20080528

As one may have gathered over the last couple posts, I've been playing a lot of the WoW board game. This post is not really about playing games. It's about art. Or at least graphic design.

As related somewhere, I got the game to aid me in my recent convalescence—mostly to keep me from going bonkers in the midst of my inevitable battle with the dastardly cabin fever. And as related elsewhere, the game's cards and pieces are pretty snazzy-looking. With one glaring exception. The boxes that Fantasy Flight Games designed to hold the game's 1308 playing cards (yes, that's 1308). The reason FFG's boxes are so poorly designed is that they didn't happen to include any. Despite all the work they put into the game's components, they just kind of threw their hands up in the air and said, "Meh. Who cares about keeping the cards together?" Apparently the kids at FFG leave their game out all the time and never have to worry about what will happen when the game goes back in the box, gets shoved into a closet, and then weeks later is pulled down to find thirteen-hundred and eight cards spread liberally throughout the game's box.

So, just before my surgery, I decided to rectify the problem.

Using official (mostly) WoW art and a font that either is the same one WoW uses or else emulates it pretty well, I created nine boxes to hold each class's powers and talents, two boxes for the Lordaeron and Outland dungeon cards, and three boxes for the various kinds of quests (Alliance, Horde, and neutral). It was a lot of work and a bit of fun. I printed each box on semi-gloss photo paper (matte may have been better, but a semi-gloss cardstock would have been ideal) and afixed the various tabs with simple double-sided scotch tape. I still have about five boxes to make (I ran out of time before my surgery), but I should get to them eventually.

Here are some thumbnails of my boxes, each of which one may click to embiggen (and see the whole tuckbox pattern).

---

---

---

The only two boxes that use non-official art are the Priest and Druid boxes (the Priest is fan art that I just thought was cool and the Druid box comes from a fan wallpaper made from in-game images—I used it because there's a curious lack of Druid art out there).

While putting these boxes together, I was able to pay greater attention to WoW art (and fantasy art in general) and I noticed something striking. Fantasy artists either have no idea how to treat female anatomy or they think its funny to lead astray their young teenage victims. Case in point: the art used on my Alliance Quest box—there is something amiss.

That's right ladies and gentlefolk. This poor bloodelf lass has, by artistic license, been entirely stripped of her nickels. Either that or bloodelf anatomy is vastly different from our own and they have just happened to evolve a nickelless frontside in order to appeal to young males and fantasy artists. Either that or the plastic surgeon just kinda shaved them off. *sigh* And geeks wonder why their fantasy environments do not readily advertise themselves to the fairer sex.

In Which We Discuss a Great Several Things

Item! Local boy makes good on test of trivia!
Intrigued when I saw Paulo's link to the smartorstupid trivia quiz, I sallied forth to test my mettle. I got 28 out of 30 correct and shewed myself smarter than 56.something% of the at-that-time current population who had taken the test. On a lark, I took the test again, and corrected the two I got wrong: a question about who performed a rap song and the year a particular celebrity died. I really think that tests like this and that Place the State game from awhile back are really just a way for geeks to pat themselves on the back. *pat pat pat*

---

Item! Local addict struggles with ready market!
Last August, I cut myself off from World of Warcraft again. I really enjoyed the game but I stopped in order to play Oblivion. I finished Oblivion in December - just in time to enjoy the burning leads of Guitar Hero I & II. Currently, I'm not playing anything (I'm taking a break from guitaring so that my left hand can get some rest - two of my knuckles are hurty from my furious fretwork).

And yet, I feel Azeroth calling to me. I was always a casual player of World of Warcraft. At most, I'd play five hours in a given week. I was never able to get any of my characters up to level 60 (the top tier at the time), settling for a 55 druid, a 47 rogue, and a 38 mage (it was the mage I was working on and having such fun with when I finally killed my subscription). It was a fun diversion. I don't think I'll return to it. But I want to. Can someone be addicted to doing something occasionally?

And now that WoW: The Burning Crusade has been released, there's all kinds of news filling my inbox and field of vision. It's ever so tempting. It looks ridiculously cool. I don't think I'll return to it - but if I do, it'll be after I finish my script at the least. At the least. I guess that's the testament to a really well-done game: many months after quitting (last time was over a year ago), I get the desperate itch.

---

Item! Local funny bone is devoured by ninja whales and turned to stone... twice!
If any of you are missing out on the raw and unadulterated humour readily available in the following, then I am sad for you. Simultaneously, I am happy for the new joy that will sashay forth into your waking hours. I am confident you will soon believe the postmillennial millennium is upon us (until you remember padded toilet seats).

#1. White Ninja Comics are the best reason I can think of for getting up in the morning. The ninja is a philosophical joy to behold as he cuts to the heart of the matter and leaves you astonished that something so simple could have gone so long without being made known. As such.

#2. Dinosaur Comics will surely open a whole new dimension somewhere. Until then, we must content ourselves with throwing hands into the airs and wavings like there is anybody but cares.

#3. Marmaduke. Essplained. Good night all. Puffin prevails.