gemini://gem.lizsugar.me/2024/02/18/a-year-later.gmi

My girlfriend was interested in my game development project, so last week I showed it to her for the first time. I hadn't touched it in a year, before my wife and I moved.

Going through it again, I was both lost in my code a bit, and impressed and proud at the functionality I had successfully implemented. It's a pretty competent tech demo. It needs some major optimization in the collision detection code, a fix for latching on to ladders (though ladder glitches here aren't NEARLY as bad as in Lab Trouble), and some fun levels to play. Maybe a few more features, but maybe not. I was surprised to find I had fully implemented conveyor belts!

I've been looking at other peoples' small games they're putting out on pico-8 and gb studio. They're small, like demo small. And they're putting them out there and showing off. Sometimes even charging a couple bucks, and I think that's pretty cool.

I don't need to make a huge 100 level game. Twenty, maybe even ten, could be enough! If I just polish it up enough I could have something short and sweet, and something I'm proud of.

I've spent a little bit of time trying to port my game to GB Studio lately, and I just don't think it's gonna work. The platforming engine leaves me wanting for a lot, most notably the ability to apply gravity and velocity to non-player actors, which means that throwing a carried object just doesn't work. Also the simple operation of updating a carried objects coordinates relative to the player is incredibly taxing for some reason. It should not slow down my game just because I'm carrying an object!

But really, GB Studio has a very different paradigm when it comes to development and design. Different tools/platforms for different projects perhaps, but I'm curious just what GB Studio can do. I'll keep prototyping stuff in it, and it'll make a great place to whip out some games when I just don't feel like programming every. little. thing. like collision detection!

A Year Later