Sonic Team Racing Confuses Me

So as a fan of the franchise, I am always looking forward to another game that features the cast, but this time around I am at a loss as to explain the reasoning behind the 'team' formats. Don't get me wrong, Team Sonic and Team Dark make sense and the team idea still works from the Sonic Heroes range, but it's the other teams I have issues with.
 

First off, why are the Chao a racer as part of Amy's team? I mean, if it's just Cheese and it's friends racing cause Cream can't join the race then that's fine, but a little more explanation would work. Which brings me to my biggest team problem.

Anyone else disappointed that Silver's vehicle should have looked

more like a Back to the Future reference?

The new team of Blaze, Silver and Vector is where I really scratch my head. The thing is, why is Vector here instead of Team Chaotix? I mean, if Big and Amy are still Team Rose, then surely Vector and Espio would be Team Chaotix with either Charmy or another stand in perhaps (heck, Espio makes more sense since he and Silver have at least worked together before). I'm more then happy for Blaze and Silver to be in a team together (cause I'm a shipping idiot), but there were still other options from the Sonic franchise to pick from. Heck, here are two of my preferred choices:

Marine the Raccoon:

Being from Blazes own dimension, it makes sense that she would be much like a sidekick to Blaze. In fact, Blaze is considered to be the Sonic comparison to her world, so Marine then would be the Tails of that world. Many in the community have already done a Sonic Heroes style team of Blaze, Marine and Silver (a team which I too support), so it would only be fair to carry that on here. Characters like Marine don't get enough expansion and in group games like these it is the perfect opportunity to bring them in for such a chance (cause we know they'll never really get one outside of these group games). My guess is that her vehicle would be very much inspired like that of a metal pirate ship, thus explaining her position as 'Power'. Would also be a good time to expand on the powers she had shown at the end of Sonic Rush Adventure, which some have classified as 'Hydrokinesis' and would work well with Blaze's Pyrokinesis and Silver's Psychokinesis (Team Kinesis?).

Shade the Echidna:

Another Echidna and thus, another one who could fill the role of 'Power'. Much like Marine, she really was only ever given one real shot as a character in a game and this would be a perfect opportunity to be given another shot. Being from another dimension technically, she would suit the 'not from this world and time' theme that the group has. A redesigned outfit and look could help bring her back in, as well as adding to her story of what she has been doing since then (yes, I am aware of Penders and his thoughts on the Nocturnus Clan, but honestly, Shade as a character could easily be done up to be distant from any such controversy and thus, not be no problem for Sega what so ever). Certainly, she has been one of the most ignored characters lately (given that most people want to see Nack/Fang, Bean and Bark as a team being what they want to see as the next team), a revival as a group game character could be useful.

Again, just my opinion as to what they could have used, just as many others have their own. I'm still interested in the game and I'll follow it until release date, but I feel like Sega keeps missing the mark when it comes to such games (like, you almost had it and at the end you just missed it). Still looks fun though.

The Search For Spacecraft Ideas

So with all the crap that seems to be going on lately and my lack of motivation in getting physical work done, you'd think that all I'd be doing is just sleeping (which isn't too far off). However, I have been running the ideas for the spacecraft model and have started getting more parts for it.

The base is a plastic cereal container, with two yogurt containers on each side and moister absorbent containers next to each one. The front of each of those containers will use modified sauce bottle tops as weapons and on the back will be three probiotic drink containers as side engines. The back of the cereal container will use three tubes as central engines. As for the front? Well, that's what I'm looking into more. I still have not come up with a great design yet and I'm looking around at various things when I do ever feel like going out to see what ideas I can gleam. This ranges from models (like ships for the front or plane wings for the sides) to various bits and pieces from hardware stores and cheap shops that just might work. There's no doubt that I'll also need plasticard strips and copper tubes & wire to add around it, though I do have an epoxy filler which might just work of shaping and modelling the hard edge parts (assuming I ever get around to testing it first).

Rough idea snaps of how the body and sides will go based

on the ideas (very much open to change).

Thankfully, the Internet is also filled with brilliant people who have crafted their own ships and there are plenty of screenshots of various ships from Science-fiction games and movies to inspire the imagination. Obviously I want to do my own thing and not copy designs or ideas, so its just down to whatever inspires me at the time.

Update:

So looking at it, I'm not too happy with the designs of the sides, mainly the two sauce bottle tops. I'm thinking of extending that section forward in smaller layers with some communication/scanning antenna and other bits on the front. Will be looking into what else I can add, perhaps wings or defense cannons on the sides. Kinda hard to give it both a sci-fi feel while still giving it a look of various parts put together (think advance sci-fi starship crossed with a space junker ship).

A Government Circus

So this week has been rather stressful in regards to politics and today was the cherry on top.

Honestly, I care very little for our current Government here in Australia. They keep screwing up areas like health & education (which I find to be very important), so when they started tearing each other apart, it was no surprise for me to find it somewhat amusing.

That said, I do feel a little bad for Malcolm Turnbull as I do feel he was their best shot at the election (not that I'd vote for the LNP). Still, was terrified that they'd vote Peter Dutton in, but thank God they didn't. Seriously, I don't know why they kept saying that Queenslander's would love it cause as someone living in Queensland, I don't like him and I don't know of anyone who does (save for those in his electorate).

I don't see why people are so shocked over the whole 'Party changing PM' thing as I've said before, you vote for the party not the individual at its head. Heck, many of the policies that are contributed to the party leaders are those of the party itself, so it doesn't matter who leads it, the party majority will decide what gets put forth and their leader is the one who has to push it. It has been going on for years and will continue to keep going like this.

On the bright side, I can't wait to see all the political comedy gags that will roll out from this one. Gunna be a real cracker of a time when that happens.

The Tragic Loss of Robbie Rotten's Great Actor

So I tend to take time away from social media here and there due to my health and was saddened to learn that upon returning today that Stefan Karl Stefansson (most famous for his role as Robbie Rotten on the children's show Lazy Town) had passed away. I had known about his battle with cancer and had contributed to the campaign to help raise money for his medical costs, but the last I had heard was that things had been going better and I had really hoped he would fully recover. Sadly, as it seems to be this year, with the loss of John 'Totalbiscuit' Bain shows that cancer is a deadly killer and one that I am still shocked we haven't found the means to stop altogether (though perhaps it's just my wishful thinking for a better future).

When my younger sisters were still little, I would often find myself sitting with them watching all sorts of children's television programs. Lazy Town wasn't one of their more popular choices and I admit that the show itself didn't fully click with me, with a few exceptions. The first was that it did have a number of catchy songs (which is what you want in getting children's attention) and the other was the shows Villain, Robbie Rotten. As a character, Stefan played him up like a real over the top Villain, which made him simply amazing. When it comes to my top favourite Villains, Robbie Rotten is very much in that top 5 and it's down to how Stefan made that character (I always found it funny how Robbie just wanted to have everyone lazy so he could be lazy in peace and yet went to so much work to pull off his plans to make the town lazy).

What truly placed Stefan above most others (to me anyway) was how he literately embraced the 'We are number one' meme and even got in on the joke himself. This brought more people to him as he showed just how wonderful a person he was. Even on the fundraising page (sadly now closed) there would be a story or two from him about his experiences and the reactions children had to his performances.

A magnificent man and one that we shall surely miss. As the meme said, he will always be number one. 

10 (or 11?) Favourite Lovecraft Stories

So over the last few months I've been listening to a number of works by H.P. Lovecraft (audio book format) and I have worked on a list consisting of my favourite stories so far. Obviously this will be shortened for both simplicity and I will try to avoid spoiling too much (as spoiler free something that was published between the 1920's - 1940's can be).

My own personal opinion of Lovecraft himself is this, I find his stories to be highly well written and engaging, but as for the man himself, he was very much a product of his time (which is a polite way of saying I strongly disagree with his views on a number of things that we as a society have progressed forward since those times..........for the most part anyway). As such, the words used in reference to those of African appearance or Natives of various cultures tend to be that of a derogation nature, so just a heads up when reading some of these stories.

As for it being called the Cthulhu Mythos, I feel that given the Necronomicon features far more heavily then that Cthulhu did in his works it should have been named after the book, but then it wouldn't have been as catchy I guess. But enough of my stupid opinions, on to the list.

1. Herbert West - Reanimator

Possibly the one I've re-listened to the most. The tale is a recount of a series of events surrounding Herbert West by his friend and somewhat willing accomplice, starting from their time as students at the Miskatonic University in the city of Arkham leading all the way up to the ultimate fate of Herbert West. The story shows how one man's attempts into trying to prove their theory of reanimated a human body can go down a very dark path and that sometimes such a path has its own consequences.

2. Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family

A nice short tale about Arthur Jermyn, his tragic death and his family history that leads to the ultimate answer as to why. I'd go into more detail, but this one you really have to read to understand how it all works together.

3. Cool Air

A short tale told from a narrator as he recalls the tale of a time where he sought residence best suited to him and how he came to meet a Doctor who lived above him. The Doctor lives in a room that he claims must be kept at a constant cool temperature and his own theories about how a human can live, even after his body has failed by pure willpower alone.

4. The Dunwich Horror

One of Lovecraft's more famous works, this tale takes place in the old and decrepit village of Dunwhich and is about the Whateley family, of Yog-Sothoth and the unnatural events leading to the rampage of the thing that would be known as the Dunwich Horror. Most of the story is about Wilbur Whateley, the grandson of a man the villages call Old Wizard Whateley, his growing up and his eventual quest to Arkham to seek a more accurate version of the Necronomicon. From here it then turns towards the Horror itself and the events leading to its ultimate fate and what it is.

5. The Thing on the Doorstep

So from what I've seen on reviews for this one, it is rated as one of Lovecraft's lesser tales, mostly due to the obviousness of things. To me however, if you have the right voice talent for an audio book format, it actually works well. Essentially it is a story about Occult magic and mind transference, with the 'thing on the doorstep' being something that's more to the end of it. Regardless of what others thought, I enjoyed this one.

6. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward

Oh boy, this story is perhaps the biggest of the lot. As the title says, the story is about a man name Charles Dexter Ward and trying to piece together the pieces about his life, the point when he went mad and leading to his subsequent disappearance from the mental asylum he was sent to. Of course, it goes a lot deeper then that and it takes a number of turns and recounts as each chapter reveals more of the mystery and by the end you have the full picture of what truly happened to Charles Dexter Ward.

7. The Cats of Ulthar

Simply put, don't mess with Cats. In short, the story tells of the event that would bring the town of Ulthar into creating a law to make it illegal to kill a cat. You may never look at a group of cats the same after this.

8. The Rats in the Walls

Having spent a number of family generations in America, one of the last surviving members of the Delapore family (once called De la Poer, but changed when the last of the family left England due to some tragic/mysterious event) returns to the families original family estate and to the dismay of the locals, plans to restore it to its former glory. Unfortunately, sounds in the walls start to upset the cats and soon the stories of the past lead to investigations into the family history and the history of the estate. The ending is quite something.

9. The Colour Out of Space

A surveyor out to check a large set of land that is to be used as a water reservoir for the city of Arkham hears tales about avoiding a section of grey baron wasteland called the blasted heath. While the locals won't tell him much, he learns of a man whom he hopes to get information from. He is told a story about a meteor crash that took place years before and the events that took place after it, leading to the land being the way it is. As with all good tales, the haunting twist is quite nice.

10. The Shadow over Innsmouth

So if you have ever heard the term 'Deep Ones' in relation to Lovecraft lore, this is the prime spot to learn of them. The story is told as an account long after the Government had did a massive quarantine and raid of the decayed fishing town of Innsmouth. Starting as a simple side trip of curiosity on his way to Arkham, the narrator tells of his time in Innsmouth, of the strange people, his prying out of the crazy history of Innsmouth and his eventual escape from Innsmouth. It that wasn't enough, there is a great twist to the end of the story, with some clues thrown in here and there through out it, but ultimately wrapped up well in the end.

11. The Call of Cthulhu

Obviously to leave this out is to miss the entire point of why Lovecraft's cosmic horror is so beloved in modern day fandoms. The Call of Cthulhu is the tale of Francis Wayland Thurston and his quest to find the truth behind the notes left by his recently deceased grand-uncle. It is broken down into three main parts, the dream records of a patient named Henry Anthony Wilcox, a story told to an academic meeting by a police official trying to find more information about their Cult raid with another academic giving their own tale about something similar based on a statue the officer brought from said raid and the final one being about an Australian article in 1925 about a sole surviving sailor and his strange story, with Francis seeking the sailor for his own version of events. It is The Call of Cthulhu that gives us not only a glimpse into his power, but a physical description and a rough location where he and his city resides. This is the being that is the marketing face of Lovecraft's work and its modern day popularity, so this is definitely a must read.

If your into things like cosmic horror or just wanting to learn more about Lovecraft's work, these are just some of the stories you could check out.