Selecting the language to program a game is almost as important as coming up with the concept of the game. Some games are simply movement and collision testing, others are incredibly vast and detailed storylines with multiple mini-games and side stories. Developing a game utilizing simple sprites and map generation, as well as the basic engine so all that needs be done is to add game specific resources (sprites, map levels, sounds and music to name a few).
Elder Scroller is a side scrolling game of a single level which could be expanded in the future for multiple levels and power ups. Given the choice as to whether or not to use DX or Allegro, I chose Allegro. Though DirectX is an industry standard, the purpose for choosing Allegro was the sheer simplicity of it. Allegro is simple, is easily compatible with Mappy, and has the advantage of being easily explainable to a child. Elder Scroller is an early attempt to make a game with an intended audience of one, a five-year old girl. Allegro, and its Mappy tie-in made it easy to quickly adapt a basic game engine to meet the shifting artistic demands of a young girl. The ease of use and the ability to use Mappy for the tile based level editing system made Allegro the perfect candidate for developing a simple child’s game and some small sequels. Elder Scroller is one of my proudest examples of a simple design that could be used for just about any sprite based game.
O2: Demonstrate the ability to choose the most appropriate programming languages, standards and technologies to meet the requirements of specific projects and communicate these decisions clearly in written and oral forms.
O6: Design and develop the architecture needed to support a complete game project, including but not limited to visualization, data handling, networking and gameplay.