tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566337377808103102024-02-26T00:22:17.802-08:00Belart's BlogHello all! If you're here you can expect to find Game Philosophy, Regular 'ol Philosophy, Book Reviews, and some other odds and ends. Always feel free to chime in. I like to hear the opinions of others as they assess my own opinions.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-80801230355081746072022-05-24T20:20:00.000-07:002022-05-24T20:20:02.593-07:00Hell's Glitch Volume 1: Into a Dark Adventure Prologue - Narrated by Pav...<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/8-PpnMw9upA" width="480"></iframe><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Release day: May 25, 2022</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Narration: Pavi Proczko</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Written by: Belart Wright</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">eBook: <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MKTK4LM/?fbclid=IwAR2ThCTEm55TgasbJLjOP4HLxkpyJtR4gT74TEpmxuImFb9H7hN237_6Pp0" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MKTK4LM/</a></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys 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dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Audible: Link Coming Soon</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 q66pz984 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/litrpg?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZXe5ITnZKNNFmZeFJsxKDcQ4t-qDYe7kMuAUqqmgErvFpQ1GDqZ71TnuyJHAllxT1VlKzwDAnh02oIdMqN0XOXOm7JdNHs1IZH4894W10O9RdIv0j2RCpYZN9yMc2G-kx1PoLXcIPPRAAkxr7kdSym7AR6Eish9YEFJdWMe8Y4BKw&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" tabindex="0">#litrpg</a></span> <span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 q66pz984 b1v8xokw" 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Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-87666686969039368372020-07-29T09:16:00.001-07:002020-07-29T09:16:33.600-07:00A Streets of Rage 4 Review From a Series Fan | The Good, The Bad, and Everything In-between<div><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">My Streets of Rage 4 Review with some spoilers. Series history, gameplay, and events are also discussed.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0fDga1yIK8w" width="320" youtube-src-id="0fDga1yIK8w"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Save the section header art: </span><a class="yt-simple-endpoint style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmedia%2Fset%2F%3Fvanity%3DOccultLitRPG%26set%3Da.1732958466855189&event=video_description&v=0fDga1yIK8w&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1hEYTEyajhlNGdwTTVnTmdxYzNIQXl0Wm52d3xBQ3Jtc0ttOC1fd20xUHVFcklFQ3UwSXZNSzVXbnl2Y1JPdV9zX1RUaEpuNEh4NW1yQnhrcVdjdTBSRTFNNHo0ZVVsSkM1YWM5RkFacGNSLUwtMU9HS0N0TkxxZ3padndTQUdFX3NJSlVaQkZkalJlUEdZUXd4bw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" spellcheck="false" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?v...</a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Music Used (In Order of Use):
Overflow
Groundislava
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
The Last Soul
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack
Slow Moon
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 2 Original Soundtrack
The Streets of Rage
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack
Fighting in the Streets
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack
They're Back
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Chill or Don't
Olivier Deriviere
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Call the Cops
Olivier Deriviere
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
It's Extra
Motohiro Kawashima
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Maximum
Scattle
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Double Divas
Motohiro Kawashima
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Never Return Alive
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 2 Original Soundtrack
Walking Bottom
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 2 Original Soundtrack
Happy Paradise
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 3 Original Soundtrack
Chow Time
Olivier Deriviere
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
The Storm Boat
Olivier Deriviere
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Rising Up
Olivier Deriviere
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Dilapidated Town
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack
Go Straight
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 2 Original Soundtrack
Next of Kin Showdown
Das Mortal
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Streets of Rage 4 (Main Theme)
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 4 Original Game Soundtrack
Mr. X!
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage 3 Original Soundtrack
You Became The Bad Guy
Yuzo Koshiro
Streets of Rage Original Soundtrack
Max Man
Motohiro Kawashima
Streets of Rage 2 Original Soundtrack</span></div>Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-7420941874822324302020-07-07T23:05:00.000-07:002020-07-07T23:05:44.159-07:00Dragon Ball Super Manga Chapter 61 Review | Page by Page Thoughts | Vegeta Reborn - Moro's New Look<div class="style-scope ytd-expander" id="content">
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<span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">Dragon Ball Super Manga Chapter 61 Review. We look at Vegeta's new ability as well as his morality vs Goku's morality and if Piccolo is a Vegeta fanboy. Follow along properly at </span><a class="yt-simple-endpoint style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto" href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.viz.com%2Fshonenjump%2Fdragon-ball-super-chapter-61%2Fchapter%2F20638&redir_token=rclVvvkTtAkZtw8hkxaDHClbuOx8MTU5NDI3NDM0OUAxNTk0MTg3OTQ5&v=-svRuwE6DHM&event=video_description" rel="nofollow" spellcheck="false" target="_blank">https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/dragon...</a><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto"> </span></div>
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Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-59171739903457855462020-07-07T23:01:00.000-07:002020-07-07T23:01:48.277-07:00Lost Kingdoms Lets Play | Month of FromsoftwareI want to take some time to spotlight one of my favorite series of Lets Plays on the BWO Gaming Channel. Lost Kingdoms Lets Play #0 | Month of Fromsoftware. To date, it is my favorite walkthrough. I hope you all enjoy this one and the insights provided.<br />
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Lost
Kingdoms, known as Rune (ルーン Rūn) in Japan, is a fantasy video game
developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision in North America
and Europe. The game was released in Japan on April 25, 2002; in North
America on May 27, 2002; and in Europe on August 9, 2002. Lost Kingdoms
is a card-based action role-playing game where battles are fought in
real-time. <br />
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Developer: FromSoftware <br />
Designer: Takashi Kojo <br />
Composer: Kota Hoshino <br />
Platform: GameCube</div>
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♦♢♦</div>
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<br /><br />Black fog, demons, and a missing king ... sounds like a Fromsoft game.<br />
<br />
Alanjeh Castle. Cards: Birdman, Skeleton<br />
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This walkthrough of Lost Kingdoms is dedicated to the developer Fromsoftware and their upcoming release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice along with other key March releases from the company's long history.<br />
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Lost Kingdoms, known as Rune (ルーン Rūn) in Japan, is a fantasy video game developed by FromSoftware and published by Activision in North America and Europe. The game was released in Japan on April 25, 2002; in North America on May 27, 2002; and in Europe on August 9, 2002. Lost Kingdoms is a card-based action role-playing game where battles are fought in real-time. <br /><br />Developer: FromSoftware <br />Designer: Takashi Kojo <br />Composer: Kota Hoshino <br />Platform: GameCube</div>
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♦Help Us Get to 1,000 subs: https://bit.ly/2BW6wld <br /><br />♢Check out my books: https://amzn.to/2NwB3un <br /><br />♦Twitter: https://twitter.com/BelartWright <br /><br />♢Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OccultLitRPG/Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-54869206921221398192019-03-01T12:20:00.000-08:002019-03-01T12:20:59.220-08:00Month of Fromsoft | Ninja Blade 60fps Prologue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EzG5YLi2u0A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EzG5YLi2u0A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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A prologue to my Ninja Blade walkthrough, a classic game from the Xbox
360 era. This walkthrough was created to celebrate Fromsoftware's great
successes for their releases especially those during the month of March.<br /><br />For
this prologue to my walkthrough, I have decided to explain the features
of the game so that we may began our journey more actively. With that
said, you can expect a fast paced playthrough from the very first
episode.</div>
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Ninja Blade (ニンジャブレイド Ninja Bureido) is an action game developed by FromSoftware for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2009.<br /><br />The player plays as a modern-day ninja, using a katana, twin swords and broad sword as the main weapon to the hostile creatures. Combat system is similar to Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry. A chi bar is used up when "ninja vision" or ninjutsu is used. The gameplay is highly cinematic, relying on quick time events to finish missions; after attacking a boss until the health bar is empty, the player must perform a finishing move, called the todome.<br /><br />
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<br />♦Help Us Get to 1,000 subs: https://bit.ly/2BW6wld<br /><br />♢Check out my books: https://amzn.to/2NwB3un<br /><br />♦Twitter: https://twitter.com/BelartWright<br /><br />♢Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OccultLitRPG/<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzG5YLi2u0A<br /><br />Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-3561789224867378262018-09-19T22:09:00.000-07:002018-09-19T22:09:49.703-07:00 Average Joe and the Beauty: The Sisters That Defy Fate is out now! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BPSVVUXzL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BPSVVUXzL.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<span>You can find it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HHHVN9B" target="_blank">Amazon.com/ajb2</a>. Here's the blurb below: </span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span>This direct sequel to Average Joe and the Beauty: Shadow Spinner takes
you on a thrill ride of colossal proportions as Joe and the gang face
both mystical and technological terrors in order to find and rescue
Melissa's missing sister from an unexpected place, a place that haunts
Joe's nightmares even today. Witness a dangerous magical battle unfold
before your own and Joe's very eyes as the teen and his guardian,
Liandra try to protect his friends. And follow along as Joe learns
something new and vital about himself, something that could change his
very life and the lives of those around him.<br /><br />When backed into a corner with nowhere else to go, can even an average guy do extraordinary things?<br /><br />Liandra
walks a slippery line between trying to unearth clues about her past
and future destiny versus protecting the boy she's accidentally involved
in her mess. Now, on top of that she's dedicated herself to helping
those suffering under Grabas' tyranny including Melissa and her sisters.
To that end, she'll do whatever it takes to save them ... but, Grabas,
her old friend has the answers she needs to ignite the most profound
change in her, greater than what she can accomplish with her
shapeshifting abilities.
</span>Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-43368507928852918572018-09-11T08:11:00.000-07:002018-09-11T08:15:23.619-07:00Average Joe and the Beauty: Shadow Spinner is out now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H83MWZ3" target="_blank"><img alt="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MXFIQMuqL.jpg" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MXFIQMuqL.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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You can find it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H83MWZ3">Amazon.com/ajb</a>. Here's the blurb below:<br />
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After wishing for a more interesting life, average teen Joe Black now
simply wishes for a return to normalcy. He lives a life of fear and
stress after his principal tries to kill him. Liandra, whose mystical
artifact is keeping Joe protected, seeks out information about her past
through clues gained from investigating her old friend, Robert Grabas.
During these investigations of his research facilities, she uncovers
cruel experimentations with low survival rates performed on people who
haven't the means to decline them. Liandra uses her mystical abilities
to help those who can't help themselves and to uncover the truth about
her past, which is tied intricately to Robert Grabas.<br />
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Grabas
himself is seeking power by all means at his disposal. He seeks to kill
Joe by using his old friend, Principal William Patrias to do the deed
since the boy saw vital aspects of his trafficking operation. He also
exploits his political clout, construction company, and personal
relationships to empower himself and carry out his ever evolving goals.
He wants Liandra at his side, but since she is nowhere near ready, he
will help her unravel her past, the hard way.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-88585865342348138292018-07-09T21:07:00.000-07:002018-07-15T10:24:24.644-07:00Dragon Ball Super: Broly (He's Back!!!!)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5emsqIPz5GYldkHi4mD1VBoVJ2pZTf9kY2l1vD6suNH3BFoMARUjAnVtOh6wa83qUESaFuXKx4p4Fxm23W7yLiKIOorOxDbjYZL9ntgqjk7W11eBisvOwzC-NDkKqZq84BThyphenhyphenjAh4_gm/s1600/DBS+Broly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="800" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5emsqIPz5GYldkHi4mD1VBoVJ2pZTf9kY2l1vD6suNH3BFoMARUjAnVtOh6wa83qUESaFuXKx4p4Fxm23W7yLiKIOorOxDbjYZL9ntgqjk7W11eBisvOwzC-NDkKqZq84BThyphenhyphenjAh4_gm/s640/DBS+Broly.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broly is back and as ridiculous as this is, I AM HYPED!</td></tr>
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Let's be honest. Dragon Ball Super has a lot of flaws and so do the Broly movies, but oh my goodness are they fun as hell (and about as dumb as dumb can get most of the time). It was just revealed today that the first ever Dragon Ball Super movie, with its sparkling new art and animation via the design direction of Naohiro Shintani, will be featuring Broly in a lead role. Hell, the movie's title was literally revealed as Dragon Ball Super: Broly. And this means a lot of things to a lot of people because Broly is a polarizing character in the Dragon Ball community.<br />
<br />
First let's address the elephant in the room. Broly wasn't a very good character and as time went on, the mystique, fun, and wow factor of his initial appearance wore off drastically and put him in C-List villain territory for a long time, I mean seriously, what the hell were they thinking with Bio-Broly aka Broly and Clayface Do The Fusion Dance? What was cool about Broly and very effective during his first outing as a villain, was his design, his pure rage, his concept, and his overwhelming levels of ass kickery. He completely manhandled the strongest Z Warriors of that time all at once and made it look easy. His last minute defeat deflated him a bit, but the power of Broly's design and concept was so strong that he remained popular for nearly 25 years (with the help of some videogame power wanking, but we'll probably talk about that in another post later on down the line).<br />
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One thing I really didn't like about the Super anime was its use of a character named Kale who was supposed to be a Broly homage, but they really upped the octane on that to turn her into mostly a Broly ripoff during her initial couple of appearances. They fleshed her out a bit more by the end, but having Broly-not-Broly was really a poor use of that Broly's legacy and only managed to pigeonhole a brand new character concept that could have been cool (and actually is very much so in the manga adaptation). Because that particular homage was so on the nose, so blatant with its imagery and purpose and so illogical at the end of the day, I always simply wondered, "Why not just put f***ing Broly in Super?" Seems that those behind the brand new Dragon Ball content felt this way too and now Broly's getting the Cadillac treatment from the man who designed him over twenty years ago, Akira Toriyama.<br />
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Toriyama had previously designed Broly for the first movie he was featured in all the way back in 1993. As far as I know, Toriyama didn't write anything for the movie, only drew designs, so Broly's lack of personality is Toei inspired. This time around, Toriyama is penning the character and he has stated that he is reworking some things after viewing that original movie. After Toriyama's stellar handling of Goku Black, which I felt should have been a throwaway concept, I feel that this new Broly -- and knowing Toriyama it will indeed be a version of the character with a side we have yet to see -- will be much more interesting and multifaceted than he's ever been. Toriyama has a bit of a spotty track record as of late so we'll just have to wait and see how this pan's out (no pun intended), but I have decent hopes for it. Nothing too high. Never again will I let Dragon Ball deflate me like it did with Super's first two arcs ... really first three arcs.<br />
<br />
For now, I am excited, well, as excited as a jaded Dragon Ball fan can be anyway. With Piccolo's inclusion in the promotional materials, brand new art direction and animation style, the inclusion of Beerus and Whis, a new and terrifying Broly being penned by Toriyama, and some awesome new retro designs for Goku and Vegeta this movie is shaping to be something that really captures the interest of Dragon Ball fans of all stripes and even those outside of the fandom. So, to answer the question of those who wondered where the series could possibly go after an immensely powerful antagonist like Jiren. The answer: bring back Broly.<br />
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Take care everyone! Let's make the world a less sucky place.<br />
BW<br />
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P.S. Had fun with this one. I might make more short and to the point DB content. There's enough DB announcements nowadays that its easy to write a little piece here and there. To those who enjoyed my previous Dragon Ball articles, I'll try to create more of this content and get even more of those other DB articles I had planned out of my draft box. Thanks for the support, everyone!Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-13038786819900297142018-03-06T15:39:00.000-08:002019-01-31T18:06:22.616-08:00Games With Gold March 2018 Disney Pixar Brave: The Video Game Review - Gaelic Hero<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://123kinect.com/wp-content/gallery/brave-the-video-game/brave_box1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="541" height="400" src="https://123kinect.com/wp-content/gallery/brave-the-video-game/brave_box1.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Developer: Behavior Interactive<br />
Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios<br />
Xbox Release Date: September 25, 2012 (according to Xbox.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This month's Games With Gold release for the Xbox 360 was Brave: The Video Game and it's one that pleasantly surprised me with a crisp and fun gameplay experience. I haven't been this pleasantly surprised by a free Xbox game since I downloaded and played Dark Souls back when it was offered for Games With Gold back in 2014.<br />
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The first thing you'll notice when you play this game are the visuals. Brave has the look of a budget title visually. Textures are simple, animation is limited, and the camera is pulled back greatly. With the amount and placement of enemies, you'll be glad for the latter, but it all does give Brave the look of every other licensed title that hardcore gamers prefer to skip. However, once you get into the gameplay, the simplistic visuals are a mere afterthought and are competent enough to not get in your way while offering a nice enough backdrop to the action.<br />
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During my initial playthrough of the game on Normal difficulty, I found the game to be a fun breeze of running, jumping, shooting, slashing, and collect-a-thon action. The controls are simple, easy, and smooth. Shooting Merida's bow is done with the right thumb stick. There is no targeting reticle to deal with which works in this game's favor and the projectiles generally go where you want them to go. Melee is performed with (<span style="background-color: blue;">X</span>) and is standard, quick, and competent, but I always preferred to use the bow. Jumping with (<span style="background-color: lime;">A</span>) feels good and the level design leads to some fun and sometimes challenging platforming.<br />
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The game breaks up the standard combat sections with simple puzzles that I sometimes managed to solve in only a few seconds along with a different style of combat featuring a freaking bear -- ahem -- Merida's mom, Queen Elinor I mean.<br />
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The puzzles are done by playing as Merida's three cursed brothers (also bears) and using them to maneuver to the necessary switches and levers required to solve the puzzle. (RB) is used to switch between the three brothers and each of them can jump and activate switches and levers with (<span style="background-color: yellow;">Y</span>). The cool thing about the puzzle sections is that when you redo the levels (to farm for coins for instance) you can completely skip the whole puzzle by pressing (<span style="background-color: blue;">X</span>) as soon as the prompt appears. The puzzles weren't so painful to make this a necessity, but it's an amazingly kind gesture from game developer to player.<br />
<span id="goog_839062753"></span><span id="goog_839062754"></span><br />
<span id="goog_839062753">Queen Elinor's combat arena sections also give a nice break from Merida's style of combat, platforming, and collecting. The queen uses her ursine size and power to basically dominate her enemies. If you're struggling with Merida's quest, these sections could bring you some satisfaction, since you're mostly just dominant here. The queen's hitboxes are massive, especially for her AoE ground pound and her damage is incredible especially as you collect tapestry upgrades while using Merida, which affect all combat related characters. The queen comes into play on nearly every level.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_839062753">One of the coolest parts about the combat is the sheer amount of ways you can approach it and upgrade your character. The basic gameplay is simple but satisfying all its own. Even so, constantly running, jumping, shooting, and slashing does run the risk of getting stale really quickly. To combat this (no pun intended), the developers at Behavior Interactive have included elemental charms to augment Merida's sword and bow & arrow attacks with a variety of effects. These charms even effect the environment by activating earthen and stone platforms, freezing water and flaming impediments, and burning down thorns. In combat, each charm has the effects you'd imagine and more. For instance, fire hurts wood and ice based enemies WAY more than the other elements. Along with a pokemon-esque system of strengths and weaknesses, the charms can also be upgraded with most of the upgrades effecting Merida's powerful assortment of bows.</span><br />
<span id="goog_839062753"><br /></span>
<span id="goog_839062753">Before we get into that though, let's talk about the sword. I mentioned before that Merida's sword skills are augmented by the charms and this includes the two sword skills you can upgrade, the Slam Attack and it's three AoE upgrades. The Slam Attack can be used to eliminate enemies that are surrounding you. You must jump all the way into the air and slam your sword into the ground to release a pulsating wave of whatever element you have equipped. Sword attacks are strengthened by finding new swords on your journey while bow attacks are strengthened by finding new bows. Very simple and effective.</span><br />
<span id="goog_839062753"><br /></span>
<span id="goog_839062753">Now back to the bow upgrades. Bow attacks can be upgraded in what amounts to two paths. There is a power attack path and a charge attack path with the four elements each having distinct upgrade options in each of those paths. The elemental upgrades for the bow alone give twenty-eight different choices that heavily effect your playstyle especially on harder difficulties (such as the frustrating Brave difficulty.) </span><br />
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<span id="goog_839062753">The Power Attack itself -- activated with (<span style="background-color: red;">B</span>) and performed with the right thumbstick -- can be upgraded. You must first get the upgrade to use the power attack, which can be activated after doing or having a certain amount of damage done to you. The power attack offers boosted damage and gives each charmed arrow additional properties of the equipped element. The fire charm adds DoT, while the ice charm adds slow, wind charm adds pushback, and earth charm adds increased AoE. Additionally you can upgrade how fast the power attack gauge charges, either by upgrading the damage done path or the damage taken path which have three upgrades apiece and a noticeable effect on the gauge. I found the use of the power attack to be limited, but it did come through for me in a pinch a few times on both difficulties I played on, though in very specific and rare situations where the charged shot was inadequate.</span><br />
<span id="goog_839062753"><br /></span>
<span id="goog_839062753">The game gets really meta with the Charged Shots. Without knowing how to properly use these, I don't believe I could have even gotten halfway through the Brave difficulty. Charged shots must be unlocked with an upgrade and are performed by holding down the (RT). Initially it takes a little over a second, perhaps two, to charge the attack to max. Only when fully charged can the special affect of a charged shot be activated. Unlike with the power attack, each distinct element of a charged shot must be unlocked in the upgrade store. They each have vastly different effects and strength. To start, the Charged Shot: Fire explodes with and AoE blast when it connects with anything, doing extra damage. Further upgrades cause bigger explosions via wider AoE. Charged Shot: Ice freezes an enemy in place with longer duration depending on the upgrade. Charged Shot: Wind unleashes a wide fan of arrows, something like seven of them on the initial level. When fully upgraded you basically shoot everything in front of you with a wide horizontal wall of wind. And last but not least, Charged Shot: Earth. Earth is the very first charm you get and yet Charged Shot: Earth is displayed last amongst all the upgrades, likely to psychologically deter people from purchasing it first because it is by far the most powerful upgrade you can get and you can buy it right from the start. It trivializes any danger to Merida on lesser difficulties and turns the hardest difficulty in the game into something moderately challenging because each completed charge and subsequent hit summons a minimum of three exploding minions that do massive damage in a large AoE range regardless of element typing. The whole game conditions you to think that the earth charm is the weakest and it's only with trial and error, ability testing, or dumb luck that players would discover just how strong this ability is.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_839062753">You'll need it if you intend to take on game's hardest difficulty, Brave, for the 100pt Gaelic Hero achievement without driving yourself crazy. Brave difficulty must also be commended. Though it adjusts the difficulty by simply adjusting the numerical values of the enemies and the player, it does turn Brave: The Video Game into a much more desperate affair, which makes for a much more enjoyable game all things considered. That's coming from someone who's not even a challenge gamer, but even though I'm not super duper into playing challenges, I still like a challenging experience or rather an experience that means something and a sense of challenge does add to that especially if I enjoy a game's mechanics. If that doesn't make sense, what I'm saying is that you won't catch me doing Dante Must Die mode in a Devil May Cry game for the hell of it, but I do enjoy the challenge of a Devil May Cry game even if its a little higher than Normal Mode.</span><br />
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But back to Brave. Despite all the good things I've said about it, the game isn't without its weaknesses. The two glaring weaknesses of note are the enemy design and the truncated story, the latter of which makes the game feel like nothing more than an arcade game. I thought the game could have gone on a little longer too, but won't count that against it because I'm satisfied by the experience.<br />
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As far as the enemies go, I get the feeling that there's not enough of them. One enemy in particular, the treelike archers, could be at fault for this because they have at least four different functions such as shooting arrows at you, chasing you down and using melee, having a body that damages you when you're too close to it, having a lot of HP, being resistant to every charm but fire, and exploding into arrows that fire in eight directions when you kill them.<br />
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<a href="http://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817/1033/screenlg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="179" src="https://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817/1033/screenlg3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But overall, the enemy design feels lackluster and sometimes downright lazy or maybe rushed. The fire branch of enemies is particularly notable because there's only two fire type enemies, with those annoying wooden archers often being paired with them (and every other enemy type) for whatever reason. There are four bosses in the game, but you fight two of them twice. And worst of all that is the fact that every enemy spawns from either under you or above you. With some enemies, a simple touch is enough to cause damage to you so this constantly spawning above or below you becomes a real problem on harder difficulties. Sometimes enemies just appear out of thin air and immediately begin attacking.<br />
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One enemy in particular needs to be patched and that's the biggest golem in the game. His AoE is totally busted. He stomped his foot to the front one time and hit me several feet behind him. There was no indication his attack could hit that far. He also throws a boulder every three or four seconds with deadly accuracy and if you're able to dodge you'll likely be hit by a very wide and nasty AoE splash that goes far beyond the visual range of the attack. What's worse is that every time you fight this particular boss, he is surrounded by a cavalcade of constantly spawning BS. There's smaller golems that also throw boulders, overly mobile boars that constantly hound you, and exploding rock minions. The two times you deal with this on Brave difficulty is enough to stop a run cold and make you rethink playing on this difficulty.<br />
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You can see my frustrations with that fight here: <a href="https://youtu.be/jmAGclySjnE?t=27m11s">https://youtu.be/jmAGclySjnE?t=27m11s</a> <br />
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And finally, there's not much to say about the story except I felt like more could be done. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm guessing that the game's story is likely a truncated version of that or something in the same vein. But the game is short, no matter how you slice it. At most, I can see someone getting 4 hours out of a single playthrough. And there's not a ton of replay value, but the shortness of the campaign may also help it in that regard, because I don't mind starting the whole thing over and playing again. I haven't tried the co-op yet so I might get another replay out it, which would make three for a likely total of ten gameplay hours when you count my Normal Mode, Brave Mode, and a Co-op gameplay session. Since the game is so short, it could only benefit from a Time Trial mode, but again, I won't ding it for what it doesn't have but will acknowledge that such an addition could boost my own enjoyment of the game.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_839062753">When you combine simple fun of Merida's collect-a-thon/hack n' slash/platformer gameplay, with the short puzzles of her brothers, brief and
dominant Queen Elinor sections, and the wealth of combat and upgrade
options you get a game that rises above the sum of its parts and forges
a unique identity of its own.</span><span id="goog_839062754"></span>
You get something with a really snappy pace that rewards those who like
to explore with prizes that range from simple (a few extra coins) to
awesome (new weapons, clothes, powerups). You get a gameplay experience that feels satisfying and complete, despite only offering about four hours of initial play and ten hours after three potential playthroughs. I'd likely be a little more critical of the game if I'd spent any more than $10 to purchase it, but since it was free this month courtesy of Games With Gold, I feel lucky to have even played it and that is a good feeling to have.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Games With Gold DL Available until 3/15/2018</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817/1033/screenlg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="223" src="https://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817/1033/screenlg1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Xbox
Link (sign-in for Games With Gold):
<a href="https://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Brave-The-Video-Game/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817">https://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Brave-The-Video-Game/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80242560817</a></div>
Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-46121527132010094772018-02-27T04:06:00.000-08:002018-02-27T04:06:19.826-08:00Occult Gaming: .hack//G.U. Last Recode vol. 1 Normal Mode<br />
No commentary. Full immersion. All quests completed. All items attained. Ryu books maxed. All message boards, news, and emails read. Affection and weapon proficiencies maxed.<br />
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Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-86104874797922518952017-10-12T23:32:00.000-07:002017-10-12T23:32:53.573-07:00Belart Wright Occult Gaming Plays Ninja Gaiden BlackCheck out the playlist:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6__wGDtttFzHJ-TI2xtZ0mBbKvPXG6vz">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6__wGDtttFzHJ-TI2xtZ0mBbKvPXG6vz</a><br />
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Ninja n00b Gaiden Black Part 1</div>
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Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-35239480334891977762017-08-27T20:03:00.000-07:002018-04-12T09:24:48.463-07:00Book Corner: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1/3 Really Good Book, 2/3 Why Does This Exist?</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4WssBTmgLaedAExtH4lCtmaXxK_r4iUK7lGw-CwZIHkWgpIZfrTXxSYB5W0iZK1rfIfJ12ouPHojwafW6-26WdCTbytF869kLcgJga6LvOU3m4L9h8nJHIAck8TwJ-sBvE3JoZjdrg4a/s1600/4113v6q36iL._SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4WssBTmgLaedAExtH4lCtmaXxK_r4iUK7lGw-CwZIHkWgpIZfrTXxSYB5W0iZK1rfIfJ12ouPHojwafW6-26WdCTbytF869kLcgJga6LvOU3m4L9h8nJHIAck8TwJ-sBvE3JoZjdrg4a/s640/4113v6q36iL._SY346_.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This book has had me at a loss for several years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've heard so many negative things about it
that kept me away, yet at the same time, people whose opinions I respect all
say that it was a perfectly fine or even "good" series of books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two of my friends, fellow authors, actually
love the series highly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here I've
been all these years, unable to reconcile this conflicting information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can such smart and highly creative people
love something so bad?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew even back
then when the Twilight craze was at its peak that I'd be reading the first book
of the series one day to appraise it firsthand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here's that review.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Twilight is a mixed bag, that's for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After struggling through the first 25% of the
book, I was certain that I would be giving it a 1 star by the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feeling stretched on well past the
halfway point of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
mainly due to the spotlight here being on Edward and Bella's dull, slow, tease
of a relationship if you could even call it that because it was mostly just
Bella being desperate for the attention and affection of male model Edward
Cullen whose appearance she couldn't go more than one paragraph commenting on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, we get to the major problem with the book, the two main
characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boring Bella, Bland Edward,
and their unappealing romance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The premise is ridiculous from the start and immediately
puts me in opposition of Edward and the romance that the book presents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would a person over 100 years old want to
spend their time as a teenage student?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>College I could understand, but the thinly explained reasons for his
enrollment in high school just do not add up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doesn't matter if he looks like a teen, spending so much time amongst
teens is just creepy and creating and maintaining that farce would be more
complicated than less, one would think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then you must ask why would that 100-year-old be interested in a 17-year-old
young woman?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Edward is supposedly
cultured and well-traveled, so why Bella?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The book gives a few explanations, but they don't really do
much to help me root for Edward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First
is the fact that Bella has an old soul in a figurative sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it were literal I could give it a pass,
but it's more personality based.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's
told to us rather than shown, because Bella oftentimes comes off as the single-minded
petulant teen that she is. The second reason is that Edward is drawn to her
gothic looks (tall, pale, raven-haired) and the third reason is that he (and
many other vamps) are attracted by her scent which is revealed by the bad guy
at the end to be a unique floral scent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I'm sure later down the line, it'll be revealed that Edward and Bella
are soulmates or something like that, because for now the reasoning for their
pairing and how extreme Bella's feelings for Edward are feels flimsy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bella's attraction to Edward appears to be nothing but
shallow and surface level, which is proven in how all she talks about is
Edward's physical appearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's
especially egregious in the first half of the book, but it barely lets up
towards the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn't help that
Stephenie Meyer's descriptions are often inelegant and redundant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bella often takes the time to describe Edwards
clothes, cars, and the Cullens' expensive possessions in great detail giving
the impression that she's largely interested in image and status above
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse than all that is the fact
that it is a plain case of insta-love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bella is more-or-less head-over-heels for Edward as soon as she sees
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She covets him before she even
knows him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She aches for his attention
before they even introduce themselves to one another and for the most part
their relationship stays this one-sidedly obsessive until Edward reveals his
feelings, then it becomes two-sidedly obsessive and even more creepy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An excerpt of an Edward and Bella conversation:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"I was curious about you."</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"You spied on me?" But somehow, I couldn't infuse
my voice with the proper outrage. I was flattered.</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"What else is there to do at night?"</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"How often?"</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>...</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>"I come here almost every night."</i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that excerpt, Edward basically admitted that he breaks
into her house on a nightly basis and watches her sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was just after they'd started
dating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought Edward was a creep
before, but this put him over the edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I'm not saying that Twilight needs to feature moral characters doing
things in a way I deem right, but I am saying that this makes me not like
Edward and or this romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact
that Bella finds this flattering is just weird, but I digress. I already knew
they were two weirdos and that's fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just don't want to read about them and so I struggled with the first 300 or so
pages of the book, often putting it down for more entertaining affairs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The Turnaround</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stuff starts getting interesting in chapter 13 when we
finally get around to some in-universe vampire lore and cool tidbits
surrounding that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also get some
glimpses into Edward's past and how he was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The boring romance stuff takes over again
until chapter 15 and that's when the book really takes off for me, especially
when the Cullens are introduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
essentially took 312 pages to get to the good part of the book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Cullens are a breath of fresh air to what was so far a
book filled with cardboard characters--from Edward, Bella, all the way to the
nondescript supporting cast of bland humans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Cullens injected life into the book and the personalities and
backstories of Carlisle and his family weren't earth shatteringly unique, but
they were interesting to read. That may be due to the plainness of the other
characters which help the Cullen family stand out more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From there we get a superpowered baseball game during a
thunderstorm that's predicted from the psychic vamp, Alice and we are
introduced to a villain who brings some actual tension and stakes to an
otherwise mundane book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The end of the book was suspenseful and packed full of
dangerous consequences as the villain, a vampiric hunter with a hard-on for
Bella, put the group, especially Bella herself through their paces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weakest part of the end was the fact that
we didn't see the actual rescue because Bella was unconscious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As quickly as the danger hit its peak, it
was instantly resolved because the heroine couldn't witness it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a quick Edward POV would've done
wonders here, but I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After so
much fun, I didn't even mind the refocus on Edward and Bella's romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After such stakes, it suddenly felt a little
more interesting to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My final thought is that even if I was a big fan of books in
the romance genre (there are some I really liked), I could not forgive those
first 312 pages of this book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
pages exemplify what most people who haven't read the book think of
Twilight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say that because I was one
of those people and I did think those things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now that I've read this book, I can see why well-read people say it's
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, the last 186 pages
were.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as scoring goes, I've been all over the map with this
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first 312 pages were worthy of
a 1 star, but the last 186 deserved much higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was tempted to give it a 3 overall, but
then dropped it to 2.5 due to the weaknesses of the first part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some deliberation about the ending,
which also had its flaws, this one sits at a solid 2 for me especially when I
consider the multitude of amateur errors that Mrs. Meyer and her editor have
overlooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the book literally
started from page 312, I'd score it at a 3.5 even without the context given
from previous chapters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All that said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
interested to see where the series goes and may at some point continue it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, I have a ton of books that I can't
wait to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twilight by Stephenie
Meyer proved to be a surprise for me and that deserves some credit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The Good</h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+Vamp lore and consequences are interesting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+Edward's backstory is kind of interesting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+Chapter 15 was good with its spotlight on Carlisle and the
Cullen family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and Edward vaguely
remind me of Joshua York, a character from a better vampire book called Fevre
Dream.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+Chapter 16 was also really good with history, mood, and a
good length.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn't even mind Edward and
Bella here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+Every chapter after 15 was enjoyable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+A viable and fitting threat as the villain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
+The Cullens</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The Bad</h4>
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-No real mystery throughout the start of the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything is either spelled out or easy to
figure out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The supernatural parts feel tacked on for the first half of
the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It all takes a backseat to the
"romance" aka Bella's thirst.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Instead of feeling supernatural, the book often feels like
a teen superhero book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could easily
call these vamps mutants and this would be an X-Men soap opera.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Despite just getting to know Bella, Edward divulges vital
secrets to her that could put his family and his very kind in danger if revealed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even tells her how many vampires there are
and where they can be located.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Missed opportunity with the off-screen rescue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The Cringe-inducing</h4>
<br />
<h4>
</h4>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Book would flow better without the constant descriptions of
Edward's appearance and how he constantly takes Bella's breath away with his
every action and how he electrifies her with every look.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Unimaginable repeated metaphors like in chapter 13 when
Bella says Edward is "like stone" about 6 different times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Bella's vapidness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Edward's reasons for stalking Bella to Seattle are tenuous
at best and seem to be inserted to glaze over a plot hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His stalking method was also creepily
elaborate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-The stalking gets even worse when Edward breaks into
Bella's house and spies on her during while she's sleeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To top it all off, she's flattered by it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-During their isolated trip to the forest, Edward still
wasn't sure he could control himself around Bella as he later admits to
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, he essentially puts her life in
danger to prove a point to himself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Bella's intense thirst.</div>
Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-43011850086476413742017-05-03T09:25:00.000-07:002018-04-12T20:11:12.691-07:00A Dragon Ball Fanboy Finally Loves Dragon Ball Super ... Why?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0s_FMcBsQQZcc8e1Q2-3dZPSTYlRJjjG5KQegWDZP_80rsCyXpQ985cB9ld5jfoIu4C95TGIUc83tdwKzE_oTUW0ki74FNWH-0uJxAphG_KPRbDZCdFCwFMzaZc4yd078peeT9XaUZLC/s1600/mainvisual_img_universe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0s_FMcBsQQZcc8e1Q2-3dZPSTYlRJjjG5KQegWDZP_80rsCyXpQ985cB9ld5jfoIu4C95TGIUc83tdwKzE_oTUW0ki74FNWH-0uJxAphG_KPRbDZCdFCwFMzaZc4yd078peeT9XaUZLC/s640/mainvisual_img_universe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
If you're new to the blog, then you probably won't know about my "A Dragon Ball Fanboy vs. Akira Toriyama and Toei" posts, of which I have many. You can find them with a simple google search. Those posts are usually directed at Dragon Ball Super's many missteps and missed opportunities. But lately, I've found myself enjoying Super more and more, but why is that? Well that's just what I'm here to explain.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6DHmxQ5pgke0LPEdl7TlSbtXIScp2a181tiMGWfuOTaRGTYJRTnFxiLxairCGpmP9xmzTq0eolKuA8Ziyr2f18dbvq76vyjk-6JUSZOBfJBXiAeZ7ovf-2WHDRUEqi4veQTJGhVdN1LI/s1600/dragon_ball_super__goku_black_arc_by_rondon2020-daq00dv.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6DHmxQ5pgke0LPEdl7TlSbtXIScp2a181tiMGWfuOTaRGTYJRTnFxiLxairCGpmP9xmzTq0eolKuA8Ziyr2f18dbvq76vyjk-6JUSZOBfJBXiAeZ7ovf-2WHDRUEqi4veQTJGhVdN1LI/s320/dragon_ball_super__goku_black_arc_by_rondon2020-daq00dv.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By Rondon2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It started with the Future Trunks/Goku Black arc. The darker tonal shift to the series was awesome starting from Trunks' very first appearance. Black was a formidible and epic villain that I loved to hate with the most complex motivations of any DB villain to date, and it was nice to get another hero character other than Goku and Vegeta who was reasonably useful in combat. That's all it took for me to stop skipping episodes and entire arcs of the show (Golden Frieza and Pontefidoodoo arcs). Now the Goku Black arc did still have plenty of plot holes and face palm moments mostly to do with Trunks' new Gary-Stu tendencies, some time travel spamming, and those last three or so episodes of the arc, but overall I must say that I enjoyed myself immensely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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I've always thought that Super's slice-of-life episodes were the best thing going for it since the beginning and so I enjoyed those 9 weeks of "filler", but what surprises me is that the run up to the Tournament of Power is just as good and there seems to be a consensus that Super is hype as hell right now and why is that? It's the sub-characters stupid! I imagined I was saying that to Toriyama san (respectfully of course) and Toei's staff.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvVZ1TQhcnec7Z1ck23NzGUI9-yOviBTTAQ-LSy2ZaGdmlw__AVvazpakSfeTVAP1Qa2oAWiGGZT9be7FkYjCuvsIRa6bg08iOZMwCA3HCkycvLEF8ocOyOUbAeefGoldQ6djO_WJyre0/s1600/u7_vs_u9_v_2_by_m_a_n42-dayumr3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvVZ1TQhcnec7Z1ck23NzGUI9-yOviBTTAQ-LSy2ZaGdmlw__AVvazpakSfeTVAP1Qa2oAWiGGZT9be7FkYjCuvsIRa6bg08iOZMwCA3HCkycvLEF8ocOyOUbAeefGoldQ6djO_WJyre0/s320/u7_vs_u9_v_2_by_m_a_n42-dayumr3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By: M-A-N42</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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First off the new characters are still pretty cool. I think Toriyama san has always had a way of introducing new characters that get you invested just from their appearance alone. The Trio of Terrors was a very interesting addition with some cool abilities. Then there are the many many new gods introduced and characters like Toppo and Jiren, but again Toriyama is good at hyping new characters up. Just look at the Supreme Kai and Kibito when they were introduced. But what really shocked me was their treatment of Buu and Gohan in those skirmish matches, which was much better than Piccolo's treatment in the U6 tournament arc. The fights were amazing to see and gave me much hope for the Tournament of Power until I heard they only had 48 hours to prepare.<br />
<br />
But then we get some great episodes of Goku recruiting his 10 man team. He starts with his best friend Krillin and Krillin's powerful wife, #18. We are also taught the rules of the tournament, which will involve more strategic thinking and cooperation over brute force. This gives weaker though more experienced characters like Krillin a chance to actually contribute in the upcoming tournament and not only that but Krillin is shown to have powered up significantly as well as developed powerful new techniques. Where the hell was this development all along? I love it! They even put a nice bow on Krillin's overall arc. His weakness was all in his mind. His PTSD from getting killed by the likes of Tambourine, Frieza, and Majin Buu placed mental blocks on him and diminished his fighting spirit which limited his power all these years. It was great to see him break those limits and stand toe to toe with Goku. There's some controversy with him clashing beams with Super Saiyan Blue Goku but it's well documented that Goku was holding back in this fight. Krillin's strong as hell, but he's not at that level ... yet.<br />
<br />
The next big surprise we get comes from Buu who in two hours has transformed and gotten a lot stronger. This was kinda silly and reminded me that the 48 hour limit was pretty dumb. I like that the characters are getting stronger but feel they could've done this a lot more organically, like having them train before big events like this comes up, you know, so that they can reasonably keep up. It's not like the Earth is at a loss for planet destroying bad guys. You'd think they'd all prepare more.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
Buu aside, we got another HUGE surprise in the form of Android 17 who's debut in Super was by far the most hype debut in the show since Future Trunks showed up and bodied Mecha Frieza. #17, now stoic and pessimistic, is a nature lover. A cool fan interpretation of this is that he became this way due to 16's influence. Anyways, 17 bodies a bunch of heavily armed poachers and we see that he can pull his punches well due to those poachers not exploding into a fine red mist. Goku recruits him, #17 isn't interested and then they fight. To my and millions of other people's utter surprise #17 bodies Super Saiyan Goku. He Smash Brothers punches him all the way above the clouds where a hurt Goku powers up to SSB and they continue their fight. Goku uses Kamehameha, #17 uses that broken Barrier of his and effortlessly blocks the beam.<br />
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The blast explodes and #17 flies out the smoke to clash with Goku and we learn that both have been holding back their full power. Just like that, #17 is a power player in the series again. Amazing! There's a lot of questions with the scaling at the moment, but I don't even care. We have useful characters in the show, other than Goku and Vegeta and I freaking love it! It can't get any better than that right? I'm sure that my hype must go downhill from here, this is usually where they mess things up.<br />
<br />
Wrong!<br />
<br />
Two words: Episode 88. Great episode. This episode was good for so many reasons. #1, it was a well written training episode between Piccolo and Gohan that gave a big spotlight to both characters, developed them, and set them up to be useful in the future. #2, it fixed many of the issues the hardcore fans had with power scaling because now we know just how strong both Piccolo and Gohan are when before they were utter enigmas due to inconsistencies in previous arcs and movies. #3, it has moments for other characters like Krillin, #18, Marron, Vegeta, Bulma, Trunks, Goten, Beerus, Whis, Cabba, and two new characters.<br />
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<br />
So right off the bat the episode began with training and to my surprise my favorite character, Piccolo, who's been treated like such trash lately is actually giving Gohan a hard time and Piccolo STILL HAS HIS WEIGHTS ON. We cut to #18 vs Krillin and get some confirmation that Krillin is still below her, which probably means that he is below Super Saiyan tier, unless #18 got a lot stronger. We get back to Piccolo and Gohan and see that Piccolo has greatly improved in strength sense the last few times we saw him fight. He's trashing normal Super Saiyan Gohan and putting up a stellar fight against Super Saiyan level 2, but here we also get some really good development of Gohan. Piccolo, wise mentor that he is, gives Gohan some advice that was really in-depth and insightful. This showed me that Toriyama or possibly the writers at Toei really do know these characters, their flaws, and their weaknesses. The show felt more real then than it has in a really long time.<br />
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Piccolo's advice pushes Gohan to evoke his inner warrior and Gohan unleashes his power in one large burst that parts the clouds and sends Twilight glitter all over.<br />
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Gohan has his hair bang back and his hair is black and guess what? He's stronger than he's ever been. He and Piccolo go all out and this ultimate version of Gohan casually chops off Piccolo's arm. Piccolo, clever fighter that he is, takes the opportunity to trick Gohan into letting his guard down and blasts him in the back with his severed arm, an ability we have never seen from him.<br />
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Piccolo regrows his arm ... and they continue fighting until nightfall. Incredible! Piccolo, who was terrified of Fat Buu and Super Buu just a few years earlier, is training with someone who is leagues above both of them in power. <br />
<br />
<br />
It truly is a great day to be a Dragon Ball fan! Then Piccolo tells this ultimate Gohan that his power can rise even higher and they agree to train some more and develop some team attacks. Just WOW!<br />
<br />
This is what's been missing this entire time since the Androids saga, maybe even before. I think this is the best that the sub-characters have been treated, for some of them since Dragon Ball. Next episode looks to do more of the same and with the recently released spoilers of Super Episode 90, it looks like Super shows no signs of stopping this amazing streak of sub-character development. If there is one thing that makes Dragon Ball what it is, it's the characters, and when time and care is put into developing the majority of the fan favorites, it makes for a much more enjoyable show for all. Now we all have something to look forward to every week and I love it. Til next time Dragon Ball fans.<br />
<br />
BWBelart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-66128553933281494602017-01-13T20:22:00.000-08:002017-02-07T13:32:06.298-08:00Addressing Hell's Glitch CriticismFor a writer there is barely anything more frustrating than people who just don't understand your work or your work's intentions. I have endured this with my first LitRPG, Hell's Glitch. I'm hard pressed to find anything that stings more than a reviewer that cries "ripoff" and leaves a single star rating. That stings because I put a lot of work and originality into HG. It is derivative sure, purposely so, but I don't think people understand just how derivative the LitRPG genre is. So I finally feel the need to address these criticisms publicly and attempt to debunk a vast majority of them.<br />
<br />
Let's start off by telling you who I am. I'm Belart Wright, a writer, a gamer, and a person who respects other creators and reveres their creative minds. In 2014 I downloaded Dark Souls for free via Xbox Games for Gold. I was never really interested in it because of how clunky it looked and once I played it for a bit, I didn't really like how "old" and slow it felt. I think I stopped before I even escaped the first level. I didn't pick it up again until a few weeks later and I can't even tell you why I did that. I went from not thinking about it for all that time to suddenly wanting to play it. This time something was different though. This time I found myself more immersed in it and the controls became second nature and the world looked and felt more alive. It was a world that attracted me, whispering to all my aesthetic desires. I'm a huge fan of Legacy of Kain and this bleak, almost post apocalyptic tone reminded me of that. So I was hooked on Dark Souls during my second play session. The bleak tone and Firelink theme lured me in, but the emphasis on exploration, deliberate gameplay, and dire need for strategy and perception to survive each encounter was what ensured that this would be a favorite game of mine for years to come.<br />
<br />
<h4>
So what about Hell's Glitch?</h4>
<br />
Hell's Glitch came about while watching two different episodes of Sword Art Online. Oddly enough it was during my playthrough of Dark Souls 1. The episodes took place in season 1 and featured two boss fights. The first was the fight with Gleam Eyes and the second was the fight with the Skull Reaper. The soundtrack for those moments along with that feeling of despair when facing an impossible enemy with your life on the line, that reminded me of Dark Souls and the feeling stuck with me. I thought of a personal joke that amused me at the time. "What if this show, with its permadeath mode, took place in the Dark Souls universe? Would anyone survive?" Not long after that I read D. Rus' Alterworld, the first LitRPG I'd ever read (I think) and right then and there it all clicked and I decided to write a LitRPG based on that feeling of terror I had while watching SAO and thinking of Dark Souls.<br />
<br />
So yes, Hell's Glitch was <b>inspired</b> by Dark Souls and Sword Art Online. Probably .hack too, since I played the original series and G.U. during my teens, watched the anime too. And that's okay. Every LitRPG that you read was inspired by something else, a videogame, an anime, another book. Mine's no different. I chose a world more in line with the darkness of dark fantasy properties like Dark Souls than any other generic fantasy because that was what interests me more.<br />
<br />
<b>But did I rip it off?</b><br />
No. I wouldn't do that to a game that I like. I wouldn't even do that to a game that I don't like. No. Hell's Glitch is just a derivative of something I like, just as most LitRPGs derive from things those authors like or do you really think that orcs, goblins, elves, skeleton warriors, evil wizards, and magic points are the most original concepts in the genre? The heavy Dark Souls references and feel were in fact put there to deliberately give a nod to what inspired the book. If anything, I wanted people to read my book then get fired up to play some Souls or perhaps even inspire the next Souls-like VR game in the future.<br />
<br />
<b>But is Hell's Glitch defined by its derivative nature?</b><br />
Again, no. There's more to my book than parries and backstabs. I'm referencing both the combat and the other deeper concepts and plot points presented throughout the book to which most reviewers give me no credit for. Do I deserve credit? Not really, but I would like those reviewers who call my book a "ripoff" to at least mention other things about it, maybe some of the many differences in stats, combat, enemies, NPCs, areas, bosses, or even the story transpiring outside the game. But what do I know, I'm just a hack. Not like I spent months tinkering with stats, stat growth, weapons, item descriptions, builds, abilities, maps, level design, and enemy design in order to make the game more authentic. No, I just ripped it all from Dark Souls, that's what I did -__-.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
So let's talk about derivatives.</h4>
<br />
Dark Souls is a derivative of Berserk, King's Field, Demon's Souls, and whatever English books Miyazaki read as a child (he admits) such as Fighting Fantasy. FromSoftware owns two of those properties, but it shamelessly bites a lot including tone and aesthetics from the first most world renown property, Berserk. It may have even derived some of its gameplay and/or tone from games like The Legend of Zelda, Onimusha, Devil May Cry, Shadow Tower, Shadow of the Colossus, Castlevania and Resident Evil. With games, it's not usually such a sacrilegious act to bite some features from another, especially if it enhances your own (see third person shooters after RE4) and if you combine enough of them you can sometimes create something completely new (GTA) or something that feels uniquely derivative (Darksiders).<br />
<br />
The LitRPG genre itself is loaded with derivatives. Again, no LitRPG author created orcs or goblins or stone men or elves or reanimated skeleton men or dragons or frost giants, but they still use them. Those things were created by others long ago. They were just created so long ago that its now okay for <b>everyone </b>to use them. I can't tell you how many LitRPG books I've read with the same classes, same enemy types, same weapons, same abilities. And that's okay. Even Dark Souls uses generic fantasy classes. It's probably just meant to be familiar, so people can dive into the book/game more comfortably. Usually that doesn't interest me, because I'm not a huge fan of generic fantasy, but don't tell me that those aren't derivatives, because they are.<br />
<br />
I still end up liking many of these books/games due to the ideas that the author/creator infuses into them. Like with The Land: Founding, Aleron Kong uses tons of generic fantasy creatures, but he paints them in ways that make them actually threatening instead of fodder that you can't wait to move on from. I makes them intriguing and gives his book a nice slow pace as Richter struggles to defeat them with clever strategies. That feels fresh because of the author's own ideas and vision, how he treated those enemies differently than other authors. Overall in the genre you'll find tons of derivative classes, spells, enemy types, races, areas, bosses, and even gameplay systems do to the nature of the genre and its authors. It just so happens that my inspiration was DaS, not WoW or any other MMO.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Responding to reviews</h4>
<br />
I've decided to take the time to respond to many of the criticisms I've faced, below. You should be able to get a feel for who I am and what Hell's Glitch is about by reading those and hopefully that'll put to rest this nonsense of Hell's Glitch having no original ideas of its own. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"<span style="color: purple;"><i>I honestly couldn't recommend this book to any fan of the lit rpg genre.<br /><br />This book is basically Dark souls the game. Character is in a vr mmo like other lit rpg. But honestly if you can make it past the part where he begins entering other players game world's and slaughtering them with the sole exception of 1 chick than you'll have done better than I did. Get over your Dark edginess. If you're going to right a dark book then do so but don't have you characters talk about how Dark and difficult it is like some backwards self congratulation.<br /><br />And please be a bit more original. This is basically verbatim Dark souls with minor litrpg elements in it.</i></span>"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
This is the most recent review I've received and as you can see the reviewer is upset at the similarities between my book and Dark Souls. He/She even tells me to be more original at the end of it and says that I use "minor litrpg elements". As far as that last criticism goes, LitRPG wasn't a completely defined genre when I started writing Hell's Glitch and so I don't know what the reviewer means by minor LitRPG elements since I reference stats, item and weapon descriptions as often as I can and as he mentioned, the book takes place in a virtual reality game. Not sure how much more LitRPG I can get unless this person just wants page after page of player stats all the time. I may have even done more stat and item descriptions than Alterworld, you know the supposed granddaddy of LitRPG.<br />
<br />
That aside, this person seems upset that I have a mechanic of entering other people's game worlds for player vs. player or co-op and that I've referenced the game being dark and difficult. To that first point, yes, there is a mechanic that allows players to interact with one another and it is similar (with minor differences) to Invasions in Dark Souls. But that's what I was going for. What this reviewer and other similar reviewers always fail to mention however is this section of the book:<br />
<br />
"<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Now
Sam knew what kind of game he was playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a Planes game, like he and Robert had hoped for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was some modern day version of one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term “Soul Intensity” and the way the
stats were spread out gave it all away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This stat distribution and the stats themselves reminded him closely of
the Death Planes, a game he played to death about ten years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam read the class’ description to himself,
trying to remember what each stat stood for.</span>"<br />
<br />
It's referenced several times in the beginning of the story that this
alpha build of Project DH is similar to another game that was popular
ten years ago before VR gained its popularity. Sam even goes so far as to call the VR demo a "rip-off."<br />
<br />
"<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Spirituality
is for spellcrafte slots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this game was a rip-off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even use the same terms!</span>"<br />
<br />
There's of course a reason behind this, but no reviewer ever mentions how I constantly have Sam refer to what he's playing as a derivative in-universe. It's part tongue-in-cheek reference, part plot point. Unfortunately, the plot point isn't addressed in this first volume, but believe me when I say that it is a <b>major</b> plot point to be revealed later. I mention Death Planes roughly 30 times in the story and each of those times make reference to the game that came out nearly thirty years prior to the story that Milner and his team seem to be emulating. I don't think I'd do that if I had any intention of stealing and not getting caught.<br />
<br />
To the other point of the reviewer being upset that I reference the game being dark and difficult, well I can't really say anything because that's what I want it to be and that's what I designed it to be. And this is where I can't understand this blind frustration I keep getting from fans of Souls. There seems to be this bitter anger and desire to lash out at me with single star ratings. If that's how they feel, its fine, but please give a solid explanation of why. I suppose something being a ripoff is enough of a reason, but please take note of what else is presented in the story instead of just seeing a few references and deciding what my book is before you even get into it. The thing is I'm also a fan of Souls and of course I want to protect it from thieves too and that's what people don't realize about me. I'm probably a much bigger fan of Souls than many of these reviewers, seeing as how it inspired me to write a whole book and more.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">i read
bout 22% of the book before i had enough. it's a fine book and i don't
mind taking inspiration from games you like, but it's simply too much
like Darm Souls. i can have the same experience watching some gameplay
of DS. there wasn't any originality to the book that made me wanna keep
reading.<br />if you love Dark Souls you might want to try it out, if not, then don't waste your money.</span></i></span>"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This reviewer gave me a two star, so at least he or she is more reasonable, giving me credit for, I don't know, something. I could get behind this review if only the person were to provide more examples of where it's similar to Dark Souls and why that's so horrible to them. I do take issue at the phrase "there wasn't any originality to the book" because there's so much more to the book than Dark Souls, but at least they mentioned that it just personally wasn't for them. That I can understand.<br />
<br />
So let's address the originality issue (with some possibly light spoilers ahead). First off, my book isn't just VR, but VR that takes place in a dreamscape. This is technology affecting a person's dreams, not sure anyone has done that before. Correct me if I'm wrong. Next is the fact that there's some sort of militarized presence at the testing grounds and that something odd is happening to the bodies of the players where upon dying they become some sort of rage-zombies. What the hell is up with that? Then there's the player and designer connection that gives the player a sort of lifeline outside the game that they can contact whenever. No LitRPG or any trapped in game scenario I've consumed has had that. Though my game is inspired by Dark Souls, I've taken the time to craft the world, enemies, abilities, NPC's, quests, story, backstory, settings, item placement, stats, stat growth, weapon systems, items, and scenarios myself. There may be a Rapier in both Dark Souls and Hell's Glitch, but only in one of those games can you get a Dragon Rapier +100 and it's not Dark Souls. What you have to keep in mind too is that my Hell's Glitch was created strictly after playing Dark Souls 1. I hadn't even touched DS2 or heard of DS3 when I created it, so my weapon crafting system and Soul Burning Techniques were even more original before the advent of weapon infusions and weapon arts in those respective games. The way I do it is still unique of those systems so I just take that to mean great minds think alike, but that's just the tipping point. There's stuff that I can't even reveal at this point for risk of ruining future books, but I've been working on this system for a few years now and have some cool surprises in store.<br />
<br />
So overall, I give this review a three and a half out of five. Good stuff and thank you for being rational!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">I really
wanted to love this book, but its such a blatant rip off of the Dark
Souls games it was hard to get into, frankly its so blatant I wouldnt be
surprised if fromsoft sues him, combined with the pretty much copy
paste plot I simply cant give this a high rating, moderately decent
writing and grammar, but thats about it, I completed the novel, I doubt
unfortunately I will get a second one.</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
I wouldn't call HG a blatant Dark Souls rip-off and the plot is certainly not copy-paste to any degree. At worst you can draw similarities in the backstory of Project DH, which is only the length of a chapter, a small part of the game inside of the book but even that is completely different. There's no gods, or dragons, or chaotic witches, or lord of death. There are demons, pseudo-celestials, men, and a phoenix though, half of which aren't in Dark Souls. This person also doesn't mention that the book takes place both in and outside the game either, as if it's all just one big tale of desecrated men becoming gods, destroying dragons, linking fires, and trying to save a doomed era. My backstory has none of that. I do have an immortality curse and game mechanics tied to that, though its origins are plainly different. But my thanks for a reasonable review.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Dead rip off of dark souls, I'd rather play the game than read it.</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
Again, just blatantly incorrect, failing to mention what Hell's Glitch is really about. This sort of review seems like a knee-jerk reaction and this is mainly where my own frustration lies. I think people see this review and others similar to it, read the first few chapters which feature a lot of backstabs and parries, and then make up their minds about what my book is about before learning what it's really about. This review offers nothing really since it doesn't mention why or how this person arrived at his or her conclusions and of course it's a one star.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Not fond
of the story-line but overall a good book. I really disliked the MC as I
am one of those PVE players that absolutely sucks at PVP giving me an
intense dislike of gankers like the MC. This is just a personal
preference in gaming but it tends to cross over to my LitRPG reading as
well. So my problems with the book are all personal and do NOT relate to
the quality of the book in any way. If you enjoy PVP and/or LitRPG then
this should be a decent or better read for you.</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
This is the type of review I like a lot. This person doesn't agree with my choices and rationally explains why. I can even understand the dislike for Sam and his tactics. That said, I wouldn't really call Sam a ganker. In games like Dark Souls at least, I associate that term to mean something like 3v1 or 2v1. Sam always goes in alone when he Encroaches. He did gank one time though, now that I think of it, when that one guy was fighting the other guy, but that's the only time unless you count the time he used the enemies to his advantage too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">The entire
book is a Dark Souls rip off. It is to the point where it just has
similarities, or was inspired by, but a complete and utter rip off</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
This one's just like one of the above reviews, but there is a separate point here that I want to address. This person says that its not just inspired by, but a "complete and utter rip off" of Dark Souls to which I have to respond that he or she doesn't know the difference. At least I don't think they do. Just as I mentioned above, there is no pantheon of gods, no dragons, no lord of death, no ancient chaos witch. There is a war, there is light vs. dark, there are demons, but what fantasy story doesn't have that in some form or fashion. Again, I was inspired by Dark Souls and there are some similarities between it and my backstory for Project DH that are clear as day (on purpose) such as the fact that a spark of fire was the catalyst to huge events, but to call it a complete and utter rip off is either dishonest or simply factually incorrect. And to be honest, I've used spark of fire/world creation aspects in my stories going way back to 2008, long before Souls was even around.<br />
<br />
I haven't yet addressed the combat system so I'll take the time to do that here. Parrying and backstabs are featured heavily in the first part of the story. They are the most basic actions to be learned along with blocking, attacking, and movement. Just like in Dark Souls, parrying requires precise timing but rewards successful execution with a chance for big damage. Along with Dark Souls; Onimusha, Devil Cry Cry, Final Fantasy Tactics and a whole host of fighting games have made use of parrying so Dark Souls doesn't command a monopoly or trademark on the act of parrying in a videogame. Same goes for high critical backstabs which have been a fantasy staple for thief class characters since the early days of D&D. Hell's Glitch uses these features because I was inspired by Dark Souls, but rarely do people ask, where the developers at FromSoftware got the idea from. I'm sure it didn't just drop down from the celestial ether. Anyways, in Hell's Glitch those gameplay features were important for players to master at the beginning, which is why you see Sam relying on them so much, but later the plan was to expand on that. You can see some of that already presented in Volume 1 with the introduction of a few of the Soul Burning Techniques, but due to all the negativity I've nerfed parrying and backstabs in Volume 2 to make them virtually nonexistant.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Has Dark Souls Elements along with a biblical background story with a few minor details tweaked.</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
This person gets it more than anyone. If anything, I've ripped off the authors of the bible and you guys will see why in Volume 2. Well, you can see some of it in Volume 1 as well when I <i>rip-off</i> the very names from the bible. Names like Morningstar, oh the horror, oh the Humanity!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i>TLDR:Unoriginal in each and every part of the story...<br /><br />The game world is basically a direct rip of DarkSouls, only the names are changed enough for the author to avoid legal trouble with FromSoftware, The basic premise beyond that is incredibly unoriginal stuck in a game world and , you die in the game you die in real life. MC acts like a spoiled child incapable of controlling his emotions whenever he feels the game is "cheep/cheated" in some way (which no matter the reason is not fun at all).</i></span>"</div>
<br />
I think this was my first negative review for Hell's Glitch, maybe even my very first for it. So we've already addressed the points about originality above, how I crafted everything from the ground up. The reviewer also mentions how "stuck in a game world" and permadeath are unoriginal. To that I have to say, buddy, you're reading LitRPG. In order to even be in this genre we are limiting ourselves to certain scenarios and for me to reach my envisioned goal of this piece, permadeath was a must. So I'd love to see this person write a LitRPG book that is completely original in each and every aspect including how they get into the game and I'd like to see them design completely original gameplay systems, weapons, enemies, game worlds and bosses and keep all that coherent and fun and have a compelling reason for readers to go from chapter to chapter. Don't worry, I'll wait for it. What really irks me is that 17 other people somehow found this helpful, sheesh!<br />
<br />
To the second point about feeling Sam is a spoiled baby incapable of controlling his emotions. I kinda sympathize with the reviewer, only because I've read books where I've liked the concept, world, and other characters, and couldn't stand the main character. But I think their assessment is slightly misleading. Sam mostly handles challenges with a "can do" attitude where he's willing to try different strategies and get his hands dirty to win. He's played these types of games his whole life and is a huge fan of them so he kinda knows what to expect as far a difficulty goes. The reviewer may be referencing Sam's attempt at fighting the main boss of the area, which he was legitimately cheated on a few times. He did have a tirade, if you will, but it was intended to show a bit of a character flaw that he, like many other gamers, may have. Most gamers I know have their moments of legitimate frustrations that they must simply vocalize. I'm no exception and neither is Sam, though he sometimes does whine more than I do. I didn't think it would be any fun to have a character that didn't voice his frustrations. Again, that's really just one sequence though and he was legitimately cheated.<br />
<br />
Now the next review is a positive one, but I want to display it because the reviewer shows that he or she is perceptive, patient, and understands what LitRPG truly is.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body"><span style="color: purple;">I find
this LitRPG game mechanics to be based on the concepts of Dark Souls
which is truly obvious. But, I believe that using concepts from games is
the core of LitRPG as a genera. That being said borrowing concepts to
heavily from a game can make a books look like a copy and for it to have
an uncreative author. Looking at this story and its characters shows
that this it is a true LitRPG experience that pulls heavily from Dark
Souls which is an extremely unique RPG with very unique game mechanics.
Unfortunately it is being ostracized for the coping of game said
mechanics. I read LitRPG to experience a story told in a game world or
universe with some twists and innovation. This story does have those and
foreshadows some more interesting concepts that I hope to be realized
in a sequel. I hope this book is given a chance and for people to look
past some of the less than stellar reviews. Just remember if we get
upset for every Author that used game mechanics from actual games we
would never have had a genera such as LitRPG.<br />Done Ranting.<br />Few key points of the book:<br />Death Game,<br />Dark Fantasy,<br />Alpha/Beta Tester,<br />Full immersion,<br />Expected Twist,<br />Intelligent NPC,<br />Secret Organization</span>,</span></i>"</div>
<br />
So this person addresses much of what I've addressed above in a neat little review. Yes, I pull heavily from Dark Souls and yes, it's on purpose, but you can't deny the level of creativity I've put in throughout. If you see this as a complete Dark Souls rip-off then I can't help but feel that its what you want to see it as. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">Not a bad
book. Did not play the game that he derived the play mechanics from so
it was all new to me. He clearly points to where his inspiration comes
from and makes a joke out of it. Definitely does not deserve the 1 star
that one of the reviewers gave it. As far as the character being a baby,
anyone who has been in the moment of intense play and than to suddenly
have it end, for whatever reason, can completely understand the
character throwing a fit at that moment.</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
This reviewer certainly gets where I was coming from. It shows me that I did succeed where I wanted to and that only a few didn't really see what I was aiming for with this book. Otherwise I'd be completely worried about it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<span style="color: purple;"><i><span class="a-size-base review-text" data-hook="review-body">This is a
good book. Yes it's clearly about Dark Souls the video game. The thing
is it doesn't take a brilliant mind to figure that out since he says it
multiple time in the book although he calls it a Death Planes game,
presumably for copyright reason. He clearly lays out a scenario where
it's a remake or sequel of one of those games. Why did he design his
story around that game you ask? Well it's simply one of the hardest
game series ever. Imagine being a character in a game where everything
wants you dead and everything is pretty good at mKing sure you die a
lot. To the people whining about it being a copy of the game series I
gotta ask, why does it matter? Also what I am posting now is a direct
quote from his letter to the reader at the end of the book. "I just
wanted to take this time to address a few things. Hell’s Glitch proudly
wears its inspirations on its sleeve. If you read through a sizable
portion of the book, you can easily identify what those inspirations
are. My intent isn’t to rip anyone off, or steal in any way, but to pay
homage to something I really like and that greatly inspired me."</span></i></span>"</div>
<br />
Kudos to this person for going out of their way to defend me and my book. And I'm just posting it to show that a few people completely understood what I wanted from this book. Doesn't the concept of being trapped in a game as difficult as Dark Souls just terrify and thrill you? It does for me and this reviewer. Another kudos for posting my end of book message about Hell's Glitch's inspirations.<br />
<br />
<br />
Below is just a small amount of the legwork I did for the stats and systems in Project DH. I have folders upon folders of documents detailing stats, characters, locations, progression, and much much more.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">VIT (health, stamina, *increases equipment burden*)<br />DEF (defense vs physical attacks, heavy composure [1 in 5], *percentage lowers armor's weight value)<br />RES (resistance to poison, dust, and bleedout, increased stamina [1 in 5 - 100max], *regeneration*)<br />STR (STR-based weapon damage, moderate composure [1 in 10], increases equipment burden, *hand to hand damage*, TECH slots)<br />DEX (DEX-based weapon damage, off hand weapon damage, *critical hit damage* ranged damage and range, TECH Slots, shaky-hand reduction)<br />INT (magic damage, spell level, increases SP, increases magic resistence [1 in 2], increases Lightning resistence [1 in 5])<br />SPD (attack speed increase [1 in 20], dodge speed and range (5, 15, 25, 50) *hand to hand damage and speed*)<br />SPT (spirituality, grants more spellcrafte slots, stamina, increases SP, magic resistence [1 in 5], fire resistence [1 in 5])<br />BLF (belief, powers divine and occult weapons and spellcraftes, increases resistence to divine and occult spells and weapons, *increases item discovery*)<br />PCP (perceptiveness, affects item discovery rate, visual range, accuracy range, shot range, <span style="background-color: black;">*allows you to meet hidden spirit characters at high levels*</span>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Burden (The sum total weight of your equipped items and the affect it has on you, affects stamina drain and movement speed)<br />0-15 (0) Unburdened | 15-24 (1) Quick | 25-40 (2) 40-49 (3) Mid | 50-59 (4) 60-74(5) Heavy | 75-89 (6) 90-100 (7) Crawl | 100+ (8) Immovable</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dodge - A value that is calculated by the SPD and Burden Stat. More SPD means a faster and further range. Max Dodge stat maxes out at 6, the default level is 3. Each level of Burden is subtracted from MAX Dodge to determine dodge speed. Max Dodge - Burden Level = Dodge<br />8: Fastest and furthest dodge. (50)<br />7: Fast dodge speed and further range. (25)<br />6: Quicker dodge speed and further range. (15)<br />5: Default dodge speed and range.<br />4: Less than average dodge speed and range.<br />3: Slower dodge speed and lower range.<br />2: Slow dodge speed and low range.<br />0-1: Can't dodge.</span><br />
<br />
An example of stat growth I created:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dexterity<br />(Shaky Hand Reduction, and Critical Multipliers are Hidden Statistics. Gain 4 Technique only Skill Slots)<br />1: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction<br />2: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction<br />3: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction<br />4: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction<br />5: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage (+5, +10%, +5%, +2%)<br /><br />10: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage, +1 Technique Slot (+10, +20%, +10%, +5%, +1)<br /><br />15: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage (+15, +30%, +15%, +7.5%, +1)<br />19: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction (+19, +38%, +19%,+7.5%, +1)<br />20: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage,(+20, +40%, +20%, +10%, +1)<br />21: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction (+21, +42%, +21%, +10%, +1)<br />25: +1 DEX, +2% Off-Hand Penalty, 1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage, +1 Technique Slot (+25, +50%, +25%, +12.5%, +2)<br />30: +1 DEX, +1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage (+30, +50%, +30%, +15%, +2)<br />40: +1 DEX, +1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage (+40, +50%, +40%, +20%)<br />50: +1 DEX, +1% Shaky Hand Reduction, 2.5% Critical Hit Damage, +1 Technique Slot (+50, +50%, +50%, +25%, +3)<br />100: +1 DEX, +1 Technique Slot (+100, +50%, +50%, +50%, +5)</span><br />
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Example of Soul Intensity growth thresholds created by me:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Souls Needed</span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 1: 525 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 26: 3150</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 2: 535 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 27: 3400</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 3: 550 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 28: 3670</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 4: 570 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 29: 3940</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 5: 590 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 30: 4240</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 6: 610 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 31: 4540</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 7: 640 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 32: 4860</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 8: 670 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 33: 5180</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 9: 710 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 34: 5530</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 10: 750 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 35: 5880</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 11: 1000 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 36: 6250</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 12: 1050 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 37: 6620</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 13: 1100 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 38: 6990</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 14: 1200 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 39: 7390</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 15: 1300 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 40: 7790</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 16: 1420 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 41: 8210</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 17: 1540 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 42: 8630</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 18: 1690 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 43: 9080</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 19: 1840 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 44: 9530</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 20: 2000 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 45: 9900</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 21: 2160 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 46: 10370</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 22: 2330 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 47: 10870</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 23: 2500 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 48: 11370</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 24: 2700 </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 49: 11890</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">SI 25: 2900 SI 50: 12410</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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Example of Weapon Systems created by me:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Each weapon starts at Level 1. Ex. Long Sword lvl 1.<br />A weapon's leveling potential increases with every enemy and boss you kill. A starting level weapon has the potential to be upgraded to lvl 3 without any kills but can't be leveled any further. By killing normal enemies the weapon can be increased to a certain level without killing the boss. The Weapon's level is again capped until a boss is killed. Once the area boss is killed the weapon's level cap is further increased, usually by 10 but balanced to each area so that game progression is balanced.<br /><br />To reforge a weapon, the base level of it has to at least be 10. Shields can be reforged from the start.<br /><br />A weapon can be leveled up with souls its gained in combat, infusing it with your own souls, or refining it with various ores. Each weapon level takes more and more souls to get to the next and eventually becomes almost impossibly high which is where the ores come in. Weapon's must be manually leveled up like the player. The options are as follows:<br /><br />Awaken - use weapon souls<br />Soul Drain - use player souls<br />Reinforcement - use ore<br /><br />A weapon that you use absorbs 33% percent of the souls you do, so for every 150 souls you gain for killing an enemy, the weapon gains 50 of those souls and stores it for leveling up. Weapons can be leveled up at a Soul Beacon, but can only be reforged by a blacksmith. <br /><br />The Enemies Defeated stat is used to calculate the weapon level cap. Another stat displays what types of enemies the player has defeated along with the percentages.<br /><br />Even if a weapon's level is capped, it can still collect souls and use them later when the cap is lifted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Weapons gain temperaments as they are used and leveled up. They tend to be greatly affected by the player's choices, style of combat, and type of enemies it has killed. For instance, when demons are repeatedly killed by the weapon it opens it up to the demon upgrade path. The earlier a weapon is reinforced, the more likely it is to be opened to a desired upgrade path. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Raw Glass Weapons cannot absorb souls and have no Temperament. They can only be leveled up to a limited degree with ore.<br /><br />Using ore on a weapon both increases its level and modifies its properties. Some ore alters status damage. Blightstone, for instance modifies the base damage of a weapon by giving it an increased P RATE (poison rating). A P RATE of 4 converts 4% of the weapon's damage to poison gauge damage while the remaining 96% of the damage is whatever else the weapon specializes in (typically physical).<br /><br /><br />Weapon Scaling:<br />S = Whole stat value + 120%<br />A+ = Whole stat value + 110%<br />A = Whole stat value + 100%<br />B+ = Whole stat value + 90%<br />B = Whole stat value + 80%<br />C+ = Whole stat value + 70%<br />C = Whole stat value + 60%<br />D+ = Whole stat value + 50%<br />D = Whole stat value + 40%<br />E+ = Whole stat value + 30%<br />E = Whole stat value + 20%<br />F = No stat value</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Light Attacks do 50% of a weapon's total damage.<br />Heavy Attacks do 100% of a weapon's total damage.<br />Charged Attacks do 150% of a weapon's total damage. </span><br />
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As those of you familiar with Dark Souls can see, my weapon system is distinct from that game. There are some similar ideas, but I've created this thing from the ground up and scaled it according to my stats system and preferences. <br />
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I even had my own bestiary that you can see here:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Forest Barker<br />HP 600<br />PDEF 42<br />MDEF 42<br />Drop: 400 Souls, Wooden Mask (Rare)<br /><br />Rose Duelist<br />HP: 250<br />PDEF 26<br />MDEF 45<br />Drop: 300 Souls, Forest Muletta (Rare), Thorn Saber (Rare)<br /><br />Cutthroat Grunt<br />HP: 300<br />PDEF: 35<br />MDEF: 12<br />Drop: 600 Souls, Twilight Set (Armor, Leggings, Hood, Boots, Gloves)(Rare)<br /><br />Cutthroat Advanced Revenant<br />Drop: 2000 Souls, Dagger (Rare), Throwing Knives (Rare)<br /><br />Cutthroat Grunt Revenant (Starter Revenant)<br />HP: 140<br />PDEF: 35<br />MDEF: 12<br />Drop: 300 Souls, Deflector (Rare)<br /><br />Warrior Revenant (Starter Revenant)<br />Drop: 300 Souls, Longsword (Rare), Heater-Shaped Shield (Rare)<br /><br />Naked Revenant<br />HP: 100<br />Drop: 100 Souls<br /><br />Seedling<br />HP: 60<br />PDEF: 60 (Shell), 10 (Flesh)<br />MDEF: 60 (Shell), 10 (Flesh)<br />Drop: 200 Souls, Stim Plant, Tree Shell Helm (Very Rare)<br /><br />Undead Brown Bear<br />HP: 1200 <br />PDEF: 30<br />MDEF: 22<br />FDEF: -10<br />DDEF: -20<br />Drop: 1500 Souls, Quintessence (Item) (Rare)<br /><br />The Will of the Forest<br />HP: 6000 (Body), 1000 (Each Leg)<br />PDEF: 20 (Body), 40 (Each Leg)<br />MDEF: 30 (Body), 40 (Each Leg)<br />FDEF: -20 (Body), -20 (Each Leg)<br />DDEF: 10 (Body), 10 (Each Leg)<br />Drop: 10000 Souls, Soul of the Willful Guardian</span> <br />
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Then there's the boss. If you don't care about anything I've said so far, at least give me credit for the neat multistage boss that I designed:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The Will of the Forest</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A giant green plantlike serpent that stands on 4 towering brown legs. The legs are each covered in a thick bark and the serpent can root itself into the ground in order to regenerate its health. The creature has a tail that it attacks with. The tail is a large fly trap that instinctively acts on its own.<br /><br /><b>Phases<br />1st Phase</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It drops down immediately when the player enters the battlefield. It follows up the drop down attack with a lingering poison cloud breath attack which does enough damage to kill anyone who survives the surprise attack.<br /><br />Its body is inaccessible at this stage, meaning players will be forced to damage its legs or use ranged combat.<br /><br />Those who avoid its first two attacks will be attacked by quick tongue lashes and slow stomping attacks. When Players get too close to the legs of the Dragon, it attacks with extendable spikes from the legs. Players have to predict and time these while they strike at its legs.<br /><br />If under the beast, it splashes down with all its weight causing an instant kill to unlucky players.<br /><br />It also attacks with its tail, a downward chomp attack for players near its rear<br /><br />When its health lowers to a third, the Forest Dragon will plant its legs into the ground and root them. It absorbs nutrients from the soil and heals itself to full. It's healing rate is far greater than most players damage output.<br /><br /><b>2nd Phase</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The only way to trigger the second phase of the fight is to destroy the creatures legs.<br /><br />1 Skinny Limb - The creature attacks faster with said limb<br /><br />2 Skinny Limbs - The creature moves and attacks faster with both said limbs<br /><br />3 Skinny Limbs - The creature moves and attacks a little more faster, dragging its large limb behind it.<br /><br />4 Skinny Limbs - The creature now jumps around and attacks very swiftly. It's a more dangerous opponent like this. Swift and large, with a unassailable body and a potential healing factor.<br /><br />1 Destroyed Limb - The creature will lean on its remaining limbs but will not impede its progress<br /><br />2 Destroyed Limbs - The creature will be hampered considerably. Different levels of hampering for different combination of destroyed limbs.<br /><br />3 Destroyed Limbs - The creature is hardly able to move and easier to prey upon, though it can still attack with its tongue and tail. It will try to crush players by falling on them (instant kill). It can still heal itself by planting its limb into the ground, though it can't regenerate lost limbs.<br /><br />4 Destroyed Limbs - Initiates the third phase.<br /><b><br />3rd Phase</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Will of the Forest is actually more snakelike than anything. It writhes around and can roll onto its opponents. Its body alone can do mid damage and knockdown when it charges into a player. It also slashes out with its long tongue and its fanged tail can cause poison if it bites.</span> <br />
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And that's just a small portion. So you can see that I put a lot of forethought into my game world. These are ideas that I thought up in my head and in some cases even took the time to draw or map out. Hell's Glitch has been my labor of love for a few years now and to have all that work written off as nothing more than an unoriginal ripoff is more than an insult, it's a lie and I'll always stand by that. Til' next time everyone. Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting, and take care.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-56470009286562566692016-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:002017-01-03T03:10:06.286-08:00DBZ Elsewhere: The Yamcha Side Story That Made Yamcha Cool Before It Was Cool<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMacLfzkmpNCZ3c74YNXOcGryHc8ku60OnhxaITyfNcQwrPT5cdSqYfUbv3orVDOZnAAxfyTbTxzPLtDOEXSzaQfICoLd50YtYiOtHmmrmpWuzuPD4aWwbpcRbCRcpwcYCxq2SzG7u5Rh/s1600/722687b94281692de8c2c26683bb7b5e1447281702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMacLfzkmpNCZ3c74YNXOcGryHc8ku60OnhxaITyfNcQwrPT5cdSqYfUbv3orVDOZnAAxfyTbTxzPLtDOEXSzaQfICoLd50YtYiOtHmmrmpWuzuPD4aWwbpcRbCRcpwcYCxq2SzG7u5Rh/s400/722687b94281692de8c2c26683bb7b5e1447281702.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comic Panels by RMK writer and artist of DBZ Elsewhere</td></tr>
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Yamcha has always gotten a raw deal for as long as I can remember in the Dragon Ball community. He's the butt of everyone's jokes and it's not difficult to see why with his huge loss record in the series. You wouldn't believe it, but there is a sect of us who at one point or another thought Yamcha was pretty damn cool. Most people who watched a ton of the original Dragon Ball series developed a liking for the character after watching him grow along with Goku, Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu. This month, Yamcha's been getting a fair amount of attention with Dragon Ball Super's 70th episode, a fan favorite, giving him ample spotlight and comedic moments. He even stole the show by winning the baseball game. Now there's also a Yamcha Side Story series being planned and the 1st chapter is already out (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hYoUg8j1IY). Yamcha has received a brief resurgence in popularity but before Toei and Shueisha put the spotlight on him, a sole fan decided to give us a glimpse into the past and the day to day worries of a man named Yamcha and that fan is RMK.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBEWuo7Rr4AHvuOSK4LbXHSD_MKjDISQ8f0ZCqUKeuD6mdBcd38CCJW09WDRnhCwQw7h178uJx9WDY7f67T068vRvtElPlsV3OZY_EhOy4f5CbKF7lxvv2a2tUGOXpo4eE87h8Tk0AsZL/s1600/5ef426f6bc048f20c7f45fa92c40b16c1748539936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBEWuo7Rr4AHvuOSK4LbXHSD_MKjDISQ8f0ZCqUKeuD6mdBcd38CCJW09WDRnhCwQw7h178uJx9WDY7f67T068vRvtElPlsV3OZY_EhOy4f5CbKF7lxvv2a2tUGOXpo4eE87h8Tk0AsZL/s320/5ef426f6bc048f20c7f45fa92c40b16c1748539936.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
I stumbled upon DBZ Elsewhere recently, while searching for chapters of the latest Yamcha side story <i>Dragon Ball Gaiden: Tensei-shitara Yamcha Datta Ken. </i>While I like the scenario of a fan being reincarnated as Yamcha and using his knowledge of Dragon Ball to make Yamcha great again, it's not really a Yamcha story because it's about another character using Yamcha's body. RMK's DBZ Elsewhere all about Yamcha and brings up questions that many of us Yamcha fans think of such as who trained him and taught him the Wolf Fang Fist? It also shows us how Yamcha acts when the Z Fighters aren't around. RMK really goes in depth when it comes to Yamcha's feelings about being super strong yet parodoxically being weak. RNK also explores what many would develop if placed in Yamcha's shoes, his failure complex. Let's be honest, he's always had his share of bad luck and the writers simply blow it off or treat it as a gag, but RMK instead delves deeply into it and shows us how Yamcha might use it to better himself.<br />
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I was surprised to find that RMK both wrote and drew his fan comic and that he did so way back in 2003. I found his writing to be well layered, but not so much that it doesn't resemble Dragon Ball and I found his art to be quite good. It's not exactly professional quality near the beginning but it stays faithful to Toriyama's style throughout the parts that I read. I noticed that RMK himself expressed disappointment in his earlier work but I thought it was well done, but I did skip ahead to his one of his later chapters to see if he'd improved and saw a drastic improvement in the fluidity of his style. I stopped at chapter five so far and each chapter I read added something new to Yamcha's backstory which is something I've wanted from him and Tien for a really long time.<br />
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I highly recommend RMK's DBZ Elsewhere comic. I'll be posting my review of the series once I get deeper into it and it looks like I'll have a ton of chapters to read. If you want to check it out visit RMK's site at (http://dbzelsewhere.thecomicseries.com/comics/first).<br />
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Well that's it for me. If any of you have read either DBZ Elsewhere or Dragon Ball Gaiden: Tensei-shitara Yamcha Datta Ken let me know what you think of both. Let me also know what part of Yamcha or Tien's backstory you'd like to know about the most. Have a great week everyone!Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-38735728272456545142016-12-13T12:05:00.000-08:002017-02-20T08:40:56.468-08:00FromSoftware Should Make An Escaflowne-esque Game And Here's Why<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine a Dark Souls game with giant medieval mecha</td></tr>
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Think about it. The company behind titles like <i>Dark Souls</i> and <i>Armored Core</i> would be great at combining the sense of detail and scale needed for something like this. For those of you who don't know, Escaflowne is an anime series about a fictional fantasy world called Fanelia that is now steeped in war. In Escaflowne there are knights that pilot giant mechanized suits of armor called Guymelefs that seem to be powered by steam and dragon's blood via a dragon's magical heart. Thanks to their knightly training guymelef pilots incorporate their swordsmanship into their piloting skills. So just imagine playing a normal game of Dark Souls then stepping into a giant guymelef for fights on a larger scale. Imagine having to face an opponent that's like 10x the size of the Gaping Dragon. Or imagine actually getting to fairly challenge someone like The Dragon God from <i>Demon's Souls</i>. Only something of the scale of a guymelef would allow you to do that in a non-game breaking manner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gibx-tdd7YsqLBVW12gcSHZBIyYrq_tS8nRWGTvI_FsmID5jMxQtMm3Tg-9gPF34KhCmjLDeIwWMG4ME1k8CZiDBwYCey8z-4Z5ZTGDmGmZtPXzKrcqrM3jDbbAoZSrbOYpqnw2OV0lE/s1600/B000ZK695U.01.lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gibx-tdd7YsqLBVW12gcSHZBIyYrq_tS8nRWGTvI_FsmID5jMxQtMm3Tg-9gPF34KhCmjLDeIwWMG4ME1k8CZiDBwYCey8z-4Z5ZTGDmGmZtPXzKrcqrM3jDbbAoZSrbOYpqnw2OV0lE/s320/B000ZK695U.01.lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The cool thing is I think Fromsoft is uniquely positioned to make a game like this, moreso than even than one of my other favorite studios Level 5 who had a similar premise with <i>White Knight Chronicles</i>. I think making a game like this strictly action based with RPG elements like the <i>Souls</i> series would be a much more enticing and <i>visceral</i> way to go.<br />
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Also imagine something with the modification options of Armored Core, like the gear swapping I mean, and imagine being able to equip various gigantic swords, shields, axes, lances, mauls, and perhaps even side weapons like crossbows, cannons, etc. That would be super frickin' neat! Namco is also no stranger to handling games with a mixture of normal battle systems and mecha battle systems. The Xenosaga series has also incorporated both, particularly in #3 where both were served up heartily. FromSoftware has announced a new IP and so I can only hope that this is what that turns out to be, because it would truly be a dream project for a fan like myself who loves all the above creative properties.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-26370482535442688612016-12-04T20:34:00.000-08:002016-12-04T20:34:11.503-08:00This Week In Gaming 11/27 - 12/4<br />
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Games Played: Urban Reign (PS2), Kinetica (PS2), Smackdown vs Raw 2006 (PS2), Borderlands Pre-Sequel (XBOne)<br />
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Had lots of fun with the games on this list, most of them favorites
of mine for years. The uptick in PS2 gaming is a direct result of
sharing my HDTV with my nephew while I use the older CRT TV. It's been
fun reconnecting with the console, especially these old favorites of
mine. <br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8e/SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg/250px-SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8e/SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg/250px-SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8e/SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg/250px-SmackDown%21vsRAW2006.jpg" /></a>SVR 2006 is still an incredibly fun game and as far as I understand is
the last of those older faster paced wrestling titles. The newer games
are too slow for my tastes so SVR is always a fun game to go back to
especially the laugh out loud hilarious Hell in a Cell matches where
characters go into proverbial comas after falling from the top of the
cell. Me and my nephews have had a lot of fun with this one lately.<br />
Recommendation: A really fun and solid wrestling game that has a timeless appeal in its core gameplay. The quick pace is what I think is missing in many modern wrestling games. Even if you like those, try this one and spend a whole day of your life creating characters and tossing them off the cell.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6d/Urb-cover.jpg/250px-Urb-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6d/Urb-cover.jpg/250px-Urb-cover.jpg" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6d/Urb-cover.jpg/250px-Urb-cover.jpg" /></a>I played Urban Reign on a whim after playing some Tekken and wrestling games. I'd never beaten Urban Reign before despite the many years its been in my possession, so I figured now would be the perfect time to do so. Urban Reign is a 3D beat-em-up, a favorite genre of mine, that's made by Namco. There is a heavy Tekken influence in the attacks and other animations of each of the game's fighters and there are even unlockable Tekken characters in the game. This time around, I had a lot of fun pulling an all-nighter to finally beat the game from start to finish. It was tough, with some really unfair moments, but it was fun overall.<br />
Recommendation: Solid mechanics and extra modes make this one a blast. Too bad the characters were a little too generic to leave a lasting impression, otherwise this one would be remembered more fondly. Still, I put this in the same vein as Def Jam: Fight For New York (which I hold in high esteem.) So try it out if you like beat 'em ups like Streets of Rage, Final Fight, or The Warriors.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Kinetica_cover.jpg/256px-Kinetica_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Kinetica_cover.jpg/256px-Kinetica_cover.jpg" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8b/Kinetica_cover.jpg/256px-Kinetica_cover.jpg" /></a>My nephew randomly fired Kinetica up one night and asked me to play it with him. After completely annihilating him in each race I got the urge to unlock all the tracks and racers. Surprisingly those few skills I learn while playing this game more than ten years ago have stuck with me along with the strategies. It felt great to boost, siphon, stunt, drift, and collect my way to victory and the topsy turvy track design was still exhilarating after all these years. Just today alt. racer Steyer took me to victory in all three season modes. Now to unlock the three secret racers.<br />
Recommendation: Not an ordinary racing game by any stretch. I think I like Kinetica so much because winning relies as much if not more on strategy than it does superb piloting skills. The sense of speed is only really there when you're boosting and sometimes the track design does work against you even when you know what's coming, but all in all this is one of my all time favorite racing games and I don't like too many. So if strapping into motorized roller skates and going hundreds of miles per hour on stages that would give Sonic the Hedgehog a head rush while listening to trippy techo songs sounds like fun then you should definitely give this one a try.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg/250px-Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg/250px-Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg" border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/62/Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg/250px-Borderlands_The_Pre-Sequel_box_art.jpg" /></a>Borderlands has been my favorite shooter series for the last two generations and playing through Pre-Sequel on the Xbox One has been a blast. I purchased it digitally after my nephew was complaining about the lack of split screen games in modern gaming. I, of course, remembered fondly playing through both BL 1 and 2 side by side with each of my best friends. After going out and buying an extra controller we started a new campaign, him with Nisha and me with Aurelia. When he's not playing, I play as The Doppelganger. There's not much I can say here about the game without going on at length about it, so I'll save it for a later post. Just know that this installment is fun and unique.<br />
Recommendation: Well worth the buy. There's not as much content as BL2 but that game was just about perfect when it came to DLC. Go get it now if you haven't. Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-89876753061289005572016-10-07T09:22:00.000-07:002016-10-07T09:22:00.619-07:00Paperbacks For Hell's Glitch and Psy-Hunters Are Now Live<h3 style="text-align: center;">
You can find them on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhjhZIRz-hGi293D317tZP5ilKRnaKDUUT-Ayhiyp3puRTPgoHetp1Io1sSeKQHbTZQ2RJ3WrHVThOmPYxSgkX-xRLzwb6d9b3wpCwHJVxNlp6pJV1n7T5B96EVcoQpIU4xV-nd9RbiaU/s1600/51bUtLPFHhL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhjhZIRz-hGi293D317tZP5ilKRnaKDUUT-Ayhiyp3puRTPgoHetp1Io1sSeKQHbTZQ2RJ3WrHVThOmPYxSgkX-xRLzwb6d9b3wpCwHJVxNlp6pJV1n7T5B96EVcoQpIU4xV-nd9RbiaU/s320/51bUtLPFHhL.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuOm_w83QBAWWwv4sBx3QPZShAKYVBXoEg5gooRxoJmQRkGG6Ynct85QH9ZasuDWElaYgOaIj3cOUOTn7Jsh99Gcq5FcGfDn05vXf8NNtwnEd9rmABnjy6Ca-hNgOQnz8ShugZbreYCP0/s1600/51O081ZKA%252BL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuOm_w83QBAWWwv4sBx3QPZShAKYVBXoEg5gooRxoJmQRkGG6Ynct85QH9ZasuDWElaYgOaIj3cOUOTn7Jsh99Gcq5FcGfDn05vXf8NNtwnEd9rmABnjy6Ca-hNgOQnz8ShugZbreYCP0/s320/51O081ZKA%252BL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0986367540">https://www.amazon.com/dp/0986367540</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvSEjj-5aC7gkIA3-KkwI-f1N-nF8Dqi0JRtGaxWcKezCoyG2BOm_hY72jKUzy9OYSrbafniM2qOxLqnBKtzf4Eaiq6_Xy_i2GTmymcQ7pVI4SEipO7eRANdimXi-vzX9K015EmEnfzUl/s1600/51QvJT3ph8L._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvSEjj-5aC7gkIA3-KkwI-f1N-nF8Dqi0JRtGaxWcKezCoyG2BOm_hY72jKUzy9OYSrbafniM2qOxLqnBKtzf4Eaiq6_Xy_i2GTmymcQ7pVI4SEipO7eRANdimXi-vzX9K015EmEnfzUl/s320/51QvJT3ph8L._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4QcQnMykMYG156LGW-bupP7ForK4FZH9fuBOzy4oueX8g4Nanhyw4loTd3IAqgH5dJSq9QP-4KnRdL7Yq4Rn7snIX3BQyLiLxtt5k6bL2Gv5R_CcP9NiCQMkuDQgWxtyjkLzEBMs1qxM/s1600/81nN7XRkyUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4QcQnMykMYG156LGW-bupP7ForK4FZH9fuBOzy4oueX8g4Nanhyw4loTd3IAqgH5dJSq9QP-4KnRdL7Yq4Rn7snIX3BQyLiLxtt5k6bL2Gv5R_CcP9NiCQMkuDQgWxtyjkLzEBMs1qxM/s320/81nN7XRkyUL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hells-Glitch-Into-Dark-Adventure/dp/0986367532">https://www.amazon.com/Hells-Glitch-Into-Dark-Adventure/dp/0986367532</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hells-glitch-belart-wright/1124762521?ean=9780986367533">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hells-glitch-belart-wright/1124762521?ean=9780986367533</a></div>
Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-44825587816991277112016-09-14T08:00:00.000-07:002016-09-14T08:00:24.079-07:00Indie Book Corner: Just a Drop in the Ocean, by Grant Leishmann<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Drop-Ocean-Grant-Leishman-ebook/dp/B016ZB21HW" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Drop-Ocean-Grant-Leishman-ebook/dp/B016ZB21HW" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0X1w1fmeTWyuWWoEPcfb8FAgpE7iy7A3CPSb6bBZeq6OOImvAEuqFtAo3tkC5NJc51RN702AANjJwBfZtZF1UEQ9HThhodJZKJH3Bua2jrpgRfPRZVQvbxuT7nCjCL_xLaez02KjtWsM/s640/41jVBYauYZL._SY346_.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cover for Amazon Link</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h4>
Longing love, hard life, and pen pals.</h4>
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Just a Drop in the Ocean was an overall enjoyable read for me, though I had quite a few problems with the book's middle act. Throughout I was treated to the true to life, poignant, cultured, often hilarious, and deeply troublesome lives of the book's two leads Teresa Mercado and Nick Stevenson. I was also treated to two very distinct cultures in the book, as the Philippines and New Zealand feature heavily in the story, about as much as the two leads. So first we'll go over what I liked about the story, then what I didn't like, followed by my overall thoughts. A Drop in the Ocean was a long book and I had tons of thoughts about it throughout (it's a thought provoker no doubt), but I'll keep this as short as I can.<br />
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This book was written in two strong mature voices that were very distinct from one another. I found it to be overall well written with enjoyable and sympathetic protagonists, though there were times when the protagonists would push my buttons with just how much they were willing to be pushed around. The book opens up very strong with the first third being chocked full of beautiful metaphors and deeply descriptive and thought provoking prose. The descriptive style remains throughout along with a smattering of Filipino language and a wealth of evocative vocabulary words (that I had to highlight and look up) which all made the book a much more enjoyable read throughout. There was also a constant undercurrent of humor both dry and standard which kept the book from falling into its oftentimes depressing subject matter. The whole journey felt like a true human experience more times than not.<br />
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Of the two leads, I found Teresa Mercado to be the most enjoyable to read about from chapter to chapter. Teresa is a woman with all the attributes most men would kill for. She's smart, compassionate, fun, loyal, and ambitious, not to mention smoking hot. Throughout the book, life continues to hit Teresa hard and yet she continues to fight back and make her way through her struggles with her family intact. If Teresa loses a job, she will find a better one. If Teresa if cornered, she will fight out of that corner. That makes her the strongest lead, I'd say. Her personal life was very interesting as well, considering all of the various careers she found herself in and she never strayed from her one true goal, keeping her family together and happy. Nick was enjoyable (in parts) as well, but his life was much more stationary than Teresa's, which isn't to say he didn't have his problems. He had two massive ones that haunted him throughout the book. I just found him to be an overall weaker lead as he seemed more passive to his problems. It was great to see how Teresa and Nick lived such diverse lives that still ran parallel to one another and how many close encounters they unknowingly had throughout, like fate was guiding them the entire time.<br />
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Another cool little thing about the book was how it was a time capsule encapsulating several moments in turning technology throughout the decades. We got to see the start of the internet age, the boom of webcamming, the rise of social media, etc. I loved seeing how Nick and Teresa responded to these new changes. Beyond that the book takes some interesting twists and turns and goes on quite a few tangents (for better or worse).<br />
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As much as I loved the book, it still has some glaring flaws that hold it back from being one of my favorite reads (which it could've easily been). The first flaw is the length of it. I feel it's far far longer than it needs to be to tell the story it wants to tell. I attribute this to the overreaching and repetitive middle act which follows the same formula for both Teresa and Nick for so long that it becomes predictable and boring for as long as that stretch of the story persists. Typically for Teresa it would go something like: she builds her life up in a new city, something comes to mess up that life (usually the same antagonist), she's broke and moves elsewhere, and the cycle repeats a few times. Usually some new friend of hers steps in and helps her out along the way, but see the problem with this is it's done enough that you see right through it. Unfortunately the formula repeats often enough that it majorly impeded much of my enjoyment with the book and padded it out too much for me.<br />
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Feeding right in with my last problem were the two main antagonists for the book, who both happened to be the spouses of both leads. You have Nick's gold-digging and possibly insane wife Marivic and Teresa's womanizing and abusive husband Marlon. The two started off well enough, when you could see shades of their greed and abuse but eventually they become so over-the-top in their abuse that I could only see them as cartoon villains. The book has such a fine autobiographical feel that this really takes me out of the experience. A lot of books use convenient excuses to get protagonists out of trouble, but this one use convenient excuses to get the protagonists into trouble and that convenience usually comes in the form of the spouses from hell. The antagonists also weaken the protagonists to the point where they aren't enjoyable to read. Both protagonists become glorified yes men/women whenever confronted with their spouses and putty in their hands. Nick especially suffers from this to the point that I wanted to skip through his chapters, but Teresa can't escape it either unfortunately. Luckily this mostly only lasts for the middle part of the book and once through that the protagonists return to form.<br />
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Once we get to the final act things get good again and the book ends on a very enjoyable high note. Altogether, I'd say that this was indeed a book that spoke to me on several levels and one that felt intensely personal. It definitely felt autobiographical all the way through and once the author all but confirms it during the final chapter, I could only nod my head that my hunch was correct. I've experienced a love like Teresa and Nick's, trading letters, texts, and emails with a few penpals in my lifetime and I've experienced unrequited love to the same degree that Teresa seems to feel throughout her life. Both leads desires for that partner that got away, it definitely speaks to me and the hardships they faced speaks to me as well. Their struggles were my struggles and that's what kept me turning the page. I wanted to see if life got better for them, just like I wonder if life will get better for myself. All in all, I found their struggles and what they gained by the end of them to be empowering. It mimicked how I felt throughout my time reading the book, almost beat for beat. So at the end of the day, I'd say that Just a Drop in the Ocean was an enjoyable read that began strong and ended on a high note.<br />
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<h4>
Positives:</h4>
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+Strong Mature Voice<br />
+Well written<br />
+Enjoyable and sympathetic protagonists<br />
+An in-depth look into Filipino and New Zealand culture and characters.<br />
+A smattering of Filipino language.<br />
+A wealth of evocative and useful vocabulary words.<br />
+Well rounded vocabulary of words<br />
+Loads of humor throughout.<br />
+The story speaks to me on many levels, encompassing much of real life<br />
+Pen pals in love also speaks to me, and the pain of unrequited love<br />
+Some nice subtle mature touches early on<br />
+Strong friendships (mainly due to Teresa's appeal)<br />
+Descriptive<br />
+nice use of metaphor early on<br />
+Lots of deep descriptive thought provoking writing at beginning<br />
+Teresa's career choices and ambition, her political life, leadership<br />
+Many time capsule moments, such as the start of the internet age, webcamming, the rise of social media,<br />
+Teresa is pleasantly open-minded<br />
+Book takes some surprising turns and tangents (for better or worse)<br />
+A few risqué and funny moments. Lots of deep and profound ones too<br />
+A decent amount of forethought, detail, and research are put into each situation<br />
+I do like the realism of life that occurs in the book<br />
+I like the ending (very hard fought happiness)<br />
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<h4>
Negatives:</h4>
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-Probably longer than it needs to be.<br />
-Repetitive middle act (build up to happiness, brief happiness, convenient problem).<br />
-Middle act paints everyone as mostly unenjoyable Nick and Teresa's weakness, their husband and wife's callousness, other characters suddenly turning antagonistic, though there are some sub characters who remain enjoyable.<br />
-Many books use convenient excuses to solve problems. This one uses them to create problems.<br />
-Nick's lack of backbone really is troublesome and stretches on so long that it borders on unreadable for me.<br />
-Occasional odd punctuation, sometimes thoughts don't have quotes or italics to separate them.<br />
-The antagonists of the book are sometimes cartoonishly malicious to the point it's unbelievable.<br />
-Some subtly would have been nice in some places, like when Nick and Teresa cross paths, the author instead spells it out with intruding narration.<br />
-Narration spoilers oftentimes ruin later scenes scene we're told the outcome ahead of time, most egregiously, the scene with Mr. Aguilar.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-16186520408165121102016-09-03T05:52:00.002-07:002016-09-03T05:52:29.371-07:00Sunborn Rising Shirt, Soundtrack, and Swag<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfWKaXbnM7jVX7fUwkVzFNXXWryTZgWOnqzTtWt2hWD1EvtbbSCHuG8iN8XCEqKqtlYKBX_YC9O94-AtF3CiyXIeP1qRT3Qfjf1LRpUwq1gWZ0KUVQW0S_hzFiM-BsMjQeKNaZgx3YJq6/s1600/20160829_184043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfWKaXbnM7jVX7fUwkVzFNXXWryTZgWOnqzTtWt2hWD1EvtbbSCHuG8iN8XCEqKqtlYKBX_YC9O94-AtF3CiyXIeP1qRT3Qfjf1LRpUwq1gWZ0KUVQW0S_hzFiM-BsMjQeKNaZgx3YJq6/s640/20160829_184043.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite reads this year was Sunborn Rising, a book filled with beautiful sprawling artwork and immeasurable creativity. Neoglyphic Entertainment, the group behind the ambitious title had recently had a sale on some Sunborn Rising items and apparel. Seeing an opportunity to support an independent venture and one I liked, I happily purchased a few of the items for a pretty good price.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jKXyIIFni-HIo1aUa4rwI1ykdMCCoK0fAatckgnFjuRrA7qI9FyQdSQRpubqViduiWA5Spcro3xdtoRB7V7P9J0hzvrMNuls1nKUcoLHwC0vR_0CUjCFljxpBoPAsD_TntbM0gCmhb4t/s1600/20160829_184342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jKXyIIFni-HIo1aUa4rwI1ykdMCCoK0fAatckgnFjuRrA7qI9FyQdSQRpubqViduiWA5Spcro3xdtoRB7V7P9J0hzvrMNuls1nKUcoLHwC0vR_0CUjCFljxpBoPAsD_TntbM0gCmhb4t/s400/20160829_184342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I ended up purchasing a shirt, a soundtrack, and a swag bag. It all came in only a few days (like two I think). The shirt's cool, with the book's villain, Argus, standing out in all white against the black backdrop of the fabric and stylishly inside of him or rather in front is the book's hero, Barra, as an all black shade. I like how Argus' roots spell out the title of the book. It's a very clever design. The swag bag had all types of items in it that I show off below and the soundtrack was signed by the composer, Sean Beeson.<br />
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You can click the photos to get a better view of the CD and cover. The left flap of the cover's inside shows the credits which includes sixteen tracks all performed by composer Sean Beeson and one track performed the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. <br />
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I love the first track, the Sunborn Rising theme. It gives the the feeling of some of the more popular adventure movies. There's a suitably heroic theme for Barra and a very menacing and slow theme for Argus. My favorite so far has to be the final orchestra track, which I thought closed the album neatly. The whole soundtrack makes for some pleasant ambiant reading music, perfect for the book. For whatever reason, I listened to atmospheric dance music during my time reading the book which proved to be a wonderful decision. <br />
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As you can see, the CD is signed and the inside flaps have some gorgeous art displaying a scene stretching from one side to the next. There is a track listing on the back of the cover for all seventeen tracks.<br />
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The swag bag was filled with all sorts of knick-knacks including four temporary tattoos with two distinct designs, three elastic wristbands, two bookmarks, and one decal. I'll probably end up giving most of this out to the nieces and nephews. I'll be selfishly keeping those bookmarks though. I do need a good bookmark...or two.<br />
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This is the two designs on the front and the back of the wristband, the book's title and the swirling symbol of the book. The wristbands themselves were too small for my man-sized wrist, so I'll be giving at least two of them out. I like the color choice since it reminds me of the book's title.<br />
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So yeah, that's my Sunborn Rising swag in a nutshell. I'm very happy with my purchases and will be looking out for more deals on the SR store in the future. The book in the picture above is the original review copy I received from Aaron and Neoglyphic. I hope to one day get it signed. You can find my thoughts about the book right here the blog (<a href="http://belartscorner.blogspot.com/2016/06/indie-book-corner-sunborn-rising.html">http://belartscorner.blogspot.com/2016/06/indie-book-corner-sunborn-rising.html</a>). You can find information about Sunborn Rising books, games, and artworks as well as a link to the Neoglyphic shop here at (<a href="http://sunbornrising.com/">http://sunbornrising.com/)</a><br />
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Anyways, thanks for checking out this post everyone.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-55213998315353592192016-08-26T05:39:00.001-07:002017-07-02T19:30:11.387-07:00A Dragon Ball Fanboy vs Akira Toriyama and Toei on Transformation Usefulness vs Cool Factor p1<div style="text-align: center;">
Z Forms: SSJ - SSGSSJ</div>
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Super Saiyan </div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Straight up legendary.</b><br />
The iconic form that's represented the most in the movies and games. This form was instantly legendary when it was unveiled in the Goku vs. Frieza fight on Namek. The first transformations of Goku, Trunks, Vegeta, and Gohan to this form were all epic, if not seminal moments in the Dragon Ball Z anime. Though it was soon outclassed by other forms, nothing really comes close to the original Super Saiyan form when it comes to effectiveness, epicness, and great design. Pale yellow/golden hair along with the aqua blue eyes and golden aura give this form a majestic feel and it is very striking to see characters normally with deep black hair and eyes transform this way. The gain in muscle mass and the fierce expression that normally accompanies the transformation really strikes the point that it is the form of legendary warriors ... that is until the children get it, then it quickly becomes a lame and unearned plaything.<br />
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<b>Usefulness: Useful and versatile.</b><br />
Inside the show, the form grants a 50x power boost and can seemingly be improved upon and fully mastered to grant even more power. This makes it extremely useful when it's first introduced especially since the boost had very little drawbacks to it. It was the pinnacle of powerups for a short while, probably longer than any other powerup that the show has had. Everyone with Saiyan DNA tried to attain then master it. Outside the show, the form was great for creating a new sort of hype and coolness around the show. When other characters sought out and gained the form, it made for some really good drama and payoff for the viewers. Not to mention that the form is easily recognizable to anyone who has even glanced at Dragon Ball Z in passing. It's been featured in the most movies, of course, since everyone uses it. There are two versions of the form, raw and full power/mastered. Such a spectrum of power and utility makes it the most effective transformation yet.<br />
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Super Saiyan 1 - Grade 2 </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TGaU1AcrfY80jWvvD8rjthz225Nr3lf9YsE9qSUdr6cgqSnWK4Giqdx2uqOJrle71alw_JDLLKPIkA73o9LbWiXwLAnMuQzeirOXJQg3y1j1ub6lLpVk5SIuOPZwpxSsEGlUsrrM94ZV/s1600/Ssjgrade2veg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TGaU1AcrfY80jWvvD8rjthz225Nr3lf9YsE9qSUdr6cgqSnWK4Giqdx2uqOJrle71alw_JDLLKPIkA73o9LbWiXwLAnMuQzeirOXJQg3y1j1ub6lLpVk5SIuOPZwpxSsEGlUsrrM94ZV/s640/Ssjgrade2veg.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Vegeta</td></tr>
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<b>Cool Factor: Pretty freakin' cool...but we've seen it before.</b><br />
Buff Roshi anyone? Buff Frieza? Filler Buff Piccolo? I think you get it by now. Still, even though it's not 100% original it's still very awesome to see Vegeta ascend to this form for the first time and beat the ever loving hell out of Cell. I think this form is deserving of the title Ascended Super Saiyan. <br />
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<b>Usefuless: Great stepping stone to mastery.</b><br />
A very useful upgrade to the original Super Saiyan form. Increases speed, power, and durability to greater levels. It's not officially known how much it does, but it is significant. I wish we got to see more of the form actually, but it's eventually greatly outclassed by Super Saiyan 2, so in the end it ends up not being very useful. I do think it was and remains an effective transformation though, at least until one perfects the first form outright.<br />
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Super Saiyan 1 - Grade 3</div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Looks cool but quickly ends up in a trash bin.</b><br />
When we first saw Trunks' eyes turn all white and him bulk up to ridiculous levels I thought that it was the end for Cell (not really but I thought Trunks would win at least). Trunks took an episode or two to power up and Perfect Cell even admitted that Trunks was stronger, but then proceeds to school the young Saiyan and even humiliate him to the point he gave up on life. Probably the worst showing for any new transformation.<br />
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<b>Usefuless: Not useful (so far).</b><br />
Even in the show it wasn't a very useful form. While the form greatly increases power it also greatly reduces speed. That tradeoff is a death nail for most characters in the DB-verse. Speed is key to winning fights. Slow characters have no way to use all that power to hit faster characters especially since no one really uses Solar Flare effectively.<br />
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Super Saiyan 2</div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Badass as all hell but no lasting appeal (unless Gohan's using it).</b><br />
You can't mention Super Saiyan 2 without mentioning Gohan's epic transformation into the form against Cell. It was a character defining moment for Gohan and one that still blows fans away to this day. Gohan has and will always have the best Super Saiyan 2 transformation in the show. If Gohan had never attained the form then it would actually be a pretty boring one compared to the original Super Saiyan transformation. The hair gets spikier and there's a very slight charge of lightning around the body. Not much of a change if you ask me, and seeing Goku and Vegeta transform really drives that point home. Young Gohan's first Super Saiyan 2 transformation was very distinct though. It has always been a beloved fan favorite transformation and one that I still consider badass though in the grand scheme of things, since it was only a power boost, it wasn't around for very long, and since it didn't look that distinct from Super Saiyan 1, it faded into the background pretty quickly. If it did something specific or changed the character's look a little more, then I think it would have left a stronger impression on people.<br />
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<b>Usefulness: Powerful but proves to be a one trick pony.</b><br />
Inside the show, the Super Saiyan 2 transformation is twice as strong as the original Super Saiyan transformation, making it much better than the first. The improvements include strength, speed, and durability. Gaining the form required a high level of training and for Gohan a traumatic emotional catalyst, but after gaining it, it seemed effortless to maintain it as long as you trained regularly. In the show it proves to be the most balanced form until the god forms are introduced.<br />
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Outside the show however, the form was never played up to be a big deal unless Gohan was using it. Images of Super Saiyan 2 Goku and Vegeta are not as iconic as images of their Super Saiyan 1 versions. I don't think the form was striking enough to gain much attention, whereas every other Super Saiyan form has a standout quality. Super Saiyan 2 is definitely the most subtle so for marketing purposes Super Saiyan 2 is fairly useless. Not to say that Super Saiyan 2 stuff looks bad. I believe the opposite, that it looks really cool. But outside of us hardcore fans, who can really tell the difference between the forms without having it explained to them?<br />
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Now, in my personal opinion, it's a wasted form after Gohan uses it against Cell. Just giving Gohan a rage boost would've accomplish the same effect. I think either the form should be reserved for Gohan only, or Toriyama should've had it specialize in something, like speed for instance. It's definitely wasted since Super Saiyan 3, Fusion, and the Elder Kai powerup are all introduced right after. Making it double the power of the previous form was also a mistake since it doomed the first form of Super Saiyan to obsoletion and set the stage for its own obsoletion later on. That was the death nail for the show when it came to power balancing especially for Saiyans and other characters who were already struggling to keep up.<br />
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Super Saiyan 3</div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Highly original, sticks with you.</b><br />
A drastic new look along with a huge power boost accompanied this new form that Goku hid from Vegeta as they pounded each other's faces in in Super Saiyan 2 form. Now this form looks GODLY! The only thing I never understood about it was the lack of eyebrows. I still don't get that. I think it would look even more cool <b>with</b> eyebrows, but as is, it's great! I think a Saiyan's muscle mass and height gets bigger as well which makes it a very intimidating form. <br />
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<b>Usefuless: Like new technology, powerful as heck, but drains all the batteries.</b><br />
In the grand scheme of things it's not a very useful form, but then again, I suppose we've never seen it completely mastered. What SSJ3 grants is a huge boost in just about every category. The "official" boost for it is 4x whatever SSJ2 is which makes it 400x a saiyan's normal base level. BUT SSJ3 comes with a humungous drawback called stamina drain. This transformation seems to be the most taxing one yet. Goku can't hold the form for very long and has to recharge in the middle of a fight with an opponent of similar strength. It's quickly thrown away in the new material in favor of a more simplified god form. I would still like to see a mastered SSJ3 form, preferably with mastered eyebrows XD.<br />
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Super Saiyan God</div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Takes time to get used to, but actually a badass form with potential.</b><br />
I'll admit, I hated this form at first. I thought it was a lazy palette swap and an unimaginative retread of the Kaioken technique. And the way you attain it is the biggest asspull in Dragon Ball history in my opinion. After looking at it for a while and truly understanding what it was and where it could go, I began to see it as brilliant. I like Toriyama's philosophy for it. He wanted something simple and striking and he succeeded. For me the form is at its weakest when it's motionless and doesn't have the fiery aura like you see in the picture above. The flat magenta color of Goku's eyes and hair just looks too plastic-like to me. But once the fighting starts and Goku starts "burning up" the form truly begins to shine. I was hoping there'd be more to it too. I wanted to see its concept and design pushed forward even more.<br />
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<b>Usefuless: Great potential, but grossly underutilized.</b><br />
The power boost granted from the power up is off the scales. It's probably the biggest power boost that the show has ever had. In universe it's considered a temporary form, though those with genius level fighting instincts, like Goku, can absorb the power into themselves permanently and make it their own. In the anime the form even grants the ability to heal mortal wounds. In the manga the form seems more permanent as Goku is seen transforming into it in the U6 Tournament arc.<br />
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As I said above, I wish we got to see more of the form. I think the potential for a design that expanded upon it would have been better than what we ended up getting in FnF. The flame-like design of the aura and hair and how unique, mysterious and temporary the powers seemed to be opened a new path forward into the Dragon Ball universe that made it truly exciting again. But it was never really expanded upon and what replaced it turned out to be particularly flat and incongruent. So I feel this particular form never really achieved it's ultimate potential, which I think could've saved the franchise.<br />
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Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan/Super Saiyan Blue/Super Saiyan Beyond God</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtu8Nz0W2sRQaOymTyc1LU2rfCYH7pKsEquIz0LTrD4CNwYK9SejrxJJuRAkV6wuWj37f4LyqEMYPQlMyFyONljalqhSqitVkwo5bjC5-wuDQCei4IiWkn5wSuASeK8vHVRzxHu17_mRR/s1600/26138588036_3e982b82eb_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtu8Nz0W2sRQaOymTyc1LU2rfCYH7pKsEquIz0LTrD4CNwYK9SejrxJJuRAkV6wuWj37f4LyqEMYPQlMyFyONljalqhSqitVkwo5bjC5-wuDQCei4IiWkn5wSuASeK8vHVRzxHu17_mRR/s640/26138588036_3e982b82eb_o.png" width="396" /></a></div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Every bad thing a transformation could be in one...cool aura though.</b><br />
Flat. Boring. Unimaginative. Asspull. Recolor of previous form. Dumb name. Does nothing knew. Completely forgettable. Laughable even. Okay, to be fair Super Saiyan 2 just made the hair spikier and added lighting to the aura, but at least it felt like an organic transformation. This form just looks and feels like plastic. It's almost as if it were made to be a toy. The red form was jarring but it at least simplified things again and made them fresh, with new concepts such as making a character more lean. Blooper Saiyan is just a plain ol' retread with different coloring. The only thing I like about it is the aura and the way it looks all static-y. If they had that aura, plain black hair and maybe some glowing blue eyes, then I think I could get behind this as the ascended form of Super Saiyan God. As is it just feels like a cheap attempt to make new toys. Nothing organic about it.<br />
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<b>Usefuless: Just an obligatory power boost, move along.</b><br />
It doesn't really do much either, so of course it's temporary until they get the next new form. I think it's telling how even with the form Vegeta gets schooled against Hit. It's already been demystified as nothing special. As a matter of fact since it's conception Goku and Vegeta have done nothing but get their asses kicked while using it. At full power Golden Frieza wrecked SSB Goku pretty bad. Normal Frieza killed SSB Vegeta with a planet explosion. Hit absolutely wrecked Vegeta so bad that they had to retcon SSB being a form with perfect ki control since the transformation itself now drains stamina and greatly reduces ki apparently. Without the aura to back it up, it proves to be the flattest looking form yet and clashes with the character's uniforms, making them both took like vibrant taffy. When the aura is done right, you can kind of forgive the form. Can't wait until it gets replaced though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ6NvinWUQjuG0k35Kgs1SzTUM3ZXbbCUy93NjL9hRtQD1hclagjiqk6ZJVuPVrHjS97Wv8L8lvvp4-LtbqFFEsfBWl8ZJaqRB8YtwzoBR3s2N6cfRMwXGfSeqZGOTjFgnQHonW3I7m-0/s1600/SuperSaiyanBlue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ6NvinWUQjuG0k35Kgs1SzTUM3ZXbbCUy93NjL9hRtQD1hclagjiqk6ZJVuPVrHjS97Wv8L8lvvp4-LtbqFFEsfBWl8ZJaqRB8YtwzoBR3s2N6cfRMwXGfSeqZGOTjFgnQHonW3I7m-0/s640/SuperSaiyanBlue.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the aura is done right, you can kind of forgive the form.</td></tr>
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Honorable Mention:</div>
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Legendary Super Saiyan</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdmoTyyhYioR4bSOIv0qdrHfnrBq46glYa9G3jPyuMz3d1jmbSO-QCmWRTzCV2PvLzzJiE7qkqz5KQeAu18D1HRnhN6S14QyUrzXK5hwBYFUAGzK3FFCiaglxEmc_n4npd4T8FSNDNPd6/s1600/BrolyLSSJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdmoTyyhYioR4bSOIv0qdrHfnrBq46glYa9G3jPyuMz3d1jmbSO-QCmWRTzCV2PvLzzJiE7qkqz5KQeAu18D1HRnhN6S14QyUrzXK5hwBYFUAGzK3FFCiaglxEmc_n4npd4T8FSNDNPd6/s640/BrolyLSSJ.jpg" width="481" /></a></div>
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<b>Cool Factor: Absolutely dominating.</b><br />
Say what you will about Broly, but Legendary Super Saiyan is pretty damn badass. It was especially so when it was first introduced. The green color of the hair and huge muscle mass also made me see this as the Incredible Hulk form. Definitely one of the more unique forms, up there with SSJ3. One thing I never got was how it was so fast compared to Super Saiyan Grade 3. The first movie Broly appeared in made this form absolutely stick in the minds of the fans and a lot of the DBZ fan community believe that Broly has the potential to be the strongest character of them all. I don't fall into that camp since I've observed many of Broly's limitations in his many appearances, but there's definitely room for other interpretations.<br />
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<b>Usefuless: The best of the ascended forms.</b><br />
What if you take all that power from Super Saiyan Grade 3 and add a proportional speed increase as well? You get Legendary Super Saiyans, that's what. Broly wipes the floor with all grades of Super Saiyan 1 including the mastered version of the form. Even an (arguably) mastered Super Saiyan Goku stands no chance against him without the combined power of the other Z Senshi. Broly ran through four Super Saiyans and a Super Namek during his road trip of carnage. And I say road trip because Broly was a Mack truck while the Z Senshi were helpless pedestrians. The form does lose all usefulness compared to Super Saiyan 2. It's possible that it could have surpassed it (if Gohan was indeed using it in the Broly sequel), but I just don't believe it did. Though at the end of the day I still don't get why this form has so much speed and grade 3 is so slow. *shrugs*<br />
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<b>Final opinions:</b><br />
So all in all you can see that I'm a major fan of the more original transformations. Some have more potential for expansion than others. I am starting to get fatigued on them all though. They've already lost what made them special since there's a new one with each new arc or movie, etc. By making them palette swaps now it quickens that fatigue. I believe the forms each need something more unique to them. They need a real reason for their use otherwise it's just a countdown until they are obsolete and that's no fun.<br />
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Out of all the newer forms, I believe Super Saiyan 3 and the original Super Saiyan God (red) form have the most potential for expansion of abilities and updated designs. I think the forms should specialize to give the Saiyans a reason for using lesser forms other than the need to hold back or test opponent's strength. SSJ3 could be the new grade 3, a form that maximizes power at the cost of stamina and <b>some</b> speed. SSJ2 can be the speed focused form as already emphasized by the lightning bolts and svelte designs.<br />
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For the higher forms, I think it's not too late to branch from SSG and go back to the fire motif. Emphasize the auras and make the hair changes more subtle and not candy-like. It cheapens it. If they're going to keep transforming then each of the forms needs to specialize too. Maybe SSB can be that form that they can conserve ki by fighting in while other forms burn through it like mad, or a form that powers ki blast attacks or something. What I'm saying is that the forms need to do something and if not, they at least need to look stylish or functional. Now, I can't say that for SSB or the rumored Super Saiyan Rose. I think the coolest thing they could do is have the hair become more and more fire-like until maybe it blends in with the aura almost.<br />
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Anyways, thanks for reading my ramblings glorious readers and please share your opinions as well. Til next time, everyone. Take care.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-70686237850047978572016-08-22T06:46:00.000-07:002016-08-22T06:46:41.588-07:00Indie Book Corner: The Family: The Brotherhood, by Donte M. McNeal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Family-Brotherhood-Donte-M-McNeal-ebook/dp/B01GZ7IP0I" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Family-Brotherhood-Donte-M-McNeal-ebook/dp/B01GZ7IP0I" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1HpzjFoCdXwAzNMkSUXrqUBNzP_Ui2UaQvM_DTjiBsmzs5ugl7NVFxxhpWO4ic1xmuDcpTqKnw2Vtdq5Gk020x9dWkaj566YWRjnVO3OQv_eGqnSJnYWcWEr98CrnLUAVOWx3RcJoZ2OU/s640/51P7JjU5h4L.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for purchase page.</td></tr>
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Strong character drama amidst violent futuristic gang warfare.</h4>
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The Family: The Brotherhood is Donte McNeal's first published outing and it is a wonderful debut. I've been keeping up with many of Donte's Wattpad.com stories such as Godhood: The Ascension and Stardust. I loved those stories for their over the top combat, unique worlds, and colorful characters. The Brotherhood exemplifies many similar qualities to those books, but it is also vastly different and I'll tell you why.<br />
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For starters, the Brotherhood is a much more grounded book. The story stars Leone King, a noble young man who is just out to do the right thing. Leone lives in a world ruled by poverty, corruption, and violence. It's a world where those who can't protect themselves are subjected to the violent whims of local gangland overlords. Leone grew up in such a world along with his best friend Nicholas Black. Both boys grew up with differing upbringings and mentalities and thanks to a life changing event both gain very different visions of how to handle this violent lawlessness and thus is born the major conflict of the book. We have Leone opting to bring people together in a vast community of well-meaning people just out to make a better world and we have Nicholas who wants to climb to the top of the food chain and simply rule over all the chaos himself. What comes of all of this is a very interesting drama filled with a ton of great character relationships and conflicts.<br />
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While this book is very different from the other Wattpad stories of Donte's, a single thread links them all and that is strong characterization. I can't help but to really care for the characters in each of his stories, especially this one. These characters honestly feel like people I've known over my 27 years and many of them of people I'd like to know. Not only do the characters possess several dimensions, but each of them serves more than one purpose in the story as well. No one really feels wasted here. Leone and Nick could carry the book entirely by themselves, but Donte's superb cast of sub-characters really make it all stand out as something more enjoyable. For me to memorize ANYTHING, especially character names is an accomplishment and so me memorizing them all deserves some kind of gold metal on the part of the author.<br />
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The plot itself is very straightforward, but teases at more complexity in the sequel. Here, it simply serves to move Leone and Nick's character drama forward at a nice pace. I have no problem with that here because the leads and their conflict were so strong. Their scenes together were definitely the highlights of the book, especially the bloody tension-filled climax. There were also a few subplots thrown into the mix to keep things interesting. The overall concept of the story, one of a good gang vs. a bad gang, is handled nicely. There is some retrospection on the very nature of what a "good" gang is with Leone questioning the role he and his group plays, so it elevates the book beyond simply being a simple action book.<br />
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I had one hell of a good time with this book and feel that it sets the tone greatly for a successful series run. I can't wait to see what else Donte has in store for these characters since the ending teased something absolutely insane. Being a friend of Donte's, I can't help but feel it'll be something very unexpected. Have a look at it yourselves and tell me what you think.</div>
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The Quick and Dirty</h4>
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+Leone King is a very relatable lead who just wants to do the right thing.</div>
+Nicholas Black is a great foil for Leone and a very fun character to read.<br />
+The Family is a unique organization with interesting, far reaching, and noble goals.<br />
+The sub-characters all shine brilliantly. The Family feels like a...well, a family.<br />
+A good and satisfying portrayal of leadership and its hardships.<br />
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Where to find Donte</h4>
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Website: <a href="http://www.dontemmcneal.com/">http://www.dontemmcneal.com/</a></div>
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Author-Donte-M-McNeal-1554144421560843/">https://www.facebook.com/Author-Donte-M-McNeal-1554144421560843/</a></div>
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Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/DonteMMcNeal" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/DonteMMcNeal </a></div>
Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-5013723336513068612016-08-11T09:28:00.000-07:002016-08-15T13:02:59.112-07:00A Dragon Ball Fanboy vs Akira Toriyama and Toei part 3: TransformationsTransformations have been a mainstay in the Dragon Ball series since Frieza uttered his lines about second, third, and final forms. Even before that you had people turning into giant apes, turning into younger version of themselves, bulking up, growing giant, growing multiple arms, and even Garlic Jr. So it comes as no surprise that transformations have become a cornerstone in the series development.<br />
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Transformations are so vital to the series, that when you can't get a new one, you aren't important anymore. Look at characters like Piccolo, Tien, Krillin and now even the half human Saiyans. No new transformations equals no more use for you in the plot based fights.<br />
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So today I'm here to discuss with you all the usefulness of transformations in the show. Are they still necessary? Will continuing to create new ones break the show even more? Will we fans ever stop being interested in Dragon Ball if the transformations stop? I'd like to talk about that stuff as well as my overall feelings on the new transformations introduced in Dragon Ball Super. Then I'd like to talk about the resounding effects transformations have had on other shounen manga as well as if transformations were an overall good idea for the Dragon Ball franchise overall.<br />
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The Purpose of Transformations</h4>
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Having characters that are able to transform does a few things for the Dragon Ball franchise. As far as the story goes, it can add a sudden shot of tension to the story when a villain or hero gets a new form in the middle of combat. It can also add length to an epic confrontation and allow for others to have epic fights against an arc's main villain like with Frieza, Cell, and Buu. It adds a level of excitement and hype as fans wait week to week for heroes and villains to achieve new forms and show off what they can do. When it comes to merchandising, transforming characters can potentially rake in a lot of $$$. Look no further than franchises such as Digimon, Pokemon, and Transformers for confirmation on this. Then of course you have Dragon Ball and the countless shounen products that have followed Dragon Ball's blueprint for success. Each form represents a chance to market it with new toys, clothes, games, and other accessories.<br />
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So with all that said, it sounds like a no-brainer to include as many cool transformations into a show as possible, right? Not really, when you think about it. While transformations are cool and do a great job at bringing a dose of hype into a show, overusing them can cause them to lose any sort of meaningfulness and become downright silly. So let's now go over the usefulness of transformations.<br />
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Negatives of overusing character transformations</h4>
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Towards the end of Dragon Ball Z things became a bit of a mess. It started with the introduction of power levels and power multiplications and just ran rampant after alternate forms of Super Saiyan were introduced. The original form being a 50x boost was soon outclassed after its introduction and so a boost was needed for that to thwart another transforming foe and so we get a "new form" which doubles the power of the Super Saiyan boost, giving Saiyans a 100x boost to power overall or so the guides tell me. So when another power transforming villain is introduced, even that's not enough and so yet again the heroes must gain a new form that quadruples that, or so the guides tell me. But no, the show must go on, so new, more powerful villains are again introduced.<br />
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In GT we have the likes of Baby, Super 17, and Omega Shenron who are all also technically transforming villains. For that, even Super Saiyan 3 and 400x boost isn't enough, so Goku and Vegeta need to get a new form that's even more powerful than that. Enter Super Saiyan 4 which is 10x as strong as Super Saiyan 3 which makes it 4,000x stronger than a Saiyans base form.<br />
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In Super we have Super Saiyan God greatly outclassing Super Saiyan 3 by at least ten times, putting it on par or above the Super Saiyan 4 boost in GT. Then we get into vague and even laughable territory with the horribly named Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan since we're never told how strong the form really is in comparison to Super Saiyan God (later they make it more clear that it is superior).<br />
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Where I'm going with this is, where does it stop? It's already gotten silly and even a tad pointless with forms that are just recolored versions of stuff we've already seen. SSG Goku just looks like a skinnier version of Goku when he uses Kaioken. It's a very basic design but on its own you get used to it and can see it as a cool new form. I do like the idea of taking things back to basics so I got into the form and actually liked the way that the aura looked. The aura gave the form a 'godly' feel. It gave me a feeling of fire and I figured each new extension of the form would give it more of a "red hot" feel. Instead of taking that form to it's next evolution Toriyama gave us something completely different (really more of the same) and incongruent with his current ideas called Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, which is really just photoshopped Super Saiyan 1. We didn't even have a chance to get used to SSG before it was replaced with a new laughable transformation.<br />
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I think transformations have overall been a great thing for the Dragon Ball franchise and served a great purpose at hyping the fanbase up. But it was only hype when it was given to a character that we thought was already far outclassed and when it came out of nowhere it blew us away. Now only the already strong people get them and it's not much of a surprise anymore. Even the reveal for some of the newer forms have been lackluster. What I'm saying is that the series is becoming too reliant on them and that the newer forms have not and will not sustain the hype if they continue to be creatively stagnant.<br />
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Transformations should grant alternate abilities, not just power.</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killua using Godspeed in HxH</td></tr>
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For Frieza, it was cool to see new transformations power him up, because each of his forms besides his final one was a suppressed state. He was purposely limiting himself in a sort of armor. Cell's transformation power ups were cool because he literally absorbed vital components into his structure to become a more complete being. Buu's power ups made a lot of sense because he was literally absorbing other people. He even inherited abilities (like Piccolo's intelligence) and weaknesses (like Gotenk's fusion limit and Daikaioshin's purity) of those he absorbed. Now though, I think the time for huge powerups from transformations should be at an end.<br />
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I think the show needs to rethink its direction and have each transformation provide some useful ability so that the form has a real use and not just quickly get outclassed and discarded when someone else reveals a new form. That is my wish for the show going forward so that it doesn't continue to discard characters every time an arc goes forward. Other shows have already figured this out. I need Toriyama, Toei, Toyotaro and company to figure it out too before they fatigue even the most diehard Dragon Ball fans.<br />
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Influence on other shounen anime and videogames</h4>
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I'm not sure exactly what DBZ has influenced over the years, but I would hazard to guess that it's a lot. I think the transformation trope, now prevalent in most shounen battle mangas comes directly from Dragon Ball. I have a feeling that the trope of transforming boss characters in videogames may come from Dragon Ball as well, but it's just a hunch more than anything. Over time, I believe these other shounen mangas have capitalized on the trope better than Dragon Ball in its later years.<br />
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Newer anime and manga series have taken what Dragon Ball made popular and added a fresh and tactical spin to it. Thankfully we're past the early 2000s where everything was an ex machina hidden demon form and now things are generally more creative. I think for DB to stay viable it has to learn from its students or at the very least Toriyama has to dig further for better ideas and more inspiration. The original SSG form was very similar in concept and design to Luffy's Gear 2 in One Piece which itself was similar to Kaioken in Dragon Ball. What I'm saying is that the three above transformations/powerups were very good and Toriyama needs to capitalize on fresh and organic ideas like that instead of shoehorned ideas like SSGSS, Golden Frieza, and now Super Saiyan Rose.<br />
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Anyways, that's my two cents. What are your favorite forms from Dragon Ball and from other shounen series? Thanks for browsing, my glorious readers! Take care.Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456633737780810310.post-92204431631461677432016-08-09T13:22:00.003-07:002016-08-09T13:33:25.562-07:00Introducing the story that made me an author: Hell WarriorsHey guys and gals, Belart here. Corny intros aside, I'm here to tell you about something near and dear to my heart and that is my first still unreleased novel, Hell Warriors: A Hero in the Flames.<br />
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Hell Warriors has been an important project of mine since 2008. I've been drawing characters for it since like 1998. I finished my first draft for it in some old ratty school notebooks back in 2008 when I lived alone and did nothing but write, work, draw, and play videogames.
Hell Warriors has always been a story about badass demon hunters. In that first story, we are introduced to 3 of the youngest core members: BRAK, Devilin, and Creepy. BRAK is the only human member of the group and was raised by the group's leader, Sergio. Before meeting Sergio, BRAK grew up alone in Detroit, living under different aliases that lived different lives connected only by violence. BRAK's new name is currently an acronym of all of his previous aliases.
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BRAK is currently raising Devilin, the self proclaimed son of the devil whose appearance and powers back up his claims. They have a mean back and forth relationship, with Devilin adopting many of BRAK's worst habits, though at the end of the day they have a brotherly bond. BRAK is also looking after a young ghost boy named Creepy, whose family was brutally murdered in front of his own eyes. Together the three attempt to reign in demonic crime in Detroit, while the rest of their allies are overseas tackling another problem.
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I've decided to upload my third or so draft of the book to Wattpad so that others can read it before I drastically alter the story for official release. I am satisfied with this story as it is and enjoy how it reflects much of who I was back then nearly ten years ago. But I don't think it's viable as a consumer product. I do think it's a very fun story that has a strong narrative and some interesting themes and I do think a lot of people will enjoy it as is. Hell, nearly a thousand people have already begun to enjoy it on Wattpad already. So please check it out and let me know what you think of it. I'm looking forward to updating the story in the near future.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcYHySTTzA9fakCQMGmGy0VyimNueDanAOu-H9GcDRqiy6qizMaY2uA1hiDKe4yJP5UhYaM-Tvmj5LwH3385NQObfLD_MwXfhmjpExQUYMLMfpdwEaIFhGklXb0jJ9TYi2Gyrjo8q8vJL/s1600/Hell+Warriors+%25282010%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcYHySTTzA9fakCQMGmGy0VyimNueDanAOu-H9GcDRqiy6qizMaY2uA1hiDKe4yJP5UhYaM-Tvmj5LwH3385NQObfLD_MwXfhmjpExQUYMLMfpdwEaIFhGklXb0jJ9TYi2Gyrjo8q8vJL/s640/Hell+Warriors+%25282010%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hell Warriors 2010</td></tr>
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Belart Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07574798890761376397noreply@blogger.com2