## [Where have I been, and what's next?](/blog/where-have-i-been-and-whats-next.php)
Alright, so, I've kind of been MIA from this blog for a while. A lot has happened! I've launched another jam game (it's pretty bad, but getting some updates soon then I'll proudly link it here) in CryENGINE (a real challenge to learn!), started some projects which I'll talk about later, and secured an amazing job.
### The Job
I found work in Vancouver as a C++ gameplay programmer on VR products. It is a field that interests me, a technology I love, and a tech stack I've worked with for years - it's the perfect job for me.
Plus, its in the perfect city - I am so ready to get out of Oshawa and live in such a beautiful coastal city on my own.
I'm really surprised I got it without my degree, but it turns out good demos and great code actually go a long way. I found work earlier this year with a company that shall not be named due to unethical workplace behavior and a vague threat of lawsuits for exposing them (it does not matter if I will win, as I cannot afford to fight it anyway), and turned down another offer at a great startup in Toronto, before finding this opportunity - finding work in CS isn't as hard as [r/cscareerquestions](https://reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions) makes it out to be.
I found a great place right downtown and it's super exciting to hit the ground running and be financially stable off of something I love!
### The Projects
Besides that CryENGINE game, I've also begun working on a [Discord client called Powercord/EpicDiscord](https://github.com/AlexanderKyron/EpicDiscord) which is designed for powerusers and has great features. The repo is a skeleton with no functionality on it because I have not yet pushed my local commits, but right now it is a functioning Discord client with send/receive functionality etc and a very efficient, compact UI. It's lightweight too.
Features planned include automation support with node based visual scripting and Python bindings (+ a collaborative code editor built right in for working on bots, as it can log into bot accounts), embed support (rich bot messages for users!), end-to-end encryption with keys traded p2p out of band transiently over a private server (or manually traded), voice modification and TTS over voice channel, and more - basically, a Discord client which is efficient, feature-rich, privacy-centric and caters to developers/powerusers. Very excited to get the first working builds out!
It is very data-centric as well, storing message history, servers/channels, etc in a local rdbms and some cool features come from there. It is powered by Qt 6 and written with speed and efficiency in mind, targeting low-end systems while still packing enough power to beat out Discord for functionality and looks on the high end machines that don't benefit as much from the resource efficiency.
Since it is just a client for Discord, it serves the same ecosystem and makes an attractiv choice - and doesn't violate the TOS (automation features are a plugin, making this not selfbotting/automation). It does contain forms for buying Nitro etc so I'm not here to out-compete Discord - just improve it, because their desktop client is laughably bad.
I'm also helping someone out with their Ghost Spider fangame, and progress on Get Talent! has been slow but steady after the loss of our frontend developer. I'm looking to distance myself from the project as I move on to fulltime work with my new employer, so send me an email if you're interested in the rights.
There're some other projects I'm working on, but those are best kept secret until later ;) (unless any information security professionals/hobbyists want to reach out to me privately over email)
### Life
A lot has changed. My parents are divorcing, I'm moving to Vancouver, I broke things off with my now-ex, and just... yeah, a lot of has changed sinced my last post. But I feel better than I have in recent memory, to be honest - I'm going to be out of this toxic environment at home, I'm free of a relationship that was doing nothing but draining both of us, and I'm gonna be making a living off of doing what I love. For once, I feel very hopeful about the future, and happy overall.
Signing off for now, hopefully I'll update this more frequently in the future :)