Life and FoHO updates
by Leathel Grody · 05/30/2011 (6:44 am) · 4 comments
The big news is finally have a job. Having fun. After 10 years of doing MS Exchange in the corporate world, I am now doing all IT work for a small local manufacturing company. Touching and in charge of every aspect(WAN, LAN, Exchange, AD, antivirus, desktops, etc.). Just implemented a VOIP system last week which is pretty cool to learn. Half what I used to make, but is a job and learning alot.
With only a few weeks left of unemployment it was cutting it close. I spent a year and a half and a few hundred resumes sent out to finally get there. I learned my lesson though. I will be working on a bunch of CompTIA and MS certifications as well as working to finish my Bachelor's degree. Even with 10 years of corporate IT background and designing infrastructures for Fortune 500 companies, I found that people with no work experience but had certs and degrees ranked higher on the job highering scale than I did. So starting out with the CompTIA A+ cert. After 15 years of IT work total, not much studying involved on that one. But still couldn't get to some interviews without it. I will be working on the other CompTIA and MS certs as well as a few college courses each semester. Also found that being so technology specific for so long hurt me as well. So being in a job now where I am touching so many technologies is great. So add in a new job and four kids, I just don't know how much time I will really have for FoHO.
I started a year and a half ago with a post to try and make it as an Indie. I failed. I thought I could finish the game in 6 months working on it full time, but after a year and half, I am still not even close. I tried to live through a dream but it didn't pay off, so now time I live in reality from now on. I need to ensure I never get in a position like I just went through and so FoHO will be the least of my priorities.
Not sure if I am totally done with FoHO. I love the art of game development. I enjoy the process of creating the world and the technology over the actual playing of games. But I want to do something more crazier and abstract than what FoHO is. Possibly work on something more casual that I could actually achieve. So I don't know. MMOs have come a long ways the last few years. I just can't compete with the technology and art even the free-to-play versions can achieve. I do need to do something or my wife will kill me if I never use all the art and technology I have purchases the last five years :) If I can take FoHO to be more crazier I might stick with it.
Anyways, here is what I have worked on for FoHO. I have changed alot of the design work now that I know I am using Mesh Hiding only as the armor as well as focusing on a more casual feel. Instead of seperate slots(thighs, forearms, etc) all Mesh Hiding armor is done with just one slot and is primarily Profession/Race based. I was able merge alot of the original pre-Alpha armor onto the Beta model(more texture armor based), so it worked out nicely. I have also merged many of the textured armors(legs, shirt, arms) to just be one Under Armor slot and is more Class based. I am still working on a TGE and T3D combo technology that has been working rather well. I also implemented some code so that shield and weapons are auto-scabbarded on the back but when attacking the helm, shield, and weapons are equipped into the proper locations.
Scabbard Process:
New Mesh Hiding armor(profession/race based):
Some T3D love:
With only a few weeks left of unemployment it was cutting it close. I spent a year and a half and a few hundred resumes sent out to finally get there. I learned my lesson though. I will be working on a bunch of CompTIA and MS certifications as well as working to finish my Bachelor's degree. Even with 10 years of corporate IT background and designing infrastructures for Fortune 500 companies, I found that people with no work experience but had certs and degrees ranked higher on the job highering scale than I did. So starting out with the CompTIA A+ cert. After 15 years of IT work total, not much studying involved on that one. But still couldn't get to some interviews without it. I will be working on the other CompTIA and MS certs as well as a few college courses each semester. Also found that being so technology specific for so long hurt me as well. So being in a job now where I am touching so many technologies is great. So add in a new job and four kids, I just don't know how much time I will really have for FoHO.
I started a year and a half ago with a post to try and make it as an Indie. I failed. I thought I could finish the game in 6 months working on it full time, but after a year and half, I am still not even close. I tried to live through a dream but it didn't pay off, so now time I live in reality from now on. I need to ensure I never get in a position like I just went through and so FoHO will be the least of my priorities.
Not sure if I am totally done with FoHO. I love the art of game development. I enjoy the process of creating the world and the technology over the actual playing of games. But I want to do something more crazier and abstract than what FoHO is. Possibly work on something more casual that I could actually achieve. So I don't know. MMOs have come a long ways the last few years. I just can't compete with the technology and art even the free-to-play versions can achieve. I do need to do something or my wife will kill me if I never use all the art and technology I have purchases the last five years :) If I can take FoHO to be more crazier I might stick with it.
Anyways, here is what I have worked on for FoHO. I have changed alot of the design work now that I know I am using Mesh Hiding only as the armor as well as focusing on a more casual feel. Instead of seperate slots(thighs, forearms, etc) all Mesh Hiding armor is done with just one slot and is primarily Profession/Race based. I was able merge alot of the original pre-Alpha armor onto the Beta model(more texture armor based), so it worked out nicely. I have also merged many of the textured armors(legs, shirt, arms) to just be one Under Armor slot and is more Class based. I am still working on a TGE and T3D combo technology that has been working rather well. I also implemented some code so that shield and weapons are auto-scabbarded on the back but when attacking the helm, shield, and weapons are equipped into the proper locations.
Scabbard Process:
New Mesh Hiding armor(profession/race based):
Some T3D love:
#2
But remember we had an unspoken agreement to finish our games.
So go, work, study, but in your free time, work a little in your game... one or two hours a week. In the bus... train... bathroom... I don't know... think about how much you have accomplished. I might not be the best to say this as I have almost stopped my game a couple times but 3 years later I'm still on it.
Luck!
05/30/2011 (8:04 pm)
Hey, congrats on your new job!But remember we had an unspoken agreement to finish our games.
So go, work, study, but in your free time, work a little in your game... one or two hours a week. In the bus... train... bathroom... I don't know... think about how much you have accomplished. I might not be the best to say this as I have almost stopped my game a couple times but 3 years later I'm still on it.
Luck!
#3
Yeah, I know. Tell you the truth, after playing with the new T3D 1.1 and demos, I am very tempted to forget the hardships of the MMO world and just use it for a casual style multiplayer game. I have one FPS idea(a seperate FoHO side story) I have wanted to work on, so maybe might think about that. Using the TMMOKit is quite easy, but also has had issues of being so seperated from the original Torque product it has been hard to fix bugs, add 3rd party products, etc... Stick more closely with the original Torque base and maybe see if I can atleast add in the kit server back end, would be nice.
I almost don't want to deal with the MMO headaches and user complaints anymore. Just don't have the time. Plus designing for a more single or multiplayer game will be a whole lot quicker than designing for a hundred users. I have also been tempted to use the current FoHO world, but maybe do a chapter at a time additions with it. So stay tuned.
06/04/2011 (6:30 am)
@Guimo,Yeah, I know. Tell you the truth, after playing with the new T3D 1.1 and demos, I am very tempted to forget the hardships of the MMO world and just use it for a casual style multiplayer game. I have one FPS idea(a seperate FoHO side story) I have wanted to work on, so maybe might think about that. Using the TMMOKit is quite easy, but also has had issues of being so seperated from the original Torque product it has been hard to fix bugs, add 3rd party products, etc... Stick more closely with the original Torque base and maybe see if I can atleast add in the kit server back end, would be nice.
I almost don't want to deal with the MMO headaches and user complaints anymore. Just don't have the time. Plus designing for a more single or multiplayer game will be a whole lot quicker than designing for a hundred users. I have also been tempted to use the current FoHO world, but maybe do a chapter at a time additions with it. So stay tuned.
Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
Having fun in a job? You must be doing it wrong! ;)
Yeah, tell me about it. ;)
Good luck, with getting your Bachelors.