Lontahv wrote:TG, what are your technical age-building skills (even though we have the technical councilor I think this is still a valid and important question if you want to bridge a gap)?
I don't think the gap and be bridged unless you understand how it is to be both a 3d modeler etc.(technical parts of world building) and an artist. BAD has lots of experience dealing with the tech guys at the GoW and he is a professional artist.
Maybe post some pics of ages you've made?
Just in case anyone doesn't know my qualifications, I'll expand on what Lontahv said.
I have been a professional artist for 10 years.
I have been the head of many projects over those years, which include organizing people and parts of the projects, organizing references, and interpretation and/or creation of oral, written and sketched instructions.
I have added content to Uru. I created, and added to the client multiple shirt designs into Until uru, manually. Which I can tell you is a real pain. Hex editing is not what I would call fun. Oh and something about a soccer ball...... I have and had been involved in movements from the beginning of UU to add content to Uru. It's been a bumpy ride.
I can create 2D and 3D conceptual art. I am well versed in traditional art, Photoshop (Gimp, Paint.net), sculpting, prototyping, model building, and I am currently trying to wrap my mind around computer modeling ( I keep trying to grab the piece out of the screen to just shape it the way I want it. My hands hurt....
.
I can't write code to save my life. I am friends with a few coders, and I am comfortable letting people like that talk over my head almost constantly.
I know I haven't shared much of my work with people here. Partially because I am never happy with my work and think it sucks. Plus I usually am so busy I have little time to even think about uploading some pics. That may change in a short amount of time (hopefully).
My vision for the role,I have said before but here is some new thoughts pertaining to the new events.
This position will have to make up for the time lost since the beginning of the guild. Our first councilor of art, kinda disappeared, and since CS left, it's just been a hole. There are tonnes of good ideas just hanging around, but no one is able to pick out the gems, dust them off, and set them into something amazing. Hopefully the person in this position will be able to act as a treasure hunter, middle man, and motivator.
To me, this place has been a total success, even with a broken leg. Most of the active people here are brilliant. From concept to finished age, I am amazed how much (what I would consider, and that is saying a lot) top quality ages we have seen produced from this website. Not to mention the incredible ability of people to be here to help anyone who asks a question.
The broken leg is the inability to draw concept artists, authors, and musicians to the site in a way that they become involved directly with age projects. Sure we have had quite a few people fill a thread with some awesome stories, drawings, and links to songs but then nothing. They sit and are forgotten mostly. Most people are building what they want, so they don't really need things drawn out for them. However, if we can get those concept artists together with the authors, then we may see a whole age design begin. Those two people collaborate and show off their design. If that doesn't attract a modeler, I don't know what would. Lastly (if one of the people above are not one already) a musician can be attracted by the images of the work those three brought to life.
What's keeping that from happening? That's what I have been trying to find out. Their are a few groups working on things, but they seem to be missing some of the above elements.
I believe it is because there is no easy way to solicit or offer services beyond
here and it's equivalent on the wiki.
I see the COAD being able to act like a talent agent. If I am elected to the post, I will do my best to spread the word that if someone is looking for a concept artist, author, or musician they can contact me (or someone I may appoint as a director) and I will do my best to find them someone competent and eager to help out. Also if I see a project that seems to be limping along, I can offer to inject some new blood. I would try to make as many connections within the age writing community in order to know who does what and to what ability.
On top of all that, I also see this person working towards setting up a content server (pictures, writings, music, anything else) for the GOW and the GOFA. I had made a plan to do this with the GOFA a while back, and it's been killing me to not be able to make that happen yet. We need to support our artists in order to make Open Source Uru more like the original stunning beauty we have seen from Cyan over the years. Inspiration and functional design from a solid group of artists will make that so much easier.
Lastly, I believe that the GOW is ready to start creating guild wide projects. Stuff that anyone and everyone can get involved with if they want. It will need to be started by someone who can make hard decisions, and pick a direction. I believe that the COAD needs to be someone who can lead a project to it's end. Someone who can personally involve themselves, and get people personally involved as well.
I think any work in those directions will greatly improve the GOW. It sounds like a lot of things to do, but even if a small percentage of that comes to be, it would be worth it.
by TomahnaGuy » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:14 pm 
