IT’S A PROCESS, RIGHT?
I started Cold Comfort back in January of 2016 and have been tinkering away at it at a steady pace. In just the past few months however, more and more people started joining the project, and if you can believe it, there are now 20 of us. My primary focus in the beginning was making sure that the look and the feel of the IP was right. It may seem like a minor thing, and most game development publications will tell you that this method is completely wrong way of going about the development process, and that the structure of the game needs to be set first and foremost, and then the “look” will be slathered on-top of the mechanics.
My initial idea was to create the “illusion” of an IP, set up the world and concept and build the game mechanics and functionality around that, quasi reverse engineering if you will. As someone with absolutely no game development experience, I knew from the get-go that doing this on my own would be an impossible task, and the only way to get people motivated and interested in Cold Comfort was to pitch it to them from a marketing perspective.
Nobody is going to invest time and effort into a project if the “visionary” is just sitting on his ass, and says “I have a great idea for a game guys!” Yeah, everybody has an idea, hell my MOM even told me her idea for a game once I told her what I’m doing now (facepalm) ) but putting your idea together in a easily digestible form is the key. Will it work? Who knows! All I know is that having 20 people on the team now is an attest that this methodology works, at least for now.
CODING MAGIC
Presently we have two full-time coders on the team, and these guys are like hardcore workaholics and major geeks- to be honest, I only understand about half the stuff they’re talking about ( Ok, ok, maybe 20%).
The last few weeks they’ve been busy with the basic framework, as well as setting up the dedicated server and playable character integration. The major challenge at the moment is to get a smooth “Lazy Aiming System” which is almost finalized.
The immediate goal is to get a playable demo (at least coded) by the end of the summer, which is a very daunting task considering the scope and the multiplayer aspects. It’s a lofty goal, and we’re on it, but no promises.
IN-GAME PRODUCTS
Programming, creating 3D assets, rigging, animating are the core of any game. However the world of any immersive setting is contingent upon many factors. One aspect that we feel is important is the usage of custom game specific in-game products. Don’t get me wrong here, we’re not planning on selling anything to you in game, we’re simply talking about products that exist only in the world of Cold Comfort. Whether it’s a sugar infused carbonated beverage, a smooth refreshing beer, or a variety of companies and services, having them in the game, will hopefully add depth and richness to game world and story.
GREYBOXING
After much debate, we’ve decided to go with greyboxing. Greyboxing is a process used by game developers to quickly get a sense of a level’s layout and playability without wasting too much time. As Cold Comfort is a multiplayer game, the gameplay is first and foremost on our minds. We want to have an engaging, interesting and above all, FUN experience. Sure, it’s gotta look great, but the “look” comes only secondary to game playability. Substance over Style.
WEAPONS and STUFF
How many weapons are too many? Well, we’re busy adding more and more weapons all the time, so we may well reach the point of armament saturation at one point, but until then, the more the merrier, I say!
For now, you can feast your eyes on the plethora of melee weapons that you’ll be able to use during the Close Alpha (more on that in a later post!). The firearms section is under lock and key for now, but we’ll be rolling out some updates soon, so stay tuned.
Of course, if you don’t like reading and stuff, you COULD just watch our weapons teaser video right HERE.
GAMMA PRIME CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The mutation of the Gamma Strain affects individuals differently. Whereas the majority of the infected populous succumbs to the rapid progression of the mutation, others have been genetically altered, thus creating the Gamma Prime. These subjects have varying abilities and skills, and have been classified as mutants. Presently there are a total of five genetic anomalies, however there have been rumors of more.
Above is a WIP of Arachna, one of the Gamma Prime.
ICONS and ACHIEVEMENTS
Establishing a stylistic and pragmatic HUD and UI help bring clarity into a very hectic gaming experience. The UI is your friend; having everything in its rightful, intuitive place, and avoiding clutter, gives the player a (false?) sense of security in an otherwise chaotic ordeal.
A well-designed UI can make all the difference when keeping track of important information like health, stamina, ammo, etc. assuring a good experience which gives the player that much for control; because knowing is half the battle.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY
Communities are awesome, right? Every company wants one! But where do you start and how to put the right pieces in the place from the beginning? Both, startups and larger organizations, have a problem building a community from scratch. Startups have a problem because they want to scale scale scale as much as possible. It’s all about growing as quickly as possible. The problem is, communities usually don’t work that way.
Larger organizations have a problem because they feel like they’re “established” and they have strong brand recognition. So they can throw money at it and BOOM, instant community. But you can’t build a community over night, the same way you can’t build a company over night. Both require that you give every small aspect of the larger goal your full attention, and build up toward your vision.
So you contact people and try to make a personal connection. You let them know about your Facebook page, steam group, forum or – as in our case – Discord. Introduce them to the group and help them get involved in the discussions. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Keep doing that until the discussions in your group are flowing smoothly. Keep at it until you feel that your users are connecting with each other and a true community is forming.
When it’s time you build more structure into your community program. You will know when – your community will tell you. It’s tempting for companies to think “I don’t have time to contact all of our players!”. It’s not contacting all of them. It’s contacting one. Then another. And another and another until it starts to grow organically. Eventually, it will. There’s no interaction too small to be worth your time when you’re trying to build a true community.
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