Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

The clubhouse A/C broke, and it got so hot during the recording of this episode that your nice hosts started to get a little delirious.But before they completely melted down, Mark talked about how Enemy AI can be a great tool for both level design and narrative design, Stephen collaborated on a discussion about co-op games, and Martha shared her excitement about the recently held Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning event.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread at r/gamedev!Stephen is on Twitter @leonyx03Some highlights from Mark's VR night!highlight 1highlight 2highlight 30:03:00Enemy AIDesign Club - Super Mario Bros: Level 1-1 - How Super Mario Mastered Level Desi…Extra CreditsYouTubeNobody dies on the first goombaSephzillaDestructoid2007 AiGameDev.com Awards: Technical Innovation in Game AIEnemy design and enemy AI for melee combat systemsBart VossenGame DeveloperAnalysing Mario to Master Super Mario MakerGame Maker's ToolkitYouTubeChip’s Challenge:1AZabrush CimahiYouTubeSaltybetTwitchseebotschatTwitchThe Perfect Organism | The AI of Alien: IsolationTommy ThompsonAI and GamesA Thousand Tiny Details: Emergent Storytelling in Slime RancherSteven LumpkinTwitterPeople Have Discovered The Perfect Way To Mess With Your CatRachael KrishnaBuzzfeedMeet the Artist Using Ritual Magic to Trap Self-Driving CarsBeckett MufsonVice0:29:40Co-op GamesMartha asked Mark to cut a part out of this section, but Stephen edited this episode, so...Overcooked: How To Make Co-op Cookery FunPhilippa WarrRock Paper ShotgunMiyamoto talks Super Mario Galaxy co-opAlexander SliwinskiEngadget0:47:42SpeedrunningAwesome Games Done QuickSpeedDemosArchiveOcarina of Time - Skip 99% of Traveling Across the FieldSwordless LinkYouTubeThe Man Who Does The Impossible in Super Mario 64Patricia HernandezKotakuSpeedrunning RulesBlindfolded speedrun raceNoko OnlineYouTubeI can't believe this actually happened (glitch discovered during blindfolded sp…TokyoboiYouTubeKotaku’s speedrun articlesKotakuIntelligent Qube by caneofpacciGames Done QuickYouTubeTASBot plays Brain Age by micro500, xy2_ in 20:06 - Games Done QuickYouTubeWorld Record Progression: Super Mario WorldSummoning SaltYouTube0:00 / 29:59 I Am Bread by Blood_Thunder in 20:50Games Done QuickYouTube0:00 / 1:06:01 The Talos Principle by Azorae in 58:16 Games Done QuickYouTubeTomb Raider: Underworld hard modeJarekSpeed Demos ArchiveYes, you can speedrun in FingeanceNew Trick Has Ocarina of Time Speedrunners Debating What A Glitch Actually IsHeather AlexandraKotaku

In a previous episode, we mentioned that Mark's game, Metro Nexus, recently underwent a usability study, so for this episode, we brought in the Games User Researcher who conducted it, Hannah Murphy!Hannah talks about her work, explains the value of UX research for indie developers, and discusses the study she did for Metro Nexus.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Games User Research and AnalyticsUI / UXMetro Nexus User ResearchMetro Nexus Usability Report - Hannah MurphyMetro Nexus gameplay trailer video.Metro Nexus tutorial screen gif - TwitterLinkst for User ResearchIGDA Games User Research Special Interest GroupUX & QA Testing: What's the Difference? - Lindsay Lauters Miller, Game DeveloperMIT’s Game Lab’s list of recommended courses includes a few which are focused o…How to break into Games User Research - Steve BromleyList of UX degrees offered by universitiesBest Colleges with Human Computer Interaction Degrees in the US - Universities.com#GamesUR on Twitter - TwitterHow to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation - Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman GroupGroupthink - Groupthink - WikipediaOn Indie Game Pricing - Dan Adelman, Game DeveloperIn the outro, we joke about our recent Live Episode! Listen to it!LIVE from GlitchCon 2017

Martha brags about her computer, Mark finds yet another excuse to talk about Star Trek, and Stephen is still holding out hope for a Smash Bros. announcement.Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Glitch Community Events CalendarWe talked about Mark’s VR Night as if it happened already, but after we recorde…Ice Cold Games0:05:08Building a PCProject Scorpio Xbox Development KitXboxYouTubeOne Xbox One X BoxJess Brohard TwitterHTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality system requirementsCale HuntVR HeadsMartha picks her PC parts on PCPartPicker!The Big Form Factor Guide – ATX10stripeUgly gaming PCs are our own faultVlad SavovThe VergeProject Scorpio rocks high-end vapor chamber coolerDerek StricklandTweakTownIf you’re in the Twin Cities, Techdump is a great resource for recycled PC com…Want help? Check out r/buildapcformeWhat You Need To Know About OverclockingAlex WalkerKotaku Australia0:37:18Pen and Paper GamesNew Ships and Crews Take Off with Star Trek AdventuresJeff McArthurGeek & SundryHurdy-GurdyWikipediaMark created a bot that tweets Star Trek technobabble 8 times a dayTech the Tech @techthetechTwitter200 Word RPG ChallengeD&D 4th Edition – What Went Wrong?Grey LotusGrey LotusThe DwarvenautJosh BishopDocumentry FilmEmergent Gameplay: Letting the Players Create Their Own Fun”David DawPCWorldAnalysis: Story And The Trouble With 'Emergent' Narratives Tom CrossGame Developer

Mwa ha ha! For our first villainous episode, your evil hosts discuss what their deal is, do a deep dive into Quantic Foundry's Gamer Motivation Profile, and rail against Mario Kart battle mode. Enjoy! Or don't! We don't care! We're evil!Discuss this evil episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!0:01:44An Evil IntroductionPlay every game from this year's Train JamCharlie HallPolygonWash my HandsBlind ShootoutDylan was a guest on Nice Games Club for two episodes from GDC.GDC 2017 Special (Part 1)GDC 2017 Special (Part 2)http://www.phpbbhq.com/developmentofphp.phpRen'Py, a visual novel engineInk, a scripting/markup language for visual novelsChoiceScript, a programming language for choose-your-own-adventure gamesAdia has been a guest on Nice Games Club for two Co-op Recap episodes: Co-op Recap: Interactive FictionAdia was also on this Co-op Recap episode!Co-op Recap: TransmediaWhy Rubber Duck Debugging is the best way to debug your codeAlec MorganaZenHubFingeance, Escape Industries0:15:20Gamer Motivation ProfileGamer Modivation ProfileQuantic FoundryLEGO City Undercover still has some lengthy load times on SwitchChris CarterDestructoidA Critique of Radar ChartsGrahm OddsScott LogicZelda: Breath of the Wild rupee farming - How to make rupees with bowlingJake Lear and Jeff RamosPolygonThe Natural: The Trouble Portraying Blackness in Video GamesEvan NarcisseKotakuAt E3 2017, Black Characters' Hair Looks Better Than EverGita JacksonKotakuAnimal Crossing Fans Want More Than Just White Skin Colors In New LeafPatricia HernandezKotakuThe Complete, Untold History of HaloSteve HaskeViceThe Story Behind Mass Effect: Andromeda's Troubled Five-Year DevelopmentJason SchreierKotakuLet's Talk About: The cultural significance of Saints Row 4Chris PlantePolygonThe Secret Behind Scribblenauts: Making Objects By Hand (And Lots Of Crunch)Jason SchreierKotaku1:22:23Mario KartNo links for this section, just evil talk.

In this episode, you nice hosts discuss some current events and engage in some future prognostications. Plus: more puns than reasonable.Apologies for the slightly odd audio quality on this one. The band playing at the bar downstairs was a bit louder and started a bit earlier than we expected. Much sound modeling. So noise reduction.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread on r/gamedev!0:04:31Future ProjectsA Way Out blew us away at E3, but can the devs keep pace with their own ambitio…Charlie HallPolygonOur episode about Serial Game Design, featuring Lane Davis."I am a Juice Journeyman!"BloodRayne: Betrayal ReviewColin MoriatyIGN Star Fox Guard: The Kotaku ReviewStephen TotiloKotakuFinishing A GameDerek YuMake Games tumblr0:37:40Steam DirectValve sets Steam Direct self-publishing fee at $100Samit SarkarPolygonValve is not your friend, and Steam is not healthy for gamingTim ColwillPolygonWay back in our second episode, we talked with Beth and Andy Korth about Steam Greenlight.Steam GreenlightThe hidden world of Steam tradingMitch BowmanPolygon0:53:02Racing GamesHydro Thunder Hurricane ReviewJustin CalvertGameSpotRetrospective: Star Wars Episode I RacerMartyn CarrollEurogamerStar Wars Episode 1 Racer: Watto Hums Cantina SongEventHorizon5YouTubeMark talked about the original PlayStation’s wonky affine texture mapping, which was not “perspective correct.”

Nic VanMeerten is a Games User Researcher and one of the co-founders of Glitch. He talks to your nice hosts about how meeting with researchers working on League of Legends at Riot Games jump-started his career in Games User Research, the different research methods used in GUR, the benefits of qualitative versus quantitative approaches, working with Unity Analytics, and more!Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Games User Research and AnalyticsUI / UXLeague Of Legends' Neverending War On Toxic Behavior - Dillion Skiffington, KotakuHow League Of Legends Enables Toxicity - Yannick LeJacq, KotakuUnderstanding User Research - Maurice Tan, Game DeveloperGames User Research: What’s Different? -  Jakob Nielsen , Nielsen Norman GroupHannah Murphy - Games User Researcher BlogZodiappHow To Tame Your Analytics - Sasa Stublic, Game DeveloperWhat is R?Nic mentioned the Unity Analytics public API. We talked about APIs on last week’s episode."75% sure."

In our second-longest ever, Mark explains the difference between an API and an SDK (and why it's important to know), Martha got her phone mugged and lost all her mobile game saves, and Stephen leads a discussion about designing for difficulty in your games (but mainly as an excuse to talk about fighting games again).All this, plus your nice hosts celebrate 30 episodes, and Mark doesn't edit out something Martha asks him to, but only because Martha was the one who edited this episode.0:02:31Runtimes, SDKs, and APIsPopular RuntimesJava Virtual MachineWikipediaAIR RuntimeWikipediaDalvik runtimeWikipediaAndroid Runtime (ART)WikipediaCommon Language Runtime (.NET)WikipediaArticles“A Primer For Unity Developers: What The Heck Is Mono?”- Logan BookerLifehacker AU“What is the Difference Between an API and an SDK?Kristopher SandovalNordic APIs BlogStarling 2 Starling WikiCitrus EngineGeneric Animation Framework0:23:34Mobile GamesSlayin reviewChris CarterDestructoidQuizUp is trying to reinvent itself by turning into a social networkJosh LowensohnThe VergeAlphabear Review – Why Do Bears Like Spelling Bees?Gamer BloggerHow to Monetize an Infinite RunnerMichail KatkoffGame AnalyticsVirtual Buttons Are Holding Mobile Games BackMuir FreelandGame DeveloperMiyamoto Plays Super Mario Run, Eats CakeBuzzFeed MultiplayerYouTubeCivilization Revolution 2 is a Good Mobile Game, But is It a Good Civ Game?Alex NewhouseGameSpotTurns out, Hercules is both Greek and Roman.Tufts UniversitySmash Hit Is The Most Addictive Android And iOS Game Of The Year So FarMihir Patkar Make Use OfI've been texting with an astronautLaura HudsonBoing BoingSpaceteam reviewRich StantonEurogamer0:54:27DifficultyStreet Fighter V Fans Are Not Sure What To Make Of Seemingly Simplistic Newcome…Ian WalkerKotakuYomiUrban dictionaryZelda: Breath of the Wild’s first DLC pack sounds really neatSamit Sarkar,PolygonHard Mode: Good Difficulty Versus Bad DifficultyPaul SuddabyEnvato Tuts+Difficulty is Difficult: Designing for Hard Modes in GamesDaniel BoutrosGame DeveloperWhere Did the Challenge Go? The Problem with Skyrimj-u-i-c-eLevel SkipThe Civilization series has a difficulty problem, and Civ 6 solves it without e… Jordan ForwardPCGamesNhttps://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/6cg9k1/cmv_dark_souls_isnt_hard_…Vectornaut, r/ChangeMyViewRedditYoshi’s Woolly World is tougher than it looks, but only if you want it to beMatt GerardiAV ClubTim Schafer recalls when Steven Spielberg asked for a hint in Day of the Tentac…Owen GoodPolygonTim Schafer's take on 'good puzzle theory' and being stuck as entertainmentMicheal McWhertorPolygon

A roundtable episode in disguise! Game designer/developer and friend of the show, Lane Davis, enters the clubhouse to guest host an episode where the topics are all his!Lane brings some friendly debate (and shockingly accurate calendar math) to the show, in his continuing quest to make Nice Games Club just a little bit less nice. Yet he somehow manages to say some of the nicest things anyone has ever said on the program.Lane has previously been a guest at the Nice Games Club, when he hosted a COOP TALKCo-op Recap: Transmedia0:03:05Serial Game DesignEdmund McMillen's ‘Basement Collection’ Shows Off his Early WorkComplexUnderstanding Design SpaceDamion SchubertZen of DesignTrying to Make Idea-Rich Games Jonathan BlowToo many ideas and projects. How do I choose one and stick with it?RedditAlex Carlson Game DesignerOne Game a Month0:14:57Changing Your MindWhy Criticism Is Important to Game DevelopmentA.J. MaciejewskiVideo ChumsWhy I want you to steal my ideasSeth GodinTED IdeasThe Poisonous ‘Not Invented Here’ syndromeGame DesignYouTubeScoping for Game JamsCarolyn VanEseltineSibyl Moon Games0:31:19Starting Your Next ProjectIt’s ok to pull the plug on your gameIvan JakubiMachina Game Dev AcademyWriting Reusable CodeNoel LlopisGames From Within0:35:18Video Game JuiceFacebook Study Finds Introverts Feel More Comfortable with VR Social InteractionDominic BrennanRoad to VRSqueezing more juice out of your game design!Nathan LovatoGame AnalyticsJuice It or Lose ItMartin Jonasson, Petri Purho GDC“Hollow Knight - Let’s Play Walkthough Commentary”123PazuYouTube

In this roundtable episode, your nice hosts settle back into the clubhouse, still exhausted a few days after the excitement of GlitchCon 2017.Martha conducts a debrief on the weekend's festivities, Stephen gives his presentation on game design (for both new and experienced gamedevs), and Mark leads a discussion on multitasking in game development workflows.0:02:26GlitchCon 2017 DebriefWe talked about PROTOTYPING in Episode 19"Pick up all the things."At Glitchcon Martha gave a talk about GIT, get her PRESENTATION SLIDES In the notes in her topic VERSION CONTROL "The Stevechievement."Mark's greatest invention the $6 playtester seatThe Soap FactoryIndie MomhoodBekah SaltsmanGame DeveloperHeather Kelley on TwitterAtmocopter0:31:06Game Design PrimerStephen's Game Design Workshop SlidesStephen McGregorConcept art for Fingeance character GwenCharles McGregorThe Magic School Bus “In the Haunted House”FandomWe reference our episode on PLAYTESTING"We are artists and we should be artists."0:48:33Multitasking in Game Development"The Myth of Multitasking"Christine RosenThe New AtlantisThe Importance of Holistic Game DesignDaniel ClarkIGN "If Multitasking Is Impossible, Why Are Some People So Good at It?" Derek ThompsonThe AtlanticWhy your brain likes it when you multi-taskClaudia HammondBBC

This week's roundtable episode features a (mostly) silent co-host: Ikaros the official Glitch HQ office doge! While not distracted by adorableness, Martha gives a primer on Git and version control best practices, Stephen leads a discussion on art direction, and Mark tries to understand PC gamers.Feedback FormGLITCHCON Celebrates A Weekend Of Gaming - Troy Strand, Tech {dot} MN0:03:58Version ControlGitMartha's Git workshop presentation slidesMartha MegarryA Short History of GitgitSourceTreeGItKrakenMerging Unity scenes, prefabs and assets with gitDavid DouglasDeadly FingersGit for Unity DevelopersAlistair Doulin Game DeveloperGitHubBitbucketHerokuPushing to multiple git reposAlex ArmstrongCode School: Learn GitPaolo PerrottaCode School0:33:38Art DirectionIn our episode " Bananas from here to eternity" the third topic in the roundtable is on Developer Art"Bananas, from here to eternity."The Design Bible Behind New York City’s Subway Republished as a Limited-Edition…Kristin HohenadelSlateSPY Fox Series Mini-GamesFandomBehind Borderlands' 11th-hour style changeTor ThorsenGameSpotCiv V Art Director Explains Art Deco LookAdam BiessenerGame InformerAnimation Bootcamp: Cuphead Process and PhilosophyJake ClarkGDC0:54:44Console vs. PC DevelopmentBook Review: The Art of Game DesignDaniel CookValve making big changes to Steam's trading card economyDerek StricklandTweakTownSony Developer ProgramXbox LIVE Creator's programID@XBOXBecoming a Nintendo Switch indie dev will be tough early on Kris Graft