Status Report #23

     I want DragCore off my plate but I keep finding little flaws to fix. I want it over but I want it to be good. No point in rushing out something lousy when I can work another week and release something decent. I'm not going to make any sort of holiday release anyway so I should take whatever few extra days I need to make DragCore a fun free game to play.

     Every day I'm calculating the most efficient way to go through things just to have a bit more time for development. I only want the fastest of fast foods, I can only think about DragCore and my next project in class, it's okay to skip the gym two weeks in a row, and hygiene seems like a chore that should be rushed. Yeah, it's crunch time.

Game Center Support in DragCore

     I wanted DragCore to be the first game where I implement things like achievements and leaderboards. These social features could greatly increase it's popularity and longevity. Achievements provide some incentive and reward for playing and the leaderboards can drive players to play more or introduce the game to friends. My future games will have achievements too. I even have plans for some way of implementing leaderboards in my upcoming RPG.

     I found plugins that totaled in cost at about $25, a steal when you consider Prime31 offers the plugins I require for $75 each. It's a good thing I did my research before purchasing that. The Unity asset store is really amazing during moments like this. Now I can easily implement Google Game Services for Android and Game Center for iOS courtesy of Plato Evolved and blaQkSheep.com.

Finding Sounds for DragCore

     I need to start putting sounds into DragCore soon. In normal circumstances this would be done earlier, but I'm working alone on this project and I can't make music at all. I also don't have a good microphone for foley art or software for making sound effects/music that I can use to make audio files. It's faster to work this way. I just find public domain stuff and edit them for my needs in Audacity. For future games, I'll be teaming up with others (don't know who yet) for audio creation.

    I'm thinking about using a lot of things from TriGrid as a starting place. I know new sounds I'll need are beeps, a power down sound, and some celebratory tunes. For background music, I want to find some new public domain stuff. Just a track or two that fits the theme and I'll find a way to make it loop nicely.

3D Modeling: A Discipline of it's Own

     Having a friend of mine show me what he puts into his 3D modeling projects has shown me what I'll be in for once I start making 3D games. In my 3D modeling class we've used 3DS Max to create simple things like rooms, dressers, and furniture. Another friend warned me that just one modelling class would be nowhere near enough to teach me the basics of everything that goes into making interactive 3D objects for game worlds. I feel like I'd be in over my head with this stuff when I haven't even started on textures, animation, and collision detection yet!

     It seems to me that in order to master this art form I'd need lots of dedicated practice. I don't think I can do that. My plate is full already with all the things I'm balancing. If I ever get into using 3D assets I plan to hire dedicated people to do it. I finally completely understand why it takes a hundred people years to make a game. Right now I intend to learn the concepts and terminology in order to best direct such people. It's a good thing I have a grasp on 2D art and conveying ideas, because I think that will be how I best communicate and illustrate my intentions to a team.