Upcoming: Anarchy

Upcoming: Anarchy
1/4/98

Happy New Year!

Well I'm back from vacation. I guess I probably should have left a message here about my departure but I was in a hurry, didn't prepare quickly enough, and in the end only had time to update my hub page. Oh well. I'd have updated sooner, as I did get home on New Year's Eve, but there is a lot going on and I've been slowly updating my pages, testing my map out, trying to get it hosted, stuff like that. January 2-5 is islandFestival, the Cafe Eblana's national holiday or something. Go take a look at Ashen's rad page and see what we are all about. With luck I will have a completed Cafe Eblana FAQ on Monday for your pleasure and bafflement, or join us on irc.dal.net at #eblana where I am known simply as e.

My map is completed. I may tweak a few things but not until I can get it running on a good server so I can test the dynamic I may or may not want with a good number of people. The image of the completed map is now in the Mapmaking section, or find both the image and the actual map on Ashen's islandFestival 98 pages, as linked above.

I've applied in earnest noe for membership in the MMG and am awaiting a response. Frankly, I was given a lukewarm and weird response and I suspect I have less than a 50% chance of getting in, but maybe I will get lucky. I'm now at work on a War Zone map and will continue to make maps whether I get in or not. Shrug. The map was actually close to complete for a long time but required a lot of tiling. Tiling is fun. In some ways I have to disagree with Mixman's assertion that a map should be designed without tiling in mind, because tiling is a creative endeavor. Problems arise and you are forced to change map details. It *is* important for a map to have a look to it. I prefer a mixture of abstract nonsense and recognizable shapes. I don't think recognizable *objects* like castles and honeycombs are necessary although in moderation they are nice, mainly because they act as handy landmarks. "I'm in the pipe southwest of the castle" and so forth. At any rate, feel free to download and use the map as long as you don't make any changes to it. Please do not excerpt from it a la The Dark Zone.

Speaking of The Dark Zone, take a look at Planet Woggo when you get the chance. This guy has the nerve to steal 90% of his bases and incorporate them into a patchwork, then call it "my own map and everything". Oh, and be sure to check out the "balanced ships" during your probably short stay.

Look for updates of the Opinion and Playlist sections today. I have dismantled some of Rincewind's Strategy Guide because I needed the space for some mp3s I made for Island Festival. (Beautiful, beatless ambient pieces, the absolute top of the form in my opinion. Check my mp3 page for those.) I may put the Guide back up, but know that it is back up at Warzone. Rincewind says he is again taking responsibility for it. So far this has not amounted to anything but hopefully it will. For the meantime, I still have the screenshots and opinion pieces from his old page here.

Oh yeah! The new issue of SubScene is out. SubScene kicks ass. Go read it.