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| New Transformers movie (game version) |
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Posted by: classicdrogn - 06-21-2007, 01:30 AM - Forum: General Chatter
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I haven't plaed more than the tutorial stage yet, having only picked up my copy about three hours ago, but (even making the neccessary allowances for the fact that it IS a game adaptation) it already allays some of my worst fears about the re-imaging of the property (and if that phrase is not always a red flag in itself, I don't know what is) - The transformation physics are a lot less over-the-top than feared, Prime at least sounds and acts reasonably like the original and best, and whle the character designs are still hopelessly overcomplicated and Beast-Wars-y, with the characters in motion rather than publicity stills it's not as noticeable. More impressions will follow when I have a more comprehensive play experience.
- CD
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"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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| [Story][Adult Themes]Paving the Road to Hell |
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Posted by: Cobalt Greywalker - 06-20-2007, 10:19 PM - Forum: Fiction
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Thanks go to Rob for running his practiced eyes over this prior to posting. I'll post Character write-ups later.
Journal 59/A-2
Day 2:
This was a Bad Idea (TM), but then I've never been so mad. Darkeyes REALLY didn't like it, which is why I only have five guests instead of six in the bases secure rooms. Damn it, I don't like feeling vindictive pleasure as I'm crushing someone's leg! At least Attim stopped me throwing up.
Greenpeace is doing well, soaking up the rays and liquid fertiliser. The bullet wound is almost gone already (which implies things about her make up I might have to be worried about), but the system shock will take several more days to settle.
I've finished the examinations and the interrogations, and it seems I got shot at by two Zwilniks (one now deceased), a Boskonian fixer (about whom both Attim and Darkeyes are drooling over, if for different reasons. Insert shudder here.), his bodyguard/assistant, one Reaver (I know, I know. A Reaver is a Boskonian. But geeze, all I'd need to find him is a magnet.), and a Cyber. The last two on Thionite leashes.
My guess is that the Reaver was muscle, and the Cyber was some poor schmuck who annoyed them.
The Cyber calls himself Dave, and I could swear I know him. Of course, The Accident made my memories from before slightly fuzzy. But his lower legs definitely have my work on them, and early too. I'd say pre-lift, but I'm not sure (damn memory). I'll get his bio-sig and send it to Fred.
Kasumi's watching them, but is worried the base'll get messy. I told her we can survive a few days without the ceilings gleaming.
"A clean home gives a good impression of the owner, A.C." She said to me. "Care for the home's appearance implies the owner takes care of their appearance." And then she gave me that 'You know I'm right' look. Bah! Like I have much choice about my appearance? Or the impression I give? Who did she think she was talking too?
But with her busy on security, Andy's going to have to be my 'coolpack' for the next few weeks.
Speaking (typing) about Andy, he's taken a sample of Thionite and is trying to break it down and work out its composition. I don't mind as long as he's careful and doesn't use too much. The supply we seized has to support Dave and the Reaver whilst were trying Darkeyes' idea.
I mean, everything we know says Thionite withdrawal is a hell we could do without and we should probably shoot them. But the idea's sound enough to give it a try. It's just FAR more sadistic than Darkeyes usually is. Given how p***ed I was, I'm not really surprised though. Of course, S.G.'s not going to like it, but I don't have their resources.
Meanwhile, Libby and I will get to work cracking computers and examining the shuttle respectively.
I just hope Fred gets back to me soon.
At least now I change out of this "SS She Wolf" outfit Darkeyes used. It could have been worse, it could have been the "Red Queen" outfit. By Belldandy do I miss my cargos, and shoes with no Lazarus be damned heels!
I just know Greenpeace is involved in this...
Day 4:
Well, Fred got back to me, and I DID know the guy. Now I'm dealing with the headache of my newly perfect recall about our mutual business with some virtually ineffectual aspirin. Kasumi's still watching the prisoners, so I can't get one of her temple massages.
The weaning of Dave and the Reaver (still don't know his name. Does he even remember it?) is having differing results. The Reaver is (as expected) showing no sign that he's loosing his dependency.
Dave, however, seems to be recovering. Looking him over shows that the mod I did to fit the legs further 'cured'. It's been seen around that some biomods continue to change the mod-ee after the effect is fully established. Sort of like an auto-correcting fine tune. Brain scans show that the 'wavium further worked on the motor control areas, cause they're maybe 3% larger than they should be. I just think it looks odd.
Andy's having little success on the Thionite sample, and Libby's going slow to avoid any booby traps.
The shuttle's a horrendous bodge job, with skill and focus replaced with brute force. Given that they're tough and can seemingly be churned out far faster than other Fen ships, that's not exactly a bad thing. Not a good thing for us though.
Its too quirky for me to use though, which is a pity. It's also too waved for it to be easily recycled here, and we currently don't have anyone who could tow it to somewhere we can sell it for scrap. Attim liked the impressions she got from it. Sorry, but what's so enjoyable about knowing the bad guys can be so basic? Or they'll be easy to hunt? I'm trying hard not to be one sort of predator, so I don't want to be another sort.
Damn it Attim, but the thought of rare stake is making my mouth water.
Day 5:
The bodyguard got loose during his follow-up check, and tried to OD on Thionite. Looks like he was a 'Family' guy. Andy was there though, and got him in the scanner room again.
It looks like Thionite DOES make some changes to brain structure, but they're TINY. We wouldn't have even seen it hadn't I upgraded the sensors last week (which is why we were away from the base anyway, trading state of the kludge equipment). The changes are in the areas where Dave's got extra mod development.
Was it some sort of clash with the 'One Biomod' rule? Is that why the s*** didn't get an unbreakable grip? It makes a sort of sense given what Thionite's made of, and that we know those with really strong wills can fight off the addiction. Dave's got a strong will all right, given the story of his lost lower legs, but it isn't THAT strong.
The scary side is that even biomodded Fen are known to be susceptible to Thionite addiction. Could this be the secret to true multiple biomods? Once I've made sure the guests are fully secure I'll be in the lab.
Day 8:
Greenpeace is up and around again, and is pouring over our research on Thionite. She's getting that damn gleam in her eyes again, which ALWAYS spells trouble for me.
Family guy is going through withdrawal now. I'm kinda hoping we can work him through it, but with how much Thionite he took I keep wondering if I should get in touch with S.G., but then the sight of Greenpeace with a hole in her chest pops into my mind.
It looks like we might be having some success on the intel front though. Libby's going strong on the computers, and our fixer is looking to break. But I'm going to have to burn the gloves I was wearing during the last interrogation session. I wish Darkeyes didn't tease them like that.
They aren't prime specimens of manhood anyway, and it'll be too much effort to train them to be Gimps.
Update:
Darkeyes! Damn it, I SO did not want that image. Why oh why, for all the clones in the army, did I make this commit only? Oh, yeah. It seemed a good idea at the time.
Lots of things in life do, unfortunately...
Day 9:
Greenpeace thinks she can produce a chemical that will flush Thionite out of a persons system. Problem is it's almost as addictive as crack cocaine.
Despite my reservations, I think I'm going to have to let her try it on Dave. If it works, it will transfer his addiction to something we have a constant supply of. With the new junkie we need to conserve the Thionite we have.
Analysis of the Thionite samples is showing something truly weird. Given who I am that's saying something. The 'wavium in the samples is Well I'd call it devolved. It looks like its gone Reaver, which is frightening. I did some checking, and while we're starting to get fuzzy images of individual 'wavelets' we still don't have a clear picture of one. This effect, however, is not as strong on the Thionite 'wavium. Does the process of making Thionite damage the 'wavium somehow?
Unfortunately, nanotech development back in the old gravity well is either astonishingly simple, or classified up the wazoo. So I don't know if hardtech can do things like this.
If we don't get somewhere soon I think I'll have to do something I'll regret.
Day 12:
Libby and I have cracked our respective sources. It seems as though they were checking the routes for a big delivery when they found us on the way back. Greenpeace has worked up a system to knock our guests out, so Kasumi and I are going to raid the Zwilnik ship. At least that means Darkeyes doesn't have to vamp the prisoners anymore. I hated them leering at me.
It also means I have to put on that perverts wet dream of an armoured pressure suit Darkeyes and Attim worked up for us to wear. Kasumi loves hers, damn it.
I've got a really bad feeling about this...
Day 17:
Holy f***ing s***.
I'm gonna have to make a trip to Stellvia (given their respective reputations, I'm surprised Noah let Haruni within a light-minute of Stellvia). They need to know, and I need to secure transfer a copy to Fred. This is f***ing scary.
Good News? I am now the proud owner of a decent large transport ship.
That's all the good news.
Bad News:
One - The ship itself is far too nice for typical Boskonian workmanship. They've got themselves a really together guy to have put this together. And it ain't stolen, as bow to stern she's a Boskonian built ship. Anyone this good Fen side would be known.
Two - She had two metric tonnes of Thionite aboard. TWO TONNES. Best the Fen know that's TWO HUNDRED TONNES of Broadleaf needed to make it. The commercial value of that much Thionite is staggering.
Three - Ships files call this a Class B level shipment. What's been leaked from OGJ says that the 2-3 kg loads are referenced as Class E shipments. The SMOF seem to think higher letters mean bigger shipments, which is logical enough given Thionite's potency and the lack of finding any smaller shipments. This blows that WELL out of the water. Also, Andy took samples from every packet, and says they're all from the same manufacturing batch. One more scary thought, there are implications that there are Class A+ shipments possible. If this is Class B, how big IS their operation?
Four - There are notes about the crash of Crystal Osaka, and how it was very useful. "It was a good job too." Is quoted. I've had nightmares ever since I read that. Combined with point Two and Three
Five - I've interrogated what seems to be the head Boskonian (him, the captain, and the engineer are all I felt necessary to not kill. But the twenty others? If it wasn't for point Four, those would be haunting my dreams.) and he implied that the loss of this shipment WOULDN'T MATTER.
We're getting everything together, but it'll be several days until we can leave.
I better make sure my disguise kit is fully stocked.
Update:
I've just tight-beamed the basics in a hyper-encrypted and coded message to the nearest relay, Stellvia being in occlusion. I just hope Noah doesn't get too paranoid when it seems to appear in his system. The hop-purge may be overkill, but I don't want it traced.
Now I've got to try and remember why I have a code-phrase key for him. By the Force why do I individually pass-phrase my journals?
Day 20:
Family guy and the Reaver have both attempted escape in the past three days. It looks like I'm gonna have to turn off my conscience and do something extreme. Say 'Hi!' Family guy...
Update:
Well, biomodding the poor sod didn't work. So now I have to deal with a very horny anthro-fox lady who's addicted to Thionite. Family Foxy's gonna be even more of a pain.
Update:
It seems the Boskonian captain a) doesn't know as much as I hoped, b) was just following a pre-laid course, and c) has a moderately less intense Thionite addiction. Much as I hate it, I'm giving it another go.
Update:
Sweet Majel, Mother of Spock. It worked. Sorta anyway. I now have a fanatically loyal semi-anthro fox-guy (the guy quite openly and sincerely offered to 'neuter' himself there and then, and smiled hopefully at me as he took a welding torch to his own butt to brand-tattoo himself as my property) to deal with. But DAMN he's fine, and For Serenity Valley was he GLAD to see me. I made him take care of Family Foxy, which may have been a mistake as he seemed almost ecstatically worshipful when I told him.
I'm also locking up that strain of 'wavium.
Update:
By Yoda's Lightsaber, the two of them are noisy. Surely they aren't Bunnies instead of Foxes? But it looks like Robin (as he now calls himself) can more than control Mimi (as Robin calls Family Foxy).
Day 21:
The Eye of Harmony sees all, but Darkeyes didn't. She's so out of it that I can feel that Attim is smirking. It looks like Robin and Mimi know their stuff.
Oh Hogwarts do they know their stuff.
By Kahless, I don't need to feel this good. Or feel the need to wear the navel deep, waist slit full length emerald silk qipao with the emerald spike heels. Or the fingerless silk opera gloves. Or give myself matching emerald makeup, and eyes, and tinted hair... I don't want to be fan service from the hentai version of the Wizard of OZ!
It also looks like I don't have to worry about Robin following me around anymore, much as Attim and Darkeyes hate it, as the worship seems to have been burned out of him over the course of the night. An examination of Mimi shows that SOMETHING changed in her brain, and she now addicted to Robin instead of Thionite. I do hope I didn't create a Pokegirl.
It's beginning to seem as though Thionite addiction can't be cured once it's taken a hold. But it can be redirected given extreme enough biomodding. Downside is the biomod is so extensive it does a persona wipe. That does NOT bode well, as I hoped not to have to go this far. Metaria, the mod seems to have rewritten their memories.
Now it's the Reaver's turn.
You know what they say about the road to Hell and all that...
Day 28:
The Reaver's dead. It was disgusting to see him melt, and the goo that was his remains evaporate and fall to the ground like a snowfall of diamond dust. Only whatever it is, it doesn't match anything in Myth or Fact that we can find.
It's inconclusive that trying to restart the morphic properties of the Reaver's biomod by flushing his system with large quantities of his own biomods 'wavium worked or didn't. SOMETHING happened, but terminal meltdown is not what I wanted or expected.
We've been building up supplies for the trip in-system for myself, Kasumi, our mated foxes, and our four prisoners. The big ship has enough room for us all, the Thionite and the car. Of particular attention was soundproofing the foxes' quarters (they're really bunnies I tell you).
Using the Thionite as a prisoner restraint system is a particularly nasty trick of Darkeyes though.
Anyway, Dave still needs treatment for a while so Greenpeace is staying behind. He's almost cognizant now, and lucid enough to ask to be fitted with a wedlock. He still doesn't realise I'm the one who originally gave him his legs yet. The thought of him able to be told that brightens my day. What doesn't is Attim and Darkeyes thinking him cute. SO don't need that right now.
Andy's got the only sample of Thionite that we're keeping in the vault until we get back in about a week.
We leave tomorrow, and I can't wait to get this over with.
This month's been hell.
Update:
I've just sent off an email to Stellvia informing them of our arrival, along with sign/countersign. Going through hell just to get shot out of space is not how I want this to end.
Edit: Damn smart-quotes...
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| It looks like it'll be a good movie... |
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Posted by: robkelk - 06-20-2007, 02:29 PM - Forum: General Chatter
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Spotted on The Register: Marc Forster to direct next Bond movie
For those who don't know, Mr. Forster also directed Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball, and GoldenEye.
And the script's by Forster and Paul Haggis (Letters from Iwo Jima, Million Dollar baby, Casino Royale).
I just know I'm going to enjoy this one...
-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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| Lurker Surfacing |
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Posted by: Rusco Ducam - 06-20-2007, 06:45 AM - Forum: Introductions
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Wandered into Drunkard's Walk a few years back, don't remember where from a though...
Succumbed to curiosity and wandered onto the fenspace boards last month, am currently woring my way through the backlog. Also nosing through the fiction sections of The Legendary.
As a longtime lurker posting anything, anywhere is something of a departure for me. But, I'm trying to break out of my introverted llittle shell, so I figure I may as well poke my head up.
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| Raining, Pouring, Painting, Incompetence and Court Dates |
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Posted by: Kokuten - 06-20-2007, 06:12 AM - Forum: General Chatter
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Interestingly enough, I just got the house painted.
Disturbingly enough, the work involved was not to the standards and practices specified in the contract, nor was it acceptable. Instead of pressure wash, sand and caulk and repair cracks, prime, paint, the procedure used was pressure wash, paint.
I have yet to hear from the company in question. If I cannot get in contact with them by end-of-day Thursday, I am considering pursuing a Small Claims Court case for the 1900$ I've paid.
I hope it doesn't go that far. I've got three venues to report on this company, and four venues to levy complaints (possibly five, if they piss me off enough (I'm easy to piss off), I'm considering taking out an opinion ad in the local paper).
Bleargh. I just wanted my damn house painted.
Any of you fine folks had positive or negative experiences with house painters?Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979
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| Ah'm insulted, confound it. |
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Posted by: Sofaspud - 06-19-2007, 08:51 PM - Forum: The Legendary
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Ah find it reprehensible -- reprehensible, sah! -- that one cannot reproduce mah likeness correctly. Ah expect it to be corrected forthwith, and until such time as Ah am satisfied, Ah refuse to put in an appearance. Good DAY, sah!
(Born of my frustration at trying to create a portly... no, that's not right... let's say well-rounded... ah, hell, let's go with chubby. My frustration at trying to create a chubby villain in the designer. Even with the sliders at max, he still looks like a GQ model. *sigh* I guess Colonel Slanders will have to wait.)
(Heh.)
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
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| A Special Steplet |
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Posted by: Bob Schroeck - 06-19-2007, 02:18 AM - Forum: Future Steps
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This is a little something I just whipped up, now that I've got Peggy watching a certain anime with me. As far as I'm concerned right now, this is complete as it is. Enjoy.
I woke up in unusual comfort. Before I even opened my eyes I
noted that I was laying on something soft, with my head (devoid
of helmet) pillowed at just the right angle. I definitely
approved, though I did have a bit of concern for the whereabouts
of my helmet.
Wherever I was, it was bright, as light shone through my still-
closed eyelids. Around me I heard motion -- four people, I
thought, trying to be quiet and not entirely succeeding. Oh,
well, might as well get the waking up and introductions thing
done.
I opened my eyes.
And found myself all but nose-to-nose with one of the prettiest
Japanese schoolgirls I've ever encountered. Shoulder-length
mahogany hair held back with a yellow ribbon; huge, expressive
golden-brown eyes; perfect complexion. With her face filling my
field of view, I could see little else, but I did manage to make
out what looked like it might be a classic seifuku-type collar
somewhere below her chin.
"He's awake!" she shrieked, fifteen centimeters from my face. I
did my best not to flinch, helped no doubt by the fact that even
in a shriek she seemed to have a pleasant, melodious voice.
"Um. Yes," I responded. "I am." I propped myself up on my
elbows, and from there levered myself up into a sitting position.
"Suzumiya!" a male voice -- world-weary and somewhat shellshocked
in tone -- snapped, and then the girl was yanked out of my face.
When my eyes refocused, I saw that a young Japanese fellow,
clearly high school age, had one hand clamped in a death grip on
her collar, and was pulling her back away from me even as she
struggled to get loose. He had the stunned and helpless air of a
cynic who'd just had his certainly that the world was a nasty
place yanked out from under him.
A quick glance around the room revealed the others. *Five*, not
four -- a bespectacled girl with short hair was sitting in a
corner and reading so quietly she might as well have been a
statue. The other two I'd heard were, like the rest, apparently
Japanese high school students. One was another young man, with
longer hair than the first, and a smile that verged on a smirk.
That left yet another pretty girl who somehow mixed voluptuous
and cute in equal parts, with long, long light brown hair; when
she caught me looking at her, her lower lip began to quiver and
she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
I quickly tore my gaze from her and brought it back to the first
girl, who was already demanding that "Kyon" release her. He
sighed and unclenched his hand, and "Suzumiya" almost fell
forward onto her face, just barely catching herself in time to
drop to her knees next to me.
"Hiiiii!" she announced in a voice that was just a bit louder
than it really needed to be. "We're the SOS-dan! We saw you
come out of a hole in the air and fall over! So we parked your
motorcycle in the bike rack and brought you back to our club
room! Are you an alien, a time traveller, or an esper?"
She said all that with one breath and a huge, manic grin.
I reached up and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Um. In order:
one, unless you've heard of Warriors Alpha I suppose I am, sort
of; two, that depends on what year it is, and three, no, I'm a
mage. And a mutant."
Her grin grew wider over a three-count, and then she shot to
her feet and pumped a fist into the air.
"JACKPOT!" she shouted.
I switched to rubbing my temples. I just *knew* I was going to
regret coming to this world.
DRUNKARD'S WALK, STEPLET:
THE MELANCHOLY OF DOUGLAS SANGNOIR
by Robert M. Schroeck
-- Bob
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The Internet Is For Norns.
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| Bits of wit and whimsy |
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Posted by: Foxboy - 06-18-2007, 03:57 PM - Forum: General Chatter
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I'll start:
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer... that way, you've got them surrounded.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
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