Grover's Guide to learning Binary: From Base 2 to Base 10. [Archived]

Grover's Guide to learning Binary: From Base 2 to Base 10. I just recently submitted this as an extra credit assignment to my professor, and I thought I should re post it here for the sake of blog studying purposes. This is also a heads up to my CSE professor that it was submitted to him BEFORE this was posted to prevent plagiarizing. Grover’s Guide to Learning Binary: From Base 2 to Base 10 Base 10 numbers are the ones we have grown accustomed to throughout our daily lives. These numbers go from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, … , 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, …, and so on. This is known as the decimal format. Base 2 numbers are numbers that can only be formed with the use of 0 or 1. This is known as the binary format. If a question on an exam or homework asks to convert a number from base 10 to base 2, it is asking you to convert from our standard numeric convention (Decimal) to the 0/1 numeric convention (binary). A small guide for comparing Base 10 numbers with those of base 2. Base 2 – Base 10 00 – 0 01 – 1 10 – 2 11 – 3 100 – 4 101 – 5 110 – 6 111 – 7 1000 – 8 Some shortcuts I’ve noticed: (If you’re having trouble what order the 0’s and 1’s go in.) When counting up, go in the order you would go in if you were counting in decimal format. Example 1: 0 for 0 and then 1 for 1. Seeing as 2 is not allowed in binary format, you would go the next number that involves 0 and 1. In 2’s case, it would be 10. So 2 = 10 in binary. After that, you would go to the next number up, 3 would be 11. Since we are out of numbers in that place, we would have to stretch the number to a string of four 0’s and 1’s, hence why 4 is 1000, 5 would be 1001, and so on. Example 2: The length of the binary string increases in 2n 21 = 10 (2 = 1 zero) 22= 100 (4 = 2 zeros) 23= 1000 (8 = 3 zeros) 24= 10000 (16 = 4 zeros) So, if I wanted to find out 17, for example. I know 24 = 10000, 17 would be the number after 16, so I would add a 1, making it 10001. 18 would be 10010. (Since 10010 is logically the next number in the series that has a 0 and a 1.) Of course, if you want the answer quickly, all of this can take time and be quite inefficient. However, turning a number from binary to decimal is much easier. Grover’s Guide to Learning Binary: From Base 2 to Base 10 (Binary to Decimal Format) Changing a number from binary to decimal is much more simple than changing a number from decimal to binary. Lets say we were given the binary number 1100101000101000 and I wanted to turn it from binary into base number. Step 1: Make sure you start from the left of the number string and not the right. Step 2: Find a number to start with and grab that out, in this case, we will use the 1100101000101000 (Bolded part). Based on binary, we know that 10 is 2, so 11 must be 3. We will start with the bolded 11 (just above) and move to the right. For every 0 that we encounter in the string, we will multiply the number by 2. For every 1 in the string we will multiply by 2 and add 1 to it. Starting from 11 (3) and moving right along the number string. (For the sake of the tutorial, I’m using the bolded numbers as progress on the number string.) 1100101000101000 (3) 1100101000101000 (3 x 2 = 6) 1100101000101000 (6 x 2 = 12) 1100101000101000 (12 x 2 + 1 = 25) 1100101000101000 (25 x 2 = 50) 1100101000101000 (50 x 2 + 1 = 101) 1100101000101000 (101 x 2 = 202) 1100101000101000 (202 x 2 = 404) 1100101000101000 (404 x 2 = 808) 1100101000101000 (808 x 2 + 1 = 1617) 1100101000101000 (1617 x 2 = 3234) 1100101000101000 (3234 x 2 + 1 = 6469) 1100101000101000 (6469 x 2 = 12938) 1100101000101000 (12938 x 2 = 25876) 1100101000101000 (25876 x 2 = 51752) That is the end of the string, so the number is 51752

New Group: BETA. The Badass Entertainment Team of Awesomeness [Archived]

So, after some disagreements with the group I was in, a few others and I have decided to form a new group, called BETA. You may have seen it around on Facebook for the last couple of days. Shadoe and I founded the group and Nicholas Moore helped come up with the epic name.

Anyway! Here are some previews of some upcoming skits!

Special Someone. [Archived]

The good news: I'm falling for someone! The bad news: It's the classic case of "not knowing if she likes me back". This girl is intelligent, cute, funny, beautiful, very attractive (or at least my definition of it), and makes me smile a whole lot and I get along with her quite well! Alas, if I knew for a fact (or she strongly hinted) that she liked me, I would no doubt ask her out. However, I'm not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to women. Heck, she may have been throwing hints out the whole time and missed them! I really don't know. lol One thing is for certain though. I won't ask her out unless I know for sure. I wouldn't want to ruin a friendship because she thinks of me as a friend who only wants something more, especially when it's not true. If she likes me back, then a relationship would be pretty awesome. If she doesn't, I'd rather not have her see me differently now that she knows (if that makes any sense). I don't mind respecting a friendship for what it is, if it doesn't go into anything more, then who am I to try and push things along? In all honesty, it makes me happy as long as she is happy whether I am involved or not. I am not the type to be sad over a rejection. Not out of a lack of pride, but if I'm not the one who makes someone else happy, what kind of person would I be to be upset/mad/sad over it? On that note, I wish I took more of an initiative and was less laid back about the situation. That's probably the main thing holding me back. But I really can't change who I am, and it would be unfair for me (and her) to try and force such changes. Just my two cents.

Upcoming game design, FFS Entertainment, and university goals/aspirations. [Archived]

Game Design:

Shadow Kid

Shadow Kid is currently being worked on (and retooled). With some criticism coming in on the early concepts, I'm going to scrap some storyline ideas and add some new ones in in order to have the story more diverse and original. Shadoe did a lot of work on the story and coming up with background concepts for the characters themselves while I try and work on some of the gameplay mechanics for the presentation of the early concept of the game in early-November.

My classmate Jonathan will help me build the project itself and help me design the levels, and Myles, Shadoe and Megan will be largely composing the music for the game.

I'm currently writing up documentation of the game and it should hopefully be posted by tomorrow. We'll see what happens there.

If you would like to join the Shadow Kid Development Team, send me a message on Facebook here with a basic application with your strengths and what you can bring to the development team. After you do that, send a request to join the Shadow Kid Development Team.

Dojo Adventure

The game is finished (finally) and I updated the game to version 1.1 (it can be downloaded here). I have been getting some feedback (mostly positive) from friends and other developers on the game, but as of right now no one has downloaded version 1.1 yet. It has some fixes and modifications and what not so I encourage everyone to download the newest version and continue any feedback. I largely appreciate support for the project and I'll continue to patch issues and what not where needed.

FFS Entertainment

I'm currently writing a Kingdom Hearts themed skit for FFS Entertainment meeting this upcoming Saturday. While I cannot reveal any specifics, it's going to be funny and much improved in filming over Secret Agent Yachiru and Talking with Jon.

You can see some of our existing skits of FFS Entertainment on our YouTube page.

College

Last, but definitely not least, I've somewhat finalized my schedule for the upcoming quarter. It's going to be less stressful as this quarter (18 units instead of 19) but not by much. The BS Computer Science program is no joke, seriously. I am behind on my Calculus and Physics requrements (out of my own ignorance for not knowing the teachers and limited course offerings) and now I'm paying for it. I'm trying to make up for it though by having almost finished with my general education requirements and going double on the upper division Computer Science classes I need to get the degree. But the stress is slowly killing me. (I'm looking at you, Digital Logic!) I'm glad I know Computer Hardware isn't for me and I only have to take three courses on it.

Winter 2011 Courses:
General Physics I (5 units)
Introduction to Geology (5 units)
Software Engineering (4 units)
Machine Organization (4 units)

Updates to current projects. [Archived]

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, I have been swamped with various projects that have eaten up any free time I have left.

Dojo Adventure

I'm working on an update to Dojo Adventure that will be done on the 15th, no major content will be added, just addressing the issues and bugs the game has for release.

While the game has gotten mostly positive reviews so far, I'd want to expand into more gamers who don't know me personally so I can receive an accurate response to my work. I'd rather have some honesty than people trying to spare my feelings, so we'll see how this turns out.

It will be posted on RPG Maker Web, PhanxGames, as well as here on the blog. It'll be October Version 1.1 so continue to watch this space. Updates are to come!

Shadow Kid

Development is starting on the new project. Composers have already been picked out and now I'm working on the internal art/development team for the project. More to come on this subject as well.

New Game Project: Shadow Kid (Working Title) [Archived]

Well, since Dojo Adventure is finally done, I'm now wanting to develop the next video game project. Because I don't want to go too into detail and it's really only on pen and paper concepts, I have a tentative title and system that the game is going to be on.




Project Name: "Shadow Kid" (Tentative)
Systems: Windows/Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure/Platformer

Unlike Dojo Adventure (an RPG) this is going to be a platformer. For examples of games in a platformer genre, see below. An engine to develop the game has not been announced yet, but it will either use XNA (Microsoft Visual Studio), or Indie Game Maker ...or even both. :D

Bare Bones Plot Synopsis: (Needs Expansion)

A (currently unnamed) teenager leads a normal life in the big city, until one day the city is mysteriously invaded by shadow creatures. After the shadow creatures interrupt him while on a date with a sweetheart and capture her to an alternate dimension, he jumps through to try and save her.

In this alternate dimension, he must go through several levels in this dark/shadow world in order to rescue his girlfriend and return home. Overtime, the shadows slowly consume the lighthearted boy to gain shadow powers obtained within the alternate dimension.

Items:

Light Shards - Scattered throughout levels. Decrease over time? If light source reaches 0, you will be consumed by the darkness and lose a life. Also needed to use abilities. (See below)

Some Abilities Shadow Kid may have: (Needs Expansion)

Shadow Trap : Utilizes a shadow beam to trap a monster in place so it can be defeated easily or avoided.

Shadow Hide: Ability to use shadow to hide and pass through walls or obstacles, only lasts for five seconds at a time and does not work without a light source.


Inspirations for the game:

These are other games in the same genre to show you what kind of games I want Shadow Kid to be like in design.

New Dojo Adventure version is up! Please read. [Archived]

A preliminary warning if you will:

While the game in essence has been completed, there are still bugs throughout the game that may be addressed later on. I have one important piece of advice that must be said if you are willing to play the game.

SAVE OFTEN.

This way progress is not lost in-case the game messes up in certain areas that call for a reboot. Any bugs or issues within the game should be forwarded to me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Also, if you're reading this, I am very grateful that you're taking the time to play the game project! I have spent over six years with concepts and other details to try and come with a somewhat decent first video game project. Of course, as it is my first video game project, it is not a masterpiece, probably never will be. But I am pretty proud of the game as a whole and how it evolved from simple pen and paper concepts I conceived in my free time six years ago.

Anyway, without further ado:

Dojo Adventure Download Page