2009-02-12

How do I waste the time?

Filed under: Games,Graphics,Technology — Tags: , , , , — D. Moonfire @ 13:34

Ended up working late last night on a customer issue. Fortunately, I’m not inclined to ignore the phone in the last three minutes of my work day in the off chance I’ll spend an hour and a half trying to fix things. However, it is highly annoying when I can’t figure out the problem. I’m suppose to be this impressive programmer, damn it.

After a quick trip to the grocery store for healthy food, I brought home the results of my unhealthy (Subway club sandwhich) lunch because I forgot to do groceries the day before. It isn’t that Subway isn’t bad, it is the pawn shop next to it that isn’t (financially) healthy. 3010 DVD’s for $30. “I got me some BAD movies!” including Ultraviolet, an absolutely terrible movie with some neat colors I like.

Since I didn’t get home late, I didn’t try to write. Instead, I just did little things. Like figure out how to get my VPN working from Linux, including a remote desktop to my work machine. Now, I don’t have to use Windows again except for World of Goo and Crayon Physics Deluxe. And the second those turn Linux-friendly, I’ll be ecstatic.

Then I spent an hour moving Glorious Saber to its new home. Not pretty right now, but it uses ComicPress in a shared environment (update one place, update them all) which means it has all those features I spent a week writing before. And, sadly, probably more secure, faster, and better developed.

Going through the strips, I still enjoy read it and looking at how my own graphical style is getting slightly mature. And getting depressed that its been over a year. And almost two years since my Exalted in-character journal has been updated. I always worry about the abstract nature of the Glorious Saber. I get complaints about the lack of arms and legs, but I like it. I also like Absurd comic and the Oblongs probably for the same reason. Though, both of those go with limited mobility where I go with not rendering arms and legs.

And, in the constant need to go to sleep on time, I managed to take almost three hours to get to bed. Apparently, in the middle of my shower, I decided I really wanted to get text-to-speech working on my computer.

…

Why?

What is wrong with me?

So, my computer can do some pretty talking. And I sort of added the programs to do some musical backgrounds. And was reminded that I really, really want an IPA dictionary to correct some of that really bad speaking. And that I liked Running Bomb but it needed help. And a tone of other things.

Guess what, apparently I’m exhausted.

Go figure.

2008-09-30

Don’t eat the crayons

Filed under: Games,Programming,Writing — Tags: , — D. Moonfire @ 14:25

I saw an interesting quote in the middle of a highly inappropriate website last night. It was a small essay called “Don’t eat the crayons.” I started reading because the next sentence, “Even the purple ones, despite them being the tastiest.” I don’t remember the essay but it talked about the different crayons in life: television, video games, worrying about your body and hair. All time wasters when you just do it mindlessly. It took me a few second to realize what they were saying, don’t waste your creativity (it was on a writing board so that makes senses). You can spend your days watching television or playing games, but you aren’t really creating anything. There is some use in it, recharging your batteries, but I think a lot of people watch too much television or play too many games compared to the amount needed to recover their energies.

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2008-09-10

Love(craft) of Temptation

Filed under: Games,Programming,Writing — Tags: , , — D. Moonfire @ 21:05

This year, I’ve been having some seriously difficulty in staying focused on the writing side of things. The contests that produced Running Bomb and Lethe’s Yarn are two examples. After Lethe’s, I said I was going to focus on writing and resist doing another game contest this year.

According to this, then next game writing contest will be Lovecraft themed. Damn it, I was suppose to resist. But, its Lovecraft. And just hearing the theme gave me a wonderful idea for a game: Baby Squid God. With a tag line of “Insanity is Inherited.”

I’m going to have serious difficulties focusing on writing in October if that ends up the official theme. It also means I better write lots in September since I might not be doing much in October.

There are some things I can resist, squid gods are not one of them. Baby squid gods are another one. I mean, it will have a pacifier and big puppy eyes (and tentacles).

*sigh*

… doomed.

2008-07-01

Running Bomb disappointements

Filed under: Games,Programming — Tags: — D. Moonfire @ 19:10

Well, someone posted the real voting record for the TIG Procedural Game Contest. As much as I hoped from someone’s comment, it wasn’t three votes I got. It was closer to zero. In fact, it looked a lot like a zero. That is, naturally, the lowest score I could have gotten compared the 99 votes for Rescue: Beagles, which you should play if you have a chance.

I thought about bringing it back, but… I guess I won’t. I’ll go with my original gut feeling which is to treat it as a learning experience, set it aside (at the bottom of a landfill) and move on. Maybe the next game will be more exciting and entertaining. Too many things to do, and some things needs to have a closure.

2008-06-26

Running Bomb votes are in! (and a snippet from Scions)

Filed under: Games,Writing — Tags: , , — D. Moonfire @ 20:37

Well, voting closed on the TIG contest. Hopefully, the masses of my readership downloaded the game, played it, and decided it was the best game of the entire contest.

…

…

*cough*

But, surprisingly, it actually got three votes. And none of them were mine, since I won’t vote on my own stuff. So, that means 3 major features update rounds and polishing before I sit back from it and see if it should be continued. After the writing, of course. Flight of the Scions must be written. I need to get the damn story out of my head and see if these new ideas take off.

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2008-06-09

World Building!

Filed under: Games,Writing — Tags: , , , — D. Moonfire @ 14:36

This weekend was somewhat productive, baring 92% of Saturday where I did nothing but chat for 12 hours. Just relaxed, though a lot of work since it was world creation of a different sort. I haven’t done it for a while, but I managed to get one entire page of ideas out in the entire day.

I made up for it on Sunday by cleaning the apartment, making proper meals, watching a movie, wiring up some speakers, finishing my homework (though with complaints), doing an update to Running Bomb (got a good review of it this morning), installed a new Wiki software, and basically started writing out Wikipedia-inspired articles for my fantasy world.

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2008-06-05

Decisions and Breathing

Filed under: Games,Writing — Tags: , , — D. Moonfire @ 16:24

Feel a lot better today, just had a chance to de-stress and play a bunch of free procedural games. That and things got a little bit better in the last 24 hours that I don’t feel like I’m in a garlic press all the time. Mmm, garlic.

So, while playing other games, I decided that I’ll add one major feature to Running Bomb for every vote it gets in the final competition. No votes, it gets trunked. More than no votes, then I’ll work on it and keep on polishing it.

Other than that, I’m doing a bit of world-building…

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2008-06-04

Bad Day

Filed under: Family,Games — Tags: , — D. Moonfire @ 14:43

I am remarkably stressed. Financial reasons, of course, it feels like as soon as I get ahead, I get slammed back. The economic stimulus check is currently AWOL, the IRS doesn’t know where it is much less anyone else (despite the fact they already pulled the money for what I owed months ago). My former employer is currently heading for her “death bed” which is another word for “I’ll be sick so I can avoid people who want money” time. According to her, I’ll “maybe” get money in mid-July. Its a juggling thing, which I hate. I know it will pass, but it is really hard to keep faith when you are in the middle of this.

I also ended up working on Running Bomb for “just one more day.” It bothered me that I screwed up so much that I spent the night tracking down the problems on Windows and submitted it. A day late, of course, which means it won’t be a viable entry into PGC, but it was important to me that I didn’t submit something that was entirely crap.

  • http://mfgames.com/games/running-bomb/running-bomb-0.1.zip

Other than that, my heart is still beating and I’m still breathing.

Think I’ll write.

2008-06-03

Running Bomb Epilogue

Filed under: Family,Games,Writing — Tags: , — D. Moonfire @ 13:52

There is a part of me that always expects things to be easy. I never really struggled with writing at the beginning and I quickly got good at it. I have the stories and compliments, so I feel it is just a matter of time before I get published. I think I’m missing stuff, of course, but it is more of a matter of refining my craft more than just trying to get something down on paper. Programming? I learned C when I was six. And I was good for a six year old. Actually, I was good for a 15, 20, and 25 year old, which is probably why I had a major problem with ego as a programmer. If I could imagine it, I could write it. Pure and simple.

But, game writing? I’m not so good. I don’t seem to have a large well of talent to draw from. A hunk of me wanted my first game entry to be amazing, like in the top 10% of the entered games and one that people would seriously consider talking about a year later.

(more…)

2008-05-30

Unplanned Time

Filed under: Family,Games,Writing — Tags: — D. Moonfire @ 15:34

Last night, I had the high expectations of finishing up the last big part of my game, Running Bomb. Got home a bit late because I gave a coworker a ride home and because I talk too much at work. Then, I had to make dinner *sigh* (I hate this dependency on protein some days). And then…

A friend’s website went down. Now, I don’t get paid to maintain the website, but I do it because I feel its right. So, I ended up spending about three hours trying to get the network to run smoothly with only 40 people hitting it at a time. Failed. Failed miserably actually, which annoyed me more than anything else since I should have been able to fix it.

So, that put me in a sour mood for the rest of the night and I got about, ten minutes of coding in. Plan? What’s that? I’ll throw it on the laptop before I go home for Fluffy’s black belt test, but I doubt I’ll get to it. Unless I’m really lucky on Sunday and Monday nights, I’m pretty much done. :(

In other news, I got paid today. Two in a row on time. Its still an amazing feeling and really helps with the stress levels. With Fluffy getting laid off, we are still juggling, but someone gave me an advance on five short story commissions, so that will really help later next week. The other cool part is I get to see what yen looks like, and then what a currency exchange looks like. :)

I know it works out in the end. Faith tells me that, but it doesn’t mean its painless to get there. Next week, I’m planning on doing nothing productive except enter DVD’s into the computer. Then, I start a round of editing with Wind, Bear, and Moon. And maybe to give it a new title? Something better sounding that Wind, Bear, and Moon.

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