Dark_Respite
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Posts
4927 -
Joined
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Quote:Think positive! Imagine what could happen with me as the standard bearer for the Black Pebble Army! Besides, apart from the love of the art, having an actual JOB would be nice.Originally Posted by Scarlet Shocker
Simply gorgeous
For those of you who want to shorten the URL for social networking etc
this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCt9QW0HfE turns into this: http://bit.ly/aC0ZUZ which is much nicer for twitter etc
Samuaiko - I sincerely hope Paragon never employs you. Not because you are not worthy, but for quite the opposite - because your brilliant creativity would be hampered and diminished by a reign of black pebbles. Keep doing what you do for its own sake.
Really? Thanks so much!Quote:Originally Posted by wei yau
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
I just got my 18 month anniversary badge and I don't mind telling you that watching your videos was one the reasons I ended up getting into this game.
Thank you for this and so many other wonderful videos.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Out of curiosity, who on the forums also posts over at forums.somethingawful.com? I'm not exactly getting badmouthed over there, but if I'm being referred to as 'overhyped' for producing 'fanwank machima" (it's "machinima," guys), with a rather rabid 'fan club', I'd like a chance to defend myself without having to pay $10 to do so.
I know my work won't appeal to everyone, I'd just like to know what they don't like about it so maybe I can try and improve. I'm not perfect, and I've learned a lot from folks who've disagreed about the quality of my vids (best example - my new opening credits after EmperorSteele rightfully pointed out the original ones were too long).
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:*sighs* I've pretty much given up on that ever happening, but if they change their minds, they know where to find me.Originally Posted by Thirty-Seven
Simply awesome video, Michelle... as usual. I still think you should be on the Paragon Studios' pay-role.
Been ages since I've been called "young", but thanks!Quote:Originally Posted by Mota_
I Tip my hat in your general direction young lady!!
Awsome work
I owed you guys after the demofile of us doing the second half of the new Posi TF got borked. And since I still had that great footage of you and your simulacrum slugging it out, I decided to include it.Quote:Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Yay! Made it into another one of D_R's vids.
The only downside? Now I'm getting calls from this guy named Saul Rubenstein.
This is not a Good Thing I take it?
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Those are the letters from the Omega Team time capsule that was 'opened' in November of 2009. Six of them appeared on the forums, others on the main page of the website. Technically they're not part of Issue 15, but they were so well done, and they fit well with the "Anniversary" motif of I-15.Originally Posted by Silver_Streak_NA
Great video, as always, Sam... I too have a question, and mine is, I'm sure, a rather silly one: at the 4:30 mark, you show a few letters - did you copy/paste souvenir text onto parchment textures to create those, or are those actually in-game somewhere, and I've managed to miss them for 6 years?
Pretty sure I know what the answer is, but I just want to be certain.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Ahem...
(To the tune of the Merchandisers' song in CHESS)
"Whether RP or PvP
Or are on the fence
We are here to tell you
We need you to fix our Went's!
Not a chance of you letting this go too long
Not when the server's gone all wrong
We've got salvage that needs selling
And we will -- yes we will!
Coz if this don't get fixed soon then
We will kill!
Come on, get up --
Come on, get up, you don't need sleep
Til this thing is fixed
You must get the server running
Lest our sales get nixed
Let us list enhancements
Recipes
Sometimes inf's worth more than XPs
Try kicking the ******* server
Hey, who knows
Coz not having our black market
really blows!
Coz not selling really blows!"
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
I'd love to see this as well... I know at one point, BAB decided to "Tweet" his working day for a day or two, and it was a fascinating insight into how he spends his day.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Any bets on Issue 18's title? I'm thinking:
"City of Day Traders"
"The Paragon Stock Exchange"
"Greed is Good"
"Market Value"
"Free Enterprise"
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Next up on the video roster... probably CoVideoHell, at least until I get into the GR beta to film.
BTW, a big thank-you to everyone who's been posting this on Twitter and LiveJournal and stuff!
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
With all due respect, there were dozens of hard-working, intelligent, and thorough players participating in closed beta (and exponentially more in open beta). The CB forums had a great deal of information of players tracking problems, providing solutions, giving problem instances, and you have NO idea how many problems were FIXED before this issue went live. The rednames were engaged in a constant dialogue with us of how to fix things (and not just technical stuff, but also content, mission placement, and other stuff to make the game more enjoyable).
If you've got a grudge against GG, that's your call. But don't diss the entire CB community just because you may or may not have been a part of it, and we didn't catch every little problem that reared its head. To the best of my knowledge, the Auction house bug/error/whatever did not make its presence known during the beta, ergo none of us caught it.
No one is MAKING you stay here. That's not me telling you or anyone else to leave, but do not put the onus of your remaining in this game, and continuing to pay for it, on anyone but yourself. It's your money, it's your time, and it's your choice whether you stay here. Others have left because their principles wouldn't allow them to stay - you can take that road too if you want. Or you can stay the course, and continue to submit bug reports, work with the GMs and customer support, and try to contribute to the overall improvement of the game you pay for.
And that's all I'm going to say about that.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Nope, that's redside, in the Abyss. There's an area that is almost straight out of "Jurassic Park", including containment zones, bunkers, and a reception building (you can't enter it, unfortunately). But the Giant Monsters crawling all over it makes it a challenge to film in there, let me tell you!Originally Posted by Draugadan
Right at the 3:00 mark there is a large wood door with a tree carved in it. Over the door it says DE GEN. Where is that? Is that in Eden somewhere?
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
My favorite part has to be the cutscenes at Adair's arc and the second half of Positron's Task Force. Those are DRAMA. (And now supposedly there's music in them as well? Must go find!)
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Which is why I was all the more pleased to get THIS message via YouTube from my video:Originally Posted by TonyV
You know, this is why I didn't worry much when CO came out, and why I don't worry much about new games on the horizon. Yes, some new games might be prettier on the surface, but you cannot easily overcome the sheer vastness of features that have been added over the course of six years starting from scratch. When I see people bring up how old and "outdated" City of Heroes is, I can't help but think, "It's not old. It is mature. It has had six years of continuous development." I mean, is Microsoft Word 2010 "old" because it has been around for a couple of decades? If I wrote a word processor from scratch, does its "newness" automatically make it better?
I'm not saying that no other game will ever come along and clean City of Heroes's clock. But if it did, it would have to be one HELL of a game from day one, and even then, it would take them years to get to the level of maturity that City of Heroes enjoys today. And I highly doubt Paragon Studios would just be sitting around on their duffs in the meantime. Even if they had a hugely successful launch, they'd still have to work a lot faster, a lot harder, and a lot longer than Paragon Studios just to catch up.
Anyone who wants to write a competing game who sees this video had better first think, "Holy s***, we've got a lot of work to do."
And I love how many of the game vets are posting saying, "Wow, I've been here since Issue (fill in the blank), it seems like yesterday!"Quote:"Samuraiko,
Your video awesomely rocks I've been playing World Of Warcraft for over 5 years and still playing I've not once looked at another MMORPG. But after discovering your video from random youtube surfing its got me convinced, to give City of heroes a try. Video game publishers can learn alot from your video on how to promote there games. Thanks again."
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Head over to SeventhSanctum.com and mess with some of the superhero name generators (or power name generators). You can hit some seriously spiffy names, which then in turn might help you come up with something for CoH.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Must have more of Castle's backstory... you need to take a mo and head over to the ParagonWiki and update it! (I have a totally selfish reason - Castle has just made his second cameo in my story.)Originally Posted by Castle
Meh, not so much anymore. At this point, he's really just my "in game face" and the character himself has become far more "me" than reflecting the fiction I originally had for him.
Back in the PNP game he came from, he was a Mutant who was a radio political analyst who ended up being "outted" as a hero/mutant. He used the notoriety/celebrity to get elected to a public office, while still continuing his work as a hero.
Translating him over to COH, I updated his fiction to be that he'd never been a 'hero' at all, until the Rikti Invasion wiped out most of the heroes. He decided to don a costume to help fill the void left...which is why he as level 1 starting out.
(Or at least send me his PnP story and I'll extrapolate from that, but must have!)
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Is it? Not that I've noticed...Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Loved it... now tell life to stop being hell. It's supposed to listen to you, right?
A lot of people have mentioned that (tm) thing. I just couldn't resist putting it in. And doesn't BADADAM do great music? He's offered to compose stuff for me, so I may have to take him up on that.Quote:Originally Posted by Nights_Dawn
Great video, as someone else mentioned the music and video matched perfectly.
I especially liked the (tm) you added for Issue: 19.
So do I, Khel... so do I.Quote:Originally Posted by Kheldarn
Most Friggin' AWESWEETASTIC, Samuraiko!! Thanks for the great perspective!!
And I hope life gets better for you very soon.
And yet again, Michelle's last-second-"wait-before-I-finish-maybe-I-should-see-how-this-would-look" inspirations are people's favorite parts. I was wracking my brain wondering how to end the video, then I thought, "what the hell, they mentioned Incarnates for I-19, I should include that." Then I thought, "but what am I going to show?"Quote:Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
Huh... I don't know why I keep going into these videos with such low expectations when they impress me every time. I guess I'll have to learn sooner or later, but hot dang! Given the subject matter, that was one impressive movie! I honestly didn't think it was possible, given that some of these Issues just don't have much to make a video out of, but I am more than impressed.
I have to join the gaggle of people who felt emotional at the video, but I can say exactly why that is. The last bit "And soon: Incarnates!" really did it for me, especially when it was preceded with that excellent framing of an Ember Demon emerging to the backdrop of Bat'Zul's cave. But really, it's the image of the Statesman standing tall and proud by the American flag that seals the deal. It's like: "You've been getting all of these great things, but now it's time for the big one. This is the world's greatest hero. This is what you are going to be." And then we see Recluse and the realisation strikes: "This is getting serious!"
I CANNOT think of a better way to end a video on such a high and impressive note. Good job all the way!
So I chose Statesman and Recluse as the focus, like I did with my Incarnate video way back in July of 2008. I had no idea those shots would be as powerful as they turned out. Just goes to show what I know.
The shot of the ember demon crawling out and roaring right into the camera's face was the universe smiling and giving me the perfect camera positioning on the first try, for once. And I swear, the MA is a godsend for filming.
And yes, some issues were a bit light on what to include *coughcoughissue15coughcough*, but I did my best.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
I'm 100% Armenian in real life (albeit an Armenian with chestnut auburn hair, fair skin and hazel eyes... go figure), but my characters are primarily Caucasian (with one or two Japanese in there).
Agent Tavarisch - Sorina Tavarisch is my Russian character. Created based on a pun on the word "tovarich" ('comrade' in Russian), she took on a life of her own before I'd realized it.
Agent Takimura - Takimura Mayumi is my Japanese character, created when several of us in our SG created alts related to the various villain groups. Takimura has a long history with the Tsoo, and later helped develop a sideline storyline for our SG.
Kakita Nasami - my L5R Japanese/Oriental character, and the wandering samurai. A direct import of my character from Legend of the Five Rings, whose immortal wanderings have brought her to Paragon City.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
You're the second person to tell me they got emotional watching this. Didn't think it was THAT profound, but hey, if you guys like it, who am I to argue?
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
BTW, Megumi, you may recognize a familiar face in my 6th anniversary video...
(Actually, I sneaked quite a few Justicites in there.)
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Here's a little trivia for you, Tech... I actually managed to get that pose thanks to a glitch in the AE when it first went into beta. Imagine my absolute astonishment when I turned around from the AE console only to find THIS waiting for me.Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Sad to hear about the RL issues, Sammy =/ never a good thing.
But at least your vid quality hasn't gone anywhere...except maybe up even more. It's a belter. I LOVED the I6 part with Recluse on all his spider legs, giving the camera evils. Pure win.
Semi NSFW
After recovering from the surprise and getting my breath back from laughing, I demorecorded it.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Originally Posted by TonyV
Here's a picture of the Nemesis Horse, in case anyone hasn't seen it before:
I am so glad I was there long enough to get the demo files for those... plus Castle in a suit AND in his kilt look. Now I can shove him in another video and he can't complain.Quote:Originally Posted by TonyV
Picture to prove it happened:
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
My Mercs/TA MM found herself cloned as a Plant/Rad. Ajax didn't stand a chance - she practically killed him by herself as soon as the psychic things were down.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Any chance you might allow videos? If I can get hold of the demofile models for GR, I could probably do an ad for either side, a la Recluse's "I am Recluse, hear me blather" speech on the Grandville monitors.
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Casual answer - those are the notes from the Omega Team time capsule. While strictly speaking, they weren't part of an 'official' issue, the concept of pairing them with "Anniversary" was too good to pass up.Originally Posted by RobertoLyon
Amazing as always Sammi!
If I weren't already hooked, I'd wanna play!
Casual player question: What are the handwritten pages at TC: 4:30?
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
Quote:Since they're practically a fixture of the CoH Community, I snuck all 20 Cape Radio DJs into my video.Originally Posted by theOcho
Samuraikos 6 Year Anniversary Video!
Dark_Respite has graced us with yet another of her amazing videos! Her 6th Year Anniversary creation focuses on no less than 20 events that shaped the City of Heroes® world going all the way back to April 28th, 2004. All the games issues and expansions are covered in this in this in-depth video retrospective that is sure to entertain! Go here to view it.
Listen and Win on The Cape Radio!
The Cape Radio has gotten into the Anniversary spirit as well. They are giving away your choice of in-game costume code every day during one of their live shows up until the 26th of May. But you never know which show so you need to listen to win! The Cape is always a fun listen, and their in game events on the Virtue server are always a blast so check them out! Go here for more info.
Thanks for the mention, Ocho!
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite -
To cap off Anniversary Week for CITY OF HEROES, I offer for your viewing enjoyment "Retrospective," which takes you through six years, seventeen issues, and three releases of CITY OF HEROES!
To the best of my ability, I tried to keep things as appropriate to the timeline as I could. Human nature being what it is, though, you may occasionally see something that is 'anachronistic.' To that end, I claim the Rule of Cool (look it up on TvTropes.org). Also, little cameos and references abound in this video - see if you can spot them all!
(For those who prefer to download my videos, you can find "Retrospective" on the Videos page of my website.)
*****
If you like this video, please post it on your Twitter, blogs, LJ, MySpace, whatever. Let's see how far we can spread the word about our MMORPG that's made it six years and is still going strong.
*****
And I'm sorry to have made my fans wait - real life has gone from 'problematic' to 'hell.'
Michelle
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Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
EDIT: Lest my ego go unchecked, here is the painful list of the anachronisms and mistakes in the video. Thank you to everyone who has been pointing them out.
Valkyrie Cape in i2, IOs in i3, Tinted Dark Red Energy Blast in i4, Magic Pack costume pieces in i8, Ground Punch alternative animation for Foot Stomp in 10, No WP in i11, No VEAT action in i12, haloes in i2, combat auras in i2, Port Oakes in i4, the Monkey Cage map in i4, villain body scale in i4, Dual Pistols in i7, Valkyrie armor in i7, Vanguard armor in i8, the Wedding pack in i8, Vanguard armor in i9, Coralax and Legacy Chain in the Hollows in i12, Mission Architect tickets in i13, Customizable powers in i13, Time Capsule letters in i15...
I do make mistakes. I'm human, and I'm sorry.