We got to celebrate a number of Birthdays this week, starting with the shared birthdays of Nameless and bibuze. It didn't take long before pkmntrainergary's birthday passed. And before the week was up, arbalest, Rukiri, wiwisamy, hero9797, dragon93210 had their birthdays together.

A good way to learn about your fellow members in the game-making community is to find out just What's on their mind. Last week, we learned that Kain Nobel's girlfriend was diagnosed with liver disease, and a good number of members showed their support to him which he greatly appreciated. She's finally home from the hospital but things are starting off a little on edge. Looking for a pick-me-up, he found and posted a link to a picture of some puppies, and figured it was about time to try Deceit X Justice. KasperKalamity started the day off feeling like a P Diddyr and then had some cereal. His mind was working, but voicing what he thought was as tough as facing a football team linebacker. JayRay, formerly Davoice until this week, came to realize how much he adored his wife. Samven, on reading that, just had to say 'Awwww'. After that, Samven wanted to let people know that while games like Final Fantasy VII may still be considered the greatest game ever, that it's been long enough and that it may be time to move along. Meanwhile, Python Blue returns after spending time composing music for 'War of the Servers', a Half-Life 2 mod, and nearly completed an actual mod for Amnesia: The Dark Descent. KasperKalamity gave a shout-out that Kain Nobel officially joined Team Sexy for this month's contest, and Kain Nobel had already started working on it. On the downturn side, Kain Nobel feels that most people in the news or getting involved belong to an unintelligent majority as he sees articles about desperate children needing foster parents ignored while the Chick-Fil-A Gay Rights protest making headlines as bible thumping anti gay protesters bash it out with liberal minded people. Meanwhile, Ace is awaiting a new motherboard for his computer. And yamina-chan is trying to figure out how the scholarship funds she expects to receive while she's studying labels her as someone who cannot receive free health coverage, even though the monthly amount is less than the cost of the health care alone. Mind you, she is unsure she can get a side job with the amount of studying she'll be doing. Ace replied straight to her in German as he questioned the compatability between beaurocracy and common sense. yamina-chan too doesn't see much compatability, but does have some hope. millarso also didn't see much sense in what yamina-chan said about the financial aid system where she lived, and yamina-chan admits it is extremely complicated and she needs to find a way to pay off her health insurance. With all the studying and courses, even a small 2-3 hour side job like millarso suggested, would get in the way of her education. But if she needs any help with mathematics, millarso offered his help as he's woking on a Minor in Music while already having a Degree in Mechanical Engineering, to Chukkaque's surprise. During this time, PK8, has been feeling heartbroken and suffering sleepless nights to the regret of both DerVVulfman and yamina-chan. In fact, the sleep paralysis had been affecting him for days as he knew his cellphone alarm tried waking him three times one night. KasperKalamity, in the meantime, posted an amusing bit about how a piano songbook shouldn't be left in a bathroom. The discussion on healthcare continued as KasperKalamity mentioned how healthcare debate is ongoing in America while the media brings it up daily. He personally hasn't seen a doctor for almost 8 years and admits he drinks and smokes enough to be a regular at the local E.R. Unfortunately for yamina-chan, she's required by law to pay for the coverage. There are some plans that cen help people get coverage. But even if health care was optional, yamina-chan says it's a must for her as she has some health problems of her own. Like KasperKalamity, millarso also feels like he doesn't need medical coverage. But says his school forces him to have it, either supplying their own at a hefty cost or forcing him to pay for his own. In fact, the only insurance that KasperKalamity feels anyone in America needs is auto insurance, and feels that the whole health insurance system is one of the worst systems ever. She says that her health care system normally works even though it's extremenly complicated, but yamina-chan felt that there's been enough discussion on health care and politics this week. So, spinning off from the current political venue,KasperKalamity put in his bid for the Presidency. JayRay's goal is a bit closer as he's thinking of returning to school for 3D Design. Python Blue just released his latest album the end of this week and the bonus version has a track of him trying to sing. And while MetalRenard got a one month reprieve from one task, he realized that he had plenty of stuff to take its place.

It seems that Chukkaque is looking forward to Guild Wars 2 as it will be coming out in just over two weeks, and wonders if anyone in the forum is interested in the game. Being a fan of the first one, Pherione has been thinking about acquiring the second when it comes out. But he's waiting to see if any of his friends gets it first.

The Epic Trans-forum Game Making Contest of Dooom! topic goes into full swing, as MetalRenard announced in the middle of the week that the contest has officially started, asking everyone to send PMs his way. Before that, Ace hoped to get his new motherboard before the contest starts and MetalRenard upped the stakes by personally staking a full minute (60 seconds) of original music that he would compose, including a commercial license for its use. The music may be one single track, or the minute could be split amongst team members so each could have a mini-jingle. Kain Nobel bowed out from being a judge for the contest as he wanted to participate in some way. As the only RPGMaker product he has active is RPGMaker XP, he wondered if Samven and Ace could use him. However, Samven had everything but XP. As he was asked, Kain Nobel accepted an invitation by KasperKalamity to join Team Sexy so it would be a fair contest between their two-man team against Team Awesome. But it later became three on two as Python Blue just found out about the contest and was quickly signed on by Ace to join Team Awesome. Kain also thought that it would be a good idea that anyone wanting to create or join a team should post what version(s) of Maker(s) they have and/or can use, including the maker's status of active or expired starting with his own. That was soon followed by Ace's list of engines. KasperKalamity caught on that the intent of the contest is to get to know members of another board and wondered if he's a minority because he cannot speak french. Since it's been a while since Ace learned French, he too felt to be in the minority. Good time to brush up on their French as two teams from the co-competing French forum have joined, followed by a third. So now the roster has Team Awesome and Team Sexy from Save-Point and Hiino, ArticWolfProd and M Ray from RPG Detente. The only thing running on short supply are judges as only one from RPG Detante exists.

Returning after some months is the The Picture Rate Game as Samven rated ****'s picture and posted a shot of himself within a spoiler. It was later followed by KasperKalamity and his own extreme closeup.

And going strong is the This or That Game being played regularly by Pherione, Samven, JayRay, xnadvance, MetalRenard, and , KasperKalamity with appearances by millarso and yamina-chan.

If you're curious what people are doing in their game-making projects, a good way to catch up with them is to read our topic that asks What's Up with these Rpg Making members. Samven wondered if there would be any interst in an Evil Laugh SFX pack, whereby MetalRenard volunteered his voice and sound design talents. With that, DerVVulfman threw in his two cents to suggest throwing Witch Cackles into the project. The immediate responce pleased Samven who shouted out to MetalRenard that they should get started. Meanwhile, Samven has been tinkering with his game again. Kain Nobel announced he plans to focus on just two things this month, his personal game project and the second being the game contest being run by MetalRenard. He's hoping that being in the contest and working on an actual game with KasperKalamity will get him back in touch with RPGMaker basics. Even so, he's posted a few couple of some animatics he's going to use for his animated battle system, the first being a basic model for a battler loading a pump-action shotgun while the second a model for a 'FF7 Cloud Strife' idle pose. Along with that, he says he now has a 4 hour OST for his game, and posted his latest piece, 'Summit Town Shiva'. There was more done, but felt that his post was big enough. With the references given about Final Fantasy VII in Kain Nobel's post, KasperKalamity recalled some private moments involving Shiva and Siren. Meanwhile, KasperKalamity says he's having a hard time concentrating on his own game, and its worse because he's gone further with his game using his legally paid copy of RPGMaker XP than he had while using the Postality Knights edition. Meawhile, JayRay is using Reallusion Iclone to render animated battlers for his Asan'Tear battle system, but wonders if anyone can tell him how to have animated battlebacks that match. Kain Nobel also showed interest in an animated battleback system and started posting more of his animated battler templates, showing off a moving idle pose, an attack pose and a weakened pose. He hopes that he'll have a test sheet of animated battlers in around a week. millarso found the animated battlers interesting, wondering if they were made with traditional 2D methods or if he used a 3D system in which to create them. In the meantime, millarso is putting pen to paper, writing a new story based on a pirate concept. He delivered a basic premise which he admits could sound cheezy, but says that when fleshed out that the story will turn out fine. In using an isometric engine, he also hopes to give his world some visual depth.

The Game Idea Thread didn't just continue, but took off like a rocket this week as Kain Nobel had a storyline involving a self-loathing hacker who becomes pitted against a computer simulation of his own mind that goes awry and uses any and all means to eliminate him. Not only does it use the internet to create false data records to frame him and send the authorities to arrest his creator, but hijack every electronic apparatus in his home to kill him including death by asphyxiation from his own car's exhaust. He originally thought the story would be a good idea for a visual novel, but it could be developed better as a book or even an actual motion picture. Having a fondness for pirate stories, Millarso lucked out when he teamed up with someone interested in making a Space Pirates video game. Samven envisioned a SimCity type game where you aren't necessarily the good guy, but a stereotypical Square-Enix styled 'Destroy the world' villain, who learns that you can't rule a world when no one's left and decides to rebuild the world in his image. So like various sim games of that nature, you get to create your own world, except as the character you are, you can destroy it as many times as well. Pherione was intrigued by Samven's premise, though he recalls that the villain succeeded in Final Fantasy VI and the plot was reminiscent of MegaMind. Samven't concept wasn't really because the villain succeeded or not, but that he hated the basic 'destroy the world' notion since nobody wins with that scenario. Jayray loved the idea and threw in concepts like having allies turned into enemies and visa versa, while millarso thought about a game where you play as Godzilla and get to destroy Tokyo, only to have to defend it against Mothra and various others along with other goals. Both he and KasperKalamity knew of a similar game, but millarso already beaten it and would like it to have a richer and psychologically driven story. It amused Samven to consider the notion of Neon Genesis Evangelion meets Godzilla while KasperKalamity thinks such a game would work well as an RTS. JayRay is interested in seeing a space simulator like Microsoft's Freelancer, with an expansive universe that has bounties, cargo runs, enemies to avoid, customizing you space freighter and more. MetalRenard was familiar with a game called Star Wraith that was pretty massive, while KasperKalamity was curious why a game where you played a space trucker would be fun.

After DerVVulfman posted some thoughts behind the Resource Ideas for H-Mode 7, JayRay took a read and agreed with the idea of a help file accompanying the resources so end-users can know how to use them.

Zackwell bumped Llyven, offering more concept art and a boss battle theme entitled "Encounter! Bark Centipede Queen!"

JayRay threw out a render or two as he worked on Apotheosis 379. The first one was a shot of his characters holding the Redemption AK-47 while the other is an animated idle pose of his lead character, Luke, from behind. JayRay says the battler will change depending on whatever weapon he's equipped.

And there's been an update to the Legends of the Flaming Falcons as Pherione mentioned he's been ensuring that every character has an ethnically matching name. He also showed a pair of screenshots, one being a courtyard in the city of Daba as a gentle snow falls, and the other a shot of his sphere grid system he's been adjusting to his liking, even though he's using standard graphics for placeholders.

DuongCool was needing a little help with the UMS by Ccoa whereby he wants the text to not show one character at a time as it does by default, but use the command her instructions give to make all the text in the windows to show immediately. Unfortunately, that command doesn't seem to work for him. While stuck at work, DerVVulfman said he looked around and found an older copy of the UMS and gave him a suggestion to speed up the text display, trusting that the older command would work, but he later said he tested the system and presented the event code that should work. However, DuongCool said he was using version 1.1 which surprised DerVVulfman who apparently never saw that early a version. However, DuongCool took a look and eventually got it to work.

JayRay posted a thread about TrueSpace version 7.6, a tool he finds effective to convert obscure 3D file formats such as DirectX images into more commonly used ones for other formats for 3D renderng. He's been using it so he can do some 3D renders for his RPGMaker project. The software hasn't been developed since 2008 and it is no longer visible on Caligari's website, but he posted a link where you can obtain it worry free.

Last week, Helladen posted a pair of scripts he extracted from Yanfly's YEA system for RPGMaker VXAce. So now Helladen returns with three more scripts, one being his own Skip Escape Message which he said was simple enough to code for RPGMaker VXAce himself. The other two were a Battle Status and a Skip Battle Log script, each being extracts from Yanfly's YEA - Battle Engine. Helladen says they both should work fine with virtually any other system and can attest to the Battle Status system working with VE: Animated Battlers by Victor Sant. After that, Helladen returned with a new Advanced Dash system for RPGMaker VXAce, allowing you to add more options to the existing dash system.

But if that isn't enough for you, Victor Sant released not one or two, but five new scripts for his Victor Engine system. He started off this week with his Progressive Timer which lets game develpers set up a timer that counts the seconds that pass by rather than counting down to zero like normal. And returning once again to element and status effect work, he released his State Aura script so you can make states that spread through the party when affected. The next day, Victor Sant posted his Custom Slip Effect thread, sporting off a demo that lets the game developer set up custom formulas for slip damage and regeneration systems. The day after, he posted an Anti Lag system that reduces drag on games by checking what events in the field even need to be updated and ignores those that don't. After that, Victor Sant posted his Direct Command script that lets the developer set skills or items to be their own highlightable command in the battle command window, a useful script if you wish to make a 'Steal' command option in your window just by creating a steal skill and setting it up to be displayed as its own command. And lastly, the Victor Engine got one more addon called Item Command which lets you set up different item types and categories so the player can only choose from certain types of items and lets you create actual sub-categories in the item menu.

DuongCool is still hoping someone can Help him with a script to Switch Party and make Multiple Parties, and yamina-chan has been very helpful in this matter. She took a closer look at Near Fantastica's earlier Party Switcher script as the script itself had very basic instructions. After trying what she suggested, DuongCool found his party members vanishing and needed more help. She wasn't sure what could cause his party members to vanish, but she had an idea and said she'd work on a demo when she had the time.

And KasperKalamity put in a request to have a random fog system whereby certain maps may have different types and and levels of fog.