A bit later than most of the other jam entries, but it seems like a good time to write this anyway.

Not super happy with Shift.  Kinda feels like it’s mediocre in comparison to my previous entries, and it wasn’t fun designing it, certainly in comparison to the previous entry I was the lead coder of, The Adventures of Cactusman.

Things done right:

1. Keep it simple.  Shift has very few gameplay mechanics, which makes it easy to code, maintain, and upgrade.
2. Quality > Quantity.  Shift only has four test chambers, but each one has a unique soundtrack and adds SOME new element to the testing experience.
3. Programmer art is okay.  For the most part, the models had been made on-the-spot just so I could rush to implement them, and even during the final polishing run, it didn’t feel like new models were needed.  It IS supposed to take place in a lab environment, after all!

Things done wrong:

1. The music.  For the most part, I was responsible for making the music, and I personally am not too happy with how some of it turned out.  I threw it all together in a bit of a rush during the final polishing hours in the last day, and because of it, I wasn’t able to safe-guard against any ‘assimilated elements’ of other game soundtracks I’ve overanalyzed recently.  This means that there are a few tracks that have moments that sound infuriatingly like Undertale.  I’m so sorry, LD-goers.
2. Puzzle game.  Yes, puzzlers are cool, but test chambers are hard to design under NORMAL scenarios, let alone building an entire game AND chambers in a 72-hour period.  Most of the chambers felt a little mediocre because of the fact that making up good designs was very difficult.
3. Late release.  I should’ve started releasing it TWO hours before the Submission Hour started, so I wouldn’t have scraped through in the last THIRTY SECONDS.  No joke, I nearly missed this LD because of my crappy internet connection.
4. Main menu.  I’m not super happy with the main menu at the moment.  The level select screen is okay, and the control screen gets the job done, but the main menu itself is just…lacking.  Plus, nobody will understand the “Made with love by: The 006 Cooperative” thing under the logo.

All in all, not super enthusiastic about the product available for the moment, and ready for some more R&R.  At some point, I’ll probably return to rate games, maybe starting tomorrow, but right now, sleep is mandatory.  Have a good week, Ludum Dare-goers!