After repeated delays, finally, in all its textual glory, I give to you The ‘Burg. Once again, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to download not only the game file, but also an interpreter like Gluxe or one of the many other interpreters linked to on that site, which you have to install. I’m not sure what I am doing incorrectly with the html page of the game, I get this every time no matter how often I’ve reconfigured the arrangement of files. Downloading it, however, enables you to see all the pretty pictures, which are apparently too technically advanced to be displayed on the html, and I feel they add immensely to the experience, or at least make it more than just text. Although many of my original ideas had to be scrapped because of sheer size and my own technical shortcomings, I’m all-in-all happy with how it turned out, and I really did learn a lot about both programming and storytelling by making it. If you don’t like it, well, maybe you should try to one-up me, it probably wouldn’t be too hard and I would totally play your game. I will probably either extend this game or make a new one during the summer. P.S. Here’s a link to my flickr photostream too, which, although I know the emails and passwords to all my yahoo!, google, and facebook accounts, will not allow me access to put a stream on this page. Here’s a ‘delicious’ video I collaborated with Mr. Lex on a couple of weeks back.

For future internauts (to use a Groomism), here’s my bit of advice for this class.

1. There is a great amount of personal liberty in selecting what types of media you want to create. Use this to play to your strengths.

2. Even with the aforementioned freedom, another huge aspect of the class is pushing yourself to create OUTSIDE of that comfort zone. You might hear technical jargon you’ve either never heard before, or overheard in passing and scoffed at the idea of you ever knowing their definitions. This, however, is entirely the point of your taking this class. Pushing past the roadbumps and figuring it out can be incredibly rewarding.

3. Start early and give yourself a lot of time to complete the assignments. Sounds obvious, but, seriously, because of the technical difficulties you will undoubtedly face, a project that you think will take an hour or two ends up taking DAYS. I personally wasn’t too bad at turning things on on time, when I DID turn things in, but I wasn’t that good about it either. Then again, now that it’s the last day of the semester, I’m seeing all kinds of last minute crap getting turned in, case in point, the above final project.

4. Stop being a selfish little baby and comment on other people’s work. What? Do you think your work is SO good that other peoples’ isn’t even worth looking at?! You make me sick. Maybe, if you leave enough comments, and I’m talking hundreds, even thousands, your amazing compilation of witty critiques and flame battles will be enough to make into a project of its own.

5. Groom is watching. Always watching. He is a shapeshifter who can enter your dreams at will for the sole purpose of tormenting you, much like Freddy Krueger.

Happy Summer!