Conversation Between Alter Ego and Phanima
106 to 120 of 142
  1. Alter Ego
    September 7th, 2008 3:33 AM
    Alter Ego
    Wow, tomorrow already, huh? Poor you. *Doesn't have any assignments until the 9th, and that one's only a self-introduction xD* As for the army...it's a madhouse, really. It's, like, some lifeless person has actually spent an obscene amount of time figuring out rules for absolutely everything. How you walk, how you talk, where you are allowed to go on what times of the day, what you are allowed to wear in combination with what, and even how you are supposed to wear it. I kid you not, there is an 'acceptable angle' for the cap thing we wear in summertime, and let's not even get started about making your bed. No wrinkles on any of the sheets, ever, pillow must bulge suitably but not too much from beneath the sheet and be located precisely in the center of the right end of the bed. Mess any of this up and they give the mattress a flip and make you do it again. The cover sheet also has a specific folding method that is simply absolute. It must be of a specific shape, precisely the size of the little chair you leave it on for the night (these must be perfectly aligned, by the way), precisely the right thickness (any more or less is inexcusable), and all the little colorful squares on it must be perfectly aligned, no excuses, and the forces above forbid that there's a gap or wrinkle somewhere. There is also this fun little collateral damage principle, which states that if any one person screwed up, it's the same as everyone screwing up so everyone has to redo.

    I swear, the first month or so, basically all we did was learning to run fast, talk in the right manner and fold our sheets. It was like a freakin' maid school or something. :< Also, another central aspect of the system is hurrying so you'll have time to wait. They issue strict time limits of ten minutes and down for everything, even if there may be a three-hour wait following that. All times are absolute except food and free time, both of which will be cut down on if you mess up. Not nice. ~-~ Also, all things must be said at maximal volume, which is not good if you find yourself lined up right next to the dude in charge.

    Oh, and the fun thing? No-one really cares about any of this stuff except the really high-ups. The only reason it's enforced is to make it one, precise teamwork/discipline/punctuality exercise. Once we got acknowledged as actual coast jaegers (local equivalent of marines), practically no-one honestly gave a damn. XD

    As for the actual training...it's mostly loads upon loads of grating repeat. Attention, at ease, attention, at ease, turn right, turn left, full-turn left, etc, etc, etc. March there, march back. And yes, you will nearly always march; doesn't matter if it's sixty kilometers, the full stretch will be covered on foot, both ways. The commander for our unit was particularly anal about this, hence why coast jaeger company was the only one that did not take the fifteen-minute buss ride back from our big firearms camp but ended up doing the six-hour footmarch in cloudless, 28 degrees' celsius summer heat instead. I count myself lucky I wasn't in commando platoon, though; while we did fifty minutes march, ten minutes rest, they did fifty minutes run, ten minutes jog. Poor bastards. :x

    So yeah, it's pretty crazy stuff, particularly camp, where you also have to maintain watchposts at night and be ready to run into defense positions, gun in hand, at a moment's notice at any moment. A four hours' solid sleep was luxury, as was regular meals. (Seriously, by the end it wasn't uncommon to go some sixty-hours or so at full tempo without any sleep, at all) I recall a particularly thrilling winter's night when we had minus 20-something degrees outside (with heavy wind) and had to maintain a one-man tent watch and two-man watchpost all night. Our group consisted of four people, so you can imagine that nobody got very much sleep that night. :x

    So yeah, we did lots of insane stuff there, even in standard training (Which, I've been led to believe, is nothing compared to what the officers do), but trying to list all of it would take ridiculously long, as you have probably deduced from this already. It's hard, but at the same time...there's a feeling of accomplishment in there somewhere, and also a very special kind of kinship you feel with the people stuck in the same situation as you are, even people you can't stand under normal circumstances. You also learn to appreciate the small things in life in a completely different manner. It's...kind of hard to describe, really. :x

    And yeah, I used to have the same thing with endings, but lately...I dunno', I just find myself thinking up all kinds of dramatic/cutesy endings for plot arcs even before I've properly formed out the middle - let alone the beginning. Weird, but I'm not complaining. Having an ending in mind helps me in dropping hints for it along the way. :x

    And agreed, as long as I can water that last crop then dang all else. Just got to cultivate some trod-resilient crops and it will all work out. XD Ahh...that is such a user-friendly feature. <3

    Anyway, if you really want the choice-and-consequence thing then Icewind Dale II is probably the best way to go, as there are lots there, unlike Baldur's which primarily has small decision-small consequence on the outcomes side (though with a few notable exceptions, most of them in the first installment). BG II also develops some major game balance issues in the lategame, owing a lot to some seriously disbalanced high-level abilities (I mean okay, you're technically a demigod at that point, but still xP), where - upon nearing the grand finale - even my little glass-jawed can't-take-a-hit-for-beans protagonist could single-handedly slice through an opposing army without losing a single hit point. D: Whereas IWD actually pretty much forces you to think your battles over strategically unless you want to have your buttocks kicked in a most embarassing fashion. A lot of the IWD NPCs also have backstory and history that you can only access by talking to the right people with a suitably smart/wise/persuasive character, which appealed to me, especially since you get exp rewards for uncovering them. The only point that really irked me there was this one random dragon who seemed to be there for the sole reason of including a dragon. :<

    And yeah, those visuals are nice. One of the main selling points for the game, definitely. Snowy mountains, plains, winter town, a temple made of ice...they're all there. <3 And...that's actually very much like how the cused forest works. No matter where you are, taking the path with the most light will always lead you back to the entrance of the forest. I figured out a trick for that area, though; you can lay out map tags in the game (Little colorful markers that appear on the area map, which you can use to note important locations), so what I did was label each area and then just test out the transitions one by one until I had every last transition clearly marked out (I also used the editable journal to jot down routes to areas of interest). After that, it was all arbitary. First time since Myst that a game actually forced me to take notes, though. x3

    And yes, you are now Phani-bunny, or Phan-buns if I feel like shortening it a little, for I have found it to be quite a catchy appellation so you may as well get used to the idea. Besides, shock-horror embarassment slash delight or something between the two was what I aimed for, so I seem to have hit my mark. XD Ichi/Peeko/Itchypants was not authorized to steal it, however, so he shall receive his own nick in turn.

    Unless I feel like stopping at Itchypants, of course. x3
  2. Phanima
    September 6th, 2008 9:19 PM
    Phanima
    Aea-kun was concerned~? 83 Regards appreciated and I will definitely enjoy this temporary freedom to the best of my abilities, considering my next assignment is due tomorrow, which I doubt will be nothing less than a fun day shut in. |P And how was the military? Aside from all the fluff I hear about it from the movies and similar media. What's it really like?

    *trembles under puppy-dog eyes technique* N-No~! It's for my eyes only. xD And see, that's the opposite for me, I have extreme difficulty finishing stories and coming up with satisfying endings. Middle points I can relate to, simply enough, and we've covered the beginnings. I could chalk this up to insecurity issues though, being that I can never decide on how to accomplish something completely and thoroughly, but let's not delve too far into my psyche, there are some things best left alone. >3

    I was exactly the same. The middle tile always irked me when the crops would begin to bud, especially in the older games where the sprites were mere NPC's with no story at all (*cough*HM64*cough*) but I always just worked around it, especially in the Summer where the tomatoes are plentiful and rake in the green like nothing else (in the 64 version mind). The only reason I looked into Rune Factory however, was because of the new found ability to walk over crops, making said middle tile now very much accessible. Of course, I'm not quite sure how this affects the poor crops you trod all over to get to them but hey, whatever works. 8D

    I'm a big fan of the 'small choices/big consequences' motif this BG seems to promote and judging by your remarks, it'd probably be right up my alley in terms of slaughtering time in the most enjoyable way possible. xP And I've gotten used to the whole 'can't have what you want now' that a lot of RPG's tend to incorporate, considering MMO's are more than competent in reiterating that fact every time you step in a store. But looking past that, there should be no problem, hai?

    Rendered winterscapes are like butter sticks wrapped in caramel and sprinkled with sugar~! Delicious on the eyes. This cursed forest on the other hand reminds me of Paper Mario 64's Forever Forest, from which you can probably deduce will have you running around in circles. The neat little trick is that despite how far you've gone, the moment you go backwards, you'll wind up in the town you left from before going into the forest. Quite annoying, especially when trying to pinpoint the obscurely miniature and differing detail that'll guide you onto the right path out of the cursed woods but I digress, any decent RPG should have a forest maze right? xD

    And I don't know whether to feel simply delighted or shock-horror embarrassed. Phani-bunny? I like it~! |3 Although I just noticed Icha-chan using it and its made me feel all dirty. xP
  3. Alter Ego
    September 6th, 2008 4:36 AM
    Alter Ego
    That we could. Good luck with the studies and stuff. ^^
  4. Phanima
    September 6th, 2008 4:34 AM
    Phanima
    I'm afraid you'll have to wait for my next dazzling, witty and incredibly immersing response, seeing as how I'm at uni right now and shouldn't even be on PC. >D

    That or we could see how real-time conversing would be like next time. :3
  5. Alter Ego
    September 6th, 2008 3:37 AM
    Alter Ego
    Oh, so that's what it was; I was wondering where you had disappeared. ^^ Yeah, 24-hour achievements do have that certain satisfying quality to them, don't they? It's pretty much like what I had with my extended essay, I imagine. And upon completing the beret march (which, you know, felt awesome until you reached the realization that you'd be aching all over for the rest of the week and that you just slaved for 36 hours to earn 24 hours of freedom. I swear, only the military can make a decision like this feel like a good choice. XD) Good luck with your stress-relieving efforts. :3 And...I'll be looking forward to the RPing, of course. <3

    And come now, just one little peek can't hurt, right? *Puppy-dog eyes* Pleeease? Oh, and we really are alike in that respect, then. The more I talk/write about what I'm going to do, the less inclined I'll be to actually do it, so I just don't tend to draw enough benefit from brainstorming to justify all the time it takes. Good on you with the blank pages, though; for me, a blank page means that I'm highly liable to get lost in trying to set down a beginning from which to develop all the ideas I have in my mind. Middle points are no problem for me, nor are endings, really; it's the beginning that kills. D:

    And yeah, strategic seeding is the basic of successful HM farming, right along with enslaving those sprites. I learned that the hard way when a huge cucumber crop just died on me before it got ripe. In the old days - before learning what a labor-saving device the sprites were - I also had to put some thought into the planting areas to make sure I could harvest and water everything. Unfortunately, this led to me only planting in eight squares with one pack of seeds if it was renewable, since I wouldn't be able to reach the center crop anyway. Anyway, Rune Factory, huh? It does sound promising...sort of like a cross between regular HM and a standard RPG. Guess that makes another game to check up on. :3

    As for Baldur's Gate...the choice thing depends a bit. Main plot points, you generally can't budge, and unfortunately that includes the ending. That being said, a number of other things can change during the course of the game, such as what characters you get with you (in Baldur's Gate I, for instance, there is one joinable character you can only get if you agree to kill off two others), what abilities your character develops (you get a few innate spell things depending on your alignment, and by the end of BG II you go through a series of trials where your stats - and possibly also alignment - will be altered depending on the choices you make), and even how certain quests will work out. There is, for instance, one case where you can impersonate a famous bounty hunter and claim the reward for his work, only to run into said bounty hunter later on, which...will get you into trouble. :x But when it comes to decision-making, the Icewind Dale series has the biggest slice. There's a ton of small optional quests you can run, all with multiple options on how to complete them and many of which will have far bigger consequences than you can guess beforehand. A lot of them also depend on what character class and race you have. As an extreme example, there is one seemingly trivial little fetch-and-deliver quest early on, which - if you don't do it properly - will have the end result of making you fight a small army contigent later on in the game. (found that one out the hard way xx) There's also the fact that most stores in the game are only available at specific points of the story, and because of the way the rewards are set up you'll never be able to buy all of that awesome one-store-only equipment that you'd want to get.

    Anyways, yeah, in Icewind Dale about 95% of the outdoors areas are winter landscape, and they're not just made from tilesets either; they're rendered, which means no two areas are exactly the same. The only exception is one, teensy-weensy little cursed forest where the maps are all near-identical, but this is done on purpose because the whole trick of the area is that the transitions are all messed up, meaning that you're highly liable to get lost in there. Oh, and the branches and roots smack you for damage every now and again, lovely place. x3

    But yeah, it is kind of lonely at times...particlularly Baldur's Gate I, though to be honest, it's not that much different from playing, say, a Final Fantasy game. BG II has inter-party conversations that trigger at random to pass the time, while Icewind Dale has very developed NPCs you can talk to along with a highly varied set of responses you can give to cater all kinds of characters.

    And yeah, MSN is working a-okay now. =D We'll try our best, ne? ^^

    Oh, and just as a note? I give as good as I get on the nickname front, Phani-bunny. XD *Shot*
  6. Phanima
    September 5th, 2008 8:11 AM
    Phanima
    Gomen nasai for the late reply. /cringing rhyming

    Yet another flaw in the insomniac's method of assessment. I just got back from uni an hour ago after just making the midnight deadline and am quite exhausted, having spent the previous 24 hours in isolation working on said assignment. Still, the relief and satisfaction I'm currently experiencing is quite enjoyable and almost makes everything I had to do today worthwhile. Almost. Having said that, I admit I should really start working on these projects week by week, I'm positive it'll relieve me of all of this stress the night before. Bad habits are hard to break though but I shall prevail~! *determined* Anywhat, I think for now, I'll just ride this elation through the weekend and hopefully soak up some well due roleplaying goodness. |3

    And you stay away from my harddrive Aea-chan! *blushes furiously* But a fanfic shipping? Yes please~ And my sentiments exactly (again) on the planning process, I mean really, if I'm going to be writing a story, just let me actually 'write' it. Brainstorming I admit, helps in some cases, where I can just lay out all my ideas and pick them out whenever and in which order I want. But I tend to brainstorm a LOT so I tend to do it mid writing as well, not just at the beginning. I'm not following any cookie-cutter guide on how to properly process how I write. >>

    Blank pages on the other hand are like goldmines to me. Just seeing them and going over all of the possibilities for a post or chapter gets me all giddy. Lately, I've been trying to start each post as a new slate, unrelated to the previous post (in terms of quality obviously) and just belt it out from there. It's a little intimidating I admit but I like having the idea of writing fresh posts as well as improving upon previous ones. Of course, I only ever write when I'm in the most absolutely right mood, which is a hindrance, but I personally prefer it over a ten minute slap down just for the hell of it. *ignores recent RP post*

    However! Note noted and very much appreciated. I'll be sure to inform you of my impressions of the said novels once I get my mitts on them.

    And oho~ strategic seeding, something I've become somewhat unfamiliar with over the years. xP I never really knew how in-depth these Harvest Moon games were until I went back to good ol' HM64 and reminisced in all of its glory. Admittedly, I didn't think it'd have anything close to the DS compilations in terms of features, like the ability to actually date, marry and have children but low and behold, they're all there. <3 But now I honestly can't see myself getting into another one now that I've immersed myself in its retro counterpart. I have been trying to force myself into the Rune Factory series (considering its sequel is due any month now) and it actually looks like something... unique. *researches*

    My bad. I was just trying to find a segway to trod on MMO's since my past/recent experiences have been anything but hospitable, let alone enjoyable. xP The way you rave about Baldur's Gate's actual roleplaying aspects has me intrigued though, as in our choices actually have an impact and not any one route is better than another? It seems kind of... lonely though, having such an immersive world and being the only real-time character present. I mean, it's like most other single-player games but I still can't shake this impression I have of RPG's (especially ones made on PC) that are somehow MMO related. :| The mere point you brought up IWD2's beautiful winterscapes however, intrigues me to no end. xD

    And it appears as if you've gotten everything sorted out with MSN. Now we can chat away indefinitely. Mind, our contact times maybe slightly unfavourable to the cause but we might as well try, neh? :3

    And yes, I called you Aea-chan; derived from AE but with an additional 'a' and 'chan'. |3
  7. Alter Ego
    September 3rd, 2008 5:11 AM
    Alter Ego
    Well whaddaya' know?

    I finally, FINALLY managed to nail down the bug that was messing up MSN! ^0^ So I'm now also available on that front, same address as mentioned.

    Cheers. ^^
  8. Alter Ego
    September 3rd, 2008 4:03 AM
    Alter Ego
    Glad to hear it. ^^

    And...that's good to know. (note to self: hack into Phanima's harddrive at first possible opportunity for inappropriate material) And...I guess that's true enough about the shipability. (besides, we're both on the craziest PC 'ship' ever already, so...XD Someone should totally write that into a fanfic someday, just for the lulz.) And yeah, writing out plans is horrible and has never worked for me. Like when my teacher on the silly little fiction-writing course asked me to do an outline of my story and I was like 'What?! Can't I just write the flippin' story instead? ;;'. I really don't see the big idea with wasting time on all those assignment plan things, especially since I almost always end up changing my mind about it many times over before I'm done. Same with homework; just getting through the stuff is enough of a pain, I don't want an additional writing assignment of listing the stuff I'm going to do on top of that. Major motivation killer, no argument there. :<

    And...walls of text intimidate you? Funny, for me the intimidating thing is precisely the opposite; empty text documents. Major demoralizer right there, hence why my fanfic writing process is so slow. With an RP, I always have some previous writing to lean on in all but the plot-writing process, but when I'm writing a chapter it's got to be all me from beginning to end and that's kind of scary. ;; Heh, we're all keen readers in our family, so I tend to forget that it's not how everyone is from time to time. XD Anyway, the best thing to do with walls of text is usually forgetting about the whole prepping thing and just taking it one paragraph at the time. If it's a good book, it should grab your interest before long and have you wanting there to be walls upon walls of text ahead for you to enjoy anyway. XD

    Anyway, glad you found some of the suggestions worthwhile; do tell me how they work out for you when you get around to it, m'kay? ^^

    And...well, I kind of figured that the help wouldn't have to be much smarter than your average harvest sprite. Watering is easy enough (just have the person check for wherever there are unwatered crops and get to work), as is harvest. Seeds and hoe could be a bit more problematic, particularly seeds since you might have hoarded seeds meant for a different season that you don't want planted yet...hmm, maybe they could just plant what you give them? Or maybe just skip the planting altogether and let the player handle that. XD Hoing could be done by 'check for nearest hoed tile, then hoe up any tiles next to it' since that way the player could just mark the place they want it started at out and then watch the magic unfold. Ahh...one can always hope. And advice duly noted; nothing sucks like paying good money for something that turns out to be a gyp. :<

    And no, the Baldur's Gate games are actually not MMO at all, but pure single player from beginning to end. (I can't stand MMO myself; any game whose fun factor depends so much on the majority of the players not being n00bs and hackers is pretty much doomed to failure, and let's not even get me started about those monthly fees...:\) There is a technical multiplayer feature, but in practice, it's way too tedious and unreliable for actual play. Plus, performing to the best of your ability with the game's battle system pretty much requires you to pause at regular intervals, so when multiple people are punching spontaneously punching the pause/unpause button with no coordination between them, things get...ugly. And let's no even get into the whole arguments within the party shtick. (I and my two brothers decided to try it out once; it ended with our dear party leader suffering a tragic death of dagger to the back just moments before the fireball he fired off killed everyone else. We...had an argument about when it was time to have the party members rest, as I recall. XD) Anyways, yeah, Baldur's Gate is basically what defined all DnD-based CRPGs in existence and is generally credited with having revived the CRPG genre in its day. In retrospect, though, it's kind of annoying how each one of the games misses one of the qualities I like so much about the other (the party member interaction of BG II, and the sheer vastness and roleplaying options of BG I; they would totally rawk if you could combine them. XD). And then there's off course the offshoot series Icewind Dale, which has both vastness and in-depth RPing options, but where the party consists completely of player-made characters, preventing any nice surprises on that front. *Sigh* Alas, I have yet to see any one game from the cluster that would manage the awesome on all fronts, though IWD 2 came pretty close and had some beautiful winter landscapes to boot.

    And...you make a good point. What self-respecting writer of morally questionable manga could resist some good old-fashioned yuri twincest? XD *Slaps self* How silly of me not to spot that one.

    And...well, you already have the news on MSN. *Sigh* I've systematically routed all files and registry entries connected to it from my computer and yet the installer still refuses to give me a fresh install, citing an unspecified problem...somewhere. I can only imagine that it's still remnants of the old, messed up program lurking inside my system. u_u
  9. Phanima
    September 2nd, 2008 4:35 PM
    Phanima
    Oho~ you do? Well then, the feeling's mutual. |3

    Don't worry about tardiness when it comes to VM's, they're mostly for casual bouts so I won't get offended if someone suddenly cuts the conversation. I'm easy like that. xD Besides, dentists are always fun, so you had a valuable excuse.

    I can't help it if my friends are so darn shippable. xD And there's more than 'some' material on my harddrive that I wouldn't want to become public but then again, I have very specific tastes so it might not appeal to so many people. ;D And agreed on the work ethic. I shine when it comes to personal interests, most of which I participate in during the spur of the moment, unlike most things I have to prepare for, which are just a bother. I mean, I can draw for hours about anything comical and fun but when I'm required to draft up plans and sections for an assignment, my brain just farts and all motivation goes out the window.

    Hai. It's a personal shame to have never read a novel. *tear* It's just that when I'm faced with a walls and pages of text, prepping to read it all intimidates me. Even some RP posts (by certain individuals...) have a similar effect, although the feeling tends to wear off once I get started, considering my fandom kicks in hard and fast when I do so.

    Anywhat, I'm quite open-ended when it comes to explicit material, it's just that nothing much offends me. So pretty much any recommendations should be a-okay in terms of morality, whether they hold my attention is a different and somewhat depressing matter. xP

    In terms of preferences, mostly anything horror-ful, a thriller, something light-hearted or comedic would cater perfectly. Of course, a mix of any of these with another genre or something similar could also work. And on that note, any legible rant is worth reading (well, not any but the majority anyway) so out of your conveniently prepared summations, Use of Weapons would be a keen pick, along with Terry Pratchett's, although I'd probably stray away from anything too long-running, as to ease into the whole transition of reading something longer than an RP/fanfiction plot. xP Anything too difficult or long would most likely fly right over my head, not to say I wouldn't give them a go, I'm more or less open to anything. I mean the mere title "Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul" just pines for attention. So cheers for the recommendations. :3 *waddles off to Borders*

    And oh-em-gee. That would be the greatest HM feature ever! Having the locals actually help you instead. It'd be a little hard for the AI to know what to water, seed, hoe and so on though, but then again I guess they could just implement a command chain of some kind so that you can actually control them while they're on your ranch and then leave when the day's up. And situational assistance is good too, the whole helping out during specific events; bigger harvests, sick days and the like, it's all very engaging. Oh the possibilities~ *floats* But best look up some general gameplay videos on Youtube and screenshots before shelling out any precious monies based on pure fandom, I've been dealt the short end of that stick more than a few times already. D|

    And don't get me started on online RPG's (Baldur is online right?) since most of them are so standard fare and lukewarm that it's not funny. Rehashed plots and canonfodder classes irk me to no end. In the rare chance a decent MMO does come through plot/setting-wise, my heart breaks when I discover its shoddy gameplay riddled with user-unfriendly gimmicks. Of course, I love the genre so I always latch onto the latest one I can find to see how it fares before deciding whether or not I should devote myself to it (if only I could find a game I'm into as much as Konata xP).

    On that note, Konata serves more as Hiyori's partner in crime instead of victim, she'd more likely pair off Kagami and Tsukasa in some over dramatic, incestuous coupling that'll have all otakus pining for more sisterly love. x3 *shot*

    Yes, the word of Alter Ego is preached far and wide. Quite a compelling conversation I might add. And I very much do MSN, although correct me if I'm wrong, my sources told me that you didn't. Or has my stalking abilities dulled over the past few days? xP

    But I'd be happy to add you if that's not the case. :3
  10. Alter Ego
    September 2nd, 2008 4:00 AM
    Alter Ego
    You know I'm only doing it because I love you, right? XD Ahh...my time to be flattered. A late-night response just for lil' ol' me. *Starry eyes*

    Sorry I couldn't get to this reply earlier; I had a dentist appointment in the morning and got my hair cut while I was in town, and then I had to walk back home so it took a while.

    Oh, and I have no intention of letting the fandom die off, no worries about that. (Heck, a lot of those conversations and situations are so good that they're worth the occasional playback :3) Guess I'll have to keep my eyes open, though the odds of an quality manga winding up around here is slim indeed. Still, I might catch something on the web. Never know. ^^

    And...not as much, you say? Is this what they call a Freudian slip? Is there some material on that harddrive of yours that I do not want to know about? XD And...well, I did say that I can't completely relate to any one character. A cross is a completely different matter. Better throw in Konata's work ethic too, though, because that's so like me that it's almost scary. xD I can work like a little animal, yes, but only when I'm really interested in what I'm doing. Hence why crazy-long RP posts are a joy but even a short Physics lab report is a nightmare. :<

    And...you have never actually read a novel from start to finish? Not even, you know, for fun? [/Literature geek] Well, depends on your preference in style, I suppose. Let's see...

    Personally, I loved Iain M. Banks' Use of Weapons, it's got the whole sci-fi groove which is not really my thing, but it's done in a unique way so it didn't bother me too much and the narrative style is awesome, since it's mainly told from the PoV of a person with severe psychological issues. The novel also features the most effed up main character I have ever seen, so that was another plus for me. It's quite explicit about sex, drugs, and particularly violence, though, so if you don't like seeing that it might bother you. Also, because the main character/primary narrator is as messed up as he is, you have to pay attention to detail if you want to keep track of everything that's going on.

    Another interesting one, this one set in a purely real world, would be The Autograph Man, by Zadie Smith. It's not quite as dark as Use of Weapons, but it also features drugs, violence and sex to a degree, though not nearly as explicitly. Also, this is another one with a very distinct - and difficult - narrative style (the main character is nearly always either in a state of hangover, drunk, stoned, or a combination of those. You get the picture). It may be a notch tougher to decipher than Banks', but personally I enjoy Smith's writing style a lot. I've heard a lot of people complain that it's impossible to understand, though, so I guess it depends. xD Anyway, the book is not as dark as Use of Weapons and is generally a bit more wacky, so it's a lighter read once you get used to the style, but it's pretty open-ended. Oh, and you might find it amusing since the main character is something of an otaku himself (though his area of expertise is, as the title implies, autographs).

    On the lighter, easier-to-read stuff, I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett. Awesome fantasy writer, with some of the funniest stuff I've read. The Discworld series is great, but it's also very long and the kind of thing where you get more out of each novel if you have read the one preceeding it, so it's more of a long term thing. (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are the starting point, and the only pair in the series where one is direct follow-up of the other) He does have a number of independent releases as well, such as Strata (Also a good book, even though it's in my disfavored field of sci-fi), and - though I only hear it has a good reputation, since I haven't gotten my hands on it myself - Good Omens. Douglas Adams is another fun, though not quite as awesome, writer. The infamous Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy (in four parts) is his most known one, but personally I find myself favoring Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul because Hitchiker's kind of drops off at the end.

    Among some other notable ones, there's also the Earthsea series by Ursula LeGuin (very classic fantasy, but well written) and Will Self's The Book of Dave. A fair warning, though: Book of Dave is the hardest novel I have read to date, both in content (Despite the light-hearted sound of the concept, it's dark, VERY dark) and in narrative style. As far as I can recall, it's the only novel that I've really, truly struggeld with when it comes to reading. It definitely left an impression, though.

    ...

    Ahh...I ranted a bit, didn't I? And that's only the ones from the top of my head. XD If you want any more detail on any of them, let me know, but since I don't know your tastes in these things it's kind of hard to make a certain recommendation.

    And I do agree on the harvest sprites. I'll readily admit that the only reason I'd be missing them for is the free labor. *Shot* Really, though, why couldn't you just ask some good friends from town to help you out once in a while? That's something that's always bugged me about HM; you're running all kinds of errands for everybody and their pet cat and shovering them with gifts, get with very few exceptions only romance or a big wad of cash will ever compel any of them to do anything for you. Way to be. :< Personally, I think it would be only fair if one of them just popped up to help you if you had a particularly big harvest, or stopped by to check on you when you're recovering in hospital after overworking or something, but maybe that's just me. XD Anyway, sounds like regular HM, then; guess I'll have to look at some more screenshots and such to see if it tickles my fancy. ^^

    And yeah, a Baldur's Gate fan, for my sins. BG II was the only real RPG I ever played (as in, one where you get real choices for things instead of ones that create a near-identical result no matter what you do), so it left an impression, despite how the main character seems to be more and more set up to become a perfect little Stu/Sue the more I look at it. I enjoyed Icewind Dale II a lot too, because it had even more of that.[/DnD Geek] Plus, somed of the Baldur's Gate mods really are great (far better than the original work), so I kind of keep getting pulled back in. But hey, considering your history with FFT:A, I guess I'm preaching to the choir here. XD

    And...I brought that on? o.o Wow, I need to do extensives convos more often. And yeah, seconding that sentiment. It's kind of surprising how Hiyori hasn't done anything down that vein in the show, actually, what with Kagami's obvious tsundere tendencies. x3

    Oh, and I've been meaning to ask: do you do MSN?
  11. Phanima
    September 1st, 2008 8:33 AM
    Phanima
    Stalker~! Making me stay up to 2AM to prep my reply, honestly AE, what will I do with you? :3

    Don't fret just yet, there's still the OVA and manga to indulge in, so let the fandom continue~ Hiyori huh? Actually, I think you hit the nail on the head with that, it's just that I'm nowhere near as good of a mangaka as she is (not that I consider myself one in the first place) and I don't envision my friends in risque situations either... Well, not as much as she does anyway. ;3 And that's what I find really intriguing about the show, considering the quite diverse setting and overly kawaii cast, a lot of the issues are relatable, especially for a budding otaku-wannabe like myself. Even more strange, despite your claim, I always thought you to be a cross between Kagami (mindset), Patricia (confidence) and Konata (otaku-ness). xP

    Funnily enough, I have never read a novel from beginning to end during all my years in school. I mostly improvised when it came to essays involving such requirements, mainly skimming and cheating off friends. *shot'd* But it's now become one of my many life goals to read one. Any recommendations? x3

    But it's always good to have the support of some higher-ups to back you up in such cases. It'd be more than welcomed in college and uni, considering plagiarism can be grounds for permanent expulsion. Of course, snubbing such authority is fun once in a while too. 8D

    HM:IH is alright, although I still prefer HM64. I liked the setting of the latter but I still believe Island of Happiness will come through! I haven't gotten too far into the game however, but I have run into two wandering sprites who have yet to offer any direct assistance in managing my plot, which is a shame since I literally spend a whole day in-game watering and shipping goods whereas I could easily have spent the time raising my relationship with the other inhabitants of the island. <3 But alas, I'm slowly getting by, gaining capital and expanding my ranch bit by bit each day. I have to admit though, despite the convenience of the sprites, I don't find them particularly intriguing plot-wise. I like the whole idea of being a budding new farmer, coming into a new town and making it big with the locals, without some magical back-story to worry about. I could be wrong though, considering I've yet to play through a game with them completely, so feel free to shoot me for anything blasphemous I may have just spouted. >D

    A Baldur's Gate fan huh? I guess I can understand and relate to what you're saying, not that I approve. xP I kid of course, but that's very much like me with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, my all time favourite GBA game. I spent countless hours completing the two side arcs adding onto the initial 300 quests needed to unlock them, to the point of memorising almost every cutscene's dialogue. It's all gone now though so I'll have to refresh my memory with another playthrough soon. |D

    Arigatou~ I hope you realise how much influence you have just by talking to people, that or I'm very easily impressed. xD I've been wanting to make a signature out of the scans I found browsing the internet for a while now and our talk just urged me to go through with it. I think a Konata x Kagami is just as good as Rika x Hannyu. <3
  12. Alter Ego
    September 1st, 2008 7:34 AM
    Alter Ego
    Yeah, tell me about it. *Just watched the last eppy* ;; But it was an awesome show, so I'll bear it, though their big act seemed like more of a conclusion than the actual one. And yes, Tsukasa does a lot of those adorable expressions, eh? Cute as a button, she is, though that goes for most characters on the show. Ahh...the point where Yutaka wanted to know what yaoi is was just so...XD Anyway, Misao, eh? Interesting...interesting indeed. And here I figured you would identify more with Hiyori. *Shot* J/K, J/K. Strangely, even though I don't fully identify with any of the characters, a lot of the stuff they bring up is like something straight out of my life (Missing the buss/train stop? Multiple times on one ride? Spot on. And the whole vendor guilt thing too, and more stuff than I can even properly count. xD)

    And yeah, when I really get into something I tend to be pretty...driven about it. How many 500+ page novels did I read in one day again? I forget. XD Oh, and I watched the whole of Karin (24 eps) in one sitting too. It's some kind of medical condition, I swear.

    Oh, and it was more than just any high school maths assignment. That project was the Extended Essay, one fourth of our IB diploma. Anything significantly above or below 5000 words would have been an instant mark-down. (though to tell you the truth, my problem with that limit was actually the maximum side, and I kind of cheated by appendixing a lot of the stuff to bypass the word limit in the end) And yeah, being accused of plagiarism is a pain. Fortunately, our Maths teacher was a decent sort and the teachers from both Economics and English (the subjects where I actually was more motivated) assured her that I was quite capable of writing something like that, so the suspicions were dropped. I was feeling unusually honest and told her it was natural to be suspicious, though. :3

    Oddly enough, I have yet to be accused of plagiarism in the subject I actually do best (languages in general and lit. analysis in particular) probably because I have such an obviously snarky style of writing that I'm easy to identify. XD Ahh...the expression on my Swedish teacher's face when I handed her a 'what if' (read, guesswork/improvisation) type assignment on a fictional character's history (One which the actual story gave nothing but vague hints about) that began with "Assuming that [character x] was a real person instead of a narrative tool who has no history or existence outside of this three-page short story..." Ah, good times. XD

    And...Island of Happiness, you say? That one has been on my 'iffy game purchases' list for a while too. Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing it's a good game? Though apparently there aren't havest sprites to boss around, huh? Pity, I do so hate wasting the time of the day on the whole watering and harvesting jazz. XD But...visible hunger/fatigue gauges are a considerable boon. In FoMT you only get one after you assemble the Gem of Truth, which consists of nine jewels of truth and comes with a 11 game years' playing time minimum because of where the last jewel is located. I mean, I'm a pretty dedicated player, but come on. :<

    And yeah, I know what you mean, hence why I prefer games with multiple storylines or other content that you just can't cover in one playthrough. (Like Fire Emblem's support convos, or the whole marriage jazz in HM) Sadly, a lot do a really half-arsed effort with the optionality things. They're there...but they're just kind of slapped on with very little actual impact on anything. xP The only exception is with games where there is a particularly intriguing strategic element (or ones that are just otherwise challenging) which compels me to play again on 'super-ultra-crazy-person-difficult mode' just to see how crazy it is. If said game also has optional paths then we have a winner. XD

    Oh, and occasionally I stick with something if it has a very strong and unusually competent modding community. Baldur's Gate is huge on that, hence why I still play it on occassion even though I already know every last quest and subplot in BG II by heart (to the point where I can name the specific loot you get and the non-randomized enemy encounters, and even make a fairly accurate guess on the randoms).

    But Baldur's Gate is a whole story of its own, so I won't be boring you with that...at least not yet. XD


    Spiffy new theme, by the way. :3
  13. Phanima
    August 31st, 2008 7:30 PM
    Phanima
    Oho~ I'm glad you're enjoying it, although it's somewhat bittersweet when you realise you're breezing through it only to find yourself at the end and wanting more. Credit to the show for that of course. And Tsukasa's expression when Konata envisioned a caterpillar was hilarious, among many other notable moments in the first episode. Oh and once you're further in and more of the supporting cast are introduced, keep an eye out for a girl named Kusakabe Misao. She is pretty much the embodiment of my real life attitude in anime form. xP

    I was actually quite astounded when I read how far you've watched, considering it was brought up only a day ago. But keep it up~ It only gets better. :3 *sits and waits for OVA*

    I don't think extreme justifies what you did for what I assume to be a high school Maths assignment?! I never did something as extensive as a 5000 word assignment during my school days, even in uni, I don't do THAT much. :| But I can understand what you're saying though, the course I'm in is all about progress journals, visual diaries and drafting for our projects. Sure, if I slack off doing drafts and then bust out an all-nighter to churn out one hell of a final assignment, questions would be asked about the authenticity of the submission, considering plagiarism concerns, which is understandable don't get me wrong, but that still doesn't make it any less bothersome. |< You do what you're asked of though if you want to pass.

    One of the recent MM venture I got into was ZX for the DS, where one of the Biometals (basically different forms of the blue bomber) is pretty much an exact copy of Zero, saber and additional blaster included. 8D MMX tip also noted.

    Honestly AE, you're tickling my gaming bone raw. I picked up a copy of Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (since I stumbled across it and thought "what the hell?") yesterday after our chat and haven't put it down since. Admittedly, this rendition starts up a lot slower than other versions but I've started getting into the whole systematic routine of hoeing, planting, watering and of course, harvesting my bountiful bounty. Thing that surprised me was that they added a visible stamina and hunger gauge, making things ever more efficient so that I don't randomly faint in the middle of the ranch having missed a second-long emoticon and can now feed myself on cue. :3

    I find it hard to replay a game I've completed story-wise as my attention span is quite limited and I'm just not as inspired as I was during my first run through. Nevertheless, I'm also somewhat of a perfectionist and find myself holding back advancing the story just to make sure I've gotten every item available and secret discovered. I even plough in specific patterns so that my crops don't grow in irregular shapes and become uneven. T'is a sickness. xP

    Karin bookmarked. <3 I've throttled myself again and streaming takes as long as dial-up would and since I'm already pro-manga, anime doesn't take as high of a priority as it used to (like when Pokemon still aired on weekday mornings |3).
  14. Alter Ego
    August 31st, 2008 4:23 AM
    Alter Ego
    Darn you, Phanima. Darn you.

    I'm so hooked on Lucky Star now that I can't concentrate! :< It's like, 'only one more episode and then I'll take a break' and the next thing I know another hour has flown past. (Only started watching last night and I'm already at episode 15 XD) Quite exceptional, since I usually can't stand stuff without a plotline. And to be honest? I loved it right from the start; the whole ongoing 'which is the top' argument in the first episode was just so utterly bizarre. XD Oh, and fortune smiles on me it seems; some YouTuber (bless his heart) has uploaded high-quality subbed eppies all the way from 1 to 17, and I'm pretty sure that the last ones are still around on veoh.

    And the all-nighter approach actually used to work for me too, but unfortunately the IB system is pretty much geared towards killing that chance off. (like how they want three respectable sources for every piece of outside information you use, and the freakin' progress journals! They actually want progress journals! Who the heck writes that kind of stuff? x.x) Plus, or Maths teacher was lovably crazy about her subject and had this thing for using questions from university finals in our exams. Eventually, I did get through on a full 24-hour push. Completely rewriting a 5000-word essay on transcendental numbers, complete with index, detailed source documentation (and evaluation), footnotes, professional formatting and appendixed additional material to cover the details of the stuff I just touched on in the actual essay. All done on the last Sunday before the absolute last, final, hopeless slackers' deadline.

    Yeah, that one was...kind of extreme, but I just loved my teacher's reaction. All my drafts had been nothing short of horrible, so when she saw the finished product she was like 'Now, I don't mean to be rude or anything but...you didn't have your dad to help you with this, right?'. Best compliment I've ever received for work of mine. XD

    And Zero doesn't really do much in X. He's basically always like 'Okay, I'm off scouting, so you just beat all these baddies for me, okay?' before zipping away and leaving you to handle the business. The slacker. XP Still, it's a very enjoyable shooter. Just make sure to go for Chill Penguin as your first boss. You need that leg upgrade if you even want a fighting chance against most bosses, not to mention that it makes every stage out there a heckuva' lot easier. Even in the later ones (X-3, I think it was) where you actually get to call him in, Megaman becomes the tougher one almost immediately. He really does get to shine once the blue guy goes all BSoD, though.

    And yeah, once you get them the cursed tools are god. (Well, once you've got them uncursed, anyway, or preferably up to mythic) Hammer and Axe take out all viable targets on the screen in one hit, Rod gets lots of high-end stuff from the sea (including pirate treasure o.O), can and hoe do a 36 x 20 square in one strike, and I'm pretty sure that the same went for sickle too. (Can't recall, though) And I'm usually the blaze-through type at first, but I have this little perfectionism complex that always bids me to do a replay and do it perfectly the second time around once I've learned the ropes. Sometimes I do even more replays than that, depending on how many options depend on character creation and such. (Don't ask about Baldur's Gate; just don't. XD) And indeed, bribery is the key to success in this game, I've found. That and regular church visits; you'd be surprised what a couple of confessionals can do in this game. XD

    Oh, and if you're looking into Karin, there should still be a full set of subbed episodes available on Veoh. (Or at least, there was when I did my watchthrough) They're spread out over two different accounts, but last I checked they were all there. :3

    Oh, and thanks for the link. Any sources of quality anime and/or manga are always welcome, since our national importers can't be trusted on this matter. (We only get crappy commercial shows, ever, and those come with a crappy dub to boot. :<)
  15. Phanima
    August 30th, 2008 3:28 PM
    Phanima
    Well, to my own credit, I also have an enlarged PM box as well. It's just that... I had to pay for it. *shot'd*

    Ohhh~ you stayed up all night to wait for my response? Such flattery. *bats lashes* I think you made the right decision though, despite my own personal experiences in cranking out quite wondrous all-nighters and getting decent results as a result, but hey, it's not for everyone. It is reassuring though to know there are more of my kind out there but I suppose it's inevitable that I'll be jumping ships soon enough when the workload starts to increase. *bothered*

    I always wanted to play Mega Man X, simply because it was the first game to debut Zero, and he's like my most favourited Mega Man character ever! But alas, I never owned a SNES and back then there were no such things as emulators and roms. Of course, I could play it now but I hardly find the time to play my "next gen" games anyway, but it's definitely on my to-play pile.

    Pokemon exploits for the win! So many nostalgic terms... You're seriously making me want to play it again. >O Aye, it is a good game though but those energy cards will be the death of me. I'll stick to Yu-Gi-Oh! thank you very much. xP

    The cursed tools sure sound handy, worthy of such dedication, not that I could ever do so much. I'm more of the type who'd blitz through the game to find out the story (or ending in HV's case) and going through everything else with the minimal requirements (*cough*Kingdom Hearts*cough*). I used to have the tenacity to be so thorough mind, since your methods do strike an odd familiarity with me. *nods* And yes, I was referring to the season's visual qualities over its technical effects, I just really like animated snow. 83 Bribing is always good too. <3

    Aye, Lucky☆Star is indeed worthy of such devotion, but I should note that anything someone might deem as coincidence involving the series is in fact destined to happen. It's that good. xP Personally, it's worth downloading as opposed to streaming but that's up to you, since the latter runs the risk of being low quality and as you mentioned before, prey to fansubbing removalists. Although, it is always a good idea to see what the show's like before downloading 4GB+ worth of it, which actually reminds me: don't let the first episode fool you. I admit, it's rather dull, but it does gets better. Honest! 8<

    Karin sounds interesting, I'll have to look it up. By the way, if you weren't aware, crunchyroll.com has a plethora of anime and other shows ready to view from the get go, mind they do follow licensing laws so Lucky☆Star may have already been removed. If not, enjoy. :3