This is the first look of the set where “the magnet” will take place. The entire game is based on one location and a very small number of assets.
The plan for this game is to do the most with the least, trying to make as much happen with as few assets as possible.
I can’t wait to put the game out to see, if people will respond to this approach to game design, but for now, it exists only in the abstract.
this is a model I did for a project that eventually got scrapped. This character was supposed to be the antagonist in a team shooter type deal, but the developer of the project overreached, so now I have a bunch of models that I never used.
I have been working on the chain broke steadily for just about 8 months and I have finally made it ou of alpha!!!
What does that mean?
well, it means that I have a finished game. A buggy, narratively broke, kinda boring game, certainly, but a finished game none the less. I could release this game tomorrow, if I wanted to, I don’t though.
I am going to be spending the next 5 months, getting the game into BETA and polishing it to near perfection.
one of the major problems with development, is the amount fo work that is required to make anything work.
Truly any and all things take a herculean amount of effort and no matter how many games you have made previously, you always end up under estimating the kind of work that is required of you.
That is why I have not been updating the blog in a couple of months, not because I have not been working (believe me, I have been working), but because the amount of work that I had ahead of me was kind of staggering.
I am happy to announce that I am almost ready with the beta of the game and while it is still somewhat boring, the game is looking up.
I have given myself 5 months to get from somewhat boring beta to amazing and fun release.
for now though, I just have to work and work and work until I have a finished game.
Last week I had the pleasure of going to the Nordic Game conference (NGC) and I had a great time.
I have been going to NGC for almost 5 years running and every time I have fun, so that it was a great experience did not surprise.
However, most of what you end up doing at these conferences is listening to talks or networking. So, when I was not networking (which was most of what I did while there) I was fidgeting with my notebook while listening to a talk.
I drew these monster for each talk that I attended, for what reason I cannot say. This was something to do while the talk was going on and honestly, it was pretty fun while I was doing it.
So I hope you enjoy these moster that were roaming around my head as I was roaming around NGC.
so, a couple of days ago I uploaded the game that I made during the Nordic game jam called “I am Anna” to Newgrounds.com
While I know that this game is not my finest work (it was created during a game-jam), it did somehow end up on their popular games list, which I am kind of proud of.
Situations like this is why I love newgrounds as much as I do, not because they incentivise me to create games through good reviews (though I would be lying if I said that that sort of thing doesn’t help), but because they have such an awesome approach to community.
I have uploaded allot of games to newgrounds and because they make sure that people see the content that is added to the site, you end up with allot of views and some really awesome reviews.
So, I have reached the middle part of development, the part where I have s much development in front of me as I have left behind.
This is the part where the project is more or less in tatters and social engagement or just life have caused me to have less time fixing the mess that I have made.
At times like these you really only have you conviction and your commitment to the project to keep you going and that can lead to a feeling of general malaise.
I have something that eases the unease at times like these; a small tool which temporarily makes me feel a bit better. it is my emo playlist.
These are songs that help me feel better and let me know that it’s going to be ok, even if the whole project seems a bit hopeless.
These are some of the tracks:
One of the interesting challenges that I have to face with this project is the question of combat.
Now I have taken a pretty clear stance on the matter; there will be no combat in the chain broke, but as the game is set in a world directly following a major global conflict, I find myself having to but weapons in my game regardless.
This proves an interesting challenge for me as a designer, how to put a gun in tha game and then tell the player that he/she cannot use it.
I don’t know the answer quite yet, but I will figure it out… I at least hope so.
