Make yer own!

Writing games is a lot of fun. At least, it can be. It also carries a few significant hurdles, if you’re just starting for the first time. Programming can be scary, especially if you have no experience. The options are limitless, which can make it overwhelming for a newcomer to the field. Fear not, however! I am going to do what I can to teach you, very simply, how to take a zillion hours of hair-pulling effort and make it into something you’re almost-satisfied-with-but-not-quite.

Still with me?

The goals of this site aren’t very many, but they do break down into a few major categories:

1.) Getting Started with Programming
These articles are for those of us who haven’t written any code, or maybe a few small scripts. They aren’t complete hand-holding tutorials, but they are intended to be clear and concise – and, as much as possible, language-agnostic. A “real programmer” should be able to grab a book (or hit a website) and write a simple program in a language they’ve never used – simply because they’re used to approaching problems a certain way. Develop that mindset, as guided by these articles, and the rest is cake.

2.) How (or Why) Do They Do That?
Do you remember the Minus World from the original Super Mario Bros.? Everyone knew someone that had seen it, or maybe made it there themselves. I know why it happened. (Of course, the link there gives a clue into it…) The more you work on video games, the more you’ll catch yourself asking “How does that work?” or “Why does it behave this way?” when you play them. That critical eye will help a lot when you go to design your own games – a little forethought can go a long way. These will be things I’ve noticed, or wondered, about the games I’ve seen.

3.) ARRRGH!
You are going to have hair-pulling moments. It comes with the territory. Whether it’s a flaw in your code, or a missed question in your design process, it’s going to happen. These columns will address some of the horror stories I run across, along with some tips to defuse or avoid them next time. It’ll be a mixed bag of code samples and amusing anecdotes, and a good tool to learn from the mistakes of others. Or at least a cheap laugh.

All in all, my goal is to ideally help make you (and myself, through introspection) a better programmer, to hopefully make you a happier programmer, and, if nothing else, to give you some insight into the “other side” of your favorite games.