My First 100DaysOfCode / 100DaysOfGameDev Experience
Tags: gamedev, webdev, 100daysofcode
Published: 2020-12-23 20:24:53

Now ……….. How do I start?🤔

Before doing the 100DaysOfCode I had no idea this challenge even existed.

I started to learn recently what is about when I started to showcase my journey using social medias(Twitter, Instagram) that I notice the # to say challenge.

Never knew the backstory of it but it was pretty obvious that the whole point was to do some code for 100 days since everyone shares 1/100, 2/100, etc.

Now, I had never had a problem coding or working on my projects but why did I want to do the challenge?  To document my experience and to see what 100 days of coding will look like. So I started the journey.

The 100 days of code is more to encourage individual to do something related to code for 100 days for 1 hour (https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/join-the-100daysofcode-556ddb4579e4/) and share it on twitter with the #.  Personally I like it but I need to be very honest, I did not do the 100 days of code straight.

At first the challenges were actually nice and I was pumped but while doing the challenges my mind set and inspiration change.  

The first days of the challenge was more focused on my work related as a back-end developer and since I was doing a web project, every single day I was doing something code related and I had a feeling that I could do this for 100 day straight….and I also felt like I was cheating 🤣. I decide to also include game dev stuff to work on my C# skills……..and this is when my inspiration changes.

During the challenge I was also thinking, meditating and seeing what path I wanted as a developer. 

Before doing the 100 day challenge I had created my YouTube channel and I was still searching what was my niche and the 100 days of challenge actually helped me to at least identify what I want to do as a game developer.

During one point I decided that the challenge will be to focus more on the game dev side; this pushed me to at least finish a simple game that I had been working on for awhile and concentrate more on mobile game development (inputs, approaches, etc). 

When I changed focus midway, at first, I was really pumped; I had ideas flowing for games I could make, videos ideas, etc. Was getting tips, my following on Instagram and Twitter grew, I released more videos and by releasing those videos little by little I was learning all sorts of stuff; still I had a long way to go but I was learning.

Then the “wall” came. 

Now keep in mind I do not mind the “wall” since it can happen to anybody.  What is the wall?

For me the wall was a moment where I was doing 100 days of code at least once or two times a week.

Why? Because of work.

A little backstory of me.  

I work as a backend developer with a friend / boss 🤭 that is a full stack developer and he has work has a freelance developer for some time.  When there's a project that he can’t do alone, that's when normally I come in, so my income depends a lot on the projects that I work on and let's be honest, 2020 hit us hard. So even if I am working on a project for 2 or 3 month I get paid mostly when the project is finished or when the mediator, the one that brings the project to my friend / boss, pays us.

Soooooooo during the challenge I was working on last minute details of a web page and during this last phase the direction of some changes took a lot of time to be applied. This led me to have some sort of burnout that when I finished working on the web project I did not have the mentality or the energy to work on my projects.  This however allows me to work on another approach that I can work on my game dev side without coding and that is research🤣.

The way I sometimes manage a burnout or meh ones a month I usually do research on some game that I inspired to make, see photos of game design or play puzzle games. 

During this particular time I was able to identify other stuff I want to work one and I was able to be more open on what I am working on and this led me to have conversations with other developers, be inspired by them and be happy for other developers when they release their own stuff.

Drawing close to the 100 days of code it also pushed myself to change my content a little. I am having fun to connect with other developers and learn from them. I have ideas for videos that I need to test it out in order to see if they're good. I am more open to doing blogs post to see how this goes but like always little by little.

This 100DaysOfCode challenge was more than a code challenge for me. Personally I did a lot of stuff in this 100+days of code challenge that I am proud of.

My second run of the challenge will be a lot of different. 

I want to be 100% focus on game dev but I also want to document it since I want to IMPROVE on my C# skills and to see if this none artistic developer can at least make a decent character on blender🤣. 

Need to plan it out very smartly since I also need to work😅.  This also in the plan, to see if either stay where I am and work on game dev priority or spread my wings to other services but this will imply to expand more on my skill as a back end developer. 

Truth be told I am more inclined in the game dev side and if I need to make a small website or an app I will also do it; I like being a game developer and a back-end developer. My past goal was in the long run to make profile pages to other game developers or teach them how to improve there itch pages so they can use that has a profile page with a little CSS coding magic😁 but my mind set is changing🤭 or maybe I can still do it.

The 100 days of code also teaches you to be extra humble to yourself and be honest to take a decent break and just enjoy the process.

There's A LOT of stuff I need to improve but the journey is what counts😁.

This will also mark my first official blog post on dev.to

Let’s keep coding 😊

P.s I know I need to learn how to write blogs🤣 that will also improve. Tips are welcome 😊



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