Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

Make games! Discuss those games here.

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lennyhome
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

Post by lennyhome »

We were talking about circle-circle collisions and how Pythagora's theorem is the metric by which one can determine if there is a collision and how deep it is.

In this video by Inigo Quilez:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62-pRVZuS5c
he explains how to modify Pythagora's theorem in such a way that it becomes the metric for a rounded rectangle. The explanation is in the context of SDF modeling, but it applies to collisions as well.

It's still not the complete solution for the most useful case in platformers and RPGs which is circle-box collision but it's something interesting to think about.
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RMZ
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

Post by RMZ »

Not sure if this fits this thread, and I don't have a silly meme or link, but just wanna throw it out there cause I know quite a few people struggle with art. There are A LOT of sprite and tile packs on itch.io, most of them free or very cheap. If you are struggling with art you might find something there that helps you out and keeps you motivated on your project. I know sometimes not being able to nail something visually can be frustrating. It's cool to make your own art sure, but there's absolutely no shame in supporting other indie artists.
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SwordPlay
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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Last edited by SwordPlay on Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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SwordPlay
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

Post by SwordPlay »

interesting doc on camera perspectives in video games
https://www.cs.cornell.edu/courses/cs31 ... ective.pdf
"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Spoonweaver
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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An Email I got from DragonRuby Toolkit Team::

Only Indies can save gaming's future.

The trajectory that games are taking is horrible. AAA companies are destroying gaming with microtransactions, ads, data collection, and other types of predatory monetization. We need indie game devs like you to succeed now more than ever.

You already own a badass game engine. Download DragonRuby from your Itch library and start building!


Tips to help you succeed as an Indie

I wanted to share some tips to help you succeed as an indie game dev. If you need additional advice, come to our Discord Server and ask me (@amirrajan) directly. I've been doing indie game dev for 8 years now, and I'll help in any way I can. Seriously, join the DragonRuby Discord.

Alright, time for the tips.
Tip #1: Think about the perfect 5-star review.

Imagine that you’ve shipped your dream game. What does the perfect 5-star review look like for your game? Imagine someone has downloaded your game and has become a super fan of yours. They leave you a glowing 5-star review. What does this review say? Write it out.

Thinking of the 5-star review first forces you to think about how the game feels as opposed to worrying about specific game mechanics. Try writing out some glowing five-star reviews for your game (or product) idea. These reviews will be your guide.
Tip #2: Ship small and monetize early. Build big over time.

As an indie, you cannot afford to toil away for months/years with nothing to show. Don't build a large game all at once. Build it through smaller experiences that you can separately monetize. These smaller experiences can then be compiled together to create the game of your dreams. As an exercise, see if you can take your favorite game of all time and split it up into "sub-games" that can be sold independently.
Tip #3: Target hyper niche markets.

Don’t try to capture large, generic markets. Build meaningful/fulfilling games for smaller, hyper niche communities. Build many small games that each generate “small” amounts of revenue. Look for small interest groups on Reddit (subreddits), and cater to communities that don't have a lot of games related to what they are interested in.

Your convictions and ideals matter. Your identity as an indie matter. It’s the marketing edge you have over AAA companies (you are a real human being with a face and a name…and those who play your games, by extension, should know you).
Tip #4: Redefine success based on experience.

If you've never shipped a game, a goal of "$1M in revenue first year" is not realistic. Assuming that you are starting with zero game-building experience, here's a loose set of goals (successes) I'd try to hit:

Research a hyper niche community. Think of a game idea. Think of the "perfect 5-star review". Build the "first 20 seconds" of your game and solicit feedback from community members.
Build an expanded version of the first 20 seconds. Time-box it to one week, part-time. Ship it everywhere you'd want to ship a commercial title. Gain that muscle memory of releasing.
Build something that can be done in three months, part-time. Post and market to the community you're targeting. See if you can get one unsolicited 5-star review that matches your "perfect 5-star review".
Expand the game with some form of monetization. If you've done a good job interacting with a community, they'll be happy to support you. Shoot for making $10 a month.
Build another game (either for the same community or another one). Do steps 1 through 4 for this new game. Streamlining is the important part here. Figure out what you're wasting time on during development.
Start thinking of your dream game and what can be leveraged from your existing properties. Keep that dream in mind and keep making "small money through many hyper niche games".

Tip #5: Best practices and industry standards will not give you a competitive advantage.

I could write a novel on using "best practices" to your advantage in the workplace. After all, every corporate culture strives for its workers to follow guidelines and industry standards. And it’s true— blindly following best practices and adhering to industry standards is a great way to get a job working on someone else’s dream game.

Building a commercial game engine is a non-trivial endeavor. I had eighteen years of software development experience under my belt (gaining a deep understanding of best practices), and only after that foundation did I have the insight on how to "break the rules". DragonRuby upsets the status quo and makes it possible for indies to build and ship games fast.
Tip #6: Emotion sells.

You have to sell your game by evoking emotions. Your audience should have a connection to you, your ideas, and your game. Try to think of that "pitch" that conveys that emotion and genuinely participate in the niche communities you've found.

These books have helped me understand the emotions that drive us to action.

How to Read a Book: Showed me how objective arguments are formed, and when to walk away from a debate.
The Elephant in the Brain: Explained why we rely on emotions even when we assert that logic and merit guide our decisions.
Algorithms to Live By: Provided me with a rubric for speaking with people with empathy.
Never Split the Difference: Helped me learn to negotiate/compromise.

Tip #7: Have hope.

Have hope.

Your dreams and your ideals matter. They are worth reaching for.

At times, it’s difficult to keep going (especially given the current state of the world). Try not to give up.

Remember, the reward is in the pursuit itself (monetary gain is icing on the cake).

Feel free to reach out. You can find me on The DragonRuby Discord Server (over 1,500 members and very active).

Have hope. Carry the fire.

- Amir
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SwordPlay
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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SwordPlay
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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"Imagination. Life is your creation."
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Spoonweaver
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Re: Slime Salad Game Design Discussion

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