::Quick Catch Up Post::
-Got a new job, working for GeoGraphicsLab as a software engineer. Maintenancing some servers and maintaining an application for transit activities on Cape cod. Fun, rewarding, flexible. So here's looking forward to a project all my own with that.
-New Apartment. Finally got out of dorm living. Whoo!
-Done with last music project. NCUR2012 was successful. Me and my colleagues were well received. It was nice doing non-tech composition for once. A link to the project will be up soon. It's pleasant listening, but might not be that interesting.

::Music Plans for the Summer::
-I got commissioned on two big pieces.
1) a loop audio/video piece for a classical guitarist. Bluesy in composition. Simple, stackable form. Using Max and going to try cyclops for the video loop. If anyone has any experience with Max on Windows, let me know where the tough spots are! haha.
2) a tech piece for a virtuostic trombonist. As a trombonist myself, this will be fun, especially because he can do all the things I cant. Vicarious living, anyone? All that aside, we are probably going to be making use of the neurosky headset and api for max and some fun with CSound.

::Personal Summer Project::

So I am very interested in the stencyl project. In this last two months, I used stencyl to teach beginner game design to a group of 6th graders in their information technology class. It was a good experience and the stuff they did far outreached my examples which gives me hope for the Newgrounds stencyl jam.

I have a simple idea for a game concept I want to polish up and put some assets to.
Here is an explanation of it, for posterity and to try and give me a schedule. I was inspired by the self-regulation (almost flagellant) resolve of i-smel and have been searching for inspiration in the art portal and on the forums.

I would like to extend the working hack-and-slash model for 2d adventure rpgs. Based in the small map to map/level to level overworld, surrounding small npc/story driven townsends. Typical, working, a good place to start. I haven't been inspired by a story yet, but in general I found a fair amount of fun in the current "evolution" game model. It seems like everyone is trying to recreate pokemon. No offence intended, and my preliminary designs have been guilty of this working model. But it isn't natural selection. So I was toying with a game where you need to kill off undesirable creatures so that the ones you let live then have access to resources and thrive. Now, before this gets preachy or stupid, the gameplay is kind of an experiment on grinding. Selective grinding? In any case, you want to let certain monsters/creatures live so that you can tame them and attack a neighboring town (the next one in the map series).

I don't know if this is viable, but with it can come a series of environmental factors to purposely, or accidentally, craft the landscape and let your baddies thrive.

Beast Tamer -- working title.

Now the big question is, where to start?

I am eliminating non-flash mediums because I do enough C# at work. I am also looking small for now, to keep this managible.

So, the question is stencyl with box2d -- built in or Flashpunk and Nape?

Gameplay, mechanics, feel, style.. that is all fluid right now. I'll post an update when I pick an engine, and maybe make a more decent design document. Not giving it all away, but a public forum can keep me honest. Or at least.. hold me accountable.

I hope everyone else is doing good with their creative endeavors.
I did some art, too. I was in a soul quest for styles and got curious. Didn't turn out great, but hey, It's good practice.
Summary: Work, Game, Yay!
-M

P.S. I don't feel like fitting links into this, but if you found me (srsly) then you can find i-smel and the stencyl contest.