Still Flyin’

As someone who works from home on a computer I’m very lucky to say that things haven’t changed too much here. I love computers! But without having anywhere else to go I guess it’s “like music without silence”, and it’s a bit sad to think that this is my usual extent of living. My default social state is the one that the world exists in right now, and the feeling I get from the people around me about this way of living seems to be universal:

“I’m bored, life is boring, this is shit.”

So whether or not I like it, I suppose I’ve discovered that my life is boring. Obviously there’s not much that can be done about it right now.

Duck Game- It’s update has been in alpha for a while. While things keep getting fixed, things keep getting added, the path to completion grows longer. The last few months have been pretty damn productive. But of course they’ve also pushed back the release date of this update time and time again, keeping with the theme of DG updates being delivered on the back of a turtle who takes 2 years to cross a room (and who is currently being extra careful not to drop anything). But hey, we’ve got new weapons, new hats, new levels, way smoother online play and improved synchronization. Steam Cloud is fixed, the level editor has been improved, and you can make challenge levels now. Maybe it’s worth waiting for.

I’ve been working with the Duck Game community, a lot in particular with the good people from QC (Quack Cocaine, a group that plays/mods DG and hosts tournaments. Their skill level is intimidating). They’ve all been testing the alpha like crazy, and so many important fixes and QOL changes have come directly from the community and QC. I can’t thank you all enough, and can’t overstate how important your help has been in making this update possible.

Duck Game has gotten more complex than I ever thought possible, and there are so many little pieces all working in synchronicity- not to mention Switch support and PS4 support changes hanging overhead. It’s a fragile system and it gets progressively harder to work on without knocking out the balance. I feel like I’ve been taking a sledgehammer to the walls while the community watches- we wanted to open up this room anyway so it’s a good hammer- but whenever I take a swing at a support column the community is there to pull me back and say “er, probably shouldn’t hit that one”. Having people like QC to play with, people with so much love and passion for the game.. Who are so intimately in tune with every little detail, is something that you can’t ask for, can’t pay for, can’t even dream for if I you have any value in keeping your dreams to things that might come true. But they’re real, the Duck Game community exists, and they’re keeping the game alive.

Duck Game 2?

It’s been awesome playing DG with everyone again too. There’s something oddly wholesome about playing the game with people and having them go “OH! Check this out, if you jump and slide just right-“.. Then watching them totally break the game- perform some impossible maneuver, clip onto the top of the level or pull a cooked duck out of thin air. Then they teach me how to do the same. I’d never thought of bugs as something to enjoy- but seeing people have fun with them makes me happy. It offers some peace when it comes to the bugs that can’t or wont be fixed.

A quick PS4 Update: I’ve created a new developer account with Sony, as I could not for the life of me get a response in regards to re-activating my old one. I don’t have access to the dev tools yet but have been assured that access is coming- it’ll just take some time. Considering the state of the world, I absolutely understand if it takes them a while.

Oh yeah- and the screenshot up there is actually from Time Splitters 2, one of the best games ever made and the reason why 14 year old me sold my computer to buy a Gamecube. In retrospect, I wonder where my mind was when I started making Duck Game..

So, all in all it’s another blog post to say: I’m still working on Duck Game every day. I’ve been reeling back on major changes, trying to get the game into a stable condition worth releasing for real. As soon as I’ve tested the new Steam Cloud fixes, an official beta will happen (keep an eye out next week). Beta should be *much* shorter than alpha. Then comes the actual Steam update release, then comes Switch, then comes PS4.. !

I’m sorry to anyone I’ve been unresponsive to, I know I drift in and out of Discord/messages and get all gung-ho about doing things that never end up happening. Still need to visit a few Animal Crossing islands but haven’t been able to work up the will to do it (oh woe, release these mirrors from your withering image). I’ve been struggling with sadness about the state of the world like anyone, but seeing everyone come together (while staying apart!), all the love and hard work-

That’s something worth being happy about.

Always think we’ll get more time

Now I’m flying through the air and it’s you who comes to mind

In the red lights and cathedrals there’s a sign:

Don’t we always wish we had more time?

-My Hit and Run, Third Eye Blind