Kikoro

I've been to the cafe three months ago. I'm sure some details have changed in the meantime, but maybe I can share some useful information. Getting there was... Not easy! Hopefully the queue is shorter now. Where is it: in Akihabara (Tokyo) close to the station. There's nothing advertising the cafe, you could walk to the entrance and still not notice. You should look for the Pasela building, a place with several theme bars and restaurants; the 'Pasela' sign at the top can be seen from afar. Once inside the building, the staff can guide you. The Eorzea cafe is on the third floor. How to make reservations: you can't book in advance. Nor can you just walk into the cafe. There's a lottery. I kid you not. News for me at the time! I got there at about nine in the morning, and after a 30 mins wait I was asked to pick a numbered token from a box, and then I was admitted into a large room with close to a hundred people. Then some guy with a speaker started calling numbers (in japanese), and if your number came out, you could make a reservation for later the same day. Otherwise you were out of luck. And it didn't end there! At the reservation booth, I was told when exactly there was room for me, and where I was going to sit. Thirty customers, no more no less, were admitted in 90 minute shifts until closing time. And lastly I was asked to fill a module from the menu, placing x's on all I was going to order so they could prepare it well in advance. After finally upgrading your Zodiac weapon getting inside, the cafe itself is fantastic and well worth the visit. The Carline Canopy look is not perfect to the last detail, but it's convincing enough. The food and drinks are delicious and not too pricey. I got the Titan burger, which is huge, the White Mage ice cream, and a long list of drinks. Some of the cocktails are presented with potions you have to mix yourself. All drinks also come with a cool primal beermat. The Ultima Weapon cocktail was especially memorable. Besides the weapons and armors on the walls, in the cafe there are two widescreen TVs with random FF trailers and cutscenes, as well as several PCs running the game. You're free to log in your character and tell your friends you're in Japan play your daily roulettes. 8-)

Welcome from a fellow lalafell! There is no defense against cuteness... The other races will submit to us... And tomorrow, the world!

The last question was very hard to answer. I like the gameplay, I just want more: more content, more options, more quests, more maps. But I'm not opposed to changes, in themselves... So I answered yes, too. Hopefully they'll make more polls, with details about which changes they're thinking about.

I want to thank everyone for the thoughtful answers. I agree with every single point you have made (and the information from further down the road was invaluable, thank you Rain for taking the time to type it down). After a bit of further meditation, I am adding my own humble take on the subject. Just my 0.02 gil, of course.

I apologize in advance if this topic has been discussed before... I skimmed the subjects in this section and nothing sprung to attention, but if I have been remiss, a link to the thread would be most appreciated! I try to keep the question as general and spoiler-free as I can. Every character we create begins the game by listening to the "Hear. Feel. Think." words, and then by witnessing a starshower. Of course, it stands to reason that the specific incidents should not be part of any individual storyline, obviously the same origin event cannot have happened to every character. However, the story that follows strongly implies that the characters are part of a category of 'chosen' adventurers, being granted the same mysterious (and very useful) ability for equally mysterious reasons. We're talking hundreds, maybe thousands of adventurers -- room for everyone. Each would have his own path to follow, but those paths would lead to the eventual discovery of that power. My question: is there a consensus on how to handle this complication in our RP? Should it be entirely left out of our RP options, or should it be allowed to every character (and/or NPC) that wants in? Please share some wisdom! :tonberry:

RL Info: RL Name: Alessandro (Alle) RL Age: one foot in the grave Country: Italy Timezone: GMT +1 RL Gender: M --Why do you like to RP? Well, first I was a thief/ranger. I know! And then, a dragoon/bard. And then, a bard/dragoon. See where I'm going with this? It was either role-playing, or going frothing mad while uselessly looking for party. And, and it kind of stuck. Basic info --Characters: Gio Girogeo Is a character introduction needed? I'll make up a quick one then. Gio is a dunesfolk lalafell freshly arrived in Limsa Lominsa. His late grandfather was exiled from Ul'dah a long time ago, and they've been fishermen ever since. Grampa left him an old hat, plus a journal filled with strange maps, thaumaturgical formulas and coded messages. Gio is inexperienced, easily distracted and insanely curious. With a gift for being hidden two feet to the left of the wrong place at the wrong time. So, here we have him, young, pleasant yet cheeky, not entirely selfless, happy-go-lucky, a softie for homeless kids and pretty faces in trouble, quick of mind and feet and he keeps turning up like an old pair of socks. You know, the kind of roguish guy that might actually be a thief, if such a role existed in our society. --Current primary linkshell: None yet. Any advice? RP Preferences: --RP style (Casual, moderate, or heavy)? Heavy, or maybe Moderate, I would not know which. I tend to stay IC most of the time, but I will respond to OOC questions with little trouble... I think immersion is essential but being cool about it is just as important. --Are you willing to RP a fight scene in game? If so, preferred method of combat? (/randoming, skill based, etc) A fight? Sure. Preferred method is running away, but I will occasionally let my opponent brutalize me. If the opponent insists that I should emerge victorious, me being just that awesome, then we can draw lots. --Are you willing to take major injuries in game? (ie limb loss, comas, etc.) I'll take anything, as long as it's not permanent. That includes coma (followed by a properly dramatic awakening scene), ink stains and extreme bloating. Partial dismemberment only in a dream sequence. --Under what circumstances, if any, would you allow your character to be killed off? No, not really, it's not a good kind of drama and it tends to ruin the fun. In fact I would not be fully okay with anybody else's character choosing to die, not just my own. If I ever leave the game, or make another character, you all are welcome to stage a murder mystery over my lifeless corpse... Otherwise, death is what redshirts are for. --Are you willing to RP romance in game? How far are you willing to go? Sure! And I love it, expecially when the participants can pull off convincing awkward or witty dialogue rather than, you know, the steamier kind of descriptions. Like, real example, one of the people involved in a romantic encounter, he forgets to take the linkshell off, nobody has a clue and then his partner attacks the earlobe and suddenly everyone in attendance is hearing really loud slurping licking and sucking noises and we're all yelling like "FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS! THE PAIN! STOP IT!" and also "Hey man is that your wife we're hearing?" Heh. Goofy times. Speaking in general I find the raw mechanics of the act better left off-screen. --What kind of non-romantic RP relationships are you seeking? (family ties, etc) Family, friends, classmates, rivals, colleagues, job offers, my name is Inigo Montoya you killed my father prepare to die, the more the merrier. I can play a decent minion but my evil laughter needs work. --How far from the actual lore are you willing to stray? Personally, I will not stray at all, and will always abide by corrections if I inadvertently do. I usually never mind those who stray a little... But there should be reasonable lines not to be crossed. My one pet peeve is role-playing vampires. Greek gods a close second. But in the end, it's not just any single idea that is problematic... Rather the ease with which the little exceptions pile up, until we can't recognize Eorzea as a common setting anymore, and we're stuck playing in tiny separate personal worlds. --Views on chat functions (IC vs OOC in /party, /linkshell, /say)? I could never type properly during real-time combat. In parties, all I have to give is either a macro like "Take this you meanie! Fuidama!" or a comment after the action. I have no other opinions about how a group of players decides to handle the chats... Anything that works is fine. --Will most of your RP be confined in a single linkshell or will you try to RP with as many as possible? Honestly, so far I had no idea I could keep more than one linkshell at a time. I'm that new. I wonder how it works, you know, mechanically. But the more RP I can follow, the happier I will be. --How do you prefer to be contacted? (PM or post in this thread) No preference. PM or post, either is fine.