Awesome is almost halfway through the Pre-Production phase of our final game project. I am going to share some insider knowledge on our progress for the Cardinal of Zephyr , an airship battle game. Every Thursday, Team Awesome presents a status report to Executive Producer. The EP is the gatekeeper for keeping a project online. The moment he or she feels like your project is a waste of time or money, then the house of cards built by your development team will come crumbling down to fall into the fiery pits of hell.
Rule 1: Keep your Executive Producer confident in your ability to complete your game project. It may sound rudimentary, but you will be surprised how many games crash and burn because the EP has no confidence in the project.
Thus far, we have been able to successfully relay our vision of the game to the EP. Without fail, week after week, Team Awesome moves forward on Cardinal of Zephyr. Here are few more rules that I've learned by working on the best game development team this side and the other side of the Mississippi River.
Rule 2: Construct a rigid flexible schedule. Yeah, I know that sounds like an oxymoron. But, you want to make sure that your team can adhere to realistic deadlines, but flexible enough to shift dates around if necessary.
Rule 3: Trust your teammates to do what they are good at and encourage them to perfect their passions. This is quite tricky because some of your teammates may not know what they perform well. They may also assume they're distinguished at doing a task, but they are not that proficient at it. Even worse, their assumption may be their passion. This can be detrimental to the team's overall performance if this person's ability to complete the task is the weakest link. In order to avoid such misjudged mishaps, the leaders need to do a skill assessment and skill utilization management. While assigning tasks, the leaders need to zealously encourage their teammates to be passionate about what they are good at and build new passions around their strong skills. Sure, feelings may get hurt and egos may get bruised, so reiterate how important they are to the team and their skills are detrimental to the teams overall performance.
Those are enough rules for today. I'll give you some new ones in later posts.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The inevitable
Hip-Hop died not to long ago. But, are any of us truly surprised? Are any of us truly hurt? Disgruntled? Saddened? We act like things are suppose to last forever. “Forever, ever. Ever, ever. Doesn’t seem that long until you’re grown,” says Andre 3000. If history has taught us anything, it is things change. Things die. Why should H-Hop be any different? I sit here praying that an art form and culture as strong as Hip-Hop will resurface.
But like the message filled music of the late 60’s got replaced with love ballads, Disco, and Punk Rock, so will Hip-Hop be replaced with some dumbed down derivative of itself. Isn’t that just the way of the world. Are we becoming more savage with our technological advances. If Hip-Hop were birthed today, it would address the same issues that plagued us from yesteryear. You know all the problems it so-called fixed in a broken society.
Hip-Hop was just a voice, but it really didn’t deliver any answers. It was entertaining while it lasted, but now people need some real education. People need some real fortitude. God forbid, we place all our energies into some new form of entertainment. Could you imagine if all the Hip-Hop heads out there placed their energy into making the world better?
Sayonara Hip-Hop. I will always love you, but I will never miss you. I miss the great things my people cherished before you forced them to throw those away for your devoted attention
But like the message filled music of the late 60’s got replaced with love ballads, Disco, and Punk Rock, so will Hip-Hop be replaced with some dumbed down derivative of itself. Isn’t that just the way of the world. Are we becoming more savage with our technological advances. If Hip-Hop were birthed today, it would address the same issues that plagued us from yesteryear. You know all the problems it so-called fixed in a broken society.
Hip-Hop was just a voice, but it really didn’t deliver any answers. It was entertaining while it lasted, but now people need some real education. People need some real fortitude. God forbid, we place all our energies into some new form of entertainment. Could you imagine if all the Hip-Hop heads out there placed their energy into making the world better?
Sayonara Hip-Hop. I will always love you, but I will never miss you. I miss the great things my people cherished before you forced them to throw those away for your devoted attention
Friday, February 1, 2008
Full Circle - The Stone Mason
There was once a stonemason that lived an average life… One day in the midst of the summer, he loaded some statues unto a carriage… As he gazed at the carriage, he thought to himself, “I would love to be a simple carriage driver! All day just riding around on a carriage.” The All in hearing these pleas responded back by saying, “My son, I see you are not satisfied with the occupation I gave you. You feel as though you labor too hard, but I will grant your desires because of your loyalty to me.” In a blink of an eye, the stonemason was controlling the four most beautiful steeds on this planet. As the rider told the carriage driver to slow down and stop by the market, the stone mason said, “I enjoy being the carriage driver, but what a life it would be not to worry about nothing, but shopping.” So, the All laughed and said, “Now, my son, you wish for luxuries of unseen and unheard proportions? I will grant you this wish because you are a loyal servant. And any servant as loyal as you deserves to be a lord upon his own kingdom.”
The stonemason woke up from a sleep drowning in the finest silk bedding from India. He looked up and saw that the brass clock on the marble bedroom mantle fireplace. “Oh, my God. I’m a Lord in a king’s court!” As he sauntered through the ivory hallways, he wondered, “What will I do, today?” So, he summoned his carriage, and went shopping in the marketplace. As he shopped in the marketplace, he overheard people saying, “I cannot wait for the King’s ball tonight.” So, he found the finest of fine attire for tonight’s formal event.
As night fell upon the Earth, the stonemason marched into the ball with a pinch of arrogance on his sleeve. He knew he was the best-dressed suitor in the King’s hall. As he was boasting to a beautiful young lady about his rise to lordship, the trumpets sounded throughout the castle. The King stepped into the silent hall. All eyes fell upon the ground because of the fear and respect the aristocrats had for the king. The mason whispered to the young lady, “my beautiful lady, why do you glare in awe at the king? There are many men with his wealth or wealthier than our lord the King.”
She replied in a hushed voice, “Sure, there are men wealthier than the King. But, none have or will be as powerful as the King. The King has no need for wealth because he is the absolute of power. Even the wealthy must pay their respects to him. Or, they will be relinquished of their wealth. So, my dear lord, it is not your wealth; however, it is the prestige you demand that is respected within the ranks of those that are already wealthy. Only, the poorly rich concern themselves with wealth. It is the wealthy that concern themselves with less tangible items such as power, happiness, and even freedom. Wealth just grants us that luxury.”
Then the stonemason said, “Lord, please grant me the happiness of the King. It is not the luxuries after all. It is the intangible things such as power.”
“Now, you have seen the way. For it is not your wealth, but it is your attributes as a man that will give you heaven on earth. Wealth just allows you focus on gaining those attributes. For I see ‘I’ in you, so I know you already possess some of those attributes stonemason.” As the stonemason left the ball, he noticed something peculiar. All the heads of the aristocracy were bowing before him. He called for the carriage and a caravan of carriages came to his side. “My lord, where are we off to tonight?” asked one servant.
“Take me to the sea, I desire to see a sunrise this morning,” said the stonemason.
As, the carriage halted by the sea, the mason saw birds flying overhead. Not one bird bowed down to him to show respect. On the contrary, all these fowl looked down upon him. “Oh, how great it must be to have the luxury to seek only the necessities of life. These birds have no power over man, yet they do not care for rank among us. It is as though they live freely without all the hang-ups.”
The All answered, “my son, it is only man that has hang-ups of grandeur, prestige, and power. For natural creatures life is the only hang-up. Man has separated himself from nature, thus becoming unnatural or abnormal. I will allow you to enter the natural world. Son, you have learned to crawl, walk, and run. Now, you will learn to.”
The stonemason interrupts, “Fly! I’m flying. I cannot believe it! I can go anywhere in the world and no one can stop me! Nothing can stop me!” Then a storm struck, it took the bird (stonemason) by surprise. The wind kept blowing him around. He did not know what to do. All he could do was contemplate death as a creature of the sky. He was ready to escape this storm. “God make me something stronger than this storm. Show me the definition of true strength,” yelled the stonemason.
God transformed the stonemason into the North Wind. Oh, how great a feeling to actually dominate all creatures on the face of the planet. He illustrated his power on all creatures, big and small. They all knew of the powerful winds coming from the North that caused all creatures to hide in fear. As the stonemason blew in all directions, he noticed he could make everything move, except one thing. He tried and tried, but he could not make the rocks nor mountains move. He said, “God, you have allowed me to be all these wondrous and powerful creatures. I even asked you to make me the most powerful. Your answer was the wind. But, I have learned you are wrong because the wind is not most powerful. The wind cannot move mountains or the heaviest of rocks.”
God answered, “That is true, but I did not know that you would not mind being a rock… The rock is the pillar for my heaven. They form out of the earth and stretch all the way to the heavens. They cannot move because, if they were to move it would cause the heavens to collapse.”
The stonemason pleaded, “Make me one of those pillars. For the wind cannot shake the pillars of heaven.”
God said, “Are you sure? Once this transformation happens, you cannot change again?”
The stonemason responded, “Nothing would make me feel better, except showing you my appreciation by holding up your ceilings until eternity.” The All granted the stonemason this final wish. As the stonemason transformed into a large rock, he told the All, “thank you for making me the strongest object of your creation. Now, I know how life truly can be, besides being a weak little stonemason” A month past, when a large carriage picked up the huge rock.
As the rock (stonemason) could not believe someone moved one of the All’s pillars, he felt a heavy chisel tear into the side of him. The stonemason saw ‘The Truth.’ As his son carved him into a statue of his former self. His son screamed, “God, this is in honor of the greatest stonemason that ever lived, my father. You took him away one day in a carriage led by beautiful horses. I hope this beautiful statue of him will bring him back and bring peace to his soul.”
The stonemason woke up from a sleep drowning in the finest silk bedding from India. He looked up and saw that the brass clock on the marble bedroom mantle fireplace. “Oh, my God. I’m a Lord in a king’s court!” As he sauntered through the ivory hallways, he wondered, “What will I do, today?” So, he summoned his carriage, and went shopping in the marketplace. As he shopped in the marketplace, he overheard people saying, “I cannot wait for the King’s ball tonight.” So, he found the finest of fine attire for tonight’s formal event.
As night fell upon the Earth, the stonemason marched into the ball with a pinch of arrogance on his sleeve. He knew he was the best-dressed suitor in the King’s hall. As he was boasting to a beautiful young lady about his rise to lordship, the trumpets sounded throughout the castle. The King stepped into the silent hall. All eyes fell upon the ground because of the fear and respect the aristocrats had for the king. The mason whispered to the young lady, “my beautiful lady, why do you glare in awe at the king? There are many men with his wealth or wealthier than our lord the King.”
She replied in a hushed voice, “Sure, there are men wealthier than the King. But, none have or will be as powerful as the King. The King has no need for wealth because he is the absolute of power. Even the wealthy must pay their respects to him. Or, they will be relinquished of their wealth. So, my dear lord, it is not your wealth; however, it is the prestige you demand that is respected within the ranks of those that are already wealthy. Only, the poorly rich concern themselves with wealth. It is the wealthy that concern themselves with less tangible items such as power, happiness, and even freedom. Wealth just grants us that luxury.”
Then the stonemason said, “Lord, please grant me the happiness of the King. It is not the luxuries after all. It is the intangible things such as power.”
“Now, you have seen the way. For it is not your wealth, but it is your attributes as a man that will give you heaven on earth. Wealth just allows you focus on gaining those attributes. For I see ‘I’ in you, so I know you already possess some of those attributes stonemason.” As the stonemason left the ball, he noticed something peculiar. All the heads of the aristocracy were bowing before him. He called for the carriage and a caravan of carriages came to his side. “My lord, where are we off to tonight?” asked one servant.
“Take me to the sea, I desire to see a sunrise this morning,” said the stonemason.
As, the carriage halted by the sea, the mason saw birds flying overhead. Not one bird bowed down to him to show respect. On the contrary, all these fowl looked down upon him. “Oh, how great it must be to have the luxury to seek only the necessities of life. These birds have no power over man, yet they do not care for rank among us. It is as though they live freely without all the hang-ups.”
The All answered, “my son, it is only man that has hang-ups of grandeur, prestige, and power. For natural creatures life is the only hang-up. Man has separated himself from nature, thus becoming unnatural or abnormal. I will allow you to enter the natural world. Son, you have learned to crawl, walk, and run. Now, you will learn to.”
The stonemason interrupts, “Fly! I’m flying. I cannot believe it! I can go anywhere in the world and no one can stop me! Nothing can stop me!” Then a storm struck, it took the bird (stonemason) by surprise. The wind kept blowing him around. He did not know what to do. All he could do was contemplate death as a creature of the sky. He was ready to escape this storm. “God make me something stronger than this storm. Show me the definition of true strength,” yelled the stonemason.
God transformed the stonemason into the North Wind. Oh, how great a feeling to actually dominate all creatures on the face of the planet. He illustrated his power on all creatures, big and small. They all knew of the powerful winds coming from the North that caused all creatures to hide in fear. As the stonemason blew in all directions, he noticed he could make everything move, except one thing. He tried and tried, but he could not make the rocks nor mountains move. He said, “God, you have allowed me to be all these wondrous and powerful creatures. I even asked you to make me the most powerful. Your answer was the wind. But, I have learned you are wrong because the wind is not most powerful. The wind cannot move mountains or the heaviest of rocks.”
God answered, “That is true, but I did not know that you would not mind being a rock… The rock is the pillar for my heaven. They form out of the earth and stretch all the way to the heavens. They cannot move because, if they were to move it would cause the heavens to collapse.”
The stonemason pleaded, “Make me one of those pillars. For the wind cannot shake the pillars of heaven.”
God said, “Are you sure? Once this transformation happens, you cannot change again?”
The stonemason responded, “Nothing would make me feel better, except showing you my appreciation by holding up your ceilings until eternity.” The All granted the stonemason this final wish. As the stonemason transformed into a large rock, he told the All, “thank you for making me the strongest object of your creation. Now, I know how life truly can be, besides being a weak little stonemason” A month past, when a large carriage picked up the huge rock.
As the rock (stonemason) could not believe someone moved one of the All’s pillars, he felt a heavy chisel tear into the side of him. The stonemason saw ‘The Truth.’ As his son carved him into a statue of his former self. His son screamed, “God, this is in honor of the greatest stonemason that ever lived, my father. You took him away one day in a carriage led by beautiful horses. I hope this beautiful statue of him will bring him back and bring peace to his soul.”
Friday, January 25, 2008
I’m Focused
My vision is poor, but that won’t stop me from focusing on my goals. I want to be a legend. Not only a legend, I want to be a living legend. I want to appreciate others appreciating my marvelous work. As men, we are bred to work. We are told a man defines himself by his caliber of work. The ultimate level of appreciation is to be considered legendary for your body of work. So, I’m chasing the crown. I have been floundering around for the last 30 years searching for something that moves me spiritually, mentally, and physically. Well, maybe not physically. But, you get the picture.
Now, I’ve found that art. I have found something that can make me legendary. It is like running into a prophet that points you down an unknown path. You know the path is for you, but you have to remain focused on the goal and not allow the things around you to distract you from the path. You have to not only envision the goal, but focus on the plan to get you to the goal. It is not enough to focus on the goal. The goal is only part of the achievement. The full achievement is reached when you leave an imprint on all those along the journey. Thus, the journey transforms into the goal. The so-called goal becomes a launching point for the next goal. As a result, your legend births the circle of life. On this circle of starting and achieving goals, the goal becomes making an imprint on the lives of those you encounter on your path.
You become more focused on leaving an imprint in the hearts of people; therefore, your goal evolves into something less tangible than your mental, spiritual, and physical. Your goal becomes relationships, experiences, knowledge, wisdom, and a slew of other virtues. The focus falls from goals and becomes those things our heart truly seeks. Legendary status follows focused energy on that reaches beyond our tangible and intangible existence and into the existence of others.
Permanent imprints make a man legendary.
I’m focused, man.
--- Jay-Z
Now, I’ve found that art. I have found something that can make me legendary. It is like running into a prophet that points you down an unknown path. You know the path is for you, but you have to remain focused on the goal and not allow the things around you to distract you from the path. You have to not only envision the goal, but focus on the plan to get you to the goal. It is not enough to focus on the goal. The goal is only part of the achievement. The full achievement is reached when you leave an imprint on all those along the journey. Thus, the journey transforms into the goal. The so-called goal becomes a launching point for the next goal. As a result, your legend births the circle of life. On this circle of starting and achieving goals, the goal becomes making an imprint on the lives of those you encounter on your path.
You become more focused on leaving an imprint in the hearts of people; therefore, your goal evolves into something less tangible than your mental, spiritual, and physical. Your goal becomes relationships, experiences, knowledge, wisdom, and a slew of other virtues. The focus falls from goals and becomes those things our heart truly seeks. Legendary status follows focused energy on that reaches beyond our tangible and intangible existence and into the existence of others.
Permanent imprints make a man legendary.
I’m focused, man.
--- Jay-Z
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Traveling at Mach 5.
Yes, I have this preoccupation with battling with God. We have been in this deathmatch for the last 12 years. It was my maturation that led us to our first dispute. See, God, gods, Godesses, or whatever you attribute your success to has been consistent on delivering achievement to me. God, the Force is what I like to call her, guaranteed my success in all that I chase. I thank her for not allowing failure to crush my ambition. This makes me reflect on Speed Racer. See, Speed was obsessed with speed. He believes winning will allow him to change the world. The reality of it all is that winning will change his world. I’m one of those schmucks that follow the path that Speed has raced through to garner success.
I believe my final endeavors will change the world. If I consistently win, then I will change the world. I believe this can be achieved by myself. I know achievements in life are usually a team effort. And, there is no “i” in team. But, there is an “i” in “win” and an “i” in “champion.” I would consider myself a champion. I know that I’m a winner. I’m obsessed with being a mogul. Like my associate Mr. West, I want to incorporate all my ideas and dreams into my overdrafted reality.
It isn’t my preoccupation with narcissistic egotism. It is my preoccupation with delivering a knockout punch to god and leaving her or him on the world’s canvas. I believe if I move fast enough, act smart enough, and achieve great enough that my knockout punch will be inevitable. Thus far, the Force is teasing me with my minor success and causing me to suffer in silence for not reaching great success.
I know my great success will come to pass. I’m just ready for it to come sooner than later.
I believe my final endeavors will change the world. If I consistently win, then I will change the world. I believe this can be achieved by myself. I know achievements in life are usually a team effort. And, there is no “i” in team. But, there is an “i” in “win” and an “i” in “champion.” I would consider myself a champion. I know that I’m a winner. I’m obsessed with being a mogul. Like my associate Mr. West, I want to incorporate all my ideas and dreams into my overdrafted reality.
It isn’t my preoccupation with narcissistic egotism. It is my preoccupation with delivering a knockout punch to god and leaving her or him on the world’s canvas. I believe if I move fast enough, act smart enough, and achieve great enough that my knockout punch will be inevitable. Thus far, the Force is teasing me with my minor success and causing me to suffer in silence for not reaching great success.
I know my great success will come to pass. I’m just ready for it to come sooner than later.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
A Charmed Life
I come from a privilege background. My parents provided all the things to raise healthy, intelligent, and self-determined children. They didn’t spare their love nor the rod when it came to handing out reward and punishment. My parents scrambled and scraped up all the money possible to make sure my brother and I went without needing or wanting things. When most families were trying to keep up with Joneses, we had the Joneses keeping up with the Babbs. We were a powerhouse family. The Babb family were considered noble in little Lexington, Kentucky.
From my roots, I have been able to grow and branch off into directions that only a few people could understand. My hunger for life forces me into peculiar situations and even better adventures. Growing up in a predominately Anglo-American town, I wanted to have the official Black college experience. At Morehouse College, I met some like-minded brothers and many with different mind sets. I met many brothers from the African-American bourgeoisie. It was a different world. Morehouse College was the first of many experiences that opened my eyes to social, economic, political differences between people of the same racial identity. I wanted more than just the usual “Black” experience; I wanted a grand life experience. As my branches continued to grow toward the heavens, I captured more invigorating experiences. I was able to become part of the “cool” kids, travel to Japan, and enjoy my collegiate matriculation. But, that was still not enough for a young man growing into a giant.
Fast forward to the present day, I’ve traveled and lived throughout Asia. I also lived in the Pacific and lived in many metropolitan cities throughout the United States. I am continuing my education in the industry of my dreams. I’m living a charmed life.
All the virtues that have made my journey pleasant, come from the people in my past. I thank them all for contributing to my life. I know there will be more people added to this list of beautiful and ugly people. I know there are lessons from all encounters, and I have only begun to learn. Let’s see how much more charming this life can be?!?
From my roots, I have been able to grow and branch off into directions that only a few people could understand. My hunger for life forces me into peculiar situations and even better adventures. Growing up in a predominately Anglo-American town, I wanted to have the official Black college experience. At Morehouse College, I met some like-minded brothers and many with different mind sets. I met many brothers from the African-American bourgeoisie. It was a different world. Morehouse College was the first of many experiences that opened my eyes to social, economic, political differences between people of the same racial identity. I wanted more than just the usual “Black” experience; I wanted a grand life experience. As my branches continued to grow toward the heavens, I captured more invigorating experiences. I was able to become part of the “cool” kids, travel to Japan, and enjoy my collegiate matriculation. But, that was still not enough for a young man growing into a giant.
Fast forward to the present day, I’ve traveled and lived throughout Asia. I also lived in the Pacific and lived in many metropolitan cities throughout the United States. I am continuing my education in the industry of my dreams. I’m living a charmed life.
All the virtues that have made my journey pleasant, come from the people in my past. I thank them all for contributing to my life. I know there will be more people added to this list of beautiful and ugly people. I know there are lessons from all encounters, and I have only begun to learn. Let’s see how much more charming this life can be?!?
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Need A Time Machine
Life is too important to be taken seriously.
--- Oscar Wilde
I woke up this morning wondering why do we take our lives so seriously. Seriously, we analyze and criticize all aspects of our lives to the point that we don’t live anymore. Fear becomes our shackle. Fear becomes our vice. The fear of failure or not living up to the expectations dictated to us by others. We take life way too serious. We carry the scars from past mistakes with us in all our activities. We create plans to avoid pitfalls that “may” exist in the future.
The past and the future truly do not exist. They are only faulty memories and figments of our imaginations. We only have the present. So, I say learn from the past, live in the future, and plan for the future. But, the past may not contain any lessons and the future may never come. But, the present is always living. So, focus on the present.
See you tomorrow. I have a time machine to catch.
--- Oscar Wilde
I woke up this morning wondering why do we take our lives so seriously. Seriously, we analyze and criticize all aspects of our lives to the point that we don’t live anymore. Fear becomes our shackle. Fear becomes our vice. The fear of failure or not living up to the expectations dictated to us by others. We take life way too serious. We carry the scars from past mistakes with us in all our activities. We create plans to avoid pitfalls that “may” exist in the future.
The past and the future truly do not exist. They are only faulty memories and figments of our imaginations. We only have the present. So, I say learn from the past, live in the future, and plan for the future. But, the past may not contain any lessons and the future may never come. But, the present is always living. So, focus on the present.
See you tomorrow. I have a time machine to catch.
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