First Ludum Dare, though not first Game Jam. I've got some ideas already!

This will be my second Ludum Dare, but I have attended others - including the Global Game Jam, and a couple of smaller local Jams in years past. I've finally learned it's best to have options and come in prepared - especially as a single person developer.

This time and year, I have at least three possible ideas and pathways to take, and several assets ready to go - and I'm hoping to at very least have produced a working prototype!

Okay, I can't really say that I'm "Ready". Game Jams never actually stick to the plan - but this time, I've got a good feeling about the themes. Even something resembling a coherent idea!

Kinda-Sorta, at least.

I think I have the atmospheric effects working pretty well, player movement for the heavy tank-drone, etc!

I would not survive Compo. Already so far - Migraine, Nearby tornadoes - but none thankfully
close, power blinking a few times threatening to go out, and a few more thunderstorms still in the day's forecast.

PUBLISHED (for a game jam)! And playable! I didn't have any time for audio, but the core loop of my game - WordGeddon - is functional. I also need to do some bug hunting, but... what I was hoping for actually works. Just barely under the time limit within 30 minutes.

There was another idea at first from Friday and Saturday, but ...well, my last post explains what happened with "that" - apparently, attempt to make a game with extreme weather, and weather fights back.

Had to make a few fixes to WordGeddon - there was a bug within the first uploaded version that resulted in an unbreakable loop of explosions if you played it more then once, but that's now been taken care of! I want to add a LOT to this game, however I'm going to leave the version on Ludum Dare alone.

Actually completed LD48 with a published game - my first completed game in almost a decade of competing in various Jams. Hoping to repeat that again - namely, by keeping my main mechanics and idea simple!

This month, I actually prepped by mostly just relaxing the last week. Trying to avoid being burnt-out before the jam even starts.

Okay, I'll admit - I almost gave up on this one. Yet... almost ten seconds after being close to doing so, an idea finally came to mind.

I don't know how this happens, exactly. I was thinking about how to create a top-down camera in CineMachine. Yes, there are specific ways to do it, but the docs state it's "modeled after human operators and cameras." So that got me thinking... human operators filming top down are usually in helicopters, or on boom arms. Thus ....

... and the player likely won't even see much of it.

This time I'm not going to let scope creep hit, and I have some ideas to use.

I'm mainly a Unity / C# dev, though I also work in TypeScript and PHP though neither should be applicable this time.

My main toolset is:

Engine: Unity

Language: C#

Art: Photoshop

Models: Blender

SFX: A mixed collection and BFXR

Music: To be determined

And energy drinks. Also, here's hoping the net holds out!

[EDIT: Huh. Not sure if my newlines were interpreted by the editor or not]

Well, that's unexpected. Delivery is probably the one I was thinking would get the least votes, but it is something different.

I've got an idea! And it should fit the theme well, I hope. Starting work on the models first.

Alright! Basic assets prepped, textured, etc. Now to start frameworking the actual game I have in mind. I've got two layers I'd like to create, but if there's too much constraint on time I can drop one.

I'm going to try to get as much done as I can, but something I didn't anticipate - being in the timezone -10 means I'm at least 4 to 6 hours off most other US devs in the Jam. I actually really like this theme and I've got a large part of my entry ready though it's still missing major mechanics.

Well, I'm about 70% done with the mechanics and I'm glad I switched to "Extra". While I won't make the Jam end (pushing for that would be burnout), I plan on being done by Friday with a alpha / beta version.

Here's a preview - this is Conduit Courier, styled as a bit of a mashup of Pipe Dreams and Mini Metro:

The goal is to reach three destinations per level, routing pipes to each destination location from base before their package gets shot through the pneumatic system. You start with $1000 - placing pipes costs money, and using more pipes will cause the price to go up. Link places successfully though, and you earn more money!

Fail to link the destinations though before the timer runs out, or the package reaches the end of it's line without getting to the target, and that's lost income. Losing three packages is game over for the level.

With the Round completed, I'm in! I'll most likely do the Jam this year unless the theme really speaks to me for Compo, but we'll see how the next five days turn out.

It really felt like there were a lot of similar themes this year - a lot of people seem to be on the same wavelength.

I'm itching to get started. Missed April by a few days. Last year I came pretty close to getting something published, but decided it ultimately wasn't very fun. I want to give it another go, and so far I'm liking the possibilities in these themes.

This is perfect. I've had something in mind that almost any of the themes could work for, and Tiny Creatures gets voted in. Even Echo would have worked to a degree.

So much more progress than I usually make by this point. I'm often struggling to come up with /some/ idea.

Instead, not only do I have an idea, I have a primary model and a weapon done with animations. After a short break, tomorrow I'll start importing things into Unity and create a basic character controller. Then figure out the terrain.