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My Trip Through the Artsy Game Incubator

 
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:25 pm    Post subject: My Trip Through the Artsy Game Incubator Reply with quote

Notice: I have recreated this topic properly using mad mod skillz. Here are my original posts.

Also, and perhaps of more interest to y'all, I was accepted to a local workshop called the Artsy Game Incubator. It's sponsored by Metanet (N, N+) and Queasy Games (Jonathan Mak). We meet once a week and are given projects and have some pretty great discussions. This week we have to create a custom N level. Mine's barely started and it's shitty. Yikes.


Last edited by Lestrade on Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey hey, here's today's version of my N level. I wanted to make a Metroid-styled level with multiple, equally viable paths.

AGI - N level (beta)

We hand these in and play them on Thursday. I have too much shit to do!
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Shapermc
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That level looks better than some of the official N+ levels!
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Cycle
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, that looks great.
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SuperWes
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Inspired by Lestrade I joined these buncha jerks.

http://www.stlgamedev.com/

We'll see how it turns out!

-Wes
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, thanks, Shaper and Cycle! I'll find out what the rest of the people in my workshop think tonight.

Wes, good for you. I'm interested in that presentation on the 24th; that looks like it's going to be chock full of good information. I want to know about those future tools that were mentioned. I'd love to hear what you thought of the whole thing afterwards.

Also, the recap from the first session of the Artsy Game Incubator workshop I'm in has been posted. It's a really great, thorough wrap-up of what happened.
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh fuck, I've been so busy that I haven't completed my assignment for tomorrow's Artsy Game Incubator class! I'll have to do it tonight, after work... and teaching... oh God...

Anyway, Miguel's write-up of last week's class is now on the site. I sound like a total fool, just as you'd expect.

EDIT: I've uploaded my map to NUMA. You can try it out here if you like!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NOTE: Patrick, I created a real topic from my previous posts, so I had to quote your reply here in order to delete my other attempt at this topic.

Patrick Alexander wrote:
Ding!
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Patrick Alexander
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No worries mate I have no idea what is happening!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, I was up late last night trying to get a quick Game Maker... thing... up and running for tonight's AGI meet-up. We're supposed to begin on our final project as of this week. I've been so freaking busy I haven't given this the proper thought it needs, so this is definitely going to need a good think.

Anyway, here is a quick screenshot of what I ended up with. It's supposed to be a little story-based RPG for SNOW, my new comic. It's a character development exercise, really.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this as my final project, as it might be too complicated in the time we (I) have. But now that I'm learning Game Maker, it's great to know that I can do this.

SNOW Game Screenshot

It's Queen Street West here in Toronto. And yes, that Space Invader actually exists!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey! Listen!

My write-up of last week's session went up on the AGI site a few days ago. In it you can see some of the awesome games in development (notably Miguel's Night of the Cephelapods) as well as an updated version of the Snow game:



Much better, I think.

I'm making the game now in Adventure Game Studio, as opposed to Game Maker. It means that my game is all point-and-click now, which doesn't really bug me because I get to design the interface and all the icons—something I'm adept at doing, and enjoy very much!

I'm still behind though, as now I need to flesh out the rest of the tiny game. I'm going to block out each screen with 30-second Photoshop sketches and start getting the flow and interaction in place. To be honest, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. It could be garbage, for all I know. I think I'm a better artist than game designer; either way, I'm not feeling very confident.

More as it develops!
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Swimmy
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is quite a bit better. Maybe it's one of those things I appreciate more in comparison, but I love how you've cleaned it up, especially the tree's shadow and the invader.
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Swimmy! The comparison reminds me of those screenshot showdowns between Genesis and SNES ports of an Acclaim title.

So I was busted me arse yesterday on the game, and I'm happy to say it's really coming along. All the placeholder visuals are rough like cheap toilet paper, but the game works!

snowgamealpha
PROTIP: Stand up to this jerk of a coffee shop guy to earn a bonus!

Currently Dana can traverse a good portion of the world (going between screens, etc.), click on a buttload of objects (look, interact, etc.) She can take a newspaper out of a paper box and even get into a branching conversation with a surly shop attendant (shown above).

I have a running list of final assets to draw, which of course is only getting longer as I continue working. I'm happy with the interface, though: the adventure game toolbar now sits, visible, at the bottom of the screen at all times, looking snazzy.

snowinvader
PROTIP: That Space Invader exists in the real world.

I may have to break to do some "real" work, but I'm excited to see how this is coming along.

My biggest issue right now is the assbackwards way I've approached the game. I really just wanted to make a little adventure-gamey "experience" as a character study, as a companion piece to the comic. But I'm trying to pull together the "game" part of this endeavour. You know, goals, items, etc. The first time people will play this game is at a small, one-day art show called Canzine. It'll be played in a room with other titles (the Artcade!). I want to make sure folks get it, and actually want to spend the 1–2 minutes this will probably take.

I'm just thinking out loud. More updates soon!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have killed the beast!

I put in somewhere between 13–20 hours on the SNOW game this glorious Thanksgiver weekend (I give thanks for the long weekend, which enables me to create games, oh Lord). The result is that the game is now functionally complete!

I received a mighty dose of creative help and guidance from Superbrothers, without which I would have been lost. But after that conversation, I found my game's soul, so to speak.

The process is so fascinating. As an illustrator and web designer, I see a similar process in two parts on a regular basis. But one-man game-creation is a deadly beast; an all-powerful hybrid of both sets of problem-solving issues. It is so rewarding to tackle each and every barrier.

In fact, as I started out after my talk with SB, I had a list of tasks in front of me, most of which were new to me as far as programming/using AGS goes. The thrill from plowing through each bullet-point on that list was indescribable. For every moment of thinking, "I have no idea how to do this! How could I possibly do this!?", there was a glorious moment of, "Holy shit! I just figured that out!"—again and again.

Anyway, you dev vets are no doubt rolling your eyes at all this, but I'm pretty new to the notion of making a videogame by myself. I still have quite a few hours of background art, character animation and sound design to look forward to, but this is a pretty big milestone for me.

So, if anyone's interested, here are the title and intro screens:

SNOW The Game - Title Screen

Snow The Game - Intro Screen
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Canzine... over. Game... finished! So... tired! Will post images and video of this amazing event and the great game fun.

You will hopefully get to see a video of me giving a speech about my game while being asked by a seven-year-old if my game involves suicide.
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I still need to get the video and photos so I can post about Canzine, but I wanted to pop in and say that I'm really pleased with the comments I've received about The Beach at the End of Forever. I'm glad some people are enjoying the game for what it is. I definitely want to expand it somewhat based on people's suggestions. I'll likely do this in Game Maker.

Exciting!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've added a brand new Games page to my website! You can download the v0.5 release of SNOW as well as get access to all my other stuff to date.

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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our Aerisdead has a nice write-up of the whole Artsy Game Incubator Artcade event over at GameSetWatch. Hey, look at that sweet cab! (Also notice the Gamer's Quarter business cards!)
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So apparently Snow, as well as Miguel Sternberg's Night of the Cephalopods, are highlighted as part of a discussion on the Toronto indie scene in Game Developer Magazine. It's in the February 2009 issue; I'm trying to track down a copy right now.

UPDATE: No one in this goddamn city carries the magazine, or has the current issue. I've resorted to buying a digital copy until I can find the print mag. The mention is right at the end of the article; nice!
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, nice — Snow gets a great write-up over at Destructoid. Timid young women the world over rejoice!

EDIT: I figured this was as good a time as any to start posting at TIGsource.
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ApM
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, that is a great write-up! Congratulations, man!

Honestly that article has got me pretty excited. I've been thinking lately about how one would go about making videogames about being human; I totally forgot about Snow, but it's a fantastic example.
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Lestrade
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, ApM. In two weeks I join the fourth annual TO Jam! I'm pretty excited; I just completed my initial design document, and I'm confident I will make something righteous this year.
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