Alan Au

So how much should devs worry about file size? Probably not too much, but maybe a little. It does matter, especially in aggregate. Maybe try to keep things small if you can just to keep things manageable. All others things being equal, a smaller installation size is better.

I've seen some talk about file duplication as a way to reduce disk seek times, so trading space for time, but I'm not clear on the exact numbers.

I did see that Helldivers 2 tried it and found it didn't improve performance enough to justify the 5x installation size increase.

Something I'm aware of but less experienced with is the impact of file size on load times. If you can't fit enough assets into RAM, you're going to have to load them from disk. This is bad for performance. So it's a side effect of file size.

Another consideration is installation time. Download speeds can vary, but if I'm downloading something that takes hours, it's also impacting other online activities during that time. This also depends on the reliability of the downloader; a longer time means a greater risk of interruptions.

There are several considerations. The first is just the direct footprint and the availability of drive space. Storage isn't infinite, especially on platforms like the Steam Deck, and players might have to decide what to install or uninstall. Size affects that decision.

I've talked a bit about game size before. How much does it really matter? Hard to say. At some point it becomes a problem, but how much of a problem?

The CBC made this clever & cute video that uses kids to explain the rules of curling:

I think the controls got messed up after the Ghostbusters 2 incident.

For whatever reason, I often end up trying to play most games as stealth games, at least as much as I can. And I think really for me it's more about trying to control when and where I fight enemies. So I guess really I'm using it as a form of aggro management.

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate; may you find a moment of joy in all of this madness. ❤️

And for those of us who find ourselves alone today, know that we can stock on up the good chocolate tomorrow. 🍫

Cole's right, I cut too far, using the advice of local developers who were pushing for large scale marketability.

But I don't want 2000 people who kind of like pact, I want 400 people who won't shut the fuck up about it and 1600 who hate it.

Hey, Valentine! You’re my MVP* *Minimum Viable Product

Time for the annual repost of my favorite Dumb Thing I’ve made 💕

You’re all MVPs in my eyes 🥰

There's a bit in the Halo GDC talk (uh, 2002?) about how giving the Covenant Elites more hit points made them seem smarter.

I think Dragon Age Inquisition added speed lines to horseback galloping to make it seem much faster. (It *is* faster than trotting but not by much.)

Hahahahaha, I don't know what I'm doing.

(Not sleeping, apparently.)

As we approach Singles Awareness Day, remember to ask your doctor* if Emergency Cuddles are right for you.

Some restrictions may apply. Offer only valid in the Greater Seattle Area. Side effects may include extended discussion about turn-based strategy games.

*yes, I have a doctorate

Sylvie Collection, 2004 to 2024

Happy Valentimes day! Back in 2019 I compiled a "Sylvie Collection" of all my past released games in one download. The collection is now updated to include all games up to the end of 2024, and they're packaged with a new launcher program. Enjoy your life - Sylvie
sylvie.website/SylvieCollec...

I didn't know I needed this today, but here it is.

a computer screen displays a speedometer reading 24-75 Alt: Close-up of a spinning motion tracker display from "Aliens" showing contacts in all directions.

Eight meters. Seven. Six. That can't be; that's inside the room!

Members of the Swarovski family were early, active and enthusiastic champions of Nazism, and at least six of its members maintained membership in the illegal party prior to Austria's annexation to Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938.!23] Three weeks earlier, 500 marchers in the Tyrolean town of Wattens held a torchlight procession that ended with chants of "Sieg Heil" and "Heil Hitler". The majority of the participants, police determined, were Swarovski plant employees, among them Swarovski family heirs Alfred, Wilhelm and Friedrich. 124]

In its report to the state police on 14 February 1947, the Innsbruck district administrator called company head Alfred Swarovski "an enthusiastic member of the NSDAP." [25] Alfred Swarovski praised Hitler at business gatherings and took actions as a regional business leader to ensure that "Tyrolean industry could be integrated as smoothly as possible into the enormous gears of the economy of Greater Germany and into the National Socialist economic order." He sent "grateful loyalty greetings" to Adolf Hitler on his 49th birthday and arranged a donation of 100,000 shillings for Hitler to establish a holiday home in Tyrol.!26]

In 1994, historian Horst Schreiber wrote about Swarovski's past but was not granted access to company archives. (27] The contemporary Swarovski company commissioned historian Dieter Stiefel as "a step towards dealing with our history in a serious and very pro-active manner," board spokesman Markus Langes-Swarovski said in 2018; however, the study was not published because, Langes-Swarovski said, "Swarovski is a company that generally tries to keep the owners' personal stories largely out of the public eye because it does nothing for the business." (28]

Everyone’s talking about Swarovski right now so let’s take a second and dive into the fact that they were NAZI Nazis. Like full-on Seig Heil, prosecuted after the war level Nazis and the modern company has done everything they can to hide all their archives and prevent anyone accessing them.

Sign up for news about the Game Writing Kaleidoscope In early 2026 we’ll be publishing The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, a collection of over 100 short essays by game writers about writing. Featuring some very famous names, some highly experienced free...

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Hahahaha, reminds me of the old Robin Sage honeypot thing many years ago. (Robin Sage is the name of a well-known special forces training exercise.)

Buy this book and support a bunch of rising stars in game narrative

When my group did this, we setup a small beachhead with a portal. We also committed to using a small earthworks wall. But generally, yes, the preference is to scout around for a good location before doing any significant building. Biome mobs will absolutely wreck you until you can gear up.

I'm just imagining you leaning over and taking a big bite when nobody is looking.

Any meeting on a Friday afternoon should be required to provide snacks.

TBH 90% of the reason I went into gamedev was to just make stuff I wanted to play.

it turns out maybe it's fine! well, feel free to nominate hello sunshine for the GN category, in that case 🤝

I enjoyed "Hollow Knight" as an overall experience, but I definitely felt like some sections tried my patience more than others. At some point, I definitely began to resent the idea that I couldn't start certain sections unless I had a few hours to commit to the attempt.

Fun news! We're looking for a narrative designer to join our team. Help us work on Star Wars Jedi! ✨ jobs.ea.com/en_US/career...

This what a Game Narrative Kaleidoscope looks like 👀