{"assets":[],"author_link":"author\/crimsoneer\/","author_name":"Crimsoneer","cat":"LD #25","categories":["LD #25"],"comments":[],"epoch":1355757780,"event":"LD25","likes":6,"metadata":{"p_key":"79869","p_author":"Crimsoneer","p_authorkey":"0","p_urlkey":"288879","p_title":"My Tips: What I learnt from The Fix","p_cat":"LD #25","p_event":"LD25","p_time":"1355757780","p_likes":"6","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":null,"us_name":null,"us_username":null,"event_start":"1355443200","event_key":"14","event_name":"LD25"},"source_url":"2012\/12\/17\/my-tips-what-i-learnt-from-the-fix\/","text":"

So, I\u2019m done and dusted \u2013 first LD is completed, and I\u2019ve built my first game in the process. \u00a0I\u2019m immensely proud, but also a little sad \u2013 I made some real rookie mistakes, and I think I could have produced a far, far more polished game with ten or so more hours and a little more motivation. \u00a0So instead of the traditional post-mortem, here are what I\u2019d tell my pre-LD me, if I had the good fortune to send him an inter-dimensional time-travelling message.<\/p>\n

1. Learn your weak areas, and focus on them<\/strong><\/p>\n

I did this mostly<\/em>\u00a0right \u2013 prior to LD, I read a few tutorials on creating good programmer art, and those were\u00a0invaluable. \u00a0Sadly, I didn\u2019t also realise that I didn\u2019t know the first thing about making music, so had to figure it out as I went along. \u00a0I lost a fair few hours figuring out whether I wanted to use SunVox or not.<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Define your mood early, and stick to it<\/strong><\/p>\n

I knew pretty early on what I wanted from The Fix \u2013 the feel of 1940s New York underground boxing, with black and white pictures, quiet piano music, and a small crowd. \u00a0What I hadn\u2019t really figured is that I really don\u2019t have \u00a0the skill for that. \u00a0I can\u2019t draw boxers for crap, let alone make good piano music. \u00a0 Had I taken that into account, and gone for a more cutesy aesthetic, I would probably have ended up with a far more coherent game with fewer stick figures.<\/p>\n

3. Think of which features you\u2019re willing to lose<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early on, think about what\u2019s core to your game, and what\u2019s superfluous faffing around. \u00a0Think about what you can lose, and what you\u00a0need\u00a0<\/em>to implement \u2013 and get that done early. \u00a0My game would have been massively improved with a rudimentary betting system, but I was just so out of motivation 2 days in that I didn\u2019t get it done. \u00a0That\u2019s a huge shame, in hindsight.<\/p>\n

4. 48 hours is actually \u00a0damn long time<\/strong><\/p>\n

I assumed, like most people do, that I might fail LD because due to running out of time. \u00a0I was\u00a0nowhere near<\/em> that happening \u2013 48 hours is a huge amount of time for a basic game. \u00a0What\u2019s far more likely to kill you is burning out and running out of motivation. \u00a0\u00a0So take some time off: go outside and enjoy life. \u00a0I spent all of Sunday morning outside with my girlfriend, and had a really, really productive afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s all for now. \u00a0If you\u2019re reading this and considering jumping into LD, then the most important tip of all is this \u2013 don\u2019t worry too much. \u00a0Enjoy yourself, build something that works, and finish it off. \u00a0<\/strong>There are plenty more jams in the future. \u00a0I\u2019ll definitely be back for another \":)\"<\/p>\n

Tags: pygame<\/a>, tips<\/a><\/p>","time":"December 17th, 2012 3:23 pm","title":"My Tips: What I learnt from The Fix","title_was_empty":false}