Comments on: Why are you not creating your dream game?

By: Peter Kemmer

Peter Kemmer — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 22:16:41 +0000

That first tip is golden. Get modding, learn the ropes, and bootstrap a game!

By: Paulo Cesar

Paulo Cesar — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:58:27 +0000

Cool article. I’m making excuses for not working on my game for years now :P

But now I’m finally working on it. I made a partnership with an artist, I’m learning cocos2d and I’m quitting my day job (I have a successful iOS app giving me consistent quantities money)

So, any other tip for me?

By: Juuso Hietalahti

Juuso Hietalahti — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:48:01 +0000

Modding. Collaboration with an artist. Ascii gfx. Win lottery to increase art budget.

By: Juuso Hietalahti

Juuso Hietalahti — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:46:53 +0000

Modding.

By: Malek

Malek — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 10:25:34 +0000

Hi, thanx for the great article. I have a question, what does the ‘mod’ word stand for in your article?

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:34:05 +0000

I think my biggest limitations is graphics. Sound and music I can get from somewhere else – stock, mod, etc. That’s no issue. But graphics? That’s what makes or breaks a game! Every time I find an “enthusiastic” artist, they get involved and then just loose interest and stop corresponding about it. So there goes original art.

Graphics characterize the game itself – I couldn’t use graphics from, say, Mario Bros, for my own side-scrolling game of awesomeness. People would know (even apart from legal issues).

Graphics also need to be consistent. I can’t pull together several textures I found and modded from different sources and styles. It would look really odd.

Is there some royalty-free location I’m not aware of for textures, sprites, animations? I’d love to make some of my game ideas… LOVE! But this has been the biggest limitation as I am NOT an artist.

What do you suggest to get around this?

By: Juuso Hietalahti

Juuso Hietalahti — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:30:31 +0000

Could you benefit from prototyping?

By: JP

JP — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:28:21 +0000

I’m a long time software developer spending most of my years so far on business, productivity, back-end, and web, but when it comes to games (and I have a great idea right now), it’s trying to figure out first of all what it all entails (what tools, methods for scrolling, animation, levels, etc etc etc.) I have the game all drawn out on paper, can envision the movements, the game play, the addictive feel that I want the users to have, but wow, it’s hard to shift over to game mode but I’m not giving up on figuring out what it takes to write my first game and see if it can be as successful as I think it can be.

By: Juuso

Juuso — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:06:23 +0000

Tough list, tough list… cannot argue with those. I can see all of those in my mind as well.

By: Juuso

Juuso — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:05:44 +0000

I’ve noticed the same when trying to pick a “perfect phone”. At some point I gotta realize that I cannot get it all in the same package. Camera and Battery (and size) for example are different sides of the coin: have one and the other might suffer … or you need one huge sized “phone” to carry.

Same goes for games: if you want super procedural world, that’s fun to play, supports 71 million online people… and has handcrafted visuals… well, you just sort of cannot have those (unless @notch is funding you or something :D). So, you have to choose. Dwarf Fortress is hugely deep game, but complex too – and lacks visuals. It’s a design choice.

It’s about choices, and making wise ones.