Resume of Rajun' Dragon, UDIC. Any potential employers, please remember- you might find me too weird... but think of weird as interesting! Any old employee can squeeze payment checks outta ya, but can they all freak you out at the same time? HUH???
A long time ago, in the mid 1980s:
I got my own first personal computer, a Commodore 64, one of those big keyboards that you hooked up directly to your TV. It came with a cartridge slot and a floppy drive which was sold seperately. It also came with the Dirty Operating System, which instead of using filenames to start a program, this one had to use a big line of numbers and letters and junk. I used to program simple BASIC games on it, which was good for someone at least 3 years from being 10 years old. Later on I used those skills on a Tandy my parents bought to fix many BASIC games, several of which carrying fatal bugs which I managed to fix and make the games workable.
Sometime between 1992 - 1994:
Started on my first computer game project, using design software called Game-Maker. It could build side-scrolling and overhead view arcade-type games. I made quite a few games, but none were released due to the royalty fees involved. I was only 12 or 14 at the time, so any fees were out of the question, especially since I had to weasel the $89 out of my parents just to pay for the software. Besides, should you pay royalties to distribute a freeware game? Oh well. It wasn't half as bad as Klik&Play!!! The royalties were multiples of Game-Maker's, the K&P games were Windows-only, they were made using a very clumsy interface, making it much more complicated than GM, and the games weren't worth a flip! The best K&P game I ever saw was a cheesy Missile Command clone.
Sometime in 1995 or 1996:
I saw a magazine ad for the GCS, a game-creation utility, like Game-Maker, but with one extra dimension- the third dimension. The idea of making the next Doom made my stomach start blending margaritas. It was only $59 I think, so I immediately hit my mom up for the cash, and ordered the package. I tried to make a couple of games, but they just weren't up to the snuff in Doom... or Wolfenstein 3-D for that matter... but... and this is a BIG but... there were absolutely NO royalties! Once the software was bought you could churn as many titles as you wanted and never had to pay another cent! Of course with fast action, high-profile games like Doom and Doom II and the rumors of even better games on the horizon, I'm sure not many made much profit from this one. A good program, but it was a little too late for it's time. Before Doom it probably had a good chance... after, well, you could do much better with Doom editing. Again, no games I produced were released. But some things I had planned may show up in future products...
Summer 1998:
Started going to college for an associate's degree in Computer Specialism. I'm now in Visual Basic programming classes and will soon take Visual C++. I've made several programs including image viewers, business calculators, and the like, and some simple games like Tic Tac Toe (not as easy as it sounds, folks!) and 5 Card-Draw Poker. I've been in programming class since March I guess (it's early May as of the time I'm writing this), my teacher says I'm going to be a very good programmer when I'm done and I'm considered the best so far. There is another guy who's pretty good, but I can still smoke his code most of the time. He does know a lot of things about computers I don't, but I have the upper hand in this department. Heh, maybe someday we could even work together under the same company... yeah, we could do wonders. You can visit his website, The Duck Pond from this link.
Today:
As of yet, I'm still getting my feet wet in hard-core programming, but moving along. Some friends from various parts of my home state have the same ideas as I and someday we just might come together and form a computer software company. Some of these people have a lot of know how, like my friend above, some have a lot of inspiration, and some, just plain natural talent [but I don't like to brag :0) ]. I hope someday I can bring this pool of talent together and form a team of computer junkies and do something that could someday bring us into the ranks of the elite, alongside companies known for their quality programs such as Square, and, umm... gee, where have all the others gone? Guess we should get one of those blue Playstations (or are they the green ones?).
I have successfully completed the following classes in college:
Computer Literacy, Environmental Science, Microsoft Works 4, Accounting 110, Total Quality Management, Business English 105(?).
I am currently taking these classes:
Computer Programming Logic Using Flowcharts, Microsoft Visual Basic Programming I, and Operating Systems.
When I complete this course and get my degree, I plan to move on and work for a Master's Degree in computer programming. I'm interested in VBasic, VC++, Java and JavaScript (I'm just getting into Java, anybody who wants to give me tips, don't hesitate!), and other application/internet programming languages/environments. I am also interested in buying arcade games (yeah, the big ones at arcades that use quarters) and someday starting up an arcade. When I first started I didn't even know what JAMMA meant (Japanese Arcade Machine Manufacturer's Association...but you knew that already, didn't you?) but I can now tell my rasters from my vectors, my dedicateds from my conversions, and my EEPROM from my dipswitches, and once I get a job the Jamma boards will flow like pringles in my bedroom. That's about it... for now.