Sunday, January 18, 2004
New Comments System
blogspeak had problems with its hosting service and had to close down. Fortunately, HaloScan took the all the poor orphaned comments and gave it a home.
Saturday, January 3, 2004
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Thursday, December 11, 2003
GeoURL
Stumbled upon GeoURL while browsing blogwise. Seems to be a popular indexing service used by the blogs there so I decided to join the bandwagon. Apparently, it indexes websites (URLs) according to geographic location (longitude/latitude).
I found my geographical coordinates at Heavens Above.
Check out my neighbors by clicking on the GeoURL button at the bottom of the sidebar to your right (you may need to scroll). It looks something like this:
Game on.
I found my geographical coordinates at Heavens Above.
Check out my neighbors by clicking on the GeoURL button at the bottom of the sidebar to your right (you may need to scroll). It looks something like this:
Game on.
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Mortality
(or, Disjointed Thoughts On A Recent Funeral)
My grandfather died last week and was buried just this weekend. I haven't been to San Miguel regularly since my childhood summers. In fact, the last time I remember going there was back in December 2000, when my lolo first had a major seizure.
There's never been an organized reunion in my family. Everyone goes their own way. I'm not even sure that I'll recognize some of my cousins if I happened to pass them in the street. Such a dysfunctional family... Ironically, Lolo Narding's passing away made us all return to San Miguel, and made us plan for a semi-regular get-together. There are times when I wish I had been more empathic.
I remember my childhood in that small rural town, capering all over the countryside with my cousin, Maricel (the only cousin close to my age on my father's side), bike rides with my grandfather (he fashioned a seat that can be set on the bar in front of the bike's actual seat so one can ride along comfortably), puto and kutsinta and chicharon and pastillas from carabao's milk (or was it goat's?) made by my great grandmother, ghost stories of the many old houses in town... those summers are long gone, but their memories will be always remain in my heart.
May the random cosmic forces bless his life-force.
My grandfather died last week and was buried just this weekend. I haven't been to San Miguel regularly since my childhood summers. In fact, the last time I remember going there was back in December 2000, when my lolo first had a major seizure.
There's never been an organized reunion in my family. Everyone goes their own way. I'm not even sure that I'll recognize some of my cousins if I happened to pass them in the street. Such a dysfunctional family... Ironically, Lolo Narding's passing away made us all return to San Miguel, and made us plan for a semi-regular get-together. There are times when I wish I had been more empathic.
I remember my childhood in that small rural town, capering all over the countryside with my cousin, Maricel (the only cousin close to my age on my father's side), bike rides with my grandfather (he fashioned a seat that can be set on the bar in front of the bike's actual seat so one can ride along comfortably), puto and kutsinta and chicharon and pastillas from carabao's milk (or was it goat's?) made by my great grandmother, ghost stories of the many old houses in town... those summers are long gone, but their memories will be always remain in my heart.
May the random cosmic forces bless his life-force.
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Anime and Mecha d20
Finally got around to downloading the Anime and Mecha d20 System Reference Documents from Guardians of Order the other night (this is probably the first pen-&-paper-RPG-related thing I've read in months, since I got hooked on RO).
From what I've skimmed, the Anime d20 SRD offers point-based character creation, adds in Tri-Stat Attributes, and tinkers with a few nuts and bolts to add a more cinematic anime feel to the d20 system. New classes are drawn from popular Japanese animation concepts such as the Pet Monster Trainer, Magical Girl, and Mecha Pilot. The standard D&D classes are also broken down and modified to bring them in-line balance-wise with these new classes. So, essentially Anime d20 is BESM converted to d20. I'd prefer to stick to either standard BESM or even Tri-Stat dX for my "fast-and-fun" games though.
Now, Mecha d20 brings mecha-creation rules to d20 in much the same way that Big Robot, Cool Starships did to 1st Ed. BESM. Mecha in the rules set is not limited to classic mobile suits or super robots though but can be extended to include any vehicle. One thing that caught my eye is the Attributes, Booster and Chobam Armor. o_O Now I want to run a Super Robot Wars campaign with this! >.<
Still trying to find enough time to launch a Tri-Stat dX campaign. Something with mecha would be cool but high fantasy wouldn't be bad either. If anyone's interested, leave your idea here or email me; maybe we can set something up, even over the 'net. ^_^V
Game on.
From what I've skimmed, the Anime d20 SRD offers point-based character creation, adds in Tri-Stat Attributes, and tinkers with a few nuts and bolts to add a more cinematic anime feel to the d20 system. New classes are drawn from popular Japanese animation concepts such as the Pet Monster Trainer, Magical Girl, and Mecha Pilot. The standard D&D classes are also broken down and modified to bring them in-line balance-wise with these new classes. So, essentially Anime d20 is BESM converted to d20. I'd prefer to stick to either standard BESM or even Tri-Stat dX for my "fast-and-fun" games though.
Now, Mecha d20 brings mecha-creation rules to d20 in much the same way that Big Robot, Cool Starships did to 1st Ed. BESM. Mecha in the rules set is not limited to classic mobile suits or super robots though but can be extended to include any vehicle. One thing that caught my eye is the Attributes, Booster and Chobam Armor. o_O Now I want to run a Super Robot Wars campaign with this! >.<
Still trying to find enough time to launch a Tri-Stat dX campaign. Something with mecha would be cool but high fantasy wouldn't be bad either. If anyone's interested, leave your idea here or email me; maybe we can set something up, even over the 'net. ^_^V
Game on.
Very Secret Diaries of the Fellowship of the Ring
"Day Three Million Five:
Am bored. Have been waiting for Middle-Earthlink guy to come and install DSL in Barad-Dur since second-age. Will use palantir as alternative to personal ads, as am lonely."
—The Very Secret Diary of Sauron, Cassandra Claire
Now that The Lord of the Rings Return of the King is just around the corner, you guys may want to brush up on what has happened in the previous two installments by reading the hilarious "very secret diaries".
Oh, and watch the trailers here (trailers of the upcoming movie; not a parody).
Game on.
Am bored. Have been waiting for Middle-Earthlink guy to come and install DSL in Barad-Dur since second-age. Will use palantir as alternative to personal ads, as am lonely."
—The Very Secret Diary of Sauron, Cassandra Claire
Now that The Lord of the Rings Return of the King is just around the corner, you guys may want to brush up on what has happened in the previous two installments by reading the hilarious "very secret diaries".
Oh, and watch the trailers here (trailers of the upcoming movie; not a parody).
Game on.
Monday, November 24, 2003
A Battery of Tests
Recent spam on the friendster network led me to the Quiz Me webpage. Below are the results of a handful of tests I took on a whim.
Gods, I miss her.
Gods, I miss her.
My Color
|
Am I or Am I Not? That is the question.
|
Are you Addicted to the Internet?
The Are you Addicted to the Internet? Quiz at Quiz Me! |
Oh, man...
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Untitled
now i cannot speak,
i lost my voice,
i'm speechless and redundant,
'coz I love you's not enough,
i'm lost for words.
-- greenday, redundant (from the album, nimrod)
i lost my voice,
i'm speechless and redundant,
'coz I love you's not enough,
i'm lost for words.
-- greenday, redundant (from the album, nimrod)
The Real Deal on Philippine Culture
A batchmate of mine sent this URL (Get Real Philippines!) via our highschool batch's yahoogroup; pinoys out there may want to check it out. I found it a very amusing read, but it's not news, though. We Filipinos certainly do have festering culture. Still, I'm damned proud to be part of it.
Game on.
Game on.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Friday, November 14, 2003
Landfall
(or Dawn Of A New Day)
I've been trying to reconcile what I'm truly feeling for the past few weeks. Something (or more appropriately, someone) suddenly came up and swallowed me whole. And the funny thing is, I was actually glad it happened.
Before she came, I was nursing my wounds from a previous battle, wounded and hovering on death's door. I was beginning to slide back into my previous Darkness, that ugly misshapen thing that had once consumed my being and spat it out, angry, forlorn, and cynical. I was getting sick of people leaving me. Leaving with promises that they'll never forget me and yet breaking them almost immediately.
But now she's here--my Muse, my Inspiration--and I've thrown my fate to the whims of the random cosmic forces of the multiverse, hoping that she will be the one. That this time, it's for real. That this time, it's forever. Because I will gladly face opposing odds, just to be with her.
It's finally sinking in, this new reality. The last battle was not the final one. I am still standing, thanks to her healing hand. My beloved's hand.
And here I am poised upon the brink of the future, thinking, I am so thankful she decided to stay...
Game on, all.
I've been trying to reconcile what I'm truly feeling for the past few weeks. Something (or more appropriately, someone) suddenly came up and swallowed me whole. And the funny thing is, I was actually glad it happened.
Before she came, I was nursing my wounds from a previous battle, wounded and hovering on death's door. I was beginning to slide back into my previous Darkness, that ugly misshapen thing that had once consumed my being and spat it out, angry, forlorn, and cynical. I was getting sick of people leaving me. Leaving with promises that they'll never forget me and yet breaking them almost immediately.
But now she's here--my Muse, my Inspiration--and I've thrown my fate to the whims of the random cosmic forces of the multiverse, hoping that she will be the one. That this time, it's for real. That this time, it's forever. Because I will gladly face opposing odds, just to be with her.
It's finally sinking in, this new reality. The last battle was not the final one. I am still standing, thanks to her healing hand. My beloved's hand.
And here I am poised upon the brink of the future, thinking, I am so thankful she decided to stay...
Game on, all.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Farewell To A Friend
As I was updating my blog links today, I took a peek at Enelya V.'s pRO journal and got quite a shock. It's been closed! o_O
(Now that I think about it, my Inspiration mentioned the fact to me in passing a week or so ago... but a lot's been happening then for the fact to sink in.)
Enelya V. was a great acolyte in Rune Midgard (yes, on all three servers), and a good friend as well. Her absence will surely be missed. Those of us who struggle against the final days of our world have lost a valuable ally.
Game on.
(Now that I think about it, my Inspiration mentioned the fact to me in passing a week or so ago... but a lot's been happening then for the fact to sink in.)
Enelya V. was a great acolyte in Rune Midgard (yes, on all three servers), and a good friend as well. Her absence will surely be missed. Those of us who struggle against the final days of our world have lost a valuable ally.
Game on.
Sevrin's Knighting
I've mentioned Sevrin Astergarden's reaching knighthood earlier. Here's a screen cap taken a couple of hours before her knighting, showing the two taking a much needed break after some frantic combat in the fourth level of the Payon Caves.
And this one's taken while we're celebrating her knighthood; she's already wearing her knightly armor here:
And this one's taken while we're celebrating her knighthood; she's already wearing her knightly armor here:
Fynn Elenium, Assassin
Should have posted this earlier but didn't feel like it. Here are pics of Fynn as an assassin (he joined the ranks of the assassins some time last month).
Oh yeah, Fynn's really blue-haired. I made a mistake with his previous pics (see Fynn Elunium, Thief of Morroc). Thanks to Mai for pointing it out ^_^. One more thing, Fynn's surname is "Elenium", unlike the Rune Midgardian armor-upgrading ore (which is "elunium", of course).
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Oh yeah, Fynn's really blue-haired. I made a mistake with his previous pics (see Fynn Elunium, Thief of Morroc). Thanks to Mai for pointing it out ^_^. One more thing, Fynn's surname is "Elenium", unlike the Rune Midgardian armor-upgrading ore (which is "elunium", of course).
EarthBound!
From my retrogaming news front: I just finished EarthBound on the SNES! I've had a copy of this game for some time but I only managed to find enough time to sit down and play it this month. Now that I've played through and defeated Gygas (the game's final uber-menace), I'm wondering why this game isn't as famous as it should be. Sure, the graphics, battle scenes, and story may not be as cool or as angsty as other RPGs on the SNES (particularly Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, and Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals) but EarthBound has a charm of its own: it doesn't take anything, even itself, seriously!
EarthBound: The War Against Gygas! is actually called Mother 2: Gygas Strikes Back! in Japan, since it's the second game of the Mother series (the first game was Mother on the NES, but it wasn't released in the US; Nintendo of America translated it but scrapped it before release; the prototype ROM got out though and was dumped by DemiForce).
The game is set in a world like our own 1990s Earth, and tells the story of four kids who are destined to save the world from an evil force called Gygas. Along the way, you meet a talking space bee, demented policemen, skate-thrashing street punks, Mr. T (yes, Mr. T), a Blues Brothers parody (The Runaway Five), insane cultists who worship the color blue, flying saucers, living piles of puke, dinosaurs, a village full of beings all named Mr. Saturn, a town infested with zombies... And then there's also the background music ranging from blues to a weird ambient techno-thing. The list is long and the weirdness never ends. Well, until you get to the end of the game, that is.
The battle engine is menu-driven, similar to the Dragon Quest series', where you choose which action each character takes every round. You fight un-animated enemies on a psychedelic background of swirling colors, and there's a text box that tells you the effects of the combatants actions. The game varies the text for certain enemies so you don't get the usual "So-and-so attacks!" and instead have "The Spiteful Crow pecks at your eyes!" as well as "New Age Retro Hippie uses a toothbrush!" (Yes, both are examples taken from the game itself). Combat is fast and fun for the most part, with the challenge factor amped a few for the bosses. Most bosses have a weakness you can exploit though.
I highly recommend EarthBound for RPG fans. This is a game that deserves to be up there with the classics.
Earthbound Review Rating:
Gameplay: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
For more information on Earthbound and the Mother series of console RPGs, see starmen.net, which is probably the best Earthbound-related site out there.
Game on.
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