It's the first day of the month, and what does that mean?
April Fools!
But apart from that, it means that I've got my download speed back to normal, so I can WRITE this post. Now, to waste it all again...

First of all, listen to Caustic Redemption, because it was done as a collaboration between me and HNI and we did about 50% each, although he did most of the synthesising (apart from the lead synth) and I did most of the arrangement (apart from the intro). Other than that it was basically 50/50.

Also, I've given up on that previously mentioned Flash project. Well, I haven't given it up entirely, but I think I need to work on my programming skills a bit more before I get back to it. I'm still thinking of making overhead games, maybe a shooter like StickArena, but I can't figure out how to get the actual "shooting" working. I mean, the guy fires the gun when you click, but how do games like that detect whether you've hit an enemy or not? I tried drawing a line from the gun to the crosshair, but that's a really stupid method, because it's messy, the line doesn't go past the mouse, and I don't even know how to check that something is colliding with the line.
So, if any AS experts are reading this, I would appreciate some help. =)

I'd also like to know what the hell ".addListener()" is good for. As far as I know, all the listeners, like "onMouseDown" are built into the program. How could you add another?

Anyway...
Here's an image. I will add a proper background when all the basic gameplay elements are added:

Oh yes, happy new year everyone!
I stayed up 'till 1:00 last night at a new years party, so I'm fairly tired right now, but it was awesome.

Anyway, this year I plan to get a lot more heavily into ActionScript, and move on to 3.0 at some point soon. I also intend to make some flash submissions, too, particularly games, though I'm running into a lot of problems. See, I'm the kind of person who often has a very good idea of what I'd like to make, but hardly any clue how to go about it, as opposed to simply exploring the features of a new program to find out what you can do. It just sounds so boring the other way.

I've been having quite a few music ideas too, but like I said before, I just don't know how I would make them, mainly because, as I have mentioned in previous news posts, I suck at synthesising. My best hope is to try to think of something which uses a lot of the sounds I already know how to make, and just experiment more to add to that library, but at the moment, I'm a lot more interested in coding than anything else.

My current project (which has really stumped me) is supposed to be a Flash recreation of the Cell Stage in Maxis' new game Spore. (Oh God, not another one!) I think I've done pretty well on the movement; it's all smooth and I've got the "camera" moving along with it. My main problem at the moment is getting the food to disappear when you eat it, because if it simply goes transparent, it will still be there, and the little score counter will keep going up and up. I also want the food to bounce off you when you collide with it, rather than just slide under. D=<

So there's an update of what I've been up to recently, expect more music and possibly games in the year to come! (If anybody actually reads this.)

:D

I haven't been on the computer very much lately, because I sprained my ankle a couple of Mondays ago (on the 20th) and I haven't been very mobile.
It happened when I did some stupid jump off some relatively low down slide in a playground, onto some metal platform a few metres away, when I slipped over and twisted my foot. I somehow managed to jump to it successfully a few minutes before, but it seems lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place: my luck didn't pull through.
I had an X-ray done, and thankfully nothing was broken, but I've been reduced to walking on crutches for almost a week now, and predictably for some time longer. (Does that make any sense?)

Anyway, it seems to be recovering, so I should be back on my feet soon.

In other news, I'm beginning to learn ActionScript in Flash, which is surprisingly easier than animating. With script, you don't actually need any skill, you just need to know what to write. Which is still quite tricky. But so far, I seem to be able to blow up a bus:

My laptop adapter seems to be broken, which means my laptop can only run on battery for so long and then I can NEVER USE IT AGAIN... Until I can get a new adapter. Which is bad news for my new track, which seems to be nearly complete.
At least, I think that it's my adapter that's broken. When I held it up to my ear, it was making a weird clicking noise, but I don't know whether or not it always did that. <:(

Update 3rd September: The new adapter arrived in the mail today, but it was addressed to my dad, and I had no idea what it was, because somehow I missed the sticky-tape on it with "hp invent" stamped all over it. The computer's charging now, on about 15%. :D

I've now got a second-hand A5 Wacom, which means I am now a LOT better at drawing with Flash etc.
Also, I'm thinking of making a Flash cartoon about a guy called SuperJoe (who is totally not based on SuperJer o_O). Hell with that, I'm not thinking, I'm doing. Very slowly. I'm also making more music as well, but I just suck at synthesising so much that most of the ideas I come up with are just too beyond my level. Nevertheless, I'm doing what I used to do, which is just experiment with synths and effects and go along with what I have. I seriously need some tutorials though, on things such as Basses, Pads, Bassy Pads, Saws, Beepy Sounds, and Acids. I'm not being so active on Newgrounds anymore, so I just thought I'd make a news post to keep everybody (if anybody) up to date.
Wuhh... Wall of text!
Also, WINDOWS HITLER ALERT!

I just happen to be a noob, though.

Yeah, sorry I haven't added any new submissions lately. I've been carried away with playing (and finally beating) N. In case you want to play it too, here's the link to the company site: harveycartel.org/metanet.
I've been struggling trying to create a song that isn't IDM, and also which doesn't start with a C note. So far, I've failed on that one. You could probably expect something new from me in a couple of weeks, and after that I'll try to get back into the music. 'Till then, amuse yourselves with something else. :D
...
*randomly attacks a curtain*

It r be that time of year yet again, and I have nothing to share with you Newgrounders. Well, there's a new song, but I was referring to the last post where I was happy about getting Inkscape which I still haven't figured out how to use. No matter, since Flash is more than good enough, but I haven't really got anything done with it to share. Eh. Anyways, happy Jesus Day.

I've managed to download the vector drawing program, Inkscape, without it suddenly going corrupt. This means that I'll probably be doing a bit of drawing for you peoples. I already drew in Flash, but I think Inkscape will be a bit more versatile. Plus, it's free! Here.

I was messing around in Sytrus at some point, and decided to make some greasy-ish saw preset or something from scratch, and came out with this thing! http://www.megaupload.com/?d=78VZBX8P
Disclaimer: the preset may sound cool, but is not very useful. =(

Also, for those people who couldn't be stuffed copying the picture of my Helix saw preset, you can download that, too, here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D6BIPSMM
I hope the links work.

That's all for now.

EDIT: I must warn you that the HELIX preset for SimSynth is SERIOUSLY LOUD. Bring the volume down so as to protect your eardrums. Mmm, drums.

MORE EDIT: Alright, Uranium isn't really that good, I was just excited about making a Sytrus preset by myself. Meh. I should reserve that cool name for something else.