Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog I'm going to talk about why you should learn to code even if you don't plan on working as a programmer in the games industry.

So, let's say you want to be a game designer, level designer or quest designer in the industry. You might say "I don't need to learn to code. I won't need it" Now, you're not wrong. You have every chance of landing a position in a company based purely on your skills as a designer. However, there a very strong advantages to knowing how to code even on a basic level in a design role.

A lot of game dev roles, even design roles now prefer that the designer be able to at least be able to read and understand a code script in order to make small changes in order to test various aspects of the game. Why is this important?  Well, in a working environment it's not very practical to keep asking the programmers to make one small change every time you want to test a slight change in gameplay or something else. That requires far too much back and forth where more time could be saved if the designer understands what the code they are looking at does and how to make changes to that code in order to test elements of the game.

Learning to code also better develops problem solving skills as coding is nothing more than logical thinking and problem solving. The only trick is understanding the syntax of the language. Learning to code is a lot like learning a new language. Like any language, code is made up of rules that dictate how you use that coding language. Each coding language has it's own set of rules but you will find a lot of similarities between them. Coding requires you to break a problem up into multiple steps in order to solve it. This same approach can be applied to everyday situations which in turn make your everyday problem solving skills all that much better.

Even if you don't intend to work in the games industry, learning to code is an invaluable skill to have as programmers are always in high demand and even working in some IT jobs, if you can code, that will instantly give you an edge over those who don't. If you do plan on working in games as a programmer, then I suggest you start to look at C++. It's the most widely used language in the games industry, especially on the larger 3D titles. If you can master C++, you'll have no trouble getting your foot in the door.

So whether you want to be a programmer on the next big game or a designer, learn to code. Even if it's just at a basic level, it will make a world of a difference to how you approach everyday problems.

​Until next time!

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog, I'm going to go through some resources available online that I think are a great help for those getting started in Game Dev or even for those who would like to brush up on skills. Ok, let's get started!

Programming
This can be one of the most daunting aspects of game development for newcomers but learning to code while not easy, it's still not as hard as you may imagine it to be. There are some pretty great resources available online for those who want to try their hand at it.

1. Learn Java- If you have no experience with programming and you want to learn then Java is a good language to start with for making small games. The Java Tutorial for Complete Beginners course over on Udemy is a pretty great course for learning how Java works and it's a free course to make things better!

Once you understand the basics of Java and feel comfortable writing small programs using it, then I'd suggest moving onto some C# or C++ beginner tutorials. You can find another good free course on C++ here.

These courses cover the basics of learning the languages and are not directly focused on games development but I feel it's important to understand the basics before attempting to apply it to a game. Once you become comfortable with a programming language, I'd suggest moving onto some tutorials specifically aimed at making basic games.

Game Engine
When it comes down to what game engine to use that depends on the needs of your game. Some will handle certain aspects of development better than another. When deciding what one to use that comes down to you understanding the needs off your game and researching into each engine. I'll list some of the most widely used engines below.

1. ​Unity
2. Unreal Engine
3. ​GameMaker 

​While there are many other game engines, these are the three most popular and have the best documentation and support.

Game Design
When it comes to game design, there are a lot of books written on the subject but one that stands out is A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster. I personally also believe the best way to learn about game design is from the experiences of others in the industry. A great resource for this is GDC Vault. While not all talks are free to watch, you can find a huge back catalogue of talks from the previous years. These talks not only cover game design but a art, programming, animation and much more so it's a resource you should check out.

Art Tools
When it comes to making the art and visuals for your game, be it 2D or 3D, you have a large list of options to choose from. For 2D games, I like to use Photoshop and Zbrush for a lot of 3D work but these tools are not always available to everyone. So, let's look at some free options. If you want to make a 2D game with vector art or use tools similar to that of Photoshop, then Gimp is a good option.

For making 3D models both high poly and low poly, I find Blender to actually be a great free tool that I use rather a lot in my own work. It has some great tutorials on Youtube and the documentation on the website is very detailed and up to date.

Audio Editing
When it comes to doing some basic editing on audio files then Audacity is a great free tool that has all the basic tools you need for tweaking sound files for your games.


​I hope this blog post helps you get started on making your first game and as always if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch.

​Until next time!

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

This week, we're going to look at the first in a series of tips for writing for games. We'll talk about character development, world building and more. So let's get started!

Often times you'll find characters that appear to be really badass. Characters who seem to be able to handle whatever comes at them without even breaking a sweat and yet we don't like them. So why is it that we can't seem to connect with a character who is basically able to do anything? Why don't I feel for this character or even admire them?

Simply because I can't relate to a character who doesn't struggle. This perfect character who always wins doesn't feel real to me simply because they don't exist. When it comes to a character, I admire the character for facing up to their fears. Even if they fail, the fact that they stood up to something that normally they would run from is what really makes them a badass. So, when it comes to writing your characters, keep in mind not just their strengths but what their weaknesses are and how they can encounter them in game and deal with them. How can you convey to the player the importance of such an interaction to the character.

A good way of doing this is to clearly establish what the character is good at and comfortable with. Then we introduce a change. We build up a routine of normality for the character then throw a sudden change at them introducing an element that directly contrasts what they are comfortable with. Now we see how the character copes. However, keep in mind that it's ok to allow the character to fail in this encounter. We relate more to a character that tries. They may fail. They may fall. But it's this interaction that makes us root for the character. 

When I'm writing the story for a game, like most game developers it comes in bits and pieces. With that said once I have the general idea for my game story down, I tend to focus on the ending first. While this may seem strange to some, what you'll actually find is that endings are very hard to write. They not only have to make sense to the player but most importantly, they have to feel satisfying to the player. So, spend a lot of time early on figuring out your ending and have it working in a way that makes sense and feels gratifying. Your ending is what most people will remember about your game so make it a good one.

I've lost count of all the times I've scraped stories over the years that I wasn't happy with. As time has gone on I've learnt that as a creative, I'm never truly going to be happy with what I make. I'll always see the flaws and what I could have done better. That's simply because I'm too close to it. My advice to you is don't throw out your story just because you don't like a few aspects of it. The reality of it is you're never going to like it completely. Such is the nature of being a creative. Finish your stories. Learn from them, move on to the next but in doing so, take what you have learnt and apply it to the next story. Improve and become a better writer.

Look at some of your favorite stories and pick them apart. Try to understand what makes them so great. See what works and what doesn't. Try to understand the type of writer you are. Do you excel at writing character or do you prefer to write fantastical worlds that appear clear as day in your mind. The most important bit of advice I can give you from all this and I speak from experience is just write. Don't worry about it being messy at first or even being good. Put it on paper, write it in MS Word. Write it however you want, just write it. Don't leave it up in your head as an idea. Until you start putting it out and making something tangible of it, it'll never develop beyond just an idea in your mind.

That about does it for the first in this series of writing tips. I hope you enjoyed the post and as always feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch.

​Until next time!

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog we're going to take another look at what I've been playing. While it's been a little while since it came out and when I actually played it, I felt it was still worth mentioning Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

I've been a big fan of the Resident Evil series right from the first one back on the PS1 which as you may recall from my earlier blogs is among the very first horror games I played and it managed to not only scare me but ingrain a deep ​fascination with all things horror and zombies.

I remained a fan of the series up until 4 which in my opinion was simply one of the best RE games ever made. The pacing may have felt a bit long winded at times but the introduction of a new virus and the game mechanic improvements made for a fantastic new experience. Sadly after RE 4, the series focused more so on just the action element of the series and began to neglect the horror element resulting in a bland experience that felt untrue to the original game.

What makes RE7 so great is that it's gone back to that core element of horror and reinforced this by improving the game mechanics once again. This time in favor of the horror element by putting the game in first person perspective and while in classic RE fashion you have weapons, the amount of weapons and ammo is greatly reduced. The emphasize is placed on evading danger rather than confronting it head on all the time.

The resulting gameplay is that of real tension and horror as you try to navigate this old house without being found by the seemingly invincible residents.

The game offers up a great mix of classic Resident Evil while giving it a fresh new feeling that not only made for a great reboot to the series but also leaves us with some very exciting questions as to where the series will go from here. I for one am very excited to see what comes next.

​Until next time!

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog, I'm going to be talking a little bit about Gamejolt and why I like to put my games up there.

By now you probably know it's a safe bet to say when I release a new game, the first place you'll find it is on Gamejolt. So why do I tend to upload to Gamejolt first? It has to do with a few things. First off, the site from a technical point of view is very easy to use. Uploading a game and managing the packages, media and details is just very easy and hassle free.

The next thing is the folks who run the site are clearly very passionate about all kinds of games and are very open to seeing all kinds of new games appear on the site. This open mindedness is very appealing to me. To be able to express yourself through a game and have an outlet such as Gamejolt is a big plus in ​encouraging people to make different kinds of games and get them out there for people to play. Which brings me to my next point, the community.

The community on Gamejolt of both players and Devs is one of the best I've come across online. That says a lot considering the flaws of some gammeing communities but that's a blog for another day. The Gamejolt community is a great place to not only have people play your game and get feedback on it but the way both players and Devs integrate so well allows for a great dynamic of both player feedback and developer feedback bouncing off each other to give some truly great food for thought.

The other aspect of the site that I truly enjoy is the Jams. They are a wonderful way of sparking new ideas and some of the best games are born out of game jams.

Ever since the introduction of the Marketplace on Gamejolt, I've been able to upload more of my games in a way that has allowed me to do what I love doing which is making the type of games I find interesting. Seeing peoples reactions to my games has been one of my favorite things to come from the gamers on the site who have the ability to post their let's plays as comments. I even ended up making a reactions compilation not so long ago from a bunch of them which you can find just below.

It's safe to say, I'll continue to put my games on Gamejolt for as long as they're around and it doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon. If you've never been to Gamejolt then go check it out!

​  Until next time!