All posts in House of Whack

Out of Focus Much Too Bright

by Drey on June 4, 2011 in Artwork, Board Games, House of Whack, Life with 3 Comments

I remember when I was working on House of Whack I could just sit there and create graphics for ten hours at a time. And I didn’t feel it. Time just blew past. Lately I’ve been noticing that it is hard to stay focused on any one thing, be it a job at work, a personal project, video games, TV shows, whatever. Part of it is an energy thing. I’m tired and unmotivated much of the time. After sitting at a computer for eight hours at work, it is a tough sell to tell myself “Okay, now it is time to be creative! Let’s sit in front of the computer some more!”

Another part of it is I feel like I’ve got to get it all done, see it all, play it all, before…what? Before I die? Before I’m in a relationship? I don’t know. So, unconsciously, I was becoming very results oriented, wanting to get to the end as quickly as possible. I really need to relax and enjoy the process of whatever I’m doing.

I’ve been learning some new software so I can create illustrations of the characters for the Dune game. Learning digital tools is like learning new spells. I want to be able to summon the floating palace right away, but first I need to learn how to push little stone blocks around. My mind cracks open with the possibilities and then is daunted by all there is to learn. There’s already so much information in my head.

Ugh, even finishing this post is getting to be a struggle. Sleepy sleepy…

DreyNet 3.0

by Drey on May 29, 2011 in Artwork, House of Whack, The Stork with No comments

At least I think it is the third iteration. Maybe it is the fourth. In any case, I have updated the gateway to my small network of web sites. Let’s take a quick tour.

The home page is a rotating gateway to each site. The sites can also be accessed from the main menu. You will also note a link called “The Latest”. That’s where I will display my most recently completed projects (stories, games, videos, etc.). Social media hooks are in full effect with the tweetbox on the right and a “Follow Me” tab displaying numerous online destinations to satisfy your cyber-stalking pleasure.

On to the individual sites:

First Time Flowing – My blog. No doubt you are familiar with this one.

DreamPunk Productions – This is my “game and story-shaped design” studio, home of The Stork and House of Whack. Speaking of which, those each have their own site.

In Between – This is a wiki I made to keep track of all the worlds and characters I have created over the years. Managing several universes is a challenging task.

There is another somewhat hidden site, which can be discovered by the person looking for me.

And there we are, back at the start!

Brief Update

by Drey on March 5, 2011 in Artwork, Board Games, House of Whack, The Stork with No comments

Just a short status report on where various projects stand… Continue reading →

STAPLE!

by Drey on March 6, 2010 in House of Whack, The Stork with No comments

I hadn’t heard about STAPLE! until last year. Chris Nicholas, a guy I met in improv classes at The New Movement, created and organized it. It is basically a mini convention for indie comic creators, game designers, and artists in general. You can find out more at www.staple-austin.org .

I had never been a vendor at a convention, so I didn’t know what to expect. Chris warned me that STAPLE! kind of spoils vendors for other conventions because it is such a cool experience. He was not wrong. My vague plan was to roll in there with copies of House of Whack and The Stork and see what happened. Continue reading →

Achievement Unlocked

by Drey on February 18, 2010 in Artwork, Board Games, House of Whack, Life, Reft, Something Real, Video Games, Work, Writing with 2 Comments

Sometimes I fall into that slough of self-examination where I feel as though I have accomplished nothing with my life. Or, when compared to Person X, I am found wanting. This often happens when I’m not currently working on a creative project, as they tend to define me and give me purpose.

So I think it might be helpful to recollect the things I have achieved. Not in a boastful, resting on my laurels sort of way. But to remind myself that I am the same person who did all of those things. Try it yourself when you are feeling somewhat less than. Continue reading →

The House always wins

by Drey on January 26, 2010 in Board Games, House of Whack, What I Did Today with No comments

Tonight I brought House of Whack to Boards ‘n Brews. It was good to see it on the table again. I hadn’t taught the game to new players in ages, but this was the smoothest explanation so far. There were four players, a really good size group for newcomers. We played the straight up “Inside the Box” version with nothing fancy. The Throne of Swift and Whimsical Judgment came into play and there was a pretty amusing trial as a result. Dan had a legitimate beef with Jeff, namely being forced to stand while playing and walk around in a circle. The jury was split and it came down to a roll off, which Jeff won. That’s how it goes down sometimes.

Jeff pulled ahead of everyone on the score track and took home a copy of the game. Good times!

That is Whack

by Drey on February 24, 2009 in House of Whack with 2 Comments

Ah, here is an appropriate use of a blog: venting.

I received an email today that just sent me over the edge of bewilderment and anger. It was from someone I hadn’t heard from in over a year. The message simply said “Can you afford to begin paying for my contributions to our game yet?” And he’s talking about House of Whack. Continue reading →

House of Whack Now Available at Indie Press Revolution!

by Drey on October 9, 2008 in House of Whack with 3 Comments

It is an honor to have House of Whack distributed alongside some of the most innovative and important independent role-playing games ever conceived. House of Whack really is a gateway drug to story games and other out of the box gaming experiments, so it really seems like a good fit.

Support independent game design at Indie Press Revolution.

Open Source is Love

by Drey on January 3, 2008 in House of Whack with No comments

I’ve been learning how to create web sites using Joomla!, an open source content management system. This is primarily for work, but I can envision converting the DreamPunk site over to Joomla! at some point.

Additionally, I have upgraded the House of Whack forums to the latest version of phpBB, an open source forum.

What I need to do next is learn how to make custom templates for both of these packages. Give it that personal touch.

Whack Magnets

by Drey on January 2, 2008 in House of Whack with 1 Comment

A few months ago I ordered some printable magnet material and today I used it to print out a set of rooms from House of Whack. Now I can play on the front of my refrigerator.

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