The REAL reason why most of us dreamers/indies fail IMO...
by 'Sidikian' · 10/17/2013 (8:38 pm) · 28 comments
Given the dream/to complete successful game ratio:
I'd personally have to throw out the idea that one of the major reasons why we never follow through on our games, never reach completion, or are just simply unsuccessful is the fact (I would wager) that we often times bite off more than we can chew.
It's OUR dream, it's OUR game, "how hard can it really be to create your game yourself?", "who would want to help me work on my game after all?", "my game idea isn't too big I should be able to handle it myself"; I think all these things and more add up to the thought that making a great sucessessful game is a solo project in this community.
Does it really surprise us then that we get burnt out before we even get half way into the race or push through just to have what the world views as an unfinished, unpolished, old feeling game.
Yes it's an awesome idea to "be able to make the game of your dreams (by yourself)", but often times we set goals that are unobtainable at all or at the very least in a timely manner.
So my proposal? Put your game ideas out there, find people with similiar game style interests and TEAM UP! Stop trying to be a one man army and expect to make the next block buster hit of a video game.
Big games take big teams of people to get finished in a timely manner so either put together a team, or keep your goals very small so that you may actually reach them.
Really though the whole point I would love to drive home is alot of us that frequent this community have some type of skill set which unfortunately I feel often times just goes to waste.
One guy can code, one guy is a great modeler, one guy is awesome at texturing, and yet another is an sound guru, but in the end they are all just struggling to attempt to one hat it all.
Imagine how many more games could be created if we just got together as teams and work toward common goals.
Yes I know a big issue with teaming up with someone is how things work out legally, as in how does who get payed for what their contribution was, and how do you trust someone with your idea not knowing if they'll walk out at any time.
Unfortunately, I don't have the answers to these questions but would love to have the community's input on this and my over all blog.
Once again though I want to stress the idea that if we would just team up I believe chances are we'd actually put out alot more games!
I'm just like alot of you and have the dream game that I'd love to make and after years of dabbaling here and there (trying to learn c++ here, 3d Modeling there, etc.), I'm just frustrated with the wasted time so thus this blog and probably soon another blog with my game idea.
If you took the time to read this blog thank you and please leave a comment with your thoughts.
I'd personally have to throw out the idea that one of the major reasons why we never follow through on our games, never reach completion, or are just simply unsuccessful is the fact (I would wager) that we often times bite off more than we can chew.
It's OUR dream, it's OUR game, "how hard can it really be to create your game yourself?", "who would want to help me work on my game after all?", "my game idea isn't too big I should be able to handle it myself"; I think all these things and more add up to the thought that making a great sucessessful game is a solo project in this community.
Does it really surprise us then that we get burnt out before we even get half way into the race or push through just to have what the world views as an unfinished, unpolished, old feeling game.
Yes it's an awesome idea to "be able to make the game of your dreams (by yourself)", but often times we set goals that are unobtainable at all or at the very least in a timely manner.
So my proposal? Put your game ideas out there, find people with similiar game style interests and TEAM UP! Stop trying to be a one man army and expect to make the next block buster hit of a video game.
Big games take big teams of people to get finished in a timely manner so either put together a team, or keep your goals very small so that you may actually reach them.
Really though the whole point I would love to drive home is alot of us that frequent this community have some type of skill set which unfortunately I feel often times just goes to waste.
One guy can code, one guy is a great modeler, one guy is awesome at texturing, and yet another is an sound guru, but in the end they are all just struggling to attempt to one hat it all.
Imagine how many more games could be created if we just got together as teams and work toward common goals.
Yes I know a big issue with teaming up with someone is how things work out legally, as in how does who get payed for what their contribution was, and how do you trust someone with your idea not knowing if they'll walk out at any time.
Unfortunately, I don't have the answers to these questions but would love to have the community's input on this and my over all blog.
Once again though I want to stress the idea that if we would just team up I believe chances are we'd actually put out alot more games!
I'm just like alot of you and have the dream game that I'd love to make and after years of dabbaling here and there (trying to learn c++ here, 3d Modeling there, etc.), I'm just frustrated with the wasted time so thus this blog and probably soon another blog with my game idea.
If you took the time to read this blog thank you and please leave a comment with your thoughts.
About the author
Recent Blogs
• Struggling with Learning C++? Maybe Something Helpful.• Welcome to my Headache: Raising Awareness and Answering Some Questions About Selling Content Packs
• Progress So Far on 9MM For Swat Wanna Be Model Pack
• Finally Found My First Model's Identity, Swat Model For sale someday..hopefully
• Learning 3D Modeling, mostly polygon modeling, mostly with Blender 3D Part 3.
#2
And I look back and I think damn why didn't I show people this and try and push it to see if it could have gone somewhere???
Maybe I would of gathered interest for a team?
So now days I am working towards what I feel is a smaller game than before (but it'll grow as it always does) and hopefully I will have something of a beta to show and see if anyone else is interested in it to put their heart in it too!
Looking forward to seeing your game idea!
10/17/2013 (10:53 pm)
I have tried to make many great games in my opinion but yes it comes down to that i wasn't able to do it all. My standards are too high so I was always shy to show what I had working even as a programmer I shouldn't be disappointed my art isn't great.And I look back and I think damn why didn't I show people this and try and push it to see if it could have gone somewhere???
Maybe I would of gathered interest for a team?
So now days I am working towards what I feel is a smaller game than before (but it'll grow as it always does) and hopefully I will have something of a beta to show and see if anyone else is interested in it to put their heart in it too!
Looking forward to seeing your game idea!
#3
I will gladly take on extra team members who can help me, the trick is that compromises will have to be made and the vision of the game might be effected by that ... how do you overcome that ... well I personally believe a barter system will work in this instance.
For example, you join my team and follow my vision ... and help me achieve the goal of my game. When my project is done, I will then join you on your project and help you with your game and follow your vision until your project is done.
In essence you will create a consortium of Indie Developers with each individual taking the lead of their project when the time comes. You can even co-brand ... so your game gets your logo in a prim spot and then on a sub-splash page all the smaller logos of the other companies/groups that assisted you.
Personally I feel that this is a fair approach ... and I would be more then willing to adopt this on my current project ... the trouble you have here is human nature.
Everybody wants to do their game now ... and not put it off until the time allows everyone involved to participate ... this is a double-edged sword because the person ends up never achieving their game and the delays are even longer then if they had just collaborated from the start and made some comprises.
Having said all this, some people manage to pull it off and some are able to push forward. I am pushing forward on my own with a much smaller project ... but I am always looking for team members to join me ... help me ... lets learn from each other during the process ... and when we are done we do it all again on your project.
Anyway ... just my 5c worth. 8-}
10/17/2013 (11:20 pm)
I agree with everything you said here, the trick is to finding that right balance. I tried to do big projects initially and realised I was setting myself up for failure and so I focused on a smaller project with an iterative release plan.I will gladly take on extra team members who can help me, the trick is that compromises will have to be made and the vision of the game might be effected by that ... how do you overcome that ... well I personally believe a barter system will work in this instance.
For example, you join my team and follow my vision ... and help me achieve the goal of my game. When my project is done, I will then join you on your project and help you with your game and follow your vision until your project is done.
In essence you will create a consortium of Indie Developers with each individual taking the lead of their project when the time comes. You can even co-brand ... so your game gets your logo in a prim spot and then on a sub-splash page all the smaller logos of the other companies/groups that assisted you.
Personally I feel that this is a fair approach ... and I would be more then willing to adopt this on my current project ... the trouble you have here is human nature.
Everybody wants to do their game now ... and not put it off until the time allows everyone involved to participate ... this is a double-edged sword because the person ends up never achieving their game and the delays are even longer then if they had just collaborated from the start and made some comprises.
Having said all this, some people manage to pull it off and some are able to push forward. I am pushing forward on my own with a much smaller project ... but I am always looking for team members to join me ... help me ... lets learn from each other during the process ... and when we are done we do it all again on your project.
Anyway ... just my 5c worth. 8-}
#4
why would i want to work on YOUR game, not MY game? how long will we work on YOUR game before we work on MY game? what if YOUR game never gets off the ground and it becomes the never ending project.
unless u can afford to pay someone, that never works. then its a job to THEM. dont expect them to be excited about YOUR project.
try this instead. make a real team of people all with the same vision. make it OUR project. listen to eaxh other. make compromises during the design phase. make sure that EVERYONE is still excited about OUR project. then its not a job. everyone will put forth thier effort because they are excited about what they are working on at the present, not waiting on THIER project thats in the queue.
10/18/2013 (3:39 am)
but thats the whole issue... *my* game. *my* vision. do my game first and then we will do yours. why would i want to work on YOUR game, not MY game? how long will we work on YOUR game before we work on MY game? what if YOUR game never gets off the ground and it becomes the never ending project.
unless u can afford to pay someone, that never works. then its a job to THEM. dont expect them to be excited about YOUR project.
try this instead. make a real team of people all with the same vision. make it OUR project. listen to eaxh other. make compromises during the design phase. make sure that EVERYONE is still excited about OUR project. then its not a job. everyone will put forth thier effort because they are excited about what they are working on at the present, not waiting on THIER project thats in the queue.
#5
So instead of giving up, we put our heads back down and continued working. I remained focus on programming while Paul stayed focused on game play.
Overtime, Paul realized he needed help and we started recruiting people to help with writing, art, modeling and such.
TBH, Paul and I look at Winterleaf as our last hoorah. The only reason we have delivered so many products and stuff is because failure isn't an option. As Paul and I completed more products and people realized that we weren't going to walk away, others joined us.
Now, Winterleaf is an organization with over 50 active members contributing code, artwork, etc. We have people that specialize in all aspects of game development. We have about 5 active engine programmers which toil continuously everyday.
I believe the author was spot on when he said you need a team and realistic goals. The only thing I'd like to add to that is that you need PASSION and sacrifice. You must love what your doing so much that your willing to sacrifice everything to get it done.
It isn't a road easily traveled, there are emotional highs and lows. There are times when you wake up in the morning and ask yourself why your going through all this hell.
For me at least, it has been the fact that I love Winterleaf. I love the people, the concepts, the ideas and the exhilaration of a job done well. My love of the men and women working for Winterleaf and our customers reminds me everyday that I can't let them down and I must continue to do my best no mater how distasteful it is for me at the moment.
I mean, really who could sleep at night if they knew the let down 50 plus people who believed in them? There is really only one choice, you must continue.
Just my 5c.
Vince Gee
Winterleaf Entertainment L.L.C.
10/18/2013 (4:00 am)
I can't agree more with this article. Paul and I set out 4 years ago and had teamed up by accident. The original team we were on fell apart and by the time we both looked up from the tasks we had on the project everyone else was gone.So instead of giving up, we put our heads back down and continued working. I remained focus on programming while Paul stayed focused on game play.
Overtime, Paul realized he needed help and we started recruiting people to help with writing, art, modeling and such.
TBH, Paul and I look at Winterleaf as our last hoorah. The only reason we have delivered so many products and stuff is because failure isn't an option. As Paul and I completed more products and people realized that we weren't going to walk away, others joined us.
Now, Winterleaf is an organization with over 50 active members contributing code, artwork, etc. We have people that specialize in all aspects of game development. We have about 5 active engine programmers which toil continuously everyday.
I believe the author was spot on when he said you need a team and realistic goals. The only thing I'd like to add to that is that you need PASSION and sacrifice. You must love what your doing so much that your willing to sacrifice everything to get it done.
It isn't a road easily traveled, there are emotional highs and lows. There are times when you wake up in the morning and ask yourself why your going through all this hell.
For me at least, it has been the fact that I love Winterleaf. I love the people, the concepts, the ideas and the exhilaration of a job done well. My love of the men and women working for Winterleaf and our customers reminds me everyday that I can't let them down and I must continue to do my best no mater how distasteful it is for me at the moment.
I mean, really who could sleep at night if they knew the let down 50 plus people who believed in them? There is really only one choice, you must continue.
Just my 5c.
Vince Gee
Winterleaf Entertainment L.L.C.
#6
Ideally the project in my proposal would have a clear project timeline and would have a cut off date. With an iterative approach you could split the work between the projects after iterations.
Will it ever work ... probably not.
Do I leave in a dream world ... probably.
But stranger things have happened ... anyway.
10/18/2013 (4:03 am)
@Paul: You have touched on exactly my comment regarding Human Nature and hence why it will never work.Ideally the project in my proposal would have a clear project timeline and would have a cut off date. With an iterative approach you could split the work between the projects after iterations.
Will it ever work ... probably not.
Do I leave in a dream world ... probably.
But stranger things have happened ... anyway.
#7
10/18/2013 (4:17 am)
@Quinton what will never work?
#8
Anyway ... I don't want to hijack this post ... there are some good comments here ... I am going to shut up now. :)
10/18/2013 (4:25 am)
@Paul: My idea about different individuals collaborating on projects and taking the lead for their projects and then moving over to becoming a team member on other projects.Anyway ... I don't want to hijack this post ... there are some good comments here ... I am going to shut up now. :)
#9
A single individual must have passable skill in several disciplines spanning programming, art and design.
Indie teams are hard to manage - most are just collaborating and there is only the vague "when we sell this thing" promise of payment acting as the carrot to keep all the donkeys moving in the same direction. "Herding cats" is the best way to describe it.
It's rare and inspiring when an indie team comes together on nothing but the idea that they want to make a game and manages to pull it off. My hat is off to all of these guys; it is truly an accomplishment.
10/18/2013 (6:41 am)
Making games is difficult. Most people "want to make a cool game" and then they simply stop when the weight of the task settles on them like a small moon.A single individual must have passable skill in several disciplines spanning programming, art and design.
Indie teams are hard to manage - most are just collaborating and there is only the vague "when we sell this thing" promise of payment acting as the carrot to keep all the donkeys moving in the same direction. "Herding cats" is the best way to describe it.
It's rare and inspiring when an indie team comes together on nothing but the idea that they want to make a game and manages to pull it off. My hat is off to all of these guys; it is truly an accomplishment.
#10
for any indie team, unless u see each other every day in a studio, communication is key. having a group of people (leaders) that keep a pulse on thier group and can report back *reliably* to the manager is invaluable.
how do you get the team? Money always works. - look for someone thats out of school looking for some experince (ie: interns). HOWEVER... do that and be ready for some red tape. just happens. - "sell" your idea to like minded people. - get them vested in your idea by incorporating some of thier ideas also.
the GG community has some really good people in it, but everyone is off chasing thier own dream. Thats great and all, but really, how productive is it? WLE has 50 people and Im always looking for more. many hands, light work. There is no way that Vince and I (the founders of WLE) could have taken it this far if we didnt start assembling the team we have now.
10/18/2013 (7:23 am)
the ability to delegate and to have what i call a 10,000 foot view is invaluable - ie: everyone hates it, but someone has to be the manager.for any indie team, unless u see each other every day in a studio, communication is key. having a group of people (leaders) that keep a pulse on thier group and can report back *reliably* to the manager is invaluable.
how do you get the team? Money always works. - look for someone thats out of school looking for some experince (ie: interns). HOWEVER... do that and be ready for some red tape. just happens. - "sell" your idea to like minded people. - get them vested in your idea by incorporating some of thier ideas also.
the GG community has some really good people in it, but everyone is off chasing thier own dream. Thats great and all, but really, how productive is it? WLE has 50 people and Im always looking for more. many hands, light work. There is no way that Vince and I (the founders of WLE) could have taken it this far if we didnt start assembling the team we have now.
#11
I don't see any less chance of failure working in groups - especially when no-one is getting paid for their effort. Splitting 20% of income (hopefully) post-successful-shipping-of-game .... 20% of nothing is ... er ... nothing.
Coming to indie game design via modding, I've seen plenty of well intentioned, highly skill teams destroy themselves through infighting, individuals self-publicising to the media at the expense of the team, stealing each others art/code and passing it off as their own work (no really :/ ), on top of the usual design by remote commitee issues that tend to crop up.
The real way to delegate work is via known, hard working, contractors. The Catch-22 ... you need cash to pay them ... so you already need to be successful commercially or have some sort of Scrooge McDuck-esque cash reserves that you don't mind investing with.
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Of course the real way to do this is to make short, tight games that have a small scope which don't require as much effort as the MMO-RTS-FPS-RPG-WFT-BBQ that your heart desires ... of course some people can't help but over-reach for the [CAPSLOCK]EPIC[/CAPSLOCK] concept floating about inside their head.
10/18/2013 (7:48 am)
And here's the problem ... one over ambitious indie + other indies - people vastly over estimating their skills and available time - time spent clashing over design/focus - burnout for everyone - people not pulling their weight - design by commitee - people having to hold down real world jobs to buy food and pay bills = still not really getting anywhere
I don't see any less chance of failure working in groups - especially when no-one is getting paid for their effort. Splitting 20% of income (hopefully) post-successful-shipping-of-game .... 20% of nothing is ... er ... nothing.
Coming to indie game design via modding, I've seen plenty of well intentioned, highly skill teams destroy themselves through infighting, individuals self-publicising to the media at the expense of the team, stealing each others art/code and passing it off as their own work (no really :/ ), on top of the usual design by remote commitee issues that tend to crop up.
The real way to delegate work is via known, hard working, contractors. The Catch-22 ... you need cash to pay them ... so you already need to be successful commercially or have some sort of Scrooge McDuck-esque cash reserves that you don't mind investing with.
--------------------------------------------------
Of course the real way to do this is to make short, tight games that have a small scope which don't require as much effort as the MMO-RTS-FPS-RPG-WFT-BBQ that your heart desires ... of course some people can't help but over-reach for the [CAPSLOCK]EPIC[/CAPSLOCK] concept floating about inside their head.
#12
"Of course the real way to do this is to make short, tight games that have a small scope which don't require as much effort as the MMO-RTS-FPS-RPG-WFT-BBQ that your heart desires ..."
I like to think I am pretty good at level design and not too bad at the art side of game dev and I spend MONTHS just working on the simple 'walk around and just look at stuff' demo levels that ship with my packs. Knowing how long this type of work takes, I can NOT imagine taking on a 'AAA' title with one person or as even a small team.
It takes some money and a great deal of skill to make a game quickly and to make said game look 'modern'(aka 'polished'), period.
Alternately, if the money is not there, you are stuck working forever trying to make everything script correctly, ensure the engine stays current, etc. Once you get your 'dream game' done, its 5 years out of date and gets slammed for 'feeling dated'. There are always exceptions to these facts but, they are rare indeed.
So, team or no team, unless you can invest money in a large team do not expect to make the next GTA, Skyrim or 'INSERT GENERIC MMO TITLE HERE'. Why not take just one or two aspects of those genres that you like and start a manageable project perfecting those features?
SIDE NOTE: What is with the MMO thing? Good lord there has not been one single long-term profitable MMO made to date. Long term and Profitable are the key words there. (oh but there is WOW.... not exactly as profitable as people think because the overhead is CRAZY). Hell, the CoD franchise makes more money and has more on-line players than most persistent world MMOs put together and they can crank out a 'new' one every 8 to 14 months. Why don't we see more of those being attempted?
Ron
10/18/2013 (9:33 am)
Steve nailed it: "Of course the real way to do this is to make short, tight games that have a small scope which don't require as much effort as the MMO-RTS-FPS-RPG-WFT-BBQ that your heart desires ..."
I like to think I am pretty good at level design and not too bad at the art side of game dev and I spend MONTHS just working on the simple 'walk around and just look at stuff' demo levels that ship with my packs. Knowing how long this type of work takes, I can NOT imagine taking on a 'AAA' title with one person or as even a small team.
It takes some money and a great deal of skill to make a game quickly and to make said game look 'modern'(aka 'polished'), period.
Alternately, if the money is not there, you are stuck working forever trying to make everything script correctly, ensure the engine stays current, etc. Once you get your 'dream game' done, its 5 years out of date and gets slammed for 'feeling dated'. There are always exceptions to these facts but, they are rare indeed.
So, team or no team, unless you can invest money in a large team do not expect to make the next GTA, Skyrim or 'INSERT GENERIC MMO TITLE HERE'. Why not take just one or two aspects of those genres that you like and start a manageable project perfecting those features?
SIDE NOTE: What is with the MMO thing? Good lord there has not been one single long-term profitable MMO made to date. Long term and Profitable are the key words there. (oh but there is WOW.... not exactly as profitable as people think because the overhead is CRAZY). Hell, the CoD franchise makes more money and has more on-line players than most persistent world MMOs put together and they can crank out a 'new' one every 8 to 14 months. Why don't we see more of those being attempted?
Ron
#13
Pick your strongest points and outsource the others. That is the only way.
10/18/2013 (11:56 am)
Quote:trying to learn c++ here, 3d Modeling there, etc.
Pick your strongest points and outsource the others. That is the only way.
#14
10/18/2013 (12:34 pm)
An indie game can probably be compared to an open source project. Unless there is a critical mass that dictates direction of the project there will be lack luster input from other people. So, if someone wants to make a game and attract other participants they will need a functional mockup for other people to join their "vision". Otherwise it will not see the light of day.
#15
We may have released that game in the end, but it's really dated now (only 5 years, Ron? Try working on one single game for over a decade...).
Every "indie" or "community" team I've worked on has suffered from poor management or the "too many chefs in the kitchen" effect. That and all the modellers I have ever worked with have used the games just to fill their portfolio, some even demanded their work be stripped out, putting the projects back months and even years. I'm now at the point where I am very wary of working with other people.
All that said, I have so many unfinished projects, games and concepts. It all boils down to time and money. I never seem have both at the same time.
Even if/when I do have the money to outsource and contract the work for models/artwork, I still need the time to organise/implement everything and that ain't going to happen working 90+ hours a week for a third of the year and 40+ hours a week for the rest of the year...
10/18/2013 (1:59 pm)
I have quite a different reason for why one of the games I worked on failed. All the coders buggered off to work for GarageGames. The cheeky fecks.We may have released that game in the end, but it's really dated now (only 5 years, Ron? Try working on one single game for over a decade...).
Every "indie" or "community" team I've worked on has suffered from poor management or the "too many chefs in the kitchen" effect. That and all the modellers I have ever worked with have used the games just to fill their portfolio, some even demanded their work be stripped out, putting the projects back months and even years. I'm now at the point where I am very wary of working with other people.
All that said, I have so many unfinished projects, games and concepts. It all boils down to time and money. I never seem have both at the same time.
Even if/when I do have the money to outsource and contract the work for models/artwork, I still need the time to organise/implement everything and that ain't going to happen working 90+ hours a week for a third of the year and 40+ hours a week for the rest of the year...
#16
lol XD
10/18/2013 (4:02 pm)
Quote:*spits tea everywhere*
All the coders buggered off to work for GarageGames. The cheeky fecks.
lol XD
#17
Of course you can go with the other app stores and mobile but you run into the same issue. Publishers own the space and have tons of money, it is hard to compete without any money which most indies don't have. If the indies did have money then they spent it making the game.
This can be really tough for indies because most have no experience in marketing. Do you bring on a marketing guy just to help sell this game you spent countless hours and maybe all of your savings on?
10/19/2013 (5:40 pm)
The sad news is when you get the game completed the real hard work/frustration begins. Selling the game. If you do not already have a community behind you, then you have to find a way to compete and get your game out there with everything else coming out. Steam is a great channel if you can get on it. Even if you can it can takes months and months while your game sits there barely making anything and depressing you after all that hard work.Of course you can go with the other app stores and mobile but you run into the same issue. Publishers own the space and have tons of money, it is hard to compete without any money which most indies don't have. If the indies did have money then they spent it making the game.
This can be really tough for indies because most have no experience in marketing. Do you bring on a marketing guy just to help sell this game you spent countless hours and maybe all of your savings on?
#18
That said, at some point the rubber has to meet the road, and if you're not making progress it gets tedious and depressing, which is why I ditched my FPSRPGWTFBBQ in favour of trying to do some small prototype-ish things. While I still have ideas for full-on AAA prductions I'd love to see out, making smaller, focused, unpolished things is going to have to scratch my itch for now.
10/20/2013 (4:54 am)
Love the discussion that's going on here. From my perspective as a hobbyist, I don't know if I'd want to team up, even if it meant I had a better chance of getting a project out. Because for me it's not necessarily the sheer fact of having a final product completed. It's the journey that's enjoyable; coding itself is a pleasure, developing the structure of the software, having ideas and trying them out, dreaming about grand designs.That said, at some point the rubber has to meet the road, and if you're not making progress it gets tedious and depressing, which is why I ditched my FPSRPGWTFBBQ in favour of trying to do some small prototype-ish things. While I still have ideas for full-on AAA prductions I'd love to see out, making smaller, focused, unpolished things is going to have to scratch my itch for now.
#19
In other communities you cannot do things like that, ok you can, but you are always tied to their licenses and you have no source code and need to pay money and so on.
With Torque you always have the possibility to go deep into the code, or even make money of it and/or make it open source, while most others have strict licenses where the "free" version is tied to non-commercial closed source.
So that is where I see the big potential of Torque.
10/20/2013 (5:51 am)
For me it is also not my first goal to produce a final product, I would more like some kind of modding community based on Torque3D, so that a hobbyist can build upon others stuff, so they do not need to start from the beginning, so the work needed to be invested to create some kind of mini-game is affordable for a hobbyist.In other communities you cannot do things like that, ok you can, but you are always tied to their licenses and you have no source code and need to pay money and so on.
With Torque you always have the possibility to go deep into the code, or even make money of it and/or make it open source, while most others have strict licenses where the "free" version is tied to non-commercial closed source.
So that is where I see the big potential of Torque.
#20
Rule #1: Your first game product should within your means. Make it a simple concept, it doesn't have to be Bioshock.
Rule #2: Finish what you start. Plan a series of objectives and don't get carried away with additional ideas.
Rule #3: Don't try to do everything. Use model packs or model creators like Forester Pro to generate most assets. Even if you alter models to match your games style they will you'll save huge amounts of time.
Actually finishing a product is great. However, be aware...as said above...even when you have a great product updating it and marketting it is a significant amount of work.
10/20/2013 (8:11 am)
Lets face it we all have dreams of producing a really cool game, but we get a lot of pleasure out of the process of failing miserably. Our failure is usually we are over-ambitious, we want to make something that looks and feels like our favorite games but they are made by huge teams. Our emphasis is wrong.Rule #1: Your first game product should within your means. Make it a simple concept, it doesn't have to be Bioshock.
Rule #2: Finish what you start. Plan a series of objectives and don't get carried away with additional ideas.
Rule #3: Don't try to do everything. Use model packs or model creators like Forester Pro to generate most assets. Even if you alter models to match your games style they will you'll save huge amounts of time.
Actually finishing a product is great. However, be aware...as said above...even when you have a great product updating it and marketting it is a significant amount of work.
Torque 3D Owner J.C. Smith