- This project must use Code Contracts. This was first and foremost, as it is an area of interest for me and my project adviser. This decision means I have to use C# as well, which led me to...
- This project will result in a Windows 8 app. With app development being all the craze, what better way is there to showcase that specification is ready for prime time than by developing a Windows 8 application?
- The app will be a game. This is really a self imposed requirement, just to keep the project interesting and to (hopefully) give me the experience of deploying the app and seeing what it takes to do all the things associated with app development.
- The app will use XAML exclusively as the way it displays graphics. It shouldn't be too hard to use storyboards to build animations, and there is at least one good physics engine out there for it, as far as I can tell, anyway.
- I will be following an agile process. I'm familiar with it, it will structure my development, and it will allow me to assess the progress of development as I reach my December deadline.
I still have yet to come up with an idea. I want to make it more entertaining (to code) than yet-another-Mario or yet-another-Tetris, while ensuring I can deliver by the deadline. This could mean several things: producing a single level of a level based game, producing a really super simple game idea, introducing procedurally generated elements or levels, etc. Part of my "Sprint 0" will be settling all these questions, but for now I'm doing only research.
I'm positive I want to use Mercurial as my version control system, but still trying to see what the merits are of Codeplex vs Git or Google Code. Seems that many Windows 8 developers are all using Codeplex, so that might be why I'm considering it, but I'm more familiar with Google Code, so we'll see.
Anyway, if you are interested, keep following. Posting may be sporadic, but I intend to include notes on breakthroughs, code samples, "what I'm working on," "what I'm struggling with," and other types of things on a semi-regular basis. Part of my sprint review process will also culminate in posts, which will probably be more lengthy. If you have any questions, feel free to comment! I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of audience actually takes an interest in this, if I even generate one, so come one, come all, and enjoy the show!
