Coding a Foundation for Comfort

Week 2 

William's Game 

This week, I began tackling the programming for my game.  Hammering out a prototype, as Gabe had started doing a week ahead of me.

A little known fact about programming is that it's actually really easy as long as you can follow logic, understand order of operations, can work within a structured environment, and (most importantly) can use Google to see how other people approach it.  To the surprise of those who have never programmed before, code is just a lot of mostly interchangeable instructions written in a very specific language.

I'm actually mostly self-taught as a professional programmer.  I've programmed since I was 11 years old and it wasn't until I turned 19 that I started my first programming class.  Now, having completed quite a few programming classes, there's really only one thing that I learned from them that I hadn't already taught myself: a clean coding environment is what separates professionals from amateurs.

Games and Growing Pains

Week 2

 

Gabe's Game

Much like the process of reproduction, in game design there are a few fundamental pieces that you put together to get things started. From there, the thing grows on its own. You're mostly left to deal with growing pains, college loans and, if you're lucky, a top-selling spot on Steam!

Like raising a kid, from the fundamental pieces you put together, a game grows into its own personality. Also like raising a kid, forcing a game to be something it's not, makes it turn out shitty. 

Over the years, this has been among the hardest design concepts for me to grasp. I often will get so excited about a story concept or gameplay mechanic that I blind myself to the bigger picture. I love donuts and I love lobster. Putting them in a blender together is less than desirable. So, how does all of this apply to my project?

When I first thought of the concept of a wall jump attack, it was within the context of a Super Meat Boy meets Shadow of the Colossus sort of thing. I was imagining that you would wall jump up huge enemies to get to their weak points. I needed to start smaller though, so I came up with the idea of jumping off rockets quickly after prototyping basic movement with moving platforms.

Drawing a Game From Nothing: Concept Art

Week 1 

William's Game 

When making a game, there's highs and lows.  For people who like a challenge, that might be bug fixing.  For people who like world-building, that may be in crafting Easter eggs or cutscenes.  For people who like money, it's when the game ships.

But for people who just like to create, it's in the design process; and nothing says design process quite like concept art.

Pictured: pure, unadulterated creativity

Prototyping

Week 1 

Gabes Game 

Really pure ideas are hard to come by. Ideas that don't feel forced or gimmicky, but like an intuitive way to experience gaming. For example, I love how in Mario, you fight Goombas and Hammer Bros using the same skills you have developed for platforming: movement is combat. By the time you've really sunk your teeth into the game, your fingers are pumped full of muscle memory because, aside from the occasional flower, you have been doing nothing but running and jumping the whole time.

I'd like to make a game that explores methods of movement as combat. A game where, instead of getting hulking armor, you're developing a skill. Rep after rep you perfect your muscle memory, culminating in epic battles that really feel epic because you've become an actual badass. Don't like mastery in games? Well, you quitters can go back to your "outside" and "relationships".

My first idea was to make a platformer where holding down an action key enabled you to defy gravity and move faster for a short period of time, as well as damage enemies.

The Blog Begins

Welcome to Dueling Devblogs, the blog where two good friends and game devs each make games as a way of discussing their outlooks on design philosophies.

Gabe Priske and I (William Holly) have been making games for over a decade, much of that has been spent either working with each other or seeking each other's advice.  Through discussion and practice, we've each grown pretty big ideas about what we want to do with the medium of video games.

The two of us first met online about 10 years ago through a mutual friend who was constantly trying to get developers he knew to make games for him (bless his soul).  Hearing that I'm a freelance programmer, Gabe messaged me on the side with an idea for a game and asked if I would make it with him.  Not having much else on my plate, I said "sure."