Examining the different disciplines of forensic science

Inspecting the various orders of criminological science Criminological science gives a type of applied science contextualized with the law, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¦inextricably in the administration of the public.1 However, expanding exposure through visual media that celebrates and misleadingly depicts the field as idiot proof, is having negative effects in courts around the world. These effects are to a great extent because of inaccurate convention and exaggerating of results past what the jury can fathom. Puzzle and stunningness has encircled legal science, dazzling crowds with projects, for example, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The arrangement of legal related film has empowered the field to become known broadly, anyway understanding the complexities is being demonstrated to be a genuine imperative. The favorable circumstances have seen the business get enormous awards and subsidizing in certain zones, anyway most of juries confound the quality of proof, effectively overestimating the weight it offers the court. This is critical as the jury is normally comprised of regular individuals, as opposed to researchers. In this way, further straightforwardness is required for the jury to decipher the weight to apply to different kinds of proof. It is clear that the multidisciplinary study of crime scene investigation is does not have the suitable solidarity to administer the whole structure under a typical model; criminological science. While there have been enormous measures of examination into the compound , organic and physical sciences, a large number of the confirmations, for example, apparatus imprint and finger impression proof, that are depended on to give individualisation and uniqueness need satisfactory financing and exploration to build up their legitimacy, unwavering quality and factual importance. It is an imperfection in the framework that we are required to contain the whole assortment of controls that decipher criminological proof under one umbrella-like idea. Incorporating the legal trains under the one term is the consequence of fast extension in the field. It is suitable to welcome that a few fields, especially regions of DNA research, have gotten noteworthy consideration, where others have been dismissed. Maybe scientific science and its locale are at a phase where controls can be appropriated between what is measurable proof and what is legal knowledge. Or on the other hand maybe it is progressively reasonable to partition based on logical/systematic based or master deciphered. Legal science all in all should be completely assessed to decide a successful differentiation for the lawful framework it is intended to profit, where the supreme science can be given exclusively depending on the prerequisite that there is unwavering quality, legitimacy, and known vulnerabilities, while the interpretational proof that can't be validated with measurements and databases, yet can conceivably be approved with further examination to help singular ex perience of purported scientific specialists. The National Research Council of the National Academies has recognized in the United States the centrality of the overestimation and distortion in regards to the measurable proof that is being delivered for the courts.2 Their report dismembers the significant orders, setting up suggestions for reinforcing scientific science, including yet not constrained to building up tough conventions, better meaning of master observer expressions and actualize and implement better practices and guidelines for legal science experts and laboratories.2 This report won't inspect in detail each order of measurable science. Be that as it may, it is the poor endeavor of characterization of every scientific practice into the one structure of legal science that will be the core interest. Crime scene investigation and the CSI impact Criminological science developed from the need to arraign crooks all the more adequately. Crime happens in numerous features, and can happen at any time.3 Illegal action can likewise be advanced by drugs which is both perilous for the lawbreaker and individuals around them.3 Crime scenes, regardless of whether physical mischief have happened, or basically robbery, are generally wealthy in organic and physical data which, if deciphered accurately, can imply the occasions that occurred.3 The procedures and individuals whom this data was dealt with between, from the assortment to examination, to the utilization in court as proof, is known as the chain of care. In the event that this chain of care isn't kept up with the most elevated respectability, the data assembled has no utilization in court. Regularly remissness and poor choices from handlers lead to potential proof being censured. Each time crime scene investigation bombs in court, it adds to the weight of doubters who condemn the whole field in view of the incorporating of every scientific science under one area. It is the Hollywood allure that has given TV programs related with legal science a set up energy among watchers for their hour long grandstands. The scenes cause legal science to show up misleadingly straightforward which welcomes illusionary desires for investigation and incentive at preliminary. The CSI impact doesn't recreate the genuine complexities of genuine legal sciences. While the digitized world is a genuine article, it is incredibly exaggerated the force and graphical interfaces of the PC frameworks utilized, taking advantage of databases that are just envisioned about by confirmed measurable specialists. It is then a bogus presumption that regular measurable experts are helped with these abilities. It is models in these shows, for example, unique mark examinations that search through PC databases in minutes, and DNA tests that are broke down for STRs and explicit loci when they show up once more from the wrongdoing scene. As a general rule, DNA investigations are multiplied much of the time on account of the time it takes to break down. In all actuality, basic PCR enhancement can take the time that one scene of CSI sets up, creates and illuminates a whole case. The impact broadcasting has had in depicting the sensational advancement of criminal cases likewise has befuddled the job individual measurable specialists have, that is, to help law requirement in setting up a case, and afterward to help the court to comprehend and decipher the proof and their discoveries. The CSI impact has persuaded they likewise take on the job police agents, and even legal counselors and advisors in certain cases. This CSI impact has reached out into the court where the jury are possibly confronted with this desire the proof that will be clarified is unequivocal. Except if the master makes it totally clear with the centrality of the proof, the jury can add generous load to the case, on certain events be the crucial premise of their choice. It is dependent upon the barrier to interrogate master observers and source potential misusing that can scrutinize the proof. Once addressed, the uprightness of the case is in peril because of offense. Many wrong feelings have been made on proof that has been inaccurately inspected and weighted. Each time legal science bombs in court, the weight is put back on the whole field to contend reality behind the science. The issue expands from poor master observer declaration aptitudes, however a lacking structure with which the framework is clarified. Quality of Forensic Science Enveloping the numerous controls that as of now make up the crime scene investigation system inside one title comes up short on the principal quality that is expected to keep up the trustworthiness of applied science to serve the general population. A model ought to basically give the fundamental hypothesis to all controls it administers. This isn't the situation as we analyze this idea. The principal premise of which the current system of legal science doesn't satisfactorily recognize the controls is the misperception of varying regions of science, being unadulterated and applied. Science can be depicted as a collection of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ ¦knowledge or an arrangement of information covering general truths㠢â‚ ¬Ã¢ ¦concerned with the physical world and its phenonomen.4 With this understanding, plainly when joined with the setting of legal sciences, the general idea of science ought to be contextualized with the lawful system.1 The assortment of common sciences, for example, science, science, and material science have be around for quite a long time and their speculations, strategies and methods have been emphatically evolved. The orders have developed due to legitimate need for law implementations necessity for additional proof, for example, fingerprinting, instrument mark impression and report assessment, which don't have the built up writing and research.8 James and Nordby (2003) think about this, calling attention to that normal sciences depend on hypothesis and are controlled and certain, while measurable sciences are reasonable, applied, questionable, and traded off. This view doesn't consider the human interface that science is constrained by, and that the imperfections of science are commonly the defects in the system and convention utilized. While by and large what James and Nordby (2003) watch is valid, the demonstrable skill goes with the procedure which decides if the honesty is kept up. James and Nordby (2003) negate themselves to concur with the abovementioned, taking note of that Good science, and great legal science, produces contemplated feelings. This fact of this announcement is gotten from the methodology utilized by singular researchers to infer their assessments. The nature of the researchers investigation guarantees the legitimacy of their sentiment, representing both regular and criminological sciences. A second dream of the current structure has caused non-logical proof being slyly utilized as craftiness in the court. It is perilous that the courts, since conceding confirmations, for example, CCTV film, are leaving the barrier to ruin the conclusion proof that has unmitigatedly no logical hypothesis behind it. This report won't be utilized to contend the reasons other than that controls, for example, archive assessment, fingerprinting, profiling, and facial mapping a

The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions Essays

The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions Essays The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions Paper The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions Paper Despite the fact that the New England and Chesapeake areas were settled by individuals from a similar nation, they formed into totally different social orders in light of the fact that their unique pilgrims were massively various. The Chesapeake area slanted more towards work and business, while the New England locale was family situated. While the migrants to the Chesapeake locale desired monetary reasons, the Puritans came to New England to run from strict abuse. Lastly, the Chesapeake region was entirely shaky and under clash while the North kept up lawfulness. Travelers to the Chesapeake settled basically for monetary reasons, and the Puritans settled the New England territory for strict issues. As we probably am aware, the Puritans initially settled in the Mass. Narrows Area Colony and accepted they were on a crucial God. God-like in his generally sacred and shrewd fortune hath disposedwe must weave together in this and work as limited (doc. A). The Puritans accepted that they were a model for the remainder of the world and that the eyes surprisingly have arrived. Exiled people to the Chesapeake district moved for monetary reasons, probably being youthful, contracted workers. Some of them accepted that there was a fortune of gold in the provinces. They burrowed gold, washed gold, refined old, and stacked gold (doc. F). The travelers were typically youthful, around ages 19-30 (doc. C) searching for a methods for monetary benefit. Proceeding onward, the Puritans of the New England zone as a rule went to the New World with their whole families, while displaced people to the Chesapeake locale were single, generally youngsters. The Puritans would have liked to build up networks in New England, consequently they brought along their entire family. Joseph Hull, a pastor, brought along his better half, 7 children, and workers to the New World (doc. B). These individuals truly uncovered their foundations and planted them in the New World.

50 Spectacular New Books You Need to Read This Spring

50 Spectacular New Books You Need to Read This Spring Fiction Cant wait for spring? Add these upcoming book releases to your TBR list! Fiction The River by Peter Heller March 5 | Knopf Wynn and Jack, friends since college, set out on a canoeing adventure down the Maskwa River in Northern Canada. A wildfire starts burning through the forest and the two men begin paddling to safety. On the way, they hear a man and woman arguing on the riverbank. They decide to warn the couple but can’t find them. Then, they spot a man paddling alone on the river. Is it the same man? And if so, where is the woman? The Wall by John Lanchester March 5 | W. W. Norton In a world ravaged by climate change, an island nation is kept in order by a giant concrete wall erected around the coastline. Joseph Kavanagh, a new Defender, has one task: to protect the people inside the wall from the Others, the desperate outsiders trapped by the rising seas. Failure to maintain the boundary will be punished by death…or being cast out to become an Other himself. Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi March 5 | Riverhead In this fantastical exploration of the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children’s stories, Perdita, a British schoolgirl, and her mother, Harriet, live in a gold-painted apartment where they make gingerbread. When teenage Perdita sets out to find her mother’s long-lost friend, a mysterious woman who seems to have a hand in everything good and bad that has happened in Harriet’s life, it prompts a new telling of Harriet’s story. Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath March 5 | Harper Written while Silvia Plath was a student at Smith College in 1952, this newly discovered, never before published story is about a young woman’s fateful train journey and grapples with female agency, independence, and rebellion against convention. A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum March 5 | Harper Palestine, 1990. seventeen-year-old Isra is forced to marry a man she has known only a few days. Transplanted to Brooklyn with her new husband and strict mother-in-law, she gives birth to four daughters, then dies with her husband in a car crash. Eighteen years later, Deya, Isra’s eldest daughter, is pressured into marriage by her grandmother, but soon finds herself on a different path that will lead her to shocking truths about her family. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See March 5 | Scribner This sweeping novel follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju. As children during the era of Japanese colonialism, they are recruited to join the island’s collective of all-female divers, led by Young-sook’s mother. The story traces their friendship through World War II, the Korean War, all the way to the twenty-first century. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams March 19 | Gallery / Scout Press 25-year-old Queenie Jenkins is a Jamaican British woman living in London trying her best to balance her life between two cultures and never quite succeeding. After breaking up with her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie makes a series of questionable choices and finds herself asking the questions facing many women todayâ€"what are you doing and who do you want to be? The Parade by Dave Eggers March 19 | Knopf After a decade of war, the government of an unnamed country commissions a new road connecting the two formerly warring halves of the state as a symbol of unity. Two foreign contractors are sent to complete the road and both must face the consequences of their presence in this place. Save Me from Dangerous Men by S. A. Lelchuk March 19 | Flatiron In her office above her little bookstore, private investigator Nikki Griffin tracks men who have hurt the women they claim to love. When she’s hired to tail Karen, a disgruntled employee who might be selling her company’s secrets, things go wrong and Nikki has to break cover and intervene to save Karen’s life. Karen tells Nikki that there are dangerous men after her and soon Nikki finds herself not just protecting Karen, but trying to survive herself. Inspection by Josh Malerman March 19 | Del Rey Deep in the forest there is a school where twenty-six boys are trained to be prodigies. They cannot leave and they think of the school’s enigmatic founder as their father. J begins to wonder if there is something out there beyond the trees, something the founder does not want them to see. On the other side of the forest, at a school very much like J’s, a girl named K is asking the same questions. What is the real purpose of this place? And why are they not allowed to leave? Lot by Bryan Washington March 19 | Riverhead In this novel set in Houston, the son of a black mother and Latino father works at his familys restaurant, deals with his sisters absence, and discovers hes gay. Around him, the everyday dramas of other Houstonians play out. Sing to It by Amy Hempel March 26 | Scribner In this collection of fifteen short stories, Amy Hempel writes about lonely people searching for connection. “In ‘A Full-Service Shelter,’ a volunteer at a dog shelter tirelessly, devotedly cares for dogs on a list to be euthanized. In ‘Greed,’ a spurned wife examines her husband’s affair with a glamorous, older married woman. And in ‘Cloudland,’ the longest story in the collection, a woman reckons with the choice she made as a teenager to give up her newborn infant.” The Other Americans by Laila Lalami March 26 | Pantheon Late one night, a Moroccan immigrant is walking across an intersection in California when he is killed by a speeding car. His death brings together a diverse cast of characters divided by race, religion, and classâ€"â€"his daughter, a Jazz composer, his widow, who still longs for the old country, Efrain, an undocumented immigrant who witnessed the crash, and Coleman, the investigating detective. Women Talking by Miriam Toews April 2 | Bloomsbury In a Mennonite community where women are illiterate and can’t even speak English, more than a hundred women and girls are repeatedly violated by demons sent to punish them for their sins. When they learn that the demons are men from their own community who drugged and attacked them, eight women climb into a hay loft and conduct a secret meeting to decide whether to stay or leave to join an unfamiliar outside world. Outside Looking In by T.C. Boyle April 9 | Ecco In 1960s Boston, Harvard psychologist and LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary attracts a circle of students entranced by the drug’s possibilities. When clinical research gives way to free-wheeling exploration, Leary is expelled from academia and sets out with his wife and followers on an experiment in communal living and mind expansion. Trust Exercise by Susan Choi April 9 | Henry Holt In the early 1980s, David and Sarah, two students at a highly competitive performing arts high school, fall in love. “The outside world of family life and economic status fails to penetrate this school’s Trust Exercise?until it does, in a shocking spiral of events that catapults the action forward in time and flips the premise upside-down. What the reader believes to have happened to David and Sarah and their friends is not entirely true?though it’s not false, either.” Miracle Creek by Angie Kim April 16 | Sarah Crichton In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo operate a pressurized oxygen chamber known as the Miracle Submarine patients enter hoping it will cure issues like autism and infertility. But when the Miracle Submarine explodes, killing two people, the Yoo’s life is turned upside-down and shocking secrets from the night of the explosion are revealed. The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith April 16 | Pantheon “In the Swedish criminal justice system, certain cases are considered especially strange and difficult. In Malmö, the dedicated detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad known as the Sensitive Crimes Division. These are their stories. In this novel, the DOSC investigates the cases of a man stabbed in the back of the knee, the disappearance of a young womans imaginary boyfriend, and a strange mystery where secrets are revealed under the light of a full moon. Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan April 23 | Nan A. Talese In this alternate history of 1980s London, Great Britain has lost the Falklands War, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Benn vie for power, and Alan Turing achieves a brilliant breakthrough in artificial intelligence. Against the backdrop of this off-kilter world, two lovers are tested beyond their understanding. The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal April 30 | William Morrow On her deathbed, a mother makes one final wish: that her three estranged daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. So the three British-born Punjabi Shergill sistersâ€"â€"Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirniaâ€"â€"do just that and make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives along the way. Spring by Ali Smith April 30 | Pantheon Spring is the fourth and final novel in Ali Smith’s acclaimed Seasonal Quartet, a series of interconnected stand-alone novels. The Policewomen’s Bureau by Ed Conlon May 7 | Arcade Closely based on the true story of Marie Cirile, this novel follows a female NYPD detective serving the Bronx in 1958. Though shy and naive, Marie dives into the world of undercover investigations and faces down violence in the streets, sexism on the job, and a rocky marriage at home to make a name for herself and become a role model for her young daughter. The Unpassing by Chia-Chia Lin May 7 | Farrar, Straus, Giroux A Taiwanese immigrant family of six struggles to make ends meet in Anchorage, Alaska. When ten-year-old Gavin and his little sister Ruby contract meningitis, only Gavin survives. The grieving family struggles to stay afloat but things spiral out of control when the father is sued for not properly installing a septic tank, resulting in serious injury to a little boy. In the chaos that ensues, what really happened to Ruby finally emerges. The Farm by Joanne Ramos May 7 | Random House Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines, is in desperate search of a better future when she commits to being a “Host” at the Farm. For nine months she will carry someone else’s child while luxuriating in free organic meals, personal fitness trainers, and daily massages. The catch? She cannot leave the grounds, her every move is monitored, and she is cut off from her former life. Jane is determined to reconnect with her life outside but she cannot leave the Farm or she will lose out on the life-changing fee she’s promised upon delivery of the child. Lanny by Max Porter May 14 | Graywolf Press From the acclaimed author of Grief Is a Thing with Feathers comes this unique tale of a mythical figure called Dead Papa Toothwort who searches the streets of a small English village for a mischievous ethereal boy named Lanny. The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins May 21 | Harper Frannie Langton, a servant and former slave, is accused of murdering her employer and his wife. But Frannie claims she cannot remember what happened the evening of the slaughter or how she came to be covered in the victims’ blood. As her trial proceeds, Frannie’s backstory unfolds and the truth will either seal her conviction or unmask other perpetrators of crimes far beyond murder. Last Day by Domenica Ruta May 28 | Spiegel Grau Every May 28th, humanity gathers to celebrate as though this day is their last on earth. This story follows three intersecting sets of characters as they embark on a last-chance quest for redemptionâ€"or is it? Nonfiction Era of Ignition by Amber Tamblyn March 5 | Crown Archetype Part memoir, part political and social commentary, Era of Ignition chronicles Amber Tamblyn’s evolution from child actor to writer and director against the backdrop of the struggle for gender equality. Solitary by Albert Woodfox March 5 | Grove Press Albert Woodfox spent more than forty years in 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement in Louisiana’s notorious Angola Prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In this memoir, he shares his story of survival and describes how he channeled his anger at a system that did him wrong into fierce activism. The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books by Edward Wilson-Lee March 12 | Scribner The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books chronicles the quest of Hernando Colónâ€"â€"Christopher Columbus’s illegitimate sonâ€"â€"to create the world’s greatest library. To that end, he traveled extensively, obsessively collecting books in every language and genre he could find. In this biography, Edward Wilson-Lee sheds light on the life of a forgotten literary pioneer. Unbecoming by Anuradha Bhagwati March 26 | Atria Defying the wishes of her strict Indian parents, Anuradha Bhagwati abandoned graduate school to join the Marines. But as a bisexual woman of color, she was soon forced to confront the misogyny, racism, and sexual violence rampant in the military’s most male-dominated branch. In this memoir, Bhagwati recounts her time in the Marines and her fight to see justice done for women soldiers. What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young March 26 | Ecco This hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) memoir in essays chronicles Damon Young’s efforts to survive and thrive as a young black man in America. Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates Jr. April 2 | Penguin Press In this compelling history, Henry Louis Gates Jr. uncovers the roots of modern structural racism in the era between the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Covering the Reconstruction era, the advent of Jim Crow, World War I, and the Harlem Renaissance, Stony the Road offers readers a tour through one of America’s “fundamental historical tragedies.” Greek to Me by Mary Norris April 2 | W. W. Norton This memoir chronicles the authors lifelong love affair with words and her adventures in Greece. Along the road, she explains how the Greek helped shape the English language and alphabet, introduces the idea of Athena as a feminist icon, and goes on a quest to find the famous Baths of Aphrodite. The Body Papers by Grace Talusan April 2 | Restless Books In this memoir, Grace Talusan recounts a life shadowed by abuse, racism, and the specter of illness. When her family emigrated from the Philippines to a New England suburb in the 1970s, she confronted racism at school while enduring sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather at home. Later, she tested positive for a gene mutation known to dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer. The Body Memoirs chronicles the effects this trauma has had on Talusan’s relationshipsâ€"â€"with other people and her own body. WOLFPACK by Abby Wambach April 9 | Celadon Books Based on her viral 2018 Barnard College commencement speech, WOLFPACK is two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach’s rally cry for women to unite, unleash their power, and claim their rightful place in the world. Abused by Rachel Haines April 12 | Rowman Littlefield In this harrowing memoir, Rachel Haines recalls her experiences as a competitive gymnast, including the abuse she suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar. Along the way, she exposes the toxic culture within gymnastics that allowed this kind of abuse to go unpunished for so long. The Beneficiary by Janny Scott April 16 | Riverhead This family history explores the impact of inheritance on generations of one of America’s elite families. Land, houses, and money passed down from Scott’s great grandfather created a world in which her grandmother, a socialite and accomplished horsewoman, flourished. But that same legacy had a much more complicated impact on her father, leading Scott to ask the question, how will the fortunes amassed by the new rich today play out a hundred years down the road? The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates April 23 | Flatiron In The Moment of Lift, Melinda Gates records what she’s learned in twenty years of work finding solutions for people with the most urgent needs around the globe and makes a compelling argument that women’s empowerment is the key to lifting societies up. Everything in Its Place by Oliver Sacks April 23 | Knopf In his final volume of work, Oliver Sacks shares essays on case histories exploring schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Mama’s Boy by Dustin Lance Black April 30 | Knopf In this memoir, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of the film Milk writes about his relationship with his mother, a fearsome southern woman who survived childhood polio and went on to join the Mormon church. When Lance came out to his mother at the age of twenty-one, she rejected his sexuality as sinful but the story of their relationship doesn’t end there. What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About, Edited by Michele Filgate April 30 | Simon Schuster In this anthology, fifteen esteemed writers “explore what we don’t talk to our mothers about, and how it affects us, for better or worse.” Things My Son Needs to Know About the World by Fredrik Backman May 7 | Atria In this heartwarming book, Fredrik Backman details the lessons hes learned as a father, tacking subjects from masculinity and mid-life crises to practical jokes and poop. Moneyland by Oliver Bullough May 7 | St. Martin’s Press In this disturbing exposé, investigative journalist Oliver Bullough reveals the corrupt dealings of the world’s kleptocratsâ€"â€"the lawless, stateless superrich who undermine the foundations of even the world’s most stable economies. Ladysitting by Lorene Cary May 7 | W. W. Norton In this memoir, Lorene Cary recounts cherished memories of her grandmother, including the year she spent “ladysitting” her when she was old, frail, and in need of care. Along the way, she comes to terms with the complexities of the fierce, stubborn, and independent woman whose 101 years of life left an indelible impact on those who loved her. Furious Hours by Casey Cep May 7 | Knopf In 1970s Alabama, Reverend Willie Maxwell escaped justice after allegedly murdering five members of his own family so he could collect the insurance money. In revenge, he was shot dead at the funeral of his last victim but despite hundreds of witnesses, the shooter was acquitted thanks to the same attorney who had defended Maxwell. Sitting in the audience at the vigilante’s trial was none other than Harper Lee, who had traveled from New York City in the hopes of writing her own true crime thriller. Furious Hours brings to life this incredible true crime story. The Pioneers by David McCullough May 7 | Simon Schuster Beloved historian David McCullough’s latest epic tells the story of the settling of the Northwest Territory ceded by Great Britain in the Treaty of Paris, which comprised the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The Founding Myth by Andrew L. Seidel May 7 | Sterling In this book, constitutional attorney Andrew Seidel argues that not only is America not a Christian nation, the Ten Commandments and other biblical principles directly contradict the central tenets our Founding Fathers laid down in the Declaration of Independence. The Man They Wanted Me to Be by Jared Yates Sexton May 7 | Counterpoint This book exposes the true cost of toxic masculinityâ€"depression, suicide, misogyny, and a shorter lifespan for menâ€"and takes aim at the patriarchal structures in American society that continue to uphold an outdated ideal of manhood. After Life by Alice Marie Johnson May 21 | Harper In this powerful memoir, Alice Marie Johnson tells her story of being sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. Thanks to the efforts of many activists and a trip to the White House by Kim Kardashian West, Johnson’s sentence was finally commuted. You may also like… 55 Amazing New Books You Need to Read This Winter 12 Amazing New Audiobook Memoirs to Add to Your Playlist 45 Great Book Adaptations You Can Watch on Netflix Right Now

Designing a game level - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 35 Words: 10571 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Designing a game level from visual inspirations Abstract Designing a level from visual inspiration focuses on some of the key strategies as well as general methods used in designing a level. This dissertation focuses on the working minds of artists (mine included!) and elicits the strategies one uses, inside their head. By doing so, I could lay out a guideline by which, others could try out the same things to make a level. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Designing a game level" essay for you Create order This is to convince the reader that the artistic process isnt a rare talent to a select few individuals, but rather, a way in which we think and would also help them get along with their own levels. Its organized chapter wise, beginning with a brief history followed by the basics. As we move further on, more and more diverse topics are introduced. Lot of the general requirements in creating a level is covered. The 2nd chapter, entitled Inspiration, Vision, Dreams is a bit more detailed since part of the dissertation is about visuals. Introduction Welcome to Designing a game level from visual inspirations. This is a dissertation that takes the reader through the process of creating a game level from visual inspiration to the final output. Once a level is done, fellow gamers can rejoice by playing the level. A lot of valuable information and techniques from my research and experience will be provided here, which anyone, beginner or expert will have something new to look forward to. Level design in short is like putting a puzzle together. Except here, the puzzle can unfold in many different ways depending on the way required, only limited by our imagination. Usually, a level designer need not create the assets, textures or even the source code. But by putting these together, one can make works of art that touch gamers profoundly and provide them with hours of entertainment. Building a level can be a long process, depending on the scale, resources and technical knowledge. But nonetheless its a very rewarding experience, where one gets to see their level come out, every second of it. Planning is the key, and knowing what to do next is important. So its crucial that the big picture is in mind first, with the major areas and gameplay worked out. Throughout this dissertation, Ill be eliciting strategies from my observation of others, from creating visual dreams and inspirations to realizing it on the game itself. There will be a few step-by-step instructions which one could try out instantly. The Format This dissertation is organized in a straightforward way, chapter wise. A lot more is focused on the strategies one uses inside their minds, rather than the technical know-hows. Chapter 1: The Basics of Level Design. This chapter deals with the basics of level and game design and introduces some of the requirements in any level, which should be keep in mind before starting. Chapter 2: Inspiration, Vision, Dreams. This chapter deals with ideas and strategies behind the artistic process inside the human mind. It also covers some of the outside use of references. Chapter 3: Refinement and Paper Work. This chapter builds upon the previous chapter and works on refining the already given ideas. Chapter 4: Building the Landscape. Here, ideas will be presented to start up the actual level construction. How to make it more strategic and fun gameplay wise. Chapter 5: Mood and Atmosphere. A lot about the lighting, effects and sound will be discussed upon here and the importance of it. Chapter 6: Testing and Finalizing. In this chapter, the final stages of the level will be discussed. Chapter 1: The Basics of Game and Level Design Making a level is a very creative and enriching experience. Stretching our imagination and making works of art for a living is one of the most satisfying jobs ever. Playing a level might be fun, but making it brings out a profound state of pleasure. Its another world experience, where the designer creates a body of work for others to play and get entertained. If youre reading this, then I hope to convince you through my research that anyone mildly interested in video games can create levels. A good first step for making a level would be to make a design document. Levels are basically the content of a game so when one makes a level, a clear idea of whats required is important. The first and foremost thing is to completely BELIEVE that itll succeed, even before designing the level. Being tenacious and driven is important as that makes us to look for as many ways as possible to succeed. Modeling the successes of others and using it works as well. Of course, whats a success and whats a failure when it comes to making works of art is always relative. What might be small for a veteran level designer might be a big achievement for an amateur. But its always better to aim for the best and strive to achieve it with every part of your body and soul. Its how powerful it is inside our mind that makes it shine on the outside as well. Letting our imagination run away is a good thing. So throughout this dissertation, Ill be presenting strategies that might not have much to do with lev el design itself, but it all comes together eventually. BELIEVING is what makes things real on the outside. Seeing is not believing its the opposite. All too often, beginners seem very excited to create their level or game but fall short most of the time. There might be different reasons, such as motivation, procrastination etc. but usually it boils down to the fact that they dont back themselves enough and end up abandoning the project. Others just end up making uninspired levels with bad and unimaginative gameplay. But this research will prove otherwise anyone could be convinced about their own capabilities. To avoid this, we need to be smart and ferociously approach the creation process. Reading books articles always helps in that regard. Finding out how others have succeeded and trying it out is an unbelievably easy yet powerful strategy. This chapter deals with the following: History of game and level design The basic knowledge required about level design How to empower the player Challenges and Pacing A bit of History Earlier on, the term level design never used to exist. The programmer did all the work including the visuals. But the visuals werent all that hard, since the computer could only handle so much and hence had to be kept at a minimal. Early Stages MUD was one of the earliest game that required a bit of level design. Developed by Ralph Koster, Brad McQuaid and J.Todd Coleman, it was a realtime multi-user dungeon game which basically revolved around texts. The player interacts with each other by typing in commands. Then on 1978, Tomohiro Nishikados Space invaders was released. Its a simple 2-dimensional game, where the player shoots aliens moving towards the ship. In the 1980s, came along a landmark game, pac man created by Toru Iwantani. Its a 2D game which really displays one of the earliest examples of level design. Of Course, its not as complicated as it is now, but hey, making it fun is the whole point. Another famous example of the 80s would be super-mario bros developed by Nintendo, which almost anyone would be aware of. The 90s include some of the earliest examples of FPS games such as wolfenstein 3D, duke nukem and half-life. The late 90s (1998) is when epic games released unreal tournament and their unreal technology. This brought about a reform in modern games since the technology allowed for greater flexibility. Some of the highlights of the 2000s were Far Cry (2004), F.E.A.R (2005) and Crysis (2007). Unreal History June 1998 Unreal was launched with a warm welcome from the gaming community. Its the first game to use the unreal engine and one of the best looking games of that time. The games lush environment and beautiful graphics took gamers by storm. The game also had a robust multiplayer mode that could be played against artificially intelligent bots, I.E, players controlled by the computer rather than human beings. The games development laid the foundation for the unreal engine. Its modular design allowed Epic, or its licensees, to easily customize parts of the engine without needing to rewrite the entire program. The game also made it possible for the mod makers (those who edit pre-existing games) to insert their own UnrealScripts to enhance and customize their gaming experiences. November 1999 Unreal Tournament was launched for the PC and ported to the Sony PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast console gaming systems. The game was originally intended to be an expansion pack for the original Unreal. Focused on multiplayer gameplay, it also offers an intense single-player experience by implementing some of the most advanced bot AI ever to be used in a game. Unreal Tournament was also backward compatible with maps from the original Unreal. March-July 2001 The Unreal Developer Network (UDN) website goes online, giving the world a central location to find documentation and tutorials for content creation and other aspects of the unreal engine. To this day, licensees and mod makers use the site regularly, and it remains one of the most respected resources for information on Unreal Engine and its development. September 2002 Unreal championship is launched on the XBOX closely followed by Unreal Tournament 2003 on the PC. Both games focus mainly on multiplayer gameplay, with Unreal championship being one of the flagship games for the debut of the Microsoft Xbox Live! Broadband online system. Digital extremes assist epic with content creation for the games. The new unreal game sport a wide variety of new engine features, including the implementation of powerful particle system, terrains and the karma physics engine. The game also includes martinee, an embedded system to generate in-game cutscenes and movies. Finally, the revolutionary static mesh is introduced, which allows levels to be populated with more geometric detail that had ever been seen before, while maintaining extremely fast gameplay and animation frame rates. February 2003 Unreal 2: The awakening is launched. Its the first Unreal game to focus on single-player gaming since the release of the original, almost five years earlier. The game pushed the limits of the Unreal Engine even further, showing an unprecedented amount of onscreen detail in a fast paced game with a deep plot and intriguing nonplayer characters (NPCs). The game also supports the user of static meshes, terrains, the martinee movie system, the karma physics engine, the materials and particles and was supplemented by the golem animation system from legend entertainment. March 2004 Unreal tournament 2004 is released. This game marks yet another leap in gaming experience that Unreal players have come to expect with the new Onslaught game type and the introduction of vehicles, players are no longer limited to simple levels. They now have vast terrains, skies and even outer space. The Present 2007 Unreal 3 was released which saw even greater improvements over the previous releases. The visuals are better and the system has been solidified all that much more. Its easier and quicker to add better graphics and effects to the level. Sound has also been improved upon vastly. The Basics Making levels or games can be a very daunting task as there are many things to be covered. A thing to remember is that its made for OTHERS to be ENTERTAINED. It can also on the rare occasion, serve as a medium for self-expression for the artist which can truly be an inspired process. Keeping that in mind, that the level is made for others to be happy and entertained enables the designer to go in the right direction. Having Fun Having fun doesnt only include the player, but it includes the creator as well. Fun and pleasure is what drives us to play the game, as well as making the level. And if its too much pleasure, it becomes an addiction. Some people enjoy jumping out of a perfectly fine airplane as a way to have fun. Others like to glide from top of mountains with sticks attached to their legs as a pleasurable activity. I figured that if they could enjoy those, I could just about make anything fun. What makes the creation process fun for the artist? * The fact that fantasies are becoming real * The process of creation itself is liberating * Using this digital platform as a form of self-expression * The fact that the lives of others will be enriched and entertained Video games are supposed to be fun for others. People expect to be entertained and use it as a medium to get away from their not-so-perfect day-to-day lives. And so, making a game fun should be of the first and foremost importance. Theres no short-cut method to make a game fun. The industry employs millions and millions of testers to find what works for them. And the truth is that, there are millions of ways to make a game fun and there are absolutely no limits whatsoever. Pleasing everyone isnt easy, but the level can be tweaked according to the information at hand. Target Audience As discussed before, since others play the level, a target audience is always a consideration. So knowing whom to aim for is crucial, especially during the early stages of the level. Everyone will have their opinions on whats fun and what isnt. To track down specific target audiences, the genre must be decided upon first. The weirder the level, the harder it gets to find a specific audience. Finding the gamers can be pretty simple, depending on the genre. Internet communities and forums are the easiest and most reliable method to find them. There are rather a huge number of internet gaming sites which one could check out and each of these sites may have different gaming communities. Genre Knowing the genre is equally as important as the target audience. Knowing what works so far in a genre and what players expect is a necessary input. There are many different genres with many different games in it. The genre and target audience are closely related. Of course, there are bound to be many open minded individuals who are open to just about anything, but then again, its more likely that theyll seek out a wide range of internet communities and magazines to find games of their liking. The genre is also followed by the platform on which the game or level is made. A strategy game on a PC uses the mouse to maneuver around and the keyboard for various shortcut and menus to make it fast paced. First Person Shooter (FPS) games use the W, A, S D keys to move around (which is quite common in most FPS). Empowering the player When a player plays a game or a level, they go with a belief such that they are experiencing a different world and that theyd wish its their reality. Its basically a fictional scenario, which one wishes its their reality since its a lot more fun. An important is that a player should be made to LIVE a role inside the level and make them experience it very deeply that it resonates with their neurology. The player should get immersed in it deeply such that its just too much pleasure to ignore. Theyll crave for it every second of their life. And this is a good thing as it keeps gamers coming for more and thereby, theyll call their friends as well. Putting the player with power is one of THE selling points of games when players can kill monsters, shoot people and accomplish big quests with their own character, it gives a lot of joy and a sense of empowerment. Powers can also come in various forms, like for example, the power to create magical spells. There are endless number of ways to empower the player and the vast number of video games out there that are different just proves that. Game mechanics Developing the game rules and mechanics can be a very hard task for a game designer. Every game has to have its mechanics, on how things works, how the experience system (XP) for example is set up; how much damage does your attack do and so on. For a level designer though, a lot of this is already in place. Theyre usually left with the option of tweaking it to their liking, but usually, a big chunk of the headache is over with. The physics of the game should be in place as well like gravity, destruction and such. Hence level designers are more concerned about how they put these things together. Putting things together and making them all relate is a big task for the level designer to figure out. Gameplay Gameplay is more or less what the player does inside the game. Its the players perspective and not the developer. Its how they perceive the virtual world and how much fun it is. When a game is in creation, the gameplay type it encompasses is important. Usually in the case of a level designer, some of the gameplay elements are already in place. Improving upon it though is never out of the cards. Challenges and Pacing Challenges in a level always take centre stage, as they are one of the key driving forces. Setting up goals to achieve, plans to be followed and missions to be completed will determine what the challenges are. Challenges can range from simple straightforward ones to really complex combined ones. A whole book could be written on the subject of challenge alone. Pacing generally refers to how the level unfolds to the player i.e. how players spend every moment while playing the level. It also includes the tempo of the level i.e. how slow or fast it is. The rhythm decides how it feels to the player. A good level will have all the ups and downs one could relate to in life rewards, joy, tension, anxiety etc. This makes it all the more important to think in terms of the players perspective right from the start. Overview At the end of this chapter, the following concepts were covered: Games are made for others to be entertained Find out what works and using them Fun factor always a priority Target Audience Genre Game Mechanics Gameplay Challenges Chapter 2: Inspiration, Vision, Dreams This chapter deals with the visualization process and strategies designers use to come up with the ideation and concepts. There are also some of my own experiments presented. Ideas are formed by using our different senses images (visual), sound (auditory), feelings (kinesthetic), smell and taste. By knowing the inside process other artists use to bring out their ideas, a guideline could be given which should convince anyone to try it out for themselves. Thats what level designers do. They take ideas and give it a solid form (in this case, a digitalized computer level). Hence knowing how to take these ideas in and convert them to in-game features is an important asset of level designers. This chapter deals with the following: * The visual process of an artist * References Images and Inspiration * Altered state * Building the mini-level The Visual Process Level designers are artists, period. The visuals are a major component one needs to tackle first. Visually inclined thinkers use their right brain more often than their left. Our brain is symmetrically divided into two halves left and right. Above is a picture of our brain with its various activities. The left brain handles all our analytical and reasoning skills, whereas the right brain handles majority of our imagery and non-verbal skills. The left brain might be the dominant one throughout most of our lives, but artists think a lot visually i.e. they use their right brain a lot more. And being able to see the big picture is all the more crucial. Dreaming and day-dreaming alike is a very much right-brain activity. The next part demonstrates this right-brain shift. The Right brain exercise: The following is a very simple experiment which changes the way in which we think, where our mind starts making pictures rather than thinking verbally. Doing this exercise allows us to experience this shift real time. Its usually found that participants drift away a bit while doing this. Using the following supplies, one could experience it themselves the point Im trying to illustrate. * Drawing paper * An HB or 2B pencil * Sharpener * A board to rest your paper on The following is a vase with an optical illusion where two faces are in symmetry. This will be the focus of our experiment. 1. We begin by copying one of these patters on a paper. Right-handers copy left face (figure 4) and left-handers right face (figure 5). Slight variations in the profile need not be corrected. 2. Continue by drawing the horizontal lines at the top and bottom. This forms the top and bottom of the vase. 3. Many at this point might be inclined to think verbally, such as this is the head, this is the nose, and this is the chin and so on. 4. The next step is to redraw the exact face on the opposite side, beginning at the top and making our way towards the end to complete the vase. 5. Half way through, our minds get confused on how to proceed. The best way forward is to let our minds resolve it without trying to use an eraser. 6. If an altered state wasnt produced, try repeating the experiment. If a state of shock or paralysis was experienced without knowing how to proceed, then its just our brain trying to sort out things. We learn by patterning and eventually memorizing it. But here, every time a new part is drawn, new patterns need to be made as drawing the forehead isnt the same as drawing the nose. So how was this resolved eventually? Probably by making calculated images of what the vase ought to be on the other side, inside our mind and using that as a reference. And this is how artists think they have a way of accessing their visual brain more often than others. If I ask someone a question how many chairs are there in your living room? theyd stop and think for a moment. An image of their living room was probably made after which the chairs were counted. What artists do so often is that they enter into a deep and relaxed state, which so relaxed that theyre able to vividly imagine what their final output would look like way before they even get started. By putting pi ctures together, breaking them apart, adding subtle details to it and connecting the dots all in our mind, the entire mechanism that creates visuals and lets us imagine things could be accessed. All great inventors are visual thinkers. Nikola Tesla, an Austrian-American scientist who helped create the first electric Light-bulb holds more patterns than anyone else to this day. He was very much a creative person. Now heres a visual thinker. Before constructing the electric motor, he imagined building the motor completely inside his head, part by part, even including the nuts and bolts. Then hed run the motor and see how it works and figure out its mechanism. All this was way before the actual construction of the motor, inside his head. Albert Einstein IMAGINED himself riding on a photon with all the other particles around him and manufactured all kinds of equations from it. The thing Im trying to emphasize is that we already have a mechanism inside our heads through which our creativity could reach the ceiling. The level I made was finished way before I even started on the editor. Reference and Inspiration Randomly making up images and trying it out isnt always the best strategy. Having reference images in accordance to the final output and letting ourselves be inspired will be a driving factor in the creation process. It also gives a starting point upon which adding new ideas would be easier. And references in the end, should always relate to whats being created. Reference can come in quite a few forms. Photographs of actual places are the most obvious one. Seeing the imagery of other similar levels and trying to emulate it is another. But for level designers though, usually, a lot of the images are already in place. Its how they are arranged and composed together that determines the final output. Additionally, level designers always have the option of creating their own custom content for the level and are usually a requirement in many cases. Photographs: Photographs are an obvious example of reference. In truth, any photograph can inspire a person. If theres any key architecture or building in the level, then finding appropriate photos from the real-world can prove very useful. If theres a futuristic city with big buildings, then getting a picture of New York seems like a step in the right direction. If a level has mountainous areas with lots of forest and nature, then getting something similar sounds like a good plan. Im not all that keen to know on how a photograph is acquired as long as they help, but visiting the place can make it an altogether a different experience which could be a driving force for a particular look and feel. One thing Id always like to do with photographs is to do a small mind exercise to get a full body experience. It involves going in to the picture and literally living it with all our senses. The mind body exercise This experiment involves stretching our imagination. Its basically using all the senses and our body to experience a photograph in a whole new way. Even if the photograph wasnt taken personally, this process might prove otherwise, since the artist has complete creative freedom. What it enables is to live the entire image so that we can get an idea of what the level should look and feel like. 1. We begin by taking looking up a photograph of interest. Making sure that its something useful and not letting our minds be disturbed is always a better thing. 2. The next step is to look at it thoroughly and give our full attention by making an image of it in our mind. Take a deep breath in through our mouth and out through the nose and closing our eyes helps. 3. Once my eyes are closed, I imagine myself floating inside the photograph, seeing what I see, hearing what I hear through my own body and feeling the atmosphere of the place. 4. I then Associate myself with the photograph i.e. see it through my own eyes. I turn the brightness up, increase the volume and feel the warmth or coolness of the place. 5. Now while totally living the picture, I start adding in new things. Think in terms of how this relates to the level and adjust accordingly. If its a coastal area I might want to add the sea on one side and mountains on the other. If Id want to change sunlight to night time, so be it. One important thing to remember during this process is that the designer has complete creative license and is free to add anything and everything as long as it fits in the level. 6. Altering the entire photograph to a more cartoonish and stylized look is never out of the cards as well, if thats what required. This simple process of deeply imagining what the level ought to look will make it much more accessible for anyone to come up with concepts and help during the creation process. Repetition is important, as that solidifies the ideas inside. Repeating it often with different photographs gives us all that much more variety. Playing similar games: The easiest and obvious source of reference and inspiration would be the games similar to that of the level. There are millions of video games out there with countless number of levels. Getting ideas from those isnt hard at all. What one needs to keep in mind are the toolsets used in creating the level. In the case of Unreal Editor, its always better to look for games which look similar, such as Quake and Farcry. Although ideas may come from many different sources, the core of the gameplay and visuals will be defined by the editor in use. So its always better to keep in check the minimum requirements of the genre by looking up at similar games before getting adventurous. Searching the internet: The internet and video games are so vast that its next to impossible even in an entire lifetime for a single person to keep track. The communities on the internet might provide some of the most valuable details ever in creating a level. Theyll give pointers on what works and what doesnt. Besides, there are many top level designers who would gladly give their advice as well on the internet. Everything else: Everything else literally can include anything. One could get inspired with new ideas from just about anything. From junk around our house to great paintings anything goes really. Brainstorming how to use it and how it all comes together is the key. Landscape paintings offer as a great source of inspiration. Great illustrators and concept artist of the past century have many to offer. There are countless movies to look up on. Eventually though, the ideas in our mind needs to be cohesive and vast enough to constitute a level. Once its a bit clearer on the overall look and feel of the level, the construction process becomes that much more easier as there are fewer chances of getting hung up. Planning is everything. Building a mini level Being able to alter our state gives us access to the unconscious portions of the brain. It gives the same process great artists, art-directors, visionaries and great inventors use. An altered state is just a heightened state of awareness where our sights, sounds and feelings become clearer. And while in this state, one can use the same tools as in the level editor and build an entire level completely inside the brain. Its just a focused attention, where we take our consciousness and focus on a particular activity very intensely. Everyone has done this all the time. People get inside the elevator and look at the ceiling thing. When the elevator stops, the command is to leave. At school, kids constantly day-dream and drift away during class. Its not something out of the ordinary. Weve all been doing it all the time. Our ability to induce an altered state and focus our attention so deeply on creating the level lets us complete the entire level in our minds. The Process 1. Lets begin by focusing our attention on the way we breathe. Breathe in deeply through the mouth and out through the nose. The more one does this, the deeper they relax. Its simply an activity our mind isnt used to doing before. 2. Disturbances such as inside voices could be slowed down and eventually removed. Reduce the tempo and change the tonality till they arent distractions. 3. The third step involves thinking of the feeling of shock experienced earlier while drawing the vase the feeling that makes our mind run around in circles. Doubling it intensifies it all the more. 4. Now I close my eyes and begin to relax. The deeper Im relaxed, the easier it is to visualize comfortably. 5. The next step is to imagine the level editor on a big screen in front of us. See where the image is located and make it centered so that its easily visible. The ideas and visuals already thought of are now projected onto the screen. 6. The virtual virtual level construction now begins. Since cohesive ideas are already formed on how it should look like, by using all the tools available in the editor we can begin constructing the level part by part. 7. Every time an area is constructed, our minds are capable of playing it in our imaginary world to get a feel on how its going. 8. This is done part by part for every area of the level till the big picture is complete. After completion, a pen and a notebook always proves useful to write down the details of the level or draw it out in a simple orthographic view. If it doesnt click the first time, then we just keep trying. The trick is to focus completely on the task at hand that time seizes to exist. Every part of our body should be lined up and directed at a particular area. Visualizing becomes a lot easier this way. Overview The topics covered here were: * How to access the right brain * Collecting references and using them * Coming up with great ideas * Getting into an altered state * Using the brain in such a way that makes visualizing easier * Building a mini-level Chapter 3: Refinement and Paper Work Refining the level for in-game purposes and doing the paper design would be the next task. This chapter deals with ideas and points to remember while drawing/writing out the level and sections of it. This chapter deals with the following: * To make the imaginative level more video game friendly * Points to remember while drawing out the level * Writing a design document * Creating maps Video game levels Video game levels have quite a bit more to them than the visuals alone. Although the previous chapter dealt with ideation and visuals, its always better to keep some general pointers in mind while dishing out the details of it in paper. The first line of action would be to take out a pen and paper (or pencil) and to consider how the environment of the level and gameplay match. Envisioning the players perspective enables the designer to get a grip on the gameplay and fun aspects. There are a few things to be considered, like the missions or quests of the level. What should the player achieve in order to win? Killing bosses, finding secret places or having a multiplayer gametype (if its a multiplayer FPS level) should be kept in mind. The next logical step would be to draw the level on a paper. Getting into the details isnt necessary as the proportions and area are of first importance. A completed top view gives the designer a reference point to begin the level construction. Its much easier to make boxes and circles as place holders for the buildings and landscapes from a top view onto the paper to cement the ideas. Once the perimeters are certain, drawing out detailed concepts becomes that much more easier. Point to remember Here are a few key points when it comes to beginning stages of any level Marking the player spawn point and where all the different obstacles are, such as cliffs, rocks, ladders, dead ends etc. is a necessity. A few other details to mark would be all the places of importance, such as treasures, bosses, hidden pathways and such. Many levels in other games might look open-ended, but theyre actually closed by invisible boundary markers which doesnt allow the player to move after a specific distance. The graphics and the pathways are what makes them seem large. The trick is the make the player think its really big by giving them multiple pathways. So giving the player more than one route is vital. If the game editor for which the level is being made still hasnt been decided, then limiting the enemies, objects and such to a smaller number to begin with is a safer bet. Some engines can handle more than others, depending on the pre-supposed graphics. Writing down as much as possible of the map such as lights, blocked pathway, boundary, the color of the ground, the texture and so on helps to keep on track during the construction process in itself. The more details, the easier it gets to nail down the ideas later. Once these details are done, a pretty good mental as well as a physical image should be available before starting the level construction. Its important that during every second of the process, one knows what theyre doing. Loitering around and trying out things can work out at times, but will be even more time consuming. A level might also need a strong plot, depending on the gametype. Storyboarding, writing bits and pieces on paper or having a comical paper design all helps to solidify the plot. When Im making a single player level, Id like to use a comical method of drawing to bring out the story. Others might prefer a traditional storyboard. Anything goes really. There are no rules only tools. A lot of the gameplay elements needs to be in check as well. The genre will be the deciding factor on this and if followed along the guidelines of this thesis, one should by now have a clear idea of what kind of level is in the making. Another mind trick would be to literally imagine playing the entire level in our heads. The players need to be given maximum flexibility. Writing a Design Document Design documents always help, even in terms of creating a level. A level has many of the elements required in creating a game and keeping on track is crucial. Its basically putting all the information gathered into meaningful, single document. Its especially useful for large scale levels. It helps in several areas, such as * Keeping on track * Remembering whats required * Makes it easier for other to follow along and give solid feedback Theres no particular format for a design document. It could be written in any way since its for our own reference. * The simpler the better. Complicated use of language isnt a requirement as long as the message is sent across. * Making it complete and cohesive implies that any major requirement of the level isnt forgotten. Usually every single detail possible should be included, such as environment, plot, players role, treasures and so on. * References need to be included as well, such as visuals, photographs, drawings, paintings, concept art, storyboards etc. * Its better to avoid programming or marketing strategies. This document is just to help the designer keep on track. Adding details not pertained to the level construction serve only to complicate things. Drawing Maps A picture equals a thousand words and hence, no amount of writing can bring about the points as well as maps and drawings. Making really detailed in-game views arent a necessity. A well defined top and front view should suffice for any level construction. Using the techniques and ideas already presented, one should already have the big picture in mind. Now its time to make a clear map of whats required. Here are a few pointers: * Paper without lines or graph paper is always better. Approximation of the area and drawing out the borders of the entire level should be the first step. * A map for terrain alone will be of great aid. The environment should be drawn where and when required, such as trees, lakes, mountains and so on. * The scale should be kept consistent in accordance to the level. This helps estimate what it would be like when the actual level is constructed. * Another map with all the major landmarks and playable area properly outlined is a requirement. Buildings maybe denoted by simple squares (if its in the top view). A top and front view (and maybe side) would suffice for all the maps. Right now, all we require is a clear idea of the perimeters of the level. The rest of the details can be filled in as the construction of the level is in progress. Overview Heres a brief overview of the chapter: * Things to remember while making a level * Drawing maps * Making a design document Chapter 4: Building the Terrain Building the landscape and terrain includes the basic setting of the level onto which details are placed. If a level has even a semblance of outdoors, then a terrain is essential. A lot of effort needs to be put into to it. A really bad looking and composed terrain will receive negative comments. This chapter covers: * Methods and tips on making terrain * Making it gameplay friendly * Texturing and placing props to flesh out the level Importance of Terrain Terrain continues to grow in beauty as the day passes by; with each new game coming out has ever stunning terrain. And along with the characters, props, lighting and effects, a level should be having all the basic requirements complete. Water for example is getting more realistic as the day passes by. Mountains draw us in even more. People like to look at these terrains as they walk by. Grass, trees, rivers, mountains etc. are all the bread and butter of a terrain. A lot of it depends on the kind of level in the making. Terrain needs to be in accordance to the patterns found in the real world a bit random and chaotic but, believable enough for the player to get involved with it. Terrains in current generation 3D games are nothing but a bunch of triangles modeled smoothly in a 3D software package, but the thing to keep in mind is that adding too many triangles into a level will make it unstable. Luckily for level designers though, a lot these terrains are already provided with the editor. So how we use them makes a big difference. Methods to generate terrain: There exists three different methods to generate a terrain using the right tools and softwares. Depth Map A depth map (sometimes height map) is a 2D black and white image that holds height information. It basically tricks the player into seeing things that arent actually there. It basically is a map where the greyer the color, the more height it denotes. The really black ones are the ones with lower height. The advantages of using this method are that its quicker and computer friendly. Modelling in 3D This can be a tedious and long process. Its basically using a 3D software package to model the entire terrain. The artist here models each terrain by using the software such as Autodesk Maya or 3D Studio Max and the sculpting tools associated with them. The advantage is that you get the finest results possible with stunning amounts of details. The disadvantage is that the artist needs to be careful on what to include and what not to, as frame-rates can be drastically hurt depending on the number of triangles. Using a mix of both The third method is probably the best approach. By using the advantages of both these methods, one can make the finest terrain with the best frame-rate. A lot of game companies do this and hence, develop their own tools. Luckily, for a level designer, many of these tools and editors are already provided. So, its how we use them that matters the most. The advantage of course is that the designer gets the best of both worlds the large scale construction of Height maps mixed with the finer details of 3D modeling. Tiled Terrains Many strategy and role-playing games use whats known as tiled terrain. The game area is basically divided into square tiles inside the level editor, upon which one may place objects and such. Tiles are great way to just get the big picture of a game, especially when gamers might not look for finer details. Its pretty simply to use and easy to manipulate. Gameplay Pointers The gameplay side of terrain is all about making it more fun and enjoyable. Making the terrain and laying it about can be a fun task, but one shouldnt get carried away without having the gameplay in mind. If its too hard, too inaccessible or with many bugs and glitches, players will find it hard to enjoy it and might even get frustrated. So to avoid this, here are a few pointers: * Make just as much as required for the game without going overboard. Too much of details can clog the machine and reduce frame-rates drastically. Less is more should always be a consideration. Add just as much as required to get the desired look. * Too many secret pathways for players to figure out all the time can be frustrating. They should be used sparingly. * Running around in a maze pointlessly might annoy the player and distract them away from the bigger picture of the level. This is of course assuming that the level isnt maze based. * Some things should make sense like it is in the outside world. If theres a hill with a path going downwards, making a sudden 120 degree angle upwards doesnt make any sense at all. * Players should be given subtle hints and pointers on where the borders and boundaries or end of the level are. A lot of times, especially in outdoor levels, there might be an unreachable mountain ranges and such. These should be made clearer to the player. Texturing and placing props to flesh out the level The look and feel of a terrain is vastly improved by placing appropriate textures since the surface details of an object are really important. Textures could be placed on 2D images by painting them in or by using photographs. In the gaming industry, full time texture artists are hired and level designers are left with the step of tweaking and editing these textures to their liking. Here are a few examples and important points on texturing a level: * Texture should be appropriate to the setting. Green textures in the middle of a desert just dont work. It should make some sense. * Textures should be seamless and tiled properly. This part can be time consuming, but its important nonetheless. The textures should flow from one part to another smoothly without making it look computerized. * Enemies or big areas shouldnt be completely dark. Not being able to see them makes it annoying to the player. * Keeping it relatively simple is always a good idea. Terrain should enhance and make the level look good. Over saturating it with bring colors and such just makes it annoying. Chapter 5: Mood and Atmosphere Setting up the mood is an important part of the level. It sets the player up to get immersed into the level. It increases the emotional impact of the level. This chapter covers: * Establishing the lighting * Effects * Audio introduction Lighting Lighting is of the first and foremost importance in establishing a mood to a level. The intensity of the light, color, shadows and movement will dictate how the lighting will end up. Proper lighting can convert a normal cave into an evil sanctuary, make the forest feel alive or bring about a vast change in weather condition. Lighting can be a tricky process, as it might take a lot of back and forth adjustments to get the correct look. Here are the types of lights: Types of Lights Static Lights are pre-supposed lights with a specific function. These lights are rendered before the level starts up since they stay common throughout. Since the rendering is in advance, static lights can be used often and throughout the map. Dynamic Lights exist within the game and their function can vary, depending on whats required. Dynamic lights are predominantly used to change the mood while the player plays the level. How Lights are used The first thing to keep in mind is always how it affects the player. Having just enough to get the particular mood required is the key. If its too dark or too bright, well, of course its bound to be annoying Using the ideas and techniques provided in chapter 2, knowing and getting to whats required shouldnt be hard at all since all it takes is a bit of patience and a lot of tweaking around. Mastery over the technicalities of using lights in the game editor helps immensely. Usually, lights maybe of different types such as point lights, spot lights and directional lights. Trying out all the properties listed in the editor is part of the learning process. Also, one needs to keep in mind that going extreme dark or light may work out depending on how the level looks. The game Thief by Ion storm games uses very dark lighting to make it feel scary. Lights also bring out the forms of the 3D or 2D terrain much more clearly. A few key important pointers while placing lights: * Color/Color Theory * Intensity * Position All three of the above are crucial in determining how the light behaves. Effects One of the best ways to create an ambience and mood in a game is by using effects (or particle effects). Effects can range from a huge fire, to smoke from a forest, to water splashing all over the player! Theres also the atmospheric effect such as fog and haze. Fog and haze are used to blur out vision and enhance the atmosphere. A dense foggy area can add so much more vibrancy to the level. Now-a-days, especially in outdoor levels, fog and atmospheric effects are a must. Other particle effects such as a few well placed torches, waterfalls or an icy wind can change the effect a level has upon the player dramatically. Most editors have their own way of applying particles and effects. Audio Sound is a very important part of a level. A game cannot exist without sound. Using the correct sound effects for the environment in itself is a challenge. Usually level designers are provided with sound in the editor and are only required to use it appropriately. There are two types of sound: Ambient sound/sound effects Sound effects include the audio that adds realism to a game. In-game voice recordings, sound of the environment and many others such as the sound of water splashing, air blowing etc. all adds to the mood of the game. Ambient sound is always present in real life. Adding them wherever necessary is important. Music Any game or level that starts has a soundtrack associated to it. A good soundtrack will get the player hooked on instantly. Soundtrack depends on the genre and setting of the level. Adding a soundtrack/music gives the game a cinematic feel. Music by Zone: Entering a different zone from the one the player is in might require a change in music. Music by Action: Its sometimes better to use appropriate music when the player is engaged in combat. Music by Choice: One could get a bit creative in this area. Adding a virtual radio station inside a game can give the player options to change the music. Similarly, one could include sound systems and such, depending on the level and area created. Overview Heres a list of topics covered: * Bringing about a mood and atmosphere to the level * Lights and how to place them * Types of lights * Atmospheric and particle effects * Ambient sounds * Music/Soundtrack Chapter 6: Testing and Finalizing This chapter deals with techniques and methods to polish and finalize the level. These are the final stages of a level creation. From visualizing to using our brains (no pun intended!) to building up the terrain, landscape, architecture and so on. And now, these are the final touches. This chapter deals with: * Fine tuning the level * Balance/bug fixes * Release Fine-tune Repetition Repeated plays are the key to fine-tune any game level. Playing it over and over again slowly reveals the flaws and errors, which could be fixed. Anything out of place should be looked upon immediately. Every corner of the level such as the environment, the insides, below rocks, behind trees and such must be checked clearly. Any issues with regards to lighting and effects should be resolved. If theres any area inadequately lit, fix it is of the highest priority. By going back and forth this way, any level could be smoothed out and polished. Here are a few key points: * Lights * Proportion * Glaring omissions * Frames per second Testing Official private or public testing of the level by others has many uses. The main thing is that it assures quality or at least gives pointers in that area. Testers come of different types, depending on the resources available. Theres free testing and professional testing. Free Testing As the title suggests, free testing allows one to test things freely! It basically means, the level is distributed to a select few individuals who are willing to test it out. This could be done by giving it to friends or via the internet. Free testing offers an advantage in that, since most of these testers arent professionally trained, they look for bugs where one might least expect it. And testing is just one of those areas where even a non professional could prove useful. Professional Testing A professional and planned testing involves making game testers do very specific activities in order to find bugs. These are usually the most obvious ones. For example, a test plan could look like this: 1. Jump 100 times. 2. Jump 100 times while firing shotgun. 3. Jump 100 times while alternating firing shotgun and kicking. 4. Jump 100 times while in cutscene. As the above example indicates, this type of setting is much more planned and thorough about whats required to find. The level designers work should be to note down everything possible a player might do in their level and make the testers test it. Bug fixes and balance Glitches Once the testing is underway and the glitches in the level have been found, its important to identify the types of bugs. Finding out what it is exactly and under which category allows us to rectify it instantly. Heres an example on the types of bugs which could be classified under category. A bugs: There are the most obvious and important bugs that needs to be rectified immediately. Such bugs might prevent players from finishing or completing the level. An example would be the game freezing or crashing. B bugs: These are bugs that dont prevent players from playing the level, but may still be major annoyances. This might make the level less fun to play. These maybe present all over the map from the terrain to textures and lights. C bugs: These fall under the category where the testers suggest ideas to improve the gameplay than fix things. Nonetheless, any good suggestion should always be approached with an open mind. Fixing bugs While many bugs might be found, fixing them is the next step. Big levels could get complex pretty quickly and some bugs act as a hindrance to the gameplay and fun. Some of the most common bugs are: * Terrain bugs: Bugs related to the terrain that is, the ground, landscape etc. * Architecture bugs: Glitches related to the buildings and architecture. An example would be incomplete architecture or collision related, where one could walk through walls. Fixing Gaps: Gaps may mean: Holes in the border or ground or in the architecture. Fixing them is very important. Fixing Normals: Problems related to the normals which generally means, players can see through objects such as wall.. Collision bugs: These are problems related to collision where the player is able to walk through things and such. AI bugs: AI bugs are bugs related to bots and artificial intelligence. A programmer might be required to fix these. Scripting bugs: Scripting bugs are just programming errors which might arise due to the editor in use. Again, a coder might be necessary. Balancing Balancing is simply issues related to how easy or hard the game is. Balancing a video game level might get complicated because its not easy to spot immediately. This process can take a while. A plan of action to balance a level would be to: * Try and get the feel of the overall difficulty. Asking questions such as is it too easy or too hard? usually gives adequate answers. * If its too easy, increasing the difficulty of a particular area is always a good option. If its too hard, reduce the enemies, traps and such. * Too many overpowering areas or items reduce the fun. While the rest of the level might be balanced, just the wrong thing at the wrong place and time can change the course of the game drastically. Finalizing Once tested, fine-tuned and balanced/fixed, the level now ready for release! An appropriate name and description is a necessity. Formalities need to be in place, such as file format (for example, unreal editor 3 uses the .ut3 and .upk formats). A quick descriptive document helps the player know what its about. Sending it over to friends and posting it over the internet are great ways of getting it out there. The party is just beginning! Overview: This chapter dealt with the following: * Polishing the level * Testing and the types involved * Bugs and types of bugs * How to fix glitches * Balancing * Final release Conclusion The end of this journey is now imminent. This dissertation is meant to convince the reader about their own capabilities. The industry is vast and level designers are only now being represented in the spotlight. Having the right mental as well as technical strategy are both key factors in creating a level. The thesis started out with the basics and a brief history, which then moved on to the fun stuff of creating the level in itself. A lot of pointers and ideas were given out especially in the visualization area. How to visualize inside our minds is especially an important point in being able to communicate through to the outside. Using our imagination is a highly undermined area where theres lot to be explored. The ideas and strategies presented here is just the tip of the iceberg. This is only the beginning for a whole load of things to be explored. Literature Review Introduction Level design has always been a creative endeavor and many feel intimidated about the entire process. The grandiose nature of current video games only makes it worse. Making a level can be a huge undertaking as there are lots to be covered by a single person. The scope for better information and improvement is vast in this area. Visualization is one of the key components in making a level for without visuals, theres no level. And with the right strategies in place, anyone can approach it with confidence. Typically, answers are arrived at from another field. Heres a quick rundown of relevant information Review of Literature Lenses and fundamentals are useful tools, but to truly understand level and game design is to understand an incredibly complex web of creativity, psychology, art, technology, and business. Everything in this web is connected to everything else. Changing one element affects all the others, and the understanding of one element influences the understanding of all of the others. (The Art of Game Design, Jesse Schell 2008) These lines basically sum up the complex and vast nature of level and game design. Level design is an element of game design, which contains all the requirements seen in an entire game. To truly understand level design takes a lifetime of learning. One must go beyond the boundaries of video games and seek out knowledge from other areas. An article by Rob Hale from https://agamesdesignblog.com states that level designers use a visual language as the basis to communicate with the player. He stresses the importance of players perspective and not to violate with their internal reality and rules. This topic is of particular importance, as too often, designers forget to take in players consideration. Heres the excerpt: A Visual Language is what Level Designers use to communicate with the Player. The Level Designer should really be telling the Player how to complete their Level. It is not a competition between the Player and the Level Designer to see who wins However what is important here is that the player has used their internal model of the games mechanics to solve a problem. The Solution may have been in plain sight but it is up to the player to establish the relationship between the elements and solve the problem. They will adjust the model to include this new information on how to kill this kind of enemy and similar encounters will appear much easier in future. (Rob Hale March 2009) When I was about seventeen, my thoughts turned seriously to invention. Then I observed to my delight that i could visualise with the greatest facility. I needed no models, drawings or experiments. I could picture them all as real in my mind. Thus I have been led unconsciously to evolve what I consider a new method of materialising inventive concepts and ideas, which is radially opposite to the purely experimental and is in my opinion ever so much more expeditious and efficient. (Nikola Tesla 1919) Nikola Tesla in his autobiography explained his methods of invention and visualizing. Using our minds, level designers can become inventors, innovators and creative masters. Tesla was able to visualize so vividly that he was able to construct everything inside his internal reality. This is a great tool which one could certainly use in other areas. Tesla further goes on to say: The moment one constructs a device to carry into practice a crude idea, he finds himself unavoidably engrossed with the details of the apparatus. As he goes on improving and reconstructing, his force of concentration diminishes and he loses sight of the great underlying principle. Results may be obtained, but always at the sacrifice of quality. My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements and operate the device in my mind. (Nikola Tesla 1919) Certainly, one area that has been overlooked is our own capabilities. What Tesla did isnt out of the ordinary. Were all capable of going to such lengths, but one needs to stretch their imagination to get better at it. This is just one of the few strategies used in visualizing that works. References The New Drawing on the right-side of your brain by Betty Edwards, 1999; Tarcher; Rev Exp edition. Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson, 1992; New Falcon Publications. Beginning Game Level Design by John Feil and Mark Scattergood, 2005; Thomson Course Technology. The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell, 2008; Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. The Hows and Whys of Level Design by Hourences Nikola Tesla My Inventions by Nikola Tesla, 1919. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink, 2006; Riverhead Trade. Amadeus (1984). Bibliography https://www.hourences.com/ https://agamesdesignblog.com/2009/03/01/continuity-level-design/ https://www.worldofleveldesign.com/ https://www.game-artist.net/forums/spotlight-articles/

Analysis Of The Novel Asterios Polyp Color - 1522 Words

Color is commonly used in various art forms as a way to represent feeling and symbolize a greater meaning than a written text or black and white shading could. In David Mazzucchelli’s graphic novel Asterios Polyp color is used to express both emotion and time through his use of the printer primary colors, cyan, magenta and yellow. Because of Mazzuccehlli’s use of color and the abstract form of his comic panels, his comic is considered an alternative comic. Breaking the barriers of what readers are familiar with when it comes to the aesthetics of a comic, while at the same time being able to make it not seem vastly unfamiliar. Asterios Polyp takes the reader to a whole other world as they are navigated through the mind and memories of Asterios by narration from his dead twin brother. Similar to Mazzuccehlli, Paul Thomas Anderson incorporates meaning through color in his film Punch-Drunk Love (2002). In this essay I will compare the use of color in both Asterios Polyp and Punch-Drunk Love with regards to its significance in both, and how form is used to express both emotion and time. With regards to form, I will focus on the Mazzuccehlli’s eccentric panel distribution and the variation of space in between the panels, which separates it from most comics. Anderson’s film alike separates itself from the classic romantic movie form through both its plotline and cinematography. Had either Mazzuccehlli or Anderson not incorporated the symbolism of color within their works, I feel

Disease and Disorders of the Lymphatic System Free Essays

Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type I Diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. It was previously known as juvenile diabetes. We will write a custom essay sample on Disease and Disorders of the Lymphatic System or any similar topic only for you Order Now Type I diabetes is usually caused by an auto-immune reaction in which the cells that produce insulin are attacked by the body’s defense system. People who have type 1 diabetes produce very little or no insulin. (Types of Diabetes, 2013) The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. However, in most people, it due to a problem with the body’s immune system. The immune system is supposed to fight harmful bacteria and viruses, but in those with type 1 diabetes the system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which lies behind and below the stomach. Once the islet cells have been destroyed the pancreas will produce little or no insulin. The pancreas secretes insulin in the bloodstream and it is circulated throughout the system enabling sugar to enter cells. The main function of insulin is to lower the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. As the level of sugar drops in the blood, the pancreas slows down the secretion of insulin. Because there is no insulin to let glucose into cells, the sugar builds up in the bloodstream where is can cause life-threatening complications. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Glucose is important to the body as it is the main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. There are two major sources of glucose, food and the liver. The body receives glucose from various foods containing sugar. When sugar is ingested it is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin. When you haven’t eaten for a period of time, your insulin levels are low; this is when the liver converts stored glycogen into glucose to keep the glucose level within the body within a normal range. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There aren’t many known risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Some of the known risk factors include: a family history of parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes, Genetics (the presence of certain genes indicates an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes), exposure to certain viruses (Epstein-Barr, mumps, or cytomegalovirus may trigger destruction of islet cells), early drinking of cow’s milk, introduction of cereal to a baby’s diet prior to the age of 3 months, the birth mother who is younger than 25 years of age or if she had preeclampsia during pregnancy, being born with jaundice, and having a respiratory infection just after birth. The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) While diabetes is a chronic, lifelong illness, it is controllable. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes monitoring blood sugar on a regular basis, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as insulin therapy. Individuals with type 1 diabetes will generally require regular insulin injections for the duration of their lives . (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) There are various types of insulin used to control blood sugar levels. The three types insulin used for therapy is rapid-acting, intermediate options, and long-acting insulin. Rapid-acting insulin should be taken within 30 minutes of eating a meal as onset of action begins 10-15 minutes after injection and last for approximately 45 minutes. It is meant to be used to help metabolize food when ingested. Long-acting insulin should be taken at the same each day as it works over a 24 hour period with no peak time. The goal is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, this will delay and possibly prevent complications. Daytime blood sugar levels prior to meals should be between 80 and 120. Bedtime blood sugar levels should be between 100 and 140. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal most of the time can dramatically reduce the risk of complications to other major organs in the body. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Long-term complications develop gradually over years. The earlier diabetes develops and the less controlled the blood sugar is, the higher the risk for complications. Type 1 diabetes complications can be life-threatening or even disabling. Heart and blood vessel disease increases the risk for coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and narrowing of the arteries. Excess sugar can injure the walls of tiny blood vessels, with can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain that usually begins at the tops of the toes/fingers and gradually spreads upward. Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause the loss of all sense of feeling in limbs. Diabetes can also damage the filtering system of the kidneys. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure which can require dialysis or a kidney transplant. Because diabetes can cause nerve damage it can also affect the blood vessels of the retina which can lead to potential blindness. Diabetes increases the risk of cataracts and glaucoma of the eye. This is just a few of the complications of uncontrolled diabetes. (The Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) Living with diabetes isn’t easy. Management of blood sugar requires a lot of time and effort, especially when newly diagnosed. Poorly controlled blood sugar can directly affect emotions and cause behavior changes, such as irritability. Diabetes can also make you feel different from other people. It is important to take with others who have diabetes. Support groups are available both online and in person. This is a good source of information. You can also visit the websites of the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. How to cite Disease and Disorders of the Lymphatic System, Papers