the ramble dump
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Pirate #001
An alien that'll be appearing in Starcustard in the near future.
His right arm is supposed to look oddly misplaced like that. The idea is that he can hook arms with different functions to the metallic belt around his chest, and these arms are not fixed in any set position on it; they can slide along it freely, so he can have them attacking someone directly behind him quite easily. The arms he's not using are attached to an easily-accessible belt around his belly.
All the wires going into the back of his head and neck are so he can control the arms as if they were a real part of his body.
From left to right, the arm functions on this particular drawing are supposed to be as follows: regular 'grabhand', some kind of firearm, a torch and a knife.
This is just the simple mechanics of the thing. The proper description of the creature itself will be in the actual story, whenever it gets written. This isn't finalised or anything, but it's likely that the one we eventually used will be very similar to this one.
Labels: pirates, sketches and doodles, starcustard
Monday, April 25, 2005
Same Old, Same Old
I say I'll do things, and then I hardly ever do. I didn't get any more of TA Chapter 5 done over the weekend. I never drew any room plans for the places visited in that chapter (although I've more or less decided what they're going to look like now anyway). I said I'd do sketches of gadgets and weapons and, er...storage rooms, apparently. I sort of did that, but then gave up.
I have, howevrar, almost finished a messy concept sketch of this new alien that's going to be in Starcustard. I might post that here at some point, maybe with a few annotations.
I get the feeling I'm going to need all the free time I have after the exams if I want to get the site up in the Summer, but I know I'm still going to waste it. It's just one of those inevitable things.
Inevitable, Mr Anderson.
The stories aren't really a problem. I'd like to get as much of them done as possible for the launch, but there's already a chapter of The Aberration and a chapter of Agaffa that will be new-to-fatman content, and the same'll be true for Starcustard in the next few weeks or so. It's getting Release 2 of the zombie game done, and also learning CSS and designing the whole thing, that's going to be the real challenge.
But I shall rise to the challenge!
If and when I feel like it, that is.
I'm really going to have to stop posting about the same stuff every entry. I'll try and post more interesting stuff, like concept art and more excerpts and random junk like that. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy film is released this week. I could post stuff related to that once I've seen it.
I have, howevrar, almost finished a messy concept sketch of this new alien that's going to be in Starcustard. I might post that here at some point, maybe with a few annotations.
I get the feeling I'm going to need all the free time I have after the exams if I want to get the site up in the Summer, but I know I'm still going to waste it. It's just one of those inevitable things.
Inevitable, Mr Anderson.
The stories aren't really a problem. I'd like to get as much of them done as possible for the launch, but there's already a chapter of The Aberration and a chapter of Agaffa that will be new-to-fatman content, and the same'll be true for Starcustard in the next few weeks or so. It's getting Release 2 of the zombie game done, and also learning CSS and designing the whole thing, that's going to be the real challenge.
But I shall rise to the challenge!
If and when I feel like it, that is.
I'm really going to have to stop posting about the same stuff every entry. I'll try and post more interesting stuff, like concept art and more excerpts and random junk like that. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy film is released this week. I could post stuff related to that once I've seen it.
Labels: agaffa, starcustard, the aberration, webtechnical, zombies
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Aliens
Me and Melia came up with some really quite cool (at least, they are in my opinion) ideas for a group of aliens that are going to feature sometime soon in Starcustard. Nasty aliens, too. Nastier than the slugthings, maybe. They'll be able to do things that you'll wish you could do, but which you won't ever be able to do because you'll never be as amazingly fantastic as they are.
I've been doing bits and pieces of the opening to TA Chapter 5 during the week. I might work a little on it tonight or tomorrow. Because, yes, miracles do happen from time to time.
I've been doing bits and pieces of the opening to TA Chapter 5 during the week. I might work a little on it tonight or tomorrow. Because, yes, miracles do happen from time to time.
Labels: starcustard, the aberration
Friday, April 22, 2005
More Ideas
plaid says:
if i were an alien like that, i'd like to keep one arm growing out of my head.
Chris says:
yes, but you're weird
Guess what we're discussing. :P
if i were an alien like that, i'd like to keep one arm growing out of my head.
Chris says:
yes, but you're weird
Guess what we're discussing. :P
Labels: alien conversations, starcustard
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Post-Cliffhanger
TA Chapter 5 is going to be difficult. I know what needs to happen, but I don't know how it's going to happen. Whatever does happen needs to happen well, and that's where the problem lies: how to write what I've got to write at the same time as maintaining the pace and also the interest of the reader.
Blah.
I think this is going to have to be one of those times where I just wait for it to come to me. That's how it usually works for this kind of thing.
Blah.
I think this is going to have to be one of those times where I just wait for it to come to me. That's how it usually works for this kind of thing.
Labels: the aberration
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Finally...
The Aberration Chapter 4 is all typed up and has been sent to a few friends for proofreading/impressions/suggestions. Phew.
I've been having marvellous new ideas for this story. Maaaaaaaaaarvellousssssssss.....
I've been having marvellous new ideas for this story. Maaaaaaaaaarvellousssssssss.....
Labels: the aberration
Friday, April 08, 2005
Checking Status...Btthrrhp
A Room Full Of Zombies - Been working on the zombie-specific outcomes of attacks. The green zombie does exciting things.
Agaffa - Failed to get the two chapters done in those two weeks. Doesn't really matter, though.
Starcustard - Running through some ideas for the events in the next few chapters, including something pretty big for Chapter 6...which is ages away, but still. I might sketch some stuff. That can be a good way of generating ideas. Sketches of gadgets, weapons and storage rooms.
The Aberration - The first draft of Chapter 4 has been completed. There are a few things I want to go back and add in, but they're minor things. I might start typing that up tomorrow. I also started writing Chapter 5 today. I think I'm going to have to doodle some stuff in my sketchbook for that, too. More room plans. It's about time I did something other than character designs anyway.
Agaffa - Failed to get the two chapters done in those two weeks. Doesn't really matter, though.
Starcustard - Running through some ideas for the events in the next few chapters, including something pretty big for Chapter 6...which is ages away, but still. I might sketch some stuff. That can be a good way of generating ideas. Sketches of gadgets, weapons and storage rooms.
The Aberration - The first draft of Chapter 4 has been completed. There are a few things I want to go back and add in, but they're minor things. I might start typing that up tomorrow. I also started writing Chapter 5 today. I think I'm going to have to doodle some stuff in my sketchbook for that, too. More room plans. It's about time I did something other than character designs anyway.
Labels: agaffa, starcustard, the aberration, zombies
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Excerpt #002
Agaffa cheekily shovelled another biscuit into her large mouth.
'I just found it, I had no idea it was there, promise...'
Miss Darley was not convinced. 'I am not convinced,' she said. 'How many more do you have?'
'Ah,' said Agaffa, tapping her wrinkled nose. 'That only time will tell.'
Miss Darley snorted. 'I shall starve to death and it will all be because of you!' she said dramatically, lifting her hand to her head in the theatrical way of displaying her distress.
Agaffa just shrugged. 'I no longer have the conscience to care,' she said, retrieving another biscuit.
'Please can I have a biscuit?' said Miss Darley.
'No.'
'Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?'
'No.'
'A third round of begging is not worth my dignity. You will just have to hand over a biscuit.'
From Agaffa Chapter 6, with one hell of a cliffhanger!
'I just found it, I had no idea it was there, promise...'
Miss Darley was not convinced. 'I am not convinced,' she said. 'How many more do you have?'
'Ah,' said Agaffa, tapping her wrinkled nose. 'That only time will tell.'
Miss Darley snorted. 'I shall starve to death and it will all be because of you!' she said dramatically, lifting her hand to her head in the theatrical way of displaying her distress.
Agaffa just shrugged. 'I no longer have the conscience to care,' she said, retrieving another biscuit.
'Please can I have a biscuit?' said Miss Darley.
'No.'
'Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?'
'No.'
'A third round of begging is not worth my dignity. You will just have to hand over a biscuit.'
From Agaffa Chapter 6, with one hell of a cliffhanger!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Standing Here, Looking On
'Wow,' said I. 'The road ahead is long and boring-looking.'
'Of course it is,' said the Floaty Wise Thing, floating wisely before me, its lights twinkling. 'But you'll be so busy doing things, time will just fly by.'
'It will not,' I said. 'See that tall, dark, ominous cluster of jagged architecture over there?'
'Yes.'
'Examinations.'
'I know that,' said the Floaty Wise Thing. 'I am the Floaty Wise Thing, after all.'
'How am I going to get past them?'
'With determination and a lot of hard work.'
'Oh, I can't be bothered with all of that,' I told it.
'A couple of hours of extra work a day. What can it hurt?'
'Millions.'
'Millions?' it asked. 'That doesn't even make sense.'
'Yes it does,' I said. 'You're just not wise enough to understand how.'
'Well, whatever. You've still got to do it.'
I sulked.
'Sulk not,' said the Floaty Wise Thing. 'You'll have a nice, long summer at the end of it.'
'Yay,' I said, but without much conviction. I looked ahead. The horizon past the gloomy shadow of the examinations looked so very far away. I sighed. 'I'd better get on with it, then. Goodbye, Floaty Wise Thing.'
'Farewell.'
And so I set off.
'Of course it is,' said the Floaty Wise Thing, floating wisely before me, its lights twinkling. 'But you'll be so busy doing things, time will just fly by.'
'It will not,' I said. 'See that tall, dark, ominous cluster of jagged architecture over there?'
'Yes.'
'Examinations.'
'I know that,' said the Floaty Wise Thing. 'I am the Floaty Wise Thing, after all.'
'How am I going to get past them?'
'With determination and a lot of hard work.'
'Oh, I can't be bothered with all of that,' I told it.
'A couple of hours of extra work a day. What can it hurt?'
'Millions.'
'Millions?' it asked. 'That doesn't even make sense.'
'Yes it does,' I said. 'You're just not wise enough to understand how.'
'Well, whatever. You've still got to do it.'
I sulked.
'Sulk not,' said the Floaty Wise Thing. 'You'll have a nice, long summer at the end of it.'
'Yay,' I said, but without much conviction. I looked ahead. The horizon past the gloomy shadow of the examinations looked so very far away. I sighed. 'I'd better get on with it, then. Goodbye, Floaty Wise Thing.'
'Farewell.'
And so I set off.
Labels: floaty wise things
Saturday, April 02, 2005
The Unfortunate Shortlivedness of the 'Moo' Tag
I've been learning CSS. :)
I now know some of the basics, like font stuff, spacing, borders, and having text do different things in different places on the page.
For a header, instead of using the tags 'h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5' or 'h6', I created a new one called 'moo'. I set the font size and other attributes for it, and in the Mozilla browser, it actually worked. It's a shame it didn't in the Internet Explorer and AOL browsers too, where it apparently didn't exist. I mean, I can always just modify one of the header tags you're supposed to used to get what I want...but it's just not the same. 'Moo' could have been the greatest tag ever conceived...
I now know some of the basics, like font stuff, spacing, borders, and having text do different things in different places on the page.
For a header, instead of using the tags 'h1', 'h2', 'h3', 'h4', 'h5' or 'h6', I created a new one called 'moo'. I set the font size and other attributes for it, and in the Mozilla browser, it actually worked. It's a shame it didn't in the Internet Explorer and AOL browsers too, where it apparently didn't exist. I mean, I can always just modify one of the header tags you're supposed to used to get what I want...but it's just not the same. 'Moo' could have been the greatest tag ever conceived...
Labels: webtechnical
