Download latest version: HoldEm.exe

Home Resume Level Design Game Design Scripting Photography Digital Art Contact

The following is a brief walkthrough of my PC project entitled "Hold 'Em", highlighting and explaining some of it's current functionality. Note: This project is all about programming and scripting, so you'll have to forgive the programmer art! The level starts off with two empty poker tables and a few NPCs wandering around. As soon as two players or more players are sitting at the same table, a poker game begins. When an NPC comes in contact with an empty chair at a poker table, it is allowed to sit down if it has enough money to buy-in at that table. [Each table can set it's own minimum buy-in, that way, new players will have to start small and work their way up to the tougher, larger stakes games. Want to learn more? Read the Design Treatment.] So the NPC sits down at the table, and a stack of black and white chips representing his total bankroll appears on the table. Each hand, every player at the table puts a stack of 10 chips into the pot, which grows in size accordingly. The winner is determined, and that player leans forward to collect the pot, his own stack of chips growing to reflect his newfound fortunes. Everyone else will find their stack a bit smaller than they remember... Simple enough, right? Let's experience that through the eyes of the player. See that guy over there wearing overalls? There are a few empty spots at his table. If we walk up to an empty chair, the "Sit" icon begins flashing at the bottom of the screen. Press the "Action" button and the camera starts moving us in for a better view. The light fixture gradually fades out as our view continues to change until finally... ...the fixture has disappeared and we have a bird's eye view of the action. The guy in the velvet suit is scooping up a pot as we speak! Now we can see our player in the bottom seat at the table (hey, that guy looks an awful lot like yours truly) and the "Poker Settings Dialog" appears, allowing us to choose our buy-in and the number of hands to play, as well as make any strategic adjustments for the impending game. The cards are dealt out randomly, but the winner is determined only after also factoring in each player's skill (in various categories), and the playing style they have chosen for this particular session of poker. This game isn't a poker simulation, so you don't actually look at your cards and decide when to raise, call, or fold. Instead your character progresses through the game and improves his skills in various areas (bluffing, aggression, cheating, etc). Along the way you pick up tips on how to play against many different types of opponents. You'll need to pay attention to your opponents playing styles, so that you can outsmart them next time they make the mistake of sitting at your table! Want to learn more? Read the Design Treatment. © Copyright 2003 Ryan Wanger. All rights reserved. Site design by Ryan Wanger.