Continuing doing research on soil type, and land restoration. First concept.
It's almost 9pm and haven't gone far in reading. Tried to watch documentary with one eye and read with another. Big mistake. Got a whole of 10 usable lines of data from both. Tears. Have 2 more hours then go home. Must do most concept by this weekend. PI. Rivers of tears.
Concept art stage. Not only just what the plants, lab, land looks like in detail and color, but also how the actual game are we're making will be laid out. How the path of the audience's eye will be guided by what is in the layout. What exactly will this area look like.
Dev and I both agreed warm-color, barren landscape provides a very nice contrast against vegetation. That is, if the vegetation will be mostly green. The thing is neither of us developed and researched a back story before presenting. Now the more I think and read about what this future Earth might be like, the less I'm certain the "plants" we'll be planting will all be green.
I hope Dev won't be upset if I propose too much of a change to the concept art. I'm currently trying to compact-research what this new, barren Earth could look like while still being grounded (pun intended) in some kind of current science knowledge. I definitely want the environmentalism mood to be felt, even if only as an under current.
Just now I've been reminded of possible reference material from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Gods be with Japan and all the folks affected by those disaster. I don't know how I could've forgotten about the nuclear plant's demise while remaining aware of the earthquake and flood. But now I definitely should look more into what has happened to local flora and fauna other than mutated butterflies that were first reported. This can be done later tonight on computer, however. Right now I need to continue make use of Talbot campus library whilst it's open.
I should probably also say hi to new flat mate when they all hang out in the kitchen again, but... ... damn this social phobia to Hell and back. And to some other places too.
Oh and I have to do PI research at the same time somehow. ... Man this gonna hurt just as bad as Term 2
Current quest: Determine dead Earth climate. Confirmed traits = radiation, worn ozone layer, lack of oxygen, polluted water,
Viewed documentaries on plants, space colonization, and possible ways Earth goes to waste for concept. Did not have concept art prepared for presentation. Presentation was told need to clarify goal, and give tutors sometime definite (and visual) to look at in order for them to give feedback.
Tired of catching up because time spent on this assignment cuts off time for that assignment. Determined to stop situation from repeating. Need to make short term plans. To do that need to understand game pipeline better, as well as game engine Unity (which is needed for PI anyway).
Current "quest": install Unity, run one tutorial on Unity. Create rough concept art and color boards to pitch.
http://www.thiagoklafke.com/modularenvironments.html
search udk and modular modeling keyword.
I got that game right when it came out, along with Mass Effect 3. Since then I've been playing (and replaying) the entire ME series, and never installed Amalur until last week. For the 1 week I have left until school start, I spent about 3 days playing Amalur with minimal sleep, when I should've been researching. I wouldn't call those days "wasted", though. Sadly I can't finish the game now, and have to put it away. The environment it has was unexpectedly breathtaking - especially the foresty areas that you start out in (after the initial short dungeon crawl). It's kind of what I want to do for the Master Project - lush, full of life, huge and explore-able. I wish I'd palyed this sooner. And luckily I have now. It would help the Master Project as, at least, inspiration.
I knew about Amalur when it was being developed, and I knew the studio was back in Baltimore area. But back then all I saw were combat footages, and while the fancy kill-moves intrigued me, it wasn't like "That's so cool I gotta play those awesome moves!". They didn't advertise the environment much. So I went back to look up the developer and the studio, and they're both gone. Makes me real sad.
It also makes me think about when developer and studios come and go like dust in the wind, where would I go, and what can I take with me from one studio to the next. That is, assuming I ever get hired by them. Is it really going to be concept art? The things I'll need to do to improve both speed and creativity to become a good concept artist seemed like an impossible and painful K2. And I've known that for many years. Being the coward that I am, I ran from the mountain instead of charging in. Mostly because it's K2. But I never managed to completely give up concept-arting all these years. The K2 won't leave the viewport, even after running away for so long.
No matter. Right now I have a presentation to prepare for, CAPT, and PI to worry about.
Not really, 1 more week, but before this I went home to NYC and had a busy break catching up with, meeting, people. Didn't really spend thoughts on either Personal Inquiry or CAPT or Master. It was nice I went out almost everyday to see more sites/exhibitions than I would've if left on my own. Now I'm back, and it's grinding time...!
Jack helped me fix the garden :D now it spawns randomly if you choose H2O,
