Wizard101 Advanced Lighting in Housing, Lighting Notes, and A Challenge

Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a Boar Knight pet + 1,000 crowns or one of four Wyvern's Hoard Packs! Details at http://www.swordroll.com/2011/12/holiday-contest-and-wizard101-sales.html!

Advanced Lighting can be used a variety of ways, not just in the scenery around the Spiral. Think of the possibilities for housing. You have the ability to create the lighting to fit your style. Are you making a massive maze? Which parts have light and which don't? Obviously there will be some universal lighting here, but there is so much creative opportunity!

Naturally, I did a few more example for housing. Take this ruined ring, surrounded by greenery of all sorts.

Not only do you have those more varied and brilliant colors in the second image, but because of the nature of the design, the lighting shining though is very bright. Think of the additions to some houses, like this Wizard's Watchtower!

The sky is, again, a more brilliant color, and it acts as a great light source, too. You see actual reflection in the water, things are lit where there is no light, and where there it, well, things are lighter! Take a look at this next one!

In a room where there are no windows are your only light source is the fireplace, you have some opporunities for some intense lighting schemes. This next one is one of my favorites.

The teleporter really has a glow to it, and it acts as a great source of light. You can really see it on the leaves and trees! You can even see long shadow behind leaves and my wizard because of the low light source close at hand. How's that for a "mystic" feel? Do you like trees? Even when they're growing in your home?

Since this one doesn't have too many fancy features, you can really see the added depth in the second image.

I do have to make a few notes on lighting - it would, as a few readers said, need an on and off option. For those times where you get side quests to create fires, they would remain even with advanced lighting off, but would simply be fires, like any other, in regular lighting. Because it would individually have to be added to each world, perhaps it could only be added to those released after its release. It would work like Armor Piercing - it's only available on gear that's released after its release. Areas that are purposely dark as a challenge would have a door or gate in front of the so that it works like the interior and exterior of a house - they'd be two separate areas. The one with the need for the darkness would not have the option to turn advanced lighting off. It would have to load and be introduced later in-game, so that first time players wouldn't be troubled with the possible long loading time.

With that, I have a challenge for all of you house decorators! Come up with your best room and take a screenshot, but be sure to press Ctrl + G so that you don't have your health and such blocking your housing details! Send it to swordroll@gmail.com, and I'll add advanced lighting to it, and you might see it in one of my next few blog posts!

Thanks for reading!

Something that's rather random that I came across on Facebook:

Complete Credit to Jessie Webb on Facebook.

Decorating For the Holidays

During my first Christmas in Wizard101 several years ago, I wondered how I'd decorate a house. I couldn't buy Santa's Sleigh, or a giant Christmas tree, so what COULD I do? I didn't realize that there were quite a large number of things that worked well for a Christmas celebration, and that the entire house didn't have to be covered in snow to be a nice home. Typically, we only set up a tree and occasionally put up lights as it is, but we love Christmas as much as the next person! While Felix having a nice Christmas Tree and other decorations in a potential Christmas Card Pack would be nice, there are plenty of other options out there for making your holiday home special!

What do you like to do for the holidays? Ask yourself that question. A decorated house is only a way to express yourself and your creativity, like other forms of art. Do I want to have Santa's Sleigh pulled by a Wyvern? Do I want to create Santa's Workshop?

You'll need to do some shopping, and besides the Bazaar, there's plenty of good places to buy things!

I always envision a fireplace, lit and burning, with a sofa and a few chairs surrounding it, the Christmas tree in one corner. Then, there's the dining hall - every good party comes with a meal. The table will be long, and full of food... or what used to be food, anyway, depending on the style of your house and the hunger of your guests.

With this in mind, I decided to decorate a single room in the large Wizard City house for Christmas to demonstrate my ideas.

First, I placed a campfire near one wall. I then placed, using rugs, a fireplace over it and against the wall. This made the setting more realistic and provided a warmer atmosphere. I then set a spot for the tree off to the side. I placed a regular old pine tree and used glitches to place a rug as the skirt. There are several great guides to creating a full-blown Christmas tree listed at the end of the post.

If you look hard enough, you can also find actual presents of varying types. I personally couldn't find any, so I went with various trinkets that I bought with gold from the crown shop. I placed these under the tree. I then added a sofa, some chairs, and a few potted plants for effect. I placed a clock on the mantle, and a few pictures around the room.

In these few, short steps, I've got a major living space decorated for the holidays, and it wasn't too difficult, either.

There have been quite a few holiday decorations going around. Some people have set up a Santa's Workshop, while others have created an area to visit Santa.

Others use music players and pianos for an elegant look. I've even seen crafting tables used as a workshop. Some of the things I've mentioned here have been used in Wizard101 Central's Home for the Holidays Dorm Decorating Contest. Check it out HERE. Kevin Battleblood's guide to making a Christmas tree HERE.

Merry Christmas and happy decorating!

Calling all Authors

So, as you guys probably know, I've been afk for a while. I might return soon, I might not. I'm to sure right now. But just because I'm not posting as much, doesn't mean you guys have to stop! So, authors, let's keep this blog alive, even if I'm gone. Sorry for the short post, I might try to pull myself out of afk, but for now....

Happy House Decorating!

-Malorn