Week 6: Programming + Problem Solving

Programming as an Artistic Medium by Louis Tailfer:

“The programmer, like the poet, works only slightly removed from pure thoughtstuff.”

Programming is close to poetry. They both rely on text on a page/screen to make things happen. It is both a tool and a medium, akin to a paintbrush. Like langauge, it can be used and manipulated to make art, jokes, and provoke thought. The International Obfuscated C Code Content is a contest to write code as BADLY as possible, for fun! Programming is a form of art!

When Coding, Remember:
Start small
Stay open minded
Take inspiration from anywhere, even from non-videogames. Especially from none videogames.
Find the solution that works from YOU. Most solutions can be found online. Most of programming is finding out what the problem is, and adapting someone else’s solution to your own.
Hone your craft
Take pride in it.

What Can Designers Do to Help Programmers?
There is little that cannot be done, but there are restrictions on how a result is achieved. Potential frictions between professions comes between a programmer limiting themselves, and the designer assumes that the programmer is being obtuse on purpose. Both need to understand what they are doing fully, to understand what can be allowed.

How/When Did You Get Into Development?
Started in journalism, then worked for a bit at AFP (a french press agency), but found it a little boring stuck at a desk writing about petrolium. Grew up in a polylingual family, so the way different languages work have always been a part of his background.

Automation and AI in Programming:
At a basic level, AI is just a tool. However, AI is not an art form. AI is not usually more efficiant, but is good for an idea of how to achieve something over an end result.

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THURSDAY: Formative Feedback Prep (11:15 Monday)

What do you think you’ve done well in this module?
What do you think you could improve on?
All documentation of your work until week 6
Use the personal development plan and module profile to thknk about what you want to include

Your blog:

• Research = resources you have used to think, make, and test your work
• Development = the actual documentation, iterations, experimentations, and applications of the research
• Weekly notes = what you’ve done that week, your contribution to the team, cross-reference with the group wordpress.

In all posts, think:

• How did it contribute?
• How did you communicate?
• How did you test?
• How was it implemented?
• What changes did you have to make? Why?

Week 8:

• CRIT/Presentation on Thursday
• 12 minutes per group, with 5 minutes for questions
• Bring presentation with slides, each team member should speak about their role and what they’ve done, problems they’ve faced, what worked, and what didn’t work, and where they’re at at the moment.
  • Introduction, name, and goal of project
  • 2 minutes for each team member: inspiraction, what went well, current challenges, and help needed
  • Summary

Problem Solving:

Creative Problem Solving:

Creative coding and learning alternative coding languages will help you expand your creativity, and are good mini-projects to put in your portfolio to show employers you can pick up coding languages fast!

P5.js

• Javascript framework
• Made for creative coding and browser playable games
• Easy to create short, expressive artworks
• Easy to make, easy to test
• Eg; Rianna Fax (Sophie’s friend and a prolific game designer :})

Shader Programming: (LEARN THIS!!!!!!!!)

• Shader graphs
• HLSL/Cg (High Level Shader)
• Eg; Freya Holmer (created an introduction to shaders), Brackeys (Basics of Shader Graph, Unity Tutorial), Portfolio Shaders by Louis Camilleri

Project Oriented Problem Solving:

• Cut features
  • No one will know what the original intention was
  • Anything that’s not the core game loop can be cut
  • LIFE IS SHORT, TAKE A NAP
• Make it look like there are more features than there are
  • Misdirection
    • Path design (keep them on the desire path and keep grand things in the periphery to make sure players never actually go and explore)
    • Dark patterns (designs that keep players playing via frustration to shepard them back into the game loop; the opposite of a desire path)
  • Illusion
    • Reconnecting Branches
    • Fake doors
    • Clutter
• Use plug ins
  • Resdesign your game to fit the plug ins (web development also does this)
  • No shame in using other people’s work as long as you have the correct licenses and credits
  • No such thing as theft in the game world!! Go magpie code!!

Core Mechanic Problem Solving:

• Properly identify the problem
• Try different solutions/iterate them
• Make big changes
• Flip the problem on its head