Doing a bit of this and that is not a good practice. What is your plane through out your project?
I think I need to make a game core first with player, enemy and type of game and apply it to cube then later make a maps/levels then add feature to it. I feel like the game complete when implement the game core first but when I try to make animation or level first, I just turn off and move to other project.
So what is your plan during the project? Please describe it or make a list as you want.
Start making something. See where it takes me. As an indie with no obligation to create or finish and no deadline it works better to just develop, and by doing so see where the game should go to get better
Talking about real project. How would you plan that?
I’m just making something and then move on new project because my computer can’t handle a lot of asset at all. Some people say that start making a core game first and it will become an actual game with or without extra features.
I sometime start making controller and import model first because it look cool.
To organize myself I have several of TODO lists.
First there’s a roadmap, major things that I plan to implement. Levels, or new enemies, or game features.
Then a more detailed short term to-do list, once I start unraveling the things I need to do to achieve items from previous list. I add items to the list as I go… sometimes I accumulate things to do for several days.
And also list of tons of things that I might do or not, later on… if I have time.
Have you actually made anything at all yet? Ever? If not i dont think youre exactly in a position to define what constitutes as real or not
What if you fail your road map? yesterday, I start up a new project and I want to make a 2D endless runner type of game. I finish the game core than don’t know what to do next and dump that project then go to sleep. I forgot to set a road map and plans.
Addionally, Can you plan a 3rd person shooting game? I made 2 or 3 uncomplete third person game. One of them finish the core (Running, Jumping, Shooting, Camera) and another one finish the level (Maps, Animation, Particle effects) and then I lose interest because have no idea what to do next.
I mean a project that has goal. Not doing a bit of this and that and will never finish and has no dead line. It’s just testing.
I’d say the first thing you need is either a prototype or a vertical slice. Which one you need depends on the type of game your making. If your game is systems based (like DOTA) I think mechanical prototype is the way to go. If your game is more content based (like Half-Life 2) then I think vertical slice is the way to go.
I needed a vertical slice for my game. Once I decided that was my goal I made a list of major tasks. Each major task can be broken down into minor tasks. Then I give each task an estimate of how long it will take. I use a spreadsheet with percentage completion, and every day I mark what I’ve done in percentages. I pick a desired completion date and try to make sure my “work remaining” number stays aligned with when I want to finish. I find that every once in a while I like to make a new list from scratch, perhaps with a new task break-down that makes sense for the rest of the project, or how I tend to be working.
I’ve completed my vertical slice, almost all of my systems, and now I mostly have content left and here is what my list looks like:
And here is what one of those categories looks like broken down:
Are you sure you did know what you wanted to do? Once you have a clear idea of what your game should be, you just have to list (on paper or in your mind) what must be done. Once you know what must be done, it’s “One step at a time.” 
Same thing.
You make a basic prototype, test it, then outline list of stuff you need, sort it by priorities, then implement it all, meanwhile dealing with all the problems and bugs on ever-growing todo list.
And that’s it. It takes a lot of time.
Keep in mind that it is not architecture, meaning that your plan is never set in stone and can always change.
However sorting tasks by priorities is important, you do what makes bigger impact first and leave the rest for latter.
Nice!
Is alpha another larger vertical slice?
Rephrase - how are you determining what is alpha for your specific game?
I wouldn’t call my project aimless, goal-less and lacking the intent to be finished but thats the approach i took
Another one of these threads? Perhaps I should get some popcorn? There is no magic secret anyone can give you to get games made.
Forget planning your first projects. Simply build something until it’s done and release it. That will give you a far better idea of what’s needed then anyone on the forum can.
Seriously. Grow up and learn to solve your own problems.
I know it seems harsh but i cant agree more with @Kiwasi
You need to just, make something
You’re acting like one of those 12 year olds who say they make 100 page design documents for MMOs, just make a game, it doesnt matter if its terrible or if it fails. You just need to make something
I know full well how to manage a project and plan it, everyone does. But that’s no fun so you get threads like this.
I’m calling it alpha when all the content in the game is at least first pass. So I want every location in the world to have a rough art pass, all the quests to be playable and beatable. It can be super ugly and buggy, but the skeleton should be there.
I do agree that there is no magic piece of advice that will suddenly enable someone to create a game, and in this case I don’t think planning is the thing bottle necking our OP at the moment. Nonetheless, I think a discussion about how developers go about planning their production is fruitful. Its something I’m very interested to hear from other developers about anyway.
Valid point. The thread in general could be useful. My post was more lack of patience with the OP, rather then saying this thread is a bad idea. There are only so many times you can ask the same question without doing anything about it.
I think this is a great answer, and exactly how I believe most successful people work. You have an idea, you start playing around with it, and - as it develops - you start putting together your todo lists, your timelines, figuring out your dependencies and order of approach.
There’s probably a hundred ways to approach things, but at the end of the day, the approach that works for you is the correct approach.
I didn’t know what vertical slice is but thank for telling me that. Here’s my side scrolling 2D road map:
1.Core Game
1.1. setup basic scene
1.2. setup camera and camera script
1.3. make character {move, jump and attack}
1.4. setup enemy and allow them to die in 2 option {stomping, attacking}
2. Setup scene
2.1. Gather Sprite that fit the type of game
2.2. Make 10 basic levels
2.3. import sprite & setup animation sprite
2.4. import levels
3. Setup UI & sounds
3.1. Make Menu, Start, Setting & Level chooser
3.2. Add score, health bar…etc
3.3. Setup audio for the objects
4. Final state
4.1. script to UI, Core game & scene
4.2. Add extra feature {trail, effects, bonus, Credit, …}
I’m doing the basic 10 levels right now. It’s time consuming.
That make sense. Doing the core first is always important.
