hollowmen

What is beauty in secondlife? Everyone easily can say what they consider beauty to be in the real world, but when asked the question in referance to SL most have to stop and think about it. How do you reward or praise someone for their beauty in a world where appearance can be purchased? The answer is that you shouldnt treat these people any differently than everyone else. The hard facts of the matter however, are much to the contrary. Just as in the real world we the people place too much emphasis on outward appearances. There are those who say that the way we look in SL indicate our character, but I am one to disagree. All one can really derive from an avitar's appearance is perhaps their interests and how many lindens were spent in the creation of their avitar. too often have good people been overlooked merely on the basis of their appearances. My avitar's shape is a point of pride as I worked very hard to shape him, but I am almost instantly put-off by any person who is interested in me based solely on the way I look. I am a self professed geek and have been known to roleplay in various sims around the grid, so what I am wearing is really only indicative of the character I am playing. But even in such a small coommunity if I am not "pretty" no one pays me any attention. I cannot give a solution to this problem because it is something we all must work on individually in order to overcome this blatant discrimination.

Through the looking glass

standing in my spaceship, surrounded by a prototype gun, photo backdrop, a half built speeder bike, and an old tv with a nintendo on top, I am still amazed to this day all that Secondlife has to offer. In no other world can one person accumulate quite so much junk or such varied and wonderful experience.
Secondlife has long been a bastion for creativity,self expression, and social networking. But the average SLer may not even know all that is out there. Today I hope to clear the fog a bit, and tell you about a few of the oppurtunities out there in SL. Imagine you are just stepping onto your first taste of virtual soil, around you are many others dressed in a similar manner, just as befuddled as you feel. Now, fast forward a month how much like that "old you" do you look like? If you are like most people in Secondlife you have found out you can shop and find something to dress your avatar in that is presentable, and even buy a skin that looks a tad bit more realistic than the skin you arrived in. Again jump forward another three months, and you have metamorphosed into something so far from the original mold that you find yourself trying to avoid even interacting with the "noobs". Secondlife gives people the chance to make themselves into whatever they want, and with a little ingenuity and lindens do whatever they want.

One such option would be the varied roleplay experiences out there. You can be apart of the ever growing Star Wars Roleplay community or SWRP for short, go to toxian and be a horned demon who slays vampires, or if you'd rather be the vampire you can wear a hud that lets you simulate living the way a vampire would...on human blood which you must take in regularly or risk harm or even a fake death.

Say roleplaying in that manner doesn't really suit you, perhaps you'd rather work as a dancer in the many clubs around SL or even as an exotic dancer, working for tips of the almighty linden dollar which you can then take and purchase more clothing items, gadgets, or other toys that enrich and enhance your virtual way of life. Perhaps you have crafted your avatar into a very attractive bit of pixels and you want to show the latest fashions off and be paid to do so, then maybe modeling is for you. You can enroll in modeling school, participate in contests, or just work as a live model in a few of the showrooms for major content creators.

If capturing those images interests you more than being in them, photography in secondlife could be for you, with the rate modeling is growing in popularity and clothing creators are rolling out new items, there will need to be someone to take pictures of all this.

One of the most addictive parts of Secondlife, aside from the shopping, is content creation. Any person can create objects, clothing, scripts, or even entire sims and it all starts with a single prim, a simple texture, a new script, or a blank slate. Content creation is one of the top professions in SL, with people creating everything from recreations of iconic Star Wars characters to the latest fashion which mimics the real life fashions we see in Paris or New york.

And even if none of the above interests you, there are still options available to you. At its very essence, secondlife is a three dimensional chat room. Allowing people from across the world to come together and chat, get to know each other, even fall in love. With all these options available to you, I would reccomend checking out Secondlife. If you are already apart of this ever expansive world, try something new, something that takes you outside of your usual boundaries and explore, see what else there is to offer out there. Happy hunting SLers.

What it is to burn

I cannot burn for I was bloomed in fire, a fire that can be everything and nothing at the same time. We use fire to describe so many things in our lives, sometimes it is bad, and other times it is good. The one similarity that all uses of the term have is passion. Passion is what gives us our motivation, our purpose, our sense of self. If you think about it, when you are in pain of the emotional variety every raising hair on your body seems to be electric, you can feel every fiber of your being screaming out in agony. Now think of when you are in love, and that person loves you back, the very breeze on your skin feels like a tidal wave of sense. I used to think that we as humans were flawed creatures because our most intense feeling is pain, looking at how many words and ways we describe pain, then looking at how many words we have to describe happiness its natural to feel that way. But i've since drawn a new conclusion, pain is just as vital to our existence as happiness. If we were to never know the stench of rot, would a beautiful flower smell as sweet? The rain in the trees cannot smell as fresh if we dont smell everything else there is among the trees that isn't pleasant. Pain is a vital tool in our struggle to find a balance. Life is not perfect, it is impossible for us to be happy all of the time. Its being ok with being unhappy sometimes and knowing its ok to be happy too that should be every person's goal in this world. There are many facets of our being that we must acknowledge and accept in order to strike a balance with the universe, to understand pain's role in this and find beauty and happiness in the smallest detail is our directive. In living a life deliberate, a person has to see everything and nothing and know that it is alright to do so. I cannot burn for I was bloomed in fire means that thru the pain i've experienced in my life I have learned to be happy, I have become strong in the face of something that would seek to break me at my very core. I am invincible because I accept pain as just another part of the learning and growing cycle.

Bungie's New DLC

On March 25th Bungie released their latest addition to the existing multiplayer maps with two remakes and one new all original map. The first map is Ghost town which i've mentioned before, after playing the map you truly get the feeling of being in a war, and this chunk of real estate is the frontline. The map itself is a varitable maze of different levels, broken cover, and some strategically placed weapons. The only game pace i've seen thus far on this map would be frenzied. The map is small enough that you have to move immediately upon spawning for fear of being gunned down by someone happening across your path. After playing a few FFA games and Team Slayer games, I feel like the best suited would be team based games, be it Team Slayer, Team Objective, etc.

The second map of the release is Avalanche, Avalanche is a rehashed version of Sidewinder from the Halo:CE multiplayer. The map features some impressive man cannon arrays, nicely balanced bases, and a unique cut across to speed up on foot travel. Avalanche is the only multiplayer map in Halo 3 that features the Hornet, it was repainted and the weapons were scaled down a bit (missles removed, machine guns made weaker)All the UNSC vehicles recieved a cosmetic upgrade as well. Each vehicle was given a "snow camo" paint job. The map itself has a variety of situations to suit every players fighting style, and the addition of vehicles make for some "legendary" moments, or incredibly humorous game films.

The final of the three new maps is nearly an exact port from Halo 2, Lockout. The map has remained as close as possible to the original layout, but has also recieved a new setting. Rather than the Forerunner Flood facility under a rock cliff, the newly renamed "Blackout" has become a UNSC research platform in the arctic. Gone is the rock wall, and in its place a spectacular view of the glacial shelf, the moon, and the aurora borealis. The maps gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original, short of a wall or ledge being moved down,up, or back a bit. The games still hold their "no holds barred" attitude, and unlike many of the maps that have been released, players playing on Blackout for the first time, need no learning curve. Lockout was one of the most succesful Halo 2 multiplayer maps and was the single most requested map remake for Halo 3.

Forgeries Amok

Another of the pleasant surprises Bungie rolled out for players in this DLC was the inclusion of some new and unique forge objects once again. In place of some of the "just for show" elements players were able to put down, Bungie put in pieces that allow the player to change how a map plays, with ramps, towers, and other objects. Even more remarkable however is the fact that these additional pieces all fit the enviroment they're in. For example all the building elements available in Avalanche are designed like forerunner architecture (save the bridge, its still good ole UNSC material). The new objects allow players to further manipulate the maps to create anything their fevered minds can come up with. With the success of all the available forge editions of Foundry, one could speculate this is why Bungie placed these objects in the DLC. The final addition to the DLC would be the inclusion of filters. Filters can be placed on the maps in forge and will apply to everyone who plays that map variant. Pen and Ink, Old Timey, Nova, Gloomy, Juicy, and Colorblind are the available options. Surprisingly enough, these filters can really change the way a map plays. Some allow more cinematic effects to be used by budding directors making their machinima, but some can add a unique atmosphere to the game. My imagined gametype to best explain this would be an Infection game type on a map where the Gloomy filter has been placed. Gloomy leaches the color out of everything, and makes the entire world seem darker and more foreboding. My first thought was this could either be Saving Private Ryan, or Dawn of the Dead.

The most pertinent question on many peoples minds is whether or not this DLC is worth the 800 microsoft points its going to cost you. In short, YES! This DLC is worth every point you pay, not only does it give you new and interesting maps to play on in matchmaking, Bungie plans to release some playlist updates that will be Heroic and Legendary Map pack required playlists, one of them being the SWAT playlist. This DLC can add many more hours of gameplay to a game thats already worth playing alot.

Phantom Limb

Its been long dead but I can still feel it.
The blood has long since run dry.
I sit here and I could swear that its still with me, but in the end just a trick of the mind on my body. It only happens at a certain time in the day, but when it does it brings all the old pain right back to the surface.
And no matter how many times it happens and I'm let down, the hope punctured and deflating like a forgotten birthday balloon.
I can't help but still wish, that someday my phantom limb would not be phantom, and once again I could pick up and hear your voice at the other end.

Shadowfall: PRECURSOR

The day drudged along infuriatingly slow for Diggs. Diggs had been born and raised on Earth proper, and when the covenant invasion came he and a group of other teenagers did what they could to help the war effort. Diggs had been ancy to jump into battle then, and that inclination had certainly not dimmed over time. He peered down at his chronometer again, seeing it was still the same time the LAST time he looked at it he had opted to do a walkthrough of the "treehouse". "Bosely! wake up man, you know anything about this place?" "This place? not so much, just that brass deemed it necessary for our beautiful behinds to stay here and guard it, works for me" Bosely replied groggily "but if you're looking for worth in our job, take a look at the device in the center platform, i'm not sure what it is, but if my forerunner translating isn't as bad as Captain Halverez thinks, it is definantly something worth protecting" "really? but if its valuable, why not come in and take it back to a more secure facility?" Diggs asked. "I'm not sure, maybe its being used as bait to see what creepy crawlers climb out of their holes to come and get it." Bosely responded rather matter-of-factly.

N'Kulto felt his heart drop when he heard the humans exchange of words. He checked the status indicator on his HUD to make sure that his translator was working right. If it were, then the humans knew the worth of this device, and were using it as bait...bait he had taken. N'Kulto knew berating his own incompetence at not foreseeing this would have to wait, now all that mattered was that he make it out of here without being spotted by the two spartans. He knew he could return to the Oracle's library and call for his mentor, he would know what to do with the information, N'Kulto would leave it up to him.

"only five hours in and he was already tired, this was going to be a long night."

The hornet flew in low nearly scraping the texture off the rooftops as it flew. Lt. Simms sat at the controls accutely aware he could die today. The Office of Naval Intelligence or ONI had intercepted transmissions from a group of rebels who claimed to have a set of spartan armor and were reverse engineering it to create their own set of the armor. ONI had made it a top priority that it is to be determined whether or not the rebels did indeed have a set of armor, or if they knew they were being spied on and wanted to fluster the UNSC. Simms had been deployed to assess the status of the armor, recon any other enemy elements in the neighborhood such as anti-air weapons, stockpiles, or anything else that might hurt the UNSC soldiers if they attacked. As his HUD signaled that he was nearing his landing zone or LZ, Simms decelerated and brought the hornet to a neat and quiet stop on the roof. Simms recognized the area, at one time it had been part of a busy part of downtown of New Rio, the rail train had taken tourists,commuters, and anyone else to several locations all over the city. The area was now like a fortress, when the Covenant dogs had attacked, the city had been locked down into its segments in order to try and minimize damage done by the attrition from the covenant. After the war finished, there was still little power available to bring all sections of the city back online. This was one of those blocks, the rail station was situated in the center of the block with a small parking garage and machine shop at one end, and a large open pavilion at the other end. The machine shop and parking garage was full of rebels, as well as many in the station with loads stacked on pallets to be placed on the train when it came through. The pavilion however was sparsely occupied, with only two men one at his post on the two turrets directly in front of the station pointed towards the open area. The area itself was large enough a pelican could land unhindered, and it was apparent the rebels had drawn the same conclusion. Simms dropped off the rooftop and into the shadows of the hill facing the pavilion. He engaged in passive camo and slipped under one of the segments of the building behind him, he would wait for nightfall before trying to cross that portion of open ground. Simms fixed himself into position and let the rumble of the passing trains lull him into a light sleep.

Simms awoke with a start and saw that the day had begun to melt into night, the sunset had cast itself into the pavilion and directly into the eyes of the two gunners.

"The machine shop and parking garage was full of rebels, as well as many in the station with loads stacked on pallets to be placed on the train when it came through."

Without a moments hesitation Simms burst from cover and sprinted the distance from his previous hiding place and the decorative planters in the center of the pavilion. Just as the sun cast its final rays, he darted from cover and cut to a small alleyway next to the station before the rays could cast themselves upon him and light his passive camoflouge up like a christmas tree. Panting deeply he checked his chronometer, only five hours in and he was already tired, this was going to be a long night.

Shadowfall: PRECURSOR

The wind screamed and searched any crevice for purchase as it tried to barge its way inside. N'Kulto Nkhamm held perfectly still listening to the howling wind as it pressed against the Oracle's massive library trying to find a way in but the fully functional energy doors held it at bay. N'Kulto felt a bit out of place here, he had been raised as a soldier but was no more than a simple errand runner for the Oracle of this facility. After their intial shaky treaty with the humans was forged, Elite command had sent N'Kulto and several of his brothers in arms to secure various forerunner structures scheduled by the covenant to be ransacked but were put on hold after the Halos had been discovered. With the war long over and the Covenant dissolved with its members preoccupied with infighting, these facilities had been long forgotten and there existence withheld from the humans. N'Kulto had found this "library" fully operational and being maintained by K7-49 or the Oracle as N'Kulto referred to him. The long dormant AI had began restoring the facility to full power after the failsafe was activated by the first HALO and all structures were activated. This library housed all the star charts of the Forerunners and had been a sort of observatory for them as they charted the endless reaches of space. But today N'Kulto was more interested in hearing about a specific facility and its location. He had discovered it while panning through the endless charts and had seen some very interesting references, "Powerful tool", "Handle with Care", and "Danger" were just a handful of words that told N'Kulto that this would be worth checking out and may very well serve as his way back into normal soldier ranks.

" I have the information you seek, it took me some time aquiring it, but I am most pleased to be of assistance"

"I am pleased to see you this day N'Kulto NKhamm, son of Ibris NKhamm of the third order" the Oracle chimed cheerfully " I have the information you seek, it took me some time aquiring it, but I am most pleased to be of assistance"
"Yes, you have done well Oracle. Was any of the information fruitful?" N'Kulto replied "Unknown N'Kulto NKhamm, I have not been programmed to seek inherent worth in information, merely the value of maintaining it and keeping it organized." "I understand Oracle, if you would, transfer the date to one of the main terminals and I will review it" "Transmitting now N'Kulto NKhamm."

N'Kulto believed the gods truly smiled in his favor this day, not only was the information very valuable, the report itself gave the location of a device if employed could disable all electronic devices within a three planet radius. This information and device would most assuradly secure N'Kulto a place on Shipmaster D'Vronon's Vessel. " I am sorry Oracle, but I must take my leave. I am needed elsewhere. You have been a most diligent and worthy companion these past months and I will miss our talks greatly" N'Kulto lied. "Oh my, it is a shame to see you go N'Kulto NKhamm son of Ibris NKhamm of the third order. I do hope you will return when able, the years do go by quite slowly while I work alone" "I will return Oracle, and will bring additional helpers for you" N'Kulto lied again. It was easier to shower the AI with praise and false promises than tell it the truth. For an artificial intelligence, it was extremely needy.

N'Kulto allowed himself one more sidelong glance at the library before he climbed aboard the banshee and headed to his ship. N'Kulto wasn't necessarily unique by standard size dimensions, but the suit of armor he wore caused him to look very imposing and almost like a predator on the hunt, which was exactly what he was. He stalked down the corridor using the milky darkness to his advantage as he surveyed the situation. He had arrived on the planet less than two cycles ago and had been checking countless Forerunner stations ever since. This station was however very different. It was occupied by humans, not merely humans but Spartans. N'Kulto knew he would not be able to explain his appearance there and him being caught could very well trigger the end of the treaty between the Elites and the Humans, which would definitely not get him the desired return he was hoping for. Instead of his instinct to simply attack and kill these two Spartans who had setup camp on one side of the facility, N'Kulto had opted to use stealth and take inventory of the facility. He was mostly sure he had found the device but was unsure as to how he would get it out of the facility unnoticed.

"Pvt.Bosely seemed very out of place in Spartan armor, he was more of an egghead than a jarhead but was still a crack shot when it came down to it"

"Delta Four to Delta Base over?" the private chirped unenthusiastically on his comms "Delta Base to Delta Four, you're a go" "Just reporting in, nothing to report however. Sir if I may be bold, when are Delta Three and I going to be relieved, with the infighting on the outer colonies babysitting a forerunner derelict seems to be a waste of resources." "Stow it spartan, Brass ordered us to babysit so we will babysit until relieved. Suck it up, you'll get to put your life at risk soon enough, Delta Base over and out" the comm clicked off without waiting for Diggs to reply. "Damn it, now I know how those paper pushers feel."
Diggs, had been a member of Delta squad since the spartan program had been reactivated a couple years ago. As the colonies began to return and be rebuilt, insurrectionists once again rose up looking to separate themselves from the UNSC citing the Covenant war as their reason for wanting autonomy. Since the civil war had broken out, Diggs and his squad had been assigned to this backwater planet boasting forerunner "treehouses" as Diggs called them to protect the structures, but they had recieved no additional information. Bosely, Diggs' squadmate was much happier to be here than Diggs was. Pvt.Bosely seemed very out of place in Spartan armor, he was more of an egghead than a jarhead but was still a crack shot when it came down to it. Sgt. Farnsworth and Pvt. Biggsley were at another of the "Treehouses" performing similar guard duty. As Diggs settled back down to scan the radio channels for any unauthorized chatter, he caught a glint of movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to see what had moved, he saw nothing and assumed one of those damn swamp bats had just swooped too close and had continued on its way.

N'Kulto silently chided himself for being so bold as to move about the Spartans base camp when his back wasn't completly turned towards him. As the Spartan spun around to look in his direction, N'Kulto remained perfectly still and heard him mutter something about swamp bats. N'Kulto didn't dare chance another instance with the Spartan so he quickly stepped back the way he came and determined he'd find another route to the otherside of the facility. He was further curious that the Spartan didn't want to be here, he concluded that this soldier might not have been informed of the value of this device, which would work in N'Kulto's favor.

A familar pain

Doubled over by the pain inside me, my mind screamed at me to move but I was left inert, unable to move. You think all your life that if and when death comes you'll be able to face it like a man, look it square in the eyes and say nonchalantly "What took you so long?", but my end was far less cinematic and much more extreme terror as I screamed before the bubbling coppery taste choked off my air and I fell to the floor twitching.
"What took you so long?"
As I lay there thinking about all the things I should have said or done my mind devolved in one repeating track "Help me, oh god help me!" but then I remembered I had told him to go to hell just a few minutes earlier.

Video Game Controversy

With the newest Grand Theft Auto title due to hit stores, a very pertinent and long standing conflict begins to flare up anew. Sex and Violence has been a part of our culture for many years, the fact that it is being incorporated into games is no new feature. There have always been politicians looking for an easy topic to spearhead for their careers, and have some form of a patsy to blame all our real world woes upon. Video games have often bore that burden on their own, and still remain strong and very entertaining.

With all the sex and violence in video games, it would be easy to place the blame on them, television, movies, and music. But in reality, art imitates life, and these games provide alot of enjoyment, relaxation, and an oppurtunity for friends to get together. The video game industry to date is the only industry which has voluntarily created a ratings system to better aid parents in deciding whether or not a title is acceptable for their children, and much like films, certain games have an 18 and over age limit. Recently video games and sex made headlines when FOX NEWS reported the recently released MMO Mass Effect, was nothing more than pixel porn mixed with copious amounts of violence. The network even went so far as to bring in an "expert" so further their claims that this game was out of line.

"Sex and Violence has been a part of our culture for many years."

Unfortunately for them, Mass Effect does no such thing. While I cannot give exact details, as I haven't played the game myself, Mass Effect does feature some risque' content, but no more racy than anything a person might see on television. The media and public at large however might be somewhat jumpy about the subject after a mod for Grand Theft Auto San Andreas came to light called the "Hot Coffee" mod which allowed players to actually witness their character having sex with another character, even going so far as to make it a form of mini game. Such a concept isn't even that new either, a game by the name of Leisure Suit Larry gave us a humorous look at the attempts for sexual conquests. In fact, the entire game was based around that concept solely. Other games which are Japanese created feature anime-esque characters which you are required to woo, then aim to seal the deal in order to score high points in their game. In the game Ganguro Girl, you play the role of the typical displaced male fighting to make his way in the world, and falling for your fellow roomates at a boarding house. You find work, earn money, buy gifts, and spend time chatting with these various women in order to raise your level much like any dungeon crawler game.

Sex always seems to take a back seat to violence when politicians and reporters are involved.

"The truth is, violence is a fact of nature and is quite natural for it to be featured in popular media."

Rockstar's smash hit Grand Theft Auto has proven to give them ammunition since the first 3-D, third person game was released during the early days of the PS2. After that came GTA:Vice City, then GTA:Liberty City Stories, followed by GTA:San Andreas. As the next GTA prepares to launch for the Xbox 360, we all hold our collective breaths to see what sort of media storm this game will create. Rumored multiplayer, character customization, and high definition graphics will only further this debate because it allows the individual to become even more violent in the game. The truth is, violence is a fact of nature and is quite natural for it to be featured in popular media. After many studies were conducted no harmful connection to video games and violence could be effectually put forth. As with anything, unstable people who may or may not have the said game may be unhinged enough to believe that the plan is a good idea, but that is no reason for the rest of us gamers being forced into rules and other restrictions to be punished simply because an unhappy child shoots up his school.

Music to Game by..

As any gamer knows, a good feature in any blockbuster game is the music. The most notable coming to mind would be the fine tunes composed by Marty O'Donnell of Bungie Studios for the Halo Trilogy which blends classical instruments with some electronica/rock elements. Music is easily a staple for any person at any point in their daily routine, and multiplayer gaming is no exception. Gamers choose music that typically gets them excited, pumped, or otherwise fired up to do what needs to be done.

My personal preferences for music vary based on the game I am playing, and whether or not I need to hear the action in the game. While playing Halo 2 multiplayer, I compiled a mixed CD that had some of my favorite music on it which would get me excited, and some has even been included the machinima series "Shadowfall" that I am working on.

1. The Outsider [resident reinholder remix] A Perfect Circle-Resident Evil Apocolypse Soundtrack {2004}
2. Bloodwork- 36 Crazyfists - Resident Evil Apocolypse Soundtrack {2004}
3. Passive- A Perfect Circle- Emotive{2004}
4. Firestarter-Prodigy-Jock Rock 2000 {2000}
5. Hypnotise-System of a Down-Hypnotise{2005}
6. Whats it feel like to be a ghost-Taking Back Sunday- Louder Now{2006}
7. Duality-Slipknot-Vol. 3 The Subliminal Verses{2004}
8. Getting Away with Murder-Papa Roach-Getting away with Murder{2004}
9. Breaking the habit-Linkin Park-Meteora{2003}
10. I'm gonna get my gun-D12-D12 World{2003}

Naturally there are more songs that could easily fit into this list, but these are the top ten that always get me fired up and ready to frag like a maniac.

Frontlines: Fuel of War

As the gaming market continues to strive for the "next big thing" there have been several game titles that have come quite close to that mark. Frontlines: Fuel of War is definantly one of those games. From the start, the game takes no time in digging right in by going off of a fairly poinant message regarding the worlds oil consumption. The world is all but out of oil, and the small amount that remains has become the setting for World War III. You play as a coalition soldier fighting against the soviet and chinese Red Star forces. The intro movie is visually distinctive and has an almost comic book feel to it, which contrasts greatly the fact that this premise isn't as fictional as we would like. The game has a good level of challenge, but essentially seems to just be an in depth tutorial to play the multiplayer function of the game. The game has stunning graphics, good voice acting, and very interesting cutscenes. Some downsides would be that at times the aiming function is a bit off and can mean the difference between life and death for you. The game itself is also extremely short, after playing for roughly three and a half hours the game was more than 75% completed. I wasn't able to spend alot of time playing the multiplayer but what I did see was quite interesting. The game plays like a strong mix of Halo 3's "Territories" with Star Wars Battlefronts put in. On a number of maps there are several objectives that one team is responsible for holding while the other is responsible for defending them. There are a handful of job skills that give the player some choice as to how they would enjoy to play the most. The game itself is quite good and deserves a 3 stars out of 5.

-Downsides-
short game
Long load times
jittery controls
incredibly long matches

-Upsides-
fun futuristic weapons,
great graphics
good voice acting
intuitive controls

Another Legendary Map Announced!

As I stated in my previous report on bungie's upcoming DLC, a release was posted on Bungie.net detailing the second map of the Legendary Map Pack. Avalanche, this map is indeed the long speculated remake of the Halo:CE, Sidewinder. The map has had some changes made to make it unique and functional for Halo 3 and boasts an impressive size of map, large numbers of vehicles with quick respawn rates, and impressive visuals. This map is the second to be announced for the Legendary DLC, with only one map remaining shrouded in mystery. The Mongoose, Warthog, Scorpion, and Hornet have all received a new coat of paint for this map. The snow-esque design just adds for the immersion, and Bungie did so to further encourage the use of vehicles on this map. Some additional changes also reflect that desire, with the tunnel connected the two bases being removed which forces players out into the vast snowy plain. The map pack is due to come out next month, April 15th once again for 800 microsoft points. That still leaves plenty of time for Bungie to detail their final map before release and it will be interesting to see what else comes about.

Legendary Map Pack

I have been an avid Halo fan since Halo 2 was force fed to me by an overzealous neighbor. Halo 3 has done a great job in keeping the love alive, and I couldn't be happier. Halo 3 was released september 25th and shipped with 11 multiplayer maps, and within a couple months downloadable content in the form of three new maps came around for the low price of $10.
As Saint Patty's day nears, Bungie prepares a press release giving some additional details regarding another of the three new maps set to be released sometime this spring. The legendary map pack ( a lofty claim) is setting itself up to be the best map pack yet, and it is highly speculated what these two un announced maps will be. Since H3's release, fans of the series have cried out for a remake of the popular Halo 2 map, Lockout. Lockout proved itself time and time again, to be one of the best made multiplayer combat maps to ever be created, during the span of Halo 2's reign on Xbox Live Lockout was the one map that never got old. It is being speculated that Lockout will be making a comeback with some minor cosmetic changes to fit into the Halo 3 canon, after reading the updates and news tidbits given to us by a very tight lipped Bungie, i'm inclined to believe this classic map is due for a comeback. The first map to be released is known as Ghost Town, and is touted to have some similar elements to maps from both Halo:CE, and Halo 2, but remaining completely new and untrod. The map itself is intended to be remeniscent of the familar architecture during the beginning of the H3 campaign missions, a bombed out water pumping plant with some surrounding buildings and dynamic level design are some of the highlights. You can read up on the Bungie news story here, http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=13287 .
The final map has been highly speculated upon, especially now with Bungie releasing images of the familar vehicles receiving a bit of a cosmetic change and one vehicle receiving some gameplay related modifications to make it more fair in normal multiplayer play. All these vehicles sport what would seem to be snow camoflouge and most certainly gives credence to the speculators who believe the codenamed "cottonballs" will be a remake of an old Halo:CE classic, Sidewinder. If these two unannounced maps and Ghost Town live up to the hype, this downloadable content will definantly be deserving of the title "Legendary". For more information regarding the new map pack and vehicle upgrades check out http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=13368 .

The Art of Machinima

As many fans of the popular game Halo:CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 know, machinima is quickly becoming a new and dynamic medium. Machinima is essentially someone creating a video, using a video game engine and the already created content to tell and act out their story. The most well known of these being Red Vs Blue, a popular machinima series published by the talented group over at roosterteeth ( http://www.roosterteeth.com ) with their story spanning over several seasons and two versions of halo, the first portion being created with Halo:CE, and the second being made using Halo 2. They have also created two mini series and several public service announcements that are quite humorous and dutifully filmed. The Halo games aren't the only games being used to make machinima, games such as Half-Life, Secondlife, The Sims, and World of Warcraft are just a handful of games that serve as the guts of any good machinima. When I first stumbled across Red Vs Blue while looking for halo related content, I was blown away by the series and immediately inspired to create machinima of my own, sadly I lacked the proper equipment to do so and my ideas were placed on the back burner. With the release of Halo 3 and its in-game film recording system, my dreams were brought back to the forefront on my project list. When I began I had absolutely no idea how to create machinima, so I decided that I would write this blog to answer some possible question future machinima directors might have.

There are many games you can use to create a machinima, but for my purposes, I will be explaining the process using Halo 3 and the game films feature. The first step to creating a machinima has to be the story, there are several well filmed machinimas out there that have absolutely no storyline. I could only compare these to bad pornos without any of the redeeming factors of sex, nudity, and vintage hair styles. When deciding on my story idea for Shadowfall, I first decided what type of story I wanted to tell, humorous, action, etc. With story type ironed out I began hashing out a rough plotline, figuring in key points in the story, characters, and possible sets. With the addition of Forge to the game, setting up a scene has never been easier. Once all these steps have been taken, you are ready to begin filming...or are you? The answer is NO definantly not, one of the more important tasks of making machinima is to see what others have done before you. Obviously the best known Halo machinima example would be the Red Vs. Blue series, but by going to Machinima.com ( http://www.machinima.com ) you can see other films that have been created as well. While watching, take not of the plotline, filming techniques, and any other details that could help you avoid some pitfalls and potentially project ending setbacks. It is also a good idea to find things you like about these films as well, remember there is nothing wrong with incorporating ideas into your project, just be sure that they are just incorporated not plagarized. This project is still yours, and you should strive to create something you can be proud of that came from your imagination.

After you've gone through these steps, the next step would be to decide the scale of what you are trying to accomplish. If this is going to be a grand production, you will need additional cast or puppeteers, properly laid out maps, and some means of communicating with your team to coordinate throughout the process. The next step would be to film a "dummy" or test piece, something that lets you begin practicing your filming skill, and once polished will give you something to show to people showing interest in joining your project team. Another major mistake I see often is people believing that in order for it to be a successful machinima you have to cram it full of people, action, and other over zealous features. It is completely possible to have a great film that is very small scale. Once all these steps have taken place you are ready to begin the filming process. Let me preface this by saying that this is my personal technique and I am still quite new to machinima, so feel free to experiment with your own ideas and techniques.
Begin a custom game in the custom game lobby, setting weapon and vehicle types on the map that will work with your project. Once in the game visualize your story and start "acting" it out. Any time when dialouge is involved, you will need to manipulate the joysticks on your controller to make it appear as if your character is actually speaking. If working with a team, it is a good idea to have the lines written and distributed before filming begins and have your actors speak the lines using the mics and manipulate the character in sync with the spoken words. Once you have the footage content you need, end the game and go the Game Films lobby, bring up the match you just ended and now the real filming begins. During the editing process you may have an idea that you didnt think of while filming, so it is best to get as much footage to work with as possible. This includes filming the same shots from multiple angles and distances which give you more creative freedom while editing. Each bit of footage recorded is recorded to film clips, if you don't have the account with extra storage capacity you will most likely be limited to fifty pieces of unique content so pulling your footage frequently will ensure you don't lose a vital piece of footage because you are at your memory limit.

Once all your footage has been committed to film clips you are ready to playback and record the footage to an external device. Most people use a capture card in their computer to get the footage, but you can get the same quality by using the A/V cord and a digital video camera plugged in to either your television, or VCR whichever you use to run the game through. The best technique to save time is to start and stop recording as soon as each clip begins to play and finishes, this will save you some time during editing deleting bits that are no good to you. After all the film has been recorded you are ready for the editing process. In good conscience I cannot tell anyone how to edit their own work, all I can offer is some advice. Don't try to use ALL your footage, set a time goal of how long you want the piece to be, try alternative footage as much as possible to be sure you're using the best angle, and most importantly have fun. It is possible to make a good machinima without music, but it certainly adds more to it when a film does have a bit of music. As with any film, you should strive to find music that fits with the theme you're trying to get across, works well with the music, (ie, timing matches action on screen, sets the tone, tells more of the story), or just generally livens up the project. After the editing is done, be sure to watch your movie back to check for any errors, and other possible problems that might come up. The most important part of this process is that you love the final product, if you don't chances of others loving it are few and far between.

Once the editing process is complete, and you are ready to publish your work there are a couple options out there. Youtube is the most commonly used and searched video website which is just what is needed to when you publish your film. You can also use a personal webhosting site, and/or anything that would allow you to get your movie out to the general public. Once you have published your movie to the web, all that remains is to sit back, relax, and watch the show. If this is to be a multi segmented story, give yourself some time before jumping into another film, keep a critical eye out for any mistakes that may pop-up in the film and look to not make the same mistakes in your next film or episode. The best way to get good footage and storylines is practice practice practice. This process by no means is easy, but the best way to get into it and get good is to get in and work your way up. I will be posting my latest machinima as soon as the dialouge is recorded and I hope it will help further explain my thoughts on the process and perhaps even help someone.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Sitting down in front of my television, I can't help but feel a thrill as the title screen loads up. The latest entry in the Call of Duty series published by Infinity Ward is definantly one of the best video games to date, and many critics agree. But I'm not writing to praise the graphics, or fine programming these individuals did to create the game. I am a gamer, and there are three things that decide whether or not a game is good to me. First the game has to be interesting, be it with a unique and entertaining storyline or just fun game mechanics. Secondly the game can't be incredibly complicated or over worked, I'm not a simpleton by any means but with a full college schedule, work, and my other hobbies I dont have time to spend three weeks just learning how to play the game. The final thing I look for may seem a bit strange, but I like the feeling of wanting more after the final game film plays, a good game should always leave me with a sense of wanting more. COD4 does this and more, an in depth storyline, well built campaign mode, and a multiplayer experience to easily compete with most games out there. The real benefit of a game that has multiplayer capabilities is that once a player has completed the campaign or "storyline" section of the game, there is still alot for the player to do. When you enter the XBOX live game lobby, you start as a level one ranking and through performing well in the matches, you can climb up the level rankings ladder quickly. As you progress you are able to unlock additional weapons, upgrades for your guns, and Perks to give you even more of a competitive edge. The intial weapon set the player begins with is sufficient at getting the job done, but as an individual plays through the games they develop a specific style and weapons preferences.
When starting out, the player has a few soldier classes to choose from, each class has a specific primary weapon, secondary weapon, and a set of perks. Perks are abilities the a player has in the matches, they vary depending on what the player deems most important. Additional health, special grenades, dropping a grenade after being killed are just a few of the many options. After reaching a specific level, players are able to create their own custom classes, choosing new weapons and perks to suit your style of play.
The online play itself really gets its personality from the variety in the maps. The maps bear significant resemblence to levels of the campaign which give the player a better bearing with their surroundings. The maps have two enviroment types, some have a very middle eastern feel with heavy war damage, and a russian enviroment types for the others, and one map that was the setting of the prolouge in the game. A talented player will be able to see which weapon set works best for which map. My personal favorites are the russian enviroment type maps, with a sniper class custom I'm constantly refining. On these types of maps, the sniper class is given a gilly suit which allows the player to blend into their surroundings more than simply crouching or using cover well. The real fun of the game and dynamics of custom classes, is unlocked at level 38 which gives the player a perk called "Overkill". This perk allows the player to carry a second primary weapon in place of the pistol side arm. The significane of this is that a player can carry a sniper rifle primary and an M4 assault rifle which gives that player a good advantage. Overall I give this game a 5 out of 5 because of its great storyline, fun campaign, and a great multiplayer experience which keeps the player coming back for more. For more information about this game go to http://www.infinityward.com/ .

Bungie's Double XP weekend

Thursday, March 6th bungie rolled out the second of their many planned double XP weekends. The first of these began on Valentine's Day with team doubles focused matches. This weekend however the game of choice is Grifball, a Halo 3 game variant created by Burnie Burns from the Rooster teeth team responsible for bringing us Red Vs Blue. The game itself is likened to a mix of soccer and football, except the ball is a bomb, the players block and make plays using the gravity hammer and energy sword, and when a player scores everyone explodes. The typical pace of the games are mostly frantic with everyone tending to betray their team mates in the process of trying to make a play. Bungie chose to put a time limit on the rounds of the game rather than leaving it with no time limit. Since it was created by Burnie Burns, an entire Grifball league was created and overall went very successfully. The playlist Bungie put together however isn't without its downsides. From the outset, because this is an unranked playlist it would seem that most players don't take it seriously, which paves the way for excessive intentional team betrayals and other negative responses. Overall, the playlist definantly has its downsides but can be alot of fun and is a nice change of pace from the typical Halo experience. Starting next tuesday, March 11th, Bungie will put out another double XP playlist. The next playlist will be featuring quite possibly the most popular of game variants from Halo 2, Team Swat. Team Swat is a gametype where players have no shields, bolstered health, starting battlerifle, and no proximity sensors. The game takes on a new shape by changing how the game itself functions, the most successful players in this game type play a bit more tactical and are very accurate with their shots. With any luck these Double XP weekends will continue for quite awhile, and they give loyal gamers a treat by being able to win prizes and just generally have a good time.

Getting through another winter safely

With the regions snowy season upon us, it is important to take all the proper steps to keep yourself safe this winter. Most students commute, reside on campus in the dorms, or live in town. With the short deadlines, due dates, and all the other responsibilities we have as students it is easy to forget about the dangers of winter. Most people who reside in this region are accustomed to the snowy weather and poor traveling conditions, and sadly this can also make them complacent about taking the proper precautions. The simplest precautions a person can take is to make sure their driveway, sidewalk, or any other area they walk or park on is clear of snow and ice. Most residents of apartment buildings and the dorms have the benefit of having such things taken care of already, but it is important that students be aware as they walk to class around the campus, town, or even near their home. A fall on the ice can be very dangerous and in rare cases it can be lethal.
The Second most important measure a person can take is to prepare a winter safety/survival kit that is left in their car. This is important in the eventuality that the driver becomes stranded due to bad weather, car malfunction, or anything else that might cause you to be stuck somewhere you cannot get the aid or help you need. The Center for Disease Control or CDC has a list of the most important items you should carry in your vehicle. Keep your vehicle in good working condition by having it tuned up and making sure all your fluids are full. It is also a good idea to carry an ice scraper, extra mittens, a bag of sand or kitty litter, flashlight, candle and matches, a coat or other additional heavy clothing to “layer” on, a fluorescent distress flag, and an emergency flare. It is also a good idea to carry a cell phone with you as well. While driving it is important to remember that winter conditions cannot be avoided so you should always use your common sense when deciding whether or not to travel. Checking road conditions and weather forecasts will help you make an educated decision in those regards. Remember not to tailgate other drivers, turn your headlights on in low light or low visibility conditions, and use lower gears while driving on slick surfaces to get better traction.
The most essential thing to always keep in mind during the winter season is to use your head. Do not travel during bad weather if it’s not absolutely necessary. If you must travel, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to where you’re going, and focus on your driving. This means avoid using your cell phone while driving, keep both hands on the wheel and use your headlights when appropriate. If you take your time, use your head, and be careful, you can easily make it through another winter with no problems. If you do happen to get stranded in your car, your car kit could very well save your life and it is nothing to “put-off” or procrastinate about.

A boost to stave off recession: too little too late?

On Feb 13th President Bush signed a new law into effect that is hoped to stave off recession within the United States economy. The law itself is called a “stimulus package” in which filing taxpayers in the 2007 tax season are eligible for some additional refunds that are intended to help bolster the economy to avoid the recession that appears to be coming. Economic analysts have been reported to generally be behind the idea and believe that this stimulus package will help avoid a recession. There are those who don’t believe this stimulus package will avert the recession crisis, as it is assumed that most Americans will use the additional funds to pay bills rather than put the money back into the economy. The refunds will be included in the amount that eligible taxpayers will be receiving as their refund for the 2007 tax season. The Internal Revenue Service states that all they taxpayers need to do is file their standard tax return and they will take care of the rest. The new law also takes into consideration low income taxpayers who may not qualify for a refund; if they make a minimum of $3,000 for the 2007 tax season they will qualify for at least $300 or $600 if filing as a couple. Children that are being claimed on tax returns also have the possibility of having at least $300 per child returned as well. For higher incomes such as $75,000 for individuals or $150,000 if filing jointly will have a 5% reduction of the amount and it is tailored those who have a higher income will receive less. All that is required to qualify for this is to at least make $3,000 annually, have a valid social security number, and to file their tax returns as usual. The payment schedule is due to begin in May at the conclusion of tax season and will continue up to December 31st, 2008 for those who file their returns later. The fastest means of receiving your refund is to have direct deposit information on file, but if you do not the payments will be mailed to you. For more information regarding this and any further updates, go to http://www.irs.gov/ . The IRS will contact taxpayers with updates and further information by mail, they state that they will not contact anyone by phone or email however. If you receive a phone call or email soliciting sensitive financial information claiming to be from the IRS do not give any of that information out, you can forward scams to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Ideas for sale: Campaign Donation Reform

With the Presidential elections coming soon, it is easy to get lost in the fuss on the television, radio, billboards, and other commercial avenues. The idea of an election is that the country is able to decide the next president by a matter of majority votes, but the time up until that point have caused speculation over the years. Campaign donations have been under scrutiny since the early 1970’s and over the years have seen several changes, the most recent of these changes coming in as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.This act stops the donation of “soft money” which are funds given by an individual or company that do not directly advocate the election or defeat of candidates and are not directly contributed to candidate campaigns. It is argued that such legislation is unconstitutional and goes against the first amendment, with many opinions on both sides provided valid reasoning for or against this type of reform.
Advocates for campaign reform argue that by not introducing campaign reform, it tends to limit the ability of the “common man” to have a say in politics, leaving the real power in the hands of special interest groups and wealthy individuals. Opponents to reform claim by limiting the amount an individual or group can donate goes against the first amendment, and limits their right to political speech. It is easy to go either way on this subject, but the main concern is not how candidates feel about possible reforms, but how the voters feel. It has been implied that special interest groups, donate in order to generate sympathy or regard for their issue or needs. While no conclusive proof has been found thus far, one can see how convenient it is that these same groups tend to get what they want. Campaign reform is still very fresh on the minds of many, even being brought during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel; Hillary Clinton stated that she didn’t believe there should be limitations on donating, as it is very expensive to run a campaign. No matter the side of the debate voters fall on, it is their duty to keep their eyes open and do what they can to ensure the political system remains fair and balanced.

Pro Gaming: Oxymoron?

At first glance most people would not consider video games to be a viable outlet as a career or at the very best a pro sport. The reality is that video games are becoming more mainstream everyday, even becoming considered a pro sport. Recently ESPN began airing a monthly television show dedicated solely to gaming, even going so far as to air a “Top Ten” of halo plays. As with all pro sports, going pro in gaming takes a lot of dedication, practice, and skill. Pro gaming events boast prizes in the upwards of $10,000, and even have been known to include endorsement deals with major companies looking to market themselves to gamers.

Halo 2 was originally the best game to get into if a person wanted to go pro and make the most money, Halo 3 has become the new standard of that. The statistics today show that there have been 792,192 unique players logging within the last 24 hours playing a total of 1,699,448 total matches logged in that same time frame. As Bungie rolls out their new matchmaking play list setup in a free-for-all tournament style, there will also be a tournament sponsored by the United States Army which will allow U.S. residents to compete in a tournament bracket with the finalists being flown to New York to vie for the $50,000 prize.

Halo 3 was released on Sept. 25th 2007, so it is still a relatively young game but already there are contests and promotions that give the average casual gamer a chance to compete with their peers and win prizes. The casual gamer can even try their hand at going semi-pro or even pro by going to several of the tournaments of the gaming season hosted by the MLG or Major League of Gaming. All pro and semi-pro spots are already reserved, but by paying the $240 entrance pass fee, an amateur can compete and gain much needed exposure to further their career in gaming. As the gaming industry consistently proves that it is not going anywhere soon, and begins to out perform even feature films, gaming moves to the forefront and what once began as a group of people getting together to play games in their basement on the old black and white television, has become a pillar of modern entertainment today.