Dev Blog : Navigating Game Development - Challenges, Decisions, and Updates
Hello adventurers!
Let me introduce myself: I'm Arkadiusz Fus (Fusu) from Cracow, Poland—nice to meet you!
After much deliberation about where and how to run a dev blog, I've decided to do it on Steam; let's see how it goes. I'm not one to talk much about what I do, rather, I do a lot and speak little :) Unfortunately, this hinders things like running a dev blog or managing social media, which I 'try' to manage.
[h2]Why do I make games? [/h2]
Because I've been making them since I was young, but this time I decided to finish something and do it as best I can, and if I can't, find someone who can. The tavern project started quite some time ago;
I think there weren't games about taverns on the market back then, and the first project outline was in May 2019.
[h2]Journey from Unity to JavaScript: Navigating Early Development Challenges[/h2]
The first attempts were on the Unity engine with a college friend, but we failed, the entry threshold (learning C# + engine at once) was too high, so instead of prototyping the game, most of the effort went into learning the engine, so poor results, a lot of time spent, so motivation had to run out. Then I tried again on my own and with technology that I somewhat knew and liked, meaning JavaScript. And I started making a game without any engine, just on a framework that isn't necessarily meant for it, but the entry threshold is low because it focuses on Developer Experience and is therefore highly intuitive. So you could say I'm going uphill a bit because I'm not using a ready-made game engine, but on the other hand, I'm not writing everything from scratch, my 'engine' is the browser, but you have to write what, where, and how it should work, plus it has a lot of limitations, but most importantly I don't regret the choice :)
[h2]Embracing Collaboration and Charting a Unique Path in Game Development[/h2]
Somehow in May/June 2022 I decided that I would need help from people who will fill my gaps, especially graphic gaps, and from that moment you could say that I took the project seriously. I think choosing JavaScript closed my way to the broadly understood Gamedev, but in reality, I didn't want to be part of 'that' gamedev that is now on the market. I wanted to do a piece of 'gamedev' my way, where money is secondary, not primary. I'm also a gamer and will always be, so I see what most gamers like and what they don't. I try to ensure that player experiences in a given game are first and foremost. Although it's a very broad and difficult topic, it doesn't mean that you can't try to achieve it.
[h2]Balancing Integrity and Sustainability in Game Monetization[/h2]
I won't surprise you if I say I don't like microtransactions, pay-to-win, or ads in games, so I won't use them in my own games :) DLC is cool, only if they really add some cool interesting content that is optional. But I also won't hide that I would like to earn money from the game (if it pays off it will be a success), to be able to do what I want on my own terms with great people who have a similar vibe. Passion is passion, but you have to eat and provide a roof over your head.
[h2]Navigating Development Dilemmas: Full-Time Game Dev, Potential Projects, and Beta Decisions[/h2]
I've been working full-time on the game for a while now, but unfortunately, that will end in a few days. Additionally, I'm facing a dilemma about whether to take on another project. This new project won't be easy, but it might have potential in the future, and I've already invested a lot of time and energy into it. It's also important to consider physical and mental health, personal life, and balancing what should be done with what we desire.
Therefore, I'm not sure if I'll be able to launch the open beta by the end of the year. Recently, I thought about skipping the closed alpha and going straight to the beta. However, I'm worried that there might be too many bugs initially, which could discourage players. In my opinion, there's nothing worse than game-breaking bugs, especially since it's my own engine, and I'm unsure how it will perform on different configurations and resolutions.
On the other hand, the sooner a large community forms, the better the chances of launching a Kickstarter campaign that would allow me to focus 100% on the game. So, these are the dilemmas I'm currently facing.
[h2]Shifting Gears: From Personal Insights to Tavern Updates[/h2]
The most significant recent changes have been closely related to UX/UI. We've already implemented a lot of feedback from events that was quick to address, such as keyboard shortcuts for navigating the tavern or menu, adding more tooltips, and implementing a full animation for the waitress with our new solution. I've improved the map's performance, although it's still not perfect in my opinion. We've added floating texts, and most importantly, we are in the process of redesigning the majority of the menu views. This is currently taking the most time, but we already have something functional.
Honestly, the new UI is impressive, making me excited to play. I can't wait to rework the rest and let you all try it out! Additionally, we are working on a mini-game for negotiating with customers, where you'll be able to choose the difficulty level of the negotiations. Depending on your effort, you'll earn corresponding rewards. I'll definitely show it once it's ready!
[h2]Reflections from Pixel Heaven: Networking, Feedback, and Insights[/h2]
We attended Pixel Heaven event in Warsaw, where we met many new people including other indie developers and received valuable feedback. It was quite a tiring event, especially since the organizers didn't quite manage it perfectly, but I'm feeling positive after it. Many people spoke highly about the graphics and animations, which was very gratifying. Of course, the feedback on UI/UX wasn't as good, but we were already aware of that! Some also mentioned that the game looks 'done,' which surprised me a bit. Perhaps when you work on something for so long, you see what's missing rather than what's already there? Hmm.
P.S. I like memes!
