{"author_name":"stuckie","cat":"LD #25","comments":[],"epoch":1356001920,"likes":2,"metadata":{"p_key":"47429","p_author":"stuckie","p_authorkey":"267","p_urlkey":"83093","p_title":"A Grim Post-Mortem","p_cat":"LD #25","p_event":"LD25","p_time":"1356001920","p_likes":"2","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"267","us_name":"stuckie","us_username":"stuckie","event_start":"1355443200","event_key":"14","event_name":"LD25"},"text":"

It’s been about a week now, and the dust has settled a bit to reflect over Grim’s Christmas List.<\/p>\n

This was the first game we’ve done together, the first time I’ve done any serious JavaScript, the first time Octopi has done any game art like this, and the first time I’ve done any coding whatsoever since having to leave my job in August due to ill health. And, I think we did pretty well!<\/p>\n

\"screen1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A lot of things went right.
\n We both clicked with the theme right away, and Octopi started sketching out characters and an idea. I gave some input into it as well, and we ended up with a hybrid mix of Bomb Jack, Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble. Sadly, the Bomb Jack elements got dropped due to time constraints, but we love the concept enough that we’ll likely continue with Grim and make it to the original idea.
\n The workload was split pretty evenly – with Octopi on sprite work and general design, and myself on coding, audio, and piecing together the sprite sheets. And being a Jam game, we got an extra day to work on it, so I wasn’t too stressed out my noggin.
\n Impact was a joy to use.. although I very likely made some bugger ups here and there as a few people have pointed out the slightly weird collision detection at times, but overall I had no problems with it – short of not really learning much about it beforehand.
\n Our game actually worked out pretty well, and is probably the best entry I’ve done so far.<\/p>\n

A few things went a bit pear-shaped, however.
\n Most of Saturday was taken up with us travelling down to see my family to do the great Christmas gift exchange of the year… but we worked out some of the game on notepads during the journey.
\n We didn’t get the third aspect of the game in – collecting presents\/reaping enemies in order for bonuses – from Bomb Jack, so you just get one measly point per present.
\n The level changes are a bit abrupt – we need to add some transitions, or at least a READY? GO! style thing.
\n No music ( bar the couple of seconds on the title screen ) as I couldn’t think of anything to do, and sound was workable at best ( though the boss\/mini boss explosion sound works really well, with the presents flying everywhere! )
\n The end is a bit anticlimactic… probably could’ve done something a bit better than a black screen with text on it!<\/p>\n

All in all, we think it went well, and we enjoyed ourselves \":)\"
\n We’ll definitely be thinking of expanding upon it later on.<\/p>\n

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can find it here:\u00a0http:\/\/www.ludumdare.com\/compo\/ludum-dare-25\/?action=preview&uid=267
\n \"titlescreen\"<\/a>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Now for us to start rating some games!<\/p>\n \n

Tags: arcade badgers<\/a>, Grim's Christmas List<\/a>, octopi<\/a>, post-mortem<\/a>, stuckie<\/a><\/p>","time":"December 20th, 2012 6:12 am","title":"A Grim Post-Mortem"}