Chris Prather will be presenting V2.0 of his course, “Going Rogue with Metamodern Perl.” The class invites developers of all backgrounds to explore indie-style game development through the lens of Perl. In this immersive class, you’ll learn to create a text-based adventure game, leveraging core concepts like procedural generation, role-playing mechanics, and Entity Component System (ECS) architecture. Perl serves as our vehicle—not the destination—offering a hands-on way to explore these adaptable techniques that can be applied in any programming language.
The class emphasizes practical, iterative design: we start with a simple game loop and a bare-bones map, then progressively add layers of complexity. You’ll explore the essentials of encounter design, balancing challenges, and rewards through threats, boons, and obstacles. With each session, you’ll see how traditional game mechanics, like dice rolls and random encounter generation, lay the groundwork for engaging narratives and challenging puzzles.
We’ll also dive into technical architecture, using ECS principles to build modular, flexible systems, and Data-Oriented Design to streamline our game’s structure. Alongside these implementations, you’ll learn fundamental game design theory, gaining insight into the creative and strategic decisions behind each feature. By the end, you’ll have a functional prototype that embodies the power of small-scale, experimental game development.
This class is an excellent choice for developers who want to broaden their skills, learn data-oriented techniques, and experience the unique satisfaction of crafting an interactive game environment from scratch.
You can register for this add-on class at Eventbrite, as an add-on to your conference attendance. The class will be held Friday, June 27, from 9 AM to 5 PM, with lunch provided on-site.