Game Programming

Game programming was something I never really got into. Now I may be passionate about electronic games, but I prefer tp play them and blog about them rather than make them. In fact, I nearly flunked out of all my computer courses in high school. Making games is for people like my friend, Aodhan (not his real name, of course).

Game programming was something that Aodhan got into relatively recently. Being a tabletop RPG player and a software engineer by trade, Aodhan is into games almost as much as I am. One day, his muse decided to pay him a visit. She whispered in his ear, "If you enjoy playing games, why not make your own?"

Thus the idea for Aodhan's MMORPG was born (Honestly, that's not its real name, but for simplicity's sake, let's call it that for now.).

You see, Aodhan wanted his MMORPG to be unique. In a discussion we had some time back, he went on to enumerate the things he liked and didn't like about the RPGs he'd played so far. His plan is to have an eclectic mix of all the good stuff he's encountered, with practically none of the bad stuff. In short, it's a project that'll put his game programming skills to the ultimate test.

What good stuff, you may ask? Check these out: a realistic in-game economy, NPCs that may not be there when you need to talk to them, quests that are meant for your character and your character alone, rumors that may actually not be true (no TV trope RPG clichés here, folks) -- the list goes on and on.

That’s the reason why I leave game programming to people like him. Who knows? Aodhan might even want to market it to MMORPG fans when the time comes. He may just have a winning business opportunity on his hands.

What about you, dear reader? Have you ever toyed with the idea of making your own RPG, or any other type game for that matter? Or perhaps you’d like to but you’re not exactly sure how to go about it?

Truth be told, I'm pretty much in the same boat. Those questions and more are some of the things I hope to explore in the near future, so stay with me as we continue to delve into the exciting world of RPGs and game programming.