HamsterSpeak 47 Online

[The Wobbler]

http://superwalrusland.com/ohr/issue47/cover.html

Issue 47 is here, and with that, four years of HamsterSpeak. We've got a very meager anniversary issue here, as our Features section has largely died and interest in the art section has mostly collapsed. Happy birthday!

Rumor mill: Will #50 be the final issue? Possibly!

[FnrrfYgmSchnish]

Seems to be something wrong with the main page--when I click on the cover to go to it, the frames on the top and sides work but the middle section that normally has links to everything (with descriptions and such) is just a blank white page.

EDIT: Also, Damuru-J's picture on the FYS:AHS preview article isn't showing up for me. Looks like I made a mistake with the filenames, since the image tag on the page links to "Damuru-J.png" and (after checking the FYS folder on the website) the picture is actually named "Damuru-J.PNG". I guess I forgot that filenames in URLs are case-sensitive...

[The Wobbler]

Those are both "Stop using Internet Explorer" problems, I've gone in and fixed them both.

[Mogri]

For an issue that I anticipated being short on content, this really delivered. I'm hard-pressed to pick a favorite because all of the articles were really good. I don't think I can say this about any other issue.

I remember really liking Wally's Castle, but then I also remember being namedropped a few times in Wally's Castle. I may be biased.

[SDHawk]

Those are both "Stop using Internet Explorer" problems, I've gone in and fixed them both.

Actually, I had the blank-central-frame issue in Opera.

[The Wobbler]

Call them "Use Firefox" issues then.

So how bout some content comments, who wants to see #50 be the last one

[Voltire]

I hope it isn't the last one! Heck, I'll even try to do something to stop it from ending.

[FnrrfYgmSchnish]

I always like seeing the reviews/retrospectives of really old games. I never really played many OHR games until pretty recently, so I missed a lot of these the first time around (both the good ones and the really awful ones.)
Of course, every once and a while there's a few "holy crap, I actually remember that" moments too, like that Dexmaster games article from a while back.

And I definitely wouldn't want to see Hamsterspeak end so soon. It's got to be the best OHR magazine we've ever had, by far.

I mean, I'd understand ending it if working on it every month was getting to be a major problem for you... but even in that case, I'd rather see someone else try and continue it instead of it just stopping after #50.

[Pepsi Ranger]

As usual, I really enjoyed the puppet photos, and that whole making a character out of pizza cheese should be adopted into thematic restaurants (where Italian isn't the theme).

It's also been awhile since we last had a solid in-depth preview, and I was happy to see one here.

As far as features go, I think we could pad this category again if we start revisiting old topics. Yes, there are topics that still haven't been covered, and I personally am committed to working on the zones feature article soon. But now that we have four years of content behind us, I think it's safe to assume that many of those old topics are already forgotten, and that most new readers aren't gonna go that far back in time to read about them. They'll be more likely to read old topics visited with fresh voices.

As far as ending it at #50 goes, I'm not a fan. But I am in support of taking a several-month break after the issue releases to allow time for renewed interest to grow, and then come back in the fall, or even in early 2012 for a grand re-launch.

But yeah, ending it at #50 is a bad idea. It would mean missing coverage on many great games that are still on the horizon. And engine features--battlescripting would need a fair salute in HamsterSpeak when it finally arrives, and I doubt that'll happen before June. And what if Bob Surlaw becomes a dad someday? Who the heck is gonna announce that if HamsterSpeak is finished? No one wants to read about that in a forum. That kind of thing is newsworthy. Magazine-worthy.

Break, yes. Finished, no.

[Spoonweaver]

I hate to be the guy who says it, but maybe hamsterspeak should end.
The focus surrounding it seems to be forced at this point. People saying they'll contribute BECAUSE they don't want it to die is basically like saying they wouldn't have contributed otherwise. Keeping it around for the sake of keeping it around is silly. It might be better to end it and see what springs forth from it's absence. If nothing else it could always make an awesome return and have a big return issue covering all the things it missed.

Not only that, but I think the reviews in Hamsterspeak should be transferred to slimesalad either way. Maybe after a month or so to keep hamsterspeak's content it's own. I think doing this will help consolidate the OHR's resources and help us put our best face forward to the world.

I really don't want to be the bad guy here, voting to end the beloved mag. I just think there should be an opposing view. Anyways, I dunno. They're just thoughts.

[Twinconclusive]

This pizza was made for me

[Baconlabs]

EDIT: An OHR e-magazine will be in circulation when the "groove" comes back. It might not be soon, and it might not be Hamsterspeak. But when it happens, I'm sure it'll be phenomenal. Anyway, back to the original post.

I agree with Spoonweaver, especially on this point.

People saying they'll contribute BECAUSE they don't want it to die is basically like saying they wouldn't have contributed otherwise.

However, this also provides all the more reason to make the final issues much better than usual. If Issue 50 truly will be the last one... I'm sure there's neat things to be done about that. A review extravaganza. A heaping pile of fanart. A Surlaw & Co. puppet show on Youtube. Preview articles that really work up the hype.
Or - and this is a stretch, here - make the final issue take place in an OHR game.

[Shizuma]

This issue was good. I particularly found the reviews to be of excellent quality this month. Minecraft skins? Bring em on, lets have more (of my characters I could hope). Bob Surlaw pizza? I don't even eat pizza but that's great!

I hope Hamsterspeak never goes away. Don't ignore the silent majority dude. Lots of people love what you're doing.

[Willy Elektrix]

So how bout some content comments, who wants to see #50 be the last one

I recently started submitting because I think Hamsterspeak is great and I really wanted to be involved in it. It adds a lot more cohesiveness to the community than just a forum could do. I also look forward to reading it every month, especially the reviews since that seems to be the best place to find in depth information about the multitude of games out there. I also enjoy going through the archive and reading old issues.

Basically, I really want Hamsterspeak to stay around and would be willing to contribute more content to help. I don't have the design/html skills to take it over myself, but I want to know: what can I do to help you out, Surlaw?

[mjohnson092088]

when i heard there was a magazine dedicated to the OHR, i was like: "suhweet! this is the kind of publicity the OHR needs!" then this happened:

So how bout some content comments, who wants to see #50 be the last one

WHY?!?!?! it's too young to die!! i love the articles on new and old games, and especially love the random features, like the pizza photoshoot (you should have made that sooner and sent it to the dominoe's headquarters for kicks). what the magazine needs is more monthly contribution. maybe a Q&A section about the OHR, game making, plotscripting, what have you. a monthly comic strip would be cool too (i'm neither artistic nor funny, so that would have to be someone else's department). i say more of Hamsterspeak and more IN Hamsterspeak. this would take more time to meet the deadline if the magazine was "heavier", but i'm sure many of us are willing to help. the OHRing community needs whOHRing.