My first TGB Game production begins.

Brian Hunter — 2006-07-06T16:12:47+00:00

The challenge to myself:
Find a video game concept that I would find entertaining to make learning the in and outs of game development both easy and enthusiasm-maintaining as possible with the following elements; 1.) Minimum animation required since I am the only artist, 2.) graphical elements that could be reused/instanced several times throughout the game again since I am the only artist, 3.) simplistic coding requirements since I am the only programmer and do not have an extensive background in programming (read : I have to learn everything for the most part), 4.) simplistic sound effects requirements cause I have absolutely zero experience in developing sounds for games, 5.) make as much use possible of the already coded features in TGB to help speed up development time.

This proved to be a two weeks times decision making process that changed twice.
First concept was a top down shooter - I love them so my enthusiasm would be maintained and met with most of the requirements. However there is a lot of transitional elements to that game and a LOT more art involved than I wanted to start with in the learning process.
Second concept was a "minigame pack" sort of game with simple games like moving jigsaw puzzles, connect the dots, things like that. This concept barely got off the ground on fact of as I went to thinking about what games I could make the third and final concept came about.

My third, and final, concept turned out to be a game that I have said for years now, "You know, someone needs to make this game" and had totally forgotten about until yesturday. And doubled encouraging is that it meets my requirements I set down for myself for my first game so that I could learn the engine and development while making an actual product that at very least I could use in a portfolio.

My game will be an over-the-top entertaining set of pachinko games.
For those few that dont know what pachinko is, it is a fairly ancient Japanese arcade game that involves sending little metal balls down at different angles and speeds in a peg-and-slotted playing field in attempts to get the balls to fall into the slots to accumulate points and such things. If memory serves me the Japanese even use this game as a sort of gambling device that you can win cash off of. One way or the other the game will be quick to develop and has the potential to be a really big hit if my thinking turns out right about how people will enjoy the way I intend to make it entertaining for the purposes of having it as an "at home video game".

I will be blogging my path to success with my new pachinko game here.
Let the journey begin.

Monday Jul 4 20:02

Brian Hunter — 2005-07-04T20:02:16+00:00

A very long essay of recommendations to the Torque development community from a standing-outside-looking-in perspective. I invite everyone to read it in it's entirety, even if it must be done in small bites and not all in one sitting. My invitations within are why I invite the full read and feedback.

... this is not a plan btw, it is my thoughts after thinking about the thread following the now-becoming-infamous .plan of Pat Wilson. If I had the TGE and access to the license forums I would have made this post there instead, but alas. ;)

I come from two distinctive places that help formulate my thoughts. One is a household with computer software development back in the mid-80s. The other is from a Unreal Tournament modding background. With that said ...

As I read through the thread following PW's plan I saw a HUGE amount of coincidence and confusion for me. Coincidence in time after time we had programmers complinaing about "difficulties in the Torque art pipeline" and artist complaining about "difficulties in the Torque programming pipeline". And confusion in the sheer number of posts saying, in a blanket statement here, "GarageGames should do *this*..." From my perspective this is incredibly bewildering to me.

The coincidence of both sides of a problem argueing took me a bit to figure out and see. We have people skilled in both sides of the arguement of development complaining about the side they are not good at. Why are these people not joining forces to get things done ? To hear many of them talk they are exprts in their field of choice that can pump out indie quality development in a short amount of time - if only they had the other part of development they are not good at. I cant imagine I am the only one seeing this and wondering "Huh?"

The confusion part hit me right away though. Coming from UT and the modding community, I am stunned at the number of people tell GarageGames what they should be doing, providing the community, and when they should be doing it. In the UT modding community someone comes out of the woodwork after making a map or two and says somewhere "Epic, this is unacceptable. You have to give us proper documentation and better pipeline tools and exporters to make modding easier" and they get laughed out of the community. In UT, it is understood - "Epic does what Epic wants". You want something done for UT, YOU develop it. And this is a modding community ...

... now I look at many of the GarageGames community making demands and spin on my heels in confusion. You can rip that line out from the previous paragraph, stick in the word GarageGames and development, and it fits perfectly. "GarageGames, this is unacceptable. You have to give us proper documentation and better pipeline tools and exporters to make development easier." My thoughts ? Why does GarageGames have to do all of this ? Last time I knew there arent that many at GarageGames, and they are all working very hard on all of the things you already are looking forward too (Constructor, TSE, 1.4, 1.5, etc etc etc). Why isnt a community of real developers, not just modders, laboring to develop pipelines and documentation on their own ? Especially when unpaid modders can do it and do it damned good. UnrealWIKI, animation previewers, array customizers for content packs, code and art asset packs available at no cost, one and on and on.

In thought about answering my own questions I have tried to come up with my own uneducated answers, considering I dont own the engine(s), I dont have access to the provate forums, and so forth. Here is what I have come up with.

1. Too many chiefs, not enough indians
The old problem of people wanting to be in charge and not working on the concepts and content of another.
And ... if they do work on things for others, they expect payment for time spent ... there is no charity.

2. Resource sprawl
This horse has seen the beatings in the last four weeks, and we know GarageGamaes themselves are already working on streamlining the documentation, cleaning it up, and organizing it into a WIKI of their own. This doesnt mean, however, the community at large should sit back and point fingers for the resources. If you want a free ride, Im beginning to see indie development isnt for you.

3. Generation Privilage
Unceremonously I have heard people saying to the effect, "GarageGames should concentrate on respecting and rewarding the license holders for their time and money spent on their products". Hate to tell people this, but one hundred bucks for an engine is two copies of a video game. One hundred fifty bucks for TSE, yeh not much more. Buying multiple asset packs and the engines to use in them ... you still havent hit big numbers. I personally think, and this coming from a guy who budgets to fill up the car with gas and have something in the house to eat after bills, GarageGames has done, is doing, and will have done PLENTY for their community and indies, plain and simple. Privilages for the money indies in this community are spending only go so far ... what would you do for A LOT of people at only one hundred bucks at a time ?

4. WAY too much finger pointing at GarageGames
Close to number three, but this is my biggest sticking point - the community should be using all the time and energy they spend complaining about things and pointing fingers at GarageGames writing up these long political explinations on their point of view to trying to persuade someone out there to develop tools and complete the documentation they think they should have on developing and documenting the tools and engine themselves.

I have seen time and time again people proudly proclaiming "after months of intense work I have figured *this* out and have finally been able to do something with it". Many of these people are the same people who one or the other or both either stop developing because their is something holding them back or spend hours typing and complaining about various lacks in the Torque experience and how GarageGames should do something about it. If everyone had gotten together that has this proudly proclaimed learned expertise of Torque, made something to the effect of a knowledge base or a community born WIKI, we would see huge improvements in community productivity I am betting.

Why hasnt this happened ... I can only point to my reasons one through three.
Which again is a great source of coincidence and confusion for me.

- - - - -

"So, bigmouth, what are you saying?"
What I am saying is that if we have such talent in the community that in pieces we have a more complete Torque Engine mastery why dont we as a community come together and work on this baby together, side by side with GarageGames, instead of apart and from different corners of the engine and community ? Is it the time invested ? Is it the money ? Is it too much pride ? Is it too much work for the community ? Is there actually infighting on the private forums that I dont know about ? Or is it, and I hope this isnt the case, that Pat Wilson's .plan's underlying tone is correct and what there really is in the community is a bunch of big talk and no action ? Or is it possibly something else ? I invite people to use my plan to discuss the possibility of the community banding together in a concentrated effort of mutual interest to do everything the community wants and needs from a much, much smaller body of people in GarageGames. If everyone can live up to their talk and proud declarations of talent in the various areas of Torque, then together we could all be making beautiful music together (and lets not forget that money thing too).

"So, bigmouth, what are YOU doing for this effort?!"
I wish I was doing more, but for now all I can do is keep studying OOP, keep working on my talents as an upcoming artist and environment developer, and keep saving my nickles to be able to buy into Torque and it's various engines. Limited to QuArK and free 3D modelling apps, without access to the engine or the core, Im pretty much helpless to benefit the effort I propose. At least for now.

"Why should I help someone else without compensation?"
This community seems to thrive when someone takes the first steps towards mutual benefit for all, especially in the tight circles of the truely dedicated developers. When someone comes forth and does something, more work seems to pop up at of the woodwork magically. If this idea was concentrated on, a fair share - give and take - I pat your back you pat mine, I think it would work extremely well. But it needs to have that body start it off. It would take hard work and dedication ...

"And what if there was a lot of taking and not a lot of giving?"
Honestly this community has members that have proven themselves capable of fraternizing. Meaning: if this work is done and it turns out there is only a small handful of truely dedicated people helping each other and a whole bunch of people attempting to freeload, then fraternize and privatize the group of hardworkers and make access to this hardwork a privilage. If someone wants into a database of information and resources that is ran on an "I pat your back you pat mine" basis they first have to submit an honest and valuable resource to the database before being given access - make people earn the privilage. This isnt a perfect answer but it will weed out and concentrate the real developers so they can continue to motivate one another and get things done.

And let me not forget to mention that if there is this concentrated effort to do this and the tools and/or documentation proves comprehensive and complete enough that there could be benefits to reap from GarageGames themselves ! Time we spend working with them to help them improve the Torque development front is less time they have to spend on a various project and more time they have top spend on other things like 1.5 release.
- - - - -

Pat's plan and resulting thread prove we, the GarageGames community, have a firey, dedicate compassion for Torque.
I say we take good opportunity looking us in the face and seize the moment. Pat's plan sparked a flame that is seen in the thread underneath, I say we stoke an inferno and burn the problems we have to the ground and plant the seeds for a strong community-based plan of action to get Torque development empowered to where WE the community want to see it. (And let the GarageGames guys keep working on Constructor, TSE, and 1.5 development, hehehe, not that I have priorities or something).

The above is written quickly and without spelling and grammer checking ... so readers beware!

Wednesday Jun 29 5:48

Brian Hunter — 2005-06-29T05:48:43+00:00

And so the next steps are taken.

Warning: Boring, non-photogenic first .PLAN.

And thus, with permission, I begin the next step in my ultimate plan to make money developing computer applications and games of all sorts and announce my good news long since held back from everywhere. I am able to finally say that I have been hired by a New Zealand development house, Profanity Studios (conveniently possessing the short name "ProStud", which is awesome), which has purchased a license of the TGE some time ago and wants me to be the lead development in their level design needs. They will too be purchasing the TSE EarlyAdopt license and Torque2D and will want me to lead their level and environment development in those cores too. How this will effect my long term plans to be extremely proficient in both art asset design and application, AND OOP development (C++, C#, etc) I am not entiely sure, but a man like myself pumped out on ambition, dreams, and a damned good helping of natural talent in art handed down from the Good Lord himself will prevail.

Unfortunately being secretive about my good news, being broke and thus unable to currently own the TGE, and time constraints finally released from my everyday life, I have nothing to show here other than my enthusiasm and positive hope that I will get this done and do something awesome with my dreams. So I might not have pictures, URL links, and fancy much else, but I have confidence, drive, and will do attitude raining down.

And I know that counts for something.
And I will have more stuff soon, now that the veil of secrecy is lifted and I can brag. ;)

Blog for Brian Hunter at GarageGames.com

My first TGB Game production begins.

Monday Jul 4 20:02

Wednesday Jun 29 5:48