God School (Forum... Game?)

[Ratha]

Alright folks, I've got a new game out, and it's this, but DON'T SIGN UP JUST YET! There is enough room for everyone. I mean it, I want everyone to join this game who wants to, but there's a price.

I don't care how skilled you are. Skill is something to develop while in this thread. If you don't even know how to use MSPaint... if you have no idea what a .png or .jpg file is... if you feel like you've no artistic talent... THIS GAME IS STILL FOR YOU. Skill is something that you will be taught and practiced here. WE START THE LESSONS ASSUMING YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE A GRAPHICS PROGRAM ON YOUR COMPUTER YET!

If you're already skilled, and have worlds on the make, and have the extra time to have fun with this game... THIS GAME IS FOR YOU TOO! Heck, you might even end up as a guest professor.

If you're short on time, and only have the time to type up a short sentence or two for each game you're in, DON'T JOIN THIS GAME! This game will require a slightly higher time commitment than average. I'll only update once every three days, and I still expect this to give some people trouble. Myself included.

The price will be that your actions in this game are drawn by you. Remember: Lessons start assuming no artistic skill, and not even a graphics program on your computer. So... the intro:





"I really wanted into that game you know."

"So did the others who applied. That's why they applied."

"I know, I know."

"Besides, you've still got arena slaves, right?"

"Dead."

"Hats?"

"Side character."

"Adventuring Goblins?"

"Thread inactive. I should probably get around to removing it from my signature."

"Capture the flag?"

"I haven't actually joined any of those. Or read the rules. I just like reading Not Important's work."

"Well, you know what to do."

"Yeah, look out the fourth wall. I'm already doing it."

"Ah, good."



"Alright folks, listen up. My name is Ratha Shadar, and I shall be your professor today. And the course is godhood 101."

"Now some of you are already gods. Feel free to sit in on the class. I'm okay with that. Hell, join in with the students, you aren't blocking up anything by doing so."

"Others of you are thinking that you don't have what it takes to be a god. Well, don't knock it too early. A few years ago I was just some guy with worlds swimming around in my head, and no way to bring them to life. Heck, I didn't even know how to post pictures to a forum. Words, yes, but pictures? No."

"These are the ones I'm looking for. Because I've come to realize something. There is a ridiculous demand for good forum games and not enough supply. I'm pretty sure that goblin defence is all I can keep up with, and the amazing LSN seems to miraculously juggle three games at once. There are more, but all of us aren't keeping up with demand. There's too much demand, and not enough supply."

"You don't have to want to become a god to play in this game. But I will consider this game a victory if just two of the people playing it do become gods. Make your own worlds, your own games. This is meant to teach those who feel like the have no skill and so much imagination to make their own games. If I'd started another game, that would've catered to nine more spaces. If just two people become gods, that'll have doubled to 18."



"Imagine the joy of creating your own things. If that appeals to you, then for the love of god, join this game."

"And with that intro, the rules:"

The Rules:

Updates shall be once every three days. I shall be updating across two threads. This is the game thread. It shall, for the most part, be an in character thread, in which a group of gods seeking ascension to a higher level will be taught the tricks of the trade by a god that's already there, and anyone else who wants to teach. More on that in a bit.

The second thread is the lessons thread. Ask for help in this thread. If you have useful instruction pertaining to the lession, then by all means, post that. The lesson should give you everything you need to know to complete the assignment. The assignment will be how you advance in the game. For example, today's assignment will be to create an image for your god, and the lesson will go over it step by step, from finding a graphics program to uploading it to the forum.

The second thread will also be where you post requests for help. I may not be able to get around to you as far as help goes. It depends on whether I know, how many people need help. If you know the answer, feel free to help out. Helping others is extra credit.

So without further ado...

Lesson 1: Making graphics, and posting them to the internet

(Feel free to skip the lesson and go straight to the assignment if you already know how to make and post graphics to the internet. Just be warned that most lessons will be for the gimp on windows.)

Assignment 1: Signups



The red clad figure floats across the room to the chalkboard, and writes his name out on the chalkboard. Then he looks out at the class.

"Good morning class. My name is Ratha Shadar, and I'll be your instructor today. At the end of today's lesson, I'll be giving you your course syllabus, but until then, I'll hand you your assignment. Your assignment for today is to introduce yourselves, and how you look."

"But... I look like I look? Not here. We're gods, remember? We have to demonstrate to others what we look like. And we can't just say we have a steel mask with blades on the edge and a long red robe. We have to consciously have steel masks with blades and red robes."

"And don't be embarressed just because with all your might you could only look like a scribble. I started out by ripping off another god's work, and now look at me. Fifteen feet tall, with eyes like fire. Even if you just look like a scribble, your assignment is to tell us your name, show us yourself, and give us any details you beleive relevant. Like this:"

Name: Ratha Shadar

Picture:



Details: Ratha Shadar rose on wings of shadow, to become the second Pacifist God of War. He goes by many names... including "He who fights and gives quarter", "He who accepts surrender", and "He who would really rather not kill you right now" amongst others. He recently jumped in power by copying the work of another, much more powerful god, and then gradually subverting the power into his own. He very much hopes that others will follow a similar path to power, and will do his best to enable them in doing so.


"That's how it's done. I expect the assignment on my desk in three days. Remember, don't worry if the work is sloppy, you'll be improving it during the semester. If possible, please put your appearance on a white background. That will make it easier for me to integrate your appearances. Here is your course syllabus. Everyone enjoy the rest of their day, class dismissed!"

The students glance down at the pieces of paper that have appeared in front of them, outlining a lesson plan.

Lesson 1: Making graphics, and posting them to the internet.

Lesson 2: Editting another person's pictures, part one.

Lesson 3: Jpg, Png, Gif, Bmp, Xcf, etc...

Lesson 4: Basics of the pencil, paintbrush, and eraser tools in gimp.

Lesson 5: Layers in gimp.

Lesson 6: The selection tool.

Lesson 7: The path tool.

Lesson 8: Creating rooms.

Lesson 9: Editting another person's pictures, part two.

Lesson 10: Free practice.

Lesson 11: Darkness, water, sunrises, stars, and other neat things to do with the layers tool.

Lesson 12: Animated gifs.

Lesson 13: Making videos with Windows Movie Maker.

Lesson 14: World crafting.

Lesson 15: NPC crafting.

Lesson 16: Item crafting.

Lesson 17: Actions.

Lesson 18: OMG Spreadsheets!

Lesson 19: Actually doing it.

Lesson 20: Graduation.

Note to all students: The course syllabus is subject to change without notice.

Class Roster:

1. Gnawen Gnoggins (Donnigan)
2. The Eye of Uncertainty (Burns Bees)
3. Bloogonis Arcanum (Bloogonis)
4. Arcticia (Alopex)
5. Talthos (Kopkop)
6. The Triumvirate (LicentiousDey)
7. Requiem (WorstCase)
8. 5hoo (5hoo)
9. Knuckles (Knucklekraken)
10. Papros (ArcticTornado)
11. Sicoh (Psychotic)
12. Brontan (Brontan)
13. Metro (Aelthas)
14. L-Ink (LooksAndSmiles)
15. Silent's Pants (SilentObserver)
16. Singularity (Ralton)
17. Eternity (ThinkingofNames)
18. The One of Late (M0rtimer)
19. Goblinomicon (ReadVoraciously)
20. Warlock (Warlock)
21. Azoth (MadMartin26)
22. Finder in Darkness (Experiment)
23. Stickly (PicksUpSticks)

Class photo so far:


Please Note! The keenspot crash left me with the updated class photo, but not the full class list. If you do not see your name on the list, please re-upload your application. If you don't want to re-type the whole thing, just your name and picture will suffice this time.

Many appologies! Hope it doesn't happen again!

[ArdentSilver]

Awesome ideas! *thumbs up* Good on you, and gluck to the brave souls who venture forth with you!

[Donnigan]

There is a groaning sound and this pops out of the ground.



"Greeting fellow potential Gods...Oops...Ahem, give me a minute."

*Razzle-Frazzle*
*Bang* *Bang*
*Sawing Noise*

"Aha! Here we go!"



"As I was saying, Greetings fellow Potential Gods. I hope we have a wonderful term...Although I seem to be the first here..."

((That was edjumacating. The first one is the crappy thing I made while reading Ratha's Tutorial, then I went and spend the next hour making the new one. I hope you guys like it!))

[BurnsBees]

I am the eye of uncertainty, also called the umbrella of doubts and depression. I spread the sorrows of my pains through the rains I might have created. I didn't mean to harm anybody, I was just trying to help them with a drought but flooded them instead with agony. I should have stayed in the back where the rejected gods go. Or maybe I didn't cause it at all and have no powers by myself and just thought that I caused people's pain. Maybe they were like this before and well after...



...I tried to go simple. I just can't help myself.

[Bloogonis]

A burst of blue sparks flash forth from nowhere, and a horrendous rend in space and time forms pouring forth tentacular masses and horrors beyond imagining. with a few more sparks the rend sinches tighter blocking out most all the horribleness that resides just beyond the veil leaving only a gap from which an enormous eye stares at you.


Name:Bloogonis Arcanum

Picture:


A creator god, forgotten by those who once worshiped it still finds its way past the barriers between worlds to add a touch of absurdity here and there.

[Donnigan]

"Ohh, I'm supposed to name myself? Well, I guess I am Gnawen Gnoggins, God of bad horror movies and the cults they spawn. Also, zombie apocalypses, if that wasn't evident."

[alopex]

This is wonderful! I want to be a god ... well at least I want learn how to draw with any kind of graphics program.
My first attempts ever (previously I have done only some graphs and charts) are these:

First there was an animal. Simple, small, and bloodthirsty. There was little that this arctic fox was interested in: a next meal and a shelter to sleep.




Then it heard the wise words of god Ratha and started to think: Creating worlds? Drawing? New direction to its pitiful life? It decided to get a more suitable appearance for a new godling. And here she is: Arcticia, goddess of small things living on lands endlessly covered by snow (hey, you have to start somewhere! I'm gonna be more powerful soon).
She sits in the front row and hopes, that this really is a beginners course, or she'll be in trouble ...



I made them with paint, but I'll change soon to Corel (which is also new to me, but that one I'll want to learn). Paint was quite painful experience.
I must also get a decent mouse; touchpad is not good for drawing by freehand.

[Wildman]

"Adventuring Goblins?"

"Thread inactive. I should probably get around to removing it from my signature."

Done! I'm not even participating in this thread but it helped me! Yay!

[thinkslogically]

This looks really cool - hope it sparks loads of new games!

I can't commit the time to this one I'm afraid as I'm going offshore in a few weeks for a month and it doesn't look like it will be finished by then. I'll be following closely though and look forward to reading it all

[kopkop]

You can feel a warm breeze of wind from a land far away gradually getting stronger. Suddenly the breeze is gone and you spot a red hat a floating down towards the ground. It is Talthos, The god of uncertainty and travel. It is him who travels by wind, without free will, only able to steer his course with his 10 stubs of hands. Just like a mortal traveller has no power over where the roads lay.


What do we have 'ere? A God School? Well if The Winds want me here, here I shall stay. Sign me up.

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been following few of these games and been anxious to find one to join.

[ArcticTornado]

"Adventuring Goblins?"

"Thread inactive. I should probably get around to removing it from my signature."

Done! I'm not even participating in this thread but it helped me! Yay!

I still keep hope that it'll spontaneously come back to life... again.

And this looks interesting, but I don't know... Using a whole new image software thingy sounds like a bit of a pain.

[Ratha]

I still keep hope that it'll spontaneously come back to life... again.

And this looks interesting, but I don't know... Using a whole new image software thingy sounds like a bit of a pain.

You don't actually need to use new software. If you have something you're used to, then you can actually ignore most of the lessons and just do the assignments.

[LicentiousDey]

I wish to join, but I have a Macintosh, so the lessons may not always apply.
Place holder for picture and bio.

Name: The Triumvirate

Description: The Triumvirate, a melding of the three grandson gods into a single, tertiary creator god (Ibn being the first, and the father to Licentious Dey who himself fathers the Triumvirate). The three gods are: Gawain, Bonecarver; Morban Fury, the Fleshstealer; and Roderick (Aka Roddy). Each of the three represents a certain domain of life. Gawain of bones manipulates the skeletal structure, giving a creature form. Morban of blood binds flesh to bone and lets your heart beat in your chest. Roderick, the strangest of them all bestows a creation a soul, giving it self awareness and intelligence. The three personalities conflict and they are not always assembled into a single form shown above. The form above is a head, the symbol of unity between the three brothers and their dominion. The face of flesh covers the skull of bone which in turn protects the soul housed within. The eyes are closed, eversleeping until it is time to wake and form a new object or to bicker once more. The mouth is replaced with a sheet of grey scales and the mouth is filled with salt to keep the three together, removing the scales and pulling out the salt will wake the beast.

I have personality bios for all five gods involved, I just wish i had the drawing proficiency to represent it...
If the gal(?) below me can use the same application and make that, then I have a lot of hope for my own skills
Also, how do you format specific Hex colors?

[WorstCase]

Sorry for my sloppy apearance, but as someone, who usually works with the traditional non-digital drawing tools I'm a bit far from my home domain.
I'd like to partake nevertheless. Well over here you can call me Requiem, godess of things almost forgotten. My domains are storyrelling and painting.

[LoneStarNorth]

This thread is such a good idea. I'm gonna lurk it so hard, you don't even KNOW.

[5hoo]

Name: 5hoo

Picture:



Details: 5hoo, the curious ball that is, thought long and hard about becoming a god, often planning creations and even designing worlds, but due to a lack of experience, and of course limbs, failed to finish any. He chose to join god school to hone his skills, and maybe simplify his outlook on godhood. The mist that surrounds his body makes you wonder how fit he is to join this world though, as his natural skills appear to be in very different programs, but he put aside his copy of Graphics Gale in attempts to learn, and downloaded himself GIMP for these lessons; he does however feel lesson 13 shall be a point of contention as a Camtasia Studio user.

[Ratha]

I wish to join, but I have a Macintosh, so the lessons may not always apply.

Place holder for picture and bio.

I chose gimp because it supposedly works on Windows, Linux, and OSX (Mac). The only lesson I can be sure you'll miss out on is the windows movie maker lesson, and I think Mac has something that's kind of analagous, so it could be that there's nothing to keep you from experimenting while that one goes on.

Can't wait to see your picture and bio.

This thread is such a good idea. I'm gonna lurk it so hard, you don't even KNOW.

[knucklekraken]

Alright, FINE. I'll bite. Might be a while, though.

[knucklekraken]

Knuckles. God of smirkin'. God of classy hats. God of punchin' dem in de face what needs punchin'.

God of classy badassery. Badclassery, if you will.



Also I'm an enormous mollusk. You got a problem wid it?

[Aelthas]

I will lurk with joy. I may submit a character, but I'm a little worried about time.

[ArcticTornado]

A quill and scroll materialise in the class. The quill begins to write words quickly across the scroll.

I am Papros, God of Paper and Canvas. We are Creation, Potential, and Communication. These wish to join your class. Will the one who seems you permit us?



(when it comes to the photo, this is what It'll display.)

I can't promise I'll be able to keep up with this game, but I'll see how it goes.

[PSychotic]

"Adventuring Goblins?"

"Thread inactive. I should probably get around to removing it from my signature."

Done! I'm not even participating in this thread but it helped me! Yay!

I still keep hope that it'll spontaneously come back to life... again.

yeah, sorry about abandoning the game. it was my first time running anything, and i learned a lot. (such as write everything down and plan ahead. i was literally making it up on the fly. and account for player's actions.) it won't be brought back. i'll tell you what happened though. you all escaped (besides foxes who was horribly burnt to death) from the well-chimney place, defeated the kidnappers of your clan, rescued your clan from the new dawn slave pens, and started up a new clan in the mountains.



A plain looking man appears before Ratha Shadar. Shaking his hand, the man says "Hello. I am Sicoh, son of Mary Sue. I just recently became a god, and a few other immortals told me that you could help me harness my powers."

[brontan]

(This took alot of thought)









Ahem... Brontan, the god of mass erasing. While quickly erasing comments he was prepared ot post he discovered he God Ratha teaching others to create... A new thing to him, Creating? He quickly discovered what he needed to to begin this creating. Thus denying his destiny to destroy.
His domains are erasing and creative destruction.

[Aelthas]

BEHOLD, PETTY MORTALS!

Metro, Goblin Lord of Fabulosity and Real Manliness!



Metro, lord of all things fabulous, strides dramatically into the room. Well, actually, it's more of a flounce. But he thinks it's a stride, and that's all that matters to him. He also winks and flashes a devilish grin at anything remotely female.
Note: This is not meant to be offensive or stereotypical and, in fact, as the Lord of Real Manliness (Everyone knows Real Men are Purple, Wear Pink, And Have Rainbow Accesories) he will be as over the top manly as possible.

First GIMP drawing! I'd call it a success.

[LicentiousDey]

Everyone draws better than me...