
Rather than trying to expand into a larger team while using Game Maker as our platform, we decided to scope the game down. Features like online multiplayer, DLC and other features core to a free to play design were really pipe dreams and not even on the table initially. At the time, Flashygoodness and I were a two man team and we had experience in building local 2D games. I wanted to establish the world of Aether and move onto bigger projects ideally in the same world. I knew that I wanted to build a small fighting game. Rivals of Aether was never meant to be a huge experience. That decision about 2 weeks into development did shape the project.

I realized that if the art was going to be 2D then I might as well work where I was most comfortable so I left the Unity project behind and continued in Game Maker Studio. In 2 hours I was able to get even with over a week of work in Unity mostly thanks to familiarity with Game Maker. As a quick test to see how I would solve it in GM, I started up a project to get to where I was at in Unity. I knew exactly what I would have done in Game Maker.

I was having issues having it draw the frame of animation that I wanted.

I remember one issue that halted me in Unity was controlling animation speed based on attack timing.
RIVALS OF AETHER PRICE HOW TO
I knew how to manipulate sprites the way I wanted in Game Maker but was struggling in Unity. Rivals of Aether was designed as a 2D pixel art experience because I would be handling all the art and the creation of pretty much everything initially with the exception of audio. I knew how to use the engine and how to build 2D games the way I wanted. From grade school through college, I had made my fun game projects in Game Maker from version 4 up to version 8.
