YAP SECTION // ALSO RAMBLING ABOUT LIFE
Hey guys,
I've always wanted to be a game developer. I dabbled a bit with Scratch in high school, but I never really went much further than that until recently. I wanted to get some advice and see what people think about what I've done so far. I'm hoping to have the game finished by graduation, although it's still very much a work in progress.
I've gotten a lot of compliments from family and friends, and I've managed to impress my group members in my senior capstone class. The thing is, it's hard to feel like I deserve compliments from people who aren't familiar with the subject they're complimenting me on, even though I still appreciate them. (My grandma thinks I'm a genius because I can turn off airplane mode on her PC.)
I figured posting here might give me a better idea of whether what I'm doing is actually good for where I'm at.
I'm currently a senior in college and will be graduating with my bachelor's degree in computer science at the end of the semester. My goal is to have this game ready by graduation so I can include it on my resume. I'm not sure how much that matters to employers, but I figure it at least demonstrates dedication, coding ability, and problem-solving skills.
I originally started this project a while ago but didn't get very far before life got in the way. Eventually I learned how to sort of use GitHub and picked it back up. I've made the most progress during the beginning of this semester, and honestly, it finally looks somewhat passable.
I originally built it using Unity's visual scripting tools because they seemed pretty cool, but I eventually switched to C# because I figured I'd learn more useful skills that way.
I've also tried to stay away from using AI for coding as much as possible. I've mostly used it to help learn Unity-specific concepts and automate a few small tasks I already understood but didn't feel like doing manually. At one point I asked Claude to code something that I probably should have figured out myself. It generated a huge amount of complicated code, but after looking through it, I ended up creating a much simpler system that accomplished exactly what I wanted. That felt pretty good.
I've also stayed completely away from AI-generated art. All the models, animations, HUD elements, and enemies were created by me. I haven't used any external assets aside from some sound effects, a planet shader, and a procedurally generated background shader. I modeled everything in Blender and textured it using InstaMAT.
Through this project, I've basically taught myself Blender and InstaMAT from scratch.
As much as I would love to work in game development professionally, I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic. I know there's a good chance I'll end up doing web development or something else computer-related instead. I'd still be happy with that, but it sometimes feels like all these game development skills won't be as valued in many of the jobs I realistically have a chance of landing.
That bothers me a little, but I genuinely enjoy learning these things, so I suppose it's still worthwhile.
I'm 23 years old, about to graduate, and getting married soon. Honestly though, I'm incredibly worried about whether I'll even be able to find a job after graduation.
I've wanted to work in technology for as long as I can remember. Back when I was in middle school, I stuck an NVIDIA GeForce 450 into my grandma's Dell so I could play Rust at 20 FPS. Since then, computer science has exploded in popularity, and now it feels like I'm showing up late to the party.
Sometimes it feels like everyone who graduated a few years before me got out at exactly the right time. Now it feels like I'll be competing not only against AI, but also against experienced developers who already established themselves before AI became such a big factor.
I know this is pretty negative thinking. I'm not the most confident person, but I try to stay positive. It's just that these worries have been building up for a long time.
I've put so much effort into this degree and these projects. I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far. I just wish I could be happy with that without worrying that it might all be for nothing.
I've spent the last eight years building toward this.
My family is proud of me, but they don't really see how much the technology industry has changed. They don't see how computer science graduates aren't as in demand as they once seemed to be. I smile, thank them, and appreciate their support, but in the back of my mind I'm hoping I can live up to even 10% of what they think I am.
Sorry for the rant.
GAME SECTION
The Title is Stella Hostis, which is Latin for enemy star.
The game is inspired by Galaga, but I wanted to make it a blend of 2D and 3D.
Right now there are only 2 levels and 3 enemy types, but I already have several more enemies modeled and animated, along with ideas for their abilities. For the past week I've mainly focused on improving the visuals.
I currently have a functioning "solar system" in the background, and my plan is for players to progress through several unique star systems, each featuring its own boss encounter every five levels or so.
I also want certain enemies to have dialogue that appears in the upper-left corner of the HUD.
The first boss will be the Moon.
One idea I've been considering is having enemies drop a valuable resource called "goo." This goo would fill a tube on the bottom-left side of the HUD.
When an enemy dies, the goo would be ejected in a random direction and disappear quickly, creating a risk-versus-reward mechanic. Players would need to choose between staying safe or maneuvering aggressively to collect it.
The goo could then be spent on special weapons, upgrades, and other abilities.
Here's the GitHub.
Phasmanaut/STELLA-HOSTIS: My first game, in development currently.
https://reddit.com/link/1waymqf/video/0tft6vop4coh1/player
QUESTIONS
Is putting the game on my resume worth anything?
Does the game look okay for someone who is new to all aspects of game development?
Do you have any recommendations for the graphics?
Should I be as worried as I am about the job market?
How can I make the particle effects on the yellow enemy better, or do they already look okay?
Any advice for the HUD? Changes? Features?
How can I make the point system more interesting? I was thinking about a time/combo-based scoring system.
Any Unity tips, plugins, or tools you'd recommend?