Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

Latest Episodes:

[Ep371] Blue Crab Blood Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about what we did during our Bscotch summer break! Mostly, V Rising, Hench, and Crashlands 2. (That last one might sound like a work thing, but hey, you aren’t our supervisor.) What nails it? What whiffs it? After all, your disliking something doesn’t make that thing bad. Sometimes things aren’t to your taste, and that’s okay! The real question is, does The Thing do The Thing it’s trying To Do?

00:00 Intro

03:41 Thanks to our supporters!

05:20 Nail/whiff spectrum

07:20 V Rising (https://playvrising.com/)

26:21 Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (https://bit.ly/cwb-hench)

27:35 Seth’s Crashlands 2 playthrough

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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[Ep370] Frog Boiling Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss the secret to cooking, overcoming tedium, and frustration thresholds. During the course of your work, you’ll run into small things that are annoying. You might even run into some of them repeatedly. But those things aren’t IN the way; they ARE the way. So why not work on making the way better? When everyone around you is in the same pot of hot water, you need a new frog to provide an accurate temperature.

00:00 Intro

00:43 Thanks to our supporters!

01:58 Iron Chef

08:16 Adam’s workflow analysis

37:11 Game Changer build pipeline impacts

42:20 The nuance of small batch delivery

48:35 Your job vs your job title

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[Ep369] Audience Capture Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about meeting your adventure quota, experienced goods, and cinematic feels. When you’re making a sequel, there are a lot of expectations to manage. While you need the excitement, concern can absolutely kill, so there’s a delicate balance to strike. How do you make something that’s the same but completely different at the same time?

00:00 Intro

00:45 Thanks to our supporters!

02:46 Seth’s dermatology adventure

Questions answered (abbreviated):

13:03 Billy Dreamshake: How might a studio cope with the expectations that come along with incessant hype? Why might a studio announce a game and go silent for a long time?
26:36 Kevin: Will any of your titles reach trilogy status, or do you guys follow the Valve house rules of sequels?
44:42 ICBusch: What is your favorite programming term that is quite offside?

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[Ep368] Peach Cobbler Machine Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss optimal temperature ranges, the Diablo to QWOP scale, and bizarrely wholesome reading experiences. You don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen, but what about not enough cooks? Or enough strawbs? Or any sugar? How are you supposed to have your cake and eat it too if you can only make cookies?

00:00 Intro

03:20 Thanks to our supporters!

03:28 For Honor, Ubisoft Montreal (available on Game Pass)

09:28 The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells (first book All Systems Red https://bit.ly/cwb-murderbot)

Questions answered (abbreviated):

14:19 Fraser_: On an implementation level, what does the gamechanger pipeline look like?
33:16 Mimmabip Gourkee: How much direction do you give your freelancers for creating music and sound effects?
43:19 RoninGameDev: I have this constant urge to just make a better/different version of the game I am currently playing. Do you guys have this, and if so how do you fight it and keep working on CL2?

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[Ep367] Problem Masquerade Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about context shifts, the homework model, and vague help. It’s easy to feel like small incremental progress is worthless, but that’s an issue with perception rather than with reality. If you’re flailing around and generally overwhelmed and stuck, it’s time to take a step back and reexamine your context and your priorities. Those things can change without your noticing, and when they do, it cascades into everything else.

00:00 Intro

01:12 Thanks to our supporters!

01:26 Siloed vs collaborative development

11:13 Context shifts

21:32 The deadline problem

26:24 The shape of a collaboration

35:53 Problem ownership

We got into some weeds with this one, so no questions this week!

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[Ep366] Hotkey Immortality Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss no scope game dev, independent levers, and readability. You’ve gotta think in the short term to survive, but the long term to succeed. Making that mental shift is hard when the world doesn’t want you to do it. But if something that used to take you a minute now only takes a second, you’ve stolen some time back from the void.

00:00 Intro
00:53 Thanks to our supporters!
01:04 Congrats to Druid Dad!

Questions answered (abbreviated):

09:22 TimConceivable: Now that you're nearing the completion of the Game Changer, does that mean that Scuffle Buddies or a game like it might be a possibility in the future?
23:29 Retro Banana Man NL: What is your favorite hotkey?
34:51 cprice: Knowing what you do now, would you go back and tell 2014-2016 Bscotch to stop making Crashlands and make the Game Changer instead?
42:06 IcykragDoopot: How do you understand your old code?

Things mentioned:

Clean Code by Robert C. Martin (https://bit.ly/3N7Myq1)

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[Ep365] Combinatorial Network Complexity Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about social feedback loops, scalability, and having better problems. Change creates change, and you wanna be thinking about those changes at least two layers deep. Otherwise you might wake up one day to copious amounts of minor splash damage or be left wondering how a tunnel has stymied your spaceship.

00:52 Thanks to our supporters!
03:45 Podcast behind-the-scenes update
06:03 WoW factions and the network effect
27:40 Scale and scalability

Questions answered (abbreviated):

41:41 challosis: How many engine bugs have you sent to Game Maker HQ?

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[Ep364] Seal Team One May 25, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss difficulty tuning, balance, and noises. When you’re designing an experience, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not just about your design – it’s about where your design meets each individual person. There’s no point in punishing the whole class because you’re afraid one person might cheat.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Beekie Boppaboop: Do y’all have any musical experience?

Things mentioned:

Back 4 Blood

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 http://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to http://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

★ Support this podcast ★

[Ep363] The Uncertainty Threshold May 18, 2022

Show notes

This week, we talk about charlatans, circular definitions, and bunnywool. We revisit the idea of “You just gotta get in there.” If all you have are questions, getting in there is about figuring out some answers. HOW you do that looks different for different people for different goals. As it turns out, bunnywool isn’t one size fits all.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

TimConceivable: In the US, there seems to heavy social stigma against sharing your pay rate with coworkers. What are your thoughts on this?
Fraser_: A recent episode detailed how you now think "bias towards action" is a disastrous philosophy that leads to bad code, wasted time, and tech debt. Does this mark the end of "you've just gotta get in there" as a studio work principle?

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[Ep362] Outside the Bun May 11, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we discuss layers on layers on layers. It’s more useful to think of most things in terms of levels – of accessibility, of interaction, of knowledge. When you’re designing, design with those things in mind so that you can engage different people in different ways. That’s how you move beyond one note sweets to more satisfying desserts. (Though we still wouldn’t necessarily say no to the former.)

Questions answered (abbreviated):

TimConceivable: When you developed Crashlands, did you tailor the gameplay experience to favor a specific platform? Have you considered this with Crashlands 2?
Beekie Boppaboop: Do you have plans for how you’ll build a community around a game that doesn’t feature community content?

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