You Have the Con – Postmortem

So, my first true LD was in the books, and my final product was a game called You Have the Con, a sort of strategic starship bridge simulator…thing, if you were somehow incapable of looking out the window. Honestly, I’m extremely happy with how it came together, especially with some of the difficulties I had along the way. But I learned a ton from this experience, and I know my next LD will be even better.

So far, the feedback as been phenomenal, and I love the Ludum Dare communities ability to pose criticism without being arrogant(as opposed the majority of the internet).

What Went Right

I’m quite happy with how the whole concept fits together. I was initially worried that it would end up simply being boring – its not the most dynamic game in the world – but I think it came together rather well. It’s challenging, without being unfair(at least, in my opinion + the feedback I’ve received). Also, I’m reasonably pleased with the visual style, if nothing else, its fairly consistent and unified, given my limited art skills.

Also, people seemed to appreciate the small touches of humour, which was extremely gratifying. Honestly, I was probably the most worried about putting those in, as I wasn’t sure if it would just fall flat or not.

What Went Wrong

Though I’m happy with the visuals, I would have liked a chance to redo some of them, as many parts were rushed out in the first night, and never revisted. Also, I became more displeased with the way I implemented ship controls – buttons for speed and direction – it’s just not clear or easy to use.

Finally, the music. I had zero experience with music composition before this point, so I’m happy that I came up with something that at least didn’t violate peoples ears, but it is very repetitive. It simply needed more time and attention.

What I Learned

I need to never bank on having more time to revisit something, like art assets. Though its still possible, I should design everything the first time to a state that I’ll at least be happy enough with, rather than telling myself “I’ll redo it later”.

I really, really need to stop backloading my design process with all the stuff I don’t want to do. I left all of the menu design, tutorial, music and sound until the end. The last 6 hours or so were a terrible slog. The more tedious tasks need to be spread across the weekend.

And finally, music. My note to myself: Passable music takes more time. Allocate more time to make passable music.

Thanks to the LD community for making this experience so great! I’ve had a fantastic time(and still am) playing everyone’s games, and hearing your feedback has been extremely gratifying.