{"author_name":"monika","cat":"LD #30","comments":[],"epoch":1408815780,"likes":3,"metadata":{"p_key":"27772","p_author":"monika","p_authorkey":"29124","p_urlkey":"63218","p_title":"So there\u2019s this planet\u2026","p_cat":"LD #30","p_event":"LD30","p_time":"1408815780","p_likes":"3","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"29124","us_name":"monika","us_username":"themonika","event_start":"1408665600","event_key":"24","event_name":"LD30"},"text":"

Hi everyone! This LD, I\u2019ve gathered a team. It\u2019s a wholly different experience from the solo jam, and I couldn\u2019t be happier, even when we are, let\u2019s say, vigorously discussing minor plot points in the game\u2019s backstory and other important things. Seriously though, team\u2019s amazing. Our workspace is covered with giant Post-it notes. \"giantpostit\"<\/a> We\u2019re going by the name Clich\u00e92Play. Our game idea is based on the astrophysical phenomenon of Hot Jupiters – really weird, surprisingly common exoplanets that happen to be really easy for us to detect from Earth. They are Jupiter-sized planets that orbit so close to their suns that they finish a year in like four days. They are so hot that their atmospheres are burning off fast, but so large that they still have a lot of atmosphere to go, and it seems unlikely that they formed in this configuration. Most theories for how they got this way involve them some sort of migration from a configuration that makes more sense to us. Here are some resources if you are curious. A lecture for non-scientists from a Yale professor<\/a> An astrophysics presentation on possible formation scenarios<\/a> Wikipedia<\/a> In our game, you play as an alien civilization that discovers that a\u00a0large retrograde gas giant is in an unstable orbit and is going to eat up all your system\u2019s planets. You then set about developing your science, industry, and economy in order to either escape from your system or otherwise avoid certain death. You manage resources, grow research trees, and watch in horror as planet after planet gets consumed by a looming renegade gas giant. We\u2019re developing this in Unity, and the teammate with the most Unity experience is doing a super job of making everything amazingly pretty, so that\u2019s good. \"Doesn't<\/a> \u00a0 As is my tradition, I\u2019m drinking Red Bull Shirley Temples. To make those, you mix the energy drink of your choice and two splashes grenadine in a tall glass of ice. For best results, drink with a straw. Cherry is optional. Back to work. See you all later. -monika<\/p>","time":"August 23rd, 2014 12:43 pm","title":"So there\u2019s this planet\u2026"}