{"author_link": "/users/jeremy-ryan", "author_name": "Jeremy Ryan", "author_uid": "jeremy-ryan", "comments": [], "epoch": 1494205074, "event": "LD38", "format": "md", "ldjam_node_id": 30498, "likes": 2, "metadata": {"p_key": "93022", "p_author": "Jeremy Ryan", "p_authorkey": "1015034", "p_urlkey": "305940", "p_title": "Seven Pillars – Post Mortem", "p_cat": "LDJam ", "p_event": "LD38", "p_time": "1494205074", "p_likes": "2", "p_comments": "0", "p_status": "WAYBACK", "us_key": "1015034", "us_name": "Jeremy Ryan", "us_username": "jeremy-ryan", "event_start": "1492732800", "event_key": "69", "event_name": "LD 38"}, "node": {"_collation": {"body_sanitizer": "TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer", "event": "LD38", "removed_author": false}, "_superparent": 9405, "_trust": 14, "author": 15034, "body": "LD38 was my first Ludum Dare and my first game jam, and I wasn’t sure exactly how far I would get or what to expect, but I’m really satisfied with my final product. I entered the Compo, programmed in Python, and made all the art, animation, and music in the 48-hour time period.\n\nMy game: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/seven-pillars\n\n\n## What went wrong:\n\n### Ideation:\nThis theme was not particularly inspiring to me, and I had a hard time thinking of anything beyond “doing x activity on a tiny planet.” It took me several hours before I came up with a solid game idea.\n![Cat_1.gif](///raw/aba/3/z/4116.gif)\n\n### Animation scope:\nAt first, I was going to create around eleven animation sequences for the main character (eight attacks for each direction!), plus a crumbling pillar animation and a dynamic background. I quickly discovered that this was WAY outside the scope of what I could do in 48-hours, so I backtracked, made one attacking animation, and reversed the “jump right” animation for jumping left.\n![Cat_3.gif](///raw/aba/3/z/4115.gif)\n\n### Distribution:\nI didn’t have a good idea of how Python is packaged and compiled, and was unfamiliar with tools for this like pyinstaller and py2exe. Once the Compo ended, I figured that my game was essentially unplayable because it would require Linux, python, pygame, and git to install (whoops). A few days later, after a few hours, I finally figured out how to create a Windows executable. In the future, I’ll probably use an engine like Unity for easier distribution.\n\n### Sleep:\nJesus Christ. I need to learn to take care of myself.\n\n\n## What went right:\n\n### Visuals:\n\nI really like how my game looks. The animation is smoother than I anticipated (I haven’t done animation since the DSi and Flipnote), and the overall theme and style is nice. I originally was going to make it darker, with a more serious, ninja-like character; however, I’m glad that I pivoted because the sword cat was more fun to animate.\n\n### Music:\n\nI totally expected complete writer’s block for the music, but I managed to sit down with Sibelius and make the tune in an hour or two. It’s pretty brief, but it loops well and has some depth to it.\n\n### Fun:\n\nI had an incredible time making this, and I’m planning on doing Ludum Dare a lot in the future. The community is great, problematic website aside, and I had a great time making this little game and sharing it with the world.\n", "comments": 2, "comments-timestamp": "2017-05-08T02:22:43Z", "created": "2017-05-08T00:47:49Z", "files": [], "files-timestamp": 0, "id": 30498, "love": 2, "love-timestamp": "2017-05-08T08:45:34Z", "meta": [], "modified": "2017-05-08T08:45:34Z", "name": "Seven Pillars – Post Mortem", "node-timestamp": "2017-05-08T00:57:54Z", "parent": 25567, "parents": [1, 5, 9, 9405, 25567], "path": "/events/ludum-dare/38/seven-pillars/seven-pillars-post-mortem", "published": "2017-05-08T00:57:54Z", "scope": "public", "slug": "seven-pillars-post-mortem", "subsubtype": "", "subtype": "", "type": "post", "version": 80284}, "node_metadata": {"n_key": "30498", "n_urlkey": "305940", "n_parent": "25567", "n_path": "/events/ludum-dare/38/seven-pillars/seven-pillars-post-mortem", "n_slug": "seven-pillars-post-mortem", "n_type": "post", "n_subtype": "", "n_subsubtype": "", "n_author": "15034", "n_created": "1494204469", "n_modified": "1494233134", "n_version": "80284", "n_status": "WAYBACK"}, "source_url": "https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/seven-pillars/seven-pillars-post-mortem", "text": "LD38 was my first Ludum Dare and my first game jam, and I wasn’t sure exactly how far I would get or what to expect, but I’m really satisfied with my final product. I entered the Compo, programmed in Python, and made all the art, animation, and music in the 48-hour time period.\n\nMy game: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/seven-pillars\n\n\n## What went wrong:\n\n### Ideation:\nThis theme was not particularly inspiring to me, and I had a hard time thinking of anything beyond “doing x activity on a tiny planet.” It took me several hours before I came up with a solid game idea.\n![Cat_1.gif](///raw/aba/3/z/4116.gif)\n\n### Animation scope:\nAt first, I was going to create around eleven animation sequences for the main character (eight attacks for each direction!), plus a crumbling pillar animation and a dynamic background. I quickly discovered that this was WAY outside the scope of what I could do in 48-hours, so I backtracked, made one attacking animation, and reversed the “jump right” animation for jumping left.\n![Cat_3.gif](///raw/aba/3/z/4115.gif)\n\n### Distribution:\nI didn’t have a good idea of how Python is packaged and compiled, and was unfamiliar with tools for this like pyinstaller and py2exe. Once the Compo ended, I figured that my game was essentially unplayable because it would require Linux, python, pygame, and git to install (whoops). A few days later, after a few hours, I finally figured out how to create a Windows executable. In the future, I’ll probably use an engine like Unity for easier distribution.\n\n### Sleep:\nJesus Christ. I need to learn to take care of myself.\n\n\n## What went right:\n\n### Visuals:\n\nI really like how my game looks. The animation is smoother than I anticipated (I haven’t done animation since the DSi and Flipnote), and the overall theme and style is nice. I originally was going to make it darker, with a more serious, ninja-like character; however, I’m glad that I pivoted because the sword cat was more fun to animate.\n\n### Music:\n\nI totally expected complete writer’s block for the music, but I managed to sit down with Sibelius and make the tune in an hour or two. It’s pretty brief, but it loops well and has some depth to it.\n\n### Fun:\n\nI had an incredible time making this, and I’m planning on doing Ludum Dare a lot in the future. The community is great, problematic website aside, and I had a great time making this little game and sharing it with the world.\n", "title": "Seven Pillars – Post Mortem", "wayback_source": []}