Issue 6 of DS Creative Magazine has just hit the digital news stand. Check it out here.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Critical Thinking
As I come to the end of this my first year of University, I thought it might be nice to take a look back over the year and see how I look at things, games in particular, with everything I have now learned.
The first thing I've noticed is that I'm far less forgiving of the games I do buy. Not having that second income has meant that I have had to consider every potential game purchase very carefully. This has meant that I haven't purchased much in the way of AAA titles this year. Mostly because of the high cost of these games when they first come out. Instead, I've picked up mostly older titles that have been either on sale or in bundle deals.
The first of these was Assassins Creed I and II that I picked up in a 2 for 1 bundle. I was really impressed with the setting for ACI, I mean, how often do you see a game set in Syria? Unfortunately I seem to have an issue when I try to load into Damascus and everything crashes, so that's where I've left it. ACII I had all sorts of issue getting it to work. In the end, Uplay came to my rescue (I know, how often have you heard something positive about Uplay?), and I was able to download a version of ACII that works. I've enjoyed playing ACII so far. The combat is more fluid and dynamic than the first one, and the setting is rich and detailed.
After getting these first two AC games, I also picked up a copy of AC: Revelations. I loaded it up and was greeted by the sight of a much older Ezio (the protagonist from ACII). I did a bit of searching and found out that this is the third of the games to feature Ezio, the one in between AC: Brotherhood I then also picked up but I haven't gotten to play that one yet. That's what the Christmas break is for.
Steam has been the godsend for gaming for me this year. I've picked up a couple of full price games, but most have been when they have been on sale. Looking at the choices of the games I've picked up there some obvious ones and some not so obvious. The Witcher and The Witcher 2 I got for the bargain basement price of about $7 in total. Impossible to go past at that price. The first one is quite well done, but there are some frustrating parts - the amount of back tracking you have to do with the quests and the fact that NPC's are shown to have a specific location but aren't there. Combat seems to go from staggeringly easy to impossible at times. One part of a quest has you fighting a demonic hound. Up until that point, nothing has really given you to much in the way of trouble. This hound takes you apart in very short order. Strangely enough, when you reload, the fight is at the same level as things have been previously. From the people I've spoken to, this is something that they have all found, so it seems there is a bug in the code somewhere that increases the difficulty of that for some reason when it is first loaded.
Shadowrun Returns I picked up early in the year. I'm a big fan of the cyberpunk genre in general, and have played both the CyberPunk2020 and Shadowrun tabletop RPG's. I prefer Shadowrun as I really like the mix of high tech with the fantasy style. When the expansion got released Shadowrun: Dragonfall), I picked up a copy of that as well.
I've always been a big fan of RPG's. The amount of time I've sunk into things like Dragon Age and Mass Effect are a testament to that. So I added to my RPG collection with some Steam sale goodness. To sate my Cyberpunk/Sci fi desires, I got Mars: War Logs, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Remember Me and most recently Hydrophobia Prophecy. I also picked up Tomb Raider (the new one) as well as Lara Croft: Guardian of Light. Of these, Deus Ex, Tomb Raider and Hydrophobia are yet installed (the joys of having to juggle the monthly data cap.
Mars: War Logs is an interesting game. It certainly has a much grittier, darker tone to it, and the language used, while blue at times, actually fits with the character who is saying. For example, an engineer who is trying to fix something and swearing at it, "Come on you fucker, work", for example, really does fit well with the tone of the game. Sure, there are some of the usual issues of having to backtrack with quests, but overall it's a quite well thought out and executed game with an interesting and engaging main character, Roy, who is more than he seems.
Remember Me is another Cyberpunk/Sci Fi title, and one of the few that has a female character as the protagonist. The story is in my opinion quite well done, with a few little twists and turns along the way to keep you thinking. The major complaint that people seemed to have with this game is that the combat was frustrating and the camera caused a lot of issues. While I haven't found the combat to be that bad overall, the camera has been a frustration from time to time. But the thing I love about Remember Me is the environment. Neo Paris is amazing. It's a great pity that Remember Me hasn't gotten better reviews as I think it's a much better game than they would lead you to believe.
Lara Croft: Guardian of Light I picked up on sale as well. I'd spent some time reading and looking at this title and in a lot of ways, it gets to the core of what a Tomb Raider game is. It's puzzles, it's traps, it's thinking on your feet and on the run. I'm up to the last chapter on a single player game and it's been really enjoyable. There have been some little frustrations with having to get something dead right else you end up dead dead and have to start the section over again, but that is not a fault of the game, I believe that's more the fault of the player in this instance.
The last 2 purchases I made were Transistor and Contrast. Transistor is from the same developers that made Bastion. I played the demo of Bastion and while it was very well done, it just didn't get me enough to buy it. Transistor on the other hand? I saw some of the artwork and it was just so unique. One of the only games I payed full price for this year and it was worth every cent. It's not very long and it's very linear, but the environment, the voice acting, the sound track, it is simply beautiful. From a mechanics and gameplay aspect, they haven't done anything really new or groundbreaking, but what they have hangs together so well that it doesn't need these things to lift this game up from the everyday to the wonderful.
Contrast is another game in a similar vein. Instead of being a cyberpunk though, it's art deco, set in the 1920's, but like Transistor, the environments are wonderful, and so is the soundtrack, all beautiful jazz. This is a game you could just sit and listen to and not play it! But playing it is just as enjoyable so far. They have a nice mechanic in that the central character (Dawn) can move about the city normally, but up close to a well lit wall, and you can jump into your shadow and move in those 2 dimensions. This is necessary in order to make your way from one area to another, but the story is largely told by the "shadows" of the other characters that populate the story, and I have found that to be quite and effective way of having the narrative play out.
The one black mark in my game purchases this year has been Darkout. A procedurally generated world, one you have crash landed on, and in my case, one I'm never going to be able to leave. For some reason, it seems that this game has an issue with my video card. It requires OpenGL which my card supports, but during world generation the whole thing crashes. I'm not the only one who's had this problem and so far, support haven't done anything at all to attempt to rectify it. Interestingly, I can run this on my media centre PC which runs an AMD card and not an Nvidia one. I'd like to give it a proper go, but at this point I've consigned it to the "Hidden Games" part of Steam so I don't have to look at it.
Time to go back to playing in the shadows now...
The first thing I've noticed is that I'm far less forgiving of the games I do buy. Not having that second income has meant that I have had to consider every potential game purchase very carefully. This has meant that I haven't purchased much in the way of AAA titles this year. Mostly because of the high cost of these games when they first come out. Instead, I've picked up mostly older titles that have been either on sale or in bundle deals.
The first of these was Assassins Creed I and II that I picked up in a 2 for 1 bundle. I was really impressed with the setting for ACI, I mean, how often do you see a game set in Syria? Unfortunately I seem to have an issue when I try to load into Damascus and everything crashes, so that's where I've left it. ACII I had all sorts of issue getting it to work. In the end, Uplay came to my rescue (I know, how often have you heard something positive about Uplay?), and I was able to download a version of ACII that works. I've enjoyed playing ACII so far. The combat is more fluid and dynamic than the first one, and the setting is rich and detailed.
After getting these first two AC games, I also picked up a copy of AC: Revelations. I loaded it up and was greeted by the sight of a much older Ezio (the protagonist from ACII). I did a bit of searching and found out that this is the third of the games to feature Ezio, the one in between AC: Brotherhood I then also picked up but I haven't gotten to play that one yet. That's what the Christmas break is for.
Steam has been the godsend for gaming for me this year. I've picked up a couple of full price games, but most have been when they have been on sale. Looking at the choices of the games I've picked up there some obvious ones and some not so obvious. The Witcher and The Witcher 2 I got for the bargain basement price of about $7 in total. Impossible to go past at that price. The first one is quite well done, but there are some frustrating parts - the amount of back tracking you have to do with the quests and the fact that NPC's are shown to have a specific location but aren't there. Combat seems to go from staggeringly easy to impossible at times. One part of a quest has you fighting a demonic hound. Up until that point, nothing has really given you to much in the way of trouble. This hound takes you apart in very short order. Strangely enough, when you reload, the fight is at the same level as things have been previously. From the people I've spoken to, this is something that they have all found, so it seems there is a bug in the code somewhere that increases the difficulty of that for some reason when it is first loaded.
Shadowrun Returns I picked up early in the year. I'm a big fan of the cyberpunk genre in general, and have played both the CyberPunk2020 and Shadowrun tabletop RPG's. I prefer Shadowrun as I really like the mix of high tech with the fantasy style. When the expansion got released Shadowrun: Dragonfall), I picked up a copy of that as well.
I've always been a big fan of RPG's. The amount of time I've sunk into things like Dragon Age and Mass Effect are a testament to that. So I added to my RPG collection with some Steam sale goodness. To sate my Cyberpunk/Sci fi desires, I got Mars: War Logs, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Remember Me and most recently Hydrophobia Prophecy. I also picked up Tomb Raider (the new one) as well as Lara Croft: Guardian of Light. Of these, Deus Ex, Tomb Raider and Hydrophobia are yet installed (the joys of having to juggle the monthly data cap.
Mars: War Logs is an interesting game. It certainly has a much grittier, darker tone to it, and the language used, while blue at times, actually fits with the character who is saying. For example, an engineer who is trying to fix something and swearing at it, "Come on you fucker, work", for example, really does fit well with the tone of the game. Sure, there are some of the usual issues of having to backtrack with quests, but overall it's a quite well thought out and executed game with an interesting and engaging main character, Roy, who is more than he seems.
Remember Me is another Cyberpunk/Sci Fi title, and one of the few that has a female character as the protagonist. The story is in my opinion quite well done, with a few little twists and turns along the way to keep you thinking. The major complaint that people seemed to have with this game is that the combat was frustrating and the camera caused a lot of issues. While I haven't found the combat to be that bad overall, the camera has been a frustration from time to time. But the thing I love about Remember Me is the environment. Neo Paris is amazing. It's a great pity that Remember Me hasn't gotten better reviews as I think it's a much better game than they would lead you to believe.
Lara Croft: Guardian of Light I picked up on sale as well. I'd spent some time reading and looking at this title and in a lot of ways, it gets to the core of what a Tomb Raider game is. It's puzzles, it's traps, it's thinking on your feet and on the run. I'm up to the last chapter on a single player game and it's been really enjoyable. There have been some little frustrations with having to get something dead right else you end up dead dead and have to start the section over again, but that is not a fault of the game, I believe that's more the fault of the player in this instance.
The last 2 purchases I made were Transistor and Contrast. Transistor is from the same developers that made Bastion. I played the demo of Bastion and while it was very well done, it just didn't get me enough to buy it. Transistor on the other hand? I saw some of the artwork and it was just so unique. One of the only games I payed full price for this year and it was worth every cent. It's not very long and it's very linear, but the environment, the voice acting, the sound track, it is simply beautiful. From a mechanics and gameplay aspect, they haven't done anything really new or groundbreaking, but what they have hangs together so well that it doesn't need these things to lift this game up from the everyday to the wonderful.
Contrast is another game in a similar vein. Instead of being a cyberpunk though, it's art deco, set in the 1920's, but like Transistor, the environments are wonderful, and so is the soundtrack, all beautiful jazz. This is a game you could just sit and listen to and not play it! But playing it is just as enjoyable so far. They have a nice mechanic in that the central character (Dawn) can move about the city normally, but up close to a well lit wall, and you can jump into your shadow and move in those 2 dimensions. This is necessary in order to make your way from one area to another, but the story is largely told by the "shadows" of the other characters that populate the story, and I have found that to be quite and effective way of having the narrative play out.
The one black mark in my game purchases this year has been Darkout. A procedurally generated world, one you have crash landed on, and in my case, one I'm never going to be able to leave. For some reason, it seems that this game has an issue with my video card. It requires OpenGL which my card supports, but during world generation the whole thing crashes. I'm not the only one who's had this problem and so far, support haven't done anything at all to attempt to rectify it. Interestingly, I can run this on my media centre PC which runs an AMD card and not an Nvidia one. I'd like to give it a proper go, but at this point I've consigned it to the "Hidden Games" part of Steam so I don't have to look at it.
Time to go back to playing in the shadows now...
Thursday, 31 July 2014
A reminder of why I ride.
I've been riding motorbikes for over 20 years now and these days I'm back on the bike as my only form of transport while I'm at Uni. I love riding. I love the freedom, the spirituality of it, the rebelliousness of it, and the camaraderie of it. When I first started riding I did so out of respect to a friend who'd died in a motorcycle accident. A few of us chose this way to honor his memory and we've all been riding ever since.
One of the things with riding a bike is that it is a lot like people who are into old sports cars. Maybe old cars in general but I know old sports cars as my father still has one. You see the guys in their old Morgans, MG's, etc out on a drive, be it in a convoy or just on their own. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if you pull up at a pub somewhere and there is another old sports car there, you'll have a chat about the cars, maybe share a beer, and be on your way. That camaraderie is the thing that sets you apart from the people in their current model sports cars.
It's the same camaraderie with motorcyclists. You see someone coming from the other direction, you see them, they see you, as you get closer there is a nod of the head, acknowledgement of each other and your membership in a part of society that people who don't ride don't understand. Some riders will see will ignore the nod, I don't know why. Riding a Harley, a BWM, an Italian superbike, one of the myriad Jap-bikes or a scooter makes no difference to me. You ride. You are part of my social group, like it or not. I get to straddle the Japbike/Harley divide because of the bike I ride - a Buell.
But I digress, I was reminded of the camaraderie earlier this week as I rode home from Uni. I'd joined up with a couple of other bikes along the way over the course of the ride. When I got to the Western Freeway there was me and a guy on a BMW with Paris Dakar livery. It may have been a R80 GS or something close to it but I don't know. Regardless, we were making our way through the traffic, leapfrogging each other as one would get a gap and the other would follow through behind. This went on until the BMW rider indicated to exit the highway. I was behind him at the time and as he entered the slip lane I saw him raise his hand in a wave. I accelerated and drew abreast of him, looking over as I raised my hand in farewell. He saw and we both nodded and went on our way.
That simple acknowledgment, it reminded me why I ride again. Something small, something simple, it's one of the reasons you throw the leg over the saddle and ride these iron horses. For a solitary pursuit, riding a motorcycle is a very social experience.
One of the things with riding a bike is that it is a lot like people who are into old sports cars. Maybe old cars in general but I know old sports cars as my father still has one. You see the guys in their old Morgans, MG's, etc out on a drive, be it in a convoy or just on their own. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if you pull up at a pub somewhere and there is another old sports car there, you'll have a chat about the cars, maybe share a beer, and be on your way. That camaraderie is the thing that sets you apart from the people in their current model sports cars.
It's the same camaraderie with motorcyclists. You see someone coming from the other direction, you see them, they see you, as you get closer there is a nod of the head, acknowledgement of each other and your membership in a part of society that people who don't ride don't understand. Some riders will see will ignore the nod, I don't know why. Riding a Harley, a BWM, an Italian superbike, one of the myriad Jap-bikes or a scooter makes no difference to me. You ride. You are part of my social group, like it or not. I get to straddle the Japbike/Harley divide because of the bike I ride - a Buell.
But I digress, I was reminded of the camaraderie earlier this week as I rode home from Uni. I'd joined up with a couple of other bikes along the way over the course of the ride. When I got to the Western Freeway there was me and a guy on a BMW with Paris Dakar livery. It may have been a R80 GS or something close to it but I don't know. Regardless, we were making our way through the traffic, leapfrogging each other as one would get a gap and the other would follow through behind. This went on until the BMW rider indicated to exit the highway. I was behind him at the time and as he entered the slip lane I saw him raise his hand in a wave. I accelerated and drew abreast of him, looking over as I raised my hand in farewell. He saw and we both nodded and went on our way.
That simple acknowledgment, it reminded me why I ride again. Something small, something simple, it's one of the reasons you throw the leg over the saddle and ride these iron horses. For a solitary pursuit, riding a motorcycle is a very social experience.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
Kings & Queens in DS Creative Magazine
Submit your Kings & Queens to get a chance to have them featured in the 2nd issue of DS Creative- the magazine for Daz Studio fans
Will ya look at this- Thanks to our great supporters EM3D
www.facebook.com/EliteModels3d
Each King & Queen will get a 10$ gift certificate to either Renderosity or Daz!!
This is not a contest but a new feature that will be recurring each issue!
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
DS Creative Magazine - Issue 1 OUT NOW!
After a month of craziness putting it all together, the very first issue of DS Creative Magazine is now available.
Check it out at http://issuu.com/philatdsc/docs/ds_creative_01
You can also follow them on Twitter - @DSCreative_Mag
Sunday, 29 June 2014
DS Creative - The Cover
Tuesday the 1st of July brings the 1st ever issue of DS Creative, The magazine for Daz Studio fans, packed with news, Interviews, galleries, competitions, tutorials and Yes you guessed it Freebies.
Saturday, 28 June 2014
DS Creative Magazine - We are almost there!
Only a few days to go until the release of the first issue of DS Creative Magazine.
The team have been working hard putting together all the art and article submissions we've received along with talking to vendors and content creators.
We have a fantastic first issue lined up for everyone with a great variety of content along with a couple of special surprises.
So keep your eyes peeled, or better yet, head over to the DS Creative facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/dazcreative/ to keep up with the release and what else is going on.
The team have been working hard putting together all the art and article submissions we've received along with talking to vendors and content creators.
We have a fantastic first issue lined up for everyone with a great variety of content along with a couple of special surprises.
So keep your eyes peeled, or better yet, head over to the DS Creative facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/dazcreative/ to keep up with the release and what else is going on.
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Welcome to Ds Creative - The Magazine for Daz Studio fans.
Recently I've become involved in a "little" project with a number of other Daz Studio users. Check below for the details. It's all come together very quickly and everyone has great passion for this project. I'm just really chuffed to be a part of it.
Our aim with this new magazine is to have a place where Daz
Studio users, either new or long standing, can find interesting articles and
features that help them improve their skills.
Alongside the Daz Studio tutorials there will also be post working
tutorials to help further enhance artist’s skill sets, as well as quick tips
and tricks, product reviews and news of upcoming products. We also wish to
showcase the amazingly beautiful artwork created by Daz users, whether they are
new to the program or have been using it for years, our magazine aims to demonstrate
the skill and talent that that the Daz community has to offer.
Each month a new artist from the Daz community will be
featured on the cover as well as a several page artist spotlight, where the
chosen artist gets to show off more of their artwork along with a chance to
talk about their art. We will also shine a spotlight on a Vendor, which is
similar to the artist spotlight page, where they get to tell us why & how
they got into 3d content creation and can talk about current and future projects
as well as share their passion for creating 3D content. Each Issue will also include a free downloadable
product.
There will also be regular competitions with lots of prizes
to be won!
Our magazine is totally independent and has no ties with any
on-line store. That means we will
feature the best items for Daz Studio regardless of where they are and we will
happily feature any product so long as it is fully functional in Daz Studio.
So if you want to have your product featured or reviewed, a
store you wish to promote, have an article about Daz Studio or simply want to
showcase your art, this is the Magazine for you!
All IMAGE submissions are to be sent to imagesdazfanmagazine@gmail.com
All ARTICLES (reviews, tutorials, general articles etc.)
submissions are to be sent to articlesdazfanmagazine@gmail.com
All VENDORS & STORE submissions are to be sent to vendorsdazfanmagazine@gmail.com
Please note, submissions close for each issue on the 22nd of each month.
Please note, submissions close for each issue on the 22nd of each month.
Friday, 16 May 2014
Uni Life
Well, it's been a very busy couple of months since I last updated.
We've had an assessment for each class so far and at the moment I'm waiting on getting the results back for a couple of them that were submitted recently.
The biggest challenges to date have been the board game we had to make - from scratch, and the first modelling assignment. We had to model a house, then UV and texture it.
The board game assignment was a blast. It was really interesting to actually build something like that from the ground up, to play test it, tweak it, test it some more, tweak it again, change it back when the tweak didn't work and then find a new one. We also had to do the art direction on the game which was great fun. I really enjoyed putting all that together and having a unified theme that ran through the entire game along with (almost) all the game pieces. The final result is one I'm really happy with, now I just hope that it gets a good mark.
The house modelling I really enjoyed. Given that is what I want to do once I complete my degree that should come as no real shock. Learning Maya has been a bit of a learning curve as it isn't the most user friendly piece of software I've ever used, but once you get your head around it, it isn't too bad. UVing on the other hand is a painful process, BUT, I now have a much better understanding of it. Creating the texture once the UV map was done wasn't too hard but there were a few little things you had to keep an eye out for.
I was really happy with the model I made (an Urzua Cofre house) which had a few tricky little sections in it to model and texture, but I'm quite pleased with the result as it looks pretty close the images I based it on.
Current projects include a couple of groups, one creating a text adventure using Quest which is ticking along quite nicely and the other where we have to create a short video/animatic. My group has gone with a bit of a mashup taking Noir and Urban Fantasy, smooshing (technical term) them together and subverting some of the tropes. Been working on putting the finishing touches on the character concepts tonight with input from my group partner as well as start to put together the panels that will be used to make the animatic - though ours will be slightly different in that we won't be animating it but putting audio to it instead - dialogue, sound effects, all that stuff. Should be a bit of fun once it's done.
So, enough chit-chat, time to get back to the grind stone.
We've had an assessment for each class so far and at the moment I'm waiting on getting the results back for a couple of them that were submitted recently.
The biggest challenges to date have been the board game we had to make - from scratch, and the first modelling assignment. We had to model a house, then UV and texture it.
The board game assignment was a blast. It was really interesting to actually build something like that from the ground up, to play test it, tweak it, test it some more, tweak it again, change it back when the tweak didn't work and then find a new one. We also had to do the art direction on the game which was great fun. I really enjoyed putting all that together and having a unified theme that ran through the entire game along with (almost) all the game pieces. The final result is one I'm really happy with, now I just hope that it gets a good mark.
The house modelling I really enjoyed. Given that is what I want to do once I complete my degree that should come as no real shock. Learning Maya has been a bit of a learning curve as it isn't the most user friendly piece of software I've ever used, but once you get your head around it, it isn't too bad. UVing on the other hand is a painful process, BUT, I now have a much better understanding of it. Creating the texture once the UV map was done wasn't too hard but there were a few little things you had to keep an eye out for.
I was really happy with the model I made (an Urzua Cofre house) which had a few tricky little sections in it to model and texture, but I'm quite pleased with the result as it looks pretty close the images I based it on.
Current projects include a couple of groups, one creating a text adventure using Quest which is ticking along quite nicely and the other where we have to create a short video/animatic. My group has gone with a bit of a mashup taking Noir and Urban Fantasy, smooshing (technical term) them together and subverting some of the tropes. Been working on putting the finishing touches on the character concepts tonight with input from my group partner as well as start to put together the panels that will be used to make the animatic - though ours will be slightly different in that we won't be animating it but putting audio to it instead - dialogue, sound effects, all that stuff. Should be a bit of fun once it's done.
So, enough chit-chat, time to get back to the grind stone.
Sunday, 23 March 2014
The Power of The Tale
As a family, we play games. Some of them we play together and some we play as individuals. We play games on our computers, our phones, our tablets, our TV and on our table. My wife and I have been gamers since we were kids and it was one of the things that has been a constant in our relationship right from the start. Because of this our son has been introduced to games from a very young age as well, both tabletop and digital varieties.
I'd been playing GuildWars 2 for almost 12 months when Warhammer: Age of Reckoning announced it was closing down. My wife (along with her mother and grandmother) then needed something else to play. Given I was already in GW2 and it has a good population density along with plenty of PvE and PvP options they decided to come across. We also purchased a copy for our son - he'd spent the last couple of years playing DDO and LOTRO with me and we thought it would be nice for him to be able to play with all of us - and it's been great!
He's picked it up like a duck takes to water (which is no surprise), and he's switched from using the arrow keys to WASD which has even given his grandmother the impetus to switch that that as well. He's learned his class (he's playing a Ranger as his main - just like daddy) and he does very well with it. He can quite happily wander around the world, doing quests, participating in world events and finding the vista's and skill challenges dotted around the place. We also introduced him to the "story quests" that begin when you first create your character and continue through until you reach the level cap.
Jump forward to a few weeks ago. It's a Saturday afternoon and we are all playing, the boy and I have been grouped up for a bit to do some events and then he goes off to do his story quests while I go and do some crafting. He's up to the level 71 quest (Liberating Apatia), so he travels to Mount Maelstrom to help rescue an NPC that you group up with a few times in previous quests. Unfortunately the rescue doesn't quite go as planned as Apatia has been corrupted by the evil you are fighting and instead you have to release her from her suffering (at the end of your blade). Once done you then go back to her home town and proclaim the legend of Crusader Apatia.
We didn't realise the impact these actions had until later that night.
My wife and I were sitting watching some TV when we realised we could hear someone crying. We went into the boys room and there he was, sitting up on his bed, tears streaming down his face. We calmed him down and asked him what was wrong. It took a while but he was finally able to tell us that he hadn't wanted to kill Apatia, he wanted to save her but he couldn't. As you can imagine this tugged on the heartstrings in a major way. We had a long discussion about the game and the decisions that they have to make to tell the story. We also decided that it would be a good idea to for him to have a break from GW2 for a little while.
This also got me to thinking about the nature of narrative in games, be it single player or multi-player games, and the impact that it can have on the player. One of the best examples of this in my opinion would be Bioware's Mass Effect series. The decisions you make through that game have a direct and long lasting impact not only on the characters but also on the world. This goes some way to explain the furor at the end of the ME3. Players invest very heavily in their character and the stories they create with it. We are more aware of it in single player games but it's there, just below the surface in MMO's as well. The attachment people feel to their characters in things like WoW, Everquest or even DAoC is there. These characters have evolved over years in most cases and while people won't talk about it, they care about them deeply - keeping folders of screenshots, writing fan fiction about their exploits or commissioning artists to create artworks depicting them.
Bioware was also at the forefront of making the narrative an integral part of Star Wars: The Old Republic. I played this when it first came out and while there were teething issues (like pretty much any MMO release) the narrative structure was there and worked I feel, very well. This brings us to GW2 and the way the developers have created an engaging story through their "Living World" content and the story quests. The Living World concept is not new, but the extent to what GW2 has gone is. Whole content arcs built around a developing story that keeps players engaged rather than an annual expansion pack that gets players back for a few months until they have completed the new content is, in my view, the way forward.
I have no doubt that in the future, we will see more and more games that have deep and engaging narratives that are just as important if not more so than the combat mechanics or flashy graphics. And when developers get all these things together, that's when the magic really happens.
I'd been playing GuildWars 2 for almost 12 months when Warhammer: Age of Reckoning announced it was closing down. My wife (along with her mother and grandmother) then needed something else to play. Given I was already in GW2 and it has a good population density along with plenty of PvE and PvP options they decided to come across. We also purchased a copy for our son - he'd spent the last couple of years playing DDO and LOTRO with me and we thought it would be nice for him to be able to play with all of us - and it's been great!
He's picked it up like a duck takes to water (which is no surprise), and he's switched from using the arrow keys to WASD which has even given his grandmother the impetus to switch that that as well. He's learned his class (he's playing a Ranger as his main - just like daddy) and he does very well with it. He can quite happily wander around the world, doing quests, participating in world events and finding the vista's and skill challenges dotted around the place. We also introduced him to the "story quests" that begin when you first create your character and continue through until you reach the level cap.
Jump forward to a few weeks ago. It's a Saturday afternoon and we are all playing, the boy and I have been grouped up for a bit to do some events and then he goes off to do his story quests while I go and do some crafting. He's up to the level 71 quest (Liberating Apatia), so he travels to Mount Maelstrom to help rescue an NPC that you group up with a few times in previous quests. Unfortunately the rescue doesn't quite go as planned as Apatia has been corrupted by the evil you are fighting and instead you have to release her from her suffering (at the end of your blade). Once done you then go back to her home town and proclaim the legend of Crusader Apatia.
We didn't realise the impact these actions had until later that night.
My wife and I were sitting watching some TV when we realised we could hear someone crying. We went into the boys room and there he was, sitting up on his bed, tears streaming down his face. We calmed him down and asked him what was wrong. It took a while but he was finally able to tell us that he hadn't wanted to kill Apatia, he wanted to save her but he couldn't. As you can imagine this tugged on the heartstrings in a major way. We had a long discussion about the game and the decisions that they have to make to tell the story. We also decided that it would be a good idea to for him to have a break from GW2 for a little while.
This also got me to thinking about the nature of narrative in games, be it single player or multi-player games, and the impact that it can have on the player. One of the best examples of this in my opinion would be Bioware's Mass Effect series. The decisions you make through that game have a direct and long lasting impact not only on the characters but also on the world. This goes some way to explain the furor at the end of the ME3. Players invest very heavily in their character and the stories they create with it. We are more aware of it in single player games but it's there, just below the surface in MMO's as well. The attachment people feel to their characters in things like WoW, Everquest or even DAoC is there. These characters have evolved over years in most cases and while people won't talk about it, they care about them deeply - keeping folders of screenshots, writing fan fiction about their exploits or commissioning artists to create artworks depicting them.
Bioware was also at the forefront of making the narrative an integral part of Star Wars: The Old Republic. I played this when it first came out and while there were teething issues (like pretty much any MMO release) the narrative structure was there and worked I feel, very well. This brings us to GW2 and the way the developers have created an engaging story through their "Living World" content and the story quests. The Living World concept is not new, but the extent to what GW2 has gone is. Whole content arcs built around a developing story that keeps players engaged rather than an annual expansion pack that gets players back for a few months until they have completed the new content is, in my view, the way forward.
I have no doubt that in the future, we will see more and more games that have deep and engaging narratives that are just as important if not more so than the combat mechanics or flashy graphics. And when developers get all these things together, that's when the magic really happens.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Interesting Game Mechanics
As you can imagine things have been pretty hectic over the past few weeks what with Uni starting and all that. I haven't done much more than read the things I need to read, learn to use my Wacom tablet and do my best to start drawing stuff.
The assessment for one subject is to prototype a board game. This can be any number of different things as long as it fits within one of four themes we've been given. Gotta love working within constraints so make you think outside the box - pun intended. Part of this is looking into the inner workings of games to see what makes them tick, be it a table top game or a video game. One of the games mentioned in one of the readings was Mirrors Edge which was released back in 2012 I believe.
Recently I picked up a copy on Steam so I could have a look at the setting, the story line, and one specific aspect of the game play - parkour. Mirrors Edge is all about running around a near future city that has a definite dystopian touch (just read the "news reports" that appear on screens around the place), but this running isn't down down on street level. Oh no, you run and jump and climb around the rooftops - leaping from building to building, grabbing pipes to shimmy up or down, balancing on beams that span yawning chasms between buildings, sliding under low hanging air con ducts or using the cranes constructing new buildings as your personal freeway.
All of this is done in first person view, but with a twist. Unlike most first person views, in all of this running, jumping and sliding, your hands an feet come into view. And making a jump from the side of a building to a narrow ledge above you can really get the heart racing. Miss and you plummet numerous floors to your rather crunching demise. It's not a pleasant way to go.
Below is short bit of footage I captured showing you making your way across the rooftops.
The assessment for one subject is to prototype a board game. This can be any number of different things as long as it fits within one of four themes we've been given. Gotta love working within constraints so make you think outside the box - pun intended. Part of this is looking into the inner workings of games to see what makes them tick, be it a table top game or a video game. One of the games mentioned in one of the readings was Mirrors Edge which was released back in 2012 I believe.
Recently I picked up a copy on Steam so I could have a look at the setting, the story line, and one specific aspect of the game play - parkour. Mirrors Edge is all about running around a near future city that has a definite dystopian touch (just read the "news reports" that appear on screens around the place), but this running isn't down down on street level. Oh no, you run and jump and climb around the rooftops - leaping from building to building, grabbing pipes to shimmy up or down, balancing on beams that span yawning chasms between buildings, sliding under low hanging air con ducts or using the cranes constructing new buildings as your personal freeway.
All of this is done in first person view, but with a twist. Unlike most first person views, in all of this running, jumping and sliding, your hands an feet come into view. And making a jump from the side of a building to a narrow ledge above you can really get the heart racing. Miss and you plummet numerous floors to your rather crunching demise. It's not a pleasant way to go.
Below is short bit of footage I captured showing you making your way across the rooftops.
I also came across another title - Remember Me - that also uses elements of parkour in it's play. Like Mirrors Edge, Remember Me is also set in a dystopian universe, and like all good cyberpunk stories it is you against the faceless corporations. What made me want to check this title out though was something else. In Remember Me you have the ability to reorganise people's memories, allowing you to change what they remember as true and thus manipulate them in order to achieve your goals. A really interesting concept, like the use of parkour, and one that works quite well.
What this shows is that there are plenty of under utilized ideas out there ripe for the picking, it just takes someone willing to take a punt on it.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Rider Review: Shark Speed R MXV, Dainese Carbon, Axo 9 to 5.
Thought I'd revisit something from the dim, dark 00's.
Back when I got my Buell, I was a member of Netrider.org, an online motorcycle group and forum. One of my roles within the group was I edited the newsletter that was emailed out to every member. We would include "rider reviews" on just about anything to do with motorcycling - gear and equipment, locations and of course, bikes.
Given that my bike is currently having some work done on it today, I was given a loaner and thought it might be a nice way to revisit old times by doing a quick review on the new gear I got recently.
So, let's begin with the new gear.
First up is the Shark Speed R MXV Sauer helmet. It is considerably lighter than the old Shark I had (a Carl Foggarty replica) but due to new rules the clip mechanism on the chin strap has now been replaced by the Double D ring system. This is a little bit of a pity as the clip system worked wonderfully and meant you could do up your lid without having to remove your gloves, but the powers that be have deemed this a safer alternative. The Speed R has a very wide viewing angle (the widest of any helmet so they say) and with the few I compared it to I'd have to agree. The visor uses an allen bolt to adjust the stiffness of the visor - no ratchets or anything here, just a very smooth action. The visor is held closed by a small pin on the left hand side that the visor clicks over. It seems to hold it very tightly closed and there is no movement at high speed. When the visor is left open this is very noticable wind noise and a high pitched whistling. I tend to ride with my visor up a lot and so this can be very annoying. Like a lot of new helmets the Speed R also has the retractable sun shield built in (think of it like the dark visor that slides down into place on a fighter pilots helmet). This works really well and I've stopped wearing sunglasses under my lid.
With the visor closed the is very little wind noise and the ventilation with the chin vent open is much better than what I was used to with my old helmet. All in all, I'm very pleased with the Shark Speed R MXV Sauer helmet. Retail price is around $450 to $500.
Second on the list are the Dainese Carbon Cover gloves, so named I expect for the carbon fibre knuckle guards and inserts. Very comfortable to wear, good ventilation and typical Dainese quality. Retail price is around $130 to $140.
Lastly, the Axo Striker 9 to 5 Boots. These low cut boots wear just like a pair of shoes. My last pair of boots were Alpine Star boots that were brilliant but have finally come to the end of their life. These Axo's are quite comfortable but have taken a little getting used to. The ratchet spool and stainless steel laces system works really well (it's been used for a long time on mountain bike shoes I was told) and has now made it's way into motorcycle boots. The main reason I went with these was that I don't want to have to carry a spare pair of shoes to Uni (if I can help it), and a full boot can be quite uncomfortable to wear all day if you aren't on the bike. The fit is a little wider than I'm used to (I have quite a narrow but long foot) but this hasn't proven to be an issue - a thicker pair of socks seems to have done the trick. Retail price is around $160 to $170.
I also have an Ogio Stealth Mark 3 backpack but I've only used this once for a very short ride so far so I won't try to review that just yet, maybe in the next couple weeks once I've had a chance to give it a good going over.
And there you have it, a quick review of some new gear.
Back when I got my Buell, I was a member of Netrider.org, an online motorcycle group and forum. One of my roles within the group was I edited the newsletter that was emailed out to every member. We would include "rider reviews" on just about anything to do with motorcycling - gear and equipment, locations and of course, bikes.
Given that my bike is currently having some work done on it today, I was given a loaner and thought it might be a nice way to revisit old times by doing a quick review on the new gear I got recently.
So, let's begin with the new gear.
First up is the Shark Speed R MXV Sauer helmet. It is considerably lighter than the old Shark I had (a Carl Foggarty replica) but due to new rules the clip mechanism on the chin strap has now been replaced by the Double D ring system. This is a little bit of a pity as the clip system worked wonderfully and meant you could do up your lid without having to remove your gloves, but the powers that be have deemed this a safer alternative. The Speed R has a very wide viewing angle (the widest of any helmet so they say) and with the few I compared it to I'd have to agree. The visor uses an allen bolt to adjust the stiffness of the visor - no ratchets or anything here, just a very smooth action. The visor is held closed by a small pin on the left hand side that the visor clicks over. It seems to hold it very tightly closed and there is no movement at high speed. When the visor is left open this is very noticable wind noise and a high pitched whistling. I tend to ride with my visor up a lot and so this can be very annoying. Like a lot of new helmets the Speed R also has the retractable sun shield built in (think of it like the dark visor that slides down into place on a fighter pilots helmet). This works really well and I've stopped wearing sunglasses under my lid.
With the visor closed the is very little wind noise and the ventilation with the chin vent open is much better than what I was used to with my old helmet. All in all, I'm very pleased with the Shark Speed R MXV Sauer helmet. Retail price is around $450 to $500.
Second on the list are the Dainese Carbon Cover gloves, so named I expect for the carbon fibre knuckle guards and inserts. Very comfortable to wear, good ventilation and typical Dainese quality. Retail price is around $130 to $140.
Lastly, the Axo Striker 9 to 5 Boots. These low cut boots wear just like a pair of shoes. My last pair of boots were Alpine Star boots that were brilliant but have finally come to the end of their life. These Axo's are quite comfortable but have taken a little getting used to. The ratchet spool and stainless steel laces system works really well (it's been used for a long time on mountain bike shoes I was told) and has now made it's way into motorcycle boots. The main reason I went with these was that I don't want to have to carry a spare pair of shoes to Uni (if I can help it), and a full boot can be quite uncomfortable to wear all day if you aren't on the bike. The fit is a little wider than I'm used to (I have quite a narrow but long foot) but this hasn't proven to be an issue - a thicker pair of socks seems to have done the trick. Retail price is around $160 to $170.
I also have an Ogio Stealth Mark 3 backpack but I've only used this once for a very short ride so far so I won't try to review that just yet, maybe in the next couple weeks once I've had a chance to give it a good going over.
And there you have it, a quick review of some new gear.
The week it all begins
Well, this week marks the end of my nice little break.
This week is O week!
And then everything "gets real", as if it wasn't real enough already. I've done everything I an do, and prepped as much stuff as I can for next week (which I will admit isn't much, but every little bit helps).
So, bring it on!
This week is O week!
And then everything "gets real", as if it wasn't real enough already. I've done everything I an do, and prepped as much stuff as I can for next week (which I will admit isn't much, but every little bit helps).
So, bring it on!
Friday, 14 February 2014
Drawing it all together.
Wow, what a month it's been. Hard to believe that in a couple of weeks Uni starts and everything I've been doing for the last 6 months or so will finally come to fruition.
In the last month I've finished up from my job and then the real work started. Had to get my bike back on the road so I will have transport to get to and from campus. I also asked the guys doing it to do a roadworthy on it as well as I had to (finally) change the registration over to Queensland which I got done yesterday.
I've also put in an application for Aus Study and dropped off the paperwork for that yesterday too. Add in all the sundry other little things that had to be done and it's been a very busy couple of weeks. There are still a few other loose ends to tidy up and O week starts in the last week of Feb, then all hell breaks loose.
I am really excited but the anxiety is starting to creep in now a little as well. I'm not second guessing myself but I have no doubt there will be a day when I come home, curl up into a ball and wonder what the hell I've done. At least I'm prepared (as much as I can be) for when that happens.
My son thinks me going to make games is awesome, and he's decided that is what he wants to do when he grows up. Of course, that changes on a regular basis - previously he wanted to be a teacher like my wife. I tracked down some software that will let him make 2D platform games which he's been playing with and making levels, now we just need to work out how to link them together.
My first textbook also arrived yesterday, one for my drawing class so that's another thing making it all very real.
But for now, I'm going to go enjoy my bike as there is yet another thing to be done today before I can put my feet up.
In the last month I've finished up from my job and then the real work started. Had to get my bike back on the road so I will have transport to get to and from campus. I also asked the guys doing it to do a roadworthy on it as well as I had to (finally) change the registration over to Queensland which I got done yesterday.
I've also put in an application for Aus Study and dropped off the paperwork for that yesterday too. Add in all the sundry other little things that had to be done and it's been a very busy couple of weeks. There are still a few other loose ends to tidy up and O week starts in the last week of Feb, then all hell breaks loose.
I am really excited but the anxiety is starting to creep in now a little as well. I'm not second guessing myself but I have no doubt there will be a day when I come home, curl up into a ball and wonder what the hell I've done. At least I'm prepared (as much as I can be) for when that happens.
My son thinks me going to make games is awesome, and he's decided that is what he wants to do when he grows up. Of course, that changes on a regular basis - previously he wanted to be a teacher like my wife. I tracked down some software that will let him make 2D platform games which he's been playing with and making levels, now we just need to work out how to link them together.
My first textbook also arrived yesterday, one for my drawing class so that's another thing making it all very real.
But for now, I'm going to go enjoy my bike as there is yet another thing to be done today before I can put my feet up.
Friday, 17 January 2014
Magical Theory
May years ago, and I do mean MANY years ago, back when the Bulletin Boards were king I was active on a few of them. One of these ran with a fantasy theme and had very active group of users who wrote stories and poems. The Admin encouraged us to write a variety of things and created a place for us to post our stuff where other users could read and comment, giving us feedback. The most popular thing I ever posted was a dissertation on magical theory "written" by the Archmage Karlin Marrick.
Jump forward to a couple of weeks ago when we were shifting rooms around at home and I found box of old papers and what-not. Going through them I found a number of pages from a notepad back when I worked for Australian Airlines (before they were taken over by QANTAS). Looking over it I found that it was what looked like a re-write of the original I'd done, expanding on some aspects and changing others.
Over a couple of hours I typed it up, cleaning up some of the grammar and trying to make sense of my own handwriting and where my brain was some 20+ years ago. There were even some notes I'd tacked on at the end on how this could be implemented as a magic system in a game which seems quite prophetic given my course of study this year.
So, please enjoy this dissertation on magic theory (without the gaming notes).
Magic, as we know it, is a force or energy that surrounds all living things. Some areas of the world, such as sacred sites, holy ground, etc, have large amounts of this energy, more than is normal. The term used to describe a single unit of this energy is a “thaum”.
When “casting a spell” you must invest a certain amount of energy within the known framework to obtain the desired result. The energy to be invested will depend upon three factors.
1. The sphere that the spell resides in (there are 4 spheres which I will cover later).
2. The type of spell being cast.
3. How long the spell is to be sustained.
To put it simply, the more energy you invest into the framework, the more powerful the spell will be.
Through much trial and error, it has been found that the human mind can handle a small amount of energy (up to 30 thaums) in a virtually continuous stream. Constructs that require 30 to 70 thaums are the quite powerful spells we use, they are dangerous but if handled carefully they can be used quite frequently and with wonderful results. Those constructs that require 70 to 100 thaums or more are generally reserved for the master magicians, the extremely lucky or the suicidal (adding together the latter 2 you generally get the first anyway).
The 4 Spheres
When a mage casts a spell, it must be from within one of the 4 spheres: Earth, Air, Fire or Water. Mages of great power may be able to cast spells that have links to 2 or 3 of the spheres. It is possible to cast a spell with links to all 4 of the spheres but this is extremely dangerous.
Earth: This sphere deals primarily with the land, agriculture, herbalism, geology and the like. It also has a healing aspect.
Air: Spells dealing with illusions and misdirection, winds, gasses and flying are the mainstay of this sphere.
Fire: Destruction is this spheres influence, in all its forms but fire is the most obvious. It also deals with other forms of energy (electricity for instance) and heat.
Water: The water sphere is primarily a healing sphere, containing frameworks that deal with water and its control.
Learning the Art
Initially, to learn anything of the magical arts one must be formally taught. Generally this occurs in a town where a mage resides. The mage will tell the town elders that he is seeking an apprentice and once all the children from the town and nearby have been assembled the mage will then make his selection. This selection is usually based upon who the mage determines to be magically orientated (but it can also be based on which child the mage believes he can actually stand for any period of time). Once the selection is made and the new apprentice is entrusted to the mage for “a period so long as the teacher has instruction”. The apprenticeship is deemed to be over when the mage believes they have nothing left to teach the student, that the student has nothing left to learn from them, the student leaves of their own volition, or the mage kicks them out (mages tend to have notoriously short tempers when it comes to children). Once the student has stopped being taught formally then they may continue their education by themselves.
Another way to learn about the control of magical forces is to petition the University of Magical Science and Theory. If accepted, students can expect to spend almost the rest of their lives in the dank, dark corridors of knowledge learning the ins and outs of all the spheres (except for field classes of course).
The casting of spells
Throughout history the greatest of magicians have kept all their spells in a single large tome and if this was lost or stolen, so were they. This is one of the universes greatest lies. As we know, the mage keeps the spells in his or her head, or the framework at least. If a mage knows the framework of a spell then all they need to do to cast it is to fill it with energy. All the “mumbo-jumbo” that’s associated with spell casting is merely showmanship to impress the locals.
When casting a spell the mage merely chooses the appropriate framework then either energises it from his own personal cache or spends a small period of time amassing the necessary power required. Then the mage focuses this power through the framework to get the desired result. For example, Jorian of Kortoli wishes to light a candle. Being a new apprentice he hasn’t yet learned about his power cache so he must visualise the framework of the spell, concentrating a small amount of energy onto the candles wick. Then he must amass enough energy and focus it through the framework. If sufficient energy is focused then the candle will light, too little and the candle won’t light and too much and the candle will melt. No matter what the spell is, this format must be followed.
Energy Caching
This is one of the last concepts an apprentice learns. It is how to cache and use your own personal energy. If a mage so desires he may energize a spell from his own cache instead of amassing energy from his surroundings. This method is generally used when the mage doesn’t have the time to amass the energy required to cast a spell but it can also be used to sustain spells for a much longer time with less concentration.
When caching energy, the mage draws it in, in the same way as to energize a spell, but instead of focusing it through the framework it is instead “left hanging”, waiting to invest the framewok. It has been suggested that some mages have the ability to use this cached energy and restore it at the same time but this hasn’t yet been proven.
Idiosyncratic or Personal Magic
Every mage, at some time in point in their life will spend time in research and development of new spells. This is formally known as Idiosyncratic Magic but is usually referred to as Personal Magic. Some of these spells may be passed on to apprentices but generally not as the frameworks were designed for a specific purpose and person.
Which Sphere can I learn?
There is no restriction on what sphere an apprentice can learn frameworks from, but you must begin with only one, which one is usually determined by the mage who holds your apprenticeship and would normally be the sphere you are most connected to. Where you grew up can have a definite impact on your connection to specific spheres. Mountainous regions link with most closely with Air, Lowland areas link with Earth, areas on lakes, rivers and oceans link with Water and desert and arid regions link with Fire. Your vocation will also lead you to certain spheres, for instance a Blacksmith would use both Fire and Earth spells.
The mechanics of it all
Every spell has a minimum amount of energy that must be passed through the framework in order to create it. If the spell is to be sustained it must be concentrated upon and the subject of the spell bent to the casters will. Some things are easy to control, others are much more difficult. Any object that was once living, a feather for example, will respond to the energy much faster and will require less energy than say a rock. This is somewhat dependant on the ability of the caster of the spell.
When an apprentice leaves their mentor they will usually have enough knowledge to cast 4 or 5 low level spells quite proficiently. This number depends upon whether the apprentice was asked to leave or left of their own accord. There is no known limits on the number of spells a person may know or the amount of energy they may invest in these spells, but by controlling more power you risk your own mind being torn apart if you don’t know how to control it properly. Safety limits are usually applied individually based on the skill of each apprentice.
Obviously the more often a spell is practiced the easier it will become to draw the necessary energy, control it and focus it. This means it will take less time to cast spells that are used frequently. As they say at the University – Practice makes perfect, if you survive.
A “spell book” isn’t really necessary as such, but most mages will keep a journal of new ideas, problems encountered and new and revised frameworks they are experimenting with. If they lose this it’s more of a nuisance than anything else.
Jump forward to a couple of weeks ago when we were shifting rooms around at home and I found box of old papers and what-not. Going through them I found a number of pages from a notepad back when I worked for Australian Airlines (before they were taken over by QANTAS). Looking over it I found that it was what looked like a re-write of the original I'd done, expanding on some aspects and changing others.
Over a couple of hours I typed it up, cleaning up some of the grammar and trying to make sense of my own handwriting and where my brain was some 20+ years ago. There were even some notes I'd tacked on at the end on how this could be implemented as a magic system in a game which seems quite prophetic given my course of study this year.
So, please enjoy this dissertation on magic theory (without the gaming notes).
Magical Theory
By
Karlin Marrick
Magic, as we know it, is a force or energy that surrounds all living things. Some areas of the world, such as sacred sites, holy ground, etc, have large amounts of this energy, more than is normal. The term used to describe a single unit of this energy is a “thaum”.
When “casting a spell” you must invest a certain amount of energy within the known framework to obtain the desired result. The energy to be invested will depend upon three factors.
1. The sphere that the spell resides in (there are 4 spheres which I will cover later).
2. The type of spell being cast.
3. How long the spell is to be sustained.
To put it simply, the more energy you invest into the framework, the more powerful the spell will be.
Through much trial and error, it has been found that the human mind can handle a small amount of energy (up to 30 thaums) in a virtually continuous stream. Constructs that require 30 to 70 thaums are the quite powerful spells we use, they are dangerous but if handled carefully they can be used quite frequently and with wonderful results. Those constructs that require 70 to 100 thaums or more are generally reserved for the master magicians, the extremely lucky or the suicidal (adding together the latter 2 you generally get the first anyway).
The 4 Spheres
When a mage casts a spell, it must be from within one of the 4 spheres: Earth, Air, Fire or Water. Mages of great power may be able to cast spells that have links to 2 or 3 of the spheres. It is possible to cast a spell with links to all 4 of the spheres but this is extremely dangerous.
Earth: This sphere deals primarily with the land, agriculture, herbalism, geology and the like. It also has a healing aspect.
Air: Spells dealing with illusions and misdirection, winds, gasses and flying are the mainstay of this sphere.
Fire: Destruction is this spheres influence, in all its forms but fire is the most obvious. It also deals with other forms of energy (electricity for instance) and heat.
Water: The water sphere is primarily a healing sphere, containing frameworks that deal with water and its control.
Learning the Art
Initially, to learn anything of the magical arts one must be formally taught. Generally this occurs in a town where a mage resides. The mage will tell the town elders that he is seeking an apprentice and once all the children from the town and nearby have been assembled the mage will then make his selection. This selection is usually based upon who the mage determines to be magically orientated (but it can also be based on which child the mage believes he can actually stand for any period of time). Once the selection is made and the new apprentice is entrusted to the mage for “a period so long as the teacher has instruction”. The apprenticeship is deemed to be over when the mage believes they have nothing left to teach the student, that the student has nothing left to learn from them, the student leaves of their own volition, or the mage kicks them out (mages tend to have notoriously short tempers when it comes to children). Once the student has stopped being taught formally then they may continue their education by themselves.
Another way to learn about the control of magical forces is to petition the University of Magical Science and Theory. If accepted, students can expect to spend almost the rest of their lives in the dank, dark corridors of knowledge learning the ins and outs of all the spheres (except for field classes of course).
The casting of spells
Throughout history the greatest of magicians have kept all their spells in a single large tome and if this was lost or stolen, so were they. This is one of the universes greatest lies. As we know, the mage keeps the spells in his or her head, or the framework at least. If a mage knows the framework of a spell then all they need to do to cast it is to fill it with energy. All the “mumbo-jumbo” that’s associated with spell casting is merely showmanship to impress the locals.
When casting a spell the mage merely chooses the appropriate framework then either energises it from his own personal cache or spends a small period of time amassing the necessary power required. Then the mage focuses this power through the framework to get the desired result. For example, Jorian of Kortoli wishes to light a candle. Being a new apprentice he hasn’t yet learned about his power cache so he must visualise the framework of the spell, concentrating a small amount of energy onto the candles wick. Then he must amass enough energy and focus it through the framework. If sufficient energy is focused then the candle will light, too little and the candle won’t light and too much and the candle will melt. No matter what the spell is, this format must be followed.
Energy Caching
This is one of the last concepts an apprentice learns. It is how to cache and use your own personal energy. If a mage so desires he may energize a spell from his own cache instead of amassing energy from his surroundings. This method is generally used when the mage doesn’t have the time to amass the energy required to cast a spell but it can also be used to sustain spells for a much longer time with less concentration.
When caching energy, the mage draws it in, in the same way as to energize a spell, but instead of focusing it through the framework it is instead “left hanging”, waiting to invest the framewok. It has been suggested that some mages have the ability to use this cached energy and restore it at the same time but this hasn’t yet been proven.
Idiosyncratic or Personal Magic
Every mage, at some time in point in their life will spend time in research and development of new spells. This is formally known as Idiosyncratic Magic but is usually referred to as Personal Magic. Some of these spells may be passed on to apprentices but generally not as the frameworks were designed for a specific purpose and person.
Which Sphere can I learn?
There is no restriction on what sphere an apprentice can learn frameworks from, but you must begin with only one, which one is usually determined by the mage who holds your apprenticeship and would normally be the sphere you are most connected to. Where you grew up can have a definite impact on your connection to specific spheres. Mountainous regions link with most closely with Air, Lowland areas link with Earth, areas on lakes, rivers and oceans link with Water and desert and arid regions link with Fire. Your vocation will also lead you to certain spheres, for instance a Blacksmith would use both Fire and Earth spells.
The mechanics of it all
Every spell has a minimum amount of energy that must be passed through the framework in order to create it. If the spell is to be sustained it must be concentrated upon and the subject of the spell bent to the casters will. Some things are easy to control, others are much more difficult. Any object that was once living, a feather for example, will respond to the energy much faster and will require less energy than say a rock. This is somewhat dependant on the ability of the caster of the spell.
When an apprentice leaves their mentor they will usually have enough knowledge to cast 4 or 5 low level spells quite proficiently. This number depends upon whether the apprentice was asked to leave or left of their own accord. There is no known limits on the number of spells a person may know or the amount of energy they may invest in these spells, but by controlling more power you risk your own mind being torn apart if you don’t know how to control it properly. Safety limits are usually applied individually based on the skill of each apprentice.
Obviously the more often a spell is practiced the easier it will become to draw the necessary energy, control it and focus it. This means it will take less time to cast spells that are used frequently. As they say at the University – Practice makes perfect, if you survive.
A “spell book” isn’t really necessary as such, but most mages will keep a journal of new ideas, problems encountered and new and revised frameworks they are experimenting with. If they lose this it’s more of a nuisance than anything else.
T minus 10(ish) and counting...
It's been a couple of months since my last post - bad me - and things have been ticking along as they do.
We've moved from 2013 to 2014 which brings my life changes that bit closer and makes them that bit more concrete. I don't think I've yet fully become aware of this impending change even though I know it's happening. Part of that reason I is due to the fact that I'm still working and as such concentrating on that. As these next 2 weeks go by, I'm sure that the reality of what's happening will become more concrete - and no more so than on the 3rd of Feb when I won't have to get up and go to work.
I have a few things that need to get sorted out in the time between finishing work and starting school. I need to get the bike serviced as I'll be a full time motorcyclist again which on one hand I'm looking forward to as I do love my bike. On the other hand though, with the current changes to the laws up here in Queensland pertaining to motorcyclists that joy of being on two wheels again is somewhat tempered.
I had a little time off over New Years and we decided that it was time to shift things around in the house. When we moved in we used the 3rd bedroom as a study. 3 years ago this was fine as normally there would be 2 of us in there and things didn't get too hot. Over time though with the boy having his own PC and being quiet proficient in using it we found that the space was just getting to hot and uncomfortable to actually be in there. And given that we are all playing Guild Wars 2 we decided that it was time to shake things up.
So, on New Years Eve we started. We moved all the board games, lego and toys that were in one corner of the lounge room, putting aside things to either be thrown out or taken to the Salvo's. A quick vacuum to clean up the dust bunnies and then we moved the TV and lounge into that corner. We realised that we didn't have an aerial cable long enough to reach from the wall plug to the TV now so a quick trip to OfficeWorks got that sorted. (along with some new power boards). Once the TV, Wii, T-Box and MediaCentre PC had been moved and the newly vacated area vacuumed we started on the study.
It took a while to get all 3 PC's unplugged and shifted out. Then we had to deal with the desks. The boys was easy - he only has a small desk for his PC, but the other 2 are big, both of them coming in at something like 1.8 meters wide and quite deep. There was lots of huffing and puffing as my wife and I slowly moved them out one at a time, twisting and turning to get them through the door after taking the tops off. Eventually we got them out and positioned where we wanted them, creating a nice new space where all 3 of us can sit, play, work and help each other out when needed. It also helps that there is a door at either end of the room so of a evening we get a really nice breeze blowing through which helps keep everything much cooler. Add the portable air con we have and now we can sit in comfort and watch TV or play on our PC's and all be in the same room.
The study over the next couple of days was transformed into a play room - all the lego and boardgames, my old tabletop RPG's that we haven't yet started to play and a couple of the bookshelves we had to move that have our display pieces (Lego Technics and Star Wars, some memorabilia and the boys 2 big dragons) are now in there. It's been way too hot to make use of it, but with the card table propped against the wall it does mean we can setup a game and leave it to come back to and it not get in the way which is great.
The boy is very pleased with himself as I had him pull apart and put back together his PC during the move and this has meant that when something isn't working (like his headphones) he has a look and tries to work out what it is himself first. So far we running about 50% success on that - but each time it's something different that gets added to the list of things to check. He's also gotten his first character to level 80 in GW2 which is an achievement for him and I'm really proud of him for getting there. And I will have more to say on kids and gaming a bit later.
For now, it's time to put the nose back the grindstone, the shoulder back to the wheel, and to continue the countdown.
T minus 10, and counting...
We've moved from 2013 to 2014 which brings my life changes that bit closer and makes them that bit more concrete. I don't think I've yet fully become aware of this impending change even though I know it's happening. Part of that reason I is due to the fact that I'm still working and as such concentrating on that. As these next 2 weeks go by, I'm sure that the reality of what's happening will become more concrete - and no more so than on the 3rd of Feb when I won't have to get up and go to work.
I have a few things that need to get sorted out in the time between finishing work and starting school. I need to get the bike serviced as I'll be a full time motorcyclist again which on one hand I'm looking forward to as I do love my bike. On the other hand though, with the current changes to the laws up here in Queensland pertaining to motorcyclists that joy of being on two wheels again is somewhat tempered.
I had a little time off over New Years and we decided that it was time to shift things around in the house. When we moved in we used the 3rd bedroom as a study. 3 years ago this was fine as normally there would be 2 of us in there and things didn't get too hot. Over time though with the boy having his own PC and being quiet proficient in using it we found that the space was just getting to hot and uncomfortable to actually be in there. And given that we are all playing Guild Wars 2 we decided that it was time to shake things up.
So, on New Years Eve we started. We moved all the board games, lego and toys that were in one corner of the lounge room, putting aside things to either be thrown out or taken to the Salvo's. A quick vacuum to clean up the dust bunnies and then we moved the TV and lounge into that corner. We realised that we didn't have an aerial cable long enough to reach from the wall plug to the TV now so a quick trip to OfficeWorks got that sorted. (along with some new power boards). Once the TV, Wii, T-Box and MediaCentre PC had been moved and the newly vacated area vacuumed we started on the study.
It took a while to get all 3 PC's unplugged and shifted out. Then we had to deal with the desks. The boys was easy - he only has a small desk for his PC, but the other 2 are big, both of them coming in at something like 1.8 meters wide and quite deep. There was lots of huffing and puffing as my wife and I slowly moved them out one at a time, twisting and turning to get them through the door after taking the tops off. Eventually we got them out and positioned where we wanted them, creating a nice new space where all 3 of us can sit, play, work and help each other out when needed. It also helps that there is a door at either end of the room so of a evening we get a really nice breeze blowing through which helps keep everything much cooler. Add the portable air con we have and now we can sit in comfort and watch TV or play on our PC's and all be in the same room.
The study over the next couple of days was transformed into a play room - all the lego and boardgames, my old tabletop RPG's that we haven't yet started to play and a couple of the bookshelves we had to move that have our display pieces (Lego Technics and Star Wars, some memorabilia and the boys 2 big dragons) are now in there. It's been way too hot to make use of it, but with the card table propped against the wall it does mean we can setup a game and leave it to come back to and it not get in the way which is great.
The boy is very pleased with himself as I had him pull apart and put back together his PC during the move and this has meant that when something isn't working (like his headphones) he has a look and tries to work out what it is himself first. So far we running about 50% success on that - but each time it's something different that gets added to the list of things to check. He's also gotten his first character to level 80 in GW2 which is an achievement for him and I'm really proud of him for getting there. And I will have more to say on kids and gaming a bit later.
For now, it's time to put the nose back the grindstone, the shoulder back to the wheel, and to continue the countdown.
T minus 10, and counting...
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