00:00
00:00
BoMToons
So many times, it happens too fast...you trade your passion for glory. Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive.

Age 43, Male

Software Engineer

Somewhere in Nevada...

Somewhere in California..

Joined on 11/29/05

Level:
40
Exp Points:
17,124 / 17,760
Exp Rank:
1,264
Vote Power:
8.10 votes
Audio Scouts
1
Art Scouts
10+
Rank:
Police Officer
Global Rank:
14,713
Blams:
242
Saves:
415
B/P Bonus:
10%
Whistle:
Gold
Trophies:
42
Medals:
1,390
Supporter:
8y 4m 30d
Gear:
17

Castle Crashing the ???

Posted by BoMToons - April 6th, 2018


I've been super busy, so I apologize for a lack of posting here... lots to report on, but I'm gonna make you read the boring stuff before I get to the real reason you're here:

I'm still teaching Game Development, Graphic Design, and AP Art at a local high school full time (though I'm just finishing up Spring Break). Check out this game one of my students made, it's a pretty fresh take on the word search genre!

https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/703243

My Advanced Game Dev class has been working on MULTIPLAYER games! I had to teach them a bit of PHP and HTML/CSS (which was rough for them, but I think it's good to ask them to do "hard" things). I plan to take some videos of us playing their games during the upcoming week, I'll post that here!

To make the students' experience a LITTLE easier, I coded a PHP<--->Web Database<--->Flash multiplayer API called P.R.A.M.S. (Pasto's Radical Asynchronous Multiplayer System). To test it out I added multiplayer functionality to my old Jeopardy! game. To make a long story short, the previous J! game, when you got to Final J! required me to use a bunch of slips of paper and pencils to submit wagers and responses (because wagers and responses are private from the other players unlike the rest of the game). With the new system, the players can use their phones/tablets to log into my website (using an access code generated by the main Flash game) and then submit their wagers and responses. Additionally, I'm now keeping a record of all the games' data and using that to keep a running online high score board! Woo!

1405066_152303699991_jep2.jpg

1405066_152303703551_jep1.jpg

Both of my house's toilets started leaking at the same time, so I ended up learning how to rebuild toilets via YouTube... it was frustrating, but ultimately rewarding!

1405066_152303713942_toilet.jpg

We celebrated Pi Day on March 14th (though that's not the REAL Pi Day) in my Game Dev classes while we studied Trigonometry for 2D games!

1405066_152303727561_PiDay.jpg

Did I mention I have the Abobo Cabinet set up in my classroom? This is what my lunch time looks like:

1405066_152303743682_arcade.jpg

My students also found a thrift store painting and set up a SHRINE in my classroom:

1405066_152303750521_shrine.jpg

I got one of those SWEET Newgrounds Pins!

1405066_152303756462_pin.jpg

I'm also the "PR Coordinator" for my school, and got this GIANT banner made to hang on the outside of the school... it's ridiculously LARGE:

1405066_152303771083_sign.jpg

My AP Art students have been making some RAD stuff:

1405066_152303775993_art.jpg

I've also been making art with the Apple Pencil on my iPad Pro, trying to keep up with my students (this is how I unwind at night):

1405066_152304195033_combo.jpg

I'm trying to improve my ability to draw/paint human faces, especially to capture "likenesses" which I feel I'm weak with... so I've been doing a series of portraits from Star Trek The Next Generation... :-P

These are posted in the order I painted them.

The Data one came out so bad, I had to re-do it to feel better about myself (first and second attempts shown).

Everyone says my Wesley Crusher turned out looking like that gun protest kid... David Hogg...

1405066_152304144583_daset.jpg

Only Picard left to do! I feel like I'm getting settled into a good technique and process for these, overall it's been a frustrating and helpful exercise!


Here's the good stuff!

I teamed back up with @Luis to re-make Castle Crashing the Beard for its 10-year anniversary! 

1405066_152303909623_luisandnick.jpg

We missed the actual anniversary date deadline, but it's a "spare time" thing and we're making it in GameMaker so it's taking A LOT longer than an equivalent game made in Flash. We don't know what we'll do with it when it's done but, as with the original, it's a tribute to games and people we love, so hopefully we'll figure out how to publish it, at least, on the web for everyone to play.

Here are some animated GIFs to get you HYPED! (Everything is WIP and likely to change a lot):

1405066_152303957592_levelup.gif1405066_152303977982_challenger.gif1405066_152303993052_bread.gif

1405066_152304016993_spinny.gif1405066_152304024252_booted.gif1405066_152304036653_coins.gif1405066_152304040863_deerest.gif

If you want to stay up to date on day-to-day progress, follow me on Twitter and Instagram (which I update pretty regularly):

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pestoforce

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pestoforce/

Thanks for reading! Leave me a comment!

 


1

Comments

So much awesome stuff in this post, I love that your students built a shrine to you, you deserve it! Can't wait to play the new CCB.

Thanks, Tom. I appreciate all your support. Much <3.

This was so much fun to read. :) So much awesome stuff going on. Hyped for the game. Inspired by the art. Hopeful about the future world too when there are schools that work/look/do things like that! :D Looking forward to seeing what other artistry; stuff late night winding brings forth!

Aw, thanks man, I appreciate the comments on my art too. I really try to teach/interact with my students the way I wished my teachers would have done for me. Stay tuned for my next update in... 3 months ><

You've been living an cool teacher's life it seems, and Castle Crashing the Beard was one of the best online games I've played. Super hyped.

Ha ha, "cool" and teacher's life don't often coincide, but I've been having fun, and appreciate the reliable paycheck... still, part of me yearns to be making games full time again!

HYPE TRAIN! ;-)

I'll probably be off on vacation at the next update then. XD But staying tuned, indeed! And thanks for all the responses. Always interesting to read the story behind the artworks. That Big Bad Crow would definitely do well as a shirt too!

Hopefully it won't take me as long to do another update... I always leave stuff out when I have to make a GIANT summarizing post.

For sure. They do make for massive amounts of awesomeness in collective form like this though! ;)

:-)

Man I would have loved to have you as a teacher - I would have learned a lot more, that's for sure.

Getting these kids to 10,000 hours of Game Dev as fast as possible!

the art is nice the rest is most likey a lie no one built a shrine to you just because you think you are a big deal your not lol

Ha ha, you got me!

This is all pretty sweet dude, you're up to some sick stuff! Lookin forward to the next update, and the game!

Thank you!

Nice art and gifs!
We're gonna have a lot of competition if highschool students these days are already learning game dev.

Thanks Matt!

Yeah, just adding to an already glutted market right? ;-P

Awesome stuff as usual Bomtoons. Gotta love the fluid beared floaty face as usual. I didn't even know you were a teacher :O

Thank you sir! This is only my 2nd year teaching, so pretty recent news :-)

I 'misread' that toilet pic first.

Oh you!

I'm really impressed, teacher is really good job.
Do you have enough free time for new stuff?

Teaching is not a great paying job, but it is rewarding in many ways.

Ugh stop having a life and finish it already!

I knooooowwwww....

Heeey that Thank-Q! XD I should have been better at my word game there... nice one. Think I pondered saying 'pretty Qt' but that'd just be... why would I say that. Looking forward to whatever other artistry's on Q though!

Looked up Baphomet too. Interesting history! A demonic beast with unexpected ties...