Sunday 12 October 2014

Team Not Applicable!


It's Game art year two and we've kicked off with some group work, it’s pretty crazy since all our lab groups have been sporadically moved and you've ended up in a group of six or seven people you don’t know  particularly well. At first I was apprehensive but it only took one day working with my new team to fill me with optimism for the rest of the year. After a short week my new group are also my new friends and I’m genuinely excited to continue working with these people on future projects- staring immediately with the Film Set brief.

The strangest part is I've found myself spending my days working in labs instead of at home, and that’s a huge, huge difference because I've learnt so much just idly watching whoever’s next to me and picking up on tricks and tips that have totally changed my workflow. It’s also far easier to just ask someone around you for help or for crits rather than to search fruitlessly online for a solution.  Also strangers who happen to see what I’m doing and compliment it or ask me how I did it is really helping my confidence and I’m finding it’s finally an environment I feel comfortable working in.

Another advantage to group work? It keeps me working at a pace that I wouldn't usually be able to maintain. Wanting to impress and cooperate with my team keep me on a strict schedule that in the long run reduces my stress and helps my general organisation and time management skills.  I’m working far more hours than I did last year and it feels productive and good. Like I ’m seeing real and significant improvement.
Two weeks into the second year and I’m loving it.


Anyway, the actual project itself was a Viking Tavern Bar scene which was pretty interesting for a quick thing, I designed and modeled this candle playing with the new roughness and metallic texture maps- which are delightfully effective. I think they really helped my candle model looking as real as possible. Oh and also the new engine- for all the complaining going around I think I prefer it.... or just don't hate it yet anyway So far it's eaten less of my work and hasn't made me murderously angry or chronically depressed yet so what's not to love? Though I do miss the prettier default sky-boxes from UDK.


No comments:

Post a Comment