The Intellectual Wookiee

This blog will contain my musings on the world, and possibly posts for school. I'm going to school for Game Design, so a good number of my posts will likely be related to the subject of games and the many frustrations of their creation. Enjoy, or else your arms will be used to beat you senseless.

[seanpavlichek]

tavernofmisfitgames

Hey everyone, sorry I’ve been on such a long hiatus. It’s been a busy year with school and work. However, I’ve just started a new website with some friends and we’re going to start posting game reviews, a podcast, etc up there. It’s a little sparse at the moment because I just posted the first post, but come check it out.

[seanpavlichek]

The Building of an X-Wing: Part Three

So, those who have been following me know that I've been slowly building my own little tribute to Star Wars - a 3d model of an X-Wing. I crafted the body of the ship today... Well, twice, actually. I built it once, and Maya decided that it was going to copy and paste the ship 3 times and then merge all of the sides together so that I couldn't even correct it. Very strange. But at long last, the X-Wing is almost parts-complete! All I have left to do is add detail and color, and it should be good to go. I may try to animate it once I finish that, too...

Here's what the front looks like now:

Yes, that is a cockpit you see. The transparent texture was easy. Making the chair/consoles? Not so much. I had to take a cylinder, flatten part of it, and then mess with the faces of the cylinder until it resembled something feasibly believable as a cockpit.

Here's a view of the back:

Yes, I'm aware the back of the main body is a bit of an epic fail. I'll add more detail later.

Here's a side view.

And lastly, my favorite view, the top down view. You can see a bit of the detail I started adding on the back with the pipes and cables here, too.

[seanpavlichek]

Spent and Passage - Games of Depressingly Important Intent

So I played two games today. One was called Spent, and the other was called Passage.

I think one word can be used to sum up the theme of both games: Inevitability. Both games attempt to depict a situation that is inescapable or inevitable. They go about this in very different ways, but both with the same results: causing the user to discover the importance of decisions and actions, and making them rethink how they go about their life or how they can plan for the inevitable.

Spent

http://playspent.org/

In Spent, you play someone who has run out of luck. No job, savings running out, nowhere to go. You start with $1000 and get to pick a low wage job. With this, you have to make it through a month of living expenses --- and what they don't tell you is you also have a kid, a dog, and a few other things that I can't spoil. 

Even though the game allows you to make choices, the random aspect ensures that you can't predict everything that will happen. While sometimes this can end up in someone's favor, the creator wanted to drive home a point. Even someone who successfully makes it through one month hits the same brick wall at the end, because you can never make it to a second month. The only reason the player makes it even as far as they do is because of the starting funds. If the player did not have those funds, they would never have made it that far (which is an interesting way to show people how important saving money is). This is an effective (and sadly, accurate) way of depicting the situation many Americans face, and I think the creator's purpose was to spread public awareness of just how difficult it is to escape the poverty line in America. If the game designer had created a document attempting to depict the scenario of the game instead of making the game, the point would not come across the same. The person would not be drawn in, would never attempt to beat the challenge, and would never see the truth of the matter. By putting the player in the shoes of the destitute, the situation becomes much more real.

Passage

http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/

Passage is an interesting little 5 minute game. It's an artistic game where you play out a character's entire life in just a few minutes. While not as in-your-face as Spent, Passage also serves to drive home a point: death is inevitable. The creator used many unique mechanics to get the point across: the characters age, and as time progresses the avatars move to the right of the screen (which I think was an intent to symbolize how as one ages, looking backward is more common, and looking forward is less important). The use of pixellated graphics forces the user to rely less on visual stimulation, allowing more imagination. Doing this causes the game to take on a more cerebral aspect, and the player is forced to really think about what is happening rather than just visually experiencing it and moving on. This is a great way to get a point across that might otherwise be missed. The choices in the game are limited, which presents another interesting concept: the choices in life are many and varied, but there are only a few that are truly impactful. The desire for riches (points, in the game) could cause someone to forgo a relationship, and also to not go as far in terms of distance. Except for the distance, this is a scenario that could happen in real life, and it causes someone to stop and think about what they're doing (although the character doesn't stop aging, just as we don't). Causing someone to stop and rethink their actions is a major accomplishment for a game, and it's something more should strive to accomplish.

[seanpavlichek]

The Building of an X-Wing: Part Two

So, today I decided to continue building my X-Wing so that I can fly away from this crazy planet. Things went pretty well today, I'm starting to figure out little nuances in Maya, and it's easier to get it to do what I want. One thing that is still a bit tricky is having transforms as an actual subgroup... It screws me up when my object deforms as I rotate it! I had to learn to ungroup the transform.

I decided to start adding colors today to begin making it look slightly more like an X-Wing. I gave up on making it look completely like the original, as the source material I've been able to get my hands on doesn't have the kind of resolution I need to figure it out (and I'm also still having issues making small details... Maybe I should eventually watch a tutorial?)

Anyway, here's what we have so far. I'll start with the updates I made to the engine to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

The engine from the front. I recolored the recessed areas to make them look more like they're in shadow:

Here's a side view:

Here's the back. I had a lot of fun making this look like a real ion engine:

Next is the wing. I took a bit of liberty with the part that goes under the engine.

Here's an overall view:

Here's a good look at the laser:

Finally, after making 4 sets of wings and engines, we have something resembling a finished product, although it is missing the central piece and some textures. Here's a front view:

Here's a back view (looks like it's almost ready for takeoff with the engines warmed up like that):

[seanpavlichek]

The Building of an X-Wing: Part One

So... I have decided that for my next act I will create an X-Wing in Maya. It's a tricky proposition, with so many moving parts and everything, but I think I can handle it. The problem with Maya is that sometimes it doesn't do what you expect... Take splitting a circle, for example. It always seems to want to create starbursts inside of the circle, rather than logically splitting the circle into regular pieces. This makes it rather awkward when trying to make a pattern inside of a circle... So don't expect this X-Wing to look EXACTLY like what you see in the movies. (If anyone has an idea of how to fix my circle splitting problem, let's hear it! Until then I'm stuck with more interesting textures.)

So I started with what I figured would be one of the more complex pieces: The engine. I like how the ends both have an interesting look, rather than just being holes like some ships depicted in sci fi, so I had a lot of fun recreating the engine. I'll add more detail to the sides of the engine as I go, but so far I have the ends and the general shape. Here are some pictures:

The front face of the engine:

A side view:

The back of the engine (I know this doesn't look much like the original, I will try to fix it at some point):

[seanpavlichek]

3D Art as a Form of Expression

Sometimes I just feel like drawing something. Unfortunately, I'm a terrible artist... But somehow 3D graphics have changed that for me. Due to the similarity to a CAD program, I can draw things in Maya I never thought possible (and the ability to do so by numbers placates the OCD portion of my psyche).

Yesterday I decided I would do something nice for my girlfriend --- I would get her a dozen roses. Not just any dozen roses, though. I wanted to make this special. I handcrafted each rose with Maya and even built a nice vase to hold them. Enjoy.

A good view of one of the flowers:

What's a rose without thorns?

The vase:

The full picture:

[seanpavlichek]

Why I Want to be a Game Designer

So... I've been asked why I want to be a game designer. Why now, why this degree? The rather lengthy explanation lies herein.

It's a bit hard to just come up with one reason why I want to be a game designer. Maybe I should provide a bit of background first... 

I started playing games when I was very little. I was born in the late 80s, so I grew up in the age of Nintendo. The first few games I remember playing are Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, and 3, Warcraft 1, and Doom. I wasn't just interested in games, though. I was always interested in what made computers tick. I would take apart my dad's computer when he wasn't home and put it back together before he got back. I even tried Visual Basic (although I got very frustrated by the API and ended up throwing in the towel pretty early).

I never really created any games or any programs until much later in life, but I was always writing. I have quite a few stories I started and never finished, and even entered and won a writing contest or two in my teens. Looking back on the stories, I've discovered that the reason I didn't finish them is because I couldn't figure out what the character would do next. Translating these ideas into games will allow me to have the player decide what to do next. I was always creating great environments where a lot of action could happen, but I wanted the story to go in so many directions that I wasn't sure what path to take because of the linear limitations of traditional storytelling. Game designing will provide a great outlet for that.

I started getting into programming when I got to my first college (Embry Riddle), where I was an Aerospace Engineering student. One of my first classes was a C programming class. I enjoyed finally having an outlet for continuing to learn how to make computers tick and how to provide useful programs for the future. Not only that, I had a friend who made user-created maps for Warcraft 3. He taught me how to create my own scenario map, and I ran with it and learned how to use models, programming, and even physics to create an interesting game. After that first semester, I decided that I really wanted to go into Computer Science and spent the next few years pursuing a degree in that (although I have yet to attain it, I may go back and finish it after this degree from Full Sail).

With my experience from my Computer Science degree, I was able to get a job as a technical writer for a network company called OPNET. While I was there, I got a lot of experience relaying my ideas and information to people through documentation. I also gained more experience with scripting and even learned how to use RedHat Enterprise Linux. It was around this time I took a class on Game Design through University of Maryland. One of the things I learned while creating my final project (a simplistic scrolling shooter in the style of a bullet hell game, which I can provide if anyone's interested) was the importance of cross-platform compatibility. The major issue with almost every other final project submitted was that they would only work on certain computers, or by typing in specific command line options, or with certain software installed. My teammate and I tested our game on Linux, Mac, and Windows, on different computers with different configurations and installation environments, and we created a simple executable file that would work on any of those computers. After I finished that class, I decided that what I really wanted was not to program. I was merely attempting to fill a void in myself that strongly desired to create games, so I moved on from Computer Science and am now taking Game Design at FSU.

After I left OPNET, I ended up here at Xerox as a software test analyst. I've done software testing in the past as part of an internship, but this company has provided me vast amounts of experience I could never have hoped to attain through an internship. Continuing on my track of learning how computers work, at Xerox I've been able to experience testing multiple environments, operating systems, different hardware configurations, even embedded software. I've managed to insinuate myself into almost every area of testing we have, and even help maintain some of the equipment. I've learned to be detail oriented, and what to look for to determine usability and functional issues that cause defects. I've become more critical of the games I play due to my newfound scrutiny. Hopefully I can use these skills to make my games better and ensure that even the newest gamer can figure out the control systems and mechanics of my game without hours of trial and error.

The Point (Finally), AKA TL;DR

Through all of these experiences, my overarching goal has been to one day create games. Although most of my experiences hover around the edges of the industry, I have always wanted to dive in and see what I could do. With this degree, I hope to finally scratch the surface and break my way into the industry so that I can bring all of my experience and talent to the field to help create amazing games. I may decide to stay on at my current position for awhile so that I have time to create a few indie games to prove to potential employers that I have the skills, or I might join a few of my friends who have their own indie game company and help them get their company onto its feet. I guess I'll figure it out as I go along, as I usually do!

[seanpavlichek]

First Thoughts on Maya 2013

So this week I started a Design Tools class at Full Sail. I was extremely excited to start this class because I believed I would be learning tools I would use to actually make games, right? As I looked over the list of programs, my heart sank... Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint, and Maya. Correct me if I'm wrong, but by the 5th month of any degree, shouldn't you already be reasonably competent at Microsoft Office or an equivalent program suite?

Maya at First Glance

Not to be discouraged, I looked up Maya to see if I had found a useful program. And I certainly had. Maya is a 3D modeling program by Autodesk. Not only can it create and render 3D objects, but it can do animations, lighting, and I'm sure that if I look hard enough, I can find a means of FTL travel tucked away in its nooks and crannies somewhere.

And by nooks and crannies, I mean the entirely-too-extensive set of menus this program has. I have never seen so much crammed into one piece of software in my life (seriously, this should be a software suite, not one program). It ends up making the experience more complex than it has to be and to do some of the simplest tasks (like hiding an object, for example), I had to do research on the internet via my lifelong companion Google. Thankfully, there are many useful resources on the net for Maya, which leads me to believe that not only will learning this program help me in this class, but it will help me in the future as well. This many people won't write about something that isn't used in the industry.

The Assignment

So, having taken a look at the program and installed it (version 2013, because the class's tutorials are written for that version), I reviewed my assignment. 

Create a fully textured table of your own design

Take screenshot during install and of your completed table

Upload screenshots that have your name in the filenames.

Uhhh.... Create a table? And apply a texture to it?  Seriously? This will take me about 5 minutes, right? But no, I'm a Pavlichek, and we do things the hard way. I started by creating real solid table legs. They look like old fashioned shaped wood legs, but I used a marble texture because I'm fancy like that. Doing this took me about half an hour (including the time spent watching the 5 minutes worth of introductory tutorials when you first open the program). Alright, so we have a table leg, now what? Copy and paste 3 times, right? Apparently this is one thing Maya doesn't do very well. Sure, you can copy and paste, but the newly created object duplicates every object you made before, and is not movable as an entity. So I have to figure out a way to move the object as a whole (Which, now that I have more experience, was actually quite easy. Select all of the components and use the move tool).

OK, so I have my 4 legs. Time to make a table top. I spend a few minutes figuring out where I want to go with this, and decide on a rectangular table top with carved sides, thinking that will be easy. 20 minutes of fiddling with gigantic menus leads me to the conclusion that this is a horrible idea. Then I rethink my strategy and go for a simpler table that just has an inner design and an outer design, because I can't figure out how to make my own styles on shapes and I'm not that great of an artist anyway. Here's what I came up with after all of this hard work (probably 1-2 hours in the end).

Here's a view of the legs (looks odd, like the bottom of a fancy bathtub):

Here's a view of the top (watch the edges, they look sharp):

Overachievement Unlocked

So here's where I'm supposed to turn in my assignment. But something doesn't feel right. I look back through the class assignments, and to my dismay, I find that this is the ONLY Maya assignment. WHAT!?!? *flips table* How does one assignment qualify me to use a program???

As my nerd rage settles, I come to the only sane conclusion: I must cram a few classes' worth of learning into one assignment. Today I set about modifying my draft. Not satisfied with the overly-flat surface of my table, I gave the top ridges and rounded out the edges. I even made a little pedestal in the middle. I left the legs alone, because I love them the way they are. But this pedestal... Surely something can be done with this...

My mind fixates on a sword, floating off in the mists of my brain. I determine to make this sword a part of my project. But how to go about this? First I try to use a block with many layers of selectable surfaces, thinking to mold it to my liking. This soon becomes a problem, because I'm still trying to determine what I even want it to look like, and I certainly don't have the patience to fiddle with a thousand surfaces on one object. So I settle with a rectangular object with 4 top surfaces, 4 bottom surfaces, and one on each side. After figuring out how to extrude surfaces and merge sides, I am able to get something in the semblance of a decent blade. The hilt is where the trouble begins.

Making the shaft of the hilt is pretty easy, I just take a cylinder and manipulate it. But once I get to the pommel, I figure out that I want a gem in the hilt. I still have not figured out how to get that blasted thing to look like a real gem (I'm thinking I'll have to make a complex polygon rather than the sphere I chose). I fiddle with it enough to get it to my liking, and put it on the end of the sword. Then I try to add in a crossguard with spikes. To my dismay, I can't find a reflect function, and for some reason the rotation values listed in the attributes are not all 0 when you copy and paste a new object! So I, notorious as I am for my OCD, have to figure out how to perfectly reflect an object manually. This takes me 2 hours before I am satisfied.

Then it finally comes down to lighting. I pick a decent light fixture and set it above the sword, and look upon my creation. I can't see anything over the 'gem' I've put in the pommel though. It has turned about 50 shades brighter than it was before, and looks completely and utterly fake due to the fact that the color is uniform and shows no evidence of shading. I spend another 2 hours attempting to get it to look decent, and end up turning it into a design on the pommel instead of a gem. Foiled again!

Thankfully, at this point, my struggles are over. It's time to lay this thing to rest. I copy the sword into the original document and put it on the pedestal. Once I've finished, I have what you see below. I'm much more satisfied with this one:

In Conclusion

So, now that I've experienced at least what's on the surface of Maya, I can say that it's a useful program. Incredibly frustrating at times, but useful. And I can't wait to find out what else I can do with it.

[seanpavlichek]

Early Legal Issues with Nintendo

In the mid to late 80s, Nintendo took the US by storm. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) became an incredibly popular system and brought back the home gaming market for good, despite the state of the industry after the early 80s. Unfortunately, their success led to jealousy by other companies and a number of lawsuits that created negative publicity for both sides.

Possibly the most important case that Nintendo faced was Atari Games Corporation v. Nintendo of America. The NES included a master security chip that was designed to communicate with a slave computer chip in game cartridges (this security system was called 10NES). This restricted what games could be played on the NES by requiring an initialization process that involved both chips. It prevented unlicensed companies from producing games that would run on the system. Atari coveted this technology and began trying to reverse engineer it at the end of 1986 (Kent, 2001, p. 372). Before Atari’s engineers could reverse engineer the system, one of Atari’s lawyers obtained an illegal reproduction of the 10NES program, which was then converted in to Atari’s “Rabbit” program, bypassing the NES’s security (Kent, 2001, p. 373). The illegal copying of the security system led to Atari’s downfall in court, where Nintendo was able to prove that Rabbit was a copy of 10NES. The case is a black mark on Atari’s history to this day.

Whenever a company is as successful as Nintendo, other companies are bound to covet and attempt to reproduce that success. Cases like this one gave companies like Atari bad names but also proved that the NES’s security could be broken. Concepts, ideas, and technology are frequently reverse engineered, modified, and remarketed as new products. While this keeps monopolies from controlling the market, it leads to legal issues and breaches of patents.

Even licenses don’t always guarantee legal success. Atari later obtained a license for Tetris around the same time Nintendo did. However, because Nintendo’s license turned out to be a valid one and obtained from the source (Electronorgtechnica [ELORG]), and Atari’s license was an illegal license sold to them by a third party that did not completely own the rights, Nintendo won the case before it even went to court (Kent, 2001, p. 377-378). This case unfortunately caused Tengen’s version of Tetris to be pulled off the market (and their version was widely considered superior to Nintendo’s).

The unfortunate truth is that frequently, when game companies compete, consumers lose. Companies that make great games can be demolished in court. If someone has a security feature that prevents independent development for their console, innovation is missed out on. Negative publicity is only a minor side-effect for big gaming companies.

References

Kent, S. L. (2001). The ultimate history of video games. New York, NY: Three Rivers.