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Site DesignThis site was designed for a Computer Science class (CPSC150) at the University of Northern British Columbia, done over an approximate period of 2 weeks and submitted on Dec. 4, 2009. Because it is a basic computer applications class, the HTML coding is a little sloppy, due to the student's relative inexperience with HTML and his/her refusal of using anything but Notepad as a coding platform. For those looking for the previous site at this location (for the previous CPSC150 assignment on this server) and who somehow missed the link on the front page, it can be found by clicking here. I am aware that there are large clumps of text on this site. This fits my nature; I like to read. If you do not, my sincere apologies to you, dear reader. I think this fits the "enthusiast" theme of the site though, yes? The somewhat old-fashioned appearance of the site suits me, as I believe that I am in the "old-school" type of video game appreciation (obsessive examination and comparison, takes everything everyone says with some skepticism, etc.). The favicon is appropriate given this (a classic Game Boy), but the logo at the top of the menu for Video Game Enthusiast is also just as old-school. The initials of "VGE" (Video Game Enthusiast, for you less-than-clever people out there) are put on the Fool of the Tarot, and it is a card of beginnings and possibilities. I'd like to think that I am still brushing the tip of the iceberg in discovering video games, and I have stated multiple times I like video games because of the seemingly endless possibilities it provides. So, yeah, I think that was a cool little thing to put there. Incidentally, the card came from the game "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES," an excellent game that, yes, does deal with "the journey of the wild card." For the Fool Tarot and other cool-looking cards from Persona 3, I recommend Giant Bomb as a resource. I guess the site does feel a little rough around the corners, yes? Admittedly, the menu does not fit in perfectly with the site, but I like it. Having the "drop-down" functionality gives the site a little more character, in my opinion. I know the code for this site is somewhat sloppy but it does feel right. Appropriate, somehow. It was written using just Notepad, with the occasional copy-and-paste for certain segments of code. Heh, I guess it just feels like a continuous work in progress, sort of like how I view my video game research. The fact that each page doesn't quite match the others was intentional; this was a compulsion that I could not shake off. The picture on my homepage is from Fire Emblem, and I admit that I did base the site around it, even combining 3 different wallpapers to create the one you see now. It is a picture about 8 legendary heroes of the Fire Emblem universe, but that's not why I like it. To me, the ascending figures and their faceless nature appeals to me. It seems triumphant, yet the glory is in their actions and not their individual selves. The picture just uses drab shades of brown, yet it feels like the picture can express more when its viewers are not distracted by colors. There is a fairytale feel to it, I think, and a slightly nostalgic tinge. I haven't expressed my full feelings for it, but that is all that I feel I can say about it. There were a lot of things that I could not add due to the time frame. I have a lot more games that I wanted to talk about, as well as add some thoughts into the popular video games (Metal Gear Solid series, Final Fantasy series, Metroid series, etc.). I wanted also wanted to write about the less savory things about video games, such as video game addiction and the inappropriateness of some games to various demographics. Many of my notes are scattered throughout my hard drive, so I would also like to organize them and write about some things that I have picked up throughout the years. Perhaps I would add more onto this site in the future, not as some project for CPSC150 but for my own personal expression. In any case, keep your eyes on this site, because more might be added in the future! Video Game Enthusiast |