My spin on it: Don't craft the mechanics, but the experience. The special attack meter for example: Should I feel like a seasoned Viking? then reward hits per second, combos and so on... Should I feel like a "villager surviving the raid"? Then refill over time, as that character struggles to catch the air. Should I feel like a leader of the clan? Then have the stronger attacks be done by orchestrating other team members. ... This really helps with everything (story, setting, gameplay, economy, combat mechanics...). As another example, you've mentioned the economy balance... well, if it's raiding viking, maybe don't have a "store" or something like that. Have a village that is as good as your loot from your raids is. The better the loot -> the better the village -> the better the quality/size of your armory. There, economy solved by "the experience". It almost writes itself: Have a loot per map, maybe different difficulties of the maps with different possible loot, maybe timers - you didn't get to the church in time, so the golden cross isn't there anymore, maybe there is a cost to the whole travel to someplace, so you cannot start the hardest missions from the beginning and so on and so forth... ^ Nothing here was meant as a direct advice (I'm not really familiar with your game outside of "it looks cool" :D ), but as an example of a 'proper' way of thinking about these issues. It's just about "does this mechanic or that implementation support my vision, or does it hinder it"? IMHO
Great advice! I like that approach and view, because it's indeed the experience that counts in a lot of games. I'm constantly designing with emotions/experience as the main focus (as far as you can have 'emotions' with an arcade-racer 😅). Since I'm trying to make a spiritual succesor to Split Second, the mechanics are already there for me (maybe improve or add something here or there). So I can focus on the experience of it, which is something I love to do. For example, I've spend quite some time of having a rock fall on a specific spot, so to either crush you, block your path on the inside or if able to evade, you have to be careful not drive off the cliff. And with the falling of the rock, the soft turn in the road has become a scharp turn in the road. Subscribed to his newsletter (which I generally never do), because he describes perfectly the steps in the process where I get stuck. I'm too 'afraid' to do the wrong thing, that I get stuck and end up doing nothing 😶😟.
Lots to weigh up, there, but congratulations on the interest! I did a writing test for you guys on Dwerve, and glad to hear it's going from strength to strength. Looking great!
This is so relevant to me atm. I'm making a zelda-like game, and I've spent the past few weeks thinking about what is actually motivating my character, which impacts the design of the game, and I'm paralysed on making the wrong decision.
I definitly recognize your thoughts around this subject and I also like to draw the problem. I use an app on iPad called Endless Paper which is perfect for this. And yes, very often it will be my subconscious that solve the problem in the end, and I wake up shouting ”eureeka!! Ive got it!”. Keep up the good work! 👍🏻
I'd love to hear about your experiences with with game dev decisions. Also, I'm starting a game dev newsletter with tips and fun dev things. lostrelicgames.com/newsletter/
For me talking to a mirror helps. I just sit in front of a mirror and start explaining what I want to do. As I hear myself saying it I start getting Ideas or I start realizing what works and what doesn't
Love your videos brother. I always feel so inspired after watching them. I really need to commit to a game idea because I'm currently in that "jumping from one prototype to the next" phase but I miss having an active game dev project to ponder over in my mind lol. Keep up the great content!
Wow, as you said you're so lucky to live at such a beautiful coast. I, too, often go for a run and come up with really good ideas I just couldnt while sitting at my desk
last few days, was glued to my notebook, writing so many things, glad I'm not the only one dealing with this process....sharing a little idea that seem to help, either take all paths at a compromised cost...or imagine as if completing it, went to the end, and then imagine it failed, or it succeded, and ask yourself why or how
One technique is used to make choices is to set a time for when to make a decision , like a week from now or some days , meaning u'll give urself sometime to think on it , and set a final date for the decision
Golden moments would sometimes come to me in dreams, very clear also…Normally after waking from a dream they’d come back to me blurred and confusing. But it’s something about those golden moments, quite a phenomenon.
In addition to the pros and cons list, you can also think about modifications to either choice that might alleviate some of those cons. For example, in your case, you could make combat fill up the meter, but also let it fill up naturally, up to a certain percentage, over time. Or maybe you could place things around the map that refill it when you interact with or destroy them. In my experience, there are always ways to deal with the unintended side effects of a decision.
I thought the same thing! Allowing both time (within limit) and combat to fill up the super meter. Your suggestion to also consider items one can destroy is awesome. Great feedback! ☝️☝️☝️
@@TaffyTrain You could also see it like a "rage" meter, that fills up when being hit. This then allows stronger counters, and balances harder enemies. Easy enemies just require normal attacks then.
@@vast634neat! But not sure Blood and Mead provides enough “health” to afford getting hit much. You’d have to balance a reasonable number to sufficiently fill up the meter without it being awkward (hit/be hit/hit) or dying
Alright John. Solid video. Each time I was like: "Well, you should try this" John was like: "You should do this". So I think you hit a majority of the points really well! Only thing I would add is considering your design pillars when making decisions to help go in the right direction.
Yup. I'm coming to grips with this reality right now. I sit and obsess over what the "best" or "right" decision is. I try to push the burden onto others by writing forum posts asking for feedback on a couple directions I could go. I'm finally learning to assess decisions for myself and just push forward with my project. I won't make all the perfect decisions the first time around. Instead, I should move forward with a decision to *quickly* highlight the problems of that decision (if any).
Even the small decision to change the combat meter functionality can deeply depend on your level design and enemy density. A guage that fills up in combat is obvious for beat em ups. For games with mostly platforming like the Ori games (very little action), then mobility abilities are tied into the system to get around easier. It isn't always a black and white decision at all
Nice vid! Usually when I'm working a lot, I tend to start thinking of a problem in a way too complicated manner, taking too many irrelevant things into account and overestimating what I can reasonably ask of myself as a solo dev. Stepping away from the project has definitely been an important part of solving problems and finding new perspectives. Often, the problems I need to solve have much simpler solutions than I initially thought.
So true, the solutions are often much simpler than we perceived them (it goes both ways in this regard). I've definitely had those sudden moments of panic, only to solve the problem within a few minutes the next morning. Sleep seems to help! :)
Getting too attached to ideas is something I struggle with. When I have a hard decision to make I explicitly write out my goal of the decision to properly examine whether or not a feature or ruleset actually aligns with it. I personally can get really strong blinders when working on a feature and lose sight of the bigger picture, I find this helps.
This was a very well made video. You did a great job explaining all the things about gamedev I could never put my finger on. 100% can relate to all of this
I really love the way you broke down how to relax and just put it on paper first. This video will help my younger team members to learn how to apply these suggestions to help them through making decisions. Thanks alot. Great video!!!!!!
2:40 mark A big example of how an item's price can change the whole game experience is the price of the climbing boots in runescape. They were very cheap and very strong boots that were popular among PKers. the solution to this problem was a problem in itself as players didn't like the change and some got super rich off of it.
Oh man this one resonates with me. I've been deferring certain difficult decisions but I'm getting to the point where I can't push them off any longer. Getting away from the computer and using a pen and paper has been one of my go to approaches as well.
I did wonder about the decision that night dive had to change from unity to unreal engine....it puzzled me as they did the whole first stage of system shock remake in unity and it was great and just the idea of scrapping the work and starting again
i always joke and say I've made my game twice, and that's a modest way of putting it lol. In game dev you can do something so many different ways that for it to really be what you want, you have to implement all those wrong ways until you land on the way that feels just right. Recently I changed my move back speed from Movetowards to a lerp, and the precision and balance I was hoping for is now there.
For random decisions, i often use dices. d4, d6, d20. When you have to choose wich element you gonna polishing, or random stats. It's fun. And if the dice or coin make stupid decision, i sometimes realeize - inmadietaly after the roll - what whould be de perfect solution.
Thank you for this video, I've actually been in a crazy critical crossroad in my professional life as of late and it's nice to get someone to pull you out of it to tell you that it's just something that is normal to deal with. Breathe and just keep walking forward. Thanks man! If you are still struggling with the meter issue, Fighting games are masters at a player meter. If your looking at something to research for ideas. Games like Street Fighter you gain meter either by getting hit like the more modern street fighters or you gain meter just by hitting the opponent like you suggested such as street fighter third strike. However there are a variety of other fighting games that approach this in several ways, a lot of anime games have you gain meter by moving forward, or only when you land special attacks.
Hey John, I had a random game dev question in regards to Blood & Mead: Are you using a state machine for your player character, or are you tackling the different states, etc. in a more "freeform" way via other techniques/methods? I only ask because I've been working on a platformer as well (for just over a year) and I've been doing it the latter way, mostly handling jumping, swimming, etc. via conditional statements and other techniques rather than a proper state pattern. I even have a "ball form" similar to Metroid. Rather than use a state machine for that, I basically have a "Ball Form" and "Normal Form" object that I switch between, and both are parented under a main "Player" object. The approach I'm using feels a bit sloppy and I'm sure a state machine would clean things up, but I was just curious about your own approach with Blood & Mead (which looks fantastic by the way; I can't wait to finally be able to play it!). Thanks in advance if you read this and respond, and keep up the great work! Your videos have been a real blessing, and you have inspired me to keep pushing on even when the going has gotten rough.
Hi mate! I do use a state machine pattern for my player character. At its core it's simply a switch statement containing the various player states. I have an array/list called blockedStates / allowedStates, which can be populated by any particular state, then it gets cleared when a state is complete, e.g when an attack animation finalises and returns to idle. This approach allows you to block and lock states without needing verbose condition checks for every state decision. How you enter any given state, and the particulars of your game, will typically require a degree of condition checking somewhere. I often see code snobs trying to over-engineer these things. From my experience rarely are they capable of shipping games. So don't overthink it! But a core state switching system of sorts is recommended.
Yep, I'm a prototype fiend. and over the past 3 years, I've done plenty of prototypes.some very similar, some different but most do overlap so, I've now got a library of 15+ projects on which to draw code or systems from. This year I'm setting deadlines to finish 2 small games and release them.
Hits to enemies / killing them and hits by enemies could drop little pebbles (flying out in an arch) that must be collected to fill up the meter. This feels more engaging and dynamic that just automatically filling up the bar. A timed fill-up would just make the player feel inclined to stand around (not fun).
A cool way to refill the special bar would be the parry (also it would incentivize the use of shield). Anyway thank you for sharing this. I will buy Blood And Mead and cannot wait. Stay focused, you are doing an excellent job!
Thank you for your pep talk today. Decisions are really hard specially when you have so many answers. I started with Unity 3 years ago and I have played with Unreal very non seriously a couple of times, designing environment a couple of times and stuff. Currently I’m in a mess (literally, my brain is just full). There are too many things going on, but my main problem is that I suddenly don’t like the flow that my game project is taking. I realised that I didn’t really spend the right amount of time on the back story, as well as I’m finding it really difficult in a strange way to design the environment using pixel art. Whereas if I use vector art, I do pretty well. Now in pixel art I have the right characters, but in vector art I have the right environment but I don’t really relate to any of the characters…. 😒🙄 it’s frustrating. I’m so stuck that I decided to take a break from the “screen” as you too referred to it, and try character design for a change. I’m also becoming slightly inclined towards Unreal, but since it’s not right for 2D, I’m going to wait until I’m mature enough (in terms of game dev knowledge). Decisions decisions! The hardest obstacle to overcome on this planet! Ciao, fellow indie! 👊🏼
Should've watched this two weeks ago. I've been having this situation happen to me too where I gotta make a hard decision and I know I'm going to have to commit otherwise it'll be a long way back if I decided to reset. But I too discovered that running helps boost confidence and decision making abilities. Your videos are always inspirational. It's bizarre to think you're on a whole other side of the world able to instill these kinds of thoughts..
Since we are talking about hard decisions, I thought I'd ask you about something I've been very hesitant about lately in hopes you could give me some advice. So, I have this cool idea for a tower defense game right, personally I think it's a really good idea and can be very successful. But I'm having a bit of a dilemma when it comes with finding people to work on this game idea with. From one point of view I feel like if I tell too many people about my idea when searching for people to work with, they might take the idea for themselves, which honestly I'd like to avoid as much as possible. If they are more experienced in making games than I am, or have more connections/people to work with, they might turn my idea into a game of their own which would suck. But on the other hand, I kind of need to ask around for some help, I can't make the game on my own. I still have much to learn and I'm not a graphic artist, music composer, or even an experienced game maker. So I need people to work with, people to connect with, share ideas with, and to work hard on making a game I'm proud of. So what do I do? Any advice for people who only have about half a years worth of Unity experience a my million dollar idea? lol
The power attack decision can easily be settled. Game is called blood and mead, so why not relate the power up to drinking beer? A full barrel gives you full energy while a pint would give you a part of it. Thanks for the vid mate.
Hey mate, I have exactly that! It has its own discrete problems too. There is a Berserker mode that I'm yet to fully implement which uses the mead barrel. Overall I now have a fair grasp of the direction. The example was sort of retrospective! Nice to hear from you mate
I try to imagine the perfect solution first, no matter how complex, then try to come up with a compromised version that is much easier to implement. Think big, draw small.
Lolz started a new project and really think it will eventually help me to see the thing missing from my previous project. I'm in that honeymooning phase of the new project at the moment. I don't relish the dilemmas and the paralysis I think identifying when you start to go down that road is important. And you can watch out for the triggers and stop yourself. Hers an idea for you, you decide if it helps. For the special attack bar you can vary the amount each kill fills it up and have logic there that says oh this is the last enemy for a while fill it up quickly. Or put in a chance to fill it up after a few kills. I think that might help give more control over the number of times players in general get to use it. Increase/decrease the chances of fill up.
Excellent topic. Thank you for sharing. At the moment, I am handling design decisions like they are settings or options. If possible, put them in and let the player experience each, and then ask for feedback. Some settings or options behave like risk vs. reward. The risker the value, the greater the reward.
This video came at an interesting time as I've just started developing a game that I've been wanting to develop since 2019. I'm currently in the process of planning the architecture and patterns of the code, as it needs to be extremely well thought out, especially since it's a multiplayer game. Quite some tough decisions to be made here. I'm not good at visualising my problems to solve them in most cases, but for those who can, a whiteboard will do wonders! I personally got one a while back to try and better plan and decide on features, among other things. Great video as usual!
A lot of the points brought up in this video are covered by the neuroscientist Dr. Terrence Sejnowski in the Coursera Course: Learning How to Learn. I 10/10 recommend taking this course, it's free and it gives a lot of insight into how the brain works in regards to memory and building neural pathways.
A general "ideas" document is useful in forming random ideas to a project, without much effort in proper organization. Something you throw in paragraphs with ideas, one after another. It should not serve as the core gamedesign document, and be quickly available. The gamedesign doc would be a mature and more organized version of that, and should be written AFTER the first rough prototypes. Not nailing down ideas too early, before making some tests. Later this doc should be seen more rigidly, and keeping new feature ideas out of it (putting them into a seperate loose document) that MIGHT be added later.
Just a random idea but instead of a gage, maybe it can be a 'reward' strike (visually cool, powerful, satisfying) that repeats after a successful uninterrupted 3 hit combo. For reference to exactly what I'm thinking, check the game Daxter for PSP which imo has the best melee gameplay (in terms of simplicity and satisfaction).
Diffuse thinking leads to more revelation's moments: it's really useful to think of a problem while doing other (basic) tasks, it's a different mindset to solve it. PS: ether doesn't exist, light need no support to travel compare to other type of waves (sound through air or ripple on water for example).
Oh, I was being completely and intentionally fanciful when I mentioned ether. I was hoping that was clear when I referred to it as a romantic notion ;)
I'm really curious about the path that has been taken, if one has been taken? regarding the special attack meter and how to fill it. I was wondering what type of experience you are looking to have, since you mentioned it as a core component of the game. Is there somewhere I can check to follow along with the progress or provide feedback when asked?
@@LostRelicGames I was going to suggest exactly this, more generally : make it multi-faceted instead of monolithic. e.g., different things can refill the gauge at different rates (as you mention here), certain refill strategies might max-out at different points (e.g., simply waiting won't refill the gauge past a certain, basic level), the refill rate for each refill method could be non-linear (just waiting refills more slowly the closer it gets to (its) max; a series of attacks refills exponentially (just don't go crazy ...); "plea to Odin" (available once per level or something) refills instantly; etc.
Regarding your attack meter, what if it fills automatically over time, but at a slow rate whereas killing enemies will give it a substantive boost. This would combine the best of both worlds and force the player to try different strategies for different skill levels. Sort of like Doom's recovery system based on melee attacks.
Vanilla ice cream is better than chocolate, but any single one of them is better than choosing both. I think the secret to making decisions is identifying what you want, mapping out what is in front of you, and ignoring all the rest. When I switched to Linux from Windows, about a year ago, the only distro I knew by name was Ubuntu, so that was what I chose. I didn't even bother with dual boot. Today I dislike Ubuntu very much, and even though I'm using Lubuntu at the moment, I'm also thinking of leaving it behind. But it was good enough to learn more about Linux in general.
Just for the fun of attempting to consider your battle bar decision... I'd say exploring and acquiring/consuming something recharges it. Perhaps some kind of battle runes. They would have to be procedurally controlled so that a skilled player got less and a noob got more. I think 'the last of us' does some form of resource management this way.
If you can't make a good decision despite a pro & contra list, make any decision because it's better to try something that might be bad, than to get stuck and not make any progress at all. Making the wrong decision is better than making no decision. You can always do a git reset but you can't revert time you've lost by avoiding a decision.
I have brillant ideas when I go to bed and try to sleep, meaning I don't sleep for like 2 hours because I keep thinking about my idea that I can't make reality cause.... I'm in my bed trying to sleep.
At the moment, I'm struggling with the choice between starting a new game or continuing the old one. I've spent a couple of years on the old game, but it just doesn't seem to be the kind of game that people want to play. Should I stick to it and risk spending more years on it with no returns, or should I take the risk of making a new game that's designed in a way that it actually succeeds? What if the new game ends up with the same problem? Is the grass greener on the other side? Choices like these are what really weigh me down.
Its never easy to wrap up to these longer projects; we often lose interest over time, or our tastes change. But ask yourself, is there a layer of treatment, or a twist, you could bring to make it worth continuing, to salvage it. This might mean scope reduction. Imagine this is day one, and you have inherited this project and the work done. Through this perspective it can be considered a fast track opportunity. Know that most non-fulltime solo indie games worth playing will typically take years to make - and that a completed/playable mediocre game is better than great idea that never gets finished. You have a tough decision, and I've been there too. Take a break from the grind and start finding features to cut - bringing the finish line closer, and then closer again. It could be a worthy game is there, but just needs to be trimmed down and refocused. I wish you the best!
In reality there is no right answer to these types of questions. Some people will want one over the other. I think the goal is what is the intended experience and you only get that through testing and feeling it out. Measure twice, cut once type of situation but you have to cut to the dimensions of the intended experience. If players can use it for something else that doesnt break the orgibal design i say kudos. I love when that happens and its kind of a reward for the player. This is a good problem but it doesnt seem that way if your looking at it from a "right or wrong" angle.
Any decision that gets too frustrating to handle, leave it to chance. Just flip a coin or cast a die, proverbial or actual. Randomness is always a great way out. One that often leads to more originality somehow. Especially in the creative space there is no ONE thing that you should be building. Literally anything goes. If you feel bad about leaving a promising option behind, don't. No one says you can't use it in your next project. Or the one after that. So make an easily accessible and navigable record of your 'rejects'. Also no one says you can't remake your own stuff. 'Blood and Mead' may have a combat gauge auto fill over time, but 'Bones and Beer' may have one where the player has to hit enemies to fill it up. ;)
Just getting into this myself. I've been stuck in a prototyping stage for awhile but now that i have all my mechanics ready. Actually putting the world together has been incredibly hard! deciding how to design levels and how to implement a narrative and meaningful story, deciding on and designing a sound track. All of these things as a solo dev definitely have given me some choice paralysis watching your videos do really help though. You've always been the voice of reason on youtube for me. Do you have any extra advice for a yearling game dev making their first large project?
The narrative is the hardest thing in game design, even as a writer, I’m finding it near impossible to makethe perfect storyline that the audience will find enjoy playing. Best of luck!
I'm dealing with same challenges. As I learn new things, I'll be sure to talk about them and share the clarity. As all our journeys are unique, some of it gets lost, but I'm hoping enough of it is universal to creatives that gains can be made. Nice to hear from you!
@@LostRelicGames really excited for that man, Gonna be rewatching some of your videos today, in specific ones dealing with art. Been having a hard time making interesting backgrounds! Also im super excited for blood and mead!
I often find that your videos-though ostensibly about game dev-get at some underlying truth about life and are applicable across domains. I'm interested in game dev, though have not yet gotten anything off the ground, yet this stuff is still very pertinent.
For me it's always a judgement call. Like if option A will take 1 week to implement, and option B will take 1 month, how much better does option B have to make the game to be worth it? Usually I think in general the faster option is better in game dev, because I think a part of your games success is ultimately down to luck with different algorithms. If you make 1 really good game and the algorithm doesn't align, that game will probably do as well as a much worse game where the algorithm does align - so I think ultimately making a lot of decent games is going to make you better off than making 1 great game.
He's a Viking. A VIKING. He HAS to HIT things. Just make the enemies stronger, its a balance problem. In a group of 3, the third should activate the super move, and for a bigger enemy make them 3 times stronger.
Hello, I identify with your video, especially because I pay close attention to the details and the details make the difference. You must be taking big and small decisions all the time.
I have a suggestion for using the special abilities, why don't you make it where some enemies require the player to use the special in order to beat an enemy or proceed to the next area.
I am thinking about game development. One question is always coming up to my mind. It's kind of hard question. Are we doing good or bad thing to society by making games?
My spin on it: Don't craft the mechanics, but the experience. The special attack meter for example:
Should I feel like a seasoned Viking? then reward hits per second, combos and so on...
Should I feel like a "villager surviving the raid"? Then refill over time, as that character struggles to catch the air.
Should I feel like a leader of the clan? Then have the stronger attacks be done by orchestrating other team members.
...
This really helps with everything (story, setting, gameplay, economy, combat mechanics...). As another example, you've mentioned the economy balance... well, if it's raiding viking, maybe don't have a "store" or something like that. Have a village that is as good as your loot from your raids is. The better the loot -> the better the village -> the better the quality/size of your armory. There, economy solved by "the experience".
It almost writes itself: Have a loot per map, maybe different difficulties of the maps with different possible loot, maybe timers - you didn't get to the church in time, so the golden cross isn't there anymore, maybe there is a cost to the whole travel to someplace, so you cannot start the hardest missions from the beginning and so on and so forth...
^ Nothing here was meant as a direct advice (I'm not really familiar with your game outside of "it looks cool" :D ), but as an example of a 'proper' way of thinking about these issues. It's just about "does this mechanic or that implementation support my vision, or does it hinder it"?
IMHO
Player insight is also valuable. More often than not, developers don't get enough feedback from outside.
Great advice! I like that approach and view, because it's indeed the experience that counts in a lot of games.
I'm constantly designing with emotions/experience as the main focus (as far as you can have 'emotions' with an arcade-racer 😅). Since I'm trying to make a spiritual succesor to Split Second, the mechanics are already there for me (maybe improve or add something here or there). So I can focus on the experience of it, which is something I love to do. For example, I've spend quite some time of having a rock fall on a specific spot, so to either crush you, block your path on the inside or if able to evade, you have to be careful not drive off the cliff. And with the falling of the rock, the soft turn in the road has become a scharp turn in the road.
Subscribed to his newsletter (which I generally never do), because he describes perfectly the steps in the process where I get stuck. I'm too 'afraid' to do the wrong thing, that I get stuck and end up doing nothing 😶😟.
Was just at PAX East. I have one of those hard decisions now. Publishers are interested in Dwerve but it's hard to decide what to do.
That's a tough decision. A big cut of the pie. Much to think about.
Lots to weigh up, there, but congratulations on the interest! I did a writing test for you guys on Dwerve, and glad to hear it's going from strength to strength. Looking great!
This is so relevant to me atm. I'm making a zelda-like game, and I've spent the past few weeks thinking about what is actually motivating my character, which impacts the design of the game, and I'm paralysed on making the wrong decision.
I definitly recognize your thoughts around this subject and I also like to draw the problem. I use an app on iPad called Endless Paper which is perfect for this. And yes, very often it will be my subconscious that solve the problem in the end, and I wake up shouting ”eureeka!! Ive got it!”. Keep up the good work! 👍🏻
I'd love to hear about your experiences with with game dev decisions.
Also, I'm starting a game dev newsletter with tips and fun dev things.
lostrelicgames.com/newsletter/
will it be also at discord? or only in emails?
For me talking to a mirror helps. I just sit in front of a mirror and start explaining what I want to do. As I hear myself saying it I start getting Ideas or I start realizing what works and what doesn't
Love your videos brother. I always feel so inspired after watching them. I really need to commit to a game idea because I'm currently in that "jumping from one prototype to the next" phase but I miss having an active game dev project to ponder over in my mind lol. Keep up the great content!
Wow, as you said you're so lucky to live at such a beautiful coast. I, too, often go for a run and come up with really good ideas I just couldnt while sitting at my desk
Game ideas Tinder 😏😅 but so true. Once it gets difficult, I tend to wander off to other cool ideas and projects for stuff I can create...
The subconscious is always working on the problems you are facing, when you are relaxed the solution is allowed to surface
And as I am writing this comment he literally explains it
last few days, was glued to my notebook, writing so many things, glad I'm not the only one dealing with this process....sharing a little idea that seem to help, either take all paths at a compromised cost...or imagine as if completing it, went to the end, and then imagine it failed, or it succeded, and ask yourself why or how
I love that approach, conceptualising the process.
One technique is used to make choices is to set a time for when to make a decision , like a week from now or some days , meaning u'll give urself sometime to think on it , and set a final date for the decision
Golden moments would sometimes come to me in dreams, very clear also…Normally after waking from a dream they’d come back to me blurred and confusing. But it’s something about those golden moments, quite a phenomenon.
In addition to the pros and cons list, you can also think about modifications to either choice that might alleviate some of those cons. For example, in your case, you could make combat fill up the meter, but also let it fill up naturally, up to a certain percentage, over time. Or maybe you could place things around the map that refill it when you interact with or destroy them. In my experience, there are always ways to deal with the unintended side effects of a decision.
I thought the same thing! Allowing both time (within limit) and combat to fill up the super meter. Your suggestion to also consider items one can destroy is awesome. Great feedback! ☝️☝️☝️
@@TaffyTrain You could also see it like a "rage" meter, that fills up when being hit. This then allows stronger counters, and balances harder enemies. Easy enemies just require normal attacks then.
@@vast634neat! But not sure Blood and Mead provides enough “health” to afford getting hit much. You’d have to balance a reasonable number to sufficiently fill up the meter without it being awkward (hit/be hit/hit) or dying
Alright John. Solid video. Each time I was like: "Well, you should try this" John was like: "You should do this". So I think you hit a majority of the points really well!
Only thing I would add is considering your design pillars when making decisions to help go in the right direction.
Yup. I'm coming to grips with this reality right now. I sit and obsess over what the "best" or "right" decision is. I try to push the burden onto others by writing forum posts asking for feedback on a couple directions I could go. I'm finally learning to assess decisions for myself and just push forward with my project. I won't make all the perfect decisions the first time around. Instead, I should move forward with a decision to *quickly* highlight the problems of that decision (if any).
Even the small decision to change the combat meter functionality can deeply depend on your level design and enemy density. A guage that fills up in combat is obvious for beat em ups. For games with mostly platforming like the Ori games (very little action), then mobility abilities are tied into the system to get around easier.
It isn't always a black and white decision at all
I love me some resolved clarity nuggets.
Nice vid! Usually when I'm working a lot, I tend to start thinking of a problem in a way too complicated manner, taking too many irrelevant things into account and overestimating what I can reasonably ask of myself as a solo dev. Stepping away from the project has definitely been an important part of solving problems and finding new perspectives. Often, the problems I need to solve have much simpler solutions than I initially thought.
So true, the solutions are often much simpler than we perceived them (it goes both ways in this regard). I've definitely had those sudden moments of panic, only to solve the problem within a few minutes the next morning. Sleep seems to help! :)
Getting too attached to ideas is something I struggle with. When I have a hard decision to make I explicitly write out my goal of the decision to properly examine whether or not a feature or ruleset actually aligns with it. I personally can get really strong blinders when working on a feature and lose sight of the bigger picture, I find this helps.
This was a very well made video. You did a great job explaining all the things about gamedev I could never put my finger on. 100% can relate to all of this
1:35 god damn i feel Caught.
Good stuff, I'm catching up on videos.
I really love the way you broke down how to relax and just put it on paper first. This video will help my younger team members to learn how to apply these suggestions to help them through making decisions. Thanks alot.
Great video!!!!!!
Thank you Jay!
2:40 mark
A big example of how an item's price can change the whole game experience is the price of the climbing boots in runescape. They were very cheap and very strong boots that were popular among PKers. the solution to this problem was a problem in itself as players didn't like the change and some got super rich off of it.
What an amazing place bro. Where do you live?
Sydney, Australia
Oh man this one resonates with me. I've been deferring certain difficult decisions but I'm getting to the point where I can't push them off any longer. Getting away from the computer and using a pen and paper has been one of my go to approaches as well.
I did wonder about the decision that night dive had to change from unity to unreal engine....it puzzled me as they did the whole first stage of system shock remake in unity and it was great and just the idea of scrapping the work and starting again
i always joke and say I've made my game twice, and that's a modest way of putting it lol. In game dev you can do something so many different ways that for it to really be what you want, you have to implement all those wrong ways until you land on the way that feels just right.
Recently I changed my move back speed from Movetowards to a lerp, and the precision and balance I was hoping for is now there.
For random decisions, i often use dices. d4, d6, d20. When you have to choose wich element you gonna polishing, or random stats. It's fun. And if the dice or coin make stupid decision, i sometimes realeize - inmadietaly after the roll - what whould be de perfect solution.
That's a good one. Kind of like the batman villian who flips a coin, but able to decide himself when the coin is in the air.
Thank you for this video, I've actually been in a crazy critical crossroad in my professional life as of late and it's nice to get someone to pull you out of it to tell you that it's just something that is normal to deal with. Breathe and just keep walking forward. Thanks man!
If you are still struggling with the meter issue, Fighting games are masters at a player meter. If your looking at something to research for ideas. Games like Street Fighter you gain meter either by getting hit like the more modern street fighters or you gain meter just by hitting the opponent like you suggested such as street fighter third strike. However there are a variety of other fighting games that approach this in several ways, a lot of anime games have you gain meter by moving forward, or only when you land special attacks.
Awesome videos mate you are so easy to relate to! Thank you for making these videos
Hey John, I had a random game dev question in regards to Blood & Mead:
Are you using a state machine for your player character, or are you tackling the different states, etc. in a more "freeform" way via other techniques/methods? I only ask because I've been working on a platformer as well (for just over a year) and I've been doing it the latter way, mostly handling jumping, swimming, etc. via conditional statements and other techniques rather than a proper state pattern. I even have a "ball form" similar to Metroid. Rather than use a state machine for that, I basically have a "Ball Form" and "Normal Form" object that I switch between, and both are parented under a main "Player" object. The approach I'm using feels a bit sloppy and I'm sure a state machine would clean things up, but I was just curious about your own approach with Blood & Mead (which looks fantastic by the way; I can't wait to finally be able to play it!).
Thanks in advance if you read this and respond, and keep up the great work! Your videos have been a real blessing, and you have inspired me to keep pushing on even when the going has gotten rough.
Hi mate! I do use a state machine pattern for my player character. At its core it's simply a switch statement containing the various player states. I have an array/list called blockedStates / allowedStates, which can be populated by any particular state, then it gets cleared when a state is complete, e.g when an attack animation finalises and returns to idle. This approach allows you to block and lock states without needing verbose condition checks for every state decision.
How you enter any given state, and the particulars of your game, will typically require a degree of condition checking somewhere.
I often see code snobs trying to over-engineer these things. From my experience rarely are they capable of shipping games. So don't overthink it! But a core state switching system of sorts is recommended.
Yep, I'm a prototype fiend. and over the past 3 years, I've done plenty of prototypes.some very similar, some different but most do overlap so, I've now got a library of 15+ projects on which to draw code or systems from. This year I'm setting deadlines to finish 2 small games and release them.
Nice one, that process must have been a real learning experience. All the very best on your upcoming games!
Hits to enemies / killing them and hits by enemies could drop little pebbles (flying out in an arch) that must be collected to fill up the meter. This feels more engaging and dynamic that just automatically filling up the bar. A timed fill-up would just make the player feel inclined to stand around (not fun).
A cool way to refill the special bar would be the parry (also it would incentivize the use of shield).
Anyway thank you for sharing this.
I will buy Blood And Mead and cannot wait. Stay focused, you are doing an excellent job!
I've actually started playing with parry mechanics! Tying it in with the power gauge is a great idea, thanks for your support!
Thank you for your pep talk today.
Decisions are really hard specially when you have so many answers. I started with Unity 3 years ago and I have played with Unreal very non seriously a couple of times, designing environment a couple of times and stuff.
Currently I’m in a mess (literally, my brain is just full). There are too many things going on, but my main problem is that I suddenly don’t like the flow that my game project is taking. I realised that I didn’t really spend the right amount of time on the back story, as well as I’m finding it really difficult in a strange way to design the environment using pixel art. Whereas if I use vector art, I do pretty well. Now in pixel art I have the right characters, but in vector art I have the right environment but I don’t really relate to any of the characters…. 😒🙄 it’s frustrating. I’m so stuck that I decided to take a break from the “screen” as you too referred to it, and try character design for a change.
I’m also becoming slightly inclined towards Unreal, but since it’s not right for 2D, I’m going to wait until I’m mature enough (in terms of game dev knowledge).
Decisions decisions! The hardest obstacle to overcome on this planet!
Ciao, fellow indie! 👊🏼
1:40 it's the prototype limbo 🤣
Should've watched this two weeks ago. I've been having this situation happen to me too where I gotta make a hard decision and I know I'm going to have to commit otherwise it'll be a long way back if I decided to reset. But I too discovered that running helps boost confidence and decision making abilities. Your videos are always inspirational. It's bizarre to think you're on a whole other side of the world able to instill these kinds of thoughts..
Since we are talking about hard decisions, I thought I'd ask you about something I've been very hesitant about lately in hopes you could give me some advice.
So, I have this cool idea for a tower defense game right, personally I think it's a really good idea and can be very successful. But I'm having a bit of a dilemma when it comes with finding people to work on this game idea with.
From one point of view I feel like if I tell too many people about my idea when searching for people to work with, they might take the idea for themselves, which honestly I'd like to avoid as much as possible. If they are more experienced in making games than I am, or have more connections/people to work with, they might turn my idea into a game of their own which would suck.
But on the other hand, I kind of need to ask around for some help, I can't make the game on my own. I still have much to learn and I'm not a graphic artist, music composer, or even an experienced game maker. So I need people to work with, people to connect with, share ideas with, and to work hard on making a game I'm proud of.
So what do I do? Any advice for people who only have about half a years worth of Unity experience a my million dollar idea? lol
The power attack decision can easily be settled. Game is called blood and mead, so why not relate the power up to drinking beer? A full barrel gives you full energy while a pint would give you a part of it. Thanks for the vid mate.
Hey mate, I have exactly that! It has its own discrete problems too. There is a Berserker mode that I'm yet to fully implement which uses the mead barrel. Overall I now have a fair grasp of the direction. The example was sort of retrospective! Nice to hear from you mate
I try to imagine the perfect solution first, no matter how complex, then try to come up with a compromised version that is much easier to implement. Think big, draw small.
Lolz started a new project and really think it will eventually help me to see the thing missing from my previous project. I'm in that honeymooning phase of the new project at the moment. I don't relish the dilemmas and the paralysis I think identifying when you start to go down that road is important. And you can watch out for the triggers and stop yourself.
Hers an idea for you, you decide if it helps. For the special attack bar you can vary the amount each kill fills it up and have logic there that says oh this is the last enemy for a while fill it up quickly. Or put in a chance to fill it up after a few kills. I think that might help give more control over the number of times players in general get to use it. Increase/decrease the chances of fill up.
Excellent topic. Thank you for sharing. At the moment, I am handling design decisions like they are settings or options. If possible, put them in and let the player experience each, and then ask for feedback. Some settings or options behave like risk vs. reward. The risker the value, the greater the reward.
This video came at an interesting time as I've just started developing a game that I've been wanting to develop since 2019. I'm currently in the process of planning the architecture and patterns of the code, as it needs to be extremely well thought out, especially since it's a multiplayer game. Quite some tough decisions to be made here.
I'm not good at visualising my problems to solve them in most cases, but for those who can, a whiteboard will do wonders! I personally got one a while back to try and better plan and decide on features, among other things.
Great video as usual!
really nice video, so much relatable
Suggestion: Have a collectable to fill the combat bar.
Perhaps, it it is not concept breaking, a shot of mead.
A lot of the points brought up in this video are covered by the neuroscientist Dr. Terrence Sejnowski in the Coursera Course: Learning How to Learn. I 10/10 recommend taking this course, it's free and it gives a lot of insight into how the brain works in regards to memory and building neural pathways.
A general "ideas" document is useful in forming random ideas to a project, without much effort in proper organization. Something you throw in paragraphs with ideas, one after another. It should not serve as the core gamedesign document, and be quickly available.
The gamedesign doc would be a mature and more organized version of that, and should be written AFTER the first rough prototypes. Not nailing down ideas too early, before making some tests. Later this doc should be seen more rigidly, and keeping new feature ideas out of it (putting them into a seperate loose document) that MIGHT be added later.
The 'ADHD focus music' thing really works for me in drowning out the distractions. You Tube has a wide selection of these to use/mix.
Yeah I love them! They can really set up those glory dev sessions.
Just a random idea but instead of a gage, maybe it can be a 'reward' strike (visually cool, powerful, satisfying) that repeats after a successful uninterrupted 3 hit combo. For reference to exactly what I'm thinking, check the game Daxter for PSP which imo has the best melee gameplay (in terms of simplicity and satisfaction).
Diffuse thinking leads to more revelation's moments: it's really useful to think of a problem while doing other (basic) tasks, it's a different mindset to solve it.
PS: ether doesn't exist, light need no support to travel compare to other type of waves (sound through air or ripple on water for example).
Oh, I was being completely and intentionally fanciful when I mentioned ether. I was hoping that was clear when I referred to it as a romantic notion ;)
@@LostRelicGames yeah it was clear but it was a good opportunity to spread a bit of culture for everyone on UA-cam 🤷🏻♂️
I'm really curious about the path that has been taken, if one has been taken? regarding the special attack meter and how to fill it. I was wondering what type of experience you are looking to have, since you mentioned it as a core component of the game. Is there somewhere I can check to follow along with the progress or provide feedback when asked?
Power gauge now fills slowly over time, with increases rewarded during combat strikes. It's working well. Check out latest devlog for some action;)
@@LostRelicGames I was going to suggest exactly this, more generally : make it multi-faceted instead of monolithic. e.g., different things can refill the gauge at different rates (as you mention here), certain refill strategies might max-out at different points (e.g., simply waiting won't refill the gauge past a certain, basic level), the refill rate for each refill method could be non-linear (just waiting refills more slowly the closer it gets to (its) max; a series of attacks refills exponentially (just don't go crazy ...); "plea to Odin" (available once per level or something) refills instantly; etc.
Regarding your attack meter, what if it fills automatically over time, but at a slow rate whereas killing enemies will give it a substantive boost. This would combine the best of both worlds and force the player to try different strategies for different skill levels. Sort of like Doom's recovery system based on melee attacks.
Vanilla ice cream is better than chocolate, but any single one of them is better than choosing both.
I think the secret to making decisions is identifying what you want, mapping out what is in front of you, and ignoring all the rest.
When I switched to Linux from Windows, about a year ago, the only distro I knew by name was Ubuntu, so that was what I chose. I didn't even bother with dual boot. Today I dislike Ubuntu very much, and even though I'm using Lubuntu at the moment, I'm also thinking of leaving it behind. But it was good enough to learn more about Linux in general.
Just for the fun of attempting to consider your battle bar decision... I'd say exploring and acquiring/consuming something recharges it. Perhaps some kind of battle runes. They would have to be procedurally controlled so that a skilled player got less and a noob got more. I think 'the last of us' does some form of resource management this way.
If you can't make a good decision despite a pro & contra list, make any decision because it's better to try something that might be bad, than to get stuck and not make any progress at all.
Making the wrong decision is better than making no decision. You can always do a git reset but you can't revert time you've lost by avoiding a decision.
I have brillant ideas when I go to bed and try to sleep, meaning I don't sleep for like 2 hours because I keep thinking about my idea that I can't make reality cause.... I'm in my bed trying to sleep.
Sounds very familiar!
At the moment, I'm struggling with the choice between starting a new game or continuing the old one. I've spent a couple of years on the old game, but it just doesn't seem to be the kind of game that people want to play. Should I stick to it and risk spending more years on it with no returns, or should I take the risk of making a new game that's designed in a way that it actually succeeds? What if the new game ends up with the same problem? Is the grass greener on the other side?
Choices like these are what really weigh me down.
Its never easy to wrap up to these longer projects; we often lose interest over time, or our tastes change. But ask yourself, is there a layer of treatment, or a twist, you could bring to make it worth continuing, to salvage it. This might mean scope reduction.
Imagine this is day one, and you have inherited this project and the work done. Through this perspective it can be considered a fast track opportunity. Know that most non-fulltime solo indie games worth playing will typically take years to make - and that a completed/playable mediocre game is better than great idea that never gets finished.
You have a tough decision, and I've been there too. Take a break from the grind and start finding features to cut - bringing the finish line closer, and then closer again. It could be a worthy game is there, but just needs to be trimmed down and refocused.
I wish you the best!
Hii.... This is the main reason why games take long...
it’s the decision making and mind emulation processe
In reality there is no right answer to these types of questions. Some people will want one over the other. I think the goal is what is the intended experience and you only get that through testing and feeling it out. Measure twice, cut once type of situation but you have to cut to the dimensions of the intended experience.
If players can use it for something else that doesnt break the orgibal design i say kudos. I love when that happens and its kind of a reward for the player.
This is a good problem but it doesnt seem that way if your looking at it from a "right or wrong" angle.
the hardest decision for me is choosing in-game font, because I can never find the right one
Finding the right font is no joke. I've spent countless hours on this quest.
Any decision that gets too frustrating to handle, leave it to chance. Just flip a coin or cast a die, proverbial or actual. Randomness is always a great way out. One that often leads to more originality somehow. Especially in the creative space there is no ONE thing that you should be building. Literally anything goes. If you feel bad about leaving a promising option behind, don't. No one says you can't use it in your next project. Or the one after that. So make an easily accessible and navigable record of your 'rejects'. Also no one says you can't remake your own stuff. 'Blood and Mead' may have a combat gauge auto fill over time, but 'Bones and Beer' may have one where the player has to hit enemies to fill it up. ;)
Man, your game looks neat. I really hope it can be a success.
Thanks man, I appreciate that.
Yeah, I thought so too. Hope it rocks in all domains - combat, the feel, etc.
Just getting into this myself. I've been stuck in a prototyping stage for awhile but now that i have all my mechanics ready. Actually putting the world together has been incredibly hard! deciding how to design levels and how to implement a narrative and meaningful story, deciding on and designing a sound track. All of these things as a solo dev definitely have given me some choice paralysis watching your videos do really help though. You've always been the voice of reason on youtube for me. Do you have any extra advice for a yearling game dev making their first large project?
The narrative is the hardest thing in game design, even as a writer, I’m finding it near impossible to makethe perfect storyline that the audience will find enjoy playing.
Best of luck!
@@Jeea84 thank you! And I agree my idea at the moment is too take the loose plot I have and build it one room at a time
I'm dealing with same challenges. As I learn new things, I'll be sure to talk about them and share the clarity. As all our journeys are unique, some of it gets lost, but I'm hoping enough of it is universal to creatives that gains can be made. Nice to hear from you!
@@LostRelicGames really excited for that man, Gonna be rewatching some of your videos today, in specific ones dealing with art. Been having a hard time making interesting backgrounds! Also im super excited for blood and mead!
I often find that your videos-though ostensibly about game dev-get at some underlying truth about life and are applicable across domains. I'm interested in game dev, though have not yet gotten anything off the ground, yet this stuff is still very pertinent.
There is only one flavor of ice cream : chocolate. Every other flavor is the result of a failed attempt to make chocolate ice cream.
Waiting for Gamedev vlog
Game has nice SFX!
For me it's always a judgement call. Like if option A will take 1 week to implement, and option B will take 1 month, how much better does option B have to make the game to be worth it? Usually I think in general the faster option is better in game dev, because I think a part of your games success is ultimately down to luck with different algorithms. If you make 1 really good game and the algorithm doesn't align, that game will probably do as well as a much worse game where the algorithm does align - so I think ultimately making a lot of decent games is going to make you better off than making 1 great game.
He's a Viking. A VIKING. He HAS to HIT things. Just make the enemies stronger, its a balance problem. In a group of 3, the third should activate the super move, and for a bigger enemy make them 3 times stronger.
I've got a hard decision for you to make, is Blood and Mead going to support Linux?
If Unity compiles for it easy enough I'll be happy to roll it out!
Also, are you working full-time as an indie game dev?
Hello, I identify with your video, especially because I pay close attention to the details and the details make the difference. You must be taking big and small decisions all the time.
I have a suggestion for using the special abilities, why don't you make it where some enemies require the player to use the special in order to beat an enemy or proceed to the next area.
Absolutely, I have certain enemies which are armored or shielded. The aim is to have each skill match up with certain enemy types.
Solar fields is great binaural as well
Lol is there actually a tinder app for game ideas, it would be mind blowing
Good
good
I am thinking about game development. One question is always coming up to my mind. It's kind of hard question. Are we doing good or bad thing to society by making games?
8.666 views, 699 likes . . :-OOO lol