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February 2005 Donation Item Critique |
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This month's items are the Solar and Lunar Cloaks!
   
ZeekSlider Must Have Rating: 4 out of 5 Recommended Item: Whichever one you can match with, but go with the Solar Cloak as it is less glitchy of the two.
Okay, so this month didn't feature the Demonic Bracelet, but I know it's comming. Still, it is nice to see something different and original for a change. I guess the Avatar Artists got wind of all the "rip-off" feedback.
However, this release didn't come without a price. (And I don't mean the $2.50 donation.) Upon the release of these items, pretty much everything on the site broke. Logouts happened at random; I, personally, couldn't access the guilds or any forum for the most part to find out what was going on. The kicker, however, was the fact that the Thank You letters were still sealed during the moments after VO made the announcement! What a way to release a pair of Donation Items, huh?
But, I digress. After all, Gaia isn't perfect as far as programing codes and all that good stuff goes.
Anyway, on with the critique.
Both cloaks are obviously meant to function as some kind of Magical Item worn by those of strong connection to the light or dark side of magic. And both function just as that. Finding something that matches with them is another problem entirely.
The Solar Cloak is more white than yellow or orange (or any other warm color for that matter). Its tattered edges feel more ice than sun-like. The white also doesn't help change that. The two modes outside of its default one are Sunrise and Sunset. Both look rather odd. The Sunrise Mode look like the collar of a certain yellow electric dog/wolf/fox that fans of Pokemon are sure to recognize right off the bat. It's also rather threatening for something that is suppose to represent the sun rising. Mostly due to the sharp angles in the lines. The Sunset Mode, while still spikey, is less threatening. It kind of reminds me of those startch capes the super-human bad guy would wear in some of the more stereotypical medival fantasy animes. It also reinforces the ice look I got from the default setting. It does, however, make for a suitable substitute for male avatars questing for an Angelic Sash, as it is more "macho" looking than how the sash is on most males. To put both on at the same time, however, (provided that is possible) wouldn't look all that interesting. You're pretty much putting something soft and flowy with something that is sharp and spikey. Not a good combination.
The Lunar Cloak, on the other hand, is more impressive. The cloak is just as black as the Dark Cape and the Witch Cape available in the stores. However, it gets the nod of favor because of how long and how tight fitting it is. Strangely enough, I see this item in its default mode as a cloak for all those users that are Harry Potter fans. There are two modes as well. The Twin Moon Mode is interesting as the cloak ends up splitting down the middle in the back to form the two separate moons, each with the upper half of the moon being made of of the part of the cloak closest to the foreground. It's a nice symmetrical look and feels much like a Nitemare Scarf! It feels a bit odd, however, static. This mode almost screams the want to be animated. The Full Moon Mode doesn't mean your cloak will become a dark full moon. It just means the split needed for the Twin Moon Mode won't be there. Your cloak will be lifted up and curled to make a nicely shaped cresent moon. This looks awesome! That is, provided you don't have a hat. As of now, there is a layering glitch where part of a hat that extends over the shoulders of your avatar, particually over the shoulder closest to the foreground, will spice the cloak. In actuallity, the hat is suppose to go behind the cloak. Why? The cloak goes up more before it goes out towards the back of the avatar. However, if you are not wearing hats that go out that far, this is a nice addition for anyone that is a fan of black. It also compliments the Horns of the Demon/Devil Tail combination nicely.
Between the two, you'll have to pick whichever one you can match the best with. People that like whites and light colors will want to go with the Solar Cloak, while those that like blacks and dark tones will want to go with the Lunar cloak. For those that are worried about looking good and not glitchy, go with the Solar Cloak. You'll have to invest in some whites and light-colored items, but at least you don't have to worry so much about your hat going through your cape.
 Zeek Slider · Fri Feb 25, 2005 @ 04:24am · 6 Comments |
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