The Weekly Gazette 08-20-2023

[DerVVulfman]

(August 14 to August 20, 2023)

Welcome dear readers to the latest issue of the Weekly Gazette! Here in the Gazette, we give you the news in brief of what occurred in the past week as well as provide any news happening in Save-Point itself

Official Area

General Chat

Playing older games like Lords of the Realms II was What's on the mind of kyonides, as me mentions emulators or editions available from GOG (Great Old Games), as was his take on the game Ara Fell by BadLuck Games.

Issues with China hit this week's News of the World as the U.S, Japan and South Korea strengthened economic ties with one another, China seethed believing the three were creating an Asian version of NATO and launched military drills around Taiwan in response. And China began building a new runway in the South China Sea which they claim is entirely their own, despite international law and being in territory claimed by both Taiwan and Vietnam. Aftermaths with the U.S.'s 2020 elections continue as Fulton County, Georgia violated due process by publishing indictments against Former President Trump, political rival Vivek Ramaswamy advising to have the case dismissed for violating Trump's constitutional rights. Meanwhile, the C.I.A. is itself being sued for interference in the 2020 election, working with the Biden Adminstration for crafting the infamous letter which called the Hunter Biden Laptop story a Russian Hoax. And reports from the NY Times showed that the DOJ was willing to forego prosecuting Hunter Biden until the whistleblowers appeared. Crime too hit the news as thieves ransack the Nike store in East L.A., just a day after Nordstrom nearby was hit with up to $300,000 in losses. With such crime, a tour known as the "Downtown Doom Loop Walking Tour" has appeared in San Francisco, selling out as people are shown the open-air drug markets and abandoned offices and store fronts, a result of the rampant crime. And wildfires hit this week's news as residents of Western Canada racing to evade wildfires. And of wildfires, the Hawaiian Energy Company under lawsuits for gross negligence in the disastrous Maui fires, devoting the bulk of all resources into green energy and spend almost nothing between 2019 to 2022 for safety and repairs. China now suspending publication of its youth unemployment problem, a 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake hitting LA just as Hurricane Hillary approaches, the French General in charge of the Notre Dame reconstruction dead at 74, and much more hit this week's news.

Tech Talk

Online media hit this week's News of the Cyber World as Twitter/X has initially slowed down hotlink transitions to certain key websites, a policy that Must later reversed amid criticism. Emails have been uncovered showing that Hunter Biden hired a Public Relations firm to whitewash and edit inconvenient content on the Wikipedia, something now appearing common-practice. And Microsoft's new Xbox platform rules are now banning gamers over both hate speech and profanity, a site that was once a site to let off steam becoming a place where players now must walk on eggshells. Tesla Electric vehicles slashing retail costs for shorter travel range, A.I. based facial recognition leading to wrongful arrests, New York City banning TikTok on goverment devices, and more hit the cyber news this week.

Games Development

Development Discussion

There is plenty of work if you ask around What's up with your fellow RMers as KasperKalamity tried using AI to work on an introductory comic to a game, DerVVulfman working out a means to put screenshots into save-game windows, and kyonides is shopping at Komodo Plaza for graphic resources, though DerVVulfman looked at a couple of selections and voiced some opinions both positive and negative.

Complete Projects

When visiting his older thread, Stellar Bewitching, StarMage decided to advertise an upgraded edition: Stellar Bewitching αΩ (Remastered). With newer character designs, the Sci-Fi turn-based RPG take place parallel to the events of Rave Heart. A more refined combat system balanced so skill spamming is not an option, racing minigames with a variety of available contestants, and connections to a varity of other games in the Starmage Continuum.

Material Development

Scripts Database

It was not long that kyonides crafted the OtherLayers script for RPGMaker VXAce, allowing you to use pictures as additional map layers. But this week, he ported the script over for both RPGMaker XP and VX engines.

Also written initially for RPGMaker VXAce was BattleItems, a script by kyonides that allow you to enable or disable the use of items in battle. But it was not long there after when RPGMaker XP and VX versions were ported.

For those who want to see the actual field map within their save files, DerVVulfman worked out Sharina's Screen-Saves for RPGMaker XP, using two scripts by RPG Advocate as a basis before coming up with a means to include actual screen shots within the save-game windows. He later updated it, replacing one bitmap file system with another he felt was faster and more dependable.

Creativity Section

Music and Audio

Two more compositions graced our forum as Eric Matyas continues Sharing His Original Music. The first entitled "Meditarranean Breeze" while the second "The Italian Heist", both light and fast paced. And remember, his site is 100% free of advertisements, but wouldn't mind some donations to help support his work.

Art and Design

In the past, you may both fear and be fascinated by the lethal maidens that graced Remi-chan's Neato Arty thread thing. However, she chose to do a little homework with the main three stars of her game spending some time on a rainy afternoon. And for kicks, she has a speed draw to enjoy.

Well, that's it for this week.

"When you create you get a little endorphin rush. Why do you think Einstein looked like that?" - Robin Williams (1951-2014)

PROSPECTIVE GAZETEERS!

If you are the creator of a thread in Save-Point, you have the option of sending/writing your own entry into the Gazette. The Gazette accepts write-in announcements (which will be doublechecked). Likewise, the Gazette would welcome other content such as a comic-strip series, ongoing story arc, or the like.

Just PM DerVVulfman with the submissions. Submissions must be in by 10pm EST.