Mojo
Around the time of my last blog I was struggling. Things were moving slowly and coding the game was tough. I felt like I was wrestling with a hefty gorilla, rather than the playful chimp it normally is. I'd lost my mojo. I was out of the zone. I needed something. A spark of some kind.
And then it happened. I scored a goal. Sure, the game engine is far from complete and my players are just rectangular blocks and but I scored a goal of such simplicity, of such elegance that immediately my spirits were lifted. Let me describe it for you.
Having won the ball about 25 yards from goal I looked up and saw a chance to shoot. I let fly with my imaginary right foot (the players don't have legs yet, remember!) and the ball flew goalwards. To my dismay it cannoned back off the left post and a quick thinking defender hoofed it away, up towards the half way line. After a scramble in the midfield the ball breaks loose and finds its way to my strike partner about 30 yards out. I'm standing to the left of the centre backs, slightly behind them but still onside thanks to the slow reactions of one of the fullbacks. A quick tap of the call button and my team mate feeds the ball between the centre backs and I rush forwards to control it. Taking it in my stride I realise that no-one is going to catch me and I'm one on one with the goalie. Despite lacking any real AI, the keeper rushes out to tackle me nonetheless. I quickly assess my options. A quick tap of the shoot button will drive a shot, but the keeper will have a good chance of blocking it. I could attempt a cheeky chip, but the last time I tried that it didn't work at all (note to self - fix the chip shots). I decide to dribble it around him.
So as he closes in, around the penalty spot, I tap the sprint button and knock the ball away to the left of the keeper. His momentum carries him past me so I easily retrieve control of it before he can react. Now though I'm nearing the byline and well wide of the goal. No matter! Keeping a cool head I direct a soft low shot back across the goalmouth and into the far corner from the tightest of angles. The crowd roars (well it would do if i'd programmed any sound yet) and I wheel away to celebrate with my delirious, blocky team mates.
I quickly pressed the replay button only for a message to pop up, "you have attempted to access a null object". Damn. The save replay feature isn't working again. Oh well. The replay itself wasn't important, it was all about the moment. As I said, a simple goal, the kind of goal that is scored week-in week-out all over the world. But that's what made it special. The game is starting to immitate real football and suddenly I was re-invigorated. I can't help but think that this is gonna be one helluva game. I was back in the zone, mojo restored and the boistrous gorrilla is behaving again.
And then it happened. I scored a goal. Sure, the game engine is far from complete and my players are just rectangular blocks and but I scored a goal of such simplicity, of such elegance that immediately my spirits were lifted. Let me describe it for you.
Having won the ball about 25 yards from goal I looked up and saw a chance to shoot. I let fly with my imaginary right foot (the players don't have legs yet, remember!) and the ball flew goalwards. To my dismay it cannoned back off the left post and a quick thinking defender hoofed it away, up towards the half way line. After a scramble in the midfield the ball breaks loose and finds its way to my strike partner about 30 yards out. I'm standing to the left of the centre backs, slightly behind them but still onside thanks to the slow reactions of one of the fullbacks. A quick tap of the call button and my team mate feeds the ball between the centre backs and I rush forwards to control it. Taking it in my stride I realise that no-one is going to catch me and I'm one on one with the goalie. Despite lacking any real AI, the keeper rushes out to tackle me nonetheless. I quickly assess my options. A quick tap of the shoot button will drive a shot, but the keeper will have a good chance of blocking it. I could attempt a cheeky chip, but the last time I tried that it didn't work at all (note to self - fix the chip shots). I decide to dribble it around him.
So as he closes in, around the penalty spot, I tap the sprint button and knock the ball away to the left of the keeper. His momentum carries him past me so I easily retrieve control of it before he can react. Now though I'm nearing the byline and well wide of the goal. No matter! Keeping a cool head I direct a soft low shot back across the goalmouth and into the far corner from the tightest of angles. The crowd roars (well it would do if i'd programmed any sound yet) and I wheel away to celebrate with my delirious, blocky team mates.
I quickly pressed the replay button only for a message to pop up, "you have attempted to access a null object". Damn. The save replay feature isn't working again. Oh well. The replay itself wasn't important, it was all about the moment. As I said, a simple goal, the kind of goal that is scored week-in week-out all over the world. But that's what made it special. The game is starting to immitate real football and suddenly I was re-invigorated. I can't help but think that this is gonna be one helluva game. I was back in the zone, mojo restored and the boistrous gorrilla is behaving again.
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