Raptura: A Developer and Game Enthusiast

Hey, I go by the alias Raptura. High school programmer who is CEO, and Head Designer and Programming director of Gamechee, a video game development company. I'm not much of a writer, or artist. However I have many ideas and try to convey them in a manner...

[gmraptura]

Looking forward to 2016

2015 for me was a very stressful year for me, mainly in my personal life. Without going much into it, I've experienced a very stressful breakup early in the year, leading into some internal problems that i have yet to fully cope with concerning other areas of my life. I am considering taking legal action for a sum around 1000 dollars about a job I have worked. I have been completely ignored by a former-good friend of mine (of about 4 years) for seemingly no reason. I got wrapped up in a job that was unethical, and left immediately. Experienced some drama with conflicting feelings of people and their malicious actions towards me. I have been stuck in my mind over the idea that Its my fault for the majority of these things. And of course I have my fair share of drama back at home, leading me to escape my house by being with friends every night until around 2AM (Which isn’t the best thing to do, always)

Of course, the year hasn't been a complete disaster. I led my high school Robotics team to the world championships, with my peers. I enjoyed the summer playing games every day with my best friend. I got into a college, and also got a (respectable) job that I’m looking forward to working for starting in January. I made very good friends in college and we all get along pretty well. I have been looking more and trying to understand myself as a person and sexuality(or lack thereof) which has been interesting. I have realized that I am not the same person I was about 4 years ago (very ambitious, naive and optimistic) and I have spiraled into a wave of negativity that I’m trying to get over. 

2016 to me means more than just correcting the problems that I have. It’s a quest to expand myself as a person and not be so prone to falling into pitfalls that come my path. Maybe find someone I can enjoy being with (although its not my priority, it would be nice). Enjoy my new job, make new friends, good new habits, etc. I’ll also be trying to post to tumblr more often because it actually gives me an outlet to talk about the things going on in my life once in a while that i don’t actually talk about.

Gamechee is doing well too! Judie has stuck by me this entire time and helped work on the same project for over a year now. Two people making a game as large as this has been a very hard thing to do, and keep myself motivated. Thanks to all of our supporters, as it has been a very good year for Gamechee’s progress and trying to make a name for ourselves with out first game, that should have an appearance on social media and our website within the next few months hopefully.

[gmraptura]

New chapters always take different forms

I found that even the faintest of feeling i have always leaves some kind of apparition i can see, and i’m reminded of it when doing simple tasks. Its the sign of a change, and sometimes it can be good. I've been working a lot more on robotics as well as pushing my company Gamechee further. I can see the difference already in how i feel about moving forward in my life. School is right around the corner and I’m very anxious. But I’m 100% sure i can find some friends to keep me interested in the school longer and maybe just get away from the pressure that is put on my daily life. I’ve been sitting down a lot and just trying to remember not to take the people and things important in my life for granted.

[gmraptura]

What gets me going every day.

To the card games: What keeps my brain occupied and avoiding anxiety

To the video games: My passion, what literally drives my each and every goal. This medium has helped me perceive the world

To the (good) code (and protocol): My one notable skill. What will get me through a good life without fear of poverty

To robotics: For literally saving my life when i thought it was once over.

To my friends: For reminding me I’m not as bad as i see myself. If it wasnt for you guys id probably be in a hole somewhere. 

All these things keep me existing today and if it weren't for them i probably wouldn't be where i am today. Thanks for keeping me literally alive and not insane

[gmraptura]

Interactive Experiences and YOU: The problem with failing

Simply put, the interactive medium as a whole allows for its users to learn and improve from failure, contrary to our educational system today. Video games and some extracurricular activities (not sports, I’ll go into that later) can provide the fast paced iterative process needed to see failure and quickly change that failure into success. However, it is our educational system that sets a precedence for fear of failure.

Video games specifically may seem like it has this power hidden under lock and key. Or rather. It does it in your face, but your mind perceives gaming as something you engage in for the time span you start, and then “check-out”. Most people don't realize how many times video games allow you to fail, and then reiterate and re-rationalize your decisions and put you right back in the action. This is something that the educational system we have today wishes it could do. Not only does the educational system sometimes fail to keep its participants engaged, it fails to let them fail.

           Earlier this week I was grading several friends’ presentations when I noticed this dichotomy in action. Some people excel in presentation skills and some don’t, I’m sure we can all name a few things we are bad at, and some of you will say presentation skills. That’s not where the problem lies. In none of the presentations did anyone show off their iterations of failure. Nobody wanted to show that the scientific process included failure as an expectation.  They didn’t want people to grade them based on how they failed. In fact, it is this same lack of showing that made me grade them more harshly.

In aggregate, I cannot understand how anyone comes to a conclusion in a scientific analysis, without several common core things: a clear process, an understanding of the topic from an objective point of view, and your iteration of failure to contrast the success. Failure in this case is actually a good thing, and it can be seen in things like Robotics competitions. In the world of robotics, we see many teams start from absolutely nothing and become completely great teams over the course of the team’s existence. This is because they saw several flaws in their past plans and adjusted to better suit their real life goals. They are not discouraged by the fact that they fail, because they can always learn from their mistakes and fix them for the next competition, whether it be strategy on the playing field, to the complete design of the robot they work on. Sports however cannot give this modus of fast iterations of failure, as most sports seldom allow for players to actually deviate from an already set rule book, and strategies (via the coach.) If a player would like to help themselves grow as a player, they work for years training, when the opportunity to succeed (around the time they wanted to grow and change) would have already expired.

Of course I’m not an expert on the situation, nor do I claim to have studied this behavior and what failing can do to us from a psychological perspective. Hell, failing obviously has some negative effects of the psyche, and so does being “sugar-coated” with successes. I just wanted to get out there that failing needs to be less demonized for the educational system, and instead of discouraging our students to fail. They should learn a common rule that we use in the gaming industry instead “Fail Faster”. Food for thought.

[gmraptura]

Here’s a hint: New Game idea

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128....

[gmraptura]

Being an Adult is easier than being a dependant

Why is it i find it a lot easier to make my own decisions instead of worrying if my parents. Making resumes, making agendas for business meetings, conforming/passing  to standards I myself set, meeting deadlines etc. I feel as though because our parents tend to be conservative in how they treat their children(possibly because of a large generation gap) they tend to hold their children back and not let them grow to their fullest potential. Like a bonsai tree being shaped and formed, bound by ropes. Food for thought. 

[gmraptura]

Extra Credits - Tangential Learning - How Games Can Teach Us While We Play

This week, we talk about one of the ways games can teach us new things (without being boring about it). Come discuss this topic in the forums! http://extra-c...

Here’s a pretty old video that got me interested in bringing the idea of video games into educational settings. Tangential learning has always been the best way for me to learn, and I realize that this isn't the same for everyone. Both sides of the coin have their benefits and downfalls. In my case, the benefit is being able to problem solve by taking different aspects of my life and applying them everywhere i go (I see the unit circle spinning in my head). But on the other side of the coin, i tend to lose focus a lot because i don't have a facilitated learning focus or focused mindset. Games let us expose our players in this Tangential learning, but the medium itself allows for much more. It can engage its players in a focused form of learning (Physics based games anyone?) or let its players explore what they want to learn and pace themselves without being pressured by grading systems. On the other hand, games like minecraft and more open world (sandbox) games allow the player to learn more about themselves by exploring their inner imagination. Food for thought.

[gmraptura]

STEM education initiative

Today I sat down with people at the Kodlab at University of Penn to talk about an initiative for schools to adopt STEM education with use of their robots. From being a student in this pilot program I can say that it has been doing well, but our class was not active enough (mainly because of lack of time). This summer however, I am going to be working at the University to assist with this same program. Hopefully i can impact the program enough to be a keystone in developing the project. Trying to teach students in the Philadelphia area is the first step to pushing STEM programs all over the world. We need more young minds to help push the future along.

[gmraptura]

The *real* problem I had

Thinking too much. From developing games I realized i had been to intricate in my designs. I own a small black moleskine book to write my game ideas in. I own a small red moleskine book in order to keep track of time (Moleskines are very nice!) Some ideas i have however i realize are too broad and take years for me to make on my own. I am not someone who can make games like Axiom Verge (Tom Happ, thanks for the great game!) and keep my focus on it the whole time (in his case 5 years). Not to mention I have no artistic bone in my body. Most of my ideas are put into text, not picture. I need people around me to understand that and help me make games(Shout out to thehomosexies for helping me for 3 long years :D) For the next few projects i work on i plan to do a lot more writing in notebooks and making sure i pace myself through every step of the project. From making squares on the screen dance around to the final product. Its a phase that most game developers go through but I feel like its a stage i will eventually pass. I cant be discouraged by slow grueling processes anymore! 

[gmraptura]

I'm back! (For-real this time)

I am deciding to blog again but for real this time. Ill be discussing open source, video games and education as well as my life in school and things of that nature. If you still are following me. Thanks I guess :D

[gmraptura]

Welcome Back?

I decided to once and a while share my knowledge on game development and my ideals on education on tumblr when ever i see it appropriate. Ill actually try to do some blogging as well as read some interesting blogs as well.

[gmraptura]

Damage Ranges

Messing around with how damages work in PKROnline, right now it seems that the game will be VERY balanced  and i would like to see how the players respond to this when we go into alpha stages. 

As for right now when you are a Vagabond, with no equipment on. you will get this range

Lv 1: 4 - 6 damage

Lv 2: 9 - 13

Lv 3. 14 - 21

Lv 4. 20 - 30

Lv 5. 26 - 40

Lv 6. 33 - 51

Remember to keep up with us at http://pkronline.wordpress.com/

for more updates

[gmraptura]

Back on Development!

Many things has happened since the hiatus, including the leave of many artists. However, now that summer has begun for many of us, we will begin normal operations of the development of PKROnline. ...

[gmraptura]

Recode

Today i start translating my GML codes of PKROnline to Java. So far so good, but i wish i had help :(

I have no money to give, but if someone out there would give me a hand...please!

[didyouknowgaming]

Super Mario 64.

http://www.zeldadungeon.net/Interviews-1996-10-00-Nintendo-Power-Shigeru-Miyamoto.php

[lalalalivv-blog]

[gmraptura]

It seems as though I'm back on tumblr

I forgot how odd Tumblr was...Oh well! better get in the groove of posting again!