MOVING!

Blogger hates me, and I've grown to hate blogger. We're breaking up.

Okay, that's not true, but I want to transition to Wordpress completely since I might have a job that involves administrating a wordpress blog.

sinborn.wordpress.com - Go there. Forsake this wretched place.

Alright. I'm back (In GE, of course.)

With the Zeia coming out and Ania completely consuming my futa-licious fantasies, I've returned to Granado Espada, and by association, returned to blogging as well.

Unfortunately, after 6 months of stagnating, I'm well behind the curve. The only thing that's going for me is 70,000 G-points, 9,000,000 vis and a semi-active faction with 4 other awesome members. It's like being a n00b all over again, except I'm a n00b that maintains protection fields.

Also, a nod to Ninemoons, the most successful GE blogger in the history of GE. She's throwing in the towel, which is completely understandible. She'll be missed by all the sensible people in GE, that's for sure.

In any case, I made some promises on this blog. Hah, yeah, they're dead. No sexy-sidewinder analysis. But I'll try, to the best of my ability, to get more than one reader per month on this blog.

Pioneering Your Imagination #2 - "Why?"

Role-playing is a mind-boggling activity. Spending time in a game, but not actually playing it? Why would anyone one do it?

It's quite simple. To role-play is to descend deeper into immersion. You're investing the time to communicate with your peers in a fresh, unpredictable way and you're taking active steps to appreciate the world you're surrounded by. Granted, Granado Espada might not have the richest back-story, but it is nonetheless unique to the retail role-playing scene. There's plenty of interesting ideas and concepts embedded within the New World, bits of yummy intrigue and depth scattered throughout this relatively small MMO.

There is also incentive besides being a cognitive conquistador. On occasion, IAH hosts the "Dark Lord" events, which are basically RP events with a small judging staff. From what I could gather, what deters most people from participating in the contest is simply being unaccustomed to thinking, acting and ultimately being a roleplayer. If greed motivates you, the Dark Lord event prizes should encourage you to at least attempt at understanding roleplay. The competition isn't particularly fierce, and as long as you command the English language with reasonable proficiency, you can entertain the thoughts of winning.

But really, RPing is rarely about winning. Competition can be healthy or monstrously destructive to role-playing in general simply because it's a pastime that promotes group harmony. In-character conflict is good, but in all honesty, evaluation of style and form isn't necessary. As long as you're fleshing out your characters and contributing to the flavor and feel of a session, you're role-playing correctly. Still, putting up prizes for play is an acceptable practice in GE simply because the RP-community has no motivation to engage except for some form of reward.

Pioneering Your Imagination #1 - GE RP Explorations.

As my other factionmates will tell you, I leave games because of a lack of role-play. I would go as far to say that computer games that have no role-play or immersive potential are the easiest to abandon. Granado Espada was no exception. During my spring break, I opted to check out Second Life and effectively "played" a game that had zero combat substance. The interaction wasn't exceptional either, save for a few folk, but it was there and I thoughoughly enjoyed it.

I was recently roped back into Granado Espada because of a role-play contest, the third part of the Return of the Dark Lord. However, I expect to lose this time around. Polarbearz is a better writer than myself, and I couldn't survive the arduous trek to Deprimav to display any worthwhile character development inside of the game.

sGE has near-zero RP. This is partly because GE is a Korean-style MMO, which does not encourage interaction nor does it cater to individuals that nitpick about plot details. Role-playing is primarily an American and European activity from my experience, mainly due to having a larger-than-necessary English vocabulary as a general prerequisite.

Anyhow, let's skip to the basis of this posting-sequence: "What is Role-Play?"

The basic definition of pole-play is better described in a list, so here goes!

• Role-playing is like acting without a script. You play your character's personality as if you were that character. Putting your feet in another's shoes is the essence of Role-Play.
• Role-Playing is forgetting the interface even exists. The only additional medium you should be concerned with is the text-box. When acting out your character, you don't see people's names floating above their head or their health-bars.
• Role-playing is describing what the game cannot display or represent with its given models. For example, a gash on the face or a bird-plop on your shield.
• Role-playing is subjecting yourself to issues that the game doesn't force you to consider, such as needing to eat or, heaven-forbid, having a bowel movement.
• Role-playing is involving yourself with more than one individual, whether just for a chat or engaging in long-term relationships. Although the definition can be interpreted to be an activity for a single individual, the term generally implies it as a group activity. Role-play that concerns only its writer might be considered fan-fiction by extension.

Next up, I'll embelish on the reasons why someone would waste their time doing the above!

Drinking Lukewarm Cider

No bold titles today, I'm tired and lusting after my covers.

I've been drawing more. It's weird. It's not to say I dislike art, but when I start gettin' on the doodle-train, I tend to lock myself in a private cabin. Writing is a good escape, that it is. I am currently working on Granado Espada fan-art to catch myself some elusive Divine Angel Wings, seeing that writing nor luck in random draftings will bring me their +5% Movespeed +5% Attack goodness. My chances of winning are extraordinarily slim, seeing that other more worthy entries have shown their faces. Just go and see for yourself, then look at my age-old art posts.

However, I am looking to petition that some of the writers start getting some recognition on the weekly spotlight. Blogging doesn't count as writing and having a role-play event once in a blue moon doesn't do justice to the people posting stories in the fan-fiction thread. At the moment, there is absolutely no incentive to write literary pieces of art. That should change.

My girlfriend's friend is an extension of my girlfriend's will, so I've decided to refer to both of them as a single individual. Of course, they also live together, leaving me to wonder what the hell is goin' on. Wink wink. I've been happier because of her, but also a bit more serious toward marketable skills such as graphic design or plain doodlin' to pay for dinner one romantic night.

Boggled about the title? It has some relevance. I am indeed drinking lukewarm cider as I write this, or rather, looking at my cup and wishing there was more liquid in it. I will read more and work on my sidewinder analysis once I get out of this. . . weird drawing phase.

Coming soon - Sidewinder, War of the Lions review and Aurvana Day 4+.

I made an in-faction promise evaluate Sidewinder, the greatsword veteran stance, after I acquired it on my stock fighter, Undine, seeing that I am the wielder of a Big Bang +7. It will be analyzed in an unusual manner, combining a meticulous attention to detail with a sensational splash of purple. If you don't gag from it, then we should be bed-mates.

War of the Lions

I haven't finished the game yet, so don't expect a review. Instead, impressions will be thrown into your face.

First of all, Final Fantasy Tactics is an amazing game. War of the Lions is a remake of the title, so it's already worth your money if you haven't played it. If you have, then still consider buying it for the two new classes, the impressive multiplayer modes, rewritten scripts and excellent stylized animations.

However, WotL is not a perfect translation to those with fat PSPs. There is slowdown, a considerable amount of it. The basic formula for calculating the time it will take to complete a skill with a particle effect is (N)ormal time x 1.5 = (L)ion War time. The sound is also poorly executed. Some notes, such as the party selection screen, drawl and cut abruptly. The sound of lightning striking resembles a cat filtered through a square-wave wah-wah. If you've experienced the original Tactics, you'll be frustrated. Even more so if you've played the converted PSX iso on your PSP, which has no slowdown, in comparison to original, and very little sound disruption. Still, you. . . might get used to it.

That being said, the rest of the game the FFT I know and love with a little extra difficulty thrown in. Most classes take one more job level to unlock, which is a pain when dealing with thief or classes that you don't have weapons for. (Lancer, much?) As far as I can see, nothing has been changed for the worst.

I'll cut myself there. As this is being written, I am level 40+ before heading to the waterfall, practically destroying the game with three stock characters and Ramza. All my old tricks still work. It'll take a week before I get level 99 with all masters.

Creative AURVANA DJ - Day 4+

I have one gripe about my headset. The plug is huge. It's so long that it can create enough leverage in a pocket to actually bend the pin. At one point, the end of my Aurvana was at a 45' angle and on the verge of self destruction. Luckily, I reset the pin to a mere <2' point without losing any sound quality. However, I caution owners of pockets and runners that you can ruin your set if you apply enough pressure. Still, my headset still sounds amazing and remains quite comfortable, so I suppose it's good it suffered a crooked situation. (I shall be much more cautious in the future, hah!)

At the moment, I've been picking up on more Chillout. A very complex and thoughtful style of electronic music, comforting as smooth jazz with a futuristic feel. Good for photoshop inspiration and directly responsible for the image above.

P.S.

Anyway, that's a good, fat blog post for ya', no? Also, if you're into giant robots and forum roleplay, go to Mobile Suit Awesome and fire up a character. It's well-concieved and managed by my good friend, Geomaster, and I shall also participate there as an Armored Core pilot. It's fresh, new and damn sexy.

Sinwhat? - The everything post!

I didn't quit GE - Isle of Sacred Sins just, well, has priority on the stack.

Alright, you all might have noticed that I have taken a hiatus from GE since a couple weeks ago. At the moment, role-playing is taking top priority and, unfortunately, the Granado Espadan role-play base is not up to my standards. Don't worry, I'll be back! Especially since I really want to win some Divine Angel wings for the art-pick of the week.

As GE's momentary replacement, I'm enjoying Isle of Sacred Sins, a fresh, new Neverwinter Nights 'social' server with a level 5 cap, small but functional map and a dead sexy premise. I was one of the beta testers back in the day, but the module fell out of grace after experiencing miserably low attendance and, well, me as an failing advertiser. ((I'm frequently tired and laconic, so I usually don't give the best impressions.)) Anyhow, Isle has acquired a strong and friendly player base that, if you're not into Sacred Kingdoms, RoR, Eternal Beauty, Phoenix Rising, you better go check out. It's very hak light and has a body-modder in the OOC areas, so you never, ever have to worry about head overrides. The module is minimalist but does not cut out the fun, but instead concentrates all the aspects of a strong module into efficient clusters. Hey, just like GE at times?

Creative Aurvana DJ - Day 2

Concerning my Aurvana headphones, I took them out in public and enjoyed every second of it. For the first time in a quite a while, I experienced a full-on portable aural experience, losing myself in a large happy hardcore compilation while walking to class. After it concluded, I went to the school arcade to test how much sound I could ignore within the cacophonous cage of body odor, watered-down testosterone and electical noise-makers. Not only did I block out most of the sound of the room, but I even got absorbed in a near-cinematic experience in Gundam Battle Chronicle, which has an excellent soundtrack to accompany the good ol' mech action. My positive opinion toward the Aurvana still stands firmly, grounded in today's exceptional experience.

Lorwyn - Yowch.

I've had the rare pleasure to talk some serious meta with other people in my school. We centralized on Doran, he being lukewarm toward it while I find the GWB legend to be explosive outside of aggro. His points concerning Doran focused on his weakness as an aggro card because you cannot drop him on third turn on a consistent basis, which I wholly agree upon. I merely shed some positive light on our favorite tree by noting how explosive he is as a creature, making Forbidding Watchtowers win-conditions and whatnot.

Card draw became a nice central topic as well. Blue lost a lot of exceptional card-drawing power with the loss of Ravnica block, ditching staples like Compulsive Research and Perilous Research. Viable replacements, given the environment, are Jace, Ponder, and MAYBE clash style decks with Sylvan Echoes. (Okay, I jest, clash as a card engine is not entirely wise.) However, he did bring up that Howling Mine is an exceptional way to draw cards, especially when ramping for turn-walking spells and drawing like a beast with Jace to lessen the repercussions of letting your opponent draw like mad. I like his deck idea very, very much to be honest. Creative and very playable indeed.

I'll be rolling a few decks soon, I might post them if my play testing goes, well, wanky.

Music - Creative Aurvana DJ Earphones - Day 1.

I haven't broken in my headset just yet, but from what I can tell, they're a lot more sensitive than Sony MDR-150s. The second I plugged them into my computer, I jumped to the conclusion that they sucked due to a nasaly sound. Before I threw a fit, I remembered that I set up my treble to get a crisper sound on my old set. Aurvana's do a great job at being delightfully clean on the first try.

These headphones do a good job of sealing off the outside world without causing much discomfort, wearing them for two straight hours with minor fiddling to get them just right on my skull. They won't automatically feel good, but once you've found a sweet spot, the 13 ounces of plastic, cushion and speakers apply a firm but reassuring pressure, expected from a set of heavy full earphones.

As far as cosmetics go, they won't make you pretty, but they're not overtly ugly. They're more like classy accents than a magical faerie grandmother. In a world where most full headphones are hideous as your neighborhood chimera, it's refreshing to see some sexy brushed-metal and rounded rectangles.

In my experience, I haven't had the funds or the joy to listen to Sennheiser 595s or Shure earbuds. I'm a cheap disciple of rhythm, but I know a good pair of earphones when I hear one. I can't make any "real" judgments on the sound quality other than they're much better than MDR-150s and a number of earbuds that I've smashed through, even before I've really broken in my Aurvanas.

Give me a week, by then I've probably given 140+ hours into these.

Music - Celebraiting 'core.

I love all variants of break beat. If it has 'core in the name, I probably listen and lust after the sound. It's unfortunate that modern music has no place in the fantasy role-play settings that I frequent, but I'm working on justifying the use of 'magical synths' and whatnot in order to convey the gripping euphoria to other characters. I'm in the process of creating a 'core-based bard too.

Of course, what does music matter? I've labeled myself a drug-factory. Not because I do any substances, but I'm exceptionally comfortable and euphoric when I have music thudding in my ears. Luckily, my brain gets that essential 'high' without killing itself.

My ears are currently turned toward di.fm's DnB and Hard Core channel. Ever since I started looking into buying a pair of Creative Aurvana DJ headphones, the desire to act like a disciple of rhythm was pounding. Granted, I've read reviews and they say the bass isn't too great, but I'm certain they're better than Sony MDR-V150s. Granted, I really want a pair of Shure earbuds or Sennheiser 595's, but since I'm head-phone fashion whore and a guy who likes going on a limb for $60, Aurvana's will be getting my bills. Yes, I can get new Aurvana DJs for $60. I'll be looking forward to breaking them in, experiencing the thrill of new, unchartered merchandise and writing about it.

RNPCs Are Love - Catherine of Strength

Catherine of Strength is my choice. When I was originally exposed to Granado Espada, I was under the impression that Catherine was a tall, older woman with a frozen face and a bitter demeanor. As time progressed, I began to notice that a majority of the Catherine models were small children with eerie faces, nothing like I had imagined her. Later and much to my delight, I saw Catherine of Strength, whose form accurately matched her mature facial features. Ah, but her character, or lack thereof, is what makes her truly exquisite.

As a role-player who takes the craft with great seriousness, I find myself shying away from other RNPCs. Their personality is pre-made, which leads to potential conflicts between canon and play in general, something that all role-players should do well to avoid. They are essentially constrictive. In comparison, Catherine offers a unique role-playing opportunity. Unlike other characters who have already developed their own flavor, Catherine is a clean slate that is influenced entirely by her surrounding family, evidenced by Torsche's request a few moments before you acquire her card. She is essentially a child without the physical inadequacy, a creature whose flavor is almost entirely under control of the mind that plays her.

The concept of a 'grown' child is further reaffirmed by her exceptionally large skill list. She does practically everything, although her magical and ranged capabilities are somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the number of skills she can learn loudly proclaims that she is a character unstained by a past defined by rigorous training or studying. It becomes your family's duty to teach Catherine and develop her personality, or perhaps she learns by herself through exploring. Either way, you personally get to make your Catherine a character worth remembering, whether it's through being delightfully well-written or just plain deadly.

Catherine of Strength is simply awesome. A unique look combined with a unique flavor and incredible versatility makes her a must-have for any role-playing family. For a demonstration of my take on Catherine, reference the Doriane's Army story or visit the original thread if you don't like Futanari repeated over and over again.

((And yes, I am aware that the contest is practically a raffle, but hey, I might as well explain myself and try to win some decent goodies, no?))

Mithril Joins with Something Awful?

There's a reason why HotHatAction wasn't mentioned on the list for the faction quest. Bah, stop worrying, there's no spite involved. On the contrary, they deserve their own post.

We received some generous help from HHA during out faction quest, and it turns out that their leader was not exactly active. Normally, we say no to mergers since the past has been filled with very suspicious offers that smell fishier than week-old-catch. However, HHA is unique in the sense that its active player-base appears to be North American, including Canadians of course. It's a plus for Mithril, since we derive a lot of our humor from that continent's general-goings-on. The people that decided to come over to Mithril are colorful, zany and even sexy.

Friends make ANY game better, period. I'm very, very ecstatic about our union. The abundance of humor, sarcasm and common ground is a refreshing sight in sGE, where normally I feel like an alien of some sort. Now, sGE feels a little closer to home and more like a global MMO and the experience is even more engaging than ever before.

Mithril is not restricted to North Americans, don't get me wrong. We're just a very talkative faction with a heavier inclination toward English in its most hideous and constrictive form. Just as you might expect from an overseas-based game, there are few people from my side of the world that play there. As a result, folks like those who recently joined us are appreciated on the basis of rarity, not race.

Next up? NineMoons is hosting a contest. Yes, a PLAYER is HOSTING a CONTEST. Go hit her blog at geninemoons.blogspot.com! Hell, she's been blog-spotted twice. You should be reading her regularly already!

A Royalist Call Echoes.

Read this.

Okay, now that you have, if you're faction-less and meet those requirements, consider talking to DarkWood. This is a very good opportunity for you to be part of an incredible faction.

On the other hand, those already in a stable faction might want to steer clear. I'm sure that other factions would agree with me that losing one's identity is not a price we're willing to pay to beat the Republicans, especially if the faction will lose its fervor after a couple weeks. Granted, the elite faction has an exceptionally strong direction, but just as exhaustion tolled on Yakisoba, this new faction will most likely suffer the same.

Oddly enough, it seems that the tables have turned. At one point, Yakisoba was fought against. Now, the Republicans have the faction to beat. Dominion. However, Dominion has not been innocently dominating. In order to fuel their exceptionally well-armed forces, Dominion has been exploiting Vergo. (It looks innocent enough, but there's no way in hell all those turrets and dolls could stay alive for the duration of the screening.) Whether you think it is awesome or not, fighting a boss and using a technically to defeat it is cheating. Regardless, this pose two dire problems: One, Dominion is very well-equiped and two, we're not allowed to stoop down to that level.

With that said, it IS a step in the right direction but stripping a other factions to create a super-faction doesn't feel right. The super-faction would most likely crumble the second their greater enemy is put to rest, which would result in a very easy recapture. Also, the faction's motivation is shaky at best. The internal turmoil within the faction will be minimal IF they actually succeed in capturing a reasonable amount of colonies over the course of their target period. If morale dips, then the faction's survivability is put in jeopardy. The new faction does not have the convenience of unity through established companionship, which is a luxury that Dominion most likely has among its higher members.

Mithril becomes 52! - And why you should be Royalist.

Thanks to generous help from ChocoPoring, CloudNine, Dominion, Death and GEnesis, the faction I'm working with is officially level 52.

For people new to this new Faction deal, Faction level above 50 allows:

• A leader to appoint more players to the deputy position
• Increases each member's family level.
• Gives the leader an exceptionally awesome aura.
  
• Allows a declaration of war at level 51.
• Allows a faction to choose to join the Royalists or the Republicans.

The incentives should speak for themselves, especially since declaring war is the centerpiece of the faction system and choosing a side adds a new competitive element to the game, along with the potential to acquire even more bonuses.

As you might expect, Mithril's work is far from over. There is currently an imbalance in the political climate of Cervantes in the favor of the Republicans. This is as result of a unity between GOD, Dominion and CARNAGE against the legendary Yakisoba faction, who was the primary supporter of the Royalist faction. Now that Yakisoba has left the scene, although not entirely due to Chocoporing, the playing field is dominated by Republican factions. This could lead to a dangerous amount of bandwagon jumps onto the Republican side and has the potential to destroy the integrity of the political struggle, if it already hasn't happened already.

Factions who are considering joining the Republicans, do not sway towards the vanilla choice. Make a difference, fight against the tide and a greater enemy. The second the Royalists acquire an advantage, you will be remembered as nothing but cowards at best, if recalled at all. Be one of the few to accomplish what once seemed impossible and pledge your strength to Princess Gabriella.

Remember, the war between Vespanola and the rebellion is displaced from bots. There is no futility under the Royalist banner. The direction of the war is directly solely by its players' effort. It gives reason to grinding, to selling, to everything. The ultimate climax of Granado Espada is the fight against the misguided. A conflict that is eternally dynamic. Humans do not keep static builds, they change and offer new challenges with great frequency. The thrill never fades, and only exhaustion can tear you away.

-Futanari

Got some inspiration!

Unfortunately, it's from complete failure. Mithril was on its second attempt at the dreaded Chrysalis and I managed to do the secret key combination to automatically exit the GE client. I became a prisoner in the lonely walls of the Morghus, distanced from my comrades.

It's inspiring, waiting there, listening to the distant clanging of swords, the scent of freshly shot gunpowder, the eerie hum of magic pulsing so far away. I shall take up my, erm, digital quill and embark on a literary illustration.

I'll stop being a zealot.

I've been leading a miniature crusade against people who don't value GE as much as I do. Eventually, I came to realize that trying to force your sense of duty on another individual is a good recipe for failure. In light of that, this post will be devoted to concessions (not the sort that you eat though.)

1: If there's another game in your life, I accept your rejection of GE.
We're all looking through a different set of shades, crafted by our experiences previous to encountering GE. Despite wishing to keep as many people as I possibly can, it's wrong for any gamer to insist that another should play something they don't enjoy.

2. I accept that GE will not die without the support of every potential leaver.
It won't. I shouldn't be so desperate to cling to the few that decide to play other games. I am very confident that GE's flavor, unique playstyle and a good group of friends to play with will keep die-hards, like myself, pumping the lifeblood of the New World.

3. If the sGE business model is too steep for you, I will not deem it your fault.
Some people can't afford it no matter how incredible it might seem. When reality is concerned, gaming should be taking a back-seat anyway. There's absolutely no reason to badger an individual for making a conservative decision based on what they view as unreasonable. If they don't want to pay, they don't need to. Might as well make the voyage send-off more like a mourning session than a gauntlet.

4. Your complaints about bots are valid. Therefore, the only ones who should be blamed are the botters themselves and not the fed-up victims.
Dealing with bots is not the easiest of tasks. They test your patience, infuriate you when they autolog and are an overall pain in the rear. I have managed to find a niche in the game that allows me to enjoy GE with little bot-based impediments, but I'm certain others have not or simply feel that they deserve more preventative measures from the GM side. If quitting is an act of revenge or just a concession to the onslaught of bots, I won't cling to your ankle.

5. If GE's gameplay is unappealing, then I won't stop you from thinking that.
Even if I did try, it's almost futile to change someone's mind about the complexity, or lack thereof, of a gaming system if they've already made a judgment about GE. The only thing I can do is ask for players to play different builds on a consistent basis or interact with your own internal PvP duel league or something that gets the competitive juices flowing.

6. If GE's grind is unbearable, then you're free to go.
Alright, alright, so my concessions are not all nice and friendly. If you think GE's grind is miserable, then you should seriously consider quitting all forms of commercial MMO play. GE has a very light grind in comparison to other titles, especially Lineage 2. While the grind is not easy in later levels, it is bearable and very reasonable in comparison to other more-unforgiving RPG titles. Heck, the existence of patrol mode alone is a good enough reason to discount GE as a grind game.

7. GE isn't hardcore enough.
An extension of point six in a bizzaro universe. If you're a masochist, then contemplate playing Lineage 2, FFXI solo or. . . well, any other game that would feed your need to be kicked in the face by a game client. Frankly, I'm afraid to convince you otherwise. Your handshake probably has nails driven through the palm with a lemon-pulp pushed underneath the skin.

Anyway, happy hunting for all you gamers who have made the decision to drop GE. I can't say you're making the best decision, but I'm admittedly biased toward GE, so everything is peachy.

-Futanari

MTG - I am devoted to Faeries.

The recent Faerie Spellmesser report has pushed me in the direction of Faerie building for standard tribal. It's a semi-solid counter spell with some very decent recycle value. Already built into the block is Familiar's Trickery ((UU + Return a creature you control to its owner's hand, counter target spell)) You can also push for a late-game counter/card advantage with Xth Edition's Sunken Hope while keeping pressure on your opponent's creature game.

I want to play a variant of aggro-control. I've always liked slapping down Draining Whelk on my opposition and establish dominion without stretching a game for too long, so the 'new' face of faeries is really exciting for me as a Magic player. I'll be collecting all the essential Faeries like Cloud Sprites and Cloudseeders, heh.

Dark Lord 2, again.

Alright staff, here's the low-down.

You took an event that previously failed and made it monstrously appealing to me. Unfortunately, Dark Lord 2 did not affect others as strongly or as favorably. A good job, but I think server-raids should take a rest for a bit until a sure and rewarding formula is discovered to benefit the entirety of the GE player core.

The staff successfully took measures to optimize playing experience with simple placement decisions. Splaying the conflict across three channels was something I would have done. Granted, the graphic lag was frightening to a number of clients, but I still managed to click through the chaos and land a good number of strikes on the gigantic horses. Deciding to have players explore for monsters was a good idea as well. Having the monsters come to the players would probably lead to another lag massacre.

However, graphical lag will always be apparent despite the measures taken to avoid it. Although the staff is not to blame for the playerbase's lack of decent computing equipment, graphical slowdowns do lead to a diminishing in fun-factor. It was difficult to move, use skills and effectively micromanage with a mere five-to-ten frames per second. Regardless, it would be nice to have in-game events that are not as brutally affected by low-midrange computer specifications. I can't think of one off the top of my head, but I will reserve a positive review for such an activity.

I personally felt the raid was monstrously exciting until the last creature fell, but its lack of rewards soured the aftermath. The loot was dismal for my faction and me, managing to scavenge a single 68 +5 from the entire endeavor. It was hinted that Amethy was being particularly generous post-victory, but none of my faction's inventories reflected it. While I am vying for the RP reward, my friends were not and conveyed their disappointment with the event with frankness and spite. They had worked hard despite the overwhelming odds and oppressive graphic lag for practically nothing. I happen to be an optimist and an appreciative goon, but I suspect other players are not so forgiving.

However, there is a negative pit in my stomach. I'm under the impression that I was the only role-player actively playing my character's emotions in Doriane's army, if not the entire Cervantes server. I do know NineMoons and other Cervantes-based RP advocates from the RP thread do exist, but reports from a few friends in other channels reported zero literary activity. While I'm not entirely surprised, I'm somewhat disappointed in the GE community for being so frighteningly cold to RP in general. "Personally" engaging with other characters' personalities was something I looked forward to.

The incorporation of the forum was a nice gesture, but I do not believe judging role-play is an appropriate contest. As I voiced in my previous posts, it isn't an activity that should be put under the competitive banner. Role-play is not about winning, it's about expressing your creativity through an emotional avenue without fear of being judged. Although I do approve of rewarding RPers for their efforts over not at all, I would prefer that all fiction writers/role-players should be commended for their unrewarded contributions to the flavor of Granado Espada. Also, it appears that very few members of sGE actively participate in RP, as evidenced by the frequent "confused-fellow" post in every thread.

Either way, I had a good deal of fun. My emotions are still clutching the event, a clear indicator that it was a success on a small, individual scale. On a larger, more unkind platform, it appears lukewarm and slightly out of touch with the general sGE player.

Critique on the role-play event.

Alright, one more day before the contest technically ends. I've read through enough posts on sGE's RP threads to start making some judgments.

First of all, kudos to the people who decided to put roleplay as a centerpiece. It's a bold move, but a very heart-warming one for people like me. I still have high hopes for the conclusion of the thread. My last post was pessimistic, but now I'm a bit more optimistic now that I feel strongly engaged in the excitement of waiting for Esme's next post.

However, the next time a thread like this is officially made, some firm guidelines to be set in order to familiarize the general forum user with what RP is not. Common role-play sense is not a common commodity on the sGE forums, as demonstrated by the flood of out-of-character posts. For example, complaining about the previous event's lag or speaking from a player's perspective are not parts of relevant role-play.

Enforcing roleplay is not essential, but threads that retain an untainted, engrossing atmosphere become attractive to serious role-players, whereas threads littered with broken OOC aren't as gripping. When it becomes a struggle to filter through the unpleasant one-lined player sentiments, then something has gone wrong. While I don't feel it is appropriate to ostracize others from role-play, a line has to be drawn in order to preserve the integrity of a story-driven thread. One simple rule, "If you are to post, put some effort into it." Think of the thread as a museum or a national park. Don't litter it with crap, contribute to it instead.

I'll write more once I gather a bigger picture. Ciao for now.

-Futanari

Granado Espada and Me.

Alright, I've been sucked into sGE. It might explain why I haven't been talking to anybody but my GE partners in crime. I won't go into what the game in great depth. The only thing that you need to know is that it's addictive, beautiful and offering a role-play contest until Friday.

I play extensively, devoting most of my CPU to running GE day and night. Most of my conversations are about GE, whether it concerns general gameplay, the exciting grind, my ridiculous loot luck or making a huge deal about Granado Espada history. I can't say that GE has exclusively grabbed my heart in terms of MMOs, but the mixture of flavor and excellent game design keeps me devoted.

The only problem at the moment is the lack of serious, if not beautiful, role-play, an issue I constantly encounter in MMOs that my friends drag me into. In GE's case, I'm surprised and not surprised simultaneously. When I first came upon GE's interface and chatting system, I noticed that local chat had the customary limited range, could be applied above the heads of any of your three characters and there were plenty of emotes to work with for the textually-challenged. However, after I saw the pros, I was reminded that GE doesn't have the most eloquent or thought-provoking player core and the background story is vague at best.

I chose a humorous name for my family, figuring I would never see another delicious personality on Cervantes, the server that I send and receive packets from on a daily basis. Futanari. Yes, Futanari. On occasion, people notice that my family title is plain insidious and I relish in the positive OOC attention. My character names all have some sort of Futanari/Quasi-sexual reference, such as Reika, Undine (From Claymore, whom I love with all my heart), Trapalicious, New1/2, etc.

So what am I? A hardcore standard gamer or the frighteningly devoted role-player that some remember me as? Unfortunately, more of the former than the latter. I don't have anyone to play with, nobody to express my obsession with. A good 75% of the server doesn't understand what I say, and those who seem to actively engage in the craft are on different servers. Besides, my style is monstrously libidinous and I'll probably be banned for sexual harassment after I start engaging in a deeper, erotic plot. As it stands, I am left with the forums and the recent roleplay contest to sate my desire to be deep, thoughtful and exceptional among others.

However, the contest is not a true avenue of role-play. The second the craft is put into a competitive environment, the true essence wanes. I, frankly, do not enjoy the contest. The damned competition has brought me nothing but stress, ego and apprehension for the future if I should lose (A very likely prospect, I'm afraid. Esme/NineMoons/Presea/EonOmega/DeusAngeles will probably go away with Doriane's favor.) It has been my obsession, it keeps my lids peeled and my nose constantly in a book or hovering over my keyboard. This experience has turned role-play into a vicious monster. Part of me wants to boycott the event, but another demands I acquire the prize for the sake of my own self.

I don't have much to work on, unfortunately. There are a number of holes in the background of GE and I'm unsure if it is entirely appropriate to role-play a RNPC. I'm trying to develop my stock class characters, Reika and Undine, into memorable souls, but I have only a few more days and perhaps three more posts maximum before the event comes to its climax and its ultimate conclusion. Even so, I feel hopeless and nervous in the same stroke. I've been outclassed by so many other writers in my lifetime. If there is an opportunity to escape that grim shadow, the time is now. (GE players will appreciate that line.)

. . . I want to crush my hopes desperately. I want my expectations to be set to the soil before the day they christen the dramatic royalty. This worry resembles the worst role-play related catastrophe I've suffered, the wedding of Lokasenna, where I screamed into the nothingness. I won't kill myself over it, but my pillows will suffer salt and screams like I did before.

My mattress frightens me. If I go to sleep, I will dream of failure.

-Sinborn

Sinborn Notes 1: Relative age, mindset and thinking trends.

The name Sinborn came to me in a vision like all my other ideas do. The first name for the race was, as cheesy as it sounds, Lustweaver, which did accurately describe the function of the race at that brief window of time. However, being a high-charisma race wasn't enough, and after becoming more honest with myself, I noticed that the Lustweaver wasn't that charismatic at all because it could not convey that personal strength to creatures outside of the standard player race. As a result, I changed the direction of the race and eventually changed the name to reflect certain unique aspects of my fictional people.

The Sinborn are a very young race. The title was not conjured by the Sinborn themselves. Instead, it is a tag applied by observers of the people, and was eventually adopted by the Sinborn. The name was given exclusively under the common tongue. Unfortunately, I don't have much knowledge concerning fantasy years, but it is safe to assume that Ahlin, the first of the race, was created about two centuries before the generic 'now' in most fantasy settings. Because the race hasn't had enough time to develop its own unique culture, it frequently relies on other sources for inspiration.

Although not entirely accepted by humans, the Sinborn relate closest to them and generally keep the same sporadic mindsets. Most of the early Sinborn development involved lurking into large metropolitan cities and creating tight social circles, taking in the common cultures of human as opposed to dwarf, elf or other fantasy races. Also, Ahlin was once human and drew most of her conclusions from her previous existence as a common human being. Numerous Sinborn ideas are frequently extracted from that same perspective, and many Sinborn thoughts come from a comparison between human traits and their own. However, very few Sinborn acknowledge themselves as human despite sharing such.

The method in which Sinborn adapted to the common fictional environment deserves the title. Sinborn was applied with a negative connotation and does properly reflect the race as a whole. Sinborn frequently go down paths involving a self-centered world, in which pleasure, delight and personal fulfillment rise above all virtues simply because other avenues don't fulfill as effectively. Because they consider themselves outside of the general racial collective, a Sinborn is not naturally compelled to help other beings. However, outside of their natural base, a Sinborn can develop a strong sense of connectivity with other races.

Brain is shutting down again.