Let’s Get This Straight

In this post, I am no way bashing these game engines / platforms out there that lets you make “code-less games.” In fact, I absolutely recommend using them for Game Design basics if you are a beginner and would like an idea on where to get started just to learn where your mindset needs to be to get started on your game and also how you would go about building it.  I am actually excited that this will inspire people to create and get involved, but what concerns me is that it may bridge or push somebody away when a limitation gets in place with these builders. 

Being mindful about how programming works will provide you much needed information that will get you the best results in your game. Even Designers, Sales Staff and others might get a good idea that an idea of theirs might not work because if defies logic and could even cause budgetary problems or even a massive delay in the game. Everyone has got to be on board and that is why so many meetings and discussions are in place while a game is in development no matter the size.

So, if you are by yourself, you will need to do a lot of thinking as you continue working on your game. This is not just for games either, but any Software, App, Website  experienced professionals on all aspects will know what and what not ask their programmer on what can be done. That being said, you will need to know your limits, what can and cannot be done and also keep in mind the end goal in your game.

An inevitable event is that you are indeed going to learn basics from a mindset aspect of how you build the game. You’re going to run into how the game works such as conditions on how the player will win and how they will lose, how many turns or chances they get and so much more. You will basically be thinking like a programmer in a way in terms of Gameplay Programming with the free builders. This is fine, but when you go into an advanced approach and want to learn, then you will look into understanding Physics, Graphics and much more components of programming that video game engines have. 

Another thing to point out is that even if you are using this platform to make your game, you may have to pay for more features you would like in the game, in which in a business way, I do think it is a smart move while making these builders. You are inevitably going to be hitting many walls while making your game because of your creativity and want to expand. There might be features you would want, but the platform cannot completely provide.

This is why I think understanding programming is vital to success. It is okay to make a small game, but if you want something at a bigger scale, you should understand how the code works behind the scenes to make it happen. This is also where this platform might not be best and you will need to do some research on a game engine to use to continue development in your game. 

A Very Exciting Future

Your assets are there, the game’s idea is there, but because of that feature you want badly in your game, you kind of have to start over. At least you have your assets to use should they be compatible and good for sizing and rendering for the game engine of your choice. You will also need to learn how these game engines work which runs you into learning programming. C++, C#, JavaScript just to name a few, maybe even learning Server-Side programming to understand how multiplayer functionality works will help you expand your game to full scale. 

Game Development can be exciting, but it is a millions of times more tedious than normal Software Engineering. There is a lot behind the scenes that most do not know about. Things like Physics Programming, Graphics Programming, AI, basic fundamentals such as Variables, Loops, Conditions and how data and objects pass through the entire game flow. The importance of knowing at least some basic idea on how programming works behind the scenes is a vital step towards your journey into making games. 

In my opinion, these engines are great tools to demonstrate inspiration and including passing on ideas to many others in the world. The game “Dreams” also gives you this ability and it is actually kind of fun to play with. I am actually very excited because more people will want to get involved and perhaps want to learn how to code so they can expand their knowledge base and build some cool things out there.

The one thing too that I like is that people collaborate, communicate and are together while making games. I love the connection games makes us and I do hope that anyone reading this will learn how to code and build something cool! 

I use Unreal Engine 4 and Unity to make some cool builds. I make basic things these days as I too am growing my knowledge base in game development. Mostly in making assets because I am more on the programming side, but if you are interested in making assets, definitely Blender is your best bet!

I recommend anyone who wants to learn Game Development, Unreal Engine 4, Unity and any other cool game engines out there are a great place to learn. There are many courses online that offer prices like takeout lunch that would give you those skills to expand your first game! Get out there and have some fun!