Stasisesque

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Because there's more to everyone than they're looks.

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For a lot of people, that's very true - but looks play a big part in everyday life - and not just that part which helps to attract a mate.

Miss smartly dressed and beautiful is more likely to get a job in the public sector than Miss scruffy and unattractive. Likewise, Miss beautiful is less likely to be accused of wrong doing than Miss unattractive. The same way people with glasses are seen to be intellectuals, and people with massive amounts of piercings and tattoos are seen to be deviants*.

Perhaps the world would be a nicer place if people weren't judged on their looks alone, but a lot of the time, looks play a big part in how your life turns out - artificial or natural.

*Generalisations, all.

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I doubt very much there's a single female on this planet who couldn't be made to look gorgeous.

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But that shouldn't be our defining trait, or what we're judged on

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I'll bite. Why not?

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In fact, we're the only species on the planet that works this way. Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish - all of the males are naturally more attractive (due to the abundance of females and their need to attract a mate). Humans work backwards.

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Not true, take a look at some insects and arachnids.

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Uh...
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Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish

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So men have to fight hard to look stunning, you mean?
Or are you saying that a woman shouldn't waste time trying to get people to see beyond her looks?

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Actually, he said completely the opposite. Men have a harder time making themselves look attractive, whereas women can be naturally beautiful or artificially stunning. Women have more options and more choice - men can either be attractive or unattractive, but I doubt very much there's a single female on this planet who couldn't be made to look gorgeous.

In fact, we're the only species on the planet that works this way. Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish - all of the males are naturally more attractive (due to the abundance of females and their need to attract a mate). Humans work backwards.

Whenever I see a completely naked character with a suited name (i.e. "Naked Girl") I'll wonder who stole their creativity and move on. It's the costumes which seem unfinished that irk me more - I'll stare at them for ages thinking of ways they could be made better.

Very nice it's been a while since we've had one of your parodies.

Just a note though, Stasis doesn't wear yellow spandex!

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Noticed yesterday, when I was by an Arena Kiosk, that Fire Guardian and Silver Weasel also had a duel. With sexy results

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Edited for the Simpson-esque hell of it.

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OH MY GOD MY BRAIN HURTS SO MUCH I THINK I'M GOING TO EXPLODE. MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!

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I'd like to Nominate _Max_ for his Dark Heart novel. I rarely read the Creative section of the forums, but this novel has had me hooked despite the fact that I have an impending essay deadline over my head.

Link is here

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Ditto!

Z, I reckon all are considered .

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* NaNoWriMo: 50588/50000 words

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You were going to mention this, when?

Congratulations!

T-minus 18 hours.

I'm unemployed too! There's a pattern here somewhere... I'd probably have written more by now if it weren't for the fact the tips of my fingers have eroded.

...uh, and proctrastinating - that played a small part too.

Well, I did it . I still have loads of story left to write - and I'll try to keep you all updated on how it's coming along. But now, rest for the remainder of the month, and next month - editing!

Yes, he did it, Fire Guardian finally dinged level 50, quite unspectacularly, by beating up a Gimp. Oh, FG, how predictable you are .

Congratulations, you. Been fantastic teaming with you! Squids ahoy!

1,230 words to go.

I could easily fill that today - but I'm going to wait until tomorrow.

Save me a place.

Almost all of my music is from soundtracks . Stage musicals mostly, and they're the ones which force me to sing along the most. Ok, so I can't hit the same other-worldly notes Ms. Brightman can, but I can try, damnit!

No music for me, I find it too distracting. I keep wanting to sing along .

4k to go now, I'm finally starting to relax.

Just reading through the NaNo news, and came across this "gem", and I really don't like where they're going with this:

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One of the interesting stats that Russ discovered last year is that the biggest factor separating NaNo winners from non-winners is…yep, you guessed it…donation. The win rate for non-donors was 14%; donors had a 59% chance of breaking the 50K tape.

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It makes me shiver in a bad way.

Obviously they need donations to keep the site going, and fund their charities and get togethers - but they needn't use tactics like the above to get their donations.

If you don't finish in November, then you don't finish in November - you've not lost a thing. However, if you get as far as you can and then just stop on the 1st of December, I assure you, you'll be thoroughly disappointed in yourself.

Ugh, I sound patronizing and horrid, don't I?

What I mean to say is, stop when you feel the story has come to an end. If your story ends at dead on midnight, fantastic! But if it doesn't, please don't let it sink into nothingness.

Even if it takes you another three years to finish, even if you read back through and start laughing at it, even if you write it all up and then delete it out of disgust - it doesn't matter. Just, please, get your stories out of your heads and down on paper. I'll drill sergeant you into it, if I have to! There's too much talent here to go to waste.

Write, please. If only so I can walk through a bookshop in five years time and screech, "Oh my god, I used to play CoH with that person! Oh my god, oh my god!"

Oh, I have nothing against people who like looking at the raw numbers and statistics (or at least, their interpretations of them) in fact, I thank people for doing it so that I don't have to.

However, I do object to someone alluding to the fact that the numbers and stats are better than just enjoying the game. We all get our kicks in different ways, and as long as no one is hurt, we should be allowed to.

Does anyone remember Dumbo? I'm starting to feel like the train when it struggles to get up the hill. I'm hoping the top of the hill comes up soon, and waiting patiently for the "woo-woo" of the engine.

Until then, chug-chug-chug.

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I knew there was a reason I kept from posting.... I cant believe how far people are willing to go just to say they've been here longer, which doesnt necessarily mean that they know more......

I think ill go back to enjoying the game and steer clear from areas such as this. I cant believe what Im reading.

.....Thanks for all the fish!! They definately knew better :-)

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Why dont you do better than that and come out with numbers, talk game dynamics, come up with something?

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Numbers/statistics are better than playing and enjoying the game as is?

Lots of people are at work or school at the moment, and so probably won't be able to read it through and comment.

My daddy's reaction upon me telling him how much I'd written.

40,000 word barrier broken, which is nice. However, I'm again at one of those points where juicy plot needs to be put on hold until some fairly-mundane (but hopefully not for the reader) details have been covered.

Still, I only have 10k words left to go, and plenty of story left (stopping at 50k? Pfft, not a chance), so as long as I promise myself not to take anymore breaks - I might just do this yet.

I know I should probably be more confident than I am, having such a short way to go, but I know I can easily run out of steam before I smash 50k.

Anywho, wish me luck; and to any stragglers - you can overtake me yet, I promise you that much .

To me:

Natural = normal for the species. If you're playing an animal, for instance, and pick powers similar to attributes the animal would have in real life (i.e. claws), they can be put down to being of natural origin.
Magic = a normal species with powers unnatural to them, but acheived through an artifact or ritual or similar.

That said, I have a character with a similar backstory - her powers are normal to her species, but she was brought to Paragon/life through a magical ritual, hence her origin is Magic. Though, I could have also quite easily chosen Natural origin and made reference to the ritual which brought her into being.

Both can work brilliantly. Though, I would suggest that if you want her to have access to magic-esque powers, or at least an ability to perform magic, I'd pick Magic. If you're keeping her exactly as was, and only making reference to Balaaj's ritual, Natural will do.