Jump to content

Emzee

Premier Retired Staff
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,465

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    10

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Emzee

  2. Emzee

    Well...

    By Emzee,

    I'm in Austin right now, chilling and taking a breather before my... *sigh* Physics final. But ANYWAY, I'm enjoying being in a different city for a day, and as mentioned earlier, I'm sitting only a few yards away from the LEGO Store that opened this weekend. I've taken quite a few pictures with my camera phone (insert lol-I'm-poor jokes here) and I'll write an in depth recounting of what I've seen later. Must say, this event's a lot bigger than I expected. Never been to a LEGO Store opening, but it vaguely reminds me of the Tyson's Corner LEGO event I was at during Brickfair last year.
     
    Will update soon. Stay tuned!
  3. Emzee

    Writers! Help Please?

    By Emzee,

    So... I need some ideas for my role-playing in the BZPRPG. I've completely hit writer's block for the story revolving around two of my characters. I need something fresh and interesting, but my brain is fizzled (too much programming?). Right now, they're working on a marketing project for school, and I need to throw hijinks and drama into that to get some desperately needed CD. If anyone has any mini-plot ideas, throw them this way please.
  4. Emzee

    To My Brickfair Friends

    By Emzee,

    Have fun and pleeeeeease be safe (you know how safe you guys were last year? BE SAFER!!) I'd rather not see any "In memorium"s on the front page during this weekend.
     
    Other than that, do as many Brickfair activities as you can (unless you're the coordinator and/or this if your first time to Brickfair and meeting people, I'd recommend against spending the whole day at the BIONICLE table), and do enjoy yourselves, on my behalf at the very least.
  5. Emzee
    Since I have nothing better to do that Sunday (>_>) I'm thinking of driving to Austin for the store opening, provided that I still have plans for Saturday. If it turns out that I won't be doing anything Saturday I'll go that day instead.
     
    I don't know why I'm putting this out there, no one I know is going and no one else would recognize me. Plus, I'm still not 100% sure I'm going (I still need to take my car to the auto place to make sure it's up for 200+ mile (per trip, so 400+ total) drive. If you hear anything back from me about this event, then you can rest assured I was able to make it.
  6. Emzee

    2003 - 2004

    By Emzee,

    Oh boy... what is it about second years never living up to the fourth? Beats me...
     
    Anyway, between July 23, 2003 and July 23, 2004, BZP's member base grew exponentially. I imagine many of them joined after getting the beta of MNOLG2 (which was programmed poorly, and thus makes it a sucky game IMO). MNOLG2 and Mask of Light were the main foci of this year, pretty much overshadowing the Rahkshi (at least it looked that way to me...) My game, The Saga Continues, sort of fell by the wayside in terms of popularity. This may have been because so much attention was being brought to my next game, The Legend of Mata Zuto: Genesis. The game was an overall success, and it took nearly half the time it took to complete TSC to finish it. I felt compelled to make yet another RPG; a sequel to "Genesis": "The Bohrok Saga". When making this game, I wanted to merge the Mata Zuto universe with the universe established in The Saga Continues (The Infestation is actually an even mix of elements from both TSC and The Bohrok Saga). This was also the year that I wanted to expand my creativity. I began writing epics and making sprite comics - all connected to the Mata Zuto story. I was about halfway through Mata Zuto 2 when I released it for download. My fanbase was booming, and many wanted to help with the RPG. I let a few members take the RPG and work on the next version that was due in a couple weeks or so. They disappeared off the face of the Earth and my topic died since there weren't any updates.
     
    Meanwhile, members from all over the web came pouring in (in part because BIONICLE.com linked to us in 2004). This is the year that, with so many new faces, the forums began to lose their community feel. This was compounded by the fact that us, still being tweens and kids, couldn't role-play to save our skins, so the RPG forum was pretty much dead. There would be the occasional "interesting" project that would garner lots of posts from members (this was before the "proof" rule was implement), but eventually, it would die off. People also didn't seem to have the same affection for RPG Maker-made games like they did when I joined. Soon after the death of Mata Zuto 2, I released "TSC-REVISED", the first RPG on BZP to be made with RPG Maker 2003. The very first Matoran Battle Sprites also spawned from that game. It did okay, considering how dead the RPG forum was. After that, I began working on the MZGRPG - a remake of "Genesis" - with a completely different story. This completely tanked and it seemed like the age RPG Maker-made games was clearly over.
     
    Fortunately, in June 2003, a BZ Moderator (with the help of Black Six and other members) started up the BZPRPG. This would mark my first role-playing experience, and it help to dull the pain of the complete lack of interest in video game RPGs. This was very fun, but the RPG was too strict in my opinion. Granted, we all sucked at RPing, and god-modded everywhere, but the method of handling it was not like it is today. Though, I must repeat, the beginning months of the BZPRPG was very fun, and a great pastime. It's too bad they were lost.
     
    In general, the BIONICLE storyline was cool during this time, but it felt like BZP was getting a tad bit cluttered.
     
    This year was also notable for being my favorite year in BIONICLE. Everything was climatic and it felt cool. Plus the urban setting of 2004 was beyond awesome. It's just too bad we didn't get a "MNOLG" for that year...
  8. Emzee

    2004 - 2005

    By Emzee,

    Ah yes, my third year at BZP. It had now become permanently part of my e-routine, checking posts in the RPG forum as well as browsing the other boards. The last half of this year mostly was about the 2nd movie - the best BIONICLE move, IMO. I lot of people weren't sure on what to expect, considering the setting was entirely different. All-in-all though, the movie was very well-received (minus a few naysayers, but I will get to them later in this entry.
     
    You may remember me mentioning an MNOLG for the Metru Nui saga. Well, a BZPer named -Takua- apparently shared my desire for another adventure game, and the Metru Nui Online project (known as MeNOL) was born. I didn't take part in this, and at first there wasn't really much to show from the project. -Takua- was a beginner, but it was great to see such an ambitious project be started. It also wasn't the only game being created in the Software forum. Since no FCG forum existed, any video game that wasn't an RPG went in the Software Forum, and several other projects had sprung up there - all using the application called Game Maker. Thus, near the end of 2004, the "game company fad" had started. Everyone wanted to start a company and hire strangers off the street to create interesting content, much like people are doing now. No doubt, it was a great way to make new friends, but what came of it? Well, surprisingly, a lot more than you think. Most of these game companies actually were able to release something, and many times they were able to release multiple games. I was truly inspiring to see such interest in fan-created games, and I was glad to see the fade last a long time.
     
    On the other side of things though, other parts of BZP and the BIONICLE fandom as a whole weren't doing too hot IMO. Criticism of the line increased exponentially, mostly from people simply entering their mid to late teens and naturally losing interest in such a "childish" hobby like BIONICLE. Granted, not all the critics thought like that, but it easy to tell which side a critic was on by looking at their criticisms in 2004/2005 and seeing if they're actually still around. If they're not, chances are they were just bitter about growing up and not seeing the line mature with them. I of course, loved the line at this point. 2004 was one of my favorite years because of its urban feel. It felt more sci-fi, and thus, familiar to me. BIONICLE was in its prime, and it was disappointing to see so many people refer to it like it was a childish toyline with a cheap storyline. Nowadays, I've just accepted all of that and am content with enjoying my childish hobby, but I was 15 then - you know how 15 year olds are.
     
    Stay tuned for next year's summary: when the fandom strikes back!
  9. Emzee

    2002 - 2003

    By Emzee,

    Don't ask why, but I spent a great deal of time in Storyline and Theories. I think this is because that forum was the first to show up on my address bar whenever I typed in bzpower.com (I didn't know how to bookmark at this time), plus every forum looked the same to me so I didn't really pay attention to what forum I was in (yes, I was one of those members). So most of my first few posts were in S&T, with this one being my very first (as far as I know - I got up rather late the next day).
     
    BZPower was cyber-attacked in November 2002. The forums were offline for quite a while after that and I was sure the era of BZ had met its end. Fortunately, I was wrong.
     
    So, you may remember last entry when I mentioned Flow of the River. That's how I discovered the RPG Forum, which I thought was an odd name for a forum that had computer games. The forum was populated with game project that were doomed to fail (FotR could possibly be included in this, since the game was only half-finished by this point and the creators had gone on hiatus). Still, I checked out the 3D C++ game topic, and many other topics using RPG Maker to make their stuff. I really wanted to believe I could find something to fill that void of no Legends of Mata Nui PC game. Well, since the game projects (most of them at least) weren't going anywhere, I decided to start making RPGs myself.
    Now to shamelessly parrot from my site's About page:

     
    This actually sums up my first year well. The rise and fall of an aspiring RPG Maker. I also enjoyed the luxury of learning more about the BIONICLE storyline and other facets that I would've never found on Bionicle.com. I had gotten used to simply visiting BZPower first, then, if LEGO posted an update, I'd check out Bionicle.com through the link that BZPower posted.
  10. Emzee
    I was bored during the summer of 2002. I didn't have enough sets to really MOC, and I didn't have a camera to take pictures, so much of my time was spent on my Windows 98 desktop. My site that had really piqued my interest during this time was bioniclemusic.com. It had a flash application that let you mix several tribal/techno tracks together to make music. It was beyond awesome. Another Bionicle-related thing that I found on the 'net was this BIONICLE flash game, where you would choose a Toa and then battle Rahi in several levels, increasing your score. They had a contest where the highest scorer got a free Manas set (still curious on who was the lucky person). Well, these two sites (along with a painful longing of anything remotely similar to the cancelled PC game) are what ultimately got me started on my quest for BIONICLE multimedia. This being the time before the BIONICLE Media Project or even BZPower however, my searches were not very fruitful.
     
    One day, I stumbled across a BIONICLE site that I can't name. Since I can't really discuss it in detail, I'll just say that it was the first fansite that I had ever encountered and was blown away by the set reviews and official BIONICLE images that they were able to put up from time to time. Continuing on... there was another site that Google returned in my search: "Xitan's BIONICLE Corner". I guess Google was not very fast at updating their links, because when I encountered this site, it had been moved to another domain for some time. This domain: bzcommunity.com, would be my second fansite that I encountered. Honestly, I didn't like it. You were greeted with the disembodied head of a maskless Toa with fiery red eyes gazing into your soul, and I barely was able to notice the BionicleZone under it. Not to mention, this being the very first forum I encountered, I simply couldn't make my way around the site. There were links everywhere going to all kinds of different places, with little icons and images strewn about everywhere. It had been the oddest website I had ever encountered, boasting what looked like thousands of webpages with URLs that I couldn't make out. It was through this heap of links that I discovered Brickshelf, where they supposedly hosted pictures of peoples' MOCs and BIONICLE figures. The folders were never public though, so I ignored it and continued on, searching for any more BIONICLE multimedia.
     
    Finally, Google showed my Kanohi Power, another BIONICLE fansite that (IMO) looked miles better than Bionicle Zone. Everything was clean and not too many links. I reminded me of the first BIONICLE site, but with less pictures. At the time, I need pictures and videos to keep my interest in anything, so I quickly moved on.
     
    However, every time I'd try to search for something BIONICLE-related, I'd generally always find myself at one of those three fansites, and mostly, I just wound up at either BZCommunity or Kanohi Power. I had also managed to grasp what a "forum" was, and consequently had an easier time navigating BZC. I finally just stuck to BZC - the Toa head didn't bother me anymore, and I learned that people were making all kinds of cool stuff in their Creative Outlet, including a 3D BIONICLE game in the works (written in C++ no less!)! As you can probably guess, that particular project fell through.
     
    I continued following the discussions on BZC until one day when I saw that BZ's layout had changed dramatically. It turns out it merged with Kanohi Power - that other site that I paid little attention to! Well, that was convenient! BZP then felt like a brand new site (cause it was!). Contrary to what I thought, it doesn't look like I felt the need to post in the FotR topic at all, considering it was almost a week after I joined before I did. I guess I just decided to join just-cause. Anyway, three days later (technically 2 days later, and I joined a little bit after midnight), I decided to sign up.
     
    And that's how I found BZP!
  12. Emzee

    Graphics Card Survey

    By Emzee,

    Hi guys. I'm developing a 3D RPG and it would help me greatly if I had an idea of the types of graphics cards people use. See, I'm trying to see if the models and meshes I have now will be suitable with their polygon counts, or if I need to make adjustments. It all depends on the hardware though.
     
    For Windows users, you should be able to find your graphics card by going to your Desktop, right-clicking on the background and choosing Properties, and then clicking on the Settings tab. It should then show you graphics card model. In Windows 7, you have go to your windows experience index, and then select the "view and print detailed information." There is no "properties" options from the desktop. And for OS X, Go to the Menu Bar --> Apple logo --> About this Mac --> More Info --> Graphics/Displays.
     
    Anyway, comment here stating your graphics card, it will help me and other 3D game developers here greatly.
  13. Emzee

    New Video

    By Emzee,

    I've been spending much of my free time working on my extremely labor-intensive project, known simply as Mata Zuto 3D: Influx. Now, I have something new to present to the few of you who are interested.
     
    Click here to see the player character unsheath his sword and battle the evil mesh. Also take a look at the interface. The enemy HUD may or may not stay that way. I would like feedback on how you like that panel that appears on the left side of the screen. You can battle up to four enemies at once, and their panels would simply line up on the left side of the screen. The font used is the official Legend of Mata Zuto font. It's kind of part of see clearly, which is why I hope to get a prototype underway, so that you can get a better look at what I'm trying to present.
     
    Well, enjoy!
  14. Emzee
    I'll just come right out and say it: it was the stuff of nightmares. Remember that XKCD strip where the guy was in class and they had a pop test, and he had no idea what to do, and it turned out it was all a dream? That would be my weekend, except it wasn't a dream. Sure, I knew the concepts, but in Calculus-based Physics, concepts isn't enough. It's the cruelest form of problem solving known to man, and combine that with my (general) inability to solve problems (whether real or conceptual) right the first time...
     
    *sigh* I just hope I can still pass.
  15. Emzee
    Yeah, I doubt most of you know about those. I know that sounds like the Golden Cheese of Awesomeness or something like that, but don't be fooled. I'm getting one tomorrow and it will be due on Tuesday. Most likely? I will be literally working on it the whole weekend. Still though, I can say that they're a little bit better than have to take an exam in only an hour's time, but I don't know if I can stay in my room for three days straight doing Physics problems.
     
    And I see Hero Factory has touched down on American soil. I hope Smeag and DV can get their hands on them soon - we're overdue for a review from one of them - especially DV.
     
    Oh, and lastly, clickety-click.
  16. Emzee

    I'm Now An Officer

    By Emzee,

    At the end of this past semester, I ran for an Officer position for an engineering organization that I'm a part of. I won, which is cool, and I'll now have a lot on my plate as my position involves a lot of writing (official title is Secretary), which will... hopefully be cool.
     
    That's the only update I have for right now. Please fill out the survey I posted if you haven't already.
  17. Emzee

    So, What's Up?

    By Emzee,

    Not much has changed in Emzeeland. I'm still in school, for one. In fact, I'm taking two summer courses because I'm behind. There's the Electromagnetism (Physics) class (with its lab as well), and Linear Algebra. I really don't know how to describe Linear Algebra other than "an alternative way of playing with numbers". You take this after Calculus I, but the subject itself isn't really based on Calculus. Like I said, it's a different way of working with numbers completely.
     
    Money is still tight, but as long as I keep getting approved on loans, I should be able to get my Software Engineering degree, and hopefully, a good job that will help me pay back my impending dues quickly.
     
    So, how goes it with you guys?
  18. Emzee

    Guess Who's Back?

    By Emzee,

    Eh, with the new sig guidelines finally being rolled out, I think BZPower deserves a little something from me.
     
    Now to clean this place up a bit... *gets broom and dustpan*
  20. Emzee

    Intriguing

    By Emzee,

    I'm not sure who bundled up their snow and shipped it to Texas (I'm thinking it was Andrew, but I'm not sure), but thanks! No classes today.
  21. Emzee

    Super Bowl

    By Emzee,

    Really not sure if I'm going to watch it or not. If my friends have something planned, then I'll probably end up joining them. As my Staff Bio says, I don't really watch sports (or TV in general), so I'm not as hyped about it as some other people here are.
     
    Yeah, this was just a ramble entry. You guys got any plans tonight?
  22. Emzee

    The Son Of The Toa

    By Emzee,

    Soon after the victory over Makuta, the six Toa Mata were killed by a creature named Shadows. A single Toa called Tahkan was sent to defeat him, but he was only one Toa. Tahkan was advised to instruct his apprentice on the ways of the Toa, in both mental and physical form, and he chose a young Matoran named Matev. Together, they travelled the island in a desperate quest to hunt down Shadows, and after much traveling, Tahkan and Matev became very close. Tahkan eventually began calling Matev his 'Son', which was a great compliment to the skills and reliability of Matev.
     
    After chasing Shadows through almost all of the island, they finally caught him in one of the many tunnels of Onu-Wahi. After a vicious confrontation, Tahkan was defeated. With the Toa's last breath, Tahkan stripped off his mask and gave it to his son, reminding him of his duty to protect the island. With his father's mask, Matev fled the island and sailed far away to a place where he hid for fifteen years. One day a voice spoke to him, informing Matev that Shadows had recovered his full strength, and was once again unleasing chaos on the island of Mata-Nui. This was Matev's only chance to honor the death of Tahkan and redeem his own name.
     
    Play as Matev as he travels the island of Mata Nui on his quest to destroy Shadows once and for all!
     
    Screenshots:
     
    Operating System: Windows (98 and higher)
     
    Download: Here
  24. Emzee
    Well, Cyan generally likes to work on many projects at once, but this particular project, spearheaded by longtime FCG resident, =Blur=, is the completed and revised version of The Son of the Toa. As my signature says, it will be released tomorrow morning.
     
    Clicking on the banner will take you to the Cyan webpage for The Son of the Toa, but here's the original, uncut description of this RPG:
     

     
    It would be awesome if you could let us know what you think of this upcoming RPG, either in the Cyan topic or just in this blog.
  25. Emzee

    Wow Deevs

    By Emzee,

    ... I guess awesomeness really does get you far. That means I need to build up mine, and fast!
     
    Congrats to you and all those other promotees!
×
×
  • Create New...