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July 2006 Donation Item Critique |
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This month's items are Ancient Katana and the Elegant Veil. 
Disclaimer
My computer has been dead for a little over three weeks. As such, I cannot do an affective critique this month due to technical complications. Furthermore, this limits my time on Gaia. The computer is still out (as I am on a borrowed computer though which the permission to acess this technology involves payment and washing my hands like I'm some kind of OCD nut).
Thankfully, the Admins of Gaia have made my job easier. This can only hurt me, as now this journal is a bit useless now. What am I talking about? The Donation Item Preivew Page, of course! No need to search for a picture or a well-written description of what the items look like in their various poses! All the poses are just one click away!
Still, there are some people out there that probably want to know what I think about these items or are in need of some kind of educated guess as to what they should invest in (as if it isn't obvious this month). So, without further ado, on with this late critique.
The Really Big Knife
Swords have been on the top of the Most Requested Item list since before I was a member. All types of swords really. The first sword to come out was of mythical origin. The second "sword" was really just a big key. This is the third sword that is released in a Donation Letter!
And it doesn't offer anything other than to kill yet one more item requested by the masses.
You have your typical hand held poses which look like your typical hand held poses for a sword of this kind. Oddly enough, however, there is a pose that makes you look like you are about to commit sepuku. It looks more accurate if you are sitting down, if you ask me. Unfortunately, this is the only interesting hand pose.
You could double equip this item if you want to be a master swordsman, but the way the poses look, you probably would look just fine with one.
The other poses are pretty much you storing your sword away. You can pick from putting it on your back, on your left, on your right, or on your butt!! Again, you can duel and even triple equip this if you really wanted to. But why would you want to? I know Gaia isn't about realism, but realisticly, you couldn't carry that much without falling over.
Sword collectors and battle system waiters will enjoy this item. Samurai cosplayers will love how well it compliments the yukatas and kimonos, as well as the previous Far East fighting gear released.
Pretty enough for a man, Designed for the women
The Elegant Veil is the newest in crossdressing items for the male avatars out there that like to pretty themselves up for whatever reason. This item is also another one of those items that is best suited with two or three of itself.
The default mode is your straight forward veil. While it could work for a wedding veil, it looks more like the religious veil you see on women and Michael Jackson. It's nice for anyone that wants that Middle East accent without that silly cloud on it, unlike the other blue veil you can buy right now.
If you don't like that mode, there is the Ribbon mode, which, as the name implies, puts ribbons on the side of your head. Combined with the Bao (if they don't take up the same slot) and you could have a pretty unique accessory for your hair, be it long or short. Other than that, you'll be hard press to make this mode work if you are a guy. Girls shouldn't have any trouble.
Love is Blind is the blindfold mode. Combine this with one of the tops and bottoms to make a nice cosplaying outfit for the statue of Justice. All you are missing is a scale to hold! If all else fails, you could just equip the Baseball Bat and claim you are at a pinata party.
Wrapped Top and Stylish Top are the two tops for this item that compliment their bottoms. (Not in that way!) As their name suggests, one top is more stylish than the other. The Wrapped Top is pretty much what anyone expects. While it's a nice alternative to other white tops out on the market, it doesn't offer much of a punch. The Stylish Top is nothing for the girls, as they have their own rare item that looks way better than that. However, for the guys, this is as close as we will ever get to the Angelic top the girls have. While way to white to even compare to the girl-only rare, it will have to do until a better one comes along.
There are also two skirts that compliment the tops. One pretty much straight forward, the other is a bit more fantasy based. While the first is best for the formal events and the males that don't mind showing off their legs, the second is probably more commonly seen in animes. One realistic, and one fantasy. Nothing more to say except that it works best if you have something light on top and maybe some flip-flops as well. Don't use socks or stockings unless they match very well.
To accent the top, if not making it more like a formal dress for the girls, there is yet another mode! This mode turns the veil into gloves with gravity-defying ribbons at the ends. Elegant to the letter, this mode seems a bit odd. Why would the sleeves not come with one of the tops? Could it be because they want you to mix and match the tops? Or maybe it's because the girls already have several formal dresses, each with a white accent of some kind, that they thought having while sleeves would help those girls who want to look like a Disney Princess would make them donate? Then again, they did release the sleeves to the Splinter Cell cosplaying suit separate from the tops. Who knows, but these gloves only look good if you have a piece of formal wear that matches it and if you are female.
The last mode is known as Wings of Pearls. Note that there are no pearls in the actual item that are visible. Also note that I think this mode is rather useless. We already have wings that are close to what the masses wanted. Any more would just be kind of pointless unless they are Dragon Wings or the ever popular "Fallen Angel Wings" that are just black feathery versions of what the Angelbow gives us. The later of which is probably going to come out with a Quest system. What this mode does is clearly try to be the Angelic Scarf replacement. While it works in the design sense, there is no real way of making it work for your avatar short of trying to pull off that flowly angelic look that has become all too common in anime, tv shows, and movies.
While a killer item for the girls to have, the guys really have nothing to gain here other than another crossdressing option. For those that like to do it for fun, like myself, you'll get a real kick out of the items. For everyone else in the male sex pool, at least you get a blind fold option so you don't have to look at the crossdressing guys.
August Critique News
In light of the current situation, my critiques may be ending. The admins are giving previews of their items unlike before. This makes it easier to have people decide if they want these items and how many they would like.
On top of this, I don't know if I'll get my computer back from Atlanta where it was shipped to get fixed. Come next month, this computer I am on now will be off with my sister in college. This could mean that my critiques could be ending.
Then again, nobody can see the future, so who knows what may or may not happen? For example, I didn't think the admins would release the katana in a donation letter! It was a smart move financially, but at the same time it would have been better if they released it in the stores to take out a lot of gold from the economy. Then again, the veil was a nice option for the girls that want wedding dresses and the guys that want more crossdressing items.
One thing is for sure. Whatever happens in the next few weeks on Gaia I'll probably miss. Stupid computer breaking on me.
 Zeek Slider · Tue Jul 18, 2006 @ 03:49am · 8 Comments |
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