Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

As far as I'm concerned it sounds like it falls under "random crap". 

[Buster's Uncle]

But. but. but - it's Random Crap WithOUT Uno...

[Unorthodox]

8, maybe 9 years now, I've cultivated a 'butterfly garden'.  We purposely let milkweed grow, and have planted a couple butterfly bushes near them in hopes of attracting Monarchs, since my kids have never gotten to see that whole transformation process.  Well, Kyle did when he was REAL young, but doubt he remembers. 

I was about to give up.  Saw a female over there last night.  Any luck, she'll be laying eggs this morning. 

[Buster's Uncle]

And you end up with this guy in your backyard.

[Unorthodox]

Interesting thread over on the Halloween forum about how long the average person lasts. 

Seems 5-8 years is the average 'lifetime' of a haunter.  Then they typically move on, lose interest, either from neighborhood changes, income, age, etc.  Part of that is a LOT of haunters are teenagers, then the move into the real world.  Typically they'll start up again when their kids get interested, and once they move out again, it's done. 

Realized how sick I must truly be...I've been at it for 29 years now.  I started MUCH younger than the average.  I've been through every situation that typically discourages people.  Total lack of neighborhood interest.  Destruction of my stuff.  Income issues.  Everything. 

One of my fondest memories is the year I had ONE, singular, trick or treater at the old house.  This causes many to throw in the towel.  It's not QUANTITY, it's QUALITY.  Rather simplistic setup that year, actually.  Just me in a chair in ye olde gag of pretending to be a dummy.  Bowl on my lap with 'take one' sign.  Only child, about 5, not so nice neighborhood, both parents walking him around.  Dad walks up to me, declares it's just a dummy.  Mom don't believe him, so he spends a couple minutes SHINING A FLASHLIGHT right into my eyes trying to see inside my mask.  Pokes me with it, and says confidently just a dummy.  Kid comes up and grabs one and skips back to mom, dad still shining a light on me, then he turned. 

His wife come out of her skin when I got up, the kid bolted for home, and dad, seeing their reactions, ran, looking back at me, and smack into the fence.  We laughed about it, the kid's probably in therapy.  Great year.  If anything I miss the days when I had that kind of time per trick or treater.

[Buster's Uncle]

Funny; I see parallels in the SMAC(X) community.  I mean, there's still a few guys from 14 years ago around, but you couldn't get them to get up and post something with dynamite, and it's rare that they're even good for a chat. 

For me, the community's never really given me the feedback I want/need on my game art -I spent years at a place where far too many people refused to believe I ever posted on-topic, let alone was a respected active modder- so I shifted focus to little jobs, witness the avatars, and community-building activity, to at least have people to talk to about SOMEthing, if not the game game art that wanting to discuss initially drew me into joining.

I'm rarely bothered about the frustration of my initial goal, so there is that.

[Rusty Edge]

It was the tale of the insect collection that gave me an insight into the Unorthodox persistence.

It's a legitimate super power!

[Unorthodox]

Funny; I see parallels in the SMAC(X) community.  I mean, there's still a few guys from 14 years ago around, but you couldn't get them to get up and post something with dynamite, and it's rare that they're even good for a chat. 

Yeah, I can see that happening too.  I mean, I only joined that forum 3 years ago, and already I'm one of the oldest with few I can say have been around the whole time.  Most the ones that are still there are now merchants and will only post on their own product. 

For me, the community's never really given me the feedback I want/need on my game art

I see this a lot too.  Lord, some people get upset if folks don't post within minutes.  This is where the biggest burnout happens for Halloween too.  Kids start being rude and/or stop coming, and the interest dies. 

It's a position I can appreciate academically, but one I probably can never fully understand.  I'd be doing this if no one cared.  Hell Heck, I was for many years.  At the same time, I've come to appreciate places where people are interested, I wouldn't say it's a NEED. 

Another thing that I never understand fully is the people who get frustrated when they're not as good as someone else.  Lord, I can post a dozen people more talented than myself without trying.  Never understood the whole competition aspect some people get.  This goes with games, too.  Specifically demogames...wow do people take that a whole hell heck of a lot more serious than I do.  By damn dang, you better be playing according to game theory, which I rarely did, which really pissed peeved off people.   

That's one thing the AC games always did better, IMO.  Fun and roleplaying was always the priority.  Don't know why the two communities were different that way. 

-I spent years at a place where far too many people refused to believe I ever posted on-topic, let alone was a respected active modder- so I shifted focus to little jobs, witness the avatars, and community-building activity, to at least have people to talk to about SOMEthing, if not the game game art that wanting to discuss initially drew me into joining.

I'm rarely bothered about the frustration of my initial goal, so there is that.

See, that's something a lot of folks don't understand either.  Yes, ok, I'm the crazy halloween guy...but you have to build the community first.  I'm not generally this unapproachable recluse the rest of the year.  Take the new neighbors, I've had their kids catching fireflies, posing with the Barghest, playing with glowsticks, whatever.  When the wierd goes up, it doesn't take a sinister turn that way.  I'm not exactly a recluse the rest of the year.  You gotta put in the ground work.  Hell Heck, even the anti-halloween neighbors across the street have been getting killed with kindness.  Most neighbors happily ask what I'm working on now.  It's especially funny that the LDS neighbors are always shocked "how many non-members" come to my halloween party, as if it's some either-or type thing.  Maybe if they'd ya know, reach out to them outside their religion they might make some friends too.  (most just assume we're members since we don't openly practice anything against the church)

Good people first, hobby second.  It's why I'm here on a board I don't even have a working copy of the game.

[Buster's Uncle]

Yeah; we're on the same wavelength here.


As far as the feedback issue - when I spend a lot of time making a thing, I'd like to TALK about the thing.  Because it's on my mind, not simply over the normal human desire for praise.  I'm, happy to say, not bothered that Kilkakon is a more accomplished graphic artist than I; you and he are both more accomplished in artistic areas I fancy I've mastered, but I've earned the respect that I've earned, and it's GREAT to have peers, more or less, to discuss these things with.

And, you know, I have my status in the community as a graphics teacher/troubleshooter to fall back on, though not even that with you and sculpture. [shrugs]  You put a lot more into it than I do.  Funny, though; I'm glad I really feel that way.  I honestly have to suppress my urge to get into peepee-measuring contests with people about a lot of things, and I'm glad I don't need to with you.

(I figured out how to hide the "Administrator" tag, BTW! )

[Unorthodox]

Speaking of artsy.  What's up with the masks?   

I put WAY TOO MUCH into it last year.  I look back on the monstrous time investment Trevor was and...

well, honestly I want to make a version of transi de rene de chalon


...for no other reason than the challenge of it.  I just gotta remind myself I can't do that all the time. 

I mean, seriously, I would never actually USE that...but I could sure sell it in a heartbeat.  Which if I ever build something like that again, it will be to mold and produce. 

[Buster's Uncle]

[shrugs] Hard to be sure it wouldn't be worth doing just to do the art (and don't even front that that's not a thing for you).

As far as masks, I coincidentally happened to be looking through my stuff with my sister for that binary stuff you make the rubbery yellow push molds out of (for making soles for doll shoes, and didn't find it), and we talked about taking the tools and supplies back to Texas with us when we go shortly.  Buster's birthday present is over a month overdue; going to sculpt her a Boston Terrier head.  And I'm still thinking about that Neanderthal skull, and she was talking about taking another run at online selling. 

So soon, maybe.

[Unorthodox]

Yeah, it was hard to not start one after we went to the mummy exhibit.  Just for the fun of it.  (can't remember if I mentioned we got in and took pictures but I can't post them)  But, Trevor has been the source of frustration for many.  I know of a dozen copycats that have given up trying to replicate it.  Know of none that have succeeded, yet.  Well, unless you count the Davis Graveyard knockoff...which I don't, even they hid it in the back of their display.   

A cheap vacuform product would sell like hotcakes. 

Then, the same goes for the chimera.  At least a dozen attempts after posting my tutorial...still waiting on the first completion. 

[Buster's Uncle]

You know a thing lately that ROCKS MY WORLD?  We've actually got a bench four-deep of competent artists working modding these days, (all but Kil, taught by me), and several of them are interested in stuff besides their own projects.  I've been doing this and teaching with considerable success for four years, and this has never happened before.  Any art job Jarl or Sigma does for anyone is pressure off me, and I still have some pride of accomplishment.

 

[Unorthodox]

Yeah, I haven't figured how to translate the teaching part to the interwebs yet.  I got a couple local apprentices, but the interwebs...something is getting lost in translation.

You made me nearly competant at photoshoppery.   

[Buster's Uncle]

[shrugs] I thought you did mad tutorials - I'm sure I've seen some.

I bet it's the RL aspect - I can say Filters>Enhance>Sharpen, and that means something.  Not like how to shellac the burlap on the frame...