Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

In this episode, we discuss phased stories and the value of advertising. While a marketing campaign can boost visibility and increase wishlist numbers, how do those things translate into actual sales? The crux is that advertising is expensive to invest in and no one knows what the impact is. 00:31 Intro 00:50 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.net ) 02:38 Phased Stories Question...

In this episode, we dive into motion, data conversion, and the power of AI. Motion is a big source of waste in DevOps. Converting information from one form to another and passing it between people creates the opportunity for mistakes to creep in. It's a messy situation. Could AI be the Marie Kondo of data? 00:25 Intro 00:49 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.net ) 04:15 Bing Bet...

In this episode, we discuss constraints, AI systems, and consciousness. Constraints are limits or boundaries that are imposed on AI systems or on our own creative endeavors. There is a two-fold problem of identifying constraints: if they need to be there, and how to overcome them. Can we be creative while working within constraints? Can we be creative without them? Let's find out! 00:34 Intro 01:5...

This week, we talk about piercing alarms, CPU brains, and AI wars. People typically process one thing at a time when playing a game. If you give them two things to focus on simultaneously, the second thing may not even register. However, having only one thing to do can become tedious or feel like a grind. The key is to find the right balance in pacing and onboarding for players. 00:31 Intro 02:01...

In this episode, we discuss AI tools, infinite Seinfeld, and the consequences of volume. Economies and companies are built to handle infinite scale. The constant want for more has turned into the unending production of content. But what happens once there are tools that can generate output infinitely? If there’s infinite noise, how do you find something worth listening to?  00:28 Intro 00:54 Thank...

This week, we talk about happy news, early access, and collaboration. Tools make it possible to design and implement stuff directly without any other input. This might save you time, but you lose the chance to collaborate. As always, it’s about where to leverage the tools you have. Threading that needle requires communication. 00:22 Intro 01:31 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch...

In this episode, we discuss cashews, Project Zomboid, and knowing your audience. When you find people following along with your work prior to a game’s release, you might be developing in a strange bubble where your interactions are with an audience interested in game design rather than the players who will ultimately buy the game. The trick is to know who is giving you the feedback before you take...

This week, we talk about summoning a dragon and a stochastic parrot. If you give an AI some data, it can recognize patterns and generate output with selective randomness. But that doesn’t mean you always get something coherent or intelligent. Turns out the best Turing test is whether or not you know what a hand looks like. 00:32 Intro 01:20 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.net...

In this episode, we discuss easter eggs, a snowy wonderland, and the brand-new tagline for the brand-new year! Legacy systems keep the current work going, but one catastrophic event and the whole system collapses. Clearing the tech debt not only prevents the big explosions but also makes every working moment better. When you don’t have any baggage then you don’t have to worry about losing your bag...

This week, we talk about old accomplishments, current predictions, and new themes for the new year! 2022’s moniker was “Twenty Twenty You. Take the nuanced view” – what should 2023’s call to action be? We’ve got some ideas, but we want to hear your suggestions! Submit your taglines at podcast.bscotch.net 00:22 Intro 01:38 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.net ) 03:17 WHAT HAPPE...

In this episode, we discuss giving experiences, autonomy, and gifts. Effective planning requires knowing what you want. If you’re entertaining, what kind of experience do you want from hosting? What kind of experience do you want to provide to your guests? You can’t create a specific vibe without thoughtful curation. Enjoy the holidays! 00:26 Intro 01:32 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygr...

This week, we talk about a scavenging cat, a punchy octopus, and a critical bug. Repeating the same process over and over doesn't change the outcome. And just pointing out bugs won’t solve the problem.  You need a feedback loop that allows you to address the root cause of an issue - that’s where a quality pipeline comes in. 00:29 Intro 01:09 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.ne...

In this episode, we discuss time perception, time estimation, and time reality. During game development, there are deliverables set on a timeline. People’s perceptions of time are notoriously inaccurate, which means that estimations of how long something will take are usually wrong. Instead of focusing on estimating time, ask yourself how long your timeline is and what can realistically be accompl...

This week, we talk about the meaning of exploration, the need for a third place, and making the work visible. You can’t solve a problem that you can’t see. If you don’t have a clear mental model of ALL THE THINGS and how they interact with each other, you can’t make decisions about the next steps. That’s where great tooling comes in! 00:20 Intro 02:13 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab....

In this episode, we discuss technical gains, inventory management, and game loops. No game is perfect. You need to identify the things that players can’t forgive versus the things they can forget. With thousands of other choices out there, keeping players hooked into your game requires a good loop. 00:20 Intro 01:04 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bscotch.net ) 04:24 CL2 Technical Ga...

This week, we talk about management no-nos, government restrictions, and developer limitations. A responsive, immersive world is a game developer’s dream, but when you build tons of AI and add large numbers of things to the game, optimization becomes a nightmare. You have to ask yourself, are we looking at the right problem? The most powerful lever to pull is a good design. 00:21 Intro 00:43 Thank...

In this episode, we discuss air travel, corporate greed, and the Twitterverse. A CEO is like the wind, either guiding a company in the right direction or smashing it on the rocks. Visionary leadership that lacks context, nuance, or an actual vision isn't really visionary. Or leadership for that matter. Even if you're officially bluecheck mark verified. 00:26 Intro 02:00 Thanks to our supporters! (...

This week, we talk about conflicts of interest, typing speed, and a living hell. Doing new things is good and cool! But it’s important to understand that the context you’re coming from and the one you’re going into are different. Assuming expertise in one field just because you’re an expert in another can be costly. That cost is mostly paid in failure. The question is, who’s paying for it? 00:00 I...

In this episode, we discuss hitting stuff with other stuff, gameplay archetypes, and decoupling. The hard part of everything is integration. With the right tools, making the thing becomes easy, but figuring out where it fits into the world and how it works with everything else is tricky. But at least that means that it’s the difficult thing that’s actually difficult now! 00:00 Intro 01:30 Buffs an...

This week, we talk about being your own Petri dish, the explore/exploit model, and lunch debt. Institutions ossify over time and end up more interested in preserving their own existence than fulfilling their original purpose. Similarly, if you don’t design for human interaction right from the beginning, it’ll be much harder to change that community culture later on. The result is a lot of wasted h...

In this episode, we discuss metaverse, deep fakes, and the displacement problem. What it means to make and consume art has always changed as technology advances. With the arrival of AI art generators, that change might be more aggressive than anyone can anticipate. Change isn’t inherently bad, except we live in capitalism. So…universal basic income? ## Summary: 00:35 Intro 02:54 Thanks to our supp...

This week, we talk about working on legacy games, the power of success, and the business of education. There's no single right path for getting into the games industry. Everyone’s needs are different! The one thing that is guaranteed to help you make games is making games. Approximate knowledge of A WHOLE LOT of things doesn’t hurt either. 00:22 Intro 01:40 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://mone...

In this episode, we discuss perceived problems, invisible hand-holding, and playtesting hijinks. The most sensitive part of the game experience is onboarding, so testing that onboarding is important! To get the most out of it, you need to understand the context your testers bring along with them. Otherwise, it’ll be impossible to analyze the results. Even if the rest of your game is spectacular, a...

This week, we talk about flying spoons, spooky season, and handy checklists. Before adding an ingredient to a recipe, you need to know what you’re making and what that ingredient does. Similarly, adding a new enemy to a game requires understanding what kind of game you’re making and how the addition will change the player experience. As we always say, context is everything! (But having some checkl...

In this episode, we discuss memoizing, robomancing, and masterminding. The emotional roller coaster of excitement, frustration, annoyance, relief, and joy is part and parcel of running a game studio. From a game’s concept to its release, you have to manage So. Many. Logistics. Mastering that art is how the battle is won… or lost.  00:34 Intro 01:16 Thanks to our supporters! ( https://moneygrab.bsc...