What to expect from Dreams if you are new to this

Here is what you can expect when you get Dreams

1. You will not be able to create anything…for a few days
   Do not expect to download the game and go straight in to making the best level anyone has ever seen. The controls for the imp are probably like nothing you have tried before, and you will have to get used to them. Once you have mastered that (it took me 3 days) you will have to get to grips with sculpting, which is also a skill that requires practice. Keep at it though, and although you will find it impossible and frustrating it should start to come together (took me about 3 weeks).
2. Everything in the world will suddenly become a thing you can make in Dreams. You will see a lamp in a department store and think “I could make that in Dreams”. You will watch a movie and think ” I could make that whole scene in Dreams”. You will find yourself humming a made up tune which you cannot wait to put into Dreams and add some drums to it. You will play a game on your phone and realise that you could make this, but with llamas. It will take over life outside the game and your friends and family will be fed up of hearing about it.
3. Games will look completely different to you as you start spotting the game development behind it. When you start making your own games you will start to notice game mechanics and design techniques in games that before you just played and enjoyed. You will be trying to work out how to make that in Dreams. You will spot how colour is deployed in games to direct the player. You will pay more attention to the layout of the UI. You will be looking at the animation. You will notice when the music comes in and how it used to create atmosphere. Instead of thinking like a player, you will start thinking like a developer. Gaming will not be the same from that moment of change.
4. That thing you have wanted to make isn’t necessarily what you end up making. As we have all been waiting for Dreams for what seems like an eternity, many of us have thought what we would like to do when we get our hands on it. Some go further to actually draw and develop proper plans. However, you may find when you start to play Dreams that some aspects may be harder or easier than you imagined. You may go in as a sculptor and come out as a musician. You may think that the logic and programming side of it will be your thing, but spend hours making a flower garden. You don’t really know what Dreams is going to mean to you until you try it.
5. You will lose time. Time will become meaningless as you will be concentrating on the screen while you develop. You may think you have only been playing for an hour, but look at the clock and 3 hours have gone by. Were you abducted by aliens? No, you were abducted by Dreams. This can have a unwanted side effect of affecting you physically. Carpal tunnel, bursitis, tendonitis, headaches can all be caused by playing this game over long stretches of time. Be careful. Set an alarm. Take breaks.
6. Development is hard. Even if you are used to programming, making gameplay in Dreams is a skill you need to learn. You are not going to master it immediately. For some of you, it will never make sense. Others will not feel artistic enough to make the things they need. Use the community. Use assets other people have made. Form a team. You will find the area of Dreams you are good at, not everyone can do everything. Follow tutorials and develop your skills. If you find out how to do something, share it. Someone else will probably be grateful for the knowledge. We are all in this together.

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