Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Okay,

I will admit that it said "Don't click" but I did anyway. It's funny. BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T. CLICK. ON. IT.

DO NOT CLICK THIS!!!!!


I saw this and just had to link to it. So I did. So there.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wow.

Tomorrow is chirstmas. Wow. Where'd the year go, anyway? I mean, wow. The year went by so fast. We got the vette and abby. We got a new cat. I turned 12. Mom and dad turned x and x-3. I enjoyed the year, even though it went by so fast. I wrote a novel. I only thought it was so-so. I got and finished luminous arc 2. Well, actually, to be fair, I got it and played through the althea ending... and now I need to beat the fatima ending and finish with 100%.

I started playing the cello, also.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Yay!

Yesterday I beat luminous arc 2. But, it makes me kind of sad because of the way I beat the final boss.

I used items that hit for 1000 points of damage each time I use them on it. I won, but it made me feel empty, like I was cheating. The boss recovered 350 health a turn, and I could not deal enough damage to negate that.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Yay!

Today is game night day.

About a week ago now, Mom tricked me. She showed me something called chore wars, and told me that I gain experiance by doing chores. So, I said I did the laundry. She asked me if I had put the load of laundry into the washer yet. I was like "WHAT!?!" She told me you do chores in chore wars, and then do them in real life. I was angry. At one point I yelled "You tricked me!" And she said, proudly, "Yep."

Monday, December 1, 2008

*yawn*

Gah mornin. I'm Tired.

But, last night, I made it to 35k in nano. But, Nano is now over. Oh well. I am proud of what I did. So, now I go do math.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Well,

Today, I am going to write a review of my newest game... And most likely the last new one until Christmas. Luminous arc 2.

Okay, first things first. I have not yet beaten the game. I have only cleared chapter 10. Out of at least 30.

Continuing to the review, then.

Luminous arc 2 is the second in a trilogy of three turn-based stratagy rpgs. The series in itself is very heavily manga and anime inspired. For example, the opening sequences for both games have key characters in animation like in an anime, and the opening is always in japanese.

The characters themselves are very much anime-style, just in their looks, and the heroine, Althea, is, in personality, identical to the typical japanese tsunadere character type.

The gameplay is much, much improved over the previous one, with no levels that have a fluctuating difficulty level. That is, on one level you are breezing through, on the next you barely survive, which is what happened in the first game. In number two, that is nonexistant, with each level being well-balanced, and while the second game is a good bit harder than the first, the first was easy anyway, and you can now train in battles that are called "missions", which give you nice rewards, not to mention experiance.

Also, we have new gameplay mechanics, for example, the drive system is improved, and you now have the engagement system as well, but only the main character, Roland, can use the system. Also, the menus are much smoother now.

In the first game, the drive system involved gaining things called "Flash points" which could then be used for flash drives. Each character had three unique flash drives, and certain pairs of characters can learn "Synergy"s, where if, A, all the characters needed are within 3 squares of each other, and, B, they each have 3 drive points. The synergies were useless. They were not as powerful as a level 3 flash drive, which you could use for half the total flash points, minumum.

In the second game, however, flash points are now "drive points" which have a much better use. Now, not only do you have each character's three unique flash drives, you can also increase the power of your skills, called "arts", which usually amounts to an extra 25% damage of the original damage for every 100 drive points. However, a level 1 flash drive with a back attack is better than a character's level 1 skill with a back attack AND 300 drive points backing it. Much more significant of a difference. You can have a maximum of 300 drive points.

The engagement system, however, is much, MUCH weirder than anything you have seen in any other game of this genre. At least, I think it is. So, it starts off simple. At some point in the story, all of the 6 witches (All of them pretty, and young, not warty old ladies...) give something called a "Unity ring" to the main character, roland, the only one who can use this feature. When you go into battle with a witch that you have the unity ring for, (This is important, because if you don't, you cannot use her unity ring.) you can select her element in the engagment menu, found on the location on roland's menu that would normally be saved for a flash drive. You select the element that you want and... it brings up a picture of the witch in a wedding dress. Then, the color of roland's armor changes to match the color of the witch's element, he gains access to ALL of the arts that that witch has learned so far, one of his stats increases by 30 points, and he gains flash drives of that element.

Basically, he becomes a powerhouse. This feature alone makes roland a great character. As expected, the stat that is incresed is different depending on whom you use the feature for. With fire, it is attack. With light, it is tech. With water, it is res. In actuality, these moves, when you use them, and what you use, can be a major turning point for how the battle is played out.

Each character not only has their own skill set, but their own type of weapon as well, ranging from the common, like a sword and spear, to the unique, a feather wand and an ice whip, to the downright weird,
like a whisk and a rolling pin.

Of all the characters, one of my favorites is Josie, a talking cat who ends every other sentance with meow, but insists that he is not a cat. I like him because he calls his master fatimeow, and he yells MEOWCH! sometimes when you hurt him.

The game features voice acting that is much better than in the first.

However, my biggest gripes are the borrowed personalties between characters in both games (Kaph is identical to nikolai, both in personality and lack of restraint, and battle styles, and Rina is just like Cecille in personality and theo in skill set.) and the reused sprites and palatte swaps between both games. In fact, Fatima's sprite is very similar to that of vannessa. They have the same wider look than the other sprites.

All in all, I give it this:

Graphics: 8/10: 1 point docked for reused sprites. 1 point docked for GBA graphics.

Gameplay: 10/10: Well balanced battles, unique character play styles and lapis adding extra customization, you have a lot to get out of this game, even if it is only worth about 1-2 playthroughs.

Story: 10/10: Humorous, but it is definitly teen humor, and serious enough. Has a skip button, but why would you want that unless you are a crazy who does not value the storytelling value of video games. (I'm looking at you, Chris!)

Navigation (How easy is it to navigate): 9/10: 1 point docked because I like to have my save button and my equip screens in the same location, but very fluent and easy navigation.

Sequal (How much it has improved over the previous game, only applies to sequals, and does not count for rating) Number two has basically improved in every aspect, exept if you like easy games, in which case you will not like the difficulty.

Overall: 9/10. If you want it, get it. But get it fast, because it has a book called luminous art with it that makes it a little hard to find. Get it fast. It is awesome. And, look foreward to the next game. When number 3 comes out, get it!

And that concludes my review.

Monday, November 24, 2008

YAY!

Today I got my NaNo halfway gift. It was luminous arc 2. Cool thing this week: We are not leaving the house for a full day ONCE this week. Dad and I are having a day together on wednesday, we will go to amber and drive the vette and hopefully go to a place for go-carts. I'm 12 now, so I can drive them.

I plan on finishing my novel up to 50k, but that is going to be tricky. I need to write 20k in six days.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Oh. Dang.

Today, I got up at like 10:00. Shoot.

I hit 30k words last night at the write-in. Yay! I decided to write the climax. I'm weird that way.

Also, I think I am going to revise my review for lego star wars: the complete saga.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Arrrrrrgh!

I forgot yesterday's post. Nooooooooooo!! Ahhhhhh! The world ends with me! Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Oops.

It doesn't help that I got up late yesterday.

Dad and I were going to go to Amber, my favorite place to eat indian after he went to the dentist, but they had to numb Dad's mouth, and that would mean that he could not eat because he might eat his tounge, so we had to go home. Oh well. Both Dad and Mom said that we will go to amber sometime next week. YAY!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

well, yay.

Today, I hit 25k in nano. Now I have to hit 50k. Sigh. Oh well. I'll make it.

At dinner, we decided to have skirt steak instead of turcky for thanksgiving. Yay!!

On the weekend, I shall post a review of one of my games that I've been playing... Disgaea ds. After that, I will also be posting a review of luminous arc. That shall complete my weekend.

I even have next week off.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Ha, ha!

Ha, ha! take that, mom!

I say this because my word count in NaNo is a lot higher than mom's. So much so, in fact, that when we went to the halfway part yesterday, part of her nametag said: Getting whooped by a twelve year old.

I laughed when I saw it. Most people did, too. They had brownies.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Well,

So, if you notice, I now have two blogs. The second one is invite only, and I have to choose who to invite. Now, here's the problem. I want to invite you guys, chris and matthew, but I have none of your emails. I'm going to be posting the first part to my novel there, but I do not want it to be visible to everyone. And therein lies the problem.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

There.

Alright, Chris. I have found a picture for joshua. I am now using it. I even changed my name to be his. I guess this makes me a nerd or otaku, huh? Oh well. I don't care.

Also, today is picture day, which means that I must leave the darkness and enter the light. Noooo!! Now I am going to have to leave and go into the sunlight.

Post comments if you want to know what an otaku is.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

November

Well, it's about halfway through november. AHHHHHH! I have three days to get to 25k from 17k. AHHHHH! I am in the NaNoWriMo week two- the week that I panic. What's worse, week three is even worse.

Another thing about november: Picture day. Tomorrow is picture day on park day, and I have to go.

Finally, I am going to finish off with a link to a really cool game, if you are a nerdy type.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/468517

Monday, November 10, 2008

YAY!

I finally beat the chapter that I was stuck on in disgaea DS!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

YES!

YES! YES! OH THANK THE GODS YES!

As of about 10 minutes ago, Obama was declared president of the U.S.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Prop 2.

Vote no on Prop. 2

Because chickens don't care

This is a kind of election-y joke that I thought of.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Yes!

Today is hallowe'en, and my costume still fits, even better than it fit last year. I'm just going to go up the street to the whitch's house, though. I, and everyone within a 10-mile radius, go to that house every year. It is their favorite holiday, and people actually LINE UP to see them.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Crud.

Two days left until NaNoWriMo, and I am still not quite done with my preparations.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Sooo...

Today was going to be another yearbook staff meeting, but it got postponed to november 7.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

I don't get it.

Why would anyone want to skip the story in games with great stories? I just do not get it.

Well,

I am going to get braces again. Today is the day the bands get put on, and then I am going to Joy Luck Place with Mom, and then we are going home to my school work.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Yaaaaaaaay!!!

Today, Mom, Dad, and I are running like a bat out of heck AWAY from pumkin festival. In other words, we're going on vacation. Now let me celebrate for a sec.

we're going on vacation! going on vacation! we're go-go-go-going on vacation!

Done. Anyway, so, we are leaving around 11:00 am, and then we are going on ADVENTURE. We will be renting a house, and it even has... dun dun dahh dun... a pool and hot tub! And I will hopefully be getting my own room. With my stuffed animal, of course. We will come home on Monday, and Mom is making me take my school work. IT'S A VACATION, MOM! YOU DO NOT BRING YOUR SCHOOL WORK! *ahem* anyway, I am hoping to have a great time.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Sweetness

I just beat the world ends with you. Now chris, I have a psyche set for you, not pin set, psyche set. When you find an upgrade to one of these psyches, and you have the money, TAKE IT. Always keep this on your mind, it is a really great group of moves and I beat the game with them.

When you have two maximum pins in your deck: Shockwave and cure drink.
When you have three max: Shockwave, cure drink, and force rounds.
When you have four max: Shockwave, cure drink, force rounds, and entanglement.
When you have five max: Shockwave, cure drink, force rounds, entanglement, spark core
I've haven't gotten up to six max yet, so no updates.
I know what the strongest deck is, but I only have access to two out of the six pins used.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

VGGS episode 2

I know it is too early, and it has not been a week yet, but Mom made me write a review on lego star wars: the complete saga, because I talked about it's annoyances. Let the review begin.

P.S. I am trying a new style, so PLEASE comment on what you like and dislike about this style of review.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Okay, let us start with the good:

you can play as a jedi, you can play as any of your favorite Star Wars characters, and it has some pretty clever puzzles.

oh, and tons of stuff to collect.

Good/bad (depending how much you like easy games)

veeery easy, no significant cost of death, and is his hands are big enough and his fingers are strong enough, Nico could do it. (then again, this is the 2 and a half year old who plays guitar hero and gets points.)

Bad:

At one point, I fell through a wall, glitchy frame rate, glitchy space levels, and the wookies (who are armed with crossbows with arrows in them) shoot lasers out of the CROSSBOWS.

Levels get repetitive, and Jar Jar Binks is in the game.

Cruel:

you play a level, and you find the red power brick of that level. "OH BOY!!" you say. you grab the power brick and complete the level. you look around, and you realize that you do not have the extra yet. You go to the extras shop, and you see that you can now buy it for 100,000 studs. finding it unlocks the privlage of being able to buy the brick to unlock it. that's just mean.

overall:

the bad faar outweighs the good, so the only real reason to buy it is if you want to play as a jedi in lego form.

stars: 3.5

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Okay, second post and other news.

Well, first off, second post. NOW that that is taken care of, it is time for the one thing that no one cares about, because it did not exist until just now... I present to you... IAN'S VIDEO GAME GAME SHOW!! Thats right, once a week I will review one game from my collection, until I run out of ones to review. NOW, drum roll please... todays video game game show game is (this is nooot confusing)...
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU!

Time for review and description:

The world ends with you is a hip, trendy game that takes place in modern day Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan, where each of the games locations have their own ranking for what brands are trendy. Wear the right pins (magical things in the shape of a circle that give you "psyche" magical abilities) from the right brand and you can get a significant attack boost... up to DOUBLE attack. However, the opposite is true for the least popular brands... for the worst brand, your attack can be HALVED.

Each brand has it's own specialties for their stuff. The pins that pavo real sells, for example, deal no damage, but inflict bad statuses on your opponents. Meanwhile, the stuff that jupiter of the monkey (called J of the M for short) are mostly melee attacks that I really, really like. And then Natural Puppy, another brand, specializes in ranged pins. My two favorites from Natural puppy, lovely beam, which shoots projectiles at a blank space, and pamper me tether, which creates chains that deal damage, are very useful. there are plenty of pins and variety, and you should always try to experiment with new pins, because there are a lot of pins that do not sound useful until you use them, and then you realize just how useful there are. Try to experiment, you never know what you may like.

If that sounds hard to do, you'll not like the next part. Highly skilled wewy players control BOTH characters, one on each screen. there are three partner characters, and one main characters. Neku, the main character, is a seperated 15 year old teenager who for a third of the game knows nothing about himself but his name. Shiki, the fist partner, is a hip and trendy young 15 year old girl. Joshua is an obnoxious snob, and neku's second partner. Beat, nekus's third and final partner, is the complete opposite of neku.

The music of the game is awesome, and the characters are very well thought through and developed. Best of all, the game actually has... dun da da dun... AN EXCELLENT PLOT, featuring character development and loads of twists.

              *****SPOILER ALERT******

Each member of the reaper's game, the game in which WEWY takes place, with the exeption of joshua, is actually dead, and they each have their own entry fee. Yes, joshua is alive, and yes, that gives him extremely cool powers. (but only in plot scenes >.<>

              ********SPOILERS END*****

The graphics are pretty impressive, and the character design and art styles are unique, too.

All in all, this game is great, but a fair warning for those of you strange, strange people who never read the stories: this game has A LOT of text, and no way to skip it.

What gives? Me, and my Video Game Game Show. Ratings, that is.

Audio: 10 Notes: there are only a few songs without audio, and all of the songs with audio can be in either japanese or english.

Plot: 10 Notes: you will really, really become attached to these characters.

Collectibles: 10 Notes: Between the pins and the regular items, treasure hunters and people seeking a perfect file will have a lot to chew on.

Battle system: 10 Notes: I have been playing this game for a while, and mostly leave the top screen to the auto.

Overall score: 40/40.

WOWY is an awesome game, and everyone who has the reactions should try it.

***END OF REVIEW***

What do you all think of everything? Feel free to comment if you want to.

Friday, October 3, 2008

first post.

Okay, first off. This is not a blog. I hate the term blog, so I'm going to use blag. Like, from xkcd and the Xkcd blag. I just do not like how "blog" sounds. I like blag. It is also kind of unique.

Now that that's taken care of, secondly. The reason this is called "a young writers's blog and my username is The young writer is because I've decided not to go with my usual. I wasn't going to go with 'flameian' or 'lavadefender' or even 'dra'ian', because I've used all of those before. I wanted something creative.

Thirdly, I have at least two, possibly more, friends on blogspot. If you want my other blog, please go here.

Fourth and final, why 'a young writer's blag'? Well, because that was what I wanted to use. It made me use something different. To be fair, I am in a program called NaNoWriMo, which is a program where you have to write a novel in the 30 days of november. Right now, I am in preparatoins for NaNo. Oh, and Dra'Ian is one of my main characters.

Oh, and I will be using my livejournal blag, too. this one maybe used more often, though.