There's No More Heroes

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#1 No More Heroes: WII

I have to chug out that everyone who owns a WII and isnt from this X-box live generation HAS to give this game a try. The game literally rewards you for being a gamer. From references of old games to complete gameplay style switch in mid battle, to their interestingly nostalgic interface. The game doesn't take itself too seriously and its a real blast to see how that plays out in-game. It isnt UBER hard but not extremely easy and does require quick thinking especially in boss situation.
Every bosses in this game are unique on their own and amazingly introduced to a point where it makes you wonder if Suda51(game designer) studied along side of Hideo Kojima when the chapter of creating interesting boss characters popped up in game design class 101. I mean, wow, its one concept that will stick in my head for eternity and i hope i can do the same with the low budget game im making.
Now the game has minor replay value unless you're a difficulty addict or costume collector and the game doesn't force you to do crazy things to get the REAL ending, its a ingenious though that will have Average to Hardcore gamers picking it up without noticing.
"You basically have to fight the last boss having earned the Last weapon (bit expensive)"
Yet even so, you may come back for more playthrough with your last weapon available at the beginning of the game.
So if you own a wii, go get it now, probably 20$ since the game didn't sell alot here, (very VERY poor advertisement during a Halo 3 season).
And i send my thanks to Suda51 for the confirmation of a sequel even if the game bombed in japan and relatively sold in the US, this is devotion, they do not think about the big bucks and i cant wait to see how Suda51 can surpass himself in this latest design.






#2 No More Heroes: In the world we live in


People, im seriously wondering if i should turn into a total douchebag once and for all.
Why? Ive had enough of being helpful with certain people then being abused and backstabbed right after.
Of course, i don't mean that this happen every months, year or whatever but bloody hell, thoses rate times it happens, it fucking hurts, adds useless stress in my fucking mind and i always get a chance to turn the "ass-kicking" option on but never do cause im too fucking nice to pull it off.
Whats up this time, well im at this new apartment and i landed on another PS2 gamer close to the land lady so hell we played tekken and spent some gaming time chilling. Now at one point he had to bring back the PS2 to the friend who he borrowed it from. So he asked me if he could borrow mine seeing that i had my PS3 setup. I was never a greedy and conservative person when it came to anything and the guy just came from Russia with his family living around the appartement building so he didn't really have squat when it came to gaming also worked as the janitor when i came there SO, sure have my ps2, bring it back when ur done with it or ill pass by.
And so it was brought back and all was cool, now ud think this would be it, right: Wrong, the guy came and borrowed it 2-3 more times. Sure then, as long as you bring it back and keep it save. Now where this really started to piss me off is when he started to knock on my door at 9 PM when im drawing quite on an A4 comic before a coat of marker dries up.
First thing is: Who in the name of fuck knocks at someones door at 9pm without announcing themselves first via phone call?
Second thing is: Sir, you probably finished paying that 1600$ you had to pay for your Canadian papers, your last paycheck already passed, go at a wal-mart and get yourself a PS3 or X-box360, Grow up.
At a certain time, i started ignoring the evening 9pm knocks, since i DON'T expect anyone to pass by without calling or ringing the door bell at the front and i didn't fraternize with my neighbors yet, never did, not that im willingly unsocial but you as you will see, it backfires in an apartment situation.
The peak point of this whole situation is when i started hearing those 9pm knocks EVERY NIGHTS. Oh for heavens sake how immature can you get as an adult and this isnt the funny immature that you have with friends and co-workers or girlfriends, no, that's immature as in: Im banging my head at your door for a cookie that i could buy at the dep store instead of bugging you.
So this lasted for a week and stopped the next week, possibly showing that he realized that the neighbors tough he was a depraved stalker or drug dealer. So finally, some peace and quiet, right? WRONG.
Slightly short resume of a mini-event that followed up: Landlord knocked-i though it was the same guy so no answer-Landlord knocks constantly-I grow more frustrated and kept ignoring-Landlord ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE DOOR- I open up and ask WTF!-Landlord THOUGHT i didnt pay this month's rent- I show the receipt and precise that i paid IN FRONT of em: The end.
Slight fuckup on both sides yet if i wasn't hassled by the immature depraved chap, it wouldn't have lasted till 11 pm, no kidding, knocks till 11pm.
So recently, ahem, Monday, i got a knock at 10 pm, that was it, i had to explode, i had already tried to explain to the guy that this behavior wasn't socially accepted, we weren't that close and his financial status had got better, then WTF !
Textual reproduction of how i laid it down when he asked me for my ps2 this 10th time [WARNING: Foul language due to boiling anger]

"Now listen up you miserable piece of bitch, i don't know what the fuck you think you're doing and if you realize how fucking annoying and immature uve been about this PS2 lending shit. The neighbors told me uve been knocking at my door every fucking day, late night just for this fucking PS2 and i find it fucking sick how you can bother people at this time of the night for a fucking hardware you could have bought on your last paycheck IF YOU DIDN'T SPEND IT ON SHIT ASS BEER. Now if i hear that ur gonna pull off this late night bullshit on me again, i will shove my foot so far up your ass that ull turn vegetable and UH-HO NO GAMES FOR YOU. NOW GO FUCKING BUY A CONSOLE AND QUIT PISSING ME OFF."

--Door shut, headsets on--

And i have no regrets about laying it down on him quite harsh, the bloody bastard borrowed 100$ from me to buy a quick deal-ed laptop, payed me back, asked for PC games and then tried to sell it to me for 200$ a few days after when in need of money. So what am i, a dump whore who can be used and duped at every occasion, any average person would have told the moron to get the fuck out NOW, i just said " Nah, no need for a laptop, sorry". Bloody hell, now i struggling not to punch the guy when i see him. Where's the self-respect in milking people without being "serious friends", the guy basically came to be only for my PS2 while i helped him with his resume (his typing is shit), lent him money and tried to be a helpful person to him while he got settled in this country. Well Fuck it, i don't see why i should be nice to people i just meet, no, really, fuck it all.

...
......
........

WRONG!

Ok, as many times as theses back stabs and abusing happens there are always moments where you feel good, about being relatively good, short example: Last week Christmas shopping, 110$ total ,30$ showing up in the online account bills. So here's the choice: Do selfishly i save 80$ because only the last item was registered in the credit card bill or do i simply notify and pay for the malfunction?
I mean, why in the name of fuck would not save up on such a deal, right; Why would i not use and abuse of a lucky malfunction?
Answer: Just because i can.
As much as i hate my favorite quote hence representing my way of thinking, i naturally go back to the shop the next week, with the bill, to pay them the difference. And honestly, its a small book store so people are friendly and i was surprised that they were in fact stressed out at the thought that there was 80$ missing. So it felt quite good knowing that any theft assumptions towards their employees or robbery ideas was instantly cleared and also, they were nice enough to thank me for my honesty. A simply thank you for a good act, odd feeling of * 1 POINT TO THE LIGHT SIDE YEE-PEE* and it can feel odd to miss a chance to screw the system/government that keeps raping us with taxes every days. I cant bring myself to screw or rip off people when the opportunity comes to, really, many opportunities have occurred, people ive met just cause they are interesting and in no ways have i though of abusing or fucking over people. Horribly result of a Jehova Witness Dad and Catholic Mom with a dash of Atheism developed during high school. Yet im strongly getting to believe that there are No More "selfless" Heroes in this world or maybe just my entourage, or just less than before and this also gets me a big shaky about the notion of "Connections" to get inside the industry. Im not too keen on the whole " I know you, just to get in the industry", fuck that, if i got your number, ill call to say merry Christmas, if i got your email, have some well wishes or MSN chat. Now i will tell you all in advance, I-FAIL-AT-OUTSIGHT-INTERACTIONS, im either home drawing or studying anatomy or playing a game so i barely chat on msn as im never constant in a chatroom and i cant seem to call everyone regularly IF i have their numbers and it makes me a bit mad at myself at times. I recently miraculously found my old list of ubisoft emails, funny jokes and blogs from friends i had while testing and i though i had lost them when my last hard drive died, luckily saved on my first PSP memory card, bloody hell, i had to add theses guys on linked-in to get some news, see some blogs and ask em how they are doing. People i used to see every day and had interesting conversations with or even played games with. Damn, started to glee remembering the faces attached to the digital names and memories i had of our interaction and really, good people, that testing job got me to meet up alot of devoted people even tough i might have sounded jaded about the job yet that's another chapter.

Anyway, are there really no more heroes in this world, will there be less "good" people in this world, how can you foresee being screwed over before it happens? Experience i guess, remembering, analysing and then acting. Easier said then done but better late than never.

Its drawing time...

||Next post:
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Podcast list i hope? Man i gotta remove this section lol.

Re-Balance

So many points, so little time so lets make it quick,


||Current Tasks:
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[Override]: 9 page comics, 2 week deadline.

That completely slipped off my mind, a friend on entervoid.com recently freed up for a Christmas battle and spontaneously sent the challenge last Thursday. Had to accept Saturday to give us both that "last minute Saturday rush" pad we'd get around the deadline date. And i thought i would have had time to clear the local commissions i pushed back every battles and portfolio constructions....blast, really bad personal management or..... [Thoughts#1]

[First Priority] Portfolio V1.5

Ok so my digital coloring doesn't reflect what i really do, it just looks clean, alot of people keep telling my that not everyone look for "clean work" so i should stop beating myself to play with the digital took and just "Do-the-Do-that-i-do-do" but brush it up with the lightbox aid. And i always get this annoying feeling that i shouldnt post anything anywhere till i get better but, seriously, that idea can go to hell. If nothing is shown nor done then no experience and no one knows you at all. And as much as i want to perfect my construction method melting pot, at one point, i gotta move on...[Thoughts#1]
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|--[Branch] Beat em up project

Cleaning up that quick walk and run then import and color.

[Third priority] Local Comissions

Ok ill cancel my 1 hour morning anatomy study to get the comissions done, the correction lists have been recieved so i have to strike them down ASAP.



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#1 Mental motivation method

You guys know I have the Procrastination sickness, i wont lie, im at a dangerous state. I have the stupid little voice in my head continuously telling me that id do better inside the game industry because id have close feedback, real experience and id be doing drawings for something i actually love.
Now that annoying little message pops up in my head from time to time the goes on and when i have alternate [non deadlined] tasks to accomplish, i usually let them slide saying id do them the next morning (and that gets canned because of sleep-ins due to late gaming...) or i just hate how long ive stayed on a certain piece of work then detest it since by the time i look back at it, id have learned a few new tricks somewhat evolving my style further on and making it easy to notice mistakes. YARRRRRGH!!!!!
Ok so thats a pain in the ass and theses thoughts constantly roam in my head all day long, until, this afternoon, something clicked.
Why not work on theses tasks, as if i was working on them for the industry?
I remember doing this kind of self-brainwashing while working on a few projects back when i was in Illustration and Design, it definitely gave me good results back then, even in essays.
And looking back at this way of thinking, i always get this brain surge, imagining that im working with the Team of Abes Odessey or Prince of Persia, giving context, meaning, a goal other than just making pretty images. Thats bloody hard to tap into. They had never tapped inside that part of us back then and thats what got me jaded about the Ill and design program, i personally dont care about making pretty images, im searching for a soul and i cant tell you how often that keeps me up at night. Im being torn between trying to get anatomy and construction at a high level OR getting all the glitter......wait, counter argument right there, is the pretty glitter anyway related to having soul in your artwork, unlikely. So what the hell am i stuck at. Huh, oh right, anatomy and construction versus meaning. There we go, so im spending too much time worrying on the anatomy instead of having "meaning" emerging in the end. Man, isnt that an interesting struggle...I think getting this mental brainwashing pushes me to think beyond anatomy or actually go past that point, past and current "artisticly great" games have always gave me this extra glee of joy and inspiration, ill see if i can tap that same glee when doing personal work and comissions.

#2 Bad design or Personal Preferences

Ive heard certain people complain about Prince of Persia and other new games, not having punishment for death or being too easy because death doesn't happen that often and this gets me to wonder, what the hell?
Some of theses games have great setting, storyline, artistic design yet people still seem to complain about such a thing as being punished in-game.
Thats very odd, i mean, i lived through the super mario bros 3 era and i do see how that can alienating yet ive also tried games like God Hand or Devil May Cry 3 US and certainly had my moments throwing that ps2 controller on the floor which i had never done before with a snes controller. Why is that? Is ridiculous game difficulty a bad game design, are the controls too complex for smooth and fluid gameplay? Or is it just personal preference?

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Godhand had an engine which was more fit for ONE ON ONE combat, not full fledge free for all. This forced the gamer to Pick fights one by one by taunting each enemy or run away from a group or the camera would eventually kill you (straight on camera). The game had hilarious potential if only the engine was made for its purpose instead of forcing you to resort to cheap tactics and move spamming in order to finish a level.
That can possibly count as bad game design.
Devil May Cry 3's normal mode -US- was the -JAP- hard mode. There is a sense of pride when completing certain bosses at that difficulty level. You really learn to use ALL your moves and to time things right.
Tekken 5 had a final boss that could stun you up close ignoring any moves you perform at him (later removed for the psp version.) Bad..part of the game?

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Ultimately, feels like personal preferences, some people like hard games, some people like going through a story, everyone is different, the interesting part would be having a serious debate on that subject relating certain games yet, with internet, getting a good debate is hard; typing time, typos, non willing agressivity, words being taken out of context, its a real hassle, why cant we all pick up a mic and skype it out :D.



Next post...?
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Possibly Podcast shoutout as ive been listening to alot of interesting "Game related" podcasts and im sure theses shows will have you thinking alot on the industry as a whole, maybe too much?

back to drawing.

Cut backs and Rise of the Argonauts

The game project cutbacks:

1. 3-4 frames for animations in order to test the engine.
2. Cutscenes will have to be "living comic book" style for now.(Till i see if i have time for fully hand drawn sequences before i grow grey hair.)
3.Episodic method, only as a last resort.


Rise of the Argonauts

The game tries to be different from your average hack-n-slash. I mean, first thing that ull notice : No on-screen hud or map. And maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan do i want my map, i mean i really really miss the map. BUT the game gave me a real mind fuck when i landed on an NPC conversation randomly giving me a new and well needed item. Guys, you have no idea how much this plays with your brain as we are often used to being lead to theses points via objective or hints, this was just THERE to reward your interaction and searches. Very interesting little feature. The game is more centered on story thank anything else, there is a shitload of dialogue, really, a shitload, you choose how they go most of the time yet man i wish theses characters had more attitude in their body motion during dialogue, yet i dunno if that can ever be well done with this many amount of dialogue which can also be modified.
Obvious frame rate issue yet i wouldn't blame em as there are a shitload of people you CANT kill. Yep this aint god of war, you aren't a mass murderer and there are people living in theses cities.
The game is more story based than combat based, anyhow back to prince of persia then off to this one again.

Prince of Persia Collectors edition The good part

Ok guys, i know ive ranted alot on the Collectors edition and what came with it so this time ill just drop the last bit of fuel to the artbook dissapointement then go on about the goodness of the game itself.


The Collectors edition : Strategy guide


So i walk buy gamebuzz (i dont support eb games) to see if i can get myself a copy of Rise of the Argonaught (i support mythological games too :D) and while finding out that it came out tomorrow, i stumbled on a nicely covered book saying " Prince of Persia Collectors" ok so i thought that it was the redeeming Prince of Persia Artbook that ive been waiting for and that Ubisoft pulled a "God of war" on me (Strategy and complete artbook in the package) so i bought the nicely covered book along with the Assassins Creed artbook (great artistic team as well, same one i think). So in the metro, while sitting down and going home, i opened it and flipped through the strategy pages to evade spoilers.
And then.... flipped some more, and more, and more...wait, where is the artbook?
I FINALLY land on some art pages...all 8 of them at the end of the book.

WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh GOD DAMMIT, UBISOFT YOU'VE RAPED MY HOPES AGAIN! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

7-8 pages of artwork so 8% of the whole book. What the hell.....what...the...hell....
Man, i couldnt even draw straight after, i was so pissed to have been had again...

So all jaded AGAIN, i come back home and takeout Saints Row 2 which i finished online with a friend then placed Prince of Persia inside. (Sorry Fallout 3, you come next).
Now i did get nitpicky about that code you need to enter for a "hidden skin" only available to pre-orders (I have the collectors edition....wheres the damned code..) and i do hope that feature is unlockable later in the game but thats it for the menus. Overall, very nice menu to menu transition, quite creative kinda like a blue ray movie :D.

Now i finally get to pressing the new game button and then ......




[Mokuu has died of an artistic orgasm caused by Prince of Persia, please beware that the content of this game is a bliss to the eyes, fluid and contains combat so satisfying that you will get adrenaline rushes. This article will continue once Mokuu is ressurected enough time to finish the game itself. Sorry, the game is too sexy right now GO BUY IT!!!!!.]

Notes on the combat system, i gotta do a running and movement test first

Prince of Persia Collectors edition

Now i got a bone to pick with Ubisoft for this collectors edition and believe me, i can justify it.

I dont know their internal problems with the art department but when i pay these extra dollars, i expect some kind of serious artbook.
This "artbook" was first and foremost DIGITAL. Type-o-thing even I wouldnt burn and pass out at a con.
And then the kick in the balls is that this "artbook" is on a BIG ASS BLUE RAY DVD. WHAT THE HELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So there is absolutely no ways to keep theses pieces if work on my pc or IN MY HANDS, no, blue ray DVD, 6-7 pages, have a nice day.

Suikoden 4 gave me an artbook even if the game was a pile of crap.

God of war 1 and 2 had artbooks either with the game or strategy guide.

FALLOUT 3 even had a small artbook with their uber packaging.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS DIGITAL ARTBOOK PILE OF SHIT!

UBISOFT HAS SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED ARTIST CREATING SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED PIECES OF ART IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY WHY CANT THE FUCKING MARKETTING GET IT IN THEIR PUNY LITTLE HEAD THAT THESE PIECES OF ART ARE BEST SEEN ON HIGH RESOLUTION IN OUR FREAKING HAAAAAANDS. PRINCE OF PERSIA 1-2-3 HAS SOME FUCKING GREAT ARTWORK BUT WE NEVER EEEEEVER GOT TO COLLECT THEM CAUSE NO ARTBOOK WAS RELEASED.

Now i got a few theories on how this can possibly be explained:

1-The marketing pulled this as a last minute plan.

2-The marketing had no clue what a collectors edition really is.

3-The marketing doesnt want to have outsiders learn art techniques that could rival their team's skills so they held them back.

All 3 reasons extreme exaggerations but im starting to think their are all true.

Now it aint all that bad, i mean, that behind the scene was funny, yet the box coulda been kicked to another level and the CD slip,............yep number 2 seems to be the valid reason for this.

ANYWAY, ill be playing the game little by little.

Small thoughts

Hmm......
Ok, looking back at some older games from japan, manas, odin's sphere, final fantasy and such.
Man, creating a world that is both believable and unique is an interesting task, its like basing off reality but then adding some nonsense that CAN blend in the world. Odd merges but gives you such great results at times.
Sooooo ok, lets try to make these environments and stages unique, but thats quite a stretch.
i might want to do some kind of video diary, just for note taking and review.

Stage 1 storyboard

Halting the storyboard after this, gotta jot down the stages first:
















End of boss fight




















Back to planning...

Reboot

Been a few days since i started waking up at 5 am to brush up on my anatomy, tutorials with books and Ron Lemen's anatomy articles inside Imagine FX. I think i found my approach method, drawing approach but i cant be 100% sure cause this always happens.
I went back to Marvel's way of drawing and gesturing, it somewhat worked well and i was able to like it to the Force way of flowing, yet it loses the bulk that the academical approach gives me. Might find a way to compensate soon.
So anyway, ill be adding some of the exercises this weekend, im using the a7 biggie paper so i cant really scan them.

As for the game project, enemie's attack patterns are designed, now im making some decisions on the player's abilities, attacks, comboes, speed, balancing. Ill also sketch up some ideas for the stages and upload the enemy attack patterns while trying to hide the notes :D
Anyhow lets go.

Recent comic

So greyscale shading on colored flats doesnt work that well. city is quite empty, special FX with markers needs to be planned out, and scanning at 48bit color to evade the linework being greyed. Also, no more 6-7 panels pages, next one is 4-5, i want my lines. But so far doing this with markers was more enjoyable than the previous ones.

Apparently i made my opponent look emo, and well i just wanted to bring out the absent minded genius the character was, might have to play around with expression sheets more often.

Intro stage

Intro stage:












-Boss section:









Beaten boss:



Off to stage 1 !