- I know learning animation is important
- I’m intimidated by learning animation, so I’m avoiding it as much as possible
- I have no practical use in mind for animation, which supports my aversion
- Looked forward to a future devlog where I inevitably dismiss animation as “super easy”
Tag Archives game development
Today we talk about that stuff that goes in your ears when you play a video game. No, not the wet fingers of an annoyingly immature roommate or little brother (though, in this case I’m pretending both the immature roommate and the little brother are named Wily, so getting a “wet Willy” at least makes some kind of sense). No, we are talking about video game music! Join us as we talk about the music we’re listening to and the game music we love. Last, but not least, join us in a video game music listening party of sorts as we listen to four tracks created by the Flyover Indies community, which can be listened to as part of the full Flyover Dailies 2021 album, available here: https://flyoverindies.bandcamp.com/album/flyover-dailies-2021 The sounds we mentioned are: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, by Lena Raine (also known for Celeste, Minecraft, and Build Wars 2)…
The game-making lessons we learned are:
- Button combos don’t have to be complicated if the designers leverage “domains of knowledge” (also mentioned: Caleb’s video, “Button Combinations Should Be Complicated! Why Aren't They? (Video Game Controls)”
- “input recycling”... “input pairing”...? Almost every virtual action in the game shares a physical input with another virtual action (Overcooked 2)
- Introducing more complex controls over time (Animal Crossing New Horizons)
The game-making lessons we learned are:
- Lack of exposition + personal artifacts = introspective environmental storytelling. Gamifying the mundane. Anywhere decisions can be made (ex: where to place physical items in a room) a game can be born. (Unpacking). Shout out to Ian Bogost’s “How to do Things with Video Games.”
- All characterization is with dialog, conversations with demons. Fiction writing rule: Dialog, not exposition, makes for the best characters. Show don't tell. This game is a reminder that mechanics alone don't need to bear the weight of a game alone; the "what a crazy character that is" appeal can support and, maybe even, still the show. (Shin Megami Tensei 5)
- Obligation is inherently less motivating than discovery. Obligation lacks personal investment. (Mass Effect 2)
The game-making lessons we learned are:
- Music both directs and enhances the mood. Chill must support a chill atmosphere but also it provides feedback to the player that this is a game (or section of a game) that should allow for chilling out. Lack of enemies alone doesn’t signify a conflict-free scenario. (Valheim)
- Pawns as a terrain generator. Live environment manipulation disguised as offensive actions. (Chess)
- Character movement is the most important part of games in which moving a character is central to the experience. Duh, right? I’ll be refining movement in my next game for a very long time before moving on. This means the environment and puzzles I create will be anticipating the good movement, rather than possibly having been built with sub-par (ie, only suitable) movement in mind. (NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…)
Reno 911 reminded me: “If you can’t get excited about your work, how can you expect anyone else to?”
There are infinite ways to eat an apple. Some may be better than others, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat the apple.
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