TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles is reunited with jMonkey Engine!

So, I bit the bullet and upgraded my OS in order to be able to use jMonkey. I was excited about learning how to program in C++ to use the Irrlicht engine, but after seeking advice and doing some research, I got the impression that just might be an exercise in frustration at this juncture, given my pitifully limited knowledge and experience.

Besides, I didn't need the latest OS release, so upgrading wasn't as costly as I had originally feared.

So far I've:

• Refined my Game Design Document by reviewing Stéphanie Bouchard's first three lectures from Introduction to Game Design
• Read the first three parts of Combat Design 101 from Adrian Sotelo
• Gone through the first 3 tutorials for jMonkey (which were a little confusing, but I eventually managed to figure out the terminology and the fact that one of the right-click instructions was probably for a previous version)
• Downloaded Blender (and instantly got intimidated)
• Located the Blender tutorials at cgcookie.com and breathed an immediate sigh of relief at the words "this tutorial series is aimed at the absolute beginner"
• Completed the basic Blender modelling tutorials on interface navigation, modelling, and animation

If the full extent of my ambition hadn't hit me before, it sure did now. And I wanted to create 3 levels by the time the next Mass Effect game was released-- Hah! O my sun and stars, what have I gotten myself into?

Happy International Women's Day!

I admire these women greatly:

Stéphanie Bouchard, Professor of Game Design, Dawson College, Game Designer at THX, Pixelles Mentor: Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skill free of charge for women like me.

Raylene Deck, Level Designer for Mass Effect 2 & 3: I bow before your talent and skill.

Sylvia Feketekuty,Writer for Mass Effect 2 DLC Lair of the Shadow Broker and Mass Effect 3: I have learned so much from you. It's best I say that here, for if we ever met, you'd find me blushing furiously and staring at my shoes, trying to stammer out my admiration. 

Jennifer Hale, Actor and voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect Trilogy: Your formidable talent, versatility and professionalism continue to impress.

Ann Lemay, Writer for Mass Effect 3 DLC Omega: Your generosity towards other women is marvelous. I learned about International Women's Day from you. You also have excellent taste in cats and tchotchkes.

Jessica Merizan, Community Manager, BioWare: You are the epitome of grace under fire. And for the record, I think you're lovely.

Karin Weekes, Lead Editor, BioWare: Although we have never met, your strength of character, unabashed playfulness, and unmitigated kindness can be gleaned from what others say of you. Your friends are lucky to know you.

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles and the Pixelles Game Incubator

So, one of my fellow Twits brought the Pixelles Game Incubator to my attention today. It seems there are other women (likely, much younger women), like me, who wish to become first-time game creators. These women did it in 6 weeks and a showcase of their work is taking place Saturday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. at Execution Labs, 3863 Boulevard St. Laurent, Suite 206, Montréal.

The most generous and wonderful thing about the people at Pixelles is that they provided the information from their sessions on-line for us Joanie-come-latelys.  

I've found a mentor of sorts in Stéphanie Bouchard, a professor of Game Design at Dawson College and Designer at THX. Admittedly, the mentor-mentee relationship is rather one-sided at the moment, but who knows what the future may bring?

It's back to pre-production for TEC!