Mini-projects

So I've been working toward learning DirectX 10 for the past couple weeks and it's proved more difficult and time consuming than I anticipated.

While I'm learning the new API, I've decided to take a break from working on the Earth project and do a series of small projects instead. I realized that most of the programming projects I've built were complex games and simulations that never got done. I usually spend lots of time working on specific aspects of the game, and before I know it the project is a year or two old and there is very functionality to show for it. It is probably a better idea to come up with a relatively simple idea and get all of the key features up and running. Then the extra effort can go into refining the details/mechanics.

One such project I've been contemplating is a "business" simulator. It would be a game where you own a business and try to earn money. The graphics would be very minimal and the focus would be on programming a solid and realistic simulation. Once the game is functional, the graphical representation could be improved (make it 3D, show people doing stuff, etc). I think the basic program could be done in a weekend.