So, round 1 of Building Virtual Worlds began this week, and so far it’s been awesome! The theme of our first world is “help character A who is afraid of character B.” Our group is designing for the head mounted display, and we came up with a fun little game that involves pulling a man on an inner tube by a rope to help him avoid a hungry crocodile.

In a way, being tossed into these things without so much as a life jacket is stressful, but it’s also fun and forces you to make decisions and cooperate and pry at your brain to be creative in a quick turnaround.

As for my role as painter, it is really fun! Unwrapping UV maps is something that is forcing my brain to think in ways I never thought possible. It’s very non-intuitive to me, but I take delight in the challenge. I’ve already learned so much in just the one week, technical/software stuff, yes, but also things about teamwork that I’d never considered.

It is demanding, of course, and I tend to be at the ETC from 9 until 11 most days, with quick jaunts for food. However, it is exciting and fun and a challenge I do not mind. Stay tuned for more adventures!