Author: Patrick Fluke

Optimizing Your Godot Game: Best Practices for Performance and Load Times

Posted on by Patrick Fluke

Hey there!!! We all want our games to run smoothly and look fantastic, right? Well, I’ve got some super helpful tips and techniques to make sure your Godot game is running at its best, with faster load times and smooth gameplay across different devices. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Use the Right Node Types

In Godot, there are lots of different node types, but not all of them are created equal when it comes to performance. Make sure to use the right node types for your game objects, like using a Sprite node for 2D images or a MeshInstance for 3D models. This way, Godot can work its magic and optimize your game!

Optimize Your Images

Big images can slow down your game, so it’s important to make them as small as possible without losing quality. You can use image editing software to compress your images, or use Godot’s built-in “Import” tab to set compression settings. Smaller images mean faster load times and better performance!

Use Collision Layers and Masks

Collision detection can be a real performance hog, but Godot has a cool trick up its sleeve: collision layers and masks. By assigning objects to specific layers and masks, you can control which objects collide with each other, making the whole process much more efficient. It’s like organizing a super-fast game of bumper cars!

Use Occlusion Culling

Occlusion culling is a fancy way of saying “don’t render what you can’t see.” By enabling this feature in Godot, you can make sure that only the objects visible on screen are being rendered, saving precious processing power. It’s like giving your game a super-speed boost!

Use LOD (Level of Detail) for 3D Models

LOD stands for “Level of Detail,” and it’s a technique that helps your game run smoother on different devices. By creating lower-detail versions of your 3D models, Godot can switch between them depending on how far away they are from the camera. This means less processing power is needed, and your game will run faster!

Optimize Your Scripts

Your game’s scripts can have a big impact on performance, so make sure they’re running as efficiently as possible. Use built-in Godot functions, like “set_process(false)” to pause scripts when they’re not needed, and avoid using too many “print()” statements, as they can slow things down. It’s like giving your game a brain boost!

Use Particle Systems Wisely

Particle systems can make your game look amazing, but they can also eat up a lot of processing power. To keep things running smoothly, try to limit the number of particles in your game, and use the built-in “VisibilityNotifier” node to pause particle systems when they’re off-screen. It’s like a magic wand for better performance!

Test on Different Devices

Finally, always remember to test your game on different devices! This will help you spot any performance issues and make sure your game runs smoothly for everyone. Godot makes it easy to export your game to different platforms, so grab your phone, tablet, or computer and start testing!

And there you have it, fellow game creators! With these tips and techniques, you’ll be on your way to optimizing your Godot game for better performance and faster load times. So go forth and make your game the best it can be. Happy game-making!

Unlock Your Godot Potential: 10 Game-Changing Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Posted on by Patrick Fluke

Hey there, fellow gamers and game devs! If you’re anything like me, you love making games almost as much as you love playing them. That’s why I’m super excited to share 10 amazing tips and tricks that will make your Godot game development journey even more exciting and efficient. Let’s dive right in!

Use Godot’s Built-in Templates

Did you know that Godot has a bunch of cool templates you can use to start your game? Just open the “Project Manager,” click “Templates,” and you’ll find tons of examples that can kick-start your project. It’s like a treasure trove of game-making goodness!

Master the Scene Dock

The scene dock is where all the magic happens. You can create, organize, and manage your game objects, called “nodes,” here. Right-click on any node to access a handy menu with options like duplicating, making a scene instance, or even deleting it. It’s like a superpower for organizing your game!

Harness the Power of Groups

    Groups are an awesome way to keep track of similar nodes in your game. Just select a node, go to the “Node” tab, click “Groups,” and add it to a new or existing group. Now you can easily find and work with all nodes in the group, saving you tons of time!

    Customize Your Workspace

    Feeling cramped in your Godot workspace? No problem! You can customize it to make it just right for you. Go to “Editor” > “Editor Settings” and explore the options to change the theme, tweak the layout, or even change the font size. Make it your own personal game-making paradise!

    Use Grid Snapping for Precision

    Want to place nodes perfectly in your game? Just turn on “Grid Snap” at the top of the editor, and your nodes will snap to an invisible grid. You can even change the grid size in the “Snap” menu. It’s like having a superpower for precise node placement!

    Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

      Who needs a mouse when you have keyboard shortcuts? Godot has a ton of them that can speed up your workflow. For example, press “Ctrl + S” to save your work, “Ctrl + D” to duplicate a node, and “F5” to run your game. Memorize your favourites and become a Godot ninja!

      Debug with the Debugger

      Sometimes, even the best game developers run into bugs. But fear not! Godot has a powerful debugger to help you squash those pesky problems. Just click the “Debugger” tab at the bottom of the editor and start hunting down those bugs. It’s like a detective game within your game-making adventure!

      Use the Asset Library

      Need some extra assets for your game? Godot’s got you covered! Check out the “Asset Library” under the “Project” menu. You’ll find a treasure trove of free resources like scripts, textures, and even whole game templates. It’s like a magical toolbox for game makers!

      Save Time with Animation Shortcuts

      Animations can bring your game to life, and Godot makes it easy with a few handy shortcuts. In the Animation tab, you can press “Ctrl + Click” on the timeline to create a new keyframe, or “Shift + Click” to delete one. It’s like a secret dance move for your game characters!

      Explore Godot’s Tutorials and Documentation

      Last but not least, never stop learning! Godot’s official website has loads of tutorials and documentation to help you become a game-making master. Plus, the Godot community is super friendly and always ready to help. So, dive into the forums, join Discord channels, and chat with other Godot enthusiasts. You’ll learn new tips, tricks, and techniques that will take your game development skills to the next level!

      That’s it! These 10 game-changing tips and tricks will help you unlock the full potential of Godot and make your game development journey even more exciting. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep experimenting, have fun, and never stop learning. With Godot by your side, you’ll be creating amazing games in no time. Now, let’s get back to making our gaming dreams come true!

      How to Make Your Game Scale for All Resolutions in Godot 4.0

      How to Make Your Game Scale for All Resolutions in Godot 4.0

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      Making your game scale for all resolutions in Godot is an important step in creating a game that is accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Fortunately, Godot provides a really simple way to achieve this through the Project Settings.

      If you make a game that looks like this…

      Simplistic Game Setup

      But when you stretch it it looks like this…

      Simplistic Game Setup, Stretching did not scale assets

      Then this tutorial is for you!

      Stretch Mode is a setting in Godot that determines how your game will scale to fit different screen resolutions. There are several different stretch modes to choose from, but for the purpose of this article, we will focus on the “Viewport” stretch mode.

      First, open your Godot project and click on “Project” in the top menu bar. From there, select “Project Settings” and then click on the “Display” tab. Under the “Window” section, you will see the “Stretch” section. Click on the drop-down menu next next to “Mode” and select “Viewport.”

      Now, your game will automatically scale to fit the resolution of any device it is played on. However, there are a few additional steps you can take to ensure that your game looks great at any resolution.

      One important thing to keep in mind is your game’s aspect ratio. Aspect ratio refers to the proportional relationship between the width and height of your game’s display. For example, a common aspect ratio for mobile devices is 16:9, which means that the width of the screen is 16 units for every 9 units of height. Keeping the option for “Aspect” set to keep ensure that the aspect ratio of your game does not change. It accomplishes this using black bars to fill out the space in the window.

      To set your game’s aspect ratio, go back to the Project Settings window and select the “Display” tab. Under the “Window” section, you will see the Viewport Width and Viewport Height. Setting these values allows you to specify an aspect ratio that will be held.

      Finally, you may want to consider creating different versions of your game’s graphics for different resolutions. This can help ensure that your game looks great at any size. For example, you may want to create high-resolution graphics for larger screens and lower-resolution graphics for smaller screens.

      With these steps, you can make your game scale for all resolutions in Godot. By using the Stretch Mode and setting your game’s aspect ratio, you can create a game that looks great on any device.

      The Importance of Powerful Story-Telling in Game Development

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      Have you ever played a video game that was so captivating, you felt like you were part of the story? This is thanks to the power of storytelling in game design. Storytelling is the backbone of creating a great video game. It’s what makes your game more than just a bunch of levels and obstacles – it’s what gives life to your game. This is the goal of game design and development.

      In game design, the story guides the player through the game. It provides a reason for the player to keep going, to keep struggling, and helps make the game world feel real. A great story in a video game makes the player feel attached to the game world and gives them a reason to want to try and save it… assuming that’s the kind of game it is anyhow.

      Game development is the process of bringing the story to life. The game developers work with the game designers to make sure the story is told in a way that makes sense and is fun for the player. They also make sure that the game is visually appealing and that the game mechanics (how the player controls the game) are smooth and easy to use.

      When you’re playing a video game with a good story, you might not even realize how much it’s affecting you. But it’s making you care about the characters, the world, and what’s going to happen next. That’s why storytelling is such an important part of game design and development.

      Next time you play a video game, pay attention to the story. Think about how it’s making you feel and why you’re playing the game. You might just be surprised by how much the story is affecting you!

      How You’ll Affect Your Player

      There are many different ways that the story can affect the player in a video game. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them.

      Emotion: A good story can make the player feel a range of emotions, such as excitement, fear, sadness, or happiness. This emotional connection with the game can make the player more invested in the story and can help make the game more memorable. For example, if the game tells a sad story, the player might feel empathy for the characters and be more motivated to help them.

      Decision Making: Some video games give the player choices that affect the outcome of the story. These choices can range from small ones, like what items to pick up, to big ones, like who to save in a crisis. These choices can make the player feel like they have control over the story and add an extra excitement to the game.

      Immersion: Storytelling can help create a sense of immersion in the game world. When the player is fully immersed, they feel like they are actually in the game world, and the story becomes more real to them. This can lead to a deeper connection with the game and a more enjoyable experience.

      Replayability: A good story can make the player want to play the game again, even if they already know the outcome. They might want to see how the story would change if they made different choices, or they might want to experience the story again just because it was so enjoyable the first time.

      In conclusion, storytelling plays a huge role in the game design and development process. It can affect the player in many different ways, such as making them feel emotions, affecting their decision-making, creating a sense of immersion, and increasing replayability. Whether you’re a player or a game developer, it’s important to understand the power of storytelling in video games.

      Things to Avoid

      Just as there are things you should do as a storyteller in game development, there are also things you shouldn’t do. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

      1. Don’t make the story too complicated: Players want to enjoy the game, not spend hours trying to figure out what’s going on. Keep the story simple and easy to follow.
      2. Don’t make the story boring: Players will quickly lose interest if the story is dull and uninteresting. Make sure the story has excitement, twists, and turns to keep the player engaged.
      3. Don’t ignore player choice: If you’re including player choice in the game, make sure that it actually affects the story. Players will feel like their choices don’t matter if they don’t have any impact on the outcome of the story.
      4. Don’t make the story inconsistent: Make sure that the story and the game world are consistent and make sense. Players will quickly become frustrated if they encounter inconsistencies in the story or the game world.
      5. Don’t make the story too predictable: Players want to be surprised and entertained. If the story is too predictable, the player will lose interest and won’t be as invested in the game.

      These are just a few of the things you should avoid when it comes to storytelling in game design and development. By keeping these things in mind, you can create a story that is both engaging and enjoyable for the player.

      In conclusion, storytelling is an important part of game design and development. It can make or break the game experience for the player. Make sure to keep the story simple, interesting, consistent, and surprising to create a great game that players will love.

      You Have So Much to Gain

      Storytelling and game design go hand in hand when it comes to creating a great video game. A well-crafted story can add depth and meaning to a game, making it a more enjoyable and memorable experience for the player. Here are some of the benefits of telling a great story alongside building a great game:

      1. Emotional Connection: A great story can make the player feel emotions such as excitement, fear, sadness, and happiness. This emotional connection with the game can make the player more invested in the story and can help make the game more memorable.
      2. Increased Immersion: A good story can help create a sense of immersion in the game world. When the player is fully immersed, they feel like they are actually in the game world, and the story becomes more real. This can lead to a deeper connection with the game and a more enjoyable experience.
      3. Player Choice: Some video games give the player choices that affect the outcome of the story. These choices can range from small ones, like what items to pick up, to big ones, like who to save in a crisis. These choices can make the player feel like they have control over the story and add extra excitement to the game.
      4. Replayability: A good story can make the player want to play the game again, even if they already know the outcome. They might want to see how the story would change if they made different choices, or they might want to experience the story again just because it was so enjoyable the first time.

      In conclusion, storytelling is a vital component of game design and development. It can add emotional depth, create a sense of immersion, give the player choices, and increase replayability. Whether you’re a player or a game developer, it’s important to understand the importance of storytelling in video games. By combining great storytelling with great game design, you can create a game that is not only fun to play but also has a memorable and impactful story.

      A Comprehensive Look At A* Pathfinding Project Pro

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      A* Pathfinding Project Pro

      A* Pathfinding Project Pro is a top selling Unity 3D asset that will help you deal with the some of the grittiest details of game development. It can be exceedingly difficult to get your AI controlled characters to move through your levels in ways that don’t feel too robotic. The path may be set up in such a way that it’s quite obviously the long or just plain wrong way, or maybe they just keep walking into a wall for no reason. A* Pathfinding Project Pro works to rid you of that absolute pain in the indie game developer butt.

      Available on the Unity Asset Store, A* Pathfinding Project Pro is the easy way to answer the question, how do I make the enemies in my game come and find my main character? Not only that, but it has so many other uses as well.

      What are the Benefits of Using A* Pathfinding Project Pro

      Unity 3D game development is already a massive undertaking. Even for a relatively small game, as an indie game developer you are going to be in charge of a LOT of details. What this asset can do is take a huge chunk of that burden off of you, at least as far as getting your NPC characters to move around realistically and thoughtfully anyhow.

      A* Pathfinding Project Pro supports grids, navmesh, and even point and hexagonal movement graphs. Even better, it can handle the navmesh generation automatically to prevent you from even having to set it up in your level. Like the best assets on the market, it’s multithreaded so that it doesn’t impact your games performance when it counts. Pathfinding will be handled alongside your other calculations in a non obtrusive way. The result, your NPC will have great local avoidance in three different planes, as well as it only requires a single line of code to get your pathfinding call set up.

      How Do I Get Started?

      I’ll say you’ve made a great choice buying this Pathfinding Project, and the developer has not left you out high and dry. The Unity Asset Package contains 16 examples scenes that you can open and inspect. These scenes will help you to see the multitude of use cases for A* Pathfinding Project Pro, and figure out how to apply them to your own game.

      Further, if you need more information they have demo videos and more linked from their website. With hundreds of reviews on Unity’s Asset store, and a solid just about if not 5 star rating, you really have made a great choice. You’ll be done your game in no time!

      Note: This asset supports Unity 2019.3.5 or higher.

      Saturday Screenshot Breakdown

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

       

      The Medieval Town – Vermillion – Your Story is Waiting

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      What is The Medieval Town – Vermillion?

      The Medieval Town : Vermilion

      The Medieval Town – Vermillion includes all the building blocks you need to quickly model complex and detailed scenes of your new favourite medieval town. With these low polygon models, you can focus on creating high-quality scenes without wasting time on extraneous detail, and before you know it you’ll have Your Game Today.

      155 types of Low-poly 3D Models.- Full Demo Scene- All assets are provided with .FBX and .Prefab files.- Separate Unity packages for UModeler users.(With UModeler asset you can tweak the meshes immediately in Unity.)

      Low-poly models are a popular graphic design trend, and this asset made with UModeler makes it easy to create your own 3D assets. The pack brings you 155 different low-poly 3D models including buildings, furniture, and plants. The developer also provides you with a prefabricated scene for visual inspiration when you’re looking for ideas to bring these models into your own game.

      How The Medieval Town – Vermillion can help you build your game faster!

      This medieval village scene is perfect for your next game or animation project. The buildings are designed in the popular low-poly style and when compared to the high cost of taking the time to build these yourself it’s cost-effective. Especially if you don’t happen to already have the modelling background. They come with a beautiful textures and all fit the flow with one another to help you put your game together in no time. You’ll wonder why you ever tried to get by without it.

      How Does UModeler Fit In?

      We’ve covered UModeler before, and it’s just a fantastic asset in its own right. As far as The Medieval Town – Vermillion goes though, UModeler brings it to an entirely new level. As soon as you get these assets loaded into your game you can tweak them to your hearts content right in Unity! No need to go back and forth with Blender or 3Ds Max, it’s all right there!

      Even better, since this asset was designed to provide separate Unity packages for UModeler users, the asset is going to make it easy for you to modify it to your hearts content. Your changes will be there right away, and ready for your game to keep making progress. Before long you’ll be starting to advertise your launch date with all the time you saved.

      Is The Medieval Town – Vermillion worth it? Absolutely, with the time saved you’ll get your game out sooner, and more time on the market is more time in the hands of your fans.

      Download Vermillion Now!

      NOTE: This asset requires Unity 2019.4.12 or later.

      Atlas Terrain Editor for Unity 3D

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      Atlas - terrain editor

      Building your Unity 3D scenes can be quite the challenge. When your building outdoor scene and you have to create a believable outdoor environment, things get even trickier. This is where Atlas Terrain Editor for Unity comes in.

      Atlas Terrain Editor

      Combining both of generated and stamp based workflow, the Atlas Terrain Editor allows you to quickly and easily build up your outdoor environments. You’ll be able to change how stamps mesh into one another by changing their opacity as they mixed together. In this way you’ll be able to control how different portions of your environment come together.

      As another benefit of using this asset, you’ll also be able to use a spline-based system to put in map features. Roads rivers and cliffs are all be easily put into your terrain using the spine-based system. All of this of course taking advantage of the Unity 3D prefab system. This allows you to stay on top of your levels organization with the Atlas Terrain Editor.

      The asset boasts a powerful workflow that doesn’t impact your games performance. The asset will help you with scattering of trees, and other debris that will fill your world and make it feel alive. For easier modification, atlas train editor provides scale indicators. Since you always know the scale, you’ll have a really good idea how your final level will turn out.

      Be an Artist for a Moment

      Using the Atlas Terrain Editor, you’ll be able to let out your inner artist. You’ll be painting your world and it will come to life right before you. Your outdoor environments will come together quicker than we thought possible. This asset makes that possible. With many stamps available within the asset, you’ll be putting your world together in no time.

      While Unity 3D does provide some terrain editing capability, Atlas Terrain Editor expands upon this greatly. These additional features are way I can definitely recommend it as an excellent addition to your game development Toolkit. When you want Your Game Today, anything that saves you time is more than worth it.

      Poly Universal Pack for the Best Stylized Models

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      Poly Universal Pack

      Polyperfect has their work cut out for them but they are providing an excellent asset. The Poly Universal Pack for Unity 3D is an outstanding collection of models. Perhaps most intriguing about this collection, is that Polyperfect intends to continually add to this asset. Currently the asset is only about $30, however it already has almost 500 prefabs for your unity projects.

      Currently the models are all divided into several different collections. We have nature, primevil, Steam punk, and survival. The almost 500 prefabs of course being divided among these categories.

      What Polyperfect is trying to achieve however, is that they intend to both increase the price and assets available within this pack as they add to it. This means that the earlier you buy the Poly Universal Pack, the more value you’re going to get as they provide free updates into the future.

      What Does the Poly Universal Pack Contain Now?

      As of now the Poly Universal Pack contains about 500 Prefab items for your Unity 3D projects. Further, it contains multiple inspiration scenes, and multiple colour textures in the texture atlas for the models to let you customize the look and feel for your project. Also the included characters are already rigged and ready to use the new projects.

      The entire package simple to use well organized and ready to go. This pack has the potential to be an incredibly valuable investment as it is. Let alone as Polyperfect continues to add to this asset in the future. This pack has the potential to be an incredibly valuable investment as it is. Let alone as Polyperfect continues to add to this asset. We can’t be sure what assets that probably perfect will continue to add, but they’ve definitely demonstrated that their quality is what we expect for our games.

      Now we can’t see what tomorrow brings, but if the video up there’s any indication and Polyperfect continues to add to the size that you will definitely get your moneys worth. With the amount of models that you pick up with Poly Universal Pack, you’ll have no problem making Your Game Today.

      The Ocean Environment Pack for Unity 3D

      Posted on by Patrick Fluke

      Ocean Environment Pack

      Indie games take place in every possible environment that you can think of. The top of a volcano, the moons of Jupiter, and even the bottom of the sea.When you think about designing an entire environment, you see just how much work there is. That’s where assets such as the Ocean Environment Pack for Unity3D comes in to play.

      The Ocean Environment Pack contains the creatures, plants, and a variety of effects. Everything you need to build your game’s underwater world. You’ll be able to customize the creature’s paths, animation speeds, and intensity of effects. Just watching the video above you see how detailed the environment you can build. The Ocean Environment Pack allows you to use realistic underwater effects such as caustic sunlight, god rays, plants that sway back-and-forth and more! This asset supports the standard, URP, and HDRP render pipelines, allowing you to use them in Unity 3D as you see fit.

      The Ocean Environment Pack is Customizable

      All of the animations for the creatures were made using the Vertex Animation Tool. Since they were designed with the Vertex Animation Tool, they provide high performance and you can customize them using the oceans wine system. This customization is going to be key in giving you a world that feels uniquely your own.

      When building your detailed underwater world, you’ll begin to see just how much work went into creating the asset and how much time you’ve saved by using the Ocean Environment Pack. All that time that you’ve saved, you’ll be able to apply to other parts of your game. You’ll be building up your story, building better character models, or putting that time into advertising. Saved time is a god send for an indie dev, because time is the thing that works most against us.

      Saving You Time Building Your Ocean Environment

      All that time that you’ve saved, you’ll be able to apply to other parts of your game building up your story, building better character models, or simply putting time into advertisement to get your game into the hands of your players.

      Don’t you think it’s time that you made Your Game Today?