Day in the Life - Of a Game Dev

<% story.state["N8"] = { "G":{ "V":{ "inventory":{ // }, "aggressive":0 } } }; %> It's time for another… Day in the Life *a game of 8 hours by <%= story.creator %>* [[Begin]]

Alex Rosario

Congratulations! It's your first day at Gater Games and to make a good first impression you showed up on time. Because your project manager wants to <q>be nice to you because it's your first day,</q> you are only expected to be in the office for eight hours even though you came in during a <dfn>crunch time</dfn> and developers typically work upwards of 12 to 16 hours during crunch time in a new game's development cycle. [[Get ready->Intro:Prep]]

Well then. Looks like that's how your first day went. Assume that's how every day will be from now on.

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["sex"] = 0; print(story.render('Intro')); %>

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["sex"] = 1; print(story.render('Intro')); %>

A consensus was reached to use Twine 2 to release the game. There is now an argument on what story format to use. This is what's known as *bikeshedding*. [[Harlowe->Twine:Harlowe]] | [[Snowman->Twine:Snowman]] | [[SugarCube->Twine:SugarCube]]

<%= story.render('Twine:Common'); %>

You wake up in your bed to the dulcet crystalline beeps of an alarm clock on your smartphone set to 7:00am. …What? …I'm forgetting something? …That's right! You are… [[Male->Intro:Male]] | [[Female->Intro:Female]]

<% if (story.state["N8"].G.V["xpo"]) { %> You took the train and got here ten minutes early. Your project manager, a senior developer who's been with the company for a couple of years, was here since 8:00am and noticed your commitment to making a good first impression. The PM applauds you for your dedication, offers you first pick at the pastries before the project meeting begins at 9:00am. <% } else { %> You drove here and got here one minute after 9:00am (so 9:01am). Everyone involved in your project is already in a conference room at the project meeting scheduled for 9:00am. <% } %> [[Go to the project meeting->Hour 1:Proj]]

It's 10:05am and you're hard at work, head in the keyboard. <% if (story.state["N8"].G.V["sex"]) { %> The junior developer comes up behind you, breathing from his mouth. He sticks his finger on your monitor, leaving a visible oily smudge on the screen where an open curly brace (an { character) used to be clearly visible. He mutters to you in an obviously condescending tone "I don't know if you've read the formatting rules, but here we put curly braces on the next line." [[Thank him politely and add the line break->Hour 2:Passive]] | [[Thank him sarcastically and add the line break->Hour 2:Aggressive]] <% } else { %> The junior developer comes up behind you, breathing from his mouth. He asks you timidly "um, I don't know if you've read the formatting rules, but, um, we're supposed to put curly braces on the next line." [[Thank him politely and add the line break->Hour 2:Passive]] | [[Thank him flatly and add the line break->Hour 2:Aggressive]] <% } %>

It's 11:10am and you feel like you've bit off more than you could chew with one particular scenario in the game. You get up to fill your coffee tumbler with more coffee. [[Time for lunch->Hour 4]]

<% if (story.state["N8"].G.V["sex"] { %> It's 12:30pm, and you see your team members rush by you to the door. Your PM is the last one and saunters casually, stopping by your desk. You're informed that it's lunchtime and because it's a Monday to expect a Korean BBQ truck. } else { %> It's 12:30pm, and you see your team members rush by you to the door. The third one past says cheerfully that it's lunchtime and because it's Monday to expect a Korean BBQ truck. <% } %>

Double-click this passage to edit it.

On your desk are two laptops, an Ultrabook running Windows and a MacBook Air running Yosemite. Because you want to travel light you decide to take only one of them. [[Take the Ultrabook->Intro:Laptop:Win]] | [[Take the MacBook->Intro:Laptop:Mac]]

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["laptop"] = "win"; %> You packed up the Ultrabook. [[Finish packing->Intro:Xpo]]

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["laptop"] = "mac"; %> You packed up the MacBook Air. [[Finish packing->Intro:Xpo]]

You've packed up the laptop. You take the protein coffee shake you made shortly after and pour it in a conveniently portable and durable tumbler. You put that tumbler in your bag, take your keys, and head out the door. As you lock the door behind you, you contemplate on whether to take mass transit or drive to work today (for reasons of environmental consciousness, of course). <% story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["tumbler"] = "coffee"; story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["keys"] = 1; %> [[Take the train->Hour 1:Train]] | [[Drive->Hour 1:Drive]]

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["xpo"] = 1; %> You decided to take the train to work. Public transportation gets a bad rap these days, but when the trains are on time you can set your smartphone watch to the schedule. Today was one of those days when everything seemed to just come together for you, resulting in a smooth ride with no delays. You arrive at work at 8:50am. [[Arrive at work->Hour 1]]

<% story.state["N8"].G.V["xpo"] = 0; %> You decided to drive to work. Even though you looked up traffic forecasts and planned to take side streets just in case, you didn't account for the construction happening on the side streets. You're forced to take the main roads for a while and encounter the expected *rush hour traffic jams* until you can break away to the side streets. Only 5 blocks away from work. Looking for a parking spot on the block, you find none and lament about how you have to park 2 blocks away. You arrive at work at 9:01am. [[Arrive at work->Hour 1]]

You perform your usual morning rituals to get ready to face the day ahead. <%= story.render('Intro:Laptop') %>

<% if (story.state["N8"].G.V["xpo"]) { %> Everyone else involved in your project rolls into the office at 8:55am. One of the developers, a junior developer who was hired 3 months ago, makes a comment about "the new guy being a brown-noser by getting here early," and your PM gives him a glare. The team stampedes into the conference room and snatches up pastries before the 9:00pm mark. The junior dev who made the snide remark is last to the tray and dejectedly takes the last pastry, a plain donut. <% story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["pastry"] = "turnover"; } else { %> As you walk in the door, everyone turns toward you and notices. One of the developers, a junior developer who was hired 3 months ago, makes a comment about "the new guy rolling in here anytime you want," and your project manager, a senior developer who's been with the company for a couple of years, gives him a glare. The PM then gives you a stern look and tells you "we start project meetings on time here; the later you are, the less likely you get the pastry you want even though we don't technically start talking about the project until 5 minutes in." Sure enough, you look at the pastry tray and notice a lone plain donut surrounded by buttery, flakey crumbs from what could only be assumed to have been more appealing pastries. <% story.state["N8"].G.V["inventory"]["pastry"] = "donut"; } %> Everyone either pours themselves coffee, tea, orange juice, or water from the assorted carafes and pitchers on the side table as the project meeting opens with a discussion on how to build the game. [[Twine is chosen->Twine]]

Great, you're all in agreement. Since you already have the project's specifications your PM adjourns the meeting with a sigh, sarcastically saying "I'm glad we accomplished the most important part of the job. Now comes the easy part." [[The meeting ended at 10:00am->Hour 2]]

<% //story.state["N8"].G.V["aggressive"] = 0; %> You've added the line break and the developer leaves, satisfied that he got his point across. [[You continue writing into hour 3->Hour 3]]

<% ++story.state["N8"].G.V["aggressive"]; %> You've added the line break and the developer leaves, satisfied that he got his point across, seemingly oblivious to the lack of sincerity in your response. [[You continue writing into hour 3->Hour 3]]