Commodore BASIC![]()
I'll see your COBOL and raise you Occam![]()
He's right, Ed, time to 'fess up. How many people are working on you right now?
38, but they're all volunteers from the community.
As for how many people... I don't actually know. Couldn't tell you for sure, because "programmer" is such a broad term when it comes to games development. Animation requires programming, rendering requires programming, UI requires programmers, and the specialisations in these "programmer" roles are vastly different. Sorry to be vague, but the question is quite broad. Also I'm not sure whether it's even a matter of public record.
Plausible deniability, he can neither confirm or deny.
Mark my words it's a conspiracy -_-
38, but they're all volunteers from the community.
As for how many people... I don't actually know. Couldn't tell you for sure, because "programmer" is such a broad term when it comes to games development. Animation requires programming, rendering requires programming, UI requires programmers, and the specialisations in these "programmer" roles are vastly different. Sorry to be vague, but the question is quite broad. Also I'm not sure whether it's even a matter of public record.
100 monkeys in the basement confirmed!
If you have access to the Digital Art book (kickstarter thing) that has a brilliant breakdown of people and roles. Yes, a point in time ages ago, but does help you understand what that breakdown is, and really programmers are just one part of the whole. They are really talented though and I see the same names about today (and met some at FX17).
This is the Elite team from the Digital Artbook:
http://i.imgur.com/XwoaI40.png
Now, how many of them are left?
Next, get all of Frontier's internal documents, so we can gloat over things that went wrong, and wouldn't admit.![]()
This is the Elite team from the Digital Artbook:
http://i.imgur.com/XwoaI40.png
Interesting! I wonder how many of those focus on the Cobra engine, and if each platform (PC, XBox, PS4) has their own designated Cobra-engine developers with experience on that platform.
I think it was stated on the forums by a dev that the Cobra engine can handle releases onto multiple platforms on its own, much like other modern game engines.
Don't quote me, I can easily be wrong. I just seem to recall seeing something of the sort from one of the Devs.
38, but they're all volunteers from the community....
Not enough...
As a software engineer since the mid 70's, the moderators point about how you define "programmer" is important.
IMHO: A true programmer is someone who is working on the logical code base for the program. Not someone who is rendering 3D Models and textures, using an API to draw the UI, or painting party hats and sunglasses on the ever expanding Holo-Me work sink.
FD was kind enough to let me check out their recent upgrade of the Cobra engine the other day.
https://i.imgur.com/elifzxI.jpg