star_ocean_fan | Entries tagged with till the end of time

I will blame Kojika for this.

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The Creator Complex

Last year, when I first started this journal, I wrote an entry about how I didn't think or believe it to be possible for Luther to be behind the Grigori in The Last Hope. In fact, I will still maintain that he wasn't behind the Grigori, that one of his competitors managed to infect the Eternal Sphere with them (a discussion for later). It's entirely possible, too, for someone to try and sabotage Luther, Sphere 211, and the Eternal Sphere. However, for this entry, I will entertain the possibility that perhaps he was behind the Grigori and the potential reason for it.

You see, this actually is inspired by a request I've made to Kojika. As I'm currently short on time in the mornings and in the evenings before and after work, I don't want to spend a lot of time searching for wigs for cosplays. My request to her was to help me find one that I could use interchangeably between Edge and Luther or at least the one her Edge cosplayer used at YoumaCon. My logic is that it would work well for either Luther or Edge, and I really would like it if I didn't have to purchase two wigs for two different characters.

There, of course, is more to the conversation, but, for the sake of brevity, I won't get into it. Suffice it to say, Kojika did send me a link for a wig that would suit my Edge Maverick cosplay very well. Sadly, I'm not so sure if it will work for Luther. My comments were one would think it would work well for Luther as well since he does have a Creator complex.

A Creator complex.

Now, as most players for Till the End of Time are aware, Luther is a megalomaniac. He's a control freak who wants everything to perform in a certain way, and when it isn't, well, he isn't a happy camper. The only way, in my mind, that Luther would ever send the Grigori into the Eternal Sphere is if he knew that a part of him, someone he created in his physical image, could destroy them. He isn't just a game designer. He's a gamer. What better way for him to play than creating an AI or two (or three) in his image, setting up the right personality parameters, and going from there? Some gamers do like to be heroes.

I know. It sounds strange that Luther would create Edge in his image. It's not as farfetched as one might, though, considering the similarities between Luther and Fayt. Luther and Fayt are polar opposites (Creator/Destruction).

Of course, I really don't believe Luther created the Grigori. They are responsible for abnormal evolution - anomalies, if you will. Luther wasn't all that fond of anomalies.

Then again, this is just my take on a potential reason for Luther being the cause of the Grigori and not one of his competitors. It's my interpretation of the character and mine alone. If others agree, that's fine. If they don't, that's fine, too. It's all about how we interpret things as individuals anyway.

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Cosplay/Merchandise Update

I finally settled on what Star Ocean merchandise I was going to buy first. I'll be ramping up for cosplaying, too. Wigs are first. I'll post pictures as soon as I have them.

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That's it for today and perhaps this week. Still not managing my time as well as I should be, but things will fall into place. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Taking a Moment

When I look out the windows of my home, one thing I can't help but notice is the scenery. You see, I currently live in the country, across the road from a farm that grows corn. Some distance behind the house is a tree farm. When I look out my window, I can see the sun shining on a warm, summer or cold, snowy day. I can look out and see when it's snowing or raining. The house I live in is old, bought by my stepdad's parents sometime in the sixties, so when the wind really gets to blowing, I can hear it. On those warm spring and summer days or in the colors of fall, I can head outside whenever I want and just soak it up. I can take a blanket out with me along with some notebooks and pens and write.

The Star Ocean games have really opened my eyes on what it is we truly have to lose, either to a rapidly changing climate or to war. I personally can't imagine what it's like to not be able to go outside when I want to, to feel the sunshine warming me up, to go swimming in one of the local lakes, to walk among the colors of fall, or to feel the clean, crisp air of a wintry day. I don't like being outside during the winter because I'm not overly fond of the cold, but it's still something I can do when the mood strikes me. The human cast members of each Star Ocean game - Edge Maverick, Reimi Saionji, and Crowe F. Almedio (The Last Hope - The Eldarians and Morphus also don't experience the same things due to controlled or harsh environments); Ronyx J. Kenny and Ilia Silvestri (Fantastic Space Odyssey/First Departure); Claude C. Kenny (Second Story/Second Evolution); and Fayt Leingod, Sophia Esteed, and Maria Traydor (Till the End of Time) - really do not have that kind of a luxury. For those from The Last Hope, Earth's atmosphere is in critical condition. People live in underground cities in order to survive. For those from the first three games, Earth's atmosphere is stabilized but controlled. Animals are vague memories. Trees grow, snow falls, but it isn't the same as what we in real life (and those fictional characters from the underdeveloped planets of Roak, Expel, Vanguard III, and Elicoor II) experience. Please note, also, that what we currently experience in our real lives isn't at all similar to what the fictional characters from Roak, Expel, Vanguard III, and Elicoor II experience. If there are any similarities, it would be to what our ancestors experienced hundreds of years ago when first coming to the Americas or before the discovery of the Americas.

I think the ones who would be the most amazed by natural weather in a natural environment would be from The Last Hope. Edge, Reimi, Crowe, Faize, and Arumat would, when they allowed themselves those brief moments, would truly stop, look around, and stare in wonderment at what they were seeing. Edge, Reimi, and Faize, for sure, would be, at first, afraid to walk on the grass because, to them, it's delicate and should be cherished. Such a fear would be overcome because they have their missions to complete, but it would also be something that they would take the opportunity to lay in and feel it against their skin.

This isn't to say the casts from the other games wouldn't take those moments to lay in the grass and go swimming because it is something I feel all of them would do. Of the human characters, the two I feel that would do it the most are, naturally, Edge and Fayt.This is mostly because I know the planets they're able to visit, and where some of the best places for them to lounge around and have a picnic, as it were, are.

It isn't lost on me that these characters live in the Eternal Sphere, the brain child of Luther Lansfeld of the four-dimensional realm. His world is just about as bleak as the majority of the playable characters for The Last Hope. For him, there is no concept of time. For Luther, he lives in a pristine, white and technologicall advanced world where nothing ever changes and that has left him bored and seeking something different, something flawed that makes it perfect. He and his team of developers create the Eternal Sphere, I think not only for money but because it gives them something to look forward to, to create, and to enjoy themselves. It makes perfect sense for me that he'd do anything to protect it (even if it means destroying or attempting to destroy it in the end).

For my fellow Star Ocean fans (and anyone who comes across this and reads it), take a moment. Take a moment and step outside. Feel the sun on your face, the cool breeze on your skin, and to soak up the colors of fall and spring. Go for a drive and find a nice spot to have a picnic. Be kind to Mother Nature because, as of right now, this is our only home in the universe, and, though the events be fictional, if we do not want them to come to fruition, we must be mindful of how we take care of ourselves, our fellow humans, and our environment. Let's not leave it for future generations to worry about.

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Some Things the Developers of Star Ocean Got Wrong

This is a nitpick on my part, and it's aimed at some of the scenery we see in the games. It isn't about the characters or the overuse of "gentically altering an individual for this reason or that". Heck, it isn't even how poor of a villain Luther is compared to the Apostle of Creation or even Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. Rather, this nitpick is about some of the environments created for the underdeveloped planets.

The grass is often too short. The grass in various places on Aeos, Roak, Vanguard III, Elicoor II, and any other underdeveloped planet, even in parts of Lemuris, is too short for the given areas where we see it.

Now, you might be thinking that I'm being a bit ridiculous about this, but think about it: In the summer, when there's the right combination of water and sunshine, grass grows. And it grows. It will continue to grow as long as someone isn't mowing the lawn either on a frequent or infrequent basis. If the seaons don't consist of constant weather change or only experience mild winters with little snow, grass can grow to be as tall as wheat without someone tending to it. There are places on Aeos where the grass should be taller than Edge, on Elicoor II that reach Fayt's waist, and so on. Everything is neatly trimmed despite not having enough human or humanoid traffic to warrant it being so, especially on Aeos and in the fields between Arias and Peterny and Peterny and the Sacred City of Aquios. (There are no signs of any kind of livestock in Till the End of Time to warrant the grass being short, either.)

If anyone knows anything about a wild, untamed wilderness is that the grass is at least half the height of an adult human. In ancient forests and in rainforests, this doesn't hold true, not when the trees are tall and their branches thick and filled with fat leaves. This makes some parts of Aeos and Elicoor II very accurate, but there are many patches of land that just look like perfectly manicured lawns. Aeos was likened, by Reimi no less, to Earth's Jurassic era. There should have been many areas with grass reaching the tallest character's chin.

Also, there's the lack of huge piles of snow in places like Airyglyph and Lemuris. Now snow is something that can fall in a somewhat neat way. It can also form a crust, so to speak, so people can walk along the surface without sinking with every step. For these places, the snow should be piled higher than what it truly is. I've only been through mountainous areas a few times in my life, in the spring and in the summer, but, in the distance, when I've looked upon those mountains, I've been able to see the snow. Wind Swallow Valley is the only place that has the right amount of snow for a cold planet. Airyglyph, between the castle city and Kirlsa, not so much.

This leads me up to another thing I feel they did wrong, something I'm sure I've mentioned before - the lack of farms. It's definitely implied that farming takes place. If it didn't, players shouldn't be able to buy things like steamed buns, apple pies, or any other restorative item and, for The Last Hope players, item creation ingredients available. Now, I know that, when one steps into the village of Triom The Last Hope, there are visible gardens. That explains how one can buy (for the short time) certain things at the shops there. It doesn't explain how the shops in Woodley come by their items for sale or in the shops on Roak or En II (or the shops in the other games, for that matter - Whipple on Vanguard III, I believe, has an area for farming, but that's it for Till the End of Time). Where are the farms? Where is the wildlife that often makes up forests and fields and deserts? Yes, we have the monsters to fight? On Aeos, where are the mammals? I've seen snakes and bugs and have heard birds on Aeos and Roak - one can even see water spouting up in the oceans in the distance on Roak - but there are many things these areas simply lack that, while minor in terms of details, could enhance the game so much more.

Please do not get me wrong on this. I realize that a lot of what's been left out has been done intentionally due to different factors - money, storage space, and the like. It's especially true for the older games where everything is saved to a memory card, but the platforms are changing. Information earned throughout the gaming is stored into the consoles themselves, but the graphics are all on a disk. I rather like seeing how realistic a different planet could be. Every time I play, no matter how many times I play, I see those wonderful graphics for these inhabitable planets, and every single time I think . . . I want to go there. I want to see those strange yet similar oceans for myself. I want to go swimming in them. I want to stand in the shade of those tall, ancient trees, to smell the strange scents of flowers not found on Earth, and to simply experience as much of everything about that planet as I can. Imagine how intense it would be if those little things - tall, untamed grass; wild herbivorous animals roaming in the meadows; huge piles of snow that are a work out to walk across; farms growing unique grains, fruits and vegetables with similar yet different kinds of livestock - were there to add to that experience?

It's only my opinion, of course.

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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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Birthday Reminders

Birthday List - covering January to June

January 1 (Late; assigned by me) - Crowe F. Almedio
January 23 (official) - Claude C. Kenny
January 25 (assigned by me) - Ilia Silvestri
January 31 (assigned by me) - Ryoko Leingod
February 3 (official) - Faize Sheifa Beleth
February 15 (assigned by me) - Peppita Rosetti
February 16 (official) - Noel Chandler
February 29 (official - can swing to either February 28 or March 1) - Precis F. Neumann
March 2 (assigned by me) - Roger S. Huxley
March 16 (official) - Meracle Chamlotte
March 28 (official) - Reimi Saionji
April 10 (assigned by me) - Adray Lasbard
April 24 (official) - Arumat P. Thanatos
May 5 (official) - Bacchus D-79
May 7 (assigned by me) - Blair Lansfeld
May 13 (official) - Rena Lanford
June 1 (assigned by me) - Cliff Fittir
June 29 (assigned by me) - Maria Traydor
June 30 (official) - Lymle Lemuri Phi

More birthdays will be added in, and reminders will be posted.

Upcoming Holidays:

Valentine's Day - February 14
St. Patrick's Day - March 17
Easter - March 31
Earth Day - April 22
Mother's Day - May 12
Father's Day - June 16

I've added in Earth Day to the list of holidays because of the message that lies behind The Last Hope. I think it's the kind of holiday that Star Ocean fans could have a field day with so I've included it for that purpose alone.

When it comes to the holidays and the birthdays, I am looking for the following: art, stories (one-shots), and poetry. The highest rating I will accept for stories and artwork is R. No explicit material please, and proofread your work. All submissions can be emailed to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com and must be submitted no later than midnight the previous day. All genres except for smut accepted.

Ask the Star Ocean Character Reminder - Roger S. Huxley

Just a friendly reminder that I am taking questions for the next Ask the Star Ocean Character segment featuring Roger S. Huxley from Till the End of Time. Limit three questions per person, no cussing or vulgar language, and questions must be submitted to me no later than midnight of December 11, 2012. They can be submitted to me via PM, comment, or email (luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com), and, when submitting, please let me know if you wish to remain "anonymous" for the inquiries or if there is a specific user name you'd like for me to use. Otherwise, I will use whatever name you post the questions as when submitting them.

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Christmas Reminder - Seeking Star Ocean themed Celebrations!

This is another friendly reminder that I am seeking out holiday themed Star Ocean cosplay, photography (with the toys, naturally), art work, and fan fiction. This isn't a contest of any kind, there are no prizes for best piece, this is just Star Ocean fans celebrating the holidays with their favorite (or one of their favorite) game. Please keep all photography and artwork clean and tasteful (no nudity) and fan fiction to one-shots with mild language and implied situations (no smut). I will accept chaptered fiction ONLY if the story is complete.

When submitting fan fiction (of any kind), please include the following in front of the story:

Title
World
Pairing: (if applicable)
Characters:
Rating:
Warnings: (if applicable)
Disclaimer: (a MUST)
Claimer on OCs: (a must and where applicable)
Summary:
Author's Notes: (if applicable)

Note: The only time World does not need to be included is for birthday stories

Also, please note: While I have a very good grasp of the English language and the mechanics for writing, I am not a beta-reader. This is by choice so I can work on my own material for myself and the people who enjoy reading my works. I will not accept any stories with severe spelling and grammatical errors. This is a fan journal, not a fan fiction and fan art posting website like deviantArt and fanfiction.net. I read over everything that is submitted to me. I do not accept the excuse of "it's just fanfiction" for poorly written material. I also will not hesitate to ask a person to fix the errors and resubmit a story. I know that none of us gets paid for our fan fiction, but this is as much your fandom as it is mine. Take pride in your work and do your absolute best. Don't just say you love Star Ocean. Shout it.

All submissions for the holiday season (not restricted to just Christmas - all holidays in December are welcome) can be emailed to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com

Thanks in advance!

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Announcement - The Star Ocean Universe Facebook Page

A few months ago, when I first had the idea for a Star Ocean fan event, I started a facebook page called The Star Ocean Universe. It can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Star-Ocean-Universe/274275612679796 . The journal entries are posted to the maintainer account, which can be found by typing thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com into facebook's search engine (name is under Autumn Ronk). All Star Ocean fans are welcome to join me there.

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Conversation Topic - Education in the Four Dimensional Realm

By now, most players of Till the End of Time have reached the four dimensional realm. They have also defeated the game, no doubt numerous times. Players of Till the End of Time are quite familiar with the four dimensional realm, its inhabitants, and their apparent laziness.

The fact that over ninety percent of the four dimensional realm's population is unemployed is really no big secret to Star Ocean fans. Talking to the people in Arkives and Gemity as well as certain playable characters while exploring brings all of this to light. However, just because so many are unemployed in the 4-D realm doesn't mean the inhabitants are uneducated. If the player finds the right people to talk to, s/he finds out that a young boy has been accepted to work at Sphere 211 after passing some kind of placement exam.

Knowing this about the game, it does make me wonder just how the four dimensional realm's educational system works. At what age do the people start attending school and for how long does their education last? I surmise that they do start out very young, and that it is a very intense educational system. The person I've spoken to that gets accepted to work at Sphere 211 is a boy who appears to be no older than Flad, who I'm also surmising to be around the age of twelve. (He could be fifteen, too. The game's creators have a tendency, when coming up with the characters and their ages, of designing very young looking characters who are actually older than they appear - Peppita, Roger, Lymle, Precis, and Meracle, for example.) Taking that into consideration, the educational system of the four dimensional realm has got to be an intense one but, at the same token, a nearly useless one if more people than not are unemployed.

What are my fellow fans' thoughts on the 4-D realm's educational system?

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Fan fiction entries

Title: Sugar Cookies
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt
Characters: Luther Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod with mentions of Ryoko Leingod and Robert Leingod
Warnings: male/male relationship, a bit of sentimental, sappy fluff
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time or the characters of Fayt Leingod and Luther Lansfeld. They belong to tr-Ace and Square Enix respectively, and I don't profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: He knew Fayt had a surprise for him. He would soon understand its implications.

( Read more... )

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Title: A Tangle of Christmas Lights
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt
Characters: Luther Lansfeld, Blair Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod
Warnings: male/male relationship, implied situations, and a bit of sentimental, sappy fluff
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time or the characters of Luther and Blair Lansfeld and Fayt Leingod. They belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively, and I don't profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: It's Christmas time in the Eternal Sphere. Two lovers prepare to celebrate.

( Read more... )

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And that's all for today, my friends! Happy Tuesday to you!

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: Having a holly jolly time with the boys in the Calnus Rec Room
Current Music: Brilliant Future - Till the End of Time Voice Mix album

Fanfic Writing Tip #10 - Writing Effective Songfic and Using Lyrics in Your Stories

I want to start by saying that I am not against someone writing a songfic, a story with the same name and with the lyrics throughout the story, or using song lyrics in a story. One of my first stories is a songfic, and it's one that I consider to be among my best stories. I still like to write songfic and to use lyrics in my stories, all because it's an added effect to the story I'm writing. Get the right song for the right mood and the right theme for the story you're writing, and you will have a very powerful piece that will move the reader on levels they didn't even realize existed.

There is some etiquette involved with writing songfics and using song lyrics in a story, some dos and don'ts that can either make or break your story for the reader. Some can also get your account deleted.

In order to keep your account from being deleted on a particular website, read the site's Terms of Service very carefully. Some fanfiction sites do not allow song lyrics in stories, unless they are your own. Period. It doesn't stop people from posting their stories, however, so, if you choose to violate the site's ToS on song lyrics, do so at your own risk.

Some sites don't follow the "No Song Lyrics" allowed rule. They do, however, restrict the amount of lyrics used. There has to be a certain amount of story for each line of lyric in it. Because of this, I advise that the writer read the Terms of Service for each site s/he uses for posting fanfiction.

Now with the site restrictions out of the way, there are a few other things authors should keep in mind when using song lyrics in a story.

1 - Disclaimer and Credit!!! Not all songs are in the public domain, i.e., they can be posted anywhere at any given time (think of the many Christmas songs you used to sing in elementary school for Christmas programs). Most of the songs I've seen used (and have used myself) are copyrighted. If you've ever looked in a CD liner with lyrics, you might see "reprinted with permission" somewhere. Because of this, make sure your readers know that you don't own the song lyrics you're using and credit the band or singer, along with the album it can be found on, performed the song.

2 - There are a few different ways to utilize a song for a story, especially if the story is based around it. Watch how you use the song in question. Beginning authors might not realize it, but there is a correct and incorrect way to use a song.

For example, I love this song called "Invisible Boyfriend" by a band out of New Orleans called the Continental Drifters. It's a very sad and haunting song. To utilize the lyrics for the story, to title the story after the song itself, I would do this:

Line 1 of a verse
Line 2 of the same verse
Line 3 of the same verse
Line 4 of the same verse
--- Invisible Boyfriend, Continental Drifters, Continental Drifters (1995)

(Story section based on the verse)

That gets the song out there, gives the reader an idea of what the segment is about before I repeat the process for the next segment (or what would be a PoV change if you're using more than one PoV)

Now, if the character is listening to a song, and there's a current mood about that character in that tender, happy, or sad moment, a snippet of lyrics isn't a bad way to go. A line here, a line there are more than sufficient to add to the mood, to create the effect. To make sure people know who sang what, I write in an author's note, often at the end of the story (or at the beginning - depends on where I'm trying to convey mood or indicate what I'm listening to when I write a segment or a chapter) so the reader can then find the song. (When I started writing fanfiction in 2000, I uploaded CDs to my computer. This was before iTunes and youtube.)

The biggest mistake I've seen when people try to use song lyrics is that they overload the story with an entire song. This is a big no-no. One, it takes up more space than it needs to and that can be dedicated to story. Two, it overwhelms the reader who isn't reading the piece for the song but for the story itself. It's cool to share a song that you love. After all, there are plenty of good songs out there that deserve more love than what they may or may not receive. It isn't cool to overwhelm your readers with your favorite songs. As an author, your ultimate goal should be to tell a story effectively without taking up space for song lyrics. If someone points that out to you, it is for good reason. If you've ever felt cheated on a story because an author has done that, then please keep that in mind when writing songfic and using song lyrics yourself. Readers don't like to be cheated out of story.

Next week's writing tip: Asking for Critiques Before Posting - Writer to Writer Etiquette

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Conversation Topic - Power Hungry Characters of Till the End of Time

As with any game, there is always one or two characters that want more than what they already have. They're always grasping, reaching, and doing whatever they can to have more - more land, more money, more weapons, more power - and it's often without regard for who gets trampled along the way.

In Till the End of Time, there are three characters that I would classify as power hungry. No. Luther Lansfeld is not on this list. He probably should be on it, but he has his reasons for doing what he's done. I don't see him so much as power hungry as I do extreme OCD and control freak. He's already at the highest level of power in the game. He's the Creator. He's God.

First on this list, naturally, is Norton. Yes. Norton. Remember him? He was the first boss players fought on Vanguard III, the one who if you were leveled up high enough, didn't last five minutes. He didn't get much air time and you don't see him again until after you've defeated Luther and start wandering through the locked levels of Sphere 211.

Norton is definitely a power hungry character. He wants to turn his little area of Vanguard III into a kingdom. Anyone who stands up to him, who doesn't do as he wishes, dies. His mistreatment of the villages of Whipple leads them to mistrust Fayt when he first arrives.

Second on this list is Duke Vox, Captain of the Dragon Brigade. He, too, is a power hungry character who might not have stopped at his current rank if he had not died an untimely death. There isn't much of a backstory for his ascent to power unless the player recruits Albel before the fight with Crosell instead of the default of Nel. Upon recruiting Albel over Nel, taking him to the four dimensional realm opens up the ability to obtain a legendary sword called the Crimson Scourge.

Vox tried to wield the sword after he set up Albel for the Flame of Ascension when he was too young. Albel fans know that it was his father, Glou Nox, who saved him from certain death, but the right of passage left Albel physically and emotionally scarred. Vox himself is driven to the point of madness because he tried to claim the Crimson Scourge for himself.

He knew no bounds in his quest for power, either. Vox helped to start the war between Aquaria and Airyglyph by spreading the lie that the followers of Apris wanted to assassinate the king. Innocent people were tortured and killed because of that lie.

Finally, I come to the third person on this list, and that honor goes to Belzeber, of the four dimensional realm. Born into a powerful family and the son of the original owner of Sphere 211, Belzeber has a very strong sense of entitlement. He is not happy that, upon his father's retirement/handing over power of the company to Luther. While he doesn't care about the company itself or the gaming world of the Eternal Sphere, Belzeber thinks and feels that all of it should be his and his alone.

Belzeber is also the kind who doesn't care who he hurts along the way in order to get what he wants. He's willing to kill Blair, someone he's known for a very long time, because the Owner has decreed it. If he's willing to go that far on someone else's order, just how far would he go to try and usurp Luther from his position of power?

I'm sure that there are other characters in Till the End of Time that others think are power hungry. I encourage everyone to give me their thoughts on them. (For this entry, please keep the power hungry character comments to Till the End of Time. I will write on the other games for power hungry characters so comments for them.)

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Convention/Cosplay Talk - To Go Alone or Join a Group?

When it comes to convention and cosplay, some people may find themselves asking whether or not if they should go alone, fly solo as it were, or if they should meet up with others for a cosplay group. This isn't exactly an easy question to answer when it comes to conventions and cosplay. Traveling in a group to the convention site is actually quite economical - the people in the car, truck, or van help pay for gas and thus save on gas - but it isn't always possible. If you can arrange a travel group, by all means, do it.

As for cosplay, this is where I say do both. Gather a group for one day, fly solo for another . . . have fun with it. If none of your friends are going to the conventions, find other people to hook up with for cosplay groups. There are many clubs on this site, deviantart, and, of course, one can always use facebook.

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.

( Read more... )

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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.

( Read more... )

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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.

( Read more... )

(more fanfic in another entry)

Current Mood: artistic

Here it is, Labor Day, last day of summer vacation for students in the state of Michigan (unless you're college - then you're already back). I hope everyone's had a safe and wonderful weekend as well as a safe and wonderful summer.

Some updates:

1 - I still haven't heard back from Laura Bailey on an interview. I also haven't gone out of my way to pester her, either. Given I rely mostly on my sister's computer to get things done during the day and that Laura more than likely has a very hectic schedule. As much as I'd love to get the interview with her done, I also want to be respectful towards her and her private/professional life. (Plus, it might be better if I built the journals up first and helped to build the fanbase before I start asking for more interviews.)

2 - Personal front, still jobless and therefore income-less. (Obviously.) Being jobless doesn't make for very good cosplay, ball-jointed doll, and general Star Ocean shopping, but things are what they are. I'm doing my best to keep my chin up and marching forward. Something my mother said to me today is really starting to spark the need for a job in me as well as the desire to get a few original novels published.

3 - There is a convention this upcoming weekend in the Traverse City, Michigan, area. I won't be in attendance, but if anyone in the area does go, please contact me with a convention report. I'll post it.

4 - Finally, I'm going to do a birthday make-up day for Edge, Fayt, Luther, Bacchus, aaaand . . . Cliff. Sarah's birthday is coming up this month so any fan art, fan poetry, and fan fiction anyone wants to share, please submit it to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com with the subject line Sarah Jerand's Birthday.

With school resuming for my sister (starting tomorrow), I'll be getting back into the previous weekly schedule. Tomorrow will be a writing topic in regards to the games and characters as well as announcing the next round of Ask the Star Ocean Character. Wednesday will see the return of the Dream Houses discussion with Game Talk returning on Thursdays. This Friday will be a free day (possible fan fiction update for Destinies Intertwined by Fate).

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HALLOWEEN IS AROUND THE CORNER!!

Yes, I realize that it's only the 3rd of September, and Halloween is the 31st of October. That doesn't mean I can't get a head start on the upcoming festivities. (Halloween is tied for first most favorite holiday, along with the Fourth of July.)

So why the announcement about Halloween right now, you ask? Oh, it's quite simple. I WANT PHOTOS!! Yes, yes. I want photos, fan art, fan poetry, and fan fiction. I want photos of your Star Ocean figures in a Halloween setting. I want photos of fellow fans in their Star Ocean costumes. It doesn't have to be too extravagant or anything like that - just something fun and having to do with Halloween. Photos can be submitted between now and October 30 to the above email address. (After Halloween will simply be too late.) The fan art, fan poetry, and fan fiction must deal with the holiday itself.

This isn't a contest. I, unfortunately, can't do contests right this moment, thanks to the lack of funds. (Believe me, if I could run this as a contest this year, I would, but no money makes it hard to give out prizes.)

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Writing Topic - Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time - SOMEONE SEND OUT THE FASHION POLICE

Just a short blurb today. It's something I noticed in Till the End of Time when it comes to the optional costumes for the characters.

For the most part, the extra outfits are okay, with some looking far better than others. Maria and Sophia have some outfits that make them look like total prostitutes, but they actually look better in those outfits than their standard ones. I actually change everyone's outfits as soon as I'm able, except for Fayt. While the brunette and blond options for him are just as enticing as his look is after Nel rescues him and Cliff from the Airyglyph prisons, I much prefer the blue hair (blue being my favorite color).

There is one outfit that I want to snag and is something I'm working for in Till the End of Time - Fayt's college uniform. I believe I already have the card for it, but I don't have enough battle trophies just yet. I'm working on it, but I also have to wonder about the college Fayt attends. Here's why:

Fayt wears plaid pants. While I personally have nothing against plaid pants, I also believe it depends on the colors used in the plaid. The colors have got to compliment the person's hair and eye colors. The colors in Fayt's college uniform plaid pants . . . don't go well with him at all. Sophia's school uniform is much cuter than the one Fayt has. (Oh, but that pose of his when you find the card . . . yeah . . . tres sexy!)

What are your thoughts on the different costumes for Till the End of Time?

Current Mood: cheerful

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to write about at this moment and, with many things paused until I get my own computer or the fall, it's making things a bit more difficult.

I'm still waiting to hear back from Laura Bailey on the interview. I may just ask her on facebook instead of through her website. We'll see.

So anyway, to this gaming tip of mine. It isn't for those who've defeated Luther. Repeatedly. On the same play-through. Like me. This tip is for the beginning player and can actually be applied to most any Star Ocean game where one has the symbologists with the crappy wind up time for casting.

When utilizing characters like Adray Lasbard and Sophia Esteed in boss fights, SHUT OFF THEIR OFFENSIVE SYMBOLS AND SET THEIR TACTICS TO FOCUS ON HEALING/RECOVERY. A while back, I watched a video on youtube of a person's first fight against Luther, and I wanted to scream at the person to quit wasting his fresh sage and to shut Sophia's attack symbols off. It was very painful to watch, especially since one could see he had less than ten fresh sage left. What didn't help this player was Sophia was out undoubtedly for her plethora of symbols, both attack and healing - she and Adray are the ONLY ones who get the Restoration and Faerie Light spells. Unfortunately, she spent more time casting the attack symbols on Luther rather than focusing on healing and reviving Fayt and Cliff when they were incapacitated.

Now, I personally don't like to use either Sophia or Adray in fights. I keep them leveled up for the sake of posterity. I like to run with Fayt and Cliff with Nel, Mirage, and Albel interchangeable. Those are just my personal preferences. It helps to keep the other characters leveled up just in case they're needed in other battles. One never knows. There's just one very noticeable problem in using characters whose primary functions are symbologists. They rely too much on the symbology to fight, which wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so slow in their wind-up times for releasing the spell. Even with the accessory that cuts their casting times in 2/3, I have found that Fayt has a better wind-up time and he can heal others faster than Adray and Sophia. However, my personal preferences aren't necessarily the same as others, and I get that.

There are some other tricks when it comes to utilizing characters like Adray Lasbard and Sophia Esteed to keep them from doing stupid things - like casting Explosion when Restoration or Faerie Light is needed. One, as mentioned above, is to shut off the attack spells. This can be accomplished both in and outside of battle. Enter Symbology either in the main menu outside of battle or while in battle and used the square button to shut off all attack spells. While you're at it, shut off "Silence" and "Antidote" . . . maybe even "Angel Feather", "Power Up", and "Reflection" . . . Sophia and Adray will try to join the fray by hitting with their weapons, but there isn't much a player can do to stop them when such characters are on auto-pilot. Just be sure that they're set on Focus on Healing/Recovery, and you'll be okay.

To ensure that they have the best casting times, recruit inventors, and get into your workshops. You want the Crafting skill to invent the items that reduce casting time by either 1/2 or 2/3, 2/3 being the better option. The Star Necklace and Rapid Invocation (which can be bought in Gemity) are what a player wants for Adray and Sophia. Also employ the writers to get the Brittle Tome . . . reduce how long it takes Adray and Sophia to cast their spells as much as possible.

Also, increase their defenses with their armor and accessories and their hit and magic points as much as possible. Because they are spell-casters, both have low defense and hit points. If they don't have enough of both, they'll die quickly and you'll still be wasting your Fresh Sage and Resurrection Elixirs on them just to keep them alive.

Level them up before heading into a boss fight. If you have the strategy guide or are following someone's walk-through on gamefaqs.com, if they recommend tackling a boss at a certain level, have Adray and Sophia be at least two levels or more higher than the recommendation. The rules of battle indicate that you get rid of your spell-casters first because they can do the most damage from afar and keep your actual fighting party alive.

Finally, if you have the patience to deal with how slow they move across the battlefield, set up the other characters on whatever tactics you deem necessary for them and play as Sophia or Adray. This is actually the best method for ensuring that your party stays alive and healed without incessantly wasting restorative items like the fresh sage, analeptic, resurrection elixir, and resurrection mist.

These tips definitely apply to Sarah Jerand in The Last Hope, though there is only the accessories that can reduce her casting time (Fast Cast goes only to Myuria and Lymle) as well as any other character that has a large arsenal of attack, defense, and healing spells. Utilize your spell-casters wisely. You can save on battle times (you don't get bonus points for spending over twenty minutes in battle with Luther) and aggravation at wasting your time and restorative items in the boss fights, especially if you're already low by the time you reach said boss fights.

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.

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No conversation topic. My apologies. I'll come up with something for the rest of the week.

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Fanfic: Release
World: Till the End of Time
Characters: Luther Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod, Maria Traydor
Rating: PG13
Warnings: N/A
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time. The rights belong to Square Enix and Tri-Ace respectively. I do not profit financially from writing this story.
Author's Note: Follow-up to Strong.
Summary: Fayt no longer feels weak, but he isn't himself.

( Read more... )

This is the final call for Ask the Star Ocean Character - Maria Traydor. You have until midnight Wednesday, April 11, 2012, to submit your inquiries. I'm now changing it to a limit of THREE questions per person. If you've already asked a question, you have two more you can ask. You can submit questions via reply or PM. As I've said before, if you wish to remain "anonymous" or have a specific name you'd like for me to use, please let me know, and I will accommodate you.

The next character lined up for Ask the Star Ocean Character is Meracle Chamlotte. Inquiries can be submitted as soon as the call for it is announced, which will be Thursday, April 12, 2012.

Also, an unrelated announcement: There will be a one-shot posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, specifically for Arumat P. Thanatos as it is his official birthday. :) I will accept one-shots and artwork to celebrate the fighting tank's birthday as well. For fanfiction, please use this format:
Title
Rating
Warnings (if applicable)
Summary
Disclaimer
Author's Notes (if applicable)

All artwork and fanfic can be emailed to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com

No, I will not be doing an impromptu segment of Ask the Star Ocean Character for Arumat that day nor will I be conducting his character study. That is reserved for a later date.

I have thought of doing this for some time, and I know I've missed the March birthdays for The Last Hope cast. I will make up for it. The next birthday coming up, I do believe, is Edge Maverick on July 30. (I'd like to be able to do this for all Star Ocean characters, but it appears as if The Last Hope cast members are the only ones available. Kind of a bummer. I'd love to know when Fayt's birthday is.) I have no idea what the strategy guides for First Departure and Second Evolution say for those characters so . . . As of right now, the only ones with birthdays, to my knowledge, are the ones from The Last Hope.

Yeah, that makes me sad.

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I really don't have much in mind for a writing/conversation topic today . . . I still am open to suggestions (please put Writing Topic in the reply subject so I know to write an entry for it, not just a reply back). I'm even open to suggestions for games 1 and 2, though I've yet to play them. Those I will save for a later date, like after I've played, but I am open to those suggestions! This blog isn't just about Till the End of Time and The Last Hope. It's for ALL Star Ocean games. I'm the one that's limited in what to talk about right now. That's all.

I am considering a bit of a short subject . . . namely the hair color for the heroes in each game and something that seems to be a bit of a pattern . . . Here's what I mean.

Now, I own all four of the major games. I'm still looking to get my paws on Blue Sphere, even though it'll only be in Japanese, unless Square Enix gets it translated and released for something like the DS or PSP (which they did with First Departure and Second Evolution). Here is what I'm noticing about hair color.

The hero for Game 1/First Departure, Roddick Farrence, has blue hair, albeit somewhat of a pale blue.
The hero for Second Story/Second Evolution, Claude C. Kenny, has blond hair.
The hero for Till the End of Time, Fayt Leingod (or Fate Linegod), has blue hair, which is a darker shade of blue.
The hero for The Last Hope, Edge Maverick, has blond hair.

See the pattern? ^_^

What I find interesting about these main characters is this: With the exception of Roddick, who is a lesser Fellpool/Feline Folk and a descendant of Elena Farrence and Crowe F. Almedio (whose human blood would be so miniscule, chances are it doesn't exist anymore), the rest of the heroes are human. Of those humans, Fayt is the only one who is a "blue-nette". This, naturally, comes from his mother, who is also a blue-nette. I am guessing that Ilia Silvestri is Claude's mom, hence his hair being blond, but no one knows about Edge or why his hair is blond. Perhaps both of his parents, who are deceased by the time the events of the game happen,were blonds. Anything is possible, right?

Even more interesting to me is this: With the exceptions of Fayt Leingod and Maria Traydor, any humans in the parties have natural hair colors. Ilia, Cliff, Peppita,and Mirage are blondes, Ronyx, Reimi, Ashton, and Sophia are brunettes, and Nel and Crowe are redheads. Albel, of course, is a little unusual with his two-tone hair, but even then it's a blond/brunette combination, not green or blue. Most of the alien races have different hair colors: Faize - light green, Arumat - silver, Meracle - blue, Myuria - pink, Celine - purple, Sarah - redhead . . . well, you get the idea. From pictures, I know Ashton is a brunette. Roger is as well . . . unfortunately, I don't know all of the cast members aside from what information is in my game manuals so if I've missed anyone, I do apologize.

Does this mean there is alien blood somewhere in the Leingod family line? Possibly. That bit of speculation I leave to my fellow fans.

But it still is interesting to see that pattern. Don't you think so?

* * * *

Title: Strong
World: Till the End of Time
Characters/Pairing: Luther Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod, Luther Lansfeld x Fayt Leingod
Rating: PG-ish
Warnings: Yaoi
Summary: He had always desired to be strong, but in his mind, he would always believe himself to be weak.
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time or the characters of Fayt Leingod and Luther Lanseld. They belong to Tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively. I do not profit financially from writing this story (or this blog).

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July 2018

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The Creator Complex
Taking a Moment/Some Things The Developers Got Wrong/Ask the Star Ocean Character announcement
Conversation Topic/Fanfic - Sugar Cookies/Fanfic - A Tangle of Christmas Lights/More!
Fanfic Writing Tip #10/Conversation Topic/Convention and Cosplay Talk
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Till the End of Time - Send out the Fashion Police/End of Summer
A Gaming Tip for Till the End of Time
Fanfic Writing Tip #2 - Writing For Video Games/Fanfic: Release
Final Call for Ask the Star Ocean Character - Maria Traydor/Hair Color/Fanfic - Strong

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