Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

This week in the clubhouse, Stephen wants do more with less, Mark wants to do more with more, and Martha wants to do less to more."Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language"  - Gretchen McCulloch, book"Your conference is too damn big"  - John Pavlus, Fast Company"The Game Design Studio on a Boat"  - Clinton Nguyen, ViceEvil Games Club co-host Dale is now tweeting for us! Follow us for behind-the-microphone goodness: @nicegamesclub.We're always trying to get feedback, but it's hard! So Dale is encouraging gamedevs to start using #FeedbackFriday on Twitter as a way for to get opinions from their peers on things they're working on. Try it out this Friday!0:07:06Extra Modes"Assassin's Creed Isn't Necessarily Done With Multiplayer" Jordan RaméeGameSpot"Why City Trial is the most memorable part of Kirby Air Ride" Chris HovermaleDestructoid"Fortnite Battle Royale Took Two Months to Develop and Launch" Derek NicholsGameRant"Riot got rid of League of Legends’ URF mode because it made people stop playin…Ali JonesPCGamesN"Threading the Needle: The Making of Quake Team Fortress" David CraddockShacknews"The making of Gwent" Phil SavagePC Gamer"Where Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker came from" Michael McWhertorPolygon0:41:31Unit Testing"Unit testing with Jasmine: The very basics" Aurel Kurtuladev.toTesting Unity Projects ilkinulasGitHubNUnit framework"Unit Testing Tutorial: What is, Types, Tools, EXAMPLE" Guru99Guru99.com"What is Unit Testing, Why We Use It, and Sample Test Cases" Lets Build That AppYouTubeTesting Computer Software, 2nd edition Cem Kanerbook"The 100% code coverage problem"Jeroen Mols

This week we have Beth Korth of Howling Moon Software back to talk about Narrative Design and her process for designing and writing Verdant Skies! We talk all about the creative process from creating ideas in her head to writing in a markup language Andy created so she could control the game as she wrote dialogue and cut scenes.Narrative Design NarrativeBeth's NotebookNaming the gameDesigning Heart Events:More on "Verdant Skies"Verdant Skies WebsiteVerdance Skies on SteamVerdance Skies on Itch.ioVerdance Skies on Humble StoreVerdance Skies on Kartragehttps://www.kartridge.com/games/HowlingMoonSW/verdant-skiesSteam GreenlightVerdant Skies Code CommentCode Comment: "Verdant Skies"Martha plays Verdant SkiesNice Plays: "Verdant Skies" (2018)

This week in the clubhouse, Stephen breaks the ice, Martha dreams of writing passwords, and Mark makes a Jurassic Park reference (@ us if you recognize it!).Our pal Abdiwak Yohannes is making Boji:Boji theme song on Soundcloud! - Abdiwak YohannesBoji in action! - @heyglitch, TwitterBoji Animated! - @heyglitch, TwitterRegular news"Super Mario Maker 2 news dump"  - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaMark "invented" the Semi-Automatic Mario level genre for the original Super Mario Maker! It did not catch on...We played the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 for one of our Nice Plays video episodes. Martha hated it.Nice Plays: Super Mario Bros. 2 [Japan] (1986)0:13:08Game Length"Assassin’s Creed Odyssey really picks up after the first 15 hours" Ben KucheraPolygon"Length Matters" Ben LindberghThe Ringer0:44:41Saving and Loading Systems"Saved, But Not Forgotten: The evolution of saving in video games" Mark ChristianTedium"In Dishonored, You're Either a Cheater or a Serial Killer" Chris Kohler and Chris BakerWiredLOVE, a “challenging but fair platformer.”Nintendo.com"How to Hack Your Game Saves: A Basic Guide to Hex Editing" Alex WongNull ByteWe talked with Andy Korth about how he developed forward compatibility for the save system in Verdant Skies (among other topics) on an episode of Code Comment.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"We talked with Andy Korth about how he developed forward compatibility for the save system in Verdant Skies (among other topics) on an episode of Code Comment.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"

This week on Nice Games Club we rack up a ridiculous number of points while discussing scoring systems, lives and continues! We debate whether these systems are relics from the arcade past or are still relevant game mechanics. Martha makes up numbers, Mark quantifies the Star Trek Universe and Stephen gets the high score.Mega Minne Multi Indie Mini ArcadeThe Greatest Discovery podcast - Podcast0:15:10Scoring SystemsClicker HeroesWikipedia0:38:52Lives and Continues

It's another dispatch of the Nice Games Bulletin! Your nice hosts talk E3, Star Trek, and weaponized nostalgia, then eventually get around to discussing the latest news and releases in video games, including important developments in workers rights, console certification mishaps, and the live-action debut of more than one ugly rodent.The Deep Space Nine Anniversary Documentary Is Hitting Theaters for One Day Onl… - James Whitbrook, IO9Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:06:24Ronda Rousey Being In Mortal Kombat 11 Is Bullshit - Heather Alexandra, KotakuLabo VR: how Mario and Zelda look and play in virtual reality - Thomas Morgan, EurogamerBubsy: Paws On Fire! Comes To Switch In May Whether You Want It To Or Not - Ryan Craddock, NintendoLifeF. Gary Gray Is Working on a Saints Row Movie Adaptation  - Julie Muncy, WiredBulletin topic (News)Timecode0:28:15Just saw Avengers: Endgame and want to talk about America's Ass? Subscribe to "Felix Drags Dale Through the Marvel Universe" (available wherever you get your podcasts)!Felix and Dale PodcastOver 150 Riot Employees Walk Out To Protest Forced Arbitration And Sexist Cultu… - Cecilia D'Anastasio and Nathan Grayson, KotakuAs Riot Games employees walk out, discontent swirls among video game industry w… - Matthew Smith and Nicole Karlis, SalonEpic buys Rocket League developer Psyonix, strongly hints it will stop selling … - Nick Statt, The VergeNintendo Removes Game From Switch Shop After Developer Reveals Secret Code Edit… - Nathan Grayson, KotakuPlay the web version of "A Dark Room" for free here.VR News!Valve Index reveal: The best of VR’s first generation—but is it worth $999?  - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaOculus Quest review: 2019’s best new gaming system is wireless, affordable VR - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaHands-on with the new $399 Oculus Rift S: More pixels, zero webcams, better fit - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaMore News!Pitchford promises no “free-to-play junk” for Borderlands 3 - Kyle Orland, Ars TechnicaSpeedrunner Smashes A Computer-Assisted Super Mario Bros. Record By A Single Fr… - Natalie Degraffinried, KotakuXbox Has New Guidelines on How to Talk Trash Without Getting Banned - Nicole Carpenter, MotherboardGod of War Director Weighs In On Sonic the Hedgehog Design Changes - Tyler Fischer, Comicbook.com

This week on the program is another Nice Games Jam, where we are given a prompt from Martha’s boyfriend (and Evil Games Club co-host) Dylan, which we have to use to create a playable game prototype by the end of the episode.The prompt was to create a paper prototype of a game that combines "hilarious movement" like in games like Gang Beasts or Octodad with a card game.You can play the prototype of our creation "Blob Ball" at home using the rules below. Maybe we'll actually make the video game version sometime!Promptcreate a paper prototype of a game that combines "hilarious movement" like in games like Gang Beasts or Octodad with a card game.Game typePaper prototypePlayer count3Materials3 decks of cards1 joker to be the blob ballSetup2 decks of cards for the two players ( 1 Deck each)Separate out the face cardsPlace on the starting line for each playerPut all other cards aside1 deck of card for the for AI physicsSort into suitsPull out Ace-4 and the face cards from the Hearts suit to make the blob movement Heart deck and set all other hearts asideGive one suite deck other than hearts to each player and keep one for physics. These suit decks will be used to play war to determine who has control of the ball.1 Joker to be the blob ball placed in the center of the fieldRulesGoalMove blob past opponent’s starting lineCharactersJack, moves 3 spaces without the ball, 1 space with the ballQueen, moves 2 spaces with or without ball (ball can only move as fast as the slowest character on it)King, moves 1 space with or without the ballEach player has three actions to do things on their turnMove a character (only can move an individual character once per turn)Lift blob (auto chance to lift blob if the player ends turn with three cards on it)Move blob (only once per turn- ball can only move as fast as the slowest character on it)When picking up blob:Need at least 3 cards on blob to pick it up.Play “war” with AI physics player using the physics suit decks- higher card (plus any player bonus points) wins Numbers worth their number (Ace is worth 1)Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13Bonus for each card on blob: King +2, Queen +1, Jack +0If opponent is also on the blob, they get to play in the war hand as well to defend with their bonuses and prevent blob movementIf blob falls out by Physics winning in “war”:Throw ace of hearts to determine direction. The end point of the heart is the direction it movesDraw from the Heart deck of Jack (worth 1), Queen (worth 1), King (worth 1), Ace (worth 1), 2, 3, and 4 to determine amount of movement.

This week, Martha fills the clubhouse with tales of her trip to the League of Legends Spring Split event in St. Louis, Mark gets to talk about another of his wonky "nonsense topics," and Stephen can't quite explain what he doesn't like about a thing.“Long Lost ‘Zork’ Source Code Uploaded to GitHub, But Few People Understand It”  - Nicole Carpenter, MotherboardThe Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy - 30th Anniversary Edition for free0:09:21Video Game Events“Out of traffic, into a ditch” Rachel KrausMashableCity Museum Wikipedia“The Overprotected Kid”Hanna RosenThe AtlanticMartha took pictures at the 2019 League Championship Series event she attended in St. Louis“My Hunt For The Mysterious Man Or Machine Controlling The Blizzard Arena's Lig…Maddy MyersKotaku0:32:58Color Theory“A Bullet Hell Set In Hell That's Heaven To Play” EThan GachKotaku“Color Harmony: Why Hulk Wears Purple Pants” RikardZeven Design“Stop This Absurd War on the Color Pink” Michael MoyerScientific AmericanAdobe Color is a free tool to help you create color palettes for your projects.Widget Satchel UI (many colors, lower contrast)Metro Nexus UI (fewer colors, higher contrast)Check out our recent episode where we discuss accessibility, including designing for color blindness."I definitely thought of that ahead of time."

This week on Nice Games Club we talk all about Resource Management in Games and Boss Battles! Join us as we discuss mana, cooldowns, super meters and how to make boss battles unique but not frustrating. Martha takes the train, Stephen takes a test and Mark wonders what the appeal is.0:07:58Resource Management in Games0:35:12Boss BattlesShadow of the Colossus speed runGames Done QuickYouTubeThe Phatom Train (Final Fantasy VI boss)Fandom

Join us in the Nice Games Clubhouse/Newsroom to hear the latest and greatest news from the video game world. Mortho makes a return (and another and another), Stephen doesn't want to say "git gud," (but...), Mark wants to press all the buttons, and (STOP THE PRESSES!) Martha likes board games now.Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:01:15“Needle Felting Gives Us All the Feels”  - Ashley Little, Bluprint“Islanders is a bite-sized palate cleanser of a civilization builder” - - Cass Marshall, Polygon“‘Super Mario Odyssey’ and ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ are both getting VR supp… - Jacob Siegal, BGRLabo VR kit launches April 12th, Mario/Zelda support coming April 25th.“The Division 2 has a lot to say, but it’s very hard to hear over all the gunfi… - Charlie Hall and Cass Marshall, PolygonLessons learned creating UI for the Division - Christian Savoie, GDCIn related news, this week a lot of new free content from GDC 2019 became available on the GDC vault: https://www.gdcvault.com/free/.Bulletin topic (News)Timecode0:10:02“She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off.”  - Siobhan Roberts, The New York Times“Wingspan review: A gorgeous birding board game takes flight”  - Aaron Zimmerman, Ars TechnicaSpeaking of board games, Minnesota developer Leder Games just made 1.7 million dollars(!!!) on Kickstarter for “Root: The Underworld Expansion.”“EA Lays Off 350 People In Marketing, Publishing, And More”  - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“How BioWare's Anthem Went Wrong”  - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“BioWare Boss Addresses Studio Issues, Vows To 'Continue Working To Solve Them'… - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“All the latest details on the new Borderlands game”  - Harry Shepherd, PCGamesN“Borderlands 3 On PC Is Exclusive To Epic Games Store Until Early 2020”  - Tamoor Hussain, GameSpot“Review-bombed Borderlands 2 is the first to have user scores thrown out by Ste… - Owen S. Good, Polygon“Lawsuit alleges Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford improperly siphoned $12M for perso… - Charlie Hall, Polygon“Google Stadia has a lot of ‘last mile’ challenges”  - Jeff Grubb, VentureBeat“The Nintendo Switch in Japan offers a peek at the cloud gaming future”  - Sam Byford, Polygon“'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' and the debate over difficulty vs. accessibility”  - Adam Rosenberg, Mashable“An Easy Mode Has Never Ruined A Game”  - Joshua Rivera, Kotaku

Mark and Dale are at GDC so Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us to talk all about Team Building and Game Identities! Join us for this chill evening recording session and discuss the more existential side of game development. If you change a game completely is it still the same game you started with? Stephen builds a house, Ellen is a game feedback therapist and Martha gets lost in the waveform.Mark and Dale are at GDC! The episode of their adventures actually came out *last* week (calendar math) so you can listen to it RIGHT NOW if you haven’t alreadyGDC 2019 Special0:01:57Team BuildingDicer and Clasp: Dungeon SkedaddleStephen's Global Game Jam TeamGGJClaw BreakerSteamOur episode on topic on Game Writing"Steal this episode."Cat CribEllen's Global Game Jam TeamGGJ0:22:37Game IdentitiesProducer Bootcamp: How Saying 'No' Can Help You Make a Better GameRuth Tomandl, Oculus ResearchGDCRuth Stone, Poet who caught poems on the windWikipedia