Flaser Posts

You must be referring to the game ef - a fairy tale of the two...

...and it is probably this post that confused you (you can get a translation for the game there)...

...and the CG can be found here. Use a normal bittorent client like utorrent to only download the CGs...

...or you could try this torrent. You'll need a hongfire account...

...and the game itself can be got here. Likewise, you'll need a hongfire account.

Right-click "My Computer" --> Manage.

@Gremlin: That sucks... switch to your left hand. Practice makes perfect and being ambidextrous can come handy.

Hi!

You probably know that I'm serious collector and that I also run a IRC bot and put out a compilation torrent a while back (BTW a new version will be out some time).

I've had these files since... well a long time (some for years). I hope that you may help me identify the artist for these:


+ ... - Dark Mind [desudesu].zip


+ ... - Harpy Week [desudesu].zip


+ ... - Sister's Power [FAKKU].zip


+ Original {...} - Sabaku no Arashi [Kizlan].zip


+ ... - Toshi-kun and his Big Sis [UNKO].zip


+ ... - White Jam [desudesu].zip


+ Mai HiME () - Double Bed [solelo].zip


+ Ranma 1-2 () - Schleb [Team Vanilla].zip

Bulk Rename Utility is a very usefull program if you need to rename a lot of files. It supports Regular Experssions, so you can do some very powerful tricks with it.

Windows Powershell is a little advertised part of the .NET architecture, natively inside Windows Vista and 7 but also available for XP as a download.

The reason why you'd be interested in it, is that it's a lot more capable shell for Windows than the regular command prompt and allows writing complex scripts comparable to what you'd find on Linux bash or perl shells possible. It also supports Regular Experssions.

So anyone made a character yet?
Frankly I'm nowhere near prepared yet to GM Shadowrun.

What's up with you, Sorrow? When can you GM D&D?

I don't know whether to laugh mirthlessly or groan in annoyance.
When will you people learn? Don't keep your system and your data on the same partition!



Ah! A sane man at last.

Bottomline:

Get RAID. (Using RAID 5 now). Nowadays you have it easy as RAID-1 "firmware"-cards are darn cheap.

We've decided that I'm going to GM a Shadowrun game. Ramsus had an inspiration from gang warfare+school bus and we made a really fucked up setting called "SCHOOL" in the "TOWN".

Your old life has been a lie: You were a designer baby raised for bucks, your parents sold you or you've been so much of a delinquent that you got an honorary "admission" into SCHOOL. You were 14... a couple of years have passed since then.

SCHOOL (Special Combat Habitat for Offensive Operation Liaisons) is a gated community in TOWN (the Tactical Ops and Warfare Nursery). It's a lawless place where the only adults are teachers, all of them certified psychopaths or major SOBs. Gangs, clans and cliques rule the majority of TOWN and everyone should have at least a party of close friends nearby to watch your back. You will stay here for four years.

If you thought that was a picnic, you haven't heard about the exams: every year, you have to complete some classes and get grades. Not your garden variety maths of literature class either (though you do have to finish their equivalent too!) ...but stuff like weapon's training, demolitions, infiltration... and phys-ed that makes marine boot-camp look like a stroll in the park. Failed courses mean being retained another year... drop-outs are "expelled"... (along with the contents of their brain).

...this is hell. The good news? You can cheat. The bad news? So is everyone else. Unless you're on the bounce your hard-won grades and meager savings (the better courses needed for graduation take an admittance fee!) will be quickly swept up by the competition. Bullying is deadly around these parts.

If you want to attend make a character for 350 BP.
The SINer flaw doesn't apply.

I'll post a more in depth synopsis in a new thread.

So people, what would you like to play?

What system?

• 
  [*]- Ars Magica
  [*]- D&D 3.5
  [*]- D&D 3.75 (Pathfinder)
  [*]- TROS (The Riddle of Steel)
  [*]- Blue Planet
  [*]- Heavy Gear
  [*]- Jovian Chronicles
  [*]- Cyberpunk 2020
  [*]- Bubblegum Crisis
  [*]- Shadowrun
  [*]- SLA Industries
  [*]- Call of Cthulhu
  [*]- Delta Green
  [*]- Cthulhu Tech
  [*]- Bliss Stage
  [*]- BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth)
  [*]- In Nomine
  

What setting or theme?

• 
  [*]- dark fantasy (grim and gritty)
  [*]- low fantasy (gritty with little magic)
  [*]- high fantasy (Tolkienesque)
  [*]- urbane fantasy (fantasy in a mundane setting)
  [*]- space opera (fantasy... in space! ~ Star Wars)
  [*]- soft sci-fi (forcefields running on phlebotium, but no magic)
  [*]- hard sci-fi (no magic forcefields!)
  [*]- cyberpunk (sci-fi or the day after tomorrow with outdated telecommunication)
  [*]- post cyberpunk (...the same with Internet and biotech)
  [*]- steam punk (advanced technology in a Victorian setting, everything runs on steam!)
  [*]- horror (creepy things going on)
  [*]- survival horror (the creepies are coming to get you!)
  

Major bug: the last post in a topic is still not displayed.
(Just tested this in the D&D topic, both signed in and not).

@Ramsus

Sorry, I was over the top, but I believe it's better that everyone knows that I much prefer straight-on criticism (It's "good for my soul" :D) rather than beating around the bush. I shouldn't have come down hard on you, but the fact that you didn't say *what* (or *how*) you wanted to play has lead me to waste a lot of time on a system we won't use. However this was a communication failure, and you complaints *are* valid.

(A side note: if we ever pick up the current game, I believe mosaic magic shouldn't function most of the time, being relegated to rituals with far-reaching effects (a'la Runequest). Unfortunately I was going in the opposite direction then I should have)).

About the game:

I think we should start a new game. I'd really like to try Codex Martialis though as the more I've dealt with the system the better it looks. This is D20 battle system so it functions fine with both D&D 3.0-3.5 and Pathfinder.

The Codex also adds a lot of historical weapons and armor, so we can have good protection without playing in an anachronistic stew of mixed arms and armor.

You guys might want to give Pathfinder a try at least, as it further simplifies a lot of things. It also has the added benefit that you can play with two books: Core + Bestiary.

If you still want "cool" characters (like the quadrillion castes in all the expansions) with varied abilities my advice is this: keep the rules simple. Play a "basic" caste that's closest to what you've envisioned and see if you can establish your character with what's already there.

Setting:

We could play in the same world, just flip-back the calendar a couple hundred years... say a 300-500 years.

Here's how I think it would look:

The Empire is gone for good and technology and magic has plummeted. Of the two, the later is more powerful as there are established schools of "new" magic (wizards, sorcerers, priest, etc. - stock D&D).

Since the primary material for the empire was lunir, a material that's highly magical and can no longer be forged or even maintained without ample mana, the civilized countries are at the mercy of barbarians using crude iron weaponry. Most of them were overrun, so for our setting rough steel weapons and iron (chain) mail would be the standard.

(The barbarians are *not* savages. They have clan based political structures. Some of them have an elected king from chieftains, others have a hereditary kings with earls ruling in their king's name. Compared to some of the later countries from the banner wars they might even be more egalitarian and free - as long as you're not a slave, since they *do* practice slavery).

The best barbarian weapon smiths can match their ability pattern-forging weapons with the "wrym" in them, these are rare high-quality steel weapons. The civlized countries that survived the barbarian onslaught are making a new kind of armor meanwhile: plate that covers the entire body and tempered steel weapons.

The other races:

Elves, dwarfs, gnomes and the other magical races who were pushed to the sidelines by the empire's brutish magic still have high technology, so they use steel and even magical materials like mithral. Only they make steel plate armor.

They're also actively expanding and the new civilizations that actively trading with them have also reacquired technologies.

Dwarf masons help build the new fortifications that will be the foundations of the new human empires while it is through elven influence that the enlightened philosophies of the old empire are safe-guarded into the new era.

Lunir:

The overwhelming majority of the remaining lunir is less then useless, a soft mush of silver and steel as the last mosaic mages drained the metal of its magic in their desperation to ward off their demise. (To no avail... their kind is gone).

There is some rare green and red lunir left, but no-one knows how to activate it. Mage schools pay good money for them, as they're used up in elaborate experiments - doomed to failure - in their quest to "rediscover" the old magic.

The bulk of the still working lunir is of the black variety, a metal that will give good protection, but at a heavy price: the mail sucks the wearers vitality and life and will inevitably kill them in the long run.

Mosaic magic:

...is dead. Among humans, there are a couple of hermits, the archmages of some schools who still know the basics but for practical purposes - beside the rare magic circle in a hidden location or rituals passed down with ever less effect - it's non-existent.

Unknown to humans elves still practice it, but they're willing to spends decades with the crafting of each spell using the years to collect the necessary mana drop by drop.

They do this as they've always did: calling upon the aid of their ancestors and the forces of nature, weaving the spells like poetry with no-discernible singular elements in the weave.

(This is ritualistic magic and can't be used in a spell like fashion as old mosaic magic with discreet elements could).

Meanwhile the dwarfs still use runes to bind mosaics to this world, but filling these with mana can take hundreds of years. Many mages suspects that the dwarfs put something more into their work then mere mana, for otherwise they couldn't make their splendid works in such 'abundance'.

(A dwarf may make half a dozen runed items in his life. He literally forges his spirit into them).

The party shouldn't just "stand" a chance when fighting a god. They'll need luck, heroism... and "cheat like mad". In other words the party shouldn't be made to fight something beyond mortal realms without deliberation.

With good foreshadowing the GM can let them figure out a "trick" (but no a lame Zelda-boss routine mid fight!) to at least get out of the situation alive. That way they'll have "some" hope (...but IMHO even if a couple of PCs die that's fine as this is climax of the story and D&D has cheap resurrection).

Otherwise the GM should stress that they're in a hopeless situation and that they should run away to fight another day.

Scheduling:

Recently with the start of university (...and various stuff with my family) I've been a bit preoccupied, so I couldn't attend all the time.

Looks like Friday will be good for me too, but I can't stay for late on Sundays as I have lessons on Monday mornings.

GM-ing:

Both Flare and Ramsus have expressed that we've somewhat overshot the "power-level" sweat-spot and the party is ridiculously strong with overly strong items that make ordinary adventures unlikely.

I agree with this somewhat, but as to what should be done I think all gamers should decide together. IMHO we could get rid of the ridiculous items and play more normally... it was tantalizing, but not altogether that fun.

Mosaic Magic:

Ramsus you were the one, who showed the greatest interest in this and pushed your character to learn it. However recently you seemed less and less enthusiastic each time I brought it. Finally you straight out wrote that since we're playing D&D you want to play D&D and not something else, so I should just make some more spells...

"Fine!"

...if I hadn't been describing it as something that *doesn't* use spells.
...if you hadn't been all too willing to embrace a "new thing" regardless how broken it sounded.
...and finally if I could put up with bullshit.

If you don't like something or won't play it then say so. I'll accept it and move on. We're supposed to have fun. The one thing that pisses me off, is being led on a merry chase because you're trying to be "diplomatic" or "politically correct". I'm not supposed to be on an ego-trip. I'm supposed to tell you guys a fun adventure.

So here's the deal: I can either complete the rules for a point-based system and tweak it until it's just slightly broken fine or we can forget it.

I see no reason to write *more* spells when D&D already has dozens in under varied premises and mechanics. One more set would be redundant and pointless.

Aquirs:
I've also made a major mistake with my approach. I've revealed the big bads of my meta-plot too soon and I told you too much too fast so they're seen as just another band of monsters that you must "slay".

...which is the very opposite of how they should've been portrayed in a good game. They're horror incarnation in a Lovecraft vein, so I should've kept them shrouded in mystery and let the party worry about directly dealing with them a lot later.

As is you're preoccupied with meta-gaming - "building" your characters as if this was a contest between GM and players to see who wins, as I seem to be hell bent on destroying you guys - instead playing, that is acting out characters naturally and let the story take care of itself and save the world through good 'ol fashioned heroism instead punching out Cthulhu.

The later can be fun, but after the novelty - and inherent humor of the situation! - wears off doesn't make an engaging story.

This has largely been my fault, and mine only.
However if we're to have fun I shouldn't let you guys keep on going off in this direction as this is also bleeding the game of meaningful and fun interaction with the world.

I've just been asked to help out my family ASAP, so I doubt I'll be able to hold a session tonight.

The tire of my car blew out, so I can't make it tonight.
This has been one hectic night, I hope I can make it up to you guys later.

Contrary to what everyone is spouting I don't consider stereoscopic displays 3D.
They give a sense of depth and field but you can only focus on what the original (virtual if it's artificial) cameras have been pointed at.

...if combined with head-tracking this might suffice to do good VR.

However as is, I'd rather wait for true holographic displays since so far what I've seen it amounts to a gimmick that gives a lot of people headache without revolutionizing the medium or even adding directors the chance to add substantially more to their work.

For once Shirou really hit the nail on the head: Illyasviel has no concept or right or wrong. Even though she's older than Shirou, she's still just a child as the Einzbern never allowed her to grow up. She's cruel because she's never been allowed to interact with people so she can't relate to them. To her hurting someone is no different than squashing an irritating bug or playing with a doll.

You can't judge her as you would a normal person.
Would I kill her? Not if I had a choice. Not if there was some way to stop her without doing so.

However I'm not Shirou and if I had to choose between Illya and her killing a lot of people on a rampage I might be forced to hurt or even kill her, as I'd stand no chance against her servant.

Behold the awesome power that is:

http://iqdb.org/ - Multi Image Search!

http://moe.imouto.org/post/show/89629
http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/495119

...supplement with Tiny Eye and you're bound to find almost anythings:

http://www.tineye.com/

http://www.tineye.com/search/b5106aea0bdca5f83b503729f6ccd30f10182973/

Tomorrow I might be a bit late (~within 1 hour) as I'm taking my grandpa to change the dressing on his lesions.

Wrong. Just because your own immune system is good enough, doesn't mean everyone else's is. You have a point though:

Should we push vaccines onto everyone, even if they can't afford them? No.

Should we allow dumb idiots to endangers those who're unfortunate to be at risk, for refusing to take a 10$ vaccine, that has been proven to drastically reduce the chance of the ailment (not deadly disease, not bad infection, just an ailment that could endanger a wide number of people) from spreading? Hell no.

We spend money in various ways to protect people spending a couple of bucks on a vaccine, so you protect others is well within my ethos of reasonable duty.