Plan for Mark Barner

I have had a Torque license since 2001, but have just been fiddling around with it like many others have. In my last plan we setup a new project. With this new project I decided to record everything we did and to publish what we went through while making a game. I will be posting what we experience from this project in GG blogs and on my website. Some will probably say who cares... well I hope that by doing it this way, that I can create input/feedback from GG community and hopefully have it help out others making their first game with Torque. Hence, why I call this "A newbie's journal".

My last plan we had started our project. I gave myself two to three weeks to come up with our first prototype. Well... we hit our first milestone in just over a week. I got the first prototype done two days ago. I learned several things from this:
1.) You get allot better idea of how your game will feel and play. - Until you run around and play do you realize if you are going to have fun playing it.I was surprised on how much a fast prototype can tell you if you will like playing it.
2.) Get a better idea of what technology you will use or need. - First was that Torque was the right engine to use. I also found that Synapse Gaming Lighting Pack was going to give us much better results in our environments. What a difference it made the game environment look. One other technology thing to add is a physics engine. Any suggestions on physic engines that can be used with Torque and is cheap?( that will be a search in the forums for a later date.)
3.) If your ideas suck or not. - Pretty much went well with the ideas we put on paper. By prototyping, it gives you allot more ideas. (Just write them down for another day to try.)
4.) Helps you learn TGE faster. - I found myself looking at specific parts of Torque. Searching and trying to understand what was needed. What was next... how does that work?...this happen because of this. I now understand how a game goes through the startup process in Torque.
5.) Content packs are great!- They just are! They are great for a fast prototype and you can use it in your final release. Saves time. I used Tim Aste's environment pack #2 Africa terrain. It took five minutes to pop it in and had my terrain for our first mission done... five minutes!
6.) Planning on paper is good.- Writing a plan down on paper keeps you focused on what you are trying to do. This helps out so much when searching the forums and resources. You can get side tracked so fast. If you find something of interest off track of what you are searching for,just bookmark it and save that for another day.

I asked a couple of questions on the forums this week. I got some really good info from them.
Topic: Who takes the time to read GG community blogs?
something of interest...

Quote:FYI, posts made to .plans are one of the biggest ways that GG recognizes who needs to be elevated to Associate status, get contract work, or be presented with other opportunities. How you present yourself to the community, your level of communication, and seeing in-depth the type of projects you are working on is the only way we can know what you are capable of (until you come to IGC, of course).

-Jeff Tunnell, GG

Topic: How many people plan their games out on paper?
Sam Bacsa shares some really good information.

And for beginners to Torque... I suggest some really good reading material:
Chapter 2 of the Torque Game Engine Documentation.
TorqueScript -TDN
Working with the TGE Example -TDN
3D Game Programming All In One by Ken Finney
Advanced 3D Game Programming All in One by Ken Finney
Essential Guide to Torque(Lite) by Edward Maurina.

Next step:
Step 5) Iterate! Chapter 2.,Torque Game Engine Documentation