Legacy GM How to Code to Impress Non-Programmers?

TLH14

Member
Say you're working on coding something, and you have to impress someone enough to prove yourself as a programmer, but they don't actually understand code themselves. What do you do in that kind of situation?


Posted in Programming because preferably the solutions would use code in some way, as opposed to something like slapping flashy visuals onto your game or using design tricks, as those really show off your prowess as an artist/designer more than as a programmer.


EDIT:
I suppose a better way of putting it is what can be done with GameMaker and GML specifically to prove that one is proficient at GameMaker?
 
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AtLantiSs

Guest
You're trying to impress someone with no knowledge of programming.... with you're own programming...
Show they a screenshot of your coding or just type a bunch of jibberish functions without errors and that'll fool them I guess XD
If you're trying to impress them with your game then I dunno... Make a light engine or advanced AI... I dunno how to impress with programming...
 
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TDSrock

Guest
Simply put. Display proficency. Make use of the elegant solutions.

Know when to use:
While loop
For loop
recursion
Array's
Multi-dimensional array's
int
bool
etc...

There isn't going to be a simple thing like: Oye mate, just use tons of recursion and function calls. Because you'll just look like an idiot if you have thousands of function calls instead of 10 lines of code.
 
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AtLantiSs

Guest
Simply put. Display proficency. Make use of the elegant solutions.

Know when to use:
While loop
For loop
recursion
Array's
Multi-dimensional array's
int
bool
etc...

There isn't going to be a simple thing like: Oye mate, just use tons of recursion and function calls. Because you'll just look like an idiot if you have thousands of function calls instead of 10 lines of code.
But his mate doesn't know about code... meaning the thousand call functions might be impressive XD
 
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TDSrock

Guest
But his mate doesn't know about code... meaning the thousand call functions might be impressive XD
If you relate what's on screen to what's in the code it shouldn't be.

Either-way this is a dumb topic. The bottom line will be build the things you want to build. I don't see why you want to impress someone.
 
M

McWolke

Guest
i guess you want to impress people with your game just with the coding? do something that's not been done before. not graphical but create new algorithms and stuff. something like no man's sky.
or i saw a game that has procedural dungeon generation but in a different way, that impressed me, too. don't know the name anymore :/
 

TLH14

Member
I don't see why you want to impress someone.
Money.


EDIT:
I suppose a better way of putting it is what can be done with GameMaker and GML specifically to prove that one is proficient at GameMaker?
 
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jackhigh24

Guest
i had to do this to get funding 3 years ago, so i did a simple display a couple of objects doing rotations around other objects, a bit like a mini solar system, with a few particle effects thrown in, then i show them shed loads of code that had nothing to do with it, told them look at how much code you have to do to make something so little, can you imagine what a whole game takes, then went on to say i could do a whole game in about 3 months, or i could do what looks and plays like a AAA game in a year or two, they were impressed.
 

FrostyCat

Redemption Seeker
The only valid way for a programmer to demonstrate prowess to anyone is writing code that works correctly, no frills necessary.

State what the objective of the code is, then demonstrate that you have done it properly. If the result compiles without errors, runs without errors, and does what you say it does, then you have shown your prowess. It's up to their tastes as to whether they like it or not, but you've done your best.

If it doesn't work, I don't give a crap how creative or sophisticated it is meant to be. Someone who doesn't code at all would give even less of a crap. No amount of glitz can make an error popup acceptable in front of a client.
 
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anomalous

Guest
This look to be more about sales than code.

If they don't know programming, then you should be focused on selling you.
Really even if they DO know programming, you should be selling you...they are not buying pre-written code (are they?) . Sell to everyone the same way, as if they are clueless.

You do this by looking at it from their point of view...really hard, and telling them what they need to hear. Answer their worries without them even having to ask. Say what you'd be worried about if you were them, and then describe how with you its not a concern, etc. Get them as excited as you are about the project...in an honest, reasonable way.

A portfolio can help a little depending on what they are looking for, but it plays second fiddle to the above.
 

GMWolf

aka fel666
I can code using GameMaker and show it to my programmer friends. They will find some stuff impressive.
If i show it to my non-programmer friends, they say "oh, its GameMaker ... ".
THen i show them some java or C++ that does 1/2 of the GM code, and then they are impressed.

Anyhow, if your trying to impress by coding, you are doing it rong. you should code to impress yourself.
 
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jackhigh24

Guest
If i show it to my non-programmer friends, they say "oh, its GameMaker ... ".
that's why i don't tell anyone i use game maker, damn shame they all think its some kiddy way to make games, thinking its drag and drop, even showing them code they still go ppfff game maker still, so might be a good idea not to mention what you use to them people the OP needs to impress.

hoping GMS2 dont have drag and drop and even better if it was a new name, like zues 20/20.
 

Tsa05

Member
When I need to "impress" with code, I usually show how easily the code I've written can do several different things byt making just a small change to a parameter or substituting one line. Basically, people seem to be impressed when one chunk of code seems magically useful in many contexts.
 

csanyk

Member
Say you're working on coding something, and you have to impress someone enough to prove yourself as a programmer, but they don't actually understand code themselves. What do you do in that kind of situation?


Posted in Programming because preferably the solutions would use code in some way, as opposed to something like slapping flashy visuals onto your game or using design tricks, as those really show off your prowess as an artist/designer more than as a programmer.


EDIT:
I suppose a better way of putting it is what can be done with GameMaker and GML specifically to prove that one is proficient at GameMaker?
I'm not really sure what you're asking. Are you going to show them code, or a running app that you've built?

If code, you can either bamboozle them with something complicated and unintelligible that you fully understand, to make them feel very inferior to you. That's not actually good though, but depending on why you need to impress someone, it can be the right thing.

Otherwise, I'd show them some really expressive, beautiful code that is so well written that it actually makes sense to a non-programmer, and just by reading it, they can get a sense of what the code does, or even how it could be modified to accomplish something else. This would be more impressive to a fellow coder tho. With a non-coder, it runs the risk of giving them the impression that programming is easy, not that you solved a problem in such a way that made the solution easy to understand.

If you're going to show someone the running code, then usually something that is visually impressive is the way to go. If you had to ask a non-coder which was more impressive, some cool looking shader, or a database engine, they'd probably pick the shader every time.

But running code is probably much more impressive to a non-coder than a tour of the source files. Nothing beats the visible proof in front of you that the thing actually works.
 

Yal

šŸ§ *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
I'd say that writing lots of code is the most impressive, but it looks even better if your code is also visually appealing, so that the text looks nice as a visual element even if you don't read it. Like, align brackets and tokens. This isn't the best example, but it's the most readily available code I've got access to.
upload_2016-8-24_17-3-14.png
If you do this, you can even point out how you're good at writing "well-structured and readable code" and people will probably agree even if they don't actually know the meaning of that phrase.
 

GMWolf

aka fel666
@Yal
Making your structured is always a good idea. But it also shows how coding isn't all that complicated. (Though programming is...)
 
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McWolke

Guest
I'd say that writing lots of code is the most impressive, but it looks even better if your code is also visually appealing, so that the text looks nice as a visual element even if you don't read it. Like, align brackets and tokens. This isn't the best example, but it's the most readily available code I've got access to.
View attachment 2287
If you do this, you can even point out how you're good at writing "well-structured and readable code" and people will probably agree even if they don't actually know the meaning of that phrase.
wow, that tidiness impresses me as a Programmer :D but i think non-programmers wouldn't be impressed by a good organized code, since they would think "oh, that doesn't even look so hard, i could do that too..".
for example i visited my cousin and showed him a Chess game i made in Java, first i showed him the Game and then the code. when he saw the loops and all the messed up code with soooo many Tabs and Classes and functions and stuff, he was like "whoa that looks crazy! you got to be a genius!"... but, well, i am not.
People are Impressed by things they don't understand, so if you show them some weird stuff like Assembler they are Impressed, even if that code does nothing at all.
 
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Wraithious

Guest
Ask the interviewer to give you something to do via code, and then do what he asks, if he says make a player jump over a moving car, then that's exactly what you do :)
 
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Dengar

Guest
simply put you pre-plan a simple demonstration where you show them start to finish you coding a simple game in 5 minutes(game meaning a player with basic movements and a sprite and some sort of environment images.) something simple but realy flashy. too make it even better, make it with crap graphics and obvious issues and then explain that if this can be made in 5 minutes with no money then image what could be made with money.
 

Roa

Member
make anything print random sci-fi-ish words in red text to the screen really fast

throw in a couple enter the matrix columns just to be safe.
 
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Me Myself and I

Guest
Can't speak for the gaming world, but in the SAAS world (software as a service), the last thing non-coders want to do is go through lines of code. If you keep their attention for 15 minutes you've done a great job.

If you really want to impress them, translate their vision into code and show it to them. Demonstrate how you can not only understand their needs but also meet them.

If you want to show them you know Gamemaker, make them a game and let them play it. Include all the "staple" gaming features/functions for the genre (rpg, tds, rts, etc) and, if you have any twists of your own throw them in as well.

Remember: the best code is the code that works. It sounds ridiculously simple because it is!
 
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