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This month's items: Pride of Hera and Lightning Lash
Peacock and a Sword? Freudian slip anyone?
To be honest, I forgot about Monthly Collectibles this month due to economic fallout that I’m experiencing. Basically, my job is in the entertainment industry. And since that’s the first thing to get cut from a lot of people’s budgets, I’m not getting much “fun money” these days.
That said, when I saw these items, I didn’t think anything about them. So lets look at them individually.
Hera’s Pride? Wasn’t she always the jealous type?
The last wave of Random Item Generators (RIGs) gave us a lot of Greek/Roman God items, mostly armor. This time we have Hera and peacocks and a flowery outfit that fits a lot of eccentric items out there.
It’s default option is a mask that is designed after a Venetian Carnival mask. The actual mask is very nicely designed, making it look more mask than peacock. Though, to be honest, I wish they had more feathers in the crowns. The interesting challenge to the fashionable incline is the fact that feathers comb back slightly, which looks strange with any hair style that doesn’t look to be flowing in the same direction. And most hats that match it don’t really flow in that direction.
Plumed Goddess Headdress gives a rather tropical flavored headdress with several of the decorative peacock feathers. While it may look like you are wearing a pineapple on your head, you can actually do a lot with this option even if you are limited to the tropical themes. It compliments the default mask quite nicely. It also goes very well with Jixi’s Charm Shaman’s Dress, giving you a very nice voodoo look that I’m sure will be popular come next Fat Tuesday.
Goddess Collar gives you a feathery color that accents heavily on the brighter side of the peacock pallet. The collar does a nice job of filling out your shoulder and upper chest. Creative users will no doubt use this to make an interesting furry costume. As a costume element, it’s very bright and will no doubt be a nice accent to any feathery costume. Though, I have to admit, it looks pretty impressive on a topless male with a grass skirt. I’m just saying.
Gown of Plumes is the shining option. Here you get the most lavishly design complete with a decorative peacock feather train. The top half is very Egyptian in theme but yet still lovely enough to not immediately suggest that. The one thing I don’t like is the strange shoulder strap design. What is that? A mini-cape? A back collar? I don’t know what it is, but it’s just odd.
Now, the Plumed Peacock Cape is the male counterpart to the gown. You are given a regal green cape with gold and blue trim. The peacock design is used sparingly but in just the right amount to get the design and aesthetic across without beating the theme into a pulp. Unfortunately, there’s a high collar that isn’t incorporated very well. It would be very nice to see it a little higher, but as it is now, it just looks like the whimpy feathers that hang off the shoulder straps of the gown.
Plumed Goddess Gloves is probably the weakest option in this item. Blue sleeves connected to green gloves with dingle-berries coming off the top? Yeah, ugly. At lest for me.
Glorious Plumed Tail is the obligatory option. It’s no wings (thank God!!), but you can’t have a peacock themed item without the damn plumage. It fits the dress and adds a nice element that makes its very full. Dress it up with a headdress or dress down with something that matches it to become a Vegas showgirl.
Prized Peacock gives you, what else? A Peacock! You have the option of having him perch on your shoulder or walk beside you. That’s it. Thankfully we don’t have a baby version that is a member of the “On Your Head” club, but it’s unnecessary. There’s already enough feathery stuff that can be on your head.
Overall, I’m not really impressed. It’s a beautiful item, but nothing I’d get excited about.
Lightning Rod with a Sharp Edge
I swear, I’ve seen this weapon before. Was it in Soul Caliber? I don’t know, but I know I’ve seen this weapon before.
Basically, what you have here is a broad sword with a steel cable running down the center that acts as a tension spine. When given enough slack, it causes the blade to break into segments and become a whip of sorts. When the cable is taut, it is a sword by every definition and design.
The big difference here for our Gaia version is that, apparently, we can’t have a weapon like this without an elemental on/off switch. In this case, we have lightning. The thing is, as cool as that would be, the lightning is barely noticeable. I guess it’s my eyes not being tuned to the proper levels of yellow light, but seriously, you have to look really hard against the forum’s white background in order to see it.
Unfortunately, that’s pretty much it for this item. It’s so basic that it’s almost pathetic by the standards of today. Simple can be nice if done properly, which has been displayed several times in the past. But this? This feels like one of those original ideas that was tossed around when they were considering hand-held items. You know, pre-Staff of the Angels day.
I don’t know, I can’t really get excited about this item. I guess if you like swords or are a weapons collector, you’ll let it. But as far as utilitarian purposes? Not so much.
Meh…
It could be the economy or it could be a different set of artists, but this month’s items just plan suck. The Peacock just barely passes as average, but that’s only in part to its above average design. There’s nothing about either of these items that is near collectable standards, which is very sad since that bar has risen now that Evolutionary Items are the things that get all the best designers on them.
I say save yourself your US$5 and skip this month’s items. And I don’t believe I’ve ever said that before.
 Zeek Slider · Sat May 16, 2009 @ 03:36am · 0 Comments |
