I\u2019m in and positively giddy about LD29! Again, I\u2019m going to make a browser-based game, either 2D with plain CSS or 3D with WebGL, depending on whatever I\u2019ll come up with for an idea. I\u2019m going to use these:<\/p>\n
Based on my totally subjective and potentially unrepresentative opinions:<\/p>\n
Every LD there are some people who are very<\/strong> unsatisfied with the theme, and to some degree they have a point: the kind of themes we collectively choose tend to be limiting, yet somewhat bland and sometimes baffling. However, I\u2019d like to tell you that it only matters if you decide it matters<\/em>.<\/p>\n The theme is part of the challenge, open yourself up to it and run with it. Do not shoehorn your pre-conceived pre-LD idea onto the theme. Let go of any baggage and be positive about it. Ideas will come once you accept the theme, as opposed to working around it.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t kid yourself, a piece of code you\u2019ve written a few days before the compo to make your development easier is not a \u201cframework\u201d. Providing a download link to it a few hours before LD starts doesn\u2019t change that fact.<\/p>\n The other reason why pre-made games suck is there\u2019s no way you can know the theme in advance. It\u2019s pretty much guaranteed that a pre-coded \u201cframework\u201d will severely limit your potential for creativity.<\/p>\n Commit yourself to regular blog updates. In doing so, you will not only spread inspiration to the other Darers, you will find it easier to judge your own progress. Personally, the thought \u201cwhat have I accomplished since the last update\u201d is hugely helpful because it can steer the development process back to issues that matter (especially if you\u2019re prone to meandering about as I am).<\/p>\n Remember this is all for fun. Not sleeping for three days is not fun, nor is it fun to obsess about things that don\u2019t work out. It might sound paradoxical, but keeping a healthy detachment often makes people more productive.<\/p>\n Finally, take time to check out what other people are doing. They too have cool stuff to show, and they might need a little encouragement or help. Be generous.<\/p>","time":"April 24th, 2014 6:15 am","title":"Obligatory In-Post","title_was_empty":false}Start from Scratch<\/h3>\n
Update Often<\/h3>\n
Have Fun and Support Others<\/h3>\n