Welcome to the Scriptorium's Editorial for May/June 2011! It was in the Scriptorium's best interests to bring you an editorial rich with more content, which we decided would require the work from May and June 2011 to create. Hope you enjoy this editorial!


Recent Articles
Below is a list of all articles added to the Scriptorium catalogs since the beginning of May 2011.

Recently Added Articles
June 2011
The Legacy of Skantarios Added 03/06/2011
Unit editing with Hexeditor Added 03/06/2011
Globalization and everything that comes with it Added 03/06/2011
Free vs Fair Trade Added 03/06/2011
Stainless Steel: The Legacy of Skantarios Added 03/06/2011
Quick scripted modifications Added 07/06/2011
The Welsh in America or The Legend of Prince Madoc Added 08/06/2011
Using Taws Tools On Windows Added 10/06/2011
Converter for Esf,Db,Loc and Unit_Variant files Added 15/06/2011
User Script & Preferences Editor Added 15/06/2011
Alexius Komnenos and the Byzantine-Pecheneg Wars Added 19/06/2011
Event Pictures by abbews Added 24/06/2011
Creating a wooden texture Added 24/06/2011
Creating Your Own Unit Added 29/06/2011
Adding Your Own Music and Sound Effects Added 29/06/2011
Getting Started & Making a Simple Mod Added 29/06/2011


-Back to Top-


Top News

The Scriptorium will be announcing the next writing competition soon! Full details will be made public on 1st August 2011, and starting then there will be a three week submission period for entries. What we will say is that this writing competition will follow the more traditional style, in that there will be no theme that all entries must follow, and all submissions have more room for free writing. There will still be some minor restrictions though, and perhaps some other things thrown in there to mix up the competition, but other than that all writers will have a lot of free space in terms of what to write about. So go ahead and get those ideas going now, but stay tuned on the 1st of August for the full rundown of the event!


-Back to Top-


Other News

We have little else to announce aside from the upcoming competition this time around, with business going smoothly in the Scriptorium for the past two months. There are currently NO positions open for additional librarians, but if anyone does wish to apply they may do so and their application will be held on record for when a position does open up.

Other than that, we just encourage you to keep submitting articles! The Scriptorium grows constantly with the work of our own forum members, and we have created a truly unique collection of articles covering a large range of topics. Submit yours today!


-Back to Top-


Article Reviews

We bring you three article reviews this time around, to make up for a missed editorial last month. Enjoy

Article Review - Animation Tutorial (by Nicholas Rush) , review by Maximus IV



Animation Tutorial
Article: Animation Tutorial
Author: Gaius Baltar
Original Thread: Gaius Baltar's Images of the Malestrom of Battle

This beautiful guide, made by Nicholas Rush, explains how to produce an animated GIF image. It consists of two tutorials, each of which are elaborated in detail in several steps. The first is relatively simple, the second is more advanced and helps the user in learning the better techniques of the trade. The writer uses two different photo editing programs, Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Fireworks for his tutorials. It's a very interesting guide and a must read for everyone who loves and wants to learn how to make GIFs easily.

-Maximus


Article Review - Hiroshima (by Katsumoto) , review by Legio


Hiroshima


Author: Katsumoto
Original Article: [H.F.] Hiroshima

This thrilling piece of short fiction was penned by Katsumoto in December of 2009. As an avid player of the Fallout series of video games, any composition regarding the atomic age and nuclear activity (be it research, folk music, or accounts of the actual bombings) are particularly fascinating to me. Perhaps many of you have read John Hersey's Hiroshima and wept at the plight of Japan's citizens as they were destroyed. Katsumoto's piece, however, spends more time in the description of the plane that dropped the bomb and the anxiety of the crew. Despite its relatively short length - being only a page or two - the story manages to capture its reader and instil a profound sadness for the lives lost on that fateful day. For a bite-sized work of historical fiction, be sure to check out this excellent story.

-Legio


Article Review - A Guide to Prussia (by Astaroth) , review by Acco



A Guide to Prussia
Author: Astaroth
Original Thread: ETW: A Guide to Prussia

The word 'Prussia' represents more than just a German kingdom. The military successes of the Prussian kingdom in unifying Germany have forever conferred a status of professionalism and militarism to the landed nobility of Prussia. In Empire: Total War, you have the opportunity to replicate the glory of Prussia and ensure their dominance over Europe's and the world's affairs. One effective tool you could use to achieve these feats is "A Guide to Prussia" by Astaroth.

This well-written guide to all things Prussia begins with a comprehensive overview of the Prussian kingdom at the beginning of the game. The author analyzes the benefits and defects of the Prussian economy, starting military, government and technological development with incredible detail. In many cases, these elements are combined to reveal inherent Prussian strengths; for example, the author reasons that investing in schools and colleges that advance technology levels will ultimately, when combined with the pre-existing Prussian military tradition, create a gulf in power between you and your rivals.

The author dedicates the second section of the guide to diplomacy. In a unique feature to this guide, the author lists every one of Prussia's neighbors, discussing the threats they pose, whether to maintain hostile or friendly relations with them, and if the former, how to deal with them. More importantly, a solution to those pesky Courlanders is proposed!

Finally, the author provides a five-step plan toward a successful game as Prussia. First, Saxony should be conquered, triggering a war with Poland, in which you use your significant starting military to link up East Prussia with your main lands. Second, after war in Eastern Europe has ceased, consolidate and focus on Germany and the many threats therein, capturing Prague in the meantime. Third, eliminate the minor German states bordering Prussia, and fourth, take on the mighty Austria mano a mano. The fifth and final step is simple: self improvement. Invest heavily in schools and colleges, consider government reforms, improve technology, and consolidate.

"A Guide to Prussia" is a great guide, summarizing the political, economic, and military concerns of Prussia before the game, providing tips on dealing with neighbors and foreign policy during the game, and presenting a five-step plan to success throughout the game, all in a well-written and intricate article. I rate this work five stars and a must-read for ETW players.

-Acco


-Back to Top-




Closing Remarks

And with that, we end this editorial. Please rep the authors of the article reviews for their great work this month, and we look forward to seeing a larger turnout for the next writing competition in August!


Valete!


Did you know there is a whole family of TWC Publications? Just click through the pictures below if you want to check them out.


-Back to Top-