New Video

As promised I have finished another project, this one is the Recluse Mansion Video. Now I had actually completed this one a few days ago but I have been busy working, grocery shopping, visiting the family, drinking with friends, watching movies with European female roomates *giggity*, and other things that I didn't get around to putting it on my blog until today. I'm actually going to be releasing the Mind Trap walkthrough very soon too. So here it is and enjoy.

Recluse Mansion Video


Peace,
Mander

Im sorry, so here you go

Yes, I guess I haven't lived up to my promise yet of a project a week but it's more complicated than that. It's not like I haven't been working on projects (I have), it's just that I've ether had difficulties completing them or publishing them on the web for you. Take my newest map Mind Snare for example, I've been working on it for close to a month now, but I haven't released it due to 2 reasons. One was that I needed it to go through rigorous testing to make sure that it was 100% ready when I first publish it. This includes getting the breakmaster BuddhaCrane (creator of such impossible puzzle maps as Carnation, Earth, and TERRORtories) to rigorously test it for me.

The other thing was that I wanted to time it's release with the release of the Indiana Jones movie to help spike its downloads as it is an Indy-themed map. I'll get back to that one in a bit.

I also had troubles finding a safe way to download music for my videos, and since I'm not eligible for a visa this proved a big problem for me. But I have found a way past it now so that complication is in the past. So once I had the music I made a great video of Recluse Mansion. Yes, it's all done now, but when I tried to upload it to YouTube, it would just stay on the loading screen and wouldn't change. And don't tell me that I just need to wait longer- I read the info and it said it should just take a few minutes, 15 tops. I waited 6 hours! (I didn't actually just sit there waiting, I did other things, but still 6 hours and it still didn't load!). Plus when it's in that process of uploading it slows the shit out of my internet connection so I can't play live. So I'm currently working on a way past that now.

But as you may have noticed, I said that I was waiting to time Mind Snare with Indiana Jones, and the new Indy is now out. Also there was a large amount of discrete past tense used in my explaination of Mind Snare. So what does this mean? It means that Mind Snare is indeed finished.

After a month of dreaming up new and interesting challenges, putting them together in forge, constructing, tweaking, and redoing,plus massive amounts of tests including ones done by none other than BuddhaCrane this map is thebest thing I have ever produced in forge. I can say that without a doubt. Also everybody who has played this map has proclaimed their undying love for it and downloaded it to quench their thirst for a satisfying puzzle map. This map is the ultimate. So enough blabber let's cut to the chase.

Mind Snare is a challenging puzzle map. It is more difficult than its predecessor map, Mind Trap, but it still follows my theme of not being rediculously hard either. There are no really hard jumps or moves incorporated into this map- it is passable by any Halo player with mediocre skill. But the challenges are difficult and require some good problem solving skills. Also many challenges are dangerous and deadly, keeping the game a thrill. Here are some pics of the map that gave me countless headaches.

So there you are, if you want more details about the map and game follow the link to Mind Snare that will now be located on the side of my blog under "My maps and games".

Also to reward your patience, I will have multiple projects come out in the next week or so, which includes the Recluse Mansion video, and a Mind Trap Walkthrough. The project after that will be my first machinima "Parenting Tactics in Halo 3" which will be a comedy and probably not a series.

Peace,

Mander

Major Update

I have some good news- I will now produce a new project every week whether it be a machinima, map, or a video showing a map or something else. This is because I have moved out of my parent's house and into one with a couple of roomates. My parents were extremely strict with Xbox time (hardly would stand it at all) so now that I am free of their grasp I will beable to keep up with a new project every week. But give me until at least next week to start this as I have fallen a little behind with the whole moving thing.

I also need to find a way to get free (or close to it) songs of the net without being at extreme risk of getting a virus. I was going to get the limewire package where you pay $50 and then get free unlimited downloads for a lifetime which are gauranteed virus free, but you need a Visa for that one and since I do not own one and my parents do not want to use theirs for it, I'm unable to go that route. So if you have any suggestions for the best way to accomplish this please do give them.

And here's a list of my planned projects for the next hundred weeks or so...:
1) Mind Snare (the sequel puzzle map to my successful Mind Trap)
2) Recluse Mansion Video
3) Secret Avalanche Map
4) Infection Colliseum (map)
5) Parenting Tactics in Halo (machinima)
6) Mind Trap Walkthrough Video
7) Return of the Flood: Episode 1(machinima)
8) Infection Colliseum Video
9) Avalanche map Video
10) United Nations of Halo: Episode 1(machinima)
11) Reaper Street (map)*
12) Corridors (map)*
13) Mind Snare Walkthrough Video

A couple things to note on that baker's dozen project list:
1) They are in no particular order and will not neccessarily be released in that sequence.
2) Mind Snare is not likely to be the first one released as I only work on it whenever I come up with a new idea for a clever puzzle.
3) The projects with stars next to their names are not gauranteed.
4) I've been receiving a large amount of requests to join other's forge groups lately. While I appreciate the offers don't expect me to accept them as I prefer to work alone. So just to rephrase: I will not accept any offers to join a forge group.
5) The same is true for friend requests. I got 15 random friend requests that I had to go through and delete the last time I signed in to xbox live. I don't really understand why as I haven't really done much besides my maps- I don't want to know what it'll be like when I start releasing machinimas. I won't accept random friend requests- if it's regarding one of my maps such as Mind Trap and you want me to show you around it then atleast send me a voice message saying so and I might do it. Just don't expect me to keep you on my friends list after as it's nearly at its limit (that's not saying that I won't though).
6) As for help with machinimas, that's a maybe. It is going to be hard for me to do scenes with multiple characters even though I have four controllers. I can only move two at a time and even then it is slightly sloppy. But please only offer when I request for assistance (I will do so on this blog) or I just won't consider it.

Mander

First video is up!

I have completed my video of my map Work Space and it is available on Youtube now. Just follow this link: Work Space on Youtube.

Just a couple more things to announce:
1) The next video I will release will be of my map Recluse Mansion.
2) I am very busy for the next two weeks so don't expect anything more than that for that time period except maybe my Call of Duty 4 review.
3) For me machinimas come first so I will really cut back on my map-making. I will only make maps if I both feel like it and find time between making machinimas. I will release Infection Colliseum and that map on Avalanche that I previously mentioned no matter what. As for Reaper Street and Corridors- they are not so important to me so I will only do them if I feel like it. Don't bitch it's for the greater good.
4) I have a few machinima scripts complete so after my 2 weeks of busyness (40-50 hrs a week @ work) I will get to work on them straight away and release one within days.

And that about does it. I hope you enjoy my work and tell everybody you can about this site.

Haha, thanks - Mander.