Recently I received a reading challenge (lots of r’s…anyone know of an R word that can replace challenge?). A person by the username “Warsock” (great name, by the way) asked this:
“Is it possible to read a book and understand it, but only read every other chapter?”
Oh, and Warsock, I’m not sure if that was actually a challenge, but I’m going to take it as one. So I’m going to read a popular book (one I haven’t read before) and attempt to understand it without actually reading the other half. I’ll post here when done and describe the storyline I read.
My first dilemma, however, is whether I should start on the first or second chapter. If I read the first chapter, I get introduced to a bunch of characters I’ve never heard of, but if I read chapter two I’ll be able to read the final chapter, the conclusion….any suggestions?
Also, I need a good idea for a book (preferably under 400 pages…it’s going to be hard to get through this). So if anyone here knows of a good, popular book (not Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Narnia, or anything like that that I’ve aready read).
Alright, haven’t posted in a bit. Hmm. Don’t know what to say. Psssssych! 2 new [finished] games, 1 new [almost finished] game, plus a Facebook group that’s been around….for a while.
2020 – YES. I’ve finished it, and it was released in final mode on Saturday night. The comp results should come in on this next Saturday, so I’m excited. 20 levels, 3 arcade difficulties, 6 awards, 6 enemies, 2 bosses, online highscores, 3 weapons, 6 enemy drops, and wave after wave of oncoming enemies! Enjoy this one. [link in title]
Paperfest – A short but challenging minigame/arcade shooter based off 2020. After working with 2020 non-stop for a month I couldn’t help it. I had to make a paper based black-and-white game. Really. I couldn’t help it. So this is another submission to GameCOG’s competition.
Facebook Group – Ha, I’ve made one for turboRamble, finally. Has artwork (some from here, but also some bonus ones). Also has announcments, threads, etc.
Pixel – I’ve released this on YoYo Games, though I’m not quite ready to release it here yet. Has auto-saving, 8 awards, 4 achievements, infinite waves, 6 enemies, stats, and online highscores. Almost completed…just need to work out a few kinks first.
I’ll upload the different games here really soon, probably once Pixel is released, so that I can do it all at once instead of multiple times.
Finally, I’m working on a game that I know I’ll finish, just because it’s taken me only 3 or 4 days to work on. All I need to do now is design each level and I’ll be done. I’m entering this game into GameCOG’s 3rd competition, Explosions. Pretty cool sound, huh? Well, so far, this is what I’ve got.
2020 is a game based off the old time original, 1945. With great updated graphics, futuristic settings, two game modes, and lots of explosions, this game is fast paced and intense. So far I’ve completed all 6 enemies and 3 weapons that are included in the game, and their properties are listed at the bottom of this page. Game Statistics:
NOTE: the numbers above farthest to the right are the most recent updates.
As you can see from the above stats, the game is already well on its way. I hope to have some pretty huge custom particle explosions and loud booms (you’ll be able to turn on and off music, sound effects, and booms). It will have an in-game highscore listing (I haven’t been able to figure out online highscores).
Conflict Mode:
These are the levels, 20 in total – 10 easy, 10 hard. They are based on the original 1945, except it has the obvious upgrades in graphics, etc. You have limited rockets and lasers, being only able to get more ammo when you either shoot or move into an ammo crate. Your enemies will attack in formations in order to weaken your will to fight.
Arcade Mode:
In this gameplay mode, you must survive the never ending waves of enemy ships for as long as possible. You will have unlimited ammunition, so you’ll get to enjoy even more explosions. Plus, in the options menu, you can turn on and off whether you want chain explosions. Both types allow insanely addicting fun. It features 3 levels of difficulty – easy, medium, and hard. In easy, there are only 2 portals and only 3 types of enemies spawn. In medium, there are 4 portals placed in each corner, but it only spawns 4 enemies. In hard, it spawns a 5 enemies and the portals are placed closer to the middle.
Weapons:
TURRET — A gun that has unlimited ammo, but with no special effect. It is the base weapon. ROCKETS – This requires ammunition, and heatseaks towards the nearest ship after moving forward a bit. LASERS — A powerful weapon that can shoot straight through multiple enemies. Requires ammunition to work.
Enemies:
FOLLOWER — Slow but numerous, these will pound you time after time. TANK — The slowest spaceship, this ship has a powerful turret. KAMIKAZE — The fastest of all, this ship has no gun but has thrown caution to the wind. WARP — This alien craft has a built in warp sphere, allowing it to teleport. ASSAULT — A fast ship with even faster bullets than the tank has. MOTHERSHIP — The name tells it all. Slow, but with a turret that pumps out bullets faster than you can blink.
Controls:
You can either use the up, down, left and right arrow keys with Z,X,C; or you can use W,A,S,D with B,N,M. More controls are explained in-game.
WOW. I’ve worked on this for 3 days and it’s already nearly completed. I’m going to keep polishing it up, though.
Okay guys, I’ve decided to create a poll. On a scale of 1-5, what would you rate the new logo (seen at the top of this page)?
I think I really like how it came out, but I believe I should make it up to you guys! So, if the most are 3 stars or less then I’ll create a new one, otherwise this one’s here to stay (…until I get tired of it as well).
Oh, also, I’m leaving for summer camp (overnight) this Sunday (July 12-17). Then I’ve got vacation from the 18 to the 24. I’m going to test an autopost feature, which allows it to post something I’ve previously written on a later date and time. So I’ll still have a post or two when I’m gone, even if I’m not *here* to manage the site. Should be interesting.
I’m also thinking of getting a turboRamble group on Facebook, where I’d have some exclusive art, screenshots, etc. I’m mainly just doing it to get me more hits, but hey, it works. Anyway, get ready for that weird ‘ghost’ blog post (I should right a poem about it!).
I’ve uploaded 8 new pieces of artwork, all by me (what else?). My favorite one is showed below, and I based it off of another zombie/creature I found online. Their’s was just a sketch, mine is complete with shading. I tried going for like a monkey-zombie type thing.
It took me about 30 minutes to create. I started with a basic sketch, went on to making the lines a little bolder (finalizing) then I added the shading. I used an ebony pencil on a normal piece of paper, and I shaded the eyes just enough to kind of draw you in towards them. I went more towards the hungry/happy/excited zombie than the one I based it off, which was more of an angry zombie.
If you want to see the other 7, go to the Artwork page.
Yep, I’ve got a Twitter account (actually had one for a bit now) and it’s feeding through the sidebar [right hand, obviously] titled turboTweet. I have constant updates, like a micro blog, so you all know that I’m still ‘here’. It’s actually been pretty fun to play with, especially since…well, I really don’t know. I just like to use up the 140 max characters as much as possible. It’s pretty much what it says – turboRamble. I type what I’m thinking whether I think you want to hear it or not. It’s just what’s on my mind.
By the way, for Tankande Hart, I’m planning on having a short playlist of 3 songs by the Swedish techno band Basshunter. The songs would include “Hallå Där”, “Boten Anna”, and “Strand TylÖsand”. All are pretty sick songs (’sick’ meaning really awesome). I believe that as long as they are included in in-game credits, and the game doesn’t cost money (which I don’t plan on, anyway), it should be legal.
Also, yesterday my parents got back from their trip to Seatle, Washington, where they got to see my oldest brother graduate from college there. They brought some presents – my younger brother got matching cards, my younger sister got a puzzle, and I got an awesome LEGAL type of switchblade. It’s legal because when you press the button (it has a lock as well) it flips out instead of coming straight out. It also has a built in really bright mini LED flashlight, which is useful. So now I have about 10 unique knives in my collection, not including my throwing star….yeah….
That about sums up what’s been happening to me lately.
Wow, I haven’t posted in quite a while because of all my final semester projects/exams. So I’m working hard now to get back on track with the website and everything. I want to announce the progress on a couple of my games, one is a known game already, one I’ve been doing for months on and off, one I’ve just started, and one I haven’t yet started. Oh yes, and one I’m working on with a friend.
Planets – this is coming along well, though I stopped working on it for a bit so that I can sit back and see what I need to do in order to improve it.
Tankande Hart – means “Thinking Hard” in Swedish, and is going to be a platform puzzle game. Previously titled, “Inoju”, then “Krainn”, this game is back on the map and I hope to have about 25 levels to it.
Capsule 2, World of trueArt – y’know how the first Capsule was titled “Capsule, World of Art”? Well, this one is going to have custom drawn levels with paint. If it’s successful, I might make a Capsule 3 which would be actuall handrawn. Anyway, this should have a total of 50 fun levels, each broken up into 5 zones (10 in each).
Falling Balls 2 – a sequal to my last game, FBalling, this will be loads of fun. I’m thinking of making a campaign mode, where you must drive the helicopter through the city, while balls, cars, pianos–and, of course, rockets–fall out of the sky. There will still be the arcade mode (which will have volcanoe, city, and ocean zones again) but you will have to beat the campaign to unlock it.
Hit the Blocks 2 – its the summer of sequals! This will be the sequal to the game created by Andrew Raymond (a friend), and I’m doing some of the graphics as well as helping with level design. There will be the platform version, but also the classic puzzle version. More coming soon about it, since we only really have the graphics done for it.
What a fun summer…anyway, on Sunday I got invited to two birthday parties, both taking place this month. The first one, on the 13, goes from 5 pm to 10 pm, and we’ll be playing Halo 3 on two TVs. The second one, around the end of June, I get to go to Six Flags Mass. with a friend, which is about 30 minutes from his house. I also am going to two graduation parties this month, only a day apart, so I need to get a bunch of gifts….there goes my month’s work of money.
Well, I’ll get back to posting soon. I figured writing a post this size should make up for everything.
Here’s a bunch of cool photographs my brother and I took. He’s the one in the orange shirt, and I’m the guy with the long hair. Ha. All were created with just a normal camera – no paint program involved. I sent up some lights to create the effects before taking the pictures.
And then some extras I took for fun:
Pretty sweet, seeing as we took all of these with a normal camera, using NO special effects from computer programs. Tell me what you think of them!
Check this awesome thing out! You know the stat on the right hand side, that tells you how many people are currently online? Well, it also shows you where those people came from. I captured an image of it. By pressing on the picture you can go there, to view the whole map with its features.
Pretty sick, huh? India, Chile, Brazil, Lithuania, Egypt, and many more. All for this website!
Actually, I did this one in October ‘08 for a contest, but I forgot to put it up. Anyway, here it is below. Oh, P.S., I did not actually draw the header image above. I used a font I have. My hand writing is much better than that. Thanks for the support.
Oh, and here’s an edit I made of Master Chief (Halo). I titled it, “Trapped In Warp”.
Posted by turboramble 
Posted by turboramble 
Posted by turboramble 
Reading Challenge
October 1, 2009Recently I received a reading challenge (lots of r’s…anyone know of an R word that can replace challenge?). A person by the username “Warsock” (great name, by the way) asked this:
Oh, and Warsock, I’m not sure if that was actually a challenge, but I’m going to take it as one. So I’m going to read a popular book (one I haven’t read before) and attempt to understand it without actually reading the other half. I’ll post here when done and describe the storyline I read.
My first dilemma, however, is whether I should start on the first or second chapter. If I read the first chapter, I get introduced to a bunch of characters I’ve never heard of, but if I read chapter two I’ll be able to read the final chapter, the conclusion….any suggestions?
Also, I need a good idea for a book (preferably under 400 pages…it’s going to be hard to get through this). So if anyone here knows of a good, popular book (not Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Narnia, or anything like that that I’ve aready read).
Comment on this post to help me out!
-Nathan Wood