IndieCade submission

As part of the joys of being a game developer you must eventually get your game out into the public to have others play it. Now is that time for our game FlubFighter.  We all came to a decision as a group to enter FlubFighter into the IndieCade 2015 festival. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly the levels were polished and improved lighting was put in. The controls have always been an issue for the game and with the build for the festival the issues are fixed. Granted there is still some small issues and some polish is still needed to make it control like we would like.  It's really interesting to see how far a project has come. We started out with this: 

Make it with modular pieces they said...it will make things easier they said...

After working for 8 months on the project the level has come a long way to look even better. The level is the Reactor level. Somethings have changed but the level has turned out well. We originally wanted to have modular pieces that could be moved around but it discovered that the level didn't look good even when the artists tried to make a texture for the blocks. There was some discussion about adding stickers or warning signs to help give more interest to the platform areas, but that turned out to be a bust. So the levels were redone in 3D and this is what it is now.

When you play the level be on the look out for a tiny robot in the background

For a group of students and recently graduated students I'd have to say it doesn't look any normal student project. It is really up there with indie studios that have had more experience then us. 

GDC Tale

Well GDC has ended and it was a lot of fun as always. I met up with old friends and met new ones. I think I was lucky that I didn't see anyone do anything dumb and crazy this year. I did see and chat with for a bit with a guy who did have one of his employees do something foolish. So I'd like to share a tale of caution for those who have gone or will go to GDC that happened last year.

My story begins at a late night diner. While having a late night breakfast with some new acquaintances I met Bieber. Not the real Justin Beiber but a kid who look remarkably like him. He did introduce himself but unfortunately I can't remember his name. You'll find that happens more often then not; you meet someone and then can't remember their name. He was a nice guy who got an internship and was out with his boss enjoying GDC. 

So the next day, around 2AM we all meet up again but Bieber isn't feeling good so he takes off back to their hotel. We order food and start eating. After a few minutes after the food arrived Bieber's boss gets a text from him saying that he's lost. He does his best to give him directions but it didn't work so he had to go and find him and help him get back. I caught up with him and ask what happened to Beiber. It turns out he was lost in a parking lot for most of the night. 

The moral of my story is don't over do the fun while at GDC like Bieber did. Getting into that state where you are lost in a parking lot is not professional and may get you mentioned in a blog someday. 

Music I'm listening to: Snow Angels | Anamanaguchi