作者：Koen Deetman

在每年1月的最后一个周末，世界上的许多地区都会举办游戏节。所以才会称为“全球游戏节”。我曾参与过4个游戏节。其中三个是“官方的”，而另外一个是一次测试运行，即明确我是否能够与同学在48小时内创造出一款游戏。48小时听起来真的很短。对于完成一款完整且出色的游戏来说这点时间远远不够。但是要想创造出一些“完整的”内容却是不可能的事，你应该直接抛弃这一理念。在本篇文章中，我将解释自己在如此短的时间里创造出一款游戏的经历，以及我从中学到的一些内容。

game jam（from gamasutra）

快速浏览

当你不熟悉团队时，可以先做个简单的介绍，明确每个人的个性，定义角色并一起参加晚宴。你们将在这48个小时间自动了解对方。通常，游戏节的“主题”总是会在晚宴前公布，所以你们便可以在晚饭的时候开始进行头脑风暴讨论。

简单的理念

当每个人都有了自己的想法时，你们应该回到“工作室”并开始写下有关这一“主题”的所有想法。需要从团队中选出某个人担任领导者的角色。最好的情况便是你们之中有个“制作人”。他能够将这一过程变成一个有效的理念。每个人都会说出自己的想法，所以你们也需要进行合作并得出一个最后的理念。这也是为什么需要选出领导者去做最后的决定。需要注意的是，每个人都是出于有趣才参与进来，所以不要太过严格。尝试着明确你的理念的最简单的核心，并快速创造出原型。相信我，即使是最简单的理念所需要的事件也远远超于你的预期。不要选择一些匆忙设定的理念，因为当开始开发时你将需要花大量时间进行调整。只有创造一个稳定的理念才能帮你避免一些不必要的麻烦。

计划

当明确了最后的理念，开发便开始了。你需要花时间到处查看，访问其它团队，也许还能帮到其他人。尽管这是一次秘密的竞争，但这也是关于享受乐趣并在48小时内创造出更多游戏的活动。每个团队都有自己的创造过程。有些人想要跳出种种框架，也有些人更愿意按照规则办事。你应该坚持着自己的计划，并只在理念干涉到技术基础和范围时做出改变。

先从复杂的内容开始

我会建议你们在前24个小时先创造最复杂的资产。那时候你和团队仍然有足够的精力去面对一些复杂的功能。越早做到这些，你们便能够越快解决所有烦人的漏洞。即当完成了这些复杂资产的创造时，你们便能够立刻修复这些漏洞。当你处于开发的第30个小时，你便可以修复复杂的漏洞，这是较为困难的任务，需要花费好几个小时。我便曾和我们的程序员共同盯着电脑屏幕好长时间去琢磨解决方法。这真的很有趣，但却对于游戏没有多大帮助。

游戏测试过程

这里存在许多游戏测试安排。你应该为每一次的测试做好准备。特别是在第一次测试时。如果那时候你的游戏仍然很糟糕，或者还只能移动主角的话也没关系。你可以感受玩家是如何尝试你的游戏，或他们对游戏的想象。写下所有反馈并观察主要理念是否出现了哪些变化，将其与主要任务做比较。它们是否包含主要的周期？这或许有点奇怪，因为这意味着最初的游戏理念太过复杂。如果你不能预见技术的不可能性，我便会建议你立即掉头，否则继续走下去只会让你撞壁。

新功能

还有很多新功能能够带给游戏更多乐趣。不要等到执行核心游戏玩法时再引进这些功能。你应该尝试着去完成更棒的理念。当人们缓慢地完成自己的创造时，你可以轻松地执行一些新功能。但每次只有一次机会。你需要记住，问题总是会出现的，你需要留有足够的时间去解决它们。

不要让自己失望

在经过了43个小时后，你将有机会坐在一个巨大的礼堂里。那时候，你可能不能成功完成游戏，或者已经带来了最棒的架构。不管你所面对的是何种情况，你都需要为自己和团队的创造成功感到骄傲。即使游戏遭遇了失败，它也并未完全破灭。如果你不能有效地调整这种失望感，那你还参加什么？尽管不是一次官方的胜败竞赛，它仍然是一场与时间相抗衡的比赛。

游戏节之所以如此突出主要有几个原因：在2至3天里最多只能睡5个小时，并因此创造出一些很棒的谈话。每个人都缺少睡眠。我认为如果他们不能做到这点，他们便很难付出最大的努力。这是挖掘自己极限的有效方法，并且能让你在此遇到许多富有创造性的人才。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

How To Create a Game in 48 Hours

by Koen Deetman

Every year in a weekend at the end of January there is a game jam happening at many places around the world. That is why this is called “The Global Game Jam”. I have participated in four game jams. Three of those jams were “official jams” the other one was a test run to see if I was capable to create a game in 48 hours with fellow students. 48 Hours sounds really short. Well they are short for a complete and nice polished game. The thought of creating something ‘complete’ is a ‘myth’ and you should discard that idea directly. In this article I will explain some experiences when creating a game in such a short time and what I have learned from it.

source: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/84556/whats-your-favorite-programmer-cartoon

Quick Scan

When you don’t already know your team, just do a quick introduction and figure out each others qualities, define roles and have dinner. Getting to know them will come automatically through these 48 hours. Usually the ‘theme’ of the game jam is revealed before dinner, so you can start the creative brainstorm process together while having dinner.

Simple Concept

When everybody is soaked with ideas, get back to your ‘jam room’ and start writing  down everything you and your team can think of about this ‘theme’. I would like to argue someone of the team has to take a leading role. The best thing is to have a ‘producer’ with you. He is able to streamline this process into a great concept. Everyone will be shouting ideas and still need to cooperate and agree on the final concept. That is why there is someone needed to make a final decision. Keep in mind, everyone participates to have fun, so no need to be strict, just be constructive. Try to figure out the simplest core for your concept that results in quick prototyping. Trust me, even the most simple concepts take more time to develop than calculated beforehand. Do not rush your concept because it will suck up a lot of time adjusting it when development has started. Creating a solid concept is saving you a lot of trouble allong the way.

The greener garden of your neighbours.

When the final concept is there, and development has started. Take time to look around, visit other teams, maybe even help others. Although it is a secret competition, it’s all about having fun and create a lot of games in 48 hours. I have to warn you, do not compare your concept to other teams. It’s not worth it. Every team has its own creative process. Some think outside the box and some take it very literally. Stick with your plan and only change things in the concept if they interfere on technical grounds and scope.

Complex stuff first

I would greatly advise to create the most complex assets in the first 24 hours of the jam. You and your team are still fit enough to crack your brain around some difficult features. The earlier this is done, the faster annoying bugs will come around the corner. When they do, fix these bugs right away. Do not move them down the priority list, they are priority number 1. Fixing complex bugs when you are 30 hours in the jam is a painfull chore and could take hours to complete. I remember ‘staring’ at a computer screen together with my programmer while having halucinations. It’s fun, but it won’t do any good to your game.

Playtest Sessions

There are a number of playtests arranged. Try to have a build ready for each one of them. Especially at the first playtest. It doesn’t matter if your game is still crap, or if you can only move around the main character. You can already experience how players will approach your game or what they imagine it to be. Write down all feedback and see if there are any changes to the main concept, compare them to the major tasks. Do they involve a major turn-around? That would be strange, because that would mean the game concept was way to complex in the first place. If this involves not foreseen technical impossibility, I suggest you start turning around immediately, otherwise keep going where you left off.

Feature Creepers

There are probably a lot of new features that could make the game nicer, better and more awesome. Do not introduce them until the core gameplay is implemented. Try to finish the greater concept. When people slowly finish their work, you can easily implement new features, but only one at a time. Keep in mind, problems will occur and there need to be time to solve them.

Do not disappoint yourself

When 43 hours have passed, chances are you are sitting in a large auditory or something like this. You have either failed to finish your game, or have delivered the best possible build. Whatever the scenario, be proud on what you and your team achieved. Even if the game failed, there was a point in time the game did not break yet. If you can not channel this feeling of disappointment, why bother participating? Without being an official winner/loser contest, it still is a race against the clock.

Game Jams are great for a couple of reasons: Sleeping for max 5 hours in two or three days, will create some amazing conversations. Everybody has a major lack of sleep. If they don’t they didn’t try hard enough in my opinion. It is a great way to find your own limits and meet a lot of new creative people.

What do you think is the most important thing when developing a game in 48 hours?（source：gamasutra）