The Thief of Joy

Over the past few days, I've only managed a couple of hours on the project and these focused on fixing some movement and controller issues. The game functionality is very similar and I realise it probably wasn't the best use of my time to focus on these issues when the overall game lacks content. A younger me would compare it to other teams and feel demotivated, but I'm fitting the jam around a busy work and family life this week, so I'm reminded of the quote: Comparison is the thief of joy. The quote is attributed to Teddy Roosevelt. As I've grown older, I've tried to switch my mindset to focusing more on my achievements and accomplishments instead of comparing myself to others.

In light of that I'm actually pretty happy with the game, it's kind of fun to run around, pass the ball and play a somewhat open-ended game. Instead of guiding the player and handholding, I'm still intrigued by the idea of letting players figure out the game themselves and make of it what they will. It will hopefully be a playground at least!

Thoughts

• Making games is fun
• I like simple interactions and games that feel intuitive
• Some jankyness is ok- I like how the characters stare at the ball in their hands
• I want to finish the game off after the jam and just have it as a free playable playground on itch.io- I have no idea how long this will take
• There's something interesting in respecting the player and hand holding- it allows them express themselves

To do

• I need to update the movement, it doesn't feel nice
• I need to add particle effects to the player's feet (Maybe cut?)
• Scuffle effect when players tackle(Maybe cut?)
• I need to change to the new input system to handle controllers better
• A basic AI would be nice when characters aren't under player control (Maybe cut?)
• I need to add some points of interest and things that might encourage players to be playful with