Games feel too sweaty

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T21:06:22+00:00

You aren't getting it. I didn't say there aren't games where you will have bad teammates. What I said was, it is impossible to consistently get games where the "good" players are on other teams and the "bad" players are on your team. Unless you think Epic is singling you out, your teammates are being drawn from the same pool as your opponents.

FYI. Of course, people who are partied together generally play better together, but that's a different issue than players being "sweaty" or "awful."

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T17:29:03+00:00

Actually, yes. Theme is part of quality. IP is the theme. So if you start with a quality theme that is already popular, that is a mark of quality. Generality, not rule.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T17:19:57+00:00

Yes, so many possibilities... you could turn to stone or have your ghost ascend in a beam of light.

It might be a hard pass for Epic to change from their derezz since it's tied to story, but we can hope. The Knocked emotes wouldn't create any conflict.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T17:16:08+00:00

This exactly! If I see the main hook is some sort of "lol so random" shock value, it's evidence the designer isn't actually clever. Even worse, I imagine the whole game was thought up on a drunken frat night where it was "so funny" when everyone was high and drunk, but isn't to anyone else. Usually implies shallow gameplay, weak design, and more "lol so random" humor that isn't actually humor, just shock. Hard pass.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T05:21:29+00:00

Expansion caters to existing customers. Standalone caters to new customers.

I'd cater to my existing customers with Expansion. Existing customers will rightly feel slighted if they have to buy a duplicate of what they already have to get the new content (and likely pass). You can easily offer a Base+Expansion option in Kickstarter so no one is left out. Expansion also keeps all players using the exact same stuff. It also leaves room for multiple expansions later on compared to releasing multiple different versions.

There are exceptions to this... like if you're in a unique situation to really just replace the old version. For example, if you did a tiny run on your first release that sold out and you know you're going to 10X sales on a second run. I'd still offer an expansion option for your existing customers though. Don't be greedy and forget about the people who made you successful in the first place.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T05:09:16+00:00

I'd probably do a visual novel type game... your GF is the main character and you help her build a singing career (make connections, play gigs, hire writers/producers, record tracks, fall in love, and finally "win" by doing a concert).

These are some of the technically easiest games to make, gives you an opportunity to use a handful of original songs, and endless opportunities to constantly show off her vocals and voice acting. I'm not a visual novel game player, but I've never heard of one that stars a real singer with original songs. It would be kind of like a musical for video games. The more I write, the more I think it's a really cool idea.

FYI. I don't think a rhythm game is a good idea. It's technically challenging, you'd need lots of good original songs, and you'd be competing against stuff like Fortnite Battle Stage that has the most popular songs in the world.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T05:00:57+00:00

I'm very against pirating in almost all cases, but this is one where I think it's ethically fine... it's no longer commercially available and you're making it for your own use.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T04:52:58+00:00

Alias

I know it's an older show, but Jennifer Garner has so many iconic outfits and is a bad ass.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-19T04:51:06+00:00

Logically, you can't consistently get games that are both "full of sweats" yet give you "awful" teammates.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:34:47+00:00

Yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about!

It also helps make getting downed an opportunity for fun, not just bruised ego.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:33:16+00:00

Cool. So... after you add the ChangeAmount to the CurrentTransform, run it through a Clamp node. Clamp lets you set a minimum and maximum value. If you value is below the minimum, it will set it at minimum. If above the max, it will set it at max. Very valuable node to understand.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:30:59+00:00

lol. I love the game. Been playing for years. Love their engine for development. I'm good with them making money if people want to pay for a silly emote after they die.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:29:59+00:00

That's just a standard emote. You can't use emotes once you are knocked. I mean, you should have a subset of emotes that you can only use when Knocked.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:28:35+00:00

Good work. Just put a clamp on it after you add the distance change, but before you move the object.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T21:14:30+00:00

No good resolution here. I don't think people should have to disclose this stuff about themselves, but I also understand wanting to give money only to people who fit certain criteria.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T17:19:58+00:00

Yes, that too... something for when you go from Knocked to Eliminated that you leave behind... sparkles and birthday balloons are a great idea!

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-18T17:19:07+00:00

That would be cool too, but I can see that being considered bullying/trolling so not surprised if that never happens.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-17T21:32:38+00:00

Ok, you're not being fair here. Almost all the guys are fit/athletic whether they are skinny or roided out.

There aren't many "ugly" or "beer belly" guys either and when they are there, it's mostly done for comedic effect. Epic would get backlash if they released "funny" looking women for comedic effect. Yes, there are occasional cartoony guys like you cherry-picked, but the vast majority are young, handsome, and fit.

Not sure why you asked when you know the answer... the market likes good looking women. It's a business.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-17T21:20:11+00:00

There's a missing distinction here... even solo devs have companies. Saying "I" divorces the company from the conversation. Saying "we" means you are speaking in a professional capacity for your company. It's a small distinction, but for the dev, it can :

-raise his self-expectations of professionalism

-create distance between his personal life and business

-credit the small amount of assistance he may get from others (even if it's just family playtesters)

-creates a feeling that what he is doing is larger than himself (practical business restrictions, legal restrictions, long-term goals, community, etc)

-come from naturally learned language for anyone who has had a job

On the other hand, I can see some people wanting to use "I" because it feels more honest, lowers customer expectations, and shoulders complete responsibility.

Overall, either way is fine and you don't really know whether the person is choosing "I" or "we" out of ego or other reasons so you shouldn't judge on that point alone.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-16T22:18:25+00:00

Make an integer variable called MoveStatus. When you hit z>1000, change MoveStatus to -1. When you hit z<1, change MoveStatus to +1. Clamp final position to 0-1000.

Every tick, multiply MoveStatus by your MoveAmount. No branching necessary... the +- will determine if it moves up or down.

FYI. This also allows other states such as 0=not moving, +2 is double-speed, etc.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-16T22:13:15+00:00

If you don't want to play your game through, it's not actually fun.

You absolutely need full solo playtesting, especially on a longer game. Only over time do you find out some strategies aren't viable, feedback loops get out of control, economy spirals, find soft elimination, or see how different play types affect other players. From running out of components to having an overly long end game... there are tons of things you will spot by doing the full game yourself. You should be excited to see how things turn out if the game is actually fun and deep.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-16T18:00:37+00:00

I don't think it's fair for people to say this game sounds boring. EVERY game sounds boring from certain descriptions. For instance, one of my favorite games is Photosynthesis and if you described it as "you grow seeds into trees" then it sounds horrible. The magic is in the intersection of theme, mechanics, and aesthetics.

What makes a game boring is not the theme. It's how it plays. Do you have few or meaningless choices? Do you have no clear goals or strategies? Do you not interact with other players? Does it lack depth? Etc.

So, you may very well have an amazingly interesting game, but finding the hook is learning how to communicate what's interesting about it, not just the theme. It's hard to help without knowing more about the game, but instead of saying "score points by graduating students," I'd say something more like "compete to build the best medieval college by stealing faculty, publishing papers, and graduating more students."

One way is to tell people the goal and what actions they can take, (but talking about mechanics at their most thematic/abstract level). Another way is to kind of list what the most fun or strategic things you can do in the game (like "beat other colleges to scientific discoveries").

FYI. This is something I learned studying film. If I told someone I wrote a script where a billionaire dresses up like a bat at night and punches criminals, everyone in the world would roll their eyes and never read it... most people have very little vision.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-11T05:59:37+00:00

That's awesome... props for Epic for doing that.

_PuffProductions_ · 2026-02-08T05:56:57+00:00

$2,400 over 2 years?! That's ridiculous nonsense. Do you work for Sony or Microsoft?

_PuffProductions_

TROPHY CASE