Self Evaluation: BA1b

This is a unit based around 3D modelling and it's processes which I was not familiar in the slightest. I feel as though my projects throughout this unit have slowly but noticeably improved. Once I got to grips with all the different stages of 3D, like building, sculpting and even UV mapping, I quite enjoyed it. It was rather difficult learning these things because I didn't attend a lot of my 3D sessions. I intend to improve upon that but there are other factors and reasons why that in an issue. But I feel like I've done well in that sense, I have learnt most of the things I have missed and have become rather confident in some of the aspects. My timekeeping as also improved, but still isn't where I want it to be. I haven't been able to spend as much time on the pieces and stages of development, as well as not being able to go back and improve on models.

I particularly enjoyed the time machine. My design was relatively simple, but due to having learnt the things needed for each stage during the column task, I was much more confident and worked better. Tasks 4 and 5 (the column and the time machine) gave me an opportunity to incorporate some things from BA1a, like the silhouettes and designs. This allowed me to feel more comfortable, knowing I had planned and created notes on what I wanted to achieve. It also helped me see that I needed to work on my time management, and made it easier to track whether or not I was on track.

I'd like to improve upon texturing. It's not something I have done in great detail but I feel as though I could be really good at it. The designs I have created did not really leave a lot for me to do, creatively via the texture. I think next time I'll do something with multiple different components and with more of an idea of the material and colours I would like it to be.

One thing I have noticed recently is that my English language skills have diminished and it's something I would like to work on. I found this essay particularly difficult to write compared to that of BA1b. However, overall I feel like it's been a rather successful unit personally.

3D Modelling: Time Machine Final Render and Marmoset Turntable

Normal Map

Ambient Occlusion Map

These are the maps I used on my Time Machine Marmoset model.

I wanted the glove part to be fabric and the cuff to be a metal material and designed the maps correspondingly.

Metallic Map

Roughness Map

Both the Metallic and Roughness Maps took me a few tries to do correctly as sometimes things were too reflective etc, but I think that it's turned out alright.

I included a close up screenshot of the cuff as it is not that easily seen on the turntable preview.

Close up of the metal cuff

Time Machine Render

3D Modelling: Column Final Render and Marmoset Turntable

Normal Map

Having baked my pillar in xNormal, these maps were created and saved in my files, a Normal Map and an Ambient Occlusion Map.
This meant that, using these maps, I could generate the column in Marmoset, making a 3D preview of the model.

In Marmoset, the lighting and different maps can be applied and changed.
For this model, I have only used the Normal and Albedo Maps and also the Ambient Occlusion Map.

Ambient Occlusion Map

Column Render

3D Modelling: Time Machine Texture and Cage

Primitive View

Front View

UV Map

Top View

Side View

Before I actually started creating the UV map, I thought that an organic object would be easier to do than objects with hard edges. However, I've found that it's more difficult to determine how many shells are needed for an object and where the seams should be.

It took me much longer to UV map my column than the time machine but I think that may be due to the fact that were more parts to the column, and also because I was just starting to learn UV mapping.

Front View

Primitive View

Side View

Albedo Map

Top View

Time Machine with Cage

Ludo-narrative Dissonance

Ludo-narrative Dissonance was something I struggled to understand for a very long time. I don't know if it was the multiple explanations or what was used to explain it or how people explained it, but I just couldn't get my head around it. I needed a clear, precise explanation from somebody and Hocking's analysis of Bioshock just didn't do it for me.
However, the analysis combined with my friend Jackson's explanation really helped me finally get it. I had gotten confused with narrative and story, the character and gameplay etc, and there were all these strange things muddled up in my head and I was trying to make sense of it all.

I feel as though any of the Telltale games or games in which you decide what the player does and the story changes depending on what you choose are examples on ludo-narrative cohesion. This is due to the fact that, although the whole story itself is not necessarily fully affected, the narrative of the story is what you build through the actions you choose and certain events happen from those actions. In these cases, the player is usually presented with two different points of view but the games could also be examples of ludo-narrative dissonance as it is the player who decides which option to go with, despite possible reasoning and past choices. I think it is mostly the former as the story changes depending on what the player chooses and that is by design, but it depends on how one looks at it.

Player choices influences the story paths and outcomes,
The Walking Dead

Gender and Intersectionality

John Berger's episode 2  of "Ways of Seeing"  talks about how women are usually depicted as such for the pleasures of men starting that "men dream of women [and] women dream of being dreamt of." In the video, Berger talks about how women dress how they do and look how they do due to the scrutiny of men, and themselves, who ultimately decide if a woman is beautiful, and the prize? That the woman, herself is "won." He states that women are taught or persuaded, from early childhood, that how they appear to others, "and particularly [to] men" is of "crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life."

It has inspired me to think of a scene in Heavy Rain in which Madison dances on a platform in a nightclub in order to win the affection of Paco Mendez,  the owner, who she needs to interrogate. She has to do this due to the fact that Mendez would not have given her any time of day otherwise. She unbuttons her blouse, tears her skirt shorter, messes up her hair and applies more make up in hope that she would catch Mendez's eye. This suggests the same theme of what Berger had been saying in his video; Madison displays more skin to be judged by Mendez. The player, in this section needs to correctly time and press each button in order for Madison to dance well, and if she completes this, then her aesthetic and sexual nature would win Mendez's attention and affection. Each girl who dances, on platforms or otherwise, are being judged and assessed by Mendez, and as the prize he takes them up to  his office.

Berger's video has been structured well and raises good points in a good manner, and therefore I personally found it easier to watch. His reasoning was interesting and well thought out and didn't contain as many subjective statements and leading suggestions as some other videos or papers that are around to do with this topic, therefore I found the whole thing more reasonable. However, there are some phrases I would not agree with such as "women are taught or persuaded that how they appear to others and particularly how they appear to men is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as success of her life." Although engaging, I feel like this is less true in society at this stage, though not entirely wrong. This still plays a large part in most women's lives, and women are still aware of their body and how others view it, and how men view it but I find that it is not as significant as it may have been. Many women are of the stance that they wear make up and dress how they do because they want to, but perhaps that's stemmed from something else, but perhaps not, but even so I still feel as though the particularly men part is less significant.

Madison dances to impress Paco Mendez,
Heavy Rain

As for Peggy McIntosh's White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Perona/Account of Come to See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies... I actually find this paper particularly difficult to read due to how subjective the whole thing is. I'm all for debates and new ideas and this may have been an interesting read had the paper not included such leading phrases such as "I think many of us know how obnoxious this attitude can be in men" and what has come across like very narrow minded ideas. I don't deny that her ideas have basis and can be justified, however she does not do a good job in doing these things.
In her paper, McIntosh suggests that all men are power hungry and deny that they have any privileges just for being male. She also mentions that "[her] schooling gave [her] no training in seeing [herself] as an oppressor" but surely that is right and should be the case. Perhaps it's the wording but in my opinion, schools should not be telling or "training" children to think that they are the oppressors. Imagine having that told to you as a child! Another point on the same subject she raises is that she was not taught that she was an "unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture" but they were. Schools and the education systems may not use that particular phrasing (as is right) but for every oppressed there is an oppressor, and that is taught. Schools teach about slavery and about the women's rights and in those subjects, there are both oppressors and the oppressed.
McIntosh brings up many points I disagree with, like when she talks about "whites [being] taught to think of their lives as morally neutral." It is true that the history that is taught is subject to who is teaching and the curriculum and where it is taught, but I'm sure many of the people who are taught about history understand what each side has done and what has happened to them and in society nowadays, I do not think that this applies.
Some of the examples McIntosh lists which are "conditions which [she thinks in her] case attach somewhere more to skin-color privilege" brings across her points, especially those to do with harassment and fear, however most of her examples mostly has nothing to do with skin-colour privilege, especially in today's society, and are not affected by what colour skin one may have.
The way McIntosh writes about "privilege" and her examples seem very pretentious and one-sided, and a good paper for me suggests both sides, even if one disagrees with it or with at least less suggestive phrases. This paper dates back to 1986, which is just 20 years ago now. While I understand this paper is still relevant as it has suggestions of issues that may have been brought to light 20 years ago, I do not think that it is a good paper to completely educate and influence oneself with in the times and society we live in now, especially with the way it has been written. It is however, one to get someone thinking.

Booker DeWitt,
Bioshock

Due to the fact that I do not play that many games, it is rather difficult for me to go into any depth really to do with this subject however, there are noticeably more protagonists in video games who are white and male, like Ethan from Heavy Rain, Joel in The Last of Us and Booker in Bioshock: Infinite to name just a few, but there are also an increasing number of female protagonists.

Ethan Mars,
Heavy Rain

Joel,
The Last of Us

3D Modelling: Updated Time Machine

Here we have an updated version of the time machine, as an actual glove instead of just fingerless and a better structure and shape in general. There are still no scratches due to lack of time, however having restarted the piece, I think it's turned out alright given the amount of time I had.
I decided to restart the piece as I just couldn't figure out how to just add fingers on through zbrush so I just rebuilt it on Maya and sort of made it simpler to begin with.

Primitive View

Front View

There were loads of misplaced vertices, messed up faces, extra edges etc and I spent around 3 hours importing and exporting changes in and out of zBrush and Maya! This is because there were holes in my models and overlapping areas when I imported the .OBJ into zBrush., but it's all good now.

Top View

Side View

I adjusted the original model of the template so that it was better and easier to edit in zbrush.

It looks more like a hand instead of a blob and this made it better to sculpt in zbrush.

This took me less time than the previous sculpt did as I knew roughly what I wanted and where things were meant to be.
This meant that things could also be improved upon quicker; the palms were shaped more realistically and the fingers took a better shape, which would have been more of an improvement had the first design had fingers...

Primitive View

Front View

Back View

Right View

Top View

Left View

Side View

Primitive View

Front View

Top View