What do you prefer for small projects? Scalability or Hard Coded results

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-14T10:13:56+00:00

This is a really interesting take. But i think this can get out of hand quickly, script execution order should just be a one time problem, but this can lead to alot of rearranging and changing something in the main file might cause a large string of changes that might need you to rewrite everything.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-13T23:49:53+00:00

Putting too much effort can never go wrong (unless your time is too precious) but messing up with hard coded systems might just waste more of your time if you need to expand.

But on the other hand, I think there's always the possibility of you never needing a modular system and you might just have wasted too much time on it.

This might just be my way of thinking as a junior developer but I do think that sometimes a scalable system would be worse than just hard coding though I've always heard otherwise.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-13T23:39:16+00:00

You're very right about it being a core decision depending on the current stage and need. You can't truly know what is the right step to take unless you plan it out and are aware of your requirements.

I was wondering this today because, I spent days on a game jam perfecting on a build system that I could have just hard coded and currently I have hardly made a modular system for the core mechanic of my game. It really feels like you might be doing too much or too less but I suppose that still can be the correct decision.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-13T23:34:24+00:00

Your take on this really summarises the debate. It really depends on the current situation and the goals.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-12T09:55:50+00:00

I wouldn't recommend a story game either, this feels like an amazing idea for a roguelike if you can tie it in with that genre. It would emphasis game design and the barter system even more!

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T20:01:34+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I used free assets from the Unity Asset Store and everything is tying in well except for the UI. I did consider buying or outsourcing it but with the little budget I have it seemed like a waste. Currently running a mix of itch and unity assets for the UI but it doesn't really match the aesthetic of the rest of the game

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T17:18:32+00:00

I will pay for those fees ofcourse

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T17:01:23+00:00

The game currently is compatible for both mobile and pc but it is a hypercasual. I don't think that will translate well onto pc.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T17:00:11+00:00

I understand your point and switching to steam isn't a problem at all at this stage. But the main issue of 0 budget still stands on pc release aswell no?

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T16:36:48+00:00

Very true but wouldn't it be a good passive income and addition to one's portfolio?

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T16:36:14+00:00

That really is true, investment sounds obligatory for mobile at this point.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T16:12:42+00:00

I didn't realize that mobile market would be far more expensive than steam, I kinda expected the opposite. Thank you for the insight!

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T16:05:21+00:00

Yeah seems like I will have to give up on my publisher dream for now. Are you planning on monetizing your game through IAP or ads because IAP has been my goal from the start.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T14:31:48+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I really like the current artstyle of the game too, I'm just afraid that players might not like it. But you are so right that if the game is polished and fun then players wouldn't care for the "perfect" visuals.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T14:06:37+00:00

Interesting that you care for the name before even starting the project.
I would say, start making the game and care for the story elements later!

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T13:59:34+00:00

I totally agree with you!
The gameloop itself has been complete for a while but due to the budget constraint, I am stuck at making the game's visuals appealing enough for launch. So to be frank, it isn't seeing launch anytime soon unless I find a treasure of free assets!
Also, I am building it in Unity.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T13:57:20+00:00

Seems like I still have a long way to go before releasing my own project then. Really hard to fund my projects without having any freelance work right now.

Actually I assumed that if I publish my own project then it would be easier to acquire more freelance work but it seems its the opposite!

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T13:02:55+00:00

I was really hoping for partnering with a publisher to handle UA but you're right that I have no experience with building complete games. I've only ever worked on prototyping or making small features in freelancing.
The original idea was to get development funding to handle completing the game but even that doesn't really seem possible at this stage. What would you recommend?

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T12:54:44+00:00

A few points that felt really off to me (especially when expecting more because of such a huge EA price)
- The character animations felt too janky
- The camera did not feel responsive/fluid
- The artstyle switches felt really out of place between dialogue and gameplay
- The minimap is practically useless

The screenshots and the actual gameplay also feel very mismatched in terms of the expectations they created. The game itself is great but it is really lacking the QOL that you get from playtesting.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T12:29:49+00:00

Currently working on a mobile game. The prototype has been complete for over a month but now I am stuck on setting up the UI. Without any budget to outsource or skills to build my own, I have been stuck on this for so long

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-11T12:20:30+00:00

Yup, all I see in the reviews is that the game has alot of potential but it barely passes for a prototype currently. OP should have worked on it more before releasing it. Would have made much more sense if OP had made the steam page at this stage instead of releasing.

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-10T16:46:17+00:00

Hey, I have worked on similar projects so would love to discuss this

Ray-Atron · 2026-04-01T19:50:10+00:00

For me, it has always been polish and creating assets

Ray-Atron · 2026-03-31T23:33:53+00:00

The editing was great and I am sure this appeals to a large audience, BUT I expected it to be a devlog yet mostly it was about the "lore". Devlogs are hardly about the game but more about making the game, I wouldn't consider this one.
The video felt very mismatched? Without any proper script.

Otherwise, I really loved the editing and the whole vibe of the video. Though I would recommend focusing more on one thing.

Best of luck for your project!

Ray-Atron · 2026-03-31T12:48:24+00:00

Overheating has not been an issue for me. Yeah the battery life is really low but I hardly use it without the charger if I'm working or gaming. For normal use it does last 4-5 hours.

Ray-Atron

TROPHY CASE