I'm a sucker for these things.

4 things about Astrae:

1. Astrae began in late 2020 as the question - What if a 2D metroidvania map had a z-axis?
2. The 14 worlds are slices of different dimensions.
3. Before Astrae, Shael's mentor starred in a Pico-8 project.
4. ⬇️ px, ⬆️ detail
#indiedev #indiedrop

I think the critique has two flavors. One you described, someone wants to do something without the steps to get there. The other, I think, is high-skilled players who think that because they're high-skilled, they should be able to achieve perfection every time, and anything less is on the designer.

This thread brought to you by: Oceiros (Dark Souls 3); Shakra, Lace, Seth, Groal (Silksong); Malenia, Metyr, PCR, others (Elden Ring). I think those are the ones I've seen lately, but since challenge runs (wonderful) and armchair design commentary (woeful), this complaint has been irking me.

Of course, players should feel like they can get better and overcome the challenge. They should feel like getting hit was a mistake or the boss getting the better of them. The loop should be fun. But even at the highest skill, good design does not have to facilitate 100% consistent perfection.

If an attack can only be 100% avoided by you playing defensively and preemptively spacing it, that's not inherently bad design, that's a trade-off for aggressive play.

If an attack requires several particular inputs to fully avoid, that's a learning opportunity and incentive to pay attention.

Outside of some bespoke challenges, bosses are designed to be overcome, not perfected. A fast windup that's possible, but not always feasible, to avoid isn't bad design, it's pressure to put you in variably difficult and tense situations (i.e. to make it more likely you're at low health).

Putting forth a game design postulate.

There's a critique I've seen that a boss is designed poorly if it's frustrating to no-hit. I think this is a bad critique that doesn't understand game design.

A no-hittable boss is a sign of good design; you are not owed a guaranteed no-hit attempt.

#gamedev

But look, they've freed up budget so that over a dozen companies can also waste a colossal amount of money at Disney's behest for no benefit!

Been seeing arguments about FromSoftware game tiers both here and twitter. So here is my tier list of FromSoftware games, to include all the games that I've played.

Assume that all DLC / content has been played and considered.

I should track down their pre-Demon's Souls games.

I think this is important to understand. My last studio was shut down almost 18 months before I got a new full time job. I actively applied and interviewed from day 1, games and tech. Countless applications.

I had contract work to stay solvent over that time, but it's real bleak on the job market.

Posted without comment, because the comments have been made ad nauseam.

For spoilers' sake, the images of the Entities in the above screenshot are just concept art, representing creatures elevated to corrupted avatars of Persistence and Change, the two fundamental forces in Tier'Somnastrae. Who knows what they'll look like in the end?

Shael, the protagonist, has the chance to confront malevolent entities their mentor Aidrah could not.

In Shael's actions, Aidrah finally has the chance to find peace from endless lifetimes.

And the dying Worlds may find their second chance at existence.

#indiedev #gamedev #metroidvania #pixelart

Looks like a whole dang game coming together!

I don't think I have any words to mince on this, DLSS 5 is an assault on the artistic integrity of games as a medium.

As a technology, its thesis is that visuals crafted by a dev team, all direction and intent therein, are meaningless. It is offensive and should be rejected wholesale.

Thanks!

Shards are special, both mechanically and narratively, and so will be much more difficult to come across. And when players do find one, it should change their relationship with the world (if I do my job right). I'm a big fan of upgrades that change the player experience along multiple vectors. 4/4

But independent of Attunements are Shards, powerful mana-timed weapons with their own abilities. Only one can be equipped at a time, and once invoked, Shael adopts its moveset until the meter expires. Each also has a charge ability that will burn the entire meter to dramatic effect. 3/4

The system uses Attunements swapped at no penalty, each with a unique moveset.

Each Attunement will have a melee form and a set of spells (each spell an upgrade to discover, so players can discover both new Attunements and expand Attunements through exploration). (Older movesets shown here.) 2/4

As I slowly work on Astrae's in-engine combat, here are some old animations for #screenshotsaturday. Split over 4 posts, only one gif allowed?

Shael is a martial artist, and so the system relies on melee primarily, alongside a spell system (for another day) 1/4

#indiedev #gamedev #metroidvania

I'm in western WA, not quite Seattle, but that's where I'd go for the symphony.

Team Cherry please. I will buy at least two (2) tickets to this if you bring it to Western Washington. Perhaps I could even convince a few friends to come with me. That's several tickets!!

I love the long game for universe crossovers. If I have my way, and Astrae sees the light of day, there will be hints of Tier'Somnastrae and the Dae people scattered about hidden corners of gaming.

Don't they know how many turbo nerds there are in Seattle??

Silksong Speed Completion achievement! I've beaten the game 4 times now and I still don't think I'm done with it. I guess Steel Soul is next?

#Silksong

Hopping on this 9 games trend with 9 games that rewired my brain, in chronological order.

I left off NES because I don't think I had quite formed what my tastes were back then. Mega Man X was my first truly "favorite" game.

Ocarina and BotW are the only other games to take that title.

Indeed, there are far too many people who believe that games are just product to me shoveled out for maximum adoption at all costs.

Then of course, you see the games that actually have organic, strong growth, and they're usually the ones that clearly had a vision behind them.

Because again, games are art that speak through the medium of play, and art is about connecting to, and being affected by, the creations of other humans. Developers need to know their players to reach them, but they still need to say something.

(And players need to listen for what they're saying.)

The key to all this is honoring creative vision by ensuring the game is producing the intended experience. Developers don't always know how to get to that end goal, and feedback can help them get there, but it can't be at the expense of their vision. Great games find how to execute a strong vision.

Or, if you choose not to use the feedback, or that it in another direction, what does that do to the connection between player wants and creative vision? It's perfectly valid to opt not to smooth friction in a game if that friction is key of the experience (just know it also shapes the player base).