Previously:

https://romance.newgrounds.com/news/post/1462907

NOW:

So, a team of four gathered over the last two weeks and created SUPER FREAKING WEIRD FREAKING BOWLING!

A game has been made... and it begs some reflection, so that's what i shall do.

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When I joined Low Rez Jam, I had a couple of goals:

1. Create a game

2. Network

3. Manage a team.

These all happened, but none of them happened perfectly. Each aspect of the game's creation had things that went right, and there are also things that will be improved on for future projects.

From a game design standpoint, Super Freaking Weird Freaking Bowling (henceforth referred to as SFWFB) was super fun to design. I've never made a "full" game before, so I couldn't create a game that required lots of experience (or time. the jam was 2 weeks long). The idea was to plan a game that could be simple to script. This worked 💥.

As for improvements...... the game is NOT perfect. It's missing a whole pillar: it doesn't have any content after the last upgrade, so there's no ending and no other goals to work towards. Strike streaks are still fun to get in the game, but after you get all three upgrades, that's it.

In terms of scripting, things went excellent. The game was made in Godot, and things felt intuitive and easy to work with all the way through. There are many opportunities for code optimizations I have written down, most of them to do with adding some global scripts, a global sound effect handler, and a global animation handler.

How "un-optimized" is the game? Let's just say 75% of the game is run in a single giant main game script. Not terrible, but could be better.....

In terms of leading a team, things were FABULOUS. We were a group of four, and we were a fabulous group of four. If we were the MarvelVengers, @pollyanoid would be Super Jill, @gooberthed would be Galaxy Person, @just-a-ng-dummy would be John Narrator, and I would be Robert Doy Jr. wearing the Space Mask. All the assets that everyone made were so good, and I'm so glad everyone was able to really get into creating the game.

I had a couple missteps when I was heading the project. My goals with the collaboration part of things was to 1) do networking/collaboration with new creators, 2) be a kind person, and 3) tell people what they had to do and when things were due without setting evil deadlines. I think I succeeded; you'll have to ask the artists. The missteps had to do with time management (see below). Next time, I'll have to assign work a little earlier and assign it in bulk. I went a little too slow and too quiet when I didn't have to: there were a couple assets I didn't assign so as not to overwhelm the team, but my habit was to ASK first, then assign. So I may have been too slow; next game, I will assign LOTS AND LOTS of work mercilessly.

All parts of the project considered, the part I did THE WORST in was TIME MANAGEMENT. The cost of my poor time management was not very obvious to anyone on the team (i don't think?), but I believe the game could have had more content if I hadn't been lazy for no good reason on certain days.

The game was supposed to have an ending. I considered the ending a "could" feature; it'd be made if time allowed. Well, time DID allow, but after the main game loop, upgrades, and hazards were programmed, i slowed development down, not really acknowledging that I actually did have time to add more content. This slowdown wasn't a very deliberate slowdown; it was a "this game is satisfying to playtest now, so i'll just ride out a couple days of the deadline" slowdown.

Then again, my goal wasn't to make a perfect game. My goals were to get experience finishing a game and being the leader of a group, and those experiences have happened.

THEN AGAIN (x2), it's not very good to bring up these other goals to act as the scapegoats for the game's lackluster parts. My workflow was supposed to be better.

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WHAT NOW? IDK

SFWFB isn't an ongoing project, so I believe it's all done and won't be getting any updates.

OKAY WAIT UPDATE It will get one update that includes the thing that couldn't be made in time for Low Rez Jam and some bug fixes. The game deserves a little more care.

(that update is out now.)

What will the next game be? I don't freaking know ("freaking" not a tease; the word is just part of my everyday vocabulary now).

I believe there are three options:

another game jam

make another small game not part of a game jam just for fun

go right for the dream game

I must think about this.

If you're reading this and you've played SFWFB, you deserve a Super Freaking Thank Freaking You.

What do you like or dislike about the game? What was your highest strike streak? MINE'S 20.

i believe it's time to try GAMES.!!???.

I wrote long long ago of a dream game and baby steps in godot... fast forward to now, I have some experience with godot and i still quite like this kind of creative work. So i will continue to see if it suits me as i try making, finishing, and publishing a GAME for the first time:

In 3 days, WE GET RETRO

https://itch.io/jam/lowrezjam-2024

HUGE shoutouts to RICK RUBIN!!

WHAT!?

Romance

I'm starting the new year by resurrecting my Newgrounds... mmmmhehehetehehe

Back in 2022, I started to use Newgrounds frequently as my skills making music picked up and I felt like I was ready to publish stuff. Not only that, but I also knew this site had an excellent community of creatives, so I published music and commented often as a means of interacting with people. In 2023, I had about a good two months of posting and collaborating... then dropped off the site. Why did this happen? Truthfully, something didn't feel right with my content. I couldn't tell you why it took ten months to unstick myself and use this website again, but all throughout that time, I had creative expression on my mind. Well, my strange episode is over, and now, I'm ready to do all kinds of fun things!

So, as I return to Newgrounds, I'll write this post so I can do some reflection, some appreciation, and some goal setting. I can speak about the community I've found here on Newgrounds, as well as to my shifting relationship with art.

I started the Junesdale "project" (project, as in "creating and publishing single songs whenever I felt like it") without plans for any big, long-term cornerstone creations. I just wanted an unorganized publishing ground for some experiments in electronic music - and right now, I think I still want that. At some point, however, I realized that I had nothing substantive to share, no meaningful designs, no ideas to communicate through creativity... where's the fun in doing this if there's only a sensationalist dimension to the stuff you make!?!?

I don't mind making weird music for the fun of it, not at all - but it didn't feel right knowing that I had nothing to say in my creative work.

How did I imagine a fix for this? I thought an album would do it... a collection of songs with some real thought put into them.... yesss. I started to make an album in March. I made half a song, then gave up. I'll be honest: I learned I don't give a shit about the format of an album - and, at least for what I was thinking, loud instrumental electronic music felt like a pretty weak medium to convey anything substantive. Therefore, after stopping production on the album, I figured music is only one part of a good creation that could communicate something compelling. I still retained my love for making weird music, but at this time, I set my creative sights elsewhere. I started to think about what thing I could make that would be inspired, fun, and at least somewhat intelligent.

I had this stark change of mind because I forgot just how benevolent or inspired art can be. What reminded me of this? Several things. One of them was Newgrounds. You can see awesome stuff happening every day on this website. I'll say this clearly: there are so many talented composers, producers, visual artists, programmers, and makers on this website. I'm so grateful that I've had the chance to talk and collaborate with people on Newgrounds. I use this website because there's no place I'd rather put my creative work, no place I'd rather be.

Anyways... all that to say I will continue publishing weird music whenever I feel like it. As I envision a bigger creative project, I can only develop it slowly, carefully, and quietly. The only thing left for me to publish is music, as usual. (and any COLLABS!!!!) You might hear more palatable music now, and less intolerable experimentation. As I put together new melodies and harmonies every day, I believe the music I publish will reflect this work... maybe. We'll see...

As for a "bigger creative project," I can only talk concepts. I will become an authentic member of Gen Z and try out game development. I've added the habit of learning Godot to my daily routine right next to my music routines. I'll try this and see if I take a liking to it.

I will also be appreciating all of the great stuff people are making on this website. If I comment on your creations or reach out to you, it's because I believe you're making something with some real quality.

Anyways, that is all I have to say. I value the creative dimension of my life greatly, and even as the creative projects I have are still mostly daydreams, the process of writing and revising is greatly satisfying in and of itself. Still, I can't wait to see what the process leads to. On top of this, the community on this website is spectacular, and I'm going to make a point of viewing, listening, and playing the content people make.

My biggest thanks go out to my closest friends on the platform: @AlesBrewery, @gooberthed, @IcyMire32, @jOnline, @moldbun, @MorrowManners, @pollyanoid, and @splenduhdoy. You are all the best.

Anywayyssss.... let's all create some fucking cool shit.

OK so basically new song

and follow me on my new tweeter!

Weed brownie!!!

listen now