My Light and I have just finished the Prologue and Chapter Zero of the continuing novella about our pRO Loki Guild. You can read it here:
Beyond Black Doors: A Knights of Obscurity Tale
We'd love to hear your comments! ^_^v
Monday, February 23, 2004
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Collaborative Writing: Beyond Black Doors
Just started a novella with my Muse. It's set in Rune Midgard, the world of the Ragnarok Online MMORPG, where Norse mythology collides with pop culture.
The story features our guild in pRO Loki, Knights of Obscurity, but focuses more on the intertwining pasts and futures of two characters--the lady knight, Sevrin Astergarden, guild mistress of the KoO and the wandering assassin, Fynn Elenium, Sevrin's perpetual companion--as well as the actual formation of their obscure guild.
Will Fynn, Sevrin, and the rest of the Knights of Obscurity conquer the demons of their pasts and stop the latest threat to Rune Midgard?
The adventure begins here!
The story features our guild in pRO Loki, Knights of Obscurity, but focuses more on the intertwining pasts and futures of two characters--the lady knight, Sevrin Astergarden, guild mistress of the KoO and the wandering assassin, Fynn Elenium, Sevrin's perpetual companion--as well as the actual formation of their obscure guild.
Will Fynn, Sevrin, and the rest of the Knights of Obscurity conquer the demons of their pasts and stop the latest threat to Rune Midgard?
The adventure begins here!
Monday, February 9, 2004
Just Breed!
Last January, Stealth Translations released the English translation of Just Breed. Just Breed is a NES Strategy/RPG released by ENIX way back in '92. I'm guessing this is pretty late in the console's life, as the game seems very advanced for a NES game.
If you're familiar with Sega's Shining Force games, then you already know how Just Breed plays. Basically, battles happen on a wilderness battle map as you travel from town to town. One difference is the concept of Commander and Soldier characters. Your entire army is divided into sub-armies of 1 Commander and up to 5 Soldiers, who must stay within one screen of each other.
While the game's plot is quite cliched (save some kidnapped damsels-in-distress who were guarding some magical jewels), great gameplay combines with superb script translation to deliver a game that most console RPG fans--even those who aren't really hardcore strategy/RPG fanatics--would love.
You'd have to play it on an emulator though. I recommend getting the latest version of FCE Ultra (version 0.97.5 as of this post). The patch is available from Stealth Translations. As for the NES ROM... well, try Googling for it. Can't help you there. ^_^;;
Capsule Review
Story 4 out of 5 stars
Gameplay 5 out of 5 stars
Graphics 4 out of 5 stars
Sunday, January 18, 2004
New Comments System
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.
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