Profile for Nick Ringer
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Displayed name | Nick Ringer |
| Member number | 6754 |
| Title | Shock Trooper |
| Postcount | 284 |
| Homepage | |
| Registered | Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
Recent posts
Pages
| Author | Recent posts |
|---|---|
| A Fun Little Project of Mine in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Friday, February 22 2008 00:18
Profile
Idea: I want to make something else in Flash, using Geneforge graphics and in the same world as the other Geneforge stories. A lot more in-depth, though, than WtA. Not necessarily canon, and definitely not a part of the main storyline of Geneforge. In fact, I haven't considered a plot yet at all. I'm open to ideas. Furthermore, it deviates entirely from the play style of other Spiderweb games. It's an isometric action game. You'll play a Shaper, primarily, running around, shooting fire, and trying to keep from being eaten. - Progress:February 9: I picked apart some of the Shaper graphics I need to make a player character, and gave him the gift of walking around at the whim of the arrow keys. For now, I'm just trying to get a play engine down. [*]February 17: Retrieved graphics for spell casting. Playable version available soon. [*]February 25: v.0.1. Goodness gracious, great balls of fire. Gave player ability to shoot fireballs. Also randomized tile choice. Play it here.Minigame:Everyone remember Whack-the-Artila? I'll probably go to hell for posting it this many times, but there you have it. The current high scorer is Jeran Korak, with 177. - Disclaimer:[print=fine]Of course, there are the issues of using Spiderweb Software's original concept of Geneforge, and of using the official graphics without explicit permission from Spiderweb Software. Let it be made very clear, here, that I have no intent to profit from this project - if anything, I hope it brings the upcoming Geneforge finale more publicity! Still should Spiderweb tell me that I'm a grubby sprite thief, I'll accept that and cease the project altogether.[/print] - Oh, and...Please note that viewing SWF's in-browser, especially from imageshack where I post them, noticeably slows frame rate. Don't worry - they're just for previewing. Complete releases will be downloadable (and probably oversized) EXE's. [ Monday, February 25, 2008 15:36: Message edited by: Nick Ringer ] -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| G5 wishlist. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 21 2008 23:23
Profile
How about an annoying-ass fairy, like in Zelda? "Hey! Hey! Listen! Link! Look out! Hey! What's that? Tee-hee-hee!" I want grenades. Of course they'd have to be Shaped rather than manufactured - like portable versions of mines. You chuck it a short distance at a spot on the ground, and the next turn, it severely damages everything nearby. Simple/ignorant creations don't know to run away from it. I guess it would do physical/fire damage.  Is it me, or do I have a habit of going way too far to illustrate an idea? -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| To Jeff Vogel only. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 21 2008 22:08
Profile
Well, I thought that's what email is for. Markis, you're just begging others to reply. And yeah -- don't wait on the edge of your seat. Could be a while. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Getting political in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 14 2008 15:27
Profile
quote:Me. ... educating and informing the American voting body is ideal, but not practical. Otherwise I might be motivated to actually do something about it. Although passing mandatory voting legislation might not be a bad idea, I think it violates the general spirit of constitutional freedom. I remember once being posed this question rhetorically: "Is there such a thing as a worthless vote?" I fell for it at first, but I've recently decided that some peoples' opinions ARE more important than others'. That's why we have politicians, after all. Not that they're the most accurate selections, but society has deemed their opinions more valuable than the citizen's. Not only by office, but by education, does value of opinion differ. However, there is not and never will there be fair means for judgment thereof. Consider current voting requirements in the United States: to vote, you have to be eighteen years old and a permanent citizen (I believe you must have at least six months continuous residence). This is pretty close to "fair" as the world goes, you've got to hand it to them. You don't have to be white, male, or rich to submit your political opinion. On the other hand, do you become more qualified to make that decision on your eighteenth birthday? Should an international businessman from Singapore have no say? If you're convicted of a felony, does your opinion suddenly become meaningless? Fallacies abound, but of course they are to be expected. I mean, what alternative is there? For instance, suppose legislation were passed requiring a college diploma to vote. Just a bachelor's degree. To me, that sounds like a good idea - the ratio of completely moronic voters would probably drop. But does that include private schools? A two-year or a four-year program? What if a smart person can't afford college? What if a dumb person scrapes through Podunk Community College? Corruption of media aside, I think forced involvement / information would trouble the voter, but cause better consideration. And a more educated decision means a better one. Choosing the President is a damned important decision, too. After all, as long as the U.S. is able to send troops to other countries, or hold a trade embargo, the outcome of these elections have a significant impact on the entire world. So who's to decide? It would seem it's us. Justified or not, I am one of the people with the power to make that decision. The people posting here, I guess, are mostly Americans. Eligible voters. I don't encourage you to vote one way or another - sure, I have my opinion, and it is radical - but I beg you, please, carefully and rationally consider your vote, and make it. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Geology Lecture in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 14 2008 14:55
Profile
I like question two. To be fair, I very much doubt anyone is well-versed in even their local legislation. What I do know is, I can walk into Wal-Mart any day, and walk out with a gun. I don't like it. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| G5 wishlist. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 14 2008 14:51
Profile
quote:I like it. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Should there be a big battle at the end of geneforge 5? in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, February 14 2008 14:48
Profile
quote:Hypocrisy comes to mind. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Getting political in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Tuesday, February 12 2008 06:23
Profile
I'm registered with the Democratic Party, and I'm very, very liberal. I will always vote for the furthest to the left, as American policy has always been too far to the right for me. In this case it's Clinton. I don't think Obama would push hard enough in his term were he elected, and I plain hate the remaining Republican candidates (it's a shame about Guiliani, but no one would have voted for him anyway). I think American politics is eligible for the linear spectrum; it's just a big pendulum that swings left and right, every decade or so, and the times you have a chance to make a difference is when the political pendulum has swung past you. The more liberal the candidate, the further left Washington goes, and the better chance of passing liberal legislation. Hillary Clinton will pull the country left with more force than anyone else behind the podium, and -- this part is a big assumption, granted -- she's radical enough to actually CHANGE SOMETHING IN OFFICE. Finally, and sadly, the issues matter least of all. Most of eligible Americans don't vote. The vast majority of those who do are most influenced by their families and word of mouth - next, by who they like. And all anyone cares about this election seems to be BRO or HO. I'll bet 5% of voting Americans can't tell you dip about what any of the candidates have to say about Medicare, but they already know who they're voting for. People pick who they like to look at and gossip about. So few educated, carefully considered decisions are actually made behind the curtain that I'm just about to piss myself in fear. Everyone, write Congress about passing legislation that requires voters have more than a pulse. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Should there be a big battle at the end of geneforge 5? in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Friday, February 8 2008 23:19
Profile
Given the quality and depth of the existing Geneforge games, I don't think we have anything like that to worry about. But there should definitely be some flame-spewing going on. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| New GF4 Editor in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Wednesday, February 6 2008 13:20
Profile
It isn't dynamic; my game says you suck regardless of actual skill ... But you still suck. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Should there be a big battle at the end of geneforge 5? in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Monday, February 4 2008 16:41
Profile
It would be pretty disappointing if there weren't one. But yeah, I want it to be nothing short of epic. I'm talking multiple stages of the battle. Before and after you kick the main boss's ass (who will remain unnamed due to spoiler policy), there will be other battles, including but not limited to huge swarms of minions (the kind that foams at the mouth and speaks broken English), a puzzle type gauntlet, a bunch of locked doors or something, a trivia round, and an army of talking stick insects. Time it, rain arrows on it, flood it with sulfuric acid, and scare the ever-loving **** out of the player. I mean, with all these power gamers, there's really, really got to be a challenge involved. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| New GF4 Editor in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Monday, February 4 2008 16:11
Profile
You seem to be a good programmer - why don't you make your own game? I'm always trying to do that anyway. Remember Whack-the-Artila? I'm up for MSN contact anytime. -------------------- "Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Alwan and Greta in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, July 19 2007 06:27
Profile
Kill them. Better yet, if you took them with you, leveled them up a bit, then dismissed them and came back, couldn't you kill them for a bit of experience? And don't they respawn? Maybe you can harvest them for experience. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Final Fantasy in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Tuesday, July 17 2007 12:18
Profile
I always thought the series looked cool and finally a Gamecube Final Fantasy came out: Crystal Chronicles. I eagerly bought it and played through the first boss. IT SUCKS. I never finished it. The other ones still look appealing somehow. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Skill Canisters! in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Tuesday, July 17 2007 12:14
Profile
I always thought canisters should just give you skill points. That they should make you more powerful in general. But then again I never liked skill points in the first place. And eventually you wouldn't get as many skill points from canisters but you'd get more detrimental effects. But that's harder to implement. I've been a canister junkie for years. My palms are raw, my eyes are dull, and my skin radiates powerful miasma. Also, I have this unnerving tendency of slaughtering people. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Video Game Addiction in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Friday, July 13 2007 16:31
Profile
I love all those chains but I hate McDonald's and Wendy's. Fortunately, most places serve coke instead. Waffle House and Taco Bell are the only things I would bring here from the states. I miss greasy/fake breakfast/Mexican food. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Graphics in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, July 12 2007 12:39
Profile
I imagined it as Shaper Diwaniya, lost in the swamp. He turns crazed and feral and begins hunting and eating rogue Vlish.   It's the barfing stump!! I'm taking requests. These take 15 minutes to make, and they're fun. I encourage you all to make your own! -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Most Favorite Leader in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, July 12 2007 12:03
Profile
The Council rules! They scare me. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Video Game Addiction in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Thursday, July 12 2007 12:00
Profile
I weigh 125 lbs (I'm 5'8") and I've been drinking "the hard stuff" like this religiously my whole life. I'm in pretty damn good shape if you ask me. Diet tastes disgusting. Coke Zero isn't as bad, but I still really don't like it. All I like is Classic. Very, VERY specific. I can actually taste the difference of where it came from: canned, tapped, bottled, North America, Europe, China: they're all slightly different. I kind of like vanilla and cherry, but they're candyish and too sweet. Not that coke classic isn't one-eighth sugar. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Geneforge Timeline in Geneforge 4: Rebellion | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Wednesday, July 11 2007 15:46
Profile
WARNING. Major-ass spoilers. The whole Geneforge series is here. WARNING. I've thought a lot about exactly that! You could definitely go into lots of detail by researching the games, but it wouldn't REALLY be canon because one person (namely, Mr. Vogel) writes all the material and he may not have cared about specifics. There are enough minor continuity errors that it may not be worth going into a lot of detail. Still, it's interesting. Let's look at more specific events! Oh, and since you haven't played through all the games, beware of spoilers! The original Geneforge was built between 100 and 200 years before your arrival if I'm not mistaken. It can't be less than the oldest Servile's (Pinner's?) age, and that's about a century. Although the term "centuries ago" or "centuries old" is thrown around frequently, I think "centuries" may be defined as "more-than, one-century." So not necessarily 200 or more. Not my call. I guess Huestess would know. He's the only one who's been alive that whole time, apart from the Servant Minds, who were mostly ordered to forget stuff. Damn this vacuity! On Sucia Island, particularly, there are many events you can put in order, but not apply to specific years. It's been a long, long time since I went through Geneforge, so I'm probably not the right person to make that list. The other bits of Geneforge are closer together and some are even dated to the year. We can assume, by the way, that Shapers use their own calender, in which they have advanced to at least their fifth millennium (based on those notes shown for loading screens). Maybe their year zero is the year the Shaping arts began. The first game suggests that those, er, secret places are millennia old, right? Anyway, here's my list, annotated with years where they're relevant: People living on Sucia Island discover Shaping. {4-5 thousand years ago?}Some other people start a war with the early Shapers. {Who were they? Did they come from off the island? Why were they fighting?}Shaping becomes an implement of war. {Foreshadowing all the self-shaping to come.}The Shapers leave Sucia Island entirely. {They gave up the struggle, right?}The Shapers inhabit Terrestria and some other places. They somehow establish dominion over the other people living there. {I smell a prequel.}The Shapers eventually come back to Sucia Island {Several thousand years after their original abandonment?}Their research leads them to create the canisters and ultimately the Geneforge {How long exactly did that take?}The Shapers abandon the island, leaving a plethora of creations like the Serviles. {Can't be more than a decade after their arrival, based on the journal of that research leader one, what was her name?}The Serviles realize they must become self-sufficient, but split up into factions somewhere along the way.The Sholai arrive and stumble upon the Geneforge and the Takers. {Centuries after the Serviles were abandoned.}Trajkov realizes he needs a Shaper, so he attacks that other Shaper guy, the one who lives in the temple to the northeast. Damned if I can remember his nameThe Sholai split into two factions. Geneforge begins.You arrive. {A few weeks, maybe months after the last Shaper.}You do not help the Sholai. You don't use the Geneforge, and you destroy it. You return to the mainland, largely leaving the Serviles alone. Apparently the other Shaper guy remains in hiding, or you killed him. {Assumed from future games' stories.} Geneforge ends.Zakary and Barzahl come to the island seeking its mysteries. (Soon afterward, maybe a few years. It seems the Shapers didn't clean up before they got there.}They come back, smuggling serviles, equipment, and regrettably, Drayks. {Weren't there only, like, three to start with? Jeez!} They all go up to the Drypeak Mountains.Zakary (remaining relatively loyal) founds a small colony to cover for the ambitious Barzahl (not exceedingly loyal), who enters a violent megalomania and wants war with the Shapers.The Takers form their own colony deeper in the mountains, where they have forsaken humans altogether and they begin Shaping.The Drayks beget the Drakons. They build another Geneforge. Easss Shapes and hides Ghaldring. Geneforge 2 begins.You arrive. {About a decade since the last game. For some reason I keep thinking it was 50 years, but I don't think the Serviles aged much.}You and/or the Shapers from back home come and wipe out Zakary and Barzahl. Geneforge 2 ends.The Awakened die out. Some of them probably join the Takers.I'm too tired to finish the list... I'm sure someone nice will look into all these things in the near future and correct me if I'm wrong. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Graphics in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Monday, July 9 2007 16:34
Profile
 Delicious Vlish. Not something I spent a lot of time on, but the GF4 thread deserved some effort on my part. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| The Forgotten zone in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Monday, July 9 2007 16:19
Profile
Not Ben and Jerry? By the way, this thread is really up there in the history of the forum for distant segways. quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: quote: quote:And fan fiction ensued. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| Video Game Addiction in General | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Monday, July 9 2007 16:01
Profile
quote:Funny you should use Coca-Cola as an example. Something I've known about for a long time is my addiction to that very beverage, Coca-Cola Classic. Pepsi works but I don't like it (I really can taste the difference!) and I get headaches if I don't get my fix. I drink a LOT of coke. Around 1.5L daily. Very unhealthy. Anyway, the headaches may be from caffeine withdrawal, but drinking coffee doesn't work. Earlier this week I went all day without coke and by nighttime my head was in dizzy pain, I was pacing without purpose. In fact I find myself unable to substitute it at all. My conclusion is that my need for coke is psychological. However, it harms me relatively little, so I keep quaffing it. Also, I know it's not about image because I never drink it much in front of people. Socially it's almost secret. I'm not sure if this makes a good case study. Pretty relevant to the video game thing, right? I think someone may have my same situation. Just read "drink coke" as "play video games." Incidentally, I'm about to finish the bottle next to me, which will make 1.5L today. Mmmm. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| The Forgotten zone in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Sunday, July 8 2007 16:27
Profile
I didn't want it to end that way! Poor Bacon. So I was thinking everyone should take one sprite map from the game and convert it to whatever silly, candy-cane infested version they like. Then, we compile them, replace our data folders, and try to play the new ridiculous Geneforge. -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
| The Forgotten zone in Geneforge Series | |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Saturday, July 7 2007 17:46
Profile
I'm glad you like it. You guessed the exact reason I can't put in a scoreboard (although if I could I probably wouldn't bother to). The snarling and hissing noises are actually recordings of me snarling and hissing (respectively). The zap noise and explosion, I nicked off some royalty-free SFX sites. And the explosion is how Shapers should die! -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |