The Star Ocean Universe

Star Ocean Fan Event

I'm still toying with the idea, and I'm really wanting to do this so I'm seeking out as much input from my fellow Star Ocean fans as possible. There are a few things I'd like to do at such an event, things I've seen done at other conventions and through youtube. There is more that I will need to do in order to make this reality, more than just finding out for sure if it's something all Star Ocean fans want to see and attend.

While I do what I need to do, I do want to hear from my fellow Star Ocean fans. Not only do I want to know if you'd be interested in attending, but what would you like to see at such an event? Panels with the voice actors and the game's creators are a given as well as an artist alley and dealer room. That will be about the contacts I can forge in the next year. I do have some ideas for activities, and, when I get back into the convention circuit again, I'll be on the look out for more. Anyone who wishes to leave an idea can do so through the comments or private message feature.

The other things I'm contemplating for this fan event are when (naturally), where, and for how long. Depending on how much interest fellow fans express in such an event will help me to determine the where (hotel or convention - tentative city plan is for it to be in Philadelphia) and for how long. So please leave me that feedback if you haven't already!

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Pizzas/Favorite Foods of Characters

This is something that I personally find to be quite interesting. In Till the End of Time, it's eluded upon that Fayt has a favorite food. We don't know what it is because he interrupts Maria (who does sound kind of like a stalker in knowing so much about him), but we know that he has a favorite food. In fact, if and when one browses the Star Ocean wikia, the player can find out the favorite foods for the Fantastic Space Odyssey/First Departure and Second Story/Second Evolution playable characters.

However, once we get to Till the End of Time and The Last Hope, favorite foods disappear. Oh, some are a bit easy to guess - Meracle has a penchant for grilled fish and chicken, Lymle is fond of cookies as is Faize, and Reimi likes baked sweet goods (and food in general) - but, for the most part, favorite foods are no longer a part of the game play.

This has me wondering. What are the favorite foods for the Till the End of Time and The Last Hope casts? Why didn't the game developers reveal that to us?

That brings me to the other part of this particular line of thinking. We all have a favorite food. We also have a favorite kind of pizza that has nothing to do with our favorite food. What would be the favorite kind of pizza for our favorite Star Ocean characters? I know some wouldn't know what pizza is - different cultures with different foods - but couldn't you just imagine introducing something like pizza to someone from another planet who's never eaten it before?

The Star Ocean Universe Challenge (if you so wish, no time limits, keep it clean): Write a one-shot or draw a scene between a character who has eaten pizza before and is explaining what it tastes like to one who hasn't eaten pizza before.

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Browsing eBay

I bring up eBay because it's one of the few online auction sites where a person can find Star Ocean merchandise, both official and unofficial. It's also one of the few that, as far as I know, you don't need to create an account to browse. It really is as simple as type what you're looking for into the search engine and see the results. You're only required to create an account if you're going to buy/bid.

This is where I'm going to say: Buyer, be ware.

Be very careful when looking for anything on eBay. For Star Ocean merchandise, ask yourself the following questions:

1 - Is it from Japan?

This is very important, especially when it comes to things like figures, wall clocks, wall scrolls, t-shirts, etc . . . If it says it's from Hong Kong, chances are, it's a bootleg item and nothing official. If all you're looking for is official, don't buy it if the item location is somewhere else in Asia.

Note: If the item's location is in one of the European countries or somewhere in North America (like the U.S. or Canada), chances are, it is an official product. You can always ask the seller for more information.

Exception: Doujinshi are sold in Japan. Doujinshi are not officially licensed by the company for sale.

2 - What is the item's condition?

One glance at the item's photo should tell a buyer everything s/he needs to know about the item. However, many sellers use official photos to sell a particular product. Look at the item's description if the photo appears to be too polished.

3 - Is the item worth the price the seller is asking?

Combine this with Question 2, especially when it comes to books. I try to browse eBay once a week for Star Ocean merchandise, to see what's become available and what's still available.One thing I've seen that disturbs me is the selling of strategy guides and the asking price for said strategy guide. I've come across First Departure strategy guides with frayed edges and an asking price of $40. That, my friends, isn't worth the asking price. Ten dollars, maybe. Forty for a book in a slightly beat-up condition? Hardly.

Also, don't be fooled by a seller listing a strategy guide as "rare". It might be rare on eBay for a while, but no strategy guide, new or used, is worth more than $30. Period. The Star Ocean strategy guides, while fun to have and a great addition for collection purposes, aren't that great when it comes to tips, maps, and other essential bits of knowledge. Many players who don't use the strategy guides post walk-throughs to their own websites or to gamefaqs. Plus, I'm quite certain that there are some places that still the strategy guides in their stores. It doesn't hurt to check.

4 - What is rare for collecting?

In all of my browsing of eBay (and the Yahoo! Japan auction site), I can tell what is rare and what isn't when it comes to Star Ocean. Figures are very rare. Some characters appear more often than others. Doujinshi and manga aren't quite so rare. Particular doujinshi will disappear, not to be seen for a while, but you can always contact the seller and find out if it is available. Many doujinshi sellers know the artists and can get more (or so one seller told me over a year ago).

5 - What is the quality of the item?

This applies more for cosplay. On eBay, I have seen costumes for Nel, Albel, Peppita, and Maria appear for sale. They're out of Hong Kong, and they're often under $300. This, according to Kojika, is a very decent price for a commissioned cosplay.

While the price is good, especially for the beginning cosplayer, ask the seller about the materials used. Are they of good quality so that you can wear the costume repeatedly? The better quality of materials, the longer the costume will last.

6 - Is there somewhere else where you can get the item for a better price?

I'm going to apply this to the video games. Many sellers ask for more for a game (original Second Story, Till the End of Time, and The Last Hope) than what it originally sold for in the country of origin. When it comes to the games, chances are, the answer will be yes. You just have to know where to look.

eBay is a great place to look for Star Ocean merchandise. It's where I bought my copy of the Till the End of Time strategy guide (for under $15), my The Last Hope figures of Edge, Reimi, Faize, and Lymle, my Cliff and Sophia figures (from Trading Arts), and Fayt with his wings as well as some other items, but I don't restrict myself to just eBay for buying Star Ocean merchandise. The best advice when it comes to eBay that I can give is know what it is that you want to buy, decide what you're willing to spend on something, and go from there.

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Who is your favorite Star Ocean character? (Fans don't need to restrict themselves to one game or to have one from every game.)