Emzee

I'm sad to say that after 5 years, the cyanproductions.net domain will be going offline in about a week. All of the games, graphics, and assorted info are safe on my computer, and I will placing the games on my Dropbox sometime soon (in the meantime you can always PM me for games, even other games that were in the Software Library -- I think I have most of them). The idea is to have powerliesbeneath.com go live once the first beta gets closer to release -- something I plan to do late this year. The domain is already in my possession, but I'm going to wait before shelling out more many for hosting that I don't need just yet. Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up.

IC: Ra’lhen – Onu-Koro Marketplace As Korero recognized Ra’lhen, so too did Ra’lhen recognize Korero. While hardly any correlation could be drawn between the appearance of this Toa of Air and the smaller Matoran of Ice of days past, Ra’lhen did spend the last several months in a cave. Just like that, two more Toa Maru had ventured to this underground market, obviously to speak to their leader about something dire. Ra’lhen hated this situation, but from looking at Korero, he was not too quick to judge the Toa of Air’s intent. He seemed genuinely friendly, but he also seemed a little nervous. And what could a Toa Maru possibly have to fear from just an average joe Toa of Electricity, hmmm? This nervousness bothered Ra'lhen much more than anyone could have thought from looking at him. More than anything, the Vo-Toa wanted to just walk away; leave this crowded group behind. Dealing with the judgment of Stannis (Ra’lhen felt it, so to him, it had to be real) was one thing, now he would be judged twice more. “Hello, Toa Korero!” Ra’lhen said, a warm inviting smile plastered onto his face, “and hello to you too, Toa Oreius” “I presume you’re here for an impromptu meeting with our new friend over here?” Ra’lhen shifted his position to a more relaxed stance and titled his head in Stannis’ direction.

Nicely done. It's a relatively simple design while still capturing the essence of the character. Having the pocky around it is also a creative touch. I just wish the blue in the cake matched the blue in the bricks, ah well. I'm now intrigued by Tekulo's mention of dye-less chocolateering (that seems to be thing), as I'm not a big fan of all that food coloring. Of course, if someone hands me a cake, I'm almost always going to eat it regardless.

Sorry, but I'm afraid there's revival here. From the rules: This thread needs to be closed. If you have something new to present then you're welcome to start a new topic.

I had very little interest in Lego until I saw textbook covers (of all things) featuring the Robo Riders. I made it a point to go to my nearest Target and check one of these interesting Lego figures out, only to learn that the textbook covers were actually almost two years old. The only technic sets I could find where the pretentious sounding Bionicle sets (Bionicle wasn't a word I knew about, so I naturally found the notion of making up new words for their toy line to be pretentious. Makes perfect sense right?) The only reason I decided to ask for Gali for my 11th birthday (which came about 2 weeks after my failed quest for Robo Riders sets) was because a friend had recommended the Bionicle line. The masks piqued my interest a lot more than I had expected, and the rest is history.

Happy birthday Micah! It was great meeting you at Cascade this year!

That's awesome to know. I'm looking forward to your next animation!

Sorry I didn't notice this earlier. No there was no autograph or photo opportunity. He was really just there for the free concert, which was more than enough for me! I love it when the concert experience is so many times better than just listening to it in your car. Live instruments, lights, different inflection in some of the verses. Not all concerts are like that.

Progress is still going. Don't you worry. The first of two animation textbooks came in yesterday. Lack of any animation skills whatsoever has been a huge setback for me and Power Lies Beneath. With it being an action game, good animations really are a core part of the experience. I'm sure some animators out there a familiar with The Illusion of Life, the book by OIllie Johnson about Walt Disney's studio? That's the first book that came in and it's quite inspirational. Not enough to quit my day job, but man, I'm liking it so far. As far as actual game mechanics go, it's typical Unity shenanigans. You can't code a system from scratch so you hope that an asset out there can at least get you going in the right direction. But, many of the assets I buy (or even free ones), aren't as well documented or well-developed as they should be. "You get what you pay for" also doesn't apply as much as you would think (probably the most dangerous part about dealing with the asset store). Of course, Unity's core audience doesn't seem to know how to code, so many of them love these bad or buggy code snippets anyway and it gets them one step closer to their dream. Ah well. What can you do? Well, nothing has really changed visually in my game, but here's a screenshot anyway of a Hoto bug getting its AI rigged up. Those blue rings are basically its "affect field". If you're within those rings, the Hoto bug shoots goo at you. The black lines are part of a second field that depicts the Hoto bug's field of vision. And of course, there's the golden waypoint route in the grass. I'm really tired (as per usual on Fridays unfortunately), so I'm about to read some more of the Disney book and head to bed. Hope y'all have a great night!

IC: Wokapu & Ra'lhen -- Onu-Koro Marketplace Ra’lhen snorted. “I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Ra’lhen shot back with equal amount of sarcasm. Wokapu sighed. Ra’lhen could be pretty stubborn with his opinions, and if this Toa’s feelings were equally as strong then they would be in this market for hours. To Ra’lhen’s credit though, Wokapu did share his feelings on the matter. The villages (more like towns) of today were different from the oppressed villages of the past. Even if Echelon were to somehow amass an army, it would be standing up against six formidable armies. In the meantime though, Wokapu just wanted to get to Po-Koro, and see if his sister was still there. From there, he and Ra’lhen and the others could sit down and really decide what to do. “I’m still not sure if I want to really hunt down this man. He just doesn’t seem like a threat anymore, in my opinion. But maybe we can talk more about it while we walk?” Wokapu offered, “Ultimately, it’s Stannis’s decision, but he has to show us to Po-Koro first! We’ll never find it otherwise, what with them digging up and covering all the roads” “So, um-” "Sucogu," Ra'lhen deftly leaned to his left and whispered to Wokapu. "Sucogu, it's up to Stannis what he wants to do, but in the meantime, I think we're ready to head out," Wokapu said, "Walk with us and see if you can convince Ra'lhen to help you catch Echelon in the time it takes to get to Po-Koro"

I come up with names through several different ways: sometimes I fit together different syllables to get that Bionicle-sounding name, other times they are based off other names, or just sound cool. At this point though, I usually just recycle names that I've already made before, since hardly any of you were around when I last used them anyway. For masks, I just try to choose a mask I've never RP'd with before and don't worry about fighting style. It's always better to mold your character based on personality, experience, and how you want to develop them from a character perspective, than on fighting ability. Ingenuity in writing will tend to trump any sort of mask power or element anyway.

It's quite ambitious of you to undergo a 3D game project. Them 2D folks can't relate to our struggle! j/k. This is good start for something as big as this. I actually think all the 3D models are done fairly well, assuming a professional wasn't hired (otherwise, ya might wanna find a new professional. just sayin'). As for programming / mechanics, pretty much everyone else has pointed out the same bugs I encountered: died when talking to Ahkmou, saw a duplicate me in front of me when I restarted, water overlay despite not being in the water when I died, etc. Sounds like you have a handle on what needs to be done to fix those, so no point in badgering you about it. Lastly, if you really want this to be an open-world type of game, I'd recommend more stuff for the player to get into. Sidequests, minigames, side-stories, stuff like that. That's hardly a simple task, but that is kinda what's expected of open world games. Most I can say now is, great job on getting a demo out there for us to see. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come with next.

IC: Wokapu – Onu-Koro Marketplace Wokapu, classically oblivious, had already moved his attention to the next previously unseen market corridor. As such, he did not notice Seria’s gestures. The sounds of clashing metal, broiling flames, and gruff-sounding conversations had piqued Wokapu’s interest. Naturally, the Toa presumed that this was the corridor where the blacksmithing shops were. There was no way Wokapu could pass that up. Even though he felt his armor and twin katana were already at the peak of their quality, it was still fun to see what other shopkeepers were bringing to the table. “Speaking of cool weaponry, I like the sounds from this part of the marketplace,” Wokapu said, pointing how his thumb towards the sounds of metal behind him, “Let’s check it out” IC: Ra’lhen – Onu-Koro Marketplace While Stannis was being occupied by yet another loyal fan, Ra’lhen continued to look over his sword and do a few practice swings. The metal of Ra’lhen’s newly acquired broadsword had ironically felt almost soft against his rough fingers. Despite being a larger weapon that would likely require two hands to wield, the sword felt lighter and the way it moved with Ra’lhen’s movements had made him feel almost like the sword was an extension of him. This was hardly a surprise for the muscled ruby and sapphire Toa. His past experience with blacksmithing had led him to analyze the contours and shape of the broadsword, the look of its hilt compared to the blade, and also the shade of shiny grey that allowed Ra’lhen to estimate the density and quality of the metal. Ra’lhen knew by looking that this was the sword for him, and evidently, he was right. “Echelon has information from the Abettor,” the Toa had said to Stannis. “He's planning something.”” When the Necromancer’s name had reached Ra’lhen’s ears, the Toa had instinctively clenched his fingers around the hilt. A burning sensation had erupted in his lower chest and the joy that had come with a new prize had immediately been burned away. Any look of surprise Ra’lhen had was now replaced with a grimace as the Toa placed his sword in the newly acquired sheath on his back. He was in a bad mood now and the Toa struggled to rework his emotions. “With respect, why should this concern us? Or anyone?” Ra’lhen asked, trying to sound as interested and open-minded as he could, “Last I heard of him, he was beaten almost to death by one of his own minions. It will take much more than information in order to ever return to his past ‘glory’” “Yo!” Ra’lhen successfully kept himself from jumping at the abrupt greeting, and whirled his head to face the interrupter. “Is… this a private meeting?” Wokapu asked sincerely. Ra’lhen sighed and relaxed his guard, as Wokapu and Seria joined the circle outside of the sword shopkeeper’s hut. IC: Wokapu – Onu-Koro Marketplace Wokapu immediately noticed the newcomer. “Hi, name’s Wokapu, and this is Seria” the goldenrod Toa said, gesturing to the Toa of Water to his left, “We’re with these two gentlemen over here. What did I walk in on? Perhaps we can help” “Echelon, that’s what.” Ra’lhen said gruffly, “It sounds like he too is trying to gain information in order to get into that vault deep underground” Wokapu chuckled softly, as if he had just heard that a kid was trying to rob the candy stand. “Ah, yes that infamous vault,” Wokapu said, “Well, there’s no way even Echelon’s getting past the Abettor or whatever that thing’s name is. Remind me why we should be worried?” “Honestly, I’m kind of wondering the same thing,” Ra’lhen added. The Toa of Electricity hoped to still sound open-minded, but in Ra’lhen’s honest view, Echelon and whatever followers he still had were irrelevant, and finding them was not something Ra’lhen really wanted to deal with at the moment.

What? What did I dooo? Oh. Seriously though, I considered just taking a boxing class for the workout as well. It looks healthy and fun even if you never plan on actually use it. But if you find yourself midnight in downtown, you at least won't be completely unprotected. Because who avoids downtown on Saturday nights, I mean really?

Rewind back to a couple months ago when I booked and confirmed my trip to the awesome city of Portland. Admittedly, I was unsure at the time about my decision: what would Portland be like? How weird was it actually? Would I have all the fun I hoped I would? Not to mention the fact that I wasn't sure if going to the smaller convention in a new city was better than the larger convention to a city I'd already been to (BrickCon in this case. I doubt you'll see me visit the same con twice in a row unless it's Brick Fiesta). Nonetheless, I went with it. Then Deep Web Tour was announced. And guess which weekend Childish Gambino decided to perform in Texas? No, seriously. Guess. ... yeah (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ All hope seemed lost. But then, something new arose; a Titan would Fall, and there would be much celebration. And... guess what? Childish Gambino likes the game so much that he would be there too! (He really did say during the concert that he thought Titanfall was a cool game). Here are some pictures from the event. I hope to post videos too, but they need to be edited first because holding a camera steady while getting the zoom right is apparently quite difficult. Awesome game + awesome rapper + awesome internet celebrities = awesome Monday night. Got a picture with Major Nelson (I don't really listen to his podcast that much, but hey, free photo!) Got to see (but not approach -- I ain't ready for that yet (why are they so tall?)) the Rooster Teeth crew, and got some free stuff including a Titanfall t-shirt. Vince Zampella and Yusuf Mehdi were also there and they talked a little bit about the game. And all for the price of waiting in line for 4 hours after a full work day. Say what you want, it was totally worth it. Only issues were my lacking in height and weight which sometimes led to me being thrown around like a ragdoll on the quite small standing room space. It also I meant I sometimes had to jump to see the performance. Also, many non-Titanfall fans only there for the concert. Ah well, that just meant more time to play the game myself, as they all crowded the front of the stage an hour before the show began. I've been spending the past couple evenings catching up on sleep, hence the slight delay. The Titanfall game should also be reaching my doorstep tomorrow. BZPRPG players, I apologize in advance.

IC: Wokodin – West Po-Koro The muscled Toa of Stone groaned as he sat upright in his rock bed. The groan was soon followed by a concerned shudder. Usually Wokodin didn’t feel any sort of sluggishness after nights touring the taverns. Last night must have been quite the night. That or Wokodin would have to accept this body wasn’t the speedy metabolizing machine it once was. Never. No matter. It was time for work. The Sergeant left his house and made his way down the cobblestone path. He would be meeting with some recruits at the HQ today, and the rock solid Toa was never late. As the Toa walked, he couldn’t help but notice the bustle of the Tech Expo t hat was going on nearby. It was such a boisterous distraction that brought both intelligent but also unsavory types to his wholesome town. Sure, it helped Po-Koro’s economy by a lot, but the crowds were something else. But then again, Wokodin was never really into crowds. Po-Koro Center, near Sentinel HQ Wokodin walked for several minutes in silence, thinking only about the work that Wokodin would do to continue climbing the ladder in the Sentinels. The HQ was now within view, and Wokodin continued forward towards the massive building.

Nice to see you again Cap'n, though I must agree that it is funny to see you return while Tuck is still missing. haha Just a general reminder to players: I'm now saving Mata Nui Weekly news updates in the News post in BZPRPG Index. I'm also finally getting around to posting some updates of my own so hopefully it's more current now. If there's anything else that the players as a whole should know for now, feel free to let me know.

IC: Ra’lhen – Onu-Koro Marketplace The red and blue Toa eyed the collection of weapons and armor, lights dancing off the shiny, polished metal as they rested with phlegmatic poise on red drapes upon a table, guarded by a wooden gate and the shopkeeper himself. Ra’lhen knew weapons very well, having served an apprenticeship under a weaponsmith for a few decades long ago. Knowing the different types of alloys, differentiating between varying levels of ore quality just by sight and touch, and knowing work most efficiently to save time at the forge while preserving the level of quality expected from a well-credited weaponsmith; Ra’lhen remembered those times fondly, or at least he tried to remember. Ra’lhen struggled to remember the details of his young years, especially when it came to forging weapons. Had the dark memories of his other past overwritten his more benevolent years? No, that wouldn’t be fair; that wouldn’t be fair at all. “Hey Ra’lhen, are you alright?” Stannis asked benignly. Ra’lhen’s eyes darted towards his travelling buddy, and he then began to analyze his own face. That’s when Ra’lhen realized he had been scowling. He quickly forced a warm smile. “I’m fine, thanks,” Ra’lhen replied, “Just got lost in thought” The Toa of Electricity looked at the vast collection of weapons again, gazing with contemplative eyes. After a moment, Ra’lhen looked down at his hips where his Proto-Knuckles were fastened, swaying ever so slightly from the bustling of shoppers around him. Finally, Ra’lhen looked back up at the shopkeeper, who was, for the moment, looking at his merchandise and had his back turned. Saying nothing, the Toa walked over to the shopkeeper, unfastening the rope that held his boxing gloves as he did so. The shopkeeper whirled around as he heard a dense, metallic-sounding thud on his oak carved table. He looked down on his table to see the near-spherical shapes resting before him. “What I have is one of a kind,” Ra’lhen said, deep resolve grasping to his words, “a pair of not just any knuckles, but Ronkshou’s Proto-Knuckles. See for yourself.” Ra’lhen paused for a moment to give the surprised and circumspect Onu-Matoran time to examine the knuckles. After eyeing each angle, the Onu-Matoran began to slowly run his fingers over the dense metal material that coated most of the surface area. It was when the Onu-Matoran reached his right hand into one of the knuckles, and felt the moderately soft but firm shock-absorbing cushioning that Ra’lhen cut in. While the shopkeeper had been checking the tools for authenticity, Ra’lhen had been eyeing his new prize. “That sword looks as durable as it does ancient,” Ra’lhen remarked, cocking his head towards the glimmering work of weaponsmithing, “That’s hardly a trait you see too much nowadays,” The storekeeper looked to where Ra’lhen was nodding and saw the sword. Indeed, it was one of the shopkeeper’s most prized pieces of merchandise, and had been at the shop for the longest. The shopkeeper then looked down at the arguably priceless relics and still-practical weapons from the dark days of Makuta. There was also the obvious and uncomfortable fact that the guy who used them best was the one now bartering them. “The sword… for your Proto-Knuckles?” the shopkeeper confirmed. There were a moment of tense silence that followed, and Stannis continued to stand close to the side, not yet saying a word. IC: Wokapu– Onu-Koro Marketplace “Don’t know, you might have known of her,” Wokapu answered. “After all, there was a time when she was considered the most beautiful Matoran on Mata Nui, which in retrospect, is kinda creepy considering she’s really only a kid... okay, maybe not a kid kid but, y’know; not old enough for other guys to think she’s beautiful, or whatever” Wokapu then realized that he was trailing off, though he was admittedly surprised that Seria’s expression still held one of interest. “Sorry, I guess I can get a little overprotective at times,” Wokapu said rubbing the back of his neck, “Big brother instinct, what can you do?” The two continued walking through the marketplace.

I had such an awesome time in Portland. I really didn't know what to expect from that city, and I was thoroughly blown away by its food, transportation, and culture. More importantly, I got to hang out with old BZP friends and meet some new ones along the way -- not to mention meeting Wyldstyle in person. Won some free sets (Ninjago ftw), had some great food, and pretty much had a blast. Another shout out to DeeVee and Nukaya for letting me crash at their place for 4 nights. I don't think I've ever been to a place with more Lego besides cons and stores. Special shoutout to EmperorWhenua, Kayru, xccj, Kakaru, and that public attendee (whose name I can't remember unfortunately) for being there. It's always great to meet new BZPers. Here's to hoping we meet again. Now I'm just hoping everyone gets to see this entry before it gets bumped by where I went last night.

I love that whole album!

Nice! Every little change like this helps, and I have to say that this was a very smart move.

Part of it is that the darker points didn't really affect me since I knew what they would lead to already and as such the suspense wasn't really there. There's also the siblings thing which, while handled well, was not very relatable to me since there aren't any siblings that I would go to such great lengths to bond with, so to speak. In fact, there were hardly any characters I could relate to, except for maybe the prince. And I don't know how to feel about that. Had no idea who Idena Menzel was until I put her name into Google. Turns out Frozen is her only performance that I've seen and/or heard. That voice was amazing though, and I had a feeling that she was played by someone well known.

It was in the Software Library until the BBCode got messed up. Here's the link that was there: Piraka Mania. If you have questions you can PM Valrahk or use the Software Library topic. I hope you enjoy the game! Thread closed (question answered).

I recently was able to watch both The LEGO Movie as well as Frozen. I'll just share some quick thoughts on both: The LEGO Movie Honestly, I wasn't sure about going to see it at first. For one, the trailers didn't blow me away like they did for other people, and I knew I'd probably be seeing it surrounded by noisy kids on a Saturday afternoon (note: Saturday afternoons are the only windows of free time I really have to venture out into the city). Anyway, I heard about the great reviews so I thought 'How bad could it be', and I was pleasantly surprised at the writing, the animation, and even the interesting ending (I don't see how they plan to top that in the sequel). I'm glad I went to go see it, and it was definitely money well spent. I now can see why the more hardcore LEGO fans adore this movie so much. The people behind this really went above and beyond to give LEGO fans of all ages what they want. Definitely go see it if you're a big LEGO fan. Though I sure if you were you've already seen it. Frozen This was not a movie I was intending to see, originally. I was with a group and a few people said that the movie was pretty good, and I've seen mentions of it around here and on the internet and general, plus there's critical acclaim. With all of that, I figured, 'there's no way I can hate this movie, at least'. So, I went and watched the movie with my coworkers. Indeed, I was right. It's always interesting to watch a movie that really doesn't engage you at any emotional level, but you can't help but smile and love the movie because you can still see and appreciate its greatness. That's what Frozen is to me. Engaging visuals, exceptional attention to detail, great writing that I didn't expect, moderately tolerable anthropomorphic comic reliefs, and an all around good movie that I could see had a lot work and thought put into it. If I can like this movie, there's hardly much excuse for anyone else. I recommend it.