Time Strategies

Time Management

Since the Multimedia course's schedule is a lot more 'loose' compared to the other modules, this is a lot less taxing on students since we have modules like digital video techniques and visual design fundamentals that have less larger, time-consuming projects.

There's only technically 4 modules in this semester:
Website Design,
Digital Video Techniques,
Visual Design Fundamentals
and Multimedia Development

The Group Project is in its own category.

i put too much effort into this. enjoy  -_-'''

The 4 above are mainly based on lectures and practicals. The group project will probably take as long as some of the projects from modules later on the semester. The schedules of the Multimedia course being slightly loose helps with the other modules' time management. This way, the students can spread out the time allocation for assignments evenly into each week.

If we do other modules' work on the day it's given, with the time we have left we can finish the assignment, do other assignments from days before, catch up on lost progress, etc.  This is quite beneficial because it gives us a larger time-frame to manage our schedule.

Hopefully, the group project doesn't get out of hand and take up other modules' time because the issues with last semester was that the large projects are all compiled into the later half of the semester, resulting in missed assignments or decrease in quality. If we could continue this approach to the next semester I think the end-of-year assignment can be a lot more digestible.

Overall, time management will be a lot more forgiving for this semester and as long as nothing unexpected come up, we can do the assignments on time and that is a good thing.

Course Technology & Tools Opinion

Tools and Websites review

In just this week I have gotten used to majority of the tools that we will be using and I have to say that it feels like that it will become slightly difficult once we need to keep track of more tools and websites.

With how majority of these software are accessible through simple laptops and college computers, there shouldn't be that many issues when it comes to work and time management. As long as these laptops and computers are fully functional, student shouldn't have any problem doing their assignments.

I have a feeling that Unity will heat up my computer like a baked potato.
I mean I can't even run some old games, let alone a 3D software.

However, I think that the more tech-demanding software like Unity3D might require work from college computers or more powerful laptops. I myself have a decent laptop but it heats up when I access Unity3D and I might have to eventually rely on campus PCs.

Besides some trivial issues, I don't have much to say about the tools and websites we are going to use.
I think that as long as student have access and use these softwares, there shouldn't be any problems for the year.

Assignments & Class Tasks Opinion

Class Tasks


After reading the about the core and extra assignments my first impressions was that this systems is a lot more forgiving when it comes to credits and feel that overall, this is great for this academic year. However, I have a feeling that this system may have some issues.

First the positives.

The course seems very manageable because of how the bigger assignments like Unity3D and projects are clearly separated from the smaller blogs, comments, etc.

 I can expect that Unity and large projects will take longer than usual and if there were any issues during the year, the extra time can help them catch up easily.

The extra credits system is probably a really nice addition to the year. For those that missed some credits from the main assignments, these extra credits can make up for those missed work. This is like a lifeline for times when assignments just couldn't be completed with full credits.

this is probably gonna happen a lot

Overall, as long as the assignments and workload is well managed by the students, this method is pretty solid.

test

TEST BLOG

This is for testing (subtitle)

this is for... testing

this however.. is for testing

now this... this is for testing

• what could this be?...
• ah yes, it's for testing

the DNA report says...

this is for testing

testing on the left

testing on the right

small testing

Big testing

THICC testing

Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck

After watching Carol Dweck's Ted Talk, I agree with her approach to encourage children growing up with an ensuring message of 'Not Yet'. I'll explain my perspective of this issue.

Because of expectations that gets higher and higher, people are becoming more and more susceptible to failure and often defeated by the idea of failure. The prospect of 'Yet' is that people can realize that they can improve by learning from the mistakes, and learn to not make such mistakes again. 

There's a reason why people do better at the things they love than the ones they don't. People always have a genuine interest in the subjects they love and will show full dedication to it. When they fail, they will try again until they succeed and eventually they will improve. They are 'positively encouraged' when dealing with failure and defeat because they can see it as a challenge to improve.

Dweck said a statement that I felt was particularly true when it comes to people in general. "First of all, we can praise wisely, not praising intelligence or talent. That has failed.// But praising the process that kids engage in, their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, their improvement."

There are many times when people see individuals who are experts in their crafts and passion and tell them that they are 'very talented' or that they are 'born with a gift'. This almost completely disregards the fact that the individual might have spent huge amounts of time perfecting their craft because they simply are very passionate about it. They may not be good at it at all in the beginning but with practice and effort they improved over the years.
Discrediting their hard work and perseverance by saying that they are 'talented' or 'gifted', I think it's a bad way to tell children that they need to be talented to do something when they should be encouraged to do it regardless of talent.

I can demonstrate it with some memes.

"This is little Timmy, he's 1 month old. He can already
draw the most detailed and voluptuous pair of bosoms
mankind has ever seen.    What a talented boy!"

Words from a great mind: Arin Hanson

If you think about it, people like Einstein was probably never a genius to begin with. It was said that he failed his classes, which was untrue. He actually excelled at mathematics and as we all know now, it really shows. Einstein had a love for something and he put all his effort in it, improving himself and the world as well. 
Didn't Thomas Edison said "Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration"?

We should foster a child/student's passion and encourage them to put in their full effort in when dealing with problems so they may learn and improve instead of fearing failure and its consequences.

















And that's the end of my blog. I have to admit that Carol Dweck might not be the first person to speak about this topic so there isn't anything particularly new about her talk. But I can nonetheless agreed that her message is truly genuine and very informative.

Introduction

About Me

My name is Zhen Li. A 21 years old student currently attending TUD. 

My hobbies are video games and drawing.

Le Hobbies

I have played a lot of games and have a lot of favourites. Warframe, Red Alert 2, Touhou, etc. I have made a blog on just one of my favourite games; Contra Hard Corps. You can find the blog here. I want to have fun. Games are fun. Put the two together. I play games for fun. Easy. EZ.
I might even make my own games at some stage. Who knows?

I love to draw from time to time and I have to thank Anime and Manga for that. I even bought a tablet so I can start drawing semi-professionally. 

I currently have a personal project that I'm working on. I code-named it 'Project Helios' (temporary). It's a manga about an intergalactic expeditionary corps traveling through a warp portal and ending up on a planet that has many similarities to Earth. On this planet, there's a human civilization that has established an empire with its own history and has knowledge of the use of magic. The expeditionary corps has to set up a base on the ground and establish good relations with the locals. However...
Our crew not only has to fight off the empire's armies that constantly seek to conquer everything, they also have to deal with the empire's infighting that may result in a full-scale war.

I'm still on the early 1% beginning stage, creating characters, space suits, weapons etc. before starting on story and settings. The progress is crawling so don't expect too much during this college year.

FOOD!

Now, some good stuff. Wanna know what my favourite food is?
It's a special regional food from where I was born in China; Fried Pork in Scoop.

Bathe yourself in its magnificent golden glow.
Recipe: here
History: here

To put it simply, this is golden deep fried pork loin, sweet and sour in taste, crispy exterior and tender interior. I have loved this dish since I was a child and nothing has ever changed my mind. The sauce is so strong, on the first sniff it always sting your nose. Find out about this dish on your own time, it's definitely worth it.

Music

When talking about music I don't have any particular preferences. If the music tickles my eardrums in the right way, I just might like it. Although I can confidently tell you that many music I like came from video games and Anime. So don't be surprised when you find several remixes of the same song on my phone. I mean, those Japanese really know how to spice up a single song in so many ways.

Memes

I consume memes daily. Need I say more?

That's all I can say about myself. I hope this year goes well for everyone and good luck on whatever it is you want to do.

Favourite Games: Contra Hard Corps

Contra: Hard Corps

Sega Genesis/Master System

Yes. I'm playing the Japanese version.

This game is not a masterpiece nor is it completely trash. It is a solid 8/10 game that has left a great impression on me. It's one of my favourite games to this day.

Before I talk about this game, I need to tell you a little about the 'Contra' series as a whole.

‘Contra’ was a side-scroller shooter on the NES made by the company Konami. It was one of the most recognisable titles on the console and was made famous because of its simple premise and difficulty.

‘Contra Hard Corps’ was released for the Sega Genesis in 1994 and was the first game in the ‘Contra’ series to be released on a Sega console.

‘Contra Hard Corps’ is an explosion-filled, adrenaline-charged, action-packed game with many, many features. It’s the first ‘Contra’ game to feature 4 unique characters to pick from, each with their own weapons and play-styles. And unlike the previous games, it features branching paths in its storyline, and many boss fights that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The only acceptable way to start your game: Explosions

Every enemy in the game explodes. Awesome.

Setting

The story takes place in sci-fi future Earth(?), few years after the events of the third game. The main events revolve around an alien cell (by my speculation, probably from the third game as well.) which certain individuals wish to obtain so they may use it to destroy the world. You are one of the four members of the Contra team sent to stop these people from achieving their goals.

The first choice you make in the game and it will affect the ending.
Just so you know.

Hanging on to a sci-fi jet plane while being chased by a 

torpedo-launching tank that shoots torpedoes that has a jet-pack 

soldier inside. Get your head around that.  

Gameplay

'Hard Corps' is a very clear-cut side-scroller shooter with plenty of features to play with. The game sometimes play around with perspectives to make the environment feel more dynamic. The Sega Genesis has a much faster processor, allowing for much faster game flow and more effects on the screen at once.

A blue robot that's late for his train.

Two Player, Twice the explosion.

The game is split in stages, each containing minor enemies, mini-bosses, and the main boss. Focus while you dodge projectiles and shooting enemies on your way to the end. Every boss and enemy have their own unique patterns and behaviours that you will eventually figure out as you play.

The player picks one of the four characters: Ray, Sheena, Brownie and Fang, each with their own unique weapons. 
Ray has the most standard set of weapons. Sheena's gear is a slight deviation to Ray's, offering a different playstyle. Brownie is the easiest character to play, with homing weapons and and a hover ability. Fang does not have any homing weapons, unlike other characters, however, he possesses the most powerful arsenal among the team.

Pick a character a start playing!


For first-time players, I would recommend playing the Japanese version first. The Japanese version has three life-bars, while in the Western versions you die upon damage. Sure, you don't have any idea what they're saying but that doesn't matter much if you keep dying and lose all your lives in the first few stages. Get used to the controls and enemies in the Japanese version and challenge yourself with the Western version when you're ready.

Bosses

Every boss in the game have their own patterns and attacks that you need to remember and get accustomed to. Their designs are also pretty wild in terms of concept. 

The first level to feature the screen not moving 

sideways. Nice break from the side-scrolling

trope.

One of the levels feature a boss in a forward-facing level where your player-character is moving towards you in high speed. The skyline of the city in the background and the clouds make this boss fight particularly memorable. Even the character sprites show them facing and moving forward. Just to show you the dedication to details the producers put in.

This robot is asserting its dominance to you.
Prove your worth by shooting it. Mercilessly.

This guy can be found on the original cover of the
game case. Still terrifying to look at.

Wanna see him up close?

Here you go.

This is the first boss you face and it has a two stage mechanic: shoot you with its gun and jumps around the place. if you damage it enough it will go into the second phase: CUTTING DOWN AN APARTMENT BY ASSERTING ITS DOMINANCE.

People in the 90s sure are creative with these boss designs.

Every boss has a 'sweet-spot' where you need to shoot if you want to damage it. It will be clear if you had hit the boss if flashes different colours. These are the most classic ways to indicate damage in video games in the past and it works really well. However, if you have epilepsy or is sensitive to flashing lights, I would not recommend playing this game. 

Most of the bosses have multiple stages where they'll attack you with different attacks, with different speeds, etc. to throw you off. But if you memorized their attack patterns then it's smooth ride from then on.

This is a game I first played when I was around 8 or 9 and because of how memorable the bosses are that after so many years I can still recall their attack patterns. The bosses designs are all unique and can always leave an impression on you of which actually helps with remembering their moves and attacks.
Even if it's a boss that takes less than few seconds to defeat, you'll still remember them long after you finish the game.

There's great replay value for the game as you can choose different characters and choose different endings to experiment with new approaches. Great if you're bored with what you already know and want to try something new.

Closing Remarks

If you want a quick game to play, feel a rush of adrenaline or just have plain old fun, this game is a great pick. Although you do have to download some kind of emulator to play it and find the game's ROM file online somewhere. But once you get it sorted, fun awaits!