The Thief - Comm 344

Zidane with his signature twin daggers

Rikku is definitely showing a lot of skin in her costume.
Let's... just say that it helps with her agility.

               The thief is a sneaky and tricky character that uses their sticky fingers to pilfer items, money, and loot from opponents.  The core ability of the thief class is the “steal” ability, which proves useful early in a game as a means of obtaining treasure for free.  Having a way to cheaply have access to basic healing items like potions is how the thief can make their niche in the party a useful one from the start.  This character is usually introduces relatively early for this reason, and on few occasions has even been featured as the main character.  The thief is usually a perky, fast-talking, street-wise, young individual which can make for an all-around fun character in combat as well as travelling around the world.  So just how does this delinquent utilize their five-fingered discount to the fullest?
                The thief is almost always seen using lightweight, agile and dexterous weapons such as daggers, claws, and throwing knives.  Long ranged weapons like bows are sometimes an option as well in games like Skyrim where the thief is by themselves in their quest, which sounds ideal.  But the thief can really shine within a group of fighters as the player to not necessarily deal a ton of damage, but to annoy the hell out of their enemies for sure.  Twin daggers are definitely the most popular weapon set, but in games like Final Fantasy 9 (where the main character is a thief named Zidane) we see the use of “thief-swords” which is two blades connected by the hilts.  Think a bladed version of Darth Vader’s lightsaber.  Apparently this is a lightweight weapon that allows for a decent attack power while leaving a hand free for doing what the thief does best. 
                Thieves, due to their agile playstyle, are usually seen donning lightweight armor, and often will find accessories that enhance their stealing abilities.  “Thief’s Gloves” are a common accessory in RPG’s as an equipable item that increases the odds of successfully stealing loot from enemies.  Other accessories like boots that muffle footsteps or scarves that supply invisibility seem to be present in games where thieves are staple characters.  All of these clothing items resemble the attire of a real life thief from medieval times.  They definitely set themselves apart from Ninjas, which are an entirely different class that I will touch on at a later date. 
                In battle, the thief has had many different roles.  As far as stealing goes, games like Final Fantasy X-2 have given thieves somewhat magical or supernatural qualities to their pilfering abilities.  Rikku (the young, bubbly thief from both Final Fantasy X and X-2) can steal items, money, and even time from her enemies.  That’s right.  By stealing “time” from the enemy she puts them in a sort of stasis that freezes the enemy in place.  She also has abilities for stealing specifically rare items from enemies should they have any.  She can steal the enemy’s “spirit” which puts them in a berserk like state of fury.  So we can see that developers have gotten very creative with simple stealing.  She can even simply steal health or magic points from the enemy.  I mean, stealing is stealing, right?  Her signature quote “There ain’t nothin’ I can’t steal!” couldn’t be truer.  In Final Fantasy X Rikku can use the items she’s stolen and combine them together to make a more powerful, usually devastating attack that, depending on the items used, can deal various types of damage or support the party.  So this iteration of a thief is also an alchemist of sorts.  Zidane’s attacks moreso go along the lines of gambling, with an ability called “Lucky 7’s” that does damage based on how many “7’s” are in his current hit points.  He also has an ability called “Thievery” that does more damage depending on how many times he has successfully stolen.  In instances like this the thief is rewarded in a more damaging attack for doing well at what they are designed to do, a great balance In the thief’s playstyle which allows for the thief to have another motive for liberating their enemy’s wallets.  Following closer to the ninja route, thieves can usually inflict negative status effects on enemies with poison daggers and various traps. 

                Thieves haven’t really seen a dominance of one particular sex, though a young, lithe, street-wise individual with a lot of personality usually fills the shoes.  Both sexes tend to wear tight fitting clothing and have snappy comebacks for any occasion, suitable for someone who makes a living by taking what they want from society (and not in a “Robin Hood” way, mind you).  These individuals do their best to convenience their team, and mostly themselves, in any situation.

Memory IS RAM! - Comm 352

                 It is astonishing to think how far we’ve come in the field of technology.  In just a short number of years our technology has expanded at a rapidly increasing rate, which generates much curiosity towards the future of electronics and even society as a whole.  Since the growth of technology has been exponentially increasing, the rate of “cool shit” we are going to see in our lifetime is going to be colossal.
                One aspect of this rapid increase in new technology is the amount of memory that even the simplest of devices can now hold.  When I was young I remember using nothing but AOL, having a cell phone that barely worked in eighth grade, and playing Playstation 2 or Gamecube.  Nowadays instead of using AOL there are tons of different browsers to choose from depending on your style of internet usage, and the customization options tailor to individual needs.  My cell phone is now essentially a mini laptop, and aside from websites with scroll bars there is little along the ways of internet usage that I cannot do on my phone.  It is my portable internet, mp3 player, planner, clock and lastly a device that I use to communicate with.  All of this is possible because modern phones have more memory capabilities than some computers did in the past. 
                The surprising factor with our increase in memory space is that we are able to store so much on such small devices.  For my birthday I received a Kindle fire (which was honestly the last thing I needed) because I already have a phone and a laptop.  Now I just have something in between those two devices that is in a convenient size.  I even have the ability to store vast amounts of information on my Kindle despite its size, so why bother having anything larger?  We have so much “invisible” space to store data in that we are literally running out of things to store.  I can honestly say that I will never come close to ever filling up my laptop’s memory, and I could probably say the same thing about my Kindle. 
                Even game systems like the Playstation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 are essentially part computer.  Once I found out that you could upload music to an Xbox to play music while gaming an entire world of technology opened up to me.  In fact, anyone my age can remember the transition from using memory cards to internal storage space and how revolutionary of a change it has been.  Our gaming systems have evolved from simply a device that plays games to devices that play games, store memory,  and allow complete internet capabilities that includes gaming with others from around the world and downloading content from servers. 
                With the rate of technology expanding so quickly it is truly a great time to be alive.  Although I really hope this does not lead to EVERYTHING being stored online, it is a nice and organized system we have created for keeping everything in a concrete place (assuming the internet isn’t going anywhere…).

The Cleric - Comm 344

          The Cleric (also called a Healer or a White Mage) is my personal favorite class as it is the class that I can most identify with.  Making sure the rest of the party is well healed, protected, and ready to dish out the damage while staying a safe distance away from the enemy makes up this role.  A cleric is often introduced early in most fighting games, as the role is somewhat essential in combat for their defensive uses.  The cleric has also been the role of most female love interests of the main character, which also explains why it is common to see this class introduced early.  Fortunately we have seen a break in this stereotype more often as of late.
           The Cleric's focus is almost never to actually deal damage, so we often see these magicians with some sort of staff, rod, or other divine casting implement.  This could be an orb or a book in some cases.  Variations on this include Jessica, a white mage from the game Lunar Legend, who uses hammers and claws to attack enemies for considerable damage.  In fact, she is the third strongest character in the game and by far the heaviest hitter out of the other mages.  Even other healers that use maces as weapons don't generally deal a tremendous amount of damage because their role does not call for damage dealing.  Other weapons range anywhere from flutes (used by a little girl named Eiko in Final Fantasy 9) and Rackets (Princess Garnet and Eiko from Final Fantasy 9).  The flutes resemble a generic "blessed" weapon that is magic based and not used for attacking, while the rackets (resembling a concave tennis racket) attacks using gusts of energy from long range.  Long range weapons are ideal for a cleric since it allows them to stay safe and leave the close range battling to those with better armor ratings.

Jessica, the cleric from Lunar Legend, sporting a white
robe common amongst healers.  She gives off a
very "holy appearance with the hood as well

          In battle a healer really shines as one of the most invaluable members.  In addition to basic healing, what really creates diversity amongst various healers is their buffing abilities.  In standard RPG's, we see this personified as casting barrier spells that either halve magic or physical damage to a single target (or multiple targets at higher levels).  Other buffs include spells that gradually restore a little health each turn, or removing harmful status effects from an ally.  Clerics can even remove positive status effects from enemies by dispelling them, a strategy that becomes more useful as the game progresses.  Unique abilities seen from healers have a very broad range of effects.  In Dungeons & Dragons the cleric can create a zone of consecrated land that restores health to allies in the zone, while damaging enemies occupying the same zone.  These tricky spells are how a cleric can deal consistent damage and still do their part as a healer.  In Final Fantasy 9 there is an ability called - you guessed it - "healer" which causes all physical attacks made by the user to heal instead of deal damage.  Use this in conjunction with one of those magic Rackets and you have a long range healer that can restore health without even using magic points.  Simply have the user attack his or her allies from afar and keep them healthy with no cost.  Obviously because the attack stat of the white mage is usually pretty low the amount of healing done will not be as significant, but it is still free.
          Although most of the time this role is taken over by gentle females, seeing some variations on this role is not impossible.  Besides the fiery Jessica, in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue the cleric is a man named Ronfar and he also breaks out of the passive healer role.  He is an ex-priest that was excommunicated from the church for defending a loved one.  Ever since his excommunication he has since been seen drinking at local pubs, gambling with dice, and being a self-titled womanizer.  In battle, he uses a mace as well as dice to support the party.  Some of his abilities even utilize the dice in a "coin flip" style manner (even rolls give you one result while odd rolls give a different one).  He, like most clerics, wears robes and other cloth-like armors that provide little defense but usually boost magic power.
          So there you have it, a class that was at one point in time dominated by the same exact type of character for so many years is finally seeing some color. 

 

Facebook Usage - Comm 352

                As someone who is growing closer to deleting both his Facebook and Twitter accounts each day, I am definitely comforted by the numbers found in the charts provided.  It is not surprising to see that the majority of those individuals not using social networking sites are the elderly – some of which I’m sure just don’t care to be a part of it.  But for those who are interested but are simply technology impaired I can applaud their perseverance (especially in a time where technology is growing so rapidly).  The other surprising number came from the question relating to being scared of scams.  I figured this would be among the reasons why the elderly would not want to take the time to learn this technology, but it seems that they are moderately unaware of internet scams (which sounds about right). 
                Individuals around my age (perhaps a little older) are the largest demographic of Facebook and Twitter users in America currently according to these charts, with only 22% of individuals my age not having at least one of these accounts.  Yet when we look at the next chart, among those in the same demographic that opt not to use one of these sites do so for a smart reason: to avoid scams.  So while my demographic is the largest users of these social networking sites, those of us who do not use it are cautiously avoiding scams, viruses, and general deviant behavior that is rapidly accelerating on the web.  This is why we can safely assume that the elderly do not use these sites based on other reasons such as their general complexity or disinterest in social networking. 
                I also found it interesting that of all persons under the age of forty-four the highest demographic for not having a Facebook or Twitter is 18-24 year olds.  Considering that social networking plays a key role in relationships in high school and college, I expected this number to be higher.  I assume that with the emphasis major and local businesses have put on Facebook and Twitter as being reliable sources of information and advertising that the demographic of people who use these sites as means of obtaining information themselves has increased.  Instead of Yellow pages, newspapers, and coupons all of these deals and savings can be found through promotional Facebook and Twitter events.  All of this publicity is also free, so it is economically helpful as well. 
                Although I still don’t enjoy Facebook as much as I used to because of the general lollygagging it causes or the pictures of food in sepia tone it throws at me, it is refreshing to know that it has become a reliable websites for a mature audience to use to increase business.  I may not like the social networking aspect of Facebook much anymore, but as a means of cheaply helping small and large businesses alike thrive and improve, it is absolutely a must.

The Fighter- Comm 344

Squall, the main character from Final Fantasy 8
and his signature gunblade weapon

               The most basic and broad class, the Fighter is present in nearly every fantasy setting.  On a broad spectrum, the fighter is usually the main character of most fantasy settings because of their combat ability, their ability to take damage, and their unparalleled leadership.  Any role playing game that includes a sword using, twenty-something, heroic male is playing off of the archetype of the fighter. 
                The fighter’s weapon choice is usually a sword and shield combination, or maybe a knight themed weapon such as a lance.  Variations on the standard sword include Gunblades (as seen in Final Fantasy 8) and Bastard Swords (a large, and powerful blade that most heroes blissfully use one handed with absolutely no problems). 
                Since the fighter is more than likely the main character of the game they are present in the sword is used commonly as a weapon that everyone is familiar with.  And with the creative spins and abilities attached to these sword attacks video game developers have been keeping this archetype fresh and modern.  In Persona 4, a Japanese RPG with dating simulator elements, the main character uses swords and other long, blunt items like golf clubs.  Katanas, though not as popular, are also used by fighters in place of the standard longsword seen is Western influenced games.  In battle the sword user will initiate attacks that involve slashing the enemy in a stylized way usually unique to the fighter.  Mighty slashes, Wind-Ripping slashes, and increasing one’s own attack power or defense are just a few of the standard moves found in a fighter’s repertoire.  These abilities to power up your main character without the aid of others is another nod to the independence that the main character possesses: if you’re struggling in battle and only one character is going to survive, the fighter is more than likely going to be that person.
                The armor worn by fighters has a huge range of different materials.  Being the main character most of the time, the fighter has access to a variety of very defensive leather, steel, iron, and other metal armors.  The shields accompanied by these weapons and armor usually match, giving the player a full set of beautifully matching armor that not only looks good but provides substantial defense as well.  This allows the fighter to be labeled as a tank, or a character that can both deal and receive damage extraordinarily well.  This makes the fighter an ideal character for beginners, and illuminates why the main character in so many role playing games are fighters.  Not only can the character you’re going to use the most deal a decent amount of damage, but he (or she in rare cases) is not going to die easily, offering you plenty of time to learn fighting strategy and worry about defending and supporting other characters more. 
                As a mentioned, although the majority of fighters are male, there have been a large number of females depicted as fighters in recent games.  A number of notable males include Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, Squall from Final Fantasy 8, Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings series (although not the main character still showed substantial leadership abilities), Hiro from Lunar 2 (note his clichéd name…), and Claude from Star Ocean.  Females dominating this category include Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 (not the main character, but one of the first female sword users in Final Fantasy history), Lightning from Final Fantasy 13, Beatrix from Final Fantasy 9 (a powerful female knight that is literally impossible to beat), and Cassandra from the Soul Calibur series.  All of these females are skilled warriors, and are very rarely sexualized as this is not an archetype that is seen as weak or feminine.  These strong, capable women can be seen as the pinnacle of female empowerment in the video game universe, putting the damsel in distress mythos to rest. 
                The fighter is a well-rounded, easy to use class that is beginner friendly, and a formidable opponent in the hands of a skilled player.  They have all of the tools to fend for themselves and work smoothly in a team setting as well.  It’s no wonder that we see this class more than any other because of the flexibility that this balance of defense and offense supply.  The sense of leadership, and a strong sense of doing what is best for the rest of the team is a chivalrous and loyal attitude that comes hand in hand with the sword and armor wearing knight motif, and it is expressed through many of the classic main characters in almost every traditional RPG on the market.

Labor Abuse - Comm 352

                I find that it is hard to sit back and watch as these conditions for working are even happening in this day and age.  I was very aware of Apple’s use of labor camps to distribute its product at such low rates, but to see Samsung in this same pathway is disgusting.  It almost brings into question what the CEO’s of each of these companies define as human life.  It seems as though they view their workers as disposable, easily replaceable peons who have no value or resource to the overall being of the company.  They see these workers as materials.  Using them until they cannot work any longer and replacing them as quickly as they came.  This is a scary thought that we, as Americans, do not need to waste any time fearing that our fate could match.
                But what if we did?  What if instead of using labor unions from other countries these factories were in our back yard?  If the question is “Will I still buy this product if American workers are the ones suffering”, I would say yes.  To me, the issue is not who is suffering, but just that the fact that these unfit conditions exist in any way.  Of course with the American mentality we would never stand for such conditions, and I believe that if one of these labor unions were to exist in America there would already have been riots, marches, and strikes all over the nation.  Americans tend to not pay attention to striking issues unless they are in our own backyard, but the turnout of caring citizens would be monumental. 
                I understand fully that the products we are buying come with the price of cruel labor, but at this point I would like to be presented an alternative.  Any normal person would agree that if they just improve conditions things would be better and everyone could go on happy.  Unfortunately if any more money were to be put into these unions the prices of our merchandise would increase.  Again, this would not affect me personally but from a consumer standpoint I can see why nobody says a word.  Once the price of the product increases people won’t even care about “improving the conditions” of these workers because they will immediately see the outcome of their “help”.  If it means paying a little more for these people to be treated like humans, I would be perfectly fine with that as I usually buy one of these products every other year or so.  But these hefty American consumers would rather help their wallet than the lives of people they don’t know, it’s like pulling teeth.  Unfortunately I can see why these companies have chosen the route they have.  I hope that we as a nation can step back, view the situation neutrally and do what we know is best for strengthening the world rather than just our own persons.  I’m sure if this was happening in our country we would want the support of other countries too.