Hey everyone, this is an update of where we stand so far with our Game Project. All of us have been working effectively and meeting deadlines in order to keep on a steady path. We have proof read and updated the design document to give readers a more concrete view of what we all want for this game. Art work has been added as well to illustrate our thoughts for the character’s potential environment. We are happy with our position of progress. Feel free to comment, suggest, or give us feedback because we take everything into account.

The streets are where many influences, mostly negative, lie that can potentially affect our character. In respect to the rough environment that is wanted for this game a homeless person and gangster/drug dealer can be seen in this picture.  When the character steps out into the streets he is at risk; this aspect of the game is not meant to be clean or welcoming, but illustrate the sad, yet real environment that exists in our world. The character will be challenged heavily in the streets and this is essentially where the user can make it or break it.

This is a picture of the work place with a “cash money” tree next to the building in order to show the obvious relation between work and money. Our character will come here to work and earn the pay needed for necessities and pleasure. The picture is very vague because your character can have a variety of jobs. The final looks of the work place are in progress, but feel free to comment or leave any suggestions.

This weekend I will be taking responsibility for the art work involving money and the work place along with the streets. These aspects of the game play very crucial rules in the development of our character. I could write about how these components of our game affect our character, but I much rather show than tell. Again, feel free to comment because feedback is needed for improvement.

The park is a setting in the game that is not too far from the character’s residence. I drew a rough sketch of what we might like the park to look like and colored it in photo shop. This is a place where the character can either come and play basketball with his friends or get away from problems he may be going through. The river has been combined with the park because it is not of great importance, but still serves the character in a positive way. Although the park may seem like a nice place to be, negative influences are still likely to be present. Gangs and drugs may be present at times, which is an obstacle that the character will have to overcome.

Above is a reference picture for our potential park to give you a more realistic view of our thoughts. Feel free to comment on any of the art that we have posted so far.

We have all heard the saying “the greater the risk the greater the reward”. Whether it be small or large, we all encounter risks in our everyday lives.

This is a very dominant theme in the gaming industry as we see in games such as GTA and Madden. In Grand Theft Auto one might risk his life in order to gain money and respect, while in Madden the user might take a gamble and throw the ball down field hoping for a completion. Many do not analyze this issue as it applies to certain situations, but they lean towards what looks more appealing at first glance.

In class we assessed the strategies a basketball coach might use to help his team win a “nail-biting” game. There are three seconds left and we are down by two with possession. We can either go for the two and take our chances in over time or go for the win with a three-point attempt, what should we do? Well, our chance of making a two pointer is 50% while a three-pointer is 33%. Based on this information the two-pointer seems to be the safe bet, but it’s not! Let’s say we make the two-pointer, now our chances in overtime are 50:50, which makes our total chances of winning 25%, while the three-point try still remains 33%.

In cases such as these our instincts tend to blind us from seeing and understanding the better gamble. Thanks to video games, we can use our next life or simply restart.

Today we embarked on a journey into the world of gaming with a hands-on flash experiment. Each of us created a unique Pacman character which we gave a variety of commands;these animations were manipulated with conditional statements. A conditional statement normally consists of the format if…then, for example, if button D is down then Pacman moves downward. Besides giving the Pacmen directional commands some succeeded in making their animation rotate. To express individuality some used different colors while others may have given their Pacman some hair or a bow. For the most part this experiment was meant to get us warmed up for the bigger task at hand, The Game Project. Feel free to play around with my flash animation and we will be sure to keep you posted on the progression towards our goal.

As we move further into the gaming world we grasp new concepts that we will need along the way. On the second day of our mini-Pacman adventure we created a main menu and borders to give it a more professional style.

Ayiti is a game that aims to raise one’s awareness on the hardships an underprivileged family may go through in life. This game also causes you to think of what your main goal is in life and whether or not it is worth the sacrifice.

In this game one must maintain a family of 5 for a period of 4 years and each year consists of 4 distinct seasons: rainy, summer, hurricane, and dry season. The main goal is to get the family through the 4 year period; however, there are many sub-goals one might like to accomplish. A win is rewarded for getting even only one family member through this struggle, but is seems only right to keep the family together and allow no deaths. Every character is susceptible to illness, which is why the health meter of each family member must be carefully observed as time progresses. In addition to the health meter the happiness meter is present, simulating the pursuit of happiness. Depending on your priorities, whether it is health, happiness, education, or money you can make or break the family.

The cost of life in this simulation of reality is outrageous, as I discovered in attempting to complete the game successfully. I conclude, based on my experience, that Ayiti is successful in accomplishing its main goal, but almost unrealistic. Although it may seem the player has complete control over the family’s fate a lot of things are simulated. For example, at certain times in the game a notice may come up informing the player of a fatal illness to one of the family members. In situations like this, one is only given so many options; at times one may only be allowed to ignore the illness, which puts the others at risk. Overall, the game is a good eye-opener and one can only help but ask, “what do I want out of life?”