This time we decided to tell you what tools we use to create Degraman.

We don't want to teach you anything, we still don't have enough experience to do this. On the contrary, the goal of this post is to be as open as possible with you and perhaps to learn from you that there are better tools available.

We will try to give our feedback and bring all the necessary links.

Code

 

Ren'py - the engine of our game, with what exactly everything is written. It was selected solely because of the low entry threshold and platforms for which you can build the app, there is almost everything we needed, but also what is absent, promised to deliver very soon. And it’s free of course. The syntax is quite simple and there is a large community, which is always ready to help.

But the next game will almost certainly be written in something else (Unity is the very first candidate)

Gitlab - version control system. It allows us not to get confused in the code when working in parallel and saves all previous versions! By the way, thanks to it, we can see how the very first version of the game looked like. Maybe one day we will post it ╰(*︶`*) ╯

Github and BitBucket were considered as alternatives. The first one didn't have any closed repositories at the time of selection (now it has), and the second one didn't have any task management (still doesn't seem to have). Initially, we wanted to create tasks here, in gitlab, but this turned out to be inconvenient and we started using a separate task tracker

YouTrack - here we create tasks and bugs, write down ideas, plan releases, build analytics for issues, move issues around the Board, and much more.

It may not be the easiest task management system, but it’s exactly what we need. Up to 3 users - it’s free, exactly our option.

From the very beginning we had high requirements for the task tracker, so the alternatives quickly disappeared, either because of the lack of functionality, like Trello, Asana and the mentioned GitLab, or because of the price, like Jira (although Jira has a free version, but it, again, does not have anough functionality)

Vs Code — simple, clear, fast, free, well integrated with git, many plugins, including syntax highlighting for Ren'py.

Alternatives were Sublime text, Atom, and PyCharm. It's more tasteful, because all the options are almost the same, except that the last one is paid.

Text and translation

Google docs — the original text and the editing, everything’s here. There were no alternatives. We have heard that there are some programs for screenwriters or something like that, but so far we are satisfied with everything we have

Draw.io — Here we draw route diagrams. We also often use Coggle, but for other secret purposes :3

Yandex.Translator - proved to be unexpectedly better than Google one. A particularly cool feature is examples from movies, books, and TV series

Art

PaintTool SAI 2 - all sprites and CGs are drawn here. The two at the end is very important, because there is still the first one, and there is some difference between them.

The main advantage of this program is its optimization. Where everything else gives up, SAI holds on and doesn't lag. Turkey draws in very large formats (~6K pixels and 200-300 layers) and only SAI works well.

But the main disadvantage is not even it’s paid, but how exactly the purchase process takes place. The one who passed this quest will wipe an avaricious tear, and who haven’t passed yet - good luck to you on this difficult path

Clip Studio Paint - here we apply for brushes that are not available in the SAI. Turkey wants to get to know this program better, but doesn’t have enough time

WACOM Intuos Pro Small (PTH-451) — a pen tablet. It replaced the proudly served and retired Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet, which was bought 5-6 years before that. Turkey actively began to use it only after starting to engage in the novel, so it probably quickly fell into disrepair. Also, if you noticed a jump in the quality of drawing, it may also be due to the tablet update. Of course, it is much more convenient to draw on it.

Great for those who do not have a well-equipped workplace (like a Turkey), or for those who are used to work in small formats, or are not used to wave their hand very much.

We touched a lot of tablets while choosing, but this is just one love

Other

The Turkey's laptop is a Frankenstein, assembled from two laptops (15", 128 GB SSD, 12 GB RAM, medium-weak video card). Perhaps, after the release of the full version, we will update the computer, because there is not enough to run particularly greedy programs (Turkey hates freezes with all her heart)

Coffee - Vietnamese Dalat Blend