gameDesign

Episode 88: The Next Big Thing
“Patience is a virtue. “ So, that quote has nothing to do with this topic, but it seems like a cool thing to start the episode summary with! That said, in this week’s episode Zack, Ryan, Andrew (Happy belated Birthday), and Obinna sit down to discuss “The Next Big Thing.”

Episode 82: Let’s Talk Security: Data Storage
In this week’s episode we discuss game data security, but specifically try to target how developers should think about and approach security as it relates to their game’s data. This episode is one of a possible* three-part series about security within game development. The Debug Log crew, sans Andrew, also

Episode 81: Personal Programming Methodologies
After a brief month of summer vacation, we are back in action. This week we are talking about Personal Programming Methodologies. Basically, different methods and thought processes that you can employ to break your projects into manageable pieces. We start with a brief exploration into the most popular schools of thought in

Episode 76: Design Patterns – Observer
Hello, guys. Here is another episode of the series about design patterns. For this round of basic patterns, I wanted to finish with the observer. In next episodes, we will be focusing more in design patterns that improve performance. Anyways, that is in the future. In this episode, we talk

Episode 75: Mythic Structure in Game Design
What do rollercoasters, songs, fancy meals, and summer blockbusters all have in common? They are designed to take us for a ride. Whether emotionally or physically, each moment is engineered to be just what the audience needs at just the right time. The creators in these mediums are able to

Episode 69: Design Patterns: State
In today’s episode we talk about design patterns in game development, specifically, the State pattern. This is going to be an episode mostly oriented to developers, but it is an important part of our effort to bring good programming practices to other devs. We explain the basics of what a

Episode 64: UI/UX: Theory & Practice
It’s time to stretch our academic muscles! On today’s episode, we revisit a topic we’ve discussed previously, UI. This time we look at it through the lens of User Experience Design. Instead of listing Unity libraries and various technical solutions, we try to take a more formal design approach to the

Episode 61: Idea Generation
Creating original ideas for games might be a difficult process for some people and an easy ride for others. In any case, polishing that original idea takes time and discipline. That is why today we go over how we come up with new ideas for our games and how we

Episode 52: Procedural Generation: What, When, Why?
Have you ever wanted to create hundreds of levels without the hassle of handcrafting them? Then this episode on Procedural Generation is for you. In this episode we talk about the pros and cons of using a procedural system and some best ` practices for creating a procedural generation system.

Episode 49: Streaming Assets Deconstructed
Is your app too big to install over the air? Need a dynamic content delivery system? Then streaming assets are for you! Yes friends streaming assets are a very useful tool in modern game content management. This week the gang and I explore what streaming assets are, how to build

Episode 47: Making Your First Game
Finishing your first game is certainly a tough task, but with determination and hard work you can do it. In this episode, we go through my journey in the development process of “The Hangman,” which it’s released in Google Play. Today, we cover all those small design decisions that can

Episode 46: Pathfinding Deconstructed
Ever wonder how to get your enemies to find their way to you, or how to get a companion to run behind you? Then this is the episode for you. In this episode The Debug Crew discusses Pathfinding and the pros and cons of different methods commonly used. From out-of-the-box

Episode 44: Why Do You Hate My Game?
Congratulations! You’ve finished your game. Time to sit back and relax knowing that players across the world are falling in love with it. *BEEP!* Ooh, your first comment! “This game is TrAsH!!!” – @WookieeJumper69 Ok, well not what you expected, but nothing to worry about. *BEEP!* Another one…oh…they too agree

Episode 42: Picking the Perfect Platform
Xbox? Xbox One? PS3? 4? Wii? Steam? Android? iOS? WebGl? Windows Phone? PC? Mac? Android TV? Apple Tv? That’s just to name a few. With so many available platforms to release your application or game on, it is becoming increasingly important to carefully consider your options before beginning development. In

Episode 41: The Cake is a Lie: Why is Portal So Funny?
In this episode, the guys take a look at the many aspects of the Portal franchise that make them so darn funny. With the popularization of comedic games and the ever popular narrative driven games, this episode bodes to be extremely relevant. Also the guys bring back everyone’s favorite segment.

Episode 37: Being Strategic About the Scope of Your Game
In this week’s episode Andrew, Obinna, Eduardo, and Ryan talk about one of the most important topics when it comes to finishing your game, scope. Instead of taking the traditional approach to scoping a project which involves taking away from an already complete game design, the guys dive into what

Episode 35: Evolution of the FPS
In this week’s episode Andrew, Obinna, and Ryan explore the evolution of the first person shooter. We examine its contributions to gaming from both a technical and gameplay perspective. Even if the FPS genre isn’t your cup of tea you may be surprised at its many contributions to gaming. Time

Episode 34: How to Handle Cheaters
Cheater, cheater, pumpkin-eater; Had a game but couldn’t beat her; He got a GameShark in the mail,; And then he beat it very well! We all know them very well. Hell, sometimes when pushed against a wall (or die one too many times while playing GoldenEye 007), we become them.

Episode 32: Google Play Services
Increasing player acquisition, retention, and optimizing development time are three of the top priorities for most game developers. In this episode we bring you a solution to help you solve the aforementioned problems, in addition to allow you to save player’s progress in the cloud and make your game multiplayer.

Episode 27: Debugging Basics
Bugs?!?! Ewwwww, gross! It’s no secret that most people are not overly fond of bugs. If bugs happen to invade your home you can always call the Orkin Man, if they invade your game, however, you have to take care of them yourself. Debugging is something every developer has to come to terms

Episode 23: Game Prototypes: What, When, Why?
“Will this UI work?”, “Does my inventory system make sense?”, “Will this jumping mechanic feel right?”, “Do all dogs seriously go to heaven?”. These are the type of questions that can arise during the game development process. Outside of a crystal ball, the only way to sufficiently answer these questions

Episode 22: Game Design Documents: What, When, Why?
So, you’re scouring the inter web forums for some engineering and art help for your next, big game idea, when forum user, “xX1337ProgrammerXx” replies to one of your posts with, “Interested to help! Do you have a working GDD?” — to which you reply with, “Huh?” Maybe this has happened

Why You Should Start Using Singletons in Unity
You have probably heard that you should use design patterns when developing games or any kind of software. However, some of us are stubborn enough to think that we do not need them. Well, if you think that way, you are wrong. I used to think that if I write

Episode 18: A Game Tutorial Retrospective
For ages, developers have had the difficult task of balancing the amount of explicit gameplay tutorials with the level of player discovery that is provided in their games. Many gamers have experienced the ‘overbearing developer’ who forces players to endure an hour-long training sequence, while other gamers have been left

Episode 15: Networking in Unity
A TCP packet walks into a bar and says, “I want a beer.” The bartender responds, “You want a beer?” The TCP packet says, “Yes, I want a beer.” Wow, just writing that 3-Way handshake joke hurt. In any case, you guessed it, today’s show is all about Networking in

Episode 13: Best Practices in Mobile Game Development
What’s the ‘Viralability’ of your mobile game? What’s Viralability, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you! Viralability is a completely made-up word that defines the capacity for your mobile game to go viral! If your game isn’t hitting a Viralability Score of 6.0 or higher, then we are here to help!

Episode 10: Version Control 101
Download the Episode Here A personal Github account with Large File Storage: $0. Hosting a server for your repository: $300. Writing an epic compression algorithm that you lose because you didn’t have your project under source control: priceless. Devs, don’t be -that- person! Set your projects up with version control

Episode 8: Top 5 Picks from the Asset Store
Download the Episode Here We raise a glass to you, Christian Strang, for without you today’s episode might not have been possible! On today’s episode we tackle Christian’s question about our favorite Unity Asset Store assets. Each of the guys pick one of their favorite assets and talk about how

Episode 6: Virtual Reality and Unity3D
Download the Episode Here Today, TIME magazine released an article about Palmer Luckey, the Oculus Rift, and the recent stir that virtual reality has caused in the tech industry — an article that couldn’t have come at a better time! In this episode, the whole crew sits down to talk

Episode 5: Playtesting your Game
Download the Episode Here Rogue podcasters Ryan, Obinna, and Andrew were feeling a bit brazen and decided to record an episode without the other two co-hosts. In this episode we answer the “How”, “Why,” and “What” when playtesting your game. The guys channel their inner Fido in this episode in referencing a somewhat