{"author_link":"\/users\/lavwa","author_name":"lavwa","author_uid":"lavwa","comments":[],"epoch":1503070139,"event":"LD39","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":49011,"likes":2,"metadata":{"p_key":"100847","p_author":"lavwa","p_authorkey":"1003980","p_urlkey":"316557","p_title":"Knowing when to stop : Nice to have VS Requirements","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD39","p_time":"1503070139","p_likes":"2","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1003980","us_name":"lavwa","us_username":"lavwa","event_start":"1501200000","event_key":"74","event_name":"LD 39"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD39","removed_author":false},"_superparent":32802,"_trust":3,"author":3980,"body":"It's hard to limit yourself when design a game for a LD. To know where to stop, when the feature is a nice to have instead of a required.\n\nFor example, I wanted to created a Destruction Derby\/Twisted Metal based game, using energy as your Health. You run out of energy, you have 5 sec to steal another vehicule (if you have a key in your inventory). \n\nTo add more variety, I decided to create enemies procedurally. So instead of having a set of enemy prefabs, I designed the tanks as modules. A main part, the engine, and additional parts (shield, extra turret, a jumping module, etc)\n\nI coded everything ! Almost non-stop. Result : Yes, my enemies are created procedurally and are never the same :\n\n![a5.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ec9.png)\n\nBut !\n\n![a4.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8eca.png)\n\nSometimes, too much...\n\n![a1.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ecb.png)\n\nis too much. The gameplay was not balanced anymore. Some tanks were so big that they could not even move. Some were a little bit too fast and jumpy and would leave the arena Ciao Bye!\n\nSo just before releasing the game on LD, I rollbacked and deactivated the procedurally generated tanks, a day of work. I implemented a nice Entity Components Systems, I was really proud, because hey, it's a LD context right ? But in the end, it was useless. Game balancing is a requirement, not a nice to have and I got kicked in the arse for forgetting about it, like this little green tank being lasered by that yellow behemoth.\n\n![a2.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ecc.png)\n\nHere is the link of my game if you dare battling with an army of little tanks ;)\n\nhttps:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/39\/tanks-battle\n\n","comments":0,"created":"2017-08-18T15:12:08Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":49011,"love":2,"love-timestamp":"2017-08-18T23:51:20Z","meta":[],"modified":"2017-08-18T23:51:20Z","name":"Knowing when to stop : Nice to have VS Requirements","node-timestamp":"2017-08-18T15:28:59Z","parent":37160,"parents":[1,5,9,32802,37160],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/39\/tanks-battle\/knowing-when-to-stop-nice-to-have-vs-requirements","published":"2017-08-18T15:28:59Z","scope":"public","slug":"knowing-when-to-stop-nice-to-have-vs-requirements","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":140392},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"49011","n_urlkey":"316557","n_parent":"37160","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/39\/tanks-battle\/knowing-when-to-stop-nice-to-have-vs-requirements","n_slug":"knowing-when-to-stop-nice-to-hav","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"3980","n_created":"1503069128","n_modified":"1503100280","n_version":"140392","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/39\/tanks-battle\/knowing-when-to-stop-nice-to-have-vs-requirements","text":"It's hard to limit yourself when design a game for a LD. To know where to stop, when the feature is a nice to have instead of a required.\n\nFor example, I wanted to created a Destruction Derby\/Twisted Metal based game, using energy as your Health. You run out of energy, you have 5 sec to steal another vehicule (if you have a key in your inventory). \n\nTo add more variety, I decided to create enemies procedurally. So instead of having a set of enemy prefabs, I designed the tanks as modules. A main part, the engine, and additional parts (shield, extra turret, a jumping module, etc)\n\nI coded everything ! Almost non-stop. Result : Yes, my enemies are created procedurally and are never the same :\n\n![a5.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ec9.png)\n\nBut !\n\n![a4.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8eca.png)\n\nSometimes, too much...\n\n![a1.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ecb.png)\n\nis too much. The gameplay was not balanced anymore. Some tanks were so big that they could not even move. Some were a little bit too fast and jumpy and would leave the arena Ciao Bye!\n\nSo just before releasing the game on LD, I rollbacked and deactivated the procedurally generated tanks, a day of work. I implemented a nice Entity Components Systems, I was really proud, because hey, it's a LD context right ? But in the end, it was useless. Game balancing is a requirement, not a nice to have and I got kicked in the arse for forgetting about it, like this little green tank being lasered by that yellow behemoth.\n\n![a2.png](\/\/\/raw\/c8f\/z\/8ecc.png)\n\nHere is the link of my game if you dare battling with an army of little tanks ;)\n\nhttps:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/39\/tanks-battle\n\n","title":"Knowing when to stop : Nice to have VS Requirements","wayback_source":[]}