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Programming Rant

Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 9:48 pm
by Deleter
I know I haven't been around here for very long, but I've been programming for a decent amount of time (around 6 years) and I've thought some on the topic of game apathy - you know that thing that all the sudden hits and you just don't want to make your game anymore? I put some of my thoughts down on.....erm.....webspace and I invite you to read them and then react. Email/post here all your insults/suggestions/agree-als etc...
Here's the site (cheap me going with geocites =\):
http://www.geocities.com/barbarian_role ... index.html

Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 10:27 pm
by MystikShadows
Hi deleter....very interesting read....If i was pete, I'd feature that in a QB Express release (Pete, you readin this? ;-) ) because this, still today happens way too often for the good of the gaming industry (both commercial and personal). Time and time again I find myself playing a game that starts out awesome and suddenly, as you move forward, things downgrade in $$$ to levels past. I think your idea of aiming for fun instead of graphics first (read graphics are cool as long as they're not in the way of the game play) is a good concept for many gaming projects if not most. But I can't say it would be the case for all gaming projects.

Keep it fun is good. the question then becomes: "What is fun?"

Fun as in exciting? Easy moves, quickly executed in a fast paced environment working especially on your reflexes and cunning skills? Pumping your adrenaline to the max from start to end?

Fun as in challenging? Where using your brains is equal or more important than the the rest of the gaming features?

Fun as in Creative? Perhaps a story line that actually makes sense, making you use your imagination (not necessarily just an text rpg) but say a quest to rescue a princess but you never see the princess until you rescue her keeping your motivated to finally find out who th e hell she is? Or perhaps something that lets you build something along the way that you don't know what it is until it's all built or something like that?

Fun as in funny? Standard game play of any other game but with a bunch of humoristic replies, situations, etc...

Or is it a combination of all? is a combination of all possible in one game? Would such a combination be a winning combination? Here's my poll question...and if all of your don't mind answering that as well as replying to deleter's original post as well.

What is fun, to you?

Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 11:03 pm
by Z!re
Nice article, quite funny too ^_^

Something I've found helps against apathy is to have more than one person work on a project.. preferably on different pats of it..

If one gets tired, the other can give a morale boost..

Example: Coder and artist..

In the beginning the artist might not have very much to do, but the coder is working non-stop..

Coder gets tired of it, artists boosts.. coder keeps going

Later it's the other way around..



This system has worked amazingly well for Fieldview, which is coming up on it's 1yr aniversary "soon"...

Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 11:22 pm
by Pete
I'll put it in the new issue...

I assume he wants it read, and QB Express is probably the best way to do that. So I'm going to publish it.

But if that's not the case, Deleter -- REPLY IMMEDIATELY and I won't include it!

Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 11:30 pm
by Pete
The new issue should be out in an hour or two, by the way...

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 9:57 am
by Deleter
yep, of course i want it read :D. Thanks for putting it in, that was unexpected.
Mystik: I think you've inpsired me to write another article :) Expect it within a week or so, if not sooner.
Glad you guys like it.
Thanks again pete.

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 10:17 am
by MystikShadows
Kewlness....I like your writing style :-)....I think I'm gonna enjoy it.

poor lil ole moi, a source of inspiration? well I'll be damned...lol..if I had a nickel for every time I said that "I'll be damned"....I'd be about a nickel richer today...ROFLMAO !!!!

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 3:32 pm
by Deleter
ok, i wrote it and put it up. it might be a little more ruff than the last one, but we'll see. 8) I'll just change it if it is. :)
oh, and you might have to do a refresh if you just get the old homepage. The new one should link to both articles.

Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 4:10 pm
by MystikShadows
Ahhh haaa...we have another winner here....I enjoyed that one alot too :-). I'd call it the 4 steps to successful game development :-). I think, to add to this, I would say to not be affraid to ask about a game idea you have...if you don't know how people feel about the game your venturing into troubled water for sure....there's a chance you might make it out alive, but only one ;-).. knowing what the "potential player" wants is just as important as coming up with a concept and an idea for the game itself. Create polls on your websites, ask for feedback on how you're doing so far, if you're in the right direction as per the game you wanted to make in the first place. If you don't ask you won't know and knowing is important.

I like, and agree with, what Z!re said, the coder and the artist metaphore. Definitaly right on target with the real word of game development. Sure not everyone is made to work in teams....people work at different paces, on different schedules and with the help of the internet, in different time zones too. But There's always a way. This much I've learned from my career as a software developer.

As a suggestion for new articles, well If you dig hard enough there is probably enough material, in each of these 4 steps to create 4 new articles from them. :-)....you can't detail this stuff enough in my opinion. Especially if it's aimed at new game developers.

Excellent work once again.

Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 12:03 am
by Pete
Do you want me to run your second article in Issue #10?

sure

Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 8:33 am
by Deleter-2lazy2signin
Yeah, sounds good. First I want to edit and revise it though, I wrote it during a caffine high, so several parts need a little work. I'll submit it when its ready. :)