So where's this game already?

A number of folks have asked just that question. More politely, of course. And it's a fair question. It's been about a month since my last day at BioWare. So where is this indie game already?

After quitting, I wanted to make sure I took at least a little time off before diving in. I needed a vacation, and it wouldn't do to start work only to burn out quickly. So I decided I'd take it easy for a while, get the relaxation out of my system, and approach things fresh and ready. Originally, I figured I'd wait until after we move to our new home. I wanted to avoid the interruption that is packing, moving across the continent, and unpacking.

But I'm starting to feel a bit antsy. With 4 weeks passed, and another 5 or so until I'm likely to be settled into our new apartment in BC, that's a lot of waiting. A lot of unproductive, antsy, audience-hemorrhaging waiting.

So I've decided to officially start Monday the 9th. It'll get interrupted by the move, unfortunately. But with most of my other big-ticket interruptions out of the way (filing taxes, finding a new apartment, visiting NH), it'll give me a few solid weeks' worth of time to kick-off development of my first indie game.

What will I tackle first? I haven't decided yet, but I have a few candidates. There's the game, of course. There are some prototype features I'd like to hammer out and test. I'd also like to look into user account solutions, for letting users save their progress online. There's purchase handling and virtual currency to look into, for when I'm ready to sell content. And there's also contracted artwork, company structuring (or not), and other infrastructure considerations to work out.

The game itself is definitely the forerunner. I'll probably spend 50% time on that, and alternate blocks of time on the others to keep things fresh and interesting. I'm not really sure what to expect in terms of productivity, as I've never developed games solo and full-time before. So what I'm able to get done in the next few weeks will help me better plan for the future. It'll also help me set the tone for working alone, such as what hours to work; how to break up the day; how I handle interruptions and distractions. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm on the doorstep of an exciting adventure!

> WEST OF DESK
> This is an open floor west of a game developer's desk.
> There is an empty seat here.
> A rubber mat saying 'Welcome to Indie Dev!' lies by the desk.
< Sit at desk.