Okay, so, today was a day, you know? I got this itch to make a volleyball game. Not just any game, but something that you could play online with buddies, something simple and fun. I’m calling this little project “Volleyball Online Game Jam GG” just for kicks.
I started off by jotting down some ideas. What’s the most important thing in volleyball? Passing and serving, right? So, those were my first targets. I figured, if I can get those right, I’m golden. I also thought about the theme of the game jam. I grabbed a piece of paper and just scribbled down everything that came to mind. It was a mess, but a good mess. Ideas were just popping up left and right.
- Get the basics down first.
- Focus on passing and serving.
- Think about the theme and let those ideas flow.
I knew I couldn’t go too big with this. Game jams are about speed, about getting something playable ASAP. So, I decided to keep it simple. No fancy stuff, just the core mechanics. I remembered someone once said, “Don’t build something where all the pieces come together at the end. Build, test, tweak, repeat.” That was my mantra for the day.
I dove into coding, keeping in mind to have snacks with sugar and some coffee by my side. Gotta keep that energy up, right? I started with the player movement, then added the ball, and then tried to get the net just right. It was rough, I won’t lie. But seeing that little ball go over the net for the first time? Man, that was a feeling.
I kept iterating, fixing bugs, and tweaking the gameplay. It wasn’t perfect, but it was starting to look like an actual volleyball game. And the best part? I could actually play it. Sure, it was just me for now, but the online part was next on my list.
Lessons Learned
- Start small, focus on the essentials.
- Keep iterating, don’t aim for perfection from the get-go.
- Snacks and coffee are your best friends during a game jam.
By the end of the day, I was tired but happy. “Volleyball Online Game Jam GG” was coming along nicely. It’s a simple game, but it’s mine. And who knows, maybe tomorrow I’ll add that online functionality and play a game with someone on the other side of the world. Now, wouldn’t that be something?
