http://planetary.org/blog/article/00002173

Has anyone heard of Dragonaut: The Resonance?

I just caught a link that directed me to the Funimation site. I'm... not at all sure, based on the trailer, if I'm all that interested. But the
wikipedia entry makes it sound like it's actually got, y'know, plot -- and is not just an excuse to show off Gainax-boobs.

(Seriously, the official trailer says "Real dragons have -curves-", while showing shower scenes and whatnot. Which, okay, fine, whatever, but is
that -all- it's got going for it?)

Street date in NA is 11/03, looks like. I'm liking what the Wiki says, but the trailer... ugh. I'd rather go off personal reviews, if anyone's
seen it yet.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonaut

Official site: http://www.funimation.com/dragonaut/

--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs

Recently, work's been utterly insane. I won't bother you with details, suffice to say that I've made no progress on my projects. Blargh...

However, I did run accross a list of awesome one-liners that I fully intend to have Zeke use over the course of DSKS. Let the snarkage commence!

So, anyone that's faced Utena in the arena will tell you she's tough. And she really is, though a lot of that is regen's inherent ability to piss
people off by healing through their damage. She has almost no damage mitigation, but regen pretty much IS her mitigation. And so I decided to see if I could
make that....moreso.

Ludicrous doesn't begin to describe what I was able to do.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.601

http://www.cohplanner.com/


Click this DataLink to open the build!

Edge Sabre : Level 50 Technology Scrapper

Primary Power Set: Broad Sword

Secondary Power Set: Regeneration

Power Pool: Leaping

Power Pool: Fitness

Power Pool: Fighting

Power Pool: Speed

Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Hack

• (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (3) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance
  
• (7) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge
  
• (13) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (13) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
  
• (15) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  
• (3) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
  
• (15) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  
• (5) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
  
• (17) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (17) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
  
• (5) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
  
• (7) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
  

• (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (9) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance
  
• (9) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge
  
• (11) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (11) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
  
• (19) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (21) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  
• (21) Luck of the Gambler - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (23) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (25) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  
• (25) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
  
• (27) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (29) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Defense Buff IO
  

• (A) Jumping IO
  

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

• (A) Miracle - Heal
  
• (19) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  
• (31) Healing IO
  
• (31) Miracle - Heal/Endurance
  

• (A) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod
  
• (27) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Recharge
  
• (33) Efficacy Adaptor - EndMod/Accuracy
  
• (33) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  
• (29) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance
  
• (31) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
  
• (34) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Resist Damage IO
  
• (36) Impervious Skin - Status Resistance
  

• (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (33) Crushing Impact - Damage/Endurance
  
• (37) Crushing Impact - Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (39) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
  

• (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff
  
• (34) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  
• (34) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (39) Adjusted Targeting - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (39) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance
  
• (40) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (36) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge
  
• (40) Numina's Convalescence - Heal
  
• (42) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (36) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance
  
• (42) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge
  
• (42) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (43) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
  

• (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge
  
• (45) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (45) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (46) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (45) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Accuracy IO
  

• (A) Titanium Coating - Resistance
  
• (46) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (46) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Recharge
  
• (48) Titanium Coating - Endurance
  

• (A) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance
  
• (48) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  
• (48) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (50) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (50) Recharge Reduction IO
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

• (A) Empty
  

Back in the mid-90s, Mark Latus started a trilogy of BGC fics. Like most trilogies, the first story set things up, the second story is where things fall
apart and come crashing down, and the third story is the conclusion.

The first story, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo Babylon, made its appearance in the summer of 1995. The second story, Bubblegum Crash: Knights
End, was literally a Christmas present, although a rather dark one, that same year. In the Fall of 1996, Bubblegum Chaos: Libel turned up. This
side-story was re-worked from the original prologue of the third story.

Which brings me to that third story. Bubblegum Chaos: Hurricane Season. The Prologue and Part 1 (Storm Warnings) appeared in 1997 or 1998, and
since then nothing. On that front, anyway.

So solve a mystery for me. Was this thing ever finished, and since disappeared along with some long-dead website? I find it hard to believe that Sailor
Moon Expanded Universe was *that* time consuming...

For the curious, the BGC fics are currently residing at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Temple/1810/#fanfiction

Jeanne Hedge
www.jhedge.com

"Believe me, if I have to go the rest of my life without companionship, knowing myself won't be a problem."
-- Gabrielle of Potadeia

http://www.pvponline.com/2009/10/19/i-s ... lbat-pt-1/]For an entire week, apparently. The storyline looks familiar for some reason...

And to go with this, there's CoH mission arc “OMG! It’s the LOLBAT!” (arc id: 337435).
--
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

http://www.mercedeslackey.com/news.html

Apologies if this was already posted elsewhere and I missed it. So is Creative Commons workable?

-Jinx999:

Ranma is genuinely and seriously mentally ill, even by anime character standards. We're far beyond quirky, to the point where (s)he's a genuine danger
to herself and others.

-Shay Guy:

And I'm starting to doubt whether even getting the curse unlocked would help at this point.

-yesilmavi:

getting the curse unlocked could be even worse for his mental instability. Depending on whether or not his Dad accepts it. Total cure sounds like something
he'd accept. But just unlocked, especcially since this is years afterwards. Too much chance of the suicide thingie...

-ESCNorway:

I think she may be better off staying a girl at this point. She's used to it, she doesn't have any fiancee's after her, and she's gotten over
the whole question of, er, feminine hygiene.

-Epsilon:

Perhaps some author is finally treating what is, essentially, forced gender dysmoprhia disorder the way it actually effects the victims in the real world.

-Shay Guy:

It makes them psychotically violent and prone to making threats on the lives of ten-year-olds?

and now Necratoid:

10 year olds who fly and throw lightning bolts... in other words a mage. This isn't a matter of spontanious issues with a new and previously unknown
thing... this isn't the red herring (I'll explain in a future post if people care for an explination) of certain version of gender dismorphia... This
is a person raped by magic and events, maybe some long dead lazy Muask ruler, and then disowned and tormented by the one who got Ranma into that situation in
the first place... then balim Ranma, declared him presumed dead... cut her off cold turkey from the central focus in her life and gutted her life goal with no
further training.

So we have a disowned ex-boy who is now offically a girl. Told to figure out martial arts on her own and be a scholar... add in the your useless, but if you
ever fix this look me up and we'll see if its worth working on this relationship. I'm fully expecting Genma to have two or three new replacement
offspring by now.

So the random street rat Genma picked up on a lark is named after her MIA sparring parteneer Ranma is focusing all that rage her male self would have at this
situation, if he was alive, and focused it into a rage based counter to her magic phobia and all the mental fun that happens to rape victuims... along with
abandonment issues and no real outlet for this. Now make her repeatedly get KOed by any magic encounter she ends up in... now make her best friend a psychotic
Lawful Evil puppet.

Eva is a mentor figure in this mess, not that Ranma really knows it... or at least the extent of it.. SPOILERS: I mean Eva's back story is one random
night some loony vampire decide it would apparently be utterly hilarious to turn some nobel's 10 year old daughter into a lolli vampire and ditch her. So
Eva wakes up one day inexplicable undead and then spends the next couple hundred years running away and killing off a constant series of vampire hunting
mages... who never listen to her. She is one of the most feared entities in the world for defending herself. So both were victims of forced, major,
physiological changes and then stuck figuring it out herself.

Granted Genma had to go deal with his wife... the one with the sword and the suicide contract... and he is proving for Ranma financially. To be fair this IS
Japan and Ranma is going to a school that parent ditch their daughters at. Also to be fair, if Genma did bring the street rat apparent home to Nodoka
she'd be worse off mentally... all this and forced training in being man amongst men bait? Ranma would be guilty of matricide or have multiple
personalities by now.

I've had access to a free trial account for a few days now in Champions Online. The game does a few things better than City of Heroes but in many ways is
not as deep. It's very VERY pretty and shiny.

I made a couple of analogs of characters that were also made for City of Heroes - Lora Doubet and Stalnoy Volk.

Ironically, Lora started out as my very first Champions character when I was introduced to the P&P Champions system back during the 4th Edition days (1992
or so).

Here she is in City of Heroes:





And here's what I was able to do in Champions Online:





Now I'm not entirely happy with the character creation system. It's robust and all. But it has a weakness - Faces.

There are no alternate textures for faces (unless you count specifically non-human faces, cat-girls, etc). You make a different face ENTIRELY by manipulating
the sliders. Seeing as how most people won't take the time to really learn how to do it (and though I would, I'm not well versed in it yet) you wind up
with a lot of faces looking entirely too similar. Particularly the women. And if you try for something TOO out there, it's way too easy to make something
bizarre looking.

But the textures overall are nice. And the layering system is something that I think CoH could implement, given time.

Overall, I think Champions has a similar problem that Pixar once had - problems with organic people as opposed to artificial surfaces, which look MUCH better.

As a case in point -

Now you're probably familiar with Stalnoy Volk. I intended him to look properly "Russian Power Armor". And I pretty much succeeded. I've
always liked this look for him. It works well.



Well I wasn't able to get precisely the same thing in Champions Online, but what I DID get I'm pretty happy with.



Shiny...

And yes, that is an actual shot of Millenium City as the backdrop for the character screen.

Here, want a closer look?





And by the way...

ACTUAL BOOT JETS!!!



Oh yeah. We're really high up now...











Another interesting take on a travel power is superleap. Take a look at this -









The ground cracks and shatters when you land!

Anyway, there's more. But this post is getting pretty long and heavily graphics laden as it is.

Here's the link to the entire album. I have some screenshot sequences of Lora and Stalnoy in action in the desert. You'll get to see the animations and
poses for Martial Arts. And some of Stalnoy's weapons in action.

Including MISSILES. Yes, Stalnoy Volk in CO can do an Itano Circus/Macross Missile Massacre. ^_^

Logan's Champions Online Photobucket page.

Someone had a giggle putting this together.


---
Those who fear the darkness have never seen what the light can do.