{"author_link":"\/users\/powerspark","author_name":"PowerSpark","author_uid":"powerspark","comments":[],"epoch":1494803909,"event":"LD38","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":31144,"likes":4,"metadata":{"p_key":"93564","p_author":"PowerSpark","p_authorkey":"1000590","p_urlkey":"306482","p_title":"Gaia LD38 Post Mortem","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD38","p_time":"1494803909","p_likes":"4","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1000590","us_name":"PowerSpark","us_username":"powerspark","event_start":"1492732800","event_key":"69","event_name":"LD 38"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD38","removed_author":false},"_superparent":9405,"_trust":4,"author":590,"body":"I'm finally publishing my [**entry**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia)'s post mortem... this time around I've just been too busy with school to write it earlier. PLEASE check out the **timelapse** video for a quicker look at the process (it's way more concise):\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xNvqXLZVTE0\n\n# Making GAIA\n\nYou can play [Gaia](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia) before reading if you like!\n\n### Tools:\n- Unity\n- GIMP\n- SFXR\n- blipseq\n\n### Overview:\n\nSo I began with the intention of using pixel art in my entry and decided on making a platformer based on the theme. I was actually busy for the first four hours of the compo but I figured out a general *Giant Earth Beast* concept to work on when I got home. Yeah it kinda sounds silly but it was great pixel art practice :D\n\n[![gifThumb01.gif](\/\/\/raw\/e42\/z\/4559.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia)\n\nClouds seemed like the way to go with creating the levels... and I came up with a mechanic to sort of push the clouds back and forth to manipulate the level. Turns out this was really problematic for platformer logic because it created some awkward physics :( I spent a whole lot of time tuning the movement but even now it's still wonky. The problem was trying to have the clouds drift across the screen over time while the player jumps along them.\n\nSo clouds ended up being a sort of trampoline thing you can get through levels with. This took a lot of time to get right cause I didn't do it right the first time.\n\n![gif01.gif](\/\/\/raw\/e42\/z\/455a.gif)\n\n# Thoughts\n\n### The Bad:\n\nThe #1 complaint by far has been movement and getting stuck\/not understanding the jump mechanic... I just didn't have the platformer experience to make collision work the way it should have with the moving clouds in the initial release. I made it a bit better within a day but it's definitely Gaia's weak point. The concept itself could have been better, I felt a little limited by the clouds. I even avoided making enemies of any sort and the gameplay suffered. You can never playtest too much.\n\n### The Good:\n\nI did my best in the art area for the time I had. The effects and animations were greatly improved since my [last entry](http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/ludum-dare-37\/?action=preview&uid=38755) (which was my first attempt at pixel art). I'm ridiculously proud of the music for some reason... I was able to put it together very quickly with blipseq. I've barely attempted music before this Ludum Dare. It plays in the background of the timelapse above if you want to hear.\n\n### Conclusion:\n\nAll in all this has been an awesome (my sixth I think?) LD38 and I've learned a lot from my entry's problems. The games I tried have been pretty awesome and I'm anxious for Wednesday's results. Feel free to comment any questions or thoughts on this post. **Thanks for reading** of course!\n\nSorry for the long post D: see you for results!\n\n[**Entry**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia) | [Twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/PowerSparkGames) | [Itch.io](https:\/\/powerspark.itch.io\/) | [Game Jolt](http:\/\/gamejolt.com\/@PowerSpark)","comments":0,"created":"2017-05-14T22:23:44Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":31144,"love":4,"love-timestamp":"2017-05-15T08:18:16Z","meta":[],"modified":"2017-05-15T08:18:16Z","name":"Gaia LD38 Post Mortem","node-timestamp":"2017-05-14T23:18:29Z","parent":20401,"parents":[1,5,9,9405,20401],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia\/gaia-ld38-post-mortem","published":"2017-05-14T23:18:29Z","scope":"public","slug":"gaia-ld38-post-mortem","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":83151},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"31144","n_urlkey":"306482","n_parent":"20401","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia\/gaia-ld38-post-mortem","n_slug":"gaia-ld38-post-mortem","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"590","n_created":"1494800624","n_modified":"1494836296","n_version":"83151","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia\/gaia-ld38-post-mortem","text":"I'm finally publishing my [**entry**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia)'s post mortem... this time around I've just been too busy with school to write it earlier. PLEASE check out the **timelapse** video for a quicker look at the process (it's way more concise):\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xNvqXLZVTE0\n\n# Making GAIA\n\nYou can play [Gaia](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia) before reading if you like!\n\n### Tools:\n- Unity\n- GIMP\n- SFXR\n- blipseq\n\n### Overview:\n\nSo I began with the intention of using pixel art in my entry and decided on making a platformer based on the theme. I was actually busy for the first four hours of the compo but I figured out a general *Giant Earth Beast* concept to work on when I got home. Yeah it kinda sounds silly but it was great pixel art practice :D\n\n[![gifThumb01.gif](\/\/\/raw\/e42\/z\/4559.gif)](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia)\n\nClouds seemed like the way to go with creating the levels... and I came up with a mechanic to sort of push the clouds back and forth to manipulate the level. Turns out this was really problematic for platformer logic because it created some awkward physics :( I spent a whole lot of time tuning the movement but even now it's still wonky. The problem was trying to have the clouds drift across the screen over time while the player jumps along them.\n\nSo clouds ended up being a sort of trampoline thing you can get through levels with. This took a lot of time to get right cause I didn't do it right the first time.\n\n![gif01.gif](\/\/\/raw\/e42\/z\/455a.gif)\n\n# Thoughts\n\n### The Bad:\n\nThe #1 complaint by far has been movement and getting stuck\/not understanding the jump mechanic... I just didn't have the platformer experience to make collision work the way it should have with the moving clouds in the initial release. I made it a bit better within a day but it's definitely Gaia's weak point. The concept itself could have been better, I felt a little limited by the clouds. I even avoided making enemies of any sort and the gameplay suffered. You can never playtest too much.\n\n### The Good:\n\nI did my best in the art area for the time I had. The effects and animations were greatly improved since my [last entry](http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/ludum-dare-37\/?action=preview&uid=38755) (which was my first attempt at pixel art). I'm ridiculously proud of the music for some reason... I was able to put it together very quickly with blipseq. I've barely attempted music before this Ludum Dare. It plays in the background of the timelapse above if you want to hear.\n\n### Conclusion:\n\nAll in all this has been an awesome (my sixth I think?) LD38 and I've learned a lot from my entry's problems. The games I tried have been pretty awesome and I'm anxious for Wednesday's results. Feel free to comment any questions or thoughts on this post. **Thanks for reading** of course!\n\nSorry for the long post D: see you for results!\n\n[**Entry**](https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/38\/gaia) | [Twitter](https:\/\/twitter.com\/PowerSparkGames) | [Itch.io](https:\/\/powerspark.itch.io\/) | [Game Jolt](http:\/\/gamejolt.com\/@PowerSpark)","title":"Gaia LD38 Post Mortem","wayback_source":[]}