从今天起，将会在这里不定期更新我们的独立游戏制作进度。

这么做的契机是GDC要求我们提供一个Banner图片，放在他们的官方网站上。这个图片需要能直接链接到我们的网站上，然而我们到现在都还没有一个网站。

我们决定使用Indienova这个平台，挂靠在这里，并且在这里更新我们的开发日志。我偏向于在这里发一些个人风格的开发记录，同时我也会鼓励工作室其他成员在这里记录开发过程中的不涉及剧透的点滴和思路。

不久以后，大家会在GDC的主页上会看到我们的LOGO，点击以后就会来到这个小站。

Since today, the progress of our indie game making will be updated on this site, just not periodically.

What inspired us to start this is the requirement of a banner image from GDC which would lead to an official website of our studio yet we have not got one yet.

Hence we decided to use this particular platform of Indienova. Furthurmore we can upload our development journal here. The posts here will be likely to be personal, recording my creation experiences. Additionally I would encourage other members of our studio to share their thoughts and moments during this developing journey without any spoiler.

Before long, you can see our logo on GDC website. Give it a click and you will arrive here.

从今年3月开始，我们就在开发一款游戏。

Ever since March this year, we are creating a game.

这是一个磕磕绊绊的游戏。

在确定游戏的核心内容时，我们的方向偏斜过很多次。工作室6个人（包括3个实习生）进行了多次头脑风暴，成效虽然有，但不理想。在“借鉴已经证明成功的系统”和“做出自己独特的玩法”这两个方向的讨论中，我们总是往其中一边靠的过于极端，导致整个创意生成的过程无法闭合。有几个月时间我们都非常累，但是创意进度却陷入了停滞。后来我意识到，虽然我们的团队不是毫无行业经验的外行团队，但是对于设计游戏来说，我们还欠缺一支关键的力量，就是“设计”本身。

我们在正式开工之前就找到了创作灵感最重要的来源，但是这个来源是一个非常宽泛的文化领域，是一个包含了非常多元素的扇面，而非一个确切的方向。我们花了很多时间在其中找到了丰富的原材料，堆放在了仓库中，却不知道该怎么运用。

双十一期间买了四本书，花了最快的时间看完了《大师谈游戏设计 创意与节奏》和《游戏设计的236个技巧》，汲取了充足而丰富的营养。我明白了我们的开发进行的如此低效（不是中性的“慢”，而是贬义的“低效”）的原因，是大方向的迷茫。用书里的话讲，就是核心“节奏”和“机制”的缺失。就算游戏的题材听起来无比地有吸引力，但没有一个明确的主题来限定它的发挥方式，反而会造成内容表现上的崩盘。举个例子，如果想做一个克苏鲁题材的游戏，想加入《疯狂山脉》里的考古研究，又想加入《印斯茅斯的阴霾》中的紧张追击，同时还要加入《超越时间之影》中的心理学元素：这样一来的话，虽然每一个元素都有自身的魅力，但没有一个从一而终的核心，这就会成为一个四不像的体验。

我们的团队并不缺少能量、热情、技术，也不缺少学习能力，但是如果没有核心方向，就无法跳出“缺乏创意”和“想出无用创意”的循环。这里的“无用创意”不是广义的，可能只是不适用于这个游戏而已。这就像肌肉和骨架的关系，再强健的肌肉也需要看不见的骨架的支撑，才能展现出生命力。

商量以后，我和制作人Lemon按照纪泽秀雄在书中的建议，用一句话确定了游戏的主题和核心体验（为避免剧透，先保密），以这个核心为开端，我们的关卡设计和战斗系统开始缓慢地找到了一些自己的节奏，但打磨和测试的道路仍然漫长。

This is a project full of fluctuation.

At the section determining the core content, a lot of strays happened. All the six members (including three interns) operated a couple of brainstorms, whereas with little outcome. When it came to the dilemma between 'referring mechanism existing and reviewed positively' and 'creating a fresh and unique game system', we often went one direction too much, consequently there was not a kit of ideas with completeness. For months we were exhausted, on the contrary, the progress of making ideas was stagnating. Then I come to realize, although our team is not amateur, a critical strength is still lacked about game design, which is 'design' itself.

Before the exact start point, we have confirmed the cultural resource of our creation. However, it is a spacious realm with enormous elements, and not a clear direction. Even we have found valuable knowledge from it, there was no method applying it, just like raw material in the depot.

In November I bought four books about game design. After finish reading two of them, I gained abundant nutrition. Then I recognized what cause the ineffective situation was the chaos of the main direction. The deficiency of core 'rhythm' and 'mechanism', described by the book, is the thing. Even the theme of a game sounds quite attractive, it is still collapsing without a observable topic. For instance, there is a Cthulhu game would like to add Archaeology of At the Mountains of Madness, chasing plots of The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and Psychology elements of The Shadow Out of Time. Despite the charm of each segment, without a vital game content, this game could be chaotic and confusing.

Energy, enthusiasm, skills, and abilities to learn, these are sufficient in our team. Contrarily, the loop of 'deficient of ideas' and 'making unapplicable ideas' can not be avoid if there is no critical thought (Well, any idea can not be 'unapplicable' all the time, just maybe not suitable in one particular situation). Just like the relationship between muscles and bones. Even the most powerful muscles need supporting from bones to perform the energy of lives. Additionally, bones can not be observed normally.

After some discussion, our game producer Lemon and I considered the suggestion Hideo Yoshizawa gives in the book, and identified the core experience with one sentence ( the sentence is confidential now). Start from this, the level design and battle system of our game is finding some rhythm. However, the process of polishing and testing is still prolonged.

离2020年3月的GDC的时间越来越近，我们正在争分夺秒地进行游戏的制作，希望到时候在展会上的我们，能对自己的游戏展现出自信的笑容。

It is getting close to March, 2020. We are trying our best making the game. Hopefully, the smile of confidence will be performed on our face during the exhibition.

《潘子仁》游戏总监 Game Director of Plateman

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