Paper, Pencils and Pumpkins

Hey guys! It feels like months since I last put fingers to keyboard to write a blog, has it really only been two weeks? A lot of time has passed, but has a lot happened? Let’s find out together as I try to recall the events of the last fortnight.

Those of you following the #EgoProblems twitter page might have caught a glimpse of a notebook full of scribbles. Well, that’s been my focus since last we spoke. It’s the Horde Bible, if you like. The design document that details everything that should be present in the game. I’ve roughed out the whole flow, made a start on some traps and whatnot, but most importantly, I’ve finally laid out the level structure, the zombie types, and the skins needed for the game.

This finally means I can plan around these cores, I don’t have to second guess everything; I know exactly how many zombies need unlocking, how many to unlock per world, and what type of zombies exist for each level. I’ve also mapped out what skins exist for each world (subject to change), and what type the skin will be for. I had originally planned on having each skin be applicable to each zombie type, but that would increase the number of required assets for the game tenfold. By making this cut, the number of assets required has decreased significantly, while still providing a myriad of skin choices in the game.

This process has also finally given me a list of goals to aim for, which is slowly becoming a task list on Trello. With any luck I’ll soon be back in the land of code and the added structure will give me focus enough to start making some real headway! Or I’ll rewrite the whole thing… y’know, just because. Of course, because most of it is pencil and paper, I do still have to digitise everything, but it was a welcome respite from the pc to just sit and think for a while.

SockMonkey work has been pretty steady. With the submissions finally out of the way, we’re settling back into the main project I’ve been on since the start, and things are starting to pick up pace once more. I might need to start work on a PS4 build soon, which is exciting, but would require another devkit. I’ve passed on the Switch mantle to John though, so I have need of something new! I look forward to the many unique problems posed by the console. Or dread. Look forward to or dread. One of those.

And finally, to get into the festive spirit, the #EgoHousehold is doing some pumpkin carving! The pumpkins aren’t finished yet, but expect updates across social media when they’re complete! In the meantime, here is a picture of the brutal reality of carving pumpkins…

Spooooky! Happy Halloween everyone! Or, if you are like me, and incapable of spelling, or are in fact Master Chief, Happy Haloween!

Matt out.