you need half of these tools anyway, I don't have time to cherry pick and build only some
#game-jam-chat
small fern
it's also recommended way to build by Epic
but this is not "full" build
you still have to do game version build yourself
gritty beacon
make sure you build the game target and not the UE4 one
then all disabled plugins do not get built
easily removes 1500 actions in 4.23
small fern
this is not really the point tho
I do engine build as benchmark and when I test gameworks branches (as I need to verify that the same setup works that most people use anyway)
what I personally care most about are the iterative build times but you can't really benchmark that
so doing the default development editor solution build is the easiest way to measure the engine build time
you can't even build the ue4 engine alone
you need tools like UBT and UHT
but yeah, if people just count the engine or editor build time as total, it would make sense how they got so much faster build times
for me, the editor build is like bare minimum if you actually want to use the whole engine
gritty beacon
well yeah, why would I include useless programs in the total 
my "build all" script consists of ShaderCompileWorker, UnrealLightmass, UnrealPak, ProjectEditor
btw ubt has a fancy mode where it builds multiple targets in parallel that is better than the building in a row that vs would do
it'll run uht for each selected target and then merge the action graphs into one, so you don't get downtime inbetween where it's waiting on one thread to finish
small fern
I don't really get that much downtime on the first half of the build
that stuff mainly happens on the second half or last third
but yeah, would be nice to get rid of it
gritty beacon
this is most useful when building packaged game, server, etc, that each have a single link action that takes absolutely forever
because it links all of them in parallel then
small fern
I think it used to be worse in past
gritty beacon
the linking got way faster with the new vs
wish they would make a similar speed improvement for the compile
pine fulcrum
@small fern if I put in the effort I can easily get 10-15 minute full builds, sub-10
But, yeah, it requires two external compile nodes in addition to my local node
so
small fern
so you also strip everything you don't need?
pine fulcrum
nah
I mean I don't build full solution, just the UE4 project and lightmass
but aside from that distributed compiling does all the rest
small fern
I don't even care about the project but the editor now 🙂
gritty beacon
using expensivebuild™ ?
pine fulcrum
er, I mean UE4 project as in the UE4 named project, the editor
small fern
I could actually try distributed builds again now as I could use my i5 along with the new rig
when I last tried, it was basically just a lot slower with my old secondary rig (vs just doing a build without distributed build)
but on the other hand, I don't really want to go through the pain of getting fastbuild to work with ue4 ever again :p
and incredibuild is $$$
I have 3rd "crapputer" here too but it's dual core i3, that's specifically what my previous fastbuild experiment totally failed with 😄 (I dunno if it would make sense to include if I would have two faster rigs still as the main overhead came from using fastbuild in the first place)
I'd love to have some modern farm of computers here tho :p
incredibuild would be like 1.5k/year for 3 computers 😄
gritty beacon
expensivebuild™*
small fern
I tried rebuild for only ue4 project on 4.22
Total execution time: 2156,34 seconds
so 36 minutes
that includes all the plugins and stuff
small fern
so, half of the development editor solution build is for the rest of the stuff
pine fulcrum
i mean its still expensive but it is much much less expensive now
its still too expensive tho
small fern
still... 1.5k is a lot
if it was like one time fee, I could consider it
and I actually did UE4 dev fulltime 😄
pine fulcrum
one thing to note
don't put intel i3 nodes on a network
if your dev machines are i7s
pine fulcrum
its okay to have slow nodes but if they're too slow compared to your local build machine / average node itll be even sloooower
aye
it creates a ton of network and disk churn
small fern
I'm not really going to keep this current cpu either, it's just temp chip while waiting for new Ryzen
but yeah, even that old i5 could become bottleneck on distributed builds
pine fulcrum
I have 96 cores from 2010 I wanna test my setup on
some day
bought a $300 discarded data center box that runs 8 cpus
if it gets even half the performance of a modern amd epyc chip, it might be feasible as long as you don't have to pay for power
small fern
those ancient cores don't usually do that good of a job with ue4 I've heard
pine fulcrum
yeah my distributed setup uses xeons from 2014 and 2016 though, and they do far better than what most people have
but at some point cpu tech is more important than cpu speed
maiden loom
we tried expensivebuild here on our current project and we only got something like a 3-4% loss of compilation time
wasn't worth it
minor hemlock
I see what you did there
gaunt copper
MegaJam kickoff stream been scheduled for Nov 7
desert coral
I hope you already planned at least a week off to be able to play all the submissions, this is going to be huge 🙂
tranquil matrix
@gaunt copper We had to move it to the 14th, and I just updated the twitch page before heading over here to let you all know. Apologize for any inconvenience, the announcement is coming soon!
gaunt copper
Thats better actully :>
more time to prepare
@desert coral My current client is quite time elastic so we can plan things out, so no worries
civic dock
Yeah that actually works out better for me, too.
I have dental work on Nov 11, so now I'll have a few days of recovery before the jam starts instead of interrupting right in the middle.
winged void
sooo. we have never competed in a game jam before. we wanted to try a few but never had time. whats epics game jam involve usually? is there prizes or?
glad wing
yeah, there’s usually prizes for the top couple of teams plus some side categories
last time around there was stuff like “best AR/VR game”, “best game under 100mb”, “best game made by one person”
gaunt copper
@winged void here page of last one https://itch.io/jam/2019-summer-ue4jam
next one is magajam which is bigger, it's 7 days insted of 5 and has bigger prizes
but it gonna be 5th year ennverciry of unreal jams there might be something diffrent
but general base should be the same
small fern
they should make megajam without prices 🔥
clear surge
H Y P E
pine fulcrum
@tranquil matrix the 14th? that is my birthday <_<
subtle plaza
Can someone shoot me the link to where people usually make jam groups? I would like to participate in this one
proper charm
https://crowdforge.io/jams , the new epic mega jam will appear there as soon it's announced afaik
@subtle plaza
chrome bay
Hey guys! Anyone looking for a multi-task artist for this game jam? I'm interested in participating in this one coming up. I'm mostly interested in working with Unreal, but I'm open to more.
I can do 2d, 3d, 3d animation in Blender and even use Unreal's BP system to script stuff.
Edit: My expertise on 2d is advanced, but I'm still a beginner in 3d. In case you need a 3d artist, you should only contact me if you're ok with that.
Hit me up with a message!
Cheers
gaunt copper
@chrome bay don't be shy to put up link to portfolio
chrome bay
Thought I couldn't do it in this tab haha. Alright, here's my portfolio: http://artstation.com/filipepinto
Thanks @gaunt copper !
gaunt copper
@chrome bay well you already advertising yourself so why not? :p
the art looks great btw
zenith gust
Some gorgeous concepts in there!
chrome bay
Thanks guys ☺️
civic dock
👀
New jam updates on itch.io. @pine fulcrum might appreciate this if he ever does another submissions playthrough stream.
small fern
last time he did playthrough, I just wrote a simple crawler to generate the list
but it was PITA to keep up to date if the list changed
that json thing would be golden
oblique cairn
@gaunt copper That json endpoint handy for you? to avoid having to type the name of each game (and perhaps autodownload)
gaunt copper
I need to enter the page anyway
Also there magic going thru those
my problem is that i need to paste it multiple time i got ideas for that :>
oblique cairn
@gaunt copper could perhaps have a script generate the spreadsheet, along with download links and gameplay instructions?
gaunt copper
for me go websites is part of expirience, only is fact i need to copy paste too much, and i try to fix at
oblique cairn
Fair enough - well, I'll try and decorate my page before your next stream then 😉
tranquil matrix
I haven't heard back from Crowdforge yet, but hopefully the page will be live soon
vapid thistle
First to join!
tranquil matrix
I'm super excited to announce the prizes, should be real soon now
Feel free to use the forum to form teams for now: https://forums.unrealengine.com/unreal-engine/events/1679062
vapid thistle
Are you guys waiting for a live stream to announce or are you still ironing out the details?
tranquil matrix
Prizes will be announced before the kickoff stream -The stream on the 14th is dedicated to the jam
(so no other topic than the jam on the 14th)
small fern
modifier price "for the best game incorporating "Space Cats""
now people start building space cat assets weeks in advance? 🤔
civic dock
Woo! Glad to see the jam officially announced.
Really digging that header graphic, too.
clear surge
Space Cats heck yeah
vapid thistle
Should make for some very interesting games
maiden loom
ah grand, I misread something 👍
small fern
@tranquil matrix "FRIENDS AND FOES - for the best multiplayer game", I assume local multiplayer counts as it's not specified to me online only
tranquil matrix
Correct, any multiplayer game counts
civic dock
I'm so pumped for this jam. Not only am I participating, but we're also hosting kickoff and showcase events for the jam at the Portland meetup. Should be a blast!
vocal carbon
I'm afraid that i wont even finish anything, but i think this will be the first game jam which i'll join :D
small fern
I'll do that too 😄
I almost never finish but it's still fun
maybe this time though (tm)
vocal carbon
I'm even thinking about going full tryhard with taking holidays for that week 😄
gaunt copper
there was other jam where people did space cats just because to submit entry also to other jam with that if im not mistaken
robust basalt
space cats, huh?
compact cedar
@tranquil matrix the preview in the Discord says from 2019-11-14 to 2019-12-12
edgy fulcrum
Aaaah, stoked for the Jam!:D:D Been looking forward to it
tranquil matrix
@compact cedar That's how Itch decides to display it because the judging period is over on the 12th (and everyone are allowed to update etc). The submission period ends on the 21st.
wet rivet
Props to anyone going for the best multiplayer game special category, doing networking in a 7 day time crunch sounds very painful
civic dock
I can't even imagine. I'll be happily sticking to single player.
azure flicker
@wet rivet I am pretty sure they mean local multiplayer... or at the very least local multiplayer is also allowed for the category
like every single other time they had that category in previous jams lol
wet rivet
That too, I know in the past there have been people who have pulled off networking as well though
Also I think one of the finalists in one of the jams was a 4 player party game, I don't quite remember what it was however
Actually now I kind of want to do a local multiplayer game, that seems like a fun new challenge
azure flicker
@wet rivet oh yeah, the Epic Jam last year had a networked game as a finalist, those guys were from my same university actually
it's actually a funny story, my team had won best VR game for that jam, and we were excited to go to university wearing the Epic Jam tshirt to show off we won, but then the day before we were planning to their team showed up wearing theirs lmao
wet rivet
That's awesome! It'd be so cool to run into people wearing the UE4 Jam shirts
I might see if I can find some people from my university to join me in this jam, does your university have game-specific majors?
small fern
local multiplayer is still very much doable in jam timeframe
being able to do fun local play is another thing...
azure flicker
@wet rivet we have a game-specific bachelor degree of science, with curriculum tracks for game design, programming, and visual art.
And, we are ranked #4 worldwide in game development education.
wet rivet
Right on that's awesome
I'm in my 1st year at Champlain Colleges' game program, they offer design, programming, art and production
maiden loom
I've done network multiplayer for jam games a few times, it's not so bad
solid abyss
This time I'm going to finish a proper game .. woohoo!
tranquil matrix
Almost all of the prizes are now live on the itch.io page: https://itch.io/jam/2019-epic-megajam
civic dock
@tranquil matrix Wow, those prizes... you weren't kidding!
pine fulcrum
hey that gdc pass tho
that flight though
damn if I wasn't in california I'd be super keen
wet rivet
Holy crap the prizes for this jam
It’s for all members
‘’’
The 2019 Epic MegaJam will feature 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finalists. Each team member will receive the prize awards.
solid abyss
to be honest.. I was pumped up as it is .. but now .. I'm through the roof 😄
pine fulcrum
it is interesting that the lenovo monitor isn't included in 1st place
wet rivet
I wasn’t sure if I was going to have time but I’m going to make time now haha
pine fulcrum
im a big fan of highly creative low effort entries, they usually give me the most entertainment
wet rivet
@rigid fog I saw your game got approved for Xbox, congrats!
rigid fog
Thanks 🙂
That was originally a #ue4jam entry (honorable mention). The team is hard at work.
solid abyss
I hope they make sure.. that no one can update their game after the deadline
wet rivet
Yeah was it into the spring jam? That’s so great that development kept up on it
rigid fog
Yeah, the past Spring Jam, "Other Side of the Coin"
wet rivet
I think I’ve got 7 of these jams now but I haven’t continued development on any of the projects
rigid fog
Yeah, I don't know how many gamejams I have under my belt, a few of them were good contenders to go full production but timing was always off.
wet rivet
The most recent game I did with having a dog in VR I liked a lot but college started the day after I finished it so I set it aside
tranquil matrix
@civic dock :D
somber hazel
"gamejams should be fun"
with that prize list I'm not gonna sleep the whole week 😅
civic dock
But more sleep will increase your chances of success. 🙂
somber hazel
need to find dat sweet spot of enough sleep
anyway, we need crowdforge to allow us teambuilding
rigid fog
@somber hazel 😉
That's one of the things about gamejams, especially MegaJam, finding team members that will go all-in with you if you're really trying to win it. It's basically working 80+-hours in that week.
proper charm
@azure flicker what uni do you go to?
edgy fulcrum
@rigid fog - what game did you do at the SpringJam?
tranquil matrix
Crowdforge page is live: https://crowdforge.io/jams/ue4jam
rigid fog
Can't pass this one up...
3-time #ue4jam winner (+ 1-time runnerup) ( portfolio: https://victorburgosgames.com ) looking for team members to win this thing. https://crowdforge.io/jams/ue4jam/teams/4894
Looking for artists primarily, another programmer on the side would help. You should be committed to basically working everyday of the MegaJam. Communication will be very important, so you should have a mic.
@edgy fulcrum We did this one: https://victorburgos.itch.io/neko-ghost-jump-game-jam
But now it's a bit different and is always getting better: https://nekoghostjump.com
wet rivet
Seeing the support of the unreal jams along with more infinity blade assets being release makes me so happy to be using Unreal
lime crane
"GDC Expo Pass + Flight + Accomodations + $100 per diem" thats even better than that falcon pc. damn
vapid thistle
The falcon pc looks pretty good...
lime crane
dude, I would be fine with a t-shirt. lol
lime crane
I kinda want to join a team, but I dont get this github thing.
wet rivet
It’s something you’ve got to learn eventually, basically it allows multiple people to work on the same project at the same time. Some people find it easier to use a GUI i.e github desktop https://wiki.unrealengine.com/GitHub_Desktop_to_manage_your_project
lime crane
thanks but I used it once in a team, I still dont get how to use it properly. at the end of the jam, I could not commit anything anymore. that was so annoying.
wet rivet
I think one of the coolest part about the GDC part of that is that you'd get to actually meet your team in person
It always feels a little sad putting so much work into a game jam project with a group of people and not being able to celebrate in person together
azure flicker
@proper charm Breda University of Applied Sciences
idle summit
Didn't realize the prizes were per person lol
west wing
Wow, a week is a lot! I'll turn into a vegetable for 2 weeks after.
hard topaz
hey @tranquil matrix do you know roughly when the film jam winners will be announced?
oblique cairn
hmmm, multiplayer special cat... and space cat special cat 😄
carmine kindle
Someone's got to try to hit all the special categories with a single game
Not sure XR fits into the tiny ones though
wet rivet
I think it does if you don’t use the oculus plugin
glass fossil
Hello, looking a team for the Game Off 2019 game jam. I can do bp programming!
glass fossil
just found out about megajam 2019, and its EPIC
also the art is epic
who needs to go to college when you can participate in a gamejam
about the Friends and Foes category, can it be a one keyboard 2 players kind of thing and if not can it use IP to connect, because they still didn't give us the EOS session based multiplayer
maiden loom
it just means multiplayer, it doesn't mean any specific kind of multiplayer
gaunt copper
I will need a lot of help in streaming to play those, it might actually make stream more engageing :p Aslo if you can please use Steam Online Subsystem with test ID 480, it will make your entry more playable and i will be able to play it on stream properly
Use "advance session" if you blueprint only, makes it easier
glass fossil
wait test ID works when packaged?
maiden loom
yeah, should do
tall crane
@rigid fog hi I join your team in crowd forge I'm 3d artist
@rigid fog i see now you kicked me why ?
final yarrow
Starts just as I go on holiday wahhhhhh
placid lantern
Do people normally join more than one team for game jams?
carmine kindle
You can only join one
placid lantern
ok. I was only asking because this dude started a team and joind every single one up on the crowdforge lul
solid abyss
crowdforge team doesn't matter.. it is only for connecting to each other
the final 5 names that matter are the ones added with the game submission on itch.io page of the jam
placid lantern
Ah, I see. Thanks @solid abyss
pine slate
Ohh, I was wondering about that. So there's no "interview" process on cloudforge? This is my first game jam, and I'd like to talk to the team lead/other members of a team to see if I will be a good fit before we commit. Does cloudforge not handle that?
placid lantern
@pine slate send me a dm
rigid fog
I had 8 people in my team for a good while until I started to shed
solid abyss
@pine slate ... it depends on the team
rigid fog
Just need one awesome artist to complete the team 😉
pine fulcrum
my research into an mmorpg jam is proving to be unwieldly and very likely too expensive; which is why you don't jam mmorpgs
or make them in general
clear surge
yeah
pine slate
@rigid fog Ah, so cloudforge lets you take all the applications and sift them at a later date? That's good to know.
rigid fog
@pine fulcrum Aye, SpatialOS...lol
clear surge
can't get spatialos to work it?
pine fulcrum
i got some stuff working but
clear surge
$$$?
rigid fog
It costs money
rigid fog
Yeah
pine fulcrum
so uh
clear surge
ouch
clear surge
kinda 'spensive for a jam
pine fulcrum
yeah I'd use a free one + more and uhhh, as much as I love the idea of jamming an mmorpg I don't wanna spend $800
rigid fog
But I don't think that would constitute as "dev" if you release for jam
pine fulcrum
aye
rigid fog
Yeah, always hated their prices man
pine fulcrum
and even if they were to grant me free instances for the sake of the jam, it'd feel wrong to pursue it knowing its financially terrible
rigid fog
@pine slate Sift them?
I just kick anyone I don't want, out. After letting them know why.
pine fulcrum
however the pricing model works great for non-mmorpg instances; like 50 player matches and stuff its actually pretty good imo
clear surge
I was looking at spatialOS a bit ago, seems good for like 4-player open world-ish
pine fulcrum
i think spatialos's ideal usecase is high player counts but in non-mmorpg contexts
so anything that you can spin up and down with high player counts
clear surge
hmm
rigid fog
If you use SpatialOS, and don't actually have solid in-game monetization plan (or subs)
pine fulcrum
you'll burn money spinning up 4 player instances
rigid fog
You're dead from the jump
pine fulcrum
now if you went into it to abuse it in which how I was gonna do
in that I'd create fake mini instances per instance
basically clone a dungeon instance 8 times and run them all on one server
rigid fog
I mean, even that 1000-BR game
Died
And they were even backed by SpatialOS themselves
pine fulcrum
yeah but you could attribute part of its death to lack of interest
rigid fog
Maybe
pine fulcrum
but who knows their minimum required break even concurrent count
pine fulcrum
i'd say its worth doing in a jam if you fit their use case
but an mmorpg is not their use case
at least not currently
well, at least with unreal backed workers
if you coded non-unreal workers, you could drive price down
rigid fog
Yeah, I mean, plenty of people just reskin their Shootergame example
pine fulcrum
but then you're doing custom server engineering and well
if you're doing that,
uhhh
rigid fog
I guess, that would be a viable option
pine fulcrum
if I was given a month of pay and free reign I'd totally go deep into it but
eh
also its very appealing if you have a multiplayer working product that you want to migrate to sharding and instancing
porting seems to be pretty easy, which is great for fast spin up but
these are all things you can do if you're funded
pine slate
So... what does Cloudforge do as part of the UE4 game jam? Do they offer any services for the jam itself, or are they just a way for people to connect before the jam starts? I see that they are also running other jams right now.
somber hazel
crowdforge gives you a list of people who want to participate in the jam
aaand that's basically it ^^
pine slate
@somber hazel Ahh, so that's why you have that super-sharp portfolio linked in your team's description! I really liked those recursive trees, by the way. Had a real Frank Lloyd Wright feeling to 'em.
somber hazel
I mean, I already uploaded a video of myself for allar once, but still, don't want everybody know my identity 😘
(and I'm too handsome for this world to show)
pine slate
It would be nice if there was a "suggestions" thing on CloudForge. For instance, "I've worked with Blueprint and Materials Editor, looking for a team that is strong in 3D modeling and audio design". Then bam, connections made.
Of course, then you fall back on the problem of humans rating their own skills. Surprising how many times I meet someone who thinks he's sharper on the keyboard than J. Carmack...
clear surge
ninjin you still rolling solo?
fierce tundra
Are assets purchased on the Marketplace kosher on the jam?
somber hazel
dunno, I made a crowdforge page, let's see what happens
random radish
glass fossil
Does anybody know what the cheapest servers are? i was going to use spatial but i had no idea it was that expensive
pine fulcrum
cheapest over time will always be your own bare metal
cheapest asap in terms of both money and human cost is aws
you can go cheaper than aws if you sacrifice some aws features, i personally use digital ocean but things like vultr and stuff have come up to compete
however lately I've been moving to bare metal because im stupid
fierce tundra
My team is looking for an additional developer for the Mega Jam. We have design, music, art, and yours truly a developer, so you're not expected to do the lion's share of the work. If you're interested in joining please DM me.
lime crane
does someone know how much repo space assembla offers for the jam?
solid abyss
Though I'm not sure.. but I don't think it is a significant amount
or I would have heard people praising Assemblia by now
placid lantern
Is the soundly promo code not working for anyone else?
broken stone
I have question about the jam prizes: is this GDC pass and PC for each team member or if I will join jam with other people we have to choose who will get this prize
placid lantern
it says each
grave adder
Hi All! 👋🏻
I'm Jenny, game audio composer
Looking for a 3D Artist and Designer for the Epic MegaJam 2019.
🎵 You can listen to my music on: http://jennyshenmusic.com/
📲 DM if interested or join the group: https://crowdforge.io/jams/ue4jam/teams/4906 (please, prepare a portfolio)
solid abyss
@tranquil matrix .. I signed up that Quixel google form. But I didn't receive any email (checked spam folder as well) .. after doing so. Is this normal ?
tender crest
I would like to thank Epic Games for making the best computer game creation jams ever. Unreal Engine jams are the best in history, most rewarding, motivating and generous. No other engine creation company does such level of jams and I am really happy that I chose to develop games with Unreal.
I really appreciate what Epic Games do for us, and I am very grateful.
I have a small suggestion for the jam.
I think that more winning places should be introduced. 4th place and 5th, to start with, perfectly up to 10th. This way more great projects would be awarded, more people engaged, and less will be left out. Prizes worth can be lowered as feeling of engagement, victory and feedback for more people is more important than the prize itself. The UE4 jams participant count almost doubles every year so this is also a valid point, as chances for feedback or victory get reduced each year. If a prize could be very small it would be still a prize, for 10th place like 1 small asset pack. It would mean a lot to the winner and more people would be left happy after the jam, while it would be not difficult to introduce 10th place.
Best regards
minor hemlock
@tranquil matrix can you clarify the age limit of 16 (looking at 2018 megajam rules), is it for being on an entering team or just for entering to win prizes? Specifically, if we had someone under 16 on the team would the rest of the team still be eligible for the prizes?
feral wind
woo going to get hyped for the mega jam! 😄
broken stone
I'm curious what the new theme will be
minor hemlock
I think we can safely say it's not space cats
broken stone
oh, what does it even mean to have special category like that, your game just need to have space cats? lol
minor hemlock
it's like an extra theme category 😛
gaunt copper
Good example would be our Cats Love Tanks from Winter 2019 (but imagine it being in space) Where theme was not cats but it featured cats so it would fit to category (if it also would be related to space) :p
carmine kindle
@placid lantern The soundly promo code seems to work for me, but it says it expires in 9 days, so might not be the best time to use it now.
placid lantern
@carmine kindle Thanks
tranquil matrix
@solid abyss afaik it's a manual process, so I wouldn't expect access until after the weekend
@minor hemlock I would like for everyone to be able to participate, but there are legal ramifications around competitions that we have to follow, and most of them are related to awarding prizes. I will do my due diligence and try to figure out if there's a way.
maiden loom
usually it would be fine for the legal limits to apply to awarding prizes, but not to competition entry
quick heart
hey guys i'm curious do i need to send them my project i made or they will give some idea and 2 weeks to create from scratch ?
minor hemlock
yeah but skimming the rules -- if they're taking certain rights of the project for purposes of marketing it could be pretty sketchy/complex to let someone under $age_limit assign rights
maiden loom
@quick heart - the theme is announced on the first day, you then have until the time runs out to make a game that matches the theme
minor hemlock
hehe some teams have submitted completed projects on the very first day of the jam, but uh... that's totally not the spirit of a game jam 🙂
quick heart
@maiden loom thank you got it 🙂
maiden loom
you are not supposed to start working on anything until the theme is announced
(the whole point of a game jam)
minor hemlock
I was thinking of doing some basic menuing stuff before the jam started 🤔
and declaring it as a premade bit obviously
maiden loom
yeah, some people do that
minor hemlock
because menus 💤
maiden loom
there was a template for it at some point, wonder what happened to that
quick heart
so what the idea of such jams? how do they judge it?
maiden loom
the judging criteria are a secret
minor hemlock
somewhat secret
maiden loom
but just make the best game you can make in the one week you have
minor hemlock
We judge submissions for their visual aesthetic, unique use of the theme, and gameplay on a 1-5 point scale.
quick heart
XD "make game in a week" sounds funny 🙂
maiden loom
(don't expect to win anything, there will be hundreds of entries, do it for fun)
minor hemlock
yes the last megajam had 200 entries
quick heart
i see
maiden loom
normally a game jam is a weekend
quick heart
i will try to participate thank you guys 🙂
maiden loom
the idea is that the small amount of time forces you to do something small and be creative
you get some weird / wonderful stuff sometimes 😄
quick heart
i see i have an idea and actually will wait until announce 🙂
minor hemlock
if you're keen on winning stick with areas you know rather than trying to learn a new part of unreal, HOWEVER it's also a great opportunity to learn new bits of unreal 🤣
quick heart
will apply today tho
minor hemlock
may the theme be in your ideas favor
maiden loom
better to work out what your idea is after the theme is announced
quick heart
do i need to apply before or after?
maiden loom
every time I've done it, we usually do no dev on the first day (Euro time zone, so it's evening for us), and just brainstorm loads of ideas around the theme
maiden loom
you can apply at any time until the time is up
minor hemlock
no dev first day is a great plan 👍 that's what I've done too
quick heart
so they won't allow to apply now because i should send them a game for jam and i still have no idea about theme
got it
cerulean wren
https://xixgames.itch.io/spooky i did that for the last bitgem gamejam
minor hemlock
UMG HUD Framework - A great starter UMG setup with a Main Menu, Loading, Pause and Game Over widgets. This system uses Blueprint Interfaces, allowing it to be used in any game and easily accessed and integrated into existing projects.
🤤
rocky shard
any team looking for a 3D artist for game jam?
proper charm
@rocky shard yep here. You can DM me so we can discuss stuff
vernal stratus
Lfg for epic mega jam, looking to win so serious groups only. I mostly audio but do blueprints and c++, i also currently work at Void Interactive(employed full time dev).
steep needle
jeez, megajams sure grew up a lot in recent years
just remembered how putting Alar inside game made a win in first megajam 
minor hemlock
^ @vernal stratus is great to work with, can recommend
obsidian rain
I'm looking for game jam partners! I am in California, USA . I have 10+ years of AAA games experience and have worn most hats of the dev team. I want to have fun! But I'm also very competitive 🙂
wet rivet
Ah man sword and shield releases during the jam I forgot about that
minor hemlock
Hehe. I'm going to have to wait until after the jam to pick up RDR2
broken stone
I'm trying to finish witcher 3 ASAP because I know I won't have time for it during jam 😂
steep needle
im still debating myself about this megajam, how quickly do teams usually finalize lists?
minor hemlock
Depends. Some are still open until day of :)
steep needle
i imagine some teams that really want to win will finalize pretty quick to get time for preparations
minor hemlock
And that's not necessarily because they're a bad team, they just may not have realized they were interested until late
Yes, that's true too. I'm hoping to get the team I'm on prepped and ready for a dry run of source control next week
somber hazel
If you join another team on Crowdforge, can you actually read the previous chat? 🤔
minor hemlock
I've always assumed so
somber hazel
f'ed up
considering everyone could join, this means everything you write in there is public, like "here is my skype" boom
minor hemlock
Ooh yeah shuffle things off to discord quicklike
rigid fog
Good artists are so hard to come by 😉
steep needle
which ones, 2d or 3d?
minor hemlock
yes
still osprey
If you are willing to put a lot of effort into this game jam, have some experience send me DM, prepare something that show your level of skills.
glass fossil
So can nayone tell me why teh jam preivew link says from 11-14 to 12-12 but on the acutal page it says from 14th novemeber to 12st november? Is it one week or 4 weeks?
A game jam from 2019-11-14 to 2019-12-12 hosted by unrealengine*
carmine kindle
It's one week
You should treat this box as the correct times
Your times may vary there because it auto calculates time zones.
civic dock
@glass fossil It's an issue with itch's embed previews. 12-12 is when the judging period ends, and for some reason, the embed preview displays [submission start time] to [judging end time].
Ignore the preview and go by the time on the jam page. 🙂
glass fossil
Ok thanks,, confused me at first
oblique cairn
@tranquil matrix When can we get assemblia perforce repos? Some of my team has never touched perforce and it'd be great to try it out with them now so we are ready for the jam.
If unknown or will be a while we will probably setup with another perforce provider or use git
tranquil matrix
@oblique cairn Make sure you fill out the form and we'll be handing out spaces periodically as the sign ups come in 🙂
oblique cairn
@tranquil matrix Any chance of an EST? I mean, will it be today, or in 7 days from now?
tranquil matrix
I'll talk to Assembla tomorrow and it doesn't take long so the initial ones will be soon (start of the week)
I'm travelling for Unreal Dev Days in New York which makes my correspondence a bit infrequent
Once I have access, I can spin them up as soon as they come in 🙂
oblique cairn
@tranquil matrix OK! Will sign up now, looking forwards to it - hope I can convince team to give perforce a go
minor hemlock
File locking is God tier
quick heart
looking for a partners 🙂 about 9 years of gamedev . Unity3d and UE4. was codding, been an artist, know about modelling, animating and much more :0
i'm curious is it possible to win alone vs teams?
is there anyone who did it 🙂
carmine kindle
Yup, I won the last one working alone. So it's totally possible.
minor hemlock
There's also the solo special category
quick heart
@carmine kindle did you get first place?
carmine kindle
Well you get three finalist teams without a ranking usually.
This next one is a bit special, because it has a first second and third
quick heart
oh so difficult 🤔
thx for explaining
so they usually do not care if you are a team/alone.
minor hemlock
All about the final product
carmine kindle
What matters is what you make, like it should be. Except for that one special solo category.
minor hemlock
But it is inherently more challenging to appropriately scope something for one person
quick heart
yep, I see, it's hard to judge if you think about teams/alone categories , so they should check the final product
minor hemlock
@carmine kindle do you have a link to your entry?
carmine kindle
carmine kindle
I was on a bit of a oldschool RPG binge before the jam, so I was really tempted to try to make something like that.
quick heart
I hope I could do something enjoyable
rocky moat
hey guys join me in making a nice game in this epic megajam https://crowdforge.io/jams/ue4jam/teams/4931
maiden loom
Judging does take into account team size as far as I'm aware
maiden loom
aight, think I'm gonna be jammin'
glass fossil
C++ Programmer with 6 years experience looking to join a team for the jam! Please DM me if you're interested
quick heart
do they care if game is fully on pluses or use blueprints also
maiden loom
whatever works
oblique cairn
@maiden loom itch page makes no mention of taking team size into account?
maiden loom
it doesn't say a lot of things tbh
oblique cairn
fair enough 😄
Oh, we could do with sharing emails, for the game submission and perforce accounts
mine is chozabu@gmail.com
glass fossil
I swear it said a maximum of 5 on the itch page
oblique cairn
ach, ended up setting up my own perforce server - team wanted to get to grips with perforce
will perhaps use this little setup for a pre-jam trial, but then use assembla for a clean slate when the jam starts
rigid fog
@maiden loom no need to impose/enforce it
It's good they don't. You get a whole bunch of people joining that you might not want on your team
I mean, you CAN just do invite-only though
proper charm
Looking for a competitive 3D artist in Europe for the upcoming jam. We are already 2 programmers and 2 artists :) just DM me if you're interested
rigid fog
stop being so greedy with artists 😉
proper charm
never! Imma eat them all 👺
steep needle
crowdforge sorts teams by butting newest on top?
still osprey
yeah
minor hemlock
we have 2 composers, might have nabbed up several teams worth there 🤔
stable kiln
taking out the comp- petition 😛
rigid fog
@minor hemlock you need more composers man
4 composers one programmer
Make a rhythm game or something
minor hemlock
2 composers, 1 3d artist, 1 coder, 1 designer #dreamteam
if music isn't a main mechanic though I think we may have failed 😛
broken stone
It is unlikely but possible that they'll announce music theme or just audio-based
slate salmon
does the number of team members have any influence over the scoring in these jams?
minor hemlock
only for the One Man Army category 😉
slate salmon
awesome, 😄
glass fossil
Artist/Coder and Coder/Coder (2 people) with decent experience looking to join a team with matching or surpassing experience. Please DM me if you're looking!
pine slate
Hey folks. This writeup by a Game Jammer from 2018's UE4 Spring Jam helped me a lot by explaining how important good source control and project management can be even for a small project. Hopefully someone else enjoys it too, especially since the 14th is getting closer all the time!
https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DivijSood/20180906/325733/A_Game_Jam_Postmortem__Tips_for_Unreal_Engine_4_Beginners.php
minor hemlock
I think the common misconception is that jam games are small projects
Nay, they are fast projects
pine slate
@minor hemlock Bingo. It's the Iron Triangle, "Good, Cheap, or Fast. Pick two."
I think scale is a big deal too. I wish more teams on CloudForge would put what scale of a project they're looking to do on their descriptions.
minor hemlock
That's a good write-up 👍 I also like to throw Google docs in the mix for documenting decisions
pine slate
Right, it's important to have your core design documents easily accessible. I've also seen GoogleDocs used as "public whiteboards" for brainstorming, but that can get kinda messy and is usually better done in a private Discord.
minor hemlock
Our discord already has about a dozen well used channels 😂
pine slate
Haha, yeah, there's also the problem of "Wait, did anybody write down that good idea yesterday? Oh yeah, and we wrote down all the bad ones too..."
minor hemlock
Pin important messages! (Oh you already hit the limit of 50, dang)
pine slate
Speaking of important messages, how critical do y'all think Perforce knowledge is for Game Jam? I see that Assembla is offering something for the teams, which is nice, but I've only used Git before.
minor hemlock
Being able to lock files is so useful
Since you're practically not going to be able to merge anything
pine slate
Right, UE4 blueprints and binaries don't like to be Git-merged.
pine slate
Ahh, it's always the logistics that get in the way, hehe. But, how else are people around the world supposed to work on the same project with effective version control?
wet rivet
The trick to version control is to upload the project through discord
The only issue with that is you have to split up your files into 8mb zip files then reconstruct thenm
minor hemlock
Lol non nitro user
Also for the purposes of jams it's cheap to subscribe to things for a month
I got nitro for massive gif uploads and to boost our jam server for the upgraded call bitrate
wet rivet
I generally get nitro during the jam so I can share clips of the project yeah
minor hemlock
4k curse. About half of my screenshots can't compress to be under 8mb
pine slate
Why not just use the Dropbox or other cloud storage account you already have, and link the screenshot/clip?
Same thing with game files. If you aren't going to set up a proper version control, why not just use Dropbox/other cloud service?
minor hemlock
Simplicity
pine slate
Looking for some advice. It appears CloudForge adds every GameJam team you've been in to your public history, even if you just dropped into that team because it was the only way to talk to the people there and find out if you're at their level.
Is it considered "bad form" to join more than one CloudForge Game Jam group at a time, talk to the people in those groups, see which one is the best fit, then politely leave the others?
minor hemlock
No
gritty beacon
translation: use perforce
maiden loom
tried Git for a game jam a couple of years back
never again - lost so much time trying to resolve random shit that wouldn't have been an issue with P4
gritty beacon
not to mention you get free p4 from assembla during these so there's literally no reason to use git
maiden loom
well, Assembla's repo is pretty small
last time I looked into it it was limited to 1GB
gritty beacon
oh that's 
maiden loom
I just threw up a Crowdforge team, so let's see who wants to jam
proper charm
we had good experiences with git so far, didn't use LFS either. You just need people to know about UE4 references and that's kinda it
never used perforce though; the file locking sounds neat. Is it as simple as "Opening file, working on it, pushing changes" and others pulling them (git terminology but you get the idea) afterwards while the project is live, essentially setting up a multi user environment?
maiden loom
yes
it integrates into UE4 really well, so people can so who has which file and when
it's so much easier to deal with than git it's not funny 😄
proper charm
wow okay that does sound much nicer 🤔 I think we'll try it out then for the jam. I just hope that setting it up won't take much work
maiden loom
that I can't promise, I recall it being annoying / obtuse, but once it's working it's grand
minor hemlock
But everyone needs to understand the concept
Last time I used perforce for a jam one team member had the level locked for so long I'm pretty sure we made a second map as the main level lol
maiden loom
lol
streaming levels are good for that purpose
but yes, people do need to be aware that locking a file means nobody else can edit it
but the same is true of using Git with binaries anyway
small fern
well, you can't even lock files with vanilla git
but you're still in trouble if two people edited the same file 😄
wet rivet
I’ve used git for all my jams and haven’t run into too many issues
I’ve had merge conflicts and team members work on the same file at the same time but it hasn’t been too awful. Main thing was having everyone on the project understand how to use it and what to do when they run into errors
We also communicated when we were working on specific files since we couldn’t lock anything
steep needle
hey, I'm still debating about participating in megajam, but in meantime I'm asking around if there are veteran teams wanting to win in relaxed manner and work with 2D artist (I do 3D stuff, but sorry, I want to work on 2D side as I believe it's where I have most fun/impact :D). I wrote a doc to explain more about me http://tiny.cc/j9lrfz, includes experience/portfolio and other notes. PM me if you want to clarify anything 🙂
minor hemlock
any mad men planning on doing post jam game streams?
solid abyss
Our team is looking to fill the last spot .. a character artist (3D) or/and character rigger/character animator.
If you want to challenge yourself, and are looking for a good team to participate with in the JAM .. then come join us! 🙂
pine slate
@minor hemlock Work now, party hard on video later?
gritty beacon
note that while perforce integrates well with the editor, syncing changes without restarting does not work
so it's not entirely like a multi user environment
autumn abyss
Hey guys we are two very talented coders, we are looking a 3d artist/ animator / composer
hearty ferry
@gritty beacon have you submitted this as a bug? I've never experienced this
gritty beacon
nope
but literally every time I tried to use it on anything it spent about 50x the time it takes to restart the editor on processing things and then either crashes or caused 100s of blueprint errors
midnight ruin
Hey friends! I'm running a game jam from now to the end of the year. I am hoping to encourage people to work on projects during free time over the holidays, and help developers connect and mingle during the winter season while meeting personal goals in time for Christmas/New Year's.
It is very low pressure and we will retweeting participants who post progress. It is based on the #devtober, #inktober, and #100daysofGameDev challenges, but with more emphasis on bringing folks together.
wet rivet
We’re looking for a game designer or programmer to join our team of 2 artists a programmer and a composer. Combined we’ve got a lot of experience doing game jams and we’re looking for another member to join our team
minor hemlock
anyone remember if it's ok to ship without prereq installer for the 100mb category?
Found Victor in this channel saying it's ok for judging purposes 👍 thanks for the past clarification @tranquil matrix
zenith gust
Yeah that's the answer we've gotten in the past
small fern
it's fine and quite mandatory to strip out
(if you want to fit any content under 100mb)
you can always put a link to VS redist on the game download page etc
that's basically what the prereq has if I remember right
maiden loom
or package twice, once with, once without
as an aside, I'm still looking to join artists for jamming, not had much luck on that front yet
tall crane
@autumn abyss check you team page in crowd forge please
pine slate
vocal carbon
If i understand it correctly only 1 member of the team has to join and submit everything at the end
But don't trust me 100% on that one, could be wrong
pine slate
Would be great to hear from someone who's submitted successfully in the past, just to be sure. I don't think I'm the only one wondering!
trail trellis
Yep that's correct. You can join anytime up until the end of the jam too (although doing it in advance is recommended).
You upload your game to itch.io first and make sure it's public (not draft). Then when you go to the jam page there's an option to submit it (once the jam is live) which is where you would also submit your team details necessary for prize attribution etc. Only one member needs to do this on behalf of all others.
Have done multiple jams and this totally works. 🙂
pine fulcrum
upload early and often
for the love of god don't do your first upload an hour before the deadline
gritty beacon
yeah. your first and only upload should be exactly 5 minutes before the deadline
amber latch
@pine slate Only one person needs to submit but if your other team members have an itch account you can invite them as team members on itch (on the game page) and they will get all the rights to view the statistics / edit that itch game page.
solid abyss
it is probably better to have a team member on standby .. incase of any last minute problems ..
even though my game in last jam .. had a critical bug .. which made it unplayable/unjudgeable
whatever we had prepared was to be uploaded .. and I lost my internet connection for some reason for a few hours before and upto the deadline
thankfully my partner and I had prepared for this eventuality and he uploaded it in my stead
maiden loom
this is why version control is a good thing to have 😄
steep needle
now who can beat it with 1 second before?
minor hemlock
There are plenty that have to submit after through other channels 🤣
steep needle
on serious note, epic still gathers personal datas for submission? Wish it was done after optional win
somber hazel
I think that's USA laws that require personal data before the event starts or something
small fern
we still remember what happened in past
people had their personal data leaked once the unreal forums (where the private messages existed) got hacked
so, the concern here is real
it's not some imaginary threat
somber hazel
so? if it's required because of law, there is no way around it
and this info is probably deleted after the jam
small fern
do they still require you to submit it through forums?
I mean that was the main issue in past
and those forum messages weren't deleted automatically after the jam
minor hemlock
It's all via itch now
somber hazel
now all your team members know your personal data, which is even worse
but nobody is forcing you to win prizes, so...
minor hemlock
The extent of personal data is just name, email, country isn't it?
somber hazel
your T-Shirt size 😮
minor hemlock
Stoked for today's unreal stream
Hope I pick up some useful workflow tips for the jam
small fern
when I last submitted, they wanted home address also
but that's a long time ago
it felt quite pointless to ask beforehand
gritty beacon
the last one asked for full name, email and country
so nothing out of the ordinary
quaint ravine
well, this is my first post.
if anyone needs level designer, let me know.
hoary bobcat
Hello everyone :D , just wondering if anyone knew what's the team size limit for the epic megajam :D
minor hemlock
5
hoary bobcat
Tha k you atomic, I'm just a blind mofo 😅
small fern
IMO they should shrink the max team size
level up the field a bit
even team size of 3 is plenty
carmine kindle
I don't remember exactly what they asked, but you had to fill out a google forms thing last jam if you were a winner.
Pretty sure the home address and stuff were only in there.
lilac fox
If anyone needs an experienced blueprint/coder, feel free to PM me. Lookin for a team :3
solid abyss
Still looking for a character artist/animator 🙂
maiden loom
aren't we all xD
carmine kindle
If I can figure out how to use whatever source control people are using, I'm open to joining a team as a character artist/animator.
rigid fog
@carmine kindle ooohh, haven't you always submitted solo?
carmine kindle
I've never joined a team before and never used any source control.
And I've done 13 jams so far
rigid fog
Hehe, this will be a great opportunity for you then!
You should link your works so people can see what you can offer
Someone is bound to grab you up quickly
carmine kindle
I feel like I've got the hang of making games alone by now, gotta learn how to work in a team too.
rigid fog
🙂 Honestly, maybe a smaller jam would have been better to try 😉
But, go big or go home!
carmine kindle
Can't take it too easy with all these other people doing the rest of the work, haha.
rigid fog
Hopefully it works out for you. But, if it doesn't work out, don't stop trying to participate with teams in the future!
Lots of different personalities that you have to learn to deal with
carmine kindle
Definitely a new and exciting challenge for me, I'm sure.
But yeah, if anyone is looking for an artist/animator, I'm open to join a team. Here's stuff I've done before: https://bohrium.itch.io/
solid abyss
We have taken this cookie called @carmine kindle .. nobody touch this .. shoo shoo .. go away 😛
Thanks @rigid fog .. for the recommend
strong idol
Does anyone know when the film jam results are announced? I was expecting the results in the livestream earlier today? I'm guessing the winners have already been contacted?
pine slate
@rigid fog By the way, good luck on your showing of that Neko Ghost game you started at a previous Game Jam. I was really surprised to see your team closed on the Crowdforge page, but it looks like you're moving on to even bigger things! Any advice for those of us just starting out?
rigid fog
@pine slate Ask me again when I launch
But, by then, they'll be a 10-page post-mortem probably
So you can just read that
pine slate
@rigid fog Haha, I was talking about Game Jam advice, not indie dev game launch advice, but I'm sure you'll do great!
I've read too many indie post-mortems already. Those poor guys from Brigador always come to mind.
rigid fog
Game Jam. Hmm, @pine fulcrum you should either redo your first megajam (or was it second) video about "killing your bebe" or relink that 😉
But one of the biggest things that occurs a lot is over scoping/feature creeping
pine fulcrum
small fern
save system sounds like total overkill for a jam, yes 🙂
you could save checkpoints at most IMO
depending on the game of course
but even for checkpoints, it's usually enough for them to work only on that specific session
rigid fog
hm
Save System for MegaJam?
It'd be different if maybe 2-3 day jam
But 7 days...
I think it's fair to add
If it's absolutely needed obviously (what actually needs saving)
I just try to make games that don't require them usually for jams 😉
rocky moat
hey guys if you want to join me and my team as a coder dm me
glass fossil
hey guys if you want to join me and my team as a musician or designer dm me
and aiming for 1st place
oblique cairn
anyone have their assembla repo up yet?
oblique cairn
No worries, I victor is still waiting on assembla
... could be a good oppertunity to try out the new multi-user session setup instead!
glass fossil
whats that
oblique cairn
Think it is aimed more at lan than internet
but it is a system to have several people working on the same project similtaniously
oblique cairn
also assets, BPs etc I think
glass fossil
i dont think so
oblique cairn
other assets sync on save
so, we cant watch someone live-edit a BP, but still much faster iteration than perforce/git commits
glass fossil
maybe
oblique cairn
Other Assets: Sync on Save
The Multi-User Editing system does not immediately synchronize most types of Assets in your Unreal Engine Project each time you make a change. This includes Asset types like Materials and Material Instances, Static Mesh Assets, Blueprint classes, and so on. In these cases, when you make changes to these Asset, you are the only one who sees the changes take effect in your environment immediately. When you save your changes, the Multi-User Editing system sends the transaction around to all other users in the session.
from
https://docs.unrealengine.com/en-US/Engine/Editor/MultiUser/Overview/index.html
though Levels: Instant Sync
glass fossil
i mean im not sure if its faster than perforce
they still should click a submit and sync button
oblique cairn
I think half the point of the system is that it automatically commits/pushs/pulls
glass fossil
ok
oblique cairn
then someone does a perforce/git commit after shutting down the server which has all the changes made
the backend of the system is also used for "disaster recovery" in 4.23 - so we should have better restoration of stuff after a crash (pesumable for changes in a level only, not BPs or other assets)
ach You should only expect this connection to work on a Local Area Network (LAN), or potentially if both endpoints are in the same Virtual Private Network (VPN). Do not expect to share your Unreal Editor sessions over an open Internet connection. - perhaps not so good for my team this jam
chilly girder
Hello all, wanted to pose a question about the upcoming Epic MegaJam. The page says teams up to 5, and I just wanted to know if this was a hard rule? Totally understand if it is, but I'm interested in joining in with some friends as their 6th if thats at all possible (even uncredited). If this is not the best place to check, can someone direct me to where to go? Thanks all!
maiden loom
5 is a hard limit, you cannot have more
chilly girder
Thanks! I thought as much but it never hurts to ask!
maiden loom
if you have more, it's basically cheating and unfair on other teams
chilly girder
Yep yep, will just join in with my friends on a future jam
maiden loom
next Unreal jam will be around February
chilly girder
Only reason I was curious otherwise is the team recruit page lists several teams with 6 or 7 memebers.
Thanks for the response! Hope everyone has a good time.
maiden loom
oh that doesn't mean the team actually has that many members, Crowdforge doesn't enforce a limit
people can just join open teams and take them over 5
chilly girder
Gotcha.
somber hazel
"probably everyone is doing X, so I'm allowed to do X too" is a pretty childish attitude and I hope that's not what you mean
oak tendon
carmine kindle
This game is super great quick fun and free 
https://bohrium.itch.io/ice-tanks
small fern
open world in a game jam isn't very common
glass fossil
anybody looking for any team members for the upcoming gamejam on the 14th drop me a message. Can contribute pyro, flowmaps, general fx etc. Shaders, terrain, modelling. my main pipeline is houdini/megascans and ue4 obvs, houdini is pretty good for removing the repetition involved with certain operations which could be a worthwhile timesaver for smaller teams, cheers.
ancient delta
hey @glass fossil I am also a houdini guy, are you good at code?
wind aspen
Looking forward to this Game Jam. It's great to see some familar ppl in the Jam this year.
What preparations do some of you do the week before?
ancient delta
I try to finish all of my homework
minor hemlock
Team context: get source control set up and tested
Solo context: pretend I'm not going to jam even though I probably will after the theme is announced
clear surge
pretty true lol
wind aspen
How much time do you all put into planning after the theme is announced?
minor hemlock
1 day
wind aspen
I am going to be putting a lot more time into planning the game then I have in the past.
glass fossil
@ancient delta a bit of vex and c++
glass fossil
Join us if your aiming for 1st place and you're an artist with a portfolio
tulip viper
Excited for this one.... 😛
maiden loom
Two technical folks and + 1 audio person looking for 1-2 artists to join us for the jam; looking primarily for 3d art skills, but also interested in rigging / animation / UX orientated stuff too. We're in EU time zones, committing a decent amount of time to jam, and fairly experienced and would like you to be too. Send me a PM 🙂
stable kiln
if i have some time ill prolly do some VR stuff
wind aspen
Check out CrowdForge. https://crowdforge.io/jams/ue4jam -- It looks like a great place to find team members
minor hemlock
did the preferred hashtag change between jams?
looks like the last one was #ue4jam and this one is #UnrealJam
civic dock
Oh interesting! I somehow missed that.
It's weird because #UnrealJam seems to be an old, rarely-used hashtag judging by my Twitter search.
minor hemlock
top result is from @onyx hare in 2014 🤣
wet rivet
Hey guys! I’m a programmer looking for a team. I’ve got 5-10 hours of freetime a day and I’ve got 9 game jams under my belt. You can find some of my past work at https://rhyssullivan.itch.io/ . I can also 3D model but I’m not too familiar with it
minor hemlock
DBUG was a rockin time
wet rivet
My favorite one I’ve done so far was last day in the park
Didn’t match the theme at all unfortunately but it was a lot of fun, I think I put 50+ hours into it in total
wind aspen
Creating a game to fit the theme is one if the biggest challenges I find in these game jams.
zenith gust
Yeah, coming up with a fitting yet fun idea is a challenge for sure, I usually don't decide until after a nights sleep
wet rivet
The biggest thing really is telling the theme through gameplay not story
From my POV if you have to use a cutscene to explain your connection to the theme then you should change your idea
wind aspen
@zenith gust Are you doing this Jam as a solo developer?
zenith gust
Yeah, just having the theme as an artstyle or as story is not that challenging, but having it as gameplay takes a lot of thinking
@wind aspen I'm still not sure I can get time off for that weekend and 1-2 more days, but if I do get time off then yeah I'll go solo I think
If I don't get time off I'll just have to cheer on you all from the sideline ^^
wind aspen
I won't get time off from work, but I will have time on the evenings and weekends
zenith gust
Yeah, I have on-call these two weeks, which usually can mean a busy weekend too, so I have to try and switch that with someone else to have any time for jamming
Though if the theme is nice I might try anyway
wind aspen
I hope you can manage the time
zenith gust
You going solo too?
wind aspen
Yeah I enter solo each year
zenith gust
Been the same here, I ought to try in a team some jam but I usually can't confirm if I can commit time or not beforehand, so it doesn't feel fair to others
wind aspen
Exactly
My commitments make it nearly impossible to know how much time i will have or when. I do this mostly for a challenge for myself and professional development.
zenith gust
Yeah, fun and personal challenge are my main drivers 🙂
wind aspen
I have thought about recording the development, but not sure if i will
zenith gust
Recording seems like it'd take a lot of extra time after to go through that footage
unless it was just a timelapse-style thing
I'm a fan of written postmortems
I admire those who stream their jamming, I don't think I'd be able to focus at all
wind aspen
Yeah, at the very least I will be taking screenshots of the progress.
wet rivet
Streaming jamming keeps me focused
If I’m not streaming then I’ll find myself procrastinating or watching videos instead of working sometimes
minor hemlock
Tbf most of my team has regular class or work during the weekdays :)
Having an on call schedule might be a bit rough though
sonic echo
Hi I just join when hearing the Jam, got things I like to ask
are there any rules on using Assets/Plugins to help develop the Game for the Jam
wind aspen
You have to mention anything that was created before the Jam event
sonic echo
So I need to share a Game i developed in the past
wind aspen
The challenge is to create a game in a week, not use previous created games.
sonic echo
right so, no useing assets to help with the GameJam game
wind aspen
If you use assets, you just specify the assets that were used . I believe all that will go into judgement of the submission.
sonic echo
okay so basically credit the assests you used to help make the game
and I guess if you had a game that you were developing before the Jam, you can't continue to develop the game and submit it for the Jam
wind aspen
That's right
sonic echo
okay thanks
wind aspen
Are you planning to join a team?
wind aspen
Have you checked out CrowdForge?
sonic echo
a bit
glass fossil
Join us if you're aiming for 1st place and you're an artist with a portfolio
glass fossil
is it fine to make a game with just engine materials/bsps and only code?
im thinking maybe trying to make something like a rts and just do code
carmine kindle
As long as you replace the default grey grid texture, it's fine
glass fossil
yeah i was thinking of using the colored materials in engine folders xD
carmine kindle
Takes about 30 seconds to make a new mat too
maiden loom
@glass fossil - the last game I did for a jam, I made a point of using no content outside of what was available or created directly within the editor
it's entirely doable, you can even pull meshes out of the engine content etc
glass fossil
have link?
maiden loom
yeah, sure one sec
I won't promise you you'll make an amazing game, but you can certainly make something
glass fossil
what about menus tho or menu/ui not really even required?
well can just make text ui i guess
glass fossil
why's the project 1gb tho i'd assume with lack of assets it'd be lower
or is it just cause it has the starter content stuff still in it
maiden loom
yeah, it's got the starter content etc in it
plus the actual level is not small
I didn't spend time working on the packaged final size
wintry beacon
Hi guys,
This'll be my first game jam, despite making games in my free time for the past 2 years ( I guess i finally have confidence?).
Just a couple questions as I'm quite nervous/worried I'll not do something/not register for something and then miss this awesome opportunity [Yes I have read the itch.io/jam/2019-epic-megajam page . im just checking : P]
- Do we have to provide idk evidence of a repository to show that these assets were not made before?
- The only thing we have to do in regards to 'registering' is create an account on itch.io correct?
- Does every siingle team member need an itch.io page? or just 1 of them (the 'submiter' - sounds like a wrestler?)
Thanks for the help ! : )
carmine kindle
Don't need to prove anything really
You need one person to have an itch account and submit it through that, you'll have an option to write down all the team member names and stuff when you submit your finished project on the jam page in the end
Also you need to publish your game on itch and make it public before submitting it on the jam page, but I think that's written in the rules as well.
gritty beacon
but it's so easy to get a good packaged size
just go to project settings -> packaging and fill out the list of maps with... the maps you have
now it magically packages only used assets
wintry beacon
@carmine kindle thanks! it scares me that its that simple xD
no requirements on source control right?
whether it be a specific software or that you have to use source control at all (of course i will but just sayin)
glass fossil
gamejams are just community events not competitive competitions
plus would be a pain in the ass to prove who cheated etc
who wants to go through all the assets lol
gritty beacon
dunno seems like a competition to me with those prizes on the line
glass fossil
well its just sponsor prizes not money 😛
stable kiln
some ppl will use google only, some will open old projects to looks how they set up stuff B4, some wil just copy paste the nodes and some will have their space cats fully sculped and rigged allready 😛
glass fossil
we need an artist! DM me if you're interested
also we want to take the 1st place
2 coders, 1 awesome designer and 1 musician are already in our team.
old frigate
Hello, fellow jamers!
glass fossil
hello
old frigate
A team of two (current skillsets, intermediate to advanced level: BP, 3D Art, Design) is looking for three more people to join us for the Epic MegaJam.
Your skill level does not matter if you are a team player, committed to do your best and have FUN working together. 🙂 PM me if you are interested to join!
glass fossil
ok, im taken, sorry
old frigate
Np, good luck! 🙂
glass fossil
thx
glass fossil
we need an artist! DM me if you're interested
also we want to take the 1st place
2 coders, 1 awesome designer and 1 musician are already in our team.
wet rivet
Hey guys I’m a gameplay programmer looking for a group, I’ve done 9 jams in the past. My portfolio is available at rhyssullivan.com . I can commit 5-10 hours a day to working and I also know how to 3D model (but not work with textures, materials, or organic modeling)
manic shale
hi, i just started using UE4 to develop games and im still learning
Is still worth the time doing and submitting the current game im doing to the jam?
solid abyss
ofcourse
wet rivet
@manic shale so don’t submit a past project into the jam but if you want to make something original that matches the theme go for it
My first non tutorial game on my own was for a game jam, it was great I learned so much
wind aspen
Joining a game jam is a great way to learn. If you can join a team it can be very helpful as well.
manic shale
Well, i placed my bets and did an "empty" team on crowdforge
see ya
saves the game in gta style
old frigate
Hello, world! 🙂 A team of four (3D Artist, x2 Programmers, Composer) are looking for an artist to join us as the fifth team member. Please PM me if you’re interested, we’d appreciate if you can share with us your previous work.
This is for the Epic MegaJam 🙂
wet rivet
Dang I might end up going solo on this jam again
Army of one is a fun category to go for
small fern
combine it with under 100mb and multiplayer ;D
under 100mb is easy if you've done the project stripping before
just no big textures, audio on the other hand is fine
wet rivet
Why stop there, go for the is this real life as well
Also I can't have an issue with big textures if I don't know how to texture 🤔
sacred birch
Hey everyone! Anyone need a composer and sound designer for the game jam starting in a few days? I'd love to jump on a team 🎵
shell orbit
Hey everyone! If any of you are looking for an intermediate C++/Blueprint programmer for the Epic MegaJam let me know!
autumn abyss
@sacred birch do you have a portfolio ? and also can you do sound implementation ?
sacred birch
heres my soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/brian-heater-1
and I'm pretty solid on both FMOD and Wwise -- used them a lot in school
Not a programmer or anything but I've messed around with Unreal Engines Audio Blueprints
I worked on Minecraft Story Mode doing Dialogue stuff also
so yeah I can definitely do enough implementation for a jam -- and I have a huge network of sound designer colleagues if we wanna do something that I don't know specifically how to accomplish
(sorry everyone for blowing up) @autumn abyss
autumn abyss
@sacred birch let me go through your music and I'll give you a definite answer
sacred birch
great! send me a DM
mortal sky
team of 2 (1 artist 1 code) looking for a coder and and a sound guy. Coder will be assisting existing code guy who uses c++ so c++ preferred, bp only ok. sound guy will be responsible for sound effects and music. ability to work in engine preferred.
pm if interested
minor hemlock
c++ in a game jam, bold move
wet rivet
I feel like it'd be really nice actually especially for working together
That being said I'm not going to do it because of how much of a headache it can cause
minor hemlock
I'm not sure I'd want to be on a project with more than one primary coder again even if it was C++ 🤔
two left feet and all that
wet rivet
Yeah you need to be pretty insync
What was great about going solo in the last jam is I knew exactly what was going on with the project
I also knew that god I'm bad at 3D modeling
minor hemlock
and you also knew in excruciating detail what wasn't getting worked on 🤣
wet rivet
or what was getting worked on too much
wet rivet
one sec
ah
didnt do what i wanted
plan B
I'm realizing why I picked programming over art
small fern
hey I remember that doggo 😄
quick heart
does anybody got a quixel subs ?
autumn abyss
@wet rivet that doggo was great man, don't let anyone tell you otherwise 🙂
glass fossil
@autumn abyss let me know if you wanted to work together again, happy to be on a solid team again 🙂
sonic echo
Guess I'll mention I'm a Game Designer, but also have solid programing skills (blueprints) and I'm trying to find a solid team
glass fossil
just a lone audio guy who can do implementation and design here
let me know if anyone needs one, cant seem to find a team atm that needs an audio technical guy
maiden loom
we're still looking for someone who can do either 2d/UI, VFX, or rigging and animation, if such a person exists
also has anyone got their Assembla repo yet? We're still waiting
rocky moat
Hey is anyone looking for a badass musician. Dm jamesallenmusic#8980 . his songs are really nice.
glass fossil
minor hemlock
sooooo
Quixel is offering access to the Quixel Megascans library under a Personal 4K subscription prior and throughout the jam. Sign up here!
about that 😛
small fern
😄
I guess they just used to give that in the past and didn't want to remove the option to raise suspicions
minor hemlock
or didn't even know 😛
hearty ferry
Wasn't a subscription also listed in the prizes? I believe it was previous years
minor hemlock
you're absolutely right
1yr/6mo/3mo subs at freelancer level
technically it's still useful if you want to use them outside of unreal, but this is an epic jam 😛
compact cedar
yeah, that's kinda weird under light of recent events
minor hemlock
Our prizes just got slightly devalued 🤣
hearty ferry
Heh, nice timing @solid abyss , all of Quixel was just made free to use
No need for free credits anymore
solid abyss
ah .. wow
hearty ferry
Just login on Quixel with your UE4 account
solid abyss
@tranquil matrix .. then this information should be updated on the JAM page.. so as to clear up the situation
tranquil matrix
Quixel licenses is supposed to be handed out, you can tell that the form says "Epic MegaJam"
I will follow up
But yes, you can use all of Megascans without the form now 🙂
small fern
well
if you get subscription as prize
you can use it to use megascans on other game engines than unreal 😄
so yeah, feels counterintuitive
there's no other gain for the sub now
zenith gust
Jam prize and idea was probably drafted up before this was finalized 🙂
or before it was even known that it was a thing internally
wet rivet
It's so cool having all of the mega scans released like this
Time to make an AAA level asset flip combining the paragon assets, mega scans, and infinity blade content
minor hemlock
take all weekend to build lighting
somber hazel
Can't wait for all those 2gb gamejam games that include a bunch of 4k megascan textures 🙂
small fern
2GB is the limit on itch?
because 2GB isn't that many scans
or I guess you can fit plenty if you don't go all out on high res
gritty beacon
don't you mean 8k scans
amber latch
You can use your dropbox to upload to itch. But itch has a 1gb upload
steep needle
what about google drive?
civic dock
Your game can be up to 30GB if you use Butler, itch's command line tool.
minor hemlock
yes but a single quixel pack from the marketplace is 10gb and there are like a dozen of them
can we ship a hard drive if it's postmarked by the end of the jam?
civic dock
Using a 10GB asset pack in your jam game doesn't mean your game will necessarily be 10GB larger.
Especially if you a) don't use every single asset, and b) use compressed cooked packages.
minor hemlock
I'm not sure how I feel about the former concept
(and yeah, they are split up into 2k ~1gb, 4k ~3gb, source ~5gb)
small fern
30GB with my 5 Mbps upload speed tho....
would need to start uploading 15 hours before the deadline 😄
or probably more as you can't trust you'll get the full bandwidth all time
civic dock
Upload your first build before the last day! Especially if you're using Butler, which enables delta patches.
After the first push, each subsequent push only uploads new/changed files.
minor hemlock
#BadTipsOnly