Yeyyyyyyy it’s Ludum Dare!
give us the tips already!
If you live in Europe, then the compo is split over 2 days. This is generally how I split my work between Saturday and Sunday:
- Day 1 – engine, controls, graphics, music.
- Day 2 – gameplay features, level design, sound effects, particles, screen shake and other effects.
I recommend this schedule to others. My reasoning? Day 2 can be stressful – or rather – you will feel the pressure of time. When you’re under pressure you will rush things, and the engine/controls/graphics/music can’t afford to be rushed!
What happens if you rush them, sorceress?
When you rush things, you don’t do them as well or as carefully. They are much more prone to errors. And if you are under pressure, then you won’t really have time to properly test/debug/fix them.
Engine – Say you rush your engine (that is the game loop and the core physics of your game). If it doesn’t work properly, then you could have a broken game. Nothing else will matter.
Controls – Imagine if the keys/mouse input doesn’t work properly. Imagine if a character can’t make jumps it is supposed to be able to make. Imagine if an inventory or in-game menu won’t open. Your game could be unplayable.
Graphics – Rush your graphics and spoil them and your game will look bad. Graphics create first impressions. Your screenshot is all that will entice players to click your game, and your game could well be judged after a mere 60 seconds of play. First impressions are everything!
Music – Rush your music and your game could sound bad. Painful sounds will put player’s in a bad mood, which could be the difference between “I like your game” and “I don’t like your game”. This will show in the ratings. If they decide to turn down the volume, they won’t hear your sound effects either.