Wa-bam.
We gotta make these visits more frequent.
I was glad to see Nomura talk about the combat and mention that even tho there's a lot going on onscreen, it's more player controlled than ever. All the summon flashiness had me worried about the game devolving into a bunch of special move scenes and simplified combat like FFXV did. Removing the reaction command surprised me too, those actually weren't too intrusive and some were pretty fun combat minigames (like the duel w/ the samurai nobody). Hopefully this means Nomura is overhauling the combat system similar to what Versus was before Square Enix ****in gutted it but hey, that's neither here nor there. Anyway, maybe this means he's expanding upon the 1 and 2 systems were there were actual combo strings and different launchers/finishers to mix things up. Adding more keyblade combat moves is something I'm really hoping for since playing the game that way feels more like a Devil May Cry title, but I'll settle for whatever I get.
Was going to say this. And really, besides extra smoothness (which the game doesn't really need since it already looks smooth in this early state) 60 fps is just an unnecessary stat. KH doesn't have animation cancelling or anything like that and the combat has always been managable at the current framerate. A locked 30fps would work just fine.
Another Sora v Marluxia would be great.
:O all at the same time, Eight Paths of Pain style?
In Feudal Japan, a former Buddhist temple stands in serene elegance. The complex is modest and grand all at the same time, housing a well-kept main temple, a courtyard for physical training and lectures, beautiful gardens interspersed between the different living quarters, and a farm that the inhabitants sustain themselves with. A man-made stream diverted from a nearby river runs through the grounds and when the sun sits high in the sky, the whole school is gently shaded by a mountain range only a short distance away. A large village is a few days' journey away but the grounds already has the facilities to make supply runs far and few between, allowing students to fully focus on their training and different works. The buildings are maintained and populated by a well-respected master and his devoted followers. The monks here train themselves to become better people in mind, body, and spirit under the firm, yet gentle teachings of Master Natsu Katsuhira. Katsuhira himself is of low upbringing. After a childhood, which extended into young adulthood, of thievery and senseless violence, he had a child. The realization that his lifestyle would put his child on the same hellish path as him struck, and so he forsook his old ways and ran off on his own. A kind Buddhist monk took him in at the age of twenty-five, with his newborn baby named Shu, and taught him to seek the inner truths within himself under his guidance and the teachings of Buddha. Over eight years, Katsuhira progressed well in his training and found the love of his master's daughter, bearing a second son, Hiro. Soon after Hiro's birth, the teacher passed away along with his daughter, and the other followers left to settle elsewhere, leaving Katsuhira the temple grounds with which to honor his former master's memory. He made the decision to re-open the monastery. However, instead of as a strict Buddhist environment, he opened it to troubled youths like he once was. His vision was to give them a chance to better themselves in a environment that encouraged introspection, spiritual awareness, and the ideal of being kind toward your fellow man. The School of Branching Paths. The monastery has functioned in relative peace since it's rebirth as an alternative school of sorts, eighteen years ago. Given the social climate of the time period, bandits and the occasional stray soldiers turned raiders were the brunt of opposition they faced. To offer self-defense, Katsuhira taught his students the same style of martial arts his teacher taught him, an unorthodox discipline dubbed "Bonsai Style". The namesake comes from the style's openness to change and personal interpretation, meant to represent the many different paths the branches of a Bonsai tree can take. Students have come and gone and Katsuhira has aged to 50. Shu and Hiro have advanced to leader roles of the disciples and have begun shouldering the load of managing the school. Though old, Master Katsuhira still engages with his pupils with the same vigor he always has. However, he knows he doesn't have many years left and seeks to teach his students their final lesson before his death. -- This RP is what I plan to be the first part in a trilogy. It deals with Master Katsuhira taking his sons+students on a pilgrimage that will advance them to the level of their training from which they won't need his guidance. It will be a Historical Fantasy Action/Adventure RP. Bearing the genre of Historical Fantasy, things will be period-based. Characters will do a lot of walking on dirt paths and things of that nature. The fantasy comes more from the spiritual aspect of the story and some of the enemies characters will encounter. Content-wise, things won't get grimdark or anything but the storyline will delve into mature, realistic situations. Spoiler: What To Expect/What I Would Like In This RP With this being an RP about monks (technically, troubled youths turned monk-like students) going on a journey, I encourage characters to have lots of interaction with each other. Think of how it would be to come from hard beginnings, having difficulty trusting anyone, then transitioning to a lifestyle of reliance on your "brothers" and "sisters". Don't be afraid to question! I embrace users to get immersed in the world that I'll attempt to make as rich and inviting as I can, and I'm open to suggestions on different places to take the story. There will be combat and yes, some of it will be armed (more in Weapons/Combat) since in real life Buddhist monks trained and traveled with weaponry. However, I also encourage hand-to-hand combat when the situation's stakes aren't that high. I'll try to use in-character cues as to when students should draw their weapons. Lastly, on the more technical side, I'd like for this to be a descriptive RP. In my opinion, a decent post would be at least two paragraphs but I won't nitpick if all you can manage is one (not to sound condescending). Spoiler: Weapons/Combat Given the setting of Feudal Japan, the monks in this story would definitely need to know martial arts and carry weapons to defend themselves. That being said, to prevent extravagance, try to keep things practical and period-correct on the weapons side and only have your character carry 1. As for the combat itself, think of the tone as similar to a historical fantasy martial arts movie. To put it into words, think of how in these movies the more a character trains, the more nonsensical things they can do. So don't think of it as crazy if Master Katsuhira kicks a horse cart down a hill and it kills 20 bandits, because he's trained...really hard. Things like manipulating fire or other elements are a little too much, but things like exaggerated force/speed are fine. Spoiler: Character Skeleton Name: Gender: Age: (Adults are welcome, Master Katsuhira wouldn't turn anybody away. But I would like the focus to be on youths because of them naturally being at the age of finding themselves/questioning/etc.) Background: (What were they doing before they joined Master Katsuhira's school, how did they find it, etc? Personality: (What are they like? Interests/Morals? Try to flesh this out. The RP deals with themes of soul-searching and growth and it's more interesting if your character isn't static and has flaws that get tackled over the course of the story.) Weapon: Appearance: (Picture or text description, either is fine.) Fighting Style: (In either straight description or a simulated fight, detail how your character fights. Highlight strengths and weaknesses or techniques they employ.) Personal Goal of Joining School: (What did your character hope to gain within themselves by joining Katushira's school? Closeness with nature? Sated bloodlust? Be creative!) [DOUBLEPOST=1428282365][/DOUBLEPOST]This is where I'll edit in everybody who I've accepted into the RP. If by chance things start to move and you don't think I'll see your sheet, just PM it to me and I'll let you know. -Accepted Character Sheets- Barakon-King Spoiler: Natsu Katsuhira Name: Natsu Katsuhira Gender: Male Age: 50 Background: Now the calm and seemingly at-peace Master Katsuhira, Natsu has a violent background of robbery and extortion. Born of a small-time pimp and one of his workers, his father only kept him around for a few years before sending him and his mother out into the world. They lived as nomads for many years with the mother continuing her former trade to provide for herself and a young Natsu. A fever took his mother at 12 and he settled as a street rat in a larger city. He belonged to a street gang up until his first son’s birth at 19, after which he decided to seek better circumstances. After escaping the death penalty of leaving the gang he traveled the wilderness hunting, foraging, and stealing. He came upon the monastery after wandering the countryside and found the teacher who offered him a different path in life. Natsu fell in love with his master’s daughter and the two bore a child, though both Natsu’s lover and his master passed away simultaneously from the same fever that took his mother. He dedicated himself to meditation and physical training, and was left the grounds that would become The School of Branching Paths. Now, he takes in those who ask for his guidance and attempts to put young people filled with doubt and inner struggle onto a better path as was done for him. Personality: Master Katsuhira has a warm presence. Without wearing a smile, he exudes an air that makes people seem to drop their guard, making him a wonderful teacher for those with rougher upbringings. He is not a quiet teacher and will often have intimate conversations with his students to establish a personal connection. He is typically gentle, but takes his devotions quite seriously and isn’t slow to provide a scolding. His past no longer haunts him like it did during his early days at the monastery. He has accepted the violence that rests within him long ago and treats it instead as a dormant energy, used to protect and educate that which he cares about. This is brought to life in many of his stories and lectures to students and he encourages them to find ways to accept shortcomings. Weapon: Master Katsuhira has trained in using the Bonsai Style to the point where a physical weapon would only slow him down. Through channeling the murderous energy that once ruled him, he can perform deadly blows with his bare hands, though he prefers to fight seriously as little as possible. Appearance: Fighting Style: When training with his disciples, Master Katsuhira takes a crouched stance and makes strong, deliberate attacks. There is little flexibility on display and each motion is rigid, though fluid. When serious, he stands at full height and keeps his hands poised in front of his midsection. He strikes quickly and purposefully and is seen as moving supernaturally fast by a non-experienced fighter’s eye. Defensively, he tapers around most blows and guards with his hands. His extensive training gives him the strength of many men and when provoked, his knowledge of murder offers him insight on where to perform death strikes. Personal Goal of Joining School: Natsu, before becoming Master Katsuhira, sought retribution for all the lives he took and wanted find a positive outlet for his talent of combat. Spoiler: Shu Name: Shu Gender: Male Age: 26 Background: Shu was born during Natsu’s stint as a gangster but grew up on the monastery. Monk life was imposed on Shu and his father took great care in what he was taught, though he shared tales of his past regularly as part of his teachings. Shu has been naturally rebellious as the first child, however, and has taken many trips to the city to see what he was missing. The worldly environments enticed him for a moment, but he felt more fulfilled at the school. As of now, Shu serves as a leader for the older students while continuing his own studies. Tensions with his father have become tight and the two say little outside of matters of maintaining the monastery. Personality: Shu is the more latently aggressive of the two brothers. He maintains tactful behavior as often as he can, but harbors a temper, something he knows his father is displeased by. He doesn’t say unkind words but is sensitive and easy to anger, something that has prevalence in his offensive fighting style. Shu feels as though his existence is just an idol of a sinful past to his father. A constant reminder of how unenlightened he used to be. Because of this, he disciplines himself harder than his father would and is often self-depreciative over his worldly ideals and disciples. He takes his meditating seriously, but can’t shake the sense that his energy is weighted with a darkness. Weapon: A solid wood staff about seven feet long. The staff has weighted steel rings on either end as an added offensive measure. Appearance: Fighting Style: Shu prefers distance. He has a 6 foot wingspan and uses it to his advantage through maintaining a “cushion” between him and his opponent. This is brought out in armed combat by way of his staff which he operates in wide, strong swipes rather than deliberate pokes. Shu is a heavy stepper and, consequently, can’t close space gracefully. He stutters in close quarters combat and breaks stance in an effort to keep his feet underneath him to guard against sweeps. His fighting relies on his steadily building anger to carry him through. He gains more control and focused attacks, outputting much more intense impact. Fighting this emotionally is draining however. Personal Goal of Joining School: Though he was born into the school, Shu meditates in hope to gain inner balance between his life on the monastery and the life in the city he admonishes himself for fantasizing about. Though he fears with his age, it may be too late. Spoiler: Hiro Name: Hiro Gender: Male Age: 18 Background: Hiro is Master Katsuhira’s second son, representative of the ultimate turning point in his life. Hiro was raised on the monastery completely just like Shu, but never cared for learning of the outside world. He disciplines himself through extensive training of his Bonsai Style and studying of sacred texts left behind by the former monks that lived there. Hiro cares for his father and brother deeply and holds them both in admiration, despite the shortcomings Shu has in dedication to the school along with father’s violent past. He plays an important role in the youths of the school and takes after his father in his attempts to gain personal relationships with students in his age group. He usually spends time offering guided meditations as a therapeutic way to introduce newcomers. In-between personal reflection times, he conducts sparring and combat training with his brother. Personality: Hiro is a quiet force, yet possibly too quiet. He often holds his tongue in attempts to maintain a neutral position and keep balance. He prefers to answer personal questions through studying and meditation and as a result, spends a lot of time in the nature surrounding the temple grounds. When prompted by a fellow student, Hiro is a deft conversationalist. He enjoys hearing the different ideas and points of view others have to offer. However, Hiro considers himself a blank slate, and at times wonders if the school is holding him back from creating his own path. Weapon: A pair of fluted steel nunchaku. They are usually hanging at his side or dangling from a branch as he meditates. He likes the wind-chime sound they make during a breeze. Appearance: Fighting Style: Hiro is about speed. Constantly dashing in and out, he prefers to tag his opponent and spread the damage to gradually immobilize them. Singular, powerful blows are rare with Hiro and he strikes with his nunchaku in rapid succession. Thin statured, he dances around attacks to counter his body’s poor absorbance of impact with blocks. Stamina can become a problem in an extended bout. Personal Goal of Joining School: Though born into the school, Hiro plans to find a new path different from his father or brother. He’s found a connection with nature and plans to find just how deep it runs within him.
Yeah, it would be cool if there different ones you could unlock different attacks for each different type. Like if you could swap out different Wall Flowmotion attacks for your own style.
:O This seems kinda similar to your old RP, Mystic Rising.
As Baron got a running start and drove his cane in a powerful swing into a Scare's neck, snapping it obscenely, Evan reached to the pouch on his side and removed his Visor. With no time to waste, he placed it onto his face and uttered, "Vision ON." The goggle-resembling mechanism tightened on the sides of his head and pricked his temples, receiving vitals and neural signals. With a sudden rush the visor which appeared to be a static black surface to others, gave him sight. After overcoming the initial pain and dizziness that comes with the machine starting up, Evan finally swiveled his head to survey the area. Though he had a midly accurate sense of the battle at hand already, the sight put him at a much more opportune edge. "Perform risk assessment." Evan unsheathed his sword, flourishing as he put one foot behind him and got lower to the ground, entering a ready stance. Figures and reticles marked the assortment of Scares near him and Baron while acknowledging Sasha and Rigel as neutral parties. The voice of the Visor's A.I. echoes in Evan's head: 5 and growing adjacent hostiles, vital readings faint. 1 ally, vitals normal. 2 neutrals, vitals normal. Joints and flesh of hostiles are weak and decayed. Probability of survival....66%. "Well?! How we, UNGH, looking?" Baron shouted as he took note from another survivor and delivered a finishing swing to a zombie, sending it tumbling onto the electric fence. The beast shook violently for a moment and then crumpled to the ground, burnt. Hearing a growl to his side, Baron reaches into his coat and removes one of his revolvers, turning with perfect timing and firing twice through the neck of the approaching Scare. From the crouching stance Evan springs up and slashes a Scare diagonally, slicing its head in half. With a quick turn, he butts another with the hilt of his sword, knocking it over. "66%! But I didn't account for sniper support on the Wall, we should be fine as long as we dont get overwhelmed!" He thrusts his blade through the fallen zombie's forehead to finish it and turns to prepare himself for more.
They've been leaning toward the deck system for a while now. I do miss combos though. I always wished the combat would go deeper in that aspect but every game they get some newfangled deck thing
"Do we have a job?" Evan said, drumming his fingers on the wooden counter. Baron, now finishing his third glass of the potent brown liquor, pondered a bit before replying and mumbled out, "Hm...yes. Wait..describe job..." "A job would be a mark, a contract, an active target...is there anyone we're supposed to KILL for money today?" said the companion now looking up at where he heard Baron's voice and frowning. Business had been alright at the start of the month, at least one body a week, but had tapered off for some unknown reason. Baron chalked it up to people responding to tightened security but Evan didn't know what to make of it. "ACTUALLY!" Baron began, much louder than he needed to be, "There was a client earlier, came in last night while you were out." "AAAND?" "Oh right, I turned em down. They wanted us to kill a kid, 16 years old. We're not touching that. We drop one of these old scragglers? Fine. But all it takes is for a kid to poof and we got moms crying and Neostice soldiers kicking in our doors to see why we aren't on the case." Baron said, seemingly proud of his ironically moral choice. He finished the last of what was in his glass and slammed it down, immediately throwing on his coat and heading toward the door, which confused Evan. "BUT, there is another option. When I was younger, my family and I wound skulk around the gates of towns and rob passerby, it ain't that noble but neither is snuffing some random. We might find an easy mark. I mean, who's gonna be outside Neostice gates at this hour besides travelers?" "Well, it's better than sitting here waiting on nothing, let's do it." -- After arming themselves, the duo leaves their business and strolls toward the entrance of the city, blending in with the other apatethic citizens of the city. There was an air of desperation in Neostice. Scavengers, con artists, and more lurked behind the walls which promised a false sense of safety. You avoid the Scares by coming in, but make yourself vulnerable to the human monsters. Yet, they were survivors all the same. The two engaged in idle chitchat as they walked, trading laughs every now and then. They would never use the term 'friend' but they were fond of each other. Enough so that they could cooperate peacefully for all the years they have. Approaching the gates, they heard the unmistakable sound of rounds being fired. Oddly enough, it seemed like the guards had let two people through even though the situation outside was hairy. Evan and Baron followed suit and were let through, allowing them to survey the situation outside. With almost comical timing, a Scare burst from the earth headfirst between the two almost as soon as they left the safety of the electric gate. The zombie snapped his jaws rabidly, strings of rancid saliva hanging from his teeth. Evan put his hand behind his shoulder to unsheath his blade but Baron stopped him, taking the cane he had used as walking stick and swinging it firmly against the zombie's skull. The solid wood hit hard against the fragile, decayed head and all but broke through it, killing the Scare. "Put your eyes on and assess the situation for me, would ya?" Baron said to Evan as another zombie lurched toward them.
Heavy scratching, almost pleading to be silenced emitted from the machine and the needle grinded, hitting resistance. The sound echoed off the building's quiet walls and filled the house with a dreadful noise. With a tap, more like a kick really, the needle fell into place in the groove of the LP and a jazzy tune swelled throughout the room. The sound of a soothing bassline and light, splashy drums mellowed out the previously gloomy area and as the female singer began to vocalize, in a homely alto, Baron was brought to an even mood. He sighed and took a brief but meaningful inhale from the cigarette hanging between his lips and blew out a wispy cloud of smoke as he pressed the lit butt into the ashtray. Baron's room was neat but mostly for the lack of actual things in it. A modest bed, a bookshelf with a photo and some old books, a stand by his ed which housed the ashtray, and a coat rack. There were some things in his closet but none too important. As the trumpet joined into the now almost playful jazz track, Baron pressed his foot up against the wall and began lacing his boots, whistling along to the trumpet solo he had heard so many times before. Blackness. A natural instinct kicked in to open his eyes and try to find the light, just like every other morning, but the darkness stayed. Evan stifled the sigh in his belly and instead grunted, sitting upright on his bed like a man possessed and swiveling his legs off the side. When his feet met with the cold floor it was as if a flashback came to him and the layout of the room rushed to his head. Evan slept in the main room of the building on a bed off to the side of the entrance. Though blind, he considered himself a more capable protector of the house/business than Baron who he says in a break-in situation would "Yawn, scratch himself, and go back to sleep." Almost robotically, he reached out to the counter beside his bed and grasped the now warm glass of water, gulping it all down before standing and doing his stretches. After getting limber he dropped to the floor and did an absurd number of crunches and push-ups, finishing with raising himself perpendicular to the ground on his fingertips. Quietly and slowly, he counted to 20...until a loud SCRATCH! brought him off-balance and he toppled. The previously held in sigh escaped and Evan took this cue to get dressed. He threw on the attire Baron, the self-procalimed style god, had laid out for him with military vigor and took a seat at one of the barstools in front of the main counter. After dressing himself, Baron stood up and looked into the smudged mirror on his bedroom door. He smirked at the reflection of the 6 foot tall man he was, dressed in a decent pair of black dress pants, black boots, and a worn white dress shirt with suspenders. His father's son indeed, a well dressed criminal. Continuing to let the 14 minute track play, he opened his bedroom door which led straight to the main room of Missing Link, the front business he ran with Evan. He put another cigarette to his lips and flicked his lighter, igniting the tip as he inhaled and stepped out of the bedroom. As soon as his foot made contact with the main room's wooden floor, he heard "You interrupted my regimen..." Being very cool, Baron slid his left hand into his pocket and brought the cigarette away from his mouth, exhaling a small fog. He walked around the counter and took in the room, a former small inn that the duo's families had purchased together. Being inn runners as a front didn't appeal to the two so they tweaked the idea. The other three bedrooms were empty except for one, which housed the weapons and the former wine cellar stored the bodies of their marks in wine barrels for easy disposal. When he rounded the long bar counter he reached underneath, clutching a bottle of bourbon and placing it on top. "I can't believe you even still bother with that ancient record player! The thing is more of a hassle to get running than its worth considering you only have that ONE record, you know every note of." Evan heard the familiar heavy Clink! of the bottle of alcohol, let out a short laugh and smiled at the interruption, "Smart. Sometimes the best answer-" "-is no answer at all. I know it, believe you me." Baron replied, taking down a glass from one of the cabinets above him and setting it next to the bottle. He brought down a second glass but "I'd rather not be sauced first thing in the morning." stopped him before he could pour so he put it away. "Suit yourself, I've done some of my best work buzzed, And you may as well, there sure as hell ain't any eggs and pancakes on the way."
Username: Barakon-King Full Name: Baron “Barry” Tucci Age/Appearance: 25 Background/Personality: Baron is a bastard descendant of a once notorious crime family. His mother died while he was at a young age so he was forced to live with his father’s side, constantly being disrespected and mistreated because of his “mixed” blood and appearance. This caused him to become cold and introverted, and made his life into an effort to prove himself to his family, who had been reduced to robbing groups of survivors and shantytowns. At 19 he was sent off to Neostice to establish a business for the family to operate out of with a partner. He has become close with Evan, however, he hasn’t heard anything from his family since. Weapons: -An heirloom redwood cane from his father that houses a hidden blade. -Two .38 caliber revolvers -An aged military rifle, affectionately called a “Tommy Gun” that can switch between single, burst, and full auto fire. Other: Baron and Evan operate as hitmen under the cover of a business that helps reunite split-up family members. Because even in a time where people are hungry, homeless, and in need of each other, they’ll still want each other dead. Username: Barakon-King Full Name: Evan Katsuru Age/Appearance: 22 (Without his Visor) Background/Personality: Another mixed bandit baby, Evan grew up constantly on the move with his family, learning to survive from former hitmen and Yakuza who rarely gave him room to make mistakes. Even though he was brought up as lesser than his relatives he was still taught that his half-blood made him better than others, so he remains prideful and has a bit of a biting personality. At about 16, after an attack on the camp his family had set up Evan sustained an injury to his eyes that cost him his vision. His father was fatally wounded and his dying wish was for his son to see. The family’s remaining fortune was spent on Evan’s treatment, a visor-like attachment that gave him the sight of a machine. Soon after, Evan was sent off to meet with a former-rival family’s child to start a business. The remnants of his family, still wounded and sickly since the attack were too weak to follow and he was forced to leave them to die. Weapons: -Evan’s multipurpose visor offers normal sight, zoom, thermal, and vital readings. The tool can also perform visual assessments with risk probability. -Sasayaku , a family relic. - 9mm pistol w/ silencer Other: Evan has a fondness for hunting and nature and will sometimes sneak away from business to go explore outside the city.
9/10 Album. Oh my ****ing god. I'll do a track by track soon, but if you enjoy hip hop do NOT sleep on this album.
I'd actually love to see either a love interest/female counterpart for Riku or an antagonist rival for Riku. His character has a lot of potential to me and more vessels to flesh him out with would be great.
Banned for not being sympathetic
Banned for being out of control
Banned for being 'somewhere else'
Banned for not celebrating Thanksgiving
