Well I don’t know where that week went. But here’s another Sunday, and so another post to write. Lets just say I changed gears hard this week. More than once. If I were a bus driver, I’d have some unhappy (and possibly slightly green) passengers.
Where I’m at
I’m about halfway through learning 3D modelling, while simultaneously coming up with an ambitious timeframe to release my first game.
What I Planned
- Continue developing my game prototypes – more mechanics or prototype a player model
What Actually Happened
So the week started off a bit slow. Looking back, it’s hard to believe where I started the week at. But Monday stalled out between different prototypes and I started doubting the game idea could really take shape. At a high level, the game was meant to be more of an emotional experience than a ‘play’ game – similar to how Limbo works. I was so focused on the idea of pushing the feeling that I had no idea how to lay out the puzzles. I had already stopped being objective with this game.
So I switched gears on Tuesday. Instead of wondering about putting cubes together, I picked one of the topics I needed to learn and just started it. I’m going to learn how to use Blender. Great, there’s tutorials out there. I followed a great tutorial series by Grant Abbitt which goes over creating a basic scene in Blender.
I started to realise how out of my own depth I was with my first game idea. The only skill I could rely on (even if a little rusty) was programming, and for this game, it was one of the least important parts. So for the fear of repeating past mistakes, I decided to shelve that idea pretty quick. The turnaround time for this idea was pretty quick, but I was already out of my own depth with it.
I may yet come back to this idea. I liked what it represented. For now, it goes back in the idea bin. By Wednesday evening, I had purchased an expanded course by Grant Abbitt and was now following through on learning how to use the tools.
And Thursday, I completed the first part – I’d made a lighthouse scene, and then I did it again without following the tutorial.
So I committed the remainder of the week to following the course. And so far, it’s still relatively basic but I’m feeling fairly comfortable in Blender at the moment. Hopefully I don’t forget this all over the weekend.
Of course, I kept on the idea train while figuring out Blender. I spent my ‘between’ time fleshing out an idea for a city builder “with a twist” (because it’s always with a twist) game. But importantly, I’m not ready for it yet. Even ignoring the scope creep, its scale is too much for me.
I need something simpler. Okay. How about a game where you direct crates from one place to another? Sounds straightforward. And sure, I’ve heard that puzzle games are a notoriously difficult arena to get into.. I don’t yet know if I’m even making a puzzle game, but it sure has the makings of one. The genre can reveal itself once the early iterations are through.
Those same people would say that your first few game releases won’t do well anyway. So, what have I got to lose? I’ll figure out the process (the entire game release pipeline.) Not just the fun tapping away at the keyboard for months on end. But the difficult stuff. Marketing, filling out of forms, creating a steam page, etc. I’ll learn the whole process, and then I’ll start making the ‘real fun’ games.
Sounds good to me. And to make sure I keep focused, I’ll set myself a deadline. May 23rd is my target. That’s three months from tomorrow to be pressing the release button. And I’ve done the next big thing for that – I’ve told someone who will hold me accountable to that.
What Went Wrong
Well naturally I shelved a project. You could argue that’s right or wrong, but I had already clung onto a bad concept for longer than necessary. There’s plenty of ideas for what to make and I need to be able to quickly put them in or out of the spotlight. I’m thankful that I didn’t cling onto the experience game too long.
What Went Right
I successfully figured out things in Blender! That’s a huge milestone for me. And I have found a teacher that I can actually learn from, too, which often feels like the big part of the problem.
And I came up with my new ‘dream game’ – something all together simpler. And I’ve pushed further than that too, by narrowing down on an even smaller puzzle game to be my first.
What Next?
Next week is prototype week for my new puzzle game. I need to figure out if it’s fun – and fast. So I’ll make a prototype using primitive shapes and work on developing the mechanics needed to plug it all together. If it’s fun to play with cubes, then I’ll make it pretty. If it isn’t, then it’s not worth it.