Fall 2015 (4 weeks)
Asteroids was my first time utilizing the OpenGL library, utilized via my own engine created from scratch in C++. Everything in the game was drawn with OpenGL 1.0 functions like “glBegin” and “glEnd”. These functions, while terrible for performance, were great for learning the fundamentals of OpenGL.This game functions just like the official game it is named after. The player flies a ship around space shooting asteroids, breaking them apart into smaller asteroids until they are destroyed completely. The game features both keyboard and controller input.
My main take away from this project was how to organize my workflow. By having a strict timeline of 1 week per major milestone, I had to learn to change my design and development process to accomplish my goals in a timely manner. The most important skill I learned was utilizing a whiteboard in order to visualize the code design and organize my tasks. By having the information in my mind be displayed on a hard surface, I can see all the bullet points of a task, see how they connect, and tick off sub-tasks that lead me closer to my goal.
Additional features added to this version of Asteroids were an Airbrake and a “Boss-teroid”, which is a giant boss asteroid that spawns every 5 waves and takes many hits to destroy.
