tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3828360182868348562024-03-19T04:29:08.045-07:00The Realm of BlogEric Kinkead's blog.Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-24320581687010057322017-04-02T18:24:00.000-07:002017-04-02T20:16:56.311-07:00On secrets and scandals!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Typical Warning:***possible QuestLord 1 Spoilers, enjoy them! ***</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So back when the game came out, I think on a TouchArcade forum I was going on about the secret of the Rabbit. What happened to that?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't talk much about the rabbit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well basically I put it in and then had another update to do. When that update was done, I realized that I had left out the rabbit and had worked on an early pre-rabbit-developed code base. :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was really broken secret code, so i did have versions planned for that one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After you get the carrot from the Palace (a place that sadly no longer exists) you do like in most QuestLord secrets and you drop the item someplace in Kyre in front of trees and the trees in front of you animate so a bunny comes out. :D If you have the amulet of Tanjee you can talk to the animal and get healed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope I didn't make anyone feel baited, my reaction would be "pfft...gufaw... not at all!" In fact in the tileset on everyone's game there are still vestige remains of that bunny secret! Check them out:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bb-kPIjvhAxASZiXqEoYY_reAeTC0SZGjKQ1nbRmUsq1bLKwYcMw_YJsy7xafNQolnXL218Q7VeJ2tIm4eUeuietGRXtg2N6mst1XJeCPQA4YjZ49AYbMgXeaoObwaFNBa0Y-bty2AU/s1600/TheCarrotItem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bb-kPIjvhAxASZiXqEoYY_reAeTC0SZGjKQ1nbRmUsq1bLKwYcMw_YJsy7xafNQolnXL218Q7VeJ2tIm4eUeuietGRXtg2N6mst1XJeCPQA4YjZ49AYbMgXeaoObwaFNBa0Y-bty2AU/s320/TheCarrotItem.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The vestige carrot item still in the icons sheet </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgUH1_U4h51N7wjUHzMHdCtdelLEEGu6zsbCWhhVunszsfScyvkgPEhG7nDqpL71_aRoFwkWBqXe7rAmMssXryaaIyqDflQF9XH1ChZOyof9JTIMFHaLswA4mJ9XpM4lexJ5AGnDbfv4/s1600/ThePalaceWalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgUH1_U4h51N7wjUHzMHdCtdelLEEGu6zsbCWhhVunszsfScyvkgPEhG7nDqpL71_aRoFwkWBqXe7rAmMssXryaaIyqDflQF9XH1ChZOyof9JTIMFHaLswA4mJ9XpM4lexJ5AGnDbfv4/s400/ThePalaceWalls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really liked this background for the Palace. Alas, it only lives an unused resource. (Until a possible revamp update?!)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, to keep the legacy alive, I do plan to sometime rewrite QuestLord, in fact a few times over now that I have written it so many times. Unfortunately there will be major rewriting and I wouldn't plan to be able to have that started until Fall. But I'll talk about that possibility a long time from now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the meantime l</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">et us get to the secrets that do exist that you might want to check out.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To win the game there are 3-4 main basic steps. Outlined in these images</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.questlord.com/screenshots/spoilers/Step1_collectShards.jpg">Step 1, Collect the Shards</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.questlord.com/screenshots/spoilers/Step2_rebuildOrbGiveToThelia.jpg">Step 2, Rebuild the Orb</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.questlord.com/screenshots/spoilers/Step3_collectSkullsPlaceInTwoSpots.jpg">Step 3 Collect the Dark Skulls to unlock the door</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://questlord.wikia.com/wiki/Flanged_Mace#comm-2267" target="_blank">This one just makes the game easier and has a special guest character. ;)</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://questlord.wikia.com/wiki/Spoilers_and_cheats" target="_blank"> Here are some more goodies</a><br />
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<a href="http://questlord.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Metal_Armor" target="_blank">And of course this... </a><br />
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Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-566282627838464532016-12-16T10:13:00.000-08:002017-04-02T19:20:11.191-07:00That wonderfully hard to navigate wiki!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That wonderfully hard to navigate wiki!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So during QuestLord, I never found the time to make a proper walk through or Wiki page. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, most of the fun of creating QuestLord was interacting with people that had 'discovered' or 'figured out my puzzles' on their own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However the desire to share this knowledge was taken on by my fans who created a Wiki for QuestLord! Now I will be the first to admit that it is harder to navigate this wiki page to find out the information you are looking for than it is to just play QuestLord. But more than fan art was created from this site, including maps, progress and how to continue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again, I am super busy right now with code/art/sound/testing/feeding the cats/ making my wife lunches.... not much time to spend on this, but I will come back and revive this post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">QuestLord 2 promises to have a newer Wiki up much sooner after launch. <br /><br />Did I just mention QuestLord 2? Well, I should save that for another post. There will be a lot more posts, and soon I will come back and reflect on that along with the more important part... QuestLord 2. :D</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Until all then, enjoy the Wiki for QuestLord!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://questlord.wikia.com/wiki/The_Entire_Kingdom_Map_and_Hints#" target="_blank">That fan made Wiki on Wikia </a></span><br />
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Also important to note: If you have any questions you can contact me for customer support any time and for more info on QuestLord 2 follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/LavaLevel" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QuestLordApp/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-1695612414772249442016-12-16T10:01:00.001-08:002016-12-16T10:01:17.544-08:00QuestLords of fan art!<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got a lot of fan art from QuestLord. But I think the one person that really nailed it and was so fun to interact with was Minawa. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />A Ratkin Wizard by minawa:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE6IaUiEHzDCmPkH6Oc2ghvJEwaNpFq5T5MB3UlBJ8Qz5ILyxJCYXsR71ZDcjpSPns-4qIY7uzFSOkXSWnIGwnlMzZtezwwr5S0n15GBF2l0Rsngl19x5xfIwUVrEeLtK6YQZWgMX-mc/s1600/minawa_Ratkin.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE6IaUiEHzDCmPkH6Oc2ghvJEwaNpFq5T5MB3UlBJ8Qz5ILyxJCYXsR71ZDcjpSPns-4qIY7uzFSOkXSWnIGwnlMzZtezwwr5S0n15GBF2l0Rsngl19x5xfIwUVrEeLtK6YQZWgMX-mc/s320/minawa_Ratkin.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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A Yeti in a Dungeon:<br />
<img alt="No automatic alt text available." aria-busy="false" class="spotlight" src="https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1383332_534328089983771_2016170831_n.jpg?oh=7c5ce4b916fd72487b50a55e96148ae2&oe=58F65967" /><br />
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Amateria, Seller of Exalted Apples:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfB-7gi9x0ZpamJQEIaHVaMWfoPfgq7uLXU3bypqFSVeF1CTJRPtHPVKLqv4aJ3cQ80Oe5Rnwm97ccAKGIi39i8ygFMmSukjjjnN0s_cFB4PboygczaF6Sl5bmkgxzbYKiOXVhgiu5uw/s1600/minawa_Ameteria.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfB-7gi9x0ZpamJQEIaHVaMWfoPfgq7uLXU3bypqFSVeF1CTJRPtHPVKLqv4aJ3cQ80Oe5Rnwm97ccAKGIi39i8ygFMmSukjjjnN0s_cFB4PboygczaF6Sl5bmkgxzbYKiOXVhgiu5uw/s400/minawa_Ameteria.png" width="302" /></a><br />
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Bar Maiden Amy:<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(They started to improve on a massive scale)</span><br />
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<img alt="Image may contain: 1 person" aria-busy="false" class="spotlight" src="https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1508011_763655873717657_2227561876423174440_n.jpg?oh=7f3c4cb66e18f6517dcc1344f5665026&oe=58F15E6C" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">Feneri the Enlightened:</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: San Francisco, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;">(The delight in seeing these come to life was immense!)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "San Francisco", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6u3inA50o0ziUNEK2_3GZarWdZSAHYdS53W0x2G6LNwr0mCkTt02Psq81JsoMBMHlAt8GhGJt7Tz63a5Bt2D8eMGJ6AY27zT8GpNAatUVszDAuaMycbVoZHoH7aowuJotnba6xiALCA/s1600/Minawa_Feneri.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6u3inA50o0ziUNEK2_3GZarWdZSAHYdS53W0x2G6LNwr0mCkTt02Psq81JsoMBMHlAt8GhGJt7Tz63a5Bt2D8eMGJ6AY27zT8GpNAatUVszDAuaMycbVoZHoH7aowuJotnba6xiALCA/s400/Minawa_Feneri.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say I connected with Minawa to give thanks for such inspirational pieces. I enjoyed the art so much that we even worked on a compilation. I drew a picture of woods, then I handed it off to him. Then he drew in 2 characters in those woods! Then I drew a dwarf witnessing the entire thing! <br /><br />(note:currently busy, When time permits I will ad the compilation )</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://minawa108.blogspot.jp/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">For more on Minawa's art</a></span></h2>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-1969506662088637232013-02-26T12:09:00.001-08:002013-03-06T14:49:03.790-08:00Quest Complete<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvVQTIy3ZVUmOwEBHRbDSPGnD7lePFJebZ2pVfShacAgqyl5XWjeb914wsQ3PVd1beTm4K9F2whfFGpFA0rfdDRWU6mrZEm7_lyQ4X1YiS6IF8Vu9K7UaMj7AyJdLWYqg3Vv-O8nTu0g/s1600/QuestLordLogo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvVQTIy3ZVUmOwEBHRbDSPGnD7lePFJebZ2pVfShacAgqyl5XWjeb914wsQ3PVd1beTm4K9F2whfFGpFA0rfdDRWU6mrZEm7_lyQ4X1YiS6IF8Vu9K7UaMj7AyJdLWYqg3Vv-O8nTu0g/s1600/QuestLordLogo1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Earlier this month QuestLord was released to the Android Market on the 3rd, the Kindle Fire Market on the 6th and the iOS market on the 8th.<br />
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Today the most important ratings, the customer ratings, stand as follows:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKmVPydFXskNQZs0c44kwkCbBETJaQe9tjdhOc6p4yVavn3UVnWUuRoG5KBBOoAtVfz71UUASF_XrGuRJRxcv7s9dQBx2HEhF12HuLc8V_y01Zo6LYuEtACHA4mnXXQXuP-VXZY5xGdM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-26+at+12.39.48+PM+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKmVPydFXskNQZs0c44kwkCbBETJaQe9tjdhOc6p4yVavn3UVnWUuRoG5KBBOoAtVfz71UUASF_XrGuRJRxcv7s9dQBx2HEhF12HuLc8V_y01Zo6LYuEtACHA4mnXXQXuP-VXZY5xGdM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-26+at+12.39.48+PM+1.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iStore</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQQXh52DjWwkQcfPQj9YH_JNRqOBahonIirc71LpgBqgQBXd_NdjyOP-4DFzn3GpAF8MagixKKVsC1bIkDHSsDIG21x41EJS-Aa4IN7iQqvEYHrZTJQK0mqeltA2LTyyyrjQ-Lade9z4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-26+at+12.39.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQQXh52DjWwkQcfPQj9YH_JNRqOBahonIirc71LpgBqgQBXd_NdjyOP-4DFzn3GpAF8MagixKKVsC1bIkDHSsDIG21x41EJS-Aa4IN7iQqvEYHrZTJQK0mqeltA2LTyyyrjQ-Lade9z4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-26+at+12.39.33+PM.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GooglePlay Market</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Reviews</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.droid-life.com/tag/questlord/" target="_blank">Droid Life</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">fantastic example of how mobile games don’t need to be all about high frames per second and amazing graphics.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"> "</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://jayisgames.com/archives/2013/02/quest_lord.php" target="_blank">Jay is Games</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> <span style="background-color: white;">"<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.296875px;">QuestLord is great.</span>"</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.indieretronews.com/2013/02/questlord-dungeon-crawler-rpg-ios.html" target="_blank">Indie Retro News</a> -<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="line-height: 18px;">What makes this game even more unique, is that the replay-ability is higher than what we usually expect with some Dungeon Crawlers</span>"</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://gamingtrend.com/game_reviews/questlord-the-spirit-of-1980s-rpgs-comes-to-the-ios-review/#/vanilla/discussion/embed/?vanilla_discussion_id=0" target="_blank">Gaming Trend</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "<span style="line-height: 22px;">QuestLord – it’s charming, it was made with a certain presentation and gameplay style in mind, and it delivers.</span>"</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://phandroid.com/2013/02/13/hands-on-questlord-is-like-an-8-bit-skyrim-lite-for-your-smartphone-video/" target="_blank">Phandroid</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #343434; line-height: 18px;">QuestLord manages to provide players with enough depth to keep ‘em hooked, while simultaneously keeping it casual enough for newcomers of the genre</span>"</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Android/QuestLord/review.asp?c=48662" target="_blank">Pocket Gamer</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "<span style="background-color: white;">For the asking price it offers plenty of entertainment</span>"</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.hardcoredroid.com/quest-lord-review/" target="_blank">Hardcore Droid</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">It’s a rare mobile game that can handle so many modes of play, but Quest Lord does them all with and 8-bit charm and style.</span>"</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://toucharcade.com/2013/02/15/questlord-review-a-newbie-friendly-first-person-adventure/" target="_blank">Touch Arcade</a> - <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="line-height: 19.59375px;">Assuming you're looking to give dungeon crawlers a try, I'd definitely recommend </span><i style="line-height: 19.59375px;">QuestLord</i><span style="line-height: 19.59375px;"> as an introductory taste.</span>"</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2013/02/20/daily-iphone-app-questlord-is-a-retro-rpg-trip-back-in-time/" target="_blank">Tuaw</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="line-height: 19.59375px;">QuestLord</i><span style="line-height: 19.59375px;"> doesn't elicit that feeling of being immediately overwhelmed that I seem to encounter with other dungeon crawlers.</span></span>"</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.appys.com/" target="_blank">Appys</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22px;">This is one of the best retro RPGs yet - and one of the few that really sticks to its guns.</span>"</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.slidetoplay.com/review/questlord-review/" target="_blank">Slide To Play</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 21.375px;">Eric Kinkead has done a wonderful job of making a game that will appeal to hardened veterans and newbies alike.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://appleheadlines.com/2013/02/20/daily-iphone-app-questlord-is-a-retro-rpg-trip-back-in-time/" target="_blank">Apple Headlines</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Rather than come off as boring or simple, however, QuestLord feels familiar, like the scent of an old book. Yes, it’s nice to see innovation, and yes, it’s always fun to see developers try something new, but once in a while, it’s great to see someone just stick with the old, and do it really well. That’s what QuestLord is — if you like these old 2D RPGs, you’ll feel right at home here."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Notable mentions about release</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/02/11/app-store-update-february-11#.URlNh14BNbQ.twitter" target="_blank">IGN</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Gotta love the style of QuestLord</span>"</span><br />
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<a href="http://inspired.ultimacodex.com/questlord/" target="_blank">Ultima Codex</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "</span><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">If you played and loved series such as </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Might and Magic</em><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">, </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Akalabeth</em><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">, or </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wizardry</em><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">, you’ll feel right at home in </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">QuestLord</em><span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://toucharcade.com/2013/02/15/the-toucharcade-show-91-jacky-sack/" target="_blank">Touch Arcade Show</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "QuestLord, a Fantastic Game!"</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2013/feb/15/best-android-apps-material-ebookers-moo" target="_blank">The Gaurdian</a> -<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">QuestLord will provide a warm glow of nostalgia. But it's a good game in its own right</span>"</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://indiegames.com/2013/02/mobile_game_pick_questlord_eri.html" target="_blank">Indie Games</a> - <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">It is a wonderfully pixelated dungeon hacking RPG romp that sports quite a bit more than mere, well, dungeon hacking and even feels more satisfying"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcmYntuEwselLFjpPQpjGeP41Sd_wnuFi98Od94UoEUQep1YxtAbMUds_neS8N8lkYFm6Y0KnDnKolWknyo6BchjBFhILxD-_fvt6Ycn27e9cyA2Mo3D20f2OHY75PHWlskSb_yBCvts/s1600/PocketGamer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcmYntuEwselLFjpPQpjGeP41Sd_wnuFi98Od94UoEUQep1YxtAbMUds_neS8N8lkYFm6Y0KnDnKolWknyo6BchjBFhILxD-_fvt6Ycn27e9cyA2Mo3D20f2OHY75PHWlskSb_yBCvts/s1600/PocketGamer.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Won a Bronze Award from Pocket Gamer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxnuYCDyxwZ0xxdqjAx_t7SFrM4cE9ugTBvUXwmXIRnvwkly7t6rO18FWdCUUpWLiE0iaDsh3VibPRSQfjZZ97Rxw-zkqFrKVHbz63ymqs7bhnyKPvzqijoyFTfCztgpWoM6rDN_Wnbw/s1600/FeatureScreen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxnuYCDyxwZ0xxdqjAx_t7SFrM4cE9ugTBvUXwmXIRnvwkly7t6rO18FWdCUUpWLiE0iaDsh3VibPRSQfjZZ97Rxw-zkqFrKVHbz63ymqs7bhnyKPvzqijoyFTfCztgpWoM6rDN_Wnbw/s1600/FeatureScreen.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a sample of being Featured in the App Store</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-YHPJvorc0uxJ60GRZcYCMuUZbXpIJ8A3ISPLF5pW9koi-hOuxCu71388CaLnRrhFM4AhQioUXQ3-c1oqfr1q4LIdLzxmwS9Y5W0UloCih025uSPcfB58nnbmJmvcxDLv5bW8q4v5nk/s1600/TouchArcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-YHPJvorc0uxJ60GRZcYCMuUZbXpIJ8A3ISPLF5pW9koi-hOuxCu71388CaLnRrhFM4AhQioUXQ3-c1oqfr1q4LIdLzxmwS9Y5W0UloCih025uSPcfB58nnbmJmvcxDLv5bW8q4v5nk/s320/TouchArcade.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touch Arcade App / Top New Game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMePx-HqO_KuygNj4mk6a_PQ3kQeDphyxIQtakNr_uuIU4GmCi3y9ffcq1KvrPfkyTqFF54A6CN9z5l8WHE5oxdghm6zWy0MEPJhQk2qOCwNykVb_37OHV2bUIKTvII68lZwzbC_JB3d8/s1600/appadvice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMePx-HqO_KuygNj4mk6a_PQ3kQeDphyxIQtakNr_uuIU4GmCi3y9ffcq1KvrPfkyTqFF54A6CN9z5l8WHE5oxdghm6zWy0MEPJhQk2qOCwNykVb_37OHV2bUIKTvII68lZwzbC_JB3d8/s320/appadvice.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AppAdvice App</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9plpu9wDly9jfYgneqcBwBBl42kTbcATXk_BuY9ZpQfyH3aR8485JHQ6FBOVJWc6Ng_BPHWR4VDdusxmX_44IluLCQEoCXi-t_3yWe7I9Jj6ivJazrZry2vhb6TMb42McfP-ZtD3fK9Y/s1600/Android.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9plpu9wDly9jfYgneqcBwBBl42kTbcATXk_BuY9ZpQfyH3aR8485JHQ6FBOVJWc6Ng_BPHWR4VDdusxmX_44IluLCQEoCXi-t_3yWe7I9Jj6ivJazrZry2vhb6TMb42McfP-ZtD3fK9Y/s400/Android.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding strong on Android Market</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgcT9iIdKB_r2es4zIhLWxqvGU7Qu2JS7z1rI2s_q4mhny5vLcPYZCP5UMJKUSVc-mYGxIVPKvwrtDtLqaI-3zMO_KiXqU9mPJRf-KVO-9SyTSmVc8KOL_8iWwTGTUVvg5mTFL1ZYVd4/s1600/TouchArcade+Forums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgcT9iIdKB_r2es4zIhLWxqvGU7Qu2JS7z1rI2s_q4mhny5vLcPYZCP5UMJKUSVc-mYGxIVPKvwrtDtLqaI-3zMO_KiXqU9mPJRf-KVO-9SyTSmVc8KOL_8iWwTGTUVvg5mTFL1ZYVd4/s320/TouchArcade+Forums.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took an early lead in TA user forums</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkyXPqggy3lyvBZ8CqSdsdSfqCHW9lR0H1IjTZ8T_l6KssptK1Ol5zt2MSsJoYeRr5Qm1RmMPEqbUgNf-NFwa1aSfOmaG-qFh1QJEeTGCQU4kYc3D7AsOW451oDxqs_kh7gEYUMK4poU/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkyXPqggy3lyvBZ8CqSdsdSfqCHW9lR0H1IjTZ8T_l6KssptK1Ol5zt2MSsJoYeRr5Qm1RmMPEqbUgNf-NFwa1aSfOmaG-qFh1QJEeTGCQU4kYc3D7AsOW451oDxqs_kh7gEYUMK4poU/s1600/image.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touch Arcade Game of the Week</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
So, there it is. If you look back at the beginning of this blog you can see that I really had no idea what I wanted to do or make. But sometime early on I got it. It came to me. Probably playing a lot of Ultima 3, it dawned on me what I wanted to make. I wanted to make a mix between the dungeons in Ultima, with the textures of Eye of The Beholder/Lands of Lore, the outside vastness of Ultima IV with tons of characters to interact with and a quest system familiar to that of World of Warcraft.<br />
<br />
I couldn't be more happy with the results and I would like to thank everyone along the way who helped me, encouraged me, and play tested for me. When things calm down a bit I will do a proper thank you list for sure.<br />
<br />
It looks like I am now officially in business. :)<br />
<br />
<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-71788341095053085812012-12-25T00:11:00.000-08:002012-12-25T01:32:59.833-08:00HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!<br />
First let me start by wishing all of you the best holiday with your friends, family or by yourself.<br />
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<br />
<b>QuestLord news:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LVyaT_th6TQXQcvlWo6tuFgb0kycIRPu5D8q4IIzCr5aL6GCvHbNhJZ2jTuRk3MWfzv87_b48-3-ijEwwO2zOMKjX-VAMjQObPxKsJ6Tu8VFl86LtDpgNOzPR7PIx2dI0VnBP6KI3Z0/s1600/DwarfMiner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LVyaT_th6TQXQcvlWo6tuFgb0kycIRPu5D8q4IIzCr5aL6GCvHbNhJZ2jTuRk3MWfzv87_b48-3-ijEwwO2zOMKjX-VAMjQObPxKsJ6Tu8VFl86LtDpgNOzPR7PIx2dI0VnBP6KI3Z0/s1600/DwarfMiner.png" /></a></div>
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I missed Christmas release, and therefore I missed 2012 release. Too bad. But I don't care about the Christmas sales. If I cared anything about money I would be working in some studio making average run of the mil apps... <b>Or any other game industry job where I would be making 50,000x the money and doing 1/10th the amount of work! </b>(which on many late night weekends, believe me sounds really nice)<br />
<br />
And I definitely don't care about complaints that I am taking too long. Holy hangrenades, It's only been 5 months since I announced the game... Since when did the game industry turn into popcorn turn-around. Especially since it's going to be cheaper than a cup of coffee. Relax. Wait.<br />
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For all the game reviewers out there who might be disapointed that they ran with a story for a game that missed the date a few times... uh.. don't know what to say about that only either cut me some slack for the tremendous amount of work one person undertook or ... yeah, don't know where to go with that.<br />
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What I do know is the game is better for it. That is all I care about in the end.<br />
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Currently I am more than pleased to announce that the game is for the most part finished. All of the graphics, maps, playability, ending, intros, npc Types, all of it. DONE! And in typical CRPG fashion... It is MASSIVE!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iNIxqmIL3Kv6W-p6OKgbx-75DHWXYj62qKAIoqhSv2NBTdCotgC0tr3sDp43OxAqIZoSOURbqGiMrehc5OIR6n70ac6rIOB7qum5O6ooDkUlwAoOmRIC1lQJp2UyrTGdAPE6_MyW1us/s1600/TheShatteredRealm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1iNIxqmIL3Kv6W-p6OKgbx-75DHWXYj62qKAIoqhSv2NBTdCotgC0tr3sDp43OxAqIZoSOURbqGiMrehc5OIR6n70ac6rIOB7qum5O6ooDkUlwAoOmRIC1lQJp2UyrTGdAPE6_MyW1us/s640/TheShatteredRealm.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shattered Realm, Where QuestLord takes place. Each Square is a map! (with the exception of a few mountains and the tiny decorative isles.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am fortunate that I have such awesome and a patient group of play-testers. They have been with me for a long while (ever since I announced and some before!). So they should expect the arrival of the game in a few days. I am playing through it currently. Wondering if its good. But I am getting positive responses from the people I show it to so it's testing time. Check the inboxes in the next few days. <br />
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<br />
Now. Enough of this tonight. This is why I am really fortunate. And the reason why I even jumped on the computer to make another blog entry...<br />
<br />
I am REALLY fortunate to have the best partner, best friend, and
fiance, anyone could ever imagine. She has stuck by me 100% through this
crazy run of making my dream come true of developing a CRPG style
mobile game completely by myself. I never imagined I would be able to
meet someone in my life who would be so accepting and loving of what I
do no matter what.<br />
<br />
Tonight we celebrated our 2nd Christmas together and I must say she brought the magic. Just look at this fabulous bounty!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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WAHOOO!!!!
The glasses are fantastic! I love old retro pint glasses. I actually also
have an original Mrs.Pac Man glass from a long time ago. The LED
Keychain Ghost lights up soo bright, and make a lot of cool noise. . Definitely going to cause some shenanigans with that!
Robot Piggy Bank?!?! RAD! He now sits by my computer and I am already
starting to fill him up with loose change I find around the place! The
Giant Lego Head Container was a total surprise! I think I am going to
either fill it with art supplies or maybe start to collect legos! And
the Apple iTunes gift card was just the icing on the cake! (Do I really
need to go into the new underware? Essential!)<br />
<br />
I was
able to scrape together the last of my money to get her matching number
of gifts as well! I think the coffee machine and Budgie shirt were a
hit. But honestly, she is so wonderful, kind and giving that I probably
didn't need to give her ANYTHING and she would still be happy.<br />
<br />
That is how lucky I am. Amy Barron, I love you so much! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHSkLHJ6UYEySEuSSu2mVy1G4wOOFdG6a_tvI3yOFY4xIh47b5z7BFyt9eO5yQoww2NR_sTZ7dLxXxLr8JMVNpQ46tVRLSNxowGwULHY4jjrSsAUXOirzl6mHTHoxNHtQhOSStGCR4pQ/s1600/Christmas+Snacks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHSkLHJ6UYEySEuSSu2mVy1G4wOOFdG6a_tvI3yOFY4xIh47b5z7BFyt9eO5yQoww2NR_sTZ7dLxXxLr8JMVNpQ46tVRLSNxowGwULHY4jjrSsAUXOirzl6mHTHoxNHtQhOSStGCR4pQ/s400/Christmas+Snacks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little holiday party snacks! What would a holiday blog post be without food!?!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Have fun everyone!Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-45460182927758180012012-11-28T10:08:00.001-08:002012-11-28T10:18:21.006-08:00QuestLord Dev Update:Happy 1 year anniversary<br />
Once again I am addressing my blog with an apology for not blogging. :| I have a good excuse though, I have been working furiously to get QuestLord out the door. And things are looking very good, the game is right on the horizon. The light at the end of the tunnel has become so bright I have to wear sunglasses and I can now see the train station!<br />
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Until then... Have you heard about this game called QuestLord? You might if you are in the Houston area...<br />
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<a href="http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/20201805/2012/11/28/questlord-a-game-for-heroes-on-the-go">I was interviewed by My Fox Houston here in my headquarters!!</a></div>
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Front Page!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXieYEbVqvNAgkWHX-dVffHCoPAQVAb4RxhBZPwFGWHi5lICFZ8XuZKO82dbYRRIOeaFw98nzyyWbaUSClwEH5XiZ3DK-hkySDlIj5uoEYRSwsSFwtw6sHoIRhvS-mREMBFUa1MeshV9U/s1600/QuestLordNews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXieYEbVqvNAgkWHX-dVffHCoPAQVAb4RxhBZPwFGWHi5lICFZ8XuZKO82dbYRRIOeaFw98nzyyWbaUSClwEH5XiZ3DK-hkySDlIj5uoEYRSwsSFwtw6sHoIRhvS-mREMBFUa1MeshV9U/s320/QuestLordNews.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Yay"<br />
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Also note, when I say "we" as in "Right now we have about 120 maps" I am speaking of course of the entire QuestLord team. Amy, my lovely fiance who has put up with this entire ordeal of me making this game.(I couldn't have done it without her) And of course my cat of 16 years, Tiny Toons.<br />
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Seeing yourself in an interview is so much different than doing a self made video. If I sound unenthusiastic I have to chalk it up to nerves. Please understand that I am just as enthusiastic as I was when I started this game. :D<br />
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Over all this has been a fantastic journey and I wouldn't trade a bit of this experience for a cubicle job. However this is very much subject to change as I wrap this game up and look for my next development journey. But the ups and the downs. The highs and lows. It has all been worth it. I think my game is a good reflection of myself and my skills. I really hope everyone enjoys it. I believe for the price of $1.99 and the amount of game play you get out of it, that it will be worth it for the customer.<br />
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I would like to give a HUGE thank you to <a href="http://twitter.com/bill_at_zeboyd">Bill Stiernberg</a> of <a href="http://zeboyd.com/">ZEYBOD Games</a> for showing up in this interview as well! Really helps validate the style and retro factor of the game I am working on. He is a total pro and an all around awesome guy. Check out their game <a href="http://rainslick.com/" target="_blank">Penny Arcade Precipice of Darkness 3 </a><br />
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Ok, back to work. Very busy this week.<br />
<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-3275670790123881752012-09-02T12:12:00.001-07:002012-09-02T15:37:08.122-07:00QuestLadyIt has come to my attention that most of the viewers of my game are male. I completely expected this. From looking at the YouTube video it breaks down as such...<br />
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Top demographics</h4>
<dl style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 13px; padding: 0px;"><dd style="border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.800000190734863px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">Male, 35-44 years</dd><dd style="border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.800000190734863px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">Male, 25-34 years</dd><dd style="border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.800000190734863px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">Male, 45-54 years</dd><dd style="border: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.800000190734863px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;"><br /></dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">Now unlike many of my other games I created for the Nintendo market, QuestLord doesn't really allow the player to specify if they want to be male or female. In fact it completely skips that. However there is nothing to say that your character you create IS female or male. That is completely up to the player. The only thing you see of your player are your arms, and unless you expect a female character to have pink painted finger nails, it is purely up to the player's imagination. I rather like this idea as it allows for more of the blanks to be filled in by the player for what they want out of my fantasy game. </dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;"><br /></dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">As for the story, I have always admired fantasy genres that have strong female characters and even females that really do not progress the story in an adversarial way.</dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;"></dd><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnON2onSqCvpvZ4ugZttzj8ArqzwxyocrwDI7x71V7HPdOOaSyRr5WBxhXihnjt9V0cSpduxiEiu2p4HWpUZxj7DvYULIpkBX11ZOh1LIeyd82mP-c4LFR_ztgZQxlADBGF5_CPGZBtI/s1600/QuestLady7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnON2onSqCvpvZ4ugZttzj8ArqzwxyocrwDI7x71V7HPdOOaSyRr5WBxhXihnjt9V0cSpduxiEiu2p4HWpUZxj7DvYULIpkBX11ZOh1LIeyd82mP-c4LFR_ztgZQxlADBGF5_CPGZBtI/s200/QuestLady7.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWJptQp3v__CT7B0FLhyBGufDllJ0YZn5zlhYsh7HR2eJvap_2exvKzYbsTasUzKQO2qvgxOn1CzZVw-CqgfOXiOAsWCqL43bC2N0NikCSk3l8fYMkOaQzqFtsNZbY2XE2MsZdVrf3gw/s1600/QuestLady1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWJptQp3v__CT7B0FLhyBGufDllJ0YZn5zlhYsh7HR2eJvap_2exvKzYbsTasUzKQO2qvgxOn1CzZVw-CqgfOXiOAsWCqL43bC2N0NikCSk3l8fYMkOaQzqFtsNZbY2XE2MsZdVrf3gw/s200/QuestLady1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHyWO12ikSrkCYYLhwmkW4x5zlpkvGwoL0godQdwJA01ulQOUwLdardhjZm4hR0B55dj6-Nk6Hc3h3JDTKlg1sTOivuz50xWF1DjXcffOgEdqmDHKM3FoI2xyyjpMjkDv5s5hV-V-g_I/s1600/QuestLady3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHyWO12ikSrkCYYLhwmkW4x5zlpkvGwoL0godQdwJA01ulQOUwLdardhjZm4hR0B55dj6-Nk6Hc3h3JDTKlg1sTOivuz50xWF1DjXcffOgEdqmDHKM3FoI2xyyjpMjkDv5s5hV-V-g_I/s200/QuestLady3.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">I believe it creates a more balanced world and brings a higher level of interest to the story. Many females are present in the fantasy that I watch and read from various roles of good to evil, timid to ferocious. I believe that having a well balanced cross section just advances the story further.</dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;"><br /></dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;">QuestLord will definitely show this in the story and non player characters that you meet. The story advances through a series of Quests given to you by male and female alike. </dd><dd style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 1px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGOwY4f3uciFNH6yX62QOFQMLE-ZCupYbDEp8-dcbvjE7qEUqiAPSZ59BUnkpFzyEOwfyU1ScOij85CL-UAVA8IFiWKZCZsEK5fPRR4sdGdospf1L-Zi86rHiNMMXeBwCkSGrfyCyk74/s1600/QuestLady6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGOwY4f3uciFNH6yX62QOFQMLE-ZCupYbDEp8-dcbvjE7qEUqiAPSZ59BUnkpFzyEOwfyU1ScOij85CL-UAVA8IFiWKZCZsEK5fPRR4sdGdospf1L-Zi86rHiNMMXeBwCkSGrfyCyk74/s400/QuestLady6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small sampling of the female characters, from warrior, enchantress to barmaid.</td></tr>
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</dd>My current work is about escapism, not social statements. QuestLord is very loosely based on norse and nomadic mythos and modern day fantasy. Do I think having females in prominent rolls will broaden my demographic to include more female fans? I don't really think so, but if it helps female players enjoy my game more then I will be very happy. Was that the point? Not at all.</dl>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpC8Rr-WUnxOn8i0w03vTNe1cg5jH4xek0RNK4nN6_5FGagRFocvXYh8vam06zx4_yOgvUI1rh6iyyvAYStH6MSezk2pEULPSpYaXhHPESoamHXoduPeKcV7vifQfa-I5L4Oam9v6Uic/s1600/QuestLady8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpC8Rr-WUnxOn8i0w03vTNe1cg5jH4xek0RNK4nN6_5FGagRFocvXYh8vam06zx4_yOgvUI1rh6iyyvAYStH6MSezk2pEULPSpYaXhHPESoamHXoduPeKcV7vifQfa-I5L4Oam9v6Uic/s320/QuestLady8.png" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Life, Death and Resurrection, the role of females in QuestLord is inescapable.</td></tr>
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Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-77598493934103151812012-08-19T10:49:00.000-07:002013-05-08T16:23:03.333-07:00HammerStone<br />
So. Where were we? Oh of course! QUESTLORD!<br />
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Progress has been coming along at a nice steady clip! And here is one new way I show that progress. There is this thing called Screenshot Saturdays, not sure who runs it but, whomever does is doing the indie community a HUGE favor. <br />
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I made it in time last week. This week however it appears that I might have missed the deadline, I think the actual day for the Saturday might be on the Tower of London timetable. So here is the shot that was uploaded at 10:30 Central time and I guess missed the deadline.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8y0A-4cD-CFkR9u4UIw1j9U3E5d1wXzYyIcWhd67xTU7sShDN7GeTwVeId32BAw2agE-V_J1g99M_ozIrYjFSQEU1K6UDMt9OpGNLdgsSteYRL86nGH0g78Y5QvMU_iKrqVLC6GVsazs/s1600/HammerStone.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8y0A-4cD-CFkR9u4UIw1j9U3E5d1wXzYyIcWhd67xTU7sShDN7GeTwVeId32BAw2agE-V_J1g99M_ozIrYjFSQEU1K6UDMt9OpGNLdgsSteYRL86nGH0g78Y5QvMU_iKrqVLC6GVsazs/s1600/HammerStone.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we see the player swinging his/her sword at the Gates of HammerStone. Testing out the Japanese translation of 'You Missed!' (iPhone)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK7S75JMhWTI2UYU-Kvcl_4tGTmlc14GEBQYeoNyKmmbjwKpMERziWpZpSO3147CohkbkFmDyYkLURq12Q6GJu5N9wi_DAhbuSZHAwYt-CuOpHYBMJFiHQQHb-FaPgQ99gZBqfkf9sbg/s1600/LadyTelefin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXK7S75JMhWTI2UYU-Kvcl_4tGTmlc14GEBQYeoNyKmmbjwKpMERziWpZpSO3147CohkbkFmDyYkLURq12Q6GJu5N9wi_DAhbuSZHAwYt-CuOpHYBMJFiHQQHb-FaPgQ99gZBqfkf9sbg/s320/LadyTelefin.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This screenshot actually made it in the previous weekend of #screenshotsaturday, And you can see that Lady Telefin tells you something encouraging yet wise in French. (iPad)</td></tr>
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So the game is progressing right along and I hope to do my most thorough beta test yet at the end of this week. Not too much longer before I send a candidate to Apple for release. I want to thank everyone for the enthusiasm and support. It really means a lot. You can also go to <a href="http://www.questlord.com/bbs/">the Forum</a> on the game website and talk/chat about the game, ask questions etc. Currently I am having a really bad problem with spamBots posting long messages about prescription pills, but I trim it daily and I am looking for better measures to prevent such action. However it is way down the list of my huge tasks. If anyone knows PHPbb and would like to admin the thing for me, by all means get a hold of me and be my guest.<br />
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In other things, well there aren't other things. Everything at this point is QuestLord, QuestLord, QuestLord. Hmmm.. let me see if I can think of some stuff...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxnoBTx8T_kZj3Mp9ovXRDgyoYLArmWJh3m-AdDfmeF__wqfMPjuwG-ha2yTkpeRYs7-bpLEFbPJRbXgWK9VGnSxYslR4iTOlT9lAWJArIj6HXQA8pnekGhzJczwAFjWBTu3CeZ1n6WQ/s1600/TheSword_Band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxnoBTx8T_kZj3Mp9ovXRDgyoYLArmWJh3m-AdDfmeF__wqfMPjuwG-ha2yTkpeRYs7-bpLEFbPJRbXgWK9VGnSxYslR4iTOlT9lAWJArIj6HXQA8pnekGhzJczwAFjWBTu3CeZ1n6WQ/s200/TheSword_Band.jpg" width="200" /></a>Oh here is something. I listen to a lot of Dungeons & Dorks rock when I work, obviously. The more fantasy nerdball the better. But this is not to say I don't believe I have equisite taste in music! One of my favorite bands I have seen in about 7 cities ranging from San Antonio where they headlined to 5 to 6 people at the show, to New Orleans where they opened up for Metallica. They have toured all over the world and have grown quite a following since I got their first demo and shirt way back in 2005. The band is <a href="http://www.swordofdoom.com/">The Sword</a>. And they are almost done with their new album. Well according to JD Cronise, they are done. I guess just the mastering and album art production needs to go together to make it all complete, then the world gets another great album by a great band.<br />
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Also the previous post before this one really meant a lot to me. But I took it out, it was just too personal the loss of my friend who worked here in Houston at N.A.S.A.. I know things like that can break the mood, but then again... This is my personal blog, I don't follow a company stance here so you will see things like that from time to time as life takes us all on such a bumpy ride. It was hard to have such a great guy pass. It was oddly timed with the arrival of N.A.S.A. on mars.<br />
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I am honored and proud to have him along for the ride with me on this blog of mine in spirit. </div>
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"<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, serif, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life"</span><br />
-J.R.R. Tolkien<br />
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Oh! More on #screenshotsaturday can be found at <a href="http://screenshotsaturday.com/">the website</a>. Also this is super interesting... I stumbled upon what appears to be Notch's submission for a screenshotsaturday. It looks like an early version of Minecraft, meets a Dungeon Crawler. I know that Markus is a fan of Dungeon Master 2 from previous posts on another forum that had a thread about Legend of Grimrock. So I found this super interesting to see what appears to be an attempt to create an fps style hybrid of the old dungeon crawler systems. It appears to have many more world pieces than QuestLord. You can only take these first person 2D faux 3D engines so far before it is actually better just to build a full 3D or 3D Voxel system. In my case, I am sticking to the more traditional method (Eye of The Beholder, Ultima III-IV dungeons, Lands of Lore) for this particular game style I am currently making. There is also a good article on #screenshotsaturday and all things indie and cool at <a href="http://retroremakes.com/nostalgia/">owvideogames</a>, including a nice bit about my work! Apparently the ladies love me. ;) oh, <a href="http://screenshotsaturday.com/user/notch.html">Here is that link to that early Notch prototype...</a><br />
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So that's it for this blog update. Keep an eye out this weekend for #screenshotsaturday if I can remember to post it before tea time ends! </div>
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God Save that Queen, Bloody Hell, and Bugger All Money! (Whatever all that means!)</div>
<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-43957153191152688922012-07-16T09:46:00.000-07:002014-04-08T11:10:24.844-07:00Major Staff Changes affect QuestLord<br />
This weekend, with heavy heart, we bid farewell to<span style="color: #660000;"> <b>ASS SLAYER THE SPINE DESTROYER</b></span>. He has served me well with his own unique style. Although he was relentless and brutal and did things in his own way, he propped me up with an unforgiving amount of courage and economy.<br />
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I welcome with open arms and depleting bank accounts, <b><span style="color: #274e13;"> FEATHER THRONE SOFT SEAT!</span></b> Hailing from the kingdom of Staples, this level 10 'Spellcaster of Sitting' is bringing her own show-floor-model brand of economy (somewhat) and experience (definitely, thank you Staples beta sit testers). <br />
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In other news of the Realm, Last week was a Major Rager as far as success for the announcement of QuestLord. I never expected to strike such a nerve with major App sites such as:<br />
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TOUCH ARCADE: (they open with IT LOOKS COOL!)<br />
<a href="http://toucharcade.com/2012/07/09/old-school-inspired-dungeon-crawler-questlord-looks-cool/">http://toucharcade.com/2012/07/09/old-school-inspired-dungeon-crawler-questlord-looks-cool/</a><br />
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and<br />
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POCKET GAMER: (they open with my NAME!)<br />
<a href="http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Multiformat/Questlord/news.asp?c=42890">http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Multiformat/Questlord/news.asp?c=42890</a><br />
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Both articles seemed to really get the fact that I reserved a lot of the screen for buttons. Your fingers cover those areas up anyway and I never have understood why so many games try to claim underneath that area for in game real estate.<br />
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Also Amazing Alex is leaning up against my game article! That was REALLY cool! What a good time to get a write up as Rovio announced it's second major world wide release franchise!<br />
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And finally, I launched my first limited Phase 1 Beta last night. Things are on the move. I can't thank everyone enough for all the support and encouragement I have received! I hope to turn this into a great product for everyone.<br />
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-65049910814293136332012-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:002012-07-05T17:11:40.261-07:00QuestLord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And so it begins. My game is now in a state where I feel comfortable sharing it finally. It's been a long ride, and there is a lot more to travel. But I am more than pleased to announce the website, the screenshots, the video, the whole deal.<br />
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I recommend full screen and or viewing this on my games main page. But for the sake of just getting to it finally... Here is my game...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0fr7FN2P8c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I actually tested the waters with this video this weekend... It might be a little redundant, because if you are at this website then you know who I am. :) But still you can see that my game does actually run on a device and all of this craziness is coming to a conclusion. <br />
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please support, link, share and re-tweet. Thanks.</div>
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<a href="http://www.questlord.com/">www.questlord.com</a></div>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-70532740627648592452012-06-19T12:31:00.001-07:002013-05-08T16:01:54.076-07:00Quasi-Fame Status re-Unlocked! .0001%At Inversion Coffee today, one of the Baristas (who's band I have adoringly seen a few times) made a remark to me about programming... and then said, "That's what you do right?"<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">"Well yea, I do.", I replied.</span><br />
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"Yea, you make Apps right?"<br />
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:)<br />
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Apparently my facebooking/tweeting/blogging or other social media addictions have earned me .00001% of quasi-fame status here in Houston! Hey! I will take it! Of course I was talking to a guy whose band has been featured in Pitchfork.com, NPR and has recently done tours all over the United States! So it felt more like a scenario of a much more quasi-famous guy re-inducting <a href="http://bit.ly/L1Sn1n">what used to be a quasi-famous guy back</a> into the fold.<br />
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<a href="http://www.somethingfiercemusic.com/">Something Fierce</a><br />
Play this while you read! Get pumped!</div>
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Luckily it has been a very rainy morning so their power had been out. It was quite slow, I realized what is usually a very busy coffee shop became a good opportunity to show a quick demo of my game.<br />
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So out comes the iPhone with my game on it and a quick play through over the counter of a coffee shop to two onlooking baristas. Luckily I have tested the app so much, that I quickly created a new character, moved around a bit and got this comment I have actually heard very often.<br />
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"Whoa, it looks like Wolfenstein or something." he stated.<br />
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:) - Well...somewhat I thought. I mean it is pixelated, blocky and has perspective...I'll take it! "cool", I responded.<br />
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I quickly maneuvered my character into the Blacksmith Shop and interacted with one of my first NPC's. "And you can buy items, and communicate with characters...see I just bought this Battle Axe, and... let me ... equip it. [navigating to the inventory screen] I can also view this item, Root Beer! Gives you strength."<br />
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"Oh.. so yea, like Zelda or something..." he said, as he looked to further frame what he saw with what he understood from experience.<br />
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"EXACTLY!", I exclaimed with delight. He got it. He probably is too young to remember the glorious age of Computer Role Playing Games from the early 80's but he was able to marry two genres together and basically describe what I am going for.<br />
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"Wow, creating an App is like writting a story these days, huh?" he asked as I continued to tap the movement buttons on the app and move through the village to the first Non Player Character that gives a quest. All of this was done while I was holding the iPhone facing them and tapping upside down without missing a beat. Play testing a game level over and over does have its advantages when it comes to demoing.<br />
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"Exactly! For instance I am talking to this guy... I just got a quest, it unlocks this gate.", I told him as I maneuvered my character into position to exit the starting village and venture off into the Haunted Forest.<br />
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"That's really cool. oh look at that". By this time I had already returned eye contact with them to see their reactions, which seemed genuine. So I realized he was pointing out the undead Skeleton who was approaching this character on my phone.<br />
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I refocused my attention back to what I was demoing, "Oh yea, you can attack those guys by just swiping the screen." Then, with a swipe of the screen, the Battle Axe I had purchased at the Blacksmith in the village came raging out toward the undead Skeleton. -miss- At this point the sound in my game kicks in, so the dramatic affect was even greater. (NOTE TO SELF: STOP BLOGGING FINISH THE SOUND CODE) The skeleton swiped at me, hit with damage sounds. Battle Axe again, this time a hit!, Skeleton miss. Again Battle Axe, but this time for the finishing blow, knocking the skeleton into pieces.<br />
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"Oh, yea, and you can do stuff like spells." Quickly I jumped to the inventory, readied the Spellbook with the lightning spell. "See Lightinging spell" I noted as I pointed to the icon above the readied Spellbook. One tap of the screen... the first person view of my players hand raises up, then -Boom-, thunderous clap of lightning bolt strikes the empty ground in front of my character.<br />
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"Wow! All on your phone! Hey that's great man!" he said.<br />
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I put the phone back in my pocket, grabbed my wallet and delicious iced dark chocolate coffee... "Thanks, thanks a lot. Well, I'll see you guys later." I concluded.<br />
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"Allright. bye"<br />
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If my heavy metal t-shirt had buttons on it, they would have bursted on the way to my car.<br />
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I think I am ready now to start showing it off in video form with screenshots, a website and official announcements. That itself will take just a little more work. Oh and sounds, implement more sounds. :D<br />
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For now I will leave you with the Map Screen I have been polishing for the last week, which amazingly I forgot to show him during the demo. So I will show that for now, while I get the game and media wrapped up...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd unofficial official screen shot ! Map View with other options (Back to FPS view, Quests, SpellBook, and World Atlas)<br />
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needless to say, a little encouragement goes a really long way for me.</div>
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stoked!</div>
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Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-39837162704492898732012-06-04T11:47:00.002-07:002012-06-04T12:45:29.027-07:00Quest: Pacific Northwest Adventure - Complete!<br />
Take forever over here... I guess if I miss a month or two it's ok. I want to post some substance rather than act like some genius game designer who feels the need to give a self validating blah-blah all the time. But I am long over due for a check in so lets do this.<br />
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Ok... As far as developing a mobile/iOS game by myself, I knew it would not be easy... I am not talking about developing some arcade clone 'me too', 'lets try to get in on some App money', <i>hackity hack</i>... I am talking about developing a game that '<b><i>I would want to play</i></b>'. Let's be honest. Most people do not get to do that, especially people in the game business on a corporate level. I have seen a lot of people I know all the sudden become enthusiast of some kind of sport, or subject matter that, well... was of no interest to them before they got that 'licensed game' to work on or before they had to get stuck on sequel number 7. And I am guilty of that myself and will probably be at some point in the future.<br />
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Either way, when making a game that<i> you</i> honestly want to make you burn creative energy really fast as the desire has been pent up for so long to do just that. A break before the end to prevent burnout is sometimes necessary... and boy, oh boy, did I get one. My fiance's parents were so kind to include me on her visit to Sitka Alaska to visit them!<br />
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Leaving was tough as it felt like I was creating a huge hole in my game development. But that eased when I just accepted that the game in its current shape was in good standing. So to reward myself for such hard efforts I broke down and bought this awesome shirt that was waiting for me on my return!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YiBpREi4DIkOTnXNg5O9F1f0xKV1TijaK4Y1w_v_hz3coKjaOSxlixkQOcCkOU3SS3gkqnSD3Q7EUfKJqFkpeFGJ76jzSxOox9REPClSFyADmn23Cj8_NcoLPBxFcg1-gpgjcZrMj4Q/s1600/behold_Gandalf_TShirt_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YiBpREi4DIkOTnXNg5O9F1f0xKV1TijaK4Y1w_v_hz3coKjaOSxlixkQOcCkOU3SS3gkqnSD3Q7EUfKJqFkpeFGJ76jzSxOox9REPClSFyADmn23Cj8_NcoLPBxFcg1-gpgjcZrMj4Q/s400/behold_Gandalf_TShirt_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Getting away gave me time to think about what needed to be done. How I should release the game to the public. What the best chances of the most people seeing/playing my game? (this is most important to me as I would rather have a ton of people play it and make less money, than make average iOS returns and hardly anyone know about it or have the chance to at least load it). Plane rides have a way of forcing one to either take time to think, or sleep. Both of which I very much needed.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34NeA90vhckDYnjlKWN8QQXtfLGUMhFtuCZuanCxCqPyL6f_2WmePyEiKGJ6lWvVy0U13ojZCCeXn5AViVPCnuVtY-O3rfiSQ22PYa0Zg3wRj6pMJq4RWkDZkK0TfPPrptZylWjjw30g/s1600/behold_gameDesign_QuestLord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34NeA90vhckDYnjlKWN8QQXtfLGUMhFtuCZuanCxCqPyL6f_2WmePyEiKGJ6lWvVy0U13ojZCCeXn5AViVPCnuVtY-O3rfiSQ22PYa0Zg3wRj6pMJq4RWkDZkK0TfPPrptZylWjjw30g/s1600/behold_gameDesign_QuestLord.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawing designs for the game on the plane</td></tr>
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I will not be able to do the trip justice in this blog by trying to describe the thrill of visiting the places I have been. It was amazing seeing the Tlingit totem poles nestled in the moss covered north American Forests. and clear water creeks that had turned into gushing waterfalls and sprang from mountain glaciers.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivSJHK1UBoauLvno8JYVIs4GPMgYPJ7xucbvKuNtNnUAB4-yWzs17PISFXk9_jBprf5yS6a-_Y_gtWrOcVP_c5kBfTJpJCP_Kt4sAGGhFGzvvZsxxW2EwCdru6pVvGHdo7if40hEy750/s1600/behold_Totem3_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivSJHK1UBoauLvno8JYVIs4GPMgYPJ7xucbvKuNtNnUAB4-yWzs17PISFXk9_jBprf5yS6a-_Y_gtWrOcVP_c5kBfTJpJCP_Kt4sAGGhFGzvvZsxxW2EwCdru6pVvGHdo7if40hEy750/s320/behold_Totem3_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tlingit Totem</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QGb8jJ_NHcKcZr6tFJU6LRnzVNJc_QgXHZ35KNZrQ8Ium7dT8pJIDrxko4xYiwpKJZcmFJxzUfsM8Q9kt985MQ0qCh1jFaDlQGEzglffolbw7VDQMcxPDPPYylE-jEHGLblSnL8S1us/s1600/behold_Totem4_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QGb8jJ_NHcKcZr6tFJU6LRnzVNJc_QgXHZ35KNZrQ8Ium7dT8pJIDrxko4xYiwpKJZcmFJxzUfsM8Q9kt985MQ0qCh1jFaDlQGEzglffolbw7VDQMcxPDPPYylE-jEHGLblSnL8S1us/s320/behold_Totem4_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tlingit Totems</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31JopMDknOB8xtuooQhysEuQLN8jtQ7dA3pvg_OhSD9py_T5BB5ougQqhrJzNmhsdcDwp45HUnNJ38gtaL4PJcU0MsbTzKaD-t_NgIz16NhQ-s7J7c3aWV13KF8NGyVoVo11KQds7uOg/s1600/behold_Totem2_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31JopMDknOB8xtuooQhysEuQLN8jtQ7dA3pvg_OhSD9py_T5BB5ougQqhrJzNmhsdcDwp45HUnNJ38gtaL4PJcU0MsbTzKaD-t_NgIz16NhQ-s7J7c3aWV13KF8NGyVoVo11KQds7uOg/s320/behold_Totem2_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was in such awe at the craftsmanship and longevity.</td></tr>
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The wildlife was incredible. Ravens are definitely high up on my list now as favorite animals as we heard them every day. People in Texas like to think of themselves as 'good old country folk', but honestly most of them are only exposed to dogs and cats on a daily basis and they take no time to look at the birds that are displaced by over development. Going through the list I saw (besides dogs and cats), bald eagles (at least 50+), ravens, ducks, a bunny, chickens, roosters, jellyfish, a sea lion (!), mini squirrel thing, and of course the rockfish I let go that I like to call Merlin...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZdLBVDjnOv3clYUDOuMwBM_fEciEpb2OpFreTcbHL8ilerI_wMtwth2pTSPApF1eCwi_wrAk6Yp4XOPirULKprh_xmVfAQ06GOwWQB0Gj9AmN_vuRW5D5_wBr4jx-b8Sv9ABwOWQbKc/s1600/behold_Murloc_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZdLBVDjnOv3clYUDOuMwBM_fEciEpb2OpFreTcbHL8ilerI_wMtwth2pTSPApF1eCwi_wrAk6Yp4XOPirULKprh_xmVfAQ06GOwWQB0Gj9AmN_vuRW5D5_wBr4jx-b8Sv9ABwOWQbKc/s320/behold_Murloc_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlin the Murloc RockFish!</td></tr>
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But that doesn't include the other animals we saw at attractions. The Fortress of the Bear was a super impressive place that rehabilitated and retired certain brown and black bears that are in trouble and could not be re released to the wild for a variety of reasons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWFogRQM4oeuEabir2XKWytsr1rhE0VNtF4F9n0bNuH7Bgpdnns2439wns8tnWVIEScyV04xIbKe8MkYJUWsVLEtXBx4YXwtzWC5evi7F4cplBH5bu8LT7lCnDNz_1wKz2mD9qyqb3w/s1600/behold_Bear1_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXWFogRQM4oeuEabir2XKWytsr1rhE0VNtF4F9n0bNuH7Bgpdnns2439wns8tnWVIEScyV04xIbKe8MkYJUWsVLEtXBx4YXwtzWC5evi7F4cplBH5bu8LT7lCnDNz_1wKz2mD9qyqb3w/s400/behold_Bear1_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy just woke up from a nap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sTGC-oBSpFuZowvIiyFSKHbuHcdcNAov0_8McqaeLXRlR5B7gHEZHCeIiWwZzb7w_OFi6zZHak5EvAxvjUsuBS90je8Cc2qq2YcXBteMTL0neMTG6VnIQcGU7K-cMvxTu84mOahaAis/s1600/behold_Fortress_of_the_Bear_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sTGC-oBSpFuZowvIiyFSKHbuHcdcNAov0_8McqaeLXRlR5B7gHEZHCeIiWwZzb7w_OFi6zZHak5EvAxvjUsuBS90je8Cc2qq2YcXBteMTL0neMTG6VnIQcGU7K-cMvxTu84mOahaAis/s320/behold_Fortress_of_the_Bear_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impressive sign! Not to mention, nice backdrop!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6PrArng9rm7SIT3VT04AYkQPiHQNUyFGhy8sBD3RHyrJe2C5GL7vZEQugcKIRZDOJcBSiyiZS7U4bdMGIMIA-6GfQfjSGDjNNS6joRFWnUQp8XnkOGV4hJiv-jLa7jbHeseV_Lx9KvY/s1600/behold_Bear3_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Eric Kinkead at Fortress of the Bear" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6PrArng9rm7SIT3VT04AYkQPiHQNUyFGhy8sBD3RHyrJe2C5GL7vZEQugcKIRZDOJcBSiyiZS7U4bdMGIMIA-6GfQfjSGDjNNS6joRFWnUQp8XnkOGV4hJiv-jLa7jbHeseV_Lx9KvY/s320/behold_Bear3_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out those bears!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2Rt65oYtWIkmCgu_1hA_7ZXeinX62IoQCmxodwWHNlf-jUXOX3RZasgWcRYksNIcJihBxHajnOKkuvkfMLiGqZgGUHxdfNw9LjDigDzBaiaKEtsTJfi5WnghCFLI8vnBE2y1uUD9444/s1600/behold_Bear4_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2Rt65oYtWIkmCgu_1hA_7ZXeinX62IoQCmxodwWHNlf-jUXOX3RZasgWcRYksNIcJihBxHajnOKkuvkfMLiGqZgGUHxdfNw9LjDigDzBaiaKEtsTJfi5WnghCFLI8vnBE2y1uUD9444/s320/behold_Bear4_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy has bears in the background too!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then there was the Raptor Center... These birds impressed me so much. I still can not get over how awesome and huge they are. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7wyZbRYgRX__hQdvQTKXg9zHY4iWqumT87Yvqb0W2b4I7tBC5p02csp2XzyDZjpNJzQH35Id4YEsDiAOGuxiVzoRUzPsnZCS4nBpyUM5P5nfPCBlBc3IG-wibqCyVc3WESKMxMdxweA/s1600/behold_Wounded_Eagle_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7wyZbRYgRX__hQdvQTKXg9zHY4iWqumT87Yvqb0W2b4I7tBC5p02csp2XzyDZjpNJzQH35Id4YEsDiAOGuxiVzoRUzPsnZCS4nBpyUM5P5nfPCBlBc3IG-wibqCyVc3WESKMxMdxweA/s320/behold_Wounded_Eagle_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy is the oldest resident.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQpbmN55-Xg2EhJH4VVjPk39m-afvzlGSxkqp9rNMEhA3Df4ohpziuYRL5N-9VIE_L2SsHP5k-uqjXXyj7DAef2-_Y7ft4HOzEVjgmlWIEyAGYgklSPfD8upvngIBDyuRfZY9fWdwBEc/s1600/behold_Wise_Owl_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQpbmN55-Xg2EhJH4VVjPk39m-afvzlGSxkqp9rNMEhA3Df4ohpziuYRL5N-9VIE_L2SsHP5k-uqjXXyj7DAef2-_Y7ft4HOzEVjgmlWIEyAGYgklSPfD8upvngIBDyuRfZY9fWdwBEc/s320/behold_Wise_Owl_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wise snow owl checks us out! Who is watching Who? (pun intended)</td></tr>
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Many are to be kept for retirement, but unlike the bears, the birds of prey that seem to be independent enough will be released back into the wilderness. Most of the eagles I saw were actually in the wilderness and in the town of Sitka (high up in the trees, often swooping down in the docks). But I never got to see them up close until the Raptor Center.<br />
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The surrounding area on the island was more beautiful than I ever imagined before this trip began. It is so unspoiled by human development. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjp_LitodkHeGfOWQgvifTWfNg0t8TzGz7X7Es1F_ojE3j_mc_DJ5u9ILNJitbyJgqRSGM5_WKNCYLajoOQKYp7LVurqUL_TeYVQOmWeRmqOzuQd7Io-IgMhVbQMGdVBmil0IEz8N2iwM/s1600/behold_Cruise_Time_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjp_LitodkHeGfOWQgvifTWfNg0t8TzGz7X7Es1F_ojE3j_mc_DJ5u9ILNJitbyJgqRSGM5_WKNCYLajoOQKYp7LVurqUL_TeYVQOmWeRmqOzuQd7Io-IgMhVbQMGdVBmil0IEz8N2iwM/s320/behold_Cruise_Time_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruise Time. Embodiment of the wrong way to do things.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUWqhObjtCvR4afPdtFNYvrxFEK9kC79QB3FzUmUMUtU5i0aT5FYE1kTwGfYAJpcneewR5VnW6lQ83WfhBlcDdlfj5vVou9jUi5aZ_qDKjR3UxHEGhQk8dZE-is-tOSf2nY3U4kNcrYg/s1600/behold_Island_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUWqhObjtCvR4afPdtFNYvrxFEK9kC79QB3FzUmUMUtU5i0aT5FYE1kTwGfYAJpcneewR5VnW6lQ83WfhBlcDdlfj5vVou9jUi5aZ_qDKjR3UxHEGhQk8dZE-is-tOSf2nY3U4kNcrYg/s320/behold_Island_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our boat. Much more up close and personal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm80Ge_NDXA6gHQ3Qd6AxDCRa6sERGVDGH0Wxf6wn-WupHZSlrEYimeJhAA7zAML4e_y_hG3ewLPNfDK-fRsdJtfKAB9CsJIZlB_I4uLhZMecy-tLkA_d47VjzycwGnjUJSPz908MxGdY/s1600/behold_Waterfall_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm80Ge_NDXA6gHQ3Qd6AxDCRa6sERGVDGH0Wxf6wn-WupHZSlrEYimeJhAA7zAML4e_y_hG3ewLPNfDK-fRsdJtfKAB9CsJIZlB_I4uLhZMecy-tLkA_d47VjzycwGnjUJSPz908MxGdY/s320/behold_Waterfall_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Success. Insert Canadian rock band RUSH lyrics here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The human development that is in the town of Sitka, makes me feel right at home. :)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ER7PTyZallyJ72_Ujd9j_t6gPIRM5tF_8r-cUF7BCTB9wpLIMbopeR5C7tlRuVz4jiXOLCHe94P1FWLEKtJsv5ccf3RBlTpI-Qr79KWUpIen1x12Cy_WwFeTDprAeOtA-2RXv6iXd4U/s1600/behold_JohnKinkead_St_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ER7PTyZallyJ72_Ujd9j_t6gPIRM5tF_8r-cUF7BCTB9wpLIMbopeR5C7tlRuVz4jiXOLCHe94P1FWLEKtJsv5ccf3RBlTpI-Qr79KWUpIen1x12Cy_WwFeTDprAeOtA-2RXv6iXd4U/s320/behold_JohnKinkead_St_QuestLord_EricKinkead.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a street named after the First Governor, chased off by the Presbyterians.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the end we did a night in one of my favorite cities/areas, Seattle Washington. We decided before we left to pack some nice clothes and do it up right in Seattle by visiting the Space Needle on it's 50th year anniversary. It was finished in 1962 for the Century 21 themed Worlds Fair. I imagined what it must have been like for Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos to walk the fairgrounds as children (as is reported) and get inspired about their future. I love Seattle. I have applied at many locations there and in the surrounding areas and I am always up for any opportunity to work and live there. I have a lot of friends in that area, yet so far no luck finding any employment there. Hopefully something will open up, a company will realize value of my experience and I can get that chance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow! I have always wanted to see this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCXApgtOqHORgcxD8bmBsfkJVTCMMxo3QpwgFf6AlLM8phs75BUuRMc45TSsBx6OV3oR9p-Q5CNZL7VwafWElaA5JHY12UfJGe-ibz6UVp8-ANpuLds6vMd6kRecQNu5-WWCOjhqGQ1Q/s1600/behold_EricKinkead_Seattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCXApgtOqHORgcxD8bmBsfkJVTCMMxo3QpwgFf6AlLM8phs75BUuRMc45TSsBx6OV3oR9p-Q5CNZL7VwafWElaA5JHY12UfJGe-ibz6UVp8-ANpuLds6vMd6kRecQNu5-WWCOjhqGQ1Q/s320/behold_EricKinkead_Seattle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Space Needle with the love of my life, and the source of my inspiration.</td></tr>
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In the meantime... As I wrapped up this journey in the great Pacific Northwest, my thoughts return to a journey I started seven months back here in my home of Texas. This blog does not actually document a lot of the day to day ins and outs of that work, and is more of an overall view of myself as a game creator.<br />
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And as a game creator for over 24+ years I have really learned to enjoy the position I am at currently. It might not be as glamorous or financially comfortable as many of my friends that are currently heading off to e3 to show off their current work. But I just can't pass up this unique position to create a game completely by myself. While the pitfalls of working in a corporate setting are gone, other pitfalls exist. However I am up for the challenge. And I look very forward to presenting it to the public really soon. I have come to the realization that while most of the delay has been technical, some of the delay has been personal as I really don't want this part of the journey to come to an end.<br />
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"From the point of ignition</div>
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To the final drive</div>
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The point of a journey</div>
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Is not to arrive</div>
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Anything can happen..."</div>
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-<i>Neil Peart / Rush, Prime Mover</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com1600-618 Oja St, Tongass National Forest, Sitka, AK 99835, USA57.052681978717487 -135.3295898437556.506486478717484 -136.59301734375 57.59887747871749 -134.06616234375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-28345027311625444202012-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:002012-03-24T09:55:55.771-07:00Lava Level LIVES!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsXbodUieMHpKBDC3Rdh5O48Nbm19BA6S6_vyVJUJLHphyphenhyphenqTmyO0UhlfIf9qm40RA3wOUwmVW5kqtW_qBOYc3CEUca4sKtefE17kIBH0UVY4r1LTWrahq0GewumMepQqIFmDe9Z-8Lto/s1600/puuooVolcanoEruption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsXbodUieMHpKBDC3Rdh5O48Nbm19BA6S6_vyVJUJLHphyphenhyphenqTmyO0UhlfIf9qm40RA3wOUwmVW5kqtW_qBOYc3CEUca4sKtefE17kIBH0UVY4r1LTWrahq0GewumMepQqIFmDe9Z-8Lto/s400/puuooVolcanoEruption.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things are erupting at Lava Level</td></tr>
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Time to announce the official site!<br />
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<a href="http://www.lavalevel.com/">www.lavalevel.com ! Company Website!</a><br />
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clean, simple and to the point. As more content comes in (Apps actually ready for purchase) I plan to make the website more fancy. But not too fancy. I look at this as more of an online business card. <br />
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However I will link the facebook fanpage into it as well. Go LIKE it... <a href="http://tinyurl.com/88jnbod">That gem of a link is here... </a><br />
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Nothing fancy. No big roll out. I've already rolled myself out big enough (haha), and this is more or less a business card of that work. A lot of the promotional fluff I plan to build while I nervously await Apple approval for my app. That takes a week or two.<br />
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On a much more exciting note, last month I registered the name of my game as a .com and parked .net ! I am so stoked for that, and that page will host most of the information about my App I am creating. including Links to the various stores/markets for your mobile device, game blurb, video of game play, screen shots, news and of course a forum for players to interact with each other and myself about the game!<br />
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I plan on creating a community with this game. For the iPhone/iPad, I plan on always adding new content down the road for the players to adventure through. As soon as 'in app purchases' (IAP) are available for Android with my SDK then I plan on releasing for the droid. Not sure about the Nook and Kindle at the moment, until I get IAP for those, I think I will hold off on their release.<br />
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iPhone first.<br />
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ok, back to work... lots of content to send through the pipeline!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TZlPHaTWtGYuL3K3BHstZS8JsEjAGMUDwYJTYfiWOYi-Rb0y65up7WiLgH_fiTpg3yhoKVCwq584jEyX5Wi4qEcRSFzsmCszEZ3yn1u0DFBZ2aR41MscD3aMnkk7-HXNV13__iqiqDw/s1600/fordAssemblyLine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TZlPHaTWtGYuL3K3BHstZS8JsEjAGMUDwYJTYfiWOYi-Rb0y65up7WiLgH_fiTpg3yhoKVCwq584jEyX5Wi4qEcRSFzsmCszEZ3yn1u0DFBZ2aR41MscD3aMnkk7-HXNV13__iqiqDw/s320/fordAssemblyLine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to work on all these rad levels coming down the assembly line!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-63650433516750334942012-03-17T18:17:00.001-07:002012-03-20T08:23:55.626-07:00Led Zeppelin RPG building playlistHas it really been 2 1/2 months since my blog post? <br />
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It appears I have a syndrome of convincing myself that my game is always two weeks out. lol. SORRY! I kept thinking it was last week. Actually things are moving along swimmingly.<br />
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I am happy to report that I have been working diligently on my game...except for the last two weeks. I got in kind of a bind financially and had to join an art contract company called The Creative Group to make ends meet. Well, that actually hasn't produced much work, which was fine by me.<br />
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I was happy as a pickle to be working on my game full time and my game has actually benefited greatly from it!<br />
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So.... They call me up out of the blue and give me a job. And well, I had to take it. For a few weeks. It has actually been 2 weeks and 2 days. And it has thrown my work off track like CRAZY! The gig is contract, so it sucks that it is right in the middle of content creation, but the gig is almsost over (it will be done by next week then back to my game full time). Isn't all game making content creation?<br />
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well, not the way I am doing it. I programmed most of the game upfront, meaning when it came time to program it so more monsters and npcs could be used, I just tinted the monster to make another monster. This was so that I could keep laying groundwork with the programming and not stop and get distracted by going back and forth with art and code.<br />
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So now I am at a point of just content creation. The game is basically programmed just needs content (ie. art and level design)<br />
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But it is the weekend, and I am doing nothing but making art (content) for my game. I hope to release it in the beginning of April. That means I will submit it to (I almost typed Nintendo out of force of habbit) Apple.<br />
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ok. back to work...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.erickinkead.com/pics/blog/BathedInRPGgoodness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.erickinkead.com/pics/blog/BathedInRPGgoodness.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathed in RPG goodness</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.erickinkead.com/pics/blog/LedZepRPGmix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://www.erickinkead.com/pics/blog/LedZepRPGmix.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultimate RPG Developer Songlist</td></tr>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-17516236527837161262011-12-30T08:14:00.000-08:002011-12-30T08:41:16.081-08:00Put this in your Pack and smoke it...(Not Literally... <b>note</b>: smoking cloth armor is bad for your health I do not condone it, plus it makes your mom upset)<br />
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Dear Blog,<br />
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I haven't forgotten you. I have just been very busy. Why haven't I shared what I am working on? Because I think it will have a bigger impact when it is finished or close to finished. <br />
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As earlier you might have read that I have been in bliss lately working on a game. Complete and utter bliss. So I am going to share an image from that game. This was the first image I showed in my irc channel of developers I visit everyday. Firsts reactions were 'NES' ! (Nintendo Entertainment System). I think this has to do more with the Heart button, and the Heart Inventory slot more than the actual pixelated style, although those two together do smack of NES games. And of course I made a Link type outfit which probably really brings it home as 'NES'.<br />
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But once I post images of the game, that should be erased. While the game retains the same style, It is done differently than anything I have yet seen on an iPhone/iPad/Kindle/Droid device. My game will be cross compatible with all modern mobile devices. (except Windows Mobile, I am hoping Windows Mobile dies a slow and painful death and eats it. Awful management and I can't stand their goals that would cause further market split )<br />
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So why am I going old school pixel? 3 main reasons...<br />
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1. I love that style. (most important)<br />
2. I can make that style, and rather quickly (I am doing EVERYTHING on this game)<br />
3. It is reminiscent of the old school CRPG era that I am shooting for.<br />
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So without further ado... behold! INVENTORY SCREEN !!<br />
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More to come soon...</div>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-30453042447290816362011-12-10T09:24:00.001-08:002011-12-10T09:55:21.796-08:00New place to be!8bit Rocket is at it again! Yes, I have become a screaming ranting fan of all things 8bit Rocket, as noted from earlier posts. <br />
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<a href="http://www.8bitrocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/8bittitlegreen2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="http://www.8bitrocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/8bittitlegreen2.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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One thing that I never liked though was the forum on their website. And I love forums hosted by code book authors. (Rex Van Der Spuy .. what happened to you?!?!) The forum was tiny... smushed into the websites content frame, and FULL of bots promoting Jomla. I am a huge proponent of social community for developers to discuss and talk all things code. I believe firmly that if you can not share your knowledge to someone else, then you don't really know it in the first place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes, this is another reference to LOTR. See a trend in my interests?</td></tr>
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Well happy days are here, as their new forum is up and live! Cool colored, crisply laid out, easy to read and familiar, this forum will be a regular stop on my morning, evening and general breaks I take during the day, strolling through the wilderness of the internet. A picture of the Green Dragon in Hobbiton would have probably been more relevant. Register today and watch me post about embarrassing spelling syntax mistakes that I think are logic bugs! That alone is worth it in entertainment!<br />
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BE ABOUT IT!</div>
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<a href="http://www.8bitrocket.com/phpbb/">http://www.8bitrocket.com/phpbb/</a></div>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-55547756272200889652011-12-08T13:16:00.001-08:002012-06-04T11:55:15.828-07:00Are you a Game Developer or are you a Game Developer?<br />
Whenever I want to get inspired, I think back to the earliest days of Electronic Arts, making their games look like album covers and prominently showing pictures of the developers referred to as 'artists' like rock stars. Where have all my heroes gone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBuSlCbdBug0CgRtPk6GaDG0EZM3osMd5ZE4tYmmoh4pBuRz9gS08lPGy3vvK9BvMEGIkgwyRX6sPjcV5Jovl6xgThAwXq493JY3tVtSbm8tX5krliZmsr2Lxx4YIK578DAEo853zYY8/s1600/ea_crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicBuSlCbdBug0CgRtPk6GaDG0EZM3osMd5ZE4tYmmoh4pBuRz9gS08lPGy3vvK9BvMEGIkgwyRX6sPjcV5Jovl6xgThAwXq493JY3tVtSbm8tX5krliZmsr2Lxx4YIK578DAEo853zYY8/s320/ea_crew.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
Some have passed away. Some are still in the business at a variety of high profile positions that make me wonder if their earlier work was just more inspiring to me than it was to them. I think back of those days of one person making something great, maybe with a few other people. I think back to the days when my cousin and I formed ACES HIGH and made games for the Atari ST. We <a href="http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-nervana-quest_10069.html">released them</a> before even graduating high school. Everytime I think of those days something inside me has burned with desire.<br />
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Now my cousin has gone off into the corporate world of computer programming with no hint of returning since 1993. I have had my series of ups and downs in the computer game development world. From being employed at a variety of studios to owning my own successful Gameboy Advance development company, <a href="http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2002-07-19/97620/">Game Titan.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdNI2oHbaKNVplflkSoYS1fLLqF2ULqLrCmfrB9FSKnJbL0bxplZYrnsnokwGsQB5a3-Dzz7SzsWFCx7tUOeCMuieektdpfOxWh6rDRiQqMJvQNNMLnLJBSrqAGknC3jb3nHQHb0jyZU/s1600/300px-Mordor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdNI2oHbaKNVplflkSoYS1fLLqF2ULqLrCmfrB9FSKnJbL0bxplZYrnsnokwGsQB5a3-Dzz7SzsWFCx7tUOeCMuieektdpfOxWh6rDRiQqMJvQNNMLnLJBSrqAGknC3jb3nHQHb0jyZU/s1600/300px-Mordor.png" /></a></div>
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My friends in the industry seem to have success. I see trouble on the way for them as well. The industry as a whole is shifting in business models at a rate that the landscape keeps immeasurably changing. One thing is certain, the business model of the large corporate way of doing things with Designers, Art Directors, Lead Assistant Directors, Studio heads walking around blah, blahing about Gnat Charts and posting silly Scrum post-it notes all over the office seem to be becoming less and less. <br />
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For all of the developers I know in the industry, I really am starting to feel somewhat sorry for them. What the heck is a 'Facial Feature Animator' going to do? Why was that even a job?!<br />
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But forget about them, what about myself? Those people never really came to rally around my company when it was slow going. I have never needed a handout from any of my previous colleagues and the one time I did reach out to my old coworkers at Midway it proved disastrous.<br />
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I have always made it through the industry by creating new contacts based on my merits, not about what company I kept in the past.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiAKDjDJa9jne2S7RTmunSMFApnfmHC_w0tZuiqV1nQ74cV1Y922BKXsYCWx8xMSvoNAhouA0psyWh_e5xLymPBzP2SQhEiTzr9wzFrVMXL7y2T1iz6u6kYd86rE0Pofo3TL3YkhbL7M/s1600/Eric+Kinkead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYiAKDjDJa9jne2S7RTmunSMFApnfmHC_w0tZuiqV1nQ74cV1Y922BKXsYCWx8xMSvoNAhouA0psyWh_e5xLymPBzP2SQhEiTzr9wzFrVMXL7y2T1iz6u6kYd86rE0Pofo3TL3YkhbL7M/s320/Eric+Kinkead.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So where am I now?</td></tr>
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I don't think many people have or can understand the route that I am taking this time in my journey. Not even my friends who have struck outward to become 'independent studios' will be able to relate to what I am doing currently.<br />
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I feel more than ever that I am back where I started... Which for me has been the end goal ever since I got a corporate job making games. I have never wanted to be removed from the hands on tasks of game development! And that seems to be the only way up in corporate gaming. I have always wanted to craft games! It is what I was born to do.<br />
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Currently I find myself in somewhat familiar territory. The rejection letters from major development studios keep the unemployment checks flowing but not for much longer. However familiar that is, that is not the familiar territory I am talking about. The ability to craft a game, by myself and then to see an avenue to release it and perhaps even make money on it isn't even the familiar territory. <br />
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It is my formula for making fun, that is what I am talking about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ewXnsnhk6fFylvU8PwnxzIDg-YE9oLDBCkGo-bxsjRRpmvembHBcjRJTGeMrS95YEqLnIHwl6tjwm6S8l1fp1Bt2t9O_OB6wg8Df5MgTdPUEspsqQKaD09WPcI3xkASgfANwS3Fdug/s1600/NecroMancer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ewXnsnhk6fFylvU8PwnxzIDg-YE9oLDBCkGo-bxsjRRpmvembHBcjRJTGeMrS95YEqLnIHwl6tjwm6S8l1fp1Bt2t9O_OB6wg8Df5MgTdPUEspsqQKaD09WPcI3xkASgfANwS3Fdug/s200/NecroMancer.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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I am having a BLAST making my game! An absolute thrill ride as I complete section after section of code to make it work, see it working, porting it to one of many devices, seeing the look of surprise in my girlfriend's eyes while I then pace the room thinking up feature and idea for it over and over. I can actually visualize how to make it happen, not just pie in the sky "wouldn't it be cool if" talk... Bursting with excitement. As a child I dreamed of computers this powerful and languages this brilliant to do the things I am doing now. It feels like I am once again that teenager, creating magic from my fingertips in the world that I have always dreamed of would one day exist.</div>
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This is the love for the craft I live for. This is the journey I so happily adore to travel. The game is already a personal success of creative fulfillment for me. I will be sad to see it complete, yet so very proud.</div>
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If you feel like I am being one sighted and short changing you in my belief that you just can not relate, then please, by all means comment and tell me otherwise!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadHUUlCNfQMGXsVRMvVDxhCLPeLHAqVKFAPsbY3ZLc8EuHwDvR3661cFQjK2iFcgT1RRRvT70Oo1SC9ub7Sxgxo5sL2tcsc9W4pMnWvoRzAkJ24aYnlNgxTFJHGpGOpzYhyWFDTTsKJI/s1600/ea_logo_bk.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadHUUlCNfQMGXsVRMvVDxhCLPeLHAqVKFAPsbY3ZLc8EuHwDvR3661cFQjK2iFcgT1RRRvT70Oo1SC9ub7Sxgxo5sL2tcsc9W4pMnWvoRzAkJ24aYnlNgxTFJHGpGOpzYhyWFDTTsKJI/s320/ea_logo_bk.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old logo meant something totally different than the one today. Seeing it still inspires me.</td></tr>
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on that... </div>
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To those in the industry of making games I ask you this... Are you a game developer? or are you a game developer? What's the difference? </div>
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World English Dictionary</div>
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<tr class="tr1" valign="top"><td class="td1" colspan="2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">painter</span> </span></b><sup style="bottom: 1ex; font-size: 0.75em; height: 0px; line-height: 1; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">1</span> </span></b></sup><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">(ˈpeɪntə)</span> </span></td></tr>
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<tr class="tr3" valign="top"><td align="right" class="td3n1" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="1%"><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">1.</span></span></td><td class="td3n2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">who</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">paints</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">surfaces</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">trade</span></span></td></tr>
<tr class="tr3" valign="top"><td align="right" class="td3n1" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="1%"><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">2.</span></span></td><td class="td3n2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">an</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">artist</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">who</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="position: static;">paints</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; position: static;">pictures</span></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-77007562957507735712011-11-23T11:14:00.001-08:002011-11-23T12:22:44.569-08:00Best Book Dedication Award<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Native Interactivity and Animation for the Web</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HTML5 Canvas</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>by Steve Fulton & Jeff Fulton</b></span><br />
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Many of you probably know that I have been complaining and whining constantly about the new web standards pushed so hard by the w3.org. I am not a fan of 'applications' in websites that can be disrupted with right clicks and mouse highlights so easily like most of the work I have seen in HTML 5. Of course there is always evolution that eventually wins me over. Case example would be <a href="http://play.lostdecadegames.com/onslaught_arena/demo">Onslaught! Arena</a>, and I love the way they disable 'mouse highlight of elements'. What's that called? And the disable right click! How'd dey do dat? Better yet,<b> how did they even animate anything? </b>Well now I will finally get a chance to find out officially and learn from the ground up. <br />
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For a while I have been following two brothers work, after accidentally stumbling into their site looking for (googling) 'Atari 8bit graphics' for inspiration. What I found was a treasure trove of Flash insight which later lead to my discovery (and surprise) of their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/HTML5-Canvas-Steve-Fulton/dp/144939390X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322076735&sr=8-1">new HTML5 Canvas book</a>. While I have been lamenting the slow and agonizing fall of Flash, I have always kept my options open because I have been down this road so many times with so many Languages, APIs and SDKs since I started with Atari basic. Times change, and so does my programming book collection.<br />
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Well it is finally in my paws. Been waiting a few weeks to order then receive this #1 best seller written by the dynamic duo at <a href="http://www.8bitrocket.com/">http://www.8bitrocket.com/</a> . Eventually my personal Flash site will migrate over to this, but I imagine it will be a long way out. I still actively use Flash for my mobile device layout and animation (another blog post) but as far as diving in to program for it hardcore, I am on to other more relevant things such as the <a href="http://www.anscamobile.com/corona/">CoronaSDK</a> . But I will always need websites, I will always want my websites to showcase my animation and art skills. So this book was a natural progression and the dedication of this book was so fitting and prophetic...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3C78U5qfcpTDLp7cGS-_N6V9sTqGmguWDPIIq0upkNpj1fM99f2opx3QhRvZqMYGj5fYy7ufyUNd455yoESCqxgtdQQ9IPu6sWwKP8m9z20vfp1vBW4zr_3WlS2nccZU_fsErpKffEs/s1600/HTML5_canvas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3C78U5qfcpTDLp7cGS-_N6V9sTqGmguWDPIIq0upkNpj1fM99f2opx3QhRvZqMYGj5fYy7ufyUNd455yoESCqxgtdQQ9IPu6sWwKP8m9z20vfp1vBW4zr_3WlS2nccZU_fsErpKffEs/s320/HTML5_canvas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">best book dedication ever... (sniff..sobb.sniff..boo hoo hoo...sniff)</span></div>
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Ok. Time to man up and get started. I look forward to sharing what I discover... ONWARD!!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.html5rocks.com/static/images/screenshots/casestudies/onslaught/xam_html5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.html5rocks.com/static/images/screenshots/casestudies/onslaught/xam_html5.png" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">type HTML5 in the game ONSLAUGHT! to get this little guy with HTML5 shield logo.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>SOLID!</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Q: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">At what point in your programming career/experience did you come to the realization that you would ALWAYS have to learn new languages? Describe that empty feeling in your gut. Let it out. Or did you just do the smart thing and move into upper management? It's ok. there there, now.. It's ok. I'm here for you. It's going to be ok...</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-63329018380075060112011-11-08T18:42:00.000-08:002012-07-23T18:38:43.049-07:00SuperFont meets the modern age!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Graphics were pretty tough in the 8bit Atari days. It took a lot of work to get things rolling, a lot of plot and drawTo and Player-Missile graphics. That is until I discovered the method programmers were using to re-define character sets and create graphics using extra characters in the fontset. The only way to do this effectively was to use a program that reordered the bytes for you, saved out that data and loaded it back in. One such program that would load and save fonts was called Superfont.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLdBAWRlkhCnbUGlLg1x_P6KCy4oJJqOwwHr_YQ63UHMOdfcybSAuTPRO3gwdZGMmyMMSZ0BUzn_egylQ54cB1E1vfH-3kvKTMwT_ncyc9-u1lZJfeoFix2-HK61C1apvOV2UiMNzlXI/s1600/chap3n2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLdBAWRlkhCnbUGlLg1x_P6KCy4oJJqOwwHr_YQ63UHMOdfcybSAuTPRO3gwdZGMmyMMSZ0BUzn_egylQ54cB1E1vfH-3kvKTMwT_ncyc9-u1lZJfeoFix2-HK61C1apvOV2UiMNzlXI/s320/chap3n2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This program allowed the user to edit characters of the font in the checker board area and then save out the font to be loaded into a program later.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVxPkntwsqewF6jLOXukfDOAtyLrqROvwuysZRdIM4Xm4RJ7p-YE7THiNmlhGZaDlmjdVrS1biwK1kd6cL9CJNKrwuQy2aZLRj8QhTJ5PIrC60NN_1OR5SSzVXJ9vvHyM3vNPiu2tDq8/s1600/issue33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVxPkntwsqewF6jLOXukfDOAtyLrqROvwuysZRdIM4Xm4RJ7p-YE7THiNmlhGZaDlmjdVrS1biwK1kd6cL9CJNKrwuQy2aZLRj8QhTJ5PIrC60NN_1OR5SSzVXJ9vvHyM3vNPiu2tDq8/s1600/issue33.jpg" /></a></div>
These programs came from BBSs(dial-up online bulletin board systems, pre-internet) and in magazines like I have mentioned previously in my Gamasutra Blog, Compute!. Needless to say, I spent <i>mountain growing</i> amounts of time making my own fonts and experimenting with fonts and creating my own. During the 16bit erra graphics were stored in different formats and most of my art moved away from assembled redefined characters. However, to this day I love the beauty and magic of fonts and font making. And I have become quite adept and timely when it comes to building my own font from this experience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8nYaPWf4Dr9DKLIfcSObsXJDufVNvf7YupHrcxFK9j4xO4GZtqYMJZg3qTSkgHntfwtk-8ydxTvp2h4uuCulR0dXsDtGkv2MmaFTo74lBeBJnHdNl9llVd75fAnXFKfRg19AKKIjSF4/s1600/IMG_0106.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8nYaPWf4Dr9DKLIfcSObsXJDufVNvf7YupHrcxFK9j4xO4GZtqYMJZg3qTSkgHntfwtk-8ydxTvp2h4uuCulR0dXsDtGkv2MmaFTo74lBeBJnHdNl9llVd75fAnXFKfRg19AKKIjSF4/s320/IMG_0106.PNG" width="240" /></a></div>
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So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across <a href="http://2ttf.com/">iFontMaker for the iPad</a>. How I ever got along without such an excellent font editing tool for so long is beyond me. This program has everything you need to quickly make a font, upload it to their ttf converter, share it with everyone etc. Infact today I created a font for an 'art test' I am doing for a potential employer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMxHB7F5Vn5sV8jwY3VZ_gGRpKX4IyORC3kpOK_zTXyeBTUs9RYapzel_8aG0oEFlaQwXEfh3oH2Alx1rNVpRlNx39cdS1o8LDwfgzQjO13YSD680V9KLF04UARTAqbt9pAKTed_hvkw/s1600/IMG_0107.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMxHB7F5Vn5sV8jwY3VZ_gGRpKX4IyORC3kpOK_zTXyeBTUs9RYapzel_8aG0oEFlaQwXEfh3oH2Alx1rNVpRlNx39cdS1o8LDwfgzQjO13YSD680V9KLF04UARTAqbt9pAKTed_hvkw/s320/IMG_0107.PNG" width="240" /></a><br />
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I based my font off light bulbs that make up letters as in an older marquee but it really look very dot-matrix like when you look at it in a smaller printout. Feel free to <a href="http://2ttf.com/WKYTH0jj">look at the 2ttf webpage of it, Download & use it if you like.</a> Uploading a font is not only easy, but it is a requirement in 2ttf's conversion process to make it usable. This promotes sharing which I like.</div>
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I highly recommend this program, and I highly recommend artists (especially UI,UX artists/designers) to use their own fonts and not hunt all over the internet to use someone else's. <br />
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Learn the craft of font making. It's a real joy !<br />
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-73481064983528121352011-10-31T16:19:00.000-07:002011-11-23T12:02:23.098-08:00makeFUN = new MakeFun();Things have been super busy. Doing my tutorials for the iPhone. Enjoying it very much, it has taken it's toll on my Flash/ActionScript 3 development. But I have managed to find time to update my <a href="http://www.erickinkead.com/">portfolio site</a>!!!<br />
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I think I have found that people don't mind visiting my portfolio website when I offer them more activities than when they first visited. Most of them probably do not constantly look at my prior titles or artwork, however that is a guestimate since I do not have analytics on that. Holidays are a perfect opportunity for this! Everyone loves getting a holiday greeting.</div>
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Lately I have been thinking about creating a public variable to tie the whole sites' activities together. Basically the player could change that variable in the activities and that variable will be shared throught the game. I am thinking since I developed such a complex animation system for my character, users could purchase new outfits for him. And to get these new outfits, the user would have to pay coins. Coins could be rewarded for every section of the portfolio that the user views, (ie. the floors of the building).</div>
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Also I could construct miniGames such as buildings to unlock.</div>
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"hmmm...........mmmmkay...... hmmmm...."</div>
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oh... Why am I doing this to my portfolio? Because it is fun and against the norm. I really don't want to blog about SCRUM, AGILE, or other crap ... FUN is why I decided to get into games, FUN is what this is for me! Want to make a good game? Make FUN! How do you make FUN? Honestly I can't precisely tell you in your situation. I will leave that to the .xls designers who tend to over think their own importance. But I do know this very scientific piece of data... </div>
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If you are having FUN while trying to make FUN you are off to a good start. ;)</div>
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-8690979841257465802011-10-24T23:26:00.000-07:002011-10-24T23:26:04.046-07:00Don't look back, Keep moving forward!And the best way to move forward is to learn new things! Found this a gem of a website called <a href="http://www.codecademy.com/">Codecademy.</a> <br />
Seriously fun and easy way to learn Javascript and it feels like one of those old Atari 8bit games that trick you into Basic programming by making you feel like you are playing a text adventure.<br />
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I really recommend this to EVERYONE. Even if you are not really a code person. You can collect awards, score points and even log in with Facebook. The company is hiring right now, so if you are good at code and good at explaining it, go check it out! Who knows I might be doing a tutorial you wrote in the near future! I sure hope so, it is addicting.<br />
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I really hope someone rights an Objective C tutorial. One thing I have learned, JavaScript is very similar in syntax to ActionScript! :DEric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-22159253764509402202011-10-24T15:08:00.000-07:002016-09-22T08:34:03.920-07:00Don't stay bitterThe other day I came across a blog by someone in the game industry that was such a distortion of reality it really made me feel sorry for the blog's author. I was going to write a retort about it, but you know... It's not worth it. Let this person believe that they are the great driving force in the industry and all of his failings are the faults of others.<br />
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I have games to make.<br />
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<br />Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-45724737143623152232011-10-10T20:52:00.000-07:002011-10-10T20:55:46.195-07:00Hello World of iOS devHad to put my Hello World up! Turns out my MacMini comes with OSX Lion which is great because the new version of XCODE (4 vs 3.2) needs that to run. It is slightly different than the previous version. Actually a lot different all of these screen shots in my book look totally different than the new redesign of 4. But everyone says on the forum if you can get passed chapter 2 then you're in.<br />
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I guess I am in! Interactivity starts bright and early tomorrow morning!Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-57514456072961607732011-10-06T19:59:00.000-07:002012-07-23T18:38:27.345-07:00lilJobsLike I stated in the previous post... We planned to go to the Apple Store this Thursday to get my MacMini. Steve Jobs died Wednesday. What a weird twist of fate. The first day I purchase an Apple computer, is the first day the creator of Apple is no more. Named it littleJobs. Installing Xcode 4 with Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little thing is so sharply packaged and designed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy, My MacMini and my Alienware which will have to give up the tv monitor.</td></tr>
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Amy and I had fun at the mall. Ate Chinese Buffet afterword and bought a nice MacAlly keyboard for 19$ with a phased out AppleMouse. (they were always my favorite) The installer is so close to being finished... Can't wait to tear through my book of samples.Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-382836018286834856.post-11341068583845644972011-10-05T22:25:00.000-07:002011-10-06T20:00:06.622-07:00R.I.P. Steve JobsI would be a liar to say that I didn't get sad. I would also be a liar to say that I didn't get supper happy, inspired, grateful, cautious, etc. One of my heroes died. He was a hero to many people. So loved and hated. I actually worked at Apple for 4 weeks so I somewhat feel like part of the family!* I never really owned an Apple! I have been an Atari guy most of my life. But like most kids in Spring Texas I learned on Apple II's in High School and had friends that had Apples. A friend across the street would always tell me about this amazing fantasy game on his Apple called Ultima III!<br />
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This game really was the big influence in everything 'GAME' for me. If it wasn't for the Apple then this and a host of other things out of my perception would not be available to me. Quickly though I went toward the Atari ST route because of it's superior graphics. That is, until my friend down the street and partner in trouble making** introduced me to his new computer, the Apple IIgs.<br />
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This computer blew me away. Although the entire time I acted as if it was an unfortunate purchase for my friend. It wasn't. This computer was sexy sweet and I knew it. Soon after that I never saw an Apple or worked on one until around 1994 when I got a chance to work on one in the Pinball Graphic department of Williams/Bally/Midway. That was also my first foray into Photoshop. Which was first on an Apple I believe. (wish Adobe and Apple would make peace). Last year, I finally got my first Apple product. Actually that's not true. let me back up a bit. I have had 2 iPod Shuffles. Love them dearly, one is still functioning. I liked them so much and I liked the story of Steve Job's return with the NeXt computer and Pixar that I have adorned an Apple sticker on my car for so long it is almost faded off. but my first real computer Apple product came to me last December in the form of an iPad. And I have made plans to program on it ever since. A few months ago I got an iPhone 3G, which I think is an older model, but it works just fine.(plus I like developing for older models) I even got the book, Beginning iPhone Development so that I may put my plans to get software in the iStore a reality.<br />
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I have finally saved up the money to go and purchase a MacMini. I had planned on doing that tomorrow.*** So for me, his passing on the day before I get my first Apple computer is a complete shock and fills me with sadness. But I bet there are few now who haven't seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&feature=featured">Steve Jobs addressing the graduates of Stanford on YouTube</a>. And can not understand how not only saddened I am but how excited and hopeful I am about the future.<br />
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Thanks Steve. You've joined the ranks of my many heroes. In fact you have inspired me to blog about them more as time goes on. <a href="http://www.erickinkead.com/">I made you a little tribute to you in my interactive portfolio</a>, but to not keep it morose or morbid, I am going to hide it later on as an Easter Egg. But for now, it's right up there.<br />
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*(Answering phones to help people fix their computers isn't for me. and I really should stop taking those jobs out of desperate measures in between developing gigs. Unfortunately I found myself doing that a few times. Once at Apple and once at Gateway Computers. Also I wasn't officially Apple, I was officially a contract company and had to work at that for 4 months before Apple would pick me up.)<br />
**Egging of a school bus<br />
***Argh!! it's 12:17 am! So technically I am getting that MacMini today not tommorow. JEESH... I swear I'll get better at this blog stuff.. also I am not proofing this because it is 12:18. So give me a break on that... ;) Thanks.Eric Kinkeadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023849791958941291noreply@blogger.com0