Dr. Longman`s News #01

Программирование

Games - how to write a computer game (continued).

                HOW TO WRITE A computer game

                       / PRO-GAME 4-95 /

            continued. beginning in the pilot episode.



    Q: Can I start a project, if not prepared script?


    A: Yes, but is currently more expensive. Strictly speaking, 
the creation of tools for future games, technology development 
or preparation of sketches can be before the ready

scenario, but it will not bring life out of your future
game. Quite the contrary, when you finally "squeeze" out
a full script, it turns out that a lot of time and effort
spent idling on unnecessary and minor things. Always
should be borne in mind that fashion game "hits" and short-lived
changeable, and we want to succeed, we must be able to perform
different parts of the project on time and consistently.


    Q: How to choose the group of developers?


    A: Regardless of the type of game in the group should
be included writers, hydozhniki, programmers, and
composers. Some of them will work on a permanent
basis, the rest will be involved at certain stages
work.


    Do artists in modern games most of the work. In
primarily due to the large amount of graphic material
development of many games delayed for a year or two.
A natural alternative is to use
full-scale filming (live video) and three-dimensional modeling 
scenes (Real time or a calculated in advance). We have

talk about them in the next issue, but for now consider
traditional approach. In the selection of artists should be
timing of the costs of manufacturing backgrounds, sprites,
textures and flicker, in order to assess the overall 
development time. In addition, one should bear in mind two 
basic things: not There universalnuh artists - one who perfectly

paints nature, does not necessarily know how to draw a human
shape and, conversely, the preparation of background images, 
animations sprites (kinematics) and designing three-dimensional 
scenes (Flicks) - this is a very different directions, which 
are rarely equally well go right to the same person.



    If after the timing is just a
development of graphics to any professional requires a very
monogo time (more than six months), we must find ways to
parallelization. For example, you can assign an artist to paint
only the key animation frames, or only in the circuits, and for
rest of the work to find a mate.


    The programmer should choose the team based on the analysis
his previous work. The main criteria for vubore
are:

  ability vupolnit work as scheduled;

  ability to quickly correct mistakes;

  ability to work in a team;

  ability to precisely follow posed

  assignment.


    Unfortunately, there is a category of programmers, for which
create your code on the computer, for which he
works, is the ultimate goal. Their logic is simple: what
program "hangs" on other computers or other video
sound cards, "does not concern me, I have since everything is 
going." If the programmer does not realize that the ultimate 
goal of Developer and including - the pleasure

each user who will buy this game, most likely it
no place in the team.


    No less important to the programmer the ability to jointly
work with other programmers - this experience comes not
immediately, but it extremely valuable in the development of a 
large project. It goes without saying that the overwhelming 
number of commercial projects in the world are conducted in the 
language of C + + and games industry is no exception.



    Finally, it is very useful, even if a small team is
programmer-analyst, or programmer-architect (with programmer
long experience, whose task is to prepare,
adjustment and mutual coordination of tasks for employees
programmers).


    It is equally important that the working group was held in
psychologically. It Dolny present leader (better
only if the project manager, but not necessarily)
a generator of ideas, a skeptic, an expert and a sufficient 
number of "Workhorse". One thing is certain: in the group

should be no lazy man.


    The scheme of distribution of roles in the group is fairly 
obvious: ideas generator produces a set of proposals, ranging

from a potentially brilliant and ending useless skeptic
all mercilessly berates, the expert (who of course beat
all more or less known games) instantly recalls
it was already there, then there somewhere and it is very 
beautiful, well the leader the task of weighing the pros and 
cons and take final reschenie.



                                    (To be completed)


■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 


    C O M M E N T A & R AND D r. L o n g m a n 'a



    About the start of the project.


       Well, here, and comment, in fact,

       nothing. In a word - not knowing ford not poke your nose

       in the water!


    About the composition of the group.



       Yes, that's where the space for thought! But for

       Sinkleristov that the word CD-ROM hear

       third time in his life, and what is generally MYST

       have no idea, the concept of "half a year on

       schedule, "sounds like something wild.'ll try to describe

       its model of building the development team:

       So, the first - is a programmer.


       He is one, (two just claw at 48 or

       128 kilobytes) is controlled by a screenwriter

       or by itself. Sets the tone for the work of artist and

       Composer (again because of narrowness of memory).

       Everything else, except for C + +, refers to it in

       fully.


       Script writer, or inventor of the idea, it is desirable

       expert and the director (if the whips in the code -

       all the treasure!) "soul" of the project, pulls it up

       ears, "enthusiasm infects the rest.


       The artist, who has mastered the subtleties to ARTSTUDIO

       must be able to avoid "kleshinga" and should

       VERY well represent static (megahertz

       little, but want nice). Animator - you can

       separately, but if the artist is not afraid of sprites,

       Think of luck!


       Composer - without comment, but note: in

       world music in the style of "cougars-pudum" no longer

       welcome. What is unobtrusive melody in the game

       the greater the benefits program. And in the intro

       can be subverted as you like.


       Tester - an independent user, evaluates

       results and is trying to catch "bugs". Very

       well if the tester - the expert.


       Here's the basic lineup. At SPECCY always

       fewer people, the more oxygen, but

       alone also did not do (unless you

       Of course, not the hero type master Mednonogova).


       But the main thing - it is the desire to finish 
everything before 

       end.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■