What if we had chosen a different project?

This is a long post...

STOP! Don't scroll down anymore.

Take a good look at this picture.

Look very close.

For those involved...

Does this picture looks even remotely familiar to you?

You know? Like a tiny memory at the back of your head...

There should be less than 10 people in this world that have seen that picture before. Haha.

Well anyway... let's reveal the answers...

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I was recently introduced to this website called "Viwawa".

If you break it down, it is essentially a chatroom incorporating multiplayer games.

I went in and tour a few rounds. Customizing avatars (babies), gaming lobbies... Kinda like Gunbound if you know what I mean.

So then I introduce this site to Zhi Wei. And after playing for an hour, he had the same sentiments as me...

Yep...

We had this idea before some time ago...

I thought It'll be interesting if I still have any remnants to this project. Any "remains" that were still floating around.

So, I opened my large CD wallet, wiped off the dust, flipped through and found the disc I wanted - "All Singapore Poly Documentations".

In we go...Singapore Poly\Year 3\FYP\FYP Misc Docs\Gabble

Hey wait...

WTF is this!

"FYP Proposal.doc"
"Gabble Meeting 1.doc"
"FYPSchedule.mpp"
"Logo.jpg"

Does anyone even remember what kind of a file a "mpp" extension is anymore?!

I couldn't wait. What traces of history can I find in these files? The project that "died before it even got started"...

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Here, I'll extract some paragraphs from the documents...

"Upon logging into the application, the user will enter a chat-room lobby. In this lobby, the users will be able to chat with other users that are logged on. From here, the user can host a variety of inbuilt games inside the application."

"To appeal to the target audience, we have decided to use cute and adorable graphics for our application."

"Upon completion of the game, the relevant scores will be uploaded into the database. Base on the player results, he can earn Gabs. We intend to include 4 games to accompany the initial launch of our product. "

"The Avatar is a character representation of the user in this virtual world. All users start with a basic default character (plain clothes). The character will have varied facial expressions and accessories to be placed on different parts of the body. The accessories will be purchased with Gabs (in-game currency)."

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Wow... I still remembered when we were discussing this on the 5th floor staircase above Foodcourt 4. We had all sorts of crazy ideas.

Xuan Jie was so onto the networking parts. Then we were discussing what theme of avatar to use. I forgot if we eventually decided on animals or babies. I think Ben even wanted to incorporate Mahjong (!) into Gabble. And I believe we also thought about giving them special skills like those seen in Asian Gambling God movies. (BTW, these were all in Viwawa)

The artists wanted to have customizable avatars, emoticons... even download-able theme songs! The programmers wanted even more crazy stuffs. We were so ambitious at that time. ^_^

Well...

Anyway. We all knew what happened in the the end... right?

What if Edenii didn't approach us?
What if HR didn't exists at all? (Or suffered its eventual fate 1 year earlier)
What if during that first client meeting, Zhi Wei weren't mesmerize by Gerald... you know who.
I think our lecturer (was it Hubertus?) advised us to accept?
What if We didn't and continue on with Gabble?

So many unknowns...

Some predictions I'll make...

If we did Gabble, it would definitely have been born. But how good will it really be? Do we really have sufficient experience at that time? No prior experience of networking, no prior experience of database. Everything (as on the schedule) is "learn as you work". Possible?

Would we have did as well at FYP if we did Gabble?

Maybe we would have face delayed schedules, cut features, computer crashing, bugs bugs bugs, unable to get this and get that out in time. And totally screw up the whole thing.

Or perhaps we would master all the required skills and get all the features we planned out in time through our extreme perseverance and determination. And maybe it would eventually be the "Viwawa" today.

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Regardless of it...

I don't regret doing HR.

I don't want to go through all the stuffs about who has learn this and that again. You can re-read through that in the FYP closing document if you're bored.

But I really enjoy the times spent on HR. Especially at the end, when you see people discussing the games we created in the forums. Actually logging onto the servers and playing the games with the public. And showcasing the games at WCG!

It's unlikely that we'll ever get to sit down to play HR together again. Sad~