AuthorTopic: The right time to make a game?  (Read 8923 times)

Offline Terley

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The right time to make a game?

on: December 30, 2006, 09:08:52 pm
There's always someone atempting to make a game of some sort, whether successful or not, It's happening everywhere I look. But as Im currently trying to better myself in order to make a game im starting to wonder, when is the best time to make a game??

I don't claim to be a great pixeler, but I do hope to learn as much as possible because I know that some day whether it be years from now I may have an urge to at least be a part of doing some concept art or even do something more, you see I really want to be a cartoon animator (not computer animation, the actual hand drawn side of animation, how it's supposed to be done.), my dream is to work for disney or even something more, but as I am, im trying to be a great illustrator so I see pixel art as an opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience..

I have in the past atempted, with the help of my older brother who is 25, he could easily code a game but I found it was the lack of quality in the Graphics and my lack of experience that subsiquently stopped the project..

What I want to know is, how do you know you're good enough to make a game? Im guessing you're best starting small, with short easy games.. Not taking on a massive project first time round because it give you room to learn and become used to the stages in game design..

On another forum there's currently someone trying to re-create Kingdom of Hearts, and it's really embarresing to know how he's going about it, I feel sorry for the guy cus you know he won't get very far and if he somehow does, how bad the result will be.. I know it's all about learning by doing but you should improve as an artist first, right?

Please tell me what you think because I do think I have the experience to make a 'small' game, it may not be as advanced as some people would like but, a game it would be.. And you can only start from square one. How good do you have to be?
I've not got anything interesting to type here..

Offline sharprm

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #1 on: December 31, 2006, 12:33:59 am
I use Gamemaker and have made a few games. I recommend you start on really simple games and then move to more complicated ones.
The simpler it is the more likely you'll finish it. Start remaking frogger, that took me about 2 days, then do a space shooter, they are
easy (this took me about a week: http://www.64digits.com/download.php?name=pencilcasegame.zip&id=7593). Stay away
from platformers, so much programming, this took more than a year and still isn't finished : http://www.64digits.com/download.php?name=AztecGold1.4.zip&id=8184). Sorry about the shameless promotion.

The best time to start would be now, becuase with each game you will improve your ability to program and plan things.
Modern artists are told that they must create something totally original-or risk being called "derivative".They've been indoctrinated with the concept that bad=good.The effect is always the same: Meaningless primitivism
http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/phi

Offline AdamTierney

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #2 on: December 31, 2006, 12:46:33 am
"What I want to know is, how do you know you're good enough to make a game?"

As soon as you feel like making one, make it! The more projects you have under your belt, the better you'll be at game creation.

"Im guessing you're best starting small, with short easy games."

Yes!!! You wouldn't believe how many people fail to think of that. Even if you're an RPG nut, start with a puzzle game or maybe one small aspect of an RPG game. Starting big almost never works out.

Good luck!

Offline Terley

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #3 on: December 31, 2006, 01:41:13 am
thanks you've satisfied my worries  ;) I think I may do something simple or just design a single level platformer to see how it goes.

im also wondering what you guys think about Game makers, rpg makers or wtever ya call em.. programs that basically do the work for ya and all you have to do is make graphics and tell em what you want to happen. I personally think you should do the programing yourself, or at least have your programming written by someone..

I've done mockups for a few games mostly platformers I'll post some soon when I get more done, plus a lot is roamin miles away on another pc  :-[  (moved out with my mom and bro).. I think I'll take your advice and do something simple like a puzzle game before hand. thanks.
I've not got anything interesting to type here..

Offline Wolverine

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #4 on: December 31, 2006, 01:46:13 am
im also wondering what you guys think about Game makers, rpg makers or wtever ya call em.. programs that basically do the work for ya and all you have to do is make graphics and tell em what you want to happen. I personally think you should do the programing yourself, or at least have your programming written by someone..

If Game Maker did everything for me, I'd have a hundred games out by now...  As it is I'm doing mostly the GML scripting stuff which is very much like programming and it's quite tricky for my tiny lil mind.
keep on moving, lil dude...

Offline .TakaM

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #5 on: December 31, 2006, 03:35:46 am
I think once you reach the point you cant be bothered waiting for developers to make the game you have in mind, and you're confident you wont embarrass yourself with an outcome other than completeting it- go for it.
infact, if you're really lazy (like me) you could make a lot of graphics and decide on how you want them all to work, then just sign up at some coding community, because theres always someone looking for an artist
Life without knowledge is death in disguise

Offline AdamTierney

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #6 on: December 31, 2006, 08:49:38 am
Game makers are an excellent way for artists (or people without extensive programming knowledge) to make fun games. Check out Streambolt by Gustav Kilman or Noitu Love by Joakim Sandberg for some really fun and polished game-maker games from pixel artists.

Offline Ryumaru

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #7 on: December 31, 2006, 09:42:06 am
takam: would you care to send links of some of these programming forums?

Offline MoD

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #8 on: December 31, 2006, 10:10:23 pm
I think it's a good idea to start making games as soon as you want to make a game. But What a lot of people new to game design come across is a lack of planning. Even if you think you know exactly how the game should be, open notepad and just make an outline, detailing how stuff should look, how it interacts with the player, and the storyline. Once you do that you can move on to writing the engine in the program of your choice. Game Maker is great to start with because it has a nice programming language that teaches basic programming concepts, but once you want to get into making more serious games, BlitzMAX works a lot better. Unfortunately this is because it's a lower-level language, meaning that it trades ease of creation for game speed and ability to do more with the system.

@sharprm: In Game Maker, platformers are definitely a lot harder than shmups and simple frogger clones, mostly due to the collision detection and everything with gravity. But RPGs are generally even worse, because the player is switching between battle mode and the menu and the overworld and other things, each with its own interface etc. And on top of that there's storyline and cutscenes. How I hate making RPGs.

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Re: The right time to make a game?

Reply #9 on: January 01, 2007, 01:40:10 am
heh when I read the title I thought "Are we making a game like they are at PJ?" Anyway just posting my thoguhts cuz i got nuttin else to do, well its 20 to 2 in the orning, time for bed :yay: