You’ve picked up Media Molecule’s Dreams and are keen to see what the fuss is about. We’d advise playing through the story mode first and experiencing some random titles made by others. The game itself has a very in-depth tutorial system which explains a lot but not everything, unfortunately. What are some basic tips to keep in mind, especially when you want to start creating?
The first thing to keep in mind is that there are various tutorials online for accomplishing something. If you’re struggling, it may be worth searching to see if anyone has come up with a solution.
If you need to complete different Imp Quests but don’t want everyone to see your creations, mark them as Unlisted. Alternatively, creations like furniture can be saved as Elements and reused in other things. They can also be shared online with other players which can be extremely helpful.
To select every single object in a scene or a group, try pressing X twice. On top of keeping a better track on things, it also alleviates a lot of tedium. Another useful tool is the Live Clone Tool. Say you’re placing several different NPCs of the same type in one level. By using Live Clone, any change made to a single clone will apply to all. This makes it far easier to change a group of NPCs rather than editing each individually.
At some point you’ll dabble in Sculpting which can be pretty fun. After a while though, you’ll want to refine your techniques a bit. One method is going into Sculpture Details in Tools and holding R2. This will help to shave off any unnecessary details. You might also want to use a different texture for both sides of a sculpted wall – this allows for flipping and reusing it depending on the situation while also reducing the amount of Thermo used.
Using a puppet is also helpful in a variety of scenarios. When sculpting, it’s good for comparing size and when creating a large scenario, it can help provide a sense of scale for the player. Simply place the puppet in the scenario and shift different environmental objects around to see how everything lines up.
Finally, don’t forget about sound design in your creation. It can be incredibly useful for indicating hints or providing feedback, like when a player is low health or has stumbled upon something important.
