--A PEEK INTO MY BRAIN--

[Gamer-rant mode ON]

For a few weeks this quarter, I would go down to our school lounge where an Xbox 360 is hooked up to a widescreen HD TV. Every day when I came in for class, either before or after, I would just go down to the lounge, pick up a controller, throw down a few rounds of Soul Calibur IV with friends or friends-in-progress and generally have a good time, enjoying the game with other people who enjoy the game.

Around the lounge, however, are smaller clusters of "more mature" American gamers, giggling to themselves and jeering at how silly the game is; how the characters are so wildly designed, how the combat and damage scaling is 'unrealistic', among other things.

These are the same gamers who play and idolize "realistic games" like Gears of War, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, Resistance 2, Fallout 3, Farcry 2, just to name a few. There seems to be something in common... aren't they all either real-world war games or dusty gunmetal space-marine first person shooters? Okay, I'm generalizing, I know; GoW is a third-person shooter and Fallout 3 wants me to believe that it's an RPG, okay fine. But really, what's so wrong about Soul Calibur IV that makes it such a laughing stock to the casual observer?

Few things about what I hear are inches close to me letting loose this very rant through vocal medium. Mostly, the bit about the game being 'unrealistic'. Isn't that why we play video games? To experience something beyond reality? You've probably heard it as much as I've heard it; people who berate Soul Calibur for its gaudy character design and its needlessly over the top action. But what would you rather have? Soul Calibur is a pseudo-fantasy martial arts fighting game, it has to be flashy and exciting. Would you rather see Soul Calibur done with plain looking characters in plain looking armor, running into each others' shields and longswords swinging and poking at the other in a tactless attempt to not die?

And I'm not just vouching for Soul Calibur IV, I'm vouching for games that even REMOTELY try to touch the word 'fantasy' that get the same ridicule from gamers who have "grown up" from the idea of throwing fire with your hands or heaving around 20-ton swords. Why are modern gamers so obsessed with 'realism' in games? Call me ignorant (I very well may be), but it just seems like all the latest high-tech super-hyped games that are coming out are all starting to look the same; pseudo-modern post-apocalyptic setting, everything colored in ambiguous dirty rusted gunmetal colors, gritty buff main protagonist with a buzz cut and a big space marine suit (helmet optional). Somehow these games are being heralded as being the 'greatest games ever', even though they all just seem to be loyally following a formula that doesn't seem to be changing.

I can't really say any more than that, though. I've never played the games, for one, and I also don't spend my hours analyzing what makes each game different, what gameplay mechanics are in play that makes the game deep, and how those mechanics make competitive play a real sense of tactical multiplayer action. I'm more of a fighting game connoisseur, and with only an hour of a controller in my hands I can make a general assessment of everything I just stated above in a fighting game. Said that, I can't very well do this rant properly unless I play devil's advocate; if FPS games really all just look the same from a distance from the perspective of someone who doesn't play them, don't all fighting games look the same from someone who doesn't play them also? Wacky characters fighting on a 2D camera view, pressing buttons and thwacking each other until the other falls over, all the while screaming silly things at the top of their lungs. And though I ask the same question from that angle, the answer is also the same; it's a formula, and it works. What I don't understand is when the 'hardcore gamers' try to denounce the fighting game formula as not even being a formula at all.

The concern comes from gamers who don't understand a fighting game's "unrealistic damage scale" as a mechanic of gameplay. Siegfried leaps into the air with a six-foot long, hundred-pound Zweihander in two hands and swings it down on little Talim with a force that shatters pavement, and with just a small yelp to show for it, little Talim rolls off the floor and stands up, shrugging it off like it was nothing. Zasalamel grabs dainty little Xianghua by the hair and kicks her onto the pointy end of his scythe, impaling her quite deeply before swinging his scythe and sending her sprawling, only so she can stand up again like nothing really happened. "That totally should have killed her!" the 'hardcore gamer' screams. From a completely objective viewpoint, he may be right. The only thing the game does to try and meet his point of view is take a chunk off the green bar on top of the screen that we're supposed to believe is representative of the characters health and stamina, and while it might even be a large green chunk, it still doesn't appeal to standards of 'realism' if that strike didn't outright kill the opponent.

But wait... isn't that just a part of the game? Fighting games have used this formula for generations now, and for many, the formula still works. 'Life Bars' in fighting games are like dice in Dungeons & Dragons; they're essential to the mechanic of the game, and it's part of the overall competitive aspect of the game (and before you say so, yes I've played Squaresoft's Bushido Blade, both 1 and 2, and I thought it was excellent; such a shame they never decided to continue making games like that). Rules and mechanics are what makes a game a game; even if they don't appeal to a standard of "realism". There is depth to rules, tactics to explore within the game's boundaries and therefore gameplay matures from simply mashing buttons and 'hoping' to win, to actual competitive play.

It seems then that newer releases that appeal to the 'mass audience' want to focus more on realism than on actual gameplay. Somehow the idea settled in that "if it's not realistic, it's not good; and therefore, not fun", but I motion to object. Why in the world would I want realism in a game? Not to sound pessimistic, but reality is boring. Why wouldn't I want to be immersed in interesting fantasy worlds (that AREN'T covered in dusty, rusted gray debris)? Why wouldn't I want to defy conventional science to achieve fantastic feats? What reason would I have to enter a virtual realm, just to be a regular, squishy human with nothing to going for him except a gun and a crosshair?

I have a few theories that come from wildly different angles. The first theory comes from a developers' point of view, the other comes from the gamers' point of view.

To the developer with the big wallet, nothing feels greater than shelling out your greens to produce a game that looks nothing less than fantastic. The PS2 era has shown us that it is graphically easier to create a game with stronger fantasy elements, but less realistic textures and shading. With more powerful machines, developers are letting their artists go wild with their stronger render software. And by principle, graphics that are closer to reality are harder to emulate, and thus demand stronger technology. Thus, the stronger the technology, the more 'realistic' games appear to be. That's why most 3D animated film companies choose to make 'talking animal' films, because they let them show off their fur rendering power. I theorize that most developers choose to make games in first person just to allow a player to view any angle of their expensive graphics and see detail that a third person perspective would have otherwise missed. From a production standpoint, one might understand that you wouldn't want to compromise the money you put out to have super-realistic graphics with gameplay elements that compromise the realistic quality of it.

Complimentary to that theory is the result of such big-budget spending on realistic graphics; real-time, fast-paced gameplay that puts you on the spot, all the time. Freedom of movement, freedom of camera angle, and the freedom to fire off your gun to whoever you damn well choose to. Gamers want to be entertained for every minute and every second they hold a controller in their hand. Between actual player commentary and common online gamer opinions, I feel that players have been spoiled with the pace of newer action titles. I've seen and heard players from here and there actually complain about basic dialogue sequences in RPGs; you know, those parts of the game where the game stops you from playing so you can read and hear some characters babble some nonsense you're supposed to care about when all you really want to do is continue running around killing things. These gamers grow impatient when they aren't running around freely in first person with a gun in their hands, and while I don't speak out to the entirety of the gamer population, I feel these kinds of gamers are disillusioned from any other kind of gameplay.

The result? A gamer so distanced from fantasy concepts that anything less than virtual realism is too unbelievable to ever be taken seriously.

Fantasy is dead; the space marine shot it.

--CONTEMPLATIONS--
Here's where I put contemplations I've had. Kinda like a "Penny for your Thoughts" section for my journal.

I think I'll go ahead and submit this rant to The Escapist [link]

--PROGRESS--
STEAM JUNKET: My animation totally bombed. On the other hand, I just got a good bit of inspiration to work off of. Maybe this isn't as hopeless as I keep thinking it is.
MISC.: This, too. I gotta keep working on those character portfolios. I think having that much will definitely make my desk at the portfolio show stand out that much more.

--ZATO'S GAMING CORNER--

~kura-x picked up Battle Fantasia not too long ago. It's a fun, simple, silly little game that likely flew under the radar of much more popular fighting game franchises. It's by Arc Systems, but it's a rather moderately-paced game that plays sort of like a cross between Mark of the Wolves and Darkstalkers with just a dash of Soul Calibur. The art style is easy to fall in love with: fun, interesting characters and a rough, sketchy style reminiscent of fairy tale books, simple fantasy music and an interface that emulates elements of a fantasy RPG that tie the game together in a neat, colorful little package.

I also got him Tales of Vesperia for his birthday. The game doesn't play much different from Tales of the Abyss, which is great because I liked Abyss. Story is MUCH easier to understand than Abyss (the latter of which seemed to overwhelm you with a lexicon of nonsensical fantasy-terms), Yuri is actually a likeable main character (not a dork like Lloyd and not a whiny bitch like Luke... just sort of a laid-back, chill guy), graphics are crisp and well-done, and all the new little gameplay tweaks they added make the game experience familiar and new at the same time. We're not that far into the game, but we're liking it.

Other than that, if you haven't read through my rant, I'm basically unimpressed with the latest batch of games that's being hyped up for 2008. I hope 2009 does better, I'm actually looking forward to Street Fighter IV, and if I don't pick that up immediately, it's probably because I picked up Persona 4 in December. Not to mention I can dust off my Wii once Castlevania Judgement and Muramasa: The Demon Blade come out.
_____________________

--A PEEK INTO MY BRAIN--

Bluh, last quarter was so boring. I have no idea why, maybe it had to do with Compositing class... I guess I really had no idea what I was getting into, but I bet I'dve been more engaged if I had a better teacher. Sheesh.

Anyway, break is just a week long (so it's almost over by now), and at least it's long enough to let me unwind, and short enough not to sedate my art-brain. I gotta pick up the pace, I can't have another quarter like last quarter.

Hopefully next quarter will give me a fresh start. I hand-picked my teachers carefully, so I should be attentive and awake this time.

--CONTEMPLATIONS--
Here's where I put contemplations I've had. Kinda like a "Penny for your Thoughts" section for my journal.

Well, nothing random this time. A friend recommended Soul Eater to me, and so far I think it's awesome. Very stylish and cool.

--PROGRESS--
STEAM JUNKET: My animation totally bombed. On the other hand, I just got a good bit of inspiration to work off of. Maybe this isn't as hopeless as I keep thinking it is.
MISC.: This, too. I gotta keep working on those character portfolios. I think having that much will definitely make my desk at the portfolio show stand out that much more.

--ZATO'S GAMING CORNER--

Soul Calibur IV: :kura-x: and I got this game on the day of release, but I didn't bother writing a journal on it. Probably because we were too damn busy playing it so damn much. The first two days were spent unlocking stuff, then the next week was spent making character edits, then the next week was spent making a new account so we could get 50 more slots =O. Then, as you may have seen, we dared to enter the wild world of Xbox LIVE, as noted by my documentaries. This game has just provided no end of fun, even if I only have one household opponent, there's always something new and awesome that happens in "that ONE match where you ______". Easily one of the best fighting games ever IMO, due to ease-of-use and character flexibility.

SPORE: I bootlegged it, so I can't go online with it, but it's still been incredibly fun. I'm honestly shocked at just how much stuff I can DO in this game. I made a little rock-crab dude and called them Krubbs and made them an industrious, diplomatic people. I was amused with the prospect of a little crab person who built machines and greeded for money.

Oh, and for reasons both financial and recreational, I'm putting all MMOs I currently play on hold. I don't have the money to pay for them, and they just don't seem to hold my interest much anymore. I'm not even sure I'm going to be there for the release of WotLK, since there's nothing for me to look forward to except 3 more months of Rogue nerfs =\.

I decided to start a D&D 4e game at Roleplayer's Guild. It's a high-seas swashbuckling adventure called Dead Crowns, inspired in many ways by Sid Meier's Pirates! and Pirates of the Caribbean (yeah, I sat down and watched JUST the first one. It wasn't bad). So far it's doing far better than any other game I've ran. I'm still helping ~kura-x co-run Archer's Story, and we're trying to bring it to a close. Aside from our two games, Saturdays just don't quite seem as exciting as they used to be. Hmm.

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--A PEEK INTO MY BRAIN--

I knew it. 4-week break just killed most of my motivation. I picked a hard course this quarter (Advanced 2D Animation) because I THOUGHT I'd be ready for it after last quarter, but having a too-long break means I have a LOOOT of slack-lag to beat out before I can start DOING stuff again. Oi.

I'm not sure why, but I'm feeling abysmally bored. MMO's don't seem to do the trick any more, and there's no new games in the house. First week of school took me by surprise, and now I'm just looking for reasons to shove all my work aside until the last possible moment =\.

Hope the rest of the quarter isn't this dull. I wish Soul Calibur IV would just come out already =O.

--CONTEMPLATIONS--
Here's where I put contemplations I've had. Kinda like a "Penny for your Thoughts" section for my journal.

So bored, I don't even have any absolutely random thoughts to share!

--PROGRESS--
STEAM JUNKET: I'm gonna do an animated scene that I've written out for 2D animation, relating to Steam Junket. It's even going to be voiced! The actual comic is still on indefinite hiatus...which is business-lingo for 'going nowhere' =\.
MISC.: I've got several ideas in mind for character design portfolios I wanna compile for mock-up games I have ideas for. I sort of get the feeling that this is why my friends keep telling me to switch to Game Art instead of Animation as a major =\.

--ZATO'S GAMING CORNER--

P3FES: Beaten, and I'm not entirely motivated to play The Answer since ~kura-x has a game there, and there's no personalizing of the main character there like in The Journey, so it feels kinda linear.

I decided for whatever reason to attempt playing Touhou Koumakyou: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil [link] again. With enough tries, I FINALLY managed to defeat Remilia , marking the first actual danmaku game I've beaten (IamP and SWR don't count ). But I can't unlock the Extra stage until I can beat the game WITHOUT continues, which I end up using all of =\. More work to be done, for sure.

Over the break I, out of sheer and utter boredom and curiosity, got into Guild Wars. I actually have to say, it's a rather solid game. Simple, fast-paced and FUN, not to mention that graphics are quite pretty. Sometimes I wonder why WoW has to look so......crappy =\.

Speaking of which, I'm still playing WoW. Most of my guild has gone into hiatus over the summer, so raids have been at an all-time low. Still, there's always badge runs...and the occasional arena if I can ever get a hold of my friends. Sometimes it just feels like there's nothing else to do in the game at all =\. And as an official retirement from WoW, ~kura-x gave me his warlock, so I at least have an alt.

And the break WAS long and uneventful enough that I got invited to play Lineage II with ~kura-x. If anyone plays on the SoR private server, I have my contact information below.

For whatever reason it seems the Roleplayer's Guild is having a slowdown of activity. ~kura-x and I are still co-running his whimsical fantasy game, Archer's Story, and that's been going well, but other games don't seem as engaging as what we used to play. I'm thinking of starting a game on our off-days to get people excited again.

HOW TO BUG ME WHILE I'M GAMING

WORLD OF WARCRAFT
Ravenholdt Server
Lesai - Lvl 70 Blood Elf Rogue <Ancient Dragons>
Nightinghale - Lvl 66 Blood Elf Warlock <Ancient Dragons>
Millian - Lvl 24 Blood Elf Paladin <Ancient Dragons>
Donohue - Lvl 15 Undead Priest <Ancient Dragons>
Khadgar Server
Minli - Lvl 20 Draenei Shaman <currently guildless>

GUILD WARS
Xhu Fang - Mo/E 14, Prophecies
Ayla Shamaru - Rt/A 14, Factions

LINEAGE 2, SoR
Baku, lvl 36 Dwarf Artisan
Fortrite, lvl 20 Elf Wizard
Fleye, lvl 26 Dark Elf Palus Knight

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--A PEEK INTO MY BRAIN--

Another quarter comes to a close, with a WHOPPING 4-WEEK BREAK!?

I was not prepared for this, to be honest. I was looking to sleep in a whole week, then spring right back up to get to work, but now I've got a LOOOT of time before I get to do that. Maybe I'm just overreacting, or maybe I'm actually becoming diligent! Yes? No...? No.

So what does this mean for me? Probably that I'll be glued to my desk, gaming or likely even drawing! I'd sure like to paint again...

Good news! I spent the entire day yesterday fixing my buggy computer. It used to be that my CPU would outright freeze up on hot days, but yesterday it was freezing on a COLD day, and that drew the line. I cracked open that sucker, pulled out the fan and gave it a good vacuum, and now she's running like she's out to win the Olympics. *pat pat* Good computer, I never doubted you for a second, except when you bailed on me during CRUCIAL moments (froze Zbrush during finals week!)

--CONTEMPLATIONS--
Here's where I put contemplations I've had. Kinda like a "Penny for your Thoughts" section for my journal.

I made a reckless decision and posted in ~jinguj's journal, so I now assault you with this!

COMMENT AND I WILL:
a) tell you how I know you and a thing or two about whatever you have in your gallery (I changed this..)
b) associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.,
c) tell you something I like about you,
d) tell you a memory I have of you,
e) ask something I've always wanted to know about you,
f) tell you my favorite pic of yours,
g) in return, you must post this in your journal.

--PROGRESS--
STEAM JUNKET: I was challenged this quarter by my Physiology teacher to draw five pages of this comic (don't ask about why my physiology teacher had to ask, it's a long story =O). Is anyone surprised that I didn't manage to make it? =O I DO have the mind to make a screenplay though, because the dialogue is absolutely killing me. I've been really thinking about how the dialogue could inspire my scenes, so I want to do that first. BUT EXCUSES ARE EXCUSES, RIGHT?
JUNKLODE MMO: Hm, I really do wanna complete this, if only to have material for a portfolio piece later. Too bad I don't have any classes where I can flesh this out, but that's no excuse either =O.

--ZATO'S GAMING CORNER--

So I've been hooked onto Persona 3 FES for nearly the entire second-half of the quarter. What's more to say? It's an excellent, excellent game that I've been looking forward to for a long time. SMT has a humorous way of punishing its players for getting stupid or reckless, and it's kind of embarassing after having played through the punishing experience that was Nocturne, to have had my ass handed to me the SAME WAY in P3. But yeah, P3 was just what I needed to dust off my PS2 again.

And if there wasn't that already, ~kura-x got his hands on Arcana Heart [link] The character roster alone was enough to convince him that we needed to own this game, and hey I'm not complaining. My current favorite combinations are Mei Fang/Moriomoto, Kamui/Tempestas and Lieselotte/Anutpada.

I decided to put off WoW for the entirety of the quarter, since my classes intersected with important raid dates, and since I couldn't make them, I was really just wasting my $15 a month (besides which, I didn't have any time to play because of classes anyway). I'm thinking over the break that I should get back into it, but only once I have more money =O.

If I do happen to get back online, you won't be reading about it here! So here's my character info for anyone who wants to go chasing me:

Ravenholdt Server
Lesai - Lvl 70 Blood Elf Rogue <Ancient Dragons>
Millian - Lvl 24 Blood Elf Paladin <Ancient Dragons>
Khadgar Server
Minli - Lvl 20 Draenei Shaman <currently guildless>

On the complete opposite hand, I got back into PSU during the quarter, since it's a much more time-forgiving game. During that time they held the Maximum Attack G event, which I'd been looking forward to for a long time. EXP boosts, fat money drops, and old PSO zones; what more could you ask for?

For anyone with a good eye, and some luck, here's my PSU character info for those of you who want to track me down:

Meylen Arkheld - Lvl 80 CAST Protranser *has a shop!*
Kida Maraviss - Lvl 56 Human Figunner
Joni Vandarc - Lvl 40 CAST Fortegunner
Chiaki Tatsuragi - Lvl 30 Newman Fortetecher

And if that wasn't all, ~kura-x and I got our hands on Touhou Hisouten: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, the sort-of sequel to Immaterial and Missing Power, the Touhou fighting game. We haven't figured out how to get netplay working, but in the meantime we've just been messing around with the game and trying to unlock more cards. The new system is definitely an improvement over the last game.

_____________________

--A PEEK INTO MY BRAIN--

It was inevitable. It's just too phenomenal a game to not come back and write a journal about, especially since everyone else seems to be doing it. While I can't say I'm "hardcore" about Smash, I am a big fan of it, and man does this game deliver on the goods.

The short version: Zero Suit Samus just might be my new main.

The long version: I used to have something of a slim roster, but I've been playing around and trying new things, and there's a few I certainly plan on playing consistently:

-Zero Suit Samus: You all probably think I just picked up ZSS because she looks hot in that skin-hugging suit of hers. Well she freaking is, c'mon! Testicular-thinking aside, ZSS has an interesting mid-range game that I wanna learn, as well as probably second or third top running speed in the game! It's peculiar though, because her moves comprise mostly of either slow, heavy-damage long-range moves, or quick low-range attacks. There's something of a curve when it comes to ZSS not having a dual-side-hitting Down A smash attack, and having to rely on her quick tilt attacks when up close instead of her easily punishable whip attacks. I do wish she had a much better Final Smash, though I'm not too noobtacular with Power Suit Samus either, so I guess the first Smash Ball is just a sign that Zero Laser is coming up next.

-Link: Link's been my main since Smash Bros for the 64. According to most of my opposition, no one has seen a Link played the way I usually play; by throwing everything and anything he's got at the enemies until they get fed up and run right into my Spin Slash. I've taken to calling this tactic "Kitchen Sink Link", and hell, I still do it. He's something of an all-around character; I can play him one-on-one, and I can play him in four-man brawls. Nothing much more to say, he's always been reliable. The new stages definitely give me some new tactical options to play around with using Link.

-Peach: Funny story about how I picked up Peach, actually. I once picked Peach in Melee as a joke and of sheer curiosity, just to see what she was like. Little did I know that I could also achieve Kitchen Sink Peach! I suppose it'd be more like Turnip Farmer Peach, but you understand what a barrage of turnips coming your way looks like, right? Aside from that, she floats. She floats for a REALLY long time, and sometimes that's enough to survive the skirmish and come back when I'm ready. I love the changes they made to Peach for Brawl, particularly her new tilt-up A and the increased range on her side-B special. Not to mention her Final Smash has made for numerous comical moments in 4-player matches. I wasn't at all surprised to see Peach come up under 'Second Most Used' when we checked the records.

-Snake: I honestly didn't know if I was going to enjoy Snake being in this game. Now that I"ve played him, I had no idea how much fun he was! As if bomb spamming with Link wasn't enough, now I get to play with landmines and C4 to mess with the opposition! He didn't strike me as a very combat-friendly character at first, but that's when I started laying traps and realizing that Snake, as he should be, is a very tactical character. He requires impeccable timing to be effective though, and like ZSS, I have to learn how to use his tilt attacks and NOT his Smash attacks when up close.

-Other characters: I used some other characters in Melee every now and then that I still use in Brawl; namely, Marth and Ice Climbers. I only really picked up Marth because he had a counterattack that I was particularly keen to catching people with, but he pretty much gave me the option of quick swordplay whenever Link was just too slow. Ice Climbers I also picked up out of curiosity, but there being TWO of them per smash attack makes them hit like TWO trucks (though I suppose King Dedede just replaced them for King of Hammers). I've also been trying out Meta Knight, but I really can't make him useful; he's got a lot of quick-slashing moves that rack up damage like crazy, but very few moves that actually launch the opponent off stage. Not to mention his Final Smash is really hard to connect =\.

The rest of the game has been an utter blast. Subspace Emissary was unfathomably epic, ~kura-x and I have been making comically awesome runs in Co-op Target Break, and I've been having a ball with the Stage Creator. If anyone's up for Brawling, let's trade Friend Codes via Notes and we can set something up. Maybe I can even send you some of my specialty stages

--CONTEMPLATIONS--
Here's where I put contemplations I've had. Kinda like a "Penny for your Thoughts" section for my journal.

So I still haven't cut my hair, and it's long enough to tie into a small ponytail. It wasn't really my idea, but it's already become something of a routine thing for me now. I don't mind it, but I don't exactly have plans on growing it out. *shrug* Let's just see where more neglect will take me.

--PROGRESS--
STEAM JUNKET: Uneventful quarter is uneventful =O Dunno what's gotten into me, I've just popped open a fresh sketchbook and already I've scrapped 4 pages in it. I've been trying to nail this style I have in my head, but it never comes out right on paper. It's kind of annoying, really.
JUNKLODE MMO: Nothing new here either. I already have some ideas for the next few classes I wanna crank out, but coming up with unique designs has been bothersome.

--ZATO'S GAMING CORNER--

C'mon, do you really need to read more about me and my gaming? I just described most of it in the first segment! ...though I suppose I've been doing a bit more than just Smash...

There truly hasn't been much else this quarter, and I really wish there was. I've still been playing WoW, and I got my Blood Elf Rogue to lvl 70. That makes the first level 70 character I've ever had, and so far the lvl 70 lifestyle has been pretty lax. The guild I'm in has a casual raiding schedule that I can put up with, and currently we're still farming Karazhan and Gruul's Lair, trying to push for Void Reaver, Zul'Aman, and maybe Magtheridon. I still don't quite feel like an epic-level character, but probably only for my lame lvl 69 chestpiece (Chestguard of the Dark Stalker) and leggings (Fel Leather Leggings); I mean, I've got T4 helm and gloves to my name, and I even have a Blinkstrike enchanted with Mongoose, but I still look rather mediocre when I SHOULD be looking awesome =O. I've also been wanting to do Arena, but I keep getting squished because I have no resilience gear, and the ONLY way to get resilience gear is to do battlegrounds, which I don't particularly enjoy. Ah well, here' s hoping for next patch.

For anyone who wants to know, here's my WoW contact info for characters I'm active on:

Ravenholdt Server
Lesai - Lvl 70 Blood Elf Rogue <Ancient Dragons>
Millian - Lvl 24 Blood Elf Paladin <Ancient Dragons>
Khadgar Server
Minli - Lvl 20 Draenei Shaman <currently guildless>

I've also been playing PSU. Ever since the Guardians Boost Road event, S-rank weapons have just been flowing into the market, and with a successful 10 mil Meseta sale of a CAS-oyal outfit, I managed to afford a whole line of S-rank weapons for my Protranser! I've got a few more that I bought for my alts, but they're not strong enough to use them.

For anyone with a good eye, and some luck, here's my PSU character info for those of you who want to track me down:

Meylen Arkheld - Lvl 69 CAST Protranser
Kida Maraviss - Lvl 39 Human Figunner
Joni Vandarc - Lvl 12 CAST Ranger
Chiaki Tatsuragi - Lvl 15 Newman Force


It should also be noted for anyone STILL reading this far that ~kura-x got me into Touhou ([link] ). Currently playing Immaterial and Missing Power, and Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (stuck on stage 4 =\). Current favorites: Hong Meiling, Sakuya Izayoi, Youmu Konpaku.
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