Console Programming

So for this semester I was tasked with making any sort of program on a non-pc console. This was to create a portfolio piece that expands upon the typical PC games and applications. I decided that I wanted to create a mobile application to explore that area more. I finally settled on the Android devices because they are much easier to deploy & debug on and don't rely on Apple proprietary software. (APKs are also much easier to deploy than impacting in an iOS app).

The programming language I chose was to go about this was the standard Java for Android. I considered a C++ based cross-platform system but decided to go with Java because it has much more documentation and allowed me to focus more on the development side instead of an engine side (which I had covered partially already).

I decided to make a basic tower defense game, mostly with dummy art assets and not-well balanced systems, in order to show the architecture more and the actual result less. Below is a basic draw-up of the systems. Again, nothing complex, something that is perfectly do-able in the semester.

Since this is a well-documented subject there are little risks. I have already gotten an emulator for Android and have had a basic app deployed on it. The only unknowns are running into weird bugs that I create. The rendering pipeline has given me the biggest hardships so far but I pretty much have it under control now.

This shows off my skills as both a generalist, able to do multiple things at once (framework, gameplay, rendering, systems) and my ability to adapt quickly into multiple different variables, including different languages, different IDEs and different consoles.