First Blog!

Hello Inter-world!

So, after thinking about doing this for a LONG time, I finally decided to give it a bash. Need somewhere to talk about what I am doing, and how I am doing it and see if I get much interest. Mind you, interest rates are at a record low, so I'm not holding my breath.... And yes, that's just a sample of the carnival like atmosphere I'm known for creating.. *cough* moving on.

Anyway, the blog is INTENDED to be about my progress in developing various games for PC. But my concentration span is usually awful, so if I wander off topic then I'm sorry... nice weather today isn't it?... My wanders will probably be about how some eejut cut me up on the way to work (expect that one a LOT!) or about the latest game I'm playing - deconstructing its design and development in minute detail, overanalyising the physics engine, contemplating the network code on the multi-player side with words like "its rubbish" or "wow"!!

Ok, so a bit about me. I'm a bit old. Well, I'm not, but I feel it. 32 this year. 32. What happened?! The last thing I remember was playing Summer Camp on my C64.. now I'm here, married with a kid. Heh. Anyway, I'm 31 at the minute (that sounds much better) and married with one little boy who will be 3 in October. Ive been coding (poorly) for 20+ years. I started on my C64 with my Mum and Dad. We used to buy those big books of code, remember them? Line by line we would enter the code into the Commodore, they'd tell me it was to get me "into" computers - I think it was to save on the heating.. I mean, you've felt a C64 powerpack after its been on for a while, haven't you? .. anyway, line by line we would enter this code and then... the big moment.... "RUN". syntax error in 10. hmmm. that's the first line and its exactly how it shows in the book.... I think it was my Dad who first suggested after reading the "introduction" section of the book that maybe we should have pressed RETURN after each line, rather than SPACE through to the next line. Needless to say, the book ended up in the bin.

But I never gave up. I bought lots of BASIC programming books with my pocket money, and taught myself (very poorly) BASIC with my first game being finished when I was about 11/12. It was called "King Louis" and basically saw you amassing an army to invade France. Man, it was RTS in 1989, but text based... and a bit naff.. but it worked! The game was saved to tape so that it would stand the test of time... till I left it in the window sill.. and it melted... but still, i was inspired!

My C64 bit the dust in favour of an Amiga 600.. oh how i loved that numpadless little beauty. I used to watch my friend on his Amiga 500 playing Interceptor and thought that game was the dogs danglies.. woh, look at that - you can actually SEE the plane whilst its flying though exterior views.. BRILLIANT. Must get me that game.. oh.. right.. i see... you need a numpad to see those views.. and in fairness, without it, its a bit of a crap game isn't it..

So, during my work experience one summer I worked at a local computer games shop - loved it, and it was there I discovered AMOS (Amiga.. erm.. something something system) - but it was a programming language for the Amiga! I snapped up a copy and then must've filled about 100 discs with part finished projects, game ideas, and junk. It was here that my current project idea was born - but more on that later. Ahh, how I relish the days of Deluxe Paint 3 (nothing better out there today IMHO)...

So, after my Amiga, we went through the "first serious girlfriend" years, which meant in essence much less gaming than I had been used to. It was a tough time, and needless to say, it didn't work out.. My life was too full to deal with both at once. So I moved out and got me a killer PC. :) worst thing about this was that I left my Amiga with literally 100's of games at my ex's mother in laws house (which happened to be a pub) and I never saw them again... all those projects.. lost forever.. stop it now, you'll make me cry.

It was a few years after that I discovered Blitz Basic, and then Blitz 3d (which, along with C++ is what I use at the moment). More recently I also signed up for the Train2Game game developers course which I'm thoroughly enjoying, but I'm sure there will be more on my blog about that as the weeks progress...

So.. my current project(s). Got 2 on the go at the moment (and a myriad of ideas in my head for others):

Odds On - this project was spawned (hey, inadvertent game slang usage!) during my AMOS years - basically its a horse racing/management game where you can pretty much do what you like - be it breeding champions, just betting on races, run a stable etc. etc. the choices are endless (well, not at the minute, but that's the plan!). Early in development with the "race" on a straight track just about working at the mo :)
PC Power - anyone remember Gravity Power on the Amiga? now THAT was a classy game - SO simple but amazingly addictive. VERY early in development at the mo - got a couple of maps and a couple of ships that fly around it quite well... Ideally it would be GREAT if I could get this on WiiWare or PSN/XBL but that's very much in the future.

So that's me really. This blog is getting quite long already so Ill finish the intro one here - more to follow. Hope you enjoy reading it - let me have any thoughts etc.

Cheers

gnipper