{"author_link":"\/users\/flaterectomy","author_name":"Flaterectomy","author_uid":"flaterectomy","comments":[],"epoch":1569056800,"event":"LD45","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":160739,"likes":52,"metadata":{"p_key":"133280","p_author":"Flaterectomy","p_authorkey":"1003398","p_urlkey":"349478","p_title":"Tips & Tricks","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD45","p_time":"1569056800","p_likes":"52","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1003398","us_name":"Flaterectomy","us_username":"flaterectomy","event_start":"1570147200","event_key":"78","event_name":"Ludum Dare 45"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD45","removed_author":false},"_superparent":159347,"_trust":15,"author":3398,"body":" \n![tips&tricks.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25297.png)\n\nFor previous Ludum Dares I included some hard-to-read tips in [some of](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/43\/as-of-yet-unnamed\/papers-for-the-walls) the [wallpapers](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/44\/necromarket\/we-paper-the-walls-with-paper) I made. This time I will try and expand on them somewhat, with super-useful illustrations. To many of you, these tips will be lessons you've long learnt; if you're just starting out, pay close attention.\n\nLet's get to it!\n\n:one: After you settle on the concept of your game, figure out the absolute **minimal requirements** for it to work, and **make that**. You can keep extra features in the back of your head, sure, but get your core completed first.\n\n![tips2.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25291.png)\n\n:two: Remember: most players will only play your game for a few minutes, **hook them in early**.\n\n![tips4.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25292.png)\n\n:three: If you want your game to get rated, **rate other games**. Consider a 1:1 ratio; rate 20 games and you will likely receive 20 ratings yourself. Prioritize this over asking for ratings in a blog post.\n\n![tip6.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25296.png)\n\n:four: HTLML5\/web games are **more likely to get played** and rated. Having to jump through hoops just in order to play your game will chase away a lot of people.\n\n![tips3.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/2528f.png)\n\n:five: Consider your **game page on ldjam.com** as part of your game. List the controls of the game there. Show some screenshots, but less is more if your game looks the same all the time. Five very similar-looking screenshots take up too much valuable real estate. Don't leave it empty either, though.\n\n![tips5.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25295.png)\n\n:six: You're making a retro 2D game? Cool! But if you rescale 2D art, rescale all assets **by the same multiplier**. Additionally, scale up x2 or x3, not x2.5 or anything else with a decimal point value, as that will distort your sprites.\n\n![tips1.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25287.png)\n\nThat said, there naturally are exceptions to these rules. I have seen differently-scaled pixelart that somehow just *worked*. But those exceptions usually come from understanding the rules and parting ways with them intentionally in a well thought-out manner.\n\nNow I am off to make a wallpaper that, this time, does not include these tips. :smile: \n\n![Small_Thumbs_footer_pre-LD45.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/252e2.png)","comments":7,"comments-timestamp":"2021-11-17T06:23:34Z","created":"2019-09-15T17:17:03Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":160739,"love":52,"love-timestamp":"2021-10-08T11:15:35Z","meta":[],"modified":"2021-11-17T06:23:34Z","name":"Tips & Tricks","node-timestamp":"2019-09-21T12:09:06Z","parent":160706,"parents":[1,5,9,159347,160706],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/45\/bob\/tips-tricks","published":"2019-09-21T09:06:40Z","scope":"public","slug":"tips-tricks","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":482024},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"160739","n_urlkey":"349478","n_parent":"160706","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/45\/bob\/tips-tricks","n_slug":"tips-tricks","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"3398","n_created":"1568567823","n_modified":"1637130214","n_version":"482024","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/45\/bob\/tips-tricks","text":" \n![tips&tricks.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25297.png)\n\nFor previous Ludum Dares I included some hard-to-read tips in [some of](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/43\/as-of-yet-unnamed\/papers-for-the-walls) the [wallpapers](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/44\/necromarket\/we-paper-the-walls-with-paper) I made. This time I will try and expand on them somewhat, with super-useful illustrations. To many of you, these tips will be lessons you've long learnt; if you're just starting out, pay close attention.\n\nLet's get to it!\n\n:one: After you settle on the concept of your game, figure out the absolute **minimal requirements** for it to work, and **make that**. You can keep extra features in the back of your head, sure, but get your core completed first.\n\n![tips2.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25291.png)\n\n:two: Remember: most players will only play your game for a few minutes, **hook them in early**.\n\n![tips4.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25292.png)\n\n:three: If you want your game to get rated, **rate other games**. Consider a 1:1 ratio; rate 20 games and you will likely receive 20 ratings yourself. Prioritize this over asking for ratings in a blog post.\n\n![tip6.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25296.png)\n\n:four: HTLML5\/web games are **more likely to get played** and rated. Having to jump through hoops just in order to play your game will chase away a lot of people.\n\n![tips3.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/2528f.png)\n\n:five: Consider your **game page on ldjam.com** as part of your game. List the controls of the game there. Show some screenshots, but less is more if your game looks the same all the time. Five very similar-looking screenshots take up too much valuable real estate. Don't leave it empty either, though.\n\n![tips5.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25295.png)\n\n:six: You're making a retro 2D game? Cool! But if you rescale 2D art, rescale all assets **by the same multiplier**. Additionally, scale up x2 or x3, not x2.5 or anything else with a decimal point value, as that will distort your sprites.\n\n![tips1.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/25287.png)\n\nThat said, there naturally are exceptions to these rules. I have seen differently-scaled pixelart that somehow just *worked*. But those exceptions usually come from understanding the rules and parting ways with them intentionally in a well thought-out manner.\n\nNow I am off to make a wallpaper that, this time, does not include these tips. :smile: \n\n![Small_Thumbs_footer_pre-LD45.png](\/\/\/raw\/64d\/z\/252e2.png)","title":"Tips & Tricks","wayback_source":[]}