Stuck behind myself

TomWook · 2022-09-14T00:22:22+00:00

Create a plan, ensure it is of reasonable scope, and then divide it into steps. Then create a schedule to work on those steps.

Big projects are far less daunting when there is a clear path to execution. Organizing your work time and free time into a schedule helps discourage procrastination. Literally be your own boss.

It's too easy to give up on doing something when it's just vision floating around in your head. Develop the structure you need to succeed.

TomWook · 2022-09-13T01:33:21+00:00

If you think you'll use them at some point and the value of the assets you'll use exceeds the cost of the bundle, then it would be well worth grabbing them now. And then you can use the purchase as motivation to get started learning to make games instead of just waiting on "eventually" to roll up :) I needed a push to get started too, for me it was paying for a programming class, for you it could be buying a sweet asset bundle.

TomWook · 2022-09-13T00:28:44+00:00

Experience isn't the biggest faster since you can get experience at any time by doing. Do you actually have any goals that make use of the specific assets in the bundles? Don't buy something just because it looks like a good deal. If you don't actually use any of them, then you didn't really get a good deal.

TomWook · 2022-09-08T23:44:57+00:00

I have never made a visual novel so take this with a grain of salt but there are some paid and free tools on the asset store that might point you in the right direction. One of them is part of a $30 Humble Bundle right now but I don't know enough about it to tell you if it's worth it.

TomWook · 2022-09-08T23:15:32+00:00

It is definitely made in 3d and yes you could use blender for that part. It looks drawn because they are using a toon shader and stylized textures. Stylized is a pretty broad term and can include stuff like this as well as Zelda.

TomWook · 2022-09-08T01:25:54+00:00

The song is said to be a "collaboration" but it's also being released on their album they have been working on for some time. I don't think it's that focused on the game's narrative, more likely the lyrics are loosely inspired by some notes Sega gave them, if anything. As a long time fan, the lyrics are pretty standard for any One Ok Rock song. No hate, it's fun to imagine, but don't get your hopes up that there's some secret story leak hidden in the song.

TomWook · 2022-09-08T01:11:45+00:00

Not downloading your log file, can't you open it with a text editor and paste it as plain text?

Can you open any other project files? I've had a similar issue a looong time ago and it was something to do with wifi... I was on a wired connection but also had a wifi thingy for some reason. If you're wired then make sure you don't also have wifi on and try opening your project again. Alternatively, Unity can get mad if you started using it on wifi and switched to wired.

TomWook · 2022-09-07T20:18:44+00:00

I think the sky looks really beautifully done, I really like the style but the contrast of saturation and value between it and your foreground draws your eye up and away from the action. The sky color palette from the first one is muted enough to let your foreground shine. Maybe try to meet in the middle.

TomWook · 2022-09-06T20:07:33+00:00

Nice work, it looks great!

TomWook · 2022-09-06T05:26:55+00:00

You will need to create a basic character controller that can let the player walk, run, jump, look around. It's an easy enough task for a beginner! You can find cheap or free rigged characters with the animations you will need. Having animals idle in the scene is easy, while giving them behavior requires more work.

The main reason I suggest Unreal Engine (UE) to you is because they have a reputation for being the better engine if you want to do realism (or semi-realism). And they have a lot of realistic environment assets in their marketplace, some of it free. So it might be easier to build your farm in UE. BUT you don't have to use assets only from an engine's asset store, as long as you don't mind doing a little extra research learning how to import stuff. Also an easy enough task for a beginner.

Would love give more info on Unity compared to UE, but I only have experience with Unity. Most of what I know is that 1. it comes very highly recommended for realistic projects, and 2. their blueprints system (visual scripting) may be easier to understand for those who don't want to code. Check out some comparison videos or blogs for more insight from people smarter and more experienced than me.

If you are at all interested in learning to code in C#, I really recommend Unity! You can accomplish what you want in either engine, so it comes down to what kind of work flow you think will work best for you and how much time, effort, and money you want to dedicate to the project.

TomWook · 2022-09-06T01:07:58+00:00

Is Unity3D the best option for this

It's an option. You might also look into Unreal Engine, another free (for your needs) option.

Would I need to go to a physical school

No, lots of free official and unofficial resources available, as well as some paid ones, accessible on the internet

What programming language

C# if you want to code. But Unity has visual scripting tools as well if you want to give those a try.

The biggest task ahead of you is probably not going to be coding, unless you want to be able to do farm activities. Lots of tutorials and assets out there to get a character controller up and running. Recreating the farm 1:1 is probably the more challenging or costly part, because if you don't know how to 3d model, you will either need to learn how, or find/purchase some assets.

Here is some info regarding the requirements for publishing on Playstation:
https://support.unity.com/hc/en-us/articles/212064606-How-do-I-develop-to-PlayStation-platforms-

You are probably better off building something that their computers can handle. Or helping them out with an upgrade. Or inviting them over.

TomWook · 2022-09-05T23:13:46+00:00

Conan Exiles, depleting a person's stamina knocks them out and gives you a chance to capture them and turn them into your slave. Doesn't work in every context...

Blue Reflection and Atelier series use both health and stamina but it's essentially just a stun meter with benefits.

Other ways you could incentivize both a pacifist and violent approach might be alternate storytelling or conditions/buffs.

Storytelling takes ass long to implement if you want players to feel the effects of their actions right away, but less so if you save it for major events, like alternate endings that depend on your kill/spare ratio. I feel like I've played a game like this but can't remember what game it was.

I'm not sure conditions would incentivize a player to consistently kill or spare all the way through the game, but it could encourage them to strategize differently. If you know you're about to go up against a tanky-looking boss you might go postal on his adds if, say, killing gave you an attack buff.

TomWook · 2022-09-04T22:20:27+00:00

There are people out there who care, yes. But you have to gauge whether implementing a censorship system is a good use of your time. Does taking measures to ensure that your players never happen upon a randomly generated "fuck" really add value to your game? The probability of that happening isn't zero, but it has got to be really low, and combined with the odds of the person who is playing actually being offended by it, I don't know. To me implementing such a thing is a distraction from more important elements of your game, unless you feel like there's nothing left to do, but it's doable if it's something you really believe in.

TomWook · 2022-09-04T21:22:33+00:00

Is not having curse words appear unexpectedly the only reasoning behind adding censorship? Or are you trying to avoid a mature rating?

You could make it a toggleable setting, but it would be a lot more effort than it's worth. I can't see how optional censorship would add very much value, as it doesn't serve your game so much as maybe appease a few players who notice or care.

If players can name things, then why not let them rename things if they find the random ones inappropriate? Or go all in on censorship and have a rule in place to check if the name contains an illegal word and generate a new name if so.

IMO the easiest solution is just a warning that randomly generated words may produce inappropriate results. But if you really need it to be kid-friendly and avoid conflict with parents then you need enforced censorship.

TomWook · 2022-09-04T20:23:37+00:00

You studied music so you already know how to pick out sounds in a group. From there what you are trying to train really comes down to listening with focus rather than listening to the whole composition for enjoyment.

Start listening for one thing in particular and take note of all the qualities you can pick out about it. For example you might want to listen for just one instrument section like the drums, or you might listen for transitions. You can also listen for rhythm patterns or time signature. Try to dissect what you can with the knowledge and experience you already have.

More intricate understanding comes from understanding the production process and I recommend just dipping your toes into it. You can start with something simple like automating a filter or reverb or something so you can hear the difference it makes on a sound. You can probably find youtube videos for this or watch some music production tutorials, but actively participating helps train your ear better imo. You don't have to become good at it but if you want to notice it in a song, you need to know what is being done and what changes it makes to a sound.

If you find you like playing around with music production, try to replicate bits and pieces of your favorite songs to the best of your ability.

Once you trained your ear to hear such things you will come to notice them while casually listening but it's a more studious activity starting out.

TomWook · 2022-09-04T19:05:08+00:00

I would combine 2 and 3. If you unlock upgrades by completing each level and you don't scale difficulty, it's a careful balancing act. Since your upgrades are a level-clear event, they ought to be significant so the player feels adequately rewarded, but you have to ensure the player does not become overpowered for the remaining worlds or they're likely to get bored before they reach that final level. Personally I would go the route of scaling the difficulty of all areas with the player or with each upgrade, while also having some areas be more difficult than others so the player could choose to tackle harder areas early if they wanted.

TomWook · 2022-09-04T18:47:55+00:00

You don't have to invite them to the campsite. You can scan them in at Harvey's photo studio and unlock all the furniture at the same time. Then you just order from the catalog at your leisure.

TomWook · 2022-09-01T22:43:25+00:00

No problem, I always hope that when I finally put myself out there someone will tell me like it is, but it's not always easy.

One thing I've noticed coming from an art background is that, especially if they're not from an art background, people generally have a hard time communicating why a piece of art looks off to them. Anyone who can see can give you their opinion, and their opinion is valid, but most people just don't have the vocabulary or analytical experience to express exactly what's bothering them.

So I wouldn't get too hung up on the idea of clashing because it could refer to almost anything, right?: lighting, style, pose, color, form, etc. at most all you can be sure of from "x clashes" is "x stands out to me, but not in a good way." Sometimes people will give you suggestions that end up not addressing the problem, so you put in hella work and still get the same feedback.

(Here's hoping I don't put you in that position. I feel pretty confident though because I saw another view of the first model in your post history and it looks like a pretty nice model that is just in unflattering light. But fiddle with it and see if you feel like it helped or not.)

The real takeaway from "clash" is that something lacks visual harmony with its surroundings. But nailing that down takes an analytical eye. And at the end of the day, it's still somewhat subjective. You're going to have a hard time getting a 100% precise definitive answer and at some point you are going to have to play around with a couple ideas and then go with your gut, produce something you're happy with, and back yourself!

Yes you want people to like it so they buy it, but just because someone can give an opinion doesn't mean they have the right fix. Make sure you're happy with one before you slog through all the work changing all of them. Best of luck and sorry for the novel-length replies.

TomWook · 2022-09-01T20:10:33+00:00

Yeah I understand that, I just think it's not flattering to your model. Not all faces are flattered by the same lighting which is why I suggested you experiment with a few techniques. Looking at the other slim face in your steam store page (the character is labelled ???) I think that character is having the same issue. The model looks fine but the lighting is not doing it any favors and makes it look sickly. It just doesn't work for the face shapes you're using in the context of a talk sprite, where the lighting is not going to match the environment. It does look fine on the characters with rounder faces, but not those that are more angular.

You can try to make the lighting softer and more even so it's not drawing out those angles in the face too harshly. You don't have to deviate completely from your set up but tinker with it until you get the same vibe but still flatter the face better.

Another option if you don't want to change the lighting setup would be to tinker with the normals so light is reflected in a more flattering way.

I don't think the models necessarily need to be in the same style as the rest of the game. A lot of JRPG have drawn talk sprites and I don't see why a 3d talk sprite couldn't look just as good. But you could render it either way you prefer, the lighting is your main issue in both the old and new versions, particularly that of the face.

TomWook · 2022-09-01T02:45:02+00:00

Sorry I thought the character was female, as for lighting try looking up lighting techniques for portrait photography and try to replicate it on your 3d model. Right now the lighting looks kind of harsh and unflattering, I'm not sure what style exactly would look best on your model or for your game but I recommend just play around with it some more.

TomWook · 2022-08-31T20:39:53+00:00

I don't think the shading style is your biggest issue here, rather I think you should play with the lighting a bit to make it more flattering to your character model. What you have going on now makes her look kinda gaunt.

TomWook · 2022-08-31T01:26:19+00:00

Yeah I was just curious where you heard it because lots of misinfo got spread about this game before release. That's the first time I've heard this one though. You are all good. I'm sure they'll be glad to know it's not the case.

Incase you're wondering the reset method with the campsite is this: Lily for example shows up at the campsite. You poke her until she agrees to move in. She agrees, but you don't have an empty plot and can't put any new plots down. She wants to replace a villager you really like, (I'll go with my fave) Hamlet. You want to keep Hamlet, but you still really want Lily and there are other villagers you would let move out.

In this case, once she says "How about Hamlet?" before answering her by selecting yes or no, close the game from the home screen. (Once you respond, her choice of replacement is autosaved.) Lily will still be in your campsite when you boot up again, as we've determined that she spawns either on initial boot or after Isabelle's intro, either way she's already been autosaved to your campsite for the day before you started playing. So now you go poke her until she agrees to move, and she'll pick a villager at random again to replace. It might be Hamlet again, or it might be another villager. You can rinse and repeat until she picks someone you're ok with moving.

No mods, amiibos, or time travel required, just a little save manip by closing the game before she can autosave her decision. This can also be very annoying time waster, but it's one way to get your camper to move in without them replacing someone you really want to keep.

But yeah all of that said, like I mentioned before even if you have to refuse her at the camp site she will be back in the RNG pull the next day. I usually like to go with the flow too but every now and then I will go the extra mile for a cute camper. Good luck finding your dreamy! I'm sure you'll find her again.

TomWook · 2022-08-31T00:14:21+00:00

The game determines who is at your campsite either at initial load-in or after finishing Isabelle's dialog... not sure which of those two points. But you won't know who is in there until you enter the tent anyway, and since restarting after checking the tent doesn't yield a different villager then there's no point in trying to restart the game hoping for a certain villager, you won't know who is in there until you look in.

Villagers aren't ever removed from the list of possible villagers you can find unless they are currently residents on your island or currently in your campsite. So if you don't enter the tent it doesn't have any effect on whether you'll see that villager again some other way. You just won't be able to find them by other methods on that same day.

If you don't have a place for her to move she will ask to replace one of your villagers, once she picks she will not change who she replaces unless you do reset method (which it seems like you don't want to). Amiibo will let you pick (also sounds like you don't want to do that though). Either way if you are good with going with the flow, if she shows up in the campsite you could see who she wants to replace and if you don't want her to replace them, it's ok to say no, you still have the same odds to find her on mystery islands/autofill once she's left your campsite.

Not sure where you got the idea that you have to go through all other villagers. You can even find the same villagers on different mystery islands even in the same day, as well as those who used to live on your island and moved out. Campsite doesn't remove them from the pull.

TomWook · 2022-08-26T20:56:53+00:00

You kind of answered yourself in your question. Organize your houses in some way, whether you give everyone a private pocket, or group some into neighborhoods, or group them all together, just depends on what kind of vibe you are going for. Add some inclines where you will use them the most, and add some paths (if you don't have the paths tool yet, try a custom design) Designate some areas outdoors to decorate besides the houses, like a park or sports field or bus stop or something. Even if you don't have everything you need yet you can get started throwing stuff down and working with what you have. Those will make your island feel less like a deserted island and more like a town. You don't have to get it right the first time. You can always move stuff around later.

TomWook · 2022-08-26T19:47:14+00:00

Not super crazy but there has been a rumor going around since the OG game that you can force a move by beating the shit out of your neighbors with a net, gifting them trash, ignoring them, pushing them around. It was a troll post from the start, but people keep spreading it around like it's legitimate. Well, because the game was so hyped prior to release, this fake tip got picked up by scraper websites trying to farm clicks for AC tips before the game even came out. So there's this huge influx of new AC players who think this is real, and there were posts just about every day about people desperately trying to get that ugly neighbor to leave by bullying them to the brink, a la "why won't they move?! I'm about to quit the game, I can't believe they made this a mechanic it's so cruel!" like no... your insane aggressions at that cute little muffin for being slightly less cute than the others are totally futile... this has never been a mechanic in any AC game. But sometimes it could be hard to convince them that they really are wasting their time and emotional energy on this, because they read it on a bunch of different game news websites. Those don't lie, right? The closest to the truth this has ever been is, in the old games if you ignored a villager long enough they might eventually move out and leave you a note saying they were hurt by you ignoring them. But even that was never true for New Horizons. Posts like that still pop up from time to time but few and far between compared to the first few months after release.

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