I just want to say that as someone who has been doing gamedev and just general boring programming for years I'm really impressed with how quickly (and from what I can see successfully) Jeremy has dove into the shader/graphics programming part of gamedev. It's really impressive to have done some of the stuff shown in this video with under 2 years of experience.
It's crazy, I've been watching the Noclip Crewcast for a while now and always found myself relating to your takes on creativity and especially the creative process. I had no idea you were so dedicated to music prior to this which explains a lot, I'm 25 now and I've been producing since around 15. Today I run my own indie label and produce under multiple aliases for a living, (not a great or even good living but I'm proud of where I am) Along with that eventual feeling of obligation to create, I find the hardest part is indeed the over-analyzing of how others will receive and respond to your work. Trying to take yourself out of that mindset while creating is beyond challenging and I struggle with it a lot, Thanks for putting some tangible words to that feeling, it really helps, thought my brain was broke lol keep up the awesome work (sorry for the essay)
former gamedev here. Not only do I agree with most of your points, one thing that happened when I shared things is a strange feeling that "well no need to keep going" happened and it was strangely satisfying. I then would abandon it and try something else, sometimes after months of work.
I was super happy to see the new update on my feed, followed by an incredibly relatable account of experiences with the process of creation in a new medium in this video. I really like your angle on the process of sharing, and embracing smaller projects as means of iteration - not to build something incredible from the get go, but to develop skillset and familiarity. The progress showcased is nothing short of incredible and I've been honestly flabbergasted by the sheer variety of gameplay on display - but most importantly I'm simply glad to hear something that's just introspective, personal, and also relevant not for game developers, but a broader scope of creatives.
Came for the amazing animal models, stayed for the thoughtful musings on creative practices and the joys and pitfalls of sharing them with the world. Another wonderful installment in one of the best series on RU-vid!
Most of the joy I get from sharing my projects is just seeing how far I've come. I'm still struggling with finishing bigger projects myself, but I know from the progress I've made that it's just a matter of time and something I can do. Congrats on all the progress you've made!
Man, I love your perspective on this so much, and really admire your journey to both share and stay true to that creative spirit. The Problems with Sharing part really hit for me, as someone trying to make music, I've struggled a lot with the dissonance I feel towards that sort of connection with The Audience. It's really jarring and has been getting in my way a lot, trying to create lately. I've had a lot of issues sharing or pitching my music, and thus developing as a songwriter or producer, because of what I think I "should be" or what is "worth sharing". My best stuff was made under the same circumstances you described, just going for it and making what I was in love with at the time - game music. Making one little world at a time, and seeing how much I could develop one song or idea, just for me. Thanks for a reminder that this is what it's truly about, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of various things you showed here!
Ive had a very similar experience putting music out online -- getting positive feedback was extremely encouraging but also completely destroyed any ability i had to make things that i thought were "good". Trying to move past that has been a struggle. Very inspiring vid! I think ill go make something now :)
For what it's worth, Jeremy, from a complete stranger on the internet; the journey is why this series has captured me from the beginning. Would it be cool to see what you make, when it's ready? Absolutely. But it's not why I'm here. Hearing you work through your creative journey, talking about growth, and meaning, that's why I'm here. Maybe it's because, as another creative, I really resonate with both the broad strokes and a lot of the fine details. And I think (I kinda hope) there might be others who feel the same. Thank you for what you do, I can't wait to hear what happens next, no matter how long that takes.
I'm a hobby game dev since 2007 and only just recently i founded my own game studio with a friend of mine to actually tackle our first serious commercial game. We are working on it since a year and we make slow but steady progress and also just succesfully applied and got funding money from the government. It feels very challenging and at the same time like you said it - like its what I meant to do. I can really relate to your personal insights and your game dev journey. It inspires me to soon also start my own devlogs and at some point share our project with the world. Thank you very much for this honest video! :)
I haven't watched your other Jayne dev videos but what you showed here looks really interesting to me as a player, and sharing creative works can be daunting. For us introvert makers it's a constant push-pull of making stuff for yourself and overcoming self doubts about what you just made and whether it's worthy of sharing. All the little side tangents one gets into when chasing creative endeavors isn't time wasted, but experience gained in honing your skills and generally becoming more comfortable in whatever it is you're doing. Time spent enjoying something isn't time wasted. Keep up the good work, and I'm looking forward to whatever you're working on now!
So glad to see another video in this series, as a solo dev learning in my free time I relate painfully hard to so much, especially about taking that next step and showing it off
i started my journey to take game dev a little more seriously around the time you uploaded episode one, and i very much enjoy these mental check ins. i think its important to remind ourselves to be realistic about what we can actually accomplish, while still shooting high for the long term. especially in this world where everyone is always showing off their coolest projects. keep it up, very excited for whatever you decide to put out into the world
Jeremy I always appreciate your genuineness and authenticity in everything you do, from creative work to your taste in games to your knowledge on obscure topics. It's refreshing and healing to me to see and hear someone with a genuine passion for the things they care about and who isn't afraid to share those things with the world. I strive to be the same way, to be genuine and honest and to find joy and beauty in unexpected places.
It's the most artist thing ever when you hit that point of going from making something strictly for you to trying to make something for others and second guessing every decision you make from then on. I'm a 3D animator and I enjoyed it far more when I never released anything I made and just did it for the experience of learning 3D modeling and animating. Now I want to try and make it my primary source of income and that changed everything. Now I'm constantly worry about validation from others and if what I'm making is even any good or something people will ever care about.
I have no experience with developing a game, I can imagine the scope though from working in Enterprise IT. This video and your thoughts reminded me most about something I do "for fun", not making music, but mixing music. Over 20 years ago I started being interested in being a DJ, before there was all the electronic help around. The thing I learned is that sharing what you do is the most important part. For me as a Dj that is a very momentary thing. You need to read the crowd and see where their feeling takes myself with the choice I make what to play next, so putting my feeling about the moment out there. What I am saying is, whatever you do "creatively", always put it out, have people criticize it in some way. It will help massively with getting better and finding the style you want to stick to. I suppose that is not different in game development, albeit in a way longer timeframe. Also, take critical look at your own projects after them being finished (whatever that means in your case) and learn from the mistakes you made. Most people overlook that part. Thank you for sharing!
This was a sweet video! c: I get the feel of wanting to keep some projects private until you feel ready to show them, as opposed to sharing everything you've got, and I wish you the best with the stuff you've progressed further on! At the same time, thanks for showing off your other projects too! Also, I love the music used in the Intro segment! 💙
I feel stupid asking this, but I swear I have listened to that intro music a lot somewhere (probably played the game...), do you know where it comes from? (is so good)
This has been my exact same last 2 yrs as well. Just stopped showing anything and learned game dev with UE. I think Ive come to the same conclusions you have. Especially learning what kind of games you like to make and what youre capable of by yourself. Learning what truly makes a game a game.
I cannot tell you how much I identify with that feeling of "This is what I SHOULD be doing." It's what gets my butt in the chair when I would rather put off a project. It's also what makes me resent going to a day job.
I've loved following your progress, and watching you learn to create game art from scratch forced me to stop making excuses and just start making stuff on my own too. Happy to say I've created a few assets in Blender, and have reached a point that I feel like I really could make my own games, with my own assets. I find joy in seeing my amateurish pieces booted up in my engine, much more so than trying to retrofit other peoples' art into my game. Thanks and keep going!
I would love to know what you think of The Beginner’s Guide. As someone who just creates things for the joy of creation intended only for myself or to share with a friend, I found the game really affecting.
Very cool, its been great to see your journey in learning. I feel like its definitely on par with what others feel when they get into game development. At first you want to create the biggest, coolest games you've ever thought of, and when you start to understand development you dial it back and focus more on the nuance. Not to say that you can't make the massive Dark Souls RPG, but understanding the process and finding your own way is 3/4 of the battle.
What a joy to hear articulated , truths that have very much resonated for me from a painting / drawing creative perspective . Strongly believe that Creativity finds itself in telling oneself new stories and you’re definitely doing that here . Thank you very much, Jeremy ! Wish you all the best in your personal and professional endeavors.
I wished I could like this video more than once. Thank you Jeremy for making such an open video discussing where you’re at with game development. This video really resonated with me.
Doing game dev as more than just a hobby is so hard, but it csn be so rewarding if you actually follow though! Even just finishing s project is a reward in itself.
Honestly I love this video. It has a ridiculous amount of depth in it and yet feels completely casual. It's inspiring too and might just be the push I need to get back into making little prototypes instead of trying and failing to make something for steam again
I know how you feel when it comes to the relationship you have with the art you're creating and what that means when you start taking it more seriously. I'm speaking on this from a dance perspective but I feel it's applicable in every artistic medium. Can be frustrating when you start taking it seriously but then because of this you start engaging with it differently, and it almost becomes a stranger to you.
Can't wait to to see the games you've made, especially if one of them features the smoking girl in the beginning or the one with the helmet, they look like really interesting characters. Also the Lufia soundtrack at the end really hits into the nostalgia so thanks for that.
When I was a kid I loved just drawing but the older you get it feels every hour comes with a price tag and everything you do needs to be worthwhile and not just having fun. It kills the joy.
5:37 : Oof. That hits hard and very close to home. Game dev for over a decade and the longer I make stuff the more I feel that despite all my skills and experience that I've gained over the years. It is certainly backwards in how your mentality should be... But it is oddly true.
I really feel averse to the idea of primarily making art for myself, personally. I can see its value for other creative people, improving wellbeing and keeping that creative fire burning. But especially for game design, I don't feel a game is complete until it is experienced by someone. Design is all about accounting for the peculiarities of humans, and so the "objective" quality of your design is related to how other people experience it. Sure, you can "sell out" and try to make a game for the largest market and all that, and that can be seen as creatively bankrupt, but I think that design is a craft about building things that people actually want.
I'd like to see a video that goes more into detail of the projects you made. Im hungry man, you gotta feed me more than 3 seconds clips, even if the 3 seconds clips are all there is I'd like to hear some info about them - their inspiration and shtuff like that.
You know Jeremy, you say you struggled with the idea of trying to make this video into something that befits the previous "Jayne Devs", but to me personally this is what it was about all along. Earnestly documenting the process of throwing yourself head-first into a creative endeavor with lots of interesting challenges to overcome, lots of new things to learn, and lots of odd experimentation. It's really awesome, and honestly pretty inspiring, to see you sharing all the things you've prototyped. I hope you keep growing more confident and we can continue having these infrequent glances behind the curtain.
It is genuinely impressive how much skill you've developed in 2 years of self-teaching and online tutorials in your spare time. You're already capable of more than 99% of people ever are in their lives.
Those videos are fantastic. And as an artist and illustrator (kinda stuck atm) myself, listening to other artists talk about the creative process and indulge in the neurotic introspections is really interesting and helpful. Bless you sir, and cheers to the nights we spend existing.
Babe, wake up. New Jayne Dev finally dropped (Edit after finishing the vid) - Man, thank you for the taking the time to make these. Your general ethos & perspective on creating art really resonates with me and I’m truly very thankful you’re making these alongside creating such fucking cool art. Genuinely cannot wait to play whatever you’re cooking up p.s… absolutely obsessed with little lizard eyepatch guy
These videos are incredible, not only the progress you've made, but the insight, candor, and heartfelt emotion in each one. The greedy part of me wants to see all the games, music, and development (all of it, and right now) but obviously that would put a ton of unwarranted pressure on you, so honestly, just keep doing what you're doing and put things out whenever you feel like it. Thank you for another inspiring video and keep up the amazing work.
The passion from noclip is the sauce. Be it the crewcast, the docs, whatever. People talking about the things they are doing that they are passionate about and working on. Such a great video Jeremy
I've been doing game dev for over 20 years now, and I really love the aesthetic of all the clips you've shown. There's a real craftsmanship to what you've created, and even though I can't play it I can see what you're going for. If you feel nervous about sharing with a general audience, share with other game devs first. WE UNDERSTAND what it's like and we'll give you honest feedback without the same harsh tone that other groups might use. And hey, don't worry about making mistakes. No one that was ever good at something started off good at that thing. Even when people get good at the thing they'll often tell you they're not. It's all psychological.
I love this series so much and I frequently wish there was more of them. This whole episode felt like a direct response lol like "Hey, this is why these updates aren't super frequent, but it's for good reasons, don't worry." I can't wait to play whatever it is you decide to share.
