Status Report #28

     Unicorn Quest is coming along nicely. It's starting to look like an actual game now. Every day I go to bed with a sense of accomplishment because I know I'm getting stuff done. I want to have something to showcase the combat in action by the end of spring break (where I'll have a solid 10 days of development). This way of development is much better than how I did things before. Switching hats frequently instead of dedicating to one task is a lot less stressful and I get to see the game quickly coming to life.

     Take a look at what got done in this week's status report.

Making Maps With Tiles

     Unicorn Quest is gong to need maps. Lots of them. She's going to be running around fighting monsters, stepping on switches and talking to townsfolk and there needs to be a background for her to stand on. The problem is I have never made a game like this before and I need a place to start. That's why I'm trying out something new. I'm going to make color coded mock-ups in MS Paint to chart out where all the tiles will be in a room, then placing tileset pieces I make around the map.

My Little Game Dev Forum

     This forum was particularly inspiring because I was browsing this when I came up with the idea of making my project featuring unicorns and elemental magic. I actually posted there days before I mentioned it on the blog. It's a place where brony developers talk about their projects and collaborate. Brony developers are particularly interesting to me because they generally seem to be on the same level as me. Looking at indies in general makes me feel a bit small because so many indie teams are producing awesome flashy stuff that I'm not capable of.

     The things I see on Equestria Gaming however, are more my speed. Just one or a few people working on fan games and mods while in school. I can relate more to that than indies doing Kickstarters, taking loans, and working on games full-time. It's that humble feeling that pushes me forward. Seeing my peers working toward a similar goal makes my own goal seem not so impossible to reach.

     I basically wanted to give a shoutout to the development forum I frequent the most in hopes that more people discover it and increase the size of the community. Keeping up with the other great projects over there is becoming a hobby of mine. This community got me interested in game development in the first place, so it's only fitting that my first completed passion project is based on the show that inspired the community.

Gushing About: The Legend of Zelda ~ Twilight Princess

     Twilight Princess is an incredible Zelda game. While it's not everyone's favorite, it's a favorite of mine. This game will always be one of the most memorable Zelda's to me because of all the fond memories and experiences I'm left with. This game had new things to do at every corner and was the next-gen Zelda I always dreamed about after playing Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker.

Let's revisit this Wii Launch title after the break.