The Path of a Game Developer - Programancer Dev Log #5
[h3]1. So, you made it! How does it feel to finally get Prison City out onto Steam?
[/h3]
Programancer: Feels great! Of course it may be out, but there's still a lot of work to be done- it just feels good knowing people get to experience this baby I've been brewing for the past year! In terms of the journey- probably a boring answer, but I'd say it was "iterative" on both fronts! For me, it helped me refine and reinforce skills and techniques I've been using for years, and for the game it helped do the same for its mechanics, and I think for the most part we're both coming out better than we were before!
[h3]2. What do you hope players take away from playing your game? Why do you think it's important to keep the retro style of games alive today? And what do you think sets Prison City apart from other titles--both modern and other retro-inspired games?[/h3]
Programancer: I mostly just want players to be swept back to a simpler (albeit more challenging) time of gaming, and build new memories! I want them to have that feeling of growth and accomplishment when they not only beat that one level that’s been giving them trouble, but begin to breeze through it with ease! I think that growth is the essence of these sorts of games.
I feel like it’s become incredibly niche to have a game that lets you learn how to get better instead of holding your hand through the experience, and there are definitely people like myself that yearn for this kind of back-to-basics experience. The options are there to tweak the difficulty and make it suitable for your play, but the game will always be fair in how it treats the player- everyone has the ability to get better at it without realizing it!
I think those two points are what sets it apart from both modern and retro games- it respects and even emphasizes the player’s ability to grow and learn without shoving it down their throats- you may take damage or even lose to a pattern a boss throws at you, but rest assured once you lose to that pattern, you know how to avoid it the next time- and if you still need help, you can turn Infinite Lives on, or Respawn From Pits, or any other amenity you could only get with Game Genie on retro games!
[h3]3. What do you think were some of the biggest challenges--technical, logistical, anything of the sort!--getting to this point?[/h3]
Programancer: Biggest challenges are storefront requirements. Hands down. I can’t go into details because of NDA stuff, but some deployments are way more difficult than others. The amount of adjusting you have to do last minute to satisfy certification is overwhelming to say the least! A huge loop of rinse-wash-repeat when it comes to coding and testing. Sometimes you have to rewrite something integral to your game just because it doesn’t work in case C when it does in A and B!
We pulled it through, though!
[h3]4. Can we expect more games to come from Programancer??[/h3]
Programancer: No.
Just kidding. Yes.
We're so excited to finally launch Prison City on Steam! We'll be actively reading and watching what players have to say about the game, and we appreciate all your feedback!
Prison City is available NOW!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2179860/Prison_City/
[/h3]
Programancer: Feels great! Of course it may be out, but there's still a lot of work to be done- it just feels good knowing people get to experience this baby I've been brewing for the past year! In terms of the journey- probably a boring answer, but I'd say it was "iterative" on both fronts! For me, it helped me refine and reinforce skills and techniques I've been using for years, and for the game it helped do the same for its mechanics, and I think for the most part we're both coming out better than we were before!
[h3]2. What do you hope players take away from playing your game? Why do you think it's important to keep the retro style of games alive today? And what do you think sets Prison City apart from other titles--both modern and other retro-inspired games?[/h3]
Programancer: I mostly just want players to be swept back to a simpler (albeit more challenging) time of gaming, and build new memories! I want them to have that feeling of growth and accomplishment when they not only beat that one level that’s been giving them trouble, but begin to breeze through it with ease! I think that growth is the essence of these sorts of games.
I feel like it’s become incredibly niche to have a game that lets you learn how to get better instead of holding your hand through the experience, and there are definitely people like myself that yearn for this kind of back-to-basics experience. The options are there to tweak the difficulty and make it suitable for your play, but the game will always be fair in how it treats the player- everyone has the ability to get better at it without realizing it!
I think those two points are what sets it apart from both modern and retro games- it respects and even emphasizes the player’s ability to grow and learn without shoving it down their throats- you may take damage or even lose to a pattern a boss throws at you, but rest assured once you lose to that pattern, you know how to avoid it the next time- and if you still need help, you can turn Infinite Lives on, or Respawn From Pits, or any other amenity you could only get with Game Genie on retro games!
[h3]3. What do you think were some of the biggest challenges--technical, logistical, anything of the sort!--getting to this point?[/h3]
Programancer: Biggest challenges are storefront requirements. Hands down. I can’t go into details because of NDA stuff, but some deployments are way more difficult than others. The amount of adjusting you have to do last minute to satisfy certification is overwhelming to say the least! A huge loop of rinse-wash-repeat when it comes to coding and testing. Sometimes you have to rewrite something integral to your game just because it doesn’t work in case C when it does in A and B!
We pulled it through, though!
[h3]4. Can we expect more games to come from Programancer??[/h3]
Programancer: No.
Just kidding. Yes.
We're so excited to finally launch Prison City on Steam! We'll be actively reading and watching what players have to say about the game, and we appreciate all your feedback!
Prison City is available NOW!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2179860/Prison_City/