It’s almost time to go home for winter, and wrapping up this quarter has been enjoyable no doubt. Money again has come to the forefront of thought as per usual when Christmas approaches, and I begin to think about how wasteful it can be. It’s no life to live by micromanaging all of my finances but it often is difficult to ignore how that exclusively is tied to success. Ignoring those thoughts that come every now and then, I feel fairly content. We went 3-3 this season on the CS:GO eSports team for DePaul, a number I’m honestly happy with. Congrats NAVI on winning the major!
Japanese has turned into a course I am genuinely beginning to appreciate and enjoy, surprising as it may be. Seeing and hearing progress when comparing what I know to my past self only three months ago is genuinely helpful and reassuring. While Japan still is not open to tourists or students I hope I soon may be able to visit for a studying abroad. The honors program course I took navigating death wrapped up nicely and did provide reassurance that I want to leave tactile evidence that I was on Earth and made a difference. Game design has proven to only provide one essential takeaway: playtesting and its importance. Realizing that the way I convey a game and present rules affect the experience was a helpful reminder that can often be lost. Speaking of game design, I might leave some of the resources for the project I had worked on at Temporary Reroute. Feel free to look and see how I hopefully progress in the future. Computer science is computer science; it’s nice to get back to some of the basics at times.
COVID-19 still being pervasive has proven to be still a genuine nuisance and difficulty to enjoying life at its fullest. I can’t remember if it’s been talked about in these entries before but Coronavirus is likely going to be one of the most significant world events to occur in my lifetime (ignoring the fuel wars in 70 years and ultimate demise of the planet). We’ve almost hit the two year mark and I feel that we still likely have at least another half a year until any serious progress is made. The last memory I have pre-COVID was sitting in the car on my way to wind ensemble rehearsal listening to Roddy Ricch’s “The Box”. A different time for sure. I didn’t know then but I’d become a better, albeit slightly more sad individual.
One of the most interesting and immersive worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of mentally occupying was Beacon Academy from the show RWBY. I might talk a bit more on it further in the future, but I’m marking it down mostly to serve as a reminder. The world of RWBY at the time when it was most impactful to me is part of the reason my design philosophy is the way it is today, and that can not be understated.
Our space game project has been temporarily put on hold and will likely not be finished by next year. That’s alright, though. I might work on story building and what the game in hypothetical might look and feel like, serving as value enough. Working with an individual who I admire for certain reasons and get upset with for others has once again proven to me that I need to find out what I truly want out of making games. Ideas have had a difficulty appearing due to stimulation from life, but having the time over winter to simply sit and think might be just what I need. Perhaps not, though; too much time thinking with no action can be detrimental to mental health. Things are looking good, but when are they ever not? I’m a hopeful and happy person. I’m not worried as all things will work out at some point. One day I want to give advice on this website, a day when I’m much wiser and way more experienced.