Today's New Year's Eve. As I've said in my last post, this has been a very fast year. The past week and a half has been great and awful at the same time. I got to hang out with friends, see family, play games, and just relax; however, I've been almost unbearably ill since last Monday till now. I'm pretty much in the same position I was in near the end of 2012 where I also fell ill and decided to take better care of myself in 2013 (of which I did a very good job of). But this year, in 2014, I kind of fell back on it in favor of getting work done and stay up all night to play games with friends. In 2014, I was very inconsistent with going to the gym (but at least I kept up with it instead of giving it up entirely) and my sleep schedule slipped back into it's terrible juggle of sleeping between 3-5 AM and waking up at 11AM-1PM. And the worst thing was I acquired a taste for spicy food this year. If I go out, I eat spicy food. If I'm home cooking, I add all sorts of spicy sauces. So for the past 1.5 weeks, I've been having a problem with my stomach where it constantly feels hungry, is always churning and feels like it's burning, I keep feeling like I want to throw up, and in the worst times I can't even find the appetite to eat when I'm starving. As the days progressed, I started developing dizziness, dry throat, fatigue and susceptibility to coldness. I finally feel somewhat stable today with only a lingering hunger feeling, slight churning and feeling a bit light-headed. I can't wait to fully recover and feel okay again, for I'm looking forward to 2015.
I felt hesitant and unsure of myself in the beginning of 2014, but I felt like I was able to accomplish enough. I don't want to say "a lot" since I never really feel satisfied with how much I do and always want to accomplish more. But this time around, I'm very excited about 2015 and what I want to do with my time. Working on the Ultima: Exodus Remix Project was an eye opener to what I want to do with the time I have while I wait for job replies. Also, Camera Obscura was finally Greenlit yesterday! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the email. Whether this is a breaking point for me is unclear, I just know I want to continue working on my own projects while I continue searching for a job because it feels fulfilling and it feels right. It's what I should be doing and what I've been wanting throughout my life but couldn't do before. I just bought a bunch of new samples and loops to work with on Music Creator 6 and I'm planning on buying Open Canvas 6 today. So I plan on producing even more work in 2015. I'll probably be doing a more detailed reflective review of my year in 2014 in the next few days, but for now I just want a speedy recovery.
Showing posts with label Productivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Productivity. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tis a good time for gaming
Before I get to the juicy stuff, I'll just have a bit of an update on my work. I'm 1/2 complete on my Street Fighter Mix and it's making me wonder if I ever want to do a mix this long again, haha. I think I should stick with individual mixes just for the sake of productivity. I started on a new composition yesterday for one of the game projects, and I heard that we're going to take that game to GDC next year (yay)! So I'm working extra hard (kinda sorta) to get the music done so that we can publish the game on XBLA in time to present at Game Developers Conference (GDC) early next year in March. I'll most likely won't be attending unless I get in free as I've heard that going a full 3 days is several hundred dollars (up to $1000 with hotel fees, transportation, etc.). Sound effects for the other project is going smoothly so far, though no real decision to choose any of the ones I created has been made. Besides those two major projects, I've finally started to work on my game two weeks ago. I'm move very slowly on it, but I've at least got most of the main gameplay down. I just need more programming, more designs, and content and then I'll get the project really rolling. Besides working on stuff like that, I'm also trying to get back more into piano and learn some new songs. Extending my knowledge to playing all sorts of different songs help me when I compose for music (I suppose...I'm still randomly playing things to create my compositions).
Now onto the gaming portion of my rant (bwahahaha)! Last week, I bought a game on Steam called Titan Quest Gold (okay, so it's two games in one package) for $5. I've been very skeptical of the game and have seen it on sale many times, but I never brought myself to getting it. I recently beat Torchlight and didn't want to continue it, but I was also very eager to play Diablo 3 (which has been pushed back to Q1 2012. So I bought Titan Quest. The first 2 hours, I was getting bored clicking on monsters. I also had the problem of going back into town every 2 minutes just to sell all the equipment I picked up. I have that habit of taking everything I see and selling them for money in RPGs. After 2 hours, I was able to choose a mastery (which determines my class) and learn new skills. Enemies started to come in large waves, but my skills allowed me to take on 10, 20, even 30 enemies because of the abilities I possessed. I was, at one point, attacking with effects of fire, poison, bleeding, sharpness, and life steal all at the same time. The game suddenly became very enticing to me! I also learned that picking up the most rarest of items was sufficient in making money (so picking up junk was taking up space in my inventory space). I was traveling around a large open world, slaying tons of enemies at the same time, picking up powerful equipment, and fighting really strong bosses. I was very happy with my purchase then, but I read online what other people thought and people said they still preferred Diablo 2 for their top-down action-RPG. I had tried Diablo 2 a few years ago (for like 5 minutes) and didn't really get into it. But seeing how it took me 2 hours to get into Titan Quest, I decided to give Diablo 2 another chance (I had the game anyways, might as well play it). Yeah, the first 1-2 hours were kind of boring, but then it pulled me in as soon as I started getting better loot (equipment), and gained new skills. More so, I started playing Diablo 2 more than Titan Quest. I still play Titan Quest, but what makes me like Diablo 2 more than most Point-n-Click Action-RPGs is that it's so fast-paced. I've been playing so many MMORPGs these many years that I forgot how fast paced an Action-RPG could be. Running around, killings hundreds of mobs, warping between cities, etc. I'm very inclined to play Diablo 1 now just so I can get the full experience of the Diablo series.
Over the weekend, I order three games on Amazon since they were in my target price range. I bought Brink for $9.99 and Bayonetta for $17.01, both for the PS3. The 3rd game is actually a birthday gift for a friend (also a PS3 game). I received the first two games yesterday and tried them out. Brink's multiplayer is dead, which I was well prepared for and is the reason why I waited until it was $10 before I got it. The game is quite challenging, and it still feels like a multiplayer experience when I'm playing solo (though, computer AIs are kinda dumb). The progression of Brink isn't what I expected. I was hoping to gradually earn my equipment along the way of leveling and gaining experience points. But the only way to get more equipment is to play the challenges, and there's only 4. So Brink won't exactly be the multiplayer-centric FPS experience I hoped for, but it'll be at least a nice distraction to play once in a while. I'll admit it's pretty fun in its own respect. I still feel ripped off by buying Homefront for $25. 4 hours of single-player campaign and 1 hours of multiplayer. Then the multiplayer community dies out completely leaving me with only 5 hours of gameplay off that game (which is sad since a game like Terraria, that I paid $2.50 for, has provided me 66 hours of gameplay and I still plan on playing it more). Bayonetta is a lot of fun, and a lot of action. Though I would have liked to pay less for it, it'll be a game that I'll enjoy. The problem is that installing it took 4.4 GB out of my hard drive. I've run out of space on my HDD, and it's becoming a real problem. I'll probably have to make some decisions to delete some installs of other games eventually.
Dark Souls came out!
Demon's Souls has made it onto my list as one of my favorite games (and I think I should consider adding Diablo 2 on that now too) and so I'm naturally very happy and excited to see the release of Dark Souls. No, I haven't bought it yet. I generally wait for games to drop in price before I buy them now since I'm never desperate to play a game on launch day anymore (except for Diablo 3, I will buy that the first day and play the heck out of it) unless I'm really really into it (such as the handheld Castlevania games). I still play Demon's Souls even now, but I try to stay away from it when I can since I get so caught up in replaying it that I neglect all other games I have that I haven't completed yet.
The Cursed Crusade is one of the games I want to get. It's a 2-player, split-screen co-op Action game. You know how rare it is to have a local co-op game nowadays? That game should be out in 3-4 days. A lot of games are coming out soon actually. Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations are among the highly anticipated games. Yup, our economy might still suck right now, but the number of quality games are still coming out.
Besides gaming, did I mention that I'm (kinda) getting back into Manga and Animé? It's super hard to balance work, games, and stuff like Manga and Animé. Especially now that I'm getting back into working out at the gym again, haha. I missed at least 3 months or more of working out. My arms are all sore now from Wednesday's workout, but my legs are surprisingly alright. One other activity I regret not doing enough of or finding the time to do is reading. I just can't bring myself to sit down and read. A book I've been very wanting to finish up is "The Art of War". It's not a novel or anything, but it has insights of those of past history and philosophy that could apply to today's time. I do like reading, but, uhh, I like other stuff much more to read as much as I want to...(music, art, gaming, etc.) Well, I think I've ranted long enough. Until next month~
Now onto the gaming portion of my rant (bwahahaha)! Last week, I bought a game on Steam called Titan Quest Gold (okay, so it's two games in one package) for $5. I've been very skeptical of the game and have seen it on sale many times, but I never brought myself to getting it. I recently beat Torchlight and didn't want to continue it, but I was also very eager to play Diablo 3 (which has been pushed back to Q1 2012. So I bought Titan Quest. The first 2 hours, I was getting bored clicking on monsters. I also had the problem of going back into town every 2 minutes just to sell all the equipment I picked up. I have that habit of taking everything I see and selling them for money in RPGs. After 2 hours, I was able to choose a mastery (which determines my class) and learn new skills. Enemies started to come in large waves, but my skills allowed me to take on 10, 20, even 30 enemies because of the abilities I possessed. I was, at one point, attacking with effects of fire, poison, bleeding, sharpness, and life steal all at the same time. The game suddenly became very enticing to me! I also learned that picking up the most rarest of items was sufficient in making money (so picking up junk was taking up space in my inventory space). I was traveling around a large open world, slaying tons of enemies at the same time, picking up powerful equipment, and fighting really strong bosses. I was very happy with my purchase then, but I read online what other people thought and people said they still preferred Diablo 2 for their top-down action-RPG. I had tried Diablo 2 a few years ago (for like 5 minutes) and didn't really get into it. But seeing how it took me 2 hours to get into Titan Quest, I decided to give Diablo 2 another chance (I had the game anyways, might as well play it). Yeah, the first 1-2 hours were kind of boring, but then it pulled me in as soon as I started getting better loot (equipment), and gained new skills. More so, I started playing Diablo 2 more than Titan Quest. I still play Titan Quest, but what makes me like Diablo 2 more than most Point-n-Click Action-RPGs is that it's so fast-paced. I've been playing so many MMORPGs these many years that I forgot how fast paced an Action-RPG could be. Running around, killings hundreds of mobs, warping between cities, etc. I'm very inclined to play Diablo 1 now just so I can get the full experience of the Diablo series.
Over the weekend, I order three games on Amazon since they were in my target price range. I bought Brink for $9.99 and Bayonetta for $17.01, both for the PS3. The 3rd game is actually a birthday gift for a friend (also a PS3 game). I received the first two games yesterday and tried them out. Brink's multiplayer is dead, which I was well prepared for and is the reason why I waited until it was $10 before I got it. The game is quite challenging, and it still feels like a multiplayer experience when I'm playing solo (though, computer AIs are kinda dumb). The progression of Brink isn't what I expected. I was hoping to gradually earn my equipment along the way of leveling and gaining experience points. But the only way to get more equipment is to play the challenges, and there's only 4. So Brink won't exactly be the multiplayer-centric FPS experience I hoped for, but it'll be at least a nice distraction to play once in a while. I'll admit it's pretty fun in its own respect. I still feel ripped off by buying Homefront for $25. 4 hours of single-player campaign and 1 hours of multiplayer. Then the multiplayer community dies out completely leaving me with only 5 hours of gameplay off that game (which is sad since a game like Terraria, that I paid $2.50 for, has provided me 66 hours of gameplay and I still plan on playing it more). Bayonetta is a lot of fun, and a lot of action. Though I would have liked to pay less for it, it'll be a game that I'll enjoy. The problem is that installing it took 4.4 GB out of my hard drive. I've run out of space on my HDD, and it's becoming a real problem. I'll probably have to make some decisions to delete some installs of other games eventually.
Dark Souls came out!
Demon's Souls has made it onto my list as one of my favorite games (and I think I should consider adding Diablo 2 on that now too) and so I'm naturally very happy and excited to see the release of Dark Souls. No, I haven't bought it yet. I generally wait for games to drop in price before I buy them now since I'm never desperate to play a game on launch day anymore (except for Diablo 3, I will buy that the first day and play the heck out of it) unless I'm really really into it (such as the handheld Castlevania games). I still play Demon's Souls even now, but I try to stay away from it when I can since I get so caught up in replaying it that I neglect all other games I have that I haven't completed yet.
The Cursed Crusade is one of the games I want to get. It's a 2-player, split-screen co-op Action game. You know how rare it is to have a local co-op game nowadays? That game should be out in 3-4 days. A lot of games are coming out soon actually. Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations are among the highly anticipated games. Yup, our economy might still suck right now, but the number of quality games are still coming out.
Besides gaming, did I mention that I'm (kinda) getting back into Manga and Animé? It's super hard to balance work, games, and stuff like Manga and Animé. Especially now that I'm getting back into working out at the gym again, haha. I missed at least 3 months or more of working out. My arms are all sore now from Wednesday's workout, but my legs are surprisingly alright. One other activity I regret not doing enough of or finding the time to do is reading. I just can't bring myself to sit down and read. A book I've been very wanting to finish up is "The Art of War". It's not a novel or anything, but it has insights of those of past history and philosophy that could apply to today's time. I do like reading, but, uhh, I like other stuff much more to read as much as I want to...(music, art, gaming, etc.) Well, I think I've ranted long enough. Until next month~
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Into the year 2011
Wow, has it really been that long since I last posted on here? I meant to do on in January, but I've been ridiculously busy. From Monday-Friday, I'm working helping out on an Online game, then I write a post on my business blog, and just recently I started going to a martial arts dojo with one of my friends. By the time I get home, I eat dinner, take a shower, and don't feel like working anymore and end up playing something. If I get free time during the day, I use it to continue looking for open positions in the game industry. If I'm lucky, I work on my own projects. I finished the trance remix for the Zanac project I've planned from back in Jr. College, but I'm still finishing up the piano arrangements for it. I plan to move into work on game development, or do one of two things: practice art or continue working on music. I haven't drawn anything since October of 2010. Even with music, I only have time to practice on weekends. When I do, I practice 1-3 hours which leaves me tired and don't feel like drawing, haha. Life seems to give me very little time to let me do what I want anymore.
Anyways, it's 2011. It's the year of the Rabbit, which means I'll be turning 24. Oh man, 24...It feels weird to be in twenties when I don't feel like I want all that responsibility and age mentality. But I hope that since it's my horoscope year, I'll have some luck. I made my new years resolution and put it up on facebook so that I don't forget:
New Year's Resolution:
1) Land a job in the Interactive Entertainment Industry, or at the very least Editorial relating to the industry
2) Produce as much composition/mixes/covers of music as possible
3) Get serious in developing indie games and set up an awesome portal to my work
4) Draw a lot! Traditional, digital, anything! I must get back into art again. Video and Photography too.
5) Beat as many videogames as possible AND continue to write design analysis for each one. One more step towards becoming a game designer~
Let's see if I can hold to those claims. Aside from my working side of life, I'm not sure what to say about my free-time life. I still haven't beaten Metal Gear Solid 3 which bugs me since I want to get through it. I've been more inclined to play my PS3 lately and just these past 2 weeks I started playing Demon's Souls a little more seriously. I'm getting more used to how the game works and have beaten the 2nd boss and got my physical body back (only to lose it a week later when I fell down within a tower when I was soul farming) and started to get better equipment. The game's really fun, and it keeps pulling me back in just how Phantasy Star Online Ep. 1 & 2 did. I guess I haven't said anything since Christmas eve, but I bought a lot of games during the Steam Holiday sales. So I've been playing games on PC as well as PS3. I try getting back into playing Wii, but it's always so inconvenient since the TV for it is usually unavailable. In the end, I've been still stuck with my FPS phase and been playing all sorts: Call of Duty Black Ops (I got it for Christmas, yay!), Medal of Honor (2010), Battlefield 2: Bad Company 2, Blacklight: Tango Down, MAG, Breach, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, etc. It's not that I don't like playing other genres, but rather I keep having the urge to play FPS. It hasn't been as bad the past 2 weeks since I've been playing Demon's Souls, and I played fighting games last night with my dad. Still, if I had more time in the day, I'd be playing a lot more and trying to actually finish games like I did before during the summer. I actually really miss playing MMOs, but I'm afraid to get back into them since I won't be completing any games that way.
Sorry, no videos or pictures to share this time. It's been mainly work and productivity for me lately, and it makes me a little sad when I can't work on my own stuff and have more free time to play. Here's the link to my business blog just in case you haven't seen it yet: http://superpad.blogspot.com/ I talked about "free games" in the past week. It was kind of a like a trip through memory lane of all the free games I used to play. Well, I should really use the remaining time of the day to either work on projects or play some games before I start doing more work tomorrow.
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