So I haven't updated for a while! The reason behind this is multiple; mainly it comes down to artistic nerves and nonsense about various bits of work not being good enough.
I mean, there's truth behind this- a lot of what I've been doing has been scraps, flittering from section to section never quite finishing up each one. Most of my written work is bullet points that don't make sense without having read it all! But, I'm getting past these excuses and trying to focus.
I've been using my house mate, Liz Edwards, as a sounding board for my ideas. She and I share a similar enough approach to design to not create a conflict of vision but she has a different enough way about her to make it interesting. One of the things we were discussing was about female presence in the adventure game genre, something I hadn't really given much thought over to.
Onwards!
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Monday, 30 January 2012
ARGH, ARGH.
Yeah, yeah. It isn't Friday! damn. I can't remember if I even updated last Friday- I know I meant to...
This is a synopisis of the stuff I've been looking at. Personally, this has been a tricky sort of week for me- I've been working on additional projects, probably unwisely! It's hard to tear yourself away from something when inspiration strikes, though.
Mise en scène
Pierre Cardin is hugely influential in this project. His clothes and furniture style perfectly suits the direction that I'd like to go in with my stylistic direction- 'The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn't exist yet - the world of tomorrow.'. The sleek minamilism, emphasis on shapes- often impractical and jaw-dropping, are what I want. In my case, it is practical- with low budget productions, something sleek like Cardin's wardrobes work way more easily. Look at Portal! It fits with what I'm trying to do, too. Pragmatic characters in a zany world- it makes for a lot of good set ups when you take something that is on paper beautiful and graceful and slap it into the real world. People trying to work out how to open sleek, handless cabinet drawers, henchmen wearing giant shoulder pads.
Agitprop is also something I'd like to use - since there's a lead villain, it makes sense that there's a seedy underbelly anti-villain league. Agitprop is some of my favourite art- hell, Russian early 20th century propoganda is beautiful. I see the chunky, cut-out style working well in the bibles design, too, as I think about how I'm going to present data in efficient, interesting ways.
Futurism, specifically futurist architecture. San'Elia is- was? a big deal in the futurism cliche. He believed in raw, giant materials in violent colours. Think of a space-aged sort of brutalism. Fantastic stuff!
I also did development on the actual plot- more to come on that in another update.
This is a synopisis of the stuff I've been looking at. Personally, this has been a tricky sort of week for me- I've been working on additional projects, probably unwisely! It's hard to tear yourself away from something when inspiration strikes, though.
Mise en scène
Pierre Cardin is hugely influential in this project. His clothes and furniture style perfectly suits the direction that I'd like to go in with my stylistic direction- 'The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn't exist yet - the world of tomorrow.'. The sleek minamilism, emphasis on shapes- often impractical and jaw-dropping, are what I want. In my case, it is practical- with low budget productions, something sleek like Cardin's wardrobes work way more easily. Look at Portal! It fits with what I'm trying to do, too. Pragmatic characters in a zany world- it makes for a lot of good set ups when you take something that is on paper beautiful and graceful and slap it into the real world. People trying to work out how to open sleek, handless cabinet drawers, henchmen wearing giant shoulder pads.
Agitprop is also something I'd like to use - since there's a lead villain, it makes sense that there's a seedy underbelly anti-villain league. Agitprop is some of my favourite art- hell, Russian early 20th century propoganda is beautiful. I see the chunky, cut-out style working well in the bibles design, too, as I think about how I'm going to present data in efficient, interesting ways.
Futurism, specifically futurist architecture. San'Elia is- was? a big deal in the futurism cliche. He believed in raw, giant materials in violent colours. Think of a space-aged sort of brutalism. Fantastic stuff!
I also did development on the actual plot- more to come on that in another update.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Research for systems
This is the work I've done this afternoon. It's a write-up of the research I've done so far into possible software engines and the reasons behind my choices. A lot of what I'm writing feels a little obvious, but I've had feedback in the past that has said these things have needed saying. Since it's Monday's and my dislike of the day borders on Garfieldesque I figure it was a nice easy afternoon's study along with looking at the fashion designs of Pierre Cardin for inspiration.
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Project Specification
I completed my project specification. I'm already late with this, and it feels super short compared to a lot of the other specifications I've read, but what can I do? I was given advice last year to see the project as a problem and specification as an explanation of what the problem is and how you're going to solve it and this project spec. does that.
"A games development document will be produced for an espionage themed adventure computer game with a focus on a single level. The product will be completed to an industry standard having conducted detailed research, analysis and evaluation as would be required in creating such a document in a professional environment."
"A games development document will be produced for an espionage themed adventure computer game with a focus on a single level. The product will be completed to an industry standard having conducted detailed research, analysis and evaluation as would be required in creating such a document in a professional environment."
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
WHOOPS
So much for mandatory Friday updates! So I didn't do much, over the holidays. I got moved into my new digs and settled in, but I'll confess with so many boxes to unpack and friends to visit over the break I found it hard to sit down and really commit to work. I got a couple of characters down; I've had some problems really commiting to a vision, if that doesn't sound pretensious? A large part of this I want to be a pastiche to the espionage/spy genre, but I couldn't settle on Metal Gear Solid style ridiculousness or Avengers, if you get my gist. I've got a focus, now, anyhow.
I've sort-of-almost got my project specification written up. So I guess that is something!
I feel bad about updating this with nothing but empty words and promises, so this is the roughest of outlines for the protagonist's boss, the General. I am the worst at naming things so everything, everything is named for what it is. These will probably change later.
I've sort-of-almost got my project specification written up. So I guess that is something!
I feel bad about updating this with nothing but empty words and promises, so this is the roughest of outlines for the protagonist's boss, the General. I am the worst at naming things so everything, everything is named for what it is. These will probably change later.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Mandatory update
Oh jeez, it is Friday already. Well, I didn't do a lot, frankly- I was busy finalising a moving date and sorting out presents and christmas puddings. Started packing, too, which has meant it's fairly chaotic here. I'm looking forward to moving, though, since my heart ACHES, guys, ACHES to be back in the library and reading all the books. ALL OF THEM.
What I did do was write my project aims and start to sort of collect the links of developers I'd like to look at. Also I've started doing the trying chore of looking at visual inspiration sources. I'll put my aims under the break, but I doubt anyone wants to see my eye-watering project to-do list or my other list of Danger Man episodes.
What I did do was write my project aims and start to sort of collect the links of developers I'd like to look at. Also I've started doing the trying chore of looking at visual inspiration sources. I'll put my aims under the break, but I doubt anyone wants to see my eye-watering project to-do list or my other list of Danger Man episodes.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Games bible templates
I've used Mark Baldwin's games bible template ever since I was a confused first year and it was pretty much the first google result. As he mentions in it's introduction, it's not a conclusive template but it's easy to adapt to each project and certainly makes an easy to manage draft document. I put in some quick slap dash formatting in it, too, so that it fits easily into my universities preferred report making structure though I doubt I'll be submitting this particular document in that style.
SO.
SO.
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