Creating Tools to Power an Indie Team

1. Creating Tools to Power an Indie Team

2. Introduction - Presenters Programmer Spencer Roberts sroberts@cadenzainteractive.com ProgrammerMatt Enright menright@cadenzainteractive.com Art Lead Erik Saulietis esaulietis@cadenzainteractive.com

6. We built everything

8. Outline Tool Fundamentals Tool Recommendations Custom Features & Demo Questions

9. Fundamentals - Ticketing • Not just for programming issues • Make feedback EASY • Track your bugs/crashes automatically • Insert Relevant Information • Level • Class/Weapon • Machine Specs • Stack Trace • Position/Orientation

10. Fundamentals - Lifesavers • Do/Undo • Sol Survivor editor did not have Do/Undo • Wasted artist/designer time • Very challenging to add later • Save on Crash • Intercept the crash! • Save whatever the user was working on • Saves more than time - saves lives (YOURS!)

11. Fundamentals - Expose Parameters

12. Fundamentals - Expose Parameters • Magic Numbers => Exposed Parameters! • Faster to expose than to recompile once • Does not need to be GUI • Use a Text file • Bind it to a key • Console command

13. Outline Tool Fundamentals Tool Recommendations Custom Features & Demo Questions

14. Recommendations - Property Grid

15. Recommendations - Property Grid Drastically simplifies editor creation Just define your data Reusable, extendable Up front cost, long term benefits

16. Recommendations – Entity/Instance Architecture Separate your Data from your Logic Wrap your data Logic access the data through the wrapper Don’t let your Logic cache the data

17. Recommendations - Entity/Instance Architecture

18. Recommendations – Entity/Instance Architecture Completely Reload your Data on the fly Unite Game Logic and Editor Code Allow Editor to modify the running game! Clean, Maintainable Code

19. Outline Tool Fundamentals Tool Recommendations Custom Features & Demo Questions

20. Questions ?