So I've begun work on the first of a series of incredibly dumb ideas I have for Mr Sanderstone. Given I don't have a good video recording camera (my DSLR camera needs an upgrade as I've noticed it has some problems with what it actually focuses on.....that or it's just me....which is a possibility), I have no real idea how it will turn out.
I have the recorded footage, gone to bensound.com for some music and now all I have to do is the editing. Problem is that Total War: Warhammer 2 is coming out and to top it all off the next few days will be a terrible heat wave, so I have no idea as to how long it'll take. That said, the first one will be silly commentary on reaction videos, but I am looking to do a series of political election parody as Mr Sanderstone runs for parliament. As stupid as these are, they are meant more to help bring my recording and editing skills back up to scratch.
I also learned from doing this that I can't actually use footage from Parliament Question Time. Despite our laws regarding the use of footage for parody/comedy, Question Time actually states you can't use its footage for it. I have no idea why, as it is by far one of the most pointless things the Government does (and so easy a target for comedy). Someone asks a question and the response is to avoid answering it, say how great your side is and blame the opposition for something that happened in the past.
Then again, it is called Question Time, not Question and Answer Time, so maybe they take its name too literally.
Update: So the footage I had of the political speech was corrupted (thanks mostly due to the poor streaming capabilities of Australian Internet), but was able to find segments of the conference speech. While it didn't have the part I wanted to use, I was able to find another part that would work well. On another note, the phrase 'Queensland produces most of the gas on the East Coast' has led me to film another scene as a bit of a joke and will be a separate video. There is no time frame as to when they will be done, due mostly to my poor motivation.
Update 2: So one of the problems I'm encountering is that on the moments I get motivated and start working on it, I have problems with the software. See, I can't actually afford Adobe After Effects at the moment (the program I've actually been trained to use) and instead have to rely on Hitfilm Express. The problem is that there are times when either effects refuse to work on imported footage with sound has issues syncing the sound with the footage and due to the way Hitfilm works, I have issues manually fixing it up (the original footage is fine, but when it is imported the sound becomes out of sync with the footage). As such, problems like this are frustrating and I very demotivating.
Wednesday 27 September 2017
Friday 22 September 2017
Is it Spring or Summer?
Just saw the weather report for the next week and I swear the temperatures look to be worse then we got last Summer.........and it's only Spring!
I know I use this image in my Animated Reflections post, but it feels more appropriate then ever now.
I know I use this image in my Animated Reflections post, but it feels more appropriate then ever now.
Wednesday 20 September 2017
The Hunt for Crocadoo
So as part of doing Animated Reflections, I have to try and remember every animated show/movie I have ever seen and then look them up for watching and reviewing (though if they have a current DVD release, that would be so much better). Unfortunately, time never favours those who reflect and this is an excellent example as to why. I did recently stumble upon a series of show introductions and found one for Crocadoo, an Australian cartoon series that was on Channel 9 back in the 90's. Looking for the episodes to review however has become a massive pain.
See, apart from the first episode, the rest simply don't exist. Well, when I say that, they do appear to be available online, but for some reason one channel on Youtube has about ten of them but they are locked from my country and the series seems to be on a paid subscription site called Oznoz, which is apparently an American site with a bunch of Australian content which appears to be locked from every other country (except America), including Australia. You can imagine my irritation that as an Australian, I can't even review Australian shows cause they are locked off from my own damn country. Seriously, this just comes off as completely ridiculous.
To make matters more confusing, the only two other main pieces of information I could find on the series was a lawsuit from someone (who was a writer on the 1992 Blinky Bill movie) who had apparently had a contract that if the show got picked up then he'd be the sole writer on it and he had a hand in creating the concepts for the show? I'm not sure on what the details were exactly, but there was a lawsuit and given where some of the funding for shows comes from, there is a 2002 document in which a representative for the minister from the arts was asked about it in regards to it as a fraud case. Beyond that, I'm completely stumped as to what happened after that as I am unable to find the results of that lawsuit beyond seeing if I could obtain the legal documents and I am not going that far (Why write the article about the case and never follow up article on the results?). Another site says the trademark for it has lapsed and apart from some wiki text, all I have to go on is the first episode.
I do remember that the series did alter from season 1 to season 2, much like Blazing Dragons did, but what all the differences are I couldn't say (beyond cutting out some of the background Crocodiles I think). I do wonder if any of this stuff is even archived is some film and entertainment library, but given I can't find anything on that, I feel not having such a thing is a real disappointment.
A shame really, but what can you do?
See, apart from the first episode, the rest simply don't exist. Well, when I say that, they do appear to be available online, but for some reason one channel on Youtube has about ten of them but they are locked from my country and the series seems to be on a paid subscription site called Oznoz, which is apparently an American site with a bunch of Australian content which appears to be locked from every other country (except America), including Australia. You can imagine my irritation that as an Australian, I can't even review Australian shows cause they are locked off from my own damn country. Seriously, this just comes off as completely ridiculous.
To make matters more confusing, the only two other main pieces of information I could find on the series was a lawsuit from someone (who was a writer on the 1992 Blinky Bill movie) who had apparently had a contract that if the show got picked up then he'd be the sole writer on it and he had a hand in creating the concepts for the show? I'm not sure on what the details were exactly, but there was a lawsuit and given where some of the funding for shows comes from, there is a 2002 document in which a representative for the minister from the arts was asked about it in regards to it as a fraud case. Beyond that, I'm completely stumped as to what happened after that as I am unable to find the results of that lawsuit beyond seeing if I could obtain the legal documents and I am not going that far (Why write the article about the case and never follow up article on the results?). Another site says the trademark for it has lapsed and apart from some wiki text, all I have to go on is the first episode.
I do remember that the series did alter from season 1 to season 2, much like Blazing Dragons did, but what all the differences are I couldn't say (beyond cutting out some of the background Crocodiles I think). I do wonder if any of this stuff is even archived is some film and entertainment library, but given I can't find anything on that, I feel not having such a thing is a real disappointment.
A shame really, but what can you do?
Tuesday 19 September 2017
Portfolio Update
The portfolio section has been updated with my final assessment from the Diploma course I did. While I admit I had mixed feelings on the final result, I still came out alright. I am uncertain what other videos I will be able to place here, as some of my gag ones may be too simple to classify as any real skill, but we'll see.
I will probably talk more about my green screening experience in the future, probably with a guide on how to do it on a budget.
I will probably talk more about my green screening experience in the future, probably with a guide on how to do it on a budget.
Friday 15 September 2017
Disney Afternoon Vinyl Figures
Oh heck yes. So want to get the Rescue Rangers ones first (big Chip n Dale & Rescue Rangers fan), probably followed by Darkwing Duck. I do enjoy when they release collectable pieces based on shows from my youth like this, though all it does is make me want more classic stuff released (just look at the shows I look at for Animated Reflections as my starting point).
Thoughts on General's Handbook and my own Collection
So going through General's Handbook 2017, it was no surprise that I'd look over it and the Warscroll PDF releases and compare them to what I have in my miniature collection (painted and unpainted).
Taking into account all the Empire models from whats completed to what I'm still working on, it would actually be a legal 2,000pt Order Allegiance (well, 1,990pts, but close enough). As such, I may consider re-basing the lot, but if I do that it may be some time off. As for adding anything extra, that is still up for debate. I would still like to know if a Huntmarshal was Free Peoples, cuase I would like one of them in my army if it was to go AoS (that and I would need to convert a bunch of command characters for the various units).
As for Death, well my Skeleton Horsemen from the old Tomb Kings range does count as a Battleline, but I would need to add things like Skeleton Warriors, probably some Dire Wolves to get enough Battlelines for a legal faction. Would be a Death Allegiance too, as I have far too many mixed options. Would continue to add more Skeleton variants, lots of Bat and Bat-like models as well.
Destruction is just out. Apart from four Man-eaters and a Night Goblin or two, I have no other miniatures in this range, so I'm just going to call that done.
Finally Chaos. Now I have enough easily for a 1,000pt Chaos Allegiance, which is mostly due to me not wanting to re-base my original Skaven army (still holding out to see what happens. Well, that's the advice I've been given anyway), but if they were taken into account, 3,000pts or more that'd be (but I'm not counting them, so it's 1,000pts). As such, I can't field a Skryre theme as it requires a minimum of two Battlelines alone and even if I was to convert my old Globadiers (Skryre Acolytes now) they only number seven, so I'd need at least three more for a minimum 1,000pt force. Stormfiends are right out as they alone cost $99 and that is well out of my price range. As such, even a Skaven themed force would still need some more miniatures. Until they re-package/re-sculpt the Acolytes, I may hold off on adding too much more (well, maybe a weapon team here and there). I feel they'll probably do that when they release the Skryre book, as given what the so-called 'Sky Dwarfs' got, they'll probably release a few crazy Skryre contraptions too.
As for my Chaos/Tzeentch stuff, for the Deamons I can re-base both my Heralds, I do have an old Changeling miniature, a unit of ten Horrors that I'm just using to mess around with in colour and pattern (I consider them the visage of madness and the whole purpose anyway was to paint something without worrying what it looks like) and my old unit of three Flamers I could re-base. Mortals I have a variety of hero options (a bunch still to convert, plus some Games Day ones), a ten man unit of Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch and an old Chaos Spawn which I could re-base and re-paint to be Tzeentch themed (given now that Chaos Spawns have a Tzeentch name). As for allies, well I do have an almost completed unit of three Chaos Ogors, that old project I could re-base and finish and would act as a great Tzeentch themed ally in a Tzeentch Allegiance. They have a good variety in that range, so I could pick up a miniature here and there to add to it (the Tzaangor Skyfires look interesting and perhaps a unit of Tzaangors as another Battleline).
So I'd have either a Skith/Xzark alliance or two factions, Skith's Skryre Skaven and Xzark's Tzeentch (which reminds me, I should get back into finishing the Xzark conversion. Forgotten how many years that's been needing to be finished).
Taking into account all the Empire models from whats completed to what I'm still working on, it would actually be a legal 2,000pt Order Allegiance (well, 1,990pts, but close enough). As such, I may consider re-basing the lot, but if I do that it may be some time off. As for adding anything extra, that is still up for debate. I would still like to know if a Huntmarshal was Free Peoples, cuase I would like one of them in my army if it was to go AoS (that and I would need to convert a bunch of command characters for the various units).
As for Death, well my Skeleton Horsemen from the old Tomb Kings range does count as a Battleline, but I would need to add things like Skeleton Warriors, probably some Dire Wolves to get enough Battlelines for a legal faction. Would be a Death Allegiance too, as I have far too many mixed options. Would continue to add more Skeleton variants, lots of Bat and Bat-like models as well.
Destruction is just out. Apart from four Man-eaters and a Night Goblin or two, I have no other miniatures in this range, so I'm just going to call that done.
Finally Chaos. Now I have enough easily for a 1,000pt Chaos Allegiance, which is mostly due to me not wanting to re-base my original Skaven army (still holding out to see what happens. Well, that's the advice I've been given anyway), but if they were taken into account, 3,000pts or more that'd be (but I'm not counting them, so it's 1,000pts). As such, I can't field a Skryre theme as it requires a minimum of two Battlelines alone and even if I was to convert my old Globadiers (Skryre Acolytes now) they only number seven, so I'd need at least three more for a minimum 1,000pt force. Stormfiends are right out as they alone cost $99 and that is well out of my price range. As such, even a Skaven themed force would still need some more miniatures. Until they re-package/re-sculpt the Acolytes, I may hold off on adding too much more (well, maybe a weapon team here and there). I feel they'll probably do that when they release the Skryre book, as given what the so-called 'Sky Dwarfs' got, they'll probably release a few crazy Skryre contraptions too.
As for my Chaos/Tzeentch stuff, for the Deamons I can re-base both my Heralds, I do have an old Changeling miniature, a unit of ten Horrors that I'm just using to mess around with in colour and pattern (I consider them the visage of madness and the whole purpose anyway was to paint something without worrying what it looks like) and my old unit of three Flamers I could re-base. Mortals I have a variety of hero options (a bunch still to convert, plus some Games Day ones), a ten man unit of Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch and an old Chaos Spawn which I could re-base and re-paint to be Tzeentch themed (given now that Chaos Spawns have a Tzeentch name). As for allies, well I do have an almost completed unit of three Chaos Ogors, that old project I could re-base and finish and would act as a great Tzeentch themed ally in a Tzeentch Allegiance. They have a good variety in that range, so I could pick up a miniature here and there to add to it (the Tzaangor Skyfires look interesting and perhaps a unit of Tzaangors as another Battleline).
So I'd have either a Skith/Xzark alliance or two factions, Skith's Skryre Skaven and Xzark's Tzeentch (which reminds me, I should get back into finishing the Xzark conversion. Forgotten how many years that's been needing to be finished).
Animated Reflections: The Dreamstone
I was originally going to cover Season 2 of Blazing Dragons, but I accidentally discovered this gem and felt the need to talk about it. I can honestly say my younger self was both intrigued and confused by this show, though I do remember enjoying the characters (I believed I watched season 1 and 2 at the time). Sadly, a number of the episodes (mostly season 1) are difficult, if not impossible to find (even in bad VHS quality), which is a major shame in my opinion. However, more can be discussed by delving into:
The Dreamstone is a slightly different version of the battle between good and evil. On the Dream Planet (actually, from what I can gather it never says the name of the planet, it's just what I got from some released map drawings) the world is split into two places, separated by the Myst of Limbo, which circles around the planet like a fluffy purple hoop. On one side is the Land of Nightmares, on the other is the Land of Dreams. So put simply, one side bad, the other side good. Both sides have key locations where the stories take place and crossing between them is done mostly over the sea section of the world, called the Sea of Destruction.
On the side of good we have our main protagonist, a young Noop called Rufus. Well, the first few episodes have him as the main protagonist, though he tends to share the spotlight with his good friend Amberley. Heck, it's hard to call his the main character of the show, but we'll get to that later on. He is introduced as someone who has a good heart, but tends not to consider the consequences of his actions has has a bad habit of daydreaming all the time. This costs him his work early on and when Amberley tells him to try being apprentice to the Dream Maker, he gives it a shot. This starts the shows episodic theme of the Dreamstone being stolen and Rufus & Co trying to get it back (most of the episodes anyway). I personally find him to be a very likeable character.
Amberley is Rufus' best friend and possible romantic interest? (it is hinted at a few times, plus there was that unused song). She is much more grounded in reality then Rufus and tends to be more aware of whats going on around her, which leads to her trying to keep Rufus focused too. The first few episodes certainly have her with a short temper and she does fight back, but this tends to be reduced quite a bit later on, mostly just to a few moments here and there.. While I'm not sure why, I guess each fan will probably have their opinions on this. She also works along side Rufus, though from what some of the episodes imply is that she is more of an assistant, where as Rufus is an apprentice.
Then we have the Dream Maker and his dogfish Albert. It would appear the Dream Maker is very old, well over a thousand years, though I can't say if he is immortal or not (at least when it comes to age related death). He is apparently very powerful and takes great joy in bringing dreams to everyone, using his dream potions and the Dreamstone to do so. Albert acts much like a dog, but one with average human intelligence. He can only talk like a dog, but he understands everything and has to try and use actions to explain things to others at times.
Finally there are the Wuts, forest creatures who act like the defenders of the Land of Dreams. The Wuts are tall and thin, tend to fly around on leaves and are well spoken. The main ones are Pildit (a.k.a Pildit VIII) who is the leader of the Wuts, Wildit who is Pildit's grandmother (and a bit of a wild character) and finally Mr. Blossom, who is the Dream Makers gardener and specialises in the art of moaning and complaining. Oh yes, there is also Spildit, who is Wildit's niece, who is very much the active kid who brags about how she can do things, but is very polite about it (she tends to treat Blob, Nug and Frizz nicely too it seems).
Beneath the red planet of Doom. Beneath the black mountain of Viltheed, a servant of evil stirs. Zordrak, Lord of Nightmares. That is how the first episode describes him and after your first introduction to him, you would think he was a power to contend with. As we see however, by around season two he tends to be less of a threat and more of a sit-down couch villain. Once a member of the Council of Dream Makers, he was cast out for, well. being evil. He has a great look and an amazing voice, but somehow along the way I feel something was lost with this guy. Still knows how to throw a party though. His Argorrible minions are purple mist monsters which are responsible for bringing nightmares to everyone, only being held off thanks to the power of the Dreamstone (which is why Zordrak wants it so much). He also tends to have his own comedic moments, which I feel makes him an enjoyable villain.
Then there are the Urpneys. These guys are the bumbling servants to Zordrak, either screwing up somehow or succeeding through shear luck, before loosing because of their silly nature. The Urpneys are very much the comedy of the show (most of the slapstick comedy is performed by them), which I feel ultimately made them the focus of the show. Nearly every episode starts with and ends with the Urpneys. There are two types. The first is Urpgor, a green Urpney who is the scientific inventor who creates all of the mechanical devices that are used in missions to capture the Dreamstone. Has a huge opinion of himself and tends to spit and splatter a lot when he talks. He also has some of the most elastic animation compared to every other character in the show, which helps to show off just how much of a mad scientist he is. He grows the most in the sense that when in season one he seems more limited, more structured and more quiet, but by season two onwards he gets louder, more vocal and more growth in character and personality, becoming the nutter he is loved for being.
Then there are the Soldiers of the Urpney army. Here we find the shows main focus, Sergeant Blob and his two man crack team of Frizz and Nug. Sgt. Blob is a large individual who acts like a stereotypical drill Sergeant. Frizz is short, is prone to panic attacks and emotional outbursts and would do anything, so long as it doesn't involve getting hurt, abused or stressed. Nug on the other hand is just as cowardly as Frizz, but his attitude at times seems more calm, though is more straight forward in stating how grim a situation can be, which usually upsets Frizz more often then not. The three tend to get seriously punished in the early seasons, but tend to fair better in the later ones (which is just as well as they are quite enjoyable characters to watch).
It's difficult to judge the animation quality, mostly cause nearly all the episodes I've found tend to be of bad VHS recordings. From what I have seen, the animation seems colourful and smooth and the character designs work well, though seasons 2 to 4 were done by a different animation company, which is noticable. What is amazing is the shows music. The whole thing is was done by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and it is simply a magical experience. Composed and Conducted by Mike Batt, there are two soundtrack versions. One you really need to look for, but is located on Youtube, but I do recommend that if you are a fan of it, then you can actually find another version on iTunes called The Mike Batt Archive Series: The Dreamstone / Rapid Eye Movements. Part of a two pack, the first set contains the Dreamstone songs:
1. More then a Dream - (Vocal Version) The shows main theme song/ end credits song.
2. The Warsong of the Urpneys - (Vocal Version) Instrumental usually heard during the Urpney sequences.
3. Dreamdance - A short and edited version (without sound clips) of the original Dreamdance.
4. Into the Sunset - (Vocal Ver) Apparently the shows love song that was never used (from what I could find it's suggested to be Rufus & Amberley).
Tracks 5 - 9: Dreamstone Overtunes 1 to 5 - Orchestrated music parts from the show.
Personally, I have listened to both and I really do just love this music. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about the music is just so appealing to me. The Warsong of the Urpneys for instants is one of those things that from the moment you start listening to it gives you the feeling of marching and singing (The military marching song certainly makes them sound far more competent and deadly then they actually are). Music like this feels almost like some long lost art form in animated shows. Orchestrated soundtracks like this make me feel like I'm watching a movie, not some twenty minute cartoon. Simply amazing.
Story wise, it tends to have a set standard. Starts off with the Urpneys doing something, then a plan is hatched, we visit our heroes to see what their story part is, then its back and forth between the two until the plan is foiled in which we return to the villains before credits. You get use to it fairly quickly, but along the way I got the feeling that so much more could be added. Straight off the bat I can honestly say that I feel that the heroes themselves don't get much in the way of personal advancement, particularly with Rufus and Amberley. It might just be me, but I felt more could have been done with them as far as character growth. Likewise, there seems to be more focus on the Urpneys then on the two Noops. Granted, they are the strong comedic element of the show, but you get the feeling that the show is more about them and their task to get the Dreamstone then on the protagonists. This tends to kick in after the first season and while they do expand some of the locations and characters, I feel that it comes at a cost. Several times I've often wondered while watching episodes 'What happens next?' with the heroes. What happens when they get back? Was what they did successful? You never know cause it tends to go straight to the Urpneys before the episode ends, leaving some questions unanswered. I wonder if this would work better if they had more time to tell the stories.
Then again, given how the character act in some episodes compared to other episodes, I have to wonder what the plan was for the Noops. It seems that in some episodes they act a little out of, what is, a pre-established character and I feel that given they are set-up as the main protagonists (well, the first few episodes establish Rufus as anyways), something feels like it was scrapped or cut back. This could be down to decisions beyond shows control, which I understand, but it was something that certainly bugged me when watching through these episodes again. I felt more progress and progression for them as characters was needed (they began to feel like side characters in some episodes when they were being active protagonists), but I guess that's just me wanting to see where these two Noops could have gone as far as personal stories and character growth went.
To be fair to the Urpneys, it wasn't surprising they were given more center stage. Just watching the first episode is an excellent example of how enjoyable they are to watch. The best one to point out is when they first use the Whirlyped, from its takeoff to them flying through the mist. Gags such as the 'You'll have noticed I have turned on the hang on to your seat like never before sign' in which even the stick figure Urpney wants out and the 'You'll look back on this someday and laugh', with Blob then getting struck by lightning and Nug and Frizz laughing before Blob yells out "I said Someday, not now". As such, I can't blame the focus for being on the Urpneys when they are the ones who usually are the comedic focus. They certainly got laughs out of me, so if that was the goal they definitely succeeded.
There is also feels like a magic vs technology feel to the series too. The Dream Maker is always using magic and the Wuts fly on magic leaves and Wut globes also act like a magical device. The Urpneys on the other hand are nearly always using some kind of technological device built by Urpgor. Most of the time these fail due to the incompetence of the user, but when used correctly they tend to do their job perfectly. This feels slightly odd when compared to Zordrak, who himself uses magic. Indeed, in the episode Horrible Argorrible, we see Zordrak actually has a book called The Book of Evil Principles and is used to make one of his Argorribles corporeal, stating he should read more often. This implies that he hasn't really read through the book much, which you'd think for a villain who is hundreds of years old and has been at war with the Dream Maker for some time, he would have exhausted his magic spells in the book before turning to relying on Urpgor's technology. Perhaps he has his reasons, but we may never know.
That said, don't let these little annoyances of mine put you off. I do recommend checking the series out, even if its just the first two episodes (the two part introduction) as it alone is an enjoyable watch which introduces everyone and shows off Zordrak at his finest. You can even find the original 1985 pitch and see what was originally pitched compared to what eventually got off the ground (sort of like a movie pitch which seems more re-worked into a television series). In comparison, as a massive fan of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, I found so many of this shows aspects so appealing to me and the music really feels so involved in the story telling. The cast of characters are enjoyable, there are so many great moments and while I feel I wanted more from it, I consider that a good thing (being invested is what creates a fan and builds a community). Much like a number of these animated shows I look at, I really want a DVD set of these. Why do so many of these shows not have a DVD collection, it's really frustrating. So do go check it out and remember, if you do end up having some horrible nightmare, you now know who to blame for it:
The Dreamstone is a slightly different version of the battle between good and evil. On the Dream Planet (actually, from what I can gather it never says the name of the planet, it's just what I got from some released map drawings) the world is split into two places, separated by the Myst of Limbo, which circles around the planet like a fluffy purple hoop. On one side is the Land of Nightmares, on the other is the Land of Dreams. So put simply, one side bad, the other side good. Both sides have key locations where the stories take place and crossing between them is done mostly over the sea section of the world, called the Sea of Destruction.
On the side of good we have our main protagonist, a young Noop called Rufus. Well, the first few episodes have him as the main protagonist, though he tends to share the spotlight with his good friend Amberley. Heck, it's hard to call his the main character of the show, but we'll get to that later on. He is introduced as someone who has a good heart, but tends not to consider the consequences of his actions has has a bad habit of daydreaming all the time. This costs him his work early on and when Amberley tells him to try being apprentice to the Dream Maker, he gives it a shot. This starts the shows episodic theme of the Dreamstone being stolen and Rufus & Co trying to get it back (most of the episodes anyway). I personally find him to be a very likeable character.
Amberley is Rufus' best friend and possible romantic interest? (it is hinted at a few times, plus there was that unused song). She is much more grounded in reality then Rufus and tends to be more aware of whats going on around her, which leads to her trying to keep Rufus focused too. The first few episodes certainly have her with a short temper and she does fight back, but this tends to be reduced quite a bit later on, mostly just to a few moments here and there.. While I'm not sure why, I guess each fan will probably have their opinions on this. She also works along side Rufus, though from what some of the episodes imply is that she is more of an assistant, where as Rufus is an apprentice.
Then we have the Dream Maker and his dogfish Albert. It would appear the Dream Maker is very old, well over a thousand years, though I can't say if he is immortal or not (at least when it comes to age related death). He is apparently very powerful and takes great joy in bringing dreams to everyone, using his dream potions and the Dreamstone to do so. Albert acts much like a dog, but one with average human intelligence. He can only talk like a dog, but he understands everything and has to try and use actions to explain things to others at times.
Finally there are the Wuts, forest creatures who act like the defenders of the Land of Dreams. The Wuts are tall and thin, tend to fly around on leaves and are well spoken. The main ones are Pildit (a.k.a Pildit VIII) who is the leader of the Wuts, Wildit who is Pildit's grandmother (and a bit of a wild character) and finally Mr. Blossom, who is the Dream Makers gardener and specialises in the art of moaning and complaining. Oh yes, there is also Spildit, who is Wildit's niece, who is very much the active kid who brags about how she can do things, but is very polite about it (she tends to treat Blob, Nug and Frizz nicely too it seems).
Beneath the red planet of Doom. Beneath the black mountain of Viltheed, a servant of evil stirs. Zordrak, Lord of Nightmares. That is how the first episode describes him and after your first introduction to him, you would think he was a power to contend with. As we see however, by around season two he tends to be less of a threat and more of a sit-down couch villain. Once a member of the Council of Dream Makers, he was cast out for, well. being evil. He has a great look and an amazing voice, but somehow along the way I feel something was lost with this guy. Still knows how to throw a party though. His Argorrible minions are purple mist monsters which are responsible for bringing nightmares to everyone, only being held off thanks to the power of the Dreamstone (which is why Zordrak wants it so much). He also tends to have his own comedic moments, which I feel makes him an enjoyable villain.
Then there are the Urpneys. These guys are the bumbling servants to Zordrak, either screwing up somehow or succeeding through shear luck, before loosing because of their silly nature. The Urpneys are very much the comedy of the show (most of the slapstick comedy is performed by them), which I feel ultimately made them the focus of the show. Nearly every episode starts with and ends with the Urpneys. There are two types. The first is Urpgor, a green Urpney who is the scientific inventor who creates all of the mechanical devices that are used in missions to capture the Dreamstone. Has a huge opinion of himself and tends to spit and splatter a lot when he talks. He also has some of the most elastic animation compared to every other character in the show, which helps to show off just how much of a mad scientist he is. He grows the most in the sense that when in season one he seems more limited, more structured and more quiet, but by season two onwards he gets louder, more vocal and more growth in character and personality, becoming the nutter he is loved for being.
Then there are the Soldiers of the Urpney army. Here we find the shows main focus, Sergeant Blob and his two man crack team of Frizz and Nug. Sgt. Blob is a large individual who acts like a stereotypical drill Sergeant. Frizz is short, is prone to panic attacks and emotional outbursts and would do anything, so long as it doesn't involve getting hurt, abused or stressed. Nug on the other hand is just as cowardly as Frizz, but his attitude at times seems more calm, though is more straight forward in stating how grim a situation can be, which usually upsets Frizz more often then not. The three tend to get seriously punished in the early seasons, but tend to fair better in the later ones (which is just as well as they are quite enjoyable characters to watch).
It's difficult to judge the animation quality, mostly cause nearly all the episodes I've found tend to be of bad VHS recordings. From what I have seen, the animation seems colourful and smooth and the character designs work well, though seasons 2 to 4 were done by a different animation company, which is noticable. What is amazing is the shows music. The whole thing is was done by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and it is simply a magical experience. Composed and Conducted by Mike Batt, there are two soundtrack versions. One you really need to look for, but is located on Youtube, but I do recommend that if you are a fan of it, then you can actually find another version on iTunes called The Mike Batt Archive Series: The Dreamstone / Rapid Eye Movements. Part of a two pack, the first set contains the Dreamstone songs:
1. More then a Dream - (Vocal Version) The shows main theme song/ end credits song.
2. The Warsong of the Urpneys - (Vocal Version) Instrumental usually heard during the Urpney sequences.
3. Dreamdance - A short and edited version (without sound clips) of the original Dreamdance.
4. Into the Sunset - (Vocal Ver) Apparently the shows love song that was never used (from what I could find it's suggested to be Rufus & Amberley).
Tracks 5 - 9: Dreamstone Overtunes 1 to 5 - Orchestrated music parts from the show.
Personally, I have listened to both and I really do just love this music. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about the music is just so appealing to me. The Warsong of the Urpneys for instants is one of those things that from the moment you start listening to it gives you the feeling of marching and singing (The military marching song certainly makes them sound far more competent and deadly then they actually are). Music like this feels almost like some long lost art form in animated shows. Orchestrated soundtracks like this make me feel like I'm watching a movie, not some twenty minute cartoon. Simply amazing.
Story wise, it tends to have a set standard. Starts off with the Urpneys doing something, then a plan is hatched, we visit our heroes to see what their story part is, then its back and forth between the two until the plan is foiled in which we return to the villains before credits. You get use to it fairly quickly, but along the way I got the feeling that so much more could be added. Straight off the bat I can honestly say that I feel that the heroes themselves don't get much in the way of personal advancement, particularly with Rufus and Amberley. It might just be me, but I felt more could have been done with them as far as character growth. Likewise, there seems to be more focus on the Urpneys then on the two Noops. Granted, they are the strong comedic element of the show, but you get the feeling that the show is more about them and their task to get the Dreamstone then on the protagonists. This tends to kick in after the first season and while they do expand some of the locations and characters, I feel that it comes at a cost. Several times I've often wondered while watching episodes 'What happens next?' with the heroes. What happens when they get back? Was what they did successful? You never know cause it tends to go straight to the Urpneys before the episode ends, leaving some questions unanswered. I wonder if this would work better if they had more time to tell the stories.
Then again, given how the character act in some episodes compared to other episodes, I have to wonder what the plan was for the Noops. It seems that in some episodes they act a little out of, what is, a pre-established character and I feel that given they are set-up as the main protagonists (well, the first few episodes establish Rufus as anyways), something feels like it was scrapped or cut back. This could be down to decisions beyond shows control, which I understand, but it was something that certainly bugged me when watching through these episodes again. I felt more progress and progression for them as characters was needed (they began to feel like side characters in some episodes when they were being active protagonists), but I guess that's just me wanting to see where these two Noops could have gone as far as personal stories and character growth went.
To be fair to the Urpneys, it wasn't surprising they were given more center stage. Just watching the first episode is an excellent example of how enjoyable they are to watch. The best one to point out is when they first use the Whirlyped, from its takeoff to them flying through the mist. Gags such as the 'You'll have noticed I have turned on the hang on to your seat like never before sign' in which even the stick figure Urpney wants out and the 'You'll look back on this someday and laugh', with Blob then getting struck by lightning and Nug and Frizz laughing before Blob yells out "I said Someday, not now". As such, I can't blame the focus for being on the Urpneys when they are the ones who usually are the comedic focus. They certainly got laughs out of me, so if that was the goal they definitely succeeded.
There is also feels like a magic vs technology feel to the series too. The Dream Maker is always using magic and the Wuts fly on magic leaves and Wut globes also act like a magical device. The Urpneys on the other hand are nearly always using some kind of technological device built by Urpgor. Most of the time these fail due to the incompetence of the user, but when used correctly they tend to do their job perfectly. This feels slightly odd when compared to Zordrak, who himself uses magic. Indeed, in the episode Horrible Argorrible, we see Zordrak actually has a book called The Book of Evil Principles and is used to make one of his Argorribles corporeal, stating he should read more often. This implies that he hasn't really read through the book much, which you'd think for a villain who is hundreds of years old and has been at war with the Dream Maker for some time, he would have exhausted his magic spells in the book before turning to relying on Urpgor's technology. Perhaps he has his reasons, but we may never know.
That said, don't let these little annoyances of mine put you off. I do recommend checking the series out, even if its just the first two episodes (the two part introduction) as it alone is an enjoyable watch which introduces everyone and shows off Zordrak at his finest. You can even find the original 1985 pitch and see what was originally pitched compared to what eventually got off the ground (sort of like a movie pitch which seems more re-worked into a television series). In comparison, as a massive fan of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, I found so many of this shows aspects so appealing to me and the music really feels so involved in the story telling. The cast of characters are enjoyable, there are so many great moments and while I feel I wanted more from it, I consider that a good thing (being invested is what creates a fan and builds a community). Much like a number of these animated shows I look at, I really want a DVD set of these. Why do so many of these shows not have a DVD collection, it's really frustrating. So do go check it out and remember, if you do end up having some horrible nightmare, you now know who to blame for it:
Zordrak, Lord of....
....Nightmares?
Update:
So there is an official Dreamstone channel on Youtube: HERE
Here you will find a majority of the episodes (some are missing, I believed they were removed due to sound issues). Not only that, but there are also messages from those who worked on the show, now promoting the channel. Go check it out.
But that's not all. While searching for miniature games based on franchises, I stumbled upon The Dreamstone miniatures boardgame and RPG: HERE
There designs are done through classic sculpting methods (compared to the 3D computer generated ones) and have the old forces of good vs the forces of evil. Even better, the RPG itself has a rather nice twist to it. Seems others share my opinion about the Urpneys are the real stars, because in this game there is one Dreammaker (the GM in regular RPGs) and the players create Urpney elite soldiers where in each game is like an episode of the show and you are sent on a mission, usually to steal the Dreamstone. Of course, even if you are successful the good guys will just get it back in the end and your party leader will need to give a good excuse to Zordrak to avoid serious punishment. So if you are a serious fan of the show, then give it a look.
Thursday 14 September 2017
Sunday 10 September 2017
Warhammer: Age of Sigmar - General's Handbook 2017
I never got a chance to really read the first General's Handbook, so now having read this one, I will speak of it from a point of view of someone who didn't read the first one. As confusing as that sounds, the book itself tries to revive some of the game styles of the previous Fantasy Battles game. These are broken down into several game types, each with their own scenarios to play them out.
Coalition of Death
This is a verses match between two teams, with a number of players on each size. It has some limitations and rules, even a nice one that allows team mates to communicate with each other only if their Generals are within a certain range of each other and no enemies are near by. The only thing is that a Chaos army and an Order army have to be on opposing sides, with Death and Destruction being the interchangeable factions. Also, why is the alliance section done after players and their armies have already been picked? Perhaps I'm just a little confused on the set-up, but I have re-read the rules several times and it still sounds confusing to me. Oh well.
Triumph & Treachery
Another multiplayer game type, but this time each player is their own team. In it, you can choose which opponent will be your enemy in a turn, you can use any victory points earned can be used to bribe other players and you earn treachery points each turn to spend doing....well, treacherous things. Actually sounds like the type of game a devious Skaven player like myself could have a bit of fun with.
Time of War
The first of two narrative game types, this one lists most of the realms and the rules for what will happen when you play a game in their terrain. These rules will effect your armies in both negative and positive ways, great if you want to play a few story games in a single realm or across a couple of them.
Siege Warfare
While not as in-depth as it was back in Fantasy Battles, these rules allow you to have a siege game in which one side is essentially trying to breach the defenses of the other side in one of two game scenarios.
Pitched Battles
The main focus of the book, it is the central rules for point related battles, with options for causal games to tournament game play. Listed are the restrictions and requirements for unit fielding, depending on the number of points the game will be played at. In more casual play you can just pick your units, but with the more normal style modes, things like Battlelines and Allegiances are very important.
First off, Battlelines are the equivalent to what Core units were in Fantasy Battle and you need to field the minimum number requirement needed in order for you to use your army. A Battleline unit will only count as one if it is at least at minimum strength (I'll explain that in a second) and certain units will be classed as a Battleline depending on the Allegiance you choose. So as an example, a Chaos Allegiance means I can field things like Clanrats and Chaos Warriors, but if I wanted to field a Skryre Allegiance then my Battleline units become more limited with Skryre Acolytes and Stormfiends, which count as Battleline units only if my Allegiance is Skryre. You also get to spend a small number of your total points on Allies, which are listed in each Allegiance section (so allies for a Skryre allegiance would be limited to other Skaven groups, though Clan Pestilens gets access to Nurgle Daemons as well...go figure). It is important to not that your General cannot be chosen from your allies, nor do ally units count towards Battleline minimums (though they do count towards all other restrictions in your force), so no help for my Skryre force there.
Each unit has a minimum and maximum number of models that can be in it, with points for the both the minimum and the maximum. Most units are fielded in numbers of 5, 10 and 20 depending on the unit. You can field less then the minimum, but you must still pay the points for the minimum set number (so if a minimum number is 5 models and you field only 3 models, you still need to pay the points for the minimum 5 models). A Battleline unit that has less then the minimum number of models looses its Battleline status and does not count towards your minimum Battleline requirements. A number of units also benefit from the Massive Regiments rule, which means that if you field the maximum number of models in the unit, it uses the max point cost, which is cheaper points wise (so say a unit is 10/30 in min/max models it could have a points cost of 80/200, which means a unit at full model number would be 40 points cheaper, helping to encourage players to field larger units).
At this point the book lists each Allegiance under their main allegiance, with unit type, min/max size and points along with any additional information (mostly saying that if you field a more specific allegiance then certain units count as Battlelines). Not all units are listed here, particularly if your a Bretonnia or Tomb Kings player. All factions have an updated PDF on the Games Workshop website, which has updates for most units that haven't been incorporated into the game so far (including making certain characters have rules as normal Hero options for armies, such as Markus Wulfhart now becoming a new Hero type called a Huntmarshal) along with the Warscrolls and Pitch Battle lists for them. The only problem is that there are no rules in regards to allegiances (the Huntmarshal above for example says Order, Human but not if he is with, say, the Free Peoples) and allies (Tomb Kings for example don't have an allies list), so working them into some allegiances could prove difficult, particularly if you opponent is a bit of a jerk.
The final part is dedicated to the Allegiances. Each Allegiance contains its own special rule for the army (called a Battle Trait), a list of Command Traits for your General to pick from and a list of Artifacts of Power that one Hero (plus one Hero for each Warscroll Battalion in the army) can have, but a Hero cannot have more then one Artifact on them. You can choose which command trait and artifact you want or if needed, each one has a D6 table should you wish to roll for them (for a bit of randomness if a more narrative style is not your flavour).
Overall
It is a unique look into Age of Sigmar, trying to make the game more competitive in some areas, while more fun in others. While I understand the need for Battlelines, I honestly do not like the way the Skryre one works as it does tend to make it harder for me to field a more Skryre themed army without spending hundreds of dollars on getting Battleline units. Then again, a simple Chaos Allegiance does allow more colour to the battlefield. The updates changes of moving the Tomb Kings skellies from Death Rattle to Desert Legions means my Death army now has to be Death Allegiance, but I guess that isn't too bad either.
Personally, most of my problems come down to do you theme an army through creative work or via the Pitch Battle Allegiance rules? Rule wise you get some nice themed bonuses, but it also limits you greatly. I can see it working better for armies like Seraphon, Stormcast Eternals, etc. which already have a strong collection of models under them, but more limited model allegiances may have some trouble and those who want a more narrative themed army could find themselves unable to field all their troops other then in a general allegiance. This one is more down to ones personal preference and even the general alliances are not bad when it comes to their options as you can pick from a variety over the more limited ones (who can only choose from their lists and anything else must come from their ally options).
Unlike most of the books in the Age of Sigmar series, this one I do feel is worth the money. The only real problem comes from having the right Warscrolls (not all of them are on the GW website, a number of them are in other books) to field them and a number of Battalion options come from other books, including the previous General's Handbook. Still, this does give you a variety of game play options and may help some people who are still on the edge about Age of Sigmar to give it a go.
Coalition of Death
This is a verses match between two teams, with a number of players on each size. It has some limitations and rules, even a nice one that allows team mates to communicate with each other only if their Generals are within a certain range of each other and no enemies are near by. The only thing is that a Chaos army and an Order army have to be on opposing sides, with Death and Destruction being the interchangeable factions. Also, why is the alliance section done after players and their armies have already been picked? Perhaps I'm just a little confused on the set-up, but I have re-read the rules several times and it still sounds confusing to me. Oh well.
Triumph & Treachery
Another multiplayer game type, but this time each player is their own team. In it, you can choose which opponent will be your enemy in a turn, you can use any victory points earned can be used to bribe other players and you earn treachery points each turn to spend doing....well, treacherous things. Actually sounds like the type of game a devious Skaven player like myself could have a bit of fun with.
Time of War
The first of two narrative game types, this one lists most of the realms and the rules for what will happen when you play a game in their terrain. These rules will effect your armies in both negative and positive ways, great if you want to play a few story games in a single realm or across a couple of them.
Siege Warfare
While not as in-depth as it was back in Fantasy Battles, these rules allow you to have a siege game in which one side is essentially trying to breach the defenses of the other side in one of two game scenarios.
Pitched Battles
The main focus of the book, it is the central rules for point related battles, with options for causal games to tournament game play. Listed are the restrictions and requirements for unit fielding, depending on the number of points the game will be played at. In more casual play you can just pick your units, but with the more normal style modes, things like Battlelines and Allegiances are very important.
First off, Battlelines are the equivalent to what Core units were in Fantasy Battle and you need to field the minimum number requirement needed in order for you to use your army. A Battleline unit will only count as one if it is at least at minimum strength (I'll explain that in a second) and certain units will be classed as a Battleline depending on the Allegiance you choose. So as an example, a Chaos Allegiance means I can field things like Clanrats and Chaos Warriors, but if I wanted to field a Skryre Allegiance then my Battleline units become more limited with Skryre Acolytes and Stormfiends, which count as Battleline units only if my Allegiance is Skryre. You also get to spend a small number of your total points on Allies, which are listed in each Allegiance section (so allies for a Skryre allegiance would be limited to other Skaven groups, though Clan Pestilens gets access to Nurgle Daemons as well...go figure). It is important to not that your General cannot be chosen from your allies, nor do ally units count towards Battleline minimums (though they do count towards all other restrictions in your force), so no help for my Skryre force there.
Each unit has a minimum and maximum number of models that can be in it, with points for the both the minimum and the maximum. Most units are fielded in numbers of 5, 10 and 20 depending on the unit. You can field less then the minimum, but you must still pay the points for the minimum set number (so if a minimum number is 5 models and you field only 3 models, you still need to pay the points for the minimum 5 models). A Battleline unit that has less then the minimum number of models looses its Battleline status and does not count towards your minimum Battleline requirements. A number of units also benefit from the Massive Regiments rule, which means that if you field the maximum number of models in the unit, it uses the max point cost, which is cheaper points wise (so say a unit is 10/30 in min/max models it could have a points cost of 80/200, which means a unit at full model number would be 40 points cheaper, helping to encourage players to field larger units).
At this point the book lists each Allegiance under their main allegiance, with unit type, min/max size and points along with any additional information (mostly saying that if you field a more specific allegiance then certain units count as Battlelines). Not all units are listed here, particularly if your a Bretonnia or Tomb Kings player. All factions have an updated PDF on the Games Workshop website, which has updates for most units that haven't been incorporated into the game so far (including making certain characters have rules as normal Hero options for armies, such as Markus Wulfhart now becoming a new Hero type called a Huntmarshal) along with the Warscrolls and Pitch Battle lists for them. The only problem is that there are no rules in regards to allegiances (the Huntmarshal above for example says Order, Human but not if he is with, say, the Free Peoples) and allies (Tomb Kings for example don't have an allies list), so working them into some allegiances could prove difficult, particularly if you opponent is a bit of a jerk.
The final part is dedicated to the Allegiances. Each Allegiance contains its own special rule for the army (called a Battle Trait), a list of Command Traits for your General to pick from and a list of Artifacts of Power that one Hero (plus one Hero for each Warscroll Battalion in the army) can have, but a Hero cannot have more then one Artifact on them. You can choose which command trait and artifact you want or if needed, each one has a D6 table should you wish to roll for them (for a bit of randomness if a more narrative style is not your flavour).
Overall
It is a unique look into Age of Sigmar, trying to make the game more competitive in some areas, while more fun in others. While I understand the need for Battlelines, I honestly do not like the way the Skryre one works as it does tend to make it harder for me to field a more Skryre themed army without spending hundreds of dollars on getting Battleline units. Then again, a simple Chaos Allegiance does allow more colour to the battlefield. The updates changes of moving the Tomb Kings skellies from Death Rattle to Desert Legions means my Death army now has to be Death Allegiance, but I guess that isn't too bad either.
Personally, most of my problems come down to do you theme an army through creative work or via the Pitch Battle Allegiance rules? Rule wise you get some nice themed bonuses, but it also limits you greatly. I can see it working better for armies like Seraphon, Stormcast Eternals, etc. which already have a strong collection of models under them, but more limited model allegiances may have some trouble and those who want a more narrative themed army could find themselves unable to field all their troops other then in a general allegiance. This one is more down to ones personal preference and even the general alliances are not bad when it comes to their options as you can pick from a variety over the more limited ones (who can only choose from their lists and anything else must come from their ally options).
Unlike most of the books in the Age of Sigmar series, this one I do feel is worth the money. The only real problem comes from having the right Warscrolls (not all of them are on the GW website, a number of them are in other books) to field them and a number of Battalion options come from other books, including the previous General's Handbook. Still, this does give you a variety of game play options and may help some people who are still on the edge about Age of Sigmar to give it a go.
Wednesday 6 September 2017
Scribe Reacts
This is exactly how I see the Skaven in this day and age, pulling off reaction videos. Its not like the idea hadn't cross my mind at all (have been thinking of what to do with the Grey Seer Skratchnsniff character for a little while now, though there is a Mr Sanderstone reaction gag video in the works), but didn't think the reaction idea would have worked. These guys pulled it off well, even making a joke or two at themselves, so they do have a good sense of humor.
Tuesday 5 September 2017
Altered Plans
So I was going to do Season 2 of Blazing Dragons as my next Animated Reflections post, but have altered it to be The Dreamstone instead. Having stumbled upon this one once more and looking into its art style and character designs, it really does remind me of The Dark Crystal somewhat, so I have decided I'll do this one first, then go back to ranting about BD Season 2.
Monday 4 September 2017
Animated Reflections: Bucky O'Hare
When most people talk about their memories of this show, it is often around the kick-ass theme song and upon looking back at these episodes, you do tend to find yourself singing along to it each and every time. Despite people saying they enjoyed the show, it ever only got 13 episodes. Was it as good as people remembered it being or was the theme song its only good point. Lets take a quick look at:
Bucky O'Hare (a.k.a Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars), was a cartoon series loosely based on the Bucky O'Hare comics of the mid-80's, with various alterations to some characters and plot points. The series itself was a collection of 13 episodes that ran for about 20 minutes and was a somewhat continuous story, with it starting on the Toad invasion of Warren (Bucky's homeworld) and ending with them resolving the ark. Not every episode was a part of it and a some did have more character focus episodes, which naturally brings us to the characters.
Bucky O'Hare, famous greet rabbit hero and captain of the small spaceship Righteous Indignation. He's smart and courageous, but sort of has to be as he deal with the idiocy that is the board members the United Animal Security Council (seriously, he draws their attention to the Toad threat and their solution is to grant his request for a fleet......consisting of one new ship). He is very much the heroic space captain, cloak included, but doesn't have the over inflated ego of some. He knows his crew well and trusts them, working together as a team, knowing he can't fight alone. Then again, he does choose to go in alone a number of times, so I can never tell if the plain is brilliant or suicidal. Guess that's the only choices you can make leading a small crew against an entire Empire.
Jenny is a Cat and First Mate on the ship. She possesses something equivalent to magic, something she learned from being part of a sacred Sisterhood. Such powers she keeps hidden from her crew mates, though Willy does learn about them and keeps her secret. Jenny gave Willy a communication stone, which she uses to call him when the crew needs his assistance. Next is Dead-Eye Duck, a four armed black Duck who is also a former pirate, possibly explaining the eye patch. He is the ships gunner and is always wanting to shoot Toads, so tends to be a little trigger happy in wanting to get into the action.
Then there is the one-eyed android called Blinky. Blinky is good at pointing out problems and cleaning after baboons, but tends to work more as an assistant then anything else. Bruce is the original engineer on the ship, but in the cartoon an accident with the Photon Accelerator sends him to another dimension. In the second episode we are introduced to his brother Brusier, who is a marine and is more brawn then brains. Both are Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon, creatures whom Toads are terrified of.
Finally there's Willy DuWitt. He's a human boy genius who invents his own Photon Accelerator and uses it to travel to the Aniverse (short for animal universe my guess is). Here he splits his life between living on Earth and working as the ships engineer. While Bucky is the main character, Willy is the focus character, with the show having a focus on him, mostly I guess as a means for kids to insert themselves in the situation. Willy's problem is that he is technically smart, but a little lost in the real world around him (pointed out to him by Susie, a girl who he's friends with at school).
The Villains themselves tend to be rather incompetent, if a little silly at times. Then again, what does one expect when they use a lazy amphibian race as their soldiers. The main villain KOMPLEX is a computer program that was designed to make the Toads lifestyle easier, but evolved into a universe dominating system. Brainwashing the populous through Toad T.V, he turned them into soldiers and had his armies begin their galactic conquest. Being an A.I however, means he has to rely on his minions to accomplish his goals.
The head Toad in charge of this is simply called Toad Air Marshall. He considers Bucky to be his Arch-Rival and tends to make mistakes when going overboard to destroy his hated foe. He has an obsession for medals, but is still as cowardly as everyone else. He also tends to be followed by his own dimwitted sidekicks of Frix and Frax, who would prefer to just watch Toad T.V. and do little else.
A more competent minion of KOMPLEX is one Toad Borg, who was once a Toad soldier who is now a cybernetic monstrosity. He tends to have better plans and better combat skills, but tends to let his anger get the best of him. Finally there is Al Negator, who is an Alligator mercenary. He tends to show up from time to time as someone in payed employment of the Toads.
Now at this point I probably talk about the quality of the animation, but given most of the videos I have found tend to be in low VHS quality, it can be difficult at times to tell. That said, it does look colourful and certainly the designs are look great (yes, they are based on the original comic, but a number of cast were specially created for the show and they are designed to match the same universe). The music is great, matching the scenes and helping to get into those moments of action which is great as there are a good number of action scenes. I also love the voice cast for a number of characters as it not only sounds great, but no one ever really comes off as sounding annoying. This is a great boon to the show, as there is no real character that I can think of that I didn't enjoy watching and given how some of them sound, that is something I consider a real plus.
There are a couple of things about this universe that I question. Most obvious one is that of the Righteous Indignation. I mean, just look at it. How does a ship that small be so effective? Where do they store all the supplies that they need in space? Where do they even sleep? This ship alone has taken on the Toad might and still come out the other side and if it is that good, why doesn't the United Animal Security Council just build a fleet of them? Cheap is what they are. Gotta wonder why Bucky even tries to save their behinds. And how do Toad bubbles work? Do they have homing beacons to alert other ships of their location? How does this all work? This is what happens when you think too deeply on an animated space adventure.
What does confuse me more is the fact that this series only got 13 episodes. I don't understand it as having gone back and watched them all again, I can honestly say I absolutely enjoyed it. Given the type of shows that were around in the late 80's/early 90's, the fact that this show has so few episodes seems a real shame. The theme song alone is well remembered and well loved and even to this day there is a strong fan base for this series. Heck, there are functioning websites that are still running that are dedicated to the series. There is even a push to see the revival of the characters and series, though like with most attempts to revive shows, they don't always go the way we'd like. Still, after re-watching the series again, I would love to see it brought back in some form or another. I know that they are bringing out the characters in figures, with the first wave already out. You can check them out at Boss Fight.
Overall, it was an absolute blast to watch this again. I do highly recommend this as something to sit down and watch. At 13 episodes, you can find play lists on Youtube, so you can probably watch the whole thing in one sitting (a day to sit back for fun and adventure). Personally, I'd love to see a DVD box set on this one, so if by chance its popularity takes the jump it needs, then perhaps we may eventually see one. Until then, I shall keep my imagination open to what adventures lay beyond in the Aniverse.
Also, that theme song. It is so damn addictive.
Bucky O'Hare (a.k.a Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars), was a cartoon series loosely based on the Bucky O'Hare comics of the mid-80's, with various alterations to some characters and plot points. The series itself was a collection of 13 episodes that ran for about 20 minutes and was a somewhat continuous story, with it starting on the Toad invasion of Warren (Bucky's homeworld) and ending with them resolving the ark. Not every episode was a part of it and a some did have more character focus episodes, which naturally brings us to the characters.
Bucky O'Hare, famous greet rabbit hero and captain of the small spaceship Righteous Indignation. He's smart and courageous, but sort of has to be as he deal with the idiocy that is the board members the United Animal Security Council (seriously, he draws their attention to the Toad threat and their solution is to grant his request for a fleet......consisting of one new ship). He is very much the heroic space captain, cloak included, but doesn't have the over inflated ego of some. He knows his crew well and trusts them, working together as a team, knowing he can't fight alone. Then again, he does choose to go in alone a number of times, so I can never tell if the plain is brilliant or suicidal. Guess that's the only choices you can make leading a small crew against an entire Empire.
Jenny is a Cat and First Mate on the ship. She possesses something equivalent to magic, something she learned from being part of a sacred Sisterhood. Such powers she keeps hidden from her crew mates, though Willy does learn about them and keeps her secret. Jenny gave Willy a communication stone, which she uses to call him when the crew needs his assistance. Next is Dead-Eye Duck, a four armed black Duck who is also a former pirate, possibly explaining the eye patch. He is the ships gunner and is always wanting to shoot Toads, so tends to be a little trigger happy in wanting to get into the action.
Then there is the one-eyed android called Blinky. Blinky is good at pointing out problems and cleaning after baboons, but tends to work more as an assistant then anything else. Bruce is the original engineer on the ship, but in the cartoon an accident with the Photon Accelerator sends him to another dimension. In the second episode we are introduced to his brother Brusier, who is a marine and is more brawn then brains. Both are Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon, creatures whom Toads are terrified of.
Finally there's Willy DuWitt. He's a human boy genius who invents his own Photon Accelerator and uses it to travel to the Aniverse (short for animal universe my guess is). Here he splits his life between living on Earth and working as the ships engineer. While Bucky is the main character, Willy is the focus character, with the show having a focus on him, mostly I guess as a means for kids to insert themselves in the situation. Willy's problem is that he is technically smart, but a little lost in the real world around him (pointed out to him by Susie, a girl who he's friends with at school).
The Villains themselves tend to be rather incompetent, if a little silly at times. Then again, what does one expect when they use a lazy amphibian race as their soldiers. The main villain KOMPLEX is a computer program that was designed to make the Toads lifestyle easier, but evolved into a universe dominating system. Brainwashing the populous through Toad T.V, he turned them into soldiers and had his armies begin their galactic conquest. Being an A.I however, means he has to rely on his minions to accomplish his goals.
The head Toad in charge of this is simply called Toad Air Marshall. He considers Bucky to be his Arch-Rival and tends to make mistakes when going overboard to destroy his hated foe. He has an obsession for medals, but is still as cowardly as everyone else. He also tends to be followed by his own dimwitted sidekicks of Frix and Frax, who would prefer to just watch Toad T.V. and do little else.
A more competent minion of KOMPLEX is one Toad Borg, who was once a Toad soldier who is now a cybernetic monstrosity. He tends to have better plans and better combat skills, but tends to let his anger get the best of him. Finally there is Al Negator, who is an Alligator mercenary. He tends to show up from time to time as someone in payed employment of the Toads.
Now at this point I probably talk about the quality of the animation, but given most of the videos I have found tend to be in low VHS quality, it can be difficult at times to tell. That said, it does look colourful and certainly the designs are look great (yes, they are based on the original comic, but a number of cast were specially created for the show and they are designed to match the same universe). The music is great, matching the scenes and helping to get into those moments of action which is great as there are a good number of action scenes. I also love the voice cast for a number of characters as it not only sounds great, but no one ever really comes off as sounding annoying. This is a great boon to the show, as there is no real character that I can think of that I didn't enjoy watching and given how some of them sound, that is something I consider a real plus.
There are a couple of things about this universe that I question. Most obvious one is that of the Righteous Indignation. I mean, just look at it. How does a ship that small be so effective? Where do they store all the supplies that they need in space? Where do they even sleep? This ship alone has taken on the Toad might and still come out the other side and if it is that good, why doesn't the United Animal Security Council just build a fleet of them? Cheap is what they are. Gotta wonder why Bucky even tries to save their behinds. And how do Toad bubbles work? Do they have homing beacons to alert other ships of their location? How does this all work? This is what happens when you think too deeply on an animated space adventure.
What does confuse me more is the fact that this series only got 13 episodes. I don't understand it as having gone back and watched them all again, I can honestly say I absolutely enjoyed it. Given the type of shows that were around in the late 80's/early 90's, the fact that this show has so few episodes seems a real shame. The theme song alone is well remembered and well loved and even to this day there is a strong fan base for this series. Heck, there are functioning websites that are still running that are dedicated to the series. There is even a push to see the revival of the characters and series, though like with most attempts to revive shows, they don't always go the way we'd like. Still, after re-watching the series again, I would love to see it brought back in some form or another. I know that they are bringing out the characters in figures, with the first wave already out. You can check them out at Boss Fight.
Overall, it was an absolute blast to watch this again. I do highly recommend this as something to sit down and watch. At 13 episodes, you can find play lists on Youtube, so you can probably watch the whole thing in one sitting (a day to sit back for fun and adventure). Personally, I'd love to see a DVD box set on this one, so if by chance its popularity takes the jump it needs, then perhaps we may eventually see one. Until then, I shall keep my imagination open to what adventures lay beyond in the Aniverse.
Also, that theme song. It is so damn addictive.
Project Update - Now To End 2017
Normally I would do a monthly log to state what projects I'm attempting to work on or what is at least planned to be work on for that month. I am temporarily changing that structure for the rest of the year.
I have posted a few apology posts explaining lack of updates or uploads and this is mostly due to my Depression/Anxiety (a.k.a Mental Illness). It has been bad for the last few years, but as of this year it has gotten worse. The last few months alone has seen my health go down hill further and as of last week, a nasty incident occurred that has thrown it completely. I won't talk about it, but the next few weeks will require some time to cope.
As such, this is how the structure will go for the time being:
Miniatures:
They will be painted and uploaded as my health permits. I will probably take more time doing them, but it is part of my therapy. You may also noticed the poor quality shots I've had lately and I am still working on it, but it would appear I may need to go back to Photoshop as the free level software just isn't cutting it for me. That said, I do have some done and the main focus so far is the slow building of an Underworld Blood Bowl team.
Photography:
I honestly don't see myself getting much done in this area, but if the opportunity and mood match up then I'll edit and upload them.
Animated Reflections:
So this one is another one of those things I'm working on as part of my treatment, so I do want to focus some time on it. That said, I want to set a limited of one every two weeks (so if they come out sooner then it's a bonus). Due to my limited ability to focus when typing, it does tend to take me a few days to write it (which I feel is disappointing given how short they are) and then there are the screen shots that also need to be done. I'm almost finish working on the Bucky O'Hare one, so that should be up soon.
Other Projects:
The Mr Sanderstone creation project was just completed, though modifications are still to be considered. From there, there is another project that is suppose to come after, though when it gets done is anyone's guess. There will be others, but most are on hold at the moment.
Blog:
I need to replace the background and banner. That much has been needing to be done for some time now, so that should also be done within the next few months.
That is all I will add at this point in time. Perhaps in the next few weeks I'll get more clarity, but until then most things are up in the air. I'm sorry that this has happened, but with luck I can get through this and produce better content as a result.
I have posted a few apology posts explaining lack of updates or uploads and this is mostly due to my Depression/Anxiety (a.k.a Mental Illness). It has been bad for the last few years, but as of this year it has gotten worse. The last few months alone has seen my health go down hill further and as of last week, a nasty incident occurred that has thrown it completely. I won't talk about it, but the next few weeks will require some time to cope.
As such, this is how the structure will go for the time being:
Miniatures:
They will be painted and uploaded as my health permits. I will probably take more time doing them, but it is part of my therapy. You may also noticed the poor quality shots I've had lately and I am still working on it, but it would appear I may need to go back to Photoshop as the free level software just isn't cutting it for me. That said, I do have some done and the main focus so far is the slow building of an Underworld Blood Bowl team.
Photography:
I honestly don't see myself getting much done in this area, but if the opportunity and mood match up then I'll edit and upload them.
Animated Reflections:
So this one is another one of those things I'm working on as part of my treatment, so I do want to focus some time on it. That said, I want to set a limited of one every two weeks (so if they come out sooner then it's a bonus). Due to my limited ability to focus when typing, it does tend to take me a few days to write it (which I feel is disappointing given how short they are) and then there are the screen shots that also need to be done. I'm almost finish working on the Bucky O'Hare one, so that should be up soon.
Other Projects:
The Mr Sanderstone creation project was just completed, though modifications are still to be considered. From there, there is another project that is suppose to come after, though when it gets done is anyone's guess. There will be others, but most are on hold at the moment.
Blog:
I need to replace the background and banner. That much has been needing to be done for some time now, so that should also be done within the next few months.
That is all I will add at this point in time. Perhaps in the next few weeks I'll get more clarity, but until then most things are up in the air. I'm sorry that this has happened, but with luck I can get through this and produce better content as a result.
Saturday 2 September 2017
My Short Guide to Skaven
So with all the talk about Total War: Warhammer, Blood Bowl and Vermintide, I would like to give my own short personal view of the Skaven. In short, they are a chaotic race of anthropomorphic rodents hell bent on total domination of all other races. They are every bit as viscous and deceptive more then any other evil race (well, non-chaos ones I guess) and have mastered most forms of mutation and technology. However, I feel it best described in the form of a paragraph on page 80 of my Skaven rulebook (7th edition):
During the course of your battles you may find that anything from a unit to an entire flank can lose its courage and scurry back where it came from. Skaven Leadership tends to be fine, so long as your winning. Your Weapon Teams will explode at the most inopportune times or, even worse, blast your own side to bits and then blow up. The Clan Skryre death-dealing artifices of devastation can, with some bad luck, do nothing to your foe, but slay your own troops with wild abandon. All of this isn't a flaw in the army design; it is a flaw in the Skaven character. They are random, prone to cowardice, and their engineering is powerful, but slipshod. There are times when despite your best plans, your battle will still go disastrously wrong. When a disastrously unlucky game happens, learn from your mistakes, blame someone else for them, and then forget (or at least deny) it ever happened. I personally blame the Council of Thirteen for jealously sabotaging my flawless command.
This alone explains much of what I love about Skaven. As a Skryre themed army, I would often go into a game with the intention of having fun instead of actually winning. I would have my Doomwheel chase after a fleeing unit, chasing them off the board only for it to take two turns to get back into the fight. My Warp-Lightning Cannon and Weapon Teams would have malfunctions and blow up half the time. My Poison Wind Globadiers were renamed 'The Butterfingers' on an account that they killed more of their own through dropping globes then they did kill the enemy. When my Skavenslaves broke they killed more of my own units then they did the enemies and even the winds of magic turned against me at times. I rarely won games due to all these, but it was still great fun. I would always claim my plan was flawless and that I was sabotaged by some treacherous underling who was secretly trying to usurp me. In one mass group game, the forces of darkness (at the later stage of the event) got to shoot into combat with shots being randomized. Naturally, I decided to shoot into combat between a a player who had an enemy force on one side of the combat and the second player who had his Grey Seer and remaining unit on the other. During the game the Grey Seer player had kept taking my Power Dice in the casting phase (because he was a Grey Seer), so it was only fair that I 'help' him in his combat by unloading my entire unit of Jezzails into the combat. I'd either kill the enemy unit or kill the Grey-Seer, so it was a win-win for me.
This is the kind of style a Skaven faction has. It's troops a numerous, but have low courage, relying on numbers to boost their confidence. Their technology is advanced, but unstable. They have plagues, mutated beasts and specialised Assassins. They possess power, but have a massive ego and to top it all off, are extremely paranoid. In Skaven society, the only way to get further up is to ensure the position suddenly becomes vacant. Assassination is common place and as a result, paranoia gets worse the further up in command you are. One big point about the Council of Thirteen was that they had a list of surface dwellers they needed assassinated in order to ensure their conquest of the surface world would succeed, but had a list ten times as long of Skaven they wanted to assassinate, so they spent so much time trying to kill each other that they tended to get distracted form their main goal.
Speaking of the Council, the number thirteen is sacred to the Skaven. Given most see it as an unlucky number (technically, its actually considered to be lucky for me), it matches will for them. It is the sacred number of their god, The Great Horned Rat (all Chaos Gods have a sacred number) and it is he whom the Skaven worship. This tends to have some tension, as their are actually two versions to this God. The first is those of the Grey Seers, Skaven who are born with white fur and horns, which is seen as being in the image of their Deity and formulate a Priesthood who claim to be the word of the Great Horned Rat himself. The second is the Priesthood of Clan Pestilens, who see him as a plague god and the spreader of disease. This was obviously inspired by the Black Plague of our own history, but in this world some see them more as worshipers of Nurgle then of the Horned Rat. It is suggested that they are, but also suggested that they see their God as being more superior to Nurgle. The Plague Monks tend to have an on again/off again relationship with the servants of Nurgle. This has resulted in several fights over their religion and both the Grey Seers and Plague Priests look for any advantage to call out the other as a false religion. Needless to say, this has resulted in at least two big civil wars (mostly due to many blaming Clan Pestilens for their plagues not working as intended or even backfiring). As far as I know, the Great Horned Rat doesn't care, just so long as they serve him. He also has a thing for bells. Why? I don't know. Guess everyone's got to have a favourite instrument.
With the exception of the Warlord Clans and the Grey Seers, there are four main Clans of the Skaven. These are Clan Pestilens (they deal with plague and disease), Clan Skryre (the technology clan), Clan Eshin (the Assassins of the Skaven) and Clan Moulder (mutations and flesh-shaping specialists, creating all sorts of monstrosities). These Clans are what add the flavour to the Skaven race, giving them many of the options that you see in both the Miniatures game and the video games.
Clans are suspicious of each other and their leaders are always looking for any way to get some kind of advantage over others for power. Skaven leaders see themselves as being the greatest of their kind, their self inflated egos only fueling these opinions. As their egos get larger, so too does their paranoia. They see jealousy in the eyes of all around them and their though structure can go from seeing everyone praising them to everyone out to get them in a split second. As a result, just when they are on the verge of victory on the battlefield, some can take the opportunity to remove those they think are out to get them (and to be fair, some are). As a result, this can have a negative effect on the battle, resulting in the Skaven loosing. Failure isn't tolerated, so naturally their first thing they do is to place blame on those around them. A Skaven will always place blame on someone else for their failures, while always claiming someone else's successes as their own. As such, some Skaven are smart enough to manipulate other Skaven by finding a success in their failure in order to give them the illusion that they succeeded, thus making them more easily conned into doing whatever they want them to do.
Skaven are male. There are females, but from birth they are drugged and controlled. These are called brood-mothers or breeders and produce tones of Skaven a year. As such, most Skaven tend to lower their guard when it comes to females of other races, whom they see are just breeders of another species. Would be interesting for them to encounter the Amazons, who tend to kick the asses of most races.
My personal love for the Skaven comes from two things, Grey Seer Thanquol and Clan Skryre. Grey Seer Thanquol is one of the most famous Skaven, being the nemesis of Gotrek & Felix (the story of Slayer wanting a grand death and a human who follows to chronicle it). He was a Grey Seer who was full of himself and always went around with his Rat Ogre bodyguard called Boneripper (there is a running theme where when each Boneripper was killed, he'd get a new Rat Ogre and call it Boneripper). So popular was he that he even got his own book series and unlike Gotrek & Felix, Thanquol kept appearing in rulebooks as a usable character. As for what happen to him since the End Time? It is assumed he is still alive and if he is, will already be planing to take over the Shadow Council of Thirteen (which is the Council of Thirteen for Vermin Lords, who are the Daemons of the Great Horned Rat).
As for Clan Skryre, they are linked to one of my favourite ideas, Techno-Sorcery. In other words, the perfect blend of magical energy and scientific engineering. It is something that shares a similarity to Steampunk, but has a stronger focus on magic over steam. It's an idea I have often added into my stories and when I finally looked into Skaven, I found something similar. Theirs is darker in nature, more unstable and rather destructive. It was easier for me to follow this path and my time spent as a Clan Skryre player has been quite enjoyable. While Age of Sigmar has removed much of the randomness, it still hasn't dampened my love for this madness.
In conclusion, just read the quote at the top again. I didn't realise just how all over the place this would go, but then given the chaotic nature of the Skaven, this suites the article quite well. For me, Skaven are a race to have fun, to cackle like a cartoon villain and to shout 'Curses, Foiled Again!' when things go wrong. If you can find them, there are some great stories about them. If you want more comical, stick with the Grey Seer Thanquol series, but if you want dark then check out the Vermintide book, which showcases the Skaven at their most insidious and insane.
During the course of your battles you may find that anything from a unit to an entire flank can lose its courage and scurry back where it came from. Skaven Leadership tends to be fine, so long as your winning. Your Weapon Teams will explode at the most inopportune times or, even worse, blast your own side to bits and then blow up. The Clan Skryre death-dealing artifices of devastation can, with some bad luck, do nothing to your foe, but slay your own troops with wild abandon. All of this isn't a flaw in the army design; it is a flaw in the Skaven character. They are random, prone to cowardice, and their engineering is powerful, but slipshod. There are times when despite your best plans, your battle will still go disastrously wrong. When a disastrously unlucky game happens, learn from your mistakes, blame someone else for them, and then forget (or at least deny) it ever happened. I personally blame the Council of Thirteen for jealously sabotaging my flawless command.
This alone explains much of what I love about Skaven. As a Skryre themed army, I would often go into a game with the intention of having fun instead of actually winning. I would have my Doomwheel chase after a fleeing unit, chasing them off the board only for it to take two turns to get back into the fight. My Warp-Lightning Cannon and Weapon Teams would have malfunctions and blow up half the time. My Poison Wind Globadiers were renamed 'The Butterfingers' on an account that they killed more of their own through dropping globes then they did kill the enemy. When my Skavenslaves broke they killed more of my own units then they did the enemies and even the winds of magic turned against me at times. I rarely won games due to all these, but it was still great fun. I would always claim my plan was flawless and that I was sabotaged by some treacherous underling who was secretly trying to usurp me. In one mass group game, the forces of darkness (at the later stage of the event) got to shoot into combat with shots being randomized. Naturally, I decided to shoot into combat between a a player who had an enemy force on one side of the combat and the second player who had his Grey Seer and remaining unit on the other. During the game the Grey Seer player had kept taking my Power Dice in the casting phase (because he was a Grey Seer), so it was only fair that I 'help' him in his combat by unloading my entire unit of Jezzails into the combat. I'd either kill the enemy unit or kill the Grey-Seer, so it was a win-win for me.
This is the kind of style a Skaven faction has. It's troops a numerous, but have low courage, relying on numbers to boost their confidence. Their technology is advanced, but unstable. They have plagues, mutated beasts and specialised Assassins. They possess power, but have a massive ego and to top it all off, are extremely paranoid. In Skaven society, the only way to get further up is to ensure the position suddenly becomes vacant. Assassination is common place and as a result, paranoia gets worse the further up in command you are. One big point about the Council of Thirteen was that they had a list of surface dwellers they needed assassinated in order to ensure their conquest of the surface world would succeed, but had a list ten times as long of Skaven they wanted to assassinate, so they spent so much time trying to kill each other that they tended to get distracted form their main goal.
Speaking of the Council, the number thirteen is sacred to the Skaven. Given most see it as an unlucky number (technically, its actually considered to be lucky for me), it matches will for them. It is the sacred number of their god, The Great Horned Rat (all Chaos Gods have a sacred number) and it is he whom the Skaven worship. This tends to have some tension, as their are actually two versions to this God. The first is those of the Grey Seers, Skaven who are born with white fur and horns, which is seen as being in the image of their Deity and formulate a Priesthood who claim to be the word of the Great Horned Rat himself. The second is the Priesthood of Clan Pestilens, who see him as a plague god and the spreader of disease. This was obviously inspired by the Black Plague of our own history, but in this world some see them more as worshipers of Nurgle then of the Horned Rat. It is suggested that they are, but also suggested that they see their God as being more superior to Nurgle. The Plague Monks tend to have an on again/off again relationship with the servants of Nurgle. This has resulted in several fights over their religion and both the Grey Seers and Plague Priests look for any advantage to call out the other as a false religion. Needless to say, this has resulted in at least two big civil wars (mostly due to many blaming Clan Pestilens for their plagues not working as intended or even backfiring). As far as I know, the Great Horned Rat doesn't care, just so long as they serve him. He also has a thing for bells. Why? I don't know. Guess everyone's got to have a favourite instrument.
With the exception of the Warlord Clans and the Grey Seers, there are four main Clans of the Skaven. These are Clan Pestilens (they deal with plague and disease), Clan Skryre (the technology clan), Clan Eshin (the Assassins of the Skaven) and Clan Moulder (mutations and flesh-shaping specialists, creating all sorts of monstrosities). These Clans are what add the flavour to the Skaven race, giving them many of the options that you see in both the Miniatures game and the video games.
Clans are suspicious of each other and their leaders are always looking for any way to get some kind of advantage over others for power. Skaven leaders see themselves as being the greatest of their kind, their self inflated egos only fueling these opinions. As their egos get larger, so too does their paranoia. They see jealousy in the eyes of all around them and their though structure can go from seeing everyone praising them to everyone out to get them in a split second. As a result, just when they are on the verge of victory on the battlefield, some can take the opportunity to remove those they think are out to get them (and to be fair, some are). As a result, this can have a negative effect on the battle, resulting in the Skaven loosing. Failure isn't tolerated, so naturally their first thing they do is to place blame on those around them. A Skaven will always place blame on someone else for their failures, while always claiming someone else's successes as their own. As such, some Skaven are smart enough to manipulate other Skaven by finding a success in their failure in order to give them the illusion that they succeeded, thus making them more easily conned into doing whatever they want them to do.
Skaven are male. There are females, but from birth they are drugged and controlled. These are called brood-mothers or breeders and produce tones of Skaven a year. As such, most Skaven tend to lower their guard when it comes to females of other races, whom they see are just breeders of another species. Would be interesting for them to encounter the Amazons, who tend to kick the asses of most races.
My personal love for the Skaven comes from two things, Grey Seer Thanquol and Clan Skryre. Grey Seer Thanquol is one of the most famous Skaven, being the nemesis of Gotrek & Felix (the story of Slayer wanting a grand death and a human who follows to chronicle it). He was a Grey Seer who was full of himself and always went around with his Rat Ogre bodyguard called Boneripper (there is a running theme where when each Boneripper was killed, he'd get a new Rat Ogre and call it Boneripper). So popular was he that he even got his own book series and unlike Gotrek & Felix, Thanquol kept appearing in rulebooks as a usable character. As for what happen to him since the End Time? It is assumed he is still alive and if he is, will already be planing to take over the Shadow Council of Thirteen (which is the Council of Thirteen for Vermin Lords, who are the Daemons of the Great Horned Rat).
As for Clan Skryre, they are linked to one of my favourite ideas, Techno-Sorcery. In other words, the perfect blend of magical energy and scientific engineering. It is something that shares a similarity to Steampunk, but has a stronger focus on magic over steam. It's an idea I have often added into my stories and when I finally looked into Skaven, I found something similar. Theirs is darker in nature, more unstable and rather destructive. It was easier for me to follow this path and my time spent as a Clan Skryre player has been quite enjoyable. While Age of Sigmar has removed much of the randomness, it still hasn't dampened my love for this madness.
In conclusion, just read the quote at the top again. I didn't realise just how all over the place this would go, but then given the chaotic nature of the Skaven, this suites the article quite well. For me, Skaven are a race to have fun, to cackle like a cartoon villain and to shout 'Curses, Foiled Again!' when things go wrong. If you can find them, there are some great stories about them. If you want more comical, stick with the Grey Seer Thanquol series, but if you want dark then check out the Vermintide book, which showcases the Skaven at their most insidious and insane.
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