[Ep174] Live from Shenanicon 2018!

[Ep174] Live from Shenanicon 2018!

Author: Butterscotch Shenanigans October 24, 2018 Duration: 53:09

Hi there, Shenanities! We recorded this episode LIVE at Shenanicon 2018, so in addition to our buttery voices, you get to hear the scotchy whispers of some of your fellow Shenanites! We’ll talk about vampire flavors, nihilism pants, and why you sometimes just need a fat beat orchestra piece. If you take only one thing away from this episode, it should be this: if you come across a genie, just run in the other direction.

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at the first ever Shenanicon!

Questions answered (abbreviated):

  • Angrymuffin: If moonlight is actually sunlight reflecting off of the moon's surface, why doesn't it kill vampires?
  • Senolir: Given the recent shutdown of the Apple Affiliate program, do you think Indies should be doing anything different to get their initial press coverage? Would you say this struggle is any easier when launching to steam, or does that audience still expect too much more in terms of scope to be a good platform for an Indie studio’s first few offerings anyway?
  • Shout64: How did you get connected with Fat Bard? Did you intentionally chose a music studio from your area? Could you talk about the importance of music/sound effects in your games, and any interesting ways you implement them?
  • Will: How do you handle being business partners and family? I hear a lot that partnerships are a bad idea but you seem to do well. Do you have any tips?
  • Mr. Ward: Where do bots come from?
  • Philipbear93: If businesses were people, what would their lives look like? What would Butterscotch Shenanigans be like as a person?
  • The_Rumpus: You're greeted by a Gamedev genie, who grants you the ability to fire any code, art assets, and robots/web-tech the three of you could possibly desire.. for the next 10 minutes. QUICK! What game do you make?! GO!

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk). If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello! Submit questions at https://podcast.bscotch.net, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

★ Support this podcast ★

Pull up a chair and pour something warm. Each week, the folks behind the award-winning indie studio Butterscotch Shenanigans-the creators of Crashlands-sit down to untangle the messy, rewarding, and often absurd reality of making games. Coffee with Butterscotch feels less like a formal broadcast and more like eavesdropping on a freewheeling conversation between friends who’ve been in the trenches. You’ll hear them dissect the nuts and bolts of development, from art pipelines to bug-squashing, but the discussion rarely stays in the technical lane. It veers into the philosophy of creativity, the rollercoaster of running a small business, and the strange habits that fuel productivity. The tone is unfiltered and genuinely funny, because the hosts don’t separate the work from the life surrounding it. This podcast digs into how to solve problems, ship your projects, and keep your sanity while doing it, all served with a heavy dose of camaraderie and self-deprecating humor. It’s a weekly dose of insight and laughter for anyone curious about the stories behind the screen, whether you're a seasoned developer, an aspiring creator, or just someone who enjoys peeking behind the curtain of how things are made.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 556

Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
Podcast Episodes
[Ep367] Problem Masquerade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:25
This week, we talk about context shifts, the homework model, and vague help. It’s easy to feel like small incremental progress is worthless, but that’s an issue with perception rather than with reality. If you’re flailin…
[Ep366] Hotkey Immortality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:14
In this episode, we discuss no scope game dev, independent levers, and readability. You’ve gotta think in the short term to survive, but the long term to succeed. Making that mental shift is hard when the world doesn’t w…
[Ep365] Combinatorial Network Complexity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:52
This week, we talk about social feedback loops, scalability, and having better problems. Change creates change, and you wanna be thinking about those changes at least two layers deep. Otherwise you might wake up one day…
[Ep364] Seal Team One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:21
In this episode, we discuss difficulty tuning, balance, and noises. When you’re designing an experience, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not just about your design – it’s about where your design meets each indiv…
[Ep363] The Uncertainty Threshold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:23
This week, we talk about charlatans, circular definitions, and bunnywool. We revisit the idea of “You just gotta get in there.” If all you have are questions, getting in there is about figuring out some answers. HOW you…
[Ep362] Outside the Bun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:39
In this episode, we discuss layers on layers on layers. It’s more useful to think of most things in terms of levels – of accessibility, of interaction, of knowledge. When you’re designing, design with those things in min…
[Ep361] The Myth of Infinite Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:21
This week, we talk about DVD choices, inkblot movies, and shutting out the world. When you’re exploring a paradigm shift, a big part of that upfront investment is learning and creating new processes. Skills and concepts…
[Ep360] Imperfect Balance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:25
In this episode, we discuss secrets, knowledge mastery, and buffing pawns. Gameplay loops keep players engaged, but it’s all too easy to only think about mechanical loops. Providing various levels of engagement allows pl…
[Ep359] Oxi Clean of the Soul [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:46
This week, we talk about hidden information, player choice, and doing less. Things are often different than what you think they’re going to be, and that’s okay! But if you mistake activity for progress, you’ve fallen int…
[Ep358] Training Montage [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:34
In this episode, we discuss more fan poking, feeding the beast, and reframing productivity. We had our quarterly review, and it was, as usual, illuminating! Productivity isn’t just about making stuff, and having more stu…