# Doodle Game Concept
A game about using your finger/mouse to draw circles around moving game objects.
It works by instantiating an `Area2D` node with a polygon collision shape, and can probably
also be mildly modified to draw level geometry dynamically.

In either case, the challenge is taming an otherwise automatic system.
Objects move on their own. You only control the ~~pencil~~ pen.

# CANCELED
A brief post-mortem.
	
## What Went Wrong
It's had been a minute since I attempted a proper game jam, and while I could tell I was much more
*skilled* this time around, my *execution* was what caused this fumble. I've been programming mostly
websites (server-side and client-side), applications, and tooling. *Games are a different,
cross-disciplinary beast.*

* Stick to the plan. The plan was visual metaphor to game ideas to game. I discarded all metaphor planning
in favor of a novel UI, which has worked in the past but this time set me back.
* Too much emphasis on doing something differently, rather than well. Yes, most of my initial ideas
were also built around by other developers and teams. No, that doesn't mean we'd be making the same
game. Build games that interest you, that you want to play, and fit your scope. Doesn't matter if
it's *unique.* This game isn't being presented to a general audience (yet)
* Core gameplay of mechanic was not considered enough before starting. Should have
[paper-prototyped](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_prototyping) it,
would have likely found it more akin to Fruit Ninja than a Wario Ware game. It even had potential as
a more narrative-focused word-finding game. The idea is not *bad* but it was not properly *considered*.
* Too much aesthetic, too soon. Focusing on the smaller details (theming, sprites, UI) before ironing
out the large ones. This is a great little morale boost, but it is too much commitment too early on.
* Do some research, but try to isolate yourself from games. In my case, I could have benefited from
researching gesture recognition ahead of time.

## What Went Right
I don't think the initial approach was wrong, however I think I rushed into starting too soon. I initially
just wrote down a bunch of visual metaphors for loops on paper and thought about each one in the context
of a game. I had 8, with a nebulous mound of ideas using them. I went on to observe many other teams make
games using some permutation of those same 8 metaphors.

* Spend time really considering the theme. As much as you can.
* Come up with many metaphors, not just one. It doesn't start with a game idea, necessarily, it starts with
an analogy.
* Come up with *game concepts* for each before proceeding, and *write them down somewhere*. As many as you can,
but don't spend too much time on dead ends. I did this, but I didn't write them down.
* I did pick the most **inspiring mechanic,** simply drawing a *loop.* It cut to the core in all the right ways
and posited some interesting-for-me problems (gestural recognition)

# Summary
Failure is part of the process. Be wrong, but learn in the wake of mistakes. I'd be happy with 
churning out just this summary over the span of the 3 days I spent working on this - but I also have 
a prototype to experience the reminder first-hand.

It was never about winning, really. It was about the experience.
