Grimmcartel's recent activity
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Comment on Fiction with great “plot devices” in ~misc
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Comment on Fiction with great “plot devices” in ~misc
Grimmcartel LinkI'd like to add one of mine, if I may... I came up with an idea for a faster than light drive that makes use of the multiverse theory. When engaged, the ship is shifted into a parallel dimension...I'd like to add one of mine, if I may...
I came up with an idea for a faster than light drive that makes use of the multiverse theory. When engaged, the ship is shifted into a parallel dimension that is orders of magnitude smaller than our own, but otherwise a perfect mirror. The ship retains its original dimensions and physics, allowing it to traverse incredible distances in the mirror universe under normal thruster power, then shifting back into our universe when it reaches its destination.
In my second book, I explore the possibility of accidental collision with a planet and the consequences of that on the crew. For reference, the size equivalences are planet = baseball and ship = school bus.
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Comment on DOOM (2016) is now available DRM-free on GOG in ~games
Grimmcartel Link ParentI feel this. Hard. Years ago, like, in 2000 I think, EA released a game called Motor City Online. It's original working title was Need for Speed - Motor City. Like the rest of the franchise, it...I feel this. Hard.
Years ago, like, in 2000 I think, EA released a game called Motor City Online. It's original working title was Need for Speed - Motor City. Like the rest of the franchise, it was a sim weighted arcade racer, but this chapter focused on American muscle cars and hot rods. It was also incredibly unique in that it used a database of actual parts and performance figures from Dyno 2000 - a program used by mechanics to blueprint actual engines - as its parts catalog for your in game car. Hot Rod Magazine actually built a car in game to the same specs as one of their project cars, and the digital version performed within 1/10 of a second of the real world counterpart on the dragstrip. It was THAT good.
It ran for three glorious years until they decided to pull the plug, at which point all of us that still loved the game were left with a giant hole where it used to be. The code for the game... All of it... Was on the cd that we all bought. Tracks, cars, the database. All of it. The only part that needed a server was the multiplayer racing part. It was originally designed as a single player game, and could easily exist as one. To this day, there is a small community of fans that would love for it to be unlocked, and several people have been able to get it to work offline in some form here and there, showing it's possible.
Still, EA refuses to allow any of it, and actively searches out the hackers responsible for the offline patches and uses their well funded legal team to ruin them. It's disgusting.
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Comment on Looking for the PC equivalent of Garage Band in ~creative
Grimmcartel Link ParentAs I mentioned, a simple kind of 80s metal style riff akin to Motley Crue/Poison/Whitesnake is what I'm after, with drums and a simple baseline. I want to create something about 30-40 seconds long...As I mentioned, a simple kind of 80s metal style riff akin to Motley Crue/Poison/Whitesnake is what I'm after, with drums and a simple baseline.
I want to create something about 30-40 seconds long to use as theme music for my YouTube channel, and I have a few ideas for the main melody already in my head. I have basic knowledge of how to play piano, though it's entirely self taught and I am no way good lol.
I'd like to find something that would let me play with some basic chords and possibly construct the melody using either notation or an on-screen keyboard, etc.
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Comment on Looking for the PC equivalent of Garage Band in ~creative
Grimmcartel Link ParentI haven't tried mixcraft yet, but once I get a chance between shifts at work, I'll post the results here. On another note, if I wanted to compose a riff myself, with a synth guitar, is there a...I haven't tried mixcraft yet, but once I get a chance between shifts at work, I'll post the results here.
On another note, if I wanted to compose a riff myself, with a synth guitar, is there a tool I should be looking for that works like the rhythm box on audiotool? Something I can "click in" notes and chords for the sequencer to play? Don't know what to call what I'm looking for lol
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Comment on Looking for the PC equivalent of Garage Band in ~creative
Grimmcartel Link ParentThanks for this! I checked out Audio tool.com, and was pleasantly surprised with the ease of use. It may be the thing I am looking for, if I can figure out a few more things. I was able to pick...Thanks for this! I checked out Audio tool.com, and was pleasantly surprised with the ease of use. It may be the thing I am looking for, if I can figure out a few more things. I was able to pick from a few little riffs they had on offer and loop them with a basic beat, then add an effect pedal to the mix that dirtied the sound a bit and made it sound more metal, so it does what it says on the tin at least
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Looking for the PC equivalent of Garage Band
Hey there musical types! I'm on the hunt for something I can use to create music that doesn't require a PhD in comp.sci and music theory. I downloaded LMMS and found myself immediately in the...
Hey there musical types! I'm on the hunt for something I can use to create music that doesn't require a PhD in comp.sci and music theory. I downloaded LMMS and found myself immediately in the weeds, so I'm hoping someone out there can point me in a more elementary direction. The end goal is to create a theme track for my YouTube channel that has a good old fashioned 80s metal feel, if such an animal exists...
Thanks in advance!
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Comment on Do you have games that you play (almost) exclusively? in ~games
Grimmcartel Link ParentThis game has sucked me in to such an extent, I decided to take up creating YouTube videos because of it. In essence, you can create your own spacecraft from an array of voxel blocks that you can...This game has sucked me in to such an extent, I decided to take up creating YouTube videos because of it. In essence, you can create your own spacecraft from an array of voxel blocks that you can then pilot and walk around in.
I'm a scifi writer, and this game allowed me to create the ships I had imagined for my books and actually experience them first hand. I can't tell you how much of a gift this was for me.
If anyone is interested, the channel I made is called cartel incorporated, and one of the ships from my books is the Liberator SX. I'm really proud of that one 😁
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Comment on Tildes Video Thread in ~misc
Grimmcartel LinkI recently started a YouTube channel for my creations and playthroughs of Empyrion Galactic Survival running the Reforged Eden 2 scenario. The game has a pretty steep learning curve, but the voxel...I recently started a YouTube channel for my creations and playthroughs of Empyrion Galactic Survival running the Reforged Eden 2 scenario. The game has a pretty steep learning curve, but the voxel creation tools allow for some really neat designs and it's got me completely immersed.
Reforged Eden 2 Let's Play: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjm2l3NEz2wwVoZyPPzhKR5LaiuHLjdEs
Cartel Incorporated Promos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjm2l3NEz2wy_vZ90g0MEmkH_X6JyhmWt
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Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk
Grimmcartel Link ParentThat's actually really helpful! I'll see if my software has the ability for future sessions.That's actually really helpful! I'll see if my software has the ability for future sessions.
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Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk
Grimmcartel LinkTonight, I sat down to record a "let's play" video for my YouTube channel (which I just started and have no idea what I'm doing). I got through about an hour of gameplay and decided to pause the...Tonight, I sat down to record a "let's play" video for my YouTube channel (which I just started and have no idea what I'm doing). I got through about an hour of gameplay and decided to pause the recording as I went about some of the more mundane grinding in the game so as to save viewers the boredom. I then got back into the swing of things, did some semi awesome stuff that took about another hour, and only then did I realize I hadn't hit record again.
So, I spent an hour tonight talking to nobody on my headset. The drama is all me lol.
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Comment on Tildes worldbuilding thread in ~creative
Grimmcartel LinkAt the beginning of the pandemic, in fact on January 6th when the capitol got stormed, I decided to finally put to digital paper a universe I had been casually constructing through RP in games and...At the beginning of the pandemic, in fact on January 6th when the capitol got stormed, I decided to finally put to digital paper a universe I had been casually constructing through RP in games and asset creation of various types for the past 20 years. It was first inspired by a 4x space game from Egosoft, but grew into its own entity over the years.
Cartel Incorporated is a soft sci-fi adventure that begins when three streetwise friends happen upon a piece of technology that helps them escape their impoverished existence and start over on a new planet 40 light years away. It's set in our current timeline, and explores the idea that humanity was seeded here by our ancestors millions of years ago and almost forgotten, while that society grew to encompass most of the galaxy through unchecked expansion.
I wanted to bring a level of street-smarts to the genre with a bit of tongue in cheek levity by exploring what a group of 20 something punk/metal heads from rural New Mexico would do to get by in a completely alien environment. There are car chases with rolling gunfights, epic space battles, nifty spins on technology ideas for things like FTL, a sprinkling of MacGyver, and not a small amount of adult themes and language. I wanted to entertain more than intrigue or educate with this, so if you go looking for the books, don't expect deathless prose :p
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Comment on Open to collaborate and draw something for you in ~creative
Grimmcartel Link ParentAwesome! I look forward to seeing what you come up with 😁Awesome! I look forward to seeing what you come up with 😁
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Comment on Open to collaborate and draw something for you in ~creative
Grimmcartel LinkI describe my main characters van in the first couple of pages in my book, and I'm curious to see what other people see in their minds from my description. I'd be totally honoured if you felt like...I describe my main characters van in the first couple of pages in my book, and I'm curious to see what other people see in their minds from my description. I'd be totally honoured if you felt like taking a stab at it. Here is the description from the book :
The 1977 Dodge B100 wasn’t born with a 383, nor was it designed for the kind of brutality that had been levied upon it since James had set his eyes on its retired and picked clean frame more than three years earlier, just after his sixteenth birthday. It had been his first ticket to freedom after leaving the foster “parents” he had grown up with, as Ted had offered the van and all the parts James could scrounge in return for help around the shop. Once it had become roadworthy, it began pulling double duty as both transportation and a home. Ted had initially offered to put James up in his trailer behind the shop, but considering the latent stench of cheap whiskey and stale cigarette smoke, and the innate lack of privacy afforded by a single axle travel trailer, the van proved a much more enticing alternative. It was his first apartment, first job, and first opportunity to make a name for himself.
He had finished the inside in deep red shag carpet, built in cabinets with a small fridge, on top of which sat a small two burner propane stove, a raised platform in the rear that held a small mattress, and a pair of swiveling captain's chairs finished in the finest vinyl Detroit had ever produced. The much larger than stock block under the hood had previously done time under the hood of a New Mexico State Trooper squad car, but James had carefully rebuilt the engine from the bottom to the top and it showed. The last time he had it on the Dyno, it pulled 462 horsepower, and he was positive it would crack 500 with his latest additions. Since nobody typically expected an old school Boogie Van to be packing that kind of heat, James had been able to make a pretty solid living taking Route 66 hot-rod tourists to the cleaners in late night street races. The paint, however, hadn’t been touched. A relic left over from the custom van craze of the early 1980s, it spoke to him on a personal level. A midnight blue base coat gave way to a mural of a full moon in the night sky on the back panel, while the menacing silhouette of a B24 Liberator bomber depicted side-on cruised just below it. He hadn’t touched it for that very reason: it had earned the name. -
Comment on Looking for some recommendations for games where you can build your own spaceships etc in ~games
Grimmcartel LinkWow, what a response! Looks like I've got a lot to look at this weekend. I'm thinking Avorion is probably going to be my first stop as it is pretty close to what Empyrion looks like, at least...Wow, what a response! Looks like I've got a lot to look at this weekend. I'm thinking Avorion is probably going to be my first stop as it is pretty close to what Empyrion looks like, at least until Space Engineers 2 comes out
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Looking for some recommendations for games where you can build your own spaceships etc
Hey folks! I've recently become quite enamoured with a game called Empyrion Galactic Survival, because as a science fiction author, it gave me a chance to build and fly some of the ships from my...
Hey folks!
I've recently become quite enamoured with a game called Empyrion Galactic Survival, because as a science fiction author, it gave me a chance to build and fly some of the ships from my books. So much so in fact, that I went and started a YouTube channel in order to "sell" them to other players (they're all free on Nexus, the videos I made just remind me of car reviews so far lol).
Now, Empyrion only goes so far in scratching the creative itch, and I'm on the hunt for more of its I'll to build and experiment with. I'm looking forward to playing with Space Engineers 2 when it drops, but are there any others you can recommend? It needn't be constrained to space games either... I'm a fan of all things mechanical, but mostly those I can hot rod a bit and paint flames on.
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Comment on GOG resurrects Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 on PC in ~games
Grimmcartel LinkAdded my vote for Motor City Online. I've been trying to get EA.to.release.it in single player for 24 years now.Added my vote for Motor City Online. I've been trying to get EA.to.release.it in single player for 24 years now.
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Comment on What are your favourite let's plays? in ~games
Grimmcartel LinkSpanj is an excellently funny and informative let's play content creator. His latest stream is here : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeXxYGyW3yFQnJ0SaPyih8ac_hrKoWysq&si=FrpRk8VK45E_07yO I got...Spanj is an excellently funny and informative let's play content creator. His latest stream is here : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeXxYGyW3yFQnJ0SaPyih8ac_hrKoWysq&si=FrpRk8VK45E_07yO
I got into his stuff when I picked up Empyrion Galactic Survival for free from Epic and needed a little early game help. That game is one of his most played, but he does spread it around quite a bit.
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Comment on Recommend your social/softer science fiction books in ~books
Grimmcartel LinkWell, I wrote one 😊 It's definitely not hard sci-fi, but aside from technical hand-wavium I do try to remain faithful to believable principals when it comes to the tech used. Outside of that...Well, I wrote one 😊
It's definitely not hard sci-fi, but aside from technical hand-wavium I do try to remain faithful to believable principals when it comes to the tech used. Outside of that though, it's a YA space opera with adult themes and humor, that I like to think follows in the footsteps of the Goonies, if maybe Van Wilder was among them during their adventure.
Look for "The Ballad of James Layne" on Amazon books if you think you might be interested. There is a direct link on my site as well - cartelincorporated.ca
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Comment on Science fiction or fantasy recommendations for children in ~books
Grimmcartel LinkAs a kid that grew up during the Dungeons and Dragons craze in the 80s, I can't recommend Dragonlance novels enough. There are currently more than a hundred of them available, written by different...As a kid that grew up during the Dungeons and Dragons craze in the 80s, I can't recommend Dragonlance novels enough. There are currently more than a hundred of them available, written by different authors but all set in the same universe. They are easy to digest, fun reads and some of them do get darker from time to time. In fact, there is a sister series called Ravenloft available that pretty much dispenses with the whole, good guy always wins theme, and focuses instead on the darker side of the universe.
Cartel incorporated : The Ballad of James Layne and The Aria of Cain Mezcal. Those are the first two in my series, I'm working on the third now 😀
Both are available in Amazon, just search Cartel Incorporated and you'll find them.