Paul Lindemulder

Now being the 4th semester working on this project (summer 10, fall 10, spring 11, summer 11) it actually has really felt like a real video game company. To be realistic more games take at least a full year or even longer until it is released. However, so far it has been a long process with many steps in-between. From the start when we were just thinking about a game that would work until now, where you can physically see DyeWorks play out is amazing to see. From just some notes on a piece of paper to a physical hands on project it is really cool to see where the game has gone. With just Beta 2 right around the corner, I am really excited to see the final product. There is so many little parts that go un-notice until you you see them all work together within the game. It is a very cool experience that has a feel of a real game company.

Paul. 

Something that I have valued from this experience is the ability to learn by hands on assignments. To be specific, I have been working on making the animations for the game using the program called Flash. I have had no prior experience before this. So needless to say, I had (and have) lots to learn when it comes to animating. To learn as fast as I could about Flash, I read a bunch of websites, articles, and blogs that would give you an intro to Flash. However, doing all this reading did not do much for me. It wasn't until I started working on projects that I actually became familiar with Flash. It's amazing how a little bit of hands on work can speed up the learning curve tremendously. I believe this is something that this whole project can be valued for. The fact that almost everything that goes into this game is hands on really gives you that real life company feel. It makes the learning experience like no other class. 

Paul. 

In the beginning of the spring semester I have been away living in the country of Belize. Back, even 5 or 10 years ago you would of thought I would not be able to contribute to this project. However, due to the increasing use of online interaction these days it feels like I have been apart of the whole process of the game. Of course there are challenges staying connected when living in a country in Central America but the majority of the time I felt I was in the loop. I can thank both the Games Online Wiki page for daily updates along with continues e-mails with the professor and team leaders for staying up to date with the project. Now that I am back in Canada, it is like I have always been here. Except now I can at least have face-to-face communication which just makes the project a bit more personal.