The vertical game jam took place over the span of 5 days, where we were placed in a group of 17 people from different specialties and 2nd and 3rd year groups. It was a week full of challenges and a ton of learned experiences. I broke up the following into short, day accounts of the… Continue reading Vertical Game Jam 2023 | DevLog_014
Hypercasual Updates and UE SpawnActor Annoyances | DevLog_013
On my last update, I talked about having much of the framework in place to procedurally generate my endless runner. A few of those bones in place were temperamental and lacked the stability to scale the project moving forward. The following are elements of those features that got important updates and a few others that… Continue reading Hypercasual Updates and UE SpawnActor Annoyances | DevLog_013
Being a Tech Student at an Arts Uni | DevLog_012
Attached is my contribution for the Norwich University of the Arts Blog Blog Here BSc (Hons) Games Development student Andy Dalaimo discusses his decision to study a technology-focused degree at Norwich University of the Arts. He talks about the power of collaboration, the importance of exchanges of ideas across disciplines and moving to Norwich from… Continue reading Being a Tech Student at an Arts Uni | DevLog_012
Creating the bones: Procedural Generation | DevLog_011
For the Hypercasual brief, I have decided to go with an endless runner. The idea is Temple Run meets frogger. With each Grid (Street) being procedurally generated. This idea has been modified over the past few weeks as I have gone back and forth between what I thought was playable. First Pass Initially, I had… Continue reading Creating the bones: Procedural Generation | DevLog_011
Year 2 Expectations | DevLog_010
My motivation in year one was reflective of the stress and excitement of starting and getting into the swing of a new system and place. After adapting to the University and curriculum, I felt that my main motivation was finding my place in the course. I came in with a background in programming and a… Continue reading Year 2 Expectations | DevLog_010
Some Thoughts on Roblox and Platform Capitalism in the Gaming Space | DevLog_009
Throughout the unit we have been engaging in a lot of Games Industry research. Topics included are employment opportunities, workplace culture (crunch), and diversity within the industry as a whole. I have always stewed on the fact that I just don’t “get” what Roblox is. It is a massive, unbelievably in gaming IP that has… Continue reading Some Thoughts on Roblox and Platform Capitalism in the Gaming Space | DevLog_009
IK Retargeting | DevLog_008
Indie Dev Prototype Development has begun on my indie game for the Unit 2 submission. I am making a 3D puzzle platformer that has an emphasis on character movement and mechanics. It features mechanics like teleporting, climbing, and launching across platforms. During the implementation of one mechanic specifically, Climbing, I found that I was very… Continue reading IK Retargeting | DevLog_008
On Game Jams | DevLog_007
Global Games Jam 2023 My first game jam experience happened over the Feb 3-5 weekend. Conceptualizing, formulating a team, and making a game in roughly 48 hours is daunting when I already feel so green in the act of making games. I felt unsure about my abilities and what I could bring to the table.… Continue reading On Game Jams | DevLog_007
First Month of Unreal and Maintaining Good Coding Practices | DevLog_006
This unit marks a real first dive into Unreal Engine and furthermore, Blueprints. Upon first usage in tutorials and playing around, this visual scripting language felt foreign to me and rigid. Although I could make a case for the latter, the time spent using only blueprints has offered a different perspective. The “Flow chart” nature… Continue reading First Month of Unreal and Maintaining Good Coding Practices | DevLog_006
End of the Initial Development Cycle | DevLog_005
Phaser Project With the last days of development for a 2D Phaser project coming to close, I’m left with a couple of take aways. This first complete project has offered a lot of new insights. First off, with such a short development cycle, the very real scope creep monster reared its head. Although I was… Continue reading End of the Initial Development Cycle | DevLog_005