Planning a survey for Rust game developers

[erlend-sh]

I mentioned several weeks back that I wanted to do a survey. Will try get that drafted here now. I plan to do something similar to what I’ve done before with Discourse. Main difference will be that I plan to source the survey answers through issue/forum replies, so survey answers are public to all (except for private answers sourced through a Google Form).

The survey will consist of a few simple questions, with mostly (or completely) freeform answers. If you have some pressing questions for the Rust gamedev community, please bring them up here for consideration. If we find ourselves with an abundance of good questions we’ll just have to do multiple surveys over time.

Questions I’d like to ask the Rust game dev community:

• Do you consider yourself a hobbyist or a professional game developer?

  • hobbyist
  • professional
  • neither

• Are you currently using, or considering using Rust for game development?

  • currently using
  • considering using
  • have not yet seriously considered using

• What about Rust as a language and ecosystem presents the biggest downsides for you as a game developer right now?

• ...biggest upsides?

• what are some libraries you are thankful for or take special interest in?

• What do you think should be the GD working group's priorities for the next 3-6 months?

[bitshifter]

I know of many people working in game development, both AAA and indie who are Rust enthusiasts but aren't using Rust in their professional work. Would this survey cover them too?

[erlend-sh]

Would this survey cover them too?

As long as we're able to reach out to them and get them to answer the survey, absolutely!

I think we should add one more question then, conditional on checking "professional":

• What would need to be different about the state of game development in Rust in order for you to use it professionally?

[msiglreith]

Awesome! Sounds like one of the most important tasks to me. Getting a better understanding of the different subareas (audio, graphics, threading, math, physics, etc.) would be ideal as basis for further discussions. Would be interesting to see which libraries are used in the specific areas and if people are rolling their own ones, why so?

[Lokathor]

No one has more NIH in their blood than a game dev does.

[erlend-sh]

Survey has been published:

https://users.rust-lang.org/t/survey-from-the-rust-game-development-working-group/31270

[msiglreith]

I would be interested what's the state of this topic?

[ozkriff]

https://twitter.com/erlend_sh/status/1167343250258223105

Yep! The survey is considered soft-closed now and I’ve begun summarizing the answers. We got 360 responses so it’s gonna take me a few days though.

[erlend-sh]

Yup, still on this! Been quite occupied lately but it’s 80% done now.

[Wodann]

@erlend-sh Were you able to wrap up the results?

[erlend-sh]

Survey results were at long last finished up today. I’ll make a PR tomorrow.

[ozkriff]

This can be closed now, right?