SmokeJumpers - still going - update
by Norv Brooks · 05/04/2008 (10:03 am) · 1 comments
My "SmokeJumpers" project although progressing slowly is still progressing. I finished the assignment that I had out of a temp agency which helped to pay bills but reduced development time. However, I have done work on the project and some progress has been made.
I think one of my problems while participating in the Dream Game competition and actually a long standing issue for me is that I don't focus on the level of production value needed for the particular stage I'm currently working on. As an example, developing a working prototype (demo) for the alpha stage which was what was needed for the stage of the Dream Game competition that I failed to meet, I believe was primarily due to not being satisfied with getting a functioning game that could be played and evaluated. Rather, I tried to get closer to a beta level on too many areas.
My son & I for a little more than the last year have been developing board games and what I've learned in designing these games has been a good lesson for me in computer game development. Mainly to simplify and get a working prototype to test early to find out what is working & what isn't and importantly "is it fun?"
Here's the link to a game we have in development & publisher seeking:
roadsofrome.blogspot.com/
For you game designers out there, if you haven't dabbled in board games, I highly recommend it. Board game design is more focused on game play rather than computer technology and production values. Here's a link to a You Tube presentation by Matt Leacock the designer of "Pandemic" a very popular current board game. The presentation discusses the above subject.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdTVcFo2EQw
Back to SmokeJumpers. Here's a couple of screenshots of the most recent progress in the area of scoring a wildfire assignment & displaying the score. Before I can release an alpha demo, I need to refine & tweak this area some more as well as some work on the Base hub where the player manages their resources.
Before wildfire assignment:
Wildfire score:
After wildfire assignment:
I think one of my problems while participating in the Dream Game competition and actually a long standing issue for me is that I don't focus on the level of production value needed for the particular stage I'm currently working on. As an example, developing a working prototype (demo) for the alpha stage which was what was needed for the stage of the Dream Game competition that I failed to meet, I believe was primarily due to not being satisfied with getting a functioning game that could be played and evaluated. Rather, I tried to get closer to a beta level on too many areas.
My son & I for a little more than the last year have been developing board games and what I've learned in designing these games has been a good lesson for me in computer game development. Mainly to simplify and get a working prototype to test early to find out what is working & what isn't and importantly "is it fun?"
Here's the link to a game we have in development & publisher seeking:
roadsofrome.blogspot.com/
For you game designers out there, if you haven't dabbled in board games, I highly recommend it. Board game design is more focused on game play rather than computer technology and production values. Here's a link to a You Tube presentation by Matt Leacock the designer of "Pandemic" a very popular current board game. The presentation discusses the above subject.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdTVcFo2EQw
Back to SmokeJumpers. Here's a couple of screenshots of the most recent progress in the area of scoring a wildfire assignment & displaying the score. Before I can release an alpha demo, I need to refine & tweak this area some more as well as some work on the Base hub where the player manages their resources.
Before wildfire assignment:
Wildfire score:
After wildfire assignment:
About the author
Associate Tom Eastman (Eastbeast314)