Character info John Dee

While making a mood board for a necromancy to help me stylise my area; i stumbled upon a character set around the Christianity period i was looking into.

• John Dee
• Scientific, adviser of queen Elizabeth and dabbling's of Occult alongside scientific experiments.
• http://esotericarchives.com/dee/index.html

This character really interested me, and i plan to draw a lot of inspiration from him. Maybe even making him a reincarnation of the lich.

Necromancy/stylized props Mood board

I also found this very nice stylised blog filled with similar art style and page orientation that i want to design for BA7 reflective report. I like the

http://houseofthenecromancer.blogspot.co.uk/ 

With artwork like:

I really liked this artstyle, it has a very gritty and dark style of artwork and scripture. Though this sort of art skill is beyond me, i would like to attempt similar technical drawings in my diary entries to help thicken the breadth of my level. 

New moodboard for Christian Area

For my christian area i was struggling on the church concept, i decided the church was too much to achieve effectively so i changed the concept into a crypt that goes down a short set of steps and to the main tomb chamber. The crypt seems like a more effective idea than the church, so i decided to remake my original concept, and this moodboard.

New moodboard for christian area

Rough layout drawing from concept art

C.S work 750 words

Contextual Studies Draft12

Group Meeting and slight changes

After my group tutorial's i showed off my current concepts. Overall the presentation went well however their was some layout designs that were causing concerns with my peers and tutor. My first layout of my level seemed to exstensive. With each room breaking off and its own design resulting in alot of work. The concept itself seemed to have a positive reaction, yet this means that i have to rethink my idea slightly.

Original Design layout

A perspective view of what i wanted original idea to look like

I thought breaking down one room into four sections for my enviroment would cut down the amount of work, while still keeping in line with the original idea/

Pushing this idea further into a perspecitive view really dose bring out the scene more. I now prefer this layout to my original concept and am happy to design further from here.

This is a rough idea of what the Native american area looks like, i wanted a mountainous scene to show off this area within the one room concept this will require morphing the floor to fit a mountain scene. Something i think i will find very interesting.

Propaganda in games Research drawn from guardian mail article

Like much of early computing, nascent digital gaming benefited from military spending. The prototype for the first home video games console, the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey, was developed by Sanders Associates, a US defence contractor.

"For decades the military has been using video-game technology," says Nina Huntemann, associate professor of communication and journalism at Suffolk University in Boston and a computer games specialist. "Every branch of the US armed forces and many, many police departments are using retooled video games to train their personnel."

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/mar/18/video-games-propaganda-tools-military 

Extracts from terms and conditions that are evidence of rule breaking within an MMO

MMO online games with similarities to our world and the punishment for breaking rules of terms and conditions, of these games.

I want to look aggressive behaviour and how it is dealt with for MMO online games, looking at the terms and conditions will help show me how these acts are punished for this section of my research i am going to look into these huge MMO games

• Riot games (League of legends)
• Aeria Games (last Chaos)
• Blizzard (world of warcraft)
• Jagex studios (Runescape)

There are hundreds of MMO's that all have there own Tearms and conditions i am going to look at these f

Aeria games terms and conditions interesting sections



Selling in game goods for money

5.8 The User is prohibited from selling, purchasing, renting, leasing, offering, accepting, disseminating or copying virtual items or virtual currency within and/or outside the games - in whatever form – to third parties unless expressly permitted by the game rules. A system provided by the game or by Aeria Games to trade virtual items and virtual currency of the game, constitutes such an exception. In this case, the transfer of virtual items or virtual currency from one user to the other is only permitted, if the transfer takes place – no matter if within or outside the game – without consideration in exchange or if the consideration consists solely of virtual items or virtual currency of the same game and these are transferred within the game itself by a function provided by the game. The acquisition of virtual currency and virtual items against consideration in any form other than virtual currency and virtual items of the same game is expressly prohibited. If the User trades or exchange virtual currency or virtual items in a large-scale without a comparable value obtained within the game, then it is assumed that the User violates this § 5.8. The User is entitled to provide counter-evidence.

Being Abusive

5.10 The User knows that when he/she plays, he/she plays and communicates with numerous other players. Compliance with the game rules is required to allow good interaction. The User acknowledges bindingly the game rules of the games. The User will comply with the instructions of Aeria Games represented by the administrators of the game. Furthermore, the User will refrain from undertaking anything that disturbs operation of the games and the good interaction of all users.

5.11 By using the services, the User will not violate any applicable legal provisions such as the criminal code and youth protection provisions or third party rights and the User assures not to contribute or transmit any illegal or immoral contents to the games. This includes specifically any contents (including member names, character names, guild names, etc.), which are

insulting, racist, sexist, pornographic, obscene, inciting, glorify violence or war,

which are suitable to cause serious moral harm to children and young people or which threaten their wellbeing,

which can damage the reputation of Aeria Games and contents

suitable to violate copyrights, patents, brands or any other intellectual property rights, the rights on a person's own image and other personal rights or third party rights.

Banning rules and termination of account


12.7 The right of the Parties to terminate the use agreement at any time for a significant reason effective immediately remains unaffected by the above-referenced provisions. In particular, Aeria Games can terminate this agreement for any significant reason, if

a. the User violates culpably the laws, these Terms of Use, the game rules and/or use rules for virtual currencies or premium features and the User continues to act in the same or similar manner despite warning letter;

b. the User is in arrears with the payment of fees by at least EUR 10.00 and the User does not pay despite two dunning letters;

c. the User has not utilized his/her account for three months despite reminder;

d. during the use of his/her account, the User realizes one of the termination reasons of § 12.7 letters a., b. or c.

e. third parties (e.g. social network operators), through the registration function of which the User gains access to his/her account at Aeria Games, requests Aeria Games to delete the user data and/or to undertake any comparable actions;

f. third parties (e.g. social network operators), through the registration function of which the User gains access to his/her account at Aeria Games, limit Aeria Games' access to data.

12.8 Termination effective immediately is permissible in case of serious violations without the need for any advance-warning letter.

12.9 A serious violation is a violation, which makes it unreasonable for Aeria Games to keep to the agreement.

12.10 In the following cases, it is unreasonable for Aeria Games to maintain the agreement:

if the User violates the criminal code;

If the User uses the account or a game in an impermissible manner (see above § 5);

if the User provides false information during registration (cf. above § 3) or during payment of chargeable services (cf. § 6).

12.12 If the User is responsible for the extraordinary termination, then the User is not permitted to create a new account if his/her account was blocked unless he/she has the express prior written permission of Aeria Games. In this case, the User is not permitted to register for any game to which access was him/her denied without the express prior written permission of Aeria Games. If Aeria Games finds that this ban was violated, then Aeria Games has the right to block this account or game registration permanently without prior announcement.

14.3 Communication among various players of games can lead to criminally relevant conduct (e.g. harassment of minors). Therefore, the User agrees with Aeria Games that for the effective prosecution of crimes, even though the User requested deletion as described above, the User's personal information will be stored for a period of 8 weeks beginning with Aeria Games receiving such deletion request, i.e. the personal information is initially only blocked. This block period makes it easier for Aeria Games to reactivate any account in case a third party requested an unauthorized deletion (e.g. in case of account theft). After the 8-week-period, the personal information is permanently deleted.

The above-referenced explanations become also valid if the User terminates the use agreement with Aeria Games properly and as a consequence his/her personal information is deleted or if Aeria Games terminates the use agreement with the User (e.g. because the User made untrue statements or the User selected a prohibited member name. In this context, see also § 5.11 [Link] and/or § 7.1 of these Terms of Use [Link]).

Potential Propaganda within games

5.13 Subject to Aeria Games' express written permission published on the websites or in the games, it is generally not permitted to insert into the games any references (in these Terms of Use referred to as "Links") to external websites and sources of information and links and other connections (such as buttons). Links are also non-activated web addresses (URLs) and parts thereof.

Bethesda terms and conditions interesting sections

Riot games terms and conditions interesting sections

Blizzardgames terms and conditions interesting sections

C.S Work 500 words

Contextual Studies Draft

Presentation for this week

Weekly Presentation

Concept so far

After looking into different cultures and their history of magic. I have chosen these four subareas of the four areas i plan to design.

I am focusing on

• Egyptian
• Norse/Germanic
• Christianity
• Native american

Layout

Mood boards

C.s work Propaganda/ censorship

So i am going to look at propaganda and censorship, first their overall definition of the words; then branching into how these factors link into online gaming and abusive players.

The history of censorship dates back thousands of years back to Roman times, i found a full description of censorship throughout history, at this website. 

http://www.beaconforfreedom.org/liste.html?tid=415&art_id=475 

Definition

1. Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication or other information which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect or inconvenient as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other such entities.

Censorship has followed the free expressions of men and women like a shadow throughout history. In ancient societies, for example China, censorship was considered a legitimate instrument for regulating the moral and political life of the population. The origin of the term censor can be traced to the office of censor established in Rome i 443 BC. In Rome, as in the ancient Greek communities, the ideal of good governance included shaping the character of the people. Hence censorship was regarded as an honourable task. In China, the first censorship law was introduced in 300 AD.

censorship

 noun   

Act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good. In the past, most governments believed it their duty to regulate the morals of their people; only with the rise in the status of the individual and individual rights did censorship come to seem objectionable. Censorship may be preemptive (preventing the publication or broadcast of undesirable information) or punitive (punishing those who publish or broadcast offending material). In Europe, both the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches practiced censorship, as did the absolute monarchies of the 17th and 18th centuries. Authoritarian governments such as those in China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and the former Soviet Union have employed pervasive censorship, which is generally opposed by underground movements engaged in the circulation of samizdat literature. In the U.S. in the 20th century, censorship focused largely on works of fiction deemed guilty of obscenity (e.g., James Joyce's Ulysses andD.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover), though periodic acts of political censorship also occurred (e.g., the effort to purge school textbooks of possible left-wing content in the 1950s). In the late 20th century, some called for censorship of so-called hate speech, language deemed threatening (or sometimes merely offensive) to various subsections of the population. Censorship in the U.S. is usually opposed by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union. In Germany after World War II it became a crime to deny the Holocaust or to publish pro-Nazi publications.

Propaganda Definition

In general, a message designed to persuade its intended audience to think and behave in a certain manner. Thus advertising is commercial propaganda. In specific, institutionalized and systematic spreading of information and/or disinformation, usually to promote a narrow political or religious viewpoint. Originally, propaganda meant an arm of the Roman Catholic church responsible for 'de propaganda fidei,' propagation of the faith. It acquired negative connotations in the 20th century when totalitarian regimes (principally the Nazi Germany) used every means to distort facts and spread total falsehoods.

Own definitions of each

I am going to write a small definition of both propaganda and censorship, to help me write my small section on this area for my C.s work

Censorship

Censorship is the act of hiding certain sensitive topics of the time, it is about controlling content that could be seen as rude, offensive or explicit. There are various censorship laws in place at the moment that regulates the media to make sure its content isn't abusive or offensive, that can take the form of racism, sexism or explicit content. 

Use's in my essay

• Censorship in games
• Free will in games - being an outlet
• The right to say what you want
• What can and cannot be said or shown in games
• Abusive content

Propaganda

Propaganda is primarily a political act, showing the community at large what they should believe, pushing an argument one way without showing the other side of the argument. Propaganda is a biased persuasive style of political or religious tact, normally showing a very narrow concept. That the mass's are normally force fed, examples being the holocaust or that foreigners are taking all our jobs.

Use's in my essay

• Messages in games
• players authority and hierarchy
• Narrow minded views of some affecting views of many.

Page Scans for Witchcraft: A history

Scanned pages from Witchcraft: A History

Witch doctors

Native american page 1

Native American page 2

Spirits and familers

Famous witches

Shamanism 

Religion and magic

Egyptian 

Greek/Roman

Celtic

Germanic/Norse

Christianity 

China

Japan and Korea

India

Hindu/ Buddism

African page 1

African page 2

Astrological

Origin of European Witchcraft

African Witchcraft (Night witches)

Development of witchcraft

Aristocracy and magic    

All of these pages were areas i found interesting and relevant to help broaden my cultural research i am going to be focusing on these four specifically.

• Norse/ Gemanic
• Egyptian
• Christian (Old Testament)
• Native American

Books on magic throughout the cultures

I visited the library today, to search for some more books on my next point of research being. Necromancy. This area's i have looked into briefly with my online research and my findings of Wikipedia; yet i wanted to get some first hand research on this area. After looking through the Millennium library, i found these books that interested me are.

Witchcraft: A history and the study of necromancy throughout the ages

• A very detailed overview of each culture and how magic has appeared throughout the cultures and religions, varying from:
• Egyptian
• African
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Germanic
• Celtic
• Native Americans
• Shamanism - 
• Islamic
• Renaissance
• Christianty
• Roman and Greek
• Viking
• India
• Hinduism and Buddhism
• Beyond here the books looks into rituals, vodoo, spirit walking, dream walking, science and modern day magic

A very useful source of information that helps me branch my research further. Each chapter is about four pages long showing artwork and photographs that are relevant. All in all a very usefull sorce to draw from.

The magic of the Celtic Otherworld: Irish folklore history and rituals.


A much more in depth view into the celtic culture and their views on religion and the supernatural, with heavy links to the dead (otherworld) and the druidic rituals that follows. With links to the celtic language and runes that had mystical meaning. With a heavy focus on the life forces or green world. Though this book is more a referance to how become more in touch with the forces, as a pose to a description of what and why they belived these rituals would help.

Runic amulets and magical objects: Norse and english runes and artifacts.


After my group teaching i decided I wanted too branch into Norse magic, i found this book to help me understand their culture better. The book is very text heavy yet very in depth about germanic and english culture from 200AD onwards and their views on mystical powers. With heavy reference material towards sacred objects and trinkets. Which will prove to be very useful reference material for my enviroment design. Esspeically for magical artefacts and the norse section of my enviroment.



Today i am going to look through these books and find areas that are interesting scanning certain pages for reference and research.
I am useing these sorces alongside this website to help me date each culture.
http://www.worldology.com/Europe/europe_history_lg.htm