It’s been a bit of a tricky week, which you might have guessed if you noticed this post went up on Saturday and not Friday.
Being unemployed should mean I have plenty of time, but the constant hunt for the next-most-productive thing to do can result in a lot of hiccups. For instance, I completely forgot to write this post yesterday after coming home more tired than I expected from an afternoon outing.
I’m also on day twelve of the LeetCode Data Structures Study Plan, but two of those days’ assignments have been postponed due to schedule conflicts on those days. I had to settle for quick, copy-pasted solutions for the time being with plans to go back and mop up any missed assignments once the scheduled two weeks are finished. So, at least I’ve got some progress on the core code for Project Fundamentals.
I haven’t had much progress on the other aspects of the project, though, not even the simpler items listed in “phase one”. The urge to stay productive on multiple fronts, like applying to more jobs, exercising, preparing healthier meals, and so on, all jostle for my attention on any given day. It might make sense to pause between each LeetCode study plan and use the time I’ve set aside each day for completing them to completing some of the ancillary features, like adding good documentation, before moving on to the next one.
So that’s the state of things on my existing project, but today I wanted to introduce another one. One weakness in my existing portfolio is an absence of finished projects – “shipped titles”, as game companies call them. Having not actually worked in the commercial software development space, none of my existing work really fits into that slot, which makes it hard to meet the basic requirements of most programming jobs that aren’t targeted at recent college graduates (which also turn me down for being overqualified).
I’ve got my eye on a bit of a loophole – well, not exactly a loophole, but not exactly what they mean either. Over the first year of the pandemic, I developed a computer game named The Throne of Bernicia, using the RPG Maker toolset. It’s a simple enough game, but it is a real one, fully completed and released over on itch.io.
This isn’t exactly what a lot of companies have in mind when they ask about published software, but I maintain that it counts – especially if I can get it released on Steam. Steam hosts plenty of games made in RPG Maker, albeit they do still maintain a higher standard than itch.io’s “everyone’s welcome” model. If I could get The Throne of Bernicia onto Steam, I could list it as a “shipped title” and nudge my job applications a little bit closer to relevant, at least for game companies.
I’ve gotten some decent feedback since releasing the game on itch.io, which should allow me to polish it up before trying my luck with Steam. It’s been months since I’ve touched the game, but it should still be fresh enough in my mind that I’m confident I can get it ready without too much time and effort. After that, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to navigate Steam’s developer system. I’ve reached out to a friend of mine who’s previously gone through this process themselves, and they’ve given me some solid advice on the topic.
So, that’s going to be my second project, along with Project Fundamentals. I don’t know how much time I should expect it to take, and I don’t think I can hold off from submitting applications until it’s done, but it should help shore up another part of my portfolio.
Oh, I also played Deltarune Chapter Two. That game rules. Great job, Toby Fox.
Dr. Jack Thomas 