Update and Boatventure: Log 3

Just messing around with some boat ideas

So, it's about time I return to a roughly weekly update schedule. This last semester has been the semester that's supposed to weed out all of the bad game designers and it has been reasonably difficult, but as far as I'm concerned it wasn't hard enough. A lot of the work was just busy work that prevented me from working on side projects, like Boatventure, but didn't actually teach me much. That's why I haven't been updating these last couple of months.

Luckily, ACPC Productions and a few other developers at our school just recently started a game developer's association, the Extracurricular game Developers of Champlain (EDC). We've just begun a three month development cycle called the Marathon and I'll be working on Boatventure. Other than that update and some new concept art stuff I don't have much else to say this week!

Click for the fullsize image!

Us wondering how the world will actually be built.

Boatventure: Log 2

Newer concept art. Not in new resolution.

After roughly a week of development, there's actually not a great deal to discuss. This week has been spent mostly organizing some bits of code, adding in very small functions (like health bar drawing, screen shake, and zooming in and out (automatically)), and tracking down a memory leak that was INEXPLICABLY caused by Game Maker: Studio's absolutely awful debugging console. Literally, I spend every day for FIVE days rewriting all the code in Boatventure because I honestly thought that the memory leak might have been my fault. It really impacted how well-written I thought my code was and in a lot of ways burned me the fuck out; all for me to just figure out (on my own btw because Yoyogames apparently doesn't respond to tweets or questions about memory leaks) that the memory leak was being caused by the Game Maker debugger.

Needless to say I was extremely upset that I wasted so much time when Yoyo Games' "professional" software, that costs roughly 400 (soon to be 700) dollars, causes unexplained memory leaks in your games because they can't spend a few hours to fix their debugger.

To be honest, this experience has in a lot of ways soured my opinion of Yoyo Games and their Game Maker: Studio software; but if their 1.2 update is as good as they make it sound I might consider sticking around and using it. Otherwise, I will probably port the project to Unity and make it there instead.

Regardless, because of this situation I've burnt myself out and decided to recover by doing a "thunderdome" with the team. We just decided to begin writing an actual story for the game, so we thought a thunderdome would be a good way for all of us to end up happy. A thunderdome is a technique where each person on a team comes up with a fully fleshed out and detailed design for a certain thing, independent of one another. After everyone has their fully developed idea, they all present them to each other as equals and discuss the merits of every idea presented. Ultimately, the team chooses the best ideas from each proposal to make it into the game. We're currently doing this for the history, characters, story "beats" and overall feel of the story.

Outside of that though, nothing new to report, but here are two older pieces of concept art.

This was made by Jack, our musician. He scaned in some textures and was testing them in this image.

This was one of the original concepts for Boatventure. We don't really like it as much anymore, but it's nice to show!

Expect Greatness.
Ryan Huggins~

Student Developer: Microsoft Surface Pro - Log 3 + Boatventure 2013

WHO IS SHE? She is the co-lead of BOATVENTURE 2013!
Boatventure 2013 Dev Log located below the Surface Pro: Wrap Up.

The Surface Pro: Wrap Up

It's been roughly 2 weeks since I decided to use the Microsoft Surface Pro as a tool for game development and in these two weeks I've decided that the Surface Pro is a great tool for developers on the go, but not yet a perfect replacement for a desktop development environment. Most of the problems stem not from the internal hardware or the power of the system itself, but in the available software and the size of the screen (which surprised me in how much it could hinder productivity). The Surface Pro did a lot of great things for me--it ran pretty much everything, let me draw and sketch ideas like I was using paper, connectivity was solid and the type cover made it comfortable to program for hours--but there were a few issues that slowed me down and helped me determine that, for a software/game developer, the Surface Pro is a stellar secondary device, but only a decent primary one.

For a primary device, the screen size was much too small for me to easily multitask, especially when it came to managing 8+ code windows at once. That was probably my biggest issue and it ended up inhibiting me more than I would like to admit. A few other smaller issues, like the length of the charger and the quirks of Windows 8 also, upset me, but it was definitely the screen size that convinced me to return to my desktop for big projects.

However, where the Surface Pro truly shines is in its ability to be an amazing portable device. If I was to go out for a few hours--an example would be a class--where I needed a light device that could power through all of my college activities, let me sketch ideas, and make code edits (or even create full programs in a reasonable amount of time), the Surface Pro would absolutely be the device I would choose. It's just when you ask it to become a primary device that it may fall short for heavy developers.

Do I recommend it? Yes. And I already have to several people. It's just important to ask what you want the device to do before you purchase it.

Boatventure 2013: Development Log 1

A great example of prototyping in action.
These five silhouettes are no longer part of the game.

Today marks the beginning of the weekly (or occasionally bi-monthly) development log of Boatventure 2013 (20XX)! I was working on the first draft design/prototype of the game during my two week test of the Surface Pro as a development device, but sadly (or wonderfully), that prototype bombed and helped us to determine that our core mechanic just wasn't fun! First, here's a bit of background

After many years of global warming, the majority of planet Earth has found itself submerged beneath a torrent of rising sea levels while much of mankind has been wiped out by the resulting influx of superstorms. In recent years however, with humanity at the brink of extinction, the Earth has finally begun to stabilize itself. The majority of those who survived this global warming-related apocalypse have taken refuge on what little dry land remains, while others have taken to the seas themselves, searching valiantly, for any remains of civilization until the depths claim their lives as well. Thrown into the fray without any hesitation for adventure, you play as a boat scouring the ocean world, searching for a way to kickstart a new civilization, and somehow resurface the world that now lies beneath the tides.

If you take a look at the images above, you'll see five ships and a submarine. In the first design of the game, the player would be able to unlock new, larger ships and then cycle through them at will during the gameplay in order to solve puzzles or just lay down the law to other ships. The system was based around a mobility-power dynamic, where the smaller ships were more mobile, but the larger ships were more powerful. Luckily, it became apparent during prototyping (and prior to that, in some arguments with the musician, Jack Yeates) that the system might not be fun, or at least be terribly difficult to balance. (On that note, check out one of our MANY concept songs and maybe let us know what you think!)



In a true designer fashion, I don't like really like scrapping cool conceptual systems without testing, so I insisted that we prototype it out; and for a few days, I thought it would work out, but it quickly become more and more apparent to me that cycling through different boats was a fun mechanic, but that the power vs mobility dynamic was not. At all.

In the end, we got rid of the different sized boats, but kept the idea of cycling through multiple specializations of ship. This means that you can unlock new ships with a new type of weapon (like how Megaman unlocks new weapons) and cycle through them in real time. In addition to this, we're considering a Cave Story-esque mechanic where each ship can "tier up" by doing well, obtaining a more powerful weapon in the process. Like Cave Story, however, they can also level back down.

It's important to note, that unlike both of the mentioned games, we plan to make sure that every type of weapon has some sort of gameplay purpose (akin to The Legend of Zelda's items) to aid in the exploration! So cannons might be able to break down certain walls, torpedoes can destroy underwater rocks, and battering rams could maybe let the player push objects that would normally damage them. Each different weapon corresponds to a different specialization. (We're still coming up with more like an anchor grappling hook.)

A bit of a very basic platforming scenario. TAKING PLACE AS A BOAT!!! :D

In addition to the combat, it's important to remember that the game is an exploration-adventure game where the player is literally a boat. We've spent a lot of time thinking about how the player can get around (and we have a lot of ideas!) Though, one of the tested mechanics that was really positively received, was the submarine mode. Since your boat has the special ability to change into different ships, it can, naturally change into a sub to explore the deep-sea depths! In addition to this, the player can unlock a lot of other cool tools for exploring and getting past obstacles that they couldn't otherwise get past.

Submarine mode is my personal favorite though. It literally and figuratively adds depth to the game and will let us design some really cool areas to fight in, explore, or solve puzzles in, whereas the other ideas are more combat orientated with the added bonus of increasing mobility (Castlevania-style).

So, hopefully, you like the idea of Boatventure! It's really shaping up to be an amazing, beautiful, stylistic adventure game that we can be proud of; and our secondary protagonist at the top of the page, is shaping up to be a great character. More on the main character in the coming updates. :)

More sketches of our super cool co-lead! 

Quick Rant: Ugly "Journalism"

EDIT: This was written while the Phil Fish and "Annoyed Gamer" debacle was going down on Twitter. I was mostly upset by the comments about how developers should be grateful to journalists for covering their games and less upset about Phil getting bashed (because he retaliated in some not-so-good ways).

Let me begin by saying that no matter how successful a developer is, it's NOT okay to attack them; even if it's just "on the Internet".

To be honest, I'm not even sure what to say about how, today, Phil Fish and Jonathan Blow were disrespected by the latest Invisible Wall video at gametrailers.com (source). They were essentially insulted and slandered for several minutes because they were tired of being called upon to comment on every little rumor solely due to their success as indie developers. Some people get tired and upset when they're bombarded by questions and asked to comment on every little thing. Of COURSE they'd eventually speak up about it. They're not journalists who always want to talk about the next big story. They're barely celebrities. They don't get PAID to comment on things. They get paid to make things--to make games that people like. So WHAT if they don't want to comment on everything that has to do with the industry. Especially rumors that are commented on, over and over and over again like the new generation of consoles.

But then, that's not even the issue or what I'm upset about. Who the fuck cares about that. I'm upset that after this happened and after Phil Fish got upset about someone BLATANTLY attacking him on the internet (who wouldn't be upset and take to twitter to vent?). I'm upset that the internet took this as an opportunity to just go crazy and start personally attacking him and--to a lesser extent--Blow on the internet. I mean what?! These people make great games. They dedicate so much time to making games that people will like and that can stand as pieces of art and then they get slandered and insulted for being successful?! Even if you don't like them as people, they're successful developers. And yet, as the "annoyed gamer" in the Invisible Wall video put it, Phil Fish and "Blowfish" should be grateful to journalists for promoting their games.

Let's think about that. The developer of a good game should be GRATEFUL when a journalist, whose JOB is to find games they like and promote/talk about them, promotes their game. Journalists (usually) don't choose to write about games out of the goodness of their heart. They choose good games so consumers get the greatest product or that drive the greatest number of hits. Phil and Jonathan aren't EVIL people, they're just outspoken developers; and even if you think they're assholes, you definitely shouldn't be insulting them publicly.

I'm personally insulted that this is the kind of place the industry has become. A place where successful developers can't be outspoken about their success and where journalists think that they are entitled to comments and time from developers just because they choose to promote their games. No game is ENTITLED to promotion by journalists and they're not "lucky" when they get promoted. Promotion happens to good games or to games that people like. Just like a journalist can refuse to promote a game, a developer should be able to refuse to give a journalist a story, or a comment without getting shit for it.

My heart goes out to Phil Fish for being insulted like this and if I ever make it into the limelight with my team, we're definitely going to make a change.

And that's my rant. My Surface is dying and I have to make some lunch.

Expect Greatness,
Ryan Huggins

Student Developer: Microsoft Surface Pro - Log 2

Windows 8 metro/desktop multi-tasking can be good and bad.

It's been three days since I started using the Microsoft Surface Pro (in conjunction with Game Maker: Studio) as a tool for developing games. At the same time, it's been roughly two days since I've begun using Game Maker: Studio as an engine for game development (the first day was spent setting up my Surface for development). This mix of new experiences doesn't quite make for the perfect experiment, but it has given me insight into how a student (read: inexperienced) developer may fare using the Surface Pro as a portable solution to any number of problems.

The Surface Pro has many advantages over traditional laptops and tablets such as being portable (vs laptops) and blazing fast (vs tablets), but at the same time, it also has a long list of software and hardware bugs common to first generation hardware that don't exactly make it the perfect tool for everyone. Having known about these issues prior to purchasing it, these past few days with the Pro, have been a mixed bag of feelings as I adjust to the new work environment.

What Went RIGHT

Speed:

The Surface Pro is more than fast enough to handle the development of traditional 2D games in pretty much any situation. Outside of Game Maker: Studio, I've not had any problems in particular with any tool I've had to use to get things done. Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI, Visual Studios 2012, Steam, Chrome--pretty much everything runs smoothly. Game Maker: Studio seems to be slightly glitchy, though I'll chalk that one up to Windows 8; and it doesn't impede my progress much at all.

Art:

Making 2D art is CHILD'S PLAY on this thing. Open up Photoshop, break out the Wacom digitizer pen, and you're set to make game art at blazing speeds. Considering I'm not one of ACPC Production's artists, I don't actually make the art for Boatventure 2013, but since I originally bought the Surface for use as a drawing tablet, I've done extensive research and testing in this category. With the new WinTab drivers finally out (get them here), this thing is great for your artistic needs.

Programming:

Programmers with larger hands might want to get a nice Bluetooth keyboard (Logitech k810 or better) for long hours of programming, otherwise the type cover (not the touch) is actually pretty good for programming once you get used to the strange placing of some keys and disable the function lock (press Fn and caps lock together). Overall, without investing in an external keyboard, I've been able to reach my normal typing speeds without any perceivable discomfort at all.

What Went WRONG

DPI Scaling:

The DPI scaling is awful. This is a Windows issue primarily, but I almost wish they went for a lower resolution because of it. At 125% scaling (which I recommend to avoid the bitmap stretching), using non-Metro apps is pretty much impossible (sans mouse) without closing something by mistake. Text is super crisp though; and with a Bluetooth keyboard, I could TOTALLY see myself using the Surface in portrait mode for some portable epic programming marathons.

Track pad:

Pretty much, the standard track pad on the type cover is awful for development purposes. Coupled with the small size of things on the screen due to the DPI scaling, it's pretty much unusable. Absolutely necessary to purchase a wireless (Bluetooth) mouse if you want to get anything done in a reasonable time outside of minor tasks.

Battery Life:

This is an issue everyone knows about, but the battery life on the Surface Pro is not good at all. You could, if you wanted, plug it in when you're working, but isn't the point to do work away from home and the convenience of unlimited electricity? A Haswell upgrade or a battery pack keyboard could make this a non-issue, but I find myself stopping work to let the Pro charge, which could be a deal breaker for a ton of people. I personally use this time to workout, calm down and figure out how to fix programming bugs, but being forced to leave and come back (with fresh eyes, might I add), is not necessarily a good "feature".

Misc.

Other things to talk about might be 10.1" either not being enough room to work for some people, or the perfect size for others; or to perhaps gush more about how great the pen is, but I'll talk more about those things in coming logs.

Next time, though, I plan to talk a bit more about the actual project and how the Surface is influencing it's development.

Expect Greatness~

Ryan Huggins.

Student Developer: Microsoft Surface Pro - Log 1

The Microsoft Surface Pro on my dad's table.

Roughly one month ago, I decided to sell my laptop. This is an important part of my technology cycle and usually, I purchase a new one within a few days or so. Disappointingly, this time I was a little lower on money than I would have liked and was forced to default to strict desktop development for a few days. Coincidentally, it was at around that time that my friends and I decided that it would be a great time for me to visit them roughly 200 miles away in New Jersey; and so, without a laptop for the first time in years, I was forced to remove myself from the development equation and just chill out for once.

It was an amazing time and a needed break from all the stresses of life (I ended up going to a lot of parties...), but, sadly, all things come to an end and I was in dire need of a new portable computer to develop on during my travels. After a lot of research and inquiry from Internet dwellers, I decided to look into the Microsoft Surface Pro as it was an interesting device that did a lot of things well, but not perfectly. Despite this issue, I believed that the device was one that would fit the needs of a game designer in a lot of important ways.

The Microsoft Surface Pro

The Surface Pro is small, so it'd be portable for those designers who like to travel a lot. The pressure sensitive pen would allow art-focused designers to draw with it on the go, creating prototype and even complete art in much the same way they would with a regular tablet; while the type cover (not the touch one) would offer a pretty solid experience for the programmer-designers. In addition to this, it could (seemingly) run pretty much all of the development tools that you could throw at it (with a few obvious exceptions such as heavy 3D modeling or video editing tools that you'd be best working with on a desktop). With all of this in mind, I purchased the Surface Pro 128 GB version for roughly 1400 dollars ($999 (the device) + 130 (type cover) + $150 (complete warranty) + tax).

Now, with my, relatively new (I've had it for a week or so) Surface Pro in hand and two weeks away from home at my dad's house, I'm going to test the device as a portable tool for game developers while I begin development on Boatventure 2013. I hope to update frequently during the week, but I will primarily be tweeting about my experience so follow me! @TheRyanHuggins.

Expect Greatness~
Ryan Huggins.

Two Things: Dolphin Squadron and Boatventure 2013

If I wasn't happy about this, then I don't know what happiness is!

So, Dolphin Squadron released on May 31st at 12PM and since then, the game has been fairly successful and at the very least has completely blown my expectations out of the water! The pun, ...sadly was intended. To recap the events up until now, here is a list.

Demo

• Featured on Indiegames and Russian indie blog, True Indie Games. Pretty fucking awesome day for us before we even did anything! Inspiring.

Release (DOWNLOAD HERE: http://acpcproductions.com/ds)

- Featured in a mash-up at Indiegames with games like Mutant Mudds Deluxe and Teslagrad!
- Feature at IndieStatik and our longest feature (word count) yet!
- DS was top 3 at Reddit r/IndieGaming for roughly a day. Dropped steadily afterwards.
- Front-page primary feature at GameJolt for a few days. Currently secondary feature.
- 4.8/5 review score at GameJolt.
- Featured again by True Indie Games.
- Blogged about by my friend's game blog, Distorted Travesty.
- Five or Six LP videos of DS and one First Impression (so far).

- Ryan befriends editors and administrators of GameJolt, IndieStatik and Indiegames. :)

I'd actually say that I'm already more than fucking happy with the turn out.

I'll update with the general statistics of the game on Friday when I wake up! At the same time, don't expect ridiculous numbers! Haha. It was still my first actually complete game and my expectations were low, so I was ecstatic even with my reasonably low numbers. :)

Boatventure 2013

Open in new tab for full size!! And follow us. ;P

I started doing some mock-ups of how the game would actually look using the assets we made at the ACPCP Official Progress Jam a few months ago. I'm honestly, extremely satisfied for the most part. The bottom picture is the most recent and depicts what the game would look like earlier on in the game. The top picture (made before I found the bigger assets...hence blurriness) would be like JUST starting. 

Notice how the game zooms out as your progress. This will be to accommodate the larger ships and action as the game progresses. I was going for an exponential growth type of idea, but we'll see how the artists (and Flash) feel about that kind of stuff. If it doesn't work here, I like to consider all of my games polished prototypes, so perhaps I'll revisit it in the future...says Ryan who hasn't even really started on this game yet. :X

Regardless, I'm a happy duck (subtle reveal of another game? Perhaps.) So...

Expect Greatness~

Ryan Huggins

P.S: It was a reveal.

Ducktics.