What You Did Today

[Guard Dog]

Well I will admit the job I have now is a lot less stressful than working for AT&T or Crown Castle. And a HELL of a lot less stressful than working for a company I owned (partially). But it pays a lot less. A LOT less. I've been smart with money but i can still feel the pinch.

[BruceVC]

Well I will admit the job I have now is a lot less stressful than working for AT&T or Crown Castle. And a HELL of a lot less stressful than working for a company I owned (partially). But it pays a lot less. A LOT less. I've been smart with money but i can still feel the pinch.

I was just teasing you, I thought you worked for that wireless company? I was expecting you to get immediately annoyed and rectify my spurious comment 

 

But you are to comfortable and secure with who you are to get annoyed ...well played 

[Guard Dog]

 

Well I will admit the job I have now is a lot less stressful than working for AT&T or Crown Castle. And a HELL of a lot less stressful than working for a company I owned (partially). But it pays a lot less. A LOT less. I've been smart with money but i can still feel the pinch.

I was just teasing you, I thought you worked for that wireless company? I was expecting you to get immediately annoyed and rectify my spurious comment 

 

But you are to comfortable and secure with who you are to get annoyed ...well played 

 

Nah, once we sold off the company I was retained on a one year contract as a consultant since I was the classic triple thread (design engineer, project manager, and coffee getter). They extended me six months but once all the projects I was involved in closed I was politely shown the door. From my own company can you believe that? But no complaints really. That all worked out really well for me. I work for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation now.

[Azdeus]

Tried to get my car fixed again, we were worried that the head gasket might be broken, since my coolant fluid was brown rather than water coloured or blue. Turned out that was'nt the case, so we just rinsed the engine a few times. The guy who owned the garage had a son who was ill though, so we had to quit early, meaning there's still air in my clutch system.

[Lexx]

So I'm about to start a project in RPGMaker MV. I decided that one of my stories would be super cool if it had an 80s neon look. Since I think that would absolutely fail in text, I'll try and realize it in crappy sprite based JRPG format!

 

And my first task was to build a progress bar signature in GIMP to make visual gags about how badly I'm procrastinating. And maybe actually track real progress occasionally. After 2 hours of working on it, mostly trying to figure out how to do easy boxes, I export it just to see if I'm wasting my time and realize that it will be a complete eyesore. I decide to switch to just text updates in my sig. That's called triage. Progress?

 

Progress.

 

I like how you start your project with spending hours on something that isn't really required for your project in the first place. :>

No idea how experienced you are in game making, but here are a few tips anyway:

 

1. Write down the story first (should be obvious)

2. Break down the story into logical steps.

3. Put all main story required NPCs in a placeholder map and script their dialogue with placeholder text. E.g. "Hello there, now you've advanced to step 2 in the story!"

4. "Play" through your game. It is extremely important to have your game playable from the beginning to the end as fast as possible. You will need this for your motivation, but also this way you can recognize flaws in your story telling much earlier and see when something doesn't work or is just bad.

5. Make placeholder locations. Don't start any actual mapping or graphic work yet, especially if you sux at graphics anyway (though, honestly, your graphic skills don't matter anyway. I've seen many talented people wasting time and motivation on graphics and then they were unable to put it together into an actual game). Just setup the locations and put the story required NPCs into them.

6. Start filling up all the gaps required for the main story. Start writing the important dialogue a bit more detailed, etc. until you feel like yes, this is the story you'd like to tell.

7. Do everything else.

 

If you already fail at the first 4 steps, you might want to reconsider, as your project very likely will never get done. :>

[Hurlshort]

It's an odd thing. The people who find themselves working in the engineering disciplines are a pretty hard drinking lot. I've gone out with coworkers and colleagues for a drink many times and that "drink" was always a spirit of some kind. So I thought nothing of it when our new director invited to whole team out for a drink with him this afternoon as a get-to-know you thing. So we go to Applebees, I'm at the end of the table so I'm the first one the waitress asks and I order a Lynchburg Lemonade (Jack Daniels, Triple Sec, lemon juice, and sweet & sour) and everybody looks at me funny. Then everyone else proceeded to order non alcoholic drinks. Well, needless to say I suddenly felt like the guy who shows up at a wedding thinking it was a toga party. What the hell? It's five o'clock in the afternoon. We're not going back to work after that. So... I did what any self respecting drunk would do. Drained that glass and ordered another. After the second one I didn't feel so awkward. 

 

You are a grown man.  You can have a drink whenever you damn well please.  

[Tale]

I like how you start your project with spending hours on something that isn't really required for your project in the first place. :>

Motivational tools are always required. An update system enables people to ask me "why was your last status update a month ago? Are you actually doing any work?" It's one of the main objectives of a writing group. If you don't show any progress to the group every week, they will laugh at you.

 

4. "Play" through your game. It is extremely important to have your game playable from the beginning to the end as fast as possible. You will need this for your motivation, but also this way you can recognize flaws in your story telling much earlier and see when something doesn't work or is just bad.

This is a strategy I've barely thought about. I've worked on mods for several games and usually get bogged down detailing Act 1. I'll give this a shot. I was going to get everything in rough detail first, but I was thinking more "placeholder art in real layouts" by that. But maybe that would take more time than I should spend on the first pass.

[Malcador]

It's an odd thing. The people who find themselves working in the engineering disciplines are a pretty hard drinking lot. I've gone out with coworkers and colleagues for a drink many times and that "drink" was always a spirit of some kind. So I thought nothing of it when our new director invited to whole team out for a drink with him this afternoon as a get-to-know you thing. So we go to Applebees, I'm at the end of the table so I'm the first one the waitress asks and I order a Lynchburg Lemonade (Jack Daniels, Triple Sec, lemon juice, and sweet & sour) and everybody looks at me funny. Then everyone else proceeded to order non alcoholic drinks. Well, needless to say I suddenly felt like the guy who shows up at a wedding thinking it was a toga party. What the hell? It's five o'clock in the afternoon. We're not going back to work after that. So... I did what any self respecting drunk would do. Drained that glass and ordered another. After the second one I didn't feel so awkward.

Engineers do drink heavily, not sure why. My old place was full of Brits whose only social activity was booze, being a non drinker it made for boring outings (I thought it bad form to skip those but eventually saw the light and went home to clean or whatever).

[Lexx]

 

I like how you start your project with spending hours on something that isn't really required for your project in the first place. :>

Motivational tools are always required. An update system enables people to ask me "why was your last status update a month ago? Are you actually doing any work?" It's one of the main objectives of a writing group. If you don't show any progress to the group every week, they will laugh at you.

 

Indeed, but I personally always find it way more rewarding to know that I just finished a certain part of the project for real. Basically, the biggest reward is actual productivity. For me this comes from the fact that I quickly lose motivation as soon as I hit a wall and don't know how to further progress (e.g. dialogue writing [i am really not a good writer] or a story piece that I just can't make my mind up about). That's why nowadays I keep breaking up everything into tiny parts that actually bring me closer to an actual feature-complete build once I've done them.

 

Over the years I've learned that if I start wasting time with things that aren't really necessary for the project (like making a website or something), the whole thing is already in a decline and I probably won't finish it (in the next years). Such things never gave me motivation. In fact, the time I spend working on non-actual game related stuff, actually used up motivation that I'd rather spend on actual work that gets it done.

 

Like I've wrote: Try to get the game playable from the beginning to the end as soon as possible. I mean, if you just start something and don't even know how it will end, then I guarantee it's all just a waste of time. :>

[Tale]

I'm actually adapting an existing story I've already written and adding bits from another story I abandoned. The ending is in hand, but seeing how the adaptation process and limitations of the medium will change it excite me.

[Gfted1]

Ive got vacation days to burn before the end of the year so today I decided to be a productive citizen and renew my drivers license. Man, I cant take a decent picture when I pose. She says "look at this blue dot until you see the flash", so Im staring at this thing for a solid 10 seconds, and in the nanosecond I decide to blink, *flash* goes the light. Sigh. I look like Sneerly McSneersalot.

[BruceVC]

Ive got vacation days to burn before the end of the year so today I decided to be a productive citizen and renew my drivers license. Man, I cant take a decent picture when I pose. She says "look at this blue dot until you see the flash", so Im staring at this thing for a solid 10 seconds, and in the nanosecond I decide to blink, *flash* goes the light. Sigh. I look like Sneerly McSneersalot.

That story made me laugh, its the type of thing that happens to me 

[Hurlshort]

I got a twitter account going for my website, which is a weird universe to navigate.  Hopefully it helps spread the word about my podcast.  @historyofhops.

[Azdeus]

I got a twitter account going for my website, which is a weird universe to navigate.  Hopefully it helps spread the word about my podcast.  @historyofhops.

 

I listened to the last episode earlier, was a bit clearer sound, and you did'nt talk over each other. Was much easier to listen to it, also;

 

---

Watched a documentary about HBTQ people in Russia, and damn if my blood isn't boiling. I've never felt such contempt for people. Luring people into apartments with 13 guys that want to kill and beat up a gay man for looking for a partner, humiliating him and filming it, not to mention publicly outing him and trying to get him fired from his job and ostracizing him from his family.

Fueled by ignorance and probably jealousy, these asshats enrage me just as much as IS and Boko Haram. Except they're a bit worse, their ignorance is willful, they might be illiterate nitwits though. Or it might just be their own way of meeting "men", repressed ****s as they probably are.

 

Good thing is, I'm not as worried about Russians anymore, they need 13 men to frighten one sole man, afterall. Bring it I say.

[Malcador]

You've just not seen the right kind of Russians then.

 

I kid, the raging Russian women I know aside.

[Hurlshort]

 

I got a twitter account going for my website, which is a weird universe to navigate.  Hopefully it helps spread the word about my podcast.  @historyofhops.

 

I listened to the last episode earlier, was a bit clearer sound, and you did'nt talk over each other. Was much easier to listen to it, also;

 

 

I gave this a 'like' but then I was worried it looked like I was 'liking' the horrible Russian documentary.  

 

We do what we can to please our international listeners.  Er, listener.  

[Hiro Protagonist]

Spent 3 hours with my accountant today and my Tax return is done for another year. Ended up paying 5.71% tax and a nice refund coming my way. Inching my way to 0% every year.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Hiro Protagonist

[ManifestedISO]

Nothing like a good pair of shin splints, whew.

 

I think I'll take this pain, internalize it, warp it into a grudge, then post on the internet how utterly incompetent everyone is.

[WDeranged]

Spent the afternoon in hospital.  I've been having some discomfort in my chest and neck so the doc thought I should go have some tests done.  Had ECG, blood test and xray, everything is apparently normal...seems I'm just a stresshead 

 

Regardless, the whole incident has scared me.  Gonna start making a serious effort to get fit again.

[Gfted1]

The delivery guys showed up bright and early and installed our new clothes dryer and took the old one. Purrs like a kitten.

[teknoman2]

today for the first time for this winter i decided to use the heating in my house... and it didn't work. the pump that circulates the hot water around is broken so i had to rely on the AC that can barely keep me from freezing. this november is unusually cold

[Hurlshort]

We are at Univerals Studios Hollywood, and we stood in line for a wand fitting at the Harry Potter area. It was cool, a group of about 20 people are herded into a room full of wands and then a lady shows up in dramatic fashion and talks about the wands. My daughter was chosen as the special wizard, so she got to go up and try a few wands before she found the right one, at which point they shine a bright light on her and hit her with air. It was impressive. We were pretty lucky to get singled out, but then again most of the people around us were adults.

 

Of course they then hit you with a steep $50 price per wand, but I was in no position bargain at that point.

[Gorth]

Of course they then hit you with a steep $50 price per wand, but I was in no position bargain at that point.

Clever business people. Give us all your money or we break your kids heart!

 

You weren't allowed to call the police hostage negotiators?

 

 

 

On a sidenote, A/C's are a mixed blessing. Spent the entire past week with a severe cold, despite there being close to 30C outside during daytime. Blasted icy cold rooms... *sniff*

[Malcador]

Clever business people. Give us all your money or we break your kids heart!

Only the foolish would pass up on the opportunity to teach your kids that saving money is worth that kind of suffering

[Lexx]

I have vacation this week and some dumbass thought it is a great idea to start hammering a god damn drill against the wall since 07:15 .......