So many amazing maps in our TTRPG Maps Bundle coming tomorrow! Here’s 1 of the talented creators included, making gorgeous watercolour terrain maps - beautiful & incredibly versatile TTRPG assets! Check them out, & wishlist the bundle to be notified when it's live! rpg-trader.com/products/813...

Beautiful Blank Spaces on RPG Trader

18 illustrated terrain maps, ready to be drawn on, coloured in, marked up, hex-crawled, and more!

rpg-trader.com

Experience is the most important thing to recruit by. Much more than demographic factors. Recruit playtesters based on the types of games they play and the media they interact with. These are much more reliable indicators of their interests than their age or what is in their pants. #gamedev #ux

Moving back to NZ after almost two decades away this was my immediate impression of the game dev scene here. People are just so genuinely supportive of each other and it is wonderful!

Voidra@voidrantsback.bsky.social · 2d ago

I need the Aussie and NZ game dev industry to realise how utterly phenomenal their collaborative and supportive nature is. How utterly singular, and precious it is, and how much it must be protected and preserved. Zero exaggeration, it is absolutely astounding how supportive the scene is.

RE: brian tamaki & destiny church & their calls for violence to be clear: tamaki has demonstrated his church are capable of physical violence but it also gets confusing listening to their racism & calls for war, because it's tied up in the LARP of spiritual warfare: www.webworm.co/evangelicali...

The Parallel Culture of Evangelicalism

Making sense of the world right now means making sense of Evangelicalism.

webworm.co

If your friends DON'T immediately switch into bullshit olde English when you send a silly message with a "yonder" or a "whence" or some such, you need better friends.

Excited to announce that I'll be speaking with the wonderful folks at @globalgamejam.bsky.social 🎮Topic: Power Up: Surviving the Game Industry 101 webinar 📅Aug 12 - Wednesday, 1-2pm ET ❤️Sign up here: luma.com/dcrr0cq7 #gamedev #indiedev #globalgamejam #mentalhealth #wellbeing

If you have a hub area for upgrades, etc consider having a way for players them to save what they have done there without starting another run/mission This lets a player upgrade and do "busy work" before turning off. Letting them get right into the action when they come back. #gamedev #ux

This GenAI will replace software as a service stuff is so over blown. Even if GenAI could make something like Xero (and all the legal requirements that come along with tax stuff), will it be able to maintain it and actually product half decent UX? I doubt it. www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

What's going on with Xero's share price?

The market value of cloud accounting software company Xero is under pressure as investors question the viability of software companies in general as AI agents become more sophisticated.

rnz.co.nz

"XXXX will be the year of the linux desktop" it will if you solve these: itvision.altervista.org/why.linux.is...

worm@rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 3d ago

2027 will be the year of the linux desktop

Letting players select a goal to track (a pinned quest) can enhance engagement with your progression systems. As such don't forget to introduce and/or make very clear how to track a goal. #gamedev #ux

If cosmetic items & gameplay impacting items/upgrades use the same currency expect lower engagement with cosmetics. Similarly if there is a different currency for cosmetics, but players have to choose between earning it & a currency for gameplay impact, expect lower use of cosmetics. #gamedev #ux

There's already so many ways to play N64 games without supporting a fashy little freak's pet project. Do not buy the war crime n64. aftermath.site/war-crime-n64-...

“Beware the Free Speech Unions Atlas Network interlinked, these bodies aim to protect the right to be awful about or to targeted groups. New Zealand's version also appears to work as a "troll farm" for the government.” - LUCY HAMILTON #nzpol

Beware the Free Speech Unions

Atlas Network interlinked, these bodies aim to protect the right to be awful about or to targeted groups. New Zealand's version also appears to work as a "troll farm" for the government.

open.substack.com

Imagine the glory of living a life where you feel like you can dedicate a whole appliance to cooking sausage rolls

Game companies know retention & engagement are important. They know players like to have fun, feel valued, be heard, be part of a community, have success celebrated, & feel like they matter. It would be nice if all game companies also knew these things were important to employees. #gamedev #ux

If you are one of those people who listened to my RNZ Nights movies and tv chat with @emiledonovan.bsky.social every Friday night, you can still do that. Just download the new Thursday version that we did yesterday and listen to it at 8.40 tonight. Problem solved. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

🎉 IT'S LIVE 🎉 The game industry hardship fund itch bundle made in partnership with @necrosoftgames.com is HERE. Over 100 games for $10+ bucks: all funds (save for itch fees) go directly to the UVW-CWA Game Worker Hardship Fund. GOOD GAMES FOR A GOOD CAUSE👇 itch.io/b/3802/game-...

In response to the unprecedented number of game developers laid off this year, we have created a bundle on itch to benefit a Game Industry Hardship Fund, managed by @videogameworkers.bsky.social. More than 100 games for 10+ bucks! Please share widely and donate generously! itch.io/b/3802/game-...

Reading is groovy. Here's part three of my library 'READ' poster series.

Two step processes (like queuing for a match and then readying up) are harder to notice and often not expected by players. You need to work to make the UI for the second step particularly noticeable. If it is time limited/urgent it is even more important to highlight. #gamedev #ux

With highly-pathogenic avian influenza now in NZ, we're taking steps to protect #kakapo and #takahe by vaccinating against the disease, following a successful trial. We're aiming for ~90 kākāpō and 100 takahē in an initial phase to protect the most valuable birds/sites. #conservation #birds

In unmoderated playtesting you may find that players play longer than you asked. You paid for 30 mins of play & they played for 2 hrs! Bonus! But if you have end of session surveys you now have issues. Someone who played for 30 min can't be compared with one who played for 120 min. #gamedev #ux

NEW: I spoke with multiple video game developers and a U.S. employment lawyer to learn more about restrictive side clauses that often prevent employees at major companies from pursuing hobbyist work or personal projects. In an industry renowned for creativity, why are we stifling it?

Developers discuss the pain and prevalence of side work clauses

How an industry renowned for creativity is actively stifling it.

gamedeveloper.com

Automation can accelerate the good, but also the bad. Particularly systemic issues. Citing articles in without reading them is a systemic issue. GenAI super charges it. Not doing code review us a systemic issue. GenAI super charges it. Automation increases the consquence of failures.

It's my birthday, so here is a relevant tip: Think about how you want to celebrate anniversaries. For your game, your team members, your company, etc. The most meaninful celebrations exist just for the joy of acknowledgement. Not as an engagement, retention, or monetisation beat. #gamedev #ux

The far-right's targeting of InternetNZ is a timely, clear signal that they have already animated their networks, and agitated their supporters to vote. So should you. #nzpol

Paul Brislen@brislen.nz · last wk.

Time to vote, InternetNZ members. It's a ranked system thing so have a look at the candidates and decide who you want helping steer the ship over the next three years.

John Cleese practicing squats in preparation for shitting all over his legacy

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · last wk.

Just loving how John Cleese, now reduced to one of his own caricatures, rages about immigrants coming to the UK and failing to accept "our" culture, from his home in ... (checks notes) ... Nevis in the Caribbean.

Turns out that food companies were only checking their food because the government told them to, which is exactly why we need government regulations.

One of the ironclad maxims of game design is "Players are amazing at knowing that something is wrong and terrible at knowing what is wrong and how to fix it", and that applies to any opaque and complex system - like the economy. People are reacting to *something*, the trick is finding what.

Kasey Kagawa@punkey.org · last wk.

When I try to think of what lay people mean when they're mad about graphs about wage growth and purchasing power and affordability, housing costs outpacing wages is always a strong contender for what people are really reacting to

I love it when a game settings is designed from the ground up to have corporate synergy with a clothing line.

Polygon@polygon.com · last wk.

Joe Manganiello has created a new official setting for D&D