Event-Database Architecture for Computer Games: Volume 2, Game Design and the Nature of the Beast

Event-Database Architecture for Computer Games proposes the first explicit software architecture for game development, answering the problem of building modern computer games with little or no game design. In this volume, an example of a practical production process based on the software production process is explained, including examples of the game design, technical design, data design and tools design in that process.

This volume includes a brief overview on how to optimise the results. This leads on to an exploration of how staff, especially Software Engineers, typically view optimisation. It also explains how the vision of the Engineers relates to the vision of the leadership of a project or company. It describes how this leadership can also affect the efficacy of a production process, including the Event-Database Production Process.

This book will be of great interest to professional game developers involved in management roles such as Technical Directors and Game Producers and technical roles, such as Tools Programmers, UI Programmers, Gameplay Programmers and Engineers, as well as students studying game development and programming.

Rodney Quaye is Senior Software Development Engineer in Test at Build A Rocket Boy. He has worked in the Computer Games industry for over 16 years. He has worked at several Games Studios, including Sumo Digital, nDreams, Supermassive Games, Traveller’s Tales, Hotgen, Oysterworld, Second Impact, Flaming Pumpkin, Goldhawk Interactive, Jagex, Gusto Games, Criterion, Asylum Entertainment, Codemasters and Deibus Studios. The famous titles he has worked on include Burnout 2 and 3 for Criterion, LMA Manager for Codemasters, Runescape for Jagex, Lego Worlds for Traveller’s Tales and Everywhere for Build A Rocket Boy.

Rodney Quaye is Senior Programmer who has worked in the Computer Games industry for over 16 years. He was born in the UK but grew up in his fatherland, Ghana, attending primary school there. He returned to the UK to attend secondary school. He grew up playing Computer Games at school and university but never thought of it as a career. He graduated from the University of Warwick with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering in 1993. He went to work as a programmer first on medical information systems for hospitals and then market analysis systems mainly for car manufacturers. He then had a near-death experience which gave him a spiritual awakening. He reflected on his life and realised that his heart was not in his work. He felt God was calling him back to his first love, Computer Games. So he started a career in that industry in 1999, working at several Games Studios including Sumo Digital, nDreams, Supermassive Games, Traveller’s Tales, Hotgen, Oysterworld, Second Impact, Flaming Pumpkin, Goldhawk Interactive, Jagex, Gusto Games, Criterion, Asylum Entertainment, Codemasters and Deibus Studios. The famous titles he has worked on include Burnout 2 and 3 for Criterion, LMA Manager for Codemasters, Runescape for Jagex and Lego Worlds for Traveller’s Tales. He wrote this book to provide a standard documented software architecture for making Computer Games.