Fantasist’s Scroll

Not sure where this fits, really, but it’s interesting.

Ever wanted to get a close look at the inside of a prison without going to jail? Well, now, according to this article on Wired News, you can. The state of Tennesse has a “virtual tour” of their maximum security prison. You can look in on Death Row, the Rec Yard, the Gym, and the Perimiter, among other virtual destinations. It’s the real deal, so be prepared. You can check it out for yourself here.

Well, it looks like they might be soon!

According to this article on the Washington Post, there’s a working test model already. So far, it’s only a lab toy, but they’re working on making it a more viable reality. Of course, the goal is to make Predator-type robotic aircraft, but the possibilities are really endless.
There are two reasons ornithopters are cool. One, flapping-wing flight is more maneuverable than fixed wing flight. Also, it’s easier to hover with flapping wings. Two, because Frank Herbert described it in Dune. No, really, that counts!

Anyway, it’s a fun one for a Friday afternoon.

Imagine the entire universe laid out in a three-dimensional map.

Well, imagine no more, it’s a reality. According to this article on Wired News, a couple of scientists in New York have made just such a map. It’s not as accurate as they’d like, but that’s mainly because our actual knowlege of the universe is pretty limited. Still, it’s a three-dimensional map of the heavens that can be navigated in pretty fast “real-time”. Though, real time would take hundreds of years to get us from place to place, so it’s actually a lot quicker than that. A very cool learning tool that will, hopefully, inspire legions of future astronomers and space scientists.

You can experience the magic, in a more limited fashion, right on your desktop. The Hayden Observitory, who created the “big” map, also created Partiview, which let’s you see the same thing they show at the observatory at home, though it’s not quite as spectacular.
Enjoy!

Which way do rivers flow?

It seems like such a simple question, doesn’t it? But, it’s not quite as easy as one might suppose. For instance, I’ve been told numerous times that rivers generally flow North to South. But, this FAQ on About.com that’s just a misconception. (Here’s another link that also dispels some river misconceptions.) Really, what matters is elevation, the degree of change in elevation, and the material over which the water travels. The flatter the land, the more the river will wander or meander, and the slower the speed of the water flow. The reverse is true as well, the steeper the elevation change, the faster and straighter the river will run. (For more details, see this article on About.com.)
So, essentially, rivers tend to flow “down” in the sense of the lowest elevation. That might be toward the coast and ocean, or toward a lake, or even toward an underground cave complex. The important thing to remember is that water in general, and rivers, flows toward the lowest point of gravity on the landscape, where ever that might be.

Well, you maybe asking yourself, that’s great but who cares? Anyone making a created world, country or culture. Rivers are a great way for people to move resources quickly and efficiently. They also tend to be sources of useful animals and plants. Water, after all, is one of the most important ingredients for life, so water attracts life. Rivers teem with life, both on their banks and in the river itself. Any place that attracts life in great quantities also attracts civilization as well. That, in turn, brings interesting things to write about. And, that, after all, is what I’m after!

So, let the water flow and the creative fiction ideas flow with it!

[ Posted by mail via mail2mt.pl ]

Lost and directionless, I plod on.

This morning, I am disheartened. Some months ago, when I had nothing but time and an empty wallet, I put forth the idea of selling catalogs of symbols for Profantasy’s Campaign Cartographer. The mere thought of someone making money off this product and the associated user community seemed to really irritate some people on the CC2 Yahoo Group, for some reason. In any case, after a bit of feedback, both pro and con, I decided not to pursue the idea. I really felt at the time that not enough people would buy the product to make it worth the effort of setting up the merchant account and website.
This morning, from that same Yahoo Group, I got an e-mail announcing that someone had just setup a website for that very purpose.
To be fair, the proprietor of that webshop, Ralf Schemmann, is not only good enough at making symbols to do work for Profantasy, but he’s a nice guy, too. My only regret is not following through on it when I had the chance. Now, while the opportunity still exists, I don’t really have the time. Ah, well, I guess that’s what I get for listening to the nay-sayers instead of my own inner voice.
Oh, by the way, Ralf’s site is called Maps and More. Good luck, Ralf!

Well, I heard from Rob Kuntz over at Pied Piper Pubishing. The snag was really just another project that took temporary precedence over the one I was working on. It’s hard to figure stuff like that out when you’re freelancing sometimes. Of course, the fact that I’m in Houston and Pied Piper is in Wisconson doesn’t help much either! Regardless, we’re up to date on what’s going on now, so I’m sure it won’t be too much longer that I’m working on the next set of maps. I’ll make sure to have an update when the product is ready to go.

On other mapping fronts, I’ve been messing around with the Campaign Cartographer 2 / Hârn Mapping Project, or the CHMP for short. It’s a toolkit designed to work with Campaign Cartographer by ProFantasy Software. It’s really cool, even if Hârn isn’t your “thing”. (Though, if you’re a role-playing gamer and haven’t looked at Hârn, it’s worth your time.) This toolkit was put together by dedicated fans who wanted a unified look and feel for their maps that faithfully recreated the look and feel of Columbia Games Hârn. They did a great job and it’s a great tool! Currently, I’m trying to create a decent gargun lodge. (Garguns are Hârnish orks.) I’ve actually gotten one, but the map is so slow to load that I’m not satisifed with the end result. So, I’m still working on it.

In still other areas, I’ve been doing some hand-drawn mapping as well. I have a world concept that needs a map. The kicker is that I’ve been having a hard time doing this directly in a digital format, so I’ve gone back to paper for “inspiration”. It hasn’t quite worked out yet, but I haven’t given up either! Some of the maps if penciled actually look pretty good. When I get one I like enough, I’ll scan it in and make a Campaign Cartographer map out of it. Then, I’ll have some blog entries about world building!

Until next time, keep writing!

Well, it’s been way, way too long between entries, so here’s a little something to feed the blog monster.

I’ve been working on some mapping lately. I did a little freelance work for a small game company called Pied-Piper Publishing, but that project has hit a small stall. I can’t go into details right now, except to say that my work there is on hold. I’m looking forward to getting started there again, but that’s neither here nor there.
In any case, I learned quite a lot from that small bit of professional experience. And, I think, my personal maps will be greatly improved by the effort. I’ve been sketching quite a few maps, by hand, but I’m having trouble settling on one to go further with than just doodles. It’s not easy having a creative vision. *sigh* And, too, my sketching has taken the place of actual writing, which is bad.

I really need to find a way to focus on my writing more. I have so many ideas that just never seem to make it to paper. I think that’s really the greatest challenge any writer faces. I’ll never run out of new ideas, but I may never be satisified with them once they’re on paper. The curse of creativity!

Well, off to bed for me. Maybe I’ll be more creative in the morning.