<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
	<title>Planet Renders Forums Community Blog List</title>
	<link>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog</link>
	<description>Community Blog List Syndication</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:49:39 +0000</pubDate>
	<webMaster>bashaar@gmail.com (Planet Renders Forums)</webMaster>
	<generator>IP.Blog</generator>
	<ttl>60</ttl>
	<item>
		<title>Planet Renders Blog - Front Cover</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=912]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span class='bbc_center'><img src='http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/238/e/7/pr_cover_by_madHarry.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></span><br />
<span class='bbc_center'><br />
I s s u e  5<br />
 - A U G U S T  2 0 1 0 - <br />
<br />
Cover art designed by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=14504' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Harry</a><br />
<br />
Page 1</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=912]]></guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Planet Renders Blog - A Note From the Team</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=911]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[This is our fifth issue!  In this issue our featured artist is Harry.  We also once again have several excellent articles and two tutorials.  These articles range from a visit from uncanny valley, to cliche plots.  We are also featuring our first PDF release of the magazine.  You can find the link to the PDF via the news topic.  <br />
<br />
We also have three guest writers this month Tokyo Rose, Suzumebachi, and CK.<br />
<br />
Also, please wish a merry welcome to our  two new contributors, NarutoGoku and Stix!!! Congrats on making the team!  Remember, we're always on the look out for new contributors.  <br />
<br />
Happy Reading!<br />
<br />
- The Magazine Team<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Page 2</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=911]]></guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title><![CDATA[Planet Renders Blog - Writer's Introduction]]></title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=910]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span class='bbc_center'><br />
<span style='color: #FFFFFF'><span style='font-size: 21px;'>Welcome From the Team</span></span><br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Intro. to the Contributors</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#1<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name:</strong> Jay<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias:</strong> Sorrow<br />
<img src='http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e34/TheIzzet/Cudder.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
N/A<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_right'><br />
#2<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name: </strong>Janne<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Divi<br />
<img src='http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww83/Di_Vi_Ne/gifts/divinecattavy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
N/A<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#3<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Anything Pink<br />
<img src='http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w348/Anything_Pink/My%20Tags/Mokocopy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
An Introduction Into Sleep and It's Realms and A Glance At Culture and Art: Frida Kahlo  <br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_right'><br />
#4<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name: </strong>Tim<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Fury<br />
<img src='http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/furystalker/1232579047504.gif' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
N/A<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#5<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name: </strong>Rav<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Rav<br />
<img src='http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt35/Ravispro/INSPIREDBYQUERTAVY.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
N/A<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_right'><br />
#6<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name: </strong>Mikey<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Mikey/Bootz<br />
<img src='http://hilobrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/500full-donnie-darko-poster-150x150.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong><br />
The Annual Ten and The Featured Fifteen  <br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#7<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name: </strong>Sentiment<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias: </strong>Sentiment<br />
<strong class='bbc'><span class='bbc_underline'>Featured Articles</span></strong> <br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_right'><br />
#8<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name:</strong> Matt<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias:</strong> Tormenter<br />
<img src='http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt348/WrittenInBloodGFX/Tags/Untitled-1.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<span class='bbc_underline'><strong class='bbc'>Featured Articles</strong></span><br />
Artist of the month: Harry:  Interview and Art Feature<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#9<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name</strong>: Sean<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias</strong>: Scorcho<br />
<img src='http://i32.tinypic.com/2h6zouu.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<span class='bbc_underline'><strong class='bbc'>Featured Articles</strong></span><br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_right'><br />
#10<br />
Name: UBA Fatman UBA<br />
Alias:  UBA Fatman UBA<br />
<span class='bbc_underline'><strong class='bbc'>Featured Articles</strong></span><br />
Tired of Cliche Plots? Here's Your Fix! and Expressing Love Through Tags<br />
</span><br />
<span class='bbc_left'><br />
#11<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Name:</strong> NarutoGoku<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Alias:</strong> NarutoGoku<br />
<img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cbava2.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<span class='bbc_underline'><strong class='bbc'>Featured Articles</strong></span><br />
It’s That Time of Year Again-College Football Season Preview and To Real to be True-The Uncanny Valley Effect<br />
</span><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Page 3</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:23:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=910]]></guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Planet Renders Blog - Contents Page</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=909]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span style='font-size: 21px;'><span style='color: #FFFFFF'>Contents Page</span></span><br />
<br />
Page 1- Front Cover by Harry<br />
Page 2- A Note From the Team by the Blog Contributors<br />
Page 3- Writer's Introduction<br />
Page 4- Contents Page<br />
Page 5- The Featured Sixteen by Mikey<br />
Page 6- The Annual Ten by Mikey<br />
Page 7- Tired of Cliche Plots? Here's Your Fix! by UBA Fatman UBA<br />
Page 8- Expressing Love Through Tags by UBA Fatman UBA<br />
Page 9- It’s That Time of Year Again-College Football Season Preview by NarutoGoku<br />
Page 10- Dragon Quest IX [NDS] by Sanae Kotiya<br />
Page 11- Signum: A Fractal Tutorial by Tokyo Rose<br />
Page 12- The Artist's Palette: The Color Wheel by Tokyo Rose<br />
Page 13- To Real to be True-The Uncanny Valley Effect by NarutoGoku<br />
Page 14- An overview of today’s most popular 3D programs by NarutoGoku<br />
Page 15- An Introduction Into Sleep and It's Realms by AnythingPink <br />
Page 16- A Glance At Culture & Art: Frida Kahlo by AnythingPink <br />
Page 17- Bacchus by AnythingPink<br />
Page 18- 15 Exceptional Photo Manipulations by CK?  <br />
Page 19- PSD Leak by c6:fury<br />
Page 20- Closing Note<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'> Page 4</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=909]]></guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Planet Renders Blog - The Featured Sixteen</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=908]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span class='bbc_center'><span style='font-size: 21px;'>THE FEATURED SIXTEEN</span><br />
<br />
<em class='bbc'>Welcome to this month’s featured sixteen, I have chosen from a wide variety of artists this month.  I truly think this month’s selections are some of the best we have seen on the site in a long time.  Sadly enough we cannot give you PR points currently due to the website malfunctions.  Please send me a pm when the site is running correctly, and we’ll see if we can sort everything out.  Now on to the selections!</em><br />
<br />
JTR + Morbid + Sage<br />
<img src='http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx290/Morbidsheep199/Larissa-sage-jtr.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271617' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271617</a><br />
<br />
astronomical<br />
<img src='http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af50/Astro_022/mostdef.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271910' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271910</a><br />
<br />
Fina<br />
<img src='http://i394.photobucket.com/albums/pp26/AquaGrefix/system32.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271950' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271950</a><br />
<br />
Sage<br />
<img src='http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn170/GFXSage/4xxcopy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272047' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272047</a><br />
<br />
Fina<br />
<img src='http://i394.photobucket.com/albums/pp26/AquaGrefix/hero.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272220' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272220</a><br />
<br />
Juelz<br />
<img src='http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/MrWiFii/moneyhjun2.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272166' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272166</a><br />
<br />
Danilo<br />
<img src='http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt192/DanielGfx/Signatures/95.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272283' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272283</a><br />
<br />
Juelz<br />
<img src='http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/MrWiFii/intothedark5.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272330' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272330</a><br />
<br />
Method<br />
<img src='http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll43/Method_Ink/Signatures/qual.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272391' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272391</a><br />
<br />
JTR<br />
<img src='http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/ss219/JayTeAre/pscyhodelicmysterdeminics.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272574' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272574</a><br />
<br />
~ Opium<br />
<img src='http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/Starbukoicedrop/Wut.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272618' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272618</a><br />
<br />
Easyway<br />
<img src='http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/755/chimera.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272546' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272546</a><br />
<br />
Pathey<br />
<img src='http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh189/Secksy-Path/Tags/sf4copy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272718' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272718</a><br />
<br />
Sayjuice<br />
<img src='http://i38.tinypic.com/2lqj9f.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272790' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272790</a><br />
<br />
PAIN<br />
<img src='http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt338/painhatredd/dyhm.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272958' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=272958</a><br />
<br />
Aloh<br />
<img src='http://i38.tinypic.com/s2a1hl.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=273420' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=273420</a><br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Featured Sixteen by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=22892' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Mikey</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Page 5</span></span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:18:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=908]]></guid>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>Planet Renders Blog - The Annual Ten</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=907]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span class='bbc_center'><span style='font-size: 21px;'>The Annual Ten</span><br />
By Mikey<br />
Hello, hello. <br />
<br />
It's been 4 months since the Monthly Ten had started, and like I promised, it is now time for the Annual Ten (I'm creative with this whole name thing, aren't I?). <br />
<br />
The same rules apply as being featured in the Monthly Ten, but different. I won't be selecting the tags that have appeared in the graphics critique section, I will simply gather my selections from the past Monthly Ten. An artist may only be featured once annually; yes, this includes collaborations. <br />
<br />
Each artist who is featured in this special edition will receive 2000pr points!  (That is when the site is functioning correctly and we can give you the points). The best tag overall from the past 4 months, will be crowned "The Annual Best", receive a neat little badge, and a whopping 10000pr points. Yes be excited; because that is a lot of points for winning such a simple contest that you've put hardly effort into at all. <br />
<br />
I apologize in advance for any tags that you believe should have been featured but have missed that cut, as I have manually sifted through most of the topics (nearly 20 pages per month mind you..) and I may have skimmed past the thread. You can help by this not happening by posting your favourite tags <span style='color: #FFFFFF'><a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=264605' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>in this thread</a></span>. I may miss that yet! so please, if you really want my attention pm me via the forums.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=30017' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Lian</a><br />
<img src='http://i39.tinypic.com/ifcw2p.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=262512' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=264577' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 1</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=30078' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Fury</a><br />
<img src='http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/furystalker/imgfury%2010/Tag-201.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<em class='bbc'>Topic unavailable. </em><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=264577' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 1</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x208/blane-tags/statesig.png' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>BLANE</a><br />
<img src='http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x208/blane-tags/statesig.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=263078&st=0&gopid=2892145&#entry2892145' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=264577' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 1</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=8195' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Junk</a><br />
<img src='http://i44.tinypic.com/o53nuq.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=265996' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=266728' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 2</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=19584' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Herou</a><br />
<img src='http://i50.tinypic.com/iqfuav.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=268416' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=269552' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 3</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=70533' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Toolpunk</a><br />
<img src='http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c164/crocojack/MGMT.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=268626&st=0&p=2951100&#entry2951100' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=269552' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 3</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=1067' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Tummeh</a><br />
<img src='http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7521/zeldacopy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=1067' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=269552' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue 3</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=54617' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Morbidsheep</a> +<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=18739' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Sage</a><br />
<img src='http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/7742/zefailcopy.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=18739' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271239' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Featured in issue 4</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt274/KunTheOne/tags/AlphaOmega.png' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Kun</a><br />
<img src='http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt274/KunTheOne/tags/AlphaOmega.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271088' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271239' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Featured in issue 4</a><br />
<br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=71498' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Hishy</a><br />
<img src='http://ineden.org/tags/airandmountain.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=270309' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Topic</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271239' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Featured in issue 4</a><br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 9px;'><a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=264577' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue one may be found here - Written by Sentiment</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=266728' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue two may be found here - Written by Asa</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=269552' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue one may be found here - Written by Asa</a><br />
<a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=271239' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Issue one may be found here - Written by Mikey</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>The Annual Ten by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=22892' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Mikey</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Page 6</span>[/center]]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Planet Renders Blog - Tired of Cliche Plots? Here's Your Fix!]]></title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=906]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span style='font-size: 21px;'><span class='bbc_center'>Tired of Cliche Plots? Here's Your Fix!</span></span><br />
<br />
Are you tired of game plots that rival the depth of children books? Does every story seem to end in disarming nuclear explosives with less than a second to spare?<br />
<br />
Despite the fancy graphics, unlock systems and other assorted features; we really can't hide from the simple truth that game storylines suck! (Before you flame me, I know there are a few exceptions).  Unfortunately designers have little choice but to appeal to the masses and currently a deep story isn't on the agenda.  If you're looking for something better than simply <em class='bbc'>"IT MOVED! SHOOT IT!!!!!!"</em>, you might be wondering what the alternatives are. Hollywood seems to be in a similar predicament, so movies are out of the question and T.V. shows seem to be struggling in the plot department as well.  Written literature seems to be the only category left, but what if you want something more visual pleasing? The answer to the dilemma is in the hands of the Japanese and their visual novels. (Seems they're solving all of our problems now-a-days, doesn't it?)<br />
<br />
In essence, a visual novel is a cross between a game and a book and therefore provides you with the interactivity and audio-visual experience of video games and the storyline depth offered by books. This blog will focus on a variety of different visual novels in both commercial and free flavors. Even though they're in Japanese, I've got the easy solution to enjoying it in English!<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><a href='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278284339.jpg' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'><img src='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278284378.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></a><br />
<em class='bbc'>True Rememberance, your average visual novel</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Clannad by Key</span><br />
<em class='bbc'>Clannad</em> was an absolute masterpiece. The story and artwork surpass everything I've seen before and the music is simply awe inspiring, each scene is not just influenced but completed by the music. As clichéd as it sounds, I've actually lost for words trying to describe it. Moving back to the story, there are multiple routes the character can take, each one is compelling, heartwarming and tear-jerking in its own way. The decisions you make also affect how the game ends. Even though this is a romance visual novel, this is nothing like the romance you get here in America. I had no shame in crying at the end.<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><a href='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278284272.png' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'><img src='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278283887.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></a><br />
<em class='bbc'>Clannud</em></span><br />
<strong class='bbc'>Plot Synopsis:</strong><br />
<p class='citation'>Quote</p><div class="blockquote"><div class='quote'>Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student resentful of his life. His mother passed away from a car accident when he was younger, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. This results in fights between the two until Tomoya's shoulder is injured in a fight. Since then, Tomoya has had distant relationships with his father, causing him to become a delinquent over time. While on a walk to school, he meets a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older, but is repeating due to illness. Due to this, she is often alone as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin hanging out and slowly, as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction.<br />
-Anime News Network</div></div><br />
<strong class='bbc'>Gameplay:</strong><br />
Gameplay is solely reading and making decisions, but don't let that put you off. This is thoroughly made up for by everything else. Every decision you make determines two things:<ul class='bbcol decimal'><li> What route (or character) you'll be playing through<br /></li><li>Whether or not you fail</li></ul><br />
Trust me, get yourself a guide, it's a serious challenge to get through any of the routes without one. If you're up for the challenge, play without one and bask in your amazing achievement. The best part of the novel however is the price, for something that gives you at least 200 hours of gameplay; $20 is an absolute bargain. A fan made patch is available to play the game in English, a quick Google Search reveals quite a few versions and download links.<br />
<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Final Thoughts:</strong><br />
Without a doubt it's definitely my favorite piece of media. This is the only novel that has been able to really change the way I think. Even though the title is out of production and a bit difficult to find, there's no reason why you shouldn't put in the effort to get your hands on it.<br />
<div class='bbc_indent'><em class='bbc'>Rating: 10/10</em></div><br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Kanon by Key</span><br />
Since Kanon is Clannad's predecessor, it lacks some of the polish, but isn't lacking in overall quality. As is the norm for Key, the story is fantastic and you'll stay rooted in your chair until you finish a route. This game also has an adult scene for each route, but a kid-friendly version was also released. Despite a handful of odd looking character faces, the artwork is great and easy to get used to.<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><img src='http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x177/crisuskeer/blog/03/kanonCD210-03.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
<em class='bbc'>Kanon</em></span><br />
<strong class='bbc'>Plot Synopsis:</strong><br />
<p class='citation'>Quote</p><div class="blockquote"><div class='quote'>Kanon's story revolves around a group of five girls whose lives are connected to the same boy. Yuichi Aizawa is a second-year high school student who had visited the city where the story takes place seven years prior to Kanon's beginning. The story opens on Wednesday January 6, 1999 when Yuichi arrives in the city and is very detached from it and its inhabitants. Prior to his return, it is decided that he is to stay with his first cousin, Nayuki Minase, and her mother, Akiko. After his long absence, Yuichi has forgotten almost everything except minor details of what happened seven years before and is in need of being reminded of what he left behind. Nayuki initially tries repeatedly to jog his memory, but is unsuccessful. Throughout the story, as he learns about the supernatural undertones of the city, Yuichi is reminded of the events of seven years ago.<br />
-Wikipedia</div></div><br />
<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Gameplay:</strong><br />
 It's very much a standard visual novel with challenging gameplay that is hard to get through without a guide and will last between 20-50 hours (The difference is 30 hours because of varied read-rates, as well as other factors like whether or not you have the fully voiced version). As with Clannad, an English translation patch is <a href='http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Kanon+English+patch&aq=f&aqi=m1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>available online</a>.<br />
<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Final Thoughts:</strong><br />
Another great game by Key, a definite must buy if you like Clannad. Whilst is isn't as polished,  it still deserves a place in my visual novel library.<br />
<div class='bbc_indent'>Rating: 9/10</div><br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>True Rememberance by Shiba Satomi</span><br />
<br />
It's free and if for no other reason, just download it! The novel is a "kinetic novel" where you don't actually make any choices, you just sit back and watch the story unfold. This is great for graphic novel newbies to start since it's only 10 hours long and has a file size of just 100 MB (by comparison Clannad is 1 GB). The story is impressive and the ending took me completely by surprise.<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><a href='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278284339.jpg' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'><img src='http://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-93610-1278284378.jpg' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></a><br />
<em class='bbc'>True Rememberance, Shiba Satomi</em></span><br />
<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Plot Synopsis:</strong><br />
<p class='citation'>Quote</p><div class="blockquote"><div class='quote'>This is an ordinary tale of the ordinary days spent in an ordinary town by an ordinary girl who learns that everything in this world is extraordinary ― or that nothing is.  For in this world, there is a young man named Blackiris; a Mnemonicide par excellence.  And there is a young girl named La; sweet and warm and gentle in all the ways that count.  This is their story.<br />
-Insani.org</div></div><br />
<strong class='bbc'>Gameplay:</strong><br />
Not much to say here, just read and watch. I have got to reiterate that this shouldn't drive you away though.<br />
<br />
<strong class='bbc'>Final Thoughts:</strong><br />
This was my first visual novel and I can say that I'm glad it was. Excellent story, excellent art and I can't even remember if it had music or not! Head over to <a href='http://trueremembrance.insani.org/' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Insani.org</a> if you want to download this visual novel. The site offers the game already translated.<br />
<div class='bbc_indent'>Rating 9/10<br />
<br />
</div><span style='font-size: 17px;'>Conclusion</span><br />
Wrapping this all up, these are three great visual novels that'll satisfy your craving for a good plot. You might even be able to tackle the sh*t storm of modern games with horrible stories. Try a visual novel, tell us what you, the reader, think about them.<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Tired of Cliche Plots? Here's Your Fix! by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=72275' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>UBA Fatman UBA</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Page 7</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:12:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Planet Renders Blog - Expressing Love Through Tags</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=905]]></link>
		<category></category>
		<description><![CDATA[<span style='font-size: 21px;'><span class='bbc_center'>Expressing Love Through Tags</span></span><br />
<br />
Emotion and art are two things that have gone hand in hand for centuries. I love a good tag that pulls on my heart strings, the only problem is, it doesn't do the same for others. Why not? Because I watch really niche shows that don't appeal to the majority of the English speaking community. Although, that's slightly aside from the point. What I'm trying to say(in my oddly roundabout way), is that I love tags that express love. It's always frustrating when you can't figure out how to express something in your art, so I'm going to show you my way to show love through your tags.I'm going to stress that this isn't the only way, just MY way(s).<br />
<br />
Now, because I'm too lazy to actually look for work from others, I'm just going to use my own tags as demonstrations. Let's look at our first specimen, shall we?<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn55/fatman999999/56-1.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></span><br />
<span class='bbc_center'><em class='bbc'>Pure</em></span><br />
Before I get flamed/hated upon for having lesbians in a tag, I enjoy love in all forms. It's just more aesthetically pleasing to see two women on my canvas.(I'm a guy, can ya' tell yet?)<br />
That said, look at the tag, now look at it again.(Does it smell like Old Spice?)<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Base:</span><br />
This started out as a stock.It was a very well made CG, so basic depth and lighting came built in, I still had to enhance it though, as the depth was too shallow and the lighting didn't fit my mood. On a side note, these two girls are from <em class='bbc'>Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke Wo.<br />
</em><br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Focal:</span><br />
This also let me focus on the more important things, like the effects and focal point. Making a signature like this can be hard if you've never attempted it before, because you have two focal points. Lucky for you, they're usually close together. I sharpened the faces and their hands for obvious reasons. All of the effects are based around the focal (Like any good tag).<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Colors:</span><br />
I also wanted to make the whole thing more red and pink, because red generally symbolizes intense emotion and pink generally give us love and excitement. I can feel some of you asking "Why would you want excitement in your sig, isn't love usually gentle?". Remember your first kiss? There's something wrong with you if it wasn't exciting, so I'm trying to insinuate that with my tag. Also, Lesbianism still seems to emanate that kind of "forbidden" aura(To those of us who aren't obsessed with lesbians that is), so excitement would come naturally, "We're doing something wrong, what if we get caught?". Exciting eh? All sarcasm aside, a sig conveying love is portraying much more than that. That sad part is, most of the emotion stays with the artist and is lost on the audience.<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Effects:</span><br />
Moving on from the color theory, take a glance at the liquified c4d near the two girls' hands. It bends upwards in an almost heart shape, I left the top open because it looked better that way. I also added a pink blob on linear dodge and smudged it upwards with the c4d for flow. I applied the image and liquified that on lighten at a mid opacity twice, this ties in with the vaguely heart-shaped, liquified c4ds. I also added some clipping-masked blobs, it felt empty without them. Two gradient maps: Warming Filter(85) set to 30% density and a Deep Red filter set to 30% density. A little black around the edges set to a mid opacity for a more potent focal and depth. Finally, I added some soft red brushings on soft light to enhance the blush on the two girl's cheeks, since it faded away after a few gradient maps.<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Lighting:</span><br />
I'm gonna go into the lighting a little bit, it's really bright, and it's like that for a reason. Aside from the fact that it made the gears in my head click, think about your first real kiss, that's feeling I was trying to get across here. If you can remember it, think about how blank your head went when you did(If it was good), your whole world was alight with some unexplained, bright emotion called love. Hence, the bright light.<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Where's the Love?</span><br />
In every pixel!<br />
<br />
Tag #2:<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'><img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn55/fatman999999/42.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /></span><br />
<span class='bbc_center'><em class='bbc'>Clannad</em></span><br />
<br />
I actually made this signature for a friend when she was really sad, so this one has sentimental value over anything else. This sig kinda sucks otherwise...<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Base:</span><br />
This also started as a stock, and it also game from a visual novel: <em class='bbc'>Clannad</em>. I softly erased most of it, but left some on the left side because it looked nice like that. This didn't have very good lighting, since this scene took place during winter.<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Focal:</span><br />
The girl didn't sharpen very gracefully, but she does stick out. I wish I could have had both of the peoples' faces in this, but I only had this CG to work with. Thankfully, I didn't have to work with a split/double focal on this.<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Colors:</span><br />
Since this scene took place during a very snowy winter, everything was doused in a grayish hue and I opted to keep it that way. I could have done way better on the colors, but I was obsessed with cooling filters when this was made, so it's a little dry. The main thing I wanted to stand out was her eyes, so blue had to be the overall color scheme, but I also wanted the emphasis the "heartless" winter(You really had to read the visual novel to understand why).<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Effects:</span><br />
The 'aura' I wanted to accompany this tag was pretty much summed up in the text: "I'll always be here for you". Everything is kinda wrapped around the focal in the same way the guy has his arms wrapped around the girl. A liquified c4d and a plain c4d(That ice-looking thing next to the girl). A warming and cooling filter kinda desaturated everything without robbing it of it's color, if that makes any sense. Color enhancements on her eyes made them stick out nicely. The background was really lame, I was being lazy when I made it; all I did was zoom blur the stock and smudge it.<br />
<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'>Lighting:</span><br />
What lighting? Oh, you're talking about that faint white mark on the upper left hand corner. Yeah... Not much to say about that.<br />
<span style='font-size: 17px;'><br />
Where's the Love?</span><br />
In the text!<br />
<br />
Hopefully, I've inspired you enough to make decent tag or two. Remember, there are plenty of people around the internet willing to help you with your sigs, myself included. If you still feel your creativity is stunted, check out our fantastic tutorials section, there's a treasure trove of information there. Of course, you can always contact me, but keep in mind that I can only help so many people at a time. Peace, happy tag making and remember to keep the Insiemie spirit.<br />
<br />
<span class='bbc_center'>Expressing Love Through Tags by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=72275' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>UBA Fatman UBA</a></span><br />
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<span class='bbc_center'>Page 8</span>]]></description>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Planet Renders Blog - It’s That Time of Year Again-College Football Season Preview</title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=904]]></link>
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		<description><![CDATA[<span class='bbc_center'> <span class='bbc_underline'><span style='font-size: 17px;'> It’s That Time of Year Again</span></span><br />
<strong class='bbc'><span style='font-size: 13px;'>College Football Season Preview</span></strong>  </span><br />
<br />
<br />
It seems like ages ago when 35 million people across the country watched Colt McCoy leave the field in Pasadena California, putting the national championship in the hands of freshman Quarterback Garett Gilbert.  <br />
 <br />
<span class='bbc_center'> <img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cfbart1.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
Texas Quarterback Colt McCoy leaves the field under the lights in Pasadena due to an injured shoulder</span><br />
<br />
     That was over seven months ago when Alabama beat Texas in the BCS National Championship.  Quarterback Colt McCoy had led the Texas Longhorns for four years and that was supposed to be his senior season finale.  He left the game early with an injured right shoulder as Alabama cruised to a National Title.  <br />
<br />
     It’s been a long offseason for Longhorns fans thinking about what could have happened if their Senior Quarterback had not left the game.  Aside from that there have been many other storylines to follow as we approach this highly anticipated season.  <br />
<br />
     Toward the end of last season we saw Brian Kelly leave Cincinnati as they were preparing for a BCS showdown against Florida.  He left to accept a prestige head coaching job at Notre Dame thus leaving Cincinnati to be crushed by Florida.  That game was not a good showing for the Big East Conference as a whole (who had a great BCS record before that game) and for the Cincinnati Bearcats who are currently left in the wake of new Big East power, Pittsburgh.  <br />
 <br />
<span class='bbc_center'> <img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cfbart2.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly accepts Head Coaching position in South Bend</span><br />
<br />
     While the Cincinnati program crumbles Brian Kelly has high expectations for his first year coaching the Irish.  Notre Dame has had a series of bad seasons which all started with their loss to LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl.  The next season was a horrible disappointment for Charlie Weiss (old Notre Dame Head Coach) as they went 3-9 including a loss to Navy which was their first in 40 years.  The 2008 season was a bit better as Notre Dame made it to a bowl game with a 7-6 record.  Last season they went 6-6 but did not accept any bowl offers.  <br />
<br />
     Brian Kelly now has to turn a historic program back on the winning side.  He has a history of turning programs around.  He started at Division II School, Grand Valley State where he took them to five conference titles and six Division II playoff appearances.  Then at Central Michigan, he took them to their first ever 9 win season (previous high was 3 wins) and also to their first ever Bowl Game.  Probably his biggest accomplishment was at Cincinnati where he took the Bearcats from a struggling Big East team to a two-time conference champion and two BCS Bowl Games.  The upcoming season looks much brighter for Irish fans in South Bend.<br />
<br />
     Last year was a nice turnaround for the Big Ten Conference.  The conference champion Ohio State Buckeyes rolled over the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.  This was the first BCS win for the conference since the 1999 Wisconsin Badgers beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl.  Throughout the past decade analysts have been putting the Big Ten below the other major conferences in power rankings because they were not impressive in bowl games during that time.<br />
  <br />
     The critics pointed out that Big Ten teams usually played each other and occasionally a few out-of-conference games.  The few out-of-conference games Big Ten teams played in, they seemed outmatched by the Big 12, SEC and other major conference teams.  One example was Ohio State who lost to Pac-10 powerhouse-USC twice over the past two seasons.  <br />
 <br />
<span class='bbc_center'> <img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cfbart3.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
Ohio State Quarterback Terelle Pryor scrambles from Oregon’s Kenny Rowe</span><br />
<br />
     When Ohio State beat the PAC-10 champion Ducks in the Rose Bowl last year Iowa also beat ACC champion Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.  That was two BCS wins in one season for a conference that was falling under the radar and had not won a BCS game in more than a decade.  During the offseason the Big Ten conference has continued to gain intensity by acquiring the historically powerful Nebraska from the Big 12.   This will give the Big Ten a large fan base in farther reaches of the country.  The state of Nebraska has no other major sports teams and so Nebraska football is the biggest thing there.  They bring a huge fan base that travels very well.  They will fill up opponent’s stadiums no matter where they go.  This large following will give the Big Ten a lot more money in their new television contracts for the 2011 season.  <br />
<br />
     During this offseason the Big Ten began talks about conference re-alignment.  The Pac-10 felt it had to act fast if it wanted in on the party and so they acquired Colorado from the Big 12 and upstart Utah who has burst into the national scene as of late.  That is when the Big Ten decided to offer Nebraska who promptly accepted.  These were the tremors for what was supposed to be a massive earthquake.  The Big East, ACC and Big 12 were all vulnerable targets for the SEC, Pac-10 and Big Ten to raid.  <br />
<br />
 <span class='bbc_center'> <img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cfbart4.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
86,000 fans gather at Memorial Stadium for a Nebraska football game</span><br />
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     The Big Ten and Pac-10 were set to raid the Big 12.  But the Big 12 commissioner put together a great proposal which kept the rest of the conference together.  This obviously brought a sigh of relief to the Big 12.  The Big East, who is still rebuilding from the last conference raid, was also relieved.  But the damage is not completely over.  The Big Ten plans to acquire 1 or 2 more teams from the Big East.  Teams like Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse would bring the New York City television markets into play for the Big Ten which could mean a huge profit.  Look out for the Big Ten to make some moves in the next few years.<br />
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     During this wild offseason, the NCAA has begun reigning down on teams across the nation for all sorts of crimes committed over the past years.<br />
<br />
     The biggest of these crimes was against former USC running back Reggie Bush.  During his time he amassed 6,500 yards which is 10th on the all-time list.  He also won the Heisman Trophy in 2005.  During his amazing career Reggie Bush received illegal benefits from agents.  <br />
<br />
     The NCAA accused him a few years ago for getting paid by agents while he was in playing in college.  Any sort of payment a college player receives is strictly prohibited by the NCAA. This offseason they have been cracking down on agents whose job it is to pay and provide benefits to college players.  It is up to the player to not listen to the agents and so it is also the players fault if he accepts the agent’s offer.  <br />
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<span class='bbc_center'> <img src='http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn79/NarutoGoku100/cfbart5.png' alt='Posted Image' class='bbc_img' /><br />
USC running back Reggie Bush</span><br />
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     Now that Reggie Bush has been caught, the NCAA is unable to punish him directly because he is now in the NFL.  All they can do is punish the school and they did so very harshly.  The NCAA’s sanctions included a two year bowl game ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over the next 3 years, and voiding 14 victories between the 2004 and 2005 seasons.  USC has always been a powerhouse team and as of late has been the big bully in the Pac-10 by dominating for many years.  These punishments will hurt the motivation for players this season because they have no bowl game to work toward.  It will also hurt recruiting for a few years because of the loss of scholarships.  <br />
<br />
     The NCAA has also looked into Florida players getting paid as well West Virginia and Michigan conducting illegal practice and training procedures.  Look for more sanctions to be dealt as the NCAA investigates these allegations.<br />
<br />
     There’s a whole bunch of things leading up to this season.  Alabama looks to repeat while teams like Florida and Texas look to rebuild.  Boise State wants to go all the way while Pittsburgh looks to make some way.  Wisconsin looks to knock Ohio State off its Big Ten perch while the Pac-10 looks for payback on USC.  As the college football landscape it shifting I can’t tell you what’s going to happen but I know it’s going to be one hell of a ride!<br />
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<span class='bbc_center'>It’s That Time of Year Again-College Football Season Preview by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=55543' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>NarutoGoku</a></span><br />
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		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Planet Renders Blog - Dragon Quest IX [NDS]]]></title>
		<link><![CDATA[http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?app=blog&blogid=1&showentry=903]]></link>
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		<description><![CDATA[I'll be honest with you, my faithful readers (all three of you), I have never been a fan of the Dragon Quest games. I got into RPGs very, very late, and even then, it was Final Fantasy VI that peaked my interest in RPGs (incidentally, it was Final Fantasy X that killed my interest in RPGs), so my perspective of the genre was from the FF viewpoint. Of course, I tried other RPGs and liked quite a few, but the Dragon Quest series just kinda flew under my radar. So when Dragon Quest IX was announced, I wasn't in any hurry to go out and get it. So, that was my mindset for the game, I wasn’t expecting anything because I haven’t really played any of the games. But that’s enough of my prattling, let’s get to the game. <br />
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When you begin the game, you get to create your character, a feature generally only found in the domain of the PC RPG. The options are fairly limited, as one would expect from a DS game, but you can still make a fairly unique character, and for the DS and its limited size cartridges, this is well executed. After making your chibi-tastic avatar, you get thrust right into the story: You are the guardian angel of a town ironically called "Angel Falls", and you protect and help its citizens so they make "benevolence", which is some kind of crystal  that you offer to some big tree for some reason....and at this point is where I started skipping cut-scenes for the sake of not boring myself to death, so that's all the story you're going to get from me.<br />
<br />
I've been playing too many western RPGs I guess, because when I can't influence the story in any way other than beating the predefined enemies to set the predefined story ahead, I lose all interest unless the story is compelling or the characters are likable. DQIX has neither of these two factors, the story is boring, and since the main party (the characters you spend the most time with) are generated by the player, I can honestly say I can't care about the story that much. This said, I like being able to customize all the members of the party, that’s a nice feature. (as an aside, I have issue with most western RPGs as well, namely the Bethesda ones, since they tend to have a "black and white" moral system. However, you can still decide to change the ending of the story; destroy the Enclave fortress or nuke the Citadel, the player decides how the story ends)<br />
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Now, I need to take a paragraph to say something about one of the characters that actually stood out to me, albeit in a very negative way. Your "cosmic sidekick" in this game is a fairy. Faeries in fantasy games are commonplace, and generally annoying. But Navi ain’t got nothing on DQIX’s fairy, because this fairy also happens to be a “Ganguro girl”. If you don’t know what that is, be glad, because you have been spared from knowing one of the stupidest fashion trends to ever come out of Japan (think about that sentence) in the past 500 years. Now, looks are just looks, and even if they are stupid, a good character can look like a ghost-faced burn victim (seriously, Ganguro is stupid) and still be likable. Of course, when your character has the personality of a four year old whose candy got taken away, looks are quite a bit more important. When you have neither, a seriously infuriating character is born, and this is the case here.<br />
<br />
That said, one can overlook a boring story and annoying burnt faeries if the gameplay is good enough. Luckily for DQIX, gameplay is indeed excellent. The combat system is turn based, as one would expect, and flows nicely. The 3d rendering is fairly nice for a DS game, and the menu system is simple to navigate and intuitive to use. One thing of note which is an annoyance of this system: there is no cursor memory feature. This is very commonplace in turn-based RPGs, and for good reason; a cursor memory feature is very useful when one is grinding, which you do quite a bit in this game. This brings me to the grinding in the game, there’s a lot of it. I have no complaint about this, mind you; this is an RPG after all. Complaining about having to grind in an RPG is like complaining about having to shoot in a FPS, it is simply part of the experience. Thankfully, DQIX has a very diverse selection of monsters with an equally varied selection of terrible pun names. From the walking pickle “cruelcumber” to the southern flair of “The Ragin’ Contagion”, this game packs hundreds of humorously named monsters for you to kill. <br />
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Another aspect about the combat system that caught my eye was the ability to set partner AI for the other members of your party. Now, this system can both help and hinder in RPGs (Mitsuru spamming Marin Karin in Persona 3 springs to my mind…), but it seems to work well enough in DQIX. There are only a few different AI settings, but they include everything you would want to automate, such as healing and casting attack magic, and overall are helpful to the player.<br />
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As I hinted upon earlier, DQIX has graphics that are comparable to other RPGs on the DS, and the cutscenes are quite good for the DS, mostly due to the decision to use cell-shaded graphics rather than traditional animation for the full-motion cutscenes. All in all, I have no complaints about the graphics. The music, on the other hand, is very bland, so much so that I had to mute the volume and listen to SNES music during my play-through. (I learned that Castlevania music and Dragon Quest don’t really mix)<br />
With all of that said, there’s one question left: is the game fun? The answer is yes, IF you like this style of RPG. If not, DQIX will not change your opinion on the genre. If you’re looking for a deep, compelling story or just hate turn-based RPGs, then this is not the game for you. However, if you’re looking for a better-than-normal RPG to kill some time, then you should definitely give this game a shot.<br />
<br />
I came into this game with fairly mediocre expectations, and pleasantly enough, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky far exceeded these expectations. However, being miles above mediocrity doesn’t get you to the state of excellence; it merely leaves you in the land of above average. <br />
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<span class='bbc_center'>Dragon Quest IX [NDS] by: <a href='http://planetrenders.net/forums/index.php?showuser=13656' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Sanae Kotiya</a></span><br />
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		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
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