The Fleet Marches

The development of our game, Kids VS. T.H.E.M., is in full swing. We, the members of the Extinction Fleet, are beginning to understand the stresses that come along with game development as we get closer and closer to our deadline. The first half of our game development experience was a piece of cake compared to the second half so far. We are faced with a short period of time and much greater workload. This semester is going to be the definition of crunch time.

            

By the end of the first semester, we were able to produce a working prototype that showed off the core mechanics of the game. By the end of this semester, we are aiming at having five complete levels that coordinate to bring the story together. Over the past month, the team has accomplished a lot. We have met most of our goals in the first two milestones, and we plan to finish the same way we began, strong.

            

Our team has one unique element that no other team in the class can claim. Unlike the other teams, we have been working with one additional team member the entire time. The programming for our game has been getting worked on by an external, out of class, partner. With that being said, there is no shame in saying that we have run into some issues with this situation. We have currently gone through two external programmers and are currently seeking out another replacement. Yes, this definitely adds difficulty to our development schedule, but there is a bright side. We are experiencing, first hand, the realities of developing a video game. The video game development cycle is filled with bumps and hiccups along the way. We have been introduced to real world obstacles, and we are taking them on head strong. The Extinction Fleet is a strong team, and nothing will get in our way of reaching our goals. 

Bryan Beasman (3D Modeler)