Hello, my name is Andrew, sometimes known as aze within gaming communities and among internet acquaintances (pronounced /ā.zē/). I am a professional software developer and designer. I have many interests, but for the purposes of this blog, I will be focusing on one interest in particular: game development.

Technology was an early arrival on my list of interests. Around the age of 7, I was fortunate enough to have access to an Apple II computer and my local library. Also at that age, and for many years after, my friends and I would go on adventures in imaginary worlds of our own creation. The adventures were inspired by our favorite books, movies, music, and games. As these worlds became more complex in their scope, the necessity to persist our adventures became evident. Nothing some pencils and paper couldn’t solve.

I’m happy to say that my passions in this regard never truly faded with age. I still enjoy sharing these worlds with the people that I love. If ever I need the therapeutic effect that these worlds provide, they are always there for me. Although my desire to conjure them into something more tangible has only grown over the years. Thankfully my passion for technology has become the key to not only a fulfilling career in software development, but also to turning these ideas into something that anyone can explore. The path to improving my skills as an artist and a programmer has been ongoing, and the information age has made it easier than ever to learn new things.

Learning is a fundamental part of both developing and playing games. A well designed game will seamlessly teach you how to play it, but leave you enough room to apply what you’ve learned on your own. This teaching aspect of game design is crucial. Feeling a sense of mastery, in my opinion, is an important part of what makes any game fun. Learning something new, and applying it, is one of the many things in life that makes me happy. I like to think that I’m not alone in that joy.

I’ve often found that people who are passionate about learning are also eager to share what they’ve learned with others. This manifests in many ways. Some pursue a career in teaching. Some share what they’ve learned through various expert services. Some release it onto the unsuspecting curious as unsolicited critique. For me, I’d like to channel some of that into this blog. Which should also save my friends from frequently having their ears talked off about something new I learned the day before. 😉

This platform will be used to document my experiences in game development. With it, I would like to share the mistakes I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, and the milestones I’ve reached. My hope is that someone will find some value in the result, or at the very least, be entertained.

I look forward to the journey, and thank you for the opportunity to share it with you.