Reflections

This week it has started to dawn on me that soon I will no longer be a student and I will have to enter the world of adults! I know it’s already happening as I have started watching the news instead of cartoons or music on the other channels and I am also sitting down to countdown! I have considered doing a postgraduate course but realistically there is not many courses related to games that you could study beyond under graduate level. Also the games industry do not like students being in education too long (me neither) and so I am gathering my portfolio together to show off to all the potential employers. First of all it was boring but when I started digging up work from my first year I started to remember all the good times I have had and also started to worry about what happens to all my friends as we are all going to split up soon. Luckily I have facebook and who really needs face to face contact?? :p

I also had to make a trip down to Cornwall on Monday after lectures which is not at all fun. I left my university lecture at 7.30pm then had to get the train to London Bridge. Then get the tube to Baker Street then another tube on a different line to get to London Paddington and finally I had an hour wait for my train (Managed to get a McDonalds Deli which actually tastes pretty good!) which went all the way to Exeter. I finally got into Exeter at about 1am and it only took another hour to reach Cornwall!!! When I finally got indoors I then was up early the next morning for a hospital visit....

It turns out that my mother-in-law had taken a fall and broken her ankle in three different places, bruised her eye and had marks all over. We still aren’t sure how it all happened but she seems ok (as well as can be) and she goes in to have an operation later on today. She was due to have the operation three days ago but it seems in her wisdom she decided not to eat and drink so she didn’t have to go to the toilet but overall it meant she was put on fluids. But hey ho she should soon be all fixed and ready to begin physiotherapy. So my three day trip to Cornwall was pretty much hospital runs and visits to the local shops and no sightseeing!!! Hopefully when I am next down I will go visit the Eden project and actually remember to renew my yearly membership. If you have not been go visit the Eden project as it is amazing what they have done. Basically they turned a barren piece of land into a green paradise with a Mediterranean themed area and a very warm jungle area (not sure if it was meant to be Amazon or something but it was really hot in there!).

In other news I have to create 2 stands at my degree show and I am actually not too scared about meeting the deadline; which is a first. The degree show as I said before is a way to showcase your work to potential employers, friends, families or whoever. It’s your one chance to shine and hopefully get a job! Although I am slightly worried my display may become cheesy but we shall see. The other stand is a team effort and displays the game we created for our games development coursework. I want to put bunny ears on the headphones for the game but I am yet to persuade the others it’s a good idea!! Oh yeah if you are wondering why I would want to do that i mentioned previously we have done a kids game about rabbits.

Apart from that I shall be working my way through the months at the Enquiry Unit and hopefully earning some well needed money. I also want a holiday but I’m not sure where I want to go. The last two holidays I had snow and it was very cold and I even started to get chilblains. Although I didn’t mind too much as the sites were amazing in both Holland and Paris. I think I would prefer somewhere which is really interesting to go rather than really hot with amazing beaches. From my last blog you may gather I am trying to avoid the sun as I managed to get badly burnt by it only a few weeks ago!

Anyway that’s all I can think of this week so I will end with this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9489000/9489104.stm

It talks about how sci-fi novels have tried to predict the future technologies and in some cases been quite close to the mark. But the overall message is “How do you see the future turning out?”

Image Stolen from:

http://bit.ly/mjCL3t

How time flies...

I am not sure how long ago my last blog was but I am sure it was ages ago! Being a third year student does have its plus points but it also can be a bit hectic at times. Anyway here goes the past few weeks of my life...

It all starts off with my camping trip I had in Kent which was about two weeks ago at the weekend. We decided that we definitely wanted to go camping but not sure where we could go that would be good and also fairly cheap. Luckily a friend recommended us to a place in Romney called Marlie Farm (TN28 8UE). It was just a little over £30 and we had access to a shower room, toilets and if you paid a little extra they even give you an electric hook up if you can go too far from civilisation!!! I must also say that you should get there a bit early as it did take us 2 hours to get the tent up (and 3 to get it down!). We stayed for two nights which is why it was around £32 but with the saving on accommodation we was able to explore the local area and go on all sorts of attractions. The attractions ranged from miniature trains to beaches (the weather was scorching!) to trips down to see old lighthouses in Dungeness.

Overall it was a really good trip but I would have to say don’t forget sun cream as I frazzled in the heat and went a lovely shade of beetroot red! (It’s also important to note that while there are buses and trains it would be easiest to travel by car :D)

After my camping trip I then was back into work mode and putting the final touches to my final year project which was due two days after I got back. All I had to do was to make sure all references were up to date and I had to make the project look professional. Finally I had to add a few features to my game (the product I had to create for my project) and I was done. Well I say I was done I then had another coursework due in two days after my project hand in and the next week I had another coursework hand in. And today I am in work yay! I think the main thing I have learnt from this experience is “man cannot live on will alone” he needs sleep and/or coffee and definitely not red bull and haribo.

I think the best way to describe coursework is like a giant tidal wave heading towards you. Some people attack it head on and ride the wave (by doing coursework early), some people build up barriers against it in hope it will all be ok (doing coursework the week before) where some people will just not worry at all and end up drowning (doing coursework on the day its due in!). I usually fall into category two but I do honestly prepare in advance I just never do the coursework in advance. I would never advise leaving it till the last day but for me I find it much easier to wait till the last few weeks as the pressure of getting the coursework done means I am more motivated!

In other news I am trying to get back into baking cakes as I used to bake a lot but with constant deadlines and just not being bothered I have stopped baking! I also tried to cook flapjacks at my mum’s at managed to cremate them. I have cooked them a dozen times before but it seems my mum’s oven likes to burn things. I also have heard of a type of icing dough called sugar paste which is apparently really good for sugar crafting. I decided to make this from scratch using an internet recipe but was unable to find anywhere that sold all the ingredients. I managed to find the last ingredient from a chemist and was given strange looks when I said I wanted it for baking and it actually turns out that the ingredient I wanted can also be used to make bombs! I just hope that when I do make the paste it is edible!

I think it’s time to end my blog so I will just quickly mention about the votes that have went on recently. I hope you all went out and voted yesterday and all those outside London hope you voted for your local councils. Apparently the result for AV will be released on Saturday and I hope enough people have voted yes to Alternative Voting. I believe it’s a much fairer system than the one we currently have and while it’s not perfect, by any means, it has more plus points that the current voting system. The one thing that upset me was the Tories campaign to make people scared of AV by saying that soldiers need bulletproof vests and not AV etcetera. It annoyed me because if soldiers need bulletproof vests then the government should give them to them!!!

Anyway hope you all voted and I also hope that everyone is managing to enjoy the sunshine when we get it (and don’t forget the sun cream!).

Easter Break

Well it’s finally Easter holiday time and I have actually been enjoying myself (though I know my coursework is giving me evils as I have abandoned it for now!). It’s also good to see the sun for once and not have the cold winter everyday although I still get confused by these cold mornings.

It’s actually quite funny when you’re sitting indoors and as soon as the sun comes out everyone rushes outside and most of the time just lies on the grass! (No idea why it’s just the thing to do). This Friday was not exception and when the sun came out the students decided to party so I saw barbecues on the balcony and games of Frisbee and football etc on the grass. Strangely I have managed to avoid all the nice weather though by either working or staying indoors and preferring just to slouch around.

I did say I have been ignoring my coursework but I am working on the games development course I study mainly because it’s enjoyable and working in a team means  I need to keep up with everyone else and not to let them down. I started off the game by being a modeller but nearing the end it seems I have designed the interfaces, wrote a brief story for the game and also started work on making assets for the game (basically the collectables for the game) as well as modelling enemy characters.

Interface for the narrative of my game

This Tuesday just gone I also had a training session to go to develop my skills in my job and this session was based around teamwork. So we had exercises such as thinking what are the benefits of team work both to the company and to people individually. We also had to do a drawing to illustrate the point that a team is only as strong as their weakest link and they sadly nominated me! One of the most fun exercises was going outside to spell Greenwich using our bodies to form the letters which at first sounds really easy but they decided to up the stakes and said we cannot speak a single word or use sign language. So it was  not much of a surprise that we all just stood there gawping at each other hoping someone would tell us what to do (apparently we were one of the slowest teams). In the end one person decided to start arranging us into the letters of GREENWICH; which goes to show the importance of a team leader. I formed part of the E and we eventually got there but I am yet to see the pictures!

Sort of the idea I was trying to get across!

The idea that one weak link in the team can pull the team apart.

Obviously my drawing was not as good as this!!!

Rabbit Rescue

In the last blog I was talking about my project and the dreaded product demonstration. If you study games and multimedia technologies you have a report (minimum of 10,000 words) and a product to make. The report is actually the easiest part and you will find yourself moaning that there are not enough words to convey what you mean! Mad I know but it happens! The product is what I am struggling on because while I have clear ideas I am finding it hard to put them down on paper and show that I really know my research. The product I have created is a simple ‘escape the room game’ and I aimed to create two types of interface and compare the two. I went into my demonstration (apparently completely lacking confidence) and ready to sell my product. It was about 20 minutes later I came out in utter shock.

I had been told that the design was poor and that it’s a good example of how no to do it. I then completely panicked and thought I had completely failed my project. After a good amount of reflection I realised that they were right in some aspects of my designs and I could see the flaws which I now intend to improve and have all ready for my submission in 4 weeks time!

On other news my multimedia game development module is finally getting near to the finish line. We have a main character, we have a games engine, we have coding, we have enemies (they just need to be animated), we have an interface (built by me) and all we need now is a level! Yay! Oh wait not so good...

We were on track and steaming ahead thinking that we are doing quite well and then we had other coursework deadlines, project and student elections to contend with. This means we are now a little bit behind but we have a team of three designers so this Monday we are really going to push to get the level done. I don’t know if I have blogged this before but the basics of the game is you need to rescue little baby rabbits from the bad guys. I know it’s cutesy and sounds a bit childish but that would be because it’s a kids game and it also it ties in nicely with the Easter deadline! How we planned that I have no idea!

Aside from university I have not been out for ages! HELP!

Well I lie I went out last night for a quiz night and sadly we came third but we did win the bonus round for £20 which goes to a Christmas party and days out fund. But I would recommend quiz nights as they can be a laugh and it can surprise you how much you actually know. I know auctioneer the pub do have a Monday quiz which my friends all go to and do recommend but I am yet to go there! The auctioneer pub is also local to the Greenwich campus and last time I checked they do offer student discounts on certain days if you apply for a yellow card (all you need is student ID) although I last went there a year and a half ago so please check as it may have changed.

On a final, final note I have just been reminded of tapes which played music! How times have changed since I was young! Also I decided to show you the interface I have created for games so feel free to comment on how to improve. I think the buttons should be a bit lighter in colour.

Another day, another coursework

I am going to start off today with a rant about third year and how you need to be committed! Then I will retreat and be quiet because I really cannot talk as I am behind with my work. What happened is I need to catch up in HCI (Human Computer Interaction) as I had a coursework due in so I neglected my project and focused more on that coursework. While it was fine and I look set to get a first in my HCI coursework I am now behind with my project. Ordinarily that would be fine but I have a project demonstration in two weeks! If you are a third year student you will either be doing a dissertation (minimum of 10,000 words, I think) or a project (pretty much the same but with a product at the end). As a CMS student I had to do a project.

My project is about the interfaces seen in game and how we can improve them to make them more appealing. So I am looking at new ways of presenting the same old information. For example, does a health bar need to be present on the screen why can’t the game add damage to the character instead so when life is low the character limps around. To be honest the project is a really good chance to go and explore something you really enjoy but at times it can be forgotten easily and it needs constant attention. In two weeks time I will be demonstrating what knowledge I have gained and what I have created that sums up that knowledge. I think I will be prepared in time but it’s always nerve wracking when you don’t know what will happen! Oh well I will keep you updated on how it goes.

On another note it seems Blackberry’s should never be dropped when rushing for the bus as there screen cracks rather easily L . I also did not realise how important a phone is to me. I use it to check my emails, to play music, to text, to check Facebook (extremely important) and sometimes to play games when bored. I have also been told to avoid going straight to O2 as they will want to sell me more stuff so I should go to an independent retailer to fix the screen. But tis a sad, sad day.

On a final note buying a webspace is a great idea to create a portfolio. I say this because it’s easy to update and keep changing the content. I would also recommend keeping copies of all the paper pieces of work you have for a paper based portfolio. I would suggest the website because it’s easy to distribute around to potential employers. One website (the one I am with) is One.com it was around £10 to set up the webspace for a year and it goes up to around £20 in the second year. Still it’s not bad seen as you get online software to help the web page if you are not so technically inclined!

And I will end this blog by telling you I am trying to learn to draw!

My Attempt at a frog!

Amazing Things

Well this week’s blog has to be really amazing to boost my statistics so I have been working on ways to astound you all. My first attempt was to write a witty and intellectual piece of creative, humorous writing but I have nothing clever and funny to say. I then went for the philosophical approach and began to write a thoughtful piece of the modern world but it turned into “Isn’t bizarre that sheep don’t shrink in the rain...”

It seems I have become too serious and stressed out to be creative anymore. Anyway this week I have not been feeling too good. I am not sure if it’s the cold weather, the stress or just general bugs floating around but I don’t feel well and now I am half deaf in my left ear which I think is a sign I need to go to the doctors. Although I hate doctors as they fill me with fear because I usually go in there with a cold and come out with pneumonia! Ok maybe not that bad but you got to wonder why the doctors building is called a practice. I mean who are they practicing on?

On an entirely different note in March this year they will release a game of epic proportions known as Dragon Age 2. It’s a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins and aims to provide the game players with an interactive experience in that the story changes depending on how you act within the game. For example you get angry and insult a character at the beginning of the game you carry on the game but then you meet them again! The character remembers what you said and now is not willing to help you!

I think the easiest way to describe the game would be the old board game (a piece of cardboard supplied with dice and imagination that existed in the prehistoric times of pre-computer!!!) Dungeons and Dragons. This is because it feeds off the idea that the adventure starts with a mage, rogue or warrior and they have to battle mythical creatures to defeat the evil enemy. But it really is a great concept in that what you do causes a ripple effect in the game which can impact how the game will end or how you play. Either way the graphics look amazing and it satisfies my inner nerd.


Also before I end this blog I also want to say to all you potential students that university is a great opportunity not just because you can study something that really grabs your interest but you meet some great people. I have to say I have found that university has given some amazing friends! I say that as friends are the people that get you through life!

So much to do, so little time...

So what has been happening in my world? Well since I last blogged I have been on holiday, submitted another coursework, helping out the Student Union society and watching lots of TV! I have noticed that I am watching more TV recently and it’s mainly the news! If you know me you will know I never watch the news if it’s early in the morning I prefer to watch the cartoons on the other side than watch the news. I may want to watch it more if they had to sing it or maybe just added something so it wasn’t all doom and gloom. However I have been watching it as there are a number of important things going on recently. I have been particularly worried about all the natural disasters in Australia because my aunt lives there and I also have been concerned about the protesters in Egypt. I am not sure if you saw but basically there a lot of people fighting to be heard and fighting for what they believe in but they are getting hurt in the violent action that is taking place. Although I have found this image which is circulating all over the internet which shows Christian followers protecting their fellow Muslim protesters while they pray.

Now back to university. So my sound design course has become a lot more interesting in that we are now doing more practical work as we have covered all the theoretical side now. So the first week back we were challenged to convey emotion through the sound of our voices. However there was one tiny little catch; we had to pretend we were Yeti’s (mythological creature which looks like a mix of sloth and a bear). I can tell you that was the most embarrassed I have been in a long while! Then last week we had to go out and record sounds that occur naturally and then manipulate the sounds to represent objects (such as swinging doors and a water mill). That was also embarrassing as we got some bad looks after we rattled the park swing and all three us of us went into a toilet! It was to get the sounds of a rattling chain and the sound of dripping water but I suppose it’s not too obvious to onlookers!

Also if you are studying a course in the CMS department you may have realised the intranet is useless when you need to find something! What happened was we had a great little system but then it grew and grew and grew. So in the end it was like a 21 year old trying to fit into the clothes of a child! So as part of my course we have been tasked to re-invent our intranet and then the CMS managers will meet and decide if one of our designs will be the new intranet! So lots of things are happening around university and I am glad I got my holiday (went to Paris for a weekend) in early as I can see there will be a lot of stress ahead but hey graduation is soon!

Also before ending my blog see the below picture (An old lady tries to stop robbers with sledgehammers with her handbag!!!):