Where to find an incentive, or how we went to the Microsoft hackathon
Hi, Habr! Within the framework of the recently passed Igromir and KRI, Microsoft arranged the gamedev hackathon Games Coding Night. Among others, our young team participated in it (moreover, even took a place), but first things first.
Hi again! We are called OArts , and we are a team of people who love games and have dreamed of creating them all their lives. It is on this basis that we united a couple of years ago in an attempt to create a dream game. In the first couple of students and personal acquaintances allowed to recruit nearly two dozen enthusiasts, among whom there were even an artist and a sound engineer. Ideas were the sea, enthusiasm, too, so that all vigorously took up the discussion and preparation for work. However, after a couple of weeks, it turned out that even for the sake of their own dreams, no one is willing to sacrifice stable work, salary and well-established rhythm of life. And, coming after work at 8-9 hours, it is very difficult to have time to do something useful for a large project. Only discussions and were active - the development began to slow down. Obviously, it was necessary to change something. For example, to release part of the team from the main employment and transfer to the active work on the project. To do this, they tried to attract an investor and get to crowdfunding, but in both cases something went wrong.
')
Already at this stage, most of the team fell off. The remaining few people decided to temporarily postpone a large project and take up a little game to get their hands full. But this process did not go as fast as we would like. The main work ate most of the time, and innate perfectionism inhibited the overall progress, forcing spending a lot of time on trifles.
But no one was going to renounce the dream. Therefore, when Microsoft announced the hackathon igrodelov within the framework of Igromir / KRI 2014, we once again took heart and decided to definitely get there with some cool idea. The idea was chosen quickly, discussed and brought to working view a week before the hackathon. Let's do a magical duel!
So, on October 2, 7 people of the O'Arts team left work and rushed to the hotel Aquarium at Crocus City Hall, where Microsoft started its program at this very time. Immediately it should be noted that we were the largest team at the event. The rest, on average, contained 2–3 people (who often met and joined the team right at the event), and Microsoft itself, by default, believed that the team should be one of four. In any case, nobody dispersed us, and we, having occupied a whole table, acquainted with our neighbors and imbued with the atmosphere of indie igrostroya, sat down to listen to the welcoming words and lectures.
During the first couple of hours, Dmitry Soshnikov ( shwars ), the host of the event, told the audience where we came to, what was happening, and who all these people were, and shared his vision of the future of Microsoft. At the event, in general, there were many interesting experts, and lectures were held all Thursday evening and all day Friday. Different topics were interesting for different members of our team, so when announcing the next lecture it was normal that someone jumped up and ran away to listen. This did not interfere with work at all, especially since the bulk of the code was written at night when the scene was empty.
Closer to 10 pm the first presentation of the teams took place, at which people came out and told about their idea, and also announced about the vacant place in the team. Among them came the leader of our team, Leonid Baranov, with the mysterious announcement of the future game about the duel of magicians. It was pretty nervous, because one of the first to enter the scene was a team with a very similar idea to the description. However, no one was going to retreat. In total, 38 cool ideas for games have accumulated, the hackathon members happy with themselves and each other dispersed on the tables, bypassing the fans of extension cords, and ... it started.
We came to the hackathon with an idea, almost a working game mini-server on perl (yes, funny, but it worked! Of course, at the end of the hackathon it will be rewritten into a more suitable language) and a couple of character steps animations. So there was a lot of work. And first of all it was necessary to split the tasks for the team members. Our team leader - the only one whose activity is directly connected with game dev - scattered tasks for 5 programmers and 2 designers. Since The code writing tasks did not fight for so many people, one of the programmers played the role of a sound engineer, another one helped the designers in drawing gestures and particle systems. The rest are engaged in game logic, network interaction and gesture recognition. Designers at this time frantically drawing spells. The night passed unnoticed.
By four in the morning the hall was noticeably empty. Some of the rest slept at the table or on the chairs. Soshnikov, by the way, did not sleep and was ready to help, if that. And we started to collect the scene.
The morning began cheerfully, the lectures continued, but we didn’t go to them - there was too much to finish. Only sandwiches gobbled up and kodili. Designers finished with effects and enthusiastically hacked into the alpha version of the game. The hall after the previous evening looked somehow empty, although everywhere the eye ran across monitors with open Unity, Visual Studio, Sublime Text, etc.
At 11 am on Friday the first presentation of the games took place. Many left without projects and told that they had time for the night, promising to show the game in the evening. Several games blew up the hall with its original gameplay. We clapped our hands and red eyes enthusiastically. Showed our alpha. While Leonid was telling something on the stage, three more enthusiastically showered each other with fireballs and air walls on the screens and the projector. It seems not bad, given the fact that the constants of game logic were taken from the ceiling (well, there was no time to balance).
By evening, we managed to slightly modify the game logic and effects, as well as properly break the server. Nothing, repaired, but the last hour was nervous. About 20 teams remained for the final presentation, the games were completely different: from single-button arcades to space admiral simulators. From simple sprites to 3D landscapes. From the keyboard to the Oculus Rift / Kinect / Razer Hydra. I was very pleased that the teams actually implemented the idea, not the product. The guys created an extraordinary gameplay right in the main hall, overnight. And all the games were different. Both in spirit and mood. In the end, the jury selected three prize teams, including us in second place. We were overtaken by guys with a similar idea, but a completely different gameplay. Congratulations again!
We left the hall with a great mood, pride, gratitude to Microsoft and all participants. We would love to play some games from the hackathon, so we are waiting for releases!
We also left the hall with Microsoft’s BizSpark support program and several certificates for 3D graphics and game development. And with new powers and a sea of enthusiasm. In 24 hours we did what we tried to do for 2 years - we made the game. Not completely ready yet, yes, but my game. And it was a great incentive to understand that our dreams are realizable, and there are, in fact, many people who are also following this path, and people who can help to stand on it confidently. So here.
O'Arts, we will be soon!
PS Do not delay projects that you want to realize
PPS We make a website and prepare the server. Wait for MBT in the near future!
Update : second video from hackathon
The first steps
Hi again! We are called OArts , and we are a team of people who love games and have dreamed of creating them all their lives. It is on this basis that we united a couple of years ago in an attempt to create a dream game. In the first couple of students and personal acquaintances allowed to recruit nearly two dozen enthusiasts, among whom there were even an artist and a sound engineer. Ideas were the sea, enthusiasm, too, so that all vigorously took up the discussion and preparation for work. However, after a couple of weeks, it turned out that even for the sake of their own dreams, no one is willing to sacrifice stable work, salary and well-established rhythm of life. And, coming after work at 8-9 hours, it is very difficult to have time to do something useful for a large project. Only discussions and were active - the development began to slow down. Obviously, it was necessary to change something. For example, to release part of the team from the main employment and transfer to the active work on the project. To do this, they tried to attract an investor and get to crowdfunding, but in both cases something went wrong.
')
Already at this stage, most of the team fell off. The remaining few people decided to temporarily postpone a large project and take up a little game to get their hands full. But this process did not go as fast as we would like. The main work ate most of the time, and innate perfectionism inhibited the overall progress, forcing spending a lot of time on trifles.
But no one was going to renounce the dream. Therefore, when Microsoft announced the hackathon igrodelov within the framework of Igromir / KRI 2014, we once again took heart and decided to definitely get there with some cool idea. The idea was chosen quickly, discussed and brought to working view a week before the hackathon. Let's do a magical duel!
So hackathon
So, on October 2, 7 people of the O'Arts team left work and rushed to the hotel Aquarium at Crocus City Hall, where Microsoft started its program at this very time. Immediately it should be noted that we were the largest team at the event. The rest, on average, contained 2–3 people (who often met and joined the team right at the event), and Microsoft itself, by default, believed that the team should be one of four. In any case, nobody dispersed us, and we, having occupied a whole table, acquainted with our neighbors and imbued with the atmosphere of indie igrostroya, sat down to listen to the welcoming words and lectures.
During the first couple of hours, Dmitry Soshnikov ( shwars ), the host of the event, told the audience where we came to, what was happening, and who all these people were, and shared his vision of the future of Microsoft. At the event, in general, there were many interesting experts, and lectures were held all Thursday evening and all day Friday. Different topics were interesting for different members of our team, so when announcing the next lecture it was normal that someone jumped up and ran away to listen. This did not interfere with work at all, especially since the bulk of the code was written at night when the scene was empty.
Closer to 10 pm the first presentation of the teams took place, at which people came out and told about their idea, and also announced about the vacant place in the team. Among them came the leader of our team, Leonid Baranov, with the mysterious announcement of the future game about the duel of magicians. It was pretty nervous, because one of the first to enter the scene was a team with a very similar idea to the description. However, no one was going to retreat. In total, 38 cool ideas for games have accumulated, the hackathon members happy with themselves and each other dispersed on the tables, bypassing the fans of extension cords, and ... it started.
Coding night
We came to the hackathon with an idea, almost a working game mini-server on perl (yes, funny, but it worked! Of course, at the end of the hackathon it will be rewritten into a more suitable language) and a couple of character steps animations. So there was a lot of work. And first of all it was necessary to split the tasks for the team members. Our team leader - the only one whose activity is directly connected with game dev - scattered tasks for 5 programmers and 2 designers. Since The code writing tasks did not fight for so many people, one of the programmers played the role of a sound engineer, another one helped the designers in drawing gestures and particle systems. The rest are engaged in game logic, network interaction and gesture recognition. Designers at this time frantically drawing spells. The night passed unnoticed.
By four in the morning the hall was noticeably empty. Some of the rest slept at the table or on the chairs. Soshnikov, by the way, did not sleep and was ready to help, if that. And we started to collect the scene.
And morning
The morning began cheerfully, the lectures continued, but we didn’t go to them - there was too much to finish. Only sandwiches gobbled up and kodili. Designers finished with effects and enthusiastically hacked into the alpha version of the game. The hall after the previous evening looked somehow empty, although everywhere the eye ran across monitors with open Unity, Visual Studio, Sublime Text, etc.
At 11 am on Friday the first presentation of the games took place. Many left without projects and told that they had time for the night, promising to show the game in the evening. Several games blew up the hall with its original gameplay. We clapped our hands and red eyes enthusiastically. Showed our alpha. While Leonid was telling something on the stage, three more enthusiastically showered each other with fireballs and air walls on the screens and the projector. It seems not bad, given the fact that the constants of game logic were taken from the ceiling (well, there was no time to balance).
Decoupling
By evening, we managed to slightly modify the game logic and effects, as well as properly break the server. Nothing, repaired, but the last hour was nervous. About 20 teams remained for the final presentation, the games were completely different: from single-button arcades to space admiral simulators. From simple sprites to 3D landscapes. From the keyboard to the Oculus Rift / Kinect / Razer Hydra. I was very pleased that the teams actually implemented the idea, not the product. The guys created an extraordinary gameplay right in the main hall, overnight. And all the games were different. Both in spirit and mood. In the end, the jury selected three prize teams, including us in second place. We were overtaken by guys with a similar idea, but a completely different gameplay. Congratulations again!
We left the hall with a great mood, pride, gratitude to Microsoft and all participants. We would love to play some games from the hackathon, so we are waiting for releases!
We also left the hall with Microsoft’s BizSpark support program and several certificates for 3D graphics and game development. And with new powers and a sea of enthusiasm. In 24 hours we did what we tried to do for 2 years - we made the game. Not completely ready yet, yes, but my game. And it was a great incentive to understand that our dreams are realizable, and there are, in fact, many people who are also following this path, and people who can help to stand on it confidently. So here.
O'Arts, we will be soon!
PS Do not delay projects that you want to realize
PPS We make a website and prepare the server. Wait for MBT in the near future!
Update : second video from hackathon
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/240193/
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