{"assets":[],"author_link":"author\/backlashblues\/","author_name":"backlashblues","cat":"LD #33","categories":["LD #33"],"comments":[],"epoch":1440600060,"event":"LD33","likes":5,"metadata":{"p_key":"83042","p_author":"backlashblues","p_authorkey":"0","p_urlkey":"293774","p_title":"Monster Lab Post-Mortem","p_cat":"LD #33","p_event":"LD33","p_time":"1440600060","p_likes":"5","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":null,"us_name":null,"us_username":null,"event_start":"1440115200","event_key":"29","event_name":"LD33"},"source_url":"2015\/08\/26\/monster-lab-post-mortem\/","text":"

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

I discovered so-called \u201cincremental games\u201d like CandyBox recently and was amazed by the amount of intrigue and interest such a simple mechanic could inspire. I wanted to explore the stripped-down style of those incremental games while tackling a simulation game. I wanted to answer\u00a0the question \u2013 what does it take to make a text-heavy point-and-click simulation-style game fun? I think the answer I found was\u00a0\u2013 more than I have here. I realized that half-way through but at that point it was too late to turn back.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Candy<\/a>

Candy Box game<\/p><\/div>\n

Simulation games always make me think of Sid Meier\u2019s description of games as \u201ca series of interesting choices\u201d \u2013\u00a0interesting <\/i>being the key word. Every choice should matter. As I was trying to balance the game, I found that if I gave players too much money to start with, their choice of buying a cage or table wasn\u2019t high-stakes enough to matter. Seems obvious in retrospect, of course, but this simple fact really sank in for me during the making of this game. A player\u2019s choices must matter. And any choices that don\u2019t matter should be removed.<\/span><\/p>\n

I kept referring back to Oregon Trail, the 1990 PC game about trying to survive on the trail. I spent hours of my childhood totally immersed in Oregon Trail, and it was just a series of text choices and simple animation clips. The difference, though, is that it told a compelling story \u2013\u00a0you and your friends or family try to complete an arduous journey across a dangerous, rugged country, with many of your crew dying along the way. I think it was the built-in drama of such a story that kept us all hooked and clicking despite its simple graphics and gameplay.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"oregon

Oregon Trail<\/p><\/div>\n

I also re-learned how much the \u201clittle\u201d things like sound effects and subtle animations bring a game to life. At this moment, MonsterLab is more like a playing a spreadsheet than playing a \u201creal\u201d game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what would I do differently in MonsterLab 2? First, don\u2019t release it with bugs. \ud83d\ude09\u00a0 <\/span>Second, add sound and animations. Third, tune the existing mechanic \u2013 make all choices matter, and figure out how to balance the cost and timing of everything. And fourth, focus more on the storytelling and increase the volume of content available (different types of monsters, different experiments to run) and maybe a new mechanic where you have to actually chase or hunt the monster instead of just purchasing it. If only the weekend could have lasted forever, I might have ended up with a decent game. There\u2019s always\u00a0the next\u00a0Ludum Dare, though.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tags: 2D<\/a>, incremental<\/a>, LD33<\/a>, postmortem<\/a>, simulation<\/a>, text<\/a>, unity<\/a>, web<\/a><\/p>","time":"August 26th, 2015 2:41 pm","title":"Monster Lab Post-Mortem","title_was_empty":false}