MXM-Studios

The new elfishspell.com is online!

MaXsiM — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:48:18 +0000

Right on time. I’ve finished work on the elfishspell.com layout and finally kicked the new homepage onto the server. Check it out here…

It was a relatively tough task because i decided to fill the layout with much more graphic stuff than i usually do. But the upcoming machinima comic “Luisa & The Elfish Spell” contains so many effects and unique scenery that i wanted the website to have the same atmosphere.

I tried hard to reduce the file sizes of the graphical content as much as possible but anyway: Sorry if you don’t have a broadband Internet connection ;)

More about the technical facts in the post…

One after another: Hidden content!

There’s still only one page to explore but the idea was to fill the site with more content during the next weeks.

You can find many buttons that say “not active yet” or “coming soon”. So you can start thinking about what is hidden behind those curtains.

elfishspell.com technically!

Like all of my sites - except those which are powered by WordPress - i wrote elfishspell.com in xhtml (OK, WordPress is also in xhtml… but that leads to far…).

Of course it’s a “table-less” site like every website should be, all elements are arranged in funky div-containers.

I wanted a layout that fits into the standard screen width of 1024px but i recommend to use at least a 1280px resolution that’s typically standard on 19″ Screens.

Due to some flexible elements and overlay graphics i mainly saved the graphics in PNG-Format which also allows transparency.

CSS and 3 different layouts!

I think the site works great in all up-to-date browsers but i really recommend to use Firefox only! Don’t try IE and don’t waste your time with the Google Crap called Chrome.

An external CSS-Stylesheet is controlling the site and there will be 3 different layouts: The normal Startpage, a lighter layout for content pages and a different layout for the theater…

The theater is the place where you will watch the final episodes of the story. The theater pages have to be darker and wider as the startpage to transport the ES-episodes perfectly well.

I realized the 3 different layouts by using different Body-ID’s (). All needed CSS-Code is in one and the same stylesheet which is good for better loading times.

If you have trouble with the new site or questions about it, don’t hesitate to ask.

Angelina Jolie: Crying at press conference!

MaXsiM — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:59:21 +0000

It’s easy to forget that even the biggest superstars are only human.

Especially when you look at such a power lady like Angelina Jolie: Six kids at home, jealous Jennifer Aniston in the backyard as well as an army of paparazzi who are waiting for that one big shot.

It’s really hard to see the hyper professional Angelina Jolie in a sentimental situation where she nearly loses control.

But it just happened, on a press conference to promote Angelina’s new Movie “The Changeling” (Directed by Clint Eastwood), that Angelina was talking about her mother Marcheline Bertrand who died in January 2007…

Angelina explains that she remembered her mother to form the character for the film. In The Changeling Angelina plays a lone parent in the 20’s… her mother died shortly before the shootings.

To everybody’s surprise (note the graveyard silence in the room) Angelina Jolie couldn’t hold back the tears…

Angelina Jolie is only human!

It’s a sad reason but nice to see that AJ is not a machine or child breeding robot. I’m sure that many of you start crying as well when you watch the clip. Some because it’s a sad story and some because you just can’t see Angelina crying.

So be warned, it’s much heart breaking stuff in the video… better get some handkerchiefs first ;)

For me, Angelina even looks cute and beautiful when she’ s crying! I get the intention to jump over the table and cuddle and cheer the sad girl…

And i like the part with the beep, it sounds pretty much like Angelina is giving a loud “Shit!” when she feels the water rising :)

Thanks for this nice sentimental moment, Angelina!

Friday on my mind!

MaXsiM — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:33:59 +0000

It’s just Monday, and not a bad Monday i must confess, but i already have Friday on my mind.

Next to some tasks that are connected to a mystery called “Private Life”, i want to complete a few steps of the Elfish Spell Story that might interest many of you.

I’m currently cutting the new layout of elfishspell.com into shape. What? A new layout? Of course, what’s currently online is only a teaser page. The final site will be pixel-intense and filled with elfish content that will be wrapped up spell by spell. I will tell you more about the concept and making of elfishspell.com later.

First let me tip your nose onto the upcoming Elfish Spell Vignette! It’s a 1:10min long clip that features some in-story pics and - finally - a special cut of the epic soundtrack. Again, i’ll tell more about it later. I will release the teaser around next weekend, shortly after the relaunch of elfishspell.com - if everything stays in the plan…

I’m also planning to change the look of the mothership dreamsofluisa.com, to give it a deeper relation to “Elfish Spell” and make a closing point behind the old chapters. Due to that i think i will also reduce the prices of the “Carnal Cure” premium versions.

So i’m sorry, folks, but i must go back at work ;)

TR Underworld Demo: My trip with Lara!

MaXsiM — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:43:31 +0000

That´s the dirtiest Lara Croft ever :)

I finally found a little bit time to play the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo that’s still out since 2 weeks or so.

Though the final game will be released next Friday i couldn’t wait to have a small demo trip with Lara Croft. In fact, the trip neither was small nor short…

To describe the quality of the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo - and probably the whole game itself - i only need one word: Superb!

I can recommend the demo with no exceptions. You will have a nice walk with Lara through the Thailand-Level, meet a few enemies, learn all about the new moves and control keys, have to figure out the right way, find some secrets and other stuff, and all the time you will be speechless about the great look, the super-stunning graphic of Tomb Raider Underworld.

Oh, you’re still not sure if you should download the 1,15 GB? That’s fine, because i’ve made many screenshots during my first underworld trip with Lara!

The Tomb Raider Underworld Demo!

This is no go-through, just a view inside the demo. But don’t worry, it’s easy to find the right way. I really played many Tomb Raider Levels that were much harder to tackle. Just follow the hints and Lara’s looks…

OK, the demo starts on Lara’s boat that softly is swinging on the sea…

On her boat Lara is talking to her partners...

Lara spots out a small rocky platform where she could climb out of the water. So i wanted to jump into the sea but then noticed some sharks in the clear water…

Are they dangerous? Who cares, Lara needs to swim anyway...

The sharks have been peaceful to Lara and she reaches the platform, wet but healthy...

Lady Croft is an excellent free climber. And so are the controllers: Excellent...

On the way to this place i even spotted a secret...

Now i had the first contact with some enemies: Little scary bastards with 8 legs who first hide in the shrubs and then jump on Lara! Fortunately those beasts don’t need much bullets.

Tomb Raider Underworld is nothing for people who are afraid of spiders :)

OK, further on the way…

Lara often looks into the right direction by herself. Just follow her...

Again, those blood-sucking killer spiders attack Lara...

A minute later, after climbing higher, Lara is standing in the salad...

Here i must say that the plants (and every single stone) appear to be very organic and realistic. The leaves move when Lara runs through. Everything looks very rich detailed and natural.

To be honest, i am not a fan/player of nowadays shooter-games and can’t say how their graphic look.

But i am a huge fan of the action adventure genre and know most of the related games - i never saw such a great graphic like in TR Underworld. Or, to stay inside the same series, Underworld looks like light-years above Anniversary or Legend.

You will get the idea on the following screenshots…

Lara has no time for flower-picking when the tigers already roaring...

Lara can destroy things by kicking them. Many vases contain secrets to collect...

Another climbing lesson later Lara discovers this wonderful temple...

The way is linear but tricky enough. Go down and follow the river...

Lara is going to be attacked by not one, not two, but three tigers!

During the fight i notice that Lara can jump over low walls. Looks great...

There are many new poses and moves that Lara can do in Tomb Raider Underworld. I can’t wait to explore them all. Some moves happen during the normal actions, some only when Lara is standing still and waiting, others need special key combinations to appear. After all it never gets boring to watch at Lara…

When you don´t know how to continue, try the new -jump up walls- action...

Balancing also works good and looks smooth :)

These cats are not only sleeping. Lara again fought 3 tigers...

What can i say about the fighting in Tomb Raider? Killing enemies has never been an important part or big motivation in the series. You don’t get special points or anything for dead enemies. That’s totally alright for me because i hate nothing more than idiotic massacres.

Tomb Raider is more about discovering strange and exciting worlds, finding secrets and all that.

So the most thing i hate in Tomb Raider are the boss-enemies. They are often frustrating (for me) and just get on my nerves.

But the most annoying thing is the so-called “Adrenaline-Mode”! Not the idea itself but the fact that Crystal Dynamics seem to have changed the controllers!

MAN, i just learned to kill the T-Rex in Anniversary and practiced a lot to learn the Adrenaline Mode - only to see that it works in a different way in Underworld! WTF!!!

The hints in the demo tell me that i somehow should use 3 different keys to somehow shoot an enemy in the Adrenaline Mode. I would love to explain it here, but i simply didn’t understand how it works :o

The tigers in the screenshot above were knocked out the old-fashioned way: Guns, shoot, jump, shoot, jump…

So let’s move on to a more positive point.

After the adrenaline fight i thought the demo would end, but no! There was even more to find out, so here we go…

In the temple the killing spiders fall from the walls and roof...

Lara finds another amazing ruin and is close to the aim...

It´s not complicated to use objects as tools...

Lara can even shoot with one hand while holding an object in the other hand...

Lara shortly before the last steps in the demo...

When Lara pulls this grip the ground breaks, she falls and the demo fades out...

I didn’t show you every single corner of the Tomb Raider Underworld Demo.

I recognized at least three “hidden” places with secrets that i want to reach in a second round.

Lara can also stand on small shelfs and shoot 2 enemies at the same time, while one hand shoots at the first, and the other hand shoots at the second enemy.

After playing the demo i’m sure that the complete game will satisfy me. And somehow i will also manage to learn about the adrenaline mode and get rid of the bosses ;)

Thanks for reading. Feel free to post your own opinion on Tomb Raider in the comments.

The Sims 3: Great Insight Video!

MaXsiM — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:44:06 +0000

Like always i’m a little bit late on this. Last week Maxis released a new video demonstration about The Sims 3 which is the most interesting so far.

The clip shows how the next sims generation is acting in-game, you can see many live life situations and get a great insight of some editors.

The demonstration starts with a look at the new CAS (Create A Sim) Editor. It’s pretty smooth and clear but… no big boobs, guys ;)

OK, see by yourself:

I didn’t watch too close yet so feel free to post your opinion and any stuff about The Sims 3 in the comments…

Heidi Klum supports Guitar Herobama!

MaXsiM — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:52:18 +0000

Topmodel Heidi Klum and her husband, the pop singer Seal, are known to be great supporters of Barack Obama.

Now, after Obama kicked the asses of the republicans, the lame duck, Sarah Palin (who didn’t know that Africa is a continent) and other freaks and opened a new chapter in the book of history, Heidi Klum can stay in America.

To be honest, i don’t care where Heidi Klum and her family are living - as long as the pretty supermodel keeps on producing funny video clips like the one i show you today.

A few months ago she was talking silly with her boobies in some kind of backstage clip…

But this time she shakes her boobs and dances in her underwear to support the video game “Guitar Hero”. It’s only a short clip but a must-see! Have fun: