#[ doing coding ... learning blender and unreal ... ]

[sylvctica]

ominously stands. patting you all

[dkettchen]

My most male trait is the "ye I can do that" attitude abt stuff I have no means of actually knowing whether I can do

[atwas-creations]

With the insanity that Unity's recent decisions have caused, I, as an aspiring game dev/designer, am looking to see what else is available. We all know about RPG Maker, GameMaker Studio, Godot, and Unreal. But if you're like me and have little to no understanding of code and limited finances, here are alternative indie engines I've scrounged up:

Idle Game Maker, the one I'm currently working with, built by Orteil of Cookie Clicker fame

Bitsy, and an associated pixel art tool called Pixsy

Pocket Platformer, similar to Bitsy, and code-free

Rogue Engine- requires download, but apparently, there's a tutorial

GDevelop- both 2D and 3D engines, has tutorials, and even has an option to playtest games in development and provide feedback (I am definitely trying out this one in the near future)

Heaps.io-requires download, and this honestly looks a little over my head right now, but might be worth checking into when I get a better understanding of code

Stride- 3D games, requires download, has docs and instructions so you can learn quickly

Bevy- 2D games for browser and mobile

LibGDX- now we're getting into engines that can make REAL games, some of the games in their showcase are on Steam

Defold- according to their showcase, this was used to make that mobile game Family Island that you've seen in so many ads

Love- don't be fooled by the childish font on their home page, the games in their showcase look amazing

HaxeFlixel- apparently used to make Friday Night Funkin'???

Armory3D, which apparently uses Blender

Solar2D, and here's their showcase- looks decent enough

Solarus- I didn't recognize the name, but I know I've heard of this, I've seen Zelda fans use this one. You have to download their launcher to play the games on PC.

DOME, which uses its own programming language

FNA, which calls itself a "reimplementation of Microsoft XNA"- if you remember, XNA no longer exists, but Eric Barone used it for Stardew Valley. FNA has been used to make games like Rogue Legacy (it's a real game, I got it on Steam).

Monogame- a direct descendant of XNA, being used for Stardew Valley's updates, and used to make a whole host of other popular indie games including 2 of my favorites: Axiom Verge and Celeste (so yeah, I'm definitely checking into Monogame if it's still around by the time I learn C#)

RPG in a Box, which looks really blocky and rough, but appears to be a cheaper solution than RPG Maker, especially for those new to the field. I already paid for RPG Maker, so I don't know if I'll use this one, but I'm putting it here for anyone else who may want to try it.

Adventure Game Studio- not sure how difficult it will be to use, but I'm seeing some decent-looking games in their showcase

RPG Paper Maker, which, I guess, makes 3D games out of pixel art? Says it's free to use, but if you want to sell your game, you'll need to buy a license. Fair enough, I suppose.

Narrat, another one I am DEFINITELY going to try, at least while I'm still learning. Has its own, very simple, easy to read script that is a step above Idle Game Maker's script, but not quite as complicated as "real" programming languages. Make RPG's and put them on Itch.io.

Ren'Py, for visual novels (apparently Doki Doki was made with this!?!)

Decker, can be used for various kinds of applications, not much for game-making, but maybe with a little imagination....

Engine.lol- I'm, uh, not sure what this is, but could be good for generating ideas.

EbitEngine- describes itself as "dead simple," used to make Bear's Restaurant.

Raylib- no tutorials, no built-in assets, you MUST know how to code- but it looks like a no-frills engine if you do know how to code. I don't, so I won't be using it, but if you do, go right ahead.

PyGame, which apparently uses Python coding language.

And this article listed all these and a few more that I didn't list here because they looked too expensive or too complicated.

There's also a Pixel Game Maker on Steam. It's 90 bucks right now (ouch!) but if you can get it, it looks like it'll be worth it.

[unitedworldinstitute1]

What Can You Do with Game Design Courses? - United Institute of Design

Video games are not just a form of entertainment anymore - they are a global industry that combines art, technology, storytelling, and invention. Video games are everywhere, from smartphones to consoles and also in the form of virtual reality headsets and there is a huge demand for skilled individuals who can create games. If you are thinking of a career that combines both creativity and technology, taking game design courses might be your first step.

So, what can you actually do with a bachelor of game design? Let's look at some of the exciting things that a pathway with a graduate in game design can do.

Understanding Game Design: More Than Just Playing Games

Game design involves the task of conceiving, creating, and refining the rules, structure, and experience of a game. While gamers get to enjoy the end product, there is a lot of tedious work involved, including world-building, character design, code implementation, and sound integration.

Game design courses provide students with an understanding of how to balance creativity with realism, the imagination that goes into designing levels that will attract a player and the methods various humans use to react while playing. You will learn to use industry-standard applications such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, and Maya.

At UID, the B.Design (Hons.) in Animation & Game Design program consistently creates learning opportunities that instill technical skill as well as innovative thinking in gameplay, storytelling, and immersive design.

Career Opportunities After Game Design Courses

A bachelor of game design opens the door to many exciting and dynamic roles in the gaming industry and beyond. Here's what you can do after completing your course:

1. Game Designer

This is one of the most sought-after careers available. Game designers establish the baseline for the game: rules, challenges, the environment, levels, and how players advance through the game. Designers would generally work with artists, programmers and producers to create the game.

Key skills: storytelling, level design, logic, and user engagement.

2. Game Developer / Programmer

If you enjoy coding, and want to make ideas into playable games, then you may want to think about being a game developer. Developers write the code that makes the game run in the way the designer wants it to work. Developers may code to a platform (mobile, console or PC) or code to a game engine (Unity, Unreal, etc.).

Key skills: C++, C#, JavaScript, debugging, and physics simulations.

3. Level Designer

The level designer builds the individual levels, missions, or stages of the game. Level designers use their creativity and strategic thinking to build balanced, fun experiences for players. 

Key skills: spatial thinking, user flow, and scripting.

4. Game Artist / Animator

Designers will design the visual graphic style of the game, which involves the characters, environments, objects, and effects in the game. A majority of the work includes modeling, animation, and texturing which will occur primarily in 3D game development. 

Key skills: 2D/3D design, modeling, rigging, character animation.

5. Game Tester / QA Analyst

Game testers play new games to discover bugs or glitches that developers must overcome. They will also find balance issues in new games, which get fixed based on tester feedback as a game gets polished by the developers. 

Key skills: attention to detail, problem-solving, written communication.

6. Narrative Designer / Script Writer

In story-based games, the narrative designer will be the person responsible for implementing the game's story, dialogues, and world-building into the game. For story-based games, the narrative designer's task is to make the narrative flow naturally through what the player does in the game.

Key skills: writing, character development, storytelling mechanics.

7. UI/UX Designer (Game Interfaces)

User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) designers guarantee that players enjoyably and easily maneuver menus, controls, and systems in casual and complex games alike. With an unsuspecting amount of responsibility, UI/UX designers play a crucial role in the design process.

Key skills: wireframing, prototyping, user testing, visual design.

8. Sound Designer / Composer

Sound is the third tool of fascinating abilities in game design collaboration, alongside graphics and gameplay. Sound designers create sound effects, ambient sounds, and music that can elevate the gaming experience.

Key skills: audio editing, composition, mixing, game audio engines.

Beyond Gaming: Expanding Opportunities

With a bachelor of game design, you're not limited to the gaming industry alone. Game design skills are transferable to other sectors like:

AR/VR Development: Used in education, medicine, and training simulations.

Film & Animation Studios: Especially for VFX and interactive storytelling.

Advertising & Marketing: Gamified apps and immersive brand experiences.

Education Tech: Interactive learning tools and educational games.

Simulation and Training: For aviation, military, healthcare, and industrial use.

Why Choose UID for Game Design Courses?

At UID, game design courses are part of the well-rounded B.Design (Hons.) in Animation & Game Design program. UID offers the perfect environment to learn, experiment, and grow as a designer.

Here’s what makes UID stand out:

Cutting-Edge Curriculum: Covers both animation and game design, giving you dual skills.

Studio-Based Learning: Access to high-end labs, software, and creative spaces.

Experienced Faculty: Industry professionals guide you throughout your journey.

Industry Exposure: UID connects you with real-world projects, internships, and expert mentors.

Creative Culture: Collaborate with students across different design disciplines and build a strong portfolio.

Game design is a dynamic and exciting space with immense potential for creativity! With the game industry quickly expanding globally, game design courses can be your pathway into one of the most exciting career options out there today. Whether you want to develop a mobile game that becomes the next best thing or you want to build vast virtual worlds or create incredible characters for AAA games, a Bachelor of Game Design will equip you for success! What are you waiting for? Ready to turn your passion for games into your career? Please check out UID's B.Design (Hons.) in Animation & Game Design!

Blog Source -- What Can You Do with Game Design Courses

[niamhsmajorproject]

WEEK 2

this week we had a lecture from Lauren about the ethics and cultural bias present in using AI. my personal thoughts on AI is that while I don't agree with its moral implications and dislike how forced it is with including it in every current piece of technology, I have benefited from it over the past three years. specifically when requiring concept art for larger speculative project as well as in the global project when I resorted to using ChatGPT to troubleshoot coding errors when creating our 2D game within Unity.

the afternoon session had group tutorials with Lara, Sophie and Lauren. it was really reassuring to hear their thoughts and input on my current proposal. I felt as though I was struggling to tie in all of the ethical points raised last semester however once I had read the original story of the one eyed hare, they reassured me that this narrative would definitely work and will hit all of the points I would like to make. this was great to hear however I would still like to alter the original myth slightly to make it new so that it is more loosely based on the story and more "inspired by".

Notes from tutorial:

Human animal hierarchy 

Paralysed rabbits was real farming 

Hare is good choice 

Animal portrayal- Disney films gender zootropolis

No burrows, babies learn to play dead when parent leaves

Playing dead trope or mechanic 

They run in a straight line

Is the hare good or bad?

Hares go mad in March 

Protagonist dressed as the one eyed hare?

Loose narrative:

opening scene hare running around a lake/lagoon

Protagonist running after hare

Hare jumps down the portal, protagonist stumbles and falls in after hare

Psychedelic morphing vibes of protagonist transforming into design form

Dropped into a town lots of jewels, moss

More research into game failures/ launch failures and successes 

Or the hare is royalty/god in the otherworld

Little nightmares- 2d side scroller, interesting depth mechanic, 

goal is to get through the portal 

Another loose narrative:

child pretending to be a hare/ anthropomorphic quadruped/ furry/ where the wild things are vibes

Sees a hare and wants to follow it

Chases after it 

Trips and falls into the lake/ portal

Arrives into village of the otherworld where there’s opulence, Catholic Church vibes mixed with organic takeover (moss etc) ooo could have slums off the main street 

Goals for the game:

Don’t get caught? Playing dead?

Escape/ return back home

Could go to gods/ higher ups to get them to send protagonist back 

Collect enough gold to pay the higher ups to let them go back home 

Higher ups could decline offering ( one piece vibes) turn into massive boss fight 

this week I also started to create a physical model of the protagonist/ hare character. I used a combination of wire, tin foil and air dry clay to create a base that I would be able to build on and dress in a way that I could 3D scan with LiDar. I chose to do this as I feel it could be easier to physically make a model, scan it and then put it into a software such as blender so that there will be less mechanical work when turning it into a playable character in unreal engine.

here are the process pictures:

During this week, I decided to start looking into the videos I had come across over the past few weeks on YouTube about marketing and success/ failures within the industry. from Eastshade Studio's video on indie marketing ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCzhyUsDHPE&list=PLMRFdyRgelswe8NNSFa5d3i26Nrk-QZDb&index=18 ) I have picked up on the following:

research the current market of your video game genre. look at the successful games but also look at the mid tier games as well as the "failures" try and pick up on common traits from each game to gain a better understanding of what is likely to sell.

within these three categories, pay attention to their trailers, screenshots, graphics, art style, UI, performance, features, scope, content, reviews, actual gameplay.

find the revenue bracket that you would like to be in and start creating case studies. ignore the outliers that are at the very very top of the revenue market and compete on every level with the others.

I then watched another video by Burback on video game marketing. this video was based more on video games as a whole but also the larger corporate AAA games. the points I took from this video were:

promises need to be delivered on. if a game is marketed with certain features or points, the final game needs to execute these to a high standard. the video states one main reason why Cyberpunk 2077 failed was because of the "false relationship of honesty with their customers" when customers trusted CD Projekt promised them the world.

the promotional material should match the player's experience. the reason why god of was more successful than cyberpunk 2077 when both of them were marketed while they were unfinished, was god of war's marketing relied solely on gameplay footage. many game trailers use cinematics and "not real gameplay" sections. in my opinion whenever I see a trailer like this, as a consumer, I get excited about a game because it looks great. I then see the not real gameplay disclaimer and am immediately put off buying or playing the game because more often or not the experience won't match that of what's being pitched to me.

the failures usually fall on the publisher, not the developer. while a dev team might be working on a broken game, the publishers are the ones selling false promises.

be realistic. don't announce or talk publicly about elements that aren't possible or haven't been achieved yet.

from the points raised over the past few weeks as well as those highlighted in the research lab, I have curated a survey that will aid in making decisions on directions to take my game. while the overall narrative has been decided, this survey will help fine-tune and demonstrate the importance of different aspects of games as well as their marketing. this survey is definitely only a starting point and I will do further research to either back up or contradict the decisions I make in regards to the game. however, hopefully it will point me in the right direction of what would become a successful indie game. I will post the survey on social media, where a range of demographics engage. this will hopefully give me insight into consumers that may not even call themselves a gamer as well as die hard video game fans. I will also create posters to display around the school of art to hopefully reach a wider audience and help prevent bias within the social media sample group.

[fmpdas25]

Development // Mall Level (Part 2)

Now that all of the layout and modelling is done, I plan to use the Quixel mega scans library to have access to have a range of materials to use. I also found a free pack that contains assets for a down town area, which will be useful when it comes to models and materials for the mall.

Now a issue that I came across was that I used cube grid to extend parts of my wall. Causing the mesh to require two materials which gets annoying to have to do for every mesh.

My first solution was to go into the modelling mode, then to delete all of the materials. After that creating a new material which would in theory make it so that the mesh uses it.

I decided before anything else, I would double check and improve the meshes around the mall. Having it so that the UV maps are more consistent so that textures tile properly.

Now another issue that I came across is that: I couldn't easily scale materials so that they tile a certain amount of times. This would makes materials not look good which is what I wanted to avoid.

I watched this youtube video to see if I could find a solution to this. I closely followed the tutorial and tried to adapt the solution to how mega scans have their materials. (One giant material that handles everything). Then in the comments I found a suggestion that would make this method easier for other materials. Which was to have a parameter that would change the scale of the texture cord.

With this issue fixed I started out by downloading and applying: A side walk material to the floor, a concrete/plaster material for the walls, and a brick material for the stairs.

After doing more searching a found a better material for the walls. Now my next step is fixing the double material issue before I start doing anything else.

Since the first solution didn't work, I had a different idea in mind: which was to edit the materials in a 3rd party application like blender. So I started out by separating all of the meshes that are being used with the unused ones. As I don't want to edit the materials of meshes that I am not using in the first place. I placed the used meshes in a separate folder while deleting all of the unused ones.

Next up, I took all of the meshes and enabled nanite on all of them. Nanite is a system inside of unreal engine that can basically provides a lot of benefits when it comes to meshes, such as optimisations that improve frame rate.

Next, I exported all of the meshes outside of unreal engine, so that I can start fixing the materials. Another reason to export them is that unreal engine doesn't allow me to make changes to them, in 3rd party applications without exporting. As well as not being able to reimport them in the case that I make any changes.

Inside of blender, I imported all of the meshes at once. This is because I plan to make a script that automatically does what I need to do to fix. The problems I am having with the materials.

Blender has support for python scripting. Allowing people to write code to do actions inside of blender. Such as in this case removing the materials.

The code simply imports the things it needs to make changes inside of blender. Then it goes through every material inside of the files and removes it. It also unlinks it from the mesh it is associated to. Then it loops through every object in the scene and then clears out all of the material slots. Lastly, the objects are looped through again and this time a new material is created with the same name as the object. This effectively fixes the issues with materials not working on the meshes.

I used snippets of code on these forum posts, when it came to writing mine. As I haven’t had experience making python scripts before let alone how blender and python interact.

Lastly for blender, I exported all of the meshes as one file to make it easier to import into unreal engine. I made sure to only export out the meshes as I don't need the materials that were created.

Now as for importing the meshes back into unreal, I simply had to make sure that I ticked off combine static meshes. Creating new static meshes instead of having one giant static mesh with everything. I also made sure to also tick off import meshes as I don't need the materials that were generated by blender. I simply used blender to fix the assignment of materials and how they work.

I used this video when it came down to importing all of the meshes inside of unreal. It helps me figure out what I had to make sure to toggle off to avoid having issues.

Now another issues appears, because I couldn't reimport the meshes that were generated by unreal. I now have two folders of meshes one being the ones generated by unreal which are broken and the ones that have been fixed. Issue being that I now would have to manually replace every single broken mesh in use to fix the previous issues. Which was something I wanted to avoid since it would have been extremely tedious.

So because unreal engine also supports python scripting, I created a python script that would do the replacing for me. This script basically takes in two variables the source folder which is everything that I want to replace, and the target folder which contains what I want to replace the source folder with. Next, I made a bunch of variables that give me the methods that I need for the replacing part.

After that, I get every single asset inside of the source folder and loop through it. I get the asset name and using that I can find the mesh inside of the target folder.

Next, I check if that mesh exists if it does then it gets loaded in to avoid any issues. This also returns a object that I will use in the final part of the code. Then I get the object that is to be replaced simply using get asset.

I create a array for the objects that need to be replaced and I place that object inside. I needed to do this because the method/function I needed to use to replace the object needs this to be a array for some reason.

Lastly, using the 'EditorAssetLibrary' I consolidate the assets to replace them with their respective new versions.

This fixes the tedious process of having to replace every single one. One by one. (Although I'm pretty sure if I did it manually it would have been faster than taking the time to write the script but oh well new learning opportunity :P)

With this every single mesh has been replaced with ones that work with materials.

Throughout this whole process of writing this script, I heavily relied on Unreal's Python API Documentation. Which provided pointers on what I needed to provide for certain functions.

I wanted to improve the store front meshes more so, I created a open hole on either side of them. This will allow me to add windows to make it so that you can look inside of the stores. Giving the mall more full look and not having full concrete walls everywhere.

Using a material from the down-town pack, I created a new mesh that will be the window itself. I used a glass material from the down-town pack to make it look more realistic.

From the same pack, I found this fountain blueprint that has a water particles setup. I decided to use this to save time from having to make my own fountain mesh and particles.

Now because of the way that some of the meshes are scaled. I needed to be able to put different materials on different sides of the mesh. This was simply done inside of the modelling mode and using the edit material took and selecting the top faces. Then creating a new material slot, setting it as the active material slot and pressing "assign active material".

I looked more into the Quixel library and also found a office roof tile material. I decided to use this material for the roof of the mall and stores.

Lastly, for the bathrooms I found a white tile material from the Quixel library. I downloaded it and placed it inside of where the bathrooms are. Matching up more with the common texture that I saw inside of my pool rooms mood board.

[relianceacademy]

Reliance Animation Academy Andheri – Your Creative Future Starts Here with a BSc in Animation for OTT, Gaming & Cinema

Introduction: Discover Your Creative Calling at Reliance Animation Academy Andheri

Reliance Animation Academy Andheri opens doors for 12th-passed students who dream of building a future in the world of animation and digital arts. The BSc Degree in Animation is more than an academic program—it's a pathway to thriving careers in Bollywood, OTT streaming, gaming, and multimedia storytelling.

For those seeking animation courses in Andheri or studio-level animation classes in Andheri, this degree delivers the perfect blend of creativity, industry exposure, and production-ready skills.

Animation today is the driving force behind entertainment, advertising, education, and immersive technologies. This course prepares you to lead in all of them.

Build a Career in Animation After 12th

Post-12th confusion is common—but Reliance Animation Academy Andheri offers a clear, exciting path. This BSc degree nurtures creativity while aligning with the standards of global content industries.

Why Enroll at Reliance Animation Academy:

Prime location in Mumbai’s media and entertainment hub

Faculty with real studio and OTT experience

A curriculum built on practical learning and industry tools

Studio-simulated classrooms for hands-on production training

This is where your creative instincts turn into a profession.

Inside the BSc Animation Curriculum

The BSc Degree in Animation is a multi-disciplinary program covering drawing, storytelling, software tools, 2D/3D animation, and advanced production workflows.

Key Learning Areas:

Artistic Foundations

Learn drawing, proportion, perspective, shading, and color theory.

Animation Theory & Practice

Understand motion, exaggeration, timing, and other animation principles.

Graphic Design & Imaging

Use Photoshop and Krita to edit, compose, and create.

Coding for Creatives

Develop HTML/CSS-based animations and interactive digital assets.

Film & Cinematography

Shoot and edit scenes, understanding light, frame, and pace.

IT & Workflow Systems

Master file handling, rendering, cloud storage, and workflow tools.

Pre-Production Development

Design characters, plan scenes, create animatics and mood boards.

2D/3D Animation Tools

Animate with Maya and Blender, developing real studio pipelines.

Character Movement

Work on facial expressions, body mechanics, and animated acting.

Full Production Pipeline

From modeling and rigging to lighting and rendering, cover every step.

Web Animation Essentials

Build responsive, animated elements for digital interfaces.

Digital Sculpting

Create high-detail models with ZBrush and Substance Painter.

Game Design & Dev

Build game assets and levels using Unity and Unreal Engine.

AR & VR Animation

Design immersive content using motion tracking and 360° animation.

Your portfolio evolves as you progress—resulting in a stunning showreel for job applications.

Software Proficiency You’ll Gain

You’ll become proficient in tools such as:

Photoshop / Krita – Image editing & concept design

Illustrator – UI/UX visuals, vectors

Audition – Voiceovers, mixing, and sound edits

Animate CC – 2D animation sequences

Maya / Blender – Complete 3D animation and rigging

Silhouette / PFTrack – Match-moving & rotoscopy

ZBrush / Substance Painter – Sculpting and texture detailing

Arnold / Vray – High-end rendering

Unity / Unreal – Interactive game design tools

Premiere / After Effects – Editing and post-production

Nuke – VFX compositing and cleanup

3ds Max / 3D Equalizer – Layout and visual effects planning

Learn By Doing: Real-Time Industry Experience

What makes this academy unique is its direct connection with industry workflows. Students create:

Film trailers and show openers

Animated explainer videos

Concept visuals for OTT platforms

Portfolio content for ad agencies and media houses

OTT-Specific Opportunities:

Social media motion content

Character-based animations

AR effects and promo graphics

Explore Gaming, UI Animation & Immersive Media

The future is interactive. This course prepares you to:

Design games with real gameplay mechanics

Animate for apps and UX interfaces

Create AR filters and effects

Build VR storytelling environments

Add-On Tracks: VFX or Graphic Design

Tailor your career with a creative focus:

Graphic Courses in Andheri – Brand content, UI prototypes, poster art

VFX Courses in Andheri – FX layering, green screen removal, tracking

After Effects training for campaign visuals and storytelling

Career Options After BSc Animation

Graduates of this program go on to exciting roles such as:

3D Animator

Visual Effects Artist

Motion Designer

Game Designer / Animator

AR/VR Experience Creator

Web Interaction Designer

Graphic and UI/UX Designer

Studio Freelancer or In-House Artist

Career Launch Support:

Personal portfolio reviews

Interview practice

Internship placements

Alumni and studio guest sessions

Begin Your Creative Journey Today

A BSc Degree in Animation from Reliance Animation Academy Andheri unlocks a world of visual storytelling, immersive media, and interactive design. With cutting-edge tools, expert faculty, and real studio exposure—you’ll graduate career-ready.

Ready to Apply?

Reliance Animation Academy Andheri Center Unit No. 14, 2nd Floor, Shri Alankar CHS Ltd, Nadco Shopping Centre, SV Road, Near Andheri Railway Station, Mumbai – 400058 Phone: +91 9326591557 / +91 7400400795 / +91 9920678816 Email: andheri@ravaglobal.in Website: relianceacademyandheri.com Google Maps: Click to Navigate

👉 Book Your Free Counseling Call Now 👉 Admissions Open – Apply Today!

[yr2fmpla]

Chosen Idea

Deciding which idea I would choose was harder than I thought it would be, due to how much I liked certain aspects of each project. When it came to The Clayman, I was a huge fan of the Resident Evil style gameplay, and the mechanics I wanted to implement to ensure the game is scary and difficult, but survivable. I also really liked the killer idea, and is probably my favourite idea from all of my projects. Despite this, I chose not to do it due to the fact the level design will take too long, though it would be needed in order for the character to have a chance at beating the Clayman and to make the game fully immersive. When it comes to everything I planned on adding, this offered the most new things I could learn, and was a very close second. When it came to Railroad Robbery, it was mainly a matter of dreaming too big. Proof of this was with the whole mechanic of horse racing and moving trains. I just believe this would be too demanding for me, as making a train is extremely difficult, and modelling and animating a horse will take up most of the given time, especially making the character mount it. I liked the idea, and felt it would have been a fun, chaotic and quick game to play that ensured players were kept on their toes due to the chaos. I decided to finalise my idea on the motion capture, as I feel it's much more achievable within the time given, compared to last project. I also feel as though it's main objective- motion capture some animations- is the most achievable in the time given and adding gameplay being a bonus I'm not going to start off aiming for. Motion capture is also a very hard yet very rewarding goal, and can lead to some really awesome outcomes, which I hope mine will be.

For this project my artistic focus will be centered around using Blender for modelling, and most likely Rokoko for Motion Capture, and Unreal for code if I have time. I will also use Google for research, along with Youtube.

[gphyr2fmp]

Software Choices

I will use Unreal Engine for all of the coding, as I know it well and it makes it easier to understand aspects of it, and if I were to use something like Unity, I'd have to learn another programming language which would take up most of my time.

I'm also going to use Blender for the modelling, as I have much more experience with it compared to alternatives like Maya, and I already have some experience with setting up animations too, so I should be able to do that using blender as well.

I will probably use Adobe Audition for sound design, but if I can find something more suitable then I'll probably use that instead because although I have some experience with using Adobe Audition, I find it unintuitive to work with, which slows me down.

[samiinfotech1]

Level Up Your Career with Game Development Courses in Navi Mumbai

The gaming industry has witnessed explosive growth over the past decade, creating numerous opportunities for creative and technical professionals worldwide. Navi Mumbai, a fast-emerging hub for education and technology, offers an excellent range of game development courses for aspiring game designers, developers, and artists. These courses cater to individuals passionate about creating immersive gaming experiences, equipping them with the skills to thrive in this dynamic industry. This article delves into the benefits, course structure, and career opportunities associated with game development courses in Navi Mumbai.

Why Choose a Career in Game Development?

The gaming industry is a multi-billion-dollar sector that continues to expand, fueled by advancements in technology and the growing demand for mobile, console, and PC games. Careers in game development offer a unique blend of creativity and technology, attracting individuals with a passion for design, storytelling, and programming. From designing intricate game worlds to coding complex mechanics, game development offers diverse roles that cater to various skill sets. Navi Mumbai’s growing reputation as an educational hub makes it an ideal place to begin your journey in this exciting field.

What Do Game Development Courses Cover?

Game development courses in Navi Mumbai provide a comprehensive curriculum designed to teach both the creative and technical aspects of game design. Students typically learn programming languages such as C++ and Python, game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine, and 3D modeling tools like Blender and Maya. The courses also cover animation, sound design, level design, and artificial intelligence for gaming. Many programs emphasize practical learning through projects, allowing students to build a portfolio of games and prototypes that showcase their skills.

Top Institutes Offering Game Development Courses

Navi Mumbai is home to several reputed institutions offering specialized game development courses. These institutes often collaborate with industry professionals to provide students with up-to-date knowledge and hands-on experience. Some programs are designed for beginners, while others cater to professionals looking to upgrade their skills. Flexible learning options, including full-time, part-time, and online courses, make it easier for students to find programs that suit their schedules. Institutes also provide placement assistance, helping students transition smoothly into the gaming industry.

Career Opportunities in Game Development

Completing a game development course in Navi Mumbai opens up a wide range of career opportunities in India and abroad. Graduates can pursue roles such as game designer, game programmer, 3D artist, level designer, and quality assurance tester. With the global rise of gaming platforms and indie game studios, the demand for skilled professionals has never been higher. Navi Mumbai’s proximity to Mumbai, a major hub for technology and entertainment, offers aspiring game developers access to a thriving job market and networking opportunities.

game development courses in Mankhurd offer a gateway to a rewarding and creative career in one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. With expert faculty, hands-on learning, and access to industry resources, these programs equip students with the skills needed to succeed in the competitive gaming market. Whether you’re an artist, programmer, or storyteller, pursuing game development in Navi Mumbai can help you turn your passion into a profession and build a future in the exciting world of gaming.

[femboycatofmystery]

Things to know about Godot:

It is Free And Open Source, meaning that even if the devs turned evil and tried to shiv you, they wouldn't be able to because literally hundreds of other people have the source code and the legal right to publish it, and working binaries.

It has multiple successful Steam titles already out there and has support for mobile and, with some difficulty, consoles.

It has a dedicated 2D engine, unlike Unity and Unreal, both of which make you do "2D in 3D" just to get a png on the screen. (This isn't as scary as it might sound but it still isn't ideal.)

Because of this there are a lot of cool 2D-specific features.

It uses a really comfy language called GDScript (modeled on Python) which is vastly easier to learn than C#, but it supports C# if you need it. GDScript is plenty for most projects.

Reports of it being bad for 3D and having performance issues are largely exaggerated.

There aren't as many tutorials as for Unity, but there are still lots of them!

It's super tiny to install and you don't need admin to do so!

It boots VERY fast.

Inherently modular design makes it easy to scale projects.

You might see some drama about it being a "scam" but this is because the devs got into a dumb argument with some forum admin who decided to go nuclear over it, I will refrain from taking sides on this because it's entirely possible that the devs were being dicks, but the truth is that with open source, it doesn't matter if the original team becomes terrible, you still keep control of everything you do. This is also true of Blender, Krita, OBS, and OpenShot.

I was honestly incapable of even conceiving of anything as evil as Unity is pulling today. Like holy shit. Will we let these fuckheads take our hands and arms when we give them a finger!?

Game developer unionisation is more imperative than ever fucking before now.

I'm very worried about my close friends using the engine. Some of them say they likely won't be affected, but can you really know? With the wordy, shoddy and vague FAQ they posted, they have all the room and us developers none. Fucking barf

[universe-2-0]

What Skills Do I Need for Game Development?

Introduction

If you have a question like “What Skills Do I Need for Game Development?” then this article is for you. Game development is a fascinating field that combines creativity and technology to create interactive experiences for players around the world. As the gaming industry continues to grow rapidly, learning game development skills has become increasingly valuable. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on the stages of game development, helping aspiring developers understand the core skills and strategies needed to succeed in this exciting industry.

The Core Skills for Game Development

Programming In game development, programming is like the language that brings games to life. Writing code allows developers to create game mechanics, control character movements, and implement various features. Popular programming languages such as C++, Java, and Python are commonly used in game development. Writing clean and efficient code is crucial for optimizing performance and ensuring a smooth gaming experience. Game Design and Game Art Game design involves crafting the rules, mechanics, and overall experience of a game. Understanding player psychology and game balance is essential for creating engaging gameplay that keeps players coming back for more. Game art encompasses everything visual in a game, from character designs to environmental landscapes. Good art skills are vital for creating immersive and visually stunning gaming experiences. 3D Modeling and Animation In modern game development, 3D modeling and animation play a significant role in creating lifelike characters and environments. Software tools like Blender, Maya, and 3ds Max are commonly used for 3D modeling and animation. Mastering these tools allows developers to create realistic visual assets that enhance the overall quality of the game. Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI technology is used to create intelligent behavior for non-player characters (NPCs) in games. Developing AI algorithms that mimic human-like behavior adds depth and realism to gameplay. AI also powers various game features such as enemy behavior, pathfinding, and decision-making. Audio Engineering Audio is a crucial aspect of the gaming experience, contributing to immersion and atmosphere. Audio engineers create sound effects, music, and voiceovers that enhance the overall gameplay experience. Advanced audio technology, such as spatial audio and dynamic soundtracks, adds depth and realism to games. Project Management Effective project management is essential for keeping game development projects on track and within budget. Methodologies like Agile and Scrum help streamline workflows and improve team collaboration. Good project management ensures that deadlines are met and that the final product meets quality standards. Understanding of Game Engines Game engines are software frameworks that provide developers with tools and features for building games. Popular game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine offer powerful capabilities for creating games across various platforms. Proficiency in using game engines is essential for game development success. Troubleshooting and Debugging Bugs and technical issues are inevitable in game development, but effective troubleshooting skills can help resolve them quickly. Debugging involves identifying and fixing errors in the code to ensure a smooth gaming experience for players. Developing strong troubleshooting skills is crucial for maintaining the quality and integrity of the game.

Developing Your Game Development Skills

Take Online Courses and Tutorials Online courses and tutorials offer a convenient and accessible way to learn game development skills. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and YouTube offer a wide range of courses covering various aspects of game development, from programming to art and design. Read Books and Articles Books and articles provide in-depth knowledge and insights into specific areas of game development. Reading literature written by industry experts can help deepen your understanding of game design, programming techniques, and best practices. Contribute to Open-Source Projects Contributing to open-source game development projects is a great way to gain hands-on experience and collaborate with other developers. Open-source initiatives allow you to work on real-world projects, build your portfolio, and learn from experienced developers in the community.

Conclusion

In conclusion, learning game development requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and dedication. By mastering core skills such as programming, game design, and art, aspiring developers can create immersive and engaging gaming experiences. Taking advantage of online resources, reading books and articles, and contributing to open-source projects are effective strategies for developing your game development skills. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, the journey of learning game development is both rewarding and fulfilling.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What programming language is best for game development? While there is no one "best" programming language for game development, popular choices include C++, C#, and Java, depending on the game's requirements and the developer's preferences. Do I need to be good at art to become a game developer? While artistic skills can be beneficial in game development, they are not strictly necessary. Many game development roles focus on programming, design, or other technical aspects, and there are often opportunities to collaborate with artists and designers. How long does it take to learn game development? The time it takes to learn game development varies depending on factors such as prior experience, the complexity of the game being developed, and the resources available for learning. Some people may learn the basics in a few months, while others may take years to master advanced skills. What are some common challenges in game development? Common challenges in game development include managing project scope, meeting deadlines, optimizing performance, and maintaining team morale. Additionally, navigating the ever-changing technology landscape and keeping up with industry trends can be challenging for developers. Is game development a good career choice? Game development can be a rewarding career for those passionate about gaming and technology. However, it requires dedication, hard work, and continuous learning to succeed in the competitive industry. Aspiring game developers should be prepared to face challenges and constantly strive to improve their skills.

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[niamhsglobalproject]

WEEK 3

The first few weeks i had struggled to reflect on level 4 and 5. However i feel as though now, i can really see my collaborative skills developing in terms of resilience. Previously, i would let conflicts between peers (whether small or large) derail the groups progress, take it personally and even let it wind me up so much so that it would negatively impact my work. Sometimes i can struggle with change once the initial thought process is complete but working iteratively requires the reviewing and altering of ideas throughout the project. 

So far, there has been compromise with lewis wanting to pursue 3D aspects to the project. The way we were able to do this was to use an isometric viewpoint to have static 3D backgrounds, we could then extend the game into spacial as an added feature or even potentially for cut scenes. This 3D element was also thought to utilise Hemza’s skills as he is very proficient in 3D work in Blender. 

Another change that may be difficult for me to process will be Liz joining our group late. During the national project, we didn’t see eye to eye towards the end of the project and even back in the Performance lab last year. I don’t want this to negatively impact our group work or outcome so will be leaving any thoughts and opinions outside of group meetings and will attempt to come in with a fresh mind at every interaction. Giving her the benefit of the doubt and a chance to start fresh. 

I think one of the reasons why i am finding it easier to bounce back from these points is the interest i have in our concept. I’m lucky enough that the other members of our group like the features that i brought to the table in my pitch and would like to include and build on them in our final outcome. Lewis has also decided he would like to branch off from us and create a more 3D immersive monument exhibition working with Maria rather than a game, which seems like he will be happier to create something along those lines. Hemza has also decided he would like to work across both groups which is great as he will be a great asset to transposing any concept imagery into 3D isometric stills through blender. This will also free up more time for me and Lace to work on the code for the game. 

Over the past two years, i have been able to dabble into different technologies that can be used with gaming. The closest i have gotten would be back in semester 1 of first year using a mixture of blender, a small bit of unity and shapesXR to bring to life three spaces within VR. I used blender the most and felt most comfortable with it out of all of the softwares used so learning Unity will be my main challenge for this project. I also think this will be most beneficial to my future career if game development is what i choose to pursue as Unity is one of the three main game engines used in industry and having even basic knowledge of C# will be a great asset to employers. When researching game engines last summer, i decided unreal engine would be a better suited engine for me as the fee structure, their node based coding, free assets available every month and being a purpose built engine by real game developers really appealed to me. I am more than happy to learn Unity though as it seems like a more commonly known engine across the university/ visiting lecturers and Lace’s brother in law has worked a lot with the software while developing Fall Guys. He has expressed that he would be able to help us if we need any troubleshooting or help with code. Lace is also familiar with the software so even having someone with a bit of experience readily available for questions will make learning easier for me. 

Our call with Kyiv was reassuring to see that they were kind of on the same wavelength as us in terms of themes and ways of collaborating. I did feel as though they didn’t know about the portal aspect of the brief but that wasn’t an issue as we can still use their ideas and combine them with our ideas. In particular, i thought Yulia’s and Anastasia’s ideas matched the most with our group. With Yulia’s telephone game proposal, i think we would be able to use the methodologies mentioned in order to create concepts and artwork for the game. I put this on the figma to see if she was interested in using her idea in this way. As for Anastasia, her video game proposal was really strong and fleshed out. Her art looked incredible however she was very set on her overall game concept (a single player JRPG that revolved around regulating emotions). I do feel as though it might be difficult to collaborate with Anastasia as she is very set in her idea in terms of concept and interest in creating character design only. I think we can involve her in the project by seeing if she would like to design some costumes for the nightingale sprites, taking inspiration from Ukrainian fashion. 

I think that the reading for this week will be useful when it comes to my essay, I found part 2 very interesting but more difficult to understand in small sections. Part 1 however, was quite motivational in terms of encouraging me to create more. Even if there are failures, the more you create, the more success there will be. 

On Wednesday, we sat as a group for the main portion of the day. I decided to get a big piece of paper out so that we could visualise and refine our ideas so that it was clear what we’d be producing. And it would also be easier to brainstorm ideas. From this we were able to come up with a narrative that fit the theme we were looking to go with, which was to have the game set in a primary school. The user would be a student, arriving to school on the train (as the train systems in both Kyiv and Birmingham are significant.), they would then meet the head teacher of the school who would give context to the game and almost tell why the student was there and why the school is as it is. The student/user would then spawn into the studio location in the school. This will be the main space for communication between Kyiv students and Birmingham students. From there, the user can choose if they would like to go to the library, canteen, or playground. The playground will hopefully have some 2 player classic games for the users to play, the library will have information about both locations in the form of interactive books. And the canteen could have something related to the farming aspects of Kyiv but this is still up for consideration. 

[ insert images of mind map and narrative plot]

On Thursday, i wanted to try and get started on the game aspect of our project as i knew it would take the most time and effort. I had a teams call with lace as she is also working on the game. We tried to get the collaborative project to work but for some reason we couldn’t get the work that lace had done previously to show up on my end. We spent an hour attempting to get it to work but in the end, we decided for the sake of progress that we should work on separate parts of the game and then combine them into one project once complete. Lace was going to continue to work on getting a hand on the environments/ isometric aspect of the game and then i was going to create the login/ verification so that the user of the game can keep their avatar and username whenever they come back to play the game. I was also aiming to start creating the avatar creation screen. 

The verification screen started off strong as i had a YouTube tutorial to follow, i was able to download all of the elements and import the script part of the file. For some reason I wasn’t able to correctly import the main part of the file. I would import it into the project section at the bottom of the screen but when i went to open my packages it wouldn’t show as being in the project. This meant i was unable to progress in this aspect of the project. I spent most of the day either trying on new files, starting the process again or just going through everything i did to ensure it was just as the video had instructed. 

By having the user pick between a nightingale and a lion, this will further emphasise the fact that they are in an alternate reality and aren’t in a regular school environment. A lot of cosy games use animals as characters or NPCs. I think they increase the creative aspect of the game’s design and makes interacting with these characters more intriguing. 

[xaviergalatis]

Will it Blend????

keep seeing/hearing about blender....not to be confused with the awful dating app BLNDR.....

im talking about BLENDER the 3d animation suite.....

been hearing/seeing about this app for a few years .... i remember my friend used to make animations with another program called "Endorphin".... and he was quite good at generating.

however endorphin is very grey , idk if you can add textures and FX lighting etc...

however , ive been seeing these blender animations and they are pretty amazing ....

ive been thinking bout 3D generated text or entirely 3D generated music videos (think "The Gorillaz" or 645AR or Asher Roth)

the animations seem great however seems like some complex computing practice, also seems time consuming but maybe i will learn....

going to try it out......

also the UE UNREAL ENGINE is great, i dont know anything about it however i do know my favorite game AA3 (americas Army 3) was created using the unreal engine and ive sampled some UE demos & games that are always so so so good and are made with UE......

UE would again be another tool i am exploring to hopefully create 3D landscapes / motion graphics or entirely animated music videos / possibly code a video game of my own....

i like how the above programs that i mentioned are Opensource / freeware.

to be continued i suppose.....

-x

[canmom]

Natalie Lawhead does good as ever, this is one of the biggest collections of game engines I've seen anyone put together.

It's worth discussing what's missing from a lot of these engines - the features that kept people with Unity instead of these alternatives. Not to say we have to stay with Unity, but the big challenges that other engines have to meet.

The biggest one is multiplatform support. Particularly if you want to release games on consoles (Android excepted), you have to deal with all sorts of opaque black-box proprietary APIs and all sorts of weird gotchas and headaches. One of the best features of Unity is that it runs, and runs well, on nearly anything. Which isn't to say Unity doesn't have its own gotchas trying to build for different platforms, but it provides a very good abstraction over a lot of difficulty.

Unfortunately, console support is a big barrier for a lot of open-source projects. Godot spells it out pretty clearly. The console manufacturers won't license their proprietary devkits to an open source project.

This means the only real alternative for console dev is Unreal, or a proprietary engine. Unreal isn't quite as universal as Unity, but it's fairly close. It handily beats Unity on high-end graphics features. However, its design is generally less flexible, and the editor is quite cumbersome and demands a pretty high-end PC. It also doesn't have the CPU performance of Unity DOTS, even though it's written in pure C++.

(For standalone VR, Unity has been pretty much the only game in town, but the situation isn't as dire as other consoles since Android is at least open source and OpenXR provides an open source abstraction layer that other engines can implement. So while there's not a great Unity alternative yet, it's entirely possible that Bevy or something else could become viable.)

That leads in to the second reason - performance. I've been watching people in the Latios Framework discord try and figure out some alternative ECS-based engine for the kind of super-high-performance code that Unity DOTS enables. Unity DOTS is kind of an engineering miracle. The Burst compiler is fantastic - only the Rust compiler can stand alongside it really (not surprising since both are based on LLVM) - and there are a lot of extremely smart design choices in how it handles e.g. ECS iteration and rendering.

There are other ECS-based game engines out there, with Bevy probably the most advanced. It's also possible to cobble together your own by combining an existing engine with an existing ECS library. The problem is that for a realistic game engine that goes beyond a tech demo, there are a lot of pitfalls that can erode the benefits of ECS (a somewhat polemic article, but a good explanation of how ECS alone doesn't guarantee great cache performance). Bevy currently doesn't have the rendering performance of Entities Graphics, although it's moving in an exciting way.

Unity is a strange beast - it's a hodgepodge of features, some of them really cutting edge, some of them more or less abandoned after the people championing it left the company. There are usually multiple ways to do any given thing (e.g. user input or UI), and it's a bit of a steep learning curve to go from 'using Unity' to 'using Unity well'. However, the good parts of Unity are actually really good. It's taken years to get them this good. It sucks to have to reinvent it.

(The third reason is of course there's a huge amount of expertise and assets and shit built up around Unity. But - unless Unity does some pretty drastic actions to regain trust, or it dies and gets opensourced - that can't be helped, the ship's going down, not now but likely in a year or two when the currently-in-progress Unity projects have been released.)

It's probably going to be pretty chaotic for a while. What I really hope is that when all the dust settles, the 'next Unity' will be free software that can thrive as much as Blender has without risking this kind of 'enshittification'. With both this and Flash, it's fucking appalling that such a huge block of cultural output could be put at risk of being erased by the actions of one company. Also it will be the year of Linux on the desktop and federated social media you guys. For real! I promise!

A great look at what Unity alternatives there are out there besides running from one for-profit corporate product to the next

[maddgicalgirl]

Paracosm Resources <3

Need help bringing your paracosm to life? Try these free resources!

⚠️ Updates always pending! Suggestions always welcome! Feel free to message me any tips or questions <3 ⚠️

(Cont. below cut, or with real time updates on this google doc!)

Art Programs

FireAlpaca - 2D Art Program, Animation. Where I make most of my digital art, and paint the frames for my animations :) It is free to use, and easy to learn and use! It can make basic animations as well, such as gifs. It requires download.

Krita - 2D Art Program. Professional, free digital paint software :) I have not used it before, though I have heard good things.

GIMP - 2D Art Program, Photo Manipulation. It's free to use, but I do not like it/recommend it highly. But! If FireAlpaca and Krita don't float your stoat, try Gimp! For 2D art, but also able to emulate Photoshop to a degree ^^

Inkscape - 2D Art Program. Free to use digital illustration software. Makes 2D art :)

Of course, who can forget classics like good old MS Paint, and the new and exciting 3D MS Paint, which can both be used to create some really neat things! Classic MS Paint is available here in browser form! If you need that. I just think it's neat!

Art AI

Petalica Paint - Coloring Software. An in browser, watercolor manga style coloring software, which can (almost) effortlessly color in any of your line art pieces! I've played around with it for my Thorn illustration style piece, and enjoyed it! It is free to use, and can take user input to make the colorations more precise.

ArtBreeder - 3D Realism Software. Using Artbreeder, you can create lifelike images of your paras, planets, or potentially even fursona, using the intricate AI they let you work with for free! A premium version exists, but most functions are fully usable without - though I recommend donating ^^ You can randomly generate, or prune and shape what you make until its perfect! Slow to use and get the hang of, but very worth it! Artbreeder is also pioneering an intriguing animation software to go alongside their product! Browser based.

3D Software

Blender - 3D Modeling, Animation. The best (in my opinion) free 3D modelling software.

MagicaVoxel - 3D Pixel Art. Free to use! Could be interesting :)

MikuMikuDance - 3D Rigging. Anime style rigging and animation software, free to use, and certified internet artefact! Has stood the test of time, and is still used and loved today. Can support ports of many kinds of assets, including, I believe, those from Blender, and of course those that are downloaded. DA has a bunch of old MMD communities you can raid for assets!

Animaze - Face Rigger. Use 3D models and a webcam to watch your paras talk! Models can be made in Blender, downloaded online, or even from CHARAT V, CHARAT GENESIS sister app!

Character Creators

CHARAT GENESIS - 2D Character Creator. Browser based anime style character creator, with multiple crops and poses, and infinitely customizable options. It is legitimately insane. Has a 3D function called CHARAT V which can apparently convert characters made in CHARAT GENESIS into 3D models compatible with Face Rig and Animaze!

V-Katsu - 3D Character Creator. Free on steam! Anime style, intensive character creator, by the same people who made Koikatsu, and Koikatsu Party, two amazingly detailed 3D hentai makers. While V-Katsu is a SFW VTuber maker, if you're looking for NSFW anime content, you could always spend roughly $70 on the full NSFW versions. V-Katsu requires a translation mod (free online as well) which you have to install, or the ability to read Kanji <3 Works with VR tech.

V-Roid Studios - 3D Character Creator. Free on steam! Anime style, fairly in depth character creator, that allows for some degree of digital 3D hand sculpting, particularly with their amazing hair engine, to get your paras looks perfect!

And, of course, Picrew has thousands of character creators of various styles and quality uploaded by the artists who made them! Also, honestly I think we as a society should embrace making dinky chibis in Gacha Life. IDK why everyone is mean to the gacha kids, like we weren't all cringe at some point,

World Design

HomeStyler - 3D and 2D Room Designer. Make a model of an interior for a home or building, using real 1:1 furniture of IRL brands! Apparently this is free to use, though there is a premium version, and  it offers 3D and 2D models.

Map to World - 3D Planet Maker. Turn your fantasy world into a 3D model of the planet. Put maps directly on, or design the surface and textures of your world. Takes a lot of getting used to, but it is AMAZING. Free to use, and browser based!

PlanetMaker - 3D Planet Maker. Make a customized 3D planet! Free to use browser site! I have never used this, but I would love to mess around with it sometime! Allows you to add orbital rings, change textures, and more at the click of a mouse.

If on sale, I also recommend snagging a copy of the Sims, particularly 3 or 4, for character creation and world design. Maybe not the best gameplay without mods, but it's also a load of fun, and very easy to add custom content to! Minecraft also. But you just need Minecraft, in general. Beyond its ability to fairly faithfully recreate structures from your paracosms, it's just Good.

Game Creators

Maybe you wanna turn your paracosm into a cool game idk, just thought I'd put these here!

Construct 3 - 2D Game Creator. Beginner level game making :) Drag-and-drop if/then style programming.

GameSalad - Codeless 2D Game Creator. Drag and drop style/no coding, beginner friendly. Free version available!

Solpeo - 2D Game Creator. HTML5 based game engine for 2D and isometric game development. Some programming knowledge needed. Platforms supported: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer 9+. Free version available.

Stencyl - Codeless 2D Game Creator. Drag and drop style building/no coding skills needed. Has editable templates!

Scratch - 2D Game Creator. Very easy to use and totally free, though relatively basic!

Unity - 3D, 2D, and VR Game Creator. Make games with 3D software. Import your own assets (Blender compatible) or download free options, or buy the rights to models. Works for 3D and 2D games. Free version available, and now works with VR tech!

Unreal Engine - 3D Game Creator. Extremely advanced 3D game developer. Highly customizable. Free to use!

Twine - Text-based Game Creator. Use a map to make a branching paths text-based story game. Free to use.

Squiffy - Text-based Game Creator. have used Squiffy and it can make some really, truly incredible things. Can take a while to pick up, and learn how to use to its full potential. Free to use! Has an online and offline library of player creations you can get inspiration from!

Quest - Text-based Game Creator. I've never used this, but it seems cool! Use it to make interactive text-based DND game adventures in browser.

Ren'Py - Visual Novel Creator. Visual novel engine, that is well acclaimed, and of course, free to use!

Companion AI

Replika - 3D Companion.

Kajiwoto - Chatbot Companion. Customizable, learning AI you can shape into a personality. Communicates via Discord like chat box.

Organization

Toyhou.se - Character Gallery. A customizable library where you can upload all of your paras and characters for the public to view! Free to use, but requires a premium member to invite you!

Refsheet - Character Gallery. I haven't used it before, but I've heard good things, and that it's a suitable alternative to toyhou.se if you can't get an invite!

Notebook.AI - Character Gallery. I haven't used it before, but I've heard good things, and that it's a suitable alternative to toyhou.se if you can't get an invite!

World Anvil - World Building Toolset. Like character galleries, but for worlds and their lore :)

Scabard - World Building Toolset. Aimed at DnD campaigners, but I reckon it'll be useful for many!

YARPS - World Building Toolset. More focused around story and lore than Scabard or World Anvil, and looks beautiful! Still in its prototype stage, however.

Pinterest - Photo Organizer. Look at, collect, and sort images into boards. Personalizes your feed based on that, and is free to use and join! However, unlike their myriad of wonderful recipes, DIY tutorials, and the likes - a lot of the images are uploaded by second parties and not credited, so be careful reuploading anything you find! Also great for finding outfits and art inspo for your paras!

Generators

Fantasy Name Generator - Name Generators. Does what it says on the tin! Generates fantasy names. Is a lovely website, run by a purportedly lovely woman.

Fantasy Map Generator - Map Generator. Randomly generates a fictional map, which you can view in 2D or 3D.

Donjon RPG Generator - Multiple Generators. Can make maps, weapons, items, etc.

Seventh Sanctum - Multiple Generators. One of my favorites from high school! Does all kinds of things - the standard items, spells, and names - but also prompts, backstories, characters, and even comedy generators!

ShindanMaker - Multiple Generators. User created and uploaded, any kind of generator you can imagine, of varying complexity. And when I say any generator? I mean ANY generator.

Audio

Audacity - Record and Edit Audio. What can't Audacity do? I love Audacity to death. At surface level, it records audio. I've used it to record voices for my paras, and get audio for animations and games I've worked on. I cannot recommend it enough. Comprehensive editing, and with some investigation, it can do so, so much more than just record simple dialogue.

FL Studios - Compose. Compose music with an unlimited free trial. Upgrades available for purchase!

Indie Game Music - Royalty Free Music Library. Free to use Indie Game Music. What it says on the box!

AudioJungle - Royalty Free Music and Audio Library. Thousands of free to use audio clips!

Online Piano - Someone could use this, for recording, or just messing around. I've seen plenty of paras who play piano, this could just be used for fun!

Online Guitar - Same reasons as above, but this site looks kinda sketchy. Use at your own risk or reward! Audio

For real, if you ever need music, sound effects, or really any MP3 clips that can be used without infringing on copyright laws, just search 'royalty free' (music/audio/insert thing here) same applies for photos! Make sure the source is reputable, however.

Tutorials

W3Schools - Coding. Learn the basics of coding, for free, online!

Miscellaneous

Debut Video Capture - Screen Recorder. Record game footage and let's plays for free! Professional and home versions. I see a few of our community members have paras who run YouTube channels, and I thought these might help! It could be a nice way to connect your parames. YouTube quality <3

Pixton - Comic Maker. Comic making website. I have no experience with this at all, but some may find it useful!

Picfont - Image Editor. Puts customizable text on an image. I used these for @paraesthetics paracosm header edits <3 It has a premium version (???) but the free version has all functions, but it crashes regularly (honestly seems timed :/) but once you get it down, it's a very quick process, and you won't have to worry about that at all.

Itch.io - Publishing. You can publish your self made games here :)

Korsakow - ??? Described as, "The Future of Storytelling" and is apparently a way to create interactive films. I *just* found out about this, but thought I should include it for someone who may know how to use and appreciate it! Free? Unknown, at the moment.

Tips and Tricks

Animation Done Easy

Our forefather's of internet animation used MS Paint, Windows Movie Maker, and Audacity. All of these, or their equivalents, are free on standard computers. I, personally, use FireAlpaca - which works just as well, if not better, than MS Paint for animation - but takes longer, and definitely lacks that retro feeling. I also use my trackpad to draw and animate everything, so its doable, but probably not totally comfortable, to animate like this for most people :)

⚠️ Updates always pending! Suggestions always welcome! Feel free to message me any tips or questions <3 ⚠️