LootCrate Dec 2014 "Aniversary!"

Recently i signed up to the Nerd Phenomena known as Lootcrate. It costs a little more for me than our American cousins as I have to pay much higher postage, but it's still pretty cool and I just recieved my first one!

For those who don't know; Lootcrate is a monthly box of nerdy goodness. It can literally be anything nerdy. They have a theme and there will be things in the box that fit with a number of nerd franchises. They also do a Mega loot crate where one person a month gets a super badass awesome crate with a worth up in the thousands. But its unlikely you'll ever see that in the flesh.

So here is my first Crate:

So that's the contents of my first Lootcrate. Not amazing, but it's a nice indicator of what's to come.
I liked the tetris stickers. And I'm wearing hte socks right now. So it can't be all bad!

I'm going to keep buying them at least for six months. We'll see how it improves or deteriorates.

Cheers!

Moving-Tenantage

- James

Kit Ironsmith Narrative done

So far I think the hardest part about the development of this game has been writing out the main narrative. it's the basis that everythign else stems from and everything requires it, from the assets needed to the quests that need to be designed; the narrative affects them all and getting a strong narrative from the start that makes sense has no holes and works with all elements is a difficult process.
I have now finished the first draft and the outline, so I've got to work working on a list of assets and the in detail mission points for each chapters.

We haven't yet figured out what program we're goign to be using, but at the moment it looks like either Gamesalad or Unity. Gamesalad looks like it'd be easier to use as it works with block behaviours like a program I got heavily into at uni called virtools which we used to make a third person 3D platform game.
However Unity would allow us to do a lot more. it'd be harder, I'd have to either bring a coder into our group or learn to code, but that would be really good for me, it would add to my experience, skills and portfolio.
I'm leaning towards unity if I can figure it out, it is free until you want to publish at least, I think it lets you publiish to PC for personal reasons for free, so i'll be able to use it as a portfolio piece without publishing, which would be nice.

Art is coming along and we'll hopefully have an office for kit ready soon. we've been looking at animated gifs and have kit blinking but I'm hoping by the time we're through we'll have something more adventurous, waving perhaps? I'm not sure. Regardless I'm hopeful.

In other news I plan to upload Exile, my sci-fi short story to Amazon to be reviewed and then published to kindle on the 19th of April. I'm getting some feedback from my friends and hope to be able to incorporate it all before then. I have a cover and I'm looking forward to my second self publishing attempt. it's a good feeling that this time it's actually a good story. My most critical friend even said 'It's well written' and sad that one part was very sad :)

Anyway, enjoy your weekend.

Tubage
- james

Fourteen of Fifty Two

Characters

The Tenth Doctor

I've watched a lot of different doctors in my time. Chris Eccleson, Matt Smith, Paul McGann, I even remember some episodes of Peter Davidson and Tom Baker, but in my long time as an englishman watching this paragon of british television I've never seen a Doctor I've loved as much as the tenth, David Tennent's Doctor.

So far the actor with the most episodes as the Doctor (though smith is catching up and will overtake him next season) since it's re-boot in 2005, David Tennant's doctor has been a more relatable character than his pre-reboot incarnations. While still much larger than life, David Tennent's doctor isn't ridiculous. He's a sad, lonely old man with a genius intellect, a few quirky habits and a very strict moral code.
While Tennants successor seems perfectly happy to let people die so long as he doesn't have to actually do it himself, the tenth doctor always did whatever he could to save the lives of those around him, even his enemies.
Tennant offered one of his arch nemises, Davros, to come onto his ship to safety, even though he knew he'd just try to kill him later. Even after killing his daughter, the Doctor allowed the man who shot her to live in order to start the world off the way it was supposed to be.

Tennant's Doctor was compassionate, warm, friendly, curious and brilliantly intelligent. He loved and respected all life and when he got angry it was just a little bit scary. Not the shouty anger of Matt Smith's doctor, Tenent's anger was cold, calm and calculated. He knew exactly what he needed to do and his anger didn't slow him down.

David Tennant was my doctor. David Tennant was the human doctor.

Youtube video; Harvey Walbanger

-James
P.S. I must get back in the swing of this. this post was marvelously pathetic.

1-up

Hey, just a quickie today, some friends of mine (ok, a friend of mine and all her friends) are taking part in "Extra-Life". It's a 24 hour computer games marathon for 'childrens miracle network hospital', who provide comfort, treatment and hope to millions of sick kids.

If you want to donate and help save kids lives then go here, pick one of the team members (my friend is the only girl on the team) and donate as much as you can. Even as little as $1 is a great help and remember all proceeds go to charity.

If you can't give any money but you've got the 20th of October free (third Saturday of the month) then sign up and start getting sponsors, if you can't do that either then spread the word, the more people who know, the more people who can help.

Now I know what you're thinking 'James, you awesome genius of a man you. You love computer games, why aren't you playing a 24 hour gaming binge to help kids? Is that genius of yours so fickle that you don't care? Are you a child hater? Huh? Huh?'
First of all, the mixture of overzealous compliments and un-founded aggression is very scary, please stop. Second; the truth is, sadly, I found out too late and already have plans for that weekend. I'll be doing it next year, but as compensation I hope that the donation I made to my friend's extra life session will go some way to persuade you all that I'm not a baby hating crazy person with no love for anything but his stories.

After all, it's best if you aren't aware of that.

Anyway, thanks again, any donations will be appreciated.
I really enjoyed this short
- James.