EGP – Down to the Wire

I’ve been slightly absent in my blogging as of late. Not due to inactivity, mind. Just unable to find the time to sit and write. So much for that, I’ll make time. I’m back, and I’m going to make a point of putting updates back on track. If this is coming out all disconnected and strange, it is because my brain is occupied elsewhere; I apologize.

First, news: At the beginning of August, the Experimental Gameplay Project kicked off its second Gameplay Competition. Sponsored by Red Octane, the EGP set off to cover new ground and get intrepid programmers and designers to create new ways to play. The challenge – Create a non-rhythm based game designed to be played with a Dance Pad. Round One consisted of designers putting forth their best ideas. The chosen designs (15 in all), would move on to Round Two.

Round One Winners got mailed an actual Red Octane Ignition Dance Pad (yes, they gave away 15 of these for really simple designs!). We now have until the 8^th of September to prototype out designs. Yes… we. I was set alight by an idea. I submitted a design. I was chosen to go on to round two.

I’m now on the wire.

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This is the final 5 days of the competition.

I’ve been quiet (blogging-wise) up to this point: partly because I’ve been busy and party because I’ve been spinning my wheels. I’ll admit that I’m a bit rusty when it comes to programming and prototyping for windows. I have a tendency to over-design and over-think problems. The practical upshot of this is that I spent the first week (during my vacation) spinning my wheels on ideas. I created half a dozen prototypes trying to get a graphical idea to work. I managed it, but at the cost of a week.

The second week was me trying to get my brain into game-programming space. I needed a game framework that would allow me to do direct image manipulation, which was easy to use, and that was free. I found a few and settled on the PopCap Games Framework. I spent the second week learning the API and game programming practices. I was back at work, and learning a new API is not the lightest thing in the world. Week two, cram session.

So where am I now? I’ve got a framework. I’ve got a prototype layout. I’ve got some graphical resources. It’s about to get wacky. Stay tuned this week for micro-updates and pre-mortem breakdown. Perhaps even a few glimpses of Inkblot.