Game Update
More work done on spell particle effects this week. I managed to get some extra time to finish up the new ice storm effect. This spell is being used for three different classes. It will be a big win to get it finished. I had a hard time finding a good spell sound to use with it. The sound of snow falling isn’t exactly something most people think about.
That said I did notice that I’m starting to get faster at going through the process of making the spell effect. Chris said that there may be some things we will want to create an editor for. It’s a bit of a trade off as I’m not sure how much time it will take to make the tool. I always knew it was going to be a lot of content authoring.
Personal Update
Having the boys out this week was a good chance to rest and get a couple of things done around the house. I missed the boys of course, it’s just not the same in the house without them around. I also had the chance to spend some more time with my girlfriend. It was nice to just relax and get some one on one time. Looking forward to Easter next week as we went out to get some small gifts for the boys together. It’s nice to have someone that supports me in my life.
I feel like I need to spend some more time working out and running. I’m still getting everything lined up here. It’s very true what I was told by another retired friend. He said, “it will take about a year for you to transition.” I still feel very blessed to be where I am.
Answered Questions for an Aspiring Game Developer
9. How do you design a video game?
I have basic ideas and a lot of my designs come from the experiences I had playing games when I was younger. The game engine for "Six Aspects" takes a lot of inspiration from an old Super Nintendo game called Ogre Battle. I loved it so much that I wanted to add on to it. I say that I love it but I still see issues with it. Namely the time it takes to complete a stage which led me to my pillar of 15 minute levels. I also think about who I'm marketing my game to. Because I'm a single dad and I'm older I don't have the time to spend 50 hours on a massive RPG anymore or just throw unimaginable time into a lifestyle game like League of Legends or World of Warcraft. I'm building this game for me and other single dads and moms that are out there. It's perfectly fine that my game will probably take around 20 hours. I'm an independent developer and that's still a pretty big accomplishment. I'm very proud of what I've been able to accomplish.