Happy new year everyone! I spent a bunch of time working on my Ludum Dare entry… trying to reduce the confusingness while increase the play-me-more-ness. There’s a shop now, which sells sweet upgrades like “Seagull Pheremones”, as well as goats and aquatic-goats known to humans as “fishes”.

Here’s a video of the game being played through for anyone who can run it.(The version being shown has been polished up in a few places. It’s at about the 72 hour mark).

It’s kind of obvious I borked up on the theme. I had a very different (kind of tragic) ending planned at the start… but then I discovered the awesomeness of the high-five and EVERYONE agreed that that could be the only way to finish the game. I feel like I failed, and I’m certain the ratings will reflect that, but at the same time I can’t bring myself to wish it had turned out any other way.

Here is the page where you can rate it: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-22/?action=rate&uid=3041

And here is the updated version: SUPER SMASH LANDER SUICIDE PARTY, BRO? (ENHANCED)

I’ve made a (post-comp) build. It’s at least 50% more fun and 33% less confusing.

There’s combo multipliers and a win condition and also you can burn crew members when your engines slow down.

Also you can now pickup space kittens as you fly past to help you staff your spaceship.

Here is the latest version:
SUPER SMASH LANDER SUICIDE PARTY, BRO? (ENHANCED)

(of course the Ludum Dare 48 hour version is still here:
Ludum Dare #22 Competition Entry)

Time for everyone to high-five everyone else.

First Ludum Dare. Had an amazing time. Much thanks to Helloserve (hosting a spectacularly perfect local jam) and FuzzYsp0N (for his unremitting awesomeness).

Things that went right:

Things that went wrong:

I think I’ve made the kind of game that if you know me, or are like me, it’ll be an enjoyable twisted pleasure. But if someone isn’t “in” on the premise it’ll probably come off as silly and disjointed. I had plans to build in a progression loop over multiple plays, but that turned out to be out of scope. As it is (in the 48hour form) it’s weird and maybe funny, but not as compelling as I’d like it to be.

Yet it turned out a lot better than I thought it would be (I’ve never made a game like this). Much thanks to many good things conspiring together.

I’ve always wanted to make a really bizarre and disorientating actual-migraine inducing eyeball assault. Ever since I played Meshof’s wonderfully luric “Randy Balmer: Municipal Abortionist”. This is something of a homage to that.

Though it’s probably not. It’s been super fun to work on though

“You take the role of a suicide lander party bent on eradicating the earth, as drunk aliens do, via crashing their spacecraft into our planet’s surface”. With some luck there will be a witty tie in to the theme, via a twist (if I get that far).

Awfully I spent the first evening trying to free my computer from the grips of a self-inflicted virus. Many thanks to FuzzySpoon for helping me save me from myself (via viruses)!.

My very first Ludum Dare! (though I have done a few 48hr comps before)

I’m going to be using:

• Unity3D, with SpriteManager2 for sprites. I’ve been using Unity for about 3 years.
• Photoshop or Pixelmator for graphics
• Ableton for music.
• SFXR for sound effects.

I’m going to try make something small and pixelly. We’re doing a little gathering of game developers in Cape Town and we’re all going to jam together. Although we’re probably only going to discover the theme at 4 in the morning I believe it’s going to be truly awesome!