Tres Mujeres: The Misadventures of the DeSanggria Family

On reaching the finish line

2009-11-26T14:46:00.004+08:00

Okay, so I've finally hit the 50,000 word quota...all in 5 days before the deadline. I'm still half-satisfied though. The scene is right smack in the middle of the naval battle in Baleares, and I'm not really feeling what I'm writing. Nonetheless, I will have to get this scene over and done with in order to get to the part that I'd want to write most---and that is shipping my 3 MCs to the New World.

Funny how I've slowed down to a pathetic crawl after 50k. I don't feel like a winner, not when I'm not entirely satisfied with the current state of the scenes unfolding in the story.

I just want to get this over and done with! D:

The long overdue update

2009-11-20T22:41:00.004+08:00

I am procrastinating yet again to update this blog about this crazy project that I signed up for. And judging by the date today, man, I've been so lazy in updating this blog. I've been caught up with work and with the everyday task of coughing up 2,000 words for this novel. Let me just tell you about my roller coaster journey so far.

ONE. I will have to revise the novel title & synopsis because frankly speaking, the 13 chapters I've written so far doesn't even come close to the synopsis I came up with. Heck, the 3 main characters (MCs) haven't even immigrated to GE just yet! *headdesk*

TWO. Despite the above-mentioned reason to run around like a headless chicken, I am quite actually pleased on how the background story's turning out. Most of the scenes I've imagined and committed to each chapter were actually included in the game's backstory. YAY! My weird imagination is actually being useful for a change.

THREE. There might be a possibility that this 50k word fanfic novel will just tackle the story of the Old World, meaning just Orpesia (Vespanola, Oporuto, Brestia, Targa and Illier). Oh, and there's also smatterings on the beginnings of Granado Espada thrown in for good measure. The origins of my 3 MCs are also included here, but since I am not Jesus and I can't work miracles, I don't think I have enough firepower to flesh out the GE story we all know in-game.

FOUR. Concurrent to that thought, God willing if I still have that burning passion to write about the game, then probably NaNoWriMo 2010 will be the sequel to this year's novel. By that time, hopefully, I'd have done proper research on the quests, starting from the Pioneering storyline down to the Masquerade arc. This one takes major research, and I will have the time to do so if I shelve this part of the story for next year.

FIVE. I am at woe. It's the 2nd to the last week of November and my scenes are crawling like shat. However, I am planning an exciting scene which will hopefully end the novel at more than 50k words---and that's the time the 3 MCs will be shipped to the New World. Hopefully I have enough scenes to get to that part.

Just for the record, here's my word count breakdown for the past few weeks:

Day 1: 5016
Day 2: 7449
Day 3: 9812
Day 4: 11980
Day 5: 14109
Day 6: 16252
Day 7: 18438
Day 8: 20561
Day 9: 22264
Day 10: 23329
Day 11: 25016
Day 12: 27154
Day 13: 28824
Day 14: 30929
Day 15: 33098
Day 16: 35144
Day 17: 37186
Day 18: 39281
Day 19: 41471
Day 20: 43652

I did mention that I am running into a bit of scene stump, right? Well, I got past that when I introduced the cameo appearance of the Falkenhausen Family in the story. I am LOLing the whole time these guys talk...have you ever heard people speak of themselves like there's nothing between their ears but thin air? That's the stuff I'm talking about. LOL mode!

“Oh, do you really think so, Lehre? I had to memorize the spell you taught me for an entire week and it was very difficult at first, but then I said to myself that if ever I am going to be a good enough Elementalist, I have to be like my brother Lehre, and Lehre is really great and all, but I have to be great as well. But then, I lost the piece of parchment you gave me where you wrote the spell, and I did not want to ask you for another copy because I know you can be quite grouchy when I ask you to repeat what you have taught me, so I tried my very best to recall the chant you told me to memorize, and I did! I did remember! It was very nice, kind of like this furry Shapka hat that is so fluffy that I love hugging it when I am not wearing it over my head.” --- Alia Falkenhausen, Chapter 13

See what I mean? LOOOOOOL! I love these guys for rescuing me from a perpetual state of boredom!

[Preview] The diary of Ferrucio Espada

2009-11-05T23:02:00.004+08:00

Ferrucio Espada and his Dear Diary

Day 5 of NaNoWriMo. I am at 14,109 words with 6 chapters and still building the background story around Orpesia in general.

I've finally set the pace to talk about the voyage of Ferrucio Espada which will inadvertently lead him to discover the New World. To help me paint a better picture of it all, I've been researching about Christopher Columbus.

I just realized that there are a lot of similarities drafted with the fictional character of Mr. Espada with that of 'ol Chris, although the circumstances or the story behind their similar discovers were somewhat different.

And yes, Pioneers, the Pinta did exist. It was one of the fleets that sailed with Columbus in the 15th century.

Since good 'ol Chris kept a seafarer's diary to chronicle his perilous adventure out in the ocean, I thought maybe I should give Mr. Espada similar treatment as well. And without further ado, here's a short preview of Mr. Espada's Dear Diary moments. XD

Today, we ran at about 7 ½ knots, sometimes at 9 knots. Approximately, we made 177 miles, but I told the crew 132 miles; it seems they cannot stand it any longer. They mutter incoherent things under their breaths, yet I know that they mock and slander me for dragging them to this long voyage. I accuse them for their lack of spirit and their deliberate disobedience to me, their captain. I had to tell them repeatedly of the oaths they swore before the king to see to the end of this mission. I tried to lift their spirits as best as I could, telling them all about the rewards we will all reap once we accomplish our task, but to no avail.

They said it was insanity on their part to risk their lives, regretting the very pledge about swearing allegiance to me in this journey. Some feel that they have already reached the point in the voyage where no man has gone before and are thus not required to go to the end of the world with such dwindling provisions and lack of resources for the trip back home.

Some of my trusted men (who continue to dwindle in number as we go about this perilous quest) told me that if I continue to persist, the men will throw me into the sea when I am asleep. They will then craft this tale that I fell overboard while taking the position of the North Star with my maps.

There are times when I had to bite back my tongue in agreement to their complaints; I too feel that this journey has been an act of lunacy on my desire to embark on a new adventure. As much as I love a good exploration as any sailor, I do not want it to be at the expense of these men whose families are still awaiting their return back home. Yet, I am confident that if I lose command of this expedition, the flotilla will never reach Katai, and will most probably never make it back to Oporuto.
I still pray to God that He will give me the strength and the perseverance to see through all this and show us the way.

I haz a synopsis!

2009-10-29T23:46:00.002+08:00

Finally, some progress!

And yes, NaNoWriMo is but three days away! Oh gahd...I am shaking in my skivvies. XD

My chapter scenes are a mess. I hope I make a semblance of order out of all these when November 1 hits. There's just so much to do, and what am I doing? Procrastinating, that's what! Somebody shoot me.

I'll be posting sporadically until I'm satisfied with the ~~lackluster~~ progress I'm making.

So help me God.

The 3 heroines: Familia del Castillo

2009-10-24T00:27:00.007+08:00

She may be the youngest of the three sisters, but no one can mistake the sense of honor and duty in her words and actions. Decisive yet prudent, sharp but witty, guarded yet vulnerable, she wields guns and rifles with sheer accuracy and resolution. A true daughter of a Margrave and a Vespanolan Princess, she vows to protect her sisters and to unmask her parents' murderers as they unravel the secrets and mysteries in the New World.

Mute since the day of her birth, she has the uncanny ability to communicate with her sisters and kinsmen with the power of her mind. Her sweet and innocent facade hides the steely, resolute conviction of a woman determined to unlock the secret of the greatest treasure in the New World---the Legacy of Ferruccio Espada.

Dazzled and enamored by the pomp and frivolity of court, her concerns revolve around snagging the best catch in the kingdom. Despite her vanity, she carries her mother's skill in the magical arts, an ability that only she has mastered. Hoping to end the strife between the countries of Orpesia, she learns that there's more to the people of Granado Espada that she and her sisters could ever fathom.

-----

Yeah, I know it's been forever, but I have to lay out my plans this November for NaNoWriMo as I'll be pretty much busy at work next week. So far, I'm hoping to finish a more detailed character profile for each of my MCs (main characters). I can already visualize the first few scenes...I just hope I don't run out of ideas.

Just don't let November come just yet. :p

The GE fanfic novel project

2009-10-08T17:36:00.005+08:00

I'm back! Well, back to blogging, that is. I've missed this place after months of hiatus! It's great to be back!

I've joined yet again this year's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which means it's going to be another busy November for me. But what's got me so excited about this project is the fact that I'll be writing a 50k word fanfic on...what else? Granado Espada!

I have to admit that this is going to be one hell of a busy month. Although I'm really psyched to write this fanfic, the very same fears plague me every time I join this thingamajig, i.e., beating the 50k word cut, writing something that doesn't look like a pathetic attempt at novel writing, and making the story believable.

Right now I'm doing a bit of research on feudal/medieval Europe just to give me an understanding on the historical basis of GE. I admit it's already late to be researching a broad topic, but I wasn't sure if I can pull it off, that was, until this month. I figured that I basically know the ins and outs of the game and writing a fanfic novel of GE is something that I should really get started on. I've been wanting to write the back stories of the various NPCs as well as my own speculations of the game's end story, and joining NaNoWriMo will hopefully get those creative juices flowing.

I shall try to blog about the novel's progress here, as I think it's but fitting to talk about my novel writing woes about GE in this blog. Hopefully when the story's fleshed out, I might post a few snippets. :)

This is something that I'd like to do not just for myself, but for the game that I grew to love for the past 2 years.

Let the agony begin! XD

Grind till you drop: The race to Master level

2009-07-02T20:57:00.002+08:00

IAH announces the arrival of the Master Promotion Scroll to the Cash Shop, as well as the in-game event for the race to Master level.

This is good news to those who've practically known no other place in GE but those paid dungeons. LOL. I know a few people who have already reached Expert Lvl. 10 (100%), so it's just a matter of buying those scrolls and promoting their characters.

As for me...well...I'm going to be realistic in saying that I can't possibly boost my mains in just a month to Master. But this doesn't mean that it will totally be a far-fetched idea. I remember saying before that I may not probably reach Expert level, but look where I am now. My main team's Expert, plus I have 2 additional characters waiting to be promoted. I'm thinking that I may probably reach Master level, but not within the month. I have priorities too, and that includes beefing up my team and equipping them with the right armors and weapons.

Although I couldn't help but wish that IAH can help the players power level by giving us a 2x EXP event, or perhaps opening another dungeon similar to the Ancient Shelter now that more players have access to the Premium Buff.

I'm guessing that sGE won't be able to access future game content if a considerable number in the player population have reached the level requirements. This happened previously as one patch got delayed a couple of times because only a small percentage of the players have reached Expert level. If IAH manages to get IMC's approval for a 2x EXP and a new dungeon, it's going to be a win-win situation in terms of item sales & player numbers. But of course I'm not an expert on this, nor do I know the set-up between IAH and IMC. Nevertheless, I hope they can do something about the EXP rate for those leveling to Master.

7-day solo flight

2009-06-30T08:42:00.004+08:00

Yesterday I bid my friends in Sanggre Faction a temporary, but sad farewell. After finally figuring out how to transfer the FL rings, my small, cozy faction had a new leader in the person of Trianna.

It kinda felt weird not to have those shiny rings, but I guess it's all for the best. Trianna will be a good leader to the group, and perhaps the next time I encounter the faction, I'll be seeing new faces within the ranks.

Anyway, it's going to be a long week ahead of me as I go solo. It's a good thing I was able to redeem the Noble Court ranks now that my family level shaved off 3 points when I left the faction. I'll be regaining those hopefully in the coming week as I join the ranks of the ¤ ALL ¤ STAR ¤.

A new adventure awaits me very soon!

On the wings of lurve~

2009-06-26T22:52:00.005+08:00

Pardon me for the rather corny pun to the title of this post. I'm just ecstatic that I've received the Rojo Puesta del Sol wings from the Hellena's Tarot Cards web event!

The wings have an inherent glow when worn. I'm really glad I bought 3 pairs that I can use on whichever MCC teams I choose to use. They look absolutely splendid on the girls. :)

On a personal note, I'm on my way to having a 5th Expert character! Unbelievable! I thought I'd only have my mains as Experts, but I've been hanging around a lot in AT AFKing most of the time, that in all those daily leveling activities, I managed to get my Bernelli promoted! Well, she's not yet promoted technically because I have yet to buy an Expert scroll for her. Not only that, my very own Selva is well on her way to the next level promotion as well. Things are looking good, if I do say so myself.

I've also made a decision to move to a raid-active faction after thorough contemplation. Although it really saddens me to leave my small faction, I think it's about time for me to start enjoying the game more by experiencing more activities like high level raids and everything. Truth be told, I haven't experienced any major raids, except when I tagged along LC for GOF and Garim. I'd like to know what it's like to participate in Uraeus, Griffon, GOL and all other raids with a big group that's reputed to be doing these raids on a daily basis.

I originally wanted to join LC for that purpose, since I've been with these people and have interacted with them on several occasions. But I feel that I'd be of more use in another faction, since LC does have 2 CCs in their ranks to date. And so, the automatic decision was to go to the ¤ All ¤ Star ¤ Faction.

It's actually my first time to try my luck in getting into a renowned faction. I remember back in Carracci and during the earlier days in Rembrandt, ¤ All ¤ Star ¤ was reputed to have top tier players as members, thus commanding a formidable army every Colony War.

Even though AS has had a change of FLs over the past 2 years of GE, I still have that same impression of power, skill and cunningness when it comes to these guys being active in the game. It's the perfect scenario for me to stop slacking off and really get serious in getting ahead.

Applying in itself was already nerve-wracking. I've been invited previously to join in LC, but I felt that at that time, and with my current team, I wouldn't be of much help to the faction. Now I think I have more or less the capability to go alongside most players in terms of getting ahead with power-leveled characters.

The AS peepz were quite thorough in putting me under a microscope. It's quite understandable that they set certain standards, although at one point I've questioned myself if I even fit the bill to join these guys. At that time I thought I must've been on crack to have ever ambitioned a spot in that really prestigious guild.

But looks like things are swimming well. I may have to leave my current faction sometime soon, but I can't seem to pass the FL rubber duckies to Trianna, as the system said that changing FLs isn't allowed when it's election period. Wow, I didn't even know such a function existed!

Ah well, I think it would be best for me to let the faction penalty blow off some steam for the meantime. There's a lot of things to do lately and I haven't been that much productive, hence the rather late post for today. XD

DS Blogiversary: Teh Winrar!

2009-06-18T07:32:00.006+08:00

I now haz teh winnar! But before that, I'd like to thank everyone who visited my blog, whether you joined this contest or not. Thank you for still continuing to visit this humble blog, and for that, I shall keep on doing what I do best!

Anway, enough with the flak...join me in congratulating teh epic winnar of the Granado Espada super funky tumbler!

It's Vacciuolo of Rembrandt Server!

And just to spill the answers..

Tala the Musk, Sidapa the Scout, Amihan the Elem
Cervantes
CARNAGE
September 15, 2007
Female Elementalist in Robe of Fire

Thanks once again to everyone who participated! Watch out for more contests in my blog soon! :D

DS Blogiversary last day of submissions!

2009-06-17T10:26:00.003+08:00

Just a quick post. :)

If you want to win a GE tumbler (and a seekret prize of lulz), you can still submit your entries to DS' Blogiversary Contest! Deadline is until 11PM tonight (2300 hrs GMT+8)!

To those who have submitted, good luck to all of you! I'll be announcing the lucky winner tomorrow, so watch out for it! :D

Celebrating Independence Day

2009-06-12T19:47:00.004+08:00

Happy Independence Day, Philippines!

To celebrate one of the country's national holidays, I, along with my fellow Community Crew member Patronum, organized a small in-game get-together with the PH GE gamers. I started broading past 4PM to invite everyone for a fireworks display at the City of Auch in Channel 1 to commemorate the Philippine Independence Day.

I believe NineMoons made the same gathering last year, but this time, I was surprised to see so many people! Pinoys from Takhisis, E M I N E N C E and a few other factions were there, so were my good friends Vacciuolo (who finally went back to GE) and Trianna.

Instead of the usual fireworks thing, we decided to form a human "PH" sign at the city plaza. It took quite some time for us to rally the people to cooperate, but thanks mainly to Patronum's herding abilities (LOL), everyone managed to work together.

Here's some of the screenshots taken by Patronum:

And one pretty screenshot by Vacciuolo:

As for me, I was DC-ing so badly that I wasn't able to get any decent screenshots of my own. D:

Nonetheless, I'd like to thank all GE PH gamers who were present this afternoon, and even more so to the Malaysian players who joined in just for kicks! :D Thank you SO much for a successful gathering. :) Until the next one! ;)

Viva Las Islas Filipinas!

DeSanggria is two years old!

2009-06-11T09:38:00.008+08:00

As promised, here's a little something for everyone reading this humble blog. :)

I actually missed out my site's birthday as it was last month, but as usual, I'd like to do things a bit differently by getting you guys working on a nice contest.

Now, this is just going to be a simple one. I will be narrating 5 questions about this blog and particularly the DeSanggria family in general. If you're sharp enough, you will find all the answers in this site. All you have to do is use the search button.

What's the prize, you may ask?

I'll be giving away a Granado Espada tumbler, the very same one that Uncle Meepoktah is auctioning in his own sale. The good news is, if you win the contest, I will ship it to you, wherever you are! It's a really nice and durable tumbler that you can use as a water container when you're out on the road or anywhere else.

Tumbler image c/o Mistress Hrin

Aside from the tumbler, I shall be including a secret prize that's not GE related. Hehehe. I just want to add something extra to make it worth your while. :D

Okay, let's get down to business!

What are the names of my main family in Rembrandt? Clue: Musketeer, Scout, Elem (all female)
From which server did I start off in GE when it was first launched?
What's the name of my first faction in this server (your answer to #2)?
When did GE Philippines celebrate its own launch party?
What was my first GE cosplay?

Again, I'd like to remind you that all the answers are found in this blog...all you have to do is use the search button. Easy, right?

After you've taken down the answers, email your entry to me at this address: desanggria[at]gmail[dot]com. You can only submit an entry once, and the winner will be determined via randomizer (so I really hope you're the lucky type hehe). Please use the following format when submitting:

*Real Name:
*Address:
IGN:
Server:
Faction:
Your answers:

*Information will be held in strictest confidence.

Deadline for submission of entries is Wednesday, June 17 at 2300hrs (GMT+8). I will announce the winner the next day, June 18, just in time for the weekly maintenance.

Got it? Good! Good luck guys and I hope you have fun in this contest! :)

Plantronics GameCom Blogger's Challenge

2009-06-09T11:54:00.004+08:00

It was another typical late night for me yesterday when I got back from work. Little did I know that things aren't as common as they seemed.

This little banner at the GE forums got me curious. I thought IAH was just going to upload the collective posts of the bloggers who reviewed the awesome Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset, but pfeh....I shouldn't have underestimated things.

Click here to know why.

It's a blogging challenge! O_O

I didn't precisely know that our reviews will be pitted against each other (and with a rather juicy prize dangling right before us O,...,O). I just feel a bit privileged to see my blog alongside a few greats as well. :D

Wish us all luck! :D

P.S.: I shall have a contest very soon, so stick around to find out what it's all about! ^^

Eargasmic!

2009-06-06T19:25:00.006+08:00

I am in surround sound heaven. <3

It's been almost a week since the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset arrived at my doorstep, and I'm loving every minute of it. :)

Since I'm almost always in front of the computer every day, having a nice headset/earphone is a necesarry accessory for my PC, moreso that all avid gamers need to have quality headsets to complete their gaming experience.

Using the GameCom headset in my day-to-day work and leisure activities on the computer was indeed the best experience ever. I've owned many headsets before, but nothing can quite compare to the digital surround sound that only this headset can give. Here are some of the situations where I use it most frequently.

Listening to music while working. There's not a day that passes by where I don't open my iTunes to listen to some great sounds. I'm the kind of person who gets a lot of work done while listening to music. Having the GameCom headset glued to my ears the entire day brings the music literally closer to my ears! It's as if I could hear the synthesizers right on my ears! How's that for listening to Backstreet Boys? LOL!

Playing Granado Espada. I have to admit that I've turned off the game's music since it gets to be repetitive, but I tried activating it when the GameCom headset on, and I have to side with Uncle MPT about this. Listening to the superb music of GE can really drive you to emo tears! I most especially loved repeating these songs:

Violin of Death (City of Auch bgm) - I've always been a big fan of string instruments, particularly the violin. Listening to this song on GameCom was like having several violins playing live!

Odyssey (Al Quelt Moreza bgm) - How does having a chorus of blending voices sound? Heavenly.

Nangman Trance (Tetra Catacombs bgm) - I really enjoyed listening to this track most of all, as it is my favorite GE bgm ever. I can distinctly hear almost all the intruments playing, which is something that I rarely experience while using my other headsets. It certainly brings back memories of my noob, power-leveling days. :)

Watching videos. As earlier mentioned, the music, SFX and speeches are much more evident when I use the GameCom headset while watching videos. It's like being inside a cinema with all the hodgepodge of sounds blaring at your ears from all corners.

Having said all these, here's what I absolutely love about the headset.

Superb sound quality. I'm going to mention this again and again: you can never go wrong with the Gamecom headset when it counts to sound quality. If you're the type of person who listens to a lot of music or who just loves to play games, I couldn't recommend any headset like this.
Ergonomic features. The Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset probably has the best ergonomic features on the unit, particularly the soft cushions on the head and ear pieces. The most definitely provide the utmost comfort for that surround sound quality. It's like snuggling to soft, cozy sheets!
Discreet microphone. Safely (and inconspicuously) tucked away at the sides of the head piece is one little microphone that comes in handy when chatting with friends. I particularly use YM and Ventrilo, and I have to say that the mic carries my voice clearly and without static, unlike those in the headsets I've previously owned. What's even better is that I barely notice or feel the mic when I'm using it! It's placed a good distance from the face, making it seem like you're not using one. That's pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.
Volume controls. Unlike in my other headsets, it's very easy to adjust the volume with Gamecom. The volume dial makes it easy for me to know where to turn for louder/softer volume.

However, there are some things that I'd like to take note.

The uncomfortable pressure on the ears while wearing the headset for hours can be quite daunting. As much as I'd love to keep the headset on the entire day, I had to rest my ears from the discomfort. I hope the product's designing team can work out a way to provide more comfort while wearing it for longer periods of time.
The headset is rather big and bulky. Although it's not that heavy to carry around, it looks particularly massive than most headsets. I feel like I'm a disc jockey while wearing it. XD I wonder if there's a way to make it more lightweight while having those really nice ergonomic cushions? :D

Despite it all, there are many redeeming factors to the product, with the sound quality being the topmost plus factor. It may have a pricey tag, but it's something I'm willing to save up on, if only to get the best quality while listening to music or playing games. :)

Acknowledgement
This blog entry is a demo review of the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset. I'd like to thank the gracious people of Plantronics in Singapore, as well as to IAHGames for giving me this great opportunity to review a top-class product. Special thanks to Mistress Hrin because if not for her blog plug, I'd never have known there was such a promotion! :D

I've got mail!

2009-06-03T12:50:00.009+08:00

...and this time, it wasn't just the bills. >:D

Just this lazy Saturday afternoon, I felt like it was Christmas in May. Look what just arrived at my doorstep!

Merry Christmas! XD

I thought for one that I was too late to apply for a blog review of the Plantronics GameCom 777 Headset when I first saw it in Hrin's blog. But, lo and behold, the goodies are here!

Open eeeeet!

Teh loots.

The mother of all loots! >:D

The package contained the headset itself (in a small tote bag), a note from the people of Plantronics in Singapore, and the Demo Kit. I was literally hopping around with glee! Looking for the very first gadget to plug it in for an impromptu demo, I quickly grabbed this:

Playing Chrono Cross in PSP! :3

Okay, I know it wasn't the best gadget to try it out, but I was so excited, I could've plugged it anywhere. LOL.

Anyway, Hrin has also written her own review about the product (and with a teary-eyed pic of uncle MPT to boot!), and while browsing, I noticed one thing...the headset that was shipped to me didn't have any USB attachments. D:

Nevertheless, I shall be writing a more detailed review about the product as well as my experience in using the headset while playing GE (and a whole slew of other music tripping and voice chatting) in the next post, so stay tuned!

A fashion commentary on new GE costumes

2009-06-02T13:04:00.011+08:00

Any avid GE gamer would have to be insane to pass up the opportunity to own costumes for their own characters. Whether it be for the stocks or RNPCs, GE's brand of fashion truly makes each one of us eager for new updates.

I'm not exactly a fashion guru, nor am I that well-versed when it comes to fashion terminologies and such. Let me, however, provide you with my personal comments on the up and coming couture that's going to hit our servers really soon!

The Trump Series

According to Mistress Hrin, things are well in the way for the next patch update this month. Although there's no final name to the patch itself, v.3.4 features the Arsene Circus, where a whole lot of circus-y stuff is bound to arrive in the New World. The main highlight of the patch of course, is the arrival of a new Elementalist-type RNPC, Hellena, and the opening of Ania's recruitment quest. Among these new characters, there's also new maps, boss monsters and mobs to encounter on this rather challenging patch update. I also got word that the cat pet (Sith/Nyato) will also be available in this patch.

The overall look and feel for this patch is obviously that of a deck of cards. From the costumes, maps, character/monster names, this update will bring a different spin to the costumes of the stock characters, aptly named as The Trump Series.

Now let's talk about them one by one, shall we? :D

Musketeer

As expected, Musks are the cloth-clad characters that don't go all-out for skin exposure. Just like the Le Blanc series, Musks don't show that much TNA, and the discerning elements of the Trump theme can be seen in the checkered patches and the heart choker for the female Musk.

I love Musks to bits, but I just feel that the female one looks tomboyish in most of her costumes. I just wish they'd flatter her feminine looks, much like what they did for the Clivia Sprite. The costume design looks a bit plain if you put her side-by-side with the Wiz and Elem.

Wizard

I think that the Wiz class truly embodies the costume theme with the checkered designs, and spade emblems on their clothes. The male Wiz looks right at home with the theme, as if he was made for such design. Meanwhile, the female Wiz looks like a regal courtier in her gown! Those accordion-like skirt frills reminds me of Shakespeare's collar. LOL.

Elementalist

No one would argue that Elems are the most flamboyantly dressed characters in the game, not to mention the most daring one as well. This one, however, got totally offhand.

For one, the male Elem's clothes are ok, but the stripes are a bit too much. The designers could've opted for a minimalist look, same with the male Musk and Wiz.

For the female Elem, now that's what you call a deck of cards exploding on a dress! She looks like a fondue cake with all the layered petticoats. It's a bit overdone for me. Besides, they went all clothed on this series, compared to the more revealing clothes in their other costumes. Quite a bit inconsistent, considering that players are actually peeping Toms when it comes to the female Elem. :p

Scout

I've always thought of Scouts as the innocent looking ones in the game, most especially the female. On this costume though, the innocence was totally smothered by the rather..uh...revealing outfit that makes the female scout look like a lolita for pedos or something. XD Although I have to admit that it matches her skin tone, but still, it's a bit far too revealing for my own comfort. The male one, on the other hand, looks ok. But there's too much purple that he reminds me of ice cream. :x It's also a far cry from the Croanian costume/Oiled Body look that really showed off his buff body.

Fighter

The male Fighter looks like something you'd expect from the anime Sailormoon. No kidding. And his arm's dislocated. XD

I'm a bit neutral to this, as I think the impressions would come when we see the costumes worn by the characters themselves. Based from my experience, the renders may look unappealing, but would look really nice on the actual characters. I'm still reserving my thoughts on this, though I have to say that the female Fighter's femininity is given some justice.

Overall, I'd say that the Wizard class tops the cool, sophisticated look for this series of costumes. It would also help if there was a bit of play in colors. So far I've noticed that the predominant shade was purple, and not everyone would look good at it. Still, the costume update is still worth something to anticipate. Hopefully they'd look a lot better once they're worn by the characters and we see them live in our servers. :)

Image Sources:
sGE Forums
GE Hanbiton

[Guide] Topping up using e-Points

2009-05-30T16:32:00.010+08:00

For the Philippine GE players, I hope this post finds some use to you.

I've been seeing and hearing scores of top-up concerns of GE PH players when it comes to using e-Points (EP) to purchase G-Points (GP). I haven't used EP myself, but a recent happening while helping my friend top-up using the said currency has led me to understand the process a bit more.

Turns out, it's not that difficult at all. I wonder why so many players have erroneously placed their EP credits to their e-Games account. Seeing things for myself made me realize why people are confused with the whole process.

Allow me to shed some light into this.

Step 1: Go to the e-Games website. Click on the My Account button at the top-right corner.

Step 2: Key in your e-Games account details.

Step 3: Go to the GE Top-up section at the left side of the navigational bar.

Step 4: Fill in the necessary details (IAH user account, EP card PIN & password).

After entering the information, your EP card load is automatically credited to your GE/IAH account as G-Points!

A common mistake made by most players in the process is that they go directly to the e-Games Top-up section. A word of advice: DON'T DO THIS OTHERWISE YOUR EP LOAD WILL BE CREDITED TO YOUR E-GAMES ACCOUNT. You won't be able to retrieve your EP and will thus file a ticket to the e-Games Helpdesk to resolve this.

Just make sure you go immediately to the GE Top-up section, and you're good. ^_^

An unexpected surprise

2009-04-29T15:13:00.004+08:00

Ok, so I apparently missed a few. My eyes must be failing me.

My entry

and...

Someone else's

Ah, well. At least I scored myself a few ABS. :D

Thanks, dudes from IAH. ;) Hope to see more mini-games like these.

Cirque du Soleil in June

2009-04-29T09:06:00.004+08:00

RCM Hrin has recently blogged about the upcoming release of v.3.4.14, otherwise known as the circus patch. Ok, there's no official name for the patch just yet, so I just made that up XD.

The new patch looks promising, with new maps and a new RNPC to recruit. The cat pet will also be released in this patch, though I do hope it doesn't consume much pet food as Pigling does (still haven't got the pig though...my luck's not really rubbing off).

One thing that got me salivating in Hrin's post was the update on the Premium Treasure Boxes! Every single item is worth something (especially those Constellation signs), so there's probably no better time to get that from the Item Shop (well, I'd be floored if they brought back the Phoenix wings though...I'd love to have that D:).

The patch is set to be rolled out in 18 June. I am somewhat excited about all this, in the sense that I'm assuming that this is going to be a more challenging map than Zeia. Speculations are already up and about, saying that the patch might herald the release of the Master Promotion Scrolls.

Gosh, the requirements just keep getting a lot more steep in every patch update.

Hrin is opening the doors to suggestions for the patch name for v.3.4.14, so if you happen to think up of something that would fit the circus-like theme, then do make those suggestions count!

-----

In other news, a new GE server in Vietnam is currently up in the works. Based from what I understood in Hrin's post, Vietnam will have their own GE, although I think they're working closely with IAH. I'm not sure if I interpreted it as a new server, or whether Vietnam will play a distributor role for the SEA version of GE. Kindly correct me if ever I missed anything. :x

Nevertheless, I hope the GE community continues to grow, regardless of the server we all play in. ^^

-----

Some stuff I picked up in the forums about jGE: They're getting seiyuus (or voice actors) for RNPC VOs!

For those who've watched a few anime shows and played a few videogames know how seiyuus can make or break the overall persona of a character. I, for one, have been a huge fan of the Japanese VOs for GE characters and I absolutely find their voices extremely suited for the role.

This blog particularly talks about the specific RNPCs that need some really kick-ass VOs. I've come across some familiar seiyuu names and needless to say, I would absolutely love to hear their voices in those characters!

And yes, jGE is getting their own RNPC by the name of Miyufu. They say she's a martial artist type, though she looks more like a samurai to me based on her costume.

-----

Straight from the horse's mouth: Uncle Meepoktah tweets about plans for an upcoming GE tournament...Team Arena style!

Unfortunately, I suck at this, so I hope everyone else joins! Hehehe. This is going to be so much fun. I hope I can get to watch in the sidelines. XD

-----

RANT: Does anyone read these days? I mean...seriously. There's another facepalm thread in the forums complaining about the re-scheduled maintenance. Yeah, yeah, another round of self-pwnt posts on why it wasn't properly announced. Kinda weird because I saw the web announcement early this week.

Get this: they say that not everyone checks the website and forums for updates like this. I nearly ROFLed.

Man, oh man...God save the world from pea-brained whiners. <_<

Presenting...the Noble's Court!

2009-04-23T15:27:00.011+08:00

If you've been spending a lot of time in the forums (like me XD), chances are, you've seen the Operation: N teaser that the IAH staff cooked up. Frankly speaking, the teaser worked wonders as it got everyone (well, most of the players who frequented the forums) abuzz with what the secrecy was all about.

Sir Lyndon unveils the mystery.

It was pretty mysterious back then, with speculations ranging from various things, that was, until someone cracked the seekretz with a preview done in other GE countries. Not that they had the same program, but rather the rewards itself.

Anyway, everything's all revealed now. Operation: N, or The Noble's Court, is actually some sort of reward system that gives stuff to players for reaching a certain family level.

I see an Ancient Shelter Pass listed there. Yay! :3

Players with family level 20 and who've completed the Vespanola's Ten Nobles Quest (Bahama series of quests) will get the consumables listed, plus a flag back costume. However, those who've finished the same quest but have family levels 25 and above will get an additional 30 day flag which gives DR+1.

According to Kaioujin, this includes your base family level plus the additional if you're part of a faction.

This also means that I will have to pick a side for my small faction (whether Royalist or Republican) if I will want to claim even the 30 day DR+1 flag.

Nevertheless, this is great news! There's going to be a lot of motivation for players to grind and promote their characters for additional family levels. Over the next few months, more Noble Ranks will be released, and I think the levels are going to be raised for that matter. I do hope the rewards are extra sweet for that. :D

Viscounts and Earls...sounds interesting.

Time to vet some characters then. *cracks knuckles*

Know more about The Noble's Court here!

Selva, the Knight Protector

Woooo! I gots teh goods! :3

Getting pwnt D:

2009-04-20T08:54:00.010+08:00

First off, we haz new ABS loot! Yay!

My girls are loving it! :3 But I'd reaaaaallly want to get the Clivia Sprite costume for the Musketeer, Pigling and those 1-year wings! But I just burned 100ABS but got another Gold School Costume for Scout and a Star Knuckle. Looks like my luck is still in the works.

Anyway, I tried to have a crack at the new features of the latest patch. I joined the Joaquin Barrier Siege one afternoon, and I have to say that this one's a tougher nut to crack compared to the one generated by mission stones.

Gang laep tiemz!

I squadded up with a few AS peepz and other high tier players for this mission, but dang, the mobs pack quite a punch! I burned a few SCs, but we totally lost the mission. The mobs were just too many and there weren't that much of us in the squad to clear all obstructions. Still, the experience was quite something.

And that night, I PMed a few friends if they wanted to join the 8PM Team Arena just for kicks. I even broaded for good measure just to fill up the slot.

Together with fellow CC Blacksword, Falkenhausen, Pai Man Llavore and some new found friends. My DFL, Trianna, joined in some time before the mission started.

I have never played DoTA all my life, so I don't have a clue how the Team Arena works. So here's how everything looked like in the middle of the battle.

Blue team gets pwnt for what seems like forever.

I finally learned some valuable lessons after this failed mission.

Kill some mobs, get coins. You and your teammates can farm coins and compile all these together to buy some useful buffs and debuffs for your team and against the enemies.
You can never run all the way to the opponent's base, not unless you're on a suicide mission.
Sure, they say that everyone's basically on the same AR & DR. But darnit, ELNs and Marlin Javelins hurt. A lot.

To cap off that night's session, here's a rather quotable quote from my musk:

Conversations when you're dead suddenly become meaningful. Teh lulz.

Fuse me baby!

2009-04-16T11:46:00.004+08:00

The GE Community Crew team is once again inviting everyone to participate in yet another forum screenshot event!

Remember this? This month's event has something to do with this image, and yes, it is doable in GE...screenshot wise, that is. :D

Fuse your characters together and see the results! We're looking for the real unique and quirky screenshot that would make us wonder how you ever got such a seamless picture that can pass for a new character altogether, or even an image that will make us laugh at the absurdity of it all.

It's up to you, folks! With so many characters, costumes and accessories (not to mention poses) available in the game, the possibilities are endless! To sweeten the deal, the CCrew (thanks to the generous people of IAHGames) will be giving away not just ABS, but a Lucifer Wings Package! That extra AR brought by the wings is surely worth the effort, so join now!

Contest ends on 30 April 2009! Get crackin'!

For more information & details on the mechanics, click here.

Domination III rules!

2009-04-13T12:37:00.022+08:00

Late post is late. >_<

I’ve got about a dozen or so pics here about Domination III (pilfered from everyone else’s stash), so I’ll let the pictures do the talking. :D

All I can say is… Domination III rocked our socks off! It was great to meet some of the faces behind the family names!

For now, check out what happened...in vivid images. :p

Lines...as far as the eye can see...

There seems to be a lost soul...

Ah, there ya go.

CM Aethrin hosts the ABS Live activity. And no...there weren't watermelon skins, I swear!

CM Aethrin props up the stage for the PVP tournament.

Guess who wants to have an endless supply of watermelon skins. >:3

Ok, who wants a whole year's worth of Dried Maroon Grass?
I kid. This is teh trvia contest of doom.

But of course...Domination III wouldn't be complete without COSPLAYERS! GE had its fair share starting from those who just wanted to have fun on their own (or those who didn't join the cosplay contest)...

Yes. Cath's private stash of chocos was [this] big!

Cosplay. It. Be. Here.

Last year's Fire Elementalist got a wardrobe upgrade.

...to the brave souls who mustered their courage to ramp up the stage!

Too bad Phoenix Wings were removed in the Premium Treaure Box. T_T
Still, the Fighter in Beachwear sizzles!

Sweet Leticia...who's manning the cash shop?

Just for teh lulz...

It's Cornholio cosplaying as Spongebob.

Hand over the DHRs...now!

Factions and friends alike had their own EBs.

The (incomplete) PH CCrew team. Yes, it's Hakkyu Kim in the house!
Wait, wut?

The lovely ladies of Les Faction.

After the event, everyone else either went home or stayed for a couple of drinks and late dinner.

Omnomnomnomnomnom...

The All Star Faction in an all star booze session. With them are a few Le Conquistador members.
(Patronum bullied me to edit this. LOL.)

Photo credits:
Patronum
Ripclaw

Fresh blood & an invitation to D-Day!

2009-04-01T15:48:00.003+08:00

Finally, the deliberations are over! I'd like to commend and congratulate the new batch of Community Crew!

Arc
Desmond
Eleanor
Glacie
Kelvinator
KUSABIREIKA
Larg
Miyu
Remnants
renn
Sigisvult the Goth

I look forward to a fruitful working experience with you guys! ^^

And before I forget...it's only but 3 days left until e-Games Domination III! I hope you've all pre-registered for the event, because it would surely suck if you just spend the entire day in the line, right? Please do attend, and I hope to see new and familiar faces!

See you all this Saturday! :3

DO WANT! (/3)/

2009-03-27T12:46:00.008+08:00

Teh GE 2009 Diary.

I badly wants it. T_T

But sadly, it's only given away as contest prizes. There's no way am I going to get my hands on one of these. *le sigh*

*is somewhat contemplating on stowing away on a plane bound to Korea, hijacking the IMC office and demand they give me one of these.*

Images ganked from Reimaru/Blacksword. >:D Wish I could steal his diary too.

What I love about Rembrandt

2009-03-25T10:39:00.006+08:00

I started playing GE back in 2007 in Cervantes, the first PK server. Over the next few months, I subsequently moved to Caravaggio, and lastly, to Carracci, upon the prodding of some new found friends from Outcasts Faction.

Being a casual gamer, playing in a non-PK server made me enjoy the game a whole lot more. I was able to level in peace without the anxiety of watching my back for potential players who will just PK you for no reason at all. Some say that getting PKed is the price that you have to pay for choosing that server, but I beg to disagree. This is probably why I totally enjoy being in a non-PK server because I can really enjoy the game and at the same time, engage in meaningful friendships with other players.

One of the many things I love about the newly-merged servers of Carracci and Pachelbel are the people. Carraccians are generally a mix of friendly and competitive players, while Pachelbelians are the peaceful bunch. Put those two in one server and you'll get a bunch of people who love to socialize and help out others.

No, really. If you're looking for a friendly server, Rembrandt is the place to be. Here are the reasons why.

People are generous in lending assistance to those who need help in their quests, etc. I've experienced this myself when I got stumped with the Frog Fish part in the Bahamas quest. We all know that the FF is in demand with so many factions hunting for DHr, so it's really nice to see people actually lending their help to form squads to assist others in finishing this quest.

Brington's Auch Drama. This is something that I look forward to every Saturdays. Bringston stages a nice drama RPG starring his Auch Infantries, and people actually stop by to watch. It's nice to know that players aren't just leveling their characters or going into raids...they also enjoy a good activity organized by another gamer. Too bad Bringston's laying low to take care of his real life commitments. :( Hope he comes back soon.

Conversations over at the broad chat. Who would've thought broad chats are just used to advertise whatever it is you're selling? I get really amused in the afternoons (peak hours of Rembrandt server) when people just broad something funny or discuss something hilarious. It's either we've got loads of microphones to spend, or we just want to have a fun time talking to each other.

Server economy. Back when we're still not experiencing this dearth in vis (LOL), Carracci was one of the servers that had decent economy. I was just appalled that Vet Scrolls used to cost 100+ vis in Caravaggio. I think that even with the so-called recession in today's servers, Rembrandt remains to have the most reasonable prices for some in-game items.

Rembrandtians are prolly the most artistic bunch. Looking at previous contests, there's just a deluge of participants coming from this server. Some noteworthy artists include Reclusion, Tokoyoshi, Mulann, MilkCarton (aka Kelvinator, the King of Captions), exebolt, and a whole load of players who excel in video-making, fanarts, comics, stories, etc.

...and some personal opinion:

Le Conquistador Faction. Ok, so I heard that there's something going on with their decision to turn neutral, but nevertheless, LC is one of the friendliest factions I had the opportunity to talk to.

Outcasts Faction. Prolly the only faction that I will call home. :) These are the Pinoys who really value friendship over items. I miss our rowdy bunch. /end emo rant XD

Although, I'm not saying that the other servers don't have their fair share of goodness. Of course I won't ever forget my friends in Cervantes and Caravaggio (now Bach). I believe that my overall experience in GE is a mixture of the good and the bad, and this is a given in almost all online games. The only difference is that I remain a steadfast GE gamer and will continue to support & love this game.

Ok, this was a rather sappy entry. XD

Event plugs for CCrew & Domination 3

2009-03-24T11:36:00.005+08:00

I have 2 very important things to let you all know about. ^_^

March Community Crew Quest: A screenshot contest!

I'm inviting everyone to send their submissions for the March Community Crew Quest: Know the 7 Sins of Man! It's a pretty simple screenshot contest about the 7 sins, and we've already been flooded with a lot of entries. But we love viewing all your submissions, so do post yours if you haven't joined yet.

The lucky winner will win a whopping 70 ABS and a Grindstone back costume. ^_^

For contest mechanics and where to submit your entries, click here.

Contest ends on 31 March 2009, so don't think twice...join nao!

Domination 3 is but 2 weeks away! O.O

By next week it's going to be April already, and with that month comes the biggest event of e-Games, Domination III!

I just got word from CM Aethrin that he's inviting GE Bloggers to attend the event and write about the biggest gathering of GE gamers. And yes, he did say about giving away a few stuff here and there, so I suggest the dormant GE Bloggers to start clearing away the dust from their websites and to get ready for this action-packed event.

I won't reveal the exact prizes...I'll leave CM Aethrin to surprise you with that. ^_~

Hope to see you all on April 4 at the SMX Convention Center!

For more info about Domination 3, click here.

Faction Feature: Le´ Çonquistador's Garim Raids

2009-03-15T12:27:00.017+08:00

Wow. This article is long overdue, but I'd still like to write about this nonetheless. :)

I was privileged to have been able to talk and bond with one of Rembrandt server's most active factions, Le´ Çonquistador (LC). Headed by its faction leader, Mahoney, together with deputies Ichihara, devilz and Additional, this raid and Colony Wars oriented guild has amazed me in more ways than one. Not only are these guys active in in-game events, FL Mahoney encourages his members to participate in artistic activities. No wonder you'll find some of SEA GE's artistic bunch in this dynamic faction.

I did this interview back in December of 2008, right when most factions are already into raiding Garim's Nest. Perhaps these days, venturing into Garim's territory might be a walk in the park for some, now that Serpent and a few Constellation weapons and Expert stances have become available. But for now, allow me to let you take a peek on how LC works as one solid group.

DeSanggria: Hi guys! Can you tell me something more of how you prepared for this raid? How many people are needed in this raid? What's the average/recommended AR/DR?

Mulann: The raid itself can accommodate 30 families and LC goes on an average of 14-20 people to do this raid. I believe the average AR/DR of our members are around 58-64.

shalador: We also had "guests" from other factions like CrystalNovalight and Patronum and myself. A few of us were even yelling out warcries before we started.

Note: Back during this interview, shalador and Patronum were not yet in LC. Patronum was the FL of NekoMiko before she and her members joined LC.

DS: What sort of tasks/assignments did you delegate to each member? What armors/weapons are recommended for this raid?

Mulann: 1 Super/Imba Tanker is enough. The rest, Musks for DPS. Most LC's bring their own Scout. We also used Rio for attack/speed buff.

devilz: The tanker needs at least +5 EMS 3DR with El 92 shield 2DR will do pretty ok, just need some potting. We normally down it with 64~67 DR without buff or wings. As for AR, it needs to be at least higher than Garim's DR to provide more efficiency in provoking..with 2 provoke rings preferred. For equipments, I would say at least a +5/+6 EMS with El 92 2DR shields. Block and res is quite important because Garim deals both physical and some ice spells.

DS: Would you say that Musks are essential in this raid as well?

devilz: Ranged characters would be preferred for this raid because Garim deals real painful damage to even El92 armours equipped melee characters. Without block or good armours it's quite difficult to use skills on Garim while potting. Elementists can be an optional choice but due to Garim's tough skin, it does take some time to down it. Long hours of spamming skills will be
quite tiring.

DS: Having done previous high level raids, what was the most difficult part/challenge that you encountered in Garim's Nest?

Mulann: Gathering people -.- takes ages at times lol. I'm happy to see LC is moving according to the flow; all are on the lookout for people who needs resuing, and moves in timing with our tanker. As a buffer/resuer, I try to buff and resu everyone as much as possible.

shalador: There was a place where we had to protect a crystal from both sides. The veteran of this raid was slightly nervous about this part even though the mobs were fairly low. Must have been alot tougher before the nerfing, I think.

¤ All ¤ Star ¤ Faction's Garim raid where Mahoney & Ichihara first experienced the whole thing.

DS: How was the first raid in Garim's Nest like? Were the other succeeding raids any different from the last?

Mulann: LC's first raid to Garim's Nest was surprisingly easier than expected by our leaders who experienced it first hand with AS. I heard it was nerfed though. Everyone made sure to eat Hrin pots and wore wings but the best part was how the teamwork went during the raid.

shalador: Rather long and exciting. No other faction was there to ks~ XD (*cough E faction cough*)

devilz: Only Mahoney & Ichihara were presented at AS's Garim raid. The only confusing process is the splitting lane. Other than that, the rest is pretty normal, which we are able to handle without difficulties.

DS: Was there any strategy you used to defeat Garim?

Mulann: 3x Musketeers families for DPS; Fighter/Claudes - tankers and always lead the raid; a few Elementalists - Mob Control AOE; Scouts/Rio- buffer/resuer

devilz: Penetration effect is the key towards these tough boss. For now, I can only recommend more Outrage users to kill Garim quickly; it's best if with dino stats, but I don't really recommend players to actually chip for that stats :X

shalador: Do not try to be china hero and attempt to tank the boss alone.

DS: What were the loots you got in this raid?

devilz: The only loots worth mentioning for this raid is Le Noir (29 DR series armour) and Garim's belt recipe/ingredients. The probability of getting lousy stuffs is pretty high, and those loots are difficult to satisfy the overall members' expectation for that raid. So most of the Garim raid participants are not rewarded, despite wasting their 500 reputation points and time.

Mulann: The best and Rare so far: Le Noir Musk

Usual items:
5x lvl 92 chips
2x lvl 100 chips
lvl 100 items
e84 items or worse, recipes -.-

LC's first Garim raid

DS: Does LC plan to do frequent Garim raids in the future?

Mulann: Depends, but grinding 500 reputation points for E84 recipes/items may not seem worth it. Probably just to have some fun and kill time.

devilz: The loots alone, I believe, will stop many factions from counting Garim into one of the daily raids, as it does not promise rewards. Even GOF is better lolz.

DS: Why did LC undertake such a quest/raid?

Mulann: To test new bosses and train for it.

shalador: No idea. I think they had been planning this for a while, then I got invited on the spur-of-the-moment thing.

DS: Any plans to take on Sekhmet? XD

Mulann: Sure, why not? Hehe. But currently, we are engaging on the Brain of Argus.

And just a few days after this interview, I got an invitation to join the raid! Back then, I didn't even have the qualifying AR/DR for this raid, but just for the sake of experiencing the thrill, I went on ahead.

I see lots of blue stars.

Someone's waiting at the end of that crystal wall.

And just as we were waiting on those 2 sides of the huge crystal wall, we all got DCed from the game.

Teh epic lulz.

It was a short-lived experience, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was truly an honor to have been able to interact with such group of really nice people. :D

My hats off to the brave and the bold, Le´ Çonquistador Faction! Here's to more thrilling raids and rewards for all of you! ^_^

Acknowledgments:
Mulann
Mahoney
devilz
shalador
and everyone else in LC faction for being so hospitable & nice ^^

For more information about LC, visit:
The Le´ Çonquistador Faction Blog
The Le´ Çonquistador Faction Forum

We want j00!

2009-03-11T09:13:00.004+08:00

The doors are once again open for applications for Community Crew!

If you think you've got what it takes to help the Granado Espada community, then this is the perfect opportunity! Tell us what you've previously done to fan the community spirit alive, or perhaps share what you plan to do!

I just got an extended lease on being a CC, and I'm just thrilled to be given another chance to be of service to the GE community. I'd like to invite those who share the same endeavors to apply and be part of this great team. I guarantee that there's no boring moment at all. ^.~V

Know more about how to apply here. I hope to see some familiar faces soon. Good luck! :3

The thing about losing...

2009-02-17T16:36:00.002+08:00

...is that sometimes most people do not want to feel that bitter taste in the mouth. And that they'd stop at nothing to assert their twisted sense of reason.

I really don't want to comment about something that has died down, but seeing at how other people continually dispute the authorities' decision on contests, I feel like I have to assert my points yet again.

I'm not saying that I agree to the lack of communication in the changes of contest mechanics. What I find absurd is how a select few of people suddenly raise such a ruckus over the results when they didn't so as much utter a single word of dissent during the duration of the contest. It boggles the mind why they suddenly question the technicalities on how the winners won at this point in the competition.

Thing is, they had all the time in the world to raise their questions during the contest period. But did they say anything? Nil. And when I raised that point to them, I was mockingly asked if I joined a competition, passed anything noteworthy and won anything.

Funny thing was when I pointed out just what exactly did I win, they jeeringly accuse me and my teammates of "stroking our egos". Sheesh.

FYI, my friends and I stand nothing to gain if we paraded our credentials to everyone. What we're just trying to stress is that people should ask their questions whenever there's something that they need to clarify. Like everyone else who joined, we're also doing this out of love for the game, the thrill of collaborating & exchanging ideas, and the wonder of seeing other good works out there.

Again, I'd like to reiterate that we all deserve to be properly informed of any changes in contest mechanics. We also have to do our part if we so much as claim that we are here "for the spirit of competition".

For the record, I don't care if I win or lose in the contest. All I'm after is the bonding time spent with friends and the creative effort we put in to make our works real good. Since this is an individual contest, I'd be content and happy to say that if any of my friends and teammates' entries bag a spot, we all consider it as a collective accomplishment.

After all, we are true to the spirit of Granado Espada, and that is: Freedom, Unity and Friendship.

The question is, are you?

====

If it's a bit convoluted and complex for people to understand, here's the gist of it all:

I'm all for proper communication of changes in contest mechanics. I have not, in any other way, suggested otherwise.
If you don't want to be left in the dark, ASK QUESTIONS.
Judges' decision is final and incontestable. Read the fine print.
I am not parading my previous wins. Some people asked (although maliciously...I dunno), I merely answered. I believe I did not win accolades on my own. I had help. And I always acknowledge the help of others.
Be genuine in extending your congratulations. Stop saying one thing, then mean another.
Don't think that if your work wasn't chosen, you're trash. Take this as a learning opportunity to strive to be better in what you do.
Constructive criticisms actually give the good and the bad side of things. It's not done out of spite. It's in the spirit of helping the other improve their work.
Virtual items will not make you rich in real life. Nor will you gain real and true friends.
Stop blowing things out of proportion. Do not misconstrue the words of another. <--If ever I am guilty of such, say it so to my face and not flood teh Intarwebs with useless chatter.
Most important of all: BE A SPORT.

I can feel teh lurv~!

2009-02-17T08:21:00.017+08:00

This be teh month that I finally felt teh universe conspire to help me in meh GE life.

Nahmba wan:

Gavin quest, done!

Who's the bigger betch nao? >:3

Finally gave teh Ice Betch her just desserts. Nyahaha. But I couldn't haf done it wifout teh epic borrowed equips. xD Ya know who ya are. ;D

Nahmba toooo:

Inside GE's sewage system..teh stinkzorz xD

Finally got my ass inside Reboldoeux Culverts. Teh mobs be packing quite a punch thar. But it be a naisu place to power-level to s3xpartz. I even saw Mahoney & Mulann of the LC Faction taking a power nap. :3 Good thing I wuz still wearing teh wise man necklace from Gavin's quest. Helped a whole lot in AR & DR stuffz.

Nahmba thwee:

I was hoping to get to Zeia that same day that I went inside the Culverts, but things didn't go teh way it wuz planned. I wuz just running around Culverts until teh fegs in squad chat told me I should be in channel 1 if I wanted a peek at Zeia.

And true enough...

O hai thar, Nar! :3

ZEIAAAAAAA~!

That be my friend and sole faction member, Trianna. Hehehe. We were both thrilled, we nearly kissed Zeian ground when we got there. xD

Too bad we didn't last long outside the place. Fakken mobs were like raid bosses AR & DR wise.

Still, it be a good experience to be thar. :3

Nahmba fowr:

Stupid me. I has a couple of EXP cards rotting in meh inventory, until I decided to do this...

and this...

which resulted to this...

I really feel like weeping nao. Two farking years in teh making of clean living...that is, no macro or bot for meh girls. And nao they be s3xpartz! T^T I r be liek a proud momma. :D

Nao if only I be getting my elem to s3xpartz too..

Nahmba faaayv:

Following meh 2 girls' promotion, I had help from Vashal, Chinensis, Xei, Reclusion and everyone else from OC and a few friendly peepz to whack teh huge...and I mean huuuuuge...Avalanche Apparition! Sorreh there be no screenies for that. >_<

Teh epic trio of convoluted lurv~!

DeSanggria & Chinensis lurv trio in a yuri & buttsecks pictorial XD

Yezzzz! I has her! I has her at last!

I didn't haf teh heart to change her name to something else, so I stuck to naming her Selva (even if there be dozens of her wif teh same name running around town XD).

I cannot thank Vashal enough for helping me from Chaos Requiem, to Gavin, and to teh epic quest to get Selva. So yah...even if he doesn't wants it...thank you, feg! :3 No srsly...my heartfelt thanks to you. ^^

My epic gratitude as well to Reclusion (who helped me loads in more ways than one :p) and to the people who helped me with HAA right when everyone else was busy with PY. I lurv j00 all!

And today, I celebrate all these accomplishments with a tall order of Starbucks Espresso Frappuccino. :3

Cheers! ^0^

[CCrew Quest] Love Love Revolution!

2009-02-15T15:17:00.006+08:00

♥♥ Love-Love Revolution! ♥♥

I seriously need to blog and pimp our Community Crew events. -_-;;

Anyway, I'd like to invite everyone to join this month's forum quest hosted by the Community Crew! Valentine's Day may have already passed, but not the love fever (ok, I admit that was a lame line XD)!

The event entitled, Love Love Revolution, invites you to hatch a diabolical plan to help specific NPCs create the ultimate love strategy.

I know you're curious to learn more, so read this nao!

What we really need to see in yer werks is the kind of planning/strategy you will execute to help the NPC. No need to detail the outcome of it...we just needs teh epic planz!

Join nao and you might win 30x ABS + White Cristatus back costume! >:3

Contest runs from 15 February to 8 March 2009.

Teh daet wif teh troll

2009-02-14T17:43:00.016+08:00

I be talking 'bout meh daet wif teh GCR troll in their event, Win A Date Wif A Perv...errr..I mean, Win A Date With A Troll.

I totally missed out on teh first day of voting, but thankfully, I was able to have a bit of spaer tiem the next day to hang around. I first bought some chocos from Lisa, only to find out that these stuffs cost a farking arm and leg (almost 2m for 9999 pcs.).

I can't remembur how many chocos I bought, but I think I spent around 20m. So yah, meh vis account is currently dwindling, thanks to some spur-of-the-moment splurging that I did.

So yah, I went off to Auch to pass meh votes to Straightener and to just hang around wif the crowd who were also participating in teh event. Turned out to be a fun session meeting wif a lot of people I just usually see in teh broads, as well as wif some of teh familiar faces I know of.

To sum up the convos that happened in Auch, it was mostly about weird perversions.

One wuz xArchangel's yuri tendencies for our twin female elementalists.

If you see it, you sh1t bricks. XD

Two, Llavore and DelaValliele had a field day peeking at teh girls' skirts. -_-;

Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?

Find teh perv in this pic.

*headdesks & facepalms*

And yah, it turned out I won for spamming chocos. Got some good stuff from teh GCR fegs (nyahaha!) too. Not bad, not bad. XDDDD

I know I wuz blabbing about teh daets and all, but I got a bit of teh cold feet that time. Good thing my good friend and sole faction mate (teh lulz), Trianna, and her sister, Hemonus, offered teh perfect distractionz...Swamp Frog Fish! >:3

I dragged teh GCR pervies to join us for an FF squad, in which we whacked about 3-4 Wetland Frog Fishies before finally landing on teh real one. It was a fun experience, 'cept for the time when Vashal was being his grumpy self, scaring the living daylights out of meh.

Wetland Frogfish...do not want! >_<

Speaking of His Grumpiness, he chided me to work on meh Chaos Requiem quest and offered to tag along for the tour. Little did I knoe that when I agreed, I already signed myself up for teh daet that was supposed to be teh prize (aside from teh items & stuffz) from their event.

And so, there I was, being shown around teh dangerous caverns of Chaos Requiem. I wouldn't have thought to step foot inside teh place after meh fateful first-hand tour of teh place in teh test servers.

Wait for meeeee!

And if that wasn't done, he goaded me further to finish meh Gavin quest. To cut teh long story short, yes, I finished it all & got meh 2nd Gavin card. LOL.

Speaking of which, here's one of the most memorable convos we had on the way to Ferruccio Wall:

Me: I already have Gavin's card, btw.
Al (Vashal): You bought it. <--notice how he never asks questions? teh lulz!
Me: Yes.
Al: What a waste.
Me: I like cute guys in my barracks, so sue me.

Epic conversation is epic.

I feel like I'm going to incriminate mehself more, so in summation, I got the Chaos Requiem & Gavin quest done, which means I can now enter Zeia! Yay! So despite meh troll daet's unnerving disposition, I still owe him big time.

Al, if you're reading this (which I hope to God you won't...harharhar), I just want to say my thanks for all the help and assistance in teh quests. I hope in some insane way, you enjoyed hanging out wif meh. I enjoyed it too, yah noe. When you weren't being grumpy on me, that is. :p

~~And stop running away from your responsibilities wif our kids~~. HAHAHAHA. Teh epic lulz.

Ok, ok. I end here. My fingers hurt.

P.S.: Many thanks to the GCResidents Faction of Rambutt server, their FL, Straightener, for the fun event yesterday. I was srsly lmao-ing in meh seat. XDDDDD

That be (l-r): GCResidents (Desmond,) Moi, Maki (Straightener), Pervie Ash (DelValliele) & Grumpy Al (Vashal)...wif valinorian

[Pimpage] Player-organized Valentine events

2009-02-12T09:35:00.006+08:00

Valentine's is already on this Saturday! It's not liek I celebrated this commercial propaganda or anything...LOL

Anyway, I'm pimping two player-organized activities over at the GE forums because they seem to look fun and interesting. Besides, this'll give you something to do on V-Day as well. ^_^

1. GC Residents Faction Event: Win A Date With A Troll

The General Residents Faction of Rembrandt Server is inviting the female Rambutt players to vote for their favorite forum trolls! The event is somewhat similar to the official in-game event, Win A Date with a [GM] 2, though instead of the Cash Shop chocos you'll only need to buy Lisa's sweet confections.

Check out the details here.

Sorry Bach and Giovanni peeps. This is a Rambutt-exclusive event. :/

Totally LOLed at this event, but count me in! GCR peepz are sooo darn funny.

2. Anonymous Valentine

Hahaha! This is my own mini-event that I just thought of last night. Decipher the story of the poem and a few other details and win a barrack slot from me! XD

Check out the details here.

Yay, this is open to all servers! Hope you can join. :3

[edit]

I nao has winnarz! Congratulations to Straightener of Rembrandt & DeAngelia of Giovanni! :D

And with that said, I'd like to send everyone an advanced Valentine's greeting! Spread the GE lurv!

Hugs and smoochies,
DeSanggria Family

Conquering the swamps & my very own man-flesh

2009-02-11T09:31:00.011+08:00

Finally finished the Bahamas quest. FINALLY! Augh.

I was stuck for a while at the Frog Fish hunting part of the quest as I was rushing my mains to Expert level. Anyway, a few Fridays ago, I saw someone broad for an FF squad, so I quickly joined the group.

Gag time before the hunt

Initially I was anxious to get the quest done because I didn't want to get caught in the middle of a crossfire with other factions who are hunting FF. Turns out that I didn't have to worry much. One of my squadmates spotted the fiend in some secluded corner, so we went there and whacked the thing like crazy.

Whacking the bejeezus out of FF.

Thank goodness we didn't have to share the spoils with other squads.

After FF, we stuck around as a group to hunt for the elusive Elite Amber Bee. I kid you not when I said that this thing is elusive. We spent a good number of time running around the map, but to no avail. In the end, I wasn't able to hang around that long and I had to hunt for the insect alone.

As I was more of a casual AFKer, I finally got the kill after 2 days. What's frustrating was that it looked like the normal Amber Bees in the area. Can you believe that? =_=

For those who are having difficulties searching for the Elite Amber Bee, here's a few tips that I got from those who finished the quest (and based from my own experience as well).

Camp at H-J7 in Bahama Swamp of Eternity.
Run around, switch channels & hover your mouse pointers on the bees (the elite version looks the same as that of the normal one, so you best be alert).
You can also AFK in one spot that has a considerable spawn of Amber Bees and cross your fingers that when you check your quest log, you've already killed it.
Oh, and be careful of the Escudo Prefer Leader, that is, if you don't have imba armors. :p It spawns in the same coords as that of the Elite Amber Bee.

Family pic with the Witch of Bahamas

=====

In other news, I finally struck gold in ABS. And no, it's not a Dragon Heart Recipe. XD

I'm glad I took the risk this time in ABS a day before the 800% drop rate expired. Look at the best loot that I got!

I can hazz man-flesh. >:3

Okay, Soho the Wind might not be what other people would refer to as the "best loot", but given my unlucky streak in ABS, I'm just floored with delight! More hot guys in my family barracks, yay!

WTH are these two doing in a dark alley in Auch? XDDD

I also got some useful stuff like a Steel Spirit Stone, some colored ores, Amethyst pieces (prepping up for Chaos Requiem quests XD), elite 92 armor recipes and a few consumables. Not bad, not bad. ^^

Bahama Quest done, Gavin & Chaos Requiem, here I come! >_<

Advertising love

2009-02-06T11:36:00.013+08:00

Teh location

Teh starstruck actress

Teh emo actor

Teh perpetrators

My entry for the Valentine's Category was actually a project that a few friends and I wanted to work on the summer of last year. We were supposed to do a real life vid + machinima MTV using GE elements, but sadly, it didn't push through as we were busy with personal commitments.

I broached this idea to the group, originally thinking of using the song Inori~You Raise Me Up by Lena Park (OP song to the anime Romeo x Juliet). I admit, I was so into the anime that time that I wanted to create some fanart stuff for both fandoms (i.e., RxJ & GE). But then again, I heard this ethereal song, Feel This, sung by Bethany Joy Galeotti, and I knew this was the perfect song for this project.

And so on one sunny Sunday afternoon, I invited some friends over for the shoot, including the very lovely Sigrid, over to the University of the Philippines. Incidentally, I am also taking up my Masteral in the said school, particularly in the College of Mass Communications, so I knew some pretty good locations for this shoot.

I'm particularly glad that the weather cooperated with us. It was the perfect day to shoot the video, since the sun provided excellent lighting and the cool afternoon breeze kept us all in a relaxed mood. :3

Anyway, since we were just shooting for a 30 second video, I only took a few shots of the actors in specific locations. It was fun handling the video camera again and it was a joy to take videos of Sigrid who was really gung-ho on the emo look for this vid. Hehehe.

And so, without further ado, here's the end product of that fun and wacky video shoot.

Of course, what's a video shoot without bloopers? Here's just a few that I've managed to upload.

The emo actor fails at jumping onto tree branches. XD

Nobody's too emo for a quick breakdancing stint.

UP's majestic trees and verdant landscape also make for a perfect place for some...PHOTO OUTTAKES! (~'_')~

All I can say is...this has been so much F-U-N! Again, major props to you guys who helped out and made this project a sweet success!

Spread the GE lurv! :3

Rendezvous in Port of Coimbra

2009-02-04T09:17:00.019+08:00

Over a week ago, my cosplay friends (also GE players) and I finally pulled off this small project that took almost a year in the making.

The girls already had their costumes done waaay before, and the reason why this project has ben delayed for the longest time was because of me. LOL. I wanted a new costume, so I took my sweet time getting Selva's clothes and props done.

I originally wanted to cosplay Selva back in last year's e-Games Domination II, but due to some circumstances, the costume was pushed back at a later date. In the end, I'm glad it was delayed because I had more time to hammer down the details to this really intricate but beautiful ensemble.

Anyway, our little photoshoot escapade was scheduled on the same day as the GE PH 2nd Community Gathering. I was forever anxious that day because the skies were overcast and there was an impending gloom with the weather. I certainly didn't expect Mother Nature's unpleasant disposition, and this made me nervous to the core.

We all planned to meet up at Lucido's (Brunie) place to have an early shoot in their lovely living room for the Barracks setting. But we all got there late, so we just stuck to the original plan, which was to shoot in Fort Santiago in Intramuros.

I'm glad I booked the place for our pictorial. RCM Hrin has been there before, and I highly agree with her that Fort Santiago can be likened to Port of Coimbra. The magnificent landscaping and awesome ruins make for a great Baroque-inspired setting.

Anyway, we arrived late again in the location (LOL Pinoy time XD), which meant we had little time left for the actual shoot. Dressing up in costume can take too much time as we had to make sure that everything's in place.

We met up with our other friends who are also our photographers, CryptSealer (an ex-Cervantes player) and Azartras (ex-Carraccian). Our long time friend, who I shall herewith dub as Anonymous Photographer-san, was also there to help stormseeks (Bernelli) and be photographer for a day as well.

Let me just say that it was so much strain for me to be cosplaying and taking photos at the same time. The costume didn't allow me to move around that much, hence I was limited to just shooting from a few angles. Thank God for photographer-friends who had awesome photo taking skills.

And since Fort Santiago is first and foremost a public park, we had scores of tourists fishing for their cameras and taking snaps of our group. There was quite a number of Korean tourists in the area, though we weren't sure if they're familiar with GE.

All in all, we had so much fun! Much thanks to the Intramuros Administration and the Park Administrator of Fort Santiago for being so gracious and accomodating. Much love as well to my cosplay buddies Lucido, Gatoblanca, stormseeks and to our awesome photographers!

There will most definitely be a part 2 of this!

And now, may I point you to this direction where I kill your browsers with photos. >:)

The Pirate Adelina

The Mistress of Pistols, Brunie Etienne

The bitter soul, Selva Norte

The Queen of Rifles, Grace Bernelli

Now we're done with the serious shots, let's take a look at the scenes we messed up. XD

Selva gets tips from Bernelli on how to properly wear the armshield.

This is how you do the poledance pose, noob!

Bernelli endorses Duty Free made lamp posts!

Photobombing is srs bsns.

OMG it's Man-Selva and Man-Bernelli!

The local Auch Infantry person-san looks clueless with all the ruckus.

The Year of the Ox

2009-02-03T08:33:00.004+08:00

Everyone's so gung-ho on the Year of the Ox since Chinese New Year. And would you believe it has also invaded GE?

Holy Cow!

It's the invasion of cow costumes! RCM Hrin blogs about this cool stuff that's going to be available as an exclusive loot in Adelina's Booty Search.

Ridiculous as it may look like, but I'd love to own the white cow with black spots costume. It reminds me a lot of that scene in Kung Pow. LOL. Besides, I love messing up the looks of my characters. Hehehe.

Beating deadlines, & on not being able to visit Zeia

2009-01-30T10:47:00.004+08:00

Yes, yes, it's been a long time since I've last updated. Real life concerns are taking its toll on me, although I was still able to squeeze in a few hours or so to play GE.

Speaking of which, I'm still far ahead with my quests. So even when the Secret of the Culverts expansion was implemented, I wasn't able to take advantage of it. And yes, I still haven't set foot on Zeia.

What's even more frustrating than ever is the fact that I've been seeing dozens of Selvas running around town. It makes me green with envy.

Anyway, a few friends and I have gotten together to help each other out in this year's Fantazztic Ads Awards. Since the mechanics have changed and we can't very well enter as a team, we've decided to pool in our efforts to help each other out in our individual entries.

One of the major obstacles we encountered was the shorter time span for the film. Since this is an ad making contest, we had to think up of ideas that are short and meaningful. This meant that we don't have the luxury of detailing long narratives unlike in last year's FFA. Ideas and concepts have to be precise, catchy and thought-provoking. I personally struggled for days with an ad concept, until NineMoons suggested doing a parody of the PC vs. Mac ad.

This got my mind into thinking...why not? The concept is simple, and did not need that much editing. All I needed was a catchy dialogue.

It didn't take me long to come up with one. In fact, I came up with several dialogues. But due to the inavailability of some people I wanted the voice-overs to come from, I decided to work on all the VOs for my ads.

Gracielo vs. Irawan: Dumb & Dumber

This concept was about the RNPC hunks. I'm a sucker for good looking guys in the game, and I wanted to draw a conclusion that even the good looking ones can have the IQs of Mandradoras. Originally, I wanted a Gracielo vs. Soho the Wind ad, but I didn't have a STW, much less know anyone willing enough to help us out to film this. If any of you have noticed anything, STW's abs are not normal. They're 8 packs instead of the usual 6. And so, this is where the idea came from.

I totally fail at doing VOs for guys. I was having a terrible cold when I recorded this, and I figured...what the hell, I can always mess up their voices to add to the comedic factor. It turned out okay, if I don't say so myself.

Royalist vs. Republican: There are no girls on teh Intarwebs

Back last year when the GE Girl Gamers was featured for a month by RCM Hrin, there was this thread in the forums talking about several myths about girls and the Internet. I decided to make this ad in conjunction with that discussion.

Meanwhile, NineMoons made the exact opposite of my ad which was about Girl Power, premised as a parody of the Mastercard Priceless ad.

FFA's Legendary Director, Reclusion, also submitted a fantastic entry entitled Detrimental. Do watch it because I've been viewing his ad for the nth time already. LOL.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the people who've helped me see through this week's Open Category...you know who you are! XD I'll be filming my sole entry for the Valentine's Category this weekend, so watch out for an update on that outtake. I'll try to post some photos of that little project as well.

New Year freebies!

2009-01-09T14:01:00.012+08:00

Finally, we get a New Year in-game event!

It was rather unsettling to find those lady mobs at the Ice Tower hanging around town. Good thing they weren't lethal. Hehehe.

Anyway, we have another search event! Search for 20 of Sir Bravo's swords and get cool items! The stuff ain't that bad at all, considering that some include nifty accessories, consumables and a kick-ass ice GS (although low AR).

How to do this quest? Easy.

1. Go to Cite Reboldoeux.
2. Talk to the ~~skank~~ Lady near Leonardo Expreso to activate quest.
3. After finding all 20 locations, report back to ~~skanky~~ Lady to receive rewards.

They're over here!

Some people already posted the spoilers or the locations to these swords, so if you're still clueless where to find them, here's teh list:

Ferrucio Junction - C9
Al Quelt Moreza - F2
Al Quelt Moreza Nartex - B8
Tetra Ruins - F8
Tetra Catacombs - H8
Jezebel Glen - F8
Porto Bello, The Deck - L6
Porto Bello Desolate Cliff - H6
Thueringen Lakeside - C5
El Lago de Tres Hermanas - I8
Dr. Torsche's Mansion, Reception Hall - J8
El Tejado Verde - G4
Outside Bahia - J5
Crater of Joaquin - H/I9 (somewhere in between)
Old Port of Coimbra - G7 (best view evah! :3)
Lago Celeste - H5
Topolo Durga - D5
Abertal - H5
Reboldoeux Queen's Gate - H6 (thanks to fenrisbearfist ^^)
Rion Praire - H3 (thanks to Chinensis ^^)

I think I got too excited to complete the search. I already clicked all 20 locations but forgot to activate the quest. LOL. As a result, the ice lady said I only found 18 swords. =_=

Here's a list of rewards based on the number of finds:

10pcs Snow Spray - 5 locations
[15D] 1 White Angel Wings (with movement speed stats) - 8 locations
[15D] 1 Black Angel Wings (with movement speed stats) - 12 locations
lvl 100 Fleudelis (Ice Greatsword) - 16 locations
1 Brown Ear Mouse Hat - 20 locations

If you get all 20 locations, you get all items! But since the lady said I got only 18, I wasn't able to claim the Mouse hat...yet.

Teh hat. Photo c/o Bandeau

Teh Fleudelis.

Time to go back to those locations & re-click teh swords. T_T

Happy hunting! ;)

A new appointment

2009-01-01T17:07:00.004+08:00

Well, well, well. It seems like I'm off to a good start this year.
I've been named a Community Crew in the GE forums!

That's my little Musky Tala wearing the spiffy Archangel wings.

I can tell that 2009 is going to be a busy, busy year for me.

Many thanks to the incumbent CC and Team IAH for this great opportunity to be of service! Congratulations as well to the newly appointed forum CCs!

[v.3.0] RNPC voiceovers

2008-12-31T17:55:00.005+08:00

So it turns out that this isn't my last post for the year. Hehehe. That's because RCM Hrin has posted these goody RNPC voiceovers for v.3.0 The Zeia!

Ania's voiceovers

Nar's voiceovers

And the most exciting voice of all...

Selva Norte's voiceovers

Excited DS is excited. ^^

Hanging out with Le Conquistador

2008-12-31T12:52:00.011+08:00

For the past few weeks or so, I've been hanging out with Mahoney's troops from Le Conquistador, as I'm coming up with an article on one of their raids. I recall my first time squadding up with a few LC members back in those weeks when the Feso system was first implemented and Sun stones were acquired through the Super Fight maps.

By some stroke of luck, I was added to Maho's squad, who apparently were there for the purpose of taking down Gerero & Chimera, as well as for a good and clean PK trip. I was only there to farm for the stones, but was only able to get so few after someone started killing me despite my saying that I was only farming.

Needless to say, that first experience was the start of more happenings with this fun faction. Thanks to the gracious invitations of FL Mahoney, DFL Ichihara as well as Mulann, I was able to experience the Gate of Flame raid, along with NekoMiko Faction, headed by Patronum.

Open the geeetoo!

I'm still a noob when it comes to navigating through this raid, so basically I just followed them around, hit a few mobs here and there, and sometimes died in the process (lol). I was also disconnected from time to time, thanks to our reliable internet connection at home. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this experience, though I still have to work my way around understanding GoF without dying all the time. XD

Lvl 90 mobs yet they hurt like crap!

Also this Sunday, my friend Trianna (and incidentally the only member in my faction XD) and I teamed up with LC as resuers for the Colony War.

It's been such a long time since I was in a faction engaging in massive PvP with other factions every CW, so this exercise was so much fun. Of course, running halfway around the entire map and encountering epic lag can be a bit of pain, but it was still fun.

One thing's for sure though. Eminence packs quite a punch. Imagine wiping out an entire squad in just one AOE skill of their Elementalists and Wizards...sheesh!

I'd like to thank the entire LC faction for indulging me and my persistent requests. ^^ More power to your fun faction!

But before that, here's a souvenir of last Sunday's CW escapades.

Agate & Lelldorin in their sexy-guys-with-hot-bods pose. XD

With that said, I'd like to end this last post for the year with a simple greeting.

May 2009 be as fun, exciting and eventful as the last.
Cheers to everyone! Happy New Year!

Selva's skills

2008-12-29T13:33:00.006+08:00

With another game content rollout looming in the horizon, we can safely say that RNPC Selva Norte is already on her way to being included in the following game patches. Recruiting Selva involves completing the Chaos Requiem quests, which are in itself, very tedious, given the fact that it involves an Expert level map.

Here's NineMoons' quest guide on how to recruit Selva.

Not only will we have to complete said quests to recruit her, there's also the quest to get some of the ingredients for her armguard/armshield recipe. NineMoons previously posted in her blog that one of the ingredients needed to forge this is 50 Mystery Powders.

[edit] kooriyuki from the GE forums translated the ingredients for us.

lvl 80 Chain Bracer
20 Composite Steel
20 Cast Iron
20 Solvent
50 MP

Having said that, RCM Hrin was generous enough to provide a detailed description of Selva's skills that comes with the stance books you'll get upon receiving Selva's card.

Cauchemar Stance

Vampiric Session: Attack enemy and absorb HP
Insanity: Damage enemies with great power
Death Crest: Defeat enemy with powerful magic after six times’ attacks
Eternal Tempest: Defeat enemy with power magic after fast attack

Rapida Espada Stance

Espada de la rotation: Attack enemies during revolving.
Espada del Viento: Defeat enemy with powerful left hand after two attacks.

Dragante: Push the enemy with powerful left hand and attack enemy
Saltos de Ataques: Gather power on left hand and hit the ground powerfully
Rapida: Attack enemy fast and defeat it with powerful left hand.

Personal Skill: Destino
Increases Immunity by 20 for 180 seconds.
(Level 11 increases DEF Rating by 1)

Note: Skill names are subject to change.

I don't have an idea what weapon is needed to make use of Cauchemar, but judging from the skill descriptions for Rapida Espada, that armshield's going to pack quite a punch. This is all very interesting, though it would be nice to see the skills in action with videos. Anyway, let's see what further developments we'll have once IAH tells us more about this much-coveted RNPC.

Christmas wish, granted!

2008-12-26T20:29:00.004+08:00

I was already hoping for the worst because of my Internet connection at home. Thankfully, the forces of nature cooperated with me and I was able to hang out in the game...just in time to see Santa's quirky laugh all over the server notice.

And speaking of Santa...this one cracked a joke or two while delivering presents to the noteworthy players. I'd have laughed along with the rest, if not for the fact that I was anxious as hell. Santa called quite a number of players and I was already half-expecting that he'd go bye bye, along with my hopes of ever getting chosen.

And then there it was! My name was called! I broaded instantly, even without knowing what wish Santa was granting me. Then he said I got an MBB, which is quite cool really (although I did say I'd be happy to have the White Cristatus even more than the GP or IOTM haha!). I was finally able to breathe easy after that.

Well then, I'd be getting the codes on Monday since Santa's got no work on weekends. Anyway, I'm just happy as a pea on my comfortable pod. But before that, here's a list of winners of Rembrandt's Naughty or Nice Day 2! Sorry...I would've listed down the winners on yesterday's event, but crappy Internet is crappy.

Inanna - 70k GP
Zanhaart - 70k GP
* Revolucion
Visquante - Elite Skullic Bracelet
fizz - 70k GP
Jezardi - Elite Rescue Suit recipe
VaqueroZ - 70k GP
Segnir - White Cristatuis
* Souken
** Ziendemonium
Drakezion - Elite Bone Frame recipe
Nivnal - 100 ABS
SuperiOrity - Bracelet of Ziz (but at his insistence, Santa changed it to the Bracelet of Behemoth)
Claimore - MBB
Philistia - 70k GP
Atkasha - 100 ABS
*** Casafuego
Thallmann - 70k GP
Icarus - MBB
Milycius - 100 ABS
DeSanggria - MBB
PepperILU - MBB
DraclouZ - 70k GP
Nieve - Bracelet of Behemoth
Arconis - Elite Destruction of Steel
Niji - White Cristatus
TheDevFamily - White Cristatus
*Sephies

* names were called but were offline
** Santa joked about giving this dude an Elite Echo of Steel RECIPE! So I didn't know what Santa really gave him (told you Santa was on a joking mood that time).
*** Santa said this player was getting an evil bunny. Like, wth? Again, I didn't know what he really got.

Here's just a few observations/comments after the event:

I was really surprised to see so few people who joined. Last year, the pages were really very long, and the entries were really great. I was just wondering why there were only few entries.
There were no machinima/video entries. Majority of submissions were screenshot comics and poetry. *coughmyentrycough*
90% of all wishes were 70k GPs. And Santa actually gave a whole damn lot of them.
So much for asking for ELNs! Hahaha. Good thinking though. :p

I just remembered that I also won in last year's event! I got an Elite Ringmail, back when I was in Caravaggio. My last year entry was a lot cuter too (took a bunch of pics of my stuffed toys and made a comic out of it LOL), but this year wasn't all that bad. I did get help, you know. Hehehe.

Congratulations to all winners! Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

Holiday greetings from the DeSanggria Family

2008-12-24T20:02:00.003+08:00

It's Christmas Eve! I hope everyone's having a good time, both in-game and in real life. After Christmas, we're going to be counting down the days until the end of 2008, and it is my fervent wish that everyone is all happy, safe and in good spirits this holiday season.

The picture above is my entry to the Naught or Nice event, in which I wished for 70K GP, Item of the Month and the White Cristatus back costume. The image, made by my friend, was accompanied by a simple poem with which I hope the GE Santa will notice when he starts granting wishes on Christmas Day and on the 26th. But just between us...I wouldn't mind not getting the GP or the IOTM. The back costume will look absolutely splendid on my Elementalist. Hehe.

In truth, I had a hard time deciding what to wish for. Of course, I automatically thought of asking for GP, but at the same time, I wanted to have an Elite Dragon Coat & Elite La Ventisca for my Musketeer and Elementalist. When I reviewed the wish list, I was saddened to see that they're only going to give out the recipes for the elite 92 armors, not the item itself. I figured I will get to craft those items in due time and with patience, since I was able to craft an Elite Rescue Suit for my Scout on one lucky day. I hope my luck doesn't run out in the next few days though.

But if Santa were to ask me what I really liked, I'd have asked for these:

Selva Norte RNPC with her armguard (not just the RNPC card & the armguard recipe haha)
Elite Le Noir for Musketeer
a pair of Intuition of Alrischa pistols (Constellation series)

A girl can dream, you know. ^_~

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the holidays! Be safe and have fun!

Merry Christmas from the DeSanggria Family!

Love,
Tala, Sidapa & Amihan

Trying my best to fill in your shoes

2008-12-19T09:52:00.008+08:00

Sometime last April, I put this teaser up as a prelude to my next cosplay project. I was hoping to have it ready in the last Domination II event, but I judged too soon and the project wasn't able to push through. Now I'm happy to say that things are finally falling into place and that I can finally unveil this humble little project of mine.

Judging from the silhouette, I'm sure it's no secret that I'm planning to cosplay Selva Norte, the RNPC avatar of RCM Hrin. It seems pretty ambitious, but I'm going to great lengths to lessen the food intake so I wouldn't look like a blimp wearing this costume. I'm really excited to get this done, being the fact that Selva's costume involves a great deal of intricate details.

I originally planned to cosplay her character sans the arm guard, given the fact that it's too detailed. Ever since Doratomo closed its character image database, I've been having trouble looking for concrete pictures of the armor. And since I can't think of a way to conceal my real arm and go for the skeleton version of Selva's left forearm, so I thought it would be easier to adapt the bandaged version.

But then again, I had help from a good props maker, so he was able to come up with a different version of the arm guard.

I really like the cyborg fingers, which is actually just one half of a rough working glove sprayed with silver Pylox and accessorized with rubber stoppers to simulate the robotic armor. I can very well flex my fingers, but cannot readily grasp anything because of the rubber fingers. Bending my elbows is going to be next to impossible because of armor covering half of my arm. It's also made of rubber sheets glued together and sprayed with silver metallic Pylox to make it look like metal.

I thought well of a good weapon for the character. Given the dearth of images on the web, I chose the Glacial Eglanche ice series rapier.

Compared to my previous Idge cosplay where I was lugging around this huge Castor Sword GS, this cosplay prop is easier to carry around since it's lightweight and all. I'm particularly fond of the flower-like hilt and the vine-like detail surrounding the blade.

I'll be posting pictures soon about the rest of the costume's finished product. I'm still working on the additional accessories for the corset, necklace and boots. Can't wait to have a photo shoot with some of my GE cosplay friends!

Boss hunting and Spinelle Wars

2008-12-14T22:06:00.005+08:00

It's been a busy Sunday for me ever since I found a way to play GE at home; one, being the fact that I was able to power level my main team in AT, and the other being able to witness today's Colony Wars yet again (it's been so long and I kinda miss the action).

I was just actually hoping to watch the war from the sidelines since I've been piqued for eons about the clamor against the use of spinelles during CW. But then, I got an invitation from Southernsky to join a few people in the Secret Temple. I happily obliged since I had a lot of time on my hands.

The ugly git staring right in front of me.

The whole activity was really fun, except the part where we waited for what seemed like forever for Chaos Boneless to appear. And when the fiend did, it just popped right out of my face, taking me off-guard. We weren't successful to take down Boneless since we were just a few, not to mention the fact that he monster had an abnormal HP regeneration ability.

And so, I was finally able to take a peek at some of the maps. When I got there, I had my first taste of the so-called Spinelle Wars.

Imagine the morbid, ugly faces of those mini-bosses coming at you in droves. I wasn't even halfway near the colony when I spotted these critters running around a few meters away. And like what was previously said, the lag took a swig out of my computer's processor and wrecked havoc. I was dead even before I could say "Thoracotomy". =_=

What a sight for sore eyes. Me being chased by Fallen Champions in the most noob of maps.

Southernsky and I just thought of cleaning the place from these critters, but then again, if you're fighting an entire mob, even those wearing elite 92s will get the most epic buttsecks of their lives. Either that or the abominable lag.

It's funny how some people whine and complain about the imbalance of using spinelles to defend a colony when in the truest sense of the word "war", everything will be dished out to the opponent, whether they fall into the "honorable" criteria or what. Yeah, yeah, who wants CW with endless lag and hordes of spinelles, right? I really don't have anything else to say since everyone said them already, but then again, that's the sad fact of war. It brings out the worst in people.

Well, I guess it's just that and because no sane gamer and faction will pass up the chance to win those goodies they promised for War of the Factions III.

And I'm willing to bet on Montoro's ass that we won't be seeing any "gratz to all colony holders" posts in the CW threads after this. At least, nothing remotely sincere for that matter.

Hearing carols and getting disconnected

2008-12-13T23:23:00.007+08:00

Finally...some worthwhile reason for me to turn up the volume while playing GE. :D

For those who've been around after last Thursday's maintenance, it seems that RCM Hrin wasn't kidding when she dropped the idea of the IAHGames team singing a Christmas song to be inserted in the game. If you haven't turned on the music in your game client, I suggest now's the time to do so.

The barracks theme has been changed to feature the quadruple singers of team IAH, which had MeepokTah (who we all fondly call as uncle MPT), Hrin, GM Lorenza and another person they haven't told us yet (despite my incessant prodding to know who this singer was). I wouldn't have thought it was really them as I was looking for some accent of sorts, but I have to say that their singing is really good. I think it was Lorenza who carried the voice that added the harmony to the whole ensemble. Marvelous job!

I hope they put the song as the town theme though. I can't count the times I've been disconnected from the game after staying in the barracks too long just to hear the song go on repeat mode.

Thankfully, Lorenza posted the downloadable MP3.

Here's an accompanying video to the song which featured some of the snapshots the team took while being with the kids in Katong Special School (as posted by Hrin).

[edit]

I embedded the music on my blog. ^^ 'Bout time I got into the Christmassy mood too. Hehe.

Not really post-worthy...

2008-12-10T15:50:00.003+08:00

...but I've been rolling my eyes for the nth time with this weird forumer. Dunno if the dude just has a lot of spare time, or he's got nothing else to do.

What's even funnier is that everyone else in the forums is encouraging his weirdness.

WTH. I should be reading more productive sites than frequenting the forums. Less headaches on my part.

Christmas in the New World

2008-12-05T10:16:00.002+08:00

RCM Hrin gives us a sneak peek of what's to come this Christmas in GE!

I don't know what they're called yet, but they sure do look cute! I especially want to get my hands on those angel head pieces for my girls! ^_^

Hrin also gives us something to look forward to by January 2009...the Fantazzztic Ads Awards!

As the title says, it's a different take from last year's Fantazzztic Film Awards, in which participants will have to craft their own advertisements using movie making tools and GE itself. Boy, oh boy, I can't wait for that!

In the meantime, I hope to hear the carols when I log into the game in the next weeks. At least there's going to be a reason for me to un-mute the sounds in the game. XD

[Updates] Sales, promos & in-game content rollout

2008-12-04T14:54:00.007+08:00

My apologies for the long and unannounced hiatus, but now I'm back with a vengeance! Here's a few recent updates that I've compiled about our favorite game for the past week. I'm sure some of you may have seen this in the forums or website, but just in case you haven't well then, good for me! Hehe.

1. Item Shop Sale: Cheaper Imperviums & Enhancement Boosters!

IAH has announced a major price slash in the sale of Imperviums and Enhancement Boosters! Time to start +5ing my noob lvl 100s and elite 92s! LOL. Good thing I haven't splurged all the GP I just recently bought.

2. Add-ons to Adelina's Booty Searches & IOTM

I'm sure that you've heard of the inclusion of elite 92 armor recipes in ABS, and more recently, 30Day Baphomet Horns with additional stats. But what is great to know is that they've added a few stuff like 100 ABS licenses & 5 Sun Stones apart from the 40 Boosters and 5.8k GP.

3. Broomy's launch

Broomy, the voodoo-like pet with healing powers will be launched this 18 December 2008, as announced in the forums. I'm definitely looking forward to have another cute pet in the ranks. But as far as summoning them, I think you can only use one pet at a time (please correct me if I'm wrong ^^).

4. Giovanni cometh

All systems are go as the 3rd server and the 2nd PK world in SEA/ANZ GE is set to be launched on 22 December 2008. From the opening day until the month after, a 2x EXP event will be implemented in the said server to boost everyone's levels, so that this baby will be in shape to go head-on-head with the older servers.

Trivia (taken from Wikipedia):

Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian author and poet, a friend and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including the Decameron, On Famous Women, and his poetry in the Italian vernacular.

=====

In other news, my girls are already halfway to Expert. The tireless chore of leveling them on a daily basis is getting to me, so one day, I decided that I wanted to have the blue rubber duhkeez. LOL.

Putting sunglasses to good use

Mucho thanks to the following for their time and effort:

Despite the rings, it can be quite lonely in the faction, since it's just me and my friend, Trianna, who just amuse ourselves by talking to each other. Hahaha. Oh well.

To infinity, and beyond!

[Update] The pains of farming

2008-11-07T16:52:00.004+08:00

The lack of updates here is beginning to disturb me.

So despite my lackluster experience in the game right now, I feel the need to infuse some life back to this blog. Hehehe.

So what have I been up to? Not much. I'm just trying to farm for Fesos the slow way. One time I squadded with a bunch of All Stars people, and yeah, it's basically what the other players say: everybody else is farming inside. For once, I didn't feel threatened having to have my fingers on standby on the pots keys XD. The thing is, people are rarely killing inside the Super Fight maps here in Rembrandt (though I hear it's a total war zone in Bach), and people aren't even KS-ing!

Despite my efforts to gather as much as I can, I was only able to obtain a measly amount. With the lowest amount for pet food going at 10K Fesos for just one hour...I dunno...I feel like I'd rather concentrate on getting to Expert than farming just now.

There's also an uproar for the socketing materials going about. I hear that it's doing a lot of wonders for equipment stats, but again, I'm too preoccupied with leveling more than anything else. There's just so many things to do in the game right now...I don't even know which to work on first.

Oh, there's this really neat advice on getting 1 million Fesos over at the forums. It's a long shot, but worth a try. Anything but the endless farming. =_=

For those out there who are looking for other things to do, I believe CM Aethrin has a few events up his sleeve. Check these contests out here.

And another big news! EP cards for GP! Woooot!

That's it for the meantime. I'll try to poke around after something monumental happens (like when I finally turn Expert. HAHAHAHA. I wish!)

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARRICK!!! (aka the other half of Reclusion) We miss you in GE. ^_~

Feso farming 101

2008-10-31T10:40:00.006+08:00

Like I mentioned in my previous post, there's really a need to farm for the 3rd currency called Fesos, if not for the pet food and the other neat goodies found in the Feso item shop. But how does one acquire this kind of in-game money anyway?

For a quick, basic rundown on how to obtain Fesos, here's a very informative article from the GE website.

Now as mentioned, you can get the Sun Stones, Moon Stones and Growth Stones at the various FT, AT and Super Fight maps. For the paid dungeon areas, you need to kill the rare spawning Treasure Mob found in random locations all over the area.

Treasure mobs in AT and FT

Take note that these mobs are more often than not invisible, meaning that they can't be normally killed by the melee and long-ranged character classes. You need to have the Elementalist or the Wizard ready with AOE skills to take down these invisible creatures. I haven't tried the Wizard for these farming sessions, so I'd recommend you bring the Elementalist in your team to cast the Elemental Strife skill to pin down the elusive vermin.

This also means that you should avoid AFK-ing for the meantime in AT or FT so you can stand by just in case these mobs appear in your spot.

As for the Super Fight maps, you can always hunt for the stones by killing the normal mobs. It's a rare drop, so better be alert for anything laid on the ground as well as for any hostile people as it is a PK enabled map.

Happy farming!

OC turns one year!

2008-10-30T10:41:00.010+08:00

If there was one place in GE where I felt most at home, it would have to be the non-PK server formerly known as Carracci. Contary to what most players would say about the "carebear server", there are tons of benefits in playing in a non-PK world, one of which involves cultivating meaningful friendships unencumbered by the competition aspect of the game.

This is why I feel really blessed to have been previously taken in by the Outcasts Faction, the hardcore PH gamers of the said server. Back then when I moved in, the group was headed by Obviar, and then later on, by †Bayushi†. Now under the leadership of Southernsky, the OC Faction is going stronger than ever.

Elite friendship over elite items. This is the core mantra of the group, and one of the reasons why it remains standing strong and proud to this day. Last October 25, OC celebrated its one year as a faction. Together with the PH members of Destiny, the guys organized an EB of sorts in Chinensis' house to commemorate one year of friendship. The celebration was also held in conjunction with some of OC's birthday celebrants, Chinensis and Device.

Congratulations, Outcasts! Keep the flame burning for PH gamers!

Here are some pictures from their gathering. Thanks to Chinensis & Southernsky for the copies! ^^

Southernsky (left) gets a serious nosebleed from Reclusion's (middle) incessant English talk, while Santoss (right) attempts to look serious.

The new endorser for GE merch (thanks to CM Aethrin for sponsoring the goodies!).

Winners one and all! (l-r) Fiksdotter, Chinensis, Leonne, RyuHirohata, Mangyantribe, Southernsky, EldeonRose, Arkcraft, Zoldyack

Friends from Destiny: Fiksdotter (in white), Reclusion (in brown), EldeonRose (in yellow with his back turned XD), Zoldyack (in red) and the faction-less Leonne (in green, partly hidden)

Cheers to Outcasts! (l-r) Chinensis, Santoss, Fiksdotter, Southernsky, Leonne

Why we should all strive to earn those Fesos...

2008-10-24T18:49:00.010+08:00

If you're drooling over these stance rings, well, you betcha I'm gonna earn those coveted Fesos! These rings come with 30 day deadlines, but still...who wouldn't want those stance rings?!?

The Feso price is rather steep though. >_<

There are a whole load of other useful stuff being sold for the said currency (like Calyce's vet skill book, Sagitta, pet food, portable ammo, etc.). I suggest you talk to the Feso merchant in every city to acquaint yourself with all the goodies you can get using this new currency.

For a rough info on how to acquire Fesos, click here.

In other news...

I've been failing miserably at this Pet Egg quest. I just dumped the entire thing altogether, bought 2 eggs from a good soul who was selling at Auch (and thanks to NineMoons as well), and now the egg is comfortably hatching at the Bahia Greenhouse. I'll have a pet Pilfurr pretty soon!

Exciting! ^_^

Eye candy stuff in v.3.0

2008-10-23T17:13:00.008+08:00

This may be a bit too advanced to talk about, especially since I'm just waiting for the hours to pass by before the servers are officially up (and ultimately, for a sneak peek on v.2.9), but what they hey, I really need to kill time.

Among the things I'm looking forward in v.3.0 (aside from the kick-ass Aztec-looking RNPCs) are, of course, the costumes! Blame it on the fact that I like dressing up my characters (harharhar). Anyway, here's what I managed to scrimp off the Korean GE Hanbiton site:

Pretty little Elem in her fairy bob 'do

Female Wiz shows less skin, while the Female Musk bares all.

The Male Musk looking so 80s, with *gasp* a pet pig?!?

It seems like aside from Pilfurr (Grabbermon) and Broomy (the voodoo looking pet), there will also be a screaming pink pig pet! I do love pig characters, but her eyes in this picture looks kinda off. I dunno, maybe it's just me *shrugs*.

On another note, I'm loving the new non-PK server, Rembrandt. Merging with the Pachelbel people is the nicest thing to happen in-game.

Watching role-played dramu unfold in Coimbra.

Getting to know the friendly and charming people of Pachelbel is so much fun. I finally got to meet Alfender (FL of the all-girl faction, Les) and Bringston, who staged the Auch Police Drama RPG on the first day of the server merge. It's a refreshing thing to witness with all the emo drama happening in Carracci prior to the merge.

Anyway, that's just about my small updates for the meantime. I can't wait for v.2.9! I'm still deciding on whether to get a Pilfurr or Broomy for a pet. Hehehe. See ya then!

Out with the pink...

2008-10-20T01:17:00.003+08:00

...and in with the more ancient feel. ^^

But, gah, my widgets were deleted. I managed to scrimp off the GE Bloggers list from my old template. If any of my co-bloggers don't see their names in the list, drop me a line so I can add you.

I'll continue updating the links in the morning. Must. Sleep.

DeSanggria hops away, a year older. =^_^=

Rembrandt's first CW

2008-10-19T22:59:00.008+08:00

Now that I've gone solo, I'm trying to keep my Sunday's sacred, i.e., catching up on resting, family affairs and basically some real life fluff. But today counts for this family's return to the war zone as it's Rembrandt server's first Colony War.

I didn't want to just observe and bore myself to tears, so I lent a helping hand to some friends who needed my services. And so, with my trusty Scout & Vicente Rio, I headed off to save some warp points at the designated areas. But that was before I nearly tore my hair out trying to log and relog because for some reason, I was always shifting in and out of the log in screen every time I moved to a new map or tried to enter channel 1. Good thing I didn't give up easily and my perseverance finally paid off.

I didn't finish the task of saving in all the area required maps, though good thing I was able to allot some space for the more crucial locations. At this time, the connection was being cooperative so I didn't waste time ressing my squadmates here and there.

Needless to say, I nearly ran out of resu pots reviving the others. Eminence, CarpeDiem, Osiris, BlackReaper and other Carracci/Pachelbel Factions came from all sides in Tetra Hill and were really duking it all out on the red dots. Thank God I wasn't in a PK server otherwise my cleric purpose in the squad would be of little use.

Despite being busy with the task of resurrecting the fallen ones, I was just bowled over with the tenacity and persistence of some former Pachelbelian factions who really showed their mettle out there in the battlefield. I never really did underestimate Pachelbelians despite the fact that Carracci was the senior one in terms of existence in the game. There really is no reason why Carracci factions should think differently of these groups because in all honesty, these guys can unseat any faction with a colony right now.

I mean, jeeesaas, look at Osiris with 4 colonies. O_O

Now this is gonna look interesting with regards to the faction alliance. *rubs hands eagerly*

On another note, I'm slightly peeved the way the broads were churning out that time. I mean, can't people stop talking about Carracci vs. Pachelbel beee-es? Those servers are long gone. It's about time factions started carving out new faces in this new server. Let it rest, jeez.

I'm happy to say that we did a good job, my squadmates and I (along with their faction). The fight was intense, that I must say, but exciting nonetheless. Man, at that point, I missed having a faction. Hehe.

Gratz to all colony holders for the week and here's to a more interesting CW for Rembrandt!

Sorry if there are no visuals to accompany this post. I was in a LAN shop and I was lazy to take screenshots with all the excitement going about. ^^

Post Script: Woooot~! The drama takes over Rembrandt! A former superpower in Pachelbel gets their first taste of defeat in the new server, thanks to their former allies.

The art of dressing up

2008-10-13T11:04:00.019+08:00

Cosplay is rather big here in the Philippines. Every year, there are more than 5 events that include or feature cosplay activities. This particular fandom to dress up as one's favorite anime, game or movie character has brought about a vibrant community that has been around since 2000.

Just yesterday, some of my friends who happen to be the staunchest pillars of the local cosplay community, successful staged the first ever cosplay-centric event. Dubbed as CosplayMania 2008, the event was flooded with TONS of cosplay enthusiasts and other fandom otakus. And because it's a cosplay event, you can never get around the place without seeing people flashing their cameras like the persistent paparazzi.

What I like about cosplaying and the community in general is that people tend to come out of their shy corners to personify the characters they're cosplaying. They're also quite game to have their photos taken with anyone who asks.

I didn't take the liberty to go inside the event hall (mainly because I'm scrimping on cash for next week's dreaded D-Day), so I just hung around outside, taking pictures of some of the cosplayers who were game enough to indulge the rabid crowd of photographers. Kinda felt intimidating with all the DSLR cameras flashing around.

Lemme just say that the costumes were as diverse as the people's fandoms. Among the characters I got photos of were...

[A bit of warning from hereon...massive photos up ahead!]

Evangelion's Asuka Sohryu Langley

Avatar: The Last Airbender characters

...and a few crossdressers >_<

colorful little elves (the green one looks a lot like Link, yes?)

a somber looking .hack// character

furious-looking Hiei from YuYu Hakusho

don't anybody mess with a suicidal Joker XD

Quistis Trepe in her SeeD uniform

Sora's awesome-looking keyblades

While going around the area, I wouldn't have thought to see these cosplayers...

Wizard in a maid uniform (or could also pass as Helena XD)

and

Ahoy thar, Pirate Adelina Esperanza!

I also learned that these two ladies are denizens of Pachelbel server, mostly new blood who have just started exploring the GE world. Looks like I'll be seeing more of them in Rembrandt then. ^^

I'm beat. The event was a blast, and I heard the tickets were sold out! Gratz to the Cosplay.ph peepz and here's to seeing more GE cosplays!

In-game events in v.2.9!

2008-10-10T21:15:00.006+08:00

RCM Hrin has just recently blogged about the in-game feature in v.2.9, the Event Zone!

This is indeed something to look forward to after the server merge. When IAH mentioned that one of the benefits of the merge will result to more in-game events, I think we can anticipate that this Event Zone will be the answer to that. Now that the GE "worlds" will be reduced to two, this will definitely create more opportunities for IAH to implement events in which SEA/ANZ GE direly needs.

Personally, I'm just thrilled that the possible in-game events may have more variety aside from the usual summon-super-imba-boss-monsters-that-only-the-high-level-players-can-kill. Finally, some thinking games too!

In Hrin's entry, she talked about the limitations of the GM team in coming up with these in-game activities (i.e., the lack of a standard GM tool, IMC's restrictions, etc.) and hopefully this will shed some light on those who are still wary about the impending merge.

However, the question of lag and other game interruptions remain the biggest concern of most players. I'm still keeping things in perspective though. The guys and gals of IAH are aware of this (as we've all reiterated in the server merge discussions) and hopefully, they'd have the answers to that as well.

On a side note, I have read in the forums somewhere that the other versions of GE (cGE, kGE, jGE and SOTNW) have also undergone through the process of their servers merging. I'm curious to know the players' thoughts and reactions to this. Now if only a forum/dialogue between these guys and the SEA/ANZ GE players can talk about this, maybe we can have an idea on what to anticipate.

Look who got lucky this morning..

2008-10-09T08:47:00.008+08:00

*cue in squealing SFX*

Was actually hoping for a Silver Skullic Bracer, but I'm not about to complain. For a person who's been so unlucky in chance games, I just struck gold. XD

Yeah, yeah I know. Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ko. Hehehe.

Soooo pink!

2008-10-08T09:25:00.003+08:00

Just changed my blog banner and template, and suddenly, there's too much pink! >_<

Ugh. I have to get around to finally learning the ropes on making a decent blog banner and an equally appealing template. The selections here in Blogger are so bland, it makes me want to scream.

Bear with the colors for now, folks. I think it kinda suits the trio of ghey men in the photo anyway. Hehe.

Slowly but surely

2008-10-07T14:37:00.004+08:00

Going solo these past few weeks proved to be quite a daunting task for me as I don't have that much people to talk to during the rare times that I'm not always AFK leveling. It feels like I've been power leveling since I got to play GE and it can sometimes get dragging and boring.

I'm still in the process of vetting my Bai Hu. It'll probably take me a few more days before I start gagging at this tiresome chore of vetting characters. So to give myself something to look forward to in this game, I came up with a few personal goals.

DS' Purpose of Existence in GE (in no particular order):

Get to Expert level (hopefully by that time, they haven't released the Master level, otherwise much shiet will be had).

Participate in major raids (Elemental Gates, Griffon, KOG, FF, Uraeus, etc.)

Finish the Katovic and Bahamas Quests.

Beat the living daylights out of Novia and get an extra Gavin RNPC card.

Acquire decent (much emphasis on the word) armors and weapons.

Participate in Colony Wars without getting my ass raped (or not being totally over-raped if there is such a word XD). Or perhaps getting to kill some people in CW.

Actually winning in a PvP match (oh man, this is going to look so funny with a PvP noob like me).

Hmm...these goals are pretty much doable, yes? The only thing I see there that's going to be pretty tricky is the road to Expert level and the acquisition of weapons and armors that will help me achieve the others.

Hopefully I'd be able to earn my keep once I rejoin a faction, but looking at the way things are, it's not going to be a bed of roses. Seeing my main team's AR & DR makes me just want to weep in disappointment. I still have a long, long way to go.

I just hope I still have the patience to finish all these before I lose interest in it all together. Hopefully. Hopefully.

What I've been up to last weekend

2008-10-03T17:46:00.006+08:00

While the rest of the GE folks were busy having fun at the GE Black Party, I was high up in the mountains of Sagada, somewhere in Northern Luzon. It's not actually customary for me to post stuff that's not GE-related, so kindly indulge me with a real life topic for a change.

Anyway, as I was saying, I spent the weekend in Sagada for some much needed R&R. It came to be a good decision because not only was I able to unwind, I was also able to get back in the mood for some shutterbug action!

My friend and I spent 2 days exploring the quiant town. Since the place is so high up in the mountains, it kinda reminded me a lot about El Lago de Tres Hermanas (because of the high, high trees) and the Ustiur jungles (forest-y town).

I was also able to view the famed Banaue Rice Terraces (for the Pinoys out there, this is definitely one major site that you have to check out). I was likewise able to go cave spelunking (Skullic Caves, FTW! Minus the bat dung, that is >_<), an activity that became the answer to my adventure-deprived soul.

I took quite a lot of pictures, but I'm not going to post them all here. I just hope these won't kill your browsers. :P

El Lago de Tres Hermanas, anyone? ^^

Long hours of travel just to view this masterpiece = priceless

Limestone rock formations where some hanging coffins are located

Going all tourist-y in the Skullic Caves. Hehehe.

On the way back to Manila, we took the Baguio route to meet up with an old friend. While wandering around the city's nearby mall, guess who I happened to meet by chance.

Stiles with DeSanggria

I just had to harangue Stiles to come back to GE. He says he's quite up to his neck with school work, although he did mention he might get back to playing again after clearing his real life responsibilities.

Do that, dude. The whole gang's been wanting to get together both in-game and in real life. Hope to see you soon!

And so here ends the account of my short tryst. I don't wanna bore you guys with something non-GE. ^^

=====

In other news, Hrin just leaked in her blog that the server merge might be pushed at a later date, along with v.2.9's content release.

More time to socialize with future neighbors then! ^_^

Oh, and have you guys heard about the MCC combination buffs? Man, oh man, more reasons to get a Selva Norte RNPC Card!

Back in civilization

2008-09-30T10:16:00.003+08:00

Man, oh man, did I miss out a lot.

Not only was I unable to attend last Saturday's GE PH Black Party, I was likewise absent in NineMoons' birthday bash on the event day (belated happy birthday, sis!).

If you're one of the people who missed out on the activities, check out the post-event accounts of NineMoons, Fiksdotter, Artaxerxes, Churvanesska, Sigrid, Mena and Blacksword! Seeing those fun photos made me want to wish I was there. ^^

Nevertheless, I'm glad that most of the Philippine GE players enjoyed the event, despite the earlier shocking news about the server merge. I hope you guys had the opportunity to talk and get to know each other. As what most people have been saying, the server merge is an opportunity for us to gain more friends, so it's nice that events like these can bring PH gamers from the various GE worlds some time to relax and socialize.

Hmm..where to go?

As for me, well, let's just say I went to El Lago de Tres Hermanas, Ustiur and the Skullic Caves for some much needed R&R. It felt like I was engaging in a 24-hr PvP match now that my body's aching all over, but much fun was had! I'll tell you more about it in the coming post. ^_^

DeSanggria Family update: A Fighter joins the ranks!

2008-09-23T13:29:00.006+08:00

I'd like to welcome the newest addition to the Veteran ranks in the DeSanggria Family barracks!

Uhh..she doesn't like facing the camera. XD

It almost took me forever to get her to go Vet. Urduja was actually part of the main team when I created my family in Carracci. I initially came up with an all-girl Musk-Scout-Fighter team sporting local folklore names, until I exchanged fighter Urduja to wizard Belgarion to make the training easier on AFK mode.

I was never really a fan of melee type of characters as I preferred long-ranged, hit-them-before-they-hit-you combat, but then again, high level quests in GE almost always need a formidable tanker. That said, I decided to get Urduja to Vet.

And since I'm not used to handling Fighters, it's becoming quite a chore to max out all her stances. Not only am I a bit peeved because it costs more than a hand and foot to properly equip Fighters with a variety of decent weapons and armors, I will have to deal with leveling her to Expert as well. Not that I'm counting on it, since my main priority is to get the main team to Expert more than anything else. Maintaning a Fighter in one's barracks is damned costly and if it weren't for those high level quests, I'd never pursue training one.

Although I'm kinda loving the Stave Guard stance right now. She can go solo without me having to bring a healer nor constantly watching her to hit some pots buttons. If it weren't for the Phobitan Chieftain hanging out in Topolo, I'd have her stationed there the whole day.

Anyway, I hope I still have the patience to max out all her skills. I still have a Bai Hu to get to Vet, and I'll never be Expert if I keep this up. =_=

GE PH's 1yr anniv event

2008-09-22T13:59:00.003+08:00

September 27 is the D-Day for Granado Espada Philippines' 1st year anniversary celebration at the SMX Convention Center!

There's going to be a slew of online and live events for everyone, so make sure to be there! All the contest and activity details are over at the GE PH website. I'm especially calling out to all Pinoy faction leaders and members to make their presence known in this event. This is also your chance to meet CM Aethrin, so don't be shy and approach him when you see him.

And may I just remind everyone that the event is a Black Day, so be sure to wear black or any dark colored shirts!

Have a great time this Saturday, folks! As for me, I'm off somewhere in the weekend so I hope to get all the exciting post-event news from my fellow GE Bloggers.

Long live Granado Espada Philippines!

Trouble in paradise

2008-09-20T21:46:00.004+08:00

There are about 350+ people online at the GE forums right now. Usually in an ordinary day when the game is at its usual, error-free state, you won't find that much number of people hanging around.

And that means, that there's trouble in GE paradise.

I haven't been online in the game since Wednesday, but I've been regularly checking the forums for updates and stuff. Apparently, this Thursday's maintenance went from an unforeseen extension, to ad hoc, to server reset. And like always, all hell breaks loose in the forums. Just take a look at the General Discussion page and you'll see scores of complaints, expletives and demands on the irregularities they've experienced in-game. The only thing they need are torches and pitchforks and we have an angry, flaming-happy mob.

It kinda makes me thankful that I haven't been playing for the past 4 days to experience all these. It just gets so tiring and repetitive to be seeing scores and scores of threads relating to technical problems and concerns. Since most of the people hang out in that particular section of the forums, threads are being created at the wrong location, making the forums cluttered and untidy.

I don't wanna fan the flames. I do understand both the players' and IAH's position and I'm siding with neither. But for the sake of everyone's sanity, I just wish there would be:

just one thread enumerating all technical irregularities, game bugs and errors so that IAH can properly take action. Imagine weeding out all those threads which are basically just saying the same things. Sure, sure, everyone's pissed. But if we don't act like sane humans and work together to solve these problems, we'd all just be wasting each other's time.
some sense of maturity not to go around running like a headless chicken, screaming profanities. No amount of cussing or swearing will solve the situation at hand, nor will it bring back the lost time from all those ATs, CMs and other consumable premium items.
an area where people can calmly discuss these concerns after the dust has settled. I'm thinking more in the lines of a dialogue between IAH and the gamers to properly inform both parties on what happened before, during and after the incident.

In the meantime, why won't people just chill and do their other responsibilities in REAL life?

Up close & personal with Aethrin

2008-09-16T15:32:00.006+08:00

Curious on who the new GE Philippine CM is? Well then, here's your opportunity to know more about the soft-spoken, hardcore gamer, CM Aethrin!

Name: Aethrin
Server: Cervantes
Level: Veteran
MCC Team: Irawan, Grace Bernelli, Adelina the Pirate
Favorite NPC: Irawan

CM Aethrin (the one in purple) with the GE PH bloggers
Photo by NineMoons

Tell us something about yourself. How long have you been playing online games?

I’ve been playing online games for almost 5 years. I’m a gamer at heart. Aside from games, I like to travel, listen to music and dabble with art.

In your experience as a gamer, what makes GE stand out from the other games you’ve played?

GE has unique game features that other MMOs don’t have -- particularly the MCC and XAI. The game has an amazing concept and graphics. The RNPCs are also great because it allows you to include them in your family line-up.

You have big shoes to fill as the new CM for GE PH. Do you plan to pick up where CM Veya left off (in terms of projects, plans, etc.) or do you plan to come up with your own?

Being the new CM for GE is a very nice opportunity for me. I do plan to continue what CM Veya has started, but I have other plans for the improvement of the GE Community as well.

What’s the first thing you’ll do as the new Community Manager?

Do the unexpected.

What can the community expect from you as its new CM, and from IP e-Games in general?

Well, they can expect lot of good things. There will be more events for the GE Community.

We know that a lot of PH gamers are clamoring for more GE promotions and the availability/accessibility of the game in most Internet cafes and GVCs. What is your take on this?

We have good activities planned up for GE. We’ll be having more I-café/ground event tours. We will provide you with a better GVC distribution process.

Will the gamers be seeing more of you in-game? How often are you online? Will you also have server visits to check on the community?

Yes absolutely! I will be visiting the servers for them to know that CM Aethrin really exists. LOL. And yes, there will be server visits, schedules and activities that I’ll be doing. So for our GE gamers, check the GE PH website for updates on these.

I hear that you (or e-Games for that matter) is in the thick of hosting the GE PH anniversary this month. Are there any plans/activities that you have in mind? If so, what are those?

Yes, we have the activities lined up for the GE anniversary and we will communicate it to all players once everything’s settled and finalized.

I’m sure the PH gamers would want to know if the i-Café buff will be implemented here in the Philippines. Is this possible? When will this take effect if ever?

We are definitely planning to implement the i-Café buff here in the Philippines, and we are currently testing it. However, one of the major concern here is that our country has a dynamic IP address, meaning that most i-Cafes have varying IP addresses. But we’re working on ways to go around this concern. If things go well, we might implement it sometime soon.

Will e-Games also offer the 70k GP denomination? Does e-Games plan on expanding GVC denominations?

We are planning to work on the availability of the 70k G-Points, since many players prefer to buy the highest denomination.

I heard that e-Games is also working on implementing e-Points to G-Points for easier access. How soon will this be put into operation?

The EP-GP conversion project will be a big help for a lot of GE gamers; this project is one of our top priorities and will be launched as soon as it is ready.

What are your plans for the GE community in the Visayas and Mindanao?

For Visayas and Mindanao, we are doing ground events such as freeplays and tournaments.

Any words for the community?
Yeah, keep rockin’ the GE world! Make the Pinoy gamers proud!

There you have it! I tried to coax some more explanation from CM Aethrin, but he's kinda busy with a lot of things right now, and I am thankful as it is that he gave me a few moments of his time for this interview. ^_^

And for those in Cervantes who are curious to know his IGN, you're reading it right now. ^^ You can also reach him at: granadoespada[at]e-games[dot]com[dot]ph

Let's support the new CM of the Granado Espada Philippine community! Happy 1st anniversary!

The gates are open!

2008-09-15T10:20:00.004+08:00

It's official, folks. The gates to Tierra Putrefacta, and ultimately, to Chaos Requiem, are now open, now that Vivaldi and Pachelbel did the job of pwning the Giant Keeper days after Caravaggio, Carracci and Cervantes killed the monster from their respective servers.

And here we thought that faction feuds would be a hindrance to resolve this matter. A big kudos to all seaGE factions for rising above the personal strife to come together for one cause. For that, you've given all citizens of Granado Espada the chance to venture into Chaos Requiem!

Not that I'm not miffed about what people were saying that this would further worsen the botting situation, I only see the more macro viewpoint, in this case, everyone is given the access to this new map. So this still calls for a big celebration.

Here's to hoping one day I can set foot in the new map as well. But for now, I gotta clear out my Katovic and Bahamas quests before I shoot for the stars. XD

Here's a few screenshots posted by our friends at the GE forums.

Pachelbel - SS by Xima

Vivaldi - SS by valinorian

I just went out for the day...

2008-09-13T23:22:00.006+08:00

...and then here comes the news.

Apparently, Caravaggio's successful raid on the Giant Keeper went out as some sort of challenge to the rest of the other servers. Just tonight, I was alerted by Fiksdotter's & NineMoons' blog update that our server, Carracci, made a successful attempt in killing this monster.

E M I N E N C E Faction leader Nostradamus' name was announced in the entire server as the last person to have dealt the final blow on the critter. It's no surprise, given the fact that E M I N E N C E is the current superpower in Carracci. What makes me curious is how these guys actually did it.

Anyway, the topic's all over the GE forums, so better head on there if you want to know more about it. I'm a bit tired from today's activities so I'll check on it some other time.

Having said this, I guess it's now up to Pachelbel, Cervantes and Vivaldi to follow suit in this quest. Who will be next?

Now that's something worth anticipating.

[edit]

And so I heard Cervantes did the job as well. Knock, knock, knock on Pachelbel and Vivaldi! ^^

The fall of the Giant Keeper

2008-09-12T10:46:00.006+08:00

This just in. Around 3 or so squads from Caravaggio efficiently pwned the Giant Keeper (Great Hill Giant) guarding the entrance to Chaos Requiem, making them the very first server to gain access to this never before chartered territory.

Screenshot c/o GrImRiPpEr at the GE forums

From Kai Kai at this thread

OMG this is absolutely monumental! I was actually thinking that it will take the cooperation of an entire server to kill this monster, but these guys just did it with 3 squads! Looking at the screenshot, they used a lot of DPS power, mainly using Musketeers, Wizards and Emilia the Sages. I can't even begin to imagine how they actually did it.

Kudos to you guys!

Now, some of the IAH staff are thinking of rewarding the raiders for their effort. Sweet! I wonder when will Carracci have its turn on pwning this tough cookie.

Stuff about being a girl gamer

2008-09-08T13:51:00.005+08:00

Contrary to my un-updated blog, yes, I am still alive. Thanks to the culprit called real life (and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and Diner Dash on Nintendo DS, plus work woes to boot), things have been pretty busy for me.

Anyway, here's something I've been meaning to write a commentary about: Granado Espada's Gamer Girls.

If you know the whole story to it, chances are you know its herstory, stemming from the Community Managers, down to the gamers themselves. In fact, a long thread has been devoted to the discussion of this program, although admittedly, nothing worthwhile came up from the discussions, except for the proverbial masochistic harangue of "There are no girls on the Internets".

NineMoons has given us her own thoughts about this, and although I share her sentiments, I have a few things to add on my own.

1. Guys should learn how to grow up. Seriously. Just because there are girls playing online games, that doesn't mean they're guys masquerading as girls. You don't own the exclusive aptitude to play games.

2. Although I do applaud our CMs for starting the ball rolling for gamer girls, my only opinion is that it's not a huge issue at all. Don't get me wrong, but the fact that it's being hyped up only creates/worsens the gender disparity. You'd only have to look at the forums to know what I mean.

Seriously, it's nice to know that girls can pwn guys any time, but tooting our horns won't do that much difference. Refer to #1 for emphasis.

3. Why feature only the good looking girls? Not only will they elicit/bring up more masochistic discussions (in addition to weird advances and mindless ogling), it further aggravates the entire scenario. Ok, I know the gamer features are far from over, but it would be nice if all girls regardless of looks will be given space. Of course, we have to respect other's decision if they wish to remain anonymous.

I'm not speaking as if the gamer girl features are over. This may sound contradictory to my earlier point, but those who are willing to be featured should also be free to express their thoughts and not be hindered by what other people will say. And it would not be such a bad idea to feature the low to mid-level girl gamers of GE. We want to foster the spirit of community here and character levels are supposed to be irrelevant.

4. This one's for the girls: We don't need to prove ourselves to ANYONE. Regardless if you're a level 1 player or an Expert level player, the fact is that you love the game, that's more than enough reasons for you to continue playing. Let us not be impeded by our counterparts' serious, albeit wonked up, perspective on gaming. We're here to play and we're here to have fun!

=====

In other news, I has a Bai Hu! And since he's technically a Korean RNPC, I named him after my favorite Kpop idol, Ahn Chil Hyun, also known as Kangta to some.

Excuse me for the fangirling, but I've been wanting to give him that name ever since I knew he's from Coria. Haha. So I'm currently leveling both a Fighter and Bai Hu (at this rate, I'm never gonna be Expert if I keep on vetting new characters =_=).

But the good news is, my Gavin has a new playmate! >:)

Kubota Osamu on being a game composer/musician

2008-08-28T12:40:00.006+08:00

If you’ve been playing Granado Espada up until now, chances are you’re most familiar with the music behind the dark, dangerous maps to the more laid back, pristine ones. Admittedly, GE is one game that has a plethora of musical scores that will get you in the mood, whether it’s just power levelling or going on raids.

Here’s a rather interesting article I was able to read in the net about one of GE’s music composers, Kubota Osamu. The interview, done by Jayson Napolitano of OSV, did a spectacular job on detailing his life and works. For the uninitiated, Kubota-san was also behind the music of the PlayStation game, Beatmania, among others.

Here’s some interesting tidbits about Kubota-san, as based from the interview:

GE’s creator, Hakkyu Kim, is a fan of Kubota Osamu’s music and has contacted him to create music for the game.
Kubota-san worked with the Asian Philharmony Orchestra in China to come up with the orchestra scores for the game.
Kubota-san’s wife plays Granado Espada.
He’d like to bring his music to cinematic MMORPGs, something similar to Final Fantasy or Evangelion.
He experimented with the use of vocals in his music (check out Odyssey and Maya, the background music for the Al Quelt Moreza and Ustiur jungle maps respectively). The consonants and vowels used in the vocals do not mean anything in any native language.
Granado Espada is his favourite project!
Kubota-san speaks English, French, Japanese, Korean and Chinese! He’s a French literature graduate.
His current projects include the Korean MMORPG, NED Online, as well as a Japanese video animation, entitled switch.

Rumors on cGE

2008-08-26T07:57:00.005+08:00

Granado Espada's publisher in China, The9, is engaging in talks with Hanbitsoft and IMC Games to get the rights to develop the game to fit the Chinese market. Here's the direct quote from the news I got off the web:

According to insider sources from The9, the company has agreed engaged in talks with Hanbitsoft and Granada Espada IMC to attain developing rights to Granada Espada. The9 is hoping to improve upon Granada Espada and alter the game to fit Chinese tastes if it acquires the development rights.

Improve the game? To what extent? How will this affect the other regional publishers of GE? I wonder what will be the repercussions if such a thing were to push through.

Thoughts, anyone?

====

In other news, we all know that kGE is way ahead of us in terms of content roll out. GE Hanbiton is a huge mine of information for the stuff we only see in Doratomo. Here, I was able to get a first hand look on the new costumes and hairstyles.

Elem Fairy Bob hair, new Grace & Fighter costume, & female Fighter's pony

Gayest looking Wiz...ever!

New 'do for the scout. FAIL!

Sources:
Redline China
GE Hanbiton Fanarts

[Just for Kicks] The rendezvous

2008-08-20T16:34:00.007+08:00

Once upon a time in Granado Espada

Long before the edict of the Queen of Vespanola
Way before the strife of the Old and New
There lived a love so true
Between...

Edward, the White Baron

and

Selva, the brave mistress of rapiers

One day, they made a vow
To meet underneath the tree in Bahama
In this tree they will renew
Their love so beautiful & true.

And so they finally meet
With hands intertwined, they whisper sweet nothings.

Little did they knew
They were being watched by Montoro the cruel
But what the evil Viscount missed
Was the fact someone else too was pissed.

The lovers were much oblivious
Little Gavin was there to give Selva something precious
But what he saw tore at his heart
And so Montoro said, "Hey, dude let's eat this piece of art!"

Okay, so I had nothing else to do. XD I know the last line totally sucked but I was out of options for a the appropriate rhyming word. Haha.

GE clay sculptures source:
GE Hanbiton Fanart

Very, very random post

2008-08-14T17:44:00.002+08:00

It's 14 August and guess what?

Bai Hu's coming to town today!

And guess what?

I has no GP.

Get your own family portrait!

2008-08-11T08:43:00.006+08:00

While doing my usual blog rounds, I read an update from Starstorm, a SEA/ANZ GE gamer who's recently tried his/her hand in playing Sword of the New World. I've been following his/her blog ever since, and I'd just like to share this nice discovery: the GE Family Portrait Generator by Another Lonely Soul.

You have to register to the forums first before creating your family portrait. It's a small thing to do, and it wouldn't hurt if you also participated in the discussions there as well.

So without much further ado, here's my family portrait:

Go and create yours too! It's a lot of fun! And do give Starstorm a visit when you have the chance. ^^

For the win!

2008-08-07T10:32:00.007+08:00

Finally, my Vicente is veteran! *weeps tears of relief*

My veteran Vicente...let me show you him.

After finally promoting him to Vet, I decided to get his Veteran stance, Serenade, as well. Seeing that the guide in the forums was simple, I thought maybe it would be an easy task.

Boy, was I so very wrong.

The last task in getting the Serenade dealt with fighting the Mercenaries of Katai. Needless to say, my girls did not stand against a 52 and 56 AR/DR enemy, despite the fact that two of my main characters had decent armors.

The Mercenaries were quick and merciless. It took me three tries, using my Musketeer and Elementalist, hoping to nuke the dudes crazy, but I underestimated them.

Epic phail!

But a stroke of brilliance hit me that time. The enemies were mainly close combat fighters, and they can't very well hit an airborne character now, wouldn't they? It was at this moment when I thanked God I had a Wizard.

And true enough, I didn't even break a sweat. Although my Wizard's AR wasn't that significant, a continued bombardment of Photon Splashes did the job. Now, my Rio had his promotion AND his vet stance. Happy Anne is happy. ^_^

Revenge is sweet.

And just yesterday, I got another pleasant surprise as I finally received Rio's exclusive Bach costume! Finally, all those weeks of hard work finally paid off. ^^

Another pleasant thing that happened to me today came in the person of GM Eulalie who happened to drop by to visit our server. She conducted a trivia contest, in which I was lucky enough to answer one of the questions.

This week has been a great adventure for me. Hopefully the coming week ahead would yield the same, even better results.

Hope your week was a blast too! ^_~

Things to get excited about

2008-08-06T09:57:00.002+08:00

RCM Hrin updates her blog with really juicy information. Read all about it here.

It looks like there are a lot of things to look forward to as the content for v.2.6 is already being rolled out bit per bit. On a personal note, here are some things that I'm reeeeaaally excited about:

Bai Hu's going to be released on Aug. 14! I've never been a real fan of close combat characters, but I made a great exception for Bai Hu. I'm really looking forward to recruiting him, but that is, after I collect the MPs needed to get him.

New Veteran Stances for Fighters! Well, mine's not yet Veteran, so why am I rejoicing over this? Hehe...I kid, I kid. Looks like fighters are going to be beefed up to become leaner and meaner killing machines. I suddenly feel very afraid for my Elementalist.

Idge the Battlesmith is going to be available! This is by far the best news I've received, being the Idge fan that I am. Initially, ITB RNPC card became available as the January 2008 IOTM, but I'm really thrilled to know that there's a chance for me to recruit her in my barracks in this particular server (my ITB was initially housed in my Caravaggio barracks).

Family Name Change, Character Name Change and Gender Change features! Not that I'll be changing my Family Name, but I do have plans of turning my male wiz to a pretty female. ^^

GE Girl Gamers! As originally spearheaded by pCM Veya, this is a great opportunity for GE's femme gamers to bond together. I'm looking forward to the related events of this promotion.

Enchantment Chip Packages! FINALLY! I'd rather buy the much-coveted level 100 chips in the Item Shop than burn my vis on the skyrocketing prices of these items. In essential, the price for lvl 100 chips in Carracci has gone down (from 40-50M to 30M each), but hopefully this package will turn around the economy across all servers. It's about time such issue was addressed.

Perhaps the best part in all these information that Hrin mentioned was the announcement of v.2.9's roll out. Of course, everything's still subject to changes, but then again, this is good news in terms of game updates. We're finally getting around.

GE PH site now up!

2008-08-05T13:57:00.003+08:00

Finally, we now have our own local Granado Espada website!

Visit now @ http://granadoespada.e-games.com.ph!

Comments, feedback regarding the website design, functionalities, etc. are most welcome!

This is so surreal...

2008-08-03T18:08:00.005+08:00

My Vicente is but 5 more notches before Veteran, and yet I'm feeling a tad bit lazy to level him up. I must control the urge to slack off. *repeats mantra to herself*

I'm currently parked in Zone 2 in the Island of Fire, and while on AFK mode, I chanced upon this item that I was able to pick up for the first time.

Curious to know what this Mystic Ampule was, I clicked on it and later on found out that it was a 3-in-1 potion that gives you intensify, acceleration and meditation buffs. Neat-o.

Oh and that's not just the only observation I had.

Of course, we all know that the Chaos Requiem map is now out, not to mention the mysterious Tierra del Amor location that NineMoons noticed before. But look at the area just above Chaos Requiem.

Tierra Putrefacta, a lvl 118-122 map. Hmmm...I wonder what that place looks like.

And did any of you notice the screenshot? Yep, I just took that picture today, and you guessed it right...the colony maps have not been reset.

And today is the first Sunday of the month, Colony Wars day.

WTH is going on?

The secret guest unveiled

2008-07-31T09:49:00.007+08:00

Yesterday, I talked about having a guest here in my blog. I was able to talk to this wonderful person via email for this interview, and I'm very happy and thrilled to provide a space for her in this site.

This esteemed person I'm talking about forms the gung ho team of hard working, fun loving people who manage the seaGE community. Although I may not be a GE gamer from their country, I nevertheless feel honored to have her here. I hope I have a few Malaysian GE gamers reading this blog because this is about your community manager, [CM] Calyce!

If you've been hanging around the GE forums, chances are you've seen this quirky, fun person. She's a mischievous individual who even earned several threads in the forums. Guess the gamers are quite curious to know about CM Calyce whose real life picture hasn't been seen to date. ^^

Anyhoo, let's get to know the new addition to the GE family in this interview. ^^

How does it feel to be the CM for the MY community?

It’s great to be the CM for MY Community, although it seems that the MY players are not so active compared to PH gamers. I believe that there’s a potential that GE Gamers will continue support GE and create a better community together. I still have a lot to learn from gamers. I want to continue my service to the players, and to provide them with a better gaming environment.

How did the community feel about your new position?

Hmm… the community seems to be quite interested in how I look instead of how I can help the growth of the community. Haha. Apparently, statistic showed that there’re more male gamers than female gamers in this game, so I kinda understand how they feel about the new female CM. lolz… joking…. Darren was promoted to handle some other things, therefore I’ll be taking over his position for the time ahead, please don’t make any wild guess, I’m not his “revamped” image. >.<

Note: Darren Khor used to be the MY Community Manager before CM Calyce. Before Darren was CM Selwyn.

Have you played any MMORPGs before? How do you find GE?

Yap, I’ve played couple of MMO before such as Maple Story, Mo Xiang and RO. But this game is totally a cool stuff to me. It has a very stylish movement, a brand new controlling of character like MCC and superb graphics as well as a marvelous soundtrack. I do enjoy the AFK function the most… lol… cuz most of the time I’m kinda busy with my work, so I don’t really have free time to play and commit to the Game. ^^

What are your plans for the MY community? How will you strengthen the bond between MY GE gamers?

Since this is the first time I’ve taken the position, I don't have that much of experience in managing the bond between gamers, and that’s why I started by spamming the general chat section, which… hahaha… got quite some good feedbacks. I assume that’s a good way to improve the bond between players and strengthen the bond between gamers.. ^^ In the future, we’ll try to organize some other event besides facing the computer and gaming; there might be some sports event as well. We'll see how it goes.

What's the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job? I get to interact with gamers, get to play the game, get to chat with gamers, get to do what I like the most – talking and chatting ^^.

Why did you choose Calyce as your personal avatar?

Haha… cuz I’m Calyce? ^^ Simple answer. She kinda resembles the real-life me, so...hahaha..that’s bout it.

Any message to the MY community and the GE community in general?

My message to the MY Community...get more friends to join this game! The bigger the community, the more likely I’ll appear in a real life event ^^. For the general community...continue supporting GE then we shall have a biggest gaming event around the region! Life is never boring meet people from around the world. ^^ Cheers!

Many thanks to [CM] Calyce for indulging me in this interview request. I wish you good luck and more power in your future endeavors in your work! ^^

Shameless plugs & an upcoming guest

2008-07-30T11:17:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone! This is me again, taking a break from the grinding spree I'm doing to get my Vicente to Veteran. He has 9 more levels to go. So far, so good.

I've recently talked to a very esteemed person in GE and I'll be posting the interview tomorrow during maintenance. I've got to say that I enjoyed it immensely and I'm glad to have this person as a "guest" in this humble blog. Stay glued tomorrow for this exclusive interview!

And nope, I did not interview Hakkyu Kim (although I'm still hoping for this once in a lifetime opportunity ^^).

In other news, I'd like to plug a few contests happening in the GE community. Hope you take the time to join them because the prizes aren't so bad if I do say so myself. ^^

NineMoons's 50k Hits Screenshot Prompt Contest
[CM] Veya's Tell-a-Story Contest

Speaking of contests, I'm likewise finalizing on the mechanics to my own and hopefully I'll be filling you in with the details next week, so stay tuned.

That's the wrap for now. See ya tomorrow! ^_~

GE clay cuties

2008-07-28T12:31:00.009+08:00

In NineMoons's previous post, she talked about these cute clay sculptures of some GE characters.

And in yesterday's attempt to kill boredom, I found new ones! W00t!

Viscount Montoro (front view)

Viscount Montoro (back view)

Fighter in Le Blanc, wearing a White Bear hat?

Cockatrice costume! *kyuuuut!*

The Fallen Champion on his mighty steed (thanks to NineMoons for pointing it out XD)

Sunbathing musketeer on swim wear

I swear, I just had to squeal over these cute stuff!

Sources:

Musketeer in swimwear
Viscount Montoro (with tutorials on how to make the sculpture!)
Fighter in Le Blanc
Cockatrice costume
Prison de Joaquin mob and his trusty steed

DeSanggria goes shopping!

2008-07-27T21:46:00.008+08:00

My officemate went to her usual Singapore trip the other week, and when I heard she was going there, I didn't pass up the chance to ask her to buy me G-Points! And so, with my hard earned savings, I said goodbye to my money and crossed my fingers that I get those precious GVCs when she came back.

Boy, they were sure a sight for sore eyes.

I bought 2pcs. of 70k G-Points, and this is probably my first time to get a hand of GVCs distributed in Singapore. Now armed with 140k in-game money, I was more than excited to visit Leticia to get my shopping done. Guess what I first bought with the money I had?

I needed decent weapons, and so I spent the better half of the GP in buying enhancement boosters. I had a field day +5ing my BDR, BO3K, and a few armors here in there. Now you can tell I really had crap weapons (no wonder I barely survive in raids or in PVPs).

That done, I wanted to give Tala, my musketeer, a gift and so I purchased about 50 Mystery Powders to get her Outrage Shot veteran stance, as well as the Gigantic Blaster stance for my Grace Bernelli.

I gotta tell you that those MPs hurt a lot in the pocket, not to mention that those 50 MPs would've gotten me my Bai Hu NPC. T_T

I also sold a few vet scrolls here and there, giving me a good supply of vis to buy new stuff for my growing family.

Oh, and I made my first gamble in weapon upgrading that time. I've actually gone and upgraded my BO3K to +6! It's a big thing for me, knowing that I rarely take risks in upgrading or chipping my stuff. I'm very prudent when it comes to spending, and I rarely splurge on anything except for the basic necessities.

I likewise bought a few tickets to Los Toldos because I want my musketeer to be shooting like crazy in her new vet stance, and having two Elite Iron Pistols with atk speed stats will surely boost her capabilities. Although, I have to say that the lag in Los Toldos is completely abominable, that I was crawling my way to hunt for those pure otites. What a nightmare.

You can't hide from lag.

In the end, I'm left with...4k+ G-Points to my name. All that spending and I never got to buy my girls some nice costumes. Oh well, I guess I will have to save up again now that I'll be needing more GP for those 50 MPs to get Bai Hu next month.

Until then, it's back to leveling for me.

P.S.: Don't ask what I got from ABS. Nothing seems to be worth mentioning, not unless you want to buy a piece of Snake Skin from me. :p

Wings and 'dos! + Thank yous!

2008-07-16T13:41:00.008+08:00

Thanks to our ever-reliable and updated source for everything GE, Doratomo, I've been ogling at these cool accessories.

*silenty thanks the gods that I can read a few katakana characters XD*

Wings: Red Sunset & Crystals

Red Sunset Wings

Crystal Wings

Nice, pretty, BIG wings! The Red Sunset looks like a cousin to the Chrysalis's, while the Crystal wings look like...uh...Las Vegas Showgirls-y. LOL. I bet my female elementalist would look the part of a showgirl wearing Crystal wings AND swimsuit. Hehe.

Hair: Fairy Bob

Augh...I'm not digging this new female elem hairdo. Her hair looks frizzy. I'd still go for the Sheep Horn hair any time.

Since IMC has made these accessories available (plus new costumes for Emilia and Bernelli), how about showing some love for the male Elementalist? I mean, come on...the dude deserves a makeover!

*goes over to a corner and sulks*

=====

In other news, I've just reached 10k+ hits! Woooooo! It may not be as colossal as NineMoons' 50k pageviews, but I'm not complaining! ^_^

Having said that, THANK YOU for always dropping by, commenting, and for reading this humble blog.

Watch out for an upcoming contest in celebration of reaching 10k hits AND this site's post-anniversary. ^^