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General Thoughts

Wow, it’s been over two weeks since my last update. That’s the longest break in between updates since I’ve started.

These last two weeks have been very productive. I have, for the most part, completed all the needed logic for the main game loop.

I’m now at the actual designing stage of the game and in the midst of building out a cityscape for the first level. It is a surprisingly tedious endeavor, and I can feel myself wanting to rush through this process so I can move on to the next game. This was originally an idea I thought I could complete in a month.

But after 2 months of learning and fiddling with 3D games, I’ve learned that my initial estimate was pretty far off. I think I should sit back and enjoy this next part of making the game too.

A subgoal for this project was to do a devlog of the experience. I have been writing fairly consistently throughout the process, and ended up deciding to try video devlogs on my old YouTube channel I made back in college.

On the YouTube front, I’ve been kind of meandering on my next video. I’ve taken a lot of footage, but I’m realizing I don’t really know how to put together a “good video”. I think I should watch some videos on video editing in the future. I know how to stitch a video together mechanically, and I know the concept of storytelling. But I don’t know how to do that within the context of a devlog YouTube video.

I’m going to try just, doing it. Nike style. I think tomorrow morning I’ll just turn on the camera and mindlessly talk. That’s what editing is for right?

A Brief Outline, that I may or may not adhere to at all:

  1. Finishing the Scripting
    1. Introduce the game concept
    2. Introduce myself in the context of the game
      1. I’m new to 3D programmer
    3. How My Game is Rigged Up
      1. Use of AnimationPlayer
      2. Use of Hard/Easy Modifier
    4. Game Design Phase
      1. Way harder than expected
      2. Feels more soulless? I think I’m doing it wrong.
  2. Moving into the Game Design phase
    1. Whatever I learn from dis lol

Things I did

I’m too lazy to look at my commits in GitHub, so here goes some old-man memory:

  • Deduped word pools, no words can be repeated when being assigned to zombies
  • Designed two more combat areas, an indoor area, and a bus parking lot.
  • Fixed a few bugs that would result in words not spawning
  • Maybe other things

What ChatGTP4 think I need to do next?

I stopped doing these, as I no longer needed a gimmick to keep writing my devlog, but I’m feeling nostalgic. I’m going to ask Chat GPT what it thinks I should do next. (If you’ve somehow stumbled across this blog, and more even somehow this is the first post of mine you’ve read, I used to feed my posts into various A.I. to compare their results. It was not strictly a chatgpt4 thing.)

Prompt Used: “I want you to analyze a body of text for actionable items. I am going to send you an entry for a game development log. This log belongs to a single developer. I want you to analyze the text to determine what the next steps should be, ending with a single motivating quote. If you understand this message, say “OK!”. Afterward, I will send the text that will be analyzed”

The Response

Based on the game development log you’ve provided, the next steps seem to focus on the following areas:

  1. Designing the First Level’s Cityscape:

    • Dedicate time to carefully design the cityscape for the first level, despite the tediousness. This foundation is crucial for the overall game experience.

  2. Devlog and YouTube Channel:

    • Prioritize learning about video editing and storytelling specifically for devlog videos.
    • Start by recording raw footage and ideas, then use editing to refine the storytelling aspect.

  3. Reflect on Game Design:

    • Consider different approaches to game design that might feel less “soulless.” Engage with other game developers, forums, or literature to explore various design philosophies and techniques.

  4. Scripting and Programming:

    • Revisit and finalize any remaining scripting for the game loop.
    • Continue to debug and refine the game mechanics based on the latest developments, like the deduplication of word pools.

  5. Documentation and Version Control:

    • It might be helpful to review commits on GitHub occasionally to maintain a clear development history and better track changes.

  6. Engagement with the Community:

    • Post regular updates on the devlog to keep the community engaged and get feedback.
    • Use the YouTube channel as a platform to document the development journey and connect with the audience.

To wrap up with a motivating quote:

“Game development, like life, is a marathon, not a sprint. Take pleasure in the process, and remember: ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ - Lao Tzu”

Keep this in mind as you move forward with your project. Your commitment to learning and growing within the 3D game development space is commendable, and each step you take, no matter how small, is progress towards your ultimate goal.