Spore Creature Creator - GrayGoyle

And here is another creation dancing...

Spore Creature Creator - Buzease

I created a character, which I decided to name "Buzease". Here is my post of it dancing.


I created this after watching the advanced creature creation tutorials which explain some great things that aid you in creating a more accurate depiction of what you envision. Here is the Advanced Creation of a Praying Mantis...



...other videos on creating these crazy things...

BUILDING


PAINTING

What in the world... (Spore)

I downloaded the Spore Creature Creator (free trial edition) and decided to finally try it this weekend. I started making a character. After putting the final touches on the creation, I saved it. At this point the ideas started churning in my head. I could make a cartoon character, a game character, a character from a movie, etc. I started my next character. It ended up looking like a mix between Dr. Octopus and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Some time had passed by now. I looked up at the clock. Wow, a lot of time had passed.

I was so engrossed in this simple program. I showed it off and other people were excited about it as well. The next day I went to the local B*$T B*Y and bought (used a $10 rewards ticket) the $9.99 retail "full" version of the creator. This unlocked all of the available body parts, colors, backgrounds, etc. You can upload videos of your characters dancing directly to YouTube. EA is even running a dance contest for the characters.

I love browsing through the Sporepedia and seeing all of the original creations and even variations of the same characters. I can't wait for the full game to come out. 74 days left.

If you haven't downloaded, at least, the trial version, do yourself a favor and do it now. Spore Creature Creator

Issues:

The only issue I have come across as of today is that two of my characters were not in my list in the game. The showed up online in my account, just not in the game. Thes session in which I created the characters had crashed. I had saved the characters, but something caused things to go screwy.

This is the fix if that happens to you (from Spore's community page) :

• Go to the Spore application data directory:
  Vista users: C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\SPORE Creature Creator\
  XP users: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\SPORE Creature Creator\
  Mac users: Users\\Library\Preferences\SPORE Creature Creator Preferences\p_drive\User\Application Data\SporeCreatureCreator\


• Delete these two files: GraphicsCache.Package and ServerCache.Package


• Run the game. You should see your lost creatures restored in the Sporepedia under “Everything”


• To share them, open them in the editor and make any small change. Save and publish.

Voodoo Pc -- Revitalizing it's brand

Voodoo PC partnered with HP in 2006 and soon after released the Blackbird Desktop. The Blackbird was an art piece with nice hardware specs. The innovative design and layout of the interior set it apart from all other brands. Voodoo has brought their "Voodoo DNA" branding to the HP desktops.

Personally, I prefer the clean lines of the Voodoo brand over the older Alienware "skullcap" design. I was happy to see that Alienware had moved away from this on their newer laptops, but still provide the option to get the "skullcap" chassis. The Voodoo branded HP Blackbird Desktop was a sight to behold. Then you open the case and the clean design of the interior is amazing. It kind of reminds me of the way Apple had designed their G5 desktops with sectioned off areas for airflow. The panels are removable on both sides for modding and easy access. The tool-less design is always a perk for someone who loves to tinker with hardware. The attention to detail is amazing as well. There is even a slot for an allen wrench. The most intriguing part is the cable-less hard drive cages. Every motherboard/case should have this. This system was all about clean and cool. The PSU is modular to keep cabling down as well. Unfortunately, the main draw back of this beautiful system is the price tag. The case is available alone, but still carries a hefty price tag.

Voodoo has now release information on its plans for HP laptops with Voodoo DNA. These are also beautifully designed and rival anything Apple has released. The design is sleek and aggressive. Voodoo seems to be targetting the MacBook AIR with its small footprint and specs. Expect it to carry the Voodoo price tag, as well.



Here are the top specs:
13.3" WXGA High Def LED Display (1280x800)
Ambient Light Sensor
Large touchpad for multi finger tracking
LED backlit keyboard
HDD/SSD options are either an 80G HDD or 64GB SDD
External eSATA Super Multi-Drive

Ports include:
HDMI port (max res. 1920x1080)
Headphone out with Microphone in
2 speakers
1 USB
1 eSATA/USB 2.0 combo

Battery:
3-cell Lithium Ion
Up to 3hr 45min life (dependent on usage)

Still Playing Mass Effect...

This game draws me in like nothing prior. Bioware has really accomplished something here. I so easily gave up on previous Bioware games since I am not into long fetch quests, long (boring) dialogue, and other things that plagued the previous games. Mass Effect has a cinematic quality with wonderfully written dialogue, interesting characters, great action sequences, an intriguing story and a musical score that drives it all. I really don't want to spoil anything so I will just say that the music swells at the perfect moments. I have wiped the schedule of all other games and have invested all of my gaming time to this.

If you haven't already, go get this game.

Currently Playing (update)...

Okay, I've given up on KOTOR II for the billionth time. I just don't feel drawn in by it and quickly get bored with it. I have moved on to another Bioware game, Mass Effect. I have enjoyed what Bioware has done in the past. They improve with every new release. Jade Empire was more intriguing to me than either of the KOTOR games, even though I am a huge Star Wars nut.

I guess the major detail that I see improving, in my opinion, is the combat interaction. In the KOTOR games there isn't really a control over combat. It feels very removed. Sure, you can choose your weapon, type of attack and who to target, but I didn't feel like I was controlling the action. Jade Empire gave some of that control back. I felt like I had more control over the character in battle and therefore felt more immersed. Fast forward (>>) to the PC release of Mass Effect. I'll focus on just two of the major features to keep this post short.

Immersive World:
Bioware has create a huge world to explore in Mass Effect. The world feels more real and accessible than KOTOR's. It feels intuitive. From the moment I stepped into the Citadel I knew how to get where I wanted to go. Information signs and kiosks aid in navigation and the quick transport is there to zip you from one place to another in the blink of a loading screen.

The Codex is by far the best "PDA" device I have ever experienced in a game. Doom 3 had the PDA that allowed you to read emails or listen to messages while playing, but it doesn't come close to this genius device. The production value that went into just this device is a testament to the attention to detail that Bioware has put into this game. I normally don't even open the PDA device unless it has quest info, but this Codex compels me to open it each time a new snippet is added to it. The narrator that reads most entries about history or alien races is awesome. I don't just skim for important information, I want to listen to the whole thing. This really adds to the believability and immersion in this world of Bioware's creation.

Battle Mechanics:
I am not a huge fan of RPG's. As mentioned above, I don't really like not having control over my character. Bioware has given me back control over my actions in combat and I am grateful. The combat is similar to any 3rd person shooter. Bioware has taken the sort of upgrade system from KOTOR and made it more accessible. Weapons in this game are explained to be built for customization. There is a standard for weapon parts and these parts can be found throughout the game world.

As far as the actual combat goes, I am pleased with the amount of weapons you are able to carry. Each has it's own function. You start out with a pistol, machine gun, shotgun, and sniper rifle. They don't magically appear when you switch to them either.

The cover system is pretty good as well. When a weapon is drawn you can push into a wall or behind a crate and you will go into cover mode. It is similar to Gears of War. You can also command your squad to move or take cover similar to the Rainbow 6: Vegas games.


These are just a few quick observations and I hope to write more as I progress. The story is well written and I am intrigued to continue.