Quote:
Originally Posted by Bond
Gekko, have you made any games that we could play? Or is it too early for that?
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Depends if you plan on playing a game for some sort of enjoyment or not. But yes, I just need to recompile without all the dependencies on DLLs.
This semester we had to use a proprietary API that is as much of a pain in the ass as it is helpful. It had a ton of problems and brought on a bunch of headaches, but at the same time, it saved us from having to code the graphics and collision detecting systems by hand. It's a trade off, but it's still hard to give people who have never touched code in their life a program that's poorly documented and confusing as all hell, tell them they have a week to make Pong.
I won't complain though, it did its job. First week we made Pong, the next week we made a game called Mars Mission where you need to land a space ship on designated platforms. After that we had a vertically scrolling shooter which brought on so many headaches I deleted about 8 non-working features right before I submitted it. Then we made a horizontal side-scrolling shooter called Caves of Doom which also made me want to rip my hair out. Finally we made a really horrible platformer.
Then the last few weeks we had to make a personal game, which brought even more headaches because now there's a design issue where before it was "Here's the art, here's a finished version of the game, code it." Spent way too much time trying to get some of that stuff working, and didn't care to test the balance. Just wanted the semester to end. It's a 2D side-scrolling platform shooter where you battle against other cheeseburger toppings. I could rebuild it so you could play it, and everything but the high scores should work fine.
But we don't get into designing games anyone in the world may actually consider playing until next year. This semester we finally make the text-based game we spent all last semester designing, but no one plays text-based games. Next year we start the 2D graphics part, and make a 2D game. After that, junior year is the big game, the one everyone tries to get into IGF and Slamdance. It's not uncommon to spend the entire summer before, all winter break, and all summer after working on it. Then senior year, ideally I'd like to intern and not do a project that year. Anyway, junior year comes the 3D games with networking and all that other jazz.
Either way, there's way too much to know to rush people into development of a game. Unlike most schools, we don't have the luxury of just licensing out a engine and start making a game. We have to make the engine. That work starts this summer when I take Computer Graphics I
On a good note though, I'm done with Linear Algebra!!!!!... for a semester or two. That was, without question, the worst class I've ever taken in my life. And to leave on a bad note, I have 22 credits next semester
Re: End of Semester
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