I started programming with Game Maker, version 5 to be precise. While I wouldn’t recommend anyone using it as a starting point, it did server my purposes and allowed me to get used to the logical way computers operate.

Since then, I’ve tried a lot of different routes of game creation - C++ being the one I will probably use in the end, but others included Python and standalone Lua. Currently I use gmod as a method of creating games - Garry’s Mod is a fantastic sandbox game that uses the Lua programming language along with the Source Engine for a lot of flexibility and power. It’s almost free, at a mere $10.00 ($25.00 with Counter Strike, if you don’t own any source games) and it’s flexibility and ease of use is second to none.

“Gamemodes” being the name of full modifications created via gmod, I’ve created two: Pirate Ship Wars and Freeze Tag. Pirate Ship Wars was done as a remake of EmpV’s original gmod 9 gamemode. It was a collaboration with Termy58, though it definitely didn’t start that way - we were both rushing to complete it first for a while. In the end, Pirate Ship Wars remains fun to this day but you usually need to organize events with friends - it’s not popular enough to get 24/7 servers.

Freeze Tag was a particularly simple gamemode that I made. It was also a remake of a gmod 9 gamemode. It got far more publicity than PSW but died a lot faster, since there was only so much depth to the game. I improved a lot of skills making it but consider it a failure, with only a few weeks of a lot of activity and fun to remember it by.

Currently, I’m interested in the Lounge and it’s corresponding gamemode - Sassilization. Several recent desicions from Sassafrass, the creator, make me question the longevity of it. It’s really fun but recently has been going into a decline. My involvement with it is completely external - I made a fully functional slot machine and a vending machine, both of which have been ignored. Standing as the only fully free product I’ve given money to, I’m hoping to see it get a big update that adds variety again.

As for myself, I’ve got a few projects I’m working on - but that’s for the blog!