That does look like a useful website, I'll be sure to give it a good read. I'm mostly self-taught as well, so I think we should high-five or something?

I will certainly keep practicing, but it helps to get some outside input to point me at the weakest spots so I can hit those first.

That is some rocking feedback, thanks!

No need to worry about offending me, I'm a writer by trade so I've grown a pretty thick skin.

Re: Point 1 - Production is a stumbling block for me, that's for sure. I'm still at the blind flailing stage of using effects. Do you know of any good guides online you'd be willing to share a link to?

Re: Point 2 - Don't I know it. I can tell some of my songs gel better than others, but I haven't been able to pin down what makes the difference. Not yet, anyway. My subconscious should pick up on the pattern eventually, but I suspect a little more research would speed this along.

Re: Point 3 - Something to focus on, for sure.

Re: Bonus Stage - That makes sense, but I feel like I need to work on my fundamentals more before I do that. More than a few of the above points are because I'm still thinking about how to use the tools at my disposal and that's distracting me from focusing on the content. It's hard to build a shed if you're constantly reminding yourself which way to hold a hammer. Nothing to do about that but practice, though.

Thanks again for the in-depth response, very helpful. Now I just have to move from thinking about it to actually implementing it.

Just uploaded a new song!

Driven to Act - http://tindeck.com/listen/qfjm - An intense orchestral song, it's meant to be a background piece and an opportunity to practice writing stuff that doesn't rely on a central melody. Also a chance to use some bass drops.

Just lobbed some music your way!

I can't wait to check out the game.

I'm very much an amateur musician, but nobody gets from dabbler to professional without a healthy helping of criticism.

Here are a couple of my latest songs plus a bit about each one, because I like writing about my music. Drop me some feedback on some, all, or none of them as you see fit. Thanks!

When Kaos Rides - http://tindeck.com/listen/ugfk - An upbeat wild west(ish) rock song with some serious SLAP BASS action because awwww yeah, slap bass. It also has trumpets because it makes it a little more over the top. I wrote this as the theme to a hypothetical TV show involving wests (wild ones), horses and guns. Probably some cowboys too.

No More A Boyatee - http://tindeck.com/listen/rocm - I love electric pianos. They are so cool. The name is a reference to an old game, Undersea Adventure, and the narrating manatee, Splash. Writing swing stuff is a lot of fun, so this is a little on the jazzy/funk side just because. It's also just a bit haunting because I'd been listening to the Metroid Prime soundtrack before writing it.

Chips and Dip - http://tindeck.com/listen/ywgp - This song was an attempt to answer the question "how do I make drum and bass?" I didn't completely figure it out, but I made progress towards a real answer. I couldn't quite get the standard drum loop right, though, and I'm pretty sure the one I used instead is not quite playable by a human. Three armed robot drummers need love to.

In the Shade of a Rainbow - http://tindeck.com/listen/ezmz - Tropical island music checklist: groovy bassline - check, steel drum - check. That's all it needs, right? Eh, add a trumpet to it because why not? Maybe I should have used some pan flutes.

I have quite a few projects wrapping up this week which means my workload has lightened up a little and is about to lighten up a lot. I've updated the first post with my writing projects on this forum.

As a result of this lightening, I'm available for writing projects again. I've got an itch to work on something science fiction, but I'll pick up anything.

I'm still busy with music projects, but I added a few recent songs to the first post anyway.

I have a couple of projects on my plate at the moment, I'm afraid I can't take on anything new. That said, zombie stories are fun and if you still need a writer when my schedule frees up I'd be happy to help out.

I'm really loaded up musically, so I can't commit at all on that front.

Thanks guys.
Wall jumping has been an issue for most people, do you think if we slowed the wall sliding down and made the jumps a bit more generous it would be okay?

Yeah, that would nip my issues right in the bud. I can't wait to check out the updated version!

To echo the above comment, wow is this thing smooth.

I don't really like the wall jumping though, I feel like there isn't enough vertical gain with each leap and it's at odds with the otherwise awesome and enjoyable mobility the rest of the controls offer.

Everything else is great.

[Edit]

I'm a writer and a musician.

Everybody loves music, but why do you need a writer?

"You were almost a Jill sandwich."

That's why.

Unless you have a very well thought out plan, labeling your characters as foods isn't going to do anything for the player's sense of immersion except take it out back and dump it in the river. Probably with concrete boots. (Note: I am willing to set aside my personal beliefs and take on food based writing assignments, but it will be a hard sell)

I'll work on just about anything. I can whip up overarching plots, keep to dialog, fill in the backstory and in-game lore, or do anything in between. If you want me to cut loose and create an entire galaxy, I can do that, and if you just need me to round off the edges I don't mind sticking to the sidelines.

Is the TV showing a commercial before the emergency broadcast cuts in? I'll write it. Does the player need to pick up the user's manual for the Killotron 6000 Home Defense Vacuum Cleaner? I'll write that. Are the mating rituals of the Blob-Slimes from Space Planet X Zeta critically relevant to the plot? I'll probably raise an eyebrow at the name, but I'll write them too.

There's always room for quality writing in a game, regardless of genre, and while I certainly have my favorite styles, I'm not picky. I simply love having a purpose to my work. Though it is certainly fun to just write and make music, it's much more enjoyable if it's going towards completing something greater than the sum of its parts.

As far as a writing resume goes, I'm an English major. Not good enough for you? It was worth a shot. The fact is, I'm here to build a resume.

Edit: I'm doing writing work on Deep Lands and provided a bit of brainstorming help for a game by Zoltam. I'll add a link to the latter if I can find a thread.

On top of that, I uploaded one of my short stories to my personal website, a little fantasy piece about undeath. You can check that out here.

Oh yeah, and I do a little music work on the side.

Examples:
One More Gate (orchestral/retro) - http://tindeck.com/listen/hizv
Across the Sands (theme for the aforementioned radioplay) (rock) - http://tindeck.com/listen/dhfb
A War of One Bullet (jazz) - http://tindeck.com/listen/uivf
Deathless (dirge) - http://tindeck.com/listen/vzjv
Inspector Hound (more jazz) - http://tindeck.com/listen/mdsn
In the Shade of a Rainbow (smoothness) - http://tindeck.com/listen/ezmz
Scienceberries (electronic) - http://tindeck.com/listen/fhgk

If you'd like to work with me, toss me an email at [email protected] or just drop a reply here.

Hey!

I'm one of many Stevens in the world, and I'm from California. I... really like games. All of them, pretty much. A good soundtrack is a must, though, I don't care if its 8-bit or full blown orchestral, it needs to be awesome.

I've never made a game before (a real game, I've made plenty of interactive turds in the process of learning the basics) but I'm starting on one soon.

Since I can't draw (at all) I'll likely be looking for some artists to collaborate with soon, and I may offer my skills as a musician to other projects.

I'm looking forward to interacting with everyone here, for a project or just to chat.