Video tutorials on game design and computer programming

Thanks a lot for those very useful tutorials...
Merci !

I think I prefer using random number generator in a spread sheet than actually program a game.

I made some tests lately for my game. I wanted to know what was the average amount of combats and victories in each turn. I also want to know how many combat rolls per turn in average people made.

Testing this with a computer program would simply mean making a video game out of my board game because I need to implement everything: Map with city connection, path finding, production, movement and combat, etc. Since everything is interrelated to each other.

So instead of spending weeks of works on doing that, I prefer make 1 or 2 test games that are going to take at most 2-3 hours each and it will be done.

I like the idea of using a random AI that might make bad decision, but where there is so much game generation that you could still make averages. I think it could be a good idea for AI development, to make them learn what is the best choice (give them some base stats to work with).

Else, you'll need to test something very simple, so that it could easily be programmed. But it's simple, then it can probably be implemented in a spread sheet. You can also do some basic algorithmic operation in a spreadsheet if I remember correctly.

By the way, I am an Ex-Programmer who decided to put an end to programming except for web development ... and maybe a local web browser game idea I have.

I Did not use it much, it's another BGDFer that suggested using spread sheets for randomized values. My latest application was to calculate complex odds calculation where the math formula was not very obvious to find.

Still, you could code decision with random values: 1,2,3 could be decision A-B-C. So for simple mechanics, it might be possible to set conditions according to generated values. Like "If decision A=1 then you can do either decision 4 or 5 (50% each)" or if variable X>Y do decision 4 else 5.

I think that those kinds of simple algorithms could be possible to use in a spread sheet. Apparently, somebody coded puerto rico in a spread sheet.

The question is always: what time do I need to invest to get the results I want and does it worth it or would my time be better spent else where.