Lao Shu

The CCS Starter Kit is now available, both in-world and on SL Exchange. It is provided freely for the benefit of the CCS community, and can be obtained in either the New Gomorrah TeleMall or the Lost Angels subway station for free. The version on SLX can be had for a mere 1L$ (done so that you can give it as a gift to new players who might not be able to locate the vendor, or to send to an alternate account of your own without the need to log out and back in).

It seems pretty popular so far, with over 30 people having picked up a copy within the first half-hour it was available. I’m also happy to see that some people are sending it as a gift through SLX and helping to spread it around to those who might not otherwise know where or how to obtain it.

If you would like to see more pictures of the starter set, you can find some promotional pics on the Photo Archive page, and more detailed information on the particulars can be found in this forum thread on the CoLA website.

If you have a copy of the starter set, please let me know what you think either by leaving a comment here, sending an IM in-world, or by posting in the forum thread (if you are a member of the CoLA website, that is).

-Naeko

I’m posting this here for any who may be curious to read the full instructions/release notes included with the SKS. The vendor has a small info-box that dispenses this notecard, but I know some people might like to have a look-see before traveling there. Full text below the fold (in other words, click on the “continue reading” thingy). … continue reading this entry.

That’s right! It’s finally ready for release!

It is currently available in my spot at the New Gomorrah Telemall, and will make it’s way to the rest of my vendors across the grid over the next day or so.

Also, just a heads up to any who may be curious, it is in fact a ranged AND melee capable weapon. However, a good deal of effort has gone into making it properly balanced, and it has been approved for CCS use by Suz. If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding it’s CCS functionality/legality, please feel free to contact me and I’ll do my best to explain.

-Naeko

Well, the title says it all, really.

The SKS release is coming up soon (really soon, I hope!), and I’ve also managed to get these two classic bolt action rifles done up and ready for release shortly thereafter. Once those are out I’ll be working on releasing the oft-delayed AK, AKSU, and RPK. If all goes well, these will all be available in the next two to three weeks.

It may come as a bit of a shock to see so many products lined up for release in such a short span of time, I know (especially for me!) but I’ve made some significant changes to my development process that will hopefully make these sorts of regular releases possible. The scripting for the guns has been completely re-worked and it’s now possible for me to simply drop them into a new gun, make some tweaks and minor changes and have it up and running in minimal time. This allows me more time for creating textures, animations, and sounds that are unique to each weapon (which I enjoy doing far more than scripting). There is still the potential for failure on multiple fronts, though, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed and triple checking everything to avoid slow-downs in production. Only time will tell if I’ve been successful, but I’m firmly in the realm of “cautiously optimistic” right now.

Anyhoo… check out the pics and let me know what you think!

-Naeko

So I’ve been working with sculpties lately, and I thought I’d go ahead a post a quick preview pic of how things are looking. I’m really happy with how things are turning out so far, and am currently in the process of updating several pending products with sculpty bits. You are free to let your imagination run wild as to what these products may be, however, as there are too many to list here.

Below is a preview image that I threw together while sitting in the parking lot at school between classes. Nothing spectacular, to be sure, but enough to hopefully show the extra-tastiness that awaits. Hope you enjoy this teaser, and please let me know what you think! Comments and suggestions either here or in-world are, as always, most appreciated.

-Naeko

Here it is… I know it has been forever since I first started work on this sword, but here it is, finally ready for release. The delay wasn’t so much a byproduct of building it, but of transferring everything over to the new combat system. That’s right: This is not an SCS compatible blade. Which, in reality, is not such a bad thing. I loved SCS, but for various reasons it wasn’t able to achieve its potential. Alas, this is a topic deserving of an entire blog and I will refrain from delving further into the subject here.

So… without further ado:

Link to pic on PhotoBucket because WordPress is being Stupid

Read on for the information included in the ReadMe notecard provided with this weapon… … continue reading this entry.

Just a quick update to the previous post. Just finished a promo for the “Revolutions” line of SL firearms. I’m not really sure how I feel about it, and will probably revise it a few more times before I’m really happy with it. Mostly, this is just to illustrate the different approaches I’m taking with the two lines of weapons. Again, even though this seems futile based on past experience, I’d really appreciate any feedback you might have. Like them? Don’t like them? Let me know if you get a chance

-Naeko

(Scroll to bottom for pics) 

Lao Shu Forge is dead!

Long live Lao Shu Heavy Industries!

by Naeko Michinaga | Lao Shu Blog Staff Writer | August 19, 2007

“SECOND LIFE, RandomParcel — After a bitter struggle, costly litigation, and at least a dozen or so hurt feelings, Lao Shu Forge (LSF) has been bought out by Lao Shu Heavy Industries (LHSI). President and CEO of LHSI, Naeko Michinaga, promptly liquidated all of LSF’s assests and fired all of it’s employees. A more hostile takeover can hardly be imagined, as Ms. Michinaga personally delivered an employment termination notice to former President of LSF, Naeko Michinaga. ‘This represents a great step forward for LSHI,’ Ms. Michinaga said in a press release following the takeover. ‘LSF has long been one of our cheif rivals, and with the aquisition, and subsequent liquidation, of their assests… the road is now clear for us – and by us I mean myself – to build a better tomorrow. You know, shining cities on hills and all that.’ It is unclear if Ms. Michinaga may have been intoxicated at the time, and inquiring minds are still wondering why an event that took place entirely in her head warranted a press release, much less related coverage.”

 So, there you have it. I’ll be changing the name of my shops to “Lao Shu Heavy Industries” in the very near future. I’ve given this quite a bit of thought over the past week or so (at least ten or fifteen minutes, easy), and I really think it’s the right move. The previous name felt a little too limiting in the sorts of products that could be associated with it, and this will allow me to develop new product lines that, while they may be diverse, can all have some commonality.

The first new product line will be called “Traditions” and will encompass all new melee weapons produced in the future. Featured below is a new promo I whipped together that hopefully will convey how I’m approaching this project mentally. The second new product line will be called “Revolutions” and will be identified with all new ranged weapons/firearms produced. Check the “Comming Soon” entry below for an idea of what to expect there. The third new product line will be called… oh, wait… there is no third product line. Yet. And therein lies the beauty of my new marketing strategy (which is mostly in my head, and is probably of no real consequence in terms of SL), as it will allow me to develop new items without having to worry about fitting them into the brand hierarchy.

Oh… here’s that pic I mentioned (feedback would be greatly appreciated on this, as I’m trying something different – for me at least):

(edit – I included a re-sized version of the original screenshot for anyone interested in seeing it.)

That’s about it for the moment.

-Naeko

So now I’m an arms dealer…

I will, in a future post, discuss my thoughts and ideas regarding firearms in SL and what exactly it is I plan on doing with them. This post is more of a teaser for all the primmy-goodness that is to come (hence the blurred out text in the advert).