Introduction

Hello and welcome to my first devlog post for my game, Vanderbuild. I'm Happy Human and this post introduces myself and my project.

Vanderbuild is a game inspired by the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. If you're like me, you probably learned little about him, his life, and his achievements. It wasn't until long after school that I became interested in history and video games played a large part in that journey. But anyways, you may be asking "Why develop a game around Cornelius Vanderbilt?" So let me tell you.

I've always enjoyed tycoon games, and Vanderbilt was America's first tycoon. Beyond that, I want to create video games that inspire people to live amazing and meaningful lives that are just as unique as they are. And I think Vanderbilt is a fantastic example of someone who lived an amazing, meaningful, and unique life. Without dragging on, let's take a look at just some of the highlights of his life. 

Throughout his whole life, he was a radical for change. As a teenager, the part I hope to capture in this game, he piloted a boat around New York Bay prior to the War of 1812. He led the rise of trade, productivity, and disruptive innovation as a virtue in American culture. Through his shipping business, he disrupted the lingering culture of English patricians, shook the conservative merchant elite, and destroyed monopolies at each stage of his business's growth. I think that is a tremendously interesting backdrop for a tycoon game.

But I want Vanderbuild to be a different kind of tycoon game. It will be a game where you play a real human being, with your own unique interests and values. You will form meaningful relationships with customers and vendors. You will trade with them for the mutual benefit of both your businesses. And you will be a radical force for change and help a fledgling country shrug off its heritage of aristocracy and patriarchy to find its own, unique identity.

What about me? Who is Happy Human anyways? After all, this is my first venture into creating games and these are some ambitious goals. I am a software professional by trade, who has spent more than a decade writing enterprise business software systems. I got my start in Java development, before moving to JavaScript and React. I've always had an interest in front-end development and seeing my code come to life before my eyes. I've learned a lot over my career, a lot of business lessons and personal ones along the way. I know that challenges are everywhere on this journey. Learning Unity, learning C#, learning game development, and doing this all in my spare time between my day job and my family are all challenges to be overcome. Maybe you're interested enough to watch my journey. If you are, then I'm excited to have you here. Cheers!