tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54007074167744155712024-03-13T11:23:14.778+07:00RENDY'S BLOGEst. 2012 | Also known as Hi-ν Rendy's Blog and was formerly known as GARAGE-RHi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-78361187612759736962023-01-22T17:26:00.002+07:002023-01-22T17:27:38.362+07:00New Year, New Me(ss of ideas)<div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4LJhy3AjlSQtBHu1RSw6n5hql-hFF6BRyzfkQL0BAtIj0nBZugbE8iQYH4l8altb3xzNmupisThkK9u-OJTnM6yZ_1n73FMM7snU3EIG6eQ-R2QliuLsSKuB86CM_NLvGEyho5rrQRjTdNrfGn9g-UndcsAYHtauO58GQ-wCe3HjBwwQOaGs4XcaV4Q" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1360" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4LJhy3AjlSQtBHu1RSw6n5hql-hFF6BRyzfkQL0BAtIj0nBZugbE8iQYH4l8altb3xzNmupisThkK9u-OJTnM6yZ_1n73FMM7snU3EIG6eQ-R2QliuLsSKuB86CM_NLvGEyho5rrQRjTdNrfGn9g-UndcsAYHtauO58GQ-wCe3HjBwwQOaGs4XcaV4Q=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global GT Lights cars racing in <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2822762696" target="_blank">Silverstone by butter_lord and Kad'O</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's already halfway past January and things have been positive so far for me, at least for normal things I do. Past 15 days were filled with me following <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSmCFH46WIXbKUJ9kgoz_IgJoAWYQqr5P" target="_blank">this year's Dakar Rally</a> while being in awe with how the cinematography are put along with the commentator's plethora of dad jokes, puns, remarks witty enough to wipe floors with Lorelai Gilmore, and sneaks that unfortunately doesn't include Taylor Swift references (but thankfully I got that one covered myself). Other things include finishing <i>Combat Mecha Xabungle</i> which I consider it as an "unserious mecha anime with more comedy bias despite having its fair share of serious moments", and an office trip to Jogjakarta of which I haven't visited the place for a long time, but last and not least is rebooting my content creation project after reflecting on my actions in terms of creations, although I have to say I still have a slow start with not that much post interactions along the way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Even then, my homework is stacked as the time goes, but my discovery of a new method in creation and a more active community actually help alleviating the burden and actually make the final work satisfying. I do have this target where I need to make sure that I can make good creations <i>and</i> cash in some new audiences on social media on the way to keep the top down racing genre alive and interesting, especially with more games on the sub-genre making their returns such as <i><a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-resurrection-of-generally-2.html" target="_blank">GeneRally 2</a></i>. That said, this was something that led to the first ever major announcement for the new project: the 2023 Dakar Rally T1 class cars, three of them, with 10 major drivers represented so far.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But Dakar Rally vehicles are just the tip of the iceberg. It actually started with something that doesn't have to do with top down racers, or racing in general, let alone racing games: Taylor Swift's new album, Midnights.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: left;"></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">MIDNIGHTS</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight.<br /><br />Pre-order now: <a href="https://t.co/jjqUNkphuG">https://t.co/jjqUNkphuG</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fh96zK8vro">pic.twitter.com/Fh96zK8vro</a></p>— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1564100815069106176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The date was 29th of August 2022, the time... <strike>probably midnight somewhere in USA</strike> night time in USA, but it was no ordinary night time as it was the 2022 MTV Video and Music Awards. Taylor Swift won her third award of the night for Video of the Year: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tollGa3S0o8" target="_blank">All Too Well: The Short Film</a>". From there, she ended her acceptance speech and thanking the fans for the short film by saying "it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out Oct. 21. And I will tell you more at midnight." Since then, the world was shocked, the galaxy was screaming, and Swifties, me included, shouted as loud as if they were in EVO 2022 when the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npgBN98ooIo" target="_blank">Cell Yell returned</a> during the <i>Dragon Ball FighterZ</i> finals, continuously hollering as Taylor revealed the song names for the new album one by one leading up to the album's release.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The date was 21st of October 2022, almost two months from the announcement, the same day where BOOM Esports <a href="https://twitter.com/boomesportsid/status/1583019431516864519" target="_blank">delivered</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/bYYiF-lZ_tw?t=30" target="_blank">a karma</a> to defending TI winner Team Spirit that called them "mediocre". Safe to say that on that day there were two booms but as the midnight came one of them became a bang, more precisely a series of bangs as Midnights became an album with a series of bangers: "Anti-Hero", "Vigilante Shit", "Snow on the Beach", "Bejeweled", "Lavender Haze", just to name a few. These, however, are just 40% of Taylor's power as the coveted 3am Edition dropped and more bangs means more impact, both on charts and lyrics with strong entries like "Would've, Could've, Should've" and "Bigger Than The Whole Sky" which brought out her saddening and painful perspective to one of her older love stories she experienced.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Taylor Swift's new album enjoyed its run as a chart-topper and even <a href="https://musically.com/2022/11/01/taylor-swift-clean-sweeps-top-10-in-billboard-hot-100-chart/" target="_blank">clean swept the Top 10</a> in the Billboard Hot 100 at some point, an unmatched record that is a fruit of her years of successful labor. But then you'd be asking... what does this have to do with my top down racing project? Understandably, her songs isn't made for competitive environments such as car racing, but there is one aspect of Midnights that inspired me: the album cover. It is clean and simple, with a perfect color combination that makes it click. I was thinking if this would play a role on my content creation project's reboot, given that I left [R]GARAGE brand out cold due to real life commitments. And so the rebranding plans began, from the album's announcement, to the release, and finally seven years after I actually unveiled the new face for the brand. It is something that has led up to the next phase of my content creation game after doing stuffs like this since... 2008, I think?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">A NEW PROJECT CALLED PROJECT.38R</h2><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Introducing Project.38R - The new top down racing content creation project run by <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RnTheAndrian</a> <a href="https://t.co/xTI16qm71j">pic.twitter.com/xTI16qm71j</a></p>— Project.38R (@Project38R) <a href="https://twitter.com/Project38R/status/1609098782691692548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/digging-past-even-deeper.html" target="_blank">Rendy Andrian's TS Site, RendyTUNED</a>, and <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-new-rgarage-is-finally-here.html" target="_blank">[R]GARAGE</a>, these brands had their own stories to be told. What started as just a journey dedicated to <i>Turbo Sliders</i> became an intertwining story involving more top down racers as well, and eventually I lived with the top down racers despite not spending that much time with them. I got drawn by this sub-genre from my junior high school days, and I kept doing this even as someone who's now employed somewhere. As my design approach on content creation matured and given that it exceeded the standards I set during my college years, a re-brand is the way to go, and so Project.38R came.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The aim of this so-called "Project" is to mainly promote top down racers aside from being a content creation project of yours truly. I kinda noticed that there aren't that many content of top down racers, and even if there are, it'll be just something from, say, 5 or more years ago. I also noticed this after watching the <i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2 </i>videos of James Early, thinking if someone can do the same with other top down racers. I'm not dismissing <i>Circuit Superstars</i> and <i>art of rally</i> either since these two have a sizable amount of fanbase and content creators covering them in their playthroughs (so they succeed in that regard). Even old racing games have their footing too thanks to content creators like GPLaps, of all people.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Project.38R can also be interpreted as a carryover of the past brands. Since college, I took the number 38 in almost every competition I'm in, and the color scheme used doesn't differ much from [R]GARAGE either (apart from swapping the main color), not to mention the logo itself, which is the "R" inside the box as a tribute of the [R] symbol used in <i>Gran Turismo 2</i> to denote race cars in the game, only this time with a modern interpretation where I actually made use of the Golden Ratio circles. Basically this is my graphic designing freelance projects summed up reflecting so much, it actually feels like a total rebrand.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Touching on Social Media aspect, [R]GARAGE brand did get active Facebook and Twitter but it doesn't do that much and it was... all over the place if I had to say myself. The banning of dedicated email made rebranding the existing [R]GARAGE Twitter page impossible so this called for an all-new account, but finding out that I still have another burner account I don't use often actually helped as the next phase would be repurposing that burner account to become the eventual page for this new brand. For the Facebook page, fortunately, it's simply rebranding without all the fuss, and Instagram is definitely a new territory. Either way, there is still a lot to learn as having an audience and getting more post interactions are the next goal for the pages, to which the start has been slow for now. Last but not least, the post plan for now focuses on normal posts, with video posts coming soon, as soon as I will get a new and better laptop.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, I felt like Project.38R won't be just limited to top down racers. My other visions for the page are this being an art portfolio to showcase my works, and this being a page for racing games and cars. Every time I see pages like Japanese Racing Cars, I'd always feel like I would do one of those profile/story type posts while showcasing my or others' creations so that this page won't merely just be a "content dump" type of page (I assume that this can be called as content diversification).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">LAYING THE GROUNDWORK</h2><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">These vehicles shown here are Dakar Rally vehicles that may or may not be available as a production model.<br /><br />Closed course, professional drivers, do attempt ...soon. Will be available for both Turbo Sliders and Ultimate Racing 2D 2!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dakar2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dakar2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TurboSliders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TurboSliders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UR2D2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UR2D2</a> <a href="https://t.co/MK6idUdqnW">pic.twitter.com/MK6idUdqnW</a></p>— Project.38R (@Project38R) <a href="https://twitter.com/Project38R/status/1614958692587417602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The content creation initiative of Project.38R led to an ability for me to share my WIPs, and the ever-growing WIP are in their "ready" phase, in terms of graphics. However, part of the success is also riding on the current wave, in this case it's the 2023 Dakar Rally, which eventually led to an announcement of the mod for the three cars for <i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2</i>. Here, I announced three cars that are ready for release: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTk1fCgFUgo" target="_blank">Audi RS Q e-tron E2</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9zXO5DjwZw" target="_blank">Prodrive Hunter BRX T1+</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avH5uF_7gmI" target="_blank">Toyota Hilux DKR T1+</a>, featuring notable liveries for each car spanning this year's Dakar and, to some extent, last year's running, while others, such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=893K_hSCBhY" target="_blank">Martin Prokop's Ford Raptor</a> to name a few, are in the planning phase and will come soon as a later release (read: part of an ongoing collection). Whichever way you look at it, this will be my most recent grid of cars completed, and even the fastest in process from WIP phase to finishing phase, thanks to <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-nonsense-is-back-evolved-as-ever.html" target="_blank">the new method I am using now</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Making these cars however were a challenge all around. The availability of blueprints was one of such factors; the Audi one was easy since Audi MediaCenter has <a href="https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/photos/detail/audi-rs-q-e-tron-e2-111766" target="_blank">the car's top view</a> along with the original RS Q e-tron that ran last year, Prodrive's had these "conflicting" blueprints where the one I found and ended up working with had some "interesting" perspective compared another one I found, though I decided to make sure the eventual car has a believable shape for a top down racer by making the latter as a secondary reference. Last but not least is definitely the Hilux, as the blueprint for the 2023 car doesn't exist and the only way was through a ripped 3D model somewhere which my laptop wasn't in mood for opening a 3D modeling application given the current spec, the existing blueprints meanwhile do not match the current car's dimensions so I had to take some creative liberty from the existing one and, once the shape was made, adjust the shape so it'd look like the current car, all within the scaled dimensions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And then there's the liveries: BRX cars weren't that hard, Toyota Gazoo Racing ones look challenging but no problem in the end, and so does Audi Sport's, leaving me with two challenging ones: <a href="https://teltonika-iot-group.com/newsroom/teltonika-racing-to-return-to-the-dakar-with-a-better-car" target="_blank">Vaidotas Žala's Teltonika Racing</a> livery and <a href="https://warnerdc.co.uk/gck-motorsport-dakar-livery-design" target="_blank">Guerlain Chicherit's Mad Max</a>-inspired livery (by Chris Warner Design) featuring <a href="https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2M7083T/rome-saudi-arabia-january-6-2023-206-chicherit-guerlain-fra-winocq-alex-fra-gck-motorsport-brx-prodrive-hunter-auto-fia-w2rc-motul-action-during-the-stage-6-of-the-dakar-2023-between-hail-and-al-duwadimi-on-january-6th-2023-in-hail-saudi-arabia-photo-florent-goodendppilivemedia-credit-image-florent-goodenlps-via-zuma-press-2M7083T.jpg" target="_blank">a logo that doesn't exist online yet</a>. Since these cars are scaled not too big for the game, the keyword I had to carry (and actually played a big role in the creation of the aforementioned Dakar cars) was "believable"; the series of blue stripes on the sides of Žala's car are actually interpreted as a solid shape, while the gradient effects were achieved with the help of Feather settings for the concerned shapes, and lastly Vector Masks make sure that these feathered shapes do not bleed to unwanted parts of the liveries. As for Chicherit's livery, methods used consist of just scribbling shapes and use appropriate fill and stroke colors, use additional shapes on some parts with the right levels of Feather, and utilize Vector Mask on parts. For the logo that doesn't exist, I used the closest font similar to the real-life application and the rest is just adjusting the shape accordingly, and eventually place it on where it's meant to be placed in.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Global GT Lights, a small yet powerful machinery made for racing and track days, has arrived on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UltimateRacing2D2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UltimateRacing2D2</a>! Our first release of 2023<br /><br />GT Lights <a href="https://t.co/eckuONI8ZC">https://t.co/eckuONI8ZC</a><br />GT Lights TRD <a href="https://t.co/Fd1I9acR9M">https://t.co/Fd1I9acR9M</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/globalgtlights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#globalgtlights</a> <a href="https://t.co/XEbgeeSvrW">pic.twitter.com/XEbgeeSvrW</a></p>— Project.38R (@Project38R) <a href="https://twitter.com/Project38R/status/1616783772585988097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, the Dakar 2023 collection won't be the first release of 2023 despite going to be the "main event" release as that title goes to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74yh-OIVU0M" target="_blank">Global GT Lights</a>, also for <i>UR2D 2</i>, a lightweight racing machine for professional racing and track day environments. I actually first knew this car from <i>ToCA Racing Driver 2</i> during my career playthrough long ago and didn't notice it'd appear in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZSgEpbRtM" target="_blank">the next game</a> until way later, of which the cars don a different livery in contrast to the former's solid colors. Knowing the car ported to <i>GTR2</i>, this car became one of my wishlist items for WIPs, but it didn't materialize until way, way later after discovering a new (and eventual) car making method myself which has made work easier, successfully scratching the car from the eternal WIP list. Looking at the situation, I can guarantee that it's not impossible to see cars in the eternal WIP list get scratched one by one this year and eventually be done for. For now, the cars can be downloaded by visiting the link(s) on the above embed tweet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Current ecosystem of content creation allows for better media showcase, whether if it's WIP or a completed ones, and going forward this would help in promoting top down racers and their contents, however this is definitely just the start, as the next set of goals to be met for this year will be diversifying contents, enforcing daily post activity, and, as said way above, finding audience, doing promotions, and getting all the post interactions, be it likes or replies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">~[R]</div>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-48770865720959088802022-12-20T15:06:00.001+07:002022-12-20T19:33:07.630+07:00The Resurrection of GeneRally 2<div style="text-align: left;"><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS9u3D189ak_775uZzU1Nbw-Xq65Bk6VoM1OdIL4LQ1Kiu8c2vlUkDKLy3JxTmXVr2bsDpEk5eMQapg-uaANc71op4x1rSRCzdEp-r8hcDVmq1C5aJR27bNQj-Z5zSkWLOiOE4clin0sPb2chSjIQGfcUu25u0lhwFoRW5eK1TeiovhOL9ALPxSoAnqA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot of GeneRally 2's Track Editor functionality" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS9u3D189ak_775uZzU1Nbw-Xq65Bk6VoM1OdIL4LQ1Kiu8c2vlUkDKLy3JxTmXVr2bsDpEk5eMQapg-uaANc71op4x1rSRCzdEp-r8hcDVmq1C5aJR27bNQj-Z5zSkWLOiOE4clin0sPb2chSjIQGfcUu25u0lhwFoRW5eK1TeiovhOL9ALPxSoAnqA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screenshot of <i>GeneRally 2</i> (Image: <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2104920/GeneRally_2/" target="_blank">GeneRally 2's Steam Page</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The year was 2013, <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-present-you-generally-2-gr-spirit-has.html" target="_blank"><i>GeneRally 2</i> was announced</a> following the release of the new version of <i>GeneRally</i>. The Kickstarter campaign for the sequel has kicked off and with that, a new hope for a renewed classic that has been around since the early 2000s. The failure of the campaign, however, started a domino effect to the game's downfall, made worse with the silence of the project leader himself James Burgess (although slow but sure there were progression blogs that were written), taking its toll to the community. This doesn't mean the game is dead; GR2 was still being worked on in closed doors while GRPL Discord Server carried on activities in the original game.</div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div>Filling the gaps of the rather quiet era of the late 2010s are two games inspired by GeneRally: <i><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1097130/" target="_blank">Circuit Superstars</a></i>, the love letter to the world motorsport by the Mastretta brothers and team, putting the inspiration of the game and turned it to a new perspective, featuring a plethora of cars and customizations in terms of cars and drivers. It's clear that there are familiar elements where GR players can point out, especially given that they started out as the <i>Apex Racing League</i> (not to be confused with <i>Apex Legends</i>) and advertised it on <a href="https://forum.generally-racers.com/viewtopic.php?t=4851" target="_blank">GeneRally International Forums</a>, with positive feedbacks throughout its development phase. <i><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1565890/" target="_blank">RaceLeague</a></i>, a newer entry to the ring, coupled the GR inspiration with more sim-esque approach with more challenging driving physics and advanced damage physics, though it is the game's track editor that made <i>RaceLeague</i> a strong choice for content creators, resulting in some of the best track creations available for racing.</div><div><br /></div><div>On November 21 this year, though, a new chapter starts for the sequel that has been in the development cycle for almost a decade: <i>GeneRally 2</i> <a href="https://twitter.com/Gene_Rally/status/1567856358527062016" target="_blank">has arrived on Steam</a>. While their inclusion is just on the "Wishlist" phase, things have started to kick again after arguably a long sleep, with more than one week later a follow-up post on the <a href="https://gene-rally2.com/blog/2022/11/track-editor-an-introduction/" target="_blank">newly-revamped Track Editor feature</a> is written by noted team member and <i>GeneRally </i>veteran TuomoH (and just yesterday from this post, <a href="https://gene-rally2.com/blog/2022/12/track-editor-painting-tools/" target="_blank">another was posted</a>!). Once more, GR fans have something to hope on after enduring years of pain, with a potential of attracting the new ones.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEjhCxuxykwFSldN_zpmzTaGax5Gb0_6zlTh1Y2Uo5iUnISA5xeQOB5j86jo3Fi-hXnx0sFzg6Mx7kNT5g6JQ6bVa4Hb08C-AL0_HvSrPNbMrw2BDfp8UK0VGwa7oTlAlqovZP-t29mkJT6R54jOCgDpSHuwXJZYAbTyH-h8iq0kvd30LMCJ9MGCF7Xg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A GeneRally race between Prospect.R cars by Rendy in Tropico Island by JEA Team. Third-party tool is used to override camera angle for this shot." data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEjhCxuxykwFSldN_zpmzTaGax5Gb0_6zlTh1Y2Uo5iUnISA5xeQOB5j86jo3Fi-hXnx0sFzg6Mx7kNT5g6JQ6bVa4Hb08C-AL0_HvSrPNbMrw2BDfp8UK0VGwa7oTlAlqovZP-t29mkJT6R54jOCgDpSHuwXJZYAbTyH-h8iq0kvd30LMCJ9MGCF7Xg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>As much as I haven't played GR until recently, I still kept wondering whether there'd be GR2 someday. The top down racing is as niche as it is, let alone the racing genre in general, and it's hard to compete against the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q8FDidHY7g" target="_blank">tall vampires</a> and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC9Nm87qvg0" target="_blank">reformed rabbis</a>" in gaming as a whole. However, do remember that <i>GeneRally</i> is one of those games whose life continues to flourish thanks to user-created contents, joining the likes of other racers such as <i>Assetto Corsa</i>, <i>GTR2</i>, <i>Richard Burns Rally</i>, <i>TrackMania</i>, <i>Midtown Madness</i>, and so on. The main advantage for GR, though, is the fact that it doesn't discriminate whether you have a gaming-spec hardware or a potato one. This announcement shook me in many ways as nobody expected when this particular day will come, and of course, the announcement was the field day of the long-time GR players still remaining.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I could hope one thing about GR2, it'd be simply the fact that it would play exactly the same to the original while being the better version of it. However, I feel like there are open possibilities of more advanced features outside the game's scope given the modern times; while online playability is a no-brainer, a dedicated competition mode would definitely a welcome addition as racers have been doing this for years and years. Imagine the possibility of competition login without leaving the game, where your race is automatically downloaded as you go and the game prepares the submission for you as you've finished your race, leaving solely on your left clicking the "Submit" button and your internet connection, and eventually waiting for the result until the deadline hits. Think something akin to the <a href="https://www.rallysimfans.hu/rbr/index.php" target="_blank">Rallysimfans.hu</a> plug-in for Richard Burns Rally where you can run your competition chores in the game. As far as the competition organizers are concerned, they can set up which rounds that'll be run throughout the competition, the car(s) used, the points system, and the game settings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another hope I have lies in the Track Editor. I don't hate the original game's Track Editor, but some of the functions kinda aged badly in that regards especially coming from creating tracks on another game. I kinda wish you could select and rotate existing objects, something that can't be done in the original Track Editor, not to mention a more free approach in the zooming department. Though by the time TuomoH posted his blog entries, I feel like it's possible that we might get these privileges, along with others that will come as the game enters Early Access phase, joining the other active top down racers in this era like <i>Turbo Sliders Unlimited</i>, <i>Circuit Superstars</i>, and <i>RaceLeague</i>, to name a few.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last but not least would be the dedicated "Photo Mode", or in this case… the "Eye Candy Mode" just like the GR players always said so. To simply put, it's basically overriding the default camera view, something that's impossible unless you have the <a href="https://forum.generally-racers.com/viewtopic.php?t=54" target="_blank">Juan's GR Options tool</a> in the original game. Given the function, I'd say it'd be a good idea that this Eye Candy Mode would be available when running a race replay or during Track Editor, although it should be possible to access it from the pause menu directly. Of course, this will definitely help the content creators on composing the best shots for their showcases of any kind.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">TIME TO RETURN</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgObdvRhIfvUkWBOno1TIMOGstbHUGsLJcU_06XIGRNN_ilnAeJtXTn6uqeifc0OK0k66vohN1VgAStvLn4AxhUMY8SE1auajJnFieCUJ_yvCUTLxVD_5ADBCH3K3fKX2yWP4PXJLc-E7N4sDISg5ELGYlPF65N62MRNYIet3mh4G66ODnMJ8O82vqXIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgObdvRhIfvUkWBOno1TIMOGstbHUGsLJcU_06XIGRNN_ilnAeJtXTn6uqeifc0OK0k66vohN1VgAStvLn4AxhUMY8SE1auajJnFieCUJ_yvCUTLxVD_5ADBCH3K3fKX2yWP4PXJLc-E7N4sDISg5ELGYlPF65N62MRNYIet3mh4G66ODnMJ8O82vqXIA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Celebrating GR2, I thought it'd be a good idea to restart my content creation activities for the game especially given at the indiscriminate nature of GR despite having to live with my laptop without its VGA driver enabled (as it'd randomly trigger a black screen). For this occasion, I chose to continue one of my WIPs although I did make some new ones just for the sake of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first one would be what's called as <b>Serena Park</b>, based on an original design track I made a decade ago, crossing through parts of Central Park North and 5th Avenue. This particular track was for a fan fiction project involving TV characters from multiple series in a competitive environment which sadly has been lost to time along with the site that hosted it (although I've archived it already, but not that I would re-post that fic anytime soon). This particular track, in the lore, is used to represent the "Upper East Side" round's final heat of the said competition where competitors race their karts through the track. The funny thing about this track, though, is that I realized that this is actually located between the edges of Harlem and East Harlem, crossing through Central Park. No portion of Upper East Side can be found on the track, despiite being branded as such.</div><div><br /></div><div>Therefore, to avoid further mental gymnastics and Creator's block concerning this track, the track gets a fictionalized design concept; while the core environment of the original track is kept, the 5th Avenue portion is re-worked as a different environment to accommodate pits, and the Duke Ellington Circle portion is replaced with Columbus Circle, sprinkled with the "may or may not be a Formula E track" juju on top. Other than that, the track paths are adjusted to fit GR's proportions, now that it's not too bound on the original source material. Height Map is also on the works, but it'll be just for the hairpin section for the track, and one for the lake. Now that I know how the lake would look like, I might consider fixing this to make sure it doesn't become a mess.</div><div><br /></div><div>The name Serena Park is taken from <i>Gossip Girl</i>'s Serena van der Woodsen, and the fact that it is a copy of the Central Park. For a track that's meant to be part of the Upper East Side round, I think it actually suits the theming since the show is mostly set in, you guessed it, Upper East Side. I'm not sure if those rich people visit the Harlem area on the show but they most definitely drop by in Central Park at least once.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijXPs6mtSFkS3Cc5IJF2ZlPhh2kOtHv35Odj_rJ-_eYGflA79JIJfNuUSFvwoOxWkMqqo9o_htxFW5ZazDOlqFcWMkNE33GFbeRLiJCgZV-Ca1bJ_YmT83tBpWMovRLjAHMZ8BvptjlBcaxhn67CPot7f7HT-mlLgKz4ciCo2JIyX5kZH5b1QRN_IYrg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijXPs6mtSFkS3Cc5IJF2ZlPhh2kOtHv35Odj_rJ-_eYGflA79JIJfNuUSFvwoOxWkMqqo9o_htxFW5ZazDOlqFcWMkNE33GFbeRLiJCgZV-Ca1bJ_YmT83tBpWMovRLjAHMZ8BvptjlBcaxhn67CPot7f7HT-mlLgKz4ciCo2JIyX5kZH5b1QRN_IYrg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Second on my WIP list is a new addition which is based on one of my older designs I didn't document online. <b>Forest Dip</b> is the working name of this particular track, and my initial design long ago was more of a rectangle-ish shape. Working on Serena Park and remembering the story behind the creation, I randomly remember about this track and how can I make it better, so I just did have a short thinking process about how can I make one of my older unpublished works better for the published version. That said, I decided to do it and managed to come up with the shape that isn't rectangle-ish, exactly as seen above.</div><div><br /></div><div>The concept of this track was the track being a purpose-built racing track set in the middle of the forest with undulations. From my initial design, the track drops from the first turn, then climbs after the second turn. Another undulation of the same kind starts descending from turn 6 and climbs after turn 8. Of course further elevation changes would be worked on, but for now I'm finalizing the layout and base designs before proceeding with everything else.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the time being, these WIPs will be in top priority, hopefully I have motivation to finish both of these. More importantly, though, I have high hopes for GR2 once more. In the meantime, please take your time to view <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbGV0Sfal3o" target="_blank">Gearknob Productions' <i>GeneRally</i> essay video</a>, an essential viewing for the GR fans, new and old!</div><div><br /></div><div>~[R]</div></div>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-91950633055690992192022-09-25T20:51:00.001+07:002022-09-25T20:53:03.894+07:00Essential Listening: Ridge Racer Infinity<div style="text-align: left;"><i>Author's note: I'm not too knowledgeable with music genre so apologies if I described wrong genre for some of the songs featured in this post.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLJs-pMA758eEDOJefCrO3RHdGEsqQalIMYjXve-MSKZJdFWnnG4hW8BhLCZ76Z3JbHNiWktK_5yu-gwqZ2sozhXWDjF2n8SQtCR-XcZChfBnUQ97OWFONNILF0Uez6vjsd4ENOV-ouvtFTQfoXLPIKv2RWpD1x7im5BK4Dk95OJRPGswEv8sIH-2yuw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLJs-pMA758eEDOJefCrO3RHdGEsqQalIMYjXve-MSKZJdFWnnG4hW8BhLCZ76Z3JbHNiWktK_5yu-gwqZ2sozhXWDjF2n8SQtCR-XcZChfBnUQ97OWFONNILF0Uez6vjsd4ENOV-ouvtFTQfoXLPIKv2RWpD1x7im5BK4Dk95OJRPGswEv8sIH-2yuw=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official artwork for RoBKTA's Ridge Racer Infinity (Image: Firaga Records)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span>First time I discovered Spotify, there was a time when I had privileges to stream some of Namco Sound Team's best works, despite for obvious reasons there weren't any <i>Ridge Racer </i>soundtracks on the platform. Thanks to some suggestions by the app, I get to discover some new bangers outside the racing genre, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80XAJKqRU9k" target="_blank">"Zero" from <i>Ace Combat Zero</i></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u4YLIacGZo" target="_blank">"The Unsung War" from <i>Ace Combat 5</i></a>, the two tracks that accompanied me through my early months of my mainstay office work. Continuing from there, I decided to dig down <i>Tekken </i>stuffs on the streaming platform especially with the fact that Kazuya Mishima <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KctzAagM0H8" target="_blank">got announced</a> for <i>Super Smash Bros. Ultimate</i>. You know what that means? It means streaming <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvzNSejzXw" target="_blank">"Moonlit Wilderness"</a> for clear skin, among others, also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV36oKczdzE" target="_blank">"Infinite Azure / Moonsiders 1st"</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />But even then, all those things don't last that long. Months after discovering the first two songs, the entire <i>Ace Combat 5 </i>OST is taken off Spotify (and Apple Music), meaning I can no longer stream "The Unsung War" for some reason. However, it wasn't until the next year that the pain became worse, as the <i>entire</i> catalogue from Namco Sound Team <a href="https://twitter.com/Tracker_TD/status/1548291733212909570" target="_blank">got taken off</a> as well, saying goodbye to all the musics save for one <i>Pac-Man</i> game OST for some reason. An infuriating decision it has been, but even then Bandai Namco's handling on the OST department wasn't that great, for instance they weren't able to put newer tracks on the <i>Tekken 7 </i>album, and other Namco games on the streaming platforms (which should've included <i>Ridge Racer</i> as well). As of this post, the entire catalogue are streamable but only if you live in Europe or use a European VPN for that matter, which either way it sucks and only adds the long list of tracks that are region-locked that I can't stream <i>and</i> tracks I had to add as Local Files. (which also includes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlKhWkKpMEU" target="_blank">Mountains from Message to Bears</a>, something a certain Filipino artist mutual of mine would able to stream on regular basis.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although things have gone dire for <i>Ridge Racer </i>as a franchise, with last couple of games not being as successful as their predecessors and ended up having its assets floating on <i>Drift Spirits</i> mobile game in Japan, there are actually three ways you can stream RR OSTs: Number one is that Mijk Van Dijk, a prominent Dutch DJ, has three of his <i>Ridge Racer V</i>compositions <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7ngnk29IMv4Q0W8jY5Xl55?si=UIFtJ0qaSRu35WMijvsCjQ" target="_blank">available to stream</a>; number two is through Kohta Takahashi, one of the franchise's mainstay composers and better known for the brain behind R4's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1IjZsUGtU" target="_blank">"Move Me"</a>, who came up with <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4d75k0VknwGZQRhIeIW1N4?si=Ov8UBRTzRnmU3tqvhex7wA" target="_blank">Reiwa Type 4</a>, an album in which he envisions of how would a latest <i>Ridge Racer </i>installment would sound like; last but not least, though, just recently dropped as of late, and its name is <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4Fi13xpIzGeHl2QhIsl4Qc?si=2KWO2KGIQBCGLgn10nddnA" target="_blank">Ridge Racer Infinity</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Timelapse (a very basic one) of <a href="https://twitter.com/RoB_KTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoB_KTA</a>'s new album logo. It was a pleasure to be a part of this project and work on something I really enjoy. I hope we can do more of these in the future!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RidgeRacer?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RidgeRacer</a> <a href="https://t.co/B300WiaOvm">pic.twitter.com/B300WiaOvm</a></p>— 𝙍𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙇 🏎️ (@rebellion765) <a href="https://twitter.com/rebellion765/status/1537565912538152965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ridge Racer Infinity is described as a love letter to the iconic franchise consisting 10 remixes of select <i>Ridge Racer </i>bangers, created by RoBKTA and featuring names like Andrew Elmore, RoboRob, Tudd, and ViRix Dreamcore, all courtesy of Firaga Records, plus the logo work done by Rebellion765. It is a work of art meant to fill the hole of <i>Ridge Racer</i>'s absence both in video game installments and streaming platforms, as well as carrying the immense impact that the franchise's soundtracks have since its first years. It is something that you can listen while getting your work, in any form, done or while driving down the road pretending yourself driving a 1999 Assoluto Bisonte in a slow motion.<br /><br />Ridge Racer Infinity covers almost all the major <i>Ridge Racer </i>installments, from R4's iconic menu music "On Your Way" to <i>Rave Racer</i>'s "Blue Topaz", not to mention the handheld installment got some love with "Disco Ball" and "Night Stream" as well. Lots of love is obviously given to <i>Ridge Racer Type 4</i> soundtracks, being the most represented in this remix. The first track "On Your Way" really tackles the atmosphere where you'd find yourself preparing for a race in your own team's garage, building up for whatever upcoming race you'll be driving. "Lucid Rhythms" meanwhile gives Tetsukazu Nakanishi's masterpiece a modern EDM touch, the same with "Burnin' Rubber" which also brings some original samples to the table, and "Your Vibe" which also features RoboRob's craft along as well. "R4cin' All Night", though, feels like an original concept which, although based on "Movin' In Circles", touches more on "Urban Fragments" and "One More Win", and is all possible through Tudd's magic as well; the synth keyboard does complement the piano well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>"Disco Ball", though, is definitely a strong favorite of mine. The overall vibe does have some DDR but it doesn't change the fact that the remix is a "Cranked Up to 11" of the original, and even when you overlay it with a <i>Ridge Racer PSP</i> gameplay, it fits like glove. It makes a decent driving music as well. Another PSP track, "Night Stream", brings up some modern EDM fun at slower BPM compared to the original, made possible by ViRix Dreamcore's collaborative work. The song feels like it's taking a more chill approach.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf9W7lrqDh3lRAz4dceK-XhvuTuVBqjr9kLMV3AYO6hF5I6NsqOm_XtIkkz3Q35Jw-veKML9Mkpg5CEY189UVjRl9Bp9FNxRhafgGYsGZRYL71QpxNhg6zxOHOykh-BjREXTKDDZYDCfNgJUV_0xkrU1PbAbks-Ncrnt14LGTdcHgXd8I8GqTg09u6Dg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="1900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf9W7lrqDh3lRAz4dceK-XhvuTuVBqjr9kLMV3AYO6hF5I6NsqOm_XtIkkz3Q35Jw-veKML9Mkpg5CEY189UVjRl9Bp9FNxRhafgGYsGZRYL71QpxNhg6zxOHOykh-BjREXTKDDZYDCfNgJUV_0xkrU1PbAbks-Ncrnt14LGTdcHgXd8I8GqTg09u6Dg=w303-h320" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image: <a href="https://twitter.com/RoB_KTA/status/1537199435003875331" target="_blank">RoBKTA on Twitter</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>From other installments, "Drivin' U 2 Dancin'" does give some hint of AJURIKA, made complete with soundtrack-appropriate samples and some interesting guitar work that tops it. Later on, the soundtrack pulls a little Darude - Sandstorm on you before going back to the usual beat which I find it cheeky and a fun addition in that. "Blue Topaz", the sole arcade represent (<i>Rave Racer</i>), gets a funk treatment and yet it still gives an edge which made the track as enjoyable as the original, although the vibe might be closer to the PSP arrange of Blue Topaz partly due to the slower BPM. Even then, it still makes a good company for driving, of which this also applies to "Deep Drive" from <i>Rage Racer</i> as well, but in its case, it feels like a "mission accomplished" type of beat given its status as the last track in the album.</div><div><br /></div>Overall, Ridge Racer Infinity is literally Christmas coming early for <i>Ridge Racer</i> fans, with the sound card never to be declined and on par with the original works on the franchise. It is something to cherish amidst the uncertainty of a new game in the franchise, as well as a showcase of yet another video game soundtrack classics not on streaming platforms given a remixed love. An undeniable impact that the <i>Ridge Racer</i> franchise had in terms of soundtracks gave inspiration for other composers for their music, soldifying its status as one of the video game franchises with iconic soundtracks. Ridge Racer Infinity is no one's exception, giving some of the icons a modern-day vibe while incorporating the existing vibe that made them in the first place. Clearly, it is a passion project not to be missed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ridge Racer Infinity is available both digitally and physically. You can stream or buy the album on major streaming platforms, and you can order physical copies in the form of CD or tape to get two track downloads! More information available through <a href="https://firaga.to/RidgeRacer" target="_blank">clicking this link</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">~[R]</div>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-12765722037872181312022-09-20T18:38:00.002+07:002022-09-20T20:02:26.356+07:00The Nonsense is Back, Evolved as Ever!<div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiY4q5xuQxxDPSz2lkupVZoCRYs4wcH4UeIOdIcyEdMV8HiwVtxMTNE2-oEH4GHkhP7-zGZbWOOqf-6fkAD69SMMaMqs1_gKztYnkmd9-xM39iQ4K20RXQVnCOVbMUYFYwuet30sKoE-K_A66WbOKDFo6We5uChWJMlCuQwxUNGC8UcxICk09TA_87Xw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiY4q5xuQxxDPSz2lkupVZoCRYs4wcH4UeIOdIcyEdMV8HiwVtxMTNE2-oEH4GHkhP7-zGZbWOOqf-6fkAD69SMMaMqs1_gKztYnkmd9-xM39iQ4K20RXQVnCOVbMUYFYwuet30sKoE-K_A66WbOKDFo6We5uChWJMlCuQwxUNGC8UcxICk09TA_87Xw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing. Track featured is <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2720170280" target="_blank">Trial Mountain v5.3 by nomscar</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Well, I had to say that I wasn't as active in blogging as before, not knowing what I had to write. That, however, has changed and the motivation returns to me after a series of events in the past few weeks. I had doubts that people would still read blogs now that people are more interested towards video blogs, but even then some things are better done as a blog post rather than a video blog, especially when I think about the fact that I haven't had the sufficient resources for it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: left;">Progressing from my <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/" target="_blank">last blog post</a>, I've been into a lot of things that might constitute as a "recovery towards my older self"; I've started watching series once more, starting with some <i>Gundam</i> series. Before the last post, I actually delved myself to <i>G Gundam</i> with its large portion of ham and other things. Earlier this year, there were screenings of select <i>Gundam</i> compilation movies, mostly Universal Century ones, but the best part was that I actually watched <i>Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A wakening of trailblazer </i>which has been something I wanted to watch myself. On the series side, I've finished <i>Iron-Blooded Orphans</i> (best series I've watched so far!) <i>00 </i>(more of a re-watch)<i>, SEED</i>, and last but not least I'm completing <i>Gundam Wing </i>as I speak, of which I had to say... this series has some bonkers storyline. Other than that, I'm still on my mobile games nonsenses; my luck on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-8SMjVVVwI" target="_blank">latest <i>Tekken</i> (Round 2)<i> </i>collaboration</a> on <i>KOF ALL STAR</i> left me in a bitter taste, while things are going positive for <i>Real Racing 3 </i>said of things, as the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tBaBBCZIdE" target="_blank">latest update</a> has the long-awaited Mitsubishi Lancer and Subaru Impreza, as well as the motivation to do the 2021 F1 events as the older rounds of Season 1 are expiring soon.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But the main star of the topic is the top-down racing game I have been playing for years: <a href="http://ts.turbosliders.com/" target="_blank"><i>Turbo Sliders</i></a>. The OG game might have little to no activity but it's got a new breath in the form of <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN_EGndPNHs" target="_blank">Turbo Sliders Unlimited</a></i>, a game that allows for even more degree of customization, both in the car livery and trackmaking at the moment. There is, however, one new name in town that can be considered as what happens when TS has a working pit stop useable for both players and AI drivers, all along with a unique set of cars, physics, and tracks. Ladies, gentlemen, and friends outside the binary, we are talking about Applimazing's <i><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1285230/Ultimate_Racing_2D_2/" target="_blank">Ultimate Racing 2D 2</a></i>, the sequel of <i>Ultimate Racing 2D</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2 </i>is a top-down racing game that allows up to 20 players in one race, complete with a qualifying session, tire dynamics, and strategies, plus with a working track editor. To top it off, the game adds more cars compared to its previous installment and an ability to do multi-class races. It does sound like whatever I would envision TS to have given that I had this ambition of creating a multi-class endurance racing with working pits and a strategic driving model. Yes, this thing breathes like TS, looks like TS, and feels like TS, albeit a couple of differences.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">WAIT, HOW DID I GET THERE?</h2><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheuNlX4FmwiopYaX1xz88oc_stD6tjp-aZ-uPO3VVNrH9S1D3UKvFYJmF_dSRkaB_SS624dvQ_rLDchIQbc3C67H9aUANt2dRH7Io3nhvKOgyVlFZWg6ahXhvO_76bDVx6uc_iw6hiPoavULkdGgc1DE_oo6aXhwn_6abIwSagn4VF8y-075xm_MDUNw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1360" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheuNlX4FmwiopYaX1xz88oc_stD6tjp-aZ-uPO3VVNrH9S1D3UKvFYJmF_dSRkaB_SS624dvQ_rLDchIQbc3C67H9aUANt2dRH7Io3nhvKOgyVlFZWg6ahXhvO_76bDVx6uc_iw6hiPoavULkdGgc1DE_oo6aXhwn_6abIwSagn4VF8y-075xm_MDUNw=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Long story short, amidst my break on content creations on TS, I laid my eyes on UR2D2 and decided that blowing a part of my salary on top-down racers like this would be a good idea, so buying it I did, along with <i>Tabletop Simulator</i> and <i>art of rally</i>. The game was on sale and doesn't disappoint with the affordable price, and even with the Open Access state it's in, the game does have a big potential, especially with a strong community. Speaking of community, it was Mike Nike, a fellow TS veteran, who actually invited me to the game's Discord server, exposing me to an active community that runs a variety of different leagues, from traditional racing leagues to managerial AI-based leagues.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it's been said before, UR2D2 bears a number of similarities to TS; supporting up to 20 players in a race with online capabilities. On top of that, it's possible to set a qualifying session to determine each player's starting positions before the race. Tire wear, tire compounds, and damage can be enabled for the race if desired, allowing for pit stops, and even an AI would enter pits too if you're the type of person who prefer racing with the AIs (think <a href="http://ts.turbosliders.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3034" target="_blank">power79's bots</a> being a reality). It doesn't stop there as it is possible to have different weather effects as well, whether if it's a fixed by you players or randomized through probability.</div><div><br /></div><div>UR2D2 offers a plethora of car classes, with each class consists of 10 cars and is packed with their own set of specs, categorization, and dedicated track type for them, plus an ability to set your own car color for your selection(s) and some come with their unique paint parts, not to mention you can rename the team(s) and driver name(s) to your own liking. Bored racing just a single class? Multi Class option is your friend, allowing you to assign different car classes to either one team or every driver for a race, you can just low-key simulate endurance races on this game!</div><div><br /></div><div>On paper, UR2D2 plays like a hybrid of TS and <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z29AvM39VU" target="_blank">MiniRacingOnline</a></i>. While you can clearly see TS in terms of general driving model it has, it's got some elements from MRO namely the weather, selectable cars for each class, unique car specs for each class, and tire strategies. Another interesting note is that UR2D2's AI skill approach seems to take a hybrid approach; it's possible to define unique AI levels for different drivers through <code>LapClass</code> in TS's AI file, while for general audiences MRO's slider bars has been a no-nonsense approach. This means that you can simply set the slider for a particular driver to adjust their skill level.</div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, if you're coming from, say, either TS or MRO, most of your skills can be transferred to UR2D2, as the game bears familiarity for both titles. Mind you, this familiarity isn't limited to the gameplay, but apparently the car making in particular. This gave birth to some of my first creations like the Daytona Coupe and, my most prized creation, the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32. Other cars followed, like the Ferrari F40 and Mazda RX-7 FD, and I've recently made other set of cars set to be released soon. All these cars are available on Steam Workshop, of which a Subscription would download the game's content and render the content playable in game.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">YET ANOTHER NEW APPROACH</h2><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS-8ayDs-ZdKNjVfjG0QolmSoph9gm3Rm3yYbxtE-o2GLe91WAnCL8r6Z62ZrdFaQoyTG0HYkEHSG8ZIYcHoKEdt_zsQ-UEu2iYzpcgoyvgMLkDlrcQ4j8FwjEM70YfVFsAfRfImSFf0SSeuy-a-utoYeduuGnJN5CUMmWlYUeHflamKaVpPeM75cX2A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS-8ayDs-ZdKNjVfjG0QolmSoph9gm3Rm3yYbxtE-o2GLe91WAnCL8r6Z62ZrdFaQoyTG0HYkEHSG8ZIYcHoKEdt_zsQ-UEu2iYzpcgoyvgMLkDlrcQ4j8FwjEM70YfVFsAfRfImSFf0SSeuy-a-utoYeduuGnJN5CUMmWlYUeHflamKaVpPeM75cX2A=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparison between two Skyline R32s; shown left is the <i>Turbo Sliders </i>WIP, shown right is the finished product released as a <i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2 mod</i> (image rotated for comparative purposes).</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After hours of playing, I realized that I might need to get myself to a car making mojo once again, but I didn't know where to start from this point. I know that car images in UR2D2 are similar to how things are done in TS only rotated 90 degrees clockwise, but my only issue was, most definitely, with quality. On surface, some of my cars that have been released for TS were actually good but the shadings are rough on the edges, and I realized that the brush tool might not be the "end all, be all" solution to this problem. I mean, you can use brush tool to shade MRO cars, but would it work on bigger scales? Yes and no; yes for some small details, and no for the rest. To recap my approach from <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/back-to-my-turbo-sliders-nonsense.html" target="_blank">the last time I did this</a>, I:</div><div><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Trace the car's shape according to the available blueprints;</li><li>Made sure the pillars are being worked first for the car's windows, if any, using Pen tool and Subtract Shape option;</li><li>Layer the windows accordingly so that I can draw interiors along with glass effect;</li><li>Revise the lighting effect for the windows;</li><li>Start working on the car body's shadings and details as usual (although not documented on that post), using a combination of Brush tool and Pen tool, as well as Layer settings.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>But even then, I sometimes get overwhelmed with the process. There were a couple of question I'd ask to myself... "What scale is used to fit the car?" is one of those that always linger especially when I thought that maybe the driver model I use might be too small for some cars, <a href="https://gran-turismo.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Bull_X2019_Competition" target="_blank">Red Bull X2019 Competition</a> is one of them, comparing the cockpit to the other cars based on production models. It turns out through putting labor hours to the UR2D2 car making the answer was simply to make sure that a car with 2000 mm width is 40 pixels wide in game. Any car less wider than mentioned would have an adjusted number that may be rounded up or down to the nearest even number. In other words, I'd take the blueprint first then resize it according to its scale, giving me the base for the car body tracing. Once that's done, the window comes next and it follows the same step as it is.</div><div><br /></div><div>But here's the fun part: the Subtract Shape option isn't the only tool on the table. The freelance graphic design job I had during the early 2021 thought me that Vector Mask is a thing, meaning that it's now easier to manage a particular layer's limit for the shading works and accomodate revisions where possible. This also allows more complex layer masks and organizations, like, for example, main body shading that shouldn't cover the rear wings as it'd have its own shading layer, allowing for a more manageable rear wing coloring for base road cars that have them, saving the layer count. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyTr3t3VWEV_vhYXnro2d3EvCrikUb_BKQBS98E3zbH6TTKzGqCuzHJ-DkIyahsMBQXJ2CQarIWSyhMzBj6s6dCn8u4ermHO5hL8IFwJdcLIl2IooASWNk6VELQ2br_UWy66XQikI-Bla8kIUxqfEzvN40CdVxlBQ6tDZmmT69nSaJRocIj8S7j5Bh-A" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyTr3t3VWEV_vhYXnro2d3EvCrikUb_BKQBS98E3zbH6TTKzGqCuzHJ-DkIyahsMBQXJ2CQarIWSyhMzBj6s6dCn8u4ermHO5hL8IFwJdcLIl2IooASWNk6VELQ2br_UWy66XQikI-Bla8kIUxqfEzvN40CdVxlBQ6tDZmmT69nSaJRocIj8S7j5Bh-A=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">URD2D car making is so similar to TS's, I can just port the car back and forth. Here's an upcoming URD2D WIP on TS.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Car shading itself is also revamped, relying more on Gradient tool and Pen tool more. Gradient tool is used for shading on some parts with other shading details are done by the latter. Layer manipulations (for Opacity and Fill) are also done to achieve desire shading effect, but at most times the Soft Lighting option does help with shading more than conventional method mentioned, allowing for a more immersion. Last but not least is the Bevel and Emboss effect which resulted in expected effects that might not possible with Brush tool alone, with the caveat of not setting the mentioned Layer Effect too high. Last but not least details like door lines and door handles, as well as other things, proceed as they are.</div><div><br /></div><div>While this evolved process isn't fully used for the first four cars I've released, this lays foundation of how my future cars will be, as well as an ability for a shading revamp for the existing cars. I have inherited tons of WIPs to myself and it won't take long for them to finally see the day. Granted, completion of the cars as a UR2D2 mod would also spell a potential TS release as well. While the Daytona Coupe is already on TS, I kinda wanted to re-release it with a revamped version while incorporating the extra cars from the existing pack with a new design. I've also managed to port one of my upcoming UR2D2 creations to TS and see a great potential when it's completed. It's just that I might not release the cars to TS as an individual car but rather a part of a themed pack so as to not clutter TS's car select screen. Should I revamp these cars, maybe I'd consider adding the drawn driver model too like in the TS WIP?</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">SOME REFLECTION ON THE NEW SPIRIT</h2><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh91vqwT3LK3CqdoqMvSuYtpkzgBZTTmJ5aY8f0ndnMKK3Bv-RHzw4ev6k-fIYa2aRXWvaGcTPn3VkpmaWMoJENdzq_4r1fcM0vaTci0V1Tak9zYSHTsX1q4xcgJPFP1VT3FPx2oOEiedIG93AS8ES-WB1SI8QUgibyPPbnwDCsgfc6phGbbJj5mZt3fg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh91vqwT3LK3CqdoqMvSuYtpkzgBZTTmJ5aY8f0ndnMKK3Bv-RHzw4ev6k-fIYa2aRXWvaGcTPn3VkpmaWMoJENdzq_4r1fcM0vaTci0V1Tak9zYSHTsX1q4xcgJPFP1VT3FPx2oOEiedIG93AS8ES-WB1SI8QUgibyPPbnwDCsgfc6phGbbJj5mZt3fg=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the upcoming releases for <i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2</i> by yours truly, utilizing the new car creation method explained above.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Walking through how I got this far, it went as far as the Daytona Coupe as the first car to be made into UR2D2. Despite the car being already on TS, I randomly thought that I might do something with the car, giving it a new look which includes a new set of shading work. I thought to myself that perhaps this would be yet another medium to perfect my car making and graphic designing at the same time just like TS did for years. At that time, I haven't got the full motivation yet, only a whole Daytona Coupe car randomly made just for fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, the Daytona Coupe was something of a prelude of my creation career restarting. Of all cars I could make, I decided to make the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 because I wanted to make this car on a top-down racer simply because we haven't got a Skyline R32. Interestingly enough, the "Godzilla" is exactly the same car I kept building during when I was doing <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2017/07/going-three-dimensional-dont-care-poly.html" target="_blank">3D modeling</a> at a random whim, so it kinda came full circle. The shading work wasn't as hard as other cars given the shape so it checked out, and the best part was when I wanted to make the racing version of it where there aren't any drastic bodywork changes to trace. It's a Group A touring car after all, and most of the cars on this class don't seem to have fancy bodywork changes.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijDlb99nsI2s-Y_iPKBChF71IRrH9H2Jvf2rBilz9KfGEdK3LZzswfuPoL6n6c-gMe_cdBS1bqDisjh9ffm44xTDA9V1UI_aW8F-rrShSQyJzQ7C2Lh0cOIuPW-SQSAx3YxsK26v4eZH-rcQq10jRH7II9tiOXhyt2aOkIPXLyrucWBT8qkfNTGqbIWw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijDlb99nsI2s-Y_iPKBChF71IRrH9H2Jvf2rBilz9KfGEdK3LZzswfuPoL6n6c-gMe_cdBS1bqDisjh9ffm44xTDA9V1UI_aW8F-rrShSQyJzQ7C2Lh0cOIuPW-SQSAx3YxsK26v4eZH-rcQq10jRH7II9tiOXhyt2aOkIPXLyrucWBT8qkfNTGqbIWw=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skyline R32 Group A liveries from left to right, clockwise: Calsonic, HKS, Axia, and Taisan Klepper.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There was, though, a challenge; creating 20 (!) liveries for the Group A Skyline is already a challenge, but there are two particular ones that do give out a high difficulty: the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzf1HxRd0Tw" target="_blank">HKS livery</a>, driven by Osamu Hagiwara and Yukihiro Hane during the 1993 All-Japan Touring Car Championship, and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseRacingCars/photos/a.1428255750766810/2406446829614359/?type=3" target="_blank">Axia livery</a> run by Object T, driven by Tom Kristensen and Hisashi Yokoshima a year before in the same series. Sure the HKS pattern is one of those iconic designs in the world of motorsport, but you do wonder how this pattern would look on top down racers like this. That, however, doesn't top the hardest challenge that is the Axia livery in which the livery has an outlandish, artsy motif and resizing them for smaller scales meant that the challenge increases, but in the end I've managed to pull it off. Keep in mind that throughout the work I only used blueprints, reference pictures, die-cast decals, and other things. Outside of the motorsport liveries, the DELTA one is the only fictional livery included in the pack, with the car being driven by the antagonist in the Chinese movie <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD0RNgNirog" target="_blank">Thunderbolt</a></i>. The thought process of including it was that I did it for funsies as to fill the already-packed grid. That said, anyone reading this who has watched that movie at least once would be thinking about when I'll be making Mitsubishi GTO.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Group A Skyline to date is still one of my most popular creations on this game, with the first part garnered 45 subscribers and second part garnered a whopping 66 subscribers. How I'd get those numbers I don't know but I am thankful that people would enjoy this creation and that it's worth the effort. The Daytona Coupe cars have above 25 subscribers which made it my second-best as well, marking a strong start for my car making return. With an active community like UR2D2, I'm glad that my car making journey has been restarted anew with more content to come. Please do look forward for the next set of my releases in the future!</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg28ZyUety1yRs9IxvaQjFZsStguGPNIzEGwdnfvbOMZV0ZlROZfKBu5kDhCYQFDJt-NwvrtJqf35h1lbAmTqSpnuiINBWtX0hciZYsx9gBYZbwCGu2lVAMkvVW9_bP-jDjotgwYW1xmo9A4HUdCCa-VMa7HiYYyW79ILzh_z-KqIi5L5KSqs3MvlmhuQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="102" data-original-width="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg28ZyUety1yRs9IxvaQjFZsStguGPNIzEGwdnfvbOMZV0ZlROZfKBu5kDhCYQFDJt-NwvrtJqf35h1lbAmTqSpnuiINBWtX0hciZYsx9gBYZbwCGu2lVAMkvVW9_bP-jDjotgwYW1xmo9A4HUdCCa-VMa7HiYYyW79ILzh_z-KqIi5L5KSqs3MvlmhuQ=s16000" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "commission" work for Levioso the Lion's upcoming league, to be announced soon. The car above is the original base design while the car below is the same car with shading applied.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Also, before I forgot, fellow player Levioso the Lion came to me and asked to help with the car's shading as he has noted my upcoming releases. I had to re-adjust my approach with the material he's given, but in the end it finished well and is ready for the upcoming league this car is featured in, with the exact league to be announced. If you feel curious about which league this car will be featured in, head over <a href="https://discord.gg/RR4muPdrP2" target="_blank"><i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2</i>'s official Discord server</a> to join the fun, along with other leagues and other creations from various community members!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Ultimate Racing 2D 2</i> is available on Steam as an Early Access Game. Get it now and race with the community today! (It's also on sale btw!)</div><div><br /></div><div>~[R]</div>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-87217165256310817312022-02-13T22:30:00.003+07:002022-02-13T22:30:59.818+07:00RENDY'S BLOG, I have returned.<p><i>And so I shall begin this from zero once more...</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I'm pretty sure you readers are wondering why I haven't posted since awhile. If I were to continue to where I was, it'd be another set of KOF ALL STAR posts, especially dealing with a lot of events (which I didn't get to write as time went sadly). Unfortunately, I wasn't at a capacity where I could blog once more and still focused on real life, but most particular my focus was to find the job, something I didn't get until last year where I actually landed one. 2020 was a tough road to traverse especially dealing with the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic which has affected a lot of lives, mine included, and things kinda topped off with the loss of my father who had to succumb to his sickness days before his passing.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, even despite of that sad story weeks later, I became more determined than ever in searching for jobs, and eventually I hit one; a friend of mine recommended me to a Jakarta-based brand consultation office as a freelance graphic designer and after an interview, the HRD accepted me to be employed as so, ending what I can dub as a year-long and a half drought of job search. To be frank, I had a hard time in traversing the steep learning curves of my job description, but over time I developed more in designing contents despite adversities. Sadly it only lasted until the end of February, but it was a pleasant experience, plus definitely something to expect when working on the creative design field; copywriting, drafting, designing, plus pending revisions before leaving with a final design.</p><p><br /></p><p>However, things don't stop there as I was called to be a staff in a regency office nearby by my late father's friend. As much as I insisted that the graphic design job was a main one, I took this office offer anyway which meant that in addition of office works I gotta have time for designs, and depending on the copywriting of a particular post, designs can be worked as quick as less than an hour or probably less than a day due to the complexity plus illustrations. Back to the office work though, this has been turns and tides for my first year, and the second year should be as exciting.</p><p><br /></p><p>As such, what became a continuation of the dark saga has turned into a brave new, positivity-ridden arc, a new chapter in which I've finally obtained some of the privileges I wanted in the past, like an internet subscription for starters. Gone were the days when I had to trust my phone's tethering connection and limited data at home which, granted, was also the same case for my brothers. This also allowed me to buy a cooling fan, RAM upgrades, and a new PC monitor, plus finally fix one of my laptop's broken monitors. While both of these 2012-2013 spec lappies still stand up to this date, I do have plans on buying the new one in order to keep up with more modern specs. Outside of this, I also get to discover a lot more of new games, of which there'll be a topic of its own later on, and get to discover more communities as time went by.</p><p><br /></p><p>But even with those, there are things I still can't beat even with the new spirit, particularly my Creator's Block. Even with Wi-Fi already in place, I still couldn't able to come up with an interesting topic and perform some research on things within the topic, even can't think about either "will this thing generate a lot of views?" or "will this hold well amidst the era where video essays or vlogs are even more powerful tools than convenient blogging?" This doesn't just affect this blog, it also affects my other blog <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">Fandom Warrior</a> which has been on an infinite hiatus since 2019, and even worse with the aforementioned circumstances going forward which led me drift away from covering fandom competitions and later TV fandoms, even I don't feel like current TV shows do have this particular fandom energy that would be established years back.</p><p><br /></p><p>This isn't limited to just blogging and the fandom stuff though, even this also affected <i>all</i> my WIPs. You see, the WIPs you've seen years back still haven't see their light of day in terms of release, and the worst part is that my mind wasn't on the game(s) I actually love due to the life circumstances. I did try my best at a new car last year, got their physics done, graphics partially done with shadings, and that's it. However, I haven't been able to get my hands on further revisions, but someday I'll get those in line. The problem with my cars is that I often go extra on small details, even though it'd be scaled down in-game anyway. It's due to my influence on other cars from another top-down games which made their presence known with their shadings and details, although some are actually taken from 3D models with appropriate lighting.</p><p><br /></p><p>Despite all of those things, fast forward to this year in which my current life gives me a small advantage to fight the Creator's Block outright. In fact, this is finally where I want to take action; I am not the type of person who wants to have "New Year's Resolutions," especially if you refer to my past blog posts from years back, but I'd like to make an exception for this year because all I want is to fight Creator's Block and become who I was years ago while fusing it with my present self. I just want to get things done and free some of my perpetual WIPs into their rightful state: their release. Additionally, I want to tick off my perpetual to-do list of all sorts, of which some has been done this year, but it's 5% overall, and I expect myself to go ham with it sooner or later.</p><p><br /></p><p>Hopefully I can keep this blog alive and well once more, like in the past, and that I am able to find some content ideas to make this page fresh. While waiting for my next post, please do not forget to hydrate yourself, it's the most important thing.</p><p><br /></p><p>~[R]</p>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-32185754380006444292020-06-04T10:04:00.001+07:002020-06-04T11:58:53.997+07:00Rendy's Battle Report 04: IT'S A NEW RUMBLE! YES IT IS!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjQUHEUoyt4qiVax7bLkwCACSmxMrlBLFerjh8zCBH9X9uEjlrQFB21OGFKb7fswT1IaL-tzHZtBX0MSLoAi7reIh48bRAhlNs7pYpR1L5K_tQSRYveR3vVOuPQ0RkZWhTdNhKKNUu0ZA/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2340" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjQUHEUoyt4qiVax7bLkwCACSmxMrlBLFerjh8zCBH9X9uEjlrQFB21OGFKb7fswT1IaL-tzHZtBX0MSLoAi7reIh48bRAhlNs7pYpR1L5K_tQSRYveR3vVOuPQ0RkZWhTdNhKKNUu0ZA/w400-h185/Screenshot_2020-05-14-15-10-36-260_com.netmarble.kofg+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The King of all updates is here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The first time a <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/54/11393" target="_blank">Developer's Note</a> about a future collaboration in <i>The King of Fighters ALL STAR</i> surfaced, nobody would guess what the next one will be. People have been pointing on <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aTAtXxspPY" target="_blank">Gintama</a></i>, an anime series whose collaboration in the game was established in the Japanese version, as the next collaboration. However, this is a "special collaboration that no one would have expected" as the game's Chief Producer said, ruling out what could've been an established collaboration coming to Global. The next couple of days, the <a href="https://twitter.com/playkofallstar/status/1257679151583989760" target="_blank">collaboration teaser</a> gave hints of wrestling, and eventually the deal was made: it is, without a doubt the one and only, <a href="https://kofallstar.netmarble.com/en/wwe" target="_blank"><i>the</i> WWE</a>, the World Wrestling Entertainment, bringing six of wrestling's well-known superstars to the game where fighters who "shot fires, lightnings, and all kinds of things" (if you actually paid attention to Kofi Kingston's dialogue) battle.</div><div><br /></div><div>Along with the three-week collaboration full of moments and challenges comes a new gameplay system as well, with Unified System, New Infinite Repeat Summon, and others, as well as new gameplay mechanics.</div><div><div>
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
THE RUMBLE BEGINS!</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7Esslc1-bdo4WCKxccLJ8DwUQyLsPu68o3bsJbgNeJKQ1SxNG35ty5Pl0mxJ2kK3hNkyoFXUM0ezRM9lSqg3besDR-gvpOGQqOlpGCOsmL08eJQKsvDvLLjrtQiVf7LmqefWUiJep3M/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="2262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT7Esslc1-bdo4WCKxccLJ8DwUQyLsPu68o3bsJbgNeJKQ1SxNG35ty5Pl0mxJ2kK3hNkyoFXUM0ezRM9lSqg3besDR-gvpOGQqOlpGCOsmL08eJQKsvDvLLjrtQiVf7LmqefWUiJep3M/w279-h400/wwe-collab-golds.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably my Top 3 best moments in the collaboration's storyline. There's more, but...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The coveted WWE collaboration event, lasting for three weeks since May 13 (PST time), dropped after the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/KOFALLSTAR/comments/g6gaew/world_drop_event_megathread/" target="_blank">World Drop update</a> which allowed players to gain FES selectors, both for fighters and their ultimates. The update consists of Rush Event a la <i>Tekken 7 </i>collaboration where players complete stages to collect a number of great prizes, the Money in the Cat mini-dungeon (a play on WWE's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p-TrKRvpSc" target="_blank">Money In The Bank</a></i> event), the WWE Rush Dungeon, the Survival Rumble dungeon (styled after WWE's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E5A5AySHQQ">Royal Rumble</a></i>), and six superstars with a total of 8 characters available: The Rock, John Cena, The Undertaker, Kofi Kingston, Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins join the fray and were obtainable through their summon banner with their ultimate cards plus other battle cards also available. "The People's Champion" version of The Rock was available as Super Mission reward while "Doctor of Thuganomics" version of John Cena was obtainable in his roulette.<br />
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The Rush Event was a five-part battle that spans for 7 chapters each. The Superstar Stage centered on a team of WWE superstars of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6aND0cIbn8" target="_blank">Becky, Seth, and Kofi</a>, all competing in the titular King of Fighters tournament, and eventually fight their way up to the finals where Geese Howard (a.k.a. what Becky thought as a "delicacy") awaits. The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker all had their own chapters each; The Rock <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSxLShvakIs" target="_blank">lives <i>with </i>Rock Howard</a> in his first Global server debut (albeit unplayable for the time being) and living the meme, and beats the hell out of Orochi; John Cena <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQVLArkTTVE" target="_blank">gets a sidekick in Shingo Yabuki</a>, has wholesome moments with Terry Bogard, roasts Iori Yagami, and faces Igniz at the end (with a hilarious ending), and The Undertaker goes from teaching Choi Bounge and Chang Koehan <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2kCHfZC-NA" target="_blank">the lesson they won't forget</a> to having a one-on-one affair with Omega Rugal. Lastly, there was the EX Stage where it's a series of challenging fights with more rewards. WWE coins were obtainable in all stages with WWE fighters and collaboration battle cards as bonuses that boost coin income, as well as Soul Dusts, Fighter Souls for The People's Champion The Rock and Kofi Kingston, and Rubies upon completing the chapters. Additionally, Kofi Kingston, his Ultimate Card (Trouble in Paradise EX), and his Fighter Memory were attainable in the shop, as well as the free Rock's Fighter Memory and a number of fighter growth stuffs.<br />
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Aside from the Rush Event comprising of some of the most hilarious storylines in the <i>KOF ALL STAR</i> history, Money In The Cat Dungeon was available through the entirety of the collaboration, being the more challenging version of the Gold Dungeon. The Survival Rumble Mini Dungeon was the game's own spin on WWE's <i>Royal Rumble</i> event in which each fighter will be summoned in a specified time (and fight each other to an extent) and the player's mission is to be the last man standing with up to 5 plus capsules of ATK, DEF, and HP each can be obtained every day. Others like the WWE Mission and WWE Dice promise cool prizes on the way as well. WWE Time Attacks (both Novice and Master) were also present, giving player the chance to play as any of the superstars and set the fastest time possible, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZSYllivML4" target="_blank">this Time Attack</a> was actually a more straightforward (and easier) version of the conventional Time Attack. However, there were times the WWE superstars appear in the conventional Novice TA, given that even the mobile game's original characters (including collab ones) can be used in that mode as well since the False Halloween update.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2340" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkPd26ht-oTA1uFcH0MJ49Moyk5_Q3mAdCchxFcOUmtQLXk_g-rGfT7IDbe6z7902maaICzzMN0-rg_ak5Lvk3DUN74z3Xd0IKYABA5bdYcMsORd4SPfIoz76agpTUNp91PzMP9RX_un9/w400-h185/Screenshot_2020-06-03-15-00-37-718_com.netmarble.kofg+copy.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>EVERYBODY DO THE SMACKDOWN!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The Superstars can be considered as the most interesting set in the collaboration, because this is the first time we have witnessed FES-grade collab units in the game. Yes, The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker are the only purple-bordered fighters ever in terms of collaboration fighters. John Cena has a Hyper Armor triggered by his second active skill (Clothesline) which seems to be as fast as only 1 frame plus an ability to disable opponent's Grab skills, The Rock has two moves which trigger bleed damage and even his second skill (The Samoan Drop) can deal additional damage to <i>ALL </i>enemies in a battle upon success, and The Undertaker's first skill (Shadow Trap) can petrify an opponent, plus an ability to disable opponent's roll and Strike skills. Both last two fighters have super armor, and all three fighters' cores have PvP-exclusive additions which are extremely useful in multiplayer battles, plus the ability to break Super and Hyper Armor enemies using any active skill (25 sec cooldown each activation) and a 30%+ attack boost.</div><div>
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As far as my Summons are concerned, I didn't get anyone in the fighter summon until much later: Seth Rollins became my first WWE fighter I obtained, later The Rock and The Undertaker at one multi summon which could be considered as my best pull ever yet. Unfortunately, even after a number of later summons, the only superstars I couldn't able to get were Becky Lynch and John Cena. <i>However</i>, that changed after receiving my "payday" last Monday (my time) in which John Cena actually came when I least expected, just like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddqvuwXBK5k" target="_blank">those unexpected John Cena memes</a>, and as the maintenance went I actually ended up getting everyone except The Man.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the Battle Card front, I also didn't get any WWE battle card until much later: The Undertaker's and Becky Lynch's ultimate cards were drawn in one pull and became my first ones, later the Option Cards entitled "Never Give Up" in one summon, and two "If You Smell What The Rock is Cookin'" cards in separate summons, and a number of duplicates of The Undertaker's, John Cena's, and Kofi Kingston's ultis. I managed to hit the selector after making 15 multis, of which I didn't able to get "People's Elbow EX", "The Stomp EX" (Seth Rollins' ulti), and any of the "Rest in Peace" set types in process, and decided to go with The Rock's ulti. I felt bad that I got Becky's ultimate but not her, and Seth himself but not his ulti.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a different note, I actually got more ALL STAR fighters than usual in this banner: Spring Chizuru, Christmas Yuri, Christmas Chang, and Swimsuit Angel to name a few, since ALL STAR characters are also featured in this banner as well. Duplicates for my existing ALL STAR fighters were also acquired, especially my main picks Halloween Blue Mary and Wonderland Athena (to name a few), my main pick for the ALL STAR fighter selector I acquired through <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Q-XmmLuyY" target="_blank">AS Super Mission</a> before the collaboration began alongside Pretty Yashiro. The second choice has been a tie between her and Wonderland Vanessa since both fighters are top-tier fighters in their own right, and both are <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/rendys-battle-report-01-festive-fest.html" target="_blank">the ones I have been going for in vain</a> at one point.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for the roulette, I actually got Doctor of Thuganomics before I could craft him with the souls I've collected, ended up crafting his ultimate card instead. Funnily enough, I actually got his card from the roulette days after I actually crafted it. Later I crafted his Fighter Memory as a means of the future Awakening system to be discussed later, and just when I least expected I actually got him again as a fighter, granting me 60 more Fighter Souls and one more Fighter Memory of his. I never recalled rolling for Paul twice during the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/november-26-excellence-kof-as-stage.html" target="_blank"><i>Tekken </i>collaboration</a> roulette, so this has to be my best run.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the end of the day, my summons in this collaboration is way better than during <i>Samurai Shodown</i> collaboration given that I actually have more ultimate cards and all the key option cards, despite missing just one for each card and fighter, and I don't think I'd be interested in gunning for the "Rest in Peace" set. The best part is that I actually started watching random WWE clips thanks to this collaboration, reuniting with something I haven't visited since I was emotionally invested on John Cena and Rey Mysterio in my Elementary School years.</div><div><br />
<h2>
THE NEW SUMMON SYSTEM</h2></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2340" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHtZUlDaLLOWj1Oifv1IWRMM0kc9wYSndJRdj-7Mcz2vMUiL6w_EldfVfqOgKRfytFKFj4nLy7nRs242Gnx3eTe197KF-VcXNmxVOP7OfpJX1RnzSbIW7PgPXtcbw_WENpc_YRVAwgbsl/w400-h185/Screenshot_2020-06-03-12-34-20-882_com.netmarble.kofg+copy.jpg" style="color: #0000ee; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pick-up banner of mine is titled "Total NESTS Propaganda and Ash Crimson."<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><i>KOF ALL STAR </i>also underwent an <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/54/12416" target="_blank">extreme makeover themselves</a>, changing a number of stuffs here and there to improve experience. These changes include the Unified Summon, New Infinite Repeat Summon, the Soul Dust mechanics, and the Awakening System.<br />
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The Summon System gets a makeover in a form of Unified Summon. What this does is that the new summon unifies existing banners (both the normal banner and Noah's Summon banner) for fighters and battle cards. Players have the ability to choose up to five units in the banner to have their rates increased, giving more chance to get any of their desired units. However, these choices are limited; for the fighters, players are limited to one fighter from each element, while for the cards the limit is two six-star battle cards of any kind. In addition, there are no selectors at the end of the summon loyalty point as they're replaced by five-star plus guaranteed tickets with a chance of getting a FES unit. Noah's Summon was left intact for ten days after the maintenance to allow people whose loyalty points were midway through selector get the chance to finish it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although I only needed one multi summon to take the "FES-guaranteed ticket" from the summon, I decided not to since I was focused on WWE banners. It was a hard choice since I wanted Orochi Iori from the banner, though I did scored Orochi Iori by other means (read: summon tickets) and ended up having Krizalid and Omega Rugal as my World Drop FES Selector choices. As for their cards, I already had them from daily summons even before this collaboration lands so that kills my urge to resort on the card selectors. I've been targeting all three of them after countless of times fighting them in PvEs, and getting more purple-bordered fighters is always a good idea.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPK2rguBcrVucGt23F3KZmUXNRxV6eiLXqLMly_GXMrO__r6jeDCFQnTeBY0W-otcfJM-348YvphFPwi-a7CUhjRW1rxZ6J9Mttp-spdNwhunGTCpndjKkorqadKPdpL2gCNcXIrozGKg/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPK2rguBcrVucGt23F3KZmUXNRxV6eiLXqLMly_GXMrO__r6jeDCFQnTeBY0W-otcfJM-348YvphFPwi-a7CUhjRW1rxZ6J9Mttp-spdNwhunGTCpndjKkorqadKPdpL2gCNcXIrozGKg/s320/zheprime.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guy everyone talks about is finally here! (and Isolde's here too!)</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Interestingly, some eye-popping additions can be found in the new system's lineup: remember XIV Alice and Pretty Big whose only way of obtaining them is to pay dollars? Well, they're included in the new summon now, as well as the new challenger Pretty Clone Zero. One might holler at how people would pay for them while they can get them for free now, but one thing they might fail to see was the package they offered: the XIV Alice package bundled her with her ultimate card, while Pretty Big's consists of a series of step-up packages where not only they can just attain Pretty Big and her card but also level her up to Level 90, stuff all the capsules to her, and put on all the best battle card combinations for her, perhaps something that's worth the pretty big (pun intended) price. As for Pretty Clone Zero, she's an all-new character joining the fray, and as you'd expect from someone in the Pretty series of characters, she's Clone Zero on steroids.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>However, the main spotlight centers on one particular NESTS saga fighter who resides in the game's top tier: the <a href="https://kofallstarx.com/character/nameless-02/" target="_blank">2002 Nameless</a>, the Zhe Prime himself. As far as the Japanese server's experience on Nameless can tell, he is a top-tier fighter with a versatility in every mode including online matches. A purple defense-type fighter, Nameless can disable roll and Strike skills at the same time, be immune to damage for three seconds, and buff his ATK with 45% of his DEF stats, plus he can gain Power fast and his burn damage not only deals damage but decreases Power as well. Not to mention, he has two ultimates: "Kaiten Katatokkan Ougi Rasen" is a 5PG ulti that emphasizes damage within his drill hands while "Saishuu Katame Shutou Higi Rinkou EX" is a 3PG ulti handy for Time Attacks and Team Relays. The perfect 9999th Kyo Kusanagi clone and character introduced in <i>KOF 2002: Ultimate Match</i> (replacing K9999 due to copyright issues post <i>KOF 2001 </i>and<i> KOF 2002</i>) enters the <i>KOF ALL STAR </i>arena with an attitude to win and a rebellion against NESTS after all the suffering he got through during his experiment.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately the system isn't without flaws: there's absolutely no selector after reaching a particular summon amounts, just like Noah's Summon. It is all pure RNG throughout, with 5-star plus summon tickets being awarded twice per round (of which it takes 100 summons) in contrast to the FES-guaranteed ticket the previous banner had, both for the fighter and the card summons. In addition, this has been a media where <i>even </i>the new additional fighters are added instead of having their own banners. It gets worse that there have been cases where people saved their rubies and, to an extent, spent money to buy rubies all the way to get their chosen fighter but ended up having not even their choice due to the RNG. The displeasure on the system is <a href="https://www.change.org/p/netmarble-fesガチャ恢復-300ガチャfes選択チケットが必要?re=&use_react=false" target="_blank">expressed by a number of players</a>, especially KOFAS Ashley, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/post/UgwfFfs-R1lUHZesk_h4AaABCQ">KOF Luca, DraiXen</a> (all prominent <i>KOF AS</i> players), and others, through a petition to return the old-style banners with 300-summon selector as a loyalty reward.</div><div><br /></div><div>Personally I don't mind with this new summon system, but with one stipulation: have an individual banner for the new fighter(s) added (and their associated battle cards), and after a period of "waiting time" the new fighter(s) who had their dedicated banner expired be added to the Unified Summon. This way, players can revisit their attempt in getting their favorite fighter back. I know that this has been the idea of many who actually voiced their displeasure with the system, but a solution to minimize phone throwing shall be a good idea.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkZuYY8MR2YN67aPDgNYZejJUsdw75jZUTBGIrKQyRxTJi99PXcE7YXObybpa8FoOf7R_7rIqkgiAIZQset0z8RCYoxSZwb5uS_RbsqnpMRzW3-2pwyP47pyW7YnqdHVf0D8SPaQbcNnQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2340" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkZuYY8MR2YN67aPDgNYZejJUsdw75jZUTBGIrKQyRxTJi99PXcE7YXObybpa8FoOf7R_7rIqkgiAIZQset0z8RCYoxSZwb5uS_RbsqnpMRzW3-2pwyP47pyW7YnqdHVf0D8SPaQbcNnQ/w400-h185/Screenshot_2020-06-03-21-26-59-551_com.netmarble.kofg+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry Bogard faces the fury!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The New Infinite Summon brings back the 1000-Ruby goodness of "summoning until I get what I want" philosophy introduced on the game's day one, with every summon grants exactly no more than one 5-star fighter. The catch is that it now has even some of the game's FES units, including the seriously-buffed Goenitz, NESTS Style Kyo, Ash Crimson, and many others, with a drop rate of 3% for the FES units of which there are 13 available. This means there's a 30% chance you'd get a guaranteed purple-bordered menace you can own. Initially, I would spare this banner in the next update but with enough Rubies at disposal I threw them to the ring and went all out. There are a number of interesting FES units I came through, such as Nakoruru, Orochi Leona, and even Original Zero, while XIV Alice is another name worth a mention despite being a gold border. However, I went with 03 Terry because of numerous reasons: 1) I actually had his Buster Wolf ultimate <i>and </i>his dedicated Option Card from <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/rendys-battle-report-03-the-noah-set-and-chizuru.html" target="_blank">the Noah set summon months ago</a>; 2) I need more Balance type fighters; 3) He is basically one of the essential fighters worth getting.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the Soul Dust mechanics have been changed to make it more useful. From now on, Soul Dusts can be used to purchase KOF and AS Souls instead of individual fighters' Souls, as well as summon tickets and tokens as well. Purple and Gold souls are now easier to obtain this way, and the summon tickets now hold more value especially with the featured units. Also, there is now one additional currency of Purple Soul Dust, obtainable from salvaging FES Fighter Souls.</div><div><br /><h2>
WHAT AWAITS IN THE NEW HORIZON</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNKv6nUzRHWnJJWatbeIcxjpzymPRDMiZE2nlpp-DiQuWw8vzJvQ0JgvbL5-3Abtrbp7VOCPtPpDvOCZkmax7BCZlRFfDf6_h52K2fbRayKpuWhwUDs5WFQzo2Sd6u0hcBfJM9cbg6zFI/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2340" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNKv6nUzRHWnJJWatbeIcxjpzymPRDMiZE2nlpp-DiQuWw8vzJvQ0JgvbL5-3Abtrbp7VOCPtPpDvOCZkmax7BCZlRFfDf6_h52K2fbRayKpuWhwUDs5WFQzo2Sd6u0hcBfJM9cbg6zFI/w400-h185/Screenshot_2020-06-03-12-33-36-695_com.netmarble.kofg+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something you can't open right now...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>What about the silver box we get from the daily event missions? The box has its use in a new mechanic the game calls Awakening, <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/54/13960" target="_blank">a new gameplay mechanic</a> which will be introduced after the WWE collaboration. The silver boxes aren't usable until the next update, but some parts of how the Awakening mechanics are already revealed; it is basically a next-level system to strengthen maxed out fighters further using what can be called as a Fighter Memory. This Fighter Memory is attainable by summoning a duplicate fighter aside from the Fighter Souls.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>In a footage from the Korean livestream which showcased how this Awakening system would work, a fighter won't be "awakened" until it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asBYgd1whLE" target="_blank">activates after a period of time</a>, of which not only the fighter's stats are boosted but skill spams can be done without worry for a short period of time. The full Awakening system sample is also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6iqcK9Gaes" target="_blank">recently showcased </a>on another Korean livestream as well in which details how the awakening process works; Awakening requires particular Fighter Memories of which this will level up a character to a red star in place of the gold star, each will enable further level up possibilities and more plus capsules to be equipped. Imprinting system is also shown where it is available once the fighter is "awakened", of which the fighter can gain access to a number of equippable stones that gain special effects. The more awakening levels also translate a possibility of more stones that can be imprinted to a fighter, taking their strength levels to the next level.</div><div><br /></div><div>To pair this new gameplay system, a <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/54/16694" target="_blank">new kind of dungeon</a> will also be opened, namely the Awakening Dungeon, consisting of Reviving Hell and Rite of Passage. Of course these new dungeons will allow players to get awakening and imprint materials, but from the looks of it these dungeons will certainly give the players a run for their money, so do prepare your strongest fighters for these dungeons!<br />
<br />The New Phase has finally begun as the WWE collaboration finally closes its curtains on <i>KOF ALL STAR</i>. Which new challenger will come to the game's stable? And what challenges will the game throw in the next update? Only time will tell.</div><div>
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~[R]</div></div>Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-86183469755176380342020-05-28T19:29:00.000+07:002020-05-28T19:30:52.937+07:00Rendy's Battle Report 03: Keeping Up with the Power Creeps<b><i>This post contains spoilers for the storyline of The King of Fighters ALL STAR</i></b><br />
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First of all, Eid Mubarak to all readers of the blog! We went on a different Ramadan in which things worked out differently due to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown, but after all it's the same 'ol fasting month. Happy Eid Mubarak to everyone except to those people who <a href="https://twitter.com/PurwoHidayat/status/1260869988816019456" target="_blank"><b>had the nerve to populate several places</b></a> despite being advised to stay at home already. I don't care if it's nostalgia or not, you all suck, and you should've deserved some Attitude Adjustment.<br />
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In the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/rendys-battle-report-02-n-word.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I purposely skipped one thing that was happening during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_i7Ynetm7w" target="_blank">False Halloween</a> entirety because this topic needs its own section since the last post was also long, a fruit of my posting absence: The Platinum Battle Card Summon. It is the banner that gave player a chance to obtain any of the six-star Battle Cards at a rate of 2%:, be it a fighter-specific 3PG Special Card, a fighter-specific option card, or even the first six-star set in the Global: Light and Shadow, featuring Noah. However, it's not just the Noah set that's got a spotlight, the False Halloween set is this too; Time for Medical Checkup offers more balanced buffs and damage galore useful for those who have Strike skills, with CP buffs worth more than the existing 5-tier cards, even the <i>Tekken </i>set.<br />
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Obviously mobile games are subject to Power Creeps where, every update, there's always either a better unit and/or a better item obtainable in some way, but with the caveat that the player will go <i>extra mile </i>to get any of them, be it in events that would require an amount of upgrades (like in the case of <i>Real Racing 3</i>'s events, whether it's Track Day, Special Event, or Limited Time Series) or perhaps a <i>gacha </i>where the drop rate is generally less than one percent, like what we're talking about right now...<br />
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THE SET CARDS</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image: Netmarble)</td></tr>
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Was your kindness all a lie?<br />
Is what I see now your true self?<br />
"Ha, what was a lie and what was true?<br />
The answer is right in front of you. You just chose to look away."<br />
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- Light & Shadow set card description</blockquote>
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A little background story that can be related to how the game conceives this set: Noah is introduced on day one as the person with an overbearing sense of justice. As you go through Story Mode however, things take turns for worse for you and her; she somehow leaves you for banters with Ein, and then you start to wonder why Kaya who normally is by Ryugo's side became attached to you by the time the <i>KOF 98 </i>storyline comes. As it turns out, Noah wasn't the good girl with a sense of justice you would expect; she just leaves you for the Tuners, enjoys her sundae, and starts giving you nightmares, especially when you realize that the Epic Quest Episode 0 storyline "continues" from the moment you've fought Omega Rugal and the fact that Noah has revealed her true self and has intentions to play with the Phantom Gate. This set card basically describes what kind of person Noah is; a seemingly kind and dependable person only to find out that she has evil intentions at her disposal.<br />
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All three types of the card increases fighter's ATK by 7% when fully leveled which accumulates a total of 21%. The full set grants another 10% increase aside of 15% chance of a 3-second Super Armor upon a successful attack, with a cooldown of 10 seconds, bringing in up to a whopping 31% attack increase in total. In terms of CP buffs, each card gives almost 1100 CP when maxed out, totaling in 3250 CP, and the set does bring serious buffs in HP, attack, and defense.<br />
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The card is an even serious challenger to the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/november-26-excellence-kof-as-stage.html" target="_blank"><i>Tekken </i>collab</a>'s Two Girls' Rendezvous; 6% ATK increase for each set on maximum skill level, yet 10% Critical Rate increase and 50% Critical Damage increase, plus 3% Power Gain upon Critical Hit (1 second cooldown), something the Noah set lacks in. Favorite Thing, everyone's favorite set with Kula Diamond on it, has 5% attack on all sets and can increase another 17.8% for 5 seconds upon Critical Hit when full set, bringing in a possible total of 32.8% for a span of 5 seconds, superbly effective and more than what Noah set gives though time-limited and requires high Critical Rate. Both <i>Tekken</i> and Kula sets have competitive CPs with each other.<br />
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Another noteworthy comparison would be the mentioned <i>Tekken </i>set plus the KOF x TEKKEN option card (which can be only equipped once), which boosts additional 4% ATK aside from the additional 4% Critical Rate upon less than 50% HP, with 20% chance of 3-second Super Armor with a 45-second cooldown after activation. With that combination, a fighter can have a total of 22% ATK increase plus 14% Critical Rate increase as well in the package, but the Super Armor cooldown might be a deterrence for shorter fights. The Noah set kills the need of having separate cards and comes with a shorter cooldown on the Super Armor, though at the price of Critical Rate, Critical Damage, and Power Gain, as well as lower trigger chance. Despite this, the set can give a room for some of the best Option Cards, whether if it's any of the cooldown reduction cards or something that can make fast Power Gains and increase Critical Rate and/or Critical Damage.<br />
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My journey through getting the set was a rather interesting one in each pull with varying levels of success. At early attempts, I actually had my first Noah set out of three, and effectively got myself the 1/3 part of the power creep at the time. With that in mind, I actually set my investments to just the Platinum Battle Card banner rather than any of the FES banners at that time, being Nakoruru and Igniz. This set had 0.2% drop rate for all three which is basically one tenths less than the FES fighters, but being a Battle Card summon it gave less strain on the rubies. Going forward, I actually got more 6-star cards than expected: I ended up having 3PG Specials for Ryo, Blue Mary, and Terry, while option cards of the same grade were for Athena, Blue Mary, and Terry. The <i>Fatal Fury </i>favoritism on my RNG was kinda strong on this one, but at the final stretch I actually got the second type of the set card, and despite not getting any new one after that I reached the selector which allowed me to pick the last set. A completion story like in the <i>Tekken</i> collab but actually better since I actually completed the set in exactly one round. Aside of the 6 stars, I have plenty of 5-star cards, including the Favorite Thing set card, a couple of Another Me in the Mirror set cards, a bunch of Sibling Training set cards (which might be crucial for, perhaps, 98 Yuri), and a couple others.<br />
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As a side note, there actually was <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/13/9145" target="_blank">a package</a> where you can get a Noah Set selector and extra gold tokens (free x10 summons) available for a limited time during the availability of this banner. However, it cost a lot and I haven't got the money to invest on that package. A number of players would have more than one Noah set this way because, well, everyone needs to get ahead in the game, even if it would cost up to a thousand dollars. This meant that I ended up with exactly just one set.<br />
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PUTTING IT TO THE TEST</h2>
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To see how lethal and useful these set cards are, the False Halloween update became the venue for the testing. Aside from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzFwOkukQk" target="_blank"><i>KOF 99 </i>Story Mode addition</a> (which has hit Japanese server earlier on despite years of waiting), Team Relay Dungeon, and Infinite Fight (a new PvE mode), a new event called Epic Advent has landed in Global server. The Epic Advent does not have a set color element, but has a high recommended CP level (of 24090), and it's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ci39SXSnSw" target="_blank">the strongest Wrath Chizuru</a> you're facing against just like in the final chapter of Epic Quest. The catch? This Wrath Chizuru cleans your Power Gains every hit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrMD_z_FnNk" target="_blank">like a Cillit Bang</a> and you only have 3 minutes and 30 seconds to fight off Wrath Chizuru's vast HP. The bigger event banner suggests that you'll have to use characters that can deal Chill and Shock Damage Overtimes to beat her faster, but even then that's just half of the game.<br />
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First playthrough had me using Paul with his default formation of Tekken cards and whatnot, being my only fighter with 23k+ CP. I thought I would be able to win this easy until I realize I couldn't; Paul does deliver all the high damage and stuns, but all those do not come in handy for this purpose. A quick dive on YouTube gave me a playthrough of the event using XIV Geese, one of the characters capable of dealing Shock damage and, as an added bonus, speed decrease on attack speed and movement which can make avoiding her attacks negotiable, plus a Hyper Armor upon activation of his second skill () which renders every visit to break the crystal for the immunity irrelevant. Prior to equipping the Noah set, my XIV Geese had about 15k+ CP and put Paul as the team leader to have Geese benefit from Paul's 60% ATK increase, but at the expense of 10% less HP. Still no dice unfortunately as the Geese either couldn't stay alive or fail to drain all of Wrath Chizuru's HP...<br />
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Alas, the decision is made to put the Noah set to the test, bringing up XIV Geese's CP to as high as 22k+ CP, enough to deal all those damage and, conveniently, occasional Super Armors. Dealing enough damage however isn't enough considering that Wrath Chizuru would commit an explosion after her crystal phase, dealing enough damage to end an active member's career in this stage, even despite activating the immunity from the crystal in Geese's case (a Shock damage bug as a fellow player from <i>KOF ALL STAR</i> Discord told me). Even with adding Yuri and Kyo to the team (forming a Genius team which gains 2% Power every 5 seconds), Power Gains are somewhat irrelevant to Wrath Chizuru, denying me of performing his Raging Storm finisher before her explosion just like in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ci39SXSnSw" target="_blank">Kun ba's video</a> I watched. However, the more I re-read Geese's buffs upon Active Skills, the second active skill's activation is a strategic matter; the short Immunity it gives is more beneficial than destroying a crystal, but has to be activated right before Wrath Chizuru finally explodes her wrath, or else it's game over. After that, you may fall from the explosion (if you don't roll), but at the end of the day you're immune to any damage thanks to the Hyper Armor. After that, the rest is history, even without activating a finisher once, and things were much easier the second time around.</div>
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A reminder that this Epic Advent returns every two weeks, in which another Epic Advent fills its place after this ends, so if you missed out you can still wait two weeks more if you want the exact same set card much.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"If you smell what the- hold up, that's for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epRMOaWNK9o" target="_blank">the next post</a>!" (Image: Netmarble / SNK)</td></tr>
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Outside the Geese talk, you'll get a bunch of eye-popping prizes upon completing the stage which includes an Epic Advent Battle Card Summon ticket, a random amount of Green Crystals, and occasionally a Grey Crystal. When enough Green Crystal is gathered, you can craft an Epic Advent-exclusive Set Card simply entitled NESTS which, of course, depicts its leader Igniz tinkering on the cartel's infamous cloning project. The NESTS Set has a slightly higher CP than any of the must-have Set cards from the normal pool (Favorite Thing and Another Me in The Mirror), but has <i>serious </i>buffs, being up to 33% ATK increase full set (2% higher than the Noah set) and 50% damage decrease from an enemy with Super Armor or Hyper Armor in PvP battles. The Grey Crystal, on the other hand, can be used to craft Epic Memory Card required for evolving a card to 6 stars, just like Elite Memory Card, only that this is reserved for the NESTS set. The NESTS Set is also available on the aforementioned summon ticket pool as well, and normally you're guaranteed to obtain 3 tickets and a generous amount of Green Crystals daily, perhaps a Grey Crystal at least.<br />
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At the end of the day, I'm happy that after all the trials and errors, the Noah set works well with XIV Geese and the annoyance that is the... Repressed Demon of Fury (as the banner says so) can be dealt with upon the right strategy and right set. The Wrath works hard, but the Southtown Boss works harder, and he gets to keep the Noah set for himself, for now. The Mecha Goenitz and Mr. Big set talks meanwhile will be something in store for another day...</div>
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THE HALLOWEEN SET</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jQVP1LGihOHdcA_lGFoavkbmnDEE2F70B3_Raf25rjlIvBakbvM1mAiP-OyfQptypH4hGkMjFKHAfuoOgwnlWfJhuVdw4bljg1YWNBUU66NWGsWf1Xlqmo6cY05efJqnn2rlXt2yaXq6/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jQVP1LGihOHdcA_lGFoavkbmnDEE2F70B3_Raf25rjlIvBakbvM1mAiP-OyfQptypH4hGkMjFKHAfuoOgwnlWfJhuVdw4bljg1YWNBUU66NWGsWf1Xlqmo6cY05efJqnn2rlXt2yaXq6/w240-h320/Screenshot_2020-05-28-13-22-08-456_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Screw apples, a grape juice keeps doctors away." -Blue Mary, 2020. (Image: Netmarble/SNK)</td></tr>
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Another interesting set to cover is the False Halloween set entitled Time for a Medical Checkup, featuring the nurse Blue Mary. This card gives 6% increase in ATK, DEF, and HP for each set at maximum skill level, and gives 12% additional ATK and 23% additional Strike Skill Damage, a solid, all-rounder choice for fighters with most Strike-type skills, despite having no Super Armor. While this might not be enough to be on par with the two aforementioned cards, it actually wins in CP buffs: 825 for the first set, 625 for the second, and 605 for the third, bringing in a total of 2055 CP increase at maximum card level, 15% more buffs compared to the two. The full set also gives a total increase of 5831 for HP, 2700 for ATK, and 1533 for DEF at maximum card level.<br />
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In contrast to the Platinum banner though, my False Halloween summons are rather bad except one case when I got one type of the Medical Checkup set, dumping the need to spend Blue Mary coins for the card. Since the event's Exchange Shop offers the event's fighters and cards there, among others, I decided to just farm the coins just for the sake of it. The resulting outcome was that I was able to afford 2 Bloody Halloween cards which are crucial for support/balance type fighters (especially for Classic Jin and Orochi), the first and third types of the coveted set using Heidern and Xiangfei medals, and that's it. I have everyone except Xiangfei, and I managed to barely afford Blue Mary after buying a False Halloween box package, seeing that she's a decent Blue Mary in the game and I happen to have both of her 6-star cards: her 3PG Special and her exclusive Option Card.<br />
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So far, I initially equipped it on Haohmaru by a means of having the most potential and most Strike skills out of those I main. Halloween Heidern would be a no-brainer choice since this set is basically dedicated to False Halloween fighters, but I haven't fully strengthened him yet. However, I felt like this set eventually fits well with the Classic Jin since his Skill composition is 100% Strike, plus a capability to infinite combo enemies. That with with a quick power gain might be an interesting combo although there are a number of good candidates for the set as well. I'd like to build Jin as a fast attacker who could infinite and gain Power as fast as he could.</div>
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Of course we're gonna have set cards featuring other tuners like Ryugo, Ein, and Kaya (of which her set <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/4/16850" target="_blank">just dropped today</a> at the time of this post!), all of which have landed in the Japanese server long time ago, and we all know Global server is keen to catch up with the Japanese content so expectations are aplenty. As I said before, the Mecha Goenitz Epic Advent (entitled "The Storm that Must Not Return") will be covered in another post, as well as the advent's reward set card Victory Party, featuring Mr. Big and his two ladies.<br />
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~[R]</div>
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Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-52326558373517150252020-04-30T17:18:00.002+07:002020-04-30T17:19:37.682+07:00Facing the Outbreak<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-wezGihUqB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-wezGihUqB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">I start my year posting again in an unfortunate timing, but here goes something... ☕</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tsukasa_kadoya/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Rendy Andrian Y</a> (@tsukasa_kadoya) on <time datetime="2020-04-09T10:55:21+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 9, 2020 at 3:55am PDT</time></div>
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As we all know, the <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019" target="_blank">Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease</a> kept claiming its victims throughout the world and we still do our best to flatten the progressively-climbing curve. So many things have been postponed or even canceled to an extent, all to avoid potential spreading of the virus. However, not all hope is lost as a slew of new events, mostly e-Sports series. To this day, the pandemic still continues until God knows when, hopefully that this can be over soon although it won't be <i>that</i> soon.<br />
<br />
As for myself, well, the past couple of months have been, if I can say so myself, just like last year, only with a couple of differences here and there. Last year, I just completed distributing <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/my-misadventures-in-coding-autonomous.html" target="_blank">my Bachelor's thesis</a> and prepared myself for the road towards graduation <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/170464.html" target="_blank">which was at the end of June</a> and searched for jobs in-between. This year, I stay home with my family still and went to zero destination due to the pandemic (except for buying necessities) and a month ago I am finally employed in a social organization after no luck in numerous interviews. Apart from that, I spent my time more on mobile gaming than doing anything on PC.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This has been quite a period with the pandemic still going on. Despite being free of my past, I still couldn't able to work any project I wanted to do after the Bachelor's thesis, not even my existing WIPs. Writer's block kept haunting me from writing my new blog post, often I somehow back out every time I wanted to continue for some reason, same with Creator's block and my WIPs I've worked on. I wish I can recover from these but obviously this will take time.<br />
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On a brighter side, however, I tried learning a couple of new things as of late. After not bothering with Instagram for a while, I took my time to showcase my attempt at making the Dalgona Coffee. To be honest, I don't really care about how a coffee like that is a viral sensation, but I just follow several tutorials of making them on YouTube and just tried it myself, twice. I posted my first attempt, while the second was somehow a failure. It's an interesting recipe nonetheless, and I started to browse other recipes with simple ingredients for future reference, something I'll do after this fasting month. Though I haven't got back to either making Dalgonas or Instagramming again since...<br />
<br />
Revisiting things is yet another agenda on the line during the lockdown, and I've finally reconnected myself with design tutorials and UI designing. I know that I have abilities in web programming but I'm more of a front-end person given that I've invested myself on graphic design stuffs for my entire life, hence my restart at UI designing. Now that I've employed, I could think about doing more of the UI designing works to sharpen up myself, which would later branch out to the web programming, something which will come in handy for the organization's future web project.<br />
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Another thing to note is that I've started playing more with Adobe Illustrator after years in Photoshop, improving my vector drawing skills on the go. So far I've utilized Illustrator more for the organization's projects, harnessing more on vector which can be useful for when things needed to be bigger. I always wanted to visit Illustrator at one point despite my focus on Photoshop, especially after the first time I used it to design my CV whose design I carried from Photoshop. I've used PS for everything, even poster and advertorial works, for my college organization I was in, as you can see on <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/92846957/OPK-Dapur-Seni-%282013-2016%29" target="_blank">my portfolio I posted on Behance</a> (speaking of Behance, I probably need to think about uploading more work soon...).<br />
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Last but not least is that I've started to reconnect with some of my friends. It's still on a slow pace as I only reconnected with those from the organization I joined, but I hope I can do this with others. If this lockdown taught me something, it has to be the fact that I need to reconnect with everything; my old stuffs and my friends, for starters.<br />
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I must find my strength now...<br />
<br />
~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-46057046513715525042020-04-08T08:46:00.002+07:002020-04-08T08:46:38.369+07:00Rendy's Battle Report 02: The N Word<i><b>Disclaimer: No offensive remarks were made at the making of this post.</b></i><br />
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While I've been absent on writing for the past couple of weeks due to job search (and eventually landed on one, thankfully), I've been getting a lot of great stuffs in <i>The King of Fighters ALL STAR</i>. Initially, this post would detail the Wonderland and Valentine events plus all the roulette fighters and new summon systems, then proceeded with <i>Samurai Shodown </i>collaboration in the next one, since, at the time of this post, we're in the last stretch of the False Halloween event. However, I feel like given the lack of Wonderland and Valentine fighters I have and having no roulette characters won, plus my absence, things will go a little bit lengthy here.</div>
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Basically, the first quarter of 2020, despite the current affairs happening right now, was an eventful one for <i>KOF AS</i>. Athena in Wonderland and Valentine events were ran in the Global server, and the second collaboration with <i>Samurai Shodown </i>went pass by with a great success. Aside from them, lots of fighters were offered in different ways: '99 Krizalid, '03 Terry Bogard, NESTS Style Kyo from <i>XIII</i>, '03 Mukai, XIV Nakoruru, and 2001 Igniz were obtainable via their respective gacha while NESTS fighters make their way to the spotlight in their respective roulette events, with Whip, Kula Diamond, Angel, and Leona make their original series debut after making their debut in <i>ALL STAR</i> costumes, and even '98 Mai and 2001 May Lee joined the roulette fun. Past FES fighters are also offered via the new Summon System which I will detail within the next set of paragraphs...<br />
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<h2>
THE EVENTS</h2>
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The past three months, we had three different events in the game. These were, in order, the Athena in Wonderland event where it is basically the <i>KOF </i>spin to the classical <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>, Valentine's Day event where players fight against eight of the series' female fighters, and of course the latest collaboration event with <i>Samurai Shodown</i>, precisely <i>Samurai Shodown V: Amakusa's Revenge</i>. Different set of fighters were prepared for the events, as well as a set of quirks being offered.</div>
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Athena in Wonderland event tells the story of Athena Asamiya, the beloved Psycho Soldier, trapped in a strange place (read: the Wonderland) for some reason after following a white rabbit who turns out to be <i>Art of Fighting</i>'s Yuri Sakazaki in a white rabbit costume. As Athena found herself in an accidental trouble which didn't sit well with the Wonderland inhabitants, she met a couple of fighters, even her teammates Sie Kensou and Chin Gentsai who initially didn't believe she's actually Athena, despite being dressed in an Alice-like dress. Aside from Yuri, she fought the tea-drinking Iori Yagami as the Mad Hatter and the leader of Wonderland herself Vanessa (the red-haired puncher from <i>KOF 2000</i> making her debut in this game) as the Queen of Hearts. As she defeated the Queen of Hearts, she teleported back to the real world where she actually prepared herself for a concert. The 5-chapter adventure (including EX Stage) follows the Normal/Hard/SP format where the first two difficulties were reserved for obtaining points, with the last one made available one week later and was reserved for event-exclusive points, and accompanying the event was the Mai's Fortune Cookie event where tickets can be obtained by doing a daily mission with fighter growth-related rewards were offered for completing the random draw-based fortunes.<br />
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Fast forward to the Valentine's Day event, this one was a no-brainer since February is, of course, where the ballgame is at. Celebrating Valentine's Day, <i>KOF AS</i> provided a chance to battle against eight of <i>KOF</i>'s favorite female fighters; from the fast and flaming ninja Mai Shiranui, the ever-charming Athena Asamiya, to the mesmerizing Kula Diamond, and the energetic Yuri Sakazaki. The story, however, started out in a rather unorthodox fashion: Maxima wreaked havoc in a chocolate factory due to his frustration, and had eight female fighters coming before him to save the factory, but these female fighters were trying to win the player's heart, so the player will have to go through the eight different chapters comprising 3 stages, of which these are stages dedicated to them. At the end of every stage, the female fighter in question will present the player a chocolate as a sign of thanks for choosing her. Much like <i>The Bachelor</i>, but it's <i>KOF</i>. The difficulty format is the same as the Wonderland event and the EX chapter are Time Trial versions of every chapter's final stage, but here's the catch: for reaching a huge milestone set during the event's run, all players get a x50 Element Soul Selector. Defeating a featured character for specific number of times (accumulated server-wide) also granted a nice set of rewards, like Auto-Clear Tickets and Rubies.<br />
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The coveted <i>Samurai Shodown </i>collaboration event finally came after the two events, putting six of the game's characters to the fray. Here lied a battle between SNK's greatest fighting game franchises, a showdown between fists and swords, and the second collaboration event ever in the game, with lesser strain on drop rates compared to the <i>Tekken </i>collaboration months ago. The <i>Shodown </i>focused on Haohmaru's journey in the <i>KOF </i>world, entering the tournament after being teleported out of his original world. His teammates were Chang Koehan and Choi Bounge, who the samurai thought they are Earthquake and Gen'an Shiranui respectively, and just after the journey in the competition started for him he took Kim Kaphwan's role of normally being the two's leader. Every fight in the tournament, aside from having either the two criminals (or even both) trying to stop Haohmaru for some reason, he gets mysteriously teleported to his original world, finding himself fighting against his <i>SamSho </i>rivals, especially Genjuro Kibagami and Amakusa. Just as he was about to claim victory against Amakusa, things got reset and he got back to the square one for some reason. The even has the same difficulty format as before and same EX chapter all reserved for Time Attack stages of the final stage in each chapter.<br />
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Being a collaboration event, the dedicated Time Attack is presented to the players with rewards based on players' time in the mode. Haohmaru, Rimuru, Ukyo Tachibana, and Amakusa were selectable in the first week of the Time Attack, with Genjuro and Charlotte taking the first two's place in the second week, and the final week with all fighters plus the XIV Nakoruru, along with the Master Time Attack for owned fighters. A reward-based event was also in the run for the entirety of the collaboration, requiring completion in the character collection and social media sharing.<br />
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The recent one, and the last to feature in this post, is the False Halloween event, but it's more of a Dungeon-type event than it is an event with a proper storyline. Basically, you just defend the Halloween cake from the ghosts that give your fighters utter headache from their Blast skills (unless they have Super/Hyper Armor...) for three times daily and that's it, you get a random box for obtaining specific coins separated by characters: Heidern, Blue Mary, and Xiangfei. Players can exchange these coins with fighters, cards, and souls available in the event-specific Exchange Shop, just in case they don't get any of the event's fighters and cards.</div>
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<h2>
THE NEW FIGHTERS</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eJGg4JQjibQiv9EKhrBnm6iufn0dPSoJyOUfjt4BT7xXYhcfTjXSnpor-z1u9SvVuRGZYDe4ogaUCnkUp7O_GB3ddcObKdsBASEuygsaLIKIHQAS8vOgqyio_RFo_iOOtU9XIA07Qhib/s1600/Screenshot_2020-03-14-20-15-43-156_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eJGg4JQjibQiv9EKhrBnm6iufn0dPSoJyOUfjt4BT7xXYhcfTjXSnpor-z1u9SvVuRGZYDe4ogaUCnkUp7O_GB3ddcObKdsBASEuygsaLIKIHQAS8vOgqyio_RFo_iOOtU9XIA07Qhib/s400/Screenshot_2020-03-14-20-15-43-156_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>SamSho</i> goes brrr!</td></tr>
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All four events feature their own set of fighters. Yuri, Vanessa, and Athena became the Wonderland fighters with Iori also included in the mix as an obtainable fighter from completing its dedicated Super Mission, serving all the good tea. Valentine roster has Kasumi, King, and Blue Mary in their best casual street style outfits, but these three do not feature in the event's storyline unlike the Wonderland fighters. <i>Samurai Shodown </i>offers six fighters: one obtainable via Super Mission, done by crafting Soul of the Samurai (Ukyo), four obtainable from summons (Haohmaru and Rimururu at the start, Genjuro and Charlotte a week later), and one obtainable from collecting the Samurai Coins (Amakusa), and finally False Halloween offers False Halloween Heidern (dracula), Blue Mary (nurse), and Xiangfei (<i>jiangshi </i>vampire). These fighters, in their respective banners, have 1% drop rate, and they have their own quirks.<br />
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To rank them from worst to best, Valentine is skippable despite I actually get Valentine's Kasumi just to boost my rewards in the event, and I don't think I've find anyone special in this section (and never tried them anywhere). Miles ahead, Wonderland fighters are a solid group. I always wanted at least one of them (but wanted Athena more to complete my defense type suite), but the Wonderland Yuri I've got wasn't a bad choice since her first skill actually freezes opponent and is actually another good defense type character as well. Combine that with Wonderland Iori's striker link, you get yourself a solid combination based on the Wonderland event. False Halloween fighters, despite haven't tried them, look promising at first impressions. The FH Heidern feels like he's a better Heidern for sure, same with FH Mary and FH Xiangfei, whose respective special quirks include attack speed increase and good team leader skills.<br />
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And obviously, the winner stands to be the <i>SamSho</i> group. Crazy buffs, Super/Hyper Armors, and good Damage Overtimes make it every player's reasons to roll, combined with easy drop rates and nice striker links. Haohmaru and Genjuro are the two top tier fighters out of this group, being the true fighters in their own right, especially with the right battle cards and striker links when necessary. The first time I get Haohmaru from the summon (and his Special Card in another), I felt accomplished and took every chance to grow him up in the first week even though I haven't got Rimururu yet (of which both have a neat striker link that increases power charge). As the second volume came, I frantically took the chance to get Genjuro, and yet despite not getting him at early tries I actually got Charlotte first before him, quickly ending my rolls, focusing on Rimururu, and finally Genjuro's Special Card, all accomplished with few rubies left after doing them. Crazy to think that I'd be getting all the collab fighters, something I couldn't do in the last collab event, and even better battle cards that should at least help me keeping myself relevant in the tier list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW2YlsTOz-f-ojzv9cKH_5kiyetE3V336wi2GEETlmPQt1sPQJtDkEjiU8fuA419xsjATOzW9nJFSWM4qW3SfWvEMSym5f_7TYHPLITQ3PSkLwfIfh4wQJImXB6UmJQu5a7A3yzh5djrA/s1600/Screenshot_2020-01-14-19-40-49-643_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpW2YlsTOz-f-ojzv9cKH_5kiyetE3V336wi2GEETlmPQt1sPQJtDkEjiU8fuA419xsjATOzW9nJFSWM4qW3SfWvEMSym5f_7TYHPLITQ3PSkLwfIfh4wQJImXB6UmJQu5a7A3yzh5djrA/s400/Screenshot_2020-01-14-19-40-49-643_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krizalid in action</td></tr>
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A number of new FES fighters ran their banners at a specific period of time with others being offered as roulette fighters just like in the <i>Tekken </i>collaboration event where Paul Phoenix was the one fighter being offered that way. The Wonderland update saw '99 Krizalid, '03 Terry Bogard, and XIII NESTS Style Kyo being offered while the last banner mentioned carried on through the Valentine update. Through <i>SamSho </i>collaboration, '03 Mukai and XIV Nakoruru were the next ones on the list, and finally the recent False Halloween update put 2001 Igniz to the mix. Given my focus towards <i>SamSho</i> characters, I didn't have the chance to roll for any of these fighters. However, these fighters are occasionally used in the Novice Time Attack. Terry and Kyo do pack a punch while Nakoruru's ranged attacks can be quite useful when they hit. I do like Igniz as well, and somehow he bears similarities to Haohmaru in some way, except the NESTS leader have awesome move names (Brutal God Project, anyone?) and the fact that his defensive stance looks like a gigantic sound system. Non-FES banner fighters also appear in the Supreme Mankind & Secret Agent banner under the Pick-Up Summon menu, with the banner in question offering <i>KOF 2000 </i>fighters Ramon and Vanessa with no time limit imposed, plus being the bonus fighters to the newly-introduced Epic Quest Episode 1. Their Special Cards are also available in the series' Battle Card Summon as well.</div>
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On the roulette front, we had 99 Whip, 2000 Kula Diamond, 2001 Angel, 98 Mai, and 96 Leona. First four fighters debuting in ALL STAR costumes now appear in their original form from their respective <i>KOF </i>games, while the new Mai is yet another addition to the Mai Shiranui suite in the game. Such a shame that I couldn't able to get any of them, but at the end of the day these characters would make it to the default pool at some point, though this would take time waiting. However, the current spotlight is actually on 2001 May Lee, still ongoing with her roulette set to end a week after this post, I'm currently hoping that I would get her by any means, and I'd probably buy the roulette ticket pack for this occasion. General consensus seem to see May Lee as a solid fighter, especially for yellow element, something that... on a second thought, I really need it.<br />
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Interestingly, this rule doesn't apply to XIV Alice, the third fighter to come out from <i>KOF XIV</i> after Geese and Nakoruru. Instead of being a gacha fighter in the Japanese version, she was actually a paid fighter. Yes, you spend money on her (and her Ultimate) just like the School Uniform Xiaoyu during the <i>Tekken </i>collaboration. It isn't surprising to see negative receptions when she's revealed to be a paid fighter when she was normally obtainable via gacha, despite people's tendency to spend a lot of rubies to aim for a potential banner pity and XIV Alice being a "guaranteed" package at a set price. My guess is that this is done as an "Early Access character before we make the gacha banner of featuring her," barring the negative things about this business move, with no telling when her actual gacha banner is. Another guess would be that this is basically a chance to get a character and her card </div>
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<h2>
NEW WAYS OF SUMMON</h2>
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Since the Wonderland update, the summon system is revised to follow the Japanese version's categorization. This resulted in three categories of "Event", "Special", and "Misc" banners; "Event" banners are pretty much pick-up and FES fighter and Battle Card banners running for a limited period of time; "Special" consists of a normal fighter and Battle Card summons which have now been revised to include six past FES fighters under the moniker "Noah's Fest Banner Season 1," plus a special Diamond Summon. Finally, "Misc" banner is basically the Friendship Point summon we all know since day one.</div>
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Though the default summon pool actually offers one of five past FES fighters, all eyes are on the Diamond Summon banner. The banner, entitled the "Kaya Summon", is a stacked deck Diamond-only summon where you have the chance of getting either a past FES fighter (even Pretty Chang), a seasonal fighter, a set of special cards, or a set of fighter growth essentials. Diamonds for this summon are only obtainable through doing gacha in any of the existing banners and there's no loyalty meter just like in every normal banner. A <i>very</i> promising banner, but can be a challenging one just to get the one you actually one. Each roll costs 3000 Diamonds, while you can earn 25 Diamonds from every Fighter summon and 15 from every Battle Card summon (250 and 150 for x10 summons respectively).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VICTORY SCREEECH!!!</td></tr>
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My first experience on the Diamond summon wasn't that good given that I obtained a Halloween Option Card featuring Halloween Kula with her gigantic lollipop candy (affectionately dubbed as "Peropero Candy" in this game, if we were to go with its own affinity item naming...). However, this is when things get more lit: my second run had me getting XIV Geese which was offered during the <i>Tekken</i> collab and effectively earned myself a second purple-bordered motherchucker after Goenitz, courtesy of my series of <i>SamSho </i>banner summons. My third run was even more unreal as '97 Orochi (yes, the same <i>KOF 97 </i>final boss <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/rendys-battle-report-01-festive-fest.html" target="_blank">I spent my rubies for in vain</a>) <i>was</i> my third Diamond summon result, bringing my FES Fighters count to three. Not that I would predate the top ranks in either PvE or PvP, but it's crazy to see myself getting something I couldn't able to have in a row this way. I never had frequent jaw drops from these kinds of summon haha.</div>
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<h2>
GOENITZ GETS BETTER!</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goenitz. now packs more serious punches than before!</td></tr>
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It turns out the update not only brings <i>Samurai Shodown </i>characters but also a much-needed buff for Goenitz as well. Having buffed Orochi Iori during the Wonderland event, the Mr. <i>Koko desu ka? </i>finally gets a long-awaited refinements that actually improved his overall gameplay. The most noted thing for his buff is his attack animations, deleting delays during Skills 1 and 2 (being the famed Yo no Kaze and Yami Doukoku respectively). However, it actually goes beyond that as now the former now gives an additional 12% Critical Rate for 7 seconds and an ability to disable a target's Roll for 3 seconds upon a successful attack or a Guard. For the latter, it increases ATK by 28% for 7 seconds. Last but not least the third skill, Hyouga, now gives Hyper Armor for 3 seconds, meaning that upon activation Goenitz is immune to any damage.<br />
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As someone who obtained Goenitz a while ago and haven't been comfortable in using him until now, this is something I welcome the most. For a size of a purple-bordered fighter, he didn't stand much chance against other same-bordered ones like, say, Original Zero and Orochi for that matter. Now I have a reason to max out his level, stats, and Affinity, all of which are pretty much accomplished, except one: his Special Card, Shin Ya Otome: Jissoukoku, something I haven't able to get when his banner went up, thankfully the Noah Summon gives the second chance that goes on forever. However, there's also his 3PG card entitled Shuuen wo Yobu Kaze, originally meant for Mecha Goenitz but is also usable for Goenitz as well. Whichever Special I get, I am guaranteed at least one Finisher which should be enough.<br />
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The next update should be yet <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIfoNt9cVug" target="_blank">another stacked deck</a> to get on: the <i>KOF '99 </i>Story Mode being added, Ash Crimson coming, Team Relay Dungeon, and God knows what other new stuffs in place for the game...<br />
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~[R]</div>
Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-27334840870198525612020-03-04T10:39:00.000+07:002020-03-04T10:39:47.910+07:00RnTheAndrian Goes Professional!After a number of considerations, I have decided that maintaining <a href="https://www.behance.net/RnTheAndrian" target="_blank">my Behance profile</a> is the way to go. Despite my lack of luck in job interviews for the past year, I always wanted to have a portfolio page where I can dump some of my works there. Previously, I crammed in a number of works on my CV file within the second page. It did help, but the portfolio within the CV didn't have that much kick.<br />
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Before this, I opened a deviantArt account years back, but has since never touched it, ever. Despite intentions of posting my works there, no execution of any kind was done despite even I featured my own dA account on the site at some point. The idea of an online portfolio has never gotten into me until earlier this year in a bid to create a much better portfolio than just a series of personal work dumps within the CV. This is what drove me to eventually create a Behance account and start posting my projects a couple of days later, but obviously I will need more work in presentation remembering that this is my first time I created an online portfolio. Apparently, this website's ability to showcase work portfolio isn't limited to graphic design projects so I can dump a number of web design and motion graphic stuffs as well.<br />
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My biggest conflict was my amount of personal projects against the number of projects I actually did for organizations and stuffs, but that stems from my comparing own works with those with years of work experiences. Even before I conceived an online portfolio, I always thought that my works were "just stuffs" and that's it, apart from <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/92846957/OPK-Dapur-Seni-%282013-2016%29" target="_blank">my organizational works</a> that is. I ended up with inserting a logo for my friend's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magandashop_/" target="_blank">Instagram-based shop</a>, a number of 3D works (including <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1021242768092364800" target="_blank">the low-poly racing scene</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1033567287704399873" target="_blank">the low-poly Earp Homestead</a>), and even cars from <i>Turbo Sliders</i> and <i>MiniRacingOnline</i>. Yes, I actually put game stuffs as graphic assets worthy of being featured in portfolio, because why not? These are scratch-made after all. If Bao T. Nguyen's <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/74662573/Auto-Modellista" target="_blank"><i>Auto Modellista</i>-inspired creation</a> thought me something about how great personal projects are done, why not? Those doubts has been vanished, though it kinda needed its own media as time goes. Also, the <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/7128207/VS-Racing-2" target="_blank"><i>VS Racing 2</i> work</a> by Martin Öberg got me thinking about how treating my <i>Turbo Sliders</i> cars as enhanced graphical assets in addition of being an add-on as well. Worth to try!<br />
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Please do enjoy my online portfolio! More projects will be added soon as time goes. I hope you readers enjoy my works as much as I do!<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-14531371645639870292020-02-23T22:19:00.001+07:002020-02-23T22:28:36.883+07:00Let's Make a Fan Fiction, Again!Towards the end of January, I found myself fleshing out my mega-crossover fan fiction project at a random whim. I don't know why but a thought of making a crossover fan fiction has finally kicked in after a long time. I mean, I've actually wanted to make one but had to put it in a perpetual backburner due to a lot of stuffs for some reason, and now suddenly I got back here again after not doing anything story-related for a couple of years.<br />
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Long story short, I've had <strike>two</strike> three projects when it comes to fan fiction, at least those with released chapters. First one is a street racing fan fiction with an outlandish concept where cars can even drive inside shopping malls (but stopped halfway through), second one is a competition-themed fan fiction between television shows that has seen two seasons with the third being worked on until it wasn't, and the third is a version of that but this time with teams of three being featured and has bigger numbers of competing teams. Three different fan fictions, three different places, but all share the same thing: I hate how I executed them nowadays. So now I ended up conceiving a concept for the new one.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
STORIES SO FAR</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mWOkKTgXzTZtw9Kj-MAWzGicpjR5YpyBebYl_SYYKQonVxyRX1Kh4Skua8pPiIoqt2_30URKy1znZHNW5yUzxioC966Szia6o7RTg_wmfLi__w0ToOuf10SzXENjwpL3okqDT2AEzsHD/s1600/ep1_scene5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mWOkKTgXzTZtw9Kj-MAWzGicpjR5YpyBebYl_SYYKQonVxyRX1Kh4Skua8pPiIoqt2_30URKy1znZHNW5yUzxioC966Szia6o7RTg_wmfLi__w0ToOuf10SzXENjwpL3okqDT2AEzsHD/s1600/ep1_scene5.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, this wasn't an online session of <i>MiniRacingOnline</i>, it was <i>the </i>actual fan fiction illustration!</td></tr>
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As far as my story creation went, I started this fad when I was in a junior high age, in which I was someone who wanted to play the hell out of <i>Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune</i>. Of course that influenced my decision to make a fan fiction centered around the racing genre and came out with a couple of concepts, with only one of them actually materialized. This is what would became of my first fan fiction called <i><a href="http://wmexpressway.net/index.php?showtopic=29816" target="_blank"><b>Wonkndeso Xtreme Racer</b></a></i>, taking a term coined from <a href="https://nurdayat.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/arti-wong-ndeso-bagiku-analogi-dgn-empat-mata-tukul-dan-gaya-wiro-sableng/" target="_blank">a local TV show</a> that quite boomed back then as a title of a street racing fan fiction, with a <i>twist</i>. The word "<i>Wonkndeso</i>" (actual spelling of the word is <i>wong ndeso</i>) is actually a Javanese word for "Village person" (<i>wong</i> = person; <i>ndeso</i> = village), and the word itself is kinda ingrained in the series, down to the backstory: a street racing scene, known as the Wonkndeso Racing Scene, is established in the fictional country of Ndesoland in the year of 20xx, with races in shopping malls, water parks, and recreation centers became somekind of the scene's main attractions in addition to races in mountain passes, racing circuits, city streets, dirt areas, and highways. No wonder I <i>actually</i> named it the "weirdest racing fan fiction ever," because how can you race in shopping malls, water parks, and recreation centers in a full-sized car? Shrinking ray?<span id="goog_2077434937"></span><br />
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The actual fan fiction was started in April 2009 (more than ten years ago, go figure!) on the Wangan Midnight Expressway forums, and would later re-posted on another place on the old SCARTS forum which had <a href="http://scartsracing.darkbb.com/f66-rendy-s-fan-fictions" target="_blank">a dedicated forum section</a> for it, particularly to contain threads pertaining to character profiles and race tracks featured. As far as the plot goes, the fan fiction follows Zen Kusanagi, a racer from Fujiwara Village who aims to step up to the challenge of the Wonkndeso Racing Scene. He started out racing in the Japanarta GP race and had a fallout in that race that led him to a series of encounters before returning back to the village. He had to start anew with a new car and race through a set of challenges in his neighborhood, progressing through until he eventually rise up in the big city once more to reach the coveted WGP, either it was a short for World Grand Prix or in fact Wonkndeso Grand Prix (you decide?), as his family members join the racing scene. He would also were to assemble a team of his own as he meets a number of racers in the storyline as the story progresses. The main philosophy of the fiction is that Zen comes from a small village which can make the <i>Wonkndeso</i> naming made sense. To sum it up, the story is basically a blend of various works, from <i>Tokyo Xtreme Racer</i> series, to <i>EarthBound</i>, and <i>Yakitate!! Japan</i>, in addition to hints of racing manga works such as <i>Initial D</i> and <i>Bakusou Kyodai Let's & Go!</i> that exist..<br />
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A noteworthy fact of the first fan fiction I had was the way graphics in races were done, in which these contents, be it cars or tracks, takes cues from top-down racing games such as <i>GeneRally</i> and <i>MiniRacingOnline</i>, two of the three top-down racing games I frequently played back then although I actually had problems with the first one at first due to imminent PC restarts during gameplay on my old PC. Tracks are drawn in the same vein <i>GR</i> tracks were done while cars use <i>MRO</i>-style graphics, meaning that these cars are drawn in bitmap form with a green background (or any other if the car has a green color) and with appropriate shading on the cars.<br />
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Unfortunately none of these top-down graphics are a saving grace to how badly things were written, something I kinda ignored back then because my goal was to "just write random stories for the sake of it." As a result, characterization is often inconsistent between characters, and not to mention the events are... let's say "interesting"; has there been an IRL case where the RB26DETT engine on a Skyline GT-R V-Spec II blew off? How could the main character has an experience enough to earn him a national-scale race in the first chapter? A race after the main character's loss that draws comparison to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiBlindky7Q" target="_blank">very first mission of EarthBound</a>? Even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLRSnc9GUE" target="_blank">down to the meteor part</a>? But nothing can defeat one true nemesis of all: <u>the badly-written English</u>. Yup, you can spot a number of bad grammars and inconsistent spellings throughout the fiction, despite having a good knowledge of English at that time.<br />
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At the end of the day, I've discontinued the fic even though I already bagged the full storyline; who will the main character face in the next set of chapters, where the next set of races will be held, et cetera. On the SCARTS page, <i>GeneRally</i> was <a href="http://scartsracing.darkbb.com/t1260-wxr-is-officially-discontinued-for-rewriting" target="_blank">the reason why</a> the fic is discontinued, but that just made up 1/4 of the ultimate decision back then. I kinda moved on from writing this genre of fiction, let alone reviving this work, although there might be a way to re-purpose a number of characters already posted and those planned...<br />
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On another site, a number of fan fiction concepts have been started by yours truly with a main focus on crossovers between TV shows. This time, it is a fully-fledged competition-centric fan fiction in which competing teams battle in a series of games around the world to become a champion. Taking the idea of <i>Iron Chef </i>and <i>Super Smash Bros.</i>, <i><a href="https://rtvgames.com/showthread.php?t=10178" target="_blank"><b>World's Next Top Champion</b></a></i> existed as a medium of showdown between 12 two-person teams of TV shows; six select scripted TV shows up against six editions of the <i>Next Top Model </i>franchise. Posted on Reality TV Games where competition fics, mostly based on the <i>NTM </i>franchises, are <a href="https://rtvgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=231" target="_blank">a commonplace</a> (and formerly a user-only section by the way), it is the next phase of my fan fiction making, favoring on competitive side of things over storylines and plots, and putting the existing characters/contestants to the story instead of making another set of original characters unlike <i>WXR</i>.<br />
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Since it is a competition fic, there is no set storyline on its two-season run which would end the fic up like <i>The King of Fighters </i>series if they were, but a (not-so) random storyline could emerge from somewhere within the span of the two seasons. The first season, started in June 2009 (fun fact: I juggled between this and <i>WXR </i>at the time of making), took the competition aspect seriously, with each round (consisting of 9 places to visit, a mix between real and fictional places) consists of 3 rounds where half of the competitors are eliminated in every round, leaving only six in the final, deciding round. Points are given based on the finishing order, with the competitor with most points within the 9-round season declared as the winner and the winning team decided from a summed total of two competitors' points. <a href="https://rtvgames.com/showthread.php?t=9978" target="_blank">The second season</a> (started in February 2010) changed the format in which only a single competitor representing a team with 30 entered, still a mix between scripted TV shows and <i>NTM </i>franchises (plus another modeling-based show outside the franchise), and 12 rounds with only a single round being played, abandoning the elimination format. Interesting bits about the first season include intermission rounds akin to the first <i>Super Smash Bros. </i>game and Master Hand as the series' boss fight after the championship, while the second season has a training arc, a couple of interruptions (removing the intermission rounds), and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pdRooblvIQ" target="_blank">Black Shadow from <i>F-Zero</i></a>, making it a season with even more storyline than the last. Hell, the second season adds the <i>F-Zero </i>elements to it...<br />
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Again, like the <i>WXR</i>, <i>WNTC</i> was illustration-dependent but this time it was more toned down. Things were settled on random numbers rather than pure strength index of individual competitors which resulted in occasional random boosts and longer story per episode since I had to focus on everyone. Occurrences of bad grammar showcases still exist, and sometimes some characters don't retain their personalities in their original shows. However, this is also the first time I switched things up from script-styled writing to prose-styled writing, starting from <a href="https://rtvgames.com/showthread.php?t=9978&p=1415914&viewfull=1#post1415914" target="_blank">the second season's 21st episode</a>, a better move writing-wise. As much as I hate how badly-executed they are now that I've revisited it, completing two seasons of this was a feat in itself. It stopped when I was about to hit <a href="https://rtvgames.com/showthread.php?t=19316" target="_blank">the third season</a>, with more seasons already prepared in conjunction to the third season's WIP, but I don't think this concept would see a more recent installation as I already moved on from it, along with the fact that there isn't anything interesting around the <i>NTM </i>fandom for me. Maybe if it were to continue, either the competitors would be all scripted TV shows or that the competition is folded somewhere between 2016-2019.<br />
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There is a third attempt in 2011, right after the conclusion of the second season of <i>WNTC</i>, featuring more recent shows, again in another site of FanFiction.Net; <i><a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6657563/1/FanFiction-Fandom-Sports-Festival" target="_blank">FanFiction Fandom Sports Festival</a></i> is yet another competition fic featuring teams of three from various TV shows competing for glory in what is dubbed as the biggest sports festival in the world, inspired by <i>Naruto</i>'s <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wuok" target="_blank">Konoha Sports Festival</a> episode. It is of course out-of-character as the description said so, and has birthed two chapters in which both are a trike race where competitors go around the running track. Second round has been made, but it went on the backburner, neglecting the fic's progress for good. It was actually one of the better attempts out there out of the three, but being overwhelmed with many featured teams is a struggle in itself. As a side note, this is at the time where I was in the <i>Inazuma Eleven </i>standom.<br />
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As the <i>Sports Festival </i>ended prematurely, I've spent my time making concepts of how my fan fiction should've been; it was something in the lines of either rebooting <i>WXR </i>or <i>WNTC</i>. The latter was a safer choice since the source materials (the featured TV shows) can be revisited anytime and be rebooted in a couple of different formats while the former is a difficult one since the loss of the master files for the concept, combined with my reluctancy.<br />
<h2>
FORGING A NEW CONCEPT</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9za6j6OwsB0xt2UGjUcu_dNWGg4hifAAAnjweou3ncNzntf41H6GMKYQZMFkGBkp7NW_4T0067T-Hm4Q7xHjBPgUde473RMPlx517YDoGNQ-QDc6FjJzDtyzmpFy7Rwk83n5Gu1kQ1Mkt/s1600/245+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9za6j6OwsB0xt2UGjUcu_dNWGg4hifAAAnjweou3ncNzntf41H6GMKYQZMFkGBkp7NW_4T0067T-Hm4Q7xHjBPgUde473RMPlx517YDoGNQ-QDc6FjJzDtyzmpFy7Rwk83n5Gu1kQ1Mkt/s400/245+copy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WARNING: Not a final logo design!</td></tr>
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Coming up with a concept is one thing. Since I wanted a mega-crossover, that solved part of the problem. However, it is all down in execution. Several trial-and-errors have been made between the last time I <i>finished</i> a fan fiction with the last time I <i>tried to do</i> a fan fiction (I'm looking at you, Excel-based simulation named <i><a href="http://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/tag/world%20tournament" target="_blank">World Tournament</a></i>). Visits to cutting room were also done often, going back-and-forth between having <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/156502.html" target="_blank">a championship involving award shows and voting competitions</a> and <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/rendys-car-skinning-life-ep-04.html" target="_blank">a sports car championship</a>, a case that applies to <i>World Fandom Championship </i>moniker. Eventually, though, after the Writer's Block that struck me for the nth time, going back to square one is an option, but thankfully it's something that I've tried to do for a long time. I would like to call it <b><i>Super Fandom Wars</i></b>.<br />
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Simply put, <i>Super Fandom Wars</i> is a version of <i>Super Robot Wars</i> series, this time involving characters from some of the best scripted TV shows. In this project, a set of original characters accidentally live in a world of a TV show and an unknown evil emerged somewhere, disrupting the show's timeline and opening up the fact that the fates of different TV shows connect to each other. These main characters will have to rally them in an effort of defeating the disrupting evil and restore peace and continuity in the world of scripted television shows. The challenging part about rallying them is that these people come from different backgrounds, have different personalities, and even some don't have that much of flashy moves to fight, like a Hadouken or similar. However, no matter how different these people are, there shall be one mutual thing they all share to serve their mission: their pure fighting spirit.<br />
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To start out the formula, I decided to combine the elements from both <i>Wonkndeso Xtreme Racer </i>and <i>World's Next Top Champion</i> and re-purpose them to fit the project's direction. As a result, a couple of things are adjusted to fit with the story's aesthetics, especially regarding to the participating TV shows. In this project, scripted TV shows who were part of <i>WNTC </i>becomes the participating shows in the war and references towards <i>Next Top Model </i>franchises are erased, save for original character concepts whose designs are based on some of the contestants in various versions of the franchise. Since <i>WNTC</i> has two seasons, these will be a foundation for the separate storyline arcs in the same timeline. What happened during those <i>WNTC </i>seasons (i.e., interactions) might also be rebooted in story form, although obviously some occurrences will differ since the project will only revolve around the TV show locations in contrast to the original material's inclusion of international destinations (except probably one). Last but not least the main hero for the project is, drumrolls please, Zen Kusanagi from <i>WXR</i>! This time around, however, in a more fleshed-out form while keeping his appearance in the fiction intact. Since we're on a war and not racing in a small village, the <i>WXR </i>storyline won't be rebooted in any form, but some of the characters will, maybe mostly those who were about to appear but not due to the story's halted progress. Elements from <i>Fandom Sports Festival </i>will not exist for this project unfortunately, but that's to be expected honestly.<br />
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An interesting point about the project is the fact that there are three TV shows representing three different genres set in New York from the get-go, creating a good starting foundation for the story: the teen drama <i>Gossip Girl </i>and the drama show <i>Dirty Sexy Money</i> co-exist with the Sci-Fi show <i>Heroes</i> with an imminent danger of New York being exploded, meaning that Upper East Side will also be blown with them in process. Teaming up might be the only option, but how will the rich kids prepare themselves to fight Sylar, among other evil figures? Meanwhile, the rest of the TV worlds are distant to each other but they all suffer an evil aura surrounding them at the same time, requiring the heroes to stop them before it's too late. This is where the original characters exclusive to the project kick in, whether it's the other heroes aside from Zen, anti-heroes who fight for no one but themselves, or in fact the main villains. Yes, those doctors on <i>Grey's Anatomy</i>? The teenagers from <i>One Tree Hill</i>? Even those housewives from <i>Desperate Housewives</i>? They all become fighters now. Forget using robots from either Earth Federation or The Principality of Zeon for fighting, we have bratty teenagers and hot-blooded housewives fighting evil!<br />
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As far as the project goes, it has been worked out for months. Things initially started out on a word processor program and continued in the cloud-based version. Unfortunately, I struggled with this configuration and decided to try out an application called Scrivener. It might be a less-advanced version of word processor compared to the likes of Microsoft Word and Google Docs, but it actually offers more than you could expect: you can set out a number of separate documents and organize them based on whatever aspect of a story you'd like to work on, plus the ability to drag and drop reference images and text documents to a project as their own files and icon personalizations for individual documents. It is no doubt the go-to tool for the writers, often goes hand-in-hand with another of Literature & Latte's application Scapple, and even Aeon Timeline to an extent, a tool for timeline construction. At the moment however, I'm fleshing out a roster of my original characters first before proceeding with the participating series, although between this I just re-started the first season of <i>Heroes</i>, since the Solar Eclipse phenomenon became the foundation for this project. Converging the storylines between three New York-set shows is a current priority for the participating shows' side, while fleshing out original characters is of a higher one. I would estimate about more than 20 original characters will be involved in this project, but for the starting arc it'll be between 10-12, including the minor characters related to the main characters.<br />
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I hope that I don't screw this one up, which is to be expected actually. I'm learning my lesson after three failed fan fictions and I want to make sure that the fourth time is a charm. No, not only just a charm but a charm that, in an unexpected twist, can span into three to five different timelines. It's crazy, but these timelines were actually the products of trial-and-error, and that in the future these stories will become a reality. As I speak, my Archive of Our Own account is on standby and more of this post pertaining to this very project will be posted in the future!<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-73143252143739163422020-02-03T10:41:00.000+07:002020-02-23T21:08:17.146+07:00Rendy's Battle Report 01: The Festive Fest Units Festival<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sek8E1M1LtPoF3RWUVagi14J0eawgppgpbxFPb-KMsXBDTQI1hJZ4GWiooF2pJGNznQoqCqUcCZJ9DP6htwz5uPejyqALeey5kXWrFmAj7CeYPAfxpcdpt6zhDPXtHFa8MSw8lwtOPn6/s1600/unfaithful-banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sek8E1M1LtPoF3RWUVagi14J0eawgppgpbxFPb-KMsXBDTQI1hJZ4GWiooF2pJGNznQoqCqUcCZJ9DP6htwz5uPejyqALeey5kXWrFmAj7CeYPAfxpcdpt6zhDPXtHFa8MSw8lwtOPn6/s400/unfaithful-banner.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obey the tier list! Obey the tier list! Obey the tier list!</td></tr>
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First of all, this post is way belated than planned since I'm still on a job search at the moment, among others. Thankfully, I managed to snag an interview last Thursday. Hopefully I can get employed because that's what all matters for me now.<br />
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Realizing that I've been more active than ever in <i>The King of Fighters ALL STAR</i>, I've decided that I'll be making some sort of random recaps of my progress in the same vein as my <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/search/label/skinning" target="_blank">car skinning progresses</a>. Playing this game for about <a href="http://forum.netmarble.com/kofg_en/view/4/6321" target="_blank">more than 100 days</a> realized that I'm on my phase where I've become grown with the <i>KOF</i> universe, and <i>ALL STAR</i> has cemented that. The scavenger hunt for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2BmffEYrI" target="_blank">KD-0079 origins</a> and getting into the rabbit's hole has really helped, and it seems that my new gaming pattern has been shaped yet again after being broken during my <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/king-of-fighters-all-star-putting.html" target="_blank">first discovery</a>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>December has become a month of a wild ride for the Global version of <i>ALL STAR</i> with so many banners dropping that it's probably impossible to juggle between them, even after the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/november-26-excellence-kof-as-stage.html" target="_blank">Tekken 7 collaboration has ended</a>. The Christmas update (uh... the Winter Holiday update) brought a couple of <i>KOF </i>fighters <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4L-3oGRMx4" target="_blank">dressed in Christmas festivities</a> including the gameplay debut of Whip, the Ikari Squad member with a fighting style that can whip anything on her path (except <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaF-nRS_CWM" target="_blank">Llama's buns</a>, mind you), dressed in the Christmas costume. Interestingly, this isn't the first time the costumed version of <i>KOF</i> fighters debuted earlier than their original versions; Angel and Kula Diamond made their formal debut in the Halloween update months back. Bonus points for the fact that both of them plus Whip come from the series' NESTS saga and actually originate from the cloning cartel as well.<br />
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But the takeaway is that there are much better banners that dropped in conjunction with the Christmas fighters. Yes, Netmarble thinks that dropping both Orochi New Face and Pretty Fighters banners, containing some of the top tier fighters, is a good idea that they can see themselves getting all the stonks. And if that's not enough, the Orochi (as in, the "<i>KOF 97</i> Final Boss Orochi") actually descended along with the New Year and Summer banners. Netmarble actually ended the decade with an amazing festivity where up to five purple-bordered fighters can be obtained by the way of gacha, assuming that their luck don't work out that one can eventually spend mountains of rubies.<br />
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<h2>
THE NEW FACE AWAKENS</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC0M8N5g8fsLCY3qpJnERsBGXaaiha-xuUFjOPCimGdZjmi-S-Vsky9140kCy-RI8G1VsN5eLd5hMiW_pFYpbl_REoFFGk2QdfNsa9iq4BIM5xgATLh5Diht0LOjnSn0P5udWZ7fyHj9Q/s1600/f694358f7f59473b990c779f5b898586_1576228590148_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikC0M8N5g8fsLCY3qpJnERsBGXaaiha-xuUFjOPCimGdZjmi-S-Vsky9140kCy-RI8G1VsN5eLd5hMiW_pFYpbl_REoFFGk2QdfNsa9iq4BIM5xgATLh5Diht0LOjnSn0P5udWZ7fyHj9Q/s400/f694358f7f59473b990c779f5b898586_1576228590148_d.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orochi trio, the beginning that precedes the month's madness (Image: Netmarble)</td></tr>
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In <i>The King of Fighters '97</i>, three musicians who formed a band together entered the tournament. The three musicians in question are guitarist Yashiro Nanakase, charming French keyboardist Shermie, and young Swedish drummer Chris entered altogether as the New Face Team, taking the invitation from the American Sports Team who competed in <i>'94</i>. They enter the tournament to get revenge on Iori Yagami who overshadowed the band's performance, canceling their gig. However, towards the conclusion of the tournament, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byu7Ar49sys" target="_blank">their hidden powers awakened</a>; the three are actually part of the Orochi clan, specifically the Hakesshu (The Four Heavenly Kings). Fast forward to 2019, one Dried Earth, one Violent Lightning, and one Destined Flame all gather to break the <i>ALL STAR</i> in style, with a dedicated banner for fighter summons, Battle Card summons and promoted packages. The unique part of their promotion is that they have their own Novice Time Attack event and a chance to guarantee any of the three for as much as 5000 Rubies during the event's period.<br />
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Having played the three of them in the Time Attack, I feel like Orochi Chris and Orochi Shermie are the best out of the trio in their own right. I feel like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuEsfZh27HI" target="_blank">Orochi Shermie</a> is the Time Attack-type fighter with a fast Power Gain rate provided that you have '97 Shermie as her striker, whereas <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=NsgF38p2dzo" target="_blank">Orochi Chris</a> does better with crowd controls and a cooldown decrease with '97 Chris as striker which can allow him to spam skills faster. Though I have to say I feel more comfortable with Orochi Shermie's Ultimate skills, especially her Ankoku Raikouken. Orochi Chris on the other hand is geared towards crowd control since his first ultimate has him going back and forth. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twNl3T5Bkbw" target="_blank">Orochi Yashiro</a> isn't the type of guy you'd like to beat the records with, although his active skills (comprising of mostly, if not all, grabs) pack quite a punch and you can endlessly throw people with him. All three are the best in their own right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsqpg2RxuRIWLQK2y-Q8LKgDrpExjwM6eY1WUaB6Hakdugr-eF-y_0xRl_0J7aQD31ABzDSIz2u2662q0J9YEyl74QOn1sSPcyojfBuvh5rje5QYduRnmIZB-5sy1uGsYdiex203VohMr/s1600/Screenshot_2019-12-18-23-37-48-638_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsqpg2RxuRIWLQK2y-Q8LKgDrpExjwM6eY1WUaB6Hakdugr-eF-y_0xRl_0J7aQD31ABzDSIz2u2662q0J9YEyl74QOn1sSPcyojfBuvh5rje5QYduRnmIZB-5sy1uGsYdiex203VohMr/s400/Screenshot_2019-12-18-23-37-48-638_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me after countless of tries and hours of watching Time Attack tutorials...</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, none of them ended up in my collection, even the Holiday Boxes I get from the Novice Time Trials mostly comprised of Item Summon Tickets. As much as I couldn't able to get any of the three, I actually secured Orochi Chris' Ultimate Card which should make up for a future investment in case they return once more. In fact, out of all the Battle Card draws, I actually drew Orochi Chris' Ultimate Card three times. Getting the 5000 Rubies pack would be a good investment but such an urge died with rumors of the Orochi himself coming to Global, more of that below. Alas, the Orochi Trio will definitely return in another form. Perhaps the <a href="https://altema.jp/kofallstar/warudodroppu" target="_blank">purple debris event that happened in the Japanese version</a> can be done on Global as well? Imagine picking between the three via the selector along with Orochi Iori, Omega Rugal, and Krizalid in Global version... (actually I want Orochi Chris here)<br />
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<h2>
THE PRETTY LADIES</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKI4LOgdhcIksh-7v81zNjLZtJdLB-CmQOpHXpyMvvwWYNBXnVZlqFvWuv1zRDUJFxe59tHhga57ohWwv-OvYqOmqZqK4gF8bxpmb33Cw1Mecuo14gx65w3Fz3bvZmE52pRX2HkKeg8dFd/s1600/939.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKI4LOgdhcIksh-7v81zNjLZtJdLB-CmQOpHXpyMvvwWYNBXnVZlqFvWuv1zRDUJFxe59tHhga57ohWwv-OvYqOmqZqK4gF8bxpmb33Cw1Mecuo14gx65w3Fz3bvZmE52pRX2HkKeg8dFd/s400/939.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're pretty, they're pretty strong, and they're pretty much Rule 63. Meet the Pretty Fighters! (Image: Netmarble)</td></tr>
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I'm kinda confused as why the game didn't go with the "Pretty Ladies" wording and instead go back and forth between "Lady Fighters" and "Ladylike Ladies" (Uhh... <i>Really?</i>), and with that I'm kinda worried with the game's wording/vocabulary department. Apart from that, these gender-bent fighters really landed within the Christmas update of the game, even featuring its own Rush/Score event.<br />
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Female versions of Chang Koehan, Yashiro Nanakase, and Billy Kane appeared one week after the Orochi Trio banner's release. The unique part of this is that Pretty Chang is the only purple-bordered <i>ALL STAR</i> fighter to exist at the time of this post (or we can simply say the FES unit), while the rest are gold-borders. That said, Pretty Chang's gacha rate stood at 0.3% while the rest were exactly 1%, making it a challenge for those who were rolling simply for Pretty Chang alone. Their Ultimate Cards are also exclusively tailored for them, meaning that existing Ultimate Cards for Chang, Yashiro, and Billy can't be used, and three of them have the same rate of 0.6%.<br />
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These girls don't have a Time Attack event of their own, let alone being featured in a Novice Time Attack, but unlike the Orochi Trio there's one occasion where you'd play as any of the three in the special event, which is actually a hybrid between Score and Rush events. The event structure consists of Normal and Hard difficulties designed for Score collecting to obtain rewards (just like the King event during the game's first release), in addition to the SP difficulty accessible a week later designed for collecting Stein Coins, the event's exclusive currency, to be exchanged with some of the cool items. All levels consist of two prologue stages, 4 stages plus one EX (read: Time Attack-based) stage for Pretty Chang, Pretty Yashiro, and Pretty Billy chapters (as well as an opportunity to play as them in the Easy difficulty), and three more EX stages where you fight all three Pretty fighters in separate occasions. The bonus fighter rules do not differ between Score and Coins, though if you stumbled upon <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqOpo0tfaz4" target="_blank">Nemuless' gameplay vid</a> of the same event in Japanese version, you'll notice that '97 Billy Kane, Halloween Yashiro Nanakase, and '96 Chang Koehan are absent in the bonus line-up, as well as a couple of Battle Cards dedicated for the event.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGBVOURijSRCylw8ba2pSX8IM7xt_lCCx7N16l2NuABRHF5pNeHThuMBxGVZqQHa2qXqLHPPJhJ9Gete-N6ShOUrtmUoBONLCItPkhsIO1281h2Lcx5SZSjvUcJGC8RhnfugaikiqhDNg/s1600/Screenshot_2019-12-24-11-30-49-055_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGBVOURijSRCylw8ba2pSX8IM7xt_lCCx7N16l2NuABRHF5pNeHThuMBxGVZqQHa2qXqLHPPJhJ9Gete-N6ShOUrtmUoBONLCItPkhsIO1281h2Lcx5SZSjvUcJGC8RhnfugaikiqhDNg/s400/Screenshot_2019-12-24-11-30-49-055_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh look, the Battle Card Summon lady is dropping by!</td></tr>
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But how these fighters turned female, you ask? Well, the blame is on the cat-like robot named Stein, first seen in Global during the Tekken collaboration event. Noah and Ryugo discovered a robot they've never used in a long time, of which Ryugo activated it and made the robot obsessed about finding its master. Noah and Ryugo turned out to be mean to Stein, making it run away from both. It isn't until its encounter with Kaya that it decided to break himself and somehow turned the world full of robots of its kind, trapping Chang, Yashiro, and Billy in process while their respective friends are looking. The trapped fighters found Stein and begged to be free from this world, of which they've got what they wanted with a twist: a female version of them exist in the player's world, and after a series of fights it was revealed that the original fighters appeared right before their Pretty counterparts, with Stein running away from the incoming trouble it'd get for making such a confusion. This is also the first time the woman from the Battle Card Summon get involved in a storyline, revealing her motive that she's here "to observe, and observe only."<br />
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A short playthrough as these Pretty Fighters had me unsurprisingly going for Pretty Chang, whose specialty is mashing with the big iron ball just like Chang Koehan, only with a touch of Super Armor. Combine that with the fact that she's a defense-type fighter and is shorter than most of the fighters, allowing for shorter hurt box and faster recovery, beating her in Arena, League, or even Tournament can be a chore for some. Pretty Billy was also okay with attacks that can reach longer range than most fighters plus burn damage, not to mention she can go airborne with one of her active skills. Lastly, Pretty Yashiro does have hard-hitting punches, although less grab-oriented than the original Yashiro.<br />
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From the free tickets obtained via event's exchange shop, only Pretty Billy who ended up in my collection, but the Battle Card summon netted me Pretty Yashiro's Ultimate Skill, again from the free tickets bought in the same shop. Given the next banner I will be reviewing, the free tickets were the only method that I use for the Pretty Fighters banner. Again, a tough luck on my part for not getting Pretty Chang, but then again not everyone is blessed with getting the 0.3%, not even at the first try to an extent. Case in point, <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1196381062961627137" target="_blank">me getting Goenitz months ago</a>.<br />
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<h2>
THE GAIA'S WILL: OROCHI</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLDpPntwfTBqWLpLaZRsSPpHZgswMlWSNO9P6X6omnI8gw0skHBM1U0fQk_8gLK6zkYNnMVTzOpqkHnpe0FWoCCm2_LDyKvR16rIlS5HwNQaA5jZlO0wrvjc8eJzEvBK6XdXbvoCTVTxU/s1600/kof_orochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeLDpPntwfTBqWLpLaZRsSPpHZgswMlWSNO9P6X6omnI8gw0skHBM1U0fQk_8gLK6zkYNnMVTzOpqkHnpe0FWoCCm2_LDyKvR16rIlS5HwNQaA5jZlO0wrvjc8eJzEvBK6XdXbvoCTVTxU/s400/kof_orochi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"From a broken cocoon, the butterfly dances away." -Orochi (Image: Netmarble)</td></tr>
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And as the rumors became reality, the '97 Orochi has finally awakened to the Global version of KOF ALL STAR, in a two-week banner with 0.3% chance of getting one of the series' notorious bosses. It's crazy that Orochi comes in conjunction with the ongoing Pretty Fighters line and the New Year + Summer banners which replaced the Christmas banners, with five fighters each dressing up in New Year's Eve and Summer costumes. As of December, the fighter was pretty much a top tier contender alongside Pretty Chang along with fighters which are available in Japanese server but not yet landed in Global.<br />
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Orochi himself awakened during the conclusion of <i>The King of Fighters '97</i> after the defeat of the Orochi-awakened New Face team. Chris is the human host for the celestial being, with both Orochi Yashiro and Orochi Shermie sacrificing themselves to awake what could be considered as the hardest boss in the KOF history. Now, imagine yourself making far enough in the game, facing this boss, and realize that the celestial being stops at nothing to throw a variety of attacks on you, from a Genocide Cutter-like upwards attack, to an area-based attack in the same vein as Goenitz's Yo no Kaze, and a non-projectile shoot that can travel to the end of the arena.<br />
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Orochi's gameplay needs a couple of tries to get used to, as the character occasionally appears in Novice Time Attack unlike the Orochi Trio. Orochi's first skill (dubbed Ho no Susori; en: <i>Rinse of Fire</i>) works exactly the same way as Goenitz's Yo no Kaze, this time with burn damage instead of bleed, requiring you to be considerate to target a swarm of enemies upon using. Harae (en: <i>Exorcism</i>) , as the second skill, has Orochi shoot a white light shrouded with void rift with the attack travels through the attack's direction, assuring a multiple hit. Third skill, dubbed Utsushiwai (en: <i>Projecting Celebration</i>) teleports Orochi to the nearest opponent and generates an energy shield, but this one can be tricky since at times this doesn't work well if your opponent(s) are a tad close to you so, like Ho no Susori, distancing is the safest option. Finisher Ukei (en: <i>Acceptance</i>) has Orochi perform a Genocide Cutter-like attack that, interestingly, connects to an airborne version of Utsushiwai when the attack lands, and the Special Battle Card is none other than Oomiwa (en: <i>Great Survey</i>), in which Orochi takes the target's life force(s) and bask them upon Orochi's light, inflicting the damage. Other than that, the fighter also has HP recovery core passive, among others. Pair the hard-hitting attacks with such a core passive, and you get yourselves a top tier fighter to flex with. <i>(Attack translations courtesy of <a href="https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Orochi/Move_list" target="_blank">SNK Wiki</a>)</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGLR_QUAXd66s1w7P0jgqBTvMV7WcoVf6sr0mpXnRTQmkqzxY9eQ9MkXzPQrL_AHlM95Xl8n4mJXRH8qJ-kCpOOU0UIY6jz4u9BXWR7Ww5ifE1U9OEuO2A6x28PjXpkjuXocCs-Wc0v3a/s1600/Screenshot_2020-01-20-07-06-56-455_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGLR_QUAXd66s1w7P0jgqBTvMV7WcoVf6sr0mpXnRTQmkqzxY9eQ9MkXzPQrL_AHlM95Xl8n4mJXRH8qJ-kCpOOU0UIY6jz4u9BXWR7Ww5ifE1U9OEuO2A6x28PjXpkjuXocCs-Wc0v3a/s400/Screenshot_2020-01-20-07-06-56-455_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing to see here, just a gacha salt anger management class, Orochi chapter.</td></tr>
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Eventually, this is where my 4700+ Rubies eventually landed in an attempt to get one of the fighters of the highest tier in the game. First couple of multiple summons were a fad but had an unexpected result, in a good way: '98 Kyo, '94 and '98 King (of which the former turns out to be one of the best in the normal line-up), and '94 Ralf Jones, as well as the '94 Choi Bounge which ended me completing multiple Original Team Collections. My attempt resumed after getting about 3800+ Rubies on the final day of the Orochi banner, and unfortunately not even the celestial being ended up in my collection, although to be fair I didn't came home empty-handed with '99 Benimaru Nikaido in one of my summons. Outside the gacha, Novice Time Attack is basically the only way for me to get used with Orochi, and fighting against the character in Arena, League, and even Tournament modes is a struggle in itself.<br />
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At the end of the day, the 0.3% hasn't choose me for the time being. My FES unit count still stands at one, but even with that I can survive fine with Paul Phoenix I've got from the Tekken collab roulette. The trusted hard-hitter does have elemental advantage against Orochi Chris and Pretty Chang, and not even the sought-after banner fighters featured here are of the red element which could spell a disadvantage for Paul. Unlike Paul though we could expect any of these banners to reappear in the future so of course we'll have to wait longer for them again.<br />
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As of this post, the next set of banners have already landed; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnqzFlC098" target="_blank">Krizalid takes his turn</a> at the FES summon with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI2IoBN5zCw" target="_blank">the original Whip</a> obtainable in a roulette a la Paul Phoenix, the first time we see a fighter debuted in AS version appear in original form (not counting Orochi Leona, the Orochi-awakened Leona Heidern), leaving Kula Diamond, Leona, and Angel remaining. The Wonderland-themed event is also in the running with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS88FLyY3D4" target="_blank">three fighters obtainable via gacha</a> and an additional one from a Super Mission, but not for long. With more banners already landed and a couple more is coming soon, I'll have to put this one out for the next post in the series...<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-53973122265142034112020-01-04T09:01:00.000+07:002020-01-04T09:05:15.645+07:00The Decade's End (Entering the new one)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo34iUQCiUo8b_jKH6hZ-xpqfj7gMPL3GoaHuT1Uj28Ii-Aa2PDqz5zmZ6dYJFXih9oRGe-M856MQm90EJb2qSK5kc2ZbQZ3hMVHC4Zf05Krrhyphenhyphen4HTx1ezMPFV3CaJm94MiML9EZGImLp/s1600/callback.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGo34iUQCiUo8b_jKH6hZ-xpqfj7gMPL3GoaHuT1Uj28Ii-Aa2PDqz5zmZ6dYJFXih9oRGe-M856MQm90EJb2qSK5kc2ZbQZ3hMVHC4Zf05Krrhyphenhyphen4HTx1ezMPFV3CaJm94MiML9EZGImLp/s400/callback.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually revisited my <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNaGj3_P_6uYSpJPbq5eMHc3n4S3bJBohlJOEhyDlQvkYXbAd3SoJYWmWCHUh6r9ohd4j7aBDbo6P7fjxHKwz_nfzaii-P7ZRJv43w9-tWeS2-eTfEtjZNlGLJ59aIWywCcK_hGIER72h/s1600/KalmanDriver-ending.png" target="_blank">Bachelor's thesis presentation art</a> and turned it into a New Year's festivity. Helps that it also doubles as a one-year anniversary of my document's completion.</td></tr>
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At last, the 2010s has finally ended and we're now into a new decade. If I have to be honest, it's been quite an emotional ride, both personally and on the internet. Coming to the decade with a "brute force" approach and progressively gaining purpose on what I've been doing, and later leaning towards real-life stuffs as the decade's conclusion came closer, it has been ten years full of all ups and downs as I learned and discovered new stuffs.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Looking back, the last decade was a mix of creating contents and playing something, although by the end of the decade I almost felt like I kinda lost my motivation for doing what I usually did for the past ten years, whether it's creating new stuffs for the top-down racers I always did or similar. My work on <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/my-misadventures-in-coding-autonomous.html" target="_blank">the Bachelor's Thesis last year</a> must've taken its toll on me particularly due to the fact that I had to re-learn everything: changing the topic due to the difficulty in the introduction chapter, last-minute programming language changes, and learning the coding architecture of the base project for the thesis. Things were all done during the first half of last year, leaving the one million dollar chase for the second half to be the new main focus: job search. I always thought to myself that last year was the year where I could recover from what I've suffered through the year before (or in short, <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/mission-revival-2019-new-years-miracle.html" target="_blank">a revival</a>), which thankfully I did, and now I wanted the new year to become a year where I revisit things while honing myself, both my skills and my personality, in a campaign to snatch a sustainable job.<br />
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Now that I mentioned "revisit things," there are a couple of things I would want to do after all the work I've done last year. I know that in a span of two years I've been into a couple of things, like Excel spreadsheets and web designing for example, as well as 3D modeling. I even thought about trying to make my own game as well, something I've never done before since a long time ago, promising myself that I would visit this after I'm done with college. Better yet, <b><i>more blog posts are on their way here!</i></b> Perhaps I can attempt beating my personal record of having 30 blog posts in 2014 (one of my busiest content making eras) for this year, and go for at least one post per month since I know I'll be juicing the most out of this blog now.<br />
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The long-term to-do list is still intact with improvements coming as I shall revisit stuffs throughout this year. I know that some might not find this as their cup of coffee, but some of these stuffs are actually designed to be a perpetual journey whose skill sets are utilized in both hobby and real-life occasions, not the type of "New Year's Resolution" you may come across in some, which I don't really mind if you have one. Apparently, this mindset was something I did write <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-new-year-new-crusade.html" target="_blank">five years ago</a>, and the point I made was that execution always prevail, although there are of course planning to do beforehand. The thing is, no matter what year or day we're in, things in the to-do list and set goals live on with everyone, anyone can do whatever thing they want anytime, anywhere, provided enough planning has been made. To call back <a href="https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-make-resolutions-that-actually-work/answer/Oliver-Emberton" target="_blank">a Quora answer</a> written by Oliver Emberton which I linked exactly on the post five years ago, "once you pass through a door, you can never go back."<br />
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2019 had its fair share of ups and downs, and the 2010s have shaped a lot of things throughout progression. 2020 has been off to an awkward start since the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/australian-bushfires-everything-we-know-and-how-you-can-help/" target="_blank">Australian bushfires</a> are still ongoing since September and we Indonesians started out with a heavy rainfall from the start of the year and, unfortunately, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/03/jakarta-floods-cloud-seeding-planes-will-try-to-break-up-heavy-rain" target="_blank">severe flooding</a> in the capital city. While there are so many stuffs I would look forward that I couldn't list them one by one, I wish that both of these happenings come to an end, hoping that there's an action taken by respective governments, and that the people in both places stay safe.<br />
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The year is now 2020 and the new fight starts here. That said, Happy New Year, readers!</div>
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-16049324155282497572019-12-16T17:57:00.004+07:002019-12-16T17:57:56.826+07:00November 26 Excellence, KOF AS Stage - A Bloody Fate with Tekken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The King of Fighters</i> and <i>Tekken</i>, two of the world's prominent fighting game franchises, finally meet by fate to see who's the strongest of all. Fighters of the two worlds gather to settle the score in the November 26 update brought to the Global players by <i>The King of Fighters: ALL STAR</i>. Eight characters from the Bandai Namco Games property were brought into the mobile game with various events and items available for acquiring.<br />
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This is the second and final part of the post, of which two of my favorite mobile games dropped their collaboration contents on the same date: November 26. EA/Firemonkeys' racing game <i>Real Racing 3</i> released its new update featuring Formula 1 content, bringing in 10 teams and 20 drivers from the 2019 and the new Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, of which I already wrote the short review <a href="https://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/november-26-excellence-rr3-stage.html" target="_blank">here</a>. As of this post, the <i>KOF AS</i> collaboration with <i>Tekken </i>is close to ending, of which it included the Rush Event, Roulette Event, and gacha banners for <i>Tekken</i> fighters, both for fighters and Battle Cards, divided into two different volumes each.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
THE TEKKEN COLLAB</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jin Kazama, ready to fight!</td></tr>
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Starting November 26, the new update of <i>The King of Fighters: ALL STAR</i> brought in the collaboration with <i>Tekken 7</i>, featuring eight different characters, new arenas, and dedicated events to obtain some of the fighters. The collaboration also features a special Tekken UI and announcer voice as well when using any of the <i>Tekken</i> fighters to fully immerse players in the <i>Tekken</i> experience. The fact that the <i>Tekken </i>content comes into the Beat 'em up game reminisces <i>Tekken</i>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXcW5AuMb9Y" target="_blank">Tekken Force minigame</a> which appeared in older installments of the game.<br />
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The limited-time Rush Event "Bloody Fate" is a tale of the two worlds' convergence, each consisting of 12 stages for both <i>KOF</i> and <i>Tekken</i> sides of the story, with the EX Stage available once completing both mentioned chapters, fully relying on your owned units. Here, you can also pick between two fighters to kickstart the Rush Event journey: the classic Jin Kazama or '98 Iori Yagami, both of which are protagonists of their respective stages in the event. Daily Rubies available for completing the stages in conjunction with fighter souls, plus a Tekken Lucky Box for completing EX Stage, in conjunction with the Tekken Coins each stage. More Tekken Coins are earned upon possession of any <i>Tekken </i>content, which can be used to obtain Armor King, Armor King's Rage Arts and Fighter Souls, plus the capsules, Tekken Affinity Mystery Boxes, and Gold.<br />
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Super Mission events are also available for both fighters, being a special collaboration 7-day mission event where you complete missions to get daily rewards and the grand reward of 1500 Rubies. Completing the first day of the mission rewards players the other protagonist fighter in the collaboration, and the second day grants players a 3-star Ultimate Card which can be used as a Level Up material once the real 5-star counterpart has been obtained. The same Super Mission for the other protagonist are also available with the same pattern as previous and the same reward structure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jin Kazama and Armor King</td></tr>
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Accompanying the event are the events to acquire some of the Tekken fighters on the way. Four fighters are available through the Summon banners of which they are split into two parts: the hooded Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu for Vol. 1 and Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima for Vol. 2, also with both of their Battle Card summons available. Aside from their respective Rage Arts Ultimate Cards, special Set and Option cards are available to give fighters a great boost: The "KOF x Tekken" Option Card features an illustration of Jin and Kyo Kusanagi and gives an Attack boost of up to 4%, a Critical Rate increase up to 4% when HP is 50% or more, and a 20% change to gain a 3-second Super Armor upon being attacked, though each fighter only able to equip one kind of this card. The dedicated Set Card, "Two Girls' Rendezvous," features three sets of illustrations depicting Xiaoyu and Athena Asamiya, giving each card an attack boost up to 6%, but a complete set can grant a 10% increase in Critical Rate and 50% increase in Critical Damage, plus 3% additional Power Gauge upon landing a Critical Hit for the active team members. These stat boosts make both mentioned cards a highly sought-after for the Battle Card summon for both Volumes.<br />
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Another set of non-gacha fighters in the collaboration are also available: Paul Phoenix can be obtained in Paul's Roulette, of which you can use Rubies for spinning the roulette aside from tickets obtainable through daily missions and Secret Shop. Here, players can win Fighter Souls needed to craft Paul or his Ultimate Card, even Paul himself and his Rage Arts Ultimate Card despite the low percentage. Last but not least, a version of Ling Xiaoyu can also be purchased. The School Uniform version of Xiaoyu can be obtained for a price tag of $59.99 (price may vary in different countries) which also includes 500 additional Rubies.<br />
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Those who are curious to test how the <i>Tekken </i>fighters perform despite not having one can go to the Tekken Time Attack, a Time Attack event with <i>Tekken </i>fighters, both Novice and Master. Six fighters were made available to try in the Novice Time Attack, with all characters available for the final week of collaboration. The rewards structure follows that of normal Time Attack events, in which you can win Rubies daily in the Novice level and more Rubies in the Master level as long as you levelled your <i>Tekken </i>fighters enough and give them the winning Battle Card combination. Mission rewards are also available in the Master Time Attack as well, where you can get even better rewards upon completing the challenge in the fastest time possible.<br />
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Finally, the Tekken Gift came way later in the collaboration in which players collect points by completing a set of daily missions and possessed <i>Tekken </i>fighters during the collaboration's run. The points obtained in Tekken Gift can be exchanged with a set of items, and each specific exchange milestone will grant players a better gift. The exchange can be made up to 30 times (the maximum number), and it is upon reaching the milestone that players can earn additional 1000 Rubies.<br />
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THE EXPERIENCE & VERDICT</h2>
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The <i>Tekken </i>collaboration does pack a punch. Scratch that, it's actually a pack of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSo5UB6kEVA" target="_blank">Doryahs</a> with some Shock damages. The <i>Tekken </i>fighters can even juggle opponents more than the default <i>KOF</i> fighters do, favoring more offensive-driven gameplay. The free Jin actually packs a punch for a free green element character until you obtain another set of fighters somewhere else. I rarely play Armor King so I can't comment anything but Paul Phoenix has to be one of those fighters worth the hassle and salt, given that he has a small probability in the roulette and the fact that his first Active Skill is a one-hit-kill potential. It's interesting given that, before this collaboration, I wanted a green element fighter and gave myself a shot at Goenitz gacha to no avail until way later (one of the best fighters out there in the game with green element), and then my green fighters roster expanded quickly after the collaboration.<br />
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Though I have to admit that I'm a bit sad not able to get any of the additional <i>Tekken </i>fighters. Did a couple of x10 Summons on the Jin/Xiaoyu banner and couldn't able to score either of them and realized that my energy should've been onto the Battle Cards instead, of which I actually had a better luck there: Jin's Rage Arts, the "KOF x Tekken" cards, and the first kind of the "Two Girls' Rendezvous" Set card throughout my run towards the Selector. I actually had four of the "KOF x Tekken" cards and multiple Rage Arts cards for Jin, even one for Xiaoyu. It wasn't until <i>just recently </i>(from the time of this post) that I actually scored my second type of the Set card after a couple of single Summons, and with the fact that I couldn't able to score the third one and decided to call it quits with a reward of the 5-star Guaranteed Battle Card Ticket in hand, calling forth the Selector and finally completed my first and only <i>Tekken </i>set ever. With that, I can finally bid farewell to the <i>Tekken</i> collaboration in style whilst anticipating whatever comes next (sorry XIV Geese...)<br />
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Aside from that, the events have been interesting. Even more interesting is that the EX Stage in the Rush Event will have you engage in three-on-three battles, the first in the game. I even tried a 3 vs. 1 fight where I fought the opponent team of three fighters alone, although it might not end that well in the end. The Time Attack is enjoyable although I kept ending up finishing above 2 minutes in every run, but after lots of playthroughs on that mode cemented the fact that Paul suits my play style for the TAs more than any Jin, with Kazuya being in second due to his first Active Skill's "zero cooldown guaranteed" ability, allowing me to use it twice in a span of three seconds or more depending on how I use it. Granted I could do this faster with Paul in the Master Time Attack, even finally scoring sub-2 minutes.<br />
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At the end of the day, it has been three weeks full of Doryahs and whatnot. Too much memories have been made with this short collaboration, which I think has been a success of course. Putting two well-known fighting game franchises is definitely something to remember, bonus points for modernizing the spirit of the Tekken Force minigame. <i>The King of Fighters: ALL STAR </i>definitely delivered tons of challenges along the way and put the <i>Tekken </i>fighters' fast-paced rapid fists to the spotlight. I just wish that this collaboration can come again in the future, but at the same time I'm looking forward for whichever the next collaboration will be, most probably <i>Samurai Shodown</i> since it is an SNK game (of course), <a href="https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2019/may/25/king-fighters-all-star-brings-haohmaru-and-kyo-kusanagi-real-world-new-commercial-celebrating-samurai-shodowns-upcoming-release/" target="_blank">already had a collaboration event in Japanese and South Korean versions</a>, and Nakoruru is in fact <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPyFDNluxIA" target="_blank">playable on <i>KOF XIV</i></a> as well.<br />
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After all those farming, I can safely say that November 26, 2019 is really something to remember, for me at least. Imagine jumping from one dimension where you're trying to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix as your favorite driver and then jump to another where you're fighting against <i>KOF</i> and <i>Tekken</i> guys. Well, there's no way Sebastian Vettel fight Terry Bogard or maybe Lewis Hamilton against Heihachi Mishima somewhere of course, but at the end of the day it's all about coinciding dates, even better that it's two of my favorite mobile games around. Talk about more reasons to do farming on <i>both </i>games...<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-73026836740311943612019-12-15T17:14:00.004+07:002019-12-15T17:14:42.601+07:00November 26 Excellence, RR3 Stage - Formula 1 has arrived!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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November 26 shall go down as the day of superb collabs with two games I play have their new versions featuring them released on the same date. <i>Real Racing 3</i>'s newest update <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DoJmgRzrr0" target="_blank">brought in the 2019 season of Formula 1 content</a> which made it the game's biggest update yet with a couple of changes in game, while <i>The King of Fighters ALL STAR</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHGj8pvLTXg" target="_blank">brought in the collaboration with <i>Tekken</i></a>, a prominent name in the fighting game genre and living up the modern spirit of the series' beat 'em up minigame <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXcW5AuMb9Y" target="_blank">Tekken Force</a> which existed in the older entries of the franchise, featuring contents based on <i>Tekken 7</i>, the franchise's recent entry.<br />
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That said, this post will be split into two parts, both dedicated to <i>RR3</i> and <i>KOF AS</i> respectively. This first post will revolve on <i>RR3</i> and its Formula 1 update which featured the 2019 season teams and a new track of Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, among others. The "big" in the "big change" isn't even a joke, as in adding "the same car" to the game. We're talking about dropping an entire motorsporting event like Formula 1 to the game with its dedicated content, something that appropriately has to be reacted with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj_YLenOlZI" target="_blank">one <i>Metal Slug</i> sound clip</a>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
THE FORMULA 1 THING</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the brave new world... (Image: <i>Real Racing 3</i>'s Formula 1 update trailer on Facebook)</td></tr>
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Prior to the update, prominent mobile games with licensed Formula 1 content were <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iddAOFpDHJA" target="_blank">F1 Mobile Racing</a></i> by Codemasters (the same driving force behind <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDzhAvhVkk" target="_blank">F1 2019</a></i> and the new <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NZIplFog_k" target="_blank">GRID</a></i>) and Hutch Games' racing management game <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBqh4wdg6Lg" target="_blank">F1 Manager</a></i>. <i>Real Racing 3</i> entered the Formula 1 content fray just recently with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5iuwlDcy8M" target="_blank">dedicated content breakdown</a> showcased days before the actual update which was November 26, bringing all 10 teams, 20 drivers, and Yas Marina circuit to the game, complete with all times of day, from morning to night. The EA/Firemonkeys racing game has featured many motorsport contents of various series, from NASCAR to Australian Supercars, Formula E, and sports car racing, be it those competing the FIA World Endurance Championship or the IMSA Sports Car Championship, and this also made it the first time a modern F1 content come to the game since 2014 where Ferrari F14 T represented the series in the game.<br />
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The new Formula 1 content features a lot to get everyone started. All players can get the free F1 Academy Car with a base PR of 110.3 (120.8 fully upgraded) and a starting budget of M$ 350,000 to kickstart their journey in the F1 Motorsport Hub, with new players able to get one for free by completing the tutorial goals covering the racing basics in the game. Daily Races feature three events on one circuit per day to earn currency and fame with all cars, while the 2019 Champion Series relies on cars acquired in the Hub (either from winning it from the Formula 1 Grand Prix events or buying them for M$ 2 million each) which features all F1 tracks and different set of events to further earn your M$. Fully upgrading your owned cars will allow you to access the 2019 Invitational Series, featuring longer-distance races which gives you even more M$s. Worth noting that the actual 2019 cars have varied base PR within the 115.x region, with up to 135.7 PR fully upgraded, and a free-of-charge 3-hour servicing.<br />
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The Motorsport $ (M$) is the game's new currency in the spirit of the new update. In order to level playing field and ensure new and existing players get a fresh start with the Formula 1 content, the new currency is established for this matter. Players can earn M$ by playing any Formula 1 content and use it to purchase cars and upgrades, keeping the new content competitive and challenging equally for all players. However, the amount that you can earn per day is limited to M$ 180,000. Bonuses obtained either in the Grand Prix events or by completion do not count towards the daily cap.<br />
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The main spotlight of the Hub is of course the Formula 1 Grand Prix 2019 Season, putting RR3's own spin to the actual series, featuring 5 races simulating the actual F1 weekend (done in <i>RR3</i>'s Race Day formula, a special event with PR restrictions and all stages available to play without waiting), kicking off with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2019 (Yas Marina) starting from November 26, then the Formula 1 Rolex British Grand Prix 2019 (Silverstone) starting from December 7, and finally Formula 1 Grand Premio d'Italia (Monza) from December 21. The last two Grands Prix of Suzuka and Circuit of the Americas will come in the next update. Completing any event within the time limit will grant you a car you chose for the specific Grand Prix, but completing all the events will win the player a fully-upgraded 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT R F1 Safety Car which can be used in the Safety Car Showdown. By the way, a pace car as a winning reward? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENi4saAIuI" target="_blank">Where did I heard one before, I wonder?</a><br />
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Outside the F1 content, the career progression is now simplified into two: Motorsport and Road Collection, of which it features all the mainstay events of the game and the Exclusive series. <a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=0EeBIQ0dv0s" target="_blank">New soundtracks</a> are provided by Ryan Kurt which give the game a new feel altogether, and a couple of events with opportunities to win some of the interesting cars, such as Bugatti Chiron, Honda Integra Type R (DC2), Honda Civic Type R (EK9), Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, and Koenigsegg Agera R (with the return of the Special Event formula). The track appearances for Silverstone, Circuit of the Americas, Suzuka, and Monza are also altered as well to match with the Formula 1 Grand Prix appearances.<br />
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<h2>
THE VERDICT</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maximum yeet hours!</td></tr>
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Two Grands Prix have passed since the update and I've experienced the F1 content enough to give my own verdict.<br />
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First verdict would be dedicated on the car's physics, comparing it to the other modern F1 car, the Ferrari F14 T, since I would expect that the 2019 cars would possess the same physics, down to the point that coasting stops the car faster than braking. Apparently, such problem doesn't exist in 2019 cars as coasting works normally which is nice. A couple of runs with the F1 cars give me the impression that these 2019 cars are basically the F14 T but without the coasting problem, with immense grip level and acceleration. However, slowing down during corners by coasting can be risky since it can skid your car, losing you a good chunk of time, just like the F14 T. Full throttle through Copse and Maggotts before braking towards Becketts in Silverstone seem to be a better strategy thanks to the high downforce the cars have while usually you'd slow down towards Copse in slower cars, but don't overdo it since you'll also skid that way, a true case when tackling Stowe in the same circuit. The strong brakes also allows for late-braking strategy when battling the opponents. The physics for the F14 T can be viewed in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDqdiOlFlXE" target="_blank">ME7's video</a> for reference.<br />
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The AIs for the races (based on real 2019 season drivers, mind you) are more aggressive than <i>RR3</i>'s default set of bots. More than often you'll be in trouble with any of these guys, but even then they can cause trouble to each other as well thanks to the additional factor that is the car's longer dimension which can spin anyone upon contact, costing one's race. There's always 60% chance that a single race go down with at least one car getting spun off track or towards the barriers, be it you on the opponents or vice versa, or even between the opponents. Yeeting people off to the Shadow Realm has never been <i>this</i> easier. That said, maintaining a clean race can be a challenge at times, especially when you're facing some goals which would require you to not collide with another car or damage your own car.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The underdog's tale; the chase to the unknown's race win against Mercedes!</td></tr>
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The Daily Races are good time-wasters for when you haven't got the 2019 season cars yet, but once you earned enough cars to fill up the daily M$ cap, you might render those races (and perhaps the Academy car) obsolete and fully resort to the Champion Series instead since it can fill your M$ faster. As for the M$ itself, it is a double-edged sword. On one side, you don't have to grind hard to reach the daily cap and can just focus on the Road Collection or any other Motorsport events you'd always want to do, or perhaps focus your grinding on another game as well, a true case for yours truly since I have <i>Grand Prix Story 2</i> and <i>KOF AS</i>'s <i>Tekken </i>collab events to deal with. However, on another side, the daily cap can be annoying and you have to rely on calculation if you're short on them during GP events. This was me when starting the Abu Dhabi GP event right after fully upgrading the F1 Academy car and had myself in deficit M$ throughout the closing stages for upgrades until I was able to earn them with less than 3 hours remaining. I would later enter the next GP (the British GP) with M$ 700k+ which actually took me further in less time taken than the first GP with the right upgrading management, also with more challenging goals.<br />
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Overall, the 2019 Formula 1 content has been a good addition to the game for me. The Formula 1 experience basically works on the RR3 engine with its streamlined gameplay, and the cars are actually the better version of the F14 T physics, though care during racing and spending M$s should be given when traversing through events. Given the daily cap, it might take long to fully upgrade your owned car unless if you top up for more M$, but at the same time the cap always remind you that there's more life in <i>RR3</i> than just the Formula 1 content. Outside of that, the new soundtracks are actually decent even though I will certainly miss the old soundtracks.<br />
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This concludes the <i>RR3</i> part of the post. Stay tuned for the <i>KOF AS </i>portion of the post!<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-63498416107854199722019-10-29T11:19:00.001+07:002019-10-29T11:23:04.988+07:00The King of Fighters ALLSTAR - Putting a Mobile Spin to the Classic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image: Netmarble / SNK Wikia)</td></tr>
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Internationally, SNK has taken spotlight once more in the fighting game industry as of late, especially years after <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLNz-b80Do" target="_blank">The King of Fighters XIV</a></i> released years ago. Joining <i>Super Smash Bros. Ultimate</i> through <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63h_-T1vDNc" target="_blank"><i>Fatal Fury</i>'s Terry Bogard</a> for this November has been something special for the long-running Japanese video game company known for top notch fighting game franchises, but it didn't stop there as <i>The King of Fighters</i> goes mobile with a new spin on the classic, finally released internationally this October. The game has been released in Japan for quite some time, but October 21st was the day the <i>The King of Fighters ALLSTAR</i> takes the global stage, something I'm sure many people would want to play.<br />
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The thing about <i>KOF AS</i> is that I have never ever been hyped as much for a game to the point that I spent a lot more time to it than normal since discovering <i>Turbo Sliders</i> a decade and years ago, even as someone who's just months in the <i>KOF </i>fandom despite going through the means of series' soundtracks instead of one of the games (I'm not a good fighting game player, really). Looking at the gameplay before the release, the game looks fun, and with my new (better) phone prepared for the fight, I know it was time to add another game to a library, breaking my mobile gaming pattern beyond <i>Real Racing 3</i>, <i>Motorsport Manager</i> series, and <i>Grand Prix Story 2</i>.<br />
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The thing is that I just took a dive to the <i>KOF </i>world about two months ago when I tried to discover a techno-rock music I heard a long time ago, which revealed to be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2BmffEYrI" target="_blank">KD-0079</a>, the Hero team theme from the <i>'99</i> installment. The fact that I discovered how the rest of the installments' musics fared, played them on infinite loop (thanks to a music player plugin), and learned the lore despite haven't being able to play the game, quickly turned me into a <i>KOF </i>stan.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
THE GAME</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our favorite flame wielder in action, with a <i>KOF</i> Easter Egg.</td></tr>
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<i>The King of Fighters ALLSTAR</i> can be described as a side-scrolling beat 'em up with RPG elements and, of course, Gacha. Initially released in Japan on July 26 last year, the game saw international release starting from South Korea after a high demand on May 9, 2019, with test events and special promotions for the game done since the end of 2018. Global release was announced in September of which the release was set on October 21, 2019, with pre-registrations available to attract international players. Those pre-registered would receive cool in-game rewards upon release depending on how many pre-registrations there were, with the ultimate prize being the 5-star Fighter Selector, a chance to select one favorite fighter of the highest tier normally obtainable through Gacha.<br />
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The game is developed by Netmarble, a renowned South Korean mobile gaming company known for popular releases like <i>LINE's Get Rich</i>, <i>SD Gundam Capsule Fighter</i>, and <i>BTS World</i>, together with SNK. As you'd expect, the game is based on the legendary fighting game classic series <i>The King of Fighters</i> which has been around since 1994, pitting fighters from SNK's fighting franchises <i>Art of Fighting</i> and <i>Fatal Fury</i> with some of the non-fighting titles like <i>Ikari Warriors</i> and <i>Psycho Soldiers</i>, with subsequent installments saw expansions of the roster even beyond the mentioned franchises. The game is advertised to feature fighters from <i>'94</i> all the way to <i>XIV</i>, of which the global version currently has fighters from <i>'94</i> through <i>'99</i>, with more being added soon, in addition to the game-exclusive <i>ALLSTAR</i> versions of the series' fighters.<br />
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The controls for this game are touch-based, using the virtual analog button on the left side of the screen for the controls. On the right side are various buttons to call basic actions such as dodging, defending, and attacking. Two active skills are available by default and can be activated anytime with set cooldown depending on the fighter, with one additional skill available upon higher level, along with one Finisher skill which takes up three Power Gauges (on the bottom center of the interface, below the Health Point). Another Finisher skill requires a special fighter-specific card which will be explained later, and consumes five Power Gauges. Like in <i>The King of Fighters</i> games, up to three fighters can be deployed for a battle, with two can be switchable upon touching a specified fighter amidst battle, and Strikers (who would lend a single attack to help you out) can be assigned to each active fighter as well. You can even assign a Supporter as well, selecting one of other players' fighters to help your team during the battle (and gain a special effect for your team), but unlike Strikers who can be called again after a cooldown you can only call the Supporter once.<br />
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Beyond the fights are the ability to level up and enhance your fighters. From leveling up to acquiring new abilities and specials, and equipping special cards. Level ups and enhancements to improve Character Points are possible through use of capsules, while acquiring new abilities, gaining another skill and a finisher are also possible through Fighter Core of which the upgrades follow a set path within a diagram. Reached limit? There's the Limit Break option which gains additional level caps through set materials, and not to mention evolving your fighters to higher star level is possible through Evolve menu, of which you need required materials as well. Finally, you can equip a Battle Card to strengthen your fighter further, ranging from a character-specific finisher card to Option and Set cards which grant additional stats boost and effects, and these cards can be leveled up and evolved as well to give your equipped card(s) an edge. In addition, Element system is used as well which would affect damage dealt to opponents; red element is strong against green but weak against blue, while yellow is weak to green and strong against purple who is also strong against blue.<br />
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Keep in mind that the characters have distinct versions based on different games, with different types, elements, appearances, and tiers, for instance Kyo Kusanagi who has five different versions based on his original game appearances with different strength levels. Other than that, you can pair up specific characters for your team for an extra effect, plus don't forget specific Strikers for respective characters as well for more extra effect; choosing '96 Benimaru Nikaido or '96 Goro Daimon as '96 Kyo's Striker for example grants you extra 10% Power and 5% HP during the game. These fighter-striker links are usually based on period-specific original (i.e., Fatal Fury Team, Art of Fighting Team) and custom edit teams (i.e., Three Sacred Treasures Team). Some are even based on special relations as well, like '96 and '98 versions of Kyo Kusanagi and '96 and '97 versions of Athena Asamiya, or '96 Mature and '94 Rugal Bernstein (as Mature was Rugal's secretary in the lore).<br />
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As expected from Gacha-based games, you can gain new fighters, cards, and other items through Summon menu. Gather enough Rubies for Summons, you can roll these to obtain new stuffs which can benefit your fighters, maybe expanding your fighter collection as well. Roll enough Summons, and you can have a chance for Selectors which allows you to pick any 5-star fighter or card from an array of choices available. Step-Up Summons are half the price of normal Summons, but grants you a Selector item in every third Step for a price of 1000 Rubies, and these are somewhat thematic (although there are other normal Summons with themes as well). Rewards-wise, the game would also reward you for completing specific missions and logging in daily, with useful prizes you can acquire to progress further in the game. More items can even be acquired by playing in Quests and Dungeons, of which these can reward you items useful to enhance your fighters to attain higher performance rating.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this count as a Fourth Wall break?</td></tr>
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The storyline follows the installments of <i>The King of Fighters</i> series, from <i>'94</i> through <i>'98</i>, with more being added soon, but with the game's own twist; you are someone with absolutely no memory of your past, not knowing what's happening around you, even after stumbling upon the world of <i>KOF</i>. A group of people called Tuners (no, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci4RCdlHowo" target="_blank">not those tuners</a>) comprising of the free-spirited artist Kaya (voiced by Ayane Sakura), the brainy planner Ryugo (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita), and the lead Tuner with sleep deprivation Ein the debugger (voiced by Saori Hayami) has a goal of creating a world free of bugs, but for some reason they go after you and treat you as somekind of an experiment (more precisely, a bug), to an extent that they made random mooks ambush you for a variety of reasons each chapter. Beside you is your partner Noah (voiced by Kana Hanazawa), who acts as your companion throughout your journey and gives out a knowledge on who you would be up against in every match during the tournaments. As you progress through stages, the storyline between the Tuners shall unfold as with each tournament's run, be it fighting against idols Athena Asamiya or Mai Shiranui, getting involved in the feud between Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, a feud even deeper than Ryan Murphy's <i>FEUD: Bette and Joan</i>, or dealing with the Orochi, just like in the original games, only with a spin.<br />
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After a Tutorial stage which would see you messing around in Blacknoah, the location of the <i>'94</i>'s Final Boss stage, you'll get to choose one of the three starters, all three being the main characters of their respective fighting game series (and the series' teams as well). Kyo Kusanagi is the series' main character and leader of Team Japan who burns to fight and is an Attack-type fighter, Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury Team is a fatally-furious Balance-type character with good ranged attacks and "come on"s, and last but not least Ryo Sakazaki from Art of Fighting Team who is a Defense-type character with an urge to use his special techniques against a barrage of armed forces. After that, you're on your own and your journey begins from here.<br />
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There are many types of events you can play beside from the Story Mode, of which they'll be unlocked once you progressed enough. Dungeons for coins, battle cards, and enhancements for both fighters and cards are available aside from the additional event quests, while Epic Quests comprise of some of the challenging quests yet in the game. PvP multiplayer modes are also available, ranging from the Arena which replicates the original <i>King of Fighters</i> experience, League with ability to switch your fighter and use your Strikers during the match, and friendly matches, plus the real-time Tournament. Last but not least, Time Attack mode is available for those who itch for a challenge to complete a stage as fast as possible.<br />
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<h2>
PERSONAL THOUGHTS</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice combo.</td></tr>
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<i>KOF AS</i> exactly fulfills expectations as to what you'd expect from a <i>King of Fighters</i> game, paired with cel-shaded graphics probably more cel-shaded than <i>XIV </i>is. Netmarble basically gives <i>KOF</i> a beat 'em up soul with familiar elements to the game, be it in the form of stages or stories, to craft a masterpiece that can be enjoyable for both <i>KOF</i> fans and non-fans alike.<br />
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Another neat detail in the game is the fact that you can freely fight while waiting for all of the assets being downloaded. Downloading all the main assets minutes after installing the game actually helped me to play through without additional downloads, but the above feature is something of a surprise since usually you'd just wait in idle during asset downloads. This feature should help you familiarize yourself further with the game's gameplay and controls, perhaps initiating Kyo Kusanagi musing hours as well before picking your starters. Incidentally, he was <i>indeed </i>my starter.<br />
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As far as music goes, the selection of soundtrack can be something of a juxtaposition; most of the soundtracks used come from <i>The King of Fighters XIII</i>, while the majority of the in-game content come from the Orochi arc of the original series. While <i>XIII </i>does deliver some of the best soundtracks, hearing them as the theme for the Orochi arc fighters (and four from the NESTS arc) might not be something I can desire of, especially given some of the themes (most boss characters and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH282rj7RMM&t=33s" target="_blank">American Sports Team</a>) are original arrangements. Though not all <i>XIII</i>'s soundtracks are bad juxtapositions as Iori Yagami's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs367MXPtMw" target="_blank">Stormy Saxophone 2</a>" (despite being shortened somehow) and Takuma Sakazaki's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4XYxhwqLUQ" target="_blank">The Tengu Show</a>" (which is also his theme in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C81xJdmlW28" target="_blank">the original <i>Art of Fighting</i></a>) definitely fit the role. Bear in mind that you may notice that the dungeons have either <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htgiSo8JqFo" target="_blank">Ash Team's</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcBHAAyiGos" target="_blank">Elisabeth Blanctorche Team's</a> theme, also from <i>XIII</i> as well. Interestingly, the theme for K' team characters <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgekzBH0I_w" target="_blank">originate from <i>XI</i></a> I noticed.<br />
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Personally, all versions of Kyo Kusanagi could have an original arrange of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifG376LtUiM" target="_blank">Esaka?</a>" instead of <i>XIII</i>'s "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsaKw1WgXNw" target="_blank">Goodbye Esaka</a>", because you can't miss out a theme well-suited for the series' main hero in the Orochi arc, and the rest of the main heroes would have original arrangements of their respective original themes in the series. Honestly, I would love some spins of the classics like Fatal Fury Team's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pTClKuAowM" target="_blank">Kurikinton</a>", Art of Fighting Team's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltvuSpE12P8" target="_blank">ART OF FIGHT</a>", the '99 Hero Team's "KD-0079", and between Ikari Team's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzpuJfF5Vn8" target="_blank">Jungle Bouncer</a>", "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqGaxSFYvls" target="_blank">Desert Requiem</a>", and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJzMOTJxrns" target="_blank">Rumbling in the City</a>" (among others), because hearing some of the original arrangements from the game shows that the sound department does have a potential, precisely a big one: Rugal's themes are quite a piece, with the first one being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OShJmWGJLBI" target="_blank">a dramatic masterpiece</a> and the second one being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeXpkC1IwF0" target="_blank">a bopping mash-up</a> of his <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzNVjKPVU4M" target="_blank">'95</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gp1z0ABsik" target="_blank">'98</a></i> versions. Goenitz's theme "<a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=6MkPA1lRWyg" target="_blank">Trash Head</a>" gets <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3FLgw3Hta8" target="_blank">a modern makeover</a> despite lacking the oomph in the original and even Orochi's theme turns "<a href="https://youtube.com/watch?v=lNGq7ZWqVBo" target="_blank">Origin of the Mind</a>" into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D71Zj7hJeOs" target="_blank">a rock-filled orchestral epic</a>, plus you can't Ryuji Yamazaki's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENDm5MJgJ8" target="_blank">C62 ~Shirokuni~</a>", and Mr. Big's "Dust Man", of which the <i>Art of Fighting</i> series's badass boss character's theme is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ns9D6Am4g4" target="_blank">given an R&B style</a> to complement the original guitar arrangements. Don't forget New Face Team fighters have the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-NDUtqVTXA" target="_blank">re-arranged "Bloody"</a> and the '98 Kim Kaphwan has "Seoul Town", also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkkqEjkuwok" target="_blank">re-arranged for the game</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOGYa630rWVuppvQ4wFVURPYyTXClAY5Suye_dUlVS8uCbc_cW5mCU8Fo-IOPEmm_YrLHJrv4z4nJVrLZNYWmaxJAVxb6YGwPs-Fs-fjOd3pNlEE9s4IkBNyboRaywkONOVQToPliY2EX/s1600/Screenshot_2019-10-27-16-11-25-991_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOGYa630rWVuppvQ4wFVURPYyTXClAY5Suye_dUlVS8uCbc_cW5mCU8Fo-IOPEmm_YrLHJrv4z4nJVrLZNYWmaxJAVxb6YGwPs-Fs-fjOd3pNlEE9s4IkBNyboRaywkONOVQToPliY2EX/s400/Screenshot_2019-10-27-16-11-25-991_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current collection as of now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another thing to note about this game is the fact that it is intensive on stable internet connection, therefore requiring you to stay online. Sometimes when things get rough and your connection isn't as stable as you'd usually do, the game may ask you to return to the title menu. This is something I'd want to emphasize considering I've seen some players saying that their connections not being stable despite retries in connecting. On a brighter side, however, playing Story Chapters, Event Quests, and Dungeons don't take up much of your data, provided that you've downloaded all of the assets, so if you want to save up your data subscription you can distract yourself farming with this game.<br />
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And as I said, the game is absolutely <i>rewarding af</i>. Helped with Daily Missions, Welcome Festival, Roulette Event, and Growth Missions, plus the Step-Up Summon, acquiring new fighters and new stuffs have never been this fast before. Since installing the game almost a week ago, I have collected about 60 fighters and tons of items for enhancements, plus managed to complete the game's first story although I had to sacrifice my sleep time for that since Rugal is exactly who he is just like in his original game; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zya7--2onjc" target="_blank">being an SNK Boss</a>. Clearing the final stage of the '94 story with less than 25 hits wasn't an easy job, especially with Rugal's barrage of attacks. It wasn't until the right use of strategy would give me a total completion for the story, combining the use of Supporter and timing of the attacks and knowing when the opponent would attack. This approach has seen more variations for other bosses, especially Orochi, whose barrage of attacks made things go for a challenging turn. Nevertheless, I've managed to reach the '98 story, going halfway from completion at the time of this post. In addition, I've managed to complete King's Quest as well, with all that matters is the points to win the final reward.<br />
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<h2>
IN CONCLUSION</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk0157-x89Yr-26n2mPNQpe_Svg-Ss7MywbVbw5QKXNXg5uooGBkgA3EK4PLNFDyNS0ZTMpvr8MdR_yp4QB6cNjCaKbAIOFgAMhSWK9Rk-YAfAL1f3ux_0olfTi4HYOlM_yb7_qv3-sjz/s1600/Screenshot_2019-10-26-00-39-22-653_com.netmarble.kofg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk0157-x89Yr-26n2mPNQpe_Svg-Ss7MywbVbw5QKXNXg5uooGBkgA3EK4PLNFDyNS0ZTMpvr8MdR_yp4QB6cNjCaKbAIOFgAMhSWK9Rk-YAfAL1f3ux_0olfTi4HYOlM_yb7_qv3-sjz/s400/Screenshot_2019-10-26-00-39-22-653_com.netmarble.kofg.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The King of Fighters ALLSTAR</i> gives <i>The King of Fighters</i> series a new breath, combining fighting, beat 'em up, and RPG elements into one. Netmarble successfully made the game a love letter to the series, both for faithful <i>KOF</i> fans and new fans alike, and to have it finally released globally is a perfect cherry topping as so many people have longed to play the game since the original Japanese release. Despite being online-intensive and hit-and-miss soundtrack selections for some characters, the addictive gameplay leaves something to be desired, not to mention the rewards factor and the abundance of events where you can obtain a barrage of cool items, something you'd expect from a mobile game with Gacha elements.<br />
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<i>The King of Fighters ALLSTAR</i> is available on both <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netmarble.kofg&hl=en" target="_blank">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-king-of-fighters-allstar/id1444835826" target="_blank">iOS</a> smartphones with In-App Purchases available.<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-82676738314041812952019-06-25T13:49:00.003+07:002019-06-25T14:02:12.360+07:00Back to My Turbo Sliders Nonsense...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnhrmxNt23EEagFtle7CDtKOW31SiemxB22fjJJM9zsvc3_x3LcU2X9nNAHUZDKCc0BCfQilV6QqMt2Kop01kAZvBTfc3BuufjSXQYDeqgtJ0yfGvjUbfDZrCrJIWc7Wtf6Nv_w7Y5CC-/s1600/race-mockup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnhrmxNt23EEagFtle7CDtKOW31SiemxB22fjJJM9zsvc3_x3LcU2X9nNAHUZDKCc0BCfQilV6QqMt2Kop01kAZvBTfc3BuufjSXQYDeqgtJ0yfGvjUbfDZrCrJIWc7Wtf6Nv_w7Y5CC-/s400/race-mockup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry, it's just a mockup. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY" target="_blank">You need to calm down</a>!</td></tr>
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So apparently last month saw me suffering from what I may call as the Ramadan Blues, sort of like Monday Blues but in the fasting month, in which in this case I ended up spending more time on bed than on the computer, apart from break fasting with friends at some point, plus some near-Eid works like house cleaning and new clothes. Even despite promising myself doing a lot of stuffs like continuing my 3D works or stuff like that, the only finished product I managed to produce in the last fasting month is none other than the <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/170018.html" target="_blank">E!Online TV ship competition recap, analysis, and spreadsheet</a>, and not even race car-related stuffs like, for instance, the <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1122801699297456131" target="_blank">Formula car I just did</a> prior to the fasting month, or any of my Turbo Sliders projects.<br />
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No later than one week past Eid, I started to have an urge to return to the creator's desk, and I just did, simply by opening one of my existing references and tried a new approach at carmaking. It turns out doing a new approach on the carmaking, which I will explain later here, is actually fun and more hassle-free than the last time I did. Apparently, I restarted with a bang as I jot down three main cars as a new WIP of mine and actually completed one for my long-term project. Earlier before the fasting month, I did work on one new track which I was inspired after watching the first World Tour event of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsSGEECR-w8" target="_blank">FIA-certified Gran Turismo Sport Championship</a>, of which one of the tracks used was the latest addition at that time, being the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjTtCvqau0s" target="_blank">Autopolis Circuit</a> in Oita Prefecture, Japan, and I did another car as well...<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
GARAGE EXPANSION AND A NEW APPROACH</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLcmG3wkSj8v6wpzn134nItfGulea3b-3MMHUh-S9Dai5VL3yOHXPIjzCrEsHY7v684JmsqJwCWnjhibeaAgkvua5HozOzvHM4ig17F6vddXeAvPeKzilTI90dueENXTWlr-f-Qd9HfAf/s1600/Screenshot_2019-05-27-22-15-18-860_com.facebook.katana+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1600" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLcmG3wkSj8v6wpzn134nItfGulea3b-3MMHUh-S9Dai5VL3yOHXPIjzCrEsHY7v684JmsqJwCWnjhibeaAgkvua5HozOzvHM4ig17F6vddXeAvPeKzilTI90dueENXTWlr-f-Qd9HfAf/s400/Screenshot_2019-05-27-22-15-18-860_com.facebook.katana+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Facebook fanpage cover picture where the inspiration come from...</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_513375787"></span><span id="goog_513375788"></span><br />
There was one time that I saw an image of a car in top-view. It was a Facebook fanpage cover picture for a local Sim Racing team and the car on display were a series of Ferrari 488 GTEs and Ford GT GTEs. The cars in question don't have window lighting effects as I would expect, but in turn I thought to myself "why not making my next car's process a less hassle one?", although the execution didn't start until days after Eid. Ultimately, I took one of the references I saved way before and train myself for the new approach.<br />
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To be honest, the process to make a shading effects for cars makes up most of the carmaking in TS aside from tracing the car's shape, which also includes other stuffs like windows, lights, and aerodynamic parts such as a hood intake and/or a rear wing (if any). Although I could take the easy way of getting a ripped 3D model somewhere and render it (which would actually solve 95% of my problems), making a car from scratch has been my style since I started into this game, especially for the fact that I owe a lot to the carmaking approach as displayed in <a href="http://miniracingonline.com/videotutoriales.php?v=10" target="_blank">MiniRacingOnline cars</a> (especially Vivndum's cars, they're some of the best), something that might work in TS, or not?<br />
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The truth is, my existing style has been a mainstay for my recent releases, like the DBR9 GT1 (<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/1jwafz08bgs6vre/Re_AstonMartinDBR9.zip/file" target="_blank">download here</a>) and the McLaren F1 & F1 GTR (<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/76rh9tvf0sf8lpp/Re_McLarenF1.zip/file" target="_blank">download here</a>), and has been adapted to a couple of my WIPs (most of them) and cars I've finished but haven't released yet, such as the 2000s GT2 pack featuring Panoz Esperante GT2 and Porsche 911 RSR and <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.co.id/2016/01/future-prospects-for-2016.html" target="_blank">prototypes</a> like Lola B12/80 and Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. I have to admit that the lighting effect on the windows looks good, but probably not as good as any of the Vivndum's cars in MRO, although to be honest that comparing TS and MRO cars isn't an apple-to-apple thing to do considering the differences in sizes, and that shading in bigger cars requires more work and precision than in smaller cars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jR15145HCsFvFPWfyo7moDdfpVLCB9rtP4eqfuLyMa00wd9ka8M9CtQrRqFu_AYnAzmLpiCd_GyUdwCSrNq7ays-5rpPEXdpAaY8XvwjPHoXz4Sr00qa_pcsCnFUlTYZkSJ1riM2fBVy/s1600/current+cars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jR15145HCsFvFPWfyo7moDdfpVLCB9rtP4eqfuLyMa00wd9ka8M9CtQrRqFu_AYnAzmLpiCd_GyUdwCSrNq7ays-5rpPEXdpAaY8XvwjPHoXz4Sr00qa_pcsCnFUlTYZkSJ1riM2fBVy/s1600/current+cars.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something to look forward to: can you guess what these cars are? These will definitely be in the game!</td></tr>
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This is pretty much why there's always this drag when it comes to shading, especially windows. At the same time I want to make the car look great, the execution doesn't seem to go well. The tool I used for this purpose was none other than the brush tool and the brush tool only which, after a long thought, might not be the "end-all" solution. Alas, to alleviate such pain, I decided that, for my next set of WIPs, the process would be revised; the tracing for the window actually starts with the pillars first. Before this, the pillars were simply done by adding the stroke on the windows' shape, which apparently made the work on window lighting a little unsettling. The pillars utilize the "subtract shape" feature in the pen tool and are shaped accordingly based on the reference blueprint, then the base pillar shapes (the ones that aren't used for subtraction) would form a glass frame which would be placed a layer below the pillar, whereas a window banner can be placed one layer above provided that the layer mask is set, which in this case is the glasses layer.<br />
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With this new process comes a new idea: what if I put my focus on the interiors at the same time? This is because the new process actually allows the interiors to be solved below the glasses layer provided that it has its own layer group and the group in question has a layer mask of the windows' shape. This way, I can form the car's interior parts, including the seats, a steering wheel, and a rollcage for racing versions, even the driver as well, just like what you can see above (interesting WIPs here!). And by the way, the driver is simply traced from the <a href="http://gamemodels.ru/files/file/4188-real-racing-3-driver-model/" target="_blank">3D model of a driver</a> in Real Racing 3 via GameModels.ru, with moderate details given the size when applied. This might not be that visible on closed-cockpit cars, but I might consider adding details when I step into open wheelers (and that reminds me of something; I might do <a href="https://gran-turismo.fandom.com/wiki/Dallara_SF19_Super_Formula_%2719" target="_blank">Dallara SF19</a> in the future).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqcfTNd3G6qZPq3crFRyrs-R_fF3p26yNXQkWloFG-1TXfhZ_OOZjOWFA75U5FbOYCrF9EPn91pSn2vwYC6WgPysKGsOdRbqSC0CC4AfF58-Eqc3Q70-TWDyClXS8VV_50jZjZXAgq7ok/s1600/shadingcompare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqcfTNd3G6qZPq3crFRyrs-R_fF3p26yNXQkWloFG-1TXfhZ_OOZjOWFA75U5FbOYCrF9EPn91pSn2vwYC6WgPysKGsOdRbqSC0CC4AfF58-Eqc3Q70-TWDyClXS8VV_50jZjZXAgq7ok/s400/shadingcompare.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparison between the shading implementations.</td></tr>
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Last but not least is the lighting effect for the windows that I could revise at will. You already see this implementation in the last picture but here I'm comparing how the shadings work both in general and in window-specific parts. The McLaren F1 GTR on the left (which I actually released a long time ago) utilized a series of brush tools to achieve the effect, even down to the windows, basically the MRO carmaking style I've practiced for the majority of my carmaking, although there were layer masks involved as well to make sure some parts don't clutter. On the right side, the Supra RZ, I tone down the usage of brush tools a bit and emphasize more on layer masks for specific parts and pen tool tracing, playing with their opacity/fill levels to fulfill the effect. The pen tool approach is also used to jot down the window lighting which is actually much easier to manage than using the brush tool. Both approaches still use the gradient tool to give the darkness to the right window to achieve the effect.<br />
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Basically I've found a better carmaking approach which actually solves a lot of problems I had when it comes to carmaking. I'm actually glad that I could discover this method after taking a long hiatus, ending me up in being motivated to make about five cars or so, with more kits for individual cars to come, as this business has no end, mind you.<br />
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<h2>
AUTOPOLIS BUSINESS</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aVBwb1TVoc4Ej-ysnEfWh83FqJ45WLd5NJt22YNGCORw0jRSd3cfCJ3ncpN3I41jICUxenObumfcOmFVHPlIyO9nVnY2XDLhp0vkhwAvtStJewskYvGdGZgYVujrjzhcOCYAZsHrSTyy/s1600/Screenshot+%25281953%2529+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aVBwb1TVoc4Ej-ysnEfWh83FqJ45WLd5NJt22YNGCORw0jRSd3cfCJ3ncpN3I41jICUxenObumfcOmFVHPlIyO9nVnY2XDLhp0vkhwAvtStJewskYvGdGZgYVujrjzhcOCYAZsHrSTyy/s400/Screenshot+%25281953%2529+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So it was weeks ago when I caught the first World Tour event of the GT Sport Championship, in which the races involved new contents available within the update at that time, which also included the new Autopolis circuit in Oita Prefecture, Japan, which set up the final stage of the Nations Cup, among the new cars. Without spoiling anything, I'd recommend you to watch the full event unfolded (link way above) from the semi final races to the final. If only I can afford PS4 and a new TV so that I can afford GT Sport next so that I can jump in the FIA-certified fun. I mean, Digital Motorsport sounds like a great prospect for me since I once talked about racing games/simulators as an e-Sport, gaining the same traction as, for instance, Dota 2's The International, and that I've geared myself already in a racing simulator, although it was just four laps to be honest.<br />
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After seeing Autopolis in action, I realized that this might be the chance for me to recreate it on TS. This would be one of my recent IRL track works to be made after the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/high-speed-grounds-my-first-4k-in-ts-is.html" target="_blank">Indianapolis Speedway I made</a> a long time ago, and the second actually used in a competition (in this case, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2wvRpEMfVg" target="_blank">the SCARTS series</a>) after <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN_Ya3uPnjQ" target="_blank">Tsukuba</a>, third if you count <a href="http://lvp-ts.com/f1gp/4KRe_NipponHighlands_v2-8f9cf5a1.html" target="_blank">the fictional Nippon Highlands</a> for the TS F1 Championship. Other than that, the other Japanese IRL tracks already made are Suzuka and Fuji, both by <a href="http://f1sl.forumpolish.com/?pid=10" target="_blank">F1 Speed League</a>, which I can't help myself thinking that two of a couple of tracks in the main Japanese motorsport calendar (say, Super GT and Super Formula) are already there so I'm adding another.<br />
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As far as the track work goes, the tracing went straightforward as I laid down the exact layout as in the reference I've acquired, but this time with a twist: the tarmac effect. New for my trackmaking approach is something that's out from the <a href="http://www.miniracingonline.com/descargas/documentos/tutorial_circuitos_by_alvaro_sl.pdf" target="_blank">MiniRacingOnline trackmaking book</a>, or perhaps more leaning towards the one that can be seen on Tinjovic's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-LRNlNSwDQ" target="_blank">top down racer project</a>. To describe the process, I used a new layer to draw the shape using the tracks path, then utilized a combination of "Outer Glow" blending fine-tuned to make it look realistic and the opacity/fill levels to ensure the realism.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_EMYOPCIgOX6LkYk5tVXOhU7ISI7eKD-IAdtfghi39rj_CTYG3LFA_tptI7VDSDX_v0C_4N2B1d8OITtqZehbzCLrnnkztP0bJCpv7UzeamFW2d-jHqLsR4rRep2IrUkBo-92AyM2m0a/s1600/Screenshot+%25281715%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_EMYOPCIgOX6LkYk5tVXOhU7ISI7eKD-IAdtfghi39rj_CTYG3LFA_tptI7VDSDX_v0C_4N2B1d8OITtqZehbzCLrnnkztP0bJCpv7UzeamFW2d-jHqLsR4rRep2IrUkBo-92AyM2m0a/s400/Screenshot+%25281715%2529.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the new tarmac effect implementation looks like.</td></tr>
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This approach isn't without flaws though; continuous static lines. While the effect improves aesthetic at face value, the blending follows the path's shape so there's that. To solve this, I jot down the projected racing line path as the overlay and toned down the effect as subtle as possible, and later the braking lines for sections which would take a lot of paths, but that depends on the IRL reference. Tinjovic's F1 track, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSQwkdCoDVY" target="_blank">Flakemoore</a>, is the reference for this very effect, and these are achieved by its own tiles so that the effect actually relies on their placements. This would take time.<br />
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Other than that, another new approach is in place as well; the walls are now drawn via paths instead of tiles to save time, although this would impact the eventual image file a lot (think a set of walls embedded on the track's image with Drop Shadow effect vs. 100s of wall tiles placed on track, of which the data of their placements and rotations are stored within the *.trk file). Also, since Autopolis has a unique grandstand on the final corner, I thought it would be a good idea to make it from scratch while at the same time try to follow the basic shapes as shown in existing grandstands tiles from various authors. Later on these will be populated with person tiles so that the role of this special grandstand will be fulfilled. The rest of the environment stuffs shall follow the IRL reference (i.e., the trees)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79ZXKZDWHGnFH5BQxfZHzbLfFH7fVmWMv9jWwKi4xoSRSriYG3OiIVbpsCWQduqU5G_u2b-MAp-wqlZHfZGtIaAbsFbY-xBrjAkOAiQ1Msi2chXd_brmLMsHkgKU9ozOvMPt5GnOPcl-r/s1600/Screenshot+%25281722%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79ZXKZDWHGnFH5BQxfZHzbLfFH7fVmWMv9jWwKi4xoSRSriYG3OiIVbpsCWQduqU5G_u2b-MAp-wqlZHfZGtIaAbsFbY-xBrjAkOAiQ1Msi2chXd_brmLMsHkgKU9ozOvMPt5GnOPcl-r/s400/Screenshot+%25281722%2529.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer look at Autopolis' unique last corner grandstands, replicated in TS.</td></tr>
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Going with the theme, the Red Bull X2019 Competition you've seen way above was also made at the time of the track's construction, and has the car shape completed despite its complexity. I also took the chance to rework the window and cockpit parts from the original shape with the aforementioned method. The caveat is that without lighting effect the window is flat and could compromise the car's shape in general, but thankfully making the lighting effect for this car is quite simple so it's manageable. The real challenge is that I based the car on the X2014 car whose top view image exists on the internet already and the real car hasn't had a clear top down shot yet. Maybe someday?<br />
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At the moment, I'm focusing more on the cars because a new thought for a WIP has materialized from my break. The focus is in fact based on real-life motorsport which would be the reason why I made so much cars like above, more into that on the next post.<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-57665610037015975952019-03-03T12:45:00.000+07:002019-03-03T12:51:13.934+07:00Rendy's Car Skinning Life Ep 07: Completed Product and Polished Concept<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTdL9ABwf9v8NnRMi9cVGGQckptS8qABV1xK2d5JRXubPh7GhlqgLBqnhn-7aEsxOCndxC21L574lBPPonOuEbEy-KjLREcRf4ijMUPghoVXnABUuPXhHxBYaGw7zUnpBKy3GapNadLFP/s1600/ScreenShot44+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTdL9ABwf9v8NnRMi9cVGGQckptS8qABV1xK2d5JRXubPh7GhlqgLBqnhn-7aEsxOCndxC21L574lBPPonOuEbEy-KjLREcRf4ijMUPghoVXnABUuPXhHxBYaGw7zUnpBKy3GapNadLFP/s400/ScreenShot44+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was a usual morning a week ago until I found out that the filming for <i>Wynonna Earp</i>'s fourth season got <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/wynonna-earp-production-delayed-as-idw-seeks-funding-season-4-1189056" target="_blank">delayed due to monetary issues</a> from the production house. Tons of fans rallied on Twitter with the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FightForWynonna" target="_blank">#FightForWynonna</a> and has tagged SyFy and IDW Publishing accounts in hopes to make sure the filming can continue. I had no expectation that this day won't come and my show would face <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/12/03/fan-campaigns-save-our-tv-shows/2159748002/" target="_blank">the same situation</a> that once suffered other shows like <i>Timeless</i>, <i>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</i>, and <i>Lucifer</i>, with two of which were actually renewed after its original cancellation status. Apparently, this fight was also parallel to <i>One Day At A Time</i> as well given the show's production hiatus as well. Many brought their GIFs from the show, but many brought in fan arts and creations as well to help strengthen the rally, and show that there are a part of the Earpers with artistic tastes.<br />
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Yours truly? Well, I haven't considered making anything until I found out I actually made a <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/rendys-car-skinning-life-ep-06-reboot.html" target="_blank">Wayhaught MP4-12C a long time ago</a>, and that I haven't done skinning in a while while I already packed myself a new concept at disposal, both the livery and the project. It's been quite a long time since I worked something along the lines of skinning which, actually, was almost a year ago when I reworked my old car and made something out of the Formula RaceRoom (and on a side note, I haven't touched any inches of the PVP Engineering Aston Martin yet, but I'll go into that later). Barring my work on the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/02/my-misadventures-in-coding-autonomous.html" target="_blank">Bachelor's thesis</a>, I focused myself on making some 3D stuffs just to learn myself at it and did a couple of watered down liveries I'd like to work in the future with the Wayhaught car's designs being one of them. Working with that, new ideas materialized and a new concept just popped.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working concept on the new livery design, relying on a hand-made 3D model with texturing process done in Blender. Here you can see how the model and the texture look like.</td></tr>
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The project started out roughly four days ago with a new base and a new concept after jotting down some livery ideas courtesy of my "placeholder car" project for Blender in which I test out some livery concepts I would like to make. This placeholder project was conceived a long time ago before starting a new project and only consisted of simply the car's body and the wheels, still adopting the low-poly style <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/every-3d-car-making-attempt-ever.html" target="_blank">I have established almost a year ago</a>. The new concept livery inherits the same color scheme as the McLaren (albeit with alterations) but actually adopts an all-new design in which now the gold color becomes a complementary color to the white below which in turn allowed more colors to pop in in terms of sponsorship. It turns out all "key" sponsorships have their colors blend well with the livery so of course it's a right decision to make.<br />
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As you know already, the first livery takes its inspiration from the <a href="https://gran-turismo.fandom.com/wiki/Honda_TAKATA_DOME_NSX_(SUPER_GT)_%2706" target="_blank">2006 TAKATA DOME NSX</a> driven by Ryo Michigami, Takashi Kogure and Katsutomo Kaneishi which ran on that year's Super GT season, with the source material's white color become red and the source's green being gold. This time, the new livery takes on multiple sources for the inspiration, but the main inspiration for this new design is none other than the red, gold, and white <a href="https://www.lotuscars.com/racing/sailesh-bolisetti-lotus-sport-uk" target="_blank">#48 Lotus Sport UK Evora GT4</a> driven by Phil Glew & Sailesh Bolisetti during the 2012 season of British GT Championship. The new design was all but conceived until RaceRoom announced that the Lotus Evora GT4 <a href="https://www.gtplanet.net/lotus-evora-joins-the-upcoming-gt4-lineup-in-raceroom-racing-experience/" target="_blank">would be available in <i>RaceRoom Racing Experience</i></a> in late November, of which the described livery caught my attention and "synced" well with the Wayhaught colors. This design prompted me to improve what the current livery lacks and quickly jot down about how this could be applied to the final product.
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Another inspiration for this car came from the car that ran in the 2001 All-Japan GT Championship in the form of <a href="https://gran-turismo.fandom.com/wiki/Honda_LOCTITE_MUGEN_NSX_(JGTC)_%2701" target="_blank">Loctite Mugen NSX</a>, of which Ryo Michigami and Hidetoshi Mitsusada fronted the car's championship campaign. Given that both the British GT and JGTC liveries are kinda similar to each other, I "hacked" Loctite NSX's base design but added the British GT touch to it, along with the vertical stripe that spans the car's length, but this time in gold in contrast to the Japanese source material's black color. Incidentally, the way the livery design on the sides is done also resembles the <a href="https://gran-turismo.fandom.com/wiki/Honda_Castrol_MUGEN_NSX_(JGTC)_%2700" target="_blank">2000 Castrol Dome NSX</a> which, apparently, is the Loctite Mugen's predecessor car that earned the Mugen x Dome Project entrant the #1 car number in the next season. More incidentally, the TAKATA Dome car was run by none other than the Dome racing as well after the split between Mugen and Dome teams at some point, so it might be safe that the Wayhaught team is basically the in-universe version of Dome racing. Other than that, my friend on Discord also pointed out similarities with the <a href="http://rmstyle-24lm.blogspot.com/2013/12/1998-mclaren-f1-gtr-gulf-team-davidoff.html" target="_blank">1998 EMKA McLaren F1 GTR LM</a> as well.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Since the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FightForWynonna?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FightForWynonna</a> still goes on and I've been itching to go back into car skinning for a game, I think I might have an idea to rep <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WynonnaEarp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WynonnaEarp</a> my way 😏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wayhaught?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wayhaught</a> <br />
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Still WIP tho... <a href="https://t.co/g67ci7WVbk">pic.twitter.com/g67ci7WVbk</a></div>
— [R]endy A Y (@RnTheAndrian) <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1099358256567246848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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As the #FightForWynonna hashtag spread like wildfire, the concept came in handy to be applied in yet another car that could make a better fit for the design, in which for this case it's <a href="http://trackmania-carpark.com/car.php?id=2185" target="_blank">QtoR's NSX Super GT</a>. The design that has been made in the placeholder car I made is adapted to the project step by step to see whether the adapted design fits the expectation. Side design, barring the rear sides, was a first priority, followed by key sponsors needed, the stripes, the wing colors, the air intake, and the rear part before going with the front. The initial design was posted on Twitter during the first days of the hashtag trending with five retweets and six likes at the time of the posting. This particular tweet also trended along with <a href="https://twitter.com/RnTheAndrian/status/1099504382742130688" target="_blank">my wish for having PS4 and <i>Gran Turismo Sport</i></a> to make this kind of livery as well.
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Project continued with the additional design which spanned the rear part of the sides, continuing the stripe design the car has which in turn also altered the design for that part of which the NTR Doccubus logo is now part of the white coloring instead of red, but at the same time allowed the sponsor to have its original red color so it can blend with the color, bettering the design. Adjustments to the front striping were also made to achieve the expected curvature of the design given the model's topology in the template. The car's details (within the details.dds file) also incorporates the golden wheels and the blank tire walls in contrast to the original's white wheels and Bridgestone tires (with the fact that the team's tire brand is Rumplestilt, the in-universe Bridgestone), plus the final detail in the window banners. Alpha layer adjustments are the cherry topping for the basic design, with the aim to make the gold colors in the design shine.<br />
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Finally, sponsors are further refined in terms of placement layouts and adjusted to fit the aesthetics, plus blending in some new sponsors as well: <a href="https://wynonnaearp.fandom.com/wiki/Doc_Holliday" target="_blank">Docstache</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/nedleysoffice?lang=en" target="_blank">Nedley's Office</a> (meant to be a play on Keiichi Tsuchiya's defunct company <a href="http://www.speedhunters.com/tag/keioffice/" target="_blank">Kei Office</a>), <a href="https://wynonnaearp.fandom.com/wiki/Ghost_River_Triangle" target="_blank">Ghost River Triangle</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSj5IES8olU" target="_blank">Dom & Kat</a>, <a href="https://wynonnaearp.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Badge_Division" target="_blank">Black Badge <strike>Division</strike></a> Designs, <a href="https://wynonnaearp.fandom.com/wiki/Rosita_Bustillos" target="_blank">Rosita Bustillos</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/MelanieScrofano" target="_blank">Scrofano</a>, all to fully embrace its status as the team that's based on <i>Wynonna Earp</i> while dropping the rest of non-<i>Wynonna</i> sponsorships from the last skin. As for Kilik, the logo itself is from <i>Ridge Racer</i> series in which it is <a href="https://ridgeracer.fandom.com/wiki/Customization" target="_blank">one of the wheel brands in Ridge Racer 7</a> but the reference actually originates from one of Namco's fighting game franchises <a href="https://soulcalibur.fandom.com/wiki/Kilik" target="_blank"><i>Soul Calibur</i></a> in which Kilik is one of the game's characters. Other than that, <i>Ridge Racer 7</i>'s Arkbird and <i>Real Racing 3</i>'s QuanticFire hold their spot along with the team's other mainstay sponsors.
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</ul>
</div>
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Apparently, this is literally the first personal skin from a personal project that's basically a finished product. Although this could have a couple of small fixes on the way, I haven't finished any WIP of mine I showed throughout the entirety of this series. Most, if not all, weren't finished products due to various problems, so I'm glad that I could go through with this one, and end up paving my way to rally for the show's continuation <i>and</i> marking a proper return to skinning. The numberplate could still be planned in a long time, but for now, this is literally a finished product, although it falls under Personal skin as I don't really intend to release this skin for public consumption, especially with the new project I'll be working on...
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<h2>
PROJECT POLISHING</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzdR_bxcEGKuc1CRB3nBnKYCFThyD4oa2E4wwhVFYXgXXsRDCB2_2DJN1hllahD_NdVIgORfHGrxfgh_U7Jbd8pwRJ03InWiXNX4tS9D-as0-E6YLMtjs8A-AXza9Hrje-Fia0RgZTEOs/s1600/ScreenShot70+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzdR_bxcEGKuc1CRB3nBnKYCFThyD4oa2E4wwhVFYXgXXsRDCB2_2DJN1hllahD_NdVIgORfHGrxfgh_U7Jbd8pwRJ03InWiXNX4tS9D-as0-E6YLMtjs8A-AXza9Hrje-Fia0RgZTEOs/s400/ScreenShot70+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two skins, one team.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now that there are two cars with the Wayhaught sponsorship, it's time to spill the tea about the new project which actually supersedes the old one, a project that combines the car structure of <a href="https://gtr98.fandom.com/wiki/Car_%26_Driver_Presents:_Grand_Tour_Racing_%2798" target="_blank"><i>Grand Tour Racing</i></a> while adopting elements of <a href="https://ridgeracer.fandom.com/wiki/R4:_Ridge_Racer_Type_4" target="_blank"><i>Ridge Racer Type 4</i></a> in which better cars have unique livery designs. This also means that team concepts will be pretty much be in play when I start to make another team based on any scripted television series. This is an improvement from <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/rendys-car-skinning-life-ep-05-crazy.html" target="_blank">the World Fandom Championship idea</a> which teams are categorized based on the show's genre, but for this project I ultimately dropped the categorization and focus on a more proper presentation, especially taking into account a couple of different car classes that shall be included in the project as this will span more than just sports cars.
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While there are no plans yet for the final numberplate design, there are actually design rules to comply for new teams: beside of basing teams from scripted television series (or movies to an extent), main sponsorship for that team must have a tie to an element from the source material. This can either be an actor/actress’ name, a character name, a ship name between involved characters (which is basically the case for Wayhaught), a fictional location, or a fictional corporation appearing on the source material, while other sponsorships can include those not related to any of the above as long as source-based sponsorships are predominant. This means limiting a number of allowed non-source sponsorships for those based on video games (like <i>Ridge Racer</i> and <i>Real Racing 3</i> for example) and original ones whose sponsors designs weren't made.
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Currently the team has a working name of "Team Wayhaught" while searching for better names for as long as the reference is as subtle as possible (initially it was "Emily Andras Racing Project", which was eventually dropped because it was too explicit in terms of reference). Sponsorships pertaining to <i>Wynonna Earp</i> are presented the same way the cars in <i>Ridge Racer</i> reference Namco's games and characters as sponsorships, while other sponsors (like Arkbird, Kilik, and QuanticFire) are treated as "guest sponsorships" for the team. Rumplestilt however would break the rule as it actually references the <i>Once Upon A Time</i> character of the same name, but given it is a tire supplier for the universe, this goes into exception
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From the first time we meet this team, we know that the founder which we can refer to as "totally not Emily Andras" brought her former team <a href="http://lostgirl.wikia.com/wiki/Doccubus" target="_blank">Doccubus</a> <a href="http://lostgirl.wikia.com/wiki/Tamsin" target="_blank">Valkyrion</a> Racing (a play on <a href="http://www.dandelion-racing.com/" target="_blank">Docomo Dandelion Racing</a> from Formula Nippon/Super Formula series and Emily Andras' past show <i>Lost Girl</i>), and eventually formed this team in 2016 with the backing of Wayhaught Corporation, a fictitious (duh) Japanese-Canadian safety equipment company akin to now-defunct Takata. The team debuts with the 2014-spec McLaren MP4-12C and with the introduction of the recent skin in this post the team has moved up a class and fight with the ex-Super GT NSX. Deeper team profile and final car roster for the team are currently being worked on as the points of interest, and while that, I managed to fix the MP4-12C livery as well, giving it some needed updates and make it yet another finished design, of which you can check the gallery below.<br />
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<div class="blogger-gallery">
<ul class="gallery-row">
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</ul>
</div>
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Speaking of car rosters, teams will have a couple of cars from various categories, being touring cars, grand tourers, prototypes, rally cars, and open wheelers, as well as a tuner car (almost mirroring <i>GRID Autosport</i> for that matter). In <i>Grand Tour Racing</i>, each team has a sports car, an open wheeler (the Indy), a rally car, a rally raid (called Dakar), and a buggy. I brought such a concept in mind assuming that each team can own any class of car to compete in a particular racing series, but this time the "stage" system ala <i>Ridge Racer Type 4</i>'s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuDY8WeyS8Q" target="_blank">Real Racing Roots</a> deepens the roster in that the team can even possess a car of better performance class. Most cars in six different categories mentioned would have unique livery designs from each other, but each class will surely have different designs. For example, a Wayhaught car in, say, a tuner category has the same design as the MP4-12C GT3 car, but a higher level car in that category may have a livery way different than the Super GT NSX. As the car roster is in a wider scope than just what's available in TMUF, there's a possibility that other medias for showcase would be used, but if the same car in TMUF is available in another game, it's all just a matter of importing the whole design.
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<h2>
MISSION FIRST (PUBLIC) SKIN</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYyS_62uwe2h-6Ieyt_wcNIjIRPrmO0qagLComJhaV4kQYqgynrdcxLxIRlooAQLPWyTBw5HzIDeKqwwuAUGvq2kHVCFksw4mTx-6uWGpQB7uy8ewAoakNbTZaKCJH0eW5T4pAmTYt7y7/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYyS_62uwe2h-6Ieyt_wcNIjIRPrmO0qagLComJhaV4kQYqgynrdcxLxIRlooAQLPWyTBw5HzIDeKqwwuAUGvq2kHVCFksw4mTx-6uWGpQB7uy8ewAoakNbTZaKCJH0eW5T4pAmTYt7y7/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Taisan's All-Japan GT Championship contender since 1994, the Taisan Starcard Ferrari F40. For two years, the now-defunct team ran the Italian sports car for two seasons with different livery iterations. This particular model was <a href="https://www.autoclassics.com/posts/news/team-taisan-auction-suzuka" target="_blank">part of the auction held in Suzuka</a> November last year (Image: <a href="http://www.fchgt.com/auction-988-taisan-star-card-f40jgtc/" target="_blank">FCHGT.com</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, this skin is just a start of something bigger which would be my first Carpark release. Given that GKRacer has provided <a href="http://trackmania-carpark.com/car.php?id=2608" target="_blank">the amazing Ferrari F40 LM</a> a long time ago, the time has come to up the game for a new mission; the Taisan Starcard F40 LM that competed in the early years of All-Japan GT Championship. There are two versions of the livery to be made with the existing wheel design can make way to the red version (pictured above) of the livery, while <a href="https://twitter.com/DK_Engineering/status/915254609211482113" target="_blank">the Advan colors</a> would require a new wheel design of which only the original author can put. Nevertheless, this will be a big focus for my next skin and put into a higher priority, especially with the fact that I've already found some of the decals needed to complete it.
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Outside of TMUF scope, I'm currently looking for 3D models that can be used as a media to showcase my livery designs for my future creations so it can be applied in playable form where available. Apparently, this might come in handy as well for my future Turbo Sliders cars as well, but that's another topic, really...
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-17687791013756296332019-02-13T19:44:00.001+07:002019-02-13T19:44:32.444+07:00My Misadventures in Coding an Autonomous Racer<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Btk1_Y3BgHI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Btk1_Y3BgHI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Btk1_Y3BgHI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">In thesis defense, we talk business. What happened afterwards is that I've finally succeeded. Yes, your homeboy is now qualified for graduation now 🎓 (taken by my Supervisor, Arini, M.T.)</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tsukasa_kadoya/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Rendy Andrian Y</a> (@tsukasa_kadoya) on <time datetime="2019-02-07T09:33:25+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 7, 2019 at 1:33am PST</time></div>
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I've promised myself that 2019 will be my year of return. 2017 was kinda hard for me and I wanted to treat 2018 as my recovery year, to which I successfully did it in <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/mission-revival-2019-new-years-miracle.html" target="_blank">the final days of the year</a> by finishing my paper. I started out this year with a bang by having a thesis seminar in January (from now on, any instance of "final paper" would be considered as "bachelor's thesis" here) and since then I've been busy with completing my administrative requirements for my thesis defense which in turn is the reason why I don't post anything about this Awards Season on <a href="http://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">my other blog</a>. So far, nothing's special happening as all that remains is the waiting towards this year's Oscars, the awards season for TV ended in SAG Awards, and the online couple competition hasn't begin yet, maybe next week? Nobody knows...<br />
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One week ago, however, the same day where I properly posted something nice on Instagram again like above embedded post, was where the end of the road for me in a spectacularly successful fashion despite the college feeling like a ghost town with only a few people around which would explain why there's a lack of more festive shots after my thesis defense. Yes, the actual word I was looking for to describe the final test for my final paper is basically "Bachelor's Thesis Defense" ("Bachelor's Thesis", as in the "final paper" I always refer to + "<a href="https://www.gradschoolhub.com/faqs/what-is-a-thesis-defense/" target="_blank">Thesis Defense</a>") which I did during when the photo was taken by one of my supervisors (obviously). It actually went well despite a little stuttering at some point, and there was the feeling where I opt for straightforward actions, answering the examiners' questions without any difficulty since the topic I've chosen was in sync to my interests and the fact that I struggled during the development of the application helped a lot.<br />
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But then you started to wonder what kind of application I developed that it took too long for me to develop it. It is actually something to do with artificial intelligence, something I haven't considered as I tried to find something that could reach my multimedia roots as well. Apparently, I came across a game that eclipses both entertainment and education values needed for my project in the form of <a href="http://torcs.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank"><i>The Open Racing Car Simulator</i> (TORCS)</a>, an Open Source racing game that has been used by researchers as a platform to test out artificial intelligence-based controllers of varying approaches. Considering that the game has been used by international researchers and I came across zero papers from my country that discussed this topic, the decision was ultimately made at that moment. The project took roughly more than a year due to the fact that I have to re-learn programming languages, as well as the approach I use and how to make a controller in the game, but the end result was satisfying enough.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
GIMME MO' TORCS</h2>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PVqa6hIZx1XSzPzNgmiA7o7JxYNs-hcZ4BGuoY1EK-FaS8okZI1u6-DxlFaQOOq9dlYQED1YhaTRPpayYVYUyjydyhb_rl4vHQtB0M2V2gjuu0jKXU2OiJyvUWRXKle0XP8GnLu3vtkQ/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PVqa6hIZx1XSzPzNgmiA7o7JxYNs-hcZ4BGuoY1EK-FaS8okZI1u6-DxlFaQOOq9dlYQED1YhaTRPpayYVYUyjydyhb_rl4vHQtB0M2V2gjuu0jKXU2OiJyvUWRXKle0XP8GnLu3vtkQ/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">In case you are looking for Celtic Torcs then this is the wrong place" -Bernhard Wymann, better known as berniw. (Image: TORCS @ <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/torcs/#screenshots" target="_blank">Sourceforge.net</a>)</td></tr>
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The Open Racing Car Simulator or TORCS is an Open Source game created by Eric Espié and Christophe Guionneau and is currently headed by Bernhard Wymann (berniw), plus with additional contributors. The game features realistic effects such as lighting, smoke, skid marks, and glowing brake lights, plus a simulation of a simple damage model, collisions, tire, and wheel properties such as springs, dampers, and stiffness, as well as car aerodynamics and much more. Here, you can play many types of race modes varying from single races, championship races, and practice, and split screen is available up to four human players. It is also highly portable and runs on all Linux architectures, as well as Windows operating systems.<br />
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While it might not sound as promising to you, the unique point of this game is that you could program your own computer-controlled driver(s), which are referred as "controllers". In other words, not only it is a playable game for human players, but it is also an AI racing game. The <a href="http://www.berniw.org/tutorials/robot/tutorial.html" target="_blank">bot tutorial by berniw</a> gives you the insight of how you could develop your own computer-controlled driver in the race. Keep in mind that each "driver" can store up to 10 cars, and you can assign a customized livery for each of these cars.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aZqswgdsNic" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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But it doesn't stop just there. Being an AI racing game, it is also used as a research platform for testing out various approaches of artificial intelligence, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX-UDQdtmBM" target="_blank">Neural Networks</a>, to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiZRSu3ZKsI" target="_blank">Fuzzy Logics</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmpSzgN-D98" target="_blank">Evolutionary algorithms</a>, among others. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=torcs+car" target="_blank">Countless of research papers</a> have have been developed to accompany the approach they use, and a dedicated competition for them once existed in the form of Simulated Car Racing Championship, which was run until 2015. It was a competition between TORCS controllers of varied approaches featuring heuristic and evolutionary approaches. The 2013 competition has the documentation in the form of <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/dloiacono/gecco13scr" target="_blank">presentation</a> (showing the entries and tracks used, plus the results) and race highlights above which should give you a glimpse how the competition was run. Other than that, there's also <a href="http://www.berniw.org/trb/halloffame/halloffame.php" target="_blank">TORCS Endurance Championship</a> which also gathers different controllers submitted online in the <a href="http://www.berniw.org/trb/" target="_blank">TORCS Racing Board community</a>.<br />
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If following the controller tutorial above looked too hard for you, one tool makes it easier for the job: the <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/cig/files/SCR%20Championship/" target="_blank">SCR Server</a> comes in handy in developing new controllers, using sensor and actuator models and the client-server architecture to implement them. The software extension has been used in various researches and was the main platform for the Simulated Car Racing Championship races. The SCR Server patch is available for Windows and Linux systems, with SCR Client available for C++, Java, and Python programming languages, among others. <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.1672" target="_blank">The software manual</a> can be a good starting point on which sensors and actuators you can use for the new controllers within the client, and the SimpleDriver class included should give you a glimpse of how everything is coded for the actuator functions (i.e., how the steering input is determined, when to change a gear, how speed control works), but of course you can learn from existing papers for logics or <a href="https://sourceforge.net/projects/cig/files/SCR%20Championship/entries/" target="_blank">head on here</a> for the collection of controllers competed in SCR Championship if you want to fully learn how to.<br />
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Based on personal experience, I would recommend using Visual C++ or DevC++ for coding the C++ client and NetBeans IDE for the Java client.<br />
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<h2>
THE MISADVENTURES</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mMm4j6_xNvTUlvyVihcQ3XLEjEl-zbbWG1Sn_8S6N2BvdYmaliJMfnN008PCH9-RS6w39-Vm5Y7F9aSZAc0IDExbSE6Ckk2zKbXQJYwAtdVnbZVBcJoMyYoY1DQHjipz0VHf4zb4Wg-E/s1600/KalmanDriver.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mMm4j6_xNvTUlvyVihcQ3XLEjEl-zbbWG1Sn_8S6N2BvdYmaliJMfnN008PCH9-RS6w39-Vm5Y7F9aSZAc0IDExbSE6Ckk2zKbXQJYwAtdVnbZVBcJoMyYoY1DQHjipz0VHf4zb4Wg-E/s400/KalmanDriver.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A glimpse of a chart about how my controller, KalmanDriver, works. The controller itself uses Kalman Filter as a means to determine the car's next trajectory based on sensor readings. The chart is actually translated from my actual presentation and added with notes to explain the notations used.</td></tr>
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Throughout the development of my project, I have called hiatus on things I do (which I hinted a lot of times in this blog), including Instagram for instance. I swear that I actually have a thing or two worthy as an IG post but then again those factors played out and drove me off, especially looking at my friends. During this rate, I know I wasn't who I were where I can just post stuffs like people these days would do, even if, say, only one post made in a month. Site redesign, whether it's two of my blogs or my Tumblr (although I postponed it due to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/3/18124461/tumblr-adult-content-porn-ban-flagging-errors-algorithm-fail" target="_blank">the bombshell already happened</a>), was also in consideration as well with no realization during the project's time. Plus, this also took toll on some of my other projects as well, including the lack of "progress" sheet in the polling competitions I covered on Excel and the fact that I couldn't able to do the Spring/Summer 2019 Fashion Week spreadsheet in time although this absence didn't affect the <a href="https://forums.thefashionspot.com/posts/30383407/" target="_blank">previous Fall/Winter spreadsheet which saw its light of the day on March 13th</a>.<br />
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The approach used here is <a href="https://www.bzarg.com/p/how-a-kalman-filter-works-in-pictures/" target="_blank">Kalman filter</a> which is the algorithm of prediction and estimation. Based on previous state, the current state will be predicted and the measurement will be corrected based on the current state, with both process include the modeling of noise from the respective systems. It is originally used to solve the Apollo project's navigation problems, and has been implemented in various fields, such as navigation, finance, and others. With the algorithm choice being set, the <a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/kalman-filter-an-algorithm-for-making-sense-from-the-insights-of-various-sensors-fused-together-ddf67597f35e" target="_blank">Kalman filter driving articles online</a> also inspired me to go for broke in developing the controller. The concept in the articles I've read, compared to my topic, is almost, if not fully, similar in that both approaches use sensors to detect am object. Additionally, I came across <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/13/11/15307" target="_blank">one research paper (by Gomez-Gil et al)</a> which also implemented Kalman filtering but this time the research involved a tractor and GPS sensors installed within the tractor, which would then be used to predict the tractor's trajectory. Eventually, the research paper became my eventual go-to for my controller's kinematic model.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-RFyKsSnHXIqZa6U47ubKqY3JiHuNtwE-zvSV8kvsvrrLo3bMXvfHwM8BOi7_P7cGWJXFtwLQF80LfQJY-RURj_EkQ1SPJPnULFnxuDSfiyKts42LtGsqo5N_YtrPcQvV9wQG9ysEZU-/s1600/torcs-20181227084150+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-RFyKsSnHXIqZa6U47ubKqY3JiHuNtwE-zvSV8kvsvrrLo3bMXvfHwM8BOi7_P7cGWJXFtwLQF80LfQJY-RURj_EkQ1SPJPnULFnxuDSfiyKts42LtGsqo5N_YtrPcQvV9wQG9ysEZU-/s400/torcs-20181227084150+copy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KalmanDriver in action! Note that I didn't expect the controller to do that well in g-track-3, especially when you take account the fact that the track is notorious for its bumpy surfaces and the jump section before the final section.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Development took roughly a year with the paper itself taking almost 1/4 year in conjunction to the development. Given that I tasted different programming languages throughout semesters, re-learning languages I haven't visited is a while was inevitable, and the controller was initially developed in C++. Unfortunately, due to lack of visualization, compiler errors during run in other systems (I used CodeBlocks instead of DevC++), and myself being unable to get Visual C++ in time, a decision was made to instead develop it in Java, taking the IDE's ability to make GUI frames into account in order to have some visualization in sensor readings. At the same time, I have to search for other controllers so I can learn how the controllers are developed considering that I had zero experience in making a controller. not even the AI class I took years ago had TORCS as the curriculum.<br />
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My woes continued as I tried to understand Kalman filter algorithm and go back and forth between the normal KF and the Extended Kalman filter by following numerous articles about them pertaining its use in autonomous driving (<a href="https://medium.com/intro-to-artificial-intelligence/extended-kalman-filter-simplified-udacitys-self-driving-car-nanodegree-46d952fce7a3" target="_blank">this being one of them</a>), and ended me utilizing Excel spreadsheets to understand the algorithm right before it became a working source code. At last, the final feature of overtaking function was conceived to make sure the controller can race with others I have gathered. Unfortunately, a combination of the function not working as expected and a failure of compiling other controllers to be used in the testing resulted in taking an unnecessary additional time, taking longer to finish the paper. As a result, I called it quits and scrapped that additional feature, as a time trial test was more than enough to serve my paper's main purpose.<br />
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Presenting the end product to the seminar (and later the defense), it turned out well, and all my difficulties stacked up during the development of the project actually gave me some edge in explaining the game, the controller, and the approach used, and I didn't have any problems in answering questions regarding to my project during both of my presentations. Even with that, I have to admit my own KalmanDriver could be made better, but nonetheless it's a good start. I wished that i could come up with more approaches on the actuator functions given that most of them were adapted from another controller, and eventually make a working opponent function so the controller can actually be competitive against the pre-installed TORCS controllers, not to mention some fixes to my own Kalman filter code. Other than that, I'm considering about making a GitHub account to store this so I can revisit the project whenever I please so that I can improve the controller anytime, and of course an international-grade paper is currently in the works.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNaGj3_P_6uYSpJPbq5eMHc3n4S3bJBohlJOEhyDlQvkYXbAd3SoJYWmWCHUh6r9ohd4j7aBDbo6P7fjxHKwz_nfzaii-P7ZRJv43w9-tWeS2-eTfEtjZNlGLJ59aIWywCcK_hGIER72h/s1600/KalmanDriver-ending.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNaGj3_P_6uYSpJPbq5eMHc3n4S3bJBohlJOEhyDlQvkYXbAd3SoJYWmWCHUh6r9ohd4j7aBDbo6P7fjxHKwz_nfzaii-P7ZRJv43w9-tWeS2-eTfEtjZNlGLJ59aIWywCcK_hGIER72h/s400/KalmanDriver-ending.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Note: actual presentation closing art)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And now that I've defeated all kinds of my inner demons during the devlopment and finally freed from the chains of the Bachelor's thesis I've worked, I can go back living my normal life with the new perspective I've developed...<br />
<br />
~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-59543659722636132812019-01-04T13:21:00.001+07:002019-01-04T13:21:47.041+07:00Mission Revival 2019 - A New Year's Miracle!<center>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsEWcqFF6Dg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 🎆</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tsukasa_kadoya/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Rendy Andrian Y</a> (@tsukasa_kadoya) on <time datetime="2018-12-31T22:11:45+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 31, 2018 at 2:11pm PST</time></div>
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<br />
After my long struggle against the final paper I've been working and all the hiatus decisions I have to make due to that, plus all the procrastinations that came with it due to exhaustion in between my paper works, I have finally finished it just before 2019 came, and actually ended the year in a high note (in this case, 2018). I'm really glad that things have turned out well despite all the mess, and I can't wait to return to my old life with a new wisdom I've developed during the course of the paper work.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As I set my sights for the graduation this year, I'd like to revisit things I once did prior to my struggles (or those I did in between). This blog is just one of them; the last post I made was about <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/playing-with-psx-textures.html" target="_blank">ripping the PSX textures</a>, but I haven't managed to kick the activity (yet again) after that post, despite having a couple of topics I'd like to visit. I know I've focused everything on <a href="http://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">my fandom blog</a> in terms of content, resulting in not only a number of articles revolving around award shows and fandom competitions, but also some spreadsheets that came with it, mostly related to the latter.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEYbnSMPYbXGEFllGavGsolrGcxmed4gnziLPqR6TjiX9vDVMMNI3CMfaKGOsTRxrMVZiMcbDacI2_5z8tayXbA2XualC4JKBqfVd-YrUh8mVnWDFY3nPsy_JSheQXl6NiMiQ_SA0Ob_s/s1600/trb1-car5_kf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEYbnSMPYbXGEFllGavGsolrGcxmed4gnziLPqR6TjiX9vDVMMNI3CMfaKGOsTRxrMVZiMcbDacI2_5z8tayXbA2XualC4JKBqfVd-YrUh8mVnWDFY3nPsy_JSheQXl6NiMiQ_SA0Ob_s/s400/trb1-car5_kf.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The work in question for the past year and a half.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As for the future plan for this blog, I have plenty to talk about which also includes what kind of topic that caused me taking years in completing it now that I've finished the paper. The topic in question is basically about an artificial intelligence-based controller that drives a car in a racing game. Yes, the final paper topic is in fact the controller for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20m9YH7aFUI" target="_blank">The Open Racing Car Simulator (TORCS)</a>, an open-source game that works not only as a game but also as a research platform for driving/racing controllers. Harnessing the sensor models provided by the software extension of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgUDr0Hs5tE" target="_blank">Simulated Car Racing Server (SCR Server)</a> and emphasizing on the research purpose of the game, combined with the fact that I haven't recalled TORCS being taught in the AI class I've taken years ago and came across zero papers in my college (let alone my country, I think?) that discuss the topic, this made a great idea to mash up my interests into play, despite having to pay a hefty price for that.<br />
<br />
Earlier on, I also announced myself to return into Turbo Sliders content making as well. The improved Nippon Highlands track raced during <a href="http://www.turbosliders.com/tournaments/f1gp-formula-1-grand-prix-2" target="_blank">the second season of F1 World Championship</a> was a brief sign of activity in the community, but I didn't thought about a full-time return until revealing a new road map for content creation focusing on strictly sports car racing. The project, in the form of an <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EDnfU22epnm9d7HFPxEm_0dsw6w1rCDErMzxbpNCAT8/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">online document right here</a>, details a proposed model for the physics as well as the car list and tracks to be made. To be honest I've been stuck in the physics part still due to the fact that I'd like to incorporate all the endurance elements to online racing, hopefully. This would mean racers will have to not only conserve fuel in the race but also the tires as well with the supplied handling model, adding a deeper strategy element.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZtsqyllIt2kzpkes09g9SX1W0nrXPsoeS8iVsHdvimF_Lx49-h7Zz9d9Z_-JBr6RLQCS9u1TBp7ca-5a6HClug5raTQ8bLiqLEe6bcb5wYK4ShpyslP_Fg9MAsvLzcg4MVZYnB-oPiMe/s1600/sliders+2018-12-08+00-04-08-553.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZtsqyllIt2kzpkes09g9SX1W0nrXPsoeS8iVsHdvimF_Lx49-h7Zz9d9Z_-JBr6RLQCS9u1TBp7ca-5a6HClug5raTQ8bLiqLEe6bcb5wYK4ShpyslP_Fg9MAsvLzcg4MVZYnB-oPiMe/s400/sliders+2018-12-08+00-04-08-553.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoom this picture, because you're seeing Super GT on Turbo Sliders!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To top the good news above, two new cars are confirmed for the project: the Nissan GT-R GT500 and the Toyota GT86 GT300 MC (Mother Chassis), two Super GT cars. Yes, that's right! The first time Super GT cars are finally represented in their top-down perspective! Once again, the cars are scratch-made by hand which means that I am the one responsible for the shading in the car designs. This workflow might not be as fast as taking 3D models and take the roof shot of them but not all cars in the project have their 3D models already (has the MC car already a playable mod somewhere?). Speaking of 3D models though, I would explore such an option as an additional reference material in case picture reference don't seem to work well. More about this will follow in a separate blog post (like the TORCS controller above as well).<br />
<br />
Outside those plans, I have plenty of things planned out as long-term projects. For instance, I can be known as the one who did <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5irJj8QfvzwUFFvdGdmRy1nQ0U" target="_blank">the Ready-To-Wear Fashion Week spreadsheets</a> in some circles, and I kinda stepped back on doing the Spring/Summer 2019 season due to paper commitments among others. As the Fall/Winter 2019 season is on the horizon, my work shall be doubled in gathering both the data of the Spring/Summer and the Fall/Winter seasons. Another one would be preparing another spreadsheet project, this time for the fandom competitions. In preparation of the nearest competition which would be held in February, I've taken measures to have better approaches on data acquiring, probably using <a href="http://www.pvv.org/~magnio/how-to-scrape-a-webpage.html" target="_blank">this script</a> using PowerShell or similar, while the rest is ready to run (in terms of design of course). Last but not least would be a couple of forking out more content for this blog, perhaps visiting a new mall or revisiting those I've already visited a long time ago given the stark difference, maybe new game articles (or any random ones on that matter), or perhaps new game contents. Anything to kick back activity to the blog, while balancing it with my other blog of course. Again, it's a long-term plan laid out for this year.<br />
<br />
I'm calling it right now: 2019 is the year of my revival, after two years of struggles (though I take 2018 as the year of recovery which sort did its purpose...). Let's see how this goes for the long run!<br />
<br />
~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-23197069807123058092018-06-23T19:40:00.001+07:002018-06-23T19:40:28.742+07:00Playing with PSX Textures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7K9_B_0GbQv2p5KYSyHb1R1XSEl7hCXpNfsou14sDg8jeSXO-rMy5z6sANtlgE43lKgDqlUEhvELTkDngQ2CaQ88UEJ9lYjORE0XgigrgsUW4frSvKN3O6V8AVG72SMuyC0_GLWgZpfLe/s1600/reference-car.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7K9_B_0GbQv2p5KYSyHb1R1XSEl7hCXpNfsou14sDg8jeSXO-rMy5z6sANtlgE43lKgDqlUEhvELTkDngQ2CaQ88UEJ9lYjORE0XgigrgsUW4frSvKN3O6V8AVG72SMuyC0_GLWgZpfLe/s400/reference-car.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Can I make something like that, but... in a different shape?"</i> (Image: <a href="http://www.rr-ken.net/rage/top.html" target="_blank">RR-Ken site</a>)</td></tr>
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<br />
A couple of important updates before going with the topic: first of all, Eid Mubarak to the Muslim readers, after observing a month of Ramadan! During the month, I know I've done a lot of things within that timespan including the revisions of my final paper. Beyond that, I've been doing a lot of things that I should made the blog post of but I'll see whether I can take the opportunity or not, but it should be possible. To give you a hint, I have done a couple of games and I might try either covering the game or something more interesting than that, trying to make a creation from those games for example.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Second of all, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxY5VdCv_YU" target="_blank">it was a Le Mans week, my dudes</a>. Interesting to have the start of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans coincide with the first days of the Eid week, but holy Tilda Lindstam this year's race was somewhat underwhelming due to nothing much changing throughout the race apart from some interesting moments. The Rebellions cannot rebel against the last manufacturer standings, Toyota, as the Japanese manufacturer finally claimed their win after their last year's curses, effectively making them the first Japanese manufacturer to win Le Mans since Mazda in 1991, and sweetened by the fact that Japanese drivers Kazuki Nakajima and Kamui Kobayashi took the victory, while Nakajima's car also featured Formula 1 regular Fernando Alonso on the wheel. As underwhelming as it is (especially the fact that one might be reminded of how this year's politics played out in favor of Toyota despite the fact that manufacturers being untouchable in Le Mans has always been inevitable since Audi), I'm actually glad that my eventual favorite, the #37 LMP2 entry containing all Malaysian drivers, finished Top 10 overall and sixth in class, a positive for the SEA representation there!<br />
<br />
Third, I can't believe it's finally World Cup once more and in less than two months we're going to have our Asian Games! But man, the first week has been tough for top teams already: Argentina, even with their star player Messi, conceded against Iceland (the underdog favorite since Euro 2012), France, although winning against Australia, seemed to not give their maximum, Switzerland tying up Brazil, and Germany losing to Mexico. Things seemed to be interesting within the first set of fixtures, and even my favorite <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4SeAfCg7-o" target="_blank">Japan has finally make it through against Colombia</a> in their first group game! It was unexpected since last World Cup the South American team crushed Japan 4-1, this time Kagawa (taking the opportunity of penalty kick after the opposing team red-carded for handball within the area) and Osako (with the help of Honda's corner kick) made it through, although having to concede a goal thanks to Quintero's amazing drop shot during the free kick. First win for Japan and Asia indeed, but there still two matches to go as we will face Senegal next.<br />
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<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I recently figured out a way to rip textures from the PS1 Ridge Racer games (specifically, RR Revolution and Rage Racer), and I just want to point out how clean these are.<br />
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I forgot just how simple Revolution's art really is, I love it. Rage Racer is lower res, but higher detail. <a href="https://t.co/BqCh4Ls1lq">pic.twitter.com/BqCh4Ls1lq</a></div>
— ❄< ᷆ ᷇•>❄ (@Hey_Its_Lollie) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hey_Its_Lollie/status/989523688662827008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br />
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And now for the main post; a long time ago, this very tweet reminded me of something: I remember attempting to make a car on SketchUp (back when it was Google's product) only to apply one of those textures. The car in question was actually a basic-shaped rectangle cube with a rear spoiler behind, since I had no idea of how I could make a car in SketchUp back then. I haven't revisited this idea until recently. Well, not this recent but I did it not too long ago in Blender where I have much more resources: the application <a href="https://github.com/m35/jpsxdec" target="_blank">jPSXdec</a> has the ability to extract textures from PSX games and I have just enough favorite PSX racing games whose textures can be extracted. Combined with my Blender antics in the last post, I'm able to replicate what I did years ago with a much better result although the mesh might not be as accurate as in their in-game counterparts due to the fact that extracting 3D models from PSX games is somewhat impossible, yet (if you take "invalid file header" upon extracting into account that is).<br />
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In case you missed it, I did tease an image at the end of <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/every-3d-car-making-attempt-ever.html" target="_blank">my last post regarding my 3D modeling adventure</a>, which was actually something out of <i>Rally De Europe</i>, a PSX video game by Prism Arts. Turns out that this game does have a set of extractable textures for all cars, along with its prequel <i>Rally De Africa</i>. The prospect of extracting all of the cars' textures got me interested, initially for research purposes but quickly became a resource of experiment of all sorts. That car in question is actually part of an side experiment that I somehow did during my working on the Cappucino.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKsn5ntRnQHIAQISPmv0f5bA7F7kGr4jH4aVRplEpxuU_YGe2-Helt49M91Gesa3ObXE3naM8PB3kZ249CukcDACLDwtilm_C3sFPrr38rcD-fc3M-kfLqhIhAa8rnx0HrH13WKlC08Ny/s1600/new+europa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKsn5ntRnQHIAQISPmv0f5bA7F7kGr4jH4aVRplEpxuU_YGe2-Helt49M91Gesa3ObXE3naM8PB3kZ249CukcDACLDwtilm_C3sFPrr38rcD-fc3M-kfLqhIhAa8rnx0HrH13WKlC08Ny/s400/new+europa.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That one attempt to create a car from scratch with ripped textures, in a hope that they can be as good as the in-game model.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This is <a href="http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=48055" target="_blank">Tylor VV660C</a>, a playable car from the get-go in <i>Rally De Europe</i> that bases itself on Subaru Vivio RX-R and imagines itself a what-if for Subaru's works effort in a Kei car championship or something. The K Class cars, with five models and five more palette-swapped "Tune Up" versions, made up the grid of Kei cars in the game just like they did with <i>Rally De Africa</i>, this time with a more contemporary line-up in contrast to the previous game's classic approach. I somehow picked this car up for the experiment because it's simply a box-shaped car which should be simple, while my first pick was the actually the first car (<a href="http://www.igcd.net/vehicle.php?id=48058" target="_blank">Rossini's SC660G</a> which is basically the race version of Suzuki Cappucino) but I ended up ditching it because I was unable to reproduce the right shape. The Cappucino would eventually end up as a 3D creation shortly after, presumably to have such a design whenever I do the textures once more.<br />
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Back to the textures, it seems like that they are pretty separated on parts. For instance, you have this texture for left and right side of the cars but you have individual textures for the hood, front bumper, rear bumper, and other parts. To reproduce the mapping work is a challenge, and I feel like putting them into one file for convenience doesn't seem to do justice either. It takes a good amount of time to reproduce the in-game work, especially when keeping in mind that 3D extracting is yet possible, specifically for this very game, since I've tried every tool available, even <a href="https://github.com/rickomax/psxprev" target="_blank">PSXPREV</a> which didn't seem to work on my laptop somehow due to the crash. The idea of the 3D extraction is for research purposes obviously.<br />
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While things don't go as planned, it would later give a couple of ideas for future creations, including what I'll be doing next...<br />
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<h2>
DOING THE SAME (BUT IT'S RAGE RACER)</h2>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF4m6UTwhkAKoSuxJBMjre9gu0daFlxJvprCuvpnsN_bflg8njZNYFQDmaX1JFwdK60nESJTd3Wx_7HeaSHDsNpugqTWrbM1ebwiVZa1hyJ9CtioOoUKMol3hFul7MVFmwfHwrc9hyphenhyphenLTw/s1600/what+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF4m6UTwhkAKoSuxJBMjre9gu0daFlxJvprCuvpnsN_bflg8njZNYFQDmaX1JFwdK60nESJTd3Wx_7HeaSHDsNpugqTWrbM1ebwiVZa1hyJ9CtioOoUKMol3hFul7MVFmwfHwrc9hyphenhyphenLTw/s400/what+1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gran Turismo</i> with a <i>Rage Racer</i> flavor.</td></tr>
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Packed with <a href="https://www.textures-resource.com/playstation/psxrageracer/texture/2176/" target="_blank"><i>Rage Racer</i> textures I've got from The Textures Resource</a> (a nice site if you're looking for some video game texture rips btw!), I decided to the same but with a different mindset: make a car of whatever shape which can be later applied with the texture. I picked the red car from the Class 1 roster, being a texture for one of the AI cars for that class in the game, and quickly imagined it being an alternative color for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-QQGbQ4luU" target="_blank">Chaser LM Edition</a>, considering I was playing the first <i>Gran Turismo</i> at that time, so I took that route right away.<br />
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Compared to how the same car would look in the game, being a re-skinned Gnade Esperanza if I have to put my thought at it, it actually looked good although the texture sheet lacked window textures and other stuffs. The wheels are actually from <i>Rally De Europe</i> as they do have nice set of wheel textures (could've gone with the one with more spokes, but this looked fine). This combination makes it look like a die cast car, but it actually went well. The original car actually is longer and has a lower height in game, while, since I go with making it look like a Chaser LM Edition, the model bears a slightly shorter length yet taller in terms of height, though it's because I was trying to adjust the side's size to fit the texture sheet without any further in-game reference (it's an AI car after all).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyclAirNlfA2Mmqs6cw7zXrF0mgEm7JktCCRD-ZFw_zoROkamK_N9ubzDpwE5pmyzJQy-NcbWgHRcaGiPkQrFz5Pd3dYNFd1TATFEH-4JY4Hd9AZ3bme8DBs_dA7qxHTcX4PsizqTiMv7h/s1600/what+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyclAirNlfA2Mmqs6cw7zXrF0mgEm7JktCCRD-ZFw_zoROkamK_N9ubzDpwE5pmyzJQy-NcbWgHRcaGiPkQrFz5Pd3dYNFd1TATFEH-4JY4Hd9AZ3bme8DBs_dA7qxHTcX4PsizqTiMv7h/s400/what+2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As unfortunate as I haven't got the time to continue creating a custom design on the existing textures already ripped, it would be enough to make my own, although currently I've spawned only two rally cars as I do all the texturing on my own, allowing myself to have my own design. As the reply to my response stated, it's always surprising to see just how few polys are really needed to sell the appearance of a low-poly model. That said, texturing really played a big part in car modeling in video games, especially in older games, taking advantage of hardware limitations. The way things were done though differ from the conventional skinning method we do today as the textures are in separate images, reserved for a car's individual part, be it for left and right sides, front bumper, windows, and so on, still produced some of the best designs that made up the finished products.<br />
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Although these have been some of the better efforts I've done, of course I could do much better with better free time since I still have to contend with my final paper first. That aside, I think I might try doing the 3D model and further texture extraction for <i>Rage Racer</i> since I haven't done it yet. That should give me a better number of usable textures.<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-44511347215981711622018-06-12T12:25:00.002+07:002018-06-12T12:25:40.489+07:00Every 3D Car Making Attempt, Ever<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MhmF5YH4OL9oCRnk_tFJ9nOCw7t-8r4OwLkwitJ-zmZOZPWsZCbgerNy1nZfP2f9vfOqxC1C6OzIZkgv9Z3Fl6OXmZ0ap8togWyVs4hbXttZ8ul07dXiQKMuGHrg1EQyZ1u4k3kzHHPE/s1600/LE97+Test+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MhmF5YH4OL9oCRnk_tFJ9nOCw7t-8r4OwLkwitJ-zmZOZPWsZCbgerNy1nZfP2f9vfOqxC1C6OzIZkgv9Z3Fl6OXmZ0ap8togWyVs4hbXttZ8ul07dXiQKMuGHrg1EQyZ1u4k3kzHHPE/s400/LE97+Test+5.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choose your fighter!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A long time ago, it was actually started as a project to fill up my own inventory for use with Mike Nike's TSR Replayer tool which would allow custom 3D models to be used in the tool. This<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12wOU_a-BI" target="_blank"> TSR Replayer tool would turn a <i>Turbo Sliders</i> Recording file into a 3D experience</a>, as the past videos showed during the last F1 World Championship season. This of course motivated me to make my own models, but after a while, I realized that it's really fun. I mean, <i>real</i> fun, something so fun, you'd learn things off of video tutorials and do things with the blueprints you've saved, which has been what I did recently.<br />
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With the little to no signs of activity in my top down racing game communities, I have decided to immerse myself in Blender car making with one goal in mind: low-poly cars, considering that I'm still a beginner and, as a big bonus, they can come handy as game assets for making my own game, top down racing games especially. That said, I've started at bottom first: the basic low poly car video tutorial which gave me a car with a cartoon-esque shape, but I put my own spin at the end. The next couple of tries were a series of tests to "make it right" with a couple of car types, and ultimately harnessing the next-level texturing which would give even a low poly model an edge and a classic feel, just like in classic video games.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
TAKE 1 - THE BASICS</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiIVTJ6iFG2I8mF4zsC9U2zUx5Lllw2DBytQdNu_pMJ3r1pSG9D_ASk_iiB8VsJdzMPwSJAf5IfG-kpkZaB1vx9jSAHBGBDN4W-GWE9XKjehyphenhyphenmMUY8YNVprwYxViQPiJrpS-hG92h97tl/s1600/testcar+render+03a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiIVTJ6iFG2I8mF4zsC9U2zUx5Lllw2DBytQdNu_pMJ3r1pSG9D_ASk_iiB8VsJdzMPwSJAf5IfG-kpkZaB1vx9jSAHBGBDN4W-GWE9XKjehyphenhyphenmMUY8YNVprwYxViQPiJrpS-hG92h97tl/s400/testcar+render+03a.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going with the basics, with a twist.</td></tr>
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It was July last year where I considered going to model a car just to waste time. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwodieNDk60" target="_blank">Hyden's low poly car tutorial</a> was the first reference I take in making my own car in Blender. My intent was simple: to learn, obviously. Alas, I've made my own car which, actually, a bit different from the tutorial: I aimed for a more sporty approach than the tutorial's cartoon-styled proportions. Furthermore, I made more use of the UV Texturing to make it a racing version. Yes, it's a basic car in the style of his tutorial, but is actually race modified, especially when you look at the wheel, which is actually taken from a <a href="http://www.racecarsim.com/rcs_page_jgtc_gt500.htm" target="_blank">Sports Car GT mod revolving</a> <a href="http://www.racecarsim.com/rcs_page_jgtc_gt300.htm" target="_blank">on All-Japan GT Championship</a>.<br />
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Things were actually straightforward in terms of modeling and texturing, but I itched myself to model more cars. Since Mike Nike's TSR Replayer came to mind, it motivated me to create another car which would nicely fit for races involving LMP-styled cars in <i>Turbo Sliders</i> (basically my own replays to be honest), and for that reason the thought of making an LMP car, despite my rather easy start, came to fruition, although the model itself was meant to be as simple as possible despite its complexity.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n5shx1dOMU7dzth_6VaLCgK6NMU-dHQR-SJTaXyw66y_OCFEZl7rUuplLL0vMp0ltmRWeeQlChXw28U9TvYp1VXKGeJMe8URkB5phN0i9CrY-ZXby1jH-p5a0hTinuvvaaGis6AZkLWr/s1600/LMP+render+3.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2n5shx1dOMU7dzth_6VaLCgK6NMU-dHQR-SJTaXyw66y_OCFEZl7rUuplLL0vMp0ltmRWeeQlChXw28U9TvYp1VXKGeJMe8URkB5phN0i9CrY-ZXby1jH-p5a0hTinuvvaaGis6AZkLWr/s400/LMP+render+3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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And so the LMP1 was born. While there weren't much textures to make use of, the car looks... acceptable. I wasn't sure if the textured tires and wheels would make it to the Replayer if it were released, but for a starting, ambitious model, it's quite well done. I already tried to make a mock render involving multiple LMP cars like this based on one of my screenshots captured on TS, but haven't got the time to finish it, as well as some supporting assets to represent some trackside objects, trees being one of them.<br />
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Bear in mind that I made this LMP1 without any reference image used (e.g., car blueprint) so it might be inaccurate in terms of dimensions. The only reference used was the spotter's guide and my visual cues on how an LMP looks like based on years watching Le Mans.<br />
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<h2>
TAKE 2 - ROAD OF LEARNING</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlJJ_XoauNxv1nrJcoFScIPxVbE0ugr5LZg39bq422BToje4CXJnDizdmgISryWQ1PU4jrYS0GRZNuTqwpJ8fEWBPG-CFmppyounyzC6nCj7nBn-NMbI8tfnYA9A80JdPjSJH8-6skJta/s1600/final+render+combined.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlJJ_XoauNxv1nrJcoFScIPxVbE0ugr5LZg39bq422BToje4CXJnDizdmgISryWQ1PU4jrYS0GRZNuTqwpJ8fEWBPG-CFmppyounyzC6nCj7nBn-NMbI8tfnYA9A80JdPjSJH8-6skJta/s400/final+render+combined.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First attempt at a real-life car modeling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One month passed since the start of my 3D antics. A new car was thought from the drawing boards, and it was none other than the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, the one world knows as the Godzilla. Since the <i>Real Racing 3</i> update which added the Group A monster as one of the cars, I developed <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/mobile-race-cars-and-some-dilemma.html" target="_blank">an obsession with the R32 Skyline</a>, and that did somehow influence which car I'd make next. While I make this car out of spite, I thought it would look nice for the Replayer as well although I haven't thought about the TS version of the R32. As a matter of fact I haven't made any more TS cars, yet, and that there are no new WIPs at the moment.<br />
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Other than just the basic car mesh, the details were modeled as well: the windows are definitely modeled, as well as the front bumpers in which the front fascia, headlights, and intakes on the bumper are part of the mesh. On the rear, a separate cylinder mesh is placed to make up as the taillights, the same method I use during my first try at car modeling above. The proportions of the car was made to "fit" the box which would make up projected proportions of any of the future cars I'd be making in case I do continue (think of a die-cast car). The complete model, including the tires, stands with 704 vertices, 621 faces, and 1324 triangles, although the model has no UV Texture. I take it as a best attempt so far.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYim_8WMnnSMkqoN5sbLDe0X6vriM0Y3DD9TYBKpt9gPUb31dvgw0MUB6JzYeP7zKuseRvo4I8j-3FJVjZA3pRKtaQ5DiR0gj21oy7JzJViwYYWEYbke9BVvuIlXnjkKmgRfIb4eQl6V_/s1600/capcin+render-1a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYim_8WMnnSMkqoN5sbLDe0X6vriM0Y3DD9TYBKpt9gPUb31dvgw0MUB6JzYeP7zKuseRvo4I8j-3FJVjZA3pRKtaQ5DiR0gj21oy7JzJViwYYWEYbke9BVvuIlXnjkKmgRfIb4eQl6V_/s400/capcin+render-1a.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front render of the Cappucino, which, though low-poly, looked well so far. I improved my UV Texturing game here by employing textures for the headlights, taillights, and wheels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
UV Texture utilization however came to mind upon modeling this particular car: Suzuki Cappucino, one of the most prominent Japanese Kei cars in production. The term Kei cars <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car" target="_blank">refer to small, compact road-going production cars with generally an engine capacity of 660cc</a> (past Kei cars have lesser capacity) and are easily distinguishable by their yellow plates (black-background plates for commercial use). Like the R32, the intakes in front are modeled, but the headlights and taillights would have their own polys and textures, as well as the windows, and that no extra mesh (like a cylinder for example) is used to make up a fancy stuff or two, unlike the R32. The car doesn't use that much poly as well compared to the bigger Group A monster so the car is much more straightforward to make.<br />
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What distinguished the Cappucino with the others however is the usage of the textured wheel, though this is much different compared to the method used during my first take: by utilizing Alpha transparency settings, I'm able to loosely simulate a real wheel shape. Or, in Cappucino's case, the real hubcap shape. With this in mind, this also allowed me to put one more thing behind the hubcap which is none other than a plane reserved to be the brake texture, again using the same Alpha transparency technique, but I haven't modeled the brake yet so it's still a bright red plane. It's actually a nice idea to be honest!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OzBaI-CanxSWYpMVHgfLmJWVD6sSHuK-1e0jnmloUms-XnenBpXODU7IvLUGIELhJDvLq0-g99h8efWOXCN_YdaiZWtGdjQT0wfNym385Pu2JISjhv74VBtBnmP_PLLJ9FAMahpCSfky/s1600/capcin+render-1b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OzBaI-CanxSWYpMVHgfLmJWVD6sSHuK-1e0jnmloUms-XnenBpXODU7IvLUGIELhJDvLq0-g99h8efWOXCN_YdaiZWtGdjQT0wfNym385Pu2JISjhv74VBtBnmP_PLLJ9FAMahpCSfky/s400/capcin+render-1b.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear view of the Cappucino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The model totals 686 vertices, 436 faces, and 924 triangles, which also included the tires and the projected brake meshes. It's actually the most low-poly effort to date, but in terms of vertex numbers it's on the R32's level, close to the 700 mark.<br />
<br />
<h2>
TAKE 3 - TUNED AMBITIONS</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGLtNN31qSAHrIr2w2ioshcJeGkcy6G7_xPRq6qeYtHC6DguHUefjxKxrrlnIHiTnqne0R1JpXV8q_BDh6ABya9q3ZVZuJiFzz8vsYLUOFjxThGyzRDqGyGa6quB5HDU4Ydmy0PC3OLmU/s1600/new+r32+test+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGLtNN31qSAHrIr2w2ioshcJeGkcy6G7_xPRq6qeYtHC6DguHUefjxKxrrlnIHiTnqne0R1JpXV8q_BDh6ABya9q3ZVZuJiFzz8vsYLUOFjxThGyzRDqGyGa6quB5HDU4Ydmy0PC3OLmU/s400/new+r32+test+4.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An even better Skyline R32, now embodying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgpWLLH4Gg" target="_blank">an invincible legend</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Since modeling the above cars, I haven't put my interest to car modeling at the moment, yet, although the prospect of creating a low-poly car to hopefully become a future game asset someday still ingrained in me. Cut to March, however, another thought of creating such a car once more took off, and yet again I picked the R32 Skyline. However, unlike the previous attempt, I would try to make this thing as low poly as possible, harnessing more on the UV texturing for the details. Time for Round 2!<br />
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With my better understanding at car modeling, I've finally managed to project a better model of the R32, while at the same time relying on the blueprint images I've saved from the net prior to this process. As the basic mesh was done, unwrapping the model to project the texture became the next step as I mapped the islands accordingly. The finished UV mapping would also help in texturing as the next step is none other than to draw not only the headlights and the taillights, but also the front fascia, the front intakes, and the door lines as well. At 336 vertices, 323 faces, 658 triangles, and a pinpointed focus on UV texturing makes this rendition of the R32 the better attempt ever, which not only looks better than the old R32 but also slashed slightly more than a half of the old one's vertex count.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi-a2mRodMkZdAvKzXoH2jyF_NL36-GijwDNB_u2hLoJPduvT5yf53sde0ZIBwWGAe6spf6UmT0SBGq2nI7QJlOO1jH44IJhKwcjFkmyaLhCtXf3Mst0Hh2m1FLVyvrZZ23uh8Iyes-Zm/s1600/tire+factory+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi-a2mRodMkZdAvKzXoH2jyF_NL36-GijwDNB_u2hLoJPduvT5yf53sde0ZIBwWGAe6spf6UmT0SBGq2nI7QJlOO1jH44IJhKwcjFkmyaLhCtXf3Mst0Hh2m1FLVyvrZZ23uh8Iyes-Zm/s400/tire+factory+3.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fittingly enough, I called this project "Tire Factory" because why not? The brake caliper's placement is meant for simulating how it'd look in the final car, although it hasn't been used yet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Apparently, it didn't stop there: I somehow thought of making a complete wheel model for the car, as in a tire with a mesh, 3D wheel, compared to Cappucino's 2D wheel. The new low-poly wheel concept kicked off with a six-spoke simple wheel that can be used as R32's main wheel, inspired by one of the Skyline pics I searched which used the said wheel in black. I would later create another set of wheels, this time with a variety of designs to choose, while keeping it as low poly as possible. There are now four mesh-based wheels and I even took the time to make a low poly brake as well, but I was stoked that the poly count for one of the wheels was in fact slightly bigger than my new R32 has.<br />
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To date, this has become my most ambitious effort yet, although it might be closer to mid-poly, with almost the vital parts of the car being modeled; the car's body, the wheels, and the brakes.<br />
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<h2>
TAKE 4 - THE EVOLUTION (AND THE REVELATION)</h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtfb6pK-GR078M_e8sRA6YLBiwmz1NEqPm79x4fFgRMA7pO-0QDX07pFz_4luqA98RjGhN1rBu_tsJrCB8GAwxfDAI6kHRxjRoZDCjUDMOSt_kK25RKFhs-Fz51ii48pADR-nLemHGuD0/s1600/SLPS_016.01_01052018_210211_0565.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtfb6pK-GR078M_e8sRA6YLBiwmz1NEqPm79x4fFgRMA7pO-0QDX07pFz_4luqA98RjGhN1rBu_tsJrCB8GAwxfDAI6kHRxjRoZDCjUDMOSt_kK25RKFhs-Fz51ii48pADR-nLemHGuD0/s400/SLPS_016.01_01052018_210211_0565.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of <i>Rally De Africa</i> straight from the emulator (pSXfin), unedited, and brought as a, wait for it, reference image for my next car below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And at last, here we are, a couple of months after the refined, true low-poly R32, a new idea was born. This eventual idea, which would be way different from what I've done above, would result me in posting the rendered products on my Twitter. The main approach is that the car would have a slightly-deformed proportion with everything made up with UV Textures, even the wheels, to fit the artistic direction and considering this would be my future game assets, but the question is, how did I end up with my first car and the eventual proportion?<br />
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It actually all started with an emulator screenshot from <i>Rally De Africa</i>, one of my favorite PSX racing games. The car in screenshot, which actually is based on the Lancer Evolution IV rally car, somehow tempted me on making this very car, and apparently the emulator screenshot somehow made the car shorter in length which somehow makes the proportions interesting. By now, I would take screens of the car's side (only one side is enough), the front, and the rear, but the first two were the main ingredients in making this happen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJ0zv8NwjLdA9If55q0xcIoGl3e-I4bnPdbCDWhLpQDOs6GvX2M2rkAlOTwerQKNXYHgDQ-ZguH1ErYEENeMvNUuj_P5qxrUFW27V_TlDsPqrYpyZ5PrS5QfjSb9m2P08rIfvkmNRnZ1F/s1600/LE97+Test+4b.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJ0zv8NwjLdA9If55q0xcIoGl3e-I4bnPdbCDWhLpQDOs6GvX2M2rkAlOTwerQKNXYHgDQ-ZguH1ErYEENeMvNUuj_P5qxrUFW27V_TlDsPqrYpyZ5PrS5QfjSb9m2P08rIfvkmNRnZ1F/s400/LE97+Test+4b.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Constructing a complete evolution, after minutes of work and following the reference image above.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The car modeling method I use this time is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Ji3R4eEBQ" target="_blank">based on Co1e's tutorial</a>, in which the first thing I would do is to define the wheel arches, succeeded by the main car model and all the other bits. The wheels came with an 8-sided cylinder with the tire and wheel textures defined in one face, with tire treads taken from another game whose textures I ripped and made up the rest of the mesh even though it might be hard to see. Finally, the main textures are comprised of windows, door lines, and other details, upping up the game from my previous R32, while of course adding some decals to make it a ringer to the aforementioned real-life rally car, with the main catch being the texture sized at 256x256 resolution. Finally, thanks to the tutorial, Edge Split became the hero which improves the shape a lot with the smooth shading applied. This would also become the motivation to give my previous models an Edge Split upgrade as well.<br />
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Without Edge Split, the car, including the wheels, stands at 332 vertices, 297 faces, and 622 triangles, while using Edge Split, with Split Angle of 15 degrees, adds 475 vertices more to the model.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-80jjmigSxW2pe3W5tjqzyYJqgioaPc-nigPFTghyphenhyphenh6hUtok23_IEUR8bCia-oESp6okm0MBezcaMr4KL4UyuaQWaQ8DuaDuRrslThFEYfAqtAj30QYxD7b6AL32ObGN8bTaCqWJNGdm/s1600/306+Test+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-80jjmigSxW2pe3W5tjqzyYJqgioaPc-nigPFTghyphenhyphenh6hUtok23_IEUR8bCia-oESp6okm0MBezcaMr4KL4UyuaQWaQ8DuaDuRrslThFEYfAqtAj30QYxD7b6AL32ObGN8bTaCqWJNGdm/s400/306+Test+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the evolution comes another: Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car, the king of the F2 Kit Cars. Notice that the Lancer also dons a new wheel and tire textures as well from the above picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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By the next creation, I've played with the proportions for my next car as well, defining how much scale is to be used to determine the model's proportion from its real life counterpart. Of all WIPs, this reflected on the Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car Evolution II, resulting in a smaller dimension than the Lancer just like in real-life. By this point onwards I also made my own wheel textures, effectively replacing the ripped textures as the main wheel, not to mention with the additional details added for the tire. With wheels and Edge Split applied, the car actually had lower vertex count at 712, but still a nice low-poly car within the range nonetheless.<br />
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Obviously I have more to come based on my fourth take above especially that I've already created and showcased a couple of completed cars on Twitter, if you noticed way earlier. Not only I will talk a lot more about my recent car models, but also I will talk about something that spearheaded me into making those cars: tinkering with PSX textures, like the following picture below, in which it's actually a texture from a PSX game called <i>Rally De Europe</i> overimposed to my own mesh which I hoped it would look like the in-game model since I haven't find a way to extract the game's 3D models, although doesn't seem to be satisfactory in terms of result.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hswsdejpNopJSMsVob-hqRJGuha3YAo8lPh2zlgrske_R9_8u-IWTmX1x5yBhTzL0T5iqr4Gtz4GOwPbYWfsLpcaSj6hAL_4j8GHu-Y7G2hdI-bfRlFm3OIUnxk8lEDkTGqOySkIxyPk/s1600/new+europa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hswsdejpNopJSMsVob-hqRJGuha3YAo8lPh2zlgrske_R9_8u-IWTmX1x5yBhTzL0T5iqr4Gtz4GOwPbYWfsLpcaSj6hAL_4j8GHu-Y7G2hdI-bfRlFm3OIUnxk8lEDkTGqOySkIxyPk/s400/new+europa.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-11262879201309868112018-05-05T09:09:00.002+07:002018-05-05T09:10:39.855+07:00The Precious Four Laps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_uurZlngF47KCHDPxgYQkSkesUk4JBupcb67pr8IQX747Z_f5S5JzkZP48e7-9dqva_86uI84eP9jrHR3Jc0L2AVNOcrxcdHUhRUp4gKhNBscVJExh90AlcsAdNWJaOvY9v14SYXagfO/s1600/IMG_20180425_160309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_uurZlngF47KCHDPxgYQkSkesUk4JBupcb67pr8IQX747Z_f5S5JzkZP48e7-9dqva_86uI84eP9jrHR3Jc0L2AVNOcrxcdHUhRUp4gKhNBscVJExh90AlcsAdNWJaOvY9v14SYXagfO/s400/IMG_20180425_160309.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Well, this would actually make up for a short post as I don't have much updates going on at the moment. However, last Wednesday (last week Wednesday, as in... April 23) should actually be one of the precious days for me. I know that I started off a day with not-so-good condition, even worse, but not that I have a sickness or anything. It would have anything to do with family matters, but that's about it as I won't go further than that.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Amidst the struggle though I would make that day my supervising session at college as I met my supervisor for my final paper updates. So far, it all went well but of course my supervisor pointed out which revisions had to be made. As this is actually part of learning for me as well, there's absolutely no reason to be surprised as I do expect that there would be one or two things that would need revision on my paper before it becomes eligible for the final phase. As for the application itself (since I had to develop the application as well for the final paper), I'm still struggling with the algorithm, but rest assured I will survive ASAP.<br />
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After the supervising session, I felt like I want to take my time as well to meet some of my friends too since I was still there, as it's kinda my to-do list to visit my friends in college (after six years of experience). I had to take the T-Shirt I ordered a couple of months ago as well as I also need to time my visit well in conjunction to the supervising session. All the bad mood that added up before I stepped in to my college has now been condensed, and one thing that's left is the main attraction, the main reason why I have to time all my mentioned schedules well: the simulator session!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://scontent.fcgk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/31164105_10213651978627980_9136518374971408384_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=8ab55014596ae7f0947091a10277a56c&oe=5B9949F8" class="shrinkToFit" height="400" src="https://scontent.fcgk1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/31164105_10213651978627980_9136518374971408384_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&oh=8ab55014596ae7f0947091a10277a56c&oe=5B9949F8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="319" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image source: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213651978587979&id=1059621675&set=gm.2038802159709826&source=48" target="_blank">Logitech G Indonesia Cyber Community Facebook Group</a>)</td></tr>
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It was actually on the week before that I knew there'd be a simulator coming to my college. The simulator provider, none other than <a href="http://www.gtsim.id/" target="_blank">GT-Sim.ID</a>, currently tours around nationwide universities to introduce both the art of sim racing and their sim products, with my college being the second stop for their tour, offering the chance to know their products and try out a time trial in the virtual Sentul race track using the Corolla Altis VLN car in Assetto Corsa. They are also actually a part of the game-centric exhibition called World of Gaming Goes to Campus 2018, the nationwide tour in question of which it also showcases gaming hardware and the business behind gaming which also includes a talk show with some of the gaming personalities.<br />
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Arriving at the location which apparently required further riding from where I was after the supervising session slash order taking, the booth actually featured a star-studded cast: one of the notable guys behind the GT-Sim.ID fame is in fact the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0RA5ckn3s0" target="_blank">2015 GT Academy Asia finalist Andika Rama Maulana</a>, who now actively races in the national racing championship. It was another case of meeting an online friend since I initially knew him from social media, but from there on I followed his progress and became a fan during his GT Academy days. It was a nice experience to talk with him in person although actually I could do better, but I'm glad with how everything turned out.<br />
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As explained, the Time Trial competition is a two-lap session on Sentul using the Corolla Altis VLN car in Assetto Corsa, with GT-Sim.ID providing its flagship product for this purpose: the LMP1-Pro, complete with Logitech G29 racing wheel to further the real experience of driving a race car (I remember drooling for Logitech G25 years ago). There is one AI car which would make it a race at face value but only the fastest time in the session would be counted and registered for the leaderboard. It's kinda like Ridge Racer's Time Trial mode where you drive against a rival car while trying to post your fastest time, but faster drivers might find it look like those Gran Turismo 4 license tests where you <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb5ArDCyh_4" target="_blank">follow a pace car during one full lap of a circuit</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrfxPHY4BJcojqqji_-sscB0WEqOZ6ayR682X831dojtaj6r8UM3VXjHDfxIlLCE-MwzCfGFUZ53WwPuZAivAtGQBqBZDrqhhQah62OwS2Twi-PztskgfenVb4HgfWuFg9vh0U9Ew8A1d/s1600/IMG_20180425_161432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrfxPHY4BJcojqqji_-sscB0WEqOZ6ayR682X831dojtaj6r8UM3VXjHDfxIlLCE-MwzCfGFUZ53WwPuZAivAtGQBqBZDrqhhQah62OwS2Twi-PztskgfenVb4HgfWuFg9vh0U9Ew8A1d/s400/IMG_20180425_161432.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A personal footage of the champion flooring it, live at my college.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At my first try, the fastest time I scored in this simulator was 1:52.x. It was a good lap time as most of the leaderboard posted around 1:53.x and over and gave me a Top 3 for a while, but I know it could've been better. The whole Time Trial experience was absolutely spot-on and much, much better with the settings provided, way better than <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.co.id/2016/06/good-things-always-end-with-sport.html" target="_blank">Intel's Grid Autosport Time Trial experience</a> I had years ago, although I at the same time developed my fear of locking the brakes which would be the reason why I didn't step the brake pedal more aggressively as I witnessed how Rama made his magic during the free time which I also took the time learning the whole package: braking, gearing, and cornering. After attempts from other players, I took my second one and put everything I learned into what I could call my last attempt since I couldn't be able to stay really long. Everything paid off in the end with 1:48.x time scored, successfully breaking the 1:50 barrier although being in the Top 3 is not on my priority.<br />
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At the end of the day, it was a fun experience overall. Mood boost kicked in better than a VTEC engine after being able to not only try out a lap in a simulator but also meet one of my idols. Going back home, I know those four laps were the most precious thing I ever had, but obviously I'm not forgetting the supervisor's revisions as well since I'm still currently wrestling with the final paper. Having an attempt at a racing simulator in my college is a chance of a lifetime, and probably won't come for another one very soon unless if it's at another place which I find much further to ride than my college, which obviously requires more planning and money involved.<br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh_owZIAiOx/" data-instgrm-version="8" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh_owZIAiOx/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">WoG part2 di UIN sukses! Terima kasih kepada para pengunjung yang sudah datang di booth GT-Sim.ID yang sudah merasakan langsung sensasi mengemudi di Simulator dengan rig kita. Congrats to the top3 winner! See you next Uni at Universitas Budi Luhur Jakarta tanggal 4 Mei! Thankyou once again for @logitech.indonesia dan @lgeindonesia for supporting our Simulator rig with G29, Z906, and UltraWide Gaming Monitor! #Gtsimid #gtsim #racing #simulator #specialist #LG #logitech #g29 #ultrawide #monitor #z906 #soundsystem #worldofgaming2018 #wog2018 #wog #worldofgaming #goestocampus #campus #university #uin #gaming #rig #simracing #indonesia #hardware</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gtsim.id/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> GT-Sim.id</a> (@gtsim.id) on <time datetime="2018-04-25T13:00:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 25, 2018 at 6:00am PDT</time></div>
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For readers in the Jakarta region looking forward for this Time Trial experience, be sure to not miss it at Universitas Budi Luhur, the third leg of World of Gaming Goes to Campus, which has already commenced since yesterday at the time of this post and will do until Sunday, April 6. Don't forget to give GT-Sim.ID a follow on both <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gtsim.id/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GTsim.id" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pages for more great stuffs!<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-63805324185458476692018-03-27T22:32:00.001+07:002018-03-27T22:32:58.089+07:00Rendy's Car Skinning Life Ep 06: Reboot, Improve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4icLVIsCvyrqoTI2G7bMib_R4_WYCl-ny7Du8lH-I_7Kg90GuJzjfVVDhyphenhyphenUxvkIy3JsNHrMtsRj6UO8QR_g0CelWcWDx65Og5JL6Uzr4r7niyHUnDqjeoehrCD8f9zXQayabTv0RWRPs/s1600/ScreenShot85+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4icLVIsCvyrqoTI2G7bMib_R4_WYCl-ny7Du8lH-I_7Kg90GuJzjfVVDhyphenhyphenUxvkIy3JsNHrMtsRj6UO8QR_g0CelWcWDx65Og5JL6Uzr4r7niyHUnDqjeoehrCD8f9zXQayabTv0RWRPs/s400/ScreenShot85+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I don't know what's happening with me but suddenly thoughts of skinning in TMUF got the best of me amidst my activities. While I've been sitting on <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/166143.html" target="_blank">couple</a> <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/167015.html" target="_blank">competitions</a> and <a href="http://forums.thefashionspot.com/showpost.php?p=14119971&postcount=82" target="_blank">the Fashion Week</a>, it was a domino effect that actually led to a positive progress. Why? Here's a thing: it all actually started when I was going to make something as close as the Formula Gran Turismo in Gran Turismo 4 with whatever modern-day Formula car available on the TrackMania Carpark due to the fact that I couldn't resist after seeing tons of Gran Turismo F1500T-A skins on Gran Turismo Sport and that I don't have PS4 yet.<br />
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While I managed to create a simple skin with only one color to work on, I also decided to improve another WIP skin of mine: remember the <a href="http://hinurendysblog.blogspot.co.id/2016/08/rendys-car-skinning-life-ep-05-crazy.html" target="_blank">Wayhaught MP4-12C GT3 from the previous post of the series</a>? The skin has been improved in terms of sponsor stickers and numberplates which will also serve as the new numberplate for my skinning projects. I've been watching two seasons of <i>Wynonna Earp</i> and realized that maybe the car wasn't Earper enough for a skin that revolves around <i>Wynonna Earp</i> references, among other things. Other than that, the new numberplate and a special Aston Martin Vantage GTE project are also present.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><h2>
THE F1500T-A FEVER</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc_yJ3frsItCDkEQ2e2muC9LFJEQsiVwzWAD9UyCh6_3OpLhR1MYTVw7KvdLle-KoCpZc2CLagNScbOmEPtqWYlnA926Ea_8yN5QB-iIoVtqnZYVy3u5MszSKnR2ZOvv9h8SKiPWM4dhT/s1600/FRR03m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfc_yJ3frsItCDkEQ2e2muC9LFJEQsiVwzWAD9UyCh6_3OpLhR1MYTVw7KvdLle-KoCpZc2CLagNScbOmEPtqWYlnA926Ea_8yN5QB-iIoVtqnZYVy3u5MszSKnR2ZOvv9h8SKiPWM4dhT/s400/FRR03m.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Originally a TM2 model, Yatsu brought his Formula RaceRoom to the ever-expanding TMUF car roster. (Image: Yatsu, via <a href="http://trackmania-carpark.com/car.php?id=2525" target="_blank">TrackMania Carpark</a>)</td></tr>
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One of the latest offerings from February's Gran Turismo Sport update is the inclusion of the franchise's new original open wheeler in the form of <a href="http://gran-turismo.wikia.com/wiki/Gran_Turismo_F1500T-A" target="_blank">Gran Turismo F1500T-A</a>, inspired by the classic Formula 1 cars. Looking back, the series introduced open wheeler cars in Gran Turismo 3 with different versions offering different variants, with 6 cars in the NTSC version (Fxxx/x series) and 2 in the PAL version (Polyphony 00x series). Then you have <a href="http://gran-turismo.wikia.com/wiki/Formula_Gran_Turismo" target="_blank">Formula Gran Turismo in GT4</a> whose design cues took a more modern approach and appeared in later games until GT6 beside real-life Formula 1 cars.<br />
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As expected, lots of interesting liveries were made for the new GT Sport car, varying from legendary F1 liveries to a rendition of the player's car in Virtua Racing and, not to forget, those Formula cars in GT3. The problem is, I don't have a PS4, let alone a copy of GT Sport, so all I do is just watch and muse any of them. The only thing that comes close to join the formula car skinning bandwagon is actually this one: Formula RaceRoom, <a href="http://trackmania-carpark.com/car.php?id=2525" target="_blank">converted to TrackMania United Forever by Yatsu</a> which actually is a port from <a href="http://www.maniapark.com/ressource.php?id=2144" target="_blank">the TrackMania 2 version</a> of the same car. Until the right formula car is released on the Carpark, Formula RaceRoom opens doors to modern F1-based creations, of all others.<br />
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With that said, I opted for Formula Gran Turismo's aesthetics for the skins which actually fits with the car's overall look, but with a spin in which one of them is of course the Pirelli tires, nullifying the need for Bridgestone stickers. Another notable spin is that these skins would be semi-fictional with real-life sponsors blending in with fictional ones, and last but not least is that since this doesn't look like it belongs in the Polyphony Digital universe, another game company steps in: Genm Corporation. Who would have thought <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDgB7hjlqw" target="_blank">a company that houses Kuroto Dan</a> can make decent formula cars too, maybe even better than Formula Gran Turismo? (Or maybe this is the result of bingeing <i>Kamen Rider Ex-Aid</i> too much)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jb7sHIATVV6w2zcYiMIzZRAfTpOHquDlxndSVWYMx8pmt8WJ9s6WoMtowuzMye4hdbGn3Jg2wzYEI6-bmqjy6nvgw7HChUAQrwcsAMCIjzCKBhg2MyOIlKxVoMaBNabLShiXFdThyphenhyphenBoE/s1600/ScreenShot84+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jb7sHIATVV6w2zcYiMIzZRAfTpOHquDlxndSVWYMx8pmt8WJ9s6WoMtowuzMye4hdbGn3Jg2wzYEI6-bmqjy6nvgw7HChUAQrwcsAMCIjzCKBhg2MyOIlKxVoMaBNabLShiXFdThyphenhyphenBoE/s400/ScreenShot84+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what you get if you get a "God", an angel, and a Heda on board for an open wheel car.</td></tr>
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Fictional sponsors also blend in with real-life sponsors like Pirelli and Magneti Marelli to match with the Formula Gran Turismo theme. Aside from Genm Corporation, the Castrol offshoot <a href="http://supernatural.wikia.com/wiki/Castiel" target="_blank">Castiel</a> (which is basically a character from <i>Supernatural</i>) can be seen as the skin's "technical partner" while the main sponsorship spot is taken by something meant to be the in-universe equivalent of South American telecommunications company Claro: Clexa, a.k.a. the ship name for The 100's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B2Zu11Eh6s" target="_blank">Clarke Griffin and Lexa</a>. Last but not least the "Powered by kdh.w" might be under revision again since the reason why I slipped in a reference to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kdhwillems/" target="_blank">the first four letters of Dutch model Kiki Willems' Instagram account</a> is that to give the vibes of the Formula cars in Gran Turismo 3 in which the majority of the cars, if not all, has "Powered by Ikiuo" where Ikiuo is actually <a href="http://gran-turismo.wikia.com/wiki/F687/S" target="_blank">a reference to the Polyphony Digital programmer Seiichi Ikiuo</a>. Since this is actually a "reference to the programmer/developer" thingy, I might go with a personal touch like "Powered by RnTheAndrian" for example which I initially refused because putting a lot of Helvetica Neue LT might not be a good idea, but I'll reconsider that for sure.<br />
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While the skin looks like a finished product, I don't think that I'm going to release it any sooner. Maybe slight adjustments would do but I consider this to be a "warming up" for revision. The skin was meant to be the "bare-bones" skin before going for the advanced stuffs like stripes and whatnot, focusing on simply sponsorship placements and coloring, as well as pretending that this car belongs to Genm Corporation. Who wants to bet I will slap <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA80eKkfFXA" target="_blank">Mighty Action X sponsorships</a> in another version of the skin?<br />
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<h2>
EARPING IT UP MORE</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI9S0NAzKyeI-2UIlh-u8viA9qOiP17Fxk00nDe8fnGeOFlXX7d1Vdv_gBIDrtQiN_9uZHpiecmFpKMzWDCnnayeQm9G8d1zplA4RtyO9B8nhiyPD33paAbYhOUs329h-xGKdab8iiADT/s1600/ScreenShot79+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI9S0NAzKyeI-2UIlh-u8viA9qOiP17Fxk00nDe8fnGeOFlXX7d1Vdv_gBIDrtQiN_9uZHpiecmFpKMzWDCnnayeQm9G8d1zplA4RtyO9B8nhiyPD33paAbYhOUs329h-xGKdab8iiADT/s400/ScreenShot79+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being an Earper really helps, finishing the second season of <i>Wynonna Earp</i> helps more. With desires to improve this skin, it's become a Best Match.</td></tr>
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The Wayhaught MP4-12C GT3 was made with one thing in mind: representing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT8kKJ6aI1o" target="_blank"><i>Wynonna Earp</i></a> in racing form with appropriate references, although there are one or two references that don't belong to the SyFy series (but stands as additional sponsors to emulate motorsport). Wayhaught itself is a ship name of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8CjqBjMp5Y" target="_blank">Waverly Earp and Sheriff Nicole Haught</a>, and in this universe it is the equivalent of Japanese safety belt manufacturer Takata (although I can assure that Wayhaught's manufacturing fate do not suffer the same as the real-life Takata does). Hell, the skin is actually inspired by <a href="http://gran-turismo.wikia.com/wiki/Honda_TAKATA_DOME_NSX_(SUPER_GT)_%2706" target="_blank">the 2006 version of Takata Dome NSX</a>, driven by Ryo Michigami, Takashi Kogure and Katsutomo Kaneishi (which finished 8th in the 2006 SuperGT season) with a twist of incorporating <i>Wynonna Earp</i>'s colors of red and gold, and it's McLaren MP4-12C.<br />
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Parts of the car's sponsorships take a big revision as well as the both ends of the rear wing and the new numberplate you can see on the screenshot above. The Soulcalibur reference <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D92xucxVVtM" target="_blank">Seongmina</a>, acting as the electronics-oriented sponsorship, is replaced with <a href="https://www.fandrasfanbus.com/" target="_blank">Fandras</a> (acting as the in-universe version of Phillips) with the three other sponsors on the side of the car taking its place, giving space to the new sponsor <a href="https://www.blogger.com/">Constance Clootie</a>. Both new sponsors improve the Earper aspect of the skin, as Fandras is actually a reference of the series' showrunner Emily Andras (the exact reference is actually 'Fan of Emily Andras'), and Constance Clootie is the series' Stone Cold Witch who came back to Purgatory as she attempted to raise her dead children from their skeletons. As Fandras already acts as a reference to Emily Andras, the moniker "Emily Andras Racing Project" above the Wayhaught sponsor on the sides is replaced with an additional purpose of not making showrunner references too blatant, but it's not just Fandras that gets the limelight.<br />
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NTR Doccubus, the offshoot for Japan's NTT DoCoMo involved in Super Formula throughout years, can also be seen. Doccubus originates to the relationship <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4CejzM2Cjw" target="_blank">between doctor Lauren Lewis and the Succubus Bo in <i>Lost Girl</i></a>, a series Emily Andras was a showrunner in prior to WE. The reasoning for this sponsorship is to give a deeper meaning to the skin, in which this also acts as a tribute to Emily Andras as a showrunner of both shows. It really does make sense to have this sponsorship blend in with a couple of <i>Wynonna Earp</i> references, but actually I also had a plan revolving the same sponsorship also: an additional MP4-12C skin in which NTR Doccubus is actually the main sponsor with a color scheme similar to what the <a href="http://www.dandelion-racing.com/team/" target="_blank">Docomo Team Dandelion Racing has</a> in Super Formula.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3jlNx0J0R5aprOPOGoPIMEyWufcBPFipFzwNMvCu7XUMFVKQoekyeSyUpdwubpKZ4b0qejQeEe8P6WdTSL3HKI4NBpHe1iwDVEcZyR_s2RJm1X697zmi-a8x9gLZAZDYKMdTOQXOkHyG/s1600/ScreenShot80+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3jlNx0J0R5aprOPOGoPIMEyWufcBPFipFzwNMvCu7XUMFVKQoekyeSyUpdwubpKZ4b0qejQeEe8P6WdTSL3HKI4NBpHe1iwDVEcZyR_s2RJm1X697zmi-a8x9gLZAZDYKMdTOQXOkHyG/s400/ScreenShot80+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rear game is strong on this one...</td></tr>
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The rear wing endplates are changed into red to give more color variety with an additional Arkbird logo supplied by Rebellion765 (available over the <a href="http://rhverse.boards.net/" target="_blank">RHVerse boards</a>) pasted over the endplates, and the additional pair of Bakuryu logos are added as I reverse my decision to put the Purgatory logo below the headlights. The Purgatory logo had an orange color, and compared to Bakuryu's blue color, the logo looked awkward in placement as the color blended badly after some thoughts. The rest of the stuff are still the same except that the driver names are absent too. The philosophy is that any professional race driver can race this car and that this car isn't tied to only a fixed set of drivers. Furthermore, <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/166872.html" target="_blank">the World Fandom Championship name does not apply anymore</a>, making this a car that actually represents a particular TV series, in this case it's <i>Wynonna Earp</i>. The team name thingy still remains, only it's no longer Emily Andras Racing Project.<br />
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At the end of the day, the only thing left is the re-adjustment of the logos and some finishing touches. This is definitely a finished product for sure but I feel like I need the right time to release this to compose all the details that go beyond just the name of the skin. Other than that, one rework is a success with a reboot.<br />
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<h2>
THE NEXT LEVEL</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KUsymg8hV4S8wCc1SAaPZ48fyRmoIMo-5PFVRgBjHxnU8y8NCuwPfUIV632YBPKEAmgK7YRF8mFK4_2mIQm8Rn0xkGObEH3CuQ0iZWocKtUJPm8DI0tkSF0gB1UbccYV9Q-kd8Um2tB/s1600/projectnumberplate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KUsymg8hV4S8wCc1SAaPZ48fyRmoIMo-5PFVRgBjHxnU8y8NCuwPfUIV632YBPKEAmgK7YRF8mFK4_2mIQm8Rn0xkGObEH3CuQ0iZWocKtUJPm8DI0tkSF0gB1UbccYV9Q-kd8Um2tB/s400/projectnumberplate.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new numberplate sample with a new branding attached!</td></tr>
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The new numberplate is an original one after doing tons of numberplates that I was overwhelmed which numberplate actually fits me. This particular numberplate was actually prepared a long time ago with some revisions on the "sponsorships" above and below the numbers. This thing is meant to be shaped after the Super GT numberplate albeit wider in shape and using a different font (the Super GT numberplate appears to use a Helvetica-type font).<br />
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As this numberplate do not tie with a particular upcoming project, this shall be treated like something you'd see when you race in Gran Turismo Sport's Sport Mode, or as something that complements "race modified" cars of any kind for that matter. As such, I put personal touches here: first, the Team RnTheAndrian is the first and foremost decision for a rebrand from Team [R]GARAGE, but worth noting is that the [R] mark in the old name is kept as part of the long-standing philosophy, which now acts like a logo more, as well as the color scheme. The new tagline "A Garage of Things" also represents both the values of the old [R]GARAGE and the new Team RnTheAndrian, as I no longer aim to only the scope of motorsports per [R]GARAGE's old tagline "Creative Motorsport". Last but not least is the inclusion of my blog's logo and my Twitter handle below the numbers, which might not be visible much and more of a formality to reference the additional sponsors below the numbers.<br />
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The numberplate is meant to be used in multiple classes (except open wheel cars), not only GT cars or any of the race-modified production cars. The numberplate can come with two different variants of multiple-class flavors: the usual white and yellow number backgrounds a la Super GT with the sponsorships below retaining their white background, and a fully-colored background a la FIA WEC (or similar) numberplate with the sponsorships donning white logos and texts, as well as with the white numbers. The color of the numberplate's background has a purpose to categorize the class of the car whose skin(s) I make, with white and yellow backgrounds meant to categorize GT3 class and a class with a combination of GT3-Am plus GT4 and "improved production" cars respectively, although the white numberplates should've been used for GT500 cars as well, but that's by the virtue of additional considerations first. Meanwhile, red, blue, green, and yellowish orange should fit for LMP1, LMP2, GTE Pro, and GTE Am cars respectively, but even I might combine both GTE classes to make room for GT3, also as an additional consideration to come. All numberplates come with a smaller number with italicized numbers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDAuqRB1UczmKTDfLEroqjs-ht_ekshKpWXKqcjzECSzuxSR-pbR6CCFttXXIA8R0D-tvCxKoC5gFtvA-Oie0rfiJnOZUpTdT03RjV9GcGXEgkMuPNOQGjnaR1hsM3a5Qe8nAJ3mkLPD5/s1600/ScreenShot95+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDAuqRB1UczmKTDfLEroqjs-ht_ekshKpWXKqcjzECSzuxSR-pbR6CCFttXXIA8R0D-tvCxKoC5gFtvA-Oie0rfiJnOZUpTdT03RjV9GcGXEgkMuPNOQGjnaR1hsM3a5Qe8nAJ3mkLPD5/s400/ScreenShot95+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Okay, wait a minute... is this TrackMania United Forever or Real Racing 3?"</td></tr>
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As a "coming soon" project, this Aston Martin Vantage GTE settles it. I was shocked that, while looking for some skin references off of Real Racing 3, I noticed that it actually fits which jaw-dropped me (then again I didn't notice that it was actually a conversion from RR3). The thing is I have decided that this skin is going to be a spin on the RR3 original, one of my favorite liveries in the game. <a href="http://rr3.wikia.com/wiki/ASTON_MARTIN_VANTAGE_GTE_(2012)" target="_blank">This particular PVP Engineering livery</a> has been all sorts of a worthy fan fiction material in which I could imagine that PVP Engineering is a racing team more than it is a mere sponsorship, but I haven't decided on that yet since the logo also appears on <a href="http://rr3.wikia.com/wiki/MAZDA_787B" target="_blank">Mazda 787B's sides in-game</a>, donning a copyright-friendly livery based on Mazda's classic light blue and white livery. Other than that, the PVP Engineering Aston Martin GTE will offer a different twist with the best of fictitious sponsors available while emulating how an Aston Martin customer GTE team would look like.<br />
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I'm pretty sure we'll meet any of these skins again someday, either in its new progress or its released form. For now, these WIPs will continuously be improved until the time has come for a final release.<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400707416774415571.post-54508232394043434392018-01-03T14:55:00.001+07:002018-01-03T14:55:53.250+07:00An Applied Coefficient System to... Movies and TV Series?First of all, Happy New Year!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image: Best Animations)</td></tr>
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To start off this year, I am presenting you a rather unique system to determine the season's best in movies and TV based on award shows. I know I've introduced this on my fandom blog, but I thought it's a better idea to introduce this here as well. The main motivation was that I was trying to craft a new system which would override the old system I had whose progress I post on the fandom blog. The <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/163545.html" target="_blank">old system</a> in question awards "Championship" points in two ways: award shows, where points are given for wins in main categories, acting categories, and technical categories (for movies and TV) in addition to the nominations they receive, then translated into the "Championship" points based on the said wins in total (only those with at least one category win can score point here); and polling competitions, where points are given based on bracket placements and final percentages, usually only involving television shows, and shows outside the eligibility criteria for the system will not be classified for any point.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>With the Championship system no longer a feasible method, it was a time to deploy a new one: the Coefficient System, something that would mirror <a href="https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/index.html" target="_blank">UEFA's ranking system</a> for national and club teams in the region. The system works the same as the old system, with a notable difference being without any championship point whatsoever, and that the points for polling competition finishes will be based on simply the final bracket placement. For award shows, movies and television shows, in addition to actors, nominated in any award will of course receive points, so does award wins in a particular category, with no strings attached to even the losers, meaning that everyone gets to keep their points until the end of the calculation cycle, which would normally end in the last day of the year (December 31 that is). However, there's one catch: prestigious awards will reward more coefficient points than other awards, meaning that, for example, an Emmy-winning series will have absolutely more edge than a Teen Choice-winning series that won 6 or more categories in one go. In the system, I regard both Oscars and Emmys as the top-tier awards for movies and television respectively, upper mid-tier awards being Golden Globes and SAG Awards, and just behind them is Critics' Choice Awards, the mid-tier award in the system. Last but not least the lower-tier awards consisting of MTV TV & Movie Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Teen Choice Awards complete the list, although there will be additional adjustments and additions to the system, I even have thoughts of including BAFTA Awards and TCA Awards as well, which can affect the system in a good way as this first season is meant to be where many adjustments and additions are expected to come to shape the future of this system.<br />
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THE CALCULATION SYSTEM</h2>
The calculation system for the coefficient system will take a period of the current year plus the last two years. In this case, any event held between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 will be considered for this system. The events considered between this time span can be seen in the "Full Calendar" tab of the spreadsheet which details the award shows and polling competitions considered for the calculation along with their dates. For this inaugural cycle, I have recorded over 25 award shows, 15 polling competitions, and perhaps 4-6 online awards, with more to come as time goes.<br />
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Different calculation system will be adopted for TV, movies, and actors, especially seeing how there are different set of events for these systems. For movies, the system's calculation cycle goes for two periods, being the preceding year and the current year, with the calculations of the preceding year start from the award show after the Oscars, which in this case is the <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/848327/mtv-movie-tv-awards-2017-winners-the-complete-list" target="_blank">2017 MTV TV & Movie Awards</a>. Starting from this cycle, the movie field will be registered with entrants from this award show and onward, until the final awards show taking place in 2018. The reason why I consider to use this cycle is because that the Awards Season awards movies released in the preceding year, and that beyond the Oscars any movie released even past the Academy's criteria can take part although some movies from preceding year might be in the nomination mix as well (for example nominees from <i>La La Land</i> and <i>Hidden Figures</i> in the 2017 MTV TV & Movie Awards). Any nomination and win that the movie in question has, including movie acting-related categories, counts towards the movie in question.<br />
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The television system has a bigger calculation cycle in that the period lasts for a full cycle, with the Emmys taking Oscars' place as a media-specific award. The stark contrast is that the polling competitions are added though I programmed it to not reward as much as CCAs (more like lower-mid tier event) and finished shows, either by the virtue of series finale or cancellation, will be retired two years since its last episode, which from there on the show will no longer score any point. Furthermore, shows of variety, reality, sketch, and documentary genre will not be eligible for scoring either. The retirement rule will not apply if the show is in the long hiatus, provided that the show is renewed for another season (a case for <i>Game of Thrones</i>), and a show can re-enter the system if a spin-off or a revival is made (a case for <i>Gilmore Girls</i> with its Netflix-aired spinoff <i>A Year in Life</i>, extending its eligibility to November 25, 2018, two years from its release). Like in the movies system, a nomination and win in TV-related categories counts towards a particular series represented. However, in polling competitions, the higher a series' final placement in the bracket is, the more coefficient points it can get, and in case multiple characters/ships represent the same series, only the best effort count towards the series in question.<br />
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Finally, the actor system is a more complete system although it doesn't include polling competitions (though I might consider adding online awards if I may). Both Emmys and Oscars are considered in the system, the cycle lasts for as long as the television system's cycle, and no retirement rule will take place since the actors can score roles in either television or movies within the designated cycle. Unlike both movie and television systems however, the wins in Lead, Supporting, and Guest/miscellaneous categories are tiered, with lead categories being the highest tier, depending on the awards show. Any nomination and win acquired by the actor counts towards the actor themselves, and although the actors are nominated through ineligible shows in the criteria at one point, as long as their nomination is within the eligible categories list (case study: <i>Saturday Night Live</i> nominations in Best Comedy Actor/Actress categories in the <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/162924.html" target="_blank">Emmys</a>), the points are still theirs. Simple, but more in-depth.<br />
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To complete the awards show architecture, inside the system's spreadsheet is the "Award Parameters" that details which categories score towards which type of wins in a particular award show. Generally, this consists of series/movie genre category wins (e.g. Best Motion Picture, Best Drama Movie/Series, Best Comedy Movie/Series), lead/support acting category wins (e.g. Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor), and miscellaneous category wins (e.g. Best Writing, Best Directing, Best Guest Actor/Actress). The "Points" tab also gives you an idea <br />
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<h2>
TAKING IT FOR THE SPIN</h2>
To showcase the coefficient system, the test spreadsheet is provided with events considered being those held between December 11, 2016 and September 16, 2017. Over eight different award shows are considered for the actor's ranking, with seven used for both television and movie rankings, plus four polling competitions for the television, taking television's events total to 11. A predetermined Award Parameters and coefficient points for different events can be seen in both "Award Parameters" and "Points" tabs respectively. You can also view this spreadsheet in <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vREV86vVVKqSQUk9lNjg12ingcp6NRT-QrYCeLsO4PRaVo61qMlKbRQvAQNopSB3905wKxQg7HYLuUT/pubhtml" target="_blank">full screen here</a>, as well as downloading the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15fJa-d5SnBbzlC8mR3asP2InOgssF8gT/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Excel file here</a>.<br />
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<center>
<iframe height="800" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vREV86vVVKqSQUk9lNjg12ingcp6NRT-QrYCeLsO4PRaVo61qMlKbRQvAQNopSB3905wKxQg7HYLuUT/pubhtml?widget=true&headers=false" width="100%"></iframe></center>
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In the movies ranking, <i>La La Land</i> gets the highest coefficient of 48,750 points. While the movie failed to win the Best Motion Picture in the Oscars last year against <i>Moonlight</i>, the movie directed by Damien Chazelle scored over 37 nominations and 22 wins from all their nominations, and in fact has the most nominations in CCAs, Golden Globes, and the Oscars. In addition, its clean sweep in Golden Globes really helped the movie to attain the highest coefficient points, being 10,700 in the award alone. In the Oscars however, its jaw-dropping 14 nominations bumped its earning to 25,000 points, while for its wins (2 acting-related wins and 4 technical wins) it earned 7,500 points alone from the said total. The Best Motion Picture winner <i>Moonlight</i> sat in the second place with 26,300 points, with most of the points contributed through the Oscars where it earned 15,000 points off the award. I guess I might readjust points for nominations and wins in these awards perhaps, no?<br />
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Through consistent award showing, <i>Moana</i> is the highest seed out of all animated movies, placing 12th with 7,150 points, even beating out <i>Zootopia</i> who won one award higher against <i>Moana</i>'s 2, though the former received more nominations in prestigious awards despite winning none of them, and even its successful run in last year's Teen Choice boosted the movie a little to receive more points, and speaking of Teen Choice, the movie's big winner <i>Disney's Beauty and the Beast</i>, starring Dan Stevens and Emma Watson, ended the test cycle in 16th place earning a total of 6,050, with 3,75 of which were from its Teen Choice wins, and the rest being the wins in the MTV TV & Movie Awards. With last year's MTV Awards and Teen Choice being the considered awards for the movies for the first official cycle, paired with its Critics' Choice nominations for this year, Disney's Fantasy movie is off to a good start.<br />
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In the television ranking, <i>The People v. O.J. Simpson</i>, part of Ryan Murphy's <i>American Crime Story</i> series, received over 14 nominations in CCAs, Golden Globes, and SAG, winning half of the whole nomination number after a successful Emmys run. The test period granted the FX drama series 13,900 points, and it can get even higher when their <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/156039.html" target="_blank">Emmy wins in 2016</a> get counted for the official cycle. The top series in the period however is in fact HBO's <i>Westworld</i> with 30,150 points, 32 nominations and seven wins, with Netflix's <i>Stranger Things</i> following behind with 28,133 points, 34 award nominations and 8 wins, and consistent showing in polling competitions. While at glance the Netflix Sci-Fi series could've been ranked higher, <i>Westworld</i>'s wins in the acting categories of the CCAs weighed more, and boy did Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton contribute the show's boost in the rankings. Both top series however only managed to win Creative Arts categories of last year's Emmy Awards, and in fact two big winners of the Emmys managed to break in the Top 10 in a quick way for this period, namely <i>Big Little Lies</i> and <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>, who both scored 22,650 and 19,800 points respectively. This feat however is just below <i>The Crown</i> who sits in the fourth place, appeared from Critics' Choice until Emmys, and earned 23,700 after all its 22 nominations and 8 wins, of which the aforementioned two shows have the same number. Last but not least, NBC's <i>This Is Us</i> is the only network show who break through the Top 10 of the system, finishing in 8th place with 17,883 thanks to its award nominations paired with a small boost from polling competitions despite not getting the best result out of them. For these series, however, their race is far from over, with Golden Globes fast approaching and these series (apart from <i>O.J. Simpson</i>) are <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/12/golden-globe-nominations-2018-full-list" target="_blank">the nominees</a>.<br />
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Yet, even with lots of award wins in a particular award might not guarantee a good finish, a case reflected for <i>Riverdale</i> and <i>Teen Wolf</i>, with both donning eight Teen Choice nominations last year. The CW series managed to win seven out of eight nominations in the award show, yet only scored 4,267 points alongside its polling competition appearances, while conversely <i>Teen Wolf</i> hit good marks in polling competitions but not so much in Teen Choice, ended up earning 3,850 points in total. <i>Outlander</i>'s success in polling competitions didn't help much either paired with a drought of prestige nominations, ending the year with 3,683 points though this will definitely change with Caitriona Balfe nominated in the Golden Globes, while for <i>Supergirl</i> it didn't help much either with only Teen Choice nominations (and one win through Melissa Benoist) and 2,667 points at disposal. The toughest reality would be those series topping polling competitions but without any award win whatsoever, even at least in Teen Choice. This happens to series like <i>The 100</i> (71st, 1,750 points), <i>Person of Interest</i> (134th, 0,733 points), and <i>Skam</i> (150th, 0,400 points). For a Norwegian series like <i>Skam</i>, this situation is understandable since none of the awards allow foreign series to have its stage, but I'd love to see what would become of the first two shows mentioned when the first cycle rolls out because <i>The 100</i> ruled polling competitions in 2016 and <i>Person of Interest</i> had a treble over SpoilerTV paired with a win in People's Choice Awards, although the show won't be classified for points any longer.<br />
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Finally, in the actor's ranking, Viola Davis (<i>Fences</i>, <i>How to Get Away with Murder</i>) received 9,450 points throughout the test period, with seven nominations and four wins, despite failing to win her Emmy nomination. Oscar winners Emma Stone (<i>La La Land</i>) and Mahershala Ali (<i>Moonlight</i>) all tailed the actress with 7,550 and 7,400 points respectively, while highest seed in the early stages was in fact Sarah Paulson, scoring a perfect win in all her nominations in CCAs, Golden Globes, and SAG, with 4,300 points, but unfortunately a 16th place finish, although this could change when the official cycle gets counted. Finally, Teen Choice big winners Emma Watson and Gal Gadot only scored 2,950 and 1,800 points respectively. However, as I said earlier, the actor's ranking is a complete system with the retirement rule being nonexistent, so whenever the 2016 are counted, the rankings will greatly differ from what the current period presents.<br />
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The rankings will be updated after the 24th SAG AFTRA Awards, which would include the results from all past award shows and polling competitions as early as 2016 that will weigh the entire system. However, let's go dive into the Golden Globes which will be held on January 7, and will start at 8pm ET! In the meantime, you can check out my piece on Golden Globes <a href="https://fandomwarrior.livejournal.com/164067.html" target="_blank">here</a> which includes my predictions of who will win all the categories!<br />
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~[R]Hi-v Fandomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16054059233100106007noreply@blogger.com0