Plan for Eugene Goh
by Eugene Goh · 10/03/2004 (1:27 am) · 5 comments
So I bought Torque a few months back but never touched it much. Life is just too busy. Then all of a sudden, we get a advergaming gig in the form of racing game for a car launch. Everybody was impressed with the Torque racing demo, and so it is on!
So I have to create a racing game with:
1 artist and 1 programmer (myself).
Controls solely by the cheap driving wheel they bought, inlcuding menu navigation.
3 selectable car models.
3 week deadline, including testing.
Gearshifts and 4WD toggles
High score page
Indie style race track as well as cross-country.
About 2 paragraphs worth of design documentation.
Near-zero knowledge of Torque.
Luckily or unluckily, they are working on a budget, so there are no AI cars and no networking.
Fortunately, programming in languages (esp exotic ones) that I don't know has become somewhat of my specialty. The basic principles of this art are:
1. Jump straight into it, starting with the easiest bits first, which for me was terraforming and making the game world. No Worldcraft, just the in-game editor.
2. The best documentation is in the source code.
3. The second best documentation is the forum archives.
4. Don't reinvent the wheel. Look to see if there's a resource before trying to tackle the more complex issues yourself.
5. Don't learn what you don't need to know. I still have no idea how the fps demo works!
6. Test while you develop.
2 weeks gone and all I have left is to make the speedometer needle fancier, add in the other 2 car models tommorow if the artist managed to complete it, and tweak the car datablock settings for the most drivable configuration. Maybe make some cones for them to knock around if there's time.
Whoop-de-doo, 42.5 more projects like this and I'll have to buy the commerical license!
So I have to create a racing game with:
1 artist and 1 programmer (myself).
Controls solely by the cheap driving wheel they bought, inlcuding menu navigation.
3 selectable car models.
3 week deadline, including testing.
Gearshifts and 4WD toggles
High score page
Indie style race track as well as cross-country.
About 2 paragraphs worth of design documentation.
Near-zero knowledge of Torque.
Luckily or unluckily, they are working on a budget, so there are no AI cars and no networking.
Fortunately, programming in languages (esp exotic ones) that I don't know has become somewhat of my specialty. The basic principles of this art are:
1. Jump straight into it, starting with the easiest bits first, which for me was terraforming and making the game world. No Worldcraft, just the in-game editor.
2. The best documentation is in the source code.
3. The second best documentation is the forum archives.
4. Don't reinvent the wheel. Look to see if there's a resource before trying to tackle the more complex issues yourself.
5. Don't learn what you don't need to know. I still have no idea how the fps demo works!
6. Test while you develop.
2 weeks gone and all I have left is to make the speedometer needle fancier, add in the other 2 car models tommorow if the artist managed to complete it, and tweak the car datablock settings for the most drivable configuration. Maybe make some cones for them to knock around if there's time.
Whoop-de-doo, 42.5 more projects like this and I'll have to buy the commerical license!
About the author
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#2
10/03/2004 (9:08 am)
Looks promising. Which IRC channel is that on, the GG one?
#3
10/03/2004 (9:39 am)
#gameinaday 
#4
10/04/2004 (8:37 am)
You're only getting paid $10 ???
#5
10/04/2004 (8:44 am)
whoa! too busy to count obviously.... figure is corrected and my outlook is much more optimistic now. Thanks! Thou hast rescued me from certain doom!
Torque 3D Owner Tom Bampton