Learn you a game Jam part 2 2024 (Learn you a game edition)

 

Day 1 - June 19th, 2024

Nerd Waffle:  Last year I entered the jam and made a game on twine. It was called Monster Knight. The theme of the jam was "You are the monster". I learned a lot about twine programming. I watched tutorials on how to build a combat system, even in a text-based engine. Twine was easy and basic, and you could get a working game in moments. This year I cranked the dial-up and wanted a game that felt more like a game, than a novel.

So this year I have teamed up with a talented artist, and we are going to make an amazing game for the jam. Watched Captain Coder's live Twitch stream for the theme announcement.

Here is what we completed on day one. Individually, and as a team.

Communicated with R Wilson on theme, and other processes.
Set up processes for game jam. Shared drive. Game blog doc, dev log. Vlog doc. Game design doc.


Brainstormed ideas.

Watched the cut scene tutorial. For the potential part of the game if time permits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyb7LlBphps&ab_channel=DevWorm

R. Wilson:

Brainstormed ideas. Wrote a short description and reviewed it with Nerd waffle. Started concept art.

Team: 

Meeting to discuss the game. Plot out the plan. Brainstorm together.

https://youtu.be/pPhMivXyEVc

Day 2 - June 20th, 2024

Nerd Waffle: 

Brainstormed ideas.

Worked on a game design doc. Communicated with R Wilson on what we are missing for the doc. 

R. Wilson:

Downloaded OBS and Pro Motion. Watched OBS and Pro Motion tutorials. Didn’t like Pro Motion, downloaded Krita, Watched Krita YouTube tutorials, and designed player characters.

Team:

Had a short meeting on what will need to be done for the jam. More brainstorming. Ironing out a more solid idea, path and processes. 

Day 3 - June 21st, 2024

Nerd Waffle:

Made coffee to start the day off. This might not be part of the process to some, but to me, it was the start to trying to learn some things, I have never done before. I don't think coffee should be for everyone, but Id say a part of trying to tackle anything new is to relax and get comfortable. Whatever it is for you. Water is also a great option for anyone.

Watched tutorial for platformers:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9FzW-m48fn0i9GYBoTY-SI3yOBZjH1kJ

    I had tried this tutorial series before. I didn't get far in it, and it is a great series. So I started off here. After watching the first video. The one I had done before. I realized, maybe I should try another tutorial. Even though I forgot what I had done before, as I didn't make it far. I thought a fresh start, a new tutorial would be beneficial to get out of my comfort zone and try a new thing. It's another reason I decided to get a team mate, and why I chose to do the coding role. I had done some coding, but I was still very much afraid of coding, getting stuck, and not knowing what to do.

Made Quarter sprite and animated it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaz3hBOAGOw

Watched a tutorial for platformers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_HRW-NzBg4&list=PLMb6Yv6-w-RWngEjn_YeMzVwgyXBZ73Bf&index=1&ab_channel=GameDevKnight

Set up a world scene. Set up Player (scene, movement, temp idol animation, temp Spite 2D, set up keyboard key bindings for wasd+spacebar, left/right movement, and jump. Changed speed and jump values.

Record B-roll of working on the project. Just visual, no audio.
Basic controlled script.

Added in sprite R Wilson made, re-animated keyframes. 

R. Wilson:

Watched tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXMCmiT_wxA.

Animated player walk cycle.

Team:

Coordinated the setup of animated sprites. 

Meeting to catch up on planning, and progress.

Day 4 - June 22nd, 2024

Nerd Waffle:

Made platforms in Aseprite for the game or just for testing.

R. Wilson :

Animated jump.

Designed platform tile.

Day 5 - June 23rd, 2024

Nerd waffle:
Started the process of learning inventory systems.

Fixed Idol animation to make it a little longer to loop.

R. Wilson :

Created raised tilesets, and spike tile.

Designed “meter maid” enemy.

Day 6 - June 24th, 2024

Nerd Waffle: 

Watched a tutorial on checkpoints, spikes coins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7iGt8H_FB4&list=PLMb6Yv6-w-RWngEjn_YeMzVwgyXBZ73Bf&index=4&ab_channel=GameDevKnight

R. Wilson :

Worked on the “meter goblin” enemy more.

Team:

Planned more art. Check in with each other on progress, and new ideas.

Day 7 - June 25th, 2024

Nerd Waffle: 

Implemented Game manager system

Checkpoints

Death

Spikes

R. Wilson :

Animated run cycle for the meter maid.

Created decorations (tires, parking meter, crate, trash can)

Team: Had a meeting to reel in scope and make a new road map

Day 8 - June 26th, 2024

Nerd Waffle:
Level design

Fixed checkpoints with new animations
Added 100 coins to level

Added UI manager

Added coin counter UI
Researched audio for coins, and music

R. Wilson :

Edited decorations.

Started cover image.

Drew I-beam tileset.

Created hanging spikes.

Created health/life bar and icons.

Team: Talked about game jam requirements.

Day 9 - June 27th, 2024

Nerd Waffle:

Got coin audio working
Created game over UI, and functionality

Researched on how to end the game. Win condition. 

Stumped on how to connect to the rest of the game and create the win condition, especially with the code and set up we have. Looking into resolution.

R. Wilson :

Created window tiles.

Designed bat item and animated attack.

Day 10 - June 28th, 2024

Nerd Waffle:

Implemented support for other controller options.
Controller options:
WASD + spacebar
Arrow keys + space bar

Controller directional pad

Controller joysticks
Redrew updated the tileset to add in steel beams.
Still looking into coding a Wincon

Wincon implemented

Day 11 - June 29th, 2024

Nerd Waffle:
Bug fixes

Researching bug-fix solutions.

Fixed mouse selection for the end menu

Bugs to fix:

-Bug that crashes the game if you win the game, restart then don't collect all the coins and it starts you back at the begging of the level, instead, it crashes. 

-Error that comes up about images, It doesn't seem to impact the gameplay, but something to do with images. Maybe the images on the end menu.

Day 12 - June 30th, 2024

Nerd Waffle: Fixed the last of the bugs that broke the game.

(There are 4 left that do not impact the game to my knowledge and was not able to see

what they were even connected to.

Followed tutorial on how to export to HTML web file for itch Created YouTube stuff, and itch page for the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiQcnVgBhFE&ab_channel=Gwizz

R. Wilson: Worked on the team logo

Team: Team meeting

Day 13 - July 1st, 2024 (Canada Day)

Nerd Waffle: Recorded Vlog/Audio Vlog

R. Wilson: Recorded Vlog/Audio Vlog

Team: Recorded Vlog/Audio Vlog

Our team is Canadian, so we did work on the jam today, but we did also try and break away to enjoy our nations birthday.

Day 14 - July 2nd, 2024 (end of Jam)

Nerd Waffle: Worked on blog. Git hub learning. I wanted to start the process on learning Git hub. Between having to finalize blog, and document stuff, and submitting to the game jam, I might not have the time to actually try this, but while writing up the blog I watched the video on it, and you can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H4A74FIEtg

R. Wilson: Worked on Blog.

Team: The team gave each other a virtual high five on a job well done!

Day 15 - July 3rd, 2024 (end of Jam)

Nerd Waffle: I went over these questions posted on the jam's itch page, as a way to answer some questions as a post-mortem style look back at my experiences with the jam.

What did you want to learn going into the jam?

More coding. How to make a platforming game/level from start to finish.

Was this your first time coding? Yes and no. First time seriously coding. The first time I felt like I could code on my own with a few things, without a tutorial by the end.

Was this the first time you made a platformer? Yes. What did you ACTUALLY learn? Time management. Some GD script. Team management. Git hum and Godot. How to export a Godot game to a web file to play on a web browser via itch.

How did you grow during the jam? It's hard to explain how I grew during the jam. I think it is hard to explain because it more on how much in volume I grow? I'd say if I met my past self, as I am now, my past self would be blown away. I think the distance is measurable in that I on June 1st did not know anything that I now know about coding in GD script. Maybe a tiny bit. My present self would be able to tell my past self how to make a platforming level and export it to itch. My past self from a month ago, would not know how to do it, any of it. In that sense, it would be like two whole different people meeting. My present self would tell my past self all about a game manager script that other scripts would call to. I'd be able to tell my past self about signals, buttons, UI and trees, and functions. Would be able to tell my past self how to put audio in, how to make a music loop, how to add sound effects, how to add animations to check points, and how to script checkpoints. That's just the ice burg.

What resources did you use to learn during the jam? Were there any good guides, video tutorials, or people that helped you? Gwizz: https://www.youtube.com/@Gwizz1027 Game Dev Knight: https://www.youtube.com/@GameDevKnight

Heartbeast: https://www.youtube.com/@uheartbeast

All had great tutorials for Godot and Godot 4, and platformers. 

Lance, and the captain coder where a great help. I want to give a special shout-out to Lance who helped me walk through creating the code for the ending, without fully giving me the answers to try and teach rather than give the answers to a problem I could not find any solution on. 

At one point I think we were both stuck on a similar issue and with the big help Lance gave me, it felt like I was talking to him at the end, like I knew what I was talking about also (although still far from his skill level), at least it felt like I understood even if I didn't know the answer. It also felt nice to have this sort of relationship, considering we were competitors. Competition, however, was secondary to our passion, community, good kind-hearted people, who just want to make cool things....and then oh yeah, that's right we were in a competition and on different teams. This is how competition should be. 

What was the most challenging part of the jam?

Although completing a game was not necessary, I think that was an insane challenge. I am actually happy that R. Wilson and I set that as a goal even though it was not required. I think that in itself was a great teacher and sort of lit a fire under my butt.

What was the most interesting part of the jam? I participated last year and it really is the same for both. This jam is very interesting. This jam focuses heavily on learning.

If you could do it again, what would you do differently?" Not much. I guess set up a blank project file in the programs I was using to make sure everything works, for example, git hub. I did set up most things I would need, but I think I could have gone further. Not having the git hub set up properly at the start, and not knowing until I ran into an issue (far into the jam) made it a little harder to ask for help. Even if it's not git hub, make sure every system works as if I was in the jam, before the jam. I'd say the other thing is to be better at documenting the process better. I think I got hyper-focused on learning and forgot to document what I was learning. Thanks for reading! Good luck to all the other game jam members! Happy learning!