Prototyping a Game

I love prototyping a new game. However the prototype is not where the development of the game really started. Heck I don't start coding till I already have a good idea of how all the gameplay and fun will be attained. So the prototyping in reality is the realization of the fun gameplay ideal I have in my head, or on paper. It is more the proof of concept than the idea itself, it is also not a full game.

So once I have the idea of the game in my head I tend to put it down onto paper. This is not always a set regimen either, it varies how much I write on the type of the game and most importantly my familiarity with the genre. Shooters for example I tend to write less, but platform games I will write more.

Once on paper I start deciding how I will code the game if I go ahead. This always leads me to start actually coding the game and therefore the prototype. The prototype can be simple as well, as I only really need to prove to myself that the game is viable. Sometimes the control will simply not come along nicely and I will then abandon the prototype. If as is usual the control scheme feels good, then I get all excited and need to move along as fast as possible.

This is when it is exciting as I code in the details of the game to expand the prototype and start in on making it a complete game.

Laters
Da Voodoochief

Prototype is going well

Here i am still tidying up my code. Still playing with my prototype. Only last night and a bit this morning, it took on more of a feel of a real game. Ya see i added some basic enemy movements inot what might be my first level.

Although they are basic movements and they all fire at me, i also got to run around the level trying to dodge their bullets and them, while firing at them. In all honesty it sucked at first. Yet you can probably tell i am a bit excited about what happened next. I made my fire faster. Yup, that's right. I made my slow fire (testing speed captain!) go about 3 times faster in velocity and Whammo, all of a sudden i could track the enemies with my twin stick shooting controls. This suddenly brought the game to life.

I will post a video of my progress that i took tomorrow (i need to sleep now!). I think it is pretty good and shows so much of what i have been busy doing. Only it does not show the amount of tidying up i have done in the code. I now have a lot more objectivity in the different areas of the game managers, i also removed so many redundant variables etc.

So roll on my new Avatar Berzerkatron game (that could be it's name, but it is certainly it's working title).

G'night