Re-Upload (original date: 09/20/2021)
Here's a general update about what I've been working on lately.
The past 4-5 months, I've been following a repeating
bi-weekly schedule in which I do a different task each day. It's similar
to a school schedule, in that I cover a lot of different
ground of different subjects. What specifically I've been working on
includes 12 different tasks over two weeks, one day
spent on each. I've been using sites like Udemy and KhanAcademy, as well
as
books and tutorials/courses I've found on YouTube. My
schedule is as follows:
First Week:
Mon: Text-Based Game Design:
Using Twine. Specifically working on my current game called Merc. (https://twinery.org/)
Tue: Physical Document Organization:
Scanning notebooks/sketches/documents and sorting them
on my computer. Filing. Sorting through my to-do lists and other lists.
Wed: Computer Programming/Computer Science:
This is a variety of topics. I finished a Python book called Invent Your Own Games with Python
(https://inventwithpython.com/)and
am now digging deeper into Linux system
administration and using command line. Many other topics
planned for the future. Planning on reviewing some Vim tutorials.
Planning to learn some more C++. I did a couple courses
in college, but I'd like to finish my C++ text book, though I imagine
I'd like to focus more on Python in the long term. Also
some general comp. sci classes like Data Structures.
Thu: Drawing:
Drawing mostly with a pencil, sometimes using a tablet
with my computer. Mostly doing reference drawings (gestures and
contours)
of human figures, portraits, animals, landscapes, and
game characters. I like using this site for reference exercises:
(https://line-of-action.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing)
Fri: Web Design:
I've recently been reviewing HTML/CSS which I originally
studied in high school, but I'm also starting to learn some JavaScript
so I can make interactive sites. I've started porting
over this site to my own domain. I've also played around with hosting
using
Apache and GitHub.
Sat: Math:
I mostly use Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/').
I took Calculus in high
school and college, but I'm in the process of reviewing
it. Next, I'll be doing Statistics and then planning on Linear Algebra.
Personally, this is a good break from all my other
creative work and it's nice to work on something with a logical
substructure
and concrete answers. Otherwise, this is good
information to know in general, specifically when working on things like
graphics
engines.
Second week:
Mon: Tabletop Game Design:
I've specifically been using the book, Challenges for Game Designers
(https://www.amazon.com/Challenges-Game-Designers-Brenda-Brathwaite/dp/158450580X).
This is an amazing book with some review about game
design and several exercise to try at the end of each chapter. I've made
about two larger games with tokens, cards, boards, and
other game bits, and about six smaller, quick to design and implement
ones on graph paper. It's just great practice for game
design without having to spend time on art or programming.
Tue: Digital File Organization:
Sorting scanned documents. Managing and organizing my
files (my phone, my computer, my two external drives, my google drive).
Wed: 3D Graphics:
I've been using Blender and have a few different courses
I have in the works, focusing on one on Udemy at the moment
(https://www.blender.org/).
Thu: Writing:
This is a broad category. I like creative writing,
poetry and song-writing, and general writing about my life/journaling.
Lately, I've been working on a program called "The Self
Authoring Program" (https://www.selfauthoring.com/).
It's a structure to help someone write about their past,
present (virtues and faults), and their plans for the future.
Fri: Video Game Development:
I've been using the Godot game engine and I really enjoy it (https://godotengine.org/').
It's open source, which makes it a much safer bet for
me, and is fairly feature complete. I recently finished a course on
Udemy
which involved me making five different 2D and 3D games.
I am now reading through the documentation, which also has some
exercises embedded into it. I've also started to make
one of my own games.
Sat: Research:
This is a pretty general category, but it mostly
involved reading; reading books or researching different topics on the
web.
I just went to set aside a large period of time for it
so I can make some solid progress. I also spend this time watching
lectures and interviews, specifically GDC talks, but
also just about whatever subjects are important to me. I also spend some
of this time learning about specific classic
games/media, by either watching some game play or watching the
show/film.
Some other updates:
I've started using GitHub for most of my projects and
tutorials, just to back them up. I've also recently finished my first
draft of my text-based game and am now beginning to edit
it and beta test it. Things are going really well with this schedule
and I'm making great, gradual progress across several
different fields. I really view it as a sort of self-education.