Age of Rebellion: An Unexpected Guest

  Captain Nivenna just couldn't figure out what was going on.  No matter where she turned, someone seemed to be hiding a smirk, and some weren't trying to hide it.  Occasionally, she would hear bursts of laughter from behind when she left a hallway.  This was highly unorthodox, even for the rebels.

  As she was about to go down the hallway to her private chamber, she heard a voice calling her from outside the door.  At first she paid no mind to it, it was probably just another admirer from the new recruits, but after the second call she froze.  No way...it couldn't be...

  Curious, she turned around and saw a familiar face grinning in the door, and accidentally dropped some of the files in her hand.  She blushed, quickly picked up the files, and bolted to the door.  

  "Captain Nivenna," the man saluted as she opened the door.

   "C-c-commander Brennis!?"  She said, completely flustered.  "What are you doing here!?"

  Brennis sighed.  "Yeesh, you made it sound like you didn't expect me to come back alive!  I mean, I know my job in dangerous and all, but c'mon, have a little more faith in me!"

  "Well, yeah, but..." she said, slowly composing herself, "Aren't you supposed to be on Hoth investigating the disappearance of a few soldiers?"

  "We are," he said smiling, "But Corelia was right on the way, and I figured I'd stop by and visit my home."

  "Understood," she nodded.

  "Always the professional," Brennis said, laughing.  "So, how's things been with 'The Lady' lately?"

  "Not well," she said, looking rather annoyed.  "All day long the recruits have been laughing at me, and I have no idea why.  Even most of the lieutenants have been acting off.  Is something off with my hair, or..."

  Suddenly, Brennis broke into laughter.

  Nivenna blushed.  "What!?  What's so funny!?"

  He wiped his eyes, and then gave a big grin. "Well, you see...I think I know why that is.  In fact, that's part of the reason I came to talk to you.  You have a meeting with a possible new lieutenant by the name of Borikk, right?"

  She looked surprise.  "Yes, how did you know?"

  "Well, y'see, Borikk is actually a good pal of mine.  We met him during one of my boys' missions a few months back.  A very skilled mechanic, Ithorian at that."

  "So what does that have to do with the attitudes?"

  "You know how all the recruits have been calling you the 'Sith Commander' due to your 'harsh' training, right?"

  "Yeah..."

  "Well, they're laughing because they think the 'Sith Commander' is going to get the pants scared off of her."

  "What?"

  Brennis grinned sheepishly.  "All I'm gonna say in your interview today is...try not to be intimidated.  Trust me, there's no easy way to describe it."

  "Okay, I'll try to remember that," she said, still a bit confused.

  "Alright," he laughed, "I'll bring him to your office."

  Nivenna sat down, puzzled as to what he meant by being intimidated.  Sure, she wasn't fearless, but she wasn't quick to being frightened, especially by new recruits.  Even if this particular recruit was suggested to a very high position despite having no prior history with the rebellion, she'd never felt intimidated by someone of lower rank.

   Then the door opened, and Nivenna nearly fell off of her seat.  At first sight she couldn't stay focused enough to tell exactly what "it" was, but it was huge.  Over seven feet in height, massive upper and lower body, and a head similar to that of some kind of slug.  

   "Excuse me miss', is this th' room of the 'Nivenna' ol' Brenn' spoke fondly of?"

  "Y-y-yes," she said, trying to recompose herself yet again.  

   "Good!"  He said, sitting down on a chair.  Nivenna swore she saw the room vibrate.

   "N-name?" she said, bringing out the paperwork for who she assumed to be "Borikk".

   "Just Borrik, young miss, nothin' more, nothin' less," he said, laughing very deeply, DEFINITELY causing the room to vibrate.

   "Species?" 

   "Ithorian."

   She had to do a double take.  This was an Ithorian!?  Yeah, she had only ever seen a few Ithorians, they weren't exactly common.  But Ithorians were tree-huggers, more peaceful than even the Gran!   And the Ithorians' sluggish heads are massive...and yet his seemed to fit perfectly with the rest of his body!  What's next, a male Selonian Bounty Hunter!?

  Borrik laughed  "Sorry if I seem kinda frightnin', I'm not gonna' hurt ya little miss."

  "I-I'm not frightened..."

  "Yeah, I get it.  Gotta keep up th' professional, right?  Just keep doin' your thing."

  "Right," she said, pulling his profile from the drawer. 

   "So you're a mechanic?" she asked, looking through the data.

  "Yup, I have quite a bit of experience with repairin' and buildin' all sorts of things.  Got anythin' in here that needs fixin' so I can show ya?"

  "No, that's not necessary," she said hastily, fearing whatever she needed fixing would get crushed by his massive hands.  "This is all looking very promising...why do you wish to join the Rebellion?"

  "Eh, you fellas' are the only people I really know, so I'm up for poundin' some Empire faces in."

  "Only people you know?  What do you mean?"

  "Ah, that's a sad tale young miss'.  I wouldn't want to waste your time with th' sorrows of an old man."

  "No, please tell me," Nivenna said, suddenly getting interested.  Whatever this guy's back story was HAD to be interesting.

  "Well as I'm sure you know...I'm not exactly th' nicest thing to look at."

  She nodded.

   "On my old home Ithor, roughness isn't really smiled upon...we're considered to be a pacifistic group of slugs, and, well, we kinda live up to that expectation.  Fighting of any sort is strictly forbidden on Ithor, no matter what th' situation.  No aggressive attitudes, no combat training, just studyin' books and talkin' to plants."

  "Mhm," she said, writing it down.

  "Y'see, I've never been much like that.  Sure, I like nature as much as the next slug, but I'm not the kinda guy who's just gonna sit around all day readin' dumb ol' books.  I like workin' on weapons and vehicles, and knowin' how to use em'.  We Ithorians can be such tough fighters, it seems a shame to waste all this potential."

  She had to agree.  He certainly was a force to be reckoned with.  

  "So, you left Ithor because you didn't like the culture of your people?" she asked, getting engrossed in the story.

  "Nah, young miss, I got kicked out." 

   "Got kicked out?  As in, exiled?"

   He nodded.  "One day I noticed an Ithorian bullin' a few of the youth.  I'd had a pretty bad day so far, and the sight of the cussin' and no-good behavior didn't bring out good feelin's in me.  So I walked up an punched the little bugger in the face.  He certainly learned his lesson."

   He sat back in the chair to the surprise of Nivenna, as if he was done with the story.

  "...and?"

  "Hmm?"

  "What else happened after that?"

  "I told ya already young miss, they kicked me out."

   She looked shocked.  "They exiled you from Ithor for punching someone!?"

  Borikk nodded.  "Ithorians despise violence, and get rid of anyone or anything that seems potentially dangerous.  So, they kicked ol' me out."

  "Wow..." she said, still taking it all in.

  "Then you lovely folk took me in.  They weren't exactly comfortable around me at first, but th' youngun's got used it.  They've been quite surprised at my work and seem very impressed by my various talents and potential."

  "I'd certainly agree," Nivenna said, smiling.  "Someone as big and experienced as you would definitely be a valuable soldier, especially since you also seem good-natured.  I'm starting to see why Brennis recommended you."

  "Aw', thanks young miss.  Your kind words mean a lot to me."

  She put an approval stamp over the profile.  "You're good to go sir."

  "Thankya miss...erm..."

  "Nivenna."

   "Ah, yes, Nivenna.  Have a good one!"

   A few seconds after Borikk left, Brennis walked in with a massive smirk on his face.

   "I don't think I've EVER seen you jump like that before," he said, laughing.

   "Don't even start." 

  

  

My Favorite POKEMANS

Pokemon AS and Pokemon OR are almost here!  I mean, literally, it's like a week away? AM I SERIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS TO BUY THIS GAME!?  Ah, whatever.

Anywho, today I'm here to talk about my favorite things about the different Pokemon games. See, I wasn't raised up on the Pokemon anime or manga, the majority of my experience has been with the games, and the games are really what the series is about anyways.  While there are plenty of different forms of media Pokemon is now a part of, it all started with the games, and for me, that's what really matters the most.  So, let's look through each of the main Pokemon games (not involving spinoffs such as Mystery Dungeon, Nobunga's Ambition, etc.).

Favorite Protagonist - Red




I doubt this a surprise to anyone, but my favorite protagonist is Red, and for many reasons. Beyond being considered to be the most classic by absolutely everyone, he was actually the first trainer I ever played as in the first Pokemon game I ever played, Leafgreen.  And there's something about his design that's so fantastic.  Despite being possibly the simplest design out of all the trainers, for some reason it feels like one of the best.  

Heck, even the games treat him like he's THE MAN.  He's the only trainer protagonist in Pokemon history to actually physically return in a future Generation, and what is his entrance you ask?  On top mountain filled with tons of dangerous Pokemon, stronger than every other trainer in the game including the Elite Four and Champion, waiting to fight the strongest trainer ever: You.    That's pretty awesome.

Favorite Rival - XY Rivals



Hold on, shouldn't Blue be here?  While I will say that Blue is absolutely boss and definitely the toughest rival, I actually prefer the rivals of XY more, for rather different reasons.

XY was the first game where I actually enjoyed having a rival.  In all the other games, the rivals were opponents you had to face, a powerful obstacle, and while I enjoyed that, there were already tons of those and didn't real special.  Pokemon Black/White's rivals got close with giving you two companions instead, but they were a bit generic and didn't really show much.

In XY, you travel with 4 companions: Shauna, a hyper active young girl who uses lots of cute Pokemon, Tierno, a fat kid who loves dancing and likes to use Water Pokemon, Trevor, a young boy with great intelligence, and opposite gender trainer who is another dedicated Pokemon trainer like you.

I feel like Game Freak felt like they could have creative freedom with this game in terms of your rival.  Each rival feels like an actual character, with diverse and interesting personalities.   Instead of being a force to face, they're friends with the same goal as you, and feel kinda like Misty and Brock in Pokemon season 1 (I have seen SOME anime).   I enjoyed having them around, and they definitely get my favorite rival position.

(My favorite out of them is Tierno, who's apparently the least liked on the Marriland Poll.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME).

Favorite Gym - Sunnyshore Gym



Am I the only one who thought most of the gyms before Generation 4 were incredibly obnoxious or pathetically easy?  I dunno.

Anyways, my favorite gym itself is Sunnyshore.  The gym itself is fairly simple: a few puzzles with a few good trainers.  Nothing special to report here, though there haven't been any gym designs yet that have really blown me back.  The trainers are pretty good overall, as this was before Ground types ruled the day with sand crap, so chances are you didn't have one around (at least yet).  Overall I remember it being pretty challenging (probably because it's the last gym), but that's not the only reason.

"... ... ...so you're the latest challenger up against the Sunyshore Gym...All right, I've decided! If I find you to be weak, I'm going to challenge the Pokemon League. I'm all done with renovating the Gym, so I don't need to be here. More than anything, I want to have battles that can thrill me again. As the toughest Gym Leader in Sinnoh, I'm going to unleash everything in my arsenal on you."

Volkner takes the cake in terms of being a gym leader.  So frustrated with the lack of tough trainers that he actually considered taking on the Elite Four himself and becoming Pokemon Champion.  He's so bored that he doesn't even take the battle seriously until halfway in, when he realizes that you're an actual threat.  

And as for his team, it's pretty good, especially for 4th Gen.  He has four Pokemon: two electric, one normal, and believe it or not, a water type as to counter ground Pokemon.   His team feels more intelligently made than most gyms have.  As a boss gym leader with a team strong enough to back that up; I just can't think of anyone better.

Favorite Elite Four - Grimsley



"If somebody wins a battle, then, without doubt, someone else has lost the battle. That's the way of battle. A real warrior doesn't dash off in pursuit of the next victory, nor throw a fit when experiencing a loss. A real warrior ponders the next battle."

This choice was obvious for me.  I thought he was awesome before, and I still think that now.

In terms of strength, he actually isn't too strong (being a Dark type Elite Four and all), but there are so many other things I like about him.  His battle stadium and entrance are both pretty cool, his design is both creative and very fitting, and his personality...oh my goodness his personality...he's not exactly creepy, but he does have a rather unsettling air about him. 

Favorite Champion - Cynthia



"One look at you tells me many things about you. Together, you and your Pokémon overcame all the challenges you faced, however difficult. It means that you've triumphed over any personal weaknesses, too. The power you learned... I can feel it emanating from you. That's enough talking. Let's get on with why you're here. I, Cynthia, accept your challenge as the Pokémon League Champion! There won't be any letup from me!"

Yeah, yeah, Lance yadayadayada, Blue yadayadayada, I never beat the original Pokemon, and Lance is way too popular despite being very generic and really easy to beat.

And to be fair, my reason for liking her the best is somewhat biased.  She was the first Champion I ever faced, but I think there's a lot more to her than that.  First off, she's the most active of all the Champions.  You run into her multiple different times, and almost every time she's doing something important involving Team Galactic or the region in general. 

She's both a beauty and a boss, and her team shows it.  It's full of legitimately powerful Pokemon like Milotic, Lucario, and Garchomp, and is both balanced and powerful.  She's definitely a step above the Elite Four, and was definitely my favorite Champion battle.  


Favorite Antagonist - Team Galactic



I'm not sure about it, but I get the feeling that I'm a minority on this one, which REALLY surprises me.  I mean, I get that Team Rocket is classic, but that doesn't necessarily make it great.  There are so many things I like about this team, and it's not just preference.

First off, let's talk about difficulty.  This is the only team that I've really felt threatened by.   The basic members aren't anything particularly special, but they're certainly not pushovers like most other groups are.  Those basic members are run by three different commanders: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, each of which are decently tough.  Then there's the boss Cyrus, who is the only boss I have actually lost to multiple times.  I would talk about Charon, but I never played through Platinum, so I don't know much about him.  Their designs are also somewhat threatening compared to other groups, and yet still managed to get across a cartoonish and unique concept.   

But I think what really sets this group apart from the others is their accomplishments.  They captured multiple legendary Pokemon, succeeded in bombing a lake and killing who knows how many Pokemon (and actually succeeded to steal the parts necessary), and legitimately taking control of what people of the Pokemon world would consider a god.  

And their purpose?   Not petty thievery or something PETA would have came up with: they believe that the world is a disease that cannot be cured, except through starting over from scratch and completely remaking the universe.  In other words, their goal is to reverse time to the creation of the universe and literally recreate it to perfection.  And not only is this such an interesting and massive goal, but you just BARELY prevent it from happening, and I mean BARELY.  

In my eyes, this team isn't just personally my favorite, I think it's legitimately THE best team in terms of creativity, difficulty, and purpose.  I get the popularity of Team Rocket, but that was all due to the anime and fans, the actual team in the old games were simply a large group of thieves, nothing more.  Heck, Giovanni was just a generic mafia boss, nothing unique or interesting whatsoever.  His popularity had little to do with the games themselves, and I think it gives a false perspective on the original game.  Team Galactic offers so much more in so many different ways, I think there's no comparison.

Favorite Track - Dragonspiral Tower

My favorite Pokemon OST by far.  The first time I heard this track, I actually took a minute to just sit back and listen to it.  It's got such a mysterious and epic sound to it, I just absolutely love it.  I can't tell you how many times in Black when I traveled to Dragonspiral Tower just to hear this music again.  

Favorite Region - Unova

I know that this is a VERY unpopular opinion, but my favorite region has got to be Unova.  I dunno, there's something about this region that I've always loved.  Maybe it's the similarity to America, maybe it's the atmosphere and landscapes, I don't know.  But overall, this is my favorite region.

Favorite Pokemon - Weavile

This shouldn't surprise anyone, Frafdo the Weavile was such a major element in my stories, drawings, and my Pokemon team.  While he was deleted in the crash of my Black 2 game and I have yet to obtain another one since, through him I gained an appreciation for the Weavile, and it has become my favorite Pokemon as a result.  

Favorite Game - ???

I thought about this for awhile, and I really can't say what my favorite Pokemon game is.  They're all so different in ways that I enjoy them, and I can't really give a specific game that really impacted me greater than other ones.  Every time a new game comes up I get hyped, and every time I play that new game I enjoy it.  It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and it will continue to be that way for a long time.

Welcome to OMGGETMEOUTOFHERE Town

It's a shame, this would have made such an excellent Halloween post...oh well.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I almost despise the horror genre.  While I do like games such as The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, those are more story-based intensity games rather than horror.  No, I'm talking about the kind of game where the entire point is to freak you the heck out.  Using all sort of methods to mess with your head and make you jump out of your seat in terror.  For the longest time I have despised it.

It's not so much the terror itself that bothered me, but how they would implement it.  Using blood, gore, and things specifically designed to give you nightmares; and for no reason at all beyond scaring the crap out of you.  Almost every game I've heard of or seen designed specifically for horror has tons of disgusting stuff involved, and usually ends with you failing to defeat whatever evil is involved, or dying, or sometimes both, making the entire adventure pointless.  For so long I absolutely hated the idea of horror, it just seemed like self-torture with no gain...and then this took the internet by storm.



Five Nights at Freddy's, a horror game from Steam that went viral after a Let's Play from a popular Youtube channel. 

 Based off of the Chucky Cheese franchise, Five Night's at Freddy's takes place at a pizzeria known simply as Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.  You are the security guard working the night shift at the recently re-opened kid's joint...however, right on your first day working at the establishment, you realize you are in for way more than you bargained for...

Turns out that the animatronics created for the kids roam the building at night, and your real position as guard is to prevent them from leaving the building...by being bait.  Apparently if they see you, they'll think you're an empty costume without a metal skeleton, and forcefully stuff you into one...which would result in a situation I would rather not discuss here.  While you can't leave the guard room, you have a camera which you can use to check on things, as well as being able to close the doors outside your room to stop them from getting in...but power isn't cheap, and you have a limited supply for the night...run out of power, and it's game over.

To make matters worse, something...doesn't seem quite right about the animatronics despite what the company suggests.  They seem to make erratic movements, glitch, make really creepy noises and stare directly in the camera's, as if they're somehow sentient...I won't give away any spoilers, I'd rather you find out on your own.



So...why am I talking about this?  Well...to be completely honest, I've become absolutely enthralled in it, so far as to say that I may actually have to play this someday.  Yeah, that's right, ME.  So why exactly do I like it so much?  Well, let's find out!

1. The Enemy



In pretty much every horror game, there's something I'd like to call "The Enemy".  Whether some force, or a living being, or multiple beings, or...really anything creepy, there's something that you're supposed to be afraid of.

This is something that's bothered me about many games that I've seen.  Not the concept, but once again, the execution.  The Enemy in most horror games is this incredibly powerful force or being, something that is almost guaranteed to kill you no matter what.  Some games, like Slenderman, exist purely for the sake of lifting said being to God-like status, and it gets absolutely obnoxious.  What's the point of fighting an enemy if it's literally impossible to face?

The Enemy of FNaF is rather obvious: the animatronics out for your head.  Beyond absolutely loving their concept and art style, I really think there one of the best "enemies" every created.  They are indeed scary, as they are massive and made mostly out of metal, and are incredibly creepy...and yet they're beatable.  In fact, that's the entire point of the game: survive five nights, and get your paycheck.

The animatronics, while really creepy, aren't covered in blood, guts, or anything, and shouldn't give you nightmares, which really impresses me.  That combined with being a legitimate and difficult, yet beatable threat (both of which being reasonable and making sense) makes them the best "enemy" I've seen so far in the world of horror.

2. The Fear



Being a pure horror game, the point is obviously to scare you and give you that emotional high, both of which this game does really well at.  It utilized the classic jumpscare (when you turn on the light outside your windows and see one staring at you, or when one gets into your office and kills you), paranoia (the constant fear of something coming at you at any point do to the game's random AI), and the overall creepy atmosphere (do I even need to explain? -. -').

Not only is it really simple, but there's no gore or blood.  That's right, NONE.  It's all done in incredible creepy, yet not unnecessary ways.  Even when they find you, you're not shown your death, simply a gameover screen with you stuffed into the suit without any blood or anything.  I'm so happy that someone finally realized that you don't need that kind of crap to make a game scare you.

And then there's the creepyness.  Most horror games try way to hard to scare you, and go WAAAAY too far.  The monsters they come up with and graphic scenes are so horrifying that I'm surprised they allow adults to simply walk in and see it.  The goal is to make them feel frightened, not possibly make them insane.

This game, while creepy and can scare you...isn't that horrifying.  In fact, from an outside perspective, it can almost look cartoonish.  The enemies are simply the modern equivalent of Sesame Street, nothing more...and yet it succeeds at getting fear across.  I think that's just awesome.

3. The Story



For some, this is one of the most important thing about a horror game: the story.  Horror media often utilizes very mysterious and creepy stories, which is one of the major attracting factors to the genre.  So, how does FNaF do?

Well, at an outside glance, it pretty much looks like there isn't any.  You're just a guard facing off some horrifying animatronics...and yet it feels like there's something more.  You know there's a story behind everything, but you can't figure out what that story is.

That's part of what makes this game so great and why it took over the internet.  The story is hidden within the game: why the animatronics are so creepy, what happened all those years ago, what the hell you got yourself into...to a degree that we really don't know what happened.   The story is told through small hints, that while give details and interesting facts, never really conclude much at all.  There are so many theories about the game, and no one really knows for sure if theirs is right.  This fact is possibly the greatest thing about the game.

Conclusion: Welcome to Horror



I'm sure you've figured out by now that I really, REALLY like this game.  And yeah, I really do!

But I actually think this series means more than a really good game, and we'll see with the success with Five Nights at Freddy's 2, the very hyped sequel that was just released.  This is just my opinion, and I could be totally wrong about this, but...I think this game is the best introduction to the horror genre in terms of a game.

This is a day and age where games aren't just for the nerds and geeks.  Companies are now trying to encourage all kind of people to play games: sports fans, ordinary teenagers, even working adults.  Trying to display to the outside world why exactly we enjoy video games, as well as why we like certain kinds of games in the hopes of maybe getting others to understand and possibly agree with us.  This is what I believe this game excels at.

As I said previous, I hated the horror genre before this.  While I did like some aspects of it, I really had no desire for any of it whatsoever.  What this game did (and I'm not even sure it was part of the design to be this way) was display all of the things people enjoy about horror through simple (yet challenging) gameplay that even people who weren't really gamers could understand.  And not just that, but with a very creative and mysterious story, a fantastic concept, and no unnecessary crap that tends to get shoved in to make the game more scary.   

Because of that, while I'm still not fond of all horror games, I do have a better grasp on WHY people enjoy them.  Now I respect the genre as a whole quite a bit more, as I'm beginning to understand why it's so popular (though still not understanding the appeal of gore).  

Now, I'm not saying you will like this game.  To be fair, for those used to the genre, this may not be scary at all.  It is rather cartoonish and simple for a horror game, and it can get repetitive over time.  However, I think this is because it's more for those who AREN'T accustomed to the genre, focused on the mainstream.  This is a game I could see getting people into other, more serious horror games, and increasing the genre's popularity as a whole.  Once again, this is all just my opinion, but I think it really has potential.

R.E.C. - Prologue

  "Good evening Mr. and Ms. Ranax," the doctor said, standing up from his chair with a warm smile on his face.  "It's been a long time since I've seen either of you."

  "Yes, it has," Mr. Ranax, shaking the doctor's hand.  "I believe it's been at least two years since we've talked."

  "Indeed," the doctor said, adjusting his glasses.  "Two years, four months, and nineteen days to be exact."  

  He nodded towards Ms. Ranax.  "How's the baby Ms. Ranax?  She doing well?"

  "Yes," she said smiling slightly.  "She's doing very well, just learned to walk a few days ago."

  "That's wonderful."  He nodded to the chairs.  "Please, sit down!" 

  Mr. and Ms. Ranax sat down as the doctor grabbed a few documents from one of the shelves.  He couldn't help but notice that the couple seemed rather...nervous.  Ms. Ranax looked like she hadn't had much sleep for weeks, and her husband kept rubbing his temple as if something was really eating at his mind: very usual for this particular couple.

  He sat down at his desk.  "So...seeing as you're both here and not working in the lab like usual, I'm assuming it's serious."

  Neither of them said a word.

  "Let me guess..." he said, scribbling down a few notes on his pad.  "Your eldest?"

  Mr. Ranax met the doctor's gaze.  "You've heard about him?"

  He smirked.  "I'm pretty sure everyone on the colony's heard about him by now.  Let's see...didn't he spray graffiti all over the kitchen a few days ago?  And wasn't it a month ago when all the creatures in the lab got loose, and he got caught by the C.E.?  Trust me, I'm very aware of his criminal background."

  They both looked down, very distraught.

  "Ahem, my apologies," he said, going back to his notes.  "So, what exactly is the problem?"

  "We were hoping you might know what's wrong with him," Ms. Ranax said.

  "You mean you don't have any idea what the problem could be?"

  "Well..."

  "Anything you can tell me will help."

  Mr. Ranax put his hand on his wife's shoulder.  "Ever since about a year ago, he's been out of control."

  "Out of control?"

   "Yes...misbehavior, complete disobedience, and really easy to irritate.  Every time we see him, he's almost always annoyed...usually with us."

   "How old was he when it started?'

   "Seventeen."

   "Was he like that beforehand?"

   "No, not at all."

   "Hmm..." he said, continuing to write in his notes.  "Anything significant happen around the time which he appeared to go through this change?"

  Ms. Ranax shook her head.  "No, not at all.  He doesn't have many friends and doesn't get out much, and nothing bad has happened within the family for a long time."

  "So...you really don't have any idea what the problem could be..." he said, sitting back in his chair.

  "Yeah..." Mr. Ranax said, looking down again.

  The room was silent for a few minutes.  The doctor sighed.   They really had no clue what was wrong with him?  You'd think that they'd have at least some idea, being his parents and two of the very few people he knew.  

  He looked over the parents once more.  After getting a second look, they didn't just look stressed, they seemed...worn.  Their lab coats were unusually dirty, and he noted quite a few scratches and bruises on both of their arms.  How much were they working?

  "Well, I'm afraid there's not much I can do," he said, putting down his notepad.  "I know him even less than you do, and since you really don't know what's going on, there's not really much I can do.  It's not a usual situation, as he should be past the emotional drama at his age.  I'd suggest trying to dig into it further, maybe ask him directly."

  "Right." Mr. Ranax said, standing up.  Ms. Ranax stood up silently, and both of them left without even saying goodbye.  The doctor wiped his brow, and sat back down deep in thought.  It was clearly a disfunctional family: the parents working too much and the child an absolute mess...and yet that didn't feel like the full story.  It was normally for a child to feel frustration, but to go so far as pulling stunts that could land one in prison was a bit extreme. Not to mention that it felt like the parents were hiding something, but he had no idea what it was.  Maybe they weren't even aware of it...

  He took a sip of coffee and looked outside his window to the hallway.  Both of them were long gone, lost to the masses of Colony 257.


  

  

  

  

Coming Soon...

What to Write?

Hey everybody!

So, first off, I want to mention my good buddy Aaron who is now starting his own blog at http://atbgapotaitu.blogspot.com/ .  If the lack of correct spelling offends you, he is planning on working on it, so hopefully he'll pay more attention to that in the future.  I'm looking forward to it, honestly.

Anywho, there's been something on my mind lately that I want to bring to you guys.  As I'm sure you guys have noticed that I haven't been very active in terms of writing stories lately, and may be wondering why.

Well, beyond how hectic life is, the honest answer is that none of my current stories are really meaning that much to me right now.  Ace Attorney is REALLY hard to write as it takes so much thought to do it, and while I do enjoy writing Edge of the Empire, Star Wars really isn't much of my thing.  I'm a fantasy guy, not a sci-fi guy.

So, after thinking about it for awhile, I thought of something, and it involves you guys.  I'm interested in seeing what kind of story you want me to write, and what you want me to base it off of!  I'm open to writing fanfiction on all different kinds of media, and even if I don't understand it much, I'm open to looking into whatever it is further.  I'm also open to the concept of trying to come up with something completely original as well, if you guys would prefer that.  If anything comes to mind, please let me know in a message or in the comments below!

The Problem With Pokemon

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are coming soon, and Pokemon's experiencing something that I don't think I have ever seen before: nonchalant attitude.

For as long as I can remember, before any Pokemon game came either incredibly positive or negative reactions.  People either said "this new one is horrible, they've ruined Pokemon forever" or "This is gonna be AWESOME!"   Even when remakes came out, there was very loud reaction to it.

This time though, I don't feel like there's much hype.  Sure, there's the usual "This game is probably gonna suck" or "This game's gonna rock," but the hype is nowhere to be seen.  I'm planning on buying it myself, but even I'm not feeling the excitement I usually find with Pokemon games.  Heck, I was excited for X and Y, and I still love it, but this game in particular I feel excited, but I'm certainly not shaking from excitement: why?

Now, for those of you that know me are aware that I'm of the opinion that modern Pokemon is more meant for kids than it used to be, which is why everything now seems much more childish and silly to us adults.  However, that doesn't necessarily make it bad.  Heck, we have games like Mario and Sonic, and yet those are loved by all.  Pokemon used to be as well, but lately the hype has been specifically for younger ones.  Why?

While I have no answers, I do have a few theories as to why this is. 

1: The Story



I'm sure most of you saw this coming, but what I'm about to say might surprise you.  I'm actually enjoying the way the story of Pokemon is heading (excluding the anime, obviously).

Gamefreak has been doing something for the last few years that I'm not sure people ever expected from something as silly as Pokemon...a story.  Not just a story straight out of a children's book, but something with serious questions, deep characters, and a few actually thoughtful morals.  Even though X/Y might not have had the greatest story as their villains were meh, there were still many deep and cool moments.  

I've played many of the prior Pokemon games, and in terms of story, there hasn't been much.  Even when we got to the Ruby/Sapphire era, the story felt like more of an excuse to move from one place to another.  It didn't feel like there was much purpose, and wasn't really that deep.  I'm actually playing Emerald right now, and despite having some interesting characters, not much is done in terms of story.  Compared to modern Pokemon, it's obvious that now they're actually trying to improve the story of the games.

...this is where the problem of their target demographic comes in.  The story of Pokemon, while having some serious thoughts, is really downed in areas for the children, and it's obvious.  Despite X/Y having some cool story, the villains were literal jokes, and every time a thoughtful question was brought up, it was answered by something straight out of an episode of Veggietales.  

Before, the story wasn't that major, so it didn't really show.  The story was childish, but not a primary focus, so it wasn't really that noticeable.  Now that they have a clear focus on the story, I feel like their focus on keeping it kid-friendly is made plain for all too see, making it much more unappealing to teenagers and young adults.  

2. The Same Game



Man...so many Pokemon.  It's hard to believe there were once only 150.  

Now to make things clear, this argument has nothing to do with "all the modern Pokemon designs suck".  I actually like a lot of the new ones...I think the problem is actually something entirely different.

Up to the 3rd Gen, almost all of the Pokemon in each new generation, were...well, new.  They were all new Pokemon, with new creatures, new typing, new abilities, all sorts of cool stuff.  

Come 4th Gen. Something seemed a bit different.  We noticed some old faces coming with the new ones.  Pikachu, Psyduck, Goldeen...not many, but a few.  It was a small enough amount that people didn't really notice.  5th Gen was the same, but with a few more old faces returning.

Then came the 6th Gen.  Out of the ordinary near 150 new Pokemon, only about 1/2 of those were actually new Pokemon.  The rest were ones from older games brought back again.  Megas were introduced, but they were still just older ones made new-ish.   That's not many new faces to add to the mix.

Here's my theory: it's not how the new Pokemon look that's the problem, it how reused the old Pokemon are.  And not just the Pokemon themselves, but the whole game!

 

Over the past many years, Pokemon as a whole...hasn't really made many changes.  Sure, the graphics are improved, combat's improved, and story's improved; but as a whole, Pokemon hasn't changed much at all.  You're still a 10-year old trainer walking around, battling strangers and going to become the champion.

Now, a game doesn't have to change conceptually to feel very new, but what's being reused is more than that.  Ever since Gen 3, little to nothing has been changed about the game as a whole.  Sure there's been new Pokemon, a few forms a battle, and some different minigames, but there hasn't been any substantial changes in Pokemon for as long as I can remember.  

No matter how classic or cool of a concept you have, everything ages over time: eventually, people will get tired of it.  People will only be able to enjoy Super Mario Wii Throwback for so long before wanting a new way to play, or Sonic, or pretty much any form of media.  No matter how great your concept is, changes have to made eventually.

And Pokemon really hasn't.  Sure, there's been a few out there titles, but none of them are really that large of titles.  Beyond those, Pokemon has barely changed at all for so long that I think people are starting to get bored of it.  You don't necessarily have to change the concept completely to do something new and cool either.  Like maybe make the Pokemon battles in a way where you actually move the Pokemon around and fight as them, or experience the Pokemon universe in space, or fight alongside your little friends.  Some form of gameplay mechanic that hasn't really been done before that makes people curious and want to try it out.  I think that is sorely needed in the universe of Pokemon right now.

3. Too Short



I'm going to summarize right off the bat this time.  Pokemon is way too short.  

Back in the day, what made Pokemon so awesome was the main game.  Playing through the story and experiencing the world of Pokemon, trying to become the champion of Pokemon; that was what everyone wanted and what made Pokemon so cool.

But with how wireless and internet gaming has developed, things have changed.  Now, what matters to everyone is the post-game.  When you've finished beating all the NPCs, become champion, and created your team, you're now ready to experience the world of Pokemon by fighting real people...

...but what else?  This is something I have specifically noticed lately as I've been thinking about the Pokemon games.  Once you've beaten the main storyline...there's really not much to do beyond fighting other people.  There might be one place you haven't visited or Pokemon you haven't caught, but there's not anything significant to accomplish.

And Pokemon battling has been the same for so long that you can only battle people for so long before you'd rather do job paperwork.  After about half an hour of doing nothing but battling, I'm already sick of it, and there's pretty much nothing else to do!

Pokemon Heartgold and Soulsilver I think had the right idea.  When you beat the main game, there were still so many things to do and explore, new minigames to play, but you were also at a level where you could compete with other people.  

I think the right route to go would be to do something along with those games, or have more connectivity early on, like the ability to go into each other's games and explore the world of Pokemon with a friend, or maybe even both.  Something that would make the experience more interesting for a longer period than about 10 hours.

_________________________________________________________________________________

So, yeah.  Be aware that these are merely my opinions, and I'm not really sure if any of my ideas would work or not.  I do still think that Pokemon is cool, I am looking forward to the new Ruby and Sapphire, and I think they'll still be around for years yet.   However, I do think that if some changes aren't in place soon, that the series might end up becoming something of the past.  

P.G. Brody Reviews: The Beauty of the Maple Leaf

When I first heard about this MMO waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in my middle school years, I was entranced.  I loved the art style, the classes looked great, and it just looked fun.  Unfortunately, due to our only computers being business computers, I couldn't play it. That is, until two days ago, when I downloaded it to my laptop and played it for the first time.

Is it everything I had hoped for, or is it just another leaf blowing with the wind?  Let's find out.

Part 1: Classes

Since this is an MMO, I'm going to approach this slightly differently than a normal game. Due to the social aspect and customization that these games possess, people play MMOs that wouldn't play any other video game.  So first, we are beginning with the class choices, as it is the first major choice you make.



It should be noted right off the bat that this game's classes are AMAZING.  Sure, you have your standard Warrior, Archer, Thief, and Mage, but beyond that the classes expand into all different areas.  Pirates, Demons, Dragonmasters, Mech Riders, a person riding a freaking panther with a crossbow, there's all kinds of interesting choices.  Also, each different group of class has a different main story as well (I will get more into this later), making your character feel even more unique.



Now, the art style might feel a little overdone to you in terms of MMOs, but Maplestory was possibly the first MMO to use this art style.  This game was massive online game company Nexon's first game ever, and has been out since the days of games like Runescape.   It also still has it's own charm to it that works well.

In terms of balance, each class is fairly balanced out, although the classes that were added to the game later may have an advantage due to being further developed.  

Part 2: The World of Maplestory and it's inhabitants.



Maplestory's graphics and world are beautiful.  Despite the simplistic art design, the sprites are very detailed and the animations flow wonderfully.   The world itself is also very detailed and looks fantastic.  Each place is creative and unique, and is easy to navigate due to the simple platforming control scheme as well as the easy-to-access map.  The only problem with navigation is that sometimes it can take awhile to get to your destination, as you can't naturally teleport from one place to another.  It requires special items to do so, so you'll spend most of your time walking.  Many classes have abilities that assist with this though, so traversing gets better over time.  



Now let's talk about the NPCs.  Each NPC, like the landscape is simply creative.  They all have different personalities that are all well presented through character model, expressions, and writing.  Also, rarely are NPCs useless, as almost ALL of them have some form of shop or a group of quests.

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Finally, we have the monsters.  These are possibly the most creative things in the game, as even monsters as common as the Slime have their own personality and attitude due through creative genius.  Heck, even the tree stumps look pretty cool!  

In short, the world of Maplestory is pretty awesome.  Granted, if you aren't much of a fan of fantasy or 2D art, then the world may not be pleasing to you.  But in terms of hitting it's target audience while making the game iconic in it's own special way, I think it hits the nail right on the head.

Part 3: The Maplestory (Heh heh heh)



Like most online games now, Maplestory has...well, a story.  There's this evil organization that's doing bad stuff, monsters are bad, kill em'.  

However, within that context Maplestory offers a very unique way of giving story.  Now, as expected, most of the story comes through the NPCs, which as I explained earlier is pretty well written...but your part in this whole thing actually differs depending on your choice of class.

Someone who chose one of the Explorer classes will not only have a different start than, say, the Resistance classes, but will also start in a different location, have different NPCs they need to interact with, and in a sense have a VERY different experience.  You can still visit the same NPCs and locations, but you'll run into them at different times, and most of the main story for your character will come from what class group you chose. 

You're also awarded by doing story stuff, or really any quest in general.  Many items obtained through quests can't be obtained any other way, and the exp yield is usually very good.  Completing a quest around your level will often lead to an immediate level up.  

To put it simply, not only is the story good, but you're always rewarded for your effort put into it.  

Part 4: Combat




This is the part that I think will either make or break the game for most people: the combat.

Maplestory has an interesting combat system, one like I've never played before.  I know other games like this exist, but as with the art style, my guess is that they were probably the first to use it anyways.

Maplestory uses an action/rpg combat system.  You have stats that are affect by equipment and level as well as experience, but the actual fighting is done through the arrow keys and other keys, not clicks of the mouse.  You can move left/right, jump, use a basic attack, use items, crouch (which I have yet to find the purpose of), rest, and use class skills.

Class skills are skills that you can assign to buttons that you unlock by choosing a class. Every time you gain a level, you get points which you can use to level up your skills.  Each skills is unique to it's own class, and work fantastically.  I think this is probably the best use of the skill system I have ever seen in an MMO.

Fighting monsters can be a problem sometimes as it's not uncommon to get caught among a group of them and being knocked between them, but it's just a minor issue.

I like this system, and I think it works well for what it's trying to be.  You may not enjoy it, and that's fine, but I think as a whole it's well crafted.

Part 5: Social Aspect




This is probably the weakest part of the game, which is good and bad at the same time.

Due to being 2D and a simplistic art style, character customization has it's limits, which might make a lot of people ignore it.  There are a few emotes you have access to, but beyond that there's not much beyond conversation.  

However, what's good about this is the people that DO play the game.  I haven't really made any friends on their yet (due to just starting), but my guess is that this game attracts less of the general crowd and more of the gamer crowd, meaning you're more likely to have similarities and understand easier.  Also, conversation isn't very common unless among friends, so spamming isn't very common.  This is also great if you're not one for conversation and simply want to have fun.


Verdict: 9/10

This game is certainly not for everyone, as it's very unique.  However, in terms of accomplishing what they try to accomplish, I think they did outstanding.  The classes are cool, the world is impressive, the story is good, combat is fun and diverse, and while there's a lack of social capability, it's not that big of an issue.  I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys action rpgs or someone looking for a new experience.  In my personal opinion, it's the best MMO I've ever played.

Edge of the Empire: Soldier's Path

Date: 48197201
Sender: 0492059
Message: We need to 21849 as quickly as possible.  2910 9340210.

Shi'onn arrived at the location at precisely the time demanded, as usual.  Even though it was really early in the morning, she never really had problems waking up.  Whether because of her developed endurance as a mercenary, or simply her own strict guidelines, she was never late for anything, unless there was a REALLY good reason for it.  The sender, however, was nowhere to be seen.

She waited a few more minutes.  He didn't come.  Did the message glitch during the coding process?  Possibly. Did the Empire decode it?  No, the coding system had just been updated, the Empire wouldn't be able to decode it, at least not yet.  However, he still could have had an encounter.  

After waiting a few more minutes, she decided not to waste energy just standing around. She walked to a nearby wall and laid against it, closing her eyes.  Through years of learning control of her consciousness, she learned how to fall asleep while standing up.  A form of sleep that was enough to help the body conserve and restore energy, but also conscious enough that any sudden noise would snap her back into reality.   She generally only did this in times of great stress or fatigue, but she was somewhat tired and didn't know what was going to happen next.

Two hours passed, when the familiar sound of a particular hoverbike caught her ear.  She quickly opened her eyes and looked towards the direction of the sound.  In a nearby alleyway there was an old hoverbike that was rusted all over.  On the side facing her appeared to be the numbers "21849", which appeared oddly new being on such an old model.  Keeping her left hand near her weapon, she slowly moved towards the alley.  

As she entered, she noticed at the back of an alleyway was a clocked figure with a very familiar shape.  Her tension lessened.

"Good morning, sir,"  she said, bowing.

He nodded in return.  "Good morning, Shi'onn. I apologize for calling you so early on your day off."

"Enough of the formalities," she said sternly, "where the hell were you?  Please tell me you have a good excuse for being so late."

"Uh...yeah, my apologies.  I...ran into some...trouble on my way here." he said sheepishly.

Of course, Shi'onn didn't buy it.  That was the voice he always gave when he said something bad happened when really he was just being lazy.  Dammit, a man with the title of General should be a lot more punctual than that.  Doesn't he realize the panic he could cause if he showed up late to something truly important?

In respect to his position she kept her judgement to herself.   "So, what's up?  Is something wrong?  A mission you need us to do?"

"In a sense, yes...do you want to sit down?  You look pretty tired."

"I'm fine."

"Very well then," he said, walking over to the bike, which was still running as to mask their conversation as much as possible.  

As he sat down, he pulled out some papers from a hidden compartment in the side of the bike and handed them to Shi'onn.

"We've received rumors about the location of a small Empire base in Corellia.  We think it may contain information involving the circuitry of an Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer.  It could help us find some fault with it that could be exploited."

She took the papers and took a look at them, but still kept a stern look on her face.  

"This does seem like a job for us as well as an important one...but then why did we have to meet so early this morning?  Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow, when we're at home base?  Please tell me you have a reason..."

He nodded, but seemed a little nervous.  "Yes, but...there's something that makes this mission a bit more complicated."

"What is it?"

He pulled a folder out of the same compartment and handed it to her.  As she opened the folder, her stern look became one of confusion.

"...Why the hell are you giving me a profile?  What does this have to do with the mission?"

He sighed.  "The man's name is Brennis Stavakk', a human from Corellia.  21 years old, medium-tall height with decent build, very skilled with guns.  He will be joining you for this mission."

She raised an eyebrow.  "General, we're mercenaries, not damn babysitters.  We don't do escort missions."

"This isn't an escort mission...this is a training mission."

"A training mission?  Why the hell would we train anyone?"

"Because we need to see if he has what it takes to be one of you."

Shi'onn dropped the folder, mouth wide open.  Her look of curiosity turned to shock, then frustration, then anger.

"Now I know this might not be desirable for you..." the general said nervously.

"We.  Don't.  Hire.  You know that!!!"

"Keep your voice down," he said, looking a bit more serious.

"We don't do applications, we don't train people, and we never have."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't now."

"My team is fully capable as it is, we don't need another member!"

"I'm not saying your team isn't capable, I'm suggesting we make it better."

"It doesn't NEED to be better.  We are-"

"Stand down, Soldier."  he said in a quiet but commanding voice.  Shi'onn quickly shut her mouth, and decided to let her face get the point across.

"I know we haven't hired since your squad began and I know you guys are very capable as it is...but that doesn't mean we can't improve that.  Many rumors are going around and the Empire appears to becoming more and more dangerous as the days go by.  More and more patrols are going around, and we keep finding new Empire weaponry we didn't know about before.  It's starting to look like the Empire is about to make a big move...we can't take any chances."

He picked up the folder and continued on.

"This is a perfect training mission for him.  He was born and raised on Corellia, so this will be a much simpler mission for him to start on.  I've seen him in action.  While he can be...a bit reckless, he is very capable.  He's swift both on his feet and in his head, and knows how to act in a tight situation.  In the last mission we sent him on he took out 15 Stormtroopers on his own and came out with nothing but minor injuries.  While we need to make sure he can handle it, I'm fairly certain he'll be a great addition to your team."

He put the folder back in compartment, shut it, and got into steering position.

"This is not a suggestion, Shi'onn, this is an order.  I will send you arrival time for tomorrow later today once we finish all his paperwork.  Have a good day."

He drove away as quietly as he could, leaving Shi'onn to curse to the dark skies.