Leaderboard

So I've been thinking about why I didn't really Moc all too much in 2017, and I think I figured out why. I was building for others, and not for myself. I do not mean this in a literal sense, but that when I went to build I was always trying to build to meet some standard I imposed upon myself based on those around me. I wasn't building what I truly wanted to build, but I was building to try and compare to the other MOCist's around me. If a moc didn't have a custom torso of some kind, it wasn't worth building was the mindset I'd worked myself into. I think this is why all motivation to build in 2017 kind of went out the window. I wasn't enjoying building. Now this isn't to say I'm suddenly going to be building only generic HF frame mocs, but if I have a simple concept in my mind, I'm not going to throw it out simply because it's "Simple". I'm going to build what I enjoy. Also this isn't in anyway blaming anyone else. I solely worked myself into the mindset I did, I felt I had to build like so many of the popular builders, even if it was only a fraction of a fraction of what their builds are like. So yeah, going forward, I might put out more lesser quality mocs, but at least I'll be enjoying it, and hopefully enjoying Moccing will in turn provide more motivation to build more complex mocs.

I've remained silent on this issue for far too long, but I can do so no longer. While playing Fallout 4 and looking at an Achievement Guide, it was brought to my attention that some of the Achievements are mutually-exclusive to a playthrough unless you save-scum. Not only that, but other achievements are locked behind moral choices, but only if you pick a certain choice! That's not how Achievements should work! Achievements should follow these rules: 1) A player must not be able to lock him or herself out of obtaining an Achievement. By the time you reach the end of the game, you should be allowed the option to return to all instances where an Achievement could have been obtained in order to reach 100% game completion. The obvious exception to this rule is games that are designed for multiple playthroughs. 2) No Achievement should require the action of another human to complete. It can certainly be an option, maybe in a game with online capabilities that someone could help you get an Achievement, but that can't be the only way. Humans are unreliable and untrustworthy and making others rely on them to get Achievements is only going to result in pain. 3) No more than 50% of a game's Achievements should be obtainable as part of completing the main story. No one cares about those ones! It's not "oh no, I had to work so hard to follow the neon signs down the path that the developers painstakingly designed for the lowest common denominator, I'm so glad I was rewarded for this", it's usually "oh... a consolation prize... yay..." It cheapens the Achievement brand, and it's just insulting. Sure, it can be handy to know how far you are in a game, sort of like announcing chapters in a book. However, you could just do what Half Life 1 did in the days before Achievements and just, you know, tell the player that they've advanced to the next part of the game? The only reason I could possibly see for not banning these (with the exception of an Achievement for completing the main storyline) would be so that you can check how far your friend has advanced through a game so that you can avoid spoiling what is to come next. 4) No hidden or vague Achievements. I shouldn't have to look up a guide to find out what I have to do for an Achievement let alone what the Achievement is. If they're hidden to avoid spoilers, find a way to write the description of what you have to do a different way. If this is hard, try hiring better writers. 5) If an Achievement requires the player to complete an action a certain number of times, there MUST be a visible counter to help the player track his or her progress. This is pretty self-explanatory. I should have to mentally tally how many times I do something or just keep doing something until I get the Achievement popup. The game is already counting for me. Why can't it just show its work? Lots of games already do this, it needs to be standard. I propose that the governments of the world sign an agreement to make a Ministry of Achievements (or Department of Achievements depending on your government's terminology) that regulates all games their country publishes. Not only will this governing body work to ensure that the 5 Commandments of Achievements are followed, but they will also work to ensure that Achievements are challenging but not impossible. Hopefully this will permit the art-form to flourish and will prevent unscrupulous game developers from releasing substandard video games. Please remember SPIRIT's 5 Commandments of Achievements the next time you're voting. Thank you.

This week marks the last week of the first half of the semester, which means that my half-semester Optics course is coming to a close. It's been busy (hence my lack of presence), but I almost have one full course under my belt. So far there have been two lessons I gave that could have been better presented, but the students have been fairly engaged and seem more or less okay with the material. I guess we'll see how it goes once the final happens. I did try writing a new Equation of the Day, but my schedule has been quite packed. I would like to get that rolling again after the end of the semester, since I greatly enjoy writing those entries.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm sure they'll find the course... illuminating.

Fancy cars! I'm still waiting for the '69 Corvette. This year's Mustang is giving me some hope!

Over the past couple of months I visited and interviewed at a college interested in hiring someone to teach one semester of courses for their physics major series. My name was given to them through the grapevine and, after giving a mock lecture, presenting my research over lunch, and meeting with the department, I got the job. Starting later next month, I will officially be Professor Akano. I'm excited.

Since at least 2012. Thanks! So many titles! :0 Thankee! My students this year will have been born around the same time as Bionicle. Munch on that for a while... THANKS YOU DUMB JERK!!!

Give extra credit for obscure Bionicle references

Whoah, congratulations! =D

That's Mr. Dr. Professor Akano to you!

I don't even remember for how long I've been following your academic endeavors, but I am so very happy for you and to see things coming to such harmonious fruition.