MRProgrammer

My name is Mike Ruprecht, and I live in Saint Charles, Missouri. I am a programming student at ITT Technical Institute. I graduated in September 2006, with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Software Applications and Programming, and am now pursuing my Bachelor of Science Degree in Software Engineering Technology. My main focus and interest is in programming games.

My Interests

I enjoy drawing, learning Japanese, programming, and playing video games (mainly computer games).

Drawing

I have always enjoyed drawing. I don't generally practice very much, but I have managed to fill several sketch pads with drawings. I usually draw with mechanical pencils, either 0.5mm or 0.7mm diameter graphite. Since I only draw casually, I don't have any fancy tools apart from a drawing tablet, a normal pencil, and an eraser. I find all of the little aspects one must focus on in order to draw something realistically quite interesting. An object's texture, the way the light plays with it, and its geometry.

Japanese

I'm honestly not sure when I became interested in Japanese. I figure it had something to do with watching anime and playing video games. It's one of those inherent interests I can't explain. I have been learning the Japanese Language. So far, I've learned the kana, many rules about how the language works, and a bit of vocabulary.

Programming

I first became interested in programming when I found an old Visual Basic 3.0 disk my father had. At that time I was too young and didn't have access to the proper resources to learn it. Years later, fueled by my interest in video games, I decided I wanted to learn how to make a video game. I think it was in 2001 that I learned that C++ was the most popular language for writing games. I started to learn it and absolutely loved it. Since then I have been writing programs, learning how games are made, and making a game or two myself.

Video Games

I have played many different types of video games. I tend to like role-playing games, platformers, sometimes first-person shooters, and Dance Dance Revolution (it's a genre in itself). For example, I greatly enjoyed Super Mario Sunshine. Its controls were some of the most fluid I've ever seen. I also enjoyed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's very interesting being able to access new areas and develop strategies using different abilities and weapons. My favorite first person shooter has to be Battlefield 1942. It has a great balance and variety of combat and each player really does make a difference. Lately, I have been trying a vast number of MMORPGs. It has been quite enjoyable. I like the challenge of video games, both intellectual and physical. One thing I enjoy about many games is their interactivity. They're similar to reading books or watching movies, but you have a substantial influence in the outcome.

Wikipedia & Me

I have been a frequent user of Wikipedia and recently started contributing.