Thank you VirtualBox :-)

As I have posted in an earlier blog, I have switched from using the Microsoft Windows operating system to the Ubuntu Linux distribution.

However, one major problem and stepping stone was that I am programming for the MS Windows environment (and therefore need to constantly test any progress in the Windows operating system) it meant that I had to boot into Windows when I was working, which was a major downside (and maybe one of the reasons that added to my previously described lack of motivation).

All has been solved this year, as I have eventually downloaded VirtualBox onto my Ubuntu system, and now can run the two versions of Windows I have from inside Linux, without the need to dualboot my laptop.

VirtualBox has answered my prayers. I can now stay within Ubuntu, which has all my favourite programs and settings and security, while continuing proamming and testing my compiled programs.

Lastly, one big advantage is that I have a big widescreen laptop, and with virtualbox I can easily resize the VirtualBox environment and emulate different screen resolutions easily so I can check that my programs work on screens from small resolutions such as 800x600 to big widescreen resolutions.


Hurray for VirtualBox!

I've installed VirtualBox on both Windows and Linux and have fun installing and trying different operating systems on it.


PS. I'm using the free Open Source Edition (VirtualBox OSE).
Lastly, VirtualBox can be installed on Windows, Linux and OSX and used to install many types of operating systems, which is great for either functional purposes (such as I'm using as described above) or just to test a different operating system, without installing properly (which I've had fun doing).

Planning

This has probably been said by a million others, and there are people who can create small games without any form of planning. But, I have learnt that this is true, to create anything serious, planning is a must.

Planning will not only help you in the initial programming stage of your game, but also in the future if you need to revisit your code again, as shown in the following true example:

Before, I had even discovered PureBasic or BlitzMax, I had already made a basic plan of what I hoped my game would look like, what it would do, the navigational layout and some of the mini games.

However, after revisiting one of the mini games that I had not planned and has just basically hacked the code, I have seen what a big mistake this has been. The code is commented with some basic comments, however, I have found it extremely hard to understand how the mini game works properly.


So for me I think that it is back to my year old notebook, to plan the game out again.

Diary tag added

If you only want to follow the diary of my venture into independent game programming (yes it's pretty bare at this moment), I have added and will add the diary tag to all relevant posts, which will filter out all other posts such as opinions and stories.

Motivation of a Bedroom Programmer

I don't know what it is with me and motivation. It's true I enjoy programming games (even though I've never finished a game post-Klick & Play days). Secondly, I enjoy the code style and instant environments of BlitzMax and PureBasic, where I can run and test anything I have just written in an instant. Also, once I get started on a days work I ussualy don't stop for hours.

But that's the problem, getting started, sometimes I have found myself opening up the development environment, but then proceeding to not do any work. with the programs up in the background for hours. Until, now sometimes I have spent a couple of days in a row either programming or learning, however other times I have seen myself not touch my projects for days at a time.

I guess the problem with being a so called 'bedroom programmer, is the lack of deadlines, the lack of someone constantly nagging me to finish or asking on my progress.

However, there are some things that I have noticed that motivate me. The biggest one is when someone shows interest in my project, I've only mentioned it in small talk, but from people who are in the education business of teaching English to foreigners (or locals over here in Spain), they think that it could do well, and I've even been offered some possible testing and selling opportunities.

Also, I'm really motivated when I search on the Internet for other independent programmers, who have gone on to sell there game or games, and on some websites there are sales statistics, (one example being Game Producer), from which even the lower sales are motivating. Even though I am aiming high (and this might come back for me to regret saying it) but I wouldn't mind even if I sold only one game every two days, because I just want to get it finished and see it in use, and it will provide a big learning experience for me and my future projects, which I will document in this blog.

Switched to PureBasic

As much as I like BlitzMax, I have found the PureBasic programming language to suit my needs more, in that for me at least it has been a lot easier to set it up so I can use it when I running Micro$oft Windows or my favoured operating system Linux Ubuntu.

Also, being based on basic, switching from BlitzMax to PureBasic has been a fairly easy process, with only a few problems learning the slightly different ways that PureBasic does things. However, I have already got the basic menu system of my English learning game running and working perfectly. So unless I come up against any problems or limitations I think I will stick with it.

In other news I've also had some interest in my educational game, but it's only early days.

Now, If only I knew an artist!