Do you think using models and characters from the asset store is a good idea for a marketable game?
I ask because especially in the RPG scene there’s quite a few well known asset packs that I’ve seen all over the place and not just being used in Unity. Even a bridge from an asset pack is on the gallery section of Unity from another game, which strikes fear of potential custom noticing asset’s being shared between games and thinking ill of it.
Then again, buying asset’s is a massive time saver. So what are your thoughts on it? Do it from scratch or go right ahead?
When using these kit assets though, it’s best to try to diversify the prefabs as much as possible. Adding props on top of bulk shapes, mixing groups of props together, mixing parts from other kits, changing textures, merging multiple shapes into one bigger one, using parts in unorthodox ways, etc… all helps take the packs away from their stock appearance.
Depends what kind of asset in my opinion. Main characters/creatures, perhaps it is a detriment because the player spends a lot of time looking at them. Environments/structures I usually don’t pay a whole lot of attention to and not enough to compare to other games.
My bigger problem with buying models from the asset store is maintaining a consistent look and feel. Very difficult to do unless you stick within just one pack/author. t hasn’t stopped me from buying tons of assets but I usually end up not using them beyond prototype because it just looks shoddy mixing and matching styles.
If you really, and I mean really, have fun playing your own game then it is a bad ideal and you’d be wise to scrimp together a budget to create unique characters that are your own intellectual property, as in Disney, Rovio, and so on. Or teach yourself Blender well enough to create your own. For the environment and props: assets are fine and there are many good ones (and are far too many that aren’t useable except on the latest i7 dual video card setup) but keep the environment look ‘unified’. In some cases if you design your own character(s) they will require the design of an environment that’s tailored to them and that will take time, money, or both. You’re still better off going for your own characters if you really like playing your game.
If you don’t have a lot of fun playing your game then some asset store models are very nice and professional. In fact the best ones I have I gotten for free or $10 or less. Look for quality and originality rather then genre.
RUST uses assets from the store, and some really poor ones at that. The style is very much Garry’s Mod (same creator) so you don’t really mind the inconsistencies.
Well budget is / isn’t an issue… For the ground concept we have $125K (not including staff and rent etc.), if the financiers decide that the games horrible than it’s quit’s / game over the game will never see light of day and I loose a lot of money go back to a day job. Which is why I’m in a constant state of panic at the moment :).
Therefore it’s a time crunch issue for me personally, it just kind of irks me that I see asset’s in other games which could be misconstrued as I’m ripping elements off. I suppose zero bounds is correct, being smart with the process… We only have to create a couple of character models then change the texturing… (We use lightwave, Zbrush and Modo).
It didn’t exactly harm skyrim, I’m suggesting to myself to get more voice actors. As an arrow to the knee from hundreds of guards would be unfortunate.
Seriously: the only people whining about ripping off elements from others are those stealing themselves. You know, the self appointed directors without titles and those sort.
I say you develop your game for the demo. And supposing it’s not some type of game that’s not so original where you can use stock non-intellectual property characters (any number of zombie FPS games have an overwhelming number of bad models (and some good ones) available) or a sports game like baseball or cricket to no noticeable effect; then I’d be surprised if the investors didn’t invest the money to create characters that are their intellectual property if the original game was fun. Notice, no doubt they will be owners of the intellectual property if the game is successful. If the game is fun then what the characters look like shouldn’t effect that unless you are using completely inappropriate characters for a mass audience. $125K is not chump change.