~Transcription Conclusion~

So I thought I would write up a conclusion to this project. Just to get some things off of my mind.

This project from the start was a nightmare for me, all of my ideas were too 'visual' already, and that combined with other projects going on at the same time really demotivated me. I didn't even get started on this project untill the end of the 10th week. I am not proud of that fact, but it's the truth. Regardless of this, I think this project has been very constructive, even if my final result was no where near what I wanted or expect of myself. I have grown immensly during this span of this project. Not just technically, but also with things such as self directed learning and new found confidences. Technically I have developed more then I could imagine, my modelling, UV layouts and Texturing have improved slightly. But even more so, my rigging, skinning, lighting and Mental Ray knowledge really stepped up. So regardless of the out come, grade wise, I am happy with what I have learnt,and surely that is the aim of the second year. I feel I am in a decent position going into the 3rd Year of my studies.

My project was based on a book by Wilbur Smith titled : 'Birds ofPrey'. I set on this idea very late, after having many other ideas that were just not good enough. So after reading the majority of this book I decided i would go for this. However I struggled, I just could not come up with any ideas for a long time. Untill Alan decided to kick my arse, which I am very grateful for. He kept telling me to deconstruct the book, which I understand the reasons for perfectly now. I can't believe i was so reluctant too it. I am sorry Alan! Any way, I brought the book down to the hatred between two characters, the protagonist Hal Courtney and the antagonist Colonel Cornelius Shreuder. So my project was to make both of this characters. I had very vivid images of them already in my head, asI always do when I read a book. So I pretty much knew where I was going with this. I also reproduced the boat that they fight on at the end of the book. Leading too Hal defeating Schreuder.

The two meet around 5 or so times during the book, and these would be key moments in the game. Every time they met they were distracted by some event bigger then their fight, and so went their own ways, untill the end of the book when this is resolved. I woudn't imagine this game being a full fledged Roll Playing Game, the story is pretty linear, and whilst there would be customisation of armour and stuff, you would mainly play in basic armour untill you become a Nautonier Knight at some point in the game. Then you would get the blue outfit that he wears on my model. The book (and game) is set near Madagascar of the Cape of Good Hope, and will involve controlling boats in fights, running around land, and completing quests too develop the story line.

During this project I have also learnt the importance of clean geometry on a character, I learnt this through skinning. Though Alan told us many times how important it was, you never truly appreciate it untill you make the mistake yourself. I now understand. It's hard to explain the feeling I have now, at the end of this project (1 day away at least) but I shall try. It's a mixture of being glad that this project is out of the way. It really hasn't been my best in terms of work produce. But I am also feeling rather euphoric about entering the 3rd Year. I think I can really produce some nice stuff next year, and I can hardly wait. Though I am looking forward too a well earned rest over Summer. Any way, I hope the work I produced, regardless of all of the problems and lack of a finished piece justifies a pass at least, it's safe too say this wasn't my best project, It's also safe to say that I messed up. I know this, and it will haunt my dreams over the Summer. But it won't happen again!

Any way, that's my conclusion done. Here's a render of a water shader I just made :D