Status Report #12

   My next game is underway, and I've been chipping away on progress. I also discovered that HyperCam 2 is freeware now. I'll be making trailers for my Unity games soon and see if reception improves with gameplay demonstrations.

Mach-Arena: Game Elements

 

     The game elements document basically elaborates on things I put in the mechanics  one. It goes into detail for each power-up and also explains the new concept my group came up with for customizable ships. Take a look at it below the break.

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"!