Amoeba Sports [Buzz]

"Did you hear about the new shooter for the PSN?"
"You mean Amoeba Sports right?"
"Yea that's right, there hasn't been much information released about it"
"From what I understand it's a genre soup title. A shooter + soccer + arcade survival game."

Above is a fictional conversation about a real game that Casey Flach, Charlie Prouse, and myself (Michael Kofman) are developing in the span of two months. Two months for the design, research, tools development, engine architecture, testing and debugging. For most a schedule like this would sound ludicrous but that is in fact what we're doing this month in our SGP course. To make things more interesting, we made the decision to create the game in full 3D, using vertex shaders to simulate cell shading, dynamic particle effects, a robust AI system that I'll talk about in detail at a later time, steering behavior, a dynamic HUD, and so many other features. We are currently at the point of a playable demo, and in the coming weeks I'll have screenshots to wet your appetite. For now here is our dust jacket.

"Image above is a prototype"

Set in a puddle in 10 billion BC, you play as an amoeba attempting to furiously collect amino acids as you’re very existence depends on it. Using your several brain cells, you must out smart both the opposing amoeba, and other smaller life forms all competing for the amino acids. You must collect the amino acids and fill up your personal colored nest and keep them there as the smaller life forms attempt to steal them from you, or slow you down in the process. As an advanced form of amoeba, known also as an Amoeboid, you have the abilities to spout out goo blob bullets, create a powerful bubble shield to stop the bullets in their place, dart to forward to avoid danger, and even the ability to send out waves to create a ripple. By using these theses abilities, you must shot, push, and block your way to being the top dog in the puddle.

Two Week Dash

After a month that can best be described as walking on ice with a sevnty pound weight, Stickbiscuit Studios ( Michael Kofman - Project Officer and Gameplay, Charlie Prouse - Interface Lead, and Casey Flach - Technolodgy Officer ) we nailed our game document, earning our first $150k SGP dollars out of a possible 1.5 million to be accumilated. Our second milestone towards the end of the month did not pan out so well, earning us only 160k our of a possible 300k for that milestone, the team walked away disappointed. While I tried to cheer up the team, and push the blame onto the overly unjust critism and grading scale, I realize that I failed as a project officer. In the comming two weeks until Alpha I intend to step up. As far as my work goes, and also actually play the role of a project officer and nag as much as needed to keep on schedule.

Time to go to sleep, tomorrow will be a long day.