TLDR: Links to my LD 26 stuff. It went well! Honestly.

LD Page: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-26/?action=preview&uid=1913

Soundtrack Page: http://curoi.bandcamp.com/album/plex-soundtrack

 

Phew! It’s been one hell of a ride this LD and for the most part it’s been a really beneficial and enjoyable experience! Plex has been recieving some very nice reviews and despite a few bumps in the road everything turned out pretty decently.

 

If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find the game here- http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-26/?action=preview&uid=1913

 

Now onto the GBU!

 

Good

• The music went really well, especially considering the nature of it. In contrast to my previous entries, the music in this is of a way more natural, instrumental nature, based on real strings and what not. I’ve also released the OST onto Bandcamp, so if ye feel like supporting a lil’ indie dev along the way be sure to check it out here 😀 http://curoi.bandcamp.com/album/plex-soundtrack
• Graphically, the presentation of the game was another pretty smooth ride. Minimalism led to more focus on a cohesive art style, and although it did come out sliiightly pixelated versus its original vectors, the entire game seems to hold well :).
• Gameplay wise, aside from some conveyance issues and bugs with the HTML5 version (I’ll get to them shortly), the simple mechanics seemed to be a big hit for most folks.It’s humbling and awesome to see folks enjoy the game, its that kind of thing that really motivates me more to make and create content, games, etc :D.

 

Bad

• Conveyance issues. The code in the game is supposed to draw an axis to show you the orientations of your flipping, but it doesn’t seem to work in levels. As a result people have had issues regarding this mechanic and not quite understand it. It’s built around the principles of teslation, but I will certainly implement this in a future version.
• Level selection. I admit I was a little lazy regarding this so the game boots you back to the title each time you complete a level, which breaks some flow of the gameplay. Lesson learned D:
• Music was originally a serious issue, as only one of the tracks would play. This has been fixed for the download version, but for HTML5? Well…

Ugly

• Holy smokes the HTML5 export feature of Game Maker :Studio needs some serious work. Issues with randomize() functions plain not working and characters getting hooked up on walls for no reason caused me no amount of frustration. As a result the “Full” experience is really the downloadable version.
• The video for the Compilation footage is barely audible in the youtube video. The audio, whilst a little low by nature and made a little more quiet in the video itself was basically blasted away by the volume of the other videos submitted, meaning the music and sound assets aren’t really showcased in that compilation sadly. I guess for future reference I should crank the volume up to 11 next time. It’s a real shame though
• Some people can go diagonal in the game. Most can’t. I can only assume they’re Techno-Wizards, but for the next rendition I may just ensure that I keep movement bound to else checks as well.

 

Conclusion

 

This is what I love about LD. It encourages coming out of our little comfort circles to do something more than just retro inspired art platformers or the same kinds of games we usually fall into the cycle of making. It encourages open minds and the desire to better ourselves and others. It encourages motivation, and determination despite extreme crunch-time conditions. It encourages, at it’s core, creativity.

So, I’m going to sign off saying that LD26 has been a blast for me, I’ve loved most all of its moments. It’s certainly inspiring me to further the concept of Plex, building up on it giving it a good polish and education before sending it off to fend for itself in the world. For now though, I’ll spend my time getting ready for the next LD.

 

Cheers!

 

LD Page: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-26/?action=preview&uid=1913

Soundtrack Page: http://curoi.bandcamp.com/album/plex-soundtrack