100 Meter Marathon

Almost done. Almost. After yesterday’s, let use the term “outburst” I have some renewed enthusiasm and focus. I also went ahead and wrote down the specific things that actually need doing, not just what I want. I no longer have time for everything I want. I may have just enough time for everything I need. Here presented in an easy list form.

1) Stop Building. That’s it. I can’t keep creating content and then expect the Artists to just keep up. That is unrealistic. So the levels that I have are the levels that I have. There are 2-1/2 levels, which I’ll break up a little into 5 smaller levels (they’ll be different because they’ll have different music and backgrounds). The game will have “Demo” on the title screen, or “Chapters 1-5” or whatever. This will also give me time to finish the rest of the things on the list.

2) Title Screen, which Studio Logo, the Title and options for Game Start, Exit, and Team Credits. This should actually not take long to do, maybe an afternoon, probably less. As a random thought I think the Credits will be listed as I refer to them here in the Diary. For example, “The Designer : Eric Carr” etc.

3) Finish the Scripting. With fewer levels I can get this done, but this is the biggest item on the list by far. It’s just so many different things. The good thing is that I won’t have many switches and doors. Even though I like them the Stages that were to make extensive use of them will not be in the IGF Build.

4) Install the new Animations. This is an odd one. It may not take long at all. Or if they are all different sizes than the current animations then it may take a good long time to get them so that they look good. I won’t know until I do it, and that stresses me slightly. I’ll tell The Animator to give the pictures to me at 60X60 pixels with The Thief centered- like what I have now. That should help.

5) Install the new Backgrounds. This may also be fast when I get the Backgrounds. I don’t have any yet, and it’s stressing me out just a wee bit. Since the Environmental Artist has a copy of ThiefEd the levels should be as easy as sticking the correct art assets in the right places.

6) Pause Menu, with a “Continue” and an “Exit” option. For ease of use. It’ll give the whole thing a bit of class that may not be in most shoestring projects and will help the final IGF score I think. This is the same category as the Front Page, and I might even use the same code bits.

7) Play the Game 100 times and fix anything else the Tester finds.

8) Installer Program. Well, I found a free one online. So that should be good. Just need to figure out how to use it correctly. That is actually low on the list of worries.

That’s it. It almost seems possible from this angle. Almost.

-After writing this it struck me that I’m making a game about a character called “The Thief” fighting “The General,” “The Captain” and “The Princess” and with a team I refer to by their titles (here at least) of “The Animator,” “The Tester,” “The Environmental Artist” and “The Designer.”

-I wonder what title I should take for the project. Lead Designer? Producer? Programmer? Or should I just list myself a bunch of times. That seems a little wanky. I don’t know. I’ll think about it.

– “Wanky” adj. English Root. Def : 1) An activity of one considered to be a Wanker.
2) To behave in a way a Wanker would.
See also “Wankish”

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