more arts and video games

[aimeekitty]

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so, each week the sketchblog I'm part of has a theme. This weeks theme is "hair goddess"! (hence the above pictures) at first I was thinking "bah! I dont want to do themes!" but now I'm really enjoying it!

Also, this is basically how I sketch when I'm just having fun. lately I really like thinking about shapes and flow. I want to move more in that direction.

click me (it's a messy off-model gankutsuou)


VIDEO GAMES------
Ok,... I don't buy or play video games that much, just don't have the time, but lately I'm really jonesing for a new one. The battle system of FFII bores me. I don't like that if you are a melee fighter, you pretty much target a monster and then read a book and wait for the battle to finish. I don't get that "OMG WOO I'm KILLING THINGS" feeling. I keep trying to play it (and probably will keep attempting it, as I do like parts of it and MItch loves it...)

But for my next game, what should I get? I've heard some bad things about the FF12 battle system. Would I hate it?? I really enjoyed FFX. I liked it's battle system, but I've heard FF12's is frustrating (and also heard it's like FFII not FFX...)

the other temptations are NeverwinterNights 2 and Phantasy Star U. (I adored PSO... giant elf with HUGE SWORD!)

Comments

[penultimateokgo.livejournal.com]

Themes are really neat in that while you are limited by one idea, there are so many ways of portraying it! Sometimes left to my own devices, I can't think of anything inspiring, but when given a theme to follow, I go crazy with ideas.

[positivespace.livejournal.com]

OKAMI OKAMI OKAMI OKAMI OKAMI

p://ww2.capcom.com/okami/

[junemermaid.livejournal.com]

I've gone back to FF12 3 times and quit on it 3 times because it is easily, EASILY the most boring RPG since Suikoden 4. I hate the battle system, it takes all the fun out of RPGs battles for me, but by the same token I know people who love it because it takes all the fuss out of them too.
I dunno, I get no joy out of letting the game fight for me. I seriously can draw while playing it as long as there are enough monsters around for the game to keep auto targeting them X_X
I think it's one of those systems you either love or hate and I unfortunatley fall into the latter group.

[pogo101.livejournal.com]

Although I haven't played FF12, my leaning (as between FF12 and NeverWinter Nights 2, for our next non-MMO RPG) is to NWN2. As Aimee says, I do like FF11 very much, but this is more due to other-than-battle-systems, like the friends you make and keep. Anyhoo, I loved NWN1, and it'd be nice to get a different "family" of game than SquareEnix, maybe.

[fyredancer.livejournal.com]

Okami is awesome and packed with the most amazing graphics and a very unique style of playing.

If you're able to - I recommend renting FF12 before buying it. The battle system is definitely love it or hate it. I LOVE it, I've been having a grand time, and pursuing the Hunting sidequest vigorously because that makes things more challenging; I love tinkering with Gambits and all the leveling up (aside from advancing the plot) has been fun and rewarding for me. The world is simply amazing, probably one of the most detailed multiple-environment worlds I've ever played, and it's very strongly reminiscent of Vagrant Story - with a lot of little nods to that game; same director.

It's nothing like FFX, though, it's totally different. The main character, Vaan, bears a superficial resemblance to Tidus (better outfit, though), and he's the same age, but that's it. The plot is heavy on political intrigue; I had a friend compare it to "Dune meets Final Fantasy meets Vagrant Story" and that's quite apt.

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

I agree with the rent before buying FF12. I've been watching my BF play it and it LOOKS great. The battle system is incomprehensible to me, as a viewer, but he seems to like it okay. I'd have to try it myself to really understand what's going on. All I see are these lines of light arcing back and forth. ^o^ We have it rented but I think it's likely to end up in our collection.

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

rented it tonight! We'll see!

[mattymorgs.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't recommend PSU. A friend of mine was getting all psyched up for it (and even quit FFXI for it) but after about two weeks he was back to 11. It didn't impress him much and he's played the every other PS game there is. Now that was him, and everyone's mileage varies. I would recommend NWN2. If it is half as good as the foist, then you are in on some major RPG ass-kicking.

Do you do any tabletop gaming? Cards, minis, or RPGs? There is a roleplay system called BESM (big eyes, small mouth) that lets you (re)create anime characters and use them in a game. This means you could make a Gankutsuou character. ^_~*

[ashbet]

Heh, my friend Ian Sturrock (serpentstar) wrote the most recent monster manual for BESM . . . small world!

-- A <3

[mattymorgs.livejournal.com]

Oooers! Really now? It soitenly is a small woild. Why the heck do I sound like a Jersey newsboy all of a sudden? o_O Anywho if you give him a heads up, I'd like to get to know him. As a game/hobby shop owner, I'd like to give BESM a nice big push and all the resources I can have access to would help.

Actually, there's a group doing a Naruto BESM game. It's pretty interesting. BELIEVE IT! Haha.

[ashbet]

Feel free to introduce yourself in one of his public journal posts -- he always enjoys meeting new RPG-type folks :D

I will mention that there's a serious issue regarding BESM -- as you probably know, Guardians of Order shut their doors without paying a lot of their authors and artists, Ian included . . . so he's distributing the 2nd BESM manual as a PDF, since GoO never paid him for his work. I *think* he's not charging for it -- you'd have to ask.

We're hoping that the intellectual property of BESM will be bought by a solvent company, so that future editions can be released . . . I know that there was more BESM stuff in development before GoO went out of business.

... is it just me, or did the comment I was replying to disappear? @_o

-- A <3

P.S. Aimee, I forgot to say -- I *love* your idea about the Hair Goddess, that's a fantastic direction to go with it, and that piece has a lot of graphic impact -- rar!

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

re comments dissapearing- that's just because almost all the posts on my public posts are screened due to stalker-retardedness. sorry! I have to unscreen a lot of posts manually for them to actually show up. :)

and thanks about hair goddess!! I really enjoyed doing that one! :D

[ashbet]

Ah, gotcha! It turned up in my e-mail, so I was confused ;)

*nyahhhhh* at stalkertards!! :P

(I had to make my whole journal friends-only because of the same type of stuff, so I understand completely) :/

Hair Goddess reminds me a tiny bit of Beardsley (in a good way!) because of the use of black in the composition . . . it's really gorgeous! (Hehe, yes, Aubrey *is* named after the artist . . . so I'm somewhat obviously a fan.)

-- A :>

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

beardsley - I was thinking of that when I was drawing! I looooove his stuff. I need to study it more.

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

If you're open to trying something not as RPGish how about Disgaea 2? Only works if you like strategy games at all which tend to be hit or miss for me. But I love Disgaea 2. It's challenging but never frustrating and everything is so flippin cute. The characters are all sassy and 'know' they are in a video game which amuses me greatly. The writing is excellent, the English localization is fantastic and the humor is sharp, witty and self-aware. Just as an example...one of the sword weapon names is 'Seshoumaru' and the description is 'Will you all find the d*mn jewel shards already!?' Too funny. ^o^

[aimeekitty.livejournal.com]

I love the original disgaea but haven't finished it yet! I should try playing it again. :)

[zalem.livejournal.com]

I need to buy NWN2...maybe I should play that after exams...