More Draxxonian, One Game every Three Months?

So, it didn't quite work out as we'd planned!
But I did learn some things:

1.  A core game loop is really the bare bones you need for a game, right?  I need to start projects by just getting that working first.
3.  The "Roughing In" concept worked out pretty well.  Define a beginning state and an end state for your game, and get this in as quick as possible.  It is really much easier to tweak your core Game Loop when you know how it progresses.
3.  Get it in front of other humans early.  Any humans.  Great apes might do if you are desperate and have access.  Have them play it, and jot down everything they say, no matter how silly it might sound.  Reward useful feedback with bananas.
4.  Discrete Mathematics is the most difficult course any human can take.  When all of the people mentioned in your math textbook are actually philosophers, you know you've gone too far.

The game is fairly well along, I've got the basic game in.  There's a title screen, intro, core game, then a win state and epilogue.

I really need some kind of between-level debrief, because people dig that.  Some stats on mission completion time, enemy combatants destroyed, overall level rating for additional score.  Little numbers that count up and go BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP until they get to yours.  If we get really fancy, Mission Control might radio in and say encouraging/disparaging things about your performance.  Let's rough it in.

I'm working on "Juicing" the game up a bit.  You can't tell from the GIF really, but there's some screen shake when you take fire, and there's some inertia transferred to you if you take a direct missile hit.  I'm not sure what shooting lasers at dudes in space actually feels like, but I want it to feel pretty intense.  Sorta want old school vertical-scrolling Bullet-Hell, but 360 degrees of hell.

Draxxonian Progress

So here's my February #1GAM project, at around the halfway point.

It is a top down space shooter, inspired by Bosconian. 

Current Build Download (Windows)

For anyone interested, here's my Trello workflow, kind of SCRUM like but not quite so formal.  Just trying to break stuff into small tasks I can do in an hour or so and get something that is objectively a game before I dive deep into anything.

Trello Board for Draxxonian

Late to the One Game a Month Party

In my usual lack of style, I'm far behind the bandwagon on this One Game a Month business.  The basic premise is what is says on the tin, produce one complete playable game per calendar month.

So the crowning glory of this is to do the "12 in 12", one game a month for one year, or the perhaps less catch OGAMFOY.  As I'm slow on the uptake and missed the first month I can only do a OGAMFEM, which I actually like  the sound of a little better.

I'll throw my hat into the ring, lay down the gauntlet, and do whatever other kind of thing it is that people do when they start a challenge.

So how do we do this?  I imagine we start with an extremely simple concept, a good definition of done, and just sling code at it until it is playable.  Maybe make sure there's a basic gameplay loop, and just refine that until it is fun.  Make a second loop to tie together some progression of some kind, be it levels or waves or puzzles.  Then get it some title screens and end state.

Anyone out there participate in One Game a Month?  Any have any advice on how to get the Twelver?

I am Not Good at Finishing Games

Hello,

I'm not good at finishing games.

  I've been a hobbyist game developer since around 2004.  I started out with Game Maker 4.1, moved on to Game Maker Studio eventually, and I branched out into using MonoGame, C++, and Python a bit eventually.  I'm a pretty okay programmer, and I've dabbled in a few languages.  I was really into modding Mount & Blade: Warband, and that community was really great.

Somehow though, even after like 15 years of sinking tons of time into game development, I don't have a lot of concrete stuff to show for it.

  I have no idea how many game projects I've started, and then how many I've even got to a point where they are playable and then even somewhat enjoyable.  But there are precious, precious few that could be considered anything near done.

Some of it has just been life.  I  joined the military for a time, then had a family.  Things that I wanted weren't as important to me for a while.  I totally accept these things, and I wouldn't change them if I could.

Some of it was bad luck.  I lost some hard drives years ago to theft and lightning damage, before "The Cloud" was there to rescue me.

The rest of it though, has been crap planning, lack of discipline and foresight, self-doubt, and abandoning ideas before they were ready to abandon me.  These things are just objectively terrible, and we can do something about them.

I'm embarking on a journey to get some shit done.  I know there's others out there with similar stories, and we're going to find ways to get the games out of the sketchbooks and into the hands of gamers.

Future posts are going to be a mix of Game Design theory, productivity boosters, discussing tools and programs, and exhumations of failed projects.  Once I kick myself into gear and fire up a project, I'll be doing developer diaries along the way.  I'll be providing links to developers and materials that I think are inspirational, and trying to find any material that might be helpful to people trying to become developers.

  I'm going to put together some blog posts for each of my more active projects, then I'll dig into the vaults and dredge up some of the more nebulous projects.

I seriously would love any and all comments, concerns, critiques, and criticisms anyone would like to share.  My development process over the last few years has been completely in a vacuum, and I really could use anyone's insight.

  Hopefully, seeing the length and breadth of time I have spent not finishing games will inspire me to get something together.

Let's make some games.