{"author_link":"\/users\/steinhks","author_name":"steinhks","author_uid":"steinhks","comments":[],"epoch":1777563071,"event":"LD59","format":"md","ldjam_node_id":432314,"likes":4,"metadata":{"p_key":"96824","p_author":"steinhks","p_authorkey":"1424173","p_urlkey":"312470","p_title":"PROGRESS OF OUR GAME","p_cat":"LDJam ","p_event":"LD59","p_time":"1777563071","p_likes":"4","p_comments":"0","p_status":"WAYBACK","us_key":"1424173","us_name":"steinhks","us_username":"steinhks","event_start":"1776470400","event_key":"113","event_name":"Ludum Dare 59"},"node":{"_collation":{"body_sanitizer":"TextUtils::SanitizeHTML via existing importer","event":"LD59","removed_author":false},"_superparent":424249,"_trust":1,"author":424173,"body":"![Group 3610.png](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa5.png)\nI already mentioned that when the **theme was announced**, I was at a complete loss, unable to imagine what I could come up with. I realize it\u2019s possible to make a game that doesn\u2019t strictly follow the theme, but I don\u2019t like that approach\u2014since we were given a theme, I\u2019d prefer to build something specifically based on it. After brainstorming a bit, **Morse code seemed like the most interesting direction** to take, but we didn\u2019t settle on it, and I decided I should go to sleep and think it all over.\n\nIn the end, in the morning I tried sketching out the basics for a different concept and realized it wasn\u2019t right at all, so I firmly declared that **we would make a game with Morse code.**\nI tested the core mechanics on a **quick HTML prototype**, where you also had to click through the word \u201cHello.\u201d\n![photo_2026-04-27_11-29-06.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72f9a.jpg)\n\nI let a girlfriend try out this prototype, and she said it seemed pretty good, so **we kept working on it.**\nWhile I was porting the core mechanics over to Unity, she drew a grid map\u2014an idea that had popped into my head right after I finished the core mechanics. \nI wanted to create something atmospheric, but since there were only two of us and time was limited, I thought we should severely restrict our movement, so we\u2019d just sit **in front of a computer somewhere in a log cabin**, and the map would serve not only as a gameplay element but also help paint the world around us in our imagination.\nSo, **by the end of the first day, we only had a map and a nascent dialogue system using Morse code clicks.**\n![photo_2026-04-27_11-26-39.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72f9b.jpg)\n\nWhile I was trying to fall asleep, my mind was working hard and came up with a few **character ideas.**\nSince we\u2019re currently working on a kind of visual novel but without character art, I wanted to make them distinguishable in some way\u2014and not just by their personalities.\n\nThat\u2019s how the **different colors** came about. The basic green was reserved for the guy who explains everything to us, so I figured the leader character would suit him\u2014a real dad figure. I immediately decided to add fishing to his backstory, and I needed to pick a callsign for all of them. Since it\u2019s fishing, let\u2019s go with **HOOK**\u2014it sounds good, fits the theme, and is short.\n\nBlue came next, as a more serious, technically savvy, intelligent character, and so on. That\u2019s why he uses more technical terms. But we didn\u2019t have time to come up with a callsign for him, so he just stayed **BLUE** (very much in his spirit, we thought).\n\nPink, on the other hand, is the opposite of Blue\u2014she\u2019s very sociable, rarely uses technical terms, and prefers everyday words and \u201cUWU.\u201d My girlfriend came up with her call sign; I think **BOW** really suits her.\nSo, from a technical standpoint, I had to add the sender\u2019s color to every dialogue.\nI also thought that since **everyone has a callsign**, it would be cool if we could **choose our own**. So I added a free-text field, with the option to save that name for future references.\n![photo_2026-04-20_03-12-20.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa2.jpg)\n\nAnya drew a whole bunch of other stuff. For example, the table texture turned out great, so we tried adding a normal map and other stuff like that to the table material (I haven't learned all that yet). The result turned out great, and I thought, why don\u2019t we **add some 3D objects**? Because they\u2019re clearly needed, considering that the camera can be rotated, albeit with some limitations.\n\nI hadn\u2019t opened **Blender** in several years, but luckily I remembered the hotkeys, so making something simple wasn\u2019t too hard. That\u2019s how the** little monitor was born** (but I didn\u2019t like the display, so I just replaced it with a plain black plane). I also dug up some shader from an old, unfinished prototype project that allowed for proper lighting on 2D objects like sprites; it came in very handy. \n**From there, everything went smoothly: Anya drew additional sprites and textures, while I tried to make something coherent out of the dialogues.**\n\nBy the time I finished everything, the deadline was approaching, and a bunch of sprites still hadn\u2019t been added. When I finished the script, I think there were **only two hours left**. **AND THERE WAS STILL NO MENU.** I was terrified. I threw together the menu and buttons as fast as I could, picked out fonts and colors, and in the **last few minutes** crammed all the new sprites Anya had drawn onto the scene. **I built the game and that was it. Finally.**\n![photo_2026-04-21_06-19-31.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa3.jpg)\n\nBut of course, **that wasn\u2019t the end of it**. Anya immediately went to test the compiled and already uploaded build, and sure enough, there was a **softlock in the script**. I quickly found it and fixed it. \nI built a new build, **AND OF COURSE THERE WAS ANOTHER SOFTLOCK!**\n\nI was still under pressure from the deadline and kept frantically searching for the bug and fixing it, but that was over quickly too. And when the game finally played through to the end, **I finally let out a sigh of relief.**\n**I was incredibly happy with what we\u2019d created.** \n\nYes, it wasn\u2019t perfect, but it was something unique, something only the two of us had made, and there was something special about it...\n\nIt was really nice to read **the first comments** and see that **people put in the same effort** as we did.\n\n**Thank you to everyone who played our game and left a comment\u2014it means a lot!**","comments":0,"created":"2026-04-30T14:29:40Z","files":[],"files-timestamp":0,"id":432314,"love":4,"love-timestamp":"2026-05-01T04:39:45Z","meta":[],"modified":"2026-05-01T04:39:45Z","name":"PROGRESS OF OUR GAME","node-timestamp":"2026-04-30T15:32:01Z","parent":425812,"parents":[1,5,9,424249,425812],"path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/save-our-souls\/progress-of-our-game","published":"2026-04-30T15:31:11Z","scope":"public","slug":"progress-of-our-game","subsubtype":"","subtype":"","type":"post","version":1373533},"node_metadata":{"n_key":"432314","n_urlkey":"312470","n_parent":"425812","n_path":"\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/save-our-souls\/progress-of-our-game","n_slug":"progress-of-our-game","n_type":"post","n_subtype":"","n_subsubtype":"","n_author":"424173","n_created":"1777559380","n_modified":"1777610385","n_version":"1373533","n_status":"WAYBACK"},"source_url":"https:\/\/ldjam.com\/events\/ludum-dare\/59\/save-our-souls\/progress-of-our-game","text":"![Group 3610.png](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa5.png)\nI already mentioned that when the **theme was announced**, I was at a complete loss, unable to imagine what I could come up with. I realize it\u2019s possible to make a game that doesn\u2019t strictly follow the theme, but I don\u2019t like that approach\u2014since we were given a theme, I\u2019d prefer to build something specifically based on it. After brainstorming a bit, **Morse code seemed like the most interesting direction** to take, but we didn\u2019t settle on it, and I decided I should go to sleep and think it all over.\n\nIn the end, in the morning I tried sketching out the basics for a different concept and realized it wasn\u2019t right at all, so I firmly declared that **we would make a game with Morse code.**\nI tested the core mechanics on a **quick HTML prototype**, where you also had to click through the word \u201cHello.\u201d\n![photo_2026-04-27_11-29-06.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72f9a.jpg)\n\nI let a girlfriend try out this prototype, and she said it seemed pretty good, so **we kept working on it.**\nWhile I was porting the core mechanics over to Unity, she drew a grid map\u2014an idea that had popped into my head right after I finished the core mechanics. \nI wanted to create something atmospheric, but since there were only two of us and time was limited, I thought we should severely restrict our movement, so we\u2019d just sit **in front of a computer somewhere in a log cabin**, and the map would serve not only as a gameplay element but also help paint the world around us in our imagination.\nSo, **by the end of the first day, we only had a map and a nascent dialogue system using Morse code clicks.**\n![photo_2026-04-27_11-26-39.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72f9b.jpg)\n\nWhile I was trying to fall asleep, my mind was working hard and came up with a few **character ideas.**\nSince we\u2019re currently working on a kind of visual novel but without character art, I wanted to make them distinguishable in some way\u2014and not just by their personalities.\n\nThat\u2019s how the **different colors** came about. The basic green was reserved for the guy who explains everything to us, so I figured the leader character would suit him\u2014a real dad figure. I immediately decided to add fishing to his backstory, and I needed to pick a callsign for all of them. Since it\u2019s fishing, let\u2019s go with **HOOK**\u2014it sounds good, fits the theme, and is short.\n\nBlue came next, as a more serious, technically savvy, intelligent character, and so on. That\u2019s why he uses more technical terms. But we didn\u2019t have time to come up with a callsign for him, so he just stayed **BLUE** (very much in his spirit, we thought).\n\nPink, on the other hand, is the opposite of Blue\u2014she\u2019s very sociable, rarely uses technical terms, and prefers everyday words and \u201cUWU.\u201d My girlfriend came up with her call sign; I think **BOW** really suits her.\nSo, from a technical standpoint, I had to add the sender\u2019s color to every dialogue.\nI also thought that since **everyone has a callsign**, it would be cool if we could **choose our own**. So I added a free-text field, with the option to save that name for future references.\n![photo_2026-04-20_03-12-20.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa2.jpg)\n\nAnya drew a whole bunch of other stuff. For example, the table texture turned out great, so we tried adding a normal map and other stuff like that to the table material (I haven't learned all that yet). The result turned out great, and I thought, why don\u2019t we **add some 3D objects**? Because they\u2019re clearly needed, considering that the camera can be rotated, albeit with some limitations.\n\nI hadn\u2019t opened **Blender** in several years, but luckily I remembered the hotkeys, so making something simple wasn\u2019t too hard. That\u2019s how the** little monitor was born** (but I didn\u2019t like the display, so I just replaced it with a plain black plane). I also dug up some shader from an old, unfinished prototype project that allowed for proper lighting on 2D objects like sprites; it came in very handy. \n**From there, everything went smoothly: Anya drew additional sprites and textures, while I tried to make something coherent out of the dialogues.**\n\nBy the time I finished everything, the deadline was approaching, and a bunch of sprites still hadn\u2019t been added. When I finished the script, I think there were **only two hours left**. **AND THERE WAS STILL NO MENU.** I was terrified. I threw together the menu and buttons as fast as I could, picked out fonts and colors, and in the **last few minutes** crammed all the new sprites Anya had drawn onto the scene. **I built the game and that was it. Finally.**\n![photo_2026-04-21_06-19-31.jpg](\/\/\/raw\/de8\/76\/z\/72fa3.jpg)\n\nBut of course, **that wasn\u2019t the end of it**. Anya immediately went to test the compiled and already uploaded build, and sure enough, there was a **softlock in the script**. I quickly found it and fixed it. \nI built a new build, **AND OF COURSE THERE WAS ANOTHER SOFTLOCK!**\n\nI was still under pressure from the deadline and kept frantically searching for the bug and fixing it, but that was over quickly too. And when the game finally played through to the end, **I finally let out a sigh of relief.**\n**I was incredibly happy with what we\u2019d created.** \n\nYes, it wasn\u2019t perfect, but it was something unique, something only the two of us had made, and there was something special about it...\n\nIt was really nice to read **the first comments** and see that **people put in the same effort** as we did.\n\n**Thank you to everyone who played our game and left a comment\u2014it means a lot!**","title":"PROGRESS OF OUR GAME","wayback_source":[]}