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[Mark Mayers]

Update 136: 03/30/2018

GDC 2018



My second GDC was jam packed with friends, events, and meetings with industry professionals.
 
I won’t go into much detail with a proper post-mortem like I have with other events.
However, I can say it was an extremely productive and great time overall.

Hopefully I will have the privilege of making GDC an annual pilgrimage.

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THE GDC 2018 BUILD

Unlike last year, I did not show Desolus publicly. I mostly focused on getting critical feedback from peers, rather than presenting formally.

In the last few months I’ve gone through what I’m now considering to be the final redesign of the game.
This is the first demo I’ll likely keep… which is saying something as every demo for Desolus has been a mostly disposable high-fidelity prototype.
 
I’m happy to say, this build is the closest I've come to realizing my vision for the game.
The design of Desolus is starting to fall into place, and GDC gave me great catharsis.







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[Mark Mayers]

Update 137: 04/23/2018

TITLE SCREEN



The title screen has been through countless iterations throughout development.

Here's an updated version of the Desolus title screen, as I felt the change necessary.  
I added a background castle, which is an actual place you visit in the game.

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ALTERNATE DIMENSION SHIMMER

I’ve been working in increasing visual communication of mechanics in the game.

One of the previous ambiguities has been the visualization of puzzle state.
Specifically, I wanted to clearly communicate what dimension an object exists at all times.  

To alleviate this ambiguity, I added a shimmer effect to show where objects exist while in the opposite dimension.
An object glows Blue if it exists in the Blue dimension, and Orange if it exists in the Orange dimension.

This is essential for more complex puzzles, especially when you're able to change the state of architecture.
(I haven't exactly revealed this mechanic yet but it's in game).

The shimmer effect shader is a non-physically based Fresnel algorithm, which I animated within the shader.
For an overview of Fresnel effects, check out this link. I don't use an exact Fresnel algorithm, but something similar.



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SYMMETRICAL HALVES PUZZLE

This is probably one of my favorite puzzles in the game so far.
I don't want to spoil the puzzle so I purposely won't reveal much.

The puzzle involves a collapsed structure which is split in half between the two alternate dimensions.
You can see a staircase which exists in the alternate dimension shimmer as you walk by.



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SYMMETRICAL HALVES ARCHITECTURE

Critical artistic themes in Desolus are inversion, symmetry, and sacred geometry.
You can see these themes in the above structure, especially when viewed from different angles.

The style is a combination between Gothic architecture, Islamic architecture, and fractals.









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[Josh Bossie]

god damn those screenshots look so good. I just want to put some chill music and live in that world for a bit

[Mark Mayers]

god damn those screenshots look so good. I just want to put some chill music and live in that world for a bit

 

[Ordnas]

Will the game be in early access on Steam?

[Mark Mayers]

Will the game be in early access on Steam?

Not sure. I am contemplating doing a program like Itch.io Refinery, however I don’t think a Steam early access release would be suitable for this type of game.

Currently I’ve been shopping around for publishers to transition to working on the game full time.
In November last year I left my day job at MIT and now work doing contracting (about ~24-32 hours/week).
However, this is time and energy I could be spending on Desolus instead.

Ideally, I could get enough funding to release the game as a full package with all of the content I have planned.
If this isn’t an option, I’m also considering an episodic release schedule such as Kentucky Route Zero has done.
I could theoretically ‘release’ this small portion of the game with about 2-4 months of additional work, but I would rather release the game all at once.

[Mark Mayers]

Update 138: 05/11/2018

TITLE SCREEN VIDEO

Created a new YouTube video of the title screen, since the old one was a bit dated!

Make sure to watch in 4k@60FPS if you can, I took special care to make sure the video was the highest quality!

[MrPotatostealer]

That menu looks really awesome ! One of the best I have seen.
I really like how it's telling a story.

Keep up the amazing work !

[Mark Mayers]

That menu looks really awesome ! One of the best I have seen.
I really like how it's telling a story.

Keep up the amazing work !

Thank you so much

[PedroNunes]

That's a thing of beauty. I'm not usually into puzzle games but I'll make an exception for this one! Keep it up.

[Mark Mayers]

That's a thing of beauty. I'm not usually into puzzle games but I'll make an exception for this one! Keep it up.

[Mark Mayers]

Update 139: 06/04/2018

UPDATES

The last month has been lots of "invisible work" on Desolus, so I've been sparse with updates.

I've been working on refining a new demo build of the game and polishing various aspects to make sure it shines.
This process has included sending the demo out to trusted developers for constructive criticism.

Feedback has been very positive. I think this is the best version of the game I've made yet.

Will have more updates soon

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[Mark Mayers]

Update 140: 06/16/2018

Smithsonian American Art Museum



On July 22nd, Desolus will be at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of SAAM arcade!

SAAM Arcade is an annual event presented by the Smithsonian American Art Museum
with support from IGDA DC, MAGFest, and the Entertainment Software Association.
The Arcade is a family-friendly event where hundreds of people an hour may play your game.
This year, SAAM Arcade will be held on July 22, 2018 and will feature a selective group of
independent developers whose works are centered on a particular theme.

This summer, SAAM Arcade will focus on “game spaces” as a connecting idea that links video games
to art, architecture, and the museum as a space for discovery and engagement.

This year, we asked for:
Games that make interesting use of space, board, or level design.
Games that transform the real-world spaces in which they are played.
Games that are inspired by or that inspire a strong community or social space.

There are lots of great games on display for the exhibit:



You can find more info here!

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[Mark Mayers]

Update 141: 09/20/2018

LIFE IS KIND OF CRAZY RIGHT NOW



Just wanted to check in with everyone here at TIGSource and say I'm still alive!

I haven't posted in about 3 months, because I've been in the process of moving from Boston to Seattle.

Once I am settled in Seattle, I am hoping to be much more active here again. The past several months have been kind of ridiculous for me.

Additionally, I quit my day job and am now on Desolus full time! (For the time being, hopefully indefinitely).

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THE MIX @ PAX WEST



On September 1st, I showed Desolus as part of PAX West in Seattle, at the MIX.

I had an awesome time, and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out and checked out the game!

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THE BOSTON FESTIVAL OF INDIE GAMES 2018



Desolus will be returning to the Boston Festival of Indie Games, as part of the Digital Showcase!

If you're in the Boston area, get tickets here!!

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THINGS WILL BE LESS CRAZY SOON... HOPEFULLY

I'm currently traveling but I hope to get back into regular updates when I'm in Seattle in early October.


 
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[Schrompf]

Good luck on your travels, stranger. And good luck on going fulltime indie. Just a personal suggestion from my personal impression of your game and past experiences: better keep an eye on jobs in your new home.

[Devilkay]

AMAZING!!

[Mark Mayers]

Good luck on your travels, stranger. And good luck on going fulltime indie. Just a personal suggestion from my personal impression of your game and past experiences: better keep an eye on jobs in your new home.

Thanks! I'll be full time on Desolus for a while though.

Plan B is to do remote contract work to support Desolus development.
After working for 3 1/2 years at a day job while making this game, I highly doubt I would go back to having a desk and salary.

I'm committed to finishing this game!

AMAZING!!

 

[Mark Mayers]

Update 142: 10/23/2018

Following my tradition of retrospective posts, this post will be a reflection on development for the past year.
If you would like to check out last year's retrospective, see here.

The 'development anniversary' for Desolus is early September
However, due to life circumstances I haven't had the chance to write this until now.

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WHAT IS DESOLUS

The vision for Desolus as game is probably best described through this:



















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A YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION

This year was perhaps the most transformative, and arguably the most important year of the game's development so far.
As I've mentioned previously, this game has been an evolving project and gone through several iterations.

I set off on a journey to make a game of exceptional quality, and the game has grown over time and moved closer to this goal.
As of writing this, I feel like I have a cohesive vision for the game Desolus, and the skill set needed to see it through.

From a personal perspective however, the past several months have been exceptionally challenging for me.

On August 24th I left my contracting day job to pursue Desolus full time.
I decided to leave my home of Boston to pursue opportunities in Seattle, as my girlfriend has moved there for law school.

Knowing I would be leaving my day job to move to Seattle, I spent the summer preparing a pitch for Desolus to secure a publisher.
This process has been arduous, to say the least. Fortunately, I received invaluable guidance from experienced friends (thank you). 

For the entire summer I was on edge, not completely sure if I could do the move. I decided to take the plunge regardless.
All of my worldly possessions are in the trunk of my car, which is sitting at my Dad's house 3000 miles away.
I took with me only my backpack and my laptop, which is oddly poetic. I guess this is how you know you're a real indie developer.

The resulting month of September had me fly across the country three times.
I presented Desolus at PAX West in Seattle on September 1st, and again at the Boston Festival of Indie Games on September 29th. 
Presenting is always exciting, but managing a booth by yourself and flying across the country is ultimately exhausting.

In mid September my mom was diagnosed with cancer.
Having already been through strenuous circumstances, this broke my spirit significantly.
However, after spending a week in the hospital she is on the road to recovery. We are confident she will be ok. 

I took the month of October off to focus entirely on creative work for Desolus.
Since late May, I haven't been able to do much creative work because of publisher pursuits, conferences, and general life circumstances.
As I'm writing this, I'm back in Seattle for some much needed rest.

Making games (especially as a solo developer) requires superhuman effort. It's imperative to take care of your health and well being.
I think doing creative work for this game genuinely makes me happy. I would have given up long ago otherwise.

All I can say is I find some catharsis in these tumultuous times. I feel if the last few months couldn't break me, nothing can.

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[Schrompf]

Good luck, stranger.

[Mark Mayers]

Good luck, stranger.