Ok to walk away.

I spent a fair amount of time on Monday designing the layout for the intel level on the TF2 map myself and Ridetsu have been designing. I had made some brief doodles on it before, but Monday was the first time sitting down and thinking of how the level fit together both thematically and with regards to each individual class. I feel as if I'm starting to look at the level design process in more broad terms finally, seeing flaws and picking up on what makes a level work more readily than before. For example: It's not enough to put in different entrances to the intel room. We have to give good reasons for the players to use both approaches depending on the game situation. Make exit A drastically better and nobody will bother to use exit B or vice versa. While Monday was a good design day, Tuesday was a flop. I tried to put together the layout in the main level up from the intel, but it never translated to the page in a manner I found favorable. In the past, this is where I would have dropped the design work and put together the intel room in the level editor. Instead, I now realize it's ok to put down the layout and walk away, coming back to it later with fresh eyes and mind before engaging in destructive behavior that has resulted in the dismissal of many of my past projects. I now understand the importance of having a solid design in place before a level editor program is ever opened.

With regards to opening programs, Left 4 Dead has seen greatly increased playtime since my decision last week to cut the fat from my fun. Our team is gelling together bit by bit and our strategies are getting honed to a finer point the more we play. There has been some lively debate on what stratagems work and which don't, but the arguments have been very constructive and I find myself being challenged to become a better leader because of it. The entire team has seen fit to invest a great deal of time in playing this game so we can be winners on match days and I want to be the best possible leader I can for them. I'm a naturally assertive person, but this game threatens to make me more demanding of my team everytime I play it...and I love it. Anyway, if Valve doesn't update with a search that can filter out increased damage servers I'm going to have to seriously question their design. Not knowing you are in one of these abominations is the worst part: the only way to know is when one of your teammates lies broken at your feet waaaaaay too soon in the level. And don't get me started on low-grav locales.

To drastically switch gears, the new Star Wars book series starts this month with Fate of the Jedi: Outcast. I am super excited to get my hands on this volume and continue the main storyline. I'm a huge nerd for anything Star Wars of course, but the expansion of my collection is limited to print media. Fortunately, I am a devourer of the written word especially when that word has the letters L-I-G-H-T-S-A-B-E-R in it. I love me some Star Wars novels, especially at the launch of a new story arc. Bring it on!

Van out!