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Numenorean · **04-03-2014, 04:36 AM**

First of all, hi everyone. You don't know me, and I haven't made a character yet (come on PS4 beta!!!!), but already I'm here to make unsolicited recommendations to people I don't know!! Thank you intarwebz!!

I have noted an alarming lack of knowledge of a particularly stupidly named show that everyone here should be watching (if anime doesn't give you a rash that is). It's called Log Horizon, and it's genius. It's written by a gamer, specifically a self professed table-top and MMO roleplayer. It's a somewhat familiar premise by now, what with .Hack and Sword Art Online (SAO is another good watch BTW), but this show embodies so much of what this community identifies with and loves that I felt it as kind of a necessary public service to make this known to you all.

I'm not a shill for the company, just an unabashed fanboy. I'm not going to say anything about it other than trust me, it plays to us roleplayers like nothing I've seen.

http://www.crunchyroll.com/log-horizon
http://www.hulu.com/log-horizon

Koninbeor · **04-03-2014, 10:43 AM**

PS4 Phase 2 starts TOMORROW! I hear that any characters you create will carry over to the live game on April 14. I also here that I'll be able to play my existing characters in Phase 2, which I find very exciting. Well, I would find it a lot more exciting if I knew I'd actually get a chance to play much. I have an eight hour drive to Birmingham on Friday directly after work. I'll likely be unable to play all day on Saturday. And then I'm headed to my dad's for the majority of the day on Sunday. Not the best timing for me, but what can you do?

I've seen .Hack but I've never watched SAO or Log Horizon. I'll have to make sure and check them out. There are plenty of anime lovers here, don't worry about that. Thumbsup

***Alothia*** · **04-03-2014, 12:03 PM**

I knew I liked you!
Log Horizon is amazeballs. I want to cosplay Henrietta. *nod* <3 her. Or Maria. She's also awesome.
I like it much better than SAO, but that's probably because LH focuses more on relationships and such, while SAO focuses on getting stronger and fighting battles.

Zhavi · **04-03-2014, 12:37 PM**

DATABASE, DATABASE

My boyfriend haaaated the intro so much, so I kept making up lame excuses to force him to watch it until it took over his mind.

The one thing that annoyed me about it was how they apparently needed someone standing back telling the healers when to heal. It was like, bitch, if you waited for someone to tell you when to heal and what heal to use at endgame in most games with raids, people would be dead. Any healing team that can't work that out for themselves needs more help than some glorified strategist can give. (self, it's just an anime, gosh)

(we had a healing chat channel that I implemented in my last guild where we'd make fun of the tanks and dps. . .turned into one of those jokes -- WE'RE NOT PLOTTING YOUR IMMINENT DEATH, NOT AT ALL. They trusted us to keep them alive. . .mostly.)

Log Horizon made me want to raid again so bad.

**04-03-2014, 01:50 PM**

Good show, new season in the fall! Or so I'm told.

Numenorean · **04-03-2014, 02:11 PM**

(04-03-2014, 12:37 PM)Zhavi Wrote: DATABASE, DATABASE

My boyfriend haaaated the intro so much, so I kept making up lame excuses to force him to watch it until it took over his mind.

The one thing that annoyed me about it was how they apparently needed someone standing back telling the healers when to heal. It was like, bitch, if you waited for someone to tell you when to heal and what heal to use at endgame in most games with raids, people would be dead. Any healing team that can't work that out for themselves needs more help than some glorified strategist can give. (self, it's just an anime, gosh)

(we had a healing chat channel that I implemented in my last guild where we'd make fun of the tanks and dps. . .turned into one of those jokes -- WE'RE NOT PLOTTING YOUR IMMINENT DEATH, NOT AT ALL. They trusted us to keep them alive. . .mostly.)

Log Horizon made me want to raid again so bad.

I discussed that whole "Field Monitor" thing with some friends. I think it has to do with the fact that "reality" makes it hard to keep battlefield awareness, so you need someone calling those kind of shots. A little weird, but works for me. I also love that at least two of the main characters are hard-core roleplayers, specifically Akatsuki (kawaii!!!) and Nyanta-san. LOL

As for the theme song, it's horrible on many levels, but there's something about it that I enjoy........I think it's like a "so bad it's good" thing for me, the end title on the other hand is quite catchy (though very J-Pop). Smile

Numenorean · **04-03-2014, 02:14 PM**

(04-03-2014, 12:03 PM)Alothia Wrote: I knew I liked you!
Log Horizon is amazeballs. I want to cosplay Henrietta. *nod* <3 her. Or Maria. She's also awesome.
I like it much better than SAO, but that's probably because LH focuses more on relationships and such, while SAO focuses on getting stronger and fighting battles.

I too like LH better than SAO (for the most part), but SAO does establish some nice stakes and plays it out pretty intelligently, plus I love the relationship between the two mains. Not as well written for gamers, but enjoyable. LH is really where it's at for roleplayers. Smile

Zhavi · **04-03-2014, 02:57 PM**

(04-03-2014, 02:11 PM)Numenorean Wrote: I discussed that whole "Field Monitor" thing with some friends. I think it has to do with the fact that "reality" makes it hard to keep battlefield awareness, so you need someone calling those kind of shots. A little weird, but works for me. I also love that at least two of the main characters are hard-core roleplayers, specifically Akatsuki (kawaii!!!) and Nyanta-san. LOL

As for the theme song, it's horrible on many levels, but there's something about it that I enjoy........I think it's like a "so bad it's good" thing for me, the end title on the other hand is quite catchy (though very J-Pop).

'cept Shiroe was doing it in game too, it was an established strategy they used. I think in some ways it was meant to represent a 'raid leader' sort of mentality, but reeeeally -- all healers do is watch the status and health of their comrades and manage their mana. I mean, if you're not able to do that and need someone else to watch those things for you, what on earth are you doing?! I just. . . I really just don't buy that. I can see why it was necessary for the story, so in that vein it's fine - just a pet peeve. Didn't hurt my enjoyment of the story.

Zyrusticae · **04-03-2014, 03:11 PM**

Speaking of LH, I made a thread discussing a similar hypothetical scenario for FFXIV here.

There's actually a lot of really interesting implications behind that kind of scenario and setting that Log Horizon opened my eyes to. .Hack// is kind of shallow, Sword Art Online completely wastes its premise, but Log Horizon runs with it in ways that make me so, so very proud of its author. Brilliant guy making brilliant work.

Numenorean · **04-03-2014, 03:47 PM**

(04-03-2014, 03:11 PM)Zyrusticae Wrote: Speaking of LH, I made a thread discussing a similar hypothetical scenario for FFXIV here.

There's actually a lot of really interesting implications behind that kind of scenario and setting that Log Horizon opened my eyes to. .Hack// is kind of shallow, Sword Art Online completely wastes its premise, but Log Horizon runs with it in ways that make me so, so very proud of its author. Brilliant guy making brilliant work.

************Spoilerish*********************

LOL, my friends and I have been trying to work out a system for that. The problem is the dual nature of the people. They've got skills and abilities that their avatars posess and enact (anima), then they've got their own mental abilities (psyche). It's almost like they are "riding" their avatars, which is interesting.

We figure system wise the closest thing out there is D&D 4th (yuck) but it's that psyche (and associated mental skills) and memory loss thing that really messes things up. I suppose it's easier if you don't worry about a system and just role-play it.

We did work on a "lite" concept that was just memory related. Basically a relationship/history chart with certain key memories that tie to aspects of your personality and relationships (but not skills or stats). So every time you die, you have to choose something to lose. Big important memories would basically be "nodes" that are tied to each other with "threads" of less critical memories, once you lose enough of those threads, you're in danger of losing something big. Which could of course lead to big personality changes. It's in conceptual phase only, we haven't done a proof of concept yet.

Koninbeor · **04-04-2014, 05:20 PM**

Good news. I don't know how I managed to do this, but I got my weekends mixed up. I will still be at my dad's on Sunday but I don't head to Birmingham until next weekend. Phase 2, here I come!

Numenorean · **04-04-2014, 06:12 PM**

(04-04-2014, 05:20 PM)Koninbeor Wrote: Good news. I don't know how I managed to do this, but I got my weekends mixed up. I will still be at my dad's on Sunday but I don't head to Birmingham until next weekend. Phase 2, here I come!

....and you should watch some Log Horizon during your breaks. It's the perfect chaser. Big Grin

Log Horizon (yeah I know, don't start)

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes