Project Underway

Today we started the project, with the group led by Johnny establishing a rough blueprint for the area based on it's dimensions, then each individual person working on their specific area, as will be listed in their blogs.
I called the Council to follow up on the Future Melbourne idea and have a meeting with them next Monday at 2pm to discuss the class project.

From a friend;
A great free holo-emitter

WM1 Class Flinders

Today we started off by making guns and bullets using the popgun script as done previously. Some interesting results included an ice cream cart gun, horse gun, couch gun and more.

The purpose of the gun creation was to learn how we can modify objects and scripts to come up with something entirely new.

We finished a bit early due to several people needing to leave early, so homework before next week will be to research the following ideas;

- Shuttle/ships (Tinny, Nath)
- Costumes Area (Dimitri, Simon)
- Holodeck (Nelson)
- Gun shop (Will, Garrick)
- Biodome (Arthur)
- Elevators (David, Parv)
- Evil Lair (trapdoors) (Jay, Ed)
- Bar (Rene)

Something

Popped up on the forums, reminded me of the project....

Todays IST Flinders Class

Today we started off by going around the class and briefly describing each others story.
Some great plots and themes, all should be posted on student blogs by tonight.

We then looked at the importance of creating PLATFORMS, and being creators not consumers.

We continued our research into Future Melbourne, with each student looking into one particular area of the assignment.

Peter - flying vehicles
James F - Graffiti
Joel - Graffiti
Huggy - Nukes and weapon systems
Jay - Vegan Oasis
David - Vegan Oasis
Adam - Scripting
Johnny - Armour
Lil - Gameplay
Kenan - Ninjas and Cops
Chonny - Gas masks
Jason, Ray - Train stations
Jeffrey - Trains
Leah - Stations, toxic stuff

My own area of research was into the Ages Future Melbourne project, with the possibility we could submit something to their competition.

http://www.futuremelbourne.com.au/
http://www.evillagemelbourne.com.au/

The talking points used by this project could perhaps be used in our own as they seem to generate the right kind of information;

• talk Business
• talk Culture
• talk Destination
• talk Environment
• talk Global
• talk Knowledge
• talk Living
• talk Moving
• talk Public
• talk Service
• talk Sport


It is also interesting reading through the evillage site and seeing what other peoples ideas for the future of the city are, including a wide variety of experts.
Perhaps the future Melbourne could be used as an example in our town of just how wrong it all went.

A Job in the North - Story for IST Flinders Project

My story for the IST Flinders Future Melbourne project.

A JOB IN THE NORTH

Winston looked at the HUD on his visor display as he crossed the Queens Bridge. It was 7pm. The smog over the Yarra was starting to cool down, the air finally breathable. People were emerging from their pods, up for the night and heading towards the few open businesses which were back up and running after the wars. Most people chose to stay in their pods, where they could live in virtual environments which far surpassed the current reality in Melbourne.

A savage battle with Sydney in 2050 had left the town in ruins, and much of what remained after that was wiped out with the Great Yarra War of 2051, fought between the North and South of Melbourne.

Winston was born on the South of the Yarra, and had fought in the war killing people he knew, the families of his old friends, feeling pleasure as they died. Now he had to go North, and face those same people again.

Even as he passed through the usually rough ticket scanners at Flinders Street Station, this was what was on Winston's mind. As the probes scanned and prodded him checking for his ticket and any unauthorised snacks, all that was on his mind was the new job he was starting tonight, as a concierge in one of the main virtual worlds, NorthG.

NorthG was a multinational gaming consortium which had bought out the entire suburb of Brunswick, building their headquarters in what used to be Parkville. After the infamous Sydney Road battle very little remained of the previously vibrant inner city community, and the locals were happy to trade the rights to their town for necessities such as food, water, medicine and utilities. NorthG moved in, helping Brunswick survive, however since that time, Brunswick suffered heavy attacks from jealous Southern groups such as the Frankston Militia.

It was into this hornets nest that Winston was taking a train. In the North he was a hated Southerner, if anyone found out he would be dead in hours - however he had a job to do.

As he boarded the train his eyes scanned the standing crowd from left to right. Who was a Southerner? He doubted anyone other than himself. No-one else would be that stupid. Still, a job was a job, and in the current economy there were few who would turn any work down.

Most of the passengers were dressed poorly. He was glad he had deliberately dressed down for the day, buying old Chinese labeled clothes which were only available in the North from his local tobacco dealer. He felt bad wearing such a cheap and common suit, but his usual hand made threads from his tailor in Toorak would have him spotted before he even arrived.

As the train approached Parkville the smog started to clear slightly, to the point where Winston could even make out the Sun, a faint glow from space peeking over a cloud through the deep purple haze. The only people visible were the NorthG Security Force, dressed in their distinctive bright orange uniforms, stomping around the wastelands of what used to be the Melbourne Zoo in the blurry shadow of the NorthG complex.

It was this orange army which Winston feared. It didn't matter if he was innocent or guilty, if they found out he was from the North, he would be lucky to make it out alive. Winston held no personal resentment towards the guards, they were just doing their job. He just hoped that they let him through so he could do his.

The train arrived at the NorthG station, and Winston shuffled towards the doorway, pushing through the crowd of NorthG workers pushing their way onto the train, finally escaping from the long day shift. Lucky bastards, he thought, and walked through the tunnel leading from the station directly into the monolithic grey NorthG complex. As he approached the light at the end of the tunnel his conscience started to stir, but he knew there was no going back now. His pace quickened, by the time he reached the reception hall he was practically jogging.

He thought of his mother, his father, his friends back in the South. He thought of the man who had hired him for this job the week before, and of the liquid explosives that man had strapped to his torso. Finally he thought of his beloved wife, who had been killed during the Great Yarra War by a NorthG missile whilst pregnant with his first and only child.

Winston reached under his jacket and pulled on a nylon cord.

THE END

Todays Class - IST Flinders

TASK ONE

Using pen, paper and cameras, we will explore the proposed area(Flinders St station). Look at it from a new angle, explore everything(legally!) as if you were exploring a new location in Second Life. Go to places you(and others) would generally never go to and look at things from a new 'point of view.'

As you find a new 'point of view' - answer the following questions.

What is already there that can be used somehow? Objects, buildings, textures, people, businesses etc...
What could be there in the future - how will the overall future theme effect what exists at the moment, and what will replace it?
What would you like to see?
What wouldn't you like to see?

Also;
What area would you replicate? Where are the boundaries? How will this be handled?
Keep an eye out for different forms of writing for the project below.

Answer these with pen and paper for at least two different 'points of view,' then post it on your blog along with any photos.

We will then discuss our ideas as a class, each person answering each of the three questions and sharing what they learnt. We shall discuss once again an overall vision for the city with guidance from Johnny and Adam, taking some more definite notes about ideas.

TASK TWO

Each person then writes a linear story based in the futuristic Melbourne (500 words minimum). The story can take any form you choose, however spelling and grammar are important! Please use spell check, and feel free to email me draft versions if you would like any assistance. These stories will help us form a historical background for our project, and can be included on the project website.

The stories are due at the start of next weeks class (Thursday September 6th) and can be posted to your blog(feel free to edit them continually online).

3d Studio Max tutorial for reference;
http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=185426