Alright, so today I’m gonna spill the beans on this little project I’ve been messing around with: “ben rice fantasy”. Sounds kinda out there, right? Well, it is. Let’s dive in.
First off, I had this crazy idea pop into my head – what if I could make a game? I’m no game dev pro, far from it. But I’m stubborn, and I like a challenge. I started by just doodling some character designs. Ben, the main character, is this goofy dude who’s obsessed with rice. Don’t ask me why, it just felt right.
Next up, I had to figure out the engine. I’ve dabbled in Unity before, so I went with that. Downloaded the latest version, created a new project, and stared blankly at the empty screen. The intimidation factor was real.
The initial hurdle was moving Ben around. I spent a solid afternoon just watching tutorials on character controllers. Finally, I cobbled together a script that let him walk, jump, and generally bumble around the scene. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
Then came the “fantasy” part. I wanted to create a world that was colorful and a little bit surreal. Think rolling hills made of sushi rice, and trees that grew instant noodle leaves. Yeah, it’s weird. I started messing with textures and materials in Unity, trying to get that cartoony, dreamlike vibe. It was a lot of trial and error – mostly error, at first.
One big headache was getting the lighting right. I wanted everything to feel warm and inviting, but I kept ending up with harsh shadows and weird color casts. I played around with different light types, tweaked the ambient light settings, and eventually, after hours of fiddling, I got something that looked decent.
Of course, a game needs some kind of objective. So, Ben’s goal is simple: collect all the legendary rice cookers scattered throughout the land. Each cooker has a unique power that helps him overcome obstacles. I built a simple inventory system and implemented the first power-up: the ability to summon a giant rice ball to bounce on.
I ran into a ton of snags along the way. Collision detection was a nightmare, UI elements kept disappearing, and at one point, Ben started walking backwards uncontrollably. But I kept plugging away, Googling furiously, and asking for help on forums. Eventually, I managed to squash most of the bugs.
The sound design is, uh, let’s just say it’s a work in progress. I grabbed some free sound effects online and slapped them in. Ben’s footsteps sound like someone crunching potato chips, and the music is a cheesy MIDI tune I found on a royalty-free website. It’s charmingly awful.
Right now, “ben rice fantasy” is more of a prototype than a full-fledged game. It’s buggy, unbalanced, and visually unpolished. But it’s mine. And I learned a ton making it. I touched almost every part of game development from character movement to level design to basic UI. It’s a fantastic learning experience!
Here are some things I’ve learned:
- Start small. Don’t try to build a massive open-world RPG on your first try.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The game dev community is incredibly supportive.
- Version control is your friend. Seriously, learn Git before you start coding anything.
- Take breaks. Staring at a screen for 12 hours straight is a recipe for burnout.
- Have fun! If you’re not enjoying the process, what’s the point?
What’s next? I’m planning on adding more levels, polishing the graphics, and maybe even hiring a real composer to write some decent music. Who knows, maybe one day “ben rice fantasy” will be a masterpiece. Or maybe it’ll just be a funny little project I can look back on and laugh. Either way, it was a blast to make.
And that’s pretty much the whole story. Making “ben rice fantasy” was tough, rewarding, and a little bit ridiculous. I hope you enjoyed hearing about it!