Book Accompanying Video Game - Stratagem: Flagbearer

    In anticipation of the first book release in the Realms of Manetera Anthology, I commissioned a game to assist its marketing. Stratagem: Flagbearer is a companion to Brotherhood of Light by Ricky Hirschi.

    While the development time for this game took 2 weeks, the preparation actually was closer to 10 years. About 6 years ago I had this idea to make a modern chess, yet turn-based strategy had existed for quite some time however both sides being balanced not as much. I'd even spent 6 months studying chess and different strategies to win a match.

    Most of the inspiration comes from The Third Age (Lord of the Rings) on the Gameboy Advance. My papa had told me that when he was younger he'd played a lot of Game of Generals. Which to me is the spiritual successor of chess. So to make this game I combined the original chess, game of generals (not to be confused with Stratego), and some turn-based strategy to make this one. I hope you enjoy, here are some screenshots as well as the cover art! You can find the game on evergreenrealms.com.

Curating the AI Art into Fine Art

We'd done a post about some of the principal characters of Brotherhood of Light, and I figured they needed to be more accurate to the book. Additionally, these are some of the better art that AI had generated (Gemini, Co-Pilot, Chat-GPT). Chat-GPT or as I call it Chat-GPG used to be peak at making edits to photos, right now it is merely mid. You can still sort of guide it to where you want yet now after the update a week ago that includes an update to not edit messages sent, it now takes 3x longer to get a photo how you'd like it. The one with Brundin and Eloisa took several attempts and in my opinion should've only taken two. 

Needless to say it is like Gandalf the White entering the Hall of Edoras and saying, "Your courtesy has lessened as of late Theoden King!" If King Theoden was under the spell of mediocrity and mid-ness. Alas! It is a notable downgrade, down from 5 stars to 3.5 in my eyes.

My sincerest desire that our audience is looking forward in anticipation for Brotherhood of Light. Going through it now to do some proofreading.

Two moon-crossed lovers. 

His leg is sinking into the sand.

Hammer Time. Brundin taking a ceremonial photo 

Exuding stoicism.

Little Grey. No this is not a bearded halfling!

The little troublemaker himself.

The author Ricky wanted him to wear primary color green clothes. Yet I do feel that is too cliché as green is a rather safe choice for fantasy people's. He said that it is meant to be a joke, his clothes and name should not match. What do you all think, funny?

Yet another status update

 Editing is tough. I guess that is the gist of everything I have to say right now. I’m still working through some of my editor’s comments on Brotherhood. It is taking way longer than I thought it would. I guess with Maleki, after getting my editor’s comments and reading through them, it took me a full year or so to pick the book back up and edit it. So, in that regard, I guess I’m doing better. Still, I hope to eventually get my books in front of a larger audience. Even my own mother doesn’t want to read them, but I guess that is because they are fantasy, which apparently isn’t her genre.

As I write this, I’m brought to reminisce about a book I recently finished reading for Leaf Bound Review called Stray. In this book, some of the sections are writings on a message board of sorts, kind of like this blog in a way. The poster at times says there are perhaps a few Ukrainians who read his work. I kind of feel the same way. I say all this into the ether and hope something is heard. I’m not sure it is. In any case, though, the writing continues, albeit slowly.

By way of another update, I still don’t think I’ve figured out how to get email addresses for a newsletter. I guess that is something to explore shortly as well.