HalcyonSpirit
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Second...
Submissions Period is NOW OVER!
We have SIX submissions this round! Way to go, people! I like this!
The Munchies by Jam Stunna (Jamil Ragland)
You've Built Worlds, Haven't you? by Random Hajile
Seraph by Soul Splint
Nostalgic by Imagery
Reaching Out by SoulinEther (Yousef Reda)
Uncaptured Jewel by HalcyonSpirit
Reunion by Darklink42
VOTING STAGE STARTS NOW!
This should be a good round! I look forward to all of you voting! (Please look at the first post if you've forgotten/don't know the voting rules.) And, hopefully, everyone will comment on everyone's after the voting is over!
Good luck, everyone!
EDIT: Permission granted to Darklink42 for submission of piece. List of submissions updated.
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First up... My entry! I've finally finished one for the competition!
I shall refrain from commenting on it until after the voting period, except to say that I intend to revisit this story sometime afterward to really flesh it out. You have no idea just how many details I've worked out for this story's world so far. I really want to come back to it in this story and future stories. This story does not do this world justice!
Uncaptured Jewelby HalcyonSpirit
"No Jumping," it said. "Personal Air-Ground Transport Prohibited," it said. Fortunately for the intentions of the two leaping over the edge, the sign's proclamation of unsafe local transit conditions meant nothing to them.
Blue shirt rippling in the quickly-strengthening wind, Matthew twisted around to watch the edge of the building shoot upward. Or rather, watch it as he plummeted down toward the ground. For the merest fraction of a second it felt as though he were in an almost surreal weightlessness, floating as everything else moved around him. The feeling of standing still in an ever-moving world.
His body rotated the rest of the way around and marveled at the sight below. It wasn't the vast cityscape that caught his attention; while impressive, he'd seen the hundred-kilometer metropolis from the tops of superskyscrapers dozens of times - often right before he jumped off their edges. Nor was it the complex, tightly woven fabric of airspeeder traffic racing through both open air and the narrow corridors of the multifaceted urban landscape, though the hundreds of colors running about through the city and reflecting the sunlight in so many ways created the illusion of beautiful elegance from afar that couldn’t be denied.
The marvel below him was nothing more than the person who he'd jumped off the building with - or rather, after, though the distinction was perhaps only a single second. And yet the single second translated into such a large gulf of both nothing and everything between them.
Matthew flicked the switch embedded on the shoulder strap of his bag. Below him, already at least a dozen meters below and rapidly approaching the topmost lanes of traffic, Caroline must have already done the same; the pack she wore was unfurling, slowly revealing its orange-hued wing-like structure. The air rushing past her suddenly caught the small backpack glider as its reach extended beyond her body, slowing her descent and propelling her forward. Always a step ahead. Matthew silently urged his own glider to finish unpacking. It wasn't more than a second later that he felt the jerk of slowed acceleration that came with having aerodynamic freedom.
A surge of exhilaration rushed through him as he dove into and through the midst of the airspeeder traffic corridors. It was always a dangerous move, but Caroline had chosen to go around the first line. Soon, he was again only meters above her. They were heading down in a spiral toward the next grouping of traffic lanes. He'd have to bide his time until then; there was no catching up for the moment without risking falling further behind. He wanted - needed - to be close. Closer. Enough to touch her. He could see long, blonde strands of hair rippling out from under her glider, far beyond his reach.
Caroline's hair had been the first thing he'd noticed when they met for the first time. It had to have been; getting a mouthful of the hair of the stranger standing next to you due to a strong gust of wind would catch anyone's attention. She had laughed. He had sputtered for a bit. Such a wonderful first moment, but it had lasted.
Caroline's glider tipped and spun around. For an instant, her face was visible. A bright, inviting smile flashed in his vision, one of exuberance, but he could see the teasing grin hidden in it. A challenge: "Come get me." And then it was gone, replaced by her glider as she finished her spin and dove into the crowd of vehicles racing through the air. Matthew followed her in, happy to indulge in her game.
Everything had started with that grin of hers. He noticed it even when still trying to remove the stray hair from his mouth. Something about it spurred him on. She had just been another woman nearby, someone he'd have never talked to, but after that first exchange of laughs and sputters, they'd just continued to talk. All the while, she was giving him that look. Several weeks later he asked her out.
The two gliders swung past a cargo speeder and narrowly avoided colliding with the side of an open-air two-seater. The orange and green blurs pulled up and over the speeder. The driver expressed his discontent by laying on the horn, but it was quickly out of earshot, and neither of them really cared. Especially not Matthew; the dodge had given him a speed advantage and he was almost within arm's reach of the blonde beauty, closing the gap inch by inch. He reached out, grasping for her leg.
She must have sensed his growing anticipation. Her leg swung left and she peeled off to the right. A second longer and he'd have had her. She was so close, and yet always a step ahead.
"Come get me." She hadn't said it with any particular vigor. She had just challenged him and, after getting the expected confused expression from Matthew, ran off smiling. It was her somewhat unconventional response to him asking her out. That was almost half a year ago. In the time since, they'd developed a strange relationship of him chasing after her, wherever and whenever they weren't doing anything else. They weren't dating; he'd have to catch her for that to happen. They shared much of their free time together, they'd drawn closer to each other, but as long as he couldn't catch her, they weren't "together."
Matthew looped around, trying to keep up with the elusive woman. He could see her waving at the drivers of random speeders as she passed. There was no doubt a playful smile to accompany it. Many people just didn't know what to do, so they just gazed back with an amusingly blank look to them. The two daredevils were approaching the main skyline, dodging vehicles with increasing frequency and getting odd looks from bystanders on the walkways.
He drew close again, this time staying above her and in her blind spot. Supposedly. He could never be sure anymore whether she couldn't just read his mind. She swooped down a meter, and him up a meter, to avoid crashing into one of the dozens of walkways now at their altitude. Despite both being well away from people walking along, an older man panicked from their proximity, throwing his bags - and himself - to the ground with a yelp. As the two converged again, he could hear her laughter even over the howling of the wind.
It was his turn to grin. Her sense of entertainment often resulted in random people getting inconvenienced slightly, sometimes frightened senseless for just a moment. All in good fun, of course, and no permanent harm was ever done. He would know; it wasn't just random people getting the treatment. He could still taste the whipped cream that had exploded in his office earlier in the day. But she was no doubt replaying her current exploit in her head: the older man's rapid switch from stoic observance to startled terror. He dove down and reached out: the element of surprise would be his path to victory.
His fingers barely missed brushing up against her breast as she rolled to the side. He felt strands of hair glide through his outstretched hand, teasing him, giving him a clear sense of just how tantalizingly close he'd come. He couldn't even grab those; by the time her maneuver had registered in his mind, the strands were gone, pulled away with the jewel of a woman he desired.
Not that it mattered much. At that point there wasn't much that could possibly change between them if he finally did nab her. They could stop at any time, but he saw no desire in her to stop this game of hers. Frankly, he didn't either. He'd capture her eventually, even if it was just to say he could. She'd be his, he'd be hers. And besides all that, the chase was exhilarating enough on its own.
He checked his surroundings. They were heading to a diner in the area, and the game came to an end whenever they reached their destination. He breathed a sigh of relief; it didn't seem to be nearby. An orange blur swooped down from above, right past his face. She was taunting him! He dove down after her, still determined to bring the game to an end. Without even looking back at him, she gave him a wave, then pointed ahead of her.
Matthew followed her line of flight to a landing balcony for glider-borne people such of themselves. Then he looked just above the surface to the building itself and grimaced.
Of course it would be the diner. She wouldn't tease him like that if it wasn't.
It was a straight, unobstructed, shallow decline to the balcony. If he changed course to try to get a better angle on her, he'd lose. If she changed course, he'd certainly get there first and win by default. It was a battle of speed, and he could win that. He was heavier; he'd pick up more speed in a dive than she even could. He would win.
Slowly, surely, he gained ground on Caroline. The two flew past nearby buildings, coming close to the walls but never enough to force the duo to avoid them. Caroline looked back at him and smiled. Their eyes locked briefly; there was only a meter between them. The balcony was racing closer, much closer, far faster than any sane person would approach to land. They weren't sane. Not when they were together, especially not during the chase.
Caroline lowered her legs in preparation to land. It put a whole meter more between Matthew's outstretched hand and her body. He could feel the tips of her hair tickle his fingers. He could grab it and end the chase, but he wanted to win fully. His hand crept forward, and her hair blew into his face - and mouth, naturally. He could count down the seconds it would take to close the distance.
Three...
Two...
His heart raced. It was his day.
One...
And then it happened. Her body jolted up as her feet hit pavement. His hand finally grasped her shoulder – a second after she had landed.
He broke out into a run as his own feet met the ground. She, too, was in a run, just ahead of him. Her glider was already folding up on itself, and he switched his to do the same. The two slowed to a jog, then a walk, and then, finally, they came to a stop next to the outdoor tables.
Matthew released Caroline's shoulder. She spun around and plopped herself down on the nearest chair. She propped up her head with her arm on the table and grinned at him. It was that look, that look she always gave him. The one that had drawn him to her in the first place. The one she gave him after every single chase. There she was, flirting with him.
Uncaptured.
Again.
Matthew sat himself down across the table from her. He wasn't disappointed. How could he be with a jewel like that teasing and flirting with him endlessly? It was just another loss added on to a countless number of previous losses. At the end of this day and every day before, he was one step behind and she remained a free woman.
He could live with that.
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*taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap* Must... finish...!
Just a few more hours! Technically, the submission stage ends at 8PM EDT, but I'm likely not going to be at an internet-connected computer right then, so submissions will remain open until I am able to get back.
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AMAGAD i have two days to finish this.
...no problem.
My thoughts exactly. Minus the "no problem" part.
Just gonna have to step up my game.
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Rockin' the torrent!
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Halfway through the submission period, folks! I hope you're all making progress!
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Isn't there supposed to be some kind of a competition starting soon?
Holy crap!
... It's you!
How've you been?!Yes, yes, the MARCH 2010 SHORT STORY COMPETITION has already begun! I just didn't get a chance to announce it because I was busy putting together a design presentation and getting ready for an exam.
So, a challenge, eh? I'm game. If I can actually manage to finish something ON FRICKING TIME this round, it'll be good! I've also got a potential newcomer for this round, so we'll see if she submits anything.
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THE RESULTS ARE IN!
The winners of the January 2010 Freeform competition are:
1st Place: In Wait by just64helpin
Runner-Up: People Pondering over Pie (I Know That Smile) by SoulinEther
Here's the point distribution:
In Wait by just64helpin - 9
People Pondering over Pie (I Know That Smile) by SoulinEther - 8
Aura Weapon by neblix - 4
Congratulations to just64helpin for winning and SoulinEther for coming in a very close second! I had a hard time choosing between the two pieces; both were quite compelling in their own rights. Neblix, you too deserve congrats, for even though you did not win, you still crafted a story that was interesting enough that I would like to see it expanded some. I felt that it could work even better as a longer story, something that the current word limit just doesn't allow.
For those of you paying attention, the close of the Freeform competition means that the Short Story competition is just over the horizon! So get ready: the Short Story competition opens on March 1st!
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uh, i got that covered. when i game, i boot into an OC of 4.1ghz on my i7 =)
Right-o, I think that should handle it just fine! And I'll agree with Doulifée about cheating in some money and such at the beginning if you feel you need to. It'll give you a platform to test the various aspects of play. The hardest part of any new start in X3 is the new start itself, even for experienced players, so it ends up being overwhelming for a player unfamiliar with the game mechanics. The money will let you have a bit more breathing room.
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i tried one of the X3 games, but the learning curve was so steep i wasn't even able to start moving once i started the game. i lasted about five minutes. should i give it another go?
Which one, Reunion or Terran Conflict? If the former, yeah, it's really rough. If the latter... well, it's still rough, but not nearly as much. It's more accessible (and less susceptible to CTDs...). I have both, so I can tell you ALL about them. Also, Terran Conflict has an improved flight control scheme for mouse+keyboard, similar to Freelancer's (which I've also played). I would definitely give it another go; it took me three tries to get into it, but damn, when I finally got moving, I just wouldn't stop.
The universe in X3 is much more extensive than in Freelancer, and you can do whatever the heck you want. Want to go solo? Awesome, go for it. Want to command a fleet? Awesome, go for it. Want to be a trader? Awesome, go for it. One thing I like about Freelancer is that the environment is much more varied, but other than that, X3 is better overall (in my opinion). Plus, there's an extensive modding community for it; you can find practically anything you want for either of the X3 games from the mods and scripts, from new ships, new abilities, and in the most extreme cases, complete universe changes.
I will say, however, that you're going to need a computer with a single-core processing capability of at least 2.8GHz. The engine is single-core only, and the game is processor-intensive, so the single-core capability is essential once you get into larger battles.
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Y'all have until Sunday night to vote. Last chance.
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I'm going to give a few more days for people to vote since there's only been two votes other than mine so far.
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I don't even read comics, but... Batman wearing a fedora? Pure awesome. I'd read that one just for that.
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*grumble grumble*
You know, this makes the 5th story I've worked on for one of these competitions that I get about 80% done but just couldn't finish on time due to classes and thus is wasted work (as far as the competition goes). Oh, sure, I could submit it at a later competition, but that'd be cheating.
OK, so the voting has already begun! We have three submissions this round.
People Pondering over Pie (I Know That Smile) by SoulinEther
Start reading and voting!
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Awesome. Shame I don't have and can't currently afford a 360.
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I loved playing Perfect Dark. I just wish I knew people back then that also loved playing it.
Also, my one problem with the game was that they tried to work too much in the way of graphics into the game. It felt cluttered and it was sometimes hard to work out what was what when playing on either a small or a darker screen. If they could've redone the graphics, I would love it to death even more.
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If by "last month" you mean January, then yes, you can submit it. And I know what you mean with the extraction... I had that done several years ago and I was miserable for quite a while.
Ok, seeing as how we now have two submissions (if the above is true), I'm willing to extend the deadline to the 7th (Sunday night). Hopefully I'll be able to get my piece done by then so we can have at least three entries.
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This competition seems to have fallen into disrepair...
Is there anyone out there that is/was working on something and can be reasonably certain that they'll be able to submit before the 7th? Otherwise this round is going to end up being voided.
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I think I have a few of them somewhere... give me a second to look.
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Just a reminder that the submission stage ends Sunday night, so get moving on anything you plan on submitting!
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Oddly enough, it never made me dizzy. My problem is more with trying to quickly deduce which way the pieces are going to turn and which orientation, left or right, they are. Very hard to figure out on the fly when the screen is rotating.
Incidentally, I just got to 39 lines. Which is odd, because it was on Night Mode. What's even more odd is that I score consistently higher in Night Mode than in Normal Mode.
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Let it be known that I suck at this. I can't get past 24 lines in this game. I'm not sure whether to blame the rotating screen or my own ineptitude.
EDIT: Ok, just made it to 32. Still, I need MORE!
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Just finished listening to all three. I'm now listening to the second again.
It is not suffice to say that this set is awesome. It's better than that. Now, I'm no expert music person, so what I say is as a casual listener, but this set is easily one of my favorites. The production sounds good, the transitions are smooth yet distinct, and the songs picked for each part mix with each other very, very well.
I think parts 1 and 2 are my favorites, but 3 is definitely right up there with them in quality. This set, for much of the second and third parts, feels very... well, chill. You can nod your head to the beat for them and just relax. This is more so with the third, but I was doing it with the second as well. The second also has parts that start off chill and then really make me want to get up and dance. Which is an urge I have no incentive to fight! Part 1 is more pumping that the other two, being the progressive mix. I was wanting to dance through most of it. It has some more chilled parts too inbetween to break things up a bit, and it works so well.
One of the things I love about G-T's mixes is that, despite being an hour long each, none ever feels like it's dragging on. I've listened to quite a few mixes with this kind of length and halfway through them I'm like "okay, when's it gonna end?" I never get like that with these, and the latest three do not disappoint.
Naturally, all three are great for driving. I'm going to be adding these to my iPod as soon as I can. The turntable is not enough, indeed.
EDIT: Also, I want to add that it seems like, in most of the mixes, including these, I love the opening songs the most.
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Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!
EP RELEASE - Vision Quest
in General Discussion
Posted
Sounds great! It's not really my cup of tea as far as music goes, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it as good music! Hell, I might drop some money for this anyway.