“How many are you, then,” said I,
“If they two are in heaven?”
Quick was the little Maid’s reply,
“O Master! we are seven.”
William Wordsworth
ARDSKAPE here.
Two artists with Photoshop, Krita, Sonar, Korg/Akai, Unity, paints mixed with coffee.
Our first JAM as a newly wed team. No preps, just a total dive in.
We’re to reveal the beyond of whatever our entry, the 7 DEEPS game, became or pretends to be.
Get through these loops, click deeply, be our Player.
https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/48/7-deeps
Day_2. The night enveloped our minds.
She was sleeping, while I effed with Unity.
Not a rookie here, however only good at visual programming and some simple coding, if it’s comprehensible. Back in the days poked with Basic, Pascal (at school, mostly), so there’s logic underneath this cone of bones. However always was more of a narrator, got into writing a lot, music including, never thought of becoming an actual programmer; back in student’s years (in marketing) regretted not being an archaeologist.
The point is, I’m quite good with technical stuff and computers, but think outside the box, especially when it comes to handling some stuff with lots of knobs and variables. Music production (all those EQ’s, compressors, numerous analog wires, real and VST’s) made me very patient and goal-oriented, eager to get deep into the details, timbres, microsound.
It’s okay, if I’m sitting for hours creating a single unique sample just because I’m certain - within this concept it should sound essentially like this.
Composing and editing music for almost two decades, I’ve grown to love minimalism and the idea of a perfect loop, which can be listened to without annoyance for quite a while. Right now I’m more about microsound and lo-fi. Which is not the must, ‘cause basically I compose in concord to the concept: process the mood, transform in tune.
https://soundcloud.com/ardorugus/headshot-pre-meditated
https://soundcloud.com/ardorugus/hyge-mortalyte
https://soundcloud.com/ardorugus/polarized
Me and my partner are artists of paint, vox and stories. Three new vocal songs are coming this month, by the way.
But I’m digressing, sorry, dear Players (and those, whom I don’t know personally, but already feel quite attached too, man, you here, aye, don’t get too deep disturbed).
By the night the music and sfx were ready, so I opened Unity.
Had no idea, what’s that Fungus. Built a test scene, done some text. Then more, while reading the tutorials.
What’s cool about Ludum Dare (and some other jams) is that it lets you get involved instantly with no turning back (at least, if you’re a trying perfectionist, like I am). You virtually sign up to mastering your skills, challenging ideas, disclosing some inner traits (or perks), confirming (or misplacing) individuality. It’s a lottery of a kind where those who are eager to study and develop are always winners, despite the rating in the end.
Some pre-prepare for a better quality, for a better promotion or investors/publishers hunting.
Some are already in A+ dev, but want to check their skills at something raw with fast brainstorming, mostly for some fun with ales and pizza.
Some are testing the grounds, if they actually have it in them, almost risking their status and paychecks.
Some, like us, ARDSKAPE, plunge in to rapidly increase their skills in softwares and resources and connect to the community, being on their way to becoming something to talk about later, but for now quite raw, yet ambitious, accordingly ready to get roughly slapped with “what did I just play… effed… meh…” in their face.
We have ideas, tons. We can write (and there are many written) deep stories, novels - books. Voice acting - no problem (why didn’t we use it in this jam, my bad, but then the concept didn’t need it).
With all that in mind, when I started writing in Unity, I remembered that most players nowadays aren’t reading anything at all. So, the piles of lore transformed into short phrases with no obvious logic (as it seems fresh-started). I didn’t make the word count, though, like Homescapes (facepalm) or something.
Anyway, the main draft was ready by morning. Scenes, text, some Malevich styled photoshopping.
The editing and lore reveal followed later this day.
There are 3 endings, all of them add to each other, making a whole picture. In the game, we’re making based on this LD48 entry, many things are to change, each ending will describe a solid game experience.
Still, I insist that 7 DEEPS here is a ready to play “think your own story” game that gets in your head for a while, asking questions. At least, one of those questions is: “What the F I just played…”
And it’s fine.
Day_2. I wrote some ~~random~~ cryptic text, while she was working on the title coffee painting.
Next, some lore.
[it goes deeper]
P.S.
Here’s a chiptune-based melody I made for some random jam, just to give you a hint on where the F these gamedev freaks (ARDSKAPE) are from.
varshavkachiptunelisten_to
