"LAHLIA" Explained

In the expanse of the galaxy, there is a word that sends shivers down the spines/carapaces of those who hear it:

"LAHLIA"

But what is it? I'm glad you asked...

Not So Long Ago, In a Galaxy Very Close...

Planet Earth. This is where it all began.

Anyways, about a month or so ago, I was perusing my school library's shelves for a book to read when I had nothing else to do during class. So, I searched for the right book to satisfy my cravings. 

I eventually settled on this book.

This is the basic plot of the book: In a rural Minnesota town named Hopewell, a boy named Tucker Feye watches his dad disappear into a strange wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey portal on his roof, only to exit about an hour later with a strange blond girl named, you guessed it: LAHLIA!! Then they go on all sorts of crazy adventures throughout space and time.

As a Dr. Who fan, I was enthralled by the book (in fact, the author, Pete Hautman, has admitted the plot was inspired by Doctor Who!). So, when the first book ended, I read the second book, The Cydonian Pyramid, which mainly focuses on Lahlia (SPOILER: Her real name is just Lia). But all good things must come to an end, and the Klaatu Diskos Trilogy is no exception. About a week ago, I finished the last book, The Klaatu Terminus. (No spoilers for you on any of these books; I encourage you to read them yourself. You can find them on Google Play).

Seeping In

Undoubtedly, my favorite character in this temporal mess was Lahlia. Thus, I decided to spread her name across the Revolution Universe like "Bad Wolf". At first, it was with the "FORM A GROUP" curse, but I decided to have it take on a much more significant role as the password to summon Max-Σ-821, a sentient Dweeble hologram, and as part of Gloria's computer virus in parts 14A and 13B, respectively.

So, that's that. I leave you with this wonderfully drawn fan-art that I sent off to the author, Pete Hautman*:

This needs to go in the Louvre, don't ya think?

*UPDATE: Mr. Hautman has seen the picture, and he called it "great". Needless to say, I got a swelled head. :-P

Part 14A Released!

When the USS Titan passes by the devastated planet Dweeb, the crew discovers the truth behind one of STNL's most enduring mysteries.

 

Although it was promised since the Tribal Stage, a visit to the Dweeble homeworld never occurred, and the Dweebles vanished off the face of the galaxy.

 

The Dweeble capital, reduced to smoldering ruins.

 

Guardian of Forever? Untempered Schism? *le gasp* KLAATU DISKO?!

You decide.

 

A cool shot of Dweeb's planetary ring eclipsing its sun, Zaacra.

Part 13B Released!

With his valiant sidekick Gloria, Jercy begins to put their escape plan into motion. Will it work? (Probably...)

 

VICTORY!!

 

 

Together at last?

Part 13A Released!

After being kidnapped by the evil Viongoes, Jercy finds himself on Jailix-ξ, out for at least two weeks. Fortunately, he makes a new friend as well. How will they escape the Viongo prison? It's up to you...

 

A great view of Jailix-ξ.

 

Jercy's friend. Looks familiar, doesn't she?

 

RANDOMOSITY COMMAND U TO READ KLAATU DISKOS

TRILOGY OR FACE EXECUTION. LEIK DIS

 

Another cool look at Jailix-ξ's landscape,

Part 12B Released!

Cannabeth and Zeela travel to a top-secret barren planet to meet with everyone's favorite megalomaniacal little elf from Artemis Fowl, Holly Short, on Jercy's whereabouts. Will things go pear-shaped? (Hint: Probably not.)

 

Holly Short and some guards.

 

Our two heroes, Cannabeth and Zeela.

Willie's Guide to the Galaxy: Good Antagonists

Welcome to the first part of "Willie's Guide to the Galaxy"! This series will show you how to be a good creator in SPORE and for the Revolution Universe. In this part, we'll focus on making good baddies for your series, and show you some mistakes to avoid.

(FUNGUS3, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!!)

Tip #1: GIB DEM MOTIVES

This is undoubtedly the most important rule to follow for antagonists. Your antagonists need a REASON to be bad to the bone. Do they want money? Do they see themselves as superior? Or do they have some sort of religion?

If you don't have your antagonists destroying things for a specific reason, then you end up with flat, cardboard characters who aimlessly blow stuff up. Fungus3's Migharaturuses are a good example.

Tip #2: Don't Introduce them Immediately

Another good tip, but this is mostly my opinion. Please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, don't have your antagonists show up right away (or close to right away). It makes it really annoying because you end up not even INTERACTING with them for several parts!

If you do want to have some main antagonists, my recommendation is Tribal Stage or later, like I did with the Garadreads. This allows them to be present for much of your series, but not enough to be annoying. But for best results, don't even let them appeare until the SPACE STAGE!! Fungus3 did this back in Evolution Quest, and that's what made it great.

Tip #3: Don't Let them Run Away, fungus3!

If you decide to lauch an attack on them at any point before the Space Stage, the odds are that none are going to survive. So, please don't have them run away or build a spaceship just to have them appear later. Just leave them extinct, dead and buried, etc., but you could have any allies that live return to avenge their comrades. Fungus3 is (in)famous for this technique.

Tip #4: Don't Make them OP

"fael t3h wraf of d narbian Impre, wif der sheeps dot crate backholz that dtroy entiur galxees!" No, please. For best effect, please don't make your antagonists too strong if they evolved with your good guys (which I don't recommend). If they did, then their technology should be about the same as your good guys. The Garadreads and Paxos are two antagonists who got this wrong (the latter destroyed the ENTIRE ****ING UNIVERSE, but that's another story). Oh, and by the way, the misspelling was intentional.

Tip #5: Make the Finale Memorable

Lets assume your bad guys (and girls) survive up until the Space Stage. You've done all you can with them, and they're pretty much exhausted (like the Paxos). What do you do, then? Simple: KILL THEM ALL FOREVER!!

The best way to do this is to have your good guys and some of their allies lay siege to the anatagonist homeworld (it probably won't be the same as your good guys), and, if possible, kill some characters for dramatic impact.

If you kill them off before this, just have there be a little celebration until some new bad guys enter the fray.

In conclusion, if you follow these tips when creating bad guys, then you'll have antagonists that could be as great as the Daleks (although they ran away and survived more times than anyone else). If not, then I get to kill them off!!

Yes, I used a Spongebob GIF. It was the only good "evil laugh gif"
I could find...

 

Part 12A Released!

Cannabeth, desperate for answers on Jercy's whereabouts, returns home to Epindol. While Zeela's just fine (but quite sad), we discover that Jercy has been...

KIDNAPPED!!

But by who? And why? And how will our intrepid crew find him? Find out the answers to all these questions and more soon!

I would post some screenshots, but Chrome's preventing me from doing so. :-(

Maybe a Photobucket account or something?