Beginning my time in this pathway, I had expected to jump into the programming and design straight away, however, having taken my AGAD class for 3 years now, I can say that I am glad that that was not the case. Down below I have provided a simple graphic outlining the basics of my time, and admittedly while illustration is my strong side not graphic design, I'm sure it will suffice for an overview. Overall, the content ranges from dealing with real world careers and overseas markets, and how to work with a team of peers, to things like 3D design, A/V production, and then actual game design and coding in Unity. The most important takeaway is that no matter what, you never truly know enough to really get into game design, because game design itself is so much more than programming and asset creation. In all honesty I feel that every single unit has helped to contribute to my skills now, no matter how well versed I may have been beforehand. It's a lot of bulky topics and rushed deadlines, but between the seemingly arbitrary vocabulary and the nail bitingly frustrating difficulty of various assignments, you tend to notice how much it all pays off. In my opinion, no other class will better prepare you for what it feels like to stick to your own created schedule, how to manage your time and keep up with deadlines, and how to crank your brain for creativity. In a way it almost feels like you're halfway there to the real world. As terrifying as it seems, it certainly helped to realize my potential by leading me on with assignments where I'd perform excellently at tasks I'd never thought I'd be good with or consider to do. For example, my experience with the 2D world helps me to understand the 3D one, such as setting up bones and rigs, animation, and creating textures for objects after painstakingly arranging polygon faces piece by piece. Thus, I've come out a jack of all trades in a sense, operating on all levels of what could be considered game design, as it's proven to be so much more than coding and animating. I'm almost certain that my skills with handling my time, as well as my applicable knowledge of audio and video handling, 3D design, concept creation and planning, and my experience with Unity will pay off exponentially if I manage to stick to it all, and I'm certain I will. Being exposed to this sort of wide variety of topics and materials has certainly opened me up to so many possibilities that I hadn't even previously considered. Not only that but I feel well prepared in the sense that I could continue on in nearly any direction I wanted to, and with my skills and some good old fashioned dedication, I could progress onward into an industry of my choosing.
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As I struggle to type these words out, I have come to the staggering realization that with less than 24 available hours left, with still no clear end in sight, I am struggling to complete a project that in the end won't even turn out. After struggling for hours on multiple critical failures, I have realized just how out of time I really am. I had begun writing this post on Wednesday night, and I am only now sitting down able to finish it now. I'm not even sure why I'm still writing this, especially with a timeframe so short. Maybe it's because I just want to desperately give up and I won't let myself, maybe it's because I already have. In any event, I have nearly cried forfeit. My critical failures refuse to be solved. This experience has rocked my to my core, and I am uncertain if I can get back up in time. Even now as I type with shaking fingers and red eyes I still consider throwing in the towel, and yet I know that despite it all I will continue to at least attempt to single out my problems and confront them head on. Is it determination and perseverance? Perhaps, but it's most likely apathy and defeat that fuel me the most at this point. I have given up on giving up, so I guess pushing foreword at this point is my only option. I cannot describe my current setback, as with every fix comes another problem that is left for me to solve, and I am running out of the strength to solve problems. I will be left with what I can conjure up in this limited time, and the thought of leaving this all behind is my only solace.
For the most part, I'd have to say that cameras have been my Achilles heel, if only for the fact that I am not as skilled with cameras in general when it comes to other parts of a scene's composition. Even after two years of digital media classes and working the camera just right is a skill I have yet to master, though that is not to say I am inept, as most certainly my experience with that class helps me to understand the cameras in 3Ds Max, as they have extremely similar functionality. For the most part, learining more about a camera's more common movements and executing fluid animation definitely helped to overcome this setback. I have an example video of this below. Despite all this, for the most part this unit has gone by without a hitch, even the most feared and loathed topics of them all: rigging. This may come as a surprise, especially considering the extreme technical difficulties I encountered when working with rigging previously, but I feel that is has been my favorite this unit. I would have to attribute this to my prior experience with creature conceptualization, and my general love for understanding various parts of animal anatomy. Once the basic bone structure is created, as long as care and precise observation is maintained throughout the creation of the rig, generalizing the basic muscle groups and attributing them to your 3D representation in your model's bones comes with ease to one skilled in the talent. In short: If you understand muscle groups, you more or less understand 3D bones and rigging. I have also gone into detail describing my prior experience with lighting and I can once again attribute this to my skills with 2D art and illustration.
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Creator InfoThis is a blog for a Game Art Design class. Future programmer and currently an artist and writer. Archives
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