After months of searching for an RPG that hooks me, Dragon’s Dogma 2 might be it. Only a few hours in and already thinking about playing when I’m not. Rolled a mage, naturally. Loving the deliberate casting, freedom to aim and reposition, and helpful pawns. Excited to see how complex builds can get

Had a weird enemy design idea: a caster whose magic is powered by dancing. As long as they’re dancing, attacks keep flooding the area. Your job is to find an opening and interrupt the performance. I love the idea of making an enemy’s movement the source of the threat. #gamedev

Dancing Cyberman Doctor Who

ALT: Dancing Cyberman Doctor Who

static.klipy.com

With ARC Raiders testing PvE today, I’m finally considering jumping in. Really curious how removing PvP changes the extraction experience when so much of the risk/reward was designed around the threat of other players. Does the core loop hold up without it? arcraiders.com/news/pve-tog...

We’re testing a PvE Toggle: here’s what it means for you | ARC Raiders

We’re excited to share that we will be testing a PvE matchmaking toggle in ARC Raiders, and it’s coming soon!

arcraiders.com

Insane oscillating vertex color usage in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1) levels. This is what inspired me to add the "Runtime vertex color variation blending" in my tool Godot Vertex Studio, it makes it super easy to make vertex lighting and effects like this. #godotengine #gamedev

Writing a case study for a game I designed years ago has turned into design archaeology. What’s been fascinating is revisiting those decisions with all the game design knowledge I’ve picked up since. Shockingly, the HCD principles I brought over from software led to solid some game design choices.

I can’t wait to see Guild Wars 3’s combat. They’re treating movement as part of combat itself. Momentum can affect damage, and even the height you attack from can change an attack’s damage and radius. I’m dying to see this in action. www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/gu...

Guild Wars 3's approach to combat and movement is like nothing I've ever seen in an MMO before: 'One of our big goals when we make a new game in the Guild Wars franchise is to set out and try new thin...

Wall running, mantling, aerial attacks, multiplayer combos—it's a lot of new stuff.

pcgamer.com

First time using vertex paint to mask a shader in Blender + Three.js. Feeling good about how subtle this edge wear effect ended up. Just a tiny dip in roughness, transmission, and a small boost to brightness. Now, if I could only pull myself away from tinkering with the settings.

Love this approach to systematizing magic www.gamedeveloper.com/design/warlo...

Warlock's magic system was built on game-bending player choices

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

gamedeveloper.com

Is there anything better in the creative process than finding the perfect album or performance that puts you in that state of flow where nothing else in the world matters except the task right in front of you?

Stay tuned for a more in-depth deep dive in to how I uh, made a Vocaloid-kinda-thing in Wwise! You know when you chase an idea down but realise halfway through that it's going to be an absurd amount of work, but the rewards will be so worth it you just have to keep on pulling on that thread... 🙃

Finji@finjico.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Did you know that Audio Designer @unusualcadence.co.uk created his own real-time voice synthesizer for the voices in Usual June?! Read about it in this month's Finji news! finjico.substack.com Play the free demo on Steam! @usualjune.bsky.social | #usualjune | #gamescom

The reason why procgen in games is, as we like to say, a great way of getting twice the content with four times the work is that you can't fight Shannon's laws any more than you can fight the laws of thermodynamics. You can't give the audience more information than you were willing to put in.

Here's something I didn't expect to hear today: "So then you can make beautiful tapestries of skin." Ew. This game does look like a good time though. Love the humor and art style. youtu.be/JMKqWV2J9CA?...

My Arms Are Longer Now: Exclusive Developer Let's Play

YouTube video by IGN

youtube.com

I've been searching for an element to anchor this menu to for WEEKS. Finally happy with this, I think. The gradient is player of the game this week, without a doubt.

The basic challenges that horde survival games present to the player: - Positioning and navigation to avoid danger and to hit enemies at the right distance - Building a collection of things that cull enemies effectively, giving the player more safe positions There's play to be had here! #gamedev

While prepping for a prezo I have to give later today, I stumbled across this illustration I'd completely forgotten I made for a client. It was rejected. The fools!

@indiegameclinic.bsky.social you're an absolute treasure. Your videos are my favorite resource for exposing gaps in my game design knowledge. The thought, effort, and humor you put into them is such a treat. I sometimes mutter "I wanna talk about CHAINZ!" while working. No one appreciates this.

The returns I get on this for my professional work per minute listened is super high. If you’re a fan of games or are curious about the structures surrounding making them, you need this.

Chris Plante@plante.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Why you should try Post Games: - An NPR-quality weekly podcast on video games - Hosted by a 19-year games media veteran - Rare interviews with the most interesting people in gaming, from philosophers to CEOs, sex game designers to Dunkey - And scripts, editing, and music that respect your time!

Finally played Big Walk yesterday and can't stop thinking about how thoroughly @househouse.com designed around collaboration. Even customizing your character gives you reasons to rely on each other. Haven't had a game get its hooks into me this quickly in a while.

Crom give me strength. I’ve got a packed week ahead. Wrapping up a rebrand, starting another, QA on a new release, and hopefully finding some time for the portfolio at night. Here’s to everyone else staring at a packed week. One thing at a time.

Working on systematizing the case study section of my portfolio. Trying to build a small set of reusable components and layout patterns so each case study can have its own personality without becoming a one-off design problem every time. Can't wait to be done with this.

I’m so close to finishing my portfolio and somehow it feels further away than ever. Mostly because all I want to do is ignore it and work on a new game idea I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m exploring a system where missions are contracts and players choose how much risk to take based on the reward. Difficulty becomes a decision instead of a setting. Does choosing the challenge create a stronger sense of mastery than simply progressing into harder content?

I played Superman ONE TIME and now no matter what I do, Soulja Boy refuses to leave my speed dial. He just sits there, smugly challenging me.

Finding the sweet spot for performance tiers. Trying to find parity between them without losing the character of the crystal.