Category Archives: Kevin Toms

20 tasks left

20 tasks
Still working out how much is left to complete this game. 20 tasks left.

Name that game

I was thinking of the game name this morning. I originally called my game Football Manager. Funnily enough, a certain other company is now using that name for their football game. So I was wondering what you all think I should call the new Football Manager game from me. I have asked this before but I would like to have some fun with this.

So, what would you call it?

My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 87 – Errors are boring

Well not really, I am doing another revamp of the error handling. Sometimes I get brilliant ideas, well that’s what I think they are at the time lol! With the error handling I created a sophisticated flexible system that will elegantly handle errors in the code and produce valuable information. (<–Warning, smelly cow droppings alert!)

I thought I had produced simplicity and elegance:

But in fact I had produced this:

 

.. And I have been re-engineering it back to simplicity regularly since!

My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 86 – Demonstrating the game

I demonstrated the game to a couple of friends, let them try it. Found a new couple of bugs as expected. It was also a chance to see if someone can work out what to do without help. It needs more work on that, but that was expected too. It’s good to at least having it functioning well enough to demonstrate the game and its structure by someone trying to play it!

 

My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 85 – Visiting past and present

Spectrum 30 was an opportunity for me. An opportunity to meet people who played my games and to talk about the process of creating them, marketing them and doing things the way I did. I got asked lots of great, searching questions, and fun ones, like where the beard is now! :)

Writing Football Manager, talking about it,writing Football Manager, talking about it

So I’ll be talking about 30 years since writing Football Manager at the Spectrum 30 event in Cambridge on Saturday. I am looking forward to it, I love meeting people, and it feels like going to a ZX Microfair which is being revived there.

When I think about these things, I can think of many things to say, but I have to try to stay on topic :) .

Completing this game now, will certainly feel like closing a loop!

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My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 84 – Coffee(Red wine?) in the Grand Place

So I finally did what I wanted to do. Part of this game has now been developed in the Grand Place in Brussels. In a coffee shop overlooking the square and those great buildings! What I was working on was some of the animation pieces that I decide to add just recently. So it’s still a case of just keep working working I know what I’m aiming for and I know when I get there.

This game has taken some stamina!

My work place…

My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 83 – Managers get smarter

The managers have got smarter. Not sure about real life, has Arsene Wenger made the right choice to try another season for example? But in the game they have. I have been adding to that. I also know what the piece is that is missing, what it is that I need to change. So there is more to do but the game gets qualities that are faster, higher, stronger ;)
Olympic doughnuts - get fat and fit! :)

My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 82 – Sunshine and AI

You know sometimes it’s great to sit in the sun. I have red wine, a cool bar, and a pavement table. Not much of a summer this year so this is great!

I’ve been working on the AI of the teams. Adding to it. I have plenty to work with now, lots of related variables. This game has a lot of scope to evolve over time. I’ve been playing it. It’s good. But something is still missing. I can’t place it yet, but I will.

I was asked in a comment about Software Star. That was a good game too. And worth another look. I will in time I suspect, but for now I have to continue to cut my App Store teeth on this football game! :)

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My iPhone/iPad Football Manager type game 81- Picture on the Cover??

Well no, I’m not planning that! And as you now can see in recent pictures I don’t have a grey old beard. :)

But the game itself, yes it is at an advanced stage now. The only problem I have is that I am still getting new ideas. But, it is just a case of continuing, continuing, continuing until it’s ready.

But I’ll say this, writing it has been an experience of re-discovery. Re-discovery of how much I just really enjoy writing computer games. :)

 

 

 

 

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