Things I Learned on My First Game

Are you a Junior Game Developer that wants to know more about what you should expect when designing a game? Do you want to know the best ways to innovate something or understand where the best places are to spend your limited amount of time? Then have a seat as we hear from a Junior Developer and what he's learned while working on his first game!

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♪ Outro Music: "Extra Extra Life" by Tiffany Roman

#ExtraCredits #Gaming #GameDesign

[aidanfleming]

I’m Aidan! That’s me! Big thanks to the EC team! Surreal to have my name on an episode after watching EC for the past 8-ish years.

[NerdSpeak]

I rode a horse once.
That aside, I’m just happy you guys aren’t ending Extra Credits. I think this channel split will be good in the long run. It’s just a little sad the original show is the one that got pushed to a new channel.

[FedoraKirb]

That “where to innovate” bit was a HUGE load off my chest. I’ve been so concerned because my game ideas don’t shake things up across the entire genre I’m working with, but instead just go “this would interesting to see in this genre, can it make for a better experience?” The idea of knowing _where_ to innovate seems like a skill that’s much more feasible to learn!

The segment of iterating reminds me of the “fail faster” and “fail better” videos you, and honestly… that’s a really good feeling, seeing my ideas be solidified. I’m currently in the process of getting feedback on combat in my game, and I realized that I can VASTLY improve the control scheme because of it; it was great to realize that, especially early on.

[DennerBob]

That bit about design thinking getting into your head is so real. I’ve found a few common real world design issues, like ambiguous doors, that talking about them seems like beating a dead horse to me. But when I mention it to a friend who doesn’t have design on the brain, it’s like a light goes off when they realize why they hate that door

[Kitsae_M]

As someone just starting out in a new junior design adjacent role I really appreciate this kind of perspective. It's sometimes very easy to get caught up with thinking that design is all about the big centrepiece that everyone engages with. But sometimes it's the little details or even the process improvements that can really drive a games design forward. So whether you're tidying up those wiki docs, cleaning up some old neglected scripts or simply strapping some armour to a horse it's all a meaningful contribution to the greater whole! Don't forget that!

[Nllz_]

Seeing iterations in games can be very interesting, especially if you know what it was iterated from. Take the horse, it was the first thing caught on a moving picture, and know we can see it gallop across multiple different franchises, each having their own take on horse travel, that often continues through their series.

[juanvaldivia]

This is really good advice honestly, I have tried many years to make a game and I grasped the concept of iteration really late on this journey, and many times I found myself deep in development but thinking to myself "what if did this differently?" and going back a few steps just to try something different without knowing if I would like it or not, so it really is better to get that early in the development process and not too late

[SnowFoxFilms]

That little girls laugh when she read the Horse sign made my day, haha, so incredibly wholesome, thank you for that

[redex]

You should totally make a video about the history of horses in gaming. Some of them feel frustrating to ride and others are a joy to explore the world on.

[lgob]

I love the power of storytelling in games! It's incredibly daunting, though; like a horse with so many different pieces, all designed to make it run; but at any point it could all fall apart. My invisible hat is tipped to all you designers for what you do. And a big thanks to Extra Credits for all your work helping teach new game designers. It's appreciated, y'all!

[henryyin]

Man, thinking about the past few years, Extra Credits has never failed to keep me entertained while teaching me. I love the game design side, but the history side of Extra Credits has always been my favorite. Afterall, it was the Genghis Khan series that introduced me to the adorable derpy horses you guys draw.

[vkwong]

Learning how to design has 100% rewired my perspectives on how I approach daily life, and those revelations are what makes and keeps it all fun. It's really exciting tuning my mind to random things like the functionality of various horse stable layouts and using that analysis to inform how I block out my own.

[IAmTechnoMaestro]

Part of the fun of designing things to start is to learn to horse around and see what works and what doesn't! Thank you for this insight into junior dev work!

[SymphonicPoet]

I used to horse around with game design a little. Your programs make me think it might be worth exploring further. But even if I never do, I've still learned something useful for my other design endeavors. Great stuff. Keep it up!

[snekula]

Feeling a bit hoarse and under the weather but these videos never fail to make me smile!

[brockmckelvey]

I would love some episodes from designers with diverse backgrounds sharing lessons they've learned

[AlanLaraLobo]

Glad to see this horse keeps running. Extra Credits is one of my favorite gamedev-related channels and I love that you give the gaming part it's own space. Thank you! :3

[alisonwright]

Iteration vs innovation is such an important point not just for game design but for several fields. I send my voice horse talking to teams and colleagues about the best way to improve efficiency in the workplace and with projects.

[animehater]

I don't have a horse in this race, but it's always fascinating hearing this advice.

[robsonleao]

The whole process of creating a game is something very meticulous.... you must see what came before, and then imagine how you can move forward while making it distinct enough to be a winner.... similar to breeding a specialized horse, some would say.