Okay so I was picking apart the Angry Bots demo, because top down shooters are the type of games I want to make and I realized something. So much has been put into that demo. the player character alone is very complex… I realized that to make a good game there is so much more I need to learn. Especially if I’m supposed to do this on my own…
To make a decent game I need to learn level design. Animation and Rigging. lighting, shader programming and so much more and it really makes me angry… because so far I love developing games. I love working on the projects but it seems to make a decent game I either need to have money to hire people or master everything that goes into making a good game. I know for a fact I cannot do this… Its… Its, for lack of a better word depressing.
I wonder how I’m supposed to do this on my own. I’m not a modeler so content I get to developed with will either be paid assets or custom made for me. The same goes for animation and rigging those assets. I have a limited budget. So why should I even continue trying… I feel like I hit a wall…
So am I being unrealistic and I can do this on my own or what?
I can relate as I’m doing the same thing. I have all the major aspects of my game functioning its just a matter of putting everything together then re-iterating on it until it is “good enough”. It takes an insane amount of work that is made worse if you are learning as you go. I spend so many hours trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong, researching, experimenting until I figure it out and achieve the results I want.
I think the most important piece of this is realistic expectations. I’m doing a simple puzzle game without anything mind blowing, though I think I’ve nailed the game play so for me I am proud and motivated to finish developing it, I think it will be great. However I know my limits and I’m keeping it within the realm of achievable.
The other thing is get up a working prototype, a complete prototype. It doesn’t matter if its an ugly, klunky piece of crap, just something whole that functions, then focus your vision and improve it. Its important to get something up to look at, it helps you see light at the end of the tunnel.
Work on it every day, get things done, learn, pat yourself on the back for every significant achievement. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed take a step back and take a breath. You can do anything within reason if you never stop trying.
If what you’re trying to do seems overly ambitious, scale it back! Don’t be afraid to scuttle a project that is a fairy tale, save it for later. Do something realistic but fun, something you are passionate about.
First of all tou need to ask yourself if you are cOming from a business perspective or a hobby perspective. Of this is your hobby the just try collaborate with users, if your project is good then people will join. If you are looking for aome prodit then why not shop around for cheap generalists to give you some quotes on what yo would like doing. I think one man can make games easily, depending on the game.
I’m kind of in the same position right now. I spent this week trying to learn Blender, doing all the tutorials on how to make video game characters, but I find it incredibly boring. I just want to code and maybe write, so right now my all my prototypes are mix of free models with unity cubes and spheres, and I’m kind of stuck. And I don’t have any money to pay for anything. I wonder if everyone who discovers unity goes through the same stages: 1. wow this is amazing I can make everything work 2. every model I try to make myself is a shifty-looking cube 3. ??? 4. Profit! (maybe?)
Angry bots wasn’t made by a single person, and the people involved are quite experienced. I don’t think you can realistically expect to make a comparable game as a solo developer with limited experience. That doesn’t mean you can’t make a game, and it doesn’t mean the game couldn’t be successful. Keep it simple and play to your strengths.
That said, I’m quite a fan of specialization myself - don’t feel the need to try and do everything poorly when I can do some things well. Your views may vary
Its good to know I am not the only one who has thought about this. I know angry bots wasn’t made by one person. I know I cant honestly hope to achieve something similar on my own… But just seeing the massive amount of work that was put into the demo makes me think that to make good games isn’t something one man can do. I’m working on a project now. I know It’s not that impressive but its coming together…
Honestly when I compare the two… my game looks like a child made it… It kinda kills my motivation…
Very generic catchphrases, but they still hold true in 2012 :
If you want it, you can do it.
No pain, no gain.
You reap what you sow. (efforts)
I’m not pretending to have produced the most beautiful, technically advanced, super optimized game of the indie world, but as a concrete fact, when I started with Unity 3 years ago, I had never touched or looked at a single line of C#, never made any 3D rigging, any 3D animation, and never produced a single 3D texture in my life (only 3D models with materials).
IMO Programming is easier to lean than 3d modeling… I tried to model in the past made basic models… have some pics somewhere I think I actually still have the models I believe…
I said I wanted to make Top Down shooters. I do but I want to make more serious type of games. Let me try to explain, currently TopDownShooters are kill em all, massive explosions and endless amounts of enemies… I want to make TopDownShooters that have a serious atmosphere, serious moods. Imagine Gears 3 but with a top down view… that is how I believe top down shooters should be made… that is my goal for my brand of games… The Angry Bots demo is a good example of what I want to achieve… I just hope I can achieve my goal… I suppose the better I get at some things the more it’ll be possible.
@nomad I looked at your site. Are you telling me all the modeling the rigging and the animating for your game was done by you? Even when before you had no previous experience
Well, the game is very good. As a showcase, it’s probably at a professional level, I cant continue working on my FPS if I keep looking at BF3 as an example. You’re not supposed to be able to do that by yourself, I mean, it’s not really you who limited by it. Say you are building a house and you are the best of the best. Even if you are the best, the “more best of the best” construction team that is building the house down the road is going up faster than yours, simply because there are more of them, and that’s just how things work, it’s not your fault their house is going up faster than yours.
Theoretically, this solo builder will eventually build the house as good as the team down the road, but it would take much longer. Of course, this is not reality. Now say you are not the best of the best…maybe you are an amateur carpenter, and you want to build a dog house. Since you know how to build a dog house instead of a regular house, you make the dog house. And it is one damn good dog house, because you knew everything about building dog houses.
Mr. Carpenter can research all he can about building regular homes and work his way up. From here two things could happen 1) He becomes a master of all skills and is able to build this house on his own 2) He finds a skilled plumber and a roof guy that can help him make this awesome house! Because building a house is such a complex and grueling task (it really is, ask how many people on the street can solo build a house), you are more likely to go with the latter option (I hope by now you understand that the awesome house is the Angry Bots demo, and the dog house is your game (no offense)
So that is my rather strange analogy…not try to be demotivational, but just remember nothing is impossible, even if the carpenter hits his fingers with the hammers a few times
I don’t want to turn this into a self publicity thread, but if it can cheer you up …
Yes, everything was done by me, except the music.
(Site is old and not representative of the current state, I should take it out from the sig unless it’s redone, the “Giant thread” link has very recent videos if you want)
But you see thats half the fun of game development! Challenging the odds, venturing into the uknown! Slipping and falling and getting back up! The journey is hella difficult, but thats because you LOVE IT, and you will continue working on your game because I said
How are you defining “good games”? I made Realmaze3D 100% on my own (code, graphics, sound, music, etc.), and while it’s not exactly going to turn the world upside down, it did fairly well on the App Store, got a bunch of good reviews, and is still selling 3 years later (and was even shown on BBC Newsnight last month…I didn’t get to see it, so I don’t known in what context).
Eric, that is pretty cool, very inspiring… But I don’t understand the point of your game. Not saying it isn’t good just the goal kinda flys over my head… But you’ve done well so I’d say thats a good game plus it looks pretty nice too. What kinda background did you specialize in before using unity?
Thank you…also it was featured by Apple on the front page of iTunes under “Staff picks”, which was largely responsible for the “doing fairly well” part, though it got a good kick-start by being on TouchArcade.
Find your way out as fast as possible and don’t get lost.
I think the reason I feel overwhelmed is because I have had no formal training or teaching. I’ve self taught myself everything I’ve done thus far. I learn as I go and adapt when I can or have to.
I think its easier for people with a design background to make decent games. As I’ve said in the past I’m not that good at the graphical part of Game Development and I have practiced and learned a little.
I don’t know how good I can actually get but I assume not very well.
But you guys helped me see that “One man can make a game(Difference)” lol Thanks guys…
