My game engine tried to kill me

If anyone out there is interested in going to school for gamedev check out my sponsor SNHU:
snhu.edu/wattdesigns
I definitely wasn't expecting all this to happen out of nowhere, but I'm glad it's somewhat resolved - I love Unity as an engine and hate the idea of leaving it, I'm really hoping the management team redeems themselves in the coming years. I'm not sure how likely it is, but I'm willing to stick around and hope the missteps come to an end.
-SOCIALS:
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/16...
Patreon: www.patreon.com/WattDesigns?f...
Discord: / discord
Instagram: / watt.designs
Twitter: / wattdesigns
Isle Goblin Website: islegoblin.com
Personal Website: www.kilowattgames.com
0:00 - Intro
0:11 - Pricing Changes
1:52 - New Art
2:10 - Rain/Wind
2:47 - Pollution
3:40 - Sponsor
4:32 - NPC Revamp
5:42 - Shadows
6:21 - Text
6:52 - New Livestock
7:50 - Water
8:04 - Locks
8:15 - Wishlists
9:28 - Patreon outro

[@tyrusing]

that bigass unity mech in the thumbnail would unironically be a kickass final boss. tiny goblin vs giant corporate overlord

[@rmt3589]

Like the Joba Corp in Stardew Valley?

[@kirbles2035]

Closest thing to that is actually NO MORE HEROES 3. The final boss is based on the CEO of unity.

[@TheOneTheyCallChris_]

I think merch should be made

[@MultiArtStyleTWT]

@@rmt3589 Nope. Unity is so much more evil...

[@SanitelTheSanitiser]

i should make that a secret boss in my game (im also using unity for the game so defeating it would basically just be "i used the stones to destroy the stones")

[@GoblinDepartment]

For myself, Unity falling apart is a blessing in disguise. I got lucky and don't have any active projects in Unity, but someday I would like to be a "solo dev" that makes small, 2D games. So, it's a good push to switch to an open-source engine like Godot.

[@masha8770]

Man, the Unity thing gave me flashbacks to WOTC's license fiasco start of this year. All trust destroyed and massive movements in different directions within the community. You'd think other companies learned from that, but nope... I hope you don't give up because it keeps on shaping up to be amazing! Loved the old NPCs but the new ones look great also! Is Fig missing an arm? That's so cool!

[@ultimaxkom8728]

Do they think that they're invincible? And that their customers' loyalty is unlimited? I'm starting to doubt the leadership IQ of these big companies can pass 100.

[@jaydenjayden3778]

@@ultimaxkom8728 I've been doubting it could pass 50 at most

[@jelkbaker9780]

Exactly what I was thinking, the fact these companies think they can just do these things without any backlash is insane

[@copeless1090]

​@@ultimaxkom8728 Didn't unity's new ceo try to make reloading in Battlefield something you have to pay for? He and EA kept trying until they realized it _may_ not be reasonable. Their IQ is in the negatives but greed in the hundreds!

[@theapexsurvivor9538]

​@@ultimaxkom8728no, they're just the first tendrils of a larger beast that's buying its way into boardrooms and is desperate to hold a hidden monopoly on everything: The techofeudalists (the kind of people who are responsible for, and base all they business models on Adobe's subscription service). They're basically all the same kinds of people as real-estate moguls who charge extortionate rents, but they realised that being landlords or owning real-estate firms is way more work and is way less profitable than owning content and renting it as a service.

[@Gerz970]

The game is really coming together! I never had a problem with how the old portraits looked but the new ones look so much better, they have a lot more personality than the old ones.

[@kennyalwaysdies1]

I like to think of this as an alternate Terraria universe where you're surviving at the place where goblins come from instead of the main island from Terraria

[@sugreF_YT]

"My use of the word invoked multiple meaning, resulting in humor" is one of the best and funniest ways I've ever seen wordplay described.

[@CrissyMoss]

I've had this on my wishlist forever, and I'm still really excited for release. The changes you have made are looking really good so far.

[@dylanwelker3977]

Not gonna lie I was super worried about this when it came to your game because I was really worried about it. Of course I was worried about other games, but I was really worried about smaller projects like this, but I’m glad to hear that things got smoothed over (somewhat) and you can continue to work on this great project. Keep up the great work, I love all the new designs and animations you’ve been adding to it!

[@YohanJabin]

Every devlogs are amazing! I don't know how you can be that good on both programing and art. Can't wait to play it!

[@hazmifadzil2724]

and video editing and story telling XD

[@ZiberianDev]

Its honestly inspiring how much work you get done with every update. And your cute & homey 2D style really scratches that itch for me. Makes me wanna get back into 2D pixel art and game dev again. Really good job on the art style & the overall feel of the game. You nailed it!

[@V0IDWARE]

Heres something that some people dont know, The new ceo for Unity is John riccitello. Hes the reason that Lootcrates exist, HE USED TO WORK AT EA, and is the reason this stupid guideline was made.

[@coleisforrobot]

He's resigned! Whoop whoop!

[@V0IDWARE]

@@coleisforrobot WE WIN THEEEEEZE!!!!!

[@V0IDWARE]

@@coleisforrobot but also he damaged the company and left.

[@brunacarolina9751]

It's so beautiful e complete already, I'm looking forward to see this art piece on release! Good luck man

[@AverageAnimeArtist]

Can’t wait for a demo of this game! It’s really coming together

[@sethhannah7191]

Huge amount of new content! By far the most productive game dev I follow. I can't wait to try your game :)

[@Augustman22]

For the locked doors in villages and stuff, you could make some kind of indestructible wooden wall that only those structures use that have a tiny bit of a different look.

[@coderized]

That's some seriously good progress, nice work! Wishlisted and excited for release 🎉

[@Mokera52]

I just finished binging all of your devlogs and I really like the direction you are going, and the game keeps looking better and better. Keep up the good work!

[@RKIOrbMage]

Glad you're still continuing the project! I love the new goblin sprites, and the boars are adorable. Great job!

[@xoduk]

I didn't even think to check in on the small indie games affected by Unity's changes. I processed the thought but literally 4/5 of my steam wishlist games are from Unity indie devs I found on KZbin. I can't name the others off the top of my head but I'm actually really excited for this game and happy to hear that you can continue development with Unity. I personally have tried switching to Unreal Engine. It's scary af especially bc I'm only a sophomore in High School currently, but I've been wanting to switch at some point and this change made me commit to it. I'm finding it hard to actually be serious with game development right now even though it's one of my main goals in life because I am, as I said, only a sophomore in High School and am also in the schools marching band which is taking my entire life rn, and I technically have a job at my friend's local family restaurant. Edit: Yeah my entire steam wishlist is: Isle Goblin, Slimekeep, Dewdrop Dynasty, Feed the Deep, Halve, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Hades 2. My favorite game is without a doubt Ori, both were good, Will of the Wisps is better made but both combine for a great story. If you didn't notice, I like Indie games lmao.

[@kimbosplice6762]

I really look forward to these videos! They are a lot of fun . I can fully understand not wanting to make more of these kind of videos as I'm sure with editing and script writing they can be time consuming but a bi weekly video thats less edited and more indepth on certain things would be awesome!

[@Moonbeam_Devdad]

I really love watching your videos ! Seeing all the progress has been so amazing and truly inspiring! Just recently I created this youtube account and starting making devlogs, so thank you for being you and keep up the great work!!

[@bluemanblue2316]

I've been watching these since almost the begging. I can't wait to get to play it, ur videos are rly well made and the actually looks very promising.

[@jacksonmunsell805]

This is awesome! Love your video style and gamedev style. Great video pace and length. Looking forward to more 😁🙏🏻

[@Suavemente_Enjoyer]

I’m really excited for your game! Keep up the good work! ❤️

[@techsheep24]

love the art style and presentation of this video! i've been working on games for a few years making small projects here and there and this video is inspiring me to commit to a larger project

[@Mr_Mystic]

i love your little doodles you do to describe what your saying. keep up the good work this games gonna be so good!

[@KaitheArtGuy]

I've been working on my game in Unreal for almost 3 years now, I couldn't imagine the anxiety of having to choose to learn another engine to avoid getting fined! I love the progress of your game! The improvements make it so much better👌

[@ilovebeansprouts2600]

I’m a huge fan of the art improvement!! i always favor the stylized designs in comparison to the too-closely inspired ones, though they can be good at times

[@FrostKing104]

Hey! I've seen some of your videos in the past, but I wasn't as intensely interested in game dev then, so I didn't pay much attention. This looks like a genuinely interesting game, and I hope the development goes well! You've earned a wishlist from me :p

[@VladislavGrigorets]

Loving your channel and your game❤ the way you make videos is super engaging and fun. Also the game concept is awesome, looking forward to playing it, best of luck on your journey of making it 😊

[@digitalspace2844]

This is my first time seeing your channel and I don't have words to express how good a game you are making!

[@whosthatkiddx4089]

you literally outdo yourself with every upload man, I love it. the new NPCs are fantastic too. definite fit the feel of the game more

[@changvang32]

UNDERRATED CHANNEL!! Can't wait for the release!

[@xdsloth5199]

I'm a new viewer, just wanted to say I find your game super interesting and I love the art, as I am also a solo game dev I really admire the work you've put in alongside your dedication. I wish you the best of luck for your present and future.

[@quizber5661]

Can't wait for the game! Just found out about it yesterday and i'm already looking forward to more info about it. Especially can't wait for more bosses since they seem to quickly grab my attention in games. +1 wishlists👍

[@ledgerlinelife]

I love your thumbnails! They're so colorful and appealing

[@molassesninja]

i found you doing research for a long time project thats in my head. i started once but had to stop for health reasons but im now doing research on what i want to make and how. the more i see the more i wonder if i should just treat it as a side thing and pull a Notch and build from scratch in c++. i find the idea of using someone elses game engine more intimidating when they can always change and i have to try to wrap my head around it instead of making one that works for everything i would wanna build in away i find more intuitive. side note. your game looks awesome and makes me question my abilities. lol. inspiring tho

[@Aaryan_Chaudhari]

Really well done man. Your games looks so pleasing.. Just a quick suggestion though : Can u add some quality of life changes like a campfire of some sort or a cave den where we can rest when there is rain.. Something just pleasing ,calming which gives relaxing vibes .. like when the Minecraft music starts when it's raining sorta.. I hope u get the gist of it I couldn't put it in words efficiently 😅

[@therealclart]

This game looks absolutely incredible so far! I’m exited to try it out when it’s available!

[@vickypedia1308]

I got this video recommended, this is my first time seeing this channel and dude the game you're making looks really good! I love Stardew Valley and Terraria, so it sounds like it'd be right up my alley.

[@uiinpui]

yo, discovered you through this video and this game looks really fun and cozy. I am pretty interested on how this project will turn out and I will definitely subscribe :)

[@GoingIndie]

It’s coming along so well!! Wishlisted 😎

[@jonathanshorp8346]

this genuinely sounds so interesnting! also the game looks adorable and i love both terraria and stardew so this sounds like a blast. already on my wishlist on steam (commenting this half to get daddy YT to see [engagement] and boost this bc it looks amazing)

[@Skeffles]

Some amazing progress! I really like the new portraits and animals. Sucks to hear the unity situation hit you. I hope that normalises, and you may try something new out after the game is done.

[@OneDougUnderPar]

You adding boars made me think about island ecology, which is super cool and fun stuff. Like how New Zealand has giant crickets and loads of neat birds. Isle Goblin could be a result of similar isolation ecology, and might be more interesting with larger animals based off of crabs, birds, isopods, bats, land fish, or whatever.

[@matejasavanovic6717]

Nice! I´ve been following this series and i really like the game concept. Regarding the NPC art, you can try to have a double outline of white then black; it will perhaps stand out more when you are talking with the npc. But i love the new NPC art-style. Also perhaps consider animating tree swinging yourself, it is okay right now but you could exaggerate movement much better on very windy days, or in storms (the trees get pulled from the ground) etc. Another opinion, double outlines are very good imo, but on smaller objects they probably make less sense and clutter the art-style. An obvious solution would be to have some objects with double and some with simple outlines. Otherwise, epic video!

[@Salvo_0019]

First time seeing this project, added to wishlist man cant wait to try it!

[@eboatwright_]

Very cool! Games with alot of bosses are always entertaining for me, so I like where this is going! :)

[@Izzy-fr1zu]

As always, awesome progress! I would love to see an in-depth video about your npc system! How do your npcs track what kind of activity the player is doing while on a walk with them?

[@WattDesigns]

I’ll maybe post one in the future! To track what’s going on it’s pretty simple, I just have the player scripts notify the “NPCFollowManager” whenever something happens. If you chop with an axe, the axe script tells the manager script. If you catch a fish, it tells the manager script, and so on. Not the cleanest but it works

[@Izzy-fr1zu]

That would be awesome! Thank you so much for the insight! I'm always amazed how much you get done in a relatively short time period. Keep up your great work! :)

[@zylo202]

Teeth honestly make a very good currency. It has a limited supply but does increase over time slowly. Would possibly need to limit the scope as, goblin teeth, leads to some unsettling consequences... But as a form of currency its not terrible. There are real world examples of cultures using teeth as currency. And ignoring all of that, it is very goblin-y. Side note. I both like the cute goblins, and how scary their livestock look. But I do personally feel that they sort of clash with each other. On the one hand, I like cute things, on the other I like the goblins looking scary to "justify" the humans attacking them and polluting their land. (Big air quotes around justify there.) But together its seems a bit off. Like these cute little gobbos you just wana hug being the masters of these terrifying spiders and boars!? (The purple cyclops spiders with spikes!?!) No idea if anyone else is getting those vibes or if i'm just over sensitive.

[@Addych]

Idk why I haven’t added the game to my steam wishlist before but i did it now! Also I looooved the new npc designs, they look way more unique. You are truly an inspiration ❤🐗

[@CeliriaRose]

Given the whole theme of cleaning up the polition it might be neat if along side cleaning up the pollution giving you and the other goblins more health it had effects on the world like brightening up the colors and maybe new plants start to grow creatures become more plentiful, basically a nice visual and mechanical representation of your progress in the game.

[@dennismakesgames]

Your videos are just extreme good, thanks for sharing your thoughts regarding the whole Unity thing.

[@dudemanphat]

Always look forward to your videos.

[@badaraskari4388]

Great art on the goblins there Ada loting chests acording to the bioms and special rare enemies that drop their weapons and some puzzles and Easter eggs here and there Love this game keep up

[@SOLFANDI]

great job! your game inspires me to keep working on my own

[@Seer_Of_The_Woodlands]

- Great Video ! great texture work / the goblins look great ! - this is just an idea, but would it be possible to add some kind of "notebook" / "diary" where the player could write text / notes. ?

[@Sulfur_Soap]

Just found your channel, this game looks awesome, when it comes out i will definitely buy it

[@drd2093]

Spawn the raindrops backward, from the point at which they’re supposed to splash. Fail any ones that can’t where they are. Like on a wall. Have a quota per tick or whatever so you still maintain overall density.

[@SpikeStudio]

The direction this game is going, it seems to be ready to become something great! The new NPCs are very nice too, I like them way better than the old ones :)

[@mimumi3723]

This is a great project you are up to. I wish you luck. I have a few suggestions though: - I think that freezing the time while you are talking to an NPC would be almost necessary. Or at least slow the time down by a little bit. It's not cool to die while you are talking to your grandmother :| Great job working on the art! - What if the Goo had different variations and all of them gave you some seperate bonuses? One could increase health, the other would give you goo to spend on different upgrades etc.

[@WattDesigns]

I actually really like the goo idea 🤔 And I agree about the annoyance of getting interrupted by enemies during talks, although if I slow down enemies (or time itself) I’m not sure how that would work over multiplayer.. I guess only freeze the nearby enemies so your far away friends aren’t impacted? But then players could exploit it by bringing an NPC into dangerous areas and using dialogue to freeze enemies..

[@mimumi3723]

@@WattDesigns How about making the time slow down for the player that is talking to an NPC only and also making them invincible? That makes it less exploitable and if you ever add regeneration, the time scale for the player won't allow them to abuse it. Or here is another idea: If you escape the diologue, the game will remember the place you have stopped your converstation at and then once you come back it will bring this exact part of the conversation again?

[@kris-tn7wx]

I’m very exited for the game! I love the concept, and the graphics look incredible.

[@woqu99]

Really good video, have you thought of adding a parry mechanic to your game?

[@judahforshey1865]

It looks so good, I'll definitely play when it's out, if I can afford it.

[@Vode1234]

Man it hurts to see what you unity devs had to go through. I hope it works out for you guys.

[@druidofpies]

I wishlisted before you even asked me to consider it haha. Still can't believe you made this game pretty much by yourself; it's so solid and promising! I think rain hitting the sides of objects is fine, especially since it's insanely difficult to detect where particles collide with stuff in Unity from my experiences. Unless you're doing some complex scripting/simulations, performance could be hindered pretty noticeably; not worth the effort imo. I know you're not quite at the polishing stages yet, but I think making the water less turquoise and more sky blue could add some brightness to the game, and maybe adding some fine scrolling noise over the water (colored white) to serve as some nice specular highlights would be cool. Damn I would work on this game if I could haha

[@foldupgames]

I think it's smart of you to continue with your engine, considering how far along you are with progress. Road to Vostok had a good vid on this and how they made a decision.

[@davidneallambson9656]

A fun idea would be to add a bookshelf block that can store many notes and you could have a librarian that would sort them (you could assign a drop down menu for each genre of book that the player has found). Another thing you could do. If a locked door is on a building you could run a check and make the walls that make the room the door is connected to unbreakable or something to that extent.

[@MrKyleA]

First time seeing this andf it looks really cool! Did wonder if the spider pets is a must or if you can do things without them as my wife has arachnophobia and i would love to play this with her. Keep up the good work!

[@derpsterYT]

I just found your channel and I love how this game looks! I'm going to binge watch some of your other videos! One quick question, do you have a specific tutorial/KZbinr that helps to learn unity? I've not attempted to make a game in unity for a couple of years.

[@WattDesigns]

I used the unity learning projects that they have on their website when I first started, that might be a good place to get going!

[@SamdotEXE]

I'm super excited for this game! It looks so much fun!

[@rmt3589]

Much younger me: Terraria is like a 2d Minecraft. Younger me: Stardew Valley is like a 3d Terraria. This Dev: Why not all three, but goblins?

[@Asodym]

I think teeth is believable as currency so long as its not goblin teeth. Trading with the body parts of their dead relatives seems pretty morbid. But using animal teeth isn't entirely unheard of since they have been used in jewelry. I could imagine the higher value teeth coming from rarer or harder to kill animals.

[@royjenk7174]

Cant wait to date an entire town full of hot goblins, btw great devlog :)

[@BHawk420]

quick question, this is my first time hearing about this game and I'll definitely be looking at your past devlogs if there are any but in that volcano concept art, was that a VOLCANO DEATH ROBOT?

[@fuseboxjackson2789]

Dude the portraits look so good ngl

[@trooperplayer_]

Finnaly a new upload!!!

[@juno3287]

Commenting for the algorithm again, also wish listed your game on steam, hope it turns out great!

[@cornygruber9061]

It's great to see you gaining popularity on KZbin, because advertising and building a fanbase are important factors too. I might have missed a really promising game without your videos. Keep up the good work and Videos coming. 🐳

[@josiahyarnton2587]

A simple fix for the rain is have those flat surfaces is have the rain be on a lower level than them so the walls and stuff like that go over the rain outside perspective it looks like it's falling behind the fence

[@kamufi_music]

honestly this game looks fascinating i would definitely buy it. Good luck with development, i believe in you :)

[@nevertoomanycats5159]

Honestly as an indie dev it's heartwarming to see someone work so hard on a project keep up the good work man you've gained a sub

[@orbatos]

Glad to see you find some solace and a way forward after the Unity betrayal and grudging rollback. Re:Rain is there a reason you aren't using a mask like the one used for lighting? Seems like a perfect thing to offload unless you want the drops to hydrate the soil or something. Really looking forward to your release, don't burn out we'll wait :-)

[@Remmy-Fan-Boy]

A rat disguised as a goblin who cooks food for them like Gus in Stardew Valley

[@viktor7k482]

is nice to se u again it's bean some time for me but im happy to se u still at it maiking this vary incresting game oh and if u reali are reading all of the coments weach is insane den i wood like do say kip the grait werk going and oso uwu .

[@alexline4131]

The dev logs might help get you more views on Steam. Keep them up, everyone loves seeing proto artwork or even things going wrong.

[@holmat1]

2:14 Unity's particle system *the song dani uses intensifies* a great system for making particles in Unity

[@kingm3202]

On the npcs: i think the first draft would have been fine, but the second one is a massive step up and looks way more iconic and unique. Cant wait for the game! Doyou have a pricing plan for it?

[@WattDesigns]

I'm thinking 10-15, similar to terraria/stardew... some similar games like core keeper and necesse do similar amounts so it seems like a good range to be in

[@Salvanim]

For the rain, would it be possible for when a particle try’s to land for it to check if the tile has a vertical modifier and if so the. The particle continues to travel in its current path until it is no longer on a vertical tile

[@kingblaze2716]

Wow don’t stop uploading!!!!

[@tagg1080]

You mentioned you wanted the gameplay loop to be town for a while then explore for a while, have you considered something like final fantasy crystal chronicles in that leaving town is a seasonal thing? Might be an interesting twist instead of an "always on" world. Just an idea! Everything looks great so far.

[@humble-hedgehog]

Totally see why you felt the NPC art needed an overhall, great improvements!

[@karlstenator]

May I ask, have you ventured into GameMaker? Am curious about your thoughts on considering it for your next title.

[@kahlillawrence6158]

man cant wait for the next update

[@NlKENINJA]

You could implement a temperature system, so that in cold bioms you need winter clothes and in warmer bioms were less armor Then you could make bores drop fur for said winter clothes

[@bovineox1111]

Yeah had a similar crisis but I ploughed on on the basis that this shit wasn't going to fly and it certainly hasn't. But yes, next game likely something else. And people really don't get the time sunk and the feeling of dread and death you feel when you consider rewriting everything afresh 😭😭

[@Summer_and_Rain]

No it makes sense. I think a lot of us are more afraid of that kind of sh*t they will do to you next time, if you decided to continue to use them. I am glad that they might be letting you all finish, for now. But really I don't trust them not to bite after all of this.

[@robot7338]

THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC

[@flyingfire1903]

THIS GAME IS LOOKING AMAZING AND INCREDIBLY FUN SO FAR :D !!!!!!!! YOURE DOING GREAT BRO >:D

[@kindawack3367]

IM SO HYPE FOR THIS, I love these kind of games like terraria, stardew valley, and core keeper. I cannot wait for this to be released!

[@helianthe3457]

Your game looks amazing! Wishlisted.