Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

Latest Episodes:

[Ep171] Skeleton Nativity Oct 03, 2018

Show notes

Hey there, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss the spooky season, the cost of the “any benefit” approach, and how much we never want to receive a fax. Routines are fragile, and when they break, you can get pretty hungover on unstructured time. Instead of throwing a wrench in the works, try some personal pepper roulette to spice up your life.

Another way to spice up your life -- come to St. Louis on October 20th for the first-ever Butterscotch Shenanicon! More info at https://meet.bscotch.net.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

JohnPatChap: Are you all still sticking to the 4 day work week with a jam day on Thursday? I'm curious what you've learned after doing it for this long. If you don't do it anymore, then what made you all stop?

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk). 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://podcast.bscotch.net, 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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[Ep170] Jackhammer to Nowhere Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

Heyo, Shenanites! This week, we talk about how microwaves impact relativity, how ghost pepper skins taste like fear, and how random usernames bring about thematic cohesion. Grab your NPR fundraising tote and your trash panda notebook - we’re about to do some old school machine teaching.

Your calendar space for October 20th seems curiously blank. Maybe you should fill with with BUTTERSCOTCH SHENANICON 2018! More info at https://meet.bscotch.net.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Krown: You mentioned about building some PCs. What'd you shove in there? Other than your massive cooling fan?
Anonymous: It's PeanutEanut. Are there any game modes that won't be in Levelhead?
RetroBananaManNL: We haven't heard what the spouses thought of PAX and if it had some kind of impact.
doctordino: Will Levelhead will have some kind of long term level-up system?
Razr39325: What happened to the naming scheme that you used back in episodes 111 to 116? Why did you do it in the first place?

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[Ep169] DNA Chaos Sep 19, 2018

Show notes

Hello, Shenanites! This week, we discuss battery babies, long grapes, and how people have people brains. Plus, an update on Seth’s splaset! And answers to the oft-asked questions: which is better, a cucumber hat or a cucumber treadmill, and will either solve the problem of being a walking fire?

Haven’t figured out what you’re doing on October 20th yet? Come to the first ever Shenanicon! More info and a link to buy tickets at https://meet.bscotch.net.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

BLAKEBUCK: It's been long enough. I would like an official update on Seth's basement/closet spa.
RetroBananaManNL: How is the spa closet going? We haven't had an update in a while.
JohnPatChap: What sort of mental checklist (if any) do you all go through to make sure you can tell the difference between a "Can We Not" and a "I Don't Feel Like It"? Basically, how can you make sure that your brain, and your teammates' brains, aren't secretly making excuses to be lazy. Brains love to do that kind of stuff.
TheCakegamer: How do you guys manage to get so motivated all the time, is there like a special trick or is it just your personality? Btw do you like puns?

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[Ep168] Bamboozle Prevention Device Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

Hi again, Shenanites! In this episode, we talk about deepening our work, why you shouldn’t judge a gymbro by the muscle tank, and genericide. Plus, our sojourn to Nintendo HQ and why you can’t slap cat paws all over something. How can you tell the difference between Steve’s Blacksmith Shop and Jim’s Discount Blacksmithy? It depends.

In additional news, we’re hosting our first ever Butterscotch Shenanicon on October 20th in St. Louis! Come visit us and celebrate Meatpieceween, and be among the first to demo Levelhead! More info at https://meet.bscotch.net.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Anonymous: While designing Levelhead elements, how do you weigh your own biases (as game designers) when predicting player choices during their level design process? You all have talked about the cool puzzle-like levels you can make, do you imagine this being utilized/appreciated by your average player? Do you have any player engagement mechanisms specifically targeting the players who only want to play, and never create levels?
MAP5597: Before Levelhead, there was Scuffle Buddies. Before Scuffle Buddies, there was Quadropus 2. Will these previous projects have their time, or have they been placed on the backburner (incinibliterated)?
cdcMully: As a beginner on the Dev scene I was hoping to get your take on Trademarking. It's not a cheap process so how do you decide if you should trademark your game's name? Is it always necessary or should you wait to see if it gets any success before you do it?

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[Ep167] Randomly Generated Title Sep 05, 2018

Show notes

Hey there, Shenanites! This week, it’s a special listener question episode where we talk about optimistic nihilism, data guessing, and the cost of cheaters. This episode was recorded by our past selves to help our future selves out while we’re at PAX! Although when you listen to this, we’ll be our present selves again. Or will we? What even is time?

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Woland77: A LOT of people use use video games to escape life and "delete time." How do you feel about the possibility that people are using your video games to escape life at the cost of engaging with life and with themselves?
TheUglyTurnip: Why shouldn't I tip you?
imcade: Do any of you play D&D? Have you ever thought about doing a role playing board game in the Crashlands universe?
doctordino: Are you planning on doing season 2 for the GameDev documentary?
CoffeeChemist: What percentiles of the Bscotch community has reached 10th level on BScotch ID? How many people have beat Hardcore Crashlands on each difficulty, and how many deaths does the player with the most deaths have?
AStreetsign: What would you change gameplay wise if you were to remake Towelfight 2 today?

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[Ep166] Sneaky Double Bird Aug 29, 2018

Show notes

Ahoy hoy, Shenanites! In this episode, we talk about the secret behind a good dark roast, why you shouldn’t look blobby henna in the eye, and gamey flavors. Plus, we have exciting news about Levelhead! Maybe you should SWITCH it up and check out the trailer (https://bit.ly/2LzbhmO)! And finally, we’re going to be in Seattle for PAX! Keep an eye on Twitter and Discord if you want to meet up. We’ll leave you with this final question: when does tomorrow become yesterday? Please answer in an unparseable date format.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

VonnRain: Recently I've been 'trying to get in there with a thing' but with 3 young kids I'm having trouble finding time to sit down and 'just get in there'. Are any of you available for babysitting in the Seattle area?
giantmuskrat: What are your PAX plans? Is there a place to check if you are doing a random meet-up?
Anonymous: What makes a video game, a video game to you? Is a walking sim technically a video game? Or is it an "Interactive Experience" and NOT a video game?
zacyzacy: Would you guys ever consider doing 2 or maybe even 3 Shenanijams in a year? Being the second Shenanijam, were there any surprises as the organizer of a big online jam, or was it all smooth sailing?

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[Ep165] Doppelgonged Aug 22, 2018

Show notes

Greetings, Shenanites! This week, we talk about consistency, fudging reality, and the ambiance of the universe. Did you know that good gameplay is 90% lies? And that 86% of people who make up statistics use the same percentage over and over? And that just because things are real doesn’t mean they’re true? Or maybe it’s the other way around... Answers to these rhetorical questions and more in this episode!

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Anonymous: Hey guys- Love the podcast; and just to clarify, it was I who sent you the book.
CoffeeChemist: What goes into a jam on the bro end?
divo: You mentioned Level Head feeling best on mobile, but also had talked about multiplayer being at the core of certain levels. Are you guys working on implementing some ad-hoc bluetooth/wi-fi multiplayer for mobile devices?
Woland77: We all know that lying to your customers in marketing is scummy and probably illegal. In game design, when is it important, when is it necessary, to lie to your players?
Emoo117: If one of you had to go on a really long road trip and could only take one brother, which would it be?
mart: I'm a huge fan of Seth's "Saturday Morning Cartoon" streams! I'm also in Central Time and usually miss the first half due to that pesky sleeping thing. How do y’all wake up so early?

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[Ep164] Oxygen Mosh Pit Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

Hello again, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss dead person goals, language justice, and just get into our most slogan-y slogan. Bonus: there’s another Bscotchradamus prediction buried here somewhere. Grab a mug, inflate your blimp, and listen in! It’s blump not do.

Questions answered (abbreviated):

divo: Do you feel an overwhelming pressure for your next game release to be nearly or as successful as the Crashlands release was?
aslkefjdf: Do you ever say, "I'm sure." Then Shi comes out and says, "No, I'm Shi."?
one_dead_saint: So I have refactored the phrase, you just gotta get in there. Basically you just gotta get in there is a longer version of Nike's slogan. How does this make you guys feel?
JustSomeDude: Is water wet? (Side question: is fire on fire? )
CoffeeChemist: The BScotch crew are tasked with going into a deep dark dungeon. What classes are the crew rocking up in, and what would be the final boss?

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[EP163] Dog Time Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

Hey there, Shenanites! This week we talk about living and working in dog time, the neverending metamorphosis of our games, and the invaluable impact of using different shapes and colors in game design. In our quest to conquer parallel parking, we’re ready to put aside our hopes of flying cars for sideways cars! And we’re looking to see if anyone is up for making the most epic game of all time, Hero Spa! Anyone? Anyone?

Questions answered (abbreviated):

IrishLuck: How often do you remove a large portion of a game when you realize it doesn’t work?
ambersarcade: What are you doing in Levelhead and Scuffle Buddies to help people with disabilities play easier? In gamedev circles, can you tell if accessibility awareness/implementation is becoming more important before games are shipped (not in post-release patches)?
the_rumpus: You've mentioned the "Bscotch citadel of code" of useful scripts and such from jams and projects. What's your preferred way to archive stuff and easily access it for later? How is the Citadel sausage BUILT?!
Angrymuffin: In episode 24 (Sam’s Chest Meat) you talked about the value (or lack thereof) of things like Amazon Underground and using Humble Bundle within a year of a game launch. You said that these things help boost the tail end and used the example of 1-2 years after Crashlands launch “maybe” going to $5 on Steam and $1 on mobile. But you raised the price on mobile as lowering it had a negative effect on sales. Has this experimentation changed your view on lowering game prices well into the tail?
coolaboola: Hosting the first ever Global Level Head Level Jam on launch weekend?

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk). 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 podcast.bscotch.net, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to moneygrab.bscotch.net.

★ Support this podcast ★

[Ep162] Pants Valet Aug 01, 2018

Show notes

HEYO, Shenanites! This week we talk about doing backflips, the first rule of improv, and the mystical juicy juice of Woanope. And guess what! We figured out how to thumbroll! We also dive into how our childhoods spent around towering sociopaths shaped our sense of humor, and discuss the ever-burning question: why don’t lizards in Star Wars force pull things into their mouths?

Questions answered (abbreviated):

Anonymous: Sam! You're in Forbes 30 under 30. How's it feeeeelll?
JohnPatChap: I'm really looking forward to Levelhead! How do you guys approach making the platforming feel satisfying using mobile’s touch-based interface.
TorTales: Are you using any techniques or making a conscious effort to be funny on the podcast? And have you researched or practiced improv or comedy?
Anonymous: What is your process behind determining if something should be handled by code or good ol' frame-by-frame animation? Your games look so damn good for being so few frames!
zacyzacy: Do you guys use many shaders in your games?
Magicalmerlin5: I have worked with GameMaker before and I found it really clunky. How did you geniuses take something lame like GameMaker and create something beautiful like Crashlands?
MAP5597: What is the mystical substance known as juice? In space it's a blobby thing, and on Woanope's surface it's a crystal. Do the crystals serve as salt-licks for Wompits? What happens if the juice is ingested (is it known to the state of California to cause problems)? How is energy extracted from juice?

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