Grand Request / Questions Thread

[tushantin]

Livin'theMoment Studios? Felt I needed to add...

Anyway, I actually do have a request, especially for you creative musical types. I have been working on a visual novel project for the Dream Splash that is taking me longer than I thought to write, but I still need music. I'm trying to use original music instead of those from the Chrono soundtracks, so I've spent a lot of time listening at free-use music sites. What I've yet to find, however, is a theme for Porre.

So if anyone knows something that would fit, or if you know of a free-use music site I may have missed, let me know. Or even if you feel like making a song yourself and donating to the project, go ahead and I'll be sure your name gets mentioned.

I was saving this for Fleabane for Porre's background music, but here ya go! XD This fits perfectly. Here's both the versions:

Vocals

Piano

Enjoy, and make a Splash with your Dream!

[Kodokami]

Those are nice. Though I think I'm looking for something with a little more ... attitude. This is a militarized Porre after all! But I should have mentioned that beforehand. I apologize.

However! Your suggestion will not go to waste! I think I can find use of that vocal piece.

[FaustWolf]

Kodokami, if you're looking for license-free music specifically, I'd heartily recommend Kevin MacLeod's site. This dude has been tearing up the indie iPhone game scene for some time. He's got tons of cool stuff:

"Interloper"

"Exciting Trailer"; "Rising Game"

"Scissors"

"Gloom Horizon"


If you're interested in expanding your search beyond fan-made and explicitly license-free sources (obviously a headache from a distribution perspective, but maybe good for getting the creative juices flowing), here are a few that make me think of a militaristic Porre on the march:

"Ave Sinistra," Nox Arcana

"Night Wraiths," Nox Arcana

"Emergence of Empire," Immediate Music

The first movement of "Ordre et Decadence," Dark Sanctuary

"March of the New King," Sophia

"Demon Trubadour," Penitent

"Rise to Power," Wester Music

"Spartacus," Audiomachine



I guess a lot depends on whether Porre is in occupation mode or attack mode in your story.

[Kodokami]

Thanks for the suggestions. Those are good. I'll definitely be looking into Kevin MacLeod's music. (I can't believe he has over 2000 pieces!)

[tushantin]

Lord J, FaustWolf, Syna, Saj, ZeaLitY, Lennis, Kodokami, Rushingwind, and EVERYONE, could you tell me about how you memorize / archive your thoughts for later use, and with what level of precision and compression, and via what form of thought? I think I realize the difference in "methods" of archiving between individuals from various areas of the society.

[FaustWolf]

For better or worse I still do most of that stuff on paper, ranging from jotting down notes for later use when a thought hits me, to organizing entire task lists. I think I just like the organic feel of pen-to-pad.

An important distinction is that, while I use paper for initial recording of thoughts, I transfer to an electronic document when I want to process them further. I hope to eventually go fully electronic. And then, someday, maybe I'll graduate to using my braaaaiiiin. 

[tushantin]

XDDD Actually, I meant archiving or memorizing information within the mind itself in case of not having any paper around or whether you're musing in solitary; from this survey I was looking to deduce the variance of archiving methods performed by the human brain's neural pathways in biased routes.  

But your opinion here helps to understand that despite the importance of memorization, the compression of data results in loss of details and thus relies on human mind's intuitional development, which is why "vivid" thoughts turn grey in terms of memorization and thus the need to jot details down on paper for further analyses on given information. As a result, the memory usually tries to apply a "tag" system to take in summarized info into the mind while keeping the details on paper. But "how" it summarizes differs from person to person.

Thanks for the opinion! If you have more, please share.  


P.S.: Yeah, the traditional, organic feel beats anything and everything. 

[Lennis]

Lord J, FaustWolf, Syna, Saj, ZeaLitY, Lennis, Kodokami, Rushingwind, and EVERYONE, could you tell me about how you memorize / archive your thoughts for later use, and with what level of precision and compression, and via what form of thought? I think I realize the difference in "methods" of archiving between individuals from various areas of the society.

That's a really hard question to answer.  For me, a thought begins with an emotional connection to an idea.  It seems to be easier to remember an emotion rather than the myriad details associated with the idea.  From that emotion, I initially respond in a way suitable to that emotion.  To make an analogy, the emotion I'm feeling is fire and the idea I'm remembering is a mold I've just taken out of the fire.  I want to forge a sword, that being the final form of the idea I experienced before and want to remember again.  The base emotion gives the mold a general shape and that shape can be molded and refined by previously recorded facts, as a hammer would to molten steel.  If the facts are written, remembrance is easy.  If the facts are only in memory, then the object/idea I am trying to remember becomes less distinct and impurities get into the metal before it cools.  Maybe I've taken that analogy too far.  The point is, without an emotional connection, I'm not likely to remember anything.  And thoughts without an emotional connection probably aren't worth remembering anyway.  (This is probably why I suck at math.)

Somehow, this answer feels completely inadequate.  Maybe I could do better if my memory wasn't so godawful... 

[ZeaLitY]

I write on my hand, if it's urgent.

Otherwise, I invent a mnemonic and assign letters to fingers, for remembering 5 items total. I repeat it 5-6 times over the next hour to ensure it stays in memory.

Above 5 items, and it's time to ask someone for pencil and paper. You don't want to lose an idea. It'll bother you so much, if you have a perfectionist urge. Richard Branson, for example, outright carries a journal with them everywhere he goes.

[tushantin]

Otherwise, I invent a mnemonic and assign letters to fingers, for remembering 5 items total. I repeat it 5-6 times over the next hour to ensure it stays in memory.

Mnemonic!  Interesting, I never knew about that method. Just throwing it out there, but you could also use Index Cards (you can carry 10 at a time at least) with the same method, giving you the ability to write 20 to 60 items in total. They fit into a wallet/pocket and are pretty light, so no probs.

The Mnemonic method sounds incredibly useful especially when the human brain tends to forget arbitrary/intensive details compared to key elements, and in this case uses tags (as the Mnemonic system defines) to re-invent chains of reason and ideas. Incredible!

Somehow, this answer feels completely inadequate.  Maybe I could do better if my memory wasn't so godawful... 

XDDD Lennis, I'm horrible at remembering stuff too, hence my research on the fallacies of the human mind and how we can get around them. The way you describe is absolutely true -- it's pretty easy to remember sets of emotions than any information that requires a certain form (like, a given phrase). That's somewhat similar to how I archive information, based on visuals, sensation, inspiration, imagination and other emotions.

I'll take some time to ponder on this one. Thanks again for your time!

[Sajainta]

Lord J, FaustWolf, Syna, Saj, ZeaLitY, Lennis, Kodokami, Rushingwind, and EVERYONE, could you tell me about how you memorize / archive your thoughts for later use, and with what level of precision and compression, and via what form of thought? I think I realize the difference in "methods" of archiving between individuals from various areas of the society.

Hmm.  Difficult question.  Like ZeaLitY, I write things on my hand or arm if it's urgent.  Otherwise, I have a really fantastic memory so I'm able to, for lack of a better word, create "snapshots" in my mind of thoughts so that I can revisit them later and remember most--if not all--of what I took the pseudo-picture of.

I also have a very vivid imagination, so I can create some sort of scenario for what I'm thinking.  Then I play it back in my mind, much like a movie.

Having synesthesia really helps in remembering things as well.  I'll remember that a thought had a word that tasted like cabbage, or a sound that felt like shattered glass, or a number that was the colour muddy brown.

[tushantin]

XD I was aware of you Synesthesia, and assumed it played excellent role in memory preservation, but now that you point out I think I know how. I still don't get the "Snapshot" concept. Could you explain that, please?

I also have a very vivid imagination, so I can create some sort of scenario for what I'm thinking.  Then I play it back in my mind, much like a movie.

Hah! Before I come to my conclusion I would require enough data. Apparently bound cognition helps in compression and re-tracking of data, giving instant connection when you require it. How long was it since you developed this disorder? If not from birth, how did you feel when you were struck with it?

Since a kid I had a similar ability, if not actual Synesthesia, but vivid imagination to bring sensory-details to mind, take snapshots and playback the idea like a movie (those are few of the skills that aid children to learn quickly). Today, I can still simulate the experience, but not as good as the actual thing. XD Especially because I have a bad memory.

Say, Saj, why don'tchy write something for the Dream Splash this year? Something tells me I'm gonna love what you pour in. 

[Sajainta]

I still don't get the "Snapshot" concept. Could you explain that, please?

It's like I'm taking a picture of my thoughts.  So let's say that I'm thinking of an entire dialogue that would be great for [insert whatever I'm writing] and I don't have access to a pen.  I'll picture the words in my mind and and kind of focus on it for a wee bit, thus creating some kind of mental picture that I can view later on when I have a pen or I'm at my computer.  Does that make sense?

How long was it since you developed this disorder? If not from birth, how did you feel when you were struck with it?

I'm not sure what you mean by "disorder", since none of the things I've mentioned were disorders.  Could you explain what you meant by that?

If you're asking about my vivid imagination, I've had it for as long as I can remember.  I was creating my own worlds and having detailed, intricate dreams as young as three.  I can still remember quite a few of those dreams.  Boy, were they weird!

If you're asking about synesthesia then I've had that since birth.  It's something you're born with.  It makes me feel special, like I have super powers.  :3

Say, Saj, why don'tchy write something for the Dream Splash this year? Something tells me I'm gonna love what you pour in.  

Oh dear.  I don't know if I could fit another writing exercise into my schedule.  I'm already writing three not-so-short stories and two novel-length pieces.  I think my characters would get mad if I neglected them.  XD

But we'll see.

[tushantin]

It's like I'm taking a picture of my thoughts.  So let's say that I'm thinking of an entire dialogue that would be great for [insert whatever I'm writing] and I don't have access to a pen.  I'll picture the words in my mind and and kind of focus on it for a wee bit, thus creating some kind of mental picture that I can view later on when I have a pen or I'm at my computer.  Does that make sense?

xDDD I'm guessing, yes. I can't really follow how you do it, but I can imagine it precisely (almost). Daww, now I envy you. 

I'm not sure what you mean by "disorder", since none of the things I've mentioned were disorders.  Could you explain what you meant by that?

Hmm, well, for some I've known, Synesthesia is a form of a disorder triggered by severe trauma at a certain age. And TBH, she finds it annoying having her cognition and sensory impaired; she thinks the color red is "angry sounding", a certain name "smells bad", etc. so much that she abhors having anything unless it's chromed (her room, fashion, book-sleeves, etc.). But for someone like you who was born with this condition would indeed be used to it enough to make it the best of their abilities, which is why you may disregard what I mean by "disorder".  Forget I ever said such a thing.

It's something you're born with.  It makes me feel special, like I have super powers.  :3

Hah! You can be Lady Mnemosyne, a superhero-detective with Photographic memory!

I don't know if I could fit another writing exercise into my schedule.  I'm already writing three not-so-short stories and two novel-length pieces.  I think my characters would get mad if I neglected them.  XD

Then lemme know once ya finish em.  It'd be great to read!

[rushingwind]

Lord J, FaustWolf, Syna, Saj, ZeaLitY, Lennis, Kodokami, Rushingwind, and EVERYONE, could you tell me about how you memorize / archive your thoughts for later use, and with what level of precision and compression, and via what form of thought? I think I realize the difference in "methods" of archiving between individuals from various areas of the society.

For rote memorization, I used a process called "chaining." (I've done it for quite a long time without ever realizing it had a proper name!) When you chain, you tell yourself a story where each word/idea cues the next. Sometimes you use mnemonics, sometimes not. For example, I recently memorized some trigonometry angles (cosine/sine/tangent) by using a bizarre mnemonic: "Cows And Hens Sleep On Hay Throughout Our Apartment." (Cosine= Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Sine=Opposite/Hypotenuse, Tangent=Opposite/Adjacent). In my brain, I vividly recorded the story. There are cows and hens running around. They're tearing apart the furniture and sleeping on the hay. There are feathers and fur all throughout our apartment. 

There's a much more common mnemonic, SOHCAHTOA that will give you the same result, but I could never remember it. In in order to chain, you have to make up a story about it. The more outrageous and weird, the easier it is to remember! I've memorized entire grocery lists this way! I've also found a lot of success with making the lines of my stories rhyme (usually because I have to make really crazy stretches to get it to sound like its rhyming).

I've been researching another memory tool called "pegging," but I'm far from getting it down. It would be a lot of help if I could, though! (Here's more info on it: http://www.buildyourmemory.com/pegging.php)

I keep a small notebook on me at all times. Most of my friends have seen me pull it out and start writing furiously at one point or another. If I don't have a notebook, I write on whatever will do. Receipts. Trash. My arm (I almost universally go for my arm instead of my hand when writing. I always find a way to smear the ink on my hand!   )