My multiplayer Minecraft world

Hello people's. Today I'm writing about a Minecraft world that I share with my friends. Here it goes!

So recently I've had computer class for my seventh period class although now its over. :( I had a really nice teacher named Mr. Moore who usually gave us 10-15 minutes at the end of every class to play any school appropriate games. Luckily I was in that class with two of my best friends Ian and Zack. All of us are total Minecraft nerds so I made a Minecraft world and opened it to LAN so that they could join and play on this survival world. There was still one problem though. At the end of every school day the computers wipe everything off except the programs they want on it and everything on the students o-drive. This would mean that every class we would have to start over because MC would stay in our o-drive but the worlds on it would be erased. But Fortunately, USING MY GENIUS 'PUTER SKILLS, I was able to separate the saved world from MC put it on my o-drive and put it back into MC next class!

The adventure had begun! So here's a short overview of the world and what we accomplished in it. One of the main reasons I got back into MC survival non-modded was because of the new 1.7 update. 1.7 adds a ton of new biomes and world gen and I felt it made the exploring factor of MC all the better. So my job was the explorer/adventurer, Ian was the builder, and Zack was the miner and did all the complicated red stone stuff. So I made the world and I spawned in a swamp biome facing an ocean making South the only exploration route without having to make a long, boring boat trip.

I was on the world a couple days before my friends so I started making a house on the beach. It mainly consisted of a pier, mine, and a second level above it.



I would've put in glass windows but strangely for a beach sand was scarce. By the way I was just in creative mode so I could take better pics. If your wondering why the blocks look a little different it's because I'm using a texture pack called Summerfields that I love and you should definitely check it out.





The main mine we use.

Afterwards my friends joined and those were the worst few nights. Most of the time we were holed up, on a hill, back to back surrounded by a circle of fire fighting monsters because we only had one bed and in Multiplayer in order to skip the night everybody had to be sleeping. Yeah, it was pretty awesome. So we bravely fought out the nights and went on crazed sheep massacres every day so we could get wool for beds. After we finally got enough wool Ian and Zack went off to make their own houses 20-30 blocks away from mine.


Ian's house. It started as a small tree house but now it's all the levels it's more of a regular house with a tree under it. ;D


Zack lives in a ravine LIKE A CREEPY MOLE CREATURE ;D kidding Zack.



This is his setup. Small but functional and he's got a large mine too.

One of the things I got lucky with this world was that as soon as I started making the mine stair casing downwards. I ran into some lava and being so close to the ocean it was easy to dig a canal, have the water turn the lava to obsidian, and block the water off again. So as soon as we found some diamonds we made a pickaxe out of it and mined the obsidian for a nether portal! First step to winning the game done.


Before going in the portal.


After going in. We normally have it covered with stone to protect from explosive things but I uncovered it for the pic.

The next step so that I could start exploring was to get all iron armor, an iron sword, and some leads in case I rain across some valuable animals like horses, wolves, or ocelots. I managed to get enough iron easy enough but I needed slime balls and string to makes leads. Fortunately we were in a swamp so Zack easily got some slime balls and my friends were both nice and we pooled our string to make leads. Finally I was ready to explore! It's been a good week in Minecraft time and I've crossed oceans, scaled mountains, and tamed horses on expansive plains.

Unfortunately the class is now over and in order to play multiplayer with my friends from our houses one of us would have to buy a server and I don't think any of us can really do that. But it was fun while it lasted! And just in case I brought a copy of the world home on a thumb drive. Bye peoples and have an adventure!

Bye Ashton

Mage Wars

Hello peoples. Today I'm talking about a card game I got for Christmas that quickly became one of my favorite games. Here it goes.

So Mage Wars is a game played with cards on a rectangle cardboard arena.


There is your Mage card which is just a full body picture of your mage with the mage's name such as the Beastmaster.


This mage is The Wizard which is my current favorite.

There is also an info card for each of the four Mages that come in the starter set. The info card show your Mages stats such as health, available spell points, and the school of magic he/she is trained in. The goal of the game is to be the last Mage standing. So there are 6 types of spell cards, equipment, conjurations, creatures, enchantments, incantations, and attacks. Equipment are played as quickcast spells that make your Mage stronger. You can only have one equipment for each location except that you can have two rings.


Equipment

Conjurations are mostly more like structures. Some could work for you to give you more mana, others could restrain an enemy creature, or even summon creatures of its own.


Conjuration

Creature cards are some of the most important cards and once a creature is summoned and active it can makes its own moves and attacks.


Creature

Enchantment spells either strengthen friendly creatures or weaken enemy creatures.


Enchantment

Incantations can do most other magical things in a card game except direct attack spells which obviously is saved for attack spells.


Incantation


Attack

So for your first few games the instructions have a couple decks pre made for you to play but one of the main points of Mage wars is to make your own spellbooks. Mages can have a different amount of points available to make a spellbook but the four starters use 120. So a Beastmaster is trained in the nature school represented by a small tree on the cards and on the Beastmaster's info card it says he is opposed to fire. So if a Nature card has a level of 2 the Beastmaster only has to pay 2 to put it in his spellbook but if it was a water card then he would pay twice as much so it would be four, if it's fire he opposes that so he has to pay three times as much so he would be paying 6 for that card.


One of the two spell books the game comes with.


It's got slots inside for your cards.

So now that you have a spell book finally it's time to play. The first stage is the ready stage. The first step is to roll the twelve sided die for initiative whoever gets higher gets passed the initiative token. In Mage Wars the turns go mostly at the same time but whoever has initiative goes first slightly. The next step is reset where you flip over your tokens so all inactive creatures become active for the next round. Then there's the channel, upkeep, planning and deployment steps. Each Mage has a set channel stat that determines how much mana he channels each channeling phase so if a Mage has a channel of ten and he has 5 mana already then after the channel phase he/she would have 15 mana. In upkeep conditions would take effect like regenerate, or poison ect. Planning is where you actually plan what cards your going to play next round. You take two cards from your spellbook and place them face down in front of you. Most of the time you want to pick a card with an hourglass and one with a lightning bolt otherwise you probably won't be able to play both cards. Deployment is only used if a Mage has a spawnpoint conjurations and then most of the time the spawnpoint could summon its own creature. Next is the Action Stage. First is the first quick cast phase where you would use one of your lighting bolt cards if you could and wanted too. If you do you would flip over your quickcast marker. Next is creature actions. Your Mage has a choice of either using a hourglass card, moving once and then moving again, or moving once and using his quick melee attack.

Other creatures could move once and then again, or move and attack with a quick action. Some creatures have a more powerful hourglass attack which would require a full action. Creatures can attack each other or some conjurations. The main goal for a creature would be to do damage to the opponent Mage and it can do that with a melee or ranged attack. Finally is the final quick cast phase where your Mage could use your quick cast if he/she hasn't already. Melee attacks require your creature to be in the same zone as the enemy. You roll the amount of attack dice specified on the card and add up the results. You can either roll blank which is nothing, a number, or a number surrounded by a starburst. If the number has a starburst it goes through the enemy's armor if it doesn't it could be blocked. So for example you roll 5 attack dice. One of them is blank, one of them is 2, and the other two are starburst 1 and the enemy has an armor of three. So he would block the 2 with armor and the starbursts would go through and he would take 2. For range attacks it would be the same but make sure the target is in range and in line of sight. There's the basics! Be the last Mage standing. You should definitely get this game.

Bye!

Location:Clifford Dr,Martinsburg,United States

Christmas!

Hello people's. Today I'm talking about what I got for Christmas.

One of the main things I asked for this Christmas was The Shining by Stephen King. I wanted it because I loved the movie and seeing that Stephen King recently released the sequel Doctor Sleep made me want to read the original book. Also I wanted part of the Dead Space series because I've heard of it for a long time but the M rating was preventing me from getting it till now. I chose Dead Space 2 and 3 because I already know the basic story so I don't need 1, Dead Space 2 is supposed to be the scariest, and Dead Space 3 is the newest and has multiplayer. Christmas morning I got all I asked for and more. I got Dead Space 2 & 3, The Shining and Doctor Sleep which was awesome.

I also got other things that Mom and Dad did a great job picking out. I got two board games, one called Dominion and one called Mage Wars. So far I'm really enjoying Mage Wars because your Mage and the spells you choose to bring into each game are customizable. Also because there is an enormous amount of spells to choose from just in the starting set I got and the fact that they are expansions to the game. I haven't played the two games yet but I'm sure I'll enjoy them both. I really enjoyed Dead Space 2. It was very scary and fun and so far I haven't had the bravery to turn the volume up more than 15.

I've only played Dead Space 3 a little because I'm saving it for playing multiplayer at least till I beat Dead Space 2. The Shining so far has been a really good read and my uncle tells me that the movie plot differs from the book even though they're both really good which excites me because that means more surprises. I'm not far through the book but so far my favorite part is when Jack Torrance is thinking about his accident when he was drunk and furious and accidentally broke his three year old son's arm. Stephen King perfectly describes that haunting, extremely guilty feeling Jack gets when he hears that chilling little snap of Danny's bone. I also got a Codigo cube, some new earbuds, a small Nerf gun, zombie targets for my Nerf guns, a maze ball, and more. And the best part... Almost my entire stocking was filled with meat.




Christmas morning

Have a Merry Christmas everybody! Bye.


By Ashton

The Rot and Ruin

Hello people's. Today I'm writing about a book. Here it goes.

The book is called The Rot & Ruin. It's another zombie book but it adds a lot of new and interesting ideas. The book focuses on a small town in California around 14 years after the apocalypse, what they call first night. Fences and guards protect the citizens from the slow moving zoms past the red zone. There hasn't been a death to zombies in years. Carpet coats have been invented that protect from most bites, combination locks protect both sides of every door in case someone passes and comes back, cadaverine masks smell, and yet... Nobody tries to take back what they've lost.

A good size armed group of men could take back a town, eventually entire states. The major cities are gone, they were nuked during the late parts of first night and the surrounding areas are crowded with radioactive zoms but we could take back this world... But for fourteen years there's been nothing. The only people that ever go past the fence, into the Rot & Ruin are bounty hunters. Bounty hunters clear out trade routes and are sometimes sent by surviving family members to "quite" zoms, who often are trapped in their homes by closed doors or just standing in their yards for years with no movement or sound to attract them.

Benny is a kid living in the town called Mountainside he's just turned fifteen and needs to find a job to earn his ration dollars. Reluctantly he decides to train to be a bounty hunter under his older brother Tom who he considers a coward for running away from his already "turned" father leaving his mother to die. Benny was very young in Tom's arms but he could remember that memory as bright as day. Ben now has to go out into the Rot & Ruin and quickly he learns that he knows very little about the outside world and zombies are not the worst things out there...

You should definitely pick up The Rot & Ruin. Bye.


By Ashton

Infinity Blade 3

Hello peoples. Today I'm blogging about another videogame, this time for iOS. Here it goes.

So after I finished Infinity Blade two I was loving the Infinity Blade series. As soon as I finished I started researching when the next game would come out. I found the Infinity Blade Dungeons trailer and was impressed. Unfortunately the due date for the release of the game kept being pushed back farther and farther. Anyway eventually I lost track of the game.

At least a year later I was browsing the app store and I saw an add pop up... For Infinity Blade three. I instantly freaked out and tapped the add. It had a release date in around a week. After more research I found out Infinity Blade Dungeons had been cancelled for a while now but this new game looked even better the graphics were amazing even for the already great Infinity Blade games. It offered multiple settings that were even more dark and mysterious and I practically peed myself when I saw the end of the trailer... A dragon hurtling towards the main character, Siris. Siris has fought people that were five times bigger than him before but they obeyed the aegis forms which is like an honorable dueling tradition. He's even fought monsters that didn't obey this but this thing had wings and there didn't seem like a lot he could do about that.

So one thing this series has done is put out a book between each game explaining what goes on between games. I've read the first one between IB one and two called Infinity Blade: Awakening. It was ok and was a must if you wanted to understand what Siris is doing in IB two but it was very mysterious and weird and throughout progression in these games there are more and more of what looks like advanced technology even in this medieval type world. This was in the ending of IB one and put me off a bit and it was implemented even more in that book. The book, called Infinity Blade: Redemption between IB two and three, has all the answers. It tells all about how this technology is here completely catches the reader off guard and wraps it all in a nice little bow. I highly recommend reading these books if your gonna play this game series.

Now down to the actual game itself: I've already beaten it and I loved it. The storyline is amazing and unexpected and if you do beat it then watch till the end of the credits and if you've read all the books what you see is shocking. The game seems to be lacking in weapons, armor, and items compared to the other games but with the ability to play as Isa and utilize her own unique weapons it more than makes up for it. The game also adds an interesting new mechanic. Instead of just doing things as you go along like the other games, in this you actually have a base you visit between missions with useful people like the gem cutter, potion maker, blacksmith, and the merchant. (you can still buy things without the merchant but whenever she visits she comes with a select few discounted items.) I do have a few bugs about the game though. The story is a bit short and there is not as many things to do in it after you've beaten the game, however these things may come out in additional content packs in the future like the previous games. Also the final boss is much to easy. I had more trouble with his predecessors and they either should have made him much faster and more damage dealing or given him more than just one sword. Other than that the game is amazing, definitely worth it's 6.99, and you should pick it up soon.

Bye.


By Ashton

The House of Mystery

Hello peoples.  Today I'm looking into some comics.  Here it goes.

     Specifically I'm reviewing The House of Mystery essentials 1,2,3 and The House of Secrets essential 1.  When my dad still went to the comic store I used to get an essential every time.  So we were redoing my dad's old sanctuary... which was also my old room, to be Katie's bedroom so I was moving my things out and rediscovered them.  Of all the essentials Iv'e gotten I liked these horror ones the best.  A few of the stories are actually pretty good and creepy.

     I've found that the stories get better as the comic gets older. (And by better I mean no story in essential 3 have happy endings.)  As the series contiue they become less mystery story and more horror story and I like the change.  My favorite stories from The House of Mystery essentials are, Nightmare, The Little people, Brief Visit, The Lunatic, A Breath of Black Death, The Demon within, Phony Face, This Little Demon Loves People, Oh Mom! oh dad! You've sent me to summer camp and I'm so sad!, The Death Clock, The Night of The Teddy Bear, The one and only fully guarenteed super 100%, The Curse of the Macintyres, and Monster in the House.  The stories get better as the comic gets older and 2 and 3 are the best ones.

     My favorite from The House of Secrets is, If i should Die Before I Wake, Please Don't Cry Johnny, After I Die, Creature, The Monster, and Domain of the Damned.  I love the style of these old, short horror stories and I love how most of them have little cliffhangers that are only explained by the pictures.  I also love the relationship between Cain, the caretaker of the House of Mystery, and Abel, the caretaker of the House of Secrets.  The two are brothers.

Bye.

The Shining

Hello peoples. Today I'm blogging on The Shining. Here it goes.

The shining is a very different horror movie. I have not read the book yet but I hope to. It is directed by Stanley Kubrick and it is amazing. Here is the basic story with no big spoilers. It's about a man named Jack Torrance who is going to be the winter caretaker of a hotel and he is taking his family with him.

Due to the hotels location in the mountains it is virtually inaccessible in the winter so he's there alone with his family for a few months. The main horror feature in this movie is not so much blood and gore or physical things like a monster, (but it does have plenty of things like that.) Its mainly about Jack descending from a loving father to the brink of madness to do... Horrible things. It also has very good supernatural events and Jack's only son Danny is tied into those events.

It's not the kind of scary where something pops out of a closet and scares you it's something where your like... Wait, what just happened and then you think about it for a while, realize what happened, and pee your pants. It also has some very disturbing scenes involving gore but it's not really like movies today it's more... Horrifyingly artistic. My dad tells me Stanley Kubrick was an artist so I guess that makes sense. It is such an artistic movie that many of the most terrifying scenes are open to interpretation but in such a way there's no real interpretation that's not extremely creepy. I really loved this movie and I was very excited to see that Stephen King, the author of the book, has released a sequel, I think it's called Sleep Doctor which is one of the reasons why I want to read The Shining as well.

Bye