Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

Latest Episodes:

[Ep391] Abandon Ship Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss technical gains, inventory management, and game loops. No game is perfect. You need to identify the things that players can’t forgive versus the things they can forget. With thousands of other choices out there, keeping players hooked into your game requires a good loop.

00:20 Intro

01:04 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

04:24 CL2 Technical Gains

Questions answered (abbreviated):

24:04 JohnFlavin: What's the worst video game experience you've had with a game you finished?

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness. If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello! Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

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[Ep390] Smoke and Mirrors Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about management no-nos, government restrictions, and developer limitations. A responsive, immersive world is a game developer’s dream, but when you build tons of AI and add large numbers of things to the game, optimization becomes a nightmare. You have to ask yourself, are we looking at the right problem? The most powerful lever to pull is a good design.

00:21 Intro

00:43 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

06:56 Musk Watch

10:21 Video games in China

Questions answered (abbreviated):

25:29 Fraser: CL2 sounds really ambitious. Have you run into any performance limitations working in GameMaker you can't optimize your way out of?

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[Ep389] How Billionaires Are Made Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss air travel, corporate greed, and the Twitterverse. A CEO is like the wind, either guiding a company in the right direction or smashing it on the rocks. Visionary leadership that lacks context, nuance, or an actual vision isn't really visionary. Or leadership for that matter. Even if you're officially bluecheck mark verified.

00:26 Intro

02:00 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

02:55 India Trip

06:35 Twitterverse

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[Ep388] Three Week Day Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about conflicts of interest, typing speed, and a living hell. Doing new things is good and cool! But it’s important to understand that the context you’re coming from and the one you’re going into are different. Assuming expertise in one field just because you’re an expert in another can be costly. That cost is mostly paid in failure. The question is, who’s paying for it?

00:00 Intro

01:30 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

Questions answered (abbreviated):

02:24 LankbonkaPandang: As fairly experienced indie devs, do you guys feel like a publisher with a strong sense of individuality could be a way forward for indie games that may get left in the dust? Is there anything particular that y'all would like to see?
24:25 challosis: Have y'all ever tried alternative keyboard layouts such as Dvorak? Or used the Charachorder again?

Other things mentioned:

Game Maker’s Toolkit (https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkBrownGMT)

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[Ep387] Loose Marble Bag Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss hitting stuff with other stuff, gameplay archetypes, and decoupling. The hard part of everything is integration. With the right tools, making the thing becomes easy, but figuring out where it fits into the world and how it works with everything else is tricky. But at least that means that it’s the difficult thing that’s actually difficult now!

00:00 Intro

01:30 Buffs and debuffs

17:11 Synergistic systems

Questions answered (abbreviated):

24:23 RarZip7z: How do you bros deal with the possibility of getting carpal/cubital tunnel syndrome or RSI in general while working all day with computers?

Other things mentioned:

Talon Voice (https://talonvoice.com/)
Uplift Desk (https://www.upliftdesk.com/)

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[Ep386] Tame the (S)assholes Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about being your own Petri dish, the explore/exploit model, and lunch debt. Institutions ossify over time and end up more interested in preserving their own existence than fulfilling their original purpose. Similarly, if you don’t design for human interaction right from the beginning, it’ll be much harder to change that community culture later on. The result is a lot of wasted human potential, and NOBODY’S GOT TIME FOR THAT.

00:00 Intro

01:58 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

03:15 Seth’s India game plan

07:40 Immortality

15:35 The explore/exploit model

Questions answered (abbreviated):

23:40 QuantumAnomaly: You've talked in the past about wanting to support player-driven content in the original Crashlands and how player-driven content can help grow a community. Are you thinking of supporting modding while making Crashlands 2?

Other things mentioned:

Chaoshead by Tyoeer and AradArbel (https://github.com/tyoeer/chaoshead)
Slay the Spire Levelhead mod by noob_jr (https://bit.ly/StS-Levelhead-mod)

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[385] Show Me the Money Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss metaverse, deep fakes, and the displacement problem. What it means to make and consume art has always changed as technology advances. With the arrival of AI art generators, that change might be more aggressive than anyone can anticipate. Change isn’t inherently bad, except we live in capitalism. So…universal basic income?

## Summary:

00:35 Intro

02:54 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

03:19 Metaverse

Other things mentioned:

Book: How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil (https://bit.ly/3VBUrsF)

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[384] Jack of All Trades Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about working on legacy games, the power of success, and the business of education. There's no single right path for getting into the games industry. Everyone’s needs are different! The one thing that is guaranteed to help you make games is making games. Approximate knowledge of A WHOLE LOT of things doesn’t hurt either.

00:22 Intro

01:40 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

Questions answered (abbreviated):

04:10 FlyhoppieAxerompa: Do any of you bros ever feel the urge to just make more LevelHead content?
21:51 Beekie Boppaboop: What your opinions are on computer science degrees and game design degrees?

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[383] Invisible Buttons Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss perceived problems, invisible hand-holding, and playtesting hijinks. The most sensitive part of the game experience is onboarding, so testing that onboarding is important! To get the most out of it, you need to understand the context your testers bring along with them. Otherwise, it’ll be impossible to analyze the results. Even if the rest of your game is spectacular, a bad onboarding experience can be a dealbreaker.

00:24 Intro

00:56 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

09:40 Crashlands 2 playtest

40:02 Google Stadia

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[382] Spooky Spirit Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about flying spoons, spooky season, and handy checklists. Before adding an ingredient to a recipe, you need to know what you’re making and what that ingredient does. Similarly, adding a new enemy to a game requires understanding what kind of game you’re making and how the addition will change the player experience. As we always say, context is everything! (But having some checklists doesn’t hurt.)

00:23 Intro

00:53 Thanks to our supporters! (https://moneygrab.bscotch.net)

04:08 Kitchen Story

11:45 GTA

27:39 Favro (favro.com/bscotch)

Questions answered (abbreviated):

31:42 Doopaplie Pana: Pumpkin spice everything is back on the shelves Any upcoming plans (that may or may not include 12-foot tall skeletons)?
49:06 Mimmabip Gourkee: What's the checklist that you go through in your mind when you want to add a new enemy?

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