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The Little Black BoxFan-Fiction, Xbox Reviews and a whole load of Geekiness! April 27 More 'creation of a world'Ok, heres some stuff...
The world
- Verragoth
- A selection of large and medium islands scaterred around the frozen sea
- The area is a mix of tundra regions and mountainous areas running down to moorish cliffs by the sea and pebbled beaches, all settlements of a substantial size are located around the edges of the island or deep within the mountains.
- The captial of the region is Th'Lan, run by the local Human government
- Other notable places are Nerroware, the last bastion of the Nurthren wildmen. The large dwarven hold Kjarin, and the Silver Elf city known as Thiraduil.
- Humans are the largest populus, taking a large section of the islands for themselves with the Silver Elves next to them in population growth, having abundant and thriving trade with the human settlements in exchange for protection from the human battalions. The dwarves are happy in their holds, deep within the mountains and never venture far from them, only on escort missions to sell their valuable finds in human and elven cities. The Nurthren wildmen however have very few settlements apart from Nerroware and are more nomadic than anything, using the regular ice flows to carry them and their small raiding parties from isand to island and making make-shift camps along the coast. They are a serious threat to the safety of the new inhabitants and so have been dealt with viciously by all, Elf and man alike.
Places of major interest/story markers
- Dragons Maw, a giant mountainous cavern that holds sway on the main island...it houses drakewyrms and other creatures of that sort and has been said to hold a great treasure for those willing enough to make the journey, and are brave enough.
- The Cove of Darmalesk, a small cove situated on the coast of the main island. It was the scene of a great battle many years ago and the carcasses of the many ship acting as tombs for the men who drowned are still littered around the area.
- Forest of Hallows, the Forest of Hallows is a large expanse of unnatural woodland that should not exist here in Verragoth. It is a forest of massive pine trees, and yet the snow never falls on its floors...something protects the woodland and underneath is the only green grass you will ever see this far north.
Characters so far...
- Ronan: Human
- Balastor: Dwarf
- Drago: Human
- Aramis: Silver Elf
- Gregor: Dwarf
- Dunthroe: Wildman
- Jarkos: Wildman
- Narrof: Dwarf
(Details to follow)
Ok, so thats my mass of informaiton for the moment...Now all I need to do is write more onto my world map and provide myself with a guide for the story (which you'll never see...well some of you migh) and create character bio's for the ones listed above, also picking a selection of them as main characters for the story. April 25 My hit list..Ok, so I've made a massive commitment to make my own world but theres a lot of things still that I need to do if I want to make sure I get things right for me...most of which have been suggested quite vermenantly by friends...
1) Buy a PS2 or PSP and get a God of War game.
2) Find somewhere that sells a good selection of Lord of the Rings merchandise.
3) Research more into the background and history of Middle Earth and re-read the novels so I get a better feel for it all.
4) Find a way to patch up my massive hole of information that has come from a story I've been reading, need to format all of that for my friends sake.
Oh fuck...now I've forgotten things thanks to Add (my brother) talking to me...crap. Creation of a world...Ok, so...the time has come for me now to go and make my own world to write a story in. Thanks to the way I've been reading and obsessing over a friends world and her take on things (some of which you can see here in short fictions based on her world) I've been wanting to plan my own world and step from the shadow of successful writers/games...
So, heres my hit list of exactly what I need...I think.
- World Map
- Names: Towns/Regions
- Creatures: What types/how/where
- Main character(s)
- Race: Regions of where the races come from
- Languages: Do I want to make my own or borrow?
Thats my list of things to do for now. I've got a few things sorted for now though...
The world will be called Athreal...however the area of the world where this story takes place, is far to the North called Verragoth...harsh and deadly. I also have the main city/capital of the region named Th'lan (The-Lan) and the regions races are spread between a selection of creatures adapted for the cold climate, and home to races such as the Nurthern wildmen, Silver Elves, Humans, and Dwarves...
Thats as far as my plannings gone...I have a great little scribble map which I'll translate to paint soon enough...yay! April 18 Halo 2 Blastacular maps reviewBeing a complete Halo nut, these new maps were a massive “yes!” when it came to whether or not I was going to download them. So, I switched on my 360 around 10 o’clock and switched onto the download content section, nothing there. I was a little surprised, but then realised that I might have to wait, and after a few games of Big Team Battle Slayer I switched back over and bobs-your-uncle the map pack had appeared for the download.
So, after a day of custom games and a mass of fiddling around with the ins and outs of the levels themselves I thought it would be customary to bring my little bit of knowledge for you guys, and see whether or not the maps are worth that itty, bitty £2 price tag.
The first of the maps, named Desolation which is based on the old map Derelict has had a complete and utter face lift, but the basics have remained the same throughout. To start with, the map has the same basic shape, completely circular with symmetrical sides so both teams have the fairest go when playing through the maps with a group. The layout has also stayed the same, with the objective spots remaining in mostly the same areas, and the all important central area complete with glimmering Energy Sword.
The biggest changes have come in the way that you get around the map. There are still the passages going up and down from the second floor, but now in a break from Bungie tradition, and making light of their love of all things gravity-lifting, there is two colour coded grav-lifts shooting you up into your respective areas. Each of these lifts you high and dry out of the action, but, with the increased threat of danger and not being able to move. Unlucky bomb wielders and flag carriers could be meeting a very nasty end.
Graphically, the level looks amazing. The older and more beaten up Forerunner feel of the structure makes for some interesting atmosphere, and if you’ve read through any of the recent Bungie.net newsletters you’ll understand where the artwork was going when it came to mind. The level is even complete with streaks of blood, puddles of flood as well as human and even that eerie wailing that seems to come with all Forerunner structures you walk about in. It has the feel of level like Backwash and on Halo: Combat Evolved 343 Guilty Spark, and feels very compact to walk around it. This of course brings on the question of what lovely gametypes work best with the lovely level.
Slayer immediately sprung to mind when I first set up a few custom games with friends and tried them out, and they do work phenomenally well. The level is so packed in that you are immediately shoved into the action, and no-one is really out of the action for too long. Battle Rifle starts, for me, are out of the question and so the good old SMG was locked in as the starting weapon to start with and it works well.
There are plenty of weapons to compliment your SMG, with a couple of plasma rifles lying around, and the ever so beautiful needler available if it takes your fancy. Added to this, its really not long before you can get your hands on some more beefy weapons like the Brute shot, shotgun, dare I mention the Sentinel Beam, and of course the deadly energy sword. Added to that, to combat all of those is the brutal rocket launcher tucked underneath the main tower, and with that central position, just like the sword it’s going to be a meat-grinder to make it to it unscathed.
The next gametype that came up was rockets, and damn this was fun. The added level and the grav-lifts mean that you do a lot more jumping than normal, and constantly find yourself flinging your body around to avoid the rockets. It’s brutal, and fast and damn addictive. Really, any slayers on this level are prefect fodder for all lovers of custom games, as well as something more regimented from the locked gametypes.
The objective games however, are very different. Oddball is the best for a map of this size, and it’s guaranteed to be frantic. When playing through a few games of it we ended up with some rather hilarious moments as well as some cool ones, and if anything it was better than the slayer games, everyone yelling expletives through their headsets before cutting out with the explosion of plasma ringing in your ears.
Capture the Flag is a little less than useful on this map. It’s tough, and easy to take out the flag man on his escape due to the open nature of the level. But, it’s great if your team is willing to pick up the slack and guard your back. Assaults are slightly better, but the fact that the level is so small means that it’s incredibly hard to have a moment’s peace when planting the device, which is actually no bad thing.
Over all, if anything Desolation makes up for the things that Warlock lost out on when it was released with the last batch of maps. It’s a good looking, fast paced, deadly level and is guaranteed to make lovers of all things sword-like grin in pleasure as you dash around after screaming 12 year olds laughing manically.
Tombstone, the remake of Hang ‘em High is a much more open map. The level has been completely re-drawn for the newest edition, but has still retained its basic shape and feel. It still has the mass of walkways, the odd structures jutting out of the floor, and the infamous ‘gutter’ running through the middle. But, it’s all a lot better than it was.
The new aesthetic look of Tombstone has carried on from the Earth side of the Covenant invasion of New Mombassa. The background reveals the blasted skyline of the city, complete with plumes of smoke and soot, and the odd sound of explosions and metallic grindings that other urban maps have taken on. It looks, and feels like it could have been an extra from the Outskirts or Metropolis levels from the campaign, the derelict foundry a perfect place for a little bit of mayhem.
Again, the level has had its overhauls. The obvious one being the large access ramp that used to cause so many cries of anguish in the original version. This death trap has been revamped now with a nifty and somewhat covered vent that rockets you up those necessary few yards to the top. This means no longer will snipers get an easy shot at you dragging your flag back to base on your last Spartan legs.
As well as this, the level feels a lot more open. The mass of tombstones or pillars around the floor area have been significantly reduced, with mass areas of combat placed in between to allow for combat to go un-hindered. Of course, the cover still remains, but now its going to make it even harder for you to make your way across the lower levels.
Then there are the little details that make all the difference. Now, in the small area of the map where the walkways could be covered from a sheltered windowed area, there is now glass, lovely fragile glass. Added to this, the myriad of signs and little holes in the walls to climb through, and the industrial setting mean that it all feels a lot more interesting than the bland Covenant washed steel effect we got on Halo: Combat Evolved.
The same walkways though, have lived to tell the tale, and are still the quickest, even if the most open, ways to get around. They provide clear lines of sight to each of the ‘bases’ or summits on each colour coded tower as well as housing a few goodies along the way for you to get your grubby three clawed hands on.
These goodies come in the form of the good old energy sword perched high on a pedestal overlooking the entire map, again like Desolation and other maps (namely Terminal) this makes it a hard task to reach it without being peppered with bullets and plasma, but in the end in the hands of a skilled Spartan or Elite, it’ll be an invaluable tool for assaulting the bases.
As well as this, the walkways also play host to the sniper rifle, now located far out on the arm of a massive crane overlooking the centre of the map. Again, it’s a hard route up, but it’s worth it for the vantage point, and in the end the leap down from it back to solid ground and up the tunnels back to you base to cover from there.
As for other weapons, a host of more unseen weapons populate the maps now. Bruteshots are more a sure thing on the map, but most of the weapons are balanced out in accordance with getting the use of both duel-wieldable weapons and others like the Battle Rifle spot on. There are always the heavy duty weapons to fall back on though, like the impressive rocket launcher, now snugly hidden away in the ‘gutter’ below, lodged in a storm drain.
Speaking of the hideous thing, the gutter had now been lovingly re-worked for the sanity of all Halo players. The annoyance fell with the edge of the thing, and constantly getting stuck on it as you tried to get away from that blue guy with the needler shooting you in the rear. Now thankfully that has been dealt with, and complete with lovely splashy water, the gutter is re-born in fine Halo 2 status. It’s still though as always a complete death-trap, and will no-doubt as it was for me, a veritable minefield of grenades of both the common and brutish kind.
This is all well and good, but now you want to know more about what gametypes fit where with this level, right? Well, here is the rundown anyway, with a heavy emphasis on the joy, the sheer heart pounding love, of snipers.
Hang ‘em High was the ultimate long range and sniper love-fest. This map was born for that gametype, and still is now with the recreation of Tombstone. Not only does the mass of lower cover in the two corners add to the ‘help me’ factor, but the amazing amount of high points and nooks and crannies to get lost in makes this a sniper dream. It’s always fun to fire a round into a helpless looking Spartan and see him flee into the open before finishing him off. If you can manage to get your hands on it for Capture the Flag, it is invaluable, but for the communistic gametype, it’s all massive amounts of fun.
The second love of this level is anything objective based. Again, Capture the Flag is a diamond of a gametype on this level, with some amazing and awesome set-pieces set up with the amount of ways into and out of the bases. Assault follows in the same vein, and with the added lack of cover and the towers themselves, it’s again a heart pounding gametype to enjoy with teams of six or more. Territories, however unpopular also work very well and I still personally have a soft spot for it. Tombstone offers some great spots to make as your camps, and will also make you familiar with calling out areas of the map when you play with you clan on these in the coming weeks.
Both of these maps have become seriously good fun over the past few hours of playtime. Through a few offline and online matches against friends the entire Halo 2 experience has been revitalised further. They are seriously worth spending just a couple of pounds on, and if your looking for some sustenance before the Beta approaches in a month, and then something to fall back on after its gone, then these are the purchases for you. It might only be two maps, but its Halo 2 dudes!
I know what I'll look like at 50...Well, roughly...thanks to doing the filming today and finding out that white hair spray and some eye-liner actually makes a difference. Also, the make-up was pretty snazzy...and to be honest, I looked quite cool...lol.
Anyway...now I'm extremely tired, and hoping to just relax and talk to people over MSN and just enjoy the rest of the evening. I've found an old book about Gaelic lore and the ways of a Bard, its very cool...but well, just a filler before I move onto Children of Hirn tommorrow hopefully.
But tralala...gonna wait and enjoy...yay. |
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