TUTORIAL: New Tutorial #62: Campsite Redux (Part 2)
A new SMILE GAME BUILDER tutorial, #62: Campsites Redux (Part 2), is on schedule for this coming Sunday, further expanding the campsite idea started in Part 1 – Setting Up.
New RPG Maker Times Livestreams Page (Facebook)
I created a new page, RPG Maker Times Livestreams, for my live-streams.
I will mostly live-stream SMILE GAME BUILDER game dev, including my own game, Conflux, as well as games – Skyrim, Witcher, Fallout 4, and other games (including indie games) – which will usually videos from previous live-streams.
In the beginning, however, I’m going to start test-streaming various games, classic, indie and new to see what works on my mid-spec rig. Details will follow.
We’re looking at streaming from this page. It’ll be either here or on YouTube. Stream themes and times are yet to be decided.
New Smile Game Builder Game: “Confluction”
My new project for SMILE GAME BUILDER is entitled Confluction. This is a working title only at the moment, and it might change during the course of its development, but it’s kind of sticking!
Confluction?
Confluction is an obsolete word for "confluence", the "coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point".
Our destinies are fixed, but we forge our own paths. We might make choices that cause us to stray from the path of Destiny and deviate from its course, but we’ll always return to it at some point. And that’s the subtext for the game.
Many events in the game are loosely based on events in my own life; I’ve taken certain creative liberties with them. The choices you make in life do matter!
Custom Models
I’m aiming for high-texture models and assets, so this is what will probably take the longest time to create since I create many of them by hand.
The focus will be on most of the models first, then the game itself. And then most likely at that point, I’ll work on character animations as and when they’re needed. This will be the biggest challenge for me; I’m not good at animation.
So when it comes to the perfectionist in me, I’d want to make sure all animations are smooth and fit well with the game!
Subscribestar
I now have a Subscribestar account.
Patrons (subscribers) will start benefiting from additional perks, including tier-specific Discord roles/titles, and unique content, game dev insights, exclusive content, such as demos, and more.
If you would like to support me there, either as a patron or donator, it would be greatly appreciated. All moneys will go towards several goals and will give an extra incentive to continue with the project.
I will try and update this more regularly, with more regular content and some patron-only content soon!
What About Relationship Sim?
The project I was working on before Confluction is Relationship Sim.
However, I decided to continue on THIS project first, and then resume with "RSim" when the new SGB is officially released to take advantage of some of its new features! (At the time of this post, no, I can’t say what those new features are outside of what SmileBoom has already announced publicly!)
New SMILE GAME BUILDER Sneak Peak
Don’t think there haven’t been updates to SMILE GAME BUILDER?
SmileBoom has been busy but fairly silent on news about updates. However, they released a tantalizing sneak peak on their Facebook page.
TRUST ME! Although there is no official release date yet, it’s going to be something worth waiting for, so just be patient. And, of course, I’ll thoroughly go through it and tutorial-ize it!
Hi-Tex Assets Packs (Smile Game Builder)
Hi-Tex Assets Packs (Smile Game Builder)
AVAILABLE NOW!
The Hi-Tex Terrain Pack Vol. 1 for SMILE GAME BUILDER contains 88 hi-textured terrains and variations, including animated water and lava.Pack Contents
Buy From
- Gnome Treasure – $3.99
- Itch.io – $4.49
Product description coming soon.
Coming soon.
Developing Tutoria for Live-Streams
What Is Tutoria?
As many of you already know, I started live-streaming SMILE GAME BUILDER on YouTube, specifically for developing Tutoria, the lands in which the game takes place.
Tutoria is a vast land mass sitting in the centre of the Primeval Ocean (a bit like Pangea before it shifted into the continents we know today).
It’s divided into two supercontenents: Aetios, the frigid ice-bound tundra in the north, and Kryuth, comprising more temperate climates in the south and the sweltering desert regions farther south and east.
Connecting them is a man-made bridge in the east, referred to simply as the Crossing, and an isthmus in the west known as the Dragon’s Causeway. The capital of Kryuth is Ancieryth and Aetios’s capital city is Cloverleaf.
The above image provides a very basic layout of what Tutoria is meant to look like. Details will inevitably change as development continues throughout the live-streams and the map itself might change over time. (The map was created on Inkarnate, an online map creator. You do need an account to use it, but you can still make some useful maps even with the Free version; the Pro version isn’t that badly priced either.)
The Purpose of Tutoria
The basic idea behind Tutoria – and the purpose of the live-streams on YouTube – is to create a game from start to finish (however long it takes) and then to post-process it in Unity so that it can then be downloaded and played by all.
It isn’t a serious attempt at game making! It’s simply to create a game over the course of one- or two-hour streams for others to watch. And that’s it!
As I develop Tutoria during the live-streams, I’ll also revisit some of my older video tutorials and bring them more up-to-date. Plus I’ll demonstrate how to create some of the graphics for the game, including icons, effects, and so on. This essentially makes it a tutorial live-stream with the end-goal of a completed game.
Incidentally, Sana of SmileBoom suggested the name "Tutoria" some time ago because I initially wanted to create a series of videos dedicated to creating a short game in SMILE GAME BUILDER based on my tutorials. And it stuck! Hence why it’s so named now.
Giveaways!
During live-streams I’ll be giving away free stuff! Everyone likes free stuff, right?
This could be anything from Title screens to Game Over screens to assets that I create. In last week’s stream, I gave away a Title screen of a nice fairy sitting on a toadstool in a fairy ring.
In the beginning, these giveaways will be sporadic, pretty much as and when I feel like it, but over time, they’ll become a regular feature for all the Tutoria streams. I’ll usually announce this on Twitter and Facebook.
The rules for receiving these freebies (as they become available) are:
- You must say "Hi!" during the live-stream (even if you say nothing else).
- After the live-stream, you must contact me on Twitter or Facebook, or in Discord, with the name you used during the stream.
- You must NOT use them in anything but SMILE GAME BUILDER.
- You must NOT share them with anyone else or on any other website. (Of course, you can still use them in your games if you want to.)
That’s it!
A final note about the giveaways: In time, these free assets will make their way in packs on the Gnome Treasure online store and Itch.io. So if you want free copies you can collect them in the live-streams only!
Tutoria Live-Streaming Schedule
Live-streams for Tutoria were initially scheduled for Fridays. I had to fit this into my shifts at work. Now that they’ve changed slightly to Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, however, it makes it easier to work with as far as game development as a whole is concerned.
Starting this weekend, I’m rescheduling these live-streams for Sundays because, being the weekend, and based on the feedback I’ve also received, this seems to be a more convenient slot for a people to attend.
News: Live-Streaming SMILE GAME BUILDER
Live-Streaming Schedule
From now on, I’m going to live-stream SMILE GAME BUILDER only to continue building Tutoria, a game created from scratch, start to finish during the streams.
I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time; I just wasn’t in a position to do so. Since upgrading my computer and Internet speeds, it’s now viable to live-stream at a decent speed and quality, usually at 1080p.
As many of you probably know by now, I already started live-streaming SMILE GAME BUILDER, intending on creating a game from scratch, start to finish, during the stream. So far its schedule has been every Saturday at 10pm GMT/2pm PST/5pm EST, but I’m now aiming for twice per week to continue its development.
Next week the stream is scheduled for Friday and Saturday. However, as of the week commencing 25 March 2019, my work hours change, so live-streaming will be rescheduled for Thursdays and Fridays Sundays.
Developing Tutoria
The idea behind developing Tutoria is to creating a full game from start to finish, including any necessary graphics during the stream.
It also serves tutorials and additional techniques in SGB, some of which are based on many of my old tutorials (updated to the current version) and some are new ones.
During live sessions, viewers will be able to offer suggestions for shaping the way Tutoria evolves. Although I’ve written an outline for the underlying storyline, in the beginning I probably won’t worry too much about it. As the game develops, however, that plot will be adhered to more as it’s gradually fleshed out.
Viewers can also ask questions about SGB in general in chat (or talk amongst themselves) and I’ll answer as many of them as I can – if I can!.
Only on YouTube
I will only live-stream this on YouTube.
The reason for this is simple: I don’t care for Twitch. Sorry!
I’ve tried to stream on Twitch – and, indeed, tried to like the platform – but I simply can’t do it. Until now, I’ve multi-streamed on both platforms, sometimes smoothly, sometimes with a few hiccups. Many people like Twitch; I don’t.
Twitch tends to "expire" videos after a set amount of time. One way to bypass this is to "highlight" videos, which is somewhat of an inconvenience. YouTube does no such thing. Besides, I’m more established on YouTube and, rather than having too many fingers in too many pies, as a sequitur being able to eat one pie is better and easier.
Game Completion
When the game is finished (however long it takes), it’ll be fine-tuned – including post-production through Unity – and released for all SGB users to play.
The link will then be available on my Itch.io account and it’ll be freely available for download.
Update on Tutorials and Videos Backup
I’ve mentioned numerous times about having a backup for my Smile Game Builder tutorials and any other videos I create just in case something happens to my YouTube channel because, well, you never know with the current partisan and increasingly censorial climate there. So, it’s time to make it official.
Backing Up To BitChute
If you haven’t already, create a BitChute account. That way you can comment, suggest ideas for new tutorials, or just to say Hi.
My new alternative BitChute Channel will include playlists for Smile Game Builder and RPG Maker MV content. The latter playlist will also include some unique content.
I’m not completely migrating to BitChute; it’s intended as an alternative or a backup channel only at this point. Moreover, videos – notably the Smile Game Builder ones – will start at #61 onwards (whatever their topics).
When it comes to promoting any new videos I create, I’ll try and post links to both BitChute and YouTube to give a choice on which to visit.
Live-Streaming Update
Although I started live-streaming Elder Scrolls Online, I’m also going to have regular live-streams with Smile Game Builder. In the beginning, these will be sporadic but as time goes on they’ll be more regular.
The content of these live-streams will eventually move towards creating a proper game, based loosely on the tutorials and containing many of the methods I used in them, until it’s complete. The game, under the title Tutoria, will then be released as a public free game.
At the moment, my live-streaming schedule is every Friday at 10pm GMT, so be sure to check my social media accounts for updates on when I go live.
SMILE GAME BUILDER Update: January 23rd, 2019
This was announced on the SmileBoom Updates page.
SMILE GAME BUILDER ver1.11.4
- We’ve fixed an error: it didn’t work when you select "Leader Only" in Revive Setting of Game Over Setting.
- We’ve fixed an error: some GPUs make the editor terrain cursor shift/blink.
- We’ve fixed an error: when you use "Escape Loop" in multiple loops, it escapes after the next first "End Loop".
- We’ve fixed an error: some GPUs make a graphic left in the preview window, even if you delete a member in the "Starting Party".
- We’ve fixed an error: "Heal by x% of Magic Attack" didn’t work properly on the field maps.
- We’ve fixed an error: in the English version, the sentence when an event template was switched into an advanced event is grammatically incorrect.
- We’ve fixed an error: a sample model, B3_Castle.fbx, is now FBX2014 Binary format.
- We’ve fixed an error: it gives you an error when you cancel the overwrite save in the 3D Character Editor.
- We’ve fixed an error: the “Monster Position” button in the event panel, "Place Battle", can be clicked even if the battle setting is the 2D battle system.
- We’ve fixed: if it fails to save the data during the saving process, you can choose to revive the last saved data.
- We’ve implemented: you can search event contents by text using "Event Search" window if you press Ctrl+F during the map editing.
Exporter for Unity 1.1.2
- We’ve fixed an error: an import error shows up when you import exported project data using Unity2017.2.
- We’ve fixed an error: an import error shows up when you import a model which contains more than 32 materials.
- We’ve fixed: now you cannot export Unity project data in the game file folder.
- We’ve fixed an error: if a model containing material animations is placed as an event, it doesn’t animate properly.
When Is Smile Game Builder’s Next Update?
The last SGB update on Steam was announced on June 21, 2018 (at the time of this post), which becomes a cause for concern for many of its users. However, SmileBoom has been working feverishly on updating Smile Game Builder; they just haven’t announced it.
When Is the Next Update?
In fact, the commonest question right now is "When is the next update?".
An update IS on its way! For now, however, the next imminent update will fix some minor issues but it won’t comprise any new features yet. These will come as soon as SmileBoom is ready, but for now they are making absolutely sure that all of their updates for the "big one" are working as they should and that when it IS implemented everything will function error and bug free.
I share everyone’s frustration regarding the lack of updates, but patience must be the virtue here. SmileBoom has consistently proven that they climb on top of any bugs that may arise in Smile Game Builder and, most importantly, they listen to people’s feedback and suggestions.
Developmental Demands
Smile Game Builder’s development team is small, so time and resources are often limited to fulfil demands and update new features. Regardless, they work hard on updating their engine to make it competitive enough to stand apart from the others.
I’d like to quote something from Mr Karate (mrkarate1983) in the SGB Discord:
SmileBoom is a company that has been fully dedicated for years to provide tools in the field of play programming.
They, like any company, have different teams that are responsible for developing the various projects in progress. This is subject to a strict budget and the capacity of the human team that is dedicated to it.
The larger the budget, the more developers will work on a project. In the same way that a lower budget, less number of developers will be assigned to it.
Some of you are aware of this. Managing resources and working with what you have on hand is very important in software development.
Although SGB is relatively a young program in comparison with the other competitors, we can see that it has a series of functions -and potential- that do not envy the competition at all.
Programs like GODOT, Unity, Unreal, GameMaker Studio, Scirra’s Construct 2 & 3, and many other video game development programs have a long history of work and development in the market.
They were not products that from the first day were free of failures, bugs or errors – and even today they still have problems and constant fixes.
That is the reality when working with software programs. It is part of the development, improvement and polishing cycle of a product.
Those who have been with SGB since the first day understand how it has improved and advanced throughout these years. It has its virtues, advantages and disadvantages, but at no point is a program that does not fulfill its purpose.
On the contrary, it is probably the easiest to use RPG game editor in the current market and with an incredible potential for those who are willing to take advantage of their potential.
And that is thanks to the honesty, integrity and effort of the small development team that is behind it.
I understand the inconvenience about a lack of updates or bug fixes, taking into account that they can frustrate your current projects, however that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a future update of course! I remember that it took 4-5 months back on 2016 for an update to be live. You need to understand that some things just take time. You can’t rush it.
But also if a tool does not meet your needs, you have complete freedom to explore other possibilities.
This is so true that some of us have had the opportunity to get to know different game engines and apply different programming languages in order to find what most facilitates our work and the fulfillment of our goals.
I think this encapsulates the developmental process and prospect concisely.
Ending on A High
Be patient and have faith that the update – even if it’s been deferred for awhile – is on its way, with a number of new and useful features.
We should not lose faith and trust in a development team that has worked hard over these years to provide us with a low-cost program – and easy access for both beginners as for advanced users, that allows us to develop video games in a pleasant and simple way.
As soon as this update is ready, I will announce it across my social media accounts and upload a showcase video to the Smile Game Builder Tutorials and Showcases Playlist.