Interests in Integers

So i'm back at university, and my first two weeks of lectures are over!

I'm enjoying being back in the classroom and although my attention span doesn't seem to have improved at all, i am still very excited about the year ahead.

The new year has brought with it a new forray for me: Coding.

Now, you may remember a post about my taking a dive into app development a few months back, and how that particular experiment was never seen or heard of again. The reason for this was that i didn't have the programming knowledge to create even the most basic of apps, it was a little disheartening to say the least but at the time i simply got lost in my life away from my computer once more, rather than trying to learn.

This is what i plan to do now.

I have downloaded the necessary software, and am already 12 videos in to a 200 video playlist on youtube that will hopefull teach me to program in C# with a degree of confidence, or at the least let me make the app i want to make.

Knowing me you probably wont hear of this again (unless i make something i'm particularly proud of) until i have managed to go and make that app that is currently just out of my grasp, but i look forward to showing it to you nonetheless.

For now though, i'll just ask that you wish me luck.

Ciao!

CLEAR!

So after nearly two months of inactivity, i am back, and bring with me once again the news that i should be using this blog far more often than i have been, although given what i've managed to post so far that shouldn't be hard!

The reason i have returned this time is because i have begun the second year of my course in Design for Games, and will as a result be making use of my personal piece of the internet a lot more. You'll be seeing the majority of the work i will be doing posted here, starting with some work from my first session in the Drawing for Games module (don't expect much!)

I will be keeping this page up to date with any interesting thoughts i have or just anything i feel the need to make a post for, but for now set your sights on the link below:

Drawing for Games - Year 2

Keep an eye on that banner for more blogs as the coursework comes in.

TTFN!

A stirring beneath the dust...

Hello, dear readers.
 
I just thought i'd post an update to let everyone know that i am still here, i realise how long its been since my last post and that i am failing spectacularly to meet my goal of keeping this blog up to date but life (and for the most part "life" can be exchanged for "work") has taken over in these past few weeks, keeping me busy. Although i have had enough time to think of a few topics that i feel i could discuss on here in proceeding posts.

Unfortunately the news regarding these potential proceeding posts (try saying that really fast) isn't good as far as the next few weeks are concerned as i will be busy visiting a foreign land (nowhere exotic, but i believe i will be having a fun time with my husband while i'm there) and spending some time with my newly gained significant other either side of that. Even then i hope to keep up my hours dispensing various items around a supermarket to improve my financial situation which has been sitting at the back of my mind, quietly nudging me to the point i felt i must do something about it. After all this it will most likely be September and i'll be starting the second year of my course, i find it slighly worrying just how fast it's come about, however with that you will hopefully see more activity from me and be able to follow what im getting up to during my studies.

...studying i hope!

'til next time!

Education begins with a "T"

So it seems this is the week that i set out to do one of the things i planned to this summer...

This is the week i dip my feet into the murky, seemingly overwhelming depths of app development...

I know what you're thinking.

Due to my inherent lack of wealth as a student, i cannot afford an iPhone, hence why i will be learning to create apps for Windows Phone 7.5 for now, despite the apparent redundancy that it now faces. Still, i wont let that put me off just yet. I plan to to spend the majority of this week completing tutorials, in the hope that by the end of it i'll be able to create a very simple yet functional app.

Wish me luck!

A Warm Surprise.

No. I have not woken in a puddle of my own urine.

You'll be pleased to know that not every post i make on this blog will contain a depressing cross-section of self-analysis. For instance, today i write to inform you of my positive hysteria over a brand-new update for one of my favourite games, Team Fortress 2!!

Don't know what TF2 is? I shall shed some light. If you do, then scroll away 'til you see the glorious blue flames!

Team Fortress 2 is a team-objective based multiplayer shooter available for the PC (and in a very... modest form on consoles as well, as part of the Orange Box), and it's free to play, so you should start. Right now. The game see's you donning your mouse and keyboard to take on an enemy team to complete a number of different tasks, some of which are well known, such as capture-the-flag, and others which are not so well known, such as payload-escort maps that see one team push a mine cart containing a huge explosive into the enemy base (if they can.)

You can play as one of nine different classes in TF2 (pictured above):

• The Soldier - Using his rocket launcher to damage multiple enemies, the soldier, while a little timid in his stride, is a great starting point for new players. But remember to shoot at your enemies feet to increase your chances of landing a hit, and in some cases lending them a nice bouncy rocket trampoline that's sure to hurt their ankles when they land!

• The Scout - Quick-paced and blessed with the ability to jump while in mid-air; the scout, while delicate, is great for harrassing the enemy team. Be it by flanking and attacking from behind, or simply jumping into an opponents face and giving them a good lead-based makeover with your shotgun, after which your unmatched speed will allow you to make your escape before going back in to do it again!

• The Demoman - The demoman is one of the more strategic, skill based classes, or at least he can be when used as an attacking class. For the most part the demoman is a great defensive class thanks to his sticky bombs, which can be stuck to any surface and detonated at will, place them out of sight to surprise your opponents and deal huge amounts of damage!

• The Pyro - Nothing much need be said about the pyro (who happens to be the subject of this weeks update!) just click the mouse button and charge at your enemies!! The pyros flamethrower deals massive damage up close so try to ambush enemies for the best chance of making your opponents nice and crispy.

• The Engineer -Essential when there's a long distance between the spawn-room and the front line. The engineer can build a number of items to aid their team, including a teleport which can be used to make the journety instantaneous, to protect their teleport engineers can build autonomous sentry guns to keep enemies at a distance if they dont want to become walking colanders.

• The Heavy - Slow in motion but a heavy hitter when he winds up his minigun, he makes a deadly companion when teamed up with...

• The Medic - Often the deciding factor in any given game, the medic can heal his teammates and help move a game forward by ubercharging a teammate. An ubercharge grants the player and whomever they are healing a few seconds of invulnerability which doesn't sound like much, but it can make all the difference.

• The Spy - Arguably the most difficult class to play as, but certainly the most rewarding when played well. The spy can disguise himself as a member of the other team to take down enemy fortifications and players with a simple stab in the back. It sounds simple, but once you try it in game, you'll find this is definitely not the case!

You can find out more out more about each of the classes here. (For different classes click the icons underneath the "Select a Class!" banner) and be sure to watch the "Meet the Team" videos for an insight into the more comedic side of the game! You can find all the videos and a few more on this page.

There's plenty more i could tell you about TF2, but at it's most basic level, that is all you need to know to get started.

Now for the matter in hand, a new update!

Updates are a huge part of what makes Team Fortress 2 great. The game originally came out in October of 2007, since then there have been almost three hundred updates, some more significant than others. For instance, over the years we have seen an update for each of the classes, giving them brand new weapons to play with that will often introduce brand new strategies, keeping the game fresh and interesting. New maps, game modes and weapons have been added to the game over the last five years, and the best part of these updates is that they are all free!

If you want to see a few of these updates then follow this link. I recommend reading up on the Classless Update if you wish to understand why Team Fortress 2 is now often referred to as a "war-themed hat simulator".

Now, on to the main event: Another Update!

If you are new to team fortress and you checked out the "Meet the Team" videos, you'll have noticed that one class has a video conspicuously absent. The Pyro.

Tomorrow the wait will finally be over for every class to have a hilarious introduction video and according to the website, they've saved the best til last. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, as is customary with a significant update, we have a number of days of hype-building to get through (thankfully in this case it's only two.)

The first day has seen us introduced to a brand new map featuring a brand-new game mode! The page really doesn't give much away about how this new mode will play out, beside the fact that it will culminate in a rocket launch.

In just a few hours Day 2 will be unveiled, but before that be sure to click on the banana peel at the bottom of the main page!

Introspection and insecurity.

Before i start, let me damn the ancient ancestor of mine that decided grass pollen is a harmful substance and must provoke my eyes to swell and my nostrils to turn into floods of mucus. I'm going through more tissues in a day right now than i ever did as a pubescent young-adult.

Cliché teenage masturbation jokes aside; i hate having hayfever.

Keeping up appearances with another deep and pretentious photo of myself!

I write today to tell you a bit more about myself, or in the case of this rant a bit about my psyche and the problems it has caused me in the past. I have no qualms with being a fairly open book, at least when i'm appearing to you as a block of text on your screen. I've always been fairly open with those that i feel comfortable around. However, if i don't know you, then you'll most likely see naught but a thin, quiet, reserved man with an affinity for chuckling to himself at funny pictures on the internet.

Self-consciousness has plagued me for years now. I have always been aware of my thin frame, body fat has eluded me for the majority of my life and even to this day i'm still mostly skin and bones. It's been a constant point of self-repulsion that sadly i did very little to correct for far too long, and it left me with severe confidence issues and a slightly warped mind. It was at its worst for most of my later teenage years. A time when i felt so uncomfortable with my weight that i couldn't wear t-shirts outside because they exposed my ' horrifically skinny arms'. I didn't like looking at them so naturally i didn't want anyone else to. It doesn't bother me as much these days, i've made the effort to improve my physical self and i've never been more comfortable with how i look, i can point out my flaws and laugh about them happily. What has taken more effort to correct, and unfortunately is still a problem to this day is my thought process.

The general consensus on introspection seems to be that while it can be beneficial if used in moderation, it holds the potential to drive you madder than the proverbial hare. If you are the type of person who holds themself in low regard already, or suffers from confidence issues, then "asking yourself what you did wrong in any given situation" will most likely only result in an even lower opinion of oneself, i believe this happened to me. The worst part is that i was never satisfied with what i should've done differently; it became a feedback loop. I would be consumed for days by these thoughts, often becoming angry before sinking into depression. I've found the best thing you can do when in one of these loops is this: Talk. Simply find someone down-to-earth to talk about your problems with, a close friend will often suffice. I've found that in most cases they'll help you wake up and realise just how ridiculous you're being. Its beneficial in both the short and long term, you get the relief of having these thoughts eradicated, and it teaches you how to deal with them yourself. It's something i'm still getting to grips with, but i'm already reaping the rewards.

So to put this whole post simply: I've got issues, but they're getting better.

Oh and hayfever is bad.

Productivity from inoccupation.

So here it is.

My new blog that i've been telling myself i'd set up for the past few weeks. A fresh start, so i will begin as such.

Hi there, my name is Matthew Thomas, 'Matt' if i'm not misbehaving. I am a student at Plymouth College of Art studying for a degree in Design for Games. I've just completed my first year, and am therefore looking for something to keep me going over the summer. The quest for a suitable use of my time has led me to the creation of this blog, and i'm hoping that i wont be leaving this one to gather dust for 6 months as i did with my previous effort.

Here's a picture of me posing by the sea. If i post any more pictures of myself, you'll see i do this quite a lot.

I've been using blogger for the past 10 or so months to post the odd excerpt of coursework i've written, you can see my other blog here if you like, it is a mish-mash of pictures and essays that i can only say i'm a tad disappointed with, at least aesthetically, i want my blog to be all pretty and shiny, not for you dear reader, but to keep my absent mind interested.

I joke of course, but over the past few years i have noticed that my mind wanders far too easily, be it in a lecture or sat at home with a blank word document on the screen. All the work you see on my previous blog was born of sleepless nights spent working furiously to meet a deadline that i had known about far too long to let it be a problem. However i realise it is almost a rite of passage for a student to suffer a night or two without sleep on their journey to the black robe and mortarboard. Still, when i see the results i managed to achieve from these last minute efforts i can't help but think how much better i could have done had i put the effort in...

Throughout the next academic year i hope to break this habit, and have a better overall grade to show for it. But anyway, these are just plans and i have a 3 month wait before i can start acting on them, so i will leave it there i think. Come back to this blog to follow my progress over the summer and my next year of college, i'm hoping to make better use of it this time around so you should be seeing more frequent posts concerning my course and anything that piques my interest.

PEACE OUT!