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Eyru

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Blog Entries posted by Eyru

  2. Eyru

    Okami

    By Eyru,

    So I was out and about the other day and I just so happened to wander across a used cpoy of Okami for Wii, priced at fifteen dollars.
     
    I'd heard splendid things about this game, so I bought it on the spot. Then I took it home and played it (with very high expectations).
     
    So far, it's pretty good. It's very obviously a Japanese game, and not just because of the art style, but also because of the storytelling style, which is heavy on the exposition and a trifle long-winded. But the story itself is good enough. What's not good is the look of the game: it's better than good.
     
    This game is beautiful.
     
    The art style is a mix of what can best be described as a watercolour painting and a pop-up book. Seriously. You'd think it would be weird, and it is, but it's also gorgeous. It's like running around inside a painting, which is very fitting, considering the game's main gameplay element, which is, to put it simply, a brush.
     
    But not just any brush: it's a Celestial brush, and you can use said brush to draw on and affect the game's world. The brush can be used to paint things into existence, such as painting in the missing parts of a broken waterwheel; or it can be used to attack enemies, or plant trees, or bring dying flora back to life. It's very simple to use, but the applications are incredibly diverse and very rewarding.
     
    The gameplay itself is basically Legend of Zelda with a wolf as the protagonist (hmm, sound familiar?). The emphasis is on adventure, discovery, and solving puzzles, and there's a ton of sidequests and exploration you can do when not partaking of the main plot, which is unfortunately quite linear. There's also a lot of handholding at the beginning, and I haven't gotten far enough to know whether or not that trend continues, but it is a little irritating to play a game where you don't really need to think, just follow directions.
     
    That's a problem I also had with Skyward Sword, where Fi would basically solve every puzzle you were presented with before you got a chance to do it yourself, and unfortunately it seems to be a trend with a lot of games lately, presumably to make sure nobody gets frustrated. My response to that is the fact that Ocarina of Time, for example, is one of the most frustrating games I've ever played (Water Temple, anyone?), but it's also one of the best games I've ever played, and partly for that reason. There's no point to playing a game that has no challenge; half the fun is the feeling of accomplishment you get when you finally get past something that had you stumped. I can remember several Zelda bosses in particular that had me so frustrated I actually shouted for joy when I beat them.
     
    But I digress.
     
    Okami is challenging, and though there has been a lot of guidance these first several hours, the rapidly increasing difficulty in enemies has gotten me hopeful for a decently hard game. The combat itself can require strategy depending on the enemy, though the weaker foes require little save Wiimote-waggling and painting quick lines to slice at them. Thankfully, I've already run into some more challenging foes that required me to dodge and fight carefully lest I die in seconds.
     
    If you haven't bought this game already, then I highly recommend it. I realize I'm a few years behind the curve playing this game, and everyone's probably already heard about how great it is, but it's good enough that I needed to make a post about it.
     
    tl;dr I bought Okami for $15. It's been really good so far.
  3. Eyru

    Vote On My Next Name!

    By Eyru,

    Alright ladies and gents, it's time for everyone's favourite poll!
     
    Differing from previous polls, in which any name could be submitted, this time there was one criterion: the names submitted must contain the name 'Eyru' in them somewhere. Ideally, the winning name will be unique, funny, and show the most creative use of the simple theme.
     
    Without further ado, here are the twelve entries you can vote for!
     
    Hey run! - 4
    Fullmetal Eyrchamist - 1
    Eyru Salad - 3
    Eyruined - 1
    Eyru - 0
    EYRU BEAM LASERS - 2
    Hey Run Salad BEAM LASERS - 2
    Bleyru - 2
    Mega Eyru - 0
    Eyru, Guest - 2
    Eyru-inator-inator - 0
    kjanfijfaoisfjasfiseyruado - 7
     
     
    You may vote for one name only. Please don't do any sneaky edits or I may have to disqualify your vote. Polls close on Friday.
     
    With that out of the way, you may begin. And may the odds be ever in your favour!
  4. Eyru
    The downtime cut the suggestion period a wee bit short, so I'll allow another day for suggestions before we get to voting. :3
     
    Again, any name goes, save for one stipulation: all names must contain the name 'Eyru' in them somewhere.
     
    Go for it guys! We'll vote tomorrow.
  5. Eyru

    Guess What? :-D

    By Eyru,

    Over the downtime, my graduating class held its valedictorian elections. Basic picture: you fill out an application, which requires the signatures of other gradutating students, your grade point average and English marks. Then you write an essay outlining what your speech would entail were you elected. Then -the scary part- you have to deliver the essay as a speech to the entire graduating class. After all the speeches have been given, the class votes on a male and female valedictorian.
     
    And... guess what?
     
    I was elected valedictorian!
     
    :D
     
    People compared my speech to Shane Koyczan's poetry, but that's obvious hyperbole. <.< I'll admit I did slip some spoken word in there, but only towards the end, and lines not nearly worthy of comparison.
     
    Still, it was an amazing experience delivering a speech, though I was a huge bundle of nerves prior to giving it. The speech itself ranged between 4:30 and 4:50 in length, as I knew from having timed myself multiple times. I was practicing at 1am the night before, and I guess it paid off.
     
    So, yeah. You might say I didn't really notice the downtime.
  6. Eyru

    So... Um, Name Change?

    By Eyru,

    So it's actually been just over 45 days since my last name change. Wow. That went really fast.
     
    I felt like I had another month to go. Don't know why, but I probably forgot at some point that I only have 45 days between name changes and not 90. Oops.
     
    Anyway, that means I'm accepting name suggestions again! However, for the first time, I am posting criteria for the name!
     
    ...well, actually criterion, because there's only one: the name you submit must have 'Eyru' in it.
     
    Aside from that, it's business as usual. Go crazy!
     

  7. Eyru
    ...someone addresses you and you answer only it turns out they were actually addressing someone else not you and so now you just stand there awkwardly.
     
    What other awkward moments have you experienced? LET'S BUILD AN AWKWARD LIST TOGETHER SO WE CAN FEEL SOME CAMARADERIE IN LIFE'S AWKWARDNESS.
     
    and also so i feel less awkward ._.
  9. Eyru
    after guiding me to my new understanding of the universe, the farm animal guided me to another dream. moving from dream to dream was an amazing but scary experience, because I needed to jump from my dream into the vast abyss of the universe, and call a dream to me. fortunately, I had the farm animal with me, and he was my guide.
     
    we stood at the edge of my dream, and looked down. I could see billions of stars and galaxies swirling in an endless pool of darkness.
     
    are you ready? asked the farm animal. you must jump, and in doing so exit your dream. in that brief instant you will free fall into the universe, and that sensation of falling will awaken your mind to the other dreams that you can enter. but if you fall too far, you will awaken, and return to your world.
     
    don't be afraid: I wil guide you.
     
    we jumped, and I felt the familiar sensation of falling that I had so often felt in dreams. my stomach leapt into my throat, and in that instant I saw that each star was a dream. the farm animal guided us to one reddish star, and we entered the dream in a blaze of soft light.
     
    It was a dream of beaches and pink sandals, of tide pools and warm sunshine. the farm animal bid me look down to the sand, and so I did.
     
    what do you see? he asked (telepathically, of course).
     
    I see crabs, I replied (also telepathically; I gained this ability from my illumination when I realized that the whole universe is connected)
     
    this is their dream; they are dreaming of you. teach them what I taught you, the farm animal said.
     
    but they're crabs, not farm animals I replied.
     
    it doesn't matter. anyone and anything can be a farm animal.
     
    this opened a new vista of meaning to me. these crabs were potential farm animals, and they were dreaming of me, an inititiate farm animal. all I had to do was open them up to what I had seen.
     
    so I cleared my telepathic throat. how many licks to get to the centre of a tootsie roll pop?
     
    the crabs ignored me, going about the sand and all their business as quietly as before.
     
    why won't they listen? I asked.
     
    every farm animal is different, the farm animal replied. you must speak to them so they will understand. this is your first test as a farm animal: to speak to potential farm animals so they hear, understand, and awaken as farm animals too.
     
    you are in their dream; it is your responsibility to adapt to their mind.
     
    and so I faced my first test: to relate to these crabs, who were dreaming of me, and awaken them to the infinite possibilities that lay beyond their wildest dreams.
  10. Eyru
    this farm animal looked at me with soft, sad brown eyes, eyes that had seen countless ages of the world pass before them. he regarded me with these eyes, and I felt as though my soul was bared before their intense gaze.
     
    at last the farm animal spoke to me, not out loud, but telepathically, and his voice echoed in my mind, ringing with ancient wisdom and regal power.
     
    how many licks to get to the centre of a tootsie roll pop?
     
    I gasped; such a question had never entered my mind, and now it stretched my paradigms of reality. the farm animal watched sadly as I struggled with this concept. I somehow understood that he had attempted to bring others to enlightenment before, and they so often failed at this crucial stage.
     
    then, in a burst of rose-coloured light, I understood. the universe sprawled out before me in a simple pattern that I had never looked close enough to understand before. the farm animal watched me with pride. he had entered my dream to teach me the secrets of the universe, and I had passed the test. soon, I would become like him: a true farm animal, and one day others might dream of me.
  11. Eyru

    No.

    By Eyru,

    School tomorrow.
     
    ...and the Canucks just lost their third straight game, despite dominating the Kings in every way possible.
  12. Eyru
    Again, I'm trying to find a project I can throw myself into. Should I...
     
    Write an epic (on what?)
    Co-write an epic (with whom?)
    Write a series of short stories (on what?)
    Write a comedy (why?)
    Write a blog serial (what is this i don't even)
    Start drawing again (holy bieber seriously?)
     
    Any suggestions/questions/comments/snide remarks?
  13. Eyru

    Well, I'm Back

    By Eyru,

    Yes, I have returned. Let the celebrations commence!
     
    So, I'm back from Mexico, and though I had a brilliant time, it feels great to be back home. Spring break is almost over, and I have a feeling I'm going to spend these last few days catching up on life, both online and off.
     
    At the head of the line is SS#9: my story Redemption won third place! If that's not a good enough reason to go check it out, I don't know what is, so go read it!
     
    But seriously, it's a huge honour to have won, especially when I was competing with so many talented writers. I think I was the wild card in this contest, seeing as most of my activity in the Library took place a rather long time ago, so my finishing third may have come as a bit of a surprise to some, including myself.
     
    (and yes, that LoTR quote in the title was placed there for this reason)
     
    On to another note, I haven't yet dared to dive into the fathoms of the BZPRPG and peruse the countless pages I'm sure I've missed. As always, drop me a PM if you're waiting on interaction with my characters, or if you want to interact. I'm always approachable (except when I'm hungry)!
     
    Finally, it's nice to just sit back and relax after two weeks of hard work. Yes, work. That was how I spent my spring break. Tell me how you spent yours!
  15. Eyru
    ...and loved it.
     
    Film adaptations that match the book are exceedingly rare, and those that surpass the book are rarer still. This film doesn't quite reach that mark, but it was a surprisingly accurate and enjoyable adaptation of an excellent book.
     
    One factor in its success, I believe, was that nothing major was left out of the film. Most adaptations end up cutting out huge swaths of the book because there's simply too much detail, but The Hunger Games isn't one of those. It was incredibly faithful to the source material, and as a result it was as thrilling as the book,
     
    Jennifer Lawrence does an excellent job of portraying the aloof Katniss, and Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta straight out of the book. The rest of the cast feels as though they were created for the sole purpose of playing their roles, especially Woody Harrelson as Haymitch and Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman. It was almost surreal watching them, because they looked exactly as I had envisioned the characters while reading.
     
    That said, it's not perfect. There is some stuff missing; the book is written in first person, after all, so there's no way to truly understand Katniss like you do when reading the book. And yes, there are a few details I would have changed. But anything missing is so small that you'll blink and miss it. Overall, the movie does a great job of staying true to the book and to the characters.
     
    I wasn't expecting brilliance, but The Hunger Games blew my expectations out of the water. It was a thrilling, moving, high-paced joyride that, honestly, you have to see, whether you've read the book or not. The book is phenomenal, but the film does it proud. If you go see it, you won't regret it. I saw it, and I didn't regret it. In fact, I'm even thinking of going and seeing it again.
     
    Now, I don't like giving scores, because it's difficult to translate all my opinions and emotions into a number. Sciences to humanities, right? But if I had to rate this movie, it wouldn't be anything less than a 9/10, no matter how you look at it. The Hunger Games is an exceptional film. Period.
  16. Eyru

    Insert Ideas Here

    By Eyru,

    I used to have tons of ideas for stories; epics, shorts, comedies, the works, it's just that I lacked the motivation to write them. Now I find myself in the mood for writing, but there's nothing I'm particularly interested in writing about.
     
    Help?
  19. Eyru
    As a rule, I don't watch many horror movies. Actually, I don't watch any. My parents don't like them, and I've never really had an opportunity.
     
    That changed last night, with The Mist.
     
    I have never been so terrified in my life. My friends and I were joking around during the movie, trying to lighten the mood, but every few minutes one of us would scream as some alien creature popped up and scared the living daylights out of us. Yes, it was a horror movie: I was horrified.
     
    And once the movie was over, I didn't want to drive home. It was late and dark and the stretch of road that takes me home runs along the ocean so it's often quite foggy. I considered staying at my friend's house until morning, but it was a school night. So I ran to the car, expecting some bloodthirsty animal to sink its fangs into me at any second, jumped inside, and cranked the happy music.
     
    Yes, I made it home.
     
    No, I didn't sleep last night.
     
    We're thinking we'll watch The Descent next weekend.
  21. Eyru

    At Last, Here It Is!

    By Eyru,

    My SSC9 entry is up!
     
    Redemption
     
    It would really mean a lot to me if it got some views, and reviews would make me weep joyful tears.
     
    I'll also give you cookies.
     

  24. Eyru
    As promised, voting on my new name starts today. The eligible names are listed below:
     
    EXTREME EYRU - 1
    Eyru the Unicorn - 1
    Nukaya is Awesome - 5
    Daiker is Awesome - 1
    Fozzie Bear/Fozzie Eyru - 1
    Choose My Name - 3
    Edgy!Eyru - 1
    Fullmetal Eyrchamist - 2
    Gabby Hayes - 1
     
    I'm also throwing in one of my own, just cause I can:
     
    Steven Magnet - 1
     
    The rules are thus: You get one vote. That vote may not be changed after being posted, because otherwise I'll get really confuzzled. So please don't edit your posts, or your vote will most likely be disqualified.
     
    Voting starts now, and ends March 5th!
  25. Eyru
    I was just throwing around BZPRPG ideas when I stumbled upon what may possibly be my greatest idea yet. Which isn't hard, cause this is really only my second year.
     
    (side note: many people seem to think I'm an all-powerful veteran with limitless knowledge and vast experience. Seriously guys. If I were to attend Hogwarts, this would be the year my wand broke and made me start spewing slugs)
     
    Anyway, I'm going to start an organization dedicated to the eradication of all "impure" elements on Mata-Nui. This organization will be led by a Turaga named The Elder of Elders, and will quite possibly be a lot of fun. Twisted fun, but fun nonetheless.
     
    Or not.
     
    But I'm super excited. If enthusiasm were measured in bubbles I would be a bubble machine.
     
    Um, so if anyone is interested in a rather racist faction that promises to kill people, let me know. Cause I'd hate to be racist all by myself.
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