My work published in EON?

Well, CruzyKinux has come through for me recently, by getting me in contact with the publisher from EON magazine, seeding the idea of working with them to give me some leverage with CCP.

Why didn't I think of that?


Anyways, the publisher seems willing to hear me out, and I have already sent some of my better work from my portfolio to him, and am working on some more eye catching work.

So hopefully, if I'm half as good as I think I am, I may end up with my work published in the EON magazine.
Fucking A.


This could be very good, not only to gain notice of CCP in the short run, which in my opinion still won't be enough to get me in this time around.
But, if I were to continue working with them and get my work published in EON month after month, in six months time when I'm skilled up to where I think I need to be to get into CCP, then I'll also have something pretty decent on my resume to flaunt.

So in short, if I miss this time, this will almost certainly get me hired six months later.


So lets see if they will publish my work.

Cheers CrazyKinux.

~Yoh

Boot to the Face

After an ongoing email conversation with Kelley Barnes-Harmann today, I feel a little less then enthused. She must have had her suit on, she was not playing.
The consistent feeling I was getting from her, was that I'm in for a world of hurt as to the likeness of me getting in at this point in time.
A shear cliff if you will.

Well that's good, I like a challenge.

Never the less, I have to face the realization, which I was already acutely aware of, that I may not be hired this time around.
That's fine.

I'll just have to buckle down and try again 6 months from now.


Of coarse I'm still going to finish my portfolio and submit it, even if I do get kicked in the face.
At the very least I'll learn where the benchmark is, and that'll give me an accurate direction to go in.
No more stabbing in the dark.


Still, all things considered, that when well I think.


~Yoh

The Aliens have landed!

Contact! I have made contact!

With CCP!



Misleading title eh?

Over the last month I have been attempting to start up an email conversation with somebody at CCP, as to get opinions on my portfolio work so far. And to build bridges, naturally.

And at long last, Kelley Barnes-Hermann has replied to my pleads.
I was right to think she was a nice person.
Right from the beginning I knew, "if anybody will reply, the lady will". And hey presto.


Now lets hope I'm as persuasive, and as good as an artist an I delusionally think that I am.

I pretty sure CrazyKinux had something to do with this, if so thanks, if not, thanks anyways.
That's motivation fuel for ya.


~Yoh

It's all uphill from here

Well, my long awaited project is underway, building my portfolio for CCP.

And boy o boy, does it take a lot out of you.
I spend on average, 5-6 hours daily on it. Can't remember the last time I actually played a game.
Don't do much other than wake up, work, maybe get a bit of anime in, work, go to my part time job, come back, eat, and work some more.
Morning to night, art is all I think about.

And I have the next two months of that routine to look forward to.
Joy o joy.


Never the less, it'll all be worth it in the end.
I'm a lot better now then I was 8 months ago. So much so, that I'm easily on par with artwork CCP have done themselves, so I shouldn't have any problems getting in.

Let's see if persistence really does pay off.


~Yoh

The Future of Guilds

After a side comment by Karen, on the Shut Up, We're Talking podcast ep #55, about how the role of guilds are falling by the sideline in way of PUG's where you used to be in a guild for primarily raiding and gear centric purposes, and now game mechanics are allowing for PUG's to do this also.

So what's left for guilds?

As it stands, they seem more like glorified chat channels, there only for social rather than practical purposes.



While I admit, I'm not the most social person in the world, but I can definitely see the degradation of guilds in MMO's.

Now, where would I like to see them go in the future?
Well, obviously somewhere with more practical uses.


And of coarse, I'm going to bring up the game by the only people who always seem be ahead of the curve, EVE Online by CCP. (yeah, I'm a fanboy, bite me)



In EVE, while solo gameplay is quite boring (understatement), group content and corporations (guilds) are exceedingly good, allowing the corp to do damn near anything they want, from mission running, to full on conquest with real, meaningful war.

Being in a corp in EVE, is a critical component of the game. You just can't do anything meaningful with a PUG. (while I have never even heard of a PUG in EVE)
And solo content is again, boring and limited. But in a corp, the skies the limit.

But it could be better.


I'll add in here a part of my response on the SU,WT podcast to give you an idea of where I would like to see where guilds go in the future.

"Like building stuff, like a Keep for example. Say in a world whey you can build stuff, and that stuff can also be destroyed by other players, and there is a real, tangible and tactical reason for building stuff. (so like the real world then)

You and your guild could own a section of land, and in order to better fortify you position and stockpile goods, you go abouts building a keep. The task would require you to gather resources, use them to build the building piece by piece over the course of several days, or weeks (depending on how many hands you have), all the while protecting it from assault by rival groups and NPC mobs.


And even when built, you have to continue to guard it, maintain it, or risk it being captured or destroyed. And not in a perpetual tug of war sense either.
I mean once it's gone, it's bloody well gone. Then you would have to start over from scratch if that's the case."


The idea being for guilds to actively fight over limited space and resources, and build military and civilian building and infrastructure, as to support themselves and others as they see fit.
But at the same time, defend what they have.

And this will be, I think, beyond the abilities of both solo, small group content, or PUG's of any size, due to the time and coordination required.


Being able to shape the world as you see fit, what a more fitting purpose for a guild could there be?



As for how this could be worked into EVE, I would like for sovereignty turn into Command & Conquer in space, literary. Where you can, but don't necessarily need to, build various buildings that serve certain roles, allowing you and your corp to build a base to your needs.

Then you could use that base to expand or conduct activities you otherwise wouldn't be able to.
Rather than be solely about fleet engagements.

Just my 2 cents.



But that would be a nice future for guilds, don't you think?

~Yoh

EVE Alliance Tournament is go

AT 7 is just under way, as I've just come back from watching the first series of matches on YouTube.
You can watch it from CCP's account, so check it out if your at all interested in e-sports or internet space ships.


Even thou I no longer play EVE, and will unlikely go back to it anytime in the foreseeable future, I can't help but watch the tourny as it is always quite fun to watch.

I guess it's because while in general EVE is very, very boring and slow; when you get into great big slugfests, and given the very adaptive nature of the fittings and ships, it's really fun watching as several minds try to outwit and generally beat the crap out of each other.
PvP in EVE is really very good and meaningful, and the alliance tournament highlights this in the best possible way.

And as such, it's one of the reasons I continue to watch EVE like a hawk, always seeing if it's time to return to again. Where as with almost any other MMO I've stopped playing, I just don't care anymore, as they just don't have anything left to offer me, nor will they ever fundamentally change enough to warrant interest on my part.


To date, EVE Online is the only MMO that has kept me interested in it, after I've stopped playing. (not to say I haven't gone back to other mmo's sporadically, just to see if anything has improved)

And so, I'm going to continue to watch it, and the best way for that is the alliance tournament.



So if your not already watching it...... what are you waiting for?


~Yoh