tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5339500858491573102024-03-13T08:51:08.173-07:00Technocrat GamesNews and updates for what TECHNOCRAT GAMES is currently up to.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-22264849979312070442017-02-17T10:20:00.000-08:002017-02-17T10:21:03.102-08:00Technobabylon 2, Part 3: NZOKASo, in what seems to be characteristic in terms of the way I do things, I changed my mind again. I had been experimenting with 3D isometric gameplay, and while the novelty held some appeal, it didn't quite achieve the results I had been hoping for. In addition, it added a whole new mess of complications to the development process. So - I gave up!<br />
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More accurately, I decided to take a step backwards. I had Adventure Creator for Unity, so I thought - "why not use it to make a <i>normal </i>adventure?" Well, as normal as the genre that invented the "Use X with rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle" can be. I had had practice with 2D games before, funnily enough having made Technobabylon (among others) just before. I could get into a 2D mindset, and perhaps get my head around the way Unity did things in order to make a more conventional adventure - something that might be a bit more up Wadjet Eye's street.<br />
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Still hadn't come up with a definite title, either. 2chnobabylon? Orthopolis? Eudaimonia? Better work on the stuff in the game, first.<br />
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<b><u>Nzoka</u></b><br />
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I'm going to avoid spoiling things for the as-yet unreleased (and mostly undeveloped) sequel, but this time around I wanted to go with a slightly different approach for the story, and focus it on one character specifically. Some might argue (pretentiously) that Technobabylon is <i>post</i>-cyberpunk, due to the player's control of agents of the city's authority, negating the "punk" elements within, and serving as a deconstruction by playing as someone who is quite happy to avoid fighting back against "the man" as long as she gets her internet. For the sequel, I wanted to go with something a little more...traditionally cyberpunk. This is Nzoka.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH5548X4iFLogVmF9jsNTX_qmE2SG0Gq7Pn0CGUygeJBn2278IKGUngzC9Uvae4wWCW_pOJ9Z2dSc4aFuZwptVILNo3x2AuCbVI5E7jZJBslJD532NkFufdaeKWn-9lYEtS3KEMac9mM/s1600/Nzoka-Sketch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH5548X4iFLogVmF9jsNTX_qmE2SG0Gq7Pn0CGUygeJBn2278IKGUngzC9Uvae4wWCW_pOJ9Z2dSc4aFuZwptVILNo3x2AuCbVI5E7jZJBslJD532NkFufdaeKWn-9lYEtS3KEMac9mM/s320/Nzoka-Sketch1.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earliest concept by Amanda Virtudes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadqkDBcZmA21ZP1MwTV5dM_GtunGwxIht-s_o_24a_xbhVfaiHFPl9Bz-B5O50LUnEV0_JcB93yk41BSKFFS0Q_Z72pCEfXnOjbkXqpuSNQ3Q0r2nmySOp-vYZN9n3vI50b6l4hhehrQ/s1600/Nzoka_transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadqkDBcZmA21ZP1MwTV5dM_GtunGwxIht-s_o_24a_xbhVfaiHFPl9Bz-B5O50LUnEV0_JcB93yk41BSKFFS0Q_Z72pCEfXnOjbkXqpuSNQ3Q0r2nmySOp-vYZN9n3vI50b6l4hhehrQ/s320/Nzoka_transparent.png" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan Ulyanov's take on the speech portrait</td></tr>
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She's a criminal, a rogue, someone keen to avoid the eyes of the authorities for things she's done in the past, and what she may be planning to do. In fact, she's just spend the past two months in a Trance-based cyberspace prison/rehabilitation program, which in order to save space is conducted in the subject's own home. Only, they don't know that, thanks to the suggestive power of virtual reality.<br />
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One of the things I hope I achieved with Technobabylon was an unusual setting - the city of Newton, while very much a classically cyberpunk venue, was built on the Eastern coast of Africa, just up from Mombasa. I was born in the neighbourhood, and figured that it might make a nice setting for a "new city". It's on the major trade routes past the Middle East, and from Asia up to the Suez Canal, hence why the pirates do so much damage around there. With a bit of wealthy investment from across the Gulf, and otherwise cheap land, it'd be the kind of place to plonk down a city from scratch. However, this is a project conducted by outsiders, the wealthy and cosmopolitan of the world - Nzoka is an outsider, but only by a few kilometres.<br />
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A deserter from the Kenyan army, she's grown up with Newton as an enclave of wealthy technocrats next-door, who'll gun down anyone trying to get into the city without their prior approval (build a wall and make Kenya pay for it!). We've seen the establishment of Newton through Regis and Lao, we've seen its own kind of underclass in Latha, but here's a view from someone that starts off considerably more hostile to the whole place, working her ways from the slums to the shining towers to achieve her mission. While the developed areas of Newton barely betray its African position, the slums further out become less homogenised, reflective of the local culture just past the border.<br />
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She doesn't like Newton, she doesn't like what it represents, and she has an awful lot of preconceptions about what kind of people would live there; among those, however, is her brother, with whom she hasn't been able to reach for months.<br />
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So, I had a concept of a character, and what her goals are that require a visit to the big cyberpunk city. At this stage, I still didn't have an artist to hand, especially one I could make all of the same ridiculous demands that I could with Ben Chandler (and which he would then exceed expectations with). Additionally, I was aiming for a higher resolution than the previous game, going up from 320x200 to 720x400, widescreen adding its own whole new complications. So, I needed a way to design sprite-based characters - one that I could operate myself (despite terrible 2D art skills), and create fairly complex animations in eight directions. Where could I find what I needed? Japan!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkRmbane-LBty3CQl-0LxxE5WABCl5K4f9955aKUHnIjn3Bz2uV2614_Dt6NmMyvfTkxzmtFw8GJy2qUOsIAY9fs98E8wH1YBJbvJ10E2UCtHL6lJOOZEWFWTqQt1qLpdQTSde3yRr3c/s1600/title.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkRmbane-LBty3CQl-0LxxE5WABCl5K4f9955aKUHnIjn3Bz2uV2614_Dt6NmMyvfTkxzmtFw8GJy2qUOsIAY9fs98E8wH1YBJbvJ10E2UCtHL6lJOOZEWFWTqQt1qLpdQTSde3yRr3c/s320/title.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://kushi.lv9.org/pixelartshader/index.html?i=1" target="_blank">this Blender shader</a>, one can turn 3D models into classically-styled 2D sprites. It took a bit of fiddling, and my rusty Japanese skills didn't help a great deal, but after a bit of kicking, I had a production pipeline set up for churning out humanoid characters that would fit in with a game like this. I can now not only use my functional 3D skill to replace my absent 2D ones, but also take advantage of pre-existing skeletons. Only one walk cycle is needed, as every character thereafter can import the same animation from its progenitor. Additionally, I can borrow animations from the Carnegie Mellon database for reference allowing for all sorts of complex, realistic behaviours that I wouldn't have a snowball's chance of producing on my wacom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak1O0vnIhj4PPs7P925vhK8N8p-tTMUrCjY1qkxQLQ17zf-0wqryZuZc5nJ8a4s_fVAJZnB6k8oE7N5ZzYd_las6Kuoo2RTIB-v2zdHEFLLLwftpsiGJj7HlJ9PtQgpH67FgTDyVOgQc/s1600/Image2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak1O0vnIhj4PPs7P925vhK8N8p-tTMUrCjY1qkxQLQ17zf-0wqryZuZc5nJ8a4s_fVAJZnB6k8oE7N5ZzYd_las6Kuoo2RTIB-v2zdHEFLLLwftpsiGJj7HlJ9PtQgpH67FgTDyVOgQc/s320/Image2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9etvOIfe6EbG96QyCmwtkAEJQ_dyaK3hfAQ3-xbFye2aliUAV3yDgHeb-behNiY0314lGx_SJb5LVwLYi9r6HRtFa-IBxK-BBCXV_CWzUENCPgim4TeKsOZ3y3BhiKxGXfRYA0bNTA4w/s1600/Nzoka..gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9etvOIfe6EbG96QyCmwtkAEJQ_dyaK3hfAQ3-xbFye2aliUAV3yDgHeb-behNiY0314lGx_SJb5LVwLYi9r6HRtFa-IBxK-BBCXV_CWzUENCPgim4TeKsOZ3y3BhiKxGXfRYA0bNTA4w/s1600/Nzoka..gif" /></a></div>
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A method of building characters? Sorted. Now to look at backgrounds.<br />
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With the success I had last time, I opted to try a similar approach to backgrounds - 3D model reference, with competent artists painting over it to create the nineties style that so well suits these games. At the time, Ben was working on Shardlight, so I grabbed a old of Ivan, the talent behind the speech portraits of Technobabylon (and many other Wadjet Eye projects). The higher resolution was something he seemed suited to, and he went for a more "comic-book" approach to the portraits. The result:<br />
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So! The essential elements of a game were able to be built. We can have characters, we can have backgrounds, and thanks to Adventure Creator, we can have a point-and-click game on PC, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS from release. I put together a demo of the earliest section of the game, and ran it past a few folks to see what they thought. The general concept of the story and the new art style got a positive response, but it was coming out a bit too...chatty. Too much dialogue. I could see what was happening - the slower process of building the game in Unity as opposed to AGS was fragmenting development for me - I was no longer writing things like LookAts and Interactions on the go, but it had become much more a process of stopping to deal with scenes one at a time. Hopefully, this was going to be an issue that would be addressed through practice.<br />
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<b><u>Newton, a City Built out of Hair</u></b><br />
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In order to get the hang of the new "hi-resolution" style that 720x400 permitted, I also decided to try some experiments with the other areas of the game's art. Much like Technobabylon, wanted a nice view of the city to set the scene on the main menu, and made use of another useful feature of Blender - hair. Specifically, the ability to choose a group of models to act as the hairs, growing from follicles across a mesh. With the aid of maps of Manhattan and Kenya to choose where the wig should go, I laid out a grid of roads and city blocks. Knocking together a few towers and hitting the "rogaine" button, I was surprised by how straightforward this was - if you want a go at the process yourself, <a href="https://youtu.be/XCEN0qQOsIA" target="_blank">here's</a> the info. While a nice shape, it understandably lacked the detail it needed, with an appearance like something out of the start of Mirror's Edge than what I needed. Once again, Ivan's talents came in handy. I really ought to get around to paying him for it some day.<br />
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More experiments followed to create scenery for an intro scene, but after a little while I realised I'd become distracted by 3D. The downside of using this process for creating a game was the disconnect between Blender and the sprites, requiring the compiling/alpha/resizing process to get them to look appropriate in-game. The results were...okay, but still I thought things could be better. Building all of this had served as more practice, and I felt like Technobabylon's sequel could look even nicer with what I <i>now </i>could do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UUSZCnDtF-nZnjhrVd9GPQz6qxQHzDph7mG-S1kN_-wzuPQ7ipjthXV3TNVAXHnJxtwXRAI_7mOcMxgep9e3LsiVRFoQ8RuiMbF-QjSVqeVSsrosr1uz2RAJIPq13Lks4Nkm-9Lo4EA/s1600/LimoAnim.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UUSZCnDtF-nZnjhrVd9GPQz6qxQHzDph7mG-S1kN_-wzuPQ7ipjthXV3TNVAXHnJxtwXRAI_7mOcMxgep9e3LsiVRFoQ8RuiMbF-QjSVqeVSsrosr1uz2RAJIPq13Lks4Nkm-9Lo4EA/s1600/LimoAnim.gif" /></a></div>
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On the one hand, it's an "ARGH" moment to have part of your brain telling you that you need to retool the game again again. On the other hand, that's how evolution works.<br />
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<i>Next Episode: DIMENSIONAL COMPROMISE</i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-40409240131420429382017-02-10T10:54:00.003-08:002017-02-10T10:57:27.926-08:00Technobabylon 2, Part 2: ISOBABYLON<i>Previously on Technobabylon 2: </i>After getting on the Unity train (choo choo!), and gaining a better understanding of its foibles with the aid of Adventure Creator, it was time to actually think not just about the functional elements of it, but also what I'd want a sequel to Technobabylon to look like.<br />
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Designing a game, especially a narrative adventure like this, is dependent upon not just how I <i>want </i>it to look, but additionally what I'm capable of. What I love is storytelling, though I'm a terrible 2D artist, and only an adequate 3D one. On my own, I'd be unlikely to produce anything in the order of Lucasarts in the nineties (or, perhaps, Westwood with Blade Runner), nor something like what Telltale are producing these days. After all, I'm only one person! In order to minimise the amount of outsourcing that'd need doing for art, I started looking into other games with a style that was minimal enough to...be inspired by (definitely not "knock off"), but also had a system that was conducive to telling a story through adventures.<br />
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<b><u>ISOBABYLON</u></b><br />
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Two examples leapt to mind - Stasis (2015) was an adventure game that made use of an isometric perspective to create an atmospheric story, and Shadowrun Returns (2013), a cyberpunk tactical strategy with the kind of bathed-in-neon urban setting that would make the perfect backdrop for a future Technobabylon game. So, I set about seeing what kind of challenges would be involved in persuading Unity to see things from this perspective. An isometric perspective, that is - ho ho.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0MP4ZDLf93OPu_-7etKXTrxCvl0DUrOKWUuwSjb3R6XORIsIqTOHxw6OENz2aRA73d0tF4QDHKpIsZKigAUHMZGhv3W4u2Jy4TyAT0Ckfo9falCXpYaGXWglSUSuwyhP3o8pqGNpy1s/s1600/2282406-Shadow_10401_screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0MP4ZDLf93OPu_-7etKXTrxCvl0DUrOKWUuwSjb3R6XORIsIqTOHxw6OENz2aRA73d0tF4QDHKpIsZKigAUHMZGhv3W4u2Jy4TyAT0Ckfo9falCXpYaGXWglSUSuwyhP3o8pqGNpy1s/s320/2282406-Shadow_10401_screen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadowrun Returns</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stasis</td></tr>
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By default, Unity sees things in 3D. In fact, it was only within the last few years that it started to take 2D seriously. Although the cameras all operate in 3D, they can be set to operate orthographically - that is, lines don't disappear off into a point as they would in perspective. That's one step dealt with. This means that we can use 3D models for our characters and parts of our scenery, and externally-sourced 2D art for scenery. I could therefore build the actors myself, relying on the distance between the camera and the people to hide the flaws in my craftwork, and let someone more competent than I deal with the backgrounds - unlike the first game, where Ben Chandler handled all of the backgrounds and characters.<br />
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As mentioned last time, using Adventure Creator had done a lot of the work for me when it came to building the adventure side of an adventure game. It comes with concepts like inventory, dialogue and interaction by default, and allows you to choose either a point-and-click or WASD system for movement - and with a bit of tweaking, was persuaded to be able to use both, with the camera following the player character around. With a bit of kicking (and with artistic input from Ben), I managed to get a test scene put together. If you've played Technobabylon, you might recognise it.<br />
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With a framework for isometric movement and interaction built, I could then move on to other characters. After all, they're kind of a vital part of adventure games, otherwise the only person the player can talk to is themself, and that's just daft. Anticipating scenes set in public, we needed characters that did more than just stood around to be interacted with, they had to be able to react to the player's presence, and give themselves dynamic walking routes.<br />
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By this stage, I had a bit of an idea of the plot I wanted to see in a sequel. As a practice run at both Unity and isometric gameplay, I set about building the first section of the game as laid out in the twisty, winding gibberish I call a plan. The outcome - sort of success.<br />
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The backgrounds are placeholdery, all but one of the characters are test-men, and only a couple of the animations have been implemented, but it gave me a good impression of what is required in building a game in Unity - and not just the isometric kinds. On the other hand, it provided a few observations of what such a game can and can't do. While great for strategies (X-Com <3), I haven't quite been sold on what a Technobabylon game would look like done this way. I like detail in scenes, a lot of which is lost from the distance between the camera and the environment. In addition, it required a bit too much "reinventing the wheel" - Unity's Adventure Creator has all the machinery needed to build an adventure game, and creating an isometric game added so much more development work on top of the narrative and art (plus a lot of potential new headaches to run into later).<br />
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So, while feasible, I'm not sure the result would have been worth it for what I could have accomplished. Plus, in all this experimenting, I now had a much better grasp of how Unity and Adventure Creator think, and on the side, the plot had been coalescing. Lots more evolution yet to go!<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Next episode: NZOKA</i></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-62399712237588769402017-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:002017-02-10T09:18:50.417-08:00Technobabylon 2, Part 1: An Evolutionary ProcessIn a few months, it will have been two years since Technobabylon was released. Part of me, therefore, is panicking that I've not managed to release another game to follow it up yet - after all, that's a pretty hefty amount of time - but everyone can be assured that I'm not being <i>completely </i>bone-idle.<br />
<br />
The first game was built with AGS, and I'd decided to move on to Unity for the next project. The downside of that was having to actually <i>learn </i>how to use the new system. On the plus side, it works a lot better by default with my favoured artistic medium of Blender. And, with eighteen months of messing around, I've managed to learn a few things about it.<br />
<br />
To prove that things are actually getting done, here's an overview of the various Technobabylon-related things that have been produced. Granted, a "sequel" has taken several different shapes since April 2015, but with every shift things get better.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>First Shot: Early Experiments</u></b><br />
<br />
Making another game was, unsurprisingly, a foregone conclusion. People liked playing Technobabylon, and I <i>really </i>enjoyed making it. Of course there'd be another game! And with the ability to make use of 3D as a medium rather than an art reference opened a lot of doors. To make nice-looking characters though, I needed nice-looking references. The fanart of Amanda Virtudes was a good place to start from, so we produced some turnarounds for two of the main characters of the game. From an "essentials" perspective, it was a good place to begin from - Regis would make a good basis for a "default male" mesh/skeleton, and Lao for the "default female".<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGZxpEqTOoATi9_xeuLKw5Ypo9NtxV56RO93s6zZ5ZRBbfuguZ6bCR5G1Luv5vshFxwGx87ysN3x68v4U5oOrDRa2QYRisK5f-I3fUuRKmXOO1GI_S36SFW-MaHUgyh7VNstOcXE_kag/s1600/regis_sketches_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGZxpEqTOoATi9_xeuLKw5Ypo9NtxV56RO93s6zZ5ZRBbfuguZ6bCR5G1Luv5vshFxwGx87ysN3x68v4U5oOrDRa2QYRisK5f-I3fUuRKmXOO1GI_S36SFW-MaHUgyh7VNstOcXE_kag/s320/regis_sketches_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planning for the Dr Regis Reference</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAxVyQwvQeTAO82tnHtNWWfoTcChyphenhyphenchBi796YXVO3IL2XM1Ytj_mi1M8qUsY1om5IuqNSkZFRwgXl93qw3kIPVCM0IW92aSmg_-enL_xgmBfw4jvoODCPuMg4rghmANXenYhJ0OqEpEk/s1600/lao_sketches_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAxVyQwvQeTAO82tnHtNWWfoTcChyphenhyphenchBi796YXVO3IL2XM1Ytj_mi1M8qUsY1om5IuqNSkZFRwgXl93qw3kIPVCM0IW92aSmg_-enL_xgmBfw4jvoODCPuMg4rghmANXenYhJ0OqEpEk/s320/lao_sketches_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planning for the Dr Lao Reference</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8spCbWK5S54ym2kCW11EoAmqUl6bcUub-Hai-AM0HVm-jvYPWRnn5JTBBZ1i9GqTf0E1wzAffGc6tUG1bubIvNdh0X-ISXqoOSBlB3wcm4qvmLSCsyjX776RtROkmA66FjvOGUADRAU/s1600/latha_sketches_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8spCbWK5S54ym2kCW11EoAmqUl6bcUub-Hai-AM0HVm-jvYPWRnn5JTBBZ1i9GqTf0E1wzAffGc6tUG1bubIvNdh0X-ISXqoOSBlB3wcm4qvmLSCsyjX776RtROkmA66FjvOGUADRAU/s320/latha_sketches_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planning for the Latha/Mandala Reference</td></tr>
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<br />
With a bit more outsourcing, Ivan Ulyanov discovered a talent for texturing as we ended up with a nice-looking Doctor Lao. With these polygonal protagonists now on-hand, experiments could begin in the third dimension, to see what Unity could do - for example, importing motion-captured animations from the Carnegie Mellon database.<br />
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In Technobabylon, much of the scenery was designed in 3D using Blender, then used by Ben Chandler to create appropriate-looking pixel-art backgrounds, a system that served us well. My first (and laziest) go at making scenery in 3D involved simply pasting the 2D scene on top of the existing 3D model ("unwrap > project from view", if you're interested). The results were...better than expected. Obviously, any turning of the camera would create funny warping effects, and areas behind obstacles that hadn't been painted would also come out a little peculiarly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original 3D reference for Technobabylon's Aerostat hallway</td></tr>
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Also, the low resolution didn't serve the 3D well, with overly-crisp 3D characters against a 320x200 background. However, it was an interesting place to begin from! A couple of attempts were made at higher-resolution paste-on textures, and although interesting, it didn't take advantage of the opportunities that Blender and Unity provided.<br />
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<br />
One of those advantages, I must say, was Adventure Creator, an addon for Unity. It essentially provides a framework within Unity for designing adventure games in a manner that is familiar to those who've used AGS. It's got differences here and there, and you've still got to get used to some of Unity's own aspects (for example, the way it handles GUIs), but for making an adventure, it'll cut so much time out of building the framework for it - on its own, Unity is essentially a blank slate, AC gives it a kickstart in the right direction. Plus, its designer, Chris Burton, is extraordinarily helpful - any daft questions you've got, you'll find them answered swiftly on the forums (or a polite pointer to where in the manual to find the info). So yes, another good argument for using it.<br />
<br />
Another long-term goal I have is to ensure that future games will work on mobile platforms. With AGS, I can't even imagine where to begin with such a task, but in Unity it simply became a matter of ticking an "Android" box.<br />
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So, in the summer of 2015, the experiments had begun, and I was starting to get the hang of how one drives Unity.<br />
<br />
<i>Next episode: <b>ISOBABYLON</b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-38763772380864553832015-07-15T04:45:00.000-07:002015-07-15T04:45:10.190-07:00Retrospective...Wow, I <i>have </i>been terrible at keeping this thing updated, haven't I? In fairness, the blame lies entirely with Twitter. It's just so handy!<br />
<br />
Ahem. So, in the weeks since my last post here, Technobabylon has been released, and we've been seeing <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/technobabylon" target="_blank">positive reviews</a> from players and publications/websites, so I'm very happy with that. The paranoid part of my psyche was always panicking about how people would react to it, but now we've at least got vindication for what we've made. And cash too, that's important.<br />
<br />
So, what to make next? Good question, depends what kind of style I settle on. Lots of plans for more Technobabylon things, but of course, I'd want to make sure it was done properly - that's what kept the previous one in the production pipeline for so long. Following a trip to NYC for the game's launch party, it sounds like Wadjet Eye are interested in more of it, so who am I to disappoint people?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being all professional and stuff at Wadjet Eye, NYC</td></tr>
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<br />
So, while I'm tooting my own horn (eww, put it away, James), here's what people are saying about it so far.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<ul id="reviews" style="color: #9fbdd4; font-family: 'Monda Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; list-style: none outside none; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 15px 0px;"><ul>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
is a superb game... a long, detailed chunk of hefty sci-fi, with
some careful character work.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/05/21/technobabylon-review/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Rock
Paper Shotgun</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
proves that you can teach the aging dog of cyberpunk some new
tricks.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/technobabylon-review/1900-6416149/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Gamespot</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">[Technobabylon]
is fantastic. It’s well-paced and written, with plenty of
surprising twists.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.pcgamer.com/technobabylon-review/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-PC
Gamer</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">A
gloriously tangled web of choice, consequence, and the world left
behind.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.nerdybits.com/features/2015/5/6/technobabylon-preview.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Nerdy
Bits</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Its
story and presentation are phenomenal, and I think it is without
question one of the best games of this year.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://indiegames.com/2015/05/technobabylon_in_a_cyberpunk_t.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Indiegames.com</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
is a fun, futuristic romp that fans of cyberpunk will
love.</span><a href="http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/28665/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Adventure
Gamers</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">A
memorable adventure backed by a believable setting and driven by a
strong narrative.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2015/05/21/review-technobabylon/149352/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Hard
Core Gamer</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
is an indie Deus Ex.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/technobabylon-indie-deus-ex/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Games
Radar</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Those
with a penchant for cyberpunk will not want to miss out on
this</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://readretro.com/previews/technobabylon-hands-on/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Read
Retro</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
does a great job of showcasing the very real hearts beating among
the synthetic within its vast, cybernetic city.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.heypoorplayer.com/2015/04/06/preview-storytelling-and-synthetics-in-technobabylon/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Hey
Poor Player</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
is the cyberpunk adventure game you've been waiting for.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://retronuke.com/technobabylon-preview-wadjet-eye-games/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Retro
Nuke</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
already has me intrigued, with a compelling start, intelligent
puzzles, and a believable world.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.gamewatcher.com/previews/technobabylon-preview/12225" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Game
Watcher</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">A
bold science fiction adventure filled with genetic engineering,
virtual realities, and all-seeing secret police.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Steam/Technobabylon/news.asp?c=65436" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Pocket
Gamer</span></a></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0.4cm; margin-top: 0.4cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Technobabylon
is something truly wondrous.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> </span><a href="http://www.cubed3.com/preview/515/1/technobabylon-hands-on-pc.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f5b352;">-Cubed3</span></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</div>
</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-61446954027347163282015-05-08T06:26:00.001-07:002015-05-08T06:26:44.201-07:00Dex...As we near the final stages of Technobabylon's production, I thought you might like to know about another cyberpunk game that's just come on the market. <a href="http://www.dex-rpg.com/index_en.php" target="_blank">Dex</a> launched yesterday on Steam, a 2D open-world RPG courtesy of Dreadlocks (the developer, not the hairstyle)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzz9IOIsU3HI1Zgd_0epPMmsDCKbn1na34Vf4OVO60MQyDEdduJG0tD0ywp6YjZ-MZDNbn5jZZZClUvFLyjkSbLnv7rtEXJMD9QPOeGeLFL01v8qjJ9IR0TKa01SS8FnjswLx3RAddc0/s1600/dex-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzz9IOIsU3HI1Zgd_0epPMmsDCKbn1na34Vf4OVO60MQyDEdduJG0tD0ywp6YjZ-MZDNbn5jZZZClUvFLyjkSbLnv7rtEXJMD9QPOeGeLFL01v8qjJ9IR0TKa01SS8FnjswLx3RAddc0/s400/dex-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfvtpYGlL5RQPKFIjURBOkpFhIjnDaKUegC6_pcecFr0PaFvee6kXJrvGipgH9yp8MX-xZSCJ_Gs5c1JNgCmUOcjqB97z7Vm4TikfijNRpXUIyKJCUuv7F8w0SccgyYlQHEDEk1HYu3M/s1600/3e7497ed88f9f511cec1a2ac1e0e4f24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPfvtpYGlL5RQPKFIjURBOkpFhIjnDaKUegC6_pcecFr0PaFvee6kXJrvGipgH9yp8MX-xZSCJ_Gs5c1JNgCmUOcjqB97z7Vm4TikfijNRpXUIyKJCUuv7F8w0SccgyYlQHEDEk1HYu3M/s400/3e7497ed88f9f511cec1a2ac1e0e4f24.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21i1pkJbdUSH3bPVr2EUDft93zgvLe8lNVZprtodosPSqhAjtXsAaLjLwwjTrDO5CgqY1ZvfaqisiGOEks4kKvRnZrw_hFzB_o0pqxm0j6-mWDxMhuzpOCzs9Xqc89TQ36KatDsY3cjo/s1600/dex1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21i1pkJbdUSH3bPVr2EUDft93zgvLe8lNVZprtodosPSqhAjtXsAaLjLwwjTrDO5CgqY1ZvfaqisiGOEks4kKvRnZrw_hFzB_o0pqxm0j6-mWDxMhuzpOCzs9Xqc89TQ36KatDsY3cjo/s400/dex1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Looks like they've hit the nail on the head in terms of cyberpunk and sci-fi style, and I know I'm looking forward to giving it a go (in twelve days - can't let anything get in the way of finishing Technobabylon at the moment. So, if you're jonesing for this kind of game until we're done, take a look at Dex!<br />
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Speaking of which, we've just finished adding achievements, giving us that extra step of credibility as a Steam game!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdr2xXX3TO16tIyfHwAOFGtojRC671q0spdkxdaG9ElJfqgGGr888jAz-S62oHPb8wupqqD6kFkSiLEfxDiq9OLC5TiuvuKwRvncDkn50GCqOZy6Z-IxCb7fxTYEG1JSNXZYyY90WWUI/s1600/Achievements.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdr2xXX3TO16tIyfHwAOFGtojRC671q0spdkxdaG9ElJfqgGGr888jAz-S62oHPb8wupqqD6kFkSiLEfxDiq9OLC5TiuvuKwRvncDkn50GCqOZy6Z-IxCb7fxTYEG1JSNXZYyY90WWUI/s400/Achievements.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Right, back to work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-70276285868911750112015-04-30T07:17:00.004-07:002015-04-30T16:03:10.182-07:00Three weeks? Already?!?! Better get working!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Wow, I've been really lousy at keeping you updated on here, haven't I? My apologies, but let me assure you that it's a sign that we've been working really hard, and totally not that I've been distracted by Kerbal Space Program.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TjldJ-YbBHvbmTogRpF9WjQkUp0zEa3Y4A7n5U1kw_S9KBXp0Fx4lDXudOWzRIUcAKJ9f6jQEmT_87FElyH4uz8Gj-j3NqL1NginEJIQ8yKj2MR_rLhu372wD9oy5PRCHEJV_3JMmt8/s1600/tb-guns.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TjldJ-YbBHvbmTogRpF9WjQkUp0zEa3Y4A7n5U1kw_S9KBXp0Fx4lDXudOWzRIUcAKJ9f6jQEmT_87FElyH4uz8Gj-j3NqL1NginEJIQ8yKj2MR_rLhu372wD9oy5PRCHEJV_3JMmt8/s1600/tb-guns.png" height="200" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The voices are in, the music is done, and with our team of beta testers we're getting closer and closer to a final version of Technobabylon. With that, I'd like to announce that our fine publishers at Wadjet Eye Games (of Gemini Rue and Resonance) have opened the pre-order process, allowing you to be able to get straight into the dark, dystopian future the minute it comes out on the 21st. Plus, a whole bunch of extras for ordering now, including:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Digital soundtrack—an hour of cyberpunk tunes composed by Gemini Rue’s Nathan Allen Pinard</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Behind-the-scenes video of voiceover recording sessions</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Production art gallery including concept art, 3D models, full-size character portraits, and more</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- The Technobabylon Codex—PDF booklet providing backstory and context for the game’s vast cyberpunk world</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">- Exclusive desktop wallpaper</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #073763; color: white; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">All of these goodies are preorder exclusives, and will be delivered by email on or before May 21. You’ll also get the game as a DRM-free download from the Wadjet Eye Games website, or a Steam key.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Alternatively, we're also releasing via GOG, so they're good too if you hate Steam for some reason.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Right, back to work! These games don't make themselves (unfortunately) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #073763; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif, Tahoma, Arial, Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/pre-order/technobabylon/" target="_blank">Predorder TECHNOBABYLON</a></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-33574816893411066732014-12-12T06:52:00.000-08:002014-12-12T06:52:50.682-08:00GIVE ME YOUR MOUTH-WORDS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwe0NlLsHcnTI5KM6WeT8dEqp22yHNEk3ZFhM3ic-883QwlUbOsKVPciOoOyl5B6CYgN7hu5SQR3KJzs2v5oZUJ0GxQ14ny_-9_sXqEuzxqmRWbIT24aYsFWkRPlvVT77gbiaysDlRm8/s1600/IMG_20141209_160102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwe0NlLsHcnTI5KM6WeT8dEqp22yHNEk3ZFhM3ic-883QwlUbOsKVPciOoOyl5B6CYgN7hu5SQR3KJzs2v5oZUJ0GxQ14ny_-9_sXqEuzxqmRWbIT24aYsFWkRPlvVT77gbiaysDlRm8/s1600/IMG_20141209_160102.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Hey! You! Humanoids! Would you like a speaking role in upcoming-mega-hit <b>Technobabylon</b>? Well, the main acting's already been recorded, and that was handled in a professional manner by Dave Gilbert (studio, and everything). So, unless you live in New York and have a time machine, that's not an option. Fret not though, we have another plan!<br />
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Several stages of the game require using a contact terminal - the phones of the future. Only a couple of contacts need to be used for the plot, but it'd be unrealistic to have an empty address-book. Then again, it'd be<i> silly </i>to have a whole bunch of people record a couple of sentences to use as dozens of contacts in a list...wouldn't it?<br />
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Good thing my middle name's "Silly", then.<br />
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<b>The long and short of it:</b> We have a telephone address-book in the game with a lot of extras who might need to pick up the phone. Therefore, we need people to answer these fictional phones and those people could be you, if you fancy the opportunity to be in the game! It's the future, and someone's randomly called your future-phone. What answer are they going to get?<br />
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Are you vaguely interested in having a few lines in Technobabylon? Well then, drop a line to <b>extras@technocratgames.com</b> for a more in-depth explanation of what we need. Alternatively, can you think of anyone else who'd like a go at it? Point them in this direction, then!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-57738420240675809932014-12-09T07:40:00.002-08:002014-12-09T07:40:27.699-08:00AdventureX 2014Another year, another AdventureX! I'm now four-for-four, having managed to attend them all since they started in a loft in Didcot. It was a delightful show, and I'm very glad to have met so many folks in the adventure games community - some for the first time, some as a repeat occurance!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ezB1JEOzlaowda4jCk7CsxonjirsEjSEjYGC2DkftStoocGMwJNVseBqz0zCz3SnOBk2t50zCjik6Yp0ICJT3NoWlUgnzf-42dEuUkJ_Ouv5KtdIgLO5t5gMdR_prR1AqrroD1nfzWg/s1600/IMG_20141206_105052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ezB1JEOzlaowda4jCk7CsxonjirsEjSEjYGC2DkftStoocGMwJNVseBqz0zCz3SnOBk2t50zCjik6Yp0ICJT3NoWlUgnzf-42dEuUkJ_Ouv5KtdIgLO5t5gMdR_prR1AqrroD1nfzWg/s1600/IMG_20141206_105052.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also delighted to have presented Technobabylon to those in attendance. Hopefully I succeeded in channelling my public-speaking skills from pre-school-teaching days, and sold the concept to everyone there. Come to think of it, how could one <i>fail </i>to sell cyberpunk? That'd just be embarassing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS3P6nInRAoCSEeHrb-t2Nc6MFGFKElNhgJ4qkW1PhmVwoZ5kYiPz13iz6nT0DPNedTLyhXiZZ_LeDieeVkr5f60VP5F3iBcPa3C9Vn91ix-RJUHkIbbKee_IEf2DMesAOnY9K-lXQb4/s1600/IMG_20141206_105158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHS3P6nInRAoCSEeHrb-t2Nc6MFGFKElNhgJ4qkW1PhmVwoZ5kYiPz13iz6nT0DPNedTLyhXiZZ_LeDieeVkr5f60VP5F3iBcPa3C9Vn91ix-RJUHkIbbKee_IEf2DMesAOnY9K-lXQb4/s1600/IMG_20141206_105158.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Adventure Treff were filming the event, so they should have footage up within the next few days. Danke schoen!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-31210653361194212642014-11-01T05:15:00.000-07:002014-11-01T05:15:35.562-07:00Poster!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aAqEKs2y_MbKfmBm6l5mjPItyqbVHHZaTz1L5dDTYlzu1jEfn6jlqXCPRBpCPKCw3E2Dc00oJwhI9Azp7lJJztzTAQPw_LkH0nj_htivfrh2scz3Hm4CnayyN61kTKoqa6qVwVVceWg/s1600/Technobabylon11c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aAqEKs2y_MbKfmBm6l5mjPItyqbVHHZaTz1L5dDTYlzu1jEfn6jlqXCPRBpCPKCw3E2Dc00oJwhI9Azp7lJJztzTAQPw_LkH0nj_htivfrh2scz3Hm4CnayyN61kTKoqa6qVwVVceWg/s1600/Technobabylon11c.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Just in case you haven't seen it yet, this is the delightful artwork of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EstirdalinArt" target="_blank">Jen Pattison</a> for Technobabylon! </div>
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Bigger version available <a href="http://www.technocratgames.com/images/games/tb/Technobabylon11c.jpg" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-65572610133158390372014-10-26T03:53:00.000-07:002014-10-26T03:53:19.357-07:00Hello? I can't hear you!<br />
So, two pieces of good news. Firstly, Technobabylon is now playable from start to finish, complete with endings and everything. It's got dialogue all the way through, and should be comprehensible! Now I just have to debug the lot of it to make sure it's stable.<br />
<br />
Second thing, which is probably bigger, is that we've started on the voices. Courtesy of Dave Gilbert (Wadjet Eye) and Shelly Shenoy, recording for the game's speech has begun in New York, in a proper recording booth and everything!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLTUy2hinjOHwQ3g3Z191juchyphenhyphenx03aVBX3cd445t2JrhBspD6T8sHAjo-Pn2OF8unSUcF6VlGfKCZU3Q8ckLe-dyZ2gdyvsZxuQqm-QzT_DUQU-OKFqyUUXrG_Smlj64gALVyW4U4FOo/s1600/B0kYmeoIQAAy3ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLTUy2hinjOHwQ3g3Z191juchyphenhyphenx03aVBX3cd445t2JrhBspD6T8sHAjo-Pn2OF8unSUcF6VlGfKCZU3Q8ckLe-dyZ2gdyvsZxuQqm-QzT_DUQU-OKFqyUUXrG_Smlj64gALVyW4U4FOo/s1600/B0kYmeoIQAAy3ee.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Blimey, it's starting to feel like a real game, now!<br />
<br />
Oh, and congratulations to the folks behind <a href="http://automaticity.tumblr.com/post/100509567433/we-have-now-officially-signed-with-the-illustrious" target="_blank">Automaticity</a>, who have now signed on with Wadjet Eye as well!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-48333865726116179982014-10-06T13:35:00.001-07:002014-10-06T13:40:12.851-07:00CHISHIKI NEWS: 11/07/2087 - "Grey Goo" incident injures 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>11 - July - 2087<br />
<br />
CEL firefighters have this afternoon been called to the Hartgill preparatory school, where the out-of-control growth of a wetware culture has resulted in what is euphemistically termed 'grey goo'. Principal Andrew Mtembe has issued a statement on behalf of the school expressing relief that CEL has been able to control the outbreak before more damage could be done, and reiterated their policy against bringing wetware into the school.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULaCNXMzQHajUpLwaNtUVwq3UVW7Tu4nUDjuibY8I4NMCBbbkx-VtWC5jlg9cI6gOrLYqGURwCVySk71whVKMXENwL3wd7mJ6Y2kkRw7vVuyEG2pgbrSIWxWOgSihyuirhsWKev304Zg/s1600/2+Grey+Blob.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULaCNXMzQHajUpLwaNtUVwq3UVW7Tu4nUDjuibY8I4NMCBbbkx-VtWC5jlg9cI6gOrLYqGURwCVySk71whVKMXENwL3wd7mJ6Y2kkRw7vVuyEG2pgbrSIWxWOgSihyuirhsWKev304Zg/s1600/2+Grey+Blob.png" height="200" width="200" /></a>'Wetware', so called due to its gelatinous appearance, is the genericised term for a number of nanomechanical products derived from organic structures. Safeguards are in place in commercial wetware to ensure that replication of the material can only occur within secure factory conditions. Hobbyist gengineers have on many occasions taken it as a challenge to 'breach' new wetware products, and reactivate the material's ability to create<br />
<br />
more of itself. Such uncontrolled growth becomes dangerous when wetware no longer responds to chemical signals to cease its reproduction. It is believed that tampering with a recreational product was the catalyst for today's incident.<br />
<br />
While the school has been closed for repairs and decontamination, CEL has reported that four students have received only minor injuries, and are being treated for burns and contamination. City coordinator AI Central has stated that the mass has been deactivated, and poses no further threat to lives or property within Newton.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-57009434418006755362014-10-03T02:51:00.001-07:002014-10-03T02:51:41.333-07:00Techno-BabbleAt the moment, we're in the process of auditioning voice actors for Technobabylon. Because of the way I write, I use lots of complicated/foreign/made-up words, and have to provide a guide to the meaning, use and pronunciation of them. Perhaps you'd like a look at a few? Don't worry, there shouldn't be much in the way of spoilers...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Automeal</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">An automated
food-dispensing/producing machine. People don't do a great deal of
their own cooking in the future.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Case Specialist</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">CEL likes to use
euphemisms to describe the roles of its staff. A case specialist
refers to those we might call “detectives” at the moment, whose
expertise in a particular area makes them more likely to be assigned
to a given case.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “We need to
get a case specialist on this, someone with a background in wetware.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">CEL – Centralized
Emergency Logistics</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[“Cell”, like
the organic structure]</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Umbrella agency
handling the city's emergency responses, civil order and law
enforcement. Coordinated by the city's overseer AI, Central. A
combination of police, fire, rescue and counter-terrorism, though it
does its best to keep its operations invisible.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “My name's Dr
Regis, I'm a CEL agent.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ99nD3RvWcb6jm4SItQjoSFzmUlMfeIPEf6vOFZ2OZYfvOtvx49hhQiELqG89NqdT8fYcGst7mcNxgtvtWSp2GlDPeLXvCsuKheJHxlc5YnIsNqRE4CUsb6D5d0PsbYW9bc4R3y969cg/s1600/Image2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ99nD3RvWcb6jm4SItQjoSFzmUlMfeIPEf6vOFZ2OZYfvOtvx49hhQiELqG89NqdT8fYcGst7mcNxgtvtWSp2GlDPeLXvCsuKheJHxlc5YnIsNqRE4CUsb6D5d0PsbYW9bc4R3y969cg/s1600/Image2.png" height="200" width="154" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Central</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">AI controller for the
city. Though it doesn't set policy, it executes that laid down by the
governing committee in the most optimally efficient way possible.
Appears to have a limited personality, but there's more going on
upstairs than most people realise.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gas Chromatograph</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A chemical sensor used
to break down and determine the contents of a substance or surface.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gengineer,
Gengineering</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Jen-jineer,
gene-gineer]</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Portmanteau of
“genetics” and “engineering”, referring to the specialist
practice of modification of organisms' DNA to produce desired results
that may not have otherwise occurred naturally, such as the addition
of firefly proteins to grass to create glow-in-the-dark lawns.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “I'm a
qualified gengineer, but my speciality is insects.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Governor</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Implanted into the
brain and limbic systems of paroled criminals, produces reaction of
violent sickness and immobility when thoughts stray too close towards
violence or deceit. Kind of a technological “Clockwork Orange”
effect.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Han, Greater Han
Republic</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ethno-Fascist nation
within the territory of the former People's Republic of China</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jahiliyyah</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Ja-hill-ee-yah]</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">An underground
media/techno-anarchist group, akin to Anonymous or Wikileaks. Name is
an Arabic word meaning “ignorance”, both as irony and
counterpoint to the dominant media corporation's name of “knowledge”.
Also serves as religious metaphor in Islam.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “The chairman
was trying to hush it up, but Jahiliyyah leaked the film on the net.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Latha</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Laath-ah, Laat-hah,
or like “Arthur” with an L]</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sri Lankan/Indian
forename, main character of game.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Meatspace</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Derogatory and
insulting term used to refer to the real world outside of the Trance.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">MMI</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mind-machine interface,
any system used to directly interface the human brain with external
computer systems.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quantum, Quanta</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Currency used by
non-aligned cities and nations based on the value of energy. Singular
Quantum, plural Quanta. A single unit is worth about $0.20 in modern
terms.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “This project
has cost us a hundred and fifty million Quanta!”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sconto</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The city's social
assistance program for those unable to support themselves. An
umbrella term for social services, unemployment allowance, housing
support, etc. Can also be used to describe those who benefit from it.
Comes from Portugese root (desconto).</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “This
neighbourhood is getting worse, gangs of sconto kids hanging around
on the corner.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyFkqnQ13YbKMVi2Q2Hr78YuRTpd4OGx38Yu5zNu3tcJC5y22YtVa-gLb917_XgMINcRZJzZpn4CQ2FJ0vGbdYZo6HDhMLbegaikcHwc9CAjYF4mCoTt9jE_U9ulfrwvAJQJ0ItewEsU/s1600/Strike+Team+Directions.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyFkqnQ13YbKMVi2Q2Hr78YuRTpd4OGx38Yu5zNu3tcJC5y22YtVa-gLb917_XgMINcRZJzZpn4CQ2FJ0vGbdYZo6HDhMLbegaikcHwc9CAjYF4mCoTt9jE_U9ulfrwvAJQJ0ItewEsU/s1600/Strike+Team+Directions.png" height="115" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">S.E.L.E.C.T.</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Specialist Emergency
Law Enforcement Crisis Team – armed CEL officers, akin to SWAT.
Also like SWAT, people use “team” redundantly after the end.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “The robbers
are so dangerous, we've had to call in a SELECT team.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Synthetic, Synth</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Androids using
electromechanical insides and an organic façade on the outside.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “I lost my
job to a sythetic.”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thrall</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Derogatory and
insulting term used to refer to those perceived to be addicted to, or
spend too much time in the Trance.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “He's always
got his head buried in the net. He's such a thrall!”</span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSdQr1mhbIf4bFZA9FqlWEOjW2bAP2U7m1GPQArk04bWtgdmN1bqvypcpRJ6utPLjRKloA-8JxW5SUxTShim1QKofc1v0Oo1Xvfy0J0W8Zh53F6iPT0mioBny7-osb9UdJ8PmgZ-rBnA/s1600/TranceFlowExample.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSdQr1mhbIf4bFZA9FqlWEOjW2bAP2U7m1GPQArk04bWtgdmN1bqvypcpRJ6utPLjRKloA-8JxW5SUxTShim1QKofc1v0Oo1Xvfy0J0W8Zh53F6iPT0mioBny7-osb9UdJ8PmgZ-rBnA/s1600/TranceFlowExample.png" /></a><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trance</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A kind of cyberspace.
Virtual representation of the internet taking place within the
connected minds of those taking part in it.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wetware</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsM2nP2aLpl5bAyAsoTX6yf3nW67A0wPgm6wDJUFC769bPh6U15zNxUhl1RwieBHtutjBnnhc1RAy5swbFGHPG0nscEbfL_QnUZtlmVZ_K47xGmUcyQmQQvPI5Q-Gm2MGYYU848ia2Ig/s1600/Image1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsM2nP2aLpl5bAyAsoTX6yf3nW67A0wPgm6wDJUFC769bPh6U15zNxUhl1RwieBHtutjBnnhc1RAy5swbFGHPG0nscEbfL_QnUZtlmVZ_K47xGmUcyQmQQvPI5Q-Gm2MGYYU848ia2Ig/s1600/Image1.png" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Squishy, jelly-like
mass of nanomachines held together in a gooey substance. One of the
underlying technologies of Technobabylon, used for organic computing,
medicine and construction.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “I'm using my
wetware to interface with a terminal.”</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wired</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The
description of one who has been equipped with the techno-organic
systems necessary to interface with computers using their own brain.
Not literally metal wiring, more like an extremely fine mesh of
wetware acting like a second set of neurones within the brain.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">e.g. “I can't use
this machine, I'm not wired.”</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-46599245528777718852014-09-22T07:43:00.002-07:002014-09-22T07:44:10.580-07:00CHISHIKI NEWS: 10/07/2087 - European Federation to Adopt Metric Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>EUROPEAN FEDERATION TO ADOPT METRIC TIME</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>10 - July - 2087<br />
<br />
Continuing a long-standing process of standardisation, the Parliament of the European Federation (EF) has today ratified the uptake of metric time across the 64-member union. The measure, signed into law by EF Prime Minister Jacqueline Santini at 06:52:80 (15:40pm), is planned to be rolled out over the course of the next four years. Under the scheme, measure of the time of day is to be divided into ten hours, each with 100 minutes, made up of 100 seconds.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5cGJSPkPbNfEZtQlSNdy7pKrlYPelwRwKWtiU6T4g8jwhi3i8h1EQqyeC3SZ8O6OLLOKhaBBlUYZNzTxTpdfmLOk8kQknFRXT5kf74e1UPpf_9nzyMZdKN8j4Wx8Q7spGVgSuMKYejk/s1600/3+Clock.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5cGJSPkPbNfEZtQlSNdy7pKrlYPelwRwKWtiU6T4g8jwhi3i8h1EQqyeC3SZ8O6OLLOKhaBBlUYZNzTxTpdfmLOk8kQknFRXT5kf74e1UPpf_9nzyMZdKN8j4Wx8Q7spGVgSuMKYejk/s1600/3+Clock.png" height="200" width="200" /></a>Santini, whose Federalist Party have been one of the keenest supporters of the new policy, greeted the change enthusiastically. 'Computing and commercial time measurement has long been carried out in a metric scale with atomic timing, and the division into 24 hours has itself merely been an arbitrary convention of history.'<br />
<br />
While commonly referred to as 'metric' time, the measurement of a day into periods of ten should more accurately known as 'decimal' time. Internationally the EF's policy has gained little traction, in some cases outright criticism, with some leaders condemning the changes as 'unnatural'. The Oceania Cooperative's government was less emotive, issuing a statement that though the change was 'one demanded by the European voter, which we will respect as a democratic institution', they made clear that the OC has no plans to adopt any similar measures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-1936758872161093042014-09-11T13:37:00.001-07:002014-09-11T13:38:05.169-07:00CHISHIKI NEWS: 10/09/2086 - Election Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32OaSCCXiwaRfOHOZHmg4LC6iC5daNgdA1_GgoimEDK8uxfR-_VfwWmqt9coDte_4AxInbPvtKYR103hlXXEVSPpER1YrkCJH_H6J8pAvoFxM5QGx4xo6oHnQlTAa2cSSLi-cjt1j3ic/s1600/Chishiki.png" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>CAN "BRAINWASHED" MAN SECURE FOURTH COUNCIL SEAT FOR COSMOPOLITAN PARTY?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
10 - September - 2086<br />
<br />
As the biannual elections approach within the independent city-state of Newton, challengers from across the political spectrum have begun the charm offensive that invariably accompanies such events. Though smaller parties and independents are optimistic about their chances of securing a seat on the city's governing council, the biggest battle is between the Cosmopolitan party, currently holding four of the twenty seats, and the Metropolitan party with three. If Metro can secure another seat, they will be able to deadlock a number of the Cosmopolitans' more controversial labor-export measures. The cosmopolitans are not discouraged, and have announced that Andrew Deane, lawyer and human-rights advocate, to stand for the fourth seat.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-1SmndYoL9hkblXvQZVdRay4BLplgCV84DD-RqNkyu_OOxsXUQXlH8Ep-GIZK_SSuFFbJ__wwcKKjegQQ7WRdO9FJn-O4___ZMgNINLf266soDnlAK9y8XbWFZmg3aXmpJLbNuE3h5M/s1600/Borg_Poitier.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-1SmndYoL9hkblXvQZVdRay4BLplgCV84DD-RqNkyu_OOxsXUQXlH8Ep-GIZK_SSuFFbJ__wwcKKjegQQ7WRdO9FJn-O4___ZMgNINLf266soDnlAK9y8XbWFZmg3aXmpJLbNuE3h5M/s1600/Borg_Poitier.png" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cosmopolitan Party candidate Andrew Deane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Plagued by recent accusations of corruption, the party have chosen a candidate who, at first glance, might raise concerns for the average voter. Mr Deane has been surgically implanted with a neural-governor, a piece of technology normally associated with those recently released from prison as part of anti-civil behaviour treatment. The device is often used to correct a particular aspect of an individual's actions, such as violent tendencies, but in Deane's case is configured to prevent him from lying. More bizarrely, its installation was voluntary.<br />
<br />
"I believe that it ought to be the right of every voter to be able to trust those that they've elected into power," Mr Deane explained. "It is also necessary that the man on the street should see the technology available to us as not a tool with which we are 'lobotomising the undesirable', but as an aid to socially beneficial behaviour." He has expressed a desire to see this kind of technology normalised, and more widely taken up. Having undertaken the installation of the extensive synaptic wiring required, the Cosmopolitan party claims to be able to have the "only 100% trustworthy" politician.<br />
<br />
"He is incapable of lying - to anyone. Like, literally cannot," said a spokesman for the campaign. "Any attempt to do so leads to a surge of tremendous pain, like a migraine." On his campaign tour throughout the city, on the nets, and even within the Trance, the candidate has been put to the test, fielding questions on <i>any </i>topic from potential voters. While the response has been fairly positive so far, some critics are unable to put concerns to rest.<br />
<br />
Metropolitan candidate Elektra Crosse has raised her own doubts. "It's a gimmick," she argues. "He'll be run by the same secretive board behind <i>all </i>of the Cosmopolitans' representatives. Sure, he may not be able to lie, but he also can't lie about what he doesn't know. They just won't explain their plans to the men on the ground anymore." Others have expressed skepticism - "how du we kno its even real? wherez the certifikate" asked Smashgasm54, a question that may need to be settled before the Cosmopolitans can rest assured of electoral success.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-75175568112839782892014-09-03T06:57:00.001-07:002014-09-03T06:57:26.378-07:00OVERVIEW - Dr Max Lao<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #ffe599;"><Santiago> <i>I hear
Central's adding a new rookie to the roster. S-E says they've had a
history of disciplinary nuke-ups – even found a rap sheet for them!</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #e06666;"><Malu> <i>That's
alright. Give 'em to Regis, with any luck one of the two will quit.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y-0i4T-Tq4JDXelnBsNuWGR1v_JlhHNw571YlRJX8QlOIB8U6Tz_MHCFsC-CVRlTjhyphenhyphenQmt9M7RCL5dFxwGxlLmVAmyIwLKSs6tthC6NlAQBmwFMC06Is3HGDsuHS5TDxmqNoilgxXn8/s1600/Lao_cut01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y-0i4T-Tq4JDXelnBsNuWGR1v_JlhHNw571YlRJX8QlOIB8U6Tz_MHCFsC-CVRlTjhyphenhyphenQmt9M7RCL5dFxwGxlLmVAmyIwLKSs6tthC6NlAQBmwFMC06Is3HGDsuHS5TDxmqNoilgxXn8/s1600/Lao_cut01.png" height="200" width="168" /></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b>// ** CEL HRR ACTION
REPORT - 14-Oct-2086 **//</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b>// ** Classified
Partition: Blue-Special **//</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Centralized Government
– Staff Reassignment Evaluation</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">2192840/LAO-MAX-DR</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">D.O.B.: 25/11/2049</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">...Academic record
<ATTACHED></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">...Service record
<ATTACHED></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">...Anti-civil activity
record <FOUND IN SE/68></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Candidate has applied
to be moved from current operation category [CORPSMAN/2C] to new
operational status with Centralized Government, remaining within CEL
as active network. This is candidate's [FIRST] official request for
reallocation.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">//Operational
History://</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Subject first began
work within CEL at 2C Grade following MSc graduation <June-2084>,
assigned to low-intensity field operations within S-E Network. Lao
has achieved consistently high results in standardised testing (see
attachment), and has always stated an ambition to move into
investigative work as a specialised case officer (SCO), though her
line manager within the S-E Network has filed a number of
disciplinary complaints regarding her conduct in public confidence
tasks. She has been described as “impatient”, seeking to carry on
cases far beyond the remit of a 2C corpsman, believing her own
talents to be “wasted” on patrol duty. Whether justified or not,
her line manager feels that this demonstrates an inability to work
within CEL's command structure.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Nonetheless, based upon
subject's academic background, testing history and city sentiment
alignment, Central determined it a worthwhile investment to sponsor
further training for subject, who recently received their PhD
(Techno-organic systems interfacing) from the Newton Academy of
Sciences.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">// Addendum // -
Objection from <D.Walker></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><Walker> Is
Central aware of Lao's anti-civil history outside of CEL? This was
essentially the reason that we didn't take her on as an SCO in the
past.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><CENTRAL> Your
objection is noted, Dr Walker. Based on reports from the incident
filed by [REDACTED], it is apparent that her own anti-civil activity
(3<sup>rd</sup> degree unauthorised network breach, civic utilities
disruption, petty larceny) was itself aimed at a group posing a more
considerable threat to the average welfare of the city. This,
combined with her subliminal testing index, provides sufficient data
to allay doubts that her loyalty lies anywhere but to the city of
Newton. There is sufficient probability (88.5% +/-) that allowing her
to engage in work with more experienced CEL Case Officers will enable
her talents to be put to better use.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Status:</span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">UPGRADE TO SCO:
<i><b>CONFIRMED</b></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-17188898659707441252014-08-20T06:12:00.000-07:002014-08-20T06:29:19.846-07:00OVERVIEW - Latha Sesame<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4UN3EbZbIxcizRODQk_H6yz61iktKDhzlC_mEh1XjBW-qEnuRCjYTkPos4eaox7EeBIi7_o-toPFV9LetGQx9drl7byk_KNuDECaoXbYnYqjUWOZ56iJKabSwpHPf1jQXi1caduGoa8/s1600/Latha_normal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4UN3EbZbIxcizRODQk_H6yz61iktKDhzlC_mEh1XjBW-qEnuRCjYTkPos4eaox7EeBIi7_o-toPFV9LetGQx9drl7byk_KNuDECaoXbYnYqjUWOZ56iJKabSwpHPf1jQXi1caduGoa8/s1600/Latha_normal.png" /></span></a><b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">//</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ** NEWTON CITY CARE: 08-August-2086 ** //</span></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;">// ** Classified Partition: Infrared/Noise **//</b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6132dee0-f384-35b9-bec2-165cb6320c6c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;">Centralized Government - Matriculation Report</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T8410842/SESAME-LATHA</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">D.O.B.: 04-September-2067 (est.)</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time in City Care: 19 years, 4 months, 18 days</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Academic Overview: 64/81/C (inadequate)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Current Residence: Taylor Youth Center</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matriculation Reviewer: VENTRISS, VALERIE P - Taylor Center Admin</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sent to: MANDALA@318.NEWTON.CONN</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;"><DISPATCH></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Latha,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We hope that you have enjoyed your stay at the Taylor Youth Center. According to our records, you first came to the city in 2067 with a refugee intake from the conflict in South Asia. We are proud to have opened our arms to so many disadvantaged youth, and are glad that you were fortunate enough to have been raised in an atmosphere of safety and social responsibility provided by the City of Newton. The care of the city can, however, only last for so long.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is not to say that you won't be receiving our support, though. As you now approach your 20th birthday, it is time to make preparations to move into the world of adulthood, and we understand that this can be a challenging change of paradigm. The City of Newton feels that homelessness is an avoidable social ill, and until you are in employment and capable of self-support, you will be provided accommodation in state-sponsored housing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We wish you luck, and hope that you find that special niche in the city just for you!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b style="background-color: black;">Valerie Ventriss</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="background-color: black;">Residential Care Manager</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="background-color: black;">Taylor Youth Center</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;">// OVERVIEW EVALUATION //</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;"><VENTRISS, V></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who? Oh, Latha, that one...uh...I'll be honest, she's spent so much time in the Trance, I haven't really spoken to her very much since she was about...thirteen? She wasn't </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bad</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, she certainly won't be joining any gangs when she leaves Taylor, but you're going to have a hell of a time prying her out of that apartment you're giving her. It's not like she's stupid either, just real lazy, always got her head stuck in the Trance. Honest opinion? The city's got another thrall to look after, and CEL are probably going to find her desiccated body in her apartment in five or six years' time...what? Don't look at me like that, it’s what happens, the way they baby them these days. Just send her the message.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: black;">// ADDENDUM - C:CG //</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Specialised monitoring to remain in place, though adjustments will need to be made now that subject no longer remains directly in city care. DO NOT provide targeted impetus for employment acquisition, perform broad erasure of net-footprint.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Not going to be easy, this girl’s all over the net. Social engineering patterns have helped to ensure limited personal contact however, making most of the markers to address digital.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-1093531113552385062014-08-11T08:15:00.001-07:002014-08-11T08:15:18.510-07:00OVERVIEW - Dr Charles Regis<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBaw8n4blcDzz4j3h2meUfQLw0ayH1eFn6QIqQDvWqvlmeINrU-nU4Fwuf_VZ2_rLnfVnqm63iFgIVIXEHcIA9cyjZKv4KA1gLrK1aUt1pygQZtxDLALjqHyoMCSAMJOr0i7kQU4MPVw/s1600/Regis_normal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBaw8n4blcDzz4j3h2meUfQLw0ayH1eFn6QIqQDvWqvlmeINrU-nU4Fwuf_VZ2_rLnfVnqm63iFgIVIXEHcIA9cyjZKv4KA1gLrK1aUt1pygQZtxDLALjqHyoMCSAMJOr0i7kQU4MPVw/s1600/Regis_normal.png" style="cursor: move;" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">// ** CEL PERSONNEL REPORT: 06-June-2087 ** //</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">// ** Classified Partition: Blue-Special **//</span></b></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-2d8dcda4-c59e-739f-eaa6-1746507cf32e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Centralized Government - Staff Evaluation</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">1040541/REGIS-CHARLES-DR</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">D.O.B.: 02-September-2038</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Update since Last Review (06-May-2087)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Operations - Active: 1</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Operations - Resolved: 16</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Complaints logged: 6 (2 internal, 4 public)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><CENTRAL></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">It would be an inaccurate and woefully understated view to call Dr Regis an unconventional case officer. His approach to work, involving a great deal of practical casework and the avoidance of perceived "dependence" upon newer investigative technologies available has been a continued source of friction with colleagues within CEL. The other major source of such has been, and remains, his attitude towards interpersonal contact. Rejecting otherwise friendly interaction (+/-11% Social Wellness Index) with other case officers, Dr Regis has a single-minded determination when it comes to his work, at the expense of most other areas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of few exceptions remains Dr Lao, who is apparently not only tolerating his work ethic, but has managed to improve her own output ratio through uptake of Regis' unorthodox approaches. Though it is possible to coach colleagues for adjustment to Regis' behaviour on cultural sensitivity grounds, his interactions with the public in the past month may be cause for concern. He is reported to have called an intransigent witness a "Lousy, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>[CENSORED]</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ing piece of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>[CENSORED]</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">", and while not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">directly</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> making any threats to citizens, these may have been inferred from follow-on statements. It must be taken into account that a successful outcome was eventually achieved, though this approach must not be condoned or encouraged among other case officers.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this would initially appear troubling, prolonged research into his behaviour has found it inextricably linked to his turnover of successfully-resolved investigations. Previous attempts at corrective attitude adjustment have led to a correlated decrease in performance. His recreational activities outside of CEL, involving </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>[REDACTED - E. Vargas, C:CG]</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are perhaps going some way towards ensuring overall stability, despite an attitude that may otherwise suggest that intervention were required. As such, it appears more prudent at this stage to keep him assigned with case officers with whom his methods do not generate undue conflict. A course of low-impact social-wellness treatment may be advised however, perhaps involving Dr Lao.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Recommendation to Sector Allocation, Emergency Logistics:</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- No disciplinary action</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Schedule meeting with social wellness coordinator </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>[OVERRULED - E. Vargas, C:CG]</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- E-mail regarding defacement of cameras (repeated)</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-61734688851665612092014-08-05T17:30:00.000-07:002014-08-05T17:30:25.606-07:00To protect and server<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
Hey! Hey! Hey! Guess what section of the game this scene's from?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk2j2ixT-EELcbD4WmGCsyfpHx8Gs2IS2BGHEz2KPbqQK3KkXUV9yqibvEdnnls2Y29ulrYFEdkxxEMNr8VcxrDzqsb2rFEGfVKipQ-S64KzVm8N5NVjPhYU3mBwDvHvN3jhh_cniIvc/s1600/1+(1).png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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No, that's a silly answer, why would you even think that? It's the [i]last[/i] section...well, second-last, but I've already made the final one. So...uh...yeah, give me a couple more weeks, and there's going to be a game playable from start to finish! Minor interruption in my productivity for getting married and stuff, but I shall endeavour not to let such trifling matters stand in the way of [b]computer games![/b]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-66781434609067695412014-07-22T13:56:00.001-07:002014-07-25T15:24:46.584-07:00Big Stompy Robots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I'm procrastinating, sometimes I like to make mechs.<br />
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I swear, Technobabylon's still underway<br />
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In fact, I'd say there's probably about a month, maybe a month and a half until there's a game that's playable from start to end in there.<br />
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And after that, a whole bunch of testing and cleanup and voices and music and stuff. Also, getting married in August, so that might be a little bump in development. *SIGH*.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-60334530536368923142014-05-22T14:42:00.001-07:002014-05-22T14:42:31.949-07:00Yay politicsHope you remembered to vote in today's European elections! Unless you're not from Europe, in which case, good for you.<br />
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Amongst all the woodwork that I'm doing for my upcoming wedding, I'm still finding time to work on a little game called "Technobabylon", which is chugging along nicely, and now has seven of the 11 sections of gameplay completed.<br />
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With generous spoonfuls of neon (yes yes, I know it's a noble gas and as such would float away), what is possible the <i>most </i>cyberpunk scene in the game is being engineered for Latha's third section, in which she explores the city's seedy underbelly - both physical and virtual - in order to find some clues about who has been trying to kill her.<br />
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With all this in mind, it looks like the game's going to be completable, beginning to end, by July. After that, it's just a matter of giving it sound, and putting MORE STORY in there, so that players won't have to keep referring to the development document. Come to think of it, the dev document is now out of date, as well. Ah well. If you're playing this game, and you're me, then you'll understand the story. It'll be fine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-80444829637617390432014-04-30T02:51:00.000-07:002014-04-30T02:51:10.467-07:00if(Hotspot.GetAtScreenXY(cRegis.x, cRegis.y)==hKillzone)Safe=false;Chugging away, tra la la, one bit at a time. Almost got the hang of this "at least once a week" thing for updating, three times in a month is better than my usual rate.<br />
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I'm very pleased to say that Technobabylon is coming along nicely, and still within planned schedule parameters despite being in wholly alien territory at this stage. By the end of tomorrow, the sixth section of the game will have been developed and made playable (though not bug-free, or necessarily entirely comprehensible - that's what comes after), meaning that as a game, it's half-way there!<br />
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This last fortnight's work has returned to Dr Regis' story. Without giving anything away, Dr Regis is on the run, and seeking refuge within an abandoned factory in a less salubrious part of town. More fantastic artwork from Ben as you can see, with lots of hidden meaning to the graffiti all over the walls.<br />
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Also, congratulations to Wadjet Eye on the release of <a href="http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/games/blackwell-epiphany/" target="_blank">Blackwell Epiphany</a>. I know for certain how hard everyone's been working on it, and if you're into adventures, phantasms, or New York, I recommend giving it a look!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-17468860127599632542014-04-11T06:43:00.000-07:002014-04-11T06:43:55.627-07:00Nuts & Bolts...Just wanted to say "obrigado" the ever-talented <a href="http://fbende.deviantart.com/">Felipe Bende</a> for his work on art for the revamped front-page of the Technocrat Games website.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-74959454223520243972014-04-08T05:45:00.000-07:002014-04-08T05:45:01.783-07:00Five down, [int] to go!<br />
Everyone's being so patient, I figured an update might be in order.<br />
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First thing to say is that Technobabylon is still zooming along as per expectations. Part 5 is completed and playable, and follows thus-far-unplayed character Dr Lao's attempts to unravel a murder in a laboratory that tailors plants for customers' needs.<br />
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Secondly, it looks like the cat's out of the bag through <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/214503/As_Blackwell_comes_to_an_end_whats_next_for_Wadjet_Eye.php">Gamasutra</a>, and the whole world will know that Wadjet Eye is publishing Technobabylon. Woo! Now I just have to fix the website to make sure people don't keep using artwork from the old versions. Sure, it was functional back in 2010, but now we've got the delightful work of Ben Chandler, which ought to do a much better job of encouraging people to play the thing when it's done.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-19803668284578364072014-03-21T14:16:00.003-07:002014-03-21T14:16:40.510-07:00From here, into the unknown!<br />
As folks will no doubt be aware, in 2010 I made a few games called "Technobabylon". Well, the three that were made then were intended to be part of an eight-part episodic string of games. Unfortunately, I'm lazy, and I kept improving. As a result, I never got past making three episodes, and remade the first part several times over.<br />
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HOWEVER, thanks to my current working arrangement, I've been powering through the complete <i>Technobabylon, </i>a full-length game based upon the plans for the original series. As a result, it's going to be a long game!<br />
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Up until this stage, in the last month and a half of producing, I've effectively been remaking what was originally parts 1, 2 and 3 of Technobabylon. With a bit of rejigging here and there, some polish, and art support from Ben304 and Ilyich, they're looking a whole lot nicer. Even better, this evening I've finally finished off the remake of what was Part 3. The implication, therefore, is that everything being made after this is <i>wholly </i>new. You might have an idea of what happens in the first parts based on the old versions, they may even help you play through again if you've done them before (though there's a bit of alteration in terms of how the adventures play out), but from here on out everything's brand new!<br />
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Though, just to make things more complicated, what <i>was </i>part 2 has been split into 2 and 3, making the old 3 into 4, from which you see the screen above. The current plan is for the game to be made of 12 of these chapters, and we're getting through them at a rate of about one every two weeks. So, how long is it going to take? Well, you do the maths, dingus. What am I, a mathemologist?<br />
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Bear in mind, that's just the programmy stuff. After that there's cleaning up, testing, voices, testing, proofreading, quality control and testing, but be encouraged - this game's being made, and everything!<br />
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I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as to how far along the whole project is, don't you fret. Which reminds me, I'd better amend the website...it's a weeee smidge out of date these days.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-533950085849157310.post-61744166504284870182014-03-10T15:38:00.001-07:002014-03-10T15:48:00.911-07:00Virtual WorldsI <i>told </i>you I'd update a lot more.<br />
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Anyway, a big part of Technobabylon is the characters' interaction with the net through virtual reality. Through a couple of weird coincidences, I stumbled across and was e-mailed by Codafrost, who is in the process of <a href="https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=6523&sid=5d62b411f48871c01d850aa51d008314&start=20">making their own version of the first part of Technobabylon</a>. Where does the VR come in to that? Well, it's been done for Oculus Rift, the Kickstarted virtual reality systems.<br />
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It's an early alpha version, and was initially built by Codafrost as a means of testing an adventure-game verb-coin interface in Oculus Rift. I haven't personally got any VR hardware, but it still works - as long as you don't mind crossing your eyes a little.<br />
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It certainly seems like Coda's got a thing for cyberpunk, and apparently has an IP of their own that they're working on. Still, this is an interesting idea, isn't it? Who's to say that if I hadn't started in Unity rather than AGS, that this is how Technobabylon would have looked like to begin with?</div>
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Even more exciting, we now get to see the other side of Latha's apartment!<br />
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If you want to give it a go, it's downloadable from the link at the top.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233445865764664599noreply@blogger.com0