So, I've already said this on my deviantart account, but I've decided to more seriously try my hand at game-making. For a while, since early middle school, I've been set on becoming an animator. Upon entering Georgia Tech, though, my chances of realizing these aspirations seemed increasingly dire. Things took a drastic turn the spring semester of my junior year, though, when I took both a Computer Graphics class and (at long last!) an animation class. I found myself gravitating more to the work in the Computer Graphics class, thanks to the teacher's excellent and engaging lectures, but paid this preference no heed. The next two semesters, I had group projects dedicated to making games, as well as group projects dedicated yet again to making film. In both, I found myself sucked more into the game projects than the film projects, despite the realization of my dreams to be actively animating. It finally hit me near the end of this semester that, I might not want to do animation after all. That, rather, the career path that would make me happier might have been staring me at the face, here at Georgia Tech, after all.
To test this, though, I believe it is important that I successfully make individual projects of my own. Only if I can prove to myself that I have the devotion to pull off such projects will I know for sure that this is the path that is right for me. I know nothing about games: I grew up on mostly educational software, and I've spent the majority of my time getting to know the intricacies of the animation industry. But I know that no other group project has made me happier and more satisfied than the group projects dealing with making games.
I really enjoy setting up constraints for myself and putting an element of chance into the mix, so I've decided that I'll be making thirteen games, based on thirteen elements. I've also designated thirteen virtues, leadership traits, and colors, which I'll draw randomly to get the constraints I must follow in making a game. I also draw the gender randomly, in honor of my game teacher this semester, Professor Pearce. The idea excites me, and a desire to know what I could draw next for my second game is motivation enough to push me to make progress on my current game. Here are my constraints:
Element: Ice
Virtue: Discipline
L.Trait: Diplomacy
Color: Red
Gender: Female
I already have a story and a game mechanic idea in mind, but it occurred to me last night, that I could set the game on Mars! I mean, Mars is red, and it's freezing: it has ice caps, just like Earth! What other possible setting combines the color and element I drew as nicely?! True, that completely obliterates my story, but, it fits the constraints so well! Lol, in all honesty, I need to stop changing things around. Still, if there's anything I've gleaned from my game-loving professors, it is the playability of a game that is paramount, not story, not graphics. I know for sure that the game I'm making will be based in Flixel, since I used it this semester. I have to make sure I start off small: I find them boring, but I'll be basing the mechanic on a traditional RPG. Hmm, I think I'll aim to finish this game by August. Anyways, I'll update on whether I plan on changing the game's story and setting!
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