what to do?

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    • what to do?

      hi all,
      I've a dilemma.
      I've written a ton of code for my 2d engine and I'm quite happy with it.
      I have written a few prototypes with it.
      I don't know where to go from here.
      I have a massive list of ideas that i have written over the years but I just don't know what to build.
      I really want to complete a game, but I find that once I get a decent prototype up that I don't know what to do next, they all seem to suck and are beyond fixing or elaborating.
      Any design hints or tips? It's driving me nuts.

    • Are there any specific questions you have about design, project management, etc? My first suggestion would be to take a simple game which has already been designed (Tetris, Breakout, Pong), and create it from start to finish. That is the ultimate stepping stone that will set you apart from majority of people out there who has only taken a project into its early stages, finishing a project takes alot more than just good programming skills, and would be a valuable example of your talent to have something complete.
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    • RE: what to do?

      Originally posted by quin
      I really want to complete a game, but I find that once I get a decent prototype up that I don't know what to do next, they all seem to suck and are beyond fixing or elaborating.
      Any design hints or tips? It's driving me nuts.


      It might help if you elaborated on this.

      There are always more things to be done. I can certainly understand having a game that feels so worthless that you don't want to bother. But here's my question: what's really plaguing you? The design of the game or the code base?

      If you have decent architecture and bad design, it should be fairly easy just to start messing with the design. Or if you're happy with both, then start working towards completing a game like mholley said.

    • Thanks guys.

      My architecture is fine, in fact I like it a lot.
      I find myself often refactoring and optimising the engine while I am procrastinating the completion of a game.

      I think mHolley that you are right. I will choose something old and build it myself. I have already decided a missile command derivative.

      But I definitely need some work in the design area. Ideas are all well and good and they can seem amazing in my mind, but generally once I implement a prototype I can't see how to develop it further. They seem too shallow to ever bother developing a complete game with. I think the ideas are never a complete game but rather a tiny morsel somewhere in a game.

      Perhaps i just need to stand back and draw some bubbles and lines... this in itself is a skill i need to develop further...

      Thanks guys.

    • You need to think about game design and game programming as two completely different skills. If your goal is to get better at programming, you should re-implement games with existing designs. You'll run into a lot of challenges just trying to make a simple game feel right. Tetris is a great example. There are certain things that just "feel" correct in a Tetris game and it's important to learn how to make that work through iteration.

      Game design is a completely different beast. If you want to get better at game design, I would stop using a computer. Make a complete board game from scratch. The pieces don't have to be interesting and you can use clip art for everything, but you do need to make it fun. Create a simple board game, then play it with some of your friends. Get honest feedback from them. Play it with as many people as you possibly can and keep changing it until it feels right.

      Creating a board game will get you away from the technical aspects of making a video game and force you to think about what makes a game fun. That's the essence of design.

      I recommend this book to get you started:
      amazon.com/Challenges-Game-Des…-Brathwaite/dp/158450580X

      It's all about creating simple board games as challenges for video game designers.

      -Rez

    • thanks rez, you are spot on.

      I have ordered this book and can't wait to start. Now i just have to make some friends...

      I'm in Berlin at the moment and there is a game jam this weekend and i think i will attend that, which i hope will give me some useful insights and to see how others approach this stuff.

      cheers :)

    • One thing you'll notice by imitating well made games is how many subtle things are going on to make the experience "feel" right.

      A basic prototype that shows a glimmer of a real game inside will quickly become boring. But, layer on longer term goals and interim player rewards, increasing difficulty and complexity as the player gains mastery of the game, a simple story to tie everything together, and a fine production polish (lots of content, sounds, effects, and other shiny things) and the game will start to feel much more real.
      Mr.Mike
      Author, Programmer, Brewer, Patriot