Devlog: Isiah - radiatoryang/fall2018_gamedev1_morning GitHub Wiki

DEVLOG 01

  • Which industry role(s) sound the best and/or worst to you?
    • After reading The Door Problem, the industry roles that sound the best to me are Project Manager, Writer, FX Artist. The role of a project manager interests me because I enjoy organizing events and creating schedules for myself. I consider myself a very organized person, and I think that being a project manager for a game would be a task that I can handle, as well as enjoy. Being a writer for game sound great too. I have been told, and I believe myself to be a good writer. I want to use that talent within the realm of game design, not only because it is something that comes naturally to me, but also because I enjoy writing and telling stories. It's something I want to take more time on my own doing. The role of FX artist intrigues me a lot. When I took Intro to Game Development, I was given a taste of particle systems, and I had a lot of fun toying around with them and implementing them into my game. I think I want to dive deeper into this area of game design because I believe would be very fun and fulfilling. When I play video games, I often notice and find value within the tiny details put into games, like particle systems, and other visual effects.
    • The industry roles that sound the worst to me are QA Tester and Localization. Those two roles seem very boring to me. While the prospect of being a QA Tester is tempting, the actual job isn't just about playing games early. It involves doing multiple things repeatedly with minor tweaks in order to find bugs and report them to the developers. NOT FUN. Localization is a bore to me and not my cup of tea because not only am I not fluent in multiple languages, I don't desire to translate an entire game for international audiences. I commend the people who do enjoy these roles and fulfill them, but I do not want to play those roles as a game designer.
  • Which role(s) was surprising, boring, easy, hard, cheap, expensive, or ____?
    • Some roles that surprised me were the Core Engine Programmer. I didn't think that game development teams had specific people fitting into these roles. I had always thought code optimization was handled by all the programmers generally, not by one specific person. The lighting role sounds difficult because finding good lighting for a photograph can be a pain in the butt sometimes. I can only imagine how challenging finding the right lighting for a game can be. The Pr role sounds easy and fun to do, and I wonder what it's like to be on a PR team for a game.

DEVLOG 02

  • Why do we rely on triangles instead of quads (squares) in 3D graphics?
    • The reason why we rely on triangles instead of squares in 3D graphics is for the sake of simplicity. 3 points are the minimum amount needed in order to define a plane, so we use triangles instead of more complex shapes to render graphics.
  • What’s the difference between Painter’s Algorithm vs Z-Buffer?
    • The Painter's Algorithm handles occlusion by sorting and rendering polygons from farthest to nearest, much like how a painter starts a piece with the background. Unlike the Painter's Algorithm, the Z-Buffer doesn't need to sort polygons, which makes it the faster of the two. Instead, the Z-Buffer checks the distance of polygons versus what it has recorded and then renders based on that.
  • Look at a physical surface near you. What is it? If it were in a video game, what is its surface normal in Vector3? Why?
    • When I look at my table in my bedroom, I can see that its surface normal would be facing diagonally upwards towards me. This is because I can see the light reflecting off of it brightly, and the light in my room is on the ceiling, so it is hitting the table directly
  • Pick a part of the video where you thought either "wow that makes so much sense" or "wtf is that, why would you do that?"
    • One part of the video that makes sense to me is back-face culling. It makes complete sense that developers would use this tactic in order to save memory and rendering time because, in normal gameplay, users won't encounter most of these polygons.

DEVLOG 03 *Why do you think the user make renders at 2:22 and 3:18? Why do you think we don’t regularly make renders when working in Maya today?

  • I think the user makes renders during the modeling process in order to test if the computer can safely handle rendering the model. Today, we are lucky to have computers and software that are lightyears more powerful than 20 years ago so we don't usually need to worry about rendering models unless they are very taxing on our machines.
  • Which functions/buttons from 3DS 4 are in Maya too? Name at least 3 similarities.
    • Similar to Maya, 3DS 4 has the Scale, Boolean, and Rotate tools.
  • What year is 3DS 4 from? Google/name two 3D games from that year.
    • 3DS 4 was released in 1994. That also os the same year that Tekken and Donkey Kong Country were released. DId the developers use this software to work on those games?
  • Do you wish you were alive making 3D back then, or are you thankful you are learning 3D in 2018?
    • I'm grateful that I am working on 3D in 2018 because after watching somebody work in 3DS 4, it seems to me that 3D in the 90s was VERY Difficult.

DEVLOG 04

  • which of Michael Brough's steps seem most important to you? why?
    • Step 2 is the most important to me. I feel that believing that your work is real and works are super important because it can motivate me to keep working at it and making it better. instead of thinking I have a prototype that I need to build, believing that I have a game that I need to improve brings my mind ease when working.
  • so... what is your midterm game concept? (2-3 sentences maximum)
    • my midterm game concept is a game where the player is wearing their favorite shoes. However, it is a mess outside and the player has to avoid different hazards on the ground by running and jumping around the environment. The cleaner you keep your sneakers, the higher your score will be.
  • what will happen in it? how big will your game world be? can you build all that?
    • In the game, the player will navigate through a city-like environment littered with hazards that will mess up the player's shoes, such as poop, puddles, mud, wet grass, gum, etc. The game world will initially be one level with hazards everywhere, and I think I can build all that.
  • what will be hard to make? foresee any difficulties? what do you need to learn to do?
    • This project will be modeling intensive since I intend on having multiple hazards. The first priority will be modeling the player character and their shoes, three hazards, and some city buildings. I think the difficult part will be modeling oblong objects like dog poop and gum, but I am confident I can do it!

DEVLOG 05

  • which of those 10 things resonates with you? why?
    • The one point that resonated with me the most was "My progress is more apparent to myself". This point resonated with me a lot because something I have issues with in terms of talking about games I've made in the past is detailing what exactly I did design wise or code wise. I can talk about my game generally, but if somebody asks me how I did a certain thing, I blank out. Not cool. Keeping a devlog and a GitHub repo filled with my changelog makes looking back at old work much easier.
  • write a 100-150 word devlog entry about your midterm project
    • what did you do last week?
      • Last week I created a bigger test level filled with hazards. I created a new hazard type that hangs from a spring joint in the air, and I also fine-tuned my push mechanic and move code. I also created two models for hazards, a pile of poop, and a piece of chewed gum.
    • what are you going to do next? do you have any concerns?
      • Next, I am going to add a new hazard type, one that chases the player around the map. I am also going to add the better mouse look code we made in class to enhance my player controller. I need to bring some life to my game world by modeling some environmental things such as buildings, bushes, trees, etc. Right now my game doesn't have a unique look to it, and I need to get started on that. Gameplay wise, the things I need to add to get to a gameplay complete state is a third hazard type and a power-up that can slow down time to aid the player in navigating the environment. I also need to add a win state and goal area, and I think then my game will be gameplay complete.
    • how do you feel about your progress so far?
      • At the moment, I don't feel particularly proud of my progress, since there isn't much there compared to my peers. This week I feel like I slacked of regarding my game, and going forward I need to kick things into high gear. I know that comparing my own work to others is never a good idea, but I need to hold myself up to a standard if I want to make something I am proud of.

DEVLOG 06

  • Choose a thread with 10+ posts that interest you, and link to it, then write 100+ words about it: The thread I am going to be writing about is of this cyberpunk girl: https://polycount.com/discussion/201111/cyberpunk-ish-girl
    • What kind of 3D asset did they make? What techniques did they use to make it?
      • The artist, Chris Bruin made a 3D model of a "cyberpunk-ish girl". It's a very detailed model, with detailed skin, hair, and other textures. She also is wearing an awesome futuristic Nike Tech-like outfit and is holding a walkman in her right hand. The model and its assets were primarily made in Zbrush. To create the character, Bruin used a mix of a scan, sculpt, and simulation data to create the model for the character. He also used this method to create the detailed clothing that she wears. First, he simulated the clothing. Next, after finding areas of the simulation that he didn't like, Bruin redid them by using a photo reference to sculpt those areas to his liking. Lastly, after sculpting, Bruin then supplemented his sculpt data with scans of the clothing so that they look physically accurate to the model.
    • What kind of feedback are they getting? What was the most important feedback?
      • A lot of the feedback that Bruin received on this piece was positive and inquisitive. Lots of "great jobs!" and "this is awesome"s thrown around by other users, commending Bruin for his work and also his detailed recount of what he did for each step of the modeling process. A lot of the feedback asked Bruin for his process of modeling the clothes on the character. The most important feedback, rather, the most critical feedback I found was a photo posted by another user. In this photo, the user goes through various areas detailing things they would change or adjust to make the model better. Although mostly subjective, this feedback is the most important because it gives the artist a different perspective to look at his art form.

DEVLOG 07

  • What is the difference between platform studies and critical code studies?
    • Critical Code Studies is the application of critical theory and hermeneutics to the interpretation of computer source code. It uses the sources code as a means of starting a discussion about technological objects in their fullest contexts. It involves reading code closely and attentively. Platform studies focus on the platforms that code is run on instead of the code itself, such as hardware systems, operating systems, and virtual machines.
  • In the “RND(1)” in 10PRINT, What does the “1” do?
    • The 1 in "RND(1)" of 10PRINT produces a number using the current seed. This means that anytime 10PRINT is invoked, it will produce the same result.
  • What does the 10PRINT result resemble? How would you use it for a game?
    • The 10PRINT result resembles a complex maze. You could use 10PRINT to generate mazes for the player to traverse in a game, or you could use it for a loading screen animation or effect.

DEVLOG 08

  • Which of the ports do you like most? What does the book say about it?

    • I like the PATH port of 10PRINT the most because it looks the most unique of all the 10PRINT ports. The book says that the PATH port of 10PRINT is actually a computer program moving its programming counter around and generating a maze as it moves.

  • What is an "esolang"? What's the point of an esolang?

    • An "esolang" is short for esoteric language. These programming languages test the limits of programming language design and also make commentary about said programming languages. An example of an esolang is PATH; a syntactically constrained language whose control flow exists in a two-dimensional space.

  • In this list of esolangs, which is your favorite / which is most interesting to you? Why?

    • The most interesting esolang to me is Piet. It intrigues me because the description of its source code sounds very interesting. Also, the idea of code that resembles art is very cool because the input of an "artwork" (the code) to create more art is awesome.

DEVLOG 09

  • what type of prototype is example 2, and why?
    • Example 2 is a look-and-feel prototype. These prototypes are used to receive quick feedback from users regarding how a product looks and feels when being used. This type of prototype can be a good test for how users interact with your product and see if they enjoy using it.
  • what type of prototype is example 10, and why?
    • Prototype 10 is also an example of a look and feel prototype. This is because the box was used to test how an architects computer could look and feel during everyday use on the job.
  • what kind of prototype are you making for the final project, and why?
    • I believe that my team and I are making an implementation prototype for our final project. This is because a lot of 3D graphics are being implemented in order to replicate the first level of Katamari Damacy. Lots of 3D assets are going to be needed in order for our final project to be successful.

DEVLOG 10

  • other than the giant Git mess this week, how else are you feeling?
    • Besides the git mess that went down, I am feeling pretty good this week. I feel like my group has been making good progress in terms of building our Katamari clone. Everyone has a clear idea of what to do, and from what I have heard from my team, we all are making good strides.
  • what are you working on this week? is there anything you don't know how to do?
    • this week I have been working on 3D models to add to the test level, as well as placing the player and rollable items in the level.

DEVLOG 11

  • How did code review go? did you learn/realize anything about any part of your project, or workflow?
    • I'm not sure how code review went because I believe I missed it when it happened. I won't miss it next time, so I look forward to receiving valuable help and info.
  • Talk about one thing you are doing well
    • One thing that I am doing well is working on 3D models. This has been my favorite part of the project because the art style of Katamari lends well to the creation of assets since the game is low-poly. I've made a ton of models for objects and I plan to model more as the project progresses.
  • Talk about one thing you need to improve; how are you going to improve at it?
    • One thing I need to improve at is managing my time spent on tasks. I tend to prioritize modeling assets over laying out the level, and I feel that I am a bit behind in terms of building the level for our game. I'm going to remedy this by making level design my main priority this week in order to make sure things progress smoothly.

DEVLOG 13

  • emotionally, how do you feel about the project right now? are you depressed? worried? optimistic? excited? and why do you feel that way?
    • at the moment, I feel unsure about the progress of our project. I feel that way because it seems to me that there is much work still to be done, making more 3d models, texturing and adding art to the game, etc. I'm hoping in the coming days my group and I can do some amazing work.
  • talk about one specific problem that happened with the project, and how the group fixed it
    • One specific problem that was happening with the project was that Michael could not access the 3D models I had made in his version of the game. This was due to the fact that I was importing my models as .mb files instead of .fbx files. I had foolishly assumed that all of my teammates had the same version of Maya when that wasn't the case. we solved the problem by moving the Maya folder out of the assets folder in Unity and replaced it with an FBX models folder. After that, the models imported without an issue for Michael.

DEVLOG 14

  • talk about one task you completed, and how long it took -- it probably took longer than you predicted... why? was anything surprisingly difficult or tricky?

    • My main task for this week was to place rollable items all over the level scene. That took much longer than I anticipated. This was because a lot of the items in the game are small, and since the level is huge in comparison, it took a lot of time clicking and dragging prefabs all over the level and making it look somewhat even. That was probably the most challenging part, making it all look pretty.

  • talk about a mistake you made or a misunderstanding you had about the project... when did you realize it, and how did you resolve it?

    • A misunderstanding I had about the project was that I had anticipated that my teammateds would make prefabs for new models they implemented into the game. I realized this Monday night, and proceeded to make the neccessary prefabs for the models