Things learned from Game Jam 4
- Instructions need to be given progressively through gameplay/tutorial ; not just solely through instruction screens
- Difficulty needs to be bell curved and available at different levels; my huge mistake was making the game too hard too fast
- Character animation with the png strip rule is a bitch for my artists; I need to come up with a better method of importing artwork into flixel

Things to do before Game Jam 5
- Learn how to implement ads into the flixel library
- Learn how to implement medals into the flixel library
- Learn how to modify the flixel preloader and include my own customizable version
- Learn how to use flash movie clips for character and objects instead of pngs
- Learn how to insert different objects of different sizes into the game based off its two dimensional array data

For those from the Game Jam 4 who need to contact me:
Skype: justin-trotter
AIM: lambinvoker
MSN: lambinvoker@hotmail.com
YIM: lambinvoker
Email: lambinvoker@yahoo.com

We can organize all our ideas here.

Cell Phone +*************(only call this number as a last resort, beware of long distance fees and timezone differences)

Timezone: China Standard Time

After a long grueling weekend doing nothing but teaching classes and programming, I sucessfully managed to complete my first flash game ever for the Game Jam 3. I really wanted to push myself to find some sort of creative outlet. In the past this was with animating. Oh, how I wanted to be an animator. But I'm just not that good at it. I mostly think it is because I get burnt out of animating too quickly or just the plan fact that I fail at drawing in general. I doesn't matter really. I at this point in my life have given up on animating as a whole and now jumped whole-hearted into being a programmer.

In the past I have started over two dozen game projects. All of which were buried and fogotten with in a couple of weeks. It's a sad fact. I seem to get over ambitious with my work and always fall short of what I expect, grow frusterated and downright quit or become utterly distracted with something else.

I believe that it is because of this fact that always try to do too much, attain the perfect game on my very first try is why I have failed so much. The Newgrounds Game Jam in its very core required me to rush something out as soon as possible, leaving behind all the neat features and stuff I really wanted to put in out. Despite the fact that I didn't get to submit a game that I had in mind from my original vision, I still submitted my first game and am still motivated to make more!

I have roughly two months until the next game jam. My current goal is to submit another game by then, but to primarily make it simple enough that I could finish coding it well before my deadline. Therefore, there will be no epic-long game that I have always dreamt about making coming from me anytime soon. I need more experience programming. I am now settling to start off small. Here we go.

Good news everyone! Newgrounds is not blocked in China!

Yes, its true. I'm sitting here in my office in Beijing typing up this blog now. China isn't nearly as Communist as everyone state-side seems to think it is. From the past month of me living here, I've notied that thus far (at least in the capital city, Beijing) China is mostly capitalistic while saying and trying to put on a facade of Communism. There is definately a little more direct government control over things in comparison to the United States, such as the complete censorship of porn, the ultra strict gun laws, and the regulation of gas price to a national standard, but there isn't crazy communist things like meal tickets or people wearing commi-uniforms marching around all the time. While I hate the whole censorship thing, which screams totalitarianism, people live their lives in a very similar fashion as typical Americans do. After staying here for about a year I'll type up a nice little report that will give a fair comparison and contrast of China and the United States, going into extensive details of the types of people, how businesses are run, etc.

Meanwhile in China I plan to get back into animating again. As the link suggests, I need to get back into practice. See it for more details. I'd write more this morning but I have to teach a class in 20 minutes.

Anything major going on in the United States? I haven't really been keeping up with American news.

After months of college work, real-life drama, and large amounts of procrastination, I've finally gotten off my ass and started animating again! Here's a quick screen shot of a bit I've been working on for the Espionage Collab. Figured I'd give it a plug since it seems to be a pretty strong collab that requires talented artists, but unfortunately it's just not getting enough attention yet to fill up all of its open slots. If I remember right there's about four spots left for the taking. Give it a look if you have the time.

Edit: Wow, jpeg just kills the quality of the picture.

and I have much work to do.

After many months of college business and sheer waves of chronic laziness I'm finally animating again. Instead of working on a long, overwhelming project right away, I've decided to make a few practice animations first. Hopefully by the end of the summer I will have improved enough to work on much larger endeavors. Even though I'm still taking some summer classes, and I have assignments glaring over my neck, warranting my immediate attention, I can't help but think about animating again. Expect some more developments in the upcoming weeks.

Civilisation is hooped together, brought
Under a rule, under the semblance of peace
By manifold illusion; but man's life is thought,
And he, despite his terror, cannot cease
Ravening though century after century,
Ravening, raging, and uprooting that he may come
Into the desolation of reality:
Egypt and Greece good-bye, and good-bye, Rome!
Hermits upon Mount Meru or Everest,
Caverned in night under the drifted snow,
Or where that snow and winter's dreadful blast
Beat down upon their naked bodies, know
That day brings round the night, that before dawn
His glory and his monuments are gone.
-W. B. Yeats

Today is a special day. In a few Asian countries, White Day is celebrated as a continuation of St. Valentine's Day. On Valentine's Day only the girls are supposed to give out chocolates to their boyfriends. On White Day the men return the favor with white candy. Tonight, I will take part in this holiday for the first time by giving my girlfriend, *****, a box of white themed candy. You can find more information on White Day here. I just thought I'd wish everyone else a Happy White Day for all, that is assuming you have someone to celebrate it with.

They're the Squishy Bearz and they're right over there.
They're the squishiest bears you know.
They've got squishy hairs 'cause they're Squishy Bearz.
Here come the swell Squishy Bearz!