my time on each and be a lot more thorough. One of the other concerns, apart from spreading myself too thin, is the difficulty of securing a programmer. Justin has been kind enough to offer to help me with various things, but I don't want to put too much pressure on him. I have been thinking about how I could remedy this problem and I think it may mostly come down to trading programming work for design work. Justin and I had talked about the possibility of him handling programming for my personal sites, while I provide all the design and imagery for his. I think that's probably a good solution, although I still worry that he may have too much work on his plate. For now, there are two main projects that I want to resume, now that my absence is over. First, Nintendo GameLink. I think there's still a need for it and most of the design work is complete; it's really just a programming issue now. The second project is called Hungry Head and it's something I've talked about before, although in its new form it may end up having a few differences. This latter project may involve hosting of some kind, depending on how things work out. As far as Otaku-related projects go, I've already mentioned that theOtaku and myOtaku are kind of on hiatus (although I am working on something for theOtaku right now - something small, but significant). OtakuBoards is really the only site that I'm focusing on at the moment and in general I'm happy with things there. The site is being run well by Dagger and Desbreko and I haven't had to step in and do anything there for the last two months. This definitely gives me time to think about where I can take the site in future, without being distracted by day-to-day stuff there. Annie-chan: Mardi Gras has been a cornerstone of Sydney's yearly events schedule since 1978. It actually began as a protest march and soon developed into a very broad event, which is centered around a week of festivities, culminating in a major parade at the end of the week. The parade itself is essentially a party, but it's still very much a real venue for protest - parade floats all have particular themes and there's still definitely a political agenda involved. John: Well, the event's full name is "Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras". So, yes, it's a gay event. But that puts a bit too fine of a point on it. The event itself is widely supported by the entire state. Even country towns up and down the coast support it. But moreover, it's an event that goes beyond gay rights - while that forms its cornerstone, it's also an event that relates to tolerance in general. The parade often includes floats related to both racial and religious tolerance as well. It's also an event that is really for everyone. When you see the parade on the Saturday night, you get millions of people on the streets and these people are from all walks of life...every race, gender, sexuality, religion and nationality is represented, pretty much. The entire atmosphere is highly positive. It's so positive and welcoming, and the crowds are so diverse, that it actually makes me think that this is how the world might be if world peace were ever established, lol. It's certainly the closest to world peace that I've ever encountered in one place. ~_^ CosmicSailor: I am sorry about your lack of luck when it comes to work. As mentioned, looking for work is a big pain. I'm fortunate to have found out that I've secured a job with the company I was applying to recently, although they still haven't told me when I start. It's frustrating, but I'm glad to have gotten this far. Despite everything, it's usually frequent perserverence that really pays off. The more they knock you back, the harder you pound on their door. Usually someone listens eventually, if you make enough noise. SunfallE: You're absolutely right about not being able to judge people by what they are wearing. I think it's incredibly disappointing when someone is rejected simply because they have an outrageous hairstyle or something like that. Usually when I see people dressed in a very outrageous fashion, I actually view it as a good thing...I think it's good that they are willing to push the boundaries in whatever way they can. Sometimes people just need a little bit of a wake up call in their everyday lives, hehe. indifference: It's true that I probably see a lot of mistakes that others don't notice because they never saw the concept designs. But still, I don't like the thought that in some cases my work isn't represented as intended - although it's often just the way things are and it's nobody's fault, it is still frustrating at times. Aaryanna: Snow, eh? I miss seeing snow. Not that I ever saw it regularly in Melbourne (it doesn't snow anywhere near the city, only in the mountains), but up here it's impossible to see it. Queensland is sub-tropical so we never get anything like that here. It's one thing I'd like to see if I go back down to Melbourne in winter. As for my friend, I don't know about that yet. It was more than a day later and she hadn't picked up her car from Sydney, poor thing. I feel so bad for her. I will be sure to give her a fun night out next time I'm down there. I look forward to your email! ^_^ And thanks for the PM. I'm glad that everything went well. I notice you'd posted in response to the online staff manual, so I'm happy to see that everything went smoothly. Chabichou: It makes noises after it's connected? Odd. I'd never even used mine until recently. I didn't even really know I had one until recently, as a matter of fact! But thankfully it's working and it's reliable. In fact, I'm getting faster speed on this dial-up than I've ever had on dial-up before. No doubt it relates to the fact that the modem in this computer is new and the phone lines all around here are also brand-new. In my old house, where the lines had been there for a long time, the connection speed was significantly slower.

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