Tali

Evil minions! <3 These things are far too adorable to be innocent. -Bluebird -Lesser Panda -Wind-Up Ifrit Heruge thanks for doing this <3

So, the Jackals' 1 year anniversary is currently going on! Had to share this :3 <3

Another fortnight, another bar! A huge and spectacular thank you to all who attended, it was busier than we'd anticipated! And an equally large thank you to Savo who turned up and provided entertainment once more. I was unable to see the prior performance due to tending the bar, but having witnessed one of her performances first-hand, I can heartily recommend them Anyway, screenshots! Have a few! Have all of them, in fact! [align=center]As is the norm, link to the gallery can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/g9cVT [/align]

A quick bump to reminds folks that the 22nd Sunny Seaside Bar will be up and running this evening! In about 3 1/2 hours, in fact! Time flies~ It's a quiet one tonight, as Inarah and myself are both suffering horrendous colds which makes things fun

Alas, the LotR film casting choices left me with rather strong ideas on how Elves should look. Thankfully, BDO seems to cater to these ideas >_> Her chin still needs to be worked on (Read: narrowed), and then the lower jaw (Again, narrowed some more... maybe. Unsure, quite like it as it is at this moment), and then come the thousand and one little tweaks to the facial structure, makeup options, etc. etc. that will be necessary before I'd say the look was finished. But still, as a first draft:

I'm ashamed to say it's taken me 15 years to hear this song. P0TzUNti3rY Also, this song is now 15 years old. Party Hard is 15 years old. I'm over twice as old as a song I vaguely remember as being 'fairly recent'. Excuse me while I go sit in the corner and cry in low-quality VHS vision.

Character Name: Torhe Raanu Character Type: Arcanist, scholar, historian, explorer. Oh, and overriding all else, adventurer. Availability Day(s) of the Week: All week Time(s) of the Day: Weekdays: GMT evenings, occasional daytime, workload depending. Weekends, whenever. Frequent Locations: She can be available anywhere, anywhen. Such is the life of the wanderer. (Also, Kilid's entry several pages back still stands: http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=10818&pid=162728#pid162728 )

Nope, no editing done after the shots were taken, I really don't have the patience for that given the amoutn of screenshot I take at events (My screenshot folder currently has over 11k images in it <_<. I've been using Reshade ( http://reshade.me/ ) ever since it was available, and SweetFX and MasterFX before that, when all these things were packaged seperately and making them play nice with each other was a special kind of headache. Anyway, what you're seeing in the screenshots above is the combination of post-processing effects I use when taking screenshots at events - it incorporates: Ambient occlusion (SAO with a lowered clamp, I found occasional black borders appearing with the default settings, there are five other settings and a seventh, more powerful and accurate implementation to come) to further enhance the feeling of depth. Depth of field (Matso DoF - it's a rather nice DoF that incorporates bokeh. Magic DoF is potentially far more powerful in regards to the blur a far lower FPS cost, but loses out on the lighting and extra features, and I've not spent much time with the other two.) Tonemap to enhance the colour vibrancy Curves to adjust (and greatly strengthen) the contrast Ambient light for the fantastic amalgamation of effect it incorporates (Default settings on this one... maybe. Might have turned on a few extra options?) SMAA and additional FXAA (I'm aware I should just pick one and work on finding the best settings... probably SMAA for the high-end screenshots as it can, if you so choose, incorporate the depth buffer for additional accuracy) Gaussian blur and bloom added atop all the above to soften the image ever so slightly even more. The end result is very pretty in my eyes, and is the primary reason I have so many damned screenshots - everything stands out and demands attention! However, I admit, it's also very strong as I'm rather fond of the somewhat exaggerated look >_> Oh, and it's also incredibly performance intensive, and what would normally be 65-95 FPS, scene depending, drops to ~25 FPS with all of the above turned on. For normal day to day gameplay, it's just tonemap and curves incorporated into a LUT, and SMAA (With the depth buffer disabled in the common settings, as even without depth of field, it'll still be using the depth buffer unless you specify otherwise, which can take an extra few FPS with no actual visible benefit). The end result is a far more vibrant game world with less jagged edges, and it only takes 1-2 extra FPS. I think Inarah uses the same gameplay settings as I do, and I know that a fair few Jackals have begun playing around with their own settings, some favouring the softer blurred look, others using the sharpening features (Adaptive sharpen and luma sharpen) to increase texture detail to individual preference. I'd not recommend use depth of field for normal gameplay, as sadly reshade can't differentiate between the game and the UI at the moment (There is a UI mask tool, but for games with multiple movable UI elements it's just not practical). It is a feature that's on the cards though, just not ready yet. Sadly, this makes it impractical as the UI ends up blurring with the distant background.

A huge thanks to the hosts from us at Jackal & Hide! It was an amazingly people-packed fun few hours, and kudos to all the amazing outfits and original ideas on display! <3 (Also, yay for winning a commission! Dances about) Took a, uhh... a few' screenshots, also! There wasn't exactly a shortage of material on display to snap.

The recent trials and tribulations of a Keeper out of time have been somewhat more active, of late! Rumour has it there'll be more to come in the future, as well~ Post-date auction dates were a go! In both Limsa: And on her home turf, the Shroud: Not only that, but to top things off, one of the Full Metal Arcanist's make their return to Eorzea! None of this poncy cloth-based casting for Torhe, nosiree! Back in her day, mages wore metal, and they wore it well, damnit! Casters knew how to take a punch, back in the day.

Belated thanks to the Kindred~! 'Twas a fun night for all in J&H, and I believe that, thus far, all the dates have gone pretty darn well! Have a gallery of screenies: http://imgur.com/a/lNbzR

6/6 would brohoof again.

Like a fun night, this sounds! Be there, I shall.

You should have played on the EU servers For all the faults that are no doubt shared between all the different regions, we had the Council. The Council consisted of folks from various major guilds (Imp. side at least, never saw the Republic side all that much. Republic scum being what they are, and all.) and gave birth to the Judgements Reach events! Server-wide faction on faction RP-PvP, based around loose rules (Auto attacks and a choice of limited special attacks for most players, high ranking individuals and guild leaders get a handful more to make them tougher, but juicier, targets.) to prolong the action, allow communication, and all that good stuff. 'Twas huge, and darned fun, just... a shame it all fell apart. Alas. Also, can confirm most RP happens in guild strongholds now, with the open-world RP being... well... see the above quote. For the love of the Gods steer clear of Korriban if you don't have a ready supply of eye bleach.

A~~~nd another bar down! Not just any bar, either, but the final one for 2015. (Have I said that before?) 21 bars in a year... s' not a bad haul, that. Of course, Inarah and I wouldn't have bothered continuing these things in the early days if they weren't enjoyable, and the only reason they were enjoyable is because of all the people that turned up, whether they were a Jackal or no. Over the course of the year we've gained regulars, we've encountered folks that passed through just the once on their travels, and we've met folks that turn up just about whenever the heck they want. In short, more folks than we can count, and you were all amazing. And so, to all of you, a huge thank you. It's the people that make the bar, and the bar, this year, was glorious. So in turn, you're all glorious bastards, and we here at Jackal and Hide love you all to bits. And to all the Jackals that helped out over the course of the year, both those here now and those who have moved on to greener pastures, Inarah and I want to offer an extra big thanks. You've all been trials, and you've all been tribulations (And so have we), but we'd have imploded without your help and support, so... yeah. Thanks, and stuff. S' not like we like you all, or anything. Baka. :love: Anyway, screenshots!

We're opening in about 20 minutes, folks!

[align=center]'Tis the very great pleasure of Jackal & Hide to be able to announce The 21st Sunny Seaside Bar 'Tis the season to be chilly, folks! Of course, it's rarely cold in Costa, but we aren't going to let that dampen our spirits (Or freeze the spirits, thankfully!), 'cause we're smart hosts, and realised that Costa wouldn't be fitting for what we have planned. (What we have planned isn't going to be god for the spirits, much to their alcoholic dismay.) More on that in a minute, but first a notice for all you beautiful people. Our Starlight Celebrations are happening a little early this year, entirely down to the way we space out the Sunny Seaside Bar's (Too much of a good thing, and all that.), and because we reckon most folks have better things to be doing roundabout when the next Bar is supposed to be scheduled for! As such, this coming bar is when we'll be hosting the Sunny Seaside Bar Snowy Seaside Bar? Sunny Snowside bar? it's when we'll be hosting our Starlight celebrations! And now for the biggest notice: We're straight up saying now that the 21st bar'll also be the final bar this year, folks! Inarah and I have plans, and we'll not be asking any Jackal to give up their time when they could be spending it elsewhere with loved ones, and all that wonderful stuff! We highly recommend you do the same, if you have loved ones. (If not, it's the season to find some!) Now... as to where we're holding it? Well, we're hoping to see a lot of your smiling faces up in the chilly climes of Coerthas! It's taken a lot of negotiation, and no small amount of diplomacy, but for a sole weekend, we'll be hosting the celebrations out of the bar in Dragonhead! Naturally, attire suited for a Starlight celebration get together is a must, no two ways about it! We'd also recommend that, while dressing to look good for the occasion, you also dress for war, folks! See, the entertainment this bar? Twofold. Firstly, it's whatever you decide to make yourselves. You've got malms of snow to work with, I'm sure your amazing imaginations can come up with something! Second, we're declaring the entirety of the region outside of the bar as fair game for a snowball fight, hence dressing for war! Inside the bar? That's an enforced no-snow zone, so come and take refuge with a rum. Find sanctuary with a spirit. Bask in the brilliance of a brew. In short, keep us company as we enjoy the warmth of a snowy Starlight celebration. Hope to see you there, folks, and thanks for a memorable year. Regards, The Jackals [/align] And now for a quick OOC blurb, 'cause I've not done one of these in a while. First off, the location of the bar, for those who haven't been there before!

So, FFVII won't be running on XV's Luminous engine, but is, instead, running on UE4. http://www.bluesnews.com/s/167406/final-fantasy-vii-remake-using-unreal-engine-4 Hoping it makes a PC port simpler Was one of those fortunate/unfortunate few to experience FFVII on the PC instead of the PSX. Still got the four discs (The PC got an extra disc for installation, woo!) and manual, in fact. I'm not too fussed about how the game plays, mechanic-wise, as I've got enough faith left in SE to trust them to make it interesting/enjoyable enough to hold attention, however they decide to implement it. Honestly, just psyched to get the chance to see the world and experience the journey in a new, pretty, light It was a hells of a journey, after all :3

[align=center]'Tis the very great pleasure of Jackal & Hide to be able to announce The 20th Sunny Seaside Bar It never ends, folks! This week for the big two-oh, we're doing what we do best. Dodgeball! Depending on the numbers, we might even split it into two matches simultaneously this time around. Exciting, no? Side from the sandy fields of ball-based battle, the bar will be operating as normal for the first hour, before shifting down to the sands to continue serving during the matches. As simple as can be! Looking forward to seeing some... 'good sportsmanship'* this eve, folks! Regards, Kilid *By 'good sportsmanship' We mean fantastic feats of athletic ability and daring, do-or-die blasts of dexterous devestation. If you want to rub the losing team's face in the sand after, that's really entirely down to you. [/align]

Deffo a great night all round! Fun was had, both in the party chat, and watching the collective performances A big thanks to everyone who made it so enjoyable. (Also gave me a chance to mess around with the /icam command (Fantastic command, that one! Thank you Square ), and depth of field focal points. Might have missed a few things while tweaking the mediator.)

[align=center]'Tis the very great pleasure of Jackal & Hide to be able to announce The 19th Sunny Seaside Bar Imagine our great surprise when, 'pon checking the calendar we realised that, lo and behold, it's that time of the month again folks! It's been go, go ,go of late, and so we thought we'd take the opportunity to make this eve one of relaxation and rest. There's no big event, there's no show-stealing sports, it's just... restful. From the nineteenth bell, our metaphorical doors open (as ever) to the public, offering drinks a plenty and a surprise bonus from our resident renowned songstress Odette, who'll be making the rounds and serenading your collective smiling faces. 'sides from that... business as usual, folks. Hope to see you there! Regards, Kilid [/align]

[align=center]'Tis the very great pleasure of Jackal & Hide to be able to announce The 17th Sunny Seaside Bar Oh aye folks, ain't no rest for the wicked, and guess what? The wicked is what we'll be celebrating this coming bar! In honour of everyone's most feared favourite night, we'll be bringing the fright with our own special take on All Saint's Wake... ALL SPIRITS WAKE All night long, all spirits* will be half price. You read that right, half price! We've no idea what... eheh, 'possessed' us (Spirits, clearly!) when we came up with something so clearly insane, but might just be crazy enough to wake the dead! The aftermath will be grisly. The aftermath be gory. The aftermath will... probably be splattered all over your floor. How ghastly.** But surely that can't be the only big thing for such an auspiritscious night? There must be more in sight? Such a wasted opportunity, we hear you cry in fright! And it turns out you'd be right; the events for the night are two-fold: Firstly, we found the trick to a good All Saints' Wake night is to have a good old-fashioned costume contest, with the winner being decided by, Twelve help us, public vote. Dress to kill, folks!*** Secondly, and this is the real treat of the evening... a spooky story-off! Bring your most haunting tales and chilling fables, folks! Fact or fiction, myth or legend, if it deprives the audience of sleep that night, it belongs. (We don't expect the costume contest to take all that long, and so we'll be kicking that off at the twentieth bell (20:00) with the aim to get to the tale-telling by the twenty-first (21:00)) Hope to see some new fa-... actually, no, we don't. We hope to see lots of masks and costumes that night, folks! Regards, Kill-id * And all drinks involving spirits ** Jackal & Hide are, honestly, quite relieved we don't have to see any of you the following morning. *** Metaphorically, of course [/align]

Just finished uploading screenshots from the Sunny Seaside Bar that was held at the Festival tonight! From what we saw up above, it looked (And looks, 'cause it's still going on) great fun! A huge thanks for letting us shift the bar across the seas for a night, and an equally huge thanks to everyone that came to visit us up atop the cliff-side view. It was great seeing some new faces at the bar, and awesome seeing some old ones in a new location!

A good, fun event! Took a fair few screenies from the first half(ish), they can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/3HteP And a few samples can be found here:

Added some clarification to the OP for additional... well, clarity. Again, not looking for houses or FC buildings that are in use, or have an active purpose, but buildings that currently have no purpose, no active owners, or are able to be borrowed for a night, and are thus free for people to put to good use for one-night plot events.