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A bit of a lengthy reply to have it end in "no worries."

In either case, I'm in total agreement. Not that agreement is necessary when it's an undisputed fact.  The disorganization is one of the things I like about the series.  It's written almost whimsically, spur-of-the-moment and it's one of a handful of novels that make me think that I'm reading what the author wanted to put into words, not what his editor or publisher may've preferred.  I'm sure that if the novel were submitted in this day and age, it would be hacked and stapled together like mad.  The movies are a strong argument for this.  They left out a few events that were fairly major in the books, expanded upon some of the minor ones and, in the end, kept the narrative (more or less) to the straight and narrow.  I've watched them as movies, however, and not as translations of a series that I like, so have been able to enjoy the movies as well.

Due to LOTR being written in the 50's I doubt that Tolkien ripped anything off.  Star Wars was never meant to be a definitive movie or one that was terribly deep, just mean to be good, clean, space-opera-type fun.  Anyway, nice article, the resemblance between the SW and HP plotlines is uncanny (if not entirely accurate).  

If one were to try and create a new epic tale at this point, I don't think you could escape it bearing a close resemblance to one or more other stories.  If you manage to make it avoid any current epic-style stereotypes, you'd probably have written the most boring tale known to man.  

Tim Burton's a nice pick.  As far as morbid/cartoony goes, I'm quite fond of Jhonen Vasquez' work.  For art in general, Escher & Giger spring to mind as favorites.  Space Quest 4 wasn't my favorite of the series but the Giger-esque portions of the game (the place you first arrive at and return to later) were quite nifty.  

So contribute something ya layabout.

I think the character's rather good. A little touching up here and there but the overall look is nice & fluid.  It's got a dynamic quality that makes it fairly life-life.  The thing that detracts from it currently (for me) is the pair of pants.  They follow the contours of the leg over-much, giving it the look of stretch-pants.  If you loosen up some of the inward curves, give it a slightly straighter line & maybe throw in some details like the lines on a pair of jeans (or slacks or whatever), it should improve the look of 'em.

It's the avatar.  It causes us immense pain.  

Maybe if you should've bribed people like all other nominees did?

If you're getting that error then it means either 1) Bad file or 2) Drive's fault.  To elaborate: if 1) then the file is either bad on the HD before burning or you've done a bad burn on the disc.  If the original file was fine (or if you're merely copying from the DVD and not opening (via winzip, windows media player, etc.)  then it's a disc issue.  Possible reasons for this occurance may be:

a) Poor quality media or incompatible with burner.
b) Other intensive program running during burn
c) Error in burning software
d) Bad drive
e) Burning faster than media rating.  This is usually blocked but some media-types don't communicate their speed appropriately.  Try burning at 1x, take a nap and see if it works.
e) Conflict, either w/ hardware or you've had two different burning programs installed at various times.
f) RIAA.  They don't want you to copy anything, ever.  Even if it's a xerox of your ass, they think that you're infringing upon your own ass' copyright.

2) If you're reading the disc on a drive other than your burner, it may not be able to handle the media properly.  In rare cases, usually due to media type, a burner won't recognize the disc because it wasn't finalized (this is normally just a prob w/ DVD-ROM drives). The only solutions in this case are to make sure you finalize the disc or get a niftier drive.  

This could also be an OS problem.  While I haven't had the CRC error, I've noticed that WinME & 98 report incorrect total file sizes while browsing the root, even though the total (via directory browsing) is correct.  If you're on 2000, NT4 or XP this problem won't apply.

As far as workaroundss, you could use an imaging program to "rip" the disc or try using the Copy & Paste commands rather than click-dragging.  This has worked for me for similar problems on occasion.

I want him bad.  If he's too good, it just doesn't do it for me.  I'm kinky that way.  

Anyway, I have to say that both images are absolutely outstanding, Farl.  I prefer the 2nd one.  It's got a more realistic look to it.  The color for the building seems like it's the appropriate one for it, giving it a brick look rather than a flat painted wood look.  And those tree-shadows . . . I am absolutely enamored with the tree shadows.  As for the top image, I like it quite a bit also, but the surfaces look a bit flat.  If they were given a painted wood or brick look, they wouldn't stand out quite so much to me.  The pixelization of the windows also makes it look like they're a bit off perspective.  For instance, look at the bottom row of windows.  The first few seem to be almost flat rectangles, it's only when you get further down the line that they seem to follow the angle of the building.  

My suggestion for those is this (assuming you're using a program w/ layers):  Draw your perspective lines on another layer and pixel push the window edges until they match them.  The tree sillouhette is great, quite realistic-looking.  I also like that you can read the sign above the door in this one, whereas the bottom one is a bit blurry.  The addition of the top row of windows also helps to add a bit of depth and round out the structure of the building.  Very nice job.  

Sorry, I was bein' a bit of a bastard.  Anyway, I'll volunteer but I see that a multitude of AGSers on currently logged in and just about any one of them could do this better/faster than me.  If nobody else will bear the cross of Yufster, then one does what one must.

Here are a couple of things that've worked for me in similar situations:

1) If you can read the files to open them and have them displayed, then they're on the disc.  You might try making sure that the CD is "Finalized."  You might be able to finalize the disc in whatever program you're using.  If it won't display an option to, then you might try pretending that you've got a multi-session project going and burn a small file (a small text-file, for example) and making sure that you've got the Finalize after burn option selected (may be listed as allow further recording, etc.).  I've had better luck using Track-At-Once writing vs. Disc-at-once in these cases.

2) If the CD's finalized and you're still unable to copy anything from it or load the AVIs without it crashing then you can still try making an image from the CD.  Whatever burning program you're using, it's probably got an option to make an image from the CD.  Do that, choose .ISO.  The ISO is a fairly universal image format.  For mine, I use WinISO (I believe it's time-limited shareware) and it'll let you extract, add or delete files from your image-file.  

If I can clarify anything or if those 2 things don't work, holler again and I'll brainstorm.

I think the females you've done are rather in keeping with the rest of your character sprites.  You're right about that side-view, though.  I think it's because 1) the posture's almost as rigid as can be, nearly a military-style stand at attention - maybe if you let her relax her arms a bit and have the knees bent or feet spread apart from one another . . . 2) From the waist down, she's nearly rectangular.  You've given the male character more curvature for his side view.  If you can give her hips and maybe a little curvature to the legs, it would do wonders.  

Nice job, by the way.  It's a very good, clean style and it shouldn't be too difficult to animate now that you've gotten some of the animation with the dude out of the way.

Mage, excellent work.  I go with Farlander there, the tree is perfectly alright.  I actually preferred the overall look of your 1st moon better (softglow, more implied shadowing) but it did have an implied concavity to it and the new one works quite well also.  By the way, lovely use of a gradient for the sky, you don't even notice it unless you look for it (which is how gradients are supposed to be done, IMO).  

I love the image and thing the night-tones are great but having a little problem with the castle in the background.  It's not something I'd notice immediately and as a major feature of the background (I assume) it seems as though you might want it to stand out a touch more.  Difficult to do, without making it not match the rest of the scene.  Maybe a bit of the blue moonlight on the towers?  Or, maybe I'm being nitpicky.  You could very well leave it alone at this point and have at least 1 awesome background done.

Hint, hint:

Spoiler

For god's sake man, don't do it! Vote for anybody except Inkoddi!  Think about what you're doing.  The fate of the world is in your hands/claws/tentacles (choose one).  And, Soylent Green is made from people!

[close]

I volunteer m0ds.  An AGS Opera would work perfectly for this.  This whole project doesn't seem in keeping with your feminist ideals.  Ah, well, best of luck.  If all you want is 3 mp3's together, why not choose 'em and burn them to a CD?  I think anyone helping you with this would need a bit more info about what you're lookin' for.

You can get mIRC from http://www.mirc.com.  After it's installed (30 day evaluation but it keeps going after that), you go to File, Connect and choose Quakenet under IRC Network.  For the server, put it on Quakenet: Random server (specify your country, if it's listed, for best connect).  One you're connected, you can type /join #AGS or type #ags in the channel list window.  Oops, forgot, it'll have you fill in a nick, etc. when you start it.

Usually, I would prefer to contribute a bit more than this to the topic but:

Nooooooooooooooooo!  Argh.  :o

Doesn't sound like a very kind message.  Nor does it read like a very grammatically-correct one.  I think there is some truth to her statement but I also think that many developers and publishers have been catering to the majority - those that have this deficient attention span.  However, there are some games from the past few years with a fair amount of fans that go against this instant gratification standard.  Uru, The Longest Journey, KotOR, CMI and EMI.  Those are just off the top of my head and all of them cater to those who like plot development, a decent storyline & exploration.  The quality of the aforementioned is a matter of opinion, of course.

Heya.  You said you don't wanna do a lot of detailed shading and stuff but (especially after Darth's edit) the car's a bit inconsistent with the rest of the pic.  For one, it's got shading but we can forget about that for the time being.  Second reason, it's casting a shadow.  It's seriously very little work at all to have those grass-blades toss some shadows on the dirt and will add to the depth of the image (I think).  

Also, the strength of the image is its detail, such as having a fairly realistic-looking car and that limit sign.  The dirt has particles, as well.  I don't think the grass is matching the rest of the image at the moment.  Maybe a few more blade-details (or even fine-line scribbly stuff) might lessen the impression of a flat plane of grass.  Some line-shaped speckling on the receding hill might also look nice, however it's far enough away that I don't think you really need it.  

Also, it might just be that my monitor's set brighter than the sun but the forest shadows could be a touch darker.  Since you've chosen a dark shade of brown, it helps give the impression that it's a thick forest.  Maybe if you put in some nearly-black shadowing, at the same time giving the brown shadows more of a tree shap it might give it more depth/realism.

The road and yellow line might look a bit better at an angle (or at least not a perfectly horizontal line).  If you addressed the road-edge like you did the dirt (where it meets the grass) it'd help mix it up a little.  Finally, the yellow line.  At the road's edge (at least in the US) the lines are often white.  If it's a center-line, you might place it a bit more towards the bottom with angled edges to give a skewed-perspective look.  If it is, indeed, an edge line, maybe a quick pass or two with some road-gray might make it look a bit more worn.

Overall, great image, I'm diggin' the mood and think it'll work well.  Especially well done for MSPaint.

Yer right.  Mine was extremely unoriginal (a blue mug, no less).  I guess I can't argue the decision since it was also one of the most adherant to the topic.  Personally, I drool over Ali's.  It makes me chuckle every time I see it and the description made me laugh out loud the first time.  Anyway, thanks!  The next one's begun.

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For some reason I got picked.  Unfortunately I am in a !#%@ mood and had a dozen @#%!# things go wrong today.  Too many @#$% @#%!'s have eaten away at my !@#$.  

So, your topic this time around is things that piss you the !#%!# off.  It can be pet-peeves, irritating things in general - anything from zombies gnawing on your nethers to sickeningly cute things like rabbits & kittens.  The easier it is to tell why it pisses you off, the better.  

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And no, not giving you 9 days like the generous Kaaz.  You get a standard week.  7 days (not counting today).  

Thank you for your support.

Edit: Let's keep it civil.  So, if you're going to portray something specific (A person, a country, an organization, etc.) try and make a pic of what they do or how they act that irritates you and let's leave out specific names.