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Time for Change

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I’ve been thinking, and I’ve been blinking. It’s time for some change.

Today I’ve decided to reluctantly move all my previous dev logs on Tumblr over to the site. Now, it won’t be all posts as Tumblr will still retain live development recordings. Any completed game dev entries will be moved over here to the site and a snippet will remain over at Tumblr. Any concepts or work through entries will stay on Tumblr. It’s a great place to dump my progress. Plus it’s a great way to have another blog for SEO purposes.

I’ve also been slacking on posting to the site, primarily due to the massive renos happening in my office and home. It’s also partly due to very limited time in the evenings and weekends, but who’s life isn’t filled with stuff. I’m bad at keeping on time frames when it comes to my own stuff because I don’t hold myself accountable. I hope I’m not alone. I wanted to start updating the site but figured why not wait until I rebuild it. Rebuild it, you gasp. Yes! I’m rebuilding ADLi so it supports a cleaner navigation to the important bits. Game Design, Products, Blogs and Multimedia, the four branches of this brand. The current site is an ever changing blog and product site that, I feel, has lost its way.

Changes are on the way, and hopefully through the year end holidays I can bring ADLi into the New Year with fresh digs. Until then there will be posts here and there plus the migrated Tumblr content. If you’re new or haven’t been privy to the Tumblr blog give it a look-see.  This site will be up and down, spotted with maintenance warnings and potentially broken pages. See you folks on the other side.

Angry PC Lad

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Yuzo Related Posts plugin got me jacked

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In a span of 24hrs I just got one of the biggest scares in my digital existence…

ADL Interactive Got Hacked!!!

Short recap: I went to bed last night after I finished touching up some posts and publishing a new post. Still trying to figure out what site builder I want to use. One that doesn’t override my theme’s posts types and other features but still gives me responsive, manageable columns and cool widgets to use on page. But that’s beside the point. After I had logged off I crashed.

Night time … sleep

After finishing up my Friday work I jumped right back into my account to continue to put a dent in my Pending list and create graphics for my drafts. Lo and behold when I refreshed my homepage I got a redirect that prompted me to accept a desktop notification. I chose Never, as usual, but then it refreshed. Refreshed the browser’s URL by appending a 1 subdomain and prompted me again. I declined… again! Refresh. Amend. Repeat. I was like WTF??!!

I instantly jumped into my account, looked through my Wordfence settings and performed a scan. Everything was gravy. I’ve seen this behaviour before, so the first thing I though was injection. I instantly went to Sucuri Site Check website and ran a test. Aaaaannnnnd I was right. Sucuri output the injection code and I jumped into phpMyAdmin. Now, not everyone has access to their hosting cPanel or know how to dig for these things, but if you do it’s best to stay educated on how to help yourself. The wonders and hindrances of self-hosted WP sites. I would recommend finding someone you know to help with things like this because paying a service could cost you a pretty penny.

Get outta here you

I found the string with a full database search, hiding in the wp_options table. I open the table and there it is bright as day. YUZO. I removed the text that Sucuri had identified and saved, then promptly deactivated the plugin and deleted it completely from my install. I took a screenshot of my database results showing the affected, or in this case, infected plug to send to them. As I jump in the forum, bam! Yuzo this, and exploit that. It was old news. Well, time to read what this is all about. After a little digging, Google sleuth style, I found the history on this plugin development and how this whole issue had been a thing since April. I’m such a fool. I don’t keep up with the WP community or the Security Forums that are out there. So much information to sift through it can get overwhelming. For those interested in the developer’s view on the situation, read what Lenin has to say.

I No YUZO

A cautionary tale

I feel as though I dodged a bullet, and for two reasons:

  1. If I had not been actively working on my game blog the last 2 days I would have not picked this up. All the visitors I was getting would have just locked down the tab and never come back again.
  2. This could have been around for much longer (I do find myself taking hiatus more often than not), and there may have been more than just a redirect script injected.

Brush up on your php skills, get access to your cPanel and keep an eye on the forums. There’s always a storm brewing. Don’t get caught in the rain.

There is no other way - Showdown

Candy vs Gem – The Battle Continues

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This may all seem a little silly but it is a true dilemma when it comes to design. Two things that are relatively similar in many ways, yet different enough to evoke a distinct preference. The battle in my mind continues…

Candies VS Gems

It’s always blue

I’m always in the eye of the ‘design storm’ when it comes to colour and elements. I have my set of favourites and I believe a lot of people gravitate to a particular colour or colour range. Blue! Just so we’re all clear, blue is my absolute favourite. Any type of blue, that is. I seem to gravitate to it. From the rich, vibrant electric to the cold, hard slate. But enough about my blue fetish. Candy vs Gem. This topic goes beyond colour. Colour, surprisingly enough, is one main similarity these two share. Moreover, the shape and presentation of candy (gummies more so) have mimicked gems down to a tee.

The proof is in the prototype

The artwork for the game I’m working on will be either one or the other. I think I’m leaning towards gems, but will keep the art vague enough so I can get feedback on what play testers think the tiles should represent. Now, die cutting the pieces would be sweet sweet whichever way a lean. For the prototype I will just use square chipboard tiles that I always use. Just add a shape and colour to the tiles. Both shape and colour are part of the mechanism for this game. You may be thinking Bejeweled or Candy Crush inspired, and you’re not that far off. Though this game can be developed the same way with different elements, the shape and finish of the pieces cater more to the theme I’m going for.

I’m running an ongoing poll, through Instagram and Facebook, on which object people prefer. Might add a poll to Facebook as well, if I can figure it out.  It’s a small thing but opinions matter, especially to a designer. You can contribute to this tally by voting on my Facebook page.

Only one can win.

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Site just got hacked

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Injection code into a good deal of my pages has not F***ED up my damn evening. Hopefully I can get into phpMyAdmin and irradicate this SOB. Rrrrrrr. One thing that is ultra annoying about owning a WordPress site. Even with all the security features and plugins, there are small holes plugin developers may not see until it’s too late.

ADLi_snapshot_BGE2019

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Barrie Game Exchange 2019

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Give credit where credit is due

First off, I’d like to send a big THANK YOU to Barrie Game Exchange (BGE) for putting on another outstanding show. My first time visiting this amazing event was when I exhibited back in fall of 2018. I’ve seen and heard about it for years but never thought it was going to be anything more than a game swap. Boy was I wrong.

I’d also like to thank the board and video gaming community for coming out and supporting such an awesome show, the various vendors (like me) and giving Barrie something unique to celebrate 2x a year. Yes! You heard correct. This show happens twice a year. One in Spring, the other in Autumn.

What’s new with ADLi

Traffic was slow for me at BGE 2019, and I know a large part of that has to do with the fact that I don’t have any industry recognized media or merch. At a glance I’m just some guy with a Go/Checkers looking game and a bunch of words on cards. The thing I’ve come to accept with the 20+ years of game and fan conventions (on both sides of the table) is that a glance is all it takes. In that moment, can I capture an interest. It’s either provide something people have seen and love, or something so abstract they can’t help but take a closer look. I don’t offer neither so that is my challenge.

The show itself offers a lot. The vendors there range from full on games shops to collectors unloading stuff from their basements. The amount of people I saw selling game manuals, game cases (no games included) and empty console boxes was insane. Yes. People buy empty boxes for retro consoles. It’s a thing. That’s all on the video game side of things. There were also retro and vintage collectors hawking their old board games, clocks, electronics, dishware (I know) and anything else the geek culture would find fascinating.

On my end, as an indie designer with unique unknown games, I’ve been surprised at the general interest I’ve received. Yes, it’s primarily a video game swap but there are a lot, and I mean a LOT, of tabletop enthusiasts who visit these shows. Games are games and I believe I’m in the right place. Providing a more general interest in merch is my current goal for 2019. Some of those items include more novelty ideas like custom coaster, shot glasses, vinyl stickers, better keychains, wearables/jewellery and more. Keeping them in the realm of tabletop or maybe expanding into the video games may help get more bodies to the table. Then I can hook them on the wonders that are StormGate and Word•a•Bout.

There are more conventions to come this year and I can’t wait to get behind the table again. BGE 2019 is a refresher every year. The next big show is the CottageCountryComicon (CCC) in Orillia on May 19. For more info check out their site. Below is a little gallery showing some of wares created for the show. Here’s to a successful and delightful 2019 season. Check out more social posts at my Facebook page and Instagram (@adlinteractive). OH! And keep an eye out for PostPlay Novelties. I’m finally getting into the accessories and merch game with up-cycled and tabletop inspired goods.

Welcome to 2019

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Welcome to 2019

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The Convention Scene

Thinking back on last year’s events, outings and sessions, I really didn’t do much. The 2017 convention in Orillia was amazing. There were small hiccups but nothing show stopping. There was even time to take a few pictures. Now, there aren’t many as I was working my table more than working the lens.  The organizers are doing it again this year because this one was so successful. I was so jazzed after the show that on my way home I had a few nice things to share. We, Kurtis, Dean and I, registered for tables again. That time it was a 2 day con and it’s in June. [added: May 21] For more on that check out the deets. Going into 2019 there is a lot more going on than just CottageCountryComicon. I am attempting to register for the Spring edition of the Barrie Game Exchange, aid a good friend of mine at Anime North, do CottageCountryComicon again, maybe hit up a few small cons as visitors, and then close out the year with another small con exhibition just North of me. Who knows. I may actually sell out of the current stock of StormGate and Word•a•Bout I have floating around. This years comic scene is going to be met with caution though. I’m still in the hobby business phase of this board game design thing, so no need to break the bank. I just love the scene and being with the gaming community.

Game Design

Working through the holiday season was a blast. Well, mostly because of the free time. I normally take the 26th Dec. through to the 2nd Jan. It’s the best to time just turn off and not give an eff. I figured I’d have all the time in the world to work on games. WRONG!!! I was mostly lounging and filling my belly with food and drink. I did dabble in a bit of game refinement but never got through anything substantial. Kinda sucks because I was so looking forward to that time and I ended of faffing around. Oh well. I guess we all need rest once in a while. The last thing I posted in 2017 for dev was game concepts I was working on in Oct. That was it. I assure you I’m working on things, but I don’t have anything I’m confident in sharing quite yet. That may change next month.

Renovation Nation

The year end holidays saw me working mostly in my basement. Renovation season is 365 and I know this better than most. I’ve been in perpetual renovations since 2013 and somehow I don’t feel any closer to the end of it all. When one thing’s done, one more pops up in its place. Have you ever heard of someone say they’re tired of learning? Well, I got there a couple times since 2013 and it’s a terrible feeling. Like letting go of the rope that tethers your hopes and dreams, allow them to disappear into the void like an echo on the wind. Spacing them out is the key. Either way, they are not conducive to me working on my passion hobby. I’m sure some of you can relate.

Other than that it’s been the same old grind. Nothing new, Stew. I just look forward to coming home after work, clearing my inbox, browse a couple art community posts, eat dinner and then hit the sack. It’s so hard to stay motivated all the time but when that motivation turns to obsession and ruins your nights – a couple 4am stints and an all-nighter will kill most people. I used to be a nighthawk. High school saw a couple memorable 36 hour runs. I think there was a 40 and a 48+ hour moment in there as well. Not healthy for the mind or body. When you start to hallucinate midgets playing soccer, or a fat lady getting hit by a bus, or black birds swarming around you throughout the day, you might as well call it.

Now in my older years, one 24+ hour run ruins me for the next 3-4 days. But when you’re working on something you absolutely love (or watching something you absolutely love) it’s hard to stop. No more Netflix or CrunchyRoll marathons for me. Everything in due time. Just like my game designs, a theory I promised myself to put into practice. Well, some of the time.

ADLi_snapshot_tgc4

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Build your own TCG 4 – Printing

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In Part 4 of the Build your own TCG series, I’ve decided to add on some finishing options. In this day and age it’s now possible to run a complete production in your own home. You can print at home, and not just movie tickets, vouchers, or grocery coupons, but full quality high finish prints and documents. As always you have your local print shop for those on the go. If tools aren’t readily accessible, achieve that professional glossy look and feel for a price with Print-On-Demand services.

There are many print shops who are willing to print custom playing cards but they may want to run you a minimum of 250 pieces. Promotional imprinters, or Print-On-Demand (POD) offer services per deck. There are more and more of these type of printers available on the web now than a decade ago, but you obviously save if you bulk order more than 10. That usually means if you’re trying to maximize your investment you’ll have to agree and pay upwards of 100 pcs (1 deck = 1 pc) of your card game. With so many options to choose from what determines your course of action? Well, that’s pretty simple when you narrow it down to a few things; Quantity vs. Quality, Margin, and Accessibility. My suggestion would be to start small, invest wisely and opt for quality first. Shop around. Have sample kits sent to give you an idea of the materials and print quality. This will be your first impression and your final product, so make it count.

Printing at home

There are many things to consider when printing at home. Great news is most of the prep can be carried over to setup for profession printing which goes back to my first post about publishing tools. Assuming you want to have your stuff professionally printed at some point, best set up your files so you are print-ready for the big day. This will alleviate several hurdles in the future.

File setup
There are a few varying ways to do this, and depending on the printer you’re working with you may have to modify your print settings; colour, grain, saturation, etc. But all printers require the same formatting setup for your files – 300 dpi, quarter inch bleed and at least an 8th inch safety margin.

Printing
If you have specific type of paper or your printer can support a heavier stock of paper, use it. Full colour, vibrant artwork will need a good paper to transfer that impact onto. Especially if using an Ink Jet printer.

Cutting & mounting
Printing to colour copy paper adhearing it to card stock. Many ways to go about this. Either using scissors or hobby knife, or you can use a rotary cutter or guillotine. Once the cards are printed, mounted and cut, sleeving them is the next best thing.

Sealing/Sleeving
If you’re not producing artwork directly to a finished card stock, sleeves are imperative to protecting your work as much as it is for shuffling. Nothing says trading card like sleeves. Simply head down to your local game shop or search the web for “card sleeves”. You can also flip open Amazon or Ebay to narrow your online sleeve search. Trading card sleeves come in all different sizes and colours so be mindful. Choose the ones that work for you or that are common among the type of games your TCG falls inline with. You’re choice during your setup will determine the sleeve size. Different styles and types of sleeves are available. Artwork, opaque or transparent backings are just some of the options.

Printing locally

Printing locally may seem like a chore for some, but may be a breeze for others. I’ve been dealing with printers and vendors for so long I’m fairly familiar with what their looking for. If you don’t know, ask. They are usually very helpful as they want your business as much as you need their service. Finding a local printer to print your game cards specifically will be tough (at least it was for me here in Toronto), but there are ways around this. With a little creative setup and a good share of manpower, 2 or more people can knock out a 40 card deck in an afternoon. Use a local printer and print as many cards as you can (double sided) on the largest heavy stock they have. Then cut and sleeve. Bam! TCG ready to run.

A few large sheets of cards carefully planned out may be able to cover a whole set or deck of your game cards, and with the print shop quality and speed,  you could create very impressive prototypes or personal decks with this finishing process. It provides your players a close-to-production experience of your game(s).

Printing on demand

There are many many many services online that print and ship your custom created cards to you. Be it your TCG/CCG/LCG cards, supplement cards for a board game or flip card learning material for classes, kids and more. On-Demand printing is definitely the way to go for quick, professional output. The list below outlines some of the POD services I’ve either used or reviewed.

Printer’s Studio
These folks are another Print On-Demand company, creating custom playing cards along with blank cards that you can add your artwork too. They are my go-to at the moment. Providing a very good quality card with better than average digital printing as a reasonable price per deck. Over the last 5 years though, the pricing everywhere has gone up as there is a spike in indie game development. Part of their service is a template creator. It allows you to upload your front and back images to a list of 54 cards. The tool is useful for when you need to update a particular card. Just upload the new art instead of sending the whole file again.

The Game Crafter
Probably one the most popular POD shops for board and card games in the USA. They specialise in low-run or one-off table top game produced in full quality. Shipping to Canada from is a bit pricey and brings up the cost per deck, so I’ve stuck with what I’ve known. No doubt though, I’ve played card games produced through them and the quality is top notch.

Panda GM
Probably the biggest name in the North American industry for indie and professional game manufacturing. This company has grown exponentially since the tabletop boom a few year back. They are more of a large quantity production house, usually dealing with minimum order quantity of 1500 pcs. But if you’re game is ready for the big league, these are the big boys you should be dealing with.

Shuffled Ink
Formally QPC Games, this company has been in the game for about 2 decades. They print card games, develop game components and other elements to bring your game to life. I remember coming across them back when they were under QPC and printing quality is superb. A great alternative to Panda GM because of their custom order quantity, but maybe not as budget friendly as The Game Crafter. Definitely worth getting a free quote.

MPC
MPC, like Printer Studio, provides a template tool to upload your cards to. What makes this service provider stand out is their history. They traditionally produce actual playing cards. Using their pre-loaded common templates, you can achieve high quality Print on Demand (POD) game cards. Choose from varying colours and styles, or upload your own artwork to be printed. They state their online card maker is arguably the best in the industry for detecting low-res images and positioning. I’ve had playing cards made once for a non-TCG but never used any tools since I used another application to build them. This route would be great for the TCG enthusiast who has an established set of cards or someone who prefers a high quality finish to their printed deck and are not too keen on designing it themselves. Definitely worth a look.

Find all the links to the whole series right here. And for any tools and services that you feel are worthy to mention, please let me know in the comments below.

Designer Divergence

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Designer Divergence

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Oh why, oh why can’t I ever finish a single thought?! I have a couple theories.

1. Every idea is golden

This is a straight up fallacy that a lot of people share. Especially the creative and artistic type. New ideas come through every minute. I can easily switch between reading about literal rocket science to how beer is made, then find some odd pattern somewhere, then get an idea to design an trick taking game where astronauts take tricks from 99 bottles of beer in a rocket ascending into space. There! New awesome idea. Yeah… No. The feeling that an idea is unique and fresh is the illusion that it’s golden. Like everything else it starts out unpolished. Time and effort and energy need to be put in to buff that bitch to a high gloss shine. And even then you may buff out the surface before getting that sweet smooth finish. I say every idea is like an egg. Incubate and foster it and it may grow up to be that golden goose you’ve been looking for.

2. Nothing’s ever good enough

The evil twin of the first point, ‘nothing is ever good enough’ may come from a lack of confidence in oneself. Or maybe just a lack of persistence to see something through to the end. Early adopters of ideas have a difficult situation. Move from flower to flower as each new opportunity blooms, or stay on something until something better comes along. Well, that latter part is the persistence issue I’m talking about. In my younger days I was that guy. Doing the new cool thing until I found something “newer” and “cooler”, apparently. Never staying on one thing long enough to see it through. And when I did, I had too many things on my plate. Now I’m in my late 30s and STILL doing the same shit. Lucky for me life filled in a lot of the gaps so I only have limited space for the things I love. I now have a huge appreciation for those that play the long game to better hone their skills and deepen their interests.

3. Time is on your side

Oh, the creator and destroyer of everything. Managing time is key as one gets older. Life, as I’ve mentioned, fills in a lot of slots leaving the bare minimum of free choice – for the lot of us who don’t have exorbitant amounts of money – and it’s necessary to get your act together or you’ll be spinning wheels for a long time. And when you’re in your late 40s you look back and realize SOOOO much time had been wasted. I’ve learned to slow down and “make” time to do the things I like at no cost to my obligations. Family, friends, work, food, sleep, commuting (for some). These things munch up a lot of the 18 waking hours we have on the average week day. As I say to my 6 yr old son all the time, “sometimes you gotta do the things you don’t want to do to get to the things you do want to do. So eat your dinner. I don’t care if you don’t like it!” My parents channeling though me, I suppose.

4. Blast from the past

Ever had an idea for something you have been fiddling or fumbling with for some time, but then left it alone? Yeah. I’m like that ALL the time. More so with my creative story writing and board game designs. That hurdle you just can’t get past. Can’t seem to see the forest through the trees. It’s hard to realise something when you’re too close to recognise its use. Jumping from game idea to game idea works well for me because I’ve done it so naturally with a lot of other things in my life. Sleeping on it sometimes help. Refocus by no focusing at all also works. Sometimes those treasures lie in another box you haven’t opened yet. Moving around helps keep things moving, keeps the gears lubricated. I’ll usually burn hard and deep on an idea until I feel myself reaching and manipulating answers just to fill in gaps. Best to stop there. If it’s not intuitively or mathematically apparent then you might just be bogging up a good idea. Why be convoluted when you can be clear and concluded.

5. Leggo my Eggo, I mean Ego

That big balloon of gas we all call ego. Speaking to some I’ve heard that ego is ultimately a bad thing and not necessary for people to better themselves. I look at it as a supplement. Not like drugs or anything, but I guess you can relate it to that. A self esteem enhancer so to speak. A steroid. I understand the ego’s plight and we can all agree there is a fine line. The key is to stay humble while being close enough to that line that you can dabble in its head swelling greatness. ‘Everything is good’ so it’s on to the next pasture, even though it’s sometimes clear to everyone else this effort is half-assed at best. Toiling and tinkering away is not the egoists. Though one of the many facets of egoism is obsession. Well, that’s when good ole OCD comes out the play, but we’re not talking about that. Lack of ego groups you in point #2. Too much ego groups you with point #1. How does one balance the scales? Self reflection, honest feedback and accepting failure is a start. Failure is a catalyst to greater things, and a little humble pie does the body good.
I started this blog a month ago with a title and the first line. I had so much running through my head I wasn’t able to get it all out in words. As of this posting I sat for 20 mins and just dumped it all out in one go. No re-read, no skim and edit, no restructure. I wanted it to be a reflection of some of the things I’m sharing about myself and how I view my work ethic and creative process. A lecture based on self reflection. Excuse the grammatical hiccups I’m sure this post is laden with. Hopefully some of you might find a nugget or two of truth here and realise you’re not alone. Stop. Breathe. Play a video game. Hug someone you love. Eat, sleep, take a long hot shower. Then sit down at your place of creative expression and just let it all out. Feels good, doesn’t it? Cheers.
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