Google Sketch Up - Dream House Model

Below is a series of printscreen images depicting the dream house and its various amenities.

This image is a front profile of the house, from which can be viewed the primary entrance, the gallery (to the right), and select portions of the rear regions. It is a depiction of what the house would appear like from an observer along a theoretical street in suburbia.

A view of the house from its diagonal left. The gallery is now quite apparent, along with the anterior living room. The backyard lies suggestively to the right, and as such, portions of it are now visible.

A more complete view is given of the living room, along with the installed sunroof not introduced previously. Other windows are clearly visible along the perimeter of the house to provide a more comprehensive understanding of both its interior and exterior layout.

The backyard proper has now been made visible, along with portions of the insides (ambiguously shown through the translucent glass of the living room and bedroom to the center and right respectively)

A wider range is provided of the backyard and posterior portions of the house on the whole. A quadrant-shaped structure is now mostly visible to the right. This is the bathroom, and shall be addressed in greater detail in a later section. To satisfy the requirements of the assignment, the pool structure and its environs were imported from google warehouse, after which the object was edited (albeit slightly), so as to soften the harsh edges.

A profile is shown from the diagonal right in respect to the back of the dream house. The bathroom is now visible, as well as the greater roofing scheme on the whole.

Yet another view is shown, rotated slightly from the previous position. In concert with the previous few images, this completes the general trend of circular motion around the house, providing a relatively tangible feel of the scheme of things (where the house's sides are concerned).

Above is a bird's eye view of the house, showing its exterior features in their entirety. The general locations of all rooms, balconies, galleries, and what have you, may be located.

This is a detailed view of the house's balcony. The inspiration for this was an image obtained off of the warehouse. The balcony has since then been extended, re-painted, and otherwise edited beyond recognition, and in so doing made to extend beyond the living room to act as a roofing structure for the room beneath.

A magnified view of the gallery.

A more detailed representation of the living room; primarily its exterior. The pencil tool was used to create the oddly shaped dimensions of this house, which appear as a pentagon atop a rectangle with a diagonal slice out of the topmost right hand corner. In actuality, the shape of the house was constructed using only the pencil tool, and therefore constitutes as a free-hand construction (satisfying yet another requirement of the assignment).

A more revealing look at the bedroom from the exterior. Note that the features are still generally difficult to discern, and shall therefore be shown from an interior perspective later on.

An interior view of the living room. The furnishings are clearly visible, many of which were imported and subsequently edited to appear more inkeeping with the theme of the house. The images portrayed on the television screen are from a video game entitled Jak II, and are both intended to satisfy the requirement of importing an image from the home computer. All images obtained in this way were copyrighted, but permission was obtained from the individuals who posted these images through email. Please feel free to contact me for verification of these emails.

A detailed view of the computer set up within the living room. This reinforces the clause requiring imported images, as NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Lebrick Shames (more formally known as Lebron James) are depicted side by side. Once more, both images were obtained as a result of permission granted by the owners.

Above is shown a detailed depiction of the afore-mentioned bedroom (as shown from the interior or the house). The door to the left leads to the bathroom, as cited below.

A view of the bathroom's interior, portraying some of its facilities.

Yet another picture of the bathroom's facilities. Two pictures were taken so as to avoid omitting any significant detail. The curved nature of the bathroom also inhibits the camera angle from looking upon all features simultaneously. Portions were imported, greater portions were edited, and still more were created. (Ex: The sink, the door and the wall respectively)

In this image is not only a detailed view of the front porch, but in it may also be seen a number of requirements having been met. For instance, the pillars erected to each side of the porch consist of one sphere atop a cylinder (which satisfy the need for at least one sphere and two cylinders). Of course, quite a substantial amount of textures are used throughout the house, and more than four are visible in this image alone, inclusive, but not limited to: the colour of the window sill, the translucent appearance of the window itself, the sphere's rocky marble composition, and the cylinder's wood finish. This is to say nothing of the different glassware used, different floor schemes, wall panelling and roofing tiles included at various points in the building.

Though a number of images have been taken which depict the gallery, this particular image takes careful notice of the gallery's windows, which were created by myself using the follow-me tool, among other more basic functions. This was done in an effort to satisfy yet another pre-requisite of the assignment, dictating that the follow-me tool be used at some point throughout the assignment. I find it prudent to note that the spheres depicted in the image preceeding this one were also created using a combination of the follow me tool and other less sophisticated functions (such as 'select' and 'draw').

Please note that a number of the furnishings were imported and/or edited. This does nothing to belittle the project's originality of course, for the entire framework of the house, including the concepts that spearheaded its design were all borne of original thought. The only major segments imported were the backyard and portions of the bathroom and bedroom (things such as beds and sinks). The vast majority of the features were, however, created or edited in some manner by me, and therefore reserves the right to individuality. The images imported from my computer are also under the 'fair-use' act, and are therefore not under the conventional laws of copyright, as they have not been used for personal or monetary gain. To circumvent any doubt however, permission was obtained and is available upon request. For a more detailed tour of the project, consult the google skecth-up file itself (also available upon request), where infinite perspectives are possible, and therefore a more comprehensive and enjoyable view of the dream house.

Google SketchUp

Above is a series of functions documenting the creation of geometric shapes on Google Sketchup.

The video above indicates how to create three dimensional objects from two dimensional planar shapes.

The above cited video outlines how to manipulate three dimensional objects on a three dimensional plane.

The video listed above explains how to create additional surfaces upon already created three dimensional surfaces.

The video listed above describes how to rotate a three dimensional object on a three dimensional plane using an anchor and axes accordingly.

How to Create a Stop Motion Effect Using Windows Movie Maker

Above is the tutorial proper in which the "Stop Motion" Effect is described in detail.

It is a demonstration of how to create this effect using the program Windows Movie Maker.

Stop Motion involves placement of of images in rapid succession so as to create the impression of movement. The video demonstration outlines the making or a video in which a stuffed-animal-sheep is pursued by fluffed slippers. This involves 13 images being shown in approximately 1 second. As Smart Recorder only processes 5 images per second (maximum), the video within the tutorial is not shown. To countermand this dilemma, the video made during the tutorial has been reposted above as reference material to be viewed after having seen the tutorial (and the explanation of how to create the video).

How to Create Spreadsheets Using Microsoft Excel

Step 1: After having signed onto a computer, on which Microsoft Excel 2007 has been installed, locate the icon. The icon may be found in a number of locations, such as the desktop as a shortcut, the start menu as a recently used listing, or under all programs in the Microsoft Office folder. To ensure that the program is located, move the cursor to the start menu (indicated by the word “Start” in the bottom left of the screen. Directly above shall be a tab called “All Programs”. Under All Programs, there is a Microsoft Office File folder, in which the Microsoft Office Excel 2007 icon and title may be found. Double-click on this tab, after which the program initiates.

Step 2: A number of formulae may be applied in the application Microsoft Office Excel 2007. In the creation of spreadsheets, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the only operations necessary. To begin the spreadsheet, begin by organizing the data by placing titles in appropriate places. For the purposes of this tutorial, a mortgage table shall be used. The situation is as follows: “A mortgage is set up with a principal of $55 000.00 at a rate of 7.75% annual rate. The mortgage payment is $675.00 a month. Create a table representing the mortgage payments over a period of two years”.



Step 3: To enter information into a cell, simply click on the desired cell and type the information you wish to input. Continue this process and enter the titles of this spreadsheet. For the purposes of this tutorial, the titles are placed in the following sequence of cells:

A1: Mortgage Table
A2: Month
B2: Payment
C2: Rate
D2: Interest
E2: Credit
F2: Balance



Step 4: The information of the spreadsheet can only be derived when there is preliminary information from which the output can be derived. To begin, we input all information that we are provided with into the table, such as the initial balance, the months, the constant mortgage payments, as well as the constant annual rate. These values are all predictable and/or given, and will help in obtaining values not yet acquired. We shall being with months. Click on the second box beneath ‘Month’ (A4) and enter the number 1. To fill the rest of the months, simply click and drag, such that the first month and the 23 others immediately after are highlighted. Now move the cursor in the vicinity of the top right. Next to the fill command is a small downward pointing arrow. Click on this arrow and a box with various options appears. Select ‘Series…”, which is the second command from the bottom.



Step 5:Yet another box shall appear; click on the ‘linear’ option for series. Since the columns have been highlighted before hand, the ‘columns’ option shall already be selected under the “Series in” tab. Ensure that the “Step value” is set at 1 by clicking on the box and typing in 1. After these adjustments have been made, simply click OK, and the months from 1 to 24 shall be listed.

Step 6: Next, click two cells below “Payment” (B4) and type 675 into the box. Because this monthly payment remains constant throughout the entire mortgage, we must once again highlight the box (B4) and 23 boxes below it (that is, highlight B4 to B27). Similar to the last step, we must now click on the arrow immediately adjacent to “Fill”, and then select “Down” by clicking on it. What this does is re-enter the same information into all of the boxes highlighted. This spares the creator of the spreadsheet the trouble of re-entering the information manually.



Step 7: Click two cells below “Rate” and enter 0.0775. We express the value as a decimal, rather than a percentage, to avoid having to perform the added operation of dividing by 100. Now highlight all of the cells from C4 to C27 inclusive. Click on the same arrow adjacent to “Fill” mentioned in previous steps. Now simply click on “Down”. This simple process has now re-entered the rate for all months represented on the chart.

Step 8: We are now approaching the end of all previously provided information (as indicated by the question listed above). The last bit of information that we are aware of without any calculations is the starting balance. To input this, simply click on cell F3 and enter 55000.



Step 9: Now that all of the information initially provided has been transmitted into the table, the next procedure would be to input a formula which shall generate a series of values for the interest calculated. Common knowledge of mortgage rates would dictate that the interest must be found by multiplying the rate of interest by the remaining balance at the time. Interest is found as a percentage of the remaining balance. For convenience, 0.0775 has been inserted instead of 7.75% to avoid having to divide by 100 afterwards. We calculate interest by analyzing the cells which need to be operated on. For instance, F3 is the starting balance, and C4 represents the rate of interest. To obtain the interest, we multiply this rate of interest by the starting balance to get the amount of interest (a monetary value). Firstly, click on the cell into which the interest must be calculated (D4), and then type in the following sequence into the function box above: =F3*C4/12 (and then press enter). The reason we write the cells rather than the numbers within them is to set a template, rather than a value. Ex: 2x, as opposed to 2(2), can calculate twice any number, while 2(2) can only calculate one operation. The interest shall now appear in the cell D4.



Step 10: Now that the interest has been generated, the credit to principal may also be obtained. This value may be arrived at by subtracting the interest from the monthly installment. Click on cell E4 and enter the following formula into the formula box at the top:
=B4-D4 (and press enter).



Step 11: As a final step in the generation of the first complete line of the mortgage table, we can obtain the new remaining balance. This is procured by subtracting the credit to principal from the previous principal. Simply enter the following formula into the formula box after clicking on cell F4: =F3-E4 (and then press enter).




Step 12: Now that the formulas have been entered into the spreadsheet and the values have been generated, we may again apply the “Fill-Down” method to generate all remaining desirable values. At this point the first of the rate, interest, credit and balance options are highlighted, along with thee 23 rows which follow them (i.e. all of the rate, interest, credit and balance options for the duration of the entire two year period). Now go once more to the fill option and select down after the options appear. The formulas have now repeated themselves over a course of two years, resulting in the completion of the table. The Mortgage Table has now been successfully created.

How to Remove Excess Noise Using Audacity

Step 1 (a): To being this operation, first ensure that you are using a functional computer onto which audacity has been installed. To search for audacity, one might refer to three locations. The first and most convenient location would be the desktop. Once signed onto a computer, attempt to locate an icon comprised of a blue set of headphones with a yellow cloud, transfused with a jagged red streak across its middle. Immediately adjacent to this icon (or likely below it) shall be the title “Audacity”( indicating the nature of the program). If it is located on the desktop, double click on the icon (otherwise known as the ‘shortcut’) to launch the program.

Step 1 (b): If the icon is not located on the desktop, then there are yet two locations where the program might yet be found. Programs recently used on a computer are stored on a temporary basis in the start menu. To access this, simply move the cursor to the bottom left of the screen onto which shall be a Microsoft logo and/or the word “start” (the presence of the word start is entirely dependent upon the edition and model of the computer; regardless, the start menu is usually located at the bottom left of the screen). Click on the start menu. Directly above it shall be a series of icons/programs which have recently been used on the computer. If audacity is present, then click on the icon (refer to Step 1 (a) for a more elaborate description of the afore-mentioned logo).

Step 1 (c): If audacity has still not been located, click once again on the start menu located at the bottom left of the screen. Directly above it shall be written “All Programs”. This is essentially a tab which allows the user access to all programs which are currently on the computer. The programs are usually listed in alphabetical order, although occasionally some programs may occur out of this order depending on how recently it has been downloaded. Simply locate the icon (as described in Step 1 (a)) and click on the icon/word to launch the program.

Step 1 (d): If after attempting to locate audacity in the three previously cited locations, and to no avail, one can download the program at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. Simply follow the onscreen instructions for installation, and then refer to Step 1 (a)/(b) and/or (c).

Step 2: Before the noise removal effect can be implemented, an audio track must first be recorded on which to operate. When audacity has been opened, there is always an available track onto which the recorded information goes. To begin the recording of the voice track, simply move the cursor to the top of the screen onto the taskbar. There shall be a number of functions near the top left, which shall be designated by symbols for convenience. Each symbol is representative of a unique function. Starting from left to right: the two, purple, leftwards pointing triangles adjacent to the line perform the operation “Skip to Start” when clicked. While listening to an audio clip, simply click this button to return to the beginning. The second button is a green rightwards facing triangle. This button plays the audio clip once it has been recorded. The third button is a red circle. Clicking this circle will commence the recording. The fourth symbol consists of two blue, erect, parallel, rectangles, which pause (or otherwise disable) the recording when clicked. The fifth symbol is a yellow square. This square stops the recording, whether it be while in the process of recording, or while listening to the playback version. The sixth and final symbol in this tab (i.e. those functions pertinent to the recording of the clip) is made up of two purple, rightwards pointing triangles affixed to a line. It is a reflection of the first button, and is thus responsible for the inverse of the “Skip to Start” button. Instead, this button is “Skip to End”, and immediately ends the audio track when being listened to in playback mode (i.e. after it has been recorded). Now you have the tools necessary to record a basic audio track. Simply click on the record button, and then the stop button when you are satisfied with the recording which you have made. Of course, to record anything viable, a microphone must be attached to the computer. Simply use any device which is meant to record audio and insert it into the audio jack on your computer (indicated by the image of a microphone).

Step 3: Quite frequently when recording in audacity, background noise, static, and other undesirable noises are recorded along with the intended audio. Luckily, audacity comes equipped with an effect which helps to eliminate this excess noise. After the audio track has been recorded and listened to for reference, highlight a section of the audio track that is comprised purely of undesirable noise (i.e. the very noise which you wish to remove from the track). After this region has been selected, simply select it by moving the cursor to one end of the desired segment, clicking and dragging to the end of the desired segment. After this has been highlighted, the section shall be a darker shade of blue than the remainder of the audio clip. This is how you are aware that is has indeed been selected.

Step 4: After the portion of excess noise has been highlighted, move the cursor up to the very top. First, move the cursor to the very top left, over the audacity logo and title Directly below this shall be a tab with various functions on it. Immediately beneath shall be the word “File”. File is the first option in this tab. Move the cursor to the sixth option in this tab, “Effect”. Click on “Effect”, after which a box shall appear with a myriad of options. These effects are dynamic and far-encompassing. However, for the purposes of this tutorial, only the Noise Removal option shall be required.

Step 5: Now that the effects tab is opened, there shall be a number of available options. Below “Effect” is the function “Repeat Last Effect Ctrl+R”, and beneath that in turn is a series of other options which are listed in alphabetical order, starting with “amplify”. Go to the fourteenth operation in this list, the title of which is “Noise Removal”. Click on “Noise Removal”. *Depending on the edition of Audacity, Noise Removal may or may not be the fourteenth option from Amplify. If not, then simply locate Noise Removal wherever it so happens to be under the Effect tab*

Step 6: After clicking “Noise Removal”, a new box shall appear, with “Step One” and “Step Two”. The instructions provided at this point are self-explanatory, but shall nevertheless be discussed in this tutorial. Audacity can only filter out noise when it is given proper direction by the user. To instruct audacity on what noise must be removed, a segment of ‘just noise’ is selected, so as to familiarize the program with what is undesirable. Now that the noise has already been selected, simply click on the button that says “Get Noise Profile”. What this essentially means is that audacity shall process the audio that has been selected and classify it as undesirable. Now the program is capable of eliminating only this variety of noise.

Step 7: After clicking “Get Noise Profile”, the box shall close itself, but the noise profile has now been successfully identified. At this point, you may highlight the section(s) of the audio clip which you wish to have the noise removed from. It may range from a small portion to the entire audio track. Simply click and drag to highlight (for more detailed instructions on how to highlight, refer to Step 3)

Step 8: Once more, locate the “Effect” tab and click on it (for more detailed information on how to locate the effect tab, refer to Step 4)

Step 9: After the “Effect” tab has been opened, simply locate and click on the “Noise Removal” option (as outlined in Step 5).

Step 10: Now that “Step 1” of the noise removal function has been completed, disregard it and proceed to “Step 2”. At this point, the noise profile has already been defined and selected. Ergo, audacity is aware of what information should be removed and which information should be preserved. There shall be a long horizontal line, the left end of which shall read “Less”, and the right end of which shall read “More”. Near the middle shall be located a downward-pointing pentagonal bar which may be dragged left or right. The degree to which you move this bar is entirely dependent upon how much noise must be removed from the highlighted section. Be mindful that removing too great an amount of noise may result in the distortion of the original track, whereas removing too little may allow the excess and undesirable noise to obscure the segments of the audio which are important. To avoid an unnecessary and tedious mutilation of the original audio track, there are two tabs located at the very bottom of the box. The one to the left that says “Preview” provides short sampling of the highlighted section, as it would sound subsequent to the application of the effect. This allows the user to experiment with the program, and arrive at a suitable degree of noise removal via trial and error. When you have adjusted the noise removal to your satisfaction, simply click “Remove Noise”. At this point the box has been removed, as well as the noise. The track shall now sound as it did in the preview (or rather the highlighted sections of the track). Congratulations, you have now successfully removed excess noise from an audio track using Audacity.

Peer Evaluation

Briefly describe the game, including its objectives

For this peer evaluation, I selected Nadith's platformer game. For this game, he opted for much the same format as I did, creating a platform game, the objective of which was to procure all of the crystals available in the game. The game entails a myraid of enemies and powerups which are placed at strategic locations for a comfortable balance of challenge and opportunity.


List two strengths of the game

Perhaps the greatest asset to this game would have been the abundance of 'penalties'. For instance, the majority of the earlier portion is set upon precipitous heights, where falling results in either great incovenience or death. The addition of escape routes from the beds of spikes/fire bring both difficulty and enjoyment to the table, allowing victory only to those willing to dedicate the time and energy to achieving this goal. Yet another attraction of this game would be the carefully honed aesthetic features, as the addition of unnecessary but attractive elements (such as additional logs, backgrounds, etcetera) show a desire to create an enjoyable game, rather than achieve the bare minimum.


List one weakness of the game

The only real issue which I encountered (other than the fact that the game is incomplete and that certain glitches prevent access to all regions of the map), was that the game was a bit linear at times. The game, although using teleporters and other features to give dimension to it, was largely a stereotypical flash game in the sense that the entire game is merely a progression from left to right. I believe that if the game incorporated more underground and sky regions, it would be even more engaging that it currently is.


Answer the three questions provided by the game's designer

1. I found this game thoroughly enjoyable, as it kept me personally engaged from the beginning to the end. 'Fun' is an understatement.

2. Part of the reason why I found this game to be as interesting as I did was due to the difficulty of the game, as the challenge which it presented encouraged the gamer to exact several attempts.

3. The game, being somewhat linear, rendered the powerups quite readily available. The portion in which more than 10 powerups are available by teleporting more than accommodated for the difficulty of the game (example, beds of nails and fire). On the whole, quite enjoyable. Well done Nadith.

Evalulate

Describe your game (including title)

The game I have created is entitled "Trials and Tribulations". As the title would so blatantly imply, the game is comprised of several challenges which present themselves as both enemies and obstacles. The game is separated into two prominent segments (namely the sky and ground portions). The ground portion is secondary, and should ideally be accessed only after the sky portion has been finished. The game is arranged in order of increasing difficulty. The enemy difficult is directly proportional to the powerups which are accessible. Various teleporters are situated at regular locations in order to provide a readily available and swift transportation system.


What is the objective of the game?

The game's programming allows for only three modes of play. The simplest one would be to defeat all enemies, while the other two more challenging modes would be to access the escape pod, as well as to capture the crystals. The 'capture the crystals' option allows for greater versatility, and general freedom in terms of access to the game's many features. The objective of this game is to capture all seven crystals, some of which shall be located above ground, and the rest beneath the surface. They shall be accessible only by defeating enemies, acquiring keys, overcoming obstacles, etcetera.


Discuss two strengths and one weakness of your game.

Perhaps the greatest strengths of my game would be the complexity and attention to detail, as well as the general liberty that the character has. All regions of the game are connected in one way or another, and all available free space is utilized to some degree. The aesthetics are exemplary (or at least as detailed as the game's limited features permit). The walls and backgrounds are well-refined, and the many chambered (sometimes optional) passages give the gamer the freedom required to keep them entertained. The enemies/obstalces and powerups are also proportional in difficulty to one antoher (ie. the enemies and challenges become increasingly difficult with the appearance of more powerful bonuses. The primary weakness of my game would be the sheer difficulty, as it is only defeatable with great patience, skill, and even greater determination. The approximate time required to complete the game is 11 minutes.


What improvements could be made?

The detail and sheer effort invested in this game allow for little improvement in terms of aesthetics/particulars. The primary issue would then be the level of difficulty (in terms of the deadly obstacles and the abundance of enemies. Perhaps additional health packs could be provided at more regular destinations, so as to reduce the difficulty. While currently it is quite possible to defeat with perseverance and concentration (ie. one solid attempt, as opposed to several weaker attempts), it is nevertheless a challenge to complete. Some of the content could also be condensed, so as to increase the overall game speed. This would deter the ever-troublesome 'lag'.


What difficulties did you encounter while creating your game?

While the actual visualization and creation/manipulation of the features was readily come by, the main issue was the time it took to load with the increasing content. Everytime blocks are placed near the ends, corners, tops or bottoms or the game frames, the frame extends. While this is quite convenient for creating large scale games, the size of the file becomes a burden for the site to manage. As such, with increasing content, the speed decreased, to the point that it required 7 seconds of loading time to shift a single tile. In all, the game required the better part of a day to create, as the time lapses grew and grew as the game progressed. Not willing to cut any proverbial corners, the game understandably was time-consuming. This was the main, and perhaps only issue of note.


What did you have to modify or change from the original design?

Very little was altered from the initial design. The underground cavern, although pre-meditated, amounted to far more than was at first anticipated. The addition of water to all areas underground was also a new concept, but rendered the passages much easier to traverse. It also permitted swifter and more ready access to what would otherwise be inaccessible chambers. Also, a large amount of optional chambers were included, which need not be entered at all for the completion of the game. Rather, these chambers allow for additional life/powerups/challenged/pure aesthetic refining.


Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of of your performance.

In terms of my dedication, perseverance, work ethic, and general attitude towads the completion of the assignment, I regarded my performance as exemplary. the game itself required, literally, a day's worth of time. Of course, my work spanned both class time and private time, as much additional time was invested in the creation of the game. While in class, I was bent towards the singular focus of completing the game to the best of my ability, and have deviated from this path only to assist others/address some issue or other. Despite my having completed the game more than two weeks prior to the due date, I believe my only true fault would have been time management, as the game could have been completed even sooner should I have spent more time working on it.


What did you do well at?

The highly refined aesthetic details, in concert with the well-regulated ratio of challenges/obstacles to powerups make for a game that is original, challenging and engaging. The ample combination of difficulty and features is what I believe was the primary attraction of my game; as the vast, explorable regions and, the myriad of optional chambers and passages make the game more of an experience, and less of a chore. Above all, the sheer detail of my game is what makes it unique, as the screen was extended to more than four times its original size. The inclusion of an intricate network of canals and sky-caverns all lend to its complexity. All of the game is connected however, and as such, any region is accessible. The game is not simply a linear experience in which the character moves from left to right. This game shifts the paradigm, as it is a many-dimensioned game in which crystals may be up, down, diagonal, or even through a teleporter. All regions are accessible at any point in the game (provided the right keys are in one's inventory). This method of space maximization by far exceeds the monotony of the typical left-to-right motion. For this purpose, I consider my game unique, and believe this feature to be its greatest asset.


What could you have done better at?

After having several people test beta versions of my game, and receiving feedback, it has become apparent that the difficulty of the game exceeds the capacity of the average gamer. Quite frequently, it requires several attempts for the gamer to become acquainted with the various passages and chambers. It is only then that they are able to progress a respectable amount in the game. Apart from the obvious issues of running out of jet fuel at awkward moments, as well as the 'falling' issue, in which the gamer ends up near the start after falling off of more precipitous heights. Besides this, certain obstacles/enemies are difficult to avoid and/or overcome. There is an abundance of health in the game, although widely diversified and far inbetween. While the intention was for the gamer to budget the health and retrieve the medical kits/cookies at more strategic points in the game, the vast majority of testers have neglected to practise such composure, and die quite easily, and quite frequently. The addition of health packs at more intervals might have enhanced the quality of the game by decreasing the difficulty.


Feedback Inquiry:

1. Were the enemies/obstacles too much of a challenge?

2. Were the 'lags' induced by the size of the game much of an issue?

3. Was the complexity of the caverns and canals (the orientation, passages, etcetera) too confusing?

Trials and Tribulations

Make a Free Flash Game

Battle through a series of obstacles and trials. 7 crystals are scattered about the grid. Your objective is to seek out and collect all seven of these. your journey will take you above land, below sea, and everytying in between. Acquire the keys to gain access to more difficult locations. Traverse the perilous terrain, travel to precipitous heights, and then into the heart of the underground network. You can only truly succeed once you have defeated these trials and tribulations.

Make a Free Flash Game

Plan

What will you do first? Why?
The progression of this game, although open to the wishes of the gamer, shall consist of several regions available for exploration. The regions themselves shall consist of a 'sky portion', as well as a 'ground portion'. The sky portion shall be predominantly consisting of a series of traps, platforms, chambers and enemies. A jetpack shall be available so as to easily traverse the terrain, as well as additional fuel and weapons. The upper chambers shall be accessible primarily by teleporters which shall be placed systematically, allowing the gamer access to certain regions at certain times. The armour and power-ups provided are also increasing in strength (to accommodate for the coresspondingly increasing difficulty of the enemies). The jetpacks shall allow the gamer to access more difficult regions sooner, although at their own peril. The secondary region shall be the ground portion, in which several chambers (both dry and watery) are accessible. Some of them shall be accessible only via the use of keys which may be found either on the surface, or at other regions in the ground.

How will you ensure that you complete the project on time?
I am certain the project shall be completed on time, in as much as the deadline is March 2nd, and the game has already been completed. Editing has already occurred, and several individuals have tested the game to date.


Who will test the beta versions of you game?
To acquire a wide variety of view points in respect to my game, several audiences shall test the game. Of course, the most likely participants would be myself and fellow classmates. I also saw fit to include people outside of ICT, as the game is meant to appeal to any gamer, as opposed to people who are accustomed to the functions of the game (example, and ICT student would find the game less challenging than a student outside of the program, as they are more familiar with the controls). Other fellow grade niners, as well as the occasional tester from other age groups, were therefore used in the testing of this game.


Will you incorporate other people's suggestions into your game's design?
In the making of this game, virtually all relevant suggestions were given due consideration. Indeed, the majority of suggestions were takien into account, and have found their place in the game in some way, shape, or form. The purpose of testing the beta versions was to receive honest feedback from reliable sources. As such, the game was adapted to suit the desires of the public.


How will you decide if you have created a good game or not?
To determine the merit of the game, its various features shall be compared to the list prepared in the 'Investigate' section, as all objective criteria for deciding whether a game is 'good' or not have already been embellished upon in great detail. Whether the game meets these pre-established requirements or not would go a long way towards deciding whether the game is in fact engaging.

Design

What type of game are you going to produce?
For this assignment, I have chosen to create a platform game. The platform games, in my experience, are both more challenging and more engaging than the avilable shooter games. They allow more flexibility in terms of storyline, design, and features. The game will likely not be linear, as such a montonous progression shall be unsuccessful in garnering the attention of the gamer. Rather, the game shall be open-ended, (the object of which shall be to collect the crystals). The gamer shall not have to follow a fixed path, and may go after the crystals in any order. The addition of a jetpack shall give the player added versatility, allowing them to make of the game what they will. The game shall follow a general progression of difficulty, in which less accessible areas shall have more difficult trials/enemies which must be handled.


What will it look like?
The ideal template shall be using ground and sky regions, in which the skies shall be generally pertaining to obstacles and enemies, while the ground section shall be predominantly water-based. The 'underground canals', so to speak, shall be all linked, but not completely accessible. Certain regions shall require key passes only attainable on the surface, while there shall be certain areas accessible only after having used certain weapons/tools (as is the case of the flamethrower and melt block). To ensure that the aesthetics are generally pleasing (and are highlighted), lights shall be placed at regular intervals underground, as well as other glowing objects to illuminate the path. Nevertheless, certain areas shall ideally be darker than others to create a sense of foreboding when necessary.


How will the characters be controlled?
As in all of the platform game templates offered at this site, a fixed set of controls shall be used to manipulate the character's movements. The directional pad (up, down, left, right) shall be used to move the character in the corresponding direction. The default setting is to equip the character with a sword and shield. The shield can be sued for defence from melee weapons by pressing the 'shift' button. Weapons in general can be used to attack by pressing (or holding) the space bar. Later on in the game, various other weapons are attainable. The space bar applies to these weapons as well. Once the player has more than one weapon in his arsenal, pressing 'Z' will cycle weapons. All weapons which have been obtained (and which still have ammunition) can be used by cycling through. Like the weapons, various tools may be gotten (as in the case of torches, powergloves, grapples, etcetera). To cycle between these tools and accessories, press the 'X' button. At a point in the game, it is possible to receive a jetpack. The jetpack has limited fuel, and is replenished by returning to the location and obtaining another jet pack, or its respective fuel tank. To fly once the jetpack is equipped, press and hold 'C'. Directional flight is allowed by using the 'C' button in concert with the directional pad.


What will be the objective of the game?
The platform games offered at the 'sploder' site have a limited number of objectives. The default setting of these games is 'Destroy all Enemies', in which the character must defeat all enemies which ave been placed in the game. Once crystal(s) have been added, the setting changes to 'capture the crystals', in which the character must locate and retrieve however many crystals have been placed in the game. The last setting is an escape mission , in which the character must locate and enter the one available escape pod. Once this task has been accomplished, the character has won the level. For the purposes of this game, the 'Capture the Crystals' setting shall be selected. The first setting would be impractical given the sheer magnitude of the playing field described above, while the escape pod mission would result in the game being linear, an avoidable grievance. The addition of crystals in various locations prompts the character to journey to various places on the grid, as opposed to cutting a course directly to an escape pod. The crystals shall be placed in a wide variety of locations, and shall encourage the gamer to experience all of the game, as opposed to a singular section.


How are you going to test its functionality?
In terms of technicalities, the game may provide some unforeseen issues which shall have to be resolved. To prevent any major issues arising, the game shall be regularly tested with the addition of every major obstacle. (ex. one testing plus per additional chamber/challenge/boss). The 'testing' option shall be heavily relied upon to regulate the functionality of the game. With frequent testing, all prominent issues shall be avoided and/or dealt with in the early stages. This shall inhitbit the growth of any substantial problems with gameplay.


How will it be evaulated?
As a means of evaulating the value of the game, the features shall be monitored by applying the 'objective criteria' which were mentioned in the 'Investigate' post. Such issues as replayability, originality, difficulty and more shall be taken into account. The game must provide a challenge without being utterly unbeatable, and in short must be entertaining, engaging and must leave a positive impression upon the gamer.


How long will you need to create it? Give a timeline for its completion.
Due to the complexity of the game being created, the timeline must be adjusted so as to accommodate for not only the designing, creation and completion of the game, but also the testing and subsequent editing which shall inevitably occur. Taking all of these variables into consideration, the finish product should be available by the 2nd of March, as the game has been in progress for the past few days. The vast majority of the details are now complete, and await editing by myself and other testers.

Investigate

What makes a "good" game enjoyable to play?
The value of a game depends largely on the individual preference of the gamer. There are however some merits which apply universally. Popular games often have certain elements which render them successful.


What makes a "bad" game not enjoyable to play?
Games which are regarded as 'bad' are often uninteresting and unengaging. A game which is unable to capture the attention of the average gamer is often unsuccessful, unpopular, and ultimately, unenjoyable. While the quality of a game is a subjective matter, there are certain standards which 'good' games inevitably meet.


These objective criteria include:



Originality (uniqueness)

The game must contain elements which have not yet been used, or at the very least, not used in that particular combination. This keeps the gamer engaged.


'Replayability'

The game should ideally have a sense of 'freshness' to it, which will make the game equally interesting each time it is played. While multiple endings and other similar effects will be difficult/impractical to achieve with a platform of shooter game, the avenues of opportunity allowed in the game should be as extensive as possible.


Surprise/Freshness

The game should be rich with variations and new content. Redundance and repetitious backgrounds/obstacles should be avoided

Difficulty

The level of difficulty in the game should be moderate. A game loses its appeal when it is easily completed. Conversely (yet to similar effect), it becomes less enjoyable when the degree of challenge is exceedingly high. A game should be achievable, but challenging.

Control

Games should be easily directed by the player, and should not have more than a reasonable number of limitations (in terms of the places the character can travel to, the moves the character can perform, etcetera). This keeps the gamer entertained.

Visual Quality

The graphics/speed/and other features of the game should be attractive and well put together. The appearance of the game should be as refined as possible.

Periods of Tension

Games should be varied in their 'hot spots'. A game which possesses multiple points of tension is of far more interest than a game which achieves only one peak of interest. Multiple successive climaxes make for a more well-rounded and entertaining game.

Complexity

The difficulty of a game should be directly proportional to its duration. Short, simple games should have equally short and simple rules, while long games (for consoles) should have a greater degree of complexity.

Memorability

The plot, and overall appeal of a game should render it memorable. A good game should stay with the gamer long after the game has ended.

Comic Book Assignment

The misadventures of tyco by CRampersad | Make Your Own At www.toondoo.com

Xtranormal Video Assignment

Larry King Live with Sarah Palin

This video was created using the site 'xtranormal' and details a fictitious interview between Sarah Palin and Larry King on 'Larry King Live' directly prior to the 2009 American Federal election. It addresses some genuine political issues, but is mostly a comic sketch. Enjoy!

Soundtrack of My Life

Below is a list of songs which would ideally be included in the album entitled 'Within' (as portrayed above) :-

1. Blue October - Into the Ocean
They lyrics of this song aptly describe the immigrant experience, specifically that of migrating to Canada, as the composition addresses the various sensations one inevitably experiences when being relocated so suddenly and so utterly into a foreign environment. This song was thus chosen for its relevance to not only the move itself, but the subsequent sensations with which it is associated.


2. Frou Frou - Let Go
Both the lyrics and tone of this song work together to communicate the enormity of life, and consequently make for an exceptionally moving and inspirational piece which which depicts not only my views on how life should be lived, but the lyrics also serve to address the necessity of 'letting go' of troubles. The song is thus in itself a sobering experience, as it reminds me not only of the fact that life is to be enjoyed, but is powerful in its message of living a life without resentment. In essence, it boasts of an idealistic life which we would all wish to experience, and in this manner is of great value to me.


3. Rob Thomas - Small Wonders
Of similar nature to the afore mentioned 'Let Go', this song is profound by my reckoning as it portrays all of life's occurrences as 'small wonders', reinforcing my belief that life itself is a wonder, as well as that these events which we take for granted are in and of themselves truly memorable, and, as the song amply states, 'small wonders'.


4. Nilsson - Coconut
My purposes for selecting this song were two-pronged, as it comically addressed the nature and importance of doctors while implementing a Caribbean flair. As I am originally from the Caribbean, the song is reminiscent of my past experiences, whereas the driving theme of a doctor aiding villagers addresses my desire to one day become a medical practitioner. In this manner does the composition fortify my resolve by reminding me of my more pleasant experiences of the past, while simultaneously dealing with my future aspirations.


5. Jon Scmidt - Walk in the Woods
This song is merely an instrumental piece. Despite its apparent simplicity however, for me it is of great significance, as it is reminiscent of my formative years and the sancutary I could often find in simply strolling around rural areas in the environs of my hometown. At these times was I most at peace with myself, and perhaps represent the most memorable collection of experiences in my life


6. K'naan - Wavin' Flag
This paritcular piece was written by a human rights activist, and as such was written upon the premise that inspires hope for the future, and speaks about the potential and general nobility of the human spirit. This message, for obvious reasons, speaks to me, as it reinforces my belief that perseverance yields fruit in the end, and addresses my attitude to life resultantly.


7. Nobuo Uematsu - JENOVA
Critically acclaimed as the most difficult composition for solo piano ever created by the great composer Nobuo Uematsu, this piece was the driving factor in my desire to pursue the piano as a recreational activity, as it was, and ultimately is, my goal in terms of piano. This song was, in more ways than one, a key factor in the development of what has become somewhat of an obsession with the instrument, and has thus played a significant role in my life.


8. Arcade Fire - Wake Up
This song is one which truly speaks to my soul, as it deals largely with the inevitability of death. It singularly serves as the embodiment of the deaths of all relatives and pets who have passed on, and is, resultantly, a sobering experience. This song has always reminded me of loved ones lost. As such, it remains in my view a masterpiece, as well as an instrumental factor in my life.


9. Koji Kondo - Overworld
On a more amiable note, this song is a gateway into my early childhood, as it is the main theme of a video game which I spent the vast majority of my earlier days fawning over. Apart from the obvious memory of the game, the thing that is most appealing about this song is its ability to recapture that simpler, yet better time in my life wherein the innocence of childhood safeguarded against the complexities of life which we would later face.


10. Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World
As a song which may be viewed as one of the great masterpieces of our time, the lyrics of Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World' are demonstrative of a life of contentment. The song addresses the simplicity with which life may be viewed, as well as the more positive aspects of the world. It essentially summarizes all of my life's philosophies, and is quite possibly the most inspirational music I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Hearing this song often reminds me of a Utopia, in which all troubles are rendered non-existent, and in this manner has it profoundly affected my life.