TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles Researchin'

I've finally learned the meanings behind the following abbreviations:

• AD&D
• QTE
• IGF
• GDC
• PvP

And while we're on abbreviations, I've also discovered the existence of a crowdsourced game called FTL. From there, in its usual lovely and serendipitous way, the internet led me to another, called Torment: Tides of Numenera. I read about all the work they've done to get to where they are and how long it took. Me, I'm still learning Java. I'm now thinking 3 levels in 2 years might have been a little too ambitious.

In order to gain a better grasp of the various disciplines required in creating a game, I compiled a partial list of those involved in Mass Effect 3:

• Project director (1)
• Lead designer (1)
• Lead writer (1)
• Art director (1)
• Lead programmer (1)
• Producer (1)
• Development director (1)
• Character artists (7)
• Cinematic animators (16)
• In-game animators (5)
• Technical animators (3)
• Concept artists (4)
• Environment artists (22)
• GUI artists (2)
• Technical artists (not to be confused with technical animators) (3)
• Visual effects artists (2)
• Audio designers (13)
• Voice-over producer/Director and Assistant (2)
• Cinematic designers (14)
• Gameplay designers (8)
• Level designers (19)
• Writers (8)
• Editors (5)
• Producers (5)
• Programmers (41)
• Voice actors (118)
• Original score composers (5)

That's 309 people, each of whom has devoted years to their craft. And then there's me:

• Design: Need to learn about level and combat design
• Writing: Need an editor
• Programming: Need to learn Java
• Concept art: Need to learn how to draw
• Animation: Ditto for animating
• Visual effects: Need to figure out how to use Blender
• Audio: I don't even know where to begin...
• Voice Acting: Yeah, no. I'm thinking subtitles.
• Original score: Not a trained composer, either

Oy.

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles is reunited with jMonkey Engine!

So, I bit the bullet and upgraded my OS in order to be able to use jMonkey. I was excited about learning how to program in C++ to use the Irrlicht engine, but after seeking advice and doing some research, I got the impression that just might be an exercise in frustration at this juncture, given my pitifully limited knowledge and experience.

Besides, I didn't need the latest OS release, so upgrading wasn't as costly as I had originally feared.

So far I've:

• Refined my Game Design Document by reviewing Stéphanie Bouchard's first three lectures from Introduction to Game Design
• Read the first three parts of Combat Design 101 from Adrian Sotelo
• Gone through the first 3 tutorials for jMonkey (which were a little confusing, but I eventually managed to figure out the terminology and the fact that one of the right-click instructions was probably for a previous version)
• Downloaded Blender (and instantly got intimidated)
• Located the Blender tutorials at cgcookie.com and breathed an immediate sigh of relief at the words "this tutorial series is aimed at the absolute beginner"
• Completed the basic Blender modelling tutorials on interface navigation, modelling, and animation

If the full extent of my ambition hadn't hit me before, it sure did now. And I wanted to create 3 levels by the time the next Mass Effect game was released-- Hah! O my sun and stars, what have I gotten myself into?

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles and the Pixelles Game Incubator

So, one of my fellow Twits brought the Pixelles Game Incubator to my attention today. It seems there are other women (likely, much younger women), like me, who wish to become first-time game creators. These women did it in 6 weeks and a showcase of their work is taking place Saturday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. at Execution Labs, 3863 Boulevard St. Laurent, Suite 206, Montréal.

The most generous and wonderful thing about the people at Pixelles is that they provided the information from their sessions on-line for us Joanie-come-latelys.  

I've found a mentor of sorts in Stéphanie Bouchard, a professor of Game Design at Dawson College and Designer at THX. Admittedly, the mentor-mentee relationship is rather one-sided at the moment, but who knows what the future may bring?

It's back to pre-production for TEC!

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles and the Irrlicht Engine

So, given the aforementioned issues working with Java, I've decided to try my hand at learning C++ in order to work with the Irrlicht Engine. I've just reread that sentence aloud and, inconceivably, it sounds even more absurd than in my head. And then, I hear a tiny but vociferous voice crying out, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Fortune favours the brave! Go, confront the problem! Fight! Win!"

OK, cplusplus.com:  Let's do this.

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles Roadblock #1

So, I was incredibly excited to start working on the game.  I dutifully went to Oracle to download the Java SE Development Kit and got this:

Great.  Blocked before I'm even out of the (East)gate.  After some digging, this is what I've learned:

• I am not the owner of a 64-bit capable Intel-based computer.
• My OS is not supported by the latest JDK update.  Actually, it hasn't been supported by the last several updates.
• I am Rip Van Winkel and I've just woken up.  Are there hovercars, yet?

OK [deep breath].  I knew this wasn't going to be easy.  Take 2...

TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles

March 6th will mark one year since the North American release of Mass Effect 3. The final DLC for the trilogy will be coming out soon (I suspect within the next week) and then it may be years until the next BioWare release.

What is a neophyte gamer to do? Why, design her own game, of course.

Wait, Rora, have you even programmed before?

Not extensively, no.

What exactly do you mean by "not extensively"?

Ummm, "Hello, World!"

That's it?

Yup.

Uh-huh. Do you know anything about game design?

Well, I wouldn't call myself an expert...

Really. This from a woman who hadn't played any video game in earnest until the middle of last year...Okay, we'll bite: what would you call yourself?

Naïve and ambitious?

The good news is that there are some excellent open-source game engines out there. I've decided upon jMonkeyEngine 3.0. As recommended on various sites, I've already drafted a design document and sketched-out the storyboard for an original IP. The bad news is, not only will I have to learn Java, my artistic skills leave much to be desired. Ah, well. If nothing more, making TEC: The Eastgate Chronicles will give me a better appreciation of what goes into game creation. Wish me luck: I'm going to need it.