What Have I Been Up To???

Ok I've been super bad at posting on this blog.  Which is a shame, I really ought to use it to my advantage.  I've been hard at work doing various Tripleslash Studios work trying to get Magnetic by Nature out there.  So if you don't know, we released Magnetic by Nature: Awakening on the XBLIG market and raised some money on kickstarter and got some more money at the Utah Game Wars Competition for Best Developed Game to turn the game into something bigger, badder, and wicked awesome.  So we have been working on that for over 6 months and it is looking and feeling great!  We will be releasing toward the end of 2013 on whatever platforms we can get it to.

Most recently I've been working on the end point flowers doing new ones for each zone and throwing in an idol animation and "on-touch" animation.  I'll try to get some pictures posted.

I recently got a full time job doing web design, graphic design, photo, and video for a real estate company in Midvale, UT called Realtypath.  You can check them out at www.utahhomes.org.

I've been stretching myself to learn about web design.  I've already done three websites for the company. Feel free to take a look -  I started with www.sellmyutahhome.com.  It was my first REAL website.  I learned a lot in the process.  I've been getting a little better and faster as time goes on. I still have a lot to learn.

For the next two websites I tried to draw inspiration from interior home design.  On www.saltlakecityhomesandrealestate.com I imagined a dark hard wood floor with a white leather couch resting gently on it.  I then took a color scheme that felt family oriented.  Almost like the kids left out some crayons on the floor. My intent was to create something fun but elegant.  I had some troubles getting the top navigation menu to stationary as the rest of the page scrolled.  But it was fun figuring it all out.

Most recently on www.searchhomesforsaleinutah.com I wanted to work with an Italian home theme.  I picked a granite background with a bit of a stucco texture. The color scheme then utilizes a burnt off-white and a deep red to show off the classy yet traditional flare of Italy.  The Turquoise adds a pop of color you might find in window drapes or painted wooden rocking chairs on the front porch.

I've had a lot of fun with these websites and know that I still have a lot to learn.  Who knew I'd enjoy web design so much?  

Progress for GDC

I've been wildly busy and need to update some progress.  We've been doing tons of work making coherent levels(artwise).  We have been working on doodads (background art) and have made four different zones.  In particular, I have had to put more time into my Lead Designer role.  Since producing levels has been a high priority, I have spent a lot of time coming up with requirements and suggestions for level design and have play tested, critiqued, fixed, and organized levels to fit the proper progression of difficulty.  I will be spearheading the actual decorating of these levels as well.  For now, we have assigned artists to decorate the first 15 levels we have for GDC.  These aren't final by any means, but provide something to show.  I also plan on doing some concept art.  We may include some story/narrative through the means of still images cut up throughout the game.  We will only consider this an option if other, more crucial assignments are fulfilled.  Here are a few art stuffs I've been working on.  One is a lotus flower (which we have since decided to go with a slightly different look) and the next are the plasma beam end caps (the final one is intentionally small...)

Level Design

Hey there.  Just me checking in again.  I haven't updated this here blog for a little while because I was in Asia for the past month on other business.  While there, I focused heavily on level design.  We have a pretty rockin' level editor that all the artists and programmers are starting to design on.  I kept most of my designs on paper for now (since I had limited access to the editor in Asia).  I'll update the next post with some pictures of potential level designs. 

My next task is to work on the collectable flower.  I've been sketching up some ideas and will run them by our Art Lead in hopes to get a final design vectorized.  Then I'll let her give me my next assignment!  I will also have some animations to work on.  We are currently creating a list of animations needed and we will distribute those amongst the artists to be completed. 

In between that, I'm also going through all of the level designs done on the editor by others on the team and will try rate them from easier puzzles to harder puzzles so we can start laying out connections for good game flow. 

Well that's it for now!  I'll get some pictures updated and hopefully get some cool animations going.  Til' next time!