DovaTron

Here's a silly video I made with Tron Uprising (great show by the way, go check it out on iTunes or Netflix! :D) and the trailer sounds of Skyrim. ;P Enjoy! XD

(c) I did not own nor create Tron Uprising nor Skyrim. This is purely a fan made mash up of clips and whatnot into a crazy video. ;p

Minecraft 1.5 seeds

Here's some seeds that I made/explored. The seed name or number (the code that is put into the seed generator) will be underlined and have an >> in front of it. These seed names appear exactly as I have made typed them. I will include screenshots of the seeds throughout the description. Enjoy! X)

Please Note: 1) I do not have a gaming computer. I like my pc, but if you notice that there appears to be some chunking going on and the landforms or ground haven't completely formed, this is the reason. ;)
2) For whatever reason, I don't have notes for some of the worlds. I must have lost my notes or forgot to take them. :p

>> Cody: Island with inland lakes. Oak and and jungle trees. Not many chickens but plenty of cows. Secret caves that, so far have their entrances pointed seaward. I've built a house through one that has openings all interconnected through a central 'cave'. It doesn't really descend very deeply into any cave systems that I could find, and ultimately ends very quickly. Perfect for a house though. Not many hills or other extreme landforms. Lagoons. Coal near the entrances to every cave. This would make a good survival map as wood and stone are readily available and there is a good number of cows to get food from.

>>CC2224: Moderate amount of wildlife. One easily mineable wide, open pit with iron and coal. Spawnpoint is within dense jungle.

>>Haiku: Spawnpoint = winter biome. Not a lot of wood at all until you get into the woodland biome or the jungle biome bordering on a desert. There's a ton of sheep too.

>>1138:

>>Colby:

>>Skyrim: Good mix of biomes (save for mushroom). Has a good deal of food sources. Very impressive and strange mountains and hills. Spawnpoint is on the boarder of a jungle biome directly facing the mountains. :)

>>Pandora: Plenty of precious ore down at lava layer. Lots of cows on plains. Jungle biome as well. TONS of cows and sheep. This would be a great seed for a starter survival world.


>>Tron: dungeon at the opening of a cave: x=246.18805 ; y= 58.000 ; z= 425.12204 ; f=3 (east). Nice hilly forests (jungle and winter biomes). Lots of wood. Ok amount of ore--> Mines are somewhat shallow without a good deal of digging. The systems in the jungle and winter biomes are much more deep and vast. Jungle temple @ x= 204.73217 ; y=83.632 ; z= 290.28419 ; f= 3 (east) . Nice mixing of biomes in some areas. Neat little river.





I realize that these are all very outdated but it is taking me too long to write while Notch keeps awing us with new versions. I apologize for having this come out so late. Pretty screenshots? *hopeful smile*

Link References

Here's some references that I snapped for my friend, LucrataNexarii, on dA. She was looking for some to use for making sculptures and other art, but there just weren't any out there in Google Images. So here they are!


These first ones are like my attempt to catch his whole body so you could see the pattern of his light-accents on his suit.

And these ones are more expression/lighting/features focused. 

   

NOTE: I did not make these images in any way shape or form. I am simply helping a friend out by giving her references to use for her art. You can check out her awesome artwork on dA: http://lucratanexarii.deviantart.com/ 

If you like anything you see here, please check the Tron Uprising out. I got it off of iTunes and it was worth every cent. It is definitely NOT just a kid's show. It's like watching TAS Batman level stuff with the amazing storytelling, voice acting, artwork, and action. And that's coming from someone who basically worships clone troopers. ;D Definitely one of my top favorite shows.

Animation Video: Caldera

FINALLY! It's about time I posted something on here for once! :p Sorry for keeping you guys waiting so long. This summer (and even a little bit right now) I've just been ramming into the artist/writer's block wall. XC It's definitely coming back though! I also wanted to thank you guys for all the pageviews.

Here's a neat animated short I found on my searches through Youtube. This is not done by me, I just love the visuals and thought provoking story. :) All credit goes to the creators and the wonderful composer! Enjoy! :D

Neat Chicken Video

Here is a neat chicken video that I found on Youtube. It is not by me so please direct your questions, if you have any, to the creators. :) If you have any general chicken questions, as a chicken-raiser myself, I'd be happy to answer them. :D

Heroes and Stuff ;D

So yeah, since I had so much fun getting down my villains commentary I decieded the most natural thing to do would be to post a thing about heroes. XD

NOTE: These are just things that I have found that work for me as a writer. By not means do you have to follow anything I say here. Actually please don't follow what I say. I'd rather you be an individual writer than anything. :) These are just things to think about. ;D Watch out for the impending rambling that I do too. :p

Also I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in so long. School and everything else has kept me abnormally busy. I had this completed like a month ago but just now got around to checking it for errors. 

As a writer of at least 12 books (none of them published though :P ), I've found myself using a lot of characters. Not like an overwhelming amount that are too numerous and complex to remember every detail of, but a good number of what I call "sub-secondary characters". Anyways, since the main characters are always protagonists (even the ones they call 'antagonists', because what normal human would tolerate reading a story where the main character is a sadistic raper serial murderer terrorist....in my opinion  no one.) I've found it very key to figure out how to write good main character/protagonist/heroes. By good I mean believable.

Out of all the books I've read, the ones I put down or skim through almost always either (1) used 'formula writing' (taking something that's already been done and only slapping in new characters and a new slew of cliched dialogue) or (2) had un-believable characters. What are believable characters? Good question! :D They're the ones you can connect with (and here's the important part) no matter what profession, attitude, gender, or lifestyle they have. This is important because when a reader feels like the character is human and not just words on a page, he or she usually becomes connected emotionally to the character (i.e. they care about what happens to the characters). When this occurs in your character, and you have a believable, interesting, intelligent plot, you have a good thing going. Readers will be interested in what's going to happen to your characters and that's half the battle. XD

As with villains though, there's certain things that contribute to the character's overall "believableness". Especially with heroes, one tends to find a lot of cliches and/or repeated formulas. It's hard to advise how to write a good hero. But I can say that if you avoid modeling your hero after one single character that's not your own, and refrain from taking another book's plot/character schematic and making it your own, then you're bound to have a good character or at least one on their way to becoming a believable character. ;D

For me it took a long time to get the set of characters that I have now. Good characters just don't spring willy-nilly from my consciousness. (If that happens to you, that's cool! ;D ) It takes me years to develop them and see what works for them and doesn't.  I think that's because I had to get myself emotionally attached to them. I had to put myself as the reader (as most writers should, however subconsciously. ;) ) and find just the right combination of traits and personality that makes Private Ryan Private Ryan and Captain Grey Captain Grey. :) I actually had two versions of a book, half-written, that never became anything save for a pile of notebooks on my bookshelf. :p That probably was more of an experiment on my characters though. Testing them and putting them in some situations to get a feel for how they would react. I'm not suggesting that you write a random, not so useful book just to get a sense of who your characters are. Perhaps, though, making more than one story about them, just to test or 'flesh-out' the characters out might help. :) I think something that helped them grow into 'humans' is the experiences they go through that shape them and expand on how they, as characters, react to these experiences. I think it's this reaction to events that really reflects what happens to shape or change people in real life. Showing it in your writing just makes the characters more life like. :)

You could go from the largest/most drastic experiences or the smallest ones. Each does something for your character because each shows how they'd react to that specific experience which gives the reader a better sense of who they are. I believe books are basically a slew of experiences thrown upon characters that changes them or reasserts their attitude/personality. For example how Bruce Wayne dealt with his parents' deaths made all the difference because we learn how he came to respect life and his need to prevent crime so the same doesn't happen to other people. Also basically everything in life is an experience in some way shape or form, so showing how your characters learned from each experience they encountered, will make them more believable.

A problem I have with a lot of books, that ultimately leads me to put it down or not enjoy it, is when writers tag 'expected' flaws or attitudes/personalities onto their characters. They make the character's flaw the complete center from which the story revolves around. If the character is 'depressed' I often find in books that this automatically must result in them abusing some sort of chemical and the entire story is then bent toward that concept. To me, having them being a drug addict is too easy and expected, but also that's just me. It's like having a single answer to a multiple answer problem.

I think sometimes it's ok, especially if it's written well in a more original way, but often the same set things tend to happen to characters who have 'one set flaw'. I also don't like how these types of flaws ultimately control the entire story. I'm not opposed to 'moral' stories, it's just I think that since our lives don't revolve around our own flaws, that a move like this often kinda dehumanizes the character. I probably also don't really like it because it doesn't allow the character to grow "more naturally". If they are a drug addict or in an abusive relationship, there's really only a few possibilities of how it could end or what the character could learn. In that way, I try to have the flaws be more illusive, not really nameable. I've found it's vastly more fun for a reader to try to guess at what exactly they are and therefore more interesting. Also, if you think about real life humans, we can't always name what our flaws are. I find that when I reflect this mystery inside the character they seem to become more human and interesting. This sort of 'mystery-subtle-flaws' take forever to get right but I think I found a way to look at the character that will help you write these flaws in discrete ways.

With my protagonists, I have them coping with stress in other ways that represent and directly reflect their personality. This is kinda hard to explain as it is super easy to write a character's flaw in as something like alcoholism or aggression because of an abusive childhood. I don't know why but I can never really get into those kinds of stories because I've heard them before and they always tend to continue and end the same way. What I have learned to do is make a character's flaw indescribable, and therefore unique. (sorry if I'm kinda repeating myself here. :P ) Like Cody's flaw could be this but also a mixture of this....etc. etc. I write this way by not focusing so much on what their flaw is but instead having that personal failure kinda write itself. If you know the experiences your character(s) went through and what their responses to those experiences were, then you will know the problems that could occur. I guess, in that way, I try to focus more on a character's personality than a flaw, because that's like an answer all for how they will react. Personality will justify a flaw and something like a drug addiction for the readers. Thus not leaving me thinking, "Why is that character doing that?" or something.

Here's an example of the thought I employ to come up with a 'flaw' or possible negative reactions to something: Like with Cody, he's a very self-disciplined and high self esteemed kind of guy. To have him sink down into disrepair due to stress would signal an extreme character change. He also, as a strategist, is a very 'mindful' person. He's thinking almost constantly and analyzing everything. That explains not only his level of self-discipline but also his strategic mindset. Therefore I made his coping vastly more internal. He knows why he is sad or why he has PTSD (yes, folks, I gave Cody PTSD because after what he endured it would strange if he didn't get it. :( ) and understands what made him that way. It gets interesting to see how he literally thinks his way out of it, but what happens when he can't disperse the negativity in time and it kinda bottles inside of him. I guess, the choice of not having any of my heroes rely on chemical consumption to cope with their problems is because I kinda view that as running from the problem. Cody's ways have definitely rubbed off on his men and therefore they exhibit the same tendency of facing the problem, understanding it, and then fixing it. I kinda apply my own techniques here as I found that often admitting to a problem, understanding it, and then being able to fix it through self discipline or other personal devices is how I tend to deal with things like stress.

I guess this kinda plays into how I try to 'surprise' my readers by having the characters go against the expected reaction but also have logical reasons for it. Clones are kind of an odd case in any sense because they don't have parents or many role models to base their actions after. Maybe a more 'normal' character would exhibit tendencies not applauded here, and that's perfectly alright.

Anyways, please, by no means, adhere to every word I say. If everybody tried to write like another writer this world would be filled with all the same books. ;p I write what I want to read, and these are just my tips and explanations on what I look for and what I do. It takes a lot of thinking and comparing but I think it really pays off because in the end the readers feel like the protagonist(s) are believable enough to relate to. And that alone contributes to the interest the reader feels when reading the book. ;)

Clone Wars Season 5 Review: Ahsoka on the Run Arc

WARNING!: contains spoilers for the Clone Wars Sabotage/"Ahsoka on the Run" episode arc. You may want to see this before reading on. :) Also please remember that this is my opinion and that I really love the Clone Wars and appreciate being able to watch something new with Star Wars for most of the year. :)

Sorry if I just dive right into the nitty gritty (like I've ever done any differently :p ). I really don't like Ahsoka anymore. I thought she was ok in the beginning because she was learning and could understand why her behavior wasn't spot on, but now I just see how much she didn't change. :L She's still sassy and overly defensive of her beliefs. She should know better by now than to shoot off her mouth. Heck, even Anakin knows better than to back talk other people all the time!! Maybe she wouldn't be in such a bad situation if she held her tongue when Tarkin told them about moving Letta. And a prisoner transfer is the stupidest reason to get upset over. :p I mean, seriously, the Jedi Temple was just attacked! Don't you think the GAR might be doing them a favor by letting them figure out the rest of the case or help figure it out/fix their security system while they hold onto a potentially lethal person/run them through the military justice system. And by no means was their case over.

The Jedi should know better than to believe that the blast was figured out/executed by Letta alone. Even if her husband somehow stole the nanobots (which shouldn't the Jedi be able to trace through their records?) how was Letta able to figure out how to detonate them. There should be controllers or syringes with the nanobots as clues for these things. If they looked, maybe they'd find them, hmmm!? To me, the Jedi were just so worried about making sure it wasn't one of their own that when they found somebody who was a good enough suspect, they really overlooked a TON of clues that could have lead to the discovery of deeper cohorts/executors of the bombing. They are really stupid.

I think it's really sad how the clones were way, WAY better detectives than the Jedi. I mean, compare their objectives/operation to discover Slick and, ultimately, Ventress as the intel-leakers on Christophsis! It not only took them literally less than a day to solve that and execute justice, but also to actually accept the fact that it was possible for one of their brothers to betray them. Are the Jedi really that short-sighted that they can't accept the fact that it is very possible for a Jedi to have done the bombing. It was also really dumb of them to send two Jedi to investigate when clearly they were primed to try to prove that their members didn't do it. They should have sent in a mixed investigation team. If they put Commander Cody with a level headed Jedi like Kit Fisto or something they could have reaped infinitely better results/more evidence. But instead they elected the two jumpiest, passionate Jedi ever!! *facepalm*

Ok and that whole thing with Letta's death....that was just ridiculous. I thought that Ahsoka should have stopped running and realized something was up when she came across those injured clones. She should have talked to them and tried to help them, thus making her not as guilty looking. They know who was strangling them and usually someone who tries to strangle them one moment won't try to save them the next. Duh. :( Because she kept running she looked more and more guilty and I don't know why she didn't just lie low until the trial. She has friends with the clones, like Rex, and I bet if he knew about the trial, he would testify to her innocence. Ahsoka is just way too impatient and in the "I'm right and no one else is" mindset.

Though I did get the feeling of the events of Episode III and the Original Trilogy getting closer, I'm also going to have to disagree with Mr. Filoni on the aspect of Ahsoka being chased by clones 'feeling right'. I never really connected the clones to stormtroopers. In reality, I'm pretty sure that stormtroopers are almost completely different from clones as the clones were aging rapidly and very bitter/disappointed about the Empire (and being killed off because they were too good to be kept alive). I have given this a lot of thought and have come to the conclusion that a people raised with the prospect that they are going to help right the galaxy, that they absolutely have to succeed  could only feel disappointment when their hopes of becoming civilians, merging into society and life outside of war, becoming seen as human. Just bitterness. And I reflect that in my books.

I digress. :P I guess after seeing the last episode my views really didn't change on Ahsoka. She still doesn't see the motives behind her removal that I think anyone with half a brain could see that the whole thing was orchestrated to uproot the beliefs of some of the Jedi. And Barriss being the mastermind??!! I didn't believe that for one second, even when she fought Anakin. That's too much of a character change and it kinda disturbs me that they found it necessary and right to make her the 'bad guy'. I really dislike how this show makes one person the sole villain. I've always liked how in the first few seasons we saw the extension of Sidious' power through his manipulation of multiple beings for one criminal act. The whole thing with Slick being a traitor is a good example of this because it began with him and then spread to Ventress and beyond. That's how it is in real life, though I know sometimes we'd like to think there was just one person. :L

All in all, not really pleased with this episode arc. And the fact that Disney cancelled Clone Wars made me more sympathetic to it, but not much. I think the best thing of it was Ventress voicing my thoughts and proving to be the 'grey-zone' character she is (neither 'bad' nor 'good'), as well as that final song with Ahsoka leaving the temple. I don't remember it exactly but I think the music at that part was what made it. ;)

I could go on about the cancellation but I think I'll leave that for my Tron: Uprising review. ;D Sorry I haven't posted anything in so long on here, I've been busy with school and all sorts of other stuff, but it's good to get back to you all and hopefully I'll be able to do a few more posts this week/weekend. :D Rock on guys!