Yes, I am a bad blogger, a very very bad blogger.
The fact is though that I have been on a bit of a vacation. After dealing with the frequent blackouts, freezes, jumpiness and fatal errors upon entering doorways I found myself spending more and more time mining asteroids and developing a manufacturing empire in the EVE universe. I have also complained in the past about the lack of challenge for one so gifted as myself and while I can artificially create a challenge by running around naked I wasn't really enjoying my work and when work starts feeling like work then maybe it is time to do something other that work. If you know what I mean...
My former problem seems to be solved. I am not sure what the exact cure was but my doctor mumbled something about 8 core, 16GB RAM, Nvidia, 1TB HD, SSD, blah blah blah. I didn't understand a thing but I do know that the frequent blackouts and such are gone and my eyesight is crisp and clean like never before.
With my health returning I went into the Wildemore. It was rather nice exploring a new area with everyone else moving on to the recent West Rohan campaign. I felt like I had the whole area to myself. Of course the whole idea of Middle Earth is hanging out with friends, if I wanted to be by myself I should probably revisit Skyrim or something but whatever, I have lived in Middle Earth for a long time and it was nice to spend some time in it especially with my sight so much improved. I swear Landroval couldn't match my eyesight these days.
As for my second problem.. well, that hasn't become any better and is in fact worse. Life is too easy. I found in my absence that my skills have gone rusty/missing/ all mixed up. I clearly and not as competent or versatile as I used to be but even with that fact I can usually take a nap in the middle of a battle with nasty orcs and not worry about it too much. When I wake up I whack them once or twice and they go away. No challenge not much fun but I do enjoy my homelands and I am not going to leave. I might spend more time making videos and less time saving the world however.
Speaking of videos, I have heard rumors of another BBB video involving large battles with multiple cameras. It should be really interesting and yet another ambitious move forward for the BBB. Naturally BBB have sent agents to speak with my agents and we are negotiating my fees. I am sure we will work something out and my fans can look forward to me starring in yet another full feature film.
I haven't done much filming lately with my new improved eyesight but I have included a few clips here just to demonstrate what I can see these days. I think anyone who has seen my earlier clips will appreciate the improvement. Maybe it is time to consider remaking my very first feature film. A film, naturally, all about me.
Laters, Taters,
-Andu
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Videos and Proteges
Proteges first I guess. I have had time to look around for good videos because I am spending most of my time mentoring others including my protege Brorlion Badaxe, an up and coming champ of dwarfish stature. He has been quite energetic and eager to learn and it has been fun showing him the ropes.
He was reluctant about leaving his home in Erid Luin but after completely eliminating any worthwhile activities up there I convinced him to visit a champ trainer outside of Bree. From there I sent him to the Barrow Downs where he has been quite happy making dead things even more dead. To be honest, I am not sure how you kill dead things but it seems to be very similar to killing living things so I pointed the way and Brorlion took it to task.
I have also been giving Bror various deeds to perform to increase his basic abilities. I tell him, " Go kill 90 slugs in the Shire" and he happily runs off and starts doing what champs do best. This has left me with plenty of time to look for new and interesting moving pictures.
One of the great discoveries of mine this past week was a moving picture maker by the name of Lina Willowood. I really like some of the stuff she has done and here is a sample.
Probably my favorite find of the week however is another new moving picture maker Floradine Strongfoot. Here is a really sweet and simple video that is very well done. I liked the video and once I had a friend of mine explain the lyrics (written in German) I absolutely loved the video. I really hope to see more moving pictures like this.
Finally, for something a little different, I would like to recomend these guys. They do some "interesting" interpretations of the world we all know and love.
That's it for now, I expect Brorlion to be back any moment now after being sent on a quest to hunt 90 orcs around Breeland. I think I need to send him back to the Barrows next. There is more dead things that need to be made more dead.
Until next time
-Andu
He was reluctant about leaving his home in Erid Luin but after completely eliminating any worthwhile activities up there I convinced him to visit a champ trainer outside of Bree. From there I sent him to the Barrow Downs where he has been quite happy making dead things even more dead. To be honest, I am not sure how you kill dead things but it seems to be very similar to killing living things so I pointed the way and Brorlion took it to task.
I have also been giving Bror various deeds to perform to increase his basic abilities. I tell him, " Go kill 90 slugs in the Shire" and he happily runs off and starts doing what champs do best. This has left me with plenty of time to look for new and interesting moving pictures.
One of the great discoveries of mine this past week was a moving picture maker by the name of Lina Willowood. I really like some of the stuff she has done and here is a sample.
Probably my favorite find of the week however is another new moving picture maker Floradine Strongfoot. Here is a really sweet and simple video that is very well done. I liked the video and once I had a friend of mine explain the lyrics (written in German) I absolutely loved the video. I really hope to see more moving pictures like this.
Finally, for something a little different, I would like to recomend these guys. They do some "interesting" interpretations of the world we all know and love.
That's it for now, I expect Brorlion to be back any moment now after being sent on a quest to hunt 90 orcs around Breeland. I think I need to send him back to the Barrows next. There is more dead things that need to be made more dead.
Until next time
-Andu
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
It. Is. Done.
I read somewhere recently that your film is done production when you are too sick to look at it any more. I think I have reached that point. There is clearly room for improvement and my methods changed a bit during the eight months or so that I was tinkering with this but overall I am happy with it. Next time will be better and I am ready to move on to that "next time".
Sorry for the awful thumbnail. The video is hosted through youtube and it was the best of the three awful options offered to me.
The video was part of an experiment to tell a simple story without text, dialogue or music. I wanted to tell a story just with video clips and see how well I could do it. It starts off a bit too slow but I hope it gets fast enough later before my audience is put to sleep.
I am pretty sure Ruset is glad I am done too. He has been sitting around a lot waiting for the mood to strike and the cameras to roll. I think he is a bit anxious to get back to serious burg work.
In other news, I was visiting the west rohan the other day and told not to come back. I didn't really want to be there anyway.
That's it for now. I just wanted to get the video announced so I can get back to other things.... like a couple of other video ideas that I have been toying with... Funny, I couldn't stand to look at the video editor any longer two days ago and today I find myself dreaming of some new projects that just won't go away.
Don't worry Ruset, you won't be asked to act in the next one ;-)
-Andu
-Amnd
Sorry for the awful thumbnail. The video is hosted through youtube and it was the best of the three awful options offered to me.
The video was part of an experiment to tell a simple story without text, dialogue or music. I wanted to tell a story just with video clips and see how well I could do it. It starts off a bit too slow but I hope it gets fast enough later before my audience is put to sleep.
I am pretty sure Ruset is glad I am done too. He has been sitting around a lot waiting for the mood to strike and the cameras to roll. I think he is a bit anxious to get back to serious burg work.
In other news, I was visiting the west rohan the other day and told not to come back. I didn't really want to be there anyway.
That's it for now. I just wanted to get the video announced so I can get back to other things.... like a couple of other video ideas that I have been toying with... Funny, I couldn't stand to look at the video editor any longer two days ago and today I find myself dreaming of some new projects that just won't go away.
Don't worry Ruset, you won't be asked to act in the next one ;-)
-Andu
-Amnd
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Winter musings
I must admit, I have not been very busy lately.
I seem to have lost some of my mojo for Rohan. Maybe it is the lack of challenge. Maybe it is just the time of year when I start wanting a change of scenery. Recentlly I even spent a few days exploring a galaxy far far away. Quite an interesting visit but not a long term move for me.
Speaking of scenery, I recently stopped in Snowbourn, a city in Rohan, and I have to say I am really liking the place. Very pleasing on the eyes, reasonably well laid out. Lots of trees and nice architecture and of course a land where they worship beautiful horses. I could see myself setting up a little weaponsmith shop and retiring for a few months. I am still an awesome champ and I have enemies that need vanquishing but maybe for a few weeks or rmonths I will just relax and enjoy the luxury of this pretty town.
My buddy Storbjorn recently sent me another photo of himself from Forochel. Apparently he is having similar thoughts about that cold nasty place. Luckily we are not related or I would be questioning my gene pool.
In any case he seems to be liking the place. He has the social graces of a barghest so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Based on the photo I would say he is going native. He told me he is almost considered "kin" with the locals so I guess that answers that.
I should be nice to him as technically he is my leader as the founder of Something Something Taters; the kin I came over with from our old home on Gladden.
And of kins and kinships, I recently received an informal invitation to join that most august and prestigious kinship, The Lonely Mountain Band. I have to say I am tempted. I have joined them a few times recently on their Sunday night raids and they have all proven to be very nice people to work with. I would definitely enjoy thier company going forward into the future. My only real reservations are two fold. One is that I am the last of the Taters, a small and most excellent kinship that at its height was composed of six or seven people. Small though they were, they were very tight, very professional, and very fun to work with. That group has long since dwindled away. One of my last remaining kinmates recently had to take a break due to the blanking out illness that has infected so many people since the Rohan campaign began. Another left for the the Lonely Mountain Band which is how I came to participate in some of their recent activities.
My second reservation is that while very nice and helpful and mature everyone from the Lonely Mountain Band has been, I can't help but notice just how BIG they are. There are hundreds of people actively participating and I don't know if that is really my style. Maybe I am just spoiled by past experience with my old small highly skilled team that were available every day. I am just not sure how I will fit in with a kinship that has rules and recruitment procedures (beyond "if you keep the mini alive you're in") and actually hierarchies of organization. It just seems so formal and bureaucratic and there will always be people in there I don't know on a first name basis. That all seems very strange for me.
And then again, I am the last of the Taters and really the Taters are gone. I need to move forward and seek new horizons. And it is just a little bit of a shame that with all my skills I have no one in my groupings to pass them on too. No matter how excellent I am I cannot make an empty kinshouse ring with my excellence. Maybe the Lonely Mountain Band needs me to show them what a champ unleashed can really do.
Or maybe not.
-Andu
I seem to have lost some of my mojo for Rohan. Maybe it is the lack of challenge. Maybe it is just the time of year when I start wanting a change of scenery. Recentlly I even spent a few days exploring a galaxy far far away. Quite an interesting visit but not a long term move for me.
Speaking of scenery, I recently stopped in Snowbourn, a city in Rohan, and I have to say I am really liking the place. Very pleasing on the eyes, reasonably well laid out. Lots of trees and nice architecture and of course a land where they worship beautiful horses. I could see myself setting up a little weaponsmith shop and retiring for a few months. I am still an awesome champ and I have enemies that need vanquishing but maybe for a few weeks or rmonths I will just relax and enjoy the luxury of this pretty town.
My buddy Storbjorn recently sent me another photo of himself from Forochel. Apparently he is having similar thoughts about that cold nasty place. Luckily we are not related or I would be questioning my gene pool.
In any case he seems to be liking the place. He has the social graces of a barghest so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Based on the photo I would say he is going native. He told me he is almost considered "kin" with the locals so I guess that answers that.
I should be nice to him as technically he is my leader as the founder of Something Something Taters; the kin I came over with from our old home on Gladden.
And of kins and kinships, I recently received an informal invitation to join that most august and prestigious kinship, The Lonely Mountain Band. I have to say I am tempted. I have joined them a few times recently on their Sunday night raids and they have all proven to be very nice people to work with. I would definitely enjoy thier company going forward into the future. My only real reservations are two fold. One is that I am the last of the Taters, a small and most excellent kinship that at its height was composed of six or seven people. Small though they were, they were very tight, very professional, and very fun to work with. That group has long since dwindled away. One of my last remaining kinmates recently had to take a break due to the blanking out illness that has infected so many people since the Rohan campaign began. Another left for the the Lonely Mountain Band which is how I came to participate in some of their recent activities.
My second reservation is that while very nice and helpful and mature everyone from the Lonely Mountain Band has been, I can't help but notice just how BIG they are. There are hundreds of people actively participating and I don't know if that is really my style. Maybe I am just spoiled by past experience with my old small highly skilled team that were available every day. I am just not sure how I will fit in with a kinship that has rules and recruitment procedures (beyond "if you keep the mini alive you're in") and actually hierarchies of organization. It just seems so formal and bureaucratic and there will always be people in there I don't know on a first name basis. That all seems very strange for me.
And then again, I am the last of the Taters and really the Taters are gone. I need to move forward and seek new horizons. And it is just a little bit of a shame that with all my skills I have no one in my groupings to pass them on too. No matter how excellent I am I cannot make an empty kinshouse ring with my excellence. Maybe the Lonely Mountain Band needs me to show them what a champ unleashed can really do.
Or maybe not.
-Andu
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Is LOTRO too easy?
I think that answer has become "yes". I don't want to turn the blog into a whine fest but I did a little experiment in Rohan yesterday to test my point.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Belated Holiday Movie
Well, the release date was a bit late for the season but BBB raised the standard yet again with this one. You might be sick of Jul carols about now but I bet if you sucked it up for the first 15 seconds this video would hook you in.
Look for my stellar cameo that really sends the point home I think ;-)
Look for my stellar cameo that really sends the point home I think ;-)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!
It has been brought to my attention that perhaps I have taken this whole Landroval socialite thing a bit too far. My critics might have a point. I haven't swung a sword in anger in... months? I am a bit better at dancing though so I have not been totally unproductive. I suppose that only reinforces my critics' point however.
My New Year's resolution is to balance my dancing lessons with more orc smooshings. I will begin right after the Julfest is over. I needs my snowballs ;-)
I have strived to make myself a bit more fashionable since I have been on Landroval. Not too much. I am no spring dandy but I did pick up a few items that help me look sophisticated and refined while cleaning tables, rousing snow beasts and making snowmen in Frostbluff.
I brought my sister along this year. She doesn't get out much and instead prefers keeping up with my house. In case you haven't seen her yet (and you wouldn't unless you visited my home or ran into her last week in Frostbluff) here is a picture of my sister Cynnamin.
If you try to flirt with her you will have me to answer to. Just keep that in mind.
Cynnamin does a pretty good job of keeping house. This year she used some hobbit Jule wall decorations and I really like them. The season is about over but I am not sure I want to take them down just yet. Here is a picture of my greeting hall.
... and my office.
Now that I have become a famous Landroval actor I was invited to help out with the theatre in Frostbluff. In just a few days I managed to play every role several times earning myself heaps of new titles. I stacked them on my title heap back home.
Speaking of acting. I was called in at the last minute to star in a BBB moving picture. My role was to have my head cut off so I am quite interested in seeing what else happens in this picture. No doubt ladies will weep everywhere when that picture is released.
While attending the festivites in Frostbluff I ran into my accolyte Brorlion Badaxe and his companion Framrolf. They were busy bashing each other with snowballs so I didn't hang around long. My snowball throwing is legendary and I thought it better to let the boys play alone.
To wrap up the year I created a short picture montage of my life this past year. All in all it was a good year.
Next year, more orc smooshing and less dance lessons. Too bad as the lovely Bethyn Swan was just teaching me some new instruments and I was thinking of starting my own band. Well, maybe I can just busk a little here and there. No harm in that. I can still make my presence felt in Rohan while doing a little jig and strumming a theorbo. Or squeezing sweet sounds out of a bagpipe - even better!
Happy New Year all and I hope this year is as good to you as this last one was too me. See you in Rohan, (or maybe at the next concert outside the Pony)
-Andu
My New Year's resolution is to balance my dancing lessons with more orc smooshings. I will begin right after the Julfest is over. I needs my snowballs ;-)
I have strived to make myself a bit more fashionable since I have been on Landroval. Not too much. I am no spring dandy but I did pick up a few items that help me look sophisticated and refined while cleaning tables, rousing snow beasts and making snowmen in Frostbluff.
I brought my sister along this year. She doesn't get out much and instead prefers keeping up with my house. In case you haven't seen her yet (and you wouldn't unless you visited my home or ran into her last week in Frostbluff) here is a picture of my sister Cynnamin.
If you try to flirt with her you will have me to answer to. Just keep that in mind.
Cynnamin does a pretty good job of keeping house. This year she used some hobbit Jule wall decorations and I really like them. The season is about over but I am not sure I want to take them down just yet. Here is a picture of my greeting hall.
Now that I have become a famous Landroval actor I was invited to help out with the theatre in Frostbluff. In just a few days I managed to play every role several times earning myself heaps of new titles. I stacked them on my title heap back home.
Speaking of acting. I was called in at the last minute to star in a BBB moving picture. My role was to have my head cut off so I am quite interested in seeing what else happens in this picture. No doubt ladies will weep everywhere when that picture is released.
While attending the festivites in Frostbluff I ran into my accolyte Brorlion Badaxe and his companion Framrolf. They were busy bashing each other with snowballs so I didn't hang around long. My snowball throwing is legendary and I thought it better to let the boys play alone.
To wrap up the year I created a short picture montage of my life this past year. All in all it was a good year.
Next year, more orc smooshing and less dance lessons. Too bad as the lovely Bethyn Swan was just teaching me some new instruments and I was thinking of starting my own band. Well, maybe I can just busk a little here and there. No harm in that. I can still make my presence felt in Rohan while doing a little jig and strumming a theorbo. Or squeezing sweet sounds out of a bagpipe - even better!
Happy New Year all and I hope this year is as good to you as this last one was too me. See you in Rohan, (or maybe at the next concert outside the Pony)
-Andu
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