Gamedev highlights of the day
Written by Petri Pekkarinen
GUNNHEIM
Today we had a lot of progress with Gunnheim. There are now actual weapon pickups, which are hell of a lot of fun. Our brief playtesting sessions escalated to a point where we all stated that it’s really time to get back to work, “just after one more level.” And finally after a ten or so attempts each of us finally returned to their own desks. So, yeah, today was a minor breakthrough in itself, with a critical upgrade of the gameplay itself. Most of the weapons we tested are still missing particle effects and most other visuals, but they still get us excited. So the next playable build is going to be so damn good. Some live footage will soon follow.
DIY SOUND DESIGN
We have contacted (and been contacted by) dozens of sound designers and game music composers. We’ve discussed thoroughly with a few, and have got either demos, finished songs or sample sounds. We’ve implemented some music, but a huge set of sounds is still missing from Gunnheim. A few weeks back we purchased a bundle with the necessary equipment for DIY sound design: a mic, pre-amp and recording/mixing software. There have been some wacky test sessions before, but today Klaus and Joel spent an afternoon recording and implementing sounds in the game. Critters now growl and squeal painfully when they are shot, archer enemies make a funny grunt when they spot the player and so on. These and a few other sounds alone make the world we’ve been building for months much more alive. It also makes the mayhem so much more enjoyable. It’s just crazy to think that one of your friends managed to create such quirky sound effects…
So for now we’ve decided to make as many sound effects as we can ourselves. We realize that at some point it could be a wise choice to leave the sound design to more professional people, but so far the sounds that the guys created are best suited for Gunnheim. The game already has a strong sense of originality, both in the artstyle and the feeling, and now the soundscape as well. We’ve been doing nearly everything for the game from scratch with our tiny team, and it continues to show even stronger with this choice.
AFTERWORK WITH THE LOCAL GAMEDEV ENTREPRENEURS
After a day at the office (although I actually made a quick visit back afterwards) we sat down for a pint with some local gamedevs. It’s meant to be a tradition from now on, or it was the intention already a couple of meetings ago. All of us are running young game industry startups, but we are all doing slightly different things. Different platforms, business strategies, team compositions and so on. But that is why it’s so valuable to meet and share thoughts and experiences. Every time we chat, be it for business or pleasure (is there any diffence?) something new can be learned. You can often come to a whole new understanding of your own situation just by sharing it with others, especially if they have some similar experiences to share with you. These kind of meetings are not a new thing, but every single time it’s more than easy to say that they are one of the best way to both learn and unwind after a day at the office, where you have just been struggling with your own challenges. So go out, meet likeminded people, and let them challenge you.
And you know, we missed a post yesterday. Almost on purpose.