Overall, I learned a lot of the fundaments of C#. This included how variables, classes, and other factors work together or relate to each other in code. I also learned how to properly optimize my code along with the game that I am working on. For example this could include making a repeating background, such as with the balloon game we created. Similarly I learned how to spot bugs and refactor, also leaving notes of what each line or section is doing, making my code more navigable and understandable. This is especially important if I were working on a team or wanted to go back to it and add things or make easy revisions. It is very important to have a solid code at the fundament of your project. Another important skill I developed is problem solving and being able to overcome issues in the code. Saving, playtesting, and patience are all very important for mitigating issues and bugs. A lot of problems I encountered occurred from poor organization or from doing things inefficiently. To solve this I would often have to go back and would try rewriting the line of code with a fresh perspective or mindset, and try to make it more concise. Concise is almost always better, and is where refactoring comes in. Having code that is too long or complex can make it hard to add revisions, also leading to a higher likelihood of problems or bugs occurring. I would also often have to rely on the comments in the tutorials or steps to get hints/clues when I got completely stuck, and I learned that is important to use resources and other people for help.
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Although in the past I have delved into some ideas and aspirations of what I might want to pursue in the future- especially in the game design industry whether it was as a writer, concept artist, or character artist- I had not yet been fully been versed in, or introduced, to another potential option; programming. At first it seemed appealing to be able to lay the groundwork for a game and truly give it functionality, as well as explore a field that would challenge me intellectually. However after learning some of the fundaments of C# in Unity Learn, I have learned that programming often comes down to memorization, using and compiling resources, constant experimentation/testing, and spending hours just trying to identify and fix a single issue - leaving you despondent and mostly agitated for not seeing the issue sooner. Or at least that's how it was for me. I can not say that I truly understood much of what I was doing and it was much more enticing to precede with superficial knowledge and mostly work off of what other people already had done rather than waste hours doing it completely on my own even with full comprehension. I would rather be creating something original and creative, rather than using/working off of what other people with way more experience or smarts have already done. I also did not feel the "reward" aspect of completing a code as much as I had hoped or envisioned, but rather it felt like a super long and demoralizing process that I did not understand full or do completely on my own. After this experience, I think I can cross programming off of my list of careers that I would like to further explore and endeavor upon. Main emphasis:
Valorant is a free-to-play, competitive-multiplayer, FPS game. It was released by Riot Games, who are most reputable for their game League of Legends. However, Valorant is much different from any other games they have done in the past. It is most comparable to Overwatch or Paladins combined with CS:GO. Going into the match, each player on the team will chose a different hero/character, who all have different abilities. The match is broken up into 25 rounds, and ends when one team wins 13 of the rounds. The opposing teams also switch sides (defense or offense) half way through the match after 12 rounds. Going into the rounds, each team member is given a certain amount of currency to buy guns, shields, or abilities. They can chose to save up for later rounds, or they can spend more to buy a better weapon in the current round, and therefore potentially have an advantage. The objective is to kill the other team and to either plant or diffuse the bomb. Valorant hero selection. The shop/store between rounds. Starting from the very beginning, the first thing I noticed, and disliked, is that Valorant is not attached to any other launchers or stores, and has its own stand alone launcher. This is much less convenient and not as community-involved as is connecting through Steam or Epic, among other platforms. Also, loading into the game can also be harrowing and tedious, especially with the many updates that set you back 20 minutes any time you want to get on for the first time in a little while. However, on the plus side, the cover and character art were both very enticing to me and Valorant uses a unique graphic style. Looking more into the gameplay and mechanics, it is first important to address that the game runs smoothly. The UI is very well organized, visually appealing, and easily navigable. In terms of graphic design and visual appeal, the game is done nearly to perfection. The maps are also very immersive and stylistic, while carrying adequate realism. The characters are also interesting and unique in appearance. A screenshot of the player's screen while in combat. Although the premise of the game grabbed my interest since I enjoyed the diverse character cast/selection of Overwatch, which made for varying and exciting gameplay, and I also generally enjoy FPS, I was severely disappointed by the monotonous and unexciting gameplay of Valorant. Not only did the characters not offer anything new besides a few limited abilities, and they all only have access to the exact same arsenal of boring guns, but the gameplay was slow and overly repetitious. Each round your life is one-and-done. This means that the enemies dwindle quickly and regularly you will only take out one or two of them, if you're lucky, or you will die and be sitting most of the round watching your teammates tiptoe around (literally). The good news is that the rounds are short. However the bad news is that each round feels the same and are each very slow paced and not very eventful. Whereas with something like Overwatch, the gameplay builds up as you group-up and push the offensive, or hold the defense against a big push. Plus there is respawning. Even if you do have an encounter with an enemy in Valorant, it will likely come down to who can hit the other first, standing still (since your attacks are heavily impaired in compromise for mobility), and after a few bullets it will be over. To an extent, it falls too far into realism and there isn't a good balance. The objective of the rounds is also very rudimentary and there isn't any creativity to any aspect of the story or goal, nor any variation. Outside of the matches, the main reward system of the game is ranking and skins. Both of these have their appeals to different audiences, however I personally prefer to get a fun experience or to go through a cool story rather than earn cosmetics that anyone who pays money or plays incessantly can have. Ranks can also be ephemeral and are only judgements of skill in one particular game that has no real application or value to anything else in life, plus is often skewed by flawed matchmaking systems. Overall, there wasn't much unique or exhilarating to Valorant, and it is an extremely overhyped game. My final ranking would be a 1/5 and I would honestly never pick this game up again, even though its free, nor would I recommend it to anyone. There simply wasn't anything engaging about it. Main points:
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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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