FAQ

BUGJam FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is BUGJam?

This will be a month-long event where we work together to produce a single minimal viable polished game project with our collective skills using free and open source software.

Why is it called BUGJam?

The Seattle Blender User Group (SeaBUG) and the Vancouver Blender User Group (VanBUG) have been sharing Blender knowledge for all purposes. We have many users interested in game development, which includes participation in game jams.
Blender User Groups "BUG" + Game Jam "Jam" = BUGJam.

What's the point?

I (Xury) am a professional game developer, professor, tutorial maker, and I wear many other hats. For well over a decade I've shared my knowledge and skills with people that want to create 3D art, films, and video games. My career in the AAA game industry has given me access to professional workflows that I want to share, but these workflows can't be taught properly in isolation.

BUGJam is intended to be an environment where members of the group will have a chance to practice professional workflows and learn skills that can help you develop projects in a technically sustainable and correct way. These skills could possibly help you land a role in professional game development, since you would be expected to have these skills (this by no means guarantees getting a job in the game industry, sorry I don't have that kind of influence).

What's the difference between this and a game jam?

Traditional game jams have a focus on moving fast and breaking things. They are a great way to develop skills, but they don't necessarily provide any mentorship, so there's a lot more "breaking things" than there should be. If you don't already know professional workflows, a traditional game jam doesn't really do much to help that. So, rather than dozens of teams competing, this will be one group working and learning together under the guidance of a few members of the group that have professional experience.

What "professional workflows" will BUGJam use?

• Most importantly we will use "Source Code Management" (SCM) aka 'Version Control" AKA "Source Control" for all files in the project. Professional game development typically uses either Perforce or Git. - We will be using Git, as it is free and open source. While it's less popular for game development than Perforce is, it is something you can continue to use for free in your personal projects after you learn to use it during BUGJam.
• We will be documenting the design of the game, defining standards for our work, and writing tutorials for our processes. Professionally, this type of documentation is typically done in Confluence. However, BookStack is a free and open source alternative, which you're already looking at on this webpage right now!
• We will be tracking tasks for the project, a popular professional solution for this is Jira. Again we will be using a free and open source alternative called Vikunja.

What game engine and other software will we be using?

We are going to try to use as much Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) as possible.
See the: software list.

How long will the jam last?

TheToo be determined, the current plan is that the project will last one month. Since we're focusing on quality over quantity, a lot of our time will be spent making sure everyone uses professional workflows. A period shorter than a month won't be conducive to that effort.

When is the jam?

Too be determined, right now the plan is to start near the beginning of February, and run through the end of the month.

What kind of commitment do I need to make?

Since the goal is to mimic a professional environment, we need to be able to rely on each other. Some commitment will be expected. Across the duration of the project, you will be expected to participate in four weekly check-ins, and commit to a minimum of 40 hours worth of work on the project (total, not per week).

What kind of game are we making?

Members who commit to work on the project will have a chance to pitch their idea for the game.

What constraints will there be for the project?

It must be a 3D game using an intentional and consistent art style. more TBD