2/29/24

Yesterday most of the time was  spent visiting my folks with my kin and didn't get around to the float thing but...Read up on Unreals poor  documentation for cpp stuff and found some Udemy courses that I can tackle on the side.. Still working on A-B-C Duck!

2/26/24

See A-B-C-Duck project for updates. 

2/25/24

"For the Blender model, I found that the topology is incorrect, causing deformation in the apple. The issue lies at the top where I pushed vertices without aligning them at 0 on their axis. This led to distortion during Unreals vertex conversion process. Additionally, there's an incompatibility between procedural textures in Blender and UE. I revisited UE briefly, imported the pirate model successfully, and began experimenting with textures on models. Got some focus on what to make in Unreal. My daughter entered a video game design contest, and her idea didn't advance to phase 2. She cried when I broke the news to her, though I tried to soften it. I offered to make the game for her, so here we are. It's an educational game, and I already started making the 3D-Text Title, and object you need to catch with physics. It's going to need some more work because it will have to update every time you catch it to the next one, so I'll get to that tomorrow, but I'm super glad. I worked a bunch on textures and made things look metallic. Tweaked the level a bit more and generally kept things moving."

2/24/24

So I've been in the trenches learning Unreal Engine and also Blender at the moment. Also working on requests to remaster and localize some Japanese Neo Geo Manuals for TWS and Shocktroopers. Will be getting into Godot  working on art for a game with some industry buddies.

Evening, worked on an apple in blender and textured it using procedural texturing. Tried to import it into unreal and it came in all deformed and couldn't follow the tut on importing. Most likely because of the procedural thing, so maybe I have to texture it the traditional way. Also made more progress on the Shock Troopers and TSS manuals. Also onboarded with the discord for the project I'm working on with NSG. 

2/16/24

Still at the unreal engine stuff. Making great progress finally. Feeling like I can start putting some of my knowledge together. Assembly project to took seat in the back.  

Below is a link of the tutorial that has helped me push along. It may move by fast and  gloss over a few things, but if you take the time to really dig deep and not miss anything there is a wealth of direction here. You get to make something and in the end have something to work with if not the great knowledge gained from doing it. I scrapped this project at least 3 times before settling on where I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt13VcimeyI 

12/14/23

Had a great conversation with an ex-coworker of mine.  It's good to know there are people in the industry whom are fearlessly bringing innovation and passion to the craft. I hope to work again along side this person in the virtual work-space.

12/11/23

So far another day like the last two. Lots of work to do and little time. Am going to aim to the stars and update when I'm done.. brb...

12/10/23

Another haze of a day. Pass.

12/9/2023

Last night had a great experience going to see AFFKT perform. Along with Maximus and Nocturn. Easily one of the best events I've attended in terms of vibe.  Today plans went sideways so not much to add besides the usual. Raising kids as close to how I was raised with some adjustments for further success. 

12/7/2023

Recently I've been minimalizing my life by removing things that really are unnecessary. I'd done a lot of that in my 30's. Admittedly I've fallen from grace in terms of 0 waste after getting married and having kids but  I am tempering the lifestyle again and pushing the minimalism. For as long as i remember, i have a hard time thinking straight when there is a mess to be cleaned. I get get by a bit, but after a while I hit a wall and I just need to have a clean space to be able to do things like breath easy, and in turn be able to do things like art. 

Anyways, I've been making strides in the minimalist lifestyle and it's been paying off. Everything is so much easier to keep clean and organized when it's not even there lol. 

So yesterday I made a label for an Elf Bowling 1 & 2 game on the GBA. The person that requested it changed their mind, so oh well, it was at least very fun to recreate. Also I had an interview with a qa game job I'm looking forward to joining. They seem like a team of nice people working on a Video Game. If I can get paid to work on a video game, then I'm doing something right in life. When I was a little kid, I remember playing Mario Bros. thinking that I was going to make a living with video games. Although it's not exactly as I imagined it, working in the game industry is the closest I can get to not working a day in my life since it's always such a blast being part of something so exciting and intimate to the end-user.

12/5/2023

This captains log will take a bit of a twist from here on out. I've always imagined it to be a bit of a journal and so here it is. 

I have come to the realization that I was born with a sadness in my heart that woke up when my dog died as a kid. I always had these thoughts that to me seem very deep for a child. Like opinions on things like God, those "Just say no" drug commercials, Mainstream News media portrayal of men, nuanced racism in the school system. Eventually it manifested outward and was received by darkness.  The world in general does not like to dwell on these topics. Thoughts that once cast a shadow on my formative years are, as an adult, an observed reality even more personal than before. 

So my realization, yes; I was born sad. God willing, I will live a long long life filled with a love as deep as that sadness. I am grateful for that. Love is the most beautiful thing we ca perceive as humans. The love of my daughters, how they lay by my side and hold me and trust me to keep them safe. No better reason to live. My purpose, my joy, and when I glimpse into the future, my deepest bitter sweet emotions as I watch them grow and turn into adults God willing I will feel that bitter sweet pain of seeing her off to college, or handing her away at a wedding. All God willing, or to Gods' will.

I think about the things we have to let go of. The role money does and doesn't have in the entire process. I found once, when i use to spend money in search of something that will bring me happiness, that after the purchase, I don't even care anymore. If I do, I may enjoy it, but ultimately, whatever it is, never brought me happiness. With the exception of the evil king getting poisoned at his wedding ceremony, there aren't many things that can bring me to cheers. The usual angels that lift me up, Lucy, Frasier and the gang at Pattie's Pub, they will always be here for me in this Earthly realm. I have them burnt into my memories so much that I could laugh on command by recalling any golden comedy moment.   

One thing I do find to bring a powerful rejuvenating happiness is dancing to music. Usually dancing for as long as i can. It brings about this high that I never felt anywhere else. I've had surreal experiences that made me feel like I've seen it all. Dancing in the desert with what is probably best described as a non-main-stream "burning man" setup. Professional party people. Good times. I think after dancing for so long, endorphins serotonin or both must be released because I've experienced profound realizations about life on the dance floor. I'm so glad I have had the time to develop myself when i did. I have to thank my family for that too. It's funny to look back to a younger version of yourself and know what a mess you where, though in that time you seemed to have absolutely everything put together. 

Well, that's all I've got for now. I have to get some sleep in order to be fresh tomorrow for an interview I've got. Getting back into gaming industry. 

11/27/23

Still going learning assembly. It's the usuals learning by fire at this point. I'm trying things out and when they don't work I trouble shoot until I learn it inside out and fix it. Also making updates to the website and putting in job apps. Finally able to bench those numbers in terms of getting the good juju coming my way. Besides that, another great thing I would like to announce is that yesterday I beat Silent Hill Homecoming after casually playing it over a few years I decided to get it done. My daughters and I had a great time.

11/02/23

Changed the name of this from development log to "Captains Log" as it will be a bit higher level life stuff. Making a videogame is about more than just programming on unreal, design docs, etc. It's about life experience and the way holding development concepts reflects on that. For example, who hasn't thought about making a game that starts as nothing and builds up to a menu and then turns into a full fledged "whatever".  We all go through similar thought processes as we as we are learning in similar constructs. So the only variable to the spark of creativity has to be the outside influences. Like anything, even a child is so heavily influenced by outside factors, it would make since that our game idea babies are influenced as such.

Updated website, and also learned some more assembly today through the Pikuma site.  After cleaning dishes living room and my room, I made homemade potato chips, mashed potatoes, and steamed sweet peppers. Then did a flyer for a client.

10/26/23

Assembly day.

10/25/23

Assembly day.

10/24/23

Went back to learning assembly for writing game son NES. I think my mind needs to wrap it's head around some lower level stuff to feel comfortable with doing things in Unreal. I don't feel like their blueprints make sense, or I need something harder to do before going to this.  

10/8/23

Worked on some design docs for a boxing game.

10/2/23

Worked on some design docs for a top down game.

9/16/23

Did a "Create your first level" tutorial and it went well. Lots of great tips on creating original content, or designing with imported content.

9/15/23

Did Unreal Engine tutorial "First Hour" and it answered all the questions that a noob would have when you just want to tread water with this program. Got to do some things that before seemed monumental likes building a level, and all that goes into it like importing assets.  Getting the lighting to exist and then getting it right in its interaction with the level. Lots of other details, too too many.

9/14/23

Introduction

So I decided to use ChatGPT to help organize and push along my ideas in the Game Development area. I have been using AI as a way to help me progress past creative blocks on songs by learning musical theory and song structures from around the world, help me refine stories by learning all the elements that go into good stories (as defined by me), quick 1 of a kind stock art for graphic design projects (usually placed in the background and modified to almost non existence). 

(time-lapse goes here/ a.k.a. Being a Dad)

So I started an Unreal Project to make a game I've been wanting to make for a long time. A top down survival game called "Macho Killers". I'll post more details as I move things along.