It doesn’t matter what the goal or project I’m thinking about doing is, the first obstacle to overcome will always be just getting started. It’s almost always easier for me to imagine all the reasons why I shouldn’t try something new than the reasons why I should.
I took about a month off from game development just to recharge. When I came back I found out the Unreal Learning Challenge was underway. The ULC was setup by Epic Games to give aspiring developers a chance to learn more about game development in Unreal Engine. The challenge was to complete 5 free online classes and submit a picture of a current project or proof that you completed the courses.
“There has never been a better time to learn about game development.”
In the past I’ve considered participating in game jams or learning courses similar to this one, but I always made up reasons to not try them. Whether it was lack of confidence or general laziness, they were bad excuses. The truth is there’s never been a better time to be interested in game development. The amount of high quality, free information on game development from people that are willing to teach on the internet is insane! In terms of equipment needed, the barrier for entry is lower than its ever been.
In completing this challenge I was able to learn about lighting in games and sound design. This was prefect because lighting is something I’ve been working on in my current project and sound design is what I’ll be working on next. Normally, I would’ve learned how to do lighting and sound design through a long process of trial and error. These courses gave me a huge boost and will save me quite a bit of time in the long run.

Taking the first step is still a challenge for me at times, but the amount that I was able to learn from this challenge was definitely worth it. If you’re interested in game development, just start! There’s no better time than the present!
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