Building a game SOLO!!!! What do you do first
by William James · in Torque Game Engine · 06/15/2007 (5:31 pm) · 6 replies
I read few threads on this topics and I just wanted some input from other Indies. Once you have your storyline and you know which direction you want to go, what do you do next? Remember you are working SOLO....
1. Do you start character modeling,level building, or building guis?
I am at this stage now and I'm not sure which direction to go in. Some will say there is no wrong direction. I know......just wanted to see some others' work flow.
1. Do you start character modeling,level building, or building guis?
I am at this stage now and I'm not sure which direction to go in. Some will say there is no wrong direction. I know......just wanted to see some others' work flow.
About the author
#2
06/15/2007 (5:56 pm)
Depends on where your strengths are, and how much new engine code will be needed. Personally I would start by prototyping new engine fucntionality/modifications - that's typical probably only of a programmer working on a game that's far from being an FPS though.
#3
This should be very simplistic and the art should be place-holder-art.
I never include any gui stuff with my prototypes.
This allows you to hurry up and get the idea formed and test out the game idea.
After the first prototype, I start adding in features of the game and tweaking as needed.
Eventually as the game develops more and more with each iteration, I start to finalize the art.
I save the gui work for last.
Hope this helps.
06/15/2007 (6:00 pm)
Typically I start with making a prototype of the game. This should be very simplistic and the art should be place-holder-art.
I never include any gui stuff with my prototypes.
This allows you to hurry up and get the idea formed and test out the game idea.
After the first prototype, I start adding in features of the game and tweaking as needed.
Eventually as the game develops more and more with each iteration, I start to finalize the art.
I save the gui work for last.
Hope this helps.
#4
It really depends on your current skills. I had a bit of a programming background when I began, so I took a lot of classes in programming and a few in art as well. My artwork definitely needs improving, but it has come a long way.
I try to make a schedule and follow it as well as I can. I do engine changes, as well as modeling, and scripting one or two days of the week each. If something else comes up, I just skip gamemaking for that day. No panic... :)
Just make sure you start doing something. Find out what your strengths are and keep working on them, and try to improve on your weaknesses. And try to have a minimum amount of time that you work on your game each week. It doesn't have to be a lot, but a smaller amount is easier to achieve, and you can always work as much as you want.
Lots of luck....
06/15/2007 (6:24 pm)
Going solo is hard work, than God for the resources and content packs...It really depends on your current skills. I had a bit of a programming background when I began, so I took a lot of classes in programming and a few in art as well. My artwork definitely needs improving, but it has come a long way.
I try to make a schedule and follow it as well as I can. I do engine changes, as well as modeling, and scripting one or two days of the week each. If something else comes up, I just skip gamemaking for that day. No panic... :)
Just make sure you start doing something. Find out what your strengths are and keep working on them, and try to improve on your weaknesses. And try to have a minimum amount of time that you work on your game each week. It doesn't have to be a lot, but a smaller amount is easier to achieve, and you can always work as much as you want.
Lots of luck....
#5
Grab a piece of paper and a pencil and WRITE down how your game is going to play. This simple process will absolutely solidify your concept in your mind, making the task of creating the game an exercise in following pre-determined steps.
I'm not a Gantt chart developer. I need to "see" the project in my minds eye. Each UI, each dynamic, each feature.
As you go along, you'll realize that some of your ideas won't work... and that other ideas are better. Writing it down allows you to re-read and refine and refocus your project as you go along... without the risk of getting off on too many tangents.
I'm not talking about some full-fledged, well structured design document. If you cannot just write down in plain English how your game is going to look, feel and play, how do you expect to be able to create it in the first place?
06/15/2007 (9:07 pm)
PLANGrab a piece of paper and a pencil and WRITE down how your game is going to play. This simple process will absolutely solidify your concept in your mind, making the task of creating the game an exercise in following pre-determined steps.
I'm not a Gantt chart developer. I need to "see" the project in my minds eye. Each UI, each dynamic, each feature.
As you go along, you'll realize that some of your ideas won't work... and that other ideas are better. Writing it down allows you to re-read and refine and refocus your project as you go along... without the risk of getting off on too many tangents.
I'm not talking about some full-fledged, well structured design document. If you cannot just write down in plain English how your game is going to look, feel and play, how do you expect to be able to create it in the first place?
#6
I have a team, but they all have other full-time jobs, so they really don't do much (if anything). I have my team, but so far I've done every single commit to the SVN repository. So to keep my mind focused and keep progress going I'm treating it as if I'm solo, and any other work that gets done is...well...bonus.
After writing down pretty much everything in a wiki my team could access, my first step was to build a level I could start with. I figured it'd be pretty hard to program an AI to storm my castle (or the other side defend it) if I didn't have my castle yet, or that it'd be pretty hard to program the gameplay and what I wanted my character to do, if I had nothing to interact with. So I begin building my interiors and a few placeholder models. Now that I've got (basically) a level to play in, I can visualize, program, and manipulate what the player and what the AI needs to do more easily. THEN I can begin on adding specific features like how I want destroyable walls to my castle via siege engines, how I want the siege engines to be able to be burned, how the guards and the invaders will act, how the player can control the guards, etc...
06/18/2007 (7:42 am)
I'm sort of in this situation.I have a team, but they all have other full-time jobs, so they really don't do much (if anything). I have my team, but so far I've done every single commit to the SVN repository. So to keep my mind focused and keep progress going I'm treating it as if I'm solo, and any other work that gets done is...well...bonus.
After writing down pretty much everything in a wiki my team could access, my first step was to build a level I could start with. I figured it'd be pretty hard to program an AI to storm my castle (or the other side defend it) if I didn't have my castle yet, or that it'd be pretty hard to program the gameplay and what I wanted my character to do, if I had nothing to interact with. So I begin building my interiors and a few placeholder models. Now that I've got (basically) a level to play in, I can visualize, program, and manipulate what the player and what the AI needs to do more easily. THEN I can begin on adding specific features like how I want destroyable walls to my castle via siege engines, how I want the siege engines to be able to be burned, how the guards and the invaders will act, how the player can control the guards, etc...
Torque 3D Owner ArmedGeek
models and guis can be roughed in as needed, i'd save the polish for near the end. you never know what code changes/features you might add or change along the way that might break your guis or models