The Star Ocean Universe

Yesterday, I asked this question: Who is your favorite Star Ocean character? Today, I answer my own question (though I'm sure some people already know the answer, and I know that some people do).

I've mentioned before in gaming tips that I have a penchant for controlling the main character of the game. Most often, that is the hero of the game. I'll change it up every now and then, based on what I want or perhaps will need to do. For the most part, however, I like to control the hero of the game. That, of course, may lead some people to believe that my favorite character of any game is the hero.

When it comes to the two Star Ocean games I've played, that belief is true. I have a penchant for swordsmen. It also means I have more than one favorite character. (Who doesn't have more than one favorite character?)

From Till the End of Time, my favorite character is Fayt Leingod. He's tied at number with Luther Lansfeld. Of course, when it comes to writing fanfiction and pairing, Luther and Fayt are my OTP.

From The Last Hope, my favorite characters tied at number one are Edge Maverick, Crowe F. Almedio, and Myuria Tionysus.

I do tend to gravitate towards the main protagonist in a game or a book. There's something about that character I identify with more than I do other characters. Mind you, Star Ocean was not my first ever RPG. That goes way back to the beginning of personal gaming systems, like the Nintendo, and the release of Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest in Japan; became Dragon Quest in the U.S. with the release of Game 8 on the PS2) for that system. However, upon playing Till the End of Time for the first time (at a friend's house), I became enamoured with it. I also became quite enthralled with Fayt Leingod. He was emo, but he wasn't emo. He wasn't as filled with angst as they could have done with him . . . at least, he wasn't in my opinion, and there was a lot the game's developers could have done with him for everything endured. Yes, he displays character growth, but the premise behind Till the End of Time's plot is very weak.

Luther wasn't really on my radar for a favorite character. It wasn't until I read a fanfic called The Devil's Thrill where he and Fayt started to bond and realize there was a potential connection between them that I became a fan of Luther and of the pairing Luther x Fayt. Plus Luther has blue eyes. I'm a sucker for a guy with blue eyes. (Yes. Fayt's eyes are green. His hair is blue. Blue is my favorite color.)

I do like most of the other characters from Till the End of Time. I'm just not enamoured with them the way I am with Luther and Fayt.

I like Crowe F. Almedio because he's something of a mystery for me. There isn't much that he isn't able to do, from what we can see of him, but what little interaction we have with him and Edge is just priceless for me. He's got the kind of confidence any person can respect and admire.

Myuria is a favorite for me as well because she's not only a strong woman, confident and beautiful, but intelligent. Yes, when it comes to her husband's death, she is ruled by her emotions and a misunderstanding, but, when she realizes her mistake, realizes what she thought was wrong, she's contrite and ready to forgive. She's mature enough to not be angered by little details or actions of a guy she has feelings for but lacks the courage to tell. Which, in my mind, if Myuria wants a guy, she could have him because she's just that awesome to me.

Edge is on my list, not just because he bears features similar to Fayt or that he could be Luther and Fayt's love child (not m-preg!), but because he shows character growth. He starts out cocky and overconfident. He makes a decision in which he gets knocked down, and he goes through a period where he's like, "I don't know what to do!" Then he comes back. It's very nice to see.

Fayt Leingod vs. Edge Maverick

For me, Fayt wins this little competition of which hero is better. Hands down. I like them both a lot, but, for as clueless as Fayt can be about things, I feel he's smarter than Edge when it comes to things happening. Yes, some of it's due to the fact that Till the End of Time is seven-hundred, sixty years into the future, but how much of an excuse can that truly be? Edge is a year older than Fayt (he's twenty to Fayt's 19). Granted, some of this has to do with the pacing of each game, but Fayt gets over his angst at what others are doing in their efforts to get him than what Edge does when it comes to a situation in which Edge lost either way.

That's just my opinion.

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The Star Ocean Universe asks: What is your favorite Star Ocean moment?

Response to follow tomorrow.

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Ask the Star Ocean Character For January - Adray Lasbard

There is a slight change for Ask the Star Ocean Character segments. Instead of weekly, the segments will appear once a month on the final day of the month. This will give people time to submit their questions, either here or at fanfiction.net.

The next character in the que is Adray Lasbard from Till the End of Time.

As per usual, the rules are as follows:

Limit three questions per person
No profanity.
Keep it clean (no sex talk)
Be nice
Have fun

Questions need to be submitted by midnight, January 28, 2013, and they can be submitted via comments, private message, or email (luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com).

One final thing - please let me know if you wish to remain anonymous or have a specific user handle you'd like for me to use. I will gladly keep the question asker anonymous or use the handle s/he has specified. Otherwise, I will use the name I know you by. This is something that I will be very flexible with because this is based on fan interaction as much as it is what I come up with for it.

For those of you wondering about the Roger segment, I have a few things I want to tweak on it, add to it, and I will post it as soon as possible.

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Fanfic Writing Tip #9 - Leaving Reviews and Letting Your Work Stand on Its Own

At some point, fanfiction writers read fanfiction. In fact, reading fanfiction inspires other fanfiction writers to actually write instead of dream/daydream the scenarios in our heads. I know that's how I finally got my start as a fanfiction author.

Now, there are many things I see when browsing sites like fanfiction.net, things I don't necessarily like or think an author should be doing when writing summaries and author's notes. Things in summaries like "plz read and review" are not appealing to me, and they don't draw me in to read the story. Reading in an author's note "I'll update after I receive X number of reviews for this chapter" or "What's your excuse for not reviewing?! Review, gosh darn it!" are the kinds of things that inspire me to either not pick the story up again or leave a very harsh criticism of the work and the writer's attitude. (What one may think of as being cute and funny doesn't necessarily come across that way in black and white.)

Yes. I will admit right here, right now that reviews are gravy. They're awesome, and they go a long way in boosting a writer's confidence and inspiration. Those seeking professional publication will ask established author's for a quote to garner more sales. Book reviews either boost sales or decimate them. However, in the online world of fanfiction publishing, writers aren't paid, except in reviews, and the only things reviews are good for are pointing out where we've made mistakes and ego-boosting. To me, it's in bad form to require a reader to review your work and to require reviews in order to update. That says, in my mind, "I'm a review whore. That's the only thing I care about so that's why I'm writing this story", when that may not even be true. (These are also the kinds of writers who annoy me because I will leave a review and it isn't what they want in a review. They're also the ones that tell me "it's just for fun. Don't like it, don't read it." To that, I say, "Don't want people leaving you their honest thoughts, don't ask for reviews". Yes. I have a slight mean streak.) Readers are in no way obligated to read a person's works. They're in no way obligated to leave a review.

Let your work stand on its own. Write the story. Let your skills at summarizing and writing a compelling tale lure the reader in. Pack it with emotion. Give the reader a reason to write that review to you based on the emotions you've drawn out of that person, not because you need your ego-stoked.

Addendum to last week's writing tip.

Last week I wrote about writing in a logical order and using logic to write your story. That is something that will only go so far, and I was reminded of that when I read last week's Daily Kick by David Farland. There are times when logic will need to be thrown out the window, and it's often based on the kinds of situations the protagonists and antagonists find themselves facing . . . Unexpected reactions to conflict are good. Writing a single parent leaving his two-year-old child sleeping at home alone is still bad, though, because then the reader is expecting something bad to happen while he's gone and then nothing happens and there's a feeling of being cheated out of something really good.

Also, please note, I'm coming across as harsh, and my intentions are to actually help people with their fanfiction writing. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the behavior I've encountered in the last decade of fanfiction writing and reading to be annoying . . . I just happen to be quite outspoken on a lot of issues. So while I may sound harsh (it's the disadvantages of text-based forums and formats), it isn't my intention. Writing fanfiction may be for fun . . . but the reasons for reading don't ever change.

Next week's writing tip . . . Writing Songfic

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Halloween In the Four-Dimensional Realm

Given that the world of Star Ocean is nothing more than a fabrication, a multi-player game, the brilliant child of the brain trust at Sphere 211, it isn't too far of a stretch to think that Halloween exists in the four-dimensional realm. It isn't too hard to believe that the creators of the game implemented many holidays and traditions into the game they themselves celebrate. To do so gives the game a sense of familiarity for the players.

How do I see Halloween in the four-dimensional realm? Well, I don't see the likeliness of a real pumpkin being carved into a jack-o-lantern. Maybe there would be what we see in stores like Wal-Mart and KMart . . . ceramic, glass, plastic, plastic covered in glitter . . . If it's a "real" pumpkin, chances are it was fabricated from a replicator.

Ghosts would probably be no different than what we see . . . white sheets or ephemeral wisps depicted in paint . . . something fleeting.

Zombies, ghouls, and demons wouldn't change from what the players see in their gaming experiences. Witches would have gone from ugly old crone to cute and sexy little caster.

All of this would translate into what the worlds and cultures in the Eternal Sphere would see for their Halloween traditions.

Now, if you ask me who would celebrate Halloween out of the four-dimensional beings we encounter in Till the End of Time, I'll address that in the Halloween costumes sections.

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Halloween Costumes, Part Four, Segment One

By now, we're seven hundred plus years into the future of the Star Ocean series. Customs have been traded and upgraded, new holidays added into schedules, and more than one culture celebrates All Hallow's Eve. For this part of the Halloween Costumes segment, I'll be focusing on the following characters: Maria Traydor, Peppita Rosetti, Sophia Esteed, Lieber, and Marietta. I'm also going to toss in Belzeber and Flad, from the 4-D realm.

First up is Maria.

Of this particular group for today, I actually find her the hardest to determine the kinds of costumes she'd wear to go trick-or-treating. Her personality is far different when we first encounter her than what it was as a child. Was she the princess/ballerina type? Personally, I think her parents might have raised to be a little of both the girly type and the boyish type. Her mother is a scientist, her father a soldier . . . heck, she could have dressed up as a soldier-scientist hybrid as an homage to her parents. I do think princess and ballerina, too . . . maybe even a Featherfolk or Lesser Fellpool, too. This would, of course, continue until the destruction of her home and the deaths of her parents. I do feel that Cliff and Mirage would try their best to get Maria to go trick-or-treating once she's in their care, because it would offer up a sense of normalcy after everything she's endured. I'm just not sure Maria would go for it because of everything she's endure. Losing your parents at a young age and in a violent manner like that tends to force a child to mature emotionally in many ways than it would others who haven't lived through such trauma.

Peppita is a little easier for me to decipher. She wants to be famous, and she's learned to dance. Princess or ballerina or even dressing up as a famous dancer/singer/actress would be her style.

Sophia is also very easy for me, and I can see her insisting upon themed costumes with Fayt, much in the same way Reimi would with Edge and Crowe. Fayt would have an easier time drawing the line on what he wouldn't want to hear for costumes with Sophia. It would simply depend on what she'd want to dress up as for Halloween, and I can see her wanting to be a princess. Almost every single year. It is a fascination with her, princesses. (This is based on the kinds of responses Fayt can give her when she's joined the party and in places like Aquios and Airyglyph.) And the dress would be pink or maybe pale blue or lavender . . . but mostly pink. I'm pretty sure that's her favorite color. (She wears a lot of it.)

Lieber . . . Oh, Lieber . . . yes . . . I believe Klausians, after years of dealing with Earthlings, would celebrate Halloween. Lieber, before meeting Cliff and Mirage and falling in love with Maria, would want to be something . . . dynamic . . . heroic . . . noteworthy. He's very  much a romantic at heart. Knights, poets . . . elves . . . those would be what he'd want to dress up as for Halloween.

Marietta is another one I'm finding a little difficulty in determining. In truth, interactions with her (and Lieber) are on the limited side. Still, I think Marietta is tough, despite some of her cringing in a crisis (but then who doesn't?) . . . a pixie or a fairy from Klausian folklore would be cool. She has the features for something so delicate (at least in modern day Disney portrayals) . . . I could also see her (or even Sophia) wanting to dress up as Raggedy Ann, if that somehow is revived after World War III . . . and I think a fighter pilot. She becomes a member of Quark and is the communications officer on The Diplo. A fighter pilot isn't too far-fetched.

Flad is still a kid so I'm sure he'd head out trick-or-treating to his neighbors' homes. He'd be dressed as either his character persona from the Eternal Sphere or some other kind of character, i.e. elf, menodix, etc . . .

Finally, the second add-in for this, Belzeber.

Out of the enemies I've encountered in Till the End of Time, Belzeber has to be one of two of the power-hungriest characters (the other being Duke Vox). I don't lump Luther, Azazer, or Berial in that category for other reasons, which will be discussed at a later date. As the child of a powerful information technology magnate, Belzeber would be the child of entitlement, and his costumes for Halloween would reflect that - corporate businessman every year. He might switch it up every now and then, depending on who his friends are (which I do see him having Blair, Luther, Azazer, and Berial for a group of friends . . . for a while) . . . he might dress up as the hero to Luther's villain . . . but I don't see him deviating away too much from what he truly wants to be in his life - a powerful businessman controlling the 4-D realm.

And thus concludes today's segment of Halloween Costumes, Part 4. Tomorrow will see Cliff, Mirage, Robert Leingod, Ryoko Leingod, Blair, Azazer, Nel Zelpher, Roger S. Huxley, Adray Lasbard, and Clair Lasbard.

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Halloween Fanfic Entries

This was written as a surprise giftfic for missnox!

Title: Halloween Culture Shock
Characters: Albel Nox, Fayt Leingod, Maria Traydor, Sophia Esteed
Pairing: Albel Nox x Fayt Leingod
World: Till the End of Time
Rating: PG13
Warnings: male/male relationship, language, violent urges (It has Albel in it!)
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean - Till the End of Time. The game and the characters from the game belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively. I don't profit financially from writing this.
Summary: Albel receives a culture shock when Fayt invites him to celebrate Halloween on Earth.

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This was written as a surprise giftfic for Rachel Snowden on deviantart.

Title: A Trick For a Treat
World: Till the End of Time
Characters: Albel Nox, Fayt Leingod, Sophia Esteed, Maria Traydor, Lieber, Luther Lansfeld
Pairing: Albel Nox x Fayt Leingod, Maria Traydor x Lieber
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Language, male/male relationship, violent tendencies
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean - Till the End of Time. The game and the characters from the game belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively. I don't profit financially from writing this.
Summary:  Albel decides what he wants the most for the Hallowed Night’s festivities.
Author’s Note: The Hallowed Night is what I’m calling Elicoor II’s Halloween-type holiday.

 

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This was written as a surprise giftfic for Charryblossom over at deviantart.com

Title: Lonely Hallow’s Night
World: Till the End of Time
Characters: Albel Nox, Nel Zelpher, Clair Lasbard, Adray Lasbard, Tynave, Farleen, Fayt Leingod
Pairing: Albel Nox x Nel Zelpher
Warnings: mild language, implied sexual situations
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Till the End of Time or the characters of Fayt Leingod, Tynave, Farleen, Nel Zelpher, Clair Lasbard, Adray Lasbard, or Albel Nox. They belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix. I don’t profit financially from writing this story. I do profit from surprising people with these stories. XD
Author’s Note: Canon pairing. Not much else to say about it except I could have used Charry’s character, Charry, but I never asked her for permission to do so . . . plus I know from her cosplay photos, she’s an Albel x Nel fan.
Summary:  Nel and Albel stare at the moon on the Hallowed Night.

 

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This was written as a surprise giftfic for Kojika on deviantart.

 

Title: Carving the Pumpkin (Part Two)
World: The Last Hope
Characters: Edge Maverick, Faize Sheifa Beleth
Pairing: Edge Maverick x Faize Sheifa Beleth
Warnings: Male/male relationship, implied sexual situations
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Edge Maverick and Faize Sheifa Beleth or Star Ocean: The Last Hope. They belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively. I don’t profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: Faize and Edge share some time alone on The Calnus and discuss the ways to carve a pumpkin.
Author’s Notes: Yes, I know I have a story up called Carving the Pumpkin, featuring Luther Lansfeld and Fayt Leingod from Till the End of Time. The idea of carving a pumpkin with Faize was just as appealing to me, and I’m not above rehashing story titles where appropriate.

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(more fanfic in another entry)

 

Halloween Reminder

I'm still  seeking Halloween themed Star Ocean artwork, photography, and fanfiction to celebrate the holiday. Figures next to Halloween decorations, characters in costumes, and people dressed in cosplay with Halloween decorations in the mix are definitely welcome. Fanfiction should be kept to drabbles, short stories, and vignettes. Chaptered fiction will be accepted ONLY if the story is completed. Everything should be kept at the PG-13 level. No nudity at all, and sexual situations MUST BE IMPLIED. I will not accept anything with explicit material. All games are welcome!

All submissions can be emailed to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com, and your help is greatly appreciated!!

Please, when submitting any Star Ocean fiction of any kind, include the following:
Story Title
World (for everything but birthdays)
Rating
Pairing, ONLY if applicable
Warnings, if any
A Disclaimer
A Claimer on OCs
Author's Notes, if any

Thanks!

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Halloween Costumes, Part Two - Ronyx J. Kenny and Illia Silvestri

Here's where I'll be having a bit of fun since I don't know the characters all that well.

It has returned, the Halloween costumes discussion. Yay! 

By the time the events of First Departure roll around, I'm going to guess that, where Halloween is concerned, either nothing has changed in how the day is celebrated or traditions have evolved based on the number of alien races encountered over three hundred years. Either way, I can imagine that the custom of dressing up for Halloween remains intact.

However, with the introduction of alien cultures and customs, the kinds of costumes available to Ronyx and Illia as children would be far greater in variety. Not only would there be the options of wearing alien costumes but the kinds of creatures from ancient folklore as well. I'm given to understand that both Ronyx and Illia are quite intelligent (my First Departure manual says Illia has a Ph.D) so experimenting with costumes seems like, to me, something they'd do. However, for this entry, I'll stick with traditional Earth costumes.

Ronyx, in my researching, seems like a very straight-forward, honorable, noble guy, and is an archer/long-distance fighter. Because of my researching into his character, I can see him dressing up as a samurai or medieval bowman. He might actually deviate away from something noble because it would be predictable. I'm thinking zombie captain for Ronyx or perhaps vampire - something that would let him be bad for the times he can't be bad: a shake-up to his routine, if you will.

As an adult, he might just pay homage to Roddick (Ratyx) by dressing up as a Fellpool or something themed with Illia.

Illia, on the other hand, is presenting more of a challenge for me in terms of costumes. She's an intelligent woman, was probably quite intelligent as a child. She'd want to dress up as something fun, in my mind's eye, like something out of a beloved book or perhaps something to reflect her intellect. Of course, I haven't had the chance to play First Departure so I just don't know how "girly" she is in terms of personality. Dressing up as a classical witch might be her style, too. One can never tell.

As an adult, I can see her dressing up as a sexy nerd or a seductress. Whatever happens to tickle her fancy at the time.

** This was written based off what I learned about the characters at Star Ocean wikia . . . probably not the best I can come up with, all things considered, but I wanted to write about First Departure for a change over The Last Hope and Till the End of Time (despite how much I love both games). Feel free to offer up thoughts on how you think Ronyx and Illia would dress for Halloween.

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Fanfic: Carving the Pumpkin
Status: One-shot
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther Lansfeld x Fayt Leingod
Rating: PG-ish.
Warnings: pointless story, some fluff, male/male situations. Nothing sexual, no language
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Ocean - Till the End of Time nor the characters of Fayt Leingod and Luther Lansfeld. They belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix. I do not profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: Luther faces one of his greatest challenges yet - carving a pumpkin for Halloween.

 

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And that kind of does it for today. I hoped to have more, but it just didn't pan out so . . . Have a good Tuesday!

The Eternal Sphere - Game or Reality?

This is quite possibly going to be another briefly written topic. However, despite its potential brevity, I find the subject to be quite fascinating.

Of course, most players of the Star Ocean series don't know they're playing a video game set inside a video game until they're engrossed in Till the End of Time. It is the third game that lets everyone know, hey, the universe is created by these other entities who live on a higher plane of existence than in what the characters enduring their trials exist. The shocker for this information isn't that these four-dimensional beings created the universe, it's that the universe was created for the sole purpose of entertaining them. It's a simple program called the Eternal Sphere, and anyone in the four-dimensional realm can enter and play. It's a game, a toy, something to be discarded when the four-dimensional beings are bored and want something new.

But is that really the case? Is the Eternal Sphere a creation of Luther's brilliant mind or was it a happy accidental discovery on his part? This is something that's more fan speculation than in-game speculation, as a few of the key players - Robert Leingod, Blair Lansfeld, and Luther Lansfeld - seem convinced that Luther and his team programmers created the Eternal Sphere rather than discovered it. But if that's more the truth than what anyone realizes? That Luther discovered this alternate reality on accident and found a way to manipulate the lifeforms living in it? I don't think it's very likely . . . as much as the idea does intrigue me. While Luther is a manipulating control-freak, the last thing he is is dishonest. He has no reason to lie about anything.

So what does it mean then that the Eternal Sphere has taken on a life of its own? I personally believe that, while the Eternal Sphere started out as a program, it has somehow gained something, thanks to Luther. There's something within Luther to be able to create life. It doesn't make him God since there are other potential candidates in the four-dimensional realms who could contain the same symbological skills, but, in Luther, they're especially strong. Because of this, it means I believe that the Eternal Sphere is one of the greatest things Luther has created. He's done something no one else in the four-dimensional realm has ever done or could ever do after he's passed on.

Getting to the convention location, as has been mentioned in the previous Convention Talk, is perhaps one of the biggest costs when it comes to attending. How you get there is just as important as getting there. Traveling to the larger conventions will not only require a healthy amount of cash but advanced planning on the part of the attendee. If you have vacation time, get it in early. Summertime is a popular time for conventions. It's also a popular time for family vacations, and many parents will be planning ahead. Be sure you do the same, especially if you're driving or taking the bus to your destination.

Of course, there's always flying, which also requires some advanced planning. I have friends who will fly to the convention location, and I'm sure that they buy their tickets as soon as they're able. The further out you book your flight, the cheaper you can fly.

If you're not fond of overly long road trips or flying or even taking the bus,  then the smaller, local conventions are just for you. They're within a reasonable driving distance and will definitely be cheaper overall  when it comes to pre-registration, food and lodging, and fuel costs.

Factor #3 into Costs - Hotels/Lodging

Naturally, if you're considering traveling to the larger conventions,  you're going to need a place to sleep. Hotels are often the most popular place for staying when traveling abroad. Booking a room in the convention center hotel in advanced will save you money because they are offering a specific rate for that particular event. BE SURE TO MENTION YOU'RE ATTENDING THAT CONVENTION WHEN BOOKING YOUR ROOM(S). Otherwise, you will be charged the normal rates, which are at least $20 or more per night. Also, be sure to book in advance, the way you would for a bus or plane ticket. The hotels for the larger, more popular conventions fill up fast. Also, check the convention's website for other hotels participating and how far they are from the convention site.

There are two ways to save when it comes to traveling to a larger convention. One is to use social media networks like facebook and myspace to help you find a friend who lives in the city and will allow you to stay with them for the duration of the weekend.  A word of caution for this: Be sure you're staying with someone at a legitimate address and have a phone number available just in case, and leave those pieces of information with family members. Find a way to save money but be smart about your own safety as well. The second way to save on hotel costs is travel to the site by RV. It sounds a bit cheesy, but it's how one friend of mine saved some money when attending BotCon in 2004. We rode with him to Pasadena, in his grandparents' RV, and he stayed in the RV while the rest of us stayed in the hotel. Just be sure to compensate for fuel because most RVs, to my knowledge, aren't necessarily fuel-efficient.

Smaller, local conventions won't necessarily run up a high lodging bill. If you live within a certain distance away from where the convention is being held, paying for a hotel actually wouldn't be very cost effective whereas driving every day to the convention would be more economical. For example, I live in a rural part of northern Michigan. Conventions like Cherry Capital Comic-Con and the Northern Michigan Anime Convention are both located in Traverse City, which is about fifty miles to the north of where I live. To stay in a hotel would run me about $100-$150 for the weekend. To drive from my house each day would cost me around $60 for the whole weekend. For a convention that's sixty miles or less away, I'd say simply drive and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Factor #4 into Costs - Food

No matter what, a person is always going to need to eat. The type of restaurant you want to eat will either increase how much you spend on food. Despite how much you might love McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Arby's, or Subway, a steady diet of them will become quite boring, especially if you're traveling a great distance. Local, sit-down restaurants won't always be as cheap as a major fast food chain, but it will offer an insight to the local cuisine. Even what's offered at the convention - if they have a concessions stand - will be on the costly side and they don't offer, generally speaking, a large variety.

Factor # 5 - Crowds and the Dealer Rooms

The upside and downside to the larger conventions is how crowded places like the Dealer's Room/s can become as well as the guest panels, cosplay events, and Artists' Alleys. You get to see more people in costume, but you also may feel like you're suffocating. Not everyone can handle the large crowds. Smaller conventions don't bring in nearly as many people. Personally, I recommend a convention attendee to go to both kinds of conventions. The popular conventions, like Otakon, Anime Expo, and Comic-Con, while they can be quite costly and quite crowded, as has been mentioned repeatedly, have larger, sometimes multiple dealer rooms and artists' alleys. They simply have more and are often able to get guests the smaller ones simply can't afford because they are small and often times low budget. The smaller conventions happen to be more on the local level, and, while they're not exactly the biggest show around, they can sometimes do things that the larger ones often can't due to time constraints - fan panels. I won't say that the larger conventions aren't run by fans . . . because they do start out as small conventions at some point. Each convention is for the fans. While there may be some big names from the industries at the conventions, know that the organizers are trying to find what they think the fans want to see, and they do this based on feedback.

And there is one more reason to support both the large and smaller conventions: the economy. Whether you're traveling a great distance or just fifty miles, many local businesses will benefit from convention attendance.

There's always a reason to attend. :)

What's There But Isn't There? - Why Luther and Fayt Never Stood a Chance of Winning Against Each Other (SPOILER ALERT!!)

This is a fairly recent theory on my part - try like in the evening hours of last night while playing Till the End of Time. I did something that I hadn't done in previous play-throughs. I got the message from "B" that I had access to Sphere 211, and I could go there anytime I wished. This, of course, after taking my time on Elicoor II, going to Styx, playing in the arena, and then going back to Styx. I finally decided to progress this particular play-through, but, instead of heading to Sphere 211 right away, I returned to Arkives. I wanted that Smithy Hammer for Item Creation.

Upon my return to Arkives and reaching the second "level" of the city, I spoke with a guard who was, oddly enough, spooked, for lack of a better term. He started to ask questions about how to analyze something that was there - that he could see and touch (and perhaps even smell) - but wasn't there at the same time - his scanner read it as air, basically. The piece of fabric he held in his hand, something he could see and touch, wasn't registering for analysis.

This has me thinking about a couple of different things. One is that this guard's words are proof that, without Maria there initially, the group wouldn't exist. It's something that we already knew as well, but I don't ever remember speaking to him before so it's like . . . wow. I didn't know that! Two, it would make proving their existence is viable to someone like Luther, who's certain of himself and his place in his world, almost impossible. Because of his job, not only as the Owner of Sphere 211 but also because he's one of the lead programmers. Luther therefore is stuck in his Workspace however many hours a day (giving his control-freakishness, I'd say he's at Sphere at least sixteen hours a day), as many days in a row as possible (which, if it's like our seven days a week thing, it'd be seven . . . yes, I do envision Luther as a workaholic). Because of this, Luther has begun to rely more on a computer screen to tell him what is and isn't real over his senses. He could stand there, look at Fayt and his friends all he wants, fight them in battle and feel the sting of their weapons, but his mind would still refuse to register it as real. He said it himself - the Eternal Sphere is a fabrication. It's how he's meant for it to be, and for it to adapt and become more isn't unacceptable. It's simply unthinkable.

Likewise, Fayt wouldn't be able to convince Luther that he and his friends are real and not just mindless AI programs. Not just be standing in front of him, slapping him on the arm, or anything else like that and definitely not while Luther's allegedly projected into the Eternal Sphere, as Blair thinks. I think that if there had been some sort of a confrontation between Fayt and Luther alone in Sphere 211, before the final battle, it might have made a slight difference, but that isn't the case we see in the game. Luther escaped to the Eternal Sphere. He used Belzeber and Berial as distractions. So long as Luther relies on a computer to tell him what's real when it comes to the Eternal Sphere and not his senses, it will always be an uphill (and potentially losing) battle for Fayt.

Still, the existence of 3D beings in 4D space is baffling for someone like Luther. He would want answers. Whether his computers could give him those answers, since they're unable to actually analyze something as simple as cloth. What would they say about something like tissue and blood? Would they even be able to scan Fayt and his friends from head to toe and have the computers tell them anything?

It's interesting to consider.
So why is this important? Why would misspelled words, sloppy grammar, and lack of punctuation drive someone away from reading a story? In a word: readability.

And readability isn't subject to personal preferences or opinions. If you're someone who wants to go with the "only 2% of the population reads everything word for word", understand that's a good chunk of the population. I wrote once, in another journal, that, if the world's population was somewhere in the ballpark of 2 trillion people, that's 40 billion people who read everything word for word. Those numbers include authors, editors, and agents. And please don't be fooled into thinking that because authors, editors, and agents fall into the realm of paid professionals they don't read fanfiction. I can guarantee that there are some out there who do. J.K. Rowling reads fanfiction based off of her Harry Potter series. If she reads, you can be sure she isn't the only one. I've also had a friend tell me that one of her other friends was discovered through her DragonBall Z fanfiction. This woman now writes professionally. (If asked, I will provide the author's  name and her titles.) Utilizing proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation matters almost as much as coming up great story ideas. If you don't care that your story is riddled with misspelled words, sloppy punctuation and sentence structure, I can tell you right now that no one who is of worth in the writing world will care to read your story.

Here's another way that I can put it: Fanfiction is a form of creative expression. In fact, all writing is a form of expression, be it to relay facts or to invent new worlds. The clearer you can convey your ideas, the better others will understand what you're trying to say, why you're trying to say it, and the more they will enjoy your works. If you're coming across as a five-year-old on a perpetual sugar high, the only ones who will enjoy your works are your friends that you beg to read your stories and leave glowing praise on something that could otherwise be construed as a piece of garbage.

Here are some examples:

(not from any particular works - just something I came up with for demonstration purposes)

"Die, data!" Luther yelled as he ran towards Fayt with his spear pointed at the other mans heart "You won't ruin my pefect pardise!" Before Fayt could react Jalayla his girlfriend and best lover in the world jumped in front of him and deflected the Creator's spear with effortless ease and smiled smugly as the blondhaired sputtered and howled in rage and tried again but kept deflecting him because like FAyt she'd grown stronger thruout her journey to this point.

Bad, yeah?

(from Chapter Two of Wizards, Warriors, and Rogues)

This time, Luther did spit the blood from out of his mouth. The watery red substance landed just below the strange angel’s feet, but he seemed to either not notice or not care about such an action. Instead, the man backed away a few feet, a smirk on his face. Luther’s hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword. Once their battle began, his spear had proven useless, heavy, and unwieldy so, as quickly as he could, he created a sword for himself. Oddly enough, it looked very much the Divine Avenger blade the data known as Fayt Leingod had wielded in their battle. He rose so that he could face his opponent one final time, his footing unsteady, but Luther fought his weariness. He leveled his gaze at the stranger and pointed his blade at the man.

Much better. :)

Writing for fun can be fun, but remember, when posting in a public domain,  writers are subject to the opinions and thoughts of others. Following the rules to convey their ideas clearly will garner more positive reaction than something that looks like a five-year-old wrote. Write properly so that the only complaints a reader has are the subject matter, not your intelligence.


 These are the conventions listed on animecons.com, with the exception of the Motor City Comic-Con (which I learned about through a friend). If there's a convention in the U.S. between now and the end of July that should be on the list, please leave me a comment or send me a PM to let me know. If you're interested in conventions worldwide, please let me know, and I'll get that list up as well.

Convention Talk, Part Two will discuss the costs of attending a convention - not including what it would take to find a cosplay outfit, either by commission or by creating it yourself.

Writing Tip #2 - Writing For Video Games: Why the Rules That Apply There Should Never Apply to Fanfiction Writing

As something of an avid reader of the science fiction and fantasy genre - my favorite books are The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, and I've recently finished Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams - one thing I've come to appreciate is the epic journey in such tales. The journey from village to village to the castle-cities of kings and other nobility takes days and weeks, not a hop, skip, and a jump away. Food along the way becomes an issue - Will we find more along the way? How long will we need to keep rationing out our current stores? Ghastly creatures and bandits create a sense of danger along the way. In the epic adventure, something needs to either be gained or destroyed, some item of magic or great power. An evil will arise, creating havoc and destruction, and, from the wreckage, a hero/heroine will arise.

Those are some of the many elements that make a science fiction/fantasy novel hard to resist. Many of these elements exist in video games. They certainly exist in the Star Ocean series, and it's that draw bringing people to play the games. The only difference between video games and books is the amount of time that passes when the party of heroes travel from city to city. The villages and cities are close together so it only takes scant minutes to travel from, oh, say, the royal city of Airyglyph to the mining town of Kirlsa to the riverfront village of Arias, and so on. Grand total, I think it takes less than ten minutes if one avoids the fights set up along the way or is high enough of levels to make the fights appear . . . pathetic, to say the very least. Wounds are healed with items like blueberries, and magic restored with blackberries. Major events happen at a very quick pace.

The thing is, events happening in the course of two weeks, including the battle with the final Big Bad (be it Asmodeus, Luther, or the Apostle of Creation) need to happen that way in a video game for a reason. If a game takes too long to achieve its final culmination, if the journey takes the days and weeks required in the epic fantasy adventure, people do become bored with the game and will stop playing. The gaming company (in this case, Square Enix) will receive complaints about the game, and money will be lost. Rest at an inn or free bed restores all of the damage because to stay days at said inn or free rest spot for wounds and magic to heal and recover would be dull and tedious. (It's dull and tedious in a book, too, for the character having to endure the long stay, but it's a necessity due to the realism of the situation. Also, if not much changes, the writer can take some liberties and say how many days pass, giving brief descriptions of the tedium.) Video games can get away with the constant use of restorative items and with one hundred percent healing when staying at an inn because of aforementioned players who, though they will put in copious hours of play into the game, don't want to spend most of that time in convalescence. It's just the way that it works. (In table-top role-playing, there is realism in how the quests play out. That, of course, is left up to the game/dungeon master. But realism is often applied to the table-top role-playing versus a console RPG.)

So what does this have to do with fanfiction writing? Plenty, if a person is going to write a story inspired off of RPGs like Star Ocean. The rules that apply to the video games - short distances between towns and villages so traveling takes less than a day, the quickness of healing and restoration, removing of status ailments such as petrification and paralysis - don't apply to writing. If you stop and think about it, would stories like The Lord of the Rings, the Wheel of Time series or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn have been as truly as epic as they ended in a three months' time span? The answer to that is 'no'. They wouldn't have, Readers would be disappointed, and those authors would lose readership. They wouldn't be the current successes that they are. When it's in print that an entire kingdom is only two days of traveling at most from one end to the other, that full healing has been accomplished by eating some blueberries, it's very . . . boring. There's little action, there's little to get the blood boiling, the heart racing, and to hook the reader, immersing him or her into a world of wonders. I don't want to read how quickly the epic journey ends. No . . . I want to be sucked into it, I want to live it. I read to escape the pressures of my life, to relieve my stress, and to see something fantastic. When a fanfiction writer has the characters of a game clearing everything so quickly, I, as the reader, feel cheated. I've learned from bitter experience in the fanfiction world it isn't good to cheat your readers. Keep that in mind when you write and publish a story that promises a journey of sorts, be it an external or internal journey, and there's more than one chapter. Traveling in a game takes less time than it would in real life, and stories, the written word, have a sense of realism to them.

Title: Destinies Intertwined by Fate
World: Till the End of Time
Chapter: Two out of Twenty, Part Two
Chapter Title: Discussions and The Guilt of Surviving
Summary: For Fayt Leingod and Luther Lansfeld, the end of the final battle is only the beginning. Worlds collide as the rebuilding begins.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or the characters from the game. They belong to Square Enix and Tri-Ace. I do not profit from the writing of this story. All OCs presented within belong to me, and I will protect them zealously from any and all unauthorized use. Please ask me first before writing them into your stories. Thank you.
Warnings: Some chapters will contain adult content and adult themes. Other warnings include yaoi, or, for the anime-lacking in their lives, at least one male/male relationship, some language (Fayt is no saint), implied torture and hints of sexual assault, science fiction and fantasy elements, momentary scenes of intense and graphic violence, and potential character deaths, be they of the original character or main game character variety. Also, Albel and Luther can both be dickheads when the mood strikes them.
Author's Note: I'm going to treat this like I'm at fanfiction.net . . . there will be implied adult content as opposed to actual adult content. Not that there isn't any adult content in the story itself . . . I'm just covering my behind when it comes to potential minors finding this journal and reading something that perhaps their parents don't want them to read. :) That's all.

 

( Read more... )

Title: Destinies Intertwined by Fate
World: Till the End of Time
Chapter: One out of Twenty
Chapter Title: Beginning the Search for Luther and Fayt
Summary: For Fayt Leingod and Luther Lansfeld, the end of the final battle is only the beginning. Worlds collide as the rebuilding begins.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean 3 or the characters from the game. They belong to Square Enix and Tri-Ace. I do not profit from the writing of this story. All OCs presented within belong to me, and I will protect them zealously from any and all unauthorized use. Please ask me first before writing them into your stories. Thank you.
Warnings: Some chapters will contain adult content and adult themes. Other warnings include yaoi, or, for the anime-lacking in their lives, at least one male/male relationship, some language (Fayt is no saint), implied torture and hints of sexual assault, science fiction and fantasy elements, momentary scenes of intense and graphic violence, and potential character deaths, be they of the original character or main game character variety. Also, Albel and Luther can both be dickheads when the mood strikes them.
Author's Note: I'm going to treat this like I'm at fanfiction.net . . . there will be implied adult content as opposed to actual adult content. Not that there isn't any adult content in the story itself . . . I'm just covering my behind when it comes to potential minors finding this journal and reading something that perhaps their parents don't want them to read. :) That's all.

 

( Read more... )

 

Since tomorrow is Friday, I plan on starting my character studies. I'll be writing one per week so that way I don't burn through all of the characters before I've had a chance to play First Departure and Second Evolution. (I just don't own that PSP!) Chapter Two for Destinies Intertwined by Fate is still in progress, but I should have it ready to be posted next week.

Up for tomorrow: Reimi Saionji character study, game review for The Last Hope, and Letting Go When the Desire To Hold On Is Strong, a one-shot for an alternate Till the End of Time universe.

Happy Valentine's Day, my fellow Star Ocean fans! Today's entry will feature two fanfic one-shots centered on this day of love, romance, and friendship as well as some artwork from my friend, Blackdragon (two pieces I commissioned her for) that I absolutely adore. She's an amazing artist, in my opinion, and I'm very glad she drew the images for me.

So today's agenda is all about love. Since it's all about love, let's keep it simple as well. Which characters belong in your OTP? If you're unsure of what OTP means, don't feel bad. I didn't know, either, that it meant one true pairing. Now that you know, which pairing are you, the reader, gaga over and why? For myself, well, I admit that I'm a bit of a rabid yaoi fangirl. ^_^ Years ago, when I first started to write The Power of Fayt, I was leaning very much towards Albel Nox x Fayt Leingod. In fact, even though another story sold me completely on the Luther Lansfeld/Fayt Leingod aspect, I still do enjoy Albel/Fayt. Unfortunately for me, I really haven't found anyone who can really sell that relationship to me in fanfiction. Yes, there are very well-written fanfic pieces out there, but they're very few and far between. Plus, I tend to go for the more obscure pairings when it comes to my fandoms. Luther/Fayt is quite obscure, though I'm sure there are other combinations that are just as obscure, it not more so, than they are, but I'm very much sold on them.

Part of why I love this particular combination is the fact that Luther and Fayt are true counterparts. Luther is the Creator and Fayt is the embodiment of Destruction. I know you don't get to see very many close-ups or profile images of Luther in the final battle or even anything where Fayt and Luther are side by side, but it's very likely that Luther knew what Fayt was going to be and thus created Fayt to look similar to him. Also, despite some of their more obvious differences (Luther is a 4-D being, Fayt is a 3-D being, they're from different worlds, etc . . .), the two actually have more in common than what anyone might realize. They're both passionate about their beliefs and convictions. They both believe in doing the right thing. (Think about it: Would Luther really destroy something he worked hard for if he didn't think it was the right thing to do?) I personally think that Luther intended for Fayt to have certain traits that were different from him. I think that Fayt is something Luther wanted to be at some point or another, but couldn't realize that particular dream.

(artwork done by the lovely Blackdragon-sama of deviantArt. 1st commission by me)

Another selling point for me is actually coming from a book I've recently borrowed from one of the local libraries (I have access to three different libraries, all of which are about 5-15 miles from my house) on Eastern Wisdom. I've gotten as far as the segments on Hinduism (I'm still reading up on India), but so far, these small chapters, or sections, have talked about how Creation cannot exist with Destruction.

Do I think Luther could be all gushy-mushy towards Fayt? I think it'd be hard for him to be something he's not used to being, but he'd try, perhaps going to extremes for everything to be perfect and the way that he wants it. He didn't get where he was in his life by playing nice with everyone or even being a pushover, but by being confident in who and what he was and in what he could accomplish. It would be hard for him to trust Fayt right away. Not just because of the final battle but because that's just how Luther strikes me. On the same hand, though, once he's decided who he's going to be with and who he's going to lower those emotional barriers for, I really do feel that Luther could at least open himself up to one person, hoping that said person wouldn't betray him or use him in anyway. (Of which, out of the entire hero party, the only one who I can see who wouldn't do that is Fayt. Out of the list of bosses in Sphere 211 and out of Luther's subordinates, Azazer is the next closest thing. Hmmm . . . I could have fun with that.)

There are other pairings for Till the End of Time that I'm willing to write, willing to challenge myself to write . . . As horrid as it sounds, if a story calls for it, I'll write Albel/Sophia or Albel/Maria, and Cliff/Sophia. Officially, I'll go with Maria/Lieber, Cliff/Nel, Cliff/Fayt, Luther/Fayt, Albel/Fayt, Albel/Mirage, aaaaand I'm toying with the notion of Cliff/Albel.

(2nd commission done by Blackdragon-sama. It's so sweet and done specifically for Valentine's Day!)

That's just for Till the End of Time. Since I haven't played First Departure or Second Evolution yet, that only leaves The Last Hope, which I feel I tend to be weird about that as well. On the yaoi side, I lean very heavily towards Crowe/Edge and maybe even Edge/Faize and Arumat/Edge. Canonically speaking, I leave Bacchus with his wife. I think it'd be pretty lousy to write him with someone other than his wife, Freesia, simply because of the fact she stood by him while he carried out his duty of destroying the Grigori. I can also see Faize/Lymle, to one extent or another. For the het pairings, Edge/Myuria all the way. :) Myuria is one of the reasons why Edge grows as a character, and I can totally see how it would work. I'm not sure about the Crowe/Eleyna angle, but then I need to get that ending to see if I actually like it.


Valentine's photo shoot with my Edge Maverick and Fayt Leingod figures . . . yes, it seems so unfair that Fayt towers over Edge. Perhaps. /evil grin/

Close up of Fayt. Yes, I used real food for this. I only wish I had real roses and rose petals to add to the effect.

Better angle with the cake.

Shot of Edge. That isn't a bottle of real wine. For the purpose of the photo shoot, I'm going to call it St. Mangosteen Juice. XD (It's actually a bottle of non-alcoholic, wild berry spumante made here in Michigan.)

Edge and Fayt together again.

Last shot. The silver heart pendant belongs to my little sister. Very glad she let me use it. :)

Now for the fanfiction!

Title: A Prelude of Things Yet to Come
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt, implied Cliff x Fayt
Warnings: Yaoi, implied adult situations, fluff
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean: Till the End of Time or the characters of Fayt Leingod, Cliff Fittir, or Luther Lansfeld. They are the intellectual, creative properties of Square Enix and Tri-Ace respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.
Summary: Luther and Fayt come to an agreement.


( A Prelude of Things Yet to Come )

 

Title: The Perfect Romantic Day . . . Or Something Like That

World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Yaoi, implied adult situations, fluff
Disclaimer: Same as above
Summary: Luther has a surprise for Fayt

 

( The Perfect Romantic Day . . . Or Something Like That )

 

That's all for today. I am coming up with more writing topics, but I think I will still reserve tomorrow's entry as fanfiction only. I still have to compile voice actor lists, merchandise, cosplays, fan-created merchandise, and I plan on looking for photos of the game covers to post as well. Right now, the biggest obstacle, it would seem, is compiling the doujinshi list since I'm quite certain there are more available than what I've been able to find on eBay. That, like the fan-created items and cosplay, may be something continually ongoing.

Hope everyone enjoyed the Valentine's Day goodness of this entry, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day. Until the next entry!

I actually like the title of this entry enough for it to be a fanfiction title. :) I may just have to write that down. Hehehehehe.

Anyway, even though I've yet to play First Departure and Second Story/Evolution,  I do have a bit of a working knowledge about the final bosses.( Cut for spoilers and prosterity )

Now for a list of the Star Ocean games and their available platforms:

Star Ocean                                                                  Super Nintendo; Japan only
Star Ocean: Second Story                                        PlayStation
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere                                         Nintendo Gameboy; Japan only
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time                             PlayStation 2
Star Ocean: First Departure - remake                   PSP
Star Ocean: Second Evolution - remake               PSP
Star Ocean: The Last Hope                                     XBox360; PlayStation 3

I am currently in the process of compiling a list of official Star Ocean merchandise, which does not include doujinshi. I currently have a link to a site of official merchandise, but it hasn't been updated since the person first started it. It does give me an idea of where to start. Right now, I'm starting with the games and where those who haven't played them but want to can find them.

eBay is always a good place to look for video games. Typing in Star Ocean will bring in all kinds of results, including fish food and ocean liner memorabilia. However, be very wary about purchasing any game from someone on eBay. I realize some editions of each game are becoming collector's items, like Star Ocean for the SNES, Star Ocean: Second Story, and Star Ocean: Blue Sphere for the Gameboy. In fact, eBay is the only place I can think of right now where people will be able to find those. However, for the games like Till the End of Time, the Last Hope, and the remakes/re-releases of First Departure and Second Evolution, I recommend heading to a local GameStop or heading directly to the websites for Square Enix or Sony. Instead of paying $30-$80 for Till the End of Time, as an example, either in Used or New conditions, you'll pay a lot less at GameStop (for used) or the companies' official websites (for new). (I'd personally recommend heading to the Square Enix or Sony sites . . . a new copy of Till the End of Time is $19.99, not including shipping. I can't say it'd be that low on a site like eBay.) It's important to be economical when it comes to buying video games. If you can get it cheaper through another site like Square Enix's website, that's what I'd recommend a person to do. (Also be wary if you're out to find the strategy guides as well . . . some people on eBay won't hesitate to charge a person $100 for a paperback book that was originally $30 in stores.)

Also, one other note, and this is in regards to The Last Hope: It was originally released on the XBox360 system in advance of the PS3 version. It may not seem like there'd be much of a difference between the two, but the truth is there is a difference. When it comes to Item Creation (it's in all Star Ocean games), some items will require an extra ingredient in the PS3 version. The PS3 version also has some additional treasure chests or has items in chests that are different from the XBox360 version. According to a friend of mine, Square Enix pushed for the XBox360 release before creators Tri-Ace were ready to release. There are a few kinks to that version, so player be warned.

As for which one I think is better . . . well, I've only played the PS3 version so I'll be going with that. It's just a pain when you need additional items to make the same things in the same game but you're playing on a different system. I know this because I did buy the strategy guide for The Last Hope when it was available in Wal-Mart. It gives the read-outs for both systems. Those who only own the XBox 360 version swear by that. It does depend on the system you own as to which one you'd consider to buy. If you own both systems, eh, give them both a whirl. The story's still the same, but it wouldn't hurt to have the same game twice. You know. Just in case. ;)