FF Class Change

Sorting #27

the_404_error — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:55:14 GMT

Our newest member is of team:

Soldier:
cyanide_dripp

Black Mages: 20 points
naliarenegade 10
panda3035 10

Monks: 10 points
licoricealsorts 10

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10
rayiroth 10

White Mages: 30 points
rissy_james 10
seren_bach 10
Yin (breyzyyin) 10

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Sorting #26

the_404_error — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 18:51:55 GMT

Everyone please welcome the first new member of this game, of team...

Thief:
tea_42

Black Mages: 30 points
etsplanations 10 points
sunflower_mynah 10 points
the_404_error 10 points

Monks: 70 points
licoricealsorts 70 points

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10 points
rayiroth 10 points

Thieves: 20 points
lady_supernova 10 points
toffeethesnob 10 points

White Mages: 30 points
rissy_james 10 points
seren_bach 10 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 10 points

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Application

tea_42 — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:28:47 GMT

The Basics:

Name: CameoAmalthea aka Tea_42

Age: 23

Location: Arizona

Occupation: Law Student

How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Licoriceallsorts said I should join because it’s fun

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)

I’m very charismatic/persuasive. When I asked my husband what he thought my best traits were the first thing he said was persuasive. I’m good at making an argument or selling a point. I often get other people to go along with what I want, although I try not to be selfish or manipulative in doing so. I do things like convince a indoor type to come to Disneyland with me because I think they should have more fun or outline the benefits of moving out of your parents house if you’re miserable there, even offering to let you live with me. (Which is how an online friend is now my roommate). In customer service situations people seem to go out of their way to accommodate me. My friends have nicknamed me Hypnotoad.

I’m very optimistic. The story of person who can be seen singing to themselves and practically dancing. (I’ve been accused of prancing or strutting rather than walking). I was sky when I was younger, but even without knowing me people would note that I’m ‘always smiling’.

I don’t mind taking charge and helping others. I tend to think about what I can do to help others and that has led to taking on some leadership positions. I like people, and can direct them to meet the needs of the group. More often than not I’m put in leadership positions by friends because they know I’ll take care of things. My general mind set is ‘how can I take care of you and meet everyone’s needs’. My friends love me for my generosity, they know I’ll look out for them and that they can turn to me. I like giving guidance and more than one friend has thanked me for changing their life for the better.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.

Sometimes I am unintentionally manipulative. Some people don’t like to say no, and those people might feel my desire to persuade them to do things is me forcing them to do things. It’s a problem on both sides. I don’t like asking for things because I don’t want people to feel I’m using them, so rather than asking I try to convince people to do things so that when they say yes it’s because they want to not because I ask them. The downside is there’s a fine line between convincing and manipulating. I’m very honest (to the point of tactless bluntness in fact) so I don’t try to trick people, I give them the facts, but telling someone why they should do something rather than asking them isn’t the most straight forward way to go about things. Also, a lot of people have the opposite habit as me where they don’t like to say no so they instead try to persuade me as to why it’s not a good idea, which can be bad if I don’t get that what they mean is no, because then my continued efforts to convince them really come off as pushy.

I worry about everyone else’s happiness. Like for instance I hate the idea that people might say yes to me when they don’t want to because I don’t want to take advantage of anyone. I also tend to put other people’s needs before my own, like lending all the money I had to live on for the summer out to friends because they needed it and I technically had the money to help, so what I now have to live on credit cards I can do that, right? The thing is if you spend all your time worrying about what others think of you or what you’ve done to upset them, it can drive you crazy. I’m the sort of person where someone could stab me and I’d ask them what I’d done to upset them so much before apologizing for making such a mess by bleeding. I constantly worry that I’m bothering people, to the point of apologizing constantly or asking if it’s ok to say send a friend a PM because I’m terrified I might be a bother. I can never just say things, I have to give reasons as if to justify myself because I’m so worried about being misunderstood.

I like control, which can lead to bossiness/being controlling. My life has been out of my control in big ways, my mother falling into drug addiction and being out of control her self, effectively losing my home and parent because of that, being passed around to different relatives during my high school years then being sent out on my own after high school gradation. The ground under my feet has never seemed stable and as a result I grew to crave control. Although I’m fine following instructions, bit of a teacher’s pet really, when no one else is taking a clear lead, I will step up to make sure I have my affairs in orders and sometimes assume other people will just go along with me. I have a bad habit of phrasing requests like orders. Although, the other part of that is I’m very blunt, so might not take time to ask nicely, and just voice my plans out loud, including orders to other people. Of course, if they don’t want to go along with it all they have to do is say so, I take no for an answer and will immediately shift focus to working with them to meet their needs as well…but people still resent being told what to do in the first place.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] Extroverted

Explain:

It’s complicated, I’m definitely an extrovert but I’m also fine with being alone and can even come off as shy. I’m an extrovert in that I love people, being out in a crowd or the center of my group of friends. A simple night out can turn into a part because I’ll include everyone, the more the merrier. When it comes to attention, I love raising my hand in class or giving a speech. I can hold the attention of a room and thrive on that. On the other hand, I like reading, writing, and studying. I’m perfectly fine hiding myself away in the library during lunch to study rather than socialize or eat. I’m also very aloof when I’m not comfortable with someone, so people might mistake this for being cold, distant, or even snobby, but really I’m more comfortable being withdrawn until I know someone likes me. Then the quietness goes away and I can talk your ear off with my tendency to monologue at people.

Cheerful [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Gloomy

Explain:

Cheerful, definitely cheerful, everyone has their down moments especially with stress , but generally I’m a ball of light.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Impulsive

Explain:

Reserved, but I like spontaneity? I’m a highly analytical person, and tend not to act until I’ve not only thought something through but could give a presentation on why I’m doing something and why it’s a good idea. (Which I often do, see above mentioned need to justify myself). No one who thinks as much as I do can be truly impulsive. On the other hand the idea of leaping without taking the time to look holds a certain appeal, I’m definitely an instigator of going out and doing things…but generally with some forethought.

Energetic [] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Calm

Explain:

Energetic, or maybe more enthusiastic than anything: isn’t life exciting, let me talk a mile a minute about how exciting life is right now. That said, I am a library girl and enjoy activities that involve a lot of sitting still. Well, sitting still interrupted by the occasional pacing.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling

Explain:

Why does this have to be a dichotomy? Are emotions purely irrational? I suppose I’m an emotional/feeling person who uses logical/thinking as a shield. I don’t like things beyond my control, emotions are not always under your control, and so I much prefer things I can explain, and prove. That said, I’m soft hearted, I cry during movies, I’ve rescued baby birds from storm drains, I’m a bleeding heart. However, does a bleeding heart and tear filled eyes preclude an analytical mind?

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] Forgiving

Explain:

Forgiving. You remember earlier when I said you could stab me and I’d feel terribly guilty about that. If you’d still be friends with me after that I would forgive you, there’s nothing to forgive really, I’m sure we both made mistakes. I just want you to forgive me, and it makes me feel so good that you’d still want to be my friend, how can I not forgive you?

I also, really don’t get angry in the first place most of the time. Annoyed or hurt, but not angry. The only exception to that is if you do something to hurt someone I care about. I am VERY protective of my friends and won’t forgive you hurting someone I care about very easily.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.

Honestly, I can do any of the above. I can get things done on my own and it can be easier to work alone because you’re only responsible for you. That said, I like people and tend to work on teams. I usually end up put in charge because I’m eager to speak up and set goals. I can be very catalytic where I’ll have an idea and am willing to be the one to lead the charge to see it happen. I have this FFVII cosplay group. My Reno cosplayer started it saying wouldn’t it be cool to have an FFVII cosplay group, I told him sure if you want a Rufus Shinra cosplayer I’ll join but I’m very busy so don’t expect me to be in charge. It turned out he wasn’t so good at pulling a cosplay group together and I was much better at working with people so guess who everyone wanted in charge?

Honestly, I never really want to be in charge so much as other people let me be in charge, but I guess I’m doing it naturally anyway. Basically, if there’s a leader I’m happy to follow, if there’s a void in power and the team needs a captain, all right then team what can I do to help you.

It also helps that I’m better at directing than legwork, my only real skill is recognizing talent in other people and getting them to do things…

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

Person closest to me, or anyone close to me really, I have a lot of people I love and they’re everything to me. Even if it’s not the right thing to do, when it comes to the people I care about I’m on their side before anyone else and I’ll protect them first.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

I’ll comfort them, but I’ll do so honestly. I’m not going to nod and tell them commiserate, I’ll tell them what I think of the situation. Even if it means defending my best friend’s ex-girlfriend and sending him into a moment of pure rage, it’s better he gets his feelings out anyway. I try to help more than simply console. I’ll offer suggestions as how to fix the problem where it’s fixable or give my honest opinion otherwise. However, they know if they ever need help I’m there for them. When they come back two days later with the same problem, or months later as the case my be I’ll still hear it out all over again because being a friend means being there.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?

Writing, reading, anything imaginative or creative. I also love discussion so expect to find me on online forums. I also like getting out and spending time with people. Cosplay is my favorite hobby because it combines creativity with hanging out with people.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.

If I could make it as a best selling author I’d love that job. To get to create and write something that makes people happy would be awesome. The idea of being a motivational speaker is also appealing, I want to inspire others, help them, and I love talking. I’m in law school now because I like the idea that a law degree will allow me to use my strengths (reading, writing, analysis, and speaking) to help other people.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.

FFVII Before Crisis: Because I’m a hipster and like games no one has ever heard of…actually no, the real reason is that I like the moral questions the game brings up because the player character, Turks, aren’t exactly the good guys. It also helps that Rufus and the Turks are my favorite characters from the other games.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: Because apparently I have a thing for prequel games…the real reason is because I loved Aqua’s character and getting to play KH from a girl’s perspective. I like KH in general, but Sora’s not as interesting and being a girl I never got the whole self-insert fantasy feeling from it the way I did with Aqua trying on the slipper to stall for time in Cinderella’s world. It was a real ‘hey, I could do that moment, she could be me’ moment.

FFVII: Obviously, if I’m obsessed with a prequel game released on cell phones in Japan only I must actually like FFVII itself. I like that it’s the first FF game to be sort of modern and have modern ideas. The villain isn’t just a bad guy; it’s the evil corporation that made that bad guy.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:

Rufus Shinra: Because he’s very complex, worthy of hatred at times and complete love at others. He’s brilliant, clever, alluring, and the kind of person who could lose everything and lay there at his lowest point laughing about it. He’s ruthlessly pragmatic, but never sadistic or disrespectful (he gets very upset when another character refers to the Turks as ‘lap dogs’ because you don’t refer to people like that). He’s just an interesting sort of anti-hero. It would be so easy for him to be a stereotypical villain, but he has the potential to save the day if it suites him. He pretty awesome.

Aqua: I love Kingdom Hearts but it does have a problem with it’s female characters being damsels in distress, but Aqua rescues the boys. Even telling Zack Fair to stay out of a fight because she doesn’t want him to get hurt, she’ll handle it. She looks after her friends, even though trying to tell them what to do doesn’t quite work out, you can see she cares. She’s a hardworking, an ace student, a brilliant magic user, beautiful and willing to suffer a fate worse than death to save the people she cares about.

Roxas: When you meet him, you learn he doesn’t really exist or isn’t supposed to exist. All he wants is to have his home and be with his friends, but he has to give that up. I guess I can relate to how that feels. Roxas accepts his fate and is endlessly self-sacrificing. Knowing him changed Axel from a villain willing to murder his own teammates to achieve his ends to someone willing to die to save the person he cared about most.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:

All of the above to some extent, I think relating to a character is part of the appeal. I also cosplay all those characters and I think part of cosplay is putting yourself in the character and it’s easier if they’re someone you can relate to some level. However, there are others I relate to more so here’s my top 3.

Nunchaku (Male) Before Crisis: I told you I was a hipster. In case you haven’t heard of him, he’s a happy, optimistic person who joins the Turks because he admires them. I relate to his attitude, being a bubbly happy person who isn’t going to let the bad things in life stop me from being happy just to be alive. Also I relate to the desire to discover where you belong in life and going for something because you like the idea of it. That’s basically why I’m in law school now, and I’m not sure if I made the right choice. I liked the idea of being a lawyer and thought I could do some good, now it’s too late to back out but hey I’m learning and I’m sure it’ll work out.

Knives (Female): Again with the Before Crisis characters. Knives is summed up as someone who lost her parents, faced the harshness of reality and came out of it as a very straight forward person who still manages to be more cheerful than grim. I relate to learning how hard life can be at a young age and to feeling alone in the world. I’m also a straightforward person, and definitely cheerful. I relate her down to the occasional clumsiness.

Aqua: Everything about her. I tend to be very mothering towards my friends because I want what’s best for them. I’m willing to sacrifice what’s best for myself in order to help them without a moment’s hesitation. At the same time I can come off as lecturing and controlling. Aqua’s also a lot of the things I want to be, she so strong, brave, powerful, and so beautiful.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:

I’m actually not much of a gamer. (I hope that’s not a bad thing, I like Final Fantasy, but I’m in it for the plot). Um…Dirge of Cerberus, I watched my husband play and felt a bit motion sick honestly from the camera angles, and then plot line felt a bit…uh convoluted?

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:

Cloud: Yes, at the beginning of the game he’s been traumatized, but that still doesn’t excuse a willingness to join a terrorist organization and participate in an attack which leaves hundreds dead when you don’t care at all about what AVALANCHE is fighting for or anything else. Killing happens, but when you don’t even know what your fighting for and are just doing it? (I guess I don’t like mercenaries) He’s also such a jerk at the beginning of the game. He’s better by the end, sure, but he’s still overly stoic to the point you don’t really get how he feels…I guess I don’t understand introverts as much so I don’t see behind his mask of not caring as readily. I don’t really share any personality traits with Cloud, in contrast to someone like Rufus who despite not being the hero or obviously likeable is relatable to me in some ways…lets just say sometimes I think fanfic writers use things I’ve said as dialogue for Rufus lol.

Yuffie: She stole my materia. I was going to forgive her, I felt so sympathetic, and then she locked me in a steel cage and ran off! I mean, maybe I don’t exactly dislike her as dislike what she did, or thieves in general.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):

Odin: It does a lot of damage and when you get it, it’s like the most awesome thing you’ve seen so far…also six legged pony!

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):

Um…honestly I’m really bad at video games and tend to just press buttons, I didn’t even know I could change limit breaks in FVII until someone told me I could, I also had to have someone fuse my spells for me in Birth By Sleep. I liked Aqua’s SpellWeaver command style because it was so pretty!

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:

I tend to ignore minigames and side-quests in favor of getting through the plot, unless I have to do them or am interested in the plot of the side quest.

Although I sort of regret giving all my gil to Fort Condor because I felt sorry for a fictional bird, while at the same time being frustrated they didn’t just try to negotiate with Shinra on a way to relocate the bird. I’m sure I come up with a proposal that would make it rationally advantageous for Shinra to protect the Condor. Even bad press for killing it could lead to economically detrimental consequences less than the cost of saving it?

I feel like policy debates would make for a boring video game, but the entire time I played VII I just wanted to give Shinra suggestions…

18) Your favorite Cid:

FFVII, but I haven’t really played anything else so…

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

White Mage: I’m NOT saying I think I’m a black mage because I doubt that would fit, but I don’t want to be like a white mage by default. I think people assume I’d be a white mage because I care about other people and seem pure of heart. However, I’m not really very zen or passive, much more passionate (to the point of being stubborn) than peaceful. I’ll take care of those I love, but I don’t think I’m quite white mage level.

Sorting #25

the_404_error — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:03:37 GMT

Everyone please welcome the final member to be stamped this round!

Dragoon:
alkonost_storm

Black Mages: 20 points
sunflower_mynah 10
the_404_error 10

Soldiers: 10 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10

Thieves: 80 points
toffeethesnob 70
haryan 10

White Mages: 10 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 10

alkonost_storm's FF_Classchange Application

alkonost_storm — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:59:47 GMT

Name: Alkonost Storm
Age: 24
Location: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
How did you find out about this community: Toffethesnob

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths.

I can be really creative; when I'm really into an rp I'm planning brainstorming can be taken UP TO ELEVEN simply because I start planning out scenes for the midway or even endpoint of the rp when it's barely even started. This also applies to fanfics and stories. (Both Rai and Toff can vouch for me on these counts >>)

Second when I'm really motivated and put my mind to it I put in more effort.

I also try to keep an open mind and try to get more perspective when it comes to a problem.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.

I'm really REALLY hard on myself.

To the point there's been times I have thought it wouldn't be such a bad thing if I died young. It doesn't mean I'll kill myself when it comes down to it--too much of a coward to take my life--but it's crossed my mind (the dying early part, not suicide).

I can also be really lazy...I can safely say that I'm close to the Brilliant but lazy trope.

And it might be related to the first one but I don't value myself very much either.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted

I'm shy around newcomers but more relaxed around people I know, and even more relaxed around people who share the same/similar interests as me. Likely why I feel at ease talking to what most would consider strangers since they're on the internet but to me can sometimes feel like a family, depending on how long I've known them.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Gloomy

It really depends on the current mood as well as how my day has been, and in reaction to the day's events. There will be days where I feel peachy and awesome and then there will be days where I'll be paying tribute to the "I HATE MYSELF" ballad.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Impulsive

I think it would depend on the circumstances but for the most part I try NOT to be impulsive. Key word: Try.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Calm

I have my energetic moments. These energetic moments usually involve fangirling or a happy mood.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [] [x] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling

I hate to be repeating myself a lot but it depends on what I'm looking at...I've been known to apply logic to even the most inane ridiculous things, even in situations where logic really has no place like yaoi or Hatoful Boyfriend.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [x] [] [ ] Forgiving

Usually I like to forget and forgive but every now and then there will be situations where I find can't simply do that and go my own way. One particular situation that comes to mind was this guy I had a short-online relationship with. I took it really hard because he dumped me on Valentine's day (then seemed to make it seem like he wasn't the one with problems here) despite claiming that he was mindful of people's feelings and whatever. I admit that I rushed into the online relationship but I kept hoping that despite that, things would work out. Goddess knows I was willing to commit despite the challenges. And then after that drama, we stopped talking. It was understandable, as I couldn't bear to chat with him without feeling RAGE bubbling up within me for a while but then after one particular conversation where we agreed to at least try and stay friends he still didn't talk to me and when I did make the effort, the conversation didn't keep up for very long. "Somebody that I used to know" was suddenly a song I identified with: I was suddenly a stranger where before I was not. In the end, I've blocked him from Skype and decided to be strangers with him in turn but I'm not sure I'll ever let go of this grudge.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went

I prefer to work by myself. That said if I really like the people I'm working with I may be more motivated to put in an effort. Sadly no examples at the moment.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

I'd do what I could to save everyone....but if it was a situation where I was forced to choose, it'd be the children. Examples: Me taking the paragon routes in Mass Effect 2 and 3 and going for the ideal, diplomatic routes in Dragon Age: Origins and 2. If it was possible and I had the means, I'd do what I can to save both the children and my loved ones.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

I'd help them out, I'd give them advice and so on. I'd support them however I could. Admittedly, my patience would be thinned if it turned out they were fishing for sympathy... Also it would depend on what's bothering them too.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?

Reading, Video games, Internet, Singing, Roleplaying. I also really like history.
Not neccesarily in that order.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.

Researching history. I've always been fascinated by it and by doing that I'd get to learn more. I'm also interested in trying my hand at voiceacting and maybe being in the writing department for a videogame. Being a writer would also be a viable option if not for me lacking a drive.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.

VIII. It was my very first FF game. The only issue I have with it is...the battle system. And the card game. Otherwise, I enjoyed the story, the characters and the world. Admittedly the subtleties within the plot and setting were ones I couldn't fully appreciate until I was older.
FFIX is another game I love and was the first FF I actually beat. Again I really enjoyed this game, though I have to admit one of my more favorite parts (in addition to characters, story and battle system) was the locales. Some of the places you visit had a charm and personality that was all theirs. I remember thinking I would have loved to visit places like Burmecia, Cleyra and Daguerreo.
I also enjoyed XIII's story and characters. My only gripe with the gameplay was the rising cost of CP and the expenses in upgrading weapons. VIII had a similar system but it wasn't this expensive!
Cheating but another game I've enjoyed (though not beaten) is XII. I had problems getting the gambit system and unfortunately the characters I liked to use were a bit on the squishy side but the world was so rich and fun to explore. As for the plot, despite its strong similarity to Star Wars, I think it beats that in moral ambiguity. I also loved how there were so many variants of one monster in the bestiary.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:

Leon (II): Granted, a lot of my appreciation for this character mainly stems from his Ascended extra status in a DDFF rp I'm doing with Railenthe (currently on-going though on hold since we needed a break from all the dark, SRS BSNS stuff). Ever since his joining the roster for the rp and subsequent character development afterwards, I've found it very sad and disappointing that he doesn't get much love from Square; it's a shame because his character is simply LOADED with writing potential.
Genesis Rhapsodos (CC): I admit it was intially for the pretty visuals and audio but he won me over with how his story develops. Granted I don't like how it's downplayed that the soldiers who deserted with him are simply used and discarded but given what he was going through at the time, I could understand if he wasn't up to being a Father to His Men. I also found him so much more approachable than Sephiroth.
Oerba Yun Fang(XIII): Admittedly part of what got me attached was her interaction with Lightning, especially how she wasn't so intimidated or in awe of her like some of the others. I also loved how she was a foil to Lightning, namely in that she was more casual in her approach to things while Lightning was more business-like.
Lightning: I liked her from the beginning. Though I admit that one of the parts that impressed me the most was how different she turned out from Cloud.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:

Squall I guess, mainly because he seems like he'd be very socially awkward and I'm like that myself at times.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:

....None come to mind XP

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:

Well for a time I disliked Sephiroth due to some experiences with a former friend that was a fan of his, which ruined the character for me. Fortunately I've started to like him again though it would not be to the same degree as before. However the characters that currently have earned my dislike are Cloud Strife (and then mostly because of his characterization from Advent Children and onward) and Barthandelus because of what happens between him and the protagonists in XIII. Hojo is another and you all should know why there. Jihl Nabaat was one character I LOATHED in XIII but since XIII-2 she's grown on me. Another character I disliked in the beginning was Snow (I still do to some extent) but he gets some respect for trying to stay upbeat throughout all the stuff that gets thrown at the party.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):

For aethetics, the Save the Queen from IX, Angel Wing from VIII and the Mythril weapons from IX. Attack wise...I loved Zidane's polearms and the rackets. And while I didn't like the character that much, I liked the concept for Snow's weapon.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):

FFIX!Bahamut. Also while he wasn't playable, FFIX!Alexander. Also liked the look of FFIX!Leviathan. Favorite Ice summon is FFX!Shiva and the Shiva sisters from XIII. ACTUALLY I LIKED WHAT THEY DID WITH ALL THE XIII SUMMONS (THOUGH MY FAVORITES WERE BAHAMUT, ODIN AND SHIVA SISTERS)
Oh and Bahamut Fury
SATELLITE DRAGON. YEEEESH

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):

One Man army is all that comes to mind right now.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:

HOT AND COLD DAMNIT

18) Your favorite Cid:

Dr. Cidolfus something Bunansa
Cid Raines (*raep stare*)
Al-Cid (*MOAR raep stare*)
Cid Fabool (Team Oglop!)

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

White Mage. I'm not sure I'd be cut out for trying to dissolve every single conflict in a party or keeping it together. Gameplay-wise, I also favor more offensive roles.

the_404_error — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:54:17 GMT

Everyone please welcome our newest member of team...

Monk:
railenthe

Black Mages:
sunflower_mynah 10
the_404_error 10

Soldiers:
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10

Thieves:
toffeethesnob 70

White Mages:
rissy_james 10
Yin (breyzyyin) 10

Thank you to everyone who voted!

Reminder

the_404_error — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:40:40 GMT

Hey everyone, we have a new member who is in need of more votes before being sorted!

Please vote on and welcome Railenthe when you have the time!

(Seriously Frank, wires aren't tasty)

railenthe — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 01:21:45 GMT

Second time's the charm, no need for alarm.

The Basics:

Name: Railenthe
Age: 26
Location: SPACE. ...oh wait, you need more specifics. Midwest America.
Occupation: ~~Maid~~ Housekeeper.
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) One word: toffeethesnob.

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)
1) Even if it looks impossible, I keep going. It comes from a lifetime of being told what I wanted to do and not wanting to do that because that wasn't what I wanted to do--it was what THEY wanted me to do and like hell was I going to deal with that all of my life. (TAKE THAT, FAMILY).
2) I consider myself incredibly tolerant. If I notice that something is off somehow, I have to understand what is going on before I can take a side--otherwise it feels fake.
3) I stick to my guns. If I've made a decision about something, I will stick to it. No waffling for me.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.
1) I can be ludicrously vindictive. I don't like it when people slight me and I don't let it slide. Whether it comes through karma or active pushing on my part, people who slight me WILL wind up getting called out on it and punished--even if it's detrimental to other things. I will NOT be dishonored. I get kind of ...aggressive when I'm angry.
2) I spook a bit easily. If something hurts me once it takes forever for me to work up the cojones to deal with it again.
3) I am constitutionally incapable of focusing on on one thing at a time.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: Given the choice, I'd usually rather stay in. I'm into creative things and some things are hard to do when there are other people around/nearby. I can't do crowds--less so now than in the past--and I have a very hard time making friends because I can't tell if people are being serious when they say things about me, and I don't know how to react to it. Frankly, having to read other people spooks me.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: I am right in the middle--I swing from "DUDE EVERYTHING IS AWESOME THIS IS AWESOME YOU ARE AWESOME" to "Seriously why am I supposed to give a f@#$?" in the same day. Most of the day I just feel 'meh.' But when I go up or down...it's ALL THE WAY up or down.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: Most people ask "why." I on the other hand ask "Why the hell not?" when it comes to doing things, trying things, or, really, doing much of anything. It often takes me a bit of working up to asking other people about it, but if I don't have anyone else to think of and there's something I want to do right there--of course I'm going to go for it.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Calm
Explain: I'm going to admit that I don't like this question. My energy level is WILDLY erratic. I begin the day in a state of "meh, there are things to do blah blah hrgh," but something could come up and I'll be bouncing off the walls because I like the idea so much. Then again something else could come up and I don't have the same reaction to it. I'm either straight zen on things or it seems like I've been eating coffee beans. Sprayed with caffeine. Stuffed in chocolate. Laced with speed. Which is further laced with MORE speed.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: Another one that doesn't seem so cut and dried. I like to think things through, but at the same time if I don't get the right feeling in my gut, I will usually go straight on the other side of the scale and go with what feels right. I don't like running on logic to the complete exclusions of my instincts--especially since most of the time, my instincts turn out to be right.

Grudge-holding [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: I don't like to be slighted. Anyone who slights me will probably never be on my good side again. There have been exceptions to this rule, however--if the situation goes through the metamorphosis so that the situation is bigger than me, I will drop (most of) the animosity. ...there are, however, certain things that can never be forgiven, and I've had to drop people who I've thought of as friends because they went past the point of decency. I've an incredibly hard time forgiving people, because I can put up with a lot before they lose me--usually to the point where legality becomes blurred and I can't even make sense of why I've dealt with them for so long. Honestly, it's easier for me to avoid getting to know people than risk the possibility of them hurting me so badly that I can't forgive them.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.
I don't usually ike to work in teams, mainly because I'm often not heard when I'm in the team. This probably has something to do with the fact that I wasn't the kid picked last--I was the kid who wasn't picked at all, and then was basically forced to work on a team where I either had no say or my ideas weren't given the proper credit. I tend not to speak up in those situations.
On the rare occasions where I am in a team that I like, I will push hard for my ideas to be heard--I will make the same suggestion as many times as it takes to be acknowledged, even if it involves me standing on a chair and going "HEY! LISTEN!" Most of the time, however, I prefer to listen to the rest of the team make ideas, and then see if there is anyway to poke a hole in the suggestion. My strength lies in finding the flaws in plans before they are executed. Well...that, and thinking outside the box.
I remember a D&D game where the party was attacked by a--let me get this right--Cthluhoid undead gelatinous cube. I had NO idea what to do and started throwing ideas around. Eventually I landed on the most ludicrous idea I think I've ever seen in a tabletop: douse the tank in the holy water and have him work on it.
So I douse the tank in holy water and help shove him into the room--which is literally FILLED by the cube.
It worked--but it also got a lot of weird looks. "Hey, if we can't kill it from outside, we can kill it from inside! Inside IT! =D"
...maybe it's more like thinking outside the cube.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?
I'd save the person closest to me. I have no attatchment to the innocents--in fact if we're being perfectly honest, I'm not good with children (zero patience with kids, even when I WAS one). But I don't get close to many people, and so saving the person closest to me actually is a little bit selfish--I wouldn't hold together with them gone.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?
On the first day I'll play the mirroring role, but keep it realistic. There are certain things that I have little patience for and watching a friend in pain is one of them.
The other is watching them in pain for LONGER because they haven't even thought about what I've said and have gotten stuck in the cycle of endless self-bashing in the process. That is a time when I'll pull out all the stops and be blunt with them--any time it's clear that they're just not moving on from something that shouldn't be such a big deal, I will point all the reasons why they're being illogical about it--but, I WILL wrap it in some niceness. No reason to be a dick about it.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?
Hoo boy, that's a loaded question. You question, I LOAD you down with answers.
I write. A lot. I'd like to make a living out of it. That's why I've got so many projects open. That, and as I mentioned before I am constitutionally incapable of focusing on only one thing at a time. If we're being candid, actually, I'm having three conversations while I work on this application right now, making tea, planning tomorrow's supper, planning tomorrow's strategy at work, and deciding which book to buy next.
When I'm not writing, I'm either gaming or reading most of the time.
I'm a foodie, as well. If I see food and it looks interesting, I will probably find a way to try it. And once I've tried it I will learn how to cook it. I LOVE to eat, and I LOVE to cook. Nothing will stop me if I want something specific to eat. No resturants local that serve the dish? Learn to cook it. Favorite box dinner too expensive? Learn to cook it. Favorite food deadly? Learn to cook it, and then learn how to cheat it into being healthy. (I make a WICKED tuna roll.)
I play a few instruments--ocarina, flute, autoharp. I like tabletop RPGs. I LOVE tea. I enjoy the occasional bit of poking around in the guts of an Android device.
I am a music junkie. My library contains well over 9000 tracks (This is NOT hyperbole; I had my PC inventory it) of almost every genre out there. I have two iPods, one for work and one for after work (it's on all the time. If I don't carry two, I won't have music the entire time I'm out of the house).

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
1) (PAID) author. I'm working on it. I have drafts being cleaned up, I have drafts starting, I have applications for contests, and I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head that MUST be told in story form. I love to tell stories and if I could make a living wage telling my favorite stories that pop out of my head, that would be blissful..
2) Café/Lounge owner. I love to cook and I love coffee. I would set up a place with the best food I could make and the coolest ambience, and I'd design the perfect place to unwind after a rough day.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.
Oh boy. I love 6, 5, and 1, but 6 perfectly captures why Final Fantasy itself is so prominent in my heart.
FF VI: My second FF (first was Mystic Quest, which is technically outside the canon), the game tackles surprisingly mature fare for a title that was allowed on a Nintendo platform--death, war, genocide, questions of what truly makes a person human, defiance of the natural order, usurping of said natural order to remake the world in the manner one sees fit--SUCCEEDING at the former.
Though the game features an ensemble cast that gets largely equal plot time post-Zozo, the theme of what makes one human is the strongest overarcing theme. A green-haired girl who is only half-human drives this point home.
The game opens with a suspicious moment as two soldiers, the usually-doomed Vicks and Wedge ~~though we would be led to believe that there IS no Vicks, only Biggs~~ spend some time setting up the marching order so that this girl they have captured and under mental enslavement will take the brunt of the assault as they march into Narshe. The girl is barely thought of as human, but as she is their weapon of the day, she is useful. Very soon after that, the control is reversed but her memories are ripped away from her as she struggles to make sense of the fact that she's different, and doesn't understand why. Her normal is very much alien to the rest of the world.
As she escapes the risk of being enslaved a second time, the girl we now know as Terra meets a noble (?) thief and a lecherous young king who see in her the salvation of the occupied regions, a new designation that confuses her still--but as time goes by, she loses a great deal of her timidity and even eagerly agrees to be the Returners' "ray of hope."
Later, after the Returners' effort is...let's be real, it's thwarted the moment Kefka lays his hands on the Statues, she doesn't think she can fight anymore--she has to take care of the orphans of Mobliz, and this on the heels of the death of the man who seemed to be ready to answer her question. (I'll admit it: I kind of ship General Leo/Terra. Had Kefka not stepped in, I think they would be an item.) Humbaba attacks, and as she thought, she can't hold her own in that fight. As the others try to convince her to come back, she mentions that she MUST protect the children, and can't keep fighting.
...of course, then Humbaba rears his ugly smelly ugly (did I mention ugly?) head again and Terra...well, Terra is most certainly NOT amused. She pulls the only time I've ever seen her do the >=O face and kicks into Trance.
It doesn't wear off. Half the party gets blown away, and Terra and the one remaining member of the party take him out on their own (and let's be real, Terra can take Humbaba on her own in this state. YIKES) and Mobliz--or what's left of it--is saved.
A kid walks up. Terra wheels around. There is a growl. The kid flees. At this point, I think that Terra is more aware of the fact that she isn't quite human than she ever has been. It doesn't render well in the sprites, but you don't need it--you can tell two things: a) the kids are terrified of her, and b) Terra knows it. It's right there. There's this bright...glowing...PINK fuzzy thing standing in the middle of (what's left of) Mobliz, looking at the children.
Then, it happens.
"...Mama?"
Recognition. Underneath all that wild hair and bright pink fluff, it's Mama. Nothing has changed. After all this, the other kids realize it, too, and they surround her as the fear evaporates. In that moment, Terra has two things: the answer to a question that she asked a year ago, and a reason to fight. She becomes the ray of hope in that moment. Above the obvious "Save the world" plot, VI is driven by the simple desire to understand what is to be human--and the drive to keep going in the face of countless obstacles.
While Terra's journey through this is the most obvious, the entire cast--well, excepting Umaro and depending on your theories, Gogo--goes through this very transformation as well.
I've heard VI criticized for having too many characters and not enough of a focus on any of them, but this criticism misses the entire point. There is a world, and it is peopled, and each of these people must go through their own journeys. Such is life. Such is Final Fantasy VI.
___
Another character who goes through a similar arc is one of the few you MUST find in the World of Ruin before you can face Kefka: Setzer Gabbiani.
First off, his original translation altered his characterization at one point: "The Empire has made me a wealthy man" easily goes from "unabashed scoundrel" (the apparent original intention, as the Empire ruined his business) to a Han Solo-type. (Setzer would probably have shot first.) One gets the immediate sensation that though the Empire has made him very wealthy but at the cost of his integrity (I'll wait for you to recover fron laughing. Alive again? Good), and so when you hustle him not once but TWICE, he seems to regain a bit of inner light as you jet around to put the salvation of the world together.
Then the world goes to hell.
You find Setzer again in a Kohlingen bar, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. He's given up at this point, but then Celes launches what ALMOST winds up turning into a "The Reason You Suck" speech, which lights a fire underneath him, reminding him WHY he loves life (and at this point, he probably is quite fond of Celes too =D) and we enter a tomb belong to someone named Daryl. You don't get much other information before you get in there, open the passageways with aquatic transport tricks and restoring a grave epitaph ("The World Is Square" takes on different meanings: an inside joke, a meata joke on the map, and the way that the tomb's occupant, Daryl, suddenly rounded the wrong 'corner' and lost her life.)
Once you descend the final stairs, Setzer becomes oddly talkative. You find out who this Daryl is--and what she meant to him; their shared dream; their wild lifestyle--and the accident that took her life, not long after the ominous-in-hindsight comment that if anything were to happen to her, the Falcon would be his.
...pay close attention to the cliff he waits on for Daryl. The only difference between his and Celes's time on this cliff (provided you couldn't save Cid) is that Setzer didn't jump. He restored the Falcon, once the wreck was found, and entombed it with Daryl's body. It was her last gift to him...
...and then it became a gift to the world, an instrumental tool in its ultimate salvation.
___
Part of my love for VI is in the fact that, at its core, it's all about the triumph of the human spirit over all. It's one of the things that keeps me going on rough days--hey, if a Ragtag Band of Misfits can survive an apocalypse, I can survive what I'm going through.
10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:
I only have three slots? OK, fine, here we go.
1) Yuna--aside from her development in X and X-2, I first got into her because...well, she's adorable and hot. Playing the games cemented this assessment by adding REAL development to her character.
As if I needed more convincing, in DDFF, she's a freakin' human WMD.
2) Gabranth. First, the biggest reason.
The plot of FFXII is heavily grey-and-grey morality. In his mind, he is the White Knight. In the party's mind, he is the Black Knight. Everyone fights for their own reason that they think is right--even the Big Bad is an example of a Well-Intentioned Extremist--until he goes bagonzo, at least. Between the struggle in the game's conflict, the party learns just how screwed up the world is, all thanks to the madness and mundanity of...political intrigue. Politics is the START of the problem, and it just escalates. Gabranth frames Basch for the execution of Vaan's brother, Basch eventually explains that it was just a guy who happens to ALSO have his face, Vaan eventually forgives Basch (for technically something he didn't do), and the wheels of the political machine continue to spin. Gabranth becomes Larsa's shield, the party starts dismantling House Solidor's plans--and then it goes down that Magister Drace moves against Vayne when she discovers why the emperor has died.
He's forced to execute her to prove his loyalty.
Her last words: to tell him to protect Larsa. She holds no ill will toward him.
(On a related note, the way this went down has me firmly convinced that if they weren't an item then, they had been an item at some point.)
Eventually, it comes out that all parties involved in the main conflict each felt they were on the side of good--in the most extreme of the cases, it ends up with Gabranth pulling a last-ditch Heel Face Turn--aiding the party and (possibly, the jury's out) losing his life in the process.
Of course I do have another reason for him being a favorite: I LOVE to listen to that man fight in Dissidia. But the above is the main reason.
3) ONION ~~NAITO~~ KNIGHT.
He's cute, perky, spunky, a snarky little bastard, a know it all, SHORT...and an alarming amount of fun to play as in Dissidia. Frankly I got into him because he's ADORABLE. His fighting style is largely hilarious (don't believe me? Miss with Blade Torrent). But he's the type of kid I don't mind.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:
1) Onion Knight--he's new at this but he knows what he's doing--he thinks--and if he doesn't he can BS it. Story of my life.
2) Bartz Klauser--so very convinced he knows what's he's doing--but then he gets it wrong. And then he gets it worse wrong. ...not to mention a certain Bridget that got dropped on him. (How many Bridgets have I had dropped on me this year...too many to count.)

12) The FF game you liked playing least:
The EasyType translation of FFIV. The translation was SO bad...not to mention that there was so much nerfing that parts of the game were just...TOO easy and therefore not as fun. (What? I like the games to be kinda hard.) That and...YE GODS. The only worse translation I think I've seen is Resident Evil 1 and its "Stop! Don't open that...DOOR???"

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:
1) Borghen: MAN, I could go on a five-minute rant about how much I hate this guy. He's slimy, a creep, DEFINITELY hard on the eyes, probably doesn't smell particularly nice, a traitor, AND HE KILLED JOSEF, THE BASTARD.
AND THEN HE COMES BACK AS A ZOMBIE AND IT'S EVEN WORSE.
2) Argath: I am convinced he MIGHT be a higher-class expy of Borghen. He's easier on the eyes, and probably smells nicer, but he's a creep, slimy, a traitor, AND HE KILLED TIETRA, THE BASTARD.
AND THEN HE COMES BACK AS A MOB OF ZOMBIES AND IT'S EVEN WORSE.
3) Scarmiglione: The first boss in IV I ran into where I was woefully underleveled. He's a fiend, hits hard, is poison-happy, and all around in general rough fight if you did what I did in the DS remake and went in super!underleveled.
AND THEN HE COMES BACK AS A ZOMBIE WITH WEIRD TENTACLE THINGS AND BACK ATTACKS YOU AND IT'S EVEN WORSE.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):
Doom Dice, for Setzer. RANDOM as heck (as rolling dice tends to be) but often lethal.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):
Carbuncle--Also known as CHERNOBYL SQUIRREL!

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):
Mog's Dance. Especially when he botches it and stumbles. Burns a turn but it's cute.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:
…I think I'm STILL stuck in the Golden Saucer.

18) Your favorite Cid:
HIGHWIND. 'Nuff said.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.
White Mage. I don't think I have the temperament. Or the skills with a hammer.

Sorting #23

the_404_error — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:57:37 GMT

We have two new members this week! Welcome to...

Dragoon:
shinkirou_hana

Monk:
thelastditch

Black Mages: 70 points
etsplanations 10
shorlixa 20
sunflower_mynah 20
the_404_error 20

Dragoons: 20 points
regann 20

Monks: 80 points
fromherashes 80

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 20

Thieves: 100 points
hilian 20
toffeethesnob 80

White Mages: 60 points
seren_bach 20
showyoursmile 20
Yin (breyzyyin) 20

Application to Join!

shinkirou_hana — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 23:36:26 GMT

The Basics:

Name: You can call me Kiro~
Age: 19
Location: Canada
Occupation: Student, slave at Golden Arches.
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) I was on toffeethesnob's page and saw this comm and decided to check it out. I know it's like halfway through this game, but I promise I'll do my best for which ever team I'm assigned!

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.) Quick thinker, sharp, compassionate. I am very fast on the uptake and things tend to click with me very quickly. I'm good with witty thoughts, so I tend to win arguments. I also tend to make realizations that are surprisingly perceptive, and I am often told I'm a great judge of character. As for compassion, you know that one friend that everyone goes to for advice? Yeah, that's me. Need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to vent your frustrations to, I'm your gal! (Though I often laugh because my friends come to me for relationship advice, and while I'm glad they feel that comfortable, but... I've never dated anyone. Haha. But people keep coming, so I guess I'm doing a pretty good job?)

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses. Slow to trust, blunt, picks up too many projects at once. I'm not always slow to trust, but because of my ability to judge people's character very quickly, any opinions I form can be very hard to break. I've listed blunt because I'm not really afraid to speak my mind, either, unless you're already my friend, in which case I'll lie if the truth will offend you (though not if it will hurt you if I lie, because then I would tell the truth). The last point probably makes enough sense on it's on, but I'm one of those people who always has ten balls in the air... And sucks at juggling.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I don't really spend a lot of time with people... Unless I plan for it. I prefer being alone, but when I want to talk to someone, I do. I don't really ever attend parties unless it's for a close friend's birthday or something similar, and I'd rather spend my evenings at home than out on the town. I don't talk much unless it's on something I feel is important -- then you'll never get me to shut up!

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: It depends on the situation! When it comes to dealing face to face with other people, I'm typically pretty cheerful, and at work I've had customers comment on how bubbly I seem. But when it comes to thinking about the world and all the people in it... I can get pretty dark.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: There can be times when I think out my actions before I do them, such as planning a trip or working on a project. There are also times when I can be completely spontaneous, such as making plans with friends or picking up new projects. So, I guess it depends on the situation?

Energetic [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Calm
Explain: Just because I like staying home more than going out doesn't mean I'm not a super energetic person! I barely sleep, and when I am out, I go all out. There can be times when I'm calm, though, too, such as when I'm just at home, relaxing, but I'm typically more energetic.

Logical/Thinking [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: I am not a person who lets emotions guide me. Oh, sure, I can be sympathetic if someone needs me to be, but when it comes to problem solving I am very logical and goal oriented. I am not easily swayed by emotional appeals, and if I think a friend is being manipulated or taken advantage of, I'm not sympathetic at all, and I'll tell them straight up that I think they're being taken advantage of and that they really need to realize that they're in a bad place.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: It... Really depends on the situation. Getting tired of that answer yet? A lot of it depends how close I am with the person who is wronging me. The closer to me you are, the more I hold a grudge. I don't trust easily, so I don't take kindly to being betrayed in any way by people who have earned my trust. If I rarely see you or I don't like you already, I'm more likely to forgive you, but... I wouldn't really call it forgiveness, because I'm either ignoring what you said (because I don't like you), or I've already told you off for it and I feel we're even.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went. I... Really don't like working in teams, most of the time. During class projects, for example, I prefer working on my own about a million times over. I'm a very leader-y type person, but I can also be pretty demanding, and I have high expectations because I am used to certain grades (90s+), so I don't take well to people who don't pull their own weight. As such, I don't like relying on other people, because I feel as though they will only disappoint me. On the other hand, if I'm working with people I like/friends I trust to do a good job, I don't mind group projects. But, on the whole, I way prefer working by myself.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why? My friend/person closest to me. I'd feel guilty, but... I value the friendships I make more than anything. I don't like losing people I care about.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case? The first time, no matter what it was, I would hear them out and comment if they wanted me to, but I would make sure I was sympathetic and encouraging (except in cases where I think they are being abused in any way, in which case I am immediately honest and unsympathetic, in a way -- I will tell them that they need to get out of that situation, as harshly as necessary). If they came back a second time with the same problem, I usually am still sympathetic but also more honest, and will comment even if not prompted. If they come back after that, I usually get more firm and less sympathetic, until eventually I just stop listening to them altogether, after telling them that they need to stop whatever is causing them to be distressed. (I've abandoned people for months when I think that they are being stupid and refusing to get out of a bad situation, but only after telling them multiple times what I think. If they're going to ignore my advice and waste my time, I'm not going to listen to them whine any more.)

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time? Games, anime/manga, writing and reading (sometimes fanfiction, sometimes news articles, sometimes novels, who knows!). Free time is typically spent reading or playing games (who else here has Theatrhythm? :D), or on tumblr.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you. Anything that can put my quick thinking to use -- maybe a therapist? I genuinely like helping people with their problems, but I would also know when enough is enough and would crack down accordingly. Or a teacher, which is actually what I'm aiming to be, because I enjoy helping people learn new things, and challenge them to make their own opinions rather than just listen to what people tell them.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay. My absolute favourite will forever be Final Fantasy IX, though I am also wildly in love with both Dissidia titles. FFIX is my favourite because of the characters, and the setting, and the story... Just, everything about FFIX is amazing. The Dissidia titles are awesome character interaction, so while I think the plot is a little... Lacking, I enjoy watching various scenarios unfold. Plus the gameplay is fun! And I really kick ass at it, haha.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why: Kuja, Zidane, Yuffie. Kuja is just so complex and broken that I absolutely cannot help but love him to pieces. He is just a really fantastic villain in a lot of ways! I won't elaborate though, because this app is long enough already and I could go on for days. Zidane and Yuffie! Both cheery thieves with bright dispositions. Below I mention that I disliked Bartz for a similar reason, but if you're surprised to see Zidane and Yuffie here, there's a supreme difference: Zidane and Yuffie also have "oh my god I hate the world and all of you" moments. They're not above getting really depressed; in fact, if I were in their shoes, I'd probably be way more angsty and pissed than they ever are. It's that strength to carry their own burdens with a smile that makes me adore them. (Rikku, too, but this said 1-3.)

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why: Rikku, Tifa, and Lightning. Rikku because we're both bubbly but can be serious and even depressing sometimes. Tifa because I support my friends unconditionally. Lightning because I like being in charge and when I get serious I don't take crap from anyone.

12) The FF game you liked playing least: FFVIII (8). The system, just... why?

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why: Bartz. Oh my god I can't even tolerate him. If there's something I can't stand, it's people who are all cheerful all the time! or at least act like it, and I really hate mimics. I also don't like Squall; he's too broody for my tastes.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities): Zidane's ultimate from Dissidia 012, Ozma's Splinter! Boost Brv on Dodge and Sneak Attack effect?! Yes please!

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.): Bahamut! Strong, non-elemental (so it's equally good against everything!), looks awesome.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.): Crisis Core... Zack's cacutar summoning. Does that count? If not, Ultima, but THAT DANCE. Seriously the best.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into: Chocobo Hot & Cold. Waaaaayyyyy too much time... Haha ;; And once I figured it out, Blitzball!

18) Your favorite Cid: Cid Fabool IX! I mean, getting turned into an oglop for cheating on your wife? You had it coming, plus it's hilarious.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why. White Mage, because I am not the type to say whatever will avoid a conflict. If I feel strongly about something, I'll say it. I'm way too passionate to just follow along happily; I need to be at the head of any adventure and hate people who don't stand up for what they believe in.

... This got... Really TL;DR. Sorry everyone! ;;

Application to join

thelastditch — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:33:25 GMT

The Basics:

Name: Phillip
Age: 30
Location: Austin, Tx
Occupation: Customer support
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Fromherashes did all but threaten me with physical violence to get me to join this community.

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.) friendly, creative, competitive – I genuinely want to see the best in everyone, and as a result want to be surrounded by all these awesome people I meet, both for the enjoyment, and because I honestly like making people happy however I can. I’m a pretty creative person, and enjoy making something up for its own sake, or trying to find an interesting way to solve an existing problem. I also tend to see most everything as a competition. I see that as a good thing though, since that’s the way of the world, and enjoy the spirit of competing more than I do the cut throat stuff.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses. Self-doubt, laziness/procrastination, somewhat short tempered - A lot of it really all hinges from that first one. If it is possible for a thing to be done wrong, I am sure that’s the way I will do it and there’s only going to be scorn coming my way thereafter. Having hung that over my own head, it’s often hard for me to push off on a new project, or finish one that I’ve got going. And when it does all fall apart, there will probably be much rage and gnashing of teeth. It’s the one down side of the competitive nature I mentioned that when faced with repeated failure, I tend to flip my shit.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [ ] [x ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I’m pretty even divided on this subject. I love the company of friends, and want to be out doing things, enjoy mixing in with a large crowd of people and generally being involved in a ruckus. On the other hand, while I have no trouble with that once I’m out in the mix, I sometimes find it hard to get motivated to get out, and value my peace and quiet when I get it.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ x] Gloomy
Explain: Nothing is ever as good as it seems, the whole world’s going to hell as quickly as it can manage, it’s inevitable that nothing is going to work out in my favor, and more than likely when things really do go to hell, I’ll be left holding the bag.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [ ] [x ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: I’m really not much of a planner. A plan right before we plunge into something is great, but more than that leaves me feeling constrained. I’d live entirely without a schedule and just do things as they came along, if I could, but I’ve got to tone it down a bit.

Energetic [ ] [x ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Calm
Explain: One of the good things about my blend of depression and slacking is that a) I’m always hunting for something that looks enjoyable, and b) and fucking coiled and ready to go off when I find it. If there’s something that’s fun, or really catches my eye, I’ve got boundless enthusiasm for it, and can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [ ] [ ] [x ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: Everything tends to have a big effect on me. I have really high moments and pretty crushing ones, and am usually not particularly great at disguising which one is which, as much as I try to be the cool and quiet sort at times.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [x ] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: I can forgive a lot, for a long time. There comes a point however, where we’re really just done.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went. I don’t want to lead, really. I’m very happy to supply an initial idea, and try to keep the leader on that track with my advice. I also like to get down and do the actual work on whatever it is we’re doing, since I both enjoy putting some sweat into something, and it’s a good way to lend some credibility to my ideas.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why? Hrrgh. I’m going to feel remorse for the rest of my life no matter what. I will always wonder if I made the right choice, but I have to save my friend. The people that are close to me and too important for me to allow one of them to die, if I could have done something. In the heat of the moment, I’m going with my friend. More grimly, they’ll probably also be more of a comfort to me when I’m tearing up in my whisky about all the kids I let fall off a bridge, or whatever.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case? If one of my friends is coming to me with something that’s hurt them, they’re going to get my full attention. I’m going to listen to their problem and then go from there. If it’s something I can fix, we’re doing that, no question. If it’s not, I’ll do everything I can to be supportive of them both listening to the problem, and maybe giving advice, if I can. When they come back to me a couple of days later still hurt from the same thing, that’s not going to change, though I might try a little bit more to do something to get them out and having a good time. If they need more time to heal over something, okay, but otherwise, I want to try to bring some happiness to them.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time? As I said, I tend to be pretty competitive, so anything that lets me compete against something else, gets my attention. Not surprising then that I love pretty much any type of game. I’ve got a particular soft spot for wargaming, particularly of the table top miniature sort, since that lets me scratch the creative itch as well. I also spend a bit of time writing, though really there’s far less of that than there should be.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you. The most ideal career would be working in the creative development side of the game company I work for. All of the creative outlet, none of the crushing pressure of doing it all myself. Plus, I just really enjoy putting a story together as a group. I love seeing it come together from other people’s ideas. Alternatively, I’ve often thought I’d enjoy working as a cop, or something else kind of “real world” service to the community kind of thing. Seeing the things I do to help people have a tangible impact would be really rewarding, I think.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay. 6, tactics, and Kingdom Hearts 2 – Six will always be the definitive FF for me. It’s an awesome world and background, characters that I immediately fell for almost across the board, and a system that was simple and fun. It was the first series Rpg I played, and I still don’t think anything has really ever taken it’s mantle. Tactics also gets some serious points for the system, but what really gets me about that game is the depiction of the stress and clamor of war. You don’t really see that much in Final Fantasy games, and for whatever reason, I’m always drawn to that sturm and drang kind of thing. I love KH2 for completely the opposite reason. Free-wheeling high spirited adventure! Midair sword fights! Jumping off flying buildings! Kids and fun!

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why: Sabin and Ramza – Two characters who said, consequences be damned, I’m doing what I think is right and removing myself from a situation that I think is wrong. That drive and sense of self and right is something that I admire in a lot of people, particular when it puts someone in conflict with the norm.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why: Terra and to some extent Vivi for the same reason – a perennial outsider, who overcomes bad experiences with people in the past, opens themselves up and finds friendship and acceptance.

12) The FF game you liked playing least: Eight. A million times: eight. Lousy system. Shut up Squall.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why: Squall – I always felt that he was kind of redundant characters, after Cloud. That, and for me at least, never really delivered in the same ways. I guess he eventually got over his stuff, but I felt it a bit more strongly for Blondie.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities): The Atma Weapon! Looked good no matter what hp level you were at, was a cool kind of mechanic, that rewarded you for watching you for your party, and smashed some heads. I have fond memories of Terra as a complete shop wrecking badass with the combination of Genji Glove and Jewel box. The very image of her mageknight fore bearers.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.): It’s Bahamut. The classic, and he’s a dragon. Sorry any other interesting thought on this: Dragons are kickass.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.): My pack rat nature demands that Steal be present in all parties at all times. I need to know what everyone/everything is carrying and I’m probably going to need that later.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into: Triple Triad. I loved that game, playing as it did both into my love of strategy and collecting things. I may even have some of the physical cards I picked up years ago buried somewhere.

18) Your favorite Cid: Highwind. C’moooooon, that’s scarcely even a contest for me. Grizzled pilot, who after years of heartbreak finally lives out his dream? Nothing could be finer.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

Sorting #22

the_404_error — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 23:00:37 GMT

Welcome to our newest member of team...

White Mage:
seren_bach

Black Mages: 40 points
chacusha 10
shorlixa 10
sunflower_mynah 10
the_404_error 10

Dragoons: 10 points
regann 10

Soldiers: 10 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10

Thieves: 100 points
haryan 10
hilian 10
aeriiths 10
toffeethesnob 70

White Mages: 20 points
showyoursmile 10
Yin (breyzyyin) 10

And the queue is once again empty. D:

Final Fantasy Stamping Application

seren_bach — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 04:47:26 GMT

The Basics:

Name: serenbach
Age: 26
Location: North Wales
Occupation: Sales Adviser
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Via toffeethesnob

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)

I think that one of my main strengths is my imagination. I am always thinking of new things to write about or something to do with my days off. I am never bored, even if I am by myself.

I am also pretty patient. Part of it comes from being the oldest of several siblings, the rest from working in customer services. I will listen to people and try and help them and find solutions, to the point where my colleagues send difficult customers over to me because they know I can deal with them without getting cross and irritable. I can also spend hours on intricate tasks without losing interest.

I also never stop trying. If there is something I am bad at I will keep going until I am at least passable at it. It took me three attempts to pass my maths GSCE and five years to hit the centre of an archery target but I eventually did it.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.

I am a terrible, terrible procrastinator. If there is something I don’t really want to do, or something that I know I really should do, I will put if off until the last possible moment and then panic about it.

I am also a little too sensitive sometimes. I occasionally read too much into situations or get hurt by things that were meant as jokes even though I know that no-one was intentionally trying to hurt my feelings.

I can be a little absent-minded sometimes. If I am focusing on something else when someone is talking to me I will not remember the conversation, nor will I notice if someone has a new haircut or something unless it is specifically pointed out to me. And I have forgotten my own birthday before now, I have no chance of remembering anyone else’s, even though I have set alerts onto my phone.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I find it quite difficult to make friends or to settle into new group dynamics. I am more comfortable in smaller groups. Once I am comfortable with people I get chattier but I would never describe myself as an extrovert.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: I am usually cheerful, or at least placid, but on the days I feel gloomy everyone knows about it, even if I try to hide it.

Reserved [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: I over-think everything, even if being impulsive would actually be an advantage in a situation. I don’t take risks very often. I tend to be quite emotionally reserved as well, only showing a lot of emotion if I am especially happy or sad or if I am with people I know very well.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Calm
Explain: I am usually pretty calm in my day-to-day life, but if something happens that I am excited about then I can be hugely energetic about it.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: I do tend to have emotional responses to situations, but I tend to think them through before I react to them. If someone hurts my feelings or makes me angry I will think through how I reply rather than going with my instinctive emotional response of crying or shouting.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [x ] Forgiving
Explain: I never hold a grudge, even though sometimes I have to force myself to let it go. I grew up in a pretty augmentative family and I learned that if no-one makes the first move to forgive, the rifts can last for years.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.

I don’t really like to lead (though it occasionally ends up that way at work if I am the most senior person on shift and therefore team-leader by default. I find these days a million times more stressful than days when I am not the leader. I am glad it doesn‘t happen very often). I like being part of a team though I prefer to remain in the background and get on with what needs to be done. For example, in the archaeological team I volunteer with I tend to do the bit-work (collecting, cataloguing, recording) rather than the excavation work itself, as the team has dozens of excavation volunteers and hardly any others for the rest of the work which is just as important.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

This is a really hard questions. If my loved one was right in front of me when the decision had to be made I would probably save them just through knee-jerk reaction. If it was a hostage situation or another circumstance where I had a chance to think it through I would pick the children.

Either way, I would spend the rest of my life feeling horribly guilty.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

I would do my best to take their mind of their problems by taking them out to the cinema or shopping or something. I think that dwelling too much on being upset can make it worse sometimes. However, if they were still feeling sad after that I would provide the wine and ice-cream and let them talk as much as they needed.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?

I write a lot, both original and fanfiction, and read just as much, mostly fantasy and sci-fi. I enjoy fencing, archery and playing squash, and socialising with my friends, usually doing something pretty stupid and random.

Obviously, I enjoy gaming as well!

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.

I would love to be a full time archaeologist, it is what I did at university, but I cannot find a paid job in that field. I have always been fascinated by history, and archaeology is history that you can experience. I have a flint knife in my room that I found on a dig. It is thousands of years old and someone made it. Someone used it and needed it and I can touch it and hold it now. It is an amazing feeling, one I would love to be paid for.

If not, I would love to be a writer. Although I write all the time, original work as well as fan fiction, I haven’t yet produced anything I think other people would pay to read. One day, hopefully, if I keep writing and improving.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favourite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.

The First Final Fantasy game I ever played, the first real game I ever really played, and my favourite partly for that reason, is VII. I fell in love with the story, the characters and just the whole world. I really cared about those little Lego people and wanted to know what happened to them. Even the optional party members have well developed backgrounds and side quests, and I cared as much about how the characters felt as whether or not they would save the world. I wanted to know what was going on in Cloud’s head or whether Cid would ever get into space as much as their fight with Sephiroth. The whole world just felt real, full of people who had their own fears and hopes and battles. I had never experienced anything like it and even now it is not just my favourite Final Fantasy game, but my favourite game ever.

I have just finished IV as well, and it very quickly made its way to near the top of my list. I really liked Cecil and his journey from Dark Knight to Paladin, and the way he came to terms with the darker events of his past, as well as the revelations about his family. I also loved Kain’s struggles between his friendship and his jealousy. I loved how each of the many characters bought their own personalities and perspectives to the plot - and how the seemingly horrific death count isn’t really that bad at the end (which came as a huge relief!)

I also love X. It is a beautiful game, and I love the whole concept of the plot. It starts of pretty typical: there is a big terrible monster that needs to be beaten, but all the plot twists and turns, all of the revelations they discover and the solutions they find and how they all grow really moved me and kept me involved. I also love the battle-system and the little touches like the characters staggering to their feet when they are low on HP.

10) List one to three of your favourite Final Fantasy characters and why:

Yuffie Kisaragi has been my favourite FF character since the first time she tried to beat up my party in the woods outside Junon. I like her because she's a brash, hyperactive, kleptomaniac, smart-ass, ninja princess. What's not to love? And yes, she steals their materia but a) she's doing it for her country, and b) it's really no worse than being an eco-terrorist, spy, mercenary or assassin like the rest of Avalanche. She really grows throughout the game, she goes from saying things like 'it's nothing to do with me but I guess I'll help out' to actually correcting Cloud when he says it's his task to defeat Sephiroth. She tells him that it's 'our task.' According to the Case of Yuffie she's the one who really doesn't want the group to split up, so she does clearly care about them. And if you have her in the party during Aerith's death she cries her eyes out all over Cloud's shoulder. I had her in the party the first time I saw it and that, along with the pagoda side quest, cemented her role as my favourite character.

I also love Basch. Partly because he used the phrase 'it wasn't me, it was my evil twin' in all seriousness. Also partly because of how loyal and devoted he was to Ashe and to Dalmasca, and how he helped his brother out at the end, to the point of giving up his own identity. I also really liked his friendships with Vaan and Penelo and his mentorship of Larsa as well.

I really like Rydia as well. I love the fact she starts off as a child that needs protection, then comes back all grown-up and powerful to do the saving and refuses to be left behind at the end. Her relationship with Edge is really amusing. It also makes me laugh that she is quite often the voice of reason in the group.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:

I totally relate to Penelo. She doesn’t set out to be a hero, she is not a warrior or a princess or the type of person that you would see as a freedom-fighter. She gets involved by accident and then tags along to help out Vaan and the people she cares about. I can understand that.

I also relate to Vivi quite a lot, and his journey to discover who he is and coming to terms with the concepts of fear and death and the loss of innocence. I think he is one of the bravest Final Fantasy characters in the whole series.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:

I am not a big fan of VIII. I didn’t like the Junction system much, I don’t enjoy messing with time as a plot devise and I didn’t like the way Squall went from “… Whatever” to “I’ll blast off into space to save you!” towards Rinoa without much in between. It is the only FF game I have started and not finished.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:

I am not a big fan of Squall (which disappointed me a lot as I played Kingdom Hearts first and loved Leon). He is just a bit too cold for me to really feel sympathetic towards and as mentioned above, I didn’t enjoy his relationship with Rinoa which is the biggest part of his character development.

I was also really irritated by Snow. How many times do you have to try and punch someone only to be repulsed by an invisible force field before you stop doing it? It annoyed me every time it happened in a cut scene. Also, I don’t like his hat.

14) Favourite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):

I really liked Yuffie’s Conformer. It's very un-ninja-y coloured, which made me smile, and if you put a mastered double-cut materia in it, it did an unbelievable amount of damage.

15) Your favourite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):

I would love a pet Carbuncle, to be honest, but it terms of attack power and back story I would have to say Anima.

16) Your favourite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):

My favourite overdrive is Rikku’s Mix. I always got everyone to Entrust their overdrives to her. It was just so useful, since you didn’t have to spend lots of turns buffing everyone and it can then be used to cause quite a lot of damage.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into :

Dodging the lightning in X. I was so bad at but it got to the stage where I couldn’t bring myself to give up.

18) Your favourite Cid:

Cid from Final Fantasy X. He tries to protect the Summoners, even if it doesn’t go well, and he is willing to destroy the Home he built to protect his people.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

I think I would be far too clumsy and noticeable to make a good thief. But Yuffie manages it, so who knows?

Sorting #21

the_404_error — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 14:23:42 GMT

Welcome to our newest member of team...

Soldier:
messageinbottle

Black Mages: 50 points
chacusha 10
etsplanations 10
shorlixa 10
sunflower_mynah 10
the_404_error 10

Dragoons: 10 points
preperfectian 10

Monks: 10 points
fromherashes 10

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10
rayiroth 10

Thieves: 50 points
haryan 10
hilian 10
aeriiths 10
sai_salamander 10
toffeethesnob 10

White Mages: 30 points
showyoursmile 10
xinnk 10
Yin (breyzyyin) 10

And now the queue is depressingly empty. Remember, it's 60 points for recruiting someone! ... which I've discovered is easier said than done, but.

sort me!

messageinbottle — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:01:03 GMT

Wowzer... it's been ages since I've been active on LJ! Finally got some time in my hands for a bit during the summer, so would love to do some FF-fangirling again.

The Basics:

Name: Alisa
Age: 24 I think? Let me count... yeah, 24.
Location: London
Occupation: Uhm. My degree says I'm a philosopher. My ambitions and experience say I'm a writer/director. My approaching rent day says I'm a mobile phone tech-expert.
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) No names :( I forgot. Ah, can't remember.

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)

OK, let's see... I would say I'm creative, which is, I suppose my main purpose in life, to keep doing and letting out things that make or don't make sense. As a director I'd also like to think I'm a good team-player, can often see the whole better than others, and can look at things objectively or make people understand different perspectives. I'd also like to think I'm clever but I already feel stupid saying that.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.

I have learned, especially during the past few years, that patience is not my virtue... so I'd say impatient. I get bored quickly if nothing or nobody around me is stimulating to me. I'm also sometimes a bit indecisive, sometimes I have a hard time making my mind up about something or someone. I'm also a little fickle, if I'm completely honest. But not to the point of being deceptive, I'm usually very loyal, but can act in a bit of a bipolar manner.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I'm pretty bang in the middle, I'd say. If I'm in a go-mood, I can be the centre of attention and life of the party. But I can also enjoy just sitting back and listening to others.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: Neither in a fixed way. I worry a lot, but I'm always optimistic. In other words, I try to see and avoid risks before they happen, but never get gloomy or depressive towards others.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: definitely more impulsive, especially when I'm in my element, with friends or enjoying myself, I can get up to silyl ideas quite easilly.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Calm
Explain: People think I'm very level-headed and calm. They've got no idea.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: I get pissed off by stupidity and needless/useless emotion and attention-seeking. I feel for things very deeply, though, but I just don't think it's always necessary to wear your heart on your sleeve.

Grudge-holding [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: Unfortunately, yes, and I'm trying to get over this. But if someone really lets me down or is an arse once, I can forgive them, but I'll never think as highly of them again, and usually take my distance.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.

Uh... I can do both. Often, I need to lead, but I like to call it soft-leading. Meaning you're kind of in charge of the group, but not of the action. I'm quite democratic. However, I get very annoyed by bad leadership. People usually think of me as a good team-person, though, because I'm of the mentality that a team is as strong as it's weakest link. This can apply to work, hobbies, friends, family. If you're there for them, there is a chance they'll be there for you as well.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

I'm sorry, but I'm not for moral philosophy. I dislike it and still detest any judgements made on supposed moral or ethical basis. Everything is subjective.
It's hard to tell, really... Either way you'll be ridden with guilt and shame for the rest of your life - or, I suppose, can you be blamed for the death of the other party if it's not really your fault, you could only assert a positive but there was going to be one negative anyway. I'm quite sure I would go for my loved-one. But again, it would depend in who it is, and what their view would be of the situation.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

I always want to hear what it is that upset them in the first place, and then see what are the possible alternatives for making the situation better. I'm usually the one who tells people to "follow their heart". It's more therapeutic to listen than to give answers. If they come to me again, I'll listen to their sorrows again.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?
KITTENS. Uh, no, well... I write and read. I go to gigs, as I have to with my bf. I love watching silly Woody Allen films, going to galleries, philosophy lectures, museums and drinking in the park.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
Well, ideally, I'd get to do what I do, but in a larger scale and bigger setting. To write, direct, perform, let people see how absurd, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic life is, and that there's nothing you can do about it other than accept it. I'd like to publish some writings, as well as keep my productions on the stage.

There is no other ambition for me, really.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay. 7, 8, 9. In my humble opinion, the golden era. But that's probably because I was young then. Can't really say I've enjoyed anything after 9 with great pleasure. Best characters, best plots with in-depth stories and twists, best music.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why: Wooo... Hmmm... So hard. I'll go with... Laguna, because he's comical, but sexy. Because he ties the story together. Because he's just so likeable. And because his themetune as Orchestral version sounds like a 80's soap opera tune.

Then I'd also say Rinoa. I keep thinking I'm so much like her, especially when I was younger. Plus she's so cute my heart melts.

I also adore all the VII characters, but if I had to choose one more, I'd say Kuja. He is absolutely megalomaniac and ridiculous, and I love it how androgynous they made him.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:
Well, first, Rinoa, because of what mentioned above. As well as, I've often been like her, being part of a group where everyone else is tied together by something in common, and being the only person who stands out. I'm also stubborn and flirty like her.

I also relate to Ruby in IX, being part of a travelling group of artists (and thieves?) and being the only woman can be both hilarious and stressful. I love Tantalus though.

Other than that... hmm I relate to many in different ways.

12) The FF game you liked playing least: 10! No two ways about it. It is shite if you ask me. The characters are boring. The voice acting is bad. Plot is straight-forward and uninteresting. Nothing about that game grips me.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why: Tifa annoys me with her "good-girl next door" attitude and helplessness with the whole situation with Cloud. Yuna though annoys me even more. I hate "saints". It's absolutely hypocritical. And Vaan. Because he's a useless tard.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities): Hmm, it's a difficult question. I suppose I'd go for something like Yuffie's Conformer for it's over-all awesomeness against strong enemies, and it's usefulness with Morph-materia.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.): Phoenix, from FF8. Because, it stands for my philosophy in life. It looks gorgeous. And it makes me cry every time it saves my ass.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.): Mug/Morph. Haha! Also like Aerith's Fury Brand limit for it's sheer usefulness. My favourite spell would be Haste & Regen.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into: It's either Triple-Triad or Chocobos... I played TT for ridiculous amounts of time, though, and I still remember some cards' numbers by heart. SO yeah, Triple Triad. My favourite, and the best.

18) Your favorite Cid: Although I adore the oglop-moustache man, I have to say my heart belongs to CId Highwind. He's amazing both as a character in personality and story, as well as in battles. Love that Cid.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why. I really don't know, I trust your judgment!

Sorting #20

the_404_error — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 15:28:55 GMT

Welcome to the many - at least in comparison to other weeks - new members! Since we had more than usual, we now have new members of four out of six of the teams:

Dragoon:
preperfectian

Monk:
licoricealsorts

Soldier:
zhenteng

Thief:
fireholly
toffeethesnob

Black Mages: 325 points
chacusha 50 points
etsplanations 65 points
shorlixa 65 points
sunflower_mynah 95 points
the_404_error 50 points

Dragoons: 180 points
laifan 30 points
notraffic 70 points
regann 50 points
asteroid_girl 30 points

Monks: 180 points
deadcellredux 140 points
fromherashes 30 points
zerrat 10 points

Soldiers: 100 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 50 points
rayiroth 50 points

Thieves: 240 points
haryan 50 points
hilian 50 points
aeriiths 50 points
lady_supernova 50 points
sai_salamander 40 points

White Mages: 215 points
showyoursmile 110 points
xinnk 55 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 50 points

Application of Force moves Worlds

preperfectian — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:11:33 GMT

The Basics:

Name: Ian
Age: 24
Location: Dallas
Occupation: Tech Support
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) showyoursmile

Personality Questions: brought to you by A Softer World

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)

Intelligent
You are beautiful sir. But I hope you're interesting, too. Do you read? Do you think about what you read? I specifically told the agency I wanted someone who thinks about what he reads.
The primary impression I give when meeting new people is that of intelligence. This isn't completely accurate according to the theory of multiple intelligences, but the ones I lack tend to not be considered, like music. I notice details, unearth problems, connect clues, remember nuances and learn quirks in direct proportion to the amount of time I spend on a task. And that time is usually short, as I wrap my mind around a subject very quickly. I have become accustomed to this high mental speed so much so that driving is atrocious. When I do a job that has a time estimate of one hour, I can get it done in 30 to 45 minutes, whereas driving is going to take a certain amount of time, even if there's no traffic and all green lights.
Introspective
I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do is think about my mistakes.
Motivation and moderation is very important in my life, as we will see later in 'Worst traits'. I manage these through knowing myself and spending time thinking about the events that occur around me. My most valuable college experience was the included counseling that the Health Center provided. Not that I am a danger or even difficult to know. I went initially to talk about insomnia, and over the course of three years, the ladies taught me how to ask myself questions and think on why portions of life are important.
Creative
I usually sleep in, but not today. Today I wake like the Kraken! Weird and damp.
The third aspect of myself is a difficult one to claim, as most of my personality is defined by the first two. But I realize that many of my activities, hobbies, and cleverness rely on this last aspect, creativity. I write stories, poetry, and code, photograph, paint, and edit. Compared to artists, I am not a font of inspiration, but that small amount of creativity that I do foster vastly improves my intelligence by suggesting obscure solutions, or helps me know myself by bringing subtler thoughts to light as I survey my own mind.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.

Quick to Anger
My resolution this year is to buy a dog and practice loving something back.
It's not that my temper flares quickly, I try to be self aware enough to notice sudden changes. It's when the world is too loud, we're too late, too busy. My brain can't process it all, and I revert to a baser, more feral being. Snapping at those pressing on me. At one point in time, I could even have been said to 'have an anger problem', but every time we broke down the situation where I lost control, there was the theme of LOUD. So I have learned to recognize when a situation stressful and I need to exert some additional effort.
In a different context, there are some times when a fight is actively picked. As a thin, lightweight fellow, I've found there's one thing that ends fights. Over The Top. When that thin support of civilization snaps, and someone sees in your eyes the bloodlust while unanticipated pain emanates from various points on their body, reasonable people don't continue. But that is more of a calculated flare of rage than uncontrolled anger, so might not actually be applicable to this question. I've never been in a fight with a punch or retaliation, just one quick PAIN.
Given that I'm learning to recognize when my senses are overwhelmed and growing older so that I don't hang around as many impulsive, testosterone fueled punks, the ugly monster of anger has not reared it's head in several years.
Depression
We need darkness to appreciate the light, and we need sadness to appreciate alcohol.
To the same degree that the one impression I give is of intelligence, the one thing that runs my life internally is depression. Whether I game, write, strategize, make war or love or cookies, it is always as an escape from this. When it's not bad and when it's especially bad I refer to them as 'my chemicals', for I realize they reach down to a level I can never control. During the normal times, writing poetry helps. Finding little combinations of words that can sum up a feeling and nail it to the wall, some concrete place to come back to when I feel that exact way again, for once expressed, a feeling can be understood, when understood, more easily moved past.
Counseling has helped here, taught me to ask the important questions of 'where am i drawing my sense of value from' and 'how can I show that I'm successful'. If there's one thing that really changed my life, it would be the ~8 years of counseling from high school through college. It's important enough that I married a psychologist, though that's not the only reason I bed her hot a...and back to depression. As you can see, sometimes it's easier to get out of my head than other times.
Aloof
Feelings are the real kissing disease.
A friend once compared me to The Big Bang Theory. You know, the show about all the socially awkward nerds attempting to interface with reality. I asked which character, to which the reply was 'not Penny', if that gives any indication of how I interact. My idea of going to a party is sitting in a corner having a good conversation with one person. We'll dive a little more into this with the ratings below.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain:
I would rather stay in than go out. I would rather be quiet than talk. While I do enjoy conversation, multiple participants are difficult to track simultaniously. Give me a quiet corner with an interesting person at any party.

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Gloomy
Explain:
Depression is one of the major parts of my internal life. I try not to bother other people with it too much, but is that succumbing to the same by devalueing my own feelings. I have chipper moments, but they mostly involve being pulled out of my head by my wife.

Reserved [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain:
PLANS! Going out needs plans, talking to people needs plans, spending time by myself needs plans. Without plans, how would you know what to do with your time? What would waking hours be without constantly running potential scenerios through various models to see what the best plan of action would be?

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Calm
Explain:
I am fairly calm. I like quiet, I like situations that develop slowly instead of surprizing me suddenly. I like sitting more than moving. I think about a problem before tackling it.

Logical/Thinking [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain:
There was a point, granted in immature high school, that I wondered if I was completely devoid of emotion. Most of that extreme is gone, but sometimes I make my friends wonder that about me. If, for example, we wonder where we are going to eat, most people lead off with 'i feel like burgers'. I tend to optimize for time, proximity, and cost-quality ratio, considering things like who rides in what car, how long the ride can be if we sit in a certain proximity, whether we'll want to sit in that same proximity after devouring a superburrito. Sonic almost never wins, for what I would say are obvious reasons, but as this is to help you understand my personality, I shall explain. You have to sit in the car together or the weather for the entire duration. The options are all expensive as there is not a proper dollar menu. The quality is low except for the drink options, which are always overpriced unless you're there during 'happy hour' (2-4). If you brought two cars of people, no one can really interact between the cars, unless, again, weather is tolerated. Sonic is optimal to briefly drop by to get drinks during happy hour on your way to a different location.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] Forgiving
Explain:
That introspective and depressive nature also lends itself towards forgiveness. I understand your perspective and why that was troublesome for you and I'm sorry, will you forgive me, and I'll be better next time. Teach me to consider the world from your point of view so that I understand how you think and how to cater to you when interacting with you.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.

I do not prefer to work in teams. Someone always drops the ball, and I like to do a complete job. I usually have a clear idea in my head of how the project will look at the finish, and devalue any other opinion. This all applies to projects that I care about, whether it be for fun or for a grade that I want. If it is a group that I am not emotionally invested in, I tend to sit back and only do what people tell me to. While I do a complete job with my share of the work, it's not something that I am invested in directing.

Leader Example: In a robotics club, I spent nearly thirty hours a week creating the designing, drawing the plans, directing the creation of parts, and training people how to drive the robot. Because robots are fun and I enjoyed it.

Follower Example: Group project in research writing class that I was sure to ace even though I hated it: "You guys plan it, research it, email me the info and I'll write the paper, then someone can present it to the class." They didn't have to do their least favorite part, I didn't have to interact or stand up in front of anyone.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

Here, I must refer to the Dr. Manhattan Decision. To a sufficiently advanced being, humanity overall is meaningless except for those fleeting moments spent with those you love. That is to say, saving the children would be the last good act I would ever do if I chose the children over my wife. I am good, and I want to continue to do good and be good. This forces me to sacrifice the 24 innocent children to be the best person that I can be. Surely the amount of good I can do will save more than a bus-full of innocents with the rest of my life.

All that being said, if it were a sacrifice-to-save situation, where I wouldn't make it out alive, I wouldn't want to force my wife into wallowing in pity/loneliness/anst for the rest of her life. I would dive to my death to save those children that have limitless potential without a second thought.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

I labeled these at first to be Male and female interactions because I find that with the few people I interact with, the two common genders want to be related to in different ways. I always leave room for my friends to have their own personality rather than fit either of these. As a friend, I learn how to interact with that person and what sorts of things they need. When I really thought about it though, the base difference tends to be split along these lines (original labels left in slashes):

People who don't want to have emotions related to their problems before coming to a solution ~~Male friends~~: After briefly listening to the situation, determine if it is important for me to fix the problem or simply listen to the expression of frustration. Spend a little time talking about the situation, and then distract him with games, food, or another conversation topic. When he returns with the same issue two days later, then I know it's important and dedicate full mental capacity to being aware of what the friend is asking for. I tend to play devil's advocate if I think it's more of an opinion thing, trying to help the friend see the other person's perspective. I begin to think if I could intervene to solve the issue for them and whether or not that would be too blunt.

People who need to emotionally deal with a situation before coming to a solution ~~Female friends~~: First I listen and ask questions about the situation to understand it. I'm working right now to start making affirming confirmation statements, like 'I'm sure it made you feel sad that your opinion wasn't considered.' Then later in the conversation I briefly look at whether I need to fix the issue or not. I'll sometimes tell a little story that shows I know how she feels, just long enough to be distracting, but not so long as to take the focus off of her. Slowly, I try to introduce the other person's perspective, if it's something I can see. I'll let her dictate how long we continue to talk. When she comes back to the topic later, it's pretty much the same thing, but instead of a story of how I can relate, I ask 'Is there anything I can do to help you with this?' If it's a fix-it issue, then we dive into problem solving techniques, like, how she wants to approach the issue and crafting the wording of a text just so.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?

Video games (LoL, later Final Fantasies, Battlefield 2142, lots of Tower Defenses, Disgaea, Valkyrie Profile, Crush, Dissidia, Pokemon(black), SSB Brawl, and sadly puzzlequest)
Board games (Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Citadels, Puerto Rico)
RPG games (D&D 4th ed, nWoD, and we've experimented with so many others for a few sessions. Dungeons the Dragoning, Exalted, Eclipse Phase, WHFB RPG, various 40K games, two FF games, Noblis, Serenity, L5R, among others).
I read sci-fi, science, philosophy, psychology, christian literature, the bible, fiction, fantasy, and RPG rulesbooks. Those epic series that never end are the best. Long series: harry potter, dune, dark tower series, narnia, Ringworld. Shorter: Space Trilogy, His Dark Materials, LotR/Hobbit/Silmarilion, Circle Trilogy.
I listen to music: folk, anti-folk, rock, rap, blues, bluegrass, things with heavy bass and whimsical female vocals (Dido, Jem/Imogen Heap/Regina Spektor), exploring dubstep and electronica a little but it's a finesse genre that needs to be well done to be good.
I watch movies and some TV series, mostly in geekdom. Dr. Who, Dexter, Evangelion, Trigun, Stargate, BSG, Reaper, Dead Like Me, Dollhouse, Firefly/Serenity, The Guild, Bleach, House MD, and Burn Notice. I prefer to let some seasons build up and then watch them all at once (haven't seen House or Dexter or Dr Who since S4).
I read plenty of webcomics, but have certain...standards that not all of them reach. The shortlist for quality is QC, sinfest, El Goonish Shive, Riceboy, Anders Loves Maria, Dresden Codak, Snafu, Girl Genius, XKCD, Ctrl-Alt-Del, Dominic Deegan, Gennerkrigg Court, LICD/LFG, and misfile. Some others are Flipside, Twokinds, VGCats, Zits, Chugsworth Academy, A softer world, applegeeks, megatokyo, curvy, get a roomie, phd, shortpacked/dumbing of age, dilbert, penny arcade, two guys and guy. Then more that don't even make that list. Oh, gods I read alot of webcomics.
Coding a little, though it goes slowly since I can only really do it during down time at work. When there's all kinds of excellent media to consume, I can't code at home very well. I greatly enjoy the design portions of gaming though. Really thinking through how to make the mechanics support the story that is being told, how level design can support the story that is being told, etc.
I also cook experimentally, though I have no misconceptions that I'm good at that one.
I draw and write poetry, which is good, but so time consuming I don't do much.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.

Game Design: I love design work. Thinking about the implications of this, or how having a lives based system limits the player, how high the jumping ability of this platformer affects the fantasy level of the immersion. How game mechanics can force people into adapting roles without setting distinct classes into the system. If someone paid me to come up with those ideas and design a game that would tell their perfectly scripted little story, I would love my life.

Programming: A puzzle, albeit a bit frustrating at times.

IT Support: It would be like not working at all. Just fix things!

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.

~~Dissidia~~ - Not a fighting game, more like a Mary Sue/Gary Stu/S&M crossslashing game. But beautiful, fun to play, and I feel so powerful. I main Gabranth and when you pop into EX Mode that will never end, with the speed and power that goes with that, it all feels so smashing. I think they messed up the sequel by bringing down the power level. It was Fun to be able to smash things into oblivion, that's why we all play final fantasy. Because Losing is equivalent to Game Over. Honorable Mention.

~~Tactics~~ - I really like the strategy games and the politics of the plot, so this gets honorary mention.

FFVII - The leap that this makes is phenominal. The thought that is placed into the storyline, the revolutionary graphics, the excellent balance of power vs time in the mechanics.

FFIX - The story itself gets this one here. The utter genius of giving each character a tagline struggle that they work through is amazing. I love the way different personalities clash or get along. There are stumbling blocks, like the way combat is delayed nearly a full turn from my choices makes things a little difficult, and I hate having my party dictated by an arbatrary force, but I do realize that is part of the game, and really gives a sense of chaos to the doomsday plot they find themselves in.

FFX - I think this is where the story, graphics, and gameplay peaked. Each character has struggles and motivations for being on the team, even if some are only hinted at. The models and scenery and FMVs are beautifully rendered, with some half decent voice acting and summons are soooo pretty. No character was locked into one role or locked out of the battle. The Limit Breaks were powerful and interactive. The sidequests were bountiful and the story was long. After this, they keep trying to make an MMO, or have non-interactive gameplay, or forget to write a good plot. Before this, the graphics are pixelated, the graphics, ok, lets face it, mostly just graphics.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:

Fran/Balthier - This duo plays off of each other so well. The fancy talk and fun accents with playful banter between one outgoing and one reserved member of an implied-but-not-explicit romantic relationship. The sexy goth cuteness of a armored bunnygirl paired with the dashing splendor of a crystalpunk ex-military pirate overwhelms me. If only I could play entire games centered on this wonderful pair of soulmates.

Vivi - The sorrowful and introspective storyline of this experimental little black mage, stuck forever between grown up and childhood, humanity and alien, loneliness and my cuddles of comfort. Tug at my heartstrings more, you little black mage throwback, YOU!

Gabranth - It helps that he is in two games. I main him in Dissidia, where he is powerful and fun to beat manikins up with. In his original game, there were decisions he makes that cast him into the 'bad guy' role, but when you think more deeply on his story, you see the shades of gray. He was only looking out for his mommy, and then everyone knew it was over for Dalmacia, it seemed reasonable to side with the winner and not get crushed under the behometh of war like Basch and the others.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from

#8 if applicable) and why:

Vivi Ornitier - I strongly identify with the issues Vivi struggles with. The sorrow, fear, and facination of death. I find his cute yet powerful, mysterious persona and the unraveling of his backstory entrancing. He's easy to draw, and yet there's a complexity that one can dive into.

Kimahri Ronso - Guardians are such an interesting concept. Risking their lives for the most empathetic among them, battling fiercely on a journey few complete. Kimahri has such a unique look and can easily fill whatever role one wishes from the outset of the game. Together with a drain ability that doesn't consume MP, and a range of special magics when his overdrive triggers, he has a fun variety. The story is an endearing coming of age, growing up a runt (despite being the largest on Yuna's team), and a beautiful, platonic love story protecting his summoner (or not so platonic, depending on which gear my brain is in).

Professor Hojo - Perhaps an odd choice, but definitely one I identify with, though not one I particularly look up to, the eccentric scientist, the experimenter, the love of pure science or at least limitless power. I find myself thinking 'that's a very Hojo idea' whenever brainstorming plot ideas for a new little story or fun bit of fanfic.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:

FFIX - The mechanics were awful. The graphics and autopotions filled so much time that you were selecting actions for characters a turn in advance, making healing and reviving guesswork. The stealing of characters from my party forced me to level evenly, dispite the severe dislike for certain characters in combat. I keep wanting to replay it so that I can remember the story better, but can't get further than a half hour in before I'm frustrated and turning it off.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:

~~Cait Sith~~ (not Reeve though, he's cool) - Is what I would have said, back in the day. He still annoys me from time to time, if I think too hard, but it's a personality, and one that brings a fun dynamic to the game. And there is a great motivation for him to be there, and good subtlety regarding this motive and unveiling it through Reeve.

So my actual three most disliked are:

Ashe - This dislike is actually a bit more highbrow than the others. Dear Ashe, we know you were the main character, even if the story's perspective is from Vaan. And we realize that there could be some conflict over the issues that are presented to you over the course of the story. But grow a pair and actually FORM AN OPINION from time to time. We got through the final cut scene, where there is this grand 'Ashe made the morally right decision' moment, and I was like, 'Ashe was making a decision?' Another playthrough later, I could put my finger on what I hated. The other characters always suggest actions and motivations from her, trying to manipulate, guess, and posture, but she never commits, never claims any of them as her own. She doesn't let me know there's a struggle. She's as much railroaded through this plot as I was!

Vaan - It's not all about you! There's this grand story with people that actually matter, and you have to mention you precious little 'peon in the underdog army' brother everytime someone says anything about the war. Every conversation that has meaningful loss, you jump into and add 'and penelo is missing, and my brother died too, and you killed my brother, and i wanna airship.' I feel like you are possibly the tiniest person that was a Final Fantasy character.

The Frog from FFIX - the genderless thing that everyone postulated was a real character. At first, it was, 'nifty sidequest I can avoid', but then later we returned and I was like 'oh, this must be another silly sidequest to feed frogs', then a few cut scenes later it was like 'why is that THING still here, thought I cooked that?' Later, it FORCED me to USE it in my PARTY. So offended I could hardly talk about it. WHAT RIGHT HAVE YOU TO SAVE GAIA, you gastrointestinally motivated androgyous frog?

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):

~~All Blood Swords, always.~~
Cloud's Advent Children sword
~~Gabranth's click-together sword~~
Wantz 4 slot Weapons FFX Physical - Break damage limit, Evade and counter, magic counter, piercing
Wantz 4 slot weapons FFX Magic - BDL, One MP Cost, Magic Booster, Triple Overdrive

Cloud's Advent Children sword is winning here for the cool points and the casual air that he swings them around. Serated sword, dual weild, two fisted, stand on one fight with other, click-click-click-click. If I had one weapon IRL, it would be that. I'm seeing it mounted between the horns of Ultima and Omega weapon's skulls with a larger-than-life nude triptych of Tifa, Aerith, and Yuffie over the TV.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):

Alexander, the giant protector made of city with a castle instead of a helmet and the holy-elemental Divine Judgement. I don't like every aspect of any games incarnation of him, but the concept, the IDEA. If you mix the best parts of all the Alexanders, you get a really good thing, and I chalk this up to Alexander being too awesome to actually fit within any of the games. He lessens himself, bringing his power down to a level that can protect us instead of accidentally squishing our weak and tepid frames. Especially illustrated in FFIX, where he isn't actually a summon in the game, but simply appears in an FMV cutscene because he's sooo OTT powerful.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):

How am I to limit myself to one? Fine, I will make a list and then choose one to extrapolate on.
Chakra (of the FFIX variety) - regaining health and mana while dealing that much damage to hp and mp
Jump - the ability to avoid damage and attack extra hard
Chaos (of the FFVII Vincent LimitBreak variety) - enough Rawr to kill everything!
Mug - Stealing and attacking
Armor Break - maximum possible damage
Lulu's Overdrive - so many SPELLS!

Chaos wins, for pure cool factor alone. Experimentally-abused vampire possessed by one of the most powerful beings on the planet in an uncontrollable rage of damage makes my little nerd heart drool. I will be Vincent, you be Lucrecia; I will be Chaos, you be Omega. The emotional drama and battling conflict will rage!

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:

Triple Triad: Did you know you can play online!
Sphere Break: The only other reason to play the battle-dress-up game with two cuties and Yuna. The math and mindnumbingness was mindblowing!

18) Your favorite Cid:

Dissidia: Cid of the Lufaine
How to do this without any spoilers...
The way Cid's plot isn't even essential to the story but is woven into the metagame so cleanly that the actual mechanics of the fighting game start to become part of the story...It's beautiful to behold.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

While there are classes that I am certainly not, I think this summary of my personality should hint at where your votes should be. I certainly would not try to swing your vote with a manipulative side comment.

Edited for readability and clarity on 6.

Application to be stamped

licoricealsorts — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:04:57 GMT

The Basics:

Name:Licoriceallsorts
Age:over 21
Location:Canada
Occupation:Teacher
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.)I think it was either through a meme, or a posting that deadcell or notraffic made

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)
Creative
Patient
Non-judgemental

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.
Forgetful
Untidy (desperately so)
I sometimes neglect my friends when I'm absorbed in a project; I can get very single-minded and hyperfocused

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [x ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain:
I really like people and love finding out their stories and their take on life, the universe and everything, but I find it tiring being in company for long periods of time. Most of my preferred interests are solitary ones, and I need lots of uninterrupted thinking time or I get crabby.
Cheerful [ ] [X ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain:
I wouldn't have thought I was exceptionally cheerful, but friends, and colleagues I work with, always tell me how my happiness gives them a boost. Since people are constantly commenting on my 'irrepressible cheerfulness', I guess I must be
Reserved [ ] [ ] [x ] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain:
I like doing things on a whim, but when it comes to confiding in others I am quite reserved and take a long time to really trust them.
Energetic [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Calm
Explain:
I am energetic in a calm way; I don't easily get flustered or anxious,x and I don't sweat the small stuff. But I like to keep busy and have lots of projects on the go.
Logical/Thinking [x ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain:
Illogical thinking drives me batty.
Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ x] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain:
Depends what you mean by forgive. I don't hold grudges - I just cut that person out of my life, leave them behind and move on. Life is too short to waste it on brooding about the past, but it's also too precious to share with people who betray
4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.
I am a terrible team member. I only focus intermittently. Nothing is more boring to me than meetings and I end up doodling compulsively. According to some psychological profiling I did once, I am that outside-the-box off-the-wall creative thinker who will throw a dozen ideas into the pot and then leave everybody else to fine tune them and carry them out. I am really only interested in doing my own thing. I like being in a team if I can tell everybody else what to do, and I am fine being in a team where somebody else tells me what to do. But collaborative strategy discussions? Forget it!
5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?
I would choose to save my own child.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?
I am not normally someone that people come to when they are upset; probably my relentless cheerfulness makes them feel I might be unable to empathise. I think my reaction would depend on a) how dear they were to me, and b) how serious the cause of the upset was. A deep hurt can require weeks or months of healing and much venting, and all a friend needs to do is listen patiently for as long as it takes, while maybe occasionally interjecting a gentle leading question.
7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?
I spend a lot of my spare time ferrying my kids around, which I enjoy, because I'm taking them to things that they enjoy. Aside from that, I like: drawing (taking life classes) amateur dramatics (chorus line of old Broadway musicals, or stage crew); reading (novels, history, studies in popular culture); learning languages (currently, Japanese); and writing (mostly fanfic)
8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
Diplomat: languages, foreign travel. I'm quick to assmilate with other cultures, and I would love all the negotation and wheely-dealings.
Psychiatrist: I'm interested in what makes people tick, and I'd be strongly motivated to help them get better, but I'd tend to view my patients as a problem to be solved and I wouldn't get personally, emotionally over-invested in them
University professor: young impressionable people would be forced to listen to my opinions and then write essays about them

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.
1. FFVII and all its compilations. "There isn't a single thing I don't cherish," as Cloud would say. Even the things that are annoying and stupid about it (like Dirge of Cerberus), I love, just like you love the big wart on your beloved's face because it's his wart on his face.
2. FFXII. Lots of reasons, but three will do for now: the rich complexity of their world; loot; Fran&Balthier
3. FFVI. This is a game I need to devote more time to. I love the characters.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:
I really wanted to pick three different characters from three different games to show how ecumenical I am, but what the hell - the truth is, my three favourite characters are Tseng, Rufus, and Reno. And the honest reason is because I've spent the last three years writing a humungeous multi-chapter fanfic about them. When you spend that much time in somebody's company, you tend to get fond. My three favourite female characters are Tifa, Freya, and Fran.
11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:
Tseng? Because he's been my viewpoint character for so much of that fanfic I just mentioned. The character most like me is probably Fran, except I'm not such a hot bunny.
12) The FF game you liked playing least:
FFVIII. The drawing was annoying and the card game was annoying and Squall and Rinoa were annoying
13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:
Genesis, because he could have been so much better.
Quina in FFIX. I feel really bad saying this, but I find it repulsive.
Quistis in FFVIII, for the same reason as Genesis. She should have been more awesome. But with all three of these characters, I feel that it was their developers who failed; I don't blame the characters themselves
14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):
The iconic Buster sword.
15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):
In Crisis Core I loved Tseng's DMW Limit break or whatever those things were called; I'd always equip Zack with Cissnei's Lucky Stars materia and the Aerial Strike materia, just so I could hear Tseng's deep voice say "Is this the end?" over and over, followed by Zack protesting, "I'm trying, I'm trying!" The little vignettes were cool, too. Actually I just liked looking at Tseng
16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):
Steal. Nothing beats that feeling when you half-inch a really rare item.
17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:
FFVII Chocobo breeding. It became an end in itself.
18) Your favorite Cid:
Cid Highwind. He's so real.
19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.
Mage. I never use magic unless I have to. I'd rather spend time grinding (and stealing stuff) and then just whack my enemies with my mighty sword of power. It's fun blasting large numbers of flans with Firaga, though!

Stamping Application

zhenteng — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:46:54 GMT

The Basics:

Name: Zen
Age: 23
Location: Singapore
Occupation: In Process, Will Know For Sure In Three Weeks
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Heard it mentioned in casual conversation by etsplanations and xinnk, enthused about by sunflower_mynah. Was then introduced by shorlixa to the Application Guide.

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)
Has Good Grammar.
Falls into conversation easily; often waylaid by strangers asking for directions.
Will tolerate stupidity if it is the only way by which a useful outcome is achieved.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.
Grammar Nazi. English Teacher noises will be made at people who misuse commas.
Absentness -- I can never remember what the date is. And I've walked into pillars simply from not paying attention.
Am also lazy. Will exert self it reward is nice, or if enjoyment is had in the doing. Will not exert self for frivolous things like revenge or politics unless enjoyments outweigh exertion.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I like having time to myself and spending time with others, but I feel more rested doing the former.

Edit: EVERYONE. I am so sorry! I'd written the little 'x' in the wrong box. You see how absent I am. Please forgive and revise vote if necessary!!

Cheerful [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: Life's too short to be gloomy! If gloom must be had, it must be channelled into caustic amusement!! BETWEEN TRAGEDY AND COMEDY, ONLY THE OUTCOME DETERMINES THE GENRE.

Reserved [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: I'm not sure how to answer this. I tend to act on my impulses after attempting to think them through.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Calm
Explain: I spend too much energy already performing vital bodily functions. Waste not, want not.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: Emotion can be logically explained as something illogical, but logic cannot be explained by emotion.

EDIT: ...and lo, I've done it again. Absentness will kill me one day. Maybe I concussed myself too hard on that last pillar I walked into -- should really stop reading while doing other stuff...

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: Depending on the depth of the offence, the extent of its ramifications and the generosity of reparations. In most cases, all forgiveness requires is decent behaviour on the part of the offender and a genuine effort to make amends. Eg. spill curry on my expensive new dress? Pay for the dress/ buy me another of the same dress, and I'll forgive you. Spread vicious lies about me to other people? Have a miserable life and I'll forgive you. Harm my family? I'LL GATHER MY THIRTEEN AUNTS AND UNCLES AND TOGETHER WITH THEIR CHILDREN WE WILL HUNT YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.

If there're real stakes to be had, I generally dislike working in teams. The people with whom I have had the misfortune to work are usually either short-sighted, enthusiastically slipshod, last-minute rushers, nonentities (i.e. they never turn up), purely incompetent, directionless, or lumpen creatures who sit around pretending to be do something. For some reason I nearly always end up herding everyone. It is a terrible waste of energy.

Two years ago a particularly memorable team in which I had the pleasure of being a peon for once witnessed a spectacular political blow-up between the two heavyweights -- that was not fun. The Club President and person who was to become the Valedictorian of the Faculty went at each other with all the viciousness of Jonsonian drama; for a while it was as if my Inbox had seen the Apocalypse. The administrators had to step in to calm things down, and the event went smoothly in the end, but it left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

It would be lovely if I met intelligent, competent people who didn't let their egos get in the way of being efficient. I would love to be part of a team like that.

But that is for Real Life. Things are different for games, especially cooperative gaming. I've yet to be in a game that had ended in acrimony, and I'm such a n00b that I'm never in charge. It's wonderful.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?

The world is overpopulated as it is. I would save my friend.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?

In the first instance, I become an Agony Aunt. I have no problems with listening to people, especially if it makes them feel better afterwards. Assuming there have been no developments in her complaints or regarding the issue (s)he is upset over if (s)he should come to me for more comfort two days later, (s)he is due for a little scolding.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?

I like drawing and painting! And RPGs and strategy games and board games and text adventures. I write non-angsty poetry and make comics.
I like good food even better, so I often invite people out to eat or attend tea parties.
Pretty dresses also take up a frivolously significant corner of my life.
Reading I do in every spare moment in which I'm not doing anything else.
I avoid TVtropes and 9gag as much as I possibly can.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
writer -- because reading, writing and drawing is what I live for.
comic artist -- because reading, writing and drawing is what I live for.
ridiculously overpaid private tutor -- because it would give me the means to fund the other two careers in between books, and I enjoy teaching.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.

Final Fantasy VIII - because it was the first FF game I ever played.
Final Fantasy VII - because it had a good, convoluted plot.
Final Fantasy IV - because Kain is in it.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:

I'm afraid I'm the kind of person who bases his judgement of video game characters on how hot they are. So, in order of hotness: Kain, Fang, Terra.

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:

I relate to Selphie. More specifically, I can totally relate to how she infiltrated an enemy base and launched missiles at their national Garden, singing a little ditty with a big smile on her face.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:

FFVIII, oddly enough: Rinoa kept ruining the story, and Drawing got more than a little tedious.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:

Rinoa, who seems to be created especially to annoy.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):

I like the idea of a Gunblade. Rule of Cool and all that. Though I expect it would be silly in real life combat.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):

Knights of the Round. Summon them a few times and nothing can stop you.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):

Esuna. Simple is best. I like all-round status-effect cures.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:

Oh god that Triple Triad card game...

18) Your favorite Cid:

Cid Highwind! Makes airships, chain-smokes, wields a harpoon. What's not to like?

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.

REPEAT EDIT: EVERYONE. I am so sorry! I'd written the little 'x' in the wrong box for both the [introverted/extraverted] and [logical/emotional] question. You see how absent I am. Please forgive and revise vote if necessary!!

Sorting #19

the_404_error — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:45:02 GMT

Welcome to our newest member of team...

White Mage:
showyoursmile

Black Mages: 130 points
chacusha 10 points
etsplanations 10 points
naliarenegade 70 points
panda3035 10 points
shorlixa 10 points
sunflower_mynah 10 points
the_404_error 10 points

... and now this time it's holy double black magic flare. I'm in awe, team, seriously.

Dragoons: 20 points
grimoire 10 points
regann 10 points

Monks: 20 points
lightofeilia 10 points
fromherashes 10 points

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10 points
rayiroth 10 points

Thieves: 40 points
haryan 10 points
hilian 10 points
aeriiths 10 points
sai_salamander 10 points

White Mages: 10 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 10 points

showyoursmile — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 16:47:13 GMT

The Basics:

Name: Chels
Age: 23
Location: Texas, USA
Occupation: Aspiring Speech-Language Pathologist...but technically right now, I'm a new grad looking for a job, being a nanny for my niece and brand-new nephew, and will soon dive into applying to grad school so I can get licensed as a full therapist, rather than being stuck at the assistant qualifications.
How did you find out about this community? An advertisement in ff7

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.) This subject feels so awkward to talk about, like "Oh, let me puff out my chest for you and tell you how great I am~" buuuut of course it is important to acknowledge both positive and negative -- only a negative view of a person would be really skewed, and I wouldn't actually want you to only know my bad traits. :P I'm going to try not to feel braggy when talking about my good traits is the entire purpose of this question.

I feel like empathy without sacrificing perspective, a blend of hard work & intelligence, and general kindness/consideration are three of my best traits. My dad teasingly calls me a bleeding heart, but my heartstrings get frequently tugged on others' behalf, usually because I automatically put myself in their place and imagine how I would feel if that was my life falling to pieces, or if that situation was happening to me. I make a conscious effort not to presume I can ever actually know exactly what a person is experiencing, but I feel that I can connect with other people's difficult situations while still seeing the situation from a number of perspectives. (Maybe that's my psychology degree coming into play, or maybe I went into psychology because of that tendency...) I don't empathize with their struggle and only their struggle, but I can fully see their side while still seeing the side of another person, like if my friend is having trouble with her mother or something like that. Or if someone's mother passed away early in life, I can imagine how painful it is to think she would never see her daughter get married, or experience the birth of the grandchildren, and how the daughter would feel about her mother missing things of that nature. It completely breaks my heart, and I genuinely feel for them, not in a "you poor thing" sympathetic sort of way, but I really absorb it pretty deeply. I think it's also why I get so wrapped up in the story and character aspect of...anything, really, be it obvious books/movies or something like video games (which would be contrasted with people who care about the gameplay itself). I don't get creepy-emotionally involved, but I do feel their plight. I still cry a little when King Triton destroys Ariel's Grotto in The Little Mermaid...though that might point more toward me being a leaky faucet than empathetic, who knows.

The hard work/intelligence duality might seem kind like cheating to combine, but I feel like with me, it's a blending trade off with me. I've gone through life mentally comparing myself and my older brother who is very naturally intelligent, but he was always less of a hard worker if he was uninterested in the subject matter. I, on the other hand, am naturally pretty smart, but my rewards tend to come from me working my little butt off to study for those exams and absorb that class material. I can't read it once and just know it like some people can, but I get really driven to do my best and cannot fathom the idea of not turning in an assignment, even if I could still get a high A without it. My brother, on the other hand, used to literally calculate exactly how many assignments he needed to complete in order to not have to take the final exam and still pass...when he could have completely aced everything if he just did the work. It was sort of our funny joke between us, but it is definitely a personality difference that has always stood out to me, and I'm not saying his way is wrong, but the way my personality works, I value the fact that I balance the two in order to reach success. In 9th grade, my Pre-AP English teacher gave us each a word that she felt described us, and mine was "conscientious"; it resonated with me and in a way kind of drove the idea into my conscious awareness.

Lastly, I think of myself as just being a generally nice person. It's one of those things that, all my life, people have told me that I'm nice, I have a sweet spirit, etc. etc. No one ever tells me "You are SO SPONTANEOUS" or "You are THE most EXCITING and ENERGETIC person I have ever been in the presence of!", but by golly they tell me I'm nice, and although some people feel that's super boring and would be insulted at the assessment, I value being considered a nice, trustworthy person that people know will be kind to them and treat them with consideration. I don't think I have to be the center of everyone's universe to have value...and just to be completely clear, I'm not saying there aren't super spontaneous and center-of-attention people who aren't also very kind, I'm just using that as my little contrast of what different people value as a good trait. I like (almost) everyone I've ever come in contact with; I want to be nice and friendly with them; and I want to be liked in return. Some could argue I'm actually "too nice" sometimes because I can't bring myself to express a disinterest in talking to someone I don't really want to talk to (one particular socially-challenged guy I know comes to mind) and I have trouble directly expressing myself when I dislike something or someone, but I really don't ever want to make anyone sad. I don't want to ever be the reason someone walks away feeling rejected, or feeling like I thought their idea was stupid. It kind of ties into empathy in that I always think "wow, I would feel so sad if someone said that to me, so I don't want to say that to them."

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses. I can be selfish; I have a bad habit of negatively interpreting certain things; and I'm prone to shutting myself off. For the first, I really don't WANT to be selfish, but it's something I'm trying hard to work on. If it's between doing something I want to do versus something my husband wants to do but I DON'T, it is so, so hard for me to make sacrifices for him the same way he does for me. He's not perfect about it, but I know I have room to grow in putting others' interests first.

For negative interpretation, this tends to come out with things I'm already kind of feeling insecure or upset about. I can't think of a specific example off the top of my head, but like...okay, one example is related to my strange relationship with clothes. I've always been a jeans and (rarely form-fitting) t-shirt girl, and when people would dare to suggest I could pull off a far more upgraded wardrobe, it used to make me so upset because I would interpret it like "What are you trying to say? That I don't look pretty if I'm not dressed up? Do I have to primp for everyone? I'm not your Barbie doll!" on the inside, even if I never expressed with such, uh, hostility...and of course, they weren't saying that at all. They were actually trying to pay me a compliment. And it's not even that I didn't like cute clothes -- I just felt like I couldn't afford a total wardrobe transformation and it feels awkward to have only one cute outfit amongst other normal ones. But it's things like that. Another example, a few weeks ago, my husband (though he was my fiance at the time, since we juuust got married) was talking to my mom, so I made food for myself but not him (since I didn't know what he wanted) -- he commented that I didn't make anything for him, and although he INTENDED it as a joke, his tone didn't sound like a joke, and I interpreted it as a "you're the woman, MAKE ME A SAMMICH" even though I KNOW he is not that type of guy at all. He actually cooks more than I do. It was just this automatic brain-response of "you're attacking me right now". Fortunately it didn't even take us 5 minutes to work it out, but yeah, I wish I didn't do that kind of thing.

For the last one, this applies mostly to everyday "real life" relationships because I am not a pursuer in relationships. I can LOVE someone to pieces and enjoy every precious second in their presence, but it is so hard for me to initiate hanging out with people. On top of that, I value a lot of "me time" because a lot of my hobbies (like jrpg video games, writing, etc.) are one-person activities. I am fortunate to have some core friends who make that effort and remind me to try, but I feel bad because I know they want me to reach out more; it's a trait that makes me seem more aloof than I actually am. I can't even keep up with Facebook for more than a week or two at a time before I'm failing at it again.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

I just want to take a quick moment to say YAY for the "explain" portion of the following questions. Likert scales benefit so much from them, and it's hard for me to answer scales like this without being able to elaborate a bit. ♥

Introverted [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: I'd say I'm middle of the road on this because I'm introverted and quiet by default, but I come out of my shell around my friends (who tend to be more extroverted than me). There's also part of me that wants to be extroverted but feels kind of locked into what people expect of me, I guess? I also tend to be more outgoing on the internet, even if I probably sound lame saying that.

Cheerful [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: I'm a pretty happy person, and even when I'm feeling depressed about something, I wouldn't say I'm really gloomy, per se. I'm not perpetually bubbly (it's generally the above-mentioned excitement when my friends and I get ourselves going), but I'm at least pleasant the vast majority of the time.

Reserved [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Impulsive
Explain: I don't go out and do spontaneous/crazy things, nor do I impulsively jump into situations...ever, really, but I don't feel comfortable saying I'm extremely reserved either. I sometimes impulsively buy stuff... It's not a common or excessive thing, but if I'm impulsive with anything, it's probably that. Generally I like to think things through from multiple angles and see to it that I make the right decision. Even impulse buys have quite a bit of mental back-and-forthing over "SHOULD I GET THIS? DO I NEED THIS....?? (YES.)"

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Calm
Explain: I probably sound like a broken record. I might be blurring the answers more than I'm supposed to, but again, mostly calm and chill, but I have an internal energy reserve that I can call on when necessary. If this is referring more to activeness, I'm definitely more into calm activities than ones that are active and require a lot of energy. Sports are a big no-no. Books, please.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: A hard one! I feel deadlocked in the middle because I think things out logically and have a very thoughtful approach (my husband always says it's one of the things he loves most about be), but I am also very empathetic and naturally take feelings and emotions into account. I can't coldly ignore human emotions just because some action is more logical, but I also can't totally ignore logic and what is best in the grand scheme over fleeting emotional states. It's something I balance in a case-by-case basis and that varies throughout situations, so I think I'm middle-of-the-road for this one.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: I'm definitely not one of those people who can instantly forgive anyone, and I've had some grudges in the past, but I don't actually MULL on those grudges for lasting periods of time. I think I'm pretty good at seeing other people's perspectives, so although it might be hard in the moment, I tend to come around (especially if there's a heartfelt apology). Either way, I never act on grudges, and holding onto them for a long time doesn't really do me any good. Being bitter about something really only upsets me; it doesn't change what happened.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went. I have a situation-dependent relationship with teamwork. As a high-achiever, I enjoy working in teams that are as motivated and dedicated as I am, but it drives me up the wall if there are members who just laze around and wait to take credit for other people's work, or who are just generally impossible to get in contact with. Let's consider two different group projects I had this past year: For one, we had a team of highly-motivated members who were all eager to do well. We made a plan to stay on the ball and finish early -- and as planned, we finished a full month early and got full credit on the project. On the other hand, the more recent group was NOT as interested in getting things done. The class already didn't meet often, and they didn't answer emails/were generally unavailable for meetings. They didn't express strong opinions or give suggestions about how we would do the project, and they certainly weren't finishing the project early. We still got an A, by one other member and I basically took everything and cleaned it all up ourselves at the end because we didn't want to get a bad grade. In situations like that, I wish I was working alone because it lowers the stress level of not KNOWING if something is getting done, whereas I know that I will get my own stuff done. This may all seem like "well, duh a person wouldn't want to work with a lazy group", but it's the most accurate answer. In a nutshell, I like collaborating and sharing ideas, but sometimes it seems better to just do it myself.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why? I don't like this question at allll. I almost fear that I wouldn't manage to save any of them because I'd freeze up in the moment, unable to doom my loved one but also unable to doom two dozen innocent children, breaking the hearts of all of their families by extension. I can't emotionally shut myself off to the ramifications of either action, and I just think my brain would jam up. Even with plenty of time to think about it now, I have trouble figuring it out. I would want to save all of them like Spider-Man did. ;-;

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case? First, I simply give them an ear and let them just talk to me about what is hurting them, whether it's another person or a situation. I give hugs to the people who value hugs, or give space to those who need to have some space, and I give them the words of comfort that I feel they need to hear. It's not necessarily the time to convince them of the other person's side of the story, though I try not to pump them up so much that they get an unrealistic and extreme view of the situation in the cases when it's a "both people are technically at fault" situation. Basically I try really hard to be very supportive but very delicate in how I handle it. I want to be a warm refuge, but not one that will cripple the ultimate healing process. Of course some situations really are the world crashing against a person or a bad person doing something awful to my innocent friend, but even then, I don't want to encourage a helpless victim feeling either. I want them to feel both comforted and empowered when I can. This whole spiel might kind of be a blend of both the "first discussion" and the "two days later", but I guess for me, comforting tends to extend for as long as they're needing it, rather than "it'll be okay, bb...alright then, subject change." With some people in some situations, I also try the "lighten things up a bit" with a joke or a "at least it's not [this or that]", though again, have to be delicate about the individual and also the severity of the situation. The "two days later" would really be a continuation of whatever I comforted them with the first time, maybe touching on "is there any way I can help, or do you just need an ear to listen?" if we didn't get there the first time. I do think it's important to add, too, that although I try to let them guide how long we talk about it, I think it's important to be a friendly distraction for them after the conversation to help get their mind off of it a bit. I would just feel insensitive if I cut them off with a distraction when they really have something they're hurting about.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time? Reading, writing, foreign media, videogaming, making graphics, and doodling. I've always been a reader (I was that kid who walked around school with my nose literally stuck in a book as I walked down the hall, using my peripheral vision to keep from ever falling down the stairs). Right now I'm working my way through the Star Wars expanded universe books, and also some recommendations from my husband (like Ringworld, the Dune Series, etc., though I haven't started them yet). I loved Harry Potter, and I loved basically every book we ever read in my English classes, both early on and later in AP/college. I love being told stories. For writing, I've done some original writing (I even wrote a short novel in high school), but I haven't done fanfiction in years, though I've considered sucking it up and jumping back in. Right now, most of my writing takes the form of a writing-centric Final Fantasy roleplaying game on a different journaling website, which is basically fanfiction in little bursts and from the perspective of only one character at a time...so it kind of counts. For foreign media, I'm most interested in Japanese music/TV/movies/celebrities, Korean music/TV/movies, and French movies, but I love watching things from other cultures in general, regardless of the country of origin. Regarding video games, I'm MOSTLY just referring to playing and RE-playing Final Fantasy games over and over, but I also like Kingdom Hearts (still kind of FF), Star Wars games, racing games, things like Mario or Zelda...I really only dislike shooter games, and I don't have the guts to even think about horror games. Graphics-making and doodling are other little side hobbies; I like to make icons and banners and gifs and such, and it's been something I've dabbled in for about nine years. I've been drawing and doodling since FOREVER, but ummmmm I stopped doing it actively years ago, so I'm really rusty. I do enjoy trying to brush up every now and then, though.

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you. I could probably think of others, but the job that appeals most to me is actually the job I'm aspiring toward right now, which is a speech-language pathologist (therapist), and my ideal focus would be working with babies/children in a clinical or home setting. I still need to get through grad school (leveling courses + wedding set back my schedule a bit), but I've had the chance to do a lot of observation, and it feels like such a rewarding profession. Speech and language in itself is interesting to me, but really, even if it sounds kind of cheesy, being able to make that kind of difference early in a child's life when their minds are still so elastic...it just gives me happy butterflies. It's also a lot of fun because with the kids, a lot of therapy is skillfully incorporating their goals into various games, be it basketball or a board game or whatever. I just love it.

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay. FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX. For the game that is Most Important To Me, I'd say VII. It's considered the most cliche and overrated these days because it's been pimped out with a zillion spinoffs, but it was THE Final Fantasy game that roped me in. I had played the original FF when I was a little (as in age in the single-digits), but I didn't really care enough to beat it at the time. When FFVII came out in '97, the school my brother and I went to was lending out Playstations to students, and our classes had educational games that we were supposed to play on it. My brother being my brother instead went and rented Final Fantasy VII, lol. I watched him a little bit in the beginning, and I played a little bit too, though not a whole lot. We got the PC version the next year (we had to give back the PS, lol booo), and we also ended up getting a PS ourselves, along with FFVII. It was then that I REALLY started playing...and it was love from there on. It's special to me. <3 And I'm going to totally cheat and link Crisis Core in with VII, cough cough, because ZACK, my angel, my heart. CC gave him glorious backstory, and precious Zerith love, and bb Cloud, and pre-cray Sephiroth, and everything. I have a major thing for backstory.

Next, there's VIII. Strangely, it actually used to be among my very least favorites because I played it right when it came out, and I guess I wasn't old enough to care about military stuff at the time... I was annoyed by the Laguna flashbacks (now among my very favorite parts) and just didn't connect to the story at all. I played through it again in high school, I guess it was (I don't remember, but it was a long time later), and I loved everything about it (except for the grainy in-game graphics, haha). I was finally able to beat it, and I really CARED about the storyline this time. I was interested in the military aspect, fell in love with Laguna and his fail, and caught a lot of things I missed. The trippy time compression stuff was still cray, but I could at least follow it. I also realized by this point that the monsters level up WITH you, making it extremely hard to beat for people like me who obsessively level up. ._. So I made an exception for FFVIII and didn't do that. That made the game sooooo much easier there at the end. Whups.

FFIX is much more recent. Winter 2011, I finally beat FFIX after like 11 years of owning it. I bought it right when it came out too, played up until South Gate early in the first disc, then got bored and stopped. I didn’t like the battle system, the story wasn’t engaging to me, and the characters felt too cartoony. I wrote it off as my token least favorite game, even more so than VIII. Bizarrely, I decided to give it a chance after hearing a fan cover of Beatrix’s theme “Rose of May”. I didn’t even know who Beatrix was because, well, I didn’t get very far in the game, much less far enough to see the development that made her one of my favorite characters. I decided to replay the game, this time playing through the beginning and maaaking myself push past the South Gate part I had gotten stuck on two times before. Once I got a bit farther, the plot started picking up for me, I got more accustomed to the battle system’s slooow speed (and the fact that I was filling up my inventory for FREE with Zidane stealing), and I fell in LOVE. The further I got, the more the story roped me in. I loved the twists, the character development, the quirky humor…it was just so enjoyable. And even with that fun oldschool quirky humor, it still had that darker edge that built throughout the story. I cried at the end. ;.; I love it love it love it.

10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why: Zack Fair, Laguna Loire, Kain Highwind. I'd say Zack is king of my FF heart, both for his interesting story trajectory and for his loveable personality. He manages to be adorable, silly, cool, and very competent all at the same time, especially following him from the beginning of Crisis Core to where he is at the end. His loyalty to and protection of Cloud during that year on the run solidifies them as my #1 BROTP of choice, and he just seems like such a good person. His tragic end feels so unfair, but he faces it with such a brave, good attitude...Gah, I find myself in that crowd of people who cries my eyes out, even if I've known Zack's fate since I was like 9 years old. He was interesting to me even just as a flashback, but oh man did Crisis Core make me love him even more. My heart nearly exploded with glee when I first heard CC's announcement. TBH, Squenix can pander to me with their spinoffs as much as they like.

Lagunaaaaaa, there is nothing wrong with Laguna, really. He always says the dumbest, absolute BEST THINGS ever, and he's also got that such a GOOD PERSON vibe to him. I love what a stark contrast he is to Squall, and to be honest, his flashback bits are some of my very favorite parts of VIII. I love that he seems like such a failboat but manages to totally score the win in basically every situation he finds himself in, by luck and determination and an occasional good idea. Laguna for president forever and ever. I'm also very fixated on the whole Leonhart-Loire clan as a unit. \o/

Kain worked his way up to the top when I recently played FFIV for the first time. I can't even totally pinpoint what it was, but I got really invested in his character pretty early on and throughout the game, both as an ally and "enemy". I enjoy his moral ambiguity, even if I know he is hardly the only morally ambiguous character in the series. His dragoon armor is awesome. I love stories of redemption and atonement, so I love that he spent time on both sides, and that at the end of the day, he genuinely felt an overpowering need to make up for the part of him that was willing to go along with things he knew on some level weren't right. I love his tragic one-sided love for Rosa and his BROTP rivalish-friendship with Cecil. I haven't played the After Years quite yet, but I was a spoiled a bit on his part, and I like the bits I've heard about how he develops over the years. He's wonderfully flawed, and I just adore him to pieces.

(I have a lot of favorites, though. Some unelaborated favorites are Cecil Harvey, Edge Geraldine, Rydia, Terra Branford, Celes Chere, Edgar Figaro, Locke Cole, Aerith Gainsborough, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Yuffie Kisaragi, Rufus Shinra, Reeve Tuesti, Squall Leonhart, Ellone Loire, Rinoa Heartilly, Garnet til Alexandros, Zidane Tribal, Adelbert Steiner, Beatrix, Auron, and Larsa Solidor.)

11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why: I can't think of any characters who are in situations I specifically relate to, but this is probably referring more to relating to them because we share traits? I am trying to think of the broad range of all FF characters, but Tifa comes to mind first and foremost. She's very empathetic, doesn't openly express herself (I'm not as extreme, but I do have bottling tendencies), holds back on saying things when she doesn't feel totally confident about it or when it directly contradicts someone else's story (like how she never called Cloud out on his rendition of Nibelheim incident...as much as I like to think I would, I may not have either), and although she loves Cloud deeply, she is never clingy or falling all over him. She is independent but not callous or harsh around the edges. Those are bits of her character that I identify with quite a bit.

12) The FF game you liked playing least: This is kind of tough, because I enjoy pretty much all of the main series games. I didn't USED to like VIII or IX, but now they're in my top three, so that's not my easy answer anymore. If we're including the spinoffs/sequels/prequels, my new least favorite games (if it's gameplay rather than story) are FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus and FFXII: Revenant Wings. I'm not so much into any type of shooter games (swords, swords, and more swords for me!!!), and RW's map-ish system just isn't something I was really getting into when I played a bit of it. I'll eventually finish the game, but it was a bit of a deterrent.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why: Dislike is a strong word for me in this case because I don't ACTIVELY dislike any of the characters, whether or not I agree with their actions...but as far as the characters I care for the least, Kefka and Quina are who come to mind. Kefka because I just am not so much into the cartoony brand of crazy for a villain. Taking over the world for the lulz just isn't compelling to me, so although I can understand why others might think he's neato, he just doesn't do it for me on a level beyond "you are the boss I need to vanquish". And I guess bosses like ~Cloud of Darkness~ weren't the deepest and most meaningful (haven't played Dissidia yet to get any characterization-expansion), but I guess the way Kefka gets the "so awesome because he's the FF Joker!" rep, it emphasized to me that he didn't strongly resonate with me.

Quina because...well, I am not a blue magic fiend, and s/he is not particularly useful in battle if you aren't keeping up with the blue magic. His/her personality seems to mostly consist of OM NOM NOM NOM, which is unique and part of IX's quirkiness, but I couldn't really keep interested in the character itself. Frog-catching was oddly kind of fun, but that isn't really Quina's character so much as it's something you do with Quina.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities): Maybe Cloud's Ultima Weapon because it is both colorful and strooooooong. I love Blood-anything weapons too because heck yes draining HP. \o/

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.): Noooo, don't make me choose. Bahamut for the sheer timelessly cool factor, Carbuncle for the OMG NOTHING ELSE IS CUTER factor, Knights of the Round for the glorious memories of what a freaking mob of bosses those guys are. And Eden for the "omg what did I just see...THAT WAS AWESOME. DAT DAMAGE"...I totally ignored the implied "pick one" nature of this question, but there are too many cool summons. :<

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.): Aerith's Great Gospel limit break (fully heals the party and makes them invincible). It's so depressing that it is only usable for a short period of time. I'm going to make myself leave it at that because although I have a reasonably short list of "these abilities/spells are the light of my life", there is a list, and I am going to behave for this question. No seriously. I'm not going to give into the temptation to mention Chakra or Steal or the Cure-family or Omnislash.

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into: Chocobo breeding/racing in VII, though it could be argued that you can never dedicate too much time toward inbreeding your own stable of chocobos. (Meteor can be patient, right?) Even after I get the gold chocobo and collect all my treasures, I still keep breeding the gold chocobos together ~~to see just how effectively I can smear the competition into the pavement in a race...~~ ~~to name them every conceivable name I can think of~~ to bring new life into the FFVII world.

18) Your favorite Cid: So manyyy. Nostalgic fondness wants to say Cid Highwind from VII, but his awful treatment of Shera (even if he does cut it out later) makes it hard for me to put him solidly in #1. I think it might actually be FFIX's Cid Fabool IX because alksjdlkasd he is an OGLOP for a fair portion of the game, then a frog, and then what he and Hilda do at the end -- it's just cute. He just makes me feel happy.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why. I could go overboard and analyze each class with the ways I do and don't fit each, buuuut I am going to leave it up to your judgement. \o/

Sorting #18

the_404_error — Sun, 27 May 2012 12:34:48 GMT

Everyone welcome the first new member of this round...

Monk:
azakajam

Black Mages: 70 points
chacusha 10 points
etsplanations 10 points
naliarenegade 10 points
shorlixa 10 points
sunflower_mynah 10 points
the_404_error 10 points
toroias 10 points

Dragoons: 20 points
grimoire 10 points
regann 10 points

Monks: 10 points
fromherashes 10 points

Soldiers: 10 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10 points

Thieves: 80 points
hilian 10 points
aeriiths 70 points

White Mages: 10 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 10 points

There was an amazing turnout this time. It's great to see a member of every team up there, and holy flare black mages!

Application

azakajam — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:59:14 GMT

The Basics:

Name: Arron
Age: 19
Location: UK
Occupation: University Student!
How did you find out about this community? (Specify usernames if you remember them.) Referred to by Katy_111 from tumblr (thank you if you're reading this!)

Personality Questions:

1) List and expand upon your three best traits / strengths. (These should be personality-related, not physical.)
. Quick thinking: I'm good at thinking things up on the spot, which I guess would tie in with working well under pressure (which I do)
. Trustworthy: I'm a trustworthy person, and a lot of people trust me because of it. I never let a friend down.
. Organised: I'm always the one planning on what to do if I ever hang out with friends/leading the gang etc.

2) List and expand upon your three worst traits / weaknesses.
. Impatient: I am incredibly impatient! I just hate waiting and I prefer now to later xD
. Brash: I can be brash at times, but that's always due to my impatience. For example I'll buy something without looking at all of the benefits and negatives and regret it later.

3) Rate yourself on the following traits by putting an 'X' in the box you think fits best. (E.g. if you are slightly more introverted than extroverted, put an 'X' in the second box.) Explain your choice as well.

Introverted [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Extroverted
Explain: With new people I am very introverted, but with friends/people I've known for more than 10 minutes I'm loud as hell :')

Cheerful [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] Gloomy
Explain: I'm really cheerful with friends/in company etc, but when I'm on my own I do get quite gloomy.

Reserved [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [] Impulsive
Explain: I'm definitely not an impulsive person; I'm often quiet and deep in thought.

Energetic [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Calm
Explain: Definitely not an energetic person either. I don't get too excited by things.

Logical/Thinking [ ] [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] Emotional/Feeling
Explain: I've learned not to act on emotional feeling and it's served me well. I constantly tell people to think like this too, since it's more rational.

Grudge-holding [ ] [ ] [ ] [X] [ ] Forgiving
Explain: I'd rather forgive that hold a grudge against someone, but it'd depend on how serious it was. Hating people is too bothersome and pointless when you could just be friends. I guess it's because I just hate conflict.

4) Describe how you typically work in teams. Is it generally a good experience, or do you prefer working by yourself? Do you like to lead and make decisions or do you prefer to let others make decisions so that you can do the legwork? You may find it helpful to give an example of a team you worked on recently and how that went.
Well I work best on my own, but when I'm in a team I'm usually a heavy influencer. For example if the leader of a group was deciding on something then I would influence their final decision. I usually just stay in the background and offer my opinion from my observations.

5) Spider-Man Decision: If you had to choose between saving two dozen innocent children and saving your best friend/significant other/person closest to you, which would you pick and why?
The two dozen innocent children. That's just too many lives to weigh against one, and I don't think the other person would be happy if I saved them rather than 24 children.

6) Your friend has had their feelings hurt and comes to you for consolation. What do you do? Let's say, two days later they come to you again still upset over the same issue. What would you do in that case?
I'd tell them to talk about it. It's good at times like this for someone to have an emotional outlet. After they've finished talking, I'd offer my opinion on the situation. If they're still moaning after that then I just tell them to man up/move on. I hate living in the past, it's pointless.

7) What interests/hobbies do you have? How do you like to spend your free time?
Well I don't really have many, but I like gaming (not as much as when I was a child though) I hate being stuck in for long periods of time, but I don't like going out on my own (I'll only go out if I can meet up with someone else) I like to read (anything from books to fanficton and manga)

8) Describe one to three careers you would find ideal, with a little explanation of why it appeals to you.
. Computer technician: I've always loved computers, and always wanted to work in a computer repair shop (Ambitious aren't I? xD) putting computers together and fixing them. I guess I like the puzzle/challange
. PM (prime minister): Because my country needs to be sorted out, and there's too much religion involved in politics these days. I have a few ideas as to what I'd like to change (nothing too extreme)
. Game reviewer: Who wouldn't love to be paid for playing and reviewing games?

FF Questions:

9) List one to three favorite Final Fantasy games and why you like them. Sequels/spin-offs/non-numbered/KH/Dissidia games are okay.
. Final fantasy 7: Moan all you like, it's still my favourite. The second one I played, I have an FF7 tattoo, and I may get more. Brilliant story, great characters and the battle system is just how I like it (with the exemption of the battle system)
. Final fantasy 5: It's funny, got a great battle system and an awesome story and characters. Still haven't completed it, but that'll change soon!
. Hmm... I guess this would be between FF4 and FF8. But I'd have to go for FF4. I didn't like the levelling system on FF8, waaaay too easy to get to level 100, and do I even have to mention the magic system? FF4 + The after years are better to me, but that doesn't mean to say I hate FF8!
10) List one to three of your favorite Final Fantasy characters and why:
. Sephiroth: He's cool, badass, and I have a tattoo of him killing cloud.
. Squall: I liked how he was a hard nut at the beginning, but slowly throughout the game he opened up and showed his soft side.
. Edge: He's a badass ninja and still can't get on Rydia. I feel sorry for him.
11) One to three characters you relate to (you may reuse answers from #8 if applicable) and why:
Kain: He has a constant internal struggle and takes it out on himself, not sharing his problems with others. This is something I do a lot.

12) The FF game you liked playing least:
FF12 definitely. I mean, I disliked FF13, but I didn't HATE it. FF12 had annoying characters, a silly battle system, and a silly limit break thing (I can't remember what it's called) Overall, I just... Did not like it.

13) One to three FF characters you dislike and why:
Vaan: He's just so annoying. Why does he exist?
Wakka: For me he seemed to be the odd one out in FF10, and I didn't use him much, only in the fights he had to be used. Throwing a ball at anima just seemed... Well funny, but weird.
Quina: Still don't know what the hell it is, and don't wanna know either. There were several reasons I never used it.

14) Favorite weapon in a Final Fantasy game (either the name if you liked the name, or a picture if you liked the look of it, or a description if it had awesome stats/abilities):
Vincent's Death Penalty on FF7 was really bad ass. It got stronger the more enemies you killed with him and just sounds bad ass.

15) Your favorite Final Fantasy summon (e.g. Ifrit, Carbuncle, Bahamut, etc.):
Either Yojimbo or Anima. Bahamut would be a very close second.

16) Your favorite spell/ability/technique that can be learned in a Final Fantasy game (e.g. Esuna, Steal, special finishes/overdrives such as Tifa's Final Heaven limit break, etc.):
Ultima. If it's in an FF game, it's the strongest black magic spell and does amazing damage (depending on character's stats)

17) A Final Fantasy mini-game/sidequest you invested entirely too much time into:
Definitely the snowboarding mini game on FF7 :')

18) Your favorite Cid:
Cid from FF4. He was hilarious and very protective of Rosa.

19) Optional: Up to one class you think does not fit you, with reasoning why.
Warrior. I prefer long distance fighting (not getting caught up in the body of fighting), and would rather a casting/DPS role.

Perfect Sorting Bonuses

chacusha — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:26:53 GMT

This is very late, but the mods are actually still tallying points, and one points-related thing that hasn't been announced yet is the Perfect Sorting bonus! Thank you and congrats to the following people who sorted every Game 3 applicant and earned some bonus points for their team...

BLACK MAGES: 18 points
sunflower_mynah

SOLDIERS: 36 points
breyzyyin (Breyzy)
rayiroth

THIEVES: 10 points
aeriiths

WHITE MAGES: 18 points
breyzyyin (Yin)

NEUTRAL: 18 points
chacusha

The point bonus is 20% of the total points earned by voting this game (i.e. 2 pts per app sorted).

Thank you to you all! ♥

And my apologies for how long the Game 3 final results are taking. We're working on them!

Sorting #17

the_404_error — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:57:30 GMT

It's great to see a new member after awhile, so everyone please welcome the newest member of team...

Soldier:
mesnark

Black Mages: 80 points
etsplanations 10 points
sunflower_mynah 70 points

Soldiers: 20 points
Breyzy (breyzyyin) 10 points
rayiroth 10 points

Thieves: 30 points
haryan 10 points
hilian 10 points
aeriiths 10 points

White Mages: 20 points
northstarroad 10 points
Yin (breyzyyin) 10 points

Neutral:
chacusha 10 points