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Lesson 15

What are the major areas of learning or understanding that you acquired in this course that you did not have previously?

I had never worked with WordPress or any other similar website building program before this class. Everything I have done before website building-wise was start-from-scratch HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This course allowed me to create more well-thought-out, extravagant websites in a faster time frame. I learned more about website security, plugins, and forms than I had ever before and actually got to apply them to a website I created.

How do you see yourself applying WordPress or any other content management system in this course to your professional work life?

WordPress has both a free version and paid version. Depending on clients, WordPress options allow for customization and budget-friendly options. WordPress and other content management systems allow me, an aspiring web designer, to work faster and easier. This allows me to build a client base that otherwise would take many more years compared to doing everything from scratch.

What would you like to see done differently for future students?

Personally, this class was amazing for me and there isn’t much I would change at all. The pace was great and allowing students to work and build on a final project the whole course really made the website final something to be proud of as compared to a final website that was scraped together in 1 week. This was a hybrid class meeting once a week but really I felt it wasn’t needed, I would personally do maybe a monthly meeting or do online meetings. Online meetings would lead to more students actually showing up and engaging with the class since most GTC students don’t live on campus and instead commute.

Thank You with Sparkles
Gif by me!
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Action Game Review Horror

Doom Eternal

Story

As the Earth descends into madness, and Hell ascends to the living world, you play as the Doomslayer; on a quest to stop the Maykrs who wish to destroy the Earth. Along the way, you learn more of the Slayer’s past, as you rip and tear through hoards of hells army.

Characters

In Doom Eternal, you play as the Doom Slayer, a no nonsense 5’9 force of nature as you traverse the galaxy; from the literal christian Hell to an alien version of Heaven. Along the way, you encounter various enemy types; all of which are demonic minions of either Satan or The Maykr. Some of which include the Maurader, the Arch-Ville, and the horribly annoying Caco demon.

Sound & Graphics

Mick Gordon returns from the previous entry DOOM (2016), to deliver another astonishing soundtrack. Each level has a unique theme, however, when a battle engages you are rewarded with the classic Doom theme.

Graphically this game is mesmerizing. Working in tandem with the fantastic score, each level truly sucks you into the experience, with phenomenal character and level designs being realized and rendered in an extravagantly beautiful manner. whether it be a last-gen, current, or even PC port of the game, demon guts have never looked better.

Playability

Though frustrating at times due the sheer number of enemies present in the latter portions of the game, Doom Eternal has some of the best arena combat of the modern era. The game offers a wide variety of new weapons and gadgets at your disposal as you dispose of waves of demonic hellspawn. With new methods of mobility and new throwables, the controller gets a little confusing at times; However, once you get the hang of it, the game becomes one of the smoothest gaming exercises out there. The inclusion of cheat codes, hidden trophies, collectibles, al and multiplayer allows for great replayabitly

In-Game Purchases

Interms of ingame purchases the allows you buy alternate skins, aswell as seperate versions of the game that include even more Doom Slayer variants. You are also able to purchase DLC that further expands the story.

Overall

Overall, 2020’s Doom Eteranal is another succseful entry in the Rebooted franchise. From the soundtrack to the level design, Doom eternal offers a one of a kind experience that really makes you fell like you are the Doom Slayer. Personally, I’d give Doom Eternal a 9/10.

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Action Adventure Game Review Horror Strategy Survival

The Forest

Story

You play as Eric LeBlanc who was on a flight with his son Timmy before the plane chases onto a peninsula. After the crash, you awake and see Timmy being taken by a man covered in red paint. You must survive the wilderness, fight monsters, and FIND TIMMY.

Characters

You play as Eric LeBlanc who was a famed survival documentary host from Canada and author of the Survival Guide which you use to craft in the game. Timmy is your son who was kidnapped by the Red man who you find out the other cannibals respect for some reason. The enemies in the game are cannibals from different tribes and mutants. There are 9 different cannibal and mutant types. To avoid spoilers I will only mention the character with no detail, The character Megan is a child of similar age to Timmy.

Sound & Graphics

The background music isn’t much in this game which actually adds a bit to the uneasy feeling. The sound effects from the cave, water, wind, etc are enough for the environment. The true horror comes from hearing the scurring of monsters sneaking up on you or their roars breaking the silence.

The graphics aren’t amazing but the monster designs are quite interesting and the story makes up for it.

Playability

This is the first game I am reviewing that has the multiplayer option! Personally, I prefer playing it as a multiplayer game compared to single-player. It also has difficulty modes so you can either do peaceful to just discover the story or easy to hard depending on the challenge you want. The game does glitch quite often but nothing that completely ruins the game. The mechanics are easy to learn but features like the bow and arrow are a bit hard to use.

In-Game Purchases

This Game has no In-Game Purchases!

Overall

If you want a fun game you can play both alone and with friends, this is for you! You can play as much as you want even after you first finish the game so I give it an 8/10.

Categories
Game Review Horror Survival

Outlast

Story

Before the game begins you are told, “You are Miles Upshur, an investigative reporter whose ambition is about to earn him an intimate tour of hell on earth. Always willing to risk digging into the stories no other journalist would dare to investigate, you will seek out the dark secret at the heart of Mount Massive Asylum. Stay alive as long as you can, record everything. You are not a fighter; to navigate the horrors of Mount Massive and expose the truth, your only choices are to run, hide, or die.” You, Miles Upshur, received an email from a Whistleblower describing the crimes Mount Massive is committing. Once you enter you must uncover the truth.

Characters

The main enemy you will encounter is Chris Walker a larger muscular man that hunts you down almost nonstop. There are twins that want to eat you, and Richard Trager a doctor-turned-patient who wants to cut you open and perform experiments as he does to other patients in the asylum.
Martin Archimbaud is a preacher that prays to the Walrider a character you must uncover the secret of. The last main Character is Rudolf Wernicke the head scientist on the Walrider experiment.

Sound & Graphics

The score really adds to the tension throughout the game. It’s not the best compared to other games and sometimes glitches.

The graphics are slightly dated compared to now but still are amazing and the gore is almost too realistic. The graphics for the night vision are incredibly creepy with the glowing eyes and the green tint.

Playability

This game does have difficulty modes which can help you build your skill by starting out on the normal mode and progressing to nightmare. You can only run and hide from enemies which can lead to some problem solving of when to do which. If you hit the run button while crouched will make you stand and when freaking out and trying to get away did cause some issues for me. But overall the mechanics are easy to understand.

In-Game Purchases

This Game has no In-Game Purchases! However, there is a DLC add-on to explore more of the story called Whistleblower.

Overall

The ending can be a bit confusing when you first finish the game. Digging into the lore through the comics and other games is where you’ll really understand the story. If you want a good adrenaline rush and challenges this is for you. For me, I’ll give Outlast a 7/10.

TW: Gore

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Lesson 14

What advice would you give someone who wanted to learn WordPress without any previous technical background?

WordPress is amazing for both beginners and advanced users. WordPress allows you to grow your technical skills while you are using it. WordPress is also a well-known program so it is easy to find information such as articles and tutorial videos to help you along your journey. Once you have found your way around the base site of the WordPress dashboard then you can start to look into Plug-ins. Plug-ins are where you can truly advance your technical skills by honing in on specific ideas by downloading the plug-in with allows you to do that action. For example, if you want to learn how to make a form on your website for consumers to submit suggestions to you, Plug-ins such as Everest Forms can help you learn the basics by providing a template and features that are specific to the creation of forms. Once you are even further advanced in your technical skills WordPress allows you to create custom CSS code for your website. In order to do this, you must know the CSS language and know how to edit the site you have created with that CSS. This is why WordPress is amazing for both beginners and advanced people in the technical field.

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Adventure Game Review Strategy

Myst

Story

You find a book in front of you with a moving image, when you touch the book you travel to the world in the image. On this island, you have to solve puzzles and unravel the story of this island and the family that once lived there.

Characters

There are 3 characters you come in contact with, and a few that are mentioned in the book and letters you have to read to solve puzzles and other books for further world-building. Sirrus and Achenar are the sons of Atrus and Catherine. You first come into contact with the two sons who are stuck in a book similar to the one you traveled through and ask for help. You find letters between Atrus and Catherine discussing the horrible actions their sons have done. You then find Atrus who tells you not the trust what the sons have been telling you. You must choose who to trust and you can get multiple endings.

Sound & Graphics

The soundtrack was created by Robyn Miller and is one of the most immersive experiences. Robyn Miller went on to continue to create soundtracks for later games created by Cyan Inc.

While the graphics are obviously aged compared to now at the time these graphics were mesmerizing and to me still hold up enough to make the world feel real. If graphics are an issue for you Cyan Inc has made remastered versions of the game.

Playability

Myst is a point-and-click game in the original version. This means that you don’t have full unlimited exploration. Cyan Inc has since made remastered versions if you would prefer a free-roam game with the same puzzles with better debugging. The puzzles may be hard for some to find out it depends on the person, but if you do find yourself needing help there are many online guides to help you out.

In-Game Purchases

This Game has no In-Game Purchases!

Overall

This game was my childhood and I hold family memories to this game very close to my heart. If you love puzzle games that you either play alone or with friends/family to figure out this is for you. A 10/10 for me!

Categories
Action Adventure Game Review RPG Strategy

Undertale

Story

Undertale story is very large so I am only able to give a simple overview. Undertale takes place in the Underground, a realm where monsters were banished after war broke out with humans. You play as a human who falls into the underground and you must pick your path. Depending on how you play the game the story changes and will affect replays of your game as well. You can do a “Pacifist,” “Neutral” or “Genocide” routes.

Characters

This is quite a large game FULL of many characters and lore. A few main characters are Flowey, Human, Toriel, Asgore, and Sans. This is a very simplified list since Undertale has many many characters and deep lore it changes based on how you play the game. The array of personalities makes the story interesting and makes you want to learn about every character.

Sound & Graphics

Personally, I love pixel art games, The balance of simple but not too much so you can still have some detail is an art form I love. It may not be for everyone but even if you don’t enjoy the graphics the story surely will be enough to keep you entertained.

The music in this game was done by Toby Fox (The creator). He has done music before and I love his work. I listen to Undertale’s soundtrack as background music all the time. The variety and the environment building that the music adds to the game is amazing. Even if you are unable to play the game I recommend at least listening to the soundtrack.

Playability

Since this game is pixelated the movement can be a bit harder when playing on the switch (if you use the analog stick) using the directional buttons makes it slightly better in regular movement and more precise doing battles.

In-Game Purchases

This Game has no In-Game Purchases!

Overall

If you love complex stories, looking into theorys, and exploring this is for you. I give undertale a soild 9/10!

Toriel’s home, It’s you!
Sans playing his tricks on Frisk (you the human)

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Lesson 13

Tell me your goals for your Final Project.

I want to make a site that is simple and easy to navigate. Something that keeps people coming back to read new reviews! A site that can keep being added too without adding clutter and confusion.


Describe the content and the layout of your site.

The content includes request forms and links to other socials. But the main star is my reviews. I want to keep the focus on the reviews other than on the other pages. The home page has links to the review categories and the only page not in direct reference to the reviews is the About Me page.


What story are you trying to tell with your website?

I am trying to put a women’s perspective in the gaming field where men run most websites discussing video games.


What are the 3 most important things you want people to understand after viewing your site?

  1. Women have a place in the gaming industry 2. Everyone can play video games and have fun 3. It’s okay to share your opinions especially if you enjoy something.

Explain if you need a child theme or not to accomplish your goals for the final project

A child theme is not required for me to accomplish what I want for my final project website, but it can help with further customizing the look I am going for.

custom CSS or a child theme tell me which route you think you’re using and why.

A Child theme is better suited for my website since I do not have an over-the-top layout or features in mind. Child themes are faster and easier to use for my website while providing everything I want for my website.

Explain how the explode function works on line 47 (You’ll probably need to google this) in a sentence or so.

Line 47 is $lyrics = explode( “\n”, $lyrics ); which in the comments says Here we split it into lines, this is because the explode function is used to split a string by a string in this case the strings are lyrics.

Which php function acts as a hook to ensure the functions execute in this plugin?

Lines 60 and 80 the add_action

Would the plugin be visible in your site’s dashboard if the first 13 lines didn’t exist?

No, the first 13 lines are used to have it properly appear in the dashboard. Without it may show an error message for the file at the bottom of the dashboard.

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Lesson 12

How do you decide on the right WordPress theme for your project?

First, you need to know what you want your website to be about. For me, it is game reviews. This means it’s mostly going to be reading as compared to like a shopping site or photography page. I needed something less cluttered and more simple but cute so that it is easy to read without distractions and pop-ups. I choose the theme Twenty Twenty since it had the most options for features I wanted and was minimalistic but had color, unlike the other more minimalistic options I saw. This theme allowed me to create a cute, simple page for my reviews but also have more extravagant pages for my home, about me, etc.

What are the do’s and don’ts when deciding on the right WordPress theme project?

If you want cleaner and more in-depth help with choosing a WordPress theme. I suggest going to this reference like I did at the start. Researching before you choose can reduce the chance of realizing when you’re almost done that you made the wrong choice. You can also look at other websites with a similar purpose as your own to see what you like a dislike about them so when you work on your own web page you can reduce some of the beta testings that would show you that you don’t like those features.

Something I would like to add is that you can always change your theme. If you realize halfway through that the theme you are using just isn’t right, WordPress makes it easy it change. It can be a minor reason like font or a major reason like the whole layout. It is okay to change it! It is better to take more time and change to a theme that better fits your site than to be stubborn and stick to a theme that just isn’t working.

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Lesson 10

✅ Create a website of anything of your choosing. Such as a hobby, career, or product.  (Just nothing controversial )      Video game reviews

✅ Must include at least 5 pages; index.html (home page) and 4 content pages of your choice.        HomePage, Blogs, About me, Contact/policy, Request form

✅ CSS styles must be stored in an external style sheet.

✅ Set an appropriate title for each page.

✅ Create hyperlinks between each of your pages. Links on each page leading to another mentioned

✅ Include at least 1 image on each page, not including the logo. Self-made Pixel art or game image

✅ Use at least 1 CSS button as a hyperlink to an external website.         Steam/ps4 link to each game

✅ Include at least 1 table. Homepage holding review categories

✅ Include meta keywords and descriptions on all pages. Used Meta Tag Manager plugin

✅ Include a form with at least 3 different form objects (for example; text field, text area, checkbox, list, etc.). Request Form page

_✅_ Include at least one multimedia element; flash, shockwave, or mp3. Gameplay videos in reviews

✅ Include headings and text in the custom divs and the remaining page content.

To final project I just need to add more real game reviews so far I only have one done. http://eveoliviataylor.info/wordpress/blog/2022/03/11/animal-crossing-new-horizon/

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Adventure Game Review Simulation

Animal Crossing New Horizon

Story

In ACNH you play as yourself in a world where you now are a resident (more like the owner) of an island! You pay off loans to expand your home and get new residents. There are over 300 hundred different villagers who can live on your island, 10 Max at a time. You decorate, craft, and build friendships.

Characters

Tom Nook is basically the main character other than you. You must pay your loans off to him and speak to him about expanding and construction. His sons, Timmy and Tommy, run Nook’s Cranny which is a shop you get after playing for a few days. Isabelle will join your island and work with Tom Nook, She gives you daily announcements and will tell you your island’s star rating. Kapp’n is a man on the pier who will take you to islands in order to gather resources. Blathers run the museum and Brewster runs the coffee shop within the museum. The last permanent character on your island is Sable and Mable who run the clothing store “The Able Sisters”.

Other characters can appear on your island randomly or once a week. K.K slider is a singer who comes every Saturday. Lable, the other able sister, will come randomly to ask you to model for her. Kick’s comes to sell accessories, Redd comes to sell art (be careful some are fake!), Leif sells plants, Saharah sells wallpaper/flooring and rugs.

The more rare random characters are: Gulliver who you find on the beach washed overboard who you help fix his communicator so he can get back to his ship. Wisp only can appear at night and when you scare will lose 5 pieces of his spirit. When you help him collect them all back he will gift you either something new or expensive based on what you pick. Lastly is Celeste, she also appears at night and is Blathers’ sister. She comes whenever there are shooting stars and will teach you about constellations.

Sound & Graphics

Both are amazing! The music in this game is very uplifting and the graphics are simplified and still beautiful. There are a million ways to decorate and many songs to choose from if you collect them all.

Playability

The game is very easy to get the hang of with aspects such as using tools and how to interact with other characters. Decorating is where it can get a bit difficult. Inside your house, it easy but outside is harder. One big thing in the fandom that is disliked is that you cannot place rugs outside. Decorating is made easier if you have the online subscription and the happy home paradise dlc which both cost extra money.

In-Game Purchases

The Happy Home Paradise DLC is $25 And the Online Subscription varies based on what option you pick (Mine was the base one for a year $20) The DLC adds hours of more gameplay, items, and features. The online subscription allows you to play with friends and access the kiosk which holds custom designs made by you and other players so you can further customize your island.

Overall

This game is one of my favorites, It is great for the whole family and all the add-ons are amazing as well. There are some features I wish could be fixed and items I wish could be added in. So overall I give it a 8/10!

Playing Online with friends is one of the best parts! Here’s me and my friends Jamming Out!
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Lesson 9

WP Super Cache Settings, Caching On

I turned on any feature with the recommended label to ensure the plugin was working at a base level the developer thought was alright.
Enabled EDN Support since it was recommended on the plugin website.
I turned on Clear all cache files when a post or page is published or updated in order to reduce my website’s data, help storage.

I turned on Enable login lockdown, allow unlock request, made max login attempts 20 since I don’t expect many to try to be hacking or even logging into my site
added generic error message and my email me if someone is locked out.
I turned on Auto Block of SPAM comment IPs and made the minimum number of SPAM comments 30 to avoid accidentally blocking users having a conversation.
Turned on Scanner every 4 weeks and to email me if issues are found.

Security and firewall dashboards, Security Strength Meter at 130
Security Strength Meter at 130
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Lesson 8

I chose subdirectories over subdomain since from looking at the requirements it seemed the best options for running smoothly and organization.

I made it so no one except the super admin can add users for security reasons. If I happened to add an admin who didn’t actually know what they were doing they could accidentally let people in and give access to private information or they could even have malicious intent.

I only have one question about reverting back to a Single Site. When you have to go into the SQL database and remove some files in the video she had more files necessary to delete but one or two were not there for me. Are the files going to be the same for each person or does it change based on what you have your site doing.

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School Posts

How to Become a Proofreader

Want to become a part of my website? Are you good at spelling and grammar? Are you willing to edit around 1-2 posts per week and monitor comments? If you are please email me (link in socials in footer)!

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Lesson 7

General role options, Grant access for Moderate Comments, Read, Unfiltered HTML

General role options, Grant access for Moderate Comments, Read, Unfiltered HTML

My website new role is Proof Reader,
This role allows the user to moderate comments (handle spam). They can read pages, Private Posts/Pages, and unfiltered HTML. I am not the best at writing and especially spelling. This role was made so that a select few users could be my proofreaders. I didn’t want the users to edit the page, so I made it only for them to read, and then they would privately send me editing suggestions. I choose this in order to ensure that nothing is lost by an accident during editing. This way I can review the edit myself before finalizing it for the website.

Post role options, Grant Read Private Posts and Read

Post role options, Grant Read Private Posts and Read