What have been your biggest challenges so far?

#21 Speaking of keystrokes for the time constrained - is there a way to bind the console up/down? I ask because I use an odd keyboard where tilda isn't nearly as convenient as on emight think.

#22 Creating artwork.

#23 @Stephen: $Con::warnUndefinedVariables controls undefined variable warnings.

It increases console spam, since $instantGroup, $enableDirectInput, and a bunch of variables used by the editors will be reported, but it comes in really handy.

#24 My biggest problem has been debugging. Hopefully that will be fixed by using some more debugging tools like jEdit + TIDE.

Unfortunately it looks like TIDE hasn't been updated since its 1.0 version in 2003... I hope it's not dead :( Though if it is, I hope I can get the source and its documented well enough :)

Other than that, it's been nothing but a pleasure working with T2D over here. I have to say thanks Melv - you have created the finest 2D game engine on Earth. And that is not hyperbole, but a simple fact.

Cheers!

#25

Quote:(And the Search on this site sucks, to be blunt)

Behind the scenes, we are working away to solve problems for everyone. It takes time, but we really all do work our butts off... (for minimum wage, basically... well, much less if you account the real number of hours we work)

As for debugging... that's a problem we're well aware of too... and we like to solve problems. Ah, to be able to talk about all the cool stuff we have in development. :)

#26 Hmm, someone get Josh a couple of drinks and see if we can loosen his tongue, lol


@Anthony: I hear you, time always seems to be a challenge =/

#27 I wonder if he means real minimum wage or bellow standard programming wages.

Oh, and I'm with Joshua Birk. I have a hard time compiling and figuring stuff out like that. I see some resources I want to add like the fade to black control, but I have no idea how to implement it. The description is a little hazy and geared to those that are in the know. Which, honestly, is the people who should be messing with the engine.

Doesn't mean that I don't want to add em though :)

#28

Quote:Josh, you're only paid minimum wage?! That's a serious atrocity!!! For the kinds of great stuff you're doing here at GG, you'd think they'd treat you like the CEO!:) Man, how cheap can a company get!

Not dogging you specifically Gabor, please don't think this--but this "impression" is one of the reasons why negative posts tend to set folks at GG off--none of them are "rolling in the monies"--not GG as a company, not the CEO, none of them!

GG's efforts are a labor of love for the indy community--they knew from the beginning they would never become rich doing any of this, and they certainly don't make a ton of cash.

#29 Like Stephen said. It's also the one main reason that I , and a lot of others, get ticked off when people get pissy. These guys are doing this because they love it. That's it.

So that's why when people start with the "why is this" and "how come thing isn't this" a lot of the people in the comunity will go up in arms.

Because we know what they are going through.

Just thought I would mention that

#30 Last time I heard all the guys at GG's were making minimum wage. That included Jeff, Rick, Mark and Tim..

#31 Not to argue with Robert, but our individual debugging situations may be quite different. I have written over 12,000 lines of code in Torque script for my game. This is a lot to have to look through when a logic bug comes up for reasons of which I have no clue. Certainly, the console helps find bugs caused by syntax errors and find bad object and variable operations with the tracing and various warns it shoots out. But when you've a project which is reaching any degree of maturity, finding logic bugs becomes sooooo much easier if you have a debugger that allows you to step through your script code and watch your variables.

I do have great appreciation for the wonderful debugging facilities that we currently have, no doubt. But as my program code grows and grows (I can't believe it's already at 12,000 lines!!!), you are best armed with every tool you can possibly use.

I wouldn't be surprised to see my script code grow to 30 or 40,000 lines by the time I'm done... It really adds up quick when you're wroking so fast with a great tool like T2D :D

#32 Also, this is a great thread, let's please not derail it with discussions of GG's folk's wages and people's perceptions thereof.

#33 There I go again - darn! Sorry guys! I really meant it more in jest than seriousness(forgot to put a smiley at the end of each statement) but I really should've stated it differently or just simply not at all- wish I could turn back time! I also think I talk too much!:)

Thanks Stephen and Charlie for the reminder - somehow I'm going to get a hang of things around here, sooner than later! And Sorry if I offended anyone!:) Won't happen again - promise!:)

Please continue with the main topic at hand and not this one. Thank you.

P.S.:
I deleted that post.

#34 Google mini... very exciting !!!

ok moving on... though the comments are welcome Bryan does have a point... this thread does have a specific purpose, feel free to create a new thread about GG wages lol :) (not doggin anyone, just some light hearted humor/sarcasm from a programmer)...

Share in eachothers toils and tribulations through the process of making games and learning a new tool :)

Motivation is a big one at times, its so easy to lose the hype and very hard to restart it at times... while at others we can keep ourself going all night...

I'm an insomniac, sometimes mild sometimes more potent... in some cases its my aid, since I can stay up all night and work on code... the downfall is when it catches up with me I lose more productivity than I gain

#35 No worries... its ok to side track, sometimes its good to get back on track though lol, or create a new thread...

I think a lot of it is learning the person also... like Stephen I've seen post a lot, so I can usually tell when hes joking or not... same with Robert (now)... Josh... Melv... etc etc... you get used to a persons personality and it makes it easier...

so no worries, just try to explain your self and even place tags (meant jokingly) etc... to help :)

Share your challenges in game development ?

(I started this thread to get conversation going on an eerie quiet board this morning... plus having some inner struggle with my team so figured I'd share my troubles and let others vent theirs :)

don't want this to turn into a look GG isn't doing this, T2D isnt doing that etc etc... posting some tips for others is ok though, just keep in mind this is meant to be productive... vent if needed also :)

#36 Thank you for your clear perception and understanding Matthew - will use extra care how I place my humor from now on - if ever again!:) lol

I'm just some guy who talks far too much about nothing in particular! :)

#37 Matthew, Bryan,

If it makes either of you feel better, 2 or my biggest challenges are dealing with the fact that GG only makes minimum wage and how people behave :)

#38 Hmm back on topic, my main issue has been working out all the functions and objects available in script, so basically I cruise along making my project, then hit a stop on something like how to play a sound, or how to use a httpobject (my current concern). Obviously the EA lacks documentation and a lot of this stuff will be old news to torque owners, but searching the forums or resources or asking the right question gets me back on track pretty quick. Thats basically it from me, besides finding the time to actually do anything :)

#39 I just want to buy the Torque 2d book. I have a "big picture" problem with T2d.. I.E. I can't get "it" yet. But my attitude is that it's a learning phase for a new product that's not even at full production version yet.

#40 Well, I can't resist thread hijacking today it seems... it's late... been at the office for 14+ hours, and when I get this tired I start rambling.

And well, speaking of challenges, I guess being a poor bastard who makes minimum wage is a challenge. ;) I'm not talking about the wage stuff to garner sympathy or anything. Just want you guys to know how sincerely and honestly committed we are to making quality products that help people make games. None of us here do it for the money. My take home pay from my salary is $989 each month. My salary here is about 1/5th what it was before I quit my previous programming job. Our CEO is the worst though... I won't divulge private details, but Jeff has hardly taken any pay home in the entire time GG has been around (5+ years).

Dedication to an ideal. :)

As far as harsh remarks / complaining... it's all good. That's part and parcel of being a business that sells things to a large number of people. The only time remarks upset me is when they start interfering with the helpfulness and supporting nature of the community in general.

As far s feedback and complaints go, believe me, we eat our own dog food. We use Torque and our technologies more than anyone else. Whatever pain you feel, we feel too. Only moreso. Even when it comes to learning the engine, the majority of us who work here now didn't start out as the original engine programming team... we've had to learn it from the ground up too. So believe me, we are as or more vehement about making Torque better and better and easier and easier to learn, work with, and continue to use than anyone here. We work hard every day trying to make that happen.

And we all know that the fact that we work hard for much less than we could earn elsewhere, and the fact that as a company we've chosen not try to make ourselves get rich quick, doesn't excuse us from any responsibilities. Doesn't excuse us from anything, except the claim that we're greedy... hearing that one *does* boil the blood a bit ;). We are a business and we sell things to people, and we know all the serious commitment and hard work that implies, and happily accept it.

So, yeah, there's probably some challenges in there somewhere. And since this thread was meant as a discussion, I don't feel so bad about going off track a bit. :) Plus, like I say, it's late and it's easy for me to ramble when it's late.

Anyway, back to the topic in the next post... sorry for the tangent.