Two Tone Art: Dead Space 2

So, I now have my computer completely finished, and one thing I was doing shortly before I started building a new one was two-tone art which is as easy as it is satisfying and enjoyable.

I've only done very few 'pieces', so to speak, thus far. But I love the style of two-tone art so much that I think I'll begin posting those that I do from time to time, this being in between the neglect for this blog and the excessive amounts of gaming that I undertake.

Excuse the poor quality for this one, I have since learnt a few tips and techniques and also developed my own to ensure sharp edges and a fresh appeal. This was my first one, I believe.

Of course, the resolution isn't as high as it can be; the reasons for this being: It'd take too long to submit and I'm very paranoid about the internet and how easy it can be to claim work as your own - Don't get any ideas!

I'll happily take requests, and requests will make me feel that I must create work without it being down to myself and my own lack of motivation. So, if you have any ideas you think'd look cool in this style, shoot them over here and I'll hit them with my best shot!

‘Groupees’ Be Mine Anniversary Bundle

Yawma LLC, publishers of the large catalogue of Groupees bundles, have released their most recent endeavour: the Be Mine Anniversary bundle. This one containing a fair number of games and as per usual, multiple bonuses to go with them as well as multiple tiers available for purchase.
This bundle does seem like quite a considerable one as at the highest tier; upon writing this, it contains 6 soundtracks and an impressive figure of 12 games.

Beginning the Be Mine Anniversary bundle in the first tier ($1-5); Eschalon Book II, an expansive title and sequel to the 2007 Eschalon Book I. The game is a strategic take on the RPG genre, in a similar light to PC games of the 90s except with a lot more additions and a far larger amount of gameplay to enjoy. It's not only the addition of new game aspects and mechanics that makes Eschalon Book II feel different; graphically, it also appears as a far fresher and more modern title all while allowing the player to decide the exact pace of their own story and keeping the RPG traditions and customs that are so vividly evident in titles that define the RPG genre.

iBomber Defense Pacific is next. The game is of the tower-defense genre set in a World War II theme as players tackle different missions and objectives in an attempt to prevent the ruination of their freedom. While iBomber Defense Pacific is a tower-defense game, there are skill-trees that can be assigned 'victory-points' to give better bonuses within the respective categories to which they're given.

Following that is Livalink, an onslaught/survival game in which the player defends themselves against a strange and hostile alien race called the 'Progeny'. As you fight through ever-more difficult waves there will be access to better weapons, upgrades and skills. New rooms and areas are available for unlock within the map by using credits gained through getting kills and combos, these new areas also help to escape the Progeny's offensive. Livalink is similar in a way to Call of Duty: Black Ops rather well-known Zombie gamemode, saying that, though, there seems to be more to do; it differs in equipment and enemies and includes several systems for upgrading to continue and vary the game as survival becomes increasingly tough.

Finally, amongst the main games of the tier 1 option we have Party of SIN, an appealing and well-done take on the 7 deadly sins. Party of SIN is a platformer game and in it, players will have to ensure they use the varying talents of each of their party's members, switching around to any of the other sins seamlessly. There is a 4-player co-operative mode which seems a very wise choice for a game of this style, players are able to switch around to the characters they prefer most and work together better.


A Be Mine Anniversary Special Edition EP is included with this tier that contains a few different songs of multiple genres: Electronic, Rock, Hard Rock and Hip-hop. 3 soundtracks: The Last Nova & Saul EP; a collection of punk/semi-hard rock tracks, Recalibrated Vol. 1; psychedelic mellow electronica with the inclusion of various ethnic instruments and low-key bass, and Square Tactics; rhymes and rapping laced amongst beats. Along with bonus games: Major Mayhem, Dungeons: The Dark Lord and a movie; T82 Super Sonic Tonemaker, that looks simply bizarre but excellent.

Needless to say, this is only the lowest tier and it barely scratches the surface. Within the $5 minimum tier are the games: Men of War: Assault Squad, Two Worlds II, Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes and Planets Under Attack as well as a mystery game and a couple of video game OSTs.

Anyone interested is free to check the groupees page with around a week left on this deal as of posting. For more information on this bundle, feel free to contact either myself or the groupees team.

A taste of things to come...

I'm currently working on a new post, however, in the meantime I wanted to show people a piece of art that I've done which I'm relatively proud of...

Here it is: 

More of this to come when my computer is upgraded. Shall be producing pictures at a resolution of at least 9000x16000, up to 14000x21000.

Short'n'Sweet: "Don't Starve"

I haven't submitted anything to this page in a fair while so I felt it was due. Here is a small start to a series as I'll title "Short'n'Sweet", keep it in theme, shall we?

It's easy to say that this game bears likeness to Minecraft, as every game apparently does, however, in addition to this I've found that some of the features and mechanics play and feel similar to Animal Crossing; specifically, I find that Animal Crossing is smooth and easy to play. Such is what 'Don't Starve' feels like, very fluid, with the added dimension of survival and the (at times infuriating) necessity to eat, as the title literally conveys.

The concept of the game is definitely simple, but as night approaches, you're met with the added dynamic of sustaining yourself further through the use of light, during these times I've never felt any desire to leave the comfort of my campfire - Think the film 'Pitch Black', though you play a distinctively more attractive character than "Riddick".
I understand we've already crossed multiple titles, but to me this game shares similarities to them all. Add to this the rather 'Tim-Burtonian' graphical style and you have a template for a fantastic game. It's well polished, good-looking and also challenging while it still successfully maintains an almost casual, dare I say it, "indie", feel.

Though initally, perma-death is a leading feature, you are able to prevent this through the use of certain in-game items, that is assuming you can gather them. Permanent death isn't a feature that I desire or look for in a game, though it's just about tolerable here. You learn to be far less careless than you were initially, it almost teaches you how to truly survive.* Instead of parading around in a new suit of armour as you may well do when you first create one, you learn that it's intended for protection from damage, not from being an idiot. You begin to stockpile food and develop routines and rituals through each day, it's pleasant, very pleasant.

The company, Klei Entertainment have made a game that is of course new yet feels strangely familiar, at times it's sadistic and also negative, and I absolutely love that. Negativity is something that most games seldom attempt which makes it refreshing to discover a game that places reality before preservation.
As the game is currently in the Beta-stage, it's difficult to give a verdict, as it stands though, I'd give it an 8/10 rating. It's a game that's still shifting and constantly improving and I expect for this to change to something a little better upon full release.

I suggest, should you purchase it you get it from this link: http://www.dontstarvegame.com/blog/getting-started/ for a number of reasons: It's cheaper, you get 2 copies to use in Google Chrome and you can access the Beta straight away through Steam.

* I wouldn't recommend applying anything learnt in 'Don't Starve' to a real-life scenario. Klei Entertainment and myself are not liable for any form of death you may befall upon yourself.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter [BETA] Feedback

Right, I've been playing the beta for quite a fair while now, and it is indeed very enjoyable. Before I go into detail on this thread, I want any of the development team that reads this to know I feel you're all doing a really good job, and don't be disheartened by what you read here, it's merely criticism, I'll be as gentle and kind with it all as I can.

I'll get a large concern of mine out of the way first, alright? It's rather lengthy; I am aware that this is a beta, and I know what that beta entails, too. I'm assuming that this isn't the final product, however, I am rather concerned if it is. I wouldn't necessarily say that it looks terrible as I'm not the type of gamer that looks only for graphics, however, the beta looks quite a great deal different and potentially worse than "Battlefield 3" and even "Medal of Honor" (2010), in fact, gameplay demos showcased in E3 look fantastic, literally absolutely beautiful. So I was wondering, are the graphics in the beta final? Practically all things don't look terribly good, that's weapons and textures primarily. Again, I really don't mean to offend, I'm just looking for clarity, if the game displayed in E3 looked so much better, I'll assume it's because it's been fully optimized, unlike the beta [?] in which we're only looking for bugs and testing the game.


Here is a list of my concerns/issues:

1. Spawning & Spawn-killing
Right, you may all have witnessed this, the spawning is currently quite hectic. When spawning with a buddy I can understand that death would be a large possibility, it's also a downside to spawning on your buddy. However, "Falling back" as it's referred, often offers it's own problems. Enemies are at times right in front of you, or you in front of them making spawning incredibly awkward on occasion.

This is an issue for a number of reasons; 1 - No spawn-shield, 2 - Takes around 3 seconds to lift your gun, before you even can, you're most likely dead, 3 - Very easy to die, of course, 4 - occasional close spawning or spawn-mixing (two teams in close areas).

2.  Weapon handling & Weapon switching
As mentioned above "takes around 3 seconds to lift your gun", though this is more realistic, at times it seems quite unnecessary. Changing to a secondary weapon should be quick but feels very slow and clunky as opposed to a quick chance at survival (how I feel it should be) after expending all the ammo of your primary weapon.

On top of this, pistols handle terribly slowly. In every game I play, I often use the pistol over my primary weapon because of my rather quick trigger finger, tapping and firing as fast as is possible. This isn't possible here, upon firing a pistol it feels like it quite literally jams, with firing ceasing completely and causing you to miss out on 1-3 shots, depending on your speed of fire. This makes me believe that the pistol is on a timer..? Other weapons are fine, though switching times still seem like an issue. A lot of things feel very slow and while I can appreciate this, I feel it needs to be distributed and moderated in areas.

Placing down a sniper rifle's bi-pod, for example, takes quite a lengthy amount of time. Perhaps have the ability to carry the sniper with the bi-pod extended, for quicker albeit less efficient use. Also, lightweight magazines might be a good idea to increase the rate they can be reloaded. I notice not much variance in magazines.

3. Fireteam, teamwork, Assistance & Team-play
I'd like to say I'm quite a good player, but, I feel at times that I have a fireteam member that's determined to get me killed. Not acknowledging my need for health, ammo, cover and having me run about half a mile just to get supplies etc.. I currently play the game without a headset, I believe using one would help, but I don't want to be forced to.
I suggest that upon losing a considerable amount of health, it should be more noticeable to the other member of that fireteam, same with losing ammo. I'm not suggesting that they shout at one another from across the map or you have a beam of light shining down upon you, but, just something that'll make my incompetent "buddy" seem like he isn't just part of the atmosphere. I can understand the direction that this game is taking with the depth of teamwork, it's actually really cool IF you have a competent team-mate and (typically) if you're wanting to talk to them, people need to know when you need something, they need to be alerted, maybe to the point of having a penalty for doing otherwise (which I guess would be difficult to monitor).
In this game there seems to be a heavy reliance on a team-mate. While I think this is good it makes being a lone-wolf incredibly challenging, especially when you're "buddy" spawns on you, doesn't even look at you and barely gives you enough time to even try and heal yourself. I believe it's a very team-focused game, right?

4. Depth of field & Scope blurring
This may tie in with my graphics mention at the start of this thread, but, the blur and depth of field surrounding your sights when aiming seems really, really blurry. Very unappealing. There's no sharpness or blur, really, it's just one big clump. There needs to be more detail, though I'll observe this more intently in my next match.

5. Controls
There was one thing that bothered me...I believe it was post-match, upon receiving experience and waiting for the next match to load. You have to select "Next" or "Previous" to progress through the menus. Implement an "RB/LB" function as is similar to the main menu, instead of having people scroll all the way down the page and then back up to what they want to see. Almost everything else seems fine.

6. Menu, Background & Interface
I'm not saying the background images look bad, however, it feels rather busy in terms of both the content and the effects (blurring, brightness going up and down), this, on top of all the information you're taking in already, be it finding a game, catching up on your Battlelog information or checking your stats all seems much too hectic. I feel that things need to be made darker and perhaps more sleek. If not that, lose the light effects in the background as I've had a headache for a while. I think you can all do a lot better.

The colour scheme also bothers me, it doesn't go well with the background image. Currently it looks like a pale greyish/blue, with the warmer colours of the background, this contrasts too heavily and even though there are thin red lines garnishing the menu in areas, it's still too contrasting. Furthermore, menu buttons don't line up very well, if I were to measure the pixels of the "Platoon" sub-options against the "Stats & Leaderboards" sub-options, I think I'd find that the latter has a wider gap between each sub-option. I also feel that the menus should be quicker to navigate, try not to get too caught up on making it look awesome in the background, speed is a prime aspect too.

To sum up on number 6:
Background is too bright,
Buttons aren't OCD enough,
Colours contrast too much.

7. Gameplay
This also feels clunky, a lot of the classes feel very slow, and although this is normal for heavily-built classes, I think they don't move dynamically enough. There seems to be great struggle and an almost awkward level of interaction with the environment. Don't take this comment completely seriously though, as I'm beginning to hurt my eyes looking at the screen and can't really be bothered elaborating or refining this further.


Well then! Should you be part of the development team or tied in with Medal of Honor: Warfighter in any way, it's quite possible I've depressed you, if so, I do apologise. However, here are some things I like:

1. Very good sounds & audio:
Weapon sounds vary nicely, atmospheric sounds immerse me further, background music is all it needs to be. Explosions, ticking from mines, reloading, etc., I have no qualms with sound!

2. Variation & Customization:
an incredible amount of it. There are so many classes, for a start, amongst those classes there are plenty of weapons, and I checked to see if all attachments within each weapon of a class was the same, and they seem not to be. I believe there's an incomparable amount of possibilities. I want to be more involved though when changing and editing my gun. Perhaps have a firing range where players can test bullet drop, firing speed and so on, easy to access from the "My Gun" menu. Also, the "My Gun" background needs to look nicer.

3. Team-Play:
Although I had a few gripes at the team-play aspect, I think it's incredibly well done. Really, I do. The potential enjoyment to be had within a fireteam is vast. I'm excited to see multiple fireteams even working together, covering one another. Buddies looking out for one another and so on, I think it's so atmospheric, this really helps to pull me into the game further. Very realistic AND fun.

4. Scoring:
I haven't got much to say about this, but the point distribution seems perfect. Kill rewards are all well and good (though choosing them would be nice, but, upon unlocking more weapons and adapting them to each class, I feel that this may not be necessary as you could potentially build a "sniper" in an "Assaulter" class).

5. Atmosphere:
I read a comment somewhere saying that mortars/rockets/artillery all make the camera shake too drastically. I couldn't disagree more, I feel most games give you a baby-like level of simulation whereas in this game, it's awe-inspiring. You actually have to plan where you'll be when an explosion occurs, it actually affects you, you can't ignore it and this is incredibly good. Along with everything else, as well, the atmosphere is very good!



There are all my thoughts for now. The beta is very good and this game looks hugely promising, if anybody has any questions, wishes for me to elaborate or generally just wants a chat, go ahead and get in touch!

Medal of Honor: Warfighter [BETA] Weapons list: Weapons List