About my Blogspot Hiatus

Well reasons for my lack of posting are plentiful. Though firstly I've missed a rather unsavoury amount of days. And when I'm here I'm hardcore into my ActionScript and game making mode. So sorry for the lack of updates but there is a light at the end of this tunnel... Eventually.

CLASS WORK!!!

I'm back editing this post to add a blog entry that should have been done quite awhile ago. I missed it due to FBLA.


Our assignment was to play games in our game's "Community" ours being Function. However, none of the games here were complete, and the demos didn't go far enough to make a sound judgement on them. I can't say whether the games are good or not or whether they really teach anything. Though most look like they will. I don't mean to look like I'm trying to dodge work or anything but a person can't make a choice with no information.

It's like slave labor... nah it's not that bad

So we've been assigned a required blog post. I happened to have been putting it off. So now the greatly awaited blog post from the Amazing Randy...TM...

I have played a lot of games in my day. I mean a lot. And for the most part I never thought of what went into the game making process. That was until about last school year when I entered Information Technology class at a technical college. I was in for a rude awaking. Making a game takes a ton of work. More than most people even realise. But I was forced to move and now, back in regular high school, I have to joy of working in this field again. In my future I don't plan to make game design a big part of my life. While I was working in my Information Technology class I got to look into the extremely fast paced and competitive work environment. Plus I've wanted to be a Biotechnician since before I was in high school. And were-as computer skill is required and even a little coding, I won't be making games to rearrange the human genome.

Back in action, before a weekend...

So were getting started again on our work. We're doing our paper prototype which is going pretty well. We're pretty set so far. Nothing major to update really mostly hard at work.

FBLA!!!

So last Friday I had to go to an FBLA conference. My team was in the entrepreneurship competition. We took first place. That means that we get to go to the national conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I'm pretty pumped about it. But now it's time to get back to Globaloria work.

FIRE FIGHTING!!!

As an additional post today, last night I became a Fire Fighter at GVFD. It was unusually easy, just had to sign some papers. But yeah I'm totally a Fire Fighter now.

Planning for the WebX conference

Today we're working on getting stuff ready for our conference with the "Globalrians" Preparing for any questions they could throw at us, any... at all. I have a feeling they'll like our idea. We've put alot of thought in to it.

Preparations

So I'm pretty sold on the name First Ink, for those of you that were living under a rock during the 1980's or are just not movie savvy it's a parody of the move First Blood. Which was the Rambo movie... So with that decided we're getting ready for our WebX conference with the Globaloria people. I think we should be able to handle it. I'm not too nervous or worried about anything I think things are going to go good.

Ay there's the rub

We've been polishing the idea for our game. The basic premise is an action game where one follows the path of a bill being passed. The game will be from the point-of-view of the bill himself/herself. The game falls mostly into the function category and then obviously the action-adventure genre with platforming elements. There will also be a heavy focus on the player learning things about the process a bill follow. We're currently stuck on a name for the game, wanting to do a parody of an action movie title.

Muffinators, ho!!!!!!

Today I officially became a member of the team, "The Muffinators". The team consists of Zechariah Love and Calvin Barnett. I've sit beside Calvin all year and I think we have a bond of some sorts built between us. However, that Zech kid... I don't know, I may have problems with him... We have a good idea about what our game will be. I'll post about it next.

UPDATES!!!!

I haven't updated my blog in awhile. So here we are. A guest speaker came in and gave us a basic rundown of Actionscript. Overall it's pretty easy. Today we are breaking into groups to start on our game.

Gobaloria Game Review

Globaloria Game Review
Game:Darfur is Dying
Learner: As a learner I think there is valuable information to be found in the way the game portrays the life of children in Darfur, even the lives of young adults and adults is looked at.
Developer: It seems the maker(s) of the game took time to research what exactly life is like for those living in Darfur. They also did extremely well in the art and animation of the game, which must have also taken a goo deal of time to do.
Design Analysis: As I said this game looks very good. The art styles used in the run to the well portray the vivid and harsh life in a desert-esque area. And the village gives the feel of a small war-torn town in the harsh life that is Darfur.
Usability Analysis: The usability of the game, for the most part, was very nice. The objectives were given to you from the start and you know what needs to be done. The village part of the game was a little bothersome at first, but this was a minor speed bump.
Suggestions: Some parts of the game had a few "burps" if you will. If you run too far to the side during the water retrieval part of the game you will be lock in place and the only way out is to, sadly, die. Also some of the hiding places didn't work and sometimes you could hide anywhere on the map.
Learning: Two things I would like to learn how to do from this game is; integrating such good sprites and getting a good Pseudo-3D engine running.
Rating:4/5 Needs some polishing and work with the "burps" but is a very nice game.


Globaloria Review II
Game:Learn the Bones
Learner: As a learner, using this game I would find that the system they use to teach you the bones is very well done. Developer: The way they have the bones snap into place is very nice. Also the questions asked are good for reinforcing the bone names.
Design Analysis: The bones are very well done artistically and the questions are sound. Usability Analysis: Overall there is nothing that I can say negatively about how this game works. Some things are a light rough but overall the game is very user friendly.
Suggestions: A few of the bones are missed named, and a few are missing.
Learning: I would like to learn how to drag things around a board and have screen changes to questions.
Rating: 3/5 Needs polishing and some work on correct information, but this game is very impressive for being made by students.

Globaloria

This is a blog that will overview my progress in the Globaloria program. I plan to utilize the Globaloria resources to learn about the game making process. I want to make a Civics game that covers how bills are created and passed. The game will not just be a boring education game, it will be very fun for all ages. The only fear I have is that I won't be able to finish the game.