Author: auz1111

Sometimes, I feel like this journey into video game development may lead to broken pockets and worse… broken hearts as I read countless stories of failed ideas. The Steam marketplace is flooded with indie games displaying dismal sales. I realize BEER CHEER can only hope to create a market where one did not exist. Maybe it will find a few fans here and there that help propel the property in new directions. Maybe… just maybe there is a niche for beer games with substance.

Well, welcome to week four of the dev log as I hurl myself into destinies unknown stopping for an occasional beer from the locals. Last week was huge and if you’re playing the alpha you have seen the new locations being worked on. Please be aware these are early prototypes of scenes to come so much is likely to change. Being able to add local breweries to the game is a goal we take passionately as this will amp up the game’s flavor tremendously. A big thank you to Bend Brewing for being the guinea pig for now! Ever since my wife and I first started dating in Bend they have been one of our favs. So much so that the year before our wedding we visited the pub every Tuesday for locals day. We actually ended up serving Hop Head, Elk Lake, and Ching Ching KEGS at our wedding. Needless to say the dance floor was popping and the good times rolled! We created lifetime memories where upon sipping a delicious Ching Ching are brought back with vivid detail. I hope to deliver something the brewery’s fans can appreciate while perhaps waiting on their beer or on the plane to their favorite beer festival.

Beyond the major updates, I also tackled a lot of bugs plaguing the scene completion order and the home screen play button’s function. I’ve decided to stick with the button displaying “Play” at all times versus saying “Continue” once the player has gone through at least one scene.

Another big addition last week was the addition of bottle recyclers provided by Bend’s one and only The Broomsmen. So, the game gets a little bit harder now as players are now responsible for cleaning up unfilled bottles before they hit the end of the line. Previously, if players passed an unfilled bottle there were no consequences other than not being able to cheers. Tap the empty beer bottle into the recycler or players will lose progress. Fortunately, The Broomsmen have provided our first bins and will safely deliver the bottles to the best facility for recycling.

That was a pretty good update and a wrap for last week. This week I’ll be adding in another game mechanic for controlling the conveyor belts. And stay tuned as we may have another big addition in the works! Thank you for stopping by. See you next week!

Dilly Dilly,

Auzzzy

Well, this time last year we were up on our roof shoveling snow here in Bend.  Today it is expected to hit 60 degrees and I’ll be taking a run in shorts here pretty soon.  Maybe with a little extra time, I can get some progress going this week!

Last week was all about the locations selection screen and the scene selection screens.  I was able to get those working pretty well, and also spent a good bit of time reworking the scene unlocks.  Now each scene is unlocked by the number of bottle caps the player has earned.  For instance, scene 2 is unlocked when the player has earned at least one cap.  Scene 5 will open once the player has earned 7 caps.  Currently, while progressing through the game the scenes are accessible in succession, but remain locked once you exit the game screen and revisit the scene selection screen.

There is now also a screen for location stats and a redemption screen! The redemption screen is a big work in progress, and ultimately what I hope will be a big part of the game. Imagine being able to play for prizes from your favorite brewery!

This week the plan is to restrict the player from moving to the next level in-game if they do not have enough scene caps, and to improve the “Win” scene panel.  This week will also include scene improvements and perhaps some new bottle additions.  I will also probably be doing some scene selection screen customization depending on what location has been selected.

I want to give a shout-out to @brewsite for the talk on Bend Beer History at Deschutes Brewery this past Saturday.  He has spent a good bit of time researching Bend, OR beer history and has put together a book filled with interesting and lesser-known facts.  Be sure to check it out and order one online from Amazon if you can’t get one in person.

I also took a break with my little boy over the weekend and visited Vector Volcano for some pinball action.  We ran across Bally/Midway’s Tapper game conveniently sitting next to the Deschutes tap.  I was kind of in beer Nirvana and had to be shaken a few times.  This game has definitely inspired mine in a lot of ways, and I hope to bring that same feeling to players of BEER CHEER.  Can’t forget the classics!

Thanks for tuning in once again and if you have any ideas for this lil crafty beer game please let me know!

CHEERS!

Auzzzy

So last week started with a few fires as I scrambled to get the high score insertion bug sorted out. With the 2+ players I have testing the game and actually providing feedback, I didn’t want to kill any momentum with some stupid little high-score bug. Because the nasty little bugger only presented itself on 50% of testers devices I had to borrow a device in order to confirm. Well, the device I borrowed (Asus tablet) ended up dying on me Monday morning as I was beginning work. I thought it was dead at least. Apparently, lithium-ion batteries do not like being depleted completely. After half the day had gone by I plugged the device in using a different cord and outlet which slowly began to charge it.

Eventually, I got all set up and was able to not necessarily fix the bug, but use a few try-catches to suppress the error and handle it for now. Sometimes, you just have to patch it and move on until it hits you in the middle of the night. I’ll probably be up with our crying baby anyway. 

I was also able to get a lot of the foundation for being able to add different locations added. The “Scenes” menu has been replaced with the “Locations” menu. This will open up options for having different breweries or venues that contain their respective “Scenes”. I’m liking the feel of having the “Locations” menu item so far and will prob keep this layout.

This week I am concentrating on the location scene selection screen as this is where the player will select the next scene to play or learn more about that particular location. I will also probably be updating the backgrounds for all the “For the CAUZ” scenes as they look to factory-ish and are vectors acquired from Vecteezy. I have been slowly changing out all the graphics with my own vectors. I may still use some from Vecteezy, but the plan is to keep this very minimal.

I am also making some headway with marketing the game. Currently, there is a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram page setup that I will try to keep updated. I am posting some links on Reddit in hopes of getting some more alpha testers as well. I have no idea how to market a video game so this will be an interesting show. As most everyone knows I have no prior experience making a video game either soooooooo…

If you find any bugs or have any ideas to add to the game please let me know.

Until next time fellow beer gamers!

CHEERS!

Auzzzy

Sooooooo… I probably should have been blogging about the game’s development before now, but now is better than never.  At this point, there are 10 levels which in BEER CHEER are called scenes.  I am trying to reach at least 25 solid scenes before opening up beta testing to the public.  If you are able to test the game and provide feedback, please do so here on the most recent dev blog.  I may open up some other way to communicate dev issues/bugs, but for, now this will have to do.

Every time you leave a comment about a bug or feature you think would be great, please comment with the build version you have on your device.  This can be found on the home screen in the bottom right-hand corner. The title of the latest dev blog post will specify the version number.  Please make sure you are testing that version or higher.

I don’t expect to get a ton of feedback as I am still learning the channels and circles to get some good testers, but hopefully, someone is playing the game out there and wants to chip in.  I am trying to find ways to reward those that help with development.  For now, I truly appreciate your time. Thank you!

v.0.84.0 Build Notes

• Scenes intermissions now have hints.
• Scenes now have names.
• Scenes must be unlocked to play
• Players must get at least a bronze cap to unlock the next scene
• Cap indicator is now in top left of game screen

Next Up

This week I am working on a bug that only shows up for users that previously downloaded the game and have updated to 0.84.0.  The bug freezes the game after completing a scene. Yeah, this one is bad and I can’t reproduce it on my device (Pixel 1).

I will also be adding a locations button to the main menu which will replace the scenes button.  From the locations screen, you will be able to pick the Brewery and then play that brewery’s scenes.

Any ideas? Let me know!

CHEERS!

Auzzzy

What in the world is this all about? BEER CHEER?!?!? Sounds so cheeeeeeeeesey! For those who know me, cheese of any kind is NOT a good thing.  Well, BEER CHEER is most definitely NOT about cheese, however, if you like fermented milk then you might also like fermented wort!

BEER CHEER is the culmination of my experience with video games and beer.  It is the epitome of my existence nonetheless.  I have spent 20 years submerged in both worlds and now I would like to use that “wasted” time to create something fun & educational that can eventually help support my family.  In 2012 while drinking a delicious craft brew and playing video games I spilled my beer all over the controller. I did not panic. I did not throw the controller through the TV screen or pass out in defeat.  Instead, I had this genius idea of making a video game brew!

In 2013 I started playing with Unity, and found that with their new 2D tools I was able to get something up and running pretty quickly.  Well, I hit a few roadblocks and ended up putting down the project until Fall of 2017.  I spent who knows how many hours listening to C# and Unity tutorials over the course of 2-3 months.  I have previously had experience with C#, and I’ve been a web apps developer for years, but Unity is really new for me.  During this time I continued to work on BEER CHEER and around November of 2017 I had some playable levels that I could call a game… or something like a game.  With the encouragement of my wife, two underage kids, and some family & friends, I am attempting to do something I have dreamed of doing since squashing my first koopa.  I plan to release my first video game this year before the age of 40.

I hope you find my game to be fun and provide a little cheer here and there throughout your day.  It’s nothing fancy, but I do have plans to make it more interesting, and rewarding for mobile gamers that have an affection for beer.  This is the alpha stage.  This is where I let people see the work I have been pouring my time into for the past few months.  I’m depending on some critical advice, and even some creative input to help me mold this game into something more than just me. I just hope people eventually download this game and say, “Hey, this is pretty cool! Beer me.”

BEER CHEER is more than just a mobile game. It’s that feeling you get when taking your first sip at the pub.  It’s that cheery spirit brought back when tasting a new beer for the first time at the Lil Woody Festival or maybe even the nostalgia that runs over your body when cracking open that favorite beer you drank in college! BEER CHEER is an attitude.  BEER CHEER is an emotion.

Awwwweee… see there I go… getting all cheesey.

CHEERS!

Auzzzy

PS. Mispelled what?!?!?