What have been your biggest challenges so far?
by Matthew Langley · in Torque Game Builder · 04/14/2005 (10:52 am) · 117 replies
NOTE: This is meant to be a Indie Game Developer support type thread... vent your time limitations, tough day job, that darn code algorithm that comes out funky, etc etc... Not a T2D/GG bashing thread... just a forewarning that if you don't have something either to discuss friendly and supportive, or constructively, then just don't post it.
Well since the forums have been awkwardly quiet this morning figured I'd throw up a discussion thread asking the question
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
*dramatic pause*
(EDIT: for those that are having problems starting with T2D and torquescript, make sure you check through all of the documentation listed in the Documentation Overview.html)
lol ok, so just out of curiosity what have been everyones challenges... note this can be anything from working with T2D, learning T2D, working with the editors... trying to get a game concept written out, game design, documentation... debugging... etc etc... not specific on T2D but your whole game development process...
for me it has been getting started on some of the major systems... I finally did a good high level list of what I need to develop and actually getting started on a brand new system is overwhelming at first...
like inventory, AI, Pathfinding, Classes, Levels, Quests, etc etc etc...
it goes on... so its hard to keep focuses on one step at a time...
As a team its been hard trying to coordinate our work to ensure the best progress... as well as motivation... at this point the motivation burns out easily when we all go home and really need to clamp down and work...
Well since the forums have been awkwardly quiet this morning figured I'd throw up a discussion thread asking the question
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
*dramatic pause*
(EDIT: for those that are having problems starting with T2D and torquescript, make sure you check through all of the documentation listed in the Documentation Overview.html)
lol ok, so just out of curiosity what have been everyones challenges... note this can be anything from working with T2D, learning T2D, working with the editors... trying to get a game concept written out, game design, documentation... debugging... etc etc... not specific on T2D but your whole game development process...
for me it has been getting started on some of the major systems... I finally did a good high level list of what I need to develop and actually getting started on a brand new system is overwhelming at first...
like inventory, AI, Pathfinding, Classes, Levels, Quests, etc etc etc...
it goes on... so its hard to keep focuses on one step at a time...
As a team its been hard trying to coordinate our work to ensure the best progress... as well as motivation... at this point the motivation burns out easily when we all go home and really need to clamp down and work...
About the author
Was a GG Associate and then joined GG in 2005. Lead tool dev for T2D and T3D. In 2011 joined mobile company ngmoco/DeNA and spent about 4 years working game and server tech. 2014 joined startup Merigo Games developing server technology.
#102
05/06/2005 (6:00 pm)
Lol good point Bryan 
#103
@Brian. It only hurts when you feel you have a real choice :) My last gamecode was done in C modding on Quake3 and that was perfectly ok. This was because most things you need are there and embedding Python would not be an advantage. But once you realise that the most efficient solution would be Python, it gets harder...
05/06/2005 (8:52 pm)
@Jason: Ah, its good to hear that! I take it they will post the news here when it's done. I proberbly won't need it for my first project, a retro style 2D game. Do you have experience (good/bad) with TGEPython (here)?@Brian. It only hurts when you feel you have a real choice :) My last gamecode was done in C modding on Quake3 and that was perfectly ok. This was because most things you need are there and embedding Python would not be an advantage. But once you realise that the most efficient solution would be Python, it gets harder...
#104
What I was able to test worked well and was quite blissful. :) The combination of T2D and Python is rapid development nirvana. With Eclipse and the PyDev plugin, you get a full featured IDE and debugger. I can't foresee myself ever using anything else for 2D games.
05/06/2005 (11:18 pm)
@Edo: PyTorque (which Jeremy says will eventually work with TGE, TSE, and T2D) is what I used with T2D, and it's based on TGEPython. There are some critical features missing, such as the ability to define an AudioProfile from Python and some function call parameter issues with schedule(). I was testing it, but progress has slowed so I haven't heard anything new in a few weeks, unfortunately. If it doesn't pick up, I'll probably dig in and try to fix the problems myself. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in my current game.What I was able to test worked well and was quite blissful. :) The combination of T2D and Python is rapid development nirvana. With Eclipse and the PyDev plugin, you get a full featured IDE and debugger. I can't foresee myself ever using anything else for 2D games.
#105
05/13/2005 (12:23 pm)
I think I'll definately have to dig into Python sometime soon :) Its just so impressive what Josh Ritter accomplished combining Python and TGE!
#106
Other than that have been slowly working away at a few things :) Monday will promise to give me some time to work on things, no work or classes.
07/01/2005 (11:01 am)
My latest challenge has been my laptop crashing, ugh. Fortunately some things I backed up, unfortunately some things I didn't. Its just a power issue however, so I was able to put the HD into another laptop and get the data to an external drive. The last thing I'm working on is grabbing all of my e-mails and importing them into a borrowed laptop. For me the e-mails are very important.Other than that have been slowly working away at a few things :) Monday will promise to give me some time to work on things, no work or classes.
#107
07/01/2005 (11:10 am)
Coincidentally my Desktop crashed the next day with a completely different problem... lol sometimes things just hit you all at once. I need to grab some data off of it before reformating, so it will be a bit of a challenge, though workable. 
#108
I prefer to code, syntax check, compile and then fix errors.
I find going in T2D and looking in the console soo time consuming.
As an added debuggin tool, yes it's great, as a primary development path, needs re-thinking
my 2 cents
07/21/2005 (4:06 pm)
My biggest challenge has been no IDE/real debugging.I prefer to code, syntax check, compile and then fix errors.
I find going in T2D and looking in the console soo time consuming.
As an added debuggin tool, yes it's great, as a primary development path, needs re-thinking
my 2 cents
#109
I prefer to code, syntax check, compile and then fix errors.
I find going in T2D and looking in the console soo time consuming.
As an added debuggin tool, yes it's great, as a primary development path, needs re-thinking
my 2 cents
07/21/2005 (4:24 pm)
My biggest challenge has been no IDE/real debugging.I prefer to code, syntax check, compile and then fix errors.
I find going in T2D and looking in the console soo time consuming.
As an added debuggin tool, yes it's great, as a primary development path, needs re-thinking
my 2 cents
#111
07/24/2005 (8:39 am)
Wow thanks Matthew, Torsion looks great!
#112
07/21/2006 (3:40 pm)
Figured I would revive this old thread, with more people and with the latest version of TGB (no longer T2D) being so different than it used to be I am left curious what are the biggest challenges people are facing now :) Though I suspect a lot of the same ones that were posted still are around since a lot are general game design and game dev challenges in general. 
#113
07/22/2006 (10:18 pm)
Personally Matthew, My biggest challenge has been in getting some of the physics and collisions worked out to where I feel they are working in a production quality way. Some of the controls to me just seem counter intuitive (I'm sure its my own inability). 
#114
07/23/2006 (12:54 am)
I'd say my income of $9000 a year, and the depression and stress that creates are probably my biggest challenges. 
#115
my biggest challenge I think is time, since I am working full time on my job, spending time with my 3 kids, spending time with my wife, house work ie lawn mowing upkeep what not.. and the CTF starter kit project I have been doing... I havent had time to play with TGB..
but once the project I am doing is done I plan to get into TGB again..
another is ideas.. thinking of a good idea and then following up with it..
I was thinking of doing a zelda like game.. something with quests and exploring.. would be fun to do..
and with TGB it wouldnt be hard to add missions/levels later on..
like release a game and then later add on new missions that people can download and run.. kind of keep breathing life into it.. anyways thats about the only issues I have.. :)
wow.. still cant belive someone revived a year old thread... thought only I did that :P
07/23/2006 (8:13 am)
A year.... wow..my biggest challenge I think is time, since I am working full time on my job, spending time with my 3 kids, spending time with my wife, house work ie lawn mowing upkeep what not.. and the CTF starter kit project I have been doing... I havent had time to play with TGB..
but once the project I am doing is done I plan to get into TGB again..
another is ideas.. thinking of a good idea and then following up with it..
I was thinking of doing a zelda like game.. something with quests and exploring.. would be fun to do..
and with TGB it wouldnt be hard to add missions/levels later on..
like release a game and then later add on new missions that people can download and run.. kind of keep breathing life into it.. anyways thats about the only issues I have.. :)
wow.. still cant belive someone revived a year old thread... thought only I did that :P
#116
My only gripe is with the packaging/distribution, all of my assets are left in the open.
We need some sort of consolidation scheme.
edit: and forgot to add, TDN tutorials/documentation conversion to comply with the latest TGB release.
Other than that, perfect!
Yves.
07/23/2006 (9:49 am)
So far so good here, i havent really struggled with any show stoppers yet.My only gripe is with the packaging/distribution, all of my assets are left in the open.
We need some sort of consolidation scheme.
edit: and forgot to add, TDN tutorials/documentation conversion to comply with the latest TGB release.
Other than that, perfect!
Yves.
#117
07/23/2006 (3:52 pm)
Pretty much all the major problems I've encountered have been mentioned in the above posts (physics, packaging concerns and outdated articles). Besides that, it's all good! 
Torque Owner Bryan Edds