Awaken From A Summer Slumber
Written on
By SadPumpkin
oh uhhh... hi there. Just woke up from my usual summer slumber. i'm not sure why myself, but i always seem to disappear during the summer period. Must be the heat or something. The site has been gathering dust for a bit. That's the nature of doing this as a side thing. i don't always have the time or energy to update this site. Most of the time, i just prefer to do something else. anyways, hope you all are doing okay!
"Surely you weren't doing nothing right?"
ehhh, kinda... Work is somewhat rough, but i think it is working out fine. i'm starting to getting the hang of things. With that said, i think i prioritised my work a little too much, so much so that it is eating into my life and it is affecting my physical health. i noticed this and decided to step back a bit to start working on my health, i.e. eating a little healthier and exercising. it ain't much but it's a start.
gamedev is... not dev-ing. i always enjoyed writing code and/or system. Making a game simply comes from the necessity to demonstrate that system in a fun way. Hence, i don't churn out games, despite most advice saying that is what you should do if you want to get better at gamedev. ehhh... i just don't vibe with that idea. Sure, i won't be getting better any time soon (or later), but i still enjoy it. Given my stable situation, i think that's more than i could ask for.
that doesn't mean there is no progress. As mentioned before, i am working of version 2 of the game framework that i have. i'm actually putting together a simple dialogue system. There is a lot that goes into it to make it to work. Currently, i have a simple text dialogue going on. It's not much, but it is a start. This took 2 months to get it working using my spare time. i enjoyed that process. That's still a lot to do, but i'll get there when i get there.
didn't do art. didn't have any inspiration and/or drive. Most of my time went to coding so there's that. i did cobbled together a doodle comic that i haven't released, not sure if i will because it's kinda bad, but when did that stop me? have this panel without context.
still, i might want to try to doodle something. Saw some cool things and would like to doodle them. maybe i should check back my trashcan to see if i can salvage or complete some garbage idea i have. ...or i could upload old pictures that i may have completely forgotten. iunno
the part where i talk about games
with those life stuff out of the way, i get to talk about some games that i enjoyed. yay!
Fallout: New Vegas
bethesda's games are a mixed bag to me. i don't think i particularly vibe with their game design. In my mind, their games these day are mostly thinly-veiled uninteresting fetch quest combined with mediocre gameplay. it is the settings and world that fascinate me. Fallout contains the most appealing settings to me: retro-futurism. Something about it that combines the past with the present that tickles my brain just right. F:NV is also pretty engaging throughout, be it the main quest or the side quests. Environment storytelling is also sprinkled about to those who pays attention. The writing is just right, not too verbose but deep enough to get the mind thinking.
despite being a great game, i have dropped it a few times. Maybe it's the sheer scale of the game that exhausted me. i picked it back again and continue where i left off. Honestly, it's still good. i may drop it again, but i know i can always pick it back up.
Lunacid
this is the game that changes my mind on medieval fantasy FPS. i used to think they are kinda boring because they are slower. Lunacid showed me there is a beauty in its slowness and methodicalness. Taking things slower allows you to appreciate the surrounding better and let you to be more immersive in the world it built. the gameplay itself is good and janky enough to emulate the old-school PS1 era. It is inspired by the King's Fields games, but tuned up to be faster with its movement. It is heavily carried by its atmosphere and world-building. It has really serious lore, sprinkled with lighthearted-ness and really fantastical elements to make it more of a surreal adventure game with horror elements. Some of its secrets are way too out there though but that's fine. The ending definitely got eldritch-y.
i bought this game to play something different from usual. it ain't a perfect game with its balancing issue, but definitely left a massive impression on me, especially when DEATH APPROACHES.
Pipistrello and The Cursed Yo-yo
this is a game that is not only creative, but near-perfect in its execution. Firstly, it emulated the style of Game Boy Advance era game near 1-to-1, from its art style to its control scheme and down to the music. It blends them with modern flavour and sand away some of the old-school jank, making it the best of both world. The pixel art and animation are gorgeous to look at, and the music is just banging. You can even hear the signature 'trumpets' used commonly in Pokemon RSE. fundamentally, it is a top-down adventure game, a la classic Legend of Zelda. Yet, It manages to be creative with its settings and gameplay. Instead of a sword, you use a yoyo to navigate around a cityscape. It combines pinball mechanics and some 'inspired' yoyo tricks to create a giant obstacle course that is the world itself. It is mechanically demanding enough that it is pretty satisfying to pull down a string of moves to navigate about, which is really surprising to see in a non-sidescoller.
the story is charming and pretty much a parody of every modern day issue without beating your head on it. The character design is stylistic and coherent. It also introduced an upgrade system that i have not seen elsewhere: you get upgrade with some downsides until you pay it off like a debt, which is inverse of what is typically expected.
what is impressive is that it manages to keep the quality throughout the entire game. Furthermore, it is a game that wants you to 100% it, offering some mechanics to make discovering secrets less daunting. Lastly, there are some settings to make the game easier or harder, depending on your taste. The default is fine though. If you are yearning for the GameBoy-era top-down adventure game, this is it. Go buy it!
Quake: Dawn of the Machine
i like quake 1. It's my baseline for any modern shooter. Quake is not only a technical marvel, but a great game overall, slightly soured by the rushed deadline. The fast-paced gunplay mixed with Lovecraftian setting definitely appealed to me. It doesn't have the largest weapon and enemies variety, but what is there served the gameplay well (except for the Spawn). NightDive Studios did a fantastic job porting over Quake to modern machines. quake's just had its 30th anniversary. The chads that is machinegames created a new campaign: Dawn of the Machine. i was already impressed by the previous campaign Dimension of the Machine. The new one just blew everything out of the water. It introduces new mechanics/gimmicks that are well designed and map design that surpasses the old ones in all aspects. It is definitely harder than its previous expansion, but every map is simply a delight to play through. i have not completed it as of this writing, but what i have experienced is top-notch and am confident that quality can carry through to the end.
anyways, that's enough yap for one article. If you reach the end, thanks! Here's a doodle of Cinnamon:
See you when i see you.
