The Final Round of the Game

CS3216 = a fun and tiring game... we survived to the final round!

The Change of Project Teammates

Why am I in another team? Some of you are puzzled... Initially i was in my Facebook group, and so i rejected ppl's offer cos of I alr have a team. But now I end up in another team!

Actually initially our Facebook grp planned to come together again for the final project to continue our Facebook app. But seeing our app after release to the Application Directory has its popularity shot up so high and dropped drastically the next day (remaining low subsequently), then perhaps the viral element of the app is not there.

Then we plan to build an app on a phone... But we actually have not enough time to discuss more abt the idea, when everyone in the group is busy with other stuff.

The change in situation started when one of our teammate decided to join another group to work with more ppl. He felt bad about it, but we didn't blame him. In fact one of CS3216's purpose is to make us work with more ppl right? Then not long after this happened in that day, a teammate from my current group appeared right in front of me to persuade me again to join his group. Being able to participate in the Imagine Cup is already attractive enough and that they seemed to be quite prepared (written partial proposal, did research etc). Furthermore, isn't it meaningful to be involved in "saving the world"? Plus the fact that he approached me at the right time, when there is a change in suitation in our group! In the end, I join their team. Initially I did felt bad abt it towards my previous teammates also. But then again it may be good for everyone to be a part of different teams in the final project so tt we get to work with different ppl and probably find different opportunities? Let's move on!

Microsoft Talk & Final Project pitching party

I combined them cos i find them got overlapping parts...

I think the Final Project Pitching Party is the best session I seen so far! It managed to capture my attention even it is already so late at night. I think the most important factor was the interaction part. One comment by another, so interesting.

In the meanwhile, i divert a bit to the Microsoft Talk on Mon. The guy has a weird accent (i am glad his collegue agrees with what i thought), such that I find it hard to follow what he said.

I caught what he said about do what we are good at, so that we don't get just in-between skills (this is an interesting phrase i nvr heard before, so i remembered). But then if we do not try out various things, how do we know which we are good at and which we are not. In-between skills is unavoidable. Most importantly is to get involve in something you love and u feel it is worth spending time on.

Then also about people being not the same as you. Truth is sometimes we made too much assumptions based on our limited scope about others when is not true. Just like rich people cannot understand poor ppl and visa versa. Even u r once poor but now u r a rich person, there is no guarantee u will rmb what it was like being poor and is still able to understand poor ppl.

Back to the Final Project Pitching Party. I am actually quite amazed by the preparation done by some of the group. For eg. Supremacy. They already have the cards designed, wow. The more wow part was they actually have so many ppl in their team! I think i heard someone mentioned about culture... Actually i think using Ben Leong's photo is probably not a good choice to bring the game public. In our MisMatch, we thought of using Prof Ben's photo + 2 horns for the devil cards before. But with second thoughts, we decided not to. The reason being the players don't know who is Ben Leong. As Prof is someone who is famous mainly in the academic and business aspect, ordinary folks probably don't know him. So in this way, there is a culture difference, hence it may be difficult for them to find meaning in the game.

The treehouse presentation was done very well! Even though Cedric, the presenter had a headache, the presentation shows the fact that well preparation is essentially for good presentation. Yes I agree, the relationship we form through Facebook and Twitter are very superficial. People change because of certain incident or life experience, if we do not know how they change and why they change, we get detached from them. Not seeing each other for quite some time can drift relationship apart. IMO, any technology device substition is never adequent to maintain a relationship, we need to see each other often... If really cannot see each other often, then there leaves no choice to depend on technology. But I think it may be difficult for Treehouse to get users who don't like to write and don't have photos or videos to substanitate their thoughts...

World issues such as poverty, diseases and natural disaster are difficult issues to solve. They definitely cannot be solved in a single Imagine Cup project. These problems need many many years of hard work to be eradicated slowly. But if we can make a difference to just one, why not? Remember the starfish story? “Well, I made a difference to that one!”

Then at the end, this collegue from Microsoft convey the message of "穷则变，变则通，通则达，达则久，久则穷", i tried to search online for the "offical" definition of this word, but can't find. This phrase looks really interesting (Orry says it is recursive, true leh). So I went to research online, but it seems like it is difficult to search for the whole phrase, ppl usually leave out the last phrase. So to get the result i want, i had to just search for the last phrase. I realised this phrase is from 《易经》,and according to this link, we don't know who wrote this book, so may not be Confucius.

For more info on this phrase, u can check it out here:
 “《易》穷则变，变则通，通则久，是以‘自天佑之，吉无不利'”。这就是说，万事万物发展变化的规律，就是“分久必合，合久必分”，“穷则变，变则通，通则久，久则穷”，是一个太极循环格局。当然不是简单地重复过去，而是螺旋式上升，不断向更高层次发展变化。所谓“生生之谓易”，“天行健，君子以自强不息”。

The meaning of this phrase loosely translated for those who don't understand it is "If u reach a bottleneck, u hv to change; if you change, things will go fine; as things go fine, u will gain success; as you gain success, this will go far; if you go far, u will reach a bottleneck again". Good food for thought to end off this blog!

Last but not least, thanks for the food!

Welcome to the New Year!

Recess week is brought earlier means there is a longer way to go in the 2nd half of the semester! Actually I prefer recess week is later, so my 2nd half of the semester is shorter. 

Actually this sem really got a lot of opportunities... But time is  limited, many things that I have to give up a few things that I want to learn and do. It is cos I want not to be just involve in something but be committed to it. And also I am the type that requires quiet time to be able to reflect, think or come out with new ideas.

Realized I have not been doing much during these few days of CNY... still reading this 700+ pages thick library book which I haven't finished... My reading speed needs to be improved :( 

Pitching Session by External Parties

Among those things I heard during the session, I think these messages that are important to be take away with.

They are: 1) Entrepreneur spirit; 2) Market trend; 3) Facebook effect

1) Entrepreneur spirit

Looking out for opportunities to solve a problem. Just like the Module-review.com, the founder isn't a IT person but yet he is able to execute his idea n produce this website, which is already amazing. I have been to the website before to make reviews and feedback to him anonymously quite some time ago. He is quite efficient in his reply. I am glad I am of some help then.
I believe many people had already have this idea before him, just that no one did it. The idea is actually very simple, create a channel for students to highlight their frustrations about or love for a module. This is enough to get "customers" coming.

My thought is that the end of semester teaching feedback (to get general account points) is not sufficient cos it is really not the end of semester that we have to do this review, hence not accurate. What if I got to know more about this lecturer after the study week (I do sometimes), I cannot edit my feedback anymore. So Module-review is probably the place I can go and feedback. And because it is public, it brings the message to more people and faster. And it is not a means to get general account points, people do it more sincerely and probably accurately. One thing that cannot really avoid is spam, I saw once or twice that someone actually put spam reviews.

This website has potential to do better once it is connected with Facebook.The viral effect of social network!

2) Market trend

I think the presentation that left quite a lot of impact on us is the 6 Waves. This is especially so, cos it has shared with us the social games trend in detail. Then we got to learn about terms like Daily Average User (DAU) and Average Revenue per User (ARPU). It made us realise our game is actually under the lowest category. We wanted RPG last time (2nd best after Gambling which is not allowed in this module), but due to time constrains we were unable to implement it. Maybe we can level up the category in the final project? Yup, we still planning to make a game, but the type of game is still under consideration/discussion.
This module has succeed to bring my attention from the person who initiate something to the person who revamped it to made it big and from the person who provides the idea to the person who execute it. So again this famous message about "Ideas are cheap. Execution is the most important." worth to be mention again. However, there is one hidden implication that one may misinterpret this message as to it is ok to steal people's idea and use it as your own... but this is not meant to be what it initially wants to mean.

3) Facebook effect

Though Facebook is no longer new, but the fact that it is the growing increase in its popularity in marketing shows that social network effect is long term. Hence finding the right social networking platform for a kind of propaganda effect is really important in gaining popularity.

PS: I typed this blog before the CNY, but didn't really complete it then... if not after CNY, surely cannot rmb so much details...

The busy week with something fruitful!

Even after the Facebook project submission, we are still working on the app, can't bear to just leave it...

At the beginning of this project, we have too many big ideas, like multiple player, challenge mode and story mode... But we were unable to accomplish cos lack of time and experience.

We really learn a lot from this project. At least now I know I don't just know ActionScript, I know how to use it to develop a decent looking Facebook game!

Due to time constraint, we lower our expectations. But it seems that after the submission we were not resigned to the features the application has and continued to work on it. I carried on with my flash to implement to anti-cheating zig zag thing and the devil cards. While Haocong continues to work on AJAX and the database. These were the parts we wanted to implement previously but didn't do so cos of time constraint.

It was an enriching experience! Hong Jun, with lots of ideas on games and the ultimate tester in my group who always try to find a way to break my flash. Wai Hong, the extremely hardworking one, who is always very busy and sacrificing sleep cos he wants to live his life to the fullest, he can just eat 1 meal in a day but also eat 3 servings in a meal! And Haocong, the youngest among us, the very adventurous and enthusiastic one.

My sleeping time is pushed back cos of this module. Also my old laptop went on a protest to refuse to boot up for a while (and scared me) the next day after the submission (I guess cos it has overworked). The process is tiring but the fun overwhelms it. 

The beginning of week 3...

It is time to make a new post again. I limit myself half an hour to make this post, cos I got to go off at 2.00pm for lesson.


Project
Our group is actually a very interesting group. We started out as a group with 2 programmers then we want to look for designers. But we ended up in getting two more programmers, who have better experience in the few areas emphasized in web programming. Thanks to them, we get to get to learn more in stuff like PHP, Unix commands, database etc. This shows that theory cannot never beats real experience. 
Then it turns out the two programmers who wanted to look for designers, one become the designer using Illustrator and flash/ActionScript person and the other writes reports, tackles on issue regarding ppl's gaming behavior (due to hvg a lot of gaming experience) and starts to learn designing. That time, we joked about ourselves, he says he is now like a business student and I am now like an arts student...


While enjoying the fun this project brings us, we are also suffering in many areas. What areas are we suffering in? 
Physically
When I got not enough sleep I start to get flu or heavy head :( I guess many of u also feel their energy level or immune system level dropping. Usually I feel this busy is when it is in the middle or towards the end of the semester when projects deadlines are near. Now is only the BEGINNING of the semester...
Mentally
Guilt being unable to spend the time on other stuffs, be it your family, friends or even your studies. Classmates skipping lectures or doing CS3216 during lectures instead of listening. 
I won't want to skip lessons but I can't guarantee I won't fall asleep during lessons... 
Some year 4 like me are taking FYP as well. FYP is something that really needs a lot of discipline, especially when taken with such a addictive module like CS3216. Besides week three has started, meaning tutorials have started!
Ytd I just got to know that two of my classmates dropped this module. I think they probably have taken this module at the wrong time, be it having to cope with too many things at the same time or not ready enough to take the stress.


The third lecture
Ytd we got a lot more insights into the Amazon, which is great...


Got to go off now!

The beginning of week 2...

Have to finish this post fast. Got many other things to do!

Saturday's Workshop

The workshops were good to serve as an introduction to the various things. But i believe JUST attending these workshop is not really helpful. This is because the non-experience ppl can't catch up and the very experience ppl finds them too simple. I find them useful in a way, cos I don't fall in either of the categories:) These workshop helps me to refresh my memory on some stuff, esp the unix commands. Though I don't know php when I applied for this module, i did read a bit on it later, and I think the workshop could be better if more were taught. But anyway learning really starts to stay with us only when we do hands on.

Prof Ben is really good to us (in regards to food). When he knows me and some other ppl haven't eaten the KFC food he bought, he quickly send ppl n get McDonald food for us. Thanks! :)

After the workshop

That is when we get to know our project teammates for the Facebook assignment better. And it was only the first week and we had to stay bck in school during the weekends (incl Sun) to do our project :(

The Second Lecture

Ytd was a packed day for me! Rush here rush there... FYP, interview, FB App Seminar meeting, Lecture, FB Assignment Seminar meeting...

Btw there is sth I just about just recently, which is very much related to the lecture ytd. It shows us the communication problem btn the web designer and client in a humorous way. Hope you have a good laugh.

And who says the year 1 can do much compared to the seniors? Our grp has 3 year 4s and 1 year 1, n the year 1 is from a different era from us, haha. And we were so surprised at what the year 1 guy did. We got so much to learn from him!

I think the lecture time can be shorten, since the speakers who shared with us their experience had to end up with tell us that we don't have time to do what they did. And luckily, we don't have to record our hours like what our grp did for CS3215. The recording of hours in which the lecturer had to review to give credits based on is a source of conflict between teammates, it was a scary experience then. -.-|||