Prototypes and RetroVector Games

I keep coming across game development pieces and advice columns that state students need to be creating prototypes for games. A writer writes, a developer develops. I have not been following this advice as closely as I should have been.

I am in my senior year of my undergraduate career. Soon I will have the choice of continuing my education or trying to secure a job. If securing a job is anything like securing an internship, then I have a lot of competition from highly regarded universities and experienced developers who have been laid off. In order to be able to compete, I need a portfolio of projects.

Thus far, I have two working projects. One is an XNA project called KLAX'D and is outlined below. The second is a Flash project and is an Asteroids clone. I named it Salvager as the goal of the game is not just survival, but also to break down space debris and collect the pieces once it is safe to do so. This project was a three week part-time endeavor, and I am not happy with the results. If you would like to play this rushed prototype version, you can find it at Kongregate.com: http://www.kongregate.com/games/theo20185/salvager

Since I am not happy with the results of Salvager, I have decided to start fresh on that same project. It will remain a Flash project. I am changing the art style to mimic old school vector arcade platforms. These were the games that drew everything out in monochrome lines. There were even some 3D titles that displayed everything in wireframe.

Why the choice of vector graphics? The reasoning is simple. I am studying to be a game programmer. I am not studying to be a game artist. Using vector graphics will allow me to quickly create needed assets for prototype projects and use them as placeholders. It will also allow me to draw sprites or object wire frame models without embarrassing myself among the artistic side of the industry. My pixel art and textures leave a lot to be desired. Since I have opted to go lean on graphics and focus on programming, I have decided to brand my games using the name RetroVector Games.

What plans do I have for the full version of Salvager? First, I am programming a 2D engine in Flash that will allow me to script enemy behavior and add events and objects to certain spots in the game world. The player will no longer be confined to a small box, but will be able to travel the galaxy in an open-world environment. The new working title for this project is "Salvager: A Dredger's Tale". Yes, this is an homage to classic games such as A Bard's Tale. I want an adventure-style shooter that keeps the mechanics shown in the Salvager prototype and adds new features such as NPC interactions, an upgradeable player ship, and scripted enemies. You can only shoot so many pieces of non-sentient space debris before you go looking for something more challenging.

I've already started on the game engine. In Flash, I've grouped my files into three main folders. Thus far, we have fonts that are embedded into the project, graphics, and classes. I've created blank movie clips and stuck them into the classes folder for easy access to the ActionScript definitions of these objects through the Flash IDE.

Thus far, I have a definition for a game camera, a star, a star field manager, and a message manager. Later in this week, I will make posts concerning these game components and how I've implemented them.

Here's to an official brand for my student game projects! Salvager: A Dredger's Tale will be the first project from RetroVector games. All RetroVector branded games will be projects that are not academic assignments.