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Stargate Worlds: Dev Blog: Moving Beyond the Wall

StraddenStradden Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
in News & Features Discussion

Nick LaMertina, a Sound Designer for Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's Stargate Worlds has written a fantastic blog post over at the game's official site. We have asked for permission to re-publish it here at MMORPG.com as it serves as a grreat example of a developer struggling to do the best job possible on a project and also of an artist struggling to ply his trade in the games industry.

There are some days things just plain refuse to work, and fault never lies with just one person or circumstance. The software is crashing, the MIDI routing hiccups, the instrument doesn’t perform as expected, or there’s an unannounced support task that inhibits or destroys my momentum. Or sometimes it’s even an outside issue (or frequently, issues) that affects my composure at work.

It’s often frustrating when I’m trying to accomplish something, and I know, I just know, that I’m fully capable of delivering the goal I have in mind, but one roadblock after another comes up and inhibits my progress. Sometimes it’s my own fear of failure (or success!) that holds me back. It’s very easy to get discouraged and feel like the end goal is an impossible task and not worth pushing to, especially when dealing with an art as emotional as music. It’s frequently a lonely experience, speaking, reading, and writing in a language that most can only topically understand, and no matter how much I try to disconnect myself from the work, I’ve never been able to reduce that emotional bond to my work. It is singularly my greatest strength and my most significant weakness.

Read it all here.

Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com

Comments

  • mike470mike470 General CorrespondentMember Posts: 2,396

    Although it has nothing to do with the game in in anyway, it was a great read. 

    Kind of makes you step back and ask yourself "do I really like what I do for a living?" 

    In the end, it only matters if you like what you're doing.  No one else's opinion should change that.

    Thanks for posting this, it was a great read.

     

    EDIT-  Don't mean to be a burden, but you spelled great and play wrong.

    We have asked for permission to re-publish it here at MMORPG.com as it serves as a grreat example of a developer struggling to do the best job possible on a project and also of an artist struggling to ply his trade in the games industry."

     

    __________________________________________________
    In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten

  • PonicoPonico Member UncommonPosts: 650

    That guy loves what he's doing. Check out the video about how he's making different sounds for one single object, it's quite impressive. So far, SGW seems to be paying alot of attention to little details.

    image

  • AlmuderasAlmuderas Member Posts: 10

    Good read. I go to music school as well... and I'm looking to showcase my work for the industry soon. Theirs times when the technology involved in music, especially nowdadays with sequencers/midi and I suppose coding when you get to games, that it gets really overwhelming. I'm not too tech savy, but I know that having some knowledge of it will definitely be important in getting my music into games. So, yeah, I appreciate the read. The love of music will keep me going even when technology rears it's annoying face.

    technology is good! but I hasten to understand it.

  • Cereal_KillaCereal_Killa Member Posts: 1

    nah 'ply' is a word lol :P

     

    think its similar to 'apply'

  • ltdarythltdaryth Member Posts: 15

    ply  
    // <![CDATA[
    var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://cache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/audio.html/lunaWAV/P05/P0562200" target="_blank">image", "6");
    interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false");
    interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high");
    interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false");
    interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t");
    interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.lexico.com%2Fdictionary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FP05%2FP0562200.mp3");
    interfaceflash.write();
    // ]]>

     Audio Help   /pla?/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[plahy] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, plied, ply·ing. –verb (used with object)
    1. to work with or at diligently; employ busily; use: to ply the needle.
    2. to carry on, practice, or pursue busily or steadily: to ply a trade.
    3. to treat with or apply to (something) repeatedly (often fol. by with): to ply a fire with fresh fuel.
    4. to assail persistently: to ply horses with a whip.
    5. to supply with or offer something pressingly to: to ply a person with drink.
    6. to address (someone) persistently or importunately, as with questions, solicitations, etc.; importune.
    7. to pass over or along (a river, stream, etc.) steadily or on a regular basis: boats that ply the Mississippi.
    –verb (used without object)
    8. to run or travel regularly over a fixed course or between certain places, as a boat, bus, etc.
    9. to perform one's work or office busily or steadily: to ply with the oars; to ply at a trade.

     

    If you are going to correct someone's mistakes, make sure you know what you are writing about.

  • mike470mike470 General CorrespondentMember Posts: 2,396

    Oops, my bad.  I thought he was using the word "play" instead of "ply", my vocabulary isn't very deep. 

    Sorry, my mistake

    __________________________________________________
    In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten

  • apocalanceapocalance Member UncommonPosts: 1,073

    "Basically this is a really long way of saying that I wrote something cool this week and I’m really, really excited about what I’m accomplishing with it."

    That's cool.

    so...

  • BurtzumBurtzum Member Posts: 67

    yeah... I majored in art and minored in music.  So I guess thats full time gas station attendant, part time fast food server. 

    I need to hurry up and finish new portfolio for next job run. 

  • ChrstFckReblChrstFckRebl Member Posts: 13

    I'm in the same boat as Burtzam, need to finish updating my portfolio before moving west.

    A bachelor of science in Game Design & Development, doesn't go very far in the midwest.  Even though Chicago is only a hop away  can't be too far from family.  Best of luck to everyone who "Picked a Major I Like, and One Day I Will Probably Be Living In a Box".

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