Category Archives: Meta

META: Possible interruption in service

Posted on September 23, 2010 by | 3 comments

My web provider sprang a server change on me this evening, which may mean that at some point in the next 24 hours you won’t be able to resolve HeroMachine.com if your internet provider’s DNS tables get updated before the DNS servers at UGO get set to the proper new domain address. Or something, I don’t really know what all is involved.

In any event, something needs to change at UGO thanks to this surprise move, and of course they’re all in bed by now. So it’ll have to wait until the morning. There’s some slack time necessary for the host changes to make it out into the wild, so there’s an unpredictable overlap where you might see no difference, or you might not be able to get here at all, depending.

In other words, if you can’t read this, don’t worry, we’ll be back on air asap.

If you CAN read this, immediately head to shelter in a low area away from windows. No, wait, that’s a tornado. Head for high ground, that’s it. Um … punch the shark in the nose? Run around with your hair on fire? Read a book?

You’re smart, figure it out, hopefully all will be well tomorrow. Tomorrow. There’s always tomorrow. It’s only a day away …

Also, I’ll still be up on Facebook search for “HeroMachine” — clever, ain’t it?! so if you’re desperate for the flavor of the Bald Avenger, that’s your spot. And let’s be honest, who isn’t desperate for the flavor of the Bald Avenger?

3 Comments

Posted in Meta

META: Onward to Dragon*Con!

Posted on September 2, 2010 by | 5 comments
[/caption]

Just a heads-up, by the time you read this I will already be in the air winging my way to the most excellent city of Atlanta for this year’s Dragon*Con. Or I might be there already, or have come back, or it could be ten years from now, how the heck should I know when you’re reading this?!

Anyway, focus.

Last year was off the hook, and I think this time around will be even more so as we’re getting a hotel room downtown so we can continue the merriment all night long. Although since we’re all old now, “all night long” technically is, like, ten o’clock. But you get the idea.

I’ve got guest posters and random panels and a couple of other interesting things scheduled to keep you entertained, and I’ll be checking in via iPhone throughout, so be good. But if it takes a little extra time for me to approve posts that get held for moderation, it’s because I’m ogling Slave Leia cosplayers.

Hubba hubba!

5 Comments

Posted in Meta

META: Slowness

Posted on August 24, 2010 by | 7 comments

Sorry for the delays on posts, specifically the results from the last caption contest. I’ve been having very frustrating internet connection issues the last couple of days. I should have the results up in a bit, though, my apologies again for the slippage.

7 Comments

Posted in Meta

Open Critique Day

Posted on July 22, 2010 by | 79 comments

Someone mentioned that we haven’t had an “Open Critique Day” in quite a while, so here you go.

Feel free to post a link to a HeroMachine character (or even just a drawing you’ve done) that you would like to get a constructive critique about in the comments to this post. Please limit it to one such image per person. I’ll do my best to make remarks about each one regarding where it works and where it maybe falls a little short.

The other commenters here should feel free to make their own observations on each one as well, but I do ask that you make your critiques constructive — don’t just say “This sucks”, say why specifically you think it isn’t working, and if possible how it might be improved. At the end of the day it’s not the critic’s job to actually figure out how to fix something, but it is the critic’s job to make coherent, specific, and constructive observations about a piece’s strengths and weaknesses.

I look forward to hopefully helping you out with any illustration you’re having trouble getting to the place where you would like it to be.

79 Comments

Posted in Meta, Open threads, Suggestions & Ideas

Is HeroMachine art?

Posted on July 14, 2010 by | 38 comments

Someone on the “Star Wars: The Old Republic” forums posted the following:

Maybe I’m just going through a stage of Male-PMS, but I feel like being really blunt here. The people who post screenshots of there person made with HeroMachine and call it their artwork, well, there are several things wrong with this:
1.) HeroMachine is not your program, your just using a public device. You cannot call it your art if you didn’t make it. So you spent hours slaving over the hardest efforts to click a button many times to get a poor rendition of something that vaguely resembles a person with a generic stance that never changes.
2.) It’s beyond unoriginal. I’ve seen it a lot around here, and it just irks me! It is so much more beneficial to ask someone to draw it for you. It benefits you in that you have a genuine piece of artwork that somebody actually put effort into. It also benefits them in that it helps them with the experience. Computers don’t learn to draw from reference sheets and imagination, they get it from a billionaire who programs it into them.

I think it’s an interesting question — are images created in HeroMachine art? Why or why not?

(Image © Fiona Katauskas.)

38 Comments

Posted in Meta, Open threads

RPG Corner: Alignment

Posted on July 2, 2010 by | 26 comments

Few things get gaming geeks more riled up than arguing about alignment. Worthwhile or pointless, good or bad, nonsensical or the Best Thing Evar? Goodness (or Evilness or Chaositude or what have you) knows, if you’ve ever dealt with an angry twelve year old “role playing” a chaotic evil character in your party, you’ve seen how bad alignment can be when played poorly. And it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you think about it for too long. But it’s been an integral part of game design almost from the beginning, for better or worse.

My question for you this week is, “What classic AD&D alignment would your favorite comics characters be?” I’ll start it off with a very obvious one — Superman is Lawful Good. Never does anything selfish, always plays by the rules, thinks authority is the best thing since Lois in a mini-skirt, code against killing, the works.

But how would you rate Batman, or Spider-Man, or the more troublesome and dark characters like The Punisher or Spawn? Do you judge characters by what they do, or where they’re from, or what they say they’re about, or what?

Also, how do you judge characters’ actions in games that do not have a formal Alignment system, like Champions for instance? Do you find that leaving that mechanic out enhances or detracts from the game play experience?

Finally, if you have any fun stories about alignment played either well or poorly in your RPGs, I’d love to hear them.

Have at it folks!

26 Comments

Posted in Open threads, RPG Corner

Other HM Editions updated

Posted on June 30, 2010 by | 7 comments

UGO has just launched updates to all of the previously existing HeroMachine “Editions”. They share a more coherent set of controls and links now, and are all viewable at the larger browser size of the standard UGO layout. That’s the good news. On the downside (depending on your perspective!), they all also now included ads in the upper right section.

I think the original HM Classic actually comes out the best for the revamp:

It has a simplicity that’s still appealing, and which I think gets lost somewhat with the much more complex later iterations. I also still think that the Real Life Edition has the best overall look, the designers (i.e. not me) did a great job on that one. Finally, the changes we discussed here for the 2.5 version are now live as well, I think they look great largely due to your input. Thanks again for that!

Anyway, it was fun strolling down memory lane while doing these, I hope you get the chance at some point to go back through them.

7 Comments

Posted in Meta, News & Updates

META: What the heck am I doing?

Posted on June 29, 2010 by | 16 comments

I just wanted to give a quick update as to what all is going on here at HeroMachine World Headquarters in the greater metropolitan Bayfield, Colorado area.

First, I am still finishing up details of updating all the old HeroMachine mini-Editions to the new UGO.com page dimensions and layout. Hopefully they’ll all function in a more similar fashion after this and be easier to work with.

Second, I’m working full tilt on the HeroMachine Mech Edition for the paying client, which you’ve seen a bit of art for in the Pilots preview.

Third, Friend of HeroMachine Mark is working on Rifles. So don’t think all progress on HM3 has stopped just because I am working on a mini-Edition — it hasn’t. He’s doing a great job on them, I’ve seen the first 40 or so items and they are his usual outstanding effort. I think you’ll all be pleased when they’re ready. We’ve got plenty of material for those so no need to post requests or links.

Just for funsies, here’s another Pilot I did the other day.

16 Comments

Posted in Meta, News & Updates

META: On the road again …

Posted on June 1, 2010 by | 5 comments

Starting this morning (Tuesday, June 1) I will be traveling to my new home in Colorado. I should arrive there on Wednesday, June 2 some time, and hope to have full Internet access by Friday, June 4, at which time I’ll be fully active on the site and the program once again. During all that time, however, I will be checking in via my iPhone to answer urgent emails, approve pending comments, etc. I have also scheduled daily Random Panels and Sketches of the Day through Wednesday; a Poll Position question for today; and a Bad Costume post for Wednesday.

I’ll hopefully have a new Recipe from Hammerknight on Thursday, and a special guest blogger post by Ian Healy, frequent poster here and author of several super-hero novels.

If I’m a bit slow this week to respond, that’s why. Be good!

5 Comments

Posted in Meta

Open Critique Day

Posted on May 27, 2010 by | 31 comments

If you have an illustration, HM or otherwise, that you would like to get a critique on from me (or from anyone else who wants to chime in!), please leave a link and any details you think pertinent in the comments below.

Please limit the critique requests to one illustration per person. Thanks!

31 Comments

Posted in Open threads