@reidrac is CODING
The “videos on demand” are on my YouTube channel.
Background info
I’ve been developing games for old systems for a while, and I used to post about my development process on my Mastodon account –previously on Twitter– and my blog.
This is the next step: sharing my coding sessions for everybody to “enjoy”.
If you like the sessions, feel free to buy me a coffee. Thanks!
What’s new?
2023-10-27 - On hold
I upgraded Debian and turns out OBS Studio doesn’t have all the features I need –most notably, the browser component is not included–, so I need to compile it again. Which is fine, but I’ve been postponing it because it has given me some time to reconsider Twitch (and YouTube) as platforms.
Basically: I have a strong opinion about tracking users and advertisements, and both things are at the core of those two platforms. So, should I contribute content to them? I don’t feel like doing that, although I understand that the cost of delivering hours of video is significant.
It is easy to see how many GBs of video I have uploaded to YT so far. Would it be possible to host that content on a platform that is not sustained by ads and/or is more respectful with the privacy of their users? My conclusion is: probably not.
So this is currently on hold until I decide what is the best approach, being it back to Twitch, or perhaps streaming using a different service and not storing the videos. At the end of the day, my aim is to write software, the streaming and the videos are just a by-product of that. We will see!
F.A.Q.
Where I can find the videos?
Some of the videos are also available “on demand” on my YouTube channel.
If you are only interested in the videos of the “making a DOS game” series, those are on this playlist on YouTube.
Are you streaming all the sessions?
Initially my home Internet connection didn’t allow for live streaming with enough quality, so there are a few sessions recorded “off-line” and uploaded “as-is” without any editing. Those sessions are on YouTube.
Currently my Internet connection is much better and I can do streaming.
Do you have a planned schedule?
My programming time is scarce, so I may stream when I have time for it, usually at night time (around 20:30 GMT).
Are you streaming in English?
Yes, with a strong accent. English is my second language.
I can also speak Spanish, but I will speak English in all the sessions because in that way I think the content will be accessible to more people.
Sometimes I won’t have the mic on –e.g. I’m not alone or in a quiet space–.
Is your code Open Source?
Some of it is Open Source already, and some will be at some point.
- My most current projects are in my self-hosted repos.
- The older projects are on my GitHub account.
When will you be working on system X or game Y?
I don’t know for sure. I have a TODO and I usually work on projects when I feel is the right time for them.
If I’m working on a game and I have a deadline, it is very likely I will work on it until it is finished.
Do you develop your retro-games on the real system?
No. I cross-compile from a modern machine to the target system, using an emulator for testing.
These are some emulators I recommend.
What compiler are you using for your retro-gamedev?
It depends on the system:
I write the games in C and assembler, and I use Python for my tools.
Do you only do retro-gamedev?
No, I may work on other projects that may not be retro-gaming –or even gamedev– related.
What editor are you using?
I’m using neovim with tmux, and this is my configuration.
For some languages I use a LSP server to get some IDE-like features. In my C projects I use the good old ctags.
What other tools do you use in your retro-gamedev projects?
I use git to manage my source code.
For the graphics I love Gimp, and Tiled for the maps. My operating system is Debian.
Almost all my custom tooling is built with Python.
You should be using X, Y, and Z!
I’m aware of other tools, compilers, editors, etc; and I use what works best for me. Thanks!
What do you use to record the videos?
I’m using OBS Studio.
You are doing it wrong!
That’s possible! I make mistakes, and sometimes I learn from them (not always, though).
My approach to solve a problem may not the best, but it is my approach and I tend to focus on the results –specially in retro-gamedev: very often the best engineering practices aren’t the most useful when programming for old 8-bit machines–.
Feel free to suggest ideas, it will be appreciated.