Papa Smurf

You know, I started to wonder what some of the other images in this ad campaign were. [img]http://images2.ggl.com/articles/7_5_06/pspads.jpg[/img] Let me get this straight. In the image posted earlier in the thread, people didn't like the white PSP getting up in the black PSP's face, and accused the ad of being racist? So does that mean the second ad here, with the black PSP on top of the white PSP, is also racist? Is it supporting the Black Panther movement? Is it calling for blacks everywhere to rise up and fight whites? People, these ads are not racist. They're edgy contrasts of color. That's it. And people are missing (ignoring?) that because they want something to complain about.

Again, tell me how it's racist. How is a white woman getting up in a black woman's face--in any context, for any product--automatically racist? If a simple threatening gesture (like the hand on the face in the PSP ad) is all it takes for people to scream "RACISM!!!" then I'm losing faith in humanity much faster than I normally would. Let's be perfectly realistic here: the only inclusion of race in that ad is the color of the skin. That's it. There is [u][b][i]ZERO[/i][/b][/u] racism in that ad. Consider the following facts: Nintendo just came out with DS Lite (one of the colors is white, and it looks gorgeous), and it's selling like crazy. Sony wants to get in on that action, so they come out with a white PSP. Their original design, like the original design for PS2...was black. In order to maintain eye-catching advertisements--the ads they're known for (see URNOT[color=Red]E[/color])--they utilize color to an extent to get people's attention. That color utilization makes perfect sense, given what the old and new products are (black PSP, white PSP), and what kind of edginess Sony is trying to achieve. Racism? Absolutely not.

[QUOTE=Retribution]I'm rather suprised, Papa Smurf, that you're congratulating Sony on this ad-campeign. Sure, it drew attention to the product, which was their goal, but this attention in many instances I'm sure was bad attention. I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic, but high-fiving Sony for launching a racist ad is ridiculous. You're supporting discrimination and racial inequality? All I'm wondering is 'Sony, what the hell were you thinking?'[/QUOTE] I give Sony props for the ad campaign because it's a smart way to get people talking about the product. If you're going to suggest that I'm supporting discrimination and racial inequality, you need to explicitly explain how the ad is racist at all. Because it's not racist in the least. It's a white woman getting in the face of a black woman. Big deal. That's not racism. If you had the white woman whipping the black one? Yeah, that'd be just a tad racist. But a white woman getting in the face of a black one? When the white woman clearly represents the *NEW* White PSP, whereas the black woman clearly represents the *CURRENT* Black PSP? Yes, that's so racist, because Sony is trying to emphasize a new product, get consumers interested, and try to re-invigorate the PSP's ailing marketshare by injecting a "White is the new Black" theme. And "White is the new Black" is hardly racist. So come off it. There's no racism there if you actually think about why they've structured their ad the way they did.

I just assumed that [spoiler]the voodoo woman raised him from the dead[/spoiler]. Seemed like a fairly reasonable conclusion to make, given what was said, and what she was up to.

You've just raised even more questions, though, Boss. I'm asking not to knock you two down or anything. I'm asking because there are some major flaws in the story, even when we ignore the blatant Edit-->Replace plagiarism. Like if you're doing a parody of OtakuBoards, how are you mocking the members? I don't see much exaggeration going on, if at all, and I certainly don't see anything that could be construed as parody. All I see is a bunch of lines thrown together, jammed into the Pulp Fiction shooting script. And if you aren't doing a parody of Pulp Fiction, why does Otaku Fiction read more like an awful Pulp Fiction plagiarism than it does an original work (or even parody) centered on OtakuBoards? You've done little more than overlay some basic, barebones elements of OtakuBoards onto subject matter, plot, and scenes that are very much Pulp Fiction, no matter what anyone says. Further, this relates back to my first question, if your goal is "[color=navy][size=1]trying to stay true to the workings of the Otakuboards before the film. This also means that we are not trying to switch up the movie, we're trying to switch up the Otakuboards. But again, we admit that we have taken our direct inspiration from the movie and parodied the Otakuboards with it.[/size][/color]" what does that even mean? You're trying to stay true to OB, yet you're switching OB up, and yet you've taken [i]direct inspiration[/i] from the movie, and then switched OB up with it? If you'd just had some Pulp Fiction flavoring in the story, I would have bought that. But as it stands...Boss, your [i]entire[/i] story is utterly Pulp Fiction. I mean, the OtakuBoards elements in there barely qualify as anything, because when I read your first scene, I know I'm not drawn in because it's Annie and Joe. I'm drawn in because I know the original scene, and I know how absolutely breathtaking Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer are in it. And it's that comparison that is ultimately dooming your story in my mind--and it happens throughout, because without Pulp Fiction...you have no story in the first place. Your story doesn't even happen, right? And if you [i]need[/i] the story arc from Pulp Fiction so your story can exist, that means your characters are completely expendable and really...don't even matter in the first place. They're almost interchangeable...like the "Hey, this reminds me of when" jokes in Family Guy. So how are you writing a parody of OtakuBoards? Especially when anyone could plug in random people into that story and it would make just as little sense as yours does? OtakuBoards is not organic to your parody. That's why this story is not a parody of OtakuBoards. The story is more a parody of Pulp Fiction. But the problem there is that it's not a parody. It's a blatant plagiarism. At least call your story what it is, mate. I don't see what's so insulting about what I'm saying here. You have something here that's nothing more than an Edit-->Replace job. There's no fundamental difference between that and adding a filter onto a copyrighted image. There's no fundamental difference between Edit-->Replace and what was done with F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. There's no fundamental difference between Edit-->Replace and the recent plagiarism lawsuit at Harvard University. In fact, the plagiarism lawsuit at Harvard U. hits at the core of what I'm saying. I don't care if you keep writing this. Be my guest. Just don't call it a parody of anything. lol. Let's all understand exactly what it is, okay? It's plagiarism. And plagiarism is not smurftastic. I've made my point numerous times here and it's going to continue to be ignored, because people would rather forget (or is it ignore?) ethics in writing. I'm done with this. One last thought, though. Where are the religious overtones going to go? Ezekiel 25:17 was critical to Jules' character and it's nowhere to be seen. It's one of the fundamental pieces of his character transformation. But most importantly, are the religious overtones going to make sense? "Son of a Preacher Man" was one of the most important songs in any soundtrack in the history of film. Is Onix's girl going to be typing to it? How is the Divine Intervention even going to be adapted? Are you even going to include God at all, or, similar to everything else, is it going to be a clunky and clumsy "internet-ized" change? How is the finale of this story going to be significant at all in terms of the characters? By changing the opening dialogue between Pumpkin and Honeybunny, you've effectively doomed the finale's character development. How is Divine Intervention going to act as the catalyst here? In Pulp Fiction, the Divine Intervention was significant because it brought Jules back into the fold. Vincent became the 'Son of a Preacher Man.' What's the change going to be? Will your Jules stay his hand from killing? Or is it just going to be all focused on resisting the urge to flame AC!DC? What will make more sense, regardless of context? Killing has weight to it. Flaming does not. The killing in Pulp Fiction had weight to it because of the religious overtones attached to it. Flaming has zero religious overtones. And when the religious overtones are instrumental in a character's transformation? You've said that you've thought this thing through. But I don't think you've really thought things through much at all, especially thematically...and Pulp Fiction is all about themes.

Again, it comes down to getting the product name out there, in the public discourse. As bizarre and edgy as this ad may seem...it's doing its job. Kudos to Sony for coming up with another great ad campaign. It reminds me of their URNOT[color=Red]E[color=Black] ads before PSX.[/color][/color]

Boss, I get what it is you're trying to do with this story. That's the precise reason why I'm unimpressed, and am more inclined to call it plagiarism, because it's no Young Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein is probably one of the most perfectly conceived and executed parodies I've ever seen). I mean, let's be honest with each other here. Otaku Fiction doesn't read very well at all to anyone who's seen Pulp Fiction more than twice. That much is fairly obvious I think, judging by the majority of the positive replies here coming from people who have never seen Pulp Fiction. Why is that? And what do you think will happen when those people do eventually see the film (or even read the shooting script)? Will they come back and more appreciate Otaku Fiction, or will they come back and see just how much was directly lifted, uninspired, and unoriginal? I think it's a safer bet on the latter. I'm not trying to be an ass here. I have no problem with parodies and adaptations. I've actually been tossing around ideas for a Star Wars adaptation set to the tone of Pulp Fiction...but the difference there is that I'm going to make sure the themes of both materials are relevant to the adaptation--but most importantly, so that the themes of the source materials are [i]organic[/i] to the adaptation. And that is one of the biggest problems I see here. The critical themes in Pulp Fiction are nowhere to be found, which sucks the life out of Otaku Fiction, and then leads to what DeadSeraphim was talking about, I think. Without the themes of Pulp Fiction, Otaku Fiction just becomes a Find-->Replace job filled with an overabundance of swearing. You may ask what themes am I talking about? One of the major themes of PF was social perception. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer talk about ingenuity in bank robbing, using a cell phone. Remember how the little girl wasn't the point? How the point was they used a cell phone to rob a bank? It all relates to manipulating perceptions. When Jules and Vincent are talking about the "little differences," they aren't talking about simple little things; they're talking about what they expect versus what the reality of a situation is. Marsellus throwing Antwan off that balcony, too. Like Mia says, the only two people who know why Marsellus threw Antwan off that balcony are Marsellus and Antwan, so ultimately, any outside postulating and theorizing is fruitless. Again, a matter of perception (the hitmen's take on the foot massage) versus reality (why Marsellus threw Antwan). Perception again comes into play during the actual foot massage conversation. Why do you think Jules concedes the point? Because Vincent is right. Foot massages do mean something, but most people treat them like they don't, and that's why foot massages are so cool. It's an almost unspoken social agreement. Vincent is aware of it, and Jules in made aware of it. Jules' perception versus the reality of the situation. Even during The Bonnie Situation. Very simple example, come to think of it. When they clean the car. That's an illusion. The quilt on the backseat becomes a major set-piece that is critical to the film. Diner robbery, same thing. The perception and expectation is that nobody will fight Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer, right? The manager even tells Jules to stop. But what happens, ultimately? Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer will re-think their entire lives after that. It relates to their dialogue at the start of the film: "I bet you could cut down on the hero factor in a place like this." "Right, just like banks, these places are insured. Manager? He don't give a fuck. He just wants to get you out the door before you start plugging the diners. Waitresses? Fucking forget it! No way they're taking a bullet for the register. Busboys? Some wetback getting paid a dollar-fifty an hour, really give a fuck you're stealing from the owner?" What happens to that perception? The reality of that diner destroys it. That's only [i]one[/i] of the themes in Pulp Fiction, and it's something I'm not seeing anywhere in Otaku Fiction. I get your intent with this story. But intent doesn't excuse a sloppy and haphazard Find-->Replace structure and execution.

To be honest, I agree with DeadSeraphim. This story just lacks the punch and flair that Pulp Fiction has, partly due to it being Pulp Fiction with OtakuBoards liberally stamped all over it. 95% of the dialogue in Otaku Fiction is straight out of Pulp Fiction, word-for-word. It almost reads like a Find-->Replace story rather than even a parody. You can write parodies that don't plagiarize...and honestly, I think Otaku Fiction is more a plagiarism than any type of homage. I know people don't like hearing plagiarism, but, I think it's worth comparing the scripts side-by-side at least. You can check out the shooting script to Pulp Fiction at [url]www.simplyscripts.com[/url] and see what I mean. The scene between Annie and Joe, for example, talking about flaming n00bs at different messageboards. Pulp Fiction's conversation focuses on robbing banks, gas stations, etc. There's zero variation there, apart from minor changes in a few words. Or the dialogue between The Boss and Retri...same thing. Vincent and Jules talk about the "little differences" between countries. Boss and Retri talk about the "little differences" between messageboards. Royale with cheese (Pulp Fiction) versus posts (Otaku Fiction). I'm reluctant to continue to say plagiarism here, but it's plagiarism even right down to having cheeseburgers for breakfast. The "I doubledare you" bit, too. When Samuel L. Jackson says it in Pulp Fiction, it happens for a reason. In Otaku Fiction, the cleaned-up version of the line loses impact due to the cleaned-up nature of it, the fact that Sam Jackson isn't saying it, and there's zero emotional contextual weight to the threat, because Otaku Fiction still reads like a Find-->Replace function. Onix's girl...the foot massage related to the themes of Pulp Fiction. It helped establish Mia Wallace's character. She was sensual temptation. Antwon couldn't resist temptation. I guess someone could argue that flaming the big man's wife is a sort of temptation, but then again, would you rather insult Uma Thurman, or give her a foot massage? Most guys would opt for the foot massage, which is exactly the point that's entirely lost in Otaku Fiction. This response is going on longer than I want, so I'm not going to go any further. I just hope those who have never seen Pulp Fiction will actually sit down and read/watch it before reading any more of Otaku Fiction, so they can see what I'm seeing. And to those that have seen Pulp Fiction before...I'm kind of insulted. It's perfectly fine to enjoy a parody, but to call this brilliance is a bit out of line, I think, because in my opinion, Edit-->Find-->Replace is hardly a sign of brilliance.

As strange and annoying as those commercials may be...looks like they worked. Look at all of the products and franchises people are talking about here, and how memorable those commercials were. Granted, some of you may not be going out and buying A1 steak sauce, but you [i]are[/i] talking about the product, if only in passing in a conversation. As annoying as those commercials may be...they stuck in your head, and that's the important thing. I think the most bizarre commercial's I've seen are either the ones during the last Super Bowl (the FedEx caveman one was pretty good, as are most of the Geico cavemen commercials...cavemen in general are hilarious) or...Comedy Central has some weird ones every so often.

Also, when you think about it, Israel is helping the Palestinian women and children. When they're in an Israeli jail, they're much, much safer than if they were out in Gaza or wherever, especially considering how brutal attacks have been. How ironic is that? That Palestinians are safer in Israeli custody (the custody of their "enemy") than they would be in their own communities?

So far my favorite features of this game aren't actually the new gameplay, the wall-jumps, the butt-stomp, etc. Now that I think about it, even though those moves feel absolutely perfect in this game...I've got to give the biggest nod to the level design. There are portions of the levels that are straight out of the NES originals, no lie. I remember when Lakitu is chasing you in SMB1, in level 4-1. That's in this game, right down to block placement. With the exact same type of hazards if you hit a block the wrong way while running (as in, you will fall in the hole and die). This game can be enjoyed by everyone, definitely. But only veterans of the originals will really go all gaga over the subtleties, I think. And in fact, veterans may be the only players who notice the little touches. I've only played up to 2-3, and already I think it's safe to say this game is reason enough to pick-up a DS Lite if you haven't done so already. It looks good enough on a regular DS, but as I've seen on Charles', the game looks exponentially more incredible on the Lite.

[quote name='Gavin][size=1']Alex, do me a favour, if you're going to be discourteous enough to basically label my opinions as being stupid, then at least do me the courtesy of reading the actual reply in terms of the context. That post was in response PaganAngel's question about why God would punish someone for being homosexual, basically he asked me to answer a religious question, or rather to give the reason the Catholic Church has given as to why God considers homosexuality a sin.[/size][/quote] Gavin, but take the logic one step further, as that logic is the reasoning behind the push to ban gay marriage. The reasoning behind the push is religious in nature. And what you said there was religious in nature. So take it to the next logical step, and realize that you are in fact discriminating, and that you are in fact wanting people to repress who they are, and what they really want...that's what's going to happen if gay marriage is banned. You're telling people "No, you can't have this because of my religion." What effect is that going to have? [quote][size=1]Believe me Alex I understand the damage that suppression of rage does, I did it a lot of my childhood over being bullied, quite badly over being overweight, so please don?t even think you can lecture me on what it feels like to have to repress the urge to throttle someone to death with your bare hands.[/size][/quote] Gavin, then if you know exactly what I'm talking about...why aren't you realizing the dangers in what you're suggesting? Make no mistake, my friend: your common sense is being overtaken by your religious values--and religious values should never, ever factor into policy-making. [quote][size=1]You talk as if these people not practicing their homosexual behaviour is going to cause them all to go crazy in the same way someone who suppresses homicidal tendency for years does.[/size][/quote] What I'm talking about is the psychological strain an individual experiences when said individual is entirely unable to feel comfortable with both who he or she is, and how he or she does or does not "fit in" with society. You know how being ostracized feels. Don't let religious upbringing make you forget that. [quote][size=1]Do I want someone to suppress who they really are, at the core of their being ? No, probably not, but if what?s at their core is something that puts their immortal soul, regardless of whether they believe it?s there or not, in jeopardy then I most certainly do want them to suppress it, or to deal with it in such a way that that piece of their core being no longer exists. As I?ve said already I?m not trying to oppress anyone else,[/size][/quote] Yeah, but surely you see the problems there. One, not everyone shares the same religion. Two, beliefs regarding eternal damnation are entirely subjective (and often entirely illogical). Three, religion is probably the worst Litmus test I can think of, because you're never going to get an objective assessment of anything. Eternal damnation has absolutely zero bearing on any properly functional government. And you are absolutely trying to oppress people, Gavin. I can see how you're trying to walk the line here so that your views don't seem very extreme, so they seem mildly reasonable, but most people here can see right through the doublespeak. Just admit it, man. You [i]are[/i] trying to oppress people, because your [i]religious values[/i] oppress people. [quote][size=1]As for whether religious doctrine and it?s black and white view of the world has any place in law making,, well that?s for governments to decide. But personally I think people confuse civil rights with civil liberties for too much nowadays.[/size][/quote] Well, there's a reason why Britain had hundreds of years of violence and bloodshed that were directly related to the religious affiliation/structure of the government. It's no coincidence that the most brutal totalitarian regimes over the past few centuries have largely been religion-based. It's no coincidence that teenagers were hanged in Iran. Religion has a black and white view of the world. Law-making absolutely cannot have a black and white view of the world. And honestly, I have no idea what you're even trying to get at regarding civil rights vs civil liberties, because I think it's missing the point entirely, the point being that if blacks were finally granted basic civil rights as recently as the 1960s...basing government policy on an individual's sexual orientation is absolutely wrong, because there is zero fundamental difference between skin color and sexual orientation. And thus, it becomes discrimination. If you don't believe me, read through something as simple as an employee's handbook, or recruiting guides. "Company will not discriminate based on sex, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity" etc etc is a phrase you see 100% of the time. What makes it even worse now? Because it's utter discrimination on a national/global scale but some groups believe it to be okay because of their religious upbringing. And again, that is why religion should never, ever be a factor in government policy-making.

[quote name='Gavin][size=1']OK, the short and simple answer to that is that while people may be born homosexual, they don't have to practice their homosexuality.[/size][/quote] ...Gavin, you do realize how unbelievably bad that sounds? Hopefully you do. If not, I'll use myself as an example why what you're saying is entirely stupid. I've spent a lifetime controlling myself. I am always aware of this rage inside of me, and because I'm aware of it, I'm able to manage it effectively. That rage will never go away. I've accepted that. It's a component of deeper psychological workings--and partly on a chemical level that's not so easily fixed through medication. In the past, I've tried to deny that the rage exists. I've tried to forget about those dark urges in my subconscious, the urges that push me to get really, really bad to a lot of people, to pick random fights and destroy other human beings. And do you know what always happened when I tried to fight/block/suppress that rage? Really bad things to myself. Usually self-inflicted. Denying feelings lead to personal devastation. I've dealt with rage issues. That was stressful enough. Do you honestly believe that "not practicing" one's homosexuality is going to help them in any way at all? Think about how many people in the world today have killed themselves because they didn't think they could "come out." Or think about how many people in the world today have been shunned so much by society for being gay/lesbian that they've entirely withdrawn and would take decades of therapy usually to help them. But you want them to suppress who they really are? Would you rather me have suppressed the rage and wound up dead long before the chance of having this discussion? EDIT: Hopefully people will start seeing why religious doctrine is entirely useless in this discussion. Religion is quite often a black and white view of the world, and black and white views are the last thing anyone needs in a governing body when it comes to making laws.

[QUOTE=Gavin][size=1][/size][size=1]Civil unions are government sanctioned "pairings" for the lack of a better word, having no religious segment to them. A marriage is the joining of a man and a woman together in the eyes of God in His church presided over by a member of the clergy, and is not legally recognised by the State until a marriage certificate is acquired.[/size][/quote] Government sanctioned pairings, eh? Then marriage has never existed when you look at things realistically. Even the "divinely ordained" "marriages" of British Kings were more civil unions than marriages, because I guarantee those Kings didn't exactly use religion to improve their marriages. ~_^ [quote][size=1]it's still regarded as something to enter seriously and with a bit of pre-thought.[/size][/QUOTE] And I don't think that would change in gay marriage here in the United States. Marriage is almost a complete joke in America because of morons, whores, and celebrity "marriages."

It should be noted that it wasn't too long ago when blacks couldn't marry outside their race...hell, it was only in the 1960s when Segregation ended. Blacks marrying whites was unheard of in the earlier and middle decades of the twentieth century. It was viewed as a threat to traditional marriage values. And look what happened there. Something to consider, eh?

I'll be grabbing a DS Lite later this week I think, and I can pretty much blame Charles for it. He'd brought his DS Lite to my graduation party this past Sunday, which was my very first chance to check out the system. And holy hell, it was incredible. The buttons felt great, the new look is perfect--the re-design came at a perfect time, by the way, with the Wii coming later this year...DS Lite looks like Wii's cousin, it really does--and the screen quality is unbelievable. The improvement was similar to GBA-->DS, which is pretty remarkable, I think, given that DS and DS Lite are basically the same system. Gotta agree with Charles about the look. It is very sexy. Incidentally, I think the look of the DS Lite alone will help the connectivity features we're undoubtedly going to see with Wii. Having an overall design theme will attract gamers, I hope. Cause I know it's attracted me already. Of course, successful connectivity will largely depend on if Nintendo avoids making those major mistakes we saw with the GCN/GBA connectivity trainwreck, lol.

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4b0082']The concept is great, but no matter how you think of it, the execution is lacking. You're simply forced to rely too heavily on an easily KOed CPU counterpart just to bring the character as a whole up to par.[/color][/quote] Desi...we have got to get together some time and play SSBM against each other. I'd love to show you what Ice Climbers can do in the hands of a skilled player. ~_^ Thing about G&W, though, is that some of his moves aren't designed to "stop" players. The sausage thing, particularly. It's added damage infliction from range. G&W already has some insanely powerful smash attacks (his fully charged >+A can kill players fairly easily), his counter is one of the truly devastating counters in the game (absorb three fully charged shots...muaha), the 6-9 for >+B have killing power. He's a bit slow, yeah, but he's got a nice downward spike, not to mention a solid neutral A that can provide a very effective multi-target snare. His recovery jump is one of the better recoveries in the game; it has a great height to it, solid range potential, and generally, when you can recover jump from near the bottom level to the upper platforms of most of the stages? Yeah, that's good stuff. And his throws are insane. Peach's forward throw and Mario's reverse throw are the only ones that really match them. I agree G&W is a weird character, but his moveset is pretty diabolical. As is Mewtwo's. And Pichu has some of the strongest smash attacks in the game. ~_^ Of course, the only character I'm truly annoyed about losing is Ice Climbers. They're adorable bundles of destruction. I am looking forward to Ridley, though. Let's hope online function stays intact so we can do some tourneys. ^_^

I know I'm going to be missing Game & Watch and Ice Climbers. I didn't use G&W too much, but when I did, it was a lot of fun. He's such a bizarre character...and he fit in the line-up perfectly, because every character there was almost completely insane. G&W was almost symbolic of Smash Brothers, I think. If there was one character that fully represented what Smash Bros was, it was G&W. Smash incorporates classic Nintendo characters into a massive free-for-all fighting game, giving them signature moves and some really nasty smash attacks. Each character has unique controls, and usually some absurd techniques. Game & Watch was the most absurd out of the entire roster, I think. I'm going to miss the sausages. Ice Climbers...I rock house with them. They were one of the deadliest characters in the game when played well, and their smash attacks rivaled Bowser and Ganondorf, especially if you managed to connect both Popo and Nana's fully charged smashes. It was nuts. I'm really pissed to see them go. Even though they weren't my best characters to play as, they were one of the most fun. Regarding Young Link...he was different enough from Old Link, because chaining combos was radically different between the two of them. The required approach was different, too. Young Link was more tailored to a hit n run style complemented by minor projectile weaponry that was more a containment/snare than killing machines. Old Link lacked the mobility, so playing as him usually becomes straight-up damage infliction. I don't want to say he's a toe-to-toe character, but he leans in that direction, being a medium weight. When facing my brother, I always had more of a challenge when he'd play as Young Link rather than the older version. I couldn't care less about Celda Link. His inclusion doesn't interest me all that much. Ridley and Bowser Jr., on the other hand...I'm looking forward to. I'm kind of expecting Ridley to play like SSBM Donkey Kong does: pretty fast, pretty strong, devastating offense, and surprisingly mobile. I'm looking at Bowser Jr. as a type of Bowser/Ice Climbers hybrid: toned down shell attacks, still able to hold his own against most characters, nasty smash attacks, faster than most characters, but more on the light-weight end.

[quote name='White][color=#555555][font=Tahoma]Did Bowser make a space station or something?[/font'][/color][/quote] I know I'd love to see something like that. Though I suppose it'd be more of a James Bond thing, rather than Mario. And the Mario franchise has never really been big on outside references. Then again...having an actual space station level would be pretty keen. Put Peach in a yellow jumpsuit a la Moonraker, lol. You know...I'd like that. Might be a bit too much like Conker, though. Bleh.

Hell definitely exists. Just check out Wisconsin. (hopefully someone here has seen Dogma?)

So there's some new skill balancing on the horizon, and one of the new Mesmer Elites, Arcane Languor, is getting a buff. A buff that I feel is entirely unnecessary...or at least entirely too powerful. At a 4-second duration, Arcane Languor will obliterate a caster's energy. At 5 or 6 seconds (a duration increase I'd be okay with), it's still almost overpowered. The upcoming buff will increase the max duration to 8 seconds. [quote]Arcaned Languor Mesmer/Necromancer Level: 20 Fast Casting: 11 (10+1) Domination Magic: 14 (10+4) Inspiration Magic: 6 (5+1) Curses: 10 - Arcane Languor [Elite] (Fast Casting) For 4 second, all Spells cast by target foe cause Exhaustion. Energy:10 Cast:1.3 Recharge:15 - Diversion (Domination Magic) For 6 seconds, the next time target foe uses a skill, that skill takes an additional 53 seconds to recharge. Energy:10 Cast:1.95 Recharge:10 - Complicate (Domination Magic) Interrupt target foe's action. If that action was to use a Signet, it and all other Signets are disabled for 15 seconds. Energy:10 Cast:0.16 Recharge:20 - Spirit of Failure (Inspiration Magic) For 30 seconds, target foe has a 25% chance to miss with attacks. You gain 3 Energy whenever that foe fails to hit in combat. Energy:10 Cast:1.95 Recharge:10 - Arcane Echo (Mesmer other) If you cast a Spell in the next 20 seconds, Arcane Echo is replaced with that Spell for 20 seconds. Arcane Echo ends prematurely if you use a non-Spell skill. Energy:15 Cast:1.3 Recharge:30 - Arcane Thievery (Domination Magic) For 33 seconds, one random Spell is disabled for target foe, and Arcane Thievery is replaced by that Spell. Energy:10 Cast:0.65 Recharge:10 - Reckless Haste (Curses) For 15 seconds, target foe and all adjacent foes are Hexed with Reckless Haste. While Hexed, they attack 25% faster but have a 38% chance to miss with attacks. Energy:10 Cast:1.3 Recharge:25 - Resurrection Signet () Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. You may use this Signet only once per mission. Energy:0 Cast:3 Recharge:0[/quote] This build isn't entirely finalized, because I still want to see a cover hex in there, but...Arcane Echo+Arcane Languor, and cover any downtime with Diversion. You've got e-management through Reckless Haste and Spirit of Failure, not to mention slipping in Drain Enchant will be very possible, since Complicate might be useful, but Drain Enchant is a very nice skill.

This thread needs a good Smurf to the groin, I suppose. I captured a new Assassin Elite skill earlier yesterday. It's called Assassin's Promise and it's really cool. It's a hex that recharges all of your skills and gives you energy back if the target dies while Assassin's Promise is on him or her. The skill has a 45-second recharge, which initially is really disgusting, but the best thing about Assassin's Promise is that it recharges itself as well. It's in Deadly Arts, which means most players won't even use it ever, but I'm starting to think it's even better than Moebius Strike for skill recharges. I've been using a build with the following skills and it's been amazing. Mark of Instability (a Dual Attack knockdown) Siphon Speed Black Lotus Strike (Off-Hand, has to strike a hexed foe, good damage, good energy return) Twisting Fangs (found in most Assassin builds) Falling Spider Death Blossom Assassin's Promise Critical Eye What I usually do is MoI-->Siphon Speed-->BLS-->Twisting Fangs-->Falling Spider/Assassin's Promise or Assassin's Promise/Falling Spider-->Death Blossom The reason I listed the combo like that is because depending on the target's health, sometimes they'll die after Falling Spider, so I need to sneak in A.Promise before that. It's not terribly hard, though, because A.Promise has a 3/4 second cast time, and provided your reaction speed is good enough, you can sneak it in a split second before your target dies. I should also mention that A.Promise is very versatile. You don't need many points in Deadly Arts for the duration and energy gain, and you don't need any points for the skill recharge. This is rather mind-boggling, and I'm expecting the skill to get changed. Probably a Failure rate while the Deadly Arts attribute is 7 or below or something like that. But right now...I don't think any "recharge" skill comes close to matching Assassin's Promise. Oath Shot maybe, but if you miss with that, you've got no skills to use. Plus the timing with A.Promise is much more guaranteed, especially if you're hitting a weakened off-target in PvP.

...in the heart, or in the head? Lately I've been craving action. But I don't want a relationship. Monogamy is the last thing on my mind right now. I just want a good, hard, bed-breaking sexual revolution. Has anyone ever felt that? In your fifteen years of life, have you ever wanted a whore, and not because of those hormones running through your body? I'm talking about forgetting about any kind of meaningful physical contact and just having some random woman play with you, because you've done the wholesome relationship before and you're done with that for a while. Anyone ever find themselves in a position very similar to The Graduate, where you'd like nothing better than to hook up with a sexy older woman? That's what I'm feeling like right now. Any thoughts? Experiences you want to share? Moral soapbox speeches? Anything? Perhaps what techniques and strategies work best for you when sweet-talking a drunken whore?

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]Thanks I'm going to need all the luck I can get. I'm going against the great American hero, defender of freedom for full custody of our daughter. You tell me who looks better [/font'][/color][/quote] I could help spin it...I could so help spin it...it wouldn't be terribly difficult, either. Especially if we're playing PR. What use is the "great American hero" when he can't even defend his own family? When he uproots an entire family to shack up with another woman? When he comes back from duty only to divorce his wife, a wife who waited for him, remaining completely faithful for...how long was it? When he doesn't even uphold the values of America--the same values he's sworn to protect both domestically and abroad? Not to mention how likely it seems that this "great American hero" was getting something on the side with this other woman [i]during[/i] the marriage? And I'm not one to insinuate stuff like that, but I really can't believe there was no foul play there, especially when this other woman was a major factor in his push for the divorce. Meg, your case is a publicist's dream. The more I think about it...the more I want in on that PR action...heh.

Dodeca, if you're leery of the Exhaustion, look into W/A for Deadly Arts, primarily Siphon Speed and Iron Palm. Siphon Speed is one of the best hexes I've seen, because if you're playing Warrior, it's invaluable. It slows the target by 20%. It increases your speed by 20%. It's a hex with a fast recharge. And it's cheap (5 energy). It's a gem of a skill. Combine that with Iron Palm, which is a ranged spell that knocks down your target if they're suffering from a hex or a condition. Iron Palm costs 10 energy, so it costs the same as Gale straight-up, but ends up costing less due to no Exhaustion. It has a recharge of 20 seconds, so that kind of hurts, but then again, with the Exhaustion KDs from Air magic...realistically you're only looking at using them every 15 seconds anyway, so I suppose it all balances out. In terms of utility, I don't think any other combination comes close for Warriors. W/N for Plague Touch, yeah. And possibly W/E for...whatever (but those options are really limited these days). But other than that...W/A trumps everything. Not to mention a Warrior effectively utilizing Shadow Stepping is a force to be reckoned with. Death's Charge and Scorpion Wire are two skills that come to mind.