If you aren't aware, Platform Explorer has it's own devlog. It's available on the tigsource website! You can get to the devlog by CLICKING HERE.
It was the first time that I've used a devlog and I have to say... so far, I really like it!
Strictly from a technical perspective it's nice to watch all of the previous videos that I made and what the game looked like when I first made it (which, I guess, still doesn't look much better).
I always tell myself that I aught to save old copies of the code of the game; you know, just to be on the safe side. The thing is that I don't have an external hard drive and work on a laptop (with a 60 GB hard drive). Obviously, I'm afraid of running out of space, so I have to constantly delete old copies of files. But, I'm always interested in watching old tech demos of video games and watching the changes that occur. It's amazing how tiny little tweaks can significantly change the flow of a game.
So, viewing some of the devlog posts reminds me of the little tweaks I've made and why I've made them. Which is kind of neat!
More importantly, I've found that it's a great way of keeping track of my progress and it's pushing me to finish faster. I always seem to reach a spot in my game design where I'm confused as to what task I should complete next. As I've mentioned in the blog, whenever I make a new devlog post, the direction is always a lot more clear. I can say that writing down the upcoming tasks to be completed is the perfect map that I need in order to continue a project.
Since I've had a couple of people interested in giving some really quick feedback in the devlog, I'm looking forward to having them play test the game and see what they think of the game. I'm not entirely certain that everyone who's mentioned any interest in the project is going to give some quick feedback, but it's nice to know that some people are interested.
The one down side to the devlog is just the simple act of writing it! It takes time thinking of what to write and how to say it. Plus, I'll usually attach a youtube video, and those tend to take a bit of time to make. Even though it's usually just gameplay footage with no additional text or explanation, it can take about an hour to make.
But, I enjoy it! Again, there's just something about having a record of all the work that I've done and where I'm going that I find interesting. It's definitely something that I want to explore with the rest of my stuff.
If any of you guys have any experience working with a devlog, I'd love to hear about it!
