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June 2007 Monthly Collectable (Late) Critique |
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This month's items are the Western Zodiac, Cloud, and Mythrill Halo!
 Okay, so I kind of lied...
I'm back from my trip overseas, and when I was catching up on everything I missed the last two weeks, I saw that there was a major customization update all over Gaia (and a few other sites I'm a member of). It got to the point where I had to pick and choose which sites' updates I care about, which turned out to be only two in the end.
I'm also a bit disappointed that a certain someone didn't PM me yet as to what I was hoping was going to be the first guest critique for this month's items, as I was going to be out. I guess the workload given what was released was too much, which is understandable. In any event, let's get back into the normal monthly swing of things, shall we?
Star Signs
For the uneducated, the Western Zodiac is an item based off of the Grecco-Roman star sign which dictates your personality (supposibly). One can only hope for an Eastern Zodiac counter-item featuring the star signs from China as a future collectable. Each star sign in the Western Zodiac sign is represented properly given their artistic/animal symbol.
By the way, this is your only warning. The following will be somewhat educational.
The default sign for this item is Aquarius. Despite being an Air sign, it is represented by a water pitcher overflowing with life-giving water which your avatar holds in your hand. The design of the item is similar to the Japanese-woodblock-print wig of the Elemental Hair, but not as dominating. In fact, it makes a great water sash. When sitting down, your avatar looks as if it is riding the waves in a god-like fashion. Because it is an air sign, the Wind Wig from the aforementioned Elemental Hair works well with this item. Other items that match well is anything "flowy." By that, I mean clothing that apparenlty look like they generate their own wind.
The next sign is Gemini. This sign is represented by a pair of masks, as Gemini is known as "The Twin Sign." There is some Eastern influance in the design, as one half of the mask is white and the other half is black. However, the main bulk of the mask is designed similar to the Venice Carnivale masks I've seen during the past five days prior to typing this. The artists and admins have kindly given us the option to where one side or both, which makes the need to buy two just to get the other half of the mask moot. This sign is also an Air sign, but don't let that stop you from trying out whichever hair style you want to wear with this mask. It's pretty flexible no matter what side you pick.
The next star sign is Leo the Lion. Here, we get two different items for the same sign depending on what you feel like. The first item is the Lion's Mane (and ears), which is very flat in texture and color. Almost insultingly so to the point where the Oni wig looks better. However, the design is just far enough from the Wizard of Oz look to give you an anime lion-human look if you really wanted it. The second item is the Lion Tail. Pretty standard, to be honest, and unimpressive. By itself, it doesn't really read as a lion's tail, since there are several items in the world with that same tail design. Watch the Discovery Channel special Planet Earth if you don't belive me. The tail opens up the hair, which lets you show off the Fire sign's main element if you want. However, the design of the Elemental Hair ends up showing a flaw here in that you don't look so much like a fire lion as you do a fire rat. As a set, the two items together look unbalanced, with all the visual weight going to the wig and none being spared on the tail. That being said, if you are going to wear this, either pick one or the other and use a cheaper replacement for the other half. Personally, I would use none at all if I were to wear the wig, or find something to balance the visual weight.
The next sign on the roster is Scorpio. This water sign is straight-forwardly represented by a scorpian tail which could have been designed better. The tail sits way too far out from the back forcing an awkard view of the avatar. In other words, the perception is skewed worse than that of a drunk at beer fest. This can be kind of fixed with the right items, thereby altering the visual weight of the avatar, but you'll be hard press to find the right combination. Also, despite being a Water sign, the water wig looks horrible with this tail. I'd go with the male version of the poison wig from the Mythic hair. Dark colors are a must and should go on without saying with this item.
Next on the list is Taurus. Adding yet another set of bull horns to the database, these horns are more European with just a hint of Eygpt thrown in for design reasons. However, unlike how most bulls are represented in art and cartoons, the horns point upward instead of forward. Kind of makes ramming impossible. but then again, that's not what they are designed for, now are they? This sign is an Earth Sign, but the two earth wigs do something strange to the horns. One hides the horn due to the the color balance been so heavy on the green side that it bleeds into the horns, the other visually changes the color of the horns entirely due to a color theory effect caused by neighboring color saturation. In short, just be careful with what you pick to go with your bull horns just like with any other horn we have in the database.
The sign of Capricorn is represented by the goat, which is also represented here by horns as well. These horns are similar to the Taurus, only straighter and colored darker. They also curve backwards slightly. Unlike the Taurus, you can actually use the earth wig with this pair, but keep in mind that you'll end up going for a Pan's Labrynth look if you do. The only drawback I found with this item is that the base is positioned in a strange place that doesn't match very well with the various hats you can buy. But then again, only the earlier sets of horns do. The later batch seems to suffer from this misalignment a lot. It's a shame too, but if you have a Bone Dragon Helm, the Capricorn horns look great with it, giving you that mountain dragon look most of the horns up until now never really gave that helmet.
There is still another set of horns for the fire sign of Aries. Here you get ram horns that fall just above your avatar's ears. I'm expecting a lot of people to dress up like the old man from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, especially with the latest promotional item. This horn, because of its location, tends to disappear behind big hair, wigs, and hats. Strangely enough, the texture map is dangerously close to being photorealistic like the Falcon. With that being said, the horns thankfully don't adjust the avatar size or visual weight by much, so you can pretty much mix and match whatever you want without fear of being too wide or top heavy. Given the nature of where these ram horns appear in popular media, however, most will tend to go to the dark side.
The item representing the water sign of Cancer confuses me a little bit. From a design aspect, these look like contacts ment to go over your eyes and give you crab-leg wiskers. That would be really cool and a nice change from the fish fins you can place over your ears. Instead, the item is placed on your forehead with the crab legs coming out like a crown of some kind. The eyes are still there, but there is no visual connection between the two that implies they are goggles as they are labeled to be. If anything, they look like a freaky pair of second eyes that got plasted onto your forehead and is suffering from a bad layering glitch making it appear over your hair. With the last few items being "fixed" and having addition options added on shortly after release, I'm surprised that this hasn't been adressed yet.
Sagittarius is next in line. This fire sign is represented by the archer, and as such, we are given the third bow in all of Gaia. But this bow is special. It comes with arrows! Unfortunately, you will only be able to wear the bow and arrows, as the item cannot be held in the hands. A shame too, because there's a position that could lend itself to a nice version of the item where it looks like your avatar is getting ready to fire an arrow at a n00b or troll. The golden-brown coloring of the leather may make it difficult for people to get a modern look, but with some work, you can avoid the whole Robin Hood look with ease. Elf Ear owners can now dress up like Legolas with relative accuracy, so don't be surprised to see a lot of those cosplayers running around for a while.
The water sign of Pisces is represented by fish, but seeing how we already have an item that gives you a school, this item only gives you two. They are also a pair of flying fish, which have a nice design by themeselves, but look rather generic when coupled with said school of fish background. Definately the weakest item out of the batch simply because of the level of similarity to the Aquatica, but those users out there that don't like being followed by Nemo and friends will like this item as an alternative.
Virgo is a tricky sign, as it is represented by a virgin. Not really something that can be done very well visually in any kind of art design. Hell, they can't even represent the virgin in porn! To solve this problem, the Gaia artists did the smart thing and researched! Apparently, way back in the day, nobody had sex until they were married. At least those who were respected. Because of this, the bridal veil is used here in Gaia as a way to represent the virgin female and a small crown is used to represent the virgin male. This is a stretch given what most paintings around that time and even up until the whole idea of having casual sex became popular. It is even a bigger stretch to believe there were virgin men around that time, but that's a different subject entirely. The items that represent Gaia's virgins are rather simple, but eligent enough to work with some kind of outfit or another. They work very well together as well to give that "Princess Bride" look. Light colors or even just sticking to white is a must with this set, however, I think you can skirt that with the crown.
Last on the list is the Libra. This air sign is represented by a balanced scale. Gaia's artists take this idea to a whole new level, however. Here, the scale not only is balancing the weight of gold stars, but is perfectly balanced sitting in what is an impossible way to hold a scale of that size. And the size, unfortunately, is what kills this item. The visual weight from the front is too top heavy to the point where you need something massive to balance out the back side. However, from behind, the scale looks perfectly simetrical. Another thing that kills the item is the lack of flexibility. Because of its size and coloring, you'll be stuck playing the part of Justice or some kind of fantasy god(dess). Trying to make the item work in another other context is a difficult task.
Yet another long list of items thrown together into one, only this time they actually make sense to have them all as one item. As far as the actual item goes, you could do well with only one, as there is enough modes found within to be very flexible with pretty much anything in Gaia. It cannot hurt to buy one, but at the same time, you won't be missing much if you don't.
Not that kind of Cloud, you FFFanatic!
It was bound to happen, I guess. We had the Wind God Security Blanket, Wind Wig, and now we actually have a cloud that gives us various items. Thankfully, the list is short this time.
The default position is none other than the classic Nimbus cloud. Here, Gaians can stand, sit, or walk on the clouds of the sky. They match the Yurei's Robe perfectly, making you be one of those Asian celestial beings that travels to earth and back on a Nimbus only for you. Or you could jump on the Dragonball band wagon and dress up like Goku. Your pick.
The next mode is a pair of cloud slippers. Obviously meant as a replacement for the Bunny Slippers, this pair of shoes looks more like those fluffy bathroom slippers you find in five star hotels that nobody but the rich can get into. However, with some imagination, you could turn the slippers into bedtime slippers as well. But other than that, they are still a pair of slippers.
Mist mode gives you a swirling cloud around your avatar that makes it all creepy in a ghost story like manner. While the design is very conservative and obviously meant to mimmic the Angelic Sash, it could have been drawn better to add more volumn. Your avatar isn't so much surrounded in mist as it is surrounded by a thick cloud of insense smoke.
Rainbow mode is for all the Gay Pride Gaians out there. Or Gay Jesus cosplayers. Can't really say much about it because of how simple it is as a background piece. It's a rainbow between two clouds that goes over your avatar's head. What more is there to say?
Partly Cloudy mode doesn't look like clouds so much as it looks like soap bubbles. Here, your avatar is properly hidden by the clouds, making it look like you may or may not be wearing any clothing underneath. Strangely enough, the guys get the "cloud bra" that the girls get, which is a strange design from an overall stand point, but it makes sense when you think about what the item is suppose to be. With clothes on, this mode just looks stranger. Again, the image looks like soap bubbles instead of clouds, so wearing clothes with this makes your avatar look like you were the victem of a laundry room prank. This would make the item one of the firsts where it is okay to be "naked" underneath it.
Lethal Cloud is a fart cloud. 'Nuff said.
Rainy Cloud is probably my favorite mode, albeit the most cliche out of the entire set of options. Here, a dark rain cloud gathers and drowns you in your own depression. The only thing missing is the appropriate expression of the half-closed sad eyes. You can get around this with the venom wig, but that's only if you want to be really broody and stuck in the perpetual darkness of the dull and depressing world of... uh, depression. Now the reason this is my favorite mode has to do with the fact this is the only dark option in a set that is entirely white, which makes the item appeal to more than just one demographic of Gaia. It is also generic enough, like the default Nimbus, to where anything you wear with it will match it just fine.
Overall, the Cloud is simple, but nothing to write home about. I bought mine simply as an accesory and alternative to the items I will never have like the Angelic Sash. That's the only real reason you'd want to buy one. But if you have money to burn, go ahead and keep one in your inventory. You never know when it may work to add that avatar that extra punch.
The 100th Item
Four years ago, Gaia introduced the letters as a way to keep the site up and running while being able to pay server costs. Anyone that donated around that time were given the ledgendary Angelic Halo. Since then, the few who have this rarest-of-the-rares have enjoyed the effects of being one of the firsts. Praise, hate, awe, and indifference is just the tip of the iceburg of reactions they've recieved since then.
This month, to celebrate reaching the 100th item of this kind, the creaters of Gaia decided to release a silver halo known as the Mythrill Halo. This halo has been in demand since I was a member, and even teased during the last April Fool's joke.
But now, it is here.
There is nothing I can say about this item that would do it any kind of justice or injustice, thereby calculating my own personal opinion as to how much it is worth to have in my inventory. It's the 100th item in this series. That alone is worth investing in.
Back in the Saddle
It's been about 24 hours since I first got on a plane and started my way back to the states from Venice, and already I'm back doing my usual thing for you guys. And despite some disappointments on some sites that I go to on a regular basis. Gaia's update during my time around has reminded me just how special this site can be sometimes.
These items in particular showcase this. They have their flaws, yes, but they are still very special items to have. I saw a lot of amazing things overseas that are definately more important to Gaia in the grand scheme of things, but it's still nice to be a part of something like this once a month when I do my critiques.
Until next month...
 Zeek Slider · Sat Jun 23, 2007 @ 05:48pm · 3 Comments |
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