Just a quick question, if you are a programmer and/or studying to become one, does it take away from the game?? i.e. do you find yourself analising what's happening and how it is done?
I myself work in the Hospitality Industry and very seldom go out for dinner, cause I just tend to look at where do the plates come from how much does this beef fillet cost and why are they charging that much ?
I am a medeocre coder. I have a fair understanding of what's required for games. It actually adds to the game and I can appreciate it on many different levels.
Excellent gameplay lets me think about what rules are running behind the scenes. I can learn how to use the game-engine to my advantage. On the other hand, poor gameplay makes me sit and think "I could do so much better. Here's how...". Amazing graphics don't impress me as much, but I can see what effects they might be using or overlapping. I even disect the control system.
Having coding knowledge lets me understand the game better and can even help me exploit failings in the game (for when I get desperate). Most importantly, when something goes wrong, I can determine if I'm and idiot or if the game is actually stuffed. It makes it a lot less frustrating when you can finally accept that it's a bug/feature and that the game will not play fair whatever you do. You can't do anything about it (bar patching) and that's the bottom line.
