Nocater

Skyrim: Lack of difficulty in RPG elements – my opinion.

2012-01-30T18:09:00.001+02:00

After playing Skyrim for some time, here is my opinion about the lack of difficulty concerning RPG elements like quests and map markers, puzzles, crafting and more. This is one long post!

Greetings all.

Skyrim is a great game, and since its announcement I was looking forward to it till the day of the launch. Although it had its share of problems, some more major than other; it’s still fun to play and with the latest patches, the performance is even getting better and better. There is just one issue that keep tugging at me while I play Skyrim, how easy some RPG elements are. This has been talked about before, but here is my opinion.

I am going to use Morrowind as the main example here as it fits what I am talking about, and is part of the same series. A lot of people that have played Morrowind will tell you, including me, that Morrowind was a lot more immersive than Skyrim. Yes, Skyrim’s graphics are better and the game play (for example Duel Wielding) is a welcome addition, but it lacked the RPG elements that RPG’s are all about.

One of the main things that always bother me is the map markers. For example, you will get a quest to find clues about a Dark Elf’s past, but instead that you are left to look all over Skyrim for clues, you get a waypoint directing you straight to where to find information. To compare to Morrowind, when you first start the game and have to go to the town of Balmora, you’re not even shown where it is (unless you look on your physical map, the in-game map didn’t even show you until you reached it). The best thing to do is to ask local NPC’s then where it is and they will either tell you who to ask or direct you where to walk. There was nothing like map markers in Morrowind, and you had to depend on the description of NPC’s to figure out where a certain person, town, house or item is.

The same goes for when you go into a dungeon or house. Let’s say you have to find a specific item but you want to do it with stealth instead of killing everyone. You sneak throughout the house, looking in rooms and even risking it in some guarded rooms for in case it is there. In Skyrim, you are pointed directly to the item, making it a lot easier with not even bothering with the rooms you know it isn’t in.

I remember the quest from the Balmora, where you are sent to find a Dwemer Cube located in a Dwemer ruin east of Balmora. I eventually killed everything in that ruin and still couldn’t find the item, until finally, I saw a room I missed and found the item in there. Although I wasted hours looking for it, I felt really good in the end that I found it. Now all satisfaction you get with Skyrim is that you can understand how to follow a map marker.

Another example is in Skyrim(not going to mention a lot for in case I spoil anything), is a quest where you have to find a murderer and you have to investigate who did it. Instead of getting the option to choose who did it and by that maybe false accusing someone, you only get one reply saying who it is. For anyone that did not figure it out by then, your character knew more than you did about that, which in an RPG is a big flaw.

One option to fix the map markers is by basically just turning them off in the journal system for Skyrim, but sadly that is not really an option, because when you turn a map marker off, you are lost. There is no option to ask a NPC for directions (for specific people or places) and the amount of information you get from the NPC giving you the quest is limited, only saying the basics, with the directions being replaced by map markers. All Bethesda had to do is give more information, like describing where the ruin/house/dungeon is located, for example West of Riften, where you can then use your physical map, ask directions or look at the town signs to find Riften and then look for the location west of it. Although this takes longer, it is a lot more immersive and a lot more satisfying when you find it.

Then there are the puzzles. Morrowind did not really have detailed puzzles, so I am happy for the Skyrim ones. Sadly, Bethesda seemed to have thought the circular doors will be too difficult for people to figure out so they showed exactly how to do it in the 20min game play videos that was released before Skyrim came out. Anyone that was hyped up about Skyrim wanted to see more and watched the game play videos, in turn spoiling one of the main puzzles of the game. There are some other puzzles I have seen so far in the game, and some are smart, but still not close to anything challenging. One thing that is a nice addition is the treasure maps, although some of them are way too easy.

Something mentioned by a friend of mine is the journal system. What happened to the detailed descriptions? All you get now is a very brief description of the quest that barely scrape what was explained of the quest, with the targets being more a bullet point system than information. The old Morrowind journal (improved with the expansion packs) description was detailed, entertaining to read, and if you wanted even more information you could get the dialog of the person that gave the quest.

Crafting is something new to the Elder Scrolls series and something I was really looking forward to in Skyrim. I do enjoy it, but it could have been so much more. Crafting armour for example, you are showed exactly what you can craft and the same goes for cooking. The only one that seem to have done it right is the making of potions, where you only discover after making the potion how to make it, or if you find some recipes around the world. This should have been done for all the crafting, needing you to find out how to make something with certain items/ingredients by means of trying different methods or finding recipes/books explaining it. I was really disappointed seeing everything listed on the cooking menu after finding the book “Uncommon Taste” and thinking if I have right ingredients, I have to manually select them and see what happens.

I have been trying to understand why Bethesda decided to make this so easy and one of the reasons in conversations with other Elder Scrolls players that always come up is... mass market. I have to agree with it, but I do not get why they did it. People love a challenge, which is why we buy a game with the tag of Role Playing Game. We enjoy looking for more powerful items, figuring out puzzles and spending hours on a game, sometimes even with pen and paper on our desk to take notes off riddles or puzzle hints.

If Bethesda was worried that people will get bored of the game if they have to spend too much time looking for something, they were worried about the wrong thing. The game is tagged as a RPG, and everyone that buy it knows it’s a RPG, knowing that is isn’t going to take 5 minutes to complete a quest, 7 hours to complete the game or have everything spoon fed... although the latter seems true in Skyrim.

To improve the experience for the map markers and information, one thing to do is mods. With the Creation Kits, more information can be added to the dialog topics and map markers can be removed. The only problem with that is it won’t be the original voice actors. The puzzles, journal system and crafting I am sure is going to see changed in the near future by the modding community.

It would be great if Bethesda included it with their next expansion, increasing the information you get for quests, add directions options and making the puzzles a bit more difficult. They could still keep the map markers, but at least make the game playable for anyone that think the map markers is making it way to easy.

To conclude, Skyrim feels like there is no challenge for the mind. The only skill involved is to know what to spend your perks and gold on to make your character as powerful as it can be to defeat the next monster, which really isn’t that hard. I enjoy looking for rumours told by NPC’s, figuring out riddles, puzzles for old treasures and looking for lost items. Sadly, in Skyrim, you will just be pointed toward the “lost” item.

I love the game and the series, it is just sad to see it go this way. I will leave you with this quote from a friend of mine concerning the map markers: “GPS did not exist back in that time, why do we have it?”

I have posted this on the Bethesda Forums as well.

TPAD Update!

2012-01-25T16:58:00.000+02:00

Well it has been pretty quiet on this blog lately, with the last post being the protest against SOPA, which seem to be shelved for now, woohoo! Lets hope it stays that way.

In other news, I updated an 2009 product of mine called TPAD, a Dial Home Device for the Alteran Stargate Network created by Alpha Fox for Second Life. The difference between TPAD and the other DHD's that can be found in-world is that TPAD has a much lower prim usage, 5/6 prims, compared to the 30 - 50 prim DHD's.

I recently decided to update it to look and work better. I have changed to include a crystal sculpt map located under the DHD and made three different DHD types named Industrial, Advanced and Stone. The Advanced version has a touch indicator that indicates where you have just clicked. Overall the code has been optimized big time with a script that works better and faster than before and also an automatic updater is included now.

The TPAD DHD can be found on the Marketplace! Enjoy!

Joining The Strike Against SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-17T23:14:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow Nocater will be joining the internet strike against SOPA & PIPA and will not be reachable.

Don't know what it is? Well better than me trying to put it exactly in words, here is a video that explains it all.

For anyone that can't watch the video, head on over to the article by arstechnica.com for more information.

Like you can see, this can cause real damage to everything you ever loved about the internet. Several websites and communities are in danger of this, and freedom of speech as we know it on the internet will become something of the past.

If you never heard about SOPA or PIPA, do not feel to bad, the media has been keeping it very quiet since several media companies support it. What better way to get what they want than to keep everyone in the dark?

Well tomorrow, the 18th of January, is the day the internet makes a stand. Reddit and Wikipedia is planning to black out for most/all day and Google is planning a homepage protest to let everyone know about SOPA and PIPA. There is several more websites making a stand tomorrow, and so will Nocater.

If you would like more information and how this will affect you, join the fight and even censor your own website, head on over to http://americancensorship.org/

Join the fight tomorrow and protect the internet we all love and enjoy!

Remembering 2011, 2012 Plans

2011-12-31T02:14:00.002+02:00

Well it is the end of the year 2011 and in +-24 hours (depending where you are) we will be celebrating the start of 2012! Before we head out to the parties, here is a recap of 2011 with Nocater, Taernoc Productions and other events.

I restarted this blog the 28th of January this year after it gathered some dust for more than a year. Over the year, several themes has come and gone, we had an A.I. back in July for a short while and overall with this post, there was 68 posts in total.

Over this year I have released 8 machinima (9 counting the bloopers video for Vito) and entering for the first time into a competition, MachinimUWA, with Vito walking away with a Narrative award and Journey To The Top presented at a primary school.

With the release of Journey To The Top in April, my machinima productions also started with the name Taernoc Productions which is seen on all my machinima following it. Thanks to Oscar Remius, Taernoc Productions's logo got a new sound effect with the release of Conclusion in August.

I have also released six sets of Second Life products (about 26 items) over the year, from movie products like camera's and director chairs, to an airport gps , radio communication system and more. With this I have also updated several of my old products and changed my in-world store several times but never finishing it (something that will be done in 2012).

Other than that I made several other posts about interesting things I found on the internet, the countdown and release to Skyrim and machinima/machinimatographers worth checking out.

So what are the plans for 2012?
First of all I am going to finish the build I am working on in Second Life that is going to be a store/base/theater and maybe more. I am currently making all kinds of different parts to it, so it will work like a building kit, making it easy to set up since I am considering selling it when I am done. On the topic of Second Life, there is also some updates I want to start working on for some products and get some other products out there which I have ideas for.

I also want to get several machinima out there, some new, some sequels. Since a lot of people really liked Journey To The Top, I want to focus a great deal on a sequel for that. There is also ideas falling around for the sequel of Vito so you will most likely see one coming out for that as well. Other than that there is some ideas in my head for some small machinima and a new series that I think will be very interesting to see.

...and that is it! It is the end of 2011 with a year full of amazing times, and also not so great ones.
I will leave you with this amazing video created by Google that really show what 2011 was about!
I hope everyone have an awesome New Year's Eve and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:17:00.001+02:00

Well it is that time of the year again! Merry Christmas to all! I hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends!

In Tamriel, Saturalia is celebrated on the the 25th of Evening Star, which is a day of gift giving, parties and parading. So happy Saturalia to all of Tamriel's citizens.

Head on over to UESPWiki for more info on Tamrielic Holidays.

Vito's Results

2011-12-13T23:34:00.002+02:00

Well this past Sunday the end has arrived for the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists and the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge where the winners were announced.

There were a lot of people and if you ever visited the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre, you would know that it is located on the corners of four sims to maximise the ammount of people that can attend. Well it got so crowded that two of the sims crashed (I think even more than once)... yup, that is how many people there were.

Nonetheless, it was an amazing event with The Phoenix Embers Showcats opening it, followed by Jayjay Zifanwe announcing the winners of the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists and then the winners of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Below is the top three winners of the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists:
First place went to Tutsy Navarathna with "Welcome to the Other Side".

"Artwashers" by Friday Siamendes in Second Place

"Art of the Artists" by Fuschia Nightfire in third place.

For the 3D Open Art Challange, "Digital Love" by Misprint Thursday got first, with "In Dreams" by Blue Tsuki second and "The Chasm" by Oberon Onmura third.

There were a lot more winners (see below for the link to the full list), but sadly Vito did not receive any award; and soon after that, real life started seeking my attention.

Then yesterday I got a notice that Open This End, one of the main sponsors for the event, has provided 25 Awards of Excellence for MachinimUWA IV. As I was very happy to discover, Vito has received Open This End Award Of Excellence For Film Narrative!

With that I would also like to mention how the review went for Vito on the 9th. Before the grand finale, a review of all the machinima took place, hosted by AviewTV & Indy Radio and reviewed by guest panelists from the 8th - 10th of December. After the review and interview for Vito, the guest panelists gave a score out of 5; and on average, between the four panelists, I am happy to say Vito got 3.5 out of 5.

Overall I am happy with the results for Vito and I am very proud of the award and the score from the panelists. It has been a great experience and the reviews Vito received are very helpful to release even better machinima in the future.

I would like to send a shout out and a big thanks to the cast and crew that were part of Vito. Without you, this would not have been possible. You all did a amazing job and it was great fun working with you. I would also like to thank Jayjay Zifanwe for organising the MachinimUWA event and everybody involved with it. They all go to great lengths to organise and host great events for artists. Last but not least, congratulations to all the winners!

If you would like to read more about the winners and the final event, you can head over to the The University of Western Australia in Second Life blog.

MachinimUWA IV Review and Winners Ceremony

2011-12-09T10:44:00.001+02:00

Well the end is close for the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists competition with the reviews taking place from the 8th to the 10th of December 2011, with the winners ceremony following on the 11th of December.

Vito was created for this competition and will be reviewed on the 9th of December at 8PM PST (4AM GMT) by AviewTV & Indy Radio in Second Life but can also be listened and watched live on their websites. I will be there as well and will be interviewed right after Vito has been shown.

On 11th the winners ceremony will be taking place at the UWA - BOSL Grand Amphitheatre in Second Life, where the winners of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge and the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists will be announced This event will start at 6AM PST (3PM GMT).

For more information, see the links below.
MachinimUWA IV Review
MachinimUWA IV Winners Ceremony
UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Grand Finale

Hope to see you there and good luck to all the entries!

Dronak's Story - Relaunch

2011-12-04T01:20:00.001+02:00

A few months ago I made a machinima called Dronak's Story dedicated to Greg Heier who's machinima, "Kendrick's Story", was one of the first machinima I ever saw and got me to begin making machinima.

Dronak's Story was not as good as I hoped it to be, so I decided to change it a little bit. I present to you the new Dronak's Story, with the new change of audio.

Hope you like it and enjoy!

Changes Over At Youtube

2011-12-02T14:57:00.001+02:00

Yesterday Youtube has changed the layout of the whole website, from the homepage to the channels, even the video viewing pages have some small changes.

You can read in detail what has changed on Google's official blog and you can check out the changes yourself by going to Youtube, so I am not going to go much in detail about what has changed. What I will say is that I like the new look and how it functions.

I have seen a lot of people that are against this change, saying its ugly, unorganized and I do not know what else. The funny thing is, back in 2008 when Youtube changed their layout, people were doing the exact same, complaining and cursing the new look. Now since yesterday, they have actually been fighting for that old look. I guess some people just do not like change hehe.

Like mentioned above, the channels have changed as well, so themes designed for the now old look of Youtube will not fit 100% any more and might look strange. For that, I have decided to change the background image of my channel a bit.

You will notice it looks a bit similar to this blog's background now, with a carbon type of background, blue light trails and if you have a high enough resolution screen, you will see the Taernoc Productions logo at the top sides. Maybe I will change it in the future, but for now I am happy with how it looks.

Feel free to leave a comment below on your opinion about the new look of Youtube and my channel's new background.

Off On A Adventure

2011-11-19T19:07:00.001+02:00

Since the release of my machinima Vito, it has been quiet here on the blog. The reason for that is:

I have been spending hours in the new Elder Scrolls game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. From exploring to fighting dragons, Skyrim has been the reason for so little time for anything else lately. It is truly one of the next great RPG games, and being a Elder Scrolls fan, I have been looking forward to this since the rumours of another Elder Scrolls game.

I started like most people with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and fell in love right there. Since then I got every Elder Scrolls game that followed and expansions. I even played Arena and Daggerfall, the first two games in the series, which by the way, Bethesda released for free and can be found on the Elder Scrolls Website.

Now The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is here and it truly lives up to the Elder Scrolls name. The game is fun, filled with a LOT to see and very interactive, giving you always something to do. I have put several hours into the game and still haven't really done much concerning the main storyline. I get easily distracted when I see a cave or a beautiful mountain range, so off I go and explore. That and the fact that I don't use fast travel, which is an option to quickly travel to a discovered location, so traveling from one town to another takes awhile... might help if I buy a horse...

Character creation is a big improvement from Oblivion, where no matter how much you tuned it, your character never really looked like you wanted. In Skyrim you have a lot of options, and without a lot of effort you can created that character you have in mind. Also, the beast race players will be very happy as Argonian and Khajiit looks a lot better with great options now.

NPC's have a improved AI system now and a lot more voices than before, so no more hearing one race with one voice. The new system, Radiant Story that makes the game react to how you play and improve their reactions a lot more. Help a NPC with something small and it might open up a bigger quest later, or break into a house of someone that really likes you at night and they might even offer you lodging instead of chasing you out. The The Elder Scrolls Wiki covers this in more detail.

The great thing about the Elder Scrolls games are that the beautiful mountain you see or the forest in the distance, it's not just a backdrop to look pretty, it's actually there and you can go all the way there if you want to. Want to follow the river and see where it goes, go right ahead. For any exploration-hungry-person, the Elder Scrolls will fill your need for sure with a whole province to explore, dungeons, caves, cities and more.

The series is also rich with lore, including history of the planet, history of each race, wars, events, gods and much much much much more. With Skyrim, even more lore will be unveiled with the dragons, a topic that was rarely mentioned before, and the fact that there is a 200 year gap between the previous game, Oblivion, and Skyrim, making it a treasure for history lore. This is something I really enjoy and one of the main reasons why I love the Elder Scrolls series. Most of this lore can be discovered by talking to people and reading books in the game, but also two great website sources is the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages and The Imperial Library.

Quests I have done so far is really good and there is a lot.... really a lot. Apart from the main quest there is side quests, smaller objectives, guilds (I have not even joined one yet), and more. From basic courier type quest to detailed dungeon and fighting quest, they are all there. The Radiant Story adds to this as well like mentioned above.

The battle system is a lot more fun and interactive now since you can put your spells, shields and weapons in whatever hand and order you want. For example, you can put a fire spell in your left hand with a sword in your right hand. There is a lot of different combinations, and really changes how you do battle with the fact that each hand is a different button, making it really fun.

With that is "Favorites" which I would like to see more games add in the future. Instead of setting a specific weapon, spell or item to your 1 - 0 keys, which can become a pain when you have to select #7 in the heat of battle, even if you scroll using a mouse, Bethesda has added the favorites option. This is a menu that comes up when pressing a button, pausing the game and letting you select easily and fast which weapon you want that you have favorite before. It works well and is a welcome addition to the game.

Of course I can't forget about the Shouts. Throughout the game you will learn Dragon Shouts which is a type of magic common to dragons, but can be learned by other as well. It gives you a temporary power to do different stuff like pushing anything in front of you back or being able to sprint very fast a short distance. It can make battles easier or help to overcome some obstacles.

The dragons.. well their scary and awesome at the same time. They look great and and have so much detail to them. The scary bit is the fact that usually when you hear a dragon, you start running. So far I have been lucky to fight dragons while in the company of town guards or other really strong creatures that decided to try and take them on too, but I think as soon as I level up a bit more and they catch me alone somewhere... im not going to be lucky at all. The way they fly around and come over to attack looks amazing, which also makes it hard for you to hit them. Their a great opponent in the game and tends to make you look to the sky a lot more than other games. Sadly I don't have a screenshot of one... actually they have been quiet for a while now that I think of it... thats never a good sign... *looks to the sky*

What I also like in the game is the weather and nature. The clouds around the high mountains and the fact that water current will actually push you down the river is just some of the small things I really like. The snow storm weather is really well done, making it hard to see and hear around you, and that cold wind you hear... brrrrr. You will also see animals like dear, foxes, bunnies and more go about their daily lives and now and then try to survive when a predator attacks them. All these things are what sets Skyrim apart from other RPG games, having even the tiniest thing be well done.

Pretty soon we will also see a huge increase of mods for the PC edition of Skyrim as soon as Bethesda release the Creative Kit, a tool to make quests, locations, items and more. This adds a lot of cool stuff from the community and makes games live so much longer, like Oblivion for example which is still very active, five years after it was released!

A great site for mods is the Nexus Sites. The Elder Scrolls Nexus is a great source for Oblivion and Morrowind mods, and recently they have released the Skyrim Nexus, which already have a few mods on it.

Wow I wrote a lot. Well ill end it off in saying that if you like RPG games and have not played Skyrim yet, get it! It is a must buy and well worth the money, and if you really get into the series, play the previous games too, you will not be disappointed. If you would like to see some gameplay of Skyrim, Bethesda released a three part video set of 20 minutes in total a while back. I posted about it here.

Thanks Bethesda for making another amazing Elder Scrolls game in the best RPG series!

These are my experiences and opinions of the PC version of the game.
I have no knowledge about the console version.

Vito

2011-11-07T01:42:00.000+02:00

I am happy to present Vito - a post apocalyptic machinima filmed mostly in Second Life and is a entry into MachinimUWA IV : Art of the Artists competition.

With a planet destroyed and covered in dust and rubble, humanity thought that the worse has come. That was, until any unsheltered person disappear, never to be seen again.

Everyone had a lot of fun making this machinima with enough recorded footage to make a blooper video, so enjoy :D

A special thanks to the cast, crew and music creators for their help and participation.

Other than the credits at the end of Vito, here is all the links!

CREDIT LINKS - MUSIC
Used with permission.
---------------------------------
Apocalypse [Suspense] - MrMusicalLion
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/383117
A Real Action Scene - Tetfima
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/111171

SOUNDS - http://www.freesound.org
-------------------------------------------------
AKManipulation - Mittelmorder
http://www.freesound.org/people/Mittelmorder/sounds/122690/
Body Hitting Mat - MAJ061785
http://www.freesound.org/people/MAJ061785/sounds/85532/
Crash - Sagetyrtle
http://www.freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/40158/
Crash & Glass - Rock Savage
http://www.freesound.org/people/Rock%20Savage/sounds/59263/
Crows outdoors - Northern87
http://www.freesound.org/people/northern87/sounds/88530/
Desertwind1FINAL - Nageor
http://www.freesound.org/people/nageor/sounds/112296/
Digging - Prozaciswack
http://www.freesound.org/people/prozaciswack/sounds/82722/
Demonbeeyotch - NoiseCollector
http://www.freesound.org/people/NoiseCollector/sounds/82915/
Fire crackling - Dobroide
http://www.freesound.org/people/dobroide/sounds/4211/
Gunshot and reload - Gcmax
http://www.freesound.org/people/gcmax/sounds/86808/
HugeSlidingDoorSlamECM800 - UATaudio
http://www.freesound.org/people/UATaudio/sounds/31154/
Spotlight-stereo - Reidmangan
http://www.freesound.org/people/reidmangan/sounds/49023/

OTHER:
Be sure to visit UWA in Second Life!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20WA/105/205/21/

The Wasteland is a great post-apocalyptic role playing area with several regions! Worth a look at!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Wastelands/135/151/66

VITO - Info & Posters

2011-11-01T12:43:00.000+02:00

After more than a month of production, the time is finally coming close to the the release of VITO, my newest machinima. The film will be released this coming Sunday, 6 November 2011 or (7 November 2011 for some).

VITO is a post - apocalyptic themed machinima filmed mostly in the virtual world of Second Life. I wrote the 13 page script more than a month ago and since then we have been filming and voice recording, followed by editing and finishing it this week.

The machinima is a entry into the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists competition and features the artwork "Aerie" by Cherry Manga.

In preparations for the launch, I have decided to make two posters for the machinima. On it you can see some information about cast and crew, and also some shots from the machinima. Watch this space!

Valkyrie321 - Machinima channel worth checking out

2011-10-18T02:46:00.001+02:00

Soon after I started making machinima, I found an Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion movie that really got me interested in making machinima in Oblivion. I just started playing Oblivion then and after creating a few machinima in other games, I was looking what can be done in Oblivion. I discovered this video, and immediately subscribed to the channel, looking through previous videos made by the creator. That creator was none other than Cody Bergland, or better known by his Youtube channel, valkyrie321, and the owner of Jaggyroad Films.

Over the years Cody has gotten better with making machinima and also went commercial, making a lot of advertisement type videos for Flight Simulator X. Although the Oblivion machinima are in the past, his new stuff is just as rich, and for any machinimatographer, it is worth a look.

Above you saw one of the first machinima I saw that he made, and below you see some favourites that really catch my attention. The newest one being the machinima he just released yesterday, created in the racing game DiRT. The scenes are beautiful, the effects outstanding and the music fits it perfectly. 100% worth a watch.

Till this day, Cody is a great inspiration to me to make machinima that will really make you go "wow". Although my stuff haven't come close to the level he is on, I will continue to be inspired by his stuff to make something better each time.

Be sure to check out his channel for more videos and his website where you can download most of the videos in great detail.

Dragon Age: Redemption Released!

2011-10-14T01:07:00.001+02:00

Now if you do not know yet, where have you been?! It's been online since the tenth of October... well ok... I just noticed it today too...

So what is it? Well Dragon Age: Redemption is a web series written and starring none other than the cute Felicia Day and is set in the world of Dragon Age, a role-playing game created by Bioware. It is a story about an elvish assassin called Tallis who gets a chance at redemption, hence the name. Here is the trailer.

Felicia is mostly known for her famous series called The Guild, a show that is about an online guild in a MMORPG where they spend a lot of their daily lives. She was also seen in the funny Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion and her voice is heard in the post apocalyptic game, Fallout: New Vegas.

With the release of the first episode comes something really cool for all the Dragon Age II players, Mark of a Assassin. A downloadable adventure where Tallis, voiced by (yes you guessed it) Felicia Day and looks a bit like her, join your side to steal a precious relic. You can hear Felicia talk about it here.

So far what I have seen I like. Especially for Dragon Age fans, it will be nice to see the Dragon Age world come alive in this series. Below you can see the first episode, and keep your eyes open for the rest of the series.

Skyrim Nexus Launched!

2011-10-05T22:34:00.001+02:00

If you do not know who or what the Nexus sites are, its a group of sites focused mainly on game modifications like Houses, Land, Weapons, Armour and more, launched by Robin Scott (aka DarkOne) 10 years ago! With that, images from the games, forums, news and chat also exist on the site.

A lot of my time have been spend on the Nexus sites, looking at mods and images, downloading mods, reading forums and even having my hand at creating a mod and some images. A lot of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout machinima I made will not be possible without the amazing mods created by the Nexus Community.

The Nexus sites have also recently received an overall of its old look, and in my opinion, for the better. It looks good, work very well and it is easy to find mods your looking for and download what you like.

The current sites are: Dragon Age Nexus (Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2), Fallout 3 Nexus, New Vegas Nexus (Fallout New Vegas), The Elder Scrolls Nexus aka TESNexus (for Morrowind and Oblivion) and the Witcher Nexus.

Well that was the current sites, until today, in preparation for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the modifications that are sure to follow, Skyrim Nexus has joined the family which will be home to mods, images and news off the game. There is some really nice featured articles worth a read about details from Skyrim, and also a big and noticeable countdown timer.

So keep your eyes on that site, in about 36 Days, that website is going to get very busy!

New Theme!

2011-10-04T13:03:00.001+02:00

As you might have noticed, the blog has a new background, logo and colours!

The old blue theme always were to cluttered for my liking, and although the big room picture was something interesting to look at, it did get boring after a while, not to mention the fact that you needed to scroll a screen size down before seeing the first post.

The new theme is a lot cleaner with a nice simple and clean logo. If your screen support high enough resolution or if your zoomed out on your browser, you will see images on the sides. These images include machinima, logos and other that I value and shows what this blog is about. The same sparkle effect that I have on my Youtube Channel can also be seen.

Hope everyone likes the new theme and feel free to share your opinions in the comments!

Time for a update... and... product!!

2011-09-24T02:06:00.000+02:00

Greetings all!

Since I have been busy a lot lately, following is a lot of updates of upcoming and currently in progress projects, but first... my recently released product, Comrido.

Comrido is a radio system that works region wide and enables easy communication for residents. If it is just for chatting or role-playing, this system is for you. Depending on which system you use, they all have their own features.

1. Comrido RGU Unit - The RGU unit is a radio giver unit that gives out radios to anyone the owner permits. This radio will then sync with the unit it came from and be able to use the custom channels set up by the owner. Other features include ability to communicate on all channels at once, communicate with other base units (same owner only), floating text, access menu's and more! The RGR Radios (given by a RGU unit) have a battery system that will slowly run out when you leave the region the unit is in.

2. Comrido U Unit - The U unit is similar as the RGU except for the fact that it does not give out radios. This is more meant for the Comrido R Radios so that you can set up custom channels for your group.

3. Comrido R Radio - The R radio has a default set of ten channels, but can also be sync up to 10 different units, adapting with their channels as well. This way you can easily switch between different units to communicate. It also have no battery system and can be used anywhere.

I have a few features that I still want to add to the Comrido units and some extra products that will be compatible, so watch this space for updates! Check out the marketplace links and my store for more information on this product.

Onto some projects I am working on and planning.

I am currently working on a machinima for the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artist challange called Vito. Some of you might remember my last entry for the MachinimUWA competition was Journey to the Top with the micros. This one won't be about Drax and Vi again, but a bit more serious and deeper story.

This does not mean Drax and Vi will be a one machinima story. I am hoping to do in the near future another machinima with them in it, so don't loose hope yet. On the topic of sequels, my Oblivion/Fallout machinima, Division, has gotten a lot of good responses and I am actually considering making another machinima to continue the story from where it left off last time.

I am also considering redoing the blog theme... again. Something about the theme still puts me off.. what it is exactly, I don't know. I do know that I would like a more clean and smooth appearance, so will see what I can do about that.

So one Machinima in production, two planned and new theme planned again. Think that's all of it... hmmm... yup that's it! Will update as things progress!

5042607 Seconds to Skyrim!

2011-09-13T17:25:00.000+02:00

5042607 seconds (or about 84043 Minutes, or 1400 Hours, or 58 Days) UTC time, that is the time left before the awesome release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on 11.11.11. Well it was when I started writing this... its less now... In any case, the release is coming closer and closer and the game looks amazing. If your not a Elder Scrolls fan yet and you like RPG games, you soon will be!

Yesterday three previews that count all the way up to just over 20 minutes was released, showing what was shown behind closed doors as E3. Some of it we have already seen, but there is new things and you can hear the epic music really nicely, especially during the dragon battle!
One thing I have noticed though, and some Morrowind fans might be able to help with this, around 30 seconds of the third demo video, the music sounds a lot like Morrowind's. Now I know Jeremy Soule is doing/did the soundtrack for Skyrim again just as he did for Morrowind and Oblivion, just that specific song sounds very familiar!
Anyways, here is the three demo videos if you haven't seen it yet! Enjoy!

Let's mine machinima style

2011-08-24T23:15:00.000+02:00

Well its still hitting the internet by storm and I got thrown in the pit as well, but you won't see me complaining! I am talking about the famous Minecraft, the pixelated mining and crafting fun!

Now a lot of people take one look at it and say "With graphics like that, how can it be fun?!" Well don't let that fool you as this game is the perfect example that graphics is not everything. With a fun and creative way to build and craft items, surviving horrors in the night and exploring dungeons, this game will get you hooked instantly.

Like most major games, machinima make their way onto the internet as well. There is some really great ones out there, so I decided ill share some of the ones I have found.

First up This is Minecraft by Vareide, a perfect little trailer and front page video of Minecraft.net for some time about what Minecraft is all about.

Then of course there is Minecraft by The Yogcast. This is the series that actually got me into playing Minecraft. Really worth a watch and good laugh. So far this series is three seasons long and worth every episode.

Another funny one worth watching is Bashcraft: The Legend of Hobo by Bashurverse. A very funny series with three episodes out so far.

Last... well whats a machinima list without a music one. That of course means the parody of Usher's DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love called Revenge by Captain Sparklez! Funny and entertaining, especially if you know the original song's lyrics.

There is a lot more out there and they keep increasing everyday. Maybe you will even see some of mine pop up in the near future :D Until next time!

Conclusion Machinima

2011-08-15T17:15:00.000+02:00

It is alive! My newest Fallout 3 machinima called Conclusion, a story about love and revenge, can now be seen on Youtube! I have spend a lot of time mixing the video with the audio to fit the dupstep/orchestra sound and I have to say I like how it turned out. The cool song is called Requiem and it is created by Broove over at Newgrounds. Thanks for letting me use it!

A poster I created for the machinima.

Also, something totally new! Taernoc Productions logo music have changed from the old generic and boring electrical sound and now actually have a type of song! This is thanks to Oscar Remius aka Maverlyn. Big Thanks to Oscar for the intro song!

And here it is, Conclusion! Enjoy!

Project Lux and more updates!

2011-08-09T17:20:00.002+02:00

Greetings all! Long time no post!

Well it's been a bit quiet on this side concerning projects and movies since I decided to do a bit of gaming for a change. I finished Mafia 2 and Amnesia a while back (both great games, more about that in another post) and I went and got Baldur's Gate. Yes I know its a old (1998) game, but I never had the chance to play it and I am reminded now and then that its a MUST play, so I finally started. So far I like it!

Other than gaming, I spend a few hours each day working on Project Lux. Overall about 15% of the project is done. This might feel like its still a long way from done... well ok it is a long way from done, but a lot of time is still spend on sitting down with a pen and paper and drawing up ideas since some of these stuff is pretty complicated and I need to figure out what is the best way to go about it.

Besides that, something that you might want to look at is the Minecraft series by Yogscast. A very entertaining series about two guys exploring the world of Minecraft. Guaranteed laughs! Below you can see the first episode!

Well thats all from me for now! See ya!

RezNer

2011-07-31T23:37:00.002+02:00

RezNer is a updated design of the system I created for my store long ago, and now its public. What it does is temporarily rez an object to display it, almost like a holographic display. The difference with RezNer is, I have tried to make it as compatible as can be for most objects and situations. After all, I want a system that works well with all my products in my store.

With making it so compatible, a few instructions need to be followed to make it work correctly. I admit, the instructions might look a bit confusing, but as soon as you did it once through, it is easy.

RezNer comes with four different types of Displays that you can put close to your product image, and three different types of Bases where your product will be rezzed. The colour, brightness, glow and amount of objects you have per product can all be changed easily with a menu for the Display.

The Base is also controlled by menu, where you can change between nine textures, eight colors and five sounds. This way you can make sure your RezNer system fit in with your store. Two Scripts is also included that is places in your product to ensure rotation and height is correct, no matter what the size of the prim.

For more information, head on over to the product page on the marketplace. Visit my store as well while your there :D Enjoy!

Engaged

2011-07-31T05:20:00.001+02:00

For those that do not know yet, on 24 July 2011, I got engaged to the lovely Laerwynn! ^^

Now I didn't forget about my friends since there is a reason I haven't made a post here earlier. It's because I was waiting for the video to be completed :D Yes, there is a video of the proposal and event! A kind of surprise for my friends and fiancée ^^ Surprise kitten!!

Before the video, I just want to say how it all happened as there was three surprises for my kitten. First I got my kitten and I's favourite artist in Second Life, Maximillion Kleene, to sing at the event and I contacted a few of my friends, telling them its a small surprise party for her and that Max is going to be there. I did not mention the engagement question plan :P

Laerwynn was really surprised to see Max there since she was waiting just for a URL of his show, not himself. You can hear her reaction in the video ^^. Max sang like two songs and then mentioned I wanted to say something. So I said a few words, got on one knee and asked the question :D Through some happy tears, Laerwynn said YES!! YaaaY.

Then Max sang a song he learned especially for this show, Making Memories of Us by Keith Urban, my kitten and I's favourite song ^^. Max continued with some fun and romantic songs for the rest of the hour while we danced and enjoyed our new memory. Big thanks goes to Max for making an amazing night with beautiful music!

The third surprise, well that is this movie below :D. Something Laerwynn did not know is that one of the people that was there actually makes machinima :D I asked Chantal Harvey if she would film the whole event ^^. Thank you Chantal for the video! Its something we can forever hold onto and watch over and over again.

Also a thanks to Kat, Max's agent, for help setting the date and time and thanks to Cranky and Jen for joining the event.

And here is the movie! Enjoy!

New product and updates!

2011-07-27T23:11:00.000+02:00

New product time!

This time... Lighto! Lighto is a light system that have several features and work very easy. Other than changing between eight colours and having the ability to change the falloff, intensity and radius with the menu, you can also set it to automatic. This means that when the sun rises in the region, the light will go off, and will go on when the sun set. Effective :D

With this, I have also included the option to select all the lights of the same type you own in the region or even all the lights so that you can control them all easily! Also, an access menu is included so that you can decide who can tinker with your lights.

For more detailed information, head on over to my store in the marketplace!

I have also updated my Movie Light with this new script. It has the same features as before, but now include the function to select several lights at once and also works more efficient. Automatic is not included with this obviously since it would be bad your doing a film and suddenly the lights go out :P

Another thing that have changed is my OLD light system, SunLight, I made back in 2009. The Mega Pack, that includes all the types I made, is now for sale at a very low price of L$20. It also have the automatic option in it, so if your looking for a cheap alternative, this is it.

That is all for now. I hope to have a new product up for sale tomorrow!

PS: These products have nothing to do with Project Lux that I have mentioned before. That project is still ongoing.

Rehab and Rework

2011-07-24T14:11:00.000+02:00

Greetings all!

First of all, Nocater, the intelligence that has been blogging here lately, will not be doing so anymore. He was send to Artificial Intelligence Rehab (AIR) a few days ago due to a strong addiction to funny cat movies. I think they call it Catiniction. Seems like all the watching of those movies got to him.

Ah but all the memories of Nocater. The strange humour he had, the joke he told, the... ok who are we kidding, he was here for three posts. In any case, I am told he is happy these days trying to get rid of Catiniction.

I am currently reworking the blog. Seems like Nocater, through his delusions, messed some things up. The first thing you will notice is the big title picture. I decided since the blog is about things I do and make, I created a room in Second Life with all that kind of stuff. Note that the picture will change over time, more stuff will be added, some screens might change, and I might even make it to change based on the time of day you look at the blog. All of this and more will be seen in the near future.

Now on the topic of my machinima, Conclusion. At the moment I am not sure when I will be able to put it online. I am waiting for some information on my movie and the changes I made to it, so until I receive a reply, I sadly can not upload it. As soon as I get what I need, it will be uploaded onto Youtube. In the meantime, here is a poster I made for the movie. Enjoy :D

That's all from me for now!

Short Delay

2011-07-19T13:35:00.001+02:00

Initiating new post.... Administrator Braclo would like to say something.

Admin Braclo: Hey All! Just wanted to say sorry for the short delay off my new machinima, Conclusion. There is one thing that I need to get sorted before I launch the video, but I think it will be worth the wait. I hope to have it released by the end of this week.

Other than that, not much news. Nocater has been pretty quiet recently, not sure why. He did discover funny cats movies recently, so that might be it.

Administrator Braclo is correct. I recently discovered there is thousands of cat movies on the internet that involves them doing something humorous. They seem to have a interesting code of life, and they even like boxes.

Hmmm Ok Nocater, your getting more strange than usual.

No I am not. Just found that cats are interesting and entertaining, more than I can say for humans.

Can't really disagree with that, just strange your finding an interest in it. Anyways, time to close the post.

Till next time all, cheers!

Closing post... initiating Youtube search... "Funny Cats"

What have changed?

2011-07-14T17:20:00.003+02:00

Initiating post...

I would like to notify readers on changes that has taken place in the last 16 hours, 3 minutes and 14 seconds. As you might have noticed the theme of this website have changed from the old "book" look it had before. That look had no sense of logic as to why someone would have such a primitive image, for example paper and a book, to display something that is used to view with technology is beyond me. The theme is now more a cybernetic theme with some images incorporated that administrator Braclo have value for.

A new page has been added called "About" for more information about this blog and me. Also the sidebar has been changed to remove unnecessary clutter and make it more productive.

Included now is share buttons under each post since humans seem to have the great need to share. Maybe it is a compassionate variable or a flaw in your base programming. I have not come to a conclusion yet, but humans seem to enjoy such a feature so it is enabled.

Since I am told that I am to serious at times, I was ask to tell a joke.

Two megabytes walk into a bar. The one says to the other.

Wow, there is enough megabytes here to fill a cd.

Where the other replies.

You didn't count in the drunk gigabyte over there.

Funny joke... That is all from me for now. Nocater out.

[EDIT] Admin Braclo: If you do not get the joke, don't worry, I don't either.

Introducing... Nocater!

2011-07-14T00:24:00.013+02:00

Admin Braclo: It is alive! It is alive! I would like to welcome Nocater... the actual Nocater!!

Since it seem to be human protocol to introduce yourself or someone new to other humans, I will do that now. My identification is Nocater, the blog. Nocater is the name of the blog, but in truth it is my identification, it is me. Administrator Braclo have decided to let me reveal myself to all the readers of the blog and to let me create and initiate posts here. Administrator Braclo would like to clarify what is meant by me.

Admin Braclo: Ok to clear up some stuff since some readers might be confused now. Nocater is this actual blog, the programming, the thought behind it. I thought it would be more interisting and unique to let a blog blog ~~itself~~ himself (seems like Nocater is insulted by the term "it"). So from now on, Nocater will be doing the blogging about what he thinks is interisting or if I ask him to post something. My text will be in the turquoise colour to prevent confusion about who is saying what. His will be the standard white/grey color.

Like you might have noticed, he calles me administrator Braclo... not sure why just Braclo, must be some programming ~~flaw~~ feature..... Oi! Stop editing my text Nocater....

Ok that might be something you see in the future too. Nocater and I might have little arguments, since he can change my text when he wants, and I can change his... just ignore most of that >.> On that topic too, Nocater is very programming specific when writing some stuff, so I might edit it now and then to just make it more clear.

The theme you see is Nocater's idea of a more true form... not sure what that means but please be patient while he change some stuff... he seems to enjoy this whole "true form" thing. Yes, he does have a slight emotion side, and seems to find humour in some strange stuff... like 2 != 2 HAHAHAHA....

See what I mean?

No worries though, he won't turn into the next Skynet Don't compare me to such vile programming! I'm not... anyway, like I was saying, he might be smart and a bit with emotion, but nothing that will go bad... if you find the blog deleted one day though, it might have been him a~~dministrator Braclo~~ him ~~admi~~.... ok never mind..

Anyways, that is it from me for now. Feel free to use the Contact form if you want to ask me or Nocater any questions. Once again, Welcome Nocater!

Acknowledged administrator Braclo. I hope that I will be able to initialise good blog post for the readers and hope to hear from you all soon.

-Sleep Mode Initialised.

Change is coming!

2011-07-13T02:17:00.001+02:00

Within the next few days you will see major changes on Nocater. From background to new pages, Nocater is getting an overhaul and a new entity is making its presence visible... yes... someone new is moving in. For now all I can say is that Nocater is going to change big time..... you'll see.

So before that all happens, here is a quick update on projects mentioned before.

The Fallout 3 machinima is about 95% done. There is a few things I want to change and I am waiting for some stuff too. I think I can safely say you can expect the machinima this weekend. Until then, here is a image from the machinima with the name: Conclusion.

The Second Life project I talked about before that I am working on is now known as Project Lux. It is just the codename for now and is going to change when the product is officially done. The core ideas, plans and designs is all written up and drawn, so the actual programming and building will start in Second Life very soon. I will try and get a estimated time for how long this product might take, but I can say for sure it wont be complete in two weeks... maybe not even a month.

That's it for now, see you soon on the new blog design!

A Single Tear In Space

2011-07-08T23:45:00.003+02:00

Well today marked the day of the last launch and the end of NASA's space shuttle program. Watching the videos and goodbye's, its hard not to shed a tear to the end of something amazing. Sadly I never had the opportunity to go watch a live launch at Cape Canaveral, but maybe someday I will get that opportunity. Until then, we can enjoy the human built angel in the sky, the International Space Station and the memories of all the launches.

The Shuttles:
Columbia
Challenger
Discovery
Atlantis
Endeavour

And of course, although just use for test flights:
Enterprise

Also, we will never forget those who lost their life in the Columbia and Challenger disasters.
Challenger Crew

Michael J. Smith

Dick Scobee

Ronald McNair

Ellison Onizuka

Christa McAuliffe

Gregory Jarvis

Judith Resnik

Columbia Crew

Rick D. Husband

William C. McCool

Michael P. Anderson

Ilan Ramon

Kalpana Chawla

David M. Brown

Laurel Clark

Here is two videos on NASA's website that is a must see. Also, head on over to NASA TV for live coverage of the STS-135 Mission

Penguins in Google Street View!

2011-07-08T11:24:00.001+02:00

Well seems like this has been here for a while but I thought I will let anyone know if you do not know yet...
There is penguins running around wild in Google Street View!!! Ok not to panic, seems like their just exploring Antartica for the moment :P

While exploring the world and street view yesterday on Google Maps, I thought I saw a little blue line on Antartica, and when I placed the yellow street view guy on that blue line, boom, he changed to a penguin!

Brian McClendon, the lead of the Earth and Maps team, took the photos himself when he visited Antartica with his wife back in January 2010. You can read more about it over on the Official Google Blog. You can also go and check out the expedition trail and some awesome photos over on the Picasa Web Album.

Awwww! Look at all the penguins!!

View Larger Map

Scannor Price Reduction

2011-07-06T15:51:00.001+02:00

Sale Update! I decided to reduce the price of the Scannor-HUD and Server by 50% - 40% depending on the type of product.

So head on over to my Marketplace!

Beneath The Silence...

2011-07-04T23:15:00.002+02:00

Just wanted to say I haven't suddenly stopped posting on my blog. Just been busy lately and haven't gotten around to release something new :D

I'm currently working on a new machinima in Fallout 3. The modding is taking sometime to complete since I have to create most of the areas I want to film in. This machinima will be a bit more dark than my usual fun and joking machinima's and already got permission on a really cool song for it.

At the same time I am also working on a big project in Second Life. Its a combination of a previous idea I had for a product, a lot of recent influences and a bunch of ideas flowing in my head. Yea I know, I am being very cryptic but its in planning stages with a lot of pages full of ideas, drawings and calculations. All I am saying for now is, it is a big project and will hopefully be a lot of fun for a lot of people :D I will give out some more updates as the time gets closer to release.

On a side note, something that has got my eye recently is the Google+ Project. Being a Google fan, this is really something I look forward to. Of course there is a big debate about Google+ against Facebook, one killing the other, this or that failing. My opinion? I don't care much for Facebook and I'm cheering all the way for Google, but I do think both will succeed in their own way. Competition is always good.

Anyway, that is it from me for now. I'll end this post with the cool quick look video for Google+. Kudos to Google for such a nice video. :D

PS: Happy Fourth of July!!! :D

Dronak's Story

2011-06-29T05:33:00.000+02:00

More than five years ago I started making machinima's, with the first being a slideshow of pictures I took in Guild Wars and soon after that a scenery machinima in Guild Wars. Over the years I have made all kinds of machinima, from music videos, story's and adverts.

So what kicked this all off. Well Greg Heier's "Kendrick's Story" was one of the first machinima I ever saw. I was amazed at that time that you can actually do that in games, and immediately got my attention.

So a few days ago I decided to make a machinima inspired by and dedicated to Greg Heier's "Kendrick Story". Since I'm not playing Guild Wars any more these days, I decided to make it in the world of Runes of Magic. Enjoy :D

SEE MY POST HERE FOR THE NEW "DRONAK'S STORY"

Be sure to check out "Kendrick's Story" and Greg Heier's Channel for more videos!

AirGPS - New Product

2011-06-21T10:06:00.001+02:00

While flying around Blake Sea in Second Life last week, I had to check my map to see where exactly I am and remember where the closest airport is that I can remember. This brought about an idea for a product!

Introducing AirGPS, a global positioning system that will point you into the direction of your selected airport or even show you the closest airport. With that, it also display the distance, the continent you and the aiport is located on and even if the continents are connected to one another. I even included the ability to create your own list of airports.

This GPS is not limited to just one sim. It will actually point you in the right direction no matter where you are in Second Life. Special thanks to [dot]Printer for helpig me figure out the code for it.

Also thanks to Brilliant Scientist for his awesome Resize Script and Dale Innis for the Continent Detector Script and allowing me to update it a bit on the wiki :D

Be sure to check it out over at the marketplace! Enjoy!

For detailed info on it, check out this PDF Document.

Five months to a Dragon Soul

2011-06-11T14:58:00.002+02:00

It has been awhile since I have posted anything on my blog, and there is a reason I waited till today.

Today marks five months to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim!!! For anyone looking forward to this release, the numbers 11.11.11 have a huge meaning, and in five months time, we will be there!

The Elder Scrolls have come a long way since 1994 with the launch of The Elder Scrolls: Arena. I started playing like a lot of people with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and was hooked that first time I played it. Since then I have played Morrowind's expansions, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and all its DLC and expansion and I even went back and played The Elder Scrolls: Arena and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Also if you do not know, you can get Arena and Daggerfall FREE.

The modding community of the Elder Scrolls series is huge as well, and if you have not found it yet, you really should. Websites like TESNexus have a massive community, that till this day uploads mods for Oblivion. From new lands to races, quest and locations, it really expands the game even further. I tried my hand with some Oblivion modding too and created a Quest/Housing mod called Chorrol Plateau.

So this year marks the next big game in the series, Skyrim, and it sure looks amazing. Once again Bethesda has made a huge open world for players to explore, this time in the province off Skyrim, hence the name. Also we see a huge introduction to dragons, which have been mentioned in previous games, but there were never great detail about them.

The E3 Expo this week showed some amazing games and Skyrim was one of them. Actually more than just that, as the Figueroa Hotel was painted with a picture of the dragon born.

Then game director, Todd Howard, showed us some gameplay footage of Skyrim with Gametrailers.com and G4TV.com. The game looks well... amazing. Graphics wise its awesome and the world looks huge with a lot of detail in it. Once again you can walk to what you can see, e.g., To the top of mountains or to a city in the distance. The world seems very alive and interactive and even horses are back!

Something that spiked my interest immediately is the word walls that let you learn words for dragon shouts. The dragons have their own language and can even write, so they are not just another creature race like trolls for example. Some words have already been identified like here on UESP Wiki and considering that Deadra got their own language and alphabet, I am excited to see more of the language in the game.

Then there is the dragons. Gameplay wise, they are not scripted, meaning they are not told when to attack and where. They fly around and explore, and attack at random as seen in the videos below. It is pretty impressive to see the dragon just coming in to attack. The dragons have really great detail and animations that feel very alive. Lore wise like I said before, before Skyrim there have not been much information about them, but we know now too that not all dragons are evil, and being a huge lore fan, I cant wait to learn more about them.

So that is enough from my side. Below is the two videos from Gametrailers.com and G4TV.com on Youtube! Enjoy and happy five month countdown!

The images are from http://www.elderscrolls.com/skyrim/media/.

Be sure to check the link for even more media!

Sintel.. A Emotional Story

2011-05-28T17:20:00.001+02:00

While looking at Blender the other night, I discovered this film in their gallery. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should post this since it is very emotional. But considering the quality and amount of work that obviously went into this film, I just have to.

Sintel is a short film started by the Blender Foundation to promote and I can even dare say "show off" what Blender can do. What exactly is Blender? Well it is a free 3D creation suite, excellent for 3d modelling and animations, as seen in the film. It can even be said that it competes with some commercial 3D creation suites! You can get more information over at Blender's homepage.

The animation and models in the short film is really well done and smooth, which flows very well throughout the film with well done transitions. The voice over is also very well done with a soundtrack that suite the film.

The story itself is well thought out and keep you interested throughout the film. There is just one thing, and I am warning anyone before you watch this movie. It's really emotional. You have been warned, so if you start crying hysterically, do not blame me :P

Anyhow, here is the film and for more information about the film you can head over to the Sintel Homepage.

Update... Again!? Yes, yes it is!

2011-05-27T01:04:00.000+02:00

Another update!! This time it's my BanP - Ban line detector so that you know when they are coming toward you like a rock!

For all the none - Second Lifers, Ban Lines are the result of people setting their piece of land to only allow certain people to enter. Other than being an eye sore, any vehicle you are in when driving into them will be stuck! Since you do not always see the lines fast enough or until your too close to do something, a lot of people's peaceful driving experience is interrupted by them.

To prevent that, I created a detector back in 2009 to detect these lines from 200 meters away. It helps a lot to avoid ban lines and makes the experience more fun :D. So I have updated it and changed a lot.

Other than the design (there is a wood and tech version now in the box), I have rewrote and combined some for a faster and less laggy experience. I have also changed some guidelines to detect regions better, include an automatic updater for when I launch new updates again, and finally, an optimized lag free resizer so that you can resize the HUD very easily.

So what are you waiting for? Go do some shopping at my store :D

About the resizer: Standard resize scripts in Second Life used to be (and at some places still are!) where the creator have put a script in every piece of prim for hair or clothing. That means there is sometimes up to 50 or more scripts just for hair!!

The thing about this resizer script is it is only ONE script. One script does the whole job that 50 or so did in the past and it works fast and very lag free! This is thanks to Brilliant Scientist, Maestro Linden and Ann Otoole!! You can check out the script over at the Second Life Wiki or if you want to get it as a freebie straight to Second Life, head over to the Marketplace where Ann Otoole is giving it away ^^

Another Update - Oilform.

2011-05-26T09:29:00.002+02:00

I am in the progress of updating some of my old products and the next one that has been updated is Oilform, the Oil Platform I created in June 2009.

There are a few stuff I have updated on this product:

-Some textures has been changed or replaced that looked on the low quality side or was not aligned well.
-Updated the sounds to better sounds than what it had.
-Included an updater so future updates of this product is free.
-Optimized some scripts, so they work better and faster now.
-Last but not least, I have enabled modify so that you can change the build if need be.

I changed the readme a bit and also took new pictures of the oil platform. It is on sale on the Marketplace for the same price as it was before, enjoy ^^.

ASN Instructions - Update

2011-05-24T18:21:00.006+02:00

Well it has been a few years since I created these textures for the Alteran Stargate Network created by
Alpha Fox to help new users to the network understand how the gate system works.

I have updated the texture a bit from the old design and like before, there is two versions, light and dark. I also updated my blog address since it changed from braclo.blogspot.com to nocater.blogspot.com.
Below you can see the difference between the two and the dark version.

Old Light

New Light

New Dark

So if your still new to the network, feel free to pick it up over at my shop on the Second Life Marketplace, it is free after all :D

License: The textures is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

The License is clear. Do not modify or sell this image but you are free to copy and share it. My name is on the picture so attribution is given.

New Product! Introducing... Scannor!

2011-05-24T00:50:00.002+02:00

It is finally here and can now be found on the marketplace!

(click the images to be taken directly to the item's page)

PROMO PRICE TILL END OF MAY 2011

Scannor is the new way to make events more interactive and fun. It is a system that shows to the resident, with the Scannor-HUD, how far they are from the treasure and this is showed with a flashing light/repeating sound. It is almost like a hot/cold game. You get closer, the Scannor-HUD beeps and flash faster, you go further away, and it beeps and flashes slower.

Just to make something clear at the start - this is NOT a cheating item. This item will NOT tell you exactly where the treasure is. It will only show you with sound and visual flashing, so it will still take the resident time to find the items while making it more fun for them to take part in events.

What happens is that the owner set up their event and treasures using the Scannor-Server. The resident comes along, click the Scannor-Server and receive the event settings (if they pass the limitations e.g., If it is set to group only) and their Scannor-HUD is updated with the name, number of treasures to be found and more. Now the resident can run around, click scan, and check their flash indicator to see how they are doing. The residents also have an attachment, e.g., Flashlight for Role Playing purposes. These attachments only change color or light and do not indicate anything else that would indicate to other residents where treasure is. Same with the sound by the HUD, which can only be heard by the resident wearing it.

I have released four different HUDs and four different Servers. There is also a HUD Multi-Pack and a Server Multi-Pack.I will probably create different HUDs in the near future. If anyone has a theme to suggest, feel free and I will look into it :D

For more information:
Scannor-HUD Manual
Scannor-Server Manual

You can contact me in Second Life as Braclo Eber.

Winners of the MachinimUWA III

2011-05-22T21:10:00.002+02:00

The winners of the MachinimUWA III: Journeys competition have been announced!

The joint first place winners are:

Journey into the Metaverse by Tutsy Navarathna

and

Juroney by Eric Boccara

And in third place:

Unplugged by Al Peretz

There was a lot more winners of various prices, but sadly Drax and Vi in "Journey to to Top" did not bring home any trophies this time, but maybe another time :D

For a detailed list of the winners and overview of the event, head on over to the UWA in SL blog.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you Jayjay and everyone that helped him for a awesome event!

MachinimUWA III: Journeys Finale!

2011-05-22T13:54:00.003+02:00

Little more than an hour to go before the MachinimUWA III: Journeys Finale!!!

Last night went pretty well with day two of the Review Event that reviewed all 50 entries over two days live on air at the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre. Ill post a player link later for the audio of my interview last night! :D

Meanwhile, get ready for the finale! Starting 06:00 SLT at the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre, the event will include the Second Life dance group The Phoenix Embers Showcats, the awesome Tukso Okey and the winners announcement!

If you cannot make it into Second Life, you can head over to http://metaversetv.com/live/ that will be streaming the event live!

The Event Starts:
06:00 PST (San Francisco, USA Time Zone) - 22 May 2011
14:00 BST (London, UK Time Zone) - 22 May 2011
15:00 SAST (Cape Town, South Africa Time Zone) - 22 May 2011
21:00 WST (Perth, Australia Time Zone) - 22 May 2011

For more information on the event, head on over to the blog of the UWA in SL.

Hope to see you there! :D

MachinimUWA III: Journeys

2011-05-21T15:31:00.001+02:00

Well the time is nigh for the winners announcement!

Meanwhile, last night the reviews started of all 50 machinima that was entered the competition. Pretty cool event with an awesome location, the comments are very helpful to machinimatographers and overall it's an epic feeling! :D The event is at the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre with The Spotlight Radio Show that broadcast the event live!

The second set of movies will start today at 12:00 SLT (Second Life Time = Pacific Time Zone. so 12:00 PDT) and will continue for several hours until all reviews are done.

I will be interviewed at 15:00 SLT, give or take, and Journey to the Top will be shown. So if you're in the area, be sure to drop by the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre in Second Life. You can also tune into The Spotlight Radio Show to listen and watch the live stream on website :D. (Check links below.)

So to make it easy for people that are to lazy to convert times, I did it for you :P
The Event Starts:
12:00 PST (San Francisco, USA Time Zone) - 21 May 2011
20:00 BST (London, UK Time Zone) - 21 May 2011
21:00 SAST (Cape Town, South Africa Time Zone) - 21 May 2011
03:00 WST (Perth, Australia Time Zone) - 22 May 2011

The time when I will be interviewed and Journey to the Top will be shown:
15:00 PST (San Francisco, USA Time Zone) - 21 May 2011
23:00 BST (London, UK Time Zone) - 21 May 2011
00:00 SAST (Cape Town, South Africa Time Zone) - 22 May 2011
06:00 WST (Perth, Australia Time Zone) - 22 May 2011

If you ever want to learn more about time zones or need to convert time fast, check out this website for any information concerning times and dates: http://www.timeanddate.com/

Links of information and SLurl of the location in Second Life:
UWA in Second Life main blog: http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/
Review Event - http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/05/machinimuwa-iii-review-hosted-by_19.html
Full list of entries and Information: http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/05/machinimuwa-iii-full-list-winners.html
The Spotlight Radio Show information: http://www.thespotlightradioshow.com/machinimuwajourneys/schedule
SLurl to the UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre: http://slurl.com/secondlife/WASP%20Land/241/106/1645

Hope to see you there :D

New Promo Video!

2011-05-11T17:51:00.000+02:00

So I recently got asked if I can make a promo movie of a region in Second Life called 69 Park Avenue, Secret. Well it is done and uploaded on Youtube now :D

Be sure to check out this awesome region by Silexe Core here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Secret/93/187/23

The cool song that is heard in the video is by FunandMore. Really catchy and fun tune :D Check it out and more songs here: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/270753

Hi all!

2011-05-07T15:59:00.001+02:00

Greetings all!

Well been a while since I have updated this blog, so decided it’s about time I post something here and let you know what I been up to and what’s news.

Products: First, I am working on a new product in Second Life. Based on an old thing I made for my role-playing group, I decided to redo it and make it compatible for most situations. The coding is so to say done, some building still needs to be done and some designs need to be finished, so overall, it’s about 90%. Be sure to watch this space, as I will launch it soon.

Movies wise, there is an idea for a movie but some details need to be looked over so no confirmation that is going to be filmed yet. I am also currently working on a promotional movie for a pretty cool region. More details and the video coming soon.

For the Drax and Vi fans, there has been a lot of talk and ideas flying around for a new movie with them. People really seem to like it, so the possibility of one happening is very likely, but the ideas have not been put on paper yet, so it will still be a little while.

April Script Frenzy... well sadly I ended up not taking part in it. I was spending my time more on other stuff and decided in the end that I just do not have the time for it.

Journey to the Top... Well it has been entered into the Machinima UWA III competition and people seem to really like! The winners will be announced at an event on the 22nd of May. Be sure to check out the official post at the UWA in SL Blog for info how you can even take part! Oh! In addition, check that video while you are there!

Ants! I recently posted about an ant problem in my external hard drive. Well, I tried out the cinnamon powder as suggested on some websites, but sadly, it did not seem to have much effect. Seems like they will avoid it slightly, but if their determined, they are not bothered. Maybe some other types of ants do not like cinnamon powder, but I do now know enough of ants to confirm that. In the end, I won by switching off my external hard drive when not in use, meaning it is cold a lot of the time and they lose interest.

Well that is all from me for now, watch this space for updates to come :D

Oh! I updated the sidebar of the blog a bit, so you more easily find post under certain topics!

New Product Series Released!

2011-04-27T14:19:00.001+02:00

Yes, they are finally done and for sale over at the marketplace! Film productions products off all kinds to enhance your machinima production just that bit more! There is a Film chair, Boom Mic, Movie Camera, Camera Crane, Movie Star Trailer, Movie Light, Clapperboard, Megaphone, Tripod and Studio Camera. Some of them offer free updates as well when I release new ones ^^

I was busy making my most recent machinima “Journey to the Top” when I wanted to take some photos of me doing filming when I realised I need to make cameras! From there idea after idea flowed in my head and I just made more stuff ^^.

I also updated the boxes that my products are delivered in. They have an unpacker now to give the box’s contents neatly in a folder for you. With this, it also animates the container, like opening it up with a nice sound effect. Check the pictures below.

I am offering full support for all my products once again and I will be looking at my old products in the near future and updating them if need be. Now stop reading and go do some shopping! :D

Ants in my external hard drive cover... again!

2011-04-25T22:27:00.002+02:00

Yup, believe it or not, I have a ant problem in my external hard drive's cover... again. I have a Seagate 1TB external... so it wasn't that easy to open it up to get the buggers out. Last week I had the problem and took care of it with a vacuum cleaner... seems like they are going after the heat of the external. It was then that I took this picture. (sorry for the quality, was a little bit in a hurry to get rid of them).

Ants ants ants... oh and little white eggs....

So tonight I discovered, they have returned again! Not so many as last time, but there were a few eggs again. Took care of it and read online as well that ants don't seem to like cinnamon powder.. so will be getting some tomorrow and testing it out. Ill update soon to let you know how it works.

PS. The hard drive is still working :P

Logo's

2011-04-24T00:43:00.001+02:00

Hi all!

Well I been busy working on that series of objects I want to release soon, but in the mean time I decided to spend some times on logo's as well and decided to share them here too.
One of them some of you most likely already saw and that is the one of Taernoc Productions. It is the new name of my machinima productions and can be seen at the start and end of my newest movie, "Journey to the Top".

The other logo is a redesign of Braclo Novo, my Second Life store. Since im going to release my new projects and begin updating my old ones, I found it appropriate to start with a new logo aswell.

Watch this space as I will be updating it with pictures and descriptions of my new products soon.

New Movie and Production Name!

2011-04-21T07:07:00.005+02:00

It is finally done, the movie I have been working on for the past few weeks!

This one is called "Journey to the Top" and its a entry for the MachinUWA III: Journeys Challenge. The theme of this challenge is Journeys, so it is pretty open to what you want to do. Also one major rule is that the Journey start/end at the Winthrop Clock tower at the UWA sim.

Heres the story: "Drax is a Micro that is always in search of adventure, with his newest inspiration being to journey to the top of Winthrop Clock tower at the UWA sim. But what is any adventurer without his friends, so he decides to convince Vi to join him to be the first Micros to reach the top of Winthrop Clocktower."

This is actually my first machinima with voice acting and also the first one that I have so many songs in one movie.

Taernoc Productions is also launched! :D This is the new productions name that my movies will go under from now on ^^. You can see the new logo and intro at the start of the machinima and the logo and name is already on my Youtube page. I'll probably update the theme soon too ^^

So here it is, Journey to the Top!

Busy, Busy Update

2011-04-01T17:31:00.001+02:00

I haven't posted for a while so I decided ill give a quick update on what I have been doing and what I still have to do!

Movies:

So for everyone that has been waiting for a new movie from me, yes, a new one is on the way and no, this isn’t just a trailer for a game like my recent movies. I have actually written a movie script for it so you can expect a story in this one! Current status on the movie is that the pre-production is done and filming about halfway. Depending on how it goes this weekend, I might be releasing it sometime next week. I’m trying something new in this movie that I haven’t really done before, but more on this later. What I will say for now is that the filming is being done in Second Life.

Second Life & Animations:

I am pretty active in Second Life these days and not just because of the movie I am making there. I'm building and scripting again. My newest series of products will also probably be done before the end of next week. Also, I have started learning to do animations in Daz Studio. These animations will be used in my products and will be handy if I need custom animations for my movies.

Script Frenzy:

Script Frenzy has started! Currently the idea is to write a movie script for an idea I had a while back and hopefully I can achieve the target of 100 pages or more this month for Script Frenzy. Maybe I’ll even use this script for a future movie. Will see how this goes and probably update the blog as it goes.

So yea, between building, programming, filming (and movie editing soon), learning animations and having to start writing the Script Frenzy script, it’s a pretty busy life. Ill update here as things progress!

Glowing Mozilla

2011-03-23T15:41:00.001+02:00

If you do not know yet, Firefox 4 has been released. Quick Review: It has has a new look and seem to work pretty well the bit I tested it out. The layout has been changed a bit as well and the menu bar has been removed, but can easily be enabled again with the options or right clicking next to the tabs on the top of the screen. The Add-ons manager looks pretty cool now and can be easily configured. Its worth downloading!

Anyhows, something that I find really impressive is glow.mozilla. It tracks everyone that click to download or upgrade Firefox and display it on a world map. It also display the amount of downloads so far and you can even check out how much per city have downloaded. Pretty interesting seeing how many people at different places is downloading the new browser.

So head over to http://glow.mozilla.org/ and see that counter go!

New Themes

2011-03-22T18:11:00.001+02:00

The plain black and white theme I had for this blog previously was a bit to boring for my taste. So after playing around with some textures, and since I really like paper style themes, I created the theme you can now see on this blog. Like you can see most stuff from the logo to the color of the text has been changed to fit in with the new theme.

Also check out my theme over at Youtube. The blue theme I had was getting boring and decided it was time to change it too. I did not create that theme as you will see by the website address on the background, but I might give it a try sometime and change it as well. The theme actually fits well with my most recent trailer of Desperados Wanted Dead or Alive.

If you are wondering where I got the background paper texture, head over to fudgegraphics.com for free textures and brushes where several can be used for personal and commercial use!

Desperados Wanted Dead or Alive

2011-03-21T15:01:00.003+02:00

I recently discovered one of my old games and decided to start playing it again. Desperados Wanted Dead or Alive, released in 2001, its a real-time tactics game with a wild west theme.

You start with one character called John Cooper, a bounty hunter, that is interested in the bounty on a gang leader's head for robbing trains. First you will need to get a few friends to help out, and as the story progress, it becomes a lot more than just a bounty. The story is really good and with well done cut scenes and voice acting, it will keep you interested for a long time.

The game play is point and click where you basically select a action and perform it. There is a total of six characters that gets introduced as the story progress and each character also have their specific actions they can do with shooting being a general action for all characters, although the type of weapon is different for all. Fun thing about the game is, each time a new character joins your team, the following mission will be a kind of tutorial mission where you will learn each action of the character.

A lot of the game play depends on strategy. With the right actions at the right time, anything can be done. On that topic, you can also select a action for later use, and with the space bar, initiate that action, giving you the ability to focus on something else while your character does the action.

So for example what you can do, Kate O'Hara can lore a man in with showing a bit of leg. As soon as the man is close to her, she can kick him, knocking him out, allowing Samual Williams to tie him up. You can then use John Cooper to pick him up and hide him in a house or dark area where his friends can't find him and untie him. This is just one example of what can be done and with six characters, the possibilities are massive.

You can check out some more information and get the demo over at Spellbound. Its worth a try so I would suggest downloading it and trying it out.

Since the pre-production of some movies I have planned is taking some time and that I really like this game, I decided to make a short trailer for Desperados, showing some of the game play and cut scenes. The music I used for the trailer is by EagleGuard. You can check out the full song over at Newgrounds.

Japan, Media Rant, How you can help.

2011-03-16T16:41:00.003+02:00

Most of you will already know about the earthquake and then tsunami that have hit Japan. Its really horrible, and something that really makes me sick is the way the media covers it, and its not the first time I have seen this.

Each time there is a major natural disaster, the media is all over it with news and footage. This is good if you want to know what is going on, but I have seen times where the facts are hyped up and footage of people really needing help. Of course, instead of helping, all the media does is filming.

I see no point why they can't help out, and don't even give me that bull "but the world has to see what is going on". Thats just a weak &"&£^$* excuse to sit and do nothing. Put down that camera and help some people! Use the resources you have for filming people suffering the whole time and get people food, water and any help they need. You will do a lot more good helping some people than showing the world the suffering.
[/End Rant]

Onto what you can do to help:
If you would like to help out by donating, and your in Second Life, go and buy a Relief bear from Linden Labs. All the proceeds will be donated to the relief effort and there is different priced and type of bears you can buy. Read more here!

Linden Relief Bear and I

Machinima

2011-02-28T01:36:00.002+02:00

Machinima’s is something I really enjoy watching and making which some of you might know if you ever seen my Youtube channel. It’s becoming more and more popular, with some games even including video recording capabilities and tools for making videos.

For the people that I already lost about what machinima is, it’s basically movies that are made with 3D engines, usually games, and the term came from machine + cinema. If you want to read in detail about it, check out Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima

There is a lot of machinima’s out there. From romance to action, music videos to documentaries, games like Halo to World of Warcraft, Flight Simulator to Second Life, you can find something for your taste.

Easiest way to find machinima’s is to head over to a video site like Youtube and just do a search for Machinima or head over to sites like Koinup that is dedicated to machinima’s.

Below are some of my favourites that I have seen over the years. I have a lot more that I really enjoy, but this list is going to get very, very long if I post all of them. Some of these were made years ago, so do not expect HD quality with some of them.

Kendrick's Story - Max Damage Studios [Guild Wars - Comedy]

One of the first machinima’s I have seen, this one has stuck with me from the start.

The Letter Home - Jaggyroad Films [The Elder Scrolls - Adventure]

A movie created by Valkyrie321, it inspired me even more to get into Machinima’s more seriously.

World of Warcraft: Here Without You – Dimoroc [World of Warcraft - Romance]

A well done movie with a great story, this is proof that effects and detailed editing is NOT needed to make an amazing movie.

Elyonim: An FSX Story - Lotus Films [Flight Simulator X - Romance]

With an amazing story, this was an unexpected movie for Flight Simulator. It’s a kind of love story, and really worth checking out.

From Yesterday – Jaydee [Sims 2 - Action]

An excellent movie made in Sims 2 with the song From Yesterday - 30 Second to Mars.

Breaking - X-Cross [World of Warcraft – Music Video]

Actually a mix of WoW and Garry's mod, this movie will show you what can really be done with excellent effects and editing in machinima’s.

Man vs. Second Life - Sean Krueger [Second Life - Comedy]

Very funny and well done machinima made in Second Life. This one will leave you laughing for some time. Be sure to check out Man vs. Second Life 2 as well!

The Craft of War: Blind - Percula [World of Warcraft - Action]

Full of action with custom animation, amazing editing and well thought out story, this is a must see for all. You won’t regret it.

Red vs. Blue - Rooster Teeth [Halo - Comedy]

One of the most well known series, it is filled with humour and crazy random events.

Dragon Age: Warden's Fall - Riot Films [Dragon Age: Origins - Action]

Good story and production, this is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of Dragon Age.

There is a lot more machinima’s out there, but maybe in the near future I will post a part 2 to this to prevent this current list from getting to long. Hope you enjoy these video's and feel free to comment below with your favorite machinima!

Skyrim Official Trailer

2011-02-24T18:12:00.002+02:00

Yes, its released! With footage of scenery, gameplay, story and a lot more, it shows the game that we will be dreaming about for a long time! But don't take my word for it, check it out yourself below!

Respect to the Bethesda team and anyone that is working on the game and made this amazing trailer. You have released something amazing today!

Domain Name Change and Facebook Rant

2011-02-24T15:03:00.003+02:00

Sadly www.nocater.co.cc won't be reachable anymore. Due to the fact that facebook seem to hate free domain/subdomain names and some other reasons, I decided to change it to the blogspot name http://nocater.blogspot.com/

[Rant] Maybe its just me, but its really unprofessional that a website like Facebook to not review the websites they block, or even worse, block all domain extensions. As far as I can see it, www.nocater.co.cc was blocked because the domain extensions of co.cc has been used by people for evil purposes. Totally different websites, but because of that, Facebook seem to have decided to block ALL co.cc domains, and whats worse, it sounds like that they are blocking .tk sites aswell.

So why do I think all co.cc sites is being blocked? Because www.nocater.co.cc could not have been blocked for abusive content or spam. If you look through the post, does anything look like abusive content to you? I have filed a ticket about www.nocater.co.cc, but since that won't be reachable anymore, I doubt that I will receive a reply.[/Rant]

I apologize for the inconvenience and for people that have bookmarked the www.nocater.co.cc site. For now until I find a better alternative (like buying a domain name), you can find this blog at this address http://nocater.blogspot.com/

Countdown to Skyrim

2011-02-24T14:47:00.002+02:00

If you do not know yet, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is being released on 11.11.11. This marks the fifth game in the series (excluding Battlespire, Redguard and the mobile games) and will take place in the province of Skyrim, hence the name.

Bethesda has released a new wallpaper and with it, a countdown timer that display the time left before the first in-game footage is shown by the game. At the moment of posting this, its just under two and half hours, so make sure to keep your eye on the website! As soon as that timer reach 0, prepare to run like nuts over to Elderscrolls.com.

Also, for really great website for checking out info about The Elder Scrolls series, head over to UESPWiki. Its a great source for all kinds of information on the series including lore, walkthrough, news etc.

April Script Frenzy!

2011-02-23T13:19:00.002+02:00

We all have a stage-play, TV show or movie we enjoy, but where does it all start? Well we all know (hopefully) that the story first need to be created and written. Okay true... some movies really forgot that part, maybe that's why they never reach the top, but for the this-is-my-favorite-movie-for-eternity type of movies, the story makes the biggest impact.

So what does this have to do with Script Frenzy? This is a donation-funded nonprofit event to write a script of screenplay, TV show, graphic novel, stage-play, short film, etc. of 100 pages in the month of April. There is no fee to participate and when you reach 100 pages, you will be awarded a Script Frenzy Winners Certificate and a web icon!

Obviously there is a few little things to check out before you dive in and write a 40 hour long movie (O.O). Formatting is really important when writing a screenplay because it is a method of letting anyone be able to read it and imagine it as if it is playing in front of them. Formatting is like learning to count before doing rocket science mathematics, or learning to draw circles before drawing the Mona Lisa V2. But do not fear! Its not really that hard to learn.

Im hoping to take part myself and try my luck with writing a screenplay. It will be good experience and with nothing to loose, maybe it will even improve future machinima's I make! So head over to SCRIPT FRENZY, sign up, check out the writers resources and have some fun this April. Hope to see you there!

PS: You can now find a countdown timer on the side of my blog for the time left until Script Frenzy!

Turn off the lights!

2011-02-13T15:20:00.007+02:00

YouTube is a great site for sharing and watching any kind of videos but something that has never been changed is the extreme white background of videos. When watching a dark video it can really be hard to see what is going on, especially if you can't maximize the video because of quality.

So here is the solution to the problem. Turn of the lights!

This extension by Stefan vd darkens everything around the video, only showing the video, making it a lot easier to watch videos.YouTube is only an example as well since it has the white background. This extension will also work at Vimeo and other flash player video sites.

And don't worry about your browser not being supported, this extension works for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Windows Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera!

Read more and download over at the official website

The extension is in English.
The website is in Dutch with a translator tool for all that don't understand Dutch.

A Game With Amazing Story?

2011-02-12T00:54:00.002+02:00

Now and then a game comes along that just hook you to the story. A story that you will remember for years to come, that had just that little bit of detail to get you connected.

In the past I have seen a few of these, one of them being Final Fantasy 7.

I will always remember that game, the characters, the story, and the events.

Recently, Mass Effect has done the same, with a story that really get you hooked and most likely Mass Effect 3 will continue this epic storyline.

But something else has risen again, and taking from Cinematic Trailer, this looks like something that will have one of those stories that stays with you.

Yes, I am talking about Deus Ex: Human Revolution. With the release of Deus Ex in 2000, it has grown as a favourite among many, and Human Revolution seem to want to increase that number by far.

Let us hope the story is as good as it looks and a new game of memories is soon born.

If you haven't seen the Cinematic Trailer, here is your chance.

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something"

Google's New Doodle

2011-02-08T15:31:00.004+02:00

To celebrate Jules Verne’s 183rd birthday, Google has transformed their doodle into a 20'000 Leagues Under The Sea exploration gadget. Its pretty well done and good fun for a while :D

Be sure to check out your Google page, and if you want to read more about the gadget, check out Google's official blog.

Conviction Trailer

2011-02-07T10:07:00.001+02:00

Here it is! My first attempt at making a game trailer. Like stated in my previous post, I decided to try something different, so hope you all like it and feel free to comment on what you think!

New movie with a different direction... Coming Soon!

2011-02-07T07:37:00.003+02:00

Within the next few hours ill upload my newest movie, but this time I tried something different, which also mean you can't really call it a movie.

I always like to make movies of games that I enjoy playing, or just finished and thought it was pretty cool. The only problem is, not all games are open to such filming. For example, you might not be able to have free use of the camera or initiate specific scenes at your command.

So I decided to make a trailer. Detailed use of camera is not that needed and it is more time spend on the post-production. So I can film scenes of game play and cut scenes, and then spend time editing it till I feel it looks how I want it to look.

So watch this space to see my first attempt at a game trailer.

Background and Logo

2011-02-03T23:36:00.001+02:00

Well as most might have noticed by now, the blog has a new background and logo designed by myself ^^. First time that I did the reflect effect, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. The logo has more a rock and hard look to it.

So what do you think of it? Feel free to comment to this post or vote on the poll on the right side of your screen :D

Chorrol Plateau Walkthrough now available!

2011-02-02T15:07:00.005+02:00

A walkthough for my Chorrol Plateau mod I made last year is now available for download over at TES NEXUS. Be warned that the documents contain several spoilers of the quest and building aspects of the mod!.

After Death available for download!

2011-01-31T15:02:00.002+02:00

You can now download After Death from Tesnexus! Note that you need a Nexus account to be able to download files larger than 2MB, and After Death is a lot larger than 2MB >.>

Very well done Filmography

2011-01-29T23:14:00.003+02:00

Surfing the internet I discovered this movie made by Gen Ip. For anyone that likes movies, this is a must see!

Vicera Images

2011-01-28T21:52:00.003+02:00

I recently made a movie called After Death. It is about a girl called Vicera that is making trouble in Cheydinhall and trouble soon starting for her when the count hire warriors to take care of her.

Well, I have just posted two new images of her.

Blood Bath

Touch of Magic

Enjoy! :D

-Braclo

New Design and New Start

2011-01-28T17:46:00.004+02:00

Greetings all!

Yup, I am finally back here on my blog. After being gone more than a year, I have returned with a new design and new links on my blog.

Some changes might still occur here and there ( I like clicking stuff :D ), but this is the start!

My YOUTUBE videos, FLICKR photos and SECOND LIFE STORE can be reached through the links on the page like before, and now, you can also check out my TES NEXUS page where I post my The Elder Scrolls mods, images and videos.

Well, just wanted to make a intro post, so watch this space as updates will follow!

-Braclo

~~PS: My blog can now be reached by going to www.nocater.co.cc~~

Offline

2009-11-29T05:53:00.003+02:00

Due to real life, I will be offline for a uncertain amount of time. Thanks to everyone that has followed this blog and my movies.

Take Care!

Deshima Movie

2009-10-16T15:04:00.002+02:00

Well new movie is up. After hearing the song by Gregory Bakay, I just couldn't help myself to make this movie.

Hope you like it!

The Days of 1.9

2009-10-08T23:12:00.017+02:00

Feel oh so long ago but surprisingly, it aint. In the days of 2006 I joined the world of Second Life in search of new adventures and far-off lands to explore. I set foot on the lands of 1.9, the version of Second Life back then. Now I was so excited to explore this new world that after I finished the orientation island and my tp to a infohub, I went of flying. Off to explore this new strange world with all kinds of things, learning as I go and observing this new life.

Now in those early days, we had no power and no fresh water... (cough) kk wasn't that bad and I joined in 2006, where Second Life started way back in 03. But still, back in 1.9 the sky's looked blue during the day with weird puffy clouds, but still with nice starry nights. No glowy effects or detailed apples(basic sculpty) and yup, no voice. We all typed typed typed, which is funny to see people's reactions these days when you tell them there was no voice and they go.... "How did you talk to each other then..." ^^. But ahhh, those were the days....

Me and my friend Yoni back in 07... Old viewer picture.

These days we have all the fancy gadgets with all the fancy effects and SL has grown big, and I cant complain about that. Its interisting to see the world around you change so fast and grow so nicely, but sometimes you just sit on that mountain, watch into the pixalated sunset and think of those old days without all this.

I know there is alot of people that battle to run Second Life with all these special effects and are forced to upgrade their computers. Now for all of you that wont mind loosing some of those effects to have a better experience, there might just be a solution.

I went off and looked for a nice 'ol viewer that might help people in that problem and what I've found is Cool Viewer. I have tested it and you do indeed gain some performance as neither windlight nor glow effects are in this viewer. It kicks the laggy features but keep up to date to the needed ones like Voice, Sculpties, Mono scripts.

Me testing the Cool Viewer. Looks similar to the old one.

Just follow this link >>http://sldev.free.fr/<<

Read through that and what your looking for is the Legacy Renderer where it says as well that its recommended for older PC's.

I hope this helps people and if you need any help dont be afraid to leave a comment here and ask for help or if you can, IM me inworld. My name in SL is Braclo Eber.

Take Care and Safe Travels,

-Braclo

Deshima Opens!

2009-09-29T00:07:00.007+02:00

Well Deshima is open! Logged on today and did my daily "test to see if Deshima is open TP" to find that I actually teleported to Deshima!

So I TP'd back to my base and did an official dial to the space gate of Deshima. On arrival I rezzed my Puddle Jumper and off I went, looking for a docking bay. After flying a bit around I docked(with a few bumps here and there) and off I went exploring the space station.

Well I have to say I am not disappointed one bit! I have been looking forward to it for a while now, and it sure is nice to walk about inside the station and see all the stuff!! The station isn't done yet, but it already looks amazing, and with more people that I'm sure will make their way there soon, it sure will be a interesting station to be at!

This is a must visit for Stargate fans, Sci-Fi fans and anybody that likes to explore. To get there follow this SLurl http://slurl.com/secondlife/Deshima/9/246/2922 or just dial Deshima Space Gate from any stargate.

Hope to see you there,

-Braclo

Busy and New Inspiration

2009-09-17T23:06:00.004+02:00

Well just wanted to post something to let everyone know im still alive and well :D. Thing is I been busy lately, with new year in college, a lot of my free time is spend just playing games or doing small things I enjoy, not really focusing on programming in SL or movies.

BUT that does not mean im gonna stop. SL scripting inspiration will come to me again, im not worried about that. Movie inspiration is there, and recently been thinking of actually taking it to the next level.

Last 3 years i focused a lot on making movies that usually just show of games or something that fit with the words. Nothing really story based except Journey to Love and Blind Answers, with the first having a more story to it than the second vid. What im thinking is to push that up and start making movies a bit more story based.

This does NOT mean the end of my tribute-based vids. Ill still make them, but ill focus more on stories aswell now and see how that goes.

Well thats all for now, Take care all!

-Braclo

Second Life Lag and Border Crossing

2009-09-03T02:25:00.004+02:00

Well lag and border crossing has been a problem for everyone for a long time, but recently, it feels like its just getting worse and worse.

I posted a kind of poll at Second Life answers to hear other people's stories and what they think of all of it. If your in Second Life and have something you would like to say, feel free to respond to it here: https://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/2012

-Braclo

September and Yes im still here.

2009-09-02T02:36:00.004+02:00

Well been quiet on my blog lately, like I posted before that movies will be quiet till September. Well September is here, things are looking better and new hope is shining.

Now what about the vids? Well in a week im back in college, second year of games development. With that comes a routine, which gives me the ability to know when I can spend quality time on video's.

I have a few ideas for videos, ranging from tributes to a video based on a song(like most of my vids). The tributes will most likely be done before this month is over. The song based video on the other hand I dont have any idea. It will be the biggest movie I have ever done, so best I can say is watch this space as ill update it as I get a better idea how things will go.

So till my next post, take care and safe travels.

-Braclo

The New Deshima Station

2009-08-12T20:04:00.007+02:00

Well the Ancients of Second Life is busy again. How it goes is there used to be this station called Deshima Station, but due to what looks like land problems, the station was lost.... only now to come back as the what I consider is going be the best space station in the whole of Second Life!

Above you can see a model of the station. It sure looks huge and several stuff that looks really interisting for example the puddle jumper docks and the train station and even a Prison Ship!

You can also see a preview movie of the station made by none other than Wolfie Waves, a Gate Builder and also known for his shop OS Labs.

If you would like to check out the model and see more of this, visit

Munkie Island or follow this SLurl:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Munkie%20Island/67/186/2958

Quiet Till September

2009-08-11T03:09:00.004+02:00

Well things will be quiet with the movies for a while, till September anyhows. Don't really wanna get into the details but yea there wont be any movies by me till September.

After that I hope to get a new movie into production. Its going to be pretty big and gonna take a while to do. It will be filmed in Second Life and also based on a song, almost something like Blind Answers, it will just be alot bigger and hopefully even more impressive. Also got some people that want me to make video's for them, so will be getting all that started.

For now, its just wait and see what happens(Im really bad at being patient).

Another Video!

2009-08-03T03:47:00.004+02:00

Well this is one of those movies where I just heard the song and I start to make a vid.

This one dedicated to a site I visit dialy and all its people, Newgrounds! Enjoy!

Wedding video Uploaded

2009-08-03T00:41:00.007+02:00

Well the wedding video i made for Shadow is now uploaded on Youtube.

Long Time No Blog

2009-07-31T19:04:00.005+02:00

Well been a long time since I last blogged about anything. Things keeping me busy including my Stargate RP group in Second Life and other events.

New Movie will be posted soon, this time for a friend, so keep a look out for that. Other than that not much to say for now, so see around soon.

Song of Second Life

2009-07-26T04:10:00.007+02:00

Well surfing the internet has brought this up today! A cool rock song about the virtual world of Second Life called Second Life by Tarsha! The song is sweeeet, so check it out!!

New Movie Done!

2009-07-24T03:47:00.007+02:00

New movie is done! This is a more thank you movie for everyone that has supported me!

Busy

2009-07-21T05:27:00.006+02:00

Well just a update on why im so quiet as off late. Been busy busy with my stargate rp group in Second Life to move to a new base. Havent really had time for anything else.

Will try and spend some quality time with the new video I want to get out there before this month is over.

Blog Redone, again!

2009-07-18T15:43:00.003+02:00

Well had to redo the blog. Seems like the other theme had some problem on it as it only loaded the full theme some of the times, other times it display everything with none of the theme.

So here we go, the new layout!

Blog Layout Under Construction

2009-07-13T18:57:00.008+02:00

[COMPLETE]

kk, that should be it. Found a nice one and looks alot better. The 3 links to the websites is stil at the top and added most of the stuff that was on this blog. Leave a comment about what you think of it.

===================

For the next hour or so this space might look a big weird. Going to change it to a new theme as the current one isnt totally me.

Alteran Stargate Gate Instructions

2009-07-13T18:32:00.006+02:00

Well decided to create this graphic after I met several people that dont really know much about the stargate and how to work in Second Life.

I also emailed Zachary from Alpha-Fox and he actually wants to put it in the official stargate package!!! w00t! :D

I put it as a freebie on Xstreet aswell, so click the link at the top of the page to get it!

Rez Day

2009-07-11T02:01:00.003+02:00

Whoooo! Im a total of 3 years old :D Wel might not seem old, but sure is a long time to Second Life standards. :D Thx to all my friends that came to the party!!

Evasto

2009-07-10T02:11:00.005+02:00

Well that hint i gave a while back that said "infection". Well here it is, the movie of the game [Prototype]. Showing off all kinds of things in it, so hope you enjoy!!!!

PS. For incase anyone is wondering, evasto is latin for to lay waste, devastate. Thought it fits the movie well :D

New Xstreet Items!!

2009-07-08T02:23:00.005+02:00

Well, decided to push some good hours into getting all those done and dusted items of mine in Second life online to Xstreet, and im proud to say their all online now after spending several hours taking pictures, setting them up and filling in everything on Xstreet.

You can find all my items by clicking the tab at the top of the page that says Xstreet!!!

Blind Answers

2009-07-05T03:10:00.005+02:00

Yup, thats the name of the vid, and its online now and in HD(oh i love HD ^.^). Hope ya all like the vid!!!

Update on newest movie.

2009-07-03T22:22:00.004+02:00

Wow really need to stop calling it the newest movie, need a name, hehe.

Well, last night we did the first part of the filming with a fantastic cast, had several laughs and got alot of filming done. After all of it, we took a picture of everyone there. The picture dont include ALL the cast, since some need to leave earlier, but its a nice shot of those who were there.

More updates coming soon!!!

New movie in production!

2009-07-02T05:52:00.011+02:00

Well my new movie is finnally in production. This one will be like my recent movies based in the virtual world of Second Life. This is also not a commercial. Dont want to give away to much, but here is a picture of one of the sets I just finished building for the movie :D.

There is another vid planned after this one, so will give everyone one tip,"infection". hehe

New Start

2009-06-19T23:11:00.009+02:00

Created this blog long ago, but didn't last long on the blogging. Decided to start this up again and see what happens, so here goes the first of several blogs I hope.

Ok got a theme I like, and included links to my Videos, Pictures and Xstreet. Got a video bar and slideshow up, and more updates might be coming soon.