Andrew
Ward
rubenwardy
Hi, I'm Andrew Ward. I'm a software developer, an open source maintainer, and a graduate from the University of Bristol. I’m a core developer for Luanti, an open source voxel game engine.
One of the reasons I learned how to program was to make games. Games are a
unique form of creative medium, combining art, interactive storytelling, and
vibrant worlds. But as a software engineer, it’s easy to lose sight of my goals
and get trapped by the technical details. It’s common for software engineers in
game dev to roll their own engine, which I believe reduces productivity and is
ultimately a distraction to making a game.
Note that I’m not just referring to making reusable or generic game engines; for this
article, I consider using low-level technology like OpenGL, SFML, or SDL to make
games to include the act of rolling your own game engine, even if the focus is
specific. It’s more manageable, but you still end up reinventing the wheel and
having to solve many of the same problems.
There are plenty of other articles about whether or not to make your own game
engine. This article is personal to me; it’s an exploration of my journey in
game dev, a discussion of what motivates me, and a promise for the future.