Extreme Makeover: Armor Edition!

Ok, ok, so today's title is super corny, but deal with it. Gosh, now I feel like even more of a nerd than I did when I realized I was designing clothes for my Perfect World character.

I'm sorry, but the people who designed the women's armor in Perfect World were definitely men. Bra, miniskirt, and stiletto-heeled hooker boots are not sensible battle attire.

The boots probably bother me more than anything else, mostly because I hate running in heels so much that I project my own pain onto the sprites.

My alternate character, Siloam, can probably get away with the heels. Since she's a cleric, she spends most of her time hovering benevolently over the field of battle dispensing healing spells. Meirizhu, however, is an archer, and archers do a lot of running away from werewolves.

So I took the heels off the boots, covered up most of the vital organs with metal or leather, and gave her pants. I won't try to fool myself or anyone else into thinking that this new armor is 100% practical, but I think it makes a little more sense.

The color scheme is still up for debate. I have six prepared at the moment. You can find all six here if you're interested. The one shown here is my favorite, but I'd like to hear any suggestions.

Siloam's next. She's going to get a pretty new robe.

Hello, and goodbye again.

I am submitting this from the Chester County Public Library. When it comes to Perfect World, I'm still afk. And I think I'm obsessed, because I still think about it all the time... ah, well.

If you miss me, you can visit my DeviantART site... not that it's been updated too recently, thanks to the filter here, but it has some of my writings and scribblings.

I know I miss you guys!

Shout outs, thank yous, and going afk

Well, guys, it's been a good run.

But now my Writing for the Web class has come to an end, and so I'm no longer required by the injunction of my professor to maintain this blog.

I've gained a lot experience points, learned some new skills, and leveled up a few times. And here are some people I'd like to thank for that:

• My class and professor, for sticking with me whether they wanted to or not and giving great constructive criticism.
• Rod, Kristei, and Tokada, for all the random comments. You guys rock.
• My faction, for their patience and humor. *Salutes King, bows to Ling, pokes Kit and Teh, and shakes Thug's hand... err, paw*
  
• Ero, for introducing me to sharks.
• Tamar, for taking me seriously.
• All those idiots in world chat who brighten my day.
• and lastly, you, anyone who has ever read this blog. Especially those of you who leave comments. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This is not the end!

I have decided that I love blogging way too much to give it up just because I'm no longer getting a grade on it. So I'll keep playing Perfect World and keep updating this blog as often as I can!

Unfortunately, I'm going to be spending the next 3 months sojourning in the Land of Dial-Up Internet, with brief visits to the Wireless Embassy whenever I can. So I can't guarantee regular posts.

But I can guarantee that I will never forget you guys . . . so please don't forget me!

Apologies and excuses

I've wronged you, dear Readers, and I'm sorry. I haven't been posting for a while, but I have several reasons:

• I'm nearing the end of this quarter in school, so I have about a million things to read, write, and study for.
• I also have to pack up nearly all my earthly belongings for storage or transport home to Tennessee for the summer.
• I've been helping various friends with time-consuming projects, including dressing up as Pippi Longstocking.
• I've been feeling self-conscious about my blog. One of my classmates expressed dislike for the subject. She wasn't nasty about it, but I still feel like I'm back in high school being teased by the popular girls.
• And, finally, I'm lazy.

There is hope, though! It's looking like my friends Kristei and Tokada are going to start writing guest posts before too long. So, hopefully, even if I stay busy and can't update very often, there will still be updates.

Until then, here's a flat-color drawing I did of my characters, Meirizhu and Siloam. It was going to be my avatar for my faction's forum, but it didn't shrink well.

Falling down on the job

I'm sorry, guys. But I tried. I really did try to find something interesting to blog about, since it's been a few days since the last post.

(No ragging on my artwork. I did it in like 5 minutes)

Unfortunately nobody has done anything amusing, and I myself have been in a state of ennui for the past few days.

Managing Rodneye's and Kristei's characters is nowhere near as much fun as hanging out with them. My faction's been pretty quiet. I haven't made any new friends.

Worst of all, I've been feeling insecure! In an online game, with characters I designed myself specifically to be appealing and attractive! It's getting harder for me to forget what I am in real life, and harder to remember that I can be whatever I want in the game.

Whatever I want, that is, except confident.

"Blue_Wind wants to carry you. Accept?"

Here's a little event that happened a while ago, but it's relevant to the way I'm feeling right now.

It was probably only the first or second day that I'd been playing as Meirizhu. At any rate, I was at a low level. I was hanging out in Plume, the lovely city of the elves, when I received a notice:

“Blue_Wind wants to carry you. Do you accept? Yes/No”

I'd never gotten a notice like this. Duurrrrrrr, I wonder what that means, I thought, and pressed “yes.”

Next thing I knew I was in the arms of a handsome young archer, my booted feet dangling.

“Hi,” Blue Wind whispered.

So this is what it means to be carried, I thought. Why didn't I guess? I found out later that carrying someone or being carried fills up your chi gauge, which allows you to execute special techniques. Therefore it's not uncommon for male characters to ask random female passersby for “a chi spark,” though usually they have other motives that are less pragmatic.

I don't know about chi sparks at the time, so I didn't know if that's what Blue Wind was after, but he quite gallantly asked if I needed help with any quests.

I thought about my current quarry, cactopods, which usually died after two hits, and rolled my eyes. Chauvinist pig.

“No, I'm all right,” is what I actually said. And then, I went on: “Thank you, though. Quite chivalrous.” And I politely asked him to set me down.

At the time, I was slightly miffed. The nerve of him, scooping me up and then patronizing me! But later on I began to melt. It was still less than a week since my boyfriend of a year and a half had dumped me, and I was stressing out about school, too, considering switching majors. I felt overwhelmed and very, very alone. I think some part of me actually wanted someone to drop out of the sky, pick me up, and offer to help me with anything I needed.

And that's kind of what I want right now.

Rodneye

I feel my writings in this blog have neglected an important part of my Perfect World experience, and that is my dear friend Rodneye the Blademaster.

I owe this boy a lot. The beginning of my acquaintance with Rodneye also marks the time I actually started participating in Perfect World as a multi-player game.

We met at the beginning of spring break, which happened to be the same week for both of us. Free of the shackles of school and work, we went exploring all night, traveling pretty much all over the map by the end of the week. We frolicked on the mountains with the Ostial Centipexes. In the proud, ancient city of Archosaur, we swam in the fountain. And once, somehow, we got stuck in a volcanic wasteland surrounded by some of the strongest enemies in the game. A compassionate level 80 Blademaster had to lead us out.

Rodneye is the one who invited me into my first faction--which so happens to be directed by his sister Kristei. Then, despite my protests, he talked Kristei into rapidly promoting me.

"I hope you know you're pretty much my best online friend," he said to me once. It was one of the last things he said; he hasn't been online in over a week. He could be occupied with school, or, for all I know, he could be grounded from the computer. But his sister hasn't been online either, and I'm worried about them.

It might be time for me to give up on Rod, but I still check my friends list every time I'm on, looking for him.

Here's to you, Rod, my best online friend. I hope you come back soon.