First of all, thanks to the community for the opportunity given to first time game devs. It certainly can be intimidating!
1. Hi there! What's your name? Want to introduce yourself?
I'm reyabreu, can call me just Rey. A seasoned Java enterprise dev for a living (I know, boring) but an avid gamer, reader and movie watcher - maybe a bit older that your typical audience but still young at heart. I've recently started on my journey of learning the essentials of gamedev in the hopes of it becomimg an established hobby where I can do something much more creative and meet likewise minded people. English is a second language so please be forgiving of any errors...
2. Did you participate in the last jam we held? If so, what do you plan on doing better this time? If not, what's your reason for joining?
- Never been in a Game Jam before. Heck I've never programmed in a competition before
- I intend to do my best to actually finishing my own game. I'm really bad at art, sound or design though....
- I want to learn the essential skills to produce a game that someone will actually enjoy playing
3. What games are your favorites? Did any of them inspire you, or made you want to make your own?
So many games I've played over the years... Let's see. I tend to enjoy more linear narratives instead of open world:
- Limbo, Inside, Shadow of the Colossus, Katamari Damacy, ABZU, SuperHot, Alien: Isolation, Papers Please, God Of War, Ryse: Son Of Rome
- Starcraft, XCom, Civilization, Total War and Tropico Series
- Mad Max, Skyrim, Just Cause 3, Tomb Raider, Last of Us, Sniper Elite 3, Mirror's Edge, Subnautica
- Hearthstone, Poly Bridge, Turmoil, Swat 4, Transport Tycoon, SpaceChem, Psychonauts, Machinarium, Minecraft
Board games: 7 Wonders, Setllers of Catan, Agricola, Age of The Dragon, Ticket To Ride
I'd love to make a game with a compelling story such as Papers Please - which I hold as a masterpiece. It made me start looking into gamedev with more conviction.
4. Do you have experience with game development? What did you do/with what engine?
Nope, no "formal" experience with gamedev. I started programming many years ago, but focused on more "serious" problems for commercial or academic applications. After I saw the success of Minecraft, I started looking into gamedev with Java and gamemaker studio first, but dropped them after I realized the huge amount of effort it involved to do something reasonably acceptable. I took it again recently after doing some tutorials on Unity and Godot on Udemy (specially fond of Godot!)
5. Tell us about something you're passionate about!
I think games are another type of media vehicle that hasn't been fully developed yet in it's potential for telling compelling stories and even change our minds - like books or movies. I think that unfortunately most game dev is still heavily technical. Creative and writer types face a bit of a steep learning curve before being able to produce valuable content. I personally don't care much about the next fps or "retro" platformer (which have been done to saturation) but for creative ways of visually telling stories or innovative use of inmersion (like Superhot).
6. What are your goals for this game jam?
Finally make a game from start to finish which I am not too ashamed to put on display!
7. Any advice to new jammers (if you're a veteran)?
None. I'm very willing to take advice though!
8. If you're a returning jammer, what can the admins do to improve your jam experience?
Hope to answer this later