The Aftermath

Well, I've just woken up on the first day of being out of work. I remmeber how much this sucks, just now it's having been working somewhere I was enjoying myself. Good thing is I've learned alot (mainly about lego games) and have some idea of where I want to be soon. After chatting with my boss on thursday for a while, for some advice on stuff to go into a portfolio he suggested to 'make a game' so looks like I'm going to have to have a play about with some programming and making some little things with Game Maker or Adventure Game Studio. Been a while since I've played with any of these. Thinking of maybe making up a scene in the Dragon Age toolset, for a short video to go along with it, something dialogue heavy would be the best sort of thing, show off the old scriptwriting.
However, though what he had been talking me through was good advice he also said get modding and I'm glad that some Ad, B and myself have already got this on the go and from what I know we have a few more people on board with us. So Lucid is now full steam ahead with me not fannying about with this work malarky. I've pitched an idea to my other compadres, more about this during the presentation possibly, though I'm not sure if it's something to be pitching while going for marks. No idea if it'll help or just get boring, but certainly afterwards will get on the go after we've got the main dead farm up and running.
To summarise the experience, putting the fact aside that I met some rather sound people along the way, I have really and thoroughly enjoyed my time at TT Fusion. It's been an absolute blast. The atmosphere is really easy going, the help I've recieved has been beneficial, though some of it I was only grasping the last couple of days. Big bold statement is what Stas says, and what I've learned during the design process is making decisions about what is actually going to be there and giving some clarity, rather than just, might have a rock there, might have a generator. Big decisions will decide whether a level works or not.
So I think that's about it for my time at TT. I'd just like to thank Ste, seeing as he may read this. You helped me alot there and I'm grateful for everything. Hope to catch you down the line somewhere and hope you enjoy working there. Don't let Chris convince you to play World of Warcraft either ;) And hope you did well yesterday and got that distinction.
Other than that I'm glad to be out of Wilmslowe and not spending three and half hours getting there and back in a day. Will be nice to have a chill for the weekend before getting back to it on monday. See everyone then (Y)

Tired

Spent most of the day today trying to make one scene work. I've been trying to make a bit of an impact and make the scene tell a story and be more than just the usual thoroughfare (I have NEVER seen that word written and it might be so wrong). Tried several ways to make a big statement. Something along the lines of five hours scrapping everything I did, but five pieces later I have something I am modestly happy with and showing it to mark he was happy but thought of something to really top it off, so I'm altering that ever so slightly (it needs my twinge after all ;D). Should with luck be done tomorrow but I still have another 5 parts to go!! And only one more day!! I don't like my chances. After all this is a process that takes up to 3 weeks, as dex told me (the other stelens lot don't seem to know he's called ste and i'm mixing myself up at times). But with only one week left I am hoping to get the basic rough down so it can help and possibly get in game. Though tbh my hopes for that aren't mad high. I'm sure dex will appreciate having some basic layout to go over and rip to pieces, as i'm sure it's going to get sooner or later. Or might just be changed completely. No idea.
But overall now that it's coming to a close I think I've enjoyed myself. The only thing really hurting about it and making me think twice is the travel but i'm sure i can cope with that. after all, it's only time (Y)

PS. started getting an idea not long ago for some writing and I've posted a small summary of the general plotline that's going to be going up. So if anyone is bored enough http://ralzielswords.blogspot.com/2010/05/star-wars.html

Another day drunk on the job

Right, not quite drunk, but it was our last home match so i was still mildly inebriated seeing as the drinking started at twelve and lasted till i got in the taxi and then bed. But anyway,
Today has been a bit more of the same but I've been having a word. Well was a bit more like a twenty minute chat, after asking how something was working, which it wasn't, but I think I was trying to squeeze too much into too small a space. However it was all for the best in the end, as I have basically found the source of how to make it good. Con the player. Make them think they're not doing the same mundane puzzle they did five minutes ago by dressing it up to make it seem like something completely different. Don't think that every puzzle will be hugely different, but all in all should be able to get some things in there that seem marginally compotent.
Thinking about this presentation business, whch I've done naff all for yet, I'm gonna make something in sketchup, the same way as I'm doing something now and make it as though I'm designing something else so I can give everyone a talk through what I've been doing with some actual on hand demonstrative work. Time wise it may not be possible, seein as I'm only gettin in about half eight and the only day I really have any chance at some time to do this is saturday, sunday is chelsea (come on wigan). Hopefully I should be able to get something that might interest anyone, as I'm doing level design work and I know everyone is probably keen to hear something about that.
On personal feelings, I'm going to seriously miss this. I hate going to work and having purpose and then having it taken away from me like this. Not sure what I'm going to do with myself at all. Trying to get in on the ground floor of a company in the design team would be a dream, as now I've got a taster, I've got that motivation I've been lacking for so long now. I'm going to put it down to head modelling that killed me, bloody ball ache that it is. However, having some of this small stuff in as presentation work could help me in the long run anyway as it is. I think the whole working to make something interesting on a hand held is really beneficial. There's alot of ideas coming up in me at the moment, but none would work with such a small amount of polys and data to work with. With these skills in trying to figure out how we can get them onboard a handheld console on the other hand, that could make a great deal of difference in what is good to see in experience and what isn't. I'm beginning to think that being able to work to such huge constraints like we are doing is going to look damn good and is going to give me necessary skills to adapt from what I have learnt and putting it into actual practice.
Here's not looking forward to finishing (Y)