Free Music by Yours Truly


Over the years I have dabbled in the creation of electronica.  It's one of my many hobbies, and every once in a while I get the urge to make something new.  Since last year I have been wanting to put some of those creations up for download but was not able to find a suitable online service.


<a href="http://mentis.bandcamp.com/album/click-here-to-start" rel="nofollow">Paradox by mentis</a>


Until now.  I love the efficiency and simplicity of Bandcamp, which is where you will find three compilations of my music.  While it may be of questionable quality, I would like to think that there has been some improvement in it.  Keep in mind that some of it is of a more experimental nature, with influences from such genres as noise, ambient, and many other iterations of techno music.  Oh and by the way, it's all free.


at 7/26/2010 08:50:00 AM View Comments
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Moonbase Alpha


In partnership with NASA, Virtual Heroes has created a streamlined simulation and serious game which recently saw release on Steam under the title Moonbase Alpha.  Clearly part of a marketing campaign, Moonbase Alpha comes to us free of charge and endeavors to enthuse and educate gamers about the space program, albeit in a fictionalized future setting.
In ‘Moonbase Alpha’, players will step into the role of an exploration team member and will be immersed in a futuristic 3D lunar settlement. Their mission is to restore critical systems and oxygen flow after a nearby meteor strike cripples a solar array and life support equipment. Available resources include an interactive command center, a lunar rover, mobile robotic repair units and a fully stocked equipment shed. [via]
While the game lacks a proper tutorial, mechanics and objectives are rather easy to pick up within the first play-through of the mission.  A couple more tries, and further tricks to speed up the repair process can be learned, like the sequence of items to transport and repair.  As described above however, this is very much a multi-player oriented title.  While the first mission is supposed to be doable for 1-2 players, trying to get through it solo I found to be impossible within the 25 minute time limit.  Could be that someone more skilled out there might manage to do so, but I could not even get close.


Moonbase Alpha was quite enjoyable for me, with an attractive and clean interface, and the aforementioned ease of learning its mechanics.  Nothing jumped out at me as a glaring flaw right off the bat, yet a few minor issues did nag me after a little while.  As an artist and graphics professional I have this little peeve about skyboxes in games.  Here in particular it is glaringly obvious that the skybox could benefit from a little more love.  It is understandable that NASA probably wanted it to be realistic, but looking at the myriad of photographs they make available online I cannot help but think that there are other realistic options.


My other point of contention in Moonbase Alpha is the welding mini-game.  It feels very much like an afterthought that just did not see enough development time.  Taking a casual game mechanic and throwing it into a larger project has been done before, Bioshock's hacking mini-game comes to mind as a successful example, and doing so should at least be executed properly.  When it first came up during a repair I was rather surprised by it and had no idea what I was supposed to do.  That lack of warning, particularly given the time-sensitive nature of the mini-game, is the primary problem with it.

In terms of the overall enjoyment of playing Moonbase Alpha, the flaws I point out are probably not very significant.  Which is to say that the game is rather fun and more so in multi-player.  What does get in the way of overall enjoyment in the long run is the lack of replay value.  This is a game that I find to be interesting for a few missions only, after which it quickly becomes repetitive.  There is, after all, only one actual mission.  As such, Moonbase Alpha is a refreshing but short-lived sim that is worth its price.  I would recommend picking it up for something new to play, as a diversion, or for those of us who are busy and don't have long hours to devote to gaming.


at 7/21/2010 09:00:00 AM View Comments
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Take a Wacom Tablet and Call Me in the Morning


A couple of weeks ago Nikki and I decided that we would invest in a tablet.  No, even after all this time we still didn't have one!  Because of all the recent and soon to come moving, not to mention that we will be without a studio or much storage space for art for quite some time, it just makes sense to downsize a bit.  Going digital more allows us to be unrestricted by availability, or lack thereof, of materials, funds, and the aforementioned space.


After a bit of research I opted to go with the Wacom Bamboo Fun.  There was of course no doubt that I would be going with a Wacom, so it was just a matter of choosing the right model.  The Bamboo Fun features just the right amount of drawing area, has a sleek and low-profile design, and is also USB powered.  No batteries for me, thank you!  So far I haven't had a ton of time to practice with it yet, but I'm sure it will be loved and used well by us for many years to come.


During the little bit of time I have spent using the tablet, I have absolutely no complaints about it's functionality.  It's an excellent product, and I do love the design of it as well as the design of its packaging.  Overall, this is an excellently priced tablet.  I got mine for an awesome $150, which I do believe is still current over at Buydig.com (viewable in cart only), just in case some of you are thinking of grabbing one too.

Artist unknown, via MyPaint screenshots gallery [link]

The only thing I wish was a little better is the included software.  It came with Photoshop Elements 7 and Painter Essentials 4.  Neither of which are terribly great, but PE4 might get some use.  However, there is a great free and open-source program for digital painting called MyPaint that I do recommend grabbing for anyone with a tablet, and even those without who wish to do digital painting.


at 7/16/2010 09:00:00 AM View Comments
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Pietari Posti


Some amazing illustrations with a vintage flare, by artist Pietari Posti.  See more over at the excellent and inspirational Monster Casserole!


at 7/16/2010 06:22:00 AM View Comments
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The Music of 4mat


Discovered some great new chiptunes from artist and developer Matt Simmonds, known as 4mat, available via his page on 8bitcollective.  All songs there are available for download free of charge.  Also, Matt has been working on a new game called Depth, a shooter utilizing 3d graphics by way of red/cyan glasses. (via Indiegames)


at 7/07/2010 09:08:00 AM View Comments
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