It's shocking how long it's been since I added to this section of the site, but oh well we're here now. 

So I've been in a state of testing what works and doesn't work with regards to the things I put on the site. Some things are dead on arrival, while others generate quite a bit of traffic. As for traffic "quality" well that varies widely by source, but the information I have received back will shape what content I do in future.

I have a tiny number of commercial fonts I've created that have started to appear in the products I create, one of them being the shirts I create. On the topic of that, I have done quite a few designs which I've added to one of my online product on demand partners.

Whilst I'm on about print partners it has to be said that on the whole the print on demand industry is becoming increasingly, well the technical word is shit.

I've recently had trouble with one company in particular, you can read about the trouble here. But it only confirms something I've know for a long time, that is I'm going to have to produce my own shirts at some point. 

This way I can remove the restraints and failures placed on me by these large irresponsible corporations.

In other news I created a little game called UMA, it can be seen here.

It's a unique concept, a bunch of islands generate randomly in configuration. You then have Tetris style buildings to place down. Now to make the game even more niche I avoided many gamerfications, to create a more relaxing experience.

It's an experiment in selling DRM free and getting some of my production systems streamlined. You wouldn't understand how much work goes into even a tiny game like UMA.

I'll try to  list an overview in simplified form:

Come up with a concept
Code early version
Add programmer art
Code evolved idea (what will be the final product - in some form)
Add final game art
Record sound effects
Add sound effects
Create music
Add music
Test, polish, fix any errors
Create and push out marketing materials for any where you sell or advertise the game

Now this is a very general view of the work required, but needless to say all that work and more is involved in the tiny price you pay for a game. All those professions (coder, music etc) are well paid positions in companies, all with benefits and pensions. However when you are an independent developer you do all that and more for pennies.

Then throw into the mix the sheer volume of competition and rising Communist ideology disguised as consumer rights activists and you see how a dream job turns into a nightmare faster than a curry turns into toilet pebble effect.

With that in mind, I think the price of games will have to be more expensive and delivered via a different platform. Steam is becoming more of a hindrance to the gaming market as a whole and there is a worrying push for games to be an online only subscription model, which I'll have to fight against at some point but we'll see.

While Steam is in our sights, I wrote a little piece about them and Epic for you to look at. It deals with the facts between the two stores and offers a little insight into some of the problems thrown up by this whole fake Steam vs Epic saga that customers have spoken about.

I am currently working on a little project that I hope to put on Steam in the near future. My worry is that as it's a short experience the refunds will be high, but we'll see, maybe people aren't as bad as they are made out to be.

The cold weather is breaking up nicely so I've managed to venture out into the mud bowl that is my garden and do a bit. At the end of 2019 I managed to harvest a bumper crop of Parsnips and I'm starting a fresh batch of them, as Parsnip soup is mental great.

I hope this year I can grow a fucking huge Pumpkin in time for Halloween. I've tried for two years on the bounce now, but the size of the pumpkin has been tiny and couldn't ripen before the bad weather sets in.

Anyway I have sown some seeds indoors, so fingers crossed I might get something of a decent size and in time.

Fuck beans it's been a while since I wrote one of these, so let's have a little chitty chatty hey sweet pea?

Been working on commercial fonts that I have started to work into designs as well as tutor a friend into the process.

Making my own custom fonts is super useful for shirt designs and it is obvious a useful skill for other works I make like games.

It takes a stupid amount of time, but at the same time is a rapid process compared to days of old when letters were individually carved into dry turds.

I've been design shirts again recently because I actually enjoy it a fair bit. Being doing stuff close to video gaming while still staying legal, although that doesn't stop the wank developers throwing their big dick about and getting stuff taken down. I'm veering towards doing my own stuff as well as keeping an eye on printing my own stuff so as to fuck would be arseholes out of the equation.

Going to take a bit of work but needs mustard and all that what what. Run your fat fucking eyes over some of my gear here.

Been working on a little game and I think I've broke its back now so I can free up some time to squeeze in other stuff as well.

Originally I thought I could work on two projects at once, but it turns out the "tiny game" I was going to make needed a fuck load of work to make something worth while - who'd have thunk?

Won't say too much other than it's a niche kind of thing that's not really weird but still niche.

My plan is to make something that is simple to play with a lot of replay value - which turns out is a fucking huge undertaking.

​I'll chat and promote it more nearer its completion.

I've been writing as of late, as I've been getting a bit extra free time. This means I'll spew more shit out of my arse in word form for you dirt bag flies to congregate around and feed on like the shit attracted shit eaters you are (said with love of course).

​At the moment I thought I'd pass comments on topics that catch my beady little eyes, but we'll see what it develops into.

I have been working on a short book this year so need to blow the dust off that and finish the fucker, but more on that when it's done.

The great thing about writing is it takes a fraction of the time to create something interesting, the downside is the world is now largely populated with fucknuts who want everything in video format - so swings and roundabouts.

I've been meaning to make some videos, but in all honesty they take too long and I have other things to do. When I get time I think I'll do more stuff that is exclusive to this site with the occasional thing on YouTube.

​The site is growing in size and traffic, with the opposite being true on YouTube. I also tend to get better engagement on my own website, with better conversions through to things I'm selling.

It would appear a tiny targeted audience is better than a large YouTube audience. In fact viewers on YouTube have become as useful as a flaccid penis in the Playboy mansion.

Going forward I think it makes sense to produce more entertainment through this site to build my portfolio and attract visitors, with the occasional YouTube video.

So the gardening bug bit me this year, a long with the pirate bug the little bastard (actual pirate bug, not me promoting e-theft) and I've been doing that a fair bit.

​Gardening is super fucking awesome but a bit detailed to go into here in a little catch me up

Going to wrap up and tell you I'll try to avoid there being such a big gap in the updates but in reality who the fuck knows - not me.

​Kisses.

Been pretty fooking busy, so completely forgot to put out a noisey in a while, but I'll condense events.

2017 was pretty shit, the whole year I was ill, which ran with the pretty shit feeling I was left with after I scrapped the game I'd been developing for some time. I just thought to myself 'this is super niche, why make things harder for yourself by making a game only you and two other hipsters in the world will want to play'?

So I binned it and started again, which honestly made me want to cry. It's like climbing a mountain, getting half way up just to go back down and start all over again - real soul crushing shit.

On the massive upside, this new game should have more appeal, as it's focused on more fun. I'm doing the art first as opposed to my previous method of programming and using place holder art. This is to spur me on, but holy fuck Batman is there so much fucking drawing to do.

I really want to talk about the game, but it's best left until I have something substantial to show the world - so check back in a couple of years you creep.

My current little game on Steam, Kalzor: 2000, is doing pretty well, but more importantly the information I've gained about selling games is invaluable. I'll be able to use what I've learned going forward with future titles.

The digital painting is still a favourite hobby of mine, I just wished it clicked more. Sometimes I can do really well and get things to look awesome, other times it's like diarrhoea. Still I'm gaining loads from trying new techniques, so hopefully I get to the point I can offer some of my work for sale.

My Wall art is another story, it just clicks. I can get something that doesn't have that digital painted look finished in a reasonable time and with good results. I will have to sit down at some point and do some commercial wall art, to bolster my portfolio. I am however, limited by my computer as to the size of the designs I do, as if they are too large my computer shits a brick.

For quite some time now I've wanted to create my own fonts. I was just really interested how the process works and always wanted to add my own. I currently have two that are workable for my needs and while they are not currently for sale, I may license them at some point. (More on that in a sec).

Currently my shirt designs are doing well and are something I hope to build on in 2018. I really enjoy doing them and they merge together different aspects of the work I do, which is pretty cool for me.

I am trying to promote indie games with my show, Love Indie Games, which I'll try aim to make one a month if I get the time. I know how useless YouTube has become to get eyes on things, as it has imploded under it's own bullshit, so I'm trying to help out other indies where I can - but like I say, time and resources are scarce.

​I can't see myself making videos for YouTube for a long time (if ever), as it's too distracting and as I say useless for me personally.

​But I will no doubt make videos I think will help me out in some way, just most likely hosted here on my own site.

I'm currently teaching myself to write, by setting myself a few projects to do. Once they are up to scratch I'll let the world buy them. They should also give me some new skills and another outlet where I can converge my growing skill set.

Licensing my work is going to become a big factor going into the future. Anyone wanting to display my work will have to pay the fee.

I've tried the free advertising thing and it doesn't work, so in future all of my work will be bolstered under licensing terms.

I have done a few things on the site since the last noisey, so check them out you noisey fucker. I'll try do more stuff for you to run your slinty eyes across in between work, so have a look around you dildo.

Juggling stuff around has been frantic, but fun and now I might have cleared some time for some projects. Firstly, three animations I've made: Couch Potatoes, Love Bug and Egor are available to watch.

They're a bit of fun and I'll create more as we go along, mixed in with some other material. Like the new images section, where I'll share some creations like this comic strip style offering called 'equality of the sexes'. Hopefully they'll cheer up someones' day.

Some of these images will make it over to actual t-shirt designs, which will be expanded on with the things I create, as I really enjoy making them. I will of course be making shirt designs around the games I like, that way fellow fans can enjoy as well.

Speaking of games, you know I have launched Kalzor: 2000, which is available drm free on the site and is also available on Steam. Well I'm working on several other games and seeing which would be a good fit to make.

These will take a long time to create as is the nature of the beast, but updates on game dev related stuff will be found in the games section, so look in there if that's your interest for very infrequent updates.

As for games I'll make content on, I think I'll stick with Skyrim and Fallout 4. Nothing comes close with games I want to make videos on. Again, episodes will most likely be few and far between, but the good news is they'll be free to watch. They'll be a version on YouTube and one here on Roley.co.uk

I'll be making designs around the games to sell on shirts, as well as introducing the creator pass on pages. Basically the creator pass will be viewers way of supporting the work I do and voting at the same time.

I'll add some awesome sauce to each video to make it extra special on the lips and follow it up with an article and some images here on the site as a side order for super fans.

It'll be interesting to see what evolves as time goes on, I have a few things in mind, but I want to see where it takes me.

Between the pittance in adverts and money directly from viewers via merch sales and creator passes, I'm hoping it's financially viable.

The great thing about the creator pass, is it will give those who support my work a direct voice to me, that way it will help me decide what to do next.

So there's all that to check out if you haven't already, I'm still  into posters and I've taken up digital painting which is super time consuming, but awesome at the same time. I'll try fit painting into some of the poster designs to see how it looks, it just takes awhile as it's all pretty new to me.

​Go check all the stuff I've mentioned, I think you should be pretty clued up by now and keep it frosty for upcoming stuff captain - kisses.

People who read this went on to watch:
​

• Vault 111's Untold Story
• Skyrim's 3 Secret Bosses

Steam took the long overdue decision to let customers decide what game they want to buy,​ by introducing Steam Direct. So I thought I'd see if some of my predictions for gaming were correct by entering the world's biggest market for PC gaming.

Now I've been gaming since as early as I can remember, written about the industry and of course you're well aware I've made videos on the subject too. Well now I'm developing my own games, so I think I'm in the best possible position to comment on the subject. I just wanted to cross the i's and dot the t's with this last check.

Turns out my earlier notion on how the gaming world is going is correct, so I can go ahead and take the correct course of action for me.

All in all my game Kalzor: 2000 has done well considering the amount of competition at the time. In a way, I kind of felt sorry for some independent game developers who didn't have my experience or knowledge of the industry. The system is going to chew them up, when really it doesn't have to be that way. 

This is why I've created a new show called ©Love Indie Games, it's because I want these games to find the eyes they deserve. I can't help everyone, but if I can make a small difference to make some people happy, then it'll make me happy.

©Love Indie Games will bring eyeballs to games I've found on my internet travels, while I have a joke about. Nothing too serious.

As for the posters we spoke about last time, I keep making them every now and then. It's something I really enjoy and wish I could spend more time doing. I tried to record the process of me designing one recently, but found it too distracting.

I think I'll showcase them when I do updates or game development style videos. Definitely not a how to style or time-lapse video, probably just a shot of the work with me talking over it.

I'm making room in my schedule to start producing videos again, which I'm looking forward to. The other day I was looking through some of the videos I've made and I was thinking, fuck me I made some underrated stuff. I think going forward I'd be much happier with a smaller supportive audience, rather than making something that appeals to others, but I don't enjoy creating.

That's the beauty of having my own site, I can do the things that work for me. Hopefully I can reach a niche audience who like my sense of humour.

As for the types of video, they will be varied until I find something that clicks. I already have a few things in mind, but I'll leave a bit of leeway 

I used to have fun making some of the videos, the only problems happened when I had to make stuff fit the platform I was on. So the good news is I'll be able to get creating things the way they should be.

I'm looking to create more content and line of products that people enjoy, once I get a few things lined up. This all means that work on my current game will slow down until I get used to the new work load and fitting in real life stuff.

​But as long as I appeal to a more mature clued up audience I think everything will be golden.

So I think that's it sweet cheeks, your all caught up. If there is anything I've missed I'll put it in our next catch up. Kisses.