It has come to my attention that the site was broken in IE 7. Looking at my web stats it looks like about 10% of my visitors use IE 7, so I apologise that the site has looked awful to you. It should be fixed now. At this point I’ve verified it in FireFox, IE 6, and IE 7. If anyone else is using an a different browser and notices some strange behaviour, please let me know.

Happy Halloween! Have a good weekend.

Owen

I posted my blog information on the indiegamer forums a couple of days ago, so welcome to everyone who is joining us from over there.

I’ve spent the last couple of days trying to determine what code from the prototype is good enough to carry over into the final product. While a large chunk of the prototype code is messy and ugly, there is some stuff that’s worth saving. Originally I thought I could refactor it without rewriting it all, but that’s turned into a real mess.

The main problem stems from the fact that I’m starting with my iPhone prototype code. All the code in there that handles the user interface stuff is fine and I wanted to avoid rewriting that stuff. So I started with that XCode project and decided to move forward with that. The problem is that I never brought over all the improvements I had made to my Mac prototype. So I’ve got two sets of code that diverged about a month ago and I’m trying to take the best bits and pieces from each and rewrite the stuff that sucks. It’s a mess.

In retrospect, it might have been a better idea to try to bring my iPhone prototype in line with the Mac prototype before I started to refactor and rewrite things. I think it would have made the processes easier. Oh well, live and learn. Next time I’ll know what to do…

Unrelated to code, I’ve started my search for a 2D artist. I think this may end up being the most challenging part of the project. I have a vision in my mind of what I want the game to look and feel like, but I need to find an artist who can execute that vision, but within my indie budget. This could be difficult. If anyone knows a good 2D artist who is willing to work for a reasonable rate (I’m not looking to rip anyone off) please have them contact me: owen[DOT]goss[AT]streamingcolour[DOT]com

Owen

Big news in the land of casual gaming today: PopCap just released Bejeweled Twist for sale.

• Bejeweled Twist (www.popcap.com) – PopCap’s latest version of Bejeweled introduces the concept of rotation instead of swapping. In this version you rotate a 2×2 block of gems 90 degrees clockwise with each move.
• In-Depth on Bejeweled Twist (www.gamasutra.com) – In-depth article on the launch party for the game along with some details on how PopCap uses the “mom test” on their games.

PopCap has been working on this version of Bejeweled for 4 years now. They said that they basically had the game working after a year and they’ve spent the last 3 years refining and polishing it, as well as making it easier to pick up and play. I suspect that the main reason for the 4 year delay is because Bejeweled and Bejeweled 2 were still making them oodles of cash. Why release a new version if you’re still making a few million bucks a year off the older titles?

The biggest shock to me is that the game introduces the use of bombs as an end condition for the game. The previous two versions of the game ended when there were no more moves available to the player. However, with the new rotation mechanic (in which you’re allowed to rotate even if it doesn’t form a match) I’m not sure it’s ever possible to run out of moves. I guess they needed something in there (like the bombs) to ensure that the game ends at some point.

The game also tracks a bunch of cool stats that you get to see at the end of the game (best move in terms of gems, cascades, or points; % of points from special items; the number of each kind of special item you received). It’s pretty cool. At the end of the game you can also watch instant replays of your three best moves, which is really cool.

I played the demo for about an hour this morning and I’m pretty impressed. It’s very much like the other Bejeweled games, but with more complexity and depth there to appeal to people who really understand the game. I took a lot of notes while playing, as this is the kind of game I hold up as the ultimate goal in terms of presentation and polish. Few casual game companies produce games of such a high quality. If I can get anywhere close with my game, I’ll be very happy.

Owen

Yesterday I got a lot of emails or IM’s from people urging me to “keep at ‘er”, so thanks to everyone who sent me a note. I’m feeling much better about the state of things this morning. I think the act of just laying it all out there and listing it all out has helped me immensely.

The other thing I did yesterday was to download a free project management tool called GanttProject. It’s free software written in Java (so it runs cross-platform) that basically mimics Microsoft Project’s most basic functionality. As it’s free, it does have a lot of UI quirks (bugs) that are kind of annoying at first, but hey…you get what you pay for. At any rate, I spent a little while yesterday and kind of roughed out a schedule for the next month or so. It has made me feel a lot better about the state of things and where I’m heading.

Today I need to finish up my UML diagrams. I’ve got the main logical side of the game broken down into its new structure, but the big change that’s still to come is the conversion to more of a Model-View-Controller architecture. This is the structure that the iPhone kind of forces you to use and there’s no reason I can’t use it with Playground SDK to clean up the structure a bit.

Then tomorrow, I start recoding the prototype properly. Hooray! As they say in Galaxy Quest, “Never give up! Never surrender!” Hmm…have I just exposed some nerdy part of me that I shouldn’t have shared?

Owen

It becomes very tempting not to post anything to the blog when things aren’t going smoothly. It’s much easier to post about things going well, or little hiccups, than to honestly talk about the bigger challenges I’m encountering. However, when I started this my goal was to be as open and honest about everything as possible, so here goes…

I’ve run into a bit of a mental barrier over the last few days of work. I’ve become a little overwhelmed with the work that stretches out in front of me and I’m finding it difficult to decide to actually dive in and start working on something. Working on my UML design helped for a while, but it also may have been serving as a form of procrastination, keeping me from getting into the more difficult stuff.

Here’s where I’m at:

• I’ve got a prototype I’m happy with
• I’ve got designs for 4 separate game modes I want to implement for the game
• I know which game mode I want to implement to completion for the iPhone release first

That all sounds well and good, but I’m starting to get overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done now:

• I need to start recoding the game with a proper code architecture that will let me expand into the 4 game modes I want to do
• I need to learn a lot more about Apple’s Core systems to properly implement my game for the iPhone
• I need to fully flesh out the designs for the four game modes
• I need to find a 2D artist to do some concept work for the visual look of the game and then for them to actually start creating art for the game
• I need to find a musician to start working with me on an aural design for the game and then to start composing
• I need to find a sound designer to start working with me on a sound effects design for the game and then to start creating sounds
• I need to start driving more traffic to the site
• I need to start thinking about how I’m going to market the game once it’s ready for release in the iPhone store and then longer-term about how to market it when I’m ready for my PC/Mac release
• I need to do all of the above in the context of my limited budget for the game

I think the act of actually writing it out has already helped to calm me down somewhat. My wife always tells me to “make a list” when I get overwhelmed with details like this. Maybe she was right (she usually is).

But still, this is a little daunting at first. I’ve worked on a lot of games, so I knew coming into this how much work was involved in making a game from start to finish. The thing is, it doesn’t really sink in until you realise you’re the one who has to do all of it. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m still enjoying this immensely…it’s just taking some adjusting to.

So…what next? I think what I should probably do is revisit the design document and update it to reflect the new design of the game. I’m going to need to document to show to an artists/musician/sound designer so that they get an idea of what the game will be. Once I’ve done that I think it will be time to lay down a real schedule for the project. I’ll set down some milestones for my own development and scope out the project. This should help me determine where I’m at and where I’m going. From there I can work backwards and determine exactly when I need to get my art and sound assets into the game. It should also help to keep me motivated. Right now I think I’m suffering from too much choice. I have no way of prioritizing. The milestones and schedule should help with that.

Ok, so I have a plan. Phew. Who knew blogging could be so helpful?

Owen