Recently, I started playing Rocket League. Essentially players face off as cars in a closed off stadium and try to hit the ball into the other team's goal. The rules are simple and straightforward. However the gameplay is a lot more complex/extreme and evolves drastically over time, the more you play. As you go around hitting the ball, you also collect boosts and can use those to shoot your car faster, and also potentially momentarily fly in the air. The game was simple enough to learn, however it gets far more complicated as you delve into more advanced gameplay and mechanics. At the beginner level you mostly will chase the ball or camp/defend the goal, and use boosts to go faster. You can also demolish cars who will then respawn, though take them out of the midst of action for a few seconds. Driving along walls is another fun aspect of the gameplay and it is simple to do, however can take a little bit of getting used to. The gameplay is very smooth and the physics work well. However, the ball's physics can be a bit annoying and also take getting accustomed to. As players advance, they may begin learning new tricks and strategies that emerge into entirely different gameplay. At pro levels, players use boosts and adjust/angle their cars to fly into the air and hit the ball in particular angles. They can also squeeze or "pinch" the ball against the floor or other players to make it shoot off faster/stronger. Positioning/strategy also become a lot more prominent and you have to know where to be at the right time, rather than just chasing the ball. It can be extremely difficult to learn how to dribble or angle the car, as well as fly in the air with control. However the matchmaking and ranking system ensure that you play with people of similar levels, giving you time to practice and get experience in order to become better. Even without learning the full extent of the mechanics/gameplay, it is still extremely fun, exhilarating/fast-paced, and immersive. The maps also add unique scenery and are really well designed, adding a nice visual appeal. Players may also earn new cars, as well as decals and accessories for them in order to customize them. This adds a fun aspect to the game and works as a good reward system to incentivize playing. However I found that it is rather slow to accumulate or come across any custom items and it mostly comes in the form of blueprints which you must pay real money to actually unlock, which is annoying. However paying does not affect your success in the game, and although you can unlock new cars, everyone starts with a good enough selection to get to any rank. Decals and other customizations do not affect the gameplay, which makes it fair and not biased towards those who pay or play much more. Overall, Rocket League is a good mix between strategy and action, and feels very immersive. it does not get boring and the challenge continues as you play or improve more, creating a good sense of flow. It feels well balanced and there is plenty of stuff to earn, whether it be rank or customizations. There are many game modes and I find it fun to play with friends, which also makes it easier to coordinate/communicate. I would give this game a 4/5 because it is well made in every regard, however isn't my favorite style of game and I feel like it can get a bit aggravating or repetitive/boring over time. In conclusion:
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theyen it comes to drawing digitally, the software you use can make a huge impact. I will go over some of the features and aspects that I look for most and how programs from my experience compare. The biggest problem with digital software, and digital drawing in general, is the limited navigability and it feeling unnatural. While as in person you can easily adjust the paper you're drawing on and have full control. This is why I think using an iPad or screened tablet is the best option for digital art, because it is easy to have a pencil in one hand and have the other to zoom in/out as well as angle the canvas. However not all programs make this easy, and using tablets such as Wacom's may not give you this ability. I feel like this is an extremely important feature for making a natural and smooth experience, and is a feature I think Procreate particularly has knocked out of the water. Photoshop and other apps do not even give that possibility, while others struggle with palm rejection or poor response. The UI is also extremely important when judging an app. For me, I like having the most essential tools right at my fingertip and having more advanced features hidden but still available. Apps like Photoshop and Krita are extremely tool and feature heavy however they are not organized in an efficient manner for drawing, and there is so many things you will never use. They are also hard to adjust quickly. However apps like Procreate, Autodesk Sketchbook, Leonardo, and Sketchable all have extremely simple and visually appealing UI's that layout the most essential tools in an easily adjustable manner. Brushes and brush settings, such as opacity, hardness, and size are things that need to be adjusted on the fly otherwise it can make the experience very slow and boring. Procreate has a slider on the side that makes it extremely quick and easy, for example. It is also important to have more advanced tools that allow you to make adjustments as well as add cool effects. Some apps do not offer much outside the basic tools, while others supply an overwhelming amount, so it is important to find an app that has the perfect balance for what you use. Adjusting layers is also more important than you would think. I find myself duplicating, merging, and changing the opacity/visibility of layers very often and that is another example of something that needs to be incorporated into the user interface. Of course, tools is what it comes down to. Not just having the tools available, but also how well they work. The most prominent example of this is the blending tool or magic lasso. Some apps have blending tools that merely blur and do not give much control, and this has been the hardest thing to find in an app. While most artists try to build their technique without relying on a blender, especially in Photoshop, and instead use soft brushes, I find it an extremely useful tool to have. Again, Procreate knocked it out of the park, and surprisingly very few programs have properly incorporated/designed this tool. In most apps it simply feels like a blur tool rather than controlled blending. The magic lasso is another important, and slightly more advanced, drawing tool I have come to love. Not all programs have it or have one that works quickly and efficiently, but it is extremely useful for adjusting certain pieces on a layer. Brushes are another tool that can make or break a program. Many have very limited brushes, whereas I like being able to import my own or having a well organized and versatile collection to switch between. This is especially useful for stylization or getting different types of details more easily. Procreate has a great selection it comes with that are well organized. It also allows users to easily make their own brushes as well as modify them or import new ones. Photoshop also does a good job with this, however I find it inconvenient when switching between them. Overall:
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AuthorMy name is Quinn Peterson! I will be reflecting about my art work in this blog! Archives
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