The Need For Community

     Game development should definitely not be a lonely process. Encouragement from others gives devs the morale boost that's needed to overcome roadblocks in development. Listening to other devs' advice and stories is one of the most educational things I do in my free time. Having others to work with can allow you to see flaws in your ideas and implementations. Locking yourself in a garage and working on a game for years with little to no outside interaction just doesn't sound like a good idea.

     Even indie devs should not be alone throughout development. The outside world is a helpful tool for development. I'm still waiting for the day where I can go to Game Developers Conference and meet countless other developers in person to just talk about game development. I'm even trying to find other indie devs at my school just to connect with someone doing the same stuff I'm doing now. Until then, websites like Gamasutra can fill in my need for a sense of community.

Mach-Arena: Artificial Intelligence

     One of the trickiest things we'll have to do for Mach-Arena is the pathfinding and other AI behavior. We are torn between making the AI adaptable and have set difficulties and have decided to create a system that allows us to easily change our minds later when we find out which one is more fun. Take a peek at my group project's brains by clicking on "More"!

Android Semi-Exclusive

     With TriGrid, it's ads, with Candy Shop Catch it's iPad game loop breaks from random resolution errors. The big picture here is iOS giving me trouble after trouble and Android being smooth sailing start to finish. From here on out, Android is my main priority. If I find decent success, I'll spend however long I need to in order to get an iOS port working. That mostly applies to my two latest games. With the ones I'm making next, I have a new strategy in mind...

Current Plans: Juggling College, Money, and Game Development

     Money is getting tight and my apps are not bringing in much income. Likely because they were made by an amateur and lack the polish of elite games. My very next goal is to change that. Another problem is school tuition becoming unbearable. I have to find a way to open up some breathing room so I can graduate sometime (no way my parents are gonna let me out into the world without job security). 

     Take a look at the survival plan I've been thinking about beyond the break.