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Yep. Or somehow focus more, that would help knock a few more ideas out as well. My backlog of games/puzzles/stories I'd eventually like to get out there might

Yep. Or somehow focus more, that would help knock a few more ideas out as well. My backlog of games/puzzles/stories I'd eventually like to get out there might be >100 at this point. Focusing mostly on a bit more of an ambitious game right now, and it's probably still 6 months before I get it into Steam early access (coding in my spare time and energy, which is sparse lately), so everything else is just waiting at this point. But sometimes I get an idea that I need to at least get some playable prototype with index cards, pen, paper, and tokens, at least. Just had another concept pop into my head a couple days ago for a roll-and-write I should at least make a board and write up some rules for before I forget. Waiting for the day when something like ChatGPT can code up a basic but working game based on my description of its mechanisms. Even if it can only handle abstract games on a sqauare or hex grid, that'd still be useful for me.

jvanderbot 4y ago
After I hit midlife I decided that I just didn't have enough time to do them all, and started pruning aggressively. I now keep three projects alive and bounce between them as interest directs. It takes discipline. But it also exercises my focus which was never a strength.
- cableshaft 4y ago
  I'm mainly working on one video game and one board game design at the moment, mostly the video game right now. Sometimes if I want a break from the game I'll do a tiny bit of work on a library that should facilitate future web game development, or trying to get a personal site up again to showcase all my games (including past ones that have been released and videos for board game prototypes I've pitched to publishers before). I do have a list of what to work on next after that, though. I did used to try to juggle a lot more and bounce amongst several projects at once, but it's been too long since I've released something, so I've got to knock it off for a little while. But if I don't scratch the creative itch when it strikes at least as far as some notes and some card ideas or something, then I start feeling pretty stuck, since a lot of my current game is just getting all the UI running and polished right now, not exactly super creative stuff.
appleaday1 4y ago
I am interested in that? Maybe we can use ChatGPT or related tech to change Dungeon Crawler games or related procedural generated games? I think DCSS would benefit from this, imagine designing entire levels so that they fit your character well. A common frustration between people that play Felid, draconians or Octopodes according to the dungeon crawl subreddit is that, a lot of armor that generate that they can't use. I think if we had better code or algorithms that targetted even something as basic as item generation based on class or race you play will make games more immersive for people that pick them. It's always weird when I play DCSS, and I am playing a human brigand or something and I see Centaur warding or armor that I can't wear. Some of the best games I have had are where the character that I play, gets items or environments or vaults that help my character progress, this means the correct spells, items, stat increases, enemies and so on.
- sargstuff 4y ago
  alway dinkstra's maps[1] but a reverse hascii [2] might be more future proof [1] : http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php/Dijkstra_Maps_Visualized http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php/Dijkstra_Maps_Visualized [2]: https://github.com/jaromil/hasciicam https://github.com/jaromil/hasciicam
sargstuff 4y ago
> ...proto type with index card, pen, paper .... go e-ink & vr and save the $$ not spent on consumable resources for venture capital.
- cableshaft 4y ago
  While I do have a VR device I've done the whole digital thing before (I have versions of some of my games on Tabletop Simulator, in fact one of them is downloadable on Steam Workshop right now) and it's just not the same as being able to handle things physically. My brain doesn't catch things as easily without being able to physically manipulate objects. Like one example is I didn't notice how fiddly resource manipulation was when I only had a digital version of one of my games. It was only when I was manipulating it physically that I went "yeah that's not going to work". Without playing with the physical bits, it's harder (for me) to come up with special actions or different ideas for mechanics. Not impossible, just harder. Also my local playtest group and game designer conventions meet in person, so I better have something physical for those. I do write simulation programs for some things though, like to help balance scores, determine if there's a first person advantage, how often do draws happen, etc. However, I am interested in the recent push for sustainable game production, with people making roll and write games where the sheets you play on can be done on an iPad without printing anything out. I may have a design that's compatible with that, a concept that popped in my head recently that I'll start designing soon. One example[1] and another [2] and another [3] of these games on Kickstarter. I reuse a lot of components anyway. I have a tub for wooden cubes, another for wooden meeples, a third for dice, a fourth for money chips, etc. and I have a few decks of cards that have six suits and numbers from 0 to 15 on them that covers a surprisingly wide range of games, that I can just grab and start using. But if I want to have special cards, then I use index cards (and eventually do graphic design and print card art for). Also not sure why you think VR and E-ink is somehow not a consumable resource. They take an incredible amount of resources to make in the first place, probably far more than some sheets of paper, and eventually they'll need to be upgraded or replaced, which uses much more resources as well. [1]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/postmarkgames/voyages/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/postmarkgames/voyages/d... [2]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peterchayward/sunshine-city-roll-and-write-engine-builder/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peterchayward/sunshine-... [3]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wayfarerstale/a-wayfarers-tale-0/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wayfarerstale/a-wayfare...

jvanderbot 4y ago

After I hit midlife I decided that I just didn't have enough time to do them all, and started pruning aggressively. I now keep three projects alive and bounce between them as interest directs. It takes discipline. But it also exercises my focus which was never a strength.

cableshaft 4y ago
I'm mainly working on one video game and one board game design at the moment, mostly the video game right now. Sometimes if I want a break from the game I'll do a tiny bit of work on a library that should facilitate future web game development, or trying to get a personal site up again to showcase all my games (including past ones that have been released and videos for board game prototypes I've pitched to publishers before). I do have a list of what to work on next after that, though. I did used to try to juggle a lot more and bounce amongst several projects at once, but it's been too long since I've released something, so I've got to knock it off for a little while. But if I don't scratch the creative itch when it strikes at least as far as some notes and some card ideas or something, then I start feeling pretty stuck, since a lot of my current game is just getting all the UI running and polished right now, not exactly super creative stuff.

appleaday1 4y ago

I am interested in that? Maybe we can use ChatGPT or related tech to change Dungeon Crawler games or related procedural generated games? I think DCSS would benefit from this, imagine designing entire levels so that they fit your character well. A common frustration between people that play Felid, draconians or Octopodes according to the dungeon crawl subreddit is that, a lot of armor that generate that they can't use. I think if we had better code or algorithms that targetted even something as basic as item generation based on class or race you play will make games more immersive for people that pick them. It's always weird when I play DCSS, and I am playing a human brigand or something and I see Centaur warding or armor that I can't wear. Some of the best games I have had are where the character that I play, gets items or environments or vaults that help my character progress, this means the correct spells, items, stat increases, enemies and so on.

sargstuff 4y ago
alway dinkstra's maps[1] but a reverse hascii [2] might be more future proof [1] : http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php/Dijkstra_Maps_Visualized http://www.roguebasin.com/index.php/Dijkstra_Maps_Visualized [2]: https://github.com/jaromil/hasciicam https://github.com/jaromil/hasciicam

sargstuff 4y ago

> ...proto type with index card, pen, paper .... go e-ink & vr and save the $$ not spent on consumable resources for venture capital.

cableshaft 4y ago
While I do have a VR device I've done the whole digital thing before (I have versions of some of my games on Tabletop Simulator, in fact one of them is downloadable on Steam Workshop right now) and it's just not the same as being able to handle things physically. My brain doesn't catch things as easily without being able to physically manipulate objects. Like one example is I didn't notice how fiddly resource manipulation was when I only had a digital version of one of my games. It was only when I was manipulating it physically that I went "yeah that's not going to work". Without playing with the physical bits, it's harder (for me) to come up with special actions or different ideas for mechanics. Not impossible, just harder. Also my local playtest group and game designer conventions meet in person, so I better have something physical for those. I do write simulation programs for some things though, like to help balance scores, determine if there's a first person advantage, how often do draws happen, etc. However, I am interested in the recent push for sustainable game production, with people making roll and write games where the sheets you play on can be done on an iPad without printing anything out. I may have a design that's compatible with that, a concept that popped in my head recently that I'll start designing soon. One example[1] and another [2] and another [3] of these games on Kickstarter. I reuse a lot of components anyway. I have a tub for wooden cubes, another for wooden meeples, a third for dice, a fourth for money chips, etc. and I have a few decks of cards that have six suits and numbers from 0 to 15 on them that covers a surprisingly wide range of games, that I can just grab and start using. But if I want to have special cards, then I use index cards (and eventually do graphic design and print card art for). Also not sure why you think VR and E-ink is somehow not a consumable resource. They take an incredible amount of resources to make in the first place, probably far more than some sheets of paper, and eventually they'll need to be upgraded or replaced, which uses much more resources as well. [1]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/postmarkgames/voyages/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/postmarkgames/voyages/d... [2]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peterchayward/sunshine-city-roll-and-write-engine-builder/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peterchayward/sunshine-... [3]: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wayfarerstale/a-wayfarers-tale-0/description https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wayfarerstale/a-wayfare...