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T-Hybrid

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Blog Entries posted by T-Hybrid

  1. T-Hybrid

    It's Been a While

    By T-Hybrid,

    It's funny to look back on this blog after being away from it for over a year. I read some of the things I was talking about, and it's funny to think where it's ended up. It's funny to think, but since my last blog entry:
     
    1) I've bought my first home.
    2) I've recieved my first promotion.
     
    But neither of those would've been possible without the third thing: I met the love of my life, who motivated me to push myself harder than ever to get to where I am now. I've completed my first two half-marathons, gotten into better shape, and found a regular place for myself in a company softball team.
     
    Most importantly: I'm getting married in Novemeber. The woman I met just a few days after my Jan 23rd blog post ended up being just the person I needed in my life. So I apologize for disappearing off the face of the Earth, and I hope that those of you who have been doing your best to stay in touch don't feel like I've left you behind. This forum was a big part of my life for a long time, and I'll always hold a spot for it in my heart.
  2. T-Hybrid

    7 Strong, But Growing

    By T-Hybrid,

    The Blue-Vice is relunctantly proud to introduce its newest member:


    Name: Kouki
    Digimon: BioThunderbirmon
    Evolution-Style: Hyper Bio-Evolution (Self)
    First Appearance: Digimon Savers: Episode 27

    Backstory: Little is known about Kouki, the apparent leader of Kurata's gang of Bio-Digimon. With his two allies Nanami and Ivan, Kouki fights against Masaru and his team of Savers. His custom iC allows him to take on his Digimon form, though at this time it's unknown which is Kouki's true self.
  3. T-Hybrid

    Do You Tweet? (updated!)

    By T-Hybrid,

    So over Thanksgiving I upgraded to one of them smartphones that I kept hearing about. It's got Android on it, so I've got all of the social media apps with me on the go. Including Twitter. I guess before I go much further, is posting your Twitter handle against the BPZ rules? If it isn't, then I'll update accordingly if you're interested in following me.
     
    So how about you guys? You tweet?
     
    Update! For those of you interested, I can be found at "trtx84". I have my profile set to manually approve, so be sure to post here if you try to follow me so I know you aren't a spam bot. Been seeing a lot of those lately!
  4. T-Hybrid
    Okay, since the annoucement regarding the identities of the '08 sets, there's been a lot of confusion about what to call them. Well, in an attempt to battle this confusion...I've drawn a diagram.
     

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... « If you see anybody starting to get confused as to who is what and which set is which, please feel free to direct them to this image. It's for the betterment of all BZP.
  5. T-Hybrid
    Hadn't really been following LEGO much outside of Bionicle...but was at the store today and saw the LEGO Ben 10 figures. $14-16 for 16 piece sets? For real? I can buy a decent sized Transformer for that kind of money. Not to mention the ACTUAL Ben 10 figures (if I actually collected those).
     
    I know there was a lot of hand-wringing when Bionicle was first released. People were concerned that LEGO was losing sight of the original idea of building what you play with. Thankfully Bionicle proved that with a plethora of very talented MOCers. But now this Ben 10 stuff...what the heck!? How can you take 16 pieces and make them into anything remotely different from the original concept?
     
    I can't see this line lasting long, even with the Ben 10 license attached.
  6. T-Hybrid

    Lose Some, Win Some

    By T-Hybrid,

    So the Bowl didn't go quite as well as I'd hope, but on the plus side the Dark of the Moon trailer was pretty awesome. On that note, Hasbro followed up today with a flurry of pics of the new action figures. So of course...NERD TIME!
     



    Take it in. The Ultimate Optimus Prime figure. It's the first time Optimus has had a trailer since his Powermaster days. The downside of this figure is that it's also about $80. Though given trends of the larger scale action figures my guess is it'll be half that by the time the film hits DVD. Which won't be too long a wait I hope. The problem though, is while the vehicle mode looks incredible, the robot Moderator leaves a LOT to be desired...
     



    I love the look of the standard Prime mode, but the combined mode on the left seems less solid than I'd like in a figure that's supposed to be as "mighty" as this mode would imply. Now, I won't be one of "those" people and will wait until more reviews and closer pics come out. But right now I'm a little sketchy on the ultimate mode.
     
    I will give Hasbro a ton of credit though. This invokes memories of both the G1 Optimus and the Powermaster figure, as I hear that the trailer will have its own "base mode" similiar to the original Prime figure. Depending on the overall size of the figure and the playability in the combined mode this could be one of the cooler figures in the movie line for a while. And that's including the predecessor to this (Jetfire + Optimus from Revenge of the Fallen), which was a callback to the Unicron's Trilogy habit of having Prime combine with random jets.
     
    On that note, this makes me wish they'd give us a few more Bayverse combiners. They teased us with Devastator for the previous movie, but nothing ever came of that unfortunately.
  7. T-Hybrid
    NFC and AFC Championship games today. I was rooting for the Seahawks, because it would've been awesome to see a 7-9 team win the Super Bowl. But after they got walloped by the Bears, and the Packers embarassed Atlanta, I'm pushing for the Bears and the Jets.
     
    As a Vikings fan, you'd think my reasons for rooting against the Packer would be obvious. They aren't. I hate Joe Buck. He's a terrible announcer. So I'm really not looking forward to what would happend if he was allowed to gush for four hours on Aaron Rodgers. And since my AFC support is behind the Jets (because Rex Ryan is talking trash and actually backing it up), I definately do not want the Super Bowl to turn into the Battle of the Brett.
     
    So join me in enjoying what should be some really good football games, and in a few weeks. GO BEARS/JETS!
  8. T-Hybrid

    The Result Of My Madness

    By T-Hybrid,

    So as I mentioned the other day, I have been buying and watching a LOT of movies in the past few weeks. Especially now that I have a week of vacation time to work with. As a result, I've gone mad...seeing connections in several films based solely on the presence of various actors and actresses. But given enough free time and enough insanity, I am now able to present what I have (tentaively) named "The Expanded Inception Universe":

    I have reasons, but I don't think they'd make any sense right now. Give me some time to collection my thoughts. In the meantime, I'll leave it to you the reader to try and figure out these connections.
     
    Enjoy.
  9. T-Hybrid

    Pluto: A Memorial

    By T-Hybrid,

    Space nuts, science enthusiasts, and just overall geeks were rocked today by the latest news from the science community. In case you haven't heard it yet, Pluto is no longer a planet.
     
    Now now, take your time. It's harsh news for all us geezers who grew up remembering the classic mnemonic device: "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas"... but changes happen everyday. We'll just have to gather our strength and move on. Pluto would've wanted it that way.
     
    For me, this marks the end to so many fond memories. For one, Pluto single-handedly won me the sixth grade science quiz competition. Well, I should say it indirectly won it for me. After taking a 50 question science quiz (I told you, I'm a nerd...it's what we do for fun), the teacher added on two tie-breakers. The first I don't recall, but the second I do.
     
    "Which planet is currently furthest from the sun?"
     
    Catch that? The key word in the question, "currently", got me thinking. Well, I've always known Pluto was last...but wasn't there something about the planets occasionally not being in that order? Then it hit me, on an episode of Beakman's World a few days prior, they had talked about how Neptune's orbit sometimes carries it past Pluto. Which means that the question was most likely a trick.
     
    Well, apparently I was the only one who picked up on it, because I learned that it had come down to that very tiebreaking question. Everybody else has said Pluto (when you don't know, or aren't thinking, you sometimes go with the gut reaction). I don't remember what I won. But I won it. All thanks to Pluto.
     
    But that's just my experience. What of everybody else? Surely now some new mnemonic will be needed to remember the planetary order? Eager mothers the world over can't just serve us 'nine.'
     
    So, I propose the folowing:
    "My Vicious Elephant Melvin Jousted Seventy Unique Ninjas"
     
    Sure, it doesn't quite roll off the tounge...but it's very bizarre. And to a kid, who knows. I know I'll probably never forget it. And besides, I was never a fan of notion that mothers would over indulge their kids by giving them nine of anything. That's just poor parenting. This way, kids will remember the planetary order, and hear a story about an exciting battle between good and evil (Though I'm not sure at this point which is which).
     
    Furthermore, to aid in the process of overcoming this incredible loss...I, T-Hybrid, have taken it upon myself to gather up some other well known Plutos. Hopefully, us Pluto fans will be able to look to these figures as a potential replacement for our now Dwarf planet.
     

    Sailor Pluto
    Pros: Strong leader, great role model for women, fancy dresser
    Cons: May or may not have died
     
    Pluto the Dog

    Pros: Good natured, obedient, popular with both men and women
    Cons: Unlike fellow canine Goofy...is unable to grasp the concept of pants
     
    Pluto the God

    Pros: Omnipotent, all-knowing, immortal
    Cons: God of the Underworld (not exactly a good thing)
     
    Pluto Nash

    Pros: Features the guy who voiced Donkey
    Cons: About as funny as the original Pluto.

    So, as you're lying in bed tonight, trying to overcome what is certainly going to be the big news for the next few weeks...remember that though we may have lost one Pluto, there are at least four others watching your back.
  10. T-Hybrid

    Christmas Hauls

    By T-Hybrid,

    First off, a friendly reminder that I'm now on Twitter. So stop by and say hey! I tend to update that more often these days since I'm able to post to it on the go. Can't promise it'll always be interesting, but I figure once I get more followers I'll be able to use it more for sharing ideas than the current brain dump it is.
     
    That said..it's the post-Holiday season, a time of exchanges, returns, and assessing the damage to your pocketbook. In the meantime, here's the pile of goodies that I recieved this season.
    Cash Best Buy gift cards Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Dress shirt/argyle sweater combo atomic clock w/ temp sensor veggie chopper new picture frame for 5 5x7 photos The Smurf's DVD (white elephant) Hand flexers (stress grips) Vikings t-shirt centerpiece for coffee table + candle This year's overall theme was "class it up". The clock, frame, and centerpiece were inteded to add some style to my place. They go with the new furniture I brought in over the course of the year really well. I quickly used part of the BB cards on Inception. So that means I now own my two favorite movies of 2010 (Scott Pilgrim and Inception). I also used some of the cash to pick up some games at a B2G1 sale (Guitar HeroL Warriors of Rock, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Dante's Inferno). 
    Looking forward to cracking open the book as well, as I've read the author's other work "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" and loved it. Will probably grab "Earth: The Book" this week as well.
     
    I teamed up with my sister this year to get our parents and grandma a nice set of professional portraits. I've been doing giftcards and such a lot the past few years so this time I figured it was time for something different.
  11. T-Hybrid

    Return To Normalcy

    By T-Hybrid,

    My "replacement" piece (since it really was never there in the first place) arrived in the mail yesterday. So my Lesohvikk set is complete. Don't worry, I'll eventually get that name right.
     
    In the meantime, I took advantage of the BOGO at TRU last week and grabbed spare Toa. One each of Matoro, Hewkii, and Nuparu. Combined with the spare parts I finally remembered to grab from my dad's place, I was able to start building my annual Pa-Tahi Toa. Khultak and Rangi (both Olda and Nuva), Tohru and Mihini (Metru and Hordika), and now Puhi and Mahi (Inika and Mahri). Like the original Toa, they've followed themes...until I got to building the Mahri versions. Khultak, Tohru, and Puhi were traditionally centaur, while Rangi, Mihini, and Mahi were built to be the shortest Toa, and all had some form of wings or hover unit attached to their backs.
     
    I don't know how well I can describe how Puhi and Mahi Mahri turned out. Puhi still has centaurish elements, while Mahi comes off looking rather regal with his (or is he and she after all this time) back-mounted unit now looks like a cape of sorts. Both still carry some elements that can be attributed to the original design patterns, but have also stayed true to the Mahri's uniqueness. I'm still tweaking Mahi so (s)he doesn't look as much like Matoro Mahri as (s)he currently does.
     
    I'll see if I can find a way to get some pictures up soon to share. Puhi is definately doon, and I really like how he turned out.
  12. T-Hybrid
    Had a dental appointment today. While I was sitting there, I had a few random thoughts.
    Most of the time I carry on a random conversation with the hygenist as they clean my teeth, floss, and other assorted things. But usually I just stare straight up at the ceiling. I've always wondered what would happen if instead of picking a spot up on top...I just stare straight back at them. You know, right in the eyes. The whole time. I wonder how long it would take before they snapped?
    While I was thinking this, I happened to also notice that it took maybe 20-30 minutes to do the cleaning, gum check, flossing, etc. The whole time they asked me about my job, vacations, school, the typical banter. Then the actual dentist arrived (the guy with the ph.D). He said hey, asked how things were, tapped my teeth and checked my bite. He didn't say a word to the hygenist. This went for about 5 minutes, at which point he left. And I was done. So of the two, who just did more work? Is there something else dentist's do I'm not aware of? Can they like fly? I just thought it was funny the big money maker in the place stopped by for five minutes and was gone while the assistant stuck around the whole time. Not much, but a few fun observations. It helps me keep my sanity.
  13. T-Hybrid

    Let Me Have My Moment

    By T-Hybrid,

    As some of you may know, I am a huge Minnesota Twins fan. On Tuesday night, the Twins clinched the AL Central title...and with it their 6th playoff appearance in the last 9 years. And it doesn't stop there. Thanks to Tampa Bay spliting a four game series with the Yankees, the Twins will take the field Friday in Detroit with the BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL! If they can hold of the AL East...the Twins would then have home field advantage through the AL Championship series.
     
    So pardon me for a moment while I enjoy this:

  14. T-Hybrid

    Sunday Musings

    By T-Hybrid,

    It seems like forever since I last put an entry in here. Let's see, what I can talk about?
     
    Volleyball team has tanked. We're last in the league going into the playoffs...and unless there's a miracle we'll all have our Tuesday nights open starting next week. Softball on the other hand wrapped up Friday with the Mavericks securing the League Championship with a 10-2-2 record. Despite a hot season, I finished up with an 0-6 in our last two games. That includes a force out at home with the bases loaded and a flyball with the bases loaded. Went from Mr. Clutch to Mr....well...not so much.
     
    Other ramblings? Well, both Inception and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are amazing! I'm sure by now those who want to see Inception have already, but Pilgrim just came out. You owe it to yourself to check that movie out. It deviates from the source material in the second half, but stays true to the spirit of the story and characters in the process. Also, the fight scenes are amazing!
     
    That reminds me. There's a trailer for a film called Devil. It starts off very promising, but at one point they announce "From Universal Pictures", and then add "and M. Night Shamalyan". I kid you not, every person in the theater let out a unified groan. We were all thinking the same thing: "Well that did look promsing up until that point..."
     
    In other news, some of us at work are thinking of starting up a Podcast. Not exactly sure what it would be about at the moment. I have a few ideas but I gotta run it by everybody and see what they think. I know at least one guy who's in regardless so it could turn into just a roundtable of whatever. ....Maybe that's the name?
     
    One last note, I may have to hook up the old PC (the one with Photoshop) so I can update the Haven with a new member of the Blue Vice. Digimon Xros Wars has introduced Kiriha and Mailbirdramon, so I will have to find a way to incorporate him into the layout. Open to suggestions for what I could do for a section. I was thinking Sports or Entertainment, something I can pool my thoughts under when I go see movies or play games. What do you guys think?
  15. T-Hybrid

    Of All The Luck

    By T-Hybrid,

    Walked into a Walmart on a lark, I think to just peruse the game aisles. Decided to buzz by the toy aisle, though usually the Walmart selection was rather disappointing. So imagine my surprise when I saw Lesovhik (sp?) sitting on the shelves next to the Mahri. I had totally forgotten about him!
     
    Having already grabbed Takanuva and Lhikan (the two previous 7th Toa), I figured why not? Well, I got him home and started building. Overall, wasn't too disappointed. Nice colors, interesting vehicle companion. I still think Kikanalo was the best of the three. Ussanui was just a...well...mess. This sled thing, though nameless, is a happy median between fantasy beast and rock like ride (which was probably just a vessel to carry the parts for Takutanui). The mounted launcher is ready to fire but doesn't obstruct the rider's view, and it's sleek enough that you could realistically see him using it to jet around underwater.
     
    Where he falters, however, is his weapon. Though it's pretty sweet looking (and reminds me of a shark fin when mounted on his back), it's really...really...really small comparred to his body size. I would've liked to have seen perhaps a second one so he'd at least have twin weapons. Or at least find a way to mount them so he could have armblades (like Bloodrayne or DekaBikeRobo). But seeing him hold that just really seems...weird...consiering that the other Mahrik have massive claws, wings, and cannons to lug around.
     
    The only other bummer, the one I had was missing one of the grey cylinders for the propellers. LEGO's sending me a new one in the mail, I just thought it was funny. How often do you build a set correctly only to find an excess of parts (once had a spare leg in my Gahlok. So why is it that all these extra little pegs and rods sneak in, but a large more key piece can go missing? LEGO sent a response where they said they actually weigh the sets to ensure accuracy. Ever think that perhaps the parts go missing because those extra joint pegs and 2+ rods add unexpected weight?
     
    But that's not a knock by any means on this Toa. He's a fine addition to the "7th Toa" team.
  16. T-Hybrid

    Cat's Outta The Bag Now

    By T-Hybrid,

    Warning. The following content discusses the '08 sets.

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Okay, I didn't know what we're allowed to say and what we can't without using spoiler warnings, so this whole entry today is one big spoiler tag. Hope it's not too annoying. 
    But anyway, now that the 08 sets have been revealed through "legal" means, we at BZP are free to discuss what we think of them. And personally, I'm on the fence. I find Pohatu's design...confusing. But Kopaka and Lewa's both look pretty nice. I like the idea of flying Toa.
     
    -Leaked information removed.-Shine-
     
    I'll definately get the Toa out of tradition, and eagerly await the release of the remaining Toa. Not to mention wait impatiently for my chance to buy Ignika. Care to start throwing theories around as to who he is? (Yeah, my money's on Matoro too...)
     
    As far as packaging goes, the canister sets are officially dead. In fact boxes now appear to be a thing of the past. Hopefully these new "little sets" won't come at too boosted a price to cover the upgrade. But if that happens, it's a simple matter of speaking with the wallet, not with the ol' Blog.
     
    So now I join the rest of you in waiting for these puppies to become available. And hopefully that won't be too much longer.
  17. T-Hybrid
    I actively sought out spoilers this time around. So I've seen the pics, and I know the names. And I'm quite intriqued. I can't go into many details without posting spoilers, so I won't. But I'm excited for what these sets may mean for the story in 08...even if it goes against something we had been promised for a long time.
     
    Though there are a few pieces missing that are leaving me a bit confused at the moment. Hopefully those'll get filled in once the '08 storyline officially kicks in. But let me just say that LEGO may be in for an unexpected reaction to these new sets. And the new sets may divide people to the same degree as the Inika did when they were first introduced.
  18. T-Hybrid
    I just picked up the 8th Season of the Simpsons on DVD this weekend, and was suddenly reminded that it contained what I believe to be one of the best episodes in the history of the show. I'm speaking of "You Only Move Twice" featuring the greatest one-off character ever, Hank Scorpio.
     

    As I watched the episode, I was almost able to quote along with it verbatim. It was amazing, it's been nearly 10 years since the episode aired, and here I am able to remember so much about it. Right down to the little details (the woman snapping the general's neck, Scoprio pulling sugar out of his pockets). There's even the not so memorable yet still funny quotes: "In fact, I didn't even give you my coat!"
     
    It was an episode I hadn't seen in a long time, and while watching it I was reminded of how the Simpsons used to be. Though Scorpio's Bond-esque villiany is hilarious, it serves only as the B-story to an otherwise humorous plot on it's own. The way that Homer is copmletely oblivious to what's going on is almost a testament to how bizarre the world the Simpsons live in can be. And of course, the joke builds until what is literally an explosive finale.
     
    There are other classics that I have watched as I've collected the DVD releases, but for some reason...."You Only Move Twice" is the gem in this massive collection.
     
    Some of my other favorites:
    "Homer's Enemy" (the Frank Grimes one)
    "Two Bad Neighbors" (the George Bush one)
     
    Besides that, Season 8 has other classics such as "Hurricane Neddy" which features a memorable Flanders breakdown. ("And if you really bug me, I'll run you over with my car.") But at this point, I'm rambling. So now with this written, it's back to the DVDs. There's more treasures to be found.
  20. T-Hybrid
    So Pepsi is pairing with Harmonix to create one of the best promotions EVER. You buy a bottle of Pepsi, and get a code that can be redeemed for a chance at free stuff.
     
    I've currently cashed in over 20 caps for free music. And I have another 18 bottles in the cupboard waiting to be chilled off. Thankfully it's not costing me any more than my regular pop consumption, and I'm trying to mix up Diet and regular to swap my mix of aspartame and sugar.
     
    I have more songs than I know what to do with really.
  21. T-Hybrid
    When I get bored, the gears in my head start turning. It was those gears that lead to the Dark Toa of the Apocalypse in 2001, which would evolve into my Te Mutunga fan-fiction. Those gears turned again during seventh grade study hall, and thus Randomness Is Funny was born.
     
    So while in a thread discussing new Bionicle combiners we'd like to see, I mentioned that it'd be cool to see a combination of the two current Toa teams in the storyline, the Nuva and the Inika. We have the means to do so in Vezon's Staff of Fusion (I do not know what it's official name would be), all that's missing is a motive and a name.
     
    I've started a thread in S&T for discussing this theory. However the original intent of that thread was to discuss the overall theory of when, how, and if the Inika would come to gain their new forms. In the name of keeping the thread focused on the overall topic (at least for the time being) I've moved my personal theories and ramblings about the concept into my blog. Where it can be viewed at leisure without interferring too much with the original topic.
     
    But to get back on topic, it's hard for me to stop my gears turning once they get going in a groove I like. And something about the Inika/Nuva hybrid struck me as potentially awesome. After consdering two names, I settled on the one I liked most.
     
    "Toa Inuva." It's simple, it's origins are clear, and it's the only time you'll see me try to make names for this whole thing by simply combining the two words. For the most part, I'd imagine the combination being given some name by an enemy or outside entity that simply gives them that name out of sheer confusion for what else to call them.
     
    Why would they perform the fusion? It could be that following the defeat of Vezon and the aquisition of the Ignika, a new entity emerges that the Inika alone cannot handle. With the Piraka out of the picture, the Toa Nuva are found/freed and team up with the Inika if only for a short time. They find that their powers alone aren't enough to stand against this new foe. Nuparu, being the clever one, decides the only option is to take the risk and use Vezon's staff.
     
    The resutling fusion produces 6 powerful new Toa, each carrying a double charge of their Elemental Energy. They're able to either stop or chase off this new foe, but find that their decision has brought with it unforseen side-effects.
     
    For starters, the Fusion Staff could be destroyed in the ensuing battle...leaving no means for the Inuva (as they're first opponent names them) to divide themselves. Now the Toa must seek out some means of dividing before the adverse effects of the fusion take permament hold. Starting to sound a bit like the Hordika? Well, give the idea a chance to develope.
     
    While the Hordika faced conflicting mental states caused by their Rahi sides, the Inuva would potentially be facing the problems of two minds sharing the same bodies. In some Toa, similar traits could lead to a melding of the personas, creating what could be considered a third "new" identity. In others, (most likely Tahu/Jaller or Kopaka/Matoro) the merger could cause a sharp contrast in views, leading to an almost schizophrenic behavior. It's something we've seen hints of in previous characters, and have been given in Vezon himself.
     
    There would also be the overall intrique of what powers the Inuva would have. Nothing like this had ever been done before. What will happen when the Kanohi powers clash? Will they blend, will they be nullified...or will they create some bizarre new ability? It's actually why I'd lend for the transformation to be accidental, as I honestly believe it'd be too dangerous an undertaking for the Toa to follow through on.
     
    So the characters themselves would be wrapped in enough mystery to create an interesting story. Combined with the new threat they would face, the story would be set to have some great suspense both internally as well as externally.
     
    Look to my blog for updates on Toa Inuva ramblings. If it's something that I start really grooving on, I'll most likely begin developing the characteristics and powers behind these new heros. If time goes on, I'll probably start sketching them. I really don't know where I plan to go with this.
  22. T-Hybrid

    Xenosaga: Play It

    By T-Hybrid,

    Well, as you may have caught from my Wednesday entry last week...I've not only been busy with work and classes, but also with a certain game that came out. I'm talking, of course, about Xenosaga III. The final game in what turned into a trilogy on the PS2, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" brings the series to an explosive finale. For now anyway...

    I have to say, it definately sets itself apart from it's predecessors. Apparently knowing that they were going to be ending the series at three instead of six encouraged them to go all out on this game. The battle system is streamlined for quicker battles, the graphics look incredible, and the story is gripping from start to finish. Well, okay...I lied a little. It drags at the beginning, but after the first few hours it kicks into high gear. Everything pretty much gets wrapped up, and all questions are essentailly answered. Not to mention it pulls a few nice surprises out of its hat.

    Why am I writing an entry about this game now? Because I just beat it on Monday. That's right, 50 hours in under a week (truth be told it was like 4 days because of work on Thursday). It was that fun. My only regret is that there wasn't more sidequesty stuff to do after beating the game. Xenosaga's I & II had that in spades (in fact I havent' finshed some of it).

    But the important thing I want to get across in this post...support this game. Go out and play the three of them. The first two are now both greatest hits, and can be found used for under $15 in most EBs and GameStops. The final chapter just came out, but spending a total of like $60 on a trilogy isn't so bad when you get a good 200 hours combined out of it.

    The soundtracks in the first and third are great, don't really know what happened in the second. And each game has a unique battle system that allows for a different way of playing for each chapter. I'll let you form your own opinions, but I will say that the middle game is pretty much agreed on as the least favorite (though that's usually the case with most trilogies).

    In writing this, and encouraging gamers to go out and give the series a try, I hope to perhaps send a message that we need more of this story. Everything gets wrapped up in the third installment, but there had been plans to kick start a new arc for the final three games (I guess an apt comparison would be to the Star Wars saga).

    So if you enjoy RPGs, go out and try this series out. Though if you're an RPG fan you've probably played at least the first. I have to say the third is great, so if you feel like the second is dragging, you've got something to look forward to.
  23. T-Hybrid

    Too Many Movies!

    By T-Hybrid,

    I realized today, as I dropped some money on the counter at Target, that for the past week or so I haven't been able to walk into a store without walking out with a new movie. Some of its the deals, some of it is a desire to flesh out what has been a somewhat very limited library. As such, I've added the following movies to my collection since my birthday in November:
    American Gangster Blazing Saddles The Departed The Hangover Inception The Invention of Lying The Losers Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Superbad Taken Zombieland I have no idea when I'm going to have time to watch all of these (I've seen all of them exception the first), and with how many movies I've seen in the past month aside from these, I'm slowly going stir crazy. The end result will be something rather amusing...which I hope to have up by the end of the week.
  24. T-Hybrid

    The Name Game

    By T-Hybrid,

    Okay, it's not the most original title...but I'm really excited about the brainstorm that struck some time last night (around the time of an actual storm, go figure). After going back into a few catalogs and reading a few character bios, I think I've struck on a decent origins story and naming system for the new heros.
     
    The origins I'll save for now, because I'm still in the debating stages of a potential fic. The Alliance is almost wrapped up, and though I'll possibly be too busy working/studying to actually be able to write anything...I'd have the school year to actual try mapping the Inuva fic out. My last two Epics were sorta half planned/half written by the seat of my pants, and in The Alliance it really showed.
     
    But that's not what today's entry is about. No no...today I've got the goods. I've got powers. After reading through the S&T thread and seeing what everybody liked and didn't like, I've managed to assemble a list of names and powers for the Toa Inuva.
     
    At this time, I have very little to go on personality wise...I've got to go back to old material to see if I can't figure out how the two personalities differ and how that would clash in the merger. If anybody is familiar with this, advice would be appreciated.
     
    Let me take a moment to prepare you for names. As you can see, there is no obvious connection to the names of the Inuva and the names of the two Toa that comprise it. Let me remind you this is on purpose. There is a rhyme and reason to the names, and with time (and a possible fic) it'd all come into understanding.
     
    So let's begin!
     
    Toa Wralta - Inuva of Fire
    I picture Wralta as a average sized warrior, with features that resemble that of a dragon. The true embodiment of fire, his Kanohi would have the pointed snout and fin like extensions on the side. His weapon, a flaming Great Sword, would be held in two hands and would probably be one of the biggest to date in a canister set. His mask, the Kanohi Rica - Mask of Foresight, would blend his ability to defy Fate and "shield" himself from future troubles. Unfortunately, it's a Kanohi power that he would have trouble harnessing, as the Destinies he would be shown would be determined by the Kanohi, not Wralta.
     
    Toa Luali - Inuva of Water
    The Inuva of water would charge into battle wielding a trident. She'd be sleek, built for quick movement underwater. She'd be designed with a fish motif in mind, including both scales, and a gilled Kanohi. I also picture her having a shark fin on her back. She would wear the Kanohi Calas - Mask of Manipulation. Combining Gali's ability to grant breath with Hahli's detection skills, Luali would be able to "breathe" her own life into anybody in her sight...temporarily taking control of them. She can only do this for brief periods of time, as the possession essentially drains the life from Luali. If left too long, there is potential that she can be trapped inside a body.
     
    Toa Enok - Inuva of Ice
    Designed to resemble a barberian, Enok would carry long lance and appear slightly bulkier than the normal Toa. His armor would resemble animal hides, while his Kanohi would resemble a bear's mouth swallowing the Toa's head. With his Kanohi Lami - Mask of Divison, Enok could project a perfect copy of himself. Combined with his dual persona, Enok also could control the two copies individualy...though conflicts between Matoro and Kopaka occasionally would lead to conflicts between the two halves. Enok doesn't enjoy splitting himself, as his two halves aren't quite as strong as his full being.
     
    Toa Slopa - Inuva of Earth
    Perhaps the most interesting blend, Slopa would be a brute. He'd be a hulking design and carry a large hammer (I want a Toa of Earth to carry a hammer...I'm not giving up on that). He'd have the same slouching posture of the origina Onua design, and wear a Kanohi that'd look like a knight's helm with the mane of a lion. Slopa would wear the Kanohi Yala - Mask of Teleportation, combining Onua's strength to propel Nuparu's flight to new speeds. The only disadvantage would be that Slopa could only teleport to places he can either see or has seen before. Unlike the Kualsi, Slopa would be able to teleport living things with him as well, though it is unknown what limits exist on the size or type of creature.
     
    Toa Greti - Inuva of Stone
    With speed an agility in mind, Greti would be a less-armored figure than Wralta, but would be a similar body shape. His Kanohi would resemble a steed, with a molded unicron's horn. His weapons would be twin battle axes, about the size of a traditional Toa weapon. With his Kanohi Varia - Mask of Phasing, Greti would be able to move with both speed and precision. Used to it's fullest, Greti would be able to dodge objects at a molecular level, passing through them unharmed. To differentiate it from the Kakama Nuva, the Varia would also allow Greti to vibrate his molecules in order to absorb nearby materials. This would allow him to take on the physical properties of other objects (water, rock, metal) as long as they were solid.
     
    Toa Gluko - Inuva of Air
    Gluko would be the most interesting design. Having no actual weapon, Gluko would instead be hawk-like in appearance. His main feature would be his wings, which combined with his claws hands and talon-feet would turn him into an aerial menace. His Kanohi would be shaped like an owl's head, with the binocular-like circles around each eye. The Kanohi Avro - Mask of Telekinesis would seemlessly blend Telepathay with Levitation, allowing Gluko to project his thoughts on any object....moving it with his mind. The effort required to move various objects would depend on the size, the Avro's key weakness. It is believed that the Avro is precise enough in it's manipulations that the air itself can be bent to the user's will.
     
    With these designs in place, along with the Mask Powers...hopefully the ball will get rolling on a potential Inuva fic or MOC that I may decide to do. I'm hoping to at some point draw out some sketches of these characters. And the designs though pretty close aren't going to be set in stone should I see a potential imbalance in detail between the characters.
     
    But the Mask Powers are what they are. I was hoping to use a better name for the Rica, but "Destiny" in place of "Foresight" would've set off one of the filters.
     
    Edit: I've since been reminded of a few existing Kanohi that share powers with some of the Kanohi Inuva. To correct this, the Varia, Yala, and Avro have been granted additional abilities.
  25. T-Hybrid

    I Feel Old

    By T-Hybrid,

    It's after midnight here. I stayed up on purpose so I greet the start of my 26th year with open eyes. Now it's off to bed. Gonna have a busy night tomorrow/today as I bid adieu to my first quarter-century on this planet and usher in the official start of my "late 20s".
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