{"author_name":"Craig Smye","cat":"LD #30","comments":[],"epoch":1408210860,"likes":2,"metadata":{"p_key":"29518","p_author":"Craig Smye","p_authorkey":"505027","p_urlkey":"64981","p_title":"I\u2019m in for competition","p_cat":"LD #30","p_event":"LD30","p_time":"1408210860","p_likes":"2","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"505027","us_name":"Craig Smye","us_username":"Craig Smye","event_start":"1408665600","event_key":"24","event_name":"LD30"},"text":"

I’m in for my second competition. My goal this time is to make a simple<\/strong><\/em>, fun, complete game with great art\/animation.<\/p>\n

Last Ludum Dare, number 29,\u00a0was my first game jam. I learned some valuable lessons. Mainly restrict the complexity of the game design. Second have a better package (such as a proper title screen\/main screenshot) and be right on top of the voting post-compo. Last entry I spent almost all of my time trying to massage the character movement controls while continuing to add unplanned movement states, and only started designing a level Sunday evening. I was unable to really deliver a complete game.\u00a0As a conceptual prototype it was pretty solid, but the full effect of the theme, situational\u00a0context,\u00a0and (fairly tight if I say so myself) control\u00a0mechanic was not delivered. Then I was so burned out that I didn’t do enough voting and between those two shortfalls my entry was a complete wash. I still enjoyed the hell out of the experience though. Consider this a belated post-mortem.<\/p>\n

So this week one important\u00a0task will be locking down a strict time budget ahead of the competition. One which allows plenty of time to create a level which fully delivers the intended experience. I will definitely rest up beforehand and eat well throughout the competition this time.<\/p>\n

Tools\u00a0will be Flash Pro and actionscript for the most part. If I go with a side scroller of any kind, there are some existing functions which I re-use from project to project. Aside from that it will be coded from scratch in AS2.\u00a0I’m still not fluent enough\u00a0with\u00a0actual programming to use\u00a0AS3 efficiently enough for a \u00a0jam compo.<\/p>","time":"August 16th, 2014 12:41 pm","title":"I\u2019m in for competition"}