Development Diary – January 20, 2015
Current Status: Gunman Taco Truck has been in development for a total of 13 days. It is nearing pre-alpha (one system needs to be completed).
Process:
Going from an idea (Donovan’s inadvertent pitch video) to an actual game required that Donovan actually document the game he planned to make. To do this, his stepdad, John Romero, created a “fill in the blanks” game design document to match his initial pitch. In the document, Donovan had to detail and draw concept sketches of the trucks, weapons, enemies and items of thegame. From these initial docs, his mom Brenda created and adjusted the game economy. As you can tell by the recording, the core loop of the game and progression were already defined.
Donovan’s design doc was then sent to Irish artist Paul Conway who Brenda and John met on their Fulbright specialist trip to Ireland in the fall of 2014. In November, the first game jam to design and code Gunman was held.
The Idea:
Gunman Taco Truck first came to be during a regular coding lesson between John and Donovan. Having seen the game “Gun Bros on the app store,” when John asked him what he wanted to name his new game at the beginning of their coding lesson, Donovan replied, “Gunmen Taco Truck” and the goal of the game was to save the family business. He soon changed his mind about the name and renamed it Gunman Taco Truck. His mom Brenda recorded him talking about the game not long after.
Donovan’s family, while not in the business of taco trucks, certainly has its share of Mexican culture. His stepdad John Romero is from a proud Mexican family hailing from the Sonora region of Mexico and Tucson, Arizona. Donovan has had mariachis at multiple birthday parties.
These are some of the sketches Donovan made of the tacos he wants in the game next to Paul's interpretation.
