The 2.5 Year Quest to Save One Enemy in my Indie Game!

It's a great IDE, and I highly recommend it!

The reddit!

What's up, Gamers?
Here's a breakdown of how one enemy in my indie game went from completely terrible to one of the best enemies in the entire game!

The game that I'm developing as an indie game dev is called Isadora's Edge! A 2D Pixel Art platformer game, that I'm developing in the Godot Game Engine! If you're new to Godot or have any questions about Godot or game dev in general, feel free to ask me!

=== THE LOVELY AND TALENTED INSANDIO ===

=== HASHTAGS ===
#GameDev #IndieGame #Godot #GodotEngine #IndieGameDev #Vimjam #8BitsToInfinity #Vimlark #VimJam2 #VimJam2021 #Vimjam2021 #Devlog #GameDevlog #GameJam #GameJamDevlog #Jam #GMTK #GMTKJam2021 #GMTKJAM2022 #Indie #Game #Dev #IndieDev

[InboundShovel]

Also, if you haven't yet, follow Isadora's Edge on Kickstarter!
And wishlist Isadora's Edge on Steam!

Thank you, everyone!

[vuurmos]

Sometimes the solution is a lot closer and a lot easier than you think.

The solution: Study Hollow Knight

[Soumein]

Oh no. He's adding Hollow Knight enemies instinctively. Primal Aspid's confirmed.

[fafafafafafafa]

Not to throw too much at an already neatly refined enemy design, but consider this: What if Tetrii could spawn thorny vines in his general vicinity? They could target the player, forcing them to move, and perform some area denial by spawning multiples. This would make waiting it out and dodging the projectiles increasingly risky. Then hitting Tetrii could make him retract one thorny vine at a time. This could go well with his rooted theme and would incentivize the player to engage with him.

[QuentinaCandelaria]

It would be cool if you could hit Tetri's projectiles back at it from a distance, giving the player another option about how to fight the enemy.

[Eclectic]

I love your final thought: Play Testing and iteration.

I was feeling embarrassed because the game I’m working on has taking me longer and I’ve re-written many mechanics, making me believe I’m overthinking.
Now I realize my guts is telling me the gameplay didn’t feel fun.
How do you prevent overthinking and falling into perfectionism?

[EvelynFTTE]

As you were describing the enemy at the beginning, I instantly thought of the Devout Stalker from Hollow Knight *(is that what it's called? The guys you brought up at the end of the video)*

[rickysmurf]

Your YouTube shorts started popping up on my feed a little while back! Your earnestness is pretty endearing! I just wish listed your game on Steam and hope to play it on release! Good luck

[Googahgee]

Another great option for giving the player an ability to play around the shield would be if he had a high arc, slow-lobbed projectile. It would apply more space pressure on the player from afar, but they could hit it back into the shield to stagger him for an attack opening. Maybe he would take some extra damage, communicated via some particle effects or an exaggerated animation/damage sound. It would reward the slow, careful play style that just felt like a drag at the beginning of his development.

[darkeclipticheart]

awesome to see this process! the amount of thought that's being put into everything has given me so much excitement to play this game ^^

[szu]

Could you make a video about your AI system?

[ceprotypes]

Honestly he looks like a boss to me! You should make a huge version with extra attacks for the end of the level

[theyearofrupert]

Great job sticking with it and not just cutting or probably worse including a lack luster enemy!

[insandio]

Tetrii is so much more aggressive now I miss the chill tree boi!!

[JohSmith]

I'm sure this game will be great, can't wait for a demo.

[FunnyFany]

This video really shines a light on how you can get tunnel vision on the most random and minor ideas. I'm not a gamer, nor am I a game dev, but the whole time you were explaining the issue I was thinking "this thing needs a counter-attack". And I ended up getting it right!

Again, I'm nkt a game dev, but I am an animator, and sometimes I get hung up on a shot looking a certain way because it feels right in theory, and yet whenever I test it out it's _wrong_ and I can't figure out how to fix it. And most of the time it's as simple as a slight shift in the composition or even just moving the camera a little bit. But I can't figure that out because I'm fixated on it working exactly like it does in my head, and I get worried I might need to scrap the whole thing and start over, and... well. What I mean is, I get it.

[ties_s]

The designs you make for these enemies are so absolutely incredible, how do you come up with ideas like this and how'd you actually learn to make good pixel art (+ animation)?
I understand the answer would be somewhat lengthy but I'm honestly so invested

[salmonbamminfish]

Honestly what I first thought of when you explained the tetree is hollow knight’s big sword bugs you can find in the city of tears just unable to move and with a projectile

[chaotixthefox]

Glad you found a great solution in the end.
I would've made it so he attacks as soon as you are close enough for the attack to hit you. So you just have to go near him to bait the swing.

[epicantonio]

This video was interesting to me. Personally I was thinking of a similar solution around the time you added a projectile. Since the problem was that waiting, we remove the waiting! Specifically I thought you were going to turn the branch into more of a arc projectile kinda like hammer bros (but obviously thrown a lot further). That way you approach him by ducking past the projectile, and then jump over his melee. Which sounds like a cool rhythm. Cool how this ended up similar!

Personally, I was even wondering if he even needed a shield. But after seeing the changes in action, he can take a beating before dying. Thus I think keeping the shield was the right choice since it adds a new form of rhythm when your up close so hacking him down stays fun!

Idk if what I wrote was legible since I'm on mobile and stuff. But it's cool seeing people's thought processes on handling issues!