Building a Simple Game

Building a Simple Game

Game development is both fun and interesting, and can be a good departure from more traditional software engineering projects. Concepts such as GameObjects, Scenes, and Prefabs are key to game programming, and can be learned hands-on by building a simple game. Game development and traditional software engineering have many similarities, including some aspects of object-oriented principles. Game engines provide a framework and libraries that support common functions for game development, including... ...rendering for 2D or 3D graphics, physics and collision detection, networking, memory management, and more. Most games are built with established engines by popular third-party providers like Unity, Unreal, and CryEngine. Unity is popular with smaller teams and single developers due to its ease of use and quick feature iteration,... ...while Unreal is often used for larger AAA titles due to its ability to produce slick-looking games. GameObjects in game engines are components of a typical game and can include sprites for 2D graphics, models and textures for... ...3D graphics, physics elements, sound assets, light sources, cameras for rendering, and code for specific gameplay features. Scenes are collections of GameObjects, often representing individual levels in a game. Prefabs are templates used to create GameObjects during gameplay, useful for frequently used components. Having a background in traditional software engineering is beneficial for game development, as many concepts and skills carry over. To build a game, you can start with a new 3D project in Unity, create a player object that responds... ...to keyboard inputs, and create coins which players can collect by colliding with them. Games can be structured using the Model-View-Controller approach, which helps maintain clean structure and aids in debugging. Unity and Visual Studio Code are both free for personal use and can be used to follow tutorials and create a simple game.

#game#development#GameObjects

Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best

Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best

Michael Abrashoff transformed the USS Benfold from being one of the worst-performing ships... ...in the navy to the highest-performing within three years without changing the crew. Abrashoff encourages organizations to reward risk-takers and innovators, not those who avoid change and controversy. He believes that the key to leadership is understanding oneself first, which can lead... ...to a transformation in how leaders interact with their team and make decisions. He stresses that leaders need to allow their subordinates to fulfill their talents to the utmost, emphasizing that... ...many limitations are self-imposed by the leader due to their own fears, ego needs, and unproductive habits. Abrashoff argues that command-and-control is not the most efficient way to tap into people's intelligence... ...and skills. Instead, he advocates for creating a culture where employees take ownership. He believes that rules should be questioned and challenged, as many may become obsolete over time. Abrashoff found that people leave organizations mostly due to lack of respect, inability to impact the... ...organization, not being listened to, and not being given more responsibility, rather than low pay. He suggests leaders should see the world through the eyes of their subordinates, which can make it easier to identify and address problems. Abrashoff criticizes systems that reward micromanagement, which he believes disempowers subordinates and removes ownership and accountability. He encourages leaders to constantly seek better ways to do things and to implement processes that people enjoy carrying out. Abrashoff argues against creating extensive rules and policies for every possible contingency, as they become difficult to change and discourage ownership. He believes that giving the right people direction and autonomy increases the odds of success. Instead of rules, Abrashoff suggests organizations should use principles, allow for exceptions... ...and judgement, and train people to think and make decisions on their own. His book, "It's Your Ship," details the techniques he used to win trust, create an environment where people felt accountable, and gain commitment.

#Abrashoff#people#believes

The Looking Glass: The Loudest Way to Lead

The Looking Glass: The Loudest Way to Lead

Leaders should exemplify the behavior they expect from their team, including putting forth quality work, being... ...available and responsive, focusing on top priorities, calling out sloppy work, and investing in growth. Studying computer science can instill an engineering mindset, characterized by problem-solving skills, a preference for system-wide solutions,... ...an appreciation for selecting the right inputs and outputs, a dislike for repetitive tasks, and a love for scale and well-designed systems. The "Three-Body Problem" series emphasizes the patterns of struggle, self-destruction, and beauty... ...inherent in life, providing a perspective that makes personal problems seem insignificant. Instead of questioning one's worthiness or seeking validation through "Am I right?" or "Are you with me?", it is... ...more productive to frame questions in terms of whether proposed actions or ideas contribute to a cause or goal. In product development, there's a constant debate between quality and time (TTBQT), with teams often having to compromise on one or the other. The author suggests a third option in TTBQT debates: asking whether the team would have... ...chosen to work on the feature knowing the time it would take to make it high-quality. This question forces the team to assess their prioritization, execution, and estimation skills. If a feature isn't worth the time it takes to make it high-quality, the rational decision is to cut it, regardless of sunk costs. If a feature is worth the effort, it indicates its importance and justifies the time and effort spent on making it high-quality. Success should not be conflated with shipping a large quantity of features; instead, teams should focus on... ...doing fewer things better, prioritizing important tasks, and executing well to deliver high-quality work. The Looking Glass is a reader-supported publication, with paid subscriptions encouraging... ...more frequent publishing and helping to hire editorial and management staff.

#quality#work#time

The Looking Glass: You Cannot Teach Wisdom

The Looking Glass: You Cannot Teach Wisdom

The Looking Glass is a reader-supported publication that offers insights on product development and management. The blog post suggests seven key questions to ask when interviewing a prospective user of your product. The questions are designed to capture an eyewitness account, check table stakes, probe for... ...pain, research cost, determine the bar, gather potential visions, and test your thesis. The author asserts that wisdom cannot be taught; it is gained through personal experiences, growth, and introspection. According to the article, wisdom is like an elixir, which matures and gets better with time. The author suggests that clichés are containers of wisdom, which start off as shallow but become deeper and more meaningful with life experiences. The blog post emphasizes that wisdom is not something that can be passed on, but rather it is something that must be lived and experienced. The author also shares insights on the true measure of greatness, suggesting that it's... ...not about achieving a label but about creating things that meet one's own standards. An archived post on the blog discusses effective ways to pitch a product idea. It's important to describe the problem you're solving, consider how many people have... ...this problem, and present the solution in terms of experience, not the product. The author also stresses the importance of letting go of personal ownership of ideas and embracing a team approach. The author encourages paid subscriptions to support the publication and to gain access to subscriber-only content.

#author#product#wisdom