I use my own custom game engine for my projects.That's right. I am not using Unity, Unreal, or any other packaged game engine.
There are a number of reasons why I chose to do this. My most common answer is "Because it's fun!". I only work on my projects on Saturdays. That means my development is really slow, and it's going to take a long time for me to finish anything. I expected to spend years of my Saturdays working on a project before it's finished. I realized pretty early on that if I wasn't having fun on those Saturdays, then I would probably end up quitting before anything was ever completed. Also, I really like programming. It's much more enjoyable for me to make my own code then to use somebody else'.
To date, I have spent about 255 Saturdays working on the Strategy Game in one form or another. One more Saturday, and some might just roll over and quit. Luckily I have more capacity then that. I can happily say that I am still having fun and I look forward to next weekend.
There is one project that I have spent more time on then any other. I dabbled with ideas in high school. I tinkered with the concept in college. The project really started taking shape, though, in early 2008. I have spent a majority of my Saturdays since then working on the project.
That project is The Strategy Game. Catchy name, right? It started off as a CCG, but eventually turned into something else. It's turn based, it has resource management, there are deck building aspects, and it borrows from miniature games. It's a bit of jumble of concepts that all end up fitting nicely together. But calling it a TBRMDBM game doesn't work too well, and so I just refer to it as The Strategy Game.
FunnerSoft is an independent game studio. Also, though, FunnerSoft is me as I am the only employee of FunnerSoft. And, FunnerSoft is a side business. Who am I? My name is Lester Bloom. I have a regular gig where I help to make a video game, and I have done so since about 2002. I usually spend my Saturdays, and only my Saturdays, working on this side business.
FunnerSoft is more then just a side business, though. It's my outlet to work on the types of games that I like. I can work the way I want, and I can sink or swim based on my own decisions.
Most importantly, FunnerSoft is about making games fun again.
