RN: Traci Hedlund
Age: 27
Occupation: Raising four children.
BoE Community Involvement
I originally showed up in August 2003 after getting hooked on a demo for the Exile Trilogy and BoE on a CD I got for Christmas. I didn't stay too long though. Once I beat all the demos I disappeared for about six months.
The family computer crashed and I took it upon myself to reinstall all our software. When I got to the BoE CD I remembered what fun it was and that there were lots of scenarios online that I hadn't played yet. So I came back, got interested in making my own scenario and set up a website to show off my graphics.
I started playing scenarios and found some puzzles I couldn't solve. I asked questions on the boards and got no answer. This sparked my motivation for the addition to my website; the Comprehensive BoE Walkthrough database. I renamed my site TrueSite for Blades in honor of the little used Mage spell that gives you just a little extra peek of what's going on around you.
After many updates, TrueSite has a download for every found scenario and a link to their CSR page. When I thought I'd participate in the Pearl Contest, I started a new scenario and went looking for good custom graphics for it. I found myself getting more interested in the graphics then I was in making the scenario and I downloaded every graphic I could find putting them into a personal database for myself. When Khoth's Archive went offline, and people started asking for graphics, I decided I'd make my own archive. One website upgrade, 100 web pages, and over 3700 graphics later Pixle Profusion was ready in time for Christmas '05. Since then, I've incorporated almost all of the graphics ever used in BoE scenarios (using my best judgement to omit a few) making it the biggest and most comprehensive BoE graphics archive ever.
I have made one utility scenario, Sound Showcase, which allows you to listen to all the sounds available in the game and also create your own sound string. I really made it for myself so I wouldn't have to open my game in the editor, create a chain of sound nodes, exit the editor, open the game and play through to where I placed my sound string just to hear if it's what I really wanted or not. It's a little bit confusing to learn to use, but to me it's a whole lot easier when trying to incorporate good sounds into your scenario. Something that I think most scenarios lack.
I have one scenarios in the fire right now, The King's Favorite. It was supposed to be an entry into the Pearl Contest of '06 but my ambitions for the scenario and lack of motivation to work on it, caused it to miss the deadline. My goal is to get it done. I have no idea how long it will take me. I set no more dates, it will happen when it happens, but it will happen.
Redwall, which is based on a novel by Brian Jacques of the same name, has been released. In order to clear it from my plate, I turned it into a prologue and just a sliver of what the whole story was supposed to be. Thus it didn't rate well but at least it's done. I may or may not finish the story since at this time I desire more to tell my own story then to retell someone elses.
I also have taken it upon myself to help Brett get all scenarios available into Alexandria. It's mostly up to date and it looks great thanks to many others besides mysel f.
I have beta tested Fort Emerald Robbery, Future 2.0, Nephil's Defense, and The Foolish Giant.
Home Life
As of February '07 my oldest daughter Ashley is doing well in second gradel. She's turned out to be quite a little reader and makes her family proud. My second child Bethany is doing well in First grade. Her teacher has expressed her excitement at her unique poetic writing style. We're proud of her too. Number three is Corey at age four. He's started preschool and enjoys his time there. We've found that he needs to work on some of his speech but otherwise he's doing great. My fourth child Dylan is a full blown 'Terriffic' three year old. He is very smart and has started to talk up a storm. It's so cute to hear him try to pronounce a four syllable word. It's amazing that he's using them in the correct context, too. Hubby is doing very well... he's really enjoying his job. He's been happier, I've been happier, and life is just a little more sunny.
Hubby is excelling in his full time position at Hope Gospel Mission creating and implimenting a work program for the homeless to give them job skills and get them back on their feet. He's well on his way to recieving a 'Special Workers' license so he can also be a chaplain for the Mission. I'm so proud of him. We both had a bitter-sweet time in Nicaragua last week. I'm working on the details to bore you with.
Finally, big hugs all around. Life would be quite boring without you.