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Voltex

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Blog Entries posted by Voltex

  1. Voltex

    Bionicle Day

    By Voltex,


    BZPGOT
    Today is #810nicleday and so I thought I might use this opportunity to visit this old place to once again share some of the artwork that some fantastic folks have done for the campaigns I run over in the BZPGOT Discord server!
    But first things first: an invitation. If you're interested in potentially participating in any future games (or simply want to hang out with other Bionicle fans), you can click the invite link to join us!
    Anyway, onto the art. Today I wanted to highlight the series of covers that I commissioned for Verdant Wind two years ago. If I've done it right, you should be able to click the image to see a higher resolution.

    Verdant Wind was the ultimate culmination of five years' worth of stories. It served as a grand finale for every character and story that had appeared up to that point, and to celebrate the occasion, I commissioned several covers for it.
    The first cover, done by @TBK, is the official cover of Verdant Wind. It features the leaders of three player factions standing off against the game's main antagonist, with the broken pieces of my own NPC's mask in the dirt behind them.
    The first variant cover, done by @ToaTImeLord, features those same player characters standing off against each other - fitting, as Verdant Wind brought them back into conflict before bringing them together.
    The second variant cover was done by @xccj. In addition to the leaders, this cover features much of the other player characters - those who made up the core cast of the Edge of Dawn arc.
    The third and fifth variant covers were done by some of my IRL friends (and yes, that fifth one is watercolor!). Both feature the faction leaders.
    The fourth variant cover was done by @ZippyWharrgarbl. Like Xccj's cover, this one features much of the player cast, with a couple cameos and secrets sneakily inserted as well.
    The sixth variant cover was done by @Jakura Nuva. It features the three player faction leaders being crushed beneath the game's main antagonist.
    The seventh variant cover is a unique one; I commissioned it later than the others, as Verdant Wind reached its halfway point (and the big twist that would come with it - one that ultimately united the entire game world together). @Akaku: Master of Flight did a fantastic job bringing it to life; it features a set of characters who together represent every era of the games up to that point, working together.
    The eight variant cover is also unique. I am responsible for the design, but I take no credit for the artwork used - that's all TBK and Akaku.
     
    Anyway, that's all for today, folks. Hope you enjoyed!
  4. Voltex

    More Art

    By Voltex,


    BZPGOT
    Just the other day I shared a bunch of cover pieces from some of the Bionicle campaigns I run on Discord, and just last night SPECTER L completed their latest piece for my horror campaign, Glass!
    I commissioned it for "Book I", A Midnight Requiem, and as I like to do with everything in Glass, I hid away various secrets of my own within the cover. Many have been uncovered by the players on the Discord already, but a few still remain hidden
    This cover features @Jakura Nuva's character in the campaign, Dale Eisenhorn. He's an Agori who worships the Moon, but he's in a spot of trouble with the Green...
    like with last time, if you click the image you should be able to see a higher quality version.

  5. Voltex

    Cover Arts

    By Voltex,


    BZPGOT
    Felt like posting something on this old relic so here, enjoy some of the cover arts that I've commissioned for the Bionicle campaigns I've been hosting on Discord the past few years! I like to think they've been pretty varied. All but two of the covers below feature art from @TBK!

    The Argonauts was a pirate adventure, with a dash of horror and time travel to spice things up.
    The Aenid was a sequel to The Argonauts. Still a pirate adventure, but also a tragic war story that culminated in a massive battle.
    Twilight Requiem was the second part of the Edge of Dawn saga; it dipped into Norse Mythology, sci-fi, time travel, and politics all wrapped up in an academy storyline.
    Azure Moon was the third part of Edge of Dawn. It was a war story, with some of the most brutal scenes in any of the campaigns. The protagonists of this story thought they were the heroes, but were actually the villains.
    Silver Snow was the fourth part of Edge of Dawn; it went all-in on Norse Mythology, and revisited the Underworld before instigating Ragnarok.
    Crimson Flower was a blend of everything, as the heroes sailed the seas against greater odds than ever before. They ended up overcoming death itself in their quest to victory.
    Verdant Wind was the culmination of Edge of Dawn - and it was also the culmination of every other campaign in the series up to that point. It brought everything to a head, as the players ended up taking on the gods of the world. For Verdant Wind I also commissioned several variant covers, from the likes of @ZippyWharrgarbl, @ToaTImeLord, @xccj, @Akaku: Master of Flight, @Jakura Nuva, and a few non-BZP members.

    The Mysterious Affair at Styles was a murder mystery taking place in a new world. Its cover features art from @Taka Nuvia!

    Epigoni was the tale of a last stand to save the world from an alien invasion.

    Glass is a horror campaign, taking much of its inspiration from the Cthulhu Mythos - but also from gothic horror and more. Its cover features art from Specter L!

    (i think if you click the image, you should be able to see a higher quality version)

  6. Voltex

    January 16

    By Voltex,

    On January 16th, a new and uncertain journey begins:
    There is nothing to fear.
    Welcome to Aaru. In this world, there is no magic. Nothing lurks in the shadows; there are no gods to rule your destiny. No Masks of Power, no Relics or Artifacts. Just people, living ordinary lives in the valley. Ignore the sounds of shattered glass; there is nothing to fear. You are safe in the light, by the warmth of the hearth. Live your perfect life. Do not look for answers, for you already know what you need to know. Live these good days.
    Do not seek out the Question.
    There is nothing to fear.
     
    And then...

    Later this month, a final stand will be made.
    All on Discord : https://discord.gg/4wYG8Xdg
  8. Voltex

    Deja Vu

    By Voltex,

    The final battle is almost upon us.
    The end of the Eternity War; a Brave New World.
    Ragnarok; Two Worlds Collide.
    Let's do this one more time.

  9. Voltex

    Crimson Flower

    By Voltex,

    The Empire has fallen. The Church reigns supreme. Ragnarok approaches.
    The Black Eagles face greater odds than any protagonists before them. As they are hunted across the world, they must search for one last miracle to save the day...
    ...or there will be no more tomorrows.
  10. Voltex
    Art by TBK.
    Two new collaborative adventures are beginning.
    In AZURE MOON, six Agori must lead a desperate, final push against an Imperial invasion that threatens to consume Okoto. Let the old powers die, and forge a brave new world.
    In SILVER SNOW, six Agori must adventure out into the dangerous and mysterious Spirit Side. Ragnarok is upon them. Two worlds collide; only one survives.
  12. Voltex

    2019 in Film

    By Voltex,

    Another year has gone by, and so it's time for another top five. 2019 was better than usual for films; I feel like I saw a really diverse set of movies, more diverse than I usually do, and almost all of them in the cinema too. As usual, there are a few films I did not get to, which I'll give honorable mentions to now:

    How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - while I doubt it would have made my top five or even come close, the first film in this trilogy remains one of my all-time favorites. Though the trailers to the finale didn't sell me on it, I have heard that it's very good. I should probably give it a proper chance.
    1917 - It hasn't had a wide release in Canada yet, but will within the next two weeks. I guess since the wide release is technically this month, I might actually count it for 2020, and maybe it'll make the next top five....
    That's about it. For once, I feel like I actually managed to see just about every movie that I was interested in. Feels weird. Anyway, onto the top five of the year.
     
    #1: Avengers: Endgame
    Avengers: Endgame isn't the best movie that was released this year, and it isn't even the best movie in the MCU. I think Infinity War is probably the better movie between the two, but I also think it's important to judge Endgame as the event and phenomenon that it was. Providing a satisfying conclusion to 11 years of story and 22 movies was a near impossible task, and yet Marvel managed it with flying colors (barring a few missteps - it REALLY sucks that Black Widow was by far at her all-time best in this movie, only for her time in it to be cut so short).
    Ultimately, Endgame is the movie that impacted me the most this year. These characters and stories have come to mean a lot to me in the past 11 years, and getting a proper sendoff meant a lot. I cried during my first viewing of the film, and continued to tear up at points during repeat viewings. The MCU will continue on - but this was the end, and I don't believe the MCU will ever really reach this point again.
    #2: Knives Out
    Rian Johnson has discussed possibly doing a sequel to this movie if it does well, starring Benoit solving a different case. I hope he does, because Knives Out was just a whole lot of fun, and I'd love to see a little bit more from this world. Plus, I can't get enough of Daniel Craig's outrageous accent.
    #3: Joker
    Joker was another cultural phenomenon. It was rather fascinating to watch Gotham descend into anarchy, while Arthur Fleck disappeared into the Joker.
    #4: Ford v Ferrari
    Matt Damon is always fun to see onscreen, and Christian Bale does a wonderful job here too. The racing is heart-racing (pardon the pun), the struggle between these two individuals and their corporate overlord feels real.
    #5: Ad Astra
    Sad Space Man Brad Pitt goes off on a quiet, lonely adventure through space. Ad Astra isn't for everybody - it probably isn't for a lot of people - but I enjoyed it a lot, and found it a nice change of pace.
    -
    And those are my top five films for 2019. Tomorrow, I'll do a Top Ten of the Decade.
     
  18. Voltex

    NEW GAME+

    By Voltex,

    It's that time again - a new campaign will be starting soon, over on the BZPGOT Discord! This time it's an all-new story, an all-new threat, with all-new locations... and featuring all-new characters! It's a new beginning, for a new generation: the EDGE OF DAWN.
    If you sign up, your character might even get featured in a nice piece of cover art (or more!) - such as this cover piece done recently for us by none other than @Akaku: Master of Flight!

    But what is EDGE OF DAWN? Well, if you've played any of BZPower's RPGs before, then you'll have some idea of what you might be able to expect. You'll select a role and create a character profile to fit it, before submitting it for approval. Then, when the game launches, you'll play that character as you explore the world and unravel the story.
    EDGE OF DAWN is comprised of three campaign groups. All are students at an academy - but each group has their own story that they'll play through, with their own unique villains, locales, and obstacles. These groups are....
    The Black Eagles
    The Black Eagles will primarily be investigating the disappearance of their nation's ruler. These investigations might lead them into conflict with the Church - the organization in charge of the school - and will also lead them to unearth the remnants of the Iliad (a villainous group of old, who dedicated themselves to the idea of destroying death itself).
    The Azure Serpents
    The Azure Serpents will primarily be investigating a series of strange occurrences surrounding the Temple of Time, as well as hunting down a villainous group who operate within the shadows of Okoto's society. This is a campaign likely to deal with the most "Player vs. Player" conflict, should that be your cup of tea.
    The White Wolves
    The White Wolves will primarily be investigating "Spirit Ruptures" - tears in the fabric of reality that open into a world of pure magic. They must attempt to prevent or emerge victorious during a prophesied event known as "Ragnarok". This campaign will be themed around Norse Mythology.
    So how do you join? Easy enough. If you already have Discord, shoot me a message and I can send you an invite to the Discord where this game will be played. Don't have Discord? Comment your interest here, and I'll send you a PM.
    Interested in the roles that are available? Check THIS LINK HERE. Some spots have already been taken; but others are still available (for now!) Should we have too many signups, I am open to creating more character slots. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
    When will the game begin? I intend for it to start in January; this is simply an "early bird" signup call, as it were.
    And that's all for now - I hope we'll see you soon!
  19. Voltex

    artwork & stories

    By Voltex,

    As you all know (or don't, I don't actually know who reads this), I hosted a series of games known as BZP's Game of Thrones. Those games finished, but the world that was born from them didn't - and for the last several months, I have hosted a series of smaller campaigns, making use of the wider world (and borrowing heavily from Bionicle's own lore, alongside other fictions and myths) to tell some standalone stories with smaller casts.

    So I thought it might be nice to go into the general plot of these various games, alongside some of the neat artwork that has been made for them.
    THE ARGONAUTS
    Featuring cover art courtesy of TBK, The Argonauts was a pirate adventure. It starred 8 player characters - Toru, Rassilon, Ehks, Tabek, Juke, Talos, Xavi, and Seqala - as they set off on a whirlwind mission to rescue Telluris from the clutches of the Iliad, a criminal organization fixated on destroying death itself. They suffered betrayals and death along the way (including the loss of Voltex), and it all culminated in a battle aboard their ship, the Argo, where they took one of the Iliad's leaders prisoner and managed to slay another.
    THE AENID
    Once more featuring cover art courtesy of TBK, The Aenid was a direct sequel to The Argonauts. It starred the same player characters, while adding one more - Jakura - as the war between the Argonauts and the Iliad approached its climax. As the Iliad found the final pieces needed to finally accomplish their goals, the Argonauts desperately sought out allies from across the world. It all culminated in the massive Battle of the Crossing, where the Argonauts and their allies finally emerged victorious, and the Iliad were destroyed.
    THEOGONY
    Unbeknownst to all, the Battle of the Crossing unveiled the Doors of Death, leading into Theogony - an arduous journey through the Underworld, and into the heart of Tartarus itself. It starred 4 different player characters, all villains - Efandril, Aion, Gragu, and Balathumel - seeking vengeance and rebirth. And their guide through this Underworld? The enigmatic and long-dead Voltex... but not everything was as it seemed. By journey's end, a decision had to be made; to slay the gods, or to fight for them. The choice that was made will have an impact that shall reverberate into future games and campaigns.
    THE ARGONAUTS AT WORLD'S END
    Featuring cover art courtesy of Akaku, At World's End is a bit of an oddball. It's a direct sequel to The Argonauts, starring the same PCs from that campaign (as well as one new one - Dortegus). I won't go into too many details, as it's still ongoing; but this game is mostly meant to be a fun adventure that will open the door for further standalone stories... and to occupy some of the more active players until the next big campaign begins - EDGE OF DAWN.
    (Edge of Dawn is a new story, for a new generation - and hopefully, if any of you out there are interested, it can star a few new players as well. I'll have more to share about it later.)
    And... yeah. This is what I've been up to recently. How about you?
  21. Voltex

    we're finished

    By Voltex,

    At long last.
     
    Way back in 2016, I first started work on what would become BZP's Game of Thrones. I had no idea if the game would work. I had no idea if people would want to play. I had no idea.
     
    This series has basically defined my time on this site (or my time associated with it) for the past several years, which is a little crazy to think about. There have been spinoffs from other members; I've hosted smaller side games; I wrote a freaking fake history book.
     
    There will be further stories and games in this world, but I intend for them to slowly but surely expand away from Okoto, and to stand on their own. The first of these (The Argonauts) will be starting quite soon, and I might post a little bit on this blog when it releases, to showcase some stuff.
     
    But the main story, the mainline of games, is finished. BZP's Games of Thrones has reached the end of its final season. Okoto's story is finally done.
     
    2016-2019.
     




     
    Thank you to everyone for playing.
     
    If you'd like to join the Discord server for these games (whether to perhaps play in one of the upcoming standalone adventures, or just to hang out), shoot me a pm.
  23. Voltex

    2018 in Film

    By Voltex,

    Been a few years since I last did one of these I think.
    I will of course give a quick shoutout as per usual to the movies I didn't get a chance to see yet but think that I would enjoy:
     
    A Quiet Place, Ocean's 8, Christopher Robin, A Simple Favor, Assassination Nation, The Old Man & the Gun, Bad Times at the El Royale, Widows, Creed II, Bumblebee, and Anna and the Apocalypse
     
    Anyway with that done, let's get on with the show.
     
    #1: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
    God, this was a tough one. I went back and forth between the top two for awhile, and I was hesitant just because I saw this one so recently - but at the end of the day, I had to do it. This movie's score - by Daniel Pemberton - is amazing. The soundtrack curated for the movie is amazing. The animation is revolutionary (literally - I'd be willing to read a book on everything that went into developing the visual design for this film and how they implemented all of it). The story is heartwarming. The jokes are funny.
     
    This movie gets Spider-Man. It gets Peter Parker, and better yet, Miles Morales.
     
    The Spider-Verse is a fascinating concept, and I can't wait to see it explored further in future films. Getting to see two sides of Peter Parker and how they both impacted Miles was great. Seeing Miles' journey into becoming the new Spider-Man - a Spider-man that is unique to him - was even better. I really liked Spider-Gwen and can't wait to see more of her.
     
    Please, go see this movie. See it in 3D if you can.
     
    #2: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
    Back in 2015 when I first saw Rogue Nation, I thought it was a good film, but not a great one. I was just off the heels of Mad Max: Fury Road and Kingsman: The Secret Service, both of which had blown me away. This year, I was coming off of Avengers: Infinity War (more on that in a bit), and found myself almost reluctantly excited for this film.
     
    Then the reviews started coming in, and I knew this was a movie I had to see.
     
    Like all Mission Impossible films, the story is a little convoluted and a bit of a mess - but it works. And god, everything else. The fight scenes are frenetic. Every hit has an impact. Characters stumble, fall, wheeze, get the wind knocked out of them. The stunts are relentless, and with Tom Cruise himself performing them, you get to see many unique shots that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
     
    I could go on about the HALO sequence, or the bathroom fight, or the climax at the end. I could talk about Henry Cavill's character, who rivals Tom Cruise every step of the way. I could talk about the way the film plays with your expectations and it works, or how I felt like Imax was finally worth it. But I don't have that much time.
     
    Christopher McQuarrie has directed an action masterpiece with Fallout, and it's clear that the longer he and Tom Cruise work together, the better they're getting. Here's hoping the two will reunite at least once more for a Mission Impossible 7.
     
    #3: Avengers: Infinity War
    You had to know this would be here. Ten years of buildup. Iron Man and Thor teaming up with Doctor Strange, Rocket Raccoon, and Spider-Man to fight Thanos. An Avengers film where the main villain is arguably the main character.
     
    And the ending. We all know how it'll end with Avengers 4, but I'm excited to see just how they'll make it happen.
     
    #4: Isle of Dogs
    Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors. The Grand Budapest Hotel will always rank among my favorites. Isle of Dogs is no exception. The stop-motion, the framing, and Wes Anderson's brand of slightly off-kilter humor. It's a pleasant package, and you should watch it if you have the opportunity.
     
    #5: Black Panther
    A cultural phenomenon, one that I hope Captain Marvel will echo in some form next year (because money talks, and it'd be nice to move on from all white males with five o'clock shadow).
     
    I know it's still kind of a low bar, but Kilmonger is my favorite MCU villain to date, and I hope he'll get to come back in Black Panther 2 for a quick ancestral plane cameo.
     
    I'd say more, but so many others have already said it before me, and they've said it better; so I'll leave it at that.
  24. Voltex

    2 Days Remain...

    By Voltex,

    ...to sign up for the Great Game.
     
    It'll function similarly to a DND type of game if you're curious, and you can play this without having played others in the series.
     
    Click the banner below if you'd like to play the game:
     

  25. Voltex

    10 years

    By Voltex,

    10 years ago, after months of numerous failed attempts to sign up (I'm not entirely sure how they failed, only that they did), dinky little 12 year old me, hunched at a computer running Windows XP in Winnipeg, tried one last ditch effort to join this site.
     
    He succeeded, and named himself "007lewa".
     
    Yeah, not the most iconic of names.
     
    From there, he dove headfirst into the Comedies forum, where he did his best to brute force his way to prominence with true gems of entertainment (as far as a twelve year old with average-at-best ideas, plots, characters, writing, and everything else could be, at least). Many of them turned out to be duds, but some, such as Vultraz's Diner, endured - more due to the author's own attachment to them than anything else. The main character of that series (Vultraz, of course) still holds a special place in my heart.
     
    It didn't take long for him to make his first transformation. In March of 2009, he became ibrow at the behest of a user named 'mrepic', and never looked back (though he would, with time, move on).
     
    It was also 2009 when he was drawn into The BZPower Challenge 2 in the Games & Trivia forum. He did well enough in the game, though it did not last long, and he soon left for the warm familiarity of the Comedies forum...
     
    ...but he would return. Oh, he would return.
     
    We fast forward now to 2010, where ibrow was beginning to truly forge a name for himself, rebooting Vultraz's Diner with the aptly named The New Vultraz's Diner and its sequel The Hilarious Misadventures of Vultraz, with which ibrow began to cultivate a very small but loyal following. He joined the Comedies Critics Club as well, hoping to boost his esteem within the forum - and while it did help to spread his name further, hindsight is 20/20, and he was but a mere 13/14 year old at the time.
     
    It was also in 2010 that he returned to the Games & Trivia forum, a year and a half since he had last departed. After playing through a single Mafia game - Bionicle Mafia 30: Eyewitness - he worked alongside the member 'Mayno' to release Bionicle Mafia 31: Mind Games.
     
    The game was a disaster, but also a valuable learning experience. The lessons learned from it would be applied to every game ibrow would go on to host later.
     
    It could be argued that the very end of 2010 was, perhaps, the most important moment in ibrow's time on this site. On December 19, 2010 - a mere three days before his two year anniversary - he released the epicomedy Tahu vs. Tahu.
     
    Tahu vs. Tahu would become ibrow's crown jewel in the Comedies forum,. Before the Great Downtime in 2011, it hit the BZPower Hot Topics list nine times across the first two seasons, when showing up even once was a rarity for any Library topic. Based in a world where the Bionicle sets came to life, as the title dictated, it pitted Tahu against Tahu, with armies clashing in mighty battles with every chapter.
     
    Though released at the end of 2010, it was in 2011 where Tahu vs. Tahu hit its stride, and ibrow continued to hit his. He helped the Comedies Critics Club to host the first (and unfortunately due to the Great Downtime, also the last) Comedies Awards. Right before the Great Downtime hit, he finally bought himself a premier membership, and started this very blog with a first entry that is as good as you might expect.
     
    Unfortunately, much of 2011 was occupied by the Great Downtime, which stretched from April all the way until October. When the revamped forums were revealed, ibrow was one of those who returned, but the membership of the site had decreased dramatically; nonetheless, he persevered, and launched the third season of Tahu vs. Tahu. During those last few months of 2011, he also kicked his participation in the Games & Trivia forum to high gear....
     
    Right before the Great Downtime, ibrow had participated in a game run by Fighty known as Bionifight 2 - and when the forums returned, he helped to co-host the short-lived Bionifight 3 until Fighty retired, leaving ibrow in charge of the series. ibrow wasted no time in releasing Bionifight 4: Hyper Fighting, and the game was an immediate hit. It would reign as the most posted in game until 2014.
     
    2012 barely managed to begin before ibrow launched two new major projects. The first was another comedy, and his first (and only) successful foray into the derided "script" style, with How to Be a Hero. Although the comedy would die a quiet, mediocre death later in the year due to a lack of interest and updates from ibrow, it was fun while it lasted, and was even the basis for a multi-author spinoff.
     
    The second major project was ibrow's second time hosting a Bionicle Mafia game - Mafia III: The Cult. Although not without issues, the game proved quite popular, and would be the first in the eponymous Mafia III sub-series that would go on to last five games.
     
    2012 also saw the completion of Tahu vs. Tahu with its fourth season, though it soon continued with a sequel that ibrow grew less and less satisfied with as time went on. It was also in 2012 that ibrow's next transformation began to take place; ibrow was slowly dying, to be replaced by Voltex.
     
    We move on in our tale now to 2013, where Voltex finally said his goodbyes to the Comedies forum (with a oneshot aptly titled One Last Stop), while increasing his role within the Games & Trivia forum and his blog.
     
    Here on this blog the Smash Files began, where Voltex endlessly posted about his hype for the then-upcoming Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U. The series ran from 2013 all the way until 2015, ending with the last DLC announcement for the games. Brief thought was given to reviving it in 2018 for the lead up to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but the site was, by then, too dead to bother.
     
    Over in G&T, Bionicle Mafia III: By the Numbers set a record for being the fastest-filled Mafia game ever even if it wouldn't manage to hold that title for even 2 years). Voltex also partnered with Portalfig for a significant portion of the year to craft the BZPower Mafia Wiki - a record of every piece of info they could find on all three "ages" of BZP Mafia. Though the wiki project would drop off by 2014, it still remains the best source of collected information regarding the games. Voltex and Portalfig also worked together to host the Darkest Days trilogy; three Mafia games celebrating 50 main series mafia games on the sight. It concluded with the duo co-hosting Bionicle Mafia X: Darkest Dawn.
     
    Now begins 2014. Where to begin?
     
    Voltex returned to the Library with the Uprising trilogy. The series - starring BZP members as the main cast - was quite popular. Although Isolation and Extraction - the first two books - are currently invisible to members (by Voltex's request), Extermination, book 3, can still be read, and works as a standalone. Extermination in particular stands out. The series was also accompanied by a few short stories over the year, and Voltex also returned very briefly to the character of Vultraz with King Vultraz, written in the wake of Bionicle's announced return.
     
    2014 also saw Voltex host two highly anticipated Mafia games. The first was Bionicle Mafia XVIII: By the Numbers 2, written to be as brutal and gritty as Voltex could make it. The second was Bionicle Mafia XIX: The Voltex Constant, which was teased for nearly an entire year before its release. It took the record for fastest signups ever from By the Numbers, and still holds that record today.
     
    Voltex also became a POBZPC during the summer of 2014, for as much as that might be a milestone.
     
    And of course, who could forget the return of Bionifight? Bionifight Ultimate launched early in the year, rebooting the franchise with an all-new style, receiving consistent updates. By the time the game ended, it had taken Bionifight 4's place as the largest game in the G&T forum. A sequel launched later in the year, titled Bionifight Ultimate: Drift Force.
     
    Then came 2015.
     
    Extermination was completed, and Tahu vs. Tahu was rebooted as an CYOA style epic starring time-traveling characters from the future. Early in the year Voltex hit 5000 posts, and inadvertently celebrated it with the absurdly stupid oneshot What is the Potoo?!.
     
    Over in G&T, it was a quieter year compared to the previous two, and it would only become quieter from here - but Voltex still remained active. He hosted the crossover Bionicle X Ninjago Mafia trilogy, as well as the second and third games in the Clockwork series (one that started as a mafia experiment the year before).
     
    The biggest part of 2015, though, was an RPG. Bionifight Infinite.
     
    Hosted with Chro & Blade (and, later, Xaeraz and Ehks), it was an attempt to take the Bionifight series to the next level. In many ways, it succeeded; it was extremely popular, and helped to bring newcomers to the RPG forum. But it struggled too, and ultimately, the cons of running the game outweighed the pros.
     
    It was, up until that point, Voltex's biggest project on the sight - and it remains, in his eyes, both his biggest failure and disappointment.
     
    Sometimes, he considers the whole thing to have been a colossal waste of his time.
     
    We fast forward even further now, up to the present. 2016, 2017, and 2018, where Voltex's final - and, perhaps, his biggest - project truly came to fruition. A game that told a massive, growing story in a world that would continue to grow and stretch, setting new limits with each installment.
     
    BZPower's Game of Thrones.
     
    He did a few more things in those years, of course. What is the Potoo?! 2 released in 2017 to celebrate him reaching 10, 000 posts. In 2016, he assisted several other members with setting up the HF RPG 2.5. In 2016 he also re-visited the universe of the Uprising trilogy with a standalone installment titled Oblivion. The final game in the Mafia III series - Mafia III-5: The Cult Risen - was run in 2016. During these years, the G&T skype was created, and later on, replaced in full by a G&T Discord, which continues to grow.
     
    But as the site has continued to die, and Voltex's attention has been drawn elsewhere, the one project that has tied him to this site has been BZPGOT. Season 1 launched in 2016, and with its completion, the Lore & Histories were posted, building up the world even further. Early in 2017, the final Clockwork game - A Clockwork Night was released, tying into the BZPGOT series. Season 2 ran during 2017 after the completion of A Clockwork Night.
     
    After being worked on throughout 2017, Season 3 launched in 2018. Much like Extermination years before, it was designed to both serve as a grand ending and as a standalone game. For a time, it was co-hosted by Onaku, though by the end, Voltex held the reins on his own once more. Season 3, however, ended on something of a cliffhanger (clearly ripping off of the release of Avengers: Infinity War), leaving the road open for further games and stories.
     
    Since then, a smaller campaign known as Last Odyssey has been running on Discord... and now here we are, with this blog entry, as Voltex hits ten years on this site and we continue to move forward.
     
    This site, and Voltex's time on it, is drawing to a close. But sometimes it's fun to be able to look back (or, at the very least, interesting).
     
    What can sometimes be even more interesting, however, is moving forward - and that's what Voltex intends to do, with his final game here on BZP:
     

     
    Click the banner to join the Discord for The Final Season (or PM me for an invite if the link doesn't work).
     
    It will be a standalone adventure. You do not need to read or have played the prior entries; for my final game, I want everyone who is interested to be able to play.
     
    If you just want to follow the game as an observer when it launches, hop into the Discord regardless and let me know. But if you do want to play...
     
    The Final Season will launch in January, 2019.
     
    I hope I'll see you there, one last time.
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