CT Community Evening - 28 August 2019

damousey

This event happens monthly, is free to attend, and anyone may speak at the meetup - just comment beneath to let us know! This is for anyone and everyone interested in making games of any shape, size or type. Come join us!

Test games! Talk games! Make games!

When: 18:30 until around 21:30, Last Wednesday of the month

Where: Bandwidth Barn - 68 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925

If you have a demo you want played, bring a station on which people can play it, and set it up before the meetup begins!


Agenda
- 6:30 - 7:00 - Meet and greet
- Rapid fire intros (10 min)
- Community News (5 min)

Talks - 2 x 20 min slots
-Quick wins for prototype audio? Discussion?
- Marketing your project yourself, now what. -Discussion?

Focused Feedback - 2 x 10 min slots
-Monks - Nick
- The next Team Lazer Beam thing

Open Demo Floor

The event page on Facebook

If you'd like to give a talk or show something to get feedback, please post below!

damousey

One topic that has come up a few times lately has been around marketing; how to market our projects effectively, way are best practices with social media? Etc.

If anyone can think of someone with particular insight in this space, consider approaching them for a talk.

Or maybe, if we can't find someone with the capacity, we get together and have a chat about our individual experiences in the field, what worked and what didn't. Maybe we take up one of the talk slots with a panel or a room discussion.

Thoughts?

NickCuthbert

Hi @damousey,
I'd like to book a focused feedback slot for the next meetup.

damousey

NickCuthbert said:

Hi @damousey,
I'd like to book a focused feedback slot for the next meetup.

OK, you have a slot
Does it have a name?

NickCuthbert

The working title is Monks

Elyaradine

With game jams, when I'm aiming to create a particular mood or "game feel", I know that in terms of visuals I focus 90% of my efforts on colour palette, lighting and (depending on the game) VFX. I know that I'd rather have really simple models, good colours, good lighting, and responsive VFX, and get more content in rather than making detailed models or textures. (Often I won't do textures at all!)

But when it comes to audio, I don't know what the parts are for creating a mood. I know how to write music (from classical music theory), but I don't know what the bare-bones stuff is in game audio -- if I'm pressed for time in a jam, what's fine to leave out? What's important to focus on?

At the moment, I end up just thinking of a soundtrack from a movie or game that has the feel that I'm after, and play that in the background while I have people playing my jam game. That works quite well for me personally, but I feel like I'm doing that to make up for my poor knowledge.

If someone would be open to it, I'd love to hear a talk about what parts of a game's soundscape are important to focus on when creating mood. What are easy things to pay attention to that get you 80% of the way there? What's the best use of one's time?

blacksheepZA

I would also be keen to learn some more on how to create mood with audio! I often find that when I put audio into a game it is jarring and doesn't hang well together.

Also, if anyone is interested, I have been experimenting with vehicle physics, specifically trying to make arcade-y feeling cars and would be keen to talk about the process I have gone through and what I have learned on the way.

I am currently formalising what I have learned/made into a project that I will be releasing on github soon.

watman

I can contribute a journalist's perspective/experience (there's more than one) on the marketing topic. I think it should be a group chat.

megaguy32

Eish, I'm torn between events that day.
Would've been nice to be able to attend without qualms.

While I shall try for next time, I hope you guys have a great time!

francoisvn

I'm also keen to chat about game soundscapes and 80/20 kinds of things that can be done there. I feel like musicians/composers/sound designers that have done some game jams might be best suited to give advice on this. Any takers?

I'd be happy to offer my perspective on marketing, but it'll mostly be a perspective on what doesn't work ;D

Tenebris_Lab

I'd love to show my VR game Neon Ninja.
Will put in new batteries and come set up.

damousey

Tenebris_Lab said:

I'd love to show my VR game Neon Ninja.
Will put in new batteries and come set up.

Are you looking at a focused feedback slot, where you have to the attention of the whole room at once? Or more of a one on one on the demo floor afterward? Vr is a bit tricky to set up for FF. It can also mean burning through a room of playtesters who potential aren't experiencing it as intended, so I'm assuming you mean the latter?

BenJets

Looks like focused feedback slots might be full up, but if there is one open - I'd love to show off the next Team Lazerbeam game!

Tenebris_Lab

I'll just be setup on the floor for anyone who wants to play and give feedback.

damousey

Tenebris_Lab said:

I'll just be setup on the floor for anyone who wants to play and give feedback.

OK, that will be perfect.

BenJets said:

Looks like focused feedback slots might be full up, but if there is one open - I'd love to show off the next Team Lazerbeam game!

Looks like slot 2 is yours then, want a title in there?

NickCuthbert

My laptop got stolen on Thursday. I'm still hoping to be able to playtest, but depending on when I get a replacement, may have to postpone.

Update: Just got a new laptop. But still trying to complete the aspect of the prototype I wanted to test, bit behind.

BenJets

Thanks everyone for a great meet up! And bonus thanks for all the encouragement and feedback that you gave us on the the new Team Lazerbeam game; it was all super helpful!