Time Wasting and Hate

Finally decided to watch the last few seasons of Red Vs Blue. Gotta say that while both were good, the last seasons ending (the final couple of minutes) just didn't feel right. I guess that after what they did to Church, I just felt that it was similar to previous seasons. In fact, I think seasons 6, 8 and 10 all had the same ending in my opinion (a similar theme anyway).

I've also noticed on the Net the huge amount of hate thrown towards the game Aliens: Colonial Marines. Personally, I don't get it. I guess maybe people don't like the gaming company or that the idea of a Co-Op Aliens game seems right. I did learn just how much of a complete asshole people can be with bagging things out without proper criticism. Personally, if a person dislikes something about a product, then I would assume you would use logic and facts to point out why they dislike it. When I see a comment like:
"OMG This is shit and all those of you who buy it a fukkin faggots"
......yeah, your intellect is showing. I prefer reasons behind it, not just some fanboy vs hater talk. I guess that's what one should expect on the internet these days. My opinion of things change based on intelligent feedback, like perhaps something ruins the storyline (thinking of you Blizzard) or perhaps there are a lot of bugs or too much 'pay for' content (which is sadly becoming more common these days). Of coarse, perhaps the whole point of such stupid comments is just some marketing ploy to fuel my rage and buy the product just to make a point....I don't know.

Warriors of Chaos Models Opinion

I know it seems rather pointless talking about a hobby that I'm slowly loosing interest in (I blame depression, but as you'll see, that's not entirely true), but this is one of those things that I still have some interest in.

Chaos is a creative minds dream, with some of the craziest conversions made for it. So when a new army book was announced, I checked out some of the models.

Mutalith Vortex Beast - By Tzeentch, this thing is big and ugly. A mouth full of tentacles seems both wrong, yet totally in place. It is a large monster, so is pricy and as many have pointed out, it's base seems small compared to the model size. As much as I like it, it's another pass.

Vilitch the Curseling - Compared to his image from the last book, this version is much more creepy. I guess it's the no eyes/nose head over the shoulder that gives that effect, as if the foulest of evil whispers it's dark words into your mind. Again, another price model, but I may get this one just to paint (or even parts for conversions).

Now to the ones I don't get. I admit that Throgg looks alright, but when he's the same cost as the Mutalith Vortex Beast, I think that's a major pass for me. Given he's a one off character might make some sense, but compared to the monster's your trying to sell more of, it seems too much for me. The Forsaken are just the same. Given that their a CORE choice, $70 for 10 models just doesn't seem right. Hell, it's cheaper to by a pack of 12 Chaos Warriors and some green stuff and convert your own and they'd still be somewhat similar to these guys. I'm sorry, but it was the Forsaken that screams 'Money Maker' to me. Given past history, I recon they'll make these guys an almost must have for any Chaos Warriors player and many will need a Hoard of these guys (that's about 30+ models) and at $70 just for 10.........you can see where I'm getting at.

That is one of the major reasons I'm winding down. In this day and age money is very tight and there is no way I can throw myself into this if I have to fork out shit loads of cash just for a few models. I spend much of my time just getting and painting single miniatures here and there now (Ebay helps with that), but ever returning with a massive full scale army again........not likely.

Wild Weather

As I speak/write the wind outside is howling and the windows rattling. Just a week or two ago we had a massive heat wave and bush fires nation wide. Now we have rain, cyclonic winds and floods again in Queensland. In truth, this is becoming a regular summer here now, which is why I'm probably not surprised by it.

Video Time Again

The Review Must Go On (Sorry, but there's no direct link for this video)

First up is the return of the Nostalgia Critic (my fav parts are when Doug talks to NC on his computer, which was both funny and very well scripted, and who they chose to replace NC in the plot hole). As much as I love the Nostalgia Critic, I hope this wasn't just Doug bringing him back because of ratings or fan presser. If he wanted to bring him back because he enjoyed playing as him and has all new ideas, then I'm all for it. Good luck Doug.

The Angry Joe Show is one of those web based shows about games, yet there is something about this one that I just seem to like. Man, some of these top 10 I must of missed, despite just how big a news article they are. Makes you wonder what 2013 will bring.

I love this game and watching these guy's try and play it is just hilarious.

Don't dance to this.....the hidden truth behind most songs?

Upcoming Games

While I spend this month playing games like League of Legends, Diablo 3 and Trine, there are a few new up and coming games I'm really looking foward too.

February

Dead Space 3 
What can I say, I really like this series. I admit I'm not a horror fan, but this game has such a great storyline and a very creative enemy. Number three provides something different with the option of co-op, though whether or not I'll get to play that is another question.

Aliens: Colonial Marines
Oh hell yes. If this game gives the same atmosphere we have come to expect, this should rock. Up to four player co-op I can't help feel there's a Left 4 Dead/ Dead Island element to it........but then again I get to shout movie quotes while blasting acid-blood aliens so why complain. Don't get me wrong, I love 4-player co-op, I just haven't seen this game in action yet.

March

Starcraft 2 - Zerg Expansion
Given how I love ever evolving xenomorphs, this expansion is looking good so far. I love the Starcraft storyline, and so long as Blizzard doesn't screw it up like they did the Warcraft one, this should be good. Hell, I just want to evolve things.

Not sure if there is anything else that's good coming soon? I guess I'll keep an eye out......still, back to League of Legends (Insert Kog'Maws first taunt here).

First Henchman almost done.

That's right, that Genestealer cultist model is almost finished and the next one will be an Ur-Ghul with a ridiculous backpack and chest plate, who is the equivolent to an Arco-flagellant. Should be very silly indeed.

Meanwhile, I have created more characters to the Storm Spear storyline. This includes two new friendly characters: Earth Pony - Top Drop (another Aussie based character who's own dream is to be able to make any drink that there is) and Pegasus - Sapphire Flame (a female member of Princess Luna's guard and eventual love intrest for Storm Spear).

Of course, that means a new villain too, a Unicorn called Star Siphon. This character evolves into a monstrous version of himself called Siphon Void after his first plan to gain power backfires thanks to Storm Spear and co. His evolved form is larger and more meaner looking, his body covered in crystal and chitin. His new form also gives him the power to absorb energy and proves to be something to look on into the future.

Am also working on writing an article on the Bloodclaws so they can be better described (given I suck at designing things so far) so something else to look out for later on too.

Inquisitor and Co

As I mentioned earlier, I'm working on a Ordo Xenos Inquisitor and a Warband to go with him. I must admit, I'm having a lot of trouble connecting to the current Warhammer 40k game and am not seeing the colourful and creative vibe there once was. The only exception for me is the Inquisitors (Orks are great, but have lost some of that colour over the years). At first glance they seem like fanatics with too much power and getting their own way, and for some that's true. But many are very secretive and deal with things that would seem wrong to others. That's why I went with the Ordo Xenos (Alien Hunter). Daemon Hunters are great, but their more focused with Chaos, while Witch Hunters will burn anyone who just looks at them wrong. Xenos (particularly the radicals) deal with the many alien species that exist within the galaxy, even going so far as using their tech or even adding them to their warband.

So that's how I wanted this to go, a radical Inquisitor using alien tech with a variety of species and mutants he can call on for aid. This means no average imperial models in the warband, if it is human then it must be of a unique range (like Necromunda) or converted to match the warband (so say a fantasy miniature that has some conversion to it). I also planned to ban the Daemon Host, but decided that perhaps there is a warp based alien entity I could use as it's replacement later on.

If I was to go ahead and build it as an allied force, the main one would be Imperial Guard based. Limiting it to just a small HQ, perhaps a Tech Priest and a few small Troop choices. The guard would be based around mutants too. After all, most would be killed because mutation is a sign of Chaos, but this is sort of like a 'soul redemption' by fighting for the Emperor (and no Imperial authority would care if they wanted to send mutants to die over 'clean' humans).

This is just a side project that means I'll have many variety of models to paint, so I won't get too sick of painting the same ones over and over again.

Update: Having thoroughly investigated the various Xenos in the 40k universe, I have concluded that there aren't many I could add to the warband. So instead, I'll create my own Xenos species. Now that's something I'm really looking forward to do.

Still Hot

Can't wait for that cool change in the weather within the next few days, cause this heat wave is killing me (It makes me feel sick and I can't do anything in the heat). Still, not so bad as the heat out in the north-west or NSW which suffered enough lightning strikes that started over 100 fires. Seems there's no rest for our firefighters, pray you get relief soon.

On a lighter note, finally found this video, which is good for a laugh.

The heat is hot, the fires are all over the place, stay safe people.

Summer in Australia

God do I hate summer. East-Coast is in the grip of a heat wave with the weekend set to look pretty bad. I remember one of the papers yesterday said 'Three States, 200 Fires'........says it all really. Now it's Queensland's turn to take on the big temps and since last night the smell of burning wood is in the air.

The firefighters (a lot of them volunteers) have been doing their best to combat the many fires out there (which I'm sure some, if not most, were deliberately lit) and my thoughts go to them and those who have already lost their homes. As of yet I haven't heard of any human casualties, so I guess we can all be thankful for that. Bushfires are one of those things we tend to deal with every year in Australia and this year is shaping up to be a very bad season, but it does appear that we have been learning our lessons from the tragedies of previous years. Let's hope this heat wave ends soon so our firefighters can contain them and get the well earned rest they deserve.

What now?

Well, with that first test paint out of the way, I might try my hand at a few more, but without the focused character image. Miniature wise, just about finish my current model and plan to get a few more soon.

Gameplay wise, still having fun with League of Legends, along with the endless mining of Terraria. Just got Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon today and have givin it's first level a go. A bit confusing story wise so far as both the game and manual give no backstory as to how the two dragons got to where they were at the start of the game. Still, liking the platform gaming so far. Also got the Trine package (Trine and Trine 2) and so far I am enjoying it. It's one of those, switch between three characters to get to where you need to go, but it is enjoyable. Probably better with friends as you would need to rely on each other.

What I would like is a good book to read (or a decent fanfic). The next 'Black Plague' novel isn't out till March and I guess I'm not into the 40k series of novels. Maybe I should start writing shorts (very short stories/paragraphs) on events my characters have experienced.

Who knows.....

Zargooran Amongst Rage - Painting Progression

OK, so I've titled this 'Zargooran Amongst Rage', mostly for the red/orange colours surrounding him. Despite being in this form for a number of years now, his image is mostly just description. Actually making his image is a lot harder then I thought. For one, his form is mostly ghost like, a large man-sized form consisting of what looks like a universe contained within. You can make out a body shape and head shape, with arms that sometimes come from the form. The only thing that stands out from his body are two large red eyes, but the are just red, no eyeballs, no pupils, nothing. The universe moves as he moves, so stars are never in the same place.

So yeah, it sounds difficult, but I really need to start bringing this image out more. While animation would have been a better option, I'm no good at it, so instead I'll give it a go with the only medium I seem to have a little skill with; Paint.

1st Part

Using mostly water mixable oil paint (with a dash of acrylic paint), I started by giving the board a brush of various dark blue/purple mixes. After I was satisfied with the result, I used a large fan brush and some white paint and lightly flicked it to get some stars into the mix (though I feel I may have over done it). Left to dry.

2nd Part

This next part never made it, but was a good learning curve. I needed a rough silhouette image to design the stencil. I decided to get a shot of myself in various poses and from there, used the Paint program to go over it with a silhouette design. From there I copied the image as best I could to the card. The image you see was the first final choice, but was later scraped because I still felt unhappy with it. It's still a great idea for getting character poses right, but it just wasn't the right one at this time.

3rd Part

(you'll notice two large dots...that's because I forgot to remove the blu-tack from the painting before I took the shot.....facepalm)

Deciding to go for a more simple silhouette, I created the stencil from card and used the tiniest amount of Blu-tack to hold it. Looking back now, I should have done the background first and then do the star body second, but like I said, learning curve. The thing I found with the oils though is that the water mix ones tend to rub off when applying new layers. While the red was fine, it was the oranges and yellows I had trouble with. In the end I decided to get some Acrylic paint instead and mix it in. This did improve the mix somewhat, but it still took multiple layers to get it just right. Stencil was then removed to see what needed to be fixed up. Left to dry.

4th Part

Touched up around the edges, both with the red/orange/yellow on the outside and dark blue on the inside. A few more star flicks on the bottom and eyes on the head and he's done. OK, so I could improve the star/space look and the eyes do look like they need more work, but given I have work tonight and I need to get ready, I think this will do.

Not bad for someone who hasn't really put paint to canvas for around 10 years. Again, not ment to be a master piece, just a bit of fun testing paint and visually creating a character which is rather difficult top create visually.

The daily update

Not really, but it is an update of today's works so far.

Decided against using one of my better canvases for the Zargooran pic. Given it's been so long, decided to start out with this basic first version with a better one planned down the track. So far the space/star effect is done, though I feel I may have gone overboard with the stars.

Most of the base colour has been added to this guy. I'm liking the colour so far. As for his base, I'm wanting to give this Ordo Xenos warband the feel that they are on an organic alien planet/ship like effect. This is the basic construction of the base:

1. Green stuff the base. Take a blob of it and spread it around. Don't smooth it or anything, lumps and
 dints are what will help the effect.

2. Shape it about. This involves first using a sculpting tool or something similar to move bits of it about to give it that disgusting, organic look. Then with a brush and some liquid green stuff, make lumpy bits and veins, but make sure they blend into the base (Note: you may have to wait for the green stuff to dry first before using the liquid green stuff). It doesn't have to be neat or anything. Once done, leave to dry overnight.

3. Paint. Normally I use flesh colours (darkest to lightest) with purple/red washes to give it a flesh/blood effect. For the alien bases I decided to mix purples with the flesh colours to give it a more 'alien' feel. Once the paint/washes had dried, I used 'water effects' to give the bases that sticky/slimy look. Watered down blue paint and a thin brush to add a few veins here and there just for a bit of fun (overdoing it does ruin the effect).

Hopefully I'll have this model complete soon, along with the other project.

Week Plans

So, here is what's planned for the week. Tomorrow I head into the city to pick up the MLP:FiM comic, get some dark purple paint, a painting tray, thick brushes and some thick card.

The purple paint is to help finish the Genestealer cultist model I'm using for my Xenos Inquisitor's warband. The card, tray and brushes is for my first attempt at some oil painting. The subject: Zargooran. My plan is to produce his effect on canvas, then once dry have a stencil cutout of a silhouette of a rough body shape. Once covered, I'll paint around it in a different effect before removing the cutout and painting in the eyes and touch ups.

Liking this plan so far.

Up-date 3/1/13: Got a tray and card. decided to skip the brushes and the paint (I still have Homagaunt purple left over anyway). Found out I have work tonight so won't have time to get much painting done.

Doll Reaver: Legacy of Turelzevir

Damn, this is an old one, but a good one.

http://www.thelostworlds.net/Etc/LoT/lot-intro.html

I'm a fan of the Legacy of Kain vampire series, so years ago I remember finding this gag and having a good laugh at it. Seeing it again still makes me wish they would finish Kain's story, but this is still a good gag, The videos they did were short, but sorta funny. The gag was based on one of those 'maybe/maybe not be done' game problems the series had (I believe Half-Life 2's Episode 3 is now that gag) and while Defiance was a conclusion for Raziel, it still left Kain open for another sequel (given they still hadn't had time to fix up all the plot holes that are still out there).

http://www.thelostworlds.net/Etc/LoT/lot-flash.html

Why Mr T? Hell if I know, but that would have made the series very interesting.