TOOT (Reflection, Two Oh One Two)

Hey all,

This is two entire months late (I know, I know...), but I've never really had much time to be able to sit down for a couple of hours and just think.  I've been out of touch with the Spiral while trying to settle down into five, upper-division college classes, and meet their barrage of demands made up of homework, familiarizing myself with the electronic bulletin board system, and adapting to a heavier workload.  The good news is...I'm actually ahead of the schedule, this time.  This is going to be an extremely long and personal blog post, but then again, it is about 11 weeks' worth of contemplation and news (the first part is just an update, the rest is not for the faint of mind):

I hope you've had a FANTASTIC New Year's, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Winter Vacation, and/or Time Off Work!  I had an amazing time with the family as we headed out on a "solo run" (without extended family, which we haven't done for years) on Christmas to a casino that was hosting a LOBSTER BUFFET.  That dinner certainly blew my mind, considering I've never liked lobster...but the way they cooked theirs, I loved it!  No gifts this year, but that's almost a lie; that quality time with my parents and little sister was more than I could ask for.  We've had some ups and downs throughout history, so it dawned on me how lucky we were just to be able to see and laugh with one another.  Those Christmas movies I watched as a young'un are starting to seep into the heart and make some sense.  Ah, the magic of time...

Speaking of quality time, Hexythorn also visited me, and we had a wonderful week and a half together: driving up and down the state, getting her acquainted with my family (extended and immediate), and venturing to my favorite places in Northern California.  She's actually fond of the things my family and I eat (oh, how I've taken the food for granted...and still do!) and from what I last heard, is now loving Pho tremendously.  She also misses rice.  That's something I'll never understand, since I'm very westernized (yay burgers and pizza and lasagna and Mexican food!)  Alyssa played her first casino game over here, and was very quick to understand the strategies of video poker (it greatly differs from regular Poker in the sense of probabilities and randomization).  We also had the opportunity to introduce my family to their first perogies, too; my parents decided to stick with their baby octopi, while my sister, "T", Alyssa, and I helped ourselves to some extras.  (Behind the scenes note: while making them, Alyssa thought the Polish dumplings would end up as an epic fail due to the unnaturally sticky texture of the dough...but, we managed!)

Throughout the visit, we've grown and bonded, and established that we indeed can continue this LDR.  Realistically, connections in this nature tend to be fragile, but with trust and open communication, it's possible to hold onto with unquestioning determination.  Anyway, if you're interested for whatever reason, more details can be found over at IceeHawt101 on YouTube, our collection of videos of our little conventions.

In addition to the beginning of the new year, my PVP team Perfect Catch and I ventured through the Arena, but not as much as before.  My class schedule and the ladies' sleep times have conflicted to a point where the only available time to do anything is over the weekend.  Sadly, such a period is only 2.5 days long.  Nevertheless, we are still evolving and developing as a team, and admittedly, our obstacles have grown, since more and more YouTube viewers (and players) are becoming familiar with our playstyle.  Some viewers have asked why we allow others to look at how we play from such a close proximity; the answer is that PVP at a team-scale is a difficult dance to "teach" step-by-step.

In 1v1, the mental flowchart that plays out in our heads is purely conditional upon the past 2-5 turns and anticipated 3 steps thereafter.  In other words, it's almost organized in how you analyze your and your opponent's health, pips, and mobility, and is almost repetitive to a point where guides for deck building can be created for specific situations and counters.  In 4v4, almost anything can happen, and it becomes a messy battle of psychology, where flowcharts will have flowcharts of their own.  Not every situation repeats itself, and not everyone is comfortable with either working with each other or with their current deck build.  Thus, even general guides can look extremely situational and almost "over the top" to someone in the hot seat.  In that situation, duelists should be paying attention to the current stats, and analyzing what they need to do, opposed to recalling someone else's past advice.  Thus, not too much is being compromised...and besides, we have fun developing new and surprising tactics now and then.

This semester is just the first of a long series that I want to take seriously.  "Seriously" meaning getting at least a 95% in every class...meaning I'm doing the reading before they're even assigned, or working out math theorems before given a lecture on it.  It's a huge part of advancing and developing yourself in life: going above and beyond.  Never settle for "what you already have..."  This is an especially important mindset, considering that we tend to think 90% or 80% or sometimes 70% of something is satisfactory.

There's more to college or higher education than just "fulfilling requirements."  It's about becoming a better human being, becoming enlightened.  Yes, homework is stressful and boring and mundane, but everything you acquire through life are building blocks to what you'll become one day...I promise.  Yes, even that Calculus class will count.  (My boss mentioned how he thought it was useless in the field he was going into, which was government administration; he admitted he was dead wrong).

Back then, I looked towards my courses as I would a job: something you "have" to do.  I didn't see a point in reading the assigned pages (especially when the professors would contribute the most to the discussions and lectures), or studying with devotion (this was actually due to my characteristic of being a "sponge," as my Calc teacher put it)...  I just went with the flow.  Steadily, I made less effort over time.

I can't quite remember when or where it happened, but during a point of where I was gaming professionally, I realized I had strayed too far from where I needed to be.  I wasn't productive or contributing anything to society, other than a little math tutoring.  This was awhile before I came to Wizard101...so the Kevin you know now was completely different back then.  You might have called me a pessimist, or rigid.  In high school, I participated for about a month as a peer counselor.  Hearing about drama and tragic life problems made me feel that we're all independent, struggling to survive at another being's expense.  "Community" was just a word to me where society expects something from you, and that you're obligated to do said "something."

Over the years, as I completed my course requirements for college, I noticed that what I perceived about the word "community" was totally misinformed.  During my self-development, I picked up a job with the state, and completed a surplus of college classes (from personal motivation, not through anyone else's demands or advice).  I began to appreciate more and more of what I was absorbing intellectually and academically, and felt a greater need to give a little something back when I saw the intrinsic beauty of human nature that we seldom see or recognize.

The whole point of sharing this is my indirect way of testifying that education, no matter what level, is more than what we perceive or think it is.  The people of older generations are helping us from repeating their mistakes, and they've become much more successful at doing so as our technology (and spread of information) grows.  The awesome thing that sets humans apart from other creatures is our ability to problem solve, remember, and philosophize (asking the questions about life, trying to determine meaning for ourselves opposed to mechanically following authorities' directions).  The more people that are involved in higher learning, the more useful wisdom they can pass down, especially when the preceding generation has over-analyzed and dissected their issues just like we are (and will keep doing).

"Humans are not perfect" may be the cliche saying, but what makes us awesome is not using the statement as an excuse to not become better or not improve.  Growth and development is exciting, to me; I mean, consider how we have automobiles instead of riding to work on a horse, or how we can communicate with each other with a few simple clicks of the button on a smart phone, or how we can share inspiring art without requiring transportation or manual delivery.  We really have it very easy, and it's only going to become easier...  But, this is not true for everyone.

Older generations, as we can observe, tend to have more difficulty utilizing the tools that make our lives easier today.  They either feel there's no need to do something different than what they're used to over a series of decades, or they lack the confidence and motivation to learn.  Every time a co-worker of mine calls me over to teach her something on Microsoft Office, I tend to have a voice in the back of my head that wonders if I'll ever be like this some day.  It's kind of scary, to be honest.  And, every time she thanks me, but fails to conceptualize or want to "learn how to fish" as the saying goes, I feel a little broken inside in addition to that worry.  I suppose that as I grow older and accumulate more and more knowledge, I'll end up seeing an overload of information, and perhaps succumb to the same habit of not wanting to learn anything new.  (I really hope it doesn't come to that, but I remind myself it's entirely possible.)  But, I digress...

Thus, learning really is about survival as a whole race, not just individually.  Mistakes happen globally and universally, and while most readers out there are too young to really worry about this now, my contemporaries and elders can empathize with the importance of opening one's mind and sharing/teaching.  Teachers have become the ultimate heroes of this Information Age as they debunk myths, brave the unknown, experiment with the undiscovered, and dive into the dark truths of the world.  In the end, they shape their students for living better lives so these newly educated can establish even better lives for their children, and so on.  If we appreciate the services we have today, like Twitter, Google, the automobile, smart phones, computers, and airplanes, then we need to take up that responsibility of loving and taking advantage of knowledge, and hope our descendants can carry out and handle the same passion.

BUN: Small Catching Up

Hey all,

It's been awhile since I've written anything technical (let alone, at all), but my activity level has shifted back in-game, the Petnome Project, on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook (it's seldom there, though).  I'm either farming up a "bottom"-load over at Halfang and devising a number of Zerging deck builds for each school for first-turn kills, keeping track of Gardening drops, or pet training with a "Recycler" wizard in the Spiral (these items will be future topics!), keeping up to date on Petnome submissions, uploading Perfect Catch videos along with Vlogs, or Tweeting the latest thoughts or adventures.  Also, Ravenwood Radio had their 50th and 51st episodes recently -- those were a LOT of fun.

A lot of new content has also kept us pretty busy, such as Halloweenfest, Hallowe'en, the Nightmare packs, and this mysterious world that's coming up...  Based on Stephen Spiritcaller's interview with Fred Howard, I'm thinking we can expect to learn more about this around December...maybe the world will be released by then, but that's my wishful thinking!  Massively gave us a small sneak peek, and there are some symbols on the picture below that were deciphered by myself and Miss Katherine Light:

We caught onto a small mistake, as noted in the image, so here is the newly revised picture, hehe:

I've also been dealing with some University items -- I've been accepted!  My state's budget problems aren't improving, so the acceptance is an extremely big deal for me, especially when it's during the a very selective Spring semester.

And, last but not least, I've ended up treating my blog like more of a scientific journal than a personal one.  It's starting to become just a bit awkward -- out of style, in other words (for me) -- to be writing things here when I habitually post them on the spot on Twitter.  Usually, it's the "guides" or "tips" or "really chunky stuff" that I can write pages and pages on, that goes on The Chillanthropologist.  What can I say?  I like the "article" style of writing, where there's an overall subject, a dissection of its elements or parts, a weaving of facts/experiments/results, and a blend of insight/commentary.

But, I'll give this "true blogging" thing a try.  Sometimes a personality just needs to shine through from the layers of logic or rational thinking...

IceeHawt

Hey all,

For those out of the loop due to the lack of a Twitter account, what ICH represents is the harmony between many contradictions and irony between me and Cassandra "Hexy" Hexthorn.  Our relationship is just as head-scratching as it is logical and sensible.  For one, we play Wizard101 regularly as "opposite" schools: I'm a Thaumaturge, and she's a Pyromancer -- and started the game totally independent of one another.  Until I recheck my facts, I'm gonna say she started some number of months before I did.  A layer of irony also exists on our appearances: we both use the serrated cloak of the Fire school, though I'm an Ice Wizard, and she has a story behind Cassandra's odd blue hair -- and it's nothing to do with Katy Perry!  I'm an Accounting/Math major, and she's studying Music.  And on and on...

Also we're three thousand miles apart.  Thus, August 6th and the rest of the week until today was special, not only because we finally met for the first time, but because we were skeptical about long-distance relationships succeeding smoothly.  ICH was kept on the "down low" since the community is -- for us -- an extensive family, and we decided to wait many months to (1) allow our bond to develop and (2) allow Alyssa and me enough time to understand, communicate with, and make decisions with one another, as individual beings, before causing ripples with a premature announcement.  In other words, the first Saturday of this month was the indicator saying, "We've thought hard and long enough...now it's time for actions to fit the words...for reality to lift the mask of imagination and illusion."  That day wouldn't have happened -- the meet wouldn't have happened -- had we believed, thought, or felt the slightest sign of doubt about one another.  Ever since meeting in person, I haven't regretted us one bit.

But, it's not "happily ever after," and it's regardless to whether this is a short-distance or long-distance relationship.  In fact, the concept of a non-existent paradise applies to friendships just as much.  Such connections between individuals and teams and groups require work.  What does such a job entail?  Trust.  Understanding.  Honesty.  Communication.  Benefit of doubt.  A balance of optimism and the Devil's advocate.  Respect.  The ability to assume responsibility.  Sometimes, even sacrifice.  Just because Alyssa and I are comfortable, compatible, and, as many Twizards have pointed out, "cute" together, it doesn't mean that we're automatically having a great time, or that everything becomes smooth sailing.  Heck, that "great time" comes from the ingredients listed above, and those ingredients don't manifest on their own.  I suppose it's one explanation behind why great friendships can sometimes be overwhelmingly surprising, such as enemies becoming allies, allies becoming neutralized or enemies, etc.  But, that's another blog post for another day.

I met Alyssa's family over the week -- including her Nana, who made some fantastic pierogies, and we all got along very well!  Heck, I wouldn't mind having some of their personalities to help spice up my family a bit.  They're very open, honest, very nice, and full of unexpected (but hilarious) comments and feedback.  Dinners are full of laughter and  stories...I remember cracking up at least twice per night.  I wish I could repeat the jokes or stories here, but they aren't pure in family-friendliness!  Like Alyssa, they're all people you just have to meet and know.

The first few days were just us lazing back together, becoming acquainted, and "settling" into interacting in person.  We went to the mall, where I purchased a book by Kurt Vonnegut, and visited the Michael's Arts and Crafts store for some materials to decorate her ceiling with.  Unfortunately, the clay that I bought didn't follow through with the promises written on their wrapping...but you get what you pay for, right?  So, instead, we used Christmas lights a la a Tumblr post and took on an idea of our own.  I'll have to have Alyssa take a picture of the finished product, but here is the layout:

We also visited the Mystic Aquarium, whose name is based off of the name of the town it's in.  Pretty awesome name, huh?  We got to see seals, a gigantic sea lion, some jellyfish, and an array of other aquatic creatures.  We found Nemo and Dori!  I got Hexy a turtle plushy and necklace there, which she absolutely loves, and luckily for me, everyone around us liked them, too!  Huzzah!

The week rolled by too quickly, in our eyes.  The last few days consisted of watching an anime series (ironically, we're not big anime fans...Fairy Tail was real lucky we gave it a shot and liked it!), visiting the town fair, mellowing out by a bonfire, and enjoying a fancy dinner at Max Amore the night before Departure Day.

Here are a few pics of the last evening we had together:

Baggy pants..bleh...least it shows I've shrunk horizontally!

"Gorgeous" doesn't do her justice




At Max Amore...where the lighting is dark and people feel lighthearted

Two things I've learned from this bond:

1.  Be proud of who you are, regardless of your situation or what you do.  Uphold integrity, meaning not acting in a way to please others, and not making decisions that are beyond your capabilities.  Eventually, life will work out, one way or another.  It's all a giant puzzle that will make sense, over time.  Stay positive.

2.  Alyssa said to me on the last night, "Don't dwell on the fact that we have to part...instead, smile because this happened."

How is IceeHawt important or blog-worthy in relation to the game?  There is an unseen dimension of the avatars that populate the Spiral.  Just because there's a set of pixels in front of you, it doesn't mean that you're entitled to treat that person with any less respect than you would with a "real life" stranger.  While the computer may allow for double personalities to exist, taking the route where you behave online as you do offline plays to your advantage in the long run.  There're fewer things to explain (and less suspicion or contradiction) when consistency exists, for one.  You also build bridges that you initially thought were impossible, let alone, unimaginable.  The more you take a friend or teammate or mentor seriously (as in looking past the toons), the greater the return of respect, trust, and opportunities in everyday life.

Thanks for your time and interest~

ICH

More info to be revealed on Twitter, tomorrow...and my YouTube channel!  I'm so excited!!!

Contest Etiquette (Part 1: For the Taker)

Hey all,

The past few weeks have been mighty grueling with the compilation of duties and responsibilities of the truncated summer school class (finally completed!), work, broadcasting and commentating for the United We Stand tournament held by Cassandra Dragonheart, unraveling some miscommunication, relaxing up on a fantastic community-focused game called Fiesta Online (which Thomas Lionblood and Amber Rosepetal have openly sponsored in the past), initiating a new personal PVP-based project (which is secret for the time being, for the sake of my -- and others' -- sanity), guest-judging an official fansite contest, and preparation and execution of the Petnome Project contests.

While operating and administering the events for Petnome over the past year (along with other activities where I've guest-judged), I found myself surprised, concerned, and contemplative with the overall culture of contests within an online community.  In other words, I saw (or heard) things I couldn't believe I was seeing (or hearing)...and this goes beyond just erroneous or incorrect entries.  So, here are some contestant guidelines and personal advice from yours truly for enhancing your chances of winning contests from any event, from blogs' to fansites' to the official company's:


Don't Beg
After Day 2 of the Petnome Birthday Week, I lost count on how many entries were direct requests for the prizes.  Examples of this include "I want the 5,000 Crowns...now!"  "Give me the Black Cat!"  "Can I please win this?  I need it really, really bad!"  While begging may not disqualify entrants from winning (unless the rules specifically state that it does), it does become a nuisance for the contest holders.

Imagine if you were holding up $20 in cash in your hand and proclaimed you would give it to the person who painted the best portrait of you.  Then, along comes someone without any artistic skills, asking you for the prize.  You were trying to narrow your pool of players down to someone with creativity -- not someone who goes up to you and begs.  So, keep in mind that when you're in a contest, you're in a competition.  You have to show some work that follows the requirements to be eligible for the goodies.






Follow All Directions (FAD)
Read everything...literally!  While it may be advantageous in the sense of time to skim for keywords such as dates, rules, times, and any second-party applications or programs, not reading everything thoroughly can hurt your entry via disqualification.

For small-pool contests (contests with few seats available for contestants), paying attention to details is important, since the rules will be enforced strongly when the judges are allotted enough time to be picky with their selections or ruling.  If a contestant, for example, has the wrong version of an item required by the rules, it may not transition to the next judging phase, no matter how similar or "close" it is.

For large-pool contests (contests available to over hundreds of people), judges may not be as lenient when there is a factor with at least 3/4 of the contestants following the directions correctly.  Chances are, the other 1/4 of entries aren't even looked at; entries could be manually OR automatically screened.  For example, failure to include a key piece of your information could count as disqualification, like omitting a word; automatic screening may delete any emails with the wrong subject line or message!

Sometimes, judges or contest holders may allow for re-dos when a mistake has occurred that you've caught (truly, it depends on the format of the contest; i.e. trivia vs. riddles vs. feedback vs. media production, etc.).  If you happened to omit something, like forgetting to add your Wizard name, try to send the exact same entry (with the missing piece of information included) so that it has uniformity, AND matches exactly what the contest holder asks for.  In other words, treat it like a second-chance entry, rather than a follow-up message!

So, hand-in-hand, ALWAYS double-check your information and submissions.



No Trolling
While this concept may seem intuitive, it's both a surprise and an expectation when some contestants don't understand "no trolling."  The simple truth is that there is always at least one threat (or worse) or a profane remark thrown at contest holders when the results don't turn out in the violator's favor.  Here's another fact: this community is very tight-knit and cohesive, and no contest holder will tolerate malicious contestants within their own contest OR another's.  The same goes for those who try to cheat with multiple entries or submissions -- once discovered and marked, violators will have trouble finding eligibility or success with future or other contests.  There aren't simpler rules than (1) no harassment and (2) no cheating.



Too Much Information (TMI)
Believe it or not, sometimes contestants will provide more information than we ever need to know...like a phone number or home address.  NEVER send any personal information other than an email address that will help the contest holders contact you.  Though Official Fansites may be trusted entities, you never know if someone's correspondence email may become hacked (or is already hacked) or keylogged.  Also, you never know who someone really is behind the computer screen or keyboard, no matter how nice or considerate they are.  NEVER tell someone where you live, or where to call you, or what your real name is, or (Frost Giant forbid) anything that shows up on your birth certificate.  True, sometimes birthdays are required for age verification, but other than MMO-based sites like Massively or Beckett's, that information isn't relevant for Wizard101-based contests held by Wizard101 players.  And, to reiterate something that seemingly hasn't gotten to all players, yet: NEVER tell anyone your Wizard101 password.  The only time you should be using it is if it's at http://wizard101.com or the Game Client.  Also, keep in mind that Official Fansites are not KingsIsle.  Then again, even THEY ask you never to send your password, even in emails to them!



Have Fun
This isn't redundant, is it?  Contests, in my interpretation, are merely windows of opportunity -- privileges, if you will (not rights!) -- to attain some tangible or intangible commodity or benefit for the exchange of minimal (or competitive) work!  Know that there will always be contests flowing out of this wonderful community, and that you're hardly missing out if you aren't a winner!  "Oh well, Susie got the 5,000 Crowns."  That doesn't mean that Susie will also take the 10,000 Crowns that you may win in another contest.

The important fact is that you tried in a contest, and that you didn't have a 0% chance of winning -- not participating is the only way to guarantee a loss.  Sometimes the die (or Random.org) doesn't roll in our favor, just like when cards don't come up the way we'd like them to.  As long as you didn't troll the contest or contest holders, you'll always have a chance to win!

Cheer on and congratulate the winners -- I'm sure you'd like to be cheered and congratulated yourself when you're a winner someday.  Look at it this way: thanks to the contest, your Wizard101 community is populated and full of energy and action. Someone's interest in Wizard101 was enhanced with the prize, and most likely, they'll continue to play and contribute their presence to the game.  I haven't seen a barren MMO that's fun to play...heck, it contradicts the concept of it being "massive," "multiplayer," and "online."  When you see other wizards running around, you know that there's someone behind another keyboard enjoying the same game you're playing.  That makes us feel less isolating, less alone.  And heck, at least there will be other players to show-off to when you win a prize in future contests.




(to be continued in Part 2: For the Maker)

BUN: LampNome, Petnome, Ravenwood Ball, and Latest Happenings (or lackthereof)

Hey, all!

It's been a long, long time since I've sat down and ticked the keys away into this digital journal.  Thanks to my new job and the beginning of summer school (get this, I'm taking a "truncated" class, so not only is a regular class condensed to a summer schedule, but this Political Science course is even shorter than the regular summer classes; think "honors"), I've been crowded with obligations and responsibilities and duties all around, inside AND outside the Spiral.

But, I'm still staying creative and active...  Hexy and I just come up with the nerdiest ideas, eh?  We became curious after doing a lot of lamp runs, noticing some patterns between our various characters.  Her young Level 1 Thaumaturge kept getting gold only, usually under 5.  So, we decided to test out a theory:  the higher level you are, the wider your window for different prizes of various quantities and qualities; the lower level you are, the smaller your opportunity becomes.  However, being Legendary doesn't mean you'll be exempt from receiving "Level 1 loot."  

And thus, the Lampnome Project (not to be taken as professionally as Petnome) was created.  Hopefully through this project, we'll be able to grasp an idea of what certain trends we'll see in all wishes granted by the Genie.



Speaking of the Petnome Project, check this out:

Hey!  

The Petnome Project's BIRTHDAY is coming up,  on Tuesday, July 19th!  

We're gonna celebrate with some AWESOME contests, giving out prizes. courtesy of KingsIsle Entertainment!  We'd like to give the Community some time to prepare for some of these events, so here's what you'll need to do:

1.  Follow @petnome over on Twitter; some events have time-sensitive objectives!

2.  Set your email inbox to ALLOW messages from petnome [at] hotmail.com.

Be sure to check out Diary of a Wizard for an exciting event coming up!

Between the Petnome Staff and some close friends, we're creating some "Epic" contests to held within July.  Just for my blog audience, I'll leak a little info...

Think...Olympics...for the mind, body, and spirit...of you...and your pets.

Derby?  Yes.  Puzzles?  Yes.  Lucky drawings?  Absolutely.

Heck, if you've ever made a submission into the Petnome database (before the ability is revealed on our page) and have your name listed on the Pet Page, you've got a chance to win an awesome Promo Pet!  All submissions up to the day of that special drawing will be counted...but remember, we double-check entries vigilantly!  False entries may be subject to disqualification for the entire month!

Because we're still drafting out the rules and dates for these series of events, we aren't making it an entire public announcement, yet.  But, @Petnome will announce more over time, so keep an eye on that feed!

 

Last, but not least:  Ravenwood Ball.  This Saturday...I can't wait!  Hope to see you there ~ bring your kicking outfit -- Hexy and I have a neat theme going on, so be sure to find us every 10 minutes!

Heading out to catch up on some sleep~  See you in the Spiral!

Audio Log (ALog) #2: Battleblood Updates and News (BUN) (6/8/11)

Discussing about what I've been up to lately, in-game and off: projects, life, work, surprises, and guest-speaking later tonight on Ravenwood Radio! Plus, some game updates to look out for!

Vlog #14: Summer Battleblood Updates and News (5/23/11)

Topics: Blogging/Vlogging, PVP Videos/Commentary, secret projects, self-improvement, and a future "offer" from TPC.

Spring Break Plans

Wooooooooooooot!

Kicking off with an early ending to US History because of a test (the essay portion got me this time...bleh...), I'm now off for the rest of tonight, the weekend, all week next week, and another weekend....and then two weeks of school left.  Finals are around the corner...dun, dun dun....

But, all that means is that I can focus my attention on some priorities such as...

• completing the transcript for Ravenwood Radio 37
• completing the transcript for the explanation behind "Perfect Catch"  link
• Petnome Project Contest #2 link
• Petnome Project maintenance
• upload/commentate PvP videos (about 5-7 epic matches from Ranked!)
• work on some ICH posts...heh, heh...
• hang with Perfect Catch in questing, farming, partyin'...
• hang out with some IRL friends
• completing the transcript for Ravenwood Radio 38 (when it comes out)
• study for a Humanities quiz
• job searching

So, be on the lookout for some items heading your way!

Vlog #4: Sacrifice Minion Mechanics

Topics: Battleblood Updates and News (BUN), a little more sneak-peeking into Battleblood Castle, Perfect Catch Update (PCU) with Fallon and Cassandra, and answering a blog question about Sacrifice Minion!

Vlog #3: Arena Circle Floating

Topics: Battleblood Updates and News (BUN), sneak peek into the March edition of Battleblood Castle, Shadow Floating bug, and tutorial on keeping wizards out of the center of your residential battle circle!

**Sorry about the scratchy sounds...I'll try to get a clearer mic check before recording next time**

Vlog #1

Trying out something different...

Topics: Battleblood Updates and News (BUN), Petnome news, small mention of the upcoming Smash 'n' Bash, and my best route for Black Lotus.

(captions provided in near future)

BUN: Responding to Friendly's "After Legendary" Post

(in response to Friendly's post):

Each day, without a new update to explore around in the Live Realm, the game does seem like a personal sandbox.  Actually, KingsIsle does a great job with providing enough patches and features to continually spark interest and create new adventures.  Though, after attaining optimal gear and pets, killing thousands of monsters for badges, and mastering features like PVP, Gardening, and Advanced Pets, room for more personal accomplishments runs dry.  Thankfully, such a world like Celestia and dungeons like Briskbreeze and the Warehouse were released.  Players are encouraged to step out of the realm of individuality and into the uniform shoes of teamwork, adding a new dimension to RPG gameplay:  social interaction, and success by cooperation.  In group play, each player is given the chance to contribute to a team goal, and the incentive given is the larger rewards and -- sometimes -- bragging rights.  It feels exhilarating to help others, partly due to the fact that a playerbase has grown by means of increasing someone's interest in the game.  That feeling broadens even further, as you mentioned, when one starts contributing to a community.  The truth is: I realize that there's only so much that can be contributed.

Your blog -- which is miraculous to me (probably because my writing style is too skewed towards formality that I become more serious than fun, and forget to loosen up) since there's at least a blog post a day -- inspires creativity, both in the game and outside.  You not only share achievements and news to hundreds of people, but also provoke creative thought via mind-opening ideas and suspicions.  As readers' minds roll, there come the birth of many blogs detailing their own writer's adventures and ideas.  The more that players can relate with one another, the more exciting that new players' goals seem.  "Oh, I want what they have!"  "I also want to achieve that!"  Passion for the game is developed furthermore.

As you know, I happen to be one of those inspired readers, and I take those passions and dissect it a bit further, into information, tips, and explorations of detail.  YouTube is the visual presentation of my thoughts; Blogger, a textual one.  Petnome is the "physical, virtual" embodiment of a specific passion in pets, while Mistblood is the embodiment of my creativity in an alternative lore.   Modding the Ravenwood Radio chatroom is an extension of the depth of commitment to the game and community, and transcribing is another active way of expanding that extension to another branch of our Wizard101 population.  And finally, there are the PVP parties, along with writing and discussing about it, aimed to redeem the image of a widely notorious activity.

I admit, it's a lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if people looked at me and thought I was crazy or lost.  Maybe "too addicted?"  Perhaps.  But, I think of these projects as more of a "higher plane" of what can be done in Wizard101.  For example, in Guild Wars, I grew tired of the Post-Searing environment, and decided to create another character.  Given how long it takes to complete that game, I decided on another route: get to max level before changing from Pre-Searing to Post-Searing.  Perhaps this would bring some long lost entertainment.  It did, but I ended up staying there forever, due to its peacefulness.  Eventually, I began to give away free items and gold in exchange for correctly answered trivia questions, and that sparked more login activity as people participated in the quizzes and games.  We all had an escape from the expected route of questing and bartering.

Overall, Wizard101 became very exciting to me, not just because of its content, but also because of the opportunities this game provides.  I could wake up, head to work or school, and come back (due to a minimal budgeting plan, props to tuition fees and the college lifestyle) to any of the above mentioned projects, these "spiderwebs" of interest.  They give me something to do after hitting Legendary, Warlord, Grandmaster Artisan and Gardener, etc.

Want to know the ironic twist?  Even these projects can lose their effect overtime, not due to decreasing interest, but admittedly due to the small, overwhelming feeling.  I used to blog every other day at least, and now it's around every other week.  Sometimes I'll have something to write about, but I hesitate because I feel like working on something else.  Mistblood has been neglected.  YouTube projects are still pending and halfway complete and scattered all over my desktop in the elements of music files, pictures, movie clips, and movie project shortcuts.  I'm still very active in moderating the chatroom, hosting and broadcasting the PVP parties, transcribing as soon as an iTunes episode is released, and updating the Petnome Project with the team.  Basically, the environment of my projects have shifted from long-term to short-term; the projects mentioned in the previous sentence are usually done "on the spot," dependent on some other element other than my creativity.  In other words, I've become more reactive than proactive, in terms of contributions.

Along with this interesting twist, I've been spending more time in-game.  It's like I've boomeranged from questing, leveling, and accomplishing to contributing in an overdose, then returned to questing, leveling, and accomplishing.  Nowadays, I've become more passionate in participating in the gaming itself, rather than expressing my excitement for it.  It's as if the "sandbox" effect switched over sides of the fence.

So, my point -- based on personal reflection -- is to pursue deeply in contributing to the community, or finding a niche or project that can prolong one's interest to a specific aspect of the game.  Indulge in that enjoyment, and try to keep a balance between gaming and maintaining something related to it.  If there isn't a balance, perhaps someone will fall into the same pattern as I have, which, ultimately, recreates the excitement all around.

To Chase Skullmask:  Based on the above "essay," dive into something that hasn't been done before, and try to carry it out to its fullest extent, with the attitude of a winner ("winners never quit").  Stephen Spiritcaller had many of us #twizards hooked on his fictional narrative "Courting Yeva."  Looking back on those days, I now feel like hunting her down for the infamous hat.  Cassandra Griffindreamer's Diapermancer comics (fictional, visual stories about Friendly's baby's surroundings) inspired me to create Mistblood.  She is also expanding into a wider variety of stories, each of which I suspect to have some influence from the style of Anime.  Alric Ravensinger created Fame at a Price, a story with reality -- for a well-known player and community member, Thomas Lionblood -- in a nutshell, mixed with a ficitional plot.  I hear he's creating another "issue" very soon.  Sometimes, relighting interest in the game requires thinking outside of the box, or looking at the game differently.  Once you've got an idea, approach it.  Take it head on, and I guarantee it'll be a new Spiral everyday.

BUN: Connections and Commentaries

While starting yet another semester at college this week, I've already begun some deep enlightenment in a few classes.  One thought is that the people we look up to in artistic professions (Shakespeare, Mozart, Beethoven, Van Gogh, etc.) are really just ordinary people like you and me.  "If Shakespeare were alive today," my professor ponders, "he would be just a television writer.  People would find it difficult putting up with [the arrogance of] Beethoven; he was anti-social, and some people felt he was 'riding' them."  When these names come across our mind, "...we shouldn't put them on a pedestal, and distance ourselves from them.  We are them."  It's true; we tend to exaggerate the amount of credit we give to the sources of our inspirations, in terms of talent or creativity.  When this happens, we create this invisible scale...an invisible ruler, if you will...in our minds.  We end up measuring ourselves against our heroes while we set them high up on the meter.  Self-esteem then becomes impacted, partially due to the imaginary bar that we (ourselves) create, and we make the mistake of comparing our work of inexperience to the works that were (actually) deemed inexperienced in their debut, such as Van Gogh's "Potato Eaters."  Understand that while a lot of the classical artists are praised in this era, most of them were looked down upon in their lifetime, simply because they did not fashion their creations after what was called "popular" or "mainstream."

So what exactly am I trying to say?  Though you may look up to someone, don't set standards too high for yourself that you fall out of your own style and stumble upon something unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  Your personality is yours; the same goes for your vision, your style, and your interpretation.  This thought reminded me of Mackenzie Lifebreeze, a new Blogger who's also an active Diary of a Wizard member, and her active search in finding an interest in a Wizard101 project, such as house decorating, blogging, etc.  She is especially impressed with Paige Moonshade's creations--which are just incredible, I must say--but she was having trouble finding motivation to carry on decorating her own house.  So, I suggested she try every aspect of Wizard101 out, then look into writing about her endeavors, and see what she liked doing best.  That's probably the most important key to have to an environment that can sprout up a wide variety of projects: finding something you can do on your own, whether or not other people like it, as long as no one is harmed, of course.  Once you manage to grasp onto a hobby that you can become lost in for hours on end, you've found your calling.  At that time, comparing your work to others' is more of an educational experience than a competition; everyone has a different style, remember?  Paige's recreation of "Pandora" from Avatar cannot be ranked against a setting from Harry Potter or SpongeBob Squarepants.  True, you can compare talents in terms of how well a player understands the floating bug and decorating tricks, but this type of experience can be gained by anyone.  And thus, anyone can become just as talented as their inspirations, assuming there is passion, dedication, and an open mind.

With that said, I present my current Massive Fantasy Palace in video form, below this paragraph.  Keep in mind that a lot of it was based on accidents and instantaneous brainstorming.  In other words, the decorating came first, and then the stories behind it.

And here is yet another hobby, one that I really enjoy a lot:  PVP Commentaries, done at Fallon Deathslinger's Wizaversary and last night's "Last Minute PVP Party":

*you can click "Watch Ad Now" a couple of times to stack uninterrupted viewing time; otherwise the ads come every 15 minutes*

Fallon Deathslinger's Wizaversary

Last Minute PVP Party (1/22/11)

And last but not least, two more transcripts completed last weekend for Ravenwood Radio:

Episode 1:  Introductions and Mounts

Episode 2:  News and Seamstress Info

BUN: Ringing in the New Year

I know, it’s been a long, long while since I’ve sat down and shared some updates or tips.  I have to admit, Twitter’s been serving as an activity recorder, but there’s only so much that can be expressed within 140 characters.  Procrastination, taking advantage of my new real-life situation, and projects have been factors with priority that dominate over “The Chillanthropologist,” and I’m unsure of what should be introduced first.

One thing I’ve been meaning to write about is a personal New Year’s resolution.  This isn’t exactly the typical vow that gets lost halfway through the year, because it’s something we all could use and work on annually, if not daily, weekly, or monthly:  communication.  The more we open our minds to expand beyond dichotomy (which is the system in which there is only two possibilities, such as “black” or “white”, without any possibilities of “grey”), the more productive we can become, on many different levels.  This is a topic that will continue on a future post, in some more detail, but with this exercise as a resolution, there are sure to be many more exciting outcomes over time.

Today, I managed to complete two main tasks:  reveal the winners of the first Petnome Project Contest (PPC1), and complete a transcription of Ravenwood Radio’s last episode.

The PPC1 was definitely an exciting contest to hold.  About 91 people registered, but only 48 sent in their entries, which was in a way, a blessing, because setting up and locking in the 29 stories that followed the rules took at least half a day.  There were so many great stories that had to be dropped due to an infraction, and there were some mediocre ones that made it to the final stage.  But, I’m wholeheartedly glad that every featured author (Rowan Lifewhisper, Sierra Dragonbright, Isaac Mistheart, Natalie Jade, SorceressMiklai, Kane Mooncaster, “Jack,” Scarlet Moonblood, and last but not least, Sean Lightheart) rightfully earned their spot, opposed to someone “defaulting” into a winner slot.  If you’ve yet to see the Special Notes below each story, check them out by clicking on the authors’ names.  These are brief analyses on why these 9 stories were chosen over the others.  My personal favorites were those by Rowan Lifewhisper and Natalie Jade, due to the depth that their stories stretched to.  Rowan’s “Death-Giver the Leech” received just as many nominations (and nomination points) as Natalie’s “First Flight” for different reasons: 

• Rowan’s execution was unique in that she used 101 pet abilities to create her story (see the screenshot below; I used Excel to ensure no abilities were used more than once, and found that cool Easter Egg), but it was not a collection of pet powers randomly aligned within her text.  She demonstrated strong vocabulary skills: the adjectives, when compounded to a subject, were synonymous and relative to the topic.  It was certainly a risky approach to splice so many abilities within the assignment of a short story, but the plot was explained clearly and creatively.
  
  
• Natalie’s was certainly one that stood out from the rest by a long shot, with very descriptive imagery and textual illustration.  Many judges (whom are to remain anonymous; I would be happy to have them all help out again!) left comments within their score sheet pointing her story-telling skills.  I truly felt that I was taken along for the flight that the two characters indulged in. 

I had the honor to meet both of them in-game today to pass along their prizes: the Sea Dragon to Rowan, and a Phosphorescent Maul and two King Parsleys to Natalie along with her 2500 Crowns.  Many thanks go out to KingsIsle (Professor Greyrose!) for sponsoring the contest via the supply of prizes and website announcement, to Petnome contributors for helping us develop the overall project, and to our contest volunteers! 

~

As for the transcription, I received a nice message over Facebook from Kelsey Fireheart who asked if Ravenwood Radio had any way to provide text for the show, for those whose hearing are impaired.  This was probably the first message that struck and stuck to me, as I realized that “hey, there are some fans of the show who aren’t getting the full experience, only abridged or shortened summaries from friends who could hear.”  So what if there was a way to allow them to enjoy the show the way that I did and do?  Sure, there are some programs out there that can “listen” and write out text, but it just doesn’t capture the personalities of Leesha or Stephen…let alone, misspell some words that are only recognized by those of us from the Spiral.  So, I decided to give the manual way a shot for the live portion of the show, and this is what it turned into:

Ravenwood Radio 32 – 2010 in Review – Transcript.

I downloaded the episode to my iTunes so I could have free range and control over the file; the stream made it tedious having to rewind back a few seconds if I missed or misheard a word.  But, it was managed, and I had some fun with interpreting tones and emotions into text form so that other Wizards could receive at least some of the experience that those of us without restrictions have.  For example, down on Page 13, the “drumroll” that Leesha asks for when announcing a contest winner can’t genuinely be replicated by a speech-to-text program, and doesn’t help provide imagery when needed.  So, with that, I’m wondering if there are any Wizards out there, who can type at least 80 words per minute (I’m an average 98, and drafting this live portion [lasting just a little over 30 minutes] took about 4-6 uninterrupted hours alone) who are interested in volunteering some time to help out with transcribing older episodes with me.  We could break it into “parts,” where, if we have enough helpers, we could take 5-minute portions of the show and type it out, and then splice them into a full document.  Or, if you aren’t a speedy typist, you can help pass along the word, or maybe even give it a shot if you’re up for it!  Feel free to let me know if you’re interested in the Comments below.

~

In addition to “The Arena” series, the team and I have been randomly holding evening PVP parties for anyone to fool around in, or take an effort to pick up on some interesting playstyles for the real deal, as a way to spark interest in dueling.  Generally, these parties happen around Friday or Saturday evening, with start times ranging from 4 PM PST to end times as late as 10 PM PST.  Whether you have no experience or are a Warlord yourself, you’re all welcome!  The general idea is to create an environment where players do not feel judged based on their playstyles, and are actually encouraged to practice or ask questions if they have them.

As for personal training, I’ve been sparring a bit with Kayla Emeraldheart (Fallon Deathslinger’s “munchkin”) and Jasmine Stormblood to help amp their game.  There’s also a third (who is actually my first trainee) player whose identity will be private for the time being, just as a surprise, who is indirectly helping me structure what I want to write next for the series.  All of them have been improving greatly, and I can’t wait until they’re playing at super-advanced levels!

~

I’ve been taking up some other games at the same time as Wizard101.  Sometimes you just have to escape from a sigil and kill a zombie, up close and personal, with combos, like my Riftstalker Battleblood in RIFT.  To sum up what that is, it’s a rogue that’s a tank.  A beefy ninja.  No, not like a Samoorai.  Someone who can bend time and space so they don’t get hit as much, while striking out of nowhere themselves.  And then there’s Atlantica Online, where I wield a guitar and expose my opponents’ weaknesses with riffs and melodies.  If you happen to play AO as well, let me know; I’ve established a guild named “Wizard101” out of pride for this one ;).

~

And last but not least…I’ve been doing some crazy things with my Massive Fantasy Palace:

 

Cheers, thanks for reading!

Beyond the Spiral: One Year Later…

An amazing revelation hit me on my drive home from class tonight.  My group and I had just blown away our Group Communication class as we tackled our project and presentation.  A few weeks ago, as our deadline approached ominously, I decided to amplify my lead role on coordinating our team, and analyze our needs.  Between a group of six of us, none of us are close to being experts at art, yet we took on one of Van Gogh’s most favored and seldom known pieces, “Potato-Eaters.”  Here’s what it looks like:

It was a grueling challenge to dissect this piece and describe why we saw this as “art.”  To me, it was trying to answer how this picture is “beautiful.”  Yet, we managed it, and even went above and beyond, I believe.  The professor even mentioned to me, “For an ‘engineer’ type, you communicated really well in your speech.” 

I would have never expected to evolve from an introvert into someone who was able to direct, manage, and speak to a large classroom effectively.  I give credits to the class and professor for helping me understand and grasp a lot of leadership concepts, but the true kudos for my “evolution” goes to my experience with Wizard101 and its community.

My in-game friends (Missy, Cheryl Fire, and Ronan) all played a monumental role in supporting me as I took my interaction with the game to a higher level.  Instead of having a sardonic attitude when they learned about my proposed projects for a Youtube channel and comic series, these three whole-heartedly jumped up to help whenever I sought for aid.  Because of this, I did not end up shying away from expressing my interest in the game.  Again, I mention that I come from a highly competitive gaming scene; the thought of creating videos or fan fiction for a family-friendly genre would have never come to my mind.

Of course, a lot of inspiration did come from the existence of our very own Friendly Necromancer.  The fact that a family man is dedicating his gaming interests into a decently-created MMO that’s not as widely played or known as some other games was just enough of a spark.  If he can blog about this fantastic game for two years straight, producing a new article almost every day (during the time that I discovered Tom) to share and express himself while motivating others to “think outside of the box,” there’s no reason that I can’t record my adventures proudly, or develop my own storyline.

Eventually my projects spanned out to also include blogging, which is still a textual representation of my thoughts, rather than an online journal.  To be honest, I was hesitant on creating “The Chillanthropologist.”  I admit I wasn’t a very decent writer to begin with, especially when I have a stronger passion in communicating through numbers and equations (math major).  Heck, even to this day, I notice that I have run-on sentences here and there which may create awkward messages from time to time.  Secondly, I initially believed that the words and thoughts of Thomas Lionblood would naturally overshadow anyone else’s, so putting time and effort to sound coherent and organized seemed pointless.  Third, I had only been playing for a few months at the time.  I considered myself a “newbie” even if I managed to reach Grandmaster, but I was relatively new to the Wizard101 culture and community.  I didn’t think anyone would notice.

So, I was shocked when Fallon Shadowblade from Diary of a Wizard featured my post about the community.  That was enough motivation to continue writing and exercise my communication skills.  Before I knew it, I was putting more time and thought into explaining details, playing Devil’s advocate with myself, and spending hours drafting my posts before they went public.  Even to this day, especially when I’m writing for the “Arena” series, I would invest a few hours to produce up to four paragraphs. 

I put more thought into whether my message was clear enough for any reader, and if what I wrote allowed for a continuous flow of interest from an audience.  It became a strenuous mental effort to put myself in a reader’s shoes and try to interpret my sentences in a multitude of ways.  By doing this, though, I managed to catch myself from being misunderstood or misinterpreted.  As a result, writing coherent and “readable” essays came more naturally to me.  I am now spending less time outlining, and am jumping into developing full, first drafts off the bat.  This is all thanks to having my textual voice on the spot on every post, and I needed to have such diligence.

Around the time that I picked up on Twitter, I was also becoming more involved with Ravenwood Radio, and even became an off-air guest in Episode 14.  I was so nervous about my performance in that interview that I even apologized to Leesha after the recording, for my accidental interruptions (which were edited out by her, of course).  So, even with a headset and computer screen between me and the other speakers, I still could not quench the jitteriness at the time.  Even with notes in front of me, I wasn’t confident in my voice and message.  Nevertheless, the reoccurring theme of a supportive community eventually helped me out in this aspect.

I forget which episode it was in, but my Gobbler Drop guide for the show took hours before a successful recording was completed, and then a few hours of editing; it was completed over two consecutive days.  True, there wasn’t a visible audience to make me nervous, but the greater challenge was trying to find a presentation format that would hold interest while being informational.  I really lacked personality and energy in that one, IMO, and that is the main reason I felt disappointed, regardless of the positive comments shared with me.  But, because there were many opportunities to be on-air (“coached” the Death team in the Warehouse run; guest interviewer for Death Study hall; Petnome segments; and, more recently, Star Study Hall), I slowly stopped feeling as nervous as I used to be.

The positive environment that I found in this game and in all of you was my main driver for self-improvement.  My privileges and experience in working around Wizard101 directly benefitted me in becoming a stronger individual, and with that newfound energy, I delivered quite a punch in my portion of the presentation tonight.  Transitions were smooth, I stayed calm and steady, and though I stuttered a few times, I never lost eye contact with the audience.  Even the cute ladies smiled back!

Interestingly enough, today is also Kevin Battleblood’s Wizaversary.  One year ago, I was more kept to myself, shy, and hated public speaking.  One year later…well, that’s definitely a different story.  Thank you everyone, for all that you’ve directly or indirectly done.  This change in me couldn’t have happened without your interest and support in what I enjoy doing, whether it’s writing strategies and stories, managing a large pet project, or playing this game.  I’m proud to be where I am today, and am looking forward to another year of contributions, contemplations, and conquests.