Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

This week, we talk about shoulds vs ises, mutual definitions, and sizing batches. It’s a listener question episode as we approach the end of the year! Integration is the hardest step in any process because that’s where (mis)communication happens. If you think things are perfect, you’re not looking closely enough. Remember, it’s not about the amount of time. It’s about the quality of that time. Que...

In this episode, we discuss rulesets, speculative hype bubbles, and the churn. New problems need new solutions, but we don’t really want to go in the other direction because, let’s face it, there are enough problems already without manufacturing more. Sometimes we’ll be lucky and sometimes we won’t. You just gotta hang in there, do your best, and survive. Questions answered (abbreviated): challosi...

This week, we talk about geographical time, SaaSes, and human fuel. There are solutions for every kind of problem out there. Some of them are better than others, but nothing off the shelf is going to be perfect for your needs. Introspect, explore the space. And as always, ask yourself what something is for. If the answer is solely “to support a capitalist dystopia,” maaaaaybe reconsider. Questions...

In this episode, we discuss the camouflage technique, lie laughing, and terrorawe. So, numbers. Computers are good at numbers, but when you’re computing things at the scale of space, computers run out of them pretty quickly. And reinventing numbers is not exactly a weekend project, ya know? That’s before we even touch on the fact that the Earth is liquid and spacetime is mindbending. Questions ans...

This week, we talk about enunciation bears, context management, and sleep-related soapboxes. There’s a difference between how you’re “supposed to” do things and what you should actually do. Because, as it turns out, everyone’s needs are different, and there’s no singular solution that will solve the same problem for each person. Since we never had a Lifehacks/Brainhacks class in school, guess we’l...

In this episode, we discuss the hingey part of the hinge, sidegrading, and plaguemask carabiners. Everything is stupid and stupidly designed. Which might be horrifying to think about on the surface, but it means that nothing needs to be permanent. We can design things better. Otherwise, we’ll just be stuck with a gate that doesn’t open and a dumpster fire at our backs. Questions answered (abbrevia...

This week, we talk about goblin engineering, gravitational pockets, and bottlenecks. Bottlenecks come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s a hotkey list. Sometimes it’s a one-dimensional key press. Sometimes it’s unidirectional vision. If bottlenecks are inevitable, where’s the best place for the bottleneck to be? We didn’t get to questions this week, but get your queries into the queue for Qu...

In this episode, we discuss bear-d feeders, money laundering schemes, and tooling. Tooling can solve a lot of problems, but it can’t really do anything about malice. That’s something you’ve got to figure out on your own. Have you considered putting it on the blockchain? After all, we truly live in the future. Questions answered (abbreviated): Beekie Boppaboop: If you had to work together to write...

Hi, Shenanites! This week, we talk about keeping your sneezes in, gamifying games, and educational frameworks. Not frameworks that are educational, but the frameworks through which we’re educated. The specifics don’t matter in the general case, except where they really, really do. Like they say, “I’ve got 99 problems, and pedagogy is most of them.” That’s how it goes, right? Questions answered (ab...

Hello, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss the great resignation, break points, and hooks and kickers. If someone doesn’t want the thing that you’re selling, instead of blaming that person, maybe you should reexamine your product and how you’re selling it. This goes for both game marketing and service industry jobs in late stage capitalism! Questions answered (abbreviated): Flyhoppie Axerompa:...

Heya, Shenanites! This week, we talk about Big Birdbath, the cube rule of food, and the intersection of fancy and impractical. You know what’s at the middle of that intersection? Kid gloves and shoes with absolutely no traction. I guess when you get rich enough, it doesn’t matter if you can walk across the floor of your own volition. That plus spherical burgers are further evidence that the elite...

Hi, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss invisible maps, convenience vs. security, and corporate fiefdoms. Spooky season is off to a great start with a good portion of the invisible network that runs our lives going down for several hours. I mean, the internet isn’t even a thing so much as it’s a thing between things. Although, when you’re made up of several loosely interconnected unstable part...

Salutations, Shenanites! This week, we talk about 3n+1 sequences, perverse incentives, and competence tiers. You can’t build a healthy team when someone is making it all about them. Long-term success requires thinking collectively. But don’t let the failures of collective action prevent you from taking individual action. Your choices have impact. They still matter. Questions answered: None! We got...

Good day, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss hipsavers, pattern recognition, and what problems are actually interesting. Plus, we revisit our old standby “Design By Chaos” and examine whether or not it still holds up! People place a lot of value on the idea of hard work, but sometimes hard work is just hard. If it can be made easier, why not do it? There are infinite problems out there to sol...

Heya, Shenanites! This week, we talk about Air Bud situations, M&M revenue, and negative feedback loops. Work-life balance isn’t about time; it’s about having the ability to control how things interact and integrate. It’s not your fault that society is set up to burn you out. Remember, you’re a person. At some point, maybe you stopped doing the thing. That’s okay. Just start it up again when y...

Hello, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss goose mace, the black mirror effect, and a paint-by-numbers player experience. When the whole world is artificial, how do you make things not feel contrived? Just like in real life, the answer has to do with reasons. As in, you should have them. If you’re going to teach a bear ballet, you better know why you’re doing it. Questions answered (abbreviate...

Greetings, Shenanites! This week, we talk about spoons in the pot, car sheets, and emotional appeal. Rules aren’t there because they’re true; they’re there because they’re useful. Until they aren’t. Experience is learning when and where to break those rules. Still, all the VC money in the world won’t save you if you completely miss the point. Questions answered (abbreviated): challosis: How much t...

What’s up, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss immortal cultures, kitchen dreams, and capturing visibility. Creating a moment is easier when everyone is anticipating your every move. It’s harder to capture eyeballs when no one’s around. When you’re analyzing the strategies of the rich and famous and wondering if they could work for you, it’s important to take a moment and ask yourself: are you...

Howdy, Shenanites! This week, we talk about structural supports, allocation of resources, and making meaning. Since we didn’t get to questions last week, this is purely a question episode! Well, except for a slight skeleton detour. Isn’t it weird how without bones or exoskeletons we’d be bags of goo? Just slurbing from one place to the next. Talk about road rash. Questions answered (abbreviated):...

Top of the morning (or afternoon, or evening) to ya, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss runner’s gut, carnival games, and suspension of disbelief. It’s easy to fall into the trap of more information is always better, but that’s not necessarily true. Even if you could have all the details to start with, does that really make your experience better? After all, when you’re going from plan to exe...

Hi, Shenanites! This week, we talk about sure things, hot pipes, and what design by chaos really is. Our old friend the Jevens paradox pays us a visit, and it turns out that heuristic has some layers! Plus, listen in as we dive deep into our most contentious internal debate. Three brothers enter… and, well, three brother leave. Because conservation of mass. Questions answered (abbreviated): Flyhop...

Hello, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss a zombie way of life, a package full of people, and getting out of the work and working on the work. You can’t make people care about something important if they don’t understand what the experience is going to be. And you can’t explain to someone what the experience is because it’s experiential. ...Is lying required to get at a truth? Questions answe...

What’s up, Shenanites! This week, we talk about wet noodle whips, stress stew, and the walled garden. We’ve also got two -- that’s right, TWO! -- brand new podcast segments for you this ep: Seth’s English Language Corner and DUNKWATCH 2021. Will this be the first and only time that these segments appear? Who’s to say? Once there’s a turn, then there’s the possibility of a return. Questions answere...

Hail, Shenanites! In this episode, we discuss good gestures, brain quirks, and arbitrary rules. The first step of any undertaking is visibility. You can’t think about the problems you’re trying to solve until you know what those problems are. If you don’t know what you’re trying to do, then you’re just doing things randomly. And like we’ve said before, it’s fine to flip randomly, but you better kn...

How’s it going, Shenanites? This week, we talk about the fractal universe, flippin’ bacteria, and urgent chaos. When you navigate by chemical receptors, the best you can do is to flip flop around until you find a nutrient gradient to pay attention to. Even a fancy flip is better than no flip when you’re trying to find new local maxima. Or maybe it isn’t. Everything is chaos. Questions answered (ab...