With lightning striking all around me,  I thought I’d post a screenshot of what I’ve done so far,  2.5 hours in,  got some code,  got a mock-up, got an idea…

Click here to play & rate.

Click here to play & rate.

The lesson of the day was cognitive resources.

Do everything that boosts cognitive resources.  Set the stage properly for a smooth run.

I am narcoleptic with multiple sleeping problems.  Day-to-day conversations are on my list of things that are too hard to keep track of.  Cognitive resources are always at a premium for me.   That is why I am a master at managing them, and when it comes to something like Ludum Dare,  I know just how to harness their true potential.

Boosting cognitive resources involves cleaning the house,  making sure affairs are in order, being confident with time and abilities, etc.

I burnt through so much “Cog” this weekend that my brain kinda feels dried out.  However, I put those resources to good use by avoiding distractions, cleaning up my environment, and preparing for the storm.

Things I think I did wrong

• No Practice / Warmup – I thought I was doing something else this weekend.  I hadn’t used my tools since last Ludum Dare.
• Dishes – I didn’t do dishes the day before, my kitchen was in disarray, and it was a cognitive inconvenience.  Clutter creates mental barriers and I am a king of clutter.
• Pacing – I needed to have scheduled breaks.  In the beginning I was too excited and getting up too often,  toward the end I was grueling and not getting up enough.
• Didn’t prepare meals – I did remember to take some meat out of the freezer and go grocery shopping
• The 90’s were rad. – I forget that the culture has changed since 1995.  I try to make games that would be sweet B-hits for the SNES, when I should be making simpler games with much more polish and elegance.
• Should be simpler – Warm-up games like Space Squid, and Bio-Contaminant would have been viable candidates for the competition even though they only took 10 hours a piece.  I really aught to be less ambitious and put more time into polishing.

Things I think I did right

• Comfortable Environment – I chose to use the tool-kit I had prepared when warming up for Ludum Dare 26 in April while making Space Potato & Dice & Arrows.
  
• Clean the office – It sure ‘aint clean anymore,  but when I started it was spotless.  I took the time to set the stage and it payed off in morale, workspace convenience, and ultimately those cognitive resources I was valuing so much.
• Time commitment- I committed the entire weekend.  I didn’t do -anything- else.
• Sleep – Properly planned sleep schedule, for maximum cognitive resources.  I’m a bad-ass at this nowadays, by the way.
• Grocery Shopping – It was good to have some healthy food quickly available
• Timelapse – The timelapse really helped me to stay on task and distraction-free.  No Facebook cat-photo adventures,  people are watching!
• Post Mortem – Closure is bliss.

 Game

Click Here to play & rate.

Timelapse

The physics I used for my space-ship game is extremely contraversial, so let me explain why I chose Car-chase style physics over asteroids-style physics.

Asteroids is a great game and the controls are classic, don’t get me wrong. The game was originally asteroids style.

I even changed it to mouse aiming at one point.   I didn’t like it,  it didn’t suite my game.

You had to be really careful when exploring.  It was too slow and plodding and besides, it’s been over-done.

I chose car-chase style physics with an accelerating throttle instead of the basic thruster mechanics from asteroids because it represented the game better.

It wound up being faster, more exciting,  more interesting to explore the world with.

It also makes the action remind me of one of my favorite games,  GTA2.

Click here to play & rate.
Click here to view the time lapse.

So in conclusion, it’s not a bug… It’s a feature

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 at 2:50 am and is filed under LD #27. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I’ve seen and rated a lot of great games.

While rating I began to get curious.. how would I rate my own game?

So I did.

However, I am biased since I already understand the motive behind car-chase style physics vs asteroids-style physics. I am also fully aware of the infinite random nature of the game environment. I anticipate the subtle nature of these concepts might be less noticeable to the passive bystander. Guess that’s why we don’t self-rate!

Click Here to play & rate.

I initiated my brother-in-law to game jamming today with a 10 hour game jam.
He made graphics and sfx with bfxr while I programmed. I was surprised that he had the discipline and will to complete every task I asked for immediately.

This was our creation…

Sorry, it’s not politically correct..

Click here to play.

Keyboard controls:.
W -Jump, A,D – Move, J – Shoot

I posted this for facebook friends. Thought I would extend the invitation to fellow jammers.

I’ll make YOUR game idea… sorta.

http://bit.ly/18K9048 <- Click here to submit a one or two word theme.

My goal in life is to be #1 in Ludum Dare in any (hopefully the overall) category.

Last time I got #101 place in graphics, and #120 over-all with “Space Demolition”. I’ve set my personal bar pretty high now. Pressure is on.

Click here to play.
Click here to view the time lapse.

Here is my Basekit: suese_ld28_basekit.rar
It does lots of stuff, graphics, particles, UI, music, BFXR, random functions, game flow. Next LD I will make a brand-new base kit with hardware acceleration. For now, this one does me good.

So, that’s what came to mind.
Here’s the main character so far.

Tell me what you think.

I’m almost done with the first set of assets, then on to programming.

The game is about a communist Russian who waits patiently in the cigarette line to find he only gets ONE cigarette.

His mission is obvious to any smoker.. find more cigarettes at ANY cost, even if it means taking down the whole damn iron curtain!

If you nick-fit bar is low you will gain super-strength, but if it is depleted you will become sluggish.

I intend to add a lot more details when I’m done, but for now it’s time to make a game out of this…

Just generates the first level and draws the tool-bar so far.

Next I add the main character and all his abilities to smoke, eat, pick up weapons, shoot weapons, run, etc.

First in-game screen-shot.

Wish me luck!

And as always, let me know what you think so far.

The 24 hour home stretch is coming up.  
I just woke up,  sounds like time for some Stone Temple Pilots!

It’s funny I’m making a game about cigarettes when I have nothing to smoke.

Hey thanks to GIF Cam a lovely lightweight program, I made this GIF for you

Sooo… goood. Sorry if my game makes you want to smoke.

I can relate to Comrad Player some days…

This what happen when Comrad Player only get one cigarette!

Cognitive brick wall!!

My sleep cycles have been only 3.5 hours the last two days with white noise in my room. My cog can’t get -any- worse than it is right now, so might as well bite bullet and hope I get 6.5 glorious hours when I wake up.

Comrad Me is in having of no cognitive functions.

You are a patriotic communist Russian waiting in line for cigarettes. You get to the front of the line to find they will only give you ONE cigarette.

The mission from there is obvious to any Smoker.. get more cigarettes at ANY cost. beg plead, or even take down the whole damn iron curtain if you have to!

Click here to player & rate.KEYBOARD + MOUSE

W,A,S,D – Move
Click – Use Tool
Mouse Scroll – Change Tool

It’s quite playable and quite fun, though there are a few bugs that really grind my gears and I didn’t get to implement all the features I wanted to. Oh well, better luck next time

Enjoy!

I’m surprised I got all of these onto on 800 x 600 image.

Click here to play and rate.

Click here for MP3s (4 x MP3s)

Ludum Dare, as always was fun.

I made this game by myself in 48 hours…

Click here to player & rate.KEYBOARD + MOUSEW,A,S,D – Move
Click – Use Tool
Mouse Scroll – Change Tool 

I get to add that to my list:

http://danmckinnon.net/games.html  <– My portfolio

Go me.

I got my 100th rating for my game “One Cigarette” today.

If you want to see what the stink is about check it out:

Click here to player & rate.

KEYBOARD + MOUSE

W,A,S,D – Move
Click – Use Tool
Mouse Scroll – Change Tool

NOTE: No Touch-Pad support. Requires a MOUSE with a WHEEL.

Non-game with unskippable dialog #27 over-all
http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=30207

My -game-, judged extremely harshly for unskippable dialog: #222 over-all

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-28/?action=preview&uid=8361

Does the rating system not seem completely flawed to everyone else yet?

Don’t give me that all-inclusive “everyone’s a winner if they try” rainbows and hippie crap. Inclusiveness is for the Jam, COMPETITION is for the COMPETITION. Am I right or am I right?

There’s a problem. Let’s get it fixed… seriously.