What is SimpleGame? SimpleGame is a series of simple (as the name implies) games, designed as a tutorial-by-example. More specifically, SimpleGame is the same game, implemented in a wide range of languages. I hope that by providing example source code in such a format, readers who are familiar with one programming language can easily pick up others. Why a Game? Firstly, payroll software is boring. It is a cliche example, and one that is not terribly fun to build. Moreso, payroll software doesn't leave a lot of room for creativity. Game Development on the other hand, afford much freedom to the individual programmer. The concept can be extended as the developer sees fit, and it lends itself well to imagination. Secondly (and perhaps more importantly), Game Development is what I enjoy, and what Silent Arcade is all about. Empowering new developers to produce the games they want, and escaping the bland, generic games being pumped out by the commercial side of our industry. What languages are supported? Initially, the only example code will be in languages I am adept enough in to write the examples. Once a clear style and format has been established, contributions for other languages will be accepted.
Why are the games text-only? Because the purpose of these tutorials is to introduce the reader to new languages. The maximize the number of languages that can be demonstrated, graphics have been deliberately avoided. There are only a handful of languages with mature graphics libraries, and fewer still with such functionality in the language core. Additionally, for readers new to development, working with text alone forces the developer to focus on the details, rather than the visuals. Mechanics, functionality, and feature design all can miss out on precious attention when there are shiny graphics to distract the testers. Where can I download the code? The source code for SimpleGame is hosted at Google Code and licensed under the GNU General Public License v3. It can be downloaded free of charge. How do I get involved? It depends how you want to be involved. If you want to contribute code or translations, you can check out a copy of SimpleGame Source Code with Subversion.
If you would like to request a feature or report a bug, you can browse the SimpleGame Issue Tracker and ensure that the bug report or feature request is not already listed. If it is, please add any additional details that you think might help. If not, feel free to open a new issue. To stay up-to-date with the project, you can subscribe to the SimpleGame Mailing List, where any news of note will be posted (new code, status updates for bugs and feature requests, etc). If you just want to skim over the code, download it, or get a feel for how everything is laid out, the starting at the SimpleGame Project Page is probably the best idea. |
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Silent Arcade (.com)Empowering new developers to produce the games they want. |
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