In this Unity indie game devlog I'll be revisiting and upgrading the game's Island Map. This is where the player will manage their real estate, buying land to build on. I've improved the UX, added a screenshot camera for islands, and begun work on a new save system for Lumbermill!
I first implemented the island map in July 2020. I only built the bare minimum features required though to get it up and running, leaving many of the key features for later in development. In this unity indie game devlog, I'll begin work on some of those features, including a screen to display information about islands, allowing different players to own islands, and also improving the pixel art sprites for the map.
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Intro 0:18 - Save System 1:24 - Map Design 2:42 - Island Buttons 3:54 - Island Interface 5:05 - Island Types 6:50 - Intermission 7:10 - Improving the Pixel Art 9:01 - Unrolling Animation 9:34 - Result
In this Unity indie game devlog I'll be revisiting and upgrading the game's Island Map. This is where the player will manage their real estate, buying land to build on. I've improved the UX, added a screenshot camera for islands, and begun work on a new save system for Lumbermill!
I first implemented the island map in July 2020. I only built the bare minimum features required though to get it up and running, leaving many of the key features for later in development. In this unity indie game devlog, I'll begin work on some of those features, including a screen to display information about islands, allowing different players to own islands, and also improving the pixel art sprites for the map.
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Intro 0:18 - Save System 1:24 - Map Design 2:42 - Island Buttons 3:54 - Island Interface 5:05 - Island Types 6:50 - Intermission 7:10 - Improving the Pixel Art 9:01 - Unrolling Animation 9:34 - Result
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameBuilding the Ultimate Hiring System - Indie Game DevlogBWDev2024-09-13 | To try everything Brilliant has to offer, free, for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org/BWDev - You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
In this indie game devlog I completely redesign Lumbermill's hiring and personality systems to make the experience of finding new staff more satisfying. I've also started work on a new art style for the game, keeping the isometric style but aiming to make the game feel more cohesive. More of the new art style to come in the next devlog!
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm an Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I make videos to share the development process and also get feedback - so let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
🧑💻 Jetbrains IDE 25% Discount Code: BWDEV25 at jetbrains.com
▶︎ Timestamps ◀︎
0:00 - Intro 0:18 - Staff Statuses 0:47 - Conveyor Animations 1:30 - Brilliant (Sponsor) 2:20 - Current Hiring System 3:19 - New Hiring System 5:30 - Applicants 6:33 - Moving to Scotland 6:58 - Personalities 8:15 - Job Offers & Negotiation 8:59 - Full Hiring Overview 9:51 - Employee Names 10:04 - Improved Pathfinding 10:30 - New Art Style
▶︎ Music ◀︎
All the music in Lumbermill devlogs is from the game's soundtrack, except for:
🎵 Chiapas Marimba by Jimena Contreras, Youtube Audio Library
FTC: This video was sponsored by Brilliant.
#devlog #gamedev #unityAdding Factory Mechanics to my Indie Game (Devlog)BWDev2024-08-09 | In this indie game devlog I finish up Lumbermill's plot system for automating the harvesting of trees, add a new machine called the Nursery and continue work on improving the Employee AI. I'm finally getting back into a flow with the game's development, so keep an eye out for future devlogs.
All the music in Lumbermill devlogs is from the game's soundtrack.
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm an Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I make videos to share the development process and also get feedback - so let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameLumbermill is back from the dead (indie devlog)BWDev2024-07-05 | The Lumbermill devlog is back! I've brought back the isometric perspective, added a save system, stripped out some features that weren't working, and begun work on Plots - a new way to manage large areas of the forest. I've also been busy working on other things, and getting some long-overdue space from the project. This video covers around 2 months of development.
All the music in Lumbermill devlogs is from the game's soundtrack.
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm an Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I make videos to share the development process and also get feedback - so let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
🧑💻 Jetbrains IDE 25% Discount Code: BWDEV25 at jetbrains.com
⮞ Timestamps ⮜
0:00 - Where I've Been 1:34 - Returning to the Forest 2:00 - Reprioritising Alpha 2:34 - Top Down to Isometric 2:50 - Crews 3:04 - Developer Console 3:21 - Save System 3:45 - Tilemaps 4:14 - GUI Performance Issues 4:55 - Plots 6:30 - New AI Behaviour Trees 7:04 - New Debug tools 7:14 - New Combiner and Splitter Machines 7:37 - Let me know your thoughts!
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameI nearly scrapped EVERYTHING - Indie Game DevlogBWDev2023-01-16 | Listen to my EP, Cloudplains here: https://linktr.ee/benwimsett
It's been almost a year since the last devlog, and I've been up to a lot. I've worked on three games, written and recorded an EP and also spent a few months travelling. Solo development has proven difficult over the last few years for various reasons, but I'm now back to work on Lumbermill - and in this Unity Indie devlog I'm working on converting the game entirely from Isometric, to top-down perspective.
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Status Indicators 0:50 - Golfitect 1:19 - Music 1:47 - Travel 2:22 - Fire Workshop 2:43 - Top Down Sketch 3:32 - Implementing Top Down 5:05 - New Build Tool 5:30 - New Tree Designs 6:20 - Polish
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameBuilding the Sci Fi game YOU voted for (Indie Devlog)BWDev2022-10-22 | In this Unity Devlog series, you vote for the game features and I make them. This is what you voted for in the last video... Extra polls on Twitter: twitter.com/bwdev1
⮞ Description ⮜
In the last video you voted for "Space Colony" is response to "The world outside is a...". In this unity devlog, I begin work on that setting - focusing on exterior assets for the game, and deciding on the general visual style for the game.
⮞ Voting Options ⮜
In order to vote on this video, include one of the four options in square brackets as part of your comment. E.g. "I vote for [A]"
The "Colony" is a... [A] Scientific Facility [B] Thriving Settlement [C] Military Base [D] Crumbling Settlement
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019.
0:00 - Intro 0:20 - Making a Vote Visualier 0:55 - Voting Results 1:09 - Working on the Game 3:42 - Choosing a Palette 4:02 - Alien Grass 4:45 - Voting Options
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameYou DESIGN the game, I MAKE it - Indie DevlogBWDev2022-09-30 | What happens when a game developer hands over creative control to the players? I guess we'll find out... Extra polls on Twitter: twitter.com/bwdev1
⮞ Description ⮜
This is an experiment. In this devlog series I'm handing over creative control to you, the viewers, to decide what happens in the next devlog. You design the game, I make it, and we'll see what happens. In this Unity Indie Game devlog I've set up some basics for our collective game. There's a player character, a camera, and a bot for counting your votes. From here, the rest is up to you!
⮞ Voting Options ⮜
In order to vote on this video, include one of the four options in square brackets as part of your comment. E.g. "I vote for [A]"
The world outside is a - [A] Graveyard [B] Castle [C] Space Colony [D] Bug's Life
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019.
0:00 - Intro 0:23 - Unity Setup 0:40 - The First Scene 2:29 - The Vote 2:55 - Vote Counter Bot 4:04 - Voting Options
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameCrafting System with Endless Possibilities - Indie DevlogBWDev2022-01-26 | Creating a new crafting system for Lumbermill, my Unity Indie Factory Builder Game.
Implementing crafting has always been an important goal in Lumbermill. A few years ago I added the CNC and Assembler machines, but they were too limiting for players and prevented production of more traditional lumber products. In this devlog I've been working on a new crafting system for the game, with a range of different raw products more in line with the game's theme. I've also implemented a "Status Indicator" UI system and drawn a range of new item sprites for the many items possible in the game.
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Intro & Recap 0:33 - Crafting System 3:23 - Burn out & Travel 5:00 - Status Indicators 7:16 - Item Pixel Art 8:00 - New Game 8:16 - Wishlist Info & Outro
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameCreating a Living Forest Simulation for my Indie GameBWDev2021-10-25 | Lumbermill's forest simulation has always lacked saplings and older trees dying - key parts of the lifecycle. In this Unity Indie Game devlog I implement a complete forest lifecycle simulation and some other important features!
Since the beginning of this project, I've always intended for there to be a full forest lifecycle, including older trees naturally dying off and younger trees appearing on the forest fringes. For various reasons I've put that off though, but have now implemented a complete asynchronous simulation - meaning trees will constantly regenerate without hitting the game's performance. I've also added market price calculation for items, item sprites, and three new variations on a very commonly requested machine!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameSimulating Steam Power With Unity - DevlogBWDev2021-09-05 | Steam Power has finally arrived in Lumbermill - this Unity Indie Game Devlog covers how I implemented it, along with a new letters system and an improved inventory interface.
When I first decided to add power as a requirement for the factory in Lumbermill, I had always planned for there to be two systems. I started by implementing electrical power, the simpler, late game version. I've finally gotten around to coding the steam power simulation, with 3 new machines to build. I've also brought back the old letters system, and a number of other major improvements. Hope you enjoy the devlog!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Introduction 0:25 - New Inventory UI 1:37 - Alpha Plans 1:50 - New Letters System 4:30 - Steam Power Simulation 5:55 - Drag and Drop Inventories 6:35 - Boiler Fuel Burning 7:00 - Steam Engine Pixel Art 8:00 - Steam Simulation Final Result
It's been a while since I've revisited Lumbermill's factory builder mechanics. In this Unity Indie Game Devlog, I finally get back into development of Factory Builder features, including an all-new conveyor belt system and six new machines. I've also brought the loans system up to date and improved the ID tool implemented in the last devlog.
I've neglected working on the factory-builder side of things for a while, primarily because the conveyor system had a few major issues that called for other parts of the game to be finished first. I've finally gotten to a point where I can rewrite the conveyors, and I'm really happy with the result. That allowed me to implement 6 new machines, each with plenty of depth to allow for complex factories. A lot packed into this Indie Game Devlog, I hope you enjoy!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - New Conveyor Belt System 2:05 - Improved ID Tool 3:00 - Debarker Machine 3:45 - Switcher Machine 4:22 - Splitter Machine 5:12 - Basic Saw Machine 6:19 - Norfolk Break 6:35 - Loans Interface 7:10 - Other Additions (Combiner / Edge Saw) 8:00 - Patrons & Outro
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameAll New Items & ID Tool! Unity Indie Factory Builder Game DevlogBWDev2021-05-14 | Full Time Game Dev - First 20 get 40% off! http://bit.ly/Full-time-game-dev-BWDev
The Lumbermill devlog is back! Since last time I've created an all new item system for the game, in preparation for loads of new factory additions (including new machines) over the coming months. I've also added a key new bit of UI called the ID Tool. All that and more in this Unity Indie Factory Builder game devlog!
➤ Description
It's been a while, but despite quite a major health setback just after the last devlog came out, I've tried to get as much done on the game as possible. I'm preparing to add a load of new features to the factory builder side of things, as it's been way too long and I think there's plenty of room for improvement. The first part of that is implementing a new item system. Items now have properties that can be modified by machines, and I've also added the ID Tool - a UI tooltip that gives context information about any item in the forest that you hover over. It feels good to be making devlogs again, and to be back to work in Unity on Lumbermill!
➤ About BWDev
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Intro & Recap 0:42 - Finishing the Greenhouse 3:09 - New Control Panel Components 4:05 - New Item System 6:19 - ID Tool 10:05 - Patrons & Outro
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameTech Trees and Greenhouses! Unity Indie Game DevlogBWDev2021-03-18 | Try out Core: http://bit.ly/BWDevxCore
In this Unity Indie Game Devlog I'll be designing and building a research and development system. Players will be able to conduct research with a new "Arborist" employee type and Greenhouse building. I've also added an entire new tech tree interface, where players will spend their research points on new items and technologies.
Research has always been a tricky feature to implement, with two previous failed attempts not quite getting it right. I've learned a lot from those though, and have come back to the feature to create something that fits into the game's ecosystem more effectively. Now, employees will conduct research and depending on your investment, you'll end up with more or less research done. Players are now also able to visualise and plan out their research with the tech tree, and see exactly what they'll unlock at each stage.
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Employee Sprites Experiment 2:07 - Research Systems So Far 3:50 - Greenhouse Pixel Art 4:07 - Setting up the Greenhouse 5:17 - Tech Tree 9:43 - Arborists (New Employee) 10:40 - Patrons 10:58 - Outro
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameWhat 2 YEARS of Unity Indie Game Development looks like...BWDev2021-02-05 | My solo unity indie game project Lumbermill has been in development for 2 years, and now seems a great time to look back at all the work done so far. This is the last 2 years of Unity indie game development in 10 minutes.
It's been 2 years since I first started work on Lumbermill development in Unity. In that time the game has gone from a small hobby project to my full time job. This devlog covers (almost) everything that has been added, changed, and removed from the game, and how the game has evolved over that time.
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
#devlog #unity #indiegame #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedevOff-Island Trade + More! Indie Factory Game Devlog (Unity)BWDev2021-01-25 | WISHLIST the game here! http://bit.ly/lumbermill-wishlist
In this Unity indie game devlog I finish up working on the Trade systems from last time. I've added a dock, rail carts, finished the pixel art rail sprites and improved the algorithm responsible for generating the shallows around each island! I've also finally released the EP I've been working on for the last year! Links below:
I'm finally back to making devlogs for Lumbermill, my Unity 2D Indie Game! In the last devlog I'd just started to get to work implementing features for the game's trade system. In this devlog, I continue that work - finishing up the main pathway for trade (trade collector to rails to dock). I've also made improvements to the UX design of the trade interface to make things run a bit more smoothly, and also reworked the shallows generator to make islands look quite a bit more polished. It's good to be back into making these videos after Christmas!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
0:00 - Intro 0:29 - 3D Pixel Art Animation 1:18 - Designing Rail Cart 1:36 - Creating the Dock in Unity 2:23 - Creating the Cart in Unity 3:04 - Cart Animations in Unity 4:23 - Designing the Dock 5:34 - Creating the Boat in Unity 6:05 - Summary so far 6:28 - Music 6:53 - Shallows Generation Algorithm 8:36 - Finale
#devlog #unity #madewithunity #unity2d #indiedev #bwdev #gamedev #indiegameHow I Started Making Games - 12 YEARS of Progress!BWDev2020-12-18 | This is how I started making games with no experience - from flash games as a beginner, to ambitious Unity game dev projects. 12 years of progress, from amateur to full-time indie game developer!
12 years ago I got a license for Adobe Flash CS3, and so my game making journey began... I created pretty terrible flash animations, eventually moving onto games, slowly improving my skills before graduating to Unity. Since then I've made a bunch of projects in Unity, both 2D and 3D - including Lumbermill, my biggest project - an indie management / factory builder game. This video shows my progress over the last 12 years, from total beginner to full-time indie dev. Hope you enjoy!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
#indiegame #madewithunity #devlog #indiedevProgramming Railways for my Indie Factory Builder Game! (Devlog)BWDev2020-12-11 | WISHLIST the game here! bit.ly/2JNJLXY
In this devlog I program and design a brand new Trade system for Lumbermill - my indie factory builder / management game. (Unity 2D Indie Game Devlog)
Although Trade was added way back in November 2019, the old system really isn't looking it's best and there was a lot that needed changing. Since the last devlog, I've removed that old system entirely and begun work on it's successor. This is how everything will work:
Trade Offers Trade offers will come in every so often from companies that wish to work with you. They'll request a certain product, and give you a price for it. You can immediately accept or decline the offer. Or - you can send a counter offer if you think it could be improved. You can adjust the price per unit, send the counter offer - and if all goes to plan, the company will accept.
Reputation You'll gain trade reputation through succesful trades (e.g. completed on time). You'll lose reputation for failed trades, or trades delivered late. The better your reputation, the better your chances when sending counter offers. Certain companies will also only work with mills that have a threshold of reputation, so you'll work with higher-rep companies the more successful trades you complete.
Trade Collectors & Rails Collectors will pick up items from the conveyor belts, pack them up, and when all the required items are collected, send them to the dock via rail.
Trading Dock The dock (not implemented yet) is where trade will be shipped off your island, to your clients. It is therefore a vital part of the trade system!
⮞ About BWDev ⮜
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
⮞ Timestamps ⮜
0:00 - Introduction 0:19 - Old trade system 1:00 - Research & Design 1:30 - Procedural Offer Generator 2:00 - Trade Interface (GUI) 4:55 - Rails 6:46 - Localization / Translation 8:02 - Trade Collector Machine 9:16 - Outro
This devlog covers how I've set up a localisation/translation system for my Indie Unity project, Lumbermill. I've also added personality simulations for Employee AI, a few new tents for housing and some UI improvements.
If you're new to the channel, welcome! I'm a full time Indie Game developer working in Unity 2D. Lumbermill is my main project - a management/factory builder game, which I began work on in Feb 2019. I aim to release devlogs on that project every few weeks, so keep an eye out for those!
Building a Procedural Infinite Game with a new Game Dev Platform!
Hey everyone, here's the second devlog video of two, building a procedural sci fi platformer game in Core! This time I've made an endless climber game set on an alient planet, with procedural level construction based on level templates. The levels progressively get harder as you play, and the toxic liquid you're escaping rises faster as you climb the tower. This was super fun to make, hope you like it.
Got a huge update for this week's devlog! I've been planning to give employees thoughts, feelings and needs since the first video, almost 2 years ago. I've actively avoided adding it though until the AI was stable enough, and the game had enough of the required backend to support it. I'm really happy with how it turned out!
For those that wanted the extra info on the happiness system:
Employee management will be one of the main gameplay systems. Happy employees will boost your mill's output, whereas unhappy employees can hinder your mill in a number of ways.
-- Needs --
Each employee has a set of physical and mental needs. These should be kept high in order to gain the benefits of happy employees. Physical needs are fairly straightforward; you need to provide employees with the facilities they need to maintain those needs themselves. Higher quality facilities will mean employees replenish their needs more quickly. Mental needs are slightly more complex; pay satisfaction is affected by whether the employee is receiving the pay they expect, whether they are paid on time, and how long it has been since they were last given a pay rise or bonus. Morale is the average overall happiness within the crew, and Colleage Approval depends on the mix of personalities, and whether the employee clashes with any of their colleagues.
All of these needs are then reduced down to a single, overall happiness value. There are a few other needs I'm considering adding in the future if I get time!
-- Productivity --
Happy employees will have higher productivity, which means they are able to do their work more efficiently, and move around more quickly. Unhappy employees will have their productivity reduced; having the opposite effect.
-- Personalities --
Each employee has a personality type. Each personality type has expectations for pay. For example, more desirable personalities tend to cost more to employ. Each personality also has differing needs; for example an insomniac requires less sleep to be fully rested, whereas a sleepy employee will require more. Personalities also affect other members of the crew; grumpy employees tend to drag down the happiness of their colleageus, whereas cheerful employees tend to have the opposite effect. The most effective crews will minimise personality clashes to ensure all members of the crew get on well.
-- Days off --
Employees are only able to tend to their physical needs if they are given time off. This is handled in the game through a "days off" system. For each crew, you can select which days each week that crew will not be working. This allows you to coordinate timetables between crews, so that you always maintain some level of productivity in the forest. This could be particularly important for managing mechanic employees. You might assign mechanics of two different crews to maintain a single production line; with one crew taking over from the other when they go on their break.
-- Employee Levelling --
Each employee type has 5 levels. For Lumberjacks, higher levels are able to fell trees faster, and higher level mechanics are able to repair machines more efficiently. Happy employees will automatically level over time, whereas unhappy employees will not. You can train employees though, which costs amber.
-- Thoughts --
This is yet to be implemented, but I'm hoping should be in action for the next devlog. Employees are able to give you some explanation for why they feel a certain way. If an employee's colleague approval is low, for example - they might have a thought along the lines of "Hunter Pinewood is extremely irritating". This should give you a clue that, maybe, Hunter Pinewood needs moving to a different crew.
-- Other effects of happiness --
Unhappy employees are likely to threaten to quit, and then follow through with their threat if they remain unhappy for too long. You will need to respond to their needs in order to hold onto those employees.
By having employees quit, you will take a hit to your employee retention. This is vital for receiving job applications from more desirable employees. Low retention will attract less desirable applications, so it is in your interest to make sure your employees remain happy!Building a Tropical Paradise in a Brand New Game Dev Platform!BWDev2020-10-15 | Download Core here: http://bit.ly/BWDev-Core Play the game here: http://bit.ly/BWDev-KegstealersFortune
I've taken a few days off Lumbermill development to try out a brand new game engine! Been getting a lot of comments requesting I make something in Core, so I decided to build a sea of thieves inspired, tropical pirate adventure in 5 days to see what it's capable of. This devlog shows the entire process from start to finish!
Since last time I've reworked the way the game generates control panels to a much more modular system, added a new brush tool to the game for creating "camps", added a few new building options and updated the Lumbermill interface. Crews are groups of employees that will work together on particular tasks. Lumberjacks will chop trees with the rest of their crew, and take breaks with their crew. This way you'll be able to manage multiple crews that each perform different tasks and take breaks separately from each other. Camps are where the crews live, with buildings to help them manage their comfort and happiness. This will all be super important in the happiness system, which I'll be working on next!
Just got back from a holiday, but felt like getting a devlog out to share the game's progress! Since last time I've created an all-new notification system, with transitions, custom events, and text highlighting for readibility. I've also implemented a tree shake feature, which is used when Lumberjacks chop trees and whenever objects are constructed in the world. It adds quite a bit of juice to the experience, and really improves the feel of things in the game I think! The final feature I've added is multiple conveyor placement. You can now build however many conveyors you want in a single click and drag motion (money allowing of course!). I'm planning a huge new feature for the next video, so keep an eye out for that!
Pretty bold changes in the devlog this week! The black void surrounding the forest is now gone, and has been replaced by water. You can now select islands on which you will build your lumber mills. The islands are based on those in the canadian province of Nova Scotia; covered in pine trees and perfect for a lumber empire. See how I implemented this in Unity, including a big redesign for pine trees and the addition of flowers and other details to the procedurally-generated world.
Hey everyone! Since last time I've begun work on the Island system. The world will consist of a series of islands, each with unique forests and different opportunities for factory-building. In order to actually generate islands procedurally, there needs to be a map - which I've implemented this week using perlin noise. Here the player will select an island to purchase, and also keep track of land owned by competing companies. This will create opportunities for expansion beyond the first plot of land, an ultimately a way to "win" the game, by controlling a monopoly in the island archipelago. If you have any ideas or suggestions for what could go on these islands, let me know in the comments!
Another year, another GMTK Game Jam! This year the theme for the jam was "Out of Control". Pretty tricky, and I didn't have a clue what I was making until about 12 hours in - but ended up with a 2D Unity game I'm pretty pleased with! It's called "Living Labyrinth", and it's a little puzzle game where you don't have control over the main character, instead controlling the level layout. The development was super fun for this project, and I would honestly love to have had more time to add some more mechanics and levels. Hope you like it!
Hey everyone. It's been a big few weeks for reworks in Lumbermill, with Conveyor belts and the game's HUD getting a complete overhaul. I also worked on some concept art for a potential major change to the game. The new conveyors are animated, and allow for much larger items to be carried - meaning higher detail sprites, and hopefully a wider range of items. The new HUD sees the removal of the build menu, with the new version providing the build categories on-screen at all times for quick selection. Amber (money), and time also get a more prominent position and control panels / notifications will be getting an update soon too. Hope you enjoy the video!
As always, if you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments - please do leave a comment.
It's been a while! I've added two major systems to the game, bringing power to the mill. Construct and manage an electrical grid underneath your samill, or use steam power for a more old-school approach. The player will start with the steam power system available to them, and have to research the means for electrical power - which allows for more advanced systems to be built. I've also added underground lakes, or "aquifers", procedurally generated using perlin noise. These act as a source of water for the steam power system, which can in turn be heated and routed to a steam engine for powering machines. This is just the start of these systems, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here!
As always, if you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments - please do leave a comment.
Since last time I've rewritten the entire factory system, particularly conveyors, making everything work a lot more smoothly. I've also planned out the next set of major features for the game, which I'll be working on over the next few months! The first of which, I've already started on. It requires a new area to be added to the game, which I begin work on in this devlog.
Over the last few weeks I've mostly worked on rewriting the employee AI system. The old system followed a set of tasks in a queue, and had all kinds of problems. The new system is based on Behaviour Trees, a common technique used for NPC AI in games, and it works so much better than the old system! I've also reworked some additions from the last devlog, and created a website for the game.
As we're all locked down at the moment it's given me a bit more time to work on Lumbermill! Since last time I've added a paving system to build paths for employees to follow, started some work on sound effects and made the building and bulldozing feel a bit more substantial.
So this is the grand finale of my 4-part series building a 2D Cyber Security Tower Defense game in Unity! The game is almost ready for testers to play, and it's really come together in the last few weeks. I've added a load of new features to the game, and polished everything as much as possible in the time I've had.
Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions in the comments, I'd love to hear them.
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-- Social Media -- Instagram - instagram.com/benwimsett Twitter - twitter.com/bwdev11 YEAR of Unity Game Development in 10 Minutes!BWDev2020-02-08 | Watch to the end for proper gameplay footage at last!
It's been an entire year since I started this project and this channel! To celebrate, I've summarised all the progress on Lumbermill in this video. All music is from the game's soundtrack.
It's been a little while but I've added quite a bit to the game since last time! The first task was to finish off the letters system from the last video, I also added some new hairstyles for female staff members in the game and added a loans system. This will allow the player to borrow money to use however they want, as long as they pay it back... It isn't really free money! If you have a bank name idea, let me know in the comments!
For those that wanna know how the loans system works in detail, this is it:
-- Loan Explanation -- Interest is added at the rate displayed for each individual bank, over the course of the period displayed. So if you took a loan of A1000 out from Lumbank, with an interest rate of 30%, over 3 months, at the end of the 3 months you will have paid back A1300.
Payments are taken monthly, so each month you'll see a drop of A433 from your game currency.
You can choose to pay up the rest of the loan early, in which case you'll have 2 months of interest added to the remaining amount you haven't paid back. So if you've paid back A400 of a A1000 loan at 30%, you'll have to pay A800 if you wanna pay up the balance earlier than 2 months before the end of the payback period. That'll clear the loan completely. That amount is the number displayed on the 'Repay Now For' button. Players would choose to do this, as paying up early means they pay less interest in the long run, as long as they're doing it with at least 2 months of the loan remaining.
The interface updates daily, adding interest on a daily basis - hence why you can see the numbers changing for the existing loans. -----------------------
Videos will be uploaded every on Fridays as development progresses so make sure to subscribe.
Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions in the comments, I'd love to hear them.
Hi! Sorry it's been so long since the last one. More videos on this project and Lumbermill coming soon. Since last time I've added a main menu, the level selection screen, and got some defense tower building working. If it's not clear in the video, the 'node' being dropped onto a connection is a cyber defense which works against any threats travelling along that connection. Sanitation for example, takes malicious input and turns it into a format that can't cause harm.
Didn't mean for this video to be on the shorter side, but sometimes the content lends itself to a shorter explanation!
Since last time I've created two new tree species, added some new features to storage buildings, and created the foundations for the game's mail system! This will allow you to receive mail from companies in the game, your bank, and some other random events.
I'm 5 weeks into my 26 week Cyber Security game project. Since the last video I've added attack simulation, the ability to connect nodes in the network to each other, save and load levels, and a mini command console. See how in this week's video!
Over the last few weeks I've added a bunch of new company logos to the trading house, so you can see who sent you trade offers! I've also added an important new feature to the Lumberjacks, been on a short holiday and added bridges to the game, so employees can cross rivers at last. See how in this week's devlog!
-- Social Media -- Instagram - instagram.com/benwimsett Twitter - twitter.com/bwdev1 Trello - trello.com/b/M6rEUFrM/lumbermillIndie Game Devlog: New GAME!BWDev2019-11-08 | I've started work on a new game! The player must defend a network using different cyber security techniques to stop cyber attacks. These will range from firewalls to passwords. See how it's all gonna work in this devlog video! I'll be covering the entire process of building the game in Unity over 26 weeks.
Since last time I've added trade offers to the game, giving players the chance to tailor their mill to a particular contract in order to make more money. I've also improved the way players interact with employees, and added a random name generator for new games!
This week I've made a load of changes to the game! Trees now grow over time, I've totally rethought the way research works in the game to make it simpler and more fun, and added an interface for the trading house - which I'll be working on in the next video! I've also made a few changes throughout the game to make things work a bit better.
This week I've added another new machine to Lumbermill! The Assembler takes parts created by the CNC and turns them into items which can be sold in the Trading House. I've also added edges to the map, removing the old fences. See how in this week's devlog!
This week I've added a new crafting machine - the CNC - to the game! This will take the output of saws, and create ingredients for the next machine I'll be adding - the assembler. The work done this week will pave the way for the complete crafting system! See how I built the new interface, created the machine sprites, and developed the machine in this week's Unity devlog.
This week I've added the ability to control time in Lumbermill! I've also designed and implemented pause menus, popups, and tweaked the way maple trees look!
This week I've finished up the tree brush tool, which players use to plant new trees for their lumber mill - and also added different growth stages for maple trees!
I'll be setting up the steam page for the game soon so keep an eye out for that...
This week I've added loads of new features to Lumbermill, including policies which will affect employee behaviour, and the beginnings of planting new trees!
The GMTK Game Jam took place over the weekend of the 2nd to the 4th of August 2019. Almost 3000 games were submitted, and this is my attempt. It was a stressful, fun, and difficult process but I'm super glad I got a game out of it.
This is a different kind of devlog to what I usually make, let me know if you'd like more like this!
This week I've completely overhauled the game's two main interfaces, making them display more useful info, and making them look and behave much more smoothly. I've also made a few other small changes to the game.