THE APOCALYPSE IS MUSIC

This post is actually going to be about game design!

I started teaching myself how to code in 2016, but my various efforts dropped off when I moved to Colombia (since I was busy having an actual social life for the first time in two years!). However, I did enjoy it, so last month I determined to try and make the most of my current free time by getting back into it. I've signed up for a game jam (which are regular competitions/prompts to make a game) with the theme GHOSTS and am making decent headway with my entry for that. You can eyeball a short video of the "cursed Atari 2600 game" I'm working on here: INSTARGHGRAMZ

But something that is closely tied to making games is the same thing that's closely tied to writing, for me: listening to music. Ever since I read that James O'Barr used to listen to music to get him in the mood when creating THE CROW (particularly Joy Division, early Pitchshifter [aka Pitch Shifter] and a bunch of other bands I also like) I decided that I would do the same - this was wwaaaaayyyyy back in the mid-to-late nineties, but it's a practice I've kept up ever since. And quite often the music does influence or otherwise inspire whatever I write (I have quite a few published stories out there containing music-related easter eggs).

For some time now, I've been listening to less and less metal and metal-adjacent music (unless it's heavy/mental, like Converge) and more and more electronica - especially really dark, heavy Berlin-influenced stuff. At the moment, I'm utterly in love with this particular song:



Mainly because it, for me, perfectly captures the feeling of impending doom, closely followed by some form of actual apocalyptic terror as the beat fully kicks in. Suffice to say, I've been listening to it a lot lately, and I think it's helping shape my current game idea (you're a park ranger trapped in continuously-shifting woods as dark forces hunt you, with strong themes of inescapable fate and futility).

Music is, for me, one of the most powerful and immediate expressions of art a person can make, so I fully appreciate anyone that can distill any form of strong emotion and/or theme into five minutes, whether those minutes are clanking industrial beatz or some catchy pop song. And I mean real emotion, too, not the dimestore schmaltz of many acoustic singer/songwriters. Love is easy to write about (badly, I mean) - give me stories about how we're all doomed no matter what we do. Sure, this is bleak but I find that sort of thing far more interesting.

And on that note (music pun!) and to end, here's another recent song I can't get enough of:

LIFE IN THE BAMBOO

Yoooooooooo. As I'm sure many of you know, I'm currently living/working in Colombia, as an English teacher. I've talked a bit about my adventures on here before, but the other day decided I should really make a dedicated blog about it all, for those who're interested in doing the same thing or are just nosey haha

BEHOLD! --> LIFE IN THE BAMBOO

I have four months to catch up on, so at the moment the blog is in 'flashback' mode. Have an eyeball if you're curious!

In other, creative, news: Regular eyeballers of this blog will know I've been churning out remixes, but cast your mind back to the end of last year and you may recall I was also working on some computer games. There's a teacher's strike currently going on which has gifted me with some unexpected free time, and I intend to use that to start back on the latter activity. I've committed to a forthcoming game jam to give myself that impetus to actually do something, so keep 'em peeled, peeps!

I AM MAKING GAMES

Oi oi.

In my last post I revealed that I'm teaching myself how to code video games, with my main focus being a ninja platformer. I'm taking a slight break from that, though, as I'm entering LOWREZJAM 2016. It's a Game Jam, which happen all the time, and always feature interesting themes. This one is games that are only 64 by 64 pixels in size. My entry is almost done. This is what it's called:

It's a two player game that is both about dead burnt cowboys locked in a high noon gun battle and not about this at all. I'm currently adding daft little touches like being able to shoot the other player's hat off and an idea for a sort-of secret ending.

Ah yes. The ending. A good video game is like a good book - it should have a beginning, middle and end. It also shouldn't plateau early on - there needs to be development of some kind, such as extra abilities or story elements or what-have-you. CHARRED CORPSE GUNFIGHT is likely going to have around 7 endings, some of which it's feasible no one will ever actually reach haha. UNLESS they're crafty and patient. But I've already said too much...!

I've got a ton of other ideas on the go, too. I am focusing on the ninja game and this one, but because I enjoy programming but need to take a break from these games every so often, I work on other genres. I've got a couple of different real time strategy prototypes on the go, a mini giant monster simulator called TYRANT REX (after one of my toy/sculptures) as well as a tiny platform game called INSIDE AN ANGRY WIFE. Also something that might be an RTS or a tower defence game, I'm not sure yet. All I know is it's going to be one of those ambient/minimalist type affairs and use these weird cubes:

So that's it. I love learning new stuff and figuring out how things work, and coding scratches both these itches. I'm particularly enjoying working on CHARRED CORPSE GUNFIGHT because the remit is limited and forces creative thinking/design - I might well make a bunch of daft 'tiny' games, as they're quicker to work on than a full-scale one, then see about bunging 'em on an app store or something. We'll see.

Until next time, chums!