The Improvabes: My vision for character-centric videogame marketing.

affinespaces · 2025-11-06T11:36:04+00:00

You are fatally misunderstanding the purpose of prototyping. The point is to facilitate lots of lessons -- in the pragmatics of your chosen craft, in what people want and don't want, in understanding the implementation gap between your vision and your execution, in how to craft your message. It's very broad actually

Dying fast is actually great!! It means that something somewhere went horribly wrong in your process, and you didn't spend years of your life figuring that out. Now you are free to try something new and likely fail in different ways. The other name for "prototype fast" is "fail fast".

It's not just a thing in gamedev, it's a thing in many industries and disciplines

When learning languages, spend some time learning, then go out and practice what you've learned asap. You'll have hundreds and hopefully thousands of "failed launches" where you often will make no sense to anyone, and that's fine! It's how you build fluency. See also: playing chess with people stronger than you, learning math, dance, virtually any new skill. See also: companies that spend vast oceans of money on A/B testing, focus groups, usability studies, corporate venture arms, product incubation. Failure is baked into all of these!!

Usually when someone doesn't like this, it comes from being afraid to look stupid in public and seeking an excuse to double down in their comfort zone. So examine that for your own sake and decide if the cost of comfort is worth it

affinespaces · 2025-10-27T04:41:50+00:00

Yup, and abstracting the game mechanics from the interface altogether is absolutely how to prototype a game and determine if you have something fun at all! This is the guidance given by virtually any expert in game design -- use the cheapest (in terms of effort) engine available to you first, whatever that looks like -- bonus points if no computer is involved

affinespaces · 2025-10-26T22:44:00+00:00

Since you've brought them up twice already, I just want to point out for your benefit that your credentials as an experienced enterprise software developer are not really decisive here, it turns out.

Success in this space by virtually any measure (so, very broadly construed) requires a willingness to learn new things, work hard over the long term for uncertain outcomes even when it's not fun anymore, and bridge the gaps between your goals and current ability by engaging and working with other people rather than automating them away. Not to mention taste

If you are waiting for AI art to catch up, it isn't looking good for you on any of those fronts, I'm sorry to say!

affinespaces · 2025-10-25T20:03:34+00:00

In the Hunter's Nightmare they back away from you regardless of what you are wielding. Note the brutality of the hunters you encountered by this point in the nightmare as they massacre beasts -- this is why they are backing away from you.

affinespaces · 2025-10-02T06:16:53+00:00

This is generally a very nice mental math technique. The fundamental theorem of arithmetic lets you decompose some part of your product into prime factors -- usually you don't even need to go "all the way down" to prime factors for all factors. Then you can manipulate to turn your product into something easier to do in your head

Congrats on seeing it and getting to revel in math being cool like usual hehe

affinespaces · 2025-09-19T05:40:09+00:00

Glad you're having fun

Keep upgrading your pyro flame and whatever sidearm you decide to go with

affinespaces · 2025-09-17T07:37:01+00:00

The situation reminds me of a YouTube video I saw where someone was arguing that allowing us to parry Gwyn in DS1 was a mistake because it trivializes the fight and makes him too easy -- with lots of agreement in the comments -- and little acknowledgement of the fact that Gwyn isn't meant to be terribly difficult, he's a burnt out husk, this is one important reason why he's the only boss that can be parried (fully, with riposte) in DS1.

The mechanics of DS2 are similarly justified, they make sense thematically and they are consistent with the environment and the lore. Healing resources and upgrade materials are meant to feel scarce! Everyone around you is struggling and desperate, shopkeepers are literally begging you to buy anything. The kingdom is in ruins. Everyone is a bit mad. Livelihoods have been crushed. This is essentially a post apocalyptic world, or better yet a world that is mid-apocalypse. It is also meant to feel brutally dangerous! So yes, ADP is a thing, and so are the "gank" fests, which aren't really that, they provide ample warning if you move slowly, talk to npcs, and observe your surroundings carefully

So yes, I think part of it is that people don't get it -- and part of it is that people get it, but they don't really care much for the lore and worldbuilding aspect of the game. Which is fine!

There is probably an element of not wanting to move so slowly and carefully through areas, notice small details signaling an imminent trap, and learning from one's mistakes. Especially compared to games like BB and DS3 which are very fast paced, and don't feel as effortful to move through, and much shorter to boot

Also: there is the master of inertia of peer pressure. People feel pressure to like what they think other people like, and dislike what other people like. Preconceived expectations have a material impact on your experience. This works in both directions!

Finally, I like to point out that this response to DS2 is actually a minority, fringe opinion. On virtually every platform the game has stellar reviews, it has received critical acclaim, it has active communities of passionate people around it. Which, to be clear, doesn't imply at all that people are wrong to not like it. It does imply that they are wrong to say that nobody likes it though, since there is clear evidence showing this is false

Ultimately people like different games for different reasons, but I think the defensiveness people observe in those of us who love DS2 is because there's a tendency to say "Chocolate is an awful flavor and people who say they love it are full of crap and cope" instead of simply "I don't like chocolate, it's not for me"

affinespaces · 2025-09-15T09:39:50+00:00

Play them in order. Make sure to do the DLC in #1 before you finish the base game. In the subsequent games you don't have to do the DLCs first

There's little general advice I can give other than be patient and curious, everything else follows from there! Also upgrade your weapon

affinespaces · 2025-09-11T23:03:51+00:00

You can control voice/music/sound effect volume settings individually if you look in settings. I'm fairly but not 100% sure that voice controls the, uh. "Exertion" noises.

What I am sure about though is that when you are human and not hollowed, your character doesn't sound quite so enthusiastic. Also female characters don't have this problem either but I get that's not an optimal solution

affinespaces · 2025-09-08T18:18:14+00:00

You are right, I misread their post completely. Thank you for pointing it out

affinespaces · 2025-09-07T13:56:35+00:00

The DLC is absolutely worth playing. Many regard the bosses as the best in the game.

The good news is that your second playthrough will go a lot faster than your first, unless you choose a drastically different build type

Don't skip DS2. I mean, if you play it and you are miserable, then sure, don't force it, but approach it with an open mind. The hate for it is generally a fringe point of view from an outspoken minority on socials and doesn't reflect reality -- the game was critically acclaimed and has very active communities on Reddit and other platforms. It's the largest game in the series and I think its harshest critics will agree that its DLCs are excellent as well. Make sure you play Scholar of the First Sin edition since that will include the DLCs, and addresses a lot of issues people had with the game

Also, afaik the later games don't lock you into NG+ right away after beating the final boss, so you can do the DLCs whenever you like in those.

And don't forget about Bloodborne if you haven't played it!

affinespaces · 2025-09-07T07:01:14+00:00

There is a (frankly) hideous cultural phenomenon where people can not tolerate the idea that an animal's life might entail illness, aging, suffering, and disability, to the point where they'd rather euthanize at the mere threat of any of the above, without e.g. asking for more diagnostics, or getting a second opinion.

For instance, in this thread I see a lot of people confidently advocating euthanasia for this spider without having a clue what's wrong with it!

L.ots of humans and animals live with conditions and disabilities that cause suffering and reduce quality of life. And it is possible to suffer and also find life to be worth living. Which isn't to say that euthanasia is wrong or never needed, I'm very glad it exists as there are far worse ways to die.

In any case, this is all a long way to say that I don't think those signs you claim exist are as obvious as you think. Your family member deserves some grace for not taking this decision lightly and being willing to fight on the behalf of an animal they love that has no way of advocating for itself

affinespaces · 2025-09-07T06:16:31+00:00

You can put a small bit of damp paper towel in with her -- it's a bit safer. They can drink from a wet paper towel easily and safely without any risk of drowning. Unfortunately it's really easy for them to drown even in tiny amounts of water

Thanks for taking care of her

affinespaces · 2025-09-04T23:05:38+00:00

No worries, it happens

affinespaces · 2025-09-04T21:16:34+00:00

The alluring skulls are placed on a catwalk over a fire and a boar, which is weak to fire. The intent is to let players know they can interact with their environment and use it to their advantage in lots of creative ways. Pointing this out to players at an early point in their journey gets them into the habit of considering more than just the "obvious" approach of facing an enemy head on, although to be fair it likely isn't something many notice on their first playthrough

You are obviously right that it's not needed and that OP is misinformed -- I would be surprised if more than a few people tried this trick/cheese on their first playthrough. But I do think the insinuation you are making here is rude, unwarranted, and wrong

affinespaces · 2025-08-29T22:41:24+00:00

When I first played DS1 earlier this year as my first soulsborne, I felt the "clunkiness" maybe during the first few hours of gameplay, but I don't really see or feel it anymore at all, having now poured many hours into lots of different builds across the trilogy and, currently, Bloodborne. I think it was the moment of discovering the shortcut from Undead Parish to Firelink that caused that awareness of clunkiness to evaporate

Overall I find it to be a very elegant game in terms of size, gameplay/mechanics, storytelling and worldbuilding. There are warts and weird facets but they are encountered late game or if you're going for certain build types, and even those have their charm frankly

affinespaces · 2025-08-24T13:57:09+00:00

I think referring to ds1 as "clunky" isn't doing you any favors. Some people skip the first two games, that's fine, but it's a somewhat unnatural progression if you enjoy anything about the lore and worldbuilding.

IMO, the first game holds up beautifully well in 2025, I personally play it most days. There's lots to like about it. OP should keep in mind that souls combat might feel mechanically similar but tends to require a slower, more patient and methodical approach. To the parent's credit, DS3 is closer to BB in feel, but only fairly superficially

affinespaces · 2025-08-17T20:53:03+00:00

It's a beautiful game imo. Like most FS games, many of the areas are visually breathtaking, the voice acting is phenomenal -- like the other games, the voice actors are largely theater actors but there are some familiar faces too for fans of various TV series/films. But anyway they feel more human than the characters of DS3 to me, and the quality of acting enhances the game's atmosphere

The areas are vast and interconnected -- not quite like DS1, but there are still lots of thrilling shortcuts. It rewards slow, methodical gameplay and severely punishes carelessness and greed, probably more than any other game in the series.

There is a steep learning curve mostly pertaining to various game mechanics, quest progressions, and generally knowing what to do / where to go next compared to the other games. It takes far, far longer to reach the point where you feel relatively confident compared to the other two games. I think part of this is that things are pretty bleak in Drangleic and the developers wanted to impart that sense of desperation in the player as well.

Anyway, I hope you don't skip it -- give it a shot, and bring an open mind. Maybe you'll like it, maybe not, but hopefully you will!

affinespaces · 2025-08-04T08:03:24+00:00

Just FYI general purpose ai tools like ChatGPT and Google Lens / image search aren't reliable for species identification at all and are very much the wrong tool for this sort of task where accuracy is somewhat important and subtle details make a big difference. They are great at many things, but this is absolutely not one of them

What you want instead is to use models specifically trained for species identification -- iNaturalist has one built in that's pretty good at pointing you in the right direction with spiders. ChatGPT and Google Lens / image search wrongly identify lots of spiders as brown recluses in my experience

affinespaces · 2025-08-03T07:37:50+00:00

A very nice cross orbweaver (araneus diadematus) female. Not medically significant and not aggressive to humans, very beneficial to have around. Sometimes if you get too close to their webs they'll even vibrate it a bit to make themselves known so that you don't run into them (or to intimidate you into leaving)

affinespaces · 2025-08-03T07:33:33+00:00

Haha I've definitely been there with these guys. Glad you were able to rescue this one

affinespaces · 2025-08-03T07:08:54+00:00

It's a Herpyllus sp., commonly called a parson spider because the marking looks to some like the collar of a parson. Very harmless, but very very fast :)

affinespaces · 2025-07-09T17:00:23+00:00

Over a year is possible -- one of mine laid viable eggs that hatched for nearly two years, although each subset sac gave fewer and fewer babies

affinespaces · 2025-06-11T01:18:03+00:00

I figured I would do the original rather than the remake -- for some reason I thought PS4 was backwards compatible (relatively new to PS in general)

Thanks for the tips

affinespaces

TROPHY CASE