#game development tips

[deception-united]

Writing Tips Master Post

Edit: Some posts may be deleted

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Character Voices

Creating Distinct Characters

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Building Tension

Writing Grumpy x Sunshine Tropes

Writing Sexuality & Gender

Writing Manipulative Characters

Writing Mature Young Characters

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Things to Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative (+ how to write):

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (+ More)

Transitions

Pacing

Writing Prologues

Dialogue Tips

Writing War

Writing Cheating

Writing Miscommunication

Writing Unrequited Love

Writing a Slow Burn Btwn Introverts

Writing Smut

Writing Admiration Without Attraction

Writing Dual POVs

Writing Unreliable Narrators

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Online Writing Resources

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Translation Software for Writing

Writer help:

Losing Passion/Burnout

Overcoming Writer's Block

Fantasy terms:

How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)

Naming Elemental Races

Naming Fire-Related Races

How To Name Fantasy Places

Ask games:

Character Ask Game #1

Character Ask Game #2

Character Ask Game #3

Miscellaneous:

Writing Tips

Writing Fantasy

Miscommunication Prompts

Variety in Sentence Structure (avoiding repetition)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Shout out to all artists who had to work without any strong direction or instruction.

I wish you a merry “the client likes it anyways”

[cryptke]

This 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I do not necessarily agree in the advocating of keeping abuse a secret from a partner. But it's true that disclosure isn't always best. If you make someone aware that you've been treated bad in past relationships, and that you've accepted it and put up with it and stayed in the relationship, then you are setting the bar (and it is a low one) to your new partner of things that can be and have been done to you with no consequence. Your experience is your own power and you need to make sure that you are bringing to light the right things to the right people

[luna-azzurra]

Creative Writing Hack #4

Word Association Games

Word association games are a fun and effective way to jumpstart your creativity and overcome writer's block. Start by brainstorming a list of random words or phrases, then write down everything they make you think of, no matter how seemingly unrelated. For example, if the word is "rain," you might jot down "umbrella," "puddle," "stormy," "cozy," "damp," and so on. Use these associations as springboards for generating ideas, characters, settings, or plot twists for your story. Don't censor yourself—let your imagination run wild and see where it takes you.

[physalian]

Take A Risk and Don’t Write a Chosen One

This trope stands the test of time for some very good reasons: Audience wish-fulfillment as they live vicariously through the hero, automatic plot-induced agency for your protagonist, and automatic legitimate reasons for your protagonist to join the whirlwind adventure of the day.

I like chosen ones. We all have our favorite famous chosen ones and I’m not here to say the concept of a chosen one is bad at all.

However.

Those “automatic” windfalls that come pre-packaged with the trope can lead to the author taking shortcuts, or not thinking they have to put in more effort to write a compelling character, because they’re the “chosen one,” what more do you need?

Not writing your protagonist as commanded by the powers that be to participate in the plot forces you to get creative with why they’re here, what they want, and how they entrench themselves in the story. And most importantly, if the gods haven’t chosen them to act, they must now choose themselves to act.

—

I have never read Harry Potter and after its author-who-shan’t-be-named flushed her reputation down the toilet, I never will. I’ve seen the movies, they’re ok. I have no nostalgia-driven love for this franchise, and most of that comes from watching Harry be an incredibly boring protagonist.

Book readers correct me, but Harry is the poster child of “only exists so the audience can live vicariously” with generic heroic traits and nonexistent or at least unimportant side quirks and distinguishing hobbies, interests, or personality tics. He’s “brave” and “courageous” and “determined”... as most child protagonists of children’s books should be. He has zero flaws that come back to bite him in the ass. He acts the way he’s supposed to, not the way he should want to, as an independent being.

He’s the least interesting character in this entire cast, and I can’t stand Movie Ron. Ron, Hermione, Neville, or Draco would have made much more compelling protagonists and so much of this relies on the “Harry is important because the plot demands it” crutch.

Why is he the chosen one? Because his birthday happened at the right time of year? What is the story trying to say about the dichotomy between him and Voldemort? What about his personality, his wizard-societal stances on the many faux pas in this series, or the choices he makes, that makes him the chosen one? Why should I care?

You know who’s a great chosen one? Percy Jackson. Why? Because he understands the screwed up world he lives in on page 1. Being a demigod isn’t everything he ever dreamed and despite what Disney + wants you to believe, he’s got a crap bio dad who’s as disappointing in book one as Percy expects him to be.

He’s not even the chosen one by the end of the original series, and what a fantastic twist that was.

An infamously self-chosen protagonist has her own iconic hero quote: "I volunteer as tribute". Katniss is a nobody. She's not the evil president's daughter, she's not the child of a famously martyred revolutionary, she's just a girl who refuses to bow down to the reaping, refuses to let her sister get slaughtered, and volunteers for a death match that historically sees anyone living to survive another year cowering in relief. Yeah, she has some convenient skills in her archery and survival knowledge, but those matter because her district is starving, she learned through necessity.

Every second of her story, Katniss is fighting for her right to exist, and she only becomes a "chosen one" dragged around by the powers that be when she becomes marketable to the grand scheming of the actual revolutionaries, when, before, she didn't care about politics, she just wanted to save her sister. She matters because she chose compassion in a world where survival demands only serving yourself.

—

It’s so, so easy to start planning your book and make your cool fantasy world and figure out how your protagonist fits into it. So easy to say “well they’re the long-lost princess and the only heir to the throne” or “this magic amulet from her great great aunt is the key to saving the world” or “she’s the villain’s secret love child and the only one who can stop him because blood magic” or “this vague prophecy picked this little desert slave boy to bring balance to the Force”.

None of these stories are at fault for writing chosen ones.

But push yourself to let go of that crutch and come up with other reasons for why your hero is the hero. Usually this character has been isekai'd into magical-fantasy-land or magical-hidden-fantasy-urban-underbelly and you can still write that character.

Refusing to make them the chosen one demands one thing first and foremost: How is this outsider going to fight for their place to exist here? What do they bring to the table with their hobbies or interests or unique skillset that happens to be mighty applicable and useful in this new world? What is it about their personality that draws these strangers in? What do they want from this new world, and what are they willing to do to get it?

This choice demands you give your hero agency (though whether you give into those demands is up to you).

More importantly: I think it gives your audience agency, as they still live vicariously through their hero. Sure, lots of kids have lost their parents and live in horrid conditions like a cupboard under the stairs, but none of us will ever be “chosen” by omniscient wizard prophets. Harry would have immediately been a more compelling protagonist to me if he’d stumbled upon magical shenaniganry and fought for his place as some forgotten nobody mudblood.

Harry would have shown us his courage, instead of the story insisting he has it, we promise, just don’t think too hard about it.

Stop giving me characters who accept their destiny because God said so. Give me characters who fight tooth and nail for a destiny they discover on their own and I’ll root for them to succeed even more than someone compelled by force. Not everyone can be a chosen one, but everyone *can* choose themselves and decide to act.

—

With that said, I have an announcement! I have a new book in the works bereft of a prophecy-ordained hero. It’s time I put all my sagely writing wisdom to the test in a shiny published paperback myself. If you’ve learned anything from my blog in your writing journey, please subscribe for updates on the upcoming novel!

[alexanderblackday]

Pixel Art Geometric Shapes - Level 3

Using shadows and lights will help you create volume in two-dimensional shapes.

When creating shapes in pixel art it is not always possible to draw a central line, in these cases you must make use of an imaginary line.

Increase the number of pixels in the corners to make them rounded.

Resize the vertical edge to change the height of a shape.

Use different colors to create divisions in 3D shapes, it is not always possible to create the outline of the central edge.

3D shapes in pixel art usually have an isometric projection, this method allows pixels of various geometric shapes to fit together perfectly.

Put together multiple cubes to start creating structures.

This three-dimensional cube structure is the one used in pixel art RPG video games.

In isometric projection the faces of a shape that simulate depth are the same size.

[wyvernwriterarchive]

How to Design a Large Cast of Characters

Note: While this advice can be applied to all forms of fiction writing, I will be primarily focused on helping you design casts of *playable* characters for games similar to Fire Emblem or other SRPGs. Also, this is mostly going to be the weird ramblings explaining how I personally design large casts, so if these tips don't work for you, don't worry about it.

Something you should know about me is... I love a large cast of characters. Specifically in games like FE. I love looking into the lives of the units who I use in battle and watching them grow stronger, and watching their character arcs. If their villains or otherwise important characters, I love seeing how they influence the narrative outside of my influence and how they can aid or help the main party.

For anyone who's designing games with large playable casts of fun characters or making a large cast for any other project, I feel like this guide will help you a lot.

Step 1: Make Some Characters

This is the easiest step, at least for me. Take a world that you made, and think about characters you want to use for this world. Main characters, side characters, villains, etc.

They do not have to be the most fleshed out, at least at the beginning. They can be a concept you think would be neat for this world to explore. They could be simple concepts you'd want to write or neat ideas you think would be fun to design. Hell, it could even be a character from a story that either died or got cut.

Step 2: Cut and Assign Roles

For this step, you must have a set number of characters you want to have in your playable main cast. For Fire Emblem games, this number usually ranges around 30-40.l playable units.

About now, you should also begin to flesh them out, making them more than just concepts.

You must also consider the themes and world of your story. Who in your list of characters could best explore those themes in some way. Note that not every character has to be important to the plot or masterfully explore the themes of the game.

Once you've gotten a range of main/playable characters, pick the best ones, or thr ones you like the most, and bench the others, and congrats, you have yourself a cast of good guya. Do the same for some of the NPCs or villains, but on a smaller scale, and you have a pretty good list of characters.

Step 3: Make Them Interact

There is one major problem with making large casts...and that is that they are large. There are a lot of characters you must keep an eye on, and they should all do something in the story.

If you focus ONLY on the main character(s), you risk making the characters bland, boring plot devices, or meatshields that add nothing to the story. On the other hand, if you write all characters as if they are important, you risk bloating your story with names and dialog and making the story take too long.

Important characters should be in the spotlight most of the time, but it I'd a good idea to spread it around. Show how some of the more minor characters feel about this situation, maybe have them talk with each other outside of danger, give them relationships with each other. Give em enough for people to want to latch on to

[bwobgames]

The game development experience

[inkblotfeathers]

meet the student

hello! my name is ash *:･ﾟ✧

i'm a human services/social work student! i'm also very interested in video game development, cooking, and a bunch of other things (including pokemon!!).

i follow from @takentosilenthill!! i post anything and every thing there.

i am also disabled (depression, anxiety, am paranoid, am a hypochondriac, run risk of heat exhaustion, have sensory issues, get exhausted easily, am scared of needles and talk about medical procedures, ie an iv being put in someone (i feel nauseous, faint), and i suspect that i have either: asd, adhd, bpd, or bipolar) so i may post about that here as well.

[deception-united]

Get to Know Your Character

Here are some questions to consider for character development:

What parts of their childhood trigger them?

How do they treat themselves when they're feeling sad?

What parts of themselves do they tend to hide?

How do they punish themselves when they make mistakes?

Who are they loyal to? Why?

Who do they avoid? Why?

What emotions or situations do they try to avoid? Why?

What angers them?

What are their insecurities?

What are their emotional triggers?

How do they feel about love?

What are their fears?

What is their relationship with their family like?

What kind of people do they tend to gravitate towards?

What do they like/dislike about themselves?

Happy writing ❤

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[leoneliterary]

i love how you write SO MUCH, youve inspired me in so many ways, and one of the mcs i made for your game has turned into a personal oc who i love DEARLY. do you have any writing tips, specifically on description? i love how you describe things and show not only emotion and actions, but the WORLD AND HISTORY of hashind itself! its all so amazing and im just RLLY eager to see if u have any tips i could use to improve my own writing

Aww thank you so much! This is so kind, and I don't feel like I'm equipped to give anyone advice, but here goes nothing!!

First, don't focus too much on emulating another writer's style. Some people prefer their descriptions short and punchy, others like them long and flowery. You can like to read all of them, but prefer to write in one specifically.

As for how I write my descriptions of settings, I lead with the sensations. If it's sunny, I think about the warmth that you feel on your skin, how the sun heats the rocks under your feet. Then I try to tie that with mood. The beginning of HAT is dreary and has an air of hopelessness, so the heat needed to feel stifling, dire, and oppressive. When the MC is an adult, Cusmo feels less large and looming and your character has more mastery of it, so I try to describe things as if the character is used to them, with minimal discomfort.

Writing world and history ties into worldbuilding. There are plenty of resources for how to do it online, but nothing beats actually doig it. Draw on real history or geography (always with respect and sensitivity of course) but also rely on your imagination. Some people create a world aound their characters, while others think of what characters and stories would inhabit the world they've created. You have to explore that for yourself.

Ask yourself if your characters are outsiders to the world or actively live in it. The MC in HAT knows Cusmo, but not the palace or outside Hashind. So I describe these places differently based on level of familiarity.

Finally, emotions are difficult. People may say show, but don't tell, and I say that there is a time for both. For a main character's internal thoughts, sometimes I just tell the reader. With characters like the ROs, sometimes I tell, hint, or show through mannerisms. It just depends on the scene.

Do whatever works for the story you want to tell, and learn to love and improve your writing style. Don't be disappointed if it doesn't look or sound like someone else's and take all advice (especially mine lol) with a grain of salt.

Thank you for the ask and I hope this was helpful!

[silentstaresfanficandfanart]

THE GAME IS DONE aside from some art :)

free to play and yes i know its on google docs im sorry I had no idea where else to upload this to, it had too many files for itch :( for those who don't know yet this is my mermay video game! just a game im trying to make over the course of mermay as a challenge thing me and a few of my readers are doing in the discord chat to make a cool creative concept for mermay. mines based on the prompt 'marine biologist' In this game you play as a sort of go-between for merfolk and human relations at an aquarium that often helps merfolk in need in the area as well as doing other aquarium duties

Its a visual novel and it has a LOT of endings and I will state theres special endings and diologue you get based on whether or not you laugh at Nikko's jokes at the beggining.

It's my first full game and I admit its also the thing that got me trying to do backgrounds. expect later releases to include visual changes and better art as well as improved sprites

theres a lil game in there like dressing up your little guys (sadly i cant figure out how to keep them in the costumes you put them in but at least you can put them in cute outfits) (you later unlock more options as well as another character to dress up by the second time going shopping)

and lots of fun antics with the characters :)

you do have to go down every route to get all the lore

and unlike most dating sims you dont really have the usual setup for building character relationships its more so a chose your own adventure style dating sim

theres a platonic route thats fully fleshed out too and is meant to be just as compelling as the romantic routes and the game is ENTIRELY SFW though there is mention of murder and possible cannibalisim amongst merfolk. mention of large storms. but its mostly a chill game where you get to befriend merfolk and your human companions

theres nikko, the human marine biologist who loves puns and is trying his best to be your friend

Nanonari the moon jellyfish emperor of the waters who has lost all faith in himself

and ketsueki the strange black tipped reef shark terrestrial biologist and human researcher

he cries a lot please be gentle with him If any other game developers or gamers know good websites for uploading your games (pay or for free) where theres an in browser feature especially id love that. I'm considering using GOG since I prefer their business practices (from what little ive seen) for things (if you havent checked out gog its just as legitimate as steam , ea games, etc. but it doesnt do the stuff with forcing you to be online to play, if i remember correctly its also the only place you can really get acess to the spore online services properly anymore (or easily? i think) and just generally feels a lot friendlier

things the game needs now: more soundtracks

more sound effects (considering trying to record myself playing my trusty slide whistle for several, several things ketsueki does. that shark just will not stop moving-)

I really hope you like it, if you play please comment below on your thoughts!

[shinystarfishmoon]

What you need to know right now ?!

Pile 1,2,3👉

Hello everyone! Tara🌟 here

Take 3 deep breaths and choose a plie it's also OK if you choose more then one ☺

Disclaimer : This is a general reading, take what resonates leave what doesn't

If you like this PAC please follow my blog

and reblog this post 🙏

Please take a look at my new pac

Plie 1

Hello pile one welcome to your reading 🦄

Cards : knight of wands, justice, page of cups, 8 of cups, 5 of wands, seven super of wands, six of swords, ten of cups now let's get into it 👀

So with the knight of cups , I think anyone who has chosen plie 1 has a lot of ambition, dreams and desires they want to be fulfilled. A lot of ideas that can turn onto great opportunity. The message is not sleep 😴 on those ideas. Dreams are dreams untill you take a practical step to make them come true . With the justice card you need a practical approach to the dreams that you have for yourself, it does not mean to limit your dreams but to actually have a practical plan to make them work. An equal and non biased approach is necessary. With 6 of swords.. I think some of you might travel / move to different country or city for work. or this might even mean cutting off toxic people in your life. Feeling bit sad but doing this a necessary. With 5 of wands I think it might be some times over bearing and hard but your dreams are worth it. Do not give up on them. A big message to follow your dreams here. Your ideas are not as stupid as you think.. They are worth giving a try 💗

This is all I have for you plie 1 . Thank you and see you again 🦄

Plie 2 🐦

Hello pile 2 welcome to your reading 🐈

Cards : two of swords ( reverse) , nine of swords, emperor , Ace of cup, one of wands, king of cups, the sun. Let's get into your reading 👀

Plie 2 may have been caught between two choices, or two things that they are not able to choose between, or a conflict that does not even involve them but still are stuck in it . Advice is sometimes it's better to walk out then to stay 🚶. Whatever it is this might have taken toll on you, brough out the deepest of your fears with nine of swords here . The emperor in reverse also talks about someone in leadership position misusing their power. If it's you be careful of misusing your power. Or it might be some else who is doing that. Ace of cups and ace of wands with this card I think that you need to focus on your self fill your cup before you fill others. You need to focus on your self at this time. Focus on opportunity coming your way. This will lead you to have more place to grow emotionally. By focusing on your self you would create new non toxic cycle in life.

This is all I have for you thank you and see you again 💗

Plie 3

Hello pile 3 welcome to your reading the 🐧

Cards : Tower, 5 of swords, two of pentacles, ace of wands, king of pentacles, 3 of cups, 6 of cups, lovers. Let's get into your reading 👀

Plie 3 may have suffered with some kind of betrayal and went through a tower moment . Where it felt like your foundation were crumbling. This may be romantic or friendship betrayal. Or some of you may have been betrayed by someone you held close to your heart. You may have been balancing a lot of things together at a time. But the message is to not take many things at a time rather to properly manage your time and find balance. New creative and financial opportunities may be coming be at look out for them. Through this you might be able to meet people with same frequency as you. Might be able to bulid friend ships that are mutuality benifical. You might have a realization that you actual forgot to enjoy the Lil things in life because your ambition took over, this is a very normal thing that happens to many of us, your feeling are valid 💗. With the lover card , I feel like for someone of you may even start something romantic...

That's all I have for you plie 3 . Thank you and see you again 💗

[wolvebonez]

i love kickstarters honestly. shoutout to indie games/indie projects

[tollsoftheclockwerkbelle]

ea finally DMCA'd the Sims 2 starter pack repo on github after deciding to sell a more broken version of the game back to players (doesn't matter if you bought it 20 years ago! buy it again! but broken and worse!) even though it was essentially freely distributed abandonware for over 10 years. Godspeed to all the modders who've kept the game alive and kicking on modern hardware (in their spare time for free!) and thank you for your service

[fogaminghub]

🌈 Infinity Nikki fans, unite! 🌟 Discover how to complete the Fearless Adventurers Falling Apart Quest with our detailed guide! From unlocking the quest in Breezy Meadow to capturing Balletflies, we've got you covered every step of the way! 🎮✨ Check it out now and claim your rewards! 🏆