This post was published 2 years 4 months 23 days ago and as such probably does not reflect my current opinions, knowledge or ability.
So, a week since my previous Next Level post and the project has come to completion.
YinYangYou, our game, is a top-down two-player race to collect energy and skew the balance of the playing field. By throwing orbs into their opponents’ “holes”, each player can increase the amount of ground they control on the opposite side of the board, eventually claiming an entire side and winning the game. A range of exotic energy pickups, such as time control and hole switiching, add variety and tactical elements to the gameplay.
Developed using XNA, our prototype includes all the features we originally planned – although that isn’t to say the week went without a hitch. Lengthy code merges, a lack of shared source control and model import problems were exacerbated by the fact that having just met, our communication levels were far from ideal. However, by remaining flexible and getting to know each team members strengths and weaknesses, our workflow improved hugely throughout the week.
Even though this project was really short, I feel I got a lot from it. Spending time in groups with the same people for the past year let us refine development and programming methods which worked very well for us. Suddenly being dropped into an entirely different group challenged some of my beliefs and ideas, and reaffirmed others. The opportunity to talk to industry mentors about this game and about development in general was also hugely beneficial.
Finally, I just want to say thanks to Iain Smith for organising the event, all the mentors and other participants for their help and to the rest of Team Be for making YinYangYou a success.