Howdy, hope everyone's had a good winter so far.
Just thought I would check in again. I've been taking a break from game development recently and I've leaned into studying for IT certifications. I really like IT because it seems to me to have a heavy emphasis on organization, and I've always been a hyper-organized person. I've managed to acquire a CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certification in the last month, and I've learned a lot about networks and how to secure them. With that, I think I'm going to rest on studying for these certifications and move back to doing programming and game development.
I have a few ideas in mind for things I would like to do. First, I really want to re-learn C++. It's been a while since I've used that language, and I am not as familiar with C languages as I would like to be. I've identified some online courses and videos that I think will serve as a great refresher, and I'll be sure to get a project going with that language to solidify my skills.
Second, after learning a few things in my IT studies, I've found that I can use something called FreeNAS to turn one of my old laptops into a network-attached storage (NAS) device. The laptop really doesn't have that much space, but I think it would be a fun project to try so that I can get some hands-on experience with something I know about.
Third, I've decided to stop working on my 3D game and put it in my portfolio as a sort of "sandbox" project. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun with it, but coming back from a long break with game development, I want to jump into something new and fresh. I will be adding the 3D game to the portfolio in the next few days, and then I want to get started on a 2D RPG that I hope will end up being a pretty full experience. I've always been interested in game development because I consider myself to be both a "left brain" and a "right brain" thinker; I love tech but I really love being creative. I want to move to a 2D game so I can work with something I am more technically comfortable with so that way I can focus on making a creative experience (because the best games are about the story and the beauty of it, not just a bunch of mechanics slapped together)!
TL;DR - The tech train is rolling again, I'm ready to rumble ;)
(My Security+ card is still in the mail, so I decided to assuage your disappointment with my rad shades and ducky hat)
--Josh