Hey everyone!

It's been a while since I wrote a new blog, so I figured that I should make an attempt to give you all a slice of my thoughts of late. I've been a little busy for the past few months, so you all know I have a full-time career on top of all this volunteer stuff I do with the community. Though I love it, I have to put food on the table after all, right?

I've been back in full swing over the past few weeks however and I've ben trying to jolt the community into a little higher amount of traffic and activity. I've been pushing the Social Networks such as Twitter and Facebook. YouTube has received little love. I believe this is because I haven't quite found that video capture software for my Mac just yet. I should get going on that since I would need it to help promote PGD Challenge competitions by making my fun videos and community ads. Been a while, I should change that soon.


PGD Challenge

Yes finally, I'm hoping you will all start saying soon. Okay I know I've been toying at that thread for some time, but this time I really mean it. I've even set the date and posted it all over the place too. That's got to get you pretty excited no? Don't make me get the ole' cattle prod.

I could talk about the details, but I think that's all covered in the announcements and you'll get the rest upon the start date anyhow. Just do me a favour though folks, don't burn yourselves out on the first day. Take the first day or so to plan out your game projects and make realistic goals. As you go, trim the fat if it seems like you've gone overboard despite your best efforts. It happens. Stoney and myself did as such with out mock entry so don't feel to bad. Just don't do what we did.

In all seriousness, I'm pretty excited to see it happening within less than a year of the last one. I think we should have more of these than we did of the Annuals. I think we finally got the formula right this time. Of course feedback helps, you guys are terrible at giving feedback. Maybe it's the old 'programmers laziness' rule of thumb. Who knows, but it would be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth some times.


Community Laziness

Well that does lead me to what I'm finding is a whole lot of laziness to be truthful. I'm not one to follow the stats too closely. If people are enjoying the community and being active, I'm happy. However I've been spotting lots and lots of creepy lurkers out there. Many of them are long time regulars too! You know who you are!

I mean, really guys? Is it that you are too busy and feel that nothing you have to say will help or hinder anyone else's posts? Afraid of becoming a "troll?" Secret project got you down? Well it wouldn't at least hurt to say hello once in a while though.

If a community is rated solely upon it's activity, then lately you guys suck. lol

Now there have been some people speaking up and posting lately, but it has really dwindled down to those few. What happened to all the exciting new projects that were posted? And all the crazy tools you used to make? I suspect that it's the new full time job or it's exam time at school. Still it would be nice just to have the extra posters so it doesn't "feel" all that lonely on the site.

If only you folks knew what I paid to keep the site going until 2016... :/


Something Else I've Been Working On

Well you all know by now, those that actually have known me for some time, I can write. Oh boy can I. Well instead of another game project, I've decided to try my hand at writing comic books. I've written a few drafts of the first issue and am currently rouging out a draft each for the 2nd and 3rd issues as well. I'm hoping to make it go for a limited series. How many I don't know, but it'll be enough to tell my story that I've been plotting along with.

It's pretty exciting as my sister is working with me as an artist doing pencils, ink and colour. Though the first run will be solely in B&W to help speed to publication. Hopefully you will get to see it on multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, Kindle Fire as well as the web and Facebook. I'm planning on going through Graphicly as they now offer a great deal for digital publishing and eventually making an iOS app where you can get the issues in HD and in full colour. Printing is an option we would be considering, but we'd have to find the right distribution partner for that as well.

Who knows maybe subconsciously this is just an excuse for me to travel down to Calgary for a comic convention and shmoose it up with all those great graphic novel writers and artists. Run into a few sci-fi actor dudes as well.

The series name is 'Stranded' I'll blog about it again once I have an issue to wave around and show. Any artists or writers out there interested in writing/drawing single stories give me a shout.


All Done!

Well that's it for me, I'm done for now. Smacked the community around a little, added more blurb about PGD Challenge and waved a new unenviable project around for all not to see. Yup, a full nights blogging all ready to post.

Till next time happy coding!

Jason McMillen
Pascal Game Development
Webmaster / Co-Founder