I’m not calling it post-mortem because baby’s still alive and pimping!

Anyways, this was my first Ludum Dare. I tried entering the Evolution LD (can’t be bothered to look up what number that was) but didn’t think of a good enough idea that I could accomplish relatively fast.

I was toying with the idea for this game for a while, but it was never clearly defined and I always thought of reasons why it wouldn’t work. The “10 seconds” theme gave me the “Aha!” moment that made it all click together. I can’t believe I was thinking about making a game where you are an  interviewer who gets 10 seconds with each interviewee… or a Social Network simulator where you need to decide, in 10 seconds, whether or not to accept each friend request (there be bots with Megan Fox profile pictures nowadays, so one can never be too safe).

So I made the game I wanted to make, and then made it really really redux to fit the schedule. Theme was announced at 4 AM on Saturday (for my timezone), and I worked on the game from 6:30 – 23:30 on Saturday, and then from 21:30 to 23:59 on Sunday before submitting it. Between those two sessions I was asleep for a short while, and working my job for the rest. I think I was doing both at a certain point, too.

Paraknight’s Strategy, a.k.a the GG Push.

WHAT KICKED ASS:

1) Graphics are apparently retro and sexy. I wouldn’t know anything about that. I just did the only thing I know how to do in that department; make everything low-res, pixelated, and ugly. If it was good enough for the late 80s/early 90s, it’s good enough for me (and should be for you as well)!

2) I never had the chance to play a game like the one I made, and for me that means originality on the concept.

3) The control scheme. This is something I have been hesitant to try for a long time, and kept delaying. What better opportunity to do that in LD? Many loved it and found it innovative and unique, but by no means all.

WHAT GOT ITS ASS KICKED:

1) The AI. I wrote what was supposed to be a non-deterministic, advanced AI on Saturday, but it kept messing up. So I rewrote that whole mess in half an hour on Sunday. Now it’s deterministic, but after level 10, is also reactionary to what the player does (at every 5 level interval).

2) Learning curve. The only preparation anyone had for the game was through my description in the entry and through the in game block of text before the game start (didn’t have the time to make a tut, sowwy). Players were given as much time as they needed to try the controls before the game but that was not enough for some. One of the funnier comments I received went something like “I pressed some buttons and then lost… not fun.”

3) The control scheme. Yeah, while it clicked and was loved by some, others found it counter-intuitive.

4) Me when I was late to work on Monday.

BOTTOM LINE

So I made a game, and I think it’s pretty good. You should go play it. I was once at a Hackathon with my bud and we made a game that didn’t get top three because I kept yapping about it during my presentation instead of letting my gosu friend demonstrate it. Think I did the same in this postLD, but at least here there’s no time limit on talking so you can still play it:

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-27/?action=preview&uid=16000

#HYPE, #SWAG, #FREE_DANI_LUDUM, #SCHOOL