FireFly... to be or not to be? :o

So yeah, the daily geek has been putting posts up regarding the possible ressurection of FireFly...

As I understand it, at the very least Nathan Fillion is wanting to do it - and the old crew (writers, etc - not cast.) are game to make things work - but by the sounds of it they will make it webisodes rather than a TV series.

I love FireFly... I was saddened by Serenity (awesome film, but it pretty much killed off the hopes of a reboot) and the fact that this looks like this could be completely different makes me... sceptical.

If it follows on from Serenity, then things are clearly going to be different (Ill avoid spoilers here.). If it does not, what are the chances they will get the original crew? In my eyes, its going to be a sort-of spin-off of FireFly. Different crew, different format - and if its done in webisode form: Different quality (I have yet to see a web-based series that is of high quality. The best I have seen is The Guild and Dr. Horrible's sing along blog - and they have this "feel" to it that flags them as low budget productions - made for fun, with some impressive results.

Regarding the crew: many of them are main stream actors/actresses now (although some were before) that are contracted in to do other stuff, if they are not interested enough to do it on the cheap - I doubt we will see them. I know firefly was not done with a massive budget, but it seems to add to its charm.

Anyway, it sounds like Im slating it all - Im all for it... Im just worried that its going to be TOO different, but Ill take any portion of Firefly they wish to dish out! Even if it is just the adventures of Malcolm Reynolds and the glowy-bummed space-junker.

-V

Joys of Web-Design

My biggest project on the go at the moment in university is to develop a Fault Reporting system. The website will use .jsp web pages, java servlets and connect to a mySQL database, hosted on the university system.

The assignment was handed out over a month ago, and is due in less than a weeks time... thankfully with some help from a classmate, I started to push some progression on the task last night.

So far I have achieved the following:

• Created the web-pages (primarily html for now, but as the servlets come into play there will be java script aswell.) 
• Designed the database tables and uploaded them to the mySQL server with the use of mySQL workbench.

After a coding session last night I now have working servlets for:

Logging in, Registering a user and the fault-report form. There is no existing connection to the database yet, although I think I have a session script set up and working for the user log-in that will help with logging in and out.

Ill spare the details of coding it all up for now, but Im taking notes as I go and may make a post as a sort of guide/reminder as I plan to do a lot more of this in the future...

Here are some images from my front end.

Its a... uh... work in progress... the actual design is a bit shit, but I had a theme in mind, just not the skills to do it yet :p

-V

The joy of Werewolves, vampires and Lichs - oh my!

Image courtesy of one of my gamers, Doug.

My d&d campaign is still running - it has been over a year and some 40 gaming sessions now, and there have been many changes. Changes in characters, change in player line-up - but I still think it is great fun (well, there is the occasional session that just doesn't flow, but sometimes its just hysterical :D )

I thought I would give an update on where we are now - since it will take me an eternity to write up all the games from the session notes I have.

By the end of the last gaming session the party consisted of:

Lvl 11 Sorceror with mighty fireballs of doooooom!
Lvl 10 Dread-Necromancer (in the process of becoming a Lich) (CL:TBA)
Lvl 10 Beguiler (in the process of becoming a Vampire) (CL12)
Lvl 10 Werewolf-Warrior (CL14)
Lvl 10 Rogue/1 Assassin with Silver Dragon Orb

Two side-characters (not currently playing)

Lvl 10 Werewolf-Monk (CL14)
Lvl 8 Druid

The last session ended with the destruction of a White-Dragon cultist lair, containing the Silver Dragon orb... the next session is planned to be a free-for all of wanton randomness. That should be fun to document!

-V

R.E The Instance, So long Randy, and thanks for all the fish!

Randy Deluxe and Scott Johnson, writer and presenter of: The Instance

*Hugs them through the internet*

Im currently listening to The Instance podcast - #217. (hey, mil-standard used for electronic components in reliability engineering!)

I must say, I am saddened :( - I listened to the last couple of episodes back to back to find out a couple of days ago that Randy Jordan, AKA Randy Deluxe, will be leavign after this episode... and now here I am listening at it...

Wow, so gonna miss his contribution to my favourite podcast on the internet (The only one I truly listen to religiously)

I started listening to the instance either early 2008, or late 2007 when I was either ending employment at one unnamable company, or starting work at another unnamable company... I like to think it kept me entertained for the countless hours that it took to listen to the backlog of podcasts, and have been listening since. It has kept me entertained during work hours, whilst listening while playing or for a period of my life where I was doing fortnightly commutes of 9-12 hours between Somerset and Fife to see my wife, son and family whilst working there till i could hand in my notice.

Between him leaving and the ending of Extra Life Radio - I feel a big hole  has been left, but I am hopeful that the show will continue and that perhaps they will create a new podcast in the near future.

I love this show so much - I listen to it even during the phases that I dont have an active subscription, just to hear them discuss, and joke and laugh, and to feel part of the community.

I could go gay for those voices.

That is all.
-V

Not dead - overloaded :D

Following the last post: I have LOTS and LOTS of stuff I want to post here - the stuff multiplies every week (D&D posts, World of Warcraft posts, general geekery posts) but I just aint got the time to get it on the blog.

Procrastinating? Or dinging in real life?

It has been a fairly quiet past few weeks from the geek front. I have been doing final assignments and revision for exams that I have had last week, and this coming week.


WOW: Cataclysm was released a few days ago, I have spent a good few hours running about in game - but I dont have the expansion - simply checking out some of the changed low level zones, and tinkering with a couple of characters.


D&D will hopefully be on tonight - likely going to be unavailable after tonight to do a game until January unless people want to have random gaming sessions over the Christmas holidays.


Falalalalala go F*8k yourself.


\o/

D&D Campaign 2: Intro (part 2)

As the party entered the town, they approached the stables where they handed over a silver piece a head for stabling and accommodation at the inn next to it. After getting their steeds settled in, they move to the tailors shop to discuss what kind of work they want done. Amber gets a finely crafted suit of leather armour on order, and everyone else orders some basic clothing that is of better quality than what they were wearing. The tailor informs the party that he will get to work on some sketches and for everyone to come back in an hour or so.


The party head to the Barnhouse Inn to relax for a short while. Erebus tosses the bar keeper a coin and asks for ale for all. The barkeep responds by rolling up a keg and tapping it for him. Erebus invites everyone in the bar to help themselves, and fills his tankard. Everyone orders up some food and sits down to eat, and discuss their plans... they eventually come to the conclusion that they shall try to access the castle via the secret door, and at that, they finish up and head back to the Tailor to view the drawings.


The tailor show everyone what he has designed for them, and upon being asked for a quote informs the party that it should cost approximately 75Gold. The party agree and hire him to craft the items overnight. They then return to the inn, and ask the barkeep for their accommodation - and get allocated to the spacious loft, which is padded out with straw beds, and is fairly cosy - if a bit drafty. It is only about 8pm - but the party want some good rest, and they set up a 3-hour watch rotation and rest for the next 12 hours.


At daybreak the next morning, they get their gear together and head out to the tailors, and near enough barge the door down with their impatient knocking on his front door.


The grumpy tailor lets them in, and gets the gear together. Erebus asks if there is any warm water prepared so he can freshen up before trying on his new outfit. Everyone seems very happy with their outfits until it comes to payment... The tailor ups his price to 150Gold...


After a short while haggling he reduces the new price to 125G - and the group manage to persuade him to take a mere 115G worth of jewellery in trade.


Outfits on, the group makes its way out of town to the causeway on foot. Whilst trying to traverse the slippy narrow path beneath the causeway, both Aretheus and Amber fail to maintain their balance and get their new outfits dirty in the mud. At the end of the path Erebus points out a rock that Morgan used to open a secret passage into the castle. After a half hour of fumbling around, Edgar finds the latch to the door, and a winding stairway is revealed - lit with sporadic torches. The party slowly make their way up the stairwell, Edgar searching for traps until they find another doorway at the top... opening it allows the party to enter a bedroom that is clearly that of a child. Morgans.


The party spread out around the room to investigate, whilst Edgar scans the doorway for traps. Morgan then enters, commenting on how nice their new clothing is, and asks if they seen the tailor in town and comments "I bet he charged twice their value!" - and she appraises their value at about 50G - which infuriates certain party members, and they vow to deal with it after. 


Morgan is asked to show the group to her father, and she leads them down the corridor past armed guards who eye the group suspiciously but otherwise allow them to pass. At the entrance to her mothers room, Morgan leaves the party alone and returns to her room.


The party um and ah for a moment confused as to what is going on, then enter the room. Inside they find Igrain... and Uther in a large bed. Ambers reaction is to walk over and sit on the edge of the bed and say hello.


Whilst the party eye each other in confusion and spread out around the room to investigate, they hear the sound of someone charging up the corridor and screaming blue murder, and then Gorloise barges into the room, and straight into Amber, bowling her over Uther and onto Igrain.


Edgar, first to react to the attack, steps out from behind him and sinks a dagger into Gorloise's side, his reaction is to swing around and cut Edgar down in a single swing, but in doing so the rest of the group piles in, attacking innefectively, with the exception of Amber, who whilst swinging her sword at Gorloise falls off balance and manages to eviscerate him all over the floor as she falls back on Uther who is now hiding under the covers...


Uther thanks them for protecting him, and vanquishing the competition - and invites everyone to attend the wedding of him and Igrain tomorrow. He also asks them to do something with the body, indicating a secret passage in the corner of the room.


The party accept the invite and drag the body outside through the passage onto a narrow ledge over a cliff beneath which the sea is lashing against the rocks. Whilst looting what they can from his body, it slips from their grasp and into the sea far below.


They shrug, and proceed around the side of the castle, and back out to the mainland along the path they came in on - and head straight to the tailor.


The party barge in and start demanding a full refund for the insult. Edgar is threatening to kill the tailor, and Aretheus is trying to negotiate to only have paid the original estimated amount. Crossbows speak louder than words and in the midst of the negotiations and tailor's panic Erebus unleashes a crossbow into his gut, and he promises to refund all the money and work at a discount if they will only heal him.


They agree, and Aretheus patches the tailor up with a curing orison to stop the bleeding and tells him to go get some rest...

D&D Campaign 2: Intro (part 1)

On Sunday night our Geekout group started a new first D&D campaign, run by my wife. As I was primary note taker I thought that perhaps I would provide a log and little storyline of our adventure aswell!

This game is a more RP-centric game, based in the times of King Arthur.

There are 5 party members - 4 of whom were there last night:

Aretheus - Favoured Soul

Erebus - Wizard

Amber - Duskblade

Edgar - Rogue

On a cold winters morning near Lindinis, Uther and, Ambrosius Aurelianus's forces, met in glorius battle... After a long and bloody battle, Uthers forces emerged Victorious, and Uther takes the Epitaph of "Pendragon" - and the title of High King of Briton.

His forces depart the battlefield and ride West, their purpose and destination unknown.

In the aftermath of the battle, the looters come out to pray on the fallen. Fingers are hewn to remove rings, jewellery is ripped off the corpses, armour, weaponry, clothing is collected, and everything that can be sold is taken for profit.

Amongst these looters is our band of adventurers, their destiny unknown to each other. Aretheus arrives following a good Omen, with visions of profit and victory... he goes about tending to the surviving wounded, and taking what he can find from the fallen on the battlefield. During his search he stumbles upon a female on the field, gravely wounded and barely conscious. He channels his divine powers to magically heal her, and sends her on her way. Amber is her name, and she is a Duskblade, and she proceeds to join in with the looting, as she seems to be without her equipment or posessions, just a sword and her wits.

Erebus who was nearby at this point introduces himself and continues looting. Edgar is also in the vacinity when the group make introductions, and they all start to discuss the prospect of "looting the looters" that had arrived before them... but after quiet contemplation decide that they have all had enough and head to a nearby tavern to refresh and perhaps sell some of their goods. Several rings, items of jewellery and basic equipment is salvaged by the group.

The party arrives at the Crossroads tavern, and saunter up to the barkeep, and as they go to order some refreshments. Erebus attempts to pawn off a ring on the barkeep as payment... The barkeep tut's, asks if they are looters - and if they are, to go see the trader that has set up across the other side of the room to sell their goods.

The party initiate haggling and trade some items for some bits of equipment, or just for plain coin to spend. After getting a helping of Mead each the party ask the barkeep if there happens to be any work in the area - he directs them to a recent addition to his notice board... King Uther himself is looking for people to perform some actions at the castle of Lord Goloise - Tintagel. Erebus tears the notice down and tells the barkeep they will do it, and the group gather their things and mount up for the long ride to Tintagel.

The road is long, and around midnight they pass a large encampment of soldiers, the campfires and smoke causing the sky to glow like it was Beltaine. The party consider going to get some rest and refreshments with the soldiers, but decide they should keep going and get as far as they can before the soldiers pack up camp and get moving again. The rest of the journey is uneventful but tiring as they force march their steeds to get good time. As day starts to break, and the group rounds a hill and find themselves looking down to the sea with a Castle on an Island, with a town visible beyond, they decide to stop for a rest and set camp on the side of the road.

The men start bounding about chasing after a bunny they spot to cook for dinner whilst Amber preps her horse for rest, removing its saddle, etc. Aretheus sits down with some damp twigs and starts trying to start a fire by rubbing them together... It takes over half an hour for the fire to be lit, by which time he pretty much passes out beside it.

Edgar takes first watch, then Erebus. As Erebus starts to drift he gives Aretheus a kick and tells him "talk, keep me awake!" - at which point a twig is heard snapping in the treeline to the side...

A young raven haired girl steps out and greets the party. Aretheus and Erebus greet her, and as Amber and Edgar wake up, they look about a bit confused.

The party quiz Morgan on the keep, and her father, and how well she knows the king, and inquire as to how she got out the castle, only to discover she has a secret entrance to the castle.

Aretheus extinguishes the fire with a conjure water spell, raining down 2gallons of water onto it. He smiles at the giel, and Morgan asks if it is magic. He states that the gods just like him and he can channel their divine powers.

The party also inquire as to why she approached. She said she was curious as to who they were, and why they were there.

The party pack up and she heads back to the castle. Edgar tries to stealthily follow her, but she spots him, so he returns to the group. Erebus whips out his Rat, Roland - and instructs him to follow the girl. The party start heading to Tintagel as they had decided it would be a good idea to try to acquire some better attire to address the lord. They are currently undecided on the action they should take - start a ruckass outside the keep to try to get Goloise out the keep - or to try to negotiate their way to a meeting with him to tell him what is going on.

Erebus gets the feeling Roland is in discomfort, and uses his empathic link to communicate with the Rat... it is on a boat, snuggled in a pocket... After a short while, it gets shown the entrance... confusing, but the Rat is then released and it makes its way back to Erebus via an under-causeway path.

The party continue to the village...

To Be continued. (Christ this ones long!)

Oil Painting by George Henry Jenkins, 1875: Tintagel Cornwall

Game creation. Part 2: Making & Displaying Sprites

Take 4 at this post... Firstly: Apologies for the posts not being enlargeable... hopefully they make sense!

Adding sprites to the game can be a lengthly process - especially if you are making your own. A number of free sprite libraries can be found on the internet, for this game I have been using: http://www.spriters-resource.com/ as the foundation for a number of my pre-made sprites.

This guide will hopefully serve as a reminder for me, and guide for anyone out there who has no experience in this activity on how to put a sprite into your game view.

Step 1: Grab a sprite sheet from the resource centre (if m aking your own, skip this step.)

Step 2: Cut the sprite you wish to use out and paste it into paint (or other editing software) and size your sprite to the number of pixels you wish for it to take up on the screen (for me this was 50x50 pixels.)

Step 3: For me - I used MS paint to cut and organise my sprite images - and Paint.Net to layer them into an image I wish to use. Opening Paint.Net, I created a new document with the area 50x50 pixels.

Step 4: A new layer is created, and the sprite is copied accross from MS paint onto this layer.

Step 5: If like me, you wish to have a background that the sprite will be sitting on - select and copy the background (Here is a "path" sprite I made earlier that is used for all passable floor tiles in the game.)

Step 6: Paste the background onto the background layer.

Step 7: Using the wand tool - I selected the plain backdrop that surrounded my sprite and hit delete. This removes the area covered by this colour and you can see the background beneath showing through.

Step 8: Save the image as a PNG file.

Step 9: Within Visual Studio - on solution explorer, right click on "content" and "add existing" - then select the file you just saved, and it will add it to the solution explorer window. It can now be used within Visual Studio.

Instantiate the sprite in the main class using the command "private Texture2D file;"

Step 10: In the LoadContent() method load the sprite into the game with the command "file = Content.Load("file");"

Step 11: You can now load the sprite onto the game screen using coordinates to identify the area it will be found on the screen.

Step 12: Test it worked with a debug. As you can see here - the mushroom appears where I selected. The sprite has no AI or methods - these can be added later. For the moment I am simply building up what I want the game to look like by setting up the sprites. I plan a much more efficient method of displaying content to screen than printing the coordinates of every single sprite to screen (there IS 100 of them... and this is just a 10x10 game board.)

My first game creation. Part 1: The background

I stole this idea from a friend, I intend to keep a few guides in this blog that I and others may find useful for future reference.

The Game:

As part of my Applied Computing degree at Dundee University, I am required to design and build a 2D game.

I have settled on doing a 2D dungeon crawl type of game. The avatar will be moved around the dungeon and will collect keys to open doors to eventually attain the treasure chest and win the level. In the way are monsters and the player can only defeat them with the use of a potion.

The game is being build in C# using Visual Studio and the XNA libraries to help make things a little easier.

More to come...