RMN SNEWS - ISSUE #18

I'm not up on the times

<kentona> man, I'm really struggling with the SNEWS today
<geodude> what are you struggling with
<geodude> i could help
<kentona> content
<geodude> haha

Coming up with suitable and relevant content for SNEWS is growing harder for me as I grow farther away from the day-to-day activities of the site. I don't feel as "in-touch" with the site and its userbase as I once did. I believe I used to have a better handle on what's hot (and what's not) when I started the SNEWS, but now it seems like the choices I make in what to highlight and what to feature are suspect. Is this really a Game Making Waves? Is this truly a Hidden Gem? Did I miss something? And am I just needlessly parroting events and activities here? I agonize over whether or not the SNEWS has good content. I suspect not.

So take this as a caveat when you're reading this, and try not to be offended when I choose the wrong games or threads or articles.

(Time to pass the torch, right?)





Aren't we all tired of hearing the same arguments in every development or design thread posted in the forums regarding the merits and shortfalls of the various RPG makers? Yeah, we get it. RMVX is God's gift to Mankind and RM2k3 is the tool of Satan. And the RMVX map editor is worse than having weasels eating your bowels from the inside. And RMXP's framerate is slower than Justin Bieber's recollection of European geography. And all RPG Makers suck use C++.

Fuck it. It is getting tiresome. Use what you want and be impartial when giving advice on what engine to use (when that information is wanted). Otherwise no one gives a shit.

(Yeah, this is just like "Editorial Part II" but like I alluded to in the real editorial, I am running low on motivation content ideas. So sue me.*)

*The 80's called. They want their slang back.**
**The 90's called. They want their joke back.***
***Humor through excessive repetition is humorous.






Craig T. Nelson is challenging you to review games randomly generated by the 'Send me in, coach' button on the Games listing.

This 4 day event pits the participants against the Send me in, coach random game page button. Click it, pick a game from the list, and review it! You only get a redo if none of the games have downloads.



This Review Challenge is akin to the previous challenges like the Zero-to-Many review challenge, Solitayre's Weekend Review event and WIP's "You Guys All Suck Review Some Games" challenge in days past. I am asking the community to step up (again).



...actually, I just wanted to make a banner with Craig T. Nelson. But either way a challenge has been issued! Are you a bad enough dude to review a game?




Out of content - Time to restart, right?

How topical. (As in, I am out of content for the SNEWS)(Yes, I am very self-serving).

Chaos (again) has come up with another pertinent game design discussion, this time surround the topic of post-game content. And again RMN split into two opposing and irreconcilable camps, one firmly believing that "post-game" content should just be "game" content and the other stressing that having the game end with the story's end is a waste.

But after that needless argument died down and the requisite semantics argument was made, some good discussion on what makes for good post-game content arose!






Instead of doing the regular Waver Maker and Hidden Gem features, I opted to feature the games of Game Gale 2010, RMN's recent game creation event. The theme was Escape. There were 11 submissions in the end.

Lux Licentia by Losers: Vengeance (Skie Fortress, Anaryu, Krisanna)
Escape From Middle School by Team Everguard (Everguard)
The New Adventures Of Billy The Kid by No Girls Club (catmitts)
SkYscrapeR by Apple Pie (Rhyme)
Castle Chase by Team Dragonfly (Racheal, MakioKuta)
Darkseed: Revival by Sorceress Studios (SorceressKyrsty)
Beautiful Escape: Dungeoneer by The Dugeoneers (calunio)
Retro Fatale by Team Retro Hobo (Hexatona)
Astral Conjunction by Team #astralmasters (Erilex)
Fallen Heroes by Slash n' Fern (Slashandz, Fernhart)
Rifts by Team Procrastinator (Desmo360)

The judges will now take in the entries, putz around for over a month, and then post their results and feedback long after everyone else has forgotten about the event! Exciting!

Stay tuned for a similar event sometime this August/September! (Game Heat? Game Leaves? Game Fall? Something to do with the late summer/early fall weather!)







catmitts is the creator of many quirky adventure games with a refreshing and interesting style. But re-reading my interview exchange reminded me that I'm supposed to be mad at catmitts. *shakes fist*

In his own words...

RMN HISTORY:
I browsed here sometimes to read the game design articles and topics and eventually registered to take part in Darken's Halloween Contest. To be completely honest part of the reason I joined was because I thought it would be funny to thow together a crude pencil-drawn non-RM game about a Mummy DA while everyone else was messing with polished lighting effects stuff etc and see everyone scoff but it got a surprisingly good reception and the community was very active and had many events to get me off my ass so I stayed! Rpgmaker... perhap ive misjudged thee......

PERSONAL BLURB:
I'm a 20-year-old Mathematics student from Ireland who likes really awful punk music made by teenage girls punching their guitars while shrieking and also books and comics and other boring stuff! I'm hella boring! boring. as. heck. My favorite videogame is Life Of D. Duck II and my favorite Power Ranger is Green Ranger.

SPARE TIME:
Making Games Smoking Weed - What Lifes all About. .. Actually I just read and listen to music and bitch about everything to people smarter than me and occasionally throw a game together. *flintstones voice* its a living...

FAVORITE FOOD:
Really crusty bread rolls.

FAVORITE SAYING:
"game to live, live to game" - the_tabasco_gamer001

PET PEEVE:
Those t-shirts with tuxedo designs on the front. Who are they trying to kid? Get a grip, guys.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:
A catamite is actually a young boy who takes it from behind and no one has yet called me out on this. Also I have a big word file on my computer desktop filled with cool titles I want to make games around so look forward to such stellar projects as 'Cannibal Yacht', 'Time Zorg', 'Drug Punk' and 'Cyborg, il guerriero d'acciaio' at some point in the future.


My response to this is: My baby has a tuxedo onesie. >:(