USA
Writing games is like riding a bicycle.. that's on fire.
July 05, 2010
While working on my iPhone port of Gundown the other day, I had a sort of sudden "ooooh, I wonder if this would be cool" moment. That feature was a twist on my existing control style: what if the user held the device in portrait mode instead, and used a finger 'flick' motion to fire projectiles? …
June 27, 2010
Hello again, kind readers.
It's been a good long while since I've last posted here! For a development journal, it sure hasn't been giving the impression that I've been developing much, has it? Rest assured though, plenty has been going on since I last inscribed an entry. Plenty has been jostling …
It's been a good long while since I've last posted here! For a development journal, it sure hasn't been giving the impression that I've been developing much, has it? Rest assured though, plenty has been going on since I last inscribed an entry. Plenty has been jostling …
June 25, 2010
Life in Apple's World: Love and Hate and Strife
Since I began working at a local iPhone start-up in Waterloo in January, things became very exciting. The world of mobile development (game development in particular) was suddenly wide-open to me, and I couldn't have been more charged about the possib…
Since I began working at a local iPhone start-up in Waterloo in January, things became very exciting. The world of mobile development (game development in particular) was suddenly wide-open to me, and I couldn't have been more charged about the possib…
April 26, 2010
Lots and lots of progress since I've last posted, kind Journal Farers. Over the course of the last month I've been working hard on the actual 'game' aspect of what was previously naught but a 2D engine. Some of you may recall, foggily, that I mentioned an urge to recreate an old arcade shooter th…
March 18, 2010
The last week or so has been quite productive. I'm not sure what sorts of details to launch into though. For me this is the umpteenth time writing a 2D game engine for my stuff, so the last month or so of development has been little more than 'wax on, wax off'; a sort of unconscious progression o…
March 08, 2010
Paying the Apple Elitist Fee.
First things first: I finally took the plunge and purchased an Apple Developer License under my name. Many of you probably wouldn't make a face over having to drop a mere hundred dollars, but for me the purchase signified a commitment to following this iPhone developme…
First things first: I finally took the plunge and purchased an Apple Developer License under my name. Many of you probably wouldn't make a face over having to drop a mere hundred dollars, but for me the purchase signified a commitment to following this iPhone developme…
March 02, 2010
Sprites? Sprites. SPRITES!? SPRITES!!
A bit of a short entry this morning.
Progress is moving along smoothly for my higher-level 2D engine wrapper atop SDL. Despite the iPhone port being reputedly at only alpha, the functionality available, I believe, is totally sufficient to knock out most any s…
A bit of a short entry this morning.
Progress is moving along smoothly for my higher-level 2D engine wrapper atop SDL. Despite the iPhone port being reputedly at only alpha, the functionality available, I believe, is totally sufficient to knock out most any s…
February 23, 2010
It began with an excuse to toy with a Mac.
For the last few months, I have had a rather unique opportunity. Certainly not something to be considered a unique opportunity by all, but I think that I make something of a special case. As I mentioned in my last entry, I have been doing my present co-op…
For the last few months, I have had a rather unique opportunity. Certainly not something to be considered a unique opportunity by all, but I think that I make something of a special case. As I mentioned in my last entry, I have been doing my present co-op…
February 21, 2010
Diagnosis: Not enough game development?
I had originally begun scrawling out a very different, far more long-winded entry that dug rather deeply into the nitty gritty details of what I had been up to for the last several months as well as where I am now. However, it struck me that it would likely b…
I had originally begun scrawling out a very different, far more long-winded entry that dug rather deeply into the nitty gritty details of what I had been up to for the last several months as well as where I am now. However, it struck me that it would likely b…
December 12, 2009
Four!?
Has it already been four months? [grin]
I can't believe how guilty I am of not posting for so long, but my current school term (Sept-Dec) has kept me unbelievably busy. Final exams are currently in the process of being written -- Japanese 101 is this afternoon! -- so I feel like I have a mite…
Has it already been four months? [grin]
I can't believe how guilty I am of not posting for so long, but my current school term (Sept-Dec) has kept me unbelievably busy. Final exams are currently in the process of being written -- Japanese 101 is this afternoon! -- so I feel like I have a mite…
August 04, 2009
Good evening Journal Land. A short but sweet entry tonight, mentioning a few recent developments on Cyberspawn. Most notable is the (final!) implementation of sliding doors, which are currently functioning on a 'mostly working' basis. I say mostly working because all doors can only slide open --…
July 14, 2009
Another month, another entry. It certainly seems like my rate of posting has decreased, hasn't it?
My co-op work is as busy as ever with a pending beta release at the end of the week, and a recently developing relationship have a way of draining one's free time. Still, I'm determined to fit more o…
My co-op work is as busy as ever with a pending beta release at the end of the week, and a recently developing relationship have a way of draining one's free time. Still, I'm determined to fit more o…
June 14, 2009
I know I'm going to get some guff for it, but I was only able to get this video in MP4 format, which YouTube didn't seem to like. [sad]
Regardless, take this opportunity to see Cyberspawn in motion.
EDIT: It looks like my YouTube attempt succeeded. ">Click here to view.
New since my last entry is t…
Regardless, take this opportunity to see Cyberspawn in motion.
EDIT: It looks like my YouTube attempt succeeded. ">Click here to view.
New since my last entry is t…
June 11, 2009
Has it indeed been an entire month since my last update, dear journal?
So it has.
This month has been an utter whirlwind for me, in terms of both work and that elusive real life. Nevertheless, I've still been pumping in some work into Cyberspawn here and there whenever I can. The most notable additio…
So it has.
This month has been an utter whirlwind for me, in terms of both work and that elusive real life. Nevertheless, I've still been pumping in some work into Cyberspawn here and there whenever I can. The most notable additio…
May 10, 2009
May 07, 2009
So, once again I am back doing my co-op term at Sony Creative Software, a subsidiary of Sony way way off in the forgotten Canadian city of Waterloo. Tomorrow will be the last day of my first week, and quite a busy week it has been! The product we are developing is called Media Go, a media managemen…
April 29, 2009
After a nice visit back home, I'm back in Waterloo and getting ready to start my next co-op work term this Monday. I'll be returning to Sony Creative Software, a smallish subsidiary of Sony that focuses on multimedia related apps. Heard of Media Go? [Probably not, but] That's what I'll be working o…
April 17, 2009
Between studying for final exams and other diversions (such as the lovely weather), I was in the right mood to sit down tonight and produce a few more pieces of art for my little isometric game project. A couple of new walls (with and without a light), and a grainy wooden floor.
I'm still generating…
I'm still generating…
April 05, 2009
Thanks, GD.NET
Just the other day I received my copy of "Advanced Game Programming: A GameDev.Net Collection" from the publishers. Several months ago John Hattan approached me with interest in adopting my metaballs article into their book. Naturally I was quite thrilled just to be able to see my nam…
Just the other day I received my copy of "Advanced Game Programming: A GameDev.Net Collection" from the publishers. Several months ago John Hattan approached me with interest in adopting my metaballs article into their book. Naturally I was quite thrilled just to be able to see my nam…
March 24, 2009
More pretty lights
My main beef with my initial results was that many of the shadows looked kind of blocky, which killed a lot of potential realism (see previous entry). I realized this was because of two factors: the lumels (the 'pixels' of the lightmap texture) were large, and that if the change i…
My main beef with my initial results was that many of the shadows looked kind of blocky, which killed a lot of potential realism (see previous entry). I realized this was because of two factors: the lumels (the 'pixels' of the lightmap texture) were large, and that if the change i…
March 23, 2009
It's been far too long of a while since I've written here! I feel like I need to get my writing muscles back into shape, so please excuse me if this first entry is a little rough around the edges. [smile]
Cyberspawn? What's that?
A rather long while back, nearly a year ago, I wrote about a small scal…
Cyberspawn? What's that?
A rather long while back, nearly a year ago, I wrote about a small scal…
February 19, 2009
February 11, 2009
It's that time of the year again! Mid-February to Mid-March is always ripe with midterms, which means two things: Reading Week and studying. I think that Reading Week is more well-known in the US as "Spring Break". Whatever. [grin]
Tomorrow is my Intermediate German midterm, which I have been furiou…
Tomorrow is my Intermediate German midterm, which I have been furiou…
February 03, 2009
Good evening, Journal Land. Has it really been a whole month since I last posted? Time has been flying for me since the new year got underway. University has (as usual) been a flurry of new and interesting material. [smile]
Stallman talks freedom
Last Thursday we were visited by the illustrious Richa…
Stallman talks freedom
Last Thursday we were visited by the illustrious Richa…
January 01, 2009
A belated Merry Christmas to everyone, and a cheery New Years' as well. I hope you are all happy with what you have accomplished last year, and are as eager as me to get cracking on all of the great new stuff just waiting to be had at this year!
Results of 2008 Resolutions
Every year I like to post m…
Results of 2008 Resolutions
Every year I like to post m…
December 15, 2008
Another year draws near an end.
With final exam season running rampant and winter holidays looming ahead, it's a busy and exciting time 'round here. The uni course that I have been tutoring this term has its final exam tomorrow, so I have been exceedingly busy with work revolving around said item. M…
With final exam season running rampant and winter holidays looming ahead, it's a busy and exciting time 'round here. The uni course that I have been tutoring this term has its final exam tomorrow, so I have been exceedingly busy with work revolving around said item. M…
November 24, 2008
Subversion strikes!
Many of you may be shocked, perhaps even appalled, to learn that Skirmish has not been under any form of source version control until very recently. To be entirely honest, I have merely been making backups of my entire development folder and storing them on a few different medium…
Many of you may be shocked, perhaps even appalled, to learn that Skirmish has not been under any form of source version control until very recently. To be entirely honest, I have merely been making backups of my entire development folder and storing them on a few different medium…
November 19, 2008
Skirmish Hits the Web!
Now, I'm certainly no website designer. Let's get that down-pat on the table. However, Skirmish is getting closer and closer to the point that I would very much like to start advertising its existence to the world, and start reeling in players and other interested parties.
Rece…
Now, I'm certainly no website designer. Let's get that down-pat on the table. However, Skirmish is getting closer and closer to the point that I would very much like to start advertising its existence to the world, and start reeling in players and other interested parties.
Rece…
November 12, 2008
These are screenshots from a few rounds of the "Rocket Man" game mode that I put together recently using the scripting system that I implemented.
Inspired by the Halo game mode, "Juggernaut", Rocket Man is a fairly simple game mode that places a single player in the possession of the Rocket Launcher…
Inspired by the Halo game mode, "Juggernaut", Rocket Man is a fairly simple game mode that places a single player in the possession of the Rocket Launcher…
November 08, 2008
Midterm Madness
Well, I think I can safely say that the midterm business is over. The week was full of late-nights, which mostly revolved around the 330 unsorted midterm papers that I had to sort, write down totals on, and enter into the school database. Groan! A multi-pass manual radix sort did the…
Well, I think I can safely say that the midterm business is over. The week was full of late-nights, which mostly revolved around the 330 unsorted midterm papers that I had to sort, write down totals on, and enter into the school database. Groan! A multi-pass manual radix sort did the…
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