What changed
0 fixes6 additions1 change0 removals
addedInstruments of Destruction version 1.1 is finally here. It's been much longer than I originally anticipated to release this update, and I want to apologize for the longer-than-expected delay. It arrives with a new trailer to showcase both the update and the announcement of the console versions' release date:
changedThe console version is nearly done, but is coming in late March mostly because I'm unsure how long the certification process will take. I'll talk about the console versions in more detail another time, but the console porting process for Instruments has been fairly intense. Alan handled a lot of the optimization work (he's handling the PS5 port), while I did a bit more once I finally got my Xbox dev kit fully functional.
addedThe console version isn't the only reason why it's taken so long to get version 1.1 done. Working on Fireball 2 took some time, and a new Speed Demons game took even more. That project is a story for another day. I haven't even mentioned Rhythm Storm, which has received the least amount of attention. But I did work on it a bit recently. In December, I worked on all 4 games to get them running on Xbox.
addedIt's obvious now, but 4 projects is 2 projects too many to juggle. I wanted to release all four in 2024, but got burnt out by finishing Instruments 1.0 on PC. Then Fireball 2 bloated a bit, the SD project got WAY bigger than originally planned, and I never focused on finishing anything. Having two projects to work on still makes sense to me, particularly when one is a "side project", but 3 or more is where I've felt overwhelmed. I'll continue writing up my ideas for new games, but no more prototyping them until I'm ready to handle them ballooning into a side project.
addedThe art style in Instruments of Destruction evolved quite a bit from where it started in 2020. But the improvement since then doesn't reflect the excessive amount of time I've spent on the visuals. I've tried a lot of different values and variations of nearly every art element and visual effect. And that has continued with version 1.1, which brings not one but two "new" art style presets.
addedIf I had to choose, I'm not sure which of the 3 art style presets I prefer. "Classic" is what version 1.0 launched with, plus a few minor changes. "Normal" is the new default, and adds a lot more saturation and black outlines around most objects, making it look similar to cel-shaded graphics. "Comic" is like Normal with a new full-screen filter and tweaks to particles. The trailer above shows the game almost exclusively with the Normal art style.
Instruments of Destruction changes
addedInstruments of Destruction version 1.1 is finally here. It's been much longer than I originally anticipated to release this update, and I want to apologize for the longer-than-expected delay. It arrives with a new trailer to showcase both the update and the announcement of the console versions' release date:
changedThe console version is nearly done, but is coming in late March mostly because I'm unsure how long the certification process will take. I'll talk about the console versions in more detail another time, but the console porting process for Instruments has been fairly intense. Alan handled a lot of the optimization work (he's handling the PS5 port), while I did a bit more once I finally got my Xbox dev kit fully functional.
addedThe console version isn't the only reason why it's taken so long to get version 1.1 done. Working on Fireball 2 took some time, and a new Speed Demons game took even more. That project is a story for another day. I haven't even mentioned Rhythm Storm, which has received the least amount of attention. But I did work on it a bit recently. In December, I worked on all 4 games to get them running on Xbox.
addedIt's obvious now, but 4 projects is 2 projects too many to juggle. I wanted to release all four in 2024, but got burnt out by finishing Instruments 1.0 on PC. Then Fireball 2 bloated a bit, the SD project got WAY bigger than originally planned, and I never focused on finishing anything. Having two projects to work on still makes sense to me, particularly when one is a "side project", but 3 or more is where I've felt overwhelmed. I'll continue writing up my ideas for new games, but no more prototyping them until I'm ready to handle them ballooning into a side project.
addedThe art style in Instruments of Destruction evolved quite a bit from where it started in 2020. But the improvement since then doesn't reflect the excessive amount of time I've spent on the visuals. I've tried a lot of different values and variations of nearly every art element and visual effect. And that has continued with version 1.1, which brings not one but two "new" art style presets.
Instruments of Destruction version 1.1 is finally here. It's been much longer than I originally anticipated to release this update, and I want to apologize for the longer-than-expected delay. It arrives with a new trailer to showcase both the update and the announcement of the console versions' release date:
The console version is nearly done, but is coming in late March mostly because I'm unsure how long the certification process will take. I'll talk about the console versions in more detail another time, but the console porting process for Instruments has been fairly intense. Alan handled a lot of the optimization work (he's handling the PS5 port), while I did a bit more once I finally got my Xbox dev kit fully functional.
Too Many Projects
The console version isn't the only reason why it's taken so long to get version 1.1 done. Working on Fireball 2 took some time, and a new Speed Demons game took even more. That project is a story for another day. I haven't even mentioned Rhythm Storm, which has received the least amount of attention. But I did work on it a bit recently. In December, I worked on all 4 games to get them running on Xbox.
It's obvious now, but 4 projects is 2 projects too many to juggle. I wanted to release all four in 2024, but got burnt out by finishing Instruments 1.0 on PC. Then Fireball 2 bloated a bit, the SD project got WAY bigger than originally planned, and I never focused on finishing anything. Having two projects to work on still makes sense to me, particularly when one is a "side project", but 3 or more is where I've felt overwhelmed. I'll continue writing up my ideas for new games, but no more prototyping them until I'm ready to handle them ballooning into a side project.
And all of my recent projects have had a common problem: Feeling uncertainty about the art style.
Which Bear (Art Style) is Best?
The art style in Instruments of Destruction evolved quite a bit from where it started in 2020. But the improvement since then doesn't reflect the excessive amount of time I've spent on the visuals. I've tried a lot of different values and variations of nearly every art element and visual effect. And that has continued with version 1.1, which brings not one but two "new" art style presets.
If I had to choose, I'm not sure which of the 3 art style presets I prefer. "Classic" is what version 1.0 launched with, plus a few minor changes. "Normal" is the new default, and adds a lot more saturation and black outlines around most objects, making it look similar to cel-shaded graphics. "Comic" is like Normal with a new full-screen filter and tweaks to particles. The trailer above shows the game almost exclusively with the Normal art style.
There's some sort of style-fatigue at play in my brain, as I seem to always prefer the "new" style when I change the preset in Instruments. And when I check out old versions of my games that have had multiple art styles, I rarely feel like there's a big improvement once the basic elements are set. I don't mind working on the art of my games, but it's rarely an efficient use of my time.
Aside from realizing I'm spending too much time tweaking art to be different (rather than better), I think my most important realization of the last year is that aiming for a more "realistic" art style takes quite a
