Makoto got a list of the most arbitrary changes like. Ever. Evil Ryu looks SICK I can’t believe they made LK +1 from -7 THE SILLINESS. I don’t THINK I can make Saturday, I promised to meet Sarah at 6 AM. Which I’m sorta rethinking. I’ll let you know. But Sun if that 3SO is up I’d really like to see it. Or todayyyyyyyy :O?
Yeah gotta buy it myself too. Will probably do it after work. I’m still not sure which character to pick up so I’ll just do all of the trials and then settle. Kinda thinking of playing Ryu again and try and learn him the right way this time.
E Ryu is looking pretty sick. I was taken aback by the range reduction to EX Karakusa. Wasn’t that short already? Increase in Cody’s walkspeed is a pretty good buff overall. He’ll be much better at footsies, which is closer to my alley. They seem to be promoting the knife a lot too. Yang was nerfed pretty heavily I have to say. He may be top tier in AE but he does need work. Overall this is looking like a nice patch but we still may have more changes to come.
Yeah it was .84 before. I’m not fussed tho its just because you could use it outside effective ranges sometimes and try and grab extended limbs thanks to the armor. Like if not spaced quite right you can try and grab rogs dash punches and that always struck me as AWESOME. But maybe not as intended :p. Cody got some good stuff, but as you say the walk speed is a kicker. He’s a frame trap machine so its just gonna be that much scarier.
Twins are more or less dead to me. Have to see it in action to know what it’ll end up like, but its not a good look that’s all I have to say.
3SO is downloaded and ready.
I went on Amazon to buy an online PSN code but it’s for US residents only. /cry Greek store still doesn’t have the full version (trial only). Looks like I’m gonna have to wait…Anybody know of any other ways to get digital codes for PSN?
Looks like Ammy won’t be able to block during her vine dash. You happy now J? 
any plans for this weekend, guys?
So, I’m in Qingdao now, and how many hoops to I have to jump through just to get an apartment?
Seems like every time I say we’ll do something to get the contract, they tack another stipulation on until we can’t do it anymore.
The apartment we wanted today:
- “Well, the asking price is 24000 Yuan/year.” Ok we’ll take it.
- “Well, now it’s 25000 Yuan/year.” We’ll still take it.
- “Now we want 2000 Yuan finder’s fee.” We’ll still take it.
- “Now we want a full year’s rent up front, inflexible.” We can’t do that.
- “Too bad.”
The apartment we wanted yesterday.
- “We want 27000 Yuan/year but internet is included.” Ok, we’ll take it.
- “We want it in 6-month increments.” Ok, we’ll still take it.
- “And a 1000 Yuan finder’s fee.” Ok, we’ll still take it.
- “So your total is 15000 Yuan to start.” Ok, we’ll still take it.
- “…now it’s plus a 2000 Yuan deposit.” We can’t do that.
- “Too bad.”
I have no clue what to do about this. Anyone with experience, help us out. We’ve even went to the point where we’ll forego all the two bedroom apartments, to be told they magically don’t exist in Qingdao.
I feel like it’s just a runaround, but I don’t speak enough Chinese to lay down the law.
I’ve seen a lot of bullshit with getting an apartment here in Beijing but not this kind of changing up. But I have a Chinese fiance so I might not see the real ugliness of it all. I have to ask, are you going through a real estate agency? It’s quite possible that by next week these guys are gonna call the agency to negotiate with you. We had a situation where this guy wanted his rent in 6 month increments which was absurd so we declined. A week later, not only was he willing to go for 3 month installments but also lowered the rent/month a bit too. Too bad for him that our current landlords were willing to drop their own bullshit 14% increase on the rent/month.
Prices go up and negotiations are usually hard when it comes to foreigners. Do you have anyone who is Chinese to help you out there?
I had a Korean woman (my contractor) who speaks near fluent Chinese, and her Chinese husband helping. We went through an agency. We also went through an agency with several Korean-Chinese agents, and my wife is Korean. That helped out.
At any rate, my contractor called the agency again, to renegotiate on the apartment we looked at and wanted yesterday. They stopped MOST of the BS. They arm twisted us though. Our apartment didn’t come with an A/C installed, which we wanted, but figured we could wait and get it installed in around April or May, since summer’s pretty much over, and it’s barely hot here in Qingdao now. And we said this to them on the phone, and they dropped the price of having the AC installed now.
Then they dropped this on us when we went to sign the lease “OH, if you don’t get the AC now, the landlord won’t put it in, and won’t let you buy your own.”
WTF?! So they basically put a gun to our heads and told us “Give us an extra 500 Yuan. Now.”
Oh well. Lease signed, moving in tomorrow after work. All is well in the eastern front. Just have to get our cell phones and an ISP set up at home soon. We’re both going BSI without contact to the outside world. Neither one of us can call Korea or America, not a good look. Having to hit up internet cafes just to get online.
Still haven’t found street fighter here in Qingdao. Found an arcade downstairs from our new apartment, but the only fighters they have is Fate U/C and KOF98. Figures.
Well, the good news is you got a roof over your heads now. I’m guessing your ISP will have you up in running in no time once you sign a contract with them. You’ll get used to some of the BS that goes around this part of the world but there are always upsides. Hope you can find some SF there soon.
Next weekend I’ll be hosting on Sunday, guys. Saturday we have to attend Kim’s cousin’s wedding and I have no idea what time we’ll be done. I’ll have some booze as well for a post-birthday bash with you all.
Well, if it’s any faster than in the States, I’ll be satisfied. I know one DSL provider took over a month to do it, then Verizon took two weeks.
Cable was next day.
Sadly, I don’t live within the city limits of Qingdao, I’m in Chengyang district, so a decent jaunt away from the Qingdao city area. Still getting situated and getting used to my surroundings. I was hyped when I saw the arcade, hyped when I saw what looked like a Vewlix knockoff, then let down that it was Fate. Does anyone even play it?
All I know is I saw more KOF98 cabinets than I think anyone could ever need.
This is KOF country, my friend. From what I gather, they prefer playing the older versions. I get what you mean though, having an arcade right where you live but it doesn’t have the scene or games you play. Must have bummed you out big time. Here in Beijing we are fortunate enough to live fairly close to each other but the good arcades are located pretty far away. I would suggest checking out malls and shopping centers within or around the city area. You could strike gold there somewhere.
I might give KOF a try some time, but man, I’d be going on a decade plus of inexperience vs. the country besides Mexico that lives and breathes this game.
Buuuuut, I played Tekken in Korea and did alright and learned quick, I could give it a shot.
I’ve had an itch to try KOF out for quite some time but I’d rather wait for XIII console port before taking the plunge. The old art style never really appealed to me. Dumb reason, I know.
Yeah, begrudgingly, I’m in my apartment.
So, we get there, and half the stuff they said was included with the apartment (dishes, rice cooker, juicer, bedsheets), was taken by the landlord, and we were promptly insulted by the guy for even defending what we were told: “What, if you find a pair of panties here, you guys gonna claim they come with the apartment and wear them?”
Then the water wasn’t turned on, and he then told us he would get that activated immediately, and we wouldn’t have to pay anything else. Five minutes later, he asks for 1000 Yuan to turn it on.
Still want to smack him across the face. But we’re in, the apartment’s really nice, and at least we have an HDTV that works well. Going to do a lag test tonight, but I haven’t noticed much just through navigating my Xbox Dashboard. But I’ll notice in SF4 or Marvel I’m sure.
After my day of work, especially my first class, I could use some time just pounding out combos in Marvel. If my wife doesn’t throw a fit about it…
Also, if anyone knows, is there a possibility of finding madcatz 360 pads or knockoff 360 common ground circuit boards or pads in China? I honestly need one, I think the SE board in my stick died, so I’m probably just going to padhack one if possible. Or any chance that Qanba would sell me just a board?
Also, any electronics chain stores in China that sells soldering irons? I need to grab one.
I think you should actually be happy you were not given those things, really. hehe We actually had to negotiate with our landlords to get stuff out of their apartment cause they were either derelict or just plain ugly. Sounds like Qingdao isn’t the kind of place I wanna be in.
Qanba might be willing to sell you a board. I had asked them a few months ago if they were willing to just sell me an Empire Arcadia stick case and they said yes. Haven’t gotten down to buying it yet but I guess their quite helpful with this stuff. When it comes to electronics chains, I don’t think you can find soldering irons (could be wrong). I’m sure you can find some mom and pop holes in the wall that sell tools and stuff.
Oh sweet. Then that’s not a bad deal then. I posted up in their thread in Tech Talk, so we’ll see.
I’m sure I can find a soldering iron somewhere. I’ll check around RT Mart tonight, otherwise, I’ll just be keeping my eyes peeled while I’m out and about. Need that and some solder. Don’t think I need any more wire, but maybe a wire stripper, can’t remember if I packed that.
If the HDTV is a Chinese brand, it’s probably reasonably low lag. They tend to cut corners on signal processing, which is good for us street fighter players. It depends on how bit it is though.
As far as PCBs go, honestly Laugh’s store in Korea is probably going to be your best bet.
It’s pretty big, but it is a Hisense, so I’m assuming Chinese, since I’ve never seen this brand in my life. I would guess at least a 30", but like I said, it’s pretty big, and I have no ruler to measure it properly. But from what I can guage, there is little to no lag on it. I’ll wait until I get my stick working to give you a definitive answer, but I think I’m good on a lagless setup here, and that’s with component video. I may get HDMI later on, but the picture is reasonably sharp with component even.
I’ve used Laugh before in the States, and love his site, and have chilled with him a bit in Seoul, so I know he’s a great guy, but I’d like to just grab a PCB that I can solder straight to that’s 360 only. Laugh only sells the Paewang PCB, and I already have a MC Cthulhu in my stick, so that’s a waste for me. Otherwise, I was just going to bail on the MC and Imp and such, grab a PS1 controller, padhack it, then pick up his converters, and save room and wiring mess inside the stick, as the Saulabi doesn’t necessarily have the most room for padhacking…