Still Moving

This week wasn't as eventful as the past several, and I think that was a good thing. Coming off our weeks of churning out every bit of work we could, we were starting to get burnt out. There is only so many weeks you can keep moving at break neck pace before you can't handle it anymore. So for this week, we were, comparatively, less focused on Capstone. Sure we still spent the majority of our time working on it, but it was no longer burning in our minds that we have to do everything we can to work on it. I think it was sorely needed to be honest. Personally, I have been having a lot of doubts about myself, and having time away helped that. Its been a rough couple of weeks, and having a breather always helps.

As for what I did last week, I worked on sounds for the gameplay and trying to find new music. I spent a long time listening, tweaking, and searching this week for all the things I could think of that would add to our game. Music continues to be a thorn in my side because I just can't find the right stuff, no matter what I do. Our game requires a just right blend between fantasy, reality, upbeat, and downtrodden. I have worked music into many other games before, but I have never dealt with a problem like this one. I will be asking QA this week what they have for ideas and while I don't expect any gems, hopefully they can spark something in my brain that I have been missing. For the sound effects, though, I am pretty happy with them right now. They are pretty spot on with the actions in the game and they are very rewarding to hear. In my mind, part of having great mechanics is having great user feedback. Without it, the mechanics appear dry and listless. Many match-3 games utilize the same core mechanics, and what varies are the secondaries and the feedback. I am a big believer in the magic that polish can have over any game, and I think it is something that we need to value more. 

This week, we also did not have our usual professor supervising us. We had another design member come over, and to our delight, he also found the game to be moving in the right direction and the criticisms offered were more about small aspects of our game rather then the game itself. So far, many of our faculty have been very receptive to our game and its aspects and it is something that is helping with the confidence of the team. We have also had several members of other teams approach us asking to join our team if theirs gets cut. While I sincerely wish for the best for all of my friends' teams, I am glad we look like a team they would like to join. The big goal now is to stay on track and to try and keep my spirits up as we head towards the finish line. Anything can happen and you just have to keep on your toes.