CCCC OO3O M 5 T M AA 3 N OUT E315 RRRR CC OO 1O MM 1M RM IS OUTA N1 N D D E T R C O 5 M M 3 M U M M M A A N 5 N D D E E H R C O O M M M T M M AA315A N N N D D EE E ERRR C3 OO OO M M M H M A A N NN D D E R R 15CC OTHE M M M M A A N N DDD EEEE E R K K EDIE KEEN N H K K E E NN A KKK E E E E N N H K KK EE E EE E N N A K K E E N NH K K EEEE EEEE N A COMMANDER KEEN NEWSLETTER :`( Issue-7: August 31, 2002 Working Title: Random Issue, (or was it planned?) (C) 2002 by Joseph Burke all rights nerfed. All trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Warning: This document may not be distributed without condemnation. ----------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter Homepage: http://www.commanderkeen.net Newsletter Index: [1] Featured Particles [1.1] Interview with LinkTempleton [1.2] A Little about the Vorticon Downfall Trilogy [1.3] We Interview the Dopefish [2] Fan Game Feuds [2.1] Commander Keen: School's Out! [3] Satire the Weaver [3.1] Commander Keen Online [3.2] Can't Get Enough Commander Keen [3.3] A Fan Page for Commander Keen [4] Monthly Redefinition [4.1] We really are working on getting something -- honesty! [5] Leafs Falling from Trees [5.1] Some more H2G2 connections.. [5.2] Some tricks and bugs.. [5.3] New Keen games again! [5.4] Lego buys! [5.5] Roller blade Keen.. [5.6] Draw the Keen! [5.7] Mod news.. Wohooo! [6] Miscellaneous Rust [6.1] Plant Art [6.2] Laments [6.3] Lettuce ----------------------------------------------------------- [1] Featured Articles (We aren't looking for a permanent "Featured Article" writer at this time, but if you want us to publish an article for you, we'd be most obliged. Email "forge315@commanderkeen.net" about this.) [1.1] Interview with Joe Siegler CK-Newsletter: What led to your coming into the Keen Community? LinkTempleton: When I was younger, I played Keen all the time. As I got older, I kinda got bored with it. But 8 years later I happened to come across it on the net. First it was playing them, then making them. The rest is history. Question: When did the idea of making a fan game first come to you, at what moment did it become serious? Answer: Well, it all started when surfing the net and coming across Keen 2000. It inspired me to make a Keen game of my own. I wanted to make it better longer and more keenish. First it started as really corny little game when a little Keen hovered around the screen and collect stuff. I eventually learned to make a really good game. First it was "Commander Keen and the Attack of the Vorticons", then it was "Commander Keen - Mortimer's Revenge". "Mortimer's Revenge" was almost done, except that it was deleted somehow. So I decided to get together a group of amateur game designers to make a new Keen game, the best one ever. Thusly, LTP was born. Question: Despite it's limits, I think the level design in Keen School Out was very well done, what do you think? Answer: Though I think it was awesome beyond reason, everything good can be better. We wish we had the power to scroll. Question: How much has Keen School Out changed from the original vision? Answer: Big time. We had the vision of a new Keen sprite, a cool end boss, our own custom made enemies, and it was gonna be "The Universe is Toast". But we were lazy, and people didn't react to the idea of "Universe is Toast" as much as we thought they would. But we were impressed at the end result of the game anyway. We were blown away. Question: Will there be a sequel to this fan games? If so, please tell us a little bit? Answer: Actually, yes, absolutely. We've got tons of ideas. The one we like the most is called "Commander Keen - Attack of Xsax" when Mortimer's actions to brainwash the natives of Versis IV angers an alien protector who targets Earth for destruction. Were hoping to get TGF so we can have the levels scroll so we can make more levels than before. Question: What is the best experience you've had while making Keen School? Answer: Definitely the feedback. We were so pleased with the good results we got. Were hoping to get more. Question: Do you have any advice for fellow Keeners who may try to use CNC? Answer: "Do it for yourself and keep it honest" Best advice I've ever gotten. Question: Were there any guidelines that you set when making Keen School so that Keenishness would remain? Answer: No. We did whatever popped into our imaginations. Question: You play the guitar, how good are you? Answer: I don't like to brag but, I'm awesome. Question: Musical interest usually starts young, when did you first get interest first develop? Answer: I've played instruments since I was 10, but I've haven't been interested in music as much as I am now. My biggest inspirations are Punk bands such Green Day, Operation Ivy, Pinhead Gunpowder, and Rancid. CK-Newsletter: Thanks for talking, later :) LinkTempleton: No problem. Anytime. ------------------- [1.2] A Little about the Vorticon Downfall Trilogy (Incase you don't know, MRC and KeenEmpire have teamed up to bring you a story about the Vorticon Downfall period, and this is just a peek. - Forge) KEENEMPIRE WROTE: The History of the Vorticons is very strange with regards to the movements of our own. The planet is composed of islands, which are almost totally surrounded by thick mountains, and therefore trade was very rare, except by the people (by "people" I am referring to individual beings in general, and not just humans) who dared brave these mountains, and pass the then incomprehensible expanses of sea. There were only two shores that were completely open to the oceans, and those two were separated by such an inexplicable expanse of sea that it was a long time before its very DISCOVERY, much less trading. Even inter-island trading had a limited range, as mountains tended to make entire parts of continents inaccessible except from the other side. Because of these factors, the Vorticon race was forced to group into self-sufficient city-states, and/or areas when the population started increasing. In these groups, direct-democracy, founded in small places like city-states in Greece, not only started, but maintained. The forces that allowed for such a government, a small population within a localized area allowing for large voting meetings, were present all over the planet in such overwhelming areas that they allowed for this. Development worked out individually in almost isolated areas, with just enough trading to manage to spread their advancements to nearby places, and occasionally farther ones. The details upon the creation of telecomics are not known; however it was utterly embraced by the Vorticons, and within a generation everyone was connected to each other by the power of communication. This was followed by the computer, and other advancements as well. In the time between this and commercial flying, Vorticons were basically separate colonies, connected to each other to share information but virtually nothing else. But after the start of flight, as well as ships, cars and other forms of transportation, a golden age of trading and movement started, with resources no longer needing to be produced in immediate areas. Research went greatly into other forms of passage. When the teleporter was invented, it removed the final obstacles in the efforts of traveling, but it also created a revolution of then current ideas. Thousands of kilometers could be traversed in a single instant, so why was the world a collection of hundreds of different boundaries, why was it a land of countries, when it could be moved around as easily as around one country? Almost at the same time popularity soared for such a worldwide system, a direct-democracy spanning the entire world, connected by telecommunication voting systems. But it was in such things that the system failed. A decision simply could not be stereotyped into an entire planet. Some places required different things than others, and the decision of implementing them laid in the choices of the rest of the world, who sometimes voted for quite the opposite. Some places had higher populations, with more votes supporting a particular thing. It was realized that, and that because of that, a full-scale democracy could be disastrous in the end. Instead, a government of different powers was established, a partial monarchy as well as a form of representative democracy. Local governments had the main power, however; it was basically the self-rule, but supervised by an authority of wiseness. Government: The main government of the Vorticons is divided into three main branches: a monarchy, a council of elders, and a democracy. Local matters are guided by a direct-democracy, and each individual city sends a representative to the primary democracy, to bring to light their affairs. The three branches commonly come in touch with each other. Elders: Being an elder is a stage in a Vorticon’s life, in which for unknown reasons inherent wisdom is found in governing. The elders are very few in number, a council numbering usually five in total. The male elders (of which there are very few, the current official number is two) are, as a rule, always part of the council, unless massive complaints and a public sanction brings him out of office. The female elders (of which there are relatively many of), are voted for by the public every two years. As a rule, an equal number of female elders as there are of male elders are voted, however there are at least five elders in the council, and more females can be voted in to protect this rule. The wisdom of the elders is a hope to prevent a dominant society of public and democratic numbers. Unlike the other governments, the elders are generally scattered throughout the planet, (and sometimes the Vorticon system!), not in the capital, but they can still regularly hold meetings with each other via the Holographic devices. The Democracy: The representative democracy governing the entire planet is composed of more than a hundred Vorticons; local matters are governed by a more complete direct-democracy, but each city sends out one representative to show to the entire senate their individual needs. Forty Vorticons are also elected, as a common, unprejudiced governors. The History of King Camilis: The primary organization opening into Vorticon VI was the direct democracy, caused by the separation of populated areas, but even before, in the days of no telecomics, the large island of Vortiville had less a separation, only one relatively low mountain range barring the whole island from each other, and many populations desiring to be part of something greater. In a nationalistic attempt, the entire island formed a unity, but it was very quickly realized that a vote could not be effective, when it took at best months to carry results of individual cities from one place to another. In this time of shatter, they saw that the very populations of individual places would eventually become too large for good government. The belief passed, that a good person making rules, with the population verifying them in individual areas, would be a powerful authority-democracy double-check of each other, and the first monarchy, of the family of Camilis, began. The King began also to become a leader of the nearby island to Vortiville, and the inhabitants of the Caves of Oblivion, the island where he later put his capital. Today, the philosophy of double-regulation is still popular among Vorticons (although it has turned into a rather triple-regulation, with the Council of Elders). The current King Camilis is still a benevolent monarch, wielding power in the planetary government of Vorticon VI. The Vorticons never had a problem with individual people having more of a taste to war than the public, due to the regulation of the King by the population. The Local Government: The local governments are, as stated before, direct-democracies, but with a few differences. Small voting devices have replaced the primitive ballot, and discussions could normally be seen on Vorticon forms of TV. Meetings are still held once-in-a-while, in those ancient halls. MRC WRITES: Milpavian Captain Kraft's report to Commander Keen's investigations on McMire's childhood: Abducted by aliens in the age of 4, returning from non-existence two months later, surprising his shocked parents. During this abduction, something was done to him. He became the eccentric villain, an unnatural flaw in the human society, his intelligence being forced to serve the evil. He bullied and teased, and betrayed. Mortimer built an interstellar starship, taking refuge to the outer space, where he established close connections with individuals of his own type. One of these was Zeth Gorgoyle, his tutor who activated the seeds of cruelty in the young earthling. By the age of 5, Mortimer's first destructive plan was being carried out as he disguised himself as an intellect on the way to help the Vorticon race. Not too much should be revealed from this point onwards, because it would spoil our fictious trilogy of the Vorticon Downfall period. - KeenEmpire and MRC ------------------- [1.3] We Interview the Dopefish INT: Mr. Dopefish, if you wouldn't mind telling us about your experience with Whacky Wheels, in your own words? DF: Swim. INT: Um... Right... so, do you think that ing Afghanistan is the right thing for the US to do? DF: Swim. INT: Hm... Moving right along, perhaps you could tell us what you think of the new Star Wars movie? DF: HUNGRY!!!!!!!! INT: AAAARRRRGH- DF: *Burp* - TMST ----------------------------------------------- [2] Fan Game Reviews (If you want your game reviewed please email "forge315@commanderkeen.net".) Rating System: Horrible (1-2) Bad (3-4) Okay (5-6) Good (7-8) Excellent! (9-10) [2.1] Commander Keen: School's Out! Game Rating Horrible (2/10) Quality - 1/10 Originality - 3/10 Keenishness - 3/10 Overall - 2/10 Download Game: http://www.commanderkeen.net/files/game45_2.zip Keen games have never really been known for their storyline, but they should have one and it should be good. This game does have a story, however it's not good, and it unfortunately even sucks. Okay so what is it? Well here's what the game says, ------------------------- Quote: Its a quiet day on Earth. Its an everyday monday morning, kids are in school. Billy Blaze, our 8 year-old genius hero, is walking to school, parnets home or at work. Suddenly, there's this huge falsh of light pulsing from the school! Billy rushs over to the educational establishment to investigate. To his surprise, its gone! Billy panics and runs home. "Mom! Mom! The school's gone!", Billy yells. "I know, honey! Its all over the news! By the way, this letter came for you this morning." Billy's Mom hands him a blue package. He runs to his room and opens the box as fast as he could. Suddenly, green slime blew out of the box and all over Billy. In the box lies a a message in SGA. He sits in the lab for hours decoding the mesage. Finally, he finshed. It read: "Help us Commander Keen! Our planet has been taken over by a strange man in a helmet! We are in desperate need of your services! Please help-" Billy thinks for a moment.....Mortimer! He's the strange man in a helmet! But why would he want all the schools? He looks at the package it came in. Its return address reads: 953 Verisis IV. Billy instantly grabs his brothers helmet and runs outside to hop in his Bean-n-Bacon Megarocket and heads to Versis IV to stop Mortimer! ------------------------- Now what's wrong with it? A whole lot, that's what! Here's a list, 1 - After Keen gets home his mom says, "By the way, this letter came for you this morning." This seems too pleasant because she uses the words, "by the way," and there's no exclamation mark to go with this to emphasize any emotion. Why not say, "I know, honey-" her voice breaks off in flood of tears, and a tiny blue package slips from her hands as she covers her face. She then staggers back unable to control the emotions and slumps down on the couch. Billy comes to her side, like an innocent animal curious but unwilling to say anything, and sits down. He notices from the couch that the small package is addressed to him. He then wonders where the package could have come from, but his mother starts to speak. "Honey," her voice seems burdened and all cut up with sadness, "why don't you go upstairs and play." "Okay..." says Billy, quietly getting up from the couch. Then as he walks out of the living room, he leans down and takes the package with him. I think it's better, though I didn't spend but 15 minutes on it, a good half hour is really needed to make it great or not cliché. Now on to the next reason why the story sucks, 2 - It said Keen spend hours in his lab decoding a simple message, and there are two things wrong with that. One, Billy would have decoded it in a matter of a couple minutes or less. Two, the last place he was seen was in his bedroom so where did the lab come from? Seem none to well thought out. 3 - And the last reason at this time is, Keen makes a correlation between the school blowing-up/disappearing and Mortimer that doesn't exist. In my opinion this is the worst mistake because it encompasses the whole plot and therefore destroys anything that was, our could have been. The mechanics that went into the gameplay include, jumping, pole climbing, and shooting. Jumping around is okay, but it's not like the originals, and if you hit a roof Billy will stick to it; the game labels this as a magnetic helmet, but you can stick to none metallic surfaces and it wasn't worked into the plot at all. Climbing poles is perhaps the worst thing that this game contains, the only way to climb a pole is to jump up to it, once there climb up and down but if you shoot you'll probably fall off. Then the shooting only shoots in the last direction you went in, meaning if you jump and shoot the shot goes up, additionally Keen has the ability to shoot down while on the ground. (These kinds of things are in all CNC type games.) The graphics in the game are from the original Keen games, which is unoriginal. Also the ledges don't look right because they don't have end tiles. Level design is what a Keen game is mainly about, so lets talk about that. There's no screen scrolling, which is important, but despite this the levels are well designed and can be fun if you don't mind all the problems with the game. One other thing shines and condemns this game though, and that's Keenishness. There's Keenishness to this game, but what does Keenishness mean? Well if you head over to John Romero's website, http://www.rome.ro, you'll see a featured picture of Tom Hall in the upper left corner of the screen. Then if you click on it at the bottom of the new screen Romero talks about the picture and says something to the affect, Tom always makes notes to himself and puts them around his computer screen and in this pic there's a piece of paper that says quality. So I conclude that Keenishness means quality, originality, and an innocent playful fun. This game has the innocent and playful approach but therein there's no quality and not too much fun. - Forge315 (Just for the record that's the longest review we've ever done. Yipeee! Or not Yipee since the game isn't very fun, but I did like it.) ----------------------------------------------- [3] Website Reviews (If you want your website reviewed, please email "yorpy@commanderkeen.net") Rating System Horrible (1-2) Bad (3-4) Okay (5-6) Good (7-8) Excellent! (9-10) [3.1] Commander Keen Online Site Rating Excellent (7/10) Quality - 9/10 Originality - 8/10 Keenishness - 9/10 Overall - 9/10 Website URL: http://commanderkeenonline.tripod.com/ It surprised me that this site seems to be somewhat popular. It has recently been redesigned and relocated to Tripod. I've included both URLs just so you can see how the site was changed. The new design is very stylish but I found the frame a tad annoying. The site provides pictures of enemies and items and some tips to help you play the games. Also included are some useful downloads like the dll files needed to play CNC games. Additionally the site has a message board that actually has posts in it. Being worked on regularly this is fast becoming one of the more popular sites for Commander Keen on the internet. What's the final rating for Keen Online? (There are two ratings there, 7, and the other 9.) - Yorpy ------------ [3.2] Can't Get Enough Commander Keen Site Rating Good (7/10) Quality - 8/10 Originality - 6/10 Keenishness - 8/10 Overall - 7/10 Website URL: http://www.simply-inspirational.com/samira/keen/ This site has the basic information on the games like enemies, items, cheats, tips, and secrets. The most annoying thing is that the first page of the site has white text on a white and gray background. It does appear that some time has been spent on the site. There are graphics for each section. It is easy to navigate with a frame on the side or with the menu page in the non frames version. Probably the most original thing on the site it the Keen Quiz that seems to be a nifty little javascript program. Also there is a message board no one has really posted in. Still its a nice little site. - Yorpy ---------------------- [3.3] A Fan Page for Commander Keen Site Rating Bad (3/10) Quality - 5/10 Originality - 2/10 Keenishness - 1/10 Overall - 3/10 Website URL: http://members.tripod.com/~Alexand_The_Scribe/keenfan.html This site has nothing really original or exciting. The only graphic is the thumbs up animation. There is some very basic info on Commander Keen and the games. Really the only feature of this site is some midis from the games and a true type font of the Standard Galactic Alphabet. In fairness I don't think the creator of the site meant to make a really useful site. Just something to display his/her interest in Commander Keen. - Yorpy ----------------------------------------------- [4] Monthly Fiction [4.1] Nope Read on.... ----------------------------------------------- [5] Keen Community News Well, the summer is starting to end, and the winter comes soon.. School keeps people busy, but let's hope that there is time for Commander Keen too. ;) Enjoy the news! - KeenRush [5.1] Some more H2G2 connections.. A clever topic posted by Too Much Spare Time.. Be sure to check it out! ;) http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumothercommanderkeenstuff.showMessage?topicID=425.topic [5.2] Some tricks and bugs.. A new member in the PCKF, Ginger Van, has posted some nice topics about bugs and cool stuff in Keens. They're worthy of looking at, so, go and check them out! Molly glitch? http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=417.topic switch trick http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=418.topic orbatrix trick http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=416.topic ice trick http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=414.topic sign trick http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=412.topic death trick http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumtheoriginalcommanderkeenga.showMessage?topicID=410.topic ---------------------- [5.3] New Keen games again! Of course after some weeks from the previous issue, there is again a large amount of cool Keen games coming. Here is something.. Xtraverse has been working on a Keen game called Jungle Commander Keen, for some time. You can find some screenshots from this link below http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=515.topic and download the demo from the other topic, link is below! http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=519.topic Some new Isis II news again, follow the link below to see them: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=507.topic Atomic Ryoku has just started to work on a new Keen game.. http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=521.topic BlueIllusionX told us some news about his game, Commander Keen Masked Crusades Asino's Uphail (yep, it's a long name).. Check it out, there reads some cool sounding stuff: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=503.topic Some news about Commander Keen: The Lost Oracle can be found there: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=512.topic Some bits of info about Super Keen Fighter 3 can be found here: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=514.topic Woah.. Here they were again! I hope that I didn't forget any! ---------------------- [5.4] Lego buys! Lego buys Keen! Well, not really, but in the one cool topic made by Too Much Spare Time.. It's nice Lego styled image, check it out: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumothercommanderkeenstuff.showMessage?topicID=430.topic Soon another Keener Alecswrld made a very similar topic about Mortimer: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumothercommanderkeenstuff.showMessage?topicID=432.topic ---------------------- [5.5] Roller blade Keen.. Some new Keen related fan art, Keener called scalloped llama made up nice looking Keen with roller blades. Download the image pack from his site, right here: http://www.geocities.com/scalloped_llama/CkSkate.zip ---------------------- [5.6] Draw the Keen! You can enter Keen drawing competition by Atomic Ryoku. There is one object: draw Commander Keen, but image can't be wider that 79 pixels and not higher that 200 pixels. The competition ends at September 6th, 2002. Check out this topic if you're interested: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumothercommanderkeenstuff.showMessage?topicID=435.topic ---------------------- [5.7] Mod news.. Wohooo! Xtraverse has now completed his Commander Keen 1 mod called Norp the Yorp in Inside Mortimer's Computer! Be sure to test it, it's very worth of playing! Find it here: http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpimentogamedevelopment.showMessage?topicID=533.topic ----------------------------------------------- [6] Miscellaneous Stuff [6.1] Fan Art We have two pieces of fan art this month, 1 - Background by VolteFace http://www.commanderkeen.net/screens/art27_2.jpg 2 - Fan art by Djaser http://www.commanderkeen.net/screens/art26_2.jpg Both of those were very cool and you have to see them! - Forge315 ---------------------- [6.2] Laments In the last issue we took on a new member, this was not announced or anything because we knew who was good for the job, but our standard policy says that we should let anybody apply for a position here. Well that time has come, or maybe your time, Shikadi has left the team, due to school and life keeping him way to busy. So we're open a position, and in general that position's job is to write articles. Though the definition is a bit broader, since we just want you to be able to write. So one month you would do an article and then the next you'd do a game review and maybe part of a fiction. Another thing is you have to participate in the newsletter board, since we like hands on people; but the main reason is the articles or whatever you write that month needs to relate to what the issue is about. Even more important you need to actively visit the Keen board, and that is a must. If this seems to harsh and after a couple months you get tired, you can take a break and leave for a month or two. I don't expect that every break you or one of us takes will be because we're tired of our chores here, but because of holidays like X-Mas; if this is so we'd expect you to write a month or two of stuff in advance, but it's not required. So the requirements for this job are, 1 - diverse writing abilities: articles, poems, fictions, and reviews. Please not that, you don't have to fill all those requirements; you have flaws just like me or anybody else. For more about how things are done go here, http://www.commanderkeen.net/rules.htm Well now that's over with -- but there's more announcements! We'll probably be moving to a new server in a couple days, however I'm keeping our account at our current host one more month to give everybody time to move over. The websites redesign thanks to our new host will use PHP along with CSS; that may change though. If you've noticed that not every part of our website is updated, that's because there's no reason to update because it's a waist of time since we're gonna change everything. OH! One other thing, bigger version of the trophies from the last issue are now available. Go here, http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumfrm12.showMessage?topicID=63.topic Even weirder look here, http://pub128.ezboard.com/fpubliccommanderkeenforumfrm12.showMessage?topicID=64.topic Lol, I didn't see that till now. - Forge315 ---------------------- [6.3] Lettuce To Much Spare Time: Goofreading KeenRush: The rude guy Yorpy: Website Reviews Forge315: Mix napalm and sore cream sauce, then add a little ice cream to complete Mort's secret recipe Other thanks: The hungry gremlins who ate all our food ... hey wait! That was just one gremlin, Templeton! ----------------------------------------------- "Swim swim hungry, swim swim hungry." Burp!