Thoughts About Future LD’s – Where Time is Better Spent by Henry McLaughlin

Thoughts About Future LD’s – Where Time is Better Spent

[raw] LD19LD #19 - Discovery - 2010 30. Dec 2010 · 04:37 UTC · 13 days after compo start by Henry Mclaughlin · 0

I like to make platformers now and then. One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that they require a great deal of artwork. Developing Evening, I spent a solid three or four hours on just the artwork for the terrain and three or four more for sprites of the girl.

That’s time not spent on gameplay, time not spent on levels, time not spent on making it fun to play.

That’s just not good when you’re working in a 48h/72h time limit.

I’m thinking that from here I’ll probably be making less animation-intensive things. Not necessarily art-light games, but games with a lower art-to-content ratio.

Shumps come to mind, as do (very simple) strategy games. As well as puzzle games. But not platformers and certainly not fighting games.

Just some thoughts I had.

Peace

— Mr. Dude

Comments

Devenger

31. Dec 2010 · 06:46 UTC

I played your game, and it’s probably one of the most animation-intensive games I’ve played this LD. And much as the animations aren’t bad, they don’t make it any better a game than the simple platformer that it is. So, yes, you may want to try an approach that requires less art for each element of your games.