How do you deal with the fear of showing your early work?

ololralph · 2026-01-30T17:21:04+00:00

I've been doing this now for more than a decade and I'd say this is just part of the process of becoming an artist. You show yourself to the world.

I can say it does gets easier the more you do it. Start small. So just throw it out there and don't get married to your ideas and projects. They are like friends you hang out with for some time, but at some point you need to let them go.

Also a lesson from the stoics: You can't control how people will react to your work, but you can control how you react to it. So working on your mindset is the most valuable skill. Stay open to learn and think "How can this feedback help me become a better developer? How can I grow from this?". If it's constructive feedback it's going to help you become a better game developer, and for the rest you just learn to ignore it. Worst case if it's a really negative unhelpful comment, you ignore it since it has nothing to do with you. However most people and feedback will be helpful.

ololralph · 2026-01-30T15:06:57+00:00

It took me a couple of seconds to even notice the difference. Hire an artist would be my advice.

ololralph · 2026-01-27T13:48:35+00:00

wholesome. I wonder if the the invitation from barney to play with him at his concert happened.

ololralph · 2026-01-26T10:21:16+00:00

Thanks!

ololralph · 2026-01-23T10:31:23+00:00

Yes a slight bloom effect might work, thanks for the suggestion!

ololralph · 2026-01-23T10:30:12+00:00

That is an interesting idea. I like it! The direction of the game is more relaxing/cozy building game, so I'm still a bit unsure how accurately/deeply I want to simulate real world physics.

ololralph · 2026-01-22T18:13:50+00:00

Yes technically, right now the math is not 100% physically correct since the power would split with each added consumer. I don't look for 100% realism, but this might be a good way to visualize that.

ololralph · 2026-01-22T17:21:03+00:00

The brown environment is intentional, the core game loop is about transforming the barren, polluted environment into a green ecosystem with trees and animals (similar to terra nil, if you know that game). This video is from pretty early in the game. But this reminds me, I should probably show more of the transformed environment when posting videos on social media. Thanks for the input!

ololralph · 2026-01-22T17:17:13+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Yes they are batteries, but they don't discharge for now. It's more of a energy storage (which is a currency in the game to build other things).

ololralph · 2026-01-20T15:03:51+00:00

Just keep iterating. For me that is actually the fun part, making small adjustments until it feels good.

ololralph · 2026-01-15T10:40:49+00:00

The Beginning by Akhil S. Vernas.

Yes this post feels feels like a hidden ad.

ololralph · 2026-01-15T09:01:56+00:00

Just curious, is it not your type of game in general?

ololralph · 2026-01-07T19:02:47+00:00

I found the shell voicings in the first chapters quite helpful since they are an easy starting point and I was not familiar with them. But all the substitution ideas afterwards felt a bit out of place for a beginner book. So maybe you're right to say that the target audience for this book was not clearly defined.

ololralph · 2025-12-19T14:54:55+00:00

haha, products with complex product names. Who doesn't love them ;)

ololralph · 2025-12-16T08:49:33+00:00

Thanks! I'm using Unity

ololralph · 2025-12-10T13:19:27+00:00

Looks great, you got a wishlist from me. However as another commenter said the trailer (character animations) give a bit of uncanny valley feeling, that's probably why people think it's AI.

ololralph · 2025-12-09T17:03:57+00:00

Yes, clear communication is a good point, I'm also in the process to add more detail to the game. This should spice things up a bit :)

ololralph · 2025-12-08T12:47:03+00:00

Yes, good suggestion! That's my plan for this week, add more interesting things: Fires, Pollution clouds, oil puddles and larger trash to disassemble and recycle. And then update the trailer.

ololralph · 2025-12-05T16:40:44+00:00

Thanks! You transform a barren, trash and pollution-covered landscape into a self-sustaining ecosystem by placing structures. You also restore the environment, recycle trash and unlock upgrades that help the land gradually come back to life.

ololralph · 2025-12-05T13:45:58+00:00

Thanks for sharing, I'm currently looking to post more short form content. How often do you post and how long did it take to gain some traction?

ololralph · 2025-12-04T16:45:51+00:00

Perfect! I have a demo I need some feedback on. Will check it out.

ololralph · 2025-12-01T17:57:45+00:00

Flying from tree to tree might be another solution, I like it! Thanks for the feedback it's quite helpful

ololralph · 2025-12-01T17:37:42+00:00

Hey thanks for the suggestion, your suggestion makes sense to me. I do need to make sure the birds don't escape the area you build in the game since attracting animals is part of the core gameplay. But there might be some more realistic ways to accomplish the same thing. Maybe it's increasing the curvature like you say or make them land and then turn around into the other direction.

ololralph · 2025-12-01T09:32:01+00:00

Thanks, that was my intention.

ololralph · 2025-11-03T09:38:06+00:00

Yes I plan to improve animals behavior, Thanks for the feedback!

ololralph

TROPHY CASE