{"author_link":"\/users\/msiddeek","author_name":"MSiddeek","author_uid":"msiddeek","comments":[],"epoch":1603141409,"event":"LD47","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":231606,"likes":5,"metadata":{"p_key":"151735","p_author":"MSiddeek","p_authorkey":"1002978","p_urlkey":"368240","p_title":"Puzzles + Retro + Narrative = Happiness","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD47","p_time":"1603141409","p_likes":"5","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1002978","us_name":"MSiddeek","us_username":"msiddeek","event_start":"1601596800","event_key":"76","event_name":"Ludum Dare 47"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD47","removed_author":false},"_superparent":212256,"_trust":3,"author":2978,"body":"[**Tempus Locus**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus) is a game where you solve puzzles using the past. This is a quick retrospective reflecting on what went well and what didn't.\n\n[![3a318.png](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a358.png)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n## What went well\n* I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect **concept** and almost wasted the first day.\n* I knew I wanted something about replaying the past, but wasn't sure how. So I **prototyped** the minimal controls for spawning a playback region (which would be useful for any of the ideas I had).\n* Just **iterating** on that first prototype was enough to allow cool puzzle ideas to emerge. Once I had 5 cool puzzles, I knew I can commit to that idea.\n* I didn't waste time on **polish** early in the process.\n* With the mechanic of controlling time, I knew I needed either a sci-fi or a fantasy **setting**, so I chose fantasy because [my last GMTK2020 game](https:\/\/msiddeek.itch.io\/cr-y1) was sci-fi.\n* I'm not an artist, but I used a lot of **reference** for this game, which made it one of my best looking ones. Just using color theory and complementary colors was enough to make a huge improvement in my style.\n\nExample of colors used in the game:\n[![RloWOC.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a4b0.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\nExample of reference used:\n[![d9ikcm1-26426a20-3ef5-449a-88a8-c134c4bff85f.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a4af.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n\n## What didn't go well\n* The **performance\/FPS** was not great on web for some people, which made the puzzling and the platforming almost impossible.\n* In puzzle games, I like it when the game is completely hands off and lets you discover the mechanic for yourself, which is what I did. Some people liked that, but some **didn't find the mechanic easy to discover**.\n* Puzzle + narrative is **my comfort zone**. It felt like I was cheating when I resorted to that.\n* The **story** felt flat to some people, especially because I invested too much into one ending, and not the other. (Yes, the game has two endings!)\n* The bg music gets jittery if you play long enough, and I have no clue why.\n\n[![3a2a8.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a359.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n\n[**Go play!**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus) All you is a browser, a keyboard, and 5 mins! ","comments":1,"comments-timestamp":"2020-10-21T02:06:48Z","created":"2020-10-19T19:27:43Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":231606,"love":5,"love-timestamp":"2020-10-21T02:05:05Z","meta":[],"modified":"2020-10-21T02:06:48Z","name":"Puzzles + Retro + Narrative = Happiness","node-timestamp":"2020-10-20T01:09:15Z","parent":217358,"parents":[1,5,9,212256,217358],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus\/happiness-puzzles-retro-narrative","published":"2020-10-19T21:03:29Z","scope":"public","slug":"happiness-puzzles-retro-narrative","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":707208},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"231606","n_urlkey":"368240","n_parent":"217358","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus\/happiness-puzzles-retro-narrative","n_slug":"happiness-puzzles-retro-narrativ","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"2978","n_created":"1603135663","n_modified":"1603246008","n_version":"707208","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus\/happiness-puzzles-retro-narrative","text":"[**Tempus Locus**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus) is a game where you solve puzzles using the past. This is a quick retrospective reflecting on what went well and what didn't.\n\n[![3a318.png](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a358.png)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n## What went well\n* I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect **concept** and almost wasted the first day.\n* I knew I wanted something about replaying the past, but wasn't sure how. So I **prototyped** the minimal controls for spawning a playback region (which would be useful for any of the ideas I had).\n* Just **iterating** on that first prototype was enough to allow cool puzzle ideas to emerge. Once I had 5 cool puzzles, I knew I can commit to that idea.\n* I didn't waste time on **polish** early in the process.\n* With the mechanic of controlling time, I knew I needed either a sci-fi or a fantasy **setting**, so I chose fantasy because [my last GMTK2020 game](https:\/\/msiddeek.itch.io\/cr-y1) was sci-fi.\n* I'm not an artist, but I used a lot of **reference** for this game, which made it one of my best looking ones. Just using color theory and complementary colors was enough to make a huge improvement in my style.\n\nExample of colors used in the game:\n[![RloWOC.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a4b0.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\nExample of reference used:\n[![d9ikcm1-26426a20-3ef5-449a-88a8-c134c4bff85f.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a4af.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n\n## What didn't go well\n* The **performance\/FPS** was not great on web for some people, which made the puzzling and the platforming almost impossible.\n* In puzzle games, I like it when the game is completely hands off and lets you discover the mechanic for yourself, which is what I did. Some people liked that, but some **didn't find the mechanic easy to discover**.\n* Puzzle + narrative is **my comfort zone**. It felt like I was cheating when I resorted to that.\n* The **story** felt flat to some people, especially because I invested too much into one ending, and not the other. (Yes, the game has two endings!)\n* The bg music gets jittery if you play long enough, and I have no clue why.\n\n[![3a2a8.gif](\/\/\/raw\/2ab\/z\/3a359.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus)\n\n[**Go play!**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/47\/tempus-locus) All you is a browser, a keyboard, and 5 mins! ","title":"Puzzles + Retro + Narrative = Happiness","wayback_source":[]}