Archives
Archives
Production fragments. Notes, principles, constraints.
Why PREDEV before everything
The first line of code is the most expensive. Not because it's complex, but because it commits a direction. The PREDEV forces you to choose that direction before the code chooses it for you.
Constraints create signatures
Zero external assets on Idle Orbit gave us procedural audio. 72h on a prototype forces the right scoping decisions. The best systems are born from embraced constraints, not total freedom.
Lot ≠ Feature
A lot is a deliverable, testable block. A feature can stay half-done for weeks. Splitting into lots rather than features changes how you think about delivery.
Economy first
On every game, the economy is defined before the first sprite. Not because monetization comes first, but because economy structures game feel. A game without a clear economy becomes a sandbox with no direction.
80% coverage, not 100%
100% coverage tests things that don't break. 80% tests things that actually break. The difference is 40% less time for the same reliability.