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Creative Writing – What, How, Why of a Fantasy Novel

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Writing a fantasy novel is great fun – you can literally let your imagination run wild.  It’s a little different when writing a novel set in the real world as unlike books set in reality where you can use real life as examples, you’ll have to invent everything in your new fantasy world.  Do you enjoy writing, are you working on a fantasy novel, or have you had the notion to start one?  I hope the next few minutes while reading this helps you no matter what stage you might be in for writing a novel.

One of the best things you could do to kickstart things is read as many classics as you can find!  No matter the type of book you begin writing this will give you a good idea about what works and what doesn’t.  Remember though that reading other peoples works is something to help with idea spawning and relax your mind.  You must take note not to simply copy the ideas you’ve read from any of the good old classics or other pieces of work you find.  If you find yourself dealing with elves, half-lings and orcs whilst being a reluctant hero on a quest to destroy a powerful item, it’s probably best to scrap it and start again. It is true that all stories are a combination of those the reader has encountered over the years. But, you should always try to find an original angle and it certainly should not be obvious what the source material was. Reading the classics will also allow you to discover how well-crafted characters interact with each other as the story progresses.

Tip 1. Use established myths and legends as the basis for your fantasy world. Think about what your fantasy world might be like.  Do your studying and find out what your world and culture is most like….Is it Celtic, Roman, a medieval world or a blend of multiple cultures with your own twist on it? Once you’ve chosen, go and read about the myths and legends that relate to those cultures. The mythological creatures and characters and their stories will give you a great basis for your new world.

Tip 2. Get to know your imaginary world – you need to be able to describe it in detail if you are going to convince your readers, for the duration of the book at least, that it exists. Be thorough and detail everything you can possibly imagine about the world you are creating.

  • Physical – what does your fantasy world look like? Think about and make a note of:
    • the colour of the sky
    • what other planets can be seen from the surface
    • whether the air is breathable
    • what the plants look like
    • what creatures live there
    • whether there are seas
    • what the landscape looks like
    • futuristic world or something older
  • Residents – decide who lives in your newly formed fantasy world. You should spend time thinking about how they look, what they eat, how they move, whether they need sleep, how they speak to one another etc…
  • Society – what kind of society exists? Do they need money to buy things? Is there a complex system of politics they follow? Do they have a police force, a king or president? Is there a religion?
  • Special powers/magic – Do the residents have any special powers or use magic? If so, what are they and why do they exist? Does everyone have use of them or only certain people?

Tip 3. Make your characters believable. This is one of the most essential parts of the book if you want to hook and keep readers interested in the story. A great way to achieve this is to apply logic to every character in every fantasy world you create. This means creating a set of rules that apply to the world and the character. The rules can be based on either real life or they can be simply invented by you.  Remember if you are creating the rules of the world, don’t let a BOX hold you back from being creative.  Sometimes creating our own ways is just the push we need to make that next step in our creative writing.

Tip 4. Make sure you keep careful notes of all the details you invent for your new fantasy world. This will help you maintain continuity throughout the novel. There are many ways of doing this, some writers like to have a set of cards with the details on, others set up spreadsheets; so play around with different systems to find one that suits you the best.  I personally use a book mapping chart I created in excel that helps me track all major parts of the book I need.  I hope these few steps help you get started, or give an idea of what steps to take next in writing your new fantasy novel!

Remember, have fun!! That is the first and foremost thing I can say when writing… Have Fun and lots of it!

The Walking Dead Game – Season 2 – Episode 2 – A House Divided Review

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The Walking Dead Season Game Season 2 ClementineHello everyone,

Back again this week and were taking a look at A House Divided which is episode two in this fantastic game series.  I can’t say enough about this game, action, and story line you get pulled into.  While episode one “All That Remains” focused on character development and plot building, “A House Divided” pulls everything in and brings us a very violent story that destroys the relationships we saw built in episode one.

We continue down the path of Clementines amazing character and learn more about the dark path her story is taking, but this episode has taken a turn on character importance as well.  We learn about a new addition to this fantastic story and his name is Carver, a villain with a quiet and terrifying menace.  Like The Governor in The Walking Dead comics, Carver is going to have major, memorable ramifications on Clementine and the people of this episode.  Carver is smart, calculated and very controlling which is what makes him so threatening in this story arc.  Carver is after power and control and he’s set the stage for a very nasty future that Clementine and her group will have to face for many episodes to come.

images (4)As we saw in episode one, Clementine had some very interesting character growth and it was a very intense portion of the game.  Episode two is no different as when we see someone in this story change for the worst, it’s never far off that we will run into someone who is much worse. Over this episode’s two-and-a-half-hours Clementine makes a ton of big decisions about her group’s fate, especially during the stressful and bloody 30-minute finale, while reconciling and damaging relationships along the way. Short of Lee Everett, nothing has changed Clem in quite the same way as the catastrophic events Carver puts into motion during this episode.

“A House Divided” may be the biggest episode of The Walking Dead yet in my honest opinion, both in terms of the ground covered and the variables you encounter along the way.  Again, the story is made up of a lot of conversations between the multiple parties involved, and they take wildly different directions depending on who’s alive to have them and how you treat others. You may not see certain settings, have entire conversations, or interact with certain people depending on where you take Clementine by the end of the episode’s five-day stretch.

images (3)On Clem’s journey north to find safety and a missing friend, she also ends up in some of the best action fight scenes the game has seen.  This game series has always been a master at creating drama, and tension in the fight scenes and this episode has just brought those emotions to a brand new level of extreme. The only downside is It’s still concerning to see sudden frame rate drops and animation stutters during these sorts of sequences on the platform systems, but PC has preformed beautifully so that is my go to platform for this game.

Through most of this episode we get to see a very different playing field that Telltale has created with the decisions that are made throughout.  The majority of scenes throughout this episode feel like they’ll each have lasting consequences on Clementine, or even a new group of trustworthy survivors. Depending on whether Clementine gives herself up or tries to sneak away to find backup, she’ll have entirely different game play options, conversations, and choices in separate locations.

images (1)This episode has seen immediate important shifts when big decisions are made instead of wondering when that one specific dialogue choice will come back to help or hurt you.

This episode has seen some big changes, but one thing has not changed, the writers have again blown us out of the park with the story and characters.  A chilling and introspective speech about regret, family, and letting go stands out as one of the franchise’s strongest character moments.  The best part of this episode for me, are the things that aren’t said that come out so clear.  All in All this is one of my favorite moments in the series and I can’t wait to play the next episode.

Until next time!

A Minor Character Turns Into Major Writing

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Writing is something I’ve loved to do for as long as I can remember, but at times it makes the brain hurt and you have to step away and relax.  It’s been two months since I last posted something on the blog and it’s due to needing a break, so that is exactly what I did.  No writing…”Well Almost” No writing!  It’s really hard for a writer not to write at all and completely disconnect.

After a fantastic summer vacation with my family, and some much needed R&R I am finally back in the swing of things and I’m getting my writing schedule back. Coming back from this two month break of writing on my book, I decided to break things down in my handy little notebook and see what notes I had been keeping and little to do’s I had tucked away. One note really stood out as it said “Not all of your characters are created equal”.  Hmmm is really the sound that I made because I couldn’t remember why I had written the note.

Lucky for me as I’m writing I make notations on my pages in the book that point back to the note I just made in my handy little notebook, just for occasions like this!  Meaning I’m forgetful and I know it, so I have to do quirky little things to help myself remember where I left off at.

The Minor Character Role

Today is really a break down of what that note meant and hopefully some good tips when writing in minor characters in a story.

First and foremost these characters make up the heart of your story so it’s also important for the readers to grab a hold of who will be important and who will not.  Major characters are the store setters and people you want to follow along with in the story right?  Well as a writer sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in writing these “Minor” characters and forget they are just placeholders at times.

So where is the dividing line between major and minor characters? There isn’t one. The different levels blend into each other, and as you master those writing techniques, you’ll be able to create and better define each minor character for the importance it holds to the story.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a background character breaking stereotype and having a little light pointed their way.  When this happens, this character is no longer part of that background group and the readers have noticed them.  They are also going to expect this character to have some growing moments in the story.

The readers may not care much about this character as he isn’t expected to play a major role in the story. He might be involved in some of the action, but he also might disappear. Still, his individuality will set a mood, add humor, make the underlying story more interesting and complete. The way to make such characters instantly memorable without leading the audience to expect them to do more is to make them eccentric, exaggerated or obsessive.

As you play around with how these minor characters stand out in the story use the ideas of making them eccentric, or exaggerate their personality or even make them some crazy obsessive compulsive jerk. Don’t be shy when writing these characters in your story!  Make sure you are also keeping track of who and where these minor characters fall in place to the storyline.  Rank them per say from least important background, through the minor characters, major characters, all the way up to the protagonist of the story!

Look at the personalities of your characters, who are they, how do they interact, are they changing as the story grows, and who will end up being a minor and major character?

Have fun, enjoy the writing, and as for myself…. I have a lot of work to do on the minor characters in my book!

Best of luck to all the writers out there!

Until next time

The Walking Dead Game – Season 2 – Episode 1 – All That Remains Review

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Hey everyone!

It’s been a while since I wrote my last game review and that’s mainly because I haven’t been playing anything lately. My attention has been pulled towards other side projects, and real life has kept me quite busy.  Though I’ve managed to get a little free time….and when I have some free time, I tend to go rummaging through old games that I haven’t had a chance to play or catch up on.  I’ve had Season 2 of The Walking Dead installed since it came out, and I’m just now getting around to finishing up the story. To me it’s one of those little gems of the game world that you can’t wait to play. I got a hold of the first Walking Dead game early last year and had a blast playing through the series, but I wasn’t able to follow the story into Season 2, until now, and all I have to say it’s a buckle your seat belt kinda game.  It’s full of roller coaster emotional moments, and packed with action scenes that keep you on the edge of your chair.

the-walking-dead-all-that-remains-4-1024x576We pick back up with Clementine who is the young heroine of this story.  You can really tell the death and destruction that has surrounded her for so long is starting to wear on her.  She no longer has Lee to lean on in those tough desperate times of need as he’s passed away and just a memory now.  This season starts with a brand new feel and that innocent little girl you saw in season 1 is all but lost and put aside.

Just as the first season game play spun our heads, how you play and how you make decisions in this season determines how the story flows. All That Remains really pulls you to the center of how Clementine has learned to survive, fought for the things she held dear, and even learned to grasp the evil that humanity can bring on itself.  She is learning to lean on the dependency of herself instead of others in this season.

It’s still a big enjoyment of the game to have those split second frantic button popups during zombie battles, decision points with the groups, and exploring the environments at your own pace.  But one thing I’ve not enjoyed is the decisions you made in season 1 don’t seem to matter all that much now.  Clementine ends up with an untrusting new group that finds her stranded and alone, but because everyone exists to question Clementine, we’re left not knowing what anybody but Clementine wants.

clementine and peteShe meets a man named Pete, who seems to be the group’s leader and has an instant open heart to Clementine, almost a father-figure role. Clementine becomes quick friends with Luke, a young man she confides in about her old friend Lee that passed away.  Clem also finds another young girl about her age, who for all purposes is completely oblivious to the things happening outside the walls of her home.

This new group brings a new level of fascination, and stress to the game, as they all have a very strained relationship with each other and the conflict will surely blow up.  The main plot of this season has a dark enemy lurking closer to the group and way more dangerous than the zombies could ever be.  The overall story line seems a bit torn and less put together than the first season, and I’m not sure if it’s meant to be that way to keep you guessing, or by the writers being torn. What makes everything tie together is Clementine, as she is the shining star of this game and no matter how unsure you are of the overall story, her story pulls everything together somehow.

This season has some of the most shocking violent moments in The Walking Dead series I’ve seen but everything you experience as being Clementine is more engaging and way more emotional.  Though Clementine has found a new group of survivors she still has this empty spot and you really do feel alone in the game.  Some of the conversations you have with others seem disheartening as you get to watch the little bit of humanity that seems left slip away.  But again, this type of emotional roller coaster is what makes the game so appealing, and emotionally you feel connected to those characters that TellTale has created.

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#thewalkingdead #seasontwo #episodeone

Refuge of the Faithful

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1407637422The Great Port

Pelargir, was one of the first settlements of the Numenoreans founded in Middle-earth and was built in the year 2350 of the second age as a haven of the Faithful. The King’s Men established havens farther South but Pelargir was one of the cities that assembled Gondor when it was founded in 3320 by the Faithful.  The great port was was located off the Anduin river, just South of the White Mountains.

As Gondor’s power grew, Pelargir became the home of its navy. But during the civil war, also known as the Kin-strife, the city was besieged by Eldacar, as it had become a stronghold of the sons and supporters of Castamir. The siege was only a partial success, as Eldacar had driven out the enemies, but they escaped and fled to Umbar.  The son’s of Castamir, and the surviving enemies heirs became known as the Corsairs of Umbar.  They plagued Gondor with war and tormented their ports for years to come.

Battle_of_PelargirThe Stronghold was Broken

With the decline of Gondor’s power, Pelargir became weaker by the day and an easy target for the Corsairs, who by this time had made an alliance with Sauron.  Although Gondor’s power was in decline they managed to defend their coasts.  In 1634 of the third age, the Corsairs overtook the city and slayed King Minardil in the process.  Gondor was able to regain the city quickly and drove the Corsairs out once more.

During the War of the Ring, the years of conflict between Gondor and the Corsairs was about to come to a quick end. A great Corsair fleet attacked the city as Gondor’s armies were caught at Minas Tirity, and there were not enough troops to defend the coasts or Pelargir.  At what looks to be a defeat in Pelagir, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, along with the Grey Company and the Army of the Dead, arrived and defeated the Corsairs.  Once they took over the Corsairs fleet of ships, Aragorn released the spell that had bound the dead men of dunharrow.  Aragorn and his men arrived at Minas Tirith to defend it from Sauron’s forces. The Corsairs were driven out and they never attacked Gondor, or Pelagir again once Sauron had been killed.

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#warofthering #regionspotlight

The Kings of Gondor – Part Seven – Death to the Corsairs

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Hail and Well Met Friends!

When we left off on our last episode, we had just seen the Kin Strife come to a boiling point and watched civil war break out amongst the people of Gondor.  We also saw the crowning of Aldamir and the beginning of the Corsairs of Umbar.

HaradThe New Kings Constant Battle

Aldamir was the second son of King Eldacar and succeeded his father in TA 1490 because his elder brother Ornendil was murdered by Castamir. Aldamir’s fifty year reign was marked with constant warfare with the Corsairs of Umbar and the Haradrim, which called in Westron the Southrons and once the “Swertings” by Hobbits, were a race of Men from Harad in the region of Middle-earth directly south of Gondor. Aldamir was slain in battle against the Men of Harad in 1540 and had one son who later took the throne.

Aldamir’s son, born as Vinyarion took the throne in TA 1540 and reigned until 1621. Vinyarion wished to avenge his fathers death, which he accomplished in 1551 by invading the Harad and defeated them. It was then when he proclaimed himself Hymarmedacil II, which menat “South-Victor” in Sindarin.  This was a name one of his great ancestors took in the twelfth century.  He died in TA 1621 after a rule of eighty-one years and two hundred thirty years of life and was succeeded by his son Minardil.

The House of Hurin

Minardil was born in TA 1454 during the reign of his great grandfather Eldacar. Minardil’s reign was brief and tormented with conflict. His steward, Hurin of Emyn Arnen, would found the line of the House of Hurin, who became ruling stewards centuries later.  In TA 1634 he was slain at Pelargir when it was attacked by the Corsairs of Umbar. Minardil ruled for thirteen years and was succeeded by his eldest son Telemnar.

Telemnar became king in TA 1634, and due to the growing threat from the Corsairs, he immediately began building up Gondor’s fleets to defeat them but his plans came to an end when the Great Plague struck Gondor.  The Great Plague ravaged Gondor and it’s outlying hold of Osgiliath, and in result the king and his family died. The White Tree also withered and died during this time. He was succeeded by his nephew Tarondor, who was the son of Telemnar’s younger brother Minastan.

gondor treeThe White Tree

Tarondor took the throne at a young age in TA 1636 after his uncle passed.  He was the longest reigning King of Gondor, but war and plague had tortured his country and strove to rebuild the land and it’s great power. The most significant event in his reign was the removal of the capital from the now depopulated Osgiliath to Minas Anor and the replanting of the White Tree. However, Gondor at this time was drained of its resources and man-power and could no longer afford to tend to the forts guarding the ancient entrances to Mordor, thus they fell into decay paving the way for evil things to return.  He died in TA 1798 after one-hundred and Sixty-two years of rule was succeeded by his son.

Telumehtar became king in TA 1798 after his father passed.  His reign was largely uneventful except for problems the Corsairs continued to bring to the land. The long descendents of the defeated king Castamir the Usurper; the Corsairs raided the coasts of Gondor and terrorized shipping in the area. Telumehtar wanted to rid the seas of the Corsairs, so he assembled a large army in 1810 and recaptured their base in Umbar. After this event he took the title Umbardacil, meaning “Victor over Umbar”. In this war, the Corsairs suffered total defeat and the descendants of Castamir all died and Umbar was yet again held by Gondor.  Telumehtar ruled for fifty-two years and was succeeded by his son Narmacil II.

Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

scr.ee tags:

#KingsofGondor #LOTRlore

The Kings of Gondor – Part Six – The Kin Strife

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Hail and Well Met Friends!

I know it’s been a while since our lest episode in the Kings of Gondor series and I do apologize for the long wait.  My schedule has been insanely busy lately, but I’m back on schedule with everything and you can expect regular episodes again.

When we left off last episode, we had just concluded the reign of Valacar and with his age came the rebellion of the coastal lands.  When he passed it brought a blood bath of a civil war called the Kin Strife among the people.

OverthrownThe Kin Strife

This week we pick up with his son Eldacar which was born as Vinitharya in the Kingdom of Rhovanion.  In 1260 of the Third Age he was brought to Gondor by his father. His reign saw the breaking of his people and the start of a civil war.  He was the son of princess Vidumavi, a daughter of the Northmen, King Vidugavia. After ascending the throne in 1432, he reigned for five years when he was deposed and driven from Osgiliath into exile to Rhovanion by a distant vile relative.  While Eldacar was exiled he slowly gathered support from the Northmen and the Dunedain from the northern parts of Gondor.  This army that Eldacar had gathered had a mass hate for the one who overturned the throne, and exiled Eldacar.  They hated this man because he executed Eldacar’s firstborn son, and they wanted revenge.

The great-grandson of King Calmacil, Castamir was not in line for the throne, but his royal background had made him the Lord of Ships under the previous king, Valacar. His lineage and influence left him in a position to challenge the current king, Eldacar, who was only half Numenorean.  As King Valacar’s only son, Eldacar was the legitimate heir to the throne, but his half Rhovanion lineage angered citizens who believed that pure Numenorean blood must be maintained. Capitalizing on the protest of the people against the the current king, Castamir was able to incite rebellion and surrounded Eldacar within the city Osgiliath 1437 of the Third Age. The city was set on fire by Castamir’s troops, destroying the famed Dome of Stars. Shortly thereafter, Eldacar fled the city and into exile in Rhovanion, to the north.

osgiliathThe Taking of a Kingship

With the defeat of the king, Castamir seized the throne.  For ten years Castamir ruled Gondor with an iron fist, while Eldacar quietly regained power. Castamir ruled cruelly, and committed many foul deeds, including executing Eldacar’s own son, Ornendil. At first the people of Gondor tolerated Castamir because of his pure Numenorean blood. Then, in 1447, Castamir, now called “The Usurper” by his people was overthrown after a decade of wicked rule with the people now rallying around the true king, Eldacar. He was slain by Eldacar’s forces at the Battle of Erui, the battle of the Kin-strife as which it came to be known for the rest of time.

Castamir’s influence did not end there though. Some of his forces, and surviving sons, retreated from the Battle of Erui to the port of Pelargir and escaped by ship to Umbar, far to the south. These descendants of Castamir became the so-called “Corsairs of Umbar”, the great pirates who terrorized the ports of Gondor. They were perhaps the greatest threat to Gondor for nearly 400 years, commanding massive fleets of ships. Their most infamous exploit was the Raid of Pelargir in 1634, in which a Corsair fleet led by Castamir’s great grandsons Angamaite and Sangahyando‎ sailed up the river Anduin to the port of Pelargir. This raid coincided with King Minardil’s visit in which he was slain by the attacking Corsairs.

The Corsairs remained a significant threat until 1810, when King Telumehtar retook Umbar for Gondor. After the victory Telumehtar was known as Umbardacil, which literally means “victor over Umbar”. In this battle the last descendants of Castamir were finally killed.

Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!

scr.ee tags:

#KinStrife #KingsofGondor #LOTRlore

Stepping out of the Bloggers Box

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Are you a new, or even a veteran Blogger?  It doesn’t matter how long you’ve blogged because at one point in time you’ve asked yourself this question.  How do I get more traffic to my blog? Are you at that place in your writing that you struggle with and feel like people don’t pay attention to anything you post?

I’ve been blogging for around seven years total now, but honestly the first couple years of that seemed like such a struggle, because I was so focused on how many hits I was getting on my posts.  I didn’t have a clear idea of how my first couple of blogs needed to work and what I was even doing really.  I say all this because last year I discovered this amazing community called The Newbie Blogger Initiative which is what kick started my passion again for blogging.  I had only just created the idea of my current site A Hobbits Journey, but it wasn’t until I got involved with NBI in 2014 that things seemed to kick off for me. It was such a breath of fresh air to be involved with other bloggers, sharing their tips, struggles, encouragement, and even challenging you to become more involved into the “Blogosphere” community.  So if you are stuck in that rut, and have been working or grinding those blog post out, and just don’t seem to be moving along like you want or feel that you keep running into a brick wall…..Go check the NBI out, get involved, start re-thinking the way you blog, and don’t be afraid to step out of the box.

So if this sounds familiar to you? You get the heart to write this piece of art work, and drop it to your blog. You made sure a creative headline was added, you shared your post to Twitter, Facebook, and even Google+. Then you wait in breathless anticipation for your share count to skyrocket.  But it just doesn’t get the hits like you wanted.  Does this mean you failed and shouldn’t blog?  The answer is NO WAY, keep posting, keep trying, pursue this adventure but don’t just write for anyone write for you and do it because you love to write, not because you want 1000 views on a blog post.  Do we blog to get views, sure, we want our stuff to be viewed but don’t let it get you down when a post isn’t getting the numbers you wanted.

Maybe it’s a perspective change on what the vision of your blog is.  Why are you blogging, and have you branched out to try a few new ways to socialize your content?

Everyone is using Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ to get their content promoted.  These networks are very popular and rightly so, as they offer such ease of use and they are a great way to connect.  Here are some smaller and less well known networks I’ve found over the past few months.  These sites seem to have very active, focused audiences, and offer less competition for attention, so your content will stand out and be easier to find.

  • Tumblr – Which is a microblogging site.  The user base seems to lean more towards the younger generation, which makes it a great platform to reach a very niche-based group.
  • Empire Avenue – Which is part social network, part social media marketing tool.  It uses gamification to enable the users to broadcast content across all the other social networks.  This seems to be very popular with small businesses, social media pro’s and bloggers.
  • Quora – Which is a website founded by two former Facebook employees.  It’s a unique site as all the content is created, edited, and organized by its user community.

Step outside the box a bit and try something new on your next post, because just sharing a link in your post isn’t enough to make sure it gets read.  Why would users click on your post, do they have a good compelling reason?  Here’s some out of the box things to try!

  • Dubbler– This app is available for iOS and Android.  Spark interest in your blog post and record an audio message that communicates your excitement and passion about the content in a way that text or static images can’t. Add an image, enter your blog post URL in the description and you’ve got a ready-made sound bite that can be shared with the Dubbler community, as well as Facebook and Twitter.
  • Vine – I know this is a crazy idea, but a Vine video is a great way to give viewers a 6-second teaser about the blog post contents. Vine has an active and growing community to share with. Additionally, you can also share to Twitter and Facebook. Since Vine is owned by Twitter, your video will display automatically when you tweet it, as well as provide a link to the blog post and specific hashtags. There’s another benefit of using Vine. Tweets with Vine videos are four times more likely to be shared than standard video, according to research by Unruly.
  • Instagram – Has a constant updating feed of images viewed by millions of people. Sharing your main blog image, overlaid with the post title, is a great way to drive traffic to your blog. Here’s how I drop my blog post images to Instagram.
    • Save your blog image to Dropbox
    • Access Dropbox from your mobile device
    • Upload the image to Instagram
    • Add any relevant hashtags and the URL of your blog post to the caption, using Bitly to shorten and track click-throughs
    • Be sure to @ mention anyone you referred to in your post
    • Remember to share your Instagram image to any of the social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, etc..

I hope you don’t mind stepping out of the box while you blog, because sometimes that can make the journey all the worthwhile especially when your hooked into a community like NBI.  So, what are you waiting for, get to blogging and don’t be afraid to change things up a bit.

scr.ee tags:

#Social

Tomb Raider – A New Spin on Lara Croft – Game Review

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download (12)Looking back at the original Tomb Raider which came out 19 years ago… and yes that actually says 19 years ago.  I won’t lie, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Tomb Raider series but they brought in a new era of action and adventure to the gaming world.  Over the past 19 years, we’ve seen Lara any many forms and fashions, from the gun wielding expert, to the great female explorer.  But we’ve never seen a Lara quite like this new one from Crystal Dynamics as we now get to see a young Lara Croft on her very first expedition.  She has been shipwrecked and stranded on a strange remote island, packed full of dangerous moments lurking around the corners and pushed to her limits.  During the game you will get to experience this new side of Lara’s origin that we’ve never seen before.  I believe this was a great way to reboot a series like Tomb Raider that ultimately builds on the already great character we know as Lara Croft.

I’m not a big fan of games with QTE’s “Quick Time Events” but the way they built the story for this game you really don’t notice it.  Everything early on in the game feels very scripted at times, but this is also offset with the beautiful landscapes, and the character development.  Even though the opening of the game is very restrictive, the designers did such a great job on the plot that you just kinda forget about it….but the best part of the game is after you hit the open lanes and the game lets you loose on the island.  This Lara is a very different Lara then we’ve seen in past as I said before, she is vulnerable and what seems weak at times, but she is also very strong and has a will to live which connects you to the character.

The lacking areas of the game were the supporting cast by far.  Personally for me I think this is because we’ve seen multiple games with Lara Croft before, so anyone that is a supporting cast is by default lacking just because.  The plot of Lara being shipwrecked with a crew of friends is what really builds the story in this new game though.  Overall the story that was created is about Lara and not the supporting cast and Crystal Dynamics has done a fantastic job of pulling you into the story and giving you options to be a part of it.  There are a few jaw-dropping moments in this story, which develops quickly from survival-struggle into an epic battle for survival.

download (11)The combat in the game takes some getting used to because it moves so quickly, and Lara is brand new to the expedition lifestyle as this being her first, you see a few weaknesses come about. One minute she’s trying to figure out how to use a weapon it seems, and five minutes down the road she’s wielding a bow, sneaking around, and doing stealth kills like a ninja. Combat has never been the strength of Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider games, but this game nailed it right on the head with an awesome system in my honest opinion. Fighting in this game is just overall fun, and it doesn’t matter what weapon Lara is carrying because your going to get to kill a lot of bad guys in this game.  Throughout the game a lot of learning goes on as well, because Lara is able to discover new weapons, and can gather scrap metals and materials to actually “MacGyver” upgrade her weapons as well. I personally enjoyed snapping arrows at high speed through bad guys skulls then using any of the guns, but to each persons own style right.

Building Lara’s skills and upgrading her weapons became a necessity for me it seemed, personally because I’m a completionist, and I wanted to see how much damage I could do.  By the time you hit the later chapters of the game you have a mercenaries personal arsenal stash to pick from. I never had a ton of hand to hand combat in the game but that is something you can upgrade and learn along the way as well, which I advise you do.  Most of the game though is focused on survival at any cost but seems to be under used in some major parts of the game and story plot.

images (39)One of my favorite parts of the survival instincts Lara has is her climbing abilities as you use it a ton in the game, but more then anything leaping across cliffs and mountain ranges with a climbing axe brings you to the edge of your seat at times. Being able to climb to new destinations around this map makes the game feel very large and actually brings you closer to feeling lost on a big remote island I think.  Lara has been to some pretty amazing places over her 19 years as an explorer but this reboot gives us a stunning, beautiful look into scenery that is hard not to stop and look at.  This game is so rich with colors, detail and beauty, you could honestly call it a work of art at times.

Tomb Raider has definitely taken inspiration from the other great action games of our generation. One of my favorites in the game were Shanty Town where you have to escape a burning building, and in the same area you were sifted down a cliff-side waterfall, so the game has a ton of depth in it’s environment.  This game brings a great mix of emotions into the game play as well, as there are moments of learning and quiet story building, heavy combat sequences, and moments your sitting on the edge of your seat clinching your teeth together.  One of the things I did like about the old Tomb Raider games were the puzzles you had to figure out, and this game is no different as Lara will have plenty of moments figuring out how to find lost treasure, or being stumped on a solution of how a door opens.  A lot of the treasure hunting takes backseat to the storyline of the campaign missions, but it’s great to have that old exploration feel in the game as well with these side missions.

When you have finally completed all the campaign missions, the map opens up for you to explore as you freely choose, and if your a completionist then what better way to go looking for those missing documents, hidden treasure, or relics you missed a long the way.  Once the main campaign is complete there won’t be any lurking threats while your out scavenging so it’s just you and the large remote island of a playground that you get to go admire now.

The Kings of Gondor – Part Five – The Breaking of Lines

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Hail Readers!

It’s been a few weeks since my last post, and that’s due to some PC and Blog issues, but I’m back up and running.

When we last left off I had just wrapped up things with the Ship Kings and the prosperous age of Gondor.  We kick things off this week with what I would call the breaking in the lines of Kings.

75177-the2bstewards2bscepterWe start off with Narmacil which was the son of Atanatar II and he was known as a very lazy king and soon after taking the throne grew tired of his duties. He reigned as king for fourteen years but after growing tired of his duties as king, he decided to pursue his own personal pleasures so he created the noble title of Regent, and surrendered rule to his nephew Minalcar (who would eventually become King in his own right).

During his reign, the Easterlings became a threat again and his regent’s main concern was making alliance with the tribes of the Northmen to help fight against them.  It is unknown if Narmacil retained any power but he died without any children in the year 1294 of the third age and was succeeded by his brother.

Calmacil took reign from his brother Narmacil and became the eighteenth King of Gondor in the year 1294.  His reign lasted for ten years, in which his son Minalcar (known later as Romendacil II) continued his role as Regent, a role he held during Narmacil’s reign as well. It seemed he had absolutely no desire to rule Gondor and probably had no power to do so anyways.

Minalcar was born in 1126, the last year of the long reign of Hyarmendacil I as Minalcar and he rose to a powerful position early because his uncle Narmacil I chose to leave his kingship.  He was Regent of Gondor from TA 1240 and struck a decisive blow against the Easterlings whom he defeated near the Sea of Rhun. He also fortified Gondor and made pacts with the Northmen of Rhovanion, all before he took the throne.  After Narmacil’s death, he remained Regent for ten years under his father Calmacil.

argonath brown imageWhen he finally ascended to the throne after the death of his father, he immediately took the name Romendacil, the East-victor. He was responsible for creating the Argonath, the pillars of the Kings. They were known to stand above Nen Hithoel far into the Fourth Age.

Romendacil sent his son Valacar as an ambassador to secure the alliance with the Northmen.  While Valacar was on his mission he married Vidumavi, the daughter of Vidugavia, the King of Rhovanion. In the year 1260, he summoned him and his Northmen family back to Gondor, to take part in the duties of the realm. This was controversial and ultimately lead to the disastrous Kin-strife.  Romendacil died in 1366 and his son Valacar took the reign of Gondor.

tyler-realms-in-exile-01Valacar became the twentieth King of Gondor but his ascension brought disorder and disturbances to Gondor.  He was sent by his father as an ambassador to Rhovanion to acquaint himself with the Northmen. On this mission he married Vidumavi, the daughter of Vidugavia, the King of Rhovanion. Because the Northmen were Middle Men, the Dunedain in Gondor were afraid that this marriage would taint the Numenorean bloodline of its kings.

As Valacar grew old, the coastal provinces rebelled against the land and capital city.  Valacar died in 1432 and his death caused a bloody civil war among the people called the Kin-strife.  The war lasted for fifteen years until Valacar’s only son Eldacar took the throne.

 

I leave you at a fork in the road as we have a breaking point in the family line!  Until next week I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell.