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September 2006 Donation Item Critique |
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This month's Donation Items are the O RLY? Hat and Mythrill Armor!
O RLY?! O boy....
I'm not a fan of multi-quips. Never was. Even with the Elegant Veil two months ago, I didn't like the fact that the boys had to buy at least two of them to get a decent white dress for cross dressing. While it didn't bother me much back then, it still wasn't something I liked doing. Now you have to buy each of the individual pieces of armor?! Or, if you don't want to do that, pick from a very floppy Owl hat?! This just had to happen several months after I actually decided to pay real money for these items, huh?
Elvan Armor or Mythical Metal?
I might as well get this one over with since my attention is focused on to it right now rather tightly. I'll start by individually critiquing the modes and the finish up by critiquing the whole set itself. If my snap judgement is any indication of where this will go, you may want to skip this part.
The default position for this item is the brestplate mode. However, it doesn't look like a brest plate so much more than it looks like a vest. Stylish on its own, which is a good thing, the area around the neck does feel a bit restraint on the avatars. Then again, most of the items we have for the neck do, as Gaian Necks are somewhat invisiable. This mode worst quality? The fact it looks too formal for a casual dresser. It does give the Pirate vests some nice competition, however.
Armor Belt mode gives the wearer an equally fancy belt to wear. Just like most belts, however, it rides rather high on the lower torso. Also, for a belt, it doesn't really look like one. In all honesty, it just looks like the other half of the brest plate mode. When the Lunar Cowl and Chain of Commands were in their belt mode, at least they looked like they could replace a belt... and underwear for that matter. The artists should have just included this design with the brest plate mode and done away with the belt mode.
Armor Circlet is one of the two head modes this item offers. This one is aimed for the girl warriors out there that don't want helmet hair. By itself, however, it makes a better crown than the Pheonix Criclet, and that's saying a lot right there. The fantasy design of the crest and wings along with the mythical blue hues makes this a very beautiful crown. In some ways, this is what the Ice Tiara should have looked like. While it doesn't have ear rings (which would be a stupid thing to wear into battle), it does feature two pairs of chains that run from the temple to behind the ears and then back up to the back of the circlet. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's an elf thing.
Armor Helmet is the second head mode, and this one is aimed for the boys. Unfortunately, on its own, it looks really awful. The design seems to be taken from that one anime about armors featuring the star signs of the Zodiac in that there is very little room for the face to breathe. Frankly, I would have taken the Ronin Warriors approach. I assume the design that makes up the bulk of the helments gold is a pheonix, but I'm unsure. It isn't easy to make out what that creature is if anything! There are so many flames and decorative pointy... things, that it borders on being Rococo in essance. (Dear God! I remembered something from Art History!! gonk ) And much like most decorative armor, there's nothing fancy on the back as well! Talk about balancing issues. Design wise, not as far as wearing the helmet on your head.
Armor Mantle is the cape that this item has to offer. And to be perfectly blunt about it, Galleon should be upset. The artists pretty much took The Magic Empirer's cape right off his shoulders! Then again, he did kind of left it behind after his battle with Hiro. Those of you that know what I'm talking about are probably cracking up right now (both of you). Those of you that don't, don't worry about it. The cape for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about is pretty much your generic fantasy anime cape that has more shoulder room than a high school quarterback's shoulder paddings. It's very simple in design, and if you like that royal blue color, this item has pleanty of it! Just don't expect anyone to hear what you are saying, as the clasp of the mantle pretty much covers up your mouth.
Armor Shoulder gives you a pair of cups to be worn on your shoulders. Nothing fancy on their own. They just look like another missing piece to the brest plate mode. However, creative users will take advantage of their separative nature by using these on other armor! For that Barbarian look, I suggest the Chain of Commands in the default mode along with one of the Greek or Middle Eastern pants and shoes. If that's not your think, you can add these babies on to Roro's Chestplate Mode and give you a little more protection. Unfortunately, the bright blue and gold colors of this item means it cannot match with the Chestplate of Arachne.
Armor Guards gives you a pair of gauntlets. Unlike the elemental gauntlets of the past, these suckers don't protect your inner side of the fore arm. They also don't count as gloves but bracelets! What does this mean for the average Gaian? You can equip these with gloves! In fact, it's kind of recommended. However, be advised that some gloves will take the gauntlets off. You also cannot equip these with the elemental gauntlets, so for those of you that thought that you can skirt the idea of buying a second Ice/Fire Gauntlet, think again. Like with the Armor Shoulder mode, these babies can go with some of the previous armor out there, but unlike said mode, these look just fine on avatars that don't have much armor to begin with. While they will end up looking like giant armored elbow pads, if matched properly, your avatar can look like the rouge warrior who doesn't need much armor to begin with because they are just that damn good!
Armor Skirt mode is pretty much that. An armored skirt. But design wise, the armor is more decorative than for battle. I would have loved to see an armor skirt similar to what Xena wore, but I guess that will have to wait until the battle system or when the line of Roman Warrior items comes out in the store. It should also be noted that the skirt does not, I repeat, does not cover your a** in the back. Turn around, and you'll see your butt cheeks. While there is a little piece of armor that covers up the crack, you are still going to be showing a full moon in the daylight . And if you ride your horse bareback? .... Then again, let's not go there. I'll leave this mode by saying pants are required for guys. For girls? Something as well or else you'll be riding more than just the red pony.
Armor Shinguards are the last mode in this item. (FINALLY!) And they are just that. Fancy shin guards the likes that make playing soccer in them a joke. As shin guards, this means they do not replace your shoes. Nor should they. Seriously, walking around in metal shoes all day? Talk about blisters from Hell! Recommended footwear with this item runs the gambit of boots to even sneakers. I, pesonally, like the way they look with the Anti-Terror Steel Toe Boots.
The set itself, despite the positive things I've said about most of the item's mode, is not worth the investment. All together, the entire set is bulky beyond belief! Even if you remove some of the heavier looking items like the cape and even the helmet, the entire set looks insanely heavy and way too square in design. Fantasy fans on Gaia should at least listen to me when I say this. You need eight ( 8 ) of these just to get the full armor. That means either donate $20 by the end of the month, or continue to save your gold until Kingdom Come. Even if you only got seven of them, disregaurding the cape or the helment will end up making your avatar look just as blocky as if you had them! The most anyone should ever get is three. Why three? So you can get the three pieces needed for a decent looking torso armor that this item offers. Any more would be a mistake if you care about how your avatar looks with all of them on.
That's an Owl?!
I am convinced that this item was made to still two voices: the users that wanted a hat that was extra long and fluffy, and the users that wanted another IM slang hat. So, here is the O RLY? Hat! Another hat in line with the OMG, AFK, BTK, and OMFG! If all that looked Greek to you, you're not on the internet as often as some.
The default mode of this hat is your usual floppy side hat that is normally found with really cute and extra long ear bunny hats. I honestly expected this kind of design to happen around this past Easter, but the owl design lends itself nicely to the shape. Unfortunately, because the bunny is the more popular design with this hat's shape, I can't help referancing that every time I look at it. This mode also reminds me of that one annoying little girl from .hack// that was the preistess. The one that was obsessed with treasure and rare event items? Yeah, her. In fact, I think you can cosplay as her now with this hat available to the Gaian Market.
O FLY! mode is where the two long wings are tied in a knot and made into, yeah, you guessed it, back wings! This is where the whole owl idea gets confusing. The face of the hat changes to look more like a rabbit rather than an owl. But rabbits don't have wings, right? Still, take the back wings out of the image, and you'll see a rabbit more than an owl sitting on top of your head. The wings itself in this mode are nothing to write home about, as the wings offered in the Angelbow/Demonbow are better in design. The only thing that this hat has over the previous wings is that it actually matches the 3/4 angle of our avatar instead of being flat like with the Butterfly Wings. I don't know why, but owners of Angelic and Demonic Halos will probably like the way this mode looks with their Halos on. In fact, I think it makes the face even cuter.
SRSLY! mode makes me think of one of those fighting games I missed out on in the arcades where the fighters were silly in their attacks rather than cool looking. I think that was the same game that featured a dispropotionate cat girl in blue. Why I say that is because in this mode, the wings becoming fits ready to throw down! Unfortunately, the owl still looks like a rabbit, as it's tough gaze comes with that goofy rabbit smile. Again, for some strange reason, I think of the girl from .hack// that is obsessed with treasure. Hell, I can hear her voice when I look at this mode! Don't know what you'd want to wear while in this mode. My gut says to just dress up in something that is equally as silly as the idea of a hat that can TKO you.
ORLY-maru mode features tying the wings around your face and into a knot behind your head to produce what looks like a winter hood. The owl look is more pronounced here, and even looks like the animal in this mode. With winter coming up, this mode is a nice way to get the winter hat and scarf you'll need in one nicely themed item. No need to buy two separate things! Me likey! The only downside is that you'll need something that matches, and there isn't much winter wear that is as white as a snow owl. Then again, most users will probably take the Harry Potter approach and match the white own with the black cape. Or you can go the Christmas route, as the owl matches the various Christmas event items rather nicely. The only drawback is that this makes your avatar look very, very, very small and childlike. If you have this item already, save this mode for the winter. You'll sure to be the hit of the towns then.
Tooooote mode features a dizzy looking owl with the rabbit mouth yet again as a large bag. Almost immediately after looking at this mode, I put on the Olympic Set of Donation Items and the Angelbow. Sure enough, I was right in my intuition! This bag makes a great addition for anyone that wants to play as the FTD messenger! Other than that, I don't know how you will make this mode look good. The way it looks on its own screams toga! Thankfully, the owl's wings don't wrap around the waist as such, or else we would see a lot of more toga party threads in the Chatterbox. As far as acting like a regular bag, it's a bit of a stretch. Unlike the Panda Pack, this bag is way too big to be used as a subtle bag or accessory. It's bigger than the Emo Bag, surprisingly. If you are going to use it as a casual bag, I suggest wearing something that at least looks like it would shrink the bag's bulk a little. The Snug Set seems to work just fine for that.
While a cute addition to the IM Slang set of items, this doesn't really have much to offer. It's a bit silly, but given the alternative, it's better in the fact you don't need more than one to enjoy all what the item has to offer. I just wish they made the face look more like an owl instead of a damn rabbit!
O RLY? LIEK U DIDNUT C DAT CUMMIN!
Yes, I spent $20 of my summer job money so I can tell you that it's not worth investing into Gaia's first official fantasy set of armor. And yes, I did pick the lesser of the two evils as the item of choice for the month despite the fact it looks like a rabbit 60% of the time.
And yes, I'm still upset over the fact that this month, one of the donation items is one of those where you have to get multiples of it just to produce something decent, even if it is just for a fancier vest. wahmbulance
I hope you guys do what I suggested and not invest so heavily in this month's set. Unless you like cute things, fantasy armor, or believe I'm wrong, then by all means, go for it! But if you actually care about what your avatar looks like, you'll heed my advice in this critique and only invest in items that you can actually use instead of stock piling and then selling for a profit a year down the line.
 Zeek Slider · Fri Sep 15, 2006 @ 09:30pm · 4 Comments |
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