Biting off more than you can chew..
by Ed Averill · 08/22/2006 (1:41 pm) · 4 comments
..seems to be a common enough failing in this business!
In the unhappy position I find myself in (working for a startup in Silicon Valley) I don't have a whole lot of "spare time" to work on my titles. This even after I had figured that my initial concept (a simpl explore-and-score-points thing) would be easily realizable..
Even just using TGE/TLK "out of the box" without any engine mods still means you have to do the design, then all the visual and audio content, then the scripting, then put it all together and test it.. and as I had kind of expected the scripting part was the easiest bit! Man.. cranking out decent artwork is no joke (this said as a programmer and musician, note that my traditional art skills are minimal and my computer art skills might be called passable on a good day).
so I've decided to try to implement one of my earlier concepts (kind of a 2D animal sim sort of affair) in TGB, figuring that it'll be easier to get something started there, and I can leverage everything I learn doing that into making a full-blown 3D game.
Thankfully Animation:Master can render out images suitable for sprites, and since there's a Torque exporter for it I can later take those assets into a true 3D version of the game if I want. I have some history/experience with A:M so that, at least, isn't a massive learning curve. I still have bald spots on my head from trying to come to terms with QuArK... ugh.. the horror.. the horror. Ship Constructor soon!!
Next task, other than working with TGB.. get out of this startup and into something that's not quite so bandwidth consuming!!!
In the unhappy position I find myself in (working for a startup in Silicon Valley) I don't have a whole lot of "spare time" to work on my titles. This even after I had figured that my initial concept (a simpl explore-and-score-points thing) would be easily realizable..
Even just using TGE/TLK "out of the box" without any engine mods still means you have to do the design, then all the visual and audio content, then the scripting, then put it all together and test it.. and as I had kind of expected the scripting part was the easiest bit! Man.. cranking out decent artwork is no joke (this said as a programmer and musician, note that my traditional art skills are minimal and my computer art skills might be called passable on a good day).
so I've decided to try to implement one of my earlier concepts (kind of a 2D animal sim sort of affair) in TGB, figuring that it'll be easier to get something started there, and I can leverage everything I learn doing that into making a full-blown 3D game.
Thankfully Animation:Master can render out images suitable for sprites, and since there's a Torque exporter for it I can later take those assets into a true 3D version of the game if I want. I have some history/experience with A:M so that, at least, isn't a massive learning curve. I still have bald spots on my head from trying to come to terms with QuArK... ugh.. the horror.. the horror. Ship Constructor soon!!
Next task, other than working with TGB.. get out of this startup and into something that's not quite so bandwidth consuming!!!
About the author
Programmer, writer, game developer. Born in Florida, lived all over the U.S. Now in Austin, TX!
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#2
08/24/2006 (3:23 am)
Hey Ed, where did you find a Torque exporter for Animation Master? 
#3
yeah... i know wht you mean Ed... a one man show is rough enough... add a 9 to 5 to that and it becomes almost mission impossible...
i'm not sure though, that you'll find 2D to be that much less a struggle... not having done any, i can only venture to say that the demands there will be almost the same as 3D... but in a different direction (no pun intended)...
anyways... i can relate, being a one man hopeful here in upstate NY...
good luck
--Mike
08/24/2006 (4:10 am)
LOL @ "the horror.. the horror."yeah... i know wht you mean Ed... a one man show is rough enough... add a 9 to 5 to that and it becomes almost mission impossible...
i'm not sure though, that you'll find 2D to be that much less a struggle... not having done any, i can only venture to say that the demands there will be almost the same as 3D... but in a different direction (no pun intended)...
anyways... i can relate, being a one man hopeful here in upstate NY...
good luck
--Mike
#4
@NR: it's a little known product, you can find it at http://www.obsidiangames.com/ - the price is right and it works pretty well, the developer is active on the Hash forums as well.
@Michael: yeah, so far seems like it's not a LOT easier, but since I'm rendering out sprites I don't have problems with animation export, texture mismatch, and that sort of thing. I'm finding TGB easier to come to terms with art-pipeline-wise than TGE/TLK, which is a great improvement (ugh QuArk feh bah barf). I've managed to hack the fish tutorial to do a little of what I want in my first indie effort, so I'm very encouraged as I never got quite that far with full-on TGE/TLK. I'm sure SOMETHING will bite me, but I'm hopeful later rather than sooner! :-)
08/24/2006 (10:01 am)
@Tom: Wow, I didn't know there were any Torque folks in my area! I'm booked up at my day gig for a while but sure, I'd love to chat!@NR: it's a little known product, you can find it at http://www.obsidiangames.com/ - the price is right and it works pretty well, the developer is active on the Hash forums as well.
@Michael: yeah, so far seems like it's not a LOT easier, but since I'm rendering out sprites I don't have problems with animation export, texture mismatch, and that sort of thing. I'm finding TGB easier to come to terms with art-pipeline-wise than TGE/TLK, which is a great improvement (ugh QuArk feh bah barf). I've managed to hack the fish tutorial to do a little of what I want in my first indie effort, so I'm very encouraged as I never got quite that far with full-on TGE/TLK. I'm sure SOMETHING will bite me, but I'm hopeful later rather than sooner! :-)
Torque Owner Tom Bentz