Comment on Pseudolonewolf's profile
I must say, I am absolutely WOWED by your work. I first discovered you through playing Clarence's Big Chance, and now I've just sunk a good 10 hours into playing MARDEK 1 and 2 (and probably lots more to come!). And I'm not the type to dish out compliments easily, so the fact that I'm even here saying this means a lot. Seriously, I don't think I know anyone else (either in real life or online) who produces work as varied as it is good. 
One question I've always been meaning to ask - what software do you use for composing your music? I've wanted to get into music composition myself but don't know where to start.
~espionne
One question I've always been meaning to ask - what software do you use for composing your music? I've wanted to get into music composition myself but don't know where to start.
~espionne
Thank you, I'm glad that you enjoy my work and such! It's very encouraging to know!
To compose music, these days I use a program called Sibelius, which is rather nice, but not free, and it requires you to know proper music notation. There's a similar program which has fewer fancy features, but which is free, called Finale Notepad! I think there are some out there that allow you to compose without music notation if you aren't familiar with it, though I don't know any of them... Searching for 'midi composing program' will probably bring up a few!
Like with drawing though, it takes a looong time to get decent at composing; I've been at it for more than a decade now, and I still feel like I've got a long way to go. So that's something to be aware of, though you should definitely try if you have an interest! Making music in the exact style you like most can be a really satisfying thing, and I'm so glad I got into it!
To compose music, these days I use a program called Sibelius, which is rather nice, but not free, and it requires you to know proper music notation. There's a similar program which has fewer fancy features, but which is free, called Finale Notepad! I think there are some out there that allow you to compose without music notation if you aren't familiar with it, though I don't know any of them... Searching for 'midi composing program' will probably bring up a few!
Like with drawing though, it takes a looong time to get decent at composing; I've been at it for more than a decade now, and I still feel like I've got a long way to go. So that's something to be aware of, though you should definitely try if you have an interest! Making music in the exact style you like most can be a really satisfying thing, and I'm so glad I got into it!
Thanks for the links! I've just downloaded Finale Notepad and find its interface very user-friendly. I know music composition can be a huge pain, particularly for people who are just starting out, but luckily I've had over 10 years' worth of experience in classical piano (and basic knowledge of music theory) so I don't think it would be as daunting as if I were a total beginner. It's still pretty hard, though!
Art on the other hand... I really admire people who can draw well, because I personally can't draw to save my life (even after several art classes and multiple failed attempts at studying anatomy). Speaking of anatomy, your studies of the MARDEK characters were all really well done! I'm now into MARDEK 3 and am shipping Deugan x Emela and Meraeador x Gloria thanks to you
~espionne
Art on the other hand... I really admire people who can draw well, because I personally can't draw to save my life (even after several art classes and multiple failed attempts at studying anatomy). Speaking of anatomy, your studies of the MARDEK characters were all really well done! I'm now into MARDEK 3 and am shipping Deugan x Emela and Meraeador x Gloria thanks to you
~espionne
If you have that kind of musical experience already, then you should do alright, I think! I only started learning about music theory myself a couple of years ago - I didn't know about it when composing the MARDEK score, for example, and I think it shows, which is quite embarrassing to me now - but I wish I'd known at least the basics from the beginning.
I'm curious though why you took so long to go from just playing to actually composing! Have you ever improvised or just tried to make your own tunes or anything at all? I started composing about the same time I started playing the piano, because from the moment I started playing music, I wanted to make my own (though I was a teenager at the time, so I imagine it'd be different if you started as a child). I suppose I just wonder what it would be that would make someone not really try to make their own, or something! I get the impression that most people who play instruments don't try composing, and I've always wondered why.
Drawing took time, too! How long have you been at it yourself? I've had to pour countless hours into it, years of practice, and I'm still way worse than so many people here on deviantART (oh how I envy how easy they make it look!).
And I'm glad that you like my game and characters and such! I hope that you make hot and steamy erotica involving those characters. Oh yes.
I'm curious though why you took so long to go from just playing to actually composing! Have you ever improvised or just tried to make your own tunes or anything at all? I started composing about the same time I started playing the piano, because from the moment I started playing music, I wanted to make my own (though I was a teenager at the time, so I imagine it'd be different if you started as a child). I suppose I just wonder what it would be that would make someone not really try to make their own, or something! I get the impression that most people who play instruments don't try composing, and I've always wondered why.
Drawing took time, too! How long have you been at it yourself? I've had to pour countless hours into it, years of practice, and I'm still way worse than so many people here on deviantART (oh how I envy how easy they make it look!).
And I'm glad that you like my game and characters and such! I hope that you make hot and steamy erotica involving those characters. Oh yes.
I think the desire to compose comes with both experience and age... I started playing when I was 6 years old, and at that young an age you tend to have an absurdly short attention span which is not suitable for composing whatsoever. But I have tried experimenting a few times; there were a couple of times I actually got a melody in my head but was too lazy to write it down. This program will help a lot with that!
And sadly, I'm far from being the best artist, even in terms of work ethic. It's sort of been an 'on-and-off' thing for me. Though that could be partly because of my personality type (!) - I just noticed you mentioned them in your blurb up there, and I think they're fascinating too. I'm an INTJ, and apparently that means I tend to be more "logical" rather than creative, so maybe that partly explains why I haven't taken as much of an interest in art as others have.
But more about personality types: it's amazing how well they're able to predict people's preferences for jobs and type of work. I remember reading something about how a disproportionately large percentage of engineers are INTJs or ISTJs (disclaimer: engineering student here), and similar statistics for other lines of work. I know a lot of people say "No! Everyone is special and unique and wonderful in their own way and don't you dare be so insensitive as to stick a LABEL on them!!!", but I find that labels help a lot in terms of covering the generalities. Obviously no one fits perfectly into the mold, but the MBTI covers a large percentage of it.
>I hope that you make hot and steamy erotica involving those characters. Oh yes.
For some reason this sounds exactly like a line out of MARDEK! But I doubt I will; I'm not the type to write raunchy stories like those.
BUT! I did notice that a few people actually posted MARDEK fanfiction online, so that should tell you that your game is good to the point where people care about it enough to write fanfics for it. 
~espionne
But I have tried experimenting a few times; there were a couple of times I actually got a melody in my head but was too lazy to write it down. This program will help a lot with that! And sadly, I'm far from being the best artist, even in terms of work ethic. It's sort of been an 'on-and-off' thing for me. Though that could be partly because of my personality type (!) - I just noticed you mentioned them in your blurb up there, and I think they're fascinating too. I'm an INTJ, and apparently that means I tend to be more "logical" rather than creative, so maybe that partly explains why I haven't taken as much of an interest in art as others have.
But more about personality types: it's amazing how well they're able to predict people's preferences for jobs and type of work. I remember reading something about how a disproportionately large percentage of engineers are INTJs or ISTJs (disclaimer: engineering student here), and similar statistics for other lines of work. I know a lot of people say "No! Everyone is special and unique and wonderful in their own way and don't you dare be so insensitive as to stick a LABEL on them!!!", but I find that labels help a lot in terms of covering the generalities. Obviously no one fits perfectly into the mold, but the MBTI covers a large percentage of it.
>I hope that you make hot and steamy erotica involving those characters. Oh yes.
For some reason this sounds exactly like a line out of MARDEK! But I doubt I will; I'm not the type to write raunchy stories like those.
BUT! I did notice that a few people actually posted MARDEK fanfiction online, so that should tell you that your game is good to the point where people care about it enough to write fanfics for it. ~espionne
I envy you for having musical experience from an early age! I never did, and I'm awful at the piano these days because of it. Well, that and the fact that I never had lessons beyond the first month or so. And never practice. And so on. Hopefully that program will indeed encourage you to write down any musical ideas you have, though!
Interesting that you know about Myers-Briggs and such! I'm doing a Games Art Course at an art university currently, and while I expected an F majority before I arrived, interestingly we all did a Myers-Briggs test during the first term, and it seems that ESTP, ISTP, ENTJ, INTJ, ESTJ and ISTJ are the overwhelming majority! So I think that each type must just have a different approach to art, perhaps with T types taking a more 'technical' approach, and F types drawing more from their heart, or something? Well, I say that, but recently I've been having a more technical approach myself while *wishing* I drew more from my heart. Am I right in thinking you're a teenager though? Up until my twenties, I was godawful at art! It's only in the last couple of years that I've got any better. If you've already discovered the usefulness of studying anatomy and such, then I'd say you're on the right track! That's another thing I wish I knew when I was younger.
I don't like the whole 'special snowflake' thing either, and feel that people miss out on a lot by dismissing the value of types. I see them as a way to understand someone better so then you can have an idea of how they might wish to be treated, as not everyone wishes to be treated the same as yourself!
It's off-putting though knowing that the games industry is unlikely to attract many F types, for me personally... It's partly the reason I've not made any games in ages.
Oh, wow, there is indeed MARDEK fanfiction! I didn't know that! I'm also not going to read it! But it's surreal to think that it exists!
Interesting that you know about Myers-Briggs and such! I'm doing a Games Art Course at an art university currently, and while I expected an F majority before I arrived, interestingly we all did a Myers-Briggs test during the first term, and it seems that ESTP, ISTP, ENTJ, INTJ, ESTJ and ISTJ are the overwhelming majority! So I think that each type must just have a different approach to art, perhaps with T types taking a more 'technical' approach, and F types drawing more from their heart, or something? Well, I say that, but recently I've been having a more technical approach myself while *wishing* I drew more from my heart. Am I right in thinking you're a teenager though? Up until my twenties, I was godawful at art! It's only in the last couple of years that I've got any better. If you've already discovered the usefulness of studying anatomy and such, then I'd say you're on the right track! That's another thing I wish I knew when I was younger.
I don't like the whole 'special snowflake' thing either, and feel that people miss out on a lot by dismissing the value of types. I see them as a way to understand someone better so then you can have an idea of how they might wish to be treated, as not everyone wishes to be treated the same as yourself!
It's off-putting though knowing that the games industry is unlikely to attract many F types, for me personally... It's partly the reason I've not made any games in ages.
Oh, wow, there is indeed MARDEK fanfiction! I didn't know that! I'm also not going to read it! But it's surreal to think that it exists!
I am a teen, though I won't be anymore in a couple of months! Funny how you don't actually feel any different whenever your birthday comes around. Birthdays used to be things I looked forward to as a small child, but these days I just tend to wake up and think, "Oh, huh. Apparently I'm a year older today. Cool" and then go right back to sleep. It's not that exciting, really. I personally don't understand the people who make a big deal out of birthdays and throw huge parties and whatnot - actually, I just don't like parties in general, probably because I'm an introvert. People whose MBTI types begin with an 'I' are really in the minority, I think. (I vaguely recall reading a statistic that said that among the world population, introverts are outnumbered by extroverts 3 to 1.) It can be rather disconcerting when every other young person around you only seems to live for the thrill of partying and drunken hook-ups. And then you get accused of having "no life" or being "no fun" when your idea of "fun" just happens to be different from theirs, but they just don't understand that.
Anyway! I think I've ranted more than enough. But yes, I agree with you that knowing others' MBTI types can be incredibly helpful! Even though I'm an introvert, I consciously make an effort to socialize/make small talk with others, simply because there's a big chance that they are all extroverts and I'm trying to just get along. It's really not my thing, and I often wish I were doing something else (especially when the discussion is unbearably shallow), but I still make the effort to make them feel comfortable around me. Of course this doesn't mean I don't *care* about them, just that having to keep up a random conversation where the other girls are talking about movies, their celebrity crushes, or makeup is very draining for me emotionally. But if they have a problem, I'll be one of the first ones to step up to help.
You probably know this kind of situation well yourself, being an INFJ and all.
~espionne
It's not that exciting, really. I personally don't understand the people who make a big deal out of birthdays and throw huge parties and whatnot - actually, I just don't like parties in general, probably because I'm an introvert. People whose MBTI types begin with an 'I' are really in the minority, I think. (I vaguely recall reading a statistic that said that among the world population, introverts are outnumbered by extroverts 3 to 1.) It can be rather disconcerting when every other young person around you only seems to live for the thrill of partying and drunken hook-ups. And then you get accused of having "no life" or being "no fun" when your idea of "fun" just happens to be different from theirs, but they just don't understand that. Anyway! I think I've ranted more than enough. But yes, I agree with you that knowing others' MBTI types can be incredibly helpful! Even though I'm an introvert, I consciously make an effort to socialize/make small talk with others, simply because there's a big chance that they are all extroverts and I'm trying to just get along. It's really not my thing, and I often wish I were doing something else (especially when the discussion is unbearably shallow), but I still make the effort to make them feel comfortable around me. Of course this doesn't mean I don't *care* about them, just that having to keep up a random conversation where the other girls are talking about movies, their celebrity crushes, or makeup is very draining for me emotionally. But if they have a problem, I'll be one of the first ones to step up to help.
You probably know this kind of situation well yourself, being an INFJ and all.
~espionne
I don't like parties at all myself, and I've been struggling here at university because of that. I've failed to find meaningful connections because it seems like that's all *anyone* wants to do! It's frustrating sitting around in class and hearing everyone go on about these *parties* they've been to, while I'd prefer something *more* than that. Something that engaged my mind, rather than numbing it! I too feel like my definition of 'fun' just isn't like theirs, but of course no, anyone who prefers different things to that norm is just 'boring' and needs to 'get out more' because 'come on, you'll love it!' or something!
I've seen statistics that seem to suggest that I types are about as common as E types (or almost as common, at least, though I do think there is SOME extroverted majority), but I wonder how many introverts basically just put on the extroverted act like it seems you somewhat do yourself, and for the same reasons: because that's what everyone seems to want and expect! I often wonder how many people would love something more than the shallow banter, but never say anything because it's just Not The Sort Of Thing You Do! Or of course maybe the introverts are all just hiding away, which is something I tend to have a habit of doing myself... It's worse than at least *trying* to play the social game though, and I wish I could bring myself to at least do the whole small talk stuff like you can.
I find really shallow conversations absolutely mind-numbing though. So yes, I can very much relate to all of what you describe!
You sound more caring and considerate than a lot of INTJs I've come across though, which I say as a good thing! I think everyone should be nice to and considerate of others, but I've met a lot of INTJs online who seem to prefer to just put others down...
I've seen statistics that seem to suggest that I types are about as common as E types (or almost as common, at least, though I do think there is SOME extroverted majority), but I wonder how many introverts basically just put on the extroverted act like it seems you somewhat do yourself, and for the same reasons: because that's what everyone seems to want and expect! I often wonder how many people would love something more than the shallow banter, but never say anything because it's just Not The Sort Of Thing You Do! Or of course maybe the introverts are all just hiding away, which is something I tend to have a habit of doing myself... It's worse than at least *trying* to play the social game though, and I wish I could bring myself to at least do the whole small talk stuff like you can.
I find really shallow conversations absolutely mind-numbing though. So yes, I can very much relate to all of what you describe!
You sound more caring and considerate than a lot of INTJs I've come across though, which I say as a good thing! I think everyone should be nice to and considerate of others, but I've met a lot of INTJs online who seem to prefer to just put others down...
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