Once again, the Unity tutorials were met with another layer
of difficulty. A key thing that I
learned about the code in our IDE is that the Update and Start are referred to
as method or function interchangeably in the video (which was confusing at the
start). These two functions (or methods) automatically come with each new
script that is made because they are components of the :MonoBehaviour class.
This lesson focused
on making the animals spawn automatically without the need to press the ‘S’
key. I also needed to make sure that when the food hit the animals they would
disappear.
Screenshot of Unity Tutorial
In order to do this, I learned to create my own custom
function. Custom functions can have any name, but it would be wiser to name it
by the task the code written code is meant to perform. Otherwise it would be
confusing when there are more lines of code in your script.
I also learned about the InvokeRepeating function to call
our custom function. It uses the custom method name that I added in the start. It calls that
method repeatedly over a set amount of time.
Box colliders are added to any game object we want to interact with each
other. For instance, in the tutorial,all animal objects and projectiles had a box collider on them.The trigger would then detect objects that
collide with one another depending on the size you set the box collider around
the game object. Once the trigger detected the box’s space betweenthe pizza and the animal they were both
removed.
The challenge quiz wasn’t as bad as I had initially thought. The hints were very helpful :P. Overall, it did help me refresh what I
had learned. Although I was unable to complete the bonus challenge.
Heart of the Wild is a third-person exploration and adventure game
for the PC that uses Unity engine to plunge players into a world where they
experience life in the perspectives of different animals.
You begin your journey in a dense
forest. The fox will be your first animal. You will be given the opportunity to
roam and explore your surroundings, crossing paths with various animals some intimidated
or indifferent to your presence while others will display hostile reactions.
Eventually, you will be faced
with an obstacle generated either by the environment, other animals or a
mixture of both. You will need to use your animal’s abilities to overcome
obstacles. As a fox, alongside your cunning, you will have the ability to pounce
(jump) on an unsuspecting prey or to evade unstable terrain. You will be able
to use your claws to inflict damage and lock down smaller creatures. Your bite
will be your killing blow, although this may vary depending if you have
unknowingly disturbed a creature high up in the food chain.
Because survival plays an integral part in the
wild you will need to be wary of your HP bar. Death is an inevitable part in
the circle of life, however you will granted the chance to respawn near a totem
pole.
Here is how it works:
After you complete an obstacle,
you will be given the heart of a creature of the wild. Don’t worry, you will
not be given a bloody piece of flesh. The heart is the essence or spirit of the
animal which manifests itself as a glowing heart-shaped stone. The heart will
be the key to unlocking your next animal. Once you have it, you’ll need to look
for a totem pole nearby. The totem pole will be distinctly carved and decorated
as the next playable animal. By placing
the heart next to the totem pole it will activate it, making the next animal
available. Activating the totem pole will also give you the chance to respawn
at a closer location upon death.
The idea is that you get to
experience the interesting perspectives of different animals in your journey –
Terrestrial (land), Aquatic (water), Avian ( flying animal)
The fox is the first animal the player
has access to. Here’s a list of other potential playable animals that cover the
three animal types:
Resources that will aid in the
development of the game are listed below in their respective categories. It is
likely that this post will be updated with additional resources and ideas.
Audio
Audio will play a vital role
alongside the visuals of the game to create an immersive atmospheric experience
for the player. In order to fulfill this goal it is necessary to look into four
different kinds of audio for this particular game.
The first one being audio that imitates
the animal sounds of playable animals. This includes the various sounds
produced that imitate the animal’s posture when the player performs certain
actions such as when attacking another animal, the fox would create aggressive noises
such as a growl or snarl. This also includes vocalizations and sounds produced
by animal NPCs.
The second type of audio is
sounds produced when the playable animal interacts with the environment, such
as when running over water, you’ll be able to hear the splash
sounds created by that action. This would also include sounds produced by
the environment itself, such as the rushing currents of a river, falling rocks,
wind blowing etc.
The third type of audio has to do
in response to the player’s actions which
indicates the current game state. By this I mean things like when the player receives
the heart and unlocks the totem, they would hear a mysterious yet powerful
sound indicating they’ve unlocked something. This will place emphasis on the
importance of performing certain tasks and generate and sense of achievement within
the player.
Finally the last and probably
most exciting piece of audio is music. Background music is vital in creating a
picturesque and atmospheric game which can appeal to the player’ssenses and emotion. Music along the lines of the
indie game Journey can help create the ambience described.
Visual
Visuals are paramount in a game
such as this and usually being detail-oriented would be of benefit. However, in
order to keep within the timeframeit
would be wiser to take a few steps back and consider what is available to us. Free
– to – use existing game assets provided by Unity tutorials and othersuch as the animal assets in Unit 2 would be
of great help. In addition, there will be certain game assets that will need to
be created from scratch such as the ‘heart’ or totem poles in which case the
following tutorials will be useful.
Hello! This week we started our second set of Unity tutorials. We were first introduced to some basic principles that make up a game which granted, those of us who had some experience playing games would be aware of. These are:
Non-player enemies/obstacles outside of the player's control and which the player is pushed to respond to.
Actions/Abilities are what the player uses to respond to these obstacles. For example, attack or defense.
Finally, the element of randomness which makes the game experience unpredictable, exciting and fun. This can urge the player to remain engaged in the game.
Throughout the first set of tutorials I was introduced to the If-Statement which essentially means if a certain game condition is met in-game e.g through player's actions then the action in the If-Statement will come into effect.
In the tutorial the If-Statement was used to keep the player 'in-bounds' which is another common feature found in games. This prevents the player from going off the side of the screen. There was a variety of ways to write up the code to keep the player travelling along the x - axis (left to right) without leaving the screen. However, the most efficient method was the xRange variable which we only had to write up once without the need to include the left and right boundary as it incorporates both.
All in all, the way the Unity tutorials are segmented it does make it easier to process the different features of Unity and IDE code in manageable chunks. However, I will need to go over what I learned as a refresher to ensure I don't get overwhelmed when starting to build my own game. Also, for those of you that haven't, writing notes during tutorials is of BIG help, not only when reviewing what you learned but it does help with writing up the blog post much quicker when you're pressured for time (like I'm doing right now)😜
This week’s readings focused on various types of game rules
and frameworks and how to adopt good application of game rules in game design.
The first reading proposes a comprehensive framework that
provides a systematic understanding of the vast areas that encompasses games
including but not limited to rules, base mechanics, software, design goals and
player experience.
The authors begin by acknowledging that games, just like any
other product is ‘bought, consumed and then cast away.’ However, an important
aspect is stated that sets video games apart from other entertainment products
– the unpredictability of games experienced during gameplay. It is due to that
unpredictability that a framework is put in place to be able to analyse the
consumption of game by breaking it down to three main components – which are
able to envelope the different views of a game designer and player.
The authors then
proceed to discusses this popular and commonly used approach to game design and
understanding games referred to as the MDA framework. The MDA framework is an
acronym for Mechanics Dynamics and Aesthetics and was created by Robin et
al.(Hunicke, Leblanc,& Zubek, 2004).
The purpose of this framework is to break down a game into a set of
components as previously mentioned:
Mechanics refers to
base components such as code, algorithms, rules, and basic in-game actions e.g
sprinting, jumping, and shooting.
Dynamics describes
how various mechanics that are running in the game’s background are affected by
the various inputs of players over time. For instance, the example provided by
the video talks about how in Monopoly you can move around (mechanic) and also
purchases tiles (mechanic). Combining both mechanics creates the dynamic of
‘territorial acquisition’.
Aesthetics refers
to the emotional response evoked in the player from their in-game experience
produced from the dynamics and mechanics of the game. This is further broken
down to the following classifications (each game bearing a combination of
those):
·Sensation
– refers to the player’s emotions experienced during gameplay
·Fantasy –
the game’s ability to immersive the player into its fictional world and/or
atmosphere.
·Narrative
– the storytelling element of a game.
·Challenge
– refers to the obstacles of game such as puzzles or problem-solving.
·Fellowship
– two or more players come together to complete game tasks.
·Discovery
– exploring and uncovering interesting artifacts.
·Expression
– the player’s ability to put forward their creativity with the current
tools at their disposal.
·Submission-
the satisfaction gained from time and effort put in the game.
The video that accompanied this week’s readings has
discussed what was already mentioned above but with an emphasis on how the MDA
framework can be used as tool to discern the components that made an existing game ‘good’ and apply those components in your
own game. This would explain why certain successful games held similar
qualities yet are still different.
LeBlancalso states
how these components can be viewed differently from both perspectives of the
game designer and player. In the designer’s point of view, the mechanics elicit
dynamic behavior from the player which then results in their emotional
response. In the player’s point of view, this process would work vice versa.
This raises the importance of a game designer being able to discern the types
of mechanics that create dynamics which evoke particular emotions from the
player. Understanding how these components and its characteristics are
percolated through both spectrums will provide a broader picture of what is
needed to produce a successful game.
Looking back, when I try to give someone feedback you could say that it would generally come out in the form of praise. I'd try to put the constructive criticism in the middle much like a constructive sandwich. The reason for this approach is because I don't want to demoralize anyone for their efforts because I really think that giving up is one of the worst things someone can do. Especially if its on the behalf of one comment. However, sometimes the constructive comment can get lost in between the praise. The person may think that they're on the right direction and nothing is gained from that conversation. I tend to be more sincere with people I know well, because they would understand that I'm trying to help.
After being introduced to the Fixed and Growth Mindset as well as reading an article by MindShift - The Difference Between Praise and Feedback it has helped me become more aware about how unnecessary praise can have negative consequences in the future, particularly when dealing with young children.
This article has interested me in particular because I sometimes mind a friend's child. He's five years old, and it's the first time I looked after someone so young. Naturally, I don't want to screw up and be a bad influence on the kid. He started school this year and just recently got his first homework. Might I add, he passionately expressed his displeasure for tracing letters. I just looked at him surprised, thinking Man...how lucky you are that that is all you have to do. I also remembered that around this age, it can be easy for a child to get either get motivated or discouraged. That is why encouraging effort not results is the way to go.
Another article that I found interesting was Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback by Marshall Goldsmith. Marshal talks about how feedback can be a limiting tool as it tends to focus on the past, emphasizes mistakes and can more often than not be demoralizing. So he proposes, feedforward where the people on the receiving end choose one thing they want to change in their approach to anything. The person providing the feedforward would give a few suggestions without referencing the past. This is a strategy that I've rarely seen used in my experience and would like to experiment with in the future.
Today I took a peek at another blog because after publishing my
first post on game design, I felt quite lost. I wasn't entirely sure where I
was going or if I was doing the ‘right thing’.Although I did mention that I've played a few games, they are usually
between long periods of ‘breaks’.I do
appreciate games, however I was never really an avid or consistent gamer.
During my exploration I noticed how well some people were able to articulate
their ideas. They either had more game experience, a wider range of game
terminology or were just simply better writers. I realize this is something I
need to improve on over time.
The game idea I decided to expand on is the life of an animal. My
aim for this game is to create an immersive environment for the player to
explore. In order for that to be my main focus, I will need to carefully
reflect on the game mechanics in order to make it simple yet engaging enough
for the player to actively explore the environment around them. Another aspect
to consider is if I'm hoping to incorporate a certain level of detail to the
environment, I will need think about the size of theactual map of the game. Lighting is another element of the game I will need to practice with Unity. Since the game is set in nature, I find it important to be able to create a picturesque and atmospheric ambience in the game. The Unity User Manual as well as a video by UGuruz on Youtube will allow me to get started with lighting.
Lost Ember is a game I
recently discovered. I never played the game, however from what I've seen it
does hold similar elements to what I am going for. Here's a sampleimage which roughly reflects the game idea.
The following are my current thoughts on mechanics for the game:
Movement/Interaction
So far, in Unity we learned to add basic movements to our game
objects as well as learning to rotate our game objects so they wouldn't seem as
rigid and constrained in their movements. I hope to expand a little more on
that while also being realistic about my limited knowledge and skills in using
Unity. What I hope to achieve is to make the animals appear a little more
life-like by including a walking animation so they don't look like their
dragged across the screen. If this is achievable within the required time frame
for this project, I hope to add small
interactions between the player and the animal NPCs. For instance, if the
player were to approach a flock of birds, the birds would be able to ‘sense’
this and disperse. This basic unity animation tutorial by MrQboll on YouTube may help me get started with that.
Hunting
Well for starters, the initial part of the hunt is the chase. If
I'm able to achieve having the player’s
action provoke a reaction, the npc they will approach should be able to flee.
In which case the player will have to chase after it. In order to allow the
player to reach the target, said target would have a decrease in speed over
time. To kill the target the player will have the option to pounce (jump),
slash (claws), and bite the target once in range.
Foraging
The player has also the option of searching through vegetation
for plant based food. Plants which are edible will be highlighted with a
coloured ‘aura’ surrounding it. Plants will provide short buffs to the player,
such as increased movement speed and attack damage. There will be a wide
variety of plants and berries to choose from and some will be harder to obtain
- the player will have to get passed an obstacle.
Transformation and Obstacles
As mentioned in the previous post. I want to be able to give the
player the option of experiencing their surroundings as different animals - and
potentially different perspectives (depending on the size of the animal).
Currently, I'm considering a fox, a bird (swallow), and perhaps a fish. The
player will have the option of switching between the three animals to overcome
obstacles - each related to the animals’ natural habitat e.g turning into a
fish to cross a river. However, the player will start off by playing only one
animal. Once they have overcome an
obstacle they will have access to the second animal and so on until they reach
the three animal cap. This will avoid the player from rushing to the game and
make it more of a challenge.
The difficulty bar has increased a bit for this tutorial.
Lesson 1.4 wasn't too bad. I learned about how Unity has a player input system for moving objects. The concept of horizontal and vertical axes representing the universal game control arrows and W,A,S,D keys was easy enough to grasp. As I explored this feature, I've grown to appreciate that Unity has made things easier. I'm relieved that I don't need to worry about programming the player's input in the game.
Making the car move and rotate instead of sliding was satisfying as I realized I was able to perform an action with code! The player view is fun to use especially when testing out and experiencing the game yourself (even if it is just simple game mechanics).
I'd say the most of the difficulty lied in the first challenge of this unit. The first few steps weren't bad. Although I admit I had to reference from previous scripts in the tutorial as well as taking a peek at the hints later on. Having to make the plane's propeller spin was naturally, the tricky part of the challenge. I was unable to type anything past transform.Rotate and had to look up how to finish that line of code. It was an interesting experience. Going through some C# sharp tutorials will help me understand the code better.
Working on this challenge gave me some insight on how much I was able to bring forward from my tutorials.
In the previous academic writing post we looked at what a
game is and how defining that can produce different meanings for different
people.
This week’s academic writing will be based on what makes a
game or the parts of agame. For the purpose of making this easy to understand,
I will refer to these parts (as the title suggests) ‘Game Elements’.
Based on the article by Ian Schreiber, similar to the definition
of a game, classifying a set list of game elements can also differ depending on
the person as this ties with what a game means to an individual. Therefore “no
classification is perfect.” However, there are certain elements that are
similar between all of them.
The following is a list of common foundational game elements
that Ian has provided in his article:
Players – The
name is self- explanatory. One should consider the amount of players in the
game, whether the player is able to leave during the game and what impact that
has on the game state. There is more information on this on Ian’s course
website.
·Objectives
– This refers to the main goal of the game and what the player needs to achieve
in order to ‘win’. There are large amount of categorized game objectives. A
common goal would be to defeat or destroy an opponent or structure.
·Rules – As
mentioned in the previous post, this can be seen as an obstacle for the player
( what constricts them to play in a certain manner in order to win).There are rules
that set –off automatically without the
need for player interaction. There are also rules which provide choices to the
player to shift the game state. The
rules are divided into three main categories:
Setup – Refers to what one
must do at the start of a game.
Profession of Play- Rules for
the events that occur during the game.
Resolution - Refers to the
circumstances in which certain events cause the game to end.
·Resources
and Resource Management – Refers to the player’s ability to manage anything
under their control e.g. More obvious examples
would be the current items in their inventory, however it could also signify
information they’ve gathered in-game and their ability to withhold that
information from others.
·Game
State – Refers to the condition and changes of the game at any given time.
This includes everything from the player to their resources, un-owned resources
and the environment they can interact with.
·Information
– The amount of information in the game state that is available to the
player e.g Do they know about an incoming attack from the enemy’s side or is
the fog of war obstructing their view? This can largely influence the gameplay.
·Sequencing
– Sequencing entails the order and flow of the players’ actions e.g. “It’s
my turn, and then it’s your turn.”
·Player
Interaction – As the name suggests, this refers to how a player interacts
with other players such as conflict, trading
·Theme
(Narrative, Backstory, Setting) – This element provides a more emotional impact to
the player rather than direct impact to the gameplay itself. Players may grow
more invested in the game because of this.
·Games as
Systems – The game elements mentioned above are interrelated. Changing any
aspect ofthe game elements could
potentially change the game itself.
Once the game elements have roughly been defined, it is
common to begin creating prototypes of certain aspects of the game. Prototypes
can be done in a variety of ways to explore the user experience and put certain
parts of a game in action. An example of prototypes in game design as discussed
in a video by LiveLessons are paper mock-ups or even physical representations
of game elements through objects to experience how game play is put to practice.
This is then followed by basic digital prototypes, once an understanding of the
gameplay has been reached. Throughout the prototype process one may need to
revisit and review certain game elements. This is where critical analysis plays
an role in game design.
Critical analysis tends to be a misunderstood term. It can
often be perceived it as a negative concept. However, in terms of critical
analysis within a game it is important to have an in-depth and impartial view
of the game – focusing on the logic and reason behind how the elements of a
game are implemented. Otherwise it can be difficult for a successful game to
emerge from game design. In order to do this, it is important to question the
reason behind the game elements and examine the game in terms of the player’s experience.
Image: Game Ideation Mindmap created using mindmup
Hello! Today we're
going to get started with making some games. I started off by plotting down words,
names or phrases and elements from other games in the personal mind-map I've
created above. I found this brainstorming session useful as it got the juices
flowing. By the end of the session I was able to come up with a few rough ideas
based on my interests and just by correlating the words on the mind-map.
I wasn't sure what
sources to include with each game idea as I simply scribbled down the game idea
without too much research. However, I decided to mention my interests and
include links to other games that I've played which may have influenced the
following ideas.
Game Idea 1 -
The Life of an Animal
For this game I picture the player
controlling an animal in the wild. The game will be player vs environment.
Therefore, the main objective of the game will be to survive in the wilderness
by overcoming two kinds of obstacles. The first set of obstacles is created by
the current ambient/ location e.g harsh weather, large rigid rocks, rapid
rivers. The second set of obstacles is predators which can be considered as a
more difficult obstacle (boss level). From what I have written so far, I
was initially thinking of the playable animal being a prey (perhaps a
small creature such as a mouse.) Potentially, the player could play a set of different
animals (including predators). However instead of giving player access to the
entire roster of playable animals, they would need to earn them by passing
through an obstacle stage of the game without dying. Should they succeed, they
would be able to switch between animals at any given time. Each animal has its
own perk which can aid the player in passing a stage of the game. Once
each stage is completed, it will lead the animal back in the safety of its
home. There will be various objects in the game that player can interact with
to aid in their journey e.g. eating berries will restore a certain amount of
health.
I’m a big animal lover (especially
of dogs) and I remember as a kid I would play a game known as WolfQuest which came out around 2007. The game
simulates the life of a wolf in the wild. At the time I thought it was fun game
to play and I consider it an educational game as it helped me learn more about
wildlife.
Game Idea 2 -
From Dirty Squire to Gallant Knight
You are tired of being a squire with all
its tedious and repetitive tasks - dressing the lord for jousts and battles,
cleaning the lord’s armor and practicing on training dummies. You don't want to
do the boring stuff. You want to be able to charge into battles, fight off the
bad guys and save the damsel in distress (maybe even be part of the knights of
the round table.)
In this game, the lady of the castle has
been abducted by the enemy. You are a simple squire who hasn't yet reached
knighthood. Despite this, you decide to take matters in your own hands. The
objective of the game is to reach the enemy's hideout and defeat the enemy in
order to rescue the damsel.
To help you in your mission you will have
access to the weapons you practiced with in your training. These include a
sword, lance and shield. However you will first start out with your wooden
training sword and earn better weapons as you progress through the game. When
defeating enemy knights you will also earn coins which you can use at a nearby
market to buy health potions from Merlin or upgrade your armour. The location
and environment will change as you progress and defeat enemies until you reach
the hideout for the final battle.
Over the years I played a lot of mmorpg games such as Order and Chaos or Black Desert Online. My favourite class was always the knight/warrior class, or any class that incorporates the warrior element. I found some info about the life of knights in a history book I had at home - The Past Today, Second Edition by Dermot Lucey.
Game Idea 3 -
Earning the Favour of the Gods
You're an average and rather weak human
who signs up to the infamous ancient Greek tournament of strength
and perseverance which
takes place every decade.The tournament is filled with stages each
one more treacherous than the last.
You must complete certain tasks for the
gods to earn their favour. Each task is specific to a particular
God. Through participating in each task, you are being put to
the test to see if you display the same feats and qualities of courage,
bravery, passion, humility, wisdom, deceit that denotes to each God.
If successful, you earn a
trait specific to that of a God. For example completing a task for
Ares the god of war will earn additional strength. If you complete a task for
Aphrodite the goddess of love you earn the charm trait. These traits will help
you complete more difficult tasks further down the line. Once you've achieved
them you'll be able to use them more than once and in different combinations.
You will also earn badges by passing
each stage. Collecting all the badges will earn you the favour of the
Gods where they will dub you victor of the tournament and grant you
one divine wish.
Tasks play out differently depending on
the deity you're completing it for. For instance, you may need to go search for
Apollo’s missing lyre, deliver an important message for Hermes, successfully
complete a hunt to be deemed worthy by Artemis.
Mythology was always something I was interested in. Although I may not know much a lot about it. I have read about Greek mythology on Wikipedia or watched videos on YouTube by Mythology and Fiction Explained
Game Idea 4 –
Lost in Space
You are an astronaut
lost in space. The cord that had tied you to your ship has snapped and now
you’re left wandering aimlessly in the dark abyss. The objective of this game
is to safely return to your spaceship before your oxygen runs out. There will
be a timer on the side of your screen that will tell you how much time you have
before oxygen runs out. An oxygen fuel bar will be displayed underneath to give
the player a visual representation of the amount of oxygen left in the tank.
But it won’t be smooth sailing in space just because there’s not water! There
will be obstacles blocking your path, ranging from asteroid fields, abandoned
space junk and the occasional extraterrestrial appearance. So how
are you going traverse through space without your spaceship? It’s simple.
Float. Bounce. Dodge. Repeat. Obviously, due to the lack of gravity you will be
mostly floating. However, when you get close to other floating objects in space
such as junk and scraps from ships, you have the ability to bounce on them
giving you a short temporary boost. Although you will not be able to bounce of
everything you see. Some objects will be spinning and travelling at an
alarmingly fast rate (such as asteroids) and it you get hit, you die. Aliens in
the game are not very friendly beings. If they spot you on one of your patrols
they will try to shoot you with one of their blast guns. There is a way for the
astronaut to travel faster without bouncing. That is if they if the use some of
the oxygen from their PLSS (Primary Life Support Subsystem) which is the
backpack that contains the oxygen supply. By releasing some of the oxygen out
of the tanks, it will give astronauts a greater boost. Naturally, they will run
out of oxygen much faster. However, not all space junk is junk, you will be
able to replenish your oxygen if you’re luck to come across one floating by.
Although they’re not that easy to get a hold of.
Space and the Sci-fi genre has always fascinated me. Interstellar and Zathura are only a few movies at the top of my head that had inspired me. However, I haven't played too many space-related games although I remember trying out Hade's Star
I'm pleased to announce
that I've completed the first few Unity tutorials!
In this post I'm going to go over
a little about my first experience using Unity. You might find a little trick
or two could be useful (or not).
One of the first things our class
group was told in the lecture (that I could remember) was to put an underscore ‘_’before a file name. This will help organize important
files in the projects window. I find this helpful because I had some trouble in the past when arranging
files in projects – it would always take too long to find the folder you’re
looking for.
One thing I need to work on is
moving the camera itself around the objects (it took me a little while to get
the perspective right without it looking slanted in the in the player’s point of
view. I also need a bit of practice ‘looking’ or ‘panning’ around the world.
The key and mouse combinations are quite different than what I’m used to. I
tend to use the ‘space’ bar and left click or Ctrl and + to zoom as accustomed
to adobe products or drawing programs such as MediBang Pro.
Overall I really enjoyed
following the video tutorials and mess around with objects and tools to test
their limits :p I look forward to bring a world to life with Unity.
Time - such an elusive concept. One moment you're tapping your foot, checking your phone every few seconds as you wonder when the lecture's over. Another moment you're sweating as you pull an all-nighter hoping you can submit the assignment you just started before the deadline. Either way, it's always a battle against time. No? Maybe it's different for you. But for as long as I've remembered, I've always struggled with time management.
In this post I will list out a few ideas on how I'm planning to approach assignments for this and other modules - featuring some tips that were introduced to us.
Ideally, as per the timetable given to us, I'd prefer working on one module a day depending on whichever module was assigned to us on any given day. Of course, that is easier said than done - especially if you're working part-time. There will be much larger assignments that need to be broken down and completed over a period of time. Here's where the next point may come in handy.
Checklists
This is something that for the most part, I already do and I recommend doing. It doesn't have to be super -detailed. Even writing down the assignments/task you're given and the due dates can save you confusion and time checking the moodle course page every 4-5 times because you weren't sure when the deadline was coming up. It does bring some relief and satisfaction when you know you've checked it from the list and you don't have to worry about it any longer.
If you want to expand checklists, especially for bigger projects that need to be turned into bite-sized daily/weekly goals, then here's some tools to help with that.
Classic but personally, I think this is the best way to make checklists. We already use a lot of on-screen tools as it is. It can be difficult to keep track of them all. Having a pen and notebook at your side can make life a little easier. Although I understand this may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Habitica - Gamify your life
The video is 5 years old but it still explains how Habitica works.
Habitica is an online task management and habit-building tool which can also be installed on iOS or android. The tasks you complete or habits you build have the same functionality of a checklist with many classic RPG aspects to it. You start off as a warrior. Habitica treats your tasks as a game, and by completing them alongside quests, you earn experience to level up. When you reach level 10 you get to choose one of the10 classes available e.g Rogue, Mage, Healer and more. One of the great things about Habitica is that you can team up with others to complete quests (by doing your tasks) so you don't have to do it alone if you don't want to.
When you complete your tasks you earn rewards and coins which you can use to spend on a treat (you can make up a treat yourself e.g Watch Netflix or buy something for you character in the shop). It's really up to you to what extent you want to use Habitica - whether it's just for your studies or planning your entire day.
Trello is another visual planner where you use cards to add digital checklists. Different cards can represent different activities or projects and they're all displayed on a board and you can use more than one board for different aspects of your life. Each time you check something form your list it adds to a % on the progress bar until it's completed. I remember using this a few years ago. I'm considering trying out again for this semester.
If you want to read more about checklists then here's a link to an article that talks about The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese featuring Trello.
Another article which I found useful was 3 Steps to Recapture Time by Joynicole Martinez. This article is more about reflecting on what's holding you back and adopting a mindset of letting that stuff go. These may be things that we already know about but a lot of us do not take action on. It emphasizes on spending the first 15 minutes planning out your tasks for the day. Rather than diving straight in the work, it's a good idea to have a plan, so we don't diverge from it as the day goes by. I feel like it also brings a sense of accomplishment when you know you've done the work that you had to do that day.
Another point I found useful is the art of saying 'no'. It's definitely not the first time I've heard of it, but it's something I sometimes struggle with. Sometimes it's hard to turn down an offer to hang out with a friend, especially when you feel like you could use a break. But it's one of the reasons that I may be falling behind and it's something to work on.
I may update this post when I come around to discovering other time-management and/or study techniques. For now, this a goodbye!
Over the course of this module, we'll be using a variety of tools for each assignment. I've already talked about how I will be using Unity3D for the first time in my previous post. Here, I'll tell you about a few other tools that will help with doing tasks in a more efficient manner. You may find something here that could be useful for you too.
Bookmarking
This is something that I definitely want want to learn more about. There are times when I discover interesting and informative websites. I either make a mental note to record it at a later date or bookmark it straight away. Generally, I would use Google's basic bookmarking tool function. Although, in the past I kept lists of links in word documents, however it was still easy to forget about them.😅
Have you ever looked at your long list of messy and unordered bookmarked sites and just couldn't bother sifting through them? Then you should probably take a peek at what Diigo can do. Here's a short video I found that shows Diigo in action with it's effective use of bookmarks, annotations, tags and more. Glad I came across it!
I don't do much of image editing outside assignments. If I were to use an image editor, I usually prefer to use Photoshop, my phone or the basic image editor on my computer. I don't know how I feel about using Google photos or the Chromebook image editor. Although, I'm looking forward to discovering different quick image editors to use on the go. One I found over the summer is a photo-editing app on iOS or android called Snapseed. I haven't used it a lot, but I found it to be quite effective in enhancing photos. It let's you use various kinds of tools such as adjusting tone, white balance, you can also create double exposures on your phone.
Canva is a tool I'm familiar with from last year. Despite the free version not allowing you to add gifs and other cool features, it's intuitive and has some nice graphics available to use. Although, a complaint I'd have about it is that it didn't let me resize the canvas once it was generated. So, I'd advise to check you have it the right size before you start adding content.
This post is rather nice and straight to the point. I will be providing feedback and initial thoughts on class assignments for this module and how they're laid out. BUT ladies and gentlemen - let's begin with a round of applause for our one and only Multimedia Development 1 lecturer, Shaun! 👏
I just wanted to say, I appreciate having the syllabus - with all it's tasks and reading laid out clearly in the website. It really does simplify things for students and takes away from the stress and confusion. Thanks for that!
Now, to get to the task at hand...
Academic Response to Readings
Quite daunting to say the least. Personally, I do not mind reading. It is a hobby that I enjoy, especially if it's related to my interests. Well... I do enjoy games, and it will be interesting to learn about game ideation and design. However, the first part that I find alarming is the academic writing. I haven't written too much in an academic style of writing. So I don't feel very confident in that area - although I do appreciate the resources given in regard to that. My second concern is that including the reading time, I feel like may I over-spend time on this assignment more than a person normally would. I do understand that an academic writing piece does require a substantial amount of reading time. I'm going to have to be wary with the amount of time I'm spending on this specific assignment.
Probably one of the most exciting tasks is getting started with the tutorials as well as getting to learn how the game engine works. I find it it kind of crazy to think that games like Rust, Ori and the Blind Forest, Hearthstone - all thousands of active players was made using Unity - and that we have that technology on our finger tips.
Project
I'm not going lie, I'm a little nervous about the code and how the final result will look like. At this stage, however, I guess it's about the exploration and getting our hands in the muck. Looking forward to the possibilities and perhaps creating something fantasy based where I can incorporate some drawing skills.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm not a blog fan. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against other people's blogs. I just don't like putting myself out there. Here we are nonetheless - better to make something good out of it! I will look forward to project feedback however. The experience will give me the opportunity to understand what people are into, their experience as a player and ultimately discover where I need to improve.
Extra Credit
The main two tasks that I'm drawn towards in this category are Growth Mindset and the Tech Tasks. I've mostly talked about Growth Mindset in my last post, but to summarize I'm hopeful that by learning more about it, I will be able to manage my assignments in a healthier and stress-free manner. Tech Tasks will be useful to learn more about the Blogger and other tools. Since we are going to be using them anyway, it would be nice to get more creative with it.
Overall, aside from the familiarity of Blogger and Twitter, most of the class tasks that we'll be doing in this module will be new to me.
I've never really put much thought on the kind of mindset I have when it came to encountering challenging tasks wherever they'd pop up - whether it's a school assignment or a specific goal that had to be met at work. When I try to think about the way I'd approach a difficult task or any task really - I'd view it as something that just had to be done. I'm usually caught in this 'doing' cycle as the work piles on that I never really stop to consider or appreciate doing the work. So, it was quite refreshing and an eye-opener for me when I was introduced to Carol Dweck and her work on Growth Mindset.
Currently, I see my self in a Fixed mindset. The reason behind this being that I tend to take quite long doing a task because sometimes I have high expectations for myself (this could also relate to a fear of making mistakes). However, this tends to backfire as there are deadlines to be met and suddenly the work doesn't turn out to be that great (or enjoyable for that matter). Now that I've become more aware about these two mindsets I would be very open to learn more about them and learn about myself in the process. My goals for this semester is to get a good grip on time management. I know I have a good vision for a task; it's just about being strategic on how tackle them without succumbing into negative and stressful mindset. The top three modules that I'm currently looking forward to are: Visual Design, Multimedia Development and Website Design. I hope to implement the growth mindset into each module this semester and if things begin start to get out of control, I'd return to the Growth Mindset videos and articles as refresher.
Greetings! I'm JRLOI - second year here, and as the title suggests I am still pretty lost when it comes talking about where I see myself in the future. So, I'm sorry to say, but that hasn't changed.😅 I've been staring at one of the introduction prompts related to career and then it dawned on me - oh 💩! I have no short-term or long-term goals, no practical goals, no big dream goals. I have NO career goals! To top it off, I'm still unsure whether this course is a right fit for me. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the modules, I certainly did. I'm curious if anyone else is feeling like a tiny friggin' sardine in vast ocean, just swimming about while trying to not get sucked in to a current that leads you to a 9 -5 that you'll grow to d r e a d.
Well, isn't this positive start to this post? For real though, I feel like most people who got their degree and gradually grow accustomed at workplace in their career they've chose may think - "Well, this is it. I've studied 1,2,3,4, 5.... years to get where I am. This has to be what I want. I can't turn back now."
Well, I work for a business man, he's married, and is a father to a sweet little boy. He told me straight up, that even he doesn't know if this career is what he wants to do. I don't why, but I've always found it a safer option if I know where I'm heading. I suppose the take on here is if you like something go for it and it may open things you're into until you can pinpoint your niche.
Just like that double diamond we all love seeing in our lectures...
Alright, I'm going off an a tangent.
Since this blog will have content based on readings related to games - let's talk about games, nerds!
I don't consider myself well -versed in the gaming culture. As a kid, I naturally wanted many things. I remember how much I wanted a Nintendo DS and spam Mario. Nope. I wanted a switch. Nope. I didn't bother asking for a PlayStation.
So naturally I turned to pc games - the free ones of course (I'm going to spare myself some embarrassment here.) However, games that I've played recently include League of Legends, Minecraft, Among Us, Valorant. I might add a game wishlist here later.
Well folks, I'll wrap it up here for now. I might come back at a different date to delete everything add more points. For know, I'll leave you with this jumble of thoughts - who really knows what it means. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Take what you will from it.
