Account problems are now quite major.
Posted 11 years agoHey all. I don't know how many of you will read this journal but since my laptop still has my login information, I'll put a message here and then if the problem isn't fixed I'll be able to put a more visible notification up here with it.
My account is kinda screwed now. I made a previous journal about the problem but it has finally come to fruition. I had to clear my browser data in order to fix some problems, but I only realised that would also nuke my FA login cookies a fraction of a second AFTER I started and it was too late to stop. Luckily my laptop still has the cookies, but my main PC has now completely lost access to this account.
So, in the event I can never get on here again, I have made a secondary account that I actually have the right information with and I'll upload all my stuff there at some point in the future if I can't get either my password or e-mail address fixed here. Which seems rather likely at this point.
Go watch
MGlBlaze, it'll be my FA backup.
I am also on IB, Weasyl and Tumblr and update all of those profiles at the same time or earlier than FA anyway, so watching there would be a better idea anyway. For that matter the InkBunny and Weasyl admins usually know what they're doing.
My account is kinda screwed now. I made a previous journal about the problem but it has finally come to fruition. I had to clear my browser data in order to fix some problems, but I only realised that would also nuke my FA login cookies a fraction of a second AFTER I started and it was too late to stop. Luckily my laptop still has the cookies, but my main PC has now completely lost access to this account.
So, in the event I can never get on here again, I have made a secondary account that I actually have the right information with and I'll upload all my stuff there at some point in the future if I can't get either my password or e-mail address fixed here. Which seems rather likely at this point.
Go watch
MGlBlaze, it'll be my FA backup.I am also on IB, Weasyl and Tumblr and update all of those profiles at the same time or earlier than FA anyway, so watching there would be a better idea anyway. For that matter the InkBunny and Weasyl admins usually know what they're doing.
Minor account issues, derp. Also a little status update.
Posted 11 years agoIt should hopefully not cause any problems but I'm updating my e-mails to a bunch of websites. Unfortunately I can't do it for FA right now; last time I updated my account I entered the e-mail address wrong, and now I can't remember my account password. I don't know how I managed to get myself into this situation but it's a little problematic. Since the registered e-mail address is wrong I can't recover my FA password, and I can't enter one of my actual e-mails without my password. So, I'm a little stuck right now. Submitted a ticket a while ago which will hopefully get things sorted eventually, but I guess there's a backlog or something since it's taking quite a while to get a reply.
In the unlikely event something does happen to my FA account, I'll just go ahead and put a reminder and some links here to my other profiles on other sites, just for posterity.
Weasyl - MGlBlaze
InkBunny - xBlazex
Tumblr - MGlBlaze
Going to try and have something uploaded soon-ish but I can't really promise anything. Just because my ability to do stuff is inconsistent at best.
I was approaching 100 watchers earlier as well, I suddenly had an influx of watchers, but most of them left a few hours later. So that didn't really do my any favors and it's a shame but oh well. It's like "What did I do wrong? ;n; "
I guess I should try and get something lined up for the milestone when it does eventually come around, though.
In the unlikely event something does happen to my FA account, I'll just go ahead and put a reminder and some links here to my other profiles on other sites, just for posterity.
Weasyl - MGlBlaze
InkBunny - xBlazex
Tumblr - MGlBlaze
Going to try and have something uploaded soon-ish but I can't really promise anything. Just because my ability to do stuff is inconsistent at best.
I was approaching 100 watchers earlier as well, I suddenly had an influx of watchers, but most of them left a few hours later. So that didn't really do my any favors and it's a shame but oh well. It's like "What did I do wrong? ;n; "
I guess I should try and get something lined up for the milestone when it does eventually come around, though.
Of Souls which lack brigtness.
Posted 11 years agoSo, Dark Souls 2 doesn't come out on the PC until April 25th, that sucks!
So in the mean time, I have been trying my hand at a SL1 play through in Dark Souls and it has been going pretty well... mostly. Some bosses got frustrating, and I swear that I saw Seath do some attacks I never saw before.
But here I sit, ready to face Gwyn...
Oh wait.
I forgot the DLC areas with even harder and super-aggressive bosses.
Oh god. ;n;
Well in the mean time, Here is the Let's Play that prompted me to try SL1. Pretty cool so far, and he is announcing when he starts recording through twitter, so I am hoping to get a few invasions over the course of the LP. So, no beating the game and going to NG+ for me until I can try having at him a couple of times.
I have a few gimmicky builds that are meant to be more fun than anything else, so with any luck I can make something funny, at least. Or it had damn well better be, I had to farm drakes for dragon scales for some of them. Farming drakes is terrible as it is. Let alone SL1 when most things will kill you at a very fast pace.
But anyway, I'm heading off to try and conquer the DLC.
Oh, and I should hopefully have an image done soon, finally.
So in the mean time, I have been trying my hand at a SL1 play through in Dark Souls and it has been going pretty well... mostly. Some bosses got frustrating, and I swear that I saw Seath do some attacks I never saw before.
But here I sit, ready to face Gwyn...
Oh wait.
I forgot the DLC areas with even harder and super-aggressive bosses.
Oh god. ;n;
Well in the mean time, Here is the Let's Play that prompted me to try SL1. Pretty cool so far, and he is announcing when he starts recording through twitter, so I am hoping to get a few invasions over the course of the LP. So, no beating the game and going to NG+ for me until I can try having at him a couple of times.
I have a few gimmicky builds that are meant to be more fun than anything else, so with any luck I can make something funny, at least. Or it had damn well better be, I had to farm drakes for dragon scales for some of them. Farming drakes is terrible as it is. Let alone SL1 when most things will kill you at a very fast pace.
But anyway, I'm heading off to try and conquer the DLC.
Oh, and I should hopefully have an image done soon, finally.
Some updates.
Posted 12 years agoYou might notice that I haven't uploaded any art in a while (Or maybe not). Let's just say I'm in a bit of a slump. =<
What I HAVE been up to, is mostly just Planetside 2, though i did also get a Hearthstone key a long time ago. I've sort of quit scrolls after it just really wasn't what i wanted; especially in terms of board control. If a player got board control, it would be extremely difficult to remove it, leading to a lot of unpleasantness I didn't like.
So, it's been hearthstone instead, which is actually extremely good. Although i have spent a silly amount of money on the game. >>;;
I probably shouldn't have because it is still a beta and there are still some bugs, but for the most part it works well. I actually have a mostly complete collection except for some class Legendaries. So I can do almost everything available right now. Unfortunately I am terrible at actually building decks, but I have seen some deck lists out there that are apparently used by players in legendary ranks and they have worked out pretty well for me. The paladin deck in particular I am using has gotten me up to rank 8 so far. So, hopefully I'm not bad at actually playing the cards I have and I'm just terrible at knowing what to go with in the first place. It would explain how I can almost never do well in the Arena. I got 9 wins once and I have no idea why. Went 4-3 a few times, and the rest (And vast majority) is what I would usually class as "dismal failure".
I do play on the EU servers, my Battle.net ID is MGlBlaze#2579.
As for Plantside 2, my main is still Waterson TR. Battle Rank 54 right now, and I'm trying to work on the Auraxium medal for the TMG-50. Which will take over 700 kills. >_<
Although I also have gold for the NS7-PDW which only needs 100 to Auraxium, for whatever reason. Maybe most weapons are supposed to be 100 instead of 1000 and the devs added an extra 0 somewhere, I don't know.
There was a bunch of sales on recently as well. Entire classes of items 50% off, and particular items daily worth either 99sc or 1sc for members. I picked up a whole bunch of cool-looking stuff during it and all of my vehicles are now obnoxious glowing monstrosities and I love it. :V
Same with my infiltrator. My close-range SMG setup is wearing the brightest, shiniest red 'camoflage' I could find and I have ironically declared the build "stealth". I might switch the suppressor on the SMG with a compensator so I am actually louder and make myself appear on the minimap from even further away, but I like to have some measure of success.
I have also changed outfits and I;m actually with Let The Brit Drop, now. For those who do not know, it is an outfit led by TotalBiscuit. He rarely actually shows up, but the people there are nice, and the outfit is pretty casual, though everyone knows how to be serious when it's called for. It's a pretty good set of people.
Also since I don't know when I'll get around to posting them to my inbox account, I'll plug a few commissions I got recently here. They are all NSFW, so be warned, but I really love how they turned out.
Blaze & K'Sara
K'Sara & Gracie
Blaze & K'Sara
That should mostly be it for the updates. Mostly. I'm not sure if I'll elaborate on the 'slump' at the start, but I'll leave it at that for now.
Laters.
Edit;
Never mind, the kill requirements for the NS-7 just didn't display properly at the time. It is 1000 for everything to get from Gold to Auraxium.
What I HAVE been up to, is mostly just Planetside 2, though i did also get a Hearthstone key a long time ago. I've sort of quit scrolls after it just really wasn't what i wanted; especially in terms of board control. If a player got board control, it would be extremely difficult to remove it, leading to a lot of unpleasantness I didn't like.
So, it's been hearthstone instead, which is actually extremely good. Although i have spent a silly amount of money on the game. >>;;
I probably shouldn't have because it is still a beta and there are still some bugs, but for the most part it works well. I actually have a mostly complete collection except for some class Legendaries. So I can do almost everything available right now. Unfortunately I am terrible at actually building decks, but I have seen some deck lists out there that are apparently used by players in legendary ranks and they have worked out pretty well for me. The paladin deck in particular I am using has gotten me up to rank 8 so far. So, hopefully I'm not bad at actually playing the cards I have and I'm just terrible at knowing what to go with in the first place. It would explain how I can almost never do well in the Arena. I got 9 wins once and I have no idea why. Went 4-3 a few times, and the rest (And vast majority) is what I would usually class as "dismal failure".
I do play on the EU servers, my Battle.net ID is MGlBlaze#2579.
As for Plantside 2, my main is still Waterson TR. Battle Rank 54 right now, and I'm trying to work on the Auraxium medal for the TMG-50. Which will take over 700 kills. >_<
Although I also have gold for the NS7-PDW which only needs 100 to Auraxium, for whatever reason. Maybe most weapons are supposed to be 100 instead of 1000 and the devs added an extra 0 somewhere, I don't know.
There was a bunch of sales on recently as well. Entire classes of items 50% off, and particular items daily worth either 99sc or 1sc for members. I picked up a whole bunch of cool-looking stuff during it and all of my vehicles are now obnoxious glowing monstrosities and I love it. :V
Same with my infiltrator. My close-range SMG setup is wearing the brightest, shiniest red 'camoflage' I could find and I have ironically declared the build "stealth". I might switch the suppressor on the SMG with a compensator so I am actually louder and make myself appear on the minimap from even further away, but I like to have some measure of success.
I have also changed outfits and I;m actually with Let The Brit Drop, now. For those who do not know, it is an outfit led by TotalBiscuit. He rarely actually shows up, but the people there are nice, and the outfit is pretty casual, though everyone knows how to be serious when it's called for. It's a pretty good set of people.
Also since I don't know when I'll get around to posting them to my inbox account, I'll plug a few commissions I got recently here. They are all NSFW, so be warned, but I really love how they turned out.
Blaze & K'Sara
K'Sara & Gracie
Blaze & K'Sara
That should mostly be it for the updates. Mostly. I'm not sure if I'll elaborate on the 'slump' at the start, but I'll leave it at that for now.
Laters.
Edit;
Never mind, the kill requirements for the NS-7 just didn't display properly at the time. It is 1000 for everything to get from Gold to Auraxium.
Scrolls!
Posted 12 years agoThe PC-based CCG game by Mojang, not The Elder Scrolls by Bethesda, that is.
I decided to check it out. I heard it was very good, and I ended up with something of a CCG itch after all the talk of Heathstone which is still in a closed beta, and I didn't really like how the digital versions of Magic: The Gathering did things. I actually really like it so far! Though admittedly I haven't played it too much, just yet. Mostly a bunch of the AI trials and one quick match against another human player.
Has kind of a Magic: The Gathering vibe in a lot of ways actually, though it has some other mechanics of its own. Like, each turn you have the option of discarding one card from your hand in order to either draw two new cards, or get one resource of that type added on to the maximum of the current type's pool. They're regenerated at the start of each turn (Imagine the mana crystals in Heathstone, except you sacrifice cards to get new ones instead of getting one automatically each turn), and the current types are Energy, Order, Growth and Decay. (Imagine red, white, green and black mana from Magic).
There also isn't a maximum deck limit as such, though you do need at least 50. I'm pretty sure the scrolls cycle as well; I have seen games where I played more scrolls than were in my deck, so I think that's how it works. I'll need to consult Google, I think.
The actual gameplay meshes in some turn-based strategy to it instead as well, and it actually works really well so far. I'll be playing this some more to see if my enjoyment continues but I think it will.
As far as art goes, I'm postponing some art I was doing myself to see if I can get a contest entry done. There are still like two weeks to it but, you might be familiar with how long it takes me to get things done. Fingers crossed, though. I'm going for a weird angle that is pretty unlike anything I've been doing before, so either way it'll be a good chance to grow as an artist.
Later~
I decided to check it out. I heard it was very good, and I ended up with something of a CCG itch after all the talk of Heathstone which is still in a closed beta, and I didn't really like how the digital versions of Magic: The Gathering did things. I actually really like it so far! Though admittedly I haven't played it too much, just yet. Mostly a bunch of the AI trials and one quick match against another human player.
Has kind of a Magic: The Gathering vibe in a lot of ways actually, though it has some other mechanics of its own. Like, each turn you have the option of discarding one card from your hand in order to either draw two new cards, or get one resource of that type added on to the maximum of the current type's pool. They're regenerated at the start of each turn (Imagine the mana crystals in Heathstone, except you sacrifice cards to get new ones instead of getting one automatically each turn), and the current types are Energy, Order, Growth and Decay. (Imagine red, white, green and black mana from Magic).
There also isn't a maximum deck limit as such, though you do need at least 50. I'm pretty sure the scrolls cycle as well; I have seen games where I played more scrolls than were in my deck, so I think that's how it works. I'll need to consult Google, I think.
The actual gameplay meshes in some turn-based strategy to it instead as well, and it actually works really well so far. I'll be playing this some more to see if my enjoyment continues but I think it will.
As far as art goes, I'm postponing some art I was doing myself to see if I can get a contest entry done. There are still like two weeks to it but, you might be familiar with how long it takes me to get things done. Fingers crossed, though. I'm going for a weird angle that is pretty unlike anything I've been doing before, so either way it'll be a good chance to grow as an artist.
Later~
Open for commissions! (OMG WTF Am I Doing Edition)
Posted 12 years agoYeah, I'm opening myself up for commissions. Let's see how much of a trainwreck this turns out to be~
I'm not sure how many slots I'm opening for, but I will say that I am not doing a first come first served thing. Let's say, I'll keep this open until Monday and then pick out what i can do from what you guys have sent me, or I'll just keep things open and start work on what I have been sent in if I don't get much attention by then.
I have the 'why' detailed on the commission price sheet, but here is why I'll be picking out the commissions and not using a first come first served system;
"1) I hate the first come first served system and it can screw people out of a chance for a commission if they aren't online at the right time.
2) I feel giving all submissions consideration is simply more fair than a FCFS system.
3) I am still learning and this will help me to avoid anything that might be too much for me to deal with."
ANYWAY.
Here's how it will work;
1) Go look at my price sheet.
The "I will not draw" list may not be exhaustive but I think I got the important things.
2) Send me a note!
It should take something along the lines of the following format;
Detail Level: (Whether you want a sketch, inks, flats or a shaded image)
Background: (Just the background detail level; you can describe the specifics a little later.)
Characters + Refs;
(The characters you want used and any relevant references you want to provide
Preferably mark NSFW refs as such.)
Situation description & other information;
(What you want drawn! Here you can also describe the scene or background you want, or if there are any relevant character details or personality traits that may not be obvious through the references)
3) I will confirm that I got your note.
This is just to let you know I have read the note and have considered what you sent. If I see any immediate issues with what you have asked of me I'll make them known here and you can change what you are asking for if you want.
When this is done and I've set who gets into the round of commissions, I'll send you another note to confirm your slot, ask for your paypal address and send you an invoice through PayPal.
I will keep you posted as I go. You can request updates at other times if you would like them, but on my own if you have asked for inks, flats or a shaded image I will send you the image as a sketch to correct any errors and get word back from you if it's all looking good to proceed. After that I will update you again when the image nears completion to get any other touch-ups or corrections before I upload the image and send you the high-res.
If you only asked for a sketch I will update you when the sketch is complete to correct errors there.
What you get;
You will get a high-res image deliverable either through pastebin or as an attachment to a chosen e-mail. This image will usually be around the 4000x3000 mark or so, depending on what aspect ratio I've worked with.
You will also get the rights to post the image as you see fit or to make your own alterations to them as long as you link back to me with proper credit.
Note;
I reserve all rights to refuse or cancel a commission for any reason. In the event you have already paid for a commission, you will be refunded in full for the original commission price.
I'm not sure how many slots I'm opening for, but I will say that I am not doing a first come first served thing. Let's say, I'll keep this open until Monday and then pick out what i can do from what you guys have sent me, or I'll just keep things open and start work on what I have been sent in if I don't get much attention by then.
I have the 'why' detailed on the commission price sheet, but here is why I'll be picking out the commissions and not using a first come first served system;
"1) I hate the first come first served system and it can screw people out of a chance for a commission if they aren't online at the right time.
2) I feel giving all submissions consideration is simply more fair than a FCFS system.
3) I am still learning and this will help me to avoid anything that might be too much for me to deal with."
ANYWAY.
Here's how it will work;
1) Go look at my price sheet.
The "I will not draw" list may not be exhaustive but I think I got the important things.
2) Send me a note!
It should take something along the lines of the following format;
Detail Level: (Whether you want a sketch, inks, flats or a shaded image)
Background: (Just the background detail level; you can describe the specifics a little later.)
Characters + Refs;
(The characters you want used and any relevant references you want to provide
Preferably mark NSFW refs as such.)
Situation description & other information;
(What you want drawn! Here you can also describe the scene or background you want, or if there are any relevant character details or personality traits that may not be obvious through the references)
3) I will confirm that I got your note.
This is just to let you know I have read the note and have considered what you sent. If I see any immediate issues with what you have asked of me I'll make them known here and you can change what you are asking for if you want.
When this is done and I've set who gets into the round of commissions, I'll send you another note to confirm your slot, ask for your paypal address and send you an invoice through PayPal.
I will keep you posted as I go. You can request updates at other times if you would like them, but on my own if you have asked for inks, flats or a shaded image I will send you the image as a sketch to correct any errors and get word back from you if it's all looking good to proceed. After that I will update you again when the image nears completion to get any other touch-ups or corrections before I upload the image and send you the high-res.
If you only asked for a sketch I will update you when the sketch is complete to correct errors there.
What you get;
You will get a high-res image deliverable either through pastebin or as an attachment to a chosen e-mail. This image will usually be around the 4000x3000 mark or so, depending on what aspect ratio I've worked with.
You will also get the rights to post the image as you see fit or to make your own alterations to them as long as you link back to me with proper credit.
Note;
I reserve all rights to refuse or cancel a commission for any reason. In the event you have already paid for a commission, you will be refunded in full for the original commission price.
Two years and some news
Posted 12 years agoWow, it's been two years already. Time flies when you're going through University I guess.
September, two years ago
September, last year. (Backwards hand arg. That was quite the anatomical blunder.)
September, this year.
GOOD LORD.
Well, the difference between last year and this isn't as noticeable though i have most certainly improved my shading, and there are stylistic refinements and improvements here and there.
Still blows my mind that I was /there/ two years ago though.
Lol guys what was lines anatomy shading or /anything/.
In other news, I have a test thing in the morning from 10AM-6PM GMT. It's part of an application for a job, and the phone interview was on Friday. If I manage to prove that I know my shit, I get a legit job in the games industry.
SO YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED.
Also I may be opening for commissions soon if I can be assed to get a price sheet done.
I should go to bed.
Be safe, all.
September, two years ago
September, last year. (Backwards hand arg. That was quite the anatomical blunder.)
September, this year.
GOOD LORD.
Well, the difference between last year and this isn't as noticeable though i have most certainly improved my shading, and there are stylistic refinements and improvements here and there.
Still blows my mind that I was /there/ two years ago though.
Lol guys what was lines anatomy shading or /anything/.
In other news, I have a test thing in the morning from 10AM-6PM GMT. It's part of an application for a job, and the phone interview was on Friday. If I manage to prove that I know my shit, I get a legit job in the games industry.
SO YEAH, FINGERS CROSSED.
Also I may be opening for commissions soon if I can be assed to get a price sheet done.
I should go to bed.
Be safe, all.
Moving some art
Posted 12 years agoNot my own, mind. I'm moving over all of the art in my gallery that was made by other people over to the newly created
BlazeInbox.
Some people might be bothered by having mixed art sources in my gallery and FA doesn't offer a pool/folder system like IB or Weasyl does, so I'll be using my main account for my own work and using the inbox account for stuff other people have done for me, either through commissions, or gifts, or whatever.
(As if anyone cares much about my art anyway)
BlazeInbox.Some people might be bothered by having mixed art sources in my gallery and FA doesn't offer a pool/folder system like IB or Weasyl does, so I'll be using my main account for my own work and using the inbox account for stuff other people have done for me, either through commissions, or gifts, or whatever.
(As if anyone cares much about my art anyway)
A quick update
Posted 12 years agoOkay, so.
I haven't really posted anything for a while. I don't really want to go into great detail why, mostly because I don't like drama and I don't want to end up whining to my (very small) subscriber base, so I'm going to just offer this up quickly and say that I am trying to work on things.
#1 priority is my side of the trade with
manasan. She is pretty cool, so you should go watch her.
It is mostly done, I am going to try and do the character shading today, but backgrounds apparently take a lot out of me, especially if they involve foliage. I can't really offer an estimate for when it will be completed though, since my estimates have a habit of being wrong, especially over the last few months.
If I upload any other image before I hold up my end of the trade, I am doing it wrong.
For the Quiet Moment image I have it inked and coloured with shading in progress, but I ended up not really knowing how to do it how I wanted to. I might just need to settle on the fact that it's not going to look how I want and just try to do my best as unhappy as it will make me.
For those of you who did read this, thank you. With any luck it won't be too long before I have something else to show for all of this.
I haven't really posted anything for a while. I don't really want to go into great detail why, mostly because I don't like drama and I don't want to end up whining to my (very small) subscriber base, so I'm going to just offer this up quickly and say that I am trying to work on things.
#1 priority is my side of the trade with
manasan. She is pretty cool, so you should go watch her.It is mostly done, I am going to try and do the character shading today, but backgrounds apparently take a lot out of me, especially if they involve foliage. I can't really offer an estimate for when it will be completed though, since my estimates have a habit of being wrong, especially over the last few months.
If I upload any other image before I hold up my end of the trade, I am doing it wrong.
For the Quiet Moment image I have it inked and coloured with shading in progress, but I ended up not really knowing how to do it how I wanted to. I might just need to settle on the fact that it's not going to look how I want and just try to do my best as unhappy as it will make me.
For those of you who did read this, thank you. With any luck it won't be too long before I have something else to show for all of this.
Planetside 2
Posted 12 years agoOkay so, I've been playing this game for a while and it's really cool. And as far as I'm aware there is nothing else like it right now; pretty much the only example of an MMOFPS. Hundreds of concurrent players all fighting on the same landmass, with access to one of either 5 classes (Light assault, heavy assault, medic, engineer, infiltrator) and a number of ground and air vehicles.
It's pretty massive, and it's quite awesome.
It's Free to Play as well. And no, don't worry, it has done a good job avoiding the "pay 2 win" nonsense. You can unlock weapons with station cash or Cert points you get by actually playing the game, and anything else requires certs.
Anyway, Go ahead and click here if you're interested. Like I said, it's F2P so you have nothing to lose by just giving it a try, and there are a bunch of youtube videos out there.
Personally I'm a TR character on Waterson. We have miniguns. *nod*
Edit;
Oh, by the way, if you do decide to play; join squads and platoons, particularly platoons run by outfits and try and join an outfit you would like. If you are rolling alone in Planetside 2, you are not getting the most out of the game.
It's pretty massive, and it's quite awesome.
It's Free to Play as well. And no, don't worry, it has done a good job avoiding the "pay 2 win" nonsense. You can unlock weapons with station cash or Cert points you get by actually playing the game, and anything else requires certs.
Anyway, Go ahead and click here if you're interested. Like I said, it's F2P so you have nothing to lose by just giving it a try, and there are a bunch of youtube videos out there.
Personally I'm a TR character on Waterson. We have miniguns. *nod*
Edit;
Oh, by the way, if you do decide to play; join squads and platoons, particularly platoons run by outfits and try and join an outfit you would like. If you are rolling alone in Planetside 2, you are not getting the most out of the game.
Blaze MEng CGD
Posted 12 years agoOkay so my name isn't actually "Blaze" but I had my graduation ceremony thing today, and was handed what is likely to be the most expensive piece of paper I'm ever going to have. And I get to put "MEng" after my name if I'm feeling pretentious. Huzzah!
Master of Engineering in Computer Games Development, from the Queen's University of Belfast.
It's been a long road. The last year was pretty damn stressful. But here I am!
Who knows, maybe you guys will play a game I had some hand in some time, but that is for the future. I'll probably need to work in a more general programming job first, and make a few small games on the side for portfolio purposes. I guess it's never quite 'done', eh?
But yes, how's that for news?
Take it easy, guys.
Master of Engineering in Computer Games Development, from the Queen's University of Belfast.
It's been a long road. The last year was pretty damn stressful. But here I am!
Who knows, maybe you guys will play a game I had some hand in some time, but that is for the future. I'll probably need to work in a more general programming job first, and make a few small games on the side for portfolio purposes. I guess it's never quite 'done', eh?
But yes, how's that for news?
Take it easy, guys.
Pimping a raffle!
Posted 12 years ago
katsuke is holding a raffle with two slots for female (or herm) characters! Also you should totally watch him anyway because he is quite good. Do iiiiiiiiiiit.Raffle details here -> http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10952567/
Good luck to everyone who enters.
Thoughts on recent events
Posted 12 years agoWell, I hadn't done anything like that before, but it went pretty well, all things considering. I would have liked a better turnout, but all things considered I'm not even sure if that would have been so great after all. But that falls into some personal thoughts that aren't terribly well formed.
Regardless, a big thanks to the people who entered, and congratulations to the winners. There were some characters in there that were actually pretty fun to draw - albeit kind of challenging as well. I'm still learning for the most part, and some of the prizes did make me draw stuff I wouldn't have thought about beforehand, so it acted as a pretty good learning experience with regards to my own art, as well.
So, what now?
I have some fanart I'd like to do, so that will come along in a little while. I think I need a quick break, though. Five images in three days is pretty high-volume for me. I may do some of my own art first; an image of a certain dragoness pounding a certain cat into the floor isn't going to draw itself, after all. I'll see what my mood is like at the time.
After that, I may just open up a few commission slots. So, keep an eye out, if you're interested.
In the mean time: be safe~
Regardless, a big thanks to the people who entered, and congratulations to the winners. There were some characters in there that were actually pretty fun to draw - albeit kind of challenging as well. I'm still learning for the most part, and some of the prizes did make me draw stuff I wouldn't have thought about beforehand, so it acted as a pretty good learning experience with regards to my own art, as well.
So, what now?
I have some fanart I'd like to do, so that will come along in a little while. I think I need a quick break, though. Five images in three days is pretty high-volume for me. I may do some of my own art first; an image of a certain dragoness pounding a certain cat into the floor isn't going to draw itself, after all. I'll see what my mood is like at the time.
After that, I may just open up a few commission slots. So, keep an eye out, if you're interested.
In the mean time: be safe~
Raffle results!
Posted 12 years agoDid the random number generation a little late, but anyway. Here are the winners, in the order they appeared from the RNG;
1) Raindragon
2) jynxed-vixen
3) Ethren
4) Sigma117
5) masterful
Congratulations to the winners! I will have all your sketches done in about a week, at a worst-case estimate. It will probably just be a few days if all goes well.
1) Raindragon
2) jynxed-vixen
3) Ethren
4) Sigma117
5) masterful
Congratulations to the winners! I will have all your sketches done in about a week, at a worst-case estimate. It will probably just be a few days if all goes well.
Free sketch raffle!
Posted 12 years agoSo, I decided to do this!
I am going to hold a raffle, and you all have a chance to win a free sketch. Here are the details, and how to enter. I suggest you read them; they're kinda important.
How to enter
1) Watch me
2) Post a journal linking back here
3) Note me with a link to your own journal, a reference image, and what you want drawn if you win
Simple enough, right?
Raffle details
I will be doing the random draw on Wednesday, 5th of June, Midnight GMT, so make sure you have completed the above steps before then if you want a chance to win.
After the draw I will contact the winners to let them know, and confirm what they want drawn.
There are slots for 5 winners
What I will and will not draw
There are some limits on what I will draw; partly for the sake of my current skill level for some, because I find some things distasteful for others. Sorry!
I will not draw
-Scat
-Hyper
-Vore
-Extreme gore/violence (mostly because I'm not sure I'd get it right)
Additionally;
These are single-character images - One character per winner, please!
They can be of any rating - You can ask for a simple clean image, nudity, or just flat-out porn. It's all okay.
The character can be of any sex or gender
Keep it reasonable, please - I'll draw reasonably complicated characters of course, but I don't wanna see anything with like fifteen pairs of wings and twelve tails or something.
---
Well, that should be about it, I think. Good luck to all those that choose to enter.
Oh, and here are some example images for what the finished sketches should look like;
[NSFW] http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10731339/
[SFW] http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10737732/
I am going to hold a raffle, and you all have a chance to win a free sketch. Here are the details, and how to enter. I suggest you read them; they're kinda important.
How to enter
1) Watch me
2) Post a journal linking back here
3) Note me with a link to your own journal, a reference image, and what you want drawn if you win
Simple enough, right?
Raffle details
I will be doing the random draw on Wednesday, 5th of June, Midnight GMT, so make sure you have completed the above steps before then if you want a chance to win.
After the draw I will contact the winners to let them know, and confirm what they want drawn.
There are slots for 5 winners
What I will and will not draw
There are some limits on what I will draw; partly for the sake of my current skill level for some, because I find some things distasteful for others. Sorry!
I will not draw
-Scat
-Hyper
-Vore
-Extreme gore/violence (mostly because I'm not sure I'd get it right)
Additionally;
These are single-character images - One character per winner, please!
They can be of any rating - You can ask for a simple clean image, nudity, or just flat-out porn. It's all okay.
The character can be of any sex or gender
Keep it reasonable, please - I'll draw reasonably complicated characters of course, but I don't wanna see anything with like fifteen pairs of wings and twelve tails or something.
---
Well, that should be about it, I think. Good luck to all those that choose to enter.
Oh, and here are some example images for what the finished sketches should look like;
[NSFW] http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10731339/
[SFW] http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10737732/
Done with University.
Posted 12 years agoSo, this has happened.
I was at University since 2008, now. As of today, right now, I'm done. All that's left is waiting for the last results, and graduation. See if I got what I spent five years here for (MEng Computer Games Development), or not.
I'm not sure what I feel. But while I feel like I should be relieved, I'm not. I don't know.
But, now that University is done, I'll be taking a few months for myself just to pull myself back together before I begin the task of trying to find a job. In the mean time, I have a few things I want to do.
So, keep an eye out for a future journal entry or two. Some of these plans might interest you. Yes, you!
In the mean time, some friends and I are having a day out tomorrow, and Planetside 2 is having a double XP weekend, so that's cool.
Also, check out Planetside 2 if your computer can handle it; it is free to play, and it is very good. Don't worry about spending money, either. Almost anything can be unlocked with cert points instead, and almost all of your starting equipment is actually perfectly good.
My main is a TR character on Waterson, currently with the Opposition be Damned outfit. They seem like cool guys.
I'll edit my NC and VS characters in here when the servers are back up.
But, until the announcement I have alluded to; take it easy, everyone.
I was at University since 2008, now. As of today, right now, I'm done. All that's left is waiting for the last results, and graduation. See if I got what I spent five years here for (MEng Computer Games Development), or not.
I'm not sure what I feel. But while I feel like I should be relieved, I'm not. I don't know.
But, now that University is done, I'll be taking a few months for myself just to pull myself back together before I begin the task of trying to find a job. In the mean time, I have a few things I want to do.
So, keep an eye out for a future journal entry or two. Some of these plans might interest you. Yes, you!
In the mean time, some friends and I are having a day out tomorrow, and Planetside 2 is having a double XP weekend, so that's cool.
Also, check out Planetside 2 if your computer can handle it; it is free to play, and it is very good. Don't worry about spending money, either. Almost anything can be unlocked with cert points instead, and almost all of your starting equipment is actually perfectly good.
My main is a TR character on Waterson, currently with the Opposition be Damned outfit. They seem like cool guys.
I'll edit my NC and VS characters in here when the servers are back up.
But, until the announcement I have alluded to; take it easy, everyone.
Moving some things over to InkBunny
Posted 13 years agoBecause, hey, may as well spread things around a little.
I'm not sure if I'll re-upload EVERYTHING over there, but I might. I have put up some of the better things, at the very least.
https://inkbunny.net/xBlazex
I'm not sure if I'll re-upload EVERYTHING over there, but I might. I have put up some of the better things, at the very least.
https://inkbunny.net/xBlazex
One year on...
Posted 13 years agoAbout a year ago; finished and uploaded on the 3rd of September, 2011.
Compare;
Just last (or this, depending on timezones) day, 7th of September, 2012.
...All things considered I suppose I could have done worse. Though that first picture was with Paint Shop Pro X2 rather than Artrage. PSPX2 is really damn outdated by this point of course, but it's still functional. In terms of using the same program I suppose this is a better example.
I do still have a good way to go to be sure, make no mistake (and I still don't like my own stuff that much), but I suppose it's worth taking a step back to see how far I've come in a year. I suppose I'm not doing all that badly.
I would have made it an image like many others who have done this sort of thing, but honestly I'd rather not make an image that is basically a few other of my images pasted together in photo/paint/whatevershop.
Compare;
Just last (or this, depending on timezones) day, 7th of September, 2012.
...All things considered I suppose I could have done worse. Though that first picture was with Paint Shop Pro X2 rather than Artrage. PSPX2 is really damn outdated by this point of course, but it's still functional. In terms of using the same program I suppose this is a better example.
I do still have a good way to go to be sure, make no mistake (and I still don't like my own stuff that much), but I suppose it's worth taking a step back to see how far I've come in a year. I suppose I'm not doing all that badly.
I would have made it an image like many others who have done this sort of thing, but honestly I'd rather not make an image that is basically a few other of my images pasted together in photo/paint/whatevershop.
Frustrations continued.
Posted 13 years agoSo.
Apparently I can't draw my own fursona's face any more.
I'm pretty sure I was able to before, albeit the last time his muzzle turned out a too long. Not that anyone would actually know that if its view-count is accurate, but that's rather irrelevant.
As for the image I'm working on now (Which is the same image I lost a day's worth of work on before, for those who are wondering), I literally just spent half the damn day trying to get it right and it feels like I'm absolutely no closer to my goal of Blaze actually looking like what he's supposed to.
I swear, for as far as I've come in less than a year, in some ways it feels like I somehow manage to keep getting worse.
I might need to put my current idea on hold for now, else I fear I'll just end up driving myself up the wall and burning myself out on art altogether in the process.
As you can probably guess, I'm not very happy right now.
*Sigh. Again.*
I'd love suggestions, but nobody reads these anyway. I'm mostly just venting.
Apparently I can't draw my own fursona's face any more.
I'm pretty sure I was able to before, albeit the last time his muzzle turned out a too long. Not that anyone would actually know that if its view-count is accurate, but that's rather irrelevant.
As for the image I'm working on now (Which is the same image I lost a day's worth of work on before, for those who are wondering), I literally just spent half the damn day trying to get it right and it feels like I'm absolutely no closer to my goal of Blaze actually looking like what he's supposed to.
I swear, for as far as I've come in less than a year, in some ways it feels like I somehow manage to keep getting worse.
I might need to put my current idea on hold for now, else I fear I'll just end up driving myself up the wall and burning myself out on art altogether in the process.
As you can probably guess, I'm not very happy right now.
*Sigh. Again.*
I'd love suggestions, but nobody reads these anyway. I'm mostly just venting.
The agony of lost work
Posted 13 years agoSo, normally if my computer shuts down unexpectedly, ArtRage leaves whatever the last save was which I can then work from again. Failing that it is supposed to store the 'working copy' file in the event of a crash.
My computer bluescreened a couple of hours ago.
The picture I was working on was open.
The recoverable file was useless.
The actual save I was working from was mangled.
All in all I lost about a day's work and I'm fucking pissed.
Thank fuck I have an older copy on an external hard drive or this would make me rage-quit drawing anything for who knows how long.
And I only lost a day. I truly pity those that lose the entire thing, or even worse pretty much everything due to a hard-drive failure or something.
That said I am still profoundly unhappy now because that damn thing was turning out to be my best work yet and I'm not sure if I can recreate it.
*sigh*
I need to go to bed...
My computer bluescreened a couple of hours ago.
The picture I was working on was open.
The recoverable file was useless.
The actual save I was working from was mangled.
All in all I lost about a day's work and I'm fucking pissed.
Thank fuck I have an older copy on an external hard drive or this would make me rage-quit drawing anything for who knows how long.
And I only lost a day. I truly pity those that lose the entire thing, or even worse pretty much everything due to a hard-drive failure or something.
That said I am still profoundly unhappy now because that damn thing was turning out to be my best work yet and I'm not sure if I can recreate it.
*sigh*
I need to go to bed...
What the hell was that?
Posted 13 years agoSo apparently there were hard materials in the nibs of my stylus, because it just left a pair of gashes on the surface of my graphics tablet. I've changed the nib for a new one and it isn't making any more, but the scratches are deep enough that it is fairly noticable when the stylus runs over them.
I suppose I should be thankful that it at least still works, but holy fuck what was that bullshit.
I don't suppose anyone has suggestions for filling the scratches in, somehow?
I suppose I should be thankful that it at least still works, but holy fuck what was that bullshit.
I don't suppose anyone has suggestions for filling the scratches in, somehow?
Well. That's my day ruined.
Posted 13 years agoOverview.
Detail.
I liked that sword.
Fuck.
It is inevitable that a sword will break if you use it, but that doesn't make anything suck less.
I suppose there are a couple of things I can do, at least. If I could get the tools, I could file the shoulders on the blade and handle back a bit and make a new thread, or do something else to re-fit the pommel. But as it stands I lack the tools, expertise and time to do such a thing.
Replacement blades are sold for Hanwei's Side Swords as far as I know, but that's still expensive, and poses yet another problem; That blade is far from what it is provided as. I spent a good amount of time re-working the blade to try and remove the normal satin finish and put an ultra-sharp edge on it, which it does in fact have. So just getting a new blade would still put me back before square one.
Edit: Turns out I was mistaken, they don't.
Burgh.
Detail.
I liked that sword.
Fuck.
It is inevitable that a sword will break if you use it, but that doesn't make anything suck less.
I suppose there are a couple of things I can do, at least. If I could get the tools, I could file the shoulders on the blade and handle back a bit and make a new thread, or do something else to re-fit the pommel. But as it stands I lack the tools, expertise and time to do such a thing.
Edit: Turns out I was mistaken, they don't.
Burgh.
What I've been doing, and what I do.
Posted 13 years agoMy friends and I, for our work placement year at University, decided to go off and make our own company and make games for people; we're basically all running on our own steam. I guess that makes us Indie Games Developers?
Anyway, over the last few months since we have started, we have been working on our first game; and it just now went into the beta phase. We expect to actually release it in a few weeks time, though it depends on how fast we can get the actual content completed. We've sent a copy of it along with one of our lecturers who has a ticket to the GDC, where it will hopefully get a little attention and we will hear back from him on everyone else's thoughts.
Also, after having worked on this and starting with literally nothing, it's rather surreal to have gotten to this point, looking back on how far even something as seemingly simple as our game has come. It's hard to describe, but looking at it now, it's sometimes hard to remember that at one point last October it was just some really shitty sprites, enemies that didn't have any behaviour besides 'move right' and nothing in the way of actual gameplay.
Pretty exciting stuff for sitting around for hours, mostly writing code.
As for artwork for here, I do have plans; I have not forgotten about kenox from a little over a month ago and I will have something for him at some point, however I realised I have a rather small cast of characters (My 'sona, K'Sara and Gracie who I really need to draw better now that I have improved a little again) and I should probably do something about that.
Also K'Sara needs a reference sheet.
So much to do, too few hours in the day. @_@
Also, the Alan Wake collectors edition box is pretty damn nice.
Anyway, over the last few months since we have started, we have been working on our first game; and it just now went into the beta phase. We expect to actually release it in a few weeks time, though it depends on how fast we can get the actual content completed. We've sent a copy of it along with one of our lecturers who has a ticket to the GDC, where it will hopefully get a little attention and we will hear back from him on everyone else's thoughts.
Also, after having worked on this and starting with literally nothing, it's rather surreal to have gotten to this point, looking back on how far even something as seemingly simple as our game has come. It's hard to describe, but looking at it now, it's sometimes hard to remember that at one point last October it was just some really shitty sprites, enemies that didn't have any behaviour besides 'move right' and nothing in the way of actual gameplay.
http://dugong-games.co.uk/Pretty exciting stuff for sitting around for hours, mostly writing code.
As for artwork for here, I do have plans; I have not forgotten about kenox from a little over a month ago and I will have something for him at some point, however I realised I have a rather small cast of characters (My 'sona, K'Sara and Gracie who I really need to draw better now that I have improved a little again) and I should probably do something about that.
Also K'Sara needs a reference sheet.
So much to do, too few hours in the day. @_@
Also, the Alan Wake collectors edition box is pretty damn nice.
I'm 16% Furry. Apparently.
Posted 14 years agoNormally I don't care much for these kinds of things, but I never use these journals anyway so I figured "why the hell not".
Instructions;
Take your score and multiply it by 2
Put your title as "I'm _% Furry"
[ ] you meow/bark to get attention
[ ] you find pets toys amusing
[ ] you get hyper by the smell of catnip (Not that I would know, I have never been in contact with the stuff.
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone gets too close to your food
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone you dislike is too close to you
[ ] you purr/shake your leg when someone shows you affection
[ ] if someone tosses a ball, you chase it and bring it back
Total: 0
[ ] you love to be scratched behind the ear
[x] you love fish/meat
[ ] you like to stick your head out trough the window of a moving car.
[ ] you like when people pet your head
[ ] people can make you stop doing stuff by hitting you on the nose with a newspaper (It's a better way to get me to retaliate, honestly)
[x] you think feathers are fun to play with
Total: 2
[ ] you sleep a lot during daytime
[ ] you enjoy scaring birds
[ ] you lick peoples faces to show you like them
[ ] you bite people if they annoy you
[ ] you tend to steal food from your friends/family's plate when you have eaten all of yours
[ ] milk or water is your favorite drink
Total: 2
[x]you own a collar and you enjoy wearing it
[x] you own a leash and enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own animal ears/tail/paws or a fursuit
[ ] you enjoy long walks in the park
[ ] you meow/bark when you see something you want
Total: 4
[ ] you call your hands and feet "paws"
[x] you tilt your head when you do not understand what someone is talking about (Well, sometimes anyway.)
[ ] you run to the door when someone mentions a walk
[x] you really enjoy cuddling
[ ] you stretch your body and whimper a bit every morning when you wake up
[x] you can wake up and go back to sleep right away after looking around (Not entirely clear what it means, but I am NOT a morning person, so I'll just say 'yes')
Total: 7
[ ] you have your favorite spot besides your bed where you like to sleep
[ ] you meow or bark very often
[ ] you hide when you get scared
[ ] you run to the door to see who it is every time someone comes in to the house
[ ] you like to chase flying insects and try to catch them with your bare hand
[ ] you tend to chew on stuff a lot
[ ]you like to do tricks to get a treat
Total: 7
[ ] you own a wearable item/tag with your name on it
[ ] you refer to your self as an animal
[ ] your username has something to do with animals
[ ] your e-mail has something to do with animals
[ ] if you get a bleeding wound, you lick it to make it feel better
[ ] you look for edible stuff often
Total: 7
[ ] you often find yourself looking through the window for a long time
[ ] you like to say hi to strangers
[ ] you like to be petted when you have done something good
[ ] people think you act like a pet
[x] you growl/hiss at stuff you do not like
[ ] you like to eat grass
[ ] if you get wet, you shake to get rid of the water
Total: 8
Final Total: 8 x 2 = 16%
Instructions;
Take your score and multiply it by 2
Put your title as "I'm _% Furry"
[ ] you meow/bark to get attention
[ ] you find pets toys amusing
[ ] you get hyper by the smell of catnip (Not that I would know, I have never been in contact with the stuff.
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone gets too close to your food
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone you dislike is too close to you
[ ] you purr/shake your leg when someone shows you affection
[ ] if someone tosses a ball, you chase it and bring it back
Total: 0
[ ] you love to be scratched behind the ear
[x] you love fish/meat
[ ] you like to stick your head out trough the window of a moving car.
[ ] you like when people pet your head
[ ] people can make you stop doing stuff by hitting you on the nose with a newspaper (It's a better way to get me to retaliate, honestly)
[x] you think feathers are fun to play with
Total: 2
[ ] you sleep a lot during daytime
[ ] you enjoy scaring birds
[ ] you lick peoples faces to show you like them
[ ] you bite people if they annoy you
[ ] you tend to steal food from your friends/family's plate when you have eaten all of yours
[ ] milk or water is your favorite drink
Total: 2
[x]you own a collar and you enjoy wearing it
[x] you own a leash and enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own animal ears/tail/paws or a fursuit
[ ] you enjoy long walks in the park
[ ] you meow/bark when you see something you want
Total: 4
[ ] you call your hands and feet "paws"
[x] you tilt your head when you do not understand what someone is talking about (Well, sometimes anyway.)
[ ] you run to the door when someone mentions a walk
[x] you really enjoy cuddling
[ ] you stretch your body and whimper a bit every morning when you wake up
[x] you can wake up and go back to sleep right away after looking around (Not entirely clear what it means, but I am NOT a morning person, so I'll just say 'yes')
Total: 7
[ ] you have your favorite spot besides your bed where you like to sleep
[ ] you meow or bark very often
[ ] you hide when you get scared
[ ] you run to the door to see who it is every time someone comes in to the house
[ ] you like to chase flying insects and try to catch them with your bare hand
[ ] you tend to chew on stuff a lot
[ ]you like to do tricks to get a treat
Total: 7
[ ] you own a wearable item/tag with your name on it
[ ] you refer to your self as an animal
[ ] your username has something to do with animals
[ ] your e-mail has something to do with animals
[ ] if you get a bleeding wound, you lick it to make it feel better
[ ] you look for edible stuff often
Total: 7
[ ] you often find yourself looking through the window for a long time
[ ] you like to say hi to strangers
[ ] you like to be petted when you have done something good
[ ] people think you act like a pet
[x] you growl/hiss at stuff you do not like
[ ] you like to eat grass
[ ] if you get wet, you shake to get rid of the water
Total: 8
Final Total: 8 x 2 = 16%
FA+
