[Event] JHB Community Night - 9 July 2013

edited in Events
This event happens monthly, is free to attend and anyone may speak at the meetup - just comment in the thread below to let us know!

Test games! Talk games! Make games!

When: 18:30 until around 21:30, Tuesday 9 July

Where: Microsoft Campus Bryanston, 3012 William Nicol Drive, Bryanston, Johannesburg

Content:
- Community News
- Parley Tool and Announcement- @tbulford ~20 Mins
- Proteus Mini Design Analysis - @Stray_Train ~15 Mins
- Games for Change Report Back - @Bensonance and Brad ~20 Mins
- Battle Blocks Demo - @Tuism
- Open floor (Anyone may step up and present their games or talk - this is usually time contingent.)

- Your presentation/talk/game here

Calling for content!

Comments

  • Two things from my side: if no one wants to do the Design Analysis this month I'll step in and do it. The general guideline is to break a game down in 10 minutes and then have around 5 minutes for discussion. The rest is up to you :).

    Also, Brad and I attended the Games For Change Festival in New York this month, might anyone be interested in hearing about it? We had talks from: Leigh Alexander; Ian Bogost; Eric Zimmerman; Brenda Romero; Robin Huinicke; and Jesse Schell - as well as a few others :).
    Thanked by 1hanli
  • might anyone be interested in hearing about it?
    Well, I dunno hey...

    OF COURSE YES. :P
  • Would it be OK for us to talk about the Parley Tool we have built? We also have an announcement that goes with that? Say 20min or so.
    Thanked by 1Bensonance
  • edited
    I'd like to do the mini design and look at end game states & objectives of economy games like Monopoly and 1830.

    @tbulford - definitely you can!
    Thanked by 1Bensonance
  • I'm keen to do a mini design talk on Proteus, can we fit in 2 talks this month?
  • I will be quick with Parley 20min or so.
  • We had quite a full agenda of talks last month and we finished with a little time to spare, so we should be fine :).
  • I'm bringing a playable to the meetup tomorrow, well, hopefully, will implement code today :)
  • @Tuism, I think there will be more people to see it if you bring it next week :P
  • Wait, what? WAIT. 9 July. OH. XD

    Thanks for that reminder omg I'm no good with dates XD
  • @Tuism you want a presentation slot? :) Someone can play your game while you talk about it or observe?
  • edited
    Yeah that sounds great! :D Put me down for (tentatively titled) Battle Blocks! :D
  • hey guys im no gamer id like to know if i could attend and present a game idea inorder to make moola but work as team we all do the things together certain people get certain tasks but would first like to chat to som1 first ?yes or no
  • @muneerbadat welcome to our community, anyone is welcome to join our meetups :)

    -----------------

    And community, what happened to the read first thread? I'd like to point @muneerbadat to it. It would be very helpful.
  • I found it! Maybe we should sticky this again?

    @muneerbadat this is a great read for newcomers to the community, check it out :)
    http://www.makegamessa.com/discussion/6/gamedev-newcomer-faq#Item_1
  • There's a link at the top pointing to the newcomer FAQ :)
  • hey guys thanks how i ever i red the page and i do understand what u guys mean id just like to know is it possible for me to present my idea and build a team im doing law at the moment and that got nothing at all to do with gaming i have tried to create games via app inventor and game salad however the game i want to create needs certain people with really good skills if it is possible then id like to attend and give u guys a full out presentation from start to finish but only if its worth it like i read many ideas soon die out however im verry ambitious and if i have a team i will make it work but thanks for all the extra info
  • Please use punctuation...
  • sorry @tuism used my mobile used to chatting like that via my mobile
  • do you understand what i meant above
  • Despite my eyes bleeding yeah I understand. Do you understand what we mean by the stuff in the FAQ?

    Like I said before anyone is welcome to come and meet people and chat to anyone. You're welcome to come and introduce yourself.
  • lol cool. but what i mean is that if i come, id like to present my idea and if its good will i be able to create a team from the meet up? is it possible.
  • People will join you if they want to join you, I have no control over their free-will :)
  • @muneerbadat, I think that if you really understood what the articles was saying you wouldn't still want to come and present an idea. It is entirely possible for you to come and present an idea, but I fear you will receive a very negative reaction.

    There are many reasons for this but the main reason I found to explain it is that everyone has their own ideas. If I'm not getting paid to work on your idea, I would rather work on my own ideas for the same amount of money. If however you can persuade me with a very good protoype of a game I might consider helping you out. Or maybe if you can pay me well enough I might consider helping out. Point being, the idea alone won't be enough to convince people to join your project(unless you are friends or something).

    I suggest that if you want to pitch the idea, do it here on the forums. That way you have a lot more eyes on it and more people to give advice. And you can ask a lot more questions.

    Also attend the meetups and get to know the people there. It's a great way to meet some people that might be able to help you out with things in the future. :)
    Thanked by 3Tuism Bensonance hanli
  • @muneerbadat first off welcome! Second, where are you studying law (as an attorney myself I'm curious)?

    In answer to your question, the answer is probably no, I think it would be highly unlikely that you'd walk away from the meetup with a team to make your game. By the sounds of it you can't contribute to the actual game development itself, which means you'll need to pay your programmers, artists sounds guys etc (no one is going to want to work with you for profit share unless you've proven yourself, and give how this industry works you are going to need at least a playable prototype for people to even think about working with you). So unless you are willing to pay people for their skills I can't imagine you being successful in your pitch. If you have the cash go for it!

    You mention that you've tried to make stuff in in app inventor and game salad, this is a good start because at least you've tried to do some stuff yourself. The best route will be to give yourself the skills to start on the project. If you don't have the skills to make the game you want to make, aim lower and skill up. By doing this (starting smaller and with simpler projects) you'll be giving yourself the experience you need, but also giving yourself a portfolio you can show to potential partners.
  • thanks guys thats the answers i was looking for.hope to meetup soon and chat and see how things go
  • edited
    Hey guys, whose machine will the presentations be run on? May I please ask a favour? Could whoever it will be please grab the gamepad driver/emulater Motioninjoy (http://www.motioninjoy.com/) and install it so that I can make use of a gamepad for demoing my prototype? I can't really do it without gamepad access (needs an analogue stick)... I'll bring my PS3 controllers. If anyone knows/has xbox 360 controllers (must be wired as far as I understand it) that they know will work with PC and will be bringing it, that'd be awesome too :D

    Thanks guys!
    Thanked by 1Fengol
  • @Tuism You can use my Laptop :). I'll install the driver.
    Thanked by 1Tuism
  • Feeling a bit sick, but I think I'll be there tomorrow night. I've got a 360 controller I use with my PC. :)
    Thanked by 1Tuism
  • I've been stuck at a client all last week, the weekend and Monday and today so I've not had time to prepare my discussion on goals and end game states of economic games. Please can I be excused giving this presentation. I will see make community night though.
  • Yeah Andre even missed the netrunner tourney, so sorry to hear about work woes! And I'll be early to make sure my game get set up with out problems. Hopefully. Is there a mouse at the venue? Playing on a trackpad also would suck. I'll bring a mouse too :)
  • Wish these meetings were on weekends :(
  • How stringent are you guys on starting time?

    It may be a bit difficult for me to make 6:30 - I want to make sure I'm not going to be stepping on toes if I sneak in the back if I come a bit late?
  • No worries, we don't enforce a full lockdown protocol that excludes latecomers :) I'm late half the time myself, just be courteous, don't make too much of a ruckus and don't forget to close the door behind you (cos there's lots of ruckus outside)

    Welcome! :)
  • In CT we make you say your name and what you do when you come in late.

    Mind you, we make everyone say that at the start too, so it's more to let other people be able to chat to you afterwards ;)
  • @dislekcia - Thats probably not a bad idea.

    Oh and for the newcomers, once we get to the MS Campus, how do you find your way to whatever room you're holding the meetup in?
  • @aodendaal You are excused! But please do that talk next month, I'd love to hear about endgame states :).

    @Tuism Which version of Motion Joy are you using? :)
  • edited
    @Nitrogen Walk in through the main door, turn right at the screens shaped like a 7. We're in the second door to your right down the corridor. There are 2 hidden coffee/hot chocolate machines, you can find them through exploration or as an unlockable if you make the right dialog choices.
  • @stray_train Waypoints added to my map.
  • @Nitrogen You still owe us a talk on Gunpoint at some point! :P ;)
  • @bensonance - SHHhh!

    I'll see how it goes tonight :P
  • @Bensonance errr, I dunno, my computer is at home so I can't check, I'm guessing Version 0.6.0005 because the other one is "testing"?
    Thanked by 1Bensonance
  • Im so soorry I missed it guys! I had it in my diary as Wednesday, and this week has just been a bit of a balls up because Im going down to Cape Town on Friday.

    Sorry sorry sorry! I WILL be at the next one!
  • So sorry for the technical mixup last night, I promise next time I'll be ready... With my own hardware to make sure things are as they should be XD

    In the mean time, here's the gameplay video involving two hoomans :)

    Thanked by 2hanli Elyaradine
  • edited
    @Tuism - Killer move at around 2:19 - red block - player 1...Awesome
  • Sorry I couldn't make it this week guys. Been crazy! Hopefully will make the next one! Also any game jams coming up?
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