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Insomniax Productions

Name:	Fred Kask
Date Posted:	Jun 18, 2006
Rating:	Not Rated
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I am interested in Game design and development. I have been working with computer for over 50 years (US AIR FORCE 1955 - yes I am old and cannot find work). My son was/is interested in making comic books. Since I have worked with computers for a long time, I started to look into using computers to do comic books and various other artist tasks. I am not a paper artist but I know how to use computers. I have been working with and using several 3d modeling and animation programs. We have developed various chanacters and story lines for both comic books and animation.

I would like now to work on game development. I am a MAC user and I was an MAC developer for awhile. I have used XCODE and most MAC software. I have started to look at the Torque Game engine. This does not appear to be the best solution but has been a starting point. I am interested in porting our characters into various game enviroment. Also, interested in improvements of our characters as we are not true artists.

I am looking for any help I can get in these areas. I can program and can debug code. I have found in this past that it is hard to make contact with other people with simular interests. Therefore, most of the work I have done has been by my self with some input from my son who works full time. I cannot find work, so I am available almost all of the time.

Recent Blog Posts

List:	11/04/06 - Looking for contacts 08/19/06 - Interest in working with someone 06/18/06 - Insomniax Productions

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Jackie Hayes (Jun 18, 2006 at 17:42 GMT)

Hey Fred...Welcome aboard! Don't feel bad about your age. I just turned 50 myself last December and have been pursuing game development, as a hobby, for quite some time now...about 12 years...:-) I have been programming since about 1979 but generally just using QB, VB and ASP. I have developed a few apps using those technologies. I did not know much at all about C++ until I took an online course through The Game Institute. I bought TGE in 2003 and have taught myself C++ and the engine over the past three years. I have stuck with the Windows platform. Not much on MACs although one of my sons wants one. TGE is a GREAT engine and there are allot of good people on the forums to ask for help. I have also bought TSE, TGB and almost everything else GG has in the way of development. I have modified TGE (V1.3) quite a bit and will probably stay with it until TSE gets farther down the line or I get my current project finished.

Drop me an email anytime, jackie@igysoft.com, if I can help you with anything. Far as I can tell there are not very many people here our age so we MUST UNITE or be concurred!!!! just kidding......;-)

Welcome aboard!

James (Jun 19, 2006 at 02:30 GMT)

Perhaps we should start a club or something ;)
My background is web design and before that film effects, etc.
I'm coming at Torque and game development more from the creative side, looking to move out of the web space. Been developing in Macromedia Flash but have founding it getting stale and need new challenges.

I'm a Mac user. I'm 46 years old. I have a dream. I am Canadian!

No, really.

I am.

Canadian that is.

No, it ain't so bad. You get used to the cold and the polar bears. It's the beavers that'll kill ya.
Edited on Jun 19, 2006 02:30 GMT

Terence Tan (Jun 19, 2006 at 11:24 GMT)

It's good to hear from people who have actually worked on computers and can remember some history behind it. I'm not as old (36), been programming since 15 or so but I don't think I have gotten any better since. I did get to use punch cards before they phased them out though;P. After various stints as a Producer/Project Manager, I have come back to programming and find my self surrounded by young "punk" kids who can "code" rings around me.

Not to mention the fact that I am now math challenged;P

Terry (Jun 19, 2006 at 16:24 GMT)

A club might be a good idea. The Grandpa Group. I just bought into Torque a year and a half ago (all three versions) and have been working on all the aspects of game creation since then. Everything from content to coding. And lurking around here every day. All PC work so far.

To keep up with the stats above, I'm mid-50s and got into computers around '74 (I was an electrician at the time). Originally to make video games, no less. But, it didn't take long after learning to program that I found the business side to be where the money was. First business apps, then networking, finally on to Systems Analysis, which is where I've been for quite a while now. A couple of years ago I found I was really bored with the day-to-day and remembered that making a video game was what drew me into the field in the first place. My goal now is to produce and complete at least one casual game that people actually want to play, but as Terence said above these young guys/gals are making me look pretty sad.

Welcome to the club, Fred. Wish I could help you more on the Mac side, but there are a ton of good people here who I'm sure will.

Jonathon Stevens (Jun 20, 2006 at 12:26 GMT)

Do you have any screenshots of what you have so far with those characters Fred? What type of characters are they? Gothic? Dark? Heros? etc.

Fred Kask (Jul 01, 2006 at 15:09 GMT)

Thank you for your responses. I have not had this good of responses ever on the internet. This looks like a good place to be. When I was an engineer/programmer, I always wanted to try to organize some kind of group involvement. This never happen. Engineer/programmers can be difficult to get along with. I would be interested in organizing something. I have a free forum om my web site. I donot have money to do much better. Our web site really has done nothing in the promotion of whatever we are trying to do. It is hard to make contacts. Back in the late 1980, I have a couple of government contracts for software development, but nothing much since that time. I did not do a good job of being a "boss".
My son has developed many characters and story lines in the develpment of comic books. He has gothic, heros, and alot more. The problems is that he has a life and full time job and cannot devotealot of time/effort to this kind of work. I am the other way, I have nothing but time. I tired to do robotics but hardware cost to much money. This led me to software which is not as expensive to do as hardware.
I have done animation, comic books based on the animation, and 3d modeling. I have looked at lot of modeling/animation software, I found Animation Master at the San Diego Comic com 6 years, ago and have been playing with ever since. By the way we are going to the San Diego Comic com this month (jUly 06). Is there any one else going and would anyone like to met there for an in person decussion?
My modeling and animation has been mainly in the cartoonly type work. I am not a real artist. I have donesome serious work for some companies for no pay.
I am interest in porting our characters to the game enviorment and want to use Torque game engine; as there is a Amimation Master to DTS export plug in. I have used this to port my stuff. It does require a good deal of work.

I am interest in working with whoever I can.

Our web site is www.insomniaxproductions .com

Fred Kask

Kim Ball (Aug 19, 2006 at 17:24 GMT)

I guess I'm a member of this club, too!

I thought I was the only one on these forums old enough to be a parent of most of the other members. I guess not! Maybe we should band togehter to start an independent studio -- Silver Thatch Productions.

(I can think of some other names, but lets not go there.)

About me? Well, I've been involved in five startups now -- one a shrink-wrap software company that was successful and acquired, one a mfg company about to make it into the black, and others having varying degree of success. I've done some of everything from programming to tech writing to marketing to QA to software design to managing offshore development, and a bunch more stuff. I'm currently working as a VP of Marketing for one of those startup companies, as well as a PT graphic designer. I hope to finish illustrations for a picture book shortly. I don't consider myself a programmer or an artist, but I can do both.

I haven't decided yet what I'll be when I grow up.

Like everybody else, I have a project brewing in the back of my mind, but I'm not really far enough along to be able to describe it yet. Although I'm going to order the T-shirts as soon as I come up with a catchy name and a logo. ;-)

James (Aug 20, 2006 at 11:19 GMT)

"Silver Thatch Productions"... hmmm
Perhaps organizing a little SIG is not a bad idea. Lend each other support and commiserate ;)
All those interested drop me a line and we'll see if we can organize something. At the very least we can have a chuckle together :)

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