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edited in Projects
Sep 2019 Update
Hey everyone. After a while of having to work on other projects, I've returned to INFINITE for a few weeks in order to revive Doomed Mode. This is an infinite enemy waves survival mode that existing in a slightly different form way back in 2016.
So this mode is now up and running and we also have a Steam build for private testing. This makes it way more convenient to try the game and to get small incremental updates automatically. If you wish to participate, please join our Discord and let me know to get you access to the private testing channel.
The latest build includes Story Mode (around 10 to 20 minutes demo), Doomed Mode (1 map) and Escape Mode (1 map). I would say that Doomed Mode is above the rest in terms of intensity and fun factor, and will probably end up being to core mode in the game.
There really isn't very much left to do or develop now, and it's really time to focus in on a Kickstarter date. The idea now is to have a reasonable KS goal to complete the core modes like Doomed and Escape (more maps, enemies, guns, etc.). Story Mode becomes a stretch goal, due to it being incredibly time consuming and expensive to develop in comparison with the other modes. I will be working with my publisher to get a KS date figured out.
I would say we have some community building to do before then. I've been completely neglecting that side of things for months now, and my focus will return to that now as much as possible. I'm still working semi full time on other projects for incoming, so the only way forward for INFINITE is to succeed with a KS, or fail. But the eternal limbo state has to come to an end.
Here's a little preview tweet link showing a little bit of Doomed Mode. I will be doing daily tweets on this and other modes to rebuild interest again from scratch for the 100th time :)
Thanks for reading! It turned into a bit of a wall of text almost.
Apr 2019 Update
We have an internal build ready. This includes about 10 to 15 minutes of Story Mode, as well as Escape and Hardcore Escape (1 map). Please see my latest comment if you are interested in playing and giving some feedback. Thanks!
Jan 2019 Update
Please see my comment dated 03 Jan for the latest.
July 2018 Update
Please see my latest/recent comment with video, requesting feedback.
June 2018 Update
Mech teaser
Story Mode cinematic trailer
May 2018 Update
New website
December 2017 Update
Just a short teaser using the latest footage from the game:
Gamescom 2017
If anyone is at Gamescom, you can try Infinite Desolation at Hall 10.1 Aisle C.
Gamescom demo preview:
Play the game
Infinite Desolation GameJolt page
Other links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOP0rAL8BtGjuNeJGJI42w
Twitter: https://twitter.com/farflunggames (@farflunggames)
Facebook: https://facebook.com/infinitedesolation
Infinite Desolation is an intense action survival RPG, set on a harsh planet where your physical and mental attributes will be tested to their limits.
Face the environment and hostile hordes to stay alive against the odds.
Infinite Desolation is a unique fusion of very intense top-down action and deep survival RPG.
Please give feedback and thoughts to help us polish this game :)
Hey everyone. After a while of having to work on other projects, I've returned to INFINITE for a few weeks in order to revive Doomed Mode. This is an infinite enemy waves survival mode that existing in a slightly different form way back in 2016.
So this mode is now up and running and we also have a Steam build for private testing. This makes it way more convenient to try the game and to get small incremental updates automatically. If you wish to participate, please join our Discord and let me know to get you access to the private testing channel.
The latest build includes Story Mode (around 10 to 20 minutes demo), Doomed Mode (1 map) and Escape Mode (1 map). I would say that Doomed Mode is above the rest in terms of intensity and fun factor, and will probably end up being to core mode in the game.
There really isn't very much left to do or develop now, and it's really time to focus in on a Kickstarter date. The idea now is to have a reasonable KS goal to complete the core modes like Doomed and Escape (more maps, enemies, guns, etc.). Story Mode becomes a stretch goal, due to it being incredibly time consuming and expensive to develop in comparison with the other modes. I will be working with my publisher to get a KS date figured out.
I would say we have some community building to do before then. I've been completely neglecting that side of things for months now, and my focus will return to that now as much as possible. I'm still working semi full time on other projects for incoming, so the only way forward for INFINITE is to succeed with a KS, or fail. But the eternal limbo state has to come to an end.
Here's a little preview tweet link showing a little bit of Doomed Mode. I will be doing daily tweets on this and other modes to rebuild interest again from scratch for the 100th time :)
Thanks for reading! It turned into a bit of a wall of text almost.
Apr 2019 Update
We have an internal build ready. This includes about 10 to 15 minutes of Story Mode, as well as Escape and Hardcore Escape (1 map). Please see my latest comment if you are interested in playing and giving some feedback. Thanks!
Jan 2019 Update
Please see my comment dated 03 Jan for the latest.
July 2018 Update
Please see my latest/recent comment with video, requesting feedback.
June 2018 Update
Mech teaser
Story Mode cinematic trailer
May 2018 Update
New website
December 2017 Update
Just a short teaser using the latest footage from the game:
Gamescom 2017
If anyone is at Gamescom, you can try Infinite Desolation at Hall 10.1 Aisle C.
Gamescom demo preview:
Play the game
Infinite Desolation GameJolt page
Other links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOP0rAL8BtGjuNeJGJI42w
Twitter: https://twitter.com/farflunggames (@farflunggames)
Facebook: https://facebook.com/infinitedesolation
Infinite Desolation is an intense action survival RPG, set on a harsh planet where your physical and mental attributes will be tested to their limits.
Face the environment and hostile hordes to stay alive against the odds.
Infinite Desolation is a unique fusion of very intense top-down action and deep survival RPG.
Please give feedback and thoughts to help us polish this game :)
Thanked by 6iceblademush konman critic watson Sigh_Leeeee John
A link to a game build would greatly help our ability to give feedback on gameplay :)
Looks like its far along in production and seems quite polished already though.
Thanks, we are working toward exactly that... a playable build. Probably the best way to achieve this is a legacy Unity web build, so we can just update it and switch it on and off as needed.Thanked by 1atomicdomb
Hi @mgeorgedeveloper Are you a local dev? Where abouts are you located?
WRT your trailer, it's definitely way too long. You should aim for just under a minute at most. Cut out a lot of that intro and leave your logo til the end. If your brand isn't known, people aren't going to stick around to see what comes after the logo. Get them excited with game play quickly.
Agreed with your comments re trailer. I was thinking about these exact changes today before reading your comment :)
Thanks for the feedback, exactly what we need.
I've managed to cut over 1 minute from the trailer, with the intro part reduced to about 30% of its original length, without losing the foreboding tone it tries to set. There's probably still a fair amount of room for improvement for the next trailer, but that will be a month down the line when the game has progressed further and we have more to show. Thanks for the feedback so far.
I assume you two are heavily inspired by Crimson Land? (and Alien Shooter etc)
In any case, a Crimson Land game with survival mechanics seems like a really sweet experience!
The cut down trailer is definitely an improvement! Though I have some extra feedback (that maybe could be useful to you for the next trailer).
The clips in the trailer aren't all the most exciting. What I mean is that as a viewer I want to see things happening in the game that seem like they would be exciting to be playing. There's one clip that shows the player strafing away from a single enemy for a couple seconds before telefragging it. I don't think being able to beat a single enemy is a particularly compelling fantasy, I realize you are trying to show off a particular mechanic in the game, but a because all it shows off is that mechanic (on its own) it feels like you're going through a feature's list rather than showing why it's rad to have all these tools of destruction available to you.
I don't know if it's a feature of your game, but I think fighting huge swarms of enemies was always a big draw in these types of experiences (like Crimson Land or Alien Shooter), but the swarms in Infinite Desolation look quite sparse by comparison. Although the pieces flying off the exploding aliens look pretty rad.
I would like to see more effects on the ground (like blood or scorch marks). I don't know how much this game is targeted at a Crimson Land audience and how much it is targeted at a survival audience, but you probably have to do both game styles well.
I think it's a rule of thumb of trailers that you should try get to the exciting part within 30 seconds. It takes until 45 seconds before a bullet is fired, and 58 seconds before more than one enemy is on screen at once. Obviously when I say "rule of thumb" this isn't a hard rule, but there's a lot of game trailers out there these days and few people share a trailer when they feel like they need to tell their friend that they should skip to 1 minute in.
Though I know you want to set a foreboding scene... Maybe a better way of showing that would be getting to gameplay faster, but showing the player searching through a deserted landscape with signs of death and destruction all around. Make the game itself feel foreboding and then capture that in a trailer. I think Stasis, also a local game, did that brilliantly, so even when showing the events of the game the foreboding feeling is there (although their marketing material also had great foreboding content in it, they could do that because their marketing art was phenomenal which is also something you could work towards).Thanked by 1mgeorgedeveloper
@evangreenwood Thanks, yes the trailer will be redone, you've given us some ideas. Did you get a chance to try the demo? :) Yes we were inspired by Crimsonland, but it kind of got there organically from the base survival game.
Not yet! Sorry, things on my side are pretty hectic at the moment. I'd probably have more feedback about game-feel if I did (or when I do).
Latest Build uploaded
I played a bit of doomed mode demo.
Some praise:
I like that there are a variety of abilities. Like having a primary and secondary fire, and the various recharging abilities.
Managing the different powers is a lot like Diablo 3. It means keeping track of cooldowns and learning to use them optimally (which is a enjoyable challenge to master).
Exploding barrels that blast bits of enemies everywhere were great.
Aiming and shooting was solid. Enemies exploding into bits from secondary fire was satisfying.
It's a pretty badass theme. Being on a hostile planet, apparently in the wreckage of a crashed spaceship. Trying to stay alive against overwhelming odds.
Some criticism: (I realize Infinite Desolation is still in development, I hope these are criticisms that can help inform the game's progress).
It seems like "doomed" mode really is doomed. It seemed like one would inevitably run out of oxygen (and it took me a few tries to figure out that this was what was happening... at first I thought I was dying completely at random). Inevitably running out of oxygen doesn't seem like the best fail state for this type of game.
The guns were never very powerful. And it didn't seem like there was any progression. When compared to the survival modes in Crimsonland and Alien Shooter (both 10 year old games) this feels like a let down.
I'm not a fan of mousewheel scrolling to select abilities (I have a dodgy mouse wheel), although this didn't actually prove to be a problem.
Shooting enemies seemed like it was always done only in order to survive. In games like Crimsonland (and games like Diablo obviously) killing enemies is also harvesting them for their experience/loot/bonuses. This kind of thing. In Crimsonland (and Diablo-likes) the player is faced with continually more powerful opposition, but to stay alive the player is offered staggered rewards that restore equilibrium (and even put the player at an advantage for brief periods).
It seemed like there was a complicated menu that could be drawn up with stats and such, but it didn't seem like anything could be done there in Doomed Mode. I think it might be exciting to be able to perform upgrades and customization there?
The enemies don't clearly show when they do damage to you. It's also a little hard to know what range the blasts of the shooter enemies deal damage at. Crimsonland also isn't very good at this, but it's 13 years old now.
The deaths of the enemies when you kill them with the primary fire are a bit anticlimactic. There is also very little or no blood (on death and when an enemy is hit with a bullet).
As I've already said. I'm a big fan of Alien Shooter and Crimsonland etc. I feel like Infinite Desolation could become a game I would really enjoy. Although I don't exactly know how far you plan on taking it, and how much work you can afford to put into it, and obviously you're not making this game specially for me :)
Thanks @evangreenwood for the detailed and extremely useful feedback,
Just one point, the Doomed mode is just 1 mode, and its to try and get the highest score overall, in a time limit (which is the oxygen). It wont be the only mode as we do realise that people enjoy different modes and style of play.
We take the point of the weapons feeling underpowered, the no feedback on damage taken, and the death animations/ particles.
We are trying to take ID to the limit btw :)
Infinite Desolation v0.1.007 change log
New features
Doomed Mode now has a series of tutorial pop-up messages that are shown the first time you play.
New weapon - R-G Oblivion (dual rocket / grenade launcher).
In Doomed Mode, the nearest supply create is now always shown (flashing blue dot).
In Doomed Mode, the nearest teleporter is now always shown (flashing green dot).
Weapon stats changed. Most weapons are now more powerful in some way.
- The shotgun now micro explosive shots.
- The shotgun rate of fire has been reduced.
- The minigun now has a very high penetration chance.
All weapons renamed.
Blink can now be used far more frequently to increase mobility.
Blink Level 2 no longer has a huge blast radius, but will still destroy enemies near the target point.
The desert bug attack animation has been shortened so that the attack is more immediate.
In controller mode, you will no longer lose focus from the currently selected UI control by clicking the mouse.
When the main menu is brought up in-game, the logo will no longer be hidden behind the dark panel.
Long help descriptions are no longer cut off in the Options menu.
When the main menu is brought up in-game, it will now correctly close when [Esc] / (B) is pressed.
@mgeorgedeveloper Hi, I gave the demo a spin. Conclusion: Very Impressed.
I love the current polish and production values of especially:
-Opening movie
-General UI
-Game feel (environment or terrain quality/weapon fx/enemies)
-Hi-Score online leader boards (I did not create account or try to submit my meager score for pride reasons :-P)
I played your first showcase mode: Doomed
I feel that to delay death needs to be more skill-based rather than simply discovering more oxygen. It needs something more like maybe the skill of a player (dodging/shooting) will allow them to live longer. Maybe accuracy can play a role and/or rate of kill? Maybe a penetration shot where you get a bonus for killing more than one creature with a single bullet/shot? Like the Egyptian goddess Neith in Smite has such an ability. Maybe rewarding such a shot with a bonus item spilling from the entrails of said vanquished foe, forcing you to run into a mob just to secure the new item. Right now movement is mostly away from enemies unless the geography forces one to backtrack through a mob. I also would love it if my bullets would cause a slight pause in an enemy hit, to reward my accuracy and give me some breathing room, however short. Kinda stagger them in their tracks for a very brief moment?
Movement is constant, maybe add mud areas to slow player down or items to slightly boosting speed might add interesting variations.
Otherwise, I must admit I am slightly more interested in those "other" modes you have in store for us, the ones that talk about those "RPG" aspects...
What I am hoping to see in those is a slower pace, maybe some smaller set-pieces where you have specific goals that will provide some kind of progressive system/story to happen. I want to pick-up and inspect that nano-something item. Scrutinize it in my inventory. Spin that model on all axis. Decide if it is going to be worth sticking in my inventory or not.
Overall I am really impressed with what you have to show right now and I am looking forward to your future updates.
The game ran well on my test system and there were no artifacts or performance issues I could detect:
Tested on:
CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz 4 cores, 8 procs) x64
GPU: MSI Gaming X NVIDIA GeForce 1070 8GB VRAM
MONITOR: 24" inch 1080p Samsung LED (60 Hz) Resolution: 1920x1080
OS: Windows 10 EnterpriseThanked by 3critic mgeorgedeveloper EvanGreenwood
@konman thanks very much for the detailed thoughts and feedback.
There's a lot of good ideas in there.
Some things you mention, are to some degree already there, but you may have missed it. For example, the speed boost ability is usable every 15 seconds or so, as well as the Blink which gives you great mobility every few seconds if you choose to use it.
I will revisit your comments as we progress, and along with other feedback, work some of this stuff into an upcoming build.
Regarding the main story mode - I will reactivate this for the next build. It comes with all the bells and whistles, like character classes/attributes and character progression, crafting, etc. Pace is slower, but battles are still quite intense. But there is more of a build-up in intensity as you go.
Thanks again
Thanked by 2konman EvanGreenwood
Updated version is now available for download. It includes timed defence turrets to help clear the horde, giving you some breathing room, at least for a few seconds :)
Change log and link for 0.1.009!
Now includes Story Mode alongside Doomed Mode.
New features
Story Mode has been re-activated alongside Doomed Mode.
Character classes in Story Mode now each have a unique look (helmets).
Defence Turrets have been added to Story Mode.
New flying enemy has been added to Story Mode.
R-G Launcher weapon has been added to Story Mode.
Turret defence trigger radius increased.
Message box margin slightly increased for better layout.
Blink now works with the down/up button/key mechanic again.
It was too annoying to have the blink target switch on and off all the time, especially in story mode while exploring.
Penetrating bullets no longer penetrate barrels.
Penetrating bullets no longer penetrate invulnerable targets.
Weapon items are no longer shown in the inventory. Instead, you use the new weapons screen that was updated with detailed weapon stats a while ago.
Weapon UI now shows primary and secondary ammo information.
Intro voice-over no longer cut off half-way through.
Character deforming issue resolved that occurred when the player crosses bridges.
The player can no longer be set on fire while his shield is active.
Player now correctly moves into position when an object is focussed (terminals, etc.)
Creatures and the robot boss will no longer get stuck on the acid edge.
Main menu now works properly after cancelling the "confirm new game" confirmation dialog.
Several issues fixed with the oxygen extractor and water extractor.
Fixed a glitch where the player could Blink out of the canyon.
Fixed the robot boss mission name.
@mgeorgedeveloper WOW! WHAT A SURPRISE! I just knew you've been holding out on us! The single player campaign is totally different from the Doomed mode. As in TOTALLY.
I started as a Marine class in my first play... the helmets are very cool BTW, but I cannot help but feel different bodies for each class would be more appropriate. I'm sure this is in the making though...
Minor gripes on spelling issues (Scout->Assualt squad & Psion->prestigous) aside, this is one hell of an interesting demo you have here!
My pod crash lands. Shadows sprawl. The door pops out and I arrive...
It might be more interesting to actually have to locate all the start-up items rather than just being given them from the get go as you exit the pod. It is a bit overwhelming to receive all at once... although the item models are very cool and one feels compelled to read all the item descriptions and their usefulness which is interesting.
Also when my oxygen runs out it seems to mysteriously refilled without me needing to apply any skill/effort to start with? I am happy to continue breathing, but... mmmh?
Overall, what you have created here is a very compelling and interesting demo that merits much further and deeper investigation and I am very excited about the general premise.
As the game starts, the animation zooms in giving me a glimpse of the surrounding area as I plummet to the surface in the pod and I try to remember the surrounding area.
On my first play I enabled the turrets too early though and soon I am overrun by the alien assault. My M7 Fury shotgun fire-rate does not cut it and I am soon overrun. Death follows swiftly.
On my next play-through I enable the turrets at the appropriate time when the "danger, enemies approaching" message appears and I am ready to manually defend the South-West which is not covered by the turrets. Catastrophe averted! The trigger/pad for the turrets is a bit hit and miss I think as it can be activated accidentally. If you trigger it too early, you have a much harder fight. Not sure if this was intended...
Soon after that incident I accidentally bathe in an acid pool and had to start a new game... Hehehe
Next game I found 1 power cell on the island where you blow up the barrels and I take it to the terminal discovered in an earlier game. Somehow I have acquired 2! of these to enable the bridge across the acid lake to activate, even though I only seemed to have discovered 1 core? That was a bit strange, but never-mind, the bridge gives access to a new area and a new weapon... The M8 Ripper... Boo-ya!
Not long after I am overrun again and I get the "Death is a welcome escape from your current predicament" message.
What an impressive demo. I think overall it needs a bit more cohesion and tweaking, but it is a thoroughly enticing experience and you can certainly take it a lot further.
Very much looking forward to the next iteration... :)
Edit: Having played both the single player and the "Doomed" mode, I do see the merits of the "Doomed" mode though. It seems very similar to the Devil Daggers global leader board which might attract a certain player wanting to compete competitively on a global leader board. Personally the single player mode seems more enticing to me as it seems to have a stronger objective based game-play.
@mgeorgedeveloper, I got a a lot further during another play-through this morning... all the way to Project W.O.R.M. :)
I died due to dehydration in the end.
Overall, simply brilliant...
Crafting should become useful once one can find the crafting materials to produce water and other necessities, but you have a strong concept here that was a lot of fun to play.
Highlight: Resting at base and seeing the time elapse. Classic
Low: I struggled with the narrow bridges using the WASD keys when a bridge is 45 degrees... might be easier with a controller?
Thanks for sharing this.
Fully unique characters is something we're considering, yes.I started as a Marine class in my first play... the helmets are very cool BTW, but I cannot help but feel different bodies for each class would be more appropriate. I'm sure this is in the making though...
Thanks for pointing these out!Minor gripes on spelling issues (Scout->Assualt squad & Psion->prestigous) aside, this is one hell of an interesting demo you have here!
A tricky one, since these items need to be active and functional the second you leave the pod.It might be more interesting to actually have to locate all the start-up items rather than just being given them from the get go as you exit the pod. It is a bit overwhelming to receive all at once... although the item models are very cool and one feels compelled to read all the item descriptions and their usefulness which is interesting.
For example, the character needs to hold a weapon for various technical and logistical reasons.
Oxygen needs to be functional. HUD / scanner is more or less the same thing and interlinked.
Water bottle is maybe easier to delay.
Nano-storage belt is directly tied into inventory capacity mechanics.
So while the items will probably be in your inventory as you leave the pod, I could delay
the explanatory messages for some of them, or remove some of the messages altogether and
let the player discover the items in the inventory.
Another option is to show a single pick-up item "Survival Gear" as you leave the pod,
and the description tells you to go check out the items in the inventory.
What is happening here, is that critical resources such as oxygen and water will automatically be usedAlso when my oxygen runs out it seems to mysteriously refilled without me needing to apply any skill/effort to start with? I am happy to continue breathing, but... mmmh?
from your inventory if you are running dangerously low.
It just didn't make sense to have a character fall over and die from lack of oxygen, when there is a refill
sitting right there in the inventory.
What is needed here, is a once-off pop-up explaining auto-use.
If you look at the slide-in notification for looting, you will notice a "Power Core x2" as you loot the crateNext game I found 1 power cell on the island where you blow up the barrels and I take it to the terminal discovered in an earlier game. Somehow I have acquired 2! of these to enable the bridge across the acid lake to activate, even though I only seemed to have discovered 1 core? That was a bit strange, but never-mind, the bridge gives access to a new area and a new weapon... The M8 Ripper... Boo-ya!
near the start. What is missing, is that the once-off pop-up for Power Cores should also include the number
you found within the message heading.
To save space, item quantities are shown next to a single icon of each type of item found,
instead of showing two different power-core items in the slide-in notification.
Yes, the bridge traversal is tricky with a keyboard where you have these fixed 45 degree angles of movement.Low: I struggled with the narrow bridges using the WASD keys when a bridge is 45 degrees... might be easier with a controller?
On controller it is pretty easy and I mostly play the game on controller as a twin-stick shooter.
I need to actually just increase the width of the bridge platform to resolve this.
Thanks again for the feedback!
Hi all, the new trailer is out! Please let me know your thoughts and if you like it, please Like, Comment and Share on YouTube. Your support is very much appreciated :)
Thanked by 3iceblademush konman critic
Hi everyone.
We've put up a new Steam Concepts page, just to assess the current situation, but we need to drive some traffic and votes to give it a just-start.
If you like what you see, please vote it up on this page: http://bit.ly/2bYqHDI.
Thanks for the help and feedback so far!
Hey! I've only seen your trailer and haven't actually played the game. I have some feedback just based on that, in case you find it helpful.
I feel like you're sorely missing camera shake on your explosions and on the firing of some of your more powerful weapons. I think this makes them feel very under-powered. The explosions themselves look pretty cool though (the trails shooting out is nice!).
I don't think the terrain really fits at the moment, in the sense that it doesn't look particularly desolate or imposing (especially when there's grass). It looks way less aggressive than I expect it to when there's metal playing in the background. Maybe there are scorch marks, or craters, or cracks, or nuclear fallout. I also think in general you're better off with a darker, less saturated environment (Crimsonland does this well), because of how it makes it far easier to read your fx (your projectiles and energy effects can then glow more strongly), and potentially make all of your gameplay elements (swarms of monsters, say) more obvious to read too.
It was hard to make out the sound fx. I get that metal should be played loudly... but I think you can get the same sense of brutality if your fx are really strong. (A game that I think does this extremely well, in case you want to check it out, is TormentorXPunisher. They take the metal and completely and utterly embrace it in their soundscape, having their weapon fx sound crazy brutal.)
@Elyaradine, thanks for the feedback.
We will experiment shortly with camera shake, but might make it an Option if we find that it distracts from the keyboard+mouse aiming.
The terrain does currently look as intended - a kind of familiar desert look, including rocky/rubble areas and plain sand dune areas, etc. It does need a bit of detail in some areas, including some craters, track marks, etc. This will come later. In terms of brightness and saturation - the base colours are actually quite a bit desaturated. The brightness of the environment is quite high compared to other games that deliberately make it dark to have the effects stick out, but I found that darkening it too much takes away from expressing that the environment is hot and harsh. It's a kind of trade off, where you would lose maybe too much if you just make it dark (mainly via adjusting sun brightness).
Regarding the music and sound effects - the trailer simply plays the music quite loud, with all sound effects from the game clips reduced to about 25%. It's just intended that way for the trailer, where the music plays over the intro and all the clips in one go, with the game sounds reduced. It didn't work well for the trailer to have the game sounds overpowering and cutting harshly from clip to clip (very fast cuts in the trailer).
Thanks again!
I think what @Elyaradine is saying is there are more visually desolate looking games that don't claim to be as desolate (like they don't use a badass metal soundtrack and they don't have desolation in the name). I think if you were to type in "Wasteland" into Google images you'd get more of an idea what it someone might expect visually given the other cues in the game...
I think the things @Elyradine mentions would make the environment feel more hostile. Which I think is probably good for you considering that you want the hostility of the environment to be a major theme in the game... (correct me if I'm wrong about this please).
I think a game like Bloodborne does a good job of conveying the difficulty and oppression of the game through it's desaturated and dark tones and spiky shapes (and skulls and tombs and other symbols of death).
I think you can take a similar approach in Infinite Desolation, albeit more of a desert planet aesthetic (which is what I presume you are going for right?).
So if the grass was for instance a dry yellow grass instead of a dry green grass that would make the scenes feel monochromatic, the scene would be all shades of orange and brown, and you could accentuate this with the lighting and tinting the shadows orange, which makes it feel like the whole planet feel arid and, hopefully, desolate.
Here's a quick colour test I threw together (really quick, obviously you could do this better, this just changes the colour of the grass and puts some orange in the shadows):
What I think @Elyradine is saying also, and this is a matter of polish obviously, that cracks in the ground (like cracked mud) or craters or burnt trees and other visual cues of desolation, would help the scene read as desolate.
Thanks for feedback. I'm taking all feedback point into account with each release :)
I think there is some confusion regarding the "grass". In-game you will notice that the green is in fact Acid Pools, fully animated with effects, and translucent. The acid pools will kill you instantly. There is actually no grass or any plant life at all the game so far.
It's not so easy to convey "this is acid, not grass" in a static screenshot, and the trailer of course shown 2-second cuts. So I can see where this confusion comes from, and I might tint it more toward yellow.
@EvanGreenwood @Elyradine
Here's what it actually looks like in-game:
But due to the confusion, I think it's worth tweaking the colours and effects a bit, so people won't see lush green grass where there is none :)
Thanks again.
That does make more sense now...
Maybe bubbles, or goopy scum near the shore?, or something like that might help? It really did look like grass in stills of those trailers, but with the movement it is more obviously acid.
Thanks, making some tweaks soon.
It's strange how my prior knowledge about it being acid, gave me a completely different perception of what it looks like. Never considered that to fresh eyes without the acid knowledge, it just looks like grass. But it does, at least in very short trailer cuts or especially still screenshots.
New refined trailer with acid overhaul, removed company logo to save 7 seconds at the start, and a few other tweaks!
The acid situation has definitely improved, but it has to be said that in the trailer (rather than actually playing the game), the new effects and changes are not 100% noticeable, so there might still be some grass confusion. Only time will tell.
Here is a no nonsense high intensity Doomed Mode battle (last half, until the inevitable demise of the protagonist).
Let me know what you think!
Thanked by 1konman
New version of the game demo!
Download here: http://bit.ly/2cbp3hP
Infinite Desolation v0.1.011 change log
Player now starts with full health (instead of 50%) in both Doomed Mode and Story Mode.
Second battle made easier by removing the large shooting bugs.
Acid pool visuals upgraded.
Adjusted position of creature triggers in the Doomed Mode demo.
Fixed controller mode placement of crafted items (water extractor and oxygen extractor placement).
Crafted drone bullets will now damage the robot boss in Story Mode.
The turn rate of some enemies have been increased to prevent them running in circles around the player.
Game loading now works correctly if a game is already in progress.
Game load button is no longer disabled sometimes when it should be enabled.
Hi everyone,
Infinite Desolation is now on Steam Greenlight!
Your vote will really mean a lot to us and will make a big difference:
Thanks very much for your interest in the game so far, especially all the great critical feedback!
Thanked by 1roguecode
Voted, good luck.
Morning everyone!
Based on some feedback from Greenlight day 1, we've released a brand new trailer that showcases a bit more variety instead of just making it look like one big battle in one area.
Please cast your vote if you have a minute:
Thanked by 1konman
This looks really cool! The combat reminds me of Crimsonland(at least in the video, will try the demo later today), but it looks like these is a lot more to it than that. The new trailer shows that pretty well! :)
Yes vote from me!
Well done!
Looks good ... yes vote from me (as Gobbo Games).
Good luck through the process ... you should definitely get through. 8-}
Thanks for the vote everyone!
Some feedback, and advice/thoughts needed:
By an unlucky draw of the straw (I think), we basically got drowned out of the Recent Submissions section in Greenlight within 1.5 days. I look at other graphs from Greenlight post-mortems, and you usually see the day 1 or day 2 graphs peak at 1000+ visitors before that steep nose-dive. We peaked at 500 and then a straight nose-dive to 10 visits per day.
We're at a crossroads now where we can try to drive our own traffic to Greenlight (very difficult and despite running 3 different promo campains, can only get around 30 visitors per day maximum.) or take the game down, pump in a whole new iteration of features things to show off then re-submit in 3 months.
I don't really want it stuck there for eternity, and I think it is currently on that path.
Thoughts and advice?
Stats for reference:
This comment is magic.
comment.JPG648 x 72 - 18KThanked by 1mgeorgedeveloper
On the one hand, I really think everything could be juicier to make it feel better: larger, brighter projectiles that stand out better against the background, screen shake, bigger and more brutal blood streaks, etc. But at the same time, this is what other indie bullet hell titles already do really well (Nuclear Throne, NeuroVoider, Enter the Gungeon, even Crimson Land itself earned its name with all of the excessive blood splattering the terrain, 10+ years ago).
On the other hand, I can also understand not wanting to tread ground that others have tread before (assuming you're consciously, purposefully choosing not to do what other games are doing well). But you can't be different and worse, and still expect to stand out/compete.
I'm also not really feeling the hook. Like, the idea of being chased down by swarms of enemies sounds great, but I'm not feeling that fantasy when I see the gameplay footage. It just feels so tame to me without screen shake, and squealing, screeching monsters, and streaks of alien blood. I think the one potential advantage you have over the above-mentioned games is that it's been done in 3D. And if that's the case, what can you do with that that the other games haven't been able to do? Physics? Maybe terrain height matters somehow? Or if the survival mechanics are more important here than in the other games, maybe show how that stuff improves the game? Maybe if people like the teleporting/dashing (I don't know if that's something a significant number of people comment on), try to emphasise that more and try have it as some core gameplay element? Maybe work on nicer-looking terrain that doesn't straight-up lerp unnaturally from one texture to another? What kinds of things can you work on that would look amazing in <5 seconds of video footage, to pimp your trailer?
Sometimes it really is that there aren't enough eyeballs on your game. But in this case, I don't think it's as looking interesting/fun enough for people to want to share about it, or for press to write about it -- just not yet, anyway.
It may also be worth thinking about what you want to achieve with this project for it to be a success/done in your mind. If you want to sell it, how many sales? If you want to learn from it, what do you want to have tried? And if you're just having mad fun making games, why complicate it with having to learn marketing/business stuff (until people are throwing money at you to do it)?
(And if you've got a number in mind, maybe check it with existing statistics, like how (in 2014) 57% of indie games made less than $500 -- which basically pays for, like, 1-2 weeks of work for one person. Ouch. Which means, to get through Greenlight, launch on Steam, and be profitable, you have to be much, much, much better than average... which is why I've been comparing your game -- maybe unfairly -- to other titles that are far above average.)
Good luck!
@Elyaradine, thanks for the details.
I want to break this down in two parts. I'm really interested to hear your further comments on this (very valuable).
1. The gameplay / features
There is definitely a parallel between this game and other over the top shooters, and yes, more enemies, effects, weapons, areas, etc. are coming. This is one half of our game - the intense battle side of it. On the other hand, we've added quite a few things that can't typically be found in the horde rush games:
Powerful simultaneous-use abilities, full character class system with character progression, deep survival elements, crafting, interaction with the world.
So in this regard - is it just that the message is not getting through that the game has so much more to offer than simple shooting? There are cases where we get incredibly good feedback from people who have played the game, and then give first-hand feedback from experience. For example on this forum @konman 20 August.
2. The graphics / realism of the game.
This one baffles me a bit. I'm looking through our most recent screenshots of the desert scenery, and it's difficult to come across other top-down rush shooters that have this level of detail and visual fidelity. I think the fact that we're trying to create a desolate looking harsh desert - well... it will always look like a desert. It's just sand and rock.
This is a clean scene showing just some base desert from the game (Doomed Mode demo map).
At least to my eyes, this looks pretty good and probably looks better than 90% of top-down shooters out there.
I'm kind of at a loss as to what else could be done to achieve a stronger base terrain look:
Thanks again for your thoughts, will keep them in mind as we move forward.
In case it wasn't clear (I imagine you've gathered by now though) I haven't actually played it yet. :P All of what I think of the game is based on the videos I've seen in this thread, and reading your elevator-pitch description, your Greenlight description. (Which means I could be getting totally the wrong picture of what the game's actually like... but then my guess is that I'm similar to the vast majority of other gamers who're seeing your marketing material.)
You say there's deep character progression, crafting, special abilities, fighting the environment, etc., but lots of games seem to advertise those things. Maybe you do these better than the other games that often seem to just slap these on, but I feel like you have to show that these are core, rather than superfluous. Maybe other games doing it shallowly makes me more cynical about it, the way I think people have grown pretty cynical about game marketing in general. I haven't played Path of Exile either, but one of the things that I remember everyone being impressed by was the crazy large spiderweb of skill trees that they had in that game. In the end, my understanding is that only a small subset of those skills actually made a real difference to gameplay, but in terms of showing 2 seconds of that in a trailer, it was enough to inspire the kind of "WHOA!" that made me think/hope that the levelling up, abilities and stuff would be deep (even if I'm told it ended up not being so much the case).
I know those things are harder to show in trailers (which might well be why the other games have focused on the juice instead). I think there are expectations about it though when you think about battling hordes of monsters, set up by Crimson Land, Serious Sam and stuff.
That screenshot you just posted looks pretty cool -- but imo the game itself (in the trailers) doesn't look like that for the most part, and definitely not from that flattering angle. For reference, this is what I feel like I'm seeing in like 80% of the gameplay in your trailers (it's what I come away remembering):
Aside from the occasional giant rock or cliff, I'm very seldom seeing the height difference. I dunno, maybe that's because the camera's top-down. And the lines of rock-texture in the first shot, and how the desert and rocks blend in the second shot, aren't very flattering.
One of the things I did in a mobile game that involved large bodies of terrain was to tint the terrain a bit based on its height, as a means of exaggerating the height differences. I dunno if that'd help; I find it hard to visualise things until I've tried them. I'd still like to see craters, cracks, tears and scars in the ground, scorch marks, horror.
Thanks for hearing me out.Thanked by 1pieter
@mgeorgedeveloper I believe you have 2 hurdles to overcome here and I say this as purely untested opinion...
1) Eyeballs (Get greenlit)
2) then Hearts (Don't get vote bombed on steam)
Hurdle 1) More Eyeballs should get your game into greenlight. Currently, the VIEWERS cannot play the game to get a feel first hand, like we got on these forums. They can only watch a movie to decide. I don't think they're properly relating to that nameless person playing (marine/grunt/scout/engineer) in your video. They only see the gameplay which looks like similar games at a glance. You have to find some kind of way to not just demo the gameplay, but to demo the SOLE of your game in a fun/quirky way and sell the experience they will FEEL of actually playing it. Giving the player in the video a personality and highlighting his/her reactions in an enticing way MIGHT help. E.g. a prominent youtuber playing, a drunk flat mate plays while showing facial expression on cam view, or any over the top, emotional non-gameplay edits, like words appearing to emphasize feelings such as (*Ooh that had to hurt!* ). Hell, even hearing a constant swear word beeped out sound while watching someone play might be funny enough to make it memorable and to then tell a friend...
Hurdle 2) In the store, HEARTS are going to matter the most. They will finally be playing it and feeling the game mechanics and deciding on its longevity versus price versus your support etc etc etc. That toxic sea of steam voters will be saying their say and convincing others to buy or not... So then all the various gameplay mechanics and eye candy is going to really matter and here my head is nodding at what Elyaradine posted about polish and juice.
My R0.02 :)
PS: OK, so all the mention of Crimsonland made me head to steam and buy it to see what the fuss was about. :) So I have played that game as a reference now too and it is fun. It has seemingly similar gameplay as your game. Your game has more depth though, as it has missions and bosses and unique locales. CL has a shorter pleasure loop with the constant weapon unlocks, trait specials and power-ups. I only played the first "mission", but it got old quick for me to be honest. IMHO. I want more structure and story in a game and yours seems to be heading in that direction.
@Elyaradine thanks for taking the time - it is incredibly insightful to read through this.
I have a few more points that I need to raise. Maybe after a day or two of rest from mental exhaustion, you can give your thoughts on these :)
Terrain elevation. I discovered early on with the top-down mechanics, that there are serious problems with having the combat work correctly on crazy terrain. You would see enemies coming, aim at them, but not realise there is a 1.5 elevation between you and the enemy, perhaps a dune or some other change in elevation. I quickly learned that in order for practical, smooth combat without frustration and confusion, that the majority of the game world needed to be more or less flattened out into arena spaces. There is a contention between a rich, high detailed looking world (in terms of geometry at least) and having a top-down combat system that works flawlessly.
Terrain texturing and geometry. Yes, the trailer focuses so much on combat, that you mainly see the intentionally flattened areas. I'm using a fairly good base texture set, but there's always some room for improvement. Overall, especially in the single player mode, there is actually a lot more variety in the scenery in terms of geometry in the terrain, bases, portals, all sorts of little areas to discover. I find that in-game, the overall look comes across a lot better. You can see the acid pools clearly animating, for example. There are places where a huge area is just meant to be sand dunes for open combat. I broke them up a bit with some cheap path painting yes, so there is room for improvement.
Final thoughts on 1 and 2 - due to the top-down open arena gameplay, the base terrain might always look a little open and plain. It's just the contention between what the gameplay design demands, vs. what would look like an amazing planet to explore.
Camera shake. There's a bit of a divide of opinion here, but I have a good few people asking for it. There is a practical issue with it though - during intense combat, there are so many explosions going off that the camera would pretty much be shaking for a minute at a time. Saving the shake for only huge explosions - well that wouldn't make much different to the majority of the combat where you're just throwing 1000 rockets around the scene. Take a game like Dead Nation, my all time favourite horde top-down type game... there is no camera shake, and I really don't miss it. This might just be a very subjective thing.
I think overall, I've seen some very good feedback, and some helpful critical feedback from a lot of people. But, for every critical feedback item, there is always more to it than a simple tweak. There are hidden implications for gameplay a lot of the times. Difficult things to sort out that will both work exceptionally well and also look good in short trailers.
Thanks again!
@konman, thanks for the feedback (again)! We're considering some options over the next few days. It's been a lot to take in, and a confusing journey, with feedback ranging from high praise to mostly criticism. We realise there is a lot to improve, but I'm also convinced that we're just not getting the message of the game across, which can only really be done by people playing the game. It's hard to get people to play it, but once they do, they are mostly on board and like it.


text:
Mixed Messages.4 at Antenna Gallery
Just over forty-seven years ago this month, it was illegal for interracial couples to marry in sixteen states throughout the United States. Richard and Mildred Loving, the serendipitously named couple, were married in 1958 and then promptly arrested under anti-miscegenation laws. The legacy of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark decision of the Supreme Court to strike down race-based restrictions on marriage, reverberates clearly on the[…..]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ESA and Thales Alenia Space to sign development contract for experimental reentry vehicle: media opportunity
On 20 July, ESA will sign a contract with Thales Alenia Space Italy for the development of the European Experimental Reentry Testbed (Expert).
Set for launch in 2010, Expert will provide aerothermodynamic tool validation on the basis of actual flight data for a number of physical phenomena encountered by space transportation vehicles during their reentry phase in Earth's atmosphere. It will also improve European competence in atmospheric reentry and associated technologies.
Developing improved space transportation systems requires increased confidence in the knowledge of such phenomena and a reduction of the design margins to increase system performance. The availability of detailed experimental data will allow the refinement of the aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic models and project tools.
Expert is conceived to provide these data through low-cost flight experimentation.
The Expert vehicle consists of:
- a cold structure that hosts the avionic equipment and payload electronics
- a thermal protection system, which is also a hot structure
- power and data handling subsystems
- a parachute system to ensure a soft landing
- an inertial measurement unit
The payload will include a series of scientific flight measurement equipment, including classic and advanced techniques such as temperature, heat-flux and pressure sensors, spectrometers and an infrared camera.
Such experiments are being developed in cooperation by ESA and a number of scientific institutes across Europe and represent the state of the art in this technology.
The Expert trajectory and reentry velocity of 5 km/sec have been defined to achieve a flight environment compatible with the generation of the physical phenomena under study while matching the performance envelops of the European wind tunnels, thereby allowing a comparison of ground and flight data.
The measurements derived from the Expert mission and the design methodologies employed for its development will be of great help for the understanding of the aerothermodynamics and the design of future European atmospheric reentry missions, such as the Advanced Reentry Vehicle (ARV).
Expert development is being conducted under the responsibility of ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight by an integrated team including specialists from the Directorate of Technical and Quality Management.
The contract will be signed by Simonetta Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight, and Luigi Pasquali, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italy (TAS-I), at ESA's centre for Earth observation, ESRIN, in Frascati, Italy. Presentations of the project and its objectives will be made by TAS-I and ESA experts.
Media representatives wishing to attend this event on 20 July are kindly requested to fill in the registration form and return by fax or email to the ESRIN Corporate Communications Office by 17 July.
10:15 - Arrival of invitees and journalists
10:30 - Welcome
10:35 - Address by Mr Pasquali, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italy
10:45 - Address by Mrs Di Pippo, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight
10:55 - Expert: the Thales Alenia Space Italy view (Mr Provera, Director of Space Transportation Systems, TAS-I)
11:10 – Expert: the ESA view (Mr Caporicci, Head of the Transportation and Reentry Division, Human Spaceflight Directorate, ESA)
11:20 - Contract signature
11:30 - End of event
Registration form
Expert contract signature
ESA/ESRIN, Magellan meeting room
Via Galileo Galilei, Frascati (Rome), Italy
First name: _________________________________________
Surname: _____________________________________________
Media organisation: ___________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________
Tel: ________________________Fax: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________ E-mail: ____________________
[ ] I will be attending the Expert contract signature at ESRIN
Return by fax or email to:
Dieter Isakeit
Head of the ESA/ESRIN Corporate Communication Office
Communication and Knowledge Department
Tel: +39 06 94180 950
Fax: +39 06 94180 952
Email: Dieter.Isakeit @ esa.int


text:
FracFocus is continuing to evolve and expand its performance and versatility by providing more than a dozen enhancements including:
• Expand the public's ability to search records
• Improve data accuracy
• Provide extraction of data in a "machine readable" format
• Update educational information on chemical use, oil & gas production and potential environmental impacts
These upgrades will be designed to dramatically enhance the site's functionality for the public, state regulatory agencies and industry users.
Adding more participating companies and reported wells from across the country, FracFocus' continued success is the result of state and federal government agencies and the oil and natural gas industry to provide public transparency.
This technique uses a specially blended liquid which is pumped into a well under extreme pressure causing cracks in rock formations underground. These cracks in the rock then allow oil and natural gas to flow, increasing resource production.
Casing is the multiple layers of steel and cement inside the drilled hole used to protect water aquifers. The specific length, thickness, strength and composition of casing is regulated at the state level.
Illustration Courtesy of the Texas Oil & Gas Association.
Use the interactive map to find regulations per state as well as contact information for groundwater protection and oil and natural gas production.
FracFocus machine-readable data now available!
FracFocus is pleased to announce the release of disclosure data to the public in machine-readable (SQL) format.
By clicking the button below you may download a ZIP file that contains a copy of the disclosure database.More About Chemical Data »
Groundwater Protection: Priority Number One
Oil and natural gas producers have stringent requirements for how wells must be completed. The genesis of these requirements is water safety.
Casing is the first line of defense used to protect freshwater aquifers.More About Groundwater Protection »


text:
I got a new bike about 6 months ago with SRAM Force on it. It's my first time riding SRAM and I love it except for one thing:
If I'm climbing and my RD is shifted all the way up ( to 28-tooth ) and I try and downshift further, it allows me to click once and stops the 2nd click so I get an upshift instead.
Anyone know how to fix this?


text:
Hold the apple cider! (This is a school story, and the students can't drink Champagne).
This week, there was much official celebrating over the settlement of a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District and the state of California that took on the practice of laying off teachers by seniority. This practice disproportionately hurts inner-city schools because they tend to have younger, less experienced teachers -- and thus more layoffs and turnover when hard budget times like these result in layoffs. In recent layoffs, three Los Angeles middle schools lost half their teachers.
But it's far from clear that the settlement will change the status quo very much at all. That's because the agreement doesn't do anything to end the seniority-based system for teacher layoffs. It merely seeks to equalize the problems created by such layoffs. That is, layoffs based on seniority would be distributed evenly among district schools, so inner-city schools are not disproportionately hurt.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Most maddeningly, it doesn't change the worst thing about such layoffs: the effectiveness and job performance of teachers cannot be used to make layoff decisions.
It's too bad the lawyers quit here before pursuing their claims further. The seniority system itself needs to be blown up. It hurts students and taxpayers when older, more experienced teachers are kept on -- even if they are failures or burnouts, just building service time to pensions -- while newer teachers -- even if they are incredibly effective -- can be let go.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Submitted by Chief Editor on
Naturalization is the process by which USCIS confers U.S. Citizenship upon a foreign citizen who has fulfilled certain requirements.
Who May File for Naturalization using Form N-400
To use Form N-400, the applicant must be ONE of the following:
1. A Lawful Permanent Resident for at least five years and at least 18 years old;
2. A Lawful Permanent Resident for at least three years and at least 18 years old,
a. AND the applicant has been married to and living with the same U.S. citizen for the last three years,
b. AND the applicant's spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the last three years.
3. A member of one of several other groups eligible to apply for naturalization (for example, persons who are nationals but not citizens of the United States) and at least 18 year sold.
4. A person who has served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces,
a. AND If the applicant is at least 18 years old, a Lawful Permanent Resident with at least one year of U.S. Armed Forces service, and the applicant is filing his or her application for naturalization while still in the service or within six months after the termination of such service.
b. OR the applicant served honorably as a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve or in active-duty status during a designated period of hostilities. The applicant then may apply for naturalization without having been physically present in the United States for any specified period.
NOTE: If the applicant is married to a U.S. citizen who is employed or deployed abroad, he or she may in some circumstances be eligible for expedited naturalization under section 319(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Benefits of Becoming a US Citizen
There are many benefits to becoming a US Citizen. The below list does not include all the benefits of citizenship, only some of the more important ones:
- Voting: Only U.S. citizens can vote in Federal elections. Most states also restrict the right to vote, in most elections, to U.S. Citizens
- Bringing family members to the United States: Citizens generally get priority when petitioning to bring family members permanently to this country.
- Obtaining citizenship for children born abroad: In most cases, a child born abroad to a U.S. Citizen is automatically a U.S. Citizen
- Traveling with a U.S. passport: A U.S. passport allows you to get assistance from the U.S. government when overseas
- Becoming eligible for Federal jobs: Most jobs with government agencies require U.S. citizenship.
- Becoming an elected official: Many elected offices in this country require U.S. citizenship.
- Showing your patriotism: In addition, becoming a U.S. citizen is a way to demonstrate your commitment to your new country
Name Change Request
When filing the N-400, an applicant can request a court to allow a change in their name when the applicant is being naturalized. This name change will become effective and final after the applicant has appeared before a court and taken the Oath of Allegiance at a Naturalization Ceremony.
Good Moral Character
Applicants must be able to show good moral character for the duration of the Residence requirement. However, USCIS may request evidence of good moral character from prior to the Residence requirement. Applicants must disclose all relevant facts to USCIS, including their entire criminal history, regardless of whether or not the information disqualifies them from the naturalization process.
Here is a good summary of the law from a recent court case, Mukarram v. Collett, 649 F.Supp.2d 418 (USDC, Maryland, 2009), pp. 420-421:
An applicant for naturalization "bear[s] the burden of establishing by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she meets all of the requirements of naturalization." 8 C.F.R. § 316.2(b). Under 8 U.S.C. § 1427(a), an applicant for naturalization must meet the following requirements
[n]o person ... shall be naturalized unless such applicant, (1) immediately preceding the date of filing his application for naturalization has resided continuously, after being lawfully admitted for permanent residence, within the United States for at least five years ..., (2) has resided continuously within the United States from the date of the application up to the time of admission to citizenship, and (3) during all the periods referred to in this subsection has been and still is a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States.
Certain classes of individuals are barred from establishing the good moral character requirement of § 1427(a). Id. at § 1101(f), 8 C.F.R. § 316.10(b)(1)-(2). Additionally, "[t]he fact that any person is not within any of the [enumerated classes] shall not preclude a finding that for other reasons [he] is or was not of good moral character." 8 U.S.C. § 1101(f). An applicant's moral character is evaluated "on a case-by-case basis taking into account . . . the standards of the average citizen in the community of residence." 8 C.F.R. § 316.10(a)(2).
The statutory period for assessing the moral character of a naturalization applicant begins five years immediately preceding the date the application is filed. 8 U.S.C. § 1427(a). But 8 U.S.C. § 1427(e) provides that "the applicant's conduct and acts at any time prior to that period" may be considered "[i]n determining whether the applicant has sustained the burden of establishing good moral character." More specifically, an applicant's "conduct and acts" prior to the statutory period may be considered for purposes of the moral character determination "if the conduct of the applicant during the statutory period does not reflect that there has been reform of character from an earlier period or if the earlier conduct and acts appear relevant to a determination of the applicant's present moral character." 8 C.F.R. § 316.10(a)(2). Therefore, an applicant's conduct prior to the statutory period is relevant only to the extent that it reflects on his or her moral character within the statutory period.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations (8 CFR § 316.10), an applicant is permanently barred from naturalization if he or she has been convicted of murder or certain aggravated felonies. In addition, an applicant cannot be found to be a person of good moral character if during the last five years he or she was convicted of:
1) a crime of moral turpitude (lying, cheating, stealing);
2) crimes for which the sentences totaled five years or more;
3) a drug offense, except simple possession of marijuana; or
4) two or more gambling offenses.
In addition, an applicant cannot be found to be of good character if he or she:
1) has been confined to a penal institution during the statutory period, as a result of a conviction, for an aggregate period of 180 days or more;
2) is or has earned his or her principal income from illegal gambling;
3) is or has been involved in prostitution or commercialized vice;
4) is or has been involved in smuggling illegal aliens into the United States;
5) is or has been a habitual drunkard;
6) is practicing or has practiced polygamy;
7) has willfully failed or refused to support dependents; or
8) has given false testimony, under oath, in order to receive a benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Attachment to the Constitution
Applicants must show that they are attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. During the Oath of Allegiance, each applicant will promise to:
- Support the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States;
- Renounce any foreign allegiance and/or foreign title; and
- Bear arms for the Armed Forces of the U.S. or perform services for the government of the U.S. when required.
Knowledge of the English Language
Applicants must be able to demonstrate to a USCIS officer that they have the ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language in ordinary usage. Click here for more information on the English language test, including videos, publications, and practice tests.
Applicants exempt from this requirement are those who, on the date of filing:
- Have been residing in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for periods totaling 15 years or more and are over the age of 55;
- Have been residing in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for periods totaling 20 years or more and are over the age of 50; or
- Have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, where the impairment affects the applicant's ability to learn English.
Knowledge of United States Government and History
During the interview with the USCIS Officer, applicants must demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles and form of government of the United States. Click here for more information on this portion of the test, including study materials.
Continuous Residency versus Physical Presence
Continuous residence and physical presence are interrelated requirements, but each must be satisfied in order for the naturalization application to be successful.
Continuous Residence requires that the applicant maintain a dwelling within the United States for 5 years prior to applying for naturalization (3 years if filing as a lawful permanent resident married to a U.S. Citizen). See the section below on preserving residence for naturalization purposes.
Physical Presence requires that the applicant be present within the United States for at least half the time required in their category to file for naturalization. The applicant must also have been residing within the same state or district for at least three months before filing. In certain situations, an applicant can file 90 days before the 5 year requirement (or 3 year requirement based on marriage) has been met.
Preserving Residence for Naturalization Purposes
Generally, applicants for naturalization must reside in the United States for five years (three years if qualifying under the citizen-spouse exemption) immediately preceding the date of filing an application for naturalization. Any naturalization applicant is required to have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months of those five years (18 months if eligible under the citizen-spouse exemption). In certain limited situations, a person may be able to preserve residency, previously accumulated for naturalization purposes, even though he or she may be residing outside the U.S. for longer than one year. The time thus spent abroad may be counted towards the residency requirement.
Legal permanent residents (LPR) who remain outside the United States for six months or longer break the continuous residency requirement for naturalization purposes. One may keep his or her continuous residence if that person has had at least one year of unbroken continuous residence since becoming an LPR and received an approved Form N-470 before being out of the United States for up to one year. Filing a Form N-470 does not relieve an LPR from obtaining a reentry permit in advance of trips outside the United States for a year or more, nor does it relieve the applicant from the naturalization law's physical presence requirement.
An applicant qualifying for the residency preservation may extend the benefit to his or her spouse and dependent children who are all members of the same household and have lived with the principal applicant while abroad. One must have been physically present and residing in the United States for an uninterrupted period, without any absence whatsoever, for at least one year after his/her admission as a lawful permanent resident before he/she can file a Form N-470. In addition, one must submit the Form N-470 to USCIS before he/she have been absent from the United States for a continuous period of one year. The regulations are different for religious workers proceeding abroad to perform religious duties. Religious workers may apply before or after departure, or after return to the United States i.e. if religious worker absence from the United States is, was or will be solely as a clergyman or clergywoman, missionary, brother, nun or sister of a religious denomination or interdenominational mission organization having a bona fide organization within the United States, they may file this application before or after an absence of one year or more. They are not required to have lived in the United States for a specific period of time prior to filing Form N-470.
An exception to the residency requirement is also made for alien members of the U.S. armed forces. A permanent resident employee of the U.S. government abroad who has filed a Form N-470 is considered physically present in the United States during such employment abroad. He or she does not need to obtain a reentry permit.
As a naturalization applicant, one may be eligible for expeditious processing if his/her U.S. citizen spouse is employed outside the United States as a missionary, or by a U.S. corporation or as a member of the U.S. military. Note: Approval of N-470 application will be only for the employment and conditions stated. Any changes of employment must be approved by a new application. Also, approval of N-470 application will not relieve the applicant of the requirement to present a valid document for reentry into the United States. The applicant has to demonstrate that the absence from the United States is:
1. On behalf of the U.S. Government i.e. if he/she is, or will be employed by, or are under contract with the U. S. Government. This includes members of the U.S. Armed Services.
2. For the purpose of carrying on scientific research on behalf of an American institution of research.
3. For the purpose of engaging in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States on behalf of an American firm or corporation or a subsidiary thereof.
4. Necessary to the protection of property rights outside the United States of an American firm or corporation engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States;
5. On behalf of a public international organization of which the United States is a member. NOTE: The employment cannot have started until after his/her admission as a permanent resident.
6. Solely because of the applicant's capacity as a clergyman or clergywoman, missionary, nun, or sister of a denomination or mission having a bona fide organization in a United States.
As evidence of the eligibility for N-470 benefit, one must submit letters or affidavits from the appropriate officer or the department or agency of the U. S. Government, American research institution, American firm or corporation, public international organization, or religious denomination or interdenominational mission organization. Depending on the circumstances why he/she is applying to preserve the residence, the letters or affidavits should include the following documentation:
1. An official communication from the appropriate office of the department or agency of the U. S. Government, or the public international organization; or
2. Affidavit or affidavits executed by the appropriate administrative official of the American institution or religious denomination or interdenominational mission for whom he/she is, were or will be employed or with whom he/she entered into a contract; or by the appropriate administrative official of the American firm or corporation, or subsidiary thereof by whom he/she is or will be employed.
When an affidavit is made with respect to employment by such firm, corporation or subsidiary, it should state:
1. The title of the official making the affidavit, the name of the firm or corporation in which he/she holds office and whether he/she has access to records of the same.
2. Whether the employing organization is an American firm or corporation engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States, or subsidiary thereof.
3. The nature of the business conducted by the employing organization, church, religious denomination or interdenominational mission organization.
4. If it is a corporation, the name of the State under laws of which it was organized, the date of incorporation and that it is existent.
5. If it is a subsidiary (whether American or foreign) of an American firm or corporation engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States, the affidavit should be:
a. Executed by an appropriate administrative official of the parent organization, and
b. Should state the facts of ownership and/or control of the subsidiary, and
c. Should state the exact percentage of stock owned by the parent organization.
6. The facts of his/her employment, including the nature of the service performed by him/her during the period or periods of absence to be considered.
7. Whether he/she will be engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States; or whether he/she will be engaged in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States; or
8. His/her absence from the United States was or will be necessary for the protection of the property rights abroad of the employing firm or corporation or subsidiary during the period or periods of absence to be considered; or
9. Solely in the capacity of a regularly ordained clergyman or clergywoman, missionary, brother, nun or sister; and
10. In the case where employment is for a public international organization, the date when and place where he/she was first employed.
The Effect of Claiming Nonresident Alien Status
After having been admitted to the United States as a permanent resident, if one claims or claimed nonresident alien status under the income tax laws, he/she may be regarded as having abandoned their residence in the United States and as having lost permanent resident status under the immigration and nationality laws. Consequently, one may be or become ineligible for naturalization or for preservation of residence.
Reentry Permits
Any lawful permanent resident (LPR) or a conditional resident (CR) must present an admission document like special immigrant visa (obtained at consulate abroad), green card or reentry permit upon entry to the U.S. after their temporary trip abroad. In the absence of such document he/she is considered inadmissible. If the LPR or CR seeks admission to the U.S. after more than one year since her departure from USA, the green card may not be sufficient to allow them back into the United States. To avoid such situations the LPR or CR must apply while they are physically present in the U.S.A i.e. before departure from U.S., a re-entry permit. A re-entry permit thus allows a LPR or CR to apply for admission to the United States upon returning from abroad during the permit's validity, without having to obtain a returning resident visa from a U.S. Embassy or consulate. For more information please see our link on Reentry Permits.
Applying for Naturalization and After
An application for naturalization is made on Form N-400 once the above requirements have been met. The application must be filed with USCIS, to the service center having jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. USCIS will make the final determination after the reviewing the supporting documents and completing the interview, including the English language and Government & History tests. In addition to Form N-400, the application must also consist of a copy of the applicant's permanent resident card, passport-style photographs of the applicant, supporting documentation and the applicable fees.
After filing, the applicant will next receive notification of an appointment to appear at an application support center (ASC) for fingerprinting. The USCIS will then submit the fingerprints to the FBI for background and name checks. An officer at the service center to which the application was filed will review to ensure the appropriate documentation is present. If additional documentation is needed, the officer will forward a letter requesting the specific document in question that must be provided.
Next, the applicant will receive notification of an appointment to appear for an interview with a USCIS officer. It is at this interview that the applicant will be tested on their knowledge of the English Language, United States Government and History mentioned above. If the officer is satisfied as to the applicant's fulfillment of the requirements, they will approve the application. The applicant will then attend an oath ceremony conducted by the USCIS and receive a certificate of naturalization at the ceremony's conclusion.
After completing the Oath of Allegiance, the applicant is then considered a U.S. Citizen and can file a request for a U.S. Passport.
Naturalization for Minors
Minor children, under 18 years of age, benefit from a parent obtaining US Citizenship and do not need to file their own petitions. They will automatically become U.S. Citizens once their parents become naturalized. In order to obtain proof of a minor child's naturalization, Form N-600 can be submitted for a naturalization certificate. The Certificate of Citizenship is merely a record of citizenship; it does not confer citizenship on an applicant.
Children born abroad to U.S. Citizen parents derive citizenship from their parents. An application for a child born on foreign soil to U.S. Citizen parents is made on Form N-600 if the child is within the United States or N-600K if the child is outside the U.S.
Foreign-born children who are adopted by U.S. Citizen parents acquire citizenship from their adopted parents. In these cases, adoptive parents file an N-643 instead of an N-600. However, adopted children over 18 must file an N-400.
After reviewing any of the applications mentioned here, USCIS may ask for further documentation to establish the child's citizen status, but these requests are generally only made in cases where discrepancies exist between the application and existing USCIS records. An interview is not usually needed to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship, but one may be scheduled in the event of a request for evidence.
Naturalization for Those Serving in the U.S. Military
If an applicant is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and is interested in becoming a U.S. citizen, he or she may be eligible to apply for citizenship under special provisions provided for in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Generally, service in the U.S. Armed Forces means service in one of the following branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Certain Reserve components of the National Guard, or Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve
Recent changes in the relevant sections of the INA (Sections 328 and 329) make it easier for qualified military personnel to become U.S. citizens if they choose to file a naturalization application. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has created a streamlined process specifically for military personnel who are serving in active-duty status or who have recently been discharged. As a member of the military there are other naturalization requirements that an applicant may be excepted from, including the required residency and physical presence in the United States. These exceptions are outlined in Sections 328 and 329 of the INA.
Section 328, INA
This section applies to all members currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or those who have already been discharged from service.
- Has the applicant served honorably for a total of one or more years?
- Is the applicant a lawful permanent resident?
- Will the applicant be filing his or her application for naturalization while still in service or within six months of being discharged?
Section 329, INA
This section applies to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who currently serve or have served in active-duty status during authorized periods of conflict as outlined in the INA (WWI; September 1, 1939-December 31, 1946; June 25, 1950-July1, 1955; and February 28, 1961-October 5, 1978) or any additional period designated by the President in an Executive Order. (Recently, the President signed an Executive Order identifying September 11, 2001 and after as an authorized period of conflict.)
- Has the applicant served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during an authorized period of conflict?
- After enlistment, was the applicant lawfully admitted as a permanent resident of the United States, OR at the time of enlistment, reenlistment, or induction was he or she physically present in the United States or qualifying territory?
- Changes on October 1, 2004
- Recent legislation has called for additional benefits to members of the military. These benefits went into effect on October 1, 2004.
- No fees will be charged when filing for naturalization.
- The naturalization process will be made available overseas to members of the Armed Forces at U.S. embassies, consulates, and where practical, military installations abroad.
Every military installation should have a designated point-of-contact to handle applications and certify a Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service (N-426). Applicants should inquire through their chain of command to find out who this person is, so they can help with the application packet. The point-of-contact will send an N-400, G325B, and certified N-426 to:
The Nebraska Service Center
PO Box 87426
Lincoln, NE 68501-7426
The Service Center will review the application and perform the necessary security checks. Then, they will send it to the district office closest to the applicant's location. If he or she has a preference as to where they would like to be interviewed, they can provide that information in a cover letter attached to the naturalization packet. The district office will set a date for the interview and test the applicant's knowledge of English and Civics as mentioned above. If granted, USCIS will inform the applicant of the date they can take their oath of allegiance.
Spouses of U.S. Citizens Deployed Abroad
If an applicant is married to a U.S. citizen who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and their citizen spouse is or will be deployed abroad by the Armed Forces for one year, he or she may be eligible for expedited naturalization under section 319(b) of the INA.
Please click here for further information about Military Personnel filing for Naturalization.
USCIS Publishes Form M-476
USCIS publishes Form M-476 a guide to naturalization. For more information please click here.
USCIS Publishes Form M-767
USCIS publishes Form M-767 with important Information for new U.S. citizens, including citizenship rights and responsibilities. It also has useful resources on how to update social security information, register to vote and apply for a U.S. passport. For more information please click here.
USCIS Issues Revised Edition of M-274, The Handbook for Employers (01/05/11)
USCIS releases revised edition of the M-274, Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification Form) from USCIS. To view this revised edition click here.
Dual Citizenship/Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)
India now grants "Overseas Citizenship of India" (OCI), commonly known as Dual Citizenship. For more information, click here.
Important Links
Citizenship for Permanent Residents
Application for Naturalization
Naturalization Eligibility Worksheet and Intructions
Introduction to the Adjudicator's Field Manual
Memo - Naturalization Interview Process Changes
Memo: Revision to Adjudicator's Field Manual (Conditional Permanent Residents and Naturalization under Section 319(b) of the Act)
Rights and Responsibilities of U.S. Citizenship
The Naturalization Test
Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
Military Personnel filing for Naturalization
Selective Service System


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Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
- Coverage Dates: 1500s-1866
Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database is the result of the African Origins Project, a scholar-public collaborative endeavor to trace the geographic origins of Africans transported in the transatlantic slave trade. Many have contributed to this international research project, which is based at Emory University. The database provides information on almost 35,000 slaving voyages that forcibly embarked over 10 million Africans for transport to the Americas between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The Voyages section of the database tracks 35,000 slaving expeditions between 1514 and 1866 and includes the ship's name, captain, owners, and nation as well as the number of slaves and some other information about the voyage. The African Names Database identifies over 67,000 African men, women, and children, including name, age, gender, origin, and place of embarkation. A section on assessing the slave trade provides statistics, a timeline, and maps that track the flow of the slave trade over time.
Learn more about the
project, and read more about this database in
Database Provider: Emory University Libraries
Database Provider: Emory University Libraries
Express Link (bookmark): http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=voyg


text:
Bean and I always grab up cool Halloween cards when we see them. Today we bought these three gems:
This one is amazing.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bean and I always grab up cool Halloween cards when we see them. Today we bought these three gems:
7 comments:
- The Captain said...
I thought the felt one was cool, until I saw the last one, wow!
- September 10, 2009 at 9:55 PM
- Old Fashion Halloween said...
Who makes card number 3?
- September 11, 2009 at 2:31 AM
- Rot said...
I don't see that one here, but it's one of theirs too.
- September 11, 2009 at 9:23 AM
- Barb said...
I agree... the last one is fantastic!
By the way, Rot, I added your link to my new blog... hope that's cool ;)
- September 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
- AllHallowSteve said...
I love picking up cool cards (they're usually one of the first things out in late-August/early-September).
I, too, saw that last one in stores and bought 3! I've kept it on my desk and keep looking at it. So simple and yet encompasses Halloween!
- September 11, 2009 at 2:50 PM
- AmandaHugginkiss said...
What store did you get #3 from? I HAVE to have it. I think I actually might frame it to go along with other halloween vintage art I have...
By the way, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this website. You're doing such amazing work, and it's obvious how devoted you are since there's a new, exciting post every day. Thanks for keepin' the spirit alive every day of the year....others think I'm crazy when I try to...
- September 11, 2009 at 10:33 PM
- Rot said...
Found No. 3 in a small card/gift shop in bucks county. Sorry, but I have no idea what the name of it was.
- September 12, 2009 at 3:54 PM


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Stafford Rural Cemetery, Stafford, Batavia Co., New York
The DeWolf Family
Orin J. DeWolf
Born: March 14, 1830, New York
Died: 1899, Stafford, Genesee Co., New York
His wife below.
Betsey E. Adams DeWolf
Born: November 1830, New York
Died: February 18, 1906, Stafford, Genesee Co., New York
Father and mother above.
Their son below.
Charles Freemond DeWolf
Born: October 1861, New York
Died: Abt. March 12, 1913, Stafford, Genesee Co., New York
and first wife, Rose Kibler.
Born: 1864
Died: Abt. February 02, 1892, Stafford, Genesee Co., New York
Betsey E. Adams DeWolf was my 1st cousin, 4 times removed.
Notes: Photos taken by Claire (O'Donnell) Andrews (my 5th cousin, once removed) and used with permission.


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"Catfish," a documentary about a young man living in New York City who goes on a road trip -- accompanied by his brother and another friend -- to finally meet the gorgeous woman with whom he's been having an online romance, is one of the most nerve-wracking roller coasters of the year.
The film opens with Yaniv "Neev" Schulman protesting directly to the camera being held by his brother Rel about his reluctance to participate in the documentary that Rel and his filmmaking partner, Henry Joost, want to shoot. Luckily, Neev gives in. With his killer smile and dreamy brown eyes, he proves to be an engaging tour guide. You like him, you root for him, you want him to be happy.
Despite featuring several shots of Google Maps, Facebook, instant-messaging exchanges and the like, the film is never dull. The mood is always in flux, taking the audience from curious to amused to sad to scared and beyond, but it's organic, never feeling forced or manipulative.
But others disagree, as there''ve been accusations that Joost and the Schulmans crossed the imaginary line of documentary ethics. While there''s certainly a conversation to be had about it, trying to untangle the issue mid-viewing would be a disservice to the film. Better to enjoy what is a great piece of story-telling and argue about it afterward.
This has been an important year for documentaries, with some hailing it as possibly the greatest in the genre's history. But it's not just the qualtiy that's been so remarkable, but the way filmmakers have pushed the boundaries.
"Exit Through the Gift Shop," the masterful documentary from the street artist Banksy that came out earlier this year forced audiences to reconsider what made a film a documentary. It was hailed for its innovative approach, in part, because it appeared to be Banksy being Banksy, the consummate artist and con-artist having fun with us once again.
U.S. & World
Then came "I'm Still Here," which was the culmination of Joaquin Phoenix's two-years-long performance art piece in which he pretended to give up acting to pursue a career as a rapper. From the day he announced his "retirement" there's was speculation that the whole thing was just an act -- something that was finally, mercifully confirmed by Phoenix's brother-in-law/director, Casey Affleck. But before the veil was lifted on the ruse, the film was released to general acclaim.
"Catfish" is a very different animal, coming as it does from three unknowns. But like "Gift Shop" (we couldn't be bothered to see "I'm Still Here"), it's a fantastic story, regardless of how closely it sticks to traditional ideas about what a documentary is or should be.
Don't read anymore about this "Catfish" -- no spoilers, no synopses, nothing -- just give yourself over to a fascinating look at the nature of identity and community, and one the most most emotionally jarring films of the year -- or don't. Either way, stop reading about it.
"Catfish" goes into limited release today.


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CINCINNATI (AP) — Third baseman Scott Rolen's error with two outs in the 10th inning gave San Francisco the go-ahead run, and the Giants edged the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 Tuesday night to cut their NL playoff deficit to 2-1.
The Giants avoided a division series sweep when Rolen, an eight-time Gold Glove winner, bobbled Joaquin Arias' short-hop grounder and threw late to first.
San Francisco was held hitless into the sixth by Homer Bailey, managed only three hits overall and struck out 16 times.
But the Giants got two hits in the 10th and were helped by a passed ball.
Left-hander Barry Zito will start Game 4 on Wednesday for the Giants. The Reds have to decide whether to try ace Johnny Cueto, forced out of the opener with spasms in his back and side.
(© 2012 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)


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Delegation Salutes Executive Director John Wilson
NEA pays tribute to Executive Director John Wilson as he prepares to retire in September.
July 05, 2011
By Cindy Long
And gladly would he learn, and gladly teach.
That's how Chaucer describes the clerk in the Canterbury Tales, and that's how Karen Garr describes her longtime friend and colleague John I. Wilson. A member of the Wake North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), Garr first met Wilson in 1971 when they were both teachers in North Carolina. He immediately became her friend, as well as her mentor.
"If you lined up all the people John Wilson has mentored throughout his career, it would be twice as long as the line at the voting polls yesterday," she said.
The people he mentored, the educators he served, and the colleagues he inspired paid tribute to Wilson at his last RA as Executive Director Tuesday as he prepares to retire and return to his home state of North Carolina in September.
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said that one of his favorite stories about Wilson took place on a day when bad things seemed to be coming at the Association from every direction. He went into Wilson's office and asked him how he managed to handle it all so well.
"I was a special education teacher!" Wilson replied.
He took his gift for education and turned it into a career of activism and leadership and helped steer the NEA through some of the most challenging times in the organization's history.
"NEA is stronger today than it was the day he became executive director," said Van Roekel.
After thanking the Executive Committee, the NEA executive staff, and state executives and staff, Wilson thanked the delegation in a speech that captured his passion for public education, students, and the power of collective bargaining.
"You cannot have a vision for a great public school for every student and then not use your best tactic to achieve that vision," he said. "I want to see the day when parents demand an expanded scope of collective bargaining in every school district because they know it serves their children well…When collective bargaining becomes 'collective wisdom,' to serve students and provide great professionals – both teachers and ESPs – the career they deserve, the community wins, and ultimately America wins."
Wilson told the delegation that he wants to be a voice for poor children, because he knows what it means to live the American dream and he wants every child in America to experience it. But in order for that to happen, Wilson said two things need to occur.
First, corporate America has to stop being so greedy and start paying its fair share in taxes so that poor children aren't denied the resources they need to have the same opportunities as the children of CEOs. Second, he said NEA has to take the lead in demanding from politicians, parents, and our members to do what we know works for students, especially poor students.
He said the obsession with testing must end, that bureaucrats and politicians must stop undermining the teachers who put their students first every day, and that he would continue to give voice to the members of NEA he knows "to be the finest people in the world."
"I will never stop fighting for you and the students you serve," he said. "God bless you and thank you for this wonderful opportunity you gave me."