Saturday, October 24, 2009
Greetings. Back at blogging after months of negligence to this blog.
What's new in the blog? Well, nothing much. Just a new logo for the blog at the top (standard stuff), a list containing my desire, a music player and everything else, should be same. Since this is the first post of the made over blog, I'll give you a rundown of events which happened. Having experienced a roller coaster ride of my lifetime, I've encounter lots of events; from working with a two-faced, lazy, bastard to starting my first exercise since giving up gym trainings. So, let's wind back the time to April 2009............
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20 April 2009
This day I, with my 3 exquisite friends, officially engage in a 4 months project with an external company for the Final Year Project. Our client, one of the staff (or boss) in the company we worked with, gave us details on the project. We were listening to his ideas with excitement and at the same time nodding with acknowledgment despite having numerous question marks above our heads.
So, the game will be developed in XNA Game Studio environment which will be deployed on the Xbox 360 and be released to the Xbox Live Marketplace as Indie Games i.e. in short, Develop a Xbox 360 game. It is an analog controlled game where rotating or swing the analog on the Xbox 360 controller will cause the avatar to hit correspondingly. The analog sticks alone will allow you to control the avatar in a way that it can hit all the incoming AI enemies like tanks, aircrafts, etc who will be launching bombs, shooting cannons, suiciding into you or just be stone. Sounds cool to you? Well, it WAS to us initially until a week later...
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27 April 2009
This day, we managed to figure out most of the basics of using the XNA Game Studio software to make our game. We divided the work out and started doing step by step. Obviously the first few tasks were relatively easy - loading the 3D models into the game, getting the enemies things moving according to it's own behaviour (like moving, shooting, etc), setting up lights for the game - there wasn't much trouble to be honest to the point where we took a step further to improve certain features.
The client came over to look at our progress and things started to stumble on this visit. He gave commented the 'extras' that we did were not necessary and has to be taken away from the game. I did tried to argued that the 'extras' are necessary for the game but he thinks he knows best. This conversation between us and the client gets a bit uncomfortable as we continued on the project to the point. The 2 mademoiselle or ladies of my team were not spoken to at all by him and I believe they were hinting to me through their reactions "We are part of the team too!". Anyway, we put all this behind us and carried on as normal.
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19 June 2009
This day, I shall call it Bloody Friday. This is the day where I and the client had a hostile one-on-one arguement. We were calmly talking about a idea and we just don't seem to understand and agree with each other. At one point, he raised his voice and firmly saying "Nooo... it has to be like this". I calm told him, "What's wrong with doing it mine way?". All of a sudden, he yell an insensitive comment which made me extremely pissed.
At this time, I had enough, I stood up, slammed my laptop, fling the chair towards the empty area, toss his papers to the floor and howled back at him, "If you are going to be so impatient and act like a insolent baby, I will not continue to engage in this conversation.". He wanted to shout back but (luckily) his phone rang. He picked up the phone walked to the end of the classroom we were at to answer the call. At that time, I took the opportunity to calm myself down and determine what should be done next - punch him in the face, appologise, walk out of the room. I did none of those as he finished his called before I can do anything. Well, he was mentally stable again and said "I think that's all for today. I see you guys next week to check back on the progress." "Ok, bye (bitch).", I replied and we left.
Shock was what comes after next! I saw my teacher-in-charge for our group when we left the classroom!!! For fuck sake, what now? Well, I assumed nothing as happened and had a brief chat with him. Everything goes smooth, that idiot pumpkin head played along too. I remembered him saying, "Can. Everything is ok with the team. Carry on (jia you in chinese)." I'm glad he has grown up and not leak any information of the fight we had earlier because it's still fresh in mine and his head. Anyway, since this day, me and this client never work well together again.
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20 June 2009 to 12 August 2009
I wouldn't go into details but some bits and pieces of what happened in sentences. Below is a summary (forgive me for my offensive comments):
- Extremely uncomfortable and fake when I have to meet the client and chat.
- I was literally accused of being a free loader by the client and he dare lied in front of my team mates.
- He's a smoker (what a wimp!).
- He's untrustworthy, indecisive, incapable, dishonest, sexist (towards ladies), fat, ugly, nerdy, mendacious and a fucking whore!
- Severe communication problem between the group and the client.
- Nicknamed him, "He, who must not be named", "That K", "That T-S-K", "He (ta in chinese)..."
- Changed the box art of the game into full of 'tsk'. You can ask me personally for it.
- Silence the music for the trailer when video reaches his name.
- Ignored his phone calls, MSN chats with the intention of blocking and deleting him.
- Intend to lock him into a room and openly verbally abuse him.
- Bursting his car tires.
- He has oily face (I don't how the mademoiselle realised that!).
- Change of assistant leader to one of the mademoiselle.
- Huge problems when coding our game.
- Nearly given up hope on the project but managed to get a grip with my team mate's backing.
- Xbox 360 internet connection screwed up the game deployment due to the IT technicians new implementation of the firewall but managed to get round it with sly tactics (what else? switch off the firewalls then).
- Plentiful of changes to the actual game, almost every 2 weeks, due to the client's ridiculous demands and indecision.
- Client's refusal to accept facts, reality and ideas has let my team to demoralizing moments.
- We came up with a hilarious name with funny features for the game. It seriously was one of the most funny gimmick during that period of time.
- Rejecting and refusal of answering the client's phone called let to him thinking we are avoiding him. I wish to tell him, "I don't intend to lose my virginity that this young age!" but chose to hide it. Can you imagine, a middle-aged decent looking man, phoning you almost every single day, pestering you to phone him frequently? I felt he's seemingly looking for a date with the same gender and I'm the one being target. My goodness, I feel sick recalling that particular harassing moment...
- My team grabbed plenty of feedback from the saviours (our friendly lecturers) to improve the game instead of him. Fortunately, the saviours were very kind to giving constructive criticism which helped to improve on the project, unlike him.
- My team were screwed during the first project presentation mainly because of his constant pressure for us to do "Research and Development (R&D)"! On that day, he even got the cheek to conspire with the panel of judges instead of admitting it's him fault that we did badly. I believe that's the day my team knows for sure, he's one big fake. All the amity between him and us has all gone out of the window!!!
- The saviours deemed our project as one that can impress and be successful. I honestly don't see that coming but we took that as a compliment and tried our best.
- The 'makeup' is one of the most talked about topic among us :). I think the mademoiselles know what that is.
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13 August 2009
This day is the submission of the project. It is the last and final day I see the client's shitty face. We showcased our project to a panel of lecturers for judging... grading actually. At the end, took a photograph of everyone involved in celebratory of the end of the project.
My feelings, it's a work well done. Along with my team - a gentleman and the 2 mademoiselle - I think we worked pretty well. Despite all the ups and downs, we managed to produce a playable game at the final submission date. I must really thank my team mates for their constant effort and for being so understanding people. If only the client is not such a donkey, everything would have gone smoothly. Oh, I forget to say to him, adieu!!! You think that means goodbye? Nope, ask me for the meaning.
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So, the above is one story I wish to share with you for the first post of the blog, which is about my school daze. I hope you like it and forgive me for the cursing and vague language (I'm sure you do... lol). The next story I'll be sharing is the holidays which comes after the hard work and anger. I'll be doing a full post about the client and possible show you his dick face if people are interest.
Ok, I must end the typing now and may you have a good day ahead.
Your writer of the day, Auron.Labels: first post
Posted at || 11:58 PM
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