Vacation time

So, I have been on a forced vacation since Monday. (Okay, so it wasn't so much forced as not planned out. BOSS: You are going on vacation next week. ME: Okay, have a nice week.) I got in this situation because I spent a lot of time the last 360 days bouncing between stores. I would help out at a store for a few days to a few weeks. Then there were the transfers to other stores, which would mean that they were usually short handed so I wasn't able to take anytime off. I did finally take a few days off last month because I was planning to go to Comicpalooza in Houston, TX. But those plans kinda dried up so I just had a few days off. That still left me with 50 hrs of vacation time. So my boss tells me this past weekend that starting Monday I am on vacation.

I have actually taken this time to start work on my very first video game. Actually it is my third game. The first two are from high school programming classes, though the second didn't actually get finished and the first one didn't work properly. That is why I am considering this as my first game.

I am using RPG Maker VX Ace to help me create this game. Mostly because it has been waaay too long since I last did any programming. But also because I learned to program on an apple computer back in the eighties. (Damn, I think I just gave a hint as to my age there.) It is a pretty cool program. It is mostly just drag and drop. But you can learn the scripting language to change just about everything in the engine to make the game the way you want it. Plus, I can sell my games that I create with it without buying any expensive licenses.

The game will look like an older style game, the kind I used to play on the Nintendo. And unless I find a kind artist to do the graphics for me, I am needing to purchase the graphic and sound packs from their store. But I am planning on using this as a stepping stone. I am planning to work with this engine for a while and if things go well then probably move on to Unity. And if things go good with that engine, I might try to create my own engine. Maybe not. By that time I might not want to deal with it. Then again, I should be able to higher someone to do the programming for me by that point.

Anyways, the game I am working on is tentatively called Aegis Knights: Beginnings Chapter 1. It won't be a very long game, you will probably be able to finish it in one sitting (depending on how long you are willing to sit there and play). I expect it will take no longer than a couple of hours. There is going to be the main story line with a couple of side quests, one of which (while not necessary to complete the game) will hint at things to come later.

Then plan is to work on each chapter and learn more about what I can do with the engine each time. And then when I get Beginnings completed I will work on combining all the chapters together into one game and probably sell that version. We will see how things go. When I get it completed I will post it here and either start up a web site (though I am already thinking of starting one for the world information) or maybe just send it to those who are interested. Probably the website though.

Guess I will get back to work. Write ya later.

Favorite Character

So, the other day my wife asked me who my favorite character was. And my response was...I don't know. I have several characters that I like. Thor, Wolverine, Drizzit, Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sheldon, just to name a few. But not a one stands out as my all time favorite. Then she asked me what my favorite TV show/movie was. Again I draw a blank for my all time favorite. Equilibrium, Star Trek, Star Wars, Smallville...there are just so many to choose from.

So, do you have an all time favorite character/TV show/movie?

Write ya later.

Anker Programmable Gaming Laser Mouse

 Well, another week has come and gone. And we are almost to the end of May. It is surprising how quickly time can go by sometimes. Though I have got a bit of news today...of the geeky kind. I got a new gaming mouse today. Well, it is new but it is also the first 'gaming' mouse I have owned. I purchased the Anker Programmable Gaming Laser Mouse.

The reason I got the mouse was I got a laptop for Christmas from my mom. It was one that Wal-mart had on sale during their Black Friday sale. Not a great computer but better than the one I was using before. The one sitting in my closet cause the monitor went out on it. I know what is wrong with it but I have found out that even experienced repairmen have difficulty fixing the problem so it is just sitting there feeling sorry for itself.

I didn't have a mouse (don't remember what happened to my previous mouse) but luckily for me my mom's computer got sick just before Christmas, so I used her wireless mouse. Now I had to have a mouse cause I don't like the touch pads on laptops. Not even sure why they still put them there. Everyone I know uses a regular mouse. It is much better, and have you ever tried to game with the touch pad? Yeah. Good luck with that. I actually turn my pad off. So I had to have a mouse. So, thanks mom, or should I thank your computer for getting sick.

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago my mom decided that she was finally ready to get her computer fixed. We can thank my wife for that. My wife wanted her computer back. So with my mom's computer now fixed I gave her back her mouse and started using my wife's wireless mouse. Hehehe. She had a mini mouse for our youngest and she didn't mind using her touch pad so, it wasn't too big of a deal for her. But, being the supremely, awesome husband that I am (hopefully she isn't reading this), and considering that I was attempting to move back to computer gaming instead of console gaming, I decided to get me a new mouse. And this was the one I chose:

So far I like it, though to be fair I have had it for less than a day now. And I haven't really used it. I fiddled with the DPI (Dots Per Inch) settings (it has 7, from 500 to 5000). I have also tweaked the color scheme on the mouse. Although it is a little disappointing that you can only change the color of the anchor icon on the mouse which is covered by your hand when you are using it. I did try to download the manual so I could read up on it but for some reason I keep getting told that I can't open it because it wasn't translated properly. Not sure what that is about. I will have to try to contact the company to see what is up with that.

The mouse worked well straight out of the box. I just plugged it into my laptop and was able to start using it. I did download the drivers from their website (http://www.ianker.com/). So now I am able to program all 11 buttons on it. There are 5 different profiles I can set up also, and macros. So, I will have to see what is up with those.

It was listed at $35.99 but I was able to get it for $15.99 thanks to getting approved for Amazon's Amazon.com store card. I could have gotten it for free if I had applied (and gotten approved) for their Visa card (a $60 credit was offered), but they showed the other card offer first.

That is about all I am going to say as far as a review on it right now. Let me get some time with it and try programming some buttons and macros with it (and testing it out on a MMORPG or two) then I will give it a more detailed review.

Write ya later.

Ramblings of a white man

Here I am, sitting in front of my computer trying to decide what to write for this weeks blog post. I know that I missed last week, but I was actually having a little trouble coming up with an idea to write about. Plus, I was also a little distracted with work, a sleep study (I have sleep apnea), and just being a father and husband.

Then this past weekend I came up with the idea to write a post about Comicpalooza, which is this weekend, and how it really got me back into reading comics again. (I still might do that.) But, as you can tell, I never actually wrote it.

Then this evening I sat down and started trying to read one of the Elric books by Michael Moorcock I checked out from the library. I say trying because as soon as I started to read my mind began wandering into what I have been thinking about as far as my own writing is concerned. Which lead me to realize it was Tuesday night and that I hadn't written a post for this week yet. I had thought about writing about Elric and my thoughts on my own writing or some such nonsense, but I almost went straight to bed. Instead, I made myself come over here and sit down and write something.

See, I had decided a while back that I was going to write a blog post at least once a week to try and help me getting back into my writing mind (as I like to call it). I decided that I would make these posts on Wednesday since I was also thinking of adding other specialized post later to other days of the week. But something else also came to mind. I didn't write that post about Comicpalooza for two reasons. First, I was at work at the time the idea came to me, but I could have jotted down notes on my phone since I have the Evernote app. And second, because it wasn't almost Wednesday. And that might be why I didn't write a post last week.

I didn't really think about what I wanted to write before Tuesday night and then pretty much stopped thinking about it after Wednesday. So I figure I need to change the way I think about this blog. Instead of trying to hold fast to the idea of posting only on Wednesday for my normal, ordinary posts, I need to post whenever an idea comes to me. I still am going to try to hold myself to at least one post a week, but the day is going to be open to interpretation.

I am looking to start doing my review posts on Fridays, but I haven't made myself to sit down and review something yet. It is hard for me to do a review. I feel that I need to be objective when I do a review and I find it hard to do that most of the time. Especially if I really enjoy the book/show/game/whatever. Which could also be another reason I haven't written anything in awhile.

I do have a tendency to over think things (just see this post for an example). I just need to work at not thinking too much and start doing somethings.

Gaaahhhh!!!!!

So, what do you think. Is a more thought out post better, or do you like the ones that are seemed to be written in the moment?

Well, I will work on it. Write ya later.

Quickly to the post....

Alrighty, it is Wednesday and time again for me to attempt to post again. Well, I guess it really isn't Wednesday anymore, but since I haven't gone to sleep yet I am going to say it is.

I wasn't sure what I was going to post today until today, then I started thinking of several things I could do. Then I saw a shinny object and forgot about my blog for awhile. Did some chores, thought about the blog some more. Then I saw a squirrel (and you know how distracting those can be). Played with my girls, ate some supper, put the girls to bed and then decided that I was going to work on my blog.

Only just before I put the girls to bed I kinda told my eldest that I would work on some origami roses for her to give to her teacher tomorrow. Big mistake. Let me tell you, if you haven't ever done anything even remotely like origami before, don't tell your daughter at 9 pm that you will make her 4 origami roses by watching someone else do it on YouTube. It will most likely not happen.

I followed along pretty good for awhile, then the guy did something. Still not sure how he did it even after re-watching the video several times and making several more attempts myself. I could not get it to do the same thing. So, yeah didn't get the roses done. Luckily, my wife had a backup plan with some bookmarks with flowers on them. Yeah wife!

I have worked some on stuff for my review posts. Mainly my rating system. I had been thinking of doing a review of Agents of Shield since I just watched the newest episode this morning. But I think I will wait until the last episode (which is next week) and do a review of the season. Which does mean I will need to go back and re-watch them all so I can do a proper review. So, it may be a couple of weeks before I get my first review posted. Or I guess it is actually my second review since I did do one on that book. Anyways, look for my new review in a couple of weeks.

So, I guess I will end it here. I do need to get up and go to work at 7 am tomorrow. So....yeah.

Write ya later.