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#ACHARACTERWHO
Uncategorized | Posted by davidludwig
I was rather inspired by @erikadunn_ 's September Character Design Challenge on Twitter, since I absolutely love characters. So even though as a writer rather than an artist I didn't feel like I was exactly the intended participant for the challenge (though I can't find it anymore some of the art particularly by Erika herself was amazing) I still decided to participate in my own way. My personal twist on the challenge was I wanted to see if I could do it without creating any new characters, and I felt like my roster of characters was deep enough to have a shot at that. Ultimately I fell a little short and the process was more difficult than I originally anticipated even though I planned to dodge the hard part by not making any new artwork.
A character who is a 3 inch tall warrior = Roberia, the Arms Master for the Seelie Court of Terra (the same world as Horera from Lost Girls Society) is a fiery pixie with a blade for every occasion. She has an all-offense fighting style and struggles to relate to defensive fighting styles. While my fairies and pixies are more in the 1 to 3 foot range, Roberia was 3 inches tall during her childhood and already a warrior then.
Class: Arms Master
Pro-nouns: She/Her
Species: Pixie
Strengths: Passionate, Blade Mastery, Loyalty, Positivity
Weaknesses: Impulsive, Blunt, Masochism
Likes: Fighting, weapons, blood, dancing, her sister (Althea)
Dislikes: Waiting, Cowardice, Cruelty
Aside: With the number of fairy-like characters in my portfolio, I was actually surprised to realize I couldn't come up with any warriors who were 3 inches when full grown–my smallest full grown warrior was 4 inches but I couldn't find my notes on him, though the healer and the mage in his group were both 3 inches. Also, posting the pictures I could scrounge up on Twitter I realized I had a serious over-representation of my blonde characters which I had not intended. So maybe I should have used Roberia's brunette apprentice, Giselle, instead of Roberia herself.
A character who is a chef = Chef Chatte, a bio-engineered cat-girl associated with the bio-engineered bunny-girl maid, Coneja. One of two results of a mad scientist's experiments that didn't come out completely monstrous in nature, Chatte is nonetheless capricious and completely self-serving and her ambition is to one day eat Coneja. When the scientist was alive, Chatte was his personal chef, now she prepares meals for Coneja and the task force deployed to clean up her creator's various secret labs.
Class: Chef
Species: Catgirl
Orientation: Only interested in Coneja, and even that may only be for literally eating her
Strengths: Cooking, reading people, taking advantage
Weaknesses: Aloofness, Irritability, Lack of Discipline
Likes: Coneja, Food, Games, Catnip, Alcohol
Dislikes: Obligations, Getting Wet, Cockroaches
Aside: Yes, her name can be interpreted as naughty–so was the scientist who created her. Also, I'm shocked how much trouble I had coming up with a Chef character, I have since remembered more and am certain I have many.
A character who has really long hair = Yoshiko, the maid of a reclusive old man who willed a cursed comb to her that brought her hair to life, gave it a mind of its own and made it very long. Her own desires for life were quiet and comfort, but her animated hair is much more ambitious resulting in Yoshiko being dragged by her hair into adventures she never wanted.
Class: Wandering Maid
Species: Human/Kejourou
Orientation: Straight (especially her hair)
Strengths: Diligent, Patient, Observant, Empathetic, Magic Hair (strong, flexible, etc.)
Weaknesses: Overly accommodating, uneducated, non-athletic
Likes: Fluffy beds, lazy afternoons, tea, company
Dislikes: Conflict, stress, pushy people (and hair)
Aside: Yoshiko is actually a role-playing character I have multiple variations on depending on the setting she's used in, from different cultural heritages to different causes for the animated hair including alien abduction.
A character who has really strong thighs = Gregory the Black, a muscle-bound and wild looking sorcerer and partner of a cool swordmaster. Gregory's appearance and mannerisms can frighten others without him meaning to, but really he's a big softy and actually the voice of compassion in his adventuring party. When he needs to unwind or de-stress he finds inner peace by body-building.
Class: Sorcerer
Pro-nouns: He/Him
Orientation: Gay
Strengths: Calm, Analytical, Physically Fit, Magic
Weaknesses: Intimidating, Can't hold his liquor, Loud
Likes: Tight bodies and clothes, summer days, star gazing, academics
Dislikes: Ignorance, Pain, Being Helpless
A character who only wears one color = Emathyst Flower, a pleasant and airy elf barbarian with a strong sense of spirituality. She allows herself to be moved by spirits both literal and figurative in her attempt to live her best life and allow others to do the same. Her skin, hair and eyes are all shades of purple and by no conscious choice on her part Emathyst tends to dress in that color as well.
Class: Barbarian
Species: Elf
Orientation: Mostly Straight
Strengths: Physical Strength and Endurance, Empathy, Spirituality, Insight
Weaknesses: Air-headed, academics, socialization
Likes: Spirits, nature, pleasure, people
Dislikes: Spite, the undead, control
Aside: Emathyst is the role-playing character I have created in the most different systems and I have yet to find a system I can't make a satisfying iteration of the character for–which is very fun for me. Even my most thematic characters, including Emathyst, tend to include accent colors in their outfits instead of literally only wearing one color. The actual picture is her Valla incarnation for Zensara Studios Unity TTRPG (see below). In retrospect I should have gone with one of my superhero characters and fallen back on the classic hero/secret-identity are distinct characters for this particular prompt.
A character who is inspired by your heritage = Ethan White is the prince of a secret kingdom which has carried the ideals of Camelot into the modern age, and is foremost among his kingdom's order of Rune Knights–whose martial and mystic training put them fully on par with super heroes. As Silver Knight, Ethan personally is able to keep pace with even the greatest heroes in the world. I consider it fair to say Ethan and the Rune Knights were derived from my European heritage, even though that wasn't a particularly conscious choice at the time.
Class: Rune Knight
Strengths: Physical and Mental training, swordsmanship, magic, confidence and determination
Weaknesses: Arrogance, simplistic world-view, tries too hard
Likes: Adulation, beautiful women, accomplishments, summertime
Dislikes: Criticism, being wrong, arrogance in others
Aside: I came up with Silver Knight in elementary school, along with the larger story he's actually only a side character in. He and his Rune Knights have changed more than any other part of that story from initial conception, and are almost certain to change further before actually being ready to release into the world.
A character who is studying alchemy = Xevin Sannonel, a Valla diplomat to the Human lands during the Golden Age of Unity, who became fascinated with Human science including alchemy and has studied it ever since. He's a hobbyist, but with a keen mind and hundreds of years of study he's an extremely talented hobbyist. He was marrying a human woman named Ginny when The Cataclysm struck; slaying their wedding party, turning Ginny into a Shade bound to Xevin, and necrotizing Xevin's flesh.
Class: Driftwalker
Species: Valla
Strengths: Experience and insight, patience, endurance
Weaknesses: Depleted vitality, absent minded, Ginny's undeath
Likes: Science and technology, loves Ginny, life
Dislikes: Desolation, suffering, loneliness
Aside: Since I created him for Zensara Studios' Unity Table-Top Role-Playing Game, Xevin is one of my most recent characters and one I had the good fortune of being able to commission a picture of from @gchoule on Twitter.
A character who is grumpy = Anastasia Heavenrent, the immortal Dark Hunter is very grumpy. Like, she is seriously never happy. She should have died performing a demonic ritual to impress a guy, which did claim the lives of her family and the guy, but instead she was the sole survivor and imbued with supernatural powers. She has spent centuries fighting battles she doesn't feel are hers to try and atone for her past but has never even considered forgiving herself for what she's done.
Class: Dark Hunter
Species: Immortal (once human)
Strengths: Experience, Power, skill, focus
Weaknesses: Makes bad choices, resentful, distrustful, mean
Likes: Red wine, dark chocolate, roses, hot baths
Dislikes: People, herself, damnation
A character who has a replaced body part = Cinder the Entropist, an Afflicted War Priest of Aluvane who follows her own philosophy of purging flame. She is grim and silent with a troubled past. Her eyes and vocal chords have been replaced by mechanical substitutions due to the Phage–which has since mostly settled in her bone marrow requiring steel grafts to reinforce her spine, limbs and right hip.
Class: War Priest
Species: Afflicted
Orientation: Asexual
Strengths: Keen mind, mechanical enhancements, fire and healing magic
Weaknesses: The Phage, perpetual outsider
Likes: Fire, justice, meditation
Dislikes: Cold, darkness, swimming, conversation
Aside: Like Xevin above, Cinder is a character for Zensara Studios' Unity TTRPG who I was able to commission a portrait of from G.C. Houle.
A character who smells nice = Sheya Dinah, the human mercenary from the frozen northlands of Niar appearing in Niar Saga. Living in a harsh icy climate, constant training and fighting for a living can all be very hard on the skin. Sheya takes care of her skin with a special lotion she applies twice daily, and as a result has a very pleasant floral scent that has suffused her skin. Though after particularly gruesome battles she doesn't always smell nice.
Class: Fighter
Strengths: Disciplined, Strong, Agile, Tactical
Weaknesses: Cynicism, magic, the supernatural
Likes: Training, relaxing, warm fires, soft furs, weapons
Dislikes: poor planning, surprises
Aside: In the course of Niar Saga, Vixie actually notices Sheya's good smell.
A character who has a bowl cut = I actually have to take a miss on this one. I have a villain from a one-shot Sailor Moon BESM Adventure I ran in junior high named Nezunite, but I don't have any notes on him and honestly he wasn't that developed a character to begin with. Bowl-cuts are officially under-represented in my character roster (and here I thought I had a pretty amazing range and quantity of characters!)
A character who is a bard = Lysander Devonwilde, a human bard from a prestigious family of sword dancers in the world of Niar a generation after the events of Niar Saga. He never had the mastery of sword dance the rest of his family attained, but was quick to master the basics of a range of disciplines and truly excelled at music and story-telling. Ultimately he ran away from home to pursue his own path.
Class: Bard
Orientation: Straight? Possibly bi.
Strengths: Fast learner, Jack of All Trades, music, charisma, empathy
Weaknesses: Struggles to master trades, too modest, low confidence
Likes: Songs, stories, heroes, new experiences, travel
Dislikes: Stagnation, intractability, bullies
A character who is a mermaid = I don't actually have a name for the character yet, but she is in love with the catgirl pirate-captain, Caitlin Kinnery. Ever since Captain Kinnery rescued her from a fisherman's net the mermaid has been in love with the captain and pursues the captain across the seas. For her part, Cat Kinnery is very interested in the mermaid's tears of pearls but doesn't exactly return the mermaid's affections. The mermaid is a passionate do-gooder and environmentalist and believes deep down the captain is a good person too.
Class: Activist
Species: Mermaid
Orientation: Lesbian
Strengths: Stronger than she looks, motivated, observant, agile in water
Weaknesses: Easily frightened or flustered, vulnerable out of water
Likes: Caitlin Kinnery, sunny days, calm seas, pretty shells
Dislikes: Men, loud noises, violence
Aside: Cat N. Kinnery is the protagonist of the story and the mermaid is more of a recurring side character, and has a rival for the captain's affections in the form of a human male treasure hunter.
A character who looks like spaghetti = Kirby Koosh (I think that was his name), the prince of an alternate dimension accidentally shunted into the human world where he ended up on zany adventures in the company of the goofy Justin the Concurer (yes, that's how he spells it) and his Heroes-For-Hire (basically a Guardians of the Galaxy level band of misfits). Kirby is bouncy and exuberant and in Earth gravity is practically capable of flight, plus the elasticity of his body makes him nearly impervious to blunt trauma. This is a character based on a Koosh ball I played with as a little kid, so I'm not really going to try and fill out more information on him because frankly I'm pretty proud of the fact that my roster of characters already had one that "looked like spaghetti" at all. The team also included the adorable Squeeze-Me-Mouse and a head in a ball that I think was called The Great Sorcerer.
A character who is inspired by a flower = Dandy, one of a bouquet of petals (flower based fairies) who joins the Seelie Paladin Edmund Garrison on his quest to save the world of Terra. (Edmund being a companion of Horera from Lost Girls' Society) Dandy and his sister, Rosie, actually accompanied their eldest sister, Lavender, in joining Edmund–but Dandy and Rosie, who are practically joined at the hip, do believe in stopping evil before it can make it back to their home.
Class: Lesser Fey Ally
Species: Petal (fairy)
Orientation: Asexual (as is Rosie, though Lavender is Pansexual)
Strengths: Napping, sleep magic, calm
Weaknesses: Small and physically weak, confrontation, naturally passive
Likes: Sleep, comfort, cuddling
Dislikes: Stress, responsibilities, anger
Aside: as far as specific character origins go, the petals are entirely a result of my building Edmund as a 3.5 Edition D&D paladin and looking for what fey allies he could have in that system. I hadn't heard of Petals before 3.5 D&D. Also, given the balance of who I actually had pictures of for Twitter, I chose to stick with Dandy as another blonde rather than one of his siblings for another female–a male based on a flower felt more clever anyway.
A character who has funky socks = Nadine Foster from Lost Girls' Society, a skilled hunter from the post apocalyptic paradise of Eden. Her entire outfit is scavenged and cobbled together with her own special touch, and while her mismatched boots particularly stand out her socks are similarly eccentric.
Class: Archer
Orientation: Unexplored leaning Straight
Strengths: Keen senses, sharp judgment, agility, confidence, precision
Weaknesses: Wants to impress others, little interpersonal experience, bossy
Likes: Panoramas, her dad, excitement, pushing herself
Dislikes: Negativity, being alone, boredom
A character who never eats vegetables = Marth, the half-dragon Minotaur from my super hero series, Maze Warrior. A strictly carnivorous minion of evil who doesn't even like ice-cream and never questions his Boss, not even a little bit. Same story as Ethan White and the Rune Knights and has in fact fought Rune Knights in his past and lived to tell of it.
Class: Muscle
Species: Minotaur (half dragon)
Orientation: Asexual (more interested in eating and fighting)
Strengths: Physically strong and resilient, breathes and resists fire, stubborn
Weaknesses: Simple, impulsive, hot-headed
Likes: Meat, Strength, Fighting, Simplicity
Dislikes: Cold, Thinking, Feeling
Aside: Spoiler Alert = He ends up responsible for his precocious younger half-sister.
A character who always eats vegetables = Zelis Aasiarn, an elven druid and the spiritual leader for her people in the world of Niar. By elven standards she is young, but very wise and ends up the most mature member of the next generation of heroes after Niar Saga–though she often longs for a care-free youth that was denied her growing up in an age of crisis. She is a strict vegetarian, and in fact at times subsists off the energy of the universe, though she has a great love of fruits and vegetables–especially those not native to her southern home region.
Class: Druid
Orientation: Pansexual
Strengths: Patience, Wisdom, Empathy, Agility, Nature Magic
Weaknesses: Isolated, lonely, takes too much on herself
Likes: Bird song, sunshine, berries, peace
Dislikes: undeath, contagion, failure
A character who has a gap in their teeth = Afraid I have to take a miss on this one as well, it's just not something I tend to think about and thus do not have established for most of my characters. The ones who do have their tooth spacing as an established trait do not have gaps. So this could be considered a diversity failure on my part, but I also feel like I have enough characters who could have gaps in their teeth I'm more surprised than troubled by this miss. Also, I almost certainly have characters with missing teeth that I'm just not managing to think of.
A character who wears too much jewelry = My first response is "What is this 'too much jewelry' of which you speak?" Honestly, I think a lot of my characters get pretty decked out given the opportunity. Nadine certainly would, and Cat N. Kinnery mentioned in the above mermaid entry certainly has a lot of jewelry and wears a jeweled eye-patch. I'm also pretty sure I have characters with cursed jewelry who personally consider the one-piece "too much"… So while I'm positive I have someone I guess I have to take a miss since I wasn't able to think of them.
A character who has an embarrassing hobby = Geralda Whitewhisper, an extraordinarily powerful elderly Afflicted Mystic who writes slash-fic and makes puppets of her acquaintances and historical figures. Eccentric, enigmatic and drawn to the player characters in my current campaign of Zensara Studios' Unity TTRPG.
Class: Mystic
Species: Afflicted (still sees herself as Human)
Strengths: Magical power, intelligence, experience, personal drive
Weaknesses: Overconfident, physically ailing, over extended
Likes: Relaxing in luxury, writing, puppets, winning
Dislikes: Getting dirty, explaining herself, losing
A character who is very old = Nikki Harridan, is very old and a powerful ice sorceress of the evil race. She lived over a century before being cursed into a man-eating wolf for more than a millennium, and has only returned to humanoid form in the last century when the reincarnation of an ancient holy-man broke the curse. Since then she has been reinventing herself and enjoying the changed world. Nikki looks young and is quite vain about her appearance, but little fazes her because of just how much she's seen.
Class: Sorceress
Species: The Evil Race (they have had many names across history and different cultures)
Strengths: Ice Magic, experience, endurance, flexibility, ferocity
Weaknesses: Hedonism, isolation, guilt
Likes: Extremes, pleasure, surprises, people, herself
Dislikes: Being alone, killing, shortsightedness, responsibility
Aside: Actually derived from a Shining Force III character, but she's been through enough iterations I don't mind calling her mine now. I actually don't think the character she was based on was particularly old.
A character who is a witch = Orsen Blackthorne is a boy witch with a bear-cub familiar. He comes from a long line of distinguished hedge witches and is the first male to inherit the power in his family's history–which makes the heirloom garments a bit uncomfortable for him, so he often just wears bear pelts to match his familiar. He has a good heart and is the soul of his adventuring party, a healer and supporter in many senses of the words.
Class: Witch
Strengths: Empathy, Balance, Faith
Weaknesses: Naive, Young, Shy
Likes: Helping people, being useful, magic, his friends
Dislikes: Public Speaking, being a boy, injustice
Aside: One of four characters that turned into a party that turned into a story when I was familiarizing myself with the Pathfinder role-playing system.
A character who has a lot of tattoos = I feel like I should have a selection for these, including members of Cat N. Kinnery's crew (ah! In fact I'm sure her windcaller does have a lot of tattoos! I could have used him) but the one I was able to come up with I actually haven't named yet because the story she's for is still in a fairly rough conceptual stage. But I do call her The Tattooed Lady, the antagonist of the series with an interest in collecting all of the mystic Inks that have mysteriously appeared in the world granting power to those who possess them. Her objective can of course only be accomplished by forcibly taking the Ink from those who possess it, and she is the only character known to have multiple Inks.
Class: Guardian
Species: Human? Probably.
Orientation: ???
Strengths: Relentless, Powerful, Knowledgable
Weaknesses: Lone Wolf
Likes: Power, Ink
Dislikes: ???
Aside: I have a little more figured out about the protagonists, including the main character who is "the fastest girl in town" with a tramp stamp that turned out to be one of the mystical Inks and grants her super speed.
A character who has a lot of piercings = I'm certain I must have one, though I know I don't have many, and I'm afraid I just wasn't able to think of one. Cat N. Kinnery's crew seems like another place I should have one, or one of my more BDSM inclined characters perhaps… Just not thinking of anyone. So have to take a miss.
A character who has bad taste in fashion = Seriously, I'm sure I have one… So really I think I should have all of these without creating any new characters (a character who looks like spaghetti should have been the hard one, and I was able to think of the koosh ball character!). Almost want to accuse Audrey from Lost Girls' Society, but she knows she doesn't have good fashion sense and so compensates by mostly sticking to her school uniform… So, taking yet another miss. Sadly.
A character who has acne = Ben Gravesyte, the son of an infamous galactic villain and the villain's top minion. He's got the usual troubles of teenagers, compounded by the fact that his family is living in exile on a planet light-years behind their home galaxy in science and technology and his father's arch-nemesis retired to the same planet to keep an eye on them. Acne is just another insult to the injury that is his life.
Class: Nerd
Orientation: Straight?
Strengths: Technology, critical thinking, good memory
Weaknesses: Cynical, physically inactive, low confidence, awkward
Likes: Animation, gaming, fandom, technology
Dislikes: Sunburns, his dad, Earth, himself
Aside: The hero (his dad's nemesis)'s daughter is actually Ben's best friend and they bonded over their disillusionment over Earth and nostalgia for their parents' home galaxy.
A character who loves cheese = Bobbi Jo Cinder, the succubus mechanic. She fled the underworld because she was unwilling to drain the life-force from mortals, and on coming to the mortal plane discovered and fell in love with machines and cheese. Machines allow her to make a living and get by without revealing her demonic nature, and cheese is her comfort food that makes her feel better when she's down and also useful for suppressing her demonic hunger–which she has, as yet, never given in to.
Class: Mechanic
Species: Succubus (shh! Don't tell anyone!)
Orientation: Her hunger is pan, but since she fights it she doesn't see herself that way
Strengths: Anything mechanical, cute, strong willed, helpful
Weaknesses: Demonic hunger, holy power, distractions
Likes: Machines, cheese, clear winter days, long scenic walks
Dislikes: Evil, malice, conflict, grabby people
Aside: I have big plans for this character, which may never be realized but are fairly likely to appear on this site if they are.
A character who is a paladin = Adora Templesworn, a sacred prostitute of the Goddess of Love. She travels the world bringing love and succor to those in need. Her fulfillment in helping others means she rarely needs to think of herself, as her own needs are often met by meeting the needs of others–although when her own needs are not met she is the last to notice. She is strong and gentle, simple and wise, as well as a shield and inspiration to those she meets.
Class: Paladin
Species: Half-Elf (half-human)
Strengths: Physical strength, endurance, compassion, people, defense, holy power, pleasure
Weaknesses: Over extending herself, too selfless
Likes: Omelets, Mead, Summer
Dislikes: Eating octopus, coffee
Aside: Paladin is my favorite character class, I have so many of them it was incredibly hard picking one. So of course I went with a blonde female because that turned out to be my unconscious theme for this challenge. Though really I picked her because she was my first 5th Edition D&D character and part of the learning curve on 5th Ed resulted in a suboptimal build choice (turns out I could have dumped Strength on a 5th Ed Paladin to buff Dexterity and she would have been more optimized) that has since become too important to the character concept to let go of. She's embarrassed by her muscled build and lack of flexibility compared to the other sisters of her order. Also, I definitely think that Paladins would make excellent prostitutes because of their disease immunity and abilities to lay on hands and cure diseases. Just need the right patron.
A character who is ready for Halloween! = Definitely going with Mirro of Kerri's Creatures for this one. She is an ancient entity that appears as a young girl, loves being called a witch, and is fascinated by hands–which she collects. She loves witches, monsters and anything spooky and lives in a tailor-made reflection of Kerri's haunted house. When Mirro comes to party, every party is Halloween as she finds the spooky and unsettling just too charming to resist. She has in fact been barred from party planning since her gory birthday bash for Kerri's crush, Oliver, sent the birthday boy fleeing the premises.
Class: Witch? (if you please)
Species: Old One (they have many names)
Orientation: Fluid
Strengths: Patience, Spatial Manipulation, Raw Power
Weaknesses: Inhumanity, lack of empathy
Likes: Hands, her best friend Kerri, people, monsters, anything strange
Dislikes: Boredom, making obvious mistakes
Another great pic by Marshintire, this time for the Phoenix Dawn Command game.
Tags: #ACHARACTERWHO, Art, Characters, Design, Fantasy
Mobile Collectible Genre
[Mobile Mondays were previously My Phone Mondays, but I expanded the term now that most of my mobile gaming is on my iPad tablet]
There are a few prominent genres that currently dominate the landscape of mobile gaming, so with my breadth of experimentation I have some familiarity with several of them. Today I'd like to look at what I call the Mobile Collectible Genre, I've also seen it referred to as the Card Battle Genre but given a few use more like figurines than cards and most have terrible battle mechanics I think my label is more informative. Eventually I'll segue into Square-Enix's Deadman's Cross and Guardian Cross games more specifically.
From my perspective the genre sort of started with Rage of Bahamut, previously reviewed on this site, which was for a long time the high point of the genre–which REALLY isn't saying much. Eventually I swore off the mobile collectible genre entirely because I'd spent enough time in the "good" ones to establish the entire genre was total garbage–though of course that can benefit from the "one man's trash" principle, and as all free games the overall risk involved in trying them out and forming your own opinion is appropriately low.
Pretty much all of these games boil down to;
Spend energy to advance in a single player mode. This energy replenishes over time, but effectively limits the amount of time that can be spent in the game at once. Generally possible to pay real money for immediate energy restoration.
Collect cards/figurines/warriors to assemble into a deck/battle-group to use against other players and sometimes the computer. Biggest number wins, and the rarest collectibles have the biggest numbers. The collectibles that aren't at least rare are virtually worthless, and that's what you'll get the most of. Generally possible to pay real money for better odds at getting better cards–which in some cases means the chance to get them at all.
The good apps in the genre (and even those don't deserve to be called games, because the user basically just watches the app, there isn't much 'play' to speak of) offer amazing artwork that can make them worth the free price of admission if the experience of suffering through the app isn't too off-putting. And the biggest problem with all of them is that they aren't games. Collecting is great, lots of people–myself included–love collecting things and the generally high art quality makes the collection fun to enjoy. But it ends up being hollow and without value if there's nothing to do with that collection–and I personally believe it'll be easier to get people to continue to invest money if your app has value. As the physical Collectible Card Game, Magic the Gathering, showed and continues to show, a really solid game to play with the collectibles is perfect for ensuring consumer engagement–promoting them from collectors to players.
Eventually I came to the realization that my odds of collecting the art I wanted from these apps were too low to justify the time invested when they so quickly become boring to just sit there and watch–or worse, frustrating to sit and watch when the game decides that you lose instead of win. I swore I'd never play another one again.
My vow of abstinence held up through Square-Enix's entry to the field with Guardian Cross–as interested as I was in what such a legendary company might have done with the genre, that interest was not enough to break my vow of 'never again'. But then came Square-Enix's second entry in the field, Deadman's Cross, which caught my attention just enough that I decided it wouldn't hurt to give the genre another shot–though my expectations remained low.
The very first thing that happens in most of these collectible games is the game asks for the Invite Code of the player who invited you to the game–and whether you were invited or not it's worth finding and entering a code to get the associated bonus, plus it really helps the person whose code you used. My code for Deadman's Cross is UFV2RGC should anyone decide to give Deadman's Cross a try–use it and get to level 5 in the game and you get a limited edition Rare card, and help me toward more limited edition cards of my own, which I really want.
Now, what sets Guardian Cross and Deadman's Cross apart from the other Mobile Collectible apps is their Hunts. Both allow you to "hunt" for new cards using a sniper scope and rifle, introducing an element of skill to new card acquisition that adds considerable interest to the game and rewards players who develop their skill in that regard.
In the case of Guardian Cross the scope pans much more slowly than the player's own finger movements and monsters easily outrun the blasts from the rifle making it obnoxiously difficult to hit anything–this does set Guardian Cross apart from other mobile collectible games, but unfortunately it sets it far below the rest of the field.
I know I said I didn't fall for Guardian Cross, but after enjoying Deadman's Cross I went back and tried Guardian Cross as well. Both are free, so nothing really lost there except for some respect for Square-Enix.
Deadman's Cross really polished the hunt system though–and in its case the hunt mechanics set it apart and above the rest of the field. The speed you move your finger at is now the speed your scope moves at, and the zombies are not faster than the bullets–though they are generally still faster than your trigger finger. There's a real sense of reward for skill, and I've been very happy overall with the number of cards I've been able to get per hunt in Deadman's Cross.
The only things I'd say need fixing is bullets should consistently come out of the gun when the player taps the Shoot button and the gun's loaded–because right now the bullets currently come out when you take your finger off of the Shoot button, most of the time. Also, any time the bullet visually passes through a zombie that should count as a hit–even if to balance things out the times the bullet doesn't visually pass through the zombie never counted as hits.
Now, my initial impression of Deadman's Cross as the height of the genre and actually worth playing turned out to be a little too rosy. See, I got some very good cards very early in my play experience–and I thought, "Hey, Square-Enix is such an experienced developer, they probably realized purely random drops were bad game design and have a complex algorithm going on here to guarantee the ability of all players to reasonably compete in the game." The reason I thought that is because most in Mobile Collectible apps what you get from card packs–or however you get new collectibles–is more purely random, and randomness is not my friend. If there's an element of luck involved in anything I do, I can pretty consistently count on not having any luck myself. Don't know why, I just have bad luck when luck is given too much weight in the equation.
So, having a couple weeks of good luck in Deadman's Cross–over two accounts no less–led me to believe it wasn't really luck and rather clever game design on Square-Enix's part. The 1 in 100 chance of getting a Legendary card must have been implemented so that after 100 attempts every player would have a Legendary and the random element was which one in the hundred it was–or whatever, the numbers are just to illustrate the concept. Turns out, I actually was having good luck–as improbable as that seems–and Square-Enix had similarly banked on lucking into a decent game rather than putting in the design work to ensure one.
Was very disappointing when my luck returned to zero, and I read the online accounts of others with no luck in Deadman's Cross. I'd thought Square-Enix could deliver better than that, but even that hefty blow only dropped them even with the rest of the field–which coupled with their hunt mechanic remained a net advantage for Deadman's Cross.
Now, I've got plenty of ideas how the hunt system in Deadman's Cross could be improved–but given their console record I'm pretty confident that if Square-Enix had wanted to make a game out of Deadman's Cross they would have done so. A few things like the 60 second time limit seem arbitrary, and the whole thing could use a little more polish–even improved as it is from Guardian Cross. But ultimately the Hunt for new cards is one thing in favor of Deadman's Cross that I think does put it ahead of the rest of the field–which isn't saying much, but is worth mentioning.
It doesn't take long to get to the point in the game where if you're using anything less than Epic cards (the progression being Common->Uncommon->Rare->Epic->Legendary) then you cannot win against other players–and anything less than Rare will leave you losing to the computer as well. This isn't any different from other apps in the genre, but is unfortunate because new Commons, Uncommons and Rares continue to become available well after there is no reason (other than their artwork) to want them. Some rarity limited brackets would help players find matches they could compete in according to the cards they actually possessed–and make a lot more sense than the current level limited brackets that have far less bearing on the actual strength of the hordes the player can field, not to mention it would provide an application for getting and developing the lower rarity cards instead of just raging about not being able to find any of the highest rarity cards.
Now, one thing that Square-Enix has continued to do well on the mobile market that I always respected them for on the consoles is write. The writing in Deadman's Cross is far beyond anything else in the collectible genre, and pretty well positioned for mobile games in general. I really enjoy the story and the characters, and wish I could get the whole thing–unfortunately it seems unlikely Square-Enix will wrap up the major plot-line any time soon, since they still want to milk the in-app purchases for years if they can.
Aside from the interactions with townspeople, Guardian Cross also featured similarly strong writing–though in that case most of the townspeople were painfully badly written, which I can't explain. Nor can I explain why every single towns-person in Guardian Cross had a stable of Guardians they wanted to pit against the player's. Deadman's Cross takes a much more reasonable approach of a lot of people having deadman–aka zombie–hordes, but a lot of people don't have them too.
Still, both Guardian Cross and Deadman's Cross offer just a little more in the card to card contests that define the player-versus-player element as well as much of the player-versus-computer experience. The standard for the genre is "Which number is bigger?" Which as you may be able to guess, doesn't amount to much of a game and doesn't leave the player with anything to do but watch the computer figure out whether 500 is bigger than 900 or not. Once you've got the biggest number (which also happens to be the most rare) card you can, there's not much else for you to do.
Square-Enix added on to the biggest number contest–though I wish they'd replaced it–so that when the numbers are close there's actually more the player can do to swing things in their own favor. It falls short of being a matter of skill, the player does still just watch during the actual battles, but adds a few granules more strategy to the deck construction preparation part of the app. But I highly respect Square-Enix's decision not to include evolutions based on multiple copies of the same card, as that quickly became the most tedious part of the rest of the field–especially as the rarity of the card in question increased. There's no reason not to strengthen a card you want to strengthen as soon as you are able to do so and while some methods are more efficient than others all can get to the same end point, and that is much more user friendly.
Furthermore, the deadman cards have 3 ability slots that fill as they gain levels–but each deadman has more than 3 abilities they can learn. Choosing which ability to keep and which to lose allows players to customize how their deadmen play and adds a little more strategy to the game. Ultimately it's still the biggest number comparison, but the accents put on top of that provide some consolation and that's not nothing.
I really wish I could recommend Deadman's Cross, because it is in my experience the best Mobile Collectible game on the market, because it's Square-Enix, and because it would really help me to have 6 more devices use my Invite Code of UFV2RGC and then get to level 5. Unfortunately, my actual recommendation is to stay away from Deadman's Cross. I'm probably giving up on the game myself if I don't get those 6 more Invites by April 30–the cutoff for getting the Cleopatra card I would very much like in my collection.
Now, if I could go back and reevaluate the other Mobile Collectible games I've rated on this site I'd probably give them much lower marks now that I've seen the full ugliness of the genre, but I feel it would be unfair to punish them too severely for my distaste for the genre without giving them more play time for the reevaluation–which I have no intention of doing. So keep that in mind when I say my final rating for Deadman's Cross is 3 out of 5 stars and it is the best mobile collectible game I'm aware of.
A lot of apps get higher marks from me for being free, because I'm not going to hold a free handout to the same standard as an expensive purchase. That said, be wary of the in-app purchases offered by most free apps and intended to be the developer's source of profit. I'm in favor of making in-app purchases from free apps that prove themselves, because I want to see good developers succeed, but I'm not nearly as interested in supporting developers' attempts to bleed their consumers without offering any kind of reasonable return for that capital–not even developers with long histories including good titles like EA Games or Square-Enix.
If you choose to purchase from Deadman's Cross it's worth noting that the $13.99 Coin Pack offers the best in-game return for real-world investment–otherwise your best bet is investing in increments of $0.99. But do note that as satisfied as I was with my $13.99 investment at the time, I am coming to regret it as I see the app rapidly dead-ending with my art collection still woefully far from completion.
If you're willing to help me out, or if a free Square-Enix game with zombies sounds worth checking out even if it isn't their best work then do try Deadman's Cross with my invite code of UFV2RGC and get to level 5 to give the app a good go. But I advise stinginess when it comes to spending money on the game, and maybe wait until level 10 to have a better grasp of what the game really offers.
Or if you're just looking to learn a little more–or find the artwork posted online–there's always the Deadman's Cross Wiki as a pretty good repository of the cards from the game with their pictures, statistics and even some more general game information. If you're already in the game or just looking to go deeper then the Deadman's Cross Forum seems to be a good place to go for more in depth information and to arrange trades, since the in-game trading feature is very nearly unusable.
Finally, I was thinking of mentioning Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft in this review–but I think it's gone on long enough as is, so I'll save that for another post.
Tags: Deadman's Cross, Guardian Cross, Invite Code, Mobile Monday, Review, Square-Enix, Video Games
Finally Back!
Well… Someday I'll be back on top of updating the site. Seriously, I'm making good progress on my other obligations that have kept me away and the end of a couple of them is in sight. Though, for now, no breath holding. Updates will remain rare for a while yet.
This one should have come in January, commemorating the success of the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter by WayForward–which also reached the Costume Swap Stretch Goal I was personally excited about. Not a lot more to say on that topic that hasn't already been said in previous posts–though for anyone interested in a compelling platforming/exploration experience with cute characters, humor, attitude, magic and belly dancing WayForward is still accepting donations over at their website.
The cool thing about the Paypal option over at WayForward, is that it still counts toward reaching Stretch Goals for the completed Kickstarter campaign. You can basically pre-order the game for $15 on the platform of your choice (and there are a lot of options, enough to make good odds if you play video games you can get this one) and have that investment count toward getting even more content into the game for you and everyone! As of writing this we're really close to the Hero Modes–which will add a whopping 3 additional playable characters to a series previously known for having 1. With enough investment we could even still see additional game chapters, full voice acting or way at the outside TV quality animated cutscenes!
The Harem and Pirate outfits were clear winners in the vote for which additional costumes the Lost Girls Society should try on–I made an executive tie-break to get Horera in Shantae's pajamas though, because I thought it would be cute. Thanks to everyone who helped make the Costume Swap a reality!
My other news at this time concerns a lot of mobile gaming I've been doing in my free moments. Since last I wrote I've gone through some good like Royal Revolt 2 and Castle Doombad, some bad like Bloodmasque, and some ugly like Supreme Heroes and Guardian Cross. Mobile gaming has really changed the landscape of games, but at this point it seems like developers should be embarrassed they haven't gotten their acts together yet for the most part. There are some brilliant gems out there (like Angry Birds before the addition of in-App purchases), and an overwhelming number that if they just got their pricing remotely under control could be games instead of garbage, but all of that will likely require its own post to discuss.
Given the opportunity I'd love to make a mobile game and show the market how it's done, because as hard as it is, it really isn't as impossible as the market currently makes it look.
One specific one I do want to call attention to now though is Square-Enix's Deadman's Cross. Yeah, the makers of such legendary role-playing games as Final Fantasy have a significant presence in the mobile market, and disappointingly they aren't handling it any better than their competition from giants like Electronic Arts to random single person developers in their parents' basement.
Deadman's Cross is noteworthy in my opinion though, because it's a mobile collectible game–or as I generally call them a Rage of Bahamut clone–and I swore I'd never play another one because I'd played enough to feel confident that there isn't nor would there be a single good game in the entire genre. Deadman's Cross looked intriguing enough to get me to revisit that position and actually give it a shot.
Square-Enix delivers on the quality of the writing throughout, and the art is fantastic as is the trend with the genre. What sets Deadman's Cross (and its predecessor, Guardian Cross) apart from the field though are their hunt mechanics that introduce a real element of skill to getting new cards–which means that you can get better at the game and get increased benefits accordingly. On top of that there is actually an element of strategy to deck composition and card development, and no sign of the frustrating evolution system the rest of the field uses to hold players back.
Don't get me wrong, they still fall short of being games–too much is out of the player's control to really legitimately say that one 'played' these games so much as admired the artwork, but the hunt mechanics and compelling story do put Deadman's Cross head and shoulders above the entire rest of the field and for now I am continuing to play it–or, admire the artwork anyway.
So if anyone with an iOS device or an Android one wants to see what Square-Enix can do in the mobile collectible market, I am currently recommending giving Deadman's Cross a try (though stay away from Guardian Cross, Square-Enix had no idea what they were doing with that one, and polished the formula a lot for Deadman's Cross).
If you do try Deadman's Cross, please help me fill out my card/art collection and use my invite code when starting the game, UFV2RGC.
After using the code UFV2RGC you'll need to get to level 5 in the game–which shouldn't take much time or effort, and is a good way to develop your own opinion of the game–at which point you'll get a limited Rare Card for using my code, and I'll get to count the invite toward getting additional cards of my own.
If you're willing to do it on multiple devices you can do so and have them count separately, though if you decide you like the game you may want to use your own invite code to help yourself along. Though I will advise against spending any money for Deadman Coins in the game until about level 10 or so, to be sure you really want to invest in the game. Once you are sure, the $13.99 Coin Pack is actually the first good deal after the initial $0.99 Coin Pack–so spend in increments of $0.99 or if you're inclined $13.99 for best return, I didn't do the math on the $49.99 Coin Pack, but the rest are actually poor deals.
And for good measure, my invite code again is UFV2RGC
Tags: Art, Deadman's Cross, Invite Code, Shantae, Square-Enix, Video Games, WayForward
Costume Voting!!
An unexpected bout of sickness right at the end of the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter prevented me from informing you in a more timely manner;
Shantae is funded AND the Costume Swap Stretch Goal was met!!
This is awesome news that I am more than excited about–and now you can be as well because it means that I will be doing another Lost Girls/Shantae drawing before Christmas (I want to say before Thanksgiving, but don't want to over promise in case of bizarre delays like the aforementioned sickness). It will be in the style of the one I did in the previous Shantae: Half-Genie Hero post on this site. Not the quick sketch style I've thrown together for this one–though more quick sketches may also be forthcoming, we'll see.
This additional image will, as promised, feature the Lost Girls in variant Shantae costumes that came up over the course of the Kickstarter campaign–though if I missed any or you have any opinions on which girl should wear which costume please say so in the comments section of this post. It wouldn't be much of a celebration without other people involved.
It seems worth reiterating that the TOP 3 costumes from the poll will be used with each girl in a different costume–and that each voter may select 3 costumes before submitting their vote. There appears to have been an early hitch where multiple votes were registered for the Harem Outfit–and I may not count all of them since I can tell which ones came from a single voter. It's good to see some excitement for at least one of the costumes though.
Though if you're the person who posted all those votes for the Harem Outfit, it also looks like the poll may have prevented you from selecting additional costumes–so let me know in the comments here what your other two picks are if you have any.
If somehow you missed out on the amazing Kickstarter you can still swing by and see what it was about at the Shantae: Half-Genie Hero Kickstarter page, as well as dig through for what the costumes in the poll actually look like if the name I came up with isn't descriptive enough. Or you can ask clarifying questions in the comments here.
And if you're kicking yourself for not pledging to get in on this amazing project, for an as yet unknown amount of time you can still get in on it through Paypal over at Way Forward's website. The game's funded, so if you 'donate' $15 or more it's basically like pre-ordering what will be an amazing game for cheap, and any donations at all can still count toward the unmet stretch goals (more story chapters, more playable characters, full voice acting, sweet animated cutscenes) and make the game even better for everyone.
Don't worry if your comments don't appear right away, I have to manually approve posters who haven't been approved before and there are some days I don't manage to get online. They will be seen, appreciated and as appropriate responded to.
Legend of Luth!
As promised, I have another game to promote this week–though don't forget to read about Shantae: Half-Genie Hero in the previous post! This time it's a smaller, more personal, and at present totally free text-based game. Also it's a game that I've personally contributed content to.
Legend of Luth is my friend Andy's creation, a virtual board-game with a strong RPG vibe based on an actual board game he made in his youth! You can find more information and some relevant links concerning Legend of Luth on Andy's Facebook Page.
My personal contributions to the computer incarnation of the game include a lot of the monsters, some events and items, and even one of the starting characters! Above you can see my rendering of the character, though I recommend heading over to the aforementioned Facebook page or Lambda Creations, which serves as a repository for Andy's various arts and I anticipate will be the long-term home for all things Legend of Luth.
Bear in mind the game is in a highly unfinished state at this time, but fully playable. This is a great time to get in early and watch the game develop, and it could be a fun diversion even in its current state. Eventually it's going to be one of those games you get geek cred for being able to say you played the initial text version back when there were only 3 characters.
Also note that the game is intended to be a difficult single sitting game–there is no saving, and there's a pretty good chance of things going wrong for you. Once you figure out the ins-and-outs of the game the current version is pretty easy, but there's still a lot more to come and learning those ins-and-outs definitely has a curve to it.
Pro Tip: Don't be afraid to buy and use consumable items from the Shop. They aren't necessary, but they help A LOT.
–regarding this site itself, I'm getting it cleaned up and dusted out, but with the months of neglect this is a long process, but there's actually a pretty good chance of another post or two this year before the return to regular posts come January–
I don't think I'll be able to get back to regular updates this year, but this week at least I'm going to drive a couple shout-outs for worthy games through the built up digital dust so as to share them with people who hopefully will find the new posts–and possibly consider coming back in January by when I hope to be back to a regular update schedule. Bring your own digital dust mask in case of allergies.
Today's game is actually in the process of raising money on Kickstarter right now! WayForward's "Shantae: Half-Genie Hero"!
I personally discovered the Shantae series through fan art in various corners of the internet, and the characters looked so awesome and lovable that I had to track down what they were from–as it turned out Shantae. Probably the quickest way to get up to speed on Shantae is this recent video from E-Heroes.
There are (sort of) three Shantae games to date. The original Shantae was for the Gameboy Color, which I never owned, and so I never got to play it. Though I did watch Brickroad's Let's Play series and am glad I did.
Eventually the charming and original series was graced with a sequel, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, for the Nintendo DS–which I also never owned–but then later ported to the iPad so that I could finally play a Shantae game! Granted, simulating a physical controller and buttons on a touch screen will always suck. Badly. Even if you're as amazing and meticulous a company as WayForward. They did a good job of re-balancing the game to account for that problem, but who wouldn't rather play the game as it was intended? Sadly, that just isn't an option for me.
Still, I have greatly enjoyed being able to play the game at all–and for anyone interested it's a free download in the App store as part of their promotion for the upcoming Half-Genie Hero.
The sort-of third game is Shantae and the Pirate's Curse–which isn't actually out yet. But it's coming soon for the Nintendo 3DS, which I also do not have… I'm thinking I may have to finally get a real handheld system again to get a proper Shantae fix (and catch up on some missed Zelda titles while I'm at it).
But the game that's prompting this post is the, thankfully funded, 4th Shantae game which would be for such home consoles as the PS3, WiiU, PS4, Xbox 360 and more! Thanks to PS3 on that list I'll actually be able to play Shantae: Half-Genie Hero when it comes out without having to purchase a new system or settle for touch screen controls!
So here's the part where I implore you to head over the WayForward's Kickstarter campaign for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and at least watch their cool video. If you like awesome stories with a little tongue in cheek, a lot of humor and original and endearing characters then I think you should pledge at least a little to their campaign just to be a part of something amazing. If you like gorgeous hand drawn animation and exquisitely executed classic video games then I really think you should pledge what you can to their campaign and get your hands on what is sure to be a real gem.
If you like both of those things like me and can spare $5 or more, then I don't think there's any excuse not to back Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.
After some dance lessons from half-genie, Shantae, the Lost Girls' Society is Ret 2 Go!
So here's the state of things;
With over $400,000 raised already, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is happening. Pledge now and you're guaranteed the reward for the level you pledge at.
There is still a little over a week left in the campaign, and with so many unmet Stretch Goals more pledges will still be able to make this project even better for everyone in very appreciable ways.
In particular I feel like we need to reach the $700,000 to get the Costume Swap stretch goal implemented!
So here's my particular plea for reaching this goal; if the Shantae Kickstarter reaches the Costume Swap Stretch Goal then I will do another drawing of the Lost Girls' Society belly-dancing in alternate costumes. I know my art isn't that great, but there have got to be a few people who would like to see that–plus it's another post this year.
There are plenty more costumes to choose from than just the Bikini, Ninja, and Switch Force, and I'll take comments regarding which costumes people most want to see the Lost Girls in–which are free to include other Shantae costumes from the Kickstarter or its updates.
Now to clean through my backlog of comments from while I've been offline.
Motivation Monday Mixer
Please forgive the digital dust–things have been busy and I actually still don't have time to bring the site back up to date as I've been meaning to. Eventually things will be cleaned up and a regular update schedule will resume, but for now I can't even hazard a guess when that will be.
However, while I have a Monday free I will take advantage of it to submit an entry to Monday Mixer & Motivation Monday–hopefully they don't mind the double submission, but even if they do it was a good exercise and fit in the time I had available.
If I could erase one memory it would be the caldera battle—a story carved clearly into my flesh. They say we glorious few stemmed the tide of destruction and saved the world, at terrible personal cost. I didn't just lose my hand, my eye, or my friends. What you actually lose in a sweltering hopeless slaughter like that is an esoteric essence known only to old heroes.
Coming to the brasserie for frosty ale was a mistake. I put in public appearances when I can. I'm a symbol to the people—I remind them of those things they cherish in themselves, even though most days I have none for myself.
The raging burn of my right stump makes me truculent and ill inclined toward pleasantries. It's time to return to my demesne, soak my keloids and imagine asking the smith to forge a sheath that didn't rub so much.
@DavidALudwig
Tags: busy, Characters, D&D, Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Monday Mixer, Motivation Monday
12 Masque
Alright, I've signed on to the lovely Meg McNulty's 12 Masque blog challenge. I'll be around to read the others as soon as time permits.
"Do you see anyone you know yet, my dear?"
She looked up at the tall man crooning through the beak fixed below his dark goggles. All in black and smartly dressed he seemed some sort of lord in spite of his bizarre mask. Her hand drifted self-consciously to the white lace affixed around her own eyes, though she sensed everyone would disapprove if she removed it.
"I-I don't see how I could… All these masks."
"Ah," the gentleman practically laughed. "You're not still trying to look any deeper than that, are you?"
The din of the surrounding revelry was much too loud to think, and yet disturbingly not as loud as it should be for so many people. She felt stifled and isolated at the same time and it was driving her mad. Worst of all, she absolutely could not remember where she was or how she came to be there. Her hands made nervous fists around her practically bridal dress before politely smoothing it back out.
"Well, how could I recognize them without looking beneath the mask?"
"It's easy! Here, start with that rogue by the punch bowl! What do you see?"
Reflexively her eyes wound their way through the horns, fangs and other facial facsimiles to the tiger-faced man sloshing the contents of the punch bowl over himself. A flock of bird faced women hung from him and seemed to absorb his inebriation.
"A tiger mas—"
"No." the gentleman interrupted. "You already got it. No more than that."
It was much too hot. She couldn't breathe. Looking around she was relieved to discover she was already sitting, as she felt quite faint. Clutching at her chest she peered pathetically up at the tall stranger who hadn't left her side in all the chaos of the masquerade.
"I'm so sorry, but where are we? How did I get here?"
He practically laughed again, "Can't you tell?"
She clutched her stomach to keep it from expelling its emptiness. Unable to speak, she simply shook her head as tears damped her mask.
Kneeling to her side the beaked gentleman gently ran a leather gloved finger down her cheek.
"I'm sorry, my lady. I've drugged you and dragged you to hell. But do not worry, for it is but a dream, and come morning all will be as it should once more."
Staring into her own face reflected in impenetrable black goggles the name of a kitchen boy she'd never paid any real mind bubbled from her throat.
"Antonio?"
Effortlessly he lifted her from her stupor and into his dark arms.
"Dance with me? Until dawn?"
She nodded and was swept away into the night.
New Artwork!
The big news is that the marvelous Marshintire has returned with fresh Lost Girls' Society artwork for pages N5 and N6.
I'll keep you posted as to when more comes, but for now have had a surprisingly busy Monday and require the sleeping.
I will say before signing off that with a record 19 votes in the last poll, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that collectively the votes for it being better to be "a hero" or "The Hero" actually surpassed "On the Evil side of the spectrum"–though not individually. I'll be interested to see if the data holds up or even if as many votes can be attained a second time looking at the question from the other side.
Also, while I have begun my strategy guide for Arel Wars 2, don't hold your breathes for it. Looks like this one is going to take a while.
Tags: Arel Wars, busy, News, Polls
Goodbye for This Year
So… I missed two updates last week. I didn't think given my current circumstances the holidays would keep me from being able to post regularly, but turns out they will. So don't expect regular posts from me again until January.
My focus through what's left of December will be updating the site (the Gallery and Links pages need particular help) but I can now see that even someone as unimportant as myself has things to do around the holidays. Hope you all have good holidays, vote in the polls–which being automated will update even if I'm not able to get on–and see you in January.
Tags: busy


Yes that's right the >Brooks Run Happy Island will be stopping by Fleet Feet Raleigh - Ridgewood Shopping Center on April 1st from 4 - 8 PM. This is a GREAT opportunity to get out of the rush-hour commute and have some fun with our friends at Brooks Running. Experience the Brooks Run Happy Island before the Rock N Roll Expo! There will be free video gait analysis in the Deep Shoe Diver Submarine and prizes. No RSVP necessary just bring friends and pina colada.


text:
Q: How do i obtain a nested div id value in an li class in javascript + html I need my javascript dropDownFunction() to select the correct div container when the user clicks on a given button. Right now it will always open the drop down menu for the myDropdownTop container, but I need the function to be able to open myDropdownBottom if the user clicks that button.
I am confused on how to get that unique id, like myDropdownBottom or myDropdownTop, etc.
I tried using getElementsbyClassName but I couldn't figure out how to get the variables to work together with the function.

        <button onclick="dropDownFunction()" class="btn">01  </button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Change Team</button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Establish Winner</button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Set Score</button>

        <button onclick="dropDownFunction()" class="btn">32  </button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Change Team</button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Establish Winner</button>

        <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Set Score</button>

function dropDownFunction() {
  document.getElementById("myDropdownTop").classList.toggle("show");
}

A: First of all you should include the div in the same element as the button, so that you have a way to know which button corresponds to which div.
Once you do that you can loop through your 2 groups and add an event listener to each button that will trigger the respective div.

document.querySelectorAll("li.team").forEach(function(teamDom) {
  teamDom.querySelector("button.drop-down-btn").addEventListener("click", function() {
    teamDom.querySelector("div.dropdown-content").classList.toggle("show");
  });
});
.dropdown-content:not(.show) {
  display: none;
}

    <button class="btn drop-down-btn">01  </button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Change Team</button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Establish Winner</button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Set Score</button>

    <button class="btn drop-down-btn">32  </button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Change Team</button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Establish Winner</button>

      <button class="open-button" onclick="openFormPF()">Set Score</button>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Is the traditional 9-to-5 over?
With 89% of employees preferring remote work, flexibility is the greatest benefit an employer can offer, according to the SVP of NorthStar HCM
BY John Corrigan 06 Jan 2022
If you're trying to compete for talent in this extremely tight labor market, you'll have to offer candidates the ability to work from home.
According to the November 2021 Labor Market Report, 89% of employees prefer a role with remote options. In other words, employers that offer such flexibility will capture 96% of the labor market while those that don't will lose out on 58% of candidates. The analysis, which is based on data from more than 30,000 workers in the United States, was conducted by San Francisco-based PRO Unlimited, an integrated workforce management platform provider.
"From an access to talent perspective, a cost perspective and a timeliness perspective, there are so many benefits to remote work for both the worker and employer that I don't see a way that we go back to anything like a 9-to-5," Dustin Burgess, senior vice president of NorthStar HCM, the consulting and business intelligence division of PRO Unlimited, told HRD.
Employees in the technology industry, such as those working in Silicon Valley, seem to desire the "WFH" lifestyle more than those in any other field. Roughly two-thirds of tech employees (66%) said they prefer working remotely full time, and 34% said they would only accept a full-time remote role. Just over 60% of network engineers and 47% of software engineers shared the same sentiment.
The most popular reasons for wanting to work remotely are not having to commute (88%), saving money (71%) and having greater control over one's schedule (67%), according to the report. "Before COVID-19, employees treated remote work as a benefit, but in many cases, it's become table stakes," Burgess says.
Read more: intelliHR CEO: 'COVID made businesses realize employees are people'
Of course, there are other ways to sweeten the pot. After healthcare and retirement plans, benefits such as parental leave, holidays and tuition reimbursement topped workers' rankings of most valuable employment benefits, according to the report. Soft perks such as gym memberships, phone plan discounts and pet insurance ranked low.
"We're seeing clients get creative and aggressive in this space, and it all plays a role in attracting and retaining talent and really crafting an employer's brand in the market," Burgess says. "With this global competition for talent, offering different types of enhanced benefits can make a big difference in the overall employee experience. It's just understanding which ones are more likely to move the needle versus which ones are more 'nice to have' items."
Employees are also migrating to lower-cost areas, with one in five workers having relocated or are planning to during the pandemic, according to the report. Workers making more than $65 per hour accounted for more than a third (36%) of relocations. Contrary to popular belief, workers aren't leaving California in droves – only 34% have moved out of state since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, 66% have simply moved to a different city in the state.
"We're seeing an exodus from some of the big markets like San Francisco to lower cost markets like Sacramento or the suburbs outside it," Burgess says. "People might have wanted to live in some of these destination locations before, but work required them to be in the San Francisco Bay area. That's not the case anymore."
Perhaps workers shouldn't move too far from the office, though. After all, a hybrid work schedule seems to be the way of the future. What exactly that entails varies across companies, but Burgess says the common concept among his clients in the tech, pharmaceutical and financial services industries is three days in the office and two days working remotely.
"You'll still need to leverage office space," Burgess says. "Maybe a worker needs additional support or somewhere to have face time with a client. Maybe there will be times you'll want to bring a team or department in to collaborate or train. Having that space available when you need it will be valuable to your business."
Meta, Lyft delay workers' return to office
Little Caesars makes offer recruits can't refuse

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Showcases | PRO-TECH TECHNOLOGY (ASIA) LTD.
To urge client to get involved, we enjoy the simple pleasures standing out in the remarkable and gratifying works.
WOOX innovations is an international company headquartered in Hong Kong with 90 branch offices worldwide and more than 1800 users. In 2014, we took the mission to transfer all IT data of WOOX from Philips, the mother company, to new buyer Gibson in only 12 months.
On such a tough schedule, we accomplished the mission by showing not only the professionalism in scope of IT techniques but through excellent communication and arrangement between WOOX's global departments.
With dedicated researches and comprehensive preparations to delve into the company's needs, we gain the trust of client and grasp the opportunity to pitch in the project.
Our task is to refresh the whole data storage infrastructure to the most updated version with enhancement of state-of-the-art technologies on both software and hardware levels.
It successfully increased company's management flexibility and cost efficiency, making it more supportive of business initiatives and goals.
Belle is a fast growing listed retail corporate in footwear industry with huge amount of variety documents such as videos, photos, sales reports, invoices, and contracts across 14 brands. However, the client has struggle with effectively search and re-using those files because of unsynchronized file index from separated brands.
To cut through this Gordian knot, we targeted to enhance content management by migrating file server and standardizing items in their internal systems.
The untiring team overcame the challenge of huge data migration (more than 6TB) and delivered qualified services by establishing an easy-to-use system with agile architecture to successfully centralize the files from 1400 items into 800 items in just three months.
To improve performance through effective knowledge sharing and facilitate the process of distributing up-to-date documents, we unified sources from different versions into the highly functional corporate intranet on Office 365 and targeted to complete the project less than six months.
It could be an arduous process to develop applications from scratch, revamp the procedures and communicate with global sectors to deliver better operation flow.
However, our versatile team overcame by showing great IT knowledge and techniques as well as sophisticated communication skills. The client is now able to connect their globally dispersed workforce more effectively and break down the barriers to firm-wide communication.


Lay on this Foam Topper Mattress, makes you feel like lying on the cloud. Unlimited comfort, makes your fatigue fades right when you lay on it. Wrap it with your beautiful bed cover, give your bedroom interior another perfect touch.
Super soft foam performs wonderfully as backing for furniture and as extra padding atop mattresses to soften and relieve pressure. Super soft foam works best in comfort applications and is highly compactable.


STOXX Ltd., the operator of Deutsche Boerse Group's index business, and a global provider of innovative and tradable index concepts, has informed that it has licensed the EURO STOXX Multi Premia Index to Credit Suisse Asset Management as an underlying for an index fund. The index integrates the academic, research-based Multi Premia® methodology developed by Finreon, a spin-off from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
By constructing this innovative index based on scientific research, we bridge the gap between academia and practical application. It has always been our approach to collaborate with clients, universities and best-in-class third parties to create an intelligent investment ecosystem," said Inderpal Gujral, Head of Product, STOXX Ltd.
The EURO STOXX Multi Premia Index is derived from the seven EURO STOXX® Single Premium Indices, which systematically collect proven equity risk premia: value, size, momentum, residual momentum, reversal, low risk and quality. The underlying universe of the risk premia portfolios is the EURO STOXX® Index.
The EURO STOXX Multi Premia allows for a broadly diversified participation in the general stock market performance of the Eurozone and enables you to benefit from seven, scientifically proven return sources. It thereby represents a very suitable core investment in European stocks," added Dr. Ralf Seiz, CEO and founder of Finreon.
Credit Suisse Asset Management is the first to license the EURO STOXX Multi Premia Index for an index fund domiciled in Luxembourg.
Because of its transparent construction and sound basis in financial theory the EURO STOXX Multi Premia Index combines the advantages of both a passive and an active investment. We make this index investable by replicating it physically, in our usual cost-efficient and precise manner.


Here at Acme Uniforms for Industry, we are working all the time to provide you with excellent service and quality products. I would like to point out some of the products and services that you may not be aware Acme can provide to you at a cost savings to your company. The convenience of all your needs supplied by one vendor, one invoice, and we are there every week to service your account.
• Quality uniform programs to enhance your business image that can be customized to your specific needs.
• Floor mats in various colors and sizes to protect your floors and keep your facility clean.
• Logo floor mats at your entrance to get your name in front of your customers.
• Center-pull paper towels, bathroom tissue, air fresheners and soap dispensers to meet all your bathroom needs.
• Dust mops and wet mops in all different sizes for any application you may want.
• Exterior scraper mats that catch dirt before it gets into your facility.
• Fender covers, shop towels and all accessories managed by our route manager for your service departments.
• Acme has a vast inventory available for direct sales, any item you may need from hats to work shoes and everything in between. Ask to see a catalogue or talk to your route sales manager.
• Our on site embroidery department can produce your company logo or any design you may need for your purchase to add that special touch for your business.
If you would like more information or have any questions please ask your route sales manager or contact us. Acme looks forward to helping our customers with all their business needs; convenience and cost savings is always part of the program.


A Script kiddie is a person who uses scripts and programs developed by others for the purpose of compromising computer accounts, files and launching attacks on whole computer systems (see DoS), and in general does not have the ability to write said programs on their own. Such programs have included WinNuke applications and BackOrifice2K . By following this link you will find useful IT technology information about open source projects wiki.
Often applied as a derogatory term for individuals who do not contribute to the development of new security-related programs, especially exploits, but rather benefit from the work of others.


I write every day, whether blog posts, longer articles, journaling, or even working on another book. The tools I use, Scrivener and Drafts, allow me to write in chunks and get ideas down quickly and easily. Pretty much all of my writing is intended for the web. As a result, the idea of documents, especially documents printed out on paper, is for me a thing of the past.
I write words in different sized chunks depending on how much I have to say on a particular topic, and in the first instance, I am saying it to me. I have often commented that my blog posts are really "memos to self". As a result, my writing style is conversational - I am really having a conversation with myself. And so the length of my writing depends on the length and depth of the conversation I feel like having. The idea of a book is beginning to appeal again because I fancy having a more extended and in-depth conversation with myself.
If I ever get around to writing another one I will self publish it. I have over the last few years got a lot of value out of short, to the point, non-fiction Kindle books. They can be as little as 20,000 words but cost only £3 or £4. They hit the mark and don't have any padding. So even the idea of a book is becoming more malleable. What makes a book a book? When does a tweet become a blog post? When does a long blog post become an article? When does a long article, or collection of articles, become a book?
So my motivation is the type of conversation that I want to have. Short ones like this blog post, or longer ones that a "book" would allow me to have. Content is starting to drive form. Interesting times.


text:
SIDES: MY ABANDONMENT
Film Summary
Based on Portland novelist Peter Rock's novel of the same title, MY ABANDONMENT is the story of thirteen-year- old Caroline and her father, Will, who are found living in Forest Park, a temperate rainforest abutting the city of Portland, Oregon. When authorities pluck them from their hidden world, where they lived peacefully and practically, Caroline and Will must embark on an increasingly erratic journey in search of a place to call their own.
Right click to view and download the sides for your role.
Dale 1 – please also prepare "Dale 2"
Mr Walters
James (please also prepare an additional scene – below)
Minister – please also prepare a short original sermon (30-60 seconds) if you are a real minister
Valerie – Read only the "Valerie" lines in this scene. please also prepare "Tiffany" sides (below)
Tiffany – please also prepare "Valerie" sides
Selfie Stick Woman
FULL SYNOPSIS:
In their more than four years living in the park Will has been able to create a stable and loving environment for Caroline, homeschooling her and teaching her how to be self-sufficient. Their interactions with society are limited to the basics of survival and trips to the library until one day a runner discovers their camp. Will and Caroline are taken into custody by social services, where their relationship and way of life is scrutinized.
In a progressive move by social services, the two are relocated to a horse farm on the outskirts of Portland where Caroline can attend public school and Will can earn a modest living. The transition for them both is tough and Will starts to feel monitored and manipulated into living a way that feels forced upon him. He feels his ideals and morals he feels are eroding, and his need to live off the grid comes creeping back.
Caroline sees things differently and as she is coming into her own, shestarts to want a place to land and to try school. She makes a few friends her own age and sees a life for herself outside of Forest Park. But as herroots start to deepen at the horse farm, Will's start to come undone, and one morning they leave without a trace.
Fueled by fear and paranoia, Will isn't sure where to take Caroline and in a series of poorly planned moves they wind up in the snowy mountains of Oregon trying to find a place to call their own. With his judgment clouded by his own need for solace, Will and Caroline find themselves in the middle of nowhere without the proper gear and in danger. Caroline is forced to step up and use the skills her dad has taught her to get them out of a life and death situation.
When they land in a friendly community full of folks not too different from themselves, Caroline finds that she may have to make a choice about how she wants to live. As spring comes, it becomes apparent to her that perhaps what she wants and what her father needs may be down two separate paths.
CHARACTER SPECS:
DALE – Long-time RV park resident who takes Will in when he is injured and offers help. Cautious but generous. Tries to welcome them into the very remote community where she's built a simple life for herself.
MR. WALTERS – Ranch owner who partners with social services to offer Will and Caroline a rural placement where Will can work and Caroline can attend school. Very interested in their story and invites them to church with him. Tough but kind.
BLANE – Veteran who relates to Will's troubles. Tough but soulful. Possible marine or medical background.
ISAIAH – Small town teen with with a passion for animals and 4H Club. Welcoming to Caroline.
JAMES HARRIS – Liberal social worker who tries to help Will and Caroline re-integrate into society after being discovered. Sincere and likeable.
VALERIE – Foster girl who is distrustful of Caroline. Rough around the edges and due to her past experiences.
TIFFANY – Foster girl who is friendly and sympathetic to Caroline. Plays the peacemaker in a group home setting.
MINSTER – Small town preacher who passionately leads his congregation and welcomes new church members
DOCTOR – Female doctor who completes Caroline's intake physical for social services. Professional and thorough.
PORTER – Older man who lives in a small rural community and teaches Caroline about beekeeping.
SELFIE STICK WOMAN – Young woman sitting next to Caroline on the bus who provides a glimpse into modern life – a strange fascination for Caroline after her relative isolation.
DETECTIVE – Plain-clothes detective who approaches Caroline while she appears to be traveling alone at a bus station.
RUNNER – trail runner who first spots Caroline in the woods, leading to the dissolution of Will & Caroline's life in Forest Park
POLICE OFFICER – Portland Police Bureau officer who arrives at Will & Caroline's camp with social services to assess the situation. Possibly interacts with K-9 unit.
FILMMAKER BIOS:
DEBRA GRANIK (Director) is the Academy Award® nominated director and co-writer of WINTER'S BONE, which was nominated for four Oscars®, including Best Picture, and launched the career of Jennifer Lawrence. Granik and co-writer Anne Rosellini were also Oscar® nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Her first feature film, DOWN TO THE BONE won Granik the Best Director prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Granik completed her first feature documentary, STRAY DOG, which screened on Independent Lens in 2015 and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
LINDA REISMAN (Producer) was the Executive Producer on the Academy Award winning THE DANISH GIRL, which starred Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander. She previously served as Producer on Academy Award winning AFFLICTION, which starred Nick Nolte, and on LIGHT SLEEPER (Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon) both for director Paul Schrader. Reisman was Executive Producer on MOTHER NIGHT (Nick Nolte) and Producer of WAKING THE DEAD (Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly, Exec Produced by Jodie Foster) for director Keith Gordon. Reisman served as the Head of Production for Francis Coppola's Zoetrope Studios and was the Executive Producer on JEEPERS CREEPERS, NO SUCH THING, ASSASSINATION TANGO and PUMPKIN. Reisman's career began as an Associate Producer on THE COMFORT OF STRANGERS and PATTY HEARST, and she was the US Consulting Producer for Julie Taymor's TITUS. Her films have premiered at the Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. Ms. Reisman is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America.
ANNE ROSELLINI (Producer) is the Academy Award nominated producer and co-writer of WINTER'S BONE, which was nominated for four Oscars®, including Best Picture, and launched the career of Jennifer Lawrence. Rosellini and co-writer, Debra Granik were also Oscar nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Her first feature film, DOWN TO THE BONE won the Best Director prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Rosellini recently produced her first feature documentary, STRAY DOG, which screened on Independent Lens in 2015 and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
ANNE HARRISON (Producer) Anne Harrison is a New York based independent film producer. Most recently, she was a producer on THE DANISH GIRL, which received multiple Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. The film won an Academy Award for Alicia Vikander, and Anne was nominated for a BAFTA. Her previous films have won awards at the Sundance Film Festival, been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards and have premiered at Venice, Toronto, AFI, and Austin. Anne started her career working with the celebrated director Martin Scorsese, where she worked on such films as Goodfellas, The Age of Innocence and The Grifters, to name a few.


text:
RATINGS: OLTL hits # 2 in total households & tops GH in total viewers!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
The proof is the pudding, ABC! Look at the new evidence to UN-support your decision out today. The just canceled One Life to Live rose to new heights in the just released ratings of the week of April 18-22nd! OLTL hit # 2 in total households tying with B&B. And here is the REAL kicker. One Life to Live bested General Hospital in total viewers! That's right, the one show the network saved.
OLTL added another 263,000 viewers for the ratings period, and held at a solid #3 above GH which was in at #4. In addition, One Life was dangerously close to the number # 2 spot held by B&B. So does this data sound like a show you would pull the plug on? Check out the ratings from Soap Opera Network after the jump!
Ratings Report for the Week of April 18-22, 2011
Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,704,000 (+228,000/-293,000)
2. B&B 2,849,000 (+157,000/-458,000)
3. OLTL 2,762,000 (+263,000/+507,000)
4. GH 2,547,000 (+10,000/-61,000)
5. AMC 2,521,000 (+177,000/+53,000)
6. DAYS 2,403,000 (+49,000/-103,000)
1. Y&R 3.3/11 (same/-.3)
2. B&B 2.0/6 (same/-.3) <—- ties low (3rd straight week)
2. OLTL 2.0/6 (+.1/+.3) *
4. AMC 1.9/6 (+.1/+.1)
4. GH 1.9/6 (same/same)
6. DAYS 1.7/6 (same/-.2) <—- ties low (6th straight week)
Related Topics:General HospitalOne Life To Liveratings
On-Air On-Soaps Podcast Episode # 11
Why was OLTL sacrificed in the daytime line-up when its ratings were up & at creative high?
Please say that this will make a difference, or at least helps OLTL find a better new home. ABC is permanently tainted, even if they do change their mind.
OLTL and GH are my favorite soaps. BOTH should stay on the air for years to come.
Although GH maintains in lead in the important age demographics, OLTL is also giving a very respectable showing in that age group. OLTL deserves another chance. Both shows have continued value.
Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 913,000 (+32,000/-215,000)
2. GH 713,000 (-58,000/-133,000)
3. OLTL 690,000 (+22,000/+62,000)
4. DAYS 630,000 (+33,000/-109,000)
5. B&B 525,000 (+9,000/-175,000)
6. AMC 520,000 (-20,000/-85,000)
DAYS is soooooo bad at the moment- they need a miracle to pull themselves out of the mess that they have done to themselves. TPTB need to see that their current storylines are not what people want to see. However, glad to see OLTL doing great and they have great writing and they deserve the high ratings.
Hey all you OLTL fans….keep up the good work. Keep tuning in, like never before. Tell a friend, neighbor, family member to tune in. Let's keep moving those ratings! I won't be satisfied until we top Y&R, then what will the network have to say to justify a cancellation?
NBC…pick up this show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you imagine what this show could do with a little support and promotion from the network?
This is wonderful news! oh how I wish it'd make a difference to tptb
Mr. Fairman could you tell us how well One Life is doing on Soap Net in comparison to the other shows?
kay killgore
Could it be because OLTL is filmed in NY? Their taxes and cost of everthing is out of sight! Just asking!
Clearly this shows ABC really needs to re-think their decision. To be up 507,000 viewers from last year is HUGE. To come so close to B&B is also huge. I think ABC should hold a meeting ASAP to discuss what is going on. This is more than fans rallying. There are a lot of people out there who don't want to see these shows go and they recognize how great OLTL is these days. High numbers = $$$ ABC… that's what you want, right?
I can't beleive you are taking off "2" good show such as OLTL and AMC, I have watched these shows since they started, so sad to see them go. You must have a better idea some where.
Way to go OLTL!!!!
Scott Paquin
With ratings numbers like this ABC should really rethink their stupid decision to cancel this wonderful show. What happens if it hits number one in the ratings? Will it still be cancelled? There are thousands of avid fans like myself that will continue to support this show and boycott ABC.
Shame on abc! They clearly made a huge mistake!
I can't imagine not having amc and oltl anymore.
Shame on Oprah also. We all reached out to her for her help and not only did she refuse to pick them u on her network, but she didn't even offer to help campaign for them and all their loyal fans, to save them!
U ..was suppose to be UP. Sorry.
Folks, you do realize that we are talking about being ranked #2 among five low-rated shows (Y&R still gets decent ratings). The ratings going up a few tenths of a point aren't going to make any difference in the show's profitability. This doesn't change the last 5 years of awful ratings. Stop being so delusional.
Rude much?
OLTL gained half a million viewers over last year this week. That is tremendous.
I don't understand why ABC doesn't cut 'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' back to half-hour. Then again, I take it that ABC has no interest in saving the soaps, and has no interest in reversing the cancellation decision. I wish that CBS/P&G could have done the same with 'Guiding Light' and 'As the World Turns'. I would certainly be interested in seeing NBC picking up AMC and OLTL, and airing both soaps in the half-hour format in the 2PM hour. NBC cutting 'The Today Show' back to its original 2-hour format… and airing a newly revived 'Later… Read more »
I really hope we do get picked up b another network.
Please save OLTL! EVERYONE watch and encourage your friends too.
How can General Hospital be safe with the one plot month after month involving the mob and very seldom having very little to do with a hospital.The show uses the same characters ,Jason,Carly,Sam,Sonny,and Michael every day and have done away with core families.They have glorified the mob and made buffoons of the police dept. so if any show has to be canceled ,how in the world does this show not make the list as number 1 ?
OLTL is one of the Best. But died once new characters were brought in and the ulimately END of STARR & COLE
Buddy chose to leave BUT I chose to leave sooner, right before he did.
I'm a dedicated fan of OLTL and watch everyday when I can when I can't I DVR AMC and OLTL but when I saw this article I was kind of shocked to see how OLTL's rating were a little high, fingers crossed that a network picks up both these institutions soon.
Days of our Lives Mike Manning (Charlie) has been one busy actor; not only appearing on the NBC daytime drama series and in the digital drama series, The Bay, but also in the new film Son of the South.
The film will be released on February 5th and was executive produced by Oscar-winning director, Spike Lee. In story, Son of the South is about the grandson of a Klansman who comes of age in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement. The film is based on Bob Zellner's autobiography "The Wrong Side of Murder Creek."
Manning plays the role of Townsend Ellis, and the actor took to his Twitter account on Monday, during Martin Luther King Day, to let his fans know to be on the lookout for the film and why it is such an important piece for our time.
Mike expressed: " I think #MLKDay is a good day to tell you "Son of The South" will be out Feb. 5th. I hope it strengthens the dialogue our country is currently having about the fight for equality on all fronts. Exec produced by Oscar-winner Spike Lee. Proud of this one.@son_movie"
You can check out a trailer for Son of the South below, along with Manning's tweet.
So, have you been enjoying Mike's work on DAYS? What do you think of his message sent out yesterday on these important moments of our time? Share your thoughts via the comment section,
I think #MLKDay is a good day to tell you "Son of The South" will be out Feb. 5th. I hope it strengthens the dialogue our country is currently having about the fight for equality on all fronts. Exec produced by Oscar-winner Spike Lee. Proud of this one. 🙏🏼 @son_movie pic.twitter.com/7Vsih0DfBi
— Mike Manning (@mikecmanning) January 18, 2021
Monday night, January 18th, Days of our Lives, Lamon Archey (Eli Grant) returns to the CW's All American (8 p.m. ET) in his recurring role of Superintendent D'Angelo Carter. Archey, first appeared on the prime time series, back on the season two finale.
In a promo teasing tonight's episode it says, "Grace won't let him get to her that easily."
Karimah Westbrook stars in the series. Will sparks ignite between Grace and D'Angelo?
Check out the tease for tonight's All American below.
Then let us know if you are looking forward to seeing Lamon in his primetime role via the comment section.
Grace won't let him get to her that easily. Season 3 premieres tomorrow at 8/7c! Stream next day free only on The CW. #AllAmerican pic.twitter.com/gVSqDbPWO7
— All American (@CWAllAmerican) January 17, 2021


The way the letter reads, it makes it sound like building modifications, building space, utilities, taxes, food services, laundry services, trash removal, and other services would be offered to Oriana House for $10,000 per month. If that were the case the proposed rehabilitation facility would have been up and running by now!
Building modifications were put out for bid and only one came back by the April 30, 2018 deadline, for $416,000. This was nearly twice what the architect had estimated, and above the Washington County Mental Health Board budget. We were allocated $333,333 to bring a detox center up quickly, in an existing space. We knew we needed to cut some things out, but were still waiting on an estimate on what it would take to lease the space. A rough estimate was first requested in late 2017, and no amount had been given yet.
On May 15 of this year, then Deputy Director Brent Phipps, board member Jim Raney, and I attended the meeting between the Washington County Commissioners and the Washington County Home. All three commissioners and County Home Director Jeff Campbell were in attendance. Director Campbell works under direction from the commissioners.
We informed everyone about the building modifications estimate, and we needed a lease amount to see if we could even make the project work there at the county home. After some back and forth, Director Campbell said $10,000 per month is what it would take to lease the available space. That amount did not include utilities, food, laundry, trash, and other! That was only for the space.
Trying in good faith to negotiate, Deputy Director Phipps countered with an offer of $5,000 per month, at which time Director Campbell said "That will be a cold day in hell." Obviously, negotiations stalled at that point.
A lease term was still being worked on, but would have been most likely for an initial term of five years. Some quick math indicates five year lease at $10,000 per month is $600,000. That would have been free and clear to the County Commissioners, since they own the home. Renovations would have been paid for by the allocation mentioned before. All of the other expenses would have been billed and paid for separately by Oriana House. So, to sink $600,000 plus maybe $300,000 renovations into a building with likely a five year lease did not, and still does not, make sense to any person I know.
I understand covering costs and maybe making a little money on top of it, but the county home sits there nearly half empty. A chance to recover some of the utilities being used for vacant space would have been beneficial, along with selling food raised on the premises, and charging for laundry and linen services done in machines that are otherwise idle. Yes, there would be additional incremental costs for the services, but the county home could still come out ahead by selling those services at a reasonable rate to an interested buyer. But to still desire an additional $120,000 per year for vacant space isn't just defraying costs.
Per the minutes of the meeting, a motion was made and carried to allow Jeff Campbell to negotiate a lease with my board. Also in the minutes "Jeff Campbell will provide Oriana House with proposed figures for meal, laundry, and maintenance services" further substantiating how those costs were separate from the lease for space only. Director Campbell has not contacted me since then. I contacted Jason Varney of Oriana House and he has not been contacted by Director Campbell either. So of course the board and Oriana House are still looking for a suitable location.
I just wanted to clarify and add additional pertinent information to the letter signed by all three commissioners.