next »

[Cheezmeister]

I think it works like this:

1. Write game
 a. Finish game <- this is important!
2. Start writing new game
3. Look at previous game
 a. Recognize that 90% of your old code is crap.
 b. Recognize that of the remaining 10%, 9% is not useful or too hard to adapt
 c. Factor out the 1% to use in new game. Feel like badass
4. Goto [1]
5. http://www.xkcd.com/292/

After a dozen or so iterations, voila, you have an engine. At least, that's how Flixel was born.

[Salsario]

I like the 3-versions approach.
Make working but ugly prototype, discover things that need to be solved along the way, solve them like a French girl uses a razorblade under her arms. (badddd!)

Version 2, think about a better structure/flow. Make it, throw it away when you have a zillion options but left the main-feature out

Version 3, make it minimal, but beautiful and working! Concentrate on the real goal you are trying to achieve.

[Klaim]

Make working but ugly prototype, discover things that need to be solved along the way, solve them like a French girl uses a razorblade under her arms. (badddd!)

This, is offensive.

[Salsario]

Sorry you took offence, personally I don't find that over the top, so unless someone with moddingrights/admin agrees with you, I'm not going to edit that out. If someone from TIG does think it is over the top, I will remove it. Nonetheless, I'm sorry you find this offensive as it in no way is meant offensive. I like French girls and their beautiful language   (it's the same when someone says all Dutch are cheap or all Dutch are pot-heads... It's just a little stereotyping, nothing personal and in good spirit.)

[_Tommo_]

Hey Guys,
So, about a year ago I began working on my current project, which is also my most-complex project in relation to gaming. It started out as a component-based 2D game engine, simply because I wanted to learn about component-based systems worked, and I really wanted to try my hand at it.

Now, I look at my code, and I realize that I have started to add very game-specific code this last month, because I have been developing a game idea in the background for about 2 years and I'm finally ready to focus on that. In all honesty, I see the component-based system as an obstacle because those systems work awesomely with a complex interface, and using said interface to develop a game from the ground up without too much access to the back end. At the same time, I have a test-bed that I have been using to test new things.

In this test bed it took me 24 hours to get a working physics system going, and it took be about 2 weeks to get that same system integrated into my component-based system for multiple reasons.

I am thinking about restarting and focusing on getting a single game done, and not worrying about scaling the engine to larger projects since I want to get the game done in a timely manner. What do you guys think? In all honesty, this past year has taught me a TREMENDOUS amount, but I think I could finish this game much faster with a simpler architecture, and my component-based engine should definitely be re-written at a later date, using what I have learned.

I'd say restart, stop designing the engine and start designing focusing on what the game needs.
When you work on a game the engine comes together by itself by separating real features you really needed; when you try to design an engine ground-up, you end up adding a bunch of features you like that might be useless and for sure aren't tied together well enough to really shorten your development times.

[Tom Cashman]

I fell into this trap too many times, I've got a bazillion half-finished game engines (not even games) because of it. I've recently set this as my desktop background -> F**k it, ship it

To sum up just make the damn game/engine, test it and ship it. Iterate afterwards.