Game Team

For those who don't know, the Midwest Regional Design Contest and Fair is coming up in about 3 weeks for 2009. Last year, I won the 3D Animated Short category, with an entry made from my first 3DS Max project. You can see clips of this movie in this compilation:



Well, this year, I am on a team called the Lost Muffins®, and we are making a game called The Pirates of Galactic Proportions®. Our website is now open for the public, and it is located at http://www.lostmuffins.com. Right now, we are working on having a complete level and the core of the game play finished up by the due date. We're doing pretty well and have high hopes, but we'll be continuing on this after the fair, to have a complete game.

Long Time

Although I am making this post from school, the router issue has been fixed. I've just been a bit busy, and I had gotten out of the habit of posting (if I could ever have been said to be IN that habit).

I started a new job the first week of November, doing support for people using a complicated website-based contract management and quoting tool. I was pulled immediately after the classroom training to go to a more specialized team on the same project, so it's been a lot of learning.

Last quarter I had:
Audio Visual Techniques (A)
Instructional Design (A)
Written Analysis (C)

AV Tech took a big chunk of time, but... I made a movie. I have not uploaded it to youtube yet, but I will do so sooner or later (probably on Christmas break).

This quarter I have:
Managing Game Development (which is more or less Flash 101)
Web Scripting and Authoring I (html, css and dreamweaver)
Ethics

I have also come back to FFXI as I am doing better monetarily to where I can pay some money for something even if there will be times I won't have time to play at all. I've still got the DarkAssassins pearl and Riykere is still on a lot. Shinjo joined the Army apparently.

I am still living in WI, where I have lived all of my life. We've been getting hit with Blizzaga IIIs pretty consistently already this year.

Besides that I am working on making a game with a team of fellow students/friends. When I can share more about that, I will.

The Brewers made the playoffs this year, if I didn't mention that before.

Project

I am about to embark on my second 'crunch' time. I've got to get an animation project done for Animation I (the final project that is half the grade in the class). I've spent several hours on it already, but am not near as far along as I'd like... I have about 10 days to finish it. I'll be putting in some long evenings while working my 45+ hours a week. (I'm really not complaining... much).

Here's my schedule:

This Week
Tue: 4 hours in the evening.
Wed: Church/Work on homework for other class (Research Methods, I'm getting clawed up to hopefully C+/B level after being quite behind the whole quarter).
Thu: The actual class, 4 hours.
Fri: I think I can do 4 hours on friday, I have to check for sure to make sure I'm not forgetting something.
Sat: Softball tournament in the AM, I don't expect to play more than 3 games, and probably only 2. Then will spend some time with my 'Little Brother'. Since I think the school will be closed by then, I will work on finishing up Research Methods a week early.
Sun: If research methods is done, then I basically have this day off, unless I find out the school is open. I think I remember my instructor saying he would be there on sunday so I might be able to put some time in.

Next Week
Mon: 4 hours
Tue: 4 hours
Wed: Off (Church)
Thu: will be taking the day off of work. I'll sleep in a little bit, get up at 8, get up to school between 9 and 10, and will have until 6 pm to put finishing touches on it...

Basically, although I really didn't need to post this schedule online, I needed to put it on 'paper' to see if I could get the time in that I need to fulfill the project. With about 10 hours in so far, that schedule puts me at about 40 hours. To be totally frank, that won't be enough to do the job that I want to do on it. I guess I should've started on it early instead of on time... I'll have to check on the saturday and sunday possibliities, because if I can get 50 hours in on it, I'd start feeling more comfortable.

My Life - Update

Well, it's been a long long time (3 months almost) since I posted anything here, so I figure I better give a little update. Just in case anyone is checking in.

Still going to school. Didn't get 4.0 last quarter again, cuz I slacked too much in Economics. But, I'm regrouping and hoping to come back strong this quarter. Only taking 2 classes, Animation I, and Research Methods. Starting next quarter, I'll be switching into the 2 year Multimedia program, so I can get that associates on my way to my bachelors. I'm hoping the 2 year degree will help me get a job that pays more than $9/hr by mid next year, so I can have all my credit card debt gone before I get out of school and have to start paying back school loans. Egads, this is a do or die kind of situation for me. If I don't get a pretty decent paying job out of school, it's going to be a long long road... But, can't think about that right now. Just gotta focus and take care of the business at hand and have faith that the rest of it will work out alright.

I'm playing softball again this year. Our church has two teams this year, and since I wasn't able to make the first game or two this year, and I noticed that Team 2 somehow got 'loaded' with all of the kids, etc. I asked to play for them to help the team out. Although we still haven't won a game, and have only had one even close (against our Team 1 associates), I like to think I've helped keep everyone positive (as well as providing a solid offensive and defensive player to go with all the kids we have). Don't get me wrong, the kids are going to be good, but when you have over half your players having only played one or two years, as well as being half the age of a bunch of grown men on most of the other teams, it's a bit hard to compete. But, I predict more close games by the end of the year, and since we have at least 8 games left including the tournament, I feel farily confident that we will win a game before the end of the year as well. If not, I still hope we can keep the team together, cuz with one more year under our belts, we should start being pretty good I think.

As for church, I've started playing drums again. I played twice last month, and both times went alright. This month, I get to look forward to playing with the nemesis of the Music Department... The Pastor's Wife's Mother. I'm not one to complain too much about people, but she is just not a good fit on keyboard for our church. She's not too good a fit on organ either, but, at least there, if she's not fitting in, it can be covered up more by the sound department (which I am also a member of). The lady, god bless her soul, just refuses to blend in with the rest of our very talented musicians (no, I'm not talking about myself), and it's been causing more and more dissension in the department. Hopefully things get taken into hand pretty soon. Other than that, wish me luck in a couple weeks, when I get to face the trial by fire...

Also, on a musical note, I've started to jam with a co-worker who is a guitar player, and he's darned good. We've jammed... don't remember if it's 3 or 4 times now in the past 2-3 months. It's been fun, and it's helped get me back in the 'swing' (bad pun), of things, as I really haven't been drumming regularly at all since I stopped playing drums for the spanish church a year and a half ago or so after helping them out for about 5 years.

Well, I guess that's about all the news I have for the time being. I'll 'try' to be a bit more regular with my posting once again.

~Mophia

First Place Video

I got first place in the Animated Short category of the Midwest Regional Game Design Contest and Fair hosted at my school with this video. I won a keyboard! A gaming keyboard actually, so it has extra buttons and everything is customizable. Nice... Reeaal nice. I'll even open it up sometime and see if I can make it work through my KVM switch, hehe.

A Couple New Model Pics

Another Short Video and Picture(s)

Finally got my fighter model complete. Just have to skin the darn thing now... I better go find a couple photoshop for dummies books I guess! Pictures follow:

Link

Link to a thread that I have more screenies on. (Didn't feel like uploading the 5 pics a second time)

Really Short Videos From Modeling Class

3D Modeling Class

3D modeling is a very in depth subject. We're using 3DS Max, which is made by Autodesk, and you can do incredible things with it. It seems like it's all going over my head, but I'm plugging away, and I've done a couple of cool things so far. Here's one:

Time Flies

One nice thing about quarter systems is how fast they go by... Of course, that leads to some feelings of non-stop on the go action type things, but so far it's helping me keep my focus more than it's creating stress.

I managed to "squeak" out A's again this quarter, so I have my 4.0 still rocking through 20 credits. 99.7 or so in Math II, and somewhere around 95-97 I believe in Intro to Programming.

Next quarter will be a challenge, as I have my nemesis, Comp II (I have psychological issues with that class, I think I'll Call it Flower Arrangement 102 from now on). However, I'm taking it online, and I'm on a mission! I've also been improving each quarter so far on my procrastinating habits (at least in regards to school, my room/desk/etc. is still very disorganized and I haven't written on I:NJAC at all), so I have high hopes for this go round. I'm also excited about two classes, 3D Modeling and Rapid Visualization (which is a drawing class), though, like I felt with programming at the beginning of the quarter, I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'm kind of mentally preparing myself for the possibility of losing the straight 4.0, however, keeping that 4.0 is definitely the target.

I will be cutting back on the second job after the holidays, and there is a two week break right up around christmas and through the new year, so that will help me rest up and hopefully get a lil ahead on some of my work. (Run on sentence night tonight). This week and next week are a bit of a vacation as well, since I finished my finals asap. Working only 40 hours this week makes it easy in spite of having to work 'Black Friday' at the local mall at my retail job. Of course that's compared to working 70 last week, and averaging about 55/week since I started my FT job.

Well, I've pretty much said all that to say this. Everything's going pretty well, which I'm thankful for. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Half Done

Wow, one nice thing about quarters... they go by really fast! Still holding my 4.0 so far, though the programming will start getting more complex now I'm pretty sure! So, wish me luck! Math II still going fine, although I finally got a point off... /sigh. Such is life. Also, worked 60 hours this week, so I'm glad that the midterm from programming turned out to be amazingly easy and we got done 2 hours earlier than normal!

One Third

One third of the way through my third quarter. Intro to Programming and Math II are going well! 97% and 100%. I haven't written, done anything particularly interesting to post up here other than that I write out my math homework in prose (at least a lot of it), which my teacher finds entertaining. Thank goodness it's online so I don't have to do the ole "Problems 1-1085109, Odd" business.

I haven't been late to work yet, in spite of the horrific earliness in the morning of it. (6-2, *Shudders*). I've been working about 50 hours between the two jobs, which is good. I'm slowly making headway with my bills. :) Also, I am insured again for the first time in a long time, but, I'd still prefer to not break my leg or anything!

I read the novelization of that new movie that's coming out, Beowulf, which is obviously about the epic, Beowulf. I can't say I loved some of the 'interperetation' of it, but it looks like it would be a decent movie. Probably won't watch it though since it horribly ruins my image of Beowulf. ;) If the movie is anything like the novel of the movie, then I commend them on their portrayal of the culture of that time period. They did an excellent job of incorporating the conversion to Christianity that was just beginning at that point in time.

New News

It's getting nigh the end (as in it's the last week) of the quarter. One class totally finished, Intro to PCs and locked down with a 100% (99.95 approximately). Now I need to buckle down and finish my paper for comp I tomorrow so that I have some time before sunday to edit it and get a minimum of an 85% on it. If I lock that down with an 85+, I think I'm guaranteed at least a 90%. Then Math I I'm currently shooting a 98%, which I should maintain with this weeks quiz/homework. The final is only 5% of the grade so that's pretty much a lock for an A as well. So, I just need to finish a paper in such a fashion that it doesn't totally suck and I should be through 20 credits with a 4.0!

Next Quarter I'm cutting back to 2 classes, Math II (Trigonometry), which I'll be taking online with my sister, as well as... Intro to Programming. That second one is kinda making me nervous, as I have not done any programming ever, unless you count some really basic html (which I don't). Well, it shouldn't be TOO hard I guess, so long as I make sure to keep up with everything. Then I'll get to help my sister when it's her turn to take it... yay...

Now, as for the reason that I'll be cutting back to 2 classes instead of 3... you may have guessed it already. I picked up a job. I will admit to not being SUPER gung ho about it, as it involves getting up at 5ish am, and assembly work on circuit boards. But, it is full time, which after the past year and especially the past 7 months, I REALLY need, even if it isn't the highest pay rate in the world. Combining it with still working a night or two a week at the retail store I work at, I should have a minimum of 45 hours every week which will go a long way towards getting me caught up, back on my feet and out of the mental hospital. Well, I guess I've always been crazy so it may not help that last one. ;)

Last week I read the last harry potter book, as well as the full Lord of the Rings 'trilogy' (it's not really a trilogy you know) all in about 4 days, instead of working on the paper like I should have been. Bad me!

I think that's all I've got for now, since I should really stop staying up late NOW so that I can hopefully get a new sleep pattern started before crunch time. (Kind of too late for starting that today I guess... Ooops)

Approximate Midpoint

Well, I'm approximately 1/2 done with this quarter of school, so I figure I'll give a little progress report. In Intro to Computers, I've been doing good, but we're having a debate on AMD vs. Intel next week. Current grade 99%. I'm also doing well in Math I, with a 98%. With Comp I, I should be doing better than a 91%, but I had a big 'slacker week' last week, so I still have one more assignment to catch up on yet, and also to do this weeks stuff.

In other news, I'm nearly done with The Story of Britain From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History by Rebecca Fraser. Yes, I've been reading it for about a month and a half. It's quite interesting, but not the kind of book that I read 'straight through'. Not that I skip around in it or anything. I just set it down for a few days here, a couple there, and read/do something else. That's all I've got.