No Work, Just Art

  And even then, it's mostly just in my head.

  Since there were no major programming challenges to overcome this week I spent most of my time doodling and playing guitar.  Yes, this is important!  While I still have no idea how to do any of these animations (compare 20 years programming experience to about two weeks of animation tutorials and you notice a difference).  At least I'm getting somewhere with the art.  I'd be better able to describe what I need to someone else if I ever met a willing artist.

Current Projects

  Oddly, all art for RPS.  Didn't even touch my other projects this week.

Other Projects

  Of course, any and/or all music or art I come up with could technically be matched to any project since I haven't actually finished anything yet.

Gaming

  Mostly just clearing my 3DS Ambassador games.  I'm starting to realize why modern games aren't as good as the oldies...  old controllers were better.  Playing Super Mario Bros. or Zelda II is quite a different challenge using hard portable buttons, a touch screen that interrupts play, required start button next to two buttons that interrupt play, needing to tilt your hand upwards to hold B and A together all combined with constant screen shaking for tapping an outside edge (A) button.  Compare the NES or SNES controllers where all the buttons can be reached without requiring a change in hand position (Yes, to reach the 3DS Start, Select and Home buttons I have to move my hand... I don't have freak ape thumbs)

  Compare this to classic style games that use a keyboard such as La-Mulana or Hydra Castle Labyrinth.  They control amazingly.  Also, lots of developers seem to like using ZXC for controls recently.  Comfort FIRST.  Only a generation ago the popular controls for such games were Ctrl and Alt to do most actions with the constant threat of nicking the Windows Fails key.

  Other than that I also started Achron and Bastion.  Well, I finished the latter in a single session.  It's certainly an experience in interactive storytelling, but I could have stood to have the game harder (new game plus' with all 10 idols enabled).  Ok!  This is more to my liking!

  Achron is kinda ok.  I find the first few stages to be a little too dark to see well, but luckily as tutorial levels there isn't much to see.  If I ever played this multiplayer I'd have to avoid the dark blue maps.  The time travel is cool and works uncannily well.  I notice a lot of people complaining about pathfinding; which is a good point, it could have been done better, but that's only compared to the giants of RTS's that have very streamlined pathfinding routines.  It's something that could be patched out.  I'd recommend it if it goes on sale, since it is more expensive than Bastion, which is critically amazing.

  Of course, I'm probably the only one ever who uses price point when picking games.


Other

  I've been in unexplained muscle pain for more than a month now.  All the doctor can say is that there's a lot of them anti-protein inflammatory thingers in there.  At least we know the pain isn't just in my head.  To continue exercise, just take some Aspirin or something.

QBasically, Lok