Nehetsrev Llun, FMRachel, or if you prefer, Me.

[Nehetsrev]

Okay,

I guess I can do this, though I usually avoid such posts. About me: I'm 35, married with one child. I live in Oklahoma, though I was born up in Minnesota and grew up there. I miss snow...but maybe not too much. Still it's better than the ice-storms we get around here. Anyway, enough about local weather, back to me.

I love drawing, painting, reading, writing, and playing on Layonara (obviously). Throughout my life I've played numerous PnP RPG's the biggest two or three include D&D, Star Frontiers, and Gamma World. I also love sci-fi/fantasy in the forms of literature and some sellect TV/movies. These might include Stargate SG-1, Fireflies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: TNG, and a few other programs. Some of my favorite authors are Larry Niven, Jerry Pournel, David Drake, Piers Anthony, Alen Dean Foster, Fred Saberhagen, Kieth Laumer, Robert Jordan, Robert R. McGamon (way better than Steven King any day), and many others.

I found Layonara back in April of 2006 and have been hooked here since. My characters here are listed under that handy drop-down under my avatar, but I'll list them again here for convenience. First there was the short-live Nehetsrev Llun, a character I'd used in a Star Wars based forum RP/Freelancer community and tried converting for use here on Layonara...he didn't fit well with the world and I eventually opted to have him deleted Next came Treana Min E'Zoenna, my longest lived character to date, she's still going though her life has often been rife with tragedy. After playing Treana for a while and during a very depressing time in her life I came up with Lyle Underroot as a way to escape the depression Treana had come to embody. After getting Treana out of her depression for the most part, and getting Lyle into some seriousness of his own (finding out his great-grandpa isn't who he thought he was, and dealign with a rough relationship with Lillian and their eventual break-up after coming close to marrying), I decided to make yet another character and Melanna Jin'Daern was born. A hardliner from the start, and found abrasive by most, Melanna carved out her own niche in Layonara with the help of a friendly Ogre and a few others who became close friends, sadly though, her own lack of self-worth would become her undoing and she permed foolishly in Storan's Crypt trying to prove to herself she was someone special. After her death I was hesitant to create another character, and I wanted to concentrate more again on Treana and Lyle for a time, which I did for a month or so. However, eventually my creative ideas got the better of me and from them was born my latest character, Emwonk T'noduoy (whose name I had used before in that Star Wars forum RP/Freelancer community mentioned previously, but who in Layonara bears no relation to his namesake). You can, of course, read all about my characters in their CDT's if you choose, and hopefully if oyu do you'll enjoy the writing I've tried to make as believeable and entertaining as possible.

If you've got more questions about me, the player, feel free to ask here. There's no harm in asking, but if I'm uncomfortable answering I'll let you know that too.

[MJZ]

I know just how you feel, I usually avoid this, too. But I'm happy to know a bit more about you and your gaming background. Of your characters, I've only met Emwonk in game, needless to say I think it's a brilliant character concept! He says so many quotable things... :P
But I'm telling you, you have to get into DS9. Believe me, you won't regret it! TNG is an incredible classic, of course, but it's so black and white!

"[D]rawing, painting, reading, writing" - a fellow after my own heart!

[Kindo]

I can only agree with MJZ regarding DS9. Might just be the best series ever made.

It's always a pleasure to play with Emwonk, and you seemed from the start like a great player, which is why it's always interesting to hear a little more about the real man/woman behind it all! Naturally, I understand it's not always easy to share personal matters with a bunch of strangers, but I'm glad you decided to, anyway.

[Nehetsrev]

I'd probably have liked DS9 too if I'd seen more of it. I did manage to catch the odd episode or two here and there and it seemed decent enough. Voyager wasn't too bad either, and Enterprise was decent enough from what I saw of it as well. But then, I also enjoyed Andromeda, as cheesy as it could be.

Generally speaking, if it's sci-fi and at least moderately well-done and entertaining, then I like it. Sadly, all-too-often, when Hollywood makes a movie from a great sci-fi book they screw it up royally. A few examples off the top of my head: The Running Man (the only things in the movie that were the same as the book were a few names of the characters and the fictional corporation that was involved, and I mean that quite litterally), Battlefield Earth (turned an epic, world-spanning story into an epic piece of dung that barely ressembled the book it was based upon), The Incredible Hulk (the recent movie with all it's split-screening was the worst directed movie I've seen in a long time (though the old TV series and subsequent TV Movies with Lou Ferigno and Bill Bixby were pretty good)). And now that I've ranted on a few screw-ups in Hollywoods efforts, I suppose it only fitting that I do bring up the fact that Hollywood is beginning to get better at the sci-fi/fantasy genre in some cases. For good examples of what Hollywood can do when it doesn't loose sight of the artists conceptions of the original authors I'll point to the recent Spiderman movies, as well as the awesome job done with the Lord of the Rings movies.

Ooops, I guess this post kinda turned into a bit of a rant. *shrugs* Sorry about that. I get kinda passionate about my books & movies.

[Kindo]

DS9 is definitely a bit more demanding on the viewer, than the previous Star Trek series. Once you get to know and understand the crew (the actors are simply amazing, all throughout), you are really quite hooked. Not to mention that the main plot is very epic, and full of gray lines regarding good and evil. It is more realistic, in a way, while still maintianing a pure Star Trek feel to it.

Rants about sci-fi/fantasy is perfectly alright! I agree with the screw-ups, and I can't believe I managed to suffer through the entire Battlefield Earth movie. It is true that things are getting a lot better. Lord of the Rings there's no need to discuss, and I do love the Spiderman movies (the sequel is even better than the first one), and looking forward to the third one with great anticipation. I was also pleasantly surprised when I watched Batman Begins for the first time. It appears the movie-makers are taking these old classic characters and stories, much more serious nowadays, like you say. I also enjoy the latest X-Men movie, although I am not much of a reader of comics.

One thing that is getting a bit tiresome, though, is this fad of creating prequels to long-old classics. The movies almost always turn out great, so it's not that, it's just that I would rather further discover the stories ahead, than to see what happened before the stories, if you know what I mean. I hear the new Star Trek movie, for example, will explore the early lives of Kirk and Spock, while I was somewhat hoping for an interesting, intertwining story of TNG and DS9. In any case, the prequel fad has produced a lot of excellent movies, but at the same time, I would rather go forwards for a while.

See? Ranting is inevitable when there are interesting topics at hand.

[Nehetsrev]

Originally Posted by Kindo

See? Ranting is inevitable when there are interesting topics at hand.

As Emwonk might put it, "Visualize? Agressive assertive dialogue imminent when inclusive of stimulating subjects on the manipulative digits." *nods knowingly*

[MJZ]

Haha, poor Battlefield Earth, it was really quite something painful, wasn't it? I think one obvious issue with transforming Sci-Fi books into movies is the assumption that they have to be labeled into the 'action' genre. Atmosphere and presentation tend to suffer to make room for tense battles, etc. I've always been a big fan of ALIENS for a simple action alternative, but I wish they wouldn't try to push everything in that direction.

What about good ol' Dune? :B Though I normally can't stand anything where the main character has an average-Joe name like "Paul," I think everyone found something to impress them in that book. I never really find a Sci-Fi (or fantasy, for that matter) world enjoyable without the political and economic detailing in place, so Dune definitely pleased me there.

And DS9 is magnificent. It has an incredible cast, a Captain who isn't a goody-two-shoes All-American-Man (no offense but you get the stereotype), not to mention Garak and Dukat!! Politics are carefully orchestrated and character motivations strongly established. It has awesome intrigue, firefights, continuing development until it gets quite epic indeed, and of course, heavy doses of phenomena. I'm extremely critical and still, I can't find any flaws to point out in the series!

[darkstorme]

Originally Posted by MJZ

What about good ol' Dune? :B Though I normally can't stand anything where the main character has an average-Joe name like "Paul,"

Well, yes, but "Atredies" kinda makes up for it, don't you think? And he DOES correct it quickly enough, with Muad'ib. As a word of advice; if you liked the book (possibly (s), but really, the first is the best), but hated the movie, check out the Dune 2000 mini-series that Space put on. Six hours, enough time to really address the points covered in the book, and it's done SO much better. (Paul's sister is downright creepy.)

...a Captain who isn't a goody-two-shoes All-American-Man

Picard? All-American? Really?

.... I can't find any flaws to point out in the series!

*clears throat* Seasons One and Two, perhaps? *grins mischievously*

[MJZ]

Season One and Two are important. They establish all the characteristics of the cast, set up their dynamic so in future seasons, one quick comment from one of them brings back several episodes' worth of info and laughs from previous seasons. The characters would feel empty without it.

And about Picard, of course he's more than a bit special, I was referring more to Kirk and Bakula. Don't get me wrong, TNG is wicked stuff, but yeah, to me Picard is still rather on the black-and-white side. The fact that he's "Jean-Luc" doesn't change that feeling too much. After all, all of Star Fleet has that American-ish-ness to it, so! (Once again, nothing derogatory intended, just personal opinion.)

Ever heard the Picard Song? "There are four lights!!" >D

[Nehetsrev]

Honestly people! I leave you two alone for a few hours and you hi-jack my own 'about me' thread... Oh the inhumanity! I'm desparaged, distraught, in mental anguish....

And no one's even brought up Babylon 5 yet, another of my favorite sci-fi series... Gotta love the Narn/Centauri dynamics there... and those Shadow ships...Sweet!

[Kindo]

My apologies. Did not mean to jack anything, really.

To get back on topic: So, how about them Dodgers, huh? Pretty slow season this far. Are you a fan?

[Nehetsrev]

Ah yes, and once again the sarcasm of my previous post goes misunderstood due to the inability to properly emore through simple text on a screen. I was kidding about the hi-jacking of my thread, I really didn't mind.

[Hellblazer]

haha, Ds9 good tng awsome, Enterprise my favorite by far. yo uforgot eh x-man those 3 movies wer concistant with the old and new episodes and comics. And yaeh Emwonk is realy a nice piece of work.

[Kindo]

Originally Posted by Nehetsrev

Ah yes, and once again the sarcasm of my previous post goes misunderstood due to the inability to properly emore through simple text on a screen. I was kidding about the hi-jacking of my thread, I really didn't mind.

Ain't the Internet a treat?

[MJZ]

I usually sound *nicer* on the internet than I intend - honestly! Missed sarcasm in the reverse direction... haha :P

**Boos Hellblazer**

I definitely enjoyed X-men, the sequel not so much, and (blasphemy, I know) I haven't seen the latest one yet. Go Magneto! Well cast, despite the fact that Rogue can be quite irritating.

And I can hardly recall watching Babylon 5... shadow ships do sound familiar..

I haven't really gotten into the new Battlestar: Galactica series, but a rather reliable source of mine has high praise for it. Is it worth the time?