To those who don't follow the rules set by the majority...
Let me just encourage you not to be an idiot. The problem with democracy is that there's a risk of having too many morons populating your surroundings. Outstanding individuals like Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, and Fa Zheng were known as outcasts in this sense. I myself had a history of being one. People called me siao, but they didn't know Vincent van Gogh and H.P Lovecraft were also siao. It wasn't until years later that I discovered my love for writing. It wasn't until a few more years later that I realized it's possible to be the first G.R.R Martin of Singapore. At this point of time, I've already done half of my rewrite for Requiem of Winter Past. No hard feat since I only had to alter the wording and such. Hopefully, this will be the start instead of another case of procrastination.
If you still think you're worthless just because it's the majority and you don't belong to them, then I've got a few vids for ya to cheer you up.
Below vid is strictly for NUS only...
Enough about being special, let's move on
Come Aug 16 of 2016, Storm King's Thunder will be officially outed. While there's nothing much being stated so far (apart from the customary posts from the devs), there's pretty much enough reason to believe a 2.5K TIL dungeon will be full of AoE smackdown.
Firstly, let's speculate how many giants will appear.
By my own estimation, fire giants won't be featured here. Bryn Shander is part of Icewind Dale and they're anything but natives there. In the freak event where you get to fight them at Fangbreaker Island, please note a few things.
1. They have the ability to pull you back and stun the Nine Hells out of you. Given that certain moves are being highly spammable by the AI, this has to be a major problem.
2. They have the ability to create multiple minefields which will erupt beneath you. Once you get hit, either it's a one-shot fatality or you'll most likely go down prone.
3. I won't be surprised if they retained the defensive minefield move. Once you get hit by that, you're most definitely dead.
My advice in dealing with them is very simple. Play Caverns of Karrundax more. If not, try hunting fire giants in the Fiery Pit. At least do something to familiarize yourself with their tactics. If you can get Halamvir the Smith quest from the Builder at your guild stronghold, even better.
Now onto the hill giants. Previously, Moven the Slothful was a cakewalk. All I need to do is to stun-lock him. While I do not know whether the absence of a Feytouched enchantment will nullify this tacitc, it must be stated that his knockdown attacks will create a state of invincibility. You can try trading hits with him, but he'll win at the end of the day (i.e. he'll most likely take damag per normal, just that he'll knock you down all the same).
Next up, the reghedmen. Otherwise known as the barbarians you ended up fighting in Mod 3, should it be surprising that they might ally themselves with the giants? It's been a long time since I played Icewind Dale though, so I'll need to refresh my memory. One thing I'm pretty sure though is this: those damn shamans.
Critters wise, there are yetis and winter wolves to contend with. The yetis are reasonably easy to deal with so long they don't bring other BFFs along as well (read: even critters in Faerûn understands multiculturalism like my nation). Which is something Fangbreaker Island will definitely do (i.e. they will never walk alone). The winter wolves can be very annoying at a higher level (i.e. at Icewind Dale). The problem doesn't lie so much in their breathing cannon (albeit getting frozen really sucks once the mob proceeds to ganks you), but rather that occasional fast hitting bite which will interrupt you 100% of the time (i.e. add this bs to the breathing cannon). As if this is not enough, you'll also be given a Stone Cold Stunner. A couple of yetis may be nothing, but add a few winter wolves into the mix and you'll be in for a power trip.
Then we have other giants. In Spinward Rise, you'd most likely have dealt with cloud giants. Like the fire giants, they have a high tendency to create all sorts of minefields with the only difference being the damage type. Instead of being a cowboy, they decided to throw rocks like a bunch of civilized cavemen. More than their fiery brethren, the cloud giants actually enjoy doing the minefield spam (last time I checked, they ended up creating 1 minefield per minute or so. Utterly absurd).
At Icewind Dale, you'd most likely have dealt with frost giants. Rushdown and knockdown, this is basically their ability in a nutshell.
At the end of the day, the toughest part about Fangbreaker Island may not be the insane level of the AI (albeit this will definitely be factored in). Rather, it's the combination of the mob. Lest we forget, giants are most likely immune to CC (or at least most of them anyway).
Let's come to this guy below...
It's no longer a secret that Arylos is inspired by Archer on a level more than just one. Looks wise, I decided to try making him look like the correct Emiya. Capability-wise, it's actually provoked by my sis whenever she started streaming this show on her laptop.
Funnily enough, it also gave me some inspiration on Korey's supernatural side. Needless to say, she's now running around with her artillery plus augmentation. Kuok Mingsi, you should be proud of your brother.
As for the alter ego of Kuok Mingsi's brother, I don't think much needs to be said.
Below are the screen captures of Arylos
Above two images are Arylos in default garb.
Initially, I intended Arylos to be a looker. After all, who wouldn't want his/her alter-ego to be good looking? After using that free appearance change token (not so) recently, I realized I should have gone for a more rugged (and as a result less handsome) look. In the character creation template, there's this option for a rugged look. Come to think of it, the rugged look should have been done since day 1.
As for the hair, the powers that be dictated that wood elves do not spot grayish hair during their youth. Arylos, however, should be seen as young by elven standards. Because I'm afflicted with OCDP, I decided to find a reason behind this. Hopefully not this manner of reason though.
Formal description
Bearing the visage of a hawk and the soul of a wolf, Arylos is considered average looking by elven standards. He has grayish hair and amber eyes, features never associated with the Or-tel-quessir. At the same time, his complexion is fairer than his kindred, something which never went unnoticed by those who know him.
Always aloof, Arylos nevertheless is capable of showing respect should the occasion call for it. In combat, he has displayed both sides of the same coin. Namely the mind of a shrewd tactician and the fury of a fighter pursuing death at every turn.
Ladies in his life
Think I might have done this before, but meh. They say there's always a woman behind every successful man. While this may be true for plenty of heroes, it shouldn't be said the same for Arylos. After all, he's no Drizzt Do'Urden. Below is a recap.
Korey
Not to be confused with that other Korey in my current Neverwinter PC roster, Korey had (note the usage of the tense) always been the only woman capable of portraying the other side of Arylos. Since the incident involving a cult devoted to Shar (i.e. a lifechanging moment for Arylos where his only family member died to protect him), Korey was always there for Arry (i.e her nickname for Arylos). Ever uncomfortable in expressing himself (most likely due to trauma and a blatant lack of emotions), Korey was constantly a source of both challenge and solace for someone no different an orphan.
From that point of time onwards, I believe we all can guess what happened verily soon.
The finer details:
One problem in dishing out revenge against those who did you wrong lies in killing the wrong people on top of killing the correct ones. If you're out to deal with a mob instead of a 3 man gang, it's even more problematic. One thing which the Jang Ja-yeon scandal had taught me is the fact that justice is a form of parallel to humanity. There are times where it's incomplete (e.g. the West Memphis Three). There are times where it may have come more than a little too late (e.g. Jang Ja-yeon). Yes, justice is a must like how human beings are needed to define humanity. In the same manner, justice is flawed in a helpless way like us human beings. For Arylos, what is the definition of justice? It must be stated that as both a god and a judge, Kelemvor chooses to distance himself from the emotions defining us all. Does that mean Kelemvor has literally become just Kelemvor instead of the Kelemvor Lyonsbane from the past? While I'm still in no man's land in deciding whether Arylos should be classified under chaotic good or neutral good (definitely he's no lawful good because he doesn't think like a conventional S'porean), it must be stated that Arylos is intended to be that very coin called Kelemvor. On one side, we have Kelemvor the immortal judge. On the other end, we have Kelemvor Lyonsbane. In the sense of inner conflict, one can even say Kelemvor, Arylos, and Archer are the same concept (i.e. warring against their own sense of humanity). Dare we hope for this by the way?
A/N: To further justify my point that justice in this world is like humanity utterly flawed, I give you this.
Bellyn
She's basically a random creation in the sense that I could easily create another manner of plot-line. Originally, she didn't figure in my plans because I tend to be a helmsman rather than an architect. While I pride myself in terms of understanding strategy, there are times where I see myself as more of a tactician (read: my looks may remind others of Zhang Liang, but my brain works more like Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Fa Zheng, or Chen Ping). In a story telling sense, you can say that I think less like J.R.R Tolkien and more like G.R.R Martin. However, I'm not interestes in creating so-called an ad-hoc character for sake of ad-hoc purposes. Of course there will be moments where things will hit a give and take. Unless I can help it, that is.
The finer details:
The problem Bellyn had to face is the same challenge every counsellor is facing in reality. Namely changing the other fellow for the better. One thing I've felt very strongly about is the dire consequences caused by counsellors and therapists in the event where they're unable to communicate with those who really need help. There are times where committing suicide has got nothing to do with the lack of help. Rather, it may easily be due to a lack in the quality of help (read: either ineptitude or just plainly can't be bothered). Whenever people talk about quality control, what is exactly quality control? Is it only in the SGH where I'm working at right now? Is it only in the DDR section of SGH where the technicians have to ensure nothing will screw up for the CT-MRI hardware? Or perhaps to understand quality control, all we need to do is to truly know basic English. Whether Bellyn was able to reform Arylos in the name of love, I leave the verdict to you all (and hopefully Ed "not Miliband" Greenwood as well).
Purk
Same as Bellyn, but perhaps having a more profound impact. The conceiving of Purk as a character was during a random "daydreaming session" where my brain started wandering like that of Vincent van Gogh and H.P Lovecraft. The trickiest part initially concerning Arylos wasn't so much on his personality (trust me when I say I'm very damn good in this aspect of stort telling). Instead, it's all about justifying who his real father is.
The finer details:
When it comes to this trope, the greatest challenge is never about how/where/when the cold hard truth is revealed. Rather, it may easily be a question of justifying it. Case in point: we tend to take for granted that Darth Vader was indeed Luke Skywalker's father without taking into serious consideration on how it actually happened. When I first devised Purk as a character, the first name coming to mind has never been Park "not the president" Shin-hye (let alone the real 대통령). Instead, Purk is quintessentially a female version of Puck. If you do not know who is Puck, please go read some Shakespearean works. Yes, William Shakespeare was known to be a jerk at times (i.e. works like King Lear and Hamlet). However, there were times when he's actually in a far better mood (i.e. works like The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing). Puck, as a character, belongs to A Midsummer Night's Dream. The story actually belongs to the latter case of Shakespearean creativity. There are two directions which Purk may be going in terms of her racial identity. The first is a pixie, the other that of an aranea. While Purk is intended to be a fey, it must also be stated that the aranea reside in the Feywild as well. Due to the complicated factors surrounding Arylos' birth, identity, and perhaps even a certain hidden power (hopefully I won't have to do this), it's actually quite logical to throw an aranea into the mix. I still remember a female doctor in the SGH (disclaimer: not that I know her in any way or form). One thing which caught my attention was the fact that she's the first (so far that is) female doctor to do herself a gothic look. However, it must also be stated that she chose a deep red lipstick colour instead of something much darker (after all, she's a doctor above everything else during work). Due to her petite build, however, her freedom of choice also made look quite a bit like Rachel Alucard of the BlazBlue series (read: a gothic loli despite not being truly one). This may be where I'll be taking Purk in terms of looks at the very least. Unless of course I choose not to use the aranea idea on her.
A/N: In order to prevent myself from kenna buah by my future girlfriend's family members and BFFs, let me say that personal creativity shouldn't be seen as something quite literally personal.
Above song is merely an expression of Arylos' tactical mastery. That's all. Period.
From that point of time onwards, I believe we all can guess what happened verily soon.
The finer details:
One problem in dishing out revenge against those who did you wrong lies in killing the wrong people on top of killing the correct ones. If you're out to deal with a mob instead of a 3 man gang, it's even more problematic. One thing which the Jang Ja-yeon scandal had taught me is the fact that justice is a form of parallel to humanity. There are times where it's incomplete (e.g. the West Memphis Three). There are times where it may have come more than a little too late (e.g. Jang Ja-yeon). Yes, justice is a must like how human beings are needed to define humanity. In the same manner, justice is flawed in a helpless way like us human beings. For Arylos, what is the definition of justice? It must be stated that as both a god and a judge, Kelemvor chooses to distance himself from the emotions defining us all. Does that mean Kelemvor has literally become just Kelemvor instead of the Kelemvor Lyonsbane from the past? While I'm still in no man's land in deciding whether Arylos should be classified under chaotic good or neutral good (definitely he's no lawful good because he doesn't think like a conventional S'porean), it must be stated that Arylos is intended to be that very coin called Kelemvor. On one side, we have Kelemvor the immortal judge. On the other end, we have Kelemvor Lyonsbane. In the sense of inner conflict, one can even say Kelemvor, Arylos, and Archer are the same concept (i.e. warring against their own sense of humanity). Dare we hope for this by the way?
A/N: To further justify my point that justice in this world is like humanity utterly flawed, I give you this.
Bellyn
She's basically a random creation in the sense that I could easily create another manner of plot-line. Originally, she didn't figure in my plans because I tend to be a helmsman rather than an architect. While I pride myself in terms of understanding strategy, there are times where I see myself as more of a tactician (read: my looks may remind others of Zhang Liang, but my brain works more like Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Fa Zheng, or Chen Ping). In a story telling sense, you can say that I think less like J.R.R Tolkien and more like G.R.R Martin. However, I'm not interestes in creating so-called an ad-hoc character for sake of ad-hoc purposes. Of course there will be moments where things will hit a give and take. Unless I can help it, that is.
The finer details:
The problem Bellyn had to face is the same challenge every counsellor is facing in reality. Namely changing the other fellow for the better. One thing I've felt very strongly about is the dire consequences caused by counsellors and therapists in the event where they're unable to communicate with those who really need help. There are times where committing suicide has got nothing to do with the lack of help. Rather, it may easily be due to a lack in the quality of help (read: either ineptitude or just plainly can't be bothered). Whenever people talk about quality control, what is exactly quality control? Is it only in the SGH where I'm working at right now? Is it only in the DDR section of SGH where the technicians have to ensure nothing will screw up for the CT-MRI hardware? Or perhaps to understand quality control, all we need to do is to truly know basic English. Whether Bellyn was able to reform Arylos in the name of love, I leave the verdict to you all (and hopefully Ed "not Miliband" Greenwood as well).
Purk
Same as Bellyn, but perhaps having a more profound impact. The conceiving of Purk as a character was during a random "daydreaming session" where my brain started wandering like that of Vincent van Gogh and H.P Lovecraft. The trickiest part initially concerning Arylos wasn't so much on his personality (trust me when I say I'm very damn good in this aspect of stort telling). Instead, it's all about justifying who his real father is.
The finer details:
When it comes to this trope, the greatest challenge is never about how/where/when the cold hard truth is revealed. Rather, it may easily be a question of justifying it. Case in point: we tend to take for granted that Darth Vader was indeed Luke Skywalker's father without taking into serious consideration on how it actually happened. When I first devised Purk as a character, the first name coming to mind has never been Park "not the president" Shin-hye (let alone the real 대통령). Instead, Purk is quintessentially a female version of Puck. If you do not know who is Puck, please go read some Shakespearean works. Yes, William Shakespeare was known to be a jerk at times (i.e. works like King Lear and Hamlet). However, there were times when he's actually in a far better mood (i.e. works like The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing). Puck, as a character, belongs to A Midsummer Night's Dream. The story actually belongs to the latter case of Shakespearean creativity. There are two directions which Purk may be going in terms of her racial identity. The first is a pixie, the other that of an aranea. While Purk is intended to be a fey, it must also be stated that the aranea reside in the Feywild as well. Due to the complicated factors surrounding Arylos' birth, identity, and perhaps even a certain hidden power (hopefully I won't have to do this), it's actually quite logical to throw an aranea into the mix. I still remember a female doctor in the SGH (disclaimer: not that I know her in any way or form). One thing which caught my attention was the fact that she's the first (so far that is) female doctor to do herself a gothic look. However, it must also be stated that she chose a deep red lipstick colour instead of something much darker (after all, she's a doctor above everything else during work). Due to her petite build, however, her freedom of choice also made look quite a bit like Rachel Alucard of the BlazBlue series (read: a gothic loli despite not being truly one). This may be where I'll be taking Purk in terms of looks at the very least. Unless of course I choose not to use the aranea idea on her.
A/N: In order to prevent myself from kenna buah by my future girlfriend's family members and BFFs, let me say that personal creativity shouldn't be seen as something quite literally personal.
Above song is merely an expression of Arylos' tactical mastery. That's all. Period.
No comments:
Post a Comment