Recently I created a mini Star Wars terrarium, complete with miniature Yoda, and these are the steps I took to make it. In the future I plan to create some other scenes, and I will be sure to post pictures of those.

Step 1: Plan
I started by downloading a few references photos and rewatched the scene where Luke crash lands into the murky swamp planet. From there I made a list of the materials I would need. Here's a list:

• Micro Machines X-wing and Yoda -- Luke and R2D2 would have fit well here too, but I didn't want to cramp the tiny space too much. You can find these toys fairly easily on eBay.
• Glass container -- Mine is a cheap one from Ikea, minus the lid
• Woodland Scenics Realistic Water -- Liquid modeling stuff that hardens after about a day
• Acrylic Paints -- To tint your water
• Glue -- I prefer gorilla glue, and it needs to dry clear
• Sticks and roots -- A variety of brown shades to create your tree and some left over pieces to crumble into the swamp water
• Moss -- I peeled my moss from our backyard, but you can also buy some on Amazon
• LEDs -- I purchased all of my lighting material from this model train store and this lighting package had everything I needed, and was easy to assemble.
• Electrical tape -- For wrapping up your LED wires

Using a small plastic container I mixed a tiny amount of acrylic paint (a swamp like color mixture) and then added in the realistic water. This water stuff will bubble if you shake it, so I was careful to instead stir it up, which took about 5 minutes. Next I took my mixture and poured it into my scene, about an 1/8 of an inch deep (as the bottle advises), spreading the thick liquid to the edges with a toothpick. 24 hours later it had hardened (this is the minimum amount of time it takes to dry). 

I repeated my mixture and pouring steps, this time tweaking the color a bit to be more in line with what I wanted, but this time I also dropped in some flakes of twigs and dirt in order to get some grimy texture imbedded into the water. With the second pour I waited 48 hours, in order to make sure it was fully dry before moving to the next step. At this point, it was safe to remove the twine from the stick bundle, as the glue and water held it firmly in place.

Step 3: Moss and Lighting
I tore my moss into a few manageable chunks and then stuffed them into place, making sure to curve the pieces downward on the edges so that no matter what angle you looked at the terrarium it would still look good. I connected my LEDs, following the instructions that came with the set, and then used some electrical tape to bundle it into a tight fit. I squeezed the lighting set into place, tucking the bulk of the bundle under the moss patch, with the lights fitted under the wings.

Step 4: Yoda
Lastly, I glued Yoda on top of the moss hill using some gorilla glue, and then turned on the lights to enjoy the final product.

A little while back I photoshopped this image of our dog Lola to look like a Dog World cover. 
Photography credit goes to Huy Doan.

You've checked out Factions MP in The Last of Us, seen all the maps, and have tried out all three modes of play. You've also read all of the loading screen tips, and learned a few things from them. Perhaps you've also toyed around with different load outs and purchased a few upgrades. But what are some additional tactics you could be employing to your advantage? What mistakes are leading to your constant, frustrating death? Check out my tips below, and hopefully they help you out (in no particular order).

1. Craft a modified 2x4 as early as possible - When you pick up a 2x4 and die, you lose it, but if you upgrade it and die before using it, the upgraded melee weapon will cary over to your next life.
2. Save one-time use boosters for challenges - Unless you have stored up a hefty reserve of one-time use boosters, save them for challenges.
3. Save easier missions for later in the campaign - Challenges get harder the farther into the weeks you get, and while you can redo a previously used mission, the requirements go up if you do so.
4. Avoid the large headwear - Sure, you look great in that large cowboy hat, but you are also easier to spot.
5. Locate enemies while dead - When dead and waiting for your chance to respawn, press R1 to toggle through the various fixed cameras, and locate enemies.
6. Don't sprint next to crouching teammates - Avoid sprinting next to your stealthy teammates, because as you charge around you will make your location appear on the enemy radar, potentially giving up your teammates. However, the opposite can also be used as a way to bait enemies into an ambush or planted bomb (sprint to attract enemies into a trap).
7. Avoid putting yourself out in the open - It's tempting to execute an enemy from afar and then retrieve your loot, but make sure it's safe first. You can always collect the drops later in the round, so don't feel rushed. It's also tempting to run into a pile of unaware enemies while throwing haymakers, but if you have the ammo and don't have a melee weapon, it's probably better to just shoot them in the back.
8. Learn the maps - This is a pretty obvious tip, I know, but an important one. It takes time to learn not just the layout of each map, but the vantage points and cover as well.
9. Don't stray too far from the team - Sure, it's fun to be the lone wolf that sneaks up behind an enemy for a shiv kill, but more often than not riding solo is not a favorable team tactic. And, in the case of interrogation mode, it often leads to an easy interrogation for the enemy team. Instead, try working in a loose cluster formation, and ensure you have all vantage points covered (i.e. don't just have everyone staring ahead). But don't cluster too close, or else you will find the enemy taking the bulk of your team out with one molotov. 
10. Revive teammates in safe areas - Often times you will do more harm than good when you rush out to revive a fallen ally, because in doing so the enemy will destroy you both. It's tempting to pop out from cover to help your comrades, especially when you see that big triangle icon staring at you, but think before you expose yourself. Sometimes letting your teammate crawl to your cover point makes the most sense for the situation, whereas other times letting the teammate die, as harsh as it may sound, is actually the tactical choice. And when your teammate is crawling for cover, actually let them make it behind the cover before you initiate the revive sequence, otherwise you may be blocking them and leaving them open to fire (with exception to a teammate that is a second from dying, in which case it's worth the risk of leaving them partially exposed).
11. Don't sit in one place for too long - Unless you are guarding your lock box, or are sniping and know your area is secure, it's probably not safe to stay crouching behind that rusty car for very long. Staying still for a long time makes you an easy target for enemy flankers. 

Bonus tactic: This one may work well for some, and horrible for others, so give it a try and see what you think.

• Play in Counter-Strike mode - Typically, players select both a small firearm (e.g. pistol) and a large firearm (e.g. rifle). But instead, try only selecting a pistol, saving your load out points for more survival skills and a premium purchasable weapon. Use a one-use booster such as the small firearm upgrade. Then, in game, craft for parts and rack up a couple of pistol kills in order to quickly buy your purchasable weapon, and make every shot count.

Art prints for this Cavalier King Charles pen & ink illustration are limited, and are selling for $20. For now, I am only listing this particular print, but I'm happy to get other drawings printed if someone sees something in the 2D section they would like to buy (just let me know!).

Get one here: store

Factions MP is the multiplayer mode in The Last of Us, and like its single player counterpart, you’ll find yourself shooting, sneaking, crafting, hiding, fleeing, and vaulting over rubble like a dystopian gymnast. There are 3 team modes to play: supply raid (players respawn in real time when killed until your team runs out of reserves), survivors (round based combat), and interrogation (gain intelligence from enemies and then crack open their safe). Players select a mode, a load out (weapons and abilities), and an optional one-use booster that they may have earned during previous sessions (e.g. cheaper purchasable ammo or a starting upgrade to their primary gun). And no, you won’t find any zombies in any of these modes (I’ll comment more on that later in the article).

Let’s start by talking about some of the aspects that make Factions MP so great (and in no particular order). 

That feeling you get when you shank an enemy
Nothing beats the satisfaction of creeping up behind an oblivious enemy that you have been tracking across the map, grabbing hold of them, and driving a shiv into their neck. It’s the ultimate insult.

Challenges add a layer of complexity
Every so often a challenge is presented to the player, which are divided into negative and positive outcomes that impact your camp, such as a hunter attack that you try to negate or new survivors that are looking to join you. The player has to decide how they want to complete the challenge, selecting from a list of options (e.g. X downs with Y weapon, heal X teammates, or perform X special executions).

The game modes keep things diverse
The 3 modes of play allow for a diverse set of gameplay. Perhaps you are in the mood for an all-out brawl with quick respawns. Then supply raid is your mode. Or maybe you are in the mood for a slow and strategic team based game with friends, in which case survivors is your mode.

Endless load out combinations
Load outs are essentially templates that you draft by combining weapons and abilities. You have a finite amount of load out points, which are used to arrange your gear, and customization is entirely up to you (with the exception of weapons and abilities that cost real cash, if you don’t want to spend the money that is). For example, you may prefer a stealthy approach that you can attain from a bow, covert training, and a silenced pistol (the bow and silenced weapons don’t show up on the enemy radar when fired). Others may go for a support role, opting for the ability to heal teammates and spot enemies from afar.

Your load out will indirectly affect how you use the parts you collect in battle (essentially currency) to purchase upgrades to your weapons, armor, and purchasable weapons. For example, some players save parts for a purchasable weapon, while others use their load out points on abilities, skipping a purchasable, and instead use their parts for weapon upgrades.

I’ve tried a lot of load outs, and at the time of writing this, this is my favorite: revolver, silenced tactical shotgun, agility 2, and covert training 2. I find that having a silenced primary is essential to your survival, as it allows you to get the necessary shots off to get a kill without giving out your location. The revolver is a solid compliment to the shotgun since it has the long-range versatility that the shotgun lacks. Agility level 2 means silent movement as well as the ability to walk, climb, and crawl very quickly, and the speed it provides cannot be overlooked in a game like this. Covert training level 2 pairs quite well with agility 2, as it allows you to crouch walk without appearing in the enemies listen mode. As a bonus, it starts you with a shiv at each spawn.

The needs of your camp take you out of your comfort zone
Every player has their own camp of survivors, and as you play your camp will grow in size, thus needing more supplies to stay well fed and free of sicknesses. One way to gain supplies is to down or execute enemies, and then collect the loot they drop. But sometimes raiding their body isn’t that easy, because the battles can be hectic, so you can’t just always go rushing over to your fallen target out in the open. Thankfully, your radar marks the locations of supply drops, so you can strategically return to them before the game ends, and collect them safely.

As a tip, when you have sick and hungry survivors, use a boost that you collected from completed challenges in order to give you a tactical edge in your next supply run. Avoid the urge to waste boosts when they aren’t needed, unless you have a hefty surplus.

Players automatically communicate
This is a bit of a minor detail, but it’s a prime example of one of the many elements that adds depth to the game. The character voices not only contributes a layer of ambience, but also serves a necessary role in communicating out essential information. If a teammate is shot down and needs help getting back up, he will shout out “I’m down!”. If you dig into your backpack to craft something, your player will ask those nearby to watch his back. Out of ammo? They’ll yell about that too. And from all this, you’ll discover that these situational phrases allow for interesting team-based gameplay without the need for everyone to be chatting over a microphone.

Properly balanced maps
Every multiplayer map is well thought out and fine-tuned for a solid balance. The arrangement of cover and the map sizes keep the action moving quickly without being too chaotic, whereas the placement of supply boxes often force the player to take the risk of exposing themselves (and that’s a good thing for balance and gameplay). Health kits are a bit too easy to come by, especially considering you can also craft them, but that doesn’t disturb the flow of the game. Best of all, there aren’t any overpowered camping spots, and due to the nature of load out points, you see a strong diversity of weapons being selected.

No game is prefect, and the issues I’m listing out are pretty minor as far as multiplayer games go.

Unintentional targeting
Every so often I find that I am inadvertently targeting the wrong enemy, which leads to my demise. Here are a couple of examples:

• An enemy is standing with his back to me, primed for a shiv attack. Next to him is a downed enemy, waiting for his assistance. I run at the standing foe, and click triangle to execute the shiv attack. But instead my character initiates a special execution against the downed opponent, because it is the same button to trigger this type of attack. This leaves me vulnerable to the standing enemy, who easily kills me.
• Again, another standing versus downed enemy scenario. A standing enemy is healing a down enemy, attempting to get him back on his feet. I rush in and swing my melee weapon, aiming for the standing opponent, but hit the downed opponent. Once again, the standing enemy kills me, as I am unable to fight the two in the priority order I had desired.

Rough bullet collision
Occasionally, I will be firing through the window of a dilapidated car or between the railings of a stairway, and by bullets will fail to penetrate through them. In a game where every shot counts, a missed opportunity like this will often turn the table for the enemy.

Everyone’s a critic, I know. And there’s only so much time, resources, and budget to work on a game. But whatever, we can dream, and this is what I wish Factions MP could add in:

• More maps - What better way to preserve the longevity of a multiplayer game than adding in more arenas? There have been multiple rollouts of maps over the years, so there’s always hope that there will be more.
• Zombies – For a single player game to have so many zombies it is disappointing that there isn’t one multiplayer mode with some of the fungus-infected creepers. What if you took supply raid and made it so that every now and then a zombie meandered into the map, diverting the attention of the players? What if there was a new mode where players joined forces as a large team to survive against an onslaught of wave after wave of the undead (yes, like Left-4-Dead 2)?

All in all, Factions MP is a solid multiplayer experience with enough diversity in weapons, modes, challenges, customization, and tactics to keep each game fresh and fun.