Sionel
@sionel.bsky.social
Crumbly old game developer, baggy and a bit loose at the seams. Have been doing it since all of this was just fields.
A . . . scam?
Grinding salt is a scam?
Are you struggling with the word here?
Grinding salt is a scam?
Are you struggling with the word here?
August 6, 2025 at 5:28 PM
A . . . scam?
Grinding salt is a scam?
Are you struggling with the word here?
Grinding salt is a scam?
Are you struggling with the word here?
Been doing this for years. Game tracks your failures silently. If you fail to beat a boss X times, that boss hits softer or takes more damage under the hood. Miss a timed escape run four or five times in a row? The next run gets a bit of invisible time dilation.
Make people feel they've improved.
Make people feel they've improved.
August 5, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Been doing this for years. Game tracks your failures silently. If you fail to beat a boss X times, that boss hits softer or takes more damage under the hood. Miss a timed escape run four or five times in a row? The next run gets a bit of invisible time dilation.
Make people feel they've improved.
Make people feel they've improved.
My worst one was a time I saw it coming, spoke to the directors about ways of dealing with it as best we could, was told not to worry and there was nothing wrong. I got on a plane and they shut down my studio while I was in the air. I got a phone call on landing from a colleague. 2000/01 I think.
August 5, 2025 at 10:07 PM
My worst one was a time I saw it coming, spoke to the directors about ways of dealing with it as best we could, was told not to worry and there was nothing wrong. I got on a plane and they shut down my studio while I was in the air. I got a phone call on landing from a colleague. 2000/01 I think.
I'm pretty sure a team I was working alongside in about 97/98 shipped a game as an OEM deal with that Matrox GFX card.
August 5, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I'm pretty sure a team I was working alongside in about 97/98 shipped a game as an OEM deal with that Matrox GFX card.
Nice bit of work.
My campaign uses Faerun too, but the idea my players could cope with one more bit of input would likely shatter their remaining minds.
My campaign uses Faerun too, but the idea my players could cope with one more bit of input would likely shatter their remaining minds.
July 22, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Nice bit of work.
My campaign uses Faerun too, but the idea my players could cope with one more bit of input would likely shatter their remaining minds.
My campaign uses Faerun too, but the idea my players could cope with one more bit of input would likely shatter their remaining minds.
Ah - should really have read "thirteenth" (x3)
July 19, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Ah - should really have read "thirteenth" (x3)
38 years in game dev this year.
July 19, 2025 at 12:56 PM
38 years in game dev this year.
Three years (I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek) means I'm almost halfway through my thirteen career.
Cool.
Cool.
July 19, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Three years (I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek) means I'm almost halfway through my thirteen career.
Cool.
Cool.
Except the won't. They believe Trump when he tells them it was someone else's fault.
May 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Except the won't. They believe Trump when he tells them it was someone else's fault.
I mean, this is great and all, but these people almost certainly voted blue.
How are you guys going to convince all those republican swing voters that they have made a terrible mistake?
How are you guys going to convince all those republican swing voters that they have made a terrible mistake?
March 24, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I mean, this is great and all, but these people almost certainly voted blue.
How are you guys going to convince all those republican swing voters that they have made a terrible mistake?
How are you guys going to convince all those republican swing voters that they have made a terrible mistake?
Content that grabs attention needs to straight up align people with or against it. Shades of grey get overlooked. Extremes generate traffic.
It's a sad fact of social media life.
It's a sad fact of social media life.
March 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Content that grabs attention needs to straight up align people with or against it. Shades of grey get overlooked. Extremes generate traffic.
It's a sad fact of social media life.
It's a sad fact of social media life.
As much as can be expected. Hope you're doing okay too, fella. Good luck with the pinball thing.
March 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
As much as can be expected. Hope you're doing okay too, fella. Good luck with the pinball thing.
Three of those with coffee , every day, is my standard breakfast.
March 8, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Three of those with coffee , every day, is my standard breakfast.
In 1979 I was a kid who discovered two things; a Commodore Pet and Dungeons & Dragons. I put them together and started making games. It has been my lifelong professional career since graduating university.
February 19, 2025 at 1:30 AM
In 1979 I was a kid who discovered two things; a Commodore Pet and Dungeons & Dragons. I put them together and started making games. It has been my lifelong professional career since graduating university.
You are aware that when I play a game I need to see every corner of every environment, open every container, etc?
Playing the game to completion took me about 200+ hours in total.
Playing the game to completion took me about 200+ hours in total.
February 18, 2025 at 9:51 PM
You are aware that when I play a game I need to see every corner of every environment, open every container, etc?
Playing the game to completion took me about 200+ hours in total.
Playing the game to completion took me about 200+ hours in total.
It is a very well crafted game, from many angles and techniques. Have never played this genre multiplayer though and not sure I’d enjoy them as much if I did.
February 17, 2025 at 4:50 PM
It is a very well crafted game, from many angles and techniques. Have never played this genre multiplayer though and not sure I’d enjoy them as much if I did.
He and I share a birthday.
For me it was Joanna Lumley, as Purdey, in The New Avengers.
For me it was Joanna Lumley, as Purdey, in The New Avengers.
February 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM
He and I share a birthday.
For me it was Joanna Lumley, as Purdey, in The New Avengers.
For me it was Joanna Lumley, as Purdey, in The New Avengers.
If you're making a product for Gamepass then physical/digital sales are not your major concern. The publisher and holder of that platform will have pre-built recompense into the budget they've give the developer.
February 6, 2025 at 4:32 PM
If you're making a product for Gamepass then physical/digital sales are not your major concern. The publisher and holder of that platform will have pre-built recompense into the budget they've give the developer.
Why would they? It's clearly an insane brain fart that isn't ever going to be a thing.
It just makes the rest of the world stare at the US and ask how it became so fucking broken.
It just makes the rest of the world stare at the US and ask how it became so fucking broken.
February 6, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Why would they? It's clearly an insane brain fart that isn't ever going to be a thing.
It just makes the rest of the world stare at the US and ask how it became so fucking broken.
It just makes the rest of the world stare at the US and ask how it became so fucking broken.
I’ve started to use it over the last week, after quitting twitter on the night of the US election. As with all social media, finding people to discuss things with and sources to read is a challenge at the start.
February 4, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I’ve started to use it over the last week, after quitting twitter on the night of the US election. As with all social media, finding people to discuss things with and sources to read is a challenge at the start.
They are doing what EA actually does quite well - defining a market sector they can 100% own and earn from by giving them EXACTLY what they are willing to pay for.
Dumb as it sounds, many publishers have lost sight of this s a goal.
Dumb as it sounds, many publishers have lost sight of this s a goal.
February 4, 2025 at 12:13 AM
They are doing what EA actually does quite well - defining a market sector they can 100% own and earn from by giving them EXACTLY what they are willing to pay for.
Dumb as it sounds, many publishers have lost sight of this s a goal.
Dumb as it sounds, many publishers have lost sight of this s a goal.