[NOTES] Making a simple Bird Bath in 3DS Max

[1] Make a Cylinder. Change the Parameters as follows: Radius to 9.0, height to 1.0, height segments to 1.0, and sides to 10. After placing these changes onto the cylinder itself, right click it and Convert To > Editable Poly.

[2] Under Selection on the right bar, change the selection areas to Polygons. When you have done that, click the top of the cylinder to select the top polygon.

[3] Right click again, making sure it’s still on Polygon selection, and scroll down to Inset. Click the little black box which is to the side of the text. Change the Amount to 1.0.

[4] Re-select the move tool from the top bar in the program, and move the axis down slightly, giving off a dip look to, what will be, the base of the Bird Bath.

[5] You then select the Polygon in the middle, right click and select the black box again next to Inset, change the amount to 4.5.

[6] Grab the polygon in the middle again, and right click. This time we’ll need to extrude this polygon, upwards. Scroll to Extrude, click the black box, and change the amount to 18.0.

[7] After doing the base, it’s now time to do the bowl. Create another Cylinder and change the parameters to: Radius to 14.0, height to 1.5, height segments to 1.0, sides to 10.0.

[8] Right click onto the newly made cylinder and Covert To > Editable Poly. Select the Polygon selection tool again and select the top part of the cylinder.

[9] Right click the shape, click the black box next to Inset and change the amount to 0.5. Flip over to the bottom and select the polygon underneath the shape, right click and scroll down to Bevel and click the black box next to it. Change the height of the bevel to 1.0.

[10] Go back to the top of the shape again, select the middle Polygon. Bevel this downwards by right clicking, selecting the black box next to bevel, and change the height to 1.5.

[11] Select the middle polygon again, right click and select the black box inset, change the amount to 7.0. Then, select that polygon in the middle and do an extrude. Click the black box next to extrude, and change the amount to -0.7.

[12] Now begin UWV Unwrapping the object. Creating some textures for both sides of the bird bath. When you are done, apply the textures and render.

[13] After doing all the texturing in Photopshop and adding a few tweaks to your leisure, I decided on the marble effect on my Bird Bath. This is the finished Render.

[RESEARCH] The Others and the Theories of Post-Colonialism

Colonial Possession around the World

Colonial Possession means what part of the world does a certain colony have (Word Reference, Colonial, 2013). Maybe through influence or alliance, there is no certainty by how these possessions were made, only by utter power. Because of these places being taken around the world, influences are slightly different from other colonies. Certain laws will be slightly different, and the way the areas surrounding it will be maned is completely up to the people in power. Which is why there’s such a big difference between many countries regarding this fact; depending on whom is running your country, really influences the way people live and run in the country.

Post-Colonialism is the interaction between both European union and the areas in which they have populated, communicating different ways in which time lines and other facts and opinions really went down in history.

Historical Rewriting and Change of Beliefs

Because of the way people have re-colonised many areas around the world, history or hearsay facts about that certain country gets passed down for generations upon generations. It’s crazy how something so little can collide to create something so big, so fascinating to others that they begin to believe and understand it as a true fact. Because European influences has become so strong over the years is because of a domination in world culture as we know it today.
There is more change then meets the eye, as some countries tell children at a very young age, or even adults through the media (news stories and other story telling genres) show different scenarios in the world, and how it is prevented and changed for the good of all man-kind. But in reality, the media feeds the public by sugar coating their stories to make others sound good or bad, depending on where about in the world they are. If a person carries a certain profession (ex. Customer Assistant) they will label the person just like their own profession (this goes for race, gender and even religion differences).
Years and years ago, these beliefs in culture or news stories around the world were different from those today. Possibly the impact of sudden change around the world (such as wars) or even agreements from people high in power may have been different, and give people a completely different opinion based on those options. It becomes a talking point, which is why the media around the world is so world wide, and everyone takes on this information as fact.

Change in Cultural Desires

Holidays are used for a time of relaxation and learning more about the world around you. However, for some holiday makers, they find it hard to get by without seeing something which strikes their own eyes as familiar. 
For example, McDonalds, an American company which has many branches around the world (over 33,000 restaurants (About.com, Number of McDonalds Restaurants, 2012)) are best known for their fast-food making techniques and gorgeously tasting food which is fit for any one with a rumbley tummy. That said, there is no way you can go some where in the world and not actually find a McDonalds in the area, because the food has become so iconic that it’s what children and adults crave. So if holiday makers are scared about tasting the food of the country they are in, they are familiarised with fast food restaurants which are built to keep tourists from complaining. Could we then say that McDonalds has slightly taken over the world with their own iconic meals? If everyone knows it, they’re comforted by it, knowing what it smells and tastes like, with their own opinion made. This then breaks the bond between orientalism and their own cultural standards, keeping their wallets and experiences safe with giving them the know how. Unlike Chinese Restaurants, Indian Take-Away’s and Sushi bars, it’s all very different. Even to today’s cultures on the west side of the world, trying these foods and exploring the oriental difference, it’s not all for every one, which is why fast food places like McDonalds, KFC and Subway exists.

Is Cultural Influences Really Bad?

Many cultures change for the better/worse, but as this happens, everything else begins to change along with it. This is because anything that changes has a slight domino effect on everything else relating to it. Some cultures suffer because of this, and become an outcast in which people believe that they are wrong and they shouldn’t have anything to do with the Others.

A war which happened ages ago, still spoken and debated about today.

The Others is a term which is used for another culture that isn’t their own, which is exotic and not familiar with what is already known by that culture. Normally, the term Other is used for people lower then themselves, thinking less of them, treating them as a thing rather then a full being.
The Swastika (About.com, History of the Swastika, 2013) from the Nazi’s icon was originally a sign for peace. As they changed it to become a symbol of power and war, to represent them in battle, it has never been seen so lightly ever again. What I was talking about before was the domino effect, and this is a great example of it. If a faction takes influence by another, that significant other then becomes part of them. What ever that faction decides to do with that ‘other’ is then related to both parties, creating a single entity.

On the other side of the argument, sometimes change is a turn for the better. Artistically, Asia has a unique style of artwork called Anime/Manga. The east, so oriental and calm, beautiful and simplistic, influences the west slightly, and decide to take it on for themselves. Many artists now on the west side of the world have taken on the style of Anime/Manga because the style appeals to them in many ways.

A beautiful Anime styled artwork of a girl playing guitar.

Yet its still symbolised as an eastern thing, which brings speculation to account, as others want to learn more and more about the artwork produced by Asian cultures. So sometimes it can bring interest in the right way for many western cultures because they become familiarised by the content of the eastern, giving them more attention, and others more aware of how their culture is like.

[NOTES] Dystopian and Utopian Presentations

As each group did their own presentation, it was interesting to see the different ideas that everyone was giving out to the audience. Some of these games which were pitched, I felt, could have become games in themselves. The Utopians were beautiful, and very fluent in design. And the Dystopians has a gorgeous touch to them, with a lot of facts built into their own pitches.

Group 1 – Tears of Gaia (Utopia/Dystopia)

• The idea was set on both Utopian and Dystopian ideas. Basically it’s a complete balance like life, but has troubles where there are wars between both nature and human species. The main character is also a woman with muscle deficiency which makes it harder for her to move, run or gain any muscle to survive or move items. This is a great way to challenge the player.
  Nature has taken over this universe, controlled by an evil man which is formed and shaped like a tree (“mother nature” or “god”) himself. It’s a Utopia for him, as everyone is treated with natures care, an ‘innocent’ vibe from himself. Yet, from the womans point of view, it’s a dystopian figure, as everything it out to get her, and make her life a living hell.
• The plants in this world give off less oxygen, making the player’s character fatigue more and struggle doing many activities. Plant life is also used as weapons, as they are more efficient and capable then the normal mechanical weapons which are used in todays wars and battles.
• As the protagonist goes through stages in the game, she becomes mutated, broken and corrupted by the changes in the world, but also adapts more to the change. This can work as an advantage and at a disadvantage for the player. Each mutation helps you go through areas that are built for that purpose.
• Drugs are issued to enable change in the body’s development process, which is how it is possible to get certain powers. But, many enemies strive to get these drugs as they have become addicted to it, how it has become a pure substance which everyone should have. With the changing world, it also reduces the effects given from the world itself, to inhabit it much more easier.

Group 2 – Utopian Game (Utopia)

• The game itself is played inside a pod, a pod which can read your thoughts and feelings to process and condense certain ideas which you will need to progress into a game. It’s more of an imagination feed, with no distractions or probes to make you feel otherwise pressured into the state of imagination.
  You cannot fail this game, either, no sense of loss or progression, only your own thoughts and wishes.
• This game is a text based game, full of customization and self input. You can create your own world in your head and then tell the game of your world. It will the build and give you a musical tune or noise to match up this idea.
• Unfortunately there wasn’t much to go by on this game idea, but it was a very good idea none the less. Almost too much of a Utopia, and the group felt like if this game went ahead, it would possibly be some what of an addiction process and no one would leave their own pods and back into their own world.

Group 3 – Block 32 (Dystopia/Utopia)

• The world has been destroyed by something (unfortunately the group couldn’t figure out what exactly happened), and the humans which now live in this ‘dystopian’ world have been shoved into pods and live the lives in which they have always dreamed of. A Utopian world for just one person to thrive in, these machines are also maintained by small robots which wizz around recharging the batteries of the machines, and for themselves to keep living.
  Because its the humans on dreams, the robot will become the sidekick of that human to ensure that what they are doing is right, and that they get what they deserve. For example: a person wants to be a star footballer, the robot will ensure that all the goals that he shoots for, he scores. 
• The player plays as one of the robots called Q-pid, Q-pid then falls in love with a human woman, and tries to stay with her as much as he can, staying and recharging her pod a lot more then a regular robot should. It’s also noticed that it is very weird for a robot to love some one, which brings another crucial part to the story.
• Because, however, children can be born into the real world through the women in the pods (if the woman in the pods become pregnant, then in real life, they will also have a child) and taken to a place where they can meet people and take apart who or whom not they like. When they have become mature enough to enter the pods themselves, they can take the memories of the others that they had seen, or choose to forget them. Because, however, these children were brought into the life of ‘pod’s’, their own generation’s ideas become much more stranger and weirder.

Group 4 – A Block too Far (Utopian)

• Takes a good look of how the game Minecraft works, and how they could use it to their own advantage and make a strategy game from it. The game plays like an MMO, where players can make farms, weapons, buildings, and other cool facilities inside of the game. Then, players can help one another with their own buildings, and get praise or points to create more or different types of buildings. 
• When two players find each other for the first time, they are in a status called the ‘Cold War Status’. This ensures that the two players can then attack on neutral ground, without actually effecting any other player around the premise. Although, this isn’t the only status you can be in with other factions. For example, you can be in ‘Peace’ or fully ‘War’ status with any players whom you meet.
• Technology, however, comes with the times (which acts as experience), which most players will start off with the basics, such as fire and wood. This can be a problem, but there is always room for upgrades and other substances along the way, which is always nice when you are leveling up your faction.
• There are no NPC’s in the game. Makes the game a fully player based system which is very good for players who just want to get out there and have fun.

Group 5 – Eden (Utopia)

• The planet earth has unfortunately been destroyed whilst a large space ship has left the Earth in search of a newly formed Utopia. Though, through closer inspection, the ship served a rather great Utopia for all the crew members.
  
• The main character, a troubled Scientist, finds out that there is something afoot going on in the Utopia. He realises that the plants are mutating into the humans on board of the ship, and he needs to find a way to destroy them. Unfortunately, weapons aren’t aloud on board of the ship.
  The plants make the humans into plant infested monsters, loosing all vision and thought process when they are fully controlled.
• On board the ship, to make it a Utopian area and a safe place to live, weapons are not aloud to use as a defensive weapon. Using one is an offence and is quickly disposed of when confiscated.
• Because the ship contained a large area of green, a garden which harnessed all of their food and plant life, there are gardening tools which can be used as weapons against the monsters aboard the ship, as they start to take over everyone.

Group 6 – Dystopia of the Mind (Dystopian)

• You play as a customised character in a world where your mind is your enemy. As you slip into dream state, you can either have a alright dream by your demand or a complete nightmare which ruins the world around you completely, making you a nervous wreck, and almost an unstable one.  However, what ever happens in your dream world will effect the awake world depending on what actually happened.
• The game has something called a sanity meter which scales depending on what actually happens in both dream and awake worlds. As you complete quests to heighten or lower your sanity meter, you are racing to see whether you can get it to normal in time.
• When you become insane, the level designs will become different, triggering effects which basically ruins the players attitude towards the current situation, making it harder to progress. The complete opposite happens if you are in normal sanity mode. Depending on how you are will effect the ending of the game.

[RESEARCH] The Ideals of Ideology

What is the Meaning of Ideology?
An Ideology is when one person sets a set of ideas that are both conscious and unconscious decisions that contribute to a person’s goals. The world as we know it is built on these set ideologies, which contributes into rules that the world must follow as a whole.

——————————————————————————————————– 

The Panopticon

The Panopticon is a great way to show the meaning of Ideology.
It’s a type of prison building that is souly based around the idea of fear (Wikipedia, Panopticon, 2013). Fear of moving out of line, or committing horrible acts in front of the huge watch tower that is stationed in the middle which ‘allegedly’ has a warden or some what which is monitoring the scene 24/7. Yet, the prisoners don’t know that, and live in the base of fear, agreeing that breaking a law would get them caught without them really knowing that some one is there.
The creator of the Panopticon, Jeremy Bentham, believed that this type of building in particular is a great way to win mind over mind. Tricking the inmates to believe that there’s something bad on the top of the tower, but really there could or couldn’t be any one. Then he thought that there could be something more to the design of the building which could be used for virtually anything: Schools, Workplaces, Offices, Stations, etc. Keeping an over all ‘big brother’ approach to the public, scaring them into doing the right thing in their day to day lives.

CCTV Cameras – Panopticon Effect?

Today, we have CCTV, which watches us where ever we go, making sure we’re doing the right things all day, every day. That feeling that you’re being watched, and the certainty that it brings that you’re clearly being watched could just be a fabrication of what the ‘man’ is trying to say to you. This goes for speed cameras, or any type of camera that enables you to get caught no matter what you’re doing; you never really know whether that camera’s working or not.

I’m watching you~!

So when does our privacy become our privacy? There has yet to be any CCTV in houses, changing rooms or even toilets, but would that be plain wrong? Of course it would be indecency to enable cameras to be in such secure places as thievery and other actions take place in such areas. Heat sensors are always an option to see through hollow walls, but doesn’t stop ‘big brother’ from finding a way to keep track of what you’re doing in your day to day life so that they know you’re committing to great things.
Anything could be an invasion on privacy. For example, monthly checks from your landlord to see if everything in your house/apartment is out of place or clearly not how it should be. That sudden feeling that your stuff really isn’t your own, and you’re just looking after it all for them and not for you. It then starts to become a routine, and they make you do things which you wouldn’t normally do; an utter clean up or just making sure that nothing is broken or out of place. That’s placing an idea in your mind that you ‘must be perfect’, you ‘must be in line’ or ‘in check’ with all of your belongings, they scare you into believing that behaving like this is the only way in which your landlord approves of is an Ideology.

Role of Ideologies – What is Right and Wrong

You’re in a relationship with a person. To make each other happy whilst living together, you must complete a set of tasks that you have placed in your mind to enable that your other half is happy, and vice-visa.
Many years ago, and in some cultures today, the woman will find themselves house driven, keeping the house ship shape and beautiful every day. The men will create the income, getting money and valuables to the house hold and ensure that he stays as the man of the house. The Ideology is that woman must be woman and men must be men. Whilst being brought up in a certain environment with such an idea then places the image in your own mind, saying that ‘this is who I should be because I saw it’. Even though today there isn’t this imbalance between male and female, as men can complete womens tasks, and women can complete men tasks, but they are still stuck in an Ideology that they are doing these sorts of tasks, these ‘male’ or ‘female’ jobs.

There’s just something manly about doing dishes.

Then you think about the government, and the way the country changes by the power of one person. From their words, there is then provided a plan of action towards the people to ensure everything is going the right way. The set guidelines for education, teaching people at younger ages to follow the set rules provided to get by in life, controlling them in a way which is quite innocent. Or even the work place, and how retail workers and freelancers both have different income even though they may or may not do the exact same amount of work. The unfair balance that doesn’t seem unfair if you have been told it’s not

The Ideology of Other Cultures/Countries

Another example of an Ideology is our view upon other cultures. May you come from any place in the world, you would have been fed information as a child to ensure that you see a certain country in a different light. Or you could have been told by a friend who happened to travel to a country, explaining; “It’s totally like it said in the brochure!”

Take India for example (Kwintessential, India, 2012). Their culture is so magical, artistic and inspiring to many, with their much colourful clothing and the idea of celebration is truly incredible. But when you look past that, and find that there’s so much more to India then meets the eye on adverts and leaflets is that we only see what we want to see of India because that is what attracted us in the first place. When something else falls into our comfort zone, there’s a chance that a person could get pushed away from the Indian Ideology, could realise that this culture isn’t what they were told it was. But, as this rarely happens because of tour guides, certain maps telling you to go certain areas, or being stuck in just one area, stops the sheep from running of and realising the truth, keeping themselves in a Utopian heaven and caged in their own bubble of satisfaction.

[RESEARCH] Apocalyptic Dystopian Scenarios in Games

There are many Dystopian like games out there, and most of them also contain machine guns and a lot of blood. But there must be some sort of reason for there to be blood shed amongst so many beings, may they be aliens or humanoid figures, there are reasons for there to be plots to destroy the world, to wipe the world clean and start a new. Apocalyptic scenarios doesn’t sound the most pleasant of situations you would like to find yourself falling into, but when one race wants to destroy another for a new world, for a new start, you then have to think of both sides.

So when you look at a game like Mass Effect, and see how the plot progresses in time into something which then looks towards the games main antagonist: The Reapers. The Reapers were built to contain planets and clear them of all living life forms, because their people believe that the living organisms have lived for long enough, bringing so much war and destruction to all the planets they land upon and creating havoc where ever they go. It’s breaking the universe apart, which is stopping progression of peace around worlds, and everyone has now created a mind of their own without actually having some sort of guideline any more. When the Reapers decide that enough is enough, and start clearing planets, the beings begin to weep, to beg the Reapers for forgiveness that they don’t deserve to die. As they clear the planets of destruction, the Reapers are suggesting peace (a clean ‘utopian’ slate) and if the beings are crying for forgiveness then they are suggesting guiltiness of their own actions (a dystopian action towards the Reapers distruction).
And Assassin’s Creed: with the First Civilization giving the humans, the Templars and Assassins prompts to get together the Apple of Eden to activate a power that will save the world, there is then the slight plot twist that the need to wipe the world clean will help the First Civilization rise again as a new powerful and perfect being. Because of the release of one, bringing them back into life with the use of another, the being then states that they have to now “play” their part in the whole deal of the fight between two factions of the world. Now its unsure as to whether the person will make humanity kneel down and do their bidding, or they will destroy the world, the the solar flare was meant to during the 21st of December, but there is a certain Utopian feel for the person, because now that they have the power and the Apple at their own disposal, they can control anything they want, for as long as they want, creating the ‘end of the world’ themselves. Possibly, the Dystopian aspect would be the control of the human race, but unfortunately they will become zombies to the being’s bidding, as they listen and do everything in which the First Civilization being wants.
Last, but not least, Dark Souls. Now this isn’t really an ‘end of the world’ scenario, in fact, it seems as though it has already happened, and many are trying to get by, by using others souls as currency and lit bonfires to keep their beings attached to them. Because of this, people are desperately trying to kill each other for loot and Bonfire Keepers have to keep themselves protected to keep the flame of ‘life’ safe from harm. Because of this world already becoming a Dystopian story in itself, and many other struggling and loosing their own minds by the sheer weight of the catastrophe at hand, the world became barren as the Lord Vessel’s souls have been taken by evil demons that thrive around the universe. Now that these demons have full power over the ‘weaklings’ or the Undead, they are able to do what ever they wish to do, stealing life from many sources, having unlimited power. Because they are corrupting the world with their needs and desires, they are making the characters their slaves, their corrupted beings against their will.

Apocalypses are mostly seen in games as a clean slate, which makes it much more believable that it could also be a Utopian ideal. When does a Utopia become a Utopia? When everything is going to plan, and everything is balanced and level in the world, like having a piece of pure white paper. But as soon as you start adding paint and details onto the page, you begin to dirty the paper, unable to change it without throwing it away and bringing out another. But it is, of course, a dystopian ideal for the life which inhabits the worlds in which an apocalypse happens, and makes them scared and nervous about the surroundings around them, and become a survivalist group, trying to live out the harshness as best as they can.

[RESEARCH] Text Based Games

(Regarding the text based game which I and many others created in a group, we had decided to do a little research on some text games before creating a text game.
I will be giving personal opinions on them, and how they would help us create an effective Text Based Game.)

Zork

(“Play Online” Link)
Zork is an amazing game, full of great attention to detail and a lot of work has been placed into such a grand project. As I was playing Zork, I couldn’t help imagine it all in a slight Dungeons & Dragons scenario, but that’s quite normal for a text based game I feel. When I progressed through the game, it was much harder to figure out where I was, and I was having much trouble to find out where I could go back or forward through the traps and ally ways that were given to me. There were times where I also found it quite scary because I seemed quite blinded by the lack of direction. Unfortunately I couldn’t get past the first Troll, so I decided to leave the game there.
I believe this game has a lot of potential, and it’s amazing how far games have really come from such a simple way of just telling the player the surrounding areas. I feel, however, without giving the player pictures, I want to at least give the player a way to see a map of where they have been and where they haven’t. But, I do want to give the player great descriptions which help the player to visualise where about they are in the world.

The Hobbit

(“Play Online” Link)
People knowing the story, having read the book, will understand where this game is going with its texts. If you are able to recite the whole book from the very beginning, there’s a possibility that this game won’t be so hard for players. However, because I haven’t actually read the book, or know anything about The Hobbit, I found it daunting when I made my first steps in the world. There are images which show you where you are in the world, not the most beautiful, but just enough for you to understand the basic shapes and figures of the wilderness. As the colours change from time to time, it does give you a sense of time progression (night to day), which is quite the touch for such a simplistic game.
Pictures seem like a nice idea, but not for every area that the player finds themselves in. Maybe special areas in which they manage to find themselves in, where the pictures will be a little bit more detailed in the game, but not too much, to match the size of the previous text games. I found the game appealing because of it’s nice taste in vocabulary and beautiful scenery.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

(“Play Online” Link)
This is also a book referenced game, so I also couldn’t get past majority of the places without dying at least once. However, I do know most of the Hitchhiker’s references due to having heard it from various people (Ex. “Don’t take the towel!”) The references and quirky moments were really uplifting after trawling through such harsh scenarios, and having trouble with having the house bulldozed by a huge bulldozer whilst I am still inside of it. I know this isn’t just it, and there is a lot more which I can explore, but I had a lot of trouble just being able to escape and make a run for it. Unfortunately I played a remade version of the Text Adventure, so there were many things that were added to help the player remember and get through scenarios much easier and faster.
The interface of the new one, however, is very beautiful, and full of little gizmos which could help the player to remember where abouts they are and how far they have come in the game. Possibly there could be a little progress bar to the side of the screen in which our player can see. Or, maybe having pixel items which they have collected and they can hover their mouse/cursor over, which will then show them a text prompt to say what the object is.

[RESEARCH] The History of Digital Game Space

Text Adventure Games

Zork (1977)

One of the most earliest interactive game known to many, Zork was a very popular text game which required much thinking, mapping and panning to get past. Text adventure games all really required this technique, and got many players talking amongst themselves to help each other escape the ruins, or race against each other to see who can complete the game first. That’s not all, text adventures also pressured the player into using their imagination whilst they were reading the white text on the black background. Just like reading a book, you had to visualise what surroundings you were in, and what the characters look like.
(Wikipedia, Zork, 2013)

Contained 2D Space Games

Space Invaders (1978)

Space Invaders is quite an iconic game, which everyone knows and loves. At some point, many people have played Space Invaders in their life, may it be the original or recreation on a web-browser. Space Invaders was one of the first games to make people compete for high scoring, and was a big hit for already hard-core tech masters. Contained 2D Game Spaces is a game which is really based souly on the space given. As the screen doesn’t move, the monsters/creatures/characters stay on the space and can only interact with what is given.
(Wikipedia, Space Invaders, 2013)

Wrap Around Space Games

Asteroids (1979)

Asteroids is a game that needs total concentration and skill to get through stages and defeat the rocks that try to pummel into you. Pressing that button multiple times to shoot down all the asteroids that are about to collide to you, you can quickly lean to the side and pop out from the other side of the screen. That is a Wrap Around Space, items being able to pass through the screen and appear on the other side, kind’ve giving a 360° feeling for the player. They can explore, and do quick escapes with these routes. However, they still only have the space given to them to run around in.
(Wikipedia, Asteroids, 2013)

Adjacent Space Games

Berzerk (1980)

Not the most prettiest of graphics, but certainly appealing to play, Berzerk is a game which requires using your wits perfectly through each stage. As you are being attacked by robotic figures, it’s the players job to clear the area with their own guns. When a player has finished a room, they can move across the screen and go through a door, bringing them into another room. Adjacent Space is really just the player moving from one area to the next exploring a set room which doesn’t lead to any where but the next stage. Areas aren’t normally very big, and only stay on one screen.
(Wikipedia, Berzerk, 2013)

Game Space That Scrolls On One Axis

Spy Hunter (1983)

Spy Hunter is an adrenaline rush game, as it’s based on vehicles with armed guns ready to fire. One of the few arcade games to come onto a console just after its release in the Arcade, Spy Hunter was quite a big hit. Game Space That Scrolls on One Axis is a game which goes for infinity upwards or downwards, giving the player a sense of progression. The best way of describing it would be a car which starts from the bottom of the road, drives forward, and discovers new ways in front of them.
(Wikipedia, Spy Hunter, 2013)

Games Scrolling Around Space With Two Axis

Gauntlet (1985)

Being one of the first dungeon crawl games, Gauntlet was a very impacting game in the 80’s. Not only was it hard to keep killing monsters, but it was also hard to help your fellow team mates whom are also playing on the screen. Scrolling Around Space With Two Axis are games which have much more space then just one entire screen. As you move to one side, the camera will pan across and show you the other area, and as you move upwards, the camera will show you that side, etc. However, the area is still restricted in one certain drawn out space.
(Wikipedia, Gauntlet 1985, 2013)

Parralax Scrolling Game

Streets of Rage (1991)

Streets of Rage is a beat-em’-up game, where you run around kicking and punching many individuals to get onto the next stage. Each stage gets much harder then the last, and when you finally get to the end of a scene, you are then greeted with a much more harder boss, which you must kill to progress. Parralax Scrolling is when the screen follows with you, but the images in the background, foreground and front move at different speeds, giving depth and perspective to the player. This gives the feeling of a greater space for the player to explore.
(Wikipedia, Streets of Rage, 2013)

Limited 3D Space Game

Star Wars (1983)

Unlike many other shooter games, this game enables you to progress through stages without you being able to kill every enemy on the screen. Star Wars lets you take the place of Luke Skywalker in a X-Wing through space. What the Limited 3D Space means is that the way the objects are graphed on the screen gives you the illusion of 3D materials on the screen, because the lines and edges give you is the depth of an object. The drawings make you feel like you’re moving through a 3D environment.
(Wikipedia, Star Wars 1983, 2013)

Isometric 3D Space Game

Zaxxon (1982)

With some of the most mind blowing graphics during its time, Zaxxon was a brilliant shooter game that kept the players on their toes as they threw the money into the machine. During stages, as you’re shooting down enemies, you must make sure to keep your ship topped up with fuel by shooting down canisters of fuel. Isometric 3D Space is an unlimited space but is only seen from one perspective of the room. That one perspective is never changed, so there is room for creators to make 3D looking models so it seems like things are popping out at you, rather then 2D objects on a random perspective.
(Wikipedia, Zaxxon, 2013)

Window To The Outdoors Game

Duck Hunt (1985)

Duck Hunt is a point and shoot game, where you have to hunt down ducks in each stage and shoot them all with your gun. As the game progresses, more and more ducks will fill the screen, making it harder for the player to concentrate on certain areas of the screen. Window To The Outdoors is just what it means, a window to the outdoors. You are able to see green grass and areas in front of you, but you have to use reflexes to get what is on the screen.
(Wikipedia, Duck Hunt, 2013)

Two Spaces, One Screen Game

Spy V.S Spy (1984)

A quick session to see who can kill who first, Spy V.S Spy is a sort of strategy game that is built around a two player atmosphere. Both players must collect all of the items before the timer expires, but there isn’t double of any items. This results in both players in search of one another so that they can claim their items. Two Spaces, One Screen is just a two player mode, where two players with two controllers can plug in and start playing with each other.
(Wikipedia, Spy vs. Spy, 2013)

Video Captured Game

Mortal Kombat (1992)

A brutal but very fun combat game, Mortal Kombat is all about getting your opponent to the end of their health bar before the timer runs out. There are power ups and special combos which you can press on the controller, which enables both players to specialise in trying to kill one another first. Video Capture is when games take pictures of real humans/objects/animals and place them into the game as sprites without actually making the sprites themselves. This gives the game a realistic animation, plus realistic models which the players can play as.
(Wikipedia, Mortal Kombat, 2013)

Mapped Spaces Game

Myst (1993)

Myst is a beautiful game, all about looking around the surrounding areas and finding areas which have never been explored before. Really, the main point of the game is to have an experience with the land, and take in the environments. A camera which can pan around panoramically, Mapped Spaces show surrounding areas but the player can only progress my clicking forwards on the screen. This stops from the camera moving around on a loop rather then the player having full control.
(Wikipedia, Myst, 2013)

One Horizon Game

Doom (1993)

Doom is quite a gory game, full of bad monsters that come from outer space. You play as an aged male, running around with guns blazing, destroying all the enemies in your path as you reach the end of the stage. One Horizon basically means that the player cannot look up and down, but can pan left and right and walk forward and backward as the please, rather then waiting for an area to load in for them. This game also classes as a First Person Shooter, where all you can see is the characters had and gun.
(Wikipedia, Doom, 2013)

Horizontal/Vertical Camera Game

Tomb Raider (1996)

Running around in a 3D space, the character is also 3D. Tomb Raider was a very iconic game when it first reached the shelves all those years ago. With it’s amazing graphics and beautiful scenery, you could go and climb any where. Horizontal and Vertical Camera games are specifically for players to basically see the character (3rd Person) and their own surrounding areas. As the character turns, the camera turns, no needing to tell exactly where the camera needs to go.
(Wikipedia, Tomb Raider 1996, 2013)

[RESEARCH] The Utopian and Dystopian Feel of Alice in the Country of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland

A section from the Manga, Astro Boy.

Manga is a popular form of graphic novel in Japan (Wikipedia, Manga, 2013), America, and Europe. There are many different types of manga ranging from Shōnen (ranged at Male audiences, which is normally full of action/adventure stories and ideals), and Shōjo (ranged at Female audience, which is normally full of drama sequences and love stories); however there are arguments suggesting that either of these could be for any gender, but that’s down to speculation.
Because of these types, the many different stories you can create from them is completely amazing, and many artists strive to make these stories a reality by drawing them and getting it all published in books. Now that they all have become popular, may it be due to reader interest or speculation on what is happening in the world today (during WWII, there was a time where Manga was taking the form of explaining war to children, or have war stories including what was happening in WWII), which makes you wonder whether there are more happier endings then sad ones.

Alice and the Country of Hearts is a Manga that is another interpretation to Alice in Wonderland story. There are many different interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, but this one in particular strikes a lot of speculation and interest in readers. Many different types of ‘Alice’ stories basically go off on a limb to express how deep and dark Wonderland is, almost like you could pass it off as a dream which is what this manga implies. Alice is taken away and thrown down a huge hole by a male rabbit named Peter White, who transforms into a human ‘bunny’ male; almost like a romantic comedy. She is then trapped into the wonderland by being forced to drink a potion that stops her from running back to her real life. Now in Alice in Wonderland, Alice accidentally finds herself following a rabbit down a large hole in the ground, innocently placing her self into the depths of Wonderland. When she gets to the small door, she becomes small by allowing herself to drink the potion on the table. There’s much of a difference in both stories that implies whether Alice was forced or walked in by herself.
The forcing issue of Alice in the Country of Hearts makes Alice believe that she is then in a dream, and that all the humans, surroundings and buildings are all from her imagination. Thus, creating a sort of Utopian atmosphere because it’s all built by just one human, and possibly her own desires as well. Through time, it also starts to make her happy to be there, as she settles in and makes her own settlement there, completely giving up on trying to get back to real life, or even remembering certain aspects of life that she knew it to be. So it is almost like a game effect, where you get so engrossed into a game that you begin to forget things. The dreamy atmosphere, and that sudden change in how different things could be in a wonderland of your own can become so much of a Utopia that you need nothing else to replace it.
In Alice in Wonderland, there is that same sort of dream twist but Alice is more forward with what is happening, she’s almost grown up to understand that she will need to leave one day because she doesn’t belong in such a world. Then the world begins to take up an appearance, but it’s not very appealing for her. From when she enters the world, she is weirded out by all the strange happenings in the area, even suggesting that the Hatter’s ‘tea party’ is the stupidest one she’s ever been to (but to the Hatter and his guests, it’s their most finest hour). She begins to struggle to figure out what exactly is going on in the world, and how she could return to where she once was, regarding how small she has become. Another look at the story, you can also see Alice Liddell is a very spoilt child, wanting things her own way, and not like any of this ‘wonderland’ business. Wonderland, however, is a beautiful world where many things that thrive there couldn’t actually belong in real situations, so even if Alice doesn’t really feel like she belongs there, she enjoys her time there, accepting that all things cannot really be to her own liking.
That change in presence really shows the difference between the two; one Alice is very intrigued (even though she was forced) by the world, and the other just doesn’t feel very entertained by anything, almost trashing through the world. Both reasons are still Utopian though, but through different perspectives as one is by Alice (Alice in the Country of Hearts) and the other is by the beings in the world (Alice in Wonderland).

But, what happens when the two books begin to cross each other in similarity? When does it all become a Dystopian for everyone?
When one thing is changed in a world full of a certain living form, everything begins to break into hysteria. Just like forgetting to place the hot water into tea, that sudden change can create something which no one agrees with. In both stories, something tweaks which makes everything go completely wrong, and things turn for the worse. Because of these differences, these humans which have wondered into these worlds, they have no knowledge of the areas around them.
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Alice Liddell is the only being with a living, beating heart. In a world full of vicious fighting and factions which fight for land and placement, they have clocks for hearts instead, which are easily replaced by the clock maker of the world. From this point of view, you could also say that the beings are zombies with personalities, and when they’re replaced, they are reborn a different person entirely. Because Alice is the only woman with a dear heart, every person begins to question about her being, and manages to nearly get killed by the Knight, the assassin from the Heart Castle. He wants to understand why he doesn’t have a heart, and how lucky Alice is to have one. From this point, on wards, Alice then begins to face other problems with the Hatter, claiming that she is ‘flirting’ and ‘flaunting’ herself around because she’s special, and everyone loves her. It’s a Dystopian feel because not only is Alice being judged for her living body, but she is different from everyone, and it’s almost a scary concept. Even if these humans are flesh and bone on the outside, the thought of reincarnation scares Alice completely and thinks it’s wrong. There is also a question which is raised quite commonly through the manga; “Why are guns/weapons accepted in your world?” Guns, being a weapon of war, implies that the world is unstable, collapsing underneath its feet, but this can also keep population balanced, assuring that a world does not become populated with more worthless souls which they can then kill later.
Alice in Wonderland, there is the same concept again, but there’s a pack of cards in play. Each individual in the Heart Kingdom are represented as a card, and not a actual human persona. However, everyone else around the areas are under the control of the Queen of Hearts, which makes them possibly her ‘slaves’ or peasants that just live on the streets. From here, you could also think of realistic situations where people whom are higher up then the rest have more power and care so little of the world around them, thinking strictly about themselves, and using others as tools. Beheading becomes quite a popular thing, as the Queen of Hearts flourishes in the idea of beheading the people who don’t do as she says, without reasoning. But this isn’t all, the Queen wants to change the world and shape it how she wants it, forcing nature to take on a reddish colour by painting the pure white flowers into blood red roses. Pulling away from the Queen, there is also a slight drug reference as you look at the Caterpillar’s surroundings. Not only is the Caterpillar sat atop of a multi-coloured mushroom, but he’s also smoking a pipe full of substances which pleasures him. From here, this gives a harsh impression to young Alice, because she believes that this may be an okay thing to do. Possibly it could change her mind completely, reshaping her personality and feelings when she finds herself back her own universe. This change could possibly create a problem in her life, and create a dystopia in the real world.

So, from both perspectives and both difference sides of the story, you can really see that there is much to discover from these ‘wonderlands’. The whole point of something being wonderful is to appeal to some one in a very flattering manner, enabling them to enjoy themselves. But these wonderlands are able to become the complete opposites, showing very destructive matters everywhere you turn. When there is a world that is balanced by what they already know, and some one managing to fall into such a world, can cause an unbalancing effect, challenging the world to then create a new concept around one living creature.

[RESEARCH] Audio Games Built for the Blind

Game accessibly is key if you want to create such a gorgeous game that everyone is going to play. It’s not just important, but it really brings together the majority and minority into one big clump, so that everyone is happy with their gift, their game.
Unfortunately, many people are either born or loose their eyesight at any stage of their life. Games made for the blind is one great example of how people can still play games, at their utter luxury, without worrying about seeing what is going on the screen. The games are based around different sounds and triggers which enables the person to locate what is what on the screen, by saying “There’s a box there!” or “Here’s a switch!“
I decided to give some a go, and they are all very well made, with easily accessible content for everyone.

——————————————————————————————————————–

3D Snake

3D Snake isn’t actually 3D, it’s just a blank screen in a window, and greets you with a lovely “Hello!” then the voice explaining what exact key you will need to press to start the game. As you press the up and down key you flick through the certain options of the game, and then the Enter key to select that certain menu that you want to head into.
When you fall into the game, you are greeted with a couple of bleeping noises: One for movement and one for the fruit. You need to collect the fruit to win the game. Using the arrow keys to move around the stage, the bleeping for the fruit gradually gets louder/quieter, depending on how near/far you are from the fruit itself. Each tap of the movement noise, is one square of movement, so you know if you’re moving in the right direction towards the fruit or no. Whilst travelling around the board with your snake, you collect the fruit from the stage itself, it greets you will a lovely jingle to say you have collected a piece of fruit. But when the game is over, if you have eaten your tail or have run into the wall, the game gives you a crashing sound and clearly states “Game Over.” The person will then tell you your scoring and a congratulates you on your progress.

Dog and Cat

A chase between dog and cat, it’s a game where you have to capture the cat to win. This game was hard in itself, as the rules aren’t actually explained properly before gameplay, and there is a lot of guesswork as to what keys you need to press to get to the end of the stage.
You are the character Dog, and you have to capture the mewing cat. As you run around the stage by pressing the up and down key, left and right turns you 90° (The person then says the way you’re facing: “North“, “South“, “East” and “West“), and if you can hear the cat mewing, you press the forward key to get much closer. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get any where close to the cat, and the closest I got, I managed to skip past by one block on accident. There is also no noise for the down key, which could be due to the designer not actually wanting a double sounding key, as it would confuse the player. The cat is constantly moving, and you’re not told as to where the cat its actually gone to, and most button pressing is guess work. The sounds effect both sides of the headphones, depending on what side the cat is, or if he’s directly at front, but I found myself constantly battling towards both of them trying to understand whether it was on the side I was thinking or no.

Music Puzzle

This game is really dependent on how you press down the keys against the beat of the music. Again, this game requires you to use the arrow keys to get the pieces right for the music.
There is so much fun to be had with this game, as you are greeted with a very nice voice which begins to tell you the menu screen and how to select each piece of the menu screen. When you then start the game, you are asked how many pieces of the puzzle (in this case, music clips) of the song would you like, then select a song, and finally how long you want the game to go on for. From here, it’s a race against time to get in tune with the beat and keep in time with the music or else the clip ends and you have to reselect the keys to start again. But, if the time limit ends and you haven’t completed the pieces, then a horn sounds to explain that you didn’t complete the game. If you did get all the pieces down on the right rhythm, you are congratulated by the lovely voice at the start. It’s really a fulfilling game, and it’s not actually a game you can progress in, only with your love for music will you enjoy it.

——————————————————————————————————————–

[RESEARCH] Gender in Music, and Representation of Women

Music, a worldwide phenomenon that everyone has heard of at any point of their lifetime. It’s a think which gets us pumped up and ready for anything, may that be dancing or just burst in song. But, times like these, you really realise how music has changed from being just a musical and inspirational piece, to just plain disgusting and horrible habits that musicians and celebrities have gotten themselves into.
There are many artists, however, which want to break the wall and say “This is all wrong.” Here are some of the few examples which I feel are very good videos and pieces of music which can really show some of the ugly parts of today’s culture.

P!nk – Stupid Girl

P!nk, the most iconic woman in pop music to this day; everyone knows one of her songs, she’s known for not caring about what other people people think of her and bringing out pieces like Stupid Girl. Many of her songs are pretty based around her own lifestyle, but at some points, she really takes things to a new level, to flesh out and bring out some of the worst forms of realistic culture.
As the video begins, you can see a little girl perched onto a sofa, watching the TV. On both of the little girl’s shoulders is a ‘Devil’ and an ‘Angel’ that is trying to tell her what she should watch and learn from. Each channel the girl goes through, it’s showing how females should act in certain situations and in every day life, how they should look, and how they should be in the eyes of the man. The video actually takes snippets of what other music videos are like, how other celebrities and ‘showy’ women are like in the world, and how THEY get more attention then the normal, ‘unfortunate’ girls.
This is a great video for everyone to watch; you realise by the end that you are fortunate with what you already have, and how you already are. You don’t need to prove or become another to gain what you need in life. Everyone is equal  both male and female, and even if you don’t have the most perfect body, you will possibly have a better personality or better well being instead. Everyone has their own flaws and problems, and that is something worth learning.

Frank Turner – The Way I Tend To Be

Frank Turner is a great composer, and sings ever so beautifully to the songs he writes. It’s an inspirational song, more then something which represents gender, but it also brings out some of the truth in himself, and in others as well.
As the video starts, you can see a man walking towards nothing with a shovel on his shoulder, as if he is lost or unaware of life, of living. As he progresses, he feels the need to do something, to ‘dig’ his fears away of the way he is. Maybe this is to show that he doesn’t like himself for what he has become by looking at beautiful women and wishing (‘each time with each beautiful woman but somehow it never works out.‘ – Lyrics), or what he believes in to be right when others feel like it’s wrong. This being is almost like shining light on how that all men can be, how they can act towards other people and pretend that nothing is wrong. However, the woman, so pure and able to get through anything, he is taking lessons from, and learning from ‘her’ as if it will make him a much more better person. This could mean that Turner is changing the way the roles carry out, and that the woman knows what she’s doing, and the man is lost without her.
The video doesn’t really show the whole meaning of the song, but the lyrics give you a clear understanding of what Turner really wants to show to the listener.

Clutch – Cyborg Bette

Much known for their very descriptive lyrics and songs; Clutch is a an American band whom aren’t very popular, but have some of the most gruesome and imaginative songs from them.
Unfortunately there is no music video for this track, but Cyborg Bette is basically a song based around a robot woman that a man is using as his own wife. Then he goes on to say that the ‘robot woman’ has been created specifically for himself, and for no one else. As the song progresses, Cyber Bette then becomes a little more unresponsive, and almost unlike herself, which the man doesn’t like the way she’s now acting. From here, he then starts to brag to her, after he found out that she was cheating on him, and has been treating him wrong the whole time, that she has easily bought a new model, and she’s ‘Mine, oh mine!‘ This is quite a horrible thought, the concept of actually throwing away women and finding it so easy to grab another. Robots to represent women is a great way to show how women are sometimes represented in general, robots are distributed easily and are created and give them commands to keep in check of what their creators want them to do.
This song is pretty brutal to how women should be represented, but however, maybe the lyrics are trying to teach the listeners just how badly they’re treated in the wide run.