#swords&circuitry studios

[8thdiamond]

Highlights of 2019

Looking back on 2019, here are some of my highlights. (I’m not including  reports about EXHIBITORLIVE, since that is already well documented in previous posts.)

Comic-Con International San Diego

As some of you know, Neal and I own a small creative business, Swords & Circuitry Studios. We are storytellers, for film, audio drama, computer games, and more. We promote S&C by being visible at various events each year, including at Comic-Con International in San Diego, and by organizing panels that our audience finds compelling. 

We had two panels at Comic-Con this year, one on podcasting, moderated by Neal, and one on writing for computer games, moderated by me. These are topics we often cover, with variations on panelists, as they are in-demand topics. Many attendees are aspiring writers and podcasters.

Ready to moderate the “Designing Narrative for Computer Games” panel at San Diego Comic-Con International, July 19th, 2019.

Our distinguished narrative design panelists: Neal Hallford; Anne Toole, Xavalier Nelson, Jr.; John Zuur Platen; Desiree Proctor; and Erica Harrell.

Portfolio Power Working Weekend, San Diego

Portfolio Power Working Weekend participants in San Diego, July 27, 2019.

Candidates in the Certified Trade Show Marketer program must successfully complete a portfolio documenting their work as a requirement for certification. Jobs and other aspects of daily life can make that a challenge. A group of candidates gathered in San Diego the last weekend of July 2019 for distraction-free work on their portfolios. I’ve been an on-site advisor for this many times, but this was the first time I led the workshop, along with fellow CTSM Diamond Janice Breuer, and Christine Sionne, who is at the Gold Level and well on her way to reaching Diamond status. Outgoing director Janice Nelson called in for questions.

American Chemical Society, San Diego

My smart big sister Dr. Mary Ondrechen is a distinguished chemist, university professor and researcher. I am a trade show professional. For the first time, we were both at the same trade show: the American Chemical Society conference in San Diego (our hometown) in August.

Somehow in all the excitement we didn’t get a photo together, but we did each get a photo with one of the Society’s cute mascots.

The quiet before the show!

Meg A. Mole with my sister Mary.

With Meg A Mole at the American Chemical Society Conference.

My sister liked this T-shirt.

Recording for an Upcoming Audio Series

Recording another audio drama, September 2019. Swords & Circuitry is creating an audio drama series called “Uncharted Regions.” (Think Twilight Zone in audio format.) 

EXHIBITOR FastTrak Denver

The EXHIBITOR FastTrak conference in Denver was at The Curtis. This hotel had a fun, retro-inspired vibe. (Our floor had a hallway with a “hair” theme -- a big portrait of Marge Simpson with her signature blue beehive, “hair band” guys, and more. Another floor featured old-school record players.) It was a good venue for a small conference. Neal accompanied me for this short trip.

Bob Milam and I presented our session on exhibiting for companies with niche markets and long sales cycles. Before that, I attended two sessions. So many CTSM candidates reference Jerry Gerson’s “Basic Project Management and Reporting Skills” I took it again just to refresh the information. The other was about events.

As always, I loved talking to attendees about the CTSM program, and am now advising two of them. 

After the sessions, Neal and I took part in a Downtown Denver Walking Tour networking event with many of the FastTrak participants. It was fun.

Union Station, Denver.

One of the stops on our food tour: Zoe Ma Ma near Union Station.

Our flight left late the next day, so Neal and I had a chance to explore Denver a little more.

Lawrence Argent’s beloved 40-foot “Blue Bear” sculpture at the Denver Convention Center.

"The Dancers,” a pair of 50-foot high statues by Jonathan Borofsky at the Denver Performing Art Complex Sculpture Park. The Performing Arts Complex is impressive, with multiple theatres.

While Neal and I were distracted by Denver’s charm, he got a call from a journalist for an interview that had been arranged. We promptly sat down at an outdoor table at Chow Morso Osteria, and I ordered food while Neal talked. Lunch was quite good.

Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver. (Photo from their web site.) Neal first visited Denver as a child on a family road trip, and was enchanted by the book shops. This trip did not disappoint. We had a great time at Tattered Cover Book Store. It is a beautiful shop, in the historic Morey Mercantile Building. Contrary to the name, though, most of their books are new. I assume the idea is that their books will become well worn by people who love them.

A few of the books at Tattered Cover.

Courtyard with another charming Denver restaurant.

[swordsandcircuitry]

Swords & Circuitry Studios presents a three day virtual pop culture convention featuring filmmakers, authors, game designers, podcasters, futurists, and many other amazing creators and thinkers. All online and completely FREE to attend. The event will take place June 26th - June 28th.                Friday, June 26th        "Cosplay Showcase: The Arts & Crafts of Make-Believe"        "Designing Narrative For Computer Games"                 Saturday, June 27th        "Designing Games At The Dawn of Time: A Retrospective"        "Top Shelf Fantasy: Conversations With Epic Authors"        "Optimism & The Futures Of Sci-Fi Worlds"        "Restoring Scientific Thought In America”        "Sneak Preview: Uncharted Regions Episode TBA”        "I Am The Scribe From The Video: Fantastic TV Writers"        "Heroes At The Mic: Quarantine Edition"

       Sunday, June 28th        "Monsters In My Backyard: Filmmaking On A Budget"        "The Contractually Obligated Doctor Who Panel"        " Filmmaking with Mobile Phones"        "Junk & Disorderly Special Edition: Sci-Fi Yard Sale"

[hatthewmart]

Studio VI - Circuit

I feel as if i needed to make a post about the circuitry of my sword in the stone project to describe the insides and what is happening on the inside. The base circuit is pretty simple; the electromagnet need 12v of power to operate so there is a 12v battery. The battery is connected to both the wireless switch and the electromagnet.

Even though this circuit is simple, it works well enough as when you activate the wireless switch, the electromagnet turns off and on. As this is just an initial circuit to test the electromagnet, I will be adding more components to the real thing such as a lamp that turns on when the magnet is switched off. i also want to add some fuses just for extra safety to the circuit.

[psychicdan]

Here is Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai Chapter I. Be sure to give Genndy Tartokovsky and affiliated people credit, you can make fanwork of this if you want, just give credit so people can follow the idea.

Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai

Rating T to M, depending how graphic you see this.

Warning:

The following is a work of fanfiction and is not intentionally connected to real word places, events, or people, nor intended to copy others’ work. Samurai Jack is the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, his team and affiliated studios and companies. Tis is soly fanfiction for fun and not profit.

Chapter I: The New Beginning

Part 1

Looking at the setting sun and growing twilight from the height of the imperial palace, a Samurai garbed in white stood there in peace with a kind yet somber smile. The complicated expression was expected of course. Months ago, the Samurai, known as Jack by many in another time, experienced so many things. To travel to a distant future, journey to places of imagination, meet extraordinary people, and combat threats beyond what his training prepared him for. For 50 years he had gone through this, unable to age or succeed, and despair pushed further to death. His memories take a lighter turn, as it was ironically an assailant from his sworn enemy that had saved his life and soul, and reignited the will to face his sworn enemy, Aku. Though the encounter seemed to turn hopeless when his loved comrade was in fact Aku’s daughter, they overcame it, and through the demon’s own power, returned to the past to slay both him and his distraught future. Everything seemed right, but at the height of the planned wedding, the Samurai had lost her to time itself, her being connected to Aku’s existence in future. He could only mourn her with her name then, “Ashi” cried the Samurai solemly, as he crumbled at their wedding. At a forest he had visited in the future though, he came to find hope in the despair, a ladybug reminding him of his cherished time and the blooming trees telling him what both of them fought and sacrificed for, a future free from Aku’s grip and allowed happiness. This had eased the Samurai’s pain in time, though his soul still cringed in pain from time to time. It seems whether here or in Aku’s future, he was always bound by his past. The peace was welcoming though, and Jack, his family and people prospered. His father had walked towards him then. “This is truly a welcome experience, to be free from the fear of evil, is it not son?” said the Emperor. “Yes, it does me great good, I had not felt this way since childhood.” remembered Jack. The Emperor nodded, but then his expression turned grim then. “ I had told you then to always be cautious, as evil could be lurking behind you, yes? It is good to take in the peace, but do not lessen your guard my son. Even without Aku, or without evil itself, there may always be forces threatening what you believe in. You must be prepared to stand your ground, else you lose everything.” The Emperor stated. Jack appeared puzzled, questioning, “Without Aku or evil, what do you mean father?”. The Emperor sighed. “ Perhaps I am overcautious from experience, but your fights will not always be simply be righteous, or against evil. Time and time again, people have fought over their beliefs, spilling blood for what they hold is right. You must be open minded to their thoughts while affirming and acknowledging your own, else you risk either succumbing to arrogance or being cut down through complacency. It may be hard to understand now, but I tell you this so can make such hard decisions for what you believe in” the Emperor explained as he walked away. Jack was puzzled by his father’s warning. He had made hard decisions, such as sacrificing time portals to help others or confronting the Daughters of Aku in lethal combat to defend his own life. But why would he ever falter in his own beliefs for that of an enemy? He supposed that it must be his time fighting those blatantly wrong like Aku, but the Samurai was getting the impression maybe he did not understand what it meant about hard decisions in a fight. Hopefully, that bridge wouldn’t need to be crossed thought Jack as he walked back inside, not noticing in the night sky a tear and void of black and white rings.

Part 2:

A large and imposing warship emerged from the void in time, and from it to smaller docked vehicles left in two differing directions. The first was on destination to the palace, the other towards a wasteland in the distance. The first vessel landed near the Palace and the occupants emerged. Several dozen troops emerged, all armored in imposing grey with black aesthetic metal, their faces covered by helmets that gave off glow from the eye protection, all armed with firearms not of this time. But they were not the most imposing of them. Leading them was a man with powerful aura about him deserving of command. Though he appeared in his mid 20s, the look he gave suggested significant experience and deserved confidence. Like the troops he was armored in grey, bearing a symbol of a black figurine encompassed by a gray shield on the right end of his chest guard, the same on his soldiers and vehicles. His armor otherwise seemed distinct, clearly protective yet not overweight, allowing flexibility, yet distinguished enough to set him apart, and geometric lining patterns seen across his armor. Should people of this era see it, they would think it forged by the gods. On his back lay a sword he had now drawn, single edged and glowing with geometric patterns and emitting a white energy. To his side was a firearm which, while smaller, was of more advanced make than his troops. His face was somewhat simple yet stern and strong, not unhandsome and bearing both youth and experience aforementioned. Despite this apparent youth, his hair was a contradiction, bearing a contrast of grey and brown colors, falling to his neck in parted strands but not enough to obstruct combat. The leader held within his hand was a key, yet not ordinary, as it bore a numeral II and glowed. When holding it in front of himself, it glowed brightest in front of the structure. The man seemed to gain an understanding from this interaction, and signaled “Let us move”. “Yes, Lord Protector!”, sounded off his men as they bust through the gates. The palace guards responded quickly as they sounded the alarms. Both warriors in samurai armor and archers from higher ground attacked the intruders, fighting with grace, and yet, it amounted to only loss. Neither blade nor arrow harmed the soldiers, only denting their armor even with the most grievous of blows. The counterattack from the invading force was devastating, s the palace guard fell in bloodied mass before the barrage of fare from their weapons, their expressions aghast with horror from such power only described as sorcery from their perspective. The man known only as Lord Protector only strode forth through into the palace, paying no mind to what happened. He took a few of his men with him as he descended towards the lower levels by using his firearm to blast into the floor, as that is where the key directed, and left the rest to hold off any nuisances.

…

“What, they have broken through and are entering the lower levels?!”, stated the Emperor. “Yes, my emperor, and our forces appear to be held by the enemy” stated the scout. The  Emperor’s eyes narrowed as grim and stern as when Aku first returned. I f they were heading to the sealed area beneath the palace, to the vaulted place of the relic guarded by his ancestors for so long, the enemy could only be after that power. The warnings and descriptions of their fearsome power did not deter the Emperor, or even his age having dulled his combat experience. Preparing his blade, he turned to a hidden passage to confront the enemy, giving his wife the Empress a tender look before returning to his determined persona. He would guard the relic and its power, even at the cost of his life.

…

Jack had heard the sounds of crashing, crying, and most disturbingly, gunfire. He didn’t bother to think of it though, as he ran down to main area of the palace with only his usual white gi and trusted magic sword. What he found was devastating. The palace entrance room appeared smashed and burnt in many places, the recently restored artwork of his family once again brought to ruin. Painting the devastation, was the blood and carcasses of so many palace guards. At the center of the devastation was most surprising, with gray and black armored soldiers with firearms finishing off the remnants. Jack only pondered for a second about such inconsistencies from the future being here, as he was quick to realize they were the ones slaughtering the brave guards. As Jack charged, the soldiers took notice and fired. Jack’s adventures in the future left him prepared though, as he ran towards them dodging most of the gunfire and deflecting what he couldn’t with his sword. The guards were stunned, as they never expected this from any local warrior. The stunned moment was fatal, as Jack charged in and cut three soldiers down in seconds, the sound flesh, blood and circuitry mixed as their remains feel. The other soldiers recovered, as they surrounded Jack to fire at the spot he was at. They didn’t count on his jumping skills though, as he leaped from the spot at the last minute and landed behind two most soldiers to cut him down. “ If that’s the way it’s going to be, fine!” said a guard’s mechanized voice as he pulled a blade from a holster at his side alongside another, while the other three prepared to give fire support. It would have been a decent tactic to a novice, but Jack turned it around. He closed in with one of the bladed soldiers with his, only taking two strikes to cut both the blade and the soldier down. The second one fared even worse, as Jack blocked the blade with the sword, then freed one of hands to disarm his opponent, grabbed him in his disorientation, and his armored body as a shield for the gunfire, lucky for Jack, but not the other soldiers. The gunmen would pay for that mistake, as Jack hurled the body to distract them, giving him the moment he needed to close in and slice them in their desperation to survive. Jack, in his usual post battle posture, stood a moment tensed up before straightening up, taking care of the blood on his word before sheathing it. Yes, blood, Jack realized, still grim from the thought of having to take lives. But when he looked at the bodies of his enemies, the blood was the only assurance they were human. Their armor was thick and mechanical, only penetrable by his sacred steel, years of training, and skilled techniques. It was what was beneath the armor that was most unnerving, as ghastly wounds had shown circuitry interwoven into flesh, questioning how human they were. This brought the contradictions back to Jack’s mind. “These soldiers, their weapons and armor, even this technology seared into their flesh, I have seen things like this before, in Aku’s future. But Aku is no more, his future is gone with him. Even with that, I never encountered soldiers like this then. Who are these brutal people, what do they want with this time?” Jack thought. His thoughts were taken by the sounds of clashing steel towards a blasted hole in the ground. Jack knew not of this area, but it was clear the enemy lingered, and he would need to confront them for answers, as he descended below to the battle.

Part 3

While the battle at the palace occurred, a second team flew over a barren wasteland, devoid of life and hope even with the blossoming nature not far away. The extraction team flew to the center of it all, a crater with only a few shattered stones here and there. The lead of the team was only informed enough to know what to find, and but that in itself was iffy. Part of it came from reading they had received from this same place of a power source long since dead and decaded for them, but here enough may still be alive to thrive. The other part came from legends the Lord Protector cared not for. The legends stated of a living evil with great power that ruled mercillesly, and though the soldiers didn’t much believe it, this land was still scarred by his dominion, feeling the ominous nature of it all. Still, they had a job to do, and the Lord Protector was keen on results when he was done on his end. After scanning the area, the extraction team set to work, quickly excavating the area while the soldiers guarded the area for trouble. Soon, they found what they sought for. Even though the Lord Protector looked into it himself, it was amazing his assertions were true. The excavation team preserved their find, a small black stone spiked in several directions. The substance found was all that survived from whatever happened here, and even in this time, an analysis would show it was dying and decaying. With their resources though, that was no issue. The team packed up into the transport, informing the Lord Protector and following instructions to return to the time portal and back to origin. They did so, not knowing the evil they had dredged up from the dead earth.

…

Jack was stunned to see his aged father confronting an unmasked man in armor akin to that of the soldiers, figuring he was the leader. The emperor was making up for lack of strength and agility with tactics and experience, but that was only getting him so far, as he suffered several flesh wounds already, and his age only increased their toll. The Lord Protector fared much better, and the exchange of blades saw his blade overpowering the Emperor. “You fight well, elder, most random warriors do not last to this point. Bur we both know the outcome so relinquish the Key of Time” pronounced the Lord Protector. “I refuse. Your power alone does not give you right to power beyond mortal understanding. I can see it already destroying you, so cease before suffer the greatest loss.” “What do you know of loss?!” screamed the Lord Protector, bringing down his blade and slashing through the Emperor’s blade flesh. “FATHER!” cried Jack, carrying his blade in fury to the Lord Protector. The Lord Protector narrowed his eyes and met Jack’s blade with his own, the fury of blades illuminating the secret chamber below the palace, the sparks of each clash paling to the fury in Jack’s eyes. In spite of that, the Lord Protector only indicated this was a mild challenge by his expression. Jack kept attempting for the opponent’s apparent openings, but these were all feints, as the Lord Protector blocked each one with anticipation and responded with blows that pushed the Samurai back. The Samurai had enough, and decided to use the trusted Horse Cutting Technique that felled many adversaries. The Lord Protector braced and took the blow with his sword, and both remained unharmed by Jack’s attack. Jack was stunned, as only a certain Scotsman took that blow before with no damage. Now it was the Lord Protector’s turn. Jack was suddenly on both defensive and evasive, as he blocked what he could and evaded what he couldn’t. But each block saw him pushed back, and several evaded attacks still saw him with cuts. Jack tried one last desperate attempt as on one of their clashes, he diverted the opponent’s blade and tried to use the opening to land a punch, hoping to use that for an opening with his blade. But instead, his opponent caught his and threw him back down on the ground, with Jack holding his sword in defense only for it be knocked back by the enemy. The Lord Protector seemed to have pity though, as he went in with a fist instead of his blade, taking the wind straight out of the Samurai’s lungs and leaving him there barely awake and breathing, but unable to move for the time being. The Lord Protector walked over to a pedestal that had a key similar to his own, only with a numeral I on it. In came the Empress from the secret passageway, gasping and rushing to her fallen husband. He was still breathing, but even with treatment, his survival was uncertain. The Lord Protector then seemed distracted. “You have retrieved the second objective then? Yes, the artifact is mine. Proceed through the rift above, I will return on my own. Take note that the listed units that accompanied me won’t be returning.” Talking as though he spoke to a ghost. He then held the key as it glowed, and to Jack’s amazement, a black white time portal, like so many he had seen, emerged. The Lord Protector gave only a stern glance to the recovering Samurai and said “ Do not be a fool like that man. To oppose myself, Magnus, is a sheer act of stupidity.”. “Wait, Magnus, that’s who he is, but why..?” the Samurai thought as Magnus walked through the portal. Jack got to his feet and saw to his father, and by now people from the palace had come to see the state of the Emperor and aid him. “Father, are you”, said Jack, “Do not concern your…” coughed the Emperor incompletely with blood. The Empress had tears down her eyes, as the attendants began to see to his wounds with grim eyes. “Wait, my son, you must know, the key taken, for many generations our family has guarded it, not knowing it’s exact nature except it’s connection to time. If misused it could be...” the Emperor coughed again with more blood. “ Please do not overexert yourself!” cried the Emperess. Jack ha a solemn expression contemplating his thoughts. He then made a decision. Gathering his sword, he walked over to the now unstable time portal. “Son, no! You’ve already suffered a perilous journey through time. There’s no knowing if you will come back this time!” cried the Empress. Jack walked over to both of them with a sad expression, and hugged his parents gently, careful of his father’s injuries. His face and actions conveyed it all. He needed to go, must go. Whatever Magnus intends, he must be stopped and made to answer for what he did. He knew it could be another long journey, but he would return with all his power one day. As Jack got up and left for the portal, his father said one last thing. “My son, take what I said earlier to heart, I know not what you face, but I suspect new hardships await you before you may persevere. I wish you would not see need for this, but I know you will persevere if stand by your beliefs. Whatever you decide, now or then, I stand by you, my son.” Said the Emperor weekly. The Samurai gave a slight smile as a last farewell as walked into the portal as it faded.

Note: Hello, this is Psychicdan. So after that, uh, controversial ending, I had mixed thoughts. I respect Genndy, even if I wanted things to go down differently, so that’s part of why the bittersweet ending is here. It will also be used here into story building up as you probably picked up. Another reason for this fanfic sequel is that I just felt I didn’t get enough Samurai Jack, and wanted more things like development over Season 5. Seeing others write their own stories out there inspired me to do the same. For those of you wondering about Ashi, yes she will be here(SPOILERS) involving differing memories and butterfly effect. By development, I mean both Jack and Ashi’s romance and Jack’s progression to stronger and more human character than what he returned to in the later part of Season 5. Jack is not fighting simple evil anymore, and that’s part of why Magnus is here. Come back next time to see Jack and Ashi’s reunion as Jack confronts the Magnus Protectorate. Also, if anyone wants to art of this you’re more than welcome, just be sure to give credit to both Genndy for the original Samurai Jack and myself for the fan work.

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[scifi4wifi]

"Star Trek: Enterprise" Star John Billingsley Beams into "Uncharted Regions"

“Star Trek: Enterprise” Star John Billingsley Beams into “Uncharted Regions”

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Swords & Circuitry Studios is very pleased to announce thatsci-fi icon John Billingsley will star in an episode of Uncharted Regions, a weird-tales audio drama series currently in production of its first season. Mr. Billingsley appears in the episode “Haven” as Dr. Jacobson, a dying man seeking peace on a remote alien world, but who finds himself pursued by a relentless…

[noaksey]

New Post has been published on http://noaksey.com/event-zettabyte-presents-power-up-digital-games-conference/

[EVENT] Zettabyte presents Power-Up Digital Games Conference

Zettabyte MPR, LLC have just announced the second

Power-Up Digital Games Conference (PDGC).

The FREE event will take place on the chat app Discord (https://discordapp.com/invite/pdgc) from February 2nd to 5th (Thursday to Sunday).

The theme will focus on the development process and give budding developers more of a chance to shine and show off their projects and what they can really do, while listening to games industry legends give their wisdom and experience. The guest speakers will give their words of advice and insight, as before, while many of them will delve more into the development cycle, proper project management, marketing, the basics, and even the more advanced necessities. This culminates to a single theme that Zettabyte MPR has dubbed the “PDGC II: The Devs Strike Back!”. The Conference (otherwise known as the PDGC) is a 100% free event to help educate and inspire new developers, indie developers, aspiring game testers, or anyone willing to listen to words of wisdom among the industry. No travel, no hotels, no need to leave the house. “Since it’s on Discord, you can attend via your computer or your smartphone,” Jesse Collins, CEO of Zettabyte MPR, LLC and founder of the PDGC explained the original premise of the PDGC. “It’s not often you can attend a Conference in your pajamas.”

The first PDGC, themed “Words of Wisdom”, took place last July during a 24/7, full-week-long extravaganza. Between a whopping total of 27 talks among the most outstanding and knowledgeable speakers, the event was successful, even though there was: zero budget, a minimal (but enthusiastic) volunteer staff, and the help of some great partnerships.

This year, the PDGC takes place for four days instead, and will contain more action and speakers than ever before. During the first PDGC, 22 special guests attended and spoke (sometimes more than once), giving their expert opinions and experiences to newcomers in the games industry and anyone just willing to learn.

Out of those, we have confirmed fifteen of them will be joining the PDGC again:

Billy Joe Cain (Director of Business Development, Meta 3D Studios)

Chris Pusczak (President, SymbioVR)

Connor VanDyke (President, Major Games)

Dave Oshry (CEO, New Blood Interactive)

Dave Vogt (CEO, The Ludicrous Ones)

Gabriel Orlandelli (Lead Designer, Major Games)

Gregory MacMartin, (CEO, IDGi)

Greg Zeschuk (Former Founder, Bioware)

Jess Brummer (Project Director, Burnout Game Studios)

Jesse Collins (CEO, Zettabyte MPR, LLC)

Joerg Droege (Writer, Scene World Magazine)

Rebecca Heineman (President, Olde Skuul)

Renee Gittins (President, Stumbling Cat)

Richie Bisso (President, Hyperkinetic Studios)

Rupert Meghnot (CXO, Burnout Game Ventures)

In addition to the returning guests, the PDGC II will feature an additional slew of nineteen newcomers to the PDGC (giving a total of 34!), including:

Becky Taylor (Game Industry Consultant)

Blair Leggett (CTO, One More Story Games)

Chad Hoover (President, Continuum Studio)

David Baity (CTO, Crimson Leaf, LLC)

Heidi MacDonald (Creative Director & Head Troublemaker, iThrive)

James Morgan III (CEO, IndieBox)

Japheth Dillman (CEO, CLEVR; CCO, YetiZen; VP of Content, PlayTable)

Jason Fader (Game Designer, Night Dive Studios)

Jean Leggett (CEO, One More Story Games)

MJ Johns (Founder, Astire Games)

Neal Hallford (Executive Producer, Swords and Circuitry Studios)

Nolan Clemmons (Founder & CEO, Wufasta)

Piotr Sobolewski (CEO, The Knights of Unity)

Radka Janek (Game Programmer; Various)

Sean Siem (Director of Operations VR/AR, Jetstream Software)

Sebastien Pacetti (CEO, Yunoia)

Stephen Kick (President, Night Dive Studios)

Stephen Machuga (President, Stack Up)

Tyler Coleman (Founder, Retora Game Studios)

Panels will be a new feature among the talks. During the Conference, we will feature either panels of Special Guests speaking about a topic, or allow attendees to discuss specific topics verbally. The first two to be announced are:

“Restoring the Classics – Turok, System Shock, Fallout, and Rise of the Triad”and the future of them from those in the know.

Classic games are being remade left and right. Find out more detail on the past and the future of them from those in the know.

Thursday, February 2nd @ 6PM EST

Featuring Stephen Kick, Jason Fader, and Dave Oshry

“Legends of RPG”

Some of the game industry’s most legendary figures join together to talk about Role Playing Games, gaming as a whole, what the future holds, and any type of tangent they find

Sunday, February 5th @ Midnight EST

Featuring Rebecca Heineman, Greg Zeschuk, Gregory MacMartin, Neal Hallford, Jason Fader, and Richie Bisso.

During the event, developers will have the ability to show off their games and projects via text channels and Twitch (which, with permission, will be hosted via official streams for viewing). Constant chat discussion will go within the text channels, asking various questions to be answered by attendees. Official Partners with the PDGC include: Discord, Indie Collaborative Games, PowerUp Games, ProjectMQ, and (of course) Zettabyte MPR.

In addition to the PDGC, there will be a GoFundMe set up for donations to great causes.

Proceeds will be split between Stack-Up, IGDA Foundation, and (a smaller amount to) Zettabyte MPR. “Since the entire event is free, we want to show a way to give back to the community and maybe help keep our own lights on in the process,” Jesse Collins said. “This allows us to help our friends at both Stack-Up and the IGDA Foundation, while not taking away from the spirit of the Conference itself.”

Attendance to the PDGC is 100% FREE, but Zettabyte MPR still recommends registering for the event and states this has its own perks.

Register Here

[psychicdan]

Months after enjoying the peace following the destruction of Aku and dealing with the loss of Ashi, Jack’s tranquility is shattered when an invading force from across time attacks his home and assaults his family and people. Who is this imposing Magnus and his followers in steel and guns? What do they want from the Emperor? Can Jack stop him? The beginning to a new journey for Jack that will test his spirit and confront new areas of right and wrong and meet friends and enemies new and old, read here!

Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai Rating T to M, depending how graphic you see this. Warning: The following is a work of fanfiction and is not intentionally connected to real word places, events, or people, nor intended to copy others’ work. Samurai Jack is the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, his team and affiliated studios and companies. Tis is soly fanfiction for fun and not profit. Chapter I: The New Beginning Part 1 Looking at the setting sun and growing twilight from the height of the imperial palace, a Samurai garbed in white stood there in peace with a kind yet somber smile. The complicated expression was expected of course. Months ago, the Samurai, known as Jack by many in another time, experienced so many things. To travel to a distant future, journey to places of imagination, meet extraordinary people, and combat threats beyond what his training prepared him for. For 50 years he had gone through this, unable to age or succeed, and despair pushed further to death. His memories take a lighter turn, as it was ironically an assailant from his sworn enemy that had saved his life and soul, and reignited the will to face his sworn enemy, Aku. Though the encounter seemed to turn hopeless when his loved comrade was in fact Aku’s daughter, they overcame it, and through the demon’s own power, returned to the past to slay both him and his distraught future. Everything seemed right, but at the height of the planned wedding, the Samurai had lost her to time itself, her being connected to Aku’s existence in future. He could only mourn her with her name then, “Ashi” cried the Samurai solemly, as he crumbled at their wedding. At a forest he had visited in the future though, he came to find hope in the despair, a ladybug reminding him of his cherished time and the blooming trees telling him what both of them fought and sacrificed for, a future free from Aku’s grip and allowed happiness. This had eased the Samurai’s pain in time, though his soul still cringed in pain from time to time. It seems whether here or in Aku’s future, he was always bound by his past. The peace was welcoming though, and Jack, his family and people prospered. His father had walked towards him then. “This is truly a welcome experience, to be free from the fear of evil, is it not son?” said the Emperor. “Yes, it does me great good, I had not felt this way since childhood.” remembered Jack. The Emperor nodded, but then his expression turned grim then. “ I had told you then to always be cautious, as evil could be lurking behind you, yes? It is good to take in the peace, but do not lessen your guard my son. Even without Aku, or without evil itself, there may always be forces threatening what you believe in. You must be prepared to stand your ground, else you lose everything.” The Emperor stated. Jack appeared puzzled, questioning, “Without Aku or evil, what do you mean father?”. The Emperor sighed. “ Perhaps I am overcautious from experience, but your fights will not always be simply be righteous, or against evil. Time and time again, people have fought over their beliefs, spilling blood for what they hold is right. You must be open minded to their thoughts while affirming and acknowledging your own, else you risk either succumbing to arrogance or being cut down through complacency. It may be hard to understand now, but I tell you this so can make such hard decisions for what you believe in” the Emperor explained as he walked away. Jack was puzzled by his father’s warning. He had made hard decisions, such as sacrificing time portals to help others or confronting the Daughters of Aku in lethal combat to defend his own life. But why would he ever falter in his own beliefs for that of an enemy? He supposed that it must be his time fighting those blatantly wrong like Aku, but the Samurai was getting the impression maybe he did not understand what it meant about hard decisions in a fight. Hopefully, that bridge wouldn’t need to be crossed thought Jack as he walked back inside, not noticing in the night sky a tear and void of black and white rings. Part 2: A large and imposing warship emerged from the void in time, and from it to smaller docked vehicles left in two differing directions. The first was on destination to the palace, the other towards a wasteland in the distance. The first vessel landed near the Palace and the occupants emerged. Several dozen troops emerged, all armored in imposing grey with black aesthetic metal, their faces covered by helmets that gave off glow from the eye protection, all armed with firearms not of this time. But they were not the most imposing of them. Leading them was a man with powerful aura about him deserving of command. Though he appeared in his mid 20s, the look he gave suggested significant experience and deserved confidence. Like the troops he was armored in grey, bearing a symbol of a black figurine encompassed by a gray shield on the right end of his chest guard, the same on his soldiers and vehicles. His armor otherwise seemed distinct, clearly protective yet not overweight, allowing flexibility, yet distinguished enough to set him apart, and geometric lining patterns seen across his armor. Should people of this era see it, they would think it forged by the gods. On his back lay a sword he had now drawn, single edged and glowing with geometric patterns and emitting a white energy. To his side was a firearm which, while smaller, was of more advanced make than his troops. His face was somewhat simple yet stern and strong, not unhandsome and bearing both youth and experience aforementioned. Despite this apparent youth, his hair was a contradiction, bearing a contrast of grey and brown colors, falling to his neck in parted strands but not enough to obstruct combat. The leader held within his hand was a key, yet not ordinary, as it bore a numeral II and glowed. When holding it in front of himself, it glowed brightest in front of the structure. The man seemed to gain an understanding from this interaction, and signaled “Let us move”. “Yes, Lord Protector!”, sounded off his men as they burst through the gates. The palace guards responded quickly as they sounded the alarms. Both warriors in samurai armor and archers from higher ground attacked the intruders, fighting with grace, and yet, it amounted to only loss. Neither blade nor arrow harmed the soldiers, only denting their armor even with the most grievous of blows. The counterattack from the invading force was devastating, as the palace guard fell in bloodied mass before the barrage of fire from their weapons, their expressions aghast with horror from such power only described as sorcery from their perspective. The man known only as Lord Protector only strode forth through into the palace, paying no mind to what happened. He took a few of his men with him as he descended towards the lower levels by using his firearm to blast into the floor, as that is where the key directed, and left the rest to hold off any nuisances. … “What, they have broken through and are entering the lower levels?!”, stated the Emperor. “Yes, my emperor, and our forces appear to be held by the enemy” stated the scout. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as grim and stern as when Aku first returned. If they were heading to the sealed area beneath the palace, to the vaulted place of the relic guarded by his ancestors for so long, the enemy could only be after that power. The warnings and descriptions of their fearsome power did not deter the Emperor, or even his age having dulled his combat experience. Preparing his blade, he turned to a hidden passage to confront the enemy, giving his wife the Empress a tender look before returning to his determined persona. He would guard the relic and its power, even at the cost of his life. … Jack had heard the sounds of crashing, crying, and most disturbingly, gunfire. He didn’t bother to think of it though, as he ran down to main area of the palace with only his usual white gi and trusted magic sword. What he found was devastating. The palace entrance room appeared smashed and burnt in many places, the recently restored artwork of his family once again brought to ruin. Painting the devastation, was the blood and carcasses of so many palace guards. At the center of the devastation was most surprising, with gray and black armored soldiers with firearms finishing off the remnants. Jack only pondered for a second about such inconsistencies from the future being here, as he was quick to realize they were the ones slaughtering the brave guards. As Jack charged, the soldiers took notice and fired. Jack’s adventures in the future left him prepared though, as he ran towards them dodging most of the gunfire and deflecting what he couldn’t with his sword. The guards were stunned, as they never expected this from any local warrior. The stunned moment was fatal, as Jack charged in and cut three soldiers down in seconds, the sound flesh, blood and circuitry mixed as their remains feel. The other soldiers recovered, as they surrounded Jack to fire at the spot he was at. They didn’t count on his jumping skills though, as he leaped from the spot at the last minute and landed behind two most soldiers to cut him down. “ If that’s the way it’s going to be, fine!” said a guard’s mechanized voice as he pulled a blade from a holster at his side alongside another, while the other three prepared to give fire support. It would have been a decent tactic to a novice, but Jack turned it around. He closed in with one of the bladed soldiers with his, only taking two strikes to cut both the blade and the soldier down. The second one fared even worse, as Jack blocked the blade with the sword, then freed one of hands to disarm his opponent, grabbed him in his disorientation, and his armored body as a shield for the gunfire, lucky for Jack, but not the other soldiers. The gunmen would pay for that mistake, as Jack hurled the body to distract them, giving him the moment he needed to close in and slice them in their desperation to survive. Jack, in his usual post battle posture, stood a moment tensed up before straightening up, taking care of the blood on his word before sheathing it. Yes, blood, Jack realized, still grim from the thought of having to take lives. But when he looked at the bodies of his enemies, the blood was the only assurance they were human. Their armor was thick and mechanical, only penetrable by his sacred steel, years of training, and skilled techniques. It was what was beneath the armor that was most unnerving, as ghastly wounds had shown circuitry interwoven into flesh, questioning how human they were. This brought the contradictions back to Jack’s mind. “These soldiers, their weapons and armor, even this technology seared into their flesh, I have seen things like this before, in Aku’s future. But Aku is no more, his future is gone with him. Even with that, I never encountered soldiers like this then. Who are these brutal people, what do they want with this time?” Jack thought. His thoughts were taken by the sounds of clashing steel towards a blasted hole in the ground. Jack knew not of this area, but it was clear the enemy lingered, and he would need to confront them for answers, as he descended below to the battle. Part 3 While the battle at the palace occurred, a second team flew over a barren wasteland, devoid of life and hope even with the blossoming nature not far away. The extraction team flew to the center of it all, a crater with only a few shattered stones here and there. The lead of the team was only informed enough to know what to find, and but that in itself was iffy. Part of it came from reading they had received from this same place of a power source long since dead and decaded for them, but here enough may still be alive to thrive. The other part came from legends the Lord Protector cared not for. The legends stated of a living evil with great power that ruled mercillesly, and though the soldiers didn’t much believe it, this land was still scarred by his dominion, feeling the ominous nature of it all. Still, they had a job to do, and the Lord Protector was keen on results when he was done on his end. After scanning the area, the extraction team set to work, quickly excavating the area while the soldiers guarded the area for trouble. Soon, they found what they sought for. Even though the Lord Protector looked into it himself, it was amazing his assertions were true. The excavation team preserved their find, a small black stone spiked in several directions. The substance found was all that survived from whatever happened here, and even in this time, an analysis would show it was dying and decaying. With their resources though, that was no issue. The team packed up into the transport, informing the Lord Protector and following instructions to return to the time portal and back to origin. They did so, not knowing the evil they had dredged up from the dead earth. … Jack was stunned to see his aged father confronting an unmasked man in armor akin to that of the soldiers, figuring he was the leader. The emperor was making up for lack of strength and agility with tactics and experience, but that was only getting him so far, as he suffered several flesh wounds already, and his age only increased their toll. The Lord Protector fared much better, and the exchange of blades saw his blade overpowering the Emperor. “You fight well, elder, most random warriors do not last to this point. Bur we both know the outcome so relinquish the Key of Time” pronounced the Lord Protector. “I refuse. Your power alone does not give you right to power beyond mortal understanding. I can see it already destroying you, so cease before suffer the greatest loss.” “What do you know of loss?!” screamed the Lord Protector, bringing down his blade and slashing through the Emperor’s blade flesh. “FATHER!” cried Jack, carrying his blade in fury to the Lord Protector. The Lord Protector narrowed his eyes and met Jack’s blade with his own, the fury of blades illuminating the secret chamber below the palace, the sparks of each clash paling to the fury in Jack’s eyes. In spite of that, the Lord Protector only indicated this was a mild challenge by his expression. Jack kept attempting for the opponent’s apparent openings, but these were all feints, as the Lord Protector blocked each one with anticipation and responded with blows that pushed the Samurai back. The Samurai had enough, and decided to use the trusted Horse Cutting Technique that felled many adversaries. The Lord Protector braced and took the blow with his sword, and both remained unharmed by Jack’s attack. Jack was stunned, as only a certain Scotsman took that blow before with no damage. Now it was the Lord Protector’s turn. Jack was suddenly on both defensive and evasive, as he blocked what he could and evaded what he couldn’t. But each block saw him pushed back, and several evaded attacks still saw him with cuts. Jack tried one last desperate attempt as on one of their clashes, he diverted the opponent’s blade and tried to use the opening to land a punch, hoping to use that for an opening with his blade. But instead, his opponent caught his and threw him back down on the ground, with Jack holding his sword in defense only for it be knocked back by the enemy. The Lord Protector seemed to have pity though, as he went in with a fist instead of his blade, taking the wind straight out of the Samurai’s lungs and leaving him there barely awake and breathing, but unable to move for the time being. The Lord Protector walked over to a pedestal that had a key similar to his own, only with a numeral I on it. In came the Empress from the secret passageway, gasping and rushing to her fallen husband. He was still breathing, but even with treatment, his survival was uncertain. The Lord Protector then seemed distracted. “You have retrieved the second objective then? Yes, the artifact is mine. Proceed through the rift above, I will return on my own. Take note that the listed units that accompanied me won’t be returning.” Talking as though he spoke to a ghost. He then held the key as it glowed, and to Jack’s amazement, a black white time portal, like so many he had seen before, emerged. The Lord Protector gave only a stern glance to the recovering Samurai and said “ Do not be a fool like that man. To oppose myself, Magnus, is a sheer act of stupidity.”. “Wait, Magnus, that’s who he is, but why..?” the Samurai thought as Magnus walked through the portal. Jack got to his feet and saw to his father, and by now people from the palace had come to see the state of the Emperor and aid him. “Father, are you”, said Jack, “Do not concern your…” coughed the Emperor incompletely with blood. The Empress had tears down her eyes, as the attendants began to see to his wounds with grim eyes. “Wait, my son, you must know, the key taken, for many generations our family has guarded it, not knowing it’s exact nature except it’s connection to time. If misused it could be...” the Emperor coughed again with more blood. “ Please do not overexert yourself!” cried the Emperess. Jack had a solemn expression contemplating his thoughts. He then made a decision. Gathering his sword, he walked over to the now unstable time portal. “Son, no! You’ve already suffered a perilous journey through time. There’s no knowing if you will come back this time!” cried the Empress. Jack walked over to both of them with a sad expression, and hugged his parents gently, careful of his father’s injuries. His face and actions conveyed it all. He needed to go, must go. Whatever Magnus intends, he must be stopped and made to answer for what he did. He knew it could be another long journey, but he would return with all his power one day. As Jack got up and left for the portal, his father said one last thing. “My son, take what I said earlier to heart, I know not what you face, but I suspect new hardships await you before you may persevere. I wish you would not see need for this, but I know you will persevere if you stand by your beliefs. Whatever you decide, now or then, I stand by you, my son.” Said the Emperor weekly. The Samurai gave a slight smile as a last farewell as he walked into the portal as it faded. Note: Hello, this is Psychicdan. So after that, uh, controversial ending, I had mixed thoughts. I respect Genndy, even if I wanted things to go down differently, so that’s part of why the bittersweet ending is here. It will also be used here into story building up as you probably picked up. Another reason for this fanfic sequel is that I just felt I didn’t get enough Samurai Jack, and wanted more things like development over Season 5. Seeing others write their own stories out there inspired me to do the same. For those of you wondering about Ashi, yes she will be here(SPOILERS) involving differing memories and butterfly effect. By development, I mean both Jack and Ashi’s romance and Jack’s progression to stronger and more human character than what he returned to in the later part of Season 5. Jack is not fighting simple evil anymore, and that’s part of why Magnus is here. Come back next time to see Jack and Ashi’s reunion as Jack confronts the Magnus Protectorate. Also, if anyone wants to art of this you’re more than welcome, just be sure to give credit to both Genndy for the original Samurai Jack and myself for the fan work.

[psychicdan]

Samurai Jack: Renegade Samurai Rating T to M, depending how graphic you see this. Warning: The following is a work of fanfiction and is not intentionally connected to real word places, events, or people, nor intended to copy others’ work. Samurai Jack is the work of Genndy Tartakovsky, his team and affiliated studios and companies. Tis is soly fanfiction for fun and not profit. Chapter I: The New Beginning Part 1 Looking at the setting sun and growing twilight from the height of the imperial palace, a Samurai garbed in white stood there in peace with a kind yet somber smile. The complicated expression was expected of course. Months ago, the Samurai, known as Jack by many in another time, experienced so many things. To travel to a distant future, journey to places of imagination, meet extraordinary people, and combat threats beyond what his training prepared him for. For 50 years he had gone through this, unable to age or succeed, and despair pushed further to death. His memories take a lighter turn, as it was ironically an assailant from his sworn enemy that had saved his life and soul, and reignited the will to face his sworn enemy, Aku. Though the encounter seemed to turn hopeless when his loved comrade was in fact Aku’s daughter, they overcame it, and through the demon’s own power, returned to the past to slay both him and his distraught future. Everything seemed right, but at the height of the planned wedding, the Samurai had lost her to time itself, her being connected to Aku’s existence in future. He could only mourn her with her name then, “Ashi” cried the Samurai solemly, as he crumbled at their wedding. At a forest he had visited in the future though, he came to find hope in the despair, a ladybug reminding him of his cherished time and the blooming trees telling him what both of them fought and sacrificed for, a future free from Aku’s grip and allowed happiness. This had eased the Samurai’s pain in time, though his soul still cringed in pain from time to time. It seems whether here or in Aku’s future, he was always bound by his past. The peace was welcoming though, and Jack, his family and people prospered. His father had walked towards him then. “This is truly a welcome experience, to be free from the fear of evil, is it not son?” said the Emperor. “Yes, it does me great good, I had not felt this way since childhood.” remembered Jack. The Emperor nodded, but then his expression turned grim then. “ I had told you then to always be cautious, as evil could be lurking behind you, yes? It is good to take in the peace, but do not lessen your guard my son. Even without Aku, or without evil itself, there may always be forces threatening what you believe in. You must be prepared to stand your ground, else you lose everything.” The Emperor stated. Jack appeared puzzled, questioning, “Without Aku or evil, what do you mean father?”. The Emperor sighed. “ Perhaps I am overcautious from experience, but your fights will not always be simply be righteous, or against evil. Time and time again, people have fought over their beliefs, spilling blood for what they hold is right. You must be open minded to their thoughts while affirming and acknowledging your own, else you risk either succumbing to arrogance or being cut down through complacency. It may be hard to understand now, but I tell you this so can make such hard decisions for what you believe in” the Emperor explained as he walked away. Jack was puzzled by his father’s warning. He had made hard decisions, such as sacrificing time portals to help others or confronting the Daughters of Aku in lethal combat to defend his own life. But why would he ever falter in his own beliefs for that of an enemy? He supposed that it must be his time fighting those blatantly wrong like Aku, but the Samurai was getting the impression maybe he did not understand what it meant about hard decisions in a fight. Hopefully, that bridge wouldn’t need to be crossed thought Jack as he walked back inside, not noticing in the night sky a tear and void of black and white rings. Part 2: A large and imposing warship emerged from the void in time, and from it to smaller docked vehicles left in two differing directions. The first was on destination to the palace, the other towards a wasteland in the distance. The first vessel landed near the Palace and the occupants emerged. Several dozen troops emerged, all armored in imposing grey with black aesthetic metal, their faces covered by helmets that gave off glow from the eye protection, all armed with firearms not of this time. But they were not the most imposing of them. Leading them was a man with powerful aura about him deserving of command. Though he appeared in his mid 20s, the look he gave suggested significant experience and deserved confidence. Like the troops he was armored in grey, bearing a symbol of a black figurine encompassed by a gray shield on the right end of his chest guard, the same on his soldiers and vehicles. His armor otherwise seemed distinct, clearly protective yet not overweight, allowing flexibility, yet distinguished enough to set him apart, and geometric lining patterns seen across his armor. Should people of this era see it, they would think it forged by the gods. On his back lay a sword he had now drawn, single edged and glowing with geometric patterns and emitting a white energy. To his side was a firearm which, while smaller, was of more advanced make than his troops. His face was somewhat simple yet stern and strong, not unhandsome and bearing both youth and experience aforementioned. Despite this apparent youth, his hair was a contradiction, bearing a contrast of grey and brown colors, falling to his neck in parted strands but not enough to obstruct combat. The leader held within his hand was a key, yet not ordinary, as it bore a numeral II and glowed. When holding it in front of himself, it glowed brightest in front of the structure. The man seemed to gain an understanding from this interaction, and signaled “Let us move”. “Yes, Lord Protector!”, sounded off his men as they burst through the gates. The palace guards responded quickly as they sounded the alarms. Both warriors in samurai armor and archers from higher ground attacked the intruders, fighting with grace, and yet, it amounted to only loss. Neither blade nor arrow harmed the soldiers, only denting their armor even with the most grievous of blows. The counterattack from the invading force was devastating, as the palace guard fell in bloodied mass before the barrage of fire from their weapons, their expressions aghast with horror from such power only described as sorcery from their perspective. The man known only as Lord Protector only strode forth through into the palace, paying no mind to what happened. He took a few of his men with him as he descended towards the lower levels by using his firearm to blast into the floor, as that is where the key directed, and left the rest to hold off any nuisances. … “What, they have broken through and are entering the lower levels?!”, stated the Emperor. “Yes, my emperor, and our forces appear to be held by the enemy” stated the scout. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as grim and stern as when Aku first returned. If they were heading to the sealed area beneath the palace, to the vaulted place of the relic guarded by his ancestors for so long, the enemy could only be after that power. The warnings and descriptions of their fearsome power did not deter the Emperor, or even his age having dulled his combat experience. Preparing his blade, he turned to a hidden passage to confront the enemy, giving his wife the Empress a tender look before returning to his determined persona. He would guard the relic and its power, even at the cost of his life. … Jack had heard the sounds of crashing, crying, and most disturbingly, gunfire. He didn’t bother to think of it though, as he ran down to main area of the palace with only his usual white gi and trusted magic sword. What he found was devastating. The palace entrance room appeared smashed and burnt in many places, the recently restored artwork of his family once again brought to ruin. Painting the devastation, was the blood and carcasses of so many palace guards. At the center of the devastation was most surprising, with gray and black armored soldiers with firearms finishing off the remnants. Jack only pondered for a second about such inconsistencies from the future being here, as he was quick to realize they were the ones slaughtering the brave guards. As Jack charged, the soldiers took notice and fired. Jack’s adventures in the future left him prepared though, as he ran towards them dodging most of the gunfire and deflecting what he couldn’t with his sword. The guards were stunned, as they never expected this from any local warrior. The stunned moment was fatal, as Jack charged in and cut three soldiers down in seconds, the sound flesh, blood and circuitry mixed as their remains feel. The other soldiers recovered, as they surrounded Jack to fire at the spot he was at. They didn’t count on his jumping skills though, as he leaped from the spot at the last minute and landed behind two most soldiers to cut him down. “ If that’s the way it’s going to be, fine!” said a guard’s mechanized voice as he pulled a blade from a holster at his side alongside another, while the other three prepared to give fire support. It would have been a decent tactic to a novice, but Jack turned it around. He closed in with one of the bladed soldiers with his, only taking two strikes to cut both the blade and the soldier down. The second one fared even worse, as Jack blocked the blade with the sword, then freed one of hands to disarm his opponent, grabbed him in his disorientation, and his armored body as a shield for the gunfire, lucky for Jack, but not the other soldiers. The gunmen would pay for that mistake, as Jack hurled the body to distract them, giving him the moment he needed to close in and slice them in their desperation to survive. Jack, in his usual post battle posture, stood a moment tensed up before straightening up, taking care of the blood on his word before sheathing it. Yes, blood, Jack realized, still grim from the thought of having to take lives. But when he looked at the bodies of his enemies, the blood was the only assurance they were human. Their armor was thick and mechanical, only penetrable by his sacred steel, years of training, and skilled techniques. It was what was beneath the armor that was most unnerving, as ghastly wounds had shown circuitry interwoven into flesh, questioning how human they were. This brought the contradictions back to Jack’s mind. “These soldiers, their weapons and armor, even this technology seared into their flesh, I have seen things like this before, in Aku’s future. But Aku is no more, his future is gone with him. Even with that, I never encountered soldiers like this then. Who are these brutal people, what do they want with this time?” Jack thought. His thoughts were taken by the sounds of clashing steel towards a blasted hole in the ground. Jack knew not of this area, but it was clear the enemy lingered, and he would need to confront them for answers, as he descended below to the battle. Part 3 While the battle at the palace occurred, a second team flew over a barren wasteland, devoid of life and hope even with the blossoming nature not far away. The extraction team flew to the center of it all, a crater with only a few shattered stones here and there. The lead of the team was only informed enough to know what to find, and but that in itself was iffy. Part of it came from reading they had received from this same place of a power source long since dead and decaded for them, but here enough may still be alive to thrive. The other part came from legends the Lord Protector cared not for. The legends stated of a living evil with great power that ruled mercillesly, and though the soldiers didn’t much believe it, this land was still scarred by his dominion, feeling the ominous nature of it all. Still, they had a job to do, and the Lord Protector was keen on results when he was done on his end. After scanning the area, the extraction team set to work, quickly excavating the area while the soldiers guarded the area for trouble. Soon, they found what they sought for. Even though the Lord Protector looked into it himself, it was amazing his assertions were true. The excavation team preserved their find, a small black stone spiked in several directions. The substance found was all that survived from whatever happened here, and even in this time, an analysis would show it was dying and decaying. With their resources though, that was no issue. The team packed up into the transport, informing the Lord Protector and following instructions to return to the time portal and back to origin. They did so, not knowing the evil they had dredged up from the dead earth. … Jack was stunned to see his aged father confronting an unmasked man in armor akin to that of the soldiers, figuring he was the leader. The emperor was making up for lack of strength and agility with tactics and experience, but that was only getting him so far, as he suffered several flesh wounds already, and his age only increased their toll. The Lord Protector fared much better, and the exchange of blades saw his blade overpowering the Emperor. “You fight well, elder, most random warriors do not last to this point. Bur we both know the outcome so relinquish the Key of Time” pronounced the Lord Protector. “I refuse. Your power alone does not give you right to power beyond mortal understanding. I can see it already destroying you, so cease before suffer the greatest loss.” “What do you know of loss?!” screamed the Lord Protector, bringing down his blade and slashing through the Emperor’s blade flesh. “FATHER!” cried Jack, carrying his blade in fury to the Lord Protector. The Lord Protector narrowed his eyes and met Jack’s blade with his own, the fury of blades illuminating the secret chamber below the palace, the sparks of each clash paling to the fury in Jack’s eyes. In spite of that, the Lord Protector only indicated this was a mild challenge by his expression. Jack kept attempting for the opponent’s apparent openings, but these were all feints, as the Lord Protector blocked each one with anticipation and responded with blows that pushed the Samurai back. The Samurai had enough, and decided to use the trusted Horse Cutting Technique that felled many adversaries. The Lord Protector braced and took the blow with his sword, and both remained unharmed by Jack’s attack. Jack was stunned, as only a certain Scotsman took that blow before with no damage. Now it was the Lord Protector’s turn. Jack was suddenly on both defensive and evasive, as he blocked what he could and evaded what he couldn’t. But each block saw him pushed back, and several evaded attacks still saw him with cuts. Jack tried one last desperate attempt as on one of their clashes, he diverted the opponent’s blade and tried to use the opening to land a punch, hoping to use that for an opening with his blade. But instead, his opponent caught his and threw him back down on the ground, with Jack holding his sword in defense only for it be knocked back by the enemy. The Lord Protector seemed to have pity though, as he went in with a fist instead of his blade, taking the wind straight out of the Samurai’s lungs and leaving him there barely awake and breathing, but unable to move for the time being. The Lord Protector walked over to a pedestal that had a key similar to his own, only with a numeral I on it. In came the Empress from the secret passageway, gasping and rushing to her fallen husband. He was still breathing, but even with treatment, his survival was uncertain. The Lord Protector then seemed distracted. “You have retrieved the second objective then? Yes, the artifact is mine. Proceed through the rift above, I will return on my own. Take note that the listed units that accompanied me won’t be returning.” Talking as though he spoke to a ghost. He then held the key as it glowed, and to Jack’s amazement, a black white time portal, like so many he had seen before, emerged. The Lord Protector gave only a stern glance to the recovering Samurai and said “ Do not be a fool like that man. To oppose myself, Magnus, is a sheer act of stupidity.”. “Wait, Magnus, that’s who he is, but why..?” the Samurai thought as Magnus walked through the portal. Jack got to his feet and saw to his father, and by now people from the palace had come to see the state of the Emperor and aid him. “Father, are you”, said Jack, “Do not concern your…” coughed the Emperor incompletely with blood. The Empress had tears down her eyes, as the attendants began to see to his wounds with grim eyes. “Wait, my son, you must know, the key taken, for many generations our family has guarded it, not knowing it’s exact nature except it’s connection to time. If misused it could be...” the Emperor coughed again with more blood. “ Please do not overexert yourself!” cried the Emperess. Jack had a solemn expression contemplating his thoughts. He then made a decision. Gathering his sword, he walked over to the now unstable time portal. “Son, no! You’ve already suffered a perilous journey through time. There’s no knowing if you will come back this time!” cried the Empress. Jack walked over to both of them with a sad expression, and hugged his parents gently, careful of his father’s injuries. His face and actions conveyed it all. He needed to go, must go. Whatever Magnus intends, he must be stopped and made to answer for what he did. He knew it could be another long journey, but he would return with all his power one day. As Jack got up and left for the portal, his father said one last thing. “My son, take what I said earlier to heart, I know not what you face, but I suspect new hardships await you before you may persevere. I wish you would not see need for this, but I know you will persevere if you stand by your beliefs. Whatever you decide, now or then, I stand by you, my son.” Said the Emperor weekly. The Samurai gave a slight smile as a last farewell as he walked into the portal as it faded. Note: Hello, this is Psychicdan. So after that, uh, controversial ending, I had mixed thoughts. I respect Genndy, even if I wanted things to go down differently, so that’s part of why the bittersweet ending is here. It will also be used here into story building up as you probably picked up. Another reason for this fanfic sequel is that I just felt I didn’t get enough Samurai Jack, and wanted more things like development over Season 5. Seeing others write their own stories out there inspired me to do the same. For those of you wondering about Ashi, yes she will be here(SPOILERS) involving differing memories and butterfly effect. By development, I mean both Jack and Ashi’s romance and Jack’s progression to stronger and more human character than what he returned to in the later part of Season 5. Jack is not fighting simple evil anymore, and that’s part of why Magnus is here. Come back next time to see Jack and Ashi’s reunion as Jack confronts the Magnus Protectorate. Also, if anyone wants to art of this you’re more than welcome, just be sure to give credit to both Genndy for the original Samurai Jack and myself for the fan work.

[scifi4wifi]

Halloween Special Presentation: "Uncharted Regions" Sneak Preview!

Halloween Special Presentation: “Uncharted Regions” Sneak Preview!

Beyond everything we know, beyond everything we believe lie thirteen tales of mystery and imagination. Welcome to the Uncharted Regions, a weird tales audio drama series from Swords & Circuitry Studios, brought to you by a special Krypton Radio presentation on Halloween. It will air 4 times through the day — 4 AM, 4 PM, 9PM, and 12 midnight, all Pacific Time — so you’ll get four different…

[hatthewmart]

Studio VI - Conceptual Statement

The Sword in the Stone was my first attempt at a large-scale interactive physical artefact where there are internal mechanisms which require physical force to change the overall experience. It has been quite intimidating at times as I am not the best with my hands in terms of physical building and circuitry but I felt as if I needed to push myself this semester to make something truly awesome and epic.

One of the most important aspects of this project is holding the sword in the stone. I have had many suggestions about how I am going to do this such as using clamps or magnets. I have had suggestions for making it so the sword cannot be pulled out of the stone but I think that ruins the purpose of the whole project as I want the experience to be fulfilling and satisfying when you unsheathe the sword. So, I had to find a way to make the sword sit in there without being easily pulled out yet still being able to be pulled out with a mechanism. I resorted to using electromagnets for the locking device as they can be manipulated the quickest and most discreetly with just a flick of a switch to turn them on and off. The overall mechanism was simple with just having an infrared switch connected to the electromagnets initially. The circuit then developed into switching between powering the electromagnets and powering a LED lamp with the use of a relay mechanism. The LED lamp was essential as it creates a more magical feel to the overall event of pulling the sword out of the stone when it illuminates the whole and the blade of the sword.

The sword that I purchased was titled the ‘Templar Knight Sword’. It is made of carbon steel which is a magnetic material as opposed to stainless steel which a large majority of swords especially in New Zealand are made of. This sword had the look that fitted the whole aesthetic of the project and theme as it looks somewhat Celtic which is where the original King Arthur’s mythology and tales were based upon. One of the major problems with this sword is that the blade was sharp which could lead to a lot of health and safety problems, so I had to blunt the blade and tip of the sword. This was accomplished with a fine file and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. The process of blunting the sword took approximately two hours for both sides of the blade to be blunted.

I wanted all the circuitry and electronics to be held inside the rock to make it more seamless and mobile. This also meant that the overall circuit had to run on batteries and not through a wall plug. With all of this considered, the rock turned out to be a lot larger than anticipated but it still looks like a realistic rock and the locking mechanism works with the wireless infrared switch so there is no problem. There had to be an access door at the back of the rock to be able to change and charge the batteries and make any changes to the circuitry. Although it makes the whole rock less rock-like, I think it is essential and a very important aspect especially for health and safety reasons.

I feel as if overall the project was successful as it is intuitive and instantly recognisable as people see it and know exactly what it is and that was especially important for this project because without this, the effect wouldn’t be the same. The whole notion in some of the references is that the sword in the stone is a legendary landmark and if people don’t recognise what it is, then it’s not a landmark.

One of the major issues with the project is that the sword can still be pulled out of the stone when the electromagnet is activated if you use a great amount of force. This was quite concerning as it somewhat ruins the whole premise of the project but my project after all is just a proof of concept that the idea works. This could be improved by adding more electromagnets but I’m not sure if that’s the most efficient way of solving the issue. I have had suggestions to prevent this issue in the ways of having a clamp which dig into small serrations of the blade but that would lead to more health and safety issues at it is serrating the blade.

[hatthewmart]

Studio VI - Circuitry II

There were a few developments that I feel were needed to make whole sword in the stone experience more immersive and believable. I wanted to add a light that turns on when the magnet is not on to make a beam of light that shines to the ceiling. I want this to create a magical feeling.

I needed a way to make the light turn on while the magnet is off and i found that the easiest way was to use a relay which switches the current from the lamp to the magnet and vice versa. I also found when testing the magnets that they were not powerful enough to get the intended effect. I also wanted to increase the surface area of the magnet to the blade thus adding another electromagnet.

Here is the updated circuit diagram with all of the components. The two battery's are both 12v but together they are set up as 24v. Because of the change of the batteries, i had to change the relay and the LED lamp from 12v to 24v which was no issue. I could also have changed the infrared switch but after a quick Google search it wouldn't be necessary.

I also added a kill switch to the beginning of the diagram labeled (2 pole switch) because whenever the electromagnet is off the lamp is on and if the lap was always on the batteries would be always in use  and would have to charged more frequently which wouldn't be convenient. I also added a 2 ampere fuse for protection of the circuit. 

[8thdiamond]

Know Your Target Market

Neal and I own Swords & Circuitry Studios, a creative atelier involved in independent film, narrative game design, and other forms of storytelling.  Last week  we received an offer in the mail for an old-school Yellow Pages ad. (Yes, the telephone book.) It contained a pre-filled out listing, for us to correct or approve before sending in payment. The funny part: our listing category heading was CUTLERY. 

We have no plans to run such an ad, but this offer did bring a smile.