Comments on: I read some great books on holiday http://greyaliengames.com/blog/i-read-some-great-books-on-holiday/ Casual Game Development and Positive Thinking Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:15:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Grey Alien Games http://greyaliengames.com/blog/i-read-some-great-books-on-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2513 Grey Alien Games Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:39:19 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=198#comment-2513 Hi Ben, I like to come up with a general game idea, then play lots of similar games and make notes until I have a huge nebulous field of ideas. Then I slim it down into what is doable, then I made a giant To Do list in Excell. Luckily I don't need to plan the game engine because I already have a framework, but I do need to plan the unique game objects and what each screen has on it etc. Of course the game will change in development but the design doc is a good guide. I'm used to doing it this way from my business software days but it can be fun to do "level 1" design where you don't even have a design doc, you just start prototyping. However, you often need to refactor code later on when you do that. Hi Ben, I like to come up with a general game idea, then play lots of similar games and make notes until I have a huge nebulous field of ideas. Then I slim it down into what is doable, then I made a giant To Do list in Excell. Luckily I don’t need to plan the game engine because I already have a framework, but I do need to plan the unique game objects and what each screen has on it etc. Of course the game will change in development but the design doc is a good guide. I’m used to doing it this way from my business software days but it can be fun to do “level 1″ design where you don’t even have a design doc, you just start prototyping. However, you often need to refactor code later on when you do that.

]]> By: Ben http://greyaliengames.com/blog/i-read-some-great-books-on-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2512 Ben Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:02:45 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=198#comment-2512 What does your design phase consist of? Do you plan how you're going to structure the code? What does your design phase consist of? Do you plan how you’re going to structure the code?

]]> By: Grey Alien Games http://greyaliengames.com/blog/i-read-some-great-books-on-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2508 Grey Alien Games Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:52:56 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=198#comment-2508 Cool. How often I program is dependent on the phase of the project. In the design phase I don't do any programming and that can take up 25% of the project time. Then when I'm doing the main construction of the game I program every day until the game is done. At certain points I might be doing more plugging in of art or sounds than programming, and later on testing, fixing bugs and localising which doesn't involve as much hardcore programming. Yep I certainly do get into a mode where I think about my game all the time day and night. Cool. How often I program is dependent on the phase of the project. In the design phase I don’t do any programming and that can take up 25% of the project time. Then when I’m doing the main construction of the game I program every day until the game is done. At certain points I might be doing more plugging in of art or sounds than programming, and later on testing, fixing bugs and localising which doesn’t involve as much hardcore programming.

Yep I certainly do get into a mode where I think about my game all the time day and night.

]]> By: Ben http://greyaliengames.com/blog/i-read-some-great-books-on-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2507 Ben Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:17:38 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=198#comment-2507 My first time reading your blog and was actually surprised to find most of the books you read I've read. I'm a novice developer, in fact, I've been working on the same game in Blitz3D for about a year now, progress seems to happen in 3 month spurts. A couple questions for you. How frequently do you program? Do you ever get into this state of mind where all you can think about is programming? I know after I've been programming for a couple weeks straight it's all I can think about. It's like I can't seem to focus on anything but programming. Thanks! My first time reading your blog and was actually surprised to find most of the books you read I’ve read. I’m a novice developer, in fact, I’ve been working on the same game in Blitz3D for about a year now, progress seems to happen in 3 month spurts.

A couple questions for you.
How frequently do you program?
Do you ever get into this state of mind where all you can think about is programming?

I know after I’ve been programming for a couple weeks straight it’s all I can think about. It’s like I can’t seem to focus on anything but programming.

Thanks!

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