GMTK Newsletter - October 2016 (Patreon)

Hey everyone! Let's jump right into it.

Post Script

Why We Remember Bioshock's Fort Frolic

This was a really fun episode to make. Fort Frolic is always held up as the best level in Bioshock (and I had fond, but vague memories of enjoying it back in 2007) but I couldn't find a concrete reason for why people like it so much.

I decided to play it through myself with a critical eye. I went back and forth on whether to get the PS4 remaster or be lazy and stick with the Xbox 360 original... until I realised that I don't own Bioshock! I'm not sure where my copy went. But oh well, had to get the game again on PS4.

I rushed through the game to get to Fort Frolic and then played it through about 4 times. Looking at level design, enemies, Sander Cohen's characters, and seeing how it all worked. Could I do things out of order? Why do certain enemies spawn? 

That was fun, but trying to get it into something focused was quite tough. Then I realised that Sander Cohen is the only boss in Bioshock that you don't have to kill and I started to think about it from that direction. And that became a really interesting line of inquiry - how does Bioshock, a game exclusively about combat, manage to have an antagonist that isn't centred on you trying to kill each other?

It all came together after that. And the edit was pretty easy - it was fun to play with a different font to match the artistic nature of Sander Cohen. Yeah, that's right. Fonts are fun. Come at me.

Boss Keys - Wind Waker

You know, I thought I would get more hate mail for this one. I got some comments disagreeing with me - many with good rebuttals and fair criticisms. But not the torrent of hate I'd expect for speaking ill of a Zelda game.

The main thing I noticed is that commenters simply didn't understand what I meant when I use the words linear / non-linear. Which is, let's be honest, my fault for using established words in a different context.

This has spurred me to come up with some different terminology going forward. In my Minish Cap video I'll be talking about "direct" dungeons (ones that keep pushing you forward, with few reasons to ever backtrack) and "overlapping" dungeons (one that ask you to explore the same rooms over and over as you untangle the secrets of the dungeon).

Spoiler: Minish Cap has examples of both. It really sits on the crux of classic and more modern dungeon design. Though, saying that, I just started playing Twilight Princess and it already has more complex dungeons that Wind Waker. So the distinction isn't that clear cut).

I've got to plan this university talk on dungeon design for next week. It will be a handy way to sum up what I've learned so far and decide what I'll be talking about in the actual GMTK episode.

Anyway, Boss Keys continues to be an interesting project. I knew it would be tough - GMTK eps are built on thorough research and I feel confident in their content when I put them out. BK is right there in that research process where I'm still figuring stuff out and coming to conclusions. It's messy and naked and embarrassing at times. But still interesting, I think.

Wait, only one episode of GMTK this month? Again?

Yeesh, I know right? I'm bummed too. So, first off - apologies for that. As usual, you'll only get charged once this month.

It's this bloody Nintendo video. It was a creative roadblock in September and it's a roadblock in October too. It's actually nearly done now - I've written the script (quite different in structure to the one I shared earlier) and recorded it. But I don't want to rush it just to meet a pretty arbitrary deadline. It'll be live early November. 

It's probably not even that good. Well. Okay, every time I make a video I absolutely love it when I start. The research is going well, the flow is coming together, I'm thinking "this will be my best episode ever". And then I hate it. I start to dread it. I just want it to be done and finished and then I'll make the next one better. And repeat.

I think this is just a fact of making stuff. I've talked to a few other creators and they have similar feelings. I've done enough of these to know now that I just need to push on. I need to trust that I wouldn't have gotten this far if it was crap. I just can't see it objectively anymore and I need to wait to see what the world thinks. 

Making stuff is hard. Don't do it. Actually do. It's fun.

Mark's Month

October has been a big month for games. And I've played none of them. Hah. I still haven't got to Mafia 3, Gears of War 4, Battlefield 1, or Titanfall 2. 

But I did play Civilization 6!

You know, I'm not very smart when it comes to strategy games. So many numbers, things to think about, different win states. Yeesh. But I love Civilization so much that I'm happy to bumble my way through a few campaigns.

I love how Civ treats history. There's probably a good think piece in how it completely scrubs away stuff like slavery and genocide to focus on the hopeful message of humans striving ever forward with culture and science (and a lot of war, to be fair). But there's just something about charting all of the accomplishments of the human race - from pottery to the internet, from the hanging gardens of Babylon to the UN - in about 12 hours that gets me good.

Anyway, there are better people to ask whether this one is actually a good strategy game. But I like the changes to districts, builders, dealing with leaders, and the map. The map! It's gorgeous.

I also played a butt load of PlayStation VR. 

I really like the headset. It's definitely more comfortable and stylish than the others. And the set up process is simple: there's a bunch of cables but it's effortless to put them all together.

The PS4 can pump out a pretty good image. It might not be as good as a Vive on a crazy powerful PC but it can look very good (and developers are already figuring out how to make it look its best). The field of view isn't bad and while there are issues with tracking and drifting, they're mild.

But beyond all that, the experience continues to amaze me. Whether it's the immersive qualities of Rez Infinite's Mode X. Or the sheer scale seen in a game like Until Dawn. Or the presence of being in a dusty London pub in PlayStation VR Worlds. There are games that are goofy and awe-inspiring and nauseous (sorry Driveclub VR, but you make my tummy go funny).

The best game is actually a freebie (in fact, there are loads of free experiences on PSN). The Playroom VR game as a platformer in it called Robots Rescue and it's terrific. It's the closest thing to Super Mario 3D World in VR, and has some really clever ideas. I don't want to spoil it (the first time you play it is magical) but the stuff it does with the Dualshock 4 is ultra smart.

I also played the Dark Souls 3 DLC - I liked it. The way the world interconnects is really cool. And I'm a big fan of snow levels in games. And ReCore which I've already talked about. And some indie bits and bobs I'll cover in the playlist.

But yeah - I set up game rentals again through Boomerang and I just need to wait a few more weeks to actually get October's games come through. That's okay - I don't like getting caught up in the hype of new releases anyway.

I can't think of anything else to report. I'm going to go away now and work on this video :)