Author Archives: AFDStudios

New Site Design

Hello HeroMachiners! As you may have noticed, I've just launched a new site design to hopefully make your browsing and creating experience more enjoyable. The home page now looks like this:

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The goals of the redesign were:

  • Make the site easier and more enjoyable to use by decluttering and toning down the riot of colors in general.
  • Get more in line with the design aesthetic of HeroMachine 3.
  • Widen the default page layout so you can see more on the screen without getting crowded.
  • Give direct and unambiguous access to two key features -- downloading HM2 and using HM2 online.

You can still find your favorite links like the forums, the Hall of Fame, and the blog in the one central drop down menu right in the middle at the top, labeled "Explore".

I hope you enjoy the new look and feel. Please let me know in comments or through the contact form (the envelope in the header) if you have any suggestions or feedback.

Have fun creating!

HeroMachine 2 Desktop Edition Now Available!

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After way too long and a lot of requests later, I've finally bundled all of the most current HeroMachine 2 items and the larger-canvas, no-ad layout into a downloadable bundle! This used to be an option back in the day when the program was available on a very smart-looking CD. Now it's a digital-only download, making it possible to use HeroMachine 2 without an Internet connection on your local computer.

It will come as a ZIP archive, just extract it into whatever folder you want on your computer, then double-click heromachine2.html to launch it in your favorite browser to enjoy always-available, no-ad character creation.

Note that since it still requires the Flash Player plugin, it will not work on iPads or iPhones. Desktops and laptops and Android devices are of course fine.

Click here, just $9.95!

Work in Progress – Cover Art

Hi all, I just wanted to pop in briefly to share some artwork from a cover I'm designing for an upcoming superhero anthology. Hope you're all having fun creating!

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“Mech Suit: Brightstrike” by Jeimuzu

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Cool new game featuring HM3 images

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Recently Grumpy Gnome Games contacted me for permission to use HeroMachine 3 images in their upcoming spy-themed gambling card game, "Secret Agent Adventures". Naturally I said yes and I have to say, it turned out really well! If you're an in-person gamer, check it out and let us know what you think if you end up playing it.

The Bourbonville Krewe

Friend of HeroMachine John Hartwell has added another awesome Holiday League team to his roster, the Bourbonville Krewe!

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John's one of the guys I played Champions with back in college, games that served as one of the primary motivations for creating HeroMachine in the first place. He's now moved on to a successful career as a sports marketing genius, creating awesome logos and team identities. It's like creating a super-hero only for real!

A New Fantasy Novel Kickstarter

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Friend of HeroMachine Ben Finn is helping promising new writer Melody Wolfe launch a Kickstarter for her new fantasy novel, "Rivertown":

Rivertown is the story of a young woman who rises to heroism in the face of a growing crisis. Against a backdrop of mystery and secrets, she must discover who she is, and how to save the people she loves.

The Kickstarter runs from Feb. 19 to Mar. 19, 2015!

The samples I've read so far sound really good and the cover art looks fantastic:

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The HeroMachine community is all about helping artists find their voices and making imaginations come to life, so I hope you'll take a moment to head on over to the campaign and help Melody (and Ben!) out with her dream.

Avengers 2 Trailer!

Marvel has released the first official trailer for "Avengers 2: Age of Ultron"! Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.

An Update From the Founder

Hi all, it's been a long time since I chimed in 'round these parts, so I thought I should give everyone a quick update on where things stand here at HeroMachine World Headquarters, also known as my kitchen.

Continue reading

Forum Width

With the new forums back up and zippier than ever thanks to the Ben the Badass, we're having a debate about whether they should go full width or remain in the current two-column setup. I've kept the side bar because I thought it would be handy to have the list of current contests, recent posts, and common links. But as Ben points out, most forums are full width -- if you're in the forums, you probably aren't super concerned with the bloggy stuff.

So I figured I'd keep with longstanding HeroMachine traditions and ask -- Which do you prefer?

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