4.24 is alright for the jam right? I was thinking of playing it safe and sticking to 4.24.3 since 4.25.1 isn't out yet
#game-jam-chat
crystal tree
sharp berry
somber hazel
I always went with previous, might be the first time I go with current, because it had like 8? previews and the features look neat
nova topaz
@maiden loom Have you done that with 4.25? Is there any info out there about how to do it? I was not able to get below 100 MB with 4.25
maiden loom
I've done it with 64-bit, but not 4.25
there is a page on the official docs that describes how to cut sizes right down
nova topaz
Ok, I'll wait for someone else to try 🙂
civic dock
Started testing Nano on 4.25 today, and wow, 4.25's blank template is way larger than before.
Dropping 32-bit support is a big hit, too. As of right now, Nano cannot get under 100MB with 4.25. Hoping to change that before the jam starts on Thursday.
civic dock
Still no luck, even with many plugins disabled. The Tiny Award may require a custom build from GitHub at this point. 😦
Aside from using older versions of the engine, of course.
nova topaz
@civic dock Thanks for trying!
civic dock
No problem! Been super curious.
Maybe someone else can find some opportunities that I missed.
zenith gust
I think turning to the blacklist is the most likely option, could write something up on that
I don't have 4.25 installed right now, how big does the pak file end up? (or is it all the executable and 3rd party that bloats it)
broken axle
Just for curiosities sake how many people are in teams and how many of the people that sign up submit games?
carmine kindle
200-450 entries in the last few
west wing
@broken axle here some itch.io stats: https://itch.io/jams/hosted-by-unrealengine
nova topaz
@zenith gust What I ended up with is Engine folder 15MB, Pak file 38MB, executable 60MB
zenith gust
Pak at 38MB should definitely be something to look into then to avoid custom source build, but yeah that 64bit exe size is what it is.
With an executable packer it's possible to shrink that a lot, but I really think those should not be allowed as it's not really related to knowing the engine at all, it's just a google search away
@nova topaz if you have the output available still, can you run UnrealPak on it and see what the contents are, if there are any outliers? (even post the log here via pastebin would be good)
nova topaz
@zenith gust Using UnrealPak like you suggested, it appears that DefaultBloomKernel.uexp (32 MB) is still in the pak even though I tried to blacklist it.
west wing
You probably misplaced it, as me and everyone else who tried to use it did? On windows it should be in Build/Win64 (for 64 bit builds).
nova topaz
That could be it 😄
zenith gust
Yeah, Win64 or Win32 depending on what you build for
WindowsNoEditor is a bit of a bait because that's the default output name, but your blacklist for a shipping packing build is under the arch you're building for
But that's good then, at least there's some space to play with if we remove the bloom
nova topaz
Ok. Now my pak file is down to about 29 MB from 38. That puts the total size at 101 MB from 109. Some progress...
zenith gust
29 still sounds fairly high
Might be something hiding in there, can take a look if you want (via paste)
west wing
It probably won't even package with an actual content that use more functionality than blank black map.
zenith gust
Yeah unless one really needs 4.25 functionality for something it's obviously not a great choice for going small
west wing
My best result on 4.25 EGL version is 90.8MB. Plugins disabled, heavy Engine stuff blacklisted, shared material shader code disabled. 54.4MB exe and 23.6MB .pak.
But it is dangerous package, and I know multiple scenarios when it will randomly crash.
west wing
It could be reduced a bit by disabling checkboxes in material permutation reduction settings.
nova topaz
I already disabled some of those. There might be one or two more that I could look at.
The next biggest thing would be the fonts
west wing
I think .png and .tff files are pretty unnecessary (on windows, at least).
nova topaz
The last checkbox was Support Stationary Skylight. I've just disabled that, but it didn't make a difference.
west wing
Okay, summarizing my notable results:
zenith gust
Yeah that's really rough
nova topaz
90 is very impressive 😄
zenith gust
As you say, gotta know what you're blacklisting and why, otherwise you'll end up with crashes you can't expect
If you're resorting to blacklisting for the jam, do make sure you package and test it often, or it'll bite you 😄
west wing
Disabling plugins could crash too.
zenith gust
Don't think I've ever had that problem, but yeah gotta be aware of what features are in what plugins if you end up using something from there
Only ones that are strictly needed without custom source build are the base network ones right? (tcp/udp)
west wing
I had a game that was successfully packaged and worked until the player invoked one of the MoveTo functions. The reason was because I turned this off:
So this time I'll probably only disable VR plugins and blacklist the bloom kernel.
civic dock
@west wing My blacklist is in Build/Win64 and the bloom kernel is still included. I've tried many times to blacklist it and nothing ever seems to work.
What am I doing wrong?
This is what I have in my blacklist there:
nova topaz
That looks like what I have, and it's working for me...
civic dock
Hm... Well, I'm at a loss. I must be doing something wrong (probably the equivalent of a misplaced semicolon lol).
west wing
@civic dock looks right for me. Unless you're looking at the different build, I have no idea.
Try this: https://dl.dropbox.com/s/zbadkn2qe4hfth6/TestBuild.zip?dl=0
Must be ~91mb if the blacklist works. Otherwise, it'll be about 109mb.
civic dock
@somber hazel I'm at 108 MB.
somber hazel
X
civic dock
Packaging @west wing's test build now to compare.
somber hazel
wow, Alex disabled all plugins, even the plugin window 😅
west wing
That's my favorite plugin to disable.
broken axle
wait have u guys been spending the whole day working on file size optimization in 4.25?
for the tiny catagory
somber hazel
I was 2 scared to disable UDP TCP since it made the gamethread slower in the past
west wing
@broken axle we are at 3. Bargaining
civic dock
@broken axle Not the whole day, but I've been going back to it here and there between chores. 😅
I was hoping to get my Nano template back down to sub-100 before this week's jam.
somber hazel
yes, I spent the whole day, 12 hours to disable plugins and uncheck a couple of checkboxes 
civic dock
I find that most of the plugins aren't worth disabling.
somber hazel
agree, it saves like what... 5mb if you disable all?
civic dock
A little more in total. Disabling the VR plugins alone warrants about 4-5 MB.
west wing
Yes. In fact, most of plugins will save you more like 0mb.
civic dock
But every other plugin together nets maybe a few more.
Yeah. Most of them don't change the size at all.
somber hazel
alright, with my favorite plugins I'm at 93.8
*and Alex blacklist
civic dock
I wanted Nano to be easy to use and compatible out of the box, so I focused on big wins that were guaranteed to be safe for the majority of projects.
Unfortunately, it seems that no longer gets under 100 MB with 4.25.
@somber hazel Yikes. You can definitely make a minimal game with that, but it's not much headroom at all.
somber hazel
well, guess I'll make a UMG game 🙂
civic dock
Especially if you're like me and want to add high-quality audio. 😄
somber hazel
just go mobile 🙂
west wing
@somber hazel my blacklist breaks some umg.
somber hazel
didn't test it since I didn't installed latest android works version, but mobile should be under 50mb
west wing
Go for TextRenderActor game.
somber hazel
why would it break, does it load some default fonts or some other default in /Content/Slate?
west wing
@somber hazel it uses something from Slate folder. The "3x3 border" functionality somehow stopped working.
somber hazel
mobile it is
nova topaz
Let us know how mobile goes 😄
somber hazel
I mean, there is probably no reason to go mobile with 4.25, might as well stick with older versions
maybe a flying game which uses marching clouds, but yeah, all those cool new features are mostly 2 heavy 😅
stable kiln
just dump everything on the cloud and stream it in
wil save a lot more
like a few gigs if u want
done it a few times with cloud firestore, works just fine
zenith gust
Much like an executable packer, using remote storage for content kind of takes away from the challenge, doesn't it? 😛
sacred wedge
Will this be the first jam without an Unreal swag pack and tshirt :c My motivation has been destroyed 😭
stable kiln
totally depends what u stream in and out 😛
considering u got like 8 mb to work with
i never tried the 100 mb, i dont see the use with connection speeds these days
time spend making it small could be spend making it fun
zenith gust
I can feel that, fun should be the focus after all, I just really enjoy working with limited resources. Streaming it in defeats the purpose of that imo
stable kiln
some ppl like making it small thats just not my thing 😛
mayB if u set the rules like that for urself, could also think im stayin under 100 mb and make the best looking thing possible by streaming in 4k textures and audio
that 100 mb is still gunna be hard even if u stream in
zenith gust
Yeah with 4.25 it very much is
And I guess that would work too, clear rules and constraints makes it a fun optimization problem, no matter how those constraints look
stable kiln
have players create stuff stream it out and back in thats where it gets realy dope 😛
zenith gust
player created content comes with certain risks though 😄
stable kiln
well firebase has that AI stuff to spot offensive stuff
edgy fulcrum
@gaunt copper - will you do the usual stream o'f all the jam games this time around? Been my highlight of the previous jams to see someone play through all of them when I haven't had the time to do so myself
gaunt copper
ofcorse ^^ i missing doing it
zenith gust
@pallid juniper Hey, you should probably post this in the #game-jam-lfg channel, it has a better chance there
Here it'll most likely be drowned out quickly
pallid juniper
ah, you are right. Thanks. And sorry:D I deleted it.
west wing
@stable kiln Last time some game tried to patch itself with a 300 MB download on startup. That was hilarious. Although I don't remember if it was Tiny Award contender.
nova topaz
😂
stable kiln
thats good stuff
add a patcher and u can fix it if u really mess up 😛
should prolly be the first thing u make
zenith gust
Spend the whole time making the game play well, then set up a way to stream in the art that you can make after the deadline, seems legit 😄
west wing
It's a shame people still use firewalls.
vernal stratus
maybe the game could be disabling the malware you downloaded lol
broken axle
wait is there gonna be a theme?
carmine kindle
Yes, gets announced when it starts
broken axle
oh wait nvm
im blind
I didnt see it on the itch page
it is literally' the first line
zenith gust
The theme announce stream is always in the evening here, so I try to sleep on the theme in hopes that my ideas will be clear when I woke up, but they never are 😄
Usually spend a good few hours of the jam time to try to find something that feels really good based on the theme, preferably game mechanics that uniquely fit, but sometimes it's very hard to get that inspiration
broken axle
yeah I know the feeling
rugged plaza
Always takes me like a whole freaking day to figure out what I can do with the theme.
edgy fulcrum
I usually spend the whole Friday to spawn ideas and then start fresh early on Saturday.
still osprey
I hope this time I'll actually finish and upload game
sonic echo
Hey so is this for the Upcoming Spring GameJam
sonic echo
thanks, last Jam was the MegaJam and wasn't to happy, mostly cause of the hell of jumping between teams and such. This time I'm going Solo
still osprey
I created team. One dude haven't showed up at all and decided to play wow instead. Another one made like 2-3 blueprints and 1 widget. I tried to finish as much as I could but 2 other members were just artists so in the end build of game failed at around 4 am just before the deadline.
so this time I am going solo too
sonic echo
plus honestly It be cool to win that Gaming PC, like I plan on getting a new PC for developing anyway, so might as well try and do the solo thing in a chance to win that PC.
of course, even if I don't win there is that added experance
sonic echo
temps?
glass fossil
What do they mean by "all art assets must have other materials than default materials?" If I use marketplace assets, will I have to replace materials in these assets?
glass fossil
That would be the peak of laziness, to not replace that material.
zenith gust
I think it's mostly there to remove very low effort entries from getting into the raffles for prizes, people need to put at least some effort in
minor hemlock
And there have been some peak lazy projects submitted
crystal tree
Raffles?
flint osprey
Dont some niagara particles use the default material? Or are you supposed to make an instance of it even if you change the color and everything in the actual emitter?
tawny tide
I gotta say I'm getting pretty hyped about the game jam. Hope my brain will work with me on the theme
maiden loom
@crystal tree - in the past the computer prize has been raffled between all entries, so it encouraged people to submit garbage just for the raffle entry.
nova topaz
It doesn't say anything about a raffle on the page. Was there one last time?
maiden loom
there is no raffle this time
stable kiln
a 3k pc raffled over 300 entries... dunno how many ppl that is 600?
thats a 5$ worth raffle ticket
thats not even close to interesting, not even if u live in some low wage country 😛
you would need 100s of accounts submitting the basic tamplate (and automate it)
nova topaz
Paying for raffle tickets was never a thing, afaik
I liked the chance of winning a chair or t-shirt or something just for entering though
stable kiln
some ppl cant do math so some ppl prolly did
but afaik the pc never got raffled over all entries it got raffled over top3
so raffle tickets were prolly more like 20cent worth
carmine kindle
There were raffles for stuff like marketplace credit, software subscriptions or even a DX racer chair that were between all entries in some of the previous jams.
charred umbra
Salut, je recherche en urgence un artiste 3D pour la unreal spring Jam, qui commence demain ! Merci de me contacter 🙂
Hi, I'm urgently looking for a 3D artist for the unreal spring Jam, which starts tomorrow! Please contact me 🙂
dusky jetty
Its not clarified in the rules but can you build on top of your existing personal WIP project and submit it? Or does everything have to be built from scratch (besides sourced assets)?
vernal stratus
stuff that was built or used outside of jam time needs to be labeled as such
I built some plugins that I use every jam but disclose that I used the plugins, they will just be excluded from judging
dusky jetty
I wonder how would the judge know if something has been built before the jam starts given its not distributed/shared at all anywhere?
zenith gust
It's partially a gentlemans agreement, which makes it a bit iffy with the increasingly big prizes, but of course people could cheat if they planned it well enough.
Most gamejams have this issue though, the hope is that people are decent and honest about it eh, we're doing this for fun right?
maiden latch
I wanted to ask the same question
zenith gust
There's almost always a few obviously premade entries submitted, but they don't get anywhere really
zenith gust
@glass fossil was that the VR one?
vernal stratus
yea, it's an impossible problem with no solution. The jams are for fun though, and I feel like the epic judges judge for simple fun and connectivity with the theme as the most important categories
vapid thistle
If they got rid of the bigger prizes cheating would go down, but even right now I don't think that there is a ton of cheating going on
At least I have a hard time spotting it
somber hazel
@glass fossil you should link the project, most if not all of the winners are legit and deserved to win
it's just discouraging to read: "some winner had videos of the game 1 month before"
they? I was actually thinking about an entry from a single guy were "a lot" were complaining
just talk about MatthewPalaje
Ray The Robot
2017 Megajam
he is legit
he used the same visual style, but that's it
(because surprise, he was a solo and can't magically create another unique style as a jack of all trades)
but yeah, I don't want to see any rumors "that somebody might have won by cheating in the past", that's not true and that's why I jumped in ❤️
white rapids
3 more days
gaunt copper
Our team got one free slot, anyone interested? best would be blueprint programmer ;]
sonic echo
shouldn't you ask that in #game-jam-lfg
zenith gust
that's the spirit 😄
civic dock
@white rapids Actually the jam starts tomorrow!
civic dock
June 4-9.
nova topaz
I assume it's being kicked off at the end of the Thursday live stream tomorrow
nova topaz
civic dock
Oh, awesome! I knew he was going to give tips and answer questions, but a warm up game during the stream? That's going to be fun.
crystal tree
Is there much in the way of people playing and giving feedback to entries like with Ludum Dare? Aside from the winners I mean. EDIT: Looks like its almost all via Itch.io comments, was looking at forum thread 😆
zenith gust
@crystal tree Yeah the itch pages are definitely the way to go. Oftentimes there's also some people that play the games on stream, like shadowriver
It's not as prevalent as in LD, but then again it's not a required thing either ^^
gaunt copper
@sonic echo ah yea you right i forgot there new section for that
rugged plaza
@gaunt copper I promise I wont make you play a cat Litterbox game this time 😜😆
gaunt copper
ok ;p
i hope due to that solo thing there wont be freaking 400+ solo entries, or else we gonna have another week long adventure
rugged plaza
I hope we get a good theme
Same
I'm only a year and a half into gamedev as a hobby, though. I know my games gonna suck.
zenith gust
Better to make something sucky and learn, than not to make anything at all 🙂
Everyone has to go through their fair share of shit results before it gets better eh, I still feel like most of my stuff sucks 😄
minor hemlock
It only took me 2 years after starting Game Dev to come away with a prize :)
rugged plaza
I always learn the most during the game jam.
glass fossil
@glass fossil just remember that nobody started out with a banger.
Everybody starts from the bottom, with determination you'll eventually rise to the top, hopefully 
wintry dew
The 2020 spring jam isn't an event set at a physical location right?
wet rivet
Nope it's an online thing
somber hazel
you don't even need to wash your hands when attending the jam 👀
scarlet egret
i am thinking of giving the game jam a try, but i am really inexperienced with unreal. so we'll see i guess.
celest junco
Hey guys, me and my fellows are looking for one PROGRAMMER (either bp or c++) to join our team. One ARTIST would be awesome as well! We've participated over 3 jams in the past and we are experienced Unreal users. Please DM me if you would like to join us and show us what your awesome games or projects look like 😎
edgy fulcrum
Oh wow, this must be the biggest Jam (by signups) so far, right?
steel lodge
Does anyone know if we are allowed to create the repository on Assembla for the game jam project now, or do we have to wait until it starts?
maiden loom
Oh wow, this must be the biggest Jam (by signups) so far, right?
@edgy fulcrum not even close 😄
but it's probably also inflated by the number of solo entries this time
edgy fulcrum
Which Jam has been bigger? The previous MegaJam was like 400 signups. (I am of course referring to only Ue4-jams)
still osprey
from what I remember last mega jam had more than 1k singups, just not everyone submitted their work
edgy fulcrum
ooooh, alright - it says "Entries" now when looking back at previous jams, thought it said registered:D Then I stand corrected, it had around 2k iirc
maiden loom
yeah, there were about 2k last time, it was crazy
rugged plaza
Probably be more this time
eager jackal
guys, were allowed to use megascans right?
last barn
But you'll have to mention all premade stuff that you use, including megascans
minor hemlock
You're going to spend half the jam downloading them 😂
hoary trout
if you have 8gb of ram i advise you not to waste your time downloading them
atleast i wasted my time downloading them 🤣
hoary trout
why so ?
eager jackal
actually, with bridge, my computer downloads megascans assets really fasts
fast
it takes like 30 seconds to download a texture or model and like 15 to get it into the engine
rugged plaza
If you do highly stylistic, you download megascans and drop the the textures to 1k or less and it looks awesome
I'm doing toon shaders this go around so almost any asset can easily be made to fit the art style 😜
Maybe even adjust it to match the theme
eager jackal
im just gonna try to do realistic and probably gonna fail
lean wedge
Toon shaders sound rad
rugged plaza
4 more hours
Wait what time does livestream start?
Yeah 4 hours until the end of the livestream.
modern tide
I would like to use Assembla's free Perforce hosting for the jam, but when I created my account, I don't see an option to add a P4 repo, only Git or SVN. What am I missing?
tranquil matrix
@modern tide Did you follow the supplied guide? @gaunt copper also reported problems and I'm following up with Assembla but would appreciate more details
vernal stratus
youll need to go to the tools page
modern tide
@tranquil matrix I followed the guide at https://epicgames.ent.box.com/s/b7mh19k2b5jh0k8qvdgr1cc4ijt3abv8. I am registered for the jam (myself, no team (yet)) on itch.io. I did not have a previous assembla account, nor did I see a way to connect my assembla account to my itch one. Thanks!
modern tide
@vernal stratus Yeah, that's the kind of thing I needed. Where did you find that?
vernal stratus
"sign up here" link on the itch page
It's the last couple words in the paragraph, easy to overlook lol
tranquil matrix
@celest junco Make sure you post in the #game-jam-lfg channel 🙂 Less noise for people looking for teams/members there!
modern tide
@glass fossil Ha, yeah, I see it now. It's not mentioned in the Guide, which I assumed was complete.
I'm the guy who's always telling my students "Read the syllabus." #humbled :)
celest junco
@tranquil matrix Oh ok thanks Victor, I didn't know about it
vernal stratus
lol, I was one of the students who never read the syllabi given to me,
"oh how the turn tables"
- michael scott
- The Mooseman
gaunt copper
@modern tide you used assembla in past?
wintry dagger
@tranquil matrix me and my team are trying to set up a space on assembla however we are getting a few errors, one of them being "invalid project id: ue4jam" Do you have any idea on why this is happening?
modern tide
@gaunt copper Assembla no, perforce yes.
solid abyss
.. in megajam .. at the height of it.. 3k people registered ... not 2k @maiden loom
ofcourse not all of them submitted a game
round creek
Poggers
solid abyss
celest junco
Does anyone know why it shows invalid project id: ue4jam when accepting the assembla invitation?
civic dock
Getting close now. You folks ready to jam? 👀
edgy fulcrum
ooooh so stoked!:D:D
civic dock
Me too. Can't wait to find out the theme.
Also very interested to watch Michael Noland build a tiny game live on the stream while giving game jam tips.
edgy fulcrum
Really hope it's wacky theme
civic dock
I don't. I like making moody, lonely games. 😄
cedar spindle
Ayyyyy. Hello folks! Reminder to build early! 😆
civic dock
Always good advice.
Part of the process of starting your jam entry should be setting up the build pipeline.
Get the boring-but-very-important bits out of the way, then spend more time being creative knowing you've saved yourself some headaches.
cedar spindle
This jam I'm hoping to not ignore the easy stuff like a start/exit menu hah
Might even throw in instructions but no promises
zenith gust
I usually set up the new project, build and test settings, etc while brainstorming the theme
civic dock
Same.
pine fulcrum
does the jam start today?
civic dock
Yes, in about 2 hours.
pine fulcrum
neat
cedar spindle
Are you in @pine fulcrum ?
wintry dagger
hey pfist quick question
civic dock
Actually the jam technically starts in one hour, but you know, the theme won't be announced until the end of the stream. 😅
@glass fossil Hahah you're beyond ready!
wintry dagger
Is there a duration on how long it takes for assembla to set up a server? Cause the invintation email gets sent almost instantly however when trying to create a space its just errors
celest junco
@wintry dagger yeah here my team is getting the same errors
civic dock
I'm hearing reports of other people running into issues setting up on Assembla, so I don't think it's just you.
solid abyss
pfist are participating this time?
celest junco
we are a bit worried 😏
solid abyss
solo or friends? @civic dock
wintry dagger
alright thx
vernal stratus
worst case you can root your android and use it as a server
round creek
I hope the theme is vague.
cedar spindle
I think Vague would be a difficult theme
round creek
Lol
cedar spindle
I hope the theme is Fresh
round creek
On a previous ( non epic games) jam the theme was "Olympic Games", thats a very limited theme
Which doesn't allow for much originality
cedar spindle
No it will be something vague
hoary trout
will the theme be added to the itch io page ?
cedar spindle
@hoary trout yes
hoary trout
perfect
round creek
Does the livestream start at 2pm EDT?
hoary trout
can you please ping me when the theme is announced ?
I added it to my calendar but its buggy and doesn't notify me 😦
cedar spindle
Livestream at 2, theme is usually announced near the end or ~3
round creek
Alright thanks @cedar spindle!
hoary trout
😮
round creek
That's because the itch.io timer is linked to when the stream starts
But after community news + karma stuff + the mandatory hype drumroll it'll be announced later on in the stream
hoary trout
and when will the finalists announcement be ?
hoary trout
that's a reasonable period
9th june i was like
woah
the entire epic games company needs to be judging entries to get to that date lmao
round creek
I misread your question sorry
tranquil matrix
@wintry dagger I'm in conversations with the team at Assembla for them to troubleshoot what's wrong. Thanks for your report and the details - hoping they can solve this ASAP
wintry dagger
alright thanks
tranquil matrix
I do know that if you're picking the same name for your space as someone else it will fail - Try to go with something that's less generic and tied to your team name and you should be able to get to the next step (creating spaces is what the previous reports have told me isn't working)
still osprey
was theme announced yet?
dapper umbra
I don't know
quiet bear
they are just starting the stream
void hull
any link to the stream?
sonic echo
The Theme: What is hidden in snow comes forth in the thaw
white rapids
still osprey
theme
dapper umbra
Oh no
mossy quarry
What?
still osprey
what does it even mean
round creek
what a mindfuck
dapper umbra
I have no idea
still osprey
I don't speak pepperoni
round creek
the entries will be fun lmao
vapid thistle
It means what ever you want it to mean
dapper umbra
True lol
round creek
But snow in June?
white rapids
smoky canopy
well it's cold in the southern hemisphere 😛
void hull
was there no stream with victor and the guys?
round creek
solid abyss
yeah.. it seems that there is no stream.. only theme is announced
void hull
@tranquil matrix Is it allowed to use marketplace assets?
round creek
@void hull Yes but you need to disclose it
distant ibex
that's an odd theme for June lol
west wing
Dog poop.
cedar spindle
all the games will have snow in them...... 🙄
solid abyss
would have been helpful, if this same video was streamed on youtube as well.. and not just twitch. A lot of people follow the youtube channel instead.
And also, hopefully the theme announcement would be added to forum/itch.io soon
smoky canopy
you can use pre-made stuff but have to write down everything that was made before the jam. they will judge based on this
round creek
I'm so confused
sonic echo
Someone basically means the changing from Seasons, Winter to Spring, Snow comes in Winter then thaws away in the Spring
round creek
You could also interpret it as the truth coming out. Once you think about it's a good theme. But because it's so ambiguous it makes it difficult.
hoary trout
hummmm
dapper umbra
hm
hoary trout
since its "Spring"
it's already 43+ where i am
i am melting can i make a game about what i'm hiding ?
static maple
what is the theme??? 😮
smoky canopy
"what is hidden in snow comes forth in the thaw"
static maple
got ya
rugged plaza
This theme sucks
terse portal
how do you find teams ?
azure flicker
the theme is a figure of speech, it means 'what is hidden cannot stay hidden forever'
round creek
this twitch chat is insane
static maple
Stream started?
round creek
No stream today, just theme announcement
velvet hound
"What Is Hidden In Snow Comes Forth In The Thaw"
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAayC6ATVBo/TqbEEc_q-kI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/-QAQ7yUUZuE/s640/girl+with+the+dragon+tattoo+new+poster.jpg
sonic echo
ah a reference to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
velvet hound
I know just was amused
copper carbon
😉
obtuse imp
lol
static maple
there is always next time
sudden totem
with gamejam starting stream this way i am not getting to gam jam motion
sonic echo
already think I got an idea for the jam
static maple
brainstorm the ideas today, start the prototype tomorrow
distant ibex
@glass fossil I was thinking of one where you had to get toilet paper from the isle to the checkout while you fight other players for it 😄
obtuse imp
honestly, think im just gonna jump into engine, and make stuff, usually if im struggling to brainstorm it can help
sudden totem
snow royale
obtuse imp
i think either could work tbh
round creek
@hoary trout UE said on the twitch chat that it be taken literally or interpreted.
stable elk
It's also in the rules:
| Submissions will be judged for unique use of the theme, gameplay, and visuals on a 1-5 point scale each.
still osprey
anyone know if I need to actually use newest version of engine?
zenith gust
@hoary trout can do both, but as seen above, the theme is the proverb itself (which has been a recurring thing with the themes in this jam)
But taking it literally can make very fun stuff too
tranquil matrix
@still osprey Not a requirement
sonic echo
So the question, what happens if I use an asset as a reference like instead of using a blueprint asset, I try and recreate myself
tranquil matrix
As lame as it is, we can't answer specific questions as it would be considered "legal advice"
Unless I can quote the rules as they're written
round creek
@tranquil matrix Do we need to list software that we used to create assets with( e.g World Machine)
tranquil matrix
@round creek Not a requirement
round creek
Okay, thanks
tranquil matrix
But it's always fun for the players (and personally as a judge) to get an idea of the process 🙂
sonic echo
I see, I just debating cause I think I have an Idea and I happen to have an asset that does some of the programing that makes my concept, but I feel like if I use it, I worry that it ends 90% of the games concept is made using the asset.
dawn lily
one question guys, is it necessary to create a long game or one level is enough? Is there anything that talks about this in the rules or from previous jams?
still osprey
One more question. Can we use substance software with educational license? Technically we aren't getting paid for it but there is possibility to win prizes
zenith gust
@dawn lily Usually it's advised to go for short but with quality, both as that allows you to make that short part more fun, but also because the judges can't realistically spend super much time on each entry anyway, and other players are likely to just try out your game quickly
If you have one good level that can definitely be enough, assuming it's more than like a 1 minute level ^^
dawn lily
@zenith gust , yeah I get you, thanks a lot man
civic dock
Reminder: You can ask @glass fossil for silly randomly generated game ideas by DMing the bot with gameidea
sonic echo
still debating weather I use a program asset I have which pretty much helps create my games main mechanic, or try and create it from scratch
dawn lily
@sonic echo , i pretty much doubt that an asset will be all your game as you will still need to polish it, make it unique looking and have music and so on. so many other things so don't overthink that
carmine kindle
Use whatever lets you make the end result more fun. Beyond the jam itself, having a game that's more fun is definitely the winner.
marble zenith
So about megascans assets. They're technically sourced assets so do they also not get judged? And what about if you use them as a base and modify them?
kindred bloom
I'm gonna pursue world generation for my submission, Gaea or World Machine? Both offer free versions
tranquil matrix
For everyone trying to set up an assembla space for their team - Permissions have been updated, please try again and let me know how it goes
edgy fulcrum
@tranquil matrix - Do you know how many people will judge the games? (i.e. are multiplayer for 4 a waste of time if you're only 2 judges)
sonic echo
Oh yes of course, just like to make sure I can do enough that I might have a chance of winning, like don't get me wrong the experience in making the game us more important, but heck I actually plan on getting a new PC for developing my future games anyway, so might as well try.
kindred bloom
@marble zenith I think your presentation of those assets would be considered. Quixel has many level creation tutorials on their YouTube Channel
still osprey
just don't make battle royale for 100 players
marble zenith
Hummm I suppose. It's kind of tricky to decide what does and doesn't count. With things like textures in particular. I doubt anyone is making every single texture from scratch (for realistic stuff anyway). I'd assume most of us are going to use Quixel, Substance, GT, CC0 and what not :p
tranquil matrix
Amount of players are not a requirement - However, due to the pandemic I would suggest that you make the game work online since putting a LAN together (or finaggling with private VPNs etc) can get difficult. This does NOT change the way we judge or score, but it'll make the process easier for us.
modern tide
@tranquil matrix I still get "Something went wrong" messages on Assembla when trying to create a space so that I can create a repository in the ue4jam portfolio.
kindred bloom
Precisely. Then you can focus on the gameplay components without having to be bogged down by asset creation
sonic echo
I guess also going solo, using the asset takes care of a key mechanic, but then my focus can be on the art style, the story, some additional mechanics, and some polish
wintry dagger
@tranquil matrix we are also still getting the "something went wrong" messages
round creek
Is there a content rating we are required to achieve? For example are guns/combat allowed?
frail beacon
@round creek they have to be able to show it on the stream when they announce the winners
round creek
I'm not talking AO rated here
frail beacon
there have been guns in the past
round creek
I've found the relevant info: Submissions may not depict nudity, animal cruelty, any illegal activity or substance, or any other offensive or obscene subject matter as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
sonic echo
well no heavy gore or something heavly scary
round creek
Seems like it would okay
tranquil matrix
"●Submissions may not contain personal attacks on anyone or any discernible product, including competitor products.
●Submissions may not depict nudity, animal cruelty, any illegal activity or substance, or any other offensive or obscene subject matter as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion."
celest junco
@tranquil matrix It's working now! Thanks Victor
crystal tree
I'm gonna pursue world generation for my submission, Gaea or World Machine? Both offer free versions
@kindred bloom why not Houdini 😛 They give a free trial for the jam
kindred bloom
@crystal tree oh right, good idea lol
tranquil matrix
For Assembla users: Do a hard refresh of the page, perhaps even log out/in and try again. It's been thoroughly tested and should be working now.
modern tide
@tranquil matrix Confirmed, I can also create a space and Perforce repo on Assembla now. Thanks for working with them to sort it out.
tranquil matrix
(I highly suggest everyone to use source control, even if you've never done it before)
gloomy palm
Where we can search comrades for Jams ?
tranquil matrix
@gloomy palm #game-jam-lfg
sonic echo
just checking, what if the game present a sad story, like a subject about loss
or what about solving a murder mystery
sacred wedge
I'm guessing an Unreal swag pack with a t-shirt won't be included :c
frail beacon
@tranquil matrix was the 30-60 second gameplay footage video always a requirement for submission? I know it was listed in the submission box but it always said "if you so desire" this time it clearly states that you must include one.
tranquil matrix
@frail beacon Correct, it was previously just recommended but is from here on out a requirement.
frail beacon
Thanks!
outer helm
I'm new to game jams, and this theme is honestly a brain freeze
wintry vine
Same, didn't think my first game jam would have a theme like this
tranquil matrix
@outer helm You don't have to interpret it literally. I use google when I'm out of ideas for the themes when I jam 🙂
sonic echo
someone message me about the theme and instantly gave up cause he/she hates Snow
tranquil matrix
There's no requirement for snow
sonic echo
of course
wintry vine
Mine probs wont have any snow
tranquil matrix
It's a very old Swedish proverb
sonic echo
of course nothing against using snow for the game
outer helm
Google it is then :D
forest pond
am I illiterate or is there not a grand prize?
sonic echo
basically means, nothing can remain hidden forever
proper fox
what is meant with a material other than "DefaultMaterial"? if I use and declare a third party asset, may I not use it's default material that it ships with?
forest pond
or i should say am I blind is there not a grand prize
tranquil matrix
@proper fox "DefaultMaterial" is specifically the default engine material
proper fox
ah, thanks
tranquil matrix
You can use default materials, just not "DefaultMaterial" 😉
sonic echo
basically the checkerboard pattern
modern tide
@tranquil matrix Unfortunately, getting no-such-user errors from Assembla when I try to connect to my perforce repo. I can reach out to their tech support I suppose.
tranquil matrix
@modern tide They have live chat that's usually pretty responsive
modern tide
Can you point me toward them?
Ah, on the site, I see. There's a "find an answer yourself" or "send us a message." I will do that, thanks.
tranquil matrix
*scrambling to log in" Cool 🙂
forest pond
@tranquil matrix other than the 3 finalist awards is there a grand prize award?
is there a reason everyone is ignoring me?
frail beacon
@forest pond i think this jam the "grandest" prize is for army of one
distant ibex
DefaultMaterial that you shouldn't have on things.
sudden totem
the theme not open for me the last part
forest pond
hmm but that says for best solo developer
frail beacon
yeah
forest pond
that doesn't mean, a person vs a team?
sonic echo
Yeah, I'm going solo. Deffiently be cool to win the Gaming PC, I plan on getting one anyway.
frail beacon
yes
rugged plaza
I always solo. I have no idea what I am gonna do though
frail beacon
excepting the last mega jam the pc has always gone to only one person on the winning team (which could have been just one person anyway)
forest pond
ooooooohhhh very confusing. I knew they only gave out one PC, but to word it for the best "solo" developer suggested they were for solo artists, not team devs
frail beacon
this time it is solo
strong river
Looks like the PC is for the Army of One Award, which goes to a solo developer.
rugged plaza
Exactly
frail beacon
what i mean is previously there was always only one pc given out
frail beacon
same
strong river
Mood
sudden totem
i dont know any awards or anything
rugged plaza
@frail beacon I think they gave the PC to a random person from the top 3 teams
forest pond
is it bad I laugh at my own jokes?
broken axle
im not liking this theme
frail beacon
@rugged plaza you're right i meant teamS
forest pond
the theme goes great with my game idea
sudden totem
normally you get the things what is in stake so it boost to get idea
broken axle
good for you my game idea is complete crap
rugged plaza
It doesnt go with my idea at all
distant ibex
@forest pond No bc I do it all the time
strong river
This is the listing for this year and it lists awards: https://itch.io/jam/2020-unreal-spring-jam
broken axle
I dont even know if imma be able to finish it will be my first time creating a controller game
forest pond
aww don't feel that way, keep writing it out.... physically... with a pen/pencil. surprisingly that helps
broken axle
yea Ik I have a whiteboard that I use
sudden totem
you have those, I dont have those anymore
rugged plaza
I use sticky notes. My desk looks like a llama
forest pond
..... look at the fancy one with the whiteboard 😛
broken axle
hehe
forest pond
ok i have to create my final boss.... maybe i'll make it my ex gf
rugged plaza
So a puzzle game where the story is revealed basically is in theme?
broken axle
waht
strong river
I usually go with notecards so I can freely rearrange them
forest pond
the theme does't have to be literal
broken axle
ik hm I might have a different idea
wintry vine
wait does the game have to be controller compatible?
forest pond
@strong river that's a great idea
strong river
nope
broken axle
I was thinking about doing a skiing sim where u pick up stuff that people dropped from lifts after the snow thaws
I think ill do something else
forest pond
QUESTION: was there an underlying "understood" theme? like space cats last year
rugged plaza
They didnt mention it
forest pond
oh weirdd
sudden totem
well it got like all the thing you saw
distant ibex
There was no stream so there was no explanation or examples
sudden totem
even theme was down to earth
forest pond
OH THERE WASN'T A STREAM?
distant ibex
nope
forest pond
is it because fo the virus?
rugged plaza
They just posted the theme and never livestreamed
glass fossil
Experienced programmer looking for experienced team to have some fun during the jam! Hit me up on priv.
strong river
What do you mean "understood"?
forest pond
understood - they usually have a 2nd joke theme... an you get extra points if you include it
strong river
Ah
civic dock
I don't recall them ever having a "2nd joke theme".
Space Cats was a special modifier category that happened one time.
It was based on an inside joke from the live streams.
forest pond
^
strong river
What were the types of games that won previously?
feral wind
the games that win, are the games that the developer has grown a lot with! 🙂
time to brush up on them sweet Snowy materials
civic dock
@strong river The winners from the previous jam are linked here at the top of the page: https://itch.io/jam/2019-epic-megajam
On the Overiew tab, scroll down past the image.
We also posted all the winners and honorable mentions here: https://discordapp.com/channels/187217643009212416/219921396795572226/654799219022102528
sudden totem
that image show the space cats thing
strong river
Thanks @civic dock
civic dock
I'm excited to see what people make this time around. The theme is great, lots of room for interpretation.
smoky canopy
I can't think of anything 😦 maybe when I wake up tomorrow I'll have something
glass fossil
Guys, any website to look for team? I couldn't find any link to this team forge or whatever it was called.
civic dock
@glass fossil Crowdforge.io is no longer available, but you can find a team in #game-jam-lfg!
glass fossil
Thank you!
I completely missed that channel, uh.
Did crowdforge close its operation?
austere jolt
does anyone know when or if there will be a second joke theme this time?
somber hazel
I like this theme 🙂
sonic echo
Oh is it recomended to have your Itch.io game page set up and perpared and already submitted for the GameJam
instead of waiting for the game to be completed
civic dock
@austere jolt There is no secondary theme that I'm aware of.
tranquil matrix
No special category with a secondary team - That was special for the last Megajam
Uh, theme
rugged plaza
OMG I have like a great idea for a game but it is so out of scope I dont think I have time to finish it
minor hemlock
isn't that the plot of skifree
gloomy palm
@rugged plaza You can find 4 guys for finishing )
rugged plaza
@gloomy palm nah solo. I dont wanna waste anyone elses time lol
gloomy palm
@rugged plaza I will enjoy watching your streams with chips 🥳
sonic echo
@tranquil matrix So just checking should and can I make a Iitch.io page of the game I'm making for the GameJam and submit it to the GameJam today
tranquil matrix
Yes
sonic echo
so even give a description of what the game is and such as well
minor hemlock
yes, you'll even get a nice bit of traffic!
sonic echo
pluss proof you created the idea first or something before someone trys and takes it if it happens
minor hemlock
I think you'll still easily be in the first page of entries if you have a page up 2 days before the end
are jams about the idea or the implementation 🙃 or both
sonic echo
I can just put Working Title and just update the games name later
obtuse imp
btw, is the 1gb limit simply for the zipped up game on itch? (eg once it unzipped it may/may not be slightly larger)
civic dock
Yes, if you're uploading via the web it must be 1GB or smaller. You can contact itch staff to have that increased to 2GB.
sonic echo
oh it says on the GameJam page, upload your game first to the itch.io page before submitting the game to the Jam
civic dock
Or you can use their butler command-line tool and upload up to 30GB, and get patching features.
sudden totem
so pfist going to enter too?
civic dock
@sonic echo Yes! Very important to remember that you have to submit your game when it's done.
Joining the jam just registers your participation.
I don't know why, but every time there are people who join the jam but never submit their game. 😅
@sudden totem Yes.
sonic echo
well basically can't just submit a work in progress Itch.io page and then update it with a game near the end of the Jam
static trellis
I am making like making textures and everything.
still walrus
sonic echo
I have the idea, I'm mostly planning and brainstorming it, and might do some prototyping in a few hours
So can't submit a almost blank itch.io page to the game jam, and just update it with a game near the end of the Jam
civic dock
I'm not sure actually, maybe you can. I never do so I don't know. 🤔
distant ibex
Is moral support a position on a team? 😛
civic dock
I want to make something spooky and lonely, so I'm trying to come up with ideas around that.
distant ibex
cabin in the woods during winter
minor hemlock
@distant ibex if your team accepts you for that position then yes 😛
civic dock
Yeah, that sounds cool. I have lots of ideas for a cool setting, but I'm trying to come up with a mechanic/goal.
minor hemlock
ultimately the submitter has to list the team members 🤣
static trellis
I think my idea is realistic and made by only me + I hope it will work
civic dock
Fantastic.
static trellis
I am almost sure my game is less than 1 GB
distant ibex
Some of us wouldn't mind being on a team and not given credit just to see the process of how teams do game jams
civic dock
@static trellis Awesome, good luck!
minor hemlock
what's the command for unrealbot?
civic dock
@distant ibex Maybe you can also help out by finding resources, searching for tutorials, etc.
!gameidea
glass fossil
Want game ideas? Send me a DM!
sudden totem
I could get idea but cant work on it
civic dock
DM the bot gameidea
minor hemlock
bruh
sudden totem
being sick and machines what i have got some heat strokes so not ideal
civic dock
@minor hemlock The help command doesn't work in DMs (it's annoying). Why did you type "gif idea"? 🤔
minor hemlock
because you hadn't yet said to DM the bot gameidea 😛
hearty ferry
When I'm participating in the jams I can never think of any ideas - now that I'm too busy to participate I just peeked at the theme and immediately knew what I'd make... Might have to try a 24-hour jam this weekend or something 😄
wet rivet
i gotta admit that seems like a good game idea
minor hemlock
gif me idea 
civic dock
Oh lol
sudden totem
that bot need game ideas made to gif
glass fossil
@civic dock, Sent you a DM with information.
civic dock
The new bot will not have this issue.
minor hemlock
these are surprisingly coherent
A simulation game where you scare demons to unlock a mysterious door in a graveyard and you only have a few minutes to live.
civic dock
I'm bummed I didn't finish it in time for the jam. It's got a better idea generator.
minor hemlock
except for the simulation bit
civic dock
Wow, that one sounds pretty cool actually (agreed, minus the sim bit).
In retrospect, the idea generator would be much better without the genre injected.
I wrote my own NPM module for the new bot's game idea generator, and it's easily customizable, so people will be able to use it in their own Node.js apps.
It allows you to build your own templates. 😄
sudden totem
now think for integrations for things like get gamejam theme so bot generate idea and use the gamejam theme for it
minor hemlock
a simulation game where you fight entropy to keep your dead victims buried
neat leaf
steam best seller idea: anime game where you sweet talk your waifu from her parka down to her bikini. where sel at?
static trellis
I really hope that I win.. it will really motivate me for the real game I am doing.
I hope my idea is well innovated.
stiff pawn
!help
glass fossil
@stiff pawn, Sent you a DM with information.
static trellis
!help
glass fossil
@static trellis, Sent you a DM with information.
livid quiver
!help
glass fossil
@livid quiver, Sent you a DM with information.
stiff pawn
it didn't work at all
heavy moon
@static trellis What's the idea? haha
static trellis
Secret
heavy moon
but y
static trellis
I found it the moment I saw the theme haha.
civic dock
Still a work in progress, but here's a sneak peek at the new game idea generator:
heavy moon
could make it kinda like that white bear black mirror ep
civic dock
Favorite from that batch:
You're walking home and suddenly find yourself surrounded by startup founders - All you have is a bag of dumbbells
static trellis
Wait, but how is dumpling related with the theme. Just wanna know. Continue the good work
neat leaf
pops collar
heavy moon
what's inside the dumpling cannot hide forever
civic dock
@static trellis Not related to the theme, just showing a preview of the new bot's idea generator. 😄
heavy moon
spider dumplings
civic dock
Wow, this batch is really good:
heavy moon
surrounded by cosmic horrors - all you have is a bag of love I like this one as well
civic dock
Yeah haha. So good.
twilit perch
hello ya'll🤠
hollow bay
is "snowing" also a different name for the white noice on tv's in english, or is that a dutch thing?
civic dock
I'm American and I've heard it referred to as "snow" before. 🙂
Even when I was a kid.
neat leaf
canada too
hollow bay
then i think i have quite the fun idea i think 😄
civic dock
Excellent. 😄
sonic echo
Still debating if I should present my Itch.io game Page with the games concept and weather I should submit it to the gamejam and just update it with the game when the jam is near the end
civic dock
I would recommend leaving the page blank until you submit the game.
What would be the advantage of putting your game's concept up on the page now?
sonic echo
guess to have proof you created the game concept in case someone take the idea you might share
civic dock
I wouldn't worry about that, but it's up to you.
sonic echo
I guess
civic dock
Just don't spend too much time debating it. Focus on making a cool game. 🙂
untold owl
quick question,does anybody know how to make a flying sword in ue4 ??
rugged plaza
Wrong channel, check in #blueprint
untold owl
thanks
rugged plaza
We are kind of under pressure lol
untold owl
im using it for my game jam projecy
still osprey
Sounds interesting. Not gonna lie
rugged plaza
The band or the food Bread lol
civic dock
lol
static trellis
I am stressed hehe.
static trellis
Same
cedar spindle
Yolo
cedar spindle
I think it's okay to have big ideas as long as there is an mvp version that you can get to first
We'll have to see lol
rugged plaza
@cedar spindle my game has turned into an 8 part epic adventure story lol.
Today I wrote the basic story and the GDD. Tomorrow I code. Then art. Then build levels. Then if I have time, embellish the story on a major way.
I'm making a cartoon cell shaded game though, so almost any artwork can be made to fit 🤩
My game will have 3d side scrolling platform puzzles, shooting, and also top down flying shoot em up action 😆
Aaaaand mystery 😬
wintry vine
Does the game have to be controller compatible?
smoky canopy
no
rugged plaza
Yeah definitely dont try it then. If the axis are wrong itd be a mess to someone trying to play lol
I use a PS4 controller connected, using DS4Windows
distant ibex
Melting ice could release ancient viruses hidden in glaciers... hmmm... news headline from 2017 or game idea?
rugged plaza
@distant ibex dont give 2020 any ideas
cedar spindle
@rugged plaza sounds cool. Yeah I'm also likely going to rely on some post process stuff to make my art easier.
minor hemlock
My AC won't be fixed until Tuesday omg
Guess I'll do a lot of paper dev in preparation for spending an hour in the office while it's still cool inside 🤣
civic dock
Oh man, no AC? Is it hot there right now? 😰
static trellis
Jeez. My game has almost nothing and it is 2 GB already. wth
Wait tho. My unreal is 1kb but the other files are way more
civic dock
🤔
dawn lily
@static trellis ,are you checking the outer folder size? because that takes into account the .vs folder which grows with indexing the code
static trellis
I checked like the folder which has the name of my project
dawn lily
yeah it's probably the the visual studio folder .vs that gets created
minor hemlock
@civic dock office is 85f and very humid right now
The worst part is how survivable it is lol
civic dock
Oof. 😦
calm hornet
!help
glass fossil
@calm hornet, Sent you a DM with information.
rugged plaza
I'm just gonna leave this here https://youtu.be/zsJAdHwTd40
velvet hound
So to be clear, we are not limited by a 1 gb limit if we use their butler tool to upload our zip?
I mean contest wise, when I first read the rules I assumed we all had a 1gb limit.
rugged plaza
Not that anyone might want that this week 😜
dawn lily
!help
glass fossil
@dawn lily, Sent you a DM with information.
tropic walrus
!help
glass fossil
@tropic walrus, Sent you a DM with information.
tropic walrus
I keep having ideas for the theme but I can't come up with one that would actually be fun
Every idea I come up with could just as easily be a WoW side quest
rugged plaza
Doesnt have to be a FPS/TPS you can make any kind of game you want
feral wind
just make a game where this is the most horrifying thing you ever see.
rugged plaza
Ram tough
stray moth
do anybody had idea that what does the game jam topic mean
rugged plaza
Means whatever you want it to, within reason
rugged plaza
Means things are not always what they seem. Means sometimes things are hidden from view until the right circumstance. Etc
feral wind
so the phrase "What is hidden in snow Comes Forth in the Thaw"
a good take on it, is a wall of ice thats melting, and whats behind it?
and what ever is behind it can be what ever you want.
stray moth
@feral wind @rugged plaza thanks to both of you
feral wind
it'll most definitely be snow related
tropic walrus
And it'll definitely be an MMO side quest
Your options either like "find things that are revealed" or "collect things that are revealed" or "shoehorn snow into a game idea that has nothing to do with snow" or some stupid sappy garbage about finding yourself because of a memory you forgot and found in the snow or something
Maybe it's my lame brain but this idea seems pretty friggen contrived
stray moth
yep this idea seems pretty friggen contrived
tropic walrus
Melt snow it's fun
stray moth
yes
tropic walrus
I'm angry I've been thinking about this for 5 hours
I'm making tea biscuits and not Thinking about it anymore
I'll enter the next jam instead
glass pendant
I'm angry I've been thinking about this for 5 hours
@tropic walrus It's the hardest theme to think an idea around that i've ever encountered for sure
hollow bay
Its so much better than the last jam i intended to enter though
That just had "shoot em up" as theme
tropic walrus
Yeah
Too specific and too vague are two sides of the same crappy fence
I wasn't kidding I am now making tea biscuits
Maybe I'll just enter a game that has a picture of my tea biscuits as the game and that's it
My anger lies beneath snow so I made these instead
glass pendant
I'm more disappointed in there not being any intro video. That usually is a great way to start thinking with the prompts
rugged plaza
Yeah they kind of left us in the dark... which is another take in the theme 🤔
glass pendant
👀
rugged plaza
I always try to incorporate the theme in multiple ways, though.
glass pendant
i tried to, but couldnt agree with the only other person on my team
sooooo
we are making one that is borderline not incorporating it
haahaha
hollow bay
Damnit, my automated machine fully powers off with any 4.25 build i make....
I guess that means manual builds for the jam
civic dock
I'm leaning towards a short horror game where you're working a lonely job in the winter by yourself.
Maybe an arctic research base, or a winter caretaker in a national park or hotel.
I'm gonna sleep on it. G'night and good luck, folks!
zenith gust
8 hours of workday then time to get started, yet to pick an idea though 😄
Anyone that's got any early progress already?
dawn lily
still stuck in the idea phase, unfortunately..
zenith gust
Happens to most of us ^^
zenith gust
The criteria is "unique use of theme", so something extremely literal could be unique too 😉
rugged plaza
🤔
hardy rune
scarlet gulch
Are we allowed to use external assets and assets from marketplace in this jam as long as we have license to use them?
marble zenith
Yes, though you have to mention what was sourced in your submission
crisp rose
gawd its hard to think of idea
marsh oxide
i wish i could use chaos for this game jam but apparently building engine from source takes too long and can't figure it out how to make it work without errors 😄
harsh oasis
What is hidden in snow comes forth in the thaw.. .. What exactly this proverb mean??
crystal tree
Something along the lines of "hidden things" will come out eventually. In the context of the girl with the dragon tattoo that would be a murder mystery being solved
I took the theme as "its spring, time to forage for grass and things from under the snow 😆 "
👀 mysteries, ancient tombs!
azure flicker
@harsh oasis it means "secrets will eventually be revealed"
just like if you hide something in the snow during winter, in the spring the snow will melt and that something will come out.
distant ibex
thought about it all yesterday and slept on it and still stuck on ideas 😦
Just 2 things pop up. Murder Mystery or melting ice to reveal stuff
the first one just doesn't seem right for a game jam as it will take too long to form a story I think and it seems very niche
dawn lily
my problem is with the final objective
i'm struggling to have a purpose to keep the game going with the ideas i got so far
distant ibex
May I should just make a Frozen 2 game. That movie actually uses the theme in 2 ways.
sadly that's is actually my best idea yet...
glad wing
okay I’m glad to see I’m not the only one struggling with the theme, it’s -so- specific
one of the least-worst ideas I had was to make some kind of top-down strategy game about animating plant golems to bring spring to a frozen park
glad wing
but I don’t know the first thing about strategy games
static maple
a person mentioned yesterday think as "Everything will be uncovered"
or something like "Even if you keep a secret, at one point it will go out"
glad wing
yeah, there is the more abstract angle
static maple
i was on something like planting some king of flower on a level, and wen the spring come all the flower to Bloom
jezz my expresions are shit wen i read them...
zenith gust
1.5 more hours of work, then I get to start, but I still don't know what I'll go with
Got some vague concepts though
static maple
😆
sonic echo
Just checking using assets to help develop the game doesn't effect the views on the game along it doesn't effect your chances in possibly winning the prize?
distant ibex
any assets you use will be viewed as if you don't have it there
fresh topaz
wow this theme makes it pretty difficult to come up with something original
marsh oxide
Translation: What is hidden in snow is revealed at thaw.
Meaning: Things lied about or concealed are often eventually revealed.
Source: Grenholm (2000), p. 320``` i think you can interpret any wayYa I can just think of melting snow/ice to reveal something. Or just a mystery game.
rugged plaza
My brain trying to explain my blueprints to my eyes
distant ibex
lol
fresh topaz
all we have are multiplayer ideas and no time to implement them lol
distant ibex
I just keep thinking Narrative games, and that is not one of my skills
dawn lily
i also believe the theme is quite restricting as others have mentioned, but let's not give up
sonic echo
Not sure if it makes much sense, especally if an asset you use helps makes the games main mechanic
crisp rose
so it is allowed to use any existing assets but will not be included in the judging?
feral wind
I gotta master that Retargeting technique
I'm not animating two characters this game jam
sonic echo
Still curous on what about an Programing Asset that help creates the games main mechanic
distant ibex
Did you read the rules page?
sonic echo
I have reading issues so they don't fully connect
glass fossil
the rules in most jams are not very specific you can use premade assets (you must tell them ) but the real question is how much is too much
distant ibex
usually you avoid using actual code/blueprints
glass fossil
i agree on that but is it to much to use ec paragon character too? or 4 k nature assets?
distant ibex
I wouldn't do that. It will make your game too large
you have to get it compressed under 1gb
sonic echo
the blueprint I have, happens to help create the games main mechanic, and well the questions fall, on I could try and recreate the code from scratch, but cause I'm still not an experet I would most likely use the Programing asset as a reference, but then would using an asset just as a reference count in the rules of useing an asset
distant ibex
that's a very specific question only someone who runs the event could answer. But my thought, if it feels like it's a complicated question you probably shouldn't do it.
but I could be wrong and it's fine.
vapid thistle
I think it probably would. It I take a texture and use it as a base I would still have to declare that I had used the original texture
Otherwise what would stop you from just copying and pasting stuff from other projects
distant ibex
I really wish they would have done a kick off stream for this...would have helped a lot
sonic echo
I think instead of using the asset, I'll try a different meathoud on creating the program and I'll look up some toturial sites
zenith gust
Declare assets you use or base your things on, and you can then be judged on how you transform said asset, or if you don't change it then you can be judged on how you use it or your composition
sonic echo
yeah, but as I look at modifing the asset, I am seeing some issues so might try a different way to make the mechanic
crisp rose
does quixel megascans assets won't make it to the judging?
distant ibex
nope
basically you won't get points for anything you don't make yourself during the game jam
sonic echo
I think just to be safe I'm gonna not use the asset and just develop build the mechanic from scratch and just use some How to Videos to help me make them
minor hemlock
Use assets that help you make the game you want to make, don't use assets that will waste your time 👏
You can go through the winners of previous Epic jams on itch and see how many/what kind of assets they've used too
(like if I was going to have interactable stuff I'd just pop in @pine fulcrums interaction pack and move on with my precious time 👀 )
sturdy stag
Sorry, misclicked
rugged plaza
Most of my programming done so I can try to make art work for me today 💩
Gotta figure out how to make this guy stand out more
white rapids
i am giving up 
frozen python
br?
static trellis
I am so stressed.
white rapids
i dont have any idea anyore, even if i have it i wont have enough
time to make it
static trellis
I am stressed since this is the first game jam I am in and I do not want to mess up
Like I am stressed for the size.
I do not want it to be too big.
tranquil matrix
You're only competing with yourself - the prizes are just a bonus
Came here to share this free library of Ambisonics from Rode (creative commons): https://library.soundfield.com/
velvet hound
Basically you just need to make a demo that shows unique gameplay and obviously incorporates the theme.
static trellis
Yeah.
I want it to be realistic mine.
I think I can get it bug I am just stressed of it's size.
velvet hound
@tranquil matrix So to be clear, we are not limited by a 1 gb limit if we use their butler tool to upload our zip?
I mean contest wise, when I first read the rules I assumed we all had a 1gb limit.
static trellis
Same.
tranquil matrix
There's no max size requirement for the contest
static trellis
Oh.
velvet hound
👏
static trellis
That is perfect then.
tranquil matrix
But there are many reasons why you should keep your project size small
static trellis
What are the reasons?
tranquil matrix
The main one for me that's important during a game jam is to reduce the amount of time it takes to package and manage the project
static trellis
Oh okay.
tranquil matrix
If you start adding 10s of marketplace packs but only use one asset here or there - If you don't manually exclude assets in project settings from being cooked, packaging will take longer and the file size will increase which increases upload times etc
I never add a full marketplace pack to my projects - I have a separate "MarketplaceMigrate" project that I add them to, and I then pick the individual ones I want to use and migrate them to the "real" project
static trellis
Oh smart.
velvet hound
I do the same
static trellis
I just finished the like game that I wanted to do. Il redo it with more detail and improvements.
minor hemlock
The second reason is that uploading 30 gigs on the final day is going to cause premature heart failure
static trellis
Hi, do we need to write all of the things that we used in bridge?
white rapids
Any way to get an unique idea? I am just bad at making any ideas at all
analog walrus
Just going into project settings and setting the maps to package will go a long way to speeding up packaging.
crude ether
@white rapids just think of what you like, getting idea straight out of a head is really difficult. Think about movies you like, books, games. What exactly do you like about them. Try to combine your likings
create a metaphor on things, think about it, I do it kinda like that
If you start adding 10s of marketplace packs but only use one asset here or there - If you don't manually exclude assets in project settings from being cooked, packaging will take longer and the file size will increase which increases upload times etc
@tranquil matrix if you will choose what maps to cook, project will just cook assets that being used on maps, therefore not taking all of the assets in the project, no need to manually exclude each asset
white rapids
Thank you, I will try them now, dazvolt
crude ether
yw 🙂
tranquil matrix
That’s a good way to do it - And you don’t need to include sub levels in the maps to cook, they will be cooked if the persistent level they’re part of is
crude ether
yup ^_^
cedar spindle
Also it's tempting to add lots of packs, but it often only ends up making your scene look like a patchwork. Unless you spend time making something that pulls it altogether like a new master material, post process, or lots of manual tweaks. If I can I try to stick to a pack or two, or edit heavily to make everything feel cohesive. It's also difficult to 'think' (for lack of a better word) when you have tons of stuff imported. Careful project folder structuring can help but personally I still find tons of pack folders mentally wearing. 😄
But that might just be me
rugged plaza
I usually organize around it.
Pull what you need out of the marketplace pack folders, but I rename all of the folders Z_(name). Takes a good little bit to move a lot but it is easy to see what is what
Then all my folders are first, and in order.
civic dock
I've settled on a good idea. Now I'm just digging through the Marketplace packs I have to piece together the environment I need. It's a bit challenging doing so only with the assets I already have.
But the challenge is also kind of fun.
minor hemlock
We have AC fixed early so it's kind of nice and refreshing to have so much paper design done in advance and now only need to implement 😂
civic dock
Nice.
I'm working on my story right now since the whole game will be built around it.
I'm making a short story horror game about a guy who's a winter caretaker for a national park. 😄