Wynne McLaughlin

Hello friends. Last month, I was looking for more work and finally secured some on Reddit from a guy who needed help with preproduction on his Tabletop RPG / Card Battler. After a meeting with him, he showed me what he had and it was quite impressive. He had a prototype of a card-battler using a tabletop RPG battle system, but he had little to no documentation or planning—he's been chiseling away at his game for a few months in his spare time after work. I suggested that before I dive into art, we flesh out the game design and the rest of the game up to around an 80% mark and let the last 20% be changes, additions, and that sort. As your game evolves, it'll come into it's own and you'll find things that need changed or added, this accounts for that. He agreed and I asked if I could work on all this since I did that with my game Alligori and lead the team from start to finish with our vertical slice, and I know tabletop RPGs very well. He agreed and we did the whole song and dance with paperwork, and he sent over a retainer and I began work the following Monday. Three weeks go by and we're working great together. I'm fleshing out his game, adding some meat to the backbone of his prototype with classes, abilities, etc. My goal was to write out as much as possible and then trim content to fit it into a 1-year development cycle. So I flesh a bulk of his game out, and then categorize it more into a game design document that clearly conveys concepts, ideas, and mechanics. Catching up, last week was the final week of my first month and payment was due. He just up and disappears like a fart in the wind, I have no idea if he's alive, incarcerated, on vacation, or what. He didn't remove me on Discord, so I don't entirely suspect malicious intent, but he gave no notice. That's the risk you run with working 1-on-1 with a client remotely, one day they can just up and disappear. I do have paperwork, so I may pursue legal action. If he doesn't log on by Friday, I'm going to publicly release all my documentation and the GDD I wrote on here.

45

33 Comments

Tip for publishing consideration submission to Midwest Games... tldr - Send info through our portal (https://lnkd.in/gWtKgpuU), not through email (or LI). I get that it's a little counter-intuitive...you might think you want to put your info right in front of the sourcing decision influencers' faces. But it's actually a disadvantage - especially those of you who are agents throwing multiple titles at us at once. The submission portal goes right to our database, and that database is there for a reason: to keep an organized and consistent record of all submissions in one place. I look through there all the time. I'm reminded of titles I may have overlooked or need to go back to consider as circumstances change all the time. We rarely, if ever, make immediate decisions or even quick deep review/consideration. Our factors for consideration shift regularly. I do not review your particular email regularly, or at some point even remember you sent one. I go to the database. Connection via other channels is good. Discussion about your game over other channels is good. But having your core game info in those channels is not good. Please use the submission portal!

27

3 Comments

I like sharing the good news about the video game industry (because I know many people have been burned by working through it). Although, as a whole, the industry is expected to continue growing year after year. What do you think this means? The concept of diversity becomes the inevitable truth. Growth encompasses variety and innovation, bringing a richer palette of stories and experiences. This transformation is driven by a new wave of creators who are not just making games but also crafting cultural bridges. A fantastic example is the upcoming game 'Rooster', which celebrates Asian heritage in a deeply authentic way. The team behind Rooster has a shared vision of representing this culture through fun and accessible gameplay experiences, which aligns beautifully with broader industry trends toward inclusivity and representation. It seems like they love what they do to boot! If there was a clear path to surviving the video game market while also enriching the social impact of gaming, IMO, it would be to get behind and champion these vital initiatives. #diversity #equity #inclusivity #asianheritage #rooster

21

1 Comment

TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM join us for an improvised version of PVP Circuit and help us rebuild our local community brick by brick. I still can't believe I get to work in the video game industry. My 6-year-old would laugh, and then cry once she realized what it means to work in the creative technology sector. That's why IMO everyone could use some levity during these unprecedented times. Join us for a fun evening to raise funds for the Trevor Project. Event link >>> https://lnkd.in/g7tBuP6d Frequently Asked Questions: What if I can't attend the event? - If you can't make it, please consider purchasing a ticket to help us raise money for charity or get one on behalf of someone impacted by layoffs. What if I want to join but can't justify the cost? - If you want to join but find the cost prohibitive, DM me and we'll make it happen (see point above). Do I have to pitch at the event? - No, you don't have to pitch if you prefer to observe. It’s a great way to see how it's done. Will there be another event like this? - We plan to host our community again, but I can't specify if this event will be the focus. #gamesindustry #event #comedy <3

23

👶 Game producers = great parents… ? 🎮 Problem-Solving: Working with different partners/audiences with varying comm methods. 💬 Empathy/Sympathy: Seeing the world through other viewpoints. Interpreting signals! 🧘‍♂️ Stress Management: Resilience in the face of constant pivots & uncertainty… Are you a creating clarity or chaos when having to clean 💩? 📅 Organization: Scheduling routines and adjusting when your plan goes south. Have a mitigation? That helps! Game production = solid parenting prep! 🌟👾🍼 #parenting #chaos💩 #empathy

47

5 Comments

Do you want to level up your game dev team? Do you want to learn some of the magic that makes some of the greatest games? Alex's course is a great place to start. And if you have designers on staff you think would benefit, I highly recommend this bootcamp. #bootcap #gamedesign

17

I finally found the time to create and share something that has been on my backlog for a while! I often encounter confusion (my own included) when trying to use math to develop more efficient solutions than simply relying on built-in tools in 3D software. In particular, this post dives into object orientation in Maya—a task that can range from straightforward to quite complex. I understand how hard it can be to approach this kind of problem without a strong technical background, but solving these challenges programmatically can provide much greater control and performance. It’s definitely time well spent, and your workflow will improve significantly as a result. I’ve provided both the code and a brief (though not exhaustive) introduction to key linear algebra concepts. I hope this helps shed some light on the topic and offers clarity in an area that can often seem tricky. A special thanks to Marco D'Ambros — without his patience, I would still be a long way from understanding any of these concepts! Any feedback is more than welcome.

88

Don't want to bum you out but I know I'm not the only one who has noticed the same layoff cycle on LinkedIn over and over. I can tell your future... 1. Studio is shut down, all the devs become active on LinkedIn maybe for the first time in years and do their looking for work posts. People reach out with connections and support emojis. 2. The outpouring of thanks to the wonderful gamedev community. Amir Satvat and other full time LinkedIn influencers are tagged. 3. Nothing comes of all the LinkedIn support. Devs post frustration posts about how hard it is to be laid off and the injustice of the game industry. Many people will later delete these posts when they start to realize studios still aren't hiring them. 4. The reality step. Months pass and prominent veterans are still unemployed, let alone those "juniors" with a mere 5 years experience. At this point, people either give up and disappear, get a job and disappear (rare), or become a chronic disillusioned LinkedIn user. This last one either requires wearing a mask or ranting about capitalism more and more. 5. The laid off devs watch this cycle repeat for a whole swath of suffering people every couple weeks/days. And that's the step I've been on for a few months. But hey I've been working hard on my family and my solo projects. Magehunter coming soon, and AAA Simulator devlogs will be in production even sooner! Make art for yourself and those you love. Don't make my mistake - look for happiness outside this Microsoft product called LinkedIn.

59

9 Comments

Maya Attribute Options tool.! Newest addition to my personal tool set. Took me a few days to write it on and off. This tool helps me to re-order attributes without having to re-do the incoming/outgoing connections. Some options are still a work in progress... #reorder #attributes #mel #maya #tools #rigging

25

1 Comment

ONE-PAGE COMIC BOOK STORY My latest article of my Comic Book Writing Series (Part 11) is live now on Medium "Have you ever tried writing a one-page comic book story? I did and truthfully it was one of the hardest stories I ever had to write, as it took me forever to figure out how to have a complete story with a clear beginning, middle, and ending, in only 1 page, while adding a twist ending. *Pro Tip: Since the entire story is on one page, the reader can easily see the ending panel, before reading the first panel, so this makes twist endings even harder." https://lnkd.in/dqSBrEcD #narrativedesigntip #writingtip #comicwriter #comicwriting #comicswriter #comicbookwriter

9

1 Comment

Those of you working with #unity and #ecs know the pain of writing boilerplate Authoring and Baker scripts for every IComponentData. I wrote a little script that auto-generates the authoring based on the fields of the original component. It's minimal right now but saves tons of time, especially if you're like me and compose your data out of small components. Do you think it's worth a package? here's the gist https://lnkd.in/gH_uxG5J Tell me what you think!

19

5 Comments

Know anyone that might know someone? Asking for a friend 👀 https://lnkd.in/g44DSCP8 #'s for the #'s #TheMattBarney #VideoGames #GameJobs #GameDevJobs #Unreal #UnrealEngine #GameEngineer #PrincipalEngineer #RemoteJobs #RemoteEngineeringJobs #RemoteEngineer

40

4 Comments

Game design has been a passion for my entire life. I remember sitting down with a friend growing up, looking at games like Armored Core and Skyrim and saying "Well, that's great, but what if we made it available to be played at a table like D&D or Pathfinder?" TTRPG experience and knowledge has been so critical in learning how to design games- and better, the experience extends beyond just TTRPGs. It extends to games of all kinds- general roleplaying, first person shooters, turn-based or action, trading card games, board games, etc. - Wording VS Intention: Wording and the concept of RAW(Rules As Written) and RAI(Rules As Intended) are incredibly important. Anyone who has spent time playing Magic the Gathering or D&D 5e knows that the occasional loophole in the wording of a rule allows for some fun, albeit potentially unintended nonsense. - User Experience: As a Game Master of 10+ years, and as a player, having fun with the system is extremely important. The mechanics should be intuitive and should have synergy that falls naturally with the other systems within the game. Players inherently want to enjoy their games and have fun, and will praise the design of a game for having good synergy within its own mechanics for having that level of forethought. - Simplicity can be Key: Pathfinder 1e is where I started my TTRPG journey, and retroactively it has a lot of things I love! However, it also has paragraphs and paragraphs to describe a single class ability; it means less people have to filter through more information to understand the exact interaction and experience they will have. I have had players immediately express disinterest if a class has too much information in it, even if it was the exact description they were looking for. - Lack of Stagnation: It has been a consistent experience in the TTRPG community to release new editions, updating, simplifying and refreshing rules. The difference that Pathfinder 1st Edition and Pathfinder 2nd Edition have is vast- and even the revision of Pathfinder 2e changed enough rules to breathe life into the already fun and understandable system. - Plan Ahead, But Adapt: When designing a game, you want to keep in mind any systems you aim to include, as far down as you can. The Tree method comes in handy here, allowing one to think down to the minute details of a project. Thing is, you'll miss things. You will have oversights. That is why adaptability to your plan is important. Planning ahead by creating frameworks for your systems allows the adjustment and insertion of new ideas into old systems. TTRPGs are foundational to the video game industry as a whole, and my passion for designing systems has led me to create and refine several systems for games. The core concept of mechanics, synergies and frameworks would not have been as relevant without my experience and time as a Game Master and a Player in the TTRPG world.

1

Wise words from a wise man. If you're looking to start up a studio, check this out

38

1 Comment

Game Testing: All in One, 4th Edition is available now. This is a revised, updated, and classroom-friendly version of the leading textbook for game testers and test managers. Order your review copy at the link below: https://lnkd.in/gDhH8gsq #gamedev #QA #gametesting #testing #gamedesign

36

1 Comment

Finally, someone pretty much said what I wanted to say about all this, but obviously if I say it would be looked bad on me. The internet is weird everything is one side or the other. If you like this well you must be a "_Somethng_" and lean towards those ideals. It is extremely polarizing and not constructive to the actual conversations being had about actual problems in the industry. One part where I can expand on though while Journalist and anybody should have freedom of opinion and critique, I defend that of course. A great difference on critique and opinion was lost on the French IGN article on this game heavily implying the developers have never seen a woman before. Which is rather insulting to the developers especially the female developers who helped develop this game. One of the devs partner worked on the concept art side of this game. Also, from seeing the making of video I saw plenty of female developers in the team at various positions levels. From art to design. But yeah, this conversation on this game was exhausting to see happen and people picking sides. It got to such an extreme, that people were associating this game as part of "gamergate 2". Yes, another conv trying to stay away from the "GG2" conversation that is happening is also exhausting. Both sides have merit and both sides are digging themselves into a grave. But even saying that both have some merit can be polarizing in this age. I said before ill play it, but honestly what intrigued me more was the monster designs and environments. Plus, the music seems to be getting hi scores and I do love some good game music. Heard some of it and it is good! This whole controversy probably did the opposite for this game tho. In a way bad press made this game sell well. Games like this include Neir Automata and Bayonetta both games I have not played but have had many people recommend those games to me. Especially Neir because people liked the story. So, who knows maybe this game could be like "Elden Ring" that has got me into soul type games. Or not. Either way should be alright play and it is linear enough that it won't take forever to finish. Also, many reviews are not mentioning enough that this game on day one has very little bugs and nothing is put behind a paywall it is all available day one and the developers have pretty much promised any dlc stuff coming up if it does is free. Also, that the performance is solid from the Digital Foundry tech review. Again, the irony of all this I would not be talking about this game if was not in the news like every single day for 2 months. The game company must be like hmm free marketing, I guess. Definitely a developer to follow and see what happens. Another big deal not mentioned enough this is one of the bigger titles coming out of Korea I think the first actually. If this does well, they could be paving the way for Korean AAA gaming. https://lnkd.in/gAJ-Wfw4

34

8 Comments