DMA188 -- Video Game Review

 Video Game: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

Contributors: Rockstar Games

Available on: Playstation 2  |  Xbox  |  Xbox 360  |  PC  | MAC

Genre: RPG

ESRB Rating: M | Mature 17+ | Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual content, and Use of Drugs
I think that this rating is appropriate. On the other hand, if there were a rating in between Mature and Adults Only, that would be perfect. This game isn’t so bad that it needs to be classified as Adults Only but it is more mature than the 17 year old mind.


 Major Characters:

Photo Courtesy of Rockstargames.com/sanandreas
Carl “CJ” Johnson
Sean “Sweet” Johnson
Melvin “Big Smoke” Harris
Lance “Ryder” Wilson
Sergeant Frank Tenpenny
Cesar Vialpando


Photo Courtesy of Rockstargames.com/sanandreas

The story takes place in the state of San Andreas (fictional state). The plot begins when CJ returns to Los Santos to attend his mothers funeral. Upon CJ’s return, not only is he framed for homicide by a couple of corrupt cops but his family is falling apart and the Grove Street Families (the gang he was formerly apart of) is heading for disaster. It is left up to CJ to fix what has been broken while he was away.
Rating

Overall êêêê¶

Gameplay êê궶
I gave GTA San Andreas a 3/5 on gameplay because the game has glitches. For example, there are points in the game where a car will drive right through CJ instead of hitting him, or sometimes people will randomly walk inside the road.

Photo Courtesy of gtagaming.com
Graphics êê궶
I rated the graphics at 3/5 because I think that they could be better. The environment graphics are look really good, but once you get into finer details like faces, there could be some more work. Also, the characters move very unnatural at times.

Photo Courtesy of reviews.teamxbox.com

Audio êêêê¶
The audio is pretty good in this game. As in other Gran Theft Auto games there is a variety in music, with their different radio stations. Other than music, the sound effects are pretty good. They occur when needed and there is really good ambient sounds. The atmosphere sounds always match the atmosphere

Difficulty êêêê¶
I don’t consider myself a gamer since I pretty much suck at all games known to man, and this game is no different than the others. Like all games, this game is difficult for me but for a regular gamer, the missions range in difficulty.

Storyline êêêêê
I really liked the storyline of the game. I liked that it merges with the previous GTA’s. For example, the fact that CJ is coming from Liberty City.

Action êêêê¶
I rated the action at 4/5 because I feel that for there to be action other than the main missions, the player has to create it.



Photo Courtesy of rocstargames.com/

DMA 179 -- Skate Deck

This skate deck has been trying to get posted for the past few days, and now its late -__-

but here it is...

We had to design a Skate Deck around the theme of a predetor, relating to the previous assignment. I decided to make my "Scary" predator a pengui, a secret agent penguin. I began by drawing a few penguins

I then scanned them in and drew them in Illustator individually.

 

I tried a couple of layouts...

 

 But i didnt like it..

So I settled with that ^
Added a background and my name...

 

I thought that would be to plain, so I added a cool background, made with some abstract shapes. I kept with the cool blues, grey and white to keep it looking winter-ish.

in the end i loved it!

Character Illustration -- DMA101

Sooo this was my favourite assignment of them all. We had to find a sketch of a character we liked and trace it in illustrator. I chose Ellie The Angel sketched by Tom Bancroft. I take no credit in sketching this character.

 

I thought that this would be... not easy but not as hard as it turned out to be. The entire sketch (both drawings) took me about 10-12 hours to do in total. Maybe even more. Every chance I got i was working. On the bus, at work, waiting in the mall... anywhere.

Ellie's head is what took me the longest to do and it was the first thing I decided to tackle. In due time i finished it and was happy about it.

For some strange reason I couldn't get my layers right, i would put the skin on top of the hair, earings under the hair, or her ears under her hair. But I did it.

Next was her torso and shorts. This wasn't a problematic part for me.

Then there was her legs..

It was going along well until I got to her feet.... Her feet took me a total of maybe 30min to an hour. The same problem with her head; I couldn't get my layers right. In addition to that, when I was trying to get her toes right, they didn't look like toes.

Next were her wings, and halo. They were a great success for me, I tried out different tools on them so I figured out some more tips and tricks while doing it.

And I was done Ellie's first pose.

I decided to do Ellie's second pose since it was there and I felt as if it wasn't enough. Ellie's second pose was a breeze since I already did her first one.

Yayy 40th layer! never had so many before :)

  

  

Anywho, I eventually finished her. One thing i did though was skip out on doing her second foot. I couldn't really make out the lines and I didn't want to ruin it.

I just left it

12 hours later.. the finished product

Lab Assignment: Define your social media profile -- DMA188

1. Identify the different Social media venues you are a part of.

Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

BBM

Blogger

Skype

2. List the number of contacts you have on each social media venue

• Twitter
  Following: 130
  Followers: 107

• Facebook
  415 "Friends"

• Tumblr
  Following: 42
  Followers: 14

• BBM
  73 Contacts

• Blogger
  0 (strictly School work so far)

• Skype
  10 Contacts

3. List the amount of time you spend on each social media venue broken down by day and/or
week

• Twitter
  Since Twitter is on my phone, I tweet ALL the time. So i would say 24/7

• Facebook
  Facebook is coming to a lull at the moment so i would say 30min a day and 3-5 times a week.

• Tumblr
  Definitely 3hrs a day, everyday.
   
• BBM
  24/7. I barely even text.

• Blogger
  1-2 hrs a week
• Skype
  Not very often, probably 2hrs, in a day maybe 2 times a weel
  

4. List the different types of content you upload on each venue

• Twitter
  Whatever i feel like in that moment. I treat Twitter like a very  vague diary. I usually post something interesting to me. I also help advertise and promote for a Canadian rap artist.

• Facebook
   I used to post everything on facebook, pictures of a vacation, pictures of a day at school, anything. Nowadays, I hardly post anything. I let Tumblr do that for me, I synced my Tumblr with my facebook and now i don't do anything but check notifications on Facebook.
  

• Tumblr
  I barely upload anything on Tumblr but when I do I post pictures. On the other hand, I reblog a lot of people. When I re blog, I usually re blog imagery, such as fashion, or just plain comedy.
   
• BBM
  I don't upload much, I pretty much use BBM as a way to IM other people.

• Blogger
  I post my assignments and sometimes my photofraphy aside from school

• Skype
  I don't post anything on Skype.

5. List the social media venues you declined to be a part of and why

• Google Plus
  I don't really see the need to be on Google plus really. It doesn't interest me because everyone that i want to talk to at the moment are on primary social media sites.
  
• Second Life
  I already have one life I don't need another. If i wanted to have a virtual life i would go on Sims, where i don't have to interact with others.
  
• Oovoo
  Oovoo is just another Skype. Some attributes of Oovoo are better than Skype but everyone I want to talk to has Skype, so I don't see the need to have one.
  
• Myspace
  I used to have a Myspace, I have lost interest in using it. This site is the site that began my designing days but, it has become boring to me. Also, Myspace is geared toward the music industry and I'm not an artist.

6. List the one Social Media venue you use the most and why

TWITTER!
Twitter takes the cake on this one. I think i use twitter so much because its so accessible. Also, I'm just plain addicted. when I'm on the bus, I'm on Twitter. When I'm eating dinner, I tweet what I'm eating. Why? I have no clue anymore. The weird thing is, I don't even have that many followers.

7.Write a paragraph on why or why not Social media play a prominent role in your day to day life

Social Media does play a big role in my life. In the beginning it started out as a fad, with Myspace. But now, it's a part of my life, part of my routine. Every social medium has its reason in my life. Facebook, although it's becoming less and less apart of my life, was a way to really communicate with new and old friends. I have people on my Facebook that i used to go to elementary school with. Skype I use to connect with friends and family that I can't just get up and go see because they live out of the country. BBM has completely taken over texting. I can message friends and family that are anywhere in the world for FREE. It is also quick and convenient for me (Minus the little downfall it had). Tumblr is a new addition to my daily routine. Everyday, i come home, do what i have to do and when that is all done, there is a time when I become really bored. Tumblr has become my cure for boredum. I don't have tumblr because I want to blog, I have Tumblr to scroll and laugh. All in all, Social media plays a big role in my life because it's my primary key to communication.

User Interface Principles of Design -- DMA188

By: Tichina Hyman and Shalena SundarsinghThe Structure Principle
The Structure Principle is a way to organize an interface in a specific and intentional way. It's built so that the interface design and model is easy to use. This principle chunks information in groups, with similar things together and dissimilar separate.

The techniques used are:

• Consistency 
•  Efficient navigation between major user interface items
• Align fields effectively

 Microsoft Word is a good example for The Structure Principle. Word is a good example because the top navigation is organized into different categories with sub-categories which makes the software easy to use. Every link is there for a purpose and the navigation has a certain flow.

The Simplicity Principle
The Simplicity Principle keeps designs and layouts short and simple. It helps users get familiar and comfortable when using the program by including hot-keys and easy to find links.

 The techniques used are:

• Understand the UI widgets
• Expect your users to make mistakes
• Group things effectively

Adobe Photoshop is a good example because over time users become so familiar with the software that instead of using the mouse for everything or looking in the drop-down menus, users transfer to hot-keys.

The Visibility Principle
The Visibility Principle makes sure everything you need visible and easy to access. There is no clutter of useless information everywhere.

The techniques used are:

• Explain the rules
• Don’t create busy user interfaces
• Use color appropriately

Tumblr is a good example of The Visibility Priciple because everything you need to use is laid out right in front of you. All the major links are located on the home page which makes using Tumblr quick and easy.

The Feedback Principle
The Feedback Principle ensures that the software is working efficiently by telling the user what is going on and how well it is working.

The techniques used are:

• Word your messages and labels effectively
• Justify data appropriately
• Explain the rules

Skype is a good example of the Feedback Principle because it is always notifying users on its status. Skype doesn't use big nor complicated terms to show the user what's wrong, it explains it clear and concisely.

The Tolerance Principle
The Tolerance Principle makes sure that the user can make multiple mistakes without having to worry or fret about being stuck with the consequences. It does this by allowing an undo and redo button.

The techniques used are:

• Expect your users to make mistakes
• Your design should be intuitable
• Consistency

 Adobe Illustrator is a great example of The Tolerance Principle because it is one application that lets its user undo and redo as many times as needed.

The Reuse Principle
The Reuse Principle allows the user to repeat tasks without much thought or effort.

The techniques used are:

• Consistency
• Don’t create busy user interfaces
• Expect your users to make mistakes

Microsoft Powerpoint is a good example because it repeats and remembers tasks for the user. For example, when a background is set, Powerpoint applies that background to all the slides used.

Sports Team Logo -- DMA 101

For this assignment we had to re-create a sports logo. I chose the Philadelphia Eagles from NFL.

To start I made the realization that a lot of this logo is trace and resize. The first thing I did was trace the grey and green background.

I realized that a good idea would be to cut out the grey outline of the eagle since there is already a grey background.

As i went on layer by layer, I stumbled  upon my first hardship. The eagles eye. Dun dunn dunnnn...

It was hard for me to do because of all the different curves going in different directions.

The next thing I got stuck on were the lettering for PHILADELPHIA. It took me about an hour just to figure out how to go about doing it. This was difficult for me because when I zoom in on the letters, they get very pixelated. so pixelated that it's hard to trace.

Eventually I figured it out.

As i was tracing along, i realized that my smart thing to do was a not so smart thing to do.

When it was time to complete the black background of the EAGLES lettering, the black is supposed to fall behind the grey outline,

and it didn't. To solve this problem i had to trace a grey strip to cover it up

In the end, I ended up with this :)

Self Portrait -- DMA204

Well, it's pretty self explainitory, its a self portrait.
I couldn't choose one so i merged my favourites

Audi R8 Website Mock up -- DMA101

For this assignment, we had to create a website mock up for the Audi R8. We had a couple of labs prior to creating this so I had an idea of what i wanted to do.

The first thing I did before I went about 

the mock up was set my dimensions to 1100px by 850px, set my backdrop options and set my basic guides.

 I set these specific guides as the frame to my website, so i know where not to go outside of.

The next thing I did was set my groups up for organization. Without these this project would have been hell.

 

The groups i had were 

• Backups - for back up images
• Main images
• My sections- for my different headers such as design
• Navigation
• and backdrops

 Then I added my main images and added the effects I need.

For the faded look, i went with a simple gradient overlay. Throughout the process, I constantly changed my mind on the main images a few times. Thus the reason it has its own folder.

I then added my navigation and my headers.

I repeated these few steps for my last 2 headers.

I finally added the Legal stuff on the bottom and then i was done.

The final Outcome.

:)

Mommy Manual -- Check it out

Parents! Cool pics, tips and fashion for your kids at mommymanual.tumblr.com! Check it out!

Follow on twitter too!  @mommy_manual

New Friend!

On the way home from downtown some group members and i met this pretty cool guy. He studied at George brown for like, filming and stuff but that's not all he wants to do, he likes to take photos and stuff as well.

His name is Mike and you contact him at hopelesspatrick@gmail.com !! Hit him up!

DMA -- 179 Merlock Assignment

For this assignment, a group of students and I had to go Down Town Toronto, and take a bunch of pictures from a list provided by our teacher.
Group Name : The Bad Parents

Group Members:

• Shalena
• Rahulan
• Leah
• Alyssa
• Stephanie
• Alice
• Natasha
• And Me!! Tichina

Why are we the bad parents you ask? Weeeeeellllll, we were being productive for most of the day when finally, on our way home.... well... See what happened was... We kinda/sorta left Natasha at the subway platform BY ACCIDENT. We really didn't mean to, I swear! But when we were coming down the escalator, the train was leaving so we all had to run, but by the time we all thought we were all on the train, Natasha didn't make it. So, we decided on calling ourselves the Bad Parents. For the record, we did come off at the next stop to go BACK to Osgood to see if she was still there, but she wasn't. We finally got in contact with her later in the day when we all went seperate ways.

Moving on...

The entire photo collection is posted on my flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tichanonymous/sets/72157627739116795/

Here are some photo's that were either interesting to take or have a back story.

My absolute favourite picture of the day. I found this on the wall of Java. It's just soo CUTE

This one is interesting because in person, looking through the glass the lighting isn't green; it's white, but in the camera it showed green I thought it was strange but cool.

I found this little man in the most odd places. Like here... 

And here...

It turns out, it was for Smoke's Poutinerie

There is a lot more stories where these come from, just check out my Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tichanonymous/