I’ve decided to change Operetta (or Spindle Sun, if you remember that) from 2D to 3D. Mostly because, if there aren’t, like, human characters involved, I’m much more comfortable making 3D models than 2D illustrations. And many of the troubles I’ve had getting this project off the ground have been related to the 2D graphics and interface.

So I started making a model for the spaceship you’ll be flying around. I really don’t like it.

Every time I try to design a spaceship, it seems it ends up looking like a Star Trek wannabe or a collection of random shapes.

And I think a big part of that is how small my toolbox is here. Tools are just development environments or new hardware. Tools can also be ideas.

When designing things, I have a toolbox of shapes: saucers, cylinders, Art Deco fans.

I’m comfortable with these shapes. I can get them to fit together in harmonious ways. And when I do, I get Star Trek or my usual Art Deco sort of aesthetic, which, honestly, I’m tired of.

But if I don’t use the tools I’m comfortable with, I get a mess, and that’s to be expected, I suppose. Getting comfortable with new shapes, learning how to use them in designs, will take time.

Having new tools is not enough. You need experience using them.

* * *

I’d like to make fun, exciting video games that don’t rely on combat to provide tension.

Combat in games is a known quantity. I have various tools with which to build a combat based game: levels designs and goals based on clearing areas of enemies. Randomly scattered ammo and health kits to keep the player moving. Life and magic bars that keep the player informed of their status.

Some of these tools will work for non-combat situations. Some will not. In any case, I need some new tools here.

* * *

Right now, all this is a bit paralyzing. The tools I’m most comfortable with to build Tinselfly are tools I’m unwilling to use. Even so, it can be much easier to use tools I don’t like than it is to force myself to abandon them and try new things.

With that in mind, I’d like to revisit Gemslinger, my gem-collection as arcade-shooter thing and see if I can get a minimal, workable product that’s fun and not based so much on killing monsters. I’d like to use this as an opportunity to expand my toolbox. Doing so here, with a small project, will hopefully make it easy to explore ideas that I can then apply to larger projects like Tinselfly.

My first few attempts to do this will undoubtedly fail. And by fail, I mean I may end up with something fun and polished… but which is more combat-based than I would like. And that’s ok. I need to fail before I can get better — I can’t just refuse to make anything with combat mechanics on the hopes that I’ll replace my entire toolset, all at once. I need to explore new ideas a little bit at a time so it’s not overwhelming and paralyzing, and that means a couple new, interesting ideas in products with mostly old, blow-up-monsters type ideas.

And maybe, just maybe, whatever I do after Tinselfly and Gemslinger and Operetta will have a higher proportion of new things made with my new tools, and a little less blowing up monsters.

And eventually I’ll get where I want to be. Eventually.