Blake's Blog

STEM 7 - Eh...

2010-05-17T10:10:00.001-07:00

Too nationalistic for my taste!

I don't lose much sleep over America losing its place as "[the] engine of scientific discovery and scientific innovation." Yes, America has been an inspired catalyst, especially in the 20th century. However, progress is progress, despite its origins. Seriously, if one cares about progress, he or she should congratulate his or her global brother or sister on a job well done; it's not like we do too often.

American inventors! American ingenuity! why not human inventors and primate ingenuity? (Shout out to my brothers in the wild and civilization!)

Confining oneself to a nationality is outright boring, outright boring! Living in America and exclaiming you're an American is redundant. Expressing one's pride of the incident, even more so.

Don't get me wrong, I know America has potential for a quality of life higher than any other country's, which is pretty cool. In fact, I probably wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It's just... chill out about it, ok? Intense "patriotic" fervor is what causes animosity on the global front. Imagine a Frenchman yelling France is the best country on Earth, thus saying America is not. (One probably has! [The English language is so fun, figure the double context interpretation of the note out!]) Does that infuriate you? Well, I place no blame if it does. (I've found indifference is happiness's contemporary; competition is pointless, dominance over other men is a slavery. I'm not much for any kind of slavery.)

Anyway, do your best America! Do your best! (Also, don't recognize me as an iconoclast, some furious inciter or an especially liberal fellow. [Apolitical usually!] This isn't a sad attempt at revolution, this isn't a brutal critique of behaviour. It's simply one guy telling a lot of guys to calm down already.)

(None of this had anything to do with the topic, sorry. Granted, the topic was probably an attempt at getting EVERYONE up and doing something innovative; I just don't like the nationalistic shroud and prefer to point that out, as I only talk about things I don't care for.)

STEM 6

2010-05-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Inventing something in my lifetime to better the world?

Inventions don't better the world, human consciousness betters the world. I don't care how [long] I live; I don't care when I live; I just want to know that I lived and lived with people who take life for what it is and bring me on that trip. Why take this world for anything more than it reveals? (Dispelling both the religious and scientific.) Write a book of poetry, live forever in a particular dualism; that will do one more good than living an additional ten years with a new heart valve or whatever and producing nothing. (This suggesting applies exclusively to those who want immortality; those who recognize their indifference need produce nothing.)

However, I would like to invent the C.B. Irvine Sea Turtle Refuge for future generations to admired the noble sea turtle. I think I've mentioned this is a previous blog, so I'll elaborate no further.

However, explaining why I love sea turtles, possibly more than humans, may be nice. Shell living is no picnic, and shell living is how I've lived my entire life. Nervous, afraid, self-protective, inhibited in every respect. I've chosen to break my own mold; I've chosen to live in a way befitting my indifference. Simply, I've chosen to live in a way that I'm utterly content with. I won't elaborate any further on the subject, but I do imagine this is how a sea turtle feels in refuge. Although he can never physically abandon his shell, allowing him to abandon his shell metaphorically, living without cruel predators or inhibitions, living to do whatever he wishes whenever he wishes, works well enough, in my opinion.

Inspiration!

2010-05-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

So, how has this inspired me to pursue a real career? It really hasn't.

I've decided upon my future, though. I'm going to college of course, but choosing a career based on whether I can do the tasks required, how much time in the day it takes and how well it pays. To be the modern dandy is my goal; to never have my career be my identity or even be known to my acquaintances.

Now, when I say I want to be a dandy, I'm not referring to the boring dandies whom are recognized merely because they are dandies. I'm speaking of the interesting dandies. The great Umourist Jacques Vaché or the snobbishly witty Oscar Wilde or... well, those are the only men I can think of who are remembered both as dandies and productive individuals.

This raises another question, I'd suppose. How will I be a productive dandy if I'm workin' that day job? What separates me from those boring dandies? I'm not sure. Perhaps I'll find something similar to Vaché's popularization of pataphysics. Perhaps my brain isn't capable of true work; moreover, perhaps I'm an advertising genius of sorts. Advertisement for nothing more than my own seemingly interesting mind. (It's not interesting, by the way. There are a lot of pun images [Alluding to C. B. Irvine's infamous "Yolk Enveloped Egg Plant"], a "joyless nothingness" and, of course, elementary equations when I'm obsessed with numbers.)

In truth, what I'm trying to say is I can borrow ideas and generalize them. The chances of everyone knowing of Jarry's work in Vaché's time is more or less improbable. The chance of most people knowing... well, anything in depth in our time is even less probable. (Digression! People don't care about elaborate details anymore. For example, speaking to a girl on the subject of some hippie-type band or another, I mentioned how much the lyrics reminded me of a Marcel Duchamp quote on the subject of folded arms and read it off of a website for her. The very next day she patronized one of our mutual friends for not being aware of Duchamp! [For clarity, I barely know of Duchamp besides that quote and his infamous feather boa-wearing in a Man Ray photograph.] How snide it was! I'm considered the Patron Saint of Pretension by many (I'm just a tad flamboyant in some respects; I believe many men consider any bit of unusual behavior deliberate and a wavering alarm for desired attention.), but at least I'm very subtle, gentle, even displaying elegance with insult if I choose to at all! Basically, I refuse the modern "small-fish intellectual" cliché. ["Seriously? You don't know who ... is?"])

Well, it seems my digression is a bit longer than my entire entry and even digressed within itself to a separate digression on detestable social behavior. I won't change it; one should consider it a summary of that type of person. Contrary to what I'd like to believe, there may be more to that type of person than a shroud of common slightly-above-average intellect. (Acceptance is the first step to being a tolerable individual. Accepting oneself as a fool or genius is key. There should be no gray area. [Oh my clarity! I accept my foolishness. A genius cannot entertain! A genius is an Edison! No one enjoys the company of an Edison. Moreover, what use does an aspiring dandy have for genius?])

To conclude, what have I said? Nothing really, I explained my hopeful future; I fought pretension with what is believed to be pretension by many, and most importantly, I found a way to mention a Man Ray photo of Duchamp in a feather boa in a blog. (S'pretty alarming, isn't it?)

How are the Other Classes Going? (STEM four, I think)

2010-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

How has this class helped me in my other classes is the question being asked, I suppose.

I'm not sure exactly. I think this program can be embedded in another subject to make that subject a bit more fun, but we're not really associated with any STEM concept; unless one would consider social problems being brought to attention falling under that category. (This may be a STEM concept, I don't know. Not something I've gone over in classes often. Except those little cliche questions in English classes on changing a school rule. And as far as I can tell, those don't matter; I'm still not allowed to wear my bear hat to class. I'd categorize it as a stuffed animal, so I should probably be able to wear it.)

Anyway, as I've said, I don't see any real STEM concepts in this. Maybe playing with variables will improve my math skills? Maybe writing blogs will improve my writing skills? Don't know, not a person who really notices when he's getting better at something; just happens and I destroy anything I did before I was amazing at it. It's the best way to live, to be honest. (Exclude these blogs from that statement. I'm still pretty bad at blogging; I can't destroy bad work that's in progress.)

How Does it all Relate?

2010-04-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Another prompt, how does this class... rather, the work we're doing in this class, relate to my career goals? The work relates to all of my interests, but in rather vague ways. For example, I like art. I was able to draw scenes for the game. (Rather poorly, may I add. I'm not a fan of the computer mouse as an artist's utensil.) My work in classical mediums is much better, in my opinion. Also, I like literature. Of course, I haven't done any sort of literary work in this class, but I have had to write particular thoughts and such down; I suppose that helps.

Really, this boils down to me not being completely sure what I want to do. I'd like to find a way to be able to write or create art in a career; just because I'm not very good at either doesn't mean I haven't been born to do it! Look at Andy Warhol and his complete lack of any technical talent or that Twilight-writin' lady. Also, every modern career seems so limiting. Classical interests are dead for the most part. There's no room for experimentation, it's all efficiency for the well-being of your fellow man. I sometimes wonder if my fellow man is really doing so well. I wonder if he yearns for a more classical lifestyle or if he's content knowing he is doing productive work and living a prosperous life.

Exceptional Inventions

2010-04-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Being inquired on the three most important inventions, I can't help but refer to my interest in fundamental things. Rather than expected things; the Internet, the automobile or something pertaining to modern medicine, more fundamental items that have allowed these to be invented seem more important to me. For example, the printing press, precursor to the Internet, would be my third on my list of important technology.

Oh! how many papers I've done on the printing press throughout primary school, as I'm sure others have. We take the importance of this gadget for granted and view the research of it as a chore. Well, it may be a chore. However, it has in every way increased the flow of information and allowed an industry of information to develop in a way attainable to the common man. An educated common man is quite important, yes? On to the item that would appear second on my list, though.

Once again, fundamentals! Clothes, am I right? Those are pretty important, keepin' people warm and all. I wear clothes all the time and have acquired an entire wardrobe of them over the years, making them substantially more attainable and, in turn, more common man-friendly than the printing press or its products. I especially like the inventions of the pleated trouser and t-shirt, despite my love of fundamentals suggesting I may enjoy the loin cloth or some even cruder dress. Anyway, on to my choice of the most important invention of man.

The proper treatment and preparation of food, pertaining mostly to meat. Pretty fundamental and important, huh? It's inarguable that this increases the life expectancy of humans exponentially. Honestly, what could be more important than living longer without being poisoned every time you consume a carnivore's feast? True enough, many of our relatively less fundamental inventors were vegetarians and whatnot (I'm talkin' about you, Da Vinci!), but I'd assume most weren't. In short, death prevents progress.

To conclude this, I'd like to offer a glimpse of a world without these inventions/invented processes: we'd be naked, utterly uneducated people and (probably) dead. That doesn't sound like a pleasant world. The modern medicine and health or diet reminders of the day may increase life expectancy by a few years; the Internet may allow information to travel more frequently and efficiently, and clothes... well, clothes are still clothes... Never the less, the point at hand is fundamentals are more important than anything modern man is doing. Rather, modern man's efforts are mere elaboration on his ancestors' original ideas, making original ideas more important, in my opinion.

What Makes Our Game Difficult?

2010-04-12T09:09:00.001-07:00

What makes Klangfarbenmelodie's game difficult?

I don't think our game is difficult in any sense, but it is still based around what I would assume to be an approved STEM concept. The questions are fairly straight-forward, in no sense esoteric. The first mini-game may require a bit of time to experiment, but I'm sure any student could pass it. The fun is in the second mini-game. And, well, there's fun in the third mini-game too. I don't think the aim of our game is to be difficult, but to be informative or reinforcing of knowledge that has already been acquired.

Sound Effects

2010-03-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

This weeks topic is adding sound effects. I opted out of being the person doing the main tutorial, as Heath and I have predominately been doing the tutorials and uploading the assets to the team page. It just seems the best way to finish our last topic would be having a teammate who hasn't gotten a chance to go through an individual tutorial, do just that.

Regardless, I've looked through the tutorial and found it rather reminiscent of our first "Adding Sound" activity; only sound effects are more scripting, less work with frames. As would be expected, since the instructions are intended for a button sound effect. I honestly didn't get into the more advanced sound effect coding. I don't suppose we'll need streaming sound or "abstract playback mechanisms", which just sounds like controlled looping exceptions to me. (I like how the title of the tutorial is "'Cool and Practical Sound Effects" when most of it seems to be elaborations on exceptions.)

Platforms

2010-03-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

The topic for the week is "Platforms." Once again, I've volunteered to do the tutorial. It was quite informative, but was ultimately in vain, for Heath found a way to code our walls from the collision detection tutorial.

Anyway, the platform tutorial was probably the most complex tutorial, as the author basically had to build an entire game around it to demonstrate that the platforms were working as intended. Aside from the game around it, the actual walls were quite simple, maybe, twelve lines of code. That's all the process really consisted of; a simple solution for a potentially game-altering problem.

Also, the final product:

Collision Detection

2010-03-09T09:05:00.001-08:00

The current topic for the week is collision detection.

This is an extremely simple process with the help of the tutorial. I only regret not being able to alter variables to an acceptable degree, but there aren't concrete variables to change. I expected to have lines and lines of code for every character on a particular frame, but it only takes ten or so lines of code on a single moving (movie clip) character.

The tutorial also broke the code down into separate functions, which is pretty nifty. Instead of copying and pasting, this tutorial allows the reader to fully understand the code he or she is using from the simplest function involved, to the exponentially more complex combined product.

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/hittest.htm

Also, the finished product:

Scoring

2010-03-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

The topic we've started today is "Scoring." It's going to take awhile for the team to fully apply this topic, as we need to put scoring in throughout our entire game at the moment, but I have gone through a few tutorials and feel I know enough to be able to finish a blog on the subject.

This is probably the easier function I've looked into on the individual assignments, as perfecting layering is not as crucial as it is with scrolling. For our game, we'll be using scores on buttons, which is probably the easiest form of scoring. It requires only a text field with variables set at "total" and a few lines of additional code on each button. The true test of scoring will be the tedium of adding three or so lines of code to every answer button and a variable text field to every scene in our game.

Scrolling Background

2010-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Today marks the day we begin our own assignments as groups in the action script tutorials. The first tutorial for our team, Klangfarbenmelodie, is called "Scrolling Backgrounds."

Very simple instructions, it's basically a tutorial reminding the reader of the importance of differentiating layers. I'm fairly certain ambiguity in the layering is what causes most problems in creating scrolling backdrops because, while the code is not easily memorized, there are a plethora of resources online to find the proper code. The zip file contains a finished product, which makes review much easier. A finished product should always be included in a Flash tutorial, I believe.

Learning From Others

2010-02-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Today our topic is "Learning From Others," obviously. It's not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a review or critique day; I usually like those days. Alas, it is more a topic on how to copy code from a specific source, which, I'll admit, is infinitely useful in a more cryptic way.

The main tutorial was on the actual wiki. This makes things a good bit easier. The assignment seemed more mental than proving one is able to execute the process, as it is such a simple process, proof is probably not needed. I would think the "moral" of this subject pertains more to being able to view other's works to see exactly how they did a particular action, not being able to copy something verbatim.

I found no tutorials that would really help with what I'm doing in my game at this very moment, as the links given seemed too general. (The word "flash" typed into a browser doesn't seem as helpful as I'd like it to be.)

Programming

2010-02-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

Today's topic is programming, so we watched a short video on the subject.

The video seemed helpful, instilling the fundamentals of our action panel. It made sure to stress the importance of our global function books, which I had been overlooking for so long. I'd have to locate very specific tutorials to find, well, almost any sort of code I needed. I now realize that this additional work is nearly always pointless, as the books contain most, if not all, of the code I could ever need.

Also, as a class, we were asked to find one tutorial that will help us exponentially in our game. The biggest issue we have in our game is adding collision detection to one of Heath's scenes, so the collision detection tutorial will probably be the most helpful at this point.

The site with the collision detection tutorial:
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/hittest.htm

Actionscript and Problems

2010-02-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost two weeks that we've not been in class. I was dreadfully bored the entire time, honestly, but that's not the point of this post. In this post, we've been instructed to discuss our experience in action scripting before the break, and the problems we may have had with the website.

There were a few problems with a link, the video and, for me, the code we were told to download. The third problem being caused by my personal computer, not the actual site. Watching the video out of sync for a second time didn't really both me; I still understood the key points. The problem with the link was annoying, though.

When I began playing with the numbers on the Frogger-esque example, I had fun. Making the speeds irrational, increasing the number of spawning enemies, the things one always wishes he or she could do in a video game. So, I honestly couldn't complain about the experience, the two problems on the site are easy to overlook, as the basic tutorials cover most aspects of the assignment. The only thing we're missing out on, as a class, are the more elaborate details.

Presentation

2010-01-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

So, Tuesday we did a presentation to illustrate how the process of making our game is going. We're not exactly finished, of course, but that's not the point of our first presentation.

As for the video of our actual presentation, the quality isn't exactly great. I'm not sure if my voice is intelligible or even audible, but Heath and his cowbell are heard very easily!

Our presentation:
Klangfarbenmelodie - Game Presentation

Career Blog

2010-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

The class has been asked to do a blog answering the question I feel students are asked all too often: which career we plan to pursue, and how this class may help us pursue it.

I don't know what I want to do anymore. I don't enjoy any subject other than Literature, but my writing is not particularly astounding, especially my first person. However, I feel language is the only arbitrary thing I or, as well as I know, anyone can partake in. An escape from the uncontrollable world to a mental location which allows one to create a universe that abides to reason or doesn't claim it. This is what makes me want to write, but I fear notoriety will never be gained; I'm no Wilde, Kafka or Salinger, even.

Anyway, to the second half of the question, how this class can help me. Well, practice with the first person through these blogs has been nice. Although, my more formally written works will still be in the third, as they should. Also, I assume I will end up in, what will feel to me, a soul devouring job which will require some level of technological savvy.

All apologies if this seems a bit pessimistic; I'm usually much more positive.

Adding Interaction (Revisiting Dated Assignment)

2010-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

A combination of a holiday break and excessive school cancellations due to weather has halted our project for, I believe, three weeks. Before the break, I had finished one of our side project, Adding Interaction.

If memory serves, it was, as usual, fairly simple. Two layers, one of a background, another of an object that is supposed to appear as though it is moving in the environment. A bit of directional coding from an instructional website was also required. I believe I made a spaceship float in what appeared to be supernova; I may have been on a Sagan kick.

Come to think of it, I've never really been on a "Sagan kick." I read 'The Cosmos,' and left it at that. Sorry, I end every entry with some clarity providing digression.

"...In the days when you were hopelessly poor; I just liked you more..."

2009-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

The blog I have assigned to me today asks what I would do to support the topic of my game if I had the resources to do so; I felt the title would be appropriate. (from 'Half a Person,' "The Smiths")

I don't know what I'd do if I had enough money to help schools afford musical instruments. I probably wouldn't really help; there are many other causes I would support more than greater stress on musical education. I've never really had a formal musical education class, but I've explored it to a point. That, to me, seems to be evidence that a child will find his or her own interest in the creation of music if he or she will truly apply it.

I think I'd spend my money on a sea turtle refuge, to be honest. Sea turtles don't seem to have many refuges. For example, when I see a sea turtle at an aquarium, it's always exposed to predatory animals, usually sharks. What's the point in that? Sharks attack turtles, I'm sure. I know turtles naturally live with sharks, but humans live with bears; we separate ourselves from bears, right?

Sorry for the digression, anyway, I've also been asked to place compilation of Klangfarbenmelodie's game scenes on my blog, here it is:

Adding Sound

2009-11-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

After a relatively extensive break from classes, we finally return. I've rather enjoyed myself on this week or so away from school, but I cannot complain about returning.

Anyway, back to the subject, adding sounds. It's a fairly simple process, importing sound and timing it correctly with animation. Originally, I was quite relieved by the simplicity, for my final scene will contain a plethora of sounds. However, I do wish the tutorial had been a bit more in-depth. All of the information within the tutorial is relevant and builds the basic skills I need to add sound, but I will need to go beyond these fundamentals for my final scene to live up to personal expectations.

Class in General

2009-11-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Well, my assignment today is to articulate a review of my Digital Imaging/Globaloria class so far.

Personally, I am enjoying the class for a multitude of reasons. More than anything, however, this class has offered me a new medium through which I may share my writing. I've always been a typewriter or pen type of person, but I realize how convenient technology can be for drafts. (I still prefer to assemble final drafts on paper for the sake of formality and my preference for less modernized distribution of ideas or opinions. [I feel primarily using a classic medium can keep one closer to the predecessors of his or her respective art or skill.])

I've yet to find anything I particularly dislike about this class. Possibly, the days in which we are unable to work; those days seem to drag by very slowly. Oh, and yes, I also dislike that people are able to point out flaws in my work rather easily. For example, in my book review post, I had listed a work by Henry David Thoreau as "Nature." The actual name of this work is "Walden;" 'Nature' is simply a section within this work. (I have neglected to fix this thus far.)

Motion Tweening, Shape Tweening and Animation

2009-11-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

We are currently working on Motion Tweening, Shape Tweening and Animation in digital imaging. It's fairly simple to coordinate, however, exporting and uploading the files has proven to be quite a task. My code is correct, and my projects are complete, but everything beside my shape tweening will not export correctly. My morale is surely faltering because of this complex situation.

Moving Several Posts to New Blog

2009-10-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Over the next week or so, I will be moving all blogs that have nothing to do with my digital imaging class to my second blog. Link here: http://blakesotherblogandstuff.blogspot.com/

Recreational Blogging

2009-10-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I posted anything for recreation. Or rather, something on the topic of my personal interests; aside from my digital imaging class. That being said, I shall attempt to assemble such a post today.

I've been reading quite a bit lately. A few authors that have caught my attention are Fitzgerald, Thoreau, Bryant and Salinger. Let's start with the former, Fitzgerald.

I find Fitzgerald to be in direct concurrence to modernism in "The Great Gatsby", but in opposition to modernism being catalyzed by the economy of the time. That is to say, more freedoms for the individual in a superficial way - through blind consumption - destroy the ideology associated with modernism. Now on to the second author that has interested me, Thoreau.

Thoreau's 'Nature' inspired me semantically; he seems to be the first formal author living in the United States to take full advantage of the first person. Besides that, I didn't much care for Thoreau. Everything I read besides 'Nature' prompted evidence of my original assumption; he is a poor man's Hawthorne with, in my opinion, more interesting politics.

(William Cullen) Bryant's poetry amazes me. Lines 25-29 in the third stanza of 'Thanatopsis' has offered me a better understanding of Deist theology than anything else I have ever read. Other than that, I didn't delve as deeply into Bryant's work as any of the other authors I have mentioned. Not out of a lack of interest, rather the physical limitation of time stood in my way.

The only work of Salinger's I have been able to read is "Catcher in the Rye." I would be very interested in seeing Salinger's writing style in his other works, for I can see his potential for writing advanced literature. However, the point of view in "Catcher in the Rye" does not allow this potential to flourish, due to the age of the narrator. I do not see this as conveying laziness in his writing, though. I loved reading the story, and realize if it were written any other way, it would have been artistically inferior.

Drawing in Flash

2009-10-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today marks my second day working with Flash's drawing template individually. The process is a bit tedious if one chooses to attempt to be as precise as possible, but this is not really a problem considering our class has an entire year to complete this project.

Graphic Designer

2009-10-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today, our groups assigned individual roles. I chose the role of "Graphic (Visual) Designer," for that is the field in which I feel I could shine due to my older brother's experience in the same field. Having a personal consult from which advice will be distributed could be an extremely useful tool. Also, I would have access to his plethora of design tablets, which he does not use; this will greatly improve the quality of the artwork I will eventually create.

Paper Prototypes with Video

2009-10-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our class completed a paper prototype for our game idea. I believe it was a great way to organize each member's individual ideas frame by frame, and it was one of the better ways to colaberate our ideas in a tame manner. (There might have been more animosity within other groups, I don't know, Klangfarbenmelodie is full of some pretty indecisive people. "Tame" doesn't really seem fitting for our group's experience, but it's the only word that pops up in my gray-matter lexicon; maybe a common indifference toward less significant details, which led to many concurrences in development, would be more appropriate.)
Klangfarbenmelodie - Paper Prototype

Klangfarbenmelodie

2009-10-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, the teams of our class were developed. After one joined his or her respective team, he or she had to decide upon a core idea for the game he or she going to create over the course of this class with his or her group. My team, for example, decided upon the topic of music and musical education. How it is taking a back seat to other, seemingly more pertinent subjects in education; despite studies that conclude partaking in the creation or recreation, as the case will usually be, of music can lead to applicable results in one's intellectual development.

(Our team is named "Klangfarbenmelodie," thus explaining the title.)

Mini Game Project

2009-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, our class finished a mini game project, and for some reason, I neglected to type a post that explained what we had done. Basically, we developed a game in which we learned how to do certain functions in Flash, mainly gaining information pertaining to action scripting. The process was a bit tedious due to inevitable human error, but the experience was quite informative.

Movie Clips with Flash (and an Explanation)

2009-09-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today our assignment was creating movie clips through Adobe Flash. It was fairly simple, but one couldn't help feeling somewhat accomplished after making the pixelated object on his or her screen move from one side of the screen to the other.

(I remember I had promised a blog pertaining to an epiphony I had. However, I found my great-grandfather's collection of [classic*] literature in one of my aunt's bookcases, and I could not pass the opportunity to thumb through his second edition copy of "Of Mice and Men.")

*(I suppose it would not have been considered "classic" in my great-grandfather's lifetime. Steinbeck's first editions were published in 1937, yes?)

Game Topic

2009-09-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Today is another day dedicated to work, not personal interests. (It is plausible I will be posting a blog Saturday pertaining to an epiphony I've had while reading 'A Hunger Artist' for the hundredth time. Spoiler alert: it might sound pretentious!)

Everyone in the class has been asked to pick a topic for the games we plan to develope. It must contain information on a relevant social issue. I have chosen the environment and destruction of ecosystems. (This was originally a latter option to a issue I found more pertinent. However, creating a game using that particular issue would not translate well. Not every subject can be used in multiple mediums. For example, the illustration on 'The Metamorphisis' was rejected by Kafka, for even a silhouette of Gregor would reveal too much information that the reader would need to infer with his or her own imagination in order to relate to Gregor's plight.)

I feel it necessary to cite the catalyst that sparked my interest in this subject. Frank Black's lyrics, "There was a god // an underwater god that controlled the sea // got killed by ten-million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey," allowed me to truly grasp certain aspects of environmental conservation I had not previously understood. The mystical personification of the Earth, particularly the sea, creates a vision that is quite poignant. (One might have gotten the impression I despised such mysticism. To the contrary, I love adaptations of theology in art. I simply dislike it in politics.)

Game Reviews (Continued)

2009-09-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

The surplus of text necessary to cover the key points of my reviews has been quite the disadvantage. I know I promised an edit on yesterday's post that would contain a summarized review. However, text space did not allow this, so I will answer the following questions today, September 16, 2009.

The first question that must be answered would be, "What is the concept of the game?" Second, one must offer commentary from a learner's point of view and a developer's point of view. After that, he or she must give a "design analysis," which contains opinions on the visual and conceptual aspects of the work. Then, he or she must make suggestions on improvement (easily the most difficult task). Finally, he or she must type what he or she wishes to learn pertaining to that particular game.

My reviews:
Jimmy versus The Splurge:

1. I suppose it is intended to discourage one from indulging in unhealthy choices when concerning his or her diet.
2. From a learner's point of view, it doesn't seem very complex, for it's very cartoonish. However, from a developer's point of view, this game seems very well designed and the game has no significantly noticeable flaws in gameplay.
3. It looks very nice. This is one of the better games I've seen graphically, and the concept covers an issue that is very popular today. I must say, the disguise is quite clever, and will surely trick many children into absorbing a few nutritional facts.
4. The only suggestion I could make is to possibly include more information pertaining to nutrition. It seemed more entertaining than informative.
5. Well, this is the begining of the class, so to write a list of the things I would like to learn from this game would take a nearly infinite list. The fluid-like motions of the objects one can interact with would be the first thing that comes to mind. Second, keybinding that is cohesive, like this game's.
http://www.myglife.org/usa/wv/resources/en/play/Social/jimmy

The Cost of Life:

1. The game is meant to represent government. How difficult it is to maintain balance in government. The choices government must make pertaining to the well-being of individuals, but still remaining economically competetive.
2. Once again, from a learner's point of view, games like this look very simple. From a developer's point of view, it quickly becomes apparent that things such as this are not easy to create.
3. It's a lovely game. The graphics create an ambiance that goes well with the concept. (Once again, great concept.)
4. The only suggestion I could make would be making the seasonal waiting period shorter. I never lost interest, but I came close.
5. Once again, the sheer number of things I'd wish to understand better would be astounding to one whom carried any of this seemingly esoteric knowledge. Possibly the ability to open multiple windows in a game, and once again, character movement.
http://ayiti.newzcrew.org/ayitiunicef/

Game Reviews (Class Assignment)

2009-09-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I begin to steer away from personal blogging, and begin to blog more about my assignments in Globaloria. (This is not to say I won't blog about other things. I have enough ideas to make this blog fairly balanced with my class work and my thoughts on various things.)

My first class related blog post is a series of game reviews. The point of this exercise is to learn to give constructive criticism without being too rude or too lenient, I suppose.

(Actual reviews to be posted on September 16, 2009.)

Second Entry, Additional Information

2009-09-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Due to my current case of writer's block, I've decided that it may be possible for one to offer additional information other than what sorts of music one enjoys and one's love of 19th to 20th century literature and culture.

However, I must first address a question that has been proposed to me indirectly: why the 19th and 20th centuries? This is an extremely easy question for me to answer. The late 19th to early 20th century was the true age of enlightenment, in my opinion. First, literature began to dabble in the metaphysical and surrealistic realism (which is truly a monumental idea, such known contradictions being used constructively can be described as nothing short of genius), politics began being based on reality (such things as spectral evidence were completely dismissed in courts, women were granted suffrage [note: 1920s are about as close modern as I'd wish to go]and such) and philosophy began paralleling with some of the more realistic ideas suggest in both literature and politics, thus reducing the amount of mysticism tolerated in legitimate discussion.

Many apologies if this seemed more like an opinion based history lecture instead of a blog.

First Entry

2009-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

This, obviously, is my first blog entry. The purpose of this blog is personal recollection. In other words, what I expect from this blog is an accurate depiction of my progress in this program. Hopefully, what I'll see is knowledge being gained, problems being solves and an overall metamorphisis from relative technological ignorance to a better-rounded, more relevant individual living in the 21st century, however reluctantly. (Would have prefered to live in the late 19th to early 20th century, for personal insight.)

I am now going to take this being my first blog entry into consideration, entailing I must offer significantly more personal insight than an off-subject comment suggesting I would have preferred to have been born in the late 19th century. I enjoy many types of literature, everything from Kafka to Keys. I'm quite the music fanatic, my musical heroes include David Bowie, Daniel Bejar, Ian Curtis, Peter Hook and Thurston Moore. Other than that, I really have nothing to say. I do realize this makes me sound quite boring, but I personally believe one should not even attempt to offer the entirety of one's being in a single paragraph.