Blade

Going along with what Eva said, it really depends on the agreement between the two parties out-of-characterly. If you are going to let the game and (your OOC skill) decide who wins in a PvP skirmish, you need to be ready to go along with whatever that result entails. You give up a bit of control for a greater sense of risk and chance and variability... pros and cons to that.

Well, it looks like I got confused on my pay dates and I actually don't get paid three times in a month until May. A small bummer (cus I'm excited to upgrade!) but I guess this gives me more time to save up for parts and throw a graphics card in the mix. I ran the benchmark yesterday and was actually surprised at how well the game did on 'high' settings. Granted, the resolution wasn't all that high. If at all possible I'm hoping to get an i7 in the budget, though I realize without a current gen graphics card it isn't going to be the best buy. So I'm going to do my best to save over the next couple months a little extra where I can to get a graphics card in that set up as well. Aside from the graphics card, is there anything else that people think is crucially missing from this setup? Have I dotted my Is and crossed my Ts? Hooking all this stuff up together won't cause my machine to explode?

Hey all, thanks for all the comments so far! As for my GPU, I have an nVidia Geforce GTX 295. So not super noteworthy or amazing, but it gets me by and probably the only reason I was able to enjoy 1.0 to some degree at all. The GPU would be the next thing in line for me to upgrade, at least with my current thinking, but I could be moved to change my mind ^^ EDIT: I also am somewhat intending to look for a little bit of overkill. It is probably going to be quite some time before I am able to afford to do this again, as in the fall I will be attending graduate school versus just working and thus will only have some spare cash from internships or work study. The mobo, processor, PSU, and RAM will all be five years old soon and at least in terms of gaming, I'm getting limited in what I'm able to play these days, so while I can, I'd like to just buy ahead and not have to worry about it for awhile.

Hey all, I'm not really a stranger to swapping parts out of my computer and whatnot, though I haven't really attempted something quite so big yet, and just want to make sure that I run this by someone who knows their stuff more than I do. I was able to rock XIV 1.0 with my Core 2 Duo, though as you can guess, it wasn't the most lovable experience. I don't want to just straight up buy a new machine, so I'd rather upgrade the existing stuff, and change out the parts that need it most. Which from what I have been told, are the motherboard, ram, power supply, and processor. Could someone just take a look through these parts and tell me if they would be a good buy/work properly? I have a budget of around $800 for this, so I'm wanting to get some decent stuff, but also not splurge. Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837 PSU COOLER MASTER Silent Pro RSA00-AMBAJ3-US 1000W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049 CPU Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501 RAM CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345 What do you all think of this junk? Does this all look like it would work well together? Are there alternate parts you would recommend? Anything here I should avoid? Anything critical I'm missing? Any thoughts you have would be GREATLY appreciated I get an extra paycheck next month, and am looking to throw it at this project.

Hey all, A conversation amongst linkshell mates came up recently,regarding how we define “heavy RP,” which when one thinks about it, is a very broad term, and because of that, can mean very different things for different people, which creates some confusion regarding what a shell is really saying about itself when it tags itself as being ‘heavy RP.’ Consider the following fictional roleplayers,modeled after people I know personally: Roleplayer A: A is amember of an RPLS, which strives for 100% immersion. In this shell, A is always in-character asper the shell requirements. They log inon a daily basis, don’t carry a particular interest in end-game and aren’t too concerned with in-game advancement at all. They do a lot of writings, mostly in journals, etc. They pretty much main their roleplay linkshelland attend every event that comes up. Their punctuation may not be perfect all the time, but its readable andthey are still able to convey emotion fairly. Roleplayer B: B isvery interested in roleplay, and has a lot of time constraints, due to their work/school/other factors. Logging ontothe game once a day to RP really isn’t an option at all for them. They are often tired due to their real life restrictions,so they may get on for a few hours a couple days a week. They are in a shell that caters to this,which sets up RP events that most of the members can attend at a given time. B puts a lot of effort into the RP when theycan go, has years worth of plots planned and frequently does some forum RP whenever they have a chance. They getreally involved in their story and would love to RP more; unfortunately, real life makes that tough. Roleplayer C: C hasmoderate attendance in their roleplay linkshell. C butts heads with other roleplayers outsideof their linkshell somewhat frequently because they take some liberties in interpreting the lore. Thankfully, theyhave a linkshell that caters to that. Inthis linkshell, the restrictions on lore are relatively lax, but good storytelling is required. When C takesliberties with the lore, they do so with the hope of creating a compelling plotline that will bring enjoyment to their shellmates… even if it includes vampiric wyrm/demon triple breeds. In all of the cases above, I see different examples of whatI would consider a “Heavy RPer.” A showsit through their attendance and regular participation in their shell’s events. B shows it with the dedicationto making RP a priority even in their busy life, and putting a lot of deep thought into their plots and making the most out of the time that they do get for RP. C shows it through their truedrive to tell compelling stories without focusing too much on the lore boundaries. There are several aspects that I think come to mind when Ithink of heavy RP, which includes: The levelof time commitment that is expected of an RPer 100% In-Character at all times Strict rules and guidelines that are followed todefine the linkshell’s form Significant plot depth and detail (and how lore is treated) Taking these into account, I think it may be worth lookinginto some different ways of classifying RP linkshells to pain a better picture of what the group is really about, since I think that while I’d consider a Heavy RP linkshell to have some of the above traits, I don’t think that it requires all of the above traits, and that a Heavy RP linkshell would take very different forms. So maybe it would bebetter if we broke things up into categories and defined it that way. For example, on the linkshell listing, agiven shell could have in their description: Time Commitment: Flexible Degree of Immersion: Linkshell is 100% in-character only Form and Rules: Seesite rules for RP notation; high level of punctuation preferred. Recruitment: Open Focus on Lore: Very high I think that the example above conveys a better picture ofthe shell and what it is seeking, and gives the linkshell seeker a better idea on what would be expected from them at a quick glance than ‘heavy RP’ would. Biggest thing someone might takefrom this specific example is the ‘Flexible’ part. A lot of people associate roleplay linkshellsas being a significant time sink that they may not have time for. Hence it can be somewhat intimidating, orthey don’t want to commit to something so quick. But despite the strictness in other areas ofthis particular shell example, the open recruitment and flexible time commitment might make them feel more comfortable easing in. I also think we may want to try and not use ‘casual’ as thekey word for less strict RP. Reasonbeing is that casual carries with it a connotation of ‘not serious,’ and I’m pretty sure anyone who would visit this site is serious about RP to some degree. Something more along the linesof ‘flexible’ phrases it better. What do you all think? Guess I’ll stop here to collect some thoughts.

Added ya, and sending you messages, haha

I could even do a little RP right now, if we had a web interface for it. I might be a lil slow though. Problem with Skype is that they don't have an online app for it as far as I know. But if you have MSN or AIM, let me know.

An uhhh, I probably should get on topic and stop derailing this and turning it into an Echo thread, lol. I typically don't do much non-cannon RP, though if its to help someone get a feel for their character and overcome RP shyness, that's another thing. I'll try to show my head on Skype more and we can RP some random run-ins and whatnot.

Well, hmm. The Echo isn't limited to the adventurer in the plot. It's mentioned in actual game dialogue that a lot of adventurers and so on have been wakening to the Echo. The adventurer in the storyline does obtain it through the storyline, but the manner in which they obtain it really isn't well understood. They just sorta 'get it,' much to their initial confusion. It's unknown why the Echo selects who it does, or if there's really any selection taking place at all. The point I'm trying to make though is that its supposed to be something that is a growing phenomenon, and that you wouldn't need to be the adventurer that the story revolves around in order to obtain the Echo. Those that have it, tend to keep quiet about it because the in-game dialogue suggests that others who don't have it would be prejudice against them. People tend to get a lil bothered when you do things like see into their memories. I'd probably wait til A Realm Reborn though to talk much about the Echo. It's possible that whatever Bahamut did ruined it. It's currently speculation as to whether or not it'll still be around. We know that the plot that was introduced with the Echo will be wrapped up in ARR, but whether we will still have the ability? I dunno. Remains to be seen.

I can fill in as the WAR, if it is still up for grabs. ^^ I'll reference E'iri's recent art of Blade. http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/wiki/images/f/fd/Bladesixthera.png Also dis, to include the helm if you want it. http://www.gwcdn.com/albums/images/5046ba4189118b72c3cafd99.jpg

The only thing I might suggest altering in your profile, or adding as the case may be, is how you describe the Echo. The Echo, at least how its been shown in the game, has to do with diving into the memories of another person, to put it in the simplest terms. It's really sorta messy and hasn't been entirely explained yet as it stands in the game. I believe, though, the Echo can lead to hearing singing (from the aether?) but who is singing and what it means I believe is currently unknown. Someone else here may be able to clarify. Members of the Conjurers guild, in general, can have the ability to communicate with the elementals and do much as you described (such as asking the elementals for permission to hunt, etc). Basically, what I think you have written as abilities for the Echo, are really more abilities that are part of Conjury. You can still have the Echo, but it would do different things than you are describing.

Pretty epic overhaul. It's obvious a lot of time and care went into this. Thanks for all your hard work (to all those involved)!

OOOOOOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Thank you E'iri! I think its time to change my avatar then~

Pretty sure the Roegadyn is asking the Hyur, "Dude, you didn't leave your relic weapon behind... did you?"

Tadir looks... basically... spot on like his avatar, but IRL...

Sorta going along with Yssen's third point about Imperials... I'm sure there are a lot of roleplayers who come up with great ideas to support a character being an Imperial turncoat, or at least, from Garlemald come to Eorzea. However, like Yssen said, there's only so many times this idea can be used before it starts to lose its novelty value. Brainwashing issues aside, I feel an ex-Imperial character sorta actively aims to hit shock value... and other roleplayers who may know other ex-Imperials by this point, may not be so shocked. But there are a lot of other organizations in Eorzea, that are not so well known, that have lots of lore ready to be explored. Organizations rarely looked to for RP ideas. Something like that I think would really add extra spark to the character, but that's just my opinion.

Given that I want this pic to be of 1.0 Blade, this description is kinda meant to encompass him for the majority of his time in 1.0. So I'd like him to look a little bit more upbeat than how he ended. Depending on if you want to do full-body or not, either way works for me. I'll be happy with anything. As I noted (or its been told to me) Blade kinda has a 'pretty boy' appearance. He should not look frail but looks reasonably sharp and well kept. He also has youth on his side so he hasn't really grown into a 'rough' appearance. He's around 20, approaching 21. In terms of expression he probably has a bit of a cocky smile. He was kinda brash, a little charming, and awkward around women. So I guess your typical cocky anime guy grin. This shot is... kind of a joke shot. But it actually shows his face kinda well. For the pic, I'd rather he not wear his WAR AF helmet. His face looks like this (although, less insane than shown here) http://www.gwcdn.com/albums/images/5094 ... bd0888.jpg He has blue eyes. Please note that, similarly to Gospel, he has a bang that comes down in front of his face a bit, but only on *his* right now (in the image, it is on *your* left) If you want to go for a full body shot, he'd be wearing the Warrior AF. A picture of that for reference here. In terms of his overall bulk, Blade isn't really a /bulky/ guy persay. He's definitely strong, but he's more of a toned guy versus omgwtf bulky. The armor though would add a lot of bulk to him. http://i.imgur.com/11c1W.jpg He's tall for a Midlander, and would probably be holding his axe, blade end behind him with the uhhh hilt on his shoulder. The axe would look like this one: http://mooglebox.com/entries/storm-lieu ... labrys.php If you have any questionnnnnnnnnnssss lemme know ^^

For Blade, he'd have an open shirt. Like a vest that wasn't fastened in the middle. Well, this probably would do it best. http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge ... Okha9S.jpg Except the shirt would be a solid color. We'll just say black. Has holes, a couple patches. That kind of style, though. Shorts would probably be something akin to cargo shorts. Like these: http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/ima ... shorts.jpg Except dirty and beat up. For shoes, either sandals, or no shoes at all.

Blade's list, updated for post gala event~

(This takes place the night before the gala event) The hallway was dark. Barely lit. The ceruleum powered lights were dimmed low, and as he walked, Blade could not more than a couple yalms ahead. It took him but a moment to remember what he had come here to do. To slay the man who had ruined his life. He quietly brandished his axe, and inched as quietly as possible down the hallway. There was not a sound in the hallway but the click of his boots on the floor. He paused upon the sounds of a boy crying somewhere up ahead. He quickened his pace, but still took care to remain quiet. He came to the door. Where his target would be. He could hear the boy crying in the room. Blade pressed himself up against the wall, gripped his axe tightly, took a deep breath and then jumped around from the corner and into the darkness. A thick, sticky substance clung to his boots as he entered. Directly ahead of him stood a blonde boy wearing a bandana, with messy short hair and raggedy clothes. Was in his early teen years. The room was dark, but two candles were lit on a desk, their light serving to provide these details. Blade shouted. âWhere is he!?â The boyâs cries stopped suddenly, almost as if on command. The boy slowly looked back towards at him, a deep darkness in his eyes. Blade could see that the boy had blood splattered across his face, and Blade looked down to his feet and caught a glimpse of a dead Roegadyn. âBy the Twelve⦠youâve killed him,â Blade said, in his astonishment. The boy looked back to the body at his feet, and then looked up and straight ahead of him. âYouâve forgotten,â was all the boy said. Bladeâs eyes widened. âThis isnât possible⦠we canât be⦠here, together.â The boy began to cry hysterically, and loudly. âYou FORGOT! Left me behind, HIDING ME AWAY!â Blade frowned in disbelief. âWhat are you talking aboutâ¦? This⦠canât be happeningâ¦.â The boy let out a cry again and then turned to run towards Blade. His arms extended wide, he ran to Blade and began to hug him around his waist. Blade placed his hand on the boyâs head, and looked around. Looking to the boy again, Blade said, âWeâll figure this out, youâllââ Blade gasped as he felt the sharp sting of a dagger planting deep into his side. He felt paralyzed, and the boy looked up at him slowly, with dark, red eyes. Blade attempted to move to throw the boy off of him, but instead the boy pulled back on the dagger sharply, tearing it through Bladeâs abdomen. Blade dropped his axe to the ground and fell backwards on the ground, grimacing, panicked from the pain. He brought a hand up to his face, with trails of blood connecting his hand to the wound. The boy stood looking at him in the dark, blood dripping from the dagger, his eyes narrowed on Blade. âIâm just doing what you really want to⦠what you need to do, to set things rightâ¦.â Blade grimaces at the wound. âYouâwe⦠youâre crazyâ¦.â His vision grows blurry, and he tries to push back away from the boy. The boy frowns and then walks to Blade slowly, gaining on him. The boy grabs Blade by his hair and holds his head steady, the boyâs eyes glowing red. The boy gives a crazed grin, âAllow me to open your eyes⦠and light your flameâ¦.â Bladeâs eyes widen as the boy raises his dagger and thrusts it down towards Bladeâs eye. ***** Blade jerked up from his nightmare, his vision stained red, hitting his back again the seat on the Astalicia. Instinctually, he whipped out a silver throwing axe to defend against his would-be assailant. But all that greeted him in the bar were the confused, irritated stares. It took him several momentsâwith his heart pounding loudly in his earsâto realize he had been dreaming. A scruffy, bearded Hyur shook his head at Blade. âBloody hells lad⦠not tonight.â The pirate then returned to his conversation. Blade held the throwing axe in his hand, trembling, and then slowly lowered it towards the table, letting it fall from his hand. The blade end struck first, leaving the weapon stuck in the wood. His hand fell to the table with a loud thunk, as though it were lifeless. Blade let out several deep breathes and his vision slowly returned to normal. The rest of the pirates in the Astalicia turned from him, shrugging, and eventually they went about their business. He let his eyes fall to what lay in front of him, and his hair, unkempt, fell to the front of his face. The nearly decoded memoir. His eyes crawled over the paper, taking in the curves, the shapes, of the letters, yet not reading. He knew the meaning now at simply a passing glance at the paragraph. So deeply had the revelations been burned into his mind. The shakes. The trembling was growing worse. He shook his head, and reached for the nearby rum bottle, half empty. Taking several large drinks of the bitter liquid, he put the bottle on the table and shut his eyes, gripping the edge of the table with his hands, and trying to steady his body. He suffered much in the depths of his mind. He had spent most of his life hating his family, for something they hadnât done. For, something that wasnât their fault, and something they didnât want. He could hear his heart in his ears. Something was wrong. It never felt like this before. It was a strange, uncomfortable sensation. An insatiable bloodlust, some sort of feral instinct. But what worried him the most: he was beginning to like it.

At this point, Blade has had a chance to decode the memoirs... and reveal some very disturbing truths about his past. He read this the night before the gala.

(Had these posted over on the Crystalline forums, forgot to post em here. Apologies for the image sizes, but you'll see, it will be necessary for future posts here to be readable) In the past sun, Blade has received a letter, as well as a small journal. The letter that was attached to the front, is shown below. Upon reading this, Blade does not take to looking at the memoirs. He simply leaves leaves it on his table in his inn room. Inside, there is a page that is marked. It appears to be encoded somehow. It is shown below. Having not opened the memoirs, Blade has yet to see this page.

Yeah, roleplay, especially out in the open where griefers can possibly stumble in on you, can be a bit daunting sometimes. I've done a lot of roleplay before, and currently head a roleplay linkshell on Siren in Final Fantasy XI, but we kept it all within a linkshell and do relatively no roleplay in /say. It's very much different here, where people for the most part roleplay in /say, at least from what I have seen. I will say this though, I haven't ever been griefed for roleplaying; actually, when I have RPed in public areas I have gotten compliments from people around who I didn't realize were roleplayers, or whom are interested in roleplay but haven't ever done it before. That's one of the really wonderful benefits that the RPC brought with it; a server where people could all hang out that is for roleplayers. Personally, I think the best thing for character development and overcoming shyness is to just throw yourself out there. The shyness will fade with time, as for the character... I know from personal experience it takes time to get into a new character's head. You can write out their entire backstory but still not feel them yet, so it is natural for you to feel like your character may be a little rough, as you say. My character, Blade, was very much the same way. More or less, I drew up a brief outline for him, established a general personality, but it was all very vague, but things that answered some important questions: where he came from, why he's doing what he is doing now, and so on. After that I just started roleplaying with him and over time, I got a little bit more into his head, roleplaying as him became easier, and much more interesting and over time, gradually fleshed out a more definitive backstory for him (which, well, I think is awesome). So I think in terms of readying your character, getting some roleplay in, whether you count it as canon or just practice roleplay, would help to cement your character a bit more. It might be easier to draw up a backstory though after 2.0 comes out, but if you need some help, send me a PM.

Stick me in 5, I guess. And put Gerik next to me in 4 prz. Maybe with Blade's hand reaching over for some funsies. At the age of 13 would be after Blade had been 'abandoned' by his family. Hair cut would be short. He probably looks dirty, ragged, cut up clothes. If you can do a bandana, he might be wearing one. Probably looks really pissy with a serious chip on his shoulder.

Of the 10 people who have written comments here, I count two people who have stated that they oppose the very idea of a new website and a new community. The other 8, wait for it, actually say they don't think a new website is inherently bad or have even advocated for it. Even Warlord Kylin wished you good luck. The negative comments that have been given here, have in fact, been how this all came about in ways that haven't come off as being very mature. That is the issue people are talking about, one which Lior and yourself seem to curiously be dodging and attempting to make this about something it is, in fact, not.